"Okay," Uncle rose up and then snapped his fingers to remove the barrier. "I will have to contact your parents."
"Why?" I cried, frantically. "Are you going to tell them what happened?"
"I have to, sweetie," he sighs. "You are not safe here, and we can't risk any humans being involved in a battle they aren't a part of."
"He's right, Ria," Gideon sighed.
I lower my head and frown. "Does that mean I have to move away?"
"Only temporarily after everything is at peace and you are safe," Uncle Stan pats my shoulder.
"What about Tala? She's my best friend; at least I should say goodbye." The thought of leaving Tala and can't explain the reason for moving away. I'm not too fond of it when I have to hide my identity, and the world she thinks isn't as every day as she expected. But she's my first friend; we've been through a lot together and leaving her breaks my heart.
"Once you say your goodbyes, I will have no choice but to erase her memories."
"No!" I cried. "You can't do that. Please, Uncle Stan. Tala is my best friend. Don't do this. Gideon, please don't make him do this."
Gideon seems he's in a tight spot. He wasn't sure whether to agree with Uncle Stan or not.
Tears were forming in my eyes, and without realizing it, a loud BANG had us all in surprise and look. Izek appeared inside the house, at first wry, but once he landed his eyes on me, it had become soft. With his vampire speed, he kneels before me.
"Aneria, what's wrong?" he cups my face in a soothing voice, whipping a falling tear from under my eye.
"Hey, you can't just kick down our door like that! Who do you think you are?"
Izek pulled out his sword and pointed at Gideon and Uncle Stan. The sword looked sharp and polished to the point that the ray of the sun made it shiny. His eyes glowing bright blue and his jaw clenched tight, I can see a vein popping out on his forehead.
I sense bloodlust coming off from Izek.
"Which one of you made her cry?" said hostilely. Izek had me close to him. His friends were in the doorway, watching what was happening to their captain.
"Hey, easy there, pretty boy," Uncle Stan held his hand up. "No one made her cry, and she just got emotional because she can't be here anymore and-"
"A-And I didn't w-want Uncle Stan erase my best friend's memories of me," I stutter and finish Uncle Stan's sentence.
"Yes, exactly."
Izek glanced down, his eyes softening towards me. "You don't want him to erase your friend's memories?" he asked, and I nodded my head frantically as it made him softly chuckle before looking back at Uncle Stan. "Is there any other way?"
"Aneria will have to come to Grimwald where she is safe and protected. By law, we can't have rogues roaming the human world as they like. You know the chances that a human might get hurt or killed by any of us and the consequences once my superiors hear about it. It's best to erase the memories of those who know of Aneria's existence. Of course, you had yourself an earful of our conversation earlier. The magic of the Crane family is powerful."
I look up at Izek. Was he listening?
Uncle Stan is considered a powerful wizard to think someone like Izek can counter the barrier and hear our conversation.
"It said that your ancestor, Dorothea Crane, also possessed such magic at an early age and thus became the Silver Knight because of that power, and it is a rare thing in the Crane Family." Uncle Stan swelled a smirk. "Must be nice to receive such a gift from the Moon Goddess."
"It's not a gift, more like a curse." Izek grit his teeth.
"Well, you should appreciate it. Comes in handy. Only if you can handle such magic."
Izek snarls, then sheathe his sword back.
I never knew vampires could wield magic as well. But it's proof that Izek has magic powers and is as strong as Uncle Stan because of the Moon Goddess. I heard stories from Mom about how the Moon Goddess is the mother of all creatures in Grimwald. She is the one who created the moon and stars hence calling her the Moon Goddess and birth the children of all non-human beings.
Who is Izek Crane?
I cry softly, thinking back about Tala's situation.
I wouldn't forgive myself if Tala were to get hurt by a rogue because of me. Tala is as important to me as my parents, Uncle Stan and Gideon. She's more than a best friend but like my sister. I can't risk having her know of my existence as being non-human, or else evil would use her as part of my weakness.
I can't let anyone hurt her.
I got up. "Can I call her? Right now, she's in Australia with her family."
"Sure," Uncle Stan pulled me in a short embrace.
I wipe my nose and pull out my phone as I walk back to my room. I was looking down at the screen with a screen savior picture of Tala and me on our eighth-grade dance. We were each other's dates since no guy had asked us because we are freaks. It was a Halloween theme; Tala was a sexy mummy while I was dressed as a cute bunny.
I remembered that night, and it was the great night we had before we turned into high schoolers.
I couldn't hold back the tears as I called Tala. I didn't tap the FaceTime button because I didn't want her to see my face.
"Ria, hey, what happened?" Hearing Tala's voice, I almost broke down. I cover my mouth for a second and inhale sharply.
"Nothing," I inhale and sniffle simultaneously, forcefully playing it cool. "Gideon fell on his ass, that's all."
Hopefully, that wouldn't give Tala a hint of suspicion.
"Hope he didn't break anything," sounding concerned. She may tease Gideon, but it's all just for fun.
"Yeah…" I chuckle wry. I sniffled and pinched my lips. It's hard to tell Tala because I tell her about everything, well, not everything.
She needs to know, and once I do, she will forget about our times together. "Tala?"
I called her name, but her voice was far and speaking in her native language, and I could hear her mom on the other side of the call. "I'm on the phone with Ria. Give me a minute. Mom says hi. What? No. I'll get some late. Sorry about that, Ria. Mom made me some bibingka."
Bibingka - a dessert baked of rice cake from the Philippines wrapped in banana leaves. I remembered eating some made by Tala's mom.
"Tala, there is something I have to tell you?"
"Are you sure you're okay? You sound ominous and gloomy."
I fought hard not to shed a tear, but it had already trailed down my cheek.
"Ria? Hello, Ria?"
I inhale a shaky breath. "Sorry, yeah, I'm okay. Anyways, there is something I have to tell you."
"Oh my god! You're pregnant?!" Screaming in my ear.
"What? No!"
"I mean, you sound scared, and I assume you-"
"T, how can I be pregnant when I don't even have a boyfriend?" I lowered my voice and glanced at the door. "I'm still a virgin."
Tala laughs on the other end. "You know I'm just kidding. Of course, you are not pregnant. I want to light up the mood."
"Teen pregnancy is no joke," I say firmly.
"Ria, I only said that because it sounds like you've been crying."
My eyes grew wide, and I frantically wiped my eyes. "What? How did you know?"
"I'm your best friend, Ria. I have a six sense." She always says that. Tala is very sharp and can point out exact things. It's like she's psychic. "So, Ria, tell me the truth. What's making you cry?"
Then I burst out, tears continue to fall, and I wail like a baby. "T-Tala…I'm sorry…" covering my mouth from the hiccups. "I won't be seeing you when you come back."
"Are you going somewhere?" Tala chuckles. "Ria, why are you crying over something that simple."
"But it's not simple," I proclaimed and wiped my eyes again. "I'm not only leaving, but I'm going to live there."
"What?!"
"I…I haven't told you," I sniffle as I stop crying. "I applied to this college somewhere in Europe that Uncle Stan went to, and I got an email from them about my acceptance, a-and…the semester doesn't start next week."
I hope this lie can convince Tala. But like I said, Tala is very sharp and can tell the truth or falsehood. I'm not a very good liar as such with making up the mysterious college lie. I hope she will not get mad at me.
Tala has been silent on the call. It's making my heart race.
"What's the college's name?" She broke the silence and asked.
"T-the college?" I stuttered.
"Yeah, what's the name?" Her tone sounds firm and not convinced.
I haven't gotten that far as to make up a name. I have to think of a word. My brain was in chaos, so I told her what came to mind. "Pettigreen…? Pettigreen University."
"Pettigreen, huh?" She scoffs, still not accurate enough. "Which part of Europe?"
"A-A small country you don't know. It's called…Grimwald."
"Grimwald?"
"Yes," I squeak.
Tala stays quiet again. The anticipation makes me shake my leg frantically, and my heart beats faster. I know Tala loves to have fun and doesn't care about hurtful things, but she is pretty sharp and can distinguish between truth and lies.
"Ria, I have to go," she suddenly says mellowly.
"Tala, wait-"
"We will speak to this later."
"Wait! Tala, let me explain-" Just like that, the call ends on her side. I drop my hand on my lap, feeling devastated.
Tala is mad at me.
I can tell with her soft and don't-speak-to-be voice.
I don't blame her since I wasn't being honest with her since the beginning of our friendship. Sometimes, I doubt she's friends with me, so it would be for her advantage to put me down, making her superior to me - bully me for her benefit because of the way I look. But for ten years, she was nothing but my backbone and partner in crime. She's not only my best friend but a sister.
I drop down to the floor, pull up my legs, and dip my head as I let my tears run.