FEIGN IGNORANCE
1028 Words
Cali
As Aklan and I left the dinning following Mother, she leads us to the pack's secret room at the back of the pack mansion which was founded by father and was only known to Mother and us.
The pack's secret room was cloaked with an invisibility spell. The location can only be found using Mother and Aklan's sharp sight. Walking into the secret room, it was dusty.
The furniture of the place was still covered with a white cloth. I guess we all hadn't been here since father died.
Something was unsettling Mother. I could feel it. "Mother, what's the problem?"
"Cali, have you tried reading Kaia's mind before?" Mother asked.
I froze. Why did she ask that question? It's the same Xendith had asked earlier. "No, mother" I replied. "I don't want to invade her thoughts"
Because I didn't want to know what she thought of us.
"Well, even if you tried; I doubt you'd be able to" Mother says, trailing her finger across the dusty table. "It's weird. You're the only one whose mind I've ever been unable to read, Cali. But I was unable to get into Kaia's mind earlier" Mother chuckles, amused. "Why do you think that is?"
What was Mother implying?
"It could be because we haven't bonded with her yet, Mother. Perhaps you could try again after the mating ceremony"
Fortunately, Mother seemed to believe me. "You're right. I'm-"
The light above us flickered and went out engulfing us in darkness. "What happened?"
Mother placed her hand over her right hand. "A blackout? The whole pack district seems to be in darkness"
"All at once?" That was impossible.
"Mother, could it be the work of that 'target' of yours?" Aklan inquires, ready to fight.
Mother disagrees. "He wouldn't have attacked us so soon. Let's go inside and see what's happening"
We hurried back inside the pack mansion. There seems to be murmurs amongst the pack members due to the sudden blackout that had happened unexpectedly.
"Caspian, show yourself!" Mother calls out, summoning Caspian, her right-hand vampire slave.
A raven fly in, then transforms into its human form infront of Mother revealing Caspian dressed I his usual all-black wear. Caspian was a maltreated vampire back in their town.
When Mother got married into the pack, she cajoled father to let her bring Caspian in as her right-hand man saying she'd keep a close eye on him.
In as much as Mother didn't want to admit it, I was certain she pitied Caspian when she made that suggestion to Father.
How did I know? Mother was already pregnant with us at that time. I felt her emotion. She cared for Caspian butt never let it show. That was our mother. A person who never showed her weakness.
Ever since Mother brought Caspian out of the vampire town, he dedicated his life to Mother.
Caspian bowed. "You summoned me, My lady"
"How did this happen?" Mother asked, "Did you see this coming?"
That was when it occurred to me that if a blackout was going to happen, Mother, Aklan and Caspian would have seen it coming and prepared for it. But none of the did. Why?
Caspian shakes is head. "I didn't. I apologize, Lady Marianna"
"Enough" Mother commands abruptly. "Is every one of the pack members safe?"
"Yes, but..." Caspian's voice trails off. "Lady Kaia is a bit shaken"
I froze upon hearing Kaia's name. "Did something happen to Kaia?" Aklan and I chorused in unison.
Caspian points at a certain direction.
Gazing at his direction, I find Kaia seated in a couch trembling uncontrollably with a white blanket wrapped around her body.
Aklan and I made an attempt to rush over towards her but Caspian held us back with one hand.
"Let go, Caspian" Aklan snarled.
"Calm down. Both of you. Lady Kaia needs some space" Caspian explains. "She doesn't want any of you around her for now"
"Why?" I asked. "What happened to her?"
Caspian loosens his hold on us. "Well...Alpha Xendith had walked in on her while she was in the bathroom before the blackout. She was so scared, she screamed"
"Xendith, that bastard!" Aklan cursed. "How dare he see Kaia naked before me? Mother, this is all your fault. You shouldn't have dragged me out of the dinning"
I rolled my eyes. I knew that was the only reason Aklan was worried for. I, on the other hand was worried about Kaia.
"I'll see to it that she's alright" Mother says, walking away from us towards Kaia.
"Then, ill be taking my leave as well" Caspian says, bowing. He then transforms to a raven and flies away.
"Aklan, are you alright these days?" I asked.
Aklan furrows his brow, confused. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, you didn't see the blackout coming. Lately, your powers seem to be in a glitch or something"
Aklan shrugs. "So? Is that a bad thing?"
Why was Aklan being so nonchalant about this?
"Hey, Kaia could have been in danger just now"
"Was she, though?" he fired back. "She's perfectly f*****g fine"
"Aklan, I'm just worried that..."
"That I'm losing my powers?" He completes. "And what if that's what I want, huh?"
"How could you possibly want that, Aklan?"
"And how would you know what I f*****g want, Cali!" Aklan yelled. "How would any of you? None of you ever gave a s**t about me and my powers before. But ever since Kaia came in all of a sudden, I'm supposed to be in charge of her safety? Bullshit"
Aklan. How did I never notice that he was struggling with his powers? If no one else noticed, I was supposed to. "Aklan, I'm-"
"Xendith is a selfish d**k so honestly when he was chewing me out on this, I expected it from him but not from you, Cali" Aklan says. "And the fact that you all are worried about a mate you barely know rather than Mother infuriates me"
As soon as those words left his lips, Aklan cursed inwardly. "Just pretend you never heard that"
But I'd heard it clearly so how could I feign ignorance?
"Aklan is Mother going to die?"
- Writer
