Ever After

XXIII. Sixth

He covered us with a black cloak. Tinakpan niya rin ang bibig ko para hindi makagawa ng ingay. Magkaharap kami kaya ang puting maskara niya lang ang nakikita ko.

Pilit akong nagpumiglas at kumawala pero mas malakas siya sa akin. But I stopped when I heard noises around. Parang tunog ng mga tuyong dahon sa tuwing naaapakan.

"Nasaan na ba si Dos? He's always not around." said a familiar voice. If I'm not wrong, it's Uno.

"Boss, baka minamanmanan si Victoria sa palasyo."

"That princess. If we ever met again, she will surely gonna die." nagpintig ang tainga ko sa narinig. Parang ang lapit niya lang sa akin pero hindi niya ako napapansin.

Narinig ko ang mga yabag nila na para bang lumalayo na. When they are gone, he immediately removed the cloak.

Napa-upo lang ako sa tabi ng puno dahil sa kaba. That was close. I looked at him just to see familiar eyes.

"D-Dos,"

"Eerah!" I saw Nickolas running towards us. Nang makalapit siya ay agad niya akong hinitak sa likod niya at humarap kay Dos.

"Ilayo mo na si Victoria rito." That's the last thing he said before wearing the cloak and vanished out of our sight. Invisibility cloak.

"Ayos ka lang ba? Sinaktan ka ba niya?" Nickolas checked in me. Mariin naman akong umiling.

"No. Actually, he saved me."

Hinitak niya ako palabas ng gubat. I thought, we will be heading towards the field where they are playing kites but we went in a carriage.

"Wait, hindi ba tayo magpapaalam sa kanila bago umalis?" I asked but he just continued walking.

"Kailangan mo nang umuwi sa palasyo. Mas ligtas ka doon."

A man open the carriage for us. Yeah, he's also the one who sent us here in Aspel. Hinintay niya kami rito pero hindi kami sinundan para walang makahalata.

Nickolas sat in front of me. Tahimik lang ang byahe. Walang kumibo sa aming dalawa. It's an almost a one hour ride.

When we get back to Winzellia, hindi muna ako pumasok sa palasyo. Nickolas and I headed to Walon hills, where you can watch a perfect sunset view.

There's still silence between us not until Nickolas broke it.

"Nakikilala mo ba ang mga dumukot sa'yo noon?" nilingon ko siya. He never mentioned about it after they saved me.

"Hindi. Pero gusto nilang makuha sa akin ang wand ni Kuya Art. They thought I took it before setting him free."

"You should be careful, Eerah. Nanganganib ka lalo na ngayong hindi pa natin kilala kung sino ang mga kalaban." liningon ko siya. Nag-aalala kaya siya sa akin?

"Umh, Nickolas?" I called while fixing my gaze in the setting sun. I saw him look at me in my peripheral view.

"Bakit?"

"Uno, their leader told me that you saw him taking me." napahawak ako ng mahigpit sa bestida ko. Nilingon ko siya. "I-Is tha true?"

Tumango siya. I don't know how to react. He really saw me and he just let them take me. Should I be mad? But he still saved me, right?

"I want to save you that time. But his companions came. Hindi ko sila kayang labanan lahat kaya humingi ako ng tulong." He's just staring at the horizon and I guess, he didn't saw me smiling.

"He even invited me to join them because he know that I have a hatred towards Victoria." This time, lumingon siya sa akin like trying to see my expression.