15th chapter
The flight wasn't nearly as exciting as Minna hoped. The humans around her were talking about how much they loved flying and how save it was. Minna wasn't too sure about that, there was nothing you could do as a human once the plane would be about to crash. Despite that, she enjoyed running far more. She could feel the wind in her hair and stop thinking for a while. In that plane, she felt caged and bound.
A relieved sigh left her lips as soon as the four vampires left the plane and made their way into the building. Unfortunately for them, the sun was up high in the sky and not a cloud to be seen. They walked slowly to the entrance hall. They watched the busy people, some families ran with their kids to the check-in area, business-men passed them quickly while talking on their phones eagerly and a few elderly people stood around with a happy smile on their face. Minna looked at an elderly pair for a while, the way they exchanged tender touches, the loving smile they shared and how they helped each other with their luggage.
For a moment, Minna was about to help them but she was afraid she could expose their nature by chance. She sent them a warm smile instead, which the woman returned before heading off. The German wondered what she would have looked like if she had remained human. Maybe something similar to her sister, but they were never much alike, neither on the inside nor on the outside. They secretly joked that one of them was adopted, when they were younger.
A small chuckle left her throat which caused her friends to look at her. "Had a thought about my sister and I," Minna answered the unasked question, the smile still on her face. Oh, how she missed her, before she got married the siblings were very close. They told each other every little secret, their bond was something special until one of them moved on and grew up, while the younger one wasn't ready.
"Minna," Siobhan's low voice pulled the woman back into reality. She blinked a few times and looked at her friend. The Irish woman indicated with her head that they were leaving. Minna followed her gaze and looked out of the huge windows. It was dark outside, the sun safely behind the horizon. Minna clasped her hands on her thighs and stood up, in silence the vampires left the airport. They walked slowly past the still busy crowds and cars and buses in the parking lot. Once they were sure, they were out of sight of any human being, they raced off into the west.
The German saw how happy everyone was to be back home, the huge smile on Maggie's face could hardly be matched. They ran for a good amount of time; each step led them deeper into a forest far away from human civilization. As soon as a small wooden hut came into view they slowed down. The house was a safe space for the Irish, no one ever came past there, only a hunter and a ranger would come once in a while to check for the forest and its animals. But they never came close enough to actually spot the house.
The house was beyond luxury, it had no electricity or flowing water, there were two small rooms and a larger one, which held a fireplace and some old furniture. A few books and games filled the shelves in the corner and an axe was leaning on the wall next to the stony chimney. It wasn't much, but at least they had a place to stay especially during the rain. A small stream wasn't too far off, so they could even clean and wash things if needed.
"Finally, back home," Liam sighed exhausted. He sank on the couch and let his head rest on the back-rest. Siobhan quickly followed him and laid her head on his chest. Minna smiled at them. She took the axe and left with Maggie to maul some wood. After another half an hour they came back in with some freshly cut wood. Maggie put some pieces in the fireplace and tried to make a fire. "Where's this Benjamin, if you need him," she said annoyed after the fifth failed attempt. The others laughed at her comment and she soon joined them. A few tries later, a warm little fire burned and engulfed the small house in a soothing atmosphere.
Later that day, the four vampires sat around the small table in front of the fireplace. They just finished a game of Ludo, when Siobhan took a quick glance at the clock. "Your plane leaves tomorrow," she stated calmly. Minna sighed, "oh, diese Zeitverschiebung." The others laughed at her remark, they learned a bit of German from Minna and some phrases or words wouldn't click with her. That was when she switched back to her mother tongue.
Minna, who sat on the ground, laid back and stared at the ceiling. Maggie looked at the fire and all of them seemed to follow their own train of thoughts. "What's on your mind?" Liam looked at the German with a grin on his face, his right hand held his mate tenderly. "Everything that happened to us in America. The time went by so quickly." She observed the dancing reflections of the fire on the ceiling. "And about the Volturi," she got up a little, letting her weight rest on her elbows, "what if they really come for me? After what I heard, Chelsea can manipulate anyone into joining them more or less freely. I'm scared." She sighed and looked from Maggie to the two others. "Not if you have strong bonds," Siobhan said. Minna looked at her with a questioning look. "What do you mean by that?"
"Well, as far as I know, she can only manipulate normal and friendly bonds. She can't manipulate family, love and especially not mate bonds." The Irish woman looked at the German intensely. "How do I know if I have a strong bond with you guys? I don't have anyone else," Minna answered lowly. She was glad that there was a way to stop Chelsea, but she didn't know how she could test that. "I don't know, dear. But we love you, if anything happens when you're back home, come to us. Don't stop, don't turn around, run. Run to this place and we will help you with whatever you're facing!" The warm smile on her face calmed Minna down, Maggie put a hand on Minna's knee and smiled at her as well.
The next day came sooner than expected and the four vampires walked slowly through the forest. Minna had to be at the airport in a few hours but they wanted to stay a little longer in the wild. She enjoyed the fresh air that morning, even though she missed the snow. The ground was muddy from the rain last night and she tried her best to keep her clothes clean. When the time came, they sprinted off to the airport. Once they arrived near the parking lot, they slowed down to human pace. Minna felt for her ticket and her passport in her jacket, when Maggie walked next to her. "Will you be alright?" Her eyes showed concern and the German smiled at her. "It's all good, Maggie. As soon as anything happens, or I made up my mind about joining you, I will be back immediately." She looked at the two others. "Nevertheless, I will visit you in five years anyway." They reached the entrance hall and made their way to the check-in area slowly. "If not, we will be looking for you," Liam said with a smirk and bumped her shoulder slightly in a playful manner. "I bet you will," Minna laughed.
The German looked at the giant clock and turned to her friends. "It's time," she said and took Maggie in a warm embrace. Siobhan and Liam followed closely after. "Take care," Siobhan said and squeezed her a little more. "I will," the German answered, before she walked up to the counter. Once everything was settled, she made her way to the gate, she waved at her friends who waited patiently until she was out of sight.
As soon as Minna took her seat, she sighed deeply. Out of relieve, out of excitement, she didn't know, but she definitely couldn't wait to get back to Germany. The flight was short and mostly silent. Fortunately, the plane was half empty and the seat next to her remained empty. She let her mind wander, already considering joining her friends' coven.
When the plane reached the parking position and the doors finally opened, Minna was eager to leave. She stood in the aisle, waiting for the other passengers to get their luggage out of the boxes above. The young woman in front of her struggled to get her small suitcase out while trying to keep her son in check. Minna smiled at the woman and lifted the suitcase easily. She put it on the ground in front of her and the woman looked at her in gratitude. "Vielen Dank," she said and sent the vampire an honest smile. "Kein Problem," Minna answered and the woman turned her attention back to her child.
It took Minna another 45 minutes until she could finally leave the airport. She looked up in the sky and a smile spread on her face. Thick clouds darkened the sky and faint snowflakes were falling down. The German hoped that it would stay cold enough for the snow to stick as she strolled slowly over the parking lot. The many looks she got could hardly been overseen. She didn't know if it was due to the temperature and her rather cold clothes, for human standards; or if it was for her vampiric touch that drew her potential prey in. Minna wasn't used to stay in public, so it would be possible that her kind had some sort of fascinating and alluring effect on humans. But for now, she blamed it on her clothes.
As soon as she was out of reach for any human, Minna sped off. She couldn't contain a small laugh escaping her lips as she ran. Oh, how glad she was to be back home, to roam familiar territories and visit known places. It was already dark, when Minna arrived in her favorite spot in the Black Forest. The ground beneath her started to appear in a faint white and she smiled happily at the sight. In a clearing she jumped up onto a bigger branch and sat down. Her eyes travelled up to the sky and she soon spotted the moon reappearing behind the clouds.
She remembered the evenings in America, when she watched the moon, especially the one night after her first actual hunt. A smile appeared on her face at the thought. She definitely changed under the same moon and she was glad she did. Suddenly a wave of sadness and pain washed over her. Thoughts about a certain vampire crossed her mind and she closed her eyes. She couldn't let that consume her. Minna knew she needed to move on, but she wondered what it was that kept her mind close to that man. Why couldn't she just forget? Why did she feel that dragging pain inside of her with every thought about him?
Minna sighed deeply, her eyes roaming the ground beneath her. Maybe because he was the first person that showed some kind of interest in her, she wondered. But then again, she wasn't sure if that really was, what he showed. He never made any attempts or said anything in that matter, maybe that was just his way of being. Another tired sigh left her lips, cursing her feelings and her mind alike.
She leaned back on the tree and focused on another thought instead. Should she join her friends' coven?