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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.”
