Chapter 267
I had no idea how Mina was related to the child, whether she’d turned her or found her and took her in, but I could only assume she was speaking of the old woman on the sofa. Before I could stop her, the little girl sprang out of the box and ran to Mina. She was faster than any creature I’d ever seen, and for a moment it alarmed me.
But she buried her head in her mother’s lap, the tearless crying continued, and Mina, who couldn’t even reach out and wrap her arms around her child one last time said quietly, “It’s all right, Bonnie. Cassidy will take care of you now, child.”
I didn’t even know how Mina knew my name, though I supposed she’d found it in my mind. I felt compelled that her words would be true. I would take care of the child, though I had no idea how or what that would mean.
Bonnie was having nothing to do with it, though. “No, Mama!” she shrieked. It was as if she knew what was about to happen to her mother, as if she’d seen it before. Thoughts of my own mother’s sweet face crossed my mind, and I fought tears. I couldn’t imagine being in the same situation, where I knew someone was about to destroy my mom, and there was absolutely nothing I could do. I switched IAC perspectives for a moment and saw them congregating outside the door now. Six large male Guardians with sneers on their faces, and for a moment, I felt as detached from my team as I had ever felt before. It didn’t matter that one of them was my boyfriend, one was my big brother, one was my brother-in-law, and one of them had saved my life. At that moment, I hated them all.
Mina’s voice was the only calm in the storm as she said, “We all have a destiny, girl.” I know she was talking to the child, but she may as well have been speaking to my soul. “This is where our paths diverge. Mama will always be with you. Now, go with Cassidy.”
She was entrusting me with the care of her three-year-old daughter, and even if the child was every bit as much a Vampire as the woman on the couch, she was mine now. I had a feeling she had been in this state for a long time. She didn’t seem wild and uncontrollable like most new Vampires, particularly children. I walked over to her slowly, bent down, and cautiously rested my hand on her back. “Come on Bonnie. Come with me. I will keep you safe, I promise.” If there were protests, I didn’t hear them.
The little girl leaned up and looked at me, her gray eyes wide. “But the bad men are coming,” she explained, and she looked at the door.
For a second, I agreed with her. I could see them the way that she did. Foreboding, large forms hunkering down outside to come in and destroy the woman she loved more than anyone else in the world. I knew they would destroy Bonnie as well, if I let them. But that wasn’t happening. I couldn’t answer her. There were no words that I could speak to let her know that those bad men were not going to get her. Not today. Not on my watch. Not ever, if I had anything at all to do with it.
“You are safe,” Mina assured her. The girl turned back to her mother, and she somehow managed to smile. Perhaps it was at knowing these were the last few moments they’d have together. From Mina, I felt a longing. She had wanted children before she was ever turned, and another group of bad men of a different variety had taken that from her that night so long ago. She’d lived that dream through Bonnie, and now it was all over. But there were some lovely memories in her mind, and that’s what I could feel as she said again, “You are safe now. Go with Cassidy. No bad men for you.”
Bonnie took a short step toward me before turning back to Mina. “What about you, Mama?”
“It’s time for me to join Papa now, little one. You don’t need me anymore. Go, fulfill your destiny, child. And Mama will always be with you.”
A tear streamed down my face. I needed to intervene, to end this, but I felt so desolated for Mina, having to say goodbye, knowing she was about to be ended. I’d always imagined Vampires went straight to Hell to burn for eternity, but the portal’s existence made me question that now. And I wondered if there was a such thing as Vampire heaven. If not, what would become of me?
“Bonnie, please. Come with me,” I said, stretching out my hand as I slowly walked toward her. Bonnie’s small hand came into mine, and I realized this child did have a destiny. I could feel it the moment she touched my skin. What it was or how it would situate itself with the coming destruction, I didn’t know, but more than ever, I felt it was my job to protect her.
“Be strong, darling. Mama loves you.”
Finally, my instincts overcame me, and I gathered Bonnie in my arms. She didn’t fight me, but she did struggle to sit up and call out to her mother one more time. “Mama?”
“Goodbye, my love.”
I turned my back to Mina now, though the image of her sitting there helpless, preparing to die, as I carried her child away would forever be etched in my mind. I was surprised to see my sister standing in the doorway. But she wasn’t alone. Hannah and Ashley were with her, and I could see support written all over their faces.
As I walked out of the RV, Bonnie struggled a bit, and I knew she wanted to run back to her mother, but I needed to get her out of there. I walked down the three steps and noticed none of the men were here, not even Shane who’d stayed completely out of the discussion earlier. They were nearby, though. I could feel them, and nothing that had happened in that RV had changed things enough to spare Mina.
I kept walking, as quickly as I could, and the farther away from the RV we got, the louder Bonnie began to scream for her mother. Aurora and Meagan fell into step with us, and once we had rounded the corner, Bonnie’s screaming turned into slow sobs. I cradled her in my arms and fought tears myself.
They were in the RV. As much as I knew I’d regret it later, I forced myself to watch. A wave of terror overcame me as I put myself in Mina’s position. I felt her desperation as she longed to be free, to grab her child and flee. Instead, she looked up to face her attackers, her eyes defiant even in the face of her own demise.
At least they were quick. I would have to give them that. Brandon and Jamie never took more than a few steps into the small space, and I could see Shane was still standing outside, like he was keeping watch. Christian seemed happy for some macabre reason as he took hold of one of Mina’s slender shoulders. It seemed unnecessary to me that anyone should have to hold the frail woman, but Elliott had her by the other side as Aaron twisted her head off, and in my mind, a flicker of energy dissipated as her life force left this world.
I stumbled a bit and felt my sister’s arm on my shoulder. I wanted to scream, to cry, to question everything. How could they do that? How could they break into a woman’s home late at night, steal her child, and decapitate her? It just didn’t make sense. It just didn’t seem fair. Now, I was carrying her little girl through the darkness, bound and determined to keep her safe, but deep inside, I knew the bad men weren’t finished yet, that there was a lot more killing to be done. And I would have to decide how I could justify being part of it when I no longer had any idea which side of this fight I belonged to.
