and
to reveal its secrets to her.
"It has been claimed," Gilda
said out loud for the two boys to hear. She paused for awhile, then
continued, "Unfortunately, we seemed to have half of the habak which explains about
destruction. We need to find the other half which will teach the
greatest healer about healing."
Both Hugh and Xavier stared at each
other, obviously at a loss with what Gilda just said. The woman had
mysteriously summoned Hugh to her room that day and urged him to
call Jonah to specifically ask how she was feeling. Aside from
telling him the fact that Rebecca was dead, she had not explained
the reason for the call.
"How is the girl?" Gilda
asked.
"I think she's taking it cool. But I
don't know—we were interrupted," Hugh answered. "Why do you want to
know?"
"Why such naiveté ? The greatest
healer is dead. And haven't you heard that the seven children
conspired to kill their own mother?" Gilda chided.
"What's it to me?" Hugh asked. He moved
away from the window and crossed the room. He tapped Xavier
slightly on the shoulder and motioned for him to follow.
"Come back here," Gilda scolded before
Hugh could reach the door. "I am not done yet."
"If this is about your eternal warfare
with Rebecca Blood—" Hugh started saying.
"This is about our dear boy, Xavier!"
Gilda cut in.
Hugh heaved in a deep breath and paused
near the door, his brows in a scowl and both hands on his
hips.
"Sit down! Let me explain," Gilda said.
Seeing that Hugh was not moving from his place, Gilda continued, "I
want you to find who the next greatest healer is. I don't believe
that the seven children killed Rebecca. But I do believe one of
them did. And whoever did it is now the greatest
healer."
"This is a job for the police," Xavier
said.
At which point, Hugh, raising both
hands heavenward, then pointing towards Xavier gestured his
approval. "Precisely," he said.
"The police are in it for the murderer.
Leave them to their jobs. They may or may not close this case in
their lifetime, it is not our concern," Gilda reasoned. "You're in
it for the greatest healer. And you need to get into the bottom of
this to heal our dear boy, Xavier for good."
"How?" Hugh asked.
"This habak will help you. It will summon
the healer and reveal its secrets to her the way it won't to me, to
you or to any other person alive. Start with the seventh child.
Give this to her and see what happens when she wears it," Gilda
replied.
"Why Jonah?" Xavier blurted out. "She
couldn't have killed her own mother."
"She has every reason to—" Gilda
answered.
"What?" Xavier said,
perplexed.
"You!" Both Gilda and Hugh said in
unison.
"No way!" Xavier said strongly. "She
won't resort to such heinous thing—even for me. It doesn't make any
sense at all."
"I have to agree with X!" Hugh said.
"Jonah isn't the type."
Gilda watched the two boys from beneath
her lashes. They had been foolishly smitten by a girl. Wasn't it
only a thousand years ago when she thought Rebecca wasn't the type
to kill her own family for the sake of power? And wasn't it only a
thousand years ago when she herself was tempted to end her own
sister's life?
"A healer thinks differently," Gilda
said. "We don't think in line with what people call now a days
morality. We kill for blood. For power. And yes, for love. It is
neither good nor evil. It is just the healer's way."
Gilda proceeded to tell Hugh and Xavier
the story of her own family. It was the first time Hugh heard about
his mother's ancestry.
Rebecca, Gilda and Judith were
originally sisters before they were borne out of their different
families as they went through numerous lifetimes as
healers.
Zadok had taken Tali, the chief
priestess, as his wife. But Tali died giving birth to their
daughter, Rebecca. It was believed that when a woman died during
childbirth, the child had overcome the mother and the power to heal
or destroy will be passed on to the newborn baby. On that day, the
mark of the greatest healer was bestowed upon
to reveal its secrets to her.
"It has been claimed," Gilda
said out loud for the two boys to hear. She paused for awhile, then
continued, "Unfortunately, we seemed to have half of the habak which explains about
destruction. We need to find the other half which will teach the
greatest healer about healing."
Both Hugh and Xavier stared at each
other, obviously at a loss with what Gilda just said. The woman had
mysteriously summoned Hugh to her room that day and urged him to
call Jonah to specifically ask how she was feeling. Aside from
telling him the fact that Rebecca was dead, she had not explained
the reason for the call.
"How is the girl?" Gilda
asked.
"I think she's taking it cool. But I
don't know—we were interrupted," Hugh answered. "Why do you want to
know?"
"Why such naiveté ? The greatest
healer is dead. And haven't you heard that the seven children
conspired to kill their own mother?" Gilda chided.
"What's it to me?" Hugh asked. He moved
away from the window and crossed the room. He tapped Xavier
slightly on the shoulder and motioned for him to follow.
"Come back here," Gilda scolded before
Hugh could reach the door. "I am not done yet."
"If this is about your eternal warfare
with Rebecca Blood—" Hugh started saying.
"This is about our dear boy, Xavier!"
Gilda cut in.
Hugh heaved in a deep breath and paused
near the door, his brows in a scowl and both hands on his
hips.
"Sit down! Let me explain," Gilda said.
Seeing that Hugh was not moving from his place, Gilda continued, "I
want you to find who the next greatest healer is. I don't believe
that the seven children killed Rebecca. But I do believe one of
them did. And whoever did it is now the greatest
healer."
"This is a job for the police," Xavier
said.
At which point, Hugh, raising both
hands heavenward, then pointing towards Xavier gestured his
approval. "Precisely," he said.
"The police are in it for the murderer.
Leave them to their jobs. They may or may not close this case in
their lifetime, it is not our concern," Gilda reasoned. "You're in
it for the greatest healer. And you need to get into the bottom of
this to heal our dear boy, Xavier for good."
"How?" Hugh asked.
"This habak will help you. It will summon
the healer and reveal its secrets to her the way it won't to me, to
you or to any other person alive. Start with the seventh child.
Give this to her and see what happens when she wears it," Gilda
replied.
"Why Jonah?" Xavier blurted out. "She
couldn't have killed her own mother."
"She has every reason to—" Gilda
answered.
"What?" Xavier said,
perplexed.
"You!" Both Gilda and Hugh said in
unison.
"No way!" Xavier said strongly. "She
won't resort to such heinous thing—even for me. It doesn't make any
sense at all."
"I have to agree with X!" Hugh said.
"Jonah isn't the type."
Gilda watched the two boys from beneath
her lashes. They had been foolishly smitten by a girl. Wasn't it
only a thousand years ago when she thought Rebecca wasn't the type
to kill her own family for the sake of power? And wasn't it only a
thousand years ago when she herself was tempted to end her own
sister's life?
"A healer thinks differently," Gilda
said. "We don't think in line with what people call now a days
morality. We kill for blood. For power. And yes, for love. It is
neither good nor evil. It is just the healer's way."
Gilda proceeded to tell Hugh and Xavier
the story of her own family. It was the first time Hugh heard about
his mother's ancestry.
Rebecca, Gilda and Judith were
originally sisters before they were borne out of their different
families as they went through numerous lifetimes as
healers.
Zadok had taken Tali, the chief
priestess, as his wife. But Tali died giving birth to their
daughter, Rebecca. It was believed that when a woman died during
childbirth, the child had overcome the mother and the power to heal
or destroy will be passed on to the newborn baby. On that day, the
mark of the greatest healer was bestowed upon
Similar Books
