Takipsilim

Chapter 61: Strings

"Let's find a place where we can wait until sunrise, Mom. Somewhere far enough from the Chosen Kataha's presence." Cedric was trying to catch his breath as he led Lucille under the moonlight, in the middle of the forest. Nahiwalay ang dalawa sa kanilang mga kasamahan. "Doon tayo magplano ng susunod nating hakbang." Pinagpapawisan ang binata at nanginginig ang kamay nito.

"I'm tired! Let go of me." Lucille was not getting any younger, and despite having demon blood running through her veins, her old age was still getting the best of her. "Bakit ngayon ka pa lang mag-iisip ng hakbang?! So you mean you don't have a Plan B all this time?!" She was getting impatient, and at the same time surprised that Cedric did not know how to deal with Katherina. "Useless!"

Natigilan ang binata. Iyon ang unang beses na pinagtaasan siya ng boses ng babaeng itinuring niyang ina. Sasagot na sana siya ngunit alam niyang mas mahalagang makalayo muna sila sa mansyon.

Hindi kami pwedeng maabutan ni Katherina. She will kill us. I won't let that happen. Kailangan kong magplano dahil ako pa rin dapat ang matira sa huli. He thought to himself. His nose flared when he thought of how strong his sister was, the girl he belittled all these years.

Nagpatuloy sa paglalakad ang mag-ina hanggang sa makarating sila sa isang malaking puno ng Acacia. Doon siya nagpasyang tumigil pansamantala.

"This place will do." He declared. His gaze did not miss how Lucille rolled her eyes and frowned at him.

"What?!" He was being impatient as well. He received no response. Instead, Lucille just crouched on the ground and closed her eyes to sleep.

Huminga ng malalim ang binata upang pigilan ang sarili na magsalita pa.

Not now. I have more important things to think about.

No longer expecting his mom to cooperate, he sat down and began to think.

Ilang minuto ring sinubukan ng binatang pakalmahin ang sarili. Hindi man niya aminin, siya man ay nagulat at natakot rin sa kapangyarihan at lakas na ipinamalas ni Katherina, ng totoong Sugong Kataha, kanina lamang.

He anticipated that her body will be shocked at first with the new power she got, and he planned to get her once she weakens. And when he gets a hold of her, he will take her under his control and have her kill the Chosen Ahren. When their main enemy is gone, he will kill Katherina himself so he would finally be king.

But Hunter got in the way.

He wanted to get mad at him for betraying him, but all he felt was this unfamiliar shallowness in his chest when he think about how Hunter would no longer be around.

"Damn it!" Cedric violently ran his fingers through his hair. For the first time in his life, he did not know what to do.

Where are you now that I need you?! He looked for the Vasilissa Sofia when they escaped but she was nowhere to be found.

I cannot just let everything I was promised to, everything I planned for all my life be gone! Cedric grew up with the belief that nothing is more important in this world than power and staying on top - that the strong shall live and the weak shall die.

And he vowed to never, ever be weak.

He closed his eyes, exhausted from all that happened in the last twenty four hours, still holding the heavy grudge of being denied of the power he believed was his all his life.

"Cedric Louis, have you ever been happy?" The Vasilissa Sofia asked him randomly during one of their few conversations.

"What do you mean?" He raised an eyebrow, a bit surprised that the Vasilissa asked such a trivial question.