"May kapatid ka po na mas bata?"
Tumaas ang kilay ni Tiana nang marinig ang tanong ng maharot na batang si Kari kay Malik na kampanteng nakaupo sa couch.
Nasa apartment na sila ni Garren, a different kind of witch at new friend ng kakambal n'ya, at kasalukuyan silang nag-uusap tungkol sa sitwasyon ni Deus kasama ang isang babaeng nagngangalang Bleik.
"Meron but he's older than you too. He's seventeen," sagot naman ni Malik.
Lumabi ang bata.
"So, this Hanaleese bitch cast a spell on you para hindi n'yo maalala kung saan kayo dinala. Then this certain spell extends to those who are here. They didn't ask this question for many days," pagsa-summarize ni Tiana sa report na ibinigay ni Keira.
"That's what we think," sagot ni Bryce.
"Can you reverse that kind of spell?" tanong ni Garren.
"We are not sure if she really cast a spell on you. If I did a reverse spell pero wala pala siyang ginawa, then you would all be in a great risk. Reverse spells are only done kung siguradong may ginawa ngang spell," sagot ni Tiana.
"So, what can we do?" si Benny naman ngayon ang nagtanong. Medyo tahimik ito pero nagsasalita naman kapag may gustong itanong. Nasa kusina ito at nakasandal sa counter. A Turned.
Tiana wanted to shiver. Mga pasaway kasi ang Turned sa Vergaemonth. Ilang wars na ba ang sinimulan ng mga ito?
Kaya naman hindi siya sanay na gumawa ng plano kasama ang isang Turned. And a new one pa.
Huminga ng malalim si Tiana. Benny might be different. Wala itong ipinapakitang kakaibang ugali o simtomas ng pagiging masama. Sana magtuluy-tuloy na. They didn't need another problem right now.
"Hindi pa ako sigurado. I tried going to the limbo to see if Deus went there. I tried many times pero wala talaga siya."
"Limbo?" tanong ni Garren.
"It's a place in a different dimension where Channeling witches go to meet each other. It's a little complicated but we do it to talk to each other lalo na kapag malayo kami sa isa't isa."
"Oh," nanlaki ang mga mata ni Garren na parang impressed na impressed.
"What do you mean wala talaga si Deus?" pagbabalik ni Bryce sa topic. Alam nito na ginamit ni Tiana ang limbo para makausap ang pamilya noong nasa Blackbourne pa sila.
"He doesn't go there. Dalawang rason lang ang nakikita kong sagot kung bakit hindi n'ya ginagamit ang limbo..." mabigat ang pakiramdam na sagot ni Tiana.
"What? That he's dead?" nanlaki ang mga mata ni Bryce sa sinabi. "No."
Napalunok si Tiana. Gusto man niyang manatiling matapang ay hindi niya maiwasang takasan ng lakas kapag naiisip n'ya ang posibilidad na 'yun.
She shook her head. Hindi s'ya dapat mag-isip ng gan'on. Deus wasn't dead. He shouldn't die. Hindi n'ya alam kung kakayanin n'ya. She already suffered before when she thought he would die. When he survived, kailangan naman nitong lumayo.
"Or he lost his magic," sabi niya kaya napatitig sa kanya ang kanyang mga kasama.
"That is actually possible. Alam ng Hanaleese na 'yun na malakas si Deus kaya kailangan s'yang pigilan. His powers must be suppressed to contain him," ani Malik.
"Na-blackmail siguro kaya hindi na nanlaban," dagdag naman ni Keira.
"We have to find them soon and I mean soon," ani Tiana saka tiningnan si Garren. "Are you strong enough to assist me? I'm going to do a tracking spell."
BINABASA MO ANG
CURSED
FantasyBleik had a wonderful family and friends. Everything was good. The boy she had a crush on had eyes on her too. But on the night of her eighteenth birthday, everything changed. She wasn't worthy to have everything she had. Now, she was alone.