Battlefront

17- Freedom

Ibinaba ni Xandros ang hawak na picture frame sa ibabaw ng kanyang nightstand. His mother was a beautiful woman inside and out. Lahat ginawa nito para sa kanya. She wore tattered clothes so he could have nice ones. She wore old boots with holes so he could have new ones during winter. And she would skip meals so he could have more.

Mahigit limang centuries na mula n'ong nawala ito but her memories were kept alive inside Xandros' heart. He would never forget her. Everything that he had now was because of her sacrifices.

"Sigurado ka na ba rito sa gagawin mo, Mr. Black?" nasa boses ni Keira ang pag-aalala.

Who wouldn't? Isang malaking risk ang gagawin n'ya. Hindi s'ya nagpayaman ng ganito sa loob ng napakaraming taon para lang itapon iyun nang basta-basta. Hindi niya prinotektahan ang sarili at itinago ang kanyang identity sa loob ng limang daang taon para lang sa isang pangako. Hindi namatay ang ina niya para lang iligtas niya ang isang babae.

But he couldn't bear the thought of Tatiana in that stinking jail alone...for the rest of her life.

Maybe more than five hundred years of hiding was enough. Maybe it was time to face his own fears by saving an innocent life.

"Sa totoo lang, no. Hindi ako sigurado, Keira. Everything in my head right now starts with maybe. I'm not even sure if we can pull this off," he answered honestly.

"Siguro kaya naman natin. I mean, Tiana's family will help," sagot ni Keira pero maging ito ay hindi sigurado.

Huminga ng malalim si Xandros. "Where is your kid right now? Nakalabas na ba ng Vergaemonth?"

Tumango si Keira. "Noong isang araw lang. Ipinadala ko sa Ribenly since hindi s'ya pwedeng pumasok ng Blackbourne without an official reason."

Tumangu-tango si Xandros. He sent his bodyguards and their families far from Vergaemonth. Marami kasi sa mga ito ang galit sa ISOP. Ayaw niyang may madamay dahil sa desisyon niya. Some went to Blackbourne but Keira's kid, the one she saved five years ago, couldn't go due not being a Pureblood.

"You can follow her, Keira."

"I am your bodyguard, Sir. Hindi ko kayo iiwan dito," matigas na sagot ng babae. He knew how loyal she was to him. Tinatanaw nito na malaking utang na loob ang pagtulong niya rito dati.

"Very well then. Let's do this."

Kasama ni Xandros sina Keira at Bryce nang tumulak siya papuntang Hellville City. He arranged a meeting with the Bloodworths and the head of the family seemed to be willing to cooperate. His plan wouldn't be easy and he already considered all possible consequences which were mostly bad but he had made up his mind. He would save Tatiana no matter what.

Hellville was a prosperous small city of vampires and witches. It used to be exclusive for Purebloods but Savannah Bloodworth changed it almost thirty years ago. Moderno ang mga buildings at sementado ang mga daan. And other cities bought their produce from this city.

"They live in the upstate," pagbibigay-alam ni Xandros sa mga kasama.

"That's where the rich families live?" tanong ni Bryce.

"Yeah," at hindi nga sila na-disappoint nang marating nila ang upstate. Makikitang malalaki ang mga mansion doon kahit na malayo ang mga 'yun sa main road. Bawat mansion ay napapalibutan ng malalaki at matatayog na pader at gates at malawak na lupain.

"That should be theirs. The one at the end of the road," ani Keira na binabasa ang message ni Titus Bloodworth tungkol sa address ng mansion nito.

Pinapasok naman sila agad at hindi nagtagal ay kaharap na nila sa parlor ng mansion ang buong mag-anak at ang lahat ng mga kaibigan ng mga ito.