by Lilly Wilder
“Hey little lady, you look lost,” she suddenly heard a voice, which was immediately followed by the appearance of a tall, heavy-set man, whose lips were barely visible from his beard.
She looked at him, and realized that he couldn’t be much older than she was. There were no crows feet around his eyes, as he grinned at her, probably in an effort to impress the guys he was with. They were all watching them now, curious to see what would happen. Some were even making cat calls, but she knew better than to get into a bar fight without her brother to back her up. She was sure she could take out the guy who was still standing in front of her but these guys never played fair. They’d all attack her at once and she wasn’t sure she could take them all on, simultaneously. That was always a gamble.
“Actually, I’m here to meet someone,” she said, as politely as she could, even though she had zero patience for guys like this, especially now.
“Well, here I am!” the guy replied, spreading his arms wide, like a proud eagle, an action which made his buddies roar with laughter.
As the guy himself laughed, she could see his fangs glistening ominously. As an experienced vampire slayer, Mina knew that prominent canine teeth alone were not a sure indicator that someone was a vampire. It could be just weird genetics. The paleness of his skin was no sure sign either but, it was a given, that if this guy was a vampire, odds were the others with him were vampires, too. She didn’t want to mess around with them now. She had a mission of her own and whoever had nothing to do with her brother’s disappearance was safe, at least for the time being.
Mina took a deep breath and smiled. Her hand traveled up to her swan-like neck, then extracted her silver chain out of her t-shirt and the shiny, silver cross that hung off of it. Her fingers played with it, as the look on the guy’s face changed from cocky self-confidence to shock, disbelief, and even fear.
“As I said,” she continued, equally politely, eager to sit down at the booth behind this guy, because her source was already waiting, “I’m here to meet someone. I have urgent matters to attend to. Now, please, let me pass, unless you want trouble, because I can sure help you find some.”
Her voice was melodious and smooth, dripping into his ears like honey, but the look on his face told her that he believed every word she was saying. Without another word, the guy stepped aside and allowed her to pass. Mina was still aware of the hate glances they were throwing her way but she didn’t care. She didn’t want to deal with some lowlife, biker vampires right now. They were irrelevant.
She walked over to the booth, slumping down into it like a ragdoll. Across from her, a small, thinly-built man was already seated there. The drink before him was half empty. All the foam from the beer had already disappeared. His hoodie covered his whole body like a blanket, it hung from his skeletal frame like bedlinen from a large tree. He pulled down the hoodie from his head, revealing his pale face and dark circles around his eyes. He looked even worse than usual but she was sure he already knew this.
“Seems like trouble follows you wherever you go,” the man grinned at her, with his yellow-stained teeth.
“Like you’re one to say anything,” she snorted, both making sure to talk as quietly as they could, because the audience was still there, trying to listen in.
The man raised his hand to the barkeep, pointing at his beer and then at Mina, signaling for him to bring them two. The barkeep just nodded.
“So, what do you want?” the man hissed, lowering his head.
“My brother.”
“What about him?” the guy wondered. She couldn’t tell if he really was that stupid or he was just pretending.
“I want to know where he is,” she was still talking calmly. To an outside observer, it seemed like the two of them had gotten together to catch up and nothing more.
“Isn’t he home?” the guy shrugged his shoulders, trying to make a joke. She wasn’t in the mood.
“Don’t play games with me, Emile!” she growled back at him so hard, that he pulled away a little.
“I’m not…” he whined.
“Do I need to remind you of the only reason why you’re still alive, while your entire pathetic clan was wiped away?”
She swallowed heavily after she spoke. It was difficult to sound threatening while having to whisper at the same time.
“No, no…” he shook his head.
His greasy hair shook, as well, as he did so and she could see little droplets of sweat forming on his forehead, even though it wasn’t hot at all.
“You know what happened,” she urged him, leaning forward.
Just as she was about to continue, they were interrupted by the barkeep, bringing them their beers. He set them on the table, then looked at Mina. She knew exactly what he was going to say.
“You look a little young to be in here,” he frowned, inspecting Mina with close scrutiny. “Can I see your ID?”
Mina rolled her eyes. Of course she could show him her ID. He just wouldn’t get to see the real one, the one she showed to official authorities. He’d get to see the fake one Kellam made for her, which stated she was twenty and born in New York City.
“Here you go,” she smiled, as she offered him her fake ID, batting her eyelashes extra sweetly at him.
The barkeep took it, inspected it for a very long time, then made the extra effort of trying to match her face to the face on the ID. Mina wasn’t worried. Of course it was her. With slightly different hair and some makeup to make her look older but it was still her. No doubt about that.
“You look younger in person,” the barkeep gave it back, then tried a smile.
“What can I say?” she chirped, giving a dismissive half shrug. “Good genes.”
As soon as the barkeep disappeared, the smile on her face was gone. Her eyes stared down Emile, as her hand rested on her right pocket, feeling the hard outline of her pocket knife. She wasn’t worried about him. He was a yellow belly. He betrayed his own clan just to save his own ass. Mina had no respect, nor fear, when it came to people like that. She knew what to expect of them and that was a basic human need for survival. Emile would squeal any time he was pressed hard enough. He’d do anything, if that meant his own skin would be saved. Not the best of human traits but it ensures survival.
It wasn’t him she was worried about. Those bikers were still looking their way, whispering occasionally to each other, never taking their eyes off of her. She didn’t even need to turn to them, to know that their gazes were burning an imprint into the back of her head. They might be trouble. She might have to get ready but not before she squeezed Emile for every little ounce of info he had on Kellam’s disappearance. If anyone knew anything, it was him.
“I won’t repeat myself,” she told him. “Just tell me what you know and you’re free to go.”
Emile moved to the side and she knew that he was eyeing the guys behind her. He then, looked at her again. There was fear in his eyes but it wasn’t because of her.
“I swear I don’t know anything,” Emile whimpered.
Without another word, Mina leaned over to him, while underneath the table, invisible to the rest of those around them, her blade jumped at him and was pressing onto his thigh. She could almost feel his heartbeat there, hitting the steel blade rhythmically. One carefully inflicted slit and he’d bleed to death in minutes. They both knew it.
“Maybe it’s high time you joined the rest of your clan,” she whispered, “seeing as I have no use for you anymore…”
The cold steel was pressing against the thin fabric of his pants. She could feel him shuddering.
“No, wait, wait…” his voice was shaking, it was about to crack. “I heard that Dante was planning something big, like real big…”
“Dante?” she repeated the name she hadn’t heard in ages.
She’d never met Dante in person and neither had Kellam. The name was always spoken with a hush among vampire slayers, as the name above all other vampire names. Dante rarely l
eft his hideout and always sent others to do his dirty work for him, that way, he was always safe and, yet, his reign of evil was far reaching.
Mina had always hoped to meet Dante one time, to see if all the rumors were true. Was he really that powerful? Was he really as old as they say? His name was enshrouded in mystery and awe, and she was eager to find out if it was all true or just hearsay.
“Yes…” Emile was quick to nod, “he um, wants to kill all the slayers, and I know Vasilisa and Rune are already dead.”
“What?”
Mina bit her lip, in an effort not to shout at him. Vasilisa and Rune were a brother and sister vampire slayer duo from Russia. They were the most well known slayer duo in Europe. The four of them had crossed paths a few times already, always on the same side. Mina liked them both. They shared the same core beliefs, because they belonged to the same world. It was always difficult to find such good people. The thought of the two of them dead made her sad, even sadder than she was before. If this was really true, then this thing was far bigger than she could have imagined.
“Yes, they’re dead,” Emile nodded again, his voice down to a whisper now, “I don’t know if Dante has Kellam or not but the plan is to kill you all.”
“How?” Mina asked.
“I don’t know... Please, if he finds out, he’s gonna kill me…”
“If you don’t tell me right now, I’m gonna kill you. So, take your pick.”
“They say…” he turned around, to make sure no one was listening in, even though the bikers were still throwing occasional glances their way, “he found the prequel to Malleus Maleficarum.”
“Prequel?”
“Apparently, it has two parts and, combined together, they can create magic beyond anything we could have imagined.”
Now, it was all starting to make sense. She had never heard of this prequel, everyone always thought there was just one book, and that book alone was already powerful enough. Who knew what another book, combined with this one, could unleash upon them? And, where was the book then? Did Dante already get his hands on it? If Dante had the book, that meant that he was responsible for Kellam’s disappearance. He’d know what happened.
“How do I get to Dante?” she suddenly asked.
Emile looked at her, then burst out laughing so loudly, that everyone present glanced their way.
“Shut up!” she hissed at him, “and tell me.”
“You’re crazier than your brother! Seriously, if Dante got him, he’s as good as dead.”
“I’ll be the judge of that, you lowlife. Now, tell me.”
He sighed, as if he was getting bored by the whole thing and didn’t have that blade still pressing against his thigh. His life was worth nothing to her. She could kill him and no one would mourn his death.
“The only way to get to Dante is to get into the Academy.”
“The Academy is still open?” she was shocked. “I thought it burned down.”
She knew exactly what he was referring to. Zeadore Academy, a place high society vampires sent their snobbish kids to prepare. Mina wasn’t sure what exactly this preparation consisted of, but she assumed those who graduated from that academy would be her major future enemies.
“Shows how much you know,” he snorted. “It’s in Romania now. In the Carpathians.”
“Is it still an elite shithole for preppy vampires?” she asked.
“I’d say so,” he nodded.
“How do I get in?”
Emile laughed again, but more quietly this time. There was disbelief in his eyes.
“A slayer wants to get into the top secret vampire academy?” he asked, as if he hadn’t heard her right the first time.
“I need to get to Dante, any way I can.”
“You need a whole new life to get in there,” he explained. “New identity, new background, references, everything,” he was telling her what she wanted to hear, but it was obvious from the tone of his voice that he doubted she could pull it off.
He doubted anyone in her position could pull it off.
“I can get everything apart from the references.”
“You can’t get in unless an old vampire clan suggests to Dante that you are worthy of being schooled there.”
“Shit,” she snorted. “How do I do that?”
He scratched his head, then took a gulp of his beer, placing it down on the table. She was raking her brain but no ideas were coming to her. How the hell would she get those freakin’ references? Which vampire would be crazy enough to give a vampire slayer references for Zeadore Academy? It sounded crazy even in theory, let alone in practice.
“My wife is the daughter of a clan leader. Carpe Noctem,” he started, as if he was just thinking out loud about her problem.
“Your wife is Zetta?” Mina was shocked.
Zetta was the beautiful daughter of Adam Cline, the still living leader of the Carpe Noctem clan. Mina and Kellam had fought only one member of that clan, and that was only because he went against their main orders and was banned, so he had to fend for himself. Carpe Noctem was a close knit clan and they usually weren’t harmful to anyone: humans or animals. They tried to live in unity with Nature and that meant that they live and let live. Mina could respect that.
“I had no idea you were married,” she added.
“You think I’d send you a wedding invitation?” he moved back. “I’m talking now, could we get this blade out of the way, please?”
Mina agreed, hiding the blade back in her pocket but her hand still rested on it, just in case.
“She doesn’t know anything about my clan and what happened. I feel…” as he spoke, Mina was surprised to hear remorse and shame in his voice. She never expected that from him. “She just thinks I managed to escape the infamous slayers. I’m a different person now, ever since I met her, I’m a better…”
“Alright, Romeo, spare me the sappy story. How go I get those references?” she interrupted him.
She wasn’t here to listen to his love story and how love changed him. She didn’t believe that love could change anybody. It was just a chemical reaction in your brain, nothing else.
“I’ll tell her you need them,” he said, matter-of-factly.
It was Mina’s turn to laugh now. This sounded highly implausible.
“And, she’s gonna give them to me, just like that?”
“No, we have to… lie to her. We have to tell her that you’re on your own, a vampire orphan, from my own clan and you need references for Zeadore Academy. She can get her father to write you one. There are no better references than ones which come from a clan leader. You’re bound to get in.”
Mina eyed him suspiciously. It all seemed so convenient, almost a little too convenient. Maybe this was their plan the whole time, to get her there, and Emile was in on it. Then, once she was there, it would be so easy to kill her and dispose of her body. It would be like she never existed. It all sounded so frightening, but she couldn’t back down. Not when Kellam needed her help.
“How do I know I can trust you?” she asked. “Maybe this is all a trap to get me there.”
“I want out,” he suddenly told her.
“Out?” she repeated, not understanding what exactly he meant by this.
“I don’t want to be your source anymore.”
She could hear the fear, but also confidence in his voice. It probably took him a lot to muster up the courage to tell her this.
“I want my life back. I don’t want to live in between,” he continued. “That is why I want to help you this one, last time. I don’t know where your brother is. I don’t even know if Dante took him. I can get you there but that means we’re done.”
He finally finished his monologue. Mina could tell that he had probably practiced this speech many times before but never had the guts to actually tell her until now. His whole body was shaking, as if he expected her to smite him down and get it over with. Instead of hate, she was washed over
by a sense of relief. To his surprise, she smiled at him. A real, genuine smile, the kind he had never received from the likes of her.
“Your wife is pregnant, isn’t she?” she asked, not being able to imagine any other reason for a man to be willing to change so much and for the better.
He lowered his head. This wasn’t something he wanted to share with her, she knew that. Her knowledge of this was a risk, a danger. But, she read him like an open book. He couldn’t hide it.
“Then, I can’t protect you anymore,” she replied, and they both remembered that one time when Kellam and Mina saved his life, allowing him to run away, while they dealt with everyone else. “We will be on opposite sides. If we come into battle, then…”