Fate In Ink

chapter 18

I stood behind Julian with a big frown on my face.

He talked to his uncle, a powerful alcalde mayor, in elegant prose, foreign to my Filipino ears. The way they spoke Spanish was as if listening to royalty, firm but graceful. But even that did not take my fright away.

I avoided Father's glare. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine Julian would bring me right here, and I never planned to show up in this investigation of theirs.

The alcalde threw me a condescending look, and I struggled to keep my head high. I gulped through my dry throat and eased my tensed shoulders. I briefly met his eyes and he looked away.

"Very well," Don Perez finally said in Filipino. "You all are lucky my nephew came. But we're not done, bastards. Not yet."

The alcalde gestured to the soldiers who held the men's heads at gunpoint and left. He turned back one last time and exchanged knowing glances with his nephew.

After he and his men disappeared, Father quickly stormed to my direction. "You foolish girl!" he yelled.

My head hung low and I scratched the tips of my fingers. My blood went cold and I bit my lip. "I'm sorry," I said in a quiet voice.

"Who told you to come here?" Father toned his voice down and walked out of earshot from the other men.

I breathed heavily and glanced at Julian who merely leaned over the stone wall. He widened his eyes at me, as if to say he had no idea what was happening.

"Answer me when I'm talking to you!" Father exclaimed.

"I'm sorry." His anger was reminiscent of my real mother's wrath, and I naturally blurted out the first thing I always did.

"I was worried for you. You couldn't have done it, so when I found out Julian was the alcalde's nephew, I went and asked him to help, but I didn't know he was going to take me here, and I'm honestly so terrified but I just want to help!" I said non-stop and looked down.

Father fell quiet and I busied myself with the droplets of sweat forming from my fingertips. A heavy, dark atmosphere loomed over my shoulders, slowly dragging me down.

Father sighed. "We need to go home."

I cocked my head up and he no longer looked at me. Father nodded to Julian's direction and turned away. I mouthed a small 'thank you' to Julian as well and I quickly tried to match Father's pace.

I walked closely behind him, watching his back while he walked briskly, not batting an eye at the huge mansion constantly trying to snatch attention. By the time we got to the street, Matias was there.

My eyes widened. Why was he here?

Our gazes met and he gave me the same look of confusion and shock. His eyes fell from me to his father. He opened his mouth to say something, but pursed them again.

"I wasn't able to get a caritela." Matias's eyes were restless and his hands were all over the place. "I-I think we could walk."

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Father said and walked past his son.

Matias heaved a heavy breath and walked towards me. "Why are you here? What happened?" he whispered, a deep frown carving into his face.

"Long story," I said in defeat.

A startling crack of gunfire tore through the air and I squealed at the sudden sound. I slapped a hand to my ear and my head automatically turned to the source of the sound. Father looked back, his face enveloped with frantic worry.