Held Captive

Chapter 75-Mira and Mark

Chapter 75

"This is just normal, you know. When a father would fetch his drunk daughter in a bar."

Nang marinig ko ang boses niya ay nanginig ang buong katawan ko. Napuno ng galit ang aking buong sistema. Pilit akong nagpupumiglas sa kapit niya pero nanghihina talaga ako. Ayokong hawakan niya ko. Nandidiri ako sa kaniya.

"Do you think it is also normal for a father to hire a man and ask him to put something on her daughter's drink?" I asked. He just chuckled.

"You're smart." There was pride in his voice. Like he was proud because I solved the puzzle. "Like father, like daughter."

"You.. are not my father." I was feeling dizzy but I managed to put force in my voice. Kitang kita ko kung paano siya nagtiim bagang. Gusto kong malaman niyang galit ako. Gusto kong malaman niyang kinamumuhian ko siya.

Sinubukan niyang hindi pansinin ang sinabi ko. Bagkus ay sinagot niya na lang ang aking tanong. "I know you will fight me if I ask you to come with me, so I just drugged you."

"Let..go, Tanda.." Hinarap ko siya ngunit umiikot ang paningin ko. Hindi ko siya makita nang malinaw. "Why..are..you.. here?"

"Naiinip na si King Azrael. He was asking Radimir to take you to our palace as soon as possible. Pero mukhang hindi iyon kayang gawin ng Asad. He has many chances to hold you captive, yet he didn't. He can't."

Nakalabas na kami ng pinto. I wanted to punch this man. I wanted to hurt him like the way he hurt my mom. But I was too weak to do it now. I can't even stand straight.

"That's why the king asked me to kidnap you. And surprise! Now I'm taking you to Tenebrous Palace."

I opened my mouth to say insulting names at him but I fell down, entering a world of full darkness.

~~~~~~~~

I woke up and the first thing I saw was a familiar ceiling. I was lying on a familiar bed with a familiar sheet. An elegant room with no windows.

And it hits me.

My body shivered at the realization. Binalot ng takot ang sistema ko.

I was a captive again. And this time, my own father was my captor. Parang gusto kong masuka sa inisip ko. Father? Psh. As if. He has never been a father to me.

I got up and went to the bathroom. Walang bintana kaya hindi ko alam kung umaga ba o gabi. Ang tanging bintana lang ay yung nandito sa banyo. May liwanag na lumalabas dito. Ngunit hindi ganoon kaliwanag. I assume it's already afternoon.

I took a bath. May nakahanda ng towel doon at mga damit. After I cleaned up, I went to the 'mini kitchen' of this room. May nakahanda na agad na masasarap na pagkain sa lamesa. I wonder where is Radimir right now. Not that I want to see him. I just.. ahm.. just curious on his whereabouts.

As if sensing my thoughts, the door suddenly swung open. Agad kong sinuklay ang aking buhok gamit ang aking mga daliri. Inayos ko rin ang aking damit bago ako humarap sa kaniya.

"Ra—"

Parang nasapo sa hangin ang sasabihin ko. Disappointment filled my system as a man of Tenebrous—not Radimir—entered my room. May dala-dala siyang isang pitsel ng juice. Nilagay niya ito sa lamesa. Malungkot ko lang na sinusundan ang bawat galaw niya.

"Ahm, hey." Agaw pansin ko sa kaniya. "May I ask something?"

Nilingon niya ako. "Ano yun?" Maangas niyang tanong. Tsk. Tenebrous talaga.

"Where is.." I cleared my throat. "Where is your Asad?"

"He was not in the palace right now. He's with Mira."

Parang may kung ano sa dugo ko ang kumulo. Bigla akong nainis ng walang dahilan.

"Mira? A girl?"

"Alangan. Hindi pa ba halata?" This man used a tone as if saying, duh?

"Why? Pinsan ba siya ng Asad niyo? Kapatid? Kamag-anak?" At this moment, I wanted to scream or at least, punch that girl. I didn't know the name for this emotion. I had never felt this before. This feeling was a stranger to me.

"Ulila na ang Asad. Wala na siyang pamilya. Hindi rin niya kilala ang mga kamag-anak niya. Mira is a friend of his British friend."

Laking pasasalamat ko na may pagkamadaldal ang Tenebrous na to. He's giving me too much information, this could be his weakness in the near future.

"A friend of his British friend?"

"Yup. The Asad was raised in UK. Doon siya nagtraining at nag-aral. Tsaka siya pinabalik dito sa Pilipinas ni King Azrael nung 16 years old na siya."

"Okay, thanks for the info. But who really is Mira?"

"Mira is a friend of his British friend. Bagong member siya ng Tenebrous. His British friend personally asked Radimir to train Mira to be a good warrior."

"I hate his British friend." I murmured absentmindedly. That put a smirk on the face of the man I was talking to.

"You act like a jealous girlfriend." He gave me a teasing smile.

"Jealous? Who? Me? Excuse me?" Tinuro ko pa ang sarili gamit ang aking forefinger tsaka tumawa. "Of course not."

"I hope so. Because loving a Tenebrous is a curse." Yun lang ang sinabi niya at dire-diretso na siyang naglakad papunta sa pinto. Pinihit niya na ang doorknob nang muli siyang lumingon.

"My name is Mark by the way."

Tsaka niya sinarado ang pinto. Buong magdamag ay iyon lang ang laman ng utak ko. Sino si Mira? May gusto ba siya kay Rad? May gusto ba si Rad sa kaniya? Anong ginagawa nila ngayon? Nagtre-training lang ba talaga sila? What if Rad was teaching her combat and suddenly things got heated up? URGH!

~~~~~~

I was eating my dinner while still thinking about Mira. Gosh! I must be really crazy for thinking about the two of them.

I could imagine them laughing at each other's joke as Radimir put his arms around Mira's shoulders. And then they stared at each other's eyes. They stopped laughing and just stared. Until Rad started to lean closer to her. And then they..

STOP IT EVE! You're torturing yourself!

Inisang lagok ko ang isang baso nang malamig na tubig sa sobrang pangit nang iniisip ko. Goodness! I was a captive again. Five days from now, they would kill me. And here I was, being jealous because Rad was with someone else when he was supposed to be with me.

Wait. Did I just say jealous?

Nah. I didn't.

Biglang bumukas ang pinto ng aking kwarto. Pumasok doon ang lalaking ayaw kong makita. Namuo agad ang galit sa loob ko. Tinigasan ko ang ekspresyon ng aking mukha.

Lumakad siya papalapit sa akin. I gave him a poker face.

"What brings you here, Oldie Arthur?"