Tala saw their expression and furrowed her brows.
"Is there something you know about this? Baba? Nana?"
The couple recovered from their shocked expression and faced their eldest daughter.
"It's better for us to discuss this as a whole family so let's wait until the new moon is out then we will explain it to you." Eder answered.
Tala doubtfully looked at him but seeing Latini nod, she also nodded and bid goodnight to the couple.
"Then let's take a rest, tomorrow will be an exhausting day. Goodnight Baba. Goodnight Nana." She waived her had and gulped down her already cooled coffee before she went back inside.
"Would you like to apply for leave for the rest of the week?" Latini massaged his hands as she asked.
"It's just Tuesday today. I'll take half day tomorrow so we can apologize to the young boy's family and be on leave for the rest of the week." He answered after a long thought.
"You think Sasha." She left her words hanging but her husband could understand her. He was her lifetime partner for a reason.
"We'll find out once this is over." He planted a soft kiss on her hair and inhaled her scent then he grabbed her hand and walked with her towards the house, leaving the wooden wall standing behind.
Little Sasha woke up early the next day looking for her second big brother Huan. Still on her pajamas and wearing her character slippers, she toddled around the house and continued to look. She yawned and scratched her eyes until they reddened but she still could not find him. Bothered, she went to find her parents still sleeping on their bed and jumped between them. She hugged her mother's neck and whispered.
"I can't find second Ino." Her innocent voice floated in the air. Still groggy, Latini hugged her youngest daughter and tucked her under the blanket.
"She's probably somewhere, running." She yawned and slept some more.
Little Sasha struggled out of her mother's embrace and walked back to her room. Mani Tala is also sleeping on her bed. Unable to fall back asleep, she went out but remembering the white tiger she saw yesterday, she stopped herself when she was about to twist open their front door.
As soon as she locked their door, she could faintly hear a howling animal from somewhere nearby. Now scared, she went back to their room and lied down on her bed until she eventually fell asleep.
When her breathing stabilized, Tala opened her brown eyes, it's color turning a golden hue and a slit forming in each eye. She swiftly wetted her lips with her now forked tongue and walked away from the room. Taking care not to awaken her little sister, she tiptoed inside their parents' room and tugged on their blanket.
Latini was awoken once more, this time by her eldest daughter, Tala, who had patches of golden scales all over her face and body. Her eyes are now light yellow in color with dark red slits on them. She opened her mouth to speak but her mother just nodded and mouth 'Go' to her. She blinked her eyes and swiftly left.
After she left, Latini looked at her husband and woke him up. Eder stirred and opened his eyes, they were a deep shade of blue. A pair of fangs are protruding from the side of his mouth and on each side of his cheek are black diagonal lines. His clean cut hair had grown until his shoulders and were again white.
"We need to go by the river before Sasha wakes up again. Tala already went ahead. Go, check the boys. I'll just close the yard and follow after." Latini gave her instructions as she got out of the bed. Eder grabbed her hand and looked at her with probing eyes.
'You're coming with us?' he thought.
Latini looked at her reflection in her husband's eyes and sighed. A pair of red pointy ears are hanging proudly on her head full of hair while a black tail with red end is firmly planted on her back. She shrugged.
"I have to, the moon came out early today." She said.
Eder stared outside. It's still dark and the moon is not fully covered yet but on his eyes, there was an image of a full moon just right next to the waxing moon in the sky. The full moon is larger than the other moon and is purple in color. He looked back at his wife.
'What about Sasha? Who will look after her?'
"I'll put her to sleep." She said and walked out.
'Can't you stay with her while we are at the river?'
"No." Came the curt reply from outside the room.
'Why don't-' Latini craned her neck inside the room and glared.
"Stop talking to me in my head! Get up and get the boys." She said sternly.
Eder gave her an apologetic smile before he got out of the bed. He gave a quick glance on the closed door where Sasha slept and walked to the back of the house.
Latini walked around the house and closed the windows in each room then, making sure everything is covered, she went out and locked the gate. Once she's done, she walked back in and turned the television on. After changing inputs, it changed to show Tala and Sasha's room.
There are two beds inside, both queen size, separated only by a bedside table. One bed is neatly arranged while the other one has the bundled sleeping Sasha inside. She moved to change position and continued to softly snore. Latini closed her eyes and when she opened them, her pointy ears and tail are gone. She tucked little Sasha comfortably in bed before she whispered in her ear.
'Sleep.'
Then she left. At the back of the house, a sleeping wolf and hawk are being ferried out of the hidden room by her husband. Both were placed in what looked like glass capsules and they floated as Eder walked towards the river. The hawk had newly grown feathers on it while the wolf's previous injury has now healed. Not even a scab is found.
When they arrived at the river, Eder directed the two capsules towards it and after a few minutes of the capsules floating on top of the water, it slowly descended and sank down until it seemed to melt with the river and soaked both the wolf and hawk with water until they disappeared into the river.