Shalei was amused by her metaphor. She knew that her presence here meant that the organization — or pack, as Meagan has said — would be able to ask for anything from her mother.
But wasn't it too exaggerating to compare her to a Goddess?
Well, Patricia was endearingly adorable either way so Shalei didn't really mind. Nevertheless, she still told her. "Even if I am here, you still have to pray to your God, okay?" said someone who didn't even believe in the existence of Gods, she mused. "Who knows? Maybe your every wish will be granted."
"Really?!" Patricia's eyes flew open and Shalei was almost bedazzled by the sheer brilliance in them. "Sure, if Your Excellency says so! I will pray every single day so that my wish will come true!"
Shalei chuckled. Her heart went to this girl who was so obedient and cute, yet had no chance to experience the world like girls her age. To wake up in a normal household, go to school in the morning, mingle with friends who could share her woes and laughter. There was no doubt that Patricia would be thriving, she would become the center of attention with how sunny her disposition was.
"What's your biggest wish right now?"
Patricia didn't even need to think as she exclaimed. "I want to be a werewolf!"
Shalei almost choked on her breath. "You want to be a… what?"
"A werewolf." She pouted, unaware of the strangeness that flickered in Shalei's expression. "I want to be stronger, faster and nimbler so I can fight the infected!"
"The infected…?" Shalei got more and more confused. "There's a plague around here?"
Patricia looked at her with an incredulous look as if she hadn't expected Shalei to be so oblivious. And Shalei was ashamed to admit that she had indeed lived a sheltered life.
Since the time when she ran away from home and caught back a few months later, her mother had increased the security around her to the point where she couldn't even walk a few meters without her bodyguards popping out at every corner to bring her back. That's why she had always felt weird for the fact that these people managed to seize her from the school ground when it was the place with the heaviest security. Moreover, there were only two of them…
"The infected." Patricia repeated solemnly. "They are cursed, or so everyone said."
Shalei's brows furrowed deeper. "Cursed? By whom?"
"By the Moon Goddess! Because they are sinners!"
Shalei hummed. There had been a lot of people who would place the cause of any disease or disaster on God's wrath. She wasn't unfamiliar with it per se. Not when she had a very superstitious father who checked his horoscope every single day and visited the shamans every time an accident happened. "Can you tell me more about this… disease? How long has it been going on? When was the first occurence?"
"It has been going in for as long as I can remember." Patricia rubbed her chin thoughtfully. If the situation hadn't taken a turn in a strange direction, Shalei would have teased her adult-like gesture that didn't fit her age. Alas, she was currently too absorbed by the new information to care. "Mama said that it occured way before I was born. If Your Excellency wants to know more, maybe you should ask Mama. Anyway, everyone is doomed and the news said that we are heading toward extinction!" She gestured all around them, huffing and puffing. "Many people got infected by the curse and we have to fight, find a safe place to live and—"
Shalei raised a hand to stop her. "Please… give me a few minutes." She sank into thoughts. The plague — or curse, whatever it was — had occurred way before Patricia was born? So it meant twelve or more years ago? It had been such a long time but how come Shalei never heard anything about that?
She wasn't the kind of person who would follow headline news. However, such a thing should have been discussed everywhere. Her classmates, the servants in her house, the people in the upper echelon who would never miss anything worth gossiping about… Shalei had never heard anything about infected disease from them.
The gnawing in the back of her mind returned, telling her that there was something important she had overlooked. Usually, she would tamper it down. What could have happened anyway? Throughout the years, she had never gotten into any accident before when she was kidnapped time and time again. She only needed to sit still like the good and obedient girl she was, waiting patiently until her mother sent her people to come and take her back.
Something was off, she could perceive it, but she couldn't put her finger on it. How frustrating!
Beside her, Patricia suddenly stood up and bowed to the direction behind her. "Alpha."
Alpha. The word embedded in Shalei's mind as she turned to find Sebastian standing in the hallway since God-knows-when. He nodded in acknowledgment toward Patricia and said, his eyes never leaving Shalei even for a second. "Leave us."
"Yes, sir!" Patricia saluted, sent Shalei a cute wink before scrambling away. She was so agile that Shalei failed to catch hold of her. She still wanted to know more about the infected disease and it was easier to ask from her mouth because she learned that Patricia was very straightforward and blunt. Contrary to Sebastian who would evade the question if he wished, who would only answer with one or two vague sentences, Patricia was way better. Damn it, she should have listened to everything she had to say earlier!
"Your Excellency." Sebastian stepped forward and instead of taking Patricia's seat, he merely stood beside her and inclined his head slightly. "How do you find her company?"
"She is… good." Shalei stared at him intently, trying to gouge out… answer. Any answer that could clear her confusion. Unfortunately, Sebastian was very discreet. He had always kept a tight lid on his expression, never letting anyone in to see his real emotion. It made him very fun to tease but now, Shalei only felt frustrated. "A very enjoyable companion."
"I'm glad to hear that."
"Seth."
"Yes, Your Excellency?"
Shalei gestured to the seat in front of her and after a second hesitation, Sebastian sat down. Only then did she continue, "Do you know what Patricia and I were talking about?"
Sebastian nodded. "The Moon's Curse."
Alright, it even got a damned name already, and it even sounded so superstitious. Shalei nodded with a thoughtful expression. Now that Sebastian confirmed the disease indeed existed, she crossed the possibility of it being a child's prank. It wasn't that she didn't trust Patricia, but sometimes children tended to exaggerate things.
The world's destruction could mean that her family was breaking apart, the curse could possibly mean a new varian of influenza which would disappear sooner or later.
Oh, come on Shalei. You know it's a small possibility, she chided herself. This disease — The Moon's Curse — had been going on for more than a decade. Whatever it was, it should be serious if the cure was still not found.
Shalei had a lot of questions, mainly why The Moon's Curse of all names and what was it all about. But first thing first, she had to know two things. The most important things. "Then, the reason I am here, is it related to the disease?"
Silence. "...Yes."
She slowly let out an exhale. Her fingertips were shaking and she curled them tightly on top of her knees. You should maintain composure at all times, her mother's voice echoed in her ears yet again, never ever let anyone know that you're panicking.
"Then," she swallowed. "How is everything related to my mother?" Shalei knew that her mother was ambitious. She wasn't satisfied with her current position as the party leader. She wanted to give the presidency a run and she was willing to do anything to achieve that. But the mere thought of her having something to do with infectious disease made Shalei feel sick in the pit of her stomach.
Genuine confusion took over Sebastian's features. "Your mother…?"
What…? What kind of reaction was that? She had expected anger, disgust, contempt or even hatred but never… confusion. Why was he confused? It was as if… Shalei could feel her heartbeat thundering against her ribcage. Rapid and hard. Ba-thump. Ba-thump. Ba-thump. Cold sweat beaded on her back. She tried to chuckle, yet it came out more like a breathless sigh. "Isn't the whole point why I am here is because you need something from my mother?"
More confusion clouded Sebastian's eyes, this time with alarm and apprehension. Oh no. Oh no, this couldn't be happening. Shalei felt light-headed and she needed time to digest the new revelation.
If it wasn't because of her mother, then why was she here? What did she have to do with an infectious disease — a curse, a plague, whatever it was? What exactly was happening?!
Sebastian reached out to her, hesitatingly. "Your Excellency—"
A sharp, ear deafening siren reverberated through the air in the next second, cutting off whatever Sebastian wanted to say.
In an instant, his face darkened and he stood up. The abrupt change in his demeanor took Shalei off guard. Before she could ask what was happening, a cacophony of shouts echoed from a distance, mixing with the animalistic growls and roars she had heard the day before, this time clearer, similar to large animal growls albeit fiercer.
The ground shook with tension and bloodlust. Static noises came from the walkie talkie in Sebastian's pocket, followed by a desperate shout.
"Captain, the infected have broken through the first line of defense! We are holding them back right now!"