Esperanza

Chapter Three

Argh!

Esperanza pulled her hair in annoyance.

She's so screwed!

Señor Sebastian caught her in the act of stealing his book, and to make the matter worst, she binds him with her binding spell so she could easily escape.

She gave him leeway to hold something against her. She's too careless.

That guy probably hopping in madness right now and ordering his men to catch her.

Espe bit her thumb. Once she sends the book to that fat friar, she'll immediately leave this place and go to her mother's hometown in the Visayas.

Until now, her stomach churning, as if millions of butterflies fluttering inside of her stomach. When their gazes collides a while ago, she couldn't help but be mesmerized. His eyes have the paleliest blue like the sky, his gaze was clear and bright as he looked towards her.

She was instantly swept away by his gaze and immediately felt that her heart had skipped a beat.

Oh my, his face was just too handsome.

Espe knew that she was a little bit superficial.

She silently muttered in her heart: Avoid falling for his charms to avoid trouble, avoid falling for his charms to avoid trouble.

That's it! To avoid trouble, she had to avoid falling to his charms!

Espe reminds herself that she doesn't like vampires and it's number two in her 'two no in her husband list'.

The number one is a werewolf.

A vampire husband is an obsessive one, he would cling to you like a leech and he would follow you wherever you go. He would go killing spree if you show admiration to other people who are not him.

And a wolf is a territorial one. Like the vampire, wolves have obsessive tendencies and marked you to show the world that you are owned by him. Wolves would snarl at every opposite gender who is around you.

In short, full of suspicion and lack of trust.

If you ended up with any one of them, you have to spend a lot of brain cells to appease them, and more muscles to show how loyal you are.

Espe didn't have any prejudice against their race, they can be her friends but as for husband?

A big NO!

Espe shook her head. She should stick her neck on her list or else she would mysteriously lose her life.

“Señorita Espe, your friend's sister Señorita Annette is here.” A maid called behind the door, bringing Espe out of her reverie.

“Let her in, Corazon.”

The door opened, a tall woman with blond hair came into the room. Her forest green eyes were full of worry. Espe gestured the maid to close the door.

“You didn't do it, am I right?” Annette asked.

“I got the Bible, Annie.” Espe get the Bible under her pillow and hastily added her lie when she saw her sad face, “But I didn't steal it! I bought it from the Englishman.”

“Don't lie to me, Espe!” Annette sat at the corner of her bed. “I can smell your guilt.”

Esperanza bit her lip. Her guilt probably stinks, no doubt.

“But I don't want something bad to happen to your sister or even to you. You two are my only friends who acknowledge what I am.”

The woman shook her head.

“I am very happy that you're concern about my well-being and Alicia, but there's no need to do that. I want you to return that Bible to Señor Sebastian, you don't know Friar Damascus. There's no end of his greed, he threatened you once— it only means he can threaten you once more.”

“But—”

“Esperanza, listen.” Annette eyed her seriously. “I don't want you to become involved with this, I have my ways to save my elder sister and settle scores with him. Will you do this for me even once?”

Espe shut her mouth and refused to answer.

“Can I conclude from your silence that you assent?”

“Fine. I'll return the book.” but what she said was the exact opposite of what's inside her mind.

***

She squeezed her cloak tight around her body.

Espe bit her lower lip tightly and continued to grace the street shrouded in the darkness.

After she carefully checked each establishment that she passed by, Espe finally found their meeting place— a shabby inn that looked like it would collapse anytime soon.

The knob felt cold under her palm as she hesitantly pushed the wooden door open.

The inside of the large inn was dingy, lit by a few overhanging oil lamps. The air was stale and unmoving about the dozen or so men who sat inside, and although all were eating or drinking together in small groups, only a low murmur of voices could be heard. Naturally, she attracted some attention upon her entrance. But soon, few of those who turned their gazes to her lost interest in Espe and they continued chattering among themselves.

Padre Damascus states in his letter before that in case she already has the book, she should give it to a man wearing a similar cloak as her.

She couldn't wait another day to come to give him the Bible and rescue Alicia, she has to give this book to his man and get the location where that friar prisoned her friend.

Espe's gaze darted to every nook and cranny of the place and it was not long until a man donning dark cloaks similar to hers in an inconspicuous corner caught her attention. He was buried in the shadows, away from the bustle and hustle. At a glance, the man seemed to blend in darkness—the shadow and him merging into one body difficult to differentiate.

She slowly started to draw nearer the mysterious man.

Upon reaching him, she tapped the table where the man was seated, and instantly, the hand that held the wine glass froze in mid-air…

The sleeves of the man coming out from the cloak were blue with a red wool cuff. No doubt, this man was a Veteran Civil Guard of Manila.

“Are you my company tonight?” She asked boldly.

“It seems so…”

It was a low and rough voice that seemed to scratch from his inside. Espe blinked hard. His voice that reverberated in her ears— why does it sound familiar? Where did she hear it before?

Though suddenly surprised, she soon pulled herself from her musings. Anyway, once things are done, this will soon be over.

“Follow me. I’ll escort you.” The man directed, to which she subserviently nodded in return.

He stood up, his towering height made Espe suffocate. The ample height difference between her and his chin was hard to ignore. Despite the dim light in the shabby inn, she could see his broad shoulders and strong physique.

She was candidly embarrassed by the stark contrast in their frames. He soon led her out of the establishment, oblivious to her inner turmoil. A carriage was waiting outside for them, Espe looked over to the two people wearing a civil guard uniform waiting for her by a carriage. The carriage has no window, if she were to get onto this carriage and disappear, nobody would be able to find out that she had been done in by the friar.

‘Hmm… how thorough.’ she thought. But she's not afraid. Incase the friar commits dirty tactics against her, this holy relic in her hands would never fall in his hands. She has many powerful spells in her arsenal at her disposal.

The man opened the door for her and let her inside first. Espe stepped into the carriage without another word. Entering the carriage after her, the man closed the door and occupy the seat before her. The Veteran Civil Guard brushed off his hood with one hand, revealing his face.

“…!” Espe drew a sharp intake of breath.

What welcomed her was a healthy-looking pale skin that becomes tan because of the country's warm weather, auburn hair, and dull yet fierce eyes. In the dark, his piercing blue eyes switched over to purple, reflecting the wildness of a beast.

Esperanza's heart raced. Her throat dried as a realization hit her.

It is Señor Sebastian!

“You!” Espe was aghast. Her mouth trembled so slightly to the point that she felt she would collapse any moment. “What's the meaning of this, Señor?”

The man must have noticed as his lips slowly twisted to a faint smile. He raised his eyebrows.

“I'm afraid that you have no choice but to stick around with my company.” He said, slurring the last word.

Espe raised her hand to attack him.

Sebastian crossed his arms under his chest and chuckled, unperturbed. “I'm sorry to disappoint you but there's a silence cast in the entire carriage, your impressive spells have no use in here.”

Esperanza huffed and puffed. She gritted her teeth.

“Oh, yeah? Then what about this?” Her raised hand suddenly formed into a fist and flew into his face to give him a straight punch.

Suddenly, his mouth curved into a bemused expression and catch her hand.

Espe retracts her hand from his hold but the vampire's far too strong. The more she struggled, the stronger he gripped her hand.

“Release my hand. What do you want?” she exasperatingly asked. “If you still want your book, I would never give this to you.”

“Never fear, I decided to give that Bible to you. But what I want now is you.” Chuckling, he pulled her to his embrace.

Espe lost her footing and dropped into his arms. Her eyes lifted upwards and were caught by his pair of alluring eyes.

When she meets that pair of gorgeous eyes, her heart suddenly started to skip. This vampire was seriously dangerous to her heart.

Sebastian leaned forward. His hot breath lingered around her sensitive earlobe as his eyes that contained a hint of mystery, started to shine with a dazzling and beautiful light. These cut off Espe to her reverie.

“What…” before Espe could finish saying ‘what are you about to do’, Sebastian lowered his head and sensually puffed warm air near her sensitive earlobes.

“You, what are you doing!!” she pushes him away with one shove. But Sebastian’s hands were strong and powerful. His arms tightly imprisoned Espe near his chest.

His palm touched her tender cheek and gently caressing her lips with his thumb. “Let's make a deal, I'm going to save your friend but there's should be a payment.”

Espe opened her eyes wide.

She wanted to resist, but she soon discovered that she was helpless in his grasp.

Sebastian suddenly gave off a wicked laugh. “Hey, do you agree or not? If not, I'm going to kiss you.” After he said this, his palms appeared on the back of her head which made Espe tremble like a tree.

“I agree! I agree! I'll pay you everything that you want, just don't kiss me!” Esperanza frantically pushed him away from herself.

Hearing her response, Sebastian instantly released her and smiled like a dog who has his meal. “You said that. You should be accountable for the words that you say.”

“I gave you my word.”

Espe mentally slapped her head. He's a vampire, how did she come up that he looks like a dog? She slid a few steps back to be far from where he sat.

The carriage took off.