by Lilly Wilder
“What about mom?” Mina suddenly remembered.
“Mom?” Kellam repeated.
“I spoke to her,” she told him carefully, as if she was revealing a well guarded secret.
“You have?” Now, it was Kellam’s turn to be surprised.
“I met a few girls who were half witches and they allowed me to attend the Witches’ Sabbath. Mom was there. She came back just to talk to me.”
“What did she say?” Kellam’s eyes filled with tears at the mention of their mother.
He remembered her well. Mina was sure that he missed her even more than she did. A part of her wished that it could have been him to talk to her during the Witches’ Sabbath but fate had it this way.
“She knew of your plan,” Mina smiled. “She told me you were safe and that I needed to be patient. It was a bit after I got that message, to be careful. That was from you, wasn’t it?”
Kellam only nodded, as he was listening.
“She told me about the book, how I’m the real keeper, but you took over for a while. Then, she was gone, just like that…”
While she was talking about her mother, Mina felt as if a light was shining over them, warm and safe, letting them know that everything would be alright in the end.
“No matter what happens, we can’t let Dante get the book,” Kellam got serious.
The time for melancholy was over. They needed to act, fast.
“What can we do?” Mina wondered.
“We attack him first.”
“But, he’s not here yet,” Mina replied. “I’ve been checking.”
“I know exactly where he is,” Kellam assured her. “I’ve been keeping him busy in London. I have a friend there, who wanted to help me, so he kept Dante occupied with work, at their university. Dante should have arrived back to Zeadore this morning, if I’m not mistaken.”
“How can we be sure of this?” Mina asked.
“Only one way. We go and check personally,” Kellam nodded.
“At his office?”
“No, he won’t be at his office now. He’s probably tired from the trip. He might even be sleeping already. That’s why we need to head over there now.”
“And where is there?”
“His lodge, of course,” Kellam nodded.
“But… we can’t just go there, like that… without any preparation… or anything…” Mina was nervous, she was scared, even though her big brother was by her side.
Dante’s reputation preceded him. He was ruthless, merciless, dangerous. Mina couldn’t bear the thought of potentially losing her brother now that she had found him, safe and sound. She felt like she wasn’t ready, like she spent all that precious time hanging out with these guys she liked, instead of preparing properly for the face off with Dante.
However, if someone asked her whether she thought she’d wasted that time, she would shake her head immediately. Whatever happened in the end, she’d never regret anything here, in Zeadore Academy. If her love life took a hit because of this, she’d still consider herself lucky to have been able to experience something so wonderful with Thorne, Hendrik, Raphael and Renwick. They were just something else, and she’d always think of them with a sense of happiness.
“We need to do this, Mina,” Kellam spoke softly, stirring her from her thoughts and she knew he was right.
The time had finally come. There was no turning back.
Chapter 20
The whole Bunker gang, led by Kellam in front, headed towards Dante’s lodge, in one long row. It was late at night already, so it was easy to stay hidden from plain sight. Mina stayed close to Hendrik, all the while, feeling the need to apologize for her previous behavior. She felt like she’d jumped him for no reason. She was about to shoot the messenger for a bad message, while it wasn’t his fault at all.
Maybe he could have mentioned something but Mina knew how convincing her brother could be when he wanted. He probably gave them all strict and clear orders, and there was no way anyone would disobey him. She couldn’t blame Hendrik. She couldn’t blame any of them for doing what they were supposed to do, for doing what was meant to keep her safe.
They all moved carefully, stealthily, knowing they’d need to get out of school grounds, because the lodge was located on a nearby hill, about fifteen minutes on foot from the school. The road was easy to traverse, going through the forest, but the path was there. They didn’t need to wade through wild bushes and trees.
“Hendrik?” Mina spoke quietly, just after they all squeezed through the hole in the wall, and ended up on the other side.
Kellam was already way ahead, and he’d occasionally turn around to make sure everyone, especially Mina, was close behind.
“Yeah?” Hendrik said under his breath.
They walked hunched downward, hiding behind every tree, every bush, listening to the crunching of the dry leaves and branches underneath their feet. Mina felt bad. The way she’d behaved wasn’t right. She needed to tell Hendrik that. The last thing she wanted was for him to be upset with her.
“Listen, I…” she hid next to him, behind a large bush.
There was nothing but darkness all around them. All the animals were asleep. Mina could hear the wild beating of her own heart, as if it was in her throat, about to jump out and run away. She wasn’t sure if that was because of Hendrik’s closeness or because they were about to face Dante. She wanted to believe that she was ready for both: ready to apologize, ready to fight. But, that tight grip around her heart made her feel uneasy, as if she may not have been as ready as she thought she was.
“It’s okay,” he replied, before she was even able to say anything.
She couldn’t see his face in the dark. He kept looking forward, his head always looking ahead, turning back to her only to reply softly. She kept close by.
“No, it’s not,” she whispered back.
“I understand,” his smile told her everything she needed to know. “Besides, now’s not the time for a chit chat anyway.”
“You’re right,” she replied, as quietly as she could.
“If we get out of this mess alive, you owe me a dinner, deal?” he suggested.
His eyes were shining wildly in the darkness. She wanted to read them, to get lost in them, to be the last thing they saw before Hendrik closed his eyes and went to sleep.
“Dinner and anything else you’d like,” she quickly added, surprising even herself with her boldness, remembering how she’d trembled in his arms in the janitor’s closet.
“Shhh!”
Someone behind them urged them to be quiet and move it along. Conspiratorially, Hendrik squeezed her hand in his, then let her go. That was enough for her to know that he wasn’t holding any grudges.
She continued slowly, following him closely behind. About fifteen minutes later, a small group was crouching in the forest, having a clear view of a small lodge. Smoke was coming out of the chimney in little puffs. The light in one of the rooms was still on and Mina wondered if Dante sensed they were coming or maybe he just fell asleep with a book in his hands. That would be too convenient. She couldn’t imagine that he had absolutely no knowledge about what was going to happen. It just seemed too farfetched. So, she was on her guard even more than usual.
She looked over at her brother. There was determination written all over his face. He was unflinching. He had a mission and he would push it ’til the very end, no matter what. He wanted to keep the book safe, to bring back peace between humans and vampires. It almost seemed like Mission Impossible but if anyone could do it, it was Kellam.
Mina understood that desire to bring together the two worlds, because she felt like she belonged to both. Now, with her emotions wreaking havoc inside her mind and heart, she knew that the only way to truly be happy was to bridge this gap.
A part of her hoped that Dante would surrender without a fight. Somehow, all that hate she was feeling before had disappeared. She didn’t feel it anymore. Instea
d of it, there was compassion and understanding, fertile ground for love. She didn’t want to kill any more vampires, whether or not they deserved it. She wanted them all to live in harmony, in that peace they were all promised a long time ago.
Kellam came crouching over to them, then knelt down by Mina. Everyone else was there as well, including Renwick, Raphael, Thorne and Hendrik. Watching them all here, Mina felt like she finally had a real chance at happiness with these guys. She knew she’d give her best shot at showing Dante that he couldn’t mess with her family and loved ones. However, now wasn’t the time to get all mushy. It was time to get down to business.
“Okay, Mina and I will go in the front door,” Kellam told them the plan. “You four will go in the back and you will watch what’s happening through the window. A few of you should remain hidden here, just in case. If you see that we’re in trouble, come get us.”
Kellam gave everyone their orders and was happy to see nothing but nodding heads. He waited a second, to see if anyone had any questions. It was all clear. They all looked ready. Mina was sure that they were just like her: they looked ready, but fear was shaking them on the inside. They all needed to believe in themselves, to make that fear go away. That was the only way to defeat Dante.
“Now, I know this is a dangerous mission and some of us might get hurt. So, I’ll understand if any of you wants to change their mind and go back. It’s okay, no one will hold it against you,” Kellam told them as confidently and as quietly as he could, which was difficult to do at the same time.
He looked around, but there was no fear on any of those faces. They wanted to be there. They wanted to fight for a better tomorrow. They pushed their fear down into their heels, leaving space only for trust in their friends and a faith for a peaceful future.
“Okay then,” Kellam nodded. “Everyone starts at my sign.”
A few seconds later, Kellam gave the sign and with his sister’s hand in his, he rushed to the front, followed by the others. With his eyes, he gestured at Mina towards the house. He tried to read her, to see whether she was scared, but there was no faintheartedness. Not that he expected any. Still, he knew that he’d put his sister through a lot and he needed to watch out for her, now more than ever.
The duo reached the porch and Kellam climbed it first. He tried the door but it was locked. He wondered whether they should just break a window, and let Dante know they were there, but Mina gently pushed him aside, took a bobby pin out of her pocket and worked the doorknob. It took her only a few seconds to open it. He winked at her, forgetting how skilled she was at picking locks. Just one of her many, mostly hidden, talents.
Kellam turned the knob and slowly opened the door. He gestured at her to stay hidden behind the wall, until he gave the okay. He pushed the door open just a little, peering in. Everything was peaceful. The light was on, illuminating the whole room. There was a little sofa, a couch and a fireplace with a gently crackling fire. The sound was soothing. The interior was all woodwork, with deer heads hanging off the walls as decoration and frames with photos scattered all over the place. It looked nice and cozy. Almost too cozy.
Kellam checked the room for any signs of life. Everything seemed peaceful. Then, he noticed the shadow from the little armchair, which was turned towards the fireplace and away from the door. It looked like someone was sitting in it. Kellam swallowed heavily, turning to Mina and pressing his index finger to his lips, urging her to be quiet.
He took a step inside, trying not to make any noise. A second later, he saw Mina by his side. His eyes watched her sternly, sending daggers but he couldn’t say anything. If she wanted to do something, she would do it. There was no stopping her and, right now, she wanted to be by her brother’s side. All he could do was nod and gesture at her to go around the sofa, so they could surprise him on both sides.
A second later, they jumped at the figure in the armchair, Kellam pressing down on his one arm, Mina on the other, but there was no need for that. The figure lay slumped down, giving no signs of life. Its head faced downward, mouth half open. It looked like he’d been there a while. Mina checked his pulse. She couldn’t feel anything. She knew that it was more difficult to check a vampire’s pulse, but they still had it. Faint, but it was there. This guy was a flat line.
“Is he…?” she wondered aloud, looking worriedly at Kellam.
“He’s dead,” Kellam couldn’t take his eyes off of the dead body in front of them.
It made no sense. He was supposed to be alive. He was supposed to have been waiting for them. They were supposed to fight and the good guys were supposed to win. That was the scenario inside Mina’s head. Now, this was a whole different movie, one she hadn’t signed up for.
“But, that’s Dante, right?” Mina asked again, examining the pale face, trying to recognize it, even though she’d never seen it before.
Kellam just nodded, burying his hands in his hair. It looked like desperation was taking him over. That was Dante. Kellam had confirmed it was but, if he was dead, then who killed him? And, why? Who was behind all this?
Before they could say anything, Renwick and Thorne barged in through the door, shouting something, carrying a wounded Raphael. Hendrik rushed in immediately after them, slamming the door shut, then frantically looking for something to bolt it with. He pushed a little nightstand against the door, then turned to face everyone.
“It won’t keep them out for too long, but it might buy us some time,” he spoke, out of breath.
“What happened?” Mina shrieked, rushing over to Raphael.
Renwick was pressing a torn sleeve of his shirt to Raphael’s lower abdomen. Mina lifted it to see the wound, but the blood started spurting out, so she quickly pressed the rolled up sleeve against it, in an effort to stop the bleeding.
“He’s losing too much blood,” she faltered.
“Is there a first aid kit here?” Renwick wondered aloud, knowing that the others were equally unfamiliar with this house as he was.
“Maybe in the kitchen,” Mina got up and rushed to the kitchen, which was to the left of this room.
She started rummaging through drawers and kitchen cabinets, throwing everything out on the floor but she found nothing. Grunting angrily, she looked around. Everything was emptied. The kitchen was a mess. She was sure that, if a first aid kit was here, she would have found it.
Then, it hit her. Maybe it was in the bathroom. Delirious with worry, she ran through a narrow hallway but instead of the bathroom, she found the bedroom. She immediately got out of there, then noticed another door, down the hallway. She rushed over and pushed the door open forcefully with her foot.
It was a small bathroom, with a square shower stall, one toilet and two small cabinets. She opened them, finding some medications, razors, toothbrush and toothpaste. Then, pushed all the way back in the lower cabinet, she found a little black, zip bag. She got it out and checked the contents.
“Bingo!”
She ran back to the room where everyone was. Raphael was barely conscious, his head in Renwick’s lap. He was coughing up blood already. The rolled up sleeve was barely keeping his wound from bleeding out. He looked bad.
Kellam was looking out the window, while Hendrik watched the doors. Everything seemed peaceful and, yet, Mina knew something had gone wrong, terribly wrong. She wondered where the others were, but right now, she had more urgent matters to attend to.
“Lemme see,” Mina knelt down by Raphael’s side.
Renwick cautiously removed the rolled up sleeve and revealed the wound. Mina felt an urge to gasp but she suppressed it. It looked deep. She was hoping it’d just be a nasty flesh wound but there was no such luck. She needed to clean it immediately, before an infection could set in. She got the hydrogen peroxide and a small washcloth from the zip bag.
“This is gonna hurt,” she said out loud but she wasn’t sure if Raphael would hear her.
She poured the solution onto the wound and Raphael squirmed in pain, turn
ing to the side. He moaned loudly, wanting to press the wound with his bare hands, so Renwick had to hold his arms.
“Sorry, sorry, sorry…” she kept repeating, watching the foam merge with the blood. “I can’t treat this. It’s too deep,” she told Renwick. “He needs a hospital or at least a place with basic medical tools.”
“There are no hospitals for miles around,” Hendrik voiced. “We could take him to our nurse, she might be able to help him.”
“I could stich it up, but I think it’s too deep, and I’d only be stitching the surface skin. He might get sepsis and die unless his wound is properly treated,” she told them, sure that Raphael was barely able to hear her.
He kept opening and closing his eyes, his bloody hand in hers. She could almost feel his life oozing out of his body and she knew she’d do anything to keep him alive.
