JULY
THE REAL MEETING started immediately after dinner. We went to a room that they called a "board room" in Ev's house. Eva is seriously discussing the "plan."
"So, Luigi is now back?" I asked her.
"Yes," Eva answered. "So far, we don't know his plan yet. All I know is that my sister Ely is his accomplice."
'That Ely!' I know what you mean, wolf. That fucking Ely.
We all fell silent.
"I still can't believe that Aunt Ely would do this to us," Carina said afterward. "I know she has a deep reason why she did this."
"Stop it, Carina. Don't justify your Aunt's actions," Ev scolded her daughter. Carina fell silent. I can see that Carina gritted her teeth. It seems that Carina is a loyalist to Ely.
"Anyway," Dimitri said. "We will stick to the plan as of now. Let's work together to find Luigi first, then give us reports and updates about it so we can also plan how to catch him. We have a very limited time." He looked in our direction. "That's why members of the Valiente are here to help us find Luigi outside Marion. We are looking forward to your help, Valiente Team."
"Of course. Who else will work together?" I said. He nodded at me with a smile.
"That's why you are all here too, kids." He was referring to their children. "Because it's time for all of you to help us in this battle. As you probably heard the story of Luigi from your parents, he is really dangerous. In my last update, according to my sources, he is making a weapon to destroy the chosen one, and he is continuing with his goal to rule the world. "
"In our investigation also in London, Luigi is almost at his goal in creating that weapon," said King Fairy, Jon. "That weapon can really ruin us all. We don't know yet how to defeat that weapon because we don't know even a little about it."
"So we need to gather every bit of help that we can get," Eva said. "For twenty-two years, Luigi has been silent. We thought he was not going to surface and would no longer cause trouble, but we thought wrong. He will never really change. For the sake of all the supernaturals and the people, we need to find and stop him from his evil doings."
"You can count on us," I said. When I looked at my companions, they nodded at me.
"Count me in," I heard Ruby say.
"Me too." And the young people have been in agreement.
"I know that you have all the proper training as you grow up," Ev continued. "But I'm asking you to train more. Especially with your strongest ability as a supernatural."
This meeting is really very serious. It's because Luigi has returned. That legendary villain. For twenty-two years, he must have been preparing for his comeback.
"Knowing Luigi, he planned every move that he would make for this comeback." Someone appeared. This was the first time I saw her. She is a beautiful woman too.
"Sabrina!" Amor said, happily.
"Hello, guys," she greeted us with a smile.
"Hello, everybody!" Someone said from Sabrina's back.
"Faye!" This time, Ev smiled at them. "It's good that you came."
"Of course, we'll be late, but we're definitely going," Sabrina said.
"Mother Fe is with us as well as Tito Jared. They're just parking the car," Faye said. And just as Faye said, a gentleman and a lady came in. They were probably what Faye was referring to.
"I'm glad you're here, mom," Ev said, kissing her. So, is that her mom? The Witch? Hmm, interesting.
"Of course, daughter. We will not miss this important meeting. It took us a while because we talked to Adam," said Fe. "We have a problem," she said later.
"What is it, Ma?" asked Ev.
Fe was about to speak when she noticed us. She didn't know who we were, so she was too stunned to say anything.
"They're with us, mom. They are from Valiente." Fe nodded understandingly. It looks like the problem Fe is referring to is really troublesome. I can sense it while looking at her troubled face.
"Ely. She infiltrated Serenity," Fe paused. "She stole the rasta pearl."
Everyone became silent. And it was at that precise moment that my phone rang. Damn! So, embarrassing. They all looked at me. I thought I put my phone in silent mode earlier.
I immediately picked up my phone and looked at the caller. I got up from my seat when I saw Chief Emilio calling.
"Excuse me, I need to get this," I excuse myself to them. Ev nodded, and I immediately left the board room. "Chief? You called?" I asked him when I got out of the board room. "W-what?" I asked him again. It was as if I had gone deaf to what he had just said. I can't believe what he's saying to me right now.
He said that he would explain everything. My father will come here to Marion. And he cut off the line before I could ask more.
I was zoning out when I went back to the board room.
"Aunt Ev, please help my friend Natalia." Natalia? That voice is also familiar to me. I dashed back into the boardroom. "I know she wasn't just kidnapped for ransom. I saw some of the guys, Aunt. They even bit one of Natalia's guards. I know their bite very well, aunt. They are vampires!"
"Sofia?" I called her. She turned to me. "What are you doing here?"
"July! July, Natalia was kidnapped," she replied instead. "I'm sorry. I didn't keep an eye on her well. I didn't realize that there were vampires following her." My head is a mess. I can not talk. I do not understand every word that Sofia is saying. "Juls, I'm a vampire." Now, that makes sense.
"Huh?" I am such a fool. Why didn't I even smell Sofia that she was a vampire?
Sofia replied, "Because I use a potion to hide my scent." She can read my thoughts? "Yes, Juls. Anyway, Natalia was kidnapped. We need to find her. Juls? Hey!"
It's so overwhelming. From my Aunt Amber to Luigi's plans, to the kidnapping of Natalia, then the vampire Sofia who can read my mind.
"Pia, sit down first, sweetie." I saw Aunt Clef calm her. "So, this friend of yours, is that the same Natalia that Ely kidnapped from July? The president's daughter?"
"Yes, mom," Pia replied.
"How come I never met her? I mean, all your friends. Then your friend is the daughter of the president of the country?" asked Aunt Clef.
"Mom, I just want to live as a normal person that's why I did that. Besides, I don't want them to get into trouble. I just found out that Natalia is a mermaid. But I always know that July is a wolf. Mom, I don't want to get them involved in the mess of supernaturals, so I hide them. I hope you understand." Sofia explained.
"But sweetie, Natalia is captured by the vampires now. Did you do something harmful to them?" Aunt Clef asked her daughter again.
"Mom, nothing. I didn't even know why Natalia was kidnapped," Sofia said frustrated.
"She's Luigi's weapon." I butted in. My heart hurts. I'm not of sound mind right now, but I'm keeping myself calm. I knew they were all looking at me.
"How did you know?" asked Aunt Ev.
"The Chief called. Informing me about the kidnapping of Natalia." I heard my phone ring again. I've checked it first. It was a text from the Chief, along with a few texts from Natalia. I wanted to open Natalia's texts, but I read the Chief's text first. There are instructions there in the chief's text. "We need to get to the White House, asap. The president will answer all our confusions."
I told them and exited the board room. I no longer know what they were discussing. I needed fresh air, so I decided to go to the veranda. The tears that I had been holding back were already dripping when I saw Natalia's flood of texts along with the pictures of her and her friends at the amusement park.
"I'm sorry, love. I'm sorry," I said, crying as I looked at Natalia's happy picture at the amusement park.
~*~
THE PRESIDENT
"I AM GLAD YOU ARE ALL HERE. Thank you for coming," I greeted the supernaturals who came here. "Thank you for coming on such short notice. Let me introduce myself, I'm Jaime Aquino. I'm not a mortal, I'm a child of Satan. My demonic name is Judas. Let me tell you why I'm here on the surface," I told them directly. Nothing complicated yet. I saw their shocked expressions, but I continued with my story.
Flashback…
After I gave Luigi the book he needed, I lived like a normal person. I am mortal because Luigi has already given me his mortality.
I am Judas, the son of Satan. I hate hell. Even if they say I'm a prince there, I can't afford to look at the sufferings of the people. I'm fed up with hell. I don't want a life like that.
So, I made a deal with my father. He agreed. He said that if I could find a creature that would give me his mortality, willingly, I would be free from him. I searched. I spent a lot of time searching, but I always failed.
My father, Satan, never told me what to do or even stopped me from doing what I was doing. He just let me go.
Until I heard my father and Luigi talking. I don't know why Satan is also helping Luigi. I was about to give up when I heard the gossip about Luigi being half-vampire and half-human from the demons. I had hope. At least Luigi won't die, because he's a half-vampire if I take his mortality.
As I listened to their conversation, I learned what Luigi needed to succeed in his plan. I stole the Book of Demons and made a deal with Luigi when he got home.
In that alley in London, the deal happened. Luigi got the book he was looking for, and I got his mortality. I am free from being a demon. Win-win situation. Since then, Satan has not bothered me.
I left London immediately and lived here in Freelipinas. In those days, there were so many vampires who were greedy for human blood.
One day, I was walking down the street looking for a job. I didn't realize that someone was following me. A vampire. He was so hungry for my blood. And because I didn't know that a vampire was following me, he lured me into an alley and was planning to suck my blood.
Luckily, I was saved. I was saved by Emilio Mercado, Sr. A kind wolf who really hunts evil vampires. Emil and I became close friends. He helped me settle here in the country until I got into politics. Emil built Valiente, along with his pack, because he was the alpha of wolves.
Since then, Valiente has been guarding my safety. Until I met Mutya, we had a family and I became the president of the country. Unfortunately, Emil died in an encounter with vampires. Lately, I found out that it was my father who did it.
Flashback ends…
"I thought that I was free of Satan, but I was wrong." Back to the present. "The King of Demons cursed me. I was a fool to think that he would set me free just like that. Satan will not allow being fooled, especially since I stole the book and used it to free myself from him."
"What do you mean, cursed, sir?" asked one of the supernatural beings there. I guess it was Ev. If I'm not mistaken.
"Because I wanted to be free with my father, he made a way for me to regret everything and go back to him. Luigi's coming to hell. The gossip of demons so I would know Luigi is half-human. My plan is to steal the book. It was all a test for me that I didn't pass because I wanted to be a normal person. It was a great insult to my father and a betrayal in all hell. "
They listen intently.
"What's in the book?" The red-haired woman asked. If I'm not mistaken, it was Flame. "How can that help Luigi?"
"In that book are the answers on how to defeat the chosen one." I looked at Eva. "Instructions on making a weapon that will kill the chosen one so Luigi can continue his planned world conquest."
"And this weapon... what is the connection between the rasta pearl and your daughter?" Eva asked again.
"Allow me to continue my story." They nodded. "The book says that 'There is only one weapon that can kill and destroy the chosen one. It's not a thing but a creature. A beautiful creature that is created by the king of the demon's son and a mermaid, out of love. Thy powers will be activated in thy twenty-two years of age. The activation of the dark power of this creature will only be through the Rasta Pearl. " Of course, I still remember what was written there. I read it before giving it to Luigi. I still have the memory of it.
"I was not aware that taking the mortality of a willing person wasn't really effective. I was convinced that I was a normal person but the demonic blood was still flowing in my blood." I looked at my hand as if through it I could see the flow of my blood.
"You mean..." July couldn't finish what she was going to say, but I knew what she was thinking.
"Natalia has demon blood, July. She's the weapon Luigi is looking for. The daughter of a demon and a mermaid, I know you know my wife, Mutya. I was cursed. My father gave me a curse in exchange for my disobedience to him. In my desire to be a normal person, even my wife and child were punished. Satan made sure that I would suffer. That my family will suffer."
July clenched her fist. I can see that she is frustrated as she can't do anything right now.
"I tried to talk to my father about it when I realized that my daughter was the one he intended to kill the chosen one, but I never saw him or talked to him. He hid himself from me. I tightened security for Natalia. But things will happen, and it's still not enough. I can't do anything. All of Satan's plans have been carried out. It's hard to fight Luigi right now, especially since Satan is helping him."
"I'm sorry to hear that, sir. But let me just ask, is there anything written in the book about how we can stop Luigi or Natalia?" Emilio, Jr. asked.
I sighed. "There is," I replied.
The frustrated July looked at me. She must have been revived by hope at what I said.
"What is it, sir?"
"My life," I answered quickly.