The Runaway Huntress
Chapter 51 - 50

Chapter 51: Chapter 50

Chapter 50

Laia was perplexed by what Melisca was accusing her of. The woman had borderline trust issues. And though she was her savior, she’s becoming too violent. She had to use her strength against her then. Yesterday, she couldn’t fight back because of the effects of whatever that injection was. But now she’s in good condition and would not hesitate to fight back for her life.

"I’m not a spy." Laia held Melisca’s wrist that was on her neck and gripped it with strength.

Melisca fought a wince that wanted to show on her face. The girl had her full stamina back and could par on her abilities.

"And I don’t know how to prove it to you. But I’m loyal to my race." Laia stated.

"How did you end up with those hunters then? Why were you there in the forest?" Melisa gritted her teeth, for her wrist might crack anytime soon. But the girl wasn’t feeling good either. She also had a grip on her other hand that would crush her fingers and knuckles, adding to her throat. But she couldn’t choke her entirely, for she needed the girl to talk.

"If you were just." Laia grunted. Guess she wasn’t in full recovery, for her strength was waiving and the echoing heat of the sun was gnawing at her. The look at Melisca’s hollow black eyes and yellow flecks was starting to emerge, an indication the woman wouldn’t be backing down anytime soon. "Curious, you can ask me without doing this." She finished her sentence. "You gave me this life. Why take it back? I owe you one."

Melisca squinted her eyes at the girl, with her head working on every detail she noticed so far. But she can’t figure out if she is lying or not. Maybe talking calmly would do.

All of a sudden, she opened her fingers from the girl’s throat and hand. Laia withdrew hers too.

"Why have you got to be so aggressive?" The girl asked, taking a huge breath while caressing her neck.

Melisca just shot her a glare as she put on knuckle gloves.

"Your eyes were so intriguing." Laia commented. She bet the woman was such a beauty behind the mask. She had an urge to request for her to see her full face, but she knew the woman would refuse.

"Cut to the chase, Laia. Clear my doubts." Propping her butt to the motor’s seat and finishing the last glove on the other hand.

"I was staying at an inn near the forest. I was starving, so I went out to hunt some food in the wild."

"Why in the wild?" Melisca snapped her head up to look at her again, done fixing her gloves.

"For animal blood. I was hunting in there for almost a week until yesterday. Only old people stayed at the inn, along with the owners. It seemed like it would be their last year. I don’t want to suck at their veins. Who knows whatever diseases they had, and their systems were not that strong to replenish a loss of blood." Laia started waving her hand as she talked. "Then, when I was hunting, I sensed two people coming my way. They looked like campers. Well, that’s what I thought and what they claimed to be. They said they were lost, so I guided them to get out of there. And that’s when one of them attacked me and injected me with a needle. I never expected it. That’s why they managed to prick that thing to me. I was being nice, and it turns out they want me dead. Of course, I instantly felt then that I was losing strength, so I ran in panic. I got to get away from them first without thinking of fighting back. They might inject me another one if I stayed around. Then they coped with me, for I can’t run that fast anymore. I’m truly grateful that you were there. I could have died without you." Laia placed a hand on her chest and bowed respectfully to her. "A ’thank you’ would never be enough. Still, thank you, Melisca."

Melisca thought that she found vampires graceful with their gestures. Maybe because they had a political hierarchy. They need to bow to the vampire’s royal family. Bloodsuckers and their court. She just wished to never have an enemy in them. Even that one half-blood vamp.

"Where did you bury the bodies?" She stood up and swung her other leg to the side to sit properly for driving.

"A bit far from that scene." Laia furrowed her eyebrows as she was calculating something on her head. Folding her arms and tapping a finger to her lower lip. "Hmm. Maybe two kilometers away?" Showing two fingers. As she saw Melisca preparing to leave, she didn’t contemplate asking. "Where are you going?" Retreating a step to get out of the way, the woman kicked the stand back up and inserted a key into the ignition.

"Just around." I also had my own thing to bury. Melisca fixed the backpack behind her. "And you, if you don’t want to be chased by the hunters again, you better get lost from this city." She grabbed the helmet dangling by the hand grip and put it on her head.

Laia nodded. "That’s exactly my plan today. Leaving this country. Go back to my circle."

"Good." Melisca’s short reply and twisted the key to start the engine.

"Wait." Laia placed a hand on Melisca’s forearm, which made the woman look at her again. "As I said before, I owe you my life. If ever you need anything—a favor, a hand to something, even money—though it can never make up for what you did, please don’t hesitate to come to me."

Melisca only nodded, listening to Laia’s words though it wouldn’t likely happen.

"You can trust me." The vampire added.

Now, if only Melisca’s ears could twitch like a cat’s whenever that word came out to anyone’s mouth, it could have been an indication that she was sensitive to it. She was allergic to that word.

She clicked her tongue and twisted her neck to properly look at the girl straight to the eye. "If there’s something that I can’t do, that is to trust, Laia."

"But not everyone is your enemy." She retorted quickly. "Like me, you just saved my life, so how can I turn against you? I can—"

"—Trust had nothing to do with gratitude." Melisca started to feel a little hot. Her usual cold demeanor was about to melt. And it was due to the mention of such a word. "I may have saved your life. Then, what? There’s no guarantee to anyone’s life and safety, above all, trust."

Laia flinched at what Melisca said. Her eyes had turned cold and fiery at the same time. She can feel the woman’s abhorrence to the topic. The woman must have suffered a great deal because of it. "I don’t know what happened but—

"—That’s right. You don’t know so shut it." Melisca hissed, dropped the visor down and revved off, leaving Laia behind. No more looking back at the girl. Her temper was rising.

Laia released a defeated sigh as her shoulders fell. She can only follow Melisca by gaze. How did her lord Ezekiel know the woman? What was their relationship? In all the years she’d existed, Melisca was the very first woman she got curious about, aside from her being a hybrid abomination, she was like a locked vault. She shook her head, remembering her request before. To forget about her.

Melisca resumed her thoughts on the priority of the moment. First, purchase a case or box for the photo album. She remembered an antique shop a bit far from the city but on the way to the suburbs. She would make a stop there then. The box she wanted was metal with a secure lock.

She hurried on her wheels when she got out of the city proper. But she activated her vision in case there were random cops on the road. Getting a ticket wasn’t favorable to anyone, especially not on her tight schedule.

After some time driving, she finally halted her engine and hopped off the motorcycle. She parked it at the front of the shop, where a limited parking space was reserved for customers.

It was the only establishment in the area. Houses from the side of the road were far apart from each other’s vicinities. The shop looked out of place but interesting as it had an old Victorian-style homey vibe, except that it had glass walls instead of concrete. A combination of brown and white colors from the roof to the door.

She stepped up to the door that had an ’open’ sign hanging on it, hoping she’d find what she was looking for.

Pushing the transparent door, a bell chimed, indicating her entrance. The place inside was a little bit cold and she seemed to be the first customer today. Looking around, it truly did feel like she was in the old era as the kinds of stuff inside were unique pots, accessories, and other items that were cased in a glass box. There was no one around, not even an in-charge. Then her ears picked up a noise, coming from upstairs and going down. The second floor could be where the owner was living.

A hurried footsteps in a corner, then a woman appeared. Looking like in her early 30s, a pale skin, a petite body, and a pretty face. But the most remarkable was her white hair, she did belong to the shop.

But as Melisca gazed at the woman’s gray eyes, there was that uneasy feeling, dejavú. The lady seemed struck upon seeing her as well. She averted her eyes then and continued scanning the store around. She felt the weird woman’s eyes still on her, following her every move.

Calicia. She’s back. She’s here. She’s finally here! The woman’s thought as she continued to follow Melisca’s movement by gaze.