L.J.Smith

TheVampireDiariesTheReturn:Vol.3Midnight

ForAnne,theanimal-whisperer

WiththankstotherealPrincessJessalyn,andtoLouiseBeaudryforherhelpwithFrenchtranslations.

Contents1

ElenaGilbertputdownthepenreluctantly.Shuttingherdiary…

2

Elenacouldn’thavebeenoutformorethanafew…

3

Damonleaped.SomewhereinthemiddleoftheleapElena…

4

“First,”Meredithasked,“isDamonright?Ifyougoback…

5

“Ithoughtyouwantedtogetoutsowecould…

6

Bonniecouldn’tgettosleepafterDamon’swordstoher.

7

Bonniewasinhernewfirst-floorbedroom,andwasfeeling…

8

Damonnoddedthoughtfully,glancingbackandforthbetweenthefighting…

9

Damondroppedhishand.Hesimplycouldn’tmakehimselfdo…

10

Damonwasmakinghiswayupthebeautifulrose-coveredtrellis…

11

WhenM.lePrincessJessalynD’Aubignehaddrunkherfillof…

12

“Stefan.Stefan!”Elenahadbeentoonervoustostayout…

13

Elena,sleepingserenelywithonehandlockedontoStefan’s,knew…

14

ThenextmorningElenanoticedthatMeredithstilllookedpale…

15

Bonniewokeslowly,comingupfromsomedarkplace.

16

“Onceuponatime,”beganBonnie,“therewereayoung…

17

MeredithandMattweresittingatthebreakfasttable,which…

18

AfterbreakfastMattwentonlinetofindtwostores,neither…

19

Bonniedecided,withsecondspreciousandseemingtostretchfor…

20

Meredithusuallyfoundherparentsfunnyandsillyanddear.

21

SomeonewasstillknockingonStefan’sdoor.

22

“MamasaidnotinFell’sChurch,”Mrs.FlowersrepeatedtoStefan.

23

Inthecar,MattsatbythesleepingMeredithwith…

24

Stefanwokeearly.Hespentthetimefromdawnuntil…

25

“Sleepinginthestorageroomwitheverywallcoveredin…

26

“Nowyouknowhowit’sdone?”ElenaaskedMeredith.“You…

27

StefanwhirledaroundandsawBonnie,withonlyatowel…

28

Elenawasnoddingslowly.“Itwouldworkwithwhathappened…

29

“Oi!”Damonshoutedfromoutsidethepalanquin.“Isanybodyelse…

30

“Striptoyourunderwearandgetinontheother…

31

Elenawokeupfeelingstiffandcramped.Butthatwasn’t…

32

“Damondoesn’tmeantobesucha—abastard,”Bonniesaid…

33

Elenawaswaitingforthefogtodisperse.Ithad…

34

“You’vebeenfedandtakencareofasbestas…

35

Elenafeltasifshehadbeendoingnothingin…

36

Mattbrokealotoftrafficrulesontheway…

37

ThenMeredithsawsomethingthatwasnotsmokeorfire.

38

Damonhadstoppedandwaskneelingbehindanenormousbroken…

39

Elenaclutchedthechildtoher.Damonhadunderstood,even…

40

Butafteranendlesstimeinthesoft,kinddarkness,…

41

Stefandidn’tmoveorspeakforlongmoments.Elena’sheart…

42

“It’snotaproblem,”thefairruler,Ryannen,saidunexpectedly.

43

“Elena?”Stefansaidquietly.“Couldyouaskmetocome…

44

OnthesmallestmoonoftheNetherWorldfineash…

AbouttheAuthor

OtherBooksbyL.J.Smith

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1

“DearDiary,I’msofrightenedIcanhardlyholdthispen.I’mprintingratherthan

writingincursive,becausethatwayIhavemorecontrol.WhatamIterrifiedof,youask?AndwhenIsay“ofDamon”youdon’t

believetheanswer,notifyou’dseenthetwoofusafewdaysago.Buttounderstand,youhavetoknowafewfacts.

Haveyoueverheardthephrase“Allbetsareoff”?It means that anything, anything, can happen. So that even somebody

who figures out odds and takes bets from people gives them back their money.Becauseawildcardhasenteredthesituation.Youcan’tevenfiguretheoddstotakeabet.

That’swhere I am. That’swhymy heart is pounding inmy throat andheadandearsandfingertipsinfear.

Allbetsareoff.Youcanseehowshakyevenmyprintingis.Supposemyhandsshakelike

thiswhenIgointoseehim?Imightdropthetray.ImightannoyDamon.Andthenanythingmighthappen.

I’mnotexplainingthisright.WhatIshouldbesayingisthatwe’reback:DamonandMeredithandBonnieandme.WewenttotheDarkDimensionandnowwe’rehomeagain,withastarball—andStefan.

Stefanwas tricked intogoing therebyShinichiandMisao, thebrotherand sister kitsune, or evil fox-spirits, who told him that if he went to the DarkDimensionhe couldget the curseofbeinga vampire removedandbecomehumanagain.

Theylied.Alltheydidwasleavehiminastinkingprison,withnofood,nolight,no

warmth…untilhewasatthepointofdeath.ButDamon—whowassodifferentbackthen—agreedtoleadustotryto

findhim.And,oh,Ican’tevenbegintodescribetheDarkDimensionitself.ButtheimportantthingisthatwefinallyfoundStefan,andthatbythenwe’dfoundtheTwinFoxkeyweneededtoreleasehim.But—hewasaskeleton,poorboy.Wecarriedhimout of the prison on his pallet, which later Matt burned; it was so infested withcreepy-crawlies.Butthatnightwegavehimabathandputhimtobed…andthenwefed him.Yes,with our blood.All the humans did it exceptMrs.Flowers,whowasbusymakingpoulticesforwherehispoorboneswerealmoststickingoutofhisskin.

Theyhadstarvedhimtothatpoint!IcouldkillThemwithmyownhands—ormyWingsPowers—ifonlyIcouldusethemproperly.ButIcan’t.Iknowthereis

aspellforWingsofDestruction,butIhavenoideahowtosummonit.At least Igot toseehowStefanblossomedwhenbeing fedwithhuman

blood.(IadmitthatIgavehimafewextrafeedingsthatweren’tonhischart,andI’dhave tobean idiotnot toknow thatmyblood isdifferent fromotherpeople’s—it’smuchricheranditdidStefanamazingamountsofgood.)

And so Stefan recovered enough that the nextmorning hewas able towalkdownstairstothankMrs.Flowersforherpotions!

The rest of us, though—all the humans—were totally exhausted. Wedidn’teventhinkaboutwhathadhappenedtothebouquet,becausewedidn’tknowithad anything special in it. We’d gotten it just as we were leaving the DarkDimension, from a kind white kitsune who’d been in the cell across from Stefan’sbeforewearrangedajailbreak.Hewassobeautiful!Ineverknewakitsunecouldbekind.ButhehadgivenStefantheseflowers.

Anyway,thatmorningDamonwasup.Ofcourse,hecouldn’tcontributeanyofhisownblood,butIhonestlythinkhewouldhave,ifhecould.Thatwasthewayhewasbackthen.

Andthat’swhyIdon’tunderstandhowIcanfeelthefearIfeelnow.Howcanyoubeterrifiedofsomeonewho’skissedyouandkissedyou…andcalledyouhisdarlingandhissweetheartandhisprincess?Andwhohaslaughedwithyouwithhiseyesdancingwithmischief?Andwho’sheldyouwhenyouwerefrightened,andtoldyoutherewasnothingtobeafraidof,notwhilehewasthere?Someoneyouonlyhadto glance at to know what he was thinking? Someone who has protected you, nomatterwhatthecosttohimself,fordaysonend?

IknowDamon.Iknowhisfaults,butIalsoknowwhathe’slikeinside.Andhe’snotwhathewantspeopletothinkheis.He’snotcold,orarrogant,orcruel.Thosearefaçadesheputsontocoverhimself,likeclothes.

Theproblemis that I’mnotsureheknowshe isn’tanyof these things.Andrightnowhe’sallmixed-up.Hemightchangeandbecomeallofthem—becausehe’ssoconfused.

WhatI’mtrying tosay is, thatmorningonlyDamonwasreallyawake.Hewastheonlyonewhosawthebouquet.AndoneofthethingsDamondefinitelyis,iscurious.

Soheunwrappedallthemagicalwardsfromitandithadasinglepitch-blackroseinthecenter.Damonhasbeentryingtofindablackroseforyears,justtoadmire it, I think. But when he saw this one he smelled it…and boom! The rosedisappeared!

Andsuddenlyhewassickanddizzyandhecouldn’tsmellanythingandall his other senses were dulled as well. That waswhen Sage—oh, I haven’t evenmentionedSage,buthe’satallbronzegorgeoushunkofavampirewho’sbeensuchagoodfriendtoallofus—toldhimtosuckinairandtoholdit,topushitdownintohislungs.

Humanshavetobreathethatway,yousee.I don’t know how long it took Damon to realize that he really was a

human, no joke, nothing anyone could do about it. The black rose had been forStefan; and it would have given him his dream of being human again. But whenDamonrealizedithadworkeditsmagiconhim…

That’swhen I sawhim lookatmeand lumpme inwith the rest ofmyspecies—aspecieshe’scometohateandscorn.

SincethenIhaven’tdaredlookhimintheeyeagain.Iknowhelovedmejustdaysago. Ididn’tknowthat lovecould turn to—well, toall the thingshe feelsnowabouthimself.

You’dthinkitwouldbeeasyforDamontobecomeavampireagain.Buthewantstobeaspowerfulavampireasheusedtobe—andthereisn’tanyonelikethat to exchange bloodwith him.Even Sage disappeared beforeDamon could askhim.SoDamonisstucklikethisuntilhefindssomestrong,powerful,andprestigiousvampiretogothroughthewholeprocessofchanginghim.

AndeverytimeIlookintoStefan’seyes,thosejewel-greeneyesthatarewarm with trust and gratitude—I feel terror, too. Terror that somehow he’ll besnatchedawayagain—rightoutofmyarms.And…terrorthathe’llfindouthowI’vecometofeelaboutDamon.Ihadn’tevenrealizedmyselfhowmuchDamonhascometomeantome.AndIcan’t…stop…myfeeling…forhim,evenifhehatesmenow.

And, yes, damn it, I’m crying! In aminute, I have to go take him hisdinner.Hemustbestarving,butwhenMatttriedtotakehimsomethingearliertoday,Damonthrewthewholetrayathim.

Oh,please,God,pleasedon’tlethimhateme!I’m being selfish, I know, in just talking about what’s going on with

Damonandme.Imean,thingsinFell’sChurchareworsethanever.Everydaymorechildrenbecomepossessedandterrify theirparents.Everyday,parentsgetangrierwith their possessed children. I don’t evenwant to think aboutwhat’s going on. Ifsomething doesn’t change, the whole place will be destroyed like the last townShinichiandMisaovisited.

Shinichi…he made a lot of predictions about our group, about thingswe’vekeptsecretfromtheothers.Butthetruthis,Idon’tknowifIwanttohearanyofhisriddlessolved.

We’re lucky in one way. We have the Saitou family to help us. Youremember IsobelSaitou,whopiercedherself sohorriblywhile shewaspossessed?Since she’sgottenbetter, she’sbecomeagood friend,andhermother,Mrs.Saitou,andhergrandmother,Obaasan,too.Theygiveusamulets—spellstokeepevilaway,written on Post-it Notes or little cards. We’re so grateful for that kind of help.Somedaymaybewecanrepaythemall.

ElenaGilbertputdown thepen reluctantly.Shuttingherdiarymeanthaving to face thethingsshehadbeenwritingabout.

Somehow, though, she managed to make herself walk downstairs to thekitchenandtakethedinnertrayfromMrs.Flowers,whosmiledencouraginglyather.

As she set out for the boardinghouse’s storage room, she noticed that herhandsweretremblingsothattheentiretrayoffoodshewascarryingjingled.Sincetherewasnoaccesstothestorageroomfrominside,anyonewhowantedtoseeDamonhadtogo out the front door and around to the addition tacked on near the kitchen garden.Damon’slair,peoplewerecallingitnow.

AsshepassedthegardenElenaglancedsidewaysattheholeinthemiddleof

theangelicapatchthatwasthepowered-downGatewaywherethey’dcomebackfromtheDarkDimension.

Shehesitatedatthestorageroomdoor.Shewasstilltrembling,andsheknewthatwasnottherightwaytofaceDamon.

Justrelax,shetoldherself.ThinkofStefan.

Stefanhadhadagrimsetbackwhenhe’dfoundthattherewasnothingleftoftherose,buthehadsoonrecoveredhisusualhumilityandgrace,touchingElena’scheekandsaying thathewas thankful just tobe therewithher.That thisclosenesswasallheaskedoflife.Cleanclothes,decentfood—freedom—allthesewereworthfightingfor,butElenawasthemostimportant.AndElenahadcried.

Ontheotherhand,sheknewthatDamonhadnointentionofremainingashenowwas.Hemightdoanything,riskanything…tochangehimselfback.

It had actually beenMattwho had suggested the star ball as a solution forDamon’s condition.Matt hadn’t understood either the rose or the star ball until it wasexplainedthatthisstarball,whichwasprobablyMisao’s,containedwithinitmostorallofherPower,andthatithadbecomemorebrilliantasitabsorbedthelivesthatshetook.Theblack rosehadprobablybeencreatedwitha liquid fromasimilar starball—butnooneknewhowmuchorwhetheritwascombinedwithunknowningredients.Matthadfrownedand asked, if the rose could change a vampire to a human, could a star ball change ahumantoavampire?

Elenahadn’tbeentheonlyonetoseetheslowrisingofDamon’sbenthead,andtheglimmerinhiseyesastheytraveledthelengthoftheroomtothestarballfilledwithPower.Elenacouldpracticallyhearhis logic.Mattmightbe totallyoff track…butthere was one place a human could be sure to find powerful vampires. In the DarkDimension—towhichtherewasaGatewayintheboardinghouse’sgarden.TheGatewaywasclosedrightnow…forlackofPower.

UnlikeStefan,Damonwould have absolutely no qualms aboutwhatwouldhappenifhehadtouseallthestarball’sliquid,whichwouldresultinthedeathofMisao.Afterall,shewasoneofthetwofoxeswhohadabandonedStefantobetortured.

Soallbetswereoff.

Okay, you’re scared;nowdealwith it, Elena told herself fiercely.Damon’sbeeninthatroomforalmostfiftyhoursnow—andwhoknowswhathe’sbeenplottingtodotogetholdofthestarball.Still,somebody’sgottogethimtoeat—andwhenyousay“somebody,”faceit,it’syou.

Elenahadbeen standingat thedoor so long thatherkneeswere starting tolock.Shetookadeepbreathandknocked.

Therewasnoanswer,andnolightwentoninside.Damonwashuman.Itwasquitedarkoutsidenow.

“Damon?”Itwasmeanttobeacall.Itcameoutawhisper.

Noanswer.Nolight.

Elenaswallowed.Hehadtobeinthere.

Elenaknockedharder.Nothing.Finally, she tried theknob.Toherhorror itwasunlocked,anditswungopentorevealaninteriorasdarkasthenightaroundElena,likethemawofapit.

ThefinehairsatthebackofElena’sneckwerestandingup.

“Damon, I’mcoming in,” shemanaged inabarewhisper, as if toconvinceherselfbyherquietnessthattherewasnobodythere.“I’llbesilhouettedagainsttheveryedgeoftheporchlight.Ican’tseeanything,soyouhavealltheadvantages.I’mcarryingatraywithveryhotcoffee,cookies,andsteaktartar,noseasonings.Youshouldbeabletosmellthecoffee.”

Itwas odd, though. Elena’s senses told her that therewas no one standingdirectlyinfrontofher,waitingforhertoliterallyrunintohim.Allright,shethought.Startwithbabysteps.Stepone.Steptwo.Stepthree—Imustbewellintotheroomnow,butit’sstilltoodimtoseeanything.Stepfour…

Astrongarmcameoutofthedarknessandlockedinanirongriparoundherwaist,andaknifepressedagainstherthroat.

Elenasawblackness shotwitha suddengraynetwork,afterwhich thedarkclosedinoverwhelmingly.

2

Elenacouldn’thavebeenoutformorethanafewseconds.Whenshecameto,everythingwasthesame—althoughshewonderedhowshehadn’tlethallycutherownthroatontheknife.

She knew that the tray with the dishes and cup had gone flying into thedarkness in that first instantwhenshecouldn’thelp flingingoutherarms.Butnowsherecognizedthegrip,sherecognizedthescent,andsheunderstoodthereasonfortheknife.Andshewasgladthatshedid,becauseshewasaboutasproudoffaintingasSagewouldhavebeenofdoingit.Shewasn’tafainter!

Nowshewilledherself to sag inDamon’sarms,except forwhere theknifewas.Toshowhimthatshewasnothreat.

“Hello, princess,” a voice like black velvet said into her ear. Elena felt aninnershiver—butnotoffear.No,itwasmoreasifherinsidesweremelting.Buthedidn’tchangehisgrasponher.

“Damon…”shesaidhuskily,“I’mheretohelpyou.Pleaseletme.Foryoursake.”

Asabruptlyasithadcome,theirongripwaswithdrawnfromherwaist.Theknifestoppedpressingintoherflesh,althoughthesharp,stingingfeelingatherthroatwasquiteenoughtoremindherthatDamonwouldhaveitready.Substitutefangs.

Therewasaclick,andsuddenlytheroomwastoobright.

Slowly,Elena turned to look atDamon.And even now, evenwhenhewaspaleandrumpledandhaggardfromnoteating,hewassogorgeousthatherheartseemedtoplummetintodarkness.Hisblackhair,fallingeverywhichwayoverhisforehead;hisperfect, carven features; his arrogant, sensual mouth—right now compressed into abroodingline…

“Whereisit,Elena?”heaskedbriefly.Notwhat.Where.Heknewshewasn’tstupid,and,ofcourse,heknewthehumansintheboardinghousewerehidingthestarballfromhimdeliberately.

“Isthatallyouhavetosaytome?”Elenawhispered.

Shesawthehelplesssofteninginhiseyes,andhetookonesteptowardherasifhecouldn’thelphimself,butthenextinstanthelookedgrim.“Tellme,andthenmaybeI’llhavemore.”

“I…see.Well, then,wemade a system, two days ago,” Elena said quietly.“Everyonedrawslotsforit.ThenthepersonwhogetsthepaperwiththeXtakesitfromthecenterofthekitchentableandeveryonegoestotheirroomsandstaysthereuntilthepersonwiththestarballhidesit.Ididn’tgetthelottoday,soIdon’tknowwhereitis.Butyoucan try to—testme.”Elenacouldfeelherbodycringingasshesaid the lastwords,feelingsoftandhelplessandeasilyhurt.

Damon reached over and slowly slipped a hand beneath her hair.He could

slamherheadagainstawall,orthrowheracrosstheroom.Hecouldsimplysqueezeherneckbetweenknifeandhanduntilherheadfelloff.Elenaknewthathewasinthemoodto takeouthis emotionsonahuman,but shedidnothing.Saidnothing. Just stoodandlookedintohereyes.

Slowly, Damon bent toward her and brushed his lips—so softly—againsthers. Elena’s eyes drifted shut. But the nextmomentDamonwinced and slid the handbackoutofherhair.

ThatwaswhenElenagaveanotherthoughtastowhatmusthavebecomeofthefoodshehadbeenbringingtohim.Near-scaldingcoffeeseemedtohavesplashedherhandandarmandsoakedherjeansononethigh.Thecupandsaucerwerelayinginpiecesonthefloor.Thetrayandthecookieshadbouncedoffbehindachair.Theplateofsteaktartar, however, had miraculously landed on the couch, right side up. There wasmiscellaneouscutleryeverywhere.

Elena felt her head and shoulders droop in fear and pain. That was herimmediate universe right now—fear and pain.Overwhelming her. Shewasn’t usually acrier,butshecouldn’thelpthetearsthatfilledhereyes.

Damn!Damonthought.

Itwasher.Elena.He’dbeensocertainanadversarywasspyingonhim,thatoneofhismanyenemieshadtrackedhimdownandwassettingatrap…someonewhohaddiscoveredthathewasasweakasachildnow.

Ithadn’tevenoccurredtohimthatitmightbeher,untilhewasholdinghersoftbodywithonearm,andsmellingtheperfumeofherhairasheheldanice-slickbladetoherthroatwiththeother.

And then he’d snapped on a light and saw what he had already guessed.Unbelievable!He hadn’t recognized her.He had been outside in the gardenwhen he’dseenthedoortothestorageroomstandingopenandhadknownthattherewasanintruder.Butwithhissensesdegradedastheywerehehadn’tbeenabletotellwhowasinside.

Noexcusescouldcoverupthefacts.HehadhurtandterrifiedElena.Hehadhurther.Andinsteadofapologizinghehadtriedtoforcethetruthoutofherforhisownselfishdesires.

Andnow,herthroat…

HiseyesweredrawntothethinlineofreddropletsonElena’sthroatwheretheknifehadcutherwhenshe’d jerked in fearbeforecollapsing rightonto it.Hadshefainted? She could have died right then, in his arms, if he hadn’t been fast enough inwhippingtheknifeaway.

Hekepttellinghimselfthathewasn’tafraidofher.Thathewasjustholdingtheknifeabsentmindedly.Hewasn’tconvinced.

“Iwasoutside.Youknowhowwehumans can’t see?”he said,knowinghesoundedindifferent,unrepentant.“It’slikebeingwrappedincottonallthetime,Elena:We

can’tsee,can’tsmell,can’thear.Myreflexesarelikeatortoise’s,andI’mstarving.”

“Then why don’t you trymy blood?” Elena asked, sounding unexpectedlycalm.

“I can’t,” Damon said, trying not to eye the dainty ruby necklace flowingdownElena’sslimwhitethroat.

“Ialreadycutmyself,”Elenasaid,andDamonthought,Cutherself?Yegods,thegirlwaspriceless.Asifshe’dhadalittlekitchenaccident.

“Sowemightaswell seewhathumanblood tastes like toyounow,”Elenasaid.

“No.”

“Youknowthatyou’regoingto.Iknowyouknow.Butwedon’thavemuchtime.Mybloodwon’tflowforever.Oh,Damon—aftereverything…justlastweek—”

Hewaslookingathertoolong,heknew.Notjustattheblood.Atthegloriousgoldenbeautyofher,asifthechildofasunbeamandamoonbeamhadenteredhisroomandwasharmlesslybathinghiminlight.

With a hiss, narrowing his eyes, Damon took hold of Elena’s arms. Heexpectedanautomaticrecoilliketheonewhenhe’dgrabbedherfrombehind.Buttherewasnomovementbackward.Insteadtherewassomethingliketheleapofaneagerflameinthosewidemalachiteeyes.Elena’slipspartedinvoluntarily.

Heknewitwasinvoluntarily.He’dhadmanyyearstostudyyoungwomen’sresponses.Heknewwhatitmeantwhenhergazewentfirsttohislipsbeforeliftingtohiseyes.

Ican’tkissheragain.Ican’t.It’sahumanweakness,thewaysheaffectsme.Shedoesn’trealizewhatitistobesoyoungandsoimpossiblybeautiful.She’sgoingtolearnsomeday.Infact,Imightaccidentallyteachhernow.

Asifshecouldhearhim,Elenashuthereyes.Sheletherheadfallbackandsuddenly Damon found himself half-supporting her weight. She was surrendering allthoughtofherself,showinghimthatdespiteeverythingshestilltrustedhim,still…

…stilllovedhim.

Damonhimselfdidn’tknowwhathewasgoingtodoashebenttowardher.Hewasstarving.Ittoreathimlikeawolf’sclaws,thehunger.Itmadehimfeeldazedanddizzyandoutofcontrol.Halfathousandyearshadlefthimbelievingthattheonlythingthatwouldrelievethestarvationwasthecrimsonfountainofacutartery.SomedarkvoicethatmighthavecomefromtheInfernalCourtitselfwhisperedthathecoulddowhatsomevampiresdid,rippingathroatlikeawerewolf.Warmfleshmighteasethestarvationofahuman.Whatwouldhedo,soclosetoElena’slips,soclosetoherbleedingthroat?

Twotearsslippedfromunder thedarklashesandslida littlewaydownherfacebeforedroppingintogoldenhair.Damonfoundhimselftastingonebeforehecouldthink.

Stillamaiden.Well, thatwas tobeexpected;Stefanwas tooweak tostand

yet.Butontopofthecynicalthoughtcameanimage,andjustafewwords:aspiritaspureasdrivensnow.

Hesuddenlyknewadifferenthunger,adifferentthirst.Theonlyplacetoeasethisneedwascloseby.Desperately,urgently,hesoughtandfoundElena’slips.Andthenhe found himself losing all control.What he needed most was here, and Elena mighttremble,butshedidn’tpushhimaway.

This close,hewasbathed in anauraasgoldenas thehairhewas touchinggentlyattheends.Hewaspleasedhimselfwhensheshiveredinpleasure,andherealizedthat he could sense her thoughts. Shewas a strongprojector, andhis telepathywas theonlyPowerlefttohim.Hehadnoideawhyhestillhadit,buthedid.AndrightnowhewantedtotuneintoElena.

Thewench! Shewasn’t thinking at all! Elena had been offering her throat,trulysurrenderingherself,abandoningallthoughtbutthatshewantedtoaidhim,thathiswisheswerehers.Andnowshewastoodeeplyenmeshedinthekisstoevenmakeplans—whichwasextraordinaryforher.

She’sinlovewithyou,thetinypartofhimthatcouldstillthinksaid.

She’sneversaidso!She’sinlovewithStefan!somethingvisceralanswered.

Shedoesn’thavetosayit.She’sshowingit.Don’tpretendyouhaven’tseenitbefore!

ButStefan—!

IsshethinkingaboutStefanintheslightestrightnow?Sheopenedherarmsto thewolf-hunger in you. This is no one-day stand, no quickmeal, not even a steadydonor.ThisisElenaherself.

Then I’ve takenadvantageofher. If she’s in love, shecan’tprotectherself.She’sstillachild.Ihavetodosomething.

Thekisseshadnowgottentothepointthateventhetinyvoiceofreasonwasfading.Elenahad lostherability tostand.Hewaseithergoing tohave toputherdownsomewhere,orgiveherachancetobackout.

Elena!Elena!Damnit,Iknowyoucanhearme.Answer!

Damon?—faintly.Oh,Damon,nowdoyouunderstand—?

Toowell,myprincess.IInfluencedyou,soIshouldknow.

You…?No,you’relying!

Whyshould I lie?Forsomereasonmy telepathy isasstrongasever. I stillwantwhatIwant.Butyoumightwanttothinkaminute,maiden.Idon’tneedtodrinkyourblood.I’mhumanandrightnowI’mravenous.Butnotforthatmessofbloodyhamburgeryoubroughtme.

Elenabrokeawayfromhim.Damonlethergo.

“I think you’re lying,” she said,meeting his eyes directly, hermouth kiss-swollen.

Damon locked the sightofher inside theboulder fullof secretshedraggedaround with him. He gave her his best opaque ebony stare. “Why should I lie?” herepeated.“I just thoughtyoudeservedachance tomakeyourownchoice.Orhaveyoualreadydecidedtoabandonlittlebrotherwhilehe’soutofcommission?”

Elena’shandflashedup,butthenshedroppedit.“YouusedInfluenceonme,”she said bitterly. “I’m not myself. I would never abandon Stefan—especially when heneedsme.”

Thereitwas,theessentialfireathercore,andthefierygoldentruth.Nowhecouldsitandletbitternessgnawathim,whilethispurespiritfollowedherconscience.

Hewas thinking this,already feeling the lossofherdazzling light recedingwhenherealizedhenolongerhadtheknife.Aninstantlater,horrorjustcatchingupwithhishand,hewassnatchingitfromherthroat.Histelepathicblastwasentirelyreflexive:

What inHell are you doing?Killing yourself because ofwhat I said? Thisbladeislikearazor!

Elenafaltered.“Iwasjustmakinganick—”

“Youalmostmadeanickthatspurtedsixfeethigh!”Atleasthewasabletospeakagain,despitetheconstrictionofhisthroat.

Elenawas back on stable ground too. “I told you I knew you knew you’dhavetotrybloodbeforeyou’lltrytoeat.Itfeelsasifit’sflowingdownmyneckagain.Thistime,let’snotwasteit.”

Shewasonly telling the truth.At leastshehadn’tseriouslyhurtherself.Hecould see that fresh bloodwas flowing from the new cut she’d so recklesslymade. Towasteitwouldbeidiotic.

Utterlydispassionatenow,Damontookheragainbytheshoulders.Hetiltedupherchintolookathersoft,roundedthroat.Severalnewrubycutswereflowingfreely.

Half a millennium of instinct told Damon that just there was nectar andambrosia.Justtherewassustenanceandrestandeuphoria.Justherewherehislipswereashebenttoherasecondtime…andhehadonlytotasteit—todrink…

Damonrearedback,tryingtoforcehimselftoswallow,determinednottospit.It wasn’t…it wasn’t utterly revolting. He could see how humans, with their degradedsenses,couldmakeuseoftheanimalvarieties.Butthiscoagulating,mineral-tastingstuffwasn’t blood… it had none of the perfumed bouquet, the heady richness, the sweet,velvety,provocative,life-giving,ineffableattributesofblood.

Itwaslikesomesortofbadjoke.HewastemptedtobiteElena,justtoskimacanineover thecommoncarotid,makinga tinyscratch,sohecould taste the littleburstthatwouldexplodeontohispalate,tocompare,tomakesurethattherealstuffwasn’tinthere somehow. In fact hewasmore than tempted; hewasdoing it. But no bloodwascoming.

Hismindpausedinmidthought.He’dmadeascratchallright—ascratchlikeascuff.Ithadn’tevenbrokentheouterlayerofElena’sskin.

Bluntteeth.

Damon found himself pressing on a canine with his tongue, willing it toextend,willingitwithallhiscrampedandfrustratedsoultosharpen.

And…nothing.Nothing. But then, he’d spent all day doing the same thing.Miserably,heletElena’sheadturnback.

“That’s it?” she said shakily.Shewas trying sohard tobebravewithhim!Poordoomedwhitesoulwithherdemonlover.“Damon,youcantryagain,”shetoldhim.“Youcanbiteharder.”

“It’snogood,”hesnapped.“You’reuseless—”

Elenaalmostslid to thefloor.Hekeptheruprightwhilesnarling inherear,“Youknowwhat Imeantby that.Orwouldyouprefer tobemydinner rather thanmyprincess?”

Elenasimplyshookherheadmutely.Sherestedinthecircleofhisarms,herheadagainsthisshoulder.Littlewonderthatsheneededrestafterallhe’dputherthrough.Butasforhowshefoundhisshoulderacomfort…well,thatwasbeyondhim.

Sage! Damon sent the furious thought out on all the frequencies he couldaccess, just as he had been doing all day. If only he could find Sage, all his problemswouldbesolved.Sage,hedemanded,whereareyou?

Noanswer.ForallDamonknew,SagehadmanagedtooperatetheGatewayto the Dark Dimension that was even now standing, powerless and useless, in Mrs.Flowers’sgarden.StrandingDamonhere.Sagewasalways thatblindingly fastwhenhetookoff.

Andwhyhadhetakenoff?

Imperial Summons? Sometimes Sage got them. From the FallenOne, wholivedintheInfernalCourt,atthelowestoftheDarkDimensions.AndwhenSagedidgetthem,hewasexpected tobe in thatdimension instantly, inmid-word, inmid-caress, inmid—whatever.SofarSagehadalwaysmadethedeadline,Damonknewthat.HeknewitbecauseSagewasstillalive.

OntheafternoonofDamon’scatastrophicbouquetinvestigationSagehadleftonthemantelapolitenotethankingMrs.Flowersforherhospitality,andevenleavinghisgigantic dog, Saber, and his falcon, Talon, for the protection of the household—a notedoubtlessly pre-prepared. He had gone the way he always did, as unpredictably as thewind,andwithoutsayinggood-bye.Undoubtedlyhe’dthoughtthatDamonwouldfindhiswayoutoftheproblemeasily.TherewereanumberofvampiresinFell’sChurch.Therealwayswere.TheleylinesofsheerPowerinthegrounddrewthemeveninnormaltimes.

Theproblemwasthatjustnowallthosevampireswereinfestedwithmalach—parasites controlled by the evil fox-spirits. They couldn’t be lower in the vampirehierarchy.

Andof courseStefanwas a completenonstarter.Even if hehadn’t been soweakthattryingtochangeDamonintoavampirewouldhavekilledhim;evenifhisanger

overDamon’s “stealing his humanity” could be assuaged, hewould simply never haveagreed,outofhisfeelingthatvampirismwasacurse.

Humans never knew about things like the vampire hierarchy because thesubjectsdidn’tconcernthem—untilsuddenly,theydid,usuallybecausetheyhadjustbeenchangedintoavampirethemselves.Thehierarchyofvampireswasstrict,fromtheuselessandignobletothefangedaristocracy.OldOnesfitinthatcategory,butsodidotherswhowereparticularlyillustriousorpowerful.

WhatDamonwantedwastobemadeavampirebythekindofwomenSageknew,andhewasdeterminedtohaveSagefindhimavampireladyofquality,onewhowasreallyworthyofhim.

Other things tormented Damon, who had spent two entire sleepless daysponderingthem.WasitpossiblethatthewhitekitsunewhohadgivenStefanthebouquethad engineered a rose that turned the first person to smell itpermanently human?ThatwouldhavebeenStefan’sgreatestdream.

Thewhite foxhad listened todaysupondays ofStefan’s ramblings, hadn’the?He’d seenElenaweeping overStefan.He’d seen the two lovebirds together,Elenahand-feedingadyingStefanherbloodthroughrazorwire.Fortuneonlyknewwhatideasthatfoxhadgottenintohisfurrywhiteheadwhenhe’dpreparedtherosethathad“cured”Damonofhis“curse.”Ifitturnedouttobeanirreversible“cure”…

IfSageturnedouttobeunreachable…

ItsuddenlybrokeintoDamon’sthoughtsthatElenawascold.Itwasstrange,sincethenightwaswarm,butshewasshiveringviolently.Sheneededhisjacketor…

She’snotcold, the small voice somewheredeep insidehim said.And she’snotshivering.She’stremblingbecauseofallyou’veputherthrough.

Elena?

Youforgotallaboutme.Youwereholdingme,butyoucompletelyforgotmyexistence…

Ifonly,hethoughtbitterly.You’rebrandedonmysoul.

Damonwas suddenly furious,but itwasdifferent fromhis anger atkitsuneandSageandtheworld.Itwasthekindofangerthatmadehisthroatcloseandhischestfeeltootight.

It was an anger that made him pick up Elena’s scalded hand, which wasrapidlyturningscarletinpatches,andexamineit.Heknewwhathewouldhavedoneasavampire: stroked over the burns with a silky cool tongue, generating chemicals toacceleratethehealing.Andnow…therewasnothinghecoulddoaboutit.

“Itdoesn’thurt,”Elenasaid.Shewasabletostandnow.

“You’re lying, princess,” he said. “The insides of your eyebrows are up.That’spain.Andyourpulseisjumping—”

“Youcansensethatwithouttouchingme?”

“Icansee it,atyour temples.Vampires,”withviciousemphasisonwhathestillwas, in essence, “notice things like that. Imade you hurt yourself.And I can’t doanything to help. Also”—he shrugged—“you’re a beautiful liar. About the star ball, Imean.”

“YoucanalwayssensewhenI’mlying?”

“Angel,”hesaidwearily,“it’seasy.Youareeithertheluckyholderofthestarballtoday…oryouknowwhois.”

Again,Elena’sheaddroopedinconsternation.

“Orelse,”Damonsaidlightly,“theentirestoryofthedrawingofthelotswasalie.”

“Thinkwhatyoulike,”Elenasaid,withatleastsomeofherusualfire.“Andyoucancleanupthismess,too.”

Just as she turned to leave, Damon had a revelation. “Mrs. Flowers!” heexclaimed.

“Wrong,”Elenasnapped.

Elena, Iwasn’t talkingabout the starball. Igiveyoumywordon this.Youknowhowharditistolietelepathically—

Yes, and I know that therefore, if there’s one thing in the world you’d…practice…at…

She couldn’t finish. She couldn’tmake the speech. Elena knew howmuchDamon’swordmeanttohim.

I’llnevertellyouwhereitis,shesenttelepathicallytoDamon.AndIsweartoyouthatMrs.Flowerswon’teither.

“Ibelieveyou,butwe’restillgoingtoseeher.”

He picked Elena up easily and stepped over the smashed cup and saucer.Elenaautomaticallygrabbedhisneckwithbothhandstobalanceherself.

“Darling,whatareyoudoing—?”Elenacried,thenstopped,wide-eyed,twoscaldedfingersflyingtoherlips.

Standing in thedoorway,not twoyardsawayfromthem,waspetiteBonnieMcCullough,abottleofBlackMagicwine,nonalcoholicbutmysticallyexhilarating,heldhighinherhand.ButasElenawatched,Bonnie’sexpressionchangedallinaninstant.Ithadbeentriumphantjoy.Butnowitwasshock.Itwasdisbeliefthatcouldn’thold.Elenaknew exactly what she was thinking. The whole house had devoted itself to makingDamoncomfortable—whileDamonstolewhatrightfullybelongedtoStefan:Elena.Plushe’d lied aboutnotbeing avampire anymore.AndElenawasn’t even fightinghimoff.Shewascallinghim“darling”!

Bonniedroppedthebottleandturned,running.

3

Damonleaped.SomewhereinthemiddleoftheleapElenafeltherselflefttothewhimsofgravity.Shetriedtocurlintoaballtotaketheimpactononebuttock.

Whathappenedwasstrange—almostmiraculous.Shecamedown,rightsideup,ontheoppositesideofthecouchfromtheplateofsteaktartar.Theplatedidalittleleapofitsown,threeorfourinches,perhaps,andthensettledbackwhereithadbeen.

Elenawasalso luckyenough toget aperfectviewof the endof theheroicrescue—which involvedDamondiving for the floorandgrabbing thebottleofpreciousBlackMagicwinejustbeforeithitthegroundandsmashed.Hemightnothavethekindoflightning-fastreflexeshehadwhenhewasavampire,buthewasstillfar,farfasterthananordinaryhuman.Leapholdinggirl,dropgirlontosomethingsoft,turnleapintodive,andatlastinstantgrabbottle,justbeforeitwouldhit.Amazing.

But therewasanotherway thatDamonwasn’t likeavampireanymore—hewasn’t invincible to fallingontohard surfaces.Elenaonly realized thiswhen sheheardhimgasp,tryingtobreatheandnotbeingableto.

She scrambledwildly inhermind forall theaccidents shecould rememberwithjocks,and—yes,recalledonewhenMatthadhadthewindcompletelyknockedoutofhim.Thecoachhadseizedhimbythecollarandthumpedhimontheback.

Elena ran toDamon and grabbed himunder the arms, rolling himonto hisback.Sheput allher strength intohaulinghim intoa sittingposition.Then shemadeaclubofherhands.Pretending shewasMeredith,whohadbeenon thebaseball teamatRobert E. Lee High and had a .225 ERA, she swung as hard as she could at Damon,slammingherfistsintohisback.

Anditworked!

Suddenly Damon was wheezing, and then breathing again. A bornstraightener of ties, Elena knelt and tried to rearrange his clothes.As soon as he couldbreatheproperly, his limbs stoppedbeingpliantunderher fingers.Hegently curledherhandsintoeachother.Elenawonderedifpossiblythey’dgonesofarbeyondwordsthattheywouldneverfindthemagain.

Howhaditallhappened?Damonhadpickedherup—perhapsbecauseherlegwasburned,orperhapsbecausehehaddecidedMrs.Flowerswas theonewith the starball.Sheherselfhadsaid,“Damon,whatareyoudoing?”Perfectlystraightforward.Andthenhalfwaythroughthesentenceshehadheardforherselfthe“darling”and—butwhowould ever believe her?—it hadn’t been connectedwith anything they had been doingearlieratall.Ithadbeenanaccident,aslipofthetongue.

But she’d said it in front of Bonnie, the one personmost likely to take itseriouslyandpersonally.AndthenBonniehadbeengonebeforeshecouldevenexplain.

Darling!Whentheyhadjuststartedfightingagain.

It reallywas a joke.Becausehehadbeen serious about just taking the star

ball.Shehadseenitinhiseyes.

To call Damon “darling” seriously, you would have to be—have to be…hopelessly…helplessly…desperatelyin…

Oh,God…

TearsbegantorundownElena’scheeks.But thesewere tearsofrevelation.Elenaknewshewasn’tinherbestformtoday.Norealsleepforgoingonthreedays—toomanyconflictingemotions—toomuchgenuineterrorrightnow.

Still,shewasterrifiedtofindthatsomethingfundamentalhadchangedinsideher.

It wasn’t anything she had asked for. All she had asked was that the twobrothersstopfeuding.Andshehadbeenborn toloveStefan;sheknewthat!Once,he’dbeen willing to marry her.Well, since then she’d been a vampire, a spirit, and a newincarnationdroppedfromthesky,andshecouldhopethatonedayhewouldbewillingtomarrythenewElena,too.

ButthenewElenawasbewildered,whatwithherstrangenewbloodthattovampireswas like rocket fuelcompared to thegasolinemostgirlscarriedabout in theirveins.WithherWingsPowers, suchasWingsofRedemption,most ofwhich she didn’tunderstand and none of which she could control. Although lately she had seen thebeginningofa stance,andsheknew itwas forWingsofDestruction. That, she thoughtgrimly,mightbequiteusefulsomeday.

OfcourseanumberofthemhadalreadybeenhelpfultoDamon,whowasnolongersimplyanally,butanenemy-allyagain.Whowanted tostealsomething thatherwholetownneeded.

Elena hadn’t asked to fall in love with Damon—but, oh God, what if shealreadyhad?Whatifshecouldn’tmakethefeelingsstop?Whatcouldshedo?

Silently,shesatcrying,knowingthatshecouldneversayanyofthesethingstoDamon.Hehadagiftoffarseeingandalevelheadintimesofemotion,butnot,assheknewalltoowell,aboutthisparticularissue.Ifshetoldhimwhatwasinherheart,beforesheknewit,hewouldkidnapher.HewouldbelieveshehadforgottenStefanforgood,asshehadforgottenhimbrieflytonight.

“Stefan,”shewhispered.“I’msorry…”

ShecouldneverletStefanknowaboutiteither—andStefanwasherheart.

“We’vegot togetridofShinichiandMisao fast,”Mattwassayingmoodily.“Imean, Ireally need to get into condition soon or Kent State’s gonna send me back stamped‘Reject.’” He and Meredith were sitting in Mrs. Flowers’s warm kitchen nibbling ongingersnapcookiesandwatchingherasshediligentlyworkedatmakingbeefcarpaccio—the second of the two raw beef recipes in the antique cookbook she owned. “Stefan’sdoingsowellthatinacoupleofdayswecouldevenbetossingaroundtheoldpigskin,”headded, sarcasm edging his voice, “if everybody in town would just stop being crazy

possessed.Oh,yeah,andifthecopswouldstopcomingaftermeforassaultingCaroline.”

At thementionofStefan’sname,Mrs.Flowerspeeked into a cauldron thathadbeenbubblingawayonthestoveforsolong,andwasnowemittingsuchafearsomeodorthatMattdidn’tknowwhotopitymore:theguygettingthehugepileofrawmeatortheonewho’dsoonbetryingtochokedownwhateverwasinthatcookingpot.

“So—assumingyou’realive—you’regoingtobegladtoleaveFell’sChurchwhenthetimecomes?”Meredithaskedhimquietly.

Matt felt as if she had just slapped him. “You’re joking, right?” he said,petting Saberwith one tanned, bare foot. The huge beastwasmaking a sort of growlypurringsound.“Imean,beforethat,it’sgoingtobegreattothrowacoupleofpassestoStefanagain—he’sthebesttightendI’veeverseen—”

“Oreverwillsee,”Meredithremindedhim.“Idon’tthinkmanyvampiresgoin for football,Matt, sodon’t even thinkof suggesting thatheandElena followyou toKentState.Besides,I’llberightbesideyou,tryingtogetthemtocometoHarvardwithme.Andworse,we’rebothcheckmatedbyBonnie,becausethatjuniorcollege—whatever—ismuchclosertoFell’sChurchandallthethingsaroundheretheylove.”

“AllthethingsaroundhereElenaloves,”Mattcouldn’thelpcorrecting.“AllStefanwantsistobewithElena.”

“Now, now,”Mrs. Flowers said. “Let’s just take things as they come, shallwe,mydears?Mamasaysthatweneedtokeepupourstrength.Shesoundsworriedtome—youknow,shecan’tforeseeeverythingthathappens.”

Matt nodded, but he had to swallow hard before saying toMeredith, “So,you’reeagertobeofffortheIviedWalls,I’msure?”

“If it wasn’t Harvard—if I could just put it off for a year and keep myscholarship…”Meredith’svoicetrailedoff,buttheyearninginitwasunmistakable.

Mrs.FlowerspattedMeredith’sshoulder,andthensaid,“IwonderaboutdearStefanandElena.Afterall,witheveryonethinkingthatshe’sdead,Elenacan’tlivehereandbeseen.”

“Ithinkthey’vegivenupontheideaofgoingsomewherefar,faraway,”Mattsaid.“I’llbetthatnowtheythinkofthemselvesasFell’sChurch’sguardians.They’llgetbysomehow.Elenacanshaveherhead.”Mattwastryingforalighttone,butthewordssanklikeleadballoonsastheylefthismouth.

“Mrs. Flowers was talking about college,” Meredith said in a tone just asheavy.“Aretheygoingtobesuper-heroesatnightandjustvegouttherestofthetime?Iftheywanttogosomewhereevennextyear,theyneedtobethinkingaboutitnow.”

“Oh…well,Iguessthere’sDalcrest.”

“Where?”

“Youknow,thatlittlecampusinDyer.It’ssmallbutthefootballteamthereisreally—well,IguessStefanwouldn’tcarehowgoodtheyare.Butit’sonlyhalfanhouraway.”

“Oh, that place.Well, the sports may be fantastic but it’s sure not an Ivy,much less Harvard.”Meredith—unsentimental, enigmaticMeredith—sounded as if shehadastuffed-upnose.

“Yeah,”Mattsaid—andjustforasecondtookMeredith’sslim,coldhandandsqueezedit.Hewasevenmoresurprisedwhenshelinkedherchilledfingersupwithhis,holdinghishand.

“Mama says whatever is fated to happenwill happen soon,”Mrs. Flowerssaidserenely.“Themainthing,asIseeit,istosavethedear,dearoldtown.Aswellasthepeople.”

“Ofcourseitis,”Mattsaid.“We’regoingtodoourbest.ThankGodwehavesomebodyintownwhounderstandsJapanesedemons.”

“Orime Saitou,” Mrs. Flowers said with a little smile. “Bless her for heramulets.”

“Yeah,bothofthem,”Mattsaid,thinkingofthegrandmotherandmotherwhosharedthename.“Ithinkwe’regoingtoneedalotofthoseamuletstheymake,”headdedgrimly.

Mrs. Flowers opened her mouth, but Meredith spoke, still focused onthoughtsofherown.

“Youknow,StefanandElenamaynothavegivenupon their far, far awaythingafterall,”shesaidsadly.“Andsinceatthispointnoneofusmayevenlivetomakeittoourowncolleges…”Sheshrugged.

Matt was still squeezing her hand when Bonnie dashed in the front door,keening.Shetriedtospeedthroughthefoyertowardthestairs,avoidingthekitchen,butMattreleasedMeredithandtheybothdasheduptoblockher.Instantly,everyonewasincombatmode.MeredithgraspedBonnie’sarmtightly.Mrs.Flowerscameintothefoyer,wipingherhandsonadishtowel.

“Bonnie,whathappened?IsitShinichiandMisao?Arewebeingattacked?”Meredithaskedquietlybutwiththeintensitytocutthroughhysteria.

Something shot like a bolt of ice throughMatt’s body.Noone really knewwhereShinichiandMisaowererightnow.Perhapsinthethicketthatwasallthatwasleftof theOldWoods—perhaps right here at theboardinghouse. “Elena!”he shouted. “Oh,God,sheandDamonarebothoutthere!Aretheyhurt?DidShinichigetthem?”

Bonnieshuthereyesandshookherhead.

“Bonnie,staywithme.Staycalm.Is itShinichi?Isit thepolice?”Meredithasked.AndtoMatt:“You’dbettercheckthroughthecurtainsthere.”ButBonniewasstillshakingherhead.

Matt saw no police lights through the curtains.Nor did he see any sign ofShinichiandMisaoattacking.

“Ifwe’re not being attacked,”Matt could hearMeredith saying to Bonnie,“thenwhatishappening?”

Maddeningly,Bonniejustshookherhead.

MattandMeredithlookedateachotheroverBonnie’sstrawberrycurls.“Thestarball,”Meredithsaidsoftly,justasMattgrowled,“Thatbastard.”

“Elena won’t tell him anything but the story,” Meredith said. And Mattnodded, trying to keep from his mind a picture of Damon casually waving and Elenaconvulsinginagony.

“Maybe it’s the possessed kids—the ones who walk around hurtingthemselvesoractinginsane,”Meredithsaid,withasideglanceatBonnie,andsqueezingMatt’shandveryhard.

Mattwasbewilderedandfumbledthecue.Hesaid,“IfthatS.O.B.istryingtoget thestarball,Bonniewouldn’thave runaway.She’sbravestwhenshe’sscared.Andunlesshe’skilledElenasheshouldn’tbelikethis—”

WhichleftMerediththegrimjobofsaying,“Talktous,Bonnie,”inhermostcomfortingbig-sistervoice.“Somethingmusthavehappenedtogetyouinthisstate.Justbreatheslowlyandtellmewhatyousaw.”

And then, in a torrent,words began to spill fromBonnie’s lips. “She—shewascallinghimdarling,”Bonniesaid,grippingMeredith’sotherhandwithbothofhers.“Andtherewasbloodsmearedallaroundonherneck.And—oh,Idroppedit!ThebottleofBlackMagic!”

“Oh,well,”Mrs.Flowerssaidgently.“Nousecryingoverspilledwine.We’lljusthaveto—”

“No,youdon’tunderstand,”Bonniegasped.“IheardthemtalkingasIcameup—Ihadtogoslowbecauseit’ssohardnottotrip.Theyweretalkingaboutthestarball!AtfirstIthoughttheywerearguing,but—shehadherarmsaroundDamon’sneck.Andallthatstuffabouthimnotbeingavampireanymore?Shehadbloodalloverherthroatandhehaditonhismouth!AssoonasIgottherehepickedherupandthrewhersoIcouldn’tseebuthewasn’tfastenough.Shemusthavegiventhestarballtohim!Andshestillwascallinghim‘darling’!”

Matt’seyesmetMeredith’sandtheybothflushedandlookedawayquickly.IfDamonwasavampireagain—ifhehadsomehowgottenthestarballfromitshidingplace—andifElenahadbeen“takingfood”tohimjusttogivehimblood…

Meredithwas still looking for away out. “Bonnie—aren’t youmaking toomuchofthis?Anyway,whathappenedtoMrs.Flowers’strayoffood?”

“It was—all over the place. They’d just tossed it away! But he was washoldingherwithonehandunderherkneesandoneunderherneck,andherheadwaswaybacksothatherhairwasfallingalloverhisshoulder!”

TherewasasilenceaseveryonetriedtoimaginevariouspositionsthatmightcorrespondtoBonnie’slastwords.

“Youmeanhewasholdingheruptosteadyher?”Meredithasked,hervoicesuddenlyalmostawhisper.Mattcaughthermeaning.Stefanwasprobablyasleepupstairs,

andMeredithwantedtokeepitthatway.

“No!They—theywere lookingateachother,”Bonniecried.“Looking. Intoeachother’seyes.”

Mrs.Flowers spokemildly. “ButdearBonnie—maybeElena fell downandDamonhadtojustscoopherup.”

NowBonniewasspeakingremorselesslyandfluently.“Onlyifthat’swhat’sjust happened to all thosewomen on the covers of those romance books—what-d’you-call-’ems?”

“Bodice-rippers?”Meredithsuggestedunhappilywhennooneelsespoke.

“That’sright!Bodice-rippers.That’showhewasholdingher!Imean,weallknew that somethingwas going onwith the twoof them in theDarkDimension, but IthoughtallthatwouldstopwhenwefoundStefan.Butithasn’t!”

Matt felt sick in the pit of his stomach. “You mean right now Elena andDamonareinthere…kissingandstuff?”

“Idon’tknowwhatImean!”Bonnieexclaimed.“Theyweretalkingaboutthestarball!Hewasholdingherlikeabride!Andshewasn’tfightingit!”

Withachillofhorror,Mattcouldseetrouble,andhecouldseethatMeredithcould see it too. Even worse, they were looking in two different directions. Matt waslookingupstairs,atthestaircase,whereStefanhadjustappeared.Meredithwaslookingatthekitchendoor,oneglanceatwhichshowedMattthatDamonwasenteringthefoyer.

WhatwasDamondoinginthekitchen?Mattwondered.Wewerethereuntilaminuteago.Andhewas,what,eavesdroppingfromthedenside?

Matt gave the situationhis best shot, anyway. “Stefan!”he said in a heartyvoicethatmadehimwinceinwardly.“Youreadyforalittleathlete’s-bloodnightcap?”

AtinypartofMatt’smindthought:Butjustlookathim.Onlythreedaysoutof prison and he already looks like himself again. Three nights ago hewas a skeleton.Todayhejustlooks—thin.He’sevenhandsomeenoughtomakethegirlsallgocrazyoverhimagain.

Stefansmiledfaintlyathim,leaningonthebanister.Inhispaleface,hiseyeswere remarkably alive, a vibrant green that made them actually shine like jewels. Hedidn’tlookupset,andthatmadeMatt’shearttwistforhim.Howcouldtheytellhim?

“Elenaishurt,”Stefansaid,andsuddenlytherewasapause—anuttersilence—aseverypersonfrozeinplace.“ButDamoncouldn’thelpher,sohebroughthertoMrs.Flowers.”

“True,”DamonsaidcoldlyfrombehindMatt.“Icouldn’thelpher.IfIwerestillavampire…butI’mnot.Elenahasburns,mainly.AllIcouldthinkofwasanicepackorsomekindofpoultice.Sorrytodisproveallyourclevertheories.”

“Ohmyheavens!”criedMrs.Flowers.“YoumeandearElena’swaitingrightnowinthekitchenforapoultice?”Shehurriedoutofthefoyertowardthekitchen.

Stefanwasstillcomingdownthestairs,calling,“Mrs.Flowers,shescaldedherarmandleg—shesaysbecauseDamondidn’trecognizeherinthedarkandjostledher.Andthathethoughtitwasanintruderinhisroom,andnickedherthroatwithaknife.Therestofuswillbeintheparlorifyouneedhelp.”

Bonniecried,“Stefan,maybeshe’sinnocent—butheisn’t!Evenaccordingtoyou,heburnedher—that’storture—andheputaknifetoherthroat!Maybehethreatenedhertomakehertelluswhatwewantedtohear.Maybeshe’sstillahostagerightnowandwedon’tknowit!”

Stefan flushed. “It’s so hard to explain,” he said very softly. “And I keeptryingtotuneitout.Butsofar—someofmyPowershavebeengrowing…fasterthanmyabilitytocontrolthem.MostofthetimeI’masleep,soitdoesn’tmatter.Iwasasleepuntilafewminutesago.ButIwokeupandElenawastellingDamonthatMrs.Flowersdoesn’thavethestarball.Shewasupset,andinjured—andIcouldfeelwhereshe’dbeeninjured.AndthensuddenlyIheardyou,Bonnie.You’reaverystrongtelepath.ThenIheardtherestofyoutalkingaboutElena….”

OhmyGod.Howinsane,Mattwasthinking.Hismouthwasbabblingsome“Sure, sure, ourmistake”gibberish, andhis feet followedMeredith’s to theparlor as iftheywereattachedtoherItaliansandals.

ButthebloodonDamon’smouth…

Therehadtobesomemundanereasonfortheblood,too.StefanhadsaidthatDamonhadnickedElenawithaknife.Astohowthebloodgotsmearedaround;well,thatactually didn’t sound like vampirism toMatt. He’d been a donor for Stefan at least adozentimesinthelastdaysandtheprocesswasalwaysveryneat.

Itwasstrange,too,hethought,thatithadneveroccurredtoanyofthemthat,evenfromthetopofthehouse,Stefanmightbeabletoheartheirthoughtsdirectly.

Couldhealwaysdothat?Mattthought,wonderingatthesametimewhetherStefanwasdoingitrightnow.

“I trynot to listen to thoughts,unless I’minvitedor Ihaveagoodreason,”Stefan said. “Butwhen anybodymentionsElena, especially if they soundupset—that Ican’t help. It’s like when you’re in a noisy place and you can barely hear, but whensomebodysaysyournameyouhearitinstantly.”

“It’s called theCocktail Party Phenomenon,”Meredith said.Her voicewasquietandremorsefulasshewastryingtocalmthemortifiedBonnie.Mattfeltanothertugathisheart.

“Well,youcancallitwhateveryouwant,”hesaid,“butwhatitmeansisthatyoucanlisteninonourmindsanytimeyoulike.”

“Notany time,”Stefansaid,wincing.“WhenIwasdrinkinganimalbloodIwasn’tstrongenoughunlessIreallyworkedatit.Bytheway,itmaypleasemyfriendstoknowthatI’mgoingbacktohuntinganimalsbytomorroworthenextday,dependingonwhatMrs.Flowerssays,”headdedwitha significantglancearound the room.HiseyeslingeredonDamon,whowasloungingagainstthewallbythewindow,lookingdisheveled

andvery,verydangerous.“Butthatdoesn’tmeanI’llforgetwhosavedmylifewhenIwasdying. For that I honor and thank them—and, well, we’ll have a party sometime.” Heblinkedhardandturnedaway.Thetwogirlsmeltedatonce—evenMeredithsniffled.

Damon heaved an exaggerated sigh. “Animal blood? Oh, brilliant. Makeyourselfasweakasyoucan,littlebrother,evenwiththreeorfourwillingdonorsaroundyou.Then,whenitcomestothefinalshowdownwithShinichiandMisao,you’llbeaboutaseffectiveasapieceofdamptissuepaper.”

Bonniestarted.“Istheregoingtobeashowdown…soon?”

“AssoonasShinichiandMisaocanmanageit,”Stefansaidquietly.“Ithinkthey’drathernotgivemetimetogetwell.Thewholetownissupposedtogoupinfireandashes,youknow.ButIcan’tkeepaskingyouandMeredithandMatt—andElena—todonateblood.You’vealreadykeptmealive the last fewdays,andIdon’tknowhowtorepayyouforit.”

“Repayusbygettingasstrongasyoucan,”Meredithsaidinherquiet,levelvoice.“But,Stefan,canIaskafewquestions?”

“Of course,” Stefan said, standing by a chair. He didn’t sit himself untilMeredith,withBonniealmostinherlap,hadsunkdownontheloveseat.

Thenhesaid,“Fire.”

4

“First,”Meredithasked,“isDamonright?Ifyougobacktoanimalblood,willyoubeseriouslyweakened?”

Stefansmiled.“I’llbethewayIwaswhenIfirstmetyou,”hesaid.“Strongenoughtodothis.”HebenttowardthefireironsrightbelowDamon’selbow,murmuringabsently,“Scusiloperfavore”andremovedthepoker.

Damonrolledhiseyes.ButwhenStefan,inonefluidmotion,bentthepokerintoa shapeandthenstraighteneditimmediatelybackandreplacedit,Mattcouldswearthattherewasice-coldenvyinDamon’susualpoker-playerexpression.

“And thatwas iron,which is resistant to all eldritch forces,”Meredith saidevenly,asStefansteppedawayfromthefireplace.

“Butofcoursehe’sbeenimbibingfromyouthreecharminggirlsforthepastfewdays—nottomentionthenuclearpowerhousethatdearElenahasbecome,”Damonsaid,clappinghishandsthreetimesslowly.“Oh…Mutt.Sonospiacente—Imean,Ididn’tmeantoaddyouinwiththegirls.Nooffensemeant.”

“None taken,”Matt said throughhis teeth. If he could, justonce,wipe thatflashing,there-and-gonesmileoffDamon’sface,hewoulddiehappy,hethought.

“But, the truth is that you have become a very…willing…donor for DearBrother, haven’t you?”Damon added, his lips twitching slightly, as if only the strictestcontrolkepthimfromsmiling.

MatttooktwostepstowardDamon.ItwasallhecoulddonottogetrightupinDamon’s face, even thoughsomething inhisbrainalways screamedsuicidewhenhehadthoughtslikethat.

“You’re right,” he said as evenly as possible. “I’ve been donating blood toStefanjustlikethegirls.He’smyfriend,andacoupleofdaysagohelookedlikehe’djustgottenoutofaconcentrationcamp.”

“Ofcourse,”Damonmurmured,asifchastened,butthenhewentoninevensofter tones, “My little brother has always been popular with both—well, with ladiespresent,Iwillsaygenders.Evenwithmalekitsune;whichofcourseiswhyIaminthismess.”

Matt literally saw red as if he were looking through a haze of blood atDamon.

“Speakingofwhich,whathappenedtoSage,Damon?Hewasavampire. Ifwecouldfindhim,yourproblemwouldbeover,right?”Meredithasked.

Itwasagoodriposte,justasallMeredith’scoolresponseswere.ButDamonspokewithhisfathomlessblackeyesfixedonMeredith’sface.“ThelessyouknowandsayaboutSage,thebetter.Iwouldn’tspeakofhimlightly—hehasfriendsinlowplaces.Buttoansweryourquestion:No,IwouldnotletSagemakemeintoavampire.Itwouldjustcomplicatethings.”

“Shinichisaidgoodluckonfindingoutwhoheis,”Meredithsaid,stillcalm.“Doyouknowwhathemeantbythat?”

Damonshruggedfluidly.“WhatIknowismyownbusiness.HespendstimeinthelowestanddarkestoftheDarkDimensions.”

Bonnieburstout,“WhydidSagego?Oh,Damon,didhegobecauseofus?WhydidheleaveTalonandSabertowatchoverus,then?And,oh—oh—oh,Damon,I’msosorry!So,sosorry!”Sheslidofftheloveseatandbentherheadsothatonlystrawberrycurlswerevisible.Withhersmallpalehandsonthefloortobraceher,shelookedasifshewereabouttobowherheadtothegroundathisfeet.“Thisisallmyfaultandeveryone’sangry—butitwasjustsohorribleIhadtobelievetheworstthingsIcouldthinkof!”

Itwasatension-breaker.Nearlyeveryonelaughed.ItwassoBonnie,andsotrueofallofthem.Sohuman.

Mattwantedtopickherupandputherbackontheloveseat.MeredithwasalwaysthebestmedicineforBonnie.ButasMattfoundhimselfreachingforher,hewasconfoundedbytwootherpairsofhandsdoingthesamething.OnewasMeredith’sownlong,slenderolive-skinnedhands,andtheotherpairweremale,withevenlongertaperingfingers.

Matt’shandclenched intoa fist.LetMeredith takeher,he thought, andhisclumsy fist—somehow—got in the way of Damon’s reaching fingers. Meredith liftedBonnieeasilyandsatbackontheloveseat.DamonliftedhisdarkeyestoMatt’sandMattsawperfectcomprehensionthere.

“You really ought to forgive her, Damon,” Meredith, ever the impartialreferee,saidbluntly.“Idon’tthinkshe’llbeabletosleeptonightotherwise.”

Damonshrugged,coldasaniceberg.“Maybe…someday.”

Matt could feel hismuscles clench.What kind of bastard said that to littleBonnie?Becauseofcourseshewaslistening.

“Damnyou,”Mattsaidunderhisbreath.

“Excuseme?”Damon’svoicewasno longer languid and falselypolite, butsuddenlyawhiplash.

“You heardme,”Matt growled. “And if you didn’t, maybewe’d better gooutsidesoIcansayitlouder,”headded,soaringonthewingsofbravado.

He left behind a wail of “No!” from Bonnie, and a gentle “Sh,” fromMeredith.Stefansaid,“Bothofyou—”inacommandingvoice,butthenhefalteredandcoughed,whichbothMattandDamontookasachancetosprintforthedoor.

Itwasstillverywarmoutsideontheboardinghouseporch.“Isthisthekillingground?”Damon asked lazilywhen they had descended the steps and stood beside thegravelpath.

“It’sfinebyme,”Mattsaidbriefly,knowinginhisbonesthatDamonwouldfightdirty.

“Yes,thisisdefinitelycloseenough,”Damonsaid,flashinganunnecessarily

brilliant smile inMatt’s direction. “You can yell for help while little brother is in theparlor, and he’ll have plenty of time to rescue you.And nowwe’re going to solve theproblemsofwhatyou’redoinginmybusinessandwhyyouare—”

Mattpunchedhiminthenose.

He had no ideawhatDamonwas trying to do. If you asked a guy to stepoutside,thenyouaskedhimtostepoutside.Thenyouwentfortheguy.Youdidn’tstandaround talking. If you tried that, you’d be stuck with the label of “coward” or worse.Damondidn’tseemlikethetypewhoneededtobetoldthat.

But then,Damonhadalwaysbeenable torepelanyattackonhimwhilehegotasmanyinsultsasheliked…before.

Before,he’dhavejustbrokeneveryboneinmyhandandgoneonbaitingme,Mattguessed.Butnow…I’malmostasfastashim,andhesimplygottakenbysurprise.

Mattflexedhishandgingerly.Italwayshurt,ofcourse,butifMeredithcoulddoittoCaroline,thenhecoulddoitto…

Damon?

Damn,didIjusttakedownDamon?

Run,Honeycutt, he seemed to hear the voice of his old coach telling him.Run.Getoutoftown.Changeyourname.

Triedthat.Didn’twork.NeverevengotaT-shirt,Mattthoughtsourly.

ButDamonwasn’tleapinguplikeaflamingdemonfromhell,withtheeyesof a dragon and the strength of a ragingbull to annihilateMatt. It looked and soundedmore as if hewere shocked and indignant fromhis disheveled hair to his earth-stainedboots.

“You…ignorant…childish…”HelapsedintoItalian.

“Look,”Matt said. “I’m here to fight, okay? And the smartest guy I everknewsaid:‘Ifyou’regonnafight,don’ttalk.Ifyou’regonnatalk,don’tfight.’”

Damontriedtosnarlashekneltupandpulledspinyteaselandpricklysidaoutofhisdistressedblackjeans.Butthesnarldidn’tcomeoutquiteright.Maybeitwasthenewshapeofhiscanines.Maybeitjustdidn’thaveenoughconvictionbehindit.Matthadseenenoughdefeatedguystoknowthatthisfightwasover.Astrangeexaltationcameover him. He was going to keep all his limbs and organs! It was a precious, preciousmoment.

All right, then, should I offer him a hand?Mattwondered, to be answeredinstantaneouslyby,Sure, ifyou’dofferahandtoa temporarilystunnedcrocodile.Whatdoyoureallyneedtenwholefingersfor,anyway?

Oh,well, he thought, turning to goback into the front door.As long as helived—which,conceded,mightnotbetoolong—hewouldrememberthismoment.

Ashewentin,hebumpedintoBonnie,whowasrushingout.

“Oh,Matt, oh,Matt,” she cried. Shewas lookingwildly around. “Did you

hurthim?Didhehurtyou?”

Mattsmackedhisfistintothepalmofhishand,once.“He’sstillsittingdownbackthere,”headdedhelpfully.

“Oh,no!”Bonniegasped,andshehurriedoutthedoor.

Okay.Lessspectacularofanight.Butstillaprettygoodone.

“Theydidwhat?”Elena asked Stefan.Cold poultices anchored by tight bandageswerewrappedaroundherarm,hand,andthigh—Mrs.Flowershadcutherjeansoffshort—andMrs.Flowerswaswipingawaythedriedbloodonherneckwithherbs.

Herheartwaspoundingwithmore thanpain.Even shehadn’t realized thatStefan was tuned in to the entire house when he was awake. All she could do was toshakily thank God that he’d been asleep while she and Damon—no! She had to stopthinkingaboutit,andrightnow!

“Theywent outside to fight,”Stefan said. “It’s idiotic, of course.But it’s amatterofhonor,too.Ican’tinterfere.”

“Well,Ican—ifyou’redone,Mrs.Flowers.”

“Yes, dear Elena,” Mrs. Flowers said, winding a bandage around Elena’sthroat.“Nowyoushouldn’tgettetanus.”

Elenastoppedinmid-motion.“Ithoughtyougottetanusfromrustyblades,”shesaid.“Da—thisonelookedbrand-new.”

“Tetanuscomesfromdirtyblades,mydear,”Mrs.Flowerscorrectedher.“Butthis”—sheheldupabottle—“isGrandmama’sownpersonalrecipethathaskeptmanyawounddisease-freedownthecen—downtheyears.”

“Wow,”Elenasaid.“IneverevenheardofGrandmamabefore.Wasshea—healer?”

“Oh,yes,”Mrs.Flowerssaidearnestly.“Shewasactuallyaccusedofbeingawitch. But at her trial they could prove nothing. Her accusers seemed not even to becapableofcoherentspeech.”

Elena lookedatStefanonly to find thathewas lookingather.Mattwas indangerofbeingdraggedofftoakangaroocourt—forallegedlyassaultingCarolineForbeswhileundertheinfluenceofsomeunknownandterribledrug.Anythingtodowithcourtswasinterestingtobothofthem.ButlookingatStefan’sconcernedface,Elenadecidednottopursue thesubject.Shesqueezedhishand.“Wehave togonow—but let’s talkaboutGrandmamalater.Ithinkshesoundsfascinating.”

“Ijustrememberherasacrotchetyoldrecluse,whodidn’tsufferfoolsgladlyandthought justabouteveryonewasafool,”Mrs.Flowerssaid.“IsupposeIwasgoingdownthesamepathuntilyouchildrencameandmademesitupandtakenotice.Thankyou.”

“We’re the ones who should thank you,” Elena began, hugging the old

woman,feelingherheartstoppounding.Stefanwaslookingatherwithopenlove.Itwasallgoingtobeallright—forher.

I’m worried about Matt, she thought to Stefan, testing the waters morevigorously.Damon’sstillsofast—andyouknowhedoesn’tlikeMattabit.

I think, Stefan returned with a wry smile, that that is a rather stunningunderstatement.ButIalsothinkyoushouldn’tworryuntilweseewhocomesbackinjured.

Elena eyed that smile, and thought for amoment about impulsive, athleticMatt.Afteramoment,shesmiledback.Shewasfeelingbothguiltyandprotective—andsafe.Stefanalwaysmadeherfeelsafe.Andrightnow,shewantedtospoilhim.

Inthefrontyard,Bonniewasabasingherself.Shecouldn’thelpthinking,evennow,abouthow handsome Damon looked, how wild and dark and ferocious and gorgeous. Shecouldn’thelpthinkingaboutthetimeshe’dsmiledather,laughedather,cometosaveheratherurgentcall.Shehadhonestlythoughtthatsomeday…Butnowshefeltasifherheartwerebreakingintwo.

“I justwanttobitemytongueout,”shesaid.“IshouldneverhaveassumedanythingfromwhatIsaw.”

“HowcouldyoupossiblyhaveknownthatIwasn’tstealingElenaawayfromStefan?”Damonsaidwearily.“It’sjustthekindofthingI’ddo.”

“No,itisn’t!YoudidsomuchtofreeStefanfromprison—youalwaysfacedthemostdangeryourself—andyoukeptusallfrombeinghurt.Youdidallthatforotherpeople—”

SuddenlyBonnie’supperarmswerebeingheldbyhandsthatweresostrongthat her mind was flooded with clichés. A grasp of iron. Strong as steel bands. Aninescapablegrip.

Andavoicelikeanicytorrentwascomingather.

“Youdon’tknowanythingaboutme,orwhatIwant,orwhatIdo.ForallyouknowIcouldbeplottingrightnow.Sodon’teverletmehearyoutalkagainaboutsuchthings,orimaginethatIwon’tkillyouifyougetinmyway,”Damonsaid.

He got up and left Bonnie sitting there, staring after him. And she’d beenwrong.Shewasn’toutoftearsatall.

5

“IthoughtyouwantedtogetoutsowecouldtalktoDamon,”Stefansaid,stillhandinhandwithElenaasshemadeasharp right turnonto the ricketystairway that led to thesecond-floorroomsand,abovethat,toStefan’sattic.

“Well,unlesshekillsMattandrunsIdon’tseewhat’stokeepusfromtalkingto him tomorrow.”Elena glanced back at Stefan and dimpled. “I took your advice andthoughtalittleaboutthetwoofthem.Matt’saprettytoughquarterbackandthey’rebothonlyhumannow,right?Anyway,it’stimeforyourdinner.”

“Dinner?” Stefan’s canine teeth responded automatically—embarrassinglyquickly—totheword.HereallyneededtohaveawordwithDamonlaterandmakesureDamonunderstoodhisplaceasaguestattheboardinghouse—nothingmore—butitwastrue,hecoulddothattomorrow.Itmightevenbemoreeffectivetomorrow,whenDamon’sownpent-upragewasspent.

Hepressedhistongueagainsthisfangs,tryingtoforcethembackdown,butthe small stimulation caused them to sharpen, nicking his lip. Now they were achingpleasantly.Allinresponsetoasingleword:dinner.

Elenathrewhimateasingglanceoverhershoulderandgiggled.Shewasoneofthoseluckyfemaleswithabeautifullaugh.Butthiswasaclearlymischievousgiggle,straightfromherwicked,schemingchildhood.ItmadeStefanwant to tickleher tohearmore;itmadehimwanttolaughwithher;itmadehimwanttograbheranddemandtoknowthejoke.Insteadhesaid,“What’sup,love?”

“Someonehassharpteeth,”sherespondedinnocently,andgiggledagain.Helosthimselfinadmirationforasecondandalsosuddenlylostholdofherhand.Laughinglikeamusicalcascadeofwhitewateroverrock,sheranupthestairsaheadofhim,bothtoteaseandtoshowhimwhatgoodshapeshewas in,he thought. Ifshehadstumbled,orfaltered,sheknewhewoulddecidethatherdonationofbloodwasharmingher.

So far it didn’t seem to be damaging any of his friends, or hewould haveinsisted on a rest for that person. But even Bonnie, as delicate as a dragonfly, hadn’tseemedtobetheworseforit.

Elenaracedup thestairsknowing thatStefanwassmilingbehindher,and therewasnoshadowofmistrustinhismind.Shedidn’tdeserveit,butthatonlymadehermoreanxioustopleasehim.

“Haveyouhadyourdinner?”Stefanaskedastheyreachedhisroom.

“Longago;roastbeef—cooked.”Shesmiled.

“WhatdidDamonsaywhenhefinallyrealizeditwasyouandlookedatthefoodyou’dbrought?”

Elenamadeherselfgiggleagain.Itwasallrighttohavetearsinhereyes;herburnsandcutshurtandtheepisodewithDamonjustifiedanyamountofweeping.

“Hecalleditbloodyhamburger.Itwassteaktartar.But,Stefan,Idon’twanttotalkabouthimnow.”

“No,ofcourseyoudon’t,love.”Stefanwasimmediatelycontrite.Andhewastryingsohardnottoseemeagertofeed—buthecouldn’tevencontrolhiscanines.

AndElenawasinnomoodtodallyeither.Sheperchedonthebed,carefullyunwinding the bandage Mrs. Flowers had just wound on it. Stefan suddenly lookedtroubled.

Love—Hestoppedabruptly.

What?Elenafinishedwiththebandage,studyingStefan’sface.

Well—shall I take it out of your arm instead?You’re already in pain and Idon’twanttofoolwithMrs.Flowers’santi-tetanustreatment.

There’sstillplentyofroomaroundit,Elenasaidcheerfully.

Butabiteontopofthosecuts…Hestoppedagain.

Elenalookedathim.SheknewherStefan.Therewassomethinghewantedtosay.Tellme,shepressedhim.

Stefanfinallymethereyesdirectly,andthenputhismouthclosetoherear.“Icanheal thecuts,”hewhispered.“But—itwouldmeanopening themagainso theycanbleed.Thatwillhurt.”

“Anditmightpoisonyou!”Elenasaidsharply.“Don’tyousee?Mrs.Flowersputheavenknowswhatonthem—”

She could feel his laughter,which sentwarm tingles downher spine. “Youcan’tkillavampiresoeasily,”hesaid.“Weonlydieifyoustakeusthroughtheheart.ButIdon’twanttohurtyou—eventohelpyou.IcouldInfluenceyounottofeelanything—”

Onceagain,Elenacuthimoff.“No!No,Idon’tmindifithurts.Aslongasyougetasmuchbloodasyouneed.”

Stefan respected Elena enough to know that he shouldn’t ask the samequestiontwice.Andhecouldhardlyrestrainhimselfanylonger.Hewatchedherliedownand then stretched out beside her, bending to get to the green-stained cuts. He lickedgently,atfirstrathertentatively,atthewounds,andthenranasatinytongueoverthem.Hehad no idea how the process worked or what chemicals he was stroking over Elena’sinjuries.Itwasasautomaticasbreathingwastohumans.Butafteraminute,hechuckledsoftly.

What?What?Elenademanded,smilingherselfashisbreathtickled.

Your blood’s laced with lemon balm, Stefan replied. Grandmama’s healingrecipehaslemonbalmandalcoholinit!Lemonbalmwine!

Isthatgoodorbad?Elenaaskeduncertainly.

It’s fine—for a change.But I still like your blood straight the best.Does ithurttoomuch?

Elenacouldfeelherselfflush.Damonhadhealedhercheekthisway,backintheDarkDimension,whenElenahad,withherownbody,protectedableedingslavefromawhiplash.SheknewStefanknewthestory,andmustknow,eachtimehesawher,thatthe almost-invisiblewhite line on her cheekbone had been stroked just this gently intohealing.

Compared to that, these scratchesarenothing, she sent.But a sudden chillwentthroughher.

Stefan! I never begged your pardon for protecting Ulma at the risk of notbeingabletosaveyou.Or,worse—fordancingwhileyouwerestarving—forkeepingupthesocietypretensesowecouldgettheTwinFoxkey—

DoyouthinkIcareaboutthat?Stefan’svoicewasmock-angryashegentlysealedonecutatherthroat.Youdidwhatyouhadtoinordertotrackme—findme—saveme—afterI’dleftyoualonehere.Don’tyouthinkIunderstand?Ididn’tdeservethesaving—

NowElenafeltasmallsobchokeher.Neversaythat!Never!AndIsuppose—IsupposeIknewyouwouldforgiveme—orIwouldhavefelteveryjewelIworeburninglikeabrand.Wehadtochaseyoudownlikeafoxwithhounds—andweweresoscaredthatasinglemisstepcouldmeanyou’dbehanged…orwewouldbe.

Stefan was holding her tightly now.How can I make you understand? heasked.Yougaveupeverything—evenyourfreedom—forme.Youbecameslaves.You—you—were“Disciplined”…

Elenaaskedwildly,Howdoyouknowthat?Whotoldyou?

Youtoldme,beloved.Inyoursleep—inyourdreams.

But,Stefan—Damontookthepainforme.Didyouknowthat?

Stefanwassilentamoment,thenresponded,I…see.Ididn’tknowthatbefore.

ScenesstrewnfromtheDarkDimensionbubbledinElena’smind.Thatcityoftarnishedbaubles—ofillusiveglitter,whereawhiplashthatspreadbloodacrossawallwasasmuchcelebratedasahandfulofrubiesstrewnonthesidewalk….

Love, don’t think about it. You followedme, and you rescuedme,and nowwe’reheretogether,Stefansaid.Thelastcutclosed,helayhischeekonhers.That’sallIcareabout.YouandI—together.

Elenawasalmostdizzilygladtobeforgiven—buttherewassomethinginsideher—something that hadgrownandgrownandgrown during theweeks shewas in theDarkDimension.AfeelingforDamonthatwasnotjusttheresultofherneedforhishelp.AfeelingthatElenahadthoughtStefanunderstood.Afeelingthatmightevenchangetherelationsbetweenthe threeof them:her,Stefan,andDamon.ButnowStefanseemedtoassumethateverythingwouldreturntothewayitwasbeforehiskidnapping.

Oh, well, why fret about tomorrowwhen tonight was enough tomake herweepwithjoy?

Thiswasthebestfeelingintheworld,theknowledgethatsheandStefanwere

together,andshemadeStefanpromiseheroverandoverthathewouldnoteverleaveheronanotherquestagain,nomatterhowbriefly,nomatterwhatthecause.

By now, Elena could not even focus on what she had been worried aboutbefore.SheandStefanhadalwaysfoundheavenineachother’sarms.Theyweremeanttobetogetherforever.Nothingelsematterednowthatshewashome.

“Home”waswheresheandStefanweretogether.

6

Bonniecouldn’tgettosleepafterDamon’swordstoher.ShewantedtotalktoMeredith,buttherewasanunseeing,unhearinglumpinMeredith’sbed.

Theonlythingshecouldthinkofwastogodowntothekitchenandhuddleupwitha cupof cocoa in theden, alonewithhermisery.Bonniewasn’tgoodatbeingalonewithherself.

Butasitturnedout,whenshegottothebottomfloor,shedidn’theadforthekitchenafterall.Shewentstraighttotheden.Everythingwasdarkandstrange-lookinginthesilentdimness.Turningononelightwouldjustmakeeverythingelseevendarker.Butshemanaged,with shaking fingers, to twist the switch of the standing lamp beside thecouch.Nowifonlyshecouldfindabookorsomething…

Shewasholdingon toherpillowas if itwerea teddybear,whenDamon’svoicebesidehersaid,“Poorlittleredbird.Youshouldn’tbeupsolate,youknow.”

Bonniestartedandbitherlip.

“Ihopeyou’renot stillhurting,” she saidcoldly,verymuchonherdignity,whichshesuspectedwasnotveryconvincing.Butwhatwasshesupposedtodo?

ThetruthwasthatBonniehadabsolutelynochanceofwinningaduelofwitswithDamon—andsheknewit.

Damonwantedtosay,“Hurting?Toavampire,ahumanfleabitelikethatwas…”

Butunfortunatelyhewasahumantoo.Anditdidhurt.

Notforlong,hepromisedhimself,lookingatBonnie.

“I thought you neverwanted to seeme again,” she said, chin trembling. Italmostseemedtoocrueltomakeuseofavulnerablelittleredbird.Butwhatchoicedidhehave?

I’llmakeituptohersomehow,someday—Iswearit,hethought.AndatleastIcanmakeitpleasantnow.

“Thatwasn’twhatIsaid,”hereplied,hopingthatBonniewouldn’trememberexactlywhat hehad said. If he could just Influence the tremblingwoman-child beforehim…buthecouldn’t.Hewasahumannow.

“Youtoldmeyouwouldkillme.”

“Look, I’d justbeenknockeddownbyahuman. Idon’t supposeyouknowwhat thatmeans,but ithasn’thappenedtomesinceIwas twelveyearsold,andstillanoriginalhumanboy.”

Bonnie’schinkepttrembling,butthetearshadstopped.Youarebravestwhenyou’rescared,Damonthought.

“I’mmoreworriedabouttheothers,”hesaid.

“Others?”Bonnieblinked.

“In five hundred years of life, one tends to make a remarkable amount ofenemies.Idon’tknow;maybeit’sjustme.Ormaybeit’sthesimplelittlefactofbeingavampire.”

“Oh.Oh,no!”Bonniecried.

“Whatdoesitmatter,littleredbird?Longorshort,lifeseemsalltoobrief.”

“But—Damon—”

“Don’tfret,kitten.HaveoneofNature’sremedies.”DamonpulledoutofhisbreastpocketasmallflaskthatsmelledunquestionablyofBlackMagic.

“Oh—yousavedit!Howcleverofyou!”

“Tryataste?Ladies—strikethat—youngwomenfirst.”

“Oh,Idon’tknow.Iusedtogetawfullysillyonthat.”

“Theworld is silly. Life is silly. Especiallywhen you’ve been doomed sixtimesbeforebreakfast.”Damonopenedtheflask.

“Oh, all right!” Clearly thrilled by the notion of “drinking with Damon,”Bonnietookaverydaintysip.

Damonchokedtocoveralaugh.“You’dbettertakebiggerswigs,redbird.Orit’sgoingtotakeallnightbeforeIgetaturn.”

Bonnietookadeepbreath,andthenadeepdraft.Afteraboutthreeofthose,Damondecidedshewasready.

Bonnie’s giggleswere nonstop now. “I think…Do I think I’ve had enoughnow?”

“Whatcolorsdoyouseeouthere?”

“Pink?Violet?Isthatright?Isn’titnighttime?”

“Well,perhaps theNorthernLightsarepayingusavisit.Butyou’reright, Ishouldgetyouintobed.”

“Oh,no!Oh,yes!Oh,no!Nononoyes!”

“Shh.”

“SHHHHHH!”

Terrific,Damonthought;I’veoverdoneit.

“Imeant,getyouintoabed,”hesaidfirmly.“Justyou.Here,I’llwalkyoutothefirst-floorbedroom.”

“BecauseImightfallonthestairs?”

“Youmightsaythat.AndthisbedroomismuchnicerthantheoneyousharewithMeredith.Nowyoujustgotosleepanddon’ttellanyoneaboutourrendezvous.”

“NotevenElena?”

“Notevenanybody.OrImightgetangryatyou.”

“Oh,no!Iwon’t,Damon:Iswearonyourlife!”

“That’s—prettyaccurate,”Damonsaid.“Goodnight.”

Moonlightcocoonedthehouse.Fogmistedthemoonlight.Aslender,hoodeddarkfiguretook advantage of shadows so skillfully that it would have passed unnoticed even ifsomeonehadbeenwatchingoutforit—andnoonewas.

7

Bonnie was in her new first-floor bedroom, and was feeling very bewildered. BlackMagicalwaysmadeherfeelgiggly,andthenverysleepy,butsomehowtonightherbodyrefusedtosleep.Herheadhurt.

Shewas just about to turn thebedside lighton,whena familiarvoice said,“Howaboutsometeaforyourheadache?”

“Damon?”

“ImadesomefromMrs.Flowers’sherbsandIdecidedtomakeyouacupaswell. Aren’t you the lucky girl?” If Bonnie had been listening closely, shemight haveheardsomethingalmostlikeself-loathingbehindthelightwords—butshewasn’t.

“Yes!” Bonnie said, meaning it. Most of Mrs. Flowers’s teas smelled andtastedgood.Thisonewasespeciallynice,butgrainyonhertongue.

Andnot onlywas the tea good, butDamon stayed to talk to herwhile shedrankitall.Thatwassweetofhim.

Strangely, this teamadeherfeelnotexactlysleepy,butas ifshecouldonlyconcentrate onone thing at a time.Damon swam into her field of view. “Feelingmorerelaxed?”heasked.

“Yes, thank you.”Weirder and weirder. Even her voice sounded slow anddragging.

“I wanted tomake sure nobodywas too hard on you for the sillymistakeaboutElena,”heexplained.

“Theyweren’t,really,”shesaid.“ActuallyeverybodywasmoreinterestedinseeingyouandMattfight—”Bonnieputahandoverhermouth.“Oh,no!Ididn’tmeantosaythat!I’msosorry!”

“It’sallright.Itshouldhealbytomorrow.”

Bonniecouldn’timaginewhyanyonewouldbesoafraidofDamon,whowassoniceastopickuphermugofteaandsayhe’dputitinthesink.Thatwasgoodbecauseshewasfeelingasifshecouldn’tgetuptosaveherlife.Thatcozy.Thatcomfy.

“Bonnie,canIaskyoujustonelittlething?”Damonpaused.“Ican’ttellyouwhy,but…IhavetofindoutwhereMisao’sstarballiskept,”hesaidearnestly.

“Oh…that,”Bonniesaidfuzzily.Shegiggled.

“Yes,that.AndIamtrulysorrytoaskyou,becauseyou’resoveryyoungandinnocent…butIknowyou’lltellmethetruth.”

Afterthispraiseandcomfort,Bonniefeltshecouldfly.“It’sbeeninthesameplace all the time,” she saidwith sleepy disgust. “They tried tomakeme think they’dmoved it…butwhen I sawhimchained andgoingdown to the root cellar I knew theyhadn’treally.”Inthedark,therewasashortshakeofcurlsandthenayawn.“Iftheywerereallygoingtomoveit…theyshouldhavesentmeawayorsomething.”

“Well,maybetheywereconcernedforyourlife.”

“Wha’?…”Bonnieyawnedagain,notsurewhathemeant.“Imean,anold,old safewith a combination? I told them…that those old safes…could be…really be…easyto…to…”Bonnieletoutasoundlikeasighandhervoicestopped.

“I’mgladwehadthistalk,”Damonmurmuredinthesilence.

Therewasnoanswerfromthebed.

Pulling Bonnie’s sheet up as high as it would go, he let it drift down. Itcoveredmostofherface.“Requiescatinpace,”Damonsaidsoftly.Thenheleftherroom,notforgettingtotakethemug.

Now…“himchainedandgoingdowntotherootcellar.”Damonmusedashewashedout themugcarefullyandput itbackinthecupboard.Thelinesoundedstrangebuthehadalmostallthelinksnow,anditwasactuallysimple.AllheneededweretwelvemoreofMrs.Flowers’ssleepingcachetsandtwoplatesheapedwithrawbeef.Hehadalltheingredients…buthe’dneverheardofarootcellar.

Shortly thereafter,heopened thedoor to thebasement.Nope.Didn’tmatchthecriteriafor“rootcellar”he’dlookeduponhismobile.Irritatedandknowingthatanymomentsomeonewaslikelytowanderdownstairsforsomething,Damonturnedaroundinfrustration.Therewasanelaboratelycarvedwoodenpanelacrossfromthebasement,butnothingelse.

Curseit,hewouldnotbethwartedatthispoint.Hewouldhavehislifeasavampireback,orhedidn’twantanylifeatall!

To punctuate the sentiment, he slammed a fist against thewooden panel infrontofhim.

Theknocksoundedhollow.

Immediately all frustration vanished. Damon examined the panel verycarefully.Yes, therewere hinges at the very edge,where no sane personwould expectthem.Itwasn’tapanelbutadoor—undoubtedlytotherootcellarwherethestarballwas.

It didn’t take long for his sensitive fingers—even his human fingers weremoresensitive thanmost—tofindaplace thatclicked—andthen thewholedoorswungopen.Hecouldseethestairs.Hetuckedhisparcelunderonearmanddescended.

Bytheilluminationofthesmallflashlighthe’dtakenfromthestorageroom,the root cellarwas just as described: a damp, earthy room to store fruit and vegetablesbefore refrigerators had been invented. And the safe was just as Bonnie had said: anancient,rustycombinationsafe,whichanywhizcrackercouldhaveopenedinaboutsixtyseconds. Itwould takeDamonaboutsixminutes,withhisstethoscope(he’dheardoncethat you could find anything in the boardinghouse if you looked hard enough and itseemed to be true) and every atom of his being concentrating on hearing the tumblersquietlyclick.

First,however,therewastheBeasttoconquer.Sabertheblackhellhoundhadunfolded, awake and alert from themoment the secret door had opened. Undoubtedly,

theyhadusedDamon’sclothestoteachhimtohowlmadlyathisscent.

But Damon had his own knowledge of herbs and had ransacked Mrs.Flowers’s kitchen to find a handful ofwitch hazel, a small amount of strawberrywine,aniseed,somepeppermintoil,andafewotheressentialoilsshehadinstock,sweetandsharp.Mixed,thiscreatedapungentlotion,whichhehadgingerlyappliedtohimself.Theconcoction formed for Saber an impossible tangle of strong smells. The only thing thenow-sittingdogknewwas that itwassurelynotDamonsittingon thestepsand tossinghim hearty balls of hamburger and delicate strips of filet mignon—each of which hegulped down whole. Damon watched with interest as the animal devoured the mix ofsleepingpowderandrawmeat,tailwhiskingonthefloor.

TenminuteslaterSaberthehellhoundwassprawledouthappilyunconscious.

Sixminutesafterthat,Damonwasopeninganirondoor.

Onesecond laterhewaspullingapillowcaseoutofMrs.Flowers’santiquesafe.

Intheglowoftheflashlighthefoundthathedidindeedhaveastarball,butthatitwasjustalittlemorethanhalffull.

Nowwhatdidthatmean?Therewasaveryneatholedrilledandcorkedatthetopsothatnotonepreciousdropletmoreneedbewasted.

Butwhohadused therestof thefluid—andwhy?Damonhimselfhadseenthestarballbrimfulofopalescent,shimmeringliquidjustdaysago.

Somehow between that time and now someone had used about a hundredthousandindividuals’lifeenergy.

Hadtheotherstriedtodosomeremarkabledeedwithitandfailed,atthecostofburningsomuchPower?Stefanwastookindtohaveusedsomuch,Damonwascertainofthat.But…

Sage.

WithanImperialSummonsinhishand,Sagewaslikelytodoanything.So,sometimeafterthespherehadbeenbroughtintotheboardinghouse,Sagehadpouredoutalmost exactly half the life force from the star ball and then, undoubtedly, left the restbehindforMuttorsomeonetocork.

And such a colossal amount of Power could only have been used for…openingtheGatetotheDarkDimensions.

Very slowly, Damon let out his breath and smiled. There were only a fewways toget into theDarkDimensions, andasahumanheobviouslycouldnotdrive toArizonaandpassthroughapublicGatewayashehadthefirsttimewiththegirls.Butnowhehadsomethingevenbetter.AstarballtoopenhisownprivateGateway.Heknewofnoother way to cross, unless one was lucky enough to hold one of the almost-mythicalMasterKeysthatallowedonetoroamthedimensionsatwill.

Doubtless, someday in the future, in some nook,Mrs. Flowers would findanother thank-you note: this time along with something that was literally invaluable—

something exquisite and priceless and probably from a dimension quite far fromEarth.ThatwashowSageoperated.

Allwasquietabove.Thehumanswererelyingontheiranimalcompanionstokeep themsafe.Damongave therootcellarasingle lookaroundandsawnothingmorethanadimroomcompletelyemptyexceptforthesafe,whichhenowclosed.Dumpinghisown paraphernalia into the pillowcase, he patted Saber, who was gently snoring, andturnedtowardthesteps.

Thatwaswhenhesawthatafigurewasstandinginthedoorway.Thefigurethensteppedsmoothlybehindthedoor,butDamonhadseenenough.

Inonehand the figurehadbeenholdinga fightingstavealmostas tallas itwas.

Whichmeantthatitwasahunter-slayer.Ofvampires.

Damonhadmet severalhunter-slayers—briefly—inhis time.Theywere, inhisconsideration,bigoted,unreasonable,andevenmorestupid than theaveragehuman,becausethey’dusuallybeenbroughtuponlegendsofvampireswithfangsliketuskswhorippedoutthethroatsoftheirvictimsandkilledthem.Damonwouldbethefirsttoadmitthatthereweresomevampireslikethat,butmostweremorerestrained.Vampirehuntersusuallyworkedingroups,butDamonhadahunchthatthisonewouldbealone.

Henowascendedthestepsslowly.Hewasfairlycertainoftheidentityofthishunter-slayer,butifhewaswronghewasgoingtohavetododgeastavelaunchedstraightdownathimlikeajavelin.Noproblem—ifhewerestillavampire.Slightlymoredifficult,unarmedashewasandataseveretacticaldisadvantage.

Hereachedthetopofthestairsunharmed.Thiswasreallythemostdangerouspartofclimbingsteps,foraweaponofjusttherightlengthcouldsendhimcrashingallthewaybackdown.Ofcourseavampirewouldn’tbepermanentlyinjuredbythat,but—again—hewasnolongeravampire.

Butthepersoninthekitchenallowedhimtoclimballthewayoutoftherootcellarunhindered.

Akillerwithhonor.Howsweet.

He turned slowly to measure up his vampire hunter. He was immediatelyimpressed.

Itwasn’ttheobviousstrengththatallowedthehuntertobeabletowhipoffafigureeightwiththefightingstavethatimpressedhim.Itwastheweaponitself.Perfectlybalanced, it wasmeant to be held in themiddle, and the designs picked out in jewelsaroundthehandholdshowedthatitscreatorhadhadexcellenttaste.Theendsshowedthatheorshehadasenseofhumoraswell.Thetwoendsofthestaveweremadeofironwoodforstrength—buttheywerealsodecorated.Inshape,theyweremadetoresembleoneofhumankind’soldestweapons, theflint-tippedspear.But thereweretinyspikesextrudingfromeachofthese“spearflakes,”setfirmlyintotheironwood.Thesetinyspikeswereofdifferentmaterials: silver forwerewolves,wood for vampires,white ash forOldOnes,ironforalleldritchcreatures,andafewthatDamoncouldn’tquiteworkout.

“They’rerefillable,”thehunter-slayerexplained.“Hypodermicneedlesinjecton impact.And of course different poisons for different species—quick and simple forhumans,wolfsbaneforthosenaughtypuppies,andsoon.Itreallyisajewelofaweapon.IwishIhadfounditbeforewemetKlaus.”

Thensheseemedtoshakeherselfbackintoreality.

“So,Damon,what’sitgoingtobe?”askedMeredith.

8

Damonnoddedthoughtfully,glancingbackandforthbetweenthefightingstaveandthepillowcaseinhishand.

Hadn’t he suspected something like this for a long time? Subconsciously?Afterall,therehadbeenthatattackonthegrandfather,whichhadfailedtoeitherkillhimortoerasehismemorycompletely.Damon’simaginationcouldfillintherest:herparentsseeingnoreasontoblighttheirtinydaughter’slifewiththisgruesomebusiness—awholenewchangeofscenery—andthengivingupthepracticeintheprovincial,protectedlittletownofFell’sChurch.

Iftheyhadonlyknown.

Oh, doubtless they had made sure that Meredith had had self-defense andvariousmartialartstrainingsinceshewasachild,whileswearinghertoabsolutesecrecy—evenfromherbestfriends.

Well,now,Damonthought.ThefirstofShinichi’sriddleswasalreadysolved.“Oneofyouhasalifetimesecretkeptfromeveryone.”Ialwaysknewtherewassomethingaboutthisgirl…andthisisit.I’dbetmylifethatshe’sablackbelt.

Therehadbeenalongsilence.NowDamonbrokeit.

Your ancestors were hunters too? he asked, as if she were telepathic. Hewaited amoment—still silence.Okay—no telepathy. Thatwas good.He nodded at themagnificentstave.“Thatwascertainlymadeforalordorlady.”

Meredithwasn’tstupid.Shespokewithoutglancingawayfromhiseyes.Shewasready,atanyinstant,togointokillingmode.“We’rejustordinaryfolk,tryingtogetajobdonesoinnocenthumanswillbesafer.”

“Bykillingtheoddvampireortwo.”

“Well,sofarinrecordedhistorysaying‘Naughty,naughty,Mamaspank’hasfailedtoconvertasinglevampiretovegetarianism.”

Damonhadtolaugh.“Pityyouweren’tbornearlyenoughtoconvertStefan.Hecouldhavebeenyourgrandtriumph.”

“Youthinkthat’sfunny.Butwedohaveconverts.”

“Yes.Peoplewillsayanythingwhileyou’reholdingapointedstickatthem.”

“People who feel that it’s wrong to Influence other people into believingthey’regettingsomethingfornothing.”

“That’sit!Meredith!LetmeInfluenceyou!”

ThistimeitwasMeredithwholaughed.

“No,I’mserious!WhenI’mavampireagain,letmeInfluenceyounottobesomuchafraidofabite.IswearIwon’ttakemorethanateaspoon.Butthatwouldgivemetimetoshowyou—”

“Anicebighouseofcandythatneverexisted?Arelativewhodiedtenyearsagoandwhowouldhaveabhorredthethoughtofyoutakingmymemoryofherandusingitasalure?Adreamofendingworldhungerthatdoesn’tputfoodintoonemouth?”

This girl, thought Damon, is dangerous. It’s like a Counter-Influence thatthey’ve taught to their members.Wanting her to see that vampires, or ex-vampires, orOnce and Future Vampires had some good qualities—like courage—he let go of thepillowcaseandgraspedtheendofthefightingstavewithbothhands.

Meredithraisedaneyebrow.“DidInotjustrecentlytellyouthatanumberofthosespikesyou’vejustdrivenintoyourflesharepoisonous?Orwereyounotlistening?”

Shehadautomaticallygrabbedthestaveaswell,abovethedangerouszone.

“Youtoldme,”hesaidinscrutably—hehoped.

“Iparticularlysaid‘poisonoustohumansaswellastowerewolvesandotherthings’—recallit?”

“You toldme that, too.But I’d ratherdie than liveas ahuman, so:Let thegames begin.” And with that, Damon began to push the two-headed stave towardMeredith’sheart.

Sheimmediatelyclampeddownonthestaveaswell,pushingitbacktowardhim.Buthehadthreeadvantages,as theybothsoonrealized.Hewasslightly tallerandmorestronglymuscledeventhanlithe,athleticMeredith;hehadalongerreachthanhers;andhehadtakenupamuchmoreaggressiveposition.Eventhoughhecouldfeelpoisonedlittlespikesbitingintohispalms,hethrustforwardandupuntilthekillingpointwasonceagainnearherheart.Meredithpushedbackwithanamazingamountofstrengthandthensuddenly,somehow,theywereevenagain.

Damonglanceduptoseehowthathadhappened,andsaw,tohisshock,thatshe also hadgrasped the stave in the killing zone.Nowher handswere drippingbloodontothefloorjustashiswere.

“Meredith!”

“What?Itakemyjobseriously.”

Despitehergambit,hewasstronger.Inchbyinch,heforcedhistornpalmstohangon,hisarmstoexertpressure.Andinchbyinchshewasforcedbackward,refusingtoquit—untiltherewasnomoreroomtobackup.

And there they stood, the entire length of the stave between them, and therefrigeratorflatagainstMeredith’sback.

All Damon could think of was Elena. If he somehow survived this—andMeredithdidnot—thenwhatwouldthosemalachiteeyessaytohim?Howwouldhelivewithwhattheysaid?

Andthen,withinfuriatingtiming,likeachessplayerknockingoverherownking,Meredithletgoofthespear,concedingDamon’ssuperiorstrength.

Afterwhich,seemingtohavenofearofturningherbackonhim,shetookajar full of salve from a kitchen cupboard, scooped out a dollop of the contents, and

motionedforDamontoholdouthishands.Hefrowned.He’dneverheardofapoisonthatgotintothebloodthatcouldbecuredbyexternalmeasures.

“Ididn’tput realpoison in thehumanneedles,” she saidcalmly. “Butyourpalms will be torn and this is an excellent remedy. It’s ancient, passed down forgenerations.”

“Howkindofyoutoshare,”—athismostsharplyironic.

“And now what are we going to do? Start all over again?” he added asMeredithcalmlybegantorubsalveintoherownhands.

“No.Hunter-slayershave a code, youknow.Youwon the sphere. I assumeyou’re planning to do what Sage seems to have done. Open the Gate to the DarkDimension.”

“Open theGate to theDarkDimensions,” he corrected. “Probably I shouldhavementioned—there’smorethanone.ButallIwantistobecomeavampireagain.Andwecantalkaswego,sinceIseewe’rebothwearingourcatburglarcostumes.”

Meredithwasdressedmuchashewas,inblackjeansandalightweightblacksweater.Withherlongshiningdarkhairshelookedunexpectedlybeautiful.Damon,whohadconsideredrunningherthroughwiththestave,justashisobligationtovampire-kind,nowfoundhimselfwavering.IfshegavehimnotroubleonhiswaytotheGate,hewouldlethergo,hedecided.Hewasfeelingmagnanimous—forthefirsttimehehadfaceddownandconqueredthefearsomeMeredith,andbesides,shehadacodeashedid.Hefeltasortofkinshipwithher.

Withironicgallantry,hewavedheronbeforehim,retainingpossessionofthepillowcaseandthefightingstavehimself.

AsDamonquietlyshutthefrontdoorhesawthatdawnwasabouttobreak.Perfecttiming.Thestavecaughtthefirstraysoflight.“Ihaveaquestionforyou,”hesaidtoMeredith’slong,silkydarkhair.“Yousaidthatyoudidn’tfindthisgorgeousstaveuntilafterKlaus—thatwickedOldOne—wasdead.Butifyou’refromahunter-slayerfamilyyou might have been more help in getting him dispatched. Like mentioning that onlywhiteashcouldkillhim.”

“Itwasbecausemyparentsdidn’tactivelypursuethefamilybusiness—theydidn’tknow.Theywerebothfromhunterfamilies,ofcourse—youhavetobe,tokeepitoutofthetabloidsand—”

“—policefiles—”

“Doyouwantmetotalk,orcanyoudoyourstand-uproutinealone?”

“Pointtaken”—heftingtheextremelypointedstave.“I’lllisten.”

“But even though they chosenot tobe active, theyknew that avampireorwerewolfmightdecidetopickontheirdaughteriftheyfoundoutheridentity.Soduringschool,Itook‘harpsichordlessons’and‘ridinglessons’onedayaweekeach—havedonesince I was three. I’m a Black Belt Shihan, and a Taekwondo Saseung. I might startDragonKungFu—”

“Point taken once more. But then how exactly did you find that gorgeouskillingstick?”

“After Klaus was dead, while Stefan was babysitting Elena, suddenlyGrandpastartedtalking—justsinglewords—butitmademegolookinourattic.Ifoundthis.”

“Soyoureallydon’tknowhowtouseit?”

“I’d just started practicingwhenShinichi turned up.But, no, I don’t reallyhaveaclue.I’mprettygoodwithabostaff,though,soIjustuseitlikethat.”

“Youdidn’tuseitlikeabostaffonme.”

“I was hoping to persuade you, not kill you. I couldn’t think of how toexplaintoElenathatI’dbrokenallyourbones.”

Damonkepthimselffromlaughing—barely.

“Sohowdidacoupleofinactivehunter-slayersendupmovingtoatownontopofafewhundredcrossingleylines?”

“I’mguessingtheydidn’tknowwhatalineofnaturalPowerwas.AndFell’sChurchlookedsmallandpeaceful—backthen.”

TheyfoundtheGatewayjustasDamonhadseenitbefore,aneatrectangularpieceslicedoutoftheearth,aboutfivefeetdeep.

“Now sit down there,” he adjured Meredith, putting her on the oppositecornerfromwherehelaythestave.

“Have you given a thought—even the briefest—as to what will happen toMisaoifyoupouroutalltheliquidinthere?”

“Actually, not one. Not onemicrosecond’s worth,” Damon said cheerfully.“Why?Doyouthinkshewouldforme?”

Meredithsighed.“No.That’stheproblemwithbothofyou.”

“She’s certainly your problem at the moment, although I may stop bysometimeafterthetown’sdestroyedtohavealittletête-à-têtewithherbrotherabouttheconceptofkeepinganoath.”

“Afteryou’vegottenstrongenoughtobeathim.”

“Well,whydon’tyoudosomething?It’syourtownthey’vedevastated,afterall,”Damonsaid.“Childrenattackingthemselvesandeachother,andnowadultsattackingchildren—”

“They’re either scared to death or possessed by thosemalach the foxes arestillspreadingeverywhere—”

“Yes,andsofearandparanoiakeepspreadingtoo.Fell’sChurchmaybelittlebythestandardsofothergenocidesthey’vecaused,butit’sanimportantplacebecauseit’ssittingontop—”

“Ofallthoseleylinesfullofmagicalpower—yes,yes,Iknow.Butdon’tyou

care at all? About us? Their future plans for us? Doesn’t any of it matter to you?”Meredithdemanded.

Damonthoughtofthestill,smallfigureinthefirst-floorbedroomandfeltasickqualm.“Itoldyoualready,”hesnapped.“I’mcomingbackforatalkwithShinichi.”

Afterwhich,carefully,hebegantopourliquidfromtheuncorkedstarballatonecorneroftherectangle.NowthathewasactuallyattheGate,herealizedhehadnoideawhatheshoulddo.Theproperproceduremightbetojumpinandpouroutthestarball’sentireliquidinthemiddle.Butfourcornersseemedtodictatefourdifferentplacestopour,andhewasstickingtothat.

HeexpectedMeredithtotrytofoul thingsupsomehow.Makearunfor thehouse.Makesomenoise,at least.Attackhimfrombehindnowthathehaddropped thestave.Butapparentlyhercodeofhonorforbadethis.

Strangegirl,hethought.ButI’llleaveherthestave,sinceitreallybelongstoher family, and, anyway, it’s going to get me killed the instant I land in the DarkDimension. A slave carrying a weapon—especially a weapon like that—won’t have achance.

Judiciously,hepouredoutalmostalloftheliquidleftintothefinalcornerandsteppedbacktoseewhatwouldhappen.

SSSS-bah!White!Blazingwhitelight.Thatwasallhiseyesorhismindcouldtakeinatfirst.

And then,with a rushof triumphhe thought: I’vedone it!TheGateway isopen!

“The center of the upper Dark Dimension, please,” he said politely to theblazinghole.“Asecludedalleywouldprobablybethebest,ifyoudon’tmind.”Andthenhejumpedintothehole.

Exceptthathedidn’t.Justashewasstartingtobendhisknees,somethinghithimfromtheright.“Meredith!Ithought—”

Butitwasn’tMeredith.ItwasBonnie.

“Youtrickedme!Youcan’tgointhere!”Shewassobbingandscreaming.

“Yes,Ican!Nowletgoofme—beforeitdisappears!”Hetriedtopryheroff,whilehismindwhirleduselessly.He’dleftthisgirl—what?—anhourorsoago,sodeeplyasleepthatshehadlookeddead.Justhowmuchcouldthatlittlebodytake?

“No!They’llkillyou!AndElenawillkillme!ButI’llgetkilledfirstbecauseI’llstillbehere!”

Awake,andactuallycapableofputtingtogetherpuzzles.

“Human, I toldyou to letgo,” he snarled.Hebaredhis teeth at her,whichonlycausedhertoburyherheadinhisjacketandclingonkoala-bearstyle,wrappingbothherlegsaroundoneofhis.

Acoupleofreallyhardslapsshoulddislodgeher,hethought.

Heliftedhishand.

9

Damon dropped his hand. He simply couldn’tmake himself do it. Bonniewasweak,light-headed,aliabilityincombat,easytoconfuse—

That’sit,hethought.I’llusethat!She’ssonaive—

“Letgoforasecond,”hecoaxed.“SoIcangetthestave—”

“No!You’lljumpifIdo!What’sastave?”Bonniesaid,allinonebreath.

—andstubborn,andimpractical—

Wasthebrilliantlightbeginningtoflicker?

“Bonnie,”hesaidinalowvoice,“Iamdeadlyserioushere.Ifyoudon’tletgo,I’llmakeyou—andyouwon’tlikethat,Ipromise.”

“Dowhathesays,”Meredithpleadedfromsomewherequiteclose.“Bonnie,he’s going into theDarkDimension!But you’re going to end up goingwith him—andyou’llbothbehumanslavesthistime!Takemyhand!”

“Take her hand!” Damon roared, as the light definitely flickered, for aninstant becoming less blinding. He could feel Bonnie shifting and trying to see whereMeredithwas,andthenheheardhersay,“Ican’t—”

Andthentheywerefalling.

ThelasttimetheyhadtraveledthroughaGatetheyhadbeentotallyenclosedinanelevator-likebox.Thistimetheyweresimplyflying.Therewasthelight,andtherewere the two of them, and they were so blinded that somehow speaking didn’t seempossible.Therewasonlythebrilliant,fluctuating,beautifullight—

Andthentheywerestandinginanalley,sonarrowthatitjustbarelyallowedthetwoofthemtofaceeachother,andbetweenbuildingssohighthattherewasalmostnolightdownwheretheywere.

No—thatwasn’t thereason,Damonthought.Herememberedthatblood-redperpetuallight.Itwasn’tcomingdirectlyfromeithersideofthenarrowslitofalley,whichmeantthattheywerebasicallyindeepburgundytwilight.

“Doyourealizewhereweare?”Damondemandedinafuriouswhisper.

Bonnienodded,seeminghappyabouthavingfiguredthatoutalready.“We’rebasicallyindeepburgundy—”

“Crap!”

Bonnie lookedaround.“Idon’t smellanything,”sheofferedcautiously,andexaminedthesolesofherfeet.

“We are,”Damon said slowly and quietly, as if he needed to calm himselfbetweeneveryword,“inaworldwherewecanbeflogged,flayed,anddecapitatedjustforsteppingontheground.”

Bonnie tried a little hop and then a jump in place, as if diminishing herground-interaction timemighthelp theminsomemanner.She lookedathimfor furtherinstructions.

Quite suddenly,Damon picked her up and stared at her hard, as revelationdawned. “You’re drunk!” he finallywhispered. “You’re not even awake!All thiswhileI’vebeentryingtogetyoutoseesense,andyou’readrunkensleepwalker!”

“Iamnot!”Bonniesaid.“And…just incase Iam,youought tobenicer tome.Youmademethisway.”

SomedistantpartofDamonagreedthatthiswastrue.Hewastheonewho’dgotten thegirldrunkand thendruggedherwith truthserumandsleepingmedicine.Butthatwassimplyafact,andhadnothingtodowithhowhefeltaboutit.Howhefeltwasthattherewasnopossiblewayforhimtoproceedwiththisall-too-gentlecreaturealong.

Ofcourse,thesensiblethingwouldbetogetawayfromherveryquickly,andletthecity,thishugemetropolisofevil,swallowherinitsgreat,black-fangedmaw,asitwouldmost certainlydo if shewalkedadozen stepson its streetswithouthim.But, asbefore,somethinginsidehimsimplywouldn’tlethimdoit.And,herealized,thesoonerheadmittedthat,thesoonerhecouldfindaplacetoputherandbegintakingcareofhisownaffairs.

“What’sthat?”hesaid,takingoneofherhands.

“Myopalring,”Bonniesaidproudly.“See,itgoeswitheverything,becauseit’sallcolors.Ialwayswearit;it’scasualordress-up.”ShehappilyletDamontakeitoffandexamineit.

“Thesearerealdiamondsonthesides?”

“Flawless,purewhite,”Bonniesaid,stillproudly.“LadyUlma’sfiancéLucenmade it so that ifweeverneeded to take the stonesout and sell them—”Shecameupshort.“You’regoingtotakethestonesoutandsellthem!No!Nonononono!”

“Yes! I have to, if you’re going to have any chance of surviving,”Damonsaid.“AndifyousayonemorewordorfailtodoexactlyasItellyou,Iamgoingtoleaveyoualonehere.Andthenyouwilldie.”Heturnednarrowed,menacingeyesonher.

Bonnie abruptly turned into a frightened bird. “All right,” she whispered,tearsgatheringonhereyelashes.“What’sitfor?”

Thirtyminutes later, shewas inprison;orasgoodas.Damonhad installedher in a second-story apartment with one window covered by roller blinds, and strictinstructions about keeping them down. He had pawned the opal and a diamondsuccessfully, and paid a sour, humorless-looking landlady to bringBonnie twomeals aday,escorthertothetoiletwhennecessary,andotherwiseforgetaboutherexistence.

“Listen,”he said toBonnie,whowas still crying silently after the landladyhadleftthem,“I’lltrytogetbacktoseeyouwithinthreedays.IfIdon’tcomewithinaweek it’ll mean I’m dead. Then you—don’t cry! Listen!—then you need to use thesejewelsandthismoneytotrytogetallthewayfromheretohere;whereLadyUlmawillstillbe—wehope.”

Hegaveheramapandalittlemoneybagfullofcoinsandgemsleftoverfromthecostofherbreadandboard.“Ifthathappens—andIcanprettywellpromiseitwon’t,yourbestchance is to trywalking in thedaytimewhen thingsarebusy;keepyoureyesdown,youraurasmall,anddon’ttalktoanyone.Wearthissackingsmock,andcarrythisbagoffood.Praythatnobodyasksyouanything,buttrytolookasifyou’reonanerrandforyourmaster.Oh,yes.”Damonreachedintohisjacketpocketandpulledouttwosmallironslavebracelets,boughtwhenhehadgottenthemap.“Nevertakethemoff,notwhenyou’resleeping,notwhenyou’reeating—never.”

Helookedatherdarkly,butBonniewasalreadyonthethresholdofapanicattack.Shewastremblingandcrying,buttoofrightenedtosayaword.Eversinceenteringthe Dark Dimension she’d been keeping her aura as small as possible, her psychicdefenseshigh;shedidn’tneedtobetoldtodothat.Shewasindanger.Sheknewit.

Damon finished somewhatmore leniently. “Iknow it soundsdifficult,but IcantellyouthatIpersonallyhavenointentionwhatsoeverofdying.I’lltrytovisityou,butgettingacross thebordersof thevarioussectors isdangerous,andthat’swhatImayhavetodotocomehere.Justbepatient,andyou’llbeallright.Remember, timepassesdifferently here than back on Earth. We can be here for weeks and we’ll get backpractically the instant we set out. And, look”—Damon gestured around the room—“dozensofstarballs!Youcanwatchallofthem.”

Thesewerethemorecommonkindofstarball,thekindthathad,notPowerinthem,butmemories,stories,orlessons.Whenyouheldonetoyourtemple,youwereimmersedinwhatevermaterialhadbeenimprintedontheball.

“BetterthanTV,”Damonsaid.“Much.”

Bonnienoddedslightly.Shewasstillcrushed,andshewassosmall,soslight,herskinsopaleandfine,herhairsuchaflameofbrillianceinthedimcrimsonlightthatseepedthroughtheblinds,thatasalwaysDamonfoundhimselfmeltingslightly.“Doyouhaveanyquestions?”heaskedherfinally.

Bonniesaidslowly,“And—you’regoingtobe…?”

“Out getting the vampire versions ofWho’sWho and the Book of Peers,”Damonsaid.“I’mlookingforaladyofquality.”

AfterDamonhadleft,Bonnielookedaroundtheroom.

Itwas horrible.Dark brown and just horrible! She had been trying to saveDamon fromgoingback into theDarkDimensionbecause she remembered the terriblewaythatslaves—whoweremostlyhumans—weretreated.

Butdidheappreciatethat?Didhe?Notintheslightest!Andthenwhenshe’dbeenfallingthroughthelightwithhim,she’dthoughtthatatleasttheywouldbegoingtoLadyUlma’s, the Cinderella-storywomanwhomElena had rescued andwho had thenregainedherwealthandstatusandhaddesignedbeautifuldressessothatthegirlscouldgotofancyparties.Therewouldhavebeenbigbedswithsatinsheetsandmaidswhobroughtstrawberries and clotted cream for breakfast. Therewould have been sweetLakshmi to

talkto,andgruffDr.Meggar,and…

Bonnielookedaroundthebrownroomandtheplainrush-filledpalletwithitssingleblanket.Shepickedupastarballlistlessly,andthenletitdropfromherfingers.

Suddenly,agreat sleepiness filledher,makingherheadswim. Itwas likeafogrollingin.Therewasabsolutelynoquestionoffightingit.Bonniestumbledtowardthebed,fellontoit,andwasasleepalmostbeforeshehadsettledundertheblanket.

“It’smyfaultfarmorethanyours,”StefanwassayingtoMeredith.“ElenaandIwere—deeplyasleep—orhe’dneverhavemanagedanypartof it. I’dhavenoticedhimtalkingwithBonnie. I’dhave realizedhewas takingyou hostage. Please don’t blameyourself,Meredith.”

“I should have tried to warn you. I just never expected Bonnie to comerunning out and grab him,”Meredith said.Her dark gray eyes shimmeredwith unshedtears.Elenasqueezedherhand,sickinthepitofherstomachherself.

“Youcertainly couldn’tbe expected to fightoffDamon,”Stefan said flatly.“Human or vampire—he’s trained; he knowsmoves that you could never counter.Youcan’tblameyourself.”

Elena was thinking the same thing. She was worried about Damon’sdisappearance—and terrified for Bonnie. Yet at another level of her mind she waswondering at the lacerations on Meredith’s palm that she was trying to warm. Thestrangest thing was that the wounds appeared to have been treated—rubbed slick withlotion. But shewasn’t going to botherMeredith about it at a time like this. EspeciallywhenitwasreallyElena’sownfault.ShewastheonewhohadenticedStefanthenightbefore.Oh,theyhadbeendeep,allright—deepineachother’sminds.

“Anyway, it’s Bonnie’s fault if it’s anyone’s,” Stefan said regretfully. “ButnowI’mworriedabouther.Damon’snotgoingtobeinclinedtowatchoutforher ifhedidn’twanthertocome.”

Meredithbowedherhead.“It’smyfaultifshegetshurt.”

Elena chewedher lower lip.Therewas somethingwrong.Something aboutMeredith, thatMeredith wasn’t telling her. Her hands were really damaged, and Elenacouldn’tfigureouthowtheycouldhavegottenthatway.

Almostas if sheknewwhatElenawas thinking,Meredith slippedherhandoutofElena’sandlookedatit.Lookedatbothherpalms,sidebyside.Theywereequallyscratchedandtorn.

Meredith bent her dark head farther, almost doubling over where she sat.Then she straightened, throwingbackherhead like someonewhohadmadeadecision.Shesaid,“There’ssomethingIhavetotellyou—”

“Wait,”Stefanwhispered,puttingahandonhershoulder.“Listen.There’sacarcoming.”

Elena listened. In a moment she heard it too. “They’re coming to the

boardinghouse,”shesaid,puzzled.

“It’ssoearly,”Meredithsaid.“Whichmeans—”

“IthastobethepoliceafterMatt,”Stefanfinished.“I’dbettergoinandwakehimup.I’llputhimintherootcellar.”

Elenaquicklycorked the starballwith itsmeagerouncesof fluid. “Hecantakethiswithhim,”shewasbeginning,whenMeredithsuddenlyrantotheoppositesideoftheGate.Shepickedupalong,slenderobjectthatElenacouldn’trecognize,evenwithPowerchanneledtohereyes.ShesawStefanblinkandstareatit.

“This needs to go in the root cellar too,” Meredith said. “And there areprobablyearthtrackscomingoutofthecellar,andbloodinthekitchen.Twoplaces.”

“Blood?”Elenabegan,furiouswithDamon,butthensheshookherheadandrefocused.Inthelightofdawn,shecouldseeapolicecar,cruisinglikesomegreatwhitesharktowardthehouse.

“Let’sgo,”Elenasaid.“Go,go,go!”

They all dashed back to the boardinghouse, crouching to stay low to thegroundastheydidit.Astheywent,Elenahissed,“Stefan,you’vegottoInfluencethemifyoucan.Meredith,youtrytocleanupthesoilandblood.I’llgetMatt;he’slesslikelytopunchmewhenItellhimhehastohide.”

Theyhastenedtotheirappointedduties.Inthemiddleofitall,Mrs.Flowersappeared,dressedinaflannelnightgownwithafuzzypinkrobeoverit,andslipperswithbunnyheads on them.As the first hammeringknockon the door sounded, she hadherhandonthedoorhandle,andthepoliceofficer,whowasbeginningtoshout,“POLICE!OPENTHE—”foundhimselfbawlingthisdirectlyovertheheadofalittleoldladywhocouldnothavelookedmorefrailorharmless.Heendedalmostinawhisper,“—door?”

“It isopen,”Mrs.Flowers said sweetly.Sheopened it to itswidest, so thatElenacouldseetwoofficers,andtheofficerscouldseeElena,Stefan,andMeredith,allofwhomhadjustarrivedfromthekitchenarea.

“Wewant tospeaktoMattHoneycutt,” thefemaleofficersaid.ElenanotedthatthesquadcarwasfromtheRidgemontSheriff’sDepartment.“Hismotherinformedusthathewashere—afterseriousquestioning.”

They were coming inside, shouldering their way pastMrs. Flowers. ElenaglancedatStefan,whowaspale,withtinybeadsofsweatvisibleonhisforehead.Hewaslookingintentlyatthefemaleofficer,butshejustkepttalking.

“Hismother says he’s been virtually living at this boardinghouse recently,”shesaid,whilethemaleofficerheldupsomekindofpaperwork.

“Wehaveawarranttosearchthepremises,”hesaidflatly.

Mrs.Flowersseemeduncertain.SheglancedbacktowardStefan,butthenlethergazemoveontotheotherteenagers.“PerhapsitwouldbebestifImadeeveryoneanicecupoftea?”

Stefanwasstilllookingatthewoman,hisfacelookingpalerandmoredrawn

thanever.Elenafeltasuddenpanicclutchatherstomach.Oh,God,evenwiththegiftofherbloodtonight,Stefanwasweak—fartooweaktoevenuseInfluence.

“MayIaskaquestion?”Meredithsaidinherlow,calmvoice.“Notaboutthewarrant,” sheadded,waving thepaperaway.“How is itout there inFell’sChurch?Doyouknowwhat’sgoingon?”

Shewas buying time, Elena thought, and yet everyone stopped to hear theanswer.

“Mayhem,”thefemalesheriffrepliedafteramoment’spause.“It’slikeawarzoneoutthere.Worsethanthatbecauseit’sthekidswhoare—”Shebrokeoffandshookher head. “That’s not our business.Our business is finding a fugitive from justice.Butfirst,asweweredrivingtowardyourhotelwesawaverybrightcolumnoflight.Itwasn’tfromahelicopter.Idon’tsupposeyouknowanythingaboutwhatitwas?”

Just a door through space and time, Elena was thinking, as Meredithanswered, still calmly, “Maybe a power transmitter blowing up? Or a freak shaft oflightning?Orareyoutalkingabout…aUFO?”Sheloweredheralreadysoftvoice.

“We don’t have time for this,” the male sheriff said, looking disgusted.“We’reheretofindthisHoneycuttman.”

“You’rewelcometolook,”Mrs.Flowerssaid.Theywerealreadydoingso.

Elenafeltshockedandnauseatedontwofronts.“ThisHoneycuttman.”Man,notboy.Mattwasovereighteen.Washestillajuvenile?Ifnot,whatwouldtheydotohimwhentheyeventuallycaughtuptohim?

And then therewasStefan.Stefanhadbeen so certain, so…convincing…inhis announcements about being well again. All that talk about going back to huntinganimals—butthetruthwasthatheneededmuchmorebloodtorecover.

Nowhermind spun intoplanningmode, faster and faster.Stefanobviouslywasn’tgoingtobeabletoInfluencebothofthoseofficerswithoutaverylargedonationofhumanblood.

AndifElenagaveit…thesickfeelinginherstomachincreasedandshefeltthesmallhairsonherbodystandup…ifshegaveit,whatwerethechancesthatshewouldbecomeavampireherself?

High,acool,rationalvoiceinhermindanswered.Veryhigh,consideringthatless than a week ago, she had been exchanging blood with Damon. Frequently.Uninhibitedly.

Whichleftherwiththeonlyplanshecouldthinkof.Thesesheriffswouldn’tfind Matt, but Meredith and Bonnie had told her the whole story of how anotherRidgemont sheriff had come, asking about Matt—and about Stefan’s girlfriend. Theproblemwasthatshe,ElenaGilbert,had“died”ninemonthsago.Sheshouldn’tbehere—andshehadafeelingthattheseofficerswouldbeinquisitive.

TheyneededStefan’sPower.Right now.Therewasnootherway, nootherchoice.Stefan.Power.Humanblood.

ShemovedtoMeredith,whohadherdarkheaddownandcockedtoonesideasiflisteningtothetwosheriffsclompingaboveonthestairs.

“Meredith—”

Meredith turned toward her and Elena almost took a step back in shock.Meredith’s normally olive complexion was gray, and her breath was coming fast andshallowly.

Meredith,calmandcomposedMeredith,alreadyknewwhatElenawasgoingtoaskofher.Enoughblood to leaveheroutofcontrolas itwasbeing taken.And fast.Thatterrifiedher.Morethanterrified.

Shecan’tdoit,Elenathought.We’relost.

10

Damonwasmakinghiswayup thebeautiful rose-covered trellisbelow thewindowofthe bedchamber of M. le Princess Jessalyn D’Aubigne, a very wealthy, beautiful, andmuch-admired girl who had the bluest blood of any vampire in the Dark Dimension,accordingtothebookshe’dbought.Infact,he’dlistenedtothelocalsanditwasrumoredthatSagehimselfhadchangedhertwoyearsago,andhadgivenherthisbijouxcastletolive in. Delicate gem that it appeared, though, the little castle had already presentedDamonwithseveralproblems.Therehadbeenthatrazor-wirefence,onwhichherippedhisleatherjacket;anunusuallydexterousandstubbornguardwhomithadreallybeenapitytostrangle;aninnermoatthathadalmosttakenhimunawares;andafewdogsthathehad treated with the Saber-tranquilizer routine—usingMrs. Flowers’s sleeping powder,whichhe’dbroughtwithhimfromEarth.Itwouldhavebeeneasier topoisonthem,butJessalynwasreputedtohaveaverysoftheartforanimalsandheneededherforatleastthreedays.Thatshouldbelongenoughtomakehimavampire—iftheydidnothingelseduringthosedays.

Now,ashepulledhimselfsilentlyupthetrellis,hementallyaddedlongrosethornstothelistofinconveniences.HealsorehearsedhisfirstspeechtoJessalyn.Shehadbeen—was—wouldforeverbe—eighteen.Butitwasayoungeighteen,sinceshehadonlytwoyears’experienceatbeingavampire.Hecomfortedhimselfwiththisasheclimbedsilentlyintoawindow.

Stillsilently,movingslowlyincasetheprincesshadguardiananimalsinherbedchamber,Damonpartedlayerafterlayeroffilmy,translucentblackcurtainsthatkepttheblood-redlightofthesunfromshiningintothechamber.Hisbootssankintothethickpile of a black rug.Making it out of the enfolding curtains,Damon saw that the entirechamberwasdecoratedinasimplethemebyamasterofcontrast.Jet-blackandoff-black.

Helikeditalot.

Therewasanenormousbedwithmorebillowingfilmyblackcurtainsalmostencasingit.Theonlywaytoapproachitwasfromthefoot,wherethediaphanouscurtainswerethinner.

Standing there in the cathedral-like silence of the great chamber, Damonlooked at the slight figure under the black silk sheets, among dozens of small throwpillows.

Shewasajewellikethecastle.Delicatebones.Alookofutterinnocenceassheslept.Anetherealriveroffine,scarlethairspillingabouther.Hecouldseeindividualhairsstrayingontheblacksheets.ShelookedalittlelikeBonnie.

Damonwaspleased.

He pulled out the same knife he had put to Elena’s throat, and just for amoment hesitated—but no, this was no time to be thinking of Elena’s goldenwarmth.Everythingdependedonthisfragile-shoulderedchildinfrontofhim.Heputthepointoftheknifetohischest,deliberatelyplacingitwideofhisheartincasesomebloodhadtobespilled…andcoughed.

Nothing happened. The princess, who was wearing a black negligee thatshowedfrail-lookingarmsasfineandpaleasporcelain,wentonsleeping.Damonnoticedthatthenailsonhersmallfingerswerelacqueredtheexactscarletofherhair.

Thetwolargepillarcandlessetintallblackstandsweregivingoffanenticingperfume,aswell asbeingclocks—the fartherdown theyburned, theeasier to tell time.Thelightingwasperfect—everythingwasperfect—exceptthatJessalynwasstillasleep.

Damoncoughedagain,loudly—andbumpedthebed.

The princess woke, starting up and simultaneously bringing two sheathedbladesoutofherhair.

“Who is it? Is someone there?”Shewas looking in every direction but therightone.

“It’sonlyme,yourhighness.”Damonpitchedhisvoicelow,butfraughtwithunrequitedneed.“Youdon’thavetobeafraid,”headded,nowthatshe’datlastgottentherightdirectionandseenhim.Hekneltbythefootofherbed.

He’dmiscalculatedabit.ThebedwassolargeandhighthathischestandtheknifewerefarbelowJessalyn’slineofsight.

“Here I will take my life,” he announced, very loudly to make sure thatJessalynwaskeepingupwiththeprogram.

Afteramomentortwotheprincess’sheadpoppedupoverthefootofthebed.Shebalancedherselfwithhandsspreadwideandnarrowshouldershunchedclosetoher.Atthisdistancehecouldseethathereyesweregreen—acomplicatedgreenconsistingofmanydifferentringsandspeckles.

At first she just hissed at him and lifted her knives held in hands whosefingerswere tippedwithnailsofscarlet.Damonborewithher.Shewould learn in timethatallthiswasn’treallynecessary;thatinfactithadgoneoutoffashionintherealworlddecadesagoandwasonlykeptalivebypulpfictionandoldmovies.

“HereatyourfeetIslaymyself,”hesaidagain,tomakesureshedidn’tmissasyllable,ortheentirepoint,forthatmatter.

“You—yourself?”Shewassuspicious.“Whoareyou?Howdidyougethere?Whywouldyoudosuchathing?”

“Igothere through the roadofmymadness. Idid itoutofwhat Iknow ismadnessIcannolongerlivewith.”

“Whatmadness?Andareyougoing todo itnow?” theprincessaskedwithinterest. “Because if you’re not, I’ll have to call my guards and—wait a minute,” sheinterruptedherself.

Shegrabbedhisknifebeforehecouldstopherandlickedit.“Thisisametalblade,”shetoldhim,tossingitback.

“I know.”Damon let his head fall so that hair curtained his eyes and saidpainfully:“Iam…ahuman,yourhighness.”

He was covertly watching through his lashes and he saw that Jessalynbrightenedup.“Ithoughtyouwerejustsomeweak,uselessvampire,”shesaidabsently.“ButnowthatIlookatyou…”Arosepetalofapinktonguecameoutandlickedherlips.“There’snopointinwastingthegoodstuff,isthere?”

ShewaslikeBonnie.Shesaidexactlywhatshethought,whenshethoughtit.SomethinginsideDamonwantedtolaugh.

Hestoodagain,lookingatthegirlonthebedwithallthefireandpassionofwhichhewas capable—and felt that itwasn’t enough.Thinking about the realBonnie,aloneandunhappy,was…well,passion-quenching.Butwhatelsecouldhedo?

Suddenlyheknewwhathecoulddo.Before,whenhe’dstoppedhimselffromthinkingofElena,hehadcutoffanygenuinepassionordesire.ButhewasdoingthisforElena,asmuchasforhimself.Elenacouldn’tbehisPrincessofDarknessifhecouldn’tbeherPrince.

This time, when he looked down at M. le Princess, it was differently. Hecouldfeeltheatmospherechange.

“Highness,Ihavenorighteventospeaktoyou,”hesaid,deliberatelyputtingonebootedfootonthemetalscrollworkthatformedtheframeofthebed.“YouknowaswellasI thatyoucankillmewithasingleblow…say,here”—pointingtoaspotonhisjaw—“butyouhavealreadyslainme—”

Jessalynlookedconfused,butwaited.

“—withlove.IfellinlovewithyouthemomentIsawyou.Youcouldbreakmyneck,or—asIwouldsayifIwerepermittedtotouchyourperfumedwhitehand—youcouldcurlthosefingersaroundmythroatandstrangleme.Ibegyoutodoit.”

Jessalynwas beginning to lookpuzzledbut excited.Blushing, she held outonesmallhandtoDamon,butclearlywithoutanyintentionofstranglinghim.

“Please, you must,” Damon said earnestly, never taking his eyes off hers.“That is the only thing I ask of you: that you kill me yourself instead of calling yourguardssothatthelastsightIseewillbeyourbeautifulface.”

“You’reill,”Jessalyndecided,stilllookingflustered.“Therehavebeenotherunbalancedmindswho havemade theirway past the firstwall ofmy castle—althoughnevertomychambers.I’llgiveyoutothedoctorssothattheycanmakeyouwell.”

“Please,”saidDamon,whohadforgedhiswaythroughthelastofthefilmyblackhangingsandwasnowloomingover thesittingprincess.“Grantmeinstantdeath,ratherthanleavingmetodiealittleeachday.Youdon’tknowwhatI’vedone.Ican’tstopdreamingofyou.I’vefollowedyoufromshoptoshopwhenyouwentout.Iamalreadydyingnowasyouravishmewithyournobilityandradiance,knowingthatIamnomorethanthepavingstonesyouwalkon.Nodoctorcanchangethat.”

Jessalynwas clearly considering.Obviously, no one had ever talked to herlikethis.

Her green eyes fixed on his lips, the lower of which was still bleeding.

Damongaveanindifferentlittlelaughandsaid,“OneofyourguardscaughtmeandveryproperlytriedtokillmebeforeIcouldreachyouanddisturbyoursleep.I’mafraidIhadtokillhimtogethere,”hesaid,standingbetweenonepillarcandleandthegirlonthebedsothathisshadowwasthrownoverher.

Jessalyn’s eyes widened in approval even as the rest of her seemed morefragilethanever.“It’sstillbleeding,”shewhispered.“Icould—”

“Youcandoanythingyouwant,”Damonencouragedherwithawryquirkofasmileonhislips.Itwastrue.Shecould.

“Then come here.” She thumped a place by the nearest pillow on the bed.“Whatareyoucalled?”

“Damon,”hesaidashestrippedoffhisjacketandlaydown,chinproppedononeelbow,withtheairofonenotunusedtosuchthings.

“Justthat?Damon?”

“Youcancutitstillshorter.IamnothingbutShamenow,”hereplied,takinganother minute to think of Elena and to hold Jessalyn’s eyes hypnotically. “I was avampire—a powerful and proud one—onEarth—but Iwas tricked by a kitsune…”HetoldheragarbledversionofStefan’sstory,omittingElenaoranynonsenseaboutwantingto be human. He said that when he managed to escape the prison that had taken hisvampireself,hedecidedtoendhisownhumanlife.

Butat thatmoment,hehadseenPrincessJessalynandthought that,servingher,hewouldbehappywithhissorrylot.Alas,hesaid,itonlyfedhisdisgracefulfeelingsforherhighness.

“Now my madness has driven me to actually accost you in your ownchambers. Make an example of me, your highness, that will cause other evildoers totremble.Burnme,havemefloggedandquartered,putmyheadonapiketocausethosewhomightdoyou ill tocast themselves intoa fire first.”Hewasnow inbedwithher,leaningbackalittletoexposehisbarethroat.

“Don’t be silly,” Jessalyn said, with a little catch in her voice. “Even themeanestofmyservantswantstolive.”

“Perhapstheonesthatneverseeyoudo.Scullions,stableboys—butIcannotlive,knowingthatIcanneverhaveyou.”

The princess looked Damon over, blushed, gazed for a moment into hiseyes…andthenshebithim.

“I’llgetStefan togodown to the rootcellar,”Elenasaid toMeredith,whowasangrilythumbingtearsoutofhereyes.

“Youknowwecan’tdothat.Withthepolicerighthereinthehouse—”

“ThenI’lldoit—”

“Youcan’t!Youknowyoucan’t,Elena,oryouwouldn’thavecometome!”

Elenalookedatherfriendclosely.“Meredith,you’vebeendonatingbloodallalong,”shewhispered.“Youneverseemedevenslightlybothered…”

“Heonlytookatinybit—alwayslessfrommethananyone.Andalwaysfrommyarm.IjustpretendedIwashavingblooddrawnatthedoctor’s.Noproblem.Itwasn’tevenbadwithDamonbackintheDarkDimension.”

“Butnow…”Elenablinked.“Now—what?”

“Now,”Meredith saidwith a faraway expression, “Stefanknows that I’m ahunter-slayer.ThatIevenhaveafightingstave.AndnowIhaveto…tosubmitto…”

Elenahadgooseflesh.ShefeltasifthedistancefromhertoMeredithintheroomwasgettinglarger.“Ahunter-slayer?”shesaid,bewildered.“Andwhat’safightingstave?”

“There’snotimetoexplainnow!Oh,Elena…”

IfPlanAwasMeredithandPlanBwasMatt,therewasreallynochoice.PlanChad tobeElenaherself.Herbloodwasmuchstronger thananyoneelse’sanyway, sofullofPowerthatStefanwouldonlyneeda—

“No!”MeredithwhisperedrightinElena’sear,somehowmanagingtohissawordwithoutasinglesibilant.“They’recomingdownthestairs.WehavetofindStefannow!Canyoutellhimtomeetmeinthelittlebedroombehindtheparlor?”

“Yes,but—”

“Doit!”

And I still don’t know what a fighting stave is, Elena thought, allowingMeredithtotakeherarmsandpropelhertowardthebedroom.ButIknowwhata“hunter-slayer”soundslike,andIdefinitelydon’tlikeit.Andthatweapon—itmakesastakelooklike a plastic picnic knife. Still, she sent to Stefan, who was following the sheriffsdownstairs:Meredith is going to donate asmuch blood as you need to Influence them.There’snotimetoargue.ComeherefastandforGod’ssakelookcheerfulandreassuring.

Stefandidn’tsoundcooperative.Ican’ttakeenoughfromherforourmindstotouch.Itmight—

Elena losther temper.Shewasfrightened;shewassuspiciousofoneofhertwobestfriends—ahorriblefeeling—andshewasdesperate.SheneededStefantodojustasshesaid.Getherefast!wasallsheprojected,butshehadthefeelingthatshe’dhithimwithallofthefeelingsfullforce,becausehesuddenlyturnedconcernedandgentle.Iwill,love,hesaidsimply.

While thefemalepoliceofficerwassearchingthekitchenandthemale the livingroom,Stefan stepped into the small first-floor guest room, with its single rumpled bed. ThelampswereturnedoffbutwithhisnightvisionhecouldseeElenaandMeredithperfectlywell by the curtains. Meredith was holding herself as stiffly as an acrophobic bungeejumper.

Take all you needwithout permanently harming her—and try to put her to

sleep,too.Anddon’tinvadehermindtoodeeply—

I’lltakecareofit.You’dbettergetoutinthehallway,letthemseeatleastoneofus,love,Stefanrepliedsoundlessly.Elenawasobviouslysimultaneouslyfrightenedforand defensive about her friend and had sped right intomicromanagementmode.Whilethiswasusuallyagoodthing,iftherewasonethingStefanknewabout—evenifitwastheonlythingheknew—itwastakingblood.

“Iwant to ask for peacebetweenour families,” he said, reachingonehandtowardMeredith. She hesitated and Stefan, even trying his hardest, could not help buthearingherthoughts,likesmall,scuttlingcreaturesatthebaseofhermind.Whatwasshecommittingherselfto?Inwhatsensedidhemeanfamily?

It’sreallyjustaformality,hetoldher,tryingtogaingroundonanotherfront:heracceptanceofthetouchofhisthoughtstohers.Nevermindit.

“No,”Meredith said. “It’s important. Iwant to trust you,Stefan.Onlyyou,but…Ididn’tgetthestaveuntilafterKlauswasdead.”

Hethoughtswiftly.“Thenyoudidn’tknowwhatyouwere—”

“No.Iknew.Butmyparentswereneveractive.ItwasGrandpawhotoldmeaboutthestave.”

Stefan felt a surge of unexpected pleasure. “So your grandfather’s betternow?”

“No…sortof.”Meredith’s thoughtswereconfusing.His voice changed, shewasthinking.Stefanwas trulyhappy thatGrandpa’sbetter.Evenmosthumanswouldn’tcare—notreally.

“OfcourseIcare,”Stefansaid.“Foronething,hehelpedsaveallourlives—and the town. For another, he’s a very braveman—hemust have been—to survive anattackbyanOldOne.”

Suddenly, Meredith’s cold hand was around his wrist and words weretumbling from her lips in a rush that Stefan could barely understand. But her thoughtsstoodbrightandclearunderthosewords,andthroughthemhegotthemeaning.

“All I canknowaboutwhathappenedwhen Iwasveryyoung iswhat I’vebeen told.My parents toldme things.My parents changedmy birthday—they actuallychangedthedaywecelebratemybirthdayon—becauseavampireattackedmygrandpa,andthenmygrandpatriedtokillme.They’vealwayssaidthat.Buthowdotheyknow?Theyweren’tthere—that’spartofwhattheysay.Andwhat’smorelikely,thatmygrandpaattacked me or that the vampire did?” She stopped, panting, trembling all over like awhite-taileddoecaughtintheforest.Caught,andthinkingshewasdoomed,andunabletorun.

StefanputoutahandthathedeliberatelymadewarmaroundMeredith’scoldone.“Iwon’tattackyou,”hesaidsimply.“AndIwon’tdisturbanyoldmemories.Goodenough?”

Meredith nodded.After her cathartic story Stefan knew shewanted as few

wordsaspossible.

“Don’tbeafraid,”hemurmured, justashehad thought thesoothingphraseintothemindofmanyananimalhe’dchasedthroughtheOldWood.It’sallright.There’snoreasontofearme.

Shecouldn’thelpbeingafraid,butStefansoothedherashesoothedtheforestanimals,drawingher into thedarkest shadowof the room,calmingherwith softwordsevenashiscaninesscreamedathimtobite.Hehadtofolddownthesideofherblousetoexposeher long,olive-skinnedcolumnofneck,andashedid thecalmingwords turnedintosoftendearmentsandthekindofreassuringnoiseshewouldusetocomfortababy.

Andatlast,whenMeredith’sbreathinghadslowedandevenedandhereyeshad drifted shut, he used the greatest of care to slide his aching fangs into her artery.Meredithbarelyquivered.Everythingwassoftnessasheeasilyskimmedoverthesurfaceof hermind, too, seeing onlywhat he already knew about her: her lifewithElena andBonnieandCaroline.Partiesandschool,plansandambitions.Picnics.Aswimminghole.Laughter.Tranquilitythatspreadoutlikeagreatpool.Theneedforcalm,forcontrol.Allthisstretchingbackasfarasshecouldremember…

Thefarthestdepthsthatshecouldrememberwerehereatthecenter…wheretherewasasuddenplungingdip.Stefanhadpromisedhimselfhewouldnotgodeeplyintohermind,buthewasbeingpulled,helpless,beingdraggeddownby thewhirlpool.Thewatersclosedoverhisheadandhewasdrawnattremendousspeedtotheverydepthsofasecondpool,thisonenotcomposedoftranquility,butofrageandfear.

And then he saw what had happened, what was happening, what wouldforeverbehappening—thereatMeredith’sstillcenter.

11

WhenM.lePrincessJessalynD’AubignehaddrunkherfillofDamon’sblood—andshewas thirsty for such a fragile thing—itwasDamon’s turn.He forcedhimself to remainpatientwhenJessalynflinchedandfrownedatthesightofhisironwoodknife.ButDamonteasedherandjokedwithherandplayedchasinggamesupanddowntheenormousbed,andwhenhefinallycaughther,shescarcelyfelttheknife’sstingatherthroat.

Damon, though, had his mouth on the dark red blood that welled outimmediately.Everythinghe’ddone,frompouringBlackMagicforBonnietopouringoutthestarball’sliquidatthefourcornersoftheGatetomakinghiswaythroughthedefensesof this tinygemof a castlehadbeen for this. For thismoment,whenhishumanpalatecouldsavorthenectarthatwasvampireblood.

Anditwas…heavenly!

This was only the second time in his life that he’d tasted it as a human.Katerina—Katherine,ashethoughtofherinEnglish—hadbeenthefirst,ofcourse.Andhowshecouldhavecreptoffafterthatandgone,wearingjusthershortmuslinshift,tothewide-eyed,inexperiencedlittleboywhowashisbrother,hewouldneverunderstand.

HisdisquietwasspreadingtoJessalyn.Thatmustn’thappen.Shehadtostaycalmandtranquilashetookasmuchashecouldofherblood.Itwouldn’thurtheratall,anditmeantallthedifferencetohim.

Forcinghisconsciousnessawayfromthesheerelementalpleasureofwhathewasdoing,hebegan,verycarefully,verydelicately,toinfiltratehermind.

Itwasn’tdifficulttogettothenubofit.Whoeverhadwrenchedthisdelicate,fragile-bonedgirl from the humanworld andhad endowedherwith a vampire’s naturehadn’t done her any favors. It wasn’t that she had anymoral objections to vampirism.She’d taken to the life easily, enjoying it.Shewouldhavemadeagoodhuntress in thewild.Butinthiscastle?Withtheseservants?Itwaslikehavingahundredsnootywaitersandtwohundredcondescendingsommeliersstaringherdownassoonassheopenedhermouthtogiveanorder.

This room, for instance. She hadwanted some color in it—just a splash ofviolethere,alittlemauvethere—naturally,sherealized,avampireprincess’sbedchamberhadtobemostlyblack.Butwhenshe’dtimidlymentionedthesubjectofcolorstooneoftheparlormaids,thegirlhadsniffedandlookeddownhernostrilsatJessalynasifshe’dasked for an elephant to be installed just beside her bed. The princess had not had thecouragetobringupthematterwiththehousekeeper,butwithinaweekthreebasketsfullofblack-and-off-blackthrowpillowshadarrived.Therewasher“color.”Andinthefuturewouldherhighnessbesogoodastoconsultherhousekeeperbeforequeryingthestaffastoherhouseholdwhims?

Sheactuallysaidthataboutmy“whims,”Jessalynthoughtasshearchedherneck back and ran sharp fingernails through Damon’s thick soft hair.And—oh, it’s nogood.I’mnogood.I’mavampireprincess,andIcanlookthepart,butIcan’tplayit.

You’re every bit a princess, your highness, Damon soothed. You just needsomeonetoenforceyourorders.Someonewhohasnodoubtsaboutyoursuperiority.Areyourservantsslaves?

No,they’reallfree.

Well, thatmakes it a little trickier, but you can always yell louder at them.Damonfeltswollenwithvampireblood.Twomoredaysofthisandhewouldbe,ifnothisoldself,thenatleastalmosthisoldself:afullvampire,freetowalkaboutthecityasheliked.AndwiththePowerandstatusofavampireprince.Itwasalmostenoughtobalanceoutthehorrorshe’dgonethroughinthelastcoupleofdays.Atleast,hecouldtellhimselfthatandtrytobelieveit.

“Listen,” he said abruptly, letting go of Jessalyn’s slight body, the better tolookherintheeye.“Yourglorioushighness,letmedoonefavorforyoubeforeIdieoflove or you haveme killed for impudence.Letme bring you ‘color’—and then letmestandbesideyouifanyofyourmenialsgrumbleaboutit.”

Jessalynwasn’tusedtothiskindofsuddendecision,butcouldn’thelpbutbecarriedalongwithDamon’sfieryexcitement.Shearchedherheadbackagain.

Whenhefinallyleftthebijouxpalace,Damonwentoutthefrontdoor.Hehadwithhimalittleof themoneyleftoverfrompawningthegems,but thiswasmorethanenoughfor thepurposehehad inmind.Hewasquitecertain that thenext timehewentout,itwouldbefromtheflyingportico.

He stopped at a dozen shops and spent until his last coin was gone. He’dmeanttosneakinavisittoBonnieaswellwhiledoinghiserrands,butthemarketwasintheoppositedirection from the innwherehe’d lefther,and in theend there justwasn’ttime.

Hedidn’tworrymuch as hewalkedback to the bijoux castle.Bonnie, softand fragile as she seemed, had awiry core that hewas surewould keep her inside theroomforthreedays.Shecouldtakeit.Damonknewshecould.

Hebangedonthelittlecastle’sgateuntilasurlyguardopenedit.

“Whatdoyouwant?”theguardspat.

Bonniewasboredoutofhermind.IthadonlybeenadaysinceDamonhadlefther—adayshecouldonlycountbythenumberofmealsbroughttoher,sincetheenormousredsunstoodforeveronthehorizonandtheblood-redlightnevervariedunlessitwasraining.

Bonniewisheditwasraining.Shewisheditwassnowing,orthattherewouldbeafireorahurricaneorasmalltsunami.Shehadgivenoneofthestarballsatry,andfounditaridiculoussoapoperathatshecouldn’tunderstandintheleast.

Shewished,now,thatshehadnevertriedtostopDamonfromcominghere.Shewishedthathehadpriedheroffbeforetheyhadbothfallenintothehole.ShewishedthatshehadgrabbedMeredith’shandandjustletgoofDamon.

Andthiswasonlythefirstday.

Damonsmiledat thesurlyguard.“WhatdoIwant?OnlywhatIalreadyhave.Anopengate.”Hedidn’tgoinside,however.HeaskedwhatM.lePrincesswasdoingandheardthatshewasataluncheon.Onadonor.

Perfect. Soon there came a deferential knock at the gate, which Damondemanded be opened wider. The guards clearly didn’t like him; they had properly puttogetherthedisappearanceofwhatturnedouttobetheircaptainofguardandtheintrusionof this strange human. But there was something menacing about him even in thismenacingworld.Theyobeyedhim.

Soonafterthattherecameanotherquietknockandthenanother,andanotherandsoonuntiltwelvemenandwomenwitharmsfullofdampandfragrantbrownpaperhadquietlyfollowedDamonupthestairsandintoM.lePrincess’sblackbedchamber.

Jessalyn, meanwhile, had had a long and stuffy post-luncheon meeting,entertaining someof her financial advisors,whoboth seemedvery old to her, althoughthey had been changed in their twenties.Theirmuscleswere softwith lack of use, shefound herself thinking. And, naturally, they were dressed in full-sleeved, wide-leggedblack except for a frill at their throats, white inside by gaslight, scarlet outside by theeternalblood-redsun.

Theprincesshadjustseenthembowoutofherpresencewhensheinquired,rather irritably,where thehumanDamonwas.Severalservantswithmalicebehind theirsmilesexplainedthathehadgonewithadozen…humans…uptoherbedchamber.

Jessalynalmost flewto thestairsandclimbedveryquicklywith theglidingmotion that sheknewwasexpectedofproper femalevampires.She reached theGothicdoors, and heard the hushed sounds of indignant spite as her ladies-in-waiting allwhispered together.Butbefore theprincesscouldevenaskwhatwasgoingon,shewasengulfed in a great warm wave of scent. Not the luscious and life-sustaining scent ofblood,butsomethinglighter,sweeter,andatthemoment,whileherbloodlustwassated,evenheadierandmoredizzying.Shepushedopenthedoubledoors.Shetookastepintoherbedchamberandthenstoppedinastonishment.

Thecathedral-likeblackroomwasfullofflowers.Therewerebanksoflilies,vases fullof roses, tulips ineverycolorand shade, and riotsofdaffodils andnarcissus,whilefragranthoneysuckleandfreesialayinbowers.

Theflowerpeddlershadconvertedthegloomy,conventionalblackroomintothis fanciful extravaganza. Thewiser andmore farsighted ofM. le Princess’s retainerswereactivelyhelpingthembybringinginlarge,ornateurns.

Damon,upon seeing Jessalynenter the room, immediatelywent tokneel atherfeet.

“YouweregonewhenIwoke!”theprincesssaidcrossly,andDamonsmiled,veryfaintly.

“Forgiveme, your highness.But since I amdying anyway, I thought that Ishouldbeupandsecuringtheseflowersforyou.Arethecolorsandscentssatisfactory?”

“The scents?” Jessalyn’s whole body seemed to melt. “It’s…like…anorchestra formy nose!And the colors are like nothing I’ve ever seen!” She burst intolaughter,hergreeneyeslightening,herstraightredhairawaterfallaroundhershoulders.ThenshebegantostalkDamonbackintothegloominonecorner.Damonhadtocontrolhimselforhewouldhavelaughed;itwassomuchlikeakittenstalkinganautumnleaf.

Butoncetheygotintothecorner,tangledintheblackhangingsandnowherenearawindow,Jessalynassumedadeadlyseriousexpression.

“I’m going to have a dressmade, just the color of those deep, dark purplecarnations,”shewhispered.“Notblack.”

“Yourhighnesswilllookwonderfulinit,”Damonwhisperedinherear.“Sostriking,sodaring—”

“Imayevenwearmycorsetsontheinsideofmydress.”Shelookedupathimthroughheavylashes.“Or—wouldthatbetoomuch?”

“Nothing is too much for you, my princess,” Damon whispered back. Hestopped amoment to think seriously. “The corsets—would theymatch the dress or beblack?”

Jessalynconsidered.“Samecolor?”sheventured.

Damon nodded, pleased.He himselfwouldn’t be caught dead in any colorotherthanblack,buthewaswillingtoputupwith—evenencourage—Jessalyn’soddities.Theymightgethimmadeavampirefaster.

“Iwantyourblood,”theprincesswhispered,asiftoprovehimright.

“Here?Now?”Damonwhisperedback.“Infrontofallyourservants?”

Jessalynsurprisedhimthen.She,whohadbeensotimidbefore,steppedoutofthecurtainsandclappedherhandsforsilence.Itfellimmediately.

“Everyone out!” she said peremptorily. “You have made me a beautifulgarden inmyroom,and Iamgrateful.Thesteward”—shenodded towardayoungmanwhowasdressed inblack,butwhohadwiselyplacedadark red rose inhisbuttonhole—“willseetoitthatyou’reallgivenfood—anddrink—beforeyougo!”Atthistherewasamurmurofpraisethatmadetheprincessblush.

“I’llringthebellpullwhenIneedyou”—tothesteward.

In fact, it wasn’t until two days later that she reached up and, a littlereluctantly, rang the bellpull. And that wasmerely to give the order that a uniform bemadeforDamonasquicklyaspossible.Theuniformofcaptainofherguard.

Bythesecondday,Bonniehadtoturntothestarballsasheronlysourceofentertainment.Aftergoingthroughhertwenty-eightorbsshefoundthat twenty-fiveofthemweresoapoperasfrombeginningtoend,andtwowerefullofexperiencessofrighteningandhideousthat she labeled them in her own mind as Never Ever. The last one was called FiveHundredStoriesforYoungOnes,andBonniequicklyfoundthat theseimmersionstoriescould be useful, for they specified the names of things a personwould find around the

house and the city. The sphere’s connecting thread was a series about a family ofwerewolvesnamedtheDüz-Aht-Bhi’iens.BonniepromptlychristenedthemtheDustbins.Theseriesconsistedofepisodesshowinghowthefamilylivedeachday:howtheyboughta new slave at the market to replace one who had died, and where they went to hunthumanprey,andhowMersDustbinplayedinanimportantbashiktournamentatschool.

Today the last storywasalmostprovidential. It showed littleMaritDustbinwalkingtoaSweetmeatShopandgettingasugarplum.Thecandycostexactlyfivesoli.BonniegottoexperienceeatingpartofitwithMarit,anditwasgood.

Afterreadingthestory,Bonnieverycarefullypeekedthroughtheedgeofthewindowblindandsawasignonashopbelowthatshe’doftenwatched.Thensheheldthestarballtohertemple.

Yes!Exactlythesamekindofsign.Andsheknewnotonlywhatshewanted,buthowmuchitshouldcost.

Shewasdyingtogetoutofhertinyroomandtrywhatshehadjustlearned.Butbeforehereyes,thelightsinthesweetshopwentdark.Itmustbeclosingtime.

Bonniethrewthestarballacrosstheroom.Sheturnedthegaslampdowntojustthefaintestglow,andthenflungherselfonherrush-filledbed,pulledthecoversup…anddiscovered thatshecouldn’t sleep.Groping in ruby twilight, she found thestarballwithherfingersandputittohertempleagain.

Interspersed with clusters of stories about the Dustbin family’s dailyadventures were fairy tales. Most of them were so gruesome that Bonnie couldn’texperiencethemallthewaythrough,andwhenitwastimetosleep,shelayshiveringonherpallet.But this timethestoryseemeddifferent.After thetitle,TheGatehouseoftheSevenKitsuneTreasures,sheheardalittlerhyme:

AmidaplainofsnowandiceTherelieskitsuneparadise.Andclosebeside,forbiddenpleasure:Sixgatesmoreofkitsunetreasure.

Theverywordkitsunewasfrightening.But,Bonniethought,thestorymightproverelevantsomehow.

Icandothis,shethoughtandputthestarballtohertemple.

Thestorydidn’tstartwithanythinggruesome.Itwasaboutayounggirlandboykitsunewhowentonaquesttofindthemostsacredandsecretofthe“sevenkitsunetreasures,”thekitsuneparadise.Atreasure,Bonnielearned,couldbesomethingassmallas a singlegemor as largeas anentireworld.Thisone,goingby the story,was in themiddle range,becausea“paradise”wasakindofgarden,withexotic flowersbloomingeverywhere,andlittlestreamsbubblingdownsmallwaterfallsintoclear,deeppools.

Itwas allwonderful,Bonnie thought, experiencing the story as if shewere

watchingamovieallaroundher,butamoviethatincludedthesensationsoftouch,taste,andsmell.TheparadisewasabitlikeWarmSprings,wheretheysometimeshadpicnicsbackathome.

Inthestory,theboyandgirlkitsunehadtogoto“thetopoftheworld”wherethere was some kind of fracture in the crust of the highest Dark Dimension—the oneBonniewasinrightnow.Theymanagedsomehowtotraveldown,andevenfartherdown,andpassedthroughvarioustestsofcourageandwitbeforetheygotintothenextlowestdimension,theNetherWorld.

TheNetherWorldwascompletelydifferentfromtheDarkDimension.Itwasaworldoficeandslipperysnow,ofglaciersandrifts,allbathedinabluetwilightfromthreemoonsthatshonefromabove.

ThekitsunechildrenalmoststarvedintheNetherWorldbecausetherewassolittle fora fox tohunt.Theymadedowith the tinyanimalsof thecold:miceandsmallwhitevoles, and theoccasional insect (Oh,yuck,Bonnie thought).They surviveduntil,through the fogandmist, they sawa toweringblackwall.They followed thewalluntilfinallytheycametoaGatehousewithtallspireshiddenintheclouds.Writtenabovethedoorinanoldlanguagetheycouldhardlyreadwerethewords:TheSevenGates.

Theyentereda roominwhich therewereeightdoorwaysorexits.Onewasthedoorthroughwhichtheyhadjustentered.Andastheywatched,eachdoorbrightenedso theycouldsee that theothersevendoors led tosevendifferentworlds,oneofwhichwasthekitsuneparadise.Yetanothergateledtoafieldofmagicalflowers,andanothershowed butterflies flittering around a splashing fountain. Another dropped to a darkcavernfilledwithbottlesofthemysticalwineClarionLoessBlackMagic.Onegateledtoadeepmine,withjewelsthesizeofafist.Andthentherewasagatewhichshowedtheprize of all flowers: theRoyalRadhika. It changed its shape frommoment tomoment,fromarosetoaclusterofcarnationstoanorchid.

Throughthelastdoortheycouldseeonlyagigantictree,butthefinaltreasurewasrumoredtobeanimmensestarball.

Now the boy and girl forgot all about the kitsune paradise. Each of themwanted something fromanotherof thegates, but they couldn’t agreeonwhat.The rulewas thatanypartyorgroupwhoreached thegatescouldenteroneand thenreturn.Butwhile thegirlwantedasprigof theRoyalRadhika, toshowthat they’dcompleted theirquest, the boy wanted some BlackMagic wine, to sustain them on the way back. Nomatter how they argued they couldn’t reach an agreement. So finally they decided tocheat. They would simultaneously open a door and jump through, snatch what theywanted,andthenjumpbackoutandbeoutoftheGatehousebeforetheycouldbecaught.

Justastheywereabouttodoso,avoicewarnedthemagainstit,saying,“Onegatealonemayyoutwainenter,andthenreturnfromwhenceyoucame.”

But the boy and the girl chose to ignore the voice. Immediately, the boyenteredthedoorthatledtothebottlesofBlackMagicwineandatthesameinstantthegirlsteppedinto theRoyalRadhikadoor.Butwheneach turnedaroundtherewasno longeranysignofadoororgatebehindthem.Theboyhadplentytodrinkbuthewasleftforeverinthedarkandcoldandhistearsfrozeuponhischeeks.Thegirlhadthebeautifulflower

to look at but nothing to eat or drink and so under the glowing yellow sun shewastedaway.

Bonnie shivered, the delicious shiver of a readerwho had gottenwhat sheexpected.The fairy tale,with itsmoral of “don’t be greedy”was like the stories she’dheard from the Red and the Blue Fairy Books when she was a child sitting on hergrandmother’slap.

ShemissedElenaandMeredith,badly.Shehadastorytotell,butnoonetotellitto.

12

“Stefan.Stefan!”Elenahadbeentoonervoustostayoutofthebedroomforlongerthanthe fiveminutes it had taken to show herself to the sheriffs. It was Stefan the officersreallywanted and couldn’t find, not seeming to consider that someonemight backtrackandhideinaroomthathadalreadybeensearched.

AndnowElenacouldn’tgetaresponseoutofStefan,whowaslockedinanembrace with Meredith, mouth pressed tightly over the two little wounds he’d made.Elena had to shake him by the shoulders, to shake both of them, in order to get anyresponse.

Then Stefan reared back suddenly, but held on to Meredith, who wouldotherwise have fallen. He hastily licked blood from his lips. For once, though, Elenawasn’tfocusedonhim,butonherfriend—herfriendwhomshe’dallowedtodothis.

Meredith’s eyes were shut, but they had dark, almost plum-colored circlesunder them.Her lipswere parted, and her dark cloud of hairwaswetwhere tears hadfallenintoit.

“Meredith?Merry?”TheoldnicknamejustslippedoutofElena’s lips.Andthen,whenMeredithgavenosignofhavingheardher:“Stefan,what’swrong?”

“IInfluencedherat theendtosleep.”StefanliftedMeredithandputheronthebed.

“Butwhathappened?Whyisshecrying—andwhat’swrongwithyou?”Elenacouldn’t helpbut notice that despite thehealthy flushonStefan’s cheekshis eyeswereshadowed.

“SomethingIsaw—inhermind,”Stefansaidbriefly,pullingElenabehindhisback.“Herecomesoneofthem.Staythere.”

Thedooropened.Itwasthemalesheriff,whowasred-facedandpanting,andwhohadclearlyjustlappedhimself,returningtothisroomafterstartingfromittosearchtheentirefirstfloor.

“Ihavethemallinaroom—allbutthefugitive,”thesheriffsaidintoalargeblackmobile.Thefemalesheriffmadesomebriefreply.Thenthered-facedmaleturnedtospeaktotheteenagers.“Nowwhat’sgoingtohappenisthatI’mgoingtosearchyou”—henodded at Stefan—“while my partner searches you two.” His head jerked, ear-first, atMeredith.“What’swrongwithher,anyway?”

“Nothingthatyoucouldunderstand,”Stefanrepliedcoolly.

The sheriff looked as if he couldn’t believewhat had just been said.Then,suddenly,helookedasifhecould,anddid,andhetookasteptowardMeredith.

Stefansnarled.

The sound made Elena, who was right behind him, jump. It was the lowsavagesnarlofananimalprotectingitsmate,itspack,itsterritory.

The ruddy-faced policeman suddenly looked pale and panicked. Elenaguessedthathewaslookingatamouthfullofteethmuchsharperthanhisown,andtingedwithbloodaswell.

Elenadidn’twantthistoturnintoapi—thatwas,a…snarlingmatch.

As the sheriff gabbled to his partner, “We may need some of them silverbulletsafterall,”Elenapokedherbeloved,whowasnowmakinganoiselikeaverybigbuzzsawthatshecouldfeelinherteeth,andwhispered,“Stefan,Influencehim!Theotherone’scoming,andshemayalreadyhavecalledforbackup.”

Athertouch,Stefanstoppedmakingthesound,andwhenheturnedshecouldseehisfacechangingfromthatofasavageanimalbaringitsteethbacktohisowndear,green-eyed self.Hemust have taken a lot of blood fromMeredith, she thought,with aflutterinherstomach.Shewasn’tsurehowshefeltaboutthat.

But there was no denying the after-effects. Stefan turned back to themalesheriffandsaidcrisply,“Youwillgointothefronthallway.Youwillremainthere,silent,until I tell you to move or speak.” Then, without looking up to see if the officer wasobeyingornot,hetuckedtheblanketsmoretightlyaroundMeredith.

Elenawaswatchingthesheriff,though,andshenoticedthathedidn’thesitateaninstant.Hemadeanabout-faceandmarchedofftothefrontfoyer.

Then Elena felt safe enough to look at Meredith again. She couldn’t findanythingwronginherfriend’sface,exceptherunnaturalpallor,andthosevioletshadowsaroundhereyes.

“Meredith?”shewhispered.

Noresponse.ElenafollowedStefanoutoftheroom.

She had justmade it to the foyerwhen the female sheriff ambushed them.Comingdownthestairs,pushingthefragileMrs.Flowersbeforeher,sheshouted,“Ontheground!Allofyou!”ShegaveMrs.Flowersahardshoveforward.“Getdownnow!”

When Mrs. Flowers almost fell sprawling on the floor, Stefan leaped andcaughther,andthenturnedbacktotheotherwoman.ForamomentElenathoughtthathewould snarl again, but instead, in a voice tight with self-control, he said, “Join yourpartner.Youcan’tmoveorspeakwithoutmypermission.”

He took the shaken-lookingMrs. Flowers to a chair on the left side of thefoyer.“Didthat—person—hurtyou?”

“No, no. Just get them out of my house, Stefan, dear, and I’ll be mostgrateful,”Mrs.Flowersreplied.

“Done,”Stefansaidsoftly.“I’msorrywe’vecausedyousomuchtrouble—inyourownhome.”Helookedateachofthesheriffs,hiseyespiercing.“Goawayanddon’tcomeback.Youhave searched thehouse, but noneof thepeopleyouwere looking forwerehere.Youthinkfurthersurveillancewillyieldnothing.Youbelievethatyouwoulddomoregoodbyhelping the—whatwas it?Oh,yes, themayhem in the townofFell’sChurch.Youwillnevercomehereagain.Nowgobacktoyourcarandleave.”

Elenafeltthetinyhairsonthebackofherneckstandup.ShecouldfeelthePowerbehindStefan’swords.

And,asalways,itwassatisfyingtoseecruelorangrypeoplebecomedocileunderthepowerofavampire’sInfluence.Thesetwostoodforanothertensecondsquitestill,andthentheysimplywalkedoutthefrontdoor.

Elenalistenedtothesoundofthesheriff’scardrivingawayandsuchastrongfeelingofreliefwashedoverherthatshealmostcollapsed.Stefanputhisarmsaroundher,andElenahuggedhimbacktightly,knowingthatherheartwaspounding.Shecouldfeelitinherchestandherfingertips.

It’s all over. All done now, Stefan thought to her and Elena suddenly feltsomethingdifferent.Shefeltpride.Stefanhadsimplytakenchargeandchasedtheofficersaway.

Thankyou,shethoughttoStefan.

“Iguesswe’dbettergetMattoutoftherootcellar,”sheadded.

Mattwas unhappy. “Thanks for hidingme—but do you know how long thatwas?” hedemandedofElenawhentheywereupstairsagain.“Andnolightexceptwhatwasinthatlittlestarball.Andnosound—Icouldn’thearathingdownthere.Andwhatisthis?”Heheldoutthelong,heavywoodenstaff,withitsstrangelyshaped,spikedends.

Elenafeltsuddenpanic.“Youdidn’tcutyourself,didyou?”ShesnatchedupMatt’s hands, letting the long staff fall to the ground. ButMatt didn’t seem to have asinglescratch.

“Iwasn’tdumbenoughtoholditbytheends,”hesaid.

“Meredithdid,forsomereason,”Elenasaid.“Herpalmswerecoveredwithwounds.AndIdon’tevenknowwhatitis.”

“Ido,”Stefansaidquietly.Hepickedupthestave.“Butit’sMeredith’ssecretreally. Imean it’sMeredith’sproperty,”headdedhastilyasalleyes fixedonhimat thewordsecret.

“Well, I’m not blind,”Matt said in his frank, straightforwardway, flippingback some fair hair in order to lookmore closely at the thing. He raised blue eyes toElena.“Iknowwhatitsmellslike,whichisvervain.AndIknowwhatitlookslikewithallthose silver and iron spikescomingoutof the sharpends. It looks likeagiant staff forexterminatingeverykindofGodawfulHellaciousmonsterthatwalksonthisearth.”

“And vampires, too,” Elena added hastily. She knew that Stefan was in afunnymoodandshedefinitelydidn’twant toseeMatt,forwhomshestillcareddeeply,lyingon the floorwithacrushedskull.“Andevenhumans—I think thesebiggerspikesareforinjectingpoison.”

“Poison?”Mattlookedathisownpalmshastily.

“You’re okay,”Elena said. “I checked you, and besides itwould be a veryquick-actingpoison.”

“Yes,theywouldwanttotakeyououtofthefightasfastaspossible,”Stefansaid. “So if you’re alive now, you’re likely to stay that way. And now, this GodawfulHellaciousmonsterjustwantstogetbackuptobed.”Heturnedtogototheattic.HemusthaveheardElena’sswift,involuntarilyindrawnbreath,becauseheturnedaroundandshecould see that hewas sorry. His eyeswere dark emerald, sad but blazingwith unusedPower.

I thinkwe’ll have a latemorning,Elena thought, feeling pleasurable thrillsripplethroughher.ShesqueezedStefan’shand,andfelthimreturnthepressure.Shecouldseewhat he had inmind; theywere close enough and hewas projecting pretty clearlywhathewanted—andshewasaseagertogetupstairsashewas.

ButatthatmomentMatt,eyesonthewickedlyspikedstaff,said,“Meredithhassomethingtodowiththat?”

“Ishouldneverhavesaidanythingatallaboutit,”Stefanreplied.“Butifyouwanttoknowmore,you’dreallybetteraskMeredithherself.Tomorrow.”

“Allright,”Mattsaid,finallyseemingtounderstand.Elenawaswayaheadofhim.Aweaponlikethatwas—couldonlybe—forkillingallsortsofmonsterswalkingtheearth.AndMeredith—Meredithwhowasasslimandathleticasaballerinawithablackbelt,andoh!Thoselessons!ThelessonsthatMeredithhadalwaysputoffifthegirlsweredoing somethingat that exactmoment,but that shealways somehowmanaged tomaketimefor.

Butagirlcouldhardlybeexpectedtocarryaharpsichordaroundwithherandnobodyelsehadone.Besides,Meredithhadsaidshehatedtoplay,soherBFFshadletitgoatthat.ItwasallpartoftheMeredithmystique.

And riding lessons?Elenawouldbet someof themweregenuine.Meredithwouldwanttoknowhowtomakeaquickescapemountinganythingavailable.

ButifMeredithwasn’tpracticingforalittlelightmusicinthedrawingroom,orforstarringinaHollywoodWestern—thenwhatwouldshehavebeendoing?

Training,Elenaguessed.Therewerealotofdojosoutthere,andifMeredithhadbeendoing thissince thatvampireattackedhergrandfathershemustbeprettydarngood.Andwhenwe’vefoughtgrislythings,whoseeyeshaveeverbeenonher,asoftgrayshadow that kept out of the limelight?A lot ofmonsters probably got knocked out butgood.

The only question that needed to be answered was why Meredith hadn’tshownthemtheGodawfulHellaciousmonsterstakeroruseditinanyfights—sayagainstKlaus—untilnow.AndElenadidn’tknow,butshecouldaskMeredithherself.Tomorrow,whenMeredithwasup.Butshetrustedthatithadsomesimpleanswer.

Elenatriedtostifleayawninaladylikeway.Stefan?sheasked.Canyougetusoutofhere—withoutpickingmeup—andtoyourroom?

“I thinkwe’ve all had enough stress thismorning,” Stefan said in his owngentlevoice.“Mrs.Flowers,Meredithisinthefirst-floorbedroom—she’llprobablysleepverylate.Matt—”

“Iknow,Iknow.Idon’tknowwhere theschedulewentbutImightaswellmakeitmynight.”MattpresentedanarmtoStefan.

Stefanlookedsurprised.Darling,youcanneverhavetoomuchblood,Elenathoughttohim,seriouslyandstraightforwardly.

“Mrs.FlowersandIwillbeinthekitchen,”shesaidaloud.

When theywere there,Mrs.Flowerssaid,“Don’t forget to thankStefan fordefendingtheboardinghouseforme.”

“Hedid it because it’s our home,”Elena said, andwent back into the hall,whereStefanwasthankingaflushingMatt.

AndthenMrs.FlowerscalledMatt intothekitchenandElenafoundherselfswoopedupinlithe,hardarmsandthentheyweregainingaltituderapidly,withthewoodstaircase emitting little creaks and groans of protest. And finally theywere in Stefan’sroomandElenawasinStefan’sarms.

Therewasnobetterplacetobe,oranythingelseeitherofthemreallywantednow,ElenathoughtandturnedherfaceupasStefanturnedhisdownandtheybeganwitha longslowkiss.And then thekisswentmolten,andElenahad tocling toStefan,whowasalreadyholdingherwitharmsthatcouldhavecrackedgranite,butonlysqueezedherexactlyastightlyasshewantedthemto.

13

Elena, sleeping serenelywithonehand lockedontoStefan’s, knew shewashaving anextraordinarydream.No,notadream—anout-of-bodyexperience.Butitwasn’tlikeherprevious out-of-body visits to Stefan in his cell. Shewas skimming through the air soquicklythatshecouldn’treallymakeoutwhatwasbelowher.

Shelookedaroundandsuddenly,toherastonishment,anotherfigureappearedbesideher.

“Bonnie!”shesaid—orrathertriedtosay.Butofcoursetherewasnosound.Bonnielookedlikeatransparenteditionofherself.Asifsomeonehadcreatedheroutofblownglass,andthenputinjustthefaintesttintofcolorinherhairandeyes.

Elenatriedtelepathy.Bonnie?

Elena!Oh,ImissyouandMeredithsomuch!I’mstuckhereinahole—

A hole? Elena could hear the panic in her own telepathy. It made Bonniewince.

Notarealhole.Adive.Aninn,Iguess,butI’mlockedinandtheyonlyfeedmetwiceadayandtakemetothetoiletonce—

MyGod!Howdidyougetthere?

Well…Bonniehesitated.Iguessitwasmyownfault.

Itdoesn’tmatter!Howlonghaveyoubeenthere,exactly?

Um,thisismysecondday.Ithink.

Therewasapause.ThenElenasaid,Well,acoupleofdaysinabadplacecanseemlikeforever.

Bonnietriedtomakehercaseclearer.It’sjustthatI’msoboredandlonely.ImissyouandMeredithsomuch!sherepeated.

IwasthinkingofyouandMeredith,too,Elenasaid.

ButMeredith’s there with you, isn’t she? Oh my God, she didn’t fall, too?Bonnieblurted.

No, no! She didn’t fall. Elena couldn’t decidewhether to tell Bonnie aboutMeredithornot.Maybenotjustyet,shethought.

Shecouldn’t seewhat shewas rushing toward, althoughshecould feel thattheywereslowingdown.Canyouseeanything?

Hey,yeah,belowus!There’sacar!Shouldwegodown?

Ofcourse.Canweholdhands?

They found that they couldn’t, but that just trying to kept them closertogether.Inanothermomenttheyweresinkingthroughtheroofofasmallcar.

Hey!It’sAlaric!Bonniesaid.

Alaric Saltzman wasMeredith’s engaged-to-be-engaged boyfriend. He wasabout twenty-three now, and his sandy-blond hair and hazel eyes hadn’t changed sinceElenahadseenhimalmosttenmonthsago.HewasaparapsychologistatDuke,goingforhisdoctorate.

We’vebeentryingtogetholdofhimforages,Bonniesaid.

Iknow.Maybethisisthewaywe’resupposedtocontacthim.

Whereishesupposedtobeagain?

SomeweirdplaceinJapan.I forgetwhat it’scalled,but lookat themaponthepassengerseat.

She andBonnie intermingled as they did, their ghostly forms passing rightthrougheachother.

UnmeinoShima:TheIslandofDoom,waswrittenatthetopofanoutlineofan island. Themap beside him had a large redX on it with the caption:The Field ofPunishedVirgins.

Thewhat?Bonnieaskedindignantly.What’sthatmean?

Idon’tknow.Butlook,thisfogisrealfog.Andit’sraining.Andthisroadisterrible.

Bonniedoveoutside.Ooh,soweird.Therain’sgoingrightthroughme.AndIdon’tthinkthisisaroad.

Elenasaid,Comebackinandlookatthis.Therearen’tanyothercitiesontheisland,justaname.Dr.CeliaConnor,forensicpathologist.

What’saforensicpathologist?

Ithink,Elenasaid,thattheyinvestigatemurdersandthings.Andtheydigupdeadpeopletofindoutwhytheydied.

Bonnieshuddered.Idon’tthinkIlikethisverymuch.

NeitherdoI.Butlookoutside.Thiswasavillageonce,Ithink.

There was almost nothing left of the village. Just a few ruins of woodenbuildingsthatwereobviouslyrotting,andsometumbledown,blackenedstonestructures.Therewasonelargebuildingwithanenormousbrightyellowtarpoverit.

Whenthecarreachedthisbuilding,Alaricskiddedtoastop,grabbedthemapandasmallsuitcase,anddashedthroughtherainandmudtogetundercover.ElenaandBonniefollowed.

Hewasmetneartheentrancebyaveryyoungblackwoman,whosehairwascutshortandsleekaroundherelfinface.Shewassmall,notevenElena’sheight.Shehadeyesdancingwithexcitementandwhite,eventeeththatmadeforaHollywoodsmile.

“Dr.Connor?”Alaricsaid,lookingawed.

Meredithisn’tgoingtolikethis,Bonniesaid.

“Just Celia, please,” the woman said, taking his hand. “Alaric Saltzman, Ipresume.”

“JustAlaric,please—Celia.”

Meredithreallyisn’tgoingtolikethis,Elenasaid.

“Soyou’rethespookinvestigator,”Celiawassayingbelowthem.“Well,weneedyou.Thisplacehasspooks—ordidonce.Idon’tknowifthey’restillhereornot.”

“Soundsinteresting.”

“More like sad andmorbid. Sad andweird and morbid. I’ve excavated allsortsofruins,especiallythosewherethere’sachanceofgenocide.AndI’lltellyou:ThisislandisunlikeanyplaceIhaveeverseen,”Celiasaid.

Alaric was already pulling things from his case, a thick stack of papers, asmall camcorder, a notebook. He turned on the camcorder, and looked through theviewfinder,thenproppeditupwithsomeofthepapers.WhenheapparentlyhadCeliainfocus,hegrabbedthenotebooktoo.

Celia looked amused. “How many ways do you need to take downinformation?”

Alarictappedthesideofhisheadandshookitsadly.“Asmanyaspossible.Neuronsarebeginningtogo.”Helookedaround.“You’renottheonlyonehere,areyou?”

“ExceptforthejanitorandtheguywhoferriesmebacktoHokkaido,yes.Itstartedoutasanormalexpedition—therewerefourteenofus.Butonebyone,theothershavediedorleft.Ican’tevenre-burythespecimens—thegirls—we’veexcavated.”

“Andthepeoplewholeftordiedfromyourexpedition—”

“Well,atfirstpeopledied.Thenthatandtheotherspookystuffmadetherestleave.Theywerefrightenedfortheirlives.”

Alaricfrowned.“Whodiedfirst?”

“Outofourexpedition?RonaldArgyll.Potteryspecialist.Hewasexaminingtwo jars thatwere found—well, I’ll skip that story until later. He fell off a ladder andbrokehisneck.”

Alaric’seyebrowswentup.“Thatwasspooky?”

“Fromaguylikehim,who’sbeeninthebusinessforalmosttwentyyears—yes.”

“Twenty years? Maybe a heart attack? And then off the ladder—boom.”Alaricmadeadownwardgesture.

“Maybe that’s the way it was. You may be able to explain all our littlemysteries forus.”Thechicwomanwith the shorthairdimpled like a tomboy.Shewasdressed like one too,Elena realized:Levi’s and a blue andwhite shirtwith the sleevesrolledupoverawhitecamisole.

Alaricgavea littlestart,as ifhe’drealizedhewasguiltyofstaring.BonnieandElenalookedateachotheroverhishead.

“But what happened to all the people who lived on the island in the firstplace?Theoneswhobuiltthehouses?”

“Well,thereneverwerethatmanyoftheminthefirstplace.I’mguessingtheplacemayevenhavebeennamed the IslandofDoombefore thisdisastermy teamwasinvestigating.ButasfarasIcouldfindoutitwasasortofwar—acivilwar.Betweenthechildrenandtheadults.”

ThistimewhenBonnieandElenalookedateachother,theireyeswerebothwide.Justlikehome—Bonniebegan,butElenasaid,Sh.Listen.

“Acivilwarbetweenkidsandtheirparents?”Alaricrepeatedslowly.“Nowthatisspooky.”

“Well,it’saprocessofelimination.Yousee,Ilikegraves,constructedorjustholes in theground.Andhere, the inhabitantsdon’tappear tohavebeen invaded.Theydidn’tdieoffamineordrought—therewasstillplentyofgraininthegranary.Therewerenosignsofillness.I’vecometobelievethat theyallkilledoneanother—parentskillingchildren;childrenkillingparents.”

“Buthowcanyoutell?”

“Youseethissquare-ishareaontheperipheryofthevillage?”Celiapointedto an area on a larger map than Alaric’s. “That’s what we call The Field of PunishedVirgins. It’s the only place that has carefully constructed actual graves, so itwasmadeearlyinwhatbecameawar.Later,therewasnotimeforcoffins—ornoonewhocared.Sofarwe’veexcavatedtwenty-twofemalechildren—theeldestinherlateteens.”

“Twenty-twogirls?Allgirls?”

“All girls in this area.Boys came later,when coffinswere no longer beingmade.They’renot aswell preserved,because thehouses all burnedor fell in, and theywereexposedtoweathering.Thegirlswerecarefully,sometimeselaborately,buried;butthe markings on their bodies indicate that they were subjected to harsh physicalpunishmentatsometimeclosetotheirdeaths.Andthen—theyhadstakesdriventhroughtheirhearts.”

Bonnie’s fingers flew to her eyes, as if toward off a terrible vision. ElenawatchedAlaricandCeliagrimly.

Alaricgulped.“Theywerestaked?”heaskeduneasily.

“Yes. Now I know what you’ll be thinking. But Japan doesn’t have anytraditionofvampires.Kitsune—foxes—areprobablytheclosestanalog.”

NowElenaandBonniewerehoveringrightoverthemap.

“Anddokitsunesdrinkblood?”

“Just kitsune. The Japanese language has an interesting way of expressingplurals.Buttoansweryourquestion:no.Theyarelegendarytricksters,andoneexampleofwhattheydoispossessgirlsandwomen,andleadmentodestruction—intobogs,and

soon.Buthere—well,youcanalmostreaditlikeabook.”

“Youmake it sound likeone.Butnotone I’dpickup forpleasure,”Alaricsaid,andtheybothsmiledbleakly.

“So,togoonwiththebook,itseemsthatthisdiseasespreadeventuallytoallthechildren in the town.Thereweredeadly fights.Theparents somehowcouldn’tevengettothefishingboatsinwhichtheymighthaveescapedtheisland.”

Elena—

Iknow.AtleastFell’sChurchisn’tonanisland.

“Andthenthere’swhatwefoundatthetownshrine.Icanshowyouthat—it’swhatRonaldArgylldiedfor.”

TheybothgotupandwentfartherintothebuildinguntilCeliastoppedbesidetwolargeurnsonpedestalswithahideousthinginbetweenthem.Itlookedlikeadress,weathereduntilitwasalmostpurewhite,butstickingthroughholesintheclothingwerebones.Mosthorribly,onebleachedandfleshlessbonehungdownfromthetopofoneoftheurns.

“ThisiswhatRonaldwasworkingoninthefieldbeforeallthisraincame,”Celia explained. “It was probably the last death of the original inhabitants and it wassuicide.”

“Howcanyoupossiblyknowthat?”

“Let’s see if I can get this right from Ronald’s notes. The priestess heredoesn’thaveanyotherdamagethanthatwhichcausedherdeath.Theshrinewasastonebuilding—once.Whenwegotherewefoundonlyafloor,withallthestonestepstumbledapart every which way. Hence Ronald’s use of the ladder. It gets quite technical, butRonaldArgyllwasagreatforensicpathologistandItrusthisreadingofthestory.”

“Whichis?”Alaricwastakinginthejarsandtheboneswithhiscamcorder.

“Someone—wedon’tknowwho—smashedaholeineachofthejars.Thisisbeforethechaosstarted.Thetownrecordsmakenoteofitasanactofvandalism,aprankdonebyachild.Butlongafterthattheholewassealedandthejarsmadealmostairtightagain,exceptwherethepriestesshadherhandsplungedinthetopuptothewrist.”

With infinite care, Celia lifted the top off the jar that did not have a bonehangingfromit—torevealanotherpairoflongishbones,slightlylessbleached,andwithstripsofwhatmusthavebeenclothingonit.Tinyfingerboneslayinsidethejar.

“WhatRonaldthoughtwasthatthispoorwomandiedassheperformedalastdesperateact.Clever,too,ifyouseeitfromtheirperspective.Shecutherwrists—youcanseehow the tendon is shriveled in thebetter-preservedarm—and thenshe let theentirecontentsofherbloodstreamflowintotheurns.Wedoknowthat theurnsshowaheavyprecipitation of blood on the bottom. Shewas trying to lure something in—or perhapssomethingbackin.Andshediedtrying,andtheclaythatshehadprobablyhopedtouseinherlastconsciousmomentsheldherbonestothejars.”

“Whew!”Alaricranahandoverhisforehead,butshiveredatthesametime.

Takepictures!Elenawasmentallycommandinghim,usingallherwillpowerto transmit the order. She could see that Bonnie was doing the same, eyes shut, fistsclenched.

Asifinobediencetotheircommands,Alaricwastakingpicturesasfastashecould.

Finally,hewasdone.ButElenaknewthatwithoutsomeoutsideimpetustherewasnowaythathewasgoingtogetthosepicturestoFell’sChurchuntilhehimselfcametotown—andevenMeredithdidn’tknowwhenthatwouldbe.

Sowhatdowedo?BonnieaskedElena,lookinganguished.

Well…mytearswererealwhenStefanwasinprison.

Youwantustocryonhim?

No,Elenasaid,notquitepatiently.Butwelooklikeghosts—let’sactlikethem.Tryblowingonthebackofhisneck.

Bonniedid,andtheybothwatchedAlaricshiver,lookaroundhim,drawhiswindbreakercloser.

“And what about the other deaths in your own expedition?” he asked,huddling,lookingaroundapparentlyaimlessly.

CeliabeganspeakingbutneitherElenanorBonniewaslistening.Bonniekeptblowing on Alaric from different directions, herding him to the single window in thebuilding thatwasn’t shattered.ThereElenahadwrittenwithher fingeron thedarkenedcoldglass.OncesheknewthatAlaricwaslookingthatwaysheblewherbreathacrossthesentence:sendallpixofjars2meredithnow!EverytimeAlaricapproachedthewindowshebreathedonittorefreshthewords.

Andatlasthesawit.

He jumped backward nearly two feet. Then he slowly crept back to thewindow.Elenarefreshedthewritingforhim.Thistime,insteadofjumping,hesimplyranahandoverhiseyesandthenslowlypeekedoutagain.

“Hey,Mr.Spook-chaser,”saidCelia.“Areyouallright?”

“Idon’tknow,”Alaricadmitted.Hepassedhishandoverhiseyesagain,butCeliawascomingandElenadidn’tbreatheonthewindow.

“IthoughtIsawa—amessagetosendcopiesofthepicturesofthesejarstoMeredith.”

Celiaraisedaneyebrow.“WhoisMeredith?”

“Oh. She—she’s one of my former students. I suppose this would interesther.”Helookeddownatthecamcorder.

“Bonesandurns?”

“Well,youwereinterestedinthemquiteyoung,ifyourreputationiscorrect.”

“Oh,yes.Ilovedtowatchadeadbirddecay,orfindbonesandtrytofigure

outwhatanimaltheywerefrom,”Celiasaid,dimplingagain.“Fromtheageofsix.ButIwasn’tlikemostgirls.”

“Well—neitherisMeredith,”Alaricsaid.

ElenaandBonniewereeyeingeachotherseriouslynow.AlarichadimpliedthatMeredithwasspecial,buthehadn’tsaidit,andhehadn’tmentionedtheirengagementtobeengaged.

Celiacamecloser.“Areyougoingtosendherthepictures?”

Alaric laughed. “Well, all this atmosphereandeverything—Idon’tknow. Itmightjusthavebeenmyimagination.”

CeliaturnedawayjustasshereachedhimandElenablewoncemoreacrossthemessage.Alaricthrewhishandsupinagestureofsurrender.

“I don’t suppose the Island of Doom has satellite coverage,” he saidhelplessly.

“Nope,”Celia said. “But the ferrywill beback in a day, andyou can sendpicturesthen—ifyou’rereallygoingtodoit.”

“IthinkI’dbetterdoit,”Alaricsaid.ElenaandBonniewerebothglaringathim,onefromeachside.

ButthatwaswhenElena’seyelidsstartedtodroop.Oh,Bonnie,I’msorry.Iwantedtotalktoyouafterthis,andmakesureyou’reokay.ButI’mfalling…Ican’t…

Shemanagedtopryherlidsopen.Bonniewasinafetalposition,fastasleep.

Becareful,Elenawhispered,notevensurewhoshewaswhisperingitto.Andas she floated away, she was aware of Celia and the way Alaric was talking to thisbeautiful,accomplishedwomanonlyayearorsoolderthanhewas.ShefeltadistinctfearforMeredith,ontopofeverythingelse.

14

ThenextmorningElenanoticedthatMeredithstilllookedpaleandlanguid,andthathereyesslidaway ifStefanhappened toglanceather.But thiswasa timeofcrisis,andassoonasthebreakfastdisheswerewashed,Elenacalledameetingintheparlor.Theresheand Stefan explained what Meredith had missed during the visit from the sheriffs.MeredithsmiledwanlywhenElenatoldhowStefanhadbanishedthemlikestraydogs.

ThenElenatoldthestoryofherout-of-bodyexperience.Itprovedonething,atleast,thatBonniewasaliveandrelativelywell.MeredithbitherlipwhenMrs.Flowerssaid this, for it onlymade her want to go and get Bonnie out of the Dark Dimensionpersonally.

But on the other hand, Meredith wanted to stay and wait for Alaric’sphotographs.IfthatwouldsaveFell’sChurch…

NooneattheboardinghousecouldquestionwhathadhappenedontheIslandof Doom. It was happening here, on the other side of the world. Already a couple ofparentsinFell’sChurchhadhadtheirchildrentakenawaybytheVirginiaDepartmentofChild Protective Services. Punishments and retaliations had begun. How much longerwoulditbebeforeShinichiandMisaoturnedallthechildrenintolethalweapons—orletloosethosealreadyturned?Howlongbeforesomehystericalparentkilledakid?

Thegroupsittingintheparlordiscussedplansandmethods.Intheend,theydecidedtomakejarsidentical tothoseElenaandBonniehadseen,andprayedthattheycouldreproducethewriting.Thesejars,theyweresure,werethemeansbywhichShinichiandMisaowereoriginallysealedofffromtherestoftheEarth.

Therefore Shinichi and Misao had once fit into the rather crampedaccommodationsof the jars.ButwhatdidElena’sgrouphavenow thatcould lure thembackinside?

Power,theydecided.OnlyanamountofPowersogreatthatitwasirresistibletothekitsunetwins.Thatwaswhythepriestesshadtriedtolurethembackwithherownblood.Now…itmeanteithertheliquidinafullstarball…orbloodfromanextraordinarilypowerfulvampire.Ortwovampires.Orthree.

Everyone was sober, thinking of this. They didn’t know how much bloodwouldbeneeded—butElenafearedthatitwouldbemorethantheycanaffordtolose.Ithadcertainlybeenmorethanthepriestesscouldafford.

AndthentherewasasilencethatonlyMeredithcouldfill.“I’msureyou’veallbeenwonderingaboutthis,”shesaid,producingthestaffthingfromthinair,asfarasElenacouldsee.Howdidshedo that?Elenawondered.Shedidn’thave itwithherandthenshedid.

Theyallstaredinthebrightsunlightatthesleekbeautyoftheweapon.

“Whoevermadethat,”Mattsaid,“hadatwistedimagination.”

“Itwasoneofmyancestors,”Meredithsaid.“AndIwon’tcontestthat.”

“Ihaveaquestion,”Elenasaid.“Ifyou’dhadthatfromthebeginningofyourtraining; ifyou’dbeenraisedinthatkindofworld,wouldyouhavetriedtokillStefan?WouldyouhavetriedtokillmewhenIbecameavampire?”

“I wish I had a good answer to that,” Meredith said, her dark gray eyespained.“ButIdon’t.Ihavenightmaresaboutit.ButhowcanIeversaywhatIwouldhavedoneifI’dbeenadifferentperson?”

“I’m not asking that. I’m asking you, the person you are, if you’d had thetraining—”

“Thetrainingisbrainwashing,”Meredithsaidharshly.Hercomposedfaçadeseemedabouttobreak.

“Okay,forgetthat.WouldyouhavetriedtokillStefan,ifyou’djusthadthatstaff?”

“It’scalledafightingstave.Andwe’recalled—peoplelikemyfamily,exceptthatmyparentsdroppedout—hunter-slayers.”

There was a sort of gasp around the table.Mrs. Flowers pouredMeredithmoreherbalteafromthepotsittingonatrivet.

“Hunter-slayers,” repeatedMatt with a certain relish. It wasn’t hard to tellwhohewasthinkingabout.

“Youcanjustcallusoneortheother,”Meredithwassaying.“I’veheardthatoutwestthey’vegothunter-killers.Butwehangontotraditionhere.”

Elena suddenly felt like a lost little girl. This wasMeredith, her big sisterMeredith,sayingallofthis.Elena’svoicewasalmostpleading.“Butyoudidn’teventellonStefan.”

“No,Ididn’t.And,no,Idon’tthinkI’dhavehadthecouragetokillanyone—unlessI’dbeenbrainwashed.ButIknewStefanlovedyou.Iknewhewouldnevermakeyouintoavampire.Theproblemwas—Ididn’tknowenoughaboutDamon.Ididn’tknowthatyouwerefoolingaroundsomuch.Idon’tthinkanybodyknewthat.”Meredith’svoicewasanguished,too.

“Exceptme,”Elenasaid,flushing,withalopsidedsmile.“Don’tlooksosad,Meredith.Itworkedout.”

“Youcallhavingtoleaveyourfamilyandyourtownbecauseeveryoneknowsyou’redead,workingout?”

“Ido,”Elenareplieddesperately,“ifitmeansIgettobewithStefan.”ShedidherbestnottothinkaboutDamon.

Meredithlookedatherblanklyforamoment,thenputherfaceinherhands.“DoyouwanttotellthemorshouldI?”sheasked,comingupforairandfacingStefan.

Stefanlookedstartled.“Youremember?”

“Probablyasmuchasyougot frommymind.Bitsandpieces.Stuff Idon’twanttoremember.”

“Okay.”Now Stefan looked relieved, and Elena felt frightened. Stefan andMeredithhadasecrettogether?

“WeallknowthatKlausmadeatleasttwovisitstoFell’sChurch.Weknowthat he was—completely evil—and that on the second visit he planned to be a serialmurderer.HekilledSueCarsonandVickieBennett.”

Elenainterruptedquietly.“OratleasthehelpedTylerSmallwoodtokillSue,sothatTylercouldbeinitiatedasawerewolf.AndthenTylergotCarolinepregnant.”

Matt cleared his throat as something occurred to him. “Uh—does Carolinehavetokillsomebodytobeafullwerewolf,too?”

“I don’t think so,”Elena said. “Stefan says that having awerewolf litter isenough.Eitherway,blood is spilled.Carolinewillbea fullwerewolfwhenshehashertwins,butshe’llprobablybeginchanginginvoluntarilybeforethat.Right?”

Stefan nodded. “Right. But getting back to Klaus: What was it he wassupposedtohavedoneonhisfirstvisit?Heattacked—withoutkilling—anoldmanwhowasafullhunter-slayer.”

“Mygrandfather,”Meredithwhispered.

“AndhesupposedlymessedwithMeredith’sgrandfather’smindsomuchthatthisoldmantriedtokillhiswifeandhisthree-year-oldgranddaughter.Sowhatiswrongwiththispicture?”

Elena was truly frightened now. She didn’t want to hear whatever wascoming.Shecouldtastebile,andshewasgladthatshe’donlyhadtoastforbreakfast.Ifonlytherehadbeensomeonetotakecareof,likeBonnie,shewouldhavefeltbetter.

“Igiveup.Sowhatiswrong?”Mattaskedbluntly.

Meredithwasstaringintothedistanceagain.

FinallyStefansaid,“Attheriskofsoundinglikeabadsoapopera…Meredithhad,orhas,atwinbrother.”

Dead silence fell over the group in the parlor. EvenMrs. Flowers’sMamadidn’tputinaword.

“Hadorhas?”Mattsaidfinally,breakingthesilence.

“How can we know?” Stefan said. “He may have been killed. ImagineMeredithhavingtowatchthat.Orhecouldhavebeenkidnapped.Tobekilledatalatertime—ortobecomeavampire.”

“And you really think her parentswouldn’t tell her?”Matt demanded. “Orwouldtrytomakeherforget?Whenshewas—what,threealready?”

Mrs. Flowers, who had been quiet a long time, now spoke sadly. “DearMeredithmayhavedecidedtoblockoutthetruthherself.Withachildofthreeit’shardtosay.Iftheynevergotherprofessionalhelp…”ShelookedaquestionatMeredith.

Meredith shook her head. “Against the code,” she said. “I mean, strictlyspeaking,Ishouldn’tbetellinganyofyouthis,andespeciallynotStefan.ButIcouldn’t

standitanymore…havingsuchgoodfriends,andconstantlydeceivingthem.”

Elenawent over and huggedMeredith hard. “We understand,” she said. “Idon’tknowwhatwillhappeninthefutureifyoudecidetobeanactivehunter—”

“Icanpromiseyoumyfriendswon’tbeonmylistofvictims,”Meredithsaid.“By the way,” she added, “Shinichi knows. I’m the one who’s kept a secret frommyfriendsallmylife.”

“Notanylonger,”Elenasaid,andhuggedheragain.

“Atleasttherearenomoresecretsnow,”Mrs.Flowerssaidgently,andElenalooked at her sharply. Nothing was ever that simple. And Shinichi had made a wholehandfulofpredictions.

Thenshesawthelookinthemildblueeyesoftheoldwoman,andsheknewthatwhatwas important right thenwasnot truthor lies,orevenreckonings,butsimplycomfortingMeredith.She lookedupatStefanwhilestillhuggingMeredithandsaw thesamelookinhiseyes.

Andthat—madeherfeelbettersomehow.Becauseifitwastruly“nosecrets”thenshewouldhavetofigureoutherfeelingsaboutDamon.AndshewasmoreafraidofthatthanoffacingShinichi,whichwassayingquitealot,really.

“Atleastwe’vegotapotter’swheel—somewhere,”Mrs.Flowerswassaying.“Andakiln in theback, although it’s allgrownoverwithDevil’sShoestring. Iused tomake flowerpots foroutside theboardinghouse,butchildrencameandsmashed them. IthinkIcouldmakeanurnliketheonesyousawifyoucandrawoneforme.Butperhapswe’dbetterwaitforMr.Saltzman’spictures.”

MattwasmouthingsomethingtoStefan.Elenacouldn’tmakeitoutuntilsheheardStefan’svoiceinhermind.HesaysDamontoldhimoncethatthishouseislikeaswapmeet,andyoucanfindanythinghereifyoulookhardenough.

Damondidn’tmakethatup!IthinkMrs.Flowerssaiditfirst,andthenitsortofgotaround,Elenareturnedheatedly.

“Whenweget thepictures,”Mrs.Flowerswassayingbrightly,“wecangettheSaitouwomentotranslatethewriting.”

Meredith finallymovedback fromElena. “Anduntil thenwecanpray thatBonnie doesn’t get into any trouble,” she said, and her voice and facewere composedagain.“I’mstartingnow.”

Bonniewassureshecouldstayoutoftrouble.

She’dhad that strangedream—theoneabout sheddingherbody, andgoingwith Elena to the Island ofDoom. Fortunately, it had seemed to be a real out-of-bodyexperience,andnotsomethingshehadtoponderoverandtrytofindhiddenmeaningsin.Itdidn’tmeanshewasdoomedoranythinglikethat.

Plus, she’dmanaged to live through another night in this brown room, andDamonhadtocomeandgetheroutsoon.Butnotbeforeshehadasugarplum.Ortwo.

Yes,shehadgottenatasteofoneinthestorylastnight,butMaritwassuchagoodgirlthatshehadwaitedfordinnertohaveanymore.Dinnerwasobtainedinthenextstoryabout theDustbins,whichshe’dplunged into thismorning.But thatcontained thehorroroflittleMarittastingherfirsthand-caughtpieceofrawliver,freshfromthehunt.Bonniehadhastilypulledthelittlestarballoffhertemple,andhaddeterminednottodoanythingthatcouldpossiblygetheronahumanhuntingrange.

Butthen,compulsively,shehadcounteduphermoney.Shehadmoney.Sheknewwhereashopwas.Andthatmeant…shopping!

When her bathroom break came around, she managed to get into aconversationwith theboywhousually ledher to theoutdoorprivy.This timeshemadehimblushsohardandtugathisearlobesooftenthatwhenshebeggedhimtogiveherthekeyandlethergobyherself—itwasn’tasifshedidn’tknowtheway—hehadrelentedandlethergo,askingonlythatshehurry.

Andshedidhurry—acrossthestreetandintothelittlestore,whichsmelledsomuchofmeltingfudge,toffeebeingpulledbyhand,andothermouth-wateringsmellsthatshewouldhaveknownwhereshewasblindfolded.

Shealsoknewwhatshewanted.ShecouldpictureitfromthestoryandtheonetasteMarithadhad.

A sugarplumwas round like a real plum, and she’d tasted dates, almonds,spices, andhoney—and theremayhavebeen some raisins, too. It should cost five soli,according to the story, butBonnie had taken fifteenof the small coppery-looking coinswithher,incaseofaconfectionaryemergency.

Onceinside,Bonnieglancedwarilyaroundher.Therewerealotofcustomersin the shop, maybe six or seven. One brown-haired girl was wearing sacking just likeBonnieandlookedexhausted.Surreptitiously,Bonnieinchedtowardher,andpressedfiveof her copper soli into the girl’s chapped hand, thinking, there—now she can get asugarplumjustlikeme;thatoughttocheerherup.Itdid:thegirlgaveherthesortofsmilethatMotherDustbinoftengavetoMaritwhenshehaddonesomethingadorable.

IwonderifIshouldtalktoher?

“Itlooksprettybusy,”shewhispered,duckingherhead.

Thegirlwhisperedback,“Ithasbeen.AllyesterdayIkepthoping,butatleastonenoblecameinasthelastoneleft.”

“Youmeanyouhavetowaituntiltheshop’semptyto—?”

The brown-haired girl looked at her curiously. “Of course—unless you’rebuyingforyourmistressormaster.”

“What’syourname?”Bonniewhispered.

“Kelta.”

“I’mBonnie.”

AtthisKeltaburstintosilentbutconvulsivegiggles.

Bonniefeltoffended;she’djustgivenKeltaasugarplum—orthepriceofone,andnowthegirlwaslaughingather.

“I’msorry,”Keltasaidwhenhermirthhaddieddown.“Butdon’tyouthinkit’sfunnythatinthelastyeartherearesomanygirlschangingtheirnamestoAlianasandMardeths,andBonnas—someslavesareevenbeingallowedtodoit.”

“Butwhy?”BonniewhisperedwithsuchobviousgenuinebewildermentthatKeltasaid,“Why,tofitintothestory,ofcourse.TobenamedaftertheoneswhokilledoldBloddeuweddwhileshewasrampagingthroughthecity.”

“Thatwassuchabigdeal?”

“Youreallydon’tknow?Aftershewaskilledallhermoneywenttothefifthsectorwhereshelivedandtherewasenoughleftovertohaveaholiday.That’swhereI’mfrom.AndIusedtobesofrightenedwhenIwassentoutwithamessageoranythingafterdarkbecauseshecouldberightaboveyouandyou’dneverknow,until—”Keltahadputallhermoneyintoonepocketandnowshemimedclawsdescendingonaninnocenthand.

“ButyoureallyareaBonna,”Keltasaid,withaflashofwhiteteethinratherdingyskin.“Orsoyousaid.”

“Yeah,”Bonniesaidfeelingvaguelysad.“I’maBonna,allright!”Thenextmomentshecheeredup.“Theshop’sempty!”

“Itis!Oh,you’reagood-luckBonna!I’vebeenwaitingtwodays.”

SheapproachedthecounterwithalackoffearthatwasveryencouragingtoBonnie.Then sheasked for somethingcalledablood jelly that looked toBonnie likeasmall mold of strawberry Jell-O, with something darker deep inside. Kelta smiled atBonniefromunderthecurtainofherlong,unbrushedhairandwasgone.

Themanwho ran the sweetshopkept lookinghopefullyat thedoor, clearlyhoping a free person—a noble—would come in. No one did, however, and at last heturnedtoBonnie.

“Andwhatisityouwant?”hedemanded.

“Justasugarplum,please?”Bonnietriedhardtomakesurehervoicedidn’tquaver.

Themanwasbored.“Showmeyourpass,”hesaidirritably.

ItwasatthatpointthatBonniesuddenlyknewthateverythingwasgoingtogohorriblywrong.

“Comeon, comeon, snap it up!”Still lookingat his accountingbooks, themansnappedhisfingers.

MeanwhileBonniewasrunningahandoverhersack-clothsmock,inwhichsheknewperfectlywelltherewasnopocket,andcertainlynopass.

“But I thought I didn’t need a pass, except to cross sectors,” she babbledfinally.

Themannowleanedover thecounter.“Thenshowmeyourfreedompass,”

hesaid,andBonniedidtheonlythingshecouldthinkof.Sheturnedandran,butbeforeshecouldreachthedoorshefeltasuddenstingingpaininherbackandtheneverythingwentblurryandsheneverknewwhenshehittheground.

15

Bonniewokeslowly,comingupfromsomedarkplace.

Then she wished she hadn’t. She was in some out-of-doors place—onlybuildingsblockedthehorizonwherethesunhungforever.Aroundherwerealotofothergirls,allapproximatelyherownage.Thatwaspuzzling,firstofall.Ifyoutookarandomsamplingoffemalesoffthestreettherewouldbelittlegirlscryingfortheirmothers,andthere would be mother-aged women taking care of them. There might be a few olderwomen.Thisplacelookedmorelike—

—oh,God, it lookedlikeoneof thoseslavewarehouseplaces that theyhadhadtopassthelasttimetheyhadcometotheDarkDimension.TheonesthatElenahadordered them not to look at or listen to. But nowBonnie felt sure shewas inside oneherself, and therewas noway not to look at the still faces, at the terrified eyes, at thequiveringmouthsaroundher.

Shewantedtospeak,tofindtheway—therewouldhave tobeaway,Elenawouldinsist—togetout.ButfirstshegatheredallthePowerathercommand,wrappeditintoacry,andsoundlesslyscreamedDamon!Damon!Help!Ireallyneedyou!

Allsheheardinreturnwassilence.

Damon!It’sBonnie!I’mataslavewarehouse!Help!

Suddenly she had a hunch, and lowered her psychic barriers. She wasinstantly crushed. Even here, at the edge of the city, the air was choked full of longmessages and short: cries of impatience, or camaraderie, of greeting, of solicitation.Longer, less impatient conversations about things, instructions, teasings, stories. Shecouldn’tkeepupwithit.Itturnedintoamenacingwaveofpsychicsoundthatwascurledlikeawaveabouttobreakoverherhead,tocrushherintoamillionpieces.

Andthen,allofasudden,thetelepathicmeleevanished.Bonniewasabletofocushereyesonablondgirl,alittleolderthanherandaboutfourinchestaller.

“Isaid,areyouokay?”thegirlwasrepeating—obviouslyshe’dbeensayingitforawhile.

“Yes,”Bonniesaidautomatically.No!Bonniethought.

“Youmightwanttogetreadytomove.They’vesoundedthefirstdinnertimewhistle,butyoulookedsooutofit,Iwaitedforthesecondone.”

WhatamIsupposedtosay?Thankyouseemedsafest.“Thanks,”Bonniesaid.Thenhermouthsaidallonitsown,“WhereamI?”

Theblondgirllookedsurprised.“Thedepotforrunawayslaves,ofcourse.”

Well,thatwasthat.“ButIdidn’trunaway,”sheprotested.“IwasgoingrightbackafterIgotasugarplum.”

“I don’t knowabout that. Iwas trying to run away, but they finally caughtme.”Thegirlslammedonefist intoanopenhand.“IknewIshouldn’thavetrustedthat

littercarrier.Carriedmerighttotheauthoritiesandmeblindandwithoutaclue.”

“Youmeanyouhadthelittercurtainsdown—?”Bonniewasasking,whenashrillwhistleinterruptedher.Theblondgirltookholdofherarmandbegandraggingheraway from the fence. “That’s the second service dinnertimewhistle—we don’twant tomissthat,becauseafterthattheyshutusupforthenight.I’mEren.Who’reyou?”

“Bonnie.”

Erensnortedandgrinned.“Allrightbyme.”

Bonnieallowedherselftobeledupadirtystairwayandintoadirtycafeteria.Theblondgirl,whoseemedtoregardherselfasBonnie’skeeper,handedheratray,andpushedheralong.Bonniedidn’tgetanychoiceinwhatshewastohave,noteventovetothenoodlesthatweresquirmingslightly,butshedidmanagetosnatchanextrabreadrollintheend.

Damon!Nobodywastellinghernottosendamessage,soshekeptondoingit.Ifshewasgoingtobepunished,shethoughtdefiantly,shewasgoingtobepunishedfortryingtogetoutofhere.Damon,I’minaslavewarehouse!Helpme!

BlondErengrabbedaspork,soBonniedidtoo.Therewerenoknives.Therewerethinnapkins,whichrelievedBonnie,becausethatwaswheretheSquirmyNoodlesweregoingtoendup.

WithoutEren,Bonniewould never have found a place at the tables,whichwerecrammedwithyounggirlseating.“Shoveover,shoveover,”Erenkeptsaying,untiltherewasroomforBonnieandher.

Dinner was a test of Bonnie’s courage—and also of how loud she couldscream.“Whyareyoudoingallthisforme?”sheshoutedintoEren’sear,whenalullinthedeafeningconversationgaveherachance.

“Oh, well, you being a redhead and all—it put me in mind of Aliana’smessage,youknow.TotherealBonny.”Shepronounceditoddly,sortofswallowingthey,butatleastitwasn’tBonna.

“Whichofthem?Whichmessage,Imean?”Bonniescreamed.

Erengaveheranareyoukiddinglook.“Helpwhenyoucan,shelterwhenyouhaveroom,guidewhenyouknowwheretogo,”shesaidinasortofimpatientchant,thenlookedchagrinedandadded,“Andbepatientwiththeslow.”Sheattackedherfoodwithanairofhavingsaideverythingtherewastosay.

Oh,boy,Bonniethought.Somebodyhadreallytakentheballandrunwithit.Elenahadneversaidanyofthosethings.

Yeah,but—butmaybeshe’dlivedthem,Bonniethought,atinglingbreakingout all overherbody.Andmaybe somebodyhad seenher andmadeup thewords.Forinstance, thatcrazy-lookingguyshe’dgivenher ringorbraceletorsomething to.She’dgivenherearringsawaytopeoplewithsigns,too.Signsthatsaid:POETRYFORFOOD.

The rest of dinnerwas amatter of picking up foodwith the spork and notlookingat it,crunching itonce,and thendecidingwhether tospit intoherstill-writhing

napkin,ortotrytoswallowwithouttasting.

Afterward thegirlsweremarched intoanotherbuilding, thisone filledwithpallets, smaller and not so comfortable-looking as Bonnie’s at the inn. She was nowhorrifiedatherselfforleavingthatroom.Thereshehadhadsafety,shehadhadfoodthatshecouldactuallyeat, shehadhadentertainment—even theDustbinswereclothed inagoldenglowof remembrancenow—and shehadhad the chanceofDamon findingher.Hereshehadnothing.

But Eren seemed to have somemesmeric influence on the girls around, orelsetheyallwereAliana-itestoo,becausewhensheshouted“Where’sapallet?I’vegotanewgirl inmybedroom.Thinkshe’sgonnasleepon thebare floor?”Andeventually,adusty pallet was passed hand over hand into Eren’s “bedroom”—a group of pallets allspreadwiththeheadstogetherinthemiddle.Inexchange,Erenhandedoverthewrigglingnapkin Bonnie had given her. “Share and share alike,” she said firmly, and BonniewonderedifshethoughtAlianahadsaidthat,too.

A whistle shrilled. “Ten minutes until lights-out,” a hoarse voice shouted.“Everygirlnotonherpallet in tenminuteswillbepunished.TomorrowsectionCgoesup.”

“Allright!We’regoingtobebloodydeafbeforewe’resold,”Erenmuttered.

“Beforewe’resold?”Bonnie repeatedstupidly,even thoughshehadknownwhatwould happen from the firstmoment she had recognized this as awarehouse forslaves.

Eren turned and spat. “Yeah,” she said. “So you can have one morebreakdown and then that’s it. Only two per customer, and by tomorrow youmaywishyou’dsavedoneup.”

“Iwasn’tgoing tohaveabreakdown,”Bonnie said,withall thecourageather command. “I was going to ask how we’re going to be sold. Is it at one of thosehorriblepublicplaces,whereyouhavetostandinfrontofacrowdinjustashift?”

“Yeah, that’s whatmost of us will be doing,” a young girl, who had beencryingquietlythroughdinnerandthepallet-arrangingtime,spokeupinasoftvoice.“Buttheonestheypickoutasspecialitemswillhavetowait.They’llgiveusabathandspecialclothes, but it’s all just sowe lookmore presentable for the clients. So the clients caninspectusmoreclosely.”Sheshuddered.

“You’refrighteningthenewgirl,Mouse,”Erenscolded.“WecallherMouse,becauseshe’salwayssoscared,”shetoldBonnie.

Bonniesilentlyscreamed,Damon!

Damonwasdeckedoutinhisnewcaptainoftheguardsuit.Itwasnice,beingblackonblack,withlighterblackpiping(evenDamonrecognizedthenecessityofcontrast).Ithadacloak.

And he was a full vampire again, as powerful and prestigious as even he

couldhaveimagined.Foramomenthesimplyluxuriatedinthefeelingofajobwelldone.Thenheflexedhisvampiremusclesmorestrongly,urgingJessalyn,whowasupstairs,intodeepersleep,whilehesenttendrilsofPowerallovertheDarkDimension,samplingwhatwasgoingonindifferentdistricts.

Jessalyn…now therewasadilemma.Damonhad the feeling thathe shouldleaveheranoteorsomething,buthewasn’tquitesurewhattosay.

What could he tell her?That hewas gone?Shewould see that for herself.Thathewassorry?Well,obviouslyhewasn’tsosorrythathe’dchosennottogo.Thathehaddutieselsewhere?

Wait.Thatmightactuallywork.Hecouldtellherthatheneededtocheckupon her territory and that if hewere to stay here in the castle he doubted he’d ever getanythingdone.Hecouldtellherhe’dbeback…soon.Soonish.Soonishly.

Damon pressed his tongue against a canine and felt the prompt rewardingsharpnessandlength.HereallywantedtotryoutthoselegendaryBlackOpsvs.vampiresprograms.Hewanted to hunt, period.Of course, therewas somuchBlackMagicwineabouttheplacethatwhenhestoppedamaleservantandaskedforsome,theservanthadbroughtamagnum.Damonhadbeenhavingfluteseverynowandthen,butwhathereallywantedwas to go hunting.And not to hunt a slave and certainly not ananimal, and ithardlyseemedfairtowanderthestreetsonthechancethattherewasanoblewomantogettoknowbetter.

ItwasatthatmomentthatherememberedBonnie.

Inamatterofthreemoreminuteshehadeverythingheneededtodowrappedup,includingtheannualdeliveryofdozensofrosestotheprincessinhisname.Jessalynhadgivenhimaveryliberalallowance,andalreadyadvancedforthefirstmonth.

Inamatteroffiveminuteshewasflying,thoughthatwasverybadmannersonthestreet,anddoublysoinamarketdistrict.

Inamatteroffifteenminuteshehadhishandsaroundthelandlady’sneck,theone whom he had paid very well to make sure that exactly what had happened neverhappened.

Insixteenminutes,thelandladywasgrimlyofferinghimthelifeofheryoungandnot very intelligent slave as recompense.Hewas stillwearinghis captainof guardsuit.Hecouldhavetheboytokill,totorture,whatever…hecouldhavethemoneyback…

“I don’t want your filthy slave,” he snarled. “I want my own back! She’sworth…”Herehecametoastop,tryingtocalculatehowmanyordinarygirlsBonniewasworth. A hundred? A thousand? “She is worth infinitely more—” he began, when thelandladysurprisedhimbyinterrupting.

“Why’dyouleaveherinadumplikethis,then?”shesaid.“Oh,yes,Iknowwhatmyownlodgingsarelike.Ifshewassodamnprecious,why’dyouleaveherhere?”

Whyhad he left her in this place? Damon couldn’t think now. He’d beenpanicked,halfoutofhismind—thatwaswhatbeinghumanhaddonetohim.He’dbeenthinkingonly about himself,while littleBonnie—fragileBonnie, his little redbird—had

beenshutupinthisfilthyplace.Hedidn’twanttokeepthinkingaboutit.Itmadehimfeelsearinghotandicycoldatonce.

He demanded that a search be made of all the neighborhood buildings.Someonehadtohaveseensomething.

BonniehadbeenawakenedtooearlyandpartedfromErenandMouse.Sheimmediatelyhad an urge to lose control, to have a breakdown at once. Shewas shivering all over.Damon!Helpme!

Then she saw a girlwho couldn’t seem to get up off her pallet and saw awomanwitharmslikeaman’sgooverwithawhiteashrodtoadministerpunishment.

AndthensomethingseemedtogoblankinBonnie’smind.ElenaorMeredithmighthavetriedtostopthewoman,oreventhishugemachinetheywerecaughtin,butBonniecouldn’t.Theonlythingshecoulddowastrynottohaveabreakdown.Shehadasongstuckinherhead,notevenasongsheliked,butitrepeatedendlesslyoverandoverastheslavesaroundherweredehumanized,brokenintomechanical,butclean,mindlessbodies.

Shewas being scrubbedmercilessly by twomuscularwomenwhosewholelifedoubtlessconsistedofscrubbinggrimystreetgirlsintopinkcleanliness—atleastforanight.Butfinallyherprotestsledthewomentoactuallylookather—withherfair,almosttranslucentskinscrubbedraw—andconcentrateinsteadonwashingherhair,whichfeltasif itwerebeingpulledoutat the roots.Finally, though,shewasdoneandwasgivenanadequate towel with which to dry off. Next, in what she was realizing was a giantassemblyline,werekinderplumpwomenwhostrippedoffthetowelandproceededtoputheronacouchandmassageherwithoil.Justwhenshewasstartingtofeelbettershewashustleduptohavetheoil removed,except thatwhichhadsoakedintoherskin.Womenthen appearedwhomeasured her, calling out the numbers as they did, and by the timeBonniehadtrampedtothewardrobestation,threedresseswerewaitingforheronabar.Therewasablackone,agreenone,andagrayone.

I’ll get the green for sure because ofmy hair, Bonnie thought blankly, butaftershehadtriedallthreeon,awomantookthegreenandgrayaway,leavingBonnieinalittleblackbubbledress,strapless,withaglitterytouchofwhitematerialattheneck.

Nextwasagiantsanitaryroom,whereherdresswascarefullycoveredwithawhite paper robe that kept ripping. She was led to a chair with a hair dryer and therudiments ofmakeup,which awhite-shirtedwoman used to put toomuch onBonnie’sface.Thenthehairdryerwasswungoverherhead,andBonnie,withastolentissue,tookoffasmuchmakeupasshedared.Shedidn’twanttolookgood,didn’twanttobesold.Whenshefinishedshehadsilveryeyelids,atouchofblush,andvelvetyrose-redlipstickthatwouldn’twipeoff.

Afterthatshejustsatandfinger-combedherhairuntilitwasdry,whichtheancientmachineannouncedwithaping.

ThenextstationwasabitlikethedayafterThanksgivingatabigshoestore.Thestrongerormoredeterminedgirlsmanagedtowrenchshoesawayfromtheirweaker

sisters and jammed them on one foot, only to start the process again the next minute.Bonniewaslucky.Shesawatinyblackshoethathadafaintlysilverybowcomingdowntherampandkepthereyeonitwhileitpassedfromgirltogirluntilsomeonedroppeditandthensheswoopedinandtriediton.Shedidn’tknowwhatshewouldhavedoneifithadn’tfit.Butitdidfit,andshewenttothenextstationtogetitsmate.Asshesatwaiting,othergirlsweretryingonperfume.Bonniesawtwoentirebottlesgodownthebodicesofgirlsandwonderediftheymeanttosellthemortrytopoisonthemselveswiththem.Therewerealsoflowers.Bonniewasalreadydizzywithperfumeandhaddecidednot towearany,butatallwomanbellowedoverherheadandagarlandoffreesiawaspinnedtoframehercurls,withoutanyoneaskingherpermission.

The last stationwas the hardest to bear. She had on no jewelry andwouldhaveworn only one bracelet with the dress. But she was given two: slim unbreakableplasticbracelets,eachwithanumberonit—heridentityfromnowon,shewastold.

Slavebracelets.Shehadnowbeenwashed,packaged, and stamped, so thatshecouldbeconvenientlysold.

Damon! she cried voicelessly, but something had died inside her, and sheknewnowthathercallswouldnotbeanswered.

“Shewaspickedupasarunawayslaveandconfiscated,”thesweetshopmantoldDamonimpatiently.“Andthat’sallIknow.”

Damonwasleftwithafeelinghedidn’toftenhave.Sickeningterror.Hewasreallybeginningtobelievethatthistimehehadcutittoofine;thathewouldbetoolatetosavehisredbird.Thatanyofseveraldreadfulscenariosmighthaveplayedoutbeforehegottoher.

Hecouldn’tstandtovisualizethemindetail.Whathewoulddoifhedidn’tfindherintime…

He reached out andwithout the slightest effort gripped the sweetshopmanaroundthethroat,liftinghimoffthefloor.

“Weneedtohavealittlechat,”hesaid,turningthefullforceofhismenacingdark eyes on the bulging ones of his prey. “About justhow she got confiscated.Don’tstruggle.Ifyouhaven’thurtthegirl,you’vegotnothingtofear.Ifyouhave…”

Hepulledtheterrifiedmancompletelyacrossthecounterandsaidverysoftly,“Ifyouhave,then,byallmeansstruggle.Itwon’tmakeanydifferenceintheend—ifyouknowwhatImean?”

ThegirlswereputintothelargestcarriagesBonniehadyetseenintheDarkDimension,threeslimgirlstoaseatandtwosetsofseatsinacarriage.Shegotanastyjolt,though,when insteadofgoingforward likeacarriage, thewhole thingwas liftedstraightupbysweaty male slaves straining at poles. It was a giant litter and Bonnie immediatelysnatched off her freesia garland and buried her nose in it. It had the added function ofhidinghertears.

“Do you have any idea of howmany homes and dancing rooms and halls and theaterstherearewheregirlsarebeingsoldtonight?”Thegolden-hairedGuardianlookedathimsardonically.

“IfIknewthat,”Damonsaidwithacoldandominoussmile,“Iwouldn’tbehereaskingyou.”

TheGuardianshrugged.“Ourjobisreallyonlytotrytokeepthepeacehere—andyoucan seehowwellwe succeed. It’s amatterof too fewofus;we’re insanelyunderstaffed.ButIcangiveyoualistofthevenueswheregirlsarebeingsold.Still,asIsaid,Idoubtyou’llbeabletofindyourrunawaybeforemorning.Andbytheway,we’llhaveaneyeonyou,becauseofyour littlequery. If your runawaywasn’t a slave, she’sImperialproperty—nohumansarefreehere.Ifshewas,andyoufreedher,asreportedbythebakeracrossthestreet—”

“Sweet-seller.”

“Whatever.Thenhehadarighttouseastungunwhensheran.Betterforher,really,thanbeingImperialproperty;theytendtochar,ifyougetmydrift.Thatlevel’salongwaydown.”

“Butifshewasaslave—myslave…”

“Then you can have her. But there’s a certain mandatory punishment setbeforeyoucanhaveher.Wewanttodiscouragethiskindofthing.”

Damonlookedatherwitheyesthatmadehershrinkandlookaway,abruptlylosingherauthority.“Why?”hedemanded.“I thoughtyouclaimedtobefromtheotherCourt.Youknow.TheCelestialone?”

“Wewanttodiscouragerunawaysbecausethere’vebeensomanysincesomegirlnamedAliannacamearound,” theGuardiansaid,herfrightenedpulsevisible inhertemple.“Andthentheygetcaughtandhaveevenmorereasontotryitagain…anditwearsoutthegirl,eventually.”

TherewasnooneintheGreatHallwhenBonnieandtheotherswerehustledoffthegiantlitterandintothebuilding.

“It’s a new one, so it’s not on the lists,”Mouse said, unexpectedly at hershoulder.“Notthatmanypeoplewillknowaboutit,soitdoesn’tfilluptilllate,whenthemusicgetsloud.”

Mouseseemed tobeclinging toher forcomfort.Thatwas fine,butBonnieneeded some comfort of her own.The nextminute she sawEren and, draggingMousebehindher,headedfortheblondgirl.

Erenwasstandingwithherbackagainstthewall.“Well,wecanstandaroundlikewallflowers,”shesaid,asafewmencamein,“orwecanlooklikewe’rehavingthebesttimeofanyofthemrightherebyourselves.Whoknowsastory?”

“Oh, I do,” Bonnie said absently, thinking of the star ball with its Five

HundredStoriesforYoungOnes.

Instantlytherewasaclamor.“Tellit!”“Yes,pleasetell!”

Bonnietriedtothinkofthefairytalesthatshehadexperienced.

Ofcourse.Theoneaboutthekitsunetreasure.

16

“Onceuponatime,”beganBonnie,“therewereayounggirlandboy…”

She was immediately interrupted. “What were their names?” “Were theyslaves?”“Wheredidtheylive?”“Weretheyvampires?”

Bonnie almost forgot her misery and laughed. “Their names were…Jackand…Jill.Theywerekitsune,andtheylivedwayupnorthinthekitsunesectoraroundtheGreatCrossings…”Andsheproceeded,albeitwithmanyexcitedinterruptions,totellthestoryshehadgottenfromthestarball.

“So,”Bonnieconcludednervously,assheopenedhereyesandrealized thatshe’dattractedquiteacrowdwithherstory,“that’sthetaleoftheSevenTreasures,and—andIsupposethemoralis—don’tbetoogreedy,oryouwon’tendupwithanything.”

Therewasalotof laughter, thenervousgigglingof thegirlsandthe“Haw!Hawhaw!”kindoflaughterfromthecrowdbehindthem.WhichBonnienownoticedwasentirelymale.

Onepartofhermindstartedunconsciouslytogointoflirtmode.Anotherpartimmediatelysquashed it.Theseweren’tboys looking foradance; thesewereogresandvampiresandkitsuneandevenmenwithmustaches—andtheywantedtobuyher inherlittleblackbubbledress,andasniceasthedressmightbeforsomethings,itwasn’tlikethe long, jeweled gowns that Lady Ulma had made for them. Then they had beenprincesses,wearingafortune’sworthof jewelsat their throatsandwristsandhair—andbesides,theyhadhadfierceprotectionwiththematalltimes.

Butnow,shewaswearingsomethingthatfeltalotlikeababy-dollnightgownanddelicatelittleshoeswithsilverybows.Andshewasn’tprotectedbecausethissocietysaidyouhadtohavementobeprotected,and,worstofall…shewasaslave.

“Iwonder,”saidagolden-hairedman,moving through thegirlsaroundher,allofwhomhurriedoutofhiswayexceptMouseandEren,“Iwonder ifyouwouldgoupstairswithmeandperhapstellmeastory—inprivate.”

Bonnietriedtoswallowhergasp.NowshewastheonehangingontoMouseandEren.

“All such requestsmust go throughme.Noone is to take a girl out of theroomunless I approve,”announcedawoman ina full-lengthdress,witha sympathetic,almostMadonna-like face.“Thatwillbe treatedas theftofmymistress’sproperty.AndI’m sure we don’t all want to be arrested as if we’d been caught carrying off thesilverware,”shesaidandlaughedlightly.

Therewas equally light laughter among the guests as well, andmovementtowardthewoman—atasortofmannerlyrun.

“You tell really good stories,”Mouse said in her soft voice. “It’smore funthanusingastarball.”

“Mouse, here, is right,” Eren said, grinning. “You do tell good stories. I

wonderifthatplacereallyexists.”

“Well,Igotitoutofastarball,”Bonniesaid.“Onethatthegirl—um,Jill,puthermemories in,I think—butthenhowdiditgetoutof that tower?HowdidsheknowwhathappenedtoJack?AndIreadastoryaboutagiantdragonandthatfeltrealtoo.Howdotheydoit?”

“Oh, they trick you,” Eren said, waving a dismissive hand. “They havesomebodygosomeplacecoldforthescenery—anogreprobably,becauseoftheweather.”

Bonnienodded.She’dmetmauve-skinnedogresbefore.Theyonlydifferedfromdemonsintheirlevelofstupidity.Atthislevel,theytendedtobestupidinsociety,andshe’dheardDamonsaywithacurledlipthattheonesthatwereoutofsocietywerehiredmuscle.Thugs.

“And the rest they just fake somehow—Idon’t know.Never really thoughtaboutit.”ErenlookedupatBonnie.“You’reanoddone,aren’tyou,Bonny?”

“Am I?” Bonnie asked. She and the two other girls had revolved, withoutlettinggoofhands.ThismeantthattherewassomespacebehindBonnie.Shedidn’tlikethat. But, then, she didn’t like anything about being a slave. She was starting tohyperventilate.ShewantedMeredith.ShewantedElena.Shewantedoutofhere.

“Um,youguysprobablydon’twanttoassociatewithmeanymore,”shesaiduncomfortably.

“Huh?”saidEren.

“Why?”askedMouse.

“BecauseI’mrunningthroughthatdoor.Ihavetogetout.Ihaveto.”

“Kid,calmdown,”Erensaid.“Justkeepbreathing.”

“No,youdon’tunderstand.”Bonnieputherheaddown,toshadeoutsomeoftheworld.“Ican’tbelongtosomebody.I’mgoingcrazy.”

“Sh,Bonny,they’re—”

“Ican’tstayhere,”Bonnieburstout.

“Well, that’sprobablyall tothegood,”aterriblevoice,rightinfrontofher,said.

No!Oh,God.No,no,no,no,no!

“Whenwe’re inanewbusinessweworkhard,” theMadonna-likewoman’svoice said. “We look up at prospective customers. We don’t misbehave or we arepunished.”And even thoughhervoicewas sweet as pecanpie,Bonnie somehowknewthattheharshvoiceinthenightshoutingatthemtofindapalletandstayonit,hadbeenthissamewoman.

AndnowtherewasastronghandunderherchinandBonniecouldn’tkeepitfromforcingherheadup,orfromcoveringhermouthwhenshescreamed.

Infrontofher,withthedelicatepointedearsofafox,andthelongsweeping

blacktailofafoxbutotherwiselookinghuman,lookinglikearegularguywearingjeansandasweater,wasShinichi.Andinhisgoldeneyesshecouldsee,twistingandturning,alittle scarlet flame that justmatched the red on the tip of his tail and the hair that fellacrosshisforehead.

Shinichi.Hewashere.Ofcoursehecouldtravelthroughthedimensions;hestillhadafullstarballthatnoneofElena’sgrouphadeverfoundaswellasthosemagicalkeys Elena had told Bonnie about. Bonnie remembered the horrible night when trees,actual trees,had turned intosomething thatcouldunderstandandobeyhim.Abouthowfourofthemeachgrabbedoneofherarmsandlegsandpulled,asiftheywereplanningtopullherapart.Shecouldfeeltearsleakingoutbehindhershuteyelids.

And theOldWood.He’dcontrolledeveryaspectof it,everycreeper to tripyou,everytreetofallinfrontofyourcar.UntilElenahadblastedallbutthatonethicketoftheOldWood,ithadbeenfullofterrifyinginsect-likecreaturesStefancalledmalach.

But now Bonnie’s hands were behind her back and she heard somethingfastenwithaveryfinal-soundingclick.

No…oh,pleaseno…

Butherhandsweredefinitelyfixedinplace.Andthensomeone—anogreoravampire—pickedherupasthelovelywomangaveShinichiasmallkeyoffakeyringfullofidenticalkeys.Shinichihandedthistoabigogrewhosefingersweresolargethattheyeclipsedit.AndthenBonnie,whowasscreaming,wasquicklywhiskedupfourflightsofstairsandaheavydoorthunkedshutbehindher.TheogrecarryingherfollowedShinichi,whose sleek scarlet-tipped tail swung jauntily from a hole in his jeans, back and forth,backandforth.Bonniethought:That’ssatisfaction.Hethinkshe’swonthisalready.

ButunlessDamonreallyhadforgottenhercompletely,hewouldhurtShinichiforthis.Maybehewouldkillhim.Itwasanoddlycomfortingthought.Itwasevenro—

No, it’snot romantic,younitwit!Youhave to findaway togetoutof thismess!Deathisnotromantic,it’shorrible!

Theyhadreachedthefinaldoorsattheendofthehall.Shinichiturnedrightandwalkedallthewaydownalongcorridor.Theretheogreusedthekeytoopenadoor.

Theroomhadanadjustableoverheadgaslight.ItwasdimbutShinichisaid,“Canwe have a little illumination, please?” in a false polite voice, and the other ogrehurriedandturnedthelightuptointerrogation-lamp-in-your-facelevel.

The roomwas a sort of bedroom-den combination, the kind you’d get at adecent hotel. It had a couch and some chairs on the upper level. Therewas awindow,closed, on the left side of the room.Therewas also awindowon the right side of theroom,wherealltheotherroomsshouldbeinaline.ThiswindowhadnocurtainsorblindsthatcouldbedrawnanditreflectedBonnie’spalefacebackather.Sheknewatoncewhatitwas,atwo-waymirror,sothatpeopleintheroombehinditcouldseeintothisroombutnotbeseen.Thecouchandchairswerepositionedtofaceit.

Beyondthesittingroom,off toher left,was thebed. Itwasn’taveryfancybed,justwhitecoversthatlookedpink,becausetherewasarealwindowonthatsidethat

was almost in a linewith the sun, sitting as it alwayswas, on the horizon.Right now,Bonniehateditmorethaneverbeforebecauseitturnedeverylight-coloredobjectintheroompink,rose,oroutrightred.Thebowatherownbodicewasdeeppinknow.Shewasgoingtodiesaturatedwiththecolorofblood.

Somethingonsomedeeperleveltoldherthathermindwasthinkingofsuchthingsasdistractions,thateventhinkingabouthatingtodieinsuchajuvenilecolorwasrunningawayfromthebitinthemiddle,thedyingbit.Buttheogreholdinghermovedheraround as if she weighed nothing, and Bonnie kept having little thoughts—were theypremonitions? Oh, God, let them not be premonitions!—about going out of that redwindow in a sitting position, the glass no impediment to her body being thrown at atremendousforce.Andhowmanystoriesupwerethey?Highenough,anyway,thattherewasnohopeoflandingwithout…well,dying.

Shinichi smiled, lounging by the redwindow, playingwith the cord to theblinds.

“Idon’tevenknowwhatyouwantfromme!”BonniefoundherselfsayingtoShinichi.“I’veneverbeenabletohurtyou.Itwasyouhurtingotherpeople—likeme!—allthetime.”

“Well, there were your friends,” murmured Shinichi. “Although I seldomwreakmy dread revenge against lovely youngwomenwith red-gold hair.”He loungedbesidethewindowandexaminedher,murmuring,“Hairofred-gold;hearttrueandbold.Perhapsascold…”

Bonniefeltlikescreaming.Didn’therememberher?Hecertainlyseemedtohave remembered theirgroup, sincehe’dmentioned revenge.“Whatdoyouwant?”shegasped.

“You are a hindrance, I’m afraid. And I find you very suspicious—anddelicious.Youngwomenwithred-goldhairarealwayssoelusive.”

Bonnie couldn’t find anything to say.Fromeverything she’d seen,Shinichiwas a nutcase. But a very dangerous psychopathic nutcase. And all he enjoyed wasdestroyingthings.

In just onemoment there could be a crash through thewindow—and thenshe’dbesittingonair.Andthenthefallwouldbegin.Whatwouldthatfeellike?Orwouldshealreadybefalling?Sheonlyhopedthatatthebottomitwasquick.

“Youseemtohavelearnedalotaboutmypeople,”Shinichisaid.“Morethanmost.”

“Please,”Bonniesaiddesperately.“If it’sabout thestory—all Iknowaboutkitsune is thatyou’redestroyingmytown.And—”Shestoppedshort, realizing thatshecouldneverlethimknowwhathadhappenedinherout-of-bodyexperience.Soshecouldnevermention the jarsorhe’dknowthat theyknewhowtocatchhim.“Andyouwon’tstop,”shefinishedlamely.

“And yet you found an ancient star ball with stories about our legendarytreasures.”

“Aboutwhat?Youmeanfromthatkiddystarball?Look,ifyou’lljustleavemealoneI’llgive it toyou.”Sheknewexactlywhereshe’d left it, too, rightbesidehersorryexcuseforapillow.

“Oh, we’ll leave you alone…in time, I assure you,” Shinichi said with anunnervingsmile.HehadasmilelikeDamon’s,whichwasn’tmeanttosay“Hello;Iwon’thurtyou.”Itwasmorelike“Hullo!Here’smylunch!”

“I find it…curious,” Shinichi went on, still fiddling with the cord. “Verycuriousthatjustinthemiddleofourlittledispute,youarrivehereintheDarkDimensionagain,alone,apparentlywithout fear,andmanage tobargain forastarball.Anorb thatjust happens to detail the locationof ourmost priceless treasures thatwere stolen fromus…along,longtimeago.”

Youdon’tcareaboutanybodybutyourself,Bonniethought.You’resuddenlyactingallpatrioticandstuff,butinFell’sChurchyoudidn’tpretendtocareaboutanythingbuthurtingpeople.

“Inyourlittletown,asinothertownsthroughouthistory,Ihadorderstodowhat Idid,”Shinichisaid,andBonnie’sheartplungedrightdown tohershoes.Hewastelepathic.Heknewwhatshewasthinking.He’dheardherthinkingaboutthejars.

Shinichismirked.“Little towns like theoneonUnmeinoShimahave tobewipedoffthefaceoftheearth,”hesaid.“DidyouseethenumberofleylinesofPowerunder it?” Another smirk. “But of course you weren’t really there, so you probablydidn’t.”

“Ifyoucan tellwhat I’mthinking,youknowthatstoryabout treasureswasjustastory,”Bonniesaid.“ItwasinthestarballcalledFiveHundredStories forYoungOnes.It’snotreal.”

“Howstrange then that itcoincidessoexactlywithwhat theSevenKitsuneGatesaresupposedtohavebehindthem.”

“Itwasinthemiddleofabunchofstoriesaboutthe—theDüz-Aht-Bhi’iens.Imeanthestoryrightbeforeitwasaboutakidbuyingcandy,”Bonniesaid.“Sowhydon’tyou justgoget thestarball insteadof trying toscareme?”Hervoicewasbeginning totremble.“It’sattheinnrightacrossthestreetfromtheshopwhereIwas—arrested.Justgoandgetit!”

“Of course we’ve tried that,” Shinichi said impatiently. “The landladywasquitecooperativeafterwegavehersome…compensation.There isnosuchstory in thatstarball.”

“That’snotpossible!”Bonniesaid.“WheredidIgetit,then?”

“That’swhatI’maskingyou.”

Stomachfluttering,Bonniesaid,“Howmanystarballsdidyoulookatinthatbrownroom?”

Shinichi’s eyes went blurry briefly. Bonnie tried to listen, but he wasobviouslyspeakingtelepathicallytosomeoneclose,onatightfrequency.

Finallyhesaid,“Twenty-eightstarballs,exactly.”

Bonnie felt as if she’d been clubbed. Shewasn’t going crazy—shewasn’t.She’dexperiencedthatstory.Shekneweveryfissureineveryrock,everyshadowinthesnow.Theonly answerswere that the real star ball hadbeen stolen, or—ormaybe thattheyhadn’tlookedhardenoughattheonestheyhad.

“The story is there,” she insisted. “Right before it is the story about littleMaritgoingtoa—”

“Weprobedthe tableofcontents.There is thestoryaboutachildand”—helookedscornful—“asweetshop.Butnottheother.”

Bonniejustshookherhead.“IswearI’mtellingthetruth.”

“WhyshouldIbelieveyou?”

“Whydoes itmatter?Howcould Imake something like thatup?AndwhywouldItellastoryIknewwouldgetmeintrouble?Itdoesn’tmakeanysense.”

Shinichistaredatherhard.Thenheshrugged,hisearsflatagainsthishead.“Whatapityyoukeepsayingthat.”

Suddenly Bonnie’s heart was pounding in her chest, in her tight throat.“Why?”

“Because,” Shinichi said coolly, pulling the blinds completely open so thatBonniewasabruptlydrenchedinthecoloroffreshblood,“I’mafraidthatnowwehavetokillyou.”

Theogreholdingherstrodetowardthewindow.Bonniescreamed.Inplaceslikethis,sheknewscreamswentunheard.

Shedidn’tknowwhatelsetodo.

17

MeredithandMattweresittingatthebreakfasttable,whichseemedsadlyemptywithoutBonnie. Itwas amazing howmuch space that slight body had seemed to fill, and howmuchmoreseriouseveryonewaswithouther.MeredithknewthatifElenahaddoneherbest, she couldhaveoffset it.But she alsoknew thatElenahadone thingonhermindaboveallothers,andthatwasStefan,whowasstrickenwithguiltforallowinghisbrotherto abductBonnie.AndmeanwhileMeredith knew that both she andMattwere feelingguilty too, because today they would be leaving the other three, even if only for theevening.Theyeachhadbeensummonedhomebyparentswhodemandedtoseethemfordinner.

Mrs. Flowers clearly didn’t want them to feel too badly. “With the helpyou’vegiven,Icanmakeoururns,”shesaid.“SinceMatthasfoundmywheel—”

“I didn’t exactly find it,” Matt said under his breath. “It was there in thestorageroomallthetimeanditfellonme.”

“—and sinceMeredith has received her pictures—along, I’m sure,with anemailfromMr.Saltzman—perhapsshecouldgetthemenlargedorwhatever.”

“Ofcourse,andshowthemtotheSaitous,too,tomakesurethatthesymbolssaythethingswewantthemto,”Meredithpromised.“AndBonniecan—”

Shebrokeoff short. Idiot!Shewasan idiot, she thought.And, asahunter-slayer, shewas supposed to be clear-minded and at all timesmaintain control. She feltterriblewhenshelookedatMattandsawthenakedpaininhisface.

“DearBonniewillsurelybehomesoon,”Mrs.Flowersfinishedforher.

And we all know that’s a lie, and I don’t have to be psychic to detect it,Meredith thought.Shenoticed thatMrs.Flowershadn’tweighed inwithanything fromMama.

“We’ll all be just fine here,” Elena said, finally picking up the ball as sherealizedthatMrs.Flowerswaslookingatherwithladylikedistress.“Youtwothinkwe’resome kind of babies who need to be taken care of,” she said, smiling at Matt andMeredith,“butyou’rejustbabiestoo!Offyougo!Butbecareful.”

They went, Meredith giving Elena one last glance. Elena nodded veryslightly, then turned stiffly, mimicking holding a bayonet. It was the changing of theguard.

Elena letStefanhelp her cleanup the dishes—theywere all lettinghimdo little thingsnowbecausehelookedsomuchbetter.TheyspentthemorningtryingtocontactBonnieindifferentways.ButthenMrs.FlowersaskedifElenacouldboardupthelastfewofthebasementwindows,andStefancouldn’tstandit.MattandMeredithhadalreadydoneafarmoredangerousjob.They’dhungtwotarpsfromthehouse’sridgepole,eachonehangingdownonesideofthemainroof.OneachtarpwerethecharactersthatIsobel’smotherput

onthePost-itNoteamuletsshealwaysgavethem,paintedatanenormousscaleinblackpaint.Stefanhadbeenallowedonlytowatchandgivesuggestionsfromthewidow’swalkabovehisatticbedroom.Butnow…

“We’ll nail up the boards together,” he said firmly, and went off to get ahammerandnails.

It wasn’t really such a hard job anyway. Elena held the boards and Stefanwieldedthehammerandshetrustedhimnottohitherfingers,whichmeantthattheygotonveryquickly.

Itwasaperfectday—clear,sunny,withaslightbreeze.ElenawonderedwhatwashappeningtoBonnie,rightnow,andifDamonwastakingcareofherproperly—oratall.Sheseemedunabletoshakeoffherworriestheselastdays:overStefan,overBonnie,andoveracuriousfeelingthatshehad toknowwhatwasgoingonintown.Maybeshecoulddisguiseherself…

God,no!Stefansaidvoicelessly.Whenshe turnedhewasspittingoutnailsandlookingbothhorrifiedandashamed.Apparentlyshe’dbeenprojecting.

“I’msorry,”hesaidbeforeElenacouldget thenailsoutofhermouth,“butyouknowbetterthananyonewhyyoucan’tgo.”

“But it’s maddening not knowing what’s happening,” Elena said, havinggottenridofhernails.“Wedon’tknowanything.What’shappeningtoBonnie,whatstatethetown’sin—”

“Let’sfinishthisboard,”Stefansaid.“Andthenletmeholdyou.”

When the last board was secure, Stefan raised her from the lowerembankmentwhereshewassitting,notbride-style,butkid-style,puttinghertoesontopofhisfeet.Hedancedheralittle,whirledheracoupleoftimesintheair,andthennabbedhercomingdownagain.

“Iknowyourproblem,”hesaidsoberly.

Elenalookedupquickly.“Youdo?”shesaid,alarmed.

Stefannodded,andtoherfurtheralarmsaid,“It’sLove-itis.Meansthepatienthasawholeslewofpeopleshecaresabout,andshecan’tbehappyunlesseachandeveryoneofthemissafeandhappythemselves.”

Elenadeliberately slippedoffhis shoes and lookedupat him. “Somemorethanothers,”shesaidhesitantly.

Stefanlookeddownatherandthenhetookherinhisarms.“I’mnotasgoodas you,” he said while Elena’s heart pounded in shame and remorse for ever havingtouchedDamon,everhavingdancedwithhim,everhavingkissedhim.“Ifyouarehappy,that’sallIwant,afterthatprison.Icanlive;Icandie…peacefully.”

“Ifwe’rehappy,”Elenacorrected.

“Iwon’ttemptthegods.I’llsettleforyou.”

“No,youcan’t!Don’tyousee?Ifyoudisappearedagain,I’dworryandfret

andfollowyou.ToHellifIhadto.”

“I’lltakeyouwithmewhereverIgo,”Stefansaidhastily.“Ifyou’lltakemewithyou.”

Elena relaxedslightly.Thatwoulddo, fornow.As longasStefanwaswithhershecouldstandanything.

Theysatandcuddled,rightundertheopensky,evenwithamapletreeandaclumpofslenderwavingbeechesnearby.Sheextendedherauraa littleandfelt it touchStefan’s.Peacefloodedintoher,andallthedarkthoughtswereleftbehind.Almostall.

“SinceIfirstsawyou,I lovedyou—but itwas thewrongkindof love.Seehowlongittookmetofigurethatout?”Elenawhisperedintothehollowofhisthroat.

“SinceIfirstsawyou,Ilovedyou—butIdidn’tknowwhoyoureallywere.Youwere likeaghost in adream.Butyouputme straightprettyquickly,”Stefan said,obviouslygladthathecouldbragabouther.“Andwe’vesurvived—everything.Theysaylong-distance relationships can be pretty difficult,” he added, laughing, and then hestopped,andshecouldfeelallhisfacultiesfixedonhersuddenly,breathstoppingsohecouldhearherbetter.

“Butthen,there’sBonnieandDamon,”hesaidbeforeshecouldsayorthinkaword.“Wehave tofind themsoon—andthey’ddamnwellbetterbe together—or ithadbetterhavebeenBonnie’sdecisiontopart.”

“There’sBonnieandDamon,”agreedElena,glad that shecouldshareevenherdarkestthoughtswithsomeone.“Ican’tthinkaboutthem.Ican’tnotthinkaboutthem.Wedo have to find them, and very fast—but I pray that they’rewithLadyUlma now.MaybeBonnie isgoing toaballorgala.MaybeDamonishuntingwith thatBlackOpsprogram.”

“Aslongasnobody’sreallyhurt.”

“Yes.”Elena tried hard to tuck herself closer toStefan. Shewanted to—beclosertohim,somehow.Thewaytheyhadwhenshehadbeenoutofherbodyandshehadjustsunkintohim.

Butofcourse,withregularbodies,theycouldn’t…

Butofcoursetheycould.Now.Herblood…

Elenareallydidn’tknowwhichofthemthoughtofitfirst.Shelookedaway,embarrassedatevenhavingconsideredit—andcaughtthetailendofStefanlookingawaytoo.

“Idon’t thinkwehave the right,”shewhispered.“Not to—be thathappy—wheneveryoneelseismiserable.OrdoingthingsforthetownorforBonnie.”

“Ofcoursewedon’t,”Stefansaidfirmly,buthehadtogulpalittlefirst.

“No,”Elenasaid.

“No,”Stefansaidfirmly,andthenrightinthemiddleofherechoing“no,”hewentandpulledherupandkissedherbreathless.

And of course, Elena couldn’t let him do that and not get even. So shedemanded,stillbreathless,butalmostangry,thathesay“no”again,andwhenhediditshecaughthimandkissedhim.

“Youwerehappy,”sheaccusedamomentlater.“Ifeltit.”

Stefanwastoomuchofagentlemantoaccuseherofbeinghappybecauseofanythingshemightdo.Hesaid, “I couldn’thelp it. It justhappenedby itself. I feltourmindstogether,andthatmademehappy.ButthenIrememberedaboutpoorBonnie.And—”

“PoorDamon?”

“Well, somehow I don’t think we need to go so far as to call him ‘poorDamon.’ButIdidrememberhim,”hesaid.

“Welldone,”Elenasaid.

“We’d better go inside now,” Stefan said. And then hastily, “Downstairs, Imean.Maybewecanthinkofsomethingmoretodoforthem.”

“Likewhat?There’snotathingIcanthinkof.IdidmeditationandAttempttoContactbyOut-of-BodyExperience—”

“From nine thirty to ten thirty A.M.,” Stefan said. “And meanwhile I wastryingallfrequencytelepathiccalls.Noresponse.”

“ThenwetriedwiththeOuijaboard.”

“Forhalfanhour—andallwegotwasnonsense.”

“Itdidtellustheclaywascoming.”

“Ithinkthatwasmebumpingittoward‘yes.’”

“ThenItriedtotapintotheleylinesbelowusforPower—”

“Fromeleventoaroundeleventhirty,”Stefanrecited.“WhileItriedtogointohibernationtohaveapropheticdream….”

“Wereallytriedhard,”Elenasaidgrimly.

“Andthenwenailedthelastfewboardsup,”Stefanadded.“BringingustoalittleaftertwelvethirtyP.M.”

“Can you think of a single Plan—we’re down toG orH now—thatmightallowustohelpthemanymore?”

“Ican’t.Ijusthonestlycan’t,”Stefansaid.Thenheadded,hesitantly,“MaybeMrs.Flowershassomehouseworkforus.Or”—evenmorehesitantly, testingthewaters—“wecouldgointotown.”

“No!You’redefinitelynotstrongenoughforthat!”Elenasaidsharply.“Andthere’s nomore housework,” she added.Then she threw everything to thewind.Everyresponsibility.Every rationality. Just like that. She began to towStefan to the house sotheycouldgettherequicker.

“Elena—”

I’mburningmybridges!Elena thought stubbornly, and suddenly shedidn’tcare.And ifStefancared shewouldbite him.But itwasas if somespellhad suddenlycomeoverhersothatshefeltshewoulddiewithouthistouch.Shewantedtotouchhim.Shewantedhimtotouchher.Shewantedhimtobehermate.

“Elena!” Stefan could hearwhat shewas thinking.Hewas torn, of course,Elenathought.Stefanwasalwaystorn.Buthowdarehebetornaboutthis?

Sheturnedaroundtofacehim,blazing.“Youdon’twantto!”

“Idon’twanttodoitandthenfindoutI’veInfluencedyouintoit!”

“YouwereInfluencingme?”shoutedElena.

Stefanthrewouthishandsandyelled,“HowcanIknowwhenIwantyousomuch?”

Oh.Well,thatwasbetter.TherewasalittleglitterinElena’sside-eyeandshelookedatitandrealizedthatMrs.Flowershadquietlyshutawindow.

ElenadartedaglanceatStefan.Hewastryingnottoblush.Shedoubledover,tryingnottolaugh.Thenshestoodonhisshoesagain.

“Maybewedeserveanhouralone”—dangerously.

“A whole hour?” Stefan’s conspiratorial whisper made an hour sound likeeternity.

“Wedodeserveit,”Elenasaid,enthralled.Shebegantotowhimagain.

“No.” Stefan pulled her back, lifted her—bridal-style—and suddenly theyweregoingstraightup,fast.Theyshotupthreestoriesandalittlemoreandlandedontheplatformofthewidow’swalkabovehisroom.

“Butit’slockedfrominside—”

Stefanstompedonthetrapdoor—hard.Thedoordisappeared.

Elenawasimpressed.

TheyfloateddownintoStefan’sroomamidashaftoflightandmotesofdustthatlookedlikefirefliesorstars.

“I’malittlenervous,”Elenasaid.

Sheheeledher sandalsoffandslidoutofher jeansand topand intobed…onlytofindStefanalreadythere.

They’re faster, she thought. As fast as you think you are, they’re alwaysfaster.

She turned toward Stefan in the bed. She was wearing a camisole andunderwear.Shewasscared.

“Don’t,”hesaid.“Idon’tevenhavetobiteyou.”

“Youdoso.It’sallthatweirdstuffaboutmyblood.”

“Oh, yeah,” he said, as if he’d forgotten. Elena would bet that he hadn’tforgotten a word about her blood…allowing vampires to do things they couldn’totherwise.Herlifeenergygavethembackalltheirhumanabilities,andhewouldn’tforgetthat.

They’resmarter,shethought.

“Stefan,it’snotsupposedtobelikethis!I’msupposedtoparadeinfrontofyouinagoldennegligeedesignedbyLadyUlma,withjewelsbyLucenandgoldenstilts—whichIdon’town.Andtherearesupposedtobescatteredflowerpetalsonthebedandrosesinlittleroundbubblebowlsandwhitevanillacandles.”

“Elena,”Stefansaid,“comehere.”

Shewentintohisarms,andletherselfbreatheinthefreshsmellofhim,warmandspicy,withatraceofrustynails.

You’remylife,Stefantoldhersilently.We’renotgoingtodoanythingtoday.There’snotmuchtime,andyoudeserveyourgoldennegligeeandyourrosesandcandles.IfnotfromLadyUlma,fromthefinestEarthdesignersthatmoneycanprovide.But…kissme?

Elenakissedhimwillingly,sogladthathewaswillingtowait.Thekisswaswarmandcomfortingandshedidn’tmindtheslighttasteofrust.Anditwaswonderfultobewithsomeonewhowouldprovideexactlywhatsheneeded,whetherthatwasaslightmindprobe,justtomakeherfeelsafer,or…

And then sheet lightninghit them. It seemed tocome frombothof thematonce,andthenElenainvoluntarilyclampedherteethonStefan’slip,drawingblood.

Stefan locked his arms around her, and barelywaited for her to back off alittle, before deliberately taking her lower lip in his own teeth and…after amoment oftensionthatseemedtolastforever…bitingdownhard.

Elena almost cried out. She almost then and there unleashed the still-undefinedWings of Destruction on him. But two things stopped her. One, Stefan hadnever,everhurtherbefore.And,two,shewasbeingdrawnintosomethingsoancientandmysticalthatshecouldn’tstopnow.

Aminute of finessing and Stefan had the two littlewounds aligned.Bloodsurged from Elena’s bleeding lip and, in direct connection with Stefan’s less seriouswound,causedabackflow.Herbloodintohislip.

And the same thing happened with Stefan’s blood; some of it, rich withPower,rushedintoElena.

Itwasn’tperfect.AbeadofbloodswelledandstoodgleamingonElena’slip.ButElenacouldn’thavecaredless.AmomentlaterthebeaddroppeddownintoStefan’smouthandshefeltthesheerstaggeringpowerofhowmuchhelovedher.

Sheherselfwas concentratingonone single tiny feeling, somewhere in thecenterofthisstormthey’dcalledup.Thiskindofexchangeofblood—shewassureasshecouldbe—thiswastheoldway,thewaythattwovampirescouldsharebloodandloveand

their souls. She was being drawn into Stefan’s mind. She felt his soul, pure andunconstrained,swirlingaroundherwithathousanddifferentemotions,tearsfromhispast,joyfromthepresent,allopenwithoutatraceofashieldfromher.

Shefeltherownsoullifttomeethis,herselfunshieldedandunafraid.Stefanhad long ago seen any selfishness, vanity, over-ambition in her—and forgiven it. He’dseenallofherandlovedallofher,eventhebadparts.

And so she saw him, as darkness as tender as rest, as gentle as evensong,wrappingblackprotectivewingsaroundher…

Stefan,I…

Love…Iknow…

Thatwaswhensomeoneknockedonthedoor.

18

AfterbreakfastMattwentonlinetofindtwostores,neitherinFell’sChurch,thathadtheamountofclayMrs.Flowerssaidshe’dneedand thatsaid they’ddeliver.Butafter thatthere was the matter of driving away from the boardinghouse and by the last lonelyremainsofwhere theOldWoodhadbeen.Hedroveby the little thicketwhereShinichioftencamelikeademonicPiedPiperwiththepossessedchildrenshufflingbehindhim—theplacewhereSheriffMossberghadgoneafterthemandhadn’tcomeout.Where,later,protectedbymagicalwardsonPost-itNotes,heandTyroneAlperthadpulledoutabare,chewedfemur.

Today, he figured the only way to get past the thicket was to work hiswheezingjunkcarupbystages,anditwasactuallygoingoversixtywhenheflewbythethicket,evenmanagingtohittheturnperfectly.Notreesfellonhim,noswarmsoffoot-longbugs.

Hewhispered“Whoa,”inreliefandheadedforhome.Hedreadedthat—butsimplydrivingthroughFell’sChurchwassohorribleitgluedhistonguetothetopofhismouth.Itlooked—thispretty,innocentlittletownwherehehadgrownup—asifitwereoneofthoseneighborhoodsyousawonTVorontheInternetthathadbeenbombed,orsomething.Andwhetheritwasbombsordisasterousfires,onehouseinfourwassimplyrubble. A few were half-rubble, with police tape enclosing them, which meant thatwhatever had happened had happened early enough for the police to care—or dare.Around the burned-out bits the vegetation flourished strangely: a decorative bush fromonehousegrownsoas tobehalfwayacrossaneighbor’sgrass.Vinesdippingfromonetreetoanother,toanother,asifthisweresomeancientjungle.

Hishomewasrightinthemiddleofalongblockofhousesfullofkids—andinsummer,whengrandchildreninevitablycametovisit,therewereevenmorekids.Mattjusthopedthatthatpartofsummervacationwasdone…butwouldShinichiandMisaoletthe youngsters go home?Matt had no idea. And, if theywent home,would they keepspreadingthediseaseintheirownhometowns?Wherediditstop?

Drivingdownhisblock,though,Mattsawnothinghideous.Therewerekidsplayingoutonthefrontlawns,orthesidewalks,crouchingovermarbles,hangingoutinthetrees.Therewasnosingleovertthingthathecouldputhisfingeronthatwasweird.

Hewasstilluneasy.Buthe’dreachedhishousenow,theonewithagrandoldoaktreeshadingtheporch,sohehadtogetout.Hecoastedtoastopjustunderthetreeandparkedbythesidewalk.Hegrabbedalargelaundrybagfromthebackseat.He’dbeenaccumulating dirty clothes for a couple of weeks at the boardinghouse and it hadn’tseemedfairtoaskMrs.Flowerstowashthem.

Ashegotoutofthecar,pullingthebagoutwithhim,hewasjustintimetohearthebirdsongstop.

For a moment after it did, he wondered what was wrong. He knew thatsomethingwasmissing,cutshort. Itmade theairheavier. Itevenseemed tochange thesmellofthegrass.

Thenherealized.Everybird,includingtheraucouscrowsthatlivedintheoaktrees,hadgonesilent.

Allatonce.

Mattfeltatwistinginhisbellyashelookedupandaround.Thereweretwokidsintheoaktreerightbesidehiscar.Hismindwasstillstubbornlytryingtohangonto:Children. Playing. Okay. His body was smarter. His hand was already in his pocket,pullingoutapadofPost-itNotes:theflimsybitsofpaperthatusuallystoppedevilmagiccold.

Matt hoped Meredith would remember to ask Isobel’s mother for moreamulets.Hewasrunninglow,and…

…andtherewere twokidsplaying in theoldoak tree.Except theyweren’t.Theywerestaringathim.Oneboywashangingupsidedownbyhiskneesandtheotherwasgobblingsomething…outofagarbagebag.

Thehangingkidwasstaringathimwithstrangelyacuteeyes.“Haveyoueverwonderedwhatit’sliketobedead?”heasked.

Andnowtheheadof thegobblingboycameup, thickbright redallaroundhismouth.Brightred—

—blood. And…whatever was in the garbage bag was moving. Kicking.Thrashingweakly.Tryingtogetaway.

Awave of nauseawashed overMatt.Acid hit his throat.Hewas going topuke.Thegobblingkidwasstaringathimwithstonyblack-as-a-piteyes.Thehangingkidwassmiling.

Then,asifstirredbyahotbreathofwind,Mattfeltthefinehairsonthebackof his neck stand up. It wasn’t just the birds that had gone quiet. Everything had. Nochild’svoicewasraisedinargumentorsongorspeech.

Hewhirledaroundandsawwhy.Theywerestaringathim.Everysinglekidontheblockwassilentlywatchinghim.Then,withachillingprecision,asheturnedbacktolookattheboysinthetree,alltheotherscametowardhim.

Excepttheyweren’twalking.

Theywerecreeping.Lizard-fashion.That’swhysomeofthemhadseemedtobeplayingwithmarblesonthesidewalk.Theywereallmovinginthesameway,belliesclosetotheground,elbowsup,handslikeforepaws,kneessplayingtotheside.

Nowhecouldtastebile.Helookedtheotherwaydownthestreetandfoundanothergroupcreeping.Grinningunnaturalgrins.Itwasasifsomeonewaspullingtheircheeksfrombehindthem,pullingthemhard,sothattheirgrinsalmostbroketheirfacesinhalf.

Mattnoticedsomethingelse.Suddenlythey’dstopped,andwhilehestaredatthem,theystayedstill.Perfectlystill,staringbackathim.Butwhenhelookedaway,hesawthecreepingfiguresoutofthecornerofhiseye.

Hedidn’thaveenoughPost-itNotesforallofthem.

You can’t run away from this. It sounded like an outside voice in his head.Telepathy.Butmaybe thatwasbecauseMatt’sheadhad turned intoa roiling redcloud,floatingupward.

Fortunately,hisbodyhearditandsuddenlyhewasuponthebackofhiscar,andhadgrabbedthehangingkid.Foramomenthehadahelplessimpulsetoletgooftheboy.Thekidstillstaredathimbutwitheerie,uncannyeyesthatwerehalfrolledbackinhis head. Instead of dropping him,Matt slapped a Post-It Note on the boy’s forehead,swinginghimatthesametimetositonthebackofthecar.

Apauseandthenwailing.Thekidmustbefourteenatleast,butaboutthirtysecondsaftertheBanAgainstEvil(pocket-size)wassmackedonhimhewassobbingrealkidsobs.

As one, the crawling kids let out a hiss. It was like a giant steam engine.Hsssssssssssssssssssssss.

They began to breathe in and out very fast, as ifworking up to some newstate.Theircreepingslowedtoacrawl.But theywerebreathingsohardMattcouldseetheirsideshollowandfill.

As Matt turned to look at one group of them, they froze, except for theunnaturalbreathing.Buthecouldfeeltheonesbehindhimgettingcloser.

BynowMatt’sheartwaspoundinginhisears.Hecouldfightagroupofthem—butnotwithagrouponhisback.Someofthemlookedonlytenoreleven.Somelookedalmosthisage.Someweregirls, forGod’ssake.Matt rememberedwhatpossessedgirlshaddonethelasttimehe’dmetthemandfeltviolentrevulsion.

But he knew that looking up at the gobbling kid was going to make himsicker.Hecouldhearsmacking,chewingsounds—andhecouldhearathinlittlewhistleofhelplesspainandweakstrugglingagainstthebag.

Hewhirled quickly again, to keep off the other side of crawlers, and thenmadehimselflookup.Withaquietcrackle,thegarbagebagfellawaywhenhegrabbeditbutthekidheldontowhatwasin—

OhmyGod.He’seatingababy!Ababy!A—

HeyankedthekidoutofthetreeandhishandautomaticallyslappedaPost-Itontotheboy’sback.Andthen—then,thankGod,hesawthefur.Itwasn’tababy.Itwastoosmalltobeababy,evenanewborn.Butitwaseaten.

ThekidraisedhisbloodyfacetoMatt’s,andMattsawthatitwasColeReece,Colewhowasonly thirteenand lived rightnextdoor.Matthadn’teven recognizedhimbefore.

Cole’smouthwaswideopeninhorrornow,andhiseyeswerebulgingoutofhisheadwithterrorandsorrow,andtearsandsnotwerestreamingdownhisface.

“HemademeeatToby,”hestartedinawhisper thatbecameascream.“Hemademeeatmyguineapig!Hemademe—whywhywhydidhedothat?IATETOBY!”

HethrewupalloverMatt’sshoes.Blood-redvomit.

Mercifuldeathfortheanimal.Quick,Matt thought.Butthiswasthehardestthing he’d ever tried to do. How to do it—a hard stomp on the creature’s head? Hecouldn’t.Hehadtotrysomethingelsefirst.

MattpeeledoffaPost-ItNoteandputit, tryingnottolook,onthefur.Andjustlikethatitwasover.Theguineapigwentslack.Thespellhadundonewhateverhadbeenkeepingitaliveuptothispoint.

TherewasbloodandpukeonMatt’shands,buthemadehimselfturntoCole.Colehadhiseyesshuttightandlittlechokingsoundscamefromhim.

SomethinginMattsnapped.

“Youwantsomeofthis?”heshouted,holdingoutthePost-itpadasifitwerethe revolverhe’d leftwithMrs.Flowers.Hewhirled again, shouting, “Youwant some?Howaboutyou?You,Josh?”Hewasrecognizingfacesnow.“You,Madison?How’boutyou,Bryn?Bringiton!Youallbringiton!BRINGIT—”

Something touched his shoulder. He spun, Post-it Note ready. Then hestoppedshortandreliefbubbledupinhimlikeEvianwateratsomefancyrestaurant.HewasstaringrightintothefaceofDr.Alpert,Fell’sChurch’sowncountrydoctor.ShehadherSUVparkedbesidehiscar,inthemiddleofthestreet.Behindher,protectingherback,was Tyrone, whowas going to be next year’s quarterback at Robert E. LeeHigh. Hissister, a sophomore-to-be,was trying to get out of the SUV too, but she stoppedwhenTyronesawher.

“Jayneela!”heroaredinavoiceonlytheTyre-minatorcouldproduce.“Yougetbackinandbuckleup!YouknowwhatMomsaid!Youdoitnow!”

MattfoundhimselfclutchingatDr.Alpert’schocolatebrownhands.Heknewshewas a goodwoman, and a good caretaker, who had adopted her daughter’s youngchildrenwhentheirdivorcedmotherhaddiedofcancer.Maybeshewouldhelphim,too.Hebeganbabbling.“Oh,God,I’vegottagetmymomout.Mymomlivesherealone.AndIhavetogetherawayfromhere.”Heknewhewassweating.Hehopedhewasn’tcrying.

“Okay,Matt,”thedoctorsaidinherhuskyvoice.“I’mgettingmyownfamilyoutthisafternoon.We’regoingtostaywithrelativesinWestVirginia.She’swelcometocome.”

Itcouldn’tbethiseasy.Mattknewhehadtearsinhiseyesnow.Herefusedtoblink,though,andletthemcomedown.“Idon’tknowwhattosay—butifyouwould—you’reanadult,yousee.Shewon’tlistentome.Shewilllistentoyou.Thiswholeblockisinfected.ThiskidCole—”Hecouldn’tgoon.ButDr.Alpertsawitallinaflash—theanimal,theboywithbloodonhisteethandhismouth,stillretching.

Dr.Alpertdidn’treact.ShejusthadJayneelathrowherapacketofWetWipesfrom theSUVand held the heaving kidwith one hand,while vigorously scrubbing hisfaceclean.“Gohome,”shetoldhimsternly.

“Youhavetolettheinfectedonesgo,”shesaidtoMatt,withaterriblelookinhereyes.“Cruelasitseems,theyonlypassitontothefewwho’restillwell.”MattstartedtotellherabouttheeffectivenessofthePost-itNoteamulets,butshewasalreadycalling,

“Tyrone!Comeoverhereandyouboysburythispooranimal.ThenyoubereadytomoveMrs.Honeycutt’sthingsintothevan.Jayneela,youdowhatyourbrothersays.I’mgoinginforalittletalkwithMrs.Honeycuttrightnow.”

Shedidn’t raise her voicemuch.Shedidn’t need to.TheTyre-minatorwasobeying, backing up to Matt, watching the last of the creeping children that Matt’sexplosionhadn’tscattered.

He’squick,Mattrealized.Quickerthanme.It’slikeagame.Aslongasyouwatchthemtheycan’tmove.

They took turns being thewatcher and handling the shovel.The earth herewas hard as rock, heavywith weeds. But somehow they got a hole dug and the workhelpedthemmentally.TheyburiedToby,andMattwalkedaroundlikesomefoot-draggingmonster,tryingtogetthevomitoffhisshoesinthegrass.

Suddenlybeside themtherewas thenoiseofadoorbangingopenandMattran, ran tohismother,whowas trying toheft ahuge suitcase,much tooheavy forher,throughthedoor.

Matt took it fromherandfelthimselfencompassed inherhugeven thoughshehadtostandontip-toestodoit.“Matt,Ican’tjustleaveyou—”

“He’ll be one of those to get the town out of this mess,” Dr. Alpert said,overridingher.“He’llcleanitup.Nowwe’vegottogetoutsowedon’tdraghimdown.Matt, just soyouknow, Iheard that theMcCulloughsaregettingout too.Mr.andMrs.Sulezdon’tseemtobegoingyet,andneitherdotheGilbert-Maxwells.”Shesaidthelasttwowordswithadistinctemphasis.

TheGilbert-MaxwellswereElena’sauntJudith,herhusbandRobertMaxwell,andElena’s little sister,Margaret.Therewasno real reason tomention them.ButMattknew why Dr. Alpert had. She remembered seeing Elena when this whole mess hadstarted.DespiteElena’spurificationofthewoodswhereDr.Alperthadbeenstanding,thedoctorremembered.

“I’ll tell—Meredith,”Matt said, and looking her in the eyes, he nodded alittle,asiftosay,I’lltellElena,too.

“Anything else to carry?” Tyrone asked. He was encumbered by a canarybirdcage,withthelittlebirdfranticallybeatingitswingsinside,andasmallersuitcase.

“No,buthowcanIthankyou?”Mrs.Honeycuttsaid.

“Thankslater—now,everybodyin,”saidDr.Alpert.“Wearetakingoff.”

MatthuggedhismotherandgaveheralittlepushtowardtheSUV,whichhadalreadyswallowedthebirdcageandsmallsuitcase.

“Good-bye!”everyonewasyelling.Tyronestuckhisheadoutofthewindowtosay,“Callmewhenever!Iwanttohelp!”

Andthentheyweregone.

Mattcouldhardlybelieveitwasover;ithadhappenedsofast.Heraninsidethe open door of his house and got his other pair of running shoes, just in caseMrs.

Flowerscouldn’tfixthesmelloftheoneshewaswearing.

Whenheburst outof thehouse againhehad toblink. Insteadof thewhiteSUVtherewasadifferentwhitecarparkedbesidehis.He lookedaroundtheblock.Nochildren.Noneatall.

Andthebirdsonghadcomeback.

Therewere twomenin thecar.Onewaswhiteandonewasblackand theybothwerearoundtheagetobeconcernedfathers.Anywaytheyhadhimcutoff,thewaytheircarwasparked.Hehadnochoicebuttogouptothem.Assoonashedidtheybothgotoutofthecar,watchinghimasifhewasasdangerousasakitsune.

Theinstanttheydidthat,Mattknewhe’dmadeamistake.

“You’reMatthewJeffreyHoneycutt?”

Matthadnochoicebuttonod.

“Sayyesorno,please.”

“Yes.”Mattcouldseeinsidethewhitecarnow.Itwasastealthpolicecar,oneofthosewithlightsinside,allreadytobefixedoutsideiftheofficerswantedtoletyouinonthesecret.

“MatthewJeffreyHoneycutt,youareunderarrestforassaultandbatteryuponCaroline Beula Forbes. You have the right to remain silent. If you give up this right,anythingyousaycanandwillbeusedagainstyouinacourtoflaw—”

“Didn’tyouseethosekids?”Mattwasshouting.“Youhadtohaveseenoneortwoofthem!Didn’tthatmeananythingtoyou?”

“Leanoverandputyourhandsonthefrontofthecar.”

“It’sgoingtodestroythewholetown!You’rehelpingit!”

“Doyouunderstandtheserights—?”

“DoyouunderstandwhatisgoingoninFell’sChurch?”

Therewasapausethistime.Andthen,inperfectlyeventones,oneofthetwosaid,“We’refromRidgemont.”

19

Bonniedecided,withsecondspreciousandseemingtostretchforhours, thatwhatwasgoingtohappenwasgoingtohappennomatterwhatshedid.Andtherewasamatterofpride here. She knew that therewere peoplewhowould laugh at that, but it was true.DespiteElena’snewPowers,Bonniewastheonemostusedtoconfrontingstarkdarkness.Shewassomehowaliveafterallthat.Andverysoonshewouldnotbe.Andthewayshewentwastheonlythingleftuptoher.

She heard a glissando of screams and then she heard them come to a halt.Well, thatwasall shecoulddo for themoment.Stopscreaming.Thechoicewasmade.Bonniewouldgoout,unbroken,defiant—andsilent.

ThemomentshestoppedshriekingShinichimadeagestureandtheogrewhohadholdofherstoppedcarryinghertothewindow.

She’dknownit.Hewasabully.Bullieswantedtohearthatthingshurtorthatpeopleweremiserable.TheogreliftedhersoherfacewaslevelwithShinichi’s.“Excitedaboutyourone-waytrip?”

“Thrilled,”shesaidexpressionlessly.Hey,shethought,I’mnotsobadatthisbravething.Buteverythinginsideherwasshakingatdoubletimeinordertomakeupforherstonyface.

Shinichiopenedthewindow.“Stillthrilled?”

Nowthathaddonesomething,openingthewindowhad.Shewasnotgoingtobe smashed against glass until she broke it with her face andwent sailing through thejagged bits. Therewasn’t going to be pain until she hit the ground and nobodywouldknowaboutthat,notevenher.

Justdo it and get it overwith,Bonnie thought. Thewarm breeze from thewindow told her that this—place—this slave-selling place—where customers wereallowedtosiftthroughtheslavesuntiltheyfoundjusttherightone—wastoohighlyair-conditioned.

I’llbewarm,evenifit’sjustforasecondorso,shethought.

Whenadoornearthembanged,Bonnienearlyjumpedoutoftheogre’sarms,andwhenthedoor to theirownroombangedopen,shenearly jumpedthroughherownskin.

Yousee?Somethingsurgedwildlythroughher.I’msaved!Itonlytookalittleofthatbravestuffandnow…

ButitwasShinichi’ssister,Misao.Misao,lookinggravelyill,herskinashen,holdingontothedoortoholdherselfup.Theonlythingaboutherthatwasn’tgrayed-outwasherbrilliantblackhair,tippedwithscarletattheends,justlikeShinichi’s.

“Wait!”shesaidtoShinichi.“Youneverevenaskedabout—”

“Youthinkalittleairheadlikeherwouldknow?Buthaveityourownway.”

ShinichiseatedMisaoonthecouch,rubbinghershoulderscomfortingly.“I’llask.”

So she was the one inside the two-waymirror room, Bonnie thought. Shelooksreallybad.Likedyingbad.

“What happened to my sister’s star ball?” Shinichi demanded and thenBonnie saw how this thing formed a circle,with a beginning and an ending, and how,understandingthis,shecoulddiewithtruedignity.

“Itwasmyfault,”shesaid,withafaintsmileassheremembered.“Orhalfofitwas.SageopeneditupthefirsttimetoopentheGatebackonEarth.Andthen…”Shetoldthemthestory,asifitwereoneshe’dneverheardbefore,puttinganemphasisonhowitwasshewhohadgivenDamon theclues to findMisao’s starball, and itwasDamonwhothenhadusedittoenterthetopleveloftheDarkDimensions.

“It’s all a circle,” she explained. “What you do comes back to you.” Thendespiteherself,shestartedtogiggle.

In two strides, Shinichi was across the room and slapping her. She didn’tknow howmany times he did it. The first was enough tomake her gasp and stop hergiggling.Afterward her cheeks felt as swollen as if she had a very painful case of themumps,andhernosewasbleeding.

Shekepttryingtowipeitonhershoulder,butitwouldn’tstop.AtlastMisaosaid,“Ugh.Unfastenherhandsandgiveheratowelorsomething.”

TheogresmovedjustasifShinichihadgiventheorder.

ShinichihimselfwasnowsittingbesideMisao,talkingtohersoftly,asifhewerespeakingtoababyorabelovedpet.ButMisao’seyes,withtheirtinyflickeroffireinthem,wereclearandadultasshelookedatBonnie.

“Whereismystarballnow?”sheaskedwithdreadfulgrayintensity.

Bonnie,whowaswipinghernose, feeling theblissofnotbeinghandcuffedbehindherback,wonderedwhyshewasn’teventryingtothinkofalie.Like,letmefreeandI’llleadyoutoit.ThensherememberedShinichiandhisdamnkitsunetelepathy.

“How could I know?” she pointed out logically. “I was just trying to pullDamonawayfromtheGatewhenwebothfellin.Itdidn’tcomewithus.AsfarasIknow,itgotkickedinthedustandalltheliquidspilledout.”

Shinichigotuptohurtheragain,butshewasonlytellingthetruth.Misaowasalready speaking. “We know that didn’t happen because I am”—she had to pause tobreathe—“stillalive.”

She turned her ashen, sunken face towardShinichi and said, “You’re right.She’suselessnow,andfullofinformationsheshouldn’thave.Throwherout.”

AnogrepickedBonnieup,towelandall.Shinichicamearoundtheotherside.“Doyouseewhatyou’vedonetomysister?Doyousee?”

Nomore time now. Just a second towonder if she reallywas going to bebrave or not.Butwhat should she say to show shewas brave?She opened hermouth,honestlynotsurewhetherwhatwascomingoutwasascreamorwords.

“She’s going to look evenworsewhenmy friends are donewith her,” shesaid,andsawinMisao’seyesthatshe’dhithertarget.

“Throwherout,”Shinichishouted,lividwithfury.

Andtheogrethrewheroutthewindow.

Meredith was sitting with her parents, trying to figure out what was wrong. She hadfinishedhererrandsinrecordtime:gettingenlargedversionsofthewritingonthefrontofthejarsmade;callingtheSaitoufamilytofindthattheywouldallbehomeatnoon.Thenshehadexaminedandnumberedtheindividualblow-upsofeachcharacterinthepicturesthatAlarichadsent.

TheSaitoushadbeen…tense.Meredithhadn’tbeensurprisedsinceIsobelhadbeenaprime,ifentirelyinnocent,carrierofthekitsune’sdeadlypossessingmalach.OneoftheworstcasualtieswasIsobel’sownsteadyboyfriend,JimBryce,whohadgottenthemalach fromCaroline and spread it to Isobelwithout knowingwhat hewas doing.Hehimself had been possessed byShinichi’smalach andhad demonstrated all the hideoussymptomsofLesch-NyhanSyndrome,eatingawayathisownlipsandfingers,whilepoorIsobelhaduseddirtyneedles—sometimesthesizeofachild’sknittingneedles—topierceherselfinmorethanthirtyplaces,besidesforkinghertonguewithscissors.

Isobel was out of the hospital and on the mend now. Still, Meredith wasbewildered.Shehadgottenapprovalofthecardswithenlarged,individualcharactersoffthejarsfromtheolderSaitous—Obaasan(Isobel’sgrandmother)andMrs.Saitou(Isobel’smother)—notwithoutagooddealofargumentinJapaneseovereachcharacter.ShewasjustgettingintohercarwhenIsobelhadcomerunningoutofthehousewithabagofPost-itNotesinherhand.“Motherdidthem—incaseyouneeded,”shegaspedinhernew,soft,slurring voice. And Meredith had taken the notes from her gratefully, murmuringsomethingawkwardaboutrepayment.

“No,but—butmayIhavealookat theblow-ups?”Isobelhadpanted.Whywasshepantingsohard?Meredithwondered.Evenifshe’drunfromthetopflooralltheway following Meredith—that wouldn’t account for it. Then Meredith remembered:BonniehadsaidIsobelhada“jumpy”heart.

“You see,” Isobel said with what looked like shame and a plea forunderstanding,“Obaasanisreallyalmostblindnow—andit’sbeensolongsinceMotherwasinschool…butItakeJapaneseclassesrightnow.”

Meredithwastouched.Obviously,Isobelhadfeltitbadmannerstocontradictanadultwhentheywereinearshot.Butthere,sittinginthecar,Isobelhadgonethrougheverycardwithablown-upcharacter,writingasimilar,butdefinitelydifferentcharacteron the back. It had taken twentyminutes.Meredith had been awed. “But how do yourememberthemall?Howdoyoueverwritetoeachother?”shehadblurted,afterseeingthecomplicatedsymbolsthatdifferedonlybyafewlines.

“Withdictionaries,” Isobelhadsaid,andhad for the first timegivena littlelaugh.“No,I’mserious—towriteaveryproperletter,say,don’tyouuseThesaurusandSpellCheckand—”

“Ineedthosetowriteanything!”Meredithhadlaughed.

It had been a nice moment, both of them smiling together, relaxed. Noproblems.Isobel’shearthadseemedjustfine.

Then Isobel had hurried away and when she was gone Meredith was leftstaringataroundcircleofmoistureonthepassengerseat.Atear.ButwhyshouldIsobelbecrying?

Becauseitremindedherofthemalach,orofJim?

Because it would take several plastic surgeries before her earswould havefleshonthemagain?

NoanswerthatMeredithcouldthinkofmadesense.Andshehadtohurrytogettoherownhome—late.

ItwasonlythenthatMeredithwasstrickenbyafact.TheSaitoufamilyknewthatMeredith,Matt, andBonniewere friends.Butnoneof themhadaskedabouteitherBonnieorMatt.

Strange.

If she had only known how much stranger her visit with her own familywouldbe…

20

Meredithusuallyfoundherparentsfunnyandsillyanddear.Theyweresolemnaboutallthewrong things like,“Makesure,honey, thatyoureallyget toknowAlaric—before—before—”MeredithhadnodoubtsaboutAlaricatall,buthewasanotherof thosesilly,dear,gallantpeople,whotalkedallaroundthingswithoutgettingtothepoint.

Today,shewassurprised tosee that therewasnoclusterofcarsaround theancestralhome.Maybepeoplehad to stayhome to fight itoutwith theirownchildren.She locked theAcura, consciousof theprecious contentsgivenby Isobel, and rang thedoorbell.Herparentsbelievedinchainlocks.

Janet, thehousekeeper, lookedhappy toseeherbutnervous.Aha,Merediththought,theyhavediscoveredthattheirdutifulonlychildhasransackedtheattic.Maybetheywantthestaveback.MaybeIshouldhaveleftitbackattheboardinghouse.

Butsheonly realized that thingswere trulyseriouswhenshecame into thefamilyroomandsawthebigLa-Z-Boydeluxeloungingchair,herfather’sthrone:empty.Herfatherwassittingonthecouch,holdinghermother,whowassobbing.

Shehadbrought the stavewithher, andwhenhermother saw it, shebrokeintoafreshburstoftears.

“Look,”Meredith said, “this doesn’t have to be so tragic. I’ve got a prettygoodideaofwhathappened.IfyouwanttotellmeabouthowGrandmaandIreallygothurt,that’syourbusiness.ButifIwas…contaminatedinsomeway…”

Shestopped.Shecouldhardlybelieveit.Herfatherwasholdingoutanarmtoher, as if the somewhat rank condition of her clothes didn’t matter. She went to himslowly,uncomfortably,andlethimhugherregardlessofhisArmanisuit.HermotherhadaglasswithafewsipsleftofwhatlookedlikeCokeinfrontofher,butMeredithwouldbetitwasn’tallCoke.

“We’dhopedthatthiswasaplaceofpeace,”herfatherorated.Everysentenceherfatherspokewasanoration.Yougotusedtoit.“Weneverdreamed…”Andthenhestopped.Meredithwas stunned. Her father didn’t stop in themiddle of an oration. Hedidn’tpause.Andhecertainlydidn’tcry.

“Dad!Daddy!Whatisit?Havekidsbeenaroundhere,crazykids?Didtheyhurtsomebody?”

“Wehavetotellyouthewholestoryfromthat timelongago,”herfather…said. He spoke with such despair that it wasn’t anything like an oration. “When youwere…allattacked.”

“Bythevampire.OrGrandfather.Ordoyouknow?”

Long pause. Then hermother drained the contents of her glass and called,“Janet,anotherone,please.”

“Now,Gabriella—”herfathersaid,chiding.

“’Nando—Ican’tbearthis.Thethoughtthatmihijainocente…”

Meredithsaid,“Look,IthinkIcanmakethiseasierforyou.Ialreadyknow…well,first,thatIhadatwinbrother.”

Herparentslookedhorrified.Theyclungtogether,gasping.“Whotoldyou?”herfatherdemanded.“Atthatboardinghouse,whocouldknow—?”

Calmingdowntime.“No,no.Dad,Ifoundout—well,Grandpatalkedtome.”Thatwastrueenough.Hehad.Justnotaboutherbrother.“Anyway,thatwashowIgotthestave.But thevampire thathurtus isdead.Hewas the serialkiller, theonewhokilledVickieandSue.HisnamewasKlaus.”

“You thought that there was only one vampire?” her mother got out. ShepronouncedthewordtheHispanicway,whichMeredithalwaysfoundmorescary.Vahm-peer.

TheuniverseseemedtostartmovingslowlyaroundMeredith.

“That’s just aguess,”her father said. “Wedon’t reallyknow that therewasmorethantheverystrongone.”

“ButyouknowaboutKlaus—how?”

“Wesawhim.Hewasthestrongone.Hekilledthesecurityguardsatthegatewithonebloweach.Wemovedtoanewtown.Wehopedyouwouldneverhavetoknowyouhadabrother.”Herfatherbrushedhiseyes.“Yourgrandfatherspoketous,rightaftertheattack.Butthenextday…nothing.Hecouldn’ttalkatall.”

Her mother put her face in her hands. She only lifted it to call, “Janet!Another,porfavor!”

“Rightaway,ma’am.”Meredithlookedtothehousekeeper’sblueeyesforthesolution to thismystery and foundnothing—sympathy,butnohelp. Janetwalked awaywiththeemptyglass,blondFrenchbraidreceding.

Meredithturnedbacktoherparents,sodarkofeyeandhair,sooliveofskincolor.Theywerehuddlingtogetheragain,eyesonher.

“Mom,Dad, Iknowthat this is reallyhard.But I’mgoingafter thekindofpeoplewhohurtGrandpa,andGrandma,andmybrother.It’sdangerous,butIhavetodoit.”ShedroppedintoaTaekwondostance.“Imeanyoudidhavemetrained.”

“Butagainstyourownfamily?Youcoulddothat?”hermothercried.

Meredith sat down. She had reached the end of thememories that she andStefanhadfound.“SoKlausdidn’tkillhimlikeGrandmother.Hetookmybrotherwithhim.”

“Cristian,”wailedhermother. “Hewas justunbebé. Three years old!Thatwaswhenwefoundthetwoofyou…andtheblood…oh,theblood…”

Her father got up, not to orate, but to put his handonMeredith’s shoulder.“Wethoughtitwouldbeeasiernottotellyou—thatyouwouldn’thaveanymemoriesofwhatwashappeningwhenwecamein.Andyoudon’t,doyou?”

Meredith’s eyeswere fillingwith tears.She looked tohermother, trying tosilentlytellhershecouldn’tunderstandthis.

“Hewasdrinkingmyblood?”sheguessed.“Klaus?”

“No!”criedherfatherashermotherwhisperedprayers.

“HewasdrinkingCristian’s,then.”Meredithwaskneelingonthefloornow,tryingtolookupintothefaceofhermother.

“No!”criedherfatheragain.Hechoked.

“Lasangre!”gaspedhermother,coveringhereyes.“Theblood!”

“Querida—”herfathersobbed,andwenttoher.

“Dad!”Meredithwentafterhimandshookhisarm.“You’veruledoutallthepossibilities!Idon’tunderstand!Whowasdrinkingblood?”

“You!You!” hermother almost screamed.“Fromyourownbrother!Oh, elaterrorizar!”

“Gabriella!”moanedherfather.

Meredith’smothersubsidedintoweeping.

Meredith’sheadwaswhirling.“I’mnotavampire!Ihuntvampiresandkillthem!”

“He said,”her fatherwhisperedhoarsely:“‘Just seeshegetsa tablespoonaweek.Ifyouwanthertolive,thatis.Tryabloodpudding.’Hewaslaughing.”

Meredithdidn’tneedtoaskiftheyhadobeyed.Atherhouse,theyhadbloodsausageorpuddingatleastonceaweek.Shehadgrownupwithit.Itwasnothingspecial.

“Why?”shewhisperedhoarselynow.“Whydidn’thekillme?”

“Idon’tknow!Westilldon’tknow!Thatmanwithhisfrontalldrippingwithblood—yourblood,yourbrother’sblood,wedidn’tknow!Andthenatthelastminutehegrabbedforthetwoofyoubutyoubithishandtothebone,”herfathersaid.

“He laughed—laughed!—with your teeth clamped in him and your littlehandspushinghimaway,andsaid,‘I’lljustleaveyouthisone,then,andyoucanworryaboutwhat shewill turn out to be.The boy I’m takingwithme.’And then suddenly Iseemedtocomeoutofaspell,forIwasreachingforyouagain,readytofighthimforbothof you.But I couldn’t!Once I had you, I couldn’tmove another inch.And he left thehousestilllaughing—andtookyourbrother,Cristian,withhim.”

Merediththought.Nowondertheydidn’twanttoholdanykindofcelebrationontheanniversariesofthatday.Hergrandmotherdead,hergrandfathergoingcrazy,herbrotherlost,andherself—what?Nowondertheycelebratedherbirthdayaweekearly.

Meredith tried tostaycalm.Theworldwas falling topiecesaroundherbutshehadtostaycalm.Stayingcalmhadkeptheraliveallherlife.Withoutevenhavingtocount,shewasbreathingoutdeep,andinthroughhernostrils,andoutthroughhermouth.Deep,deep,cleansingbreaths.Soothingpeacethroughoutherbody.Onlypartofherwas

hearinghermother:

“WecamehomeearlythatnightbecauseIhadaheadache—”

“Sh,querida—”herfatherwasbeginning.

“Wegothomeearly,”hermotherkeened.“OVirgenBendecida,whatwouldwehavefoundifwehadbeenlate?Wewouldhavelostyou,too!Mybaby!Mybabywithbloodonhermouth—”

“Butwegothomeearlyenoughtosaveher,”Meredith’sfathersaidhuskily,asiftryingtowakehermotherfromaspell.

“Ah, gracias, Princesa Divina, Vigen pura y impoluto…” Her mothercouldn’tseemtostopcrying.

“Daddy,” Meredith said urgently, aching for her mother but desperatelyneeding information.“Haveyoueverseenhimagain?Orheardabouthim?Mybrother,Cristian?”

“Yes,”herfathersaid.“Oh,yes,wehaveseensomething.”

Hermothergasped.“’Nando,no!”

“Shehastolearnthetruthsometime,”herfathersaid.Herummagedamongsomecardboardfilefoldersonthedesk.“Look!”hesaidtoMeredith.“Lookatthis.”

Meredithstaredinutterdisbelief.

IntheDarkDimensionBonnieshuthereyes.Therewasalotofwindatthetopofatallbuilding’s window. That was all her mind had a thought for when she was out of thewindow and then back into it and the ogre was laughing and Shinichi’s terrible voicesaying,“Youdon’treallythinkwe’dletyougowithoutquestioningyouthoroughly?”

Bonnieheardthewordswithoutthemmakingsense,andthensuddenlytheydid.Hercaptorsweregoingtohurther.Theyweregoingtotortureher.Theyweregoingtotakeherbraveryaway.

Shethoughtshescreamedsomethingathim.Allsheknew,though,wasthattherewasasoftexplosionofheatbehindher,andthen—unbelievably—alldressedupinacloakwithbadgesthatmadehimlooklikesomekindofmilitaryprince,therewasDamon.

Damon.

Hewasso lateshe’d longagogivenuponhim.Butnowhewasflashingathere-and-gonebrilliantsmileatShinichi,whowasstaringasifhe’dbeenstrickendumb.

And now Damon was saying, “I’m afraid Ms. McCullough has anotherengagementatthatmoment.ButIwillbebacktokickyourass—immediately.MovefromthisroomandI’llkillyouall,slowly.Thankyouforyourtimeandconsideration.”

Andbeforeanyonecouldevenrecoverfromtheirfirstshockathisarrival,heand Bonnie were blasting off through the windows. He went, not out of the buildingbackwardasifretreating,butstraightaheadforward,onehandinfrontofhim,wrapping

thembothinablackbutetherealbundleofPower.Theyshatteredthetwo-waymirrorinBonnie’s room andwere almost all theway through to the next room before Bonnie’smind tagged the first “empty.” Then theywere crashing through an elaborate videoset-window—made to let people think they had a view of the outdoors, and flying oversomeone lying on a bed. Then…it was just a series of crashes, as far as Bonnie wasconcerned.Shebarelygotaglimpseofwhatwasgoingonineachroom.Finally…

Thecrashingstopped.ThisleftBonnieholdingontoDamonkoala-style—shewasn’tstupid—andtheywerevery,veryhighintheair.Andmobilizinginfrontofthem,andofftothesides,andasfarasBonniecouldsee,werewomenwhowerealsoflying,butinlittlemachinesthatlookedlikeacombinationofamotorcycleandaJetSki.Nowheels,ofcourse.Themachineswereallgold,whichwasalsothecolorofeachdriver’shair.

SothefirstwordBonniegaspedtoherrescuer,afterhehadblastedatunnelthroughthelargeslave-owner’sbuildingtosaveher,was,“Guardians?”

“Indispensable,consideringthefactthatIdidn’thavethefirstideawherethebadguysmighthavetakenyouandIsuspectedthattheremightbeatimelimit.Thiswasactuallytheverylastoftheslave-sellerswewereduetocheck.Wefinally…luckedout.”Forsomeonewhohadluckedout,hesoundedalittlestrange.Almost…chokedup.

WaterwasonBonnie’scheeksbutitwasbeingflickedawaytoofastforhertowipeit.Damonwasholdinghersothatshecouldn’tseehisface,andhewasholdinghervery,verytightly.

ItreallywasDamon.Hehadcalledoutthecavalryand,despitethecity-widemind-gridlock,hehadfoundher.

“Theyhurtyou,didn’t they, littleredbird?Isaw…Isawyourface,”Damonsaidinhisnewchoked-upvoice.Bonniedidn’tknowwhattosay.Butsuddenlyshedidn’tmindhowhardhesqueezedher.Sheevenfoundherselfsqueezingback.

Suddenly, toher shock,Damonbrokeherkoala-grip andpulledherup andkissedheron the lipsverygently.“Little redbird! I’mgoing togonow,andmake thempayforwhattheydidtoyou.”

Bonnieheardherselfsay,“No,don’t.”

“No?”Damonrepeated,bewildered.

“No,” Bonnie said. She needed Damon with her. She didn’t care whathappened toShinichi.Therewasa sweetnessunfolding insideher, but therewasalsoarushinginherhead.Itreallywasapity,butinafewmomentsshewouldbeunconscious.

Meanwhile,shehadthreethoughtsinmindandallofthemwereclear.Whatshewasafraidofwas that theywouldbe lessclear later,aftershehadfainted.“Doyouhaveastarball?”

“Ihavetwenty-eightstarballs,”Damonsaid,andlookedatherquizzically.

Thatwasn’twhatBonniemeant at all; shemeant one to record onto. “Canyourememberthreethings?”shesaidtoDamon.

“I’dgambleonit.”ThistimeDamonkissedhersoftlyontheforehead.

“First,youruinedmyverybravedeath.”

“Wecanalwaysgobackandyoucanhaveanothertry.”Damon’svoicewaslesschokednow;morehisown.

“Second,youleftmeatthathorribleinnforaweek—”

Asifshecouldseeinsidehismind,shesawthissliceintohimlikesomekindofwooden sword.Hewas holding her so tightly that she really couldn’t breathe. “I…Ididn’tmeanto.Itwasreallyonlyfourdays,butInevershouldhavedoneit,”hesaid.

“Third.”Bonnie’svoicedroppedtoawhisper.“Idon’tthinkanystarballwaseverstolenatall.Whatneverexistedcan’tbestolen,canit?”

She lookedathim.Damonwas lookingback inaway thatnormallywouldhave thrilled her. He was obviously, blatantly distressed. But Bonnie was just barelyhangingontoconsciousnessatthispoint.

“And…fourth…”Shepuzzledoutslowly.

“Fourth?Yousaidthreethings.”Damonsmiled,justalittle.

“I have to say this—” She dropped her head down on Damon’s shoulder,gatheredallofherenergy,andconcentrated.

Damon loosened his grip a little. He said, “I can hear a faint murmuringsoundinmyhead.Justtellmenormally.We’rewellawayfromanyone.”

Bonniewas insistent.She scrunchedherwhole tinybody together and thenexplosivelysentoutathought.ShecouldtellthatDamoncaughtit.

Fourth,Iknowthewaytothesevenlegendarykitsunetreasures,Bonniesenttohim.Thatincludesthebiggeststarballevermade.Butifwewantit,wehavetogettoit—fast.

Then,feelingthatshehadcontributedenoughtotheconversation,shefainted.

21

SomeonewasstillknockingonStefan’sdoor.“It’s awoodpecker,”Elena saidwhen she could speak. “They knock, don’t

they?”

“Ondoorsinsidehouses?”Stefansaiddazedly.

“Ignoreitanditwillgoaway.”

Amomentlatertheknockingresumed.

Elenamoaned,“Idon’tbelievethis.”

Stefanwhispered,“Doyouwantmetobringyouitshead?Unattachedfromitsneck,Imean?”

Elenaconsidered.Astheknockingcontinued,shewasgettingmoreworriedandlessconfused.“Betterseeifitisabird,Iguess,”shesaid.

Stefanrolledawayfromher,somehowgotonhis jeans,andwentreelingtothedoor.Inspiteofherself,Elenapitiedwhoeverwasontheotherside.

Theknockingstartedagain.

Stefanreachedthedoorandnearlywrencheditoffitshinges.

“Whatthe—”Hestopped,suddenlymoderatinghisvoice.“Mrs.Flowers?”

“Yes,”Mrs.Flowerssaid,deliberatelynotseeingElena,whowaswearingasheetanddirectlyinherlineofvision.

“It’spoordearMeredith,”Mrs.Flowerssaid.“She’sinsuchastate,andshesaysshehastoseeyounow,Stefan.”

Elena’smindswitchedtracksassuddenlyandsmoothlyasatrain.Meredith?In a state? Demanding to see Stefan, even if, as Elena was sure she must have, Mrs.Flowershaddelicatelyindicatedjusthow…busyStefanwasatthemoment?

Hermindwas still solidly linkedwithStefan’s.He said, “Thank you,Mrs.Flowers.I’llbedowninjustamoment.”

Elena,whowasslippingintoherclothesasfastasshecould,whilecrouchingonthefarsideofthebed,addedatelepathicsuggestion.

“Maybeyoucouldmakeheranicecupoftea—Imean,acupoftea,”Stefanadded.

“Yes,dear,whatagoodidea,”Mrs.Flowerssaidgently.“AndifyoushouldseeElena,perhapsyoucouldsaythatdearMeredithisaskingforher,too?”

“Wewill,”Stefansaidautomatically.Thenheturnedaroundandhastilyshutthedoor.

Elenagavehimtimetoputhisshirtandshoeson,andthentheybothhurried

downtothekitchen,whereMeredithwasnothavinganicecupoftea,butpacingaroundlikeacagedleopard.

Stefanbegan,“What’s—”

“I’lltellyouwhat’swrong,StefanSalvatore!No—youtellme!Youwereinmymindbefore,soyoumustknow.Youmusthavebeenabletosee—totell—aboutme.”

Elena was still mindlockedwith Stefan. She felt his dismay. “To tell whataboutyou?”heaskedgently,pullingoutachairatthekitchentablesoMeredithcouldsit.

Theverysimpleactofsittingdown,ofpausingtorespondtocivility,seemedtocalmMeredithslightly.ButstillElenacould feelher fearandpain like the tasteofasteelswordonhertongue.

Meredithacceptedahugandbecamealittlecalmeryet.Alittlemoreherselfandlesslikeacagedanimal.ButthestrugglewassovisceralandsoclearwithinherthatElena couldn’t bear to leave her, even whenMrs. Flowers deposited four mugs of teaaroundthetableandtookanotherchairStefanoffered.

ThenStefansatdown.HeknewElenawouldstandorsitorshareachairwithMeredith,butwhateveritwas,shewouldbetheonetodecide.

Mrs.Flowerswasgentlystirringhoneyintohermugofteaandthenpassingthehoneyalong toStefanwhogave it toElenawhoput just the littlebit thatMeredithlikedintoMeredith’smugandstirreditgently,too.

Theordinary,civilizedsoundsoftwospoonsquietlyclinkingseemedtorelaxMeredithstillfurther.ShetookthemugElenagaveherandsipped,thendrankthirstily.

Elena could feel Stefan’s mental sigh of relief as Meredith floated downanotherfewlevels.Hepolitelysippedhisowntea,whichwashotbutnotburninghotandmadefromnaturallysweetberriesandherbs.

“It’sgood,”Meredithsaid.Shewasalmostahumannow.“Thankyou,Mrs.Flowers.”

Elena felt lighter. She relaxed enough to pull over her own cup of tea andsqueezelotsofhoneyinandstiritandtakeagulp.Good!Calmingdowntea!

That’schamomileandcucumber,Stefantoldher.

“Chamomileandcucumber,”Elenasaid,noddingwisely,“forcalmingdown.”Andthensheblushed,forMrs.Flowers’sbrightsmilehadknowledgeinit.

Elena hastily drank more tea and watched Meredith have more tea andeverything began to feel almost all right.Meredith was completelyMeredith now, notsomefierceanimal.Elenasqueezedherfriend’shandtightly.

Therewas just one problem.Humanswere less frightening than beasts buttheycouldcry.NowMeredith,whoneverwept,wasshakingandtearsweredrippingintothetea.

“Youknowwhatmorcillois,right?”sheaskedElenaatlast.

Elenanoddedhesitantly.“Wehad it sometimes in stewatyourhouse?”she

said.“Andfortapas?”Elenahadgrownupwiththebloodsausageasamealorasnackatherfriend’shouse,andshewasusedtothebite-sizedpiecesasadeliciousfoodonlyMrs.Sulezmade.

Elena felt Stefan’s heart sinking. She looked back and forth from him toMeredith.

“It turns out mymother didn’t always make it,”Meredith said, looking atStefannow.“Andmyparentshadaverygoodreasonforchangingmybirthday.”

“Just tell it all,”Stefansuggestedsoftly.And thenElena felt somethingshehadn’tbefore.Asurge,likeawave—alonggentleswellthatspokerightintothecenterofMeredith’sbrain.Itsaid:Justtellitandbecalm.Noanger.Nofear.

Butitwasn’ttelepathy.Meredithfeltthethoughtinherbloodandbones,butdidn’thearitwithherears.

ItwasInfluence.BeforeElenacouldbrainherbelovedStefanwithhermugfor using Influence on one of her friends, Stefan said, just to her,Meredith’s hurting,feelingscaredandangry.Shehasreasonto,butsheneedspeace.Iprobablywon’tbeabletoholdheranyway,butI’lltry.

Meredithwipedhereyes.“It turnsout thatnothingwas likewhat I thoughthappened—that night when I was three.” She describedwhat her parents had told her,abouteverythingthatKlaushaddone.Tellingthestory,evenquietly,wasundoingallthecalminginfluencesthathadhelpedMeredithmaintainherself.Shewasbeginningtoshakeagain.BeforeElenacouldgrabher,shewasupandstridingaroundtheroom.“HelaughedandsaidthatI’dneedbloodeveryweek—animalblood—orI’ddie.Ididn’tneedmuch.Justatablespoonortwo.Andmypoormotherdidn’twanttoloseanotherchild.Shedidwhathe toldher to.Butwhathappens if Ihavemoreblood,Stefan?Whathappens if Idrinkyours?”

Stefanwasthinking,desperatelytryingtoseeifinallhisyearsofexperiencehe’dcomeacrossanythinglikethis.Meanwhileheansweredtheeasypart.

“If youdrank enoughofmybloodyou’dbecomeavampire.But sowouldanyone.Withyou—well,itmighttakeless.Sodon’tletanyvampiretrickyouintobloodexchange.Oncemightbeenough.”

“SoI’mnotavampire?Now?Notanykind?Aretheredifferentkinds?”

Stefanansweredseriously.“I’veneverheardof‘differentkinds’ofvampiresinmylife,exceptforOldOnes.Icantellyouthatyoudon’thaveavampire’saura.Whataboutyourteeth?Canyoumakeyourcaninessharp?Usuallyit’sbesttotestoverhumanflesh.Notyourown.”

Elenapromptlystuckoutherarm,wristvein-sideup.Meredith,eyesclosedinconcentration,madeagreateffort,whichElenafeltthroughStefan.ThenMeredithopenedhereyes,mouthalsoopenforadentalinspection.Elenastaredathercanines.Theylookedalittlebitsharp,butsodidanybody’s,didn’tthey?

CarefullyElenareachedafingertipin.ShetouchedoneofMeredith’scanines.

Tinypinch.

Startled,Elenapulledback.Shestaredatherfingerwhereaverysmalldropofbloodwaswellingup.

Everyonewatchedit,mesmerized.ThenElena’smouthsaidwithoutpausingtoconsultherbrain,“Youhavekittenteeth.”

ThenextmomentMeredithhadbrushedElenaasideandwaspacingwildlyallaroundthekitchen.“Iwon’tbeone!Iwon’tbe!I’mahunter-slayer,notavampire!I’llkill myself if I’m a vampire!” She was deadly serious. Elena felt Stefan feeling it, thequickthrustofthestavebetweenherribsandintotheheart.ShewouldgoontheInternetto find the right area. Ironwood and white ash piercing her heart, stilling it forever…sealingofftheevilthatwasMeredithSulez.

Becalm!Becalm!Stefan’sInfluencefloodedintoher.

Meredithwasnotcalm.

“ButbeforethatIhavetokillmybrother.”SheflungdownaphotographonMrs.Flowers’skitchentable.“ItturnsoutthatKlausorsomeonehasbeensendingthesesinceCristianwasfour—onmyrealbirthday.Foryears!Andineverypictureyoucouldseehisvampireteeth.Not‘kittenteeth.’AndthentheystoppedcomingwhenIwasaboutten. But they had shown him growing up!With pointed teeth! And last year this onecame.”

Elenaleapedforthephoto,butitwasclosertoStefanandhewasfaster.Hestaredinastonishment.“Growingup?”hesaid.Shecouldfeelhowshakenhewas—andhowenvious.Noonehadgivenhimthatoption.

Elena looked at the pacing Meredith and around at Stefan. “But it’simpossible, isn’t it?”shesaid.“I thought that ifyouwerebitten, thatwas it, right?Younevergotanyolder—orbigger.”

“That’swhatIthoughttoo.ButKlauswasanOldOneandwhoknowswhattheycando?”Stefananswered.

Damonwillbefuriouswhenhefindsout,ElenatoldStefanprivately,reachingforthepictureeventhoughshe’dalreadyseenitthroughStefan’seyes.DamonwasverybitteraboutStefan’sheightadvantage—aboutanyone’sheightadvantage.

ElenabroughtthepicturetoMrs.Flowersandlookedatitwithher.Itshowedanextremelyhandsomeboy,withhairthatwasjustMeredith’sdarkcolor.HelookedlikeMeredith inhis facial structureandoliveskin.Hewaswearingamotorcycle jacketandgloves,butnohelmet,andhewaslaughingmerrilywithafullsetofverywhiteteeth.Youcouldeasilyseethatthecanineswerelongandpointed.

ElenalookedbackandforthfromMeredithtothepicture.Theonlydifferenceshecouldseewasthatthisboy’seyesseemedlighter.Everythingelsescreamed“twins.”

“First I kill him,” Meredith repeated tiredly. “Then I kill myself.” Shestumbledbacktothetableandsat,almostknockingoverherchair.

Elena hovered near her, snatching two mugs from the table, to prevent

Meredith’sclumsyarmfromsweepingthemtothefloor.

Meredith…clumsy! Elena had never seen Meredith ungraceful or clumsybefore.Itwasfrightening.Wasitsomehowduetobeing—atleastpartly—avampire?Thekittenteeth?ElenaturnedapprehensiveeyesonStefan,feltStefan’sownbewilderment.

Thenbothofthem,withoutconsultation,turnedtolookatMrs.Flowers.Shegavethemanapologeticlittle-old-ladysmile.

“Gottakill…findhim,killhim…first,”Meredithwaswhisperingasherdarkhead lowered to the table, to the pillow of her arms. “Find him…where? Grandpa…where?Cristian…mybrother…”

Elenalistenedsilentlyuntiltherewasonlysoftbreathingtobeheard.

“Youdruggedher?”shewhisperedtoMrs.Flowers.

“ItwaswhatMama thoughtbest.She’sastrong,healthygirl. Itwon’tharmher to sleep from now through the night. Because I’m sorry to tell you, but we haveanotherproblemrightnow.”

Elena glanced at Stefan, saw fear dawning on his face, and demanded,“What?”Absolutelynothingwascomingthroughtheirlink.He’dshutitdown.

ElenaturnedtoMrs.Flowers.“What?”

“I’mveryworriedaboutdearMatt.”

“Matt,”agreedStefan,lookingaroundthetableasiftoshowthatMattwasn’tthere.HewastryingtoprotectElenafromthechillsracingthroughhim.

AtfirstElenawasn’talarmed.“Iknowwherehemightbe,”shesaidbrightly.ShewasrememberingstoriesthatMatthadtoldofbeinginFell’sChurchwhilesheandtheothershadbeenintheDarkDimension.“Dr.Alpert’splace.Oroutwithher,makingtheroundsofhomevisits.”

Mrs. Flowers shook her head, her expression bleak. “I’m afraid not, Elenadear.Sophia—Dr.Alpert—calledmeandtoldmeshewastakingMatt’smother,yourownfamily,andseveralotherpeoplewithherandescapingFell’sChurchentirely.AndIdon’tblameherabit—butMattwasn’toneofthosegoing.Shesaidhemeanttostayandfight.Thatwasaroundtwelvethirty.”

Elena’seyesautomaticallywenttothekitchenclock.Horrorshotthroughher,flippingher stomach and reverberatingout to her fingertips.The clock said4:35—4:35P.M.!Butthathadtobewrong.SheandStefanhadonlyjoinedmindsafewminutesago.Meredith’sragehadn’tlastedthatlong.Thiswasimpossible!

“Thatclock—it’snotright!”SheappealedtoMrs.Flowers,butheardat thesametimeStefan’stelepathicvoice,It’sthemind-blending.Ididn’twanttorush.ButIwaslostinittoo—it’snotyourfault,Elena!

“Itismyfault,”Elenasnappedbackaloud.“Inevermeanttoforgetaboutmyfriends for the entire afternoon! AndMatt—Matt would never scare us by keeping uswaiting for his call! I should have called him! I shouldn’t have been—”She looked atStefanwithunhappyeyes.Theonlythingburninginsideherrightnowwastheshameof

failingMatt.

“Ididcallhismobilenumber,”Mrs.Flowerssaidverygently.“Mamaadvisedmetodoso,allthewaybackathalfpasttwelve.Buthedidn’tanswer.I’vecalledeveryhoursince.Mamawon’tsaymorethanthatit’stimewelookedintothingsdirectly.”

ElenarantoMrs.Flowersandweptonthesoftcambriclaceworkat theoldwoman’sneck.“Youdidourjobforus,”shesaid.“Thankyou.Butnowwehavetogoandfindhim.”

ShewhirledonStefan.“CanyouputMeredithinthefirst-floorbedroom?Justtakeoffhershoesandputheron topof thecovers.Mrs.Flowers, ifyou’regoing tobealonehere,we’llleaveSaberandTalontotakecareofyou.Thenwe’llkeepintouchbymobile.Andwe’llsearcheveryhouseinFell’sChurch—butIguessweshouldgotothethicketfirst…”

“Wait,Elenamydear.”Mrs.Flowershadhereyesshut.Elenawaited,shiftingimpatientlyfromonefoottotheother.StefanwasjustreturningfromputtingMeredithinthefrontroom.

Suddenly,Mrs.Flowerssmiled,eyesstill shut.“Mama says shewilldoherutmost for you two, since you are so devoted to your friend. She says thatMatt is notanywhereinFell’sChurch.Andshesays,takethedog,Saber.ThefalconwillwatchoverMeredithwhileweareaway.”Mrs.Flowers’seyesopened.“AlthoughwemightplasterherwindowanddoorwithPost-itNotes,”shesaid,“justtomakesure.”

“No,”Elena said flatly. “I’m sorry, but Iwon’t leaveMeredith and you onyourownwithonlyabirdforprotection.We’lltakeyoubothwithus,coveredinamuletsif you like, and thenwe can takeboth animals, too.Back in theDarkDimension, theyworkedtogetherwhenBloddeuweddwastryingtokillus.”

“Allright,”Stefansaidatonce,knowingElenawellenoughtorealizethatahalf-hour-longargumentcouldensueandElenawouldneverbemovedaninchfromherposition.Mrs.Flowersmusthaveknownittoo,forsherose,alsoimmediately,andwenttogetready.

Stefan carriedMeredith out to her car.Elenagave a tinywhistle forSaber,whowasinstantlyunderfoot,seemingbiggerthanever,andsheracedhimupthestairstoMatt’sroom.Itwasdisappointinglyclean—butElenafishedapairofbriefsfrombetweenbed andwall. She gave these to Saber to delight in, but found she couldn’t stand still.Finally, she ran up to Stefan’s room, snatched her diary from under the mattress, andbeganscribbling.

DearDiary,Idon’tknowwhattodo.Matthasdisappeared.DamonhastakenBonnie

totheDarkDimension—butishetakingcareofher?There’snowaytoknow.Wedon’thaveanywaytoopenaGateourselves

andgoafterthem.I’mafraidStefanwillkillDamon,andifsomething—anything—

hashappenedtoBonnie,I’llwanttokillhimtoo.Oh,God,whatamess!AndMeredith…of all people,Meredith turns out to havemore secrets

thanallofuscombined.AllStefanandIcandoisholdeachotherandpray.We’vebeenfighting

Shinichisolong!Ifeelasiftheendiscomingsoon…andI’mafraid.

“Elena!”Stefan’sshoutcamefrombelow.“We’reallready!”

Elena quickly stuffed the diary back under the mattress. She found Saberwaitingon thestairs,andfollowedhimdown,running.Mrs.Flowershad twoovercoatscoveredinamulets.

Outside,alongwhistlefromStefanwasmetbyanansweringkeeeeeeeefromabove andElena sawa small darkbody circling against thewhite-streakedAugust sky.“Sheunderstands,”Stefansaidbriefly,andtookthedriver’sseatofthecar.Elenagotintothebackseatbehindhim,andMrs.Flowersintothefrontpassengerseat.SinceStefanhadbuckledupMeredithintothemiddleofthebackseat,thisleftSaberawindowtoputhispantingheadthrough.

“Now,” Stefan said, over the purring of the engine, “where are we going,exactly?”

22

“Mamasaidnot inFell’sChurch,”Mrs.Flowers repeated toStefan.“And thatmeansnotthethicket.”

“Allright,”Stefansaid.“Ifhe’snotthere,thenwhereelse?”

“Well,”Elenasaidslowly,“it’sthepolice,isn’tit?They’vecaughthim.”Herheartfeltasifitwereinherstomach.

Mrs.Flowerssighed.“Isupposeso.Mamashouldhavetoldmethat,buttheatmosphereisfullofstrangeinfluences.”

“Butthesheriff’sdepartmentisinFell’sChurch.Whatthereisofit,”Elenaobjected.

“Then,”Mrs.Flowerssaid,“whatabout thepolice inanothercitycloseby?Theoneswhocamelookingforhimbefore—”

“Ridgemont,”Elenasaidheavily.“That’swherethosepolicethatsearchedtheboardinghousewere from.That’swhere thatMossberg guy came from,Meredith said.”ShelookedatMeredith,whodidn’tevenmurmur.“That’swhereCaroline’sdadhasallhisbig-shot friends—and Tyler Smallwood’s dad does too. They belong to all those no-womenclubswithsecrethandshakesandstuff.”

“Anddowehaveanythinglikeaplanforwhenwegetthere?”Stefanasked.

“IhaveasortofPlanA,”Elenaadmitted.“ButIdon’tknowthatitwillwork—youmayknowbetterthanIdo.”

“Tellme.”

Elena told him.Stefan listened and had to stifle a laugh. “I think,” he saidsoberlyafterward,“thatitjustmightwork.”

ElenaimmediatelybegantothinkaboutPlansBandCsothattheywouldn’tbestuckifPlanAshouldfail.

TheyhadtodrivethroughFell’sChurchtogettoRidgemont.Elenasawtheburnt-out houses and the blackened trees through tears. This was her town, the townwhich,asaspirit,shehadwatchedoverandprotected.Howcouldithavecometothis?

And,worse,howcoulditeverpossiblybeputbacktogetheragain?

Elenabegantoshiveruncontrollably.

Mattsatgrimlyinthejuryconferenceroom.Hehadexploreditlongago,andhadfoundthat the windows were boarded over from the outside. He wasn’t surprised, as all thewindowsheknewbackinFell’sChurchwereboardedup,andbesides,hehadtriedtheseboardsandknewthathecouldbreakoutifhecaredto.

Hedidn’tcareto.

Itwas time to face his personal crisis.Hewould have faced it back beforeDamonhadtakenthethreegirlstotheDarkDimension,butMeredithhadtalkedhimoutofit.

MattknewthatMr.Forbes,Caroline’sfather,hadallhiscroniesinthepoliceandlegalsystemhere.AndsodidMr.Smallwood,thefatheroftherealculprit.Theywereunlikelytogivehimafairtrial.Butinanykindoftrial,atsomepointtheywouldatleasthavetolistentohim.

Andwhattheywouldhearwastheplaintruth.Theymightnotbelieveitnow.Butlater,whenCaroline’stwinshadaslittlecontrolaswerewolfbabieswerereputedtohaveovertheirshapes—well,thenthey’dthinkofMatt,andwhathe’dsaid.

He was doing the right thing, he assured himself. Even if, right now, hisinsidesfeltasiftheyweremadeoflead.

What’stheworsttheycandotome?hewondered,andwasunhappytoheartheechoofMeredith’svoicecomeback.“Theycanputyouinjail,Matt.Realjail;you’reover eighteen. And while that may be good news for some genuine, vicious, tough oldfelonswith homemade tattoos and biceps like tree branches, it is not going to be goodnewsforyou.”AndthenafterasessionontheInternet,“Matt, inVirginia, itcanbeforlife.Andtheminimumisfiveyears.Matt,please;Ibegyou,don’tletthemdothistoyou!Sometimesit’struethatdiscretionisthebetterpartofvalor.Theyholdallthecardsandwe’rewalkingblindfoldedinthedark…”

Shehadgottensurprisinglyworkedupaboutit,mixinghermetaphorsandall,Matt thoughtdejectedly.But it’snot exactly as if I volunteered for this.And Ibet theyknowthoseboardsareprettyflimsyandifIbreakout,I’llbechasedfromheretowho-knows-where.AndifIstayputatleastI’llgettotellthetruth.

Foraverylongtimenothinghappened.Mattcouldtellfromthesunthroughthecracks in theboards that itwasafternoon.Amancame inandofferedavisit to thebathroomandaCoke.Mattacceptedboth,butalsodemandedanattorneyandhisphonecall.

“You’llhaveanattorney,”themangrumbledathimasMattcameoutofthebathroom.“One’llbeappointedforyou.”

“Idon’twantthat.Iwantarealattorney.OnethatIpick.”

Themanlookeddisgusted.“Kidlikeyoucan’thaveanymoney.You’lltaketheattorneyappointedtoyou.”

“Mymomhasmoney.She’dwantmetohavetheattorneywehire,notsomekidoutoflawschool.”

“Aw,”themansaid,“howsweet.YouwantMommytotakecareofyou.AndherallthewayoutinClydesdalebynow,Ibet,withtheblackladydoctor.”

Mattfroze.

Shutbackinthejuryroomhetriedfranticallytothink.HowdidtheyknowwherehismomandDr.Alperthadgone?Hetriedthesoundof“blackladydoctor”onhis

tongueandfoundit tastedbad,sortofold-time-ishand justplainbad. If thedoctorhadbeenCaucasianandmale, itwould’vesoundedsilly tosay“…gonewith thewhitemandoctor.”SortoflikeanoldTarzanfilm.

A great anger was rising in Matt. And along with it a great fear. Wordsslithered around his mind: surveillance and spying and conspiracy and cover-up. Andoutwitted.

Heguesseditwasafterfiveo’clock,aftereverybodywhonormallyworkedatcourthadleft,thattheytookhimtotheinterrogationroom.

Theywerejustplaying,hefigured,thetwoofficerswhotriedtotalktohimina cramped little roomwith a video camera in one corner of thewall, perfectly obviouseventhoughitwassmall.

Theytookturns,oneyellingathimthathemightaswellconfesseverything,theotheractingsympatheticandsaying things like,“Things justgotoutofhand, right?Wehaveapictureofthehickeyshegaveyou.Shewashotstuff,right?”Wink,wink.“Iunderstand.Butthenshestartedtogiveyoumixedsignals…”

Mattreachedhissnappingpoint.“No,wewerenotonadate,no,shedidnotgivemeahickey,andwhenItellMr.ForbesyoucalledCarolinehotstuff,winkeywinkey,he’s gonna get you fired,mister. And I’ve heard ofmixed signals, but I’ve never seenthem.Icanhear‘no’aswellasyoucan,andIfigureone‘no’means‘no’!”

Afterthattheybeathimupalittlebit.Mattwassurprised,butconsideringthewayhehadjustthreatenedandsassedthem,nottoosurprised.

And then they seemed to give up on him, leaving him alone in theinterrogation room, which, unlike the jury room, had no windows.Matt said over andover,forthebenefitofthevideocamera,“I’minnocentandI’mbeingdeniedmyphonecallandmyattorney.I’minnocent…”

At last they came and got him.Hewas hustled between the good and badcopsintoacompletelyemptycourtroom.No,notempty,herealized.Inthefirstrowwereafewreporters,oneortwowithsketchbooksready.

WhenMatt saw that, just like a real trial, and imagined the pictures they’dsketch—justlikehe’dseenonTV,theleadinhisstomachturnedintoaflutteringfeelingofpanic.

Butthiswaswhathewanted,wasn’tit,togetthestoryout?

Hewas led to an empty table. Therewas another table, with several well-dressedmen,allwithpilesofpapersinfrontofthem.

ButthethingthatheldMatt’sattentionat that tablewasCaroline.Hedidn’trecognizeheratfirst.Shewaswearingadovegraycottondress.Gray!Withnojewelryonatall,andsubtlemakeup.Theonlycolorwasinherhair—abrazenauburn.Itlookedlikeher old hair, not the brindled color it had been when she was starting to become awerewolf.Hadshelearnedtocontrolherformatlast?Thatwasbadnews.Verybad.

Andfinally,withanairofwalkingoneggshells,incamethejury.Theyhadto

knowhowirregularthiswas,buttheykeptcomingin,justtwelveofthem,justenoughtofillthejuryseats.

Mattsuddenlyrealized that therewasa judgesittingat thedeskhighabovehim.Hadhebeenthereallalong?No…

“All rise for Justice Thomas Holloway,” boomed a bailiff.Matt stood andwondered if the trialwas really going to startwithout his lawyer. But before everyonecouldsit,therewasacrashofopeningdoors,andatallbundleofpapersonlegshurriedintothecourtroom,becameawomaninherearlytwenties,anddumpedthepapersonthetablebesidehim.“GwenSawickihere—present,”theyoungwomangasped.

JudgeHolloway’sneckshotoutlikeatortoise’s,tobringherintohisrealmofsight.“Youhavebeenappointedonbehalfofthedefense?”

“IfitpleasesYourHonor,yes,YourHonor—allofthirtyminutesago.Ihadnoideawehadgonetonightsessions,YourHonor.”

“Don’t you be pertwithme!” JudgeHolloway snapped.As hewent on toallow the prosecution attorneys to introduce themselves, Matt pondered on the word“pert.” Itwasanotherof thosewords,he thought, thatwasneverused towardmales.Apertmanwasajoke.Whileapertgirlorwomansoundedjustfine.Butwhy?

“CallmeGwen,”avoicewhisperedbesidehim,andMattlookedtoseeagirlwith brown eyes and brown hair back in a ponytail. Shewasn’t exactly pretty, but shelookedhonestandstraightforward,whichmadehertheprettiestthingintheroom.

“I’mMatt—well,obviously,”Mattsaid.

“Isthisyourgirl,Carolyn?”Gwenwaswhispering,showingapictureoftheoldCarolineat somedance,wearingstilts,andwith tanned legs thatwentupandup toalmostmeetbeforeaminiskirt tookover,blackand lacy.Shehadonawhiteblouse sotightatthebustthatithardlyseemedabletocontainhernaturalassets.Hermakeupwasexactlytheoppositeofsubtle.

“Hername’sCarolineandshe’sneverbeenmygirl,but that’sher—therealher,” Matt whispered. “Before Klaus came and did something to her boyfriend, TylerSmallwood.ButIhavetotellyouwhathappenedwhenshefoundoutshewaspregnant—”

She’dgonenuts,waswhathadhappened.NooneknewwhereTylerwas—dead after the final fight againstKlaus, turned into a fullwolf in hiding;whatever. SoCarolinehadtriedtopinitonMatt—untilShinichiappearedandbecameherboyfriend.

But Shinichi and Misao were playing a cruel joke on her, pretending thatShinichiwouldmarry her. It was after she realized that Shinichi didn’t care at all thatCarolinehadgonetotallyballistic,andhadreallytriedtomakeMattfitthegapingholeinherlife.MattdidhisbesttoexplainthistoGwensoshecouldexplainittothejury,untilthejudge’svoiceinterruptedhim.

“Wewilldispensewithopeningarguments,”saidJudgeHolloway,“sincethehourissolate.Willtheprosecutioncallitsfirstwitness?”

“Wait!Objection!”Mattshouted,ignoringGwen’stuggingathisarmandherhissing:“Youcan’tobjecttothejudge’srulings!”

“And the judge can’t do this tome,”Matt said, twitching his T-shirt backfrombetweenherfingers.“Ihaven’tevenhadachancetomeetwithmypublicdefenderyet!”

“Maybe you should have accepted a public defender earlier,” replied thejudge, sipping fromaglass ofwater.He suddenly thrust his head atMatt and snapped,“Eh?”

“That’sridiculous,”criedMatt.“Youwouldn’tgivememyphonecalltogetalawyer!”

“Did he ever ask for a phone call?” Judge Holloway snapped, his eyestravelingaroundtheroom.

ThetwoofficerswhohadbeatMattupsolemnlyshooktheirheads.Atthis,thebailiff,whomMattsuddenlyrecognizedastheguywho’dkepthiminthejuryroomforaround fourhours,beganwagginghisheadbackand forth in thenegative.Theyallthreewagged,almostinunison.

“Then you forfeited that right by not asking for it,” the judge snapped. Itseemedtobehisonlywayofspeaking.“Youcan’tdemanditinthemiddleofatrial.Now,asIwassaying—”

“Iobject!”Mattshoutedevenlouder.“They’reall lying!Lookatyourowntapesoftheminterrogatingme.AllIkeptsaying—”

“Counselor,” the judgesnarledatGwen,“controlyourclientoryouwillbeheldincontemptofcourt!”

“Youhavetoshutup,”GwenhissedatMatt.

“Youcan’tmakemeshutup!Youcan’thavethistrialwhileyou’rebreakingalltherules!”

“Shutyourtrap!”Thejudgebeltedoutthewordsatasurprisingvolume.Hethenadded,“Thenextpersontomakearemarkwithoutmyexpresspermissionshallbeheldincontemptofcourttothetuneofanightinjailandfivehundreddollars.”

He paused to look around to see if this had sunk in. “Now,” he said.“Prosecution,callyourfirstwitness.”

“WecallCarolineBeulahForbestothestand.”

Caroline’s figure had changed. Her stomach was sort of upside-down-avocado-shapednow.Mattheardmurmurs.

“CarolineBeulaForbes,doyouswearthatthetestimonyyoushallgivewillbethetruth,thewholetruth,andnothingbutthetruth?”

Somewheredeepinside,Mattwasshaking.Hedidn’tknowif itwasmostlyangerormostly fearoranequalcombinationofboth.Buthefelt likeageyser ready toblow—notnecessarilybecausehewantedto,butbecauseforcesbeyondhiscontrolwere

takingholdofhim.GentleMatt,QuietMatt,ObedientMatt—hehadleftallthosebehindsomewhere.RagingMatt,RampagingMatt,thatwasaboutallhecouldbe.

From a dim outsideworld, voices came filtering into his reverie. And onevoiceprickedandstunglikeanettle.

“Do you recognize the boy you have named as your former boyfriendMatthewJeffreyHoneycutthereinthisroom?”

“Yes,”thepricklynettlevoicesaidsoftly.“He’ssittingatthedefensetable,inthegrayT-shirt.”

Matt’sheadflewup.HelookedCarolinestraightintheeye.

“Youknowthat’salie,”hesaid.“Weneverwentononedatetogether.Ever.”

Thejudge,whohadseemedtobeasleep,nowwokeup.“Bailiff!”hesnapped.“Restrainthedefendantimmediately.”

Matt tensed.AsGwenSawickimoaned,Mattsuddenlyfoundhimselfbeingheldwhileducttapewaswrappedroundandroundhismouth.

Hefought.Hetriedtogetup.Sotheyduct-tapedhimaroundhiswaisttothechair.Astheyfinallylefthimalone,thejudgesaid,“Ifherunsoffwiththatchair,youwillpayitoutofyourownsalary,MizSawicki.”

MattcouldfeelGwenSawickitremblingbesidehim.Notwithfear.Hecouldrecognizetheabout-to-explodeexpressionandrealizedthatshewasgoingtobenext.Andthenthejudgewouldholdherincontemptandwhowouldspeakupforhim?

Hemethereyesandshookhisheadfirmlyather.ButhealsoshookhisheadateverylieCarolinecameupwith.

“Wehadtokeepitasecret,ourrelationship,”Carolinewassayingdemurely,straightening the gray dress. “Because Tyler Smallwood,my previous boyfriend,mighthavefoundout.Thenhewouldhave—Imean,Ididn’twantanytroublebetweenthem.”

Yeah,Mattthoughtbitterly:you’dbetterwalkcarefully—becauseTyler’sdadprobablyhasasmanygoodfriendsinhereasyoursdoes.More.Matt tunedoutuntilheheardtheprosecutorsay,“Anddidanythingunusualhappenonthenightinquestion?”

“Well, we went out together in his car. We went over near theboardinghouse…noonewouldseeusthere…Yes,I—I’mafraidIdidgivehima…alove-bite.But after that Iwanted to leave,buthedidn’t stop. I had to try to fighthimoff. Iscratchedhimwithmynails—”

“TheprosecutionoffersPeoples’Exhibit2—apictureof thedeepfingernailscoresonthedefendant’sarm—”

Gwen’seyes,meetingMatt’s,lookeddull.Beaten.SheshowedMattapictureofwhathe remembered: thedeepmarksmadeby thehugemalach’s teethwhenhehadpulledhisarmoutofitsmouth.“Thedefensewillstipulate…”

“Soadmitted.”

“ButnomatterhowIscreamedandfought…well,hewastoostrong,andI—I

couldn’t—”Carolinetossedherheadinagonyofrememberedshame.Tearsfloodedfromhereyes.

“YourHonor, perhaps thedefendant needs abreak to freshenhermakeup,”Gwensuggestedbitterly.

“Younglady,youaregettingonmynerves.Theprosecutioncancareforitsownclients—Imeanwitnesses—”

“Yourwitness…”—fromtheprosecution.

MatthadscribbledasmuchoftherealstoryashecouldontoablanksheetofpaperwhileCaroline’stheatricshadgoneon.Gwenwasnowreadingthis.

“So,”shesaid,“yourex,TylerSmallwood,isnotandhasneverbeena”—sheswallowed—“awerewolf.”

Through her tears of shame Caroline laughed lightly. “Of course not.Werewolvesaren’treal.”

“Likevampires.”

“Vampires aren’t real either, if that’swhatyoumean.Howcould theybe?”Carolinewaslookingintoeveryshadowoftheroomasshesaidthis.

Gwen was doing a good job, Matt realized. Caroline’s demure patina wasbeginningtochip.

“And people never come back from the dead—in these modern times, Imean,”Gwensaid.

“Well,astothat”—malicehadcreptintoCaroline’svoice—“ifyoujustgototheboardinghouse inFell’sChurch,youcan see that there’s agirl calledElenaGilbert,whowassupposedtohavedrownedlastyear.OnFounder’sDay,aftertheparade.ShewasMissFell’sChurch,ofcourse.”

Therewasamurmuramongthereporters.Supernaturalstuffsoldbetterthananythingelse,especiallyifaprettygirlwasinvolved.Mattcouldseeasmirkmakingtherounds.

“Order!MizSawicki,youwillkeeptothefactsinthiscase!”

“Yes,YourHonor.”Gwenlookedthwarted.“Okay,Caroline,let’sgobacktothedayoftheallegedassault.Aftertheeventsyouhavenarrated,didyoucallthepoliceatonce?”

“Iwas…tooashamed.ButthenIrealizedImightbepregnantorhavesomehorriddisease,andIknewIhadtotell.”

“But that horrid disease wasn’t lycanthropy—being a werewolf, right?Becausethatcouldn’tbetrue.”

GwenlookedanxiouslydownatMattandMattlookedbleaklyupather.He’dhopedthatifCarolinewereforcedtokeeptalkingaboutwerewolvesshewouldeventuallystarttotwitch.Butsheseemedtohavecompletecontroloverherselfnow.

Thejudgeseemedfurious.“Younglady,Iwon’thavemycourtmadeajokewithanymoresupernaturalnonsense!”

Matt stared at the ceiling. He was going to jail. For a long time. Forsomething he hadn’t done. For something hewould never do.And besides, now, theremight be reporters going over to the boardinghouse to botherElena andStefan.Damn!Carolinehadmanagedtogetthatindespitethebloodoathshe’dmadenevertogivetheirsecretaway.Damonhadsignedthatoathaswell.ForamomentMattwishedthatDamonwerebackandrighthere,totakerevengeonher.Mattdidn’tcarehowmanytimeshegotcalled“Mutt”ifDamonwouldjustappear.ButDamondidn’t.

Matt realized that the duct tape around hismiddlewas low enough that hecouldslamhisheadagainstthedefensetable.Hedidthis,makingasmallboom.

“Ifyourclientwishestobecompletelyimmobilized,MizSawicki,itcanbe—”

Butthentheyallheardit.Likeanecho,butdelayed.Andmuchlouderthanthesoundofaheadstrikingatable.

BOOM!

Andagain.

BOOM!

Andthenthedistant,disturbingsoundofdoorsslammingopenasiftheyhadbeenhitbyabatteringram.

Atthispointthepeopleinthecourtroomstillcouldhavescattered.Butwherewastheretogo?

BOOM!Another,closerdoorslammingopen.

“Order!Orderinthecourtroom!”

Footstepssoundeddownthewoodenfloorofthecorridor.

“Order!Order!”

Butnoone,not evena judge, could stop thismanypeople frommuttering.And late in the evening, in a locked courthouse, after all that talk of vampires andwerewolves…

Footstepscomingcloser.Adoor,quitenear,crashingandcreaking.

A ripple of…something…went through the courtroom. Caroline gasped,clutchingatherbulgingstomach.

“Barthosedoors!Bailiff!Lockthem!”

“Barthemhow,YourHonor?Andtheyonlylockfromtheoutside!”

Whateveritwas,itwasveryclose—

The doors to the courtroom opened, creaking.Matt put a calming hand onGwen’swrist,twistinghisnecktoseebehindhim.

Standing in the doorway was Saber, looking, as always, as big as a smallpony.Mrs.Flowerswalkedbesidehim;StefanandElenadrewuptherear.

Heavy clicking footsteps as Saber, alone, went up to Caroline, who wasgaspingandquivering.

Uttersilenceaseveryonetookinthesightofthegiantbeast,hiscoatebonyblack,hiseyesdarkandmoistashetookaleisurelylookaroundthecourtroom.

Then,deepinhischest,Saberwenthmmf.

AroundMattpeopleweregaspingandwrithing,asiftheyitchedallover.HestaredandsawGwenstaringalongwithhimasthegaspingbecameapanting.

FinallySabertiltedhisnosetotheceilingandhowled.

Whathappenedafterthatwasn’tprettyfromMatt’spointofview.NotseeingCaroline’s nose andmouth jut out to make a muzzle. Not seeing her eyes recede intosmall,deep,fur-linedholes.

And her hands, fingers shrinking into helplesslywaving paws,widespread,withblackclaws.Thatwasn’tpretty.

Buttheanimalattheendwasbeautiful.Mattdidn’tknowifshe’dabsorbedhergraydressorshuckeditofforwhat.Hedidknowthatahandsomegraywolfleapedfromthedefendant’schairtolickupatSaber’schops,rollingallthewayonthefloortofrolicaroundthehugeanimal,whowassoobviouslythealphawolf.

Saber made another deep hmmf sound. The wolf that had been Carolinerubbedhersnoutlovinglyagainsthisneck.

And itwashappening inotherplaces in the room.Bothof theprosecutors,threeofthejurors…thejudgehimself…

Theywereallchanging,nottoattack,buttoforgetheirsocialbondswiththishugewolf,analphaifevertherewasone.

“Wetalkedtohimalltheway,”ElenaexplainedinbetweencursingtheducttapeinMatt’shair.“Aboutnotbeingaggressiveandsnappingoffheads—Damontoldmehedidthatonce.”

“We didn’t want a bunch of murders,” Stefan agreed. “And we knew noanimalwouldbeasbigashewas.Soweconcentratedonbringingoutallthewolfinhimwecould—wait,Elena—I’vegotthetapeonthisside.Sorryaboutthis,Matt.”

Astingastaperippedfree—andMattputahandtohismouth.Mrs.Flowerswassnippingtheducttapethatheldhimtothechair.Suddenlyhewasentirelyfreeandhefeltlikeshouting.HehuggedStefan,Elena,andMrs.Flowers,saying,“Thankyou!”

Gwen,unfortunately,wasbeing sick in a trash can.Actually,Matt thought,shewasluckyinhavingsecuredone.Ajurorwasbeingsickovertherailing.

“This isMs. Sawicki,”Matt said proudly. “She came in after the trial hadbegun,anddidareallygoodjobforme.”

“Hesaid‘Elena,’”Gwenwhisperedwhenshecouldspeak.Shewasstaringat

asmallwolf,withpatchesofthinninghair,thatcamelimpingdownfromthejudge’schairtocavortaroundSaber,whowasacceptingallsuchgestureswithdignity.

“I’mElena,”saidElena,inbetweengivingMattmightyhugs.

“Theonewho’s…supposedtobedead?”

ElenatookamomentouttohugGwen.“DoIfeeldead?”

“I—Idon’tknow.No.But—”

“But I have a pretty little headstone in the Fell’s Church cemetery,” Elenaassuredher—thensuddenly,withachangeincountenance,“DidCarolinetellyouthat?”

“Shetoldthewholeroomthat.Especiallythereporters.”

Stefan looked at Matt and smiled wryly. “You may just live to have yourrevengeonCaroline.”

“Idon’twantrevengeanymore.Ijustwanttogohome.Imean—”HelookedatMrs.Flowersinconsternation.

“Ifyoucanthinkofmyhouseas‘home’whileyourdearmotherisaway,Iamveryhappy,”saidMrs.Flowers.

“Thankyou,”Mattsaidquietly.“Ireallymeanthat.ButStefan…whatarethereportersgoingtowrite?”

“Ifthey’resmart,theywon’twriteanythingatall.”

23

Inthecar,MattsatbythesleepingMeredithwithSabercrammedinattheirfeet,listeninginshockandhorrorastheyrecountedMeredith’sstory.Whentheyweredone,hewasabletospeakabouthisownexperiences.

“I’mgoing to havenightmares allmy life aboutColeReece,” he admitted.“AndeventhoughIslappedanamuletonhim,andhecried,Dr.Alpertsaidhewasstillinfected.Howcanwefightsomethingthisfaroutofcontrol?”

Elenaknewhewaslookingather.Shedughernailsintoherpalms.“Itisn’tthatIhaven’ttriedtouseWingsofPurificationoverthetown.I’vetriedsohardthatIfeelas if I’llburst.But it’snogood. I can’t controlanyWingsPowersat all! I think—afterwhatI’velearnedaboutMeredith—thatImayneedtraining.ButhowdoIgetit?Where?Fromwho?”

Therewasalongsilenceinthecar.AtlastMattsaid,“We’reallinthedark.Lookatthatcourtroom!Howcantheyhavesomanywerewolvesinonetown?”

“Wolves are sociable,” Stefan said quietly. “It looks as if there is a wholecommunityofwerewolvesinRidgemont.SeededamongthevariousBearandMooseandLionsClubsofcourse.Forspyingontheonlycreaturesthey’rescaredof:humans.”

AttheboardinghouseStefancarriedMeredithtothefirst-floorbedroomandElenapulled the coversoverher.Then shewent to thekitchen,where the conversationwascontinuing.

“Whataboutthosewerewolves’families?Theirwives?”shedemandedassherubbed Matt’s shoulders where she knew the muscles must hurt fiercely from beinghandcuffedbehindhisback.Hersoftfingerssoothedbruises,butherhandswerestrong,and she kept kneading and kneading until her own shouldermuscles began to swear ather…andbeyond.

Stefan stopped her. “Move over, love, I’ve got evil vampiremagic. This isnecessarymedicaltreatment,”headdedsternlytoMatt.“Soyouhavetotakeitnomatterhowmuchithurts.”Elenacouldstillfeelhim,iffaintly,throughtheirconnectionandshesawhowheanesthetizedMatt’smindandthendugintotheknottedshouldersasifhewaskneadingstiffdough,meanwhilereachingoutwithhisPowersofhealing.

Mrs.Flowerscamebyjustthenwithmugsofhot,sweetcinnamontea.Mattdrainedhismugandhisheadfellbackslightly.Hiseyeswereshut,hislipsparted.Elenafeltahugewaveofpainandtensionfloodawayfromhim.Andthenshehuggedbothofherboysandcried.

“Theypickedmeuponmyowndriveway,”MattadmittedasElenasniffled.“And theydid itby thebook,but theywouldn’teven lookat the—thechaosallaroundthem.”

Mrs. Flowers approached again, looking serious. “DearMatt, you’ve had aterribleday.Whatyouneed isa long rest.”SheglancedatStefan,as if to seehow thiswouldimpacthim,withsofewblooddonors.Stefansmiledreassuringlyather.Matt,still

beingkneadedpliant,hadjustnodded.Afterthathiscolorstartedcomingbackandalittlesmilecurvedhislips.

“There’sm’mainman,”hesaid,whenSaberbuttedhiswaythroughtraffictopantdirectlyinMatt’sface.“Buddy,Iloveyourdogbreath,”hedeclared.“Yousavedme.Canhehaveatreat,Mrs.Flowers?”heasked,turningslightlyunfocusedblueeyesonher.

“Iknowjustwhathe’dlike.Ihavehalfaroastleftintherefrigeratorthatjustneeds tobeheatedabit.”Shepunchedbuttonsand inashortwhile,said,“Matt,wouldyouliketodothehonors?Remembertotaketheboneout—hemightchokeonit.”

Matt took the large pot roast,which, heated, smelled so good itmade himaware that hewas starving.He felt hismorals collapse. “Mrs. Flowers, do you think IcouldmakeasandwichbeforeIgiveittohim?”

“Oh,youpoordearboy!” shecried. “And Inever even thought—ofcoursetheywouldn’tgiveyoulunchordinner.”

Mrs. Flowers got bread and Matt was happy enough with that, bread andmeat,thesimplestsandwichimaginable—andsogooditcurledhistoes.

Elenaweptjustalittlemore.Soeasytomaketwocreatureshappywithonesimplething.Morethantwo—theywereallhappytoseeMattsafeandtowatchSabergethisproperreward.

Theenormousdoghadfollowedeverymovementofthatroastwithhiseyes,tailswishingbackandforthonthefloor.ButwhenMatt,stillchomping,offeredhimthelargepieceofmeatthatwasleft,Saberjustcockedhisheadtooneside,staringatitasiftosay,“Youhavetobejoking.”

“Yes,it’sforyou.Goonandtakeitnow,”Mrs.Flowerssaidfirmly.Finally,Saberopenedhisenormousmouthtotakeholdoftheendoftheroast,tailtwirlinglikeahelicopterblade.HisbodylanguagewassoclearthatMattlaughedoutloud.

“This once on the floor with us,” Mrs. Flowers added magnificently,spreadingalargerugoverthekitchenfloorboards.

Saber’sjoywasonlysurpassedbyhisgoodmanners.Heputtheroastontherugand then trottedup toeachof thehumans topushawetnose intohandorwaistorunderachin,andthenhetrottedbackandattackedhisprize.

“IwonderifhemissesSage?”Elenamurmured.

“I miss Sage,”Matt said indistinctly. “We need all themagic help we canget.”

MeanwhileMrs.Flowerswashurryingaround thekitchenmakinghamandcheese sandwiches and bagging them like school lunches. “Anybody who wakes uptonighthungrymusthavesomething to eat,” she said. “Hamandcheese, chicken salad,somenicecrispcarrots,andabighunkofapplepie.”Elenawenttohelpher.Shedidn’tknowwhy,butshewantedtocrysomemore.Mrs.Flowerspattedher.“Weareallfeeling—er,strungout,” sheannouncedgravely. “Anyonewhodoesn’t feel likegoing right tosleep is probably runningon toomuch adrenaline.My sleeping aidwill helpwith that.

And I thinkwe can trust our animal friends and thewards on the roof to keep us safetonight.”

Matt was practically asleep on his feet now. “Mrs. Flowers—someday I’llrepayyou…butfornow,Ican’tkeepmyeyesopen.”

“In other words, bedtime, kiddies,” Stefan said. He closed Matt’s fingersfirmlyaroundapackedlunch,thensteeredhimtowardthestairs.Elenagatheredseveralmorelunches,kissedMrs.Flowerstwice,andwentuptoStefan’sroom.

ShehadtheatticbedstraightenedandwasopeningaplasticbagwhenStefancameinfromputtingMatttobed.

“Isheokay?”shesaidanxiously.“Imean,willhebeokaytomorrow?”

“He’llbeokayinhisbody.Igotmostofthedamagehealed.”

“Andinhismind?”

“It’satoughthing.HejustransmackintoRealLife.Arrested,knowingtheymightlynchhim,notknowingifanybodywouldbeabletofigureoutwhathadhappenedto him.He thought that even ifwe tracked him itwould come down to a fight,whichwouldhavebeenhardtowin—withsofewofus,andnotmuchmagicleft.”

“ButSaberfixed’em,”Elenasaid.

Shelookedthoughtfullyatthesandwichesshe’dlaidoutonthebed.“Stefan,doyouwantchickensaladorham?”sheasked.

Therewasa silence.But itwasmomentsbeforeElena lookedupathim inastonishment. “Oh, Stefan—I—I actually forgot. I just—today has been so strange—Iforgot—”

“I’mflattered,”Stefansaid.“Andyou’resleepy.WhateverMrs.Flowersputsinhertea—”

“Ithinkthegovernmentwouldbeinterestedinit,”Elenaoffered.“Forspiesandthings.Butfornow…”Sheheldherarmsout,headbentback,neckexposed.

“No,love.Irememberthisafternoon,ifyoudon’t.AndIsworeIwasgoingtostarthunting,andIam,”Stefansaidfirmly.

“You’regoingtoleaveme?”Elenasaid,startledoutofherwarmsatisfaction.Theystaredateachother.

“Don’tleave,”Elenasaid,combingherhairawayfromherneck.“Ihaditallplannedout,howyou’lldrink,andhowwe’llsleepholdingeachother.Pleasedon’tleave,Stefan.”

Sheknewhowhardhefoundittoleaveher.Evenifshewasgrimyandwornout, even if shewaswearing grungy jeans and had dirt under her fingernails. Shewasendlessly beautiful and endlessly powerful and mysterious to him. He longed for her.Elenacouldfeel it throughtheirbond,whichwasbeginningtohum,beginningtowarmup,beginningtodrawhiminclose.

“But,Elena,”hesaid.Hewastryingtobesensible!Didn’theknowshedidn’t

wantsensibleatthisparticularmoment?

“Righthere.”Elenatappedthesoftspotonherneck.

Their bond was singing like an electric power line now. But Stefan wasstubborn.“Youneedtoeat,yourself.Youhavetokeepyourstrengthup.”

Elena immediately picked up a chicken salad sandwich and bit into it.Mmm…yummy.Reallygood.ShewouldhavetopickMrs.Flowersawildflowerbouquet.Theywereallsowelltakencareofhere.Shehadtothinkofmorewaystohelp.

Stefanwaswatchinghereat.Itmadehimhungry,butthatwasbecausehewasusedtobeingfedroundtheclock,andnotusedtoexercise.Elenacouldheareverythingthrough their connection and she heard him thinking that he was glad to see Elenarenewingherself.Thathehadlearneddisciplinenow;thatitwouldn’tdohimanyharmtogotobedonenightfeelinghungry.HewouldholdhissleepyadorableElenaallnight.

No!Elenawashorrified.Sincehe’dbeenimprisonedintheDarkDimension,anythingthathintedatStefangoingwithoutfilledherwithappallingterror.Suddenlyshehadtroubleswallowingthebiteshe’dtaken.

“Righthere,righthere…please?”shebeggedhim.Shedidn’twanttohavetoseduce him into it, but shewould if he forced her to. Shewouldwash her hands intopristinecleanliness,andchangeintoalong,clingingnightgown,andstrokehisstubborncanines in between kisses, and touch themwith her tongue tip gently, just at the basewheretheywouldn’tcutherastheyrespondedandgrew.Andbythenhewouldbedizzy,hewouldbeoutofcontrol,hewouldbeherscompletely.

Allright,allright!Stefanthoughttoher.Mercy!

“I don’twant to give youmercy. I don’twant you to letme go,” she said,holdingher armsout tohim, andheardherownvoice soft and tender andyearning. “Iwantyoutoholdmeandkeepmeforever,andIwanttoholdyouandkeepyouforever.”

Stefan’sfacehadchanged.Helookedatherwiththelookhe’dworninprisonwhenshehadcometovisithiminanoutfit—veryunlikethegrubbyonesheworenow—andhe’dsaid,bewildered,“Allthis…it’sforme?”

There had been razor wire between them then. Now there was nothing toseparatethemandElenacouldseehowmuchStefanwantedtocometoher.ShereachedalittlefartherandthenStefancameintothecircleofherarmsandheldhertightlybutwithinfinite care not to use enough strength to hurt her. When he relaxed and leaned hisforehead against hers,Elena realized that shewouldneverbe tiredor sador frightenedwithoutbeingabletothinkofthisfeelingandthatitwouldupholdherfortherestofherlife.

Atlasttheysankdowntogetheronthesheets,comfortingeachotherinequalmeasure;exchangingsweet,warmkisses.Witheachkiss,Elenafelttheoutsideworldandall its horrors drift farther and farther away. How could anything be wrong when sheherselffeltthatheavenwasnear?MattandMeredith,DamonandBonniewouldsurelyallbesafeandhappytoo.Meanwhile,everykissbroughtherclosertoparadise,andsheknewStefan felt the sameway. Theywere so happy together that Elena knew that soon the

entire universe would echo with their own joy, which overflowed like pure light andtransformedeverythingittouched.

Bonniewokeandrealizedshehadonlybeenunconsciousforafewminutes.Shebegantoshiver,andonceshestartedshecouldn’tseemtostop.Shefeltawaveofheatenvelopher,and she knew thatDamonwas trying towarm her, but still the tremblingwouldn’t goaway.

“What’swrong?”Damonasked,andhisvoicewasdifferentfromusual.

“I don’t know,” Bonnie said. She didn’t. “Maybe it’s because they keptstarting to throwme out thewindow. I wasn’t going to scream about that,” she addedhastily,incaseheassumedshewould.“Butthenwhentheytalkedabouttorturingme—”

She felt a sort of spasm go throughDamon.Hewas holding her too hard.“Torturingyou!Theythreatenedyouwiththat?”

“Yes,because,youknow,Misao’sstarballwasgone.Theyknewthatithadbeenpouredout;Ididn’ttellthemthat.ButIhadtotellthemthatitwasmyfaultthatthelasthalfgotpouredout,andthentheygotmadatme.Oh!Damon,you’rehurtingme!”

“Soitwasyourfaultitgotpouredout,wasit?”

“Well,Ifigureitwas.Youcouldn’thavedoneitifIhadn’tgottendrunk,and—wh-what’swrong,Damon?Areyoumad too?”He reallywasholdingher so that shereallycouldn’tbreathe.

Slowly, she felt his arms loosen a little. “A word of advice, little redbird.Whenpeoplearethreateningtotortureandkillyou,itmightbemore—expedient—totellthemthatit’ssomeoneelse’sfault.Especiallyifthathappenstobethetruth.”

“I know that!” Bonnie said indignantly. “But they were going to kill meanyway.IfI’dtoldaboutyou,they’d’vehurtyou,too.”

Damonpulledherroughlybacknow,sothatshehadtolookhimintheface.Bonniecouldalsofeelthedelicatetouchofatelepathicmindprobe.Shedidn’tresist;shewastoobusywonderingwhyhehadplum-coloredshadowsunderhiseyes.Thenheshookheralittle,andshestoppedwondering.

“Don’tyouunderstandeventhebasicsofself-preservation?”hesaid,andshethoughthelookedangryagain.Hewascertainlydifferentfromanyothertimethatshe’dseenhim—exceptonce,shethought,andthatwaswhenElenahadbeen“Disciplined”forsavingLadyUlma’slife,backwhenUlmahadbeenaslave.He’dhadthesameexpressionthen,somenacingthatevenMeredithhadbeenfrightenedofhim,andyetsofilledwithguiltthatBonniehadlongedtocomforthim.

But there had to be some other reason, Bonnie’s mind told her. Becauseyou’renotElena,andhe’snevergoingtotreatyouthewayhetreatsElena.Avisionofthebrownroomrosebeforeher,andshefeltcertainthathewouldneverhaveputElenathere.Elenawouldn’thavelethim,foronething.

“DoIhavetogoback?”sheasked,realizingthatshewasbeingpettyandsilly

andthatthebrownroomhadseemedlikeahavenjustalittlewhileago.

“Go back?”Damon said, a little too quickly. She had the feeling that he’dseenthebrownroomtoo,now,throughhereyes.“Why?Thelandladygavemeeverythingintheroom.SoIhaveyourrealclothesandabunchofstarballsdownthere,incaseyouweren’tthroughwithone.Butwhywouldyouthinkyoumighthavetogoback?”

“Well, I know you were looking for a lady of quality, and I’m not one,”Bonniesaidsimply.

“Thatwas just so I could change back into a vampire,”Damon said. “Andwhat doyou think is holdingyouup in the air right now?”But this timeBonnieknewsomehowthatthesensationsfromthe“NeverEver”starballswerestillinhermindandthatDamonwasseeingthemtoo.Hewasavampireagain.Andthecontentsofthesestarballs were so abominable that Damon’s stony exterior finally cracked. Bonnie couldalmost guesswhat he thought of them, and of her, left to shiver under her one blanketeverynight.

And then, toher total astonishment,Damon, theever-composed,brand-newvampireblurted,“I’msorry.Ididn’tthinkabouthowthatplacewouldbeforyou.Isthereanythingthatwillmakeyoufeelbetter?”

Bonnieblinked.Shewondered,seriously,ifsheweredreaming.Damondidn’tapologize.Damon famously didn’t apologize, or explain, or speak so nicely to people,unless hewanted something from them.But one thing seemed real. She didn’t have tosleepinthebrownroomanymore.

Thiswas so exciting that she flushed a little, and dared say, “Couldwe godowntotheground?Slowly?BecausethetruthisthatI’mjustterrifiedofheights.”

Damonblinked,but said,“Yes, I think Icanmanage that. Is thereanythingelseyou’dlike?”

“Well—thereareacoupleofgirlswho’dbedonors—happily—if—well—ifthere’sanymoneyleft—ifyoucouldsavethem…”

Damonsaidalittlesharply,“Ofcoursethere’ssomemoneyleft.Ievenwrungyoursharebackoutofthathagofalandlady.”

“Well, then, there’s that secret that I told you, but I don’t know if youremember.”

“Howsoondoyouthinkyou’llfeelwellenoughtostart?”askedDamon.

24

Stefanwokeearly.HespentthetimefromdawnuntilbreakfastjustwatchingElena,whoeveninsleephadaninnerglowlikeagoldenflamethroughafaintlyrose-coloredcandle.

Atbreakfast,everyonewasmoreor lessstillwrappedup in thoughtsof thedaybefore.MeredithshowedMattthepictureofherbrother,Cristian,thevampire.MattbrieflytoldMeredithabouttheinnerworkingsoftheRidgemontcourtsystemandpaintedher a picture of Caroline as werewolf. It was clear that both of them felt safer at theboardinghousethananywhereelse.

AndElena,whohadwokenupwithStefan’smindallaroundher,embracingher,andherownmindstillfulloflight,wascompletelyatalossforaPlanAoranyotherletter.Shehadtobetoldgentlybytheothersthatonlyonethingmadesense.

“Stefan,” Matt said, draining a mug of Mrs. Flowers’s pitch-black coffee.“He’s the only onewhomight be able to use hismind instead of Post-it Notes on thekids.”

And, “Stefan,” saidMeredith. “He’s the only one Shinichimight be afraidof.”

“I’m no use at all,” Elena said sadly. She had no appetite. She had gottendressedwithafeelingofloveandcompassiontowardallhumankindandadesiretohelpprotect her hometown, but as everyone pointed out, shewas probably going to have tospendthedayintherootcellar.Reportersmightcometocall.

They’reright, Stefan sent to Elena. I’m the only logical person to find outwhat’sreallygoingoninFell’sChurch.

Heactuallywentwhiletherestofthemwerefinishingbreakfast.OnlyElenaknewwhy;onlyshecouldfeelhimatthelimitsofhertelepathicrange.

Stefanwashunting.HedroveintotheNewWood,gotout,andfinallystartledarabbitoutofthebrush.HeInfluencedittorestandnotbefrightened.Surreptitiously,inthisthinwoodlandwithoutcover,hetookalittlebloodfromit…andchoked.

Ittastedlikesomekindofhideousliquidflavoredwithrodent.Wasarabbitarodent?Hehadbeenluckyenoughtofindaratonedayinhisprisoncellandithadtastedvaguelylikethis.

Butnow,fordays,hehadbeendrinkinghumanblood.Notjustthat,buttherich, potent blood of strong, adventurous, and in several cases paranormally talentedindividuals—thecrèmedelacrème.Howcouldhehavegottenusedtoitsoquickly?

Itshamedhimnow,tothinkofwhathe’dtaken.Elena’sblood,ofcourse,wasenoughtodriveanyvampirewild.AndMeredith,whosebloodhadthedeepcrimsontasteof someprimordialocean, andBonnie,who tasted like a telepath’sdessert.And finallyMatt,theAll-Americanred-bloodedboy.

They’dfedhimandfedhimbythehour,farpastwhatheneededtosurvive.They’dfedhimuntilhe’dbeguntoheal,andseeingthathewashealing,they’dfedhim

more.And ithadgoneonandon,endingwithElena lastnight—Elena,whosehairwastaking on a silvery cast andwhose blue eyes seemed almost radiant.Back in theDarkDimension,Damonhadn’texercisedanyrestraintatall.Elenahadn’texercisedanyonherownbehalf.

Thatsilverycast…Stefan’sstomachclenchedwhenhethoughtaboutit,aboutthelasttimehe’dseenherhairthatway.She’dbeendeadthen.Onherfeet,butdeadjustthesame.

Stefanlettherabbitscamperaway.Hewastakinganotheroath.HemustnotmakeElenaintoavampireagain.Thatmeantnosignificantbloodexchangebetweenthetwoofthemforatleastaweek—eithergivingortakingmighttipherovertheedge.

Hemustonceagainadjusttothetasteofanimalblood.

Stefan shut his eyes briefly, remembering the horror of the first time. Thecramps.Theshakes.Theagony thatseemed to tellhisentirebody that itwasn’tgettingfed.Thefeelingthathisveinsmightexplodeintoflameatanymoment,andthepaininhisjaws.

He stood up. He was lucky to be alive. Luckier than he ever could havedreamed he would be in having Elena beside him. He would work through thereadjustmentwithoutbotheringherbytellingher,hedecided.

JusttwohourslaterStefanwasbackattheboardinghouse,limpingslightly.Matt,whomethimattheheavyfrontdoor,noticedthelimp.“Youokay?You’dbettergetinandiceit.”

“Justacramp,”Stefansaidbriefly.“I’mnotusedtoexercise.Didn’tgetanyback there in—you know.” He looked away, flushing. So did Matt, hot and cold andfuriousatthepeoplewhohadputStefaninthiscondition.Vampireswereprettyresilient,buthehadthefeeling—no,heknew—thatStefanhadalmostdiedinhisprisoncell.OnedayunderlockandkeyhadconvincedMattthatheneverwantedtobeimprisonedagain.

HefollowedStefantothekitchenwhereElena,Meredith,andMrs.Flowerswere—whatelse?—drinkingmugsoftea.

AndMattfeltatwingewhenElenainstantlynoticedthelimpandgotupandwent toStefan, andStefanheld her tightly, running reassuring fingers throughher hair.Matt couldn’t help but wonder, though—was that glorious golden hair turning lighter?MorelikethesilverygoldithadbeenwhenElenahadfirstgonewithStefanandwasonherway to turning into a vampire? Stefan certainly seemed to be inspecting it closely,turningeachhandfulasherakedhisfingersthroughit.

“Anyluck?”Elenaaskedhim,tensioninhervoice.

Wearily, Stefan shook his head. “I went up streets and down streets andwherever I found a—a young girlwhowas contorted, orwhirling round and round, ordoinganyotherofthethingsthepapersmentioned,ItriedtoInfluencethem.Well,maybeIshouldn’thavebotheredwiththewhirlinggirls.Icouldn’tcatchtheireyes.Butthefinalcountiszeroforeleven.”

ElenaturnedtowardMeredithinagitation.“Whatdowedo?”

Mrs. Flowers busily began rummaging through bundles of herbs that hungaboveherstove.“Youneedanicecupoftea.”

“Andarest,”Meredithsaid,pattinghimlightlyonthehand.“CanIgetyouanything?”

“Well—I’vegotanewidea—scrying.ButIneedMisao’sstarballtoseeifitwillwork.Don’tworry,”headded,“Iwon’tuseanyofthePowerinit;Ijustneedtolookatthesurface.”

“I’llbringit,”Elenaoffered,gettinguppromptlyfromwhereshewassittingonhislap.MattstartedslightlyandlookedatMrs.FlowersasElenawenttothedooroftherootcellarandpushed.NothingmovedandMrs.Flowerssimplywatchedbenignly.ItwasStefanwhorosetohelpher,stilllimping.ThenMattandMeredithgotup,Meredithasking,“Mrs.Flowers,areyousureweshouldkeepthestarballinthatsamesafe?”

“Mamasayswe’redoingtherightthing,”Mrs.Flowersansweredserenely.

Afterthatthingshappenedveryfast.

As if they’d rehearsed it,Meredithpressed theexactplace toopen the rootcellardoor.Elenafelltoherhandsandknees.Fasterthanevenhehadimaginedhecouldgo, Matt went barreling toward Stefan with one shoulder down. Mrs. Flowers wasfrantically pulling great swaths of dried herbs down from where they hung above thekitchentable.

AndthenMattwashittingStefanwithall thepower inhisbodyandStefanwasstumblingoverElena,hisheadgoingdownanddownandmeetingnoresistanceontheway.Meredithwascomingathimsidewaysandhelpinghimdoacompleteforwardflipintheair.Assoonasthefliptookhimoutofthedoorwayandhewascartwheelingdown thestairs,Elenagotupandshut thedoorandMeredith leanedagainst it, asMattshouted,“Howdoyoukeepinakitsune?”

“Thesemight help,” gaspedMrs. Flowers, stuffing odiferous herbs into thecrackunderthedoor.

“And—iron!”criedElena,andsheandMeredithandMattallrantothedenwheretherewasanenormous,tripartiteironfirescreen.Somehowtheybundleditbacktothekitchen and set it upright against the root cellar door. Just then the first crash camefromthe insideagainst it,but the ironwasheavyand thesecondcrashagainst thedoorwasweaker.

“Whatareyoudoing?Haveyouallgonecrazy?”Stefanshoutedplaintively,butastheentiregroupbegantocoverthedoorinPost-itNoteamulets,hecursedinsteadandbecamepureShinichi.“You’llbesorry,damnyou!Misao’snotright.Shecriesandcries. You’llmake it up to herwith your blood, but not before I introduce you to somespecialfriendsofmine.Thekindwhoknowhowtocauserealpain!”

Elenaliftedherhead,asifhearingsomething.Mattwatchedherfrown.ThenshecalledtoShinichi,“Don’teventrytoprobeforDamon.He’sgone.AndifyoutrytotrackhimI’llfryyourbrains.”

Sullensilencegreetedherfromtherootcellar.

“Mygoodnessgracious,whatnext?”murmuredMrs.Flowers.

Elenasimplynoddedfortheotherstofollowher,andtheywentallthewaytotheverytopofthehouse—Stefan’sroom—andspokeinwhispers.

“Howdidyouknow?”

“Didyouusetelepathy?”

“I didn’t knowat first,”Matt admitted, “butElenawas acting as if the starballwas in the root cellar.Stefanknows it’snot there. Iguess,”headdedwithaguiltystart,“thatIinvitedhimin.”

“Iknewas soonashe startedgropingmyhair,”Elena saidwith a shudder.“StefanandD—Imean,StefanknowsIonlylikeittouchedlightly,andattheends.Notmauledlikethat.RememberallShinichi’slittlesongsaboutgoldenhair?He’sanutcase.Anyway,Icouldtellfromthefeelofhismind.”

Matt felt ashamed. All his wondering about Elena maybe changing into avampire…andthiswastheanswer,hethought.

“Inoticedhislapisring,”Meredithsaid.“Isawhimwithitonhisrighthandashewentoutearlier.Whenhecamebackhehaditonhislefthand.”

Therewasabriefpauseastheyallstaredather.Sheshrugged.“Itwaspartofmytraining,noticinglittlethings.”

“Goodpoint,”Mattsaidatlast.“Goodpoint.Hewouldn’tbeabletochangeitinsunlight.”

“Howdidyouknow,Mrs.Flowers?”Elenaasked.“Orwasitjustthewaywewerebehaving?”

“Goodness,no,you’reallverygood littleactors.ButassoonashesteppedoverthethresholdMamafairlyshriekedatme:‘Whatareyoudoing,lettingakitsuneintoyourhouse?’SothenIknewwhatwewereinfor.”

“Webeathim!”Elenasaid,beaming.“WeactuallycaughtShinichioffguard!Icanhardlybelieveit.”

“Believeit,”Meredithsaidwithawrysmile.“Hewasoffguardforamoment.He’llbethinkinguprevengerightnow.”

SomethingelsewasworryingMatt.He turned toElena.“I thought thatyousaidthatbothyouandShinichihadkeysthatcouldtakeyouanywhere,anytime.Sowhycouldn’thehavejustsaid,‘Takemeinsidetheboardinghousewherethestarballis’?”

“Thosewere different keys from theTwinFoxkey,”Elena said, her browsdrawn together.“They’re, like, theMasterKeysandShinichiandMisaostillhave themboth. I don’t knowwhyhe didn’t use his.Although itwould have givenhim away themomenthewasinside.”

“Not if he went inside the root cellar, and stayed there the whole time,”Meredithsaid.“AndmaybeaMasterKeycanoverridethe‘notinvitedinside’rule.”

Mrs.Flowers said, “ButMama stillwould have toldme.Also there are nokeyholesintherootcellar.Atall.”

“‘Nokeyholes’wouldn’tmatter, Idon’t think,”Elenaanswered.“I thinkhejustwantedtoshowhowcleverhewas,andhowhecouldfoolusintogivinghimMisao’sstarball.”

Before anyone else could say a word,Meredith held out her palm, with ashiningkeyonit.Thekeywasgoldenwithdiamondsinsetandhadaveryfamiliaroutline.

“That’soneoftheMasterKeys!”criedElena.“It’swhatwethoughttheTwinFoxkeywouldlooklike!”

“Itsortofcameoutofhisjeanspocketwhenhedidthatflip,”Meredithsaidinnocently.

“When youwere flipping himoverme, youmean,” saidElena. “I supposeyoupickedhispockettoo.”

“So, right now, Shinichi doesn’t have a key to escape with!” Matt saidexcitedly.

“Nokeytomakekeyholes,”Elenaagreed,dimpling.

“Hecanhavefunchangingintoamoleandburrowingoutoftherootcellar,”Meredithsaidcoolly.“That’sifhe’sgothistransforminggearorwhateverwithhim.”Sheadded,witha troubledchangeinhervoice,“Iwonder…ifweshouldhaveMatt telloneotherpersonwherehe’sactuallyhiddenthestarball.Just…well,justincase.”

Mattsawknittedbrowsallaroundhim.Butsuddenlytherealizationhithimthat he had to tell someone that he’d hidden the star ball in his closet. The group—includingStefan—hadpickedhimtohideitbecausehehadsostubbornlyresistedwhenShinichi was using Damon’s body as a puppet to torture him a month ago. Matt hadprovedthenthathewoulddieinhideouspainratherthanendangerhisfriends.ButifMattweretodienow,Misao’sstarballmightbelosttothegroupforever.AndonlyMattknewhowclosehehadcometodaytotumblingdownthestairsalongwithShinichi.

Farbelowtheyallheardashout.“Hello!Isanybodyhome?Elena!”

“That’smyStefan,”Elenasaidandthen,withoutashredofdignity,sherantolaunchherselffromthefoyerintohisarms.Helookedstartled,butmanagedtobreakherfallbeforetheybothwentdownontheporch.

“What’sbeengoingon?”hesaid,hisbodyvibrating infinitesimally,aswiththeurgetofight.“Thewholehousesmellslikekitsune!”

“It’sallright,”Elenasaid.“Comeandsee.”Sheledhimupstairstohisroom.“We’vegothimintherootcellar,”sheadded.

Stefanlookedconfused.“You’vegotwhointherootcellar?”

“Withironagainstthedoor,”Mattsaidtriumphantly.“Andherbsandamuletsalloverit.And,anyway,Meredithgothiskey.”

“Hiskey?You’retalkingabout—Shinichi?”StefanturnedonMeredith,green

eyeswide.“WhileI’vebeengone?”

“Itwasmostlyanaccident.Isortofstuckmyhandinhispocketwhenhewasupsidedownandoffbalance.AndIluckedoutandgottheMasterKey—unlessthisisanordinaryhousekey.”

Stefan stared at it. “It’s the real thing. Elena knows that.Meredith, you’reincredible!”

“Yes, it’s the right one,” Elena confirmed. “I remember the shape—prettyelaborate,yes?”ShetookitfromMeredith’shand.

“Whatareyougoingto—”

“Mightaswell test it,”Elenasaidwithamischievoussmile.Shewalked tothedooroftheroom,shutit,said,“Thedendownstairs,”insertedthewingedkeyinthelock, and opened the door, stepping through and shutting the door behind her. Beforeanyonecouldspeak,shewasback,withthepokerfromthedenheldaloftintriumph.

“Itworks!”Stefancried.

“That’samazing,”Mattsaid.

Stefanlookedalmostfeverish.“Butdon’tyourealizewhatitmeans?Itmeanswecanusethiskey.WecangoanywherewelikewithoutusingPower.EventotheDarkDimension!Butfirst—whilehe’sstillhere—weoughttodosomethingaboutShinichi.”

“You’re in no condition to do that now, dear Stefan,” Mrs. Flowers said,shaking her head. “I’m sorry, but the truth is thatwe have been very, very lucky.Thatwickedkitsunewasoffguardbackthen.Hewon’tbenow.”

“Istillhavetotry,”Stefansaidquietly.“Everyoneofyouhasbeentormentedorhadtofight—whetherwithyourfistsoryourminds,”headded,bowingslightlytoMrs.Flowers.“I’vesufferedbutI’veneverhadachancetofighthim.Ihavetotry.”

Mattsaid,justasquietly,“I’llgowithyou.”

Elenaadded,“Wecanallfighttogether.Right,Meredith?”

Meredith nodded slowly, taking Stefan’s poker from his fireplace. “Yes. Itmaybealowblow,but—together.”

“I say it’s a higher blow than letting him live and go on hurting people.Anyway,we’lltakecareofit…together,”Elenasaidfirmly.“Rightnow!”

Matt started to get up, but hismotionwas frozen inmidair as he stared inhorror.Simultaneously,withthegraceofhuntinglionessesorballetdancersthetwogirlsclosed inonStefan, and simultaneously they swung their separatepokers;ElenahittinghimintheheadandMeredithhittinghimsquarelyinthegroin.Stefanreeledawayfromtheblowtothehead,butsimplysaid,“Ow!”whenMeredithhithim.MattknockedElenaout of the way and then, turning as precisely as if he were on the football field, gotMeredithoutof“Stefan’s”waytoo.

But this imposter had obviously decided not to fight back. Stefan’s formmelted.Misao,greenleaveswovenintoherscarlet-tippedblackhair,stoodbeforethem.

ToMatt’sshock,herfacewaspinchedandpale.Shewasobviouslyveryill,althoughstilldefiant.Buttherewasnomockeryinhervoicetonight.

“What have you donewithmy star ball?Andmybrother?” shedemandedfeebly.

“Your brother’s safely locked up,”Matt said, hardly knowingwhat hewastellingher.DespiteallthecrimesMisaohadcommittedhecouldn’thelpfeelingsorryforher.Shewasclearlydesperateandill.

“Iknowthat.Iwasgoingtosaymybrotherwillkillyouall—notasagame,butinanger.”NowMisaolookedwretchedandfrightened.“You’veneverseenhimreallyangry.”

“You’venever seenStefan angry either,”Elena said. “At least notwhenhehadallhisPower.”

Misao just shook her head. A dried leaf floated from her hair. “You don’tunderstand!”

“Idoubtweunderstandanything.Meredith,havewesearchedthisgirl?”

“No,butsurelyshewouldn’thavebroughttheotherone—”

Elena said crisply, “Matt, take a book and read it. I’ll tell youwhenwe’redone.”

Mattwasreluctant toturnhisbackonakitsune,evenasickone.Butwheneven Mrs. Flowers nodded gently he obeyed. Still, back turned or not, he could hearnoises. And the noises suggested that Misao was being held tightly and searchedthoroughly.Atfirstthesoundswereallnegativemurmurs.

“Huh-uh…huh-uh…huh-uh…huh-oops!” There was a rattle of metal onwood.

Mattonly turnedwhenElenasaid,“Okay,youcan look. Itwas inher frontpocket.”SheaddedtoMisao,whowaslookingasifshemightfaint,“Wedidn’twant tohavetoholdyouandsearchyou.Butthiskey—whereinheaven’snamedidyougetkeyslikethis,anyway?”

Apink spot showedonMisao’s cheeks. “Heaven is right.They’re the onlytwo leftof theMasterKeys—and theybelong toShinichiandme. I figuredouthow tostealthemfromtheCelestialCourt.Thatwas…alongtimeago.”

Atthatmomenttheyheardacarontheroad—Stefan’sPorsche.Inthedeadsilencethatfollowed,theycouldalsoseethecarthroughStefan’swindowasitswungintothedriveway.

“Noonegoesdown,”Elenasaidtersely.“Nooneinviteshimin.”

Meredith shot her a keen glance. “Shinichi could have tunneled out like amolebynow.Andhe’salreadybeeninvitedin.”

“Myfaultfornotwarningyouall—butanyway,ifitisShinichiandhe’sdoneanything to hurt Stefan he’s going to see me when I’m angry. The words Wings of

Destructionjustpoppedintomyheadandsomethinginsidemewantstosaythem.”

Therewasachillintheroom.

NoonemetStefan, but in amoment they could all hear running footsteps.Stefanappearedathisdoor,burst through, and foundhimself confrontedwith a rowofpeoplealllookingathimsuspiciously.

“Whatthehellisgoingon?”hedemanded,staringatMisao,whowasbeingheldupbetweenMeredithandMatt.“Misao—”

Elena took two steps towardhim—andwoundherself aroundhim,drawinghim into a deep kiss. For a moment he resisted, but then, bit by bit, his oppositioncollapseddespitetheroomfulofobservers.

WhenElenafinallyletgo,shejustleanedagainstStefan,breathinghard.Theotherswereallcrimsonwithembarrassment.Stefan,flushedashewas,heldhertightly.

“I’msorry,”Elenawhispered.“Butyou’vealready‘comehome’twice.First,it was Shinichi and we locked him in the root cellar. Then it was her.” She pointed,without looking, toward the cowering Misao. “I didn’t know how to make sure thatShinichihadn’tescapedsomehow—”

“Andyou’resurenow?”

“Oh,yes.Irecognizeyou.You’realwaysreadytoletmein.”

Mattrealizedthatshewasshakingandquicklystoodupsoshecouldsit,foratleastaminuteortwo,inpeace.

Thepeacelastedlessthanaminute.

“Iwantmystarball!”Misaocried. “Ineed toputPower in itor I’llgoonweakening—andthenyou’llhavemurderedme.”

“Go on weakening? Is the liquid evaporating out of the star ball orsomething?”Meredithasked.Mattwasthinkingaboutwhathe’dseenonhishomeblockbeforetheRidgemontsheriffshadgothim.

“You’ve gathered Power to put in it?” he asked mildly. “Power fromyesterday,maybe?”

“Power fromever sinceyou took it.But it isn’t joinedwith…me.Withmystarball.It’smine,butnotyet.”

“LikemaybesomePowerfrommakingColeReeceeathisguineapigwhileitwasalive?Frommakingkidsburndowntheirownhouses?”Matt’svoicewasgravelly.

“What does it matter?”Misao retorted sullenly. “It’s mine. They were myideas,notyours.Youcan’tkeepmeaway—”

“Meredith,keepme away fromher. I’veknown thatkidCole sincehewasborn.I’llalwayshavenightmares…”

Misaoperkedup likeawiltingplantgettingwater. “Havenightmares,havenightmares,”shewhispered.

Therewasasilence.ThenMeredithsaid,carefullyandexpressionlessly,asifshewerethinkingofthestave,“You’reanastylittlething,aren’tyou?Isthatyourfood?Badmemories,nightmares,fearofthefuture?”

Misaowasplainlystumped.Shecouldn’tsee thecatch.Itwaslikeaskingaregular hungry teenager “How about some pizza and aCoke? Is thatwhat youwant?”Misaocouldn’tevenseethatherappetiteswerewrong,soshecouldn’tlie.

“Youwererightbefore,”Stefansaidforcefully.“Wehaveyourstarball.Theonlywaytomakeusgiveitbackwouldbetodosomethingforus.We’resupposedtobeabletocontrolyouanywaybecausewehaveit—”

“Old-waysthinking.Obsolete,”Misaogrowled.

Therewasadeadsilence.Mattfelthisstomachplummet.

Theyhadbeenbettingon“old-waysthinking”allalong.TogetShinichi’sstarball bymakingMisao tell themwhere it was. Their ultimate goal had been to controlShinichiusinghisstarball.

“Youdon’tunderstand,”Misaosaid,pitifullyandyetangrilyatthesametime.“Mybrotherwillhelpmefillmystarballagain.Butwhatwedidinthistown—itwasanorder,notjustforfun.”

“Could’a fooledme,”Elenamurmured, but Stefan’s head jerked up and hesaid,“Anorder?Fromwho?”

“I…don’t…know!”Misaoscreamed.“Shinichigets theorders.Thenhe tellsmewhattodo.Butwhoeveritisshouldbehappybynow.Thetownisalmostdestroyed.Heoughttogivemesomehelphere!”Sheglaredatthegroup,andtheystaredback.

Withoutknowingthathewasgoingtosayit,Mattsaid,“Let’sputherintherootcellarwithShinichi.I’vegotthisfeelingthatwemightallbesleepinginthestorageroomtonight.”

25

“SleepinginthestorageroomwitheverywallcoveredinPost-itNoteamulets,”addedMeredithgrimly.“Ifwehaveenough.Igotanotherpacket,butitdoesn’tgoveryfarwhenyou’retryingtocoveraroom.”

“Okay,”Elenasaid.“Who’sgotShinichi’skey?”

Mattraisedhishand.“Inmy—”

“Don’ttellme!”exclaimedElena.“I’vegothers.Wecan’tlosethem.StefanandIareoneteam;youguysaretheother.”

Theyhalf-ledandhalf-supportedMisaooutofStefan’s roomanddown thestairs.Misaodidn’ttrytorunawayfromthem,tostruggle,ortospeaktothem.ThisonlymadeMattmoresuspiciousofher.HesawStefanandElenaglancetowardeachotherandknewtheywerefeelingthesameway.

Butwhatelsewastheretodowithher?Therewasnootherway,humanely,oreveninhumanely,torestrainherfordays.Theyhadherstarball,andaccordingtobooksthat was supposed to allow them to control her, but shewas right, it seemed to be anobsoletenotion,becauseitdidn’twork.They’dtriedwithStefanandMeredithholdinghertightly,whileMattgotthestarballfromwherehe’dbeenkeepingitinashoeboxontheuppershelfabovetheclothesinhiscloset.

He andElena had tried to getMisao to do thingswhile holding the almostempty sphere: tomakeMisao tell where her brother’s star ball was, and so on. But itsimplydidn’twork.

“Maybewhenthere’ssolittlePowerinit,itdoesn’tapply,”Elenasaidfinally.Butthatwassmallcomfortatbest.

AstheytookMisaotothekitchen,Mattthoughtthatithadbeenastupidplanofthekitsune:imitatingStefantwice.Doingitthesecondtime,whenthehumanswereonguard,thatwasstupid.Misaodidn’tseemasstupidasthat.

Matthadabadfeeling.

Elenahad averybad feeling aboutwhat theyweredoing.As she looked aroundat thefacesoftheothers,shesawthattheydidtoo.Butnobodyhadcomeupwithabetterplan.Theycouldn’tkillMisao.Theyweren’tmurdererswhocouldkillasickly,passivegirlincoldblood.

ShefiguredthatShinichimusthaveverykeenhearing,andhadalreadyheardthemwalkingonthecreakingkitchenfloorboards.Andshehadtoassumethatheknew—bymindbond, or just logic, or whatever—thatMisao was right above him. There wasnothingtolosebyshouting,throughthecloseddoor,“Shinichi,we’vegotyoursisterhere!Ifyouwantherbackyou’llstayquietandnotmakeusthrowherdownthestairs.”

There was silence from the root cellar. Elena chose to think of it as

submissivesilence.AtleastShinichiwasn’tyellingthreats.

“Okay,” Elena whispered. She’d taken a position directly behind Misao.“WhenIcounttothree,wepushashardaswecan.”

“Wait!”Mattsaidinamiserablewhisper-shout.“Yousaidwewouldn’tthrowherdownthestairs.”

“Lifeisn’tfair,”Elenasaidgrimly.“Youthinkhedoesn’thavesomesurpriseforus?”

“But—”

“Leave it,Matt,” saidMeredith quietly. She had the stave ready in her lefthandandwithherrightwasreadytopushonthepanelforopeningthedoor.“Everybodyready?”

Everyonenodded.Elena felt sorry forMatt andStefan,whowere themosthonestandsensitiveofallofthem.

“One,”shewhisperedsoftly,“two,three.”

On threeMeredith hit the concealedwall switch.And then things began tohappeninveryslowmotion.

By “two” Elena had already begun to shove Misao toward the door. On“three”theothersjoinedher.

But the door seemed to take forever to open. And before the ending offorever,everythingwentwrong.

ThegreeneryaroundMisao’sheadspreadtwigsinalldirections.OnestrandshotoutandsnaggedElenaaroundthewrist.SheheardayellofoutragefromMattandknewthatanotherstrandhadgottenhim.

“Push!” Meredith shouted and then Elena saw the stave coming at her.MeredithwhiskedwiththestavethroughthegreeneryconnectedtoMisao.ThevinethathadbeencuttingintoElena’swristfelltothefloor.

Any remainingmisgivings about throwingMisao down the stairs vanished.Elenajoinedinthecrowdtryingtopushherthroughtheopening.Buttherewassomethingwronginthebasement.Foronething,theywereshovingMisaointopitch-darkness…andmovement.

Thebasementwasfullof—something.Somethings.

Elena lookeddownather ankleandwashorrified to seeagiganticmaggotthatseemedtohavecrawledoutoftherootcellar.Oratleastamaggotwasthefirstthingshecouldthinkoftocompareitto—maybeitwasaheadlessslug.Itwastranslucentandblackandaboutafootlong,butfartoofatforhertohaveputahandaroundit.Itseemedto have twoways ofmoving, one by the familiar hunch-and-straightenmethod and theother by simply sticking to othermaggots,whichwere exploding up overElena’s headlikeahideousfountain.

Elenalookedupandwishedshehadn’t.

There was a cobra waving over them, out of the root cellar and into thekitchen. Itwas a cobramadeofblack translucentmaggots stuck together, and every sooftenonewouldfalloffandlandamongthegroupandtherewouldbeacry.

IfBonniehadbeenwiththem,shewouldhavescreameduntilthewineglassesinthecupboardsshattered,Elenathoughtwildly.MeredithwastryingtoattackthecobrawiththestaveandreachintoherjeanspocketforPost-itNotesatthesametime.

“I’ll get the notes,” Elena gasped, and wriggled her hand into Meredith’spocket.Herfingersclosedonasmallsheafofcardsandshetuggeditouttriumphantly.

Just thenthefirstglisteningfatmaggotfellonherbareskin.Shewantedtoscreamwithpainasitslittlefeetorteethorsuckers—whateverkeptitattachedtoher—burnedandstung.Shepulledathincardfromthesheaf,whichwasnotaPost-itNotebutthe same amulet on a small rather flimsy note card, and slapped it on themaggot-likething.

Nothinghappened.

Meredithwasthrustingthestaveintothemiddleofthecobranow.Elenasawanotherofthecreaturesfallalmostontoherupturnedfaceandmanagedtoturnawaysothatithithercollarinstead.Shetriedanothercardfromthesheafandwhenitjustfloatedaway—themaggotslookedgooeybutweren’t—shegaveaprimalscreamandrippedwithbothhands at the ugly things attached to her.Theygaveway, leavingher skin coveredwithredmarksandherT-shirttornattheshoulder.

“Theamuletsaren’tworking,”sheyelledtoMeredith.

Meredith was actually standing under the swaying, hooded head of themaggot-cobra,stabbingandstabbingasiftoreachthecenter.Hervoicewasmuffled.“Notenoughamuletsanyway!Toomanyofthesegrubs.You’dbetterrun.”

An instant later Stefan shouted, “Everybody get away from here! There’ssomethingsolidinthere!”

“That’swhatI’mtryingtoget!”Meredithshoutedback.

Frantically,Mattyelled,“Where’sMisao?”

ThelasttimeElenahadseenhershehadbeendivingintothewrithingmassofsegmenteddarkness.“Gone,”sheshoutedback.“Where’sMrs.Flowers?”

“Inthekitchen,”saidavoicebehindher.Elenaglancedbackandsawtheoldwomanpullingdownherbswithbothhands.

“Okay,”Stefanshouted.“Everybody,takeafewstepsback.I’mgoingtohititwithPower.Doit—now!”

Hisvoicewas like awhiplash.Everyone steppedback, evenMeredithwhohadbeenprobingthesnakewithherstave.

Stefan curled his hand around nothingness, around air, and it turned tosparkling,swirlingbrightenergy.Hethrewitpoint-blankintothecobramadeofmaggots.

Therewasanexplosion,andthensuddenlyitwasrainingmaggots.Elenahad

herteethlockedsoastokeepherselffromscreaming.Theovaltranslucentbodiesofthemaggots broke open on the kitchen floor like overripe plums, or else bounced. WhenElenadaredlookupagainshesawablackstainontheceiling.

Beneathit,smiling,wasShinichi.

Meredith, lightning quick, tried to put the stave through him. But Shinichiwasfaster,leaningoutofherway,andoutofthenextthrust,andthenext.

“You humans,” he said. “All the same. All stupid.WhenMidnight finallycomes you’ll see how stupid youwere.”He said “Midnight” as if hewere saying “theApocalypse.”

“Weweresmartenoughtodiscoverthatyouweren’tStefan,”MattsaidfrombehindShinichi.

Shinichirolledhiseyes.“Andtoputmeintoalittleroomroofedwithwood.Youcan’tevenrememberthatkitsunecontrolallplantsandtrees?Thewallsareallfullofmalach grubs by now, you know. Thoroughly infested.” His eyes flickered—and heglancedbackward,Elenasaw,lookingtowardtheopendooroftherootcellar.

Herterrorsoared,andatthesametimeStefanshouted,“Getoutofhere!Outofthehouse!Gotosomewheresafe!”

Elena andMeredith stared at each other, paralyzed.Theywere on differentteams,buttheycouldn’tseemtoletgoofeachother.ThenMeredithsnappedoutofitandturnedtothebackofthekitchentohelpMrs.Flowers.Mattwasalreadythere,doingthesamething.

AndthenElenafoundherselfsweptoffherfeetandmovingfast.Stefanhadherandwasrunningtowardthefrontdoor.Distantly,sheheardShinichishout,“Bringmebacktheirbones!”

OneofthemaggotsthatElenabattedoutofthewayburstitsskinandElenasawsomethingcrawlingout.Thesereallyweremalach,sherealized.SmallereditionsoftheonethathadswallowedMatt’sarmandleftthoselong,deepscratcheswhenhepulleditoutagain.

She noticed that one was stuck on Stefan’s back. Reckless with fury, shegrabbeditnearoneendandrippeditoff,yankingrelentlesslyeventhoughStefangaspedin pain. When it came free she got a glimpse of what looked like dozens of smallchildren’steethonthebottomside.Shethrewitagainstawallastheyreachedthefrontdoor.

There they almost collidedwithMatt,Meredith, andMrs. Flowers, comingthroughtheden.StefanwrenchedthedooropenandwhentheyallwerethroughMeredithslammeditshut.Afewmalach—grubsandstill-wetflyingones—madeitoutwiththem.

“Where’ssafe?”snappedMeredith.“Imean,reallysafe,safeforacoupleofdays?”NeithershenorMatthadreleasedtheirgriponMrs.FlowersandfromtheirspeedElenaguessed that shemustbealmost as light as a straw figure.Shekept saying, “Mygoodness!Oh,gracious!”

“Myhouse?”Mattsuggested.“Theblock’sbad,butitwasokaythelasttimeIsawit,andmymom’sgonewithDr.Alpert.”

“Okay,Matt’shouse—usingtheMasterKeys.Butlet’sdoitfromthestorageroom.Idonotwanttoopenthisfrontdooragain,nomatterwhat,”Elenasaid.

WhenStefantriedtopickherupsheshookherhead.“I’mfine.Runasfastasyoucanandsmashanymalachyousee.”

Theymadeittothestorageroom,butnowasoundlikevipvipvip—asortofhigh-pitchedbuzzingthatcouldonlyhavebeenproducedbythemalach—wasfollowingthem.

“Whatnow?”Mattpanted,helpingMrs.Flowerstositonthebed.

Stefanhesitated.“Isyourhousereallysafe,doyouthink?”

“Isanywheresafe?Butit’sempty,oritshouldbe.”

Meanwhile,MeredithdrewElenaandMrs.Flowersaside.ToElena’shorror,Meredithwasholdingoneofthesmallergrubs,grippingitsothatitsundersidewasturnedupward.

“Oh,God—”Elenaprotested,butMeredithsaid,“Theylookalotlikealittlekid’steeth,don’tthey?”

Suddenly Mrs. Flowers became animated. “They do indeed! And you’resayingthatthefemurwefoundinthethicket—”

“Yes. It was certainly human but maybe not chewed by humans. Humanchildren,”Meredithsaid.

“AndShinichiyelledtothemalachtobringbackourbones…”Elenasaidandswallowed.Thenshelookedatthegrubagain.“Meredith,getridofthatthingsomehow!It’sgoingtopopoutasaflyingmalach.”

Meredithlookedaroundthestorageroomblankly.

“Okay—justdropitandI’llsteponit,”Elenasaid,holdingherbreathtoholdinhernausea.

Meredithdroppedthefat,translucent,blackthing,whichexplodedonimpact.Elenastampedonit,butthemalachinsidedidn’tcrush.Instead,whensheliftedherfoot,ittriedtoskitterunderthebed.Thestavecutitcleanlyintwo.

“Guys,”ElenasaidsharplytoMattandStefan,“wehavetogonow.Outsideareabunchofflyingmalach!”

Mattturnedtowardher.“Liketheonethat—”

“Smaller,butjustliketheonethatattackedyou,Ithink.”

“Okay, here’swhatwe figured out,” Stefan said in away that immediatelymadeElena uneasy. “Somebody has to go to theDarkDimension anyway to check onBonnie.IguessI’mtheonlyonetodothat,sinceI’mavampire.Youcouldn’tgetin—”

“Yes,wecould,”Meredithsaid.“Withthesekeys,wecouldjustsay‘Takeus

toLadyUlma’shouseintheDarkDimension.’Or‘TakemetowhereverBonnieis.’Whyshouldn’titwork?”

Elenasaid,“Okay.Meredith,Matt,andMrs.Flowerscanstayhereandtrytofigureoutwhat‘Midnight’is.FromthewayShinichisaidit,itsoundedbad.Meanwhile,StefanandIgototheDarkDimensionandfindBonnie.”

“No!”Stefansaid.“Iwon’ttakeyoutothathorribleplaceagain.”

Elenalookedhimstraightintheeye.“Youpromised,”shesaid,indifferenttotheotherpeopleintheroom.“Youpromised.Nevertogoagainonaquestwithoutme.Nomatterhowshortthetime,nomatterwhatthecause.Youpromised.”

Stefanlookedatherdesperately.Elenaknewhewantedtokeephersafe—butwhichworldwastrulysafenow?Bothwerefilledwithhorroranddanger.

“Anyway,”shesaidwithagrimsmile,“Ihavethekey.”

26

“Nowyouknowhowit’sdone?”ElenaaskedMeredith.“Youputthekeyinthekeyholeandsaywhereyouwanttogo.Thenopenthedoorandgothrough.That’sit.”

“Youthreegofirst,”Stefanadded.“Andquick.”

“I’llturnthekey,”MeredithtoldMatt.“YoutakecareofMrs.Flowers.”

JustthenElenathoughtofsomethingthatshedidn’twanttosayaloud,onlytoStefan.Butsheandhewerephysicallysoclose,sheknewhewouldpickitup.Saber!shethoughttoStefan.Wecan’tleavehimtothesemalach!

Wewon’t,sheheardStefan’svoiceinherheadsay.IshowedhimthewaytoMatt’shouse,andtoldhimtogothereandtakeTalonandprotectthepeoplewhowillbecoming.

AtthesametimeMattwassaying,“Oh,myGod!Saber!Hesavedmylife—Ican’tjustleavehim.”

“Already taken care of,”Stefan reassuredhimandElenapattedhimon theback.“He’llbeatyourhouse ina littlewhile,andifyougosomewhereelsehe’ll trackyou.”

Elenaturnedherpatsintogentlepushes.“Begood!”

“Matt Honeycutt’s bedroom in Fell’s Church,”Meredith said, thrusting thekeyatthedoorhandle,andopeningthedoor.SheandMrs.FlowersandMattallsteppedforward.Thedoorshut.

StefanturnedtoElena.“I’mgoingfirst,”hesaidflatly.“ButI’mholdingontoyou.I’mnotgoingtoletyougo.”

“Never let me go, never let me go,” Elena whispered in an imitation ofMisao’s“Havenightmares.”Thenshehadathought.

“Slavebracelets!”

“What?”Stefansaid.Then,“Oh,Iremember,youtoldme.Butwhataretheysupposedtolooklike?”

“Likeanytwobracelets,matchingifpossible.”Elenawasscramblingaroundthe back of the room, where furniture was piled up, opening drawers, closing them.“Comeon,bracelets!Comeon!Thishouseissupposedtohaveeverything!”

“Whataboutthesethingsyouwearinyourhair?”Stefanasked.Elenalookedbackandhetossedherabagofsoftcottonponytailholders.

“You’reagenius!Theywon’tevenhurtmywrists.Andhereare twowhiteonessothey’llmatch!”Elenasaidhappily.

Theyarrangedthemselvesinfrontofthedoor,withStefantoElena’sleftsohecouldseewhatwasouttherebeforetheysteppedin.HealsohadafirmgriponElena’sleftarm.

“WhereverourfriendBonnieMcCulloughis,”Stefansaid,andthrustthekeyinto the lockless door handle, turning it. Then, after giving Elena the key, he gingerlyopenedthedoor.

Elenawasn’t surewhat shewas expecting.Ablazeof lightmaybe, as theytraveledthroughdimensions.Somekindofspiralingtunnel,orshootingstars.At leastafeelingofmotion.

Whatshegotwassteam.ItsoakedthroughherT-shirtanddampenedherhair.

Andthenshegotnoise.

“Elena!Eleeeeeeeeeeeeeeena!You’rehere!”

Elenarecognizedthevoicebutcouldn’tlocatethescreamerinthesteam.

Then she saw an immense bathtub made of tiles of malachite, and afrightened-lookinggirl tendingacharcoal fire at thebath’s foot,while twootheryoungattendantsholdingscrubbingbrushesandpumicestonescoweredagainsttheotherwall.

And in the bath was Bonnie! It was obvious that the tub was very deep,becauseBonniewasn’tabletotouchbottominthemiddlebutshewashalf-leapingoutofthewaterlikeafoam-covereddolphinoverandovertoattractattention.

“Thereyouare,”gaspedElena.Shedroppedtoherkneesonathick,softbluerug.BonniemadeaspectacularleapandjustforamomentElenacouldfeelasmallsoapy,sudsybodyinherarms.

ThenBonniewentdownagainandcameuplaughing.

“AndisthatStefan?It’sStefan!Stefan,hello!Helloooo!”

Stefan glanced back, as if trying to assess the suds situation. He seemedsatisfiedwithit,turnedslightly,andwaved.

“Hey,Bonnie?”heasked,voicemuffledbythesoundsofcontinualsplashing.“Wherearewe?”

“It’sLadyUlma’shouse!You’re safe—you’reall safe!”She turneda smallhopefulfacetoElena.“Where’sMeredith?”

Elenashookherhead, thinkingofall the thingsaboutMeredith thatBonniedidn’tknowyet.Well,shedecided,thiswasn’tthetimetomentionthem.“Shehadtostaybehind,toprotectFell’sChurch.”

“Oh,”Bonnielookeddown,troubled.“Stillbad,isit?”

“Youwouldn’tbelieveit.Really;it’s—indescribable.That’swhereMattandMrs.FlowersandMeredithare.I’msorry.”

“No, I’m just so glad to see you! Ohmy God, but you’re hurt.” She waslookingatthesmalltoothwoundsonElena’sarm,andthebloodonhertornT-shirt.“I’llgetoutand—hey,no,yougetin!There’splentyofroom;plentyofhotwater,and…plentyofclothes!LadyUlmaevendesignedsomeforus,for‘whenwecameback’!”

Elena,smilingreassuringlyat thebathgirls,wasalreadystrippingasfastas

shecould.Thetub,whichwasbigenoughforsixtoswimin,lookedtooluxurioustomissand,shereasoned,itmadesensetobecleanwhenyougreetedyourhostess.

“Go have fun,” she shouted to Stefan. “Is Damon here?” she added in awhisperedasidetoBonnie,whonodded.“Damon’shere,too,”Elenacaroled.“IfyoufindLadyUlma,tellherElena’scoming,butshe’sgettingwashedupfirst.”Shedidn’tactuallydive into the pearl pink steamingwater, but she got onto the second step down and letherselfslidefromthere.

Instantly, she was immersed in delicious heat that seeped straight into herbody,pullingsomemagicstring that relaxedallhermusclesatonce.Perfumessuffusedtheair.SheflungherwethairbackandsawBonnielaughingather.

“Soyougotoutofyourholeandyou’vebeenherewallowinginluxurywhilewe’vebeenworriedsick?”Elenacouldn’thelpbuthearthewayhervoicewentupattheend,makingitaquestion.

“No,Igotpickedupbysomepeople,and—”Bonniebrokeoff.“Well…thefirstfewdaysweretough,butnevermind.ThankGodwegottoLadyUlma’sintheend.Wantabathbrush?Somesoapthatsmellsjustlikeroses?”

Elena was looking at Bonnie with slightly narrowed eyes. She knew thatBonnie would do just about anything for Damon. That included covering up for him.Delicately,allthewhileenjoyingthebrushesandunguentsandmanykindsofsoapslaidoutonashelfforeasyreach,shebegananinquisition.

Stefangotoutofthesteamyroombeforehewassoakingwet.BonniewassafeandElenawas happy. He found he had stepped into another room, in which were a number ofcouchesmadeofsomesoftspongymaterial.Fordrying?Massage?Whoknew?

Thenext roomheenteredhadgas lanterns thatwere turnedhighenough torival electrical light. Herewere threemore couches—he had no ideawhat for—a full-lengthsilvered-glassmirror,andsmallermirrorsinfrontofchairs.Obviouslyaplaceformakeupandbeautifying.

This last room opened onto a hallway. Stefan stepped out and hesitated,spreadingdelicatetendrilsofPowerindifferentdirections,hopingtofindDamonbeforeDamon noticed his presence in the estate. The Master Key had proved that it couldovercomethefactthathehadn’tbeeninvitedhere.Thatmeantthatmaybehecould…

Atthatmomenthegotahit,andwithdrewhisprobeimmediately,startled.Hestareddown the longcorridor.Hecould actually seeDamon,pacing in the roomat theend,talkingtosomeoneStefancouldn’tseebehindthedoor.

Stefancreptveryquietlydownthehallway,stalking.Hemadeittothedoorwithouthisbrotherevennoticing,andtherehesawthatthepersonDamonwastalkingtowasawomanwearingwhatlookedlikebuckskinbreechesandshirt,whohadweatheredskin,andageneralauraofbeingmoreathomeoutsidecivilizationthaninsideit.Damonwas saying, “Make sure there are enough warm clothes for the girl. She’s not exactlyhardy,youknow—”

“Thenwhereareyoutakingher—andwhy?”Stefanasked,leaningagainstthedoorjamb.

Hehadthegoodfortunetoonce—justthisonce—takeDamonunaware.Hisbrotherglancedup,and then jerked likea startledcat. Itwaspriceless towatchDamonscramblingforamaskuntilhedecidedonthefaçadeofabsentamiability.Stefanguessedthatnoonehadeverputsomucheffort intowalkingover toadeskchair,sittingdown,andforcinghimselftolounge.

“Well,well!Little brother!Youdropped in for a visit!How…nice.What apity, though,thatI’mpracticallyrunningoutthedooronajourney,andthere’snoroomforyou.”

Atthispointtheweather-beatenwomanwhohadbeentakingnotes—andwhohadrisenwhenStefanenteredtheroom—spokeup.“Oh,no,mylord.Thethurgswon’tmindtheextraweightofthisgentleman.Theyprobablywon’tnoticeit.Ifhisbaggagecanbereadybytomorrowyoucanstartoutintheearlymorningjustasyouplanned.”

Damon gave her his best “shut up or die” glare. She shut up. Throughclenchedteeth,Damonmanagedtosay,“ThisisPelat.She’sthecoordinatorofourlittleexpedition.Hello,Pelat.Good-bye,Pelat.Youmaygo.”

“Asyouwish,mylord.”

Pelatbowedandleft.

“Aren’t you taking this ‘my lord’ thing a bit too seriously?” Stefan asked.“Andwhatisthatcostumeyou’rewearing?”

“It’stheuniformofthecaptainoftheguardofMadamelePrincessJessalynD’Aubigne,”Damonsaidcoldly.

“Yougotajob?”

“Itwasaposition.”Damonbaredhisteeth.“Andit’snoneofyourbusiness.”

“Gotyourcaninesback,too,Isee.”

“Andthat’snoneofyourbusinesseither.Butifyouwantmetoknockyououtandtrampleoveryourundeadbody,I’llbedelightedtooblige.”

Somethingwaswrong,Stefanthought.Damonshouldbethroughthetauntingphaseandbeactuallytramplingonhimbynow.Itonlymadesenseif…

“I’vealreadyspokentoBonnie,”hesaid.Andsohehad,toaskwherehewas.Buttoaguiltymind,apparentforeknowledgeoftenworkedwonders.

And Damon hastily said exactly what Stefan hoped he wouldn’t. “I canexplain!”

“Oh,God,”Stefansaid.

“Ifshe’djustdoneasItoldher—”

“Whileyouwereoffbecomingaprincess’scaptainoftheguard?Andshewas—where?”

“Shewassafe,atleast!But,no,shehadtogooutintothestreetandthentothatshop—”

“Shocking!Sheactuallywalkedinthestreet?”

Damongroundhisteeth.“Youdon’tknowhowitisaroundhere—orhowtheslavetradeworks.Everyday—”

Stefanslammedbothhandsonthedesk,nowtrulyangry.“Shewaspickedupbyslavers?Whileyouweresleazingaroundwithaprincess?”

“Princess Jessalyn does not sleaze,” Damon replied icily. “Nor do I. Andanyway it all turned out to be a good thing because now we know where the SevenKitsuneTreasuresare.”

“What treasures?Andwhocaresabout treasureswhen there’sa townbeingdestroyedbykitsune?”

Damonopenedhismouth,shutit,thenlookednarrowlyatStefan.“Yousaidthatyou’dtalkedtoBonnieaboutallthis.”

“IdidtalktoBonnie,”Stefansaidflatly.“Isaidhello.”

Damon’sdarkeyesflared.ForamomentStefanthoughthewasgoingtosnarlorstarta fight.But then, throughclenched teeth,hesaid,“It’sall for thedamned town,don’t you see that? Those treasures include the largest star ball ever to be filled withPower.And that Powermay be enough to save Fell’sChurch.At least to stop its totalannihilation.Maybe toevenclearouteverymalach thatexistsanddestroyShinichiandMisao with a single blow. Is that noble enough for you, little brother? Is it reasonenough?”

“ButtakingBonnie—”

“Youstaywithherhereifyoulike!Spendyourliveshere!Imightmentionthat without her I would never have been able to set up an expedition, and that she’sdeterminedtogo.Besides,we’renotcomingbackthisway.TherehastobeaneasierroutefromtheGatehousetoEarth.Wewouldn’tsurvivecomingback,soyou’dbetterhopelikehellthatthereisone.”

Stefanwassurprised.Hehadneverheardhisbrotherspeakwithsuchpassionaboutanythingthatinvolvedhumans.Hewasabouttoreply,whenbehindhimtherecamea scream of pure, unadulterated rage. It was frightening—and worrying, too, becauseStefanwouldrecognizethatvoiceanywhere,anytime.ItwasElena’s.

27

StefanwhirledaroundandsawBonnie,withonlyatowelwrappedaroundher,tryingtophysically restrainElena,whowas similarly clad.Elena’s hairwaswet and uncombed.Somethinghadcausedhertoleapoutofthebathingpoolandrundirectlyintothecorridor.

StefanwassurprisedbyDamon’s reaction.Was thatasparkofalarmin theendlessly dark eyes that had remained impassive watching a thousand disasters,calamities,cruelties?

No,itcouldn’tbe.Butitcertainlylookedlikeone.

Elena was getting closer. Her voice rang out clearly through the hallway,whichwasspaciousenough togive it a slightecho.“Damon! Iseeyou!Youwait rightthere—I’mcomingtokillyou!”

Thistimetheflickerwasunmistakable.Damonglancedatthewindow,whichwaspartlyopen.

Meanwhile Bonnie had lost the fight and Elenawas running like a gazelletowardtheoffice.Hereyes,however,weredefinitelynotdoe-like.StefansawthemglitterdangerouslyasElenaherselfeludedhim—mainlybecausehedidn’tdaregrabherbythetowel,andeveryotherpartofherwasslippery.ElenawasnowfacingDamon,whohadrisenfromhischair.

“How could you?” she cried. “Using Bonnie like that—Influencing her,druggingher—alltogetatwhatdidn’tbelongtoyou!UsingalmostallthePowerthatwasleft inMisao’s starball—whatdidyou thinkShinichiwoulddowhenyoudid that?Hecameafterus,that’swhathedid—andwhoknowsiftheboardinghouseisstillstanding?”

Damonopenedhismouth,butElenawasn’tfinished.

“AndthentobringBonnietotheDarkDimensionwithyou—Idon’tcareifyoudidn’twanttowasteopeningtheGateornot.Youknewyoushouldn’tbetakingherhere.”

Damonwasangrynow.“I—”

ButElenacuthimoffwithoutevenhesitating.“Thenonceyoudragherhereyouabandonher.Youleaveherterrified,alone,inaroomwhereshe’snotevenallowedtolook out of the window, with a collection of star balls that you don’t even bother toexamine—butwhicharecompletelyunsuitableandgivehernightmares!You—”

“Ifthelittledolthadjusthadthesensetowaitquietly—”

“What?Whatdidyousay?”

“Isaid,ifthelittledolthadjusthadthesense—”

Stefan,whowasalreadyonthemove,shuthiseyesbriefly.Heopenedthemagain in time to see the slap and to feelElena putting all herPower into it. It snappedDamon’sheadaround.

Whatastonishedhim—eventhoughhepositionedhimselfpreciselyincaseof

it—wastoseeDamon’shandflashupasquickasacobra’sstrike.Therewasnofollow-through,butStefanhadalreadypickedElenaupbodilyandpulledherbackoutofrange.

“Letgo!”Elenacried,strugglingtogetoutofStefan’sarms,oratleastgetherfeetontheground.“I’mgoingtokillhim!”

Thenextastonishingthing—discontinuingtherawfurythatStefancouldfeelcoursingthroughElena’saura—wasthatElenawasactuallywinningthestruggle,despitethefactthathewasordersofmagnitudestrongerthanshewas.Partofithadtodowiththe towel,whichwas threatening todropatanymoment.Theotherpartwas thatElenahad acquired a unique style of fighting stronger opponents—at least those with anyconscience.Shedeliberatelythrewherselfagainstanypointatwhichitwouldhurthertorestrainher,andshedidn’tgiveup.Eventuallyhewasgoingtohavetochoosebetweeninjuringherandlettinghergo.

At thatmoment,however,Elenastoppedmoving.She froze,head turnedasshelookedbehindhim.

Stefanglancedbackwardtoo,andfeltanelectricalshockshootthroughhim.

Bonniewasstandingdirectlybehindthem,lookingatDamon,herlipspartedinanguish,tearsinherwidebrowneyesandstreamingdownhercheeks.

Instantly, even before he could register Elena’s pleading glance, Stefanreleasedher.Heunderstood:Hermoodand thedynamicsof thissituationhad justbeenturnedupsidedown.

Elena adjusted her towel and turned to Bonnie, but by then Bonnie wasrunningawaydownthecorridor.Elena’slongerstridesallowedhertoreachBonnieinamomentandshecaughtthesmallergirlandheldher,notsomuchbyforceasbysisterlymagnetism.“Don’tworryaboutthatsnake,”Elena’svoicecamebacktothemclearly,asitwas obviously meant to. “He’s a—” And here Elena indulged in some very creativecursing.

Stefan could hear all of it distinctly and noticed that it broke off into tinyhushingsoundsjustasElenaturnedintothedoorofthebathingsalon.

StefanglancedsidewaysatDamon.Hedidn’tmindfightinghisbrotherintheleastrightnow;hewasfullofragehimselfonbehalfofBonnie.ButDamonignoredhimasifhewerepartofthewallpaper,staringatnothingwithanexpressionoficyfury.

At that moment Stefan heard a faint sound from the farthest end of thecorridor, which was quite a distance away. But his vampire senses informed him thatsurely the person in front was a woman of consequence, probably their hostess. Hestepped forward so that at least she could be greeted by someone who was wearingclothing.

However,atthelastmoment,ElenaandBonnieappearedinfrontofhim,cladin dresses—gowns, rather—thatwere both casual andworks of genius. Elena’swas aninformalrobeofdeeplapisblue,withherhairdryingintoasoftgoldenmassaroundhershoulders. Bonnie was wearing something shorter and lighter: pale violet, shot withthreadsofsilverinnoparticularpattern.Bothoutfits,Stefangraspedsuddenly,wouldlook

asgoodintheinterminablesunlightasinaclosedroomwithnowindowsandgaslamps.

HerememberedthestoriesElenahadtoldaboutLadyUlmadesigninggownsfor her, andhe realized thatwhatever else his hostessmight be, shewas truly a geniuscouturier.

AndthenElenawasrunning,daintygoldsandalsflying,andBonnie’ssilverslipperswerefollowingandStefanbegantoruntoo,fearingsomeunknowndanger.Theyallarrivedatthefarendofthehallwayatthesametime,andStefansawthatthewomanstandingtherewasdressedevenmoresplendidlythanthegirls.Shewaswearingadeepredrawsilkgownwithaheavydiamond-and-rubynecklaceandring—butnobracelets.

The next minute the girls were both curtseying, deep, graceful curtseys.Stefanmadehisbestbow.

LadyUlmaheld out both hands toElena,who seemed to be almost franticover something thatStefandidn’t understand.Elena took the extendedhands, breathingquicklyandshallowly.“LadyUlma—you’resothin—”

Just then thebabblingofababycouldbeheard.Elena’s face litupandshesmiledatLadyUlma,lettingoutaquickbreath.Ayoungservant—evenyounger-lookingthanBonnie—gentlyputatinybundlemadeoflaceandsheerestlawnintoLadyUlma’sarms.BothElenaandBonnieblinkedawaytears,all thewhilebeamingat thechildandmakinglittlenonsensenoises.Stefancouldunderstandthat—they’dknowntheLadysinceshewasawhip-tornslave,tryingnottomiscarry.

“Buthow—?”Elenabeganspluttering.“Wesawyouonlyafewdaysago,butthisbabyismonthsold—”

“Afewdays?Isthathowlongitseemstoyou?”askedLadyUlma.“Tous,ithasbeenmanymonths.Butthemagicstillworks,Elena!Yourmagicremained!Itwasaneasy delivery—easy!And thenDr.Meggar says that you savedme before she sufferedinjuryfromtheabuseIwentthrough.Sheistryingtospeakalready!Itisyou,Elena,itisyourmagic!”

AtthistheLadymadeamovementasiftokneelatElena’sfeet.Shegotnofarther thanafewinches, though,becauseElenacaughtherhands,crying,“LadyUlma,no!”whileStefan,athisbestspeed,slippedbesidethegirlservantandcaughttheLadybyherelbows,supportingherweight.

“AndI’mnotmagic,”Elenaadded.“Stefan,tellherthatI’mnotmagic.”

Obediently,Stefanleanedtowardtheearofthetallwoman.“Elenaisthemostmagic I’ve ever encountered,” he stage-whispered. “She has Powers that I can’t evenunderstand.”

“Ahh!”Elenamadeawordlessexclamationoffrustration.

“Doyouknowwhat I’mnamingher?” theLadycontinued.Her face, ifnotconventionally beautiful, was striking,with an aristocratic combination of Roman noseandhighcheekbones.

“No.” Elena smiled—and then “No!” Elena cried. “Please!Don’t condemn

hertoalifeofexpectationsandterror.Don’t temptanyonetohurtherwhileshe’sstillachild.Oh,LadyUlma!”

“Butmydearsavior…”

ThenElenabegantomanagethings.Onceshetookasituationinhandtherewasnowaynottogowiththeflowofit.“LadyUlma,”shesaidclearly,“forgivemeforinterferinginyouraffairs.ButBonniehastoldme—”Shestopped,hesitated.

“Ofthetroublesofstrongandhopefulyounggirls,forthemostpartpoororenslaved, who have taken on the names of the three bravest young women who evergracedourworld,”LadyUlmafinishedforher.

“Somethinglikethat,”Elenasaid,flushing.

“Nobody’scallingthemselvesDamon,”putintheyoungnursecheerfullyandwiththeutmostgoodwill.“Neitherboysnorgirls.”

Stefancouldhavekissedher.

“Oh,Lakshmi!”Elenahuggedthecoltish-lookingteenager.“Ididn’tevenseeyou properly. Let me look at you.” She held the girl at arm’s length. “Do you know,you’vegrownatleastaninchsinceIlastsawyou?”

Lakshmibeamed.

ElenaturnedbacktoLadyUlma.“Yes,Iamafraidforthechild.WhynotcallherUlma?”

The patrician lady half shut her eyes. “Because, my dear Elena, Helena,Aliena,Alliana,Laynie,Ella—Iwouldnotwish‘Ulma’onanyone,muchlessmylovelydaughter.”

“WhynotcallherAdara?”Lakshmiput insuddenly.“Ialways thought thatwaspretty,sinceIwasakid.”

Therewasasilence—almostastunnedsilence.ThenElenasaid,“Adara—it’salovelyname.”

“Andnotatalldangerous,”Bonniesaid.

Stefansaid,“Itwouldn’tstopherfromstartingarevolutionifshewantedto.”

There was a pause. Everyone looked at Damon, who was looking out thewindowexpressionlessly.Everyonewaited.

Hefinallyturned.“Oh,excellent,”hesaidblankly,clearlyhavingnoidea—andlessinterest—inwhattheyweretalkingabout.

“Oh come on, Damon.” Bonnie’s eyes were still swollen, but she spokebrightly. “Make it unanimous! That way Lady Ulma will be sure.” Good God, Stefanthought,shemustbethemostforgivinggirlintheuniverse.

“Certainly,then,”Damonsaidindifferently.

“Forgiveus,”Elenasaidtightlytotheroomingeneral.“We’veallbeengoingthroughabitofahardtime.”

ThatgaveLadyUlmaher cue. “Of courseyouhave,” she said, smiling thesmile of onewhohas knownbitter suffering. “Bonnie has told us of the destruction ofyour town. I am deeply sorry.What you need now is food and rest. I’ll have someoneconductyoutoyourrooms.”

“IshouldhaveintroducedStefanatthestart,butIwassoworriedIforgotto,”Elenasaid.“Stefan,thisisLadyUlma,whowassogoodtousbefore.LadyUlma—well,youknowwhothisis.”ShewentontiptoetokissStefanlingeringly.LingeringlyenoughthatStefanhad togentlydetachherandputherdown.Hewasalmost frightenedat thisdisplayofbadmanners.ElenawasreallyangryatDamon.Andifshedidn’tforgivehim,thesceneswouldonlycontinuetoescalate—andifhewasright,ElenawastrulygettingclosertobeingabletocastWingsofDestruction.

Hedidn’tevenconsideraskingDamontoforgiveanyone.

After the girls had whispered raptures over the baby again, they wereconductedtoopulentbedchambers,eachfurnishedinexcellenttaste,downtothesmallestdecoration.As usual, though, they all congregated in one room,which happened to beStefan’s.

Therewasmorethanenoughspaceonthebedforthethreeofthemtositorflop.Damonwasn’tpresentbutStefanwouldbethisundeadlifethathewaslisteningin.

“Allright,”Elenasaidbriskly,andwentintostorytellingmode.Sheexplainedto Bonnie everything that had happened through their taking the Master Keys fromShinichiandMisao,totheirflighttoLadyUlma’sbathingchamber.

“To have so much Power suddenly torn away from you in an instant…”Bonniehadherheaddown,anditwasn’thardtoguesswhoshewasthinkingabout.Shelookedup.“Please,Elena.Don’tbesoangryatDamon.Iknowhe’sdonesomebadthings—buthe’sbeensounhappy…”

“That’snoexcuse,”Elenabegan.“And,frankly,I’m—”

Don’t,Elena!Don’ttellherthatyou’reashamedofherforputtingupwithit!She’salreadyashamedofherself!

“I’msurprisedathim,”Elenasaidwithonlythesmallesthesitation.“Iknowforafactthathecaresforyou.Heevenhasapetnameforyou:hislittleredbird.”

Bonniesniffed.“Youalwayssaythatpetnamesarestupid.”

“Well,butImeantnameslike—oh—ifhecalledyou‘Bonbon’orsomething.”

Bonnie’s head came up. “Even thatwould be okay for the baby,” she said,withasuddensmile,likearainbowafterastorm.

“Oh,yes,isn’tsheadorable?Ineversawsuchahappybaby.Margaretusedtojustlookatyouwithbigeyes.Adara—ifsheisAdara—shouldhavesuchahappylife…”

Stefansettledbackagainsttheheadboard.Elenahadthesituationinhand.

Now he could worry about where Damon was going. After a moment hetunedbackin,tofindBonnietalkingabouttreasure.

“AndtheykeptaskingmeandaskingmeandIcouldn’tfigureoutwhysincethe star ball with the story on it was right there. Only the story is gone now—Damonchecked. Shinichi was going to throwme out the window, and that was when Damonrescuedme,andtheGuardiansaskedmeaboutthestorytoo.”

“Strange,”Stefansaid, sittingupalertly.“Bonnie, tellmehowyoufirst feltthisstory;whereyouwereandall.”

Bonniesaid,“Well,firstIsawastoryaboutalittlegirlnamedMaritgoingtobuyasugarplum—thatwaswhyItriedtodothesamethingthenextday.AndthenIwenttobed,butIcouldn’tsleep.SothenIpickedupthestarballagainanditshowedmethestoryaboutthekitsunetreasures.Thestoriesareshowninorder,soithad tobetheonerightafterthesweetshopstory.AndthensuddenlyIwasoutofmybody,andIwasflyingwithElenarightoverAlaric’scar.”

“Didyoudoanythinginbetweenexperiencingthestoryandgoingtobed?”Stefanasked.

Bonniethought;herrosebudmouthpursed.“IsupposeIturneddownthegaslamp.EverynightIwouldturnthelampwaydownsothatitwasonlyaflicker.”

“Anddidyouturnitbackupagainwhenyoucouldn’tsleepandreachedforthestarballagain?”

“Um…no. But they’re not books! You don’t have to see to experience astory.”

“Thatwasn’twhatImeant.Howdidyoufindthestarballinthatdimroom?Wasittheonlystarballonthefloornearyou?”

Bonnie’sbrowscametogether.“Well…no.Thereweretwenty-six.Twootherswerehideous; I’dkicked those intoacorner.Twenty-fiveweresoapoperas—soboring.It’snotasifIhadshelvesoranywhereelsetoputthem—”

“Bonnie,doyouwanttoknowwhatIthinkhappened?”

Bonnieblinkedandnodded.

“I thinkthatyoureadachildren’sstoryandthenyouwent tobed.Andyouactually fell asleep very quickly, even thoughyou dreamedyouwere awake.Then youdreamedapremonition—”

Bonniegroaned.“Anotheroneofthose?Buttherewasn’tevenanyonetotellittothen!”

“Exactly.Butyouwantedtotellittosomeone,andthatlongingbroughtyou—yourspirit—towhereElenawas.ButElenawassoworriedaboutgettingwordacrosstoAlaricthatshewashavinganout-of-bodyexperience.She’dbeenasleeptoo,I’msureofit.”StefanlookedatElena.“Whatdoyouthinkofthat?”

28

Elenawas nodding slowly. “Itwouldworkwithwhat happened tome.At first Iwasaloneoutofmybody,butthenIsawBonniebesideme.”

Bonniebitherlip.“Well…thefirstthingIsawwasElenaandwewerebothflying.Iwasalittlebehindher.ButStefan,whydoyouthinkIfellasleepanddreamedawholestory?Whycan’tmyversionjustbetrue?”

“BecauseIthinkthefirstthingyou’dhavedonewouldbetoturnthelighton—ifyoureallywerelyingthereawake.Otherwise,youmightwellhavepickedupasoapopera—soboring!”

Bonnie’s forehead smoothed at last. “That would explain why nobodybelievedme evenwhen I told them exactlywhere the storywas!Butwhy didn’t I tellElenaaboutthetreasure?”

“Idon’tknow.Butsometimeswhenyouwakeup—andIthinkyoudidwakeuptohavetheout-of-bodyexperience—youforget thedreamifsomethinginterestingisgoingon.Butthenyoumightrememberitlaterifsomethingremindsyouofit.”

Bonnie stared into a middle distance, thinking. Stefan was silent, knowingthatonlyshecouldunraveltheriddleforherself.

AtlastBonnienodded.“Itcouldbethatway!IwokeupandthefirstthingIthoughtofwasthesweetshop.AndafterthatInevergaveanotherthoughttothetreasuredreamuntilsomebodyaskedforstories.Anditjustpoppedintomyhead.”

Elenapushedthedeepblue-greenvelvetcoverletonewaytomakeitgreen,thentheotherwaytosmoothitintoblueness.

“Iwasgoing to forbidBonnie togoon theexpedition,” shesaid: this slavewhodidn’thaveagemonherbodyexceptStefan’spendantwhichhungfromafinechainaround her neck, and was still in the simplest kind of after-bath robe. “But if it’ssomethingwehavetodo,I’dbettertalktoLadyUlma.Itsoundsasiftimeisprecious.”

“Remember—time runs differently here than back on Earth. But we’resupposedtoleaveinthemorning,”Bonniesaid.

“ThenIdefinitelyneedtotalktoher—rightnow.”

Bonniejumpedup,excited.“I’llhelp!”

“Wait.”StefanputagentlehandonBonnie’sarm.“Ihavetosaythis.Ithinkyou’reamiracle,Bonnie!”Stefanknewhiseyesmustbeshininginawaythatshowedhecouldhardlyreininhisexcitement.Inspiteofthedanger—inspiteoftheGuardians—inspiteofeverything…thelargeststarball—fullofPower!

He gave Bonnie a sudden impetuous hug, sweeping her off the bed andwhirlingherbeforeputtingherdownagain.“Youandyourprecognitions!”

“Oooh…”Bonnie saiddizzily,gazingupathim.“Damonwasexcited, too,whenItoldhimabouttheGatewayoftheSevenTreasures.”

“Youknowwhy,Bonnie?It’sbecauseeverybodyhasheardaboutthoseseventreasures—butnoonehadanyideawheretheyare…untilyoudreamedit.Youdoknowexactlywheretheyare?”

“Yes,iftheprecognitionwastrue.”Bonniewasflushedwithpleasure.“AndyouagreethatthatgiantstarballwillsaveFell’sChurch?”

“I’dbetmylifeonit!”

“Woo-hoo!”criedBonnie,pumpingafist.“Let’sgo!”

“Soyousee,”Elenawassaying,“it’llmeantwiceasmuchofeverything.Idon’tseehowwecanstarttomorrow.”

“Now,now,Elena.Aswediscovered,oh,elevenmonthsagowhenyouleft,anyjobcanbedonequicklyifwesummonenoughhands.Iamnowtheregularemployerofallthosewomenweusedtocallintomakeyourballgowns.”AsLadyUlmaspokeshequicklyandgracefullytookElena’smeasurements—whydoonlyonethingwhenyoucandotwoatonce?Sheglancedathermeasuringtape.“StillexactlythesameaswhenIlastsawyou.Youmustleadaveryhealthylife,Elena.”

Elenalaughed.“Remember,forusit’sonlybeenafewdays.”

“Oh,yes.”LadyUlmalaughed,too,andLakshmi,whowasseatedonastoolamusingthebaby,madewhatElenaknewwasonelastappeal.

“Icouldgowithyou,”shesaidearnestly,lookingatElena.“Icandoallsortsofhelpfulthings.AndI’mtough—”

“Lakshmi,” Lady Ulma said gently, but in a voice that wore the hat ofauthority.“We’realreadydoublingthesizeofthewardrobeneededtoaccommodateElenaandStefan.Youwouldn’twanttotakeElena’splace,wouldyou?”

“Oh,no,no,”theyounggirlsaidhastily.“Oh,well,”shesaid,“I’lltakesuchgood care of little Adara that she’s no bother to you while you supervise Elena’s andStefan’sclothes.”

“Thank you, Lakshmi,” Elena said from her heart, noting that Adara nowseemedtobethebaby’sofficialname.

“Well,wecan’t letoutanyofBonnie’s things to fityou,butwecancall inreinforcementsandhaveafullsetofgarmentsreadyforyouandStefanbythemorning.It’sjustamatterofleatherandfurtokeepyouwarm.Weusethepeltsoftheanimalsupnorth.”

“They’re not nice, cuddly baby animals, either,” Bonnie said. “They’reviciousnastythingsthatareusedfortraining,ortheymightcomeupfromthedimensionbelowandattackall thepeopleon thenorthern fringeshere.Andwhen they finallygetkilled,thebountyhuntersselltheleatherandfurtoLadyUlma.”

“Oh,well…good,”Elenasaid,decidingnottomakeananimalrightsspeechjust now. The truthwas that shewas still very shaken by her actions—her reactions—towardDamon.Whyhadsheactedthatway?Wasitjusttoletoffpressure?Shestillfelt

asifshecouldsmackhimagoodonefortakingpoorBonnieaway,andthenleavingheralone.And…and…fortakingpoorBonnie—andnottakingher!

Damonmusthatehernow,shethought,andsuddenlytheworlddevelopedasickening,out-of-controlmotion,asifsheweretryingtobalanceonaseesaw.AndStefan—whatelsecouldhethinkbutthatshewasawomanscorned,thekindthatHellhadnofury like?Howcouldhebe sokind, so caring,when anyone in their rightmindwouldknowshe’dgonemadwithjealousy?

Bonniedidn’tunderstandeither.Bonniewasachild,notawoman.Although,although,she’dgrownsomehow—ingoodness,inunderstanding.Shewaswillfullyblind,likeStefan.But—didn’tthattakematurity?

CouldBonniebemoreofawomanthanshe,Elena,was?

“I’llhaveaprivatesuppersentuptoyourrooms,”LadyUlmawassaying,asshequicklyanddeftlyusedthemeasuringtapeonStefan.“Yougetagoodnight’ssleep;thethurgs—andyourwardrobes—willbewaitingtomorrow.”Shebeamedatallofthem.

“Could I have—Imean, is there anyBlackMagic at all?” Elena stumbled.“Theexcitement…I’mgoingtosleepinmyroomalone.Iwanttogetagoodnight’srest.We’regoingonaquest,youknow?”Allthetruth.Allalie.

“Ofcourse,I’llhaveabottlesentto—”LadyUlmahesitatedandthenquicklyrecovered. “Toyour room,butwhydon’tweallhaveanightcapnow? It looks just thesameoutside,”sheaddedtoStefan,thenewcomer,“butit’sreallyratherlate.”

Elena drank her first glass in one draft. The attendant had to refill itimmediately.Andagainamoment later.After thathernervesseemedtorelaxabit.Butthe seesaw feeling never entirely left, and though she slept alone in her room,Damondidn’tvisittoquarrelwithher,mockher,orkillher—andcertainlynottokiss.

Thurgs,Elenadiscovered,weresomethingliketwoelephantsstitchedtogether.Eachhadtwoside-by-sidetrunksandfourwicked-lookingtusks.Eachalsohadahigh,wide,longridgedtail, likeareptile.Theirsmallyelloweyeswereplacedallaroundtheirdomelikeheads, so that they could see 360 degrees around, looking for predators. Predators thatcouldtakedownathurg!

Elenaimaginedasortofsaber-toothedcat,enormous,withamilk-whitepeltbigenoughto lineseveralgarmentsofhersandStefan’s.Shewaspleasedwithhernewoutfits.Eachonewasessentiallyatunicandbreeches,soft,pliable,rain-sheddingleatherontheoutside;andwarm,luxuriousfurontheinside.Buttheywouldn’tbegenuineLadyUlma creations if thatwas all therewere to them.The inner bodysuit ofwhite furwasreversible and removable so you could change depending on the weather. There weretriple-thickwind-aroundcollars,whichtrailedbehindorcouldbeturnedintoscarvesthatwrappedafaceup to theeyes.Thewhitepeltsspilledoutof the leatherat thewrists tomakemittensyoucouldn’t lose.Theguyshadstraight leather tunics that justmetat thebreeches, and fastenedwith buttons. The girls’ tunicswere longer and flared out a bit.Theywereneatlyfringed,butnotstainedordyedexceptforDamon’s,which,ofcourse,wereblackwithsablefur.

Onethurgwouldcarrythetravelersandtheirbaggage.Asecond,largerandwilder looking,wouldcarryheatingstonestohelpcookhumanfoodandall thefood(itlookedlikeredhay)thatthetwothurgswouldeatonthewaytotheNetherWorld.

Pelatshowedthemhowtomovethegiantcreatures,withthelightestoftapsof a very long stick,which could scratch a thurgbehind its hippo-like ears or give it aferocioustapatthatsensitivespot,signalingittohastenforward.

“Isitsafe,havingBiratzcarryallthethurgfood?Ithoughtyousaidshewasunpredictable,”BonnieaskedPelat.

“Now,miss,Iwouldn’tgivehertoyouifshewasn’tsafe.She’llberopedtoDazarsoallshehastodoisfollow,”Pelatreplied.

“We ride these?” Stefan said, craning his neck to get a look at the small,enclosedpalanquinontopoftheverylargeanimal.

“Wehaveto,”Damonsaidflatly.“Wecanhardlywalkalltheway.We’renotallowed to use magic like that fancyMaster Key you used to get here. Nomagic buttelepathyworksupattheverytopoftheDarkDimension.Thesedimensionsareflatlikeplates,andaccordingtoBonnie,there’safracture,justatthefarnorthofthisone—nottoofarfromhere,inotherwords.Thecrackissmallbydimensionalstandards,butbigenoughforustogetthrough.IfwewanttoreachtheGatehouseoftheSevenTreasureswestartonthurgs.”

Stefanshrugged.“Allright.We’redoingityourway.”

Pelatwasputtingaladderup.LadyUlma,Bonnie,andElenawereweepingandlaughingoverthebabytogether.

Theywerestilllaughingastheyleftontheirway.

Thefirstweekorsowasboring.TheysatinthepalanquinonthebackofthethurgnamedDazar,withacompassfromElena’sbackpackdanglingfromtheroof.Theygenerallykeptall thesidesof thepalanquin’scurtainsrolledup,except theonefacingwest,where thebloated,bloodyredsun—toobrighttolookatinthehigher,cleanerairoutsidethecity—constantlyloomedonthehorizon.Theviewallaroundthemwasdreadfullymonotonous—mind-bendinglyso,withfewtreesandmanymilesofdriedbrowngrassyhills.Nothinginteresting to a non-hunter ever showed up. The only thing that changed was as theytraveledfarthernorth,itgotcolder.

Itwasdifficultforallofthem,livinginsuchclosequarters.DamonandElenahad reached an equilibrium—or at least a pretense—of ignoring each other, somethingElenawouldneverhaveimaginedcouldbepossible.Damonmadeiteasierbyworkingonadifferentsleepcyclethantheothers—whichhelpedtoguardthemasthethurgstrudgedonward, day and night. If he was awake when Elena was, he would ride outside thepalanquin,onthethurg’senormousneck.Theybothhadsuchstiffnecks,Elenathought.Neitherofthemwantedtobethefirsttobend.

Meanwhilethoseinsidethepalanquinbegantoplaylittlegames,likepickingthelongdriedgrassesfromthesideoftheroadandtryingtoweavethemintodolls,fly

whisks, hats,whips. Stefan proved to be the onewhomade the tightestweave, and hemadeflywhisksandbroadfansforeachofthem.

Theyalsoplayedvariouscardgames,usingstifflittleplacecards(hadLadyUlmathoughttheymightgiveadinnerpartyontheway?)asplayingcards,aftercarefullymarking themwith the four suits.And of course, the vampires hunted. Sometimes thistookquitealongtime,sincegamewasscarce.TheBlackMagicLadyUlmahadstockedhelpedthemstretchthetimebetweenhunts.

WhenDamonvisited thepalanquin, itwas as if hewere crashing aprivatepartyandthumbinghisnoseatthehosts.

FinallyElenacouldn’tstanditanylonger,andhadStefanfloatherupthesideofthethurg(lookingdownorclimbingupweredefinitelynotoptions)whileflyingmagicstillworked.ShesatdownonthesaddlebesideDamonandgatheredhercourage.

“Damon,Iknowyouhavearighttobeangrywithme.Butdon’ttakeitoutontheothers.EspeciallyBonnie.”

“Anotherlecture?”Damonasked,givingheralookthatwouldfreezeaflame.

“No,justa—arequest.”Shecouldn’tbringherselftosay“aplea.”

Whenhedidn’tanswerandthesilencebecameunbearable,shesaid,“Damon,forus—we’renotgoingonaquestfortreasureoutofgreedoradventureoranynormalreason.We’regoingbecauseweneedtosaveourtown.”

“FromMidnight,”avoicejustbehindhersaid.“FromtheLastMidnight.”

Elenawhirledtostare.SheexpectedtoseeStefanholdingBonnieclaspedtohimhard.ButitwasonlyBonnieatherheadlevel,hangingontothethurgladder.

Elena forgot shewas afraid of heights. She stoodupon the swaying thurg,readytoclimbdownonthesunsideiftherewasn’tenoughroomforBonnietositdownfastinthedriver’ssaddle.

ButBonnie had the slimmest hips in town and therewas just room for allthreeofthem.

“The Last Midnight is coming,” Bonnie repeated. Elena knew thatmonotonousvoice,knewthechalk-whitecheeks,theblankeyes.Bonniewasintrance—andmoving.Itmustbeurgent.

“Damon,”Elenawhispered. “If I speak toher, she’ll break trance.Canyouaskhertelepathicallywhatshemeans?”

Amoment later she heardDamon’s projection.What is the LastMidnight?What’sgoingtohappenthen?

“That’s when it starts. And it’s over in less than an hour. So…no moremidnights.”

Ibegyourpardon?Nomoremidnights?

“NotinFell’sChurch.Noonelefttoseethem.”

Andwhenisthisgoingtohappen?

“Tonight.Thechildrenarefinallyready.”

Thechildren?

Bonniesimplynodded,hereyesfaraway.

Something’sgoingtohappentoallthechildren?

Bonnie’seyelidsdroopedtohalfmast.Shedidn’tseemtohearthequestion.

Elena needed to hold on to something.And suddenly shewas.DamonhadreachedacrossBonnie’slapandtakenherhand.

Bonnie,arethechildrengoingtodosomethingatmidnight?heasked.

Bonnie’seyesfilledandshebowedherhead.

“We’ve got to go back.We have to go to Fell’s Church,” Elena said, andscarcely knowingwhat shewas doing, unclaspedDamon’s hand and climbeddown theladder. The bloated red sun looked different—smaller. She tugged at the curtain andalmostbumpedheadswithStefanasherolledituptoletherin.

“Stefan,Bonnie’sintranceandshesaid—”

“Iknow.Iwaseavesdropping.Icouldn’tevencatchheronthewayup.Shejumpedontotheladderandclimbedlikeasquirrel.Whatdoyouthinkshemeans?”

“Yourememberintheout-of-bodyexperiencesheandIhad?AlittlespyingonAlaric?That’swhat’sgoing tohappen inFell’sChurch.All thechildren,allatonce,justatmidnight—that’swhywehavetogetback—”

“Easy.Easy,love.RememberwhatLadyUlmasaid?Nearlyayearherecameouttobeonlydaysinourworld.”

Elenahesitated.Itwastrue;shecouldn’tdenyit.Still,shefeltsocold…

Physicallycold,sherealizedsuddenly,asablastoffrigidairswirledaroundher,cuttingthroughherleatherlikeamachete.

“We need our inner furs,” Elena gasped. “We must be getting near thefracture.”

Theyyankeddown thepalanquincovers and secured themand thenhastilyrummagedthroughtheneatcabinetthatwassetontherumpofthethurg.

ThefursweresosleekthatElenacouldfittwounderherleathereasily.

TheyweredisturbedbyDamoncominginsidewithBonnieinhisarms.

“Shestoppedtalking,”hesaid,andadded,“Wheneveryou’rewarmenough,Isuggestthatyoucomeout.”

ElenalaidBonniedownononeofthetwobenchesinsidethepalanquinandpiledblanketafterblanketoverher,tuckingtheminaroundher.ThenElenamadeherselfclimbbackup.

Foramomentshe feltblinded.Notby thesurly redsun—theyhad left that

behindsomemountains,whichitturnedapinksapphirecolor—butbyaworldofwhite.Seeminglyendless,flat,featurelesswhitenessstretchedoutbeforeheruntilabankoffogobscuredwhateverwasbehindit.

“Accordingtolegend,weshouldbeheadedtowardtheSilverLakeofDeath,”Damon’svoicesaidfrombehindElena.And,oddly,throughoutallthischill,hisvoicewaswarm—almost friendly.“AlsoknownasLakeMirror.But Ican’tchange intoacrow toscout ahead. Something’s hinderingme. And that fog in front of us is impenetrable topsychicprobing.”

Elenainstinctivelyglancedaroundher.Stefanwasstill insidethepalanquin,obviouslystilltendingtoBonnie.

“You’relookingforthelake?What’sitlike?Imean,IcanguesswhyitmightbecalledSilverandLakeMirror,”shesaid.“Butwhat’stheDeathbit?”

“Waterdragons.At least that’swhatpeoplesay—butwhohasbeen there tobringbackthestory?”Damonlookedather.

He took care of Bonnie while she was in trance, Elena thought. And he’stalkingtomeatlast.

“Water…dragons?”sheaskedhimandshemadehervoicefriendly,too.Asifthey’djustmet.Theywerestartingover.

“I’ve always suspected kronosaurus, myself,” Damon said. He was rightbehindhernow;shecould feelhimblocking the icywind—no,more than that.Hewasgeneratinganenvelopeofheatforhertostandin.Elena’sshiveringstopped.Shefeltforthefirsttimethatshecouldunwrapherarmsfromclutchingherself.

Thenshefeltapairofstrongarmsfoldingaroundher,andtheheatabruptlygotquite intense.Damonwasstandingbehindher,holdingher, andall atonceshewasverywarmindeed.

“Damon,”shebegan,notverysteadily,“wecan’tjust—”

“There’s a rock outcroppingover there.Noone could see us,” the vampirebehindheroffered—toElena’sabsoluteshock.Aweekofnotspeakingatall—andnowthis.

“Damon,theguyinthepalanquinjustbelowusismy—”

“Prince?Don’tyouneedaknight, then?”Damonbreathed thisdirectly intoherear.Elenastoodlikeastatue.Butwhathesaidnextrockedherentireuniverse.“YoulikethestoryofCamelot,don’tyou?Onlyhereyou’re thequeen,princess.Youmarriedyour not-quite-fairy-tale prince, but along came a knightwho knew evenmore of yoursecrets,andhecalledtoyou…”

“Heforcedme,”Elenasaid, turningtomeetDamon’sdarkeyesstraighton,evenasherbrainscreamedforhertoletitgo.“Hedidn’twaitformetohearhiscall.Hejust…tookwhathewanted.Liketheslaversdo.Ididn’tknowhowtofight—then.”

“Oh,no.Youfoughtandfought.I’veneverseenahumanfightsohard.Butevenwhenyoufought,youfeltthecallofmyhearttoyours.Trytodenythat.”

“Damon—whynow—allofasudden…?”

Damon made a move as if to turn away, then turned back. “Because bytomorrowwemaybedead,”hesaidflatly.“IwantedyoutoknowhowIfeltaboutyoubeforeIdied—oryoudid.”

“Butyouhaven’t toldmeawordabouthowyou feelaboutme.Only aboutwhatyouthinkIfeelaboutyou.AndI’msorrythatIslappedyouthefirstdayIwashere,but—”

“You were magnificent,” Damon said outrageously. “Forget it now. As forhowIfeel—maybeI’llgetachancetoreallyshowittoyousomeday.”

Somethingsparked insideElena—theywereback to fencingwithwords,astheyhadbeenwhenthey’dfirstmet.“Someday?Soundsconvenient.Andwhynotnow?”

“Doyoumeanthat?”

“DoIhabituallysaythingsIdon’tmean?”

Shewaswaitingforsomekindofapology,somewordsspokenassimplyandsincerely as she had been speaking to him. Instead, with the utmost gentleness, andwithout glancing around to see if anyone was watching them, Damon cupped Elena’sscarf-bound cheeks with his bare hands, pulled the scarf just below her lips with histhumbs, and kissed her softly. Softly—but not briefly, and something in Elena keptwhisperingtoherthatofcourseshehadheardhiscallfromthemomentshefirstsawhim,firstfelthisauracalltoher.Shehadn’tknownthatitwasanaurathen;shehadn’tbelievedinauras.Shehadn’tbelievedinvampires.She’dbeenanignorantlittleidiot…

Stefan!Avoicelikecrystalsoundedofftwonotesinherbrain,andsuddenlyshewasabletostepbackfromDamon’sembraceandlookatthepalanquinagain.Nosignofmotionthere.

“Ihavetogoback,”shetoldDamonbrusquely.“Ihavetoknowwhat’sgoingonwithBonnie.”

“Youmeantoseewhat’sgoingonwithStefan,”hesaid.“Youneedn’tworry.He’sfastasleep,andsoisourlittlegirl.”

Elena tensed. “You Influenced them?Without seeing them?” Itwas awildguess, but one sideofDamon’smouth crookedup, as if congratulatingher. “Howdareyou?”shesaid.

“Tobehonest, Idon’tknowhowIdare.”Damonleanedincloseagain,butElenaturnedhercheek,thinking,Stefan!

Hecan’thearyou.He’sdreamingaboutyou.

Elenawassurprisedatherownreactiontothat.Damonhadcaughtandheldhereyesagain.Somethinginsidehermeltedintheintensityofhissteadyblackgaze.

“I’mnotInfluencingyou;Igiveyoumyword”—inawhisper.“Butyoucan’tdenywhathappenedbetweenusthelasttimewewereinthisdimension.”Hisbreathwasonherlipsnow—andElenadidn’tturnaside.Shetrembled.

“Please,Damon.Showsomerespect.I’m—oh,God!God!”

“Elena?Elena!Elena!What’swrong?”

Hurts—thatwasallElenacould think.A terrible agonyhad lanced throughherchestontheleftside.Asifshe’dbeenstabbedthroughtheheart.Shestifledascream.

Elena,talktome!Ifyoucan’tsendyourthoughts,speak!

Throughnumblips,Elenasaid,“Pain—heartattack—”

“You’re too young and healthy for that. Let me check.” Damon wasunfastening her top.Elena let him. She could do nothing for herself, except gasp,“OhGod!Ithurts!”

Damon’swarmhandwas insideher leatherand furs.Hishandcame to restslightlytotheleftofcenter,withonlyhercamisolebetweenhisprobingfingersandherflesh.Elena,I’mgoingtotakethepainawaynow.Trustme.

Evenashespoke,thestabbinganguishdrained.Damon’seyesnarrowed,andElenaknewhe’dtakenthepainintohimself,toanalyzeit.

“It’snotaheartattack,”hesaidamomentlater.“I’massureasIcanbe.It’smoreasif—well,asifyou’dbeenstaked.Butthat’ssilly.Hmm…it’sgonenow.”

ForElenaithadbeengonesincehe’dtakenit,protectingher.“Thankyou,”shebreathed,suddenlyrealizingthatshehadbeenclingingtohim,inutterterrorthatshewasdying.Orthathewas.

Hegaveherarare,full,genuinesmile.“We’rebothfine.Itmusthavebeenacramp.”Hisgazehaddroppedtoherlips.“DoIdeserveakiss?”

“I…”Hehadcomfortedher;hehadtakentheterriblepainaway.Howcouldshesanelysayno?“Justone,”shewhispered.

Ahandunderherchin.Hereyelidswanted tomeltclosed,butshewidenedhereyesandwouldn’tletthem.

Ashis lips touchedhers,hisarmaroundher…changedsomehow. Itwasnolongertryingtorestrainher.Itseemedtobewantingtocomforther.Andwhenhisotherhandstrokedherhairsoftlyattheveryends,crushingthewavesgently,andjustasgentlysmoothingthemout,Elenafeltarushofshiveringwarmth.

Damonwasn’tdeliberately tryingtobatterherwiththestrengthofhisaura,which at themomentwas filledwith nothing but his feelings for her. The simple fact,though,wasthatalthoughhewasanew-madevampire,hewasexceptionallystrongandheknewall the tricksofanexperiencedone.Elena felt as if shehadstepped intoclearcalmwater,onlytofindherselfcaughtinafierceundertowthattherewasnoresisting;nobargainingwith;andcertainlynopossibilityofreachingbyreason.Shehadnochoicebuttosurrendertoitandhopethatitwastakingher,eventually,toaplaceshecouldbreatheandlive.Otherwise,shewoulddrown…buteventhatpossibilitydidn’tseemsodire,nowthatshecouldseethetidewasmadeofachainoflittlemomentsstrunglikepearls.Ineachone of them was a tiny sparkle of admiration that Damon had for her: pearls for hercourage,forherintelligence,forherbeauty.Itseemedthattherewasnoslightestmotion

shehadmade,nobriefestwordthatshehadsaid,thathehadnotnoticedandlockedinhisheartasatreasure.

Butwewere fighting then, Elena thought to him, seeing in the undertow asparklingmomentwhenshehadcursedhim.

Yes—Isaidyouweremagnificentwhenyouwereangry.Likeagoddesscometoputtheworldtorights.

Idowanttoputtheworldtorights.No,twoworlds:theDarkDimensionandmyhome.ButI’mnogoddess.

Suddenlyshefeltthatkeenly.Shewasaschoolgirlwhohadn’tevenfinishedhighschool—anditwasinpartbecauseofthepersonwhowaskissingherwildlynow.

Oh,thinkofwhatyou’relearningonthistrip!Thingsthatnooneelseintheuniverseknows,Damonsaidinhermind.Nowpayattentiontowhatyou’redoing!

Elena paid attention, not because Damon wanted her to, but because shecouldn’thelp it.Hereyesdriftedshut.Sherealized that thewaytocalmthismaelstromwas to become part of it, neither giving in nor forcing Damon to, but bymeeting thepassionintheundertowwithwhatwasinsideherownheart.

Assoonasshedid, theundertowbecamewind,andshewasflyingandnotdrowning.No,itwasbetterthanflying,betterthandancing,itwaswhatherheartalwaysyearnedfor.Ahighstillplacewherenothingcouldeverharmthemordisturbthem.

And then, when she was most vulnerable, the pain came again, drillingthroughherchest,alittletotheleft.ThistimeDamonwassomindlockedwithherthathefeltitfromthebeginning.AndshecouldhearclearlyaphraseinDamon’smind:stakingisjust as effective on humans as it is on vampires, and his sudden fear that this was aprecognition.

In the swaying little room, Stefan was asleep holding Bonnie by his side, with thesparklingofPowerengulfingthemboth.Elena,whohadagoodgriponthepalanquin’sladder, vaulted the rest of theway inside. She put a hand on Stefan’s shoulder and hewoke.

“What is this? Is something wrong with her?” she asked, with a thirdquestion:“Doyouknow?”buzzingaroundinherhead.

But when Stefan lifted his green eyes to her, they were simply worried.Clearlyhewasnotinvadingherthoughts.HewasfocusedentirelyonBonnie.ThankGod,he’ssuchagentleman,Elenathoughtforthethousandthtime.

“I’mtryingtogetherwarm,”Stefansaid.“Aftershecameoutoftrance,shewasshivering.Thenshestoppedshivering,butwhenItookherhand,itwascolderthanever.NowI’veputanenvelopeofheataroundher. IguessIdozedofffora littlewhileafterthat.”Headded,“Didyoufindanything?”

I foundDamon’s lips,Elena thoughtwildly,but she forcedherself toblankoutthememory.“We’relookingforLakeSilverDeathMirror,”shesaid.“ButallIcould

seewaswhite.Thesnowandthefogseemtogoonforever.”

Stefannodded.ThenhecarefullywentthroughthemotionsofpluckingaparttwolayersofairandslidinahandtotouchBonnie’scheek.“She’swarmingup,”hesaid,andsmiled.

IttookalongwhilebeforeStefanwassatisfiedthatBonniewaswarm.Whenhedid,hegentlyunwrappedherfromtheheatedairthathadformedthe“envelope”andlayherononebench, coming to sitwithElenaon theother.EventuallyBonnie sighed,blinked,andopenedhereyes.

“Ihadanap,”shesaid,obviouslyawarethatshehadlosttime.

“Notexactly,”Elenasaid,keepinghervoicegentleandreassuring.Let’ssee,how didMeredith do this? “Youwent into trance,Bonnie.Do you remember anythingaboutit?”

Bonniesaid,“Aboutthetreasure?”

“Aboutwhatthetreasureisfor,”Stefansaidquietly.

“No…No…”

“Yousaid that thiswas theLastMidnight,”Elena said.As faras shecouldremember, Meredith was pretty direct. “But we think you were talking about back athome,”sheaddedhastily,seeingterrorleapinBonnie’seyes.

“The LastMidnight—and nomorning afterward,” Bonnie said. “I think—Iheardsomeonesayingthosewords.Butnomore.”

Shewas as skittish as a wild colt. Elena reminded her about time runningdifferentlybetweenthetwoworldsbutitdidn’tseemtocomforther.Finally,Elenajustsatbyherandheldher.

HerheadwasspinningwiththoughtsofDamon.He’dforgivenher.Thatwasgood,eventhoughhe’dtakenhisowntimeaboutit.Buttherealmessagewasthathewaswillingtoshareher.Oratleastwillingtosayhewouldtogetinhergoodgraces.Ifsheknewhimatall, ifsheeveragreed—oh,God,hemightmurderStefan.Again.Afterall,thatwaswhathehaddonewhenKatherinehadhadthesamesentiment.

Elenacouldneverthinkofhimwithoutlonging.ShecouldneverthinkofhimwithoutthinkingofStefan.Shehadnoideawhattodo.

Shewasintrouble.

29

“Oi!”Damonshoutedfromoutsidethepalanquin.“Isanybodyelselookingatthis?”

Elenawas.BothStefanandBonniehadtheireyesshut;Bonniewaswrappedin blankets and cuddled against Elena. They had rolled down all the curtains of thepalanquinexceptone.

ButElenahadwatchedthroughthesinglewindow,andhadseenhowtendrilsoffoghadbegundriftingby, first just filmytattersofmist,but then longer, fullerveils,and finally blankets, engulfing them whole. It seemed to her that they were beingdeliberately cut off from even the perilous Dark Dimension, that they were passing aborderintoaplacetheyweren’tmeanttoknowabout,muchlessenter.

“How do we know we’re going in the right direction?” Elena shouted toDamonafterStefanandBonniewoke.Shewasgladtobeabletotalkagain.

“The thurgs know,”Damon called back. “You set them on a line and theywalkthatlineuntilsomebodystopsthem,or—”

“Orwhat?”Elenayelledoutoftheopening.

“Untilwegettoaplacelikethis.”

Thiswasobviouslybait,andneitherStefannorElenacouldresisttakingit—especiallywhenthethurgtheywereridingstopped.

“Stayhere,”Elenasaid toBonnie.Shepushedacurtainoutof thewayandfoundherselflookingtoofardownatwhiteground.God,thesethurgswerebig.Thenextmoment,though,Stefanwasonthegroundholdinguphisarms.

“Jump!”

“Can’tyoucomeupandfloatme?”

“Sorry.SomethingaboutthisplaceinhibitsPower.”

Elenadidn’tgiveherself timeto think.Shelaunchedinto theairandStefancaught her neatly.Spontaneously, she clung to him, and felt the familiar comfort of hisembrace.

Thenhesaid,“Comelookatthis.”

They had reached a placewhere the land ended and themist divided, likecurtainsbeingheld toeitherside.Directly in frontof themwasa frozen lake.Asilveryfrozenlake,almostperfectlyroundinshape.

“LakeMirror?”Damonsaid,cockinghisheadtooneside.

“Ialwaysthoughtthatwasafairytale,”Stefansaid.

“WelcometoBonnie’sstorybook.”

LakeMirrorformedavastbodyofwater infrontof them,frozenright intotheicesheetbelowherfeet,orsoitseemed.Itdidlooklikeamirror—apursemirrorafter

you’dbreathedsoftlyonit.

“But the thurgs?” Elena said—or rather whispered. She couldn’t helpwhispering.Thesilent lakepressedonher,asdidthelackofanykindofnaturalsound:Therewerenobirdssinging,norustlinginthebushes—nobushes!Notrees!Instead,justthemistsurroundingthefrozenwater.

“Thethurgs,”Elenarepeatedinaslightlyloudervoice.“Theycan’tpossiblywalkonthat!”

“Depends on how thick the lake ice is,”Damon said, flashing his old 250-kilowattsmileather.“Ifit’sthickenough,it’llbejustlikewalkingonlandforthem.”

“Andifitisn’t?”

“Hmm…Dothurgsfloat?”

Elena gave him an exasperated glance and looked at Stefan. “What do youthink?”

“I don’t know,” he said doubtfully. “They’re very large animals. Let’s askBonnieaboutthekidsinthefairytale.”

Bonnie, stillwrapped in fur blankets that began collecting chunksof ice astheydraggedontheground,lookedat thelakegrimly.“Thestorydidn’tgointodetail,”shesaid.“Itjustsaidthattheywentdown,down,down,andthattheyhadtopasstestsoftheircourageand—and—wittiness—beforetheygotthere.”

“Fortunately,”Damonsaid,smiling,“Ihavelargeenoughamountsofbothtomakeupformybrother’sentirelackofeither—”

“Stopit,Damon!”Elenaburstout.Themomentshe’dseen thesmile,she’dturnedtoStefan,pulledhimdowntoherheight,andbegunkissinghim.SheknewwhatDamon would see when he turned back toward them—her and Stefan locked in anembrace,Stefanhardlyawareofanythingbeingsaid.Atleasttheycouldstilltouchwiththeirminds.Anditwasintriguing,Elenathought,Stefan’swarmmouthwheneverythingelseintheworldwascold.ShelookedquicklyatBonnie,tomakesureshehadn’tupsether,butBonniewaslookingquitecheerful.

Thefarther I seemtodriveDamonaway, thehappiershe is,Elena thought.Oh,God…thisisaproblem.

Stefanspokeupquietly.“Bonnie,whatitcomesdowntois that ithastobeyourchoice.Don’ttrytousecourageorwitoranythingexceptyourinnerfeelings.Wheredowego?”

Bonnieglancedbackatthethurgs,thenlookedatthelake.

“Thatway,”shesaid,withouthesitation,andshepointedstraightacross thelake.

“We’dbettercarrysomeof thecookingstonesandfuelandbackpackswithironrationsinthem,”Stefansaid.“Thatway,iftheworsthappens,we’llstillhavebasicsupplies.”

“Besides,”saidElena,“it’lllightenthatthurg’sload—ifonlybyalittle.”

It seemed a crime to put a backpack on Bonnie, but she insisted. Finally,Elenaarrangedonefilledentirelywiththewarm,curiouslylightfurclothes.Everyoneelsewas carrying furs, food, and poop—the dried animal dung thatwould from now on betheironlyfuel.

Itwasdifficultfromthefirst.Elenahadonlyhadacoupleofexperienceswithice that shehad reason tobewaryof—butoneof thosehadalmostbeendisastrous forMatt.Shewasreadytojumpandwhirlatanycrack—anysoundthattheicewasbreaking.Buttherewerenocracks;nowaterflowinguptosloshontoherboots.

The thurgswere the oneswho seemed actually built forwalking on frozenwater.Theirfeetwerepneumatic,andcouldspreadouttoalmosthalfagaintheiroriginalsize,avoidingputtingtoomuchpressureonanyonesectionofice.

Crossingthelakewasslow,butElenadidn’tseeanythingparticularlydeadlyabout it. Itwas simply the smoothest, slickest ice she had ever encountered.Her bootswantedtoskate.

“Hey, everybody!” Bonnie was skating, exactly as if she were in a rink,backwardandforwardandsideways.“Thisisfun!”

“We’renotheretohavefun,”Elenashoutedback.Shelongedtotryitherself,but was afraid to make cuts—even scuffs—in the ice. And beside that, Bonnie wasexpendingtwiceasmuchenergyassheneededto.

ShewasabouttocallouttoBonnieandtellherthis,whenDamon,inavoiceofexasperation,madeallthepointsshehadthoughtof,andafewmore.

“Thisisn’tapleasurecruise,”hesaidshortly.“It’sforthefateofyourtown.”

“Asifyoucare,”Elenamurmured,turningherbackonhimandtouchingtheunhappyBonnie’shandbothtogivecomfortandtogetthemgoingatarm’slengthagain.“Bonnie,doyousenseanythingmagicalaboutthelake?”

“No.” But then Bonnie’s imagination seemed to fly into high gear. “Butmaybe it’swhere themystics frombothdimensions all gathered to exchange spells.Ormaybe it’swhere they used the ice like a realmagicmirror to see faraway places andthings.”

“Maybe both of them,” Elena said, secretly amused, but Bonnie noddedsolemnly.

Andthatwaswhenitcame.ThesoundElenahadbeenwaitingfor.

Norwasitadistantboomingwhichcouldbeignoredordiscussed.Theyhadbeenwalkingatarm’slengthfromoneanothertoavoidstressingtheice,whilethethurgswalkedbehindthem,andtoeitherside—likeaflockofgeesewithnoleaders.

Thisnoisewasadreadfullynearcracklikethereportofagun.Immediately,itsoundedagain,likeawhiplash,andthenacrumbling.

ItwastoElena’sleft,onBonnie’sside.

“Skate,Bonnie,” she shouted. “Skate as fast as you can.Scream if you seeland.”

Bonniedidn’taskasinglequestion.ShetookofflikeanOlympicspeedskaterinfrontofElena,andElenaswiftlyturned.

ItwasBiratz,thethurgBonniehadaskedPelatabout.Shehadonemonstrousbacklegintheice,andasshestruggled,moreicecracked.

Stefan!Canyouhearme?

Faintly.I’mcomingforyou.

Yes—butonlycomeascloseasyouneedtoInfluencethethurg.

Influencethe—?

Makehercalm,putherout,whatever.She’srippingup the iceand it’ll justmakeithardertogetherout!

ThistimetherewasapausebeforeStefan’sanswercame.Sheknewthough,byfaintechoes,thathewastalkingtelepathicallywithsomeoneelse.Allright,love,I’lldoit.I’lltakecareofthethurg,too.YoufollowBonnie.

Hewaslying.Or,notlying,butkeepingsomethingfromher.Thepersonhe’dbeensendingthoughtstowasDamon.Theywerehumoringher.Theydidn’tmeantohelpatall.

Justatthatmomentsheheardashrillscream—notsofaraway.ItwasBonnieintrouble—no!Bonniehadfoundland!

Elenadidn’t lose another second.Shedumpedherbackpackon the ice andskatedstraightbacktothethurg.

Thereitwas,sohuge,sopathetic,sohelpless.TheverythingthathadkeptitsafefromotherGodawfulHellaciousmonsters in theDarkDimension—itsgreatbulk—wasnowturnedagainstit.Elenafeltherchesttightenasifshewerewearingacorset.

Evenasshewatched,though,theanimalbecamecalmer.Shestoppedtryingtogether lefthindlegoutof the ice,whichmeant thatshestoppedchurningupthe icearoundit.

NowBiratzwasinasortofcrouchingposition,tryingtokeepherthreedrylegsfromgoingunder.Theproblemwasthatshewastryingtoohard,andthattherewasnothingtopushagainstexceptbreakableice.

“Elena!”Stefanwaswithinearshotnow.“Don’tgetanycloser!”

Butevenashesaidit,ElenasawaSign.Justafewfeetaway,lyingontheicewasthetickle-prodthatPelathadusedtogetthethurgsgoing.

ShepickeditupassheskatedbyandthenshesawanotherSign.Reddishhayand the original covering for the hay—a giant tarpaulin—were lying behind the thurg.Togethertheyformedabroadwidepaththatwasneitherwetnorslick.

“Elena!”

“Thisisgoingtobeeasy,Stefan!”

Elenapulledapairofdrysocksoutofherpocketanddrewthemupoverherboots.Shefastenedtheticklesticktoherbelt.Andthenshestartedtherunofherlife.

Herbootswerefurwithsomethinglikefeltunderneathandwiththesockstoaid them, they caught on the tarpaulin and propelled her forward. She leaned into it,vaguelywishingMeredithwerehere,soshecoulddothisinstead,butallthetimegettingcloser.Andthenshesawhermark: theendof thetarpandbeyondit floatingchunksofice.

But the thurg looked climbable.Very low in back, like a dinosaur halfwayintoatarpit,butthenrisingupalongthecurvedbackbone.Ifshecouldjustsomehowlandthere…

Twostepstilljump-off.Onesteptilljump-off.

JUMP!

Elenapushedoffwithherrightfoot,flewthroughtheairforanendlesstime,and—hitthewater.

Instantly, shewas soaked fromhead to foot and the shockof the icywaterwasunbelievable. It caughtholdofher like somemonsterwithahandfulof jagged iceshards.Itblindedherwithherownhair,itsqueezedallthesoundoutoftheuniverse.

Somehow,clawingatherface,shefreedhermouthandeyesfromhair.Sherealized that shewas only slightly below the surface of thewater, and thatwas all sheneededtopushupwarduntilhermouthbrokethesurfaceandshecouldsuckinalungfulofdeliciousair,afterwhichshehadacoughingfit.

Firsttimeup,shethought,rememberingtheoldsuperstitionthatadrowningpersonwillrisethreetimesandthensinkforever.

Butthestrangethingwasthatshewasn’tsinking.Therewasadullpaininherthighbutshewasn’tgoingunder.

Slowly,slowly,sherealizedwhathadhappened.Shehadmissedthebackofthethurg,butlandedonitsthickreptiliantail.Oneoftheserratedfinshadgashedher,butshewasstable.

So…now…all I have to do is climb the thurg, she puzzled out slowly.Everythingseemedslowbecausetherewereicebergsbobbingaroundhershoulders.

Sheputupafur-linedglovedhandandreachedforthenextfinup.Thewater,whilemakinghersoakingclothesheavier,supportedsomeofherweight.Shemanagedtopullherselfuptothenextfin.Andthenext.Andthenherewastherump,andshehadtobecareful—nomorefootholds. Insteadshegrabbedforhandholdsandfoundsomethingwithherlefthand.Abrokenstrapfromthehaycarrier.

Notagoodidea—inretrospect.

For a few minutes that qualified as among the worst in her life she wasshoweredwithhay,poundedwithrocks,andsmotheredinthedustofolddung.

Whenitwasfinallyovershelookedaround,sneezingandcoughing,tofindthatshewasstillonthethurg.Theticklestickhadbeenbrokenbutenoughremainedforhertouse.Stefanwasfranticallyasking,bothaloudandbytelepathy,ifshewasallright.Bonniewas skatingbackand forth likeaTinkerBellguide,andDamonwascursingatBonnietogetbacktolandandstaythere.

MeanwhileElenawasinchinguptherumpofthethurg.Shemadeitthroughthe crushed supply basket. She finally reached the thurg’s summit, and she settled justbehindthedomedhead,intheseatwhereadriverwouldsit.

Andthenshetickledthethurgbehindtheears.

“Elena!”Stefanshouted,andthenElena,whatareyoutryingtodo?

“Idon’tknow!”sheshoutedback.“Tryingtosavethethurg!”

“Youcan’t,”DamoninterruptedStefan’sanswerinavoiceascoldandstillastheplacetheywerein.

“She can make it!” Elena said fiercely—precisely because she herself washavingdoubtsaboutwhethertheanimalcould.“Youcouldhelpbypullingonherbridle.”

“There’snopoint,”Damonshouted,and turnedabout-face,walkingquicklyintothemist.

“I’llgiveitatry.Throwitoutinfrontofher,”Stefansaid.

Elenathrewtheknottedbridleashardasshecould.Stefanhadtorunalmosttotheedgeoftheicetograbitbeforeitfellin.Thenhehelditalofttriumphantly.“Gotit!”

“Okay,pull!Giveheradirectiontostartin.”

“Willdo!”

ElenatappedBiratzagainbehindherrightear.Therewasafaintrumblefromtheanimalandthennothing.ElenacouldseeStefanstrainingatthebridle.

“Comeon,”Elenasaid,andslappedsharplywiththestick.

Thethurgliftedupagiantfoot,placeditfartherontheice,andstruggled.Assoonasshedid,Elenasmackedhardbehindtheleftear.

Thiswasthecrucialmoment.IfElenacouldkeepBiratzfromcrushingalltheicebetweenherbacklegs,theymighthaveachance.

The thurg tentatively lifted her left hind leg and stretched it until it madecontactwiththeice.

“Good, Biratz! Now!” Elena shouted. Now if Biratz would only surgeforward…

Therewasagreatupheavalunderneathher.ForseveralminutesElenathoughtthat perhaps Biratz had broken through the ice with all four legs. Then the thrashingchangedtoarockingmotionandsuddenly,dizzyinglyElenaknewthattheyhadwon.

“Easy,now,easy,”shecalledtotheanimal,givingheragentleticklewiththe

stick.Andslowly,ponderously,Biratzmovedforward.Herdomedheaddroopedfartherandfartherasshewent,andshefounderedattheedgeofabankofmist,breakingtheiceagain.Buttheresheonlysankafewinchesbeforemeetingmud.

A fewmore steps and theywereon solidground.Elenahad to suck inherbreath to stifle a scream as the thurg’s domelike head slumped, giving her a short andscary ride towhere the tusks re-curvedon themselves.Somehowsheslid rightbetweenthemandhadtohastilyscrambleoffBiratz’strunks.

“Itwaspointless,youknow,doingthat,”Damonsaidfromsomewhereinthemistbesideher.“Riskingyourownlife.”

“Whatd-doyoumeanp-pointless?”Elenademanded.Shewasn’tfrightened;shewasfreezing.

“Theanimalsaregoingtodieanyway.Thenexttrialisonetheycan’tmanageandeveniftheycould,thisisn’taplacewhereanythinggrows.Insteadofaquickcleandeathinthewater,they’regoingtostarve,slowly.”

Elenadidn’tanswer;theonlyanswershecouldthinkofwas,“Whydidn’tyoutellmeearlier?”Shehadstoppedshivering,whichwasagoodthing,becauseamomentagoherbodyhadfeltasifshemightshakeherselfapart.

Clothes,shethoughtvaguely.Thatwastheproblem.Itcertainlycouldn’tbeascoldhereintheairasithadbeeninthatwater.Itwasherclothesthatweremakinghersocold.

She began, with numb fingers, to take them off. First, she unfastened herleather jacket. No zippers here: buttons. Thatwas a real problem.Her fingers felt likefrozen hot dogs, and only nominally under her direction. But somehow or other shemanaged to undo the fastenings and the leather dropped to the ground with amuffledthump—ithadtakenalayerofher innerfuroffwithit. Ick.Thesmellofwetfur.Now,nowshehadto—

Butshecouldn’t.Shecouldn’tdoanythingbecausesomeonewasholdingherarms. Burning her arms. Those hands were annoying, but at least she knew who theybelongedto.Theywerefirmandverygentlebutverystrong.AllthataddeduptoStefan.

Slowly,sheraisedherdrippingheadtoaskStefantostopburningherarms.

But she couldn’t.Because onStefan’s body therewasDamon’s head.Nowthatwasfunny.She’dseena lotof things thatvampirescoulddo,butnot thisswappingheadsbusiness.

“Stefan-Damon—please stop,” she gasped between hysterical whoops oflaughter.“Ithurts.It’stoohot!”

“Hot?You’re frozen, youmean.” The deft, searing handswere rubbing upanddownherarms,pushingbackherheadtorubhercheeks.Sheletithappen,becauseitseemedtobeonlysensethatif itwasDamon’shead,theywereStefan’shands.“You’recoldbutyou’renotshivering?”agrimDamon-voicesaidfromsomewhere.

“Yes,soyouseeImustbewarmingup.”Elenadidn’tfeelverywarmedup.

Sherealizedthatshestillhadonalongerfurgarment,onethatreachedtoherkneesunderherleatherbreeches.Shefumbledwithherbelt.

“You’re notwarming up.You’re going into the next stage of hypothermia.Andifyoudon’tgetdryandwarmrightnow,you’regoingtodie.”Notroughly,hetiltedherchinuptolookintohereyes.“You’redeliriousnow—canyouunderstandme,Elena?Weneedtoreallygetyouwarm.”

WarmwasaconceptasvagueandfarawayaslifebeforeshehadmetStefan.But delirious she understood. That was not a good thing. What to do about it exceptlaugh?

“Allright.Elena,justwaitforamoment.Letmefind—”Inamomenthewasback.Notquickenoughtostopherfromunwrappingthefurdowntoherwaist,butbackbeforeshecouldgethercamisoleoff.

“Here.”Hestrippedoff thedamp furandwrappedawarm,dryonearoundher,overhercamisole.

Afteramomentortwoshebegantoshiver.

“That’smygirl,”Damon’svoicesaid.Itwenton:“Don’tfightme,Elena.I’mtryingtosaveyourlife.That’sall.I’mnotgoingtotrytodoanythingelse.Igiveyoumyword.”

Elena was bewildered. Why should she think that Damon—this must beDamon,shedecided—wouldwanttohurther?

Althoughhecouldbeabastardsometimes…

Andhewastakingoffherclothes.

No.Thatshouldn’tbehappening.Definitelynot.EspeciallysinceStefanmustbesomewherearound.

ButbynowElenawasshiveringtoohardtotalk.

Andnowthatshewasinherunderwear,hewasmakingherliedownonfurs,tuckingotherfursaroundher.Elenadidn’tunderstandanythingthatwashappening,butitwas all starting not to matter. She was floating somewhere outside herself, watchingwithoutmuchinterest.

Thenanotherbodywasslippinginunderthefurs.Shesnappedbackfromtheplaceshehadbeenfloating.Verybrieflyshegotalookatabarechest.Andthenawarm,compactbodyslidintothemakeshiftsleepingbagwithher.Warm,hardarmswentaroundher,keepingherincontactalloverherbody.

ThroughthemistshevaguelyheardStefan’svoice.

“Whatthehellareyoudoing?”

30

“Strip to your underwear and get in on the other side,” Damon said. His voice wasneitherangrynorfatuous.Headdedshortly,“Elenaisdying.”

The last three words seemed to affect Stefan particularly, although Elenacouldn’t parse them.Stefanwasn’tmoving, just breathinghard, his eyeswide. “BonnieandIhavebeengatheringhayandfuelandwe’reallright.”

“You’ve been exercising—moving about—wearing clothes that kept youwarm.She’sbeendunkedinicewaterandsittingstill—highupinthewind.Igottheotherthurgtobreakoffwoodfromthedeadtreesaroundhereandtryitonthefire.Nowgetthehellin,Stefan,andgivehersomebodywarmth,orI’mgoingtomakeheravampire.”

“Nnn,”Elenatriedtosay,butStefandidn’tseemtounderstand.

Damon,however, said, “Don’tworry.He’sgoing towarmyouup from theother side. You won’t have to become a vampire just yet. For God’s sake,” he addedsuddenly,explosively,“someprinceyoupicked!”

Stefan’s voice was quiet and tense. “You tried putting her in a thermalenvelope?”

“Of course I tried, you idiot! No magic works beyond the Mirror excepttelepathy.”

Elenahadnosenseoftimegoingby,butsuddenlytherewasafamiliarbodypressedagainsthersfromtheotherside.

Andsomewheredirectly inhermind:Elena?Elena?You’reallright,aren’tyou,Elena?Idon’tcarewhetheryou’replayingajokeonme.Butyou’rereallyallright,aren’tyou?Justtellmethat,love.

Elenawasn’tabletoansweratall.

Dimly,fragmentsofsoundcametoherears:“Bonnie…ontopofherand…packourselvesbackoneitherside.”

Anddullfeelingsstirredhersenseoftouch:asmallbody,almostweightless,likeathickblanket,pressingdownonher.Someonesobbing,tearsdrippingonherneckfromabove.Andwarmthoneitherside.

I’m asleepwith the other kittens, she thought, dozing.Maybewe’ll have anicedream.

“Iwishwecouldknowhow they’redoing,”Meredith said,onapause fromoneofherpacingbouts.

“Iwishtheyknewhowwe’redoing,”Mattsaidwearilyashetapedanothernotecardamuletontoawindow.Andanother.

“Do you know, my dears, I kept hearing a child crying last night in my

dreams,”Mrs.Flowerssaidslowly.

Meredithturned,startled.“SodidI!Rightoutonthefrontporch,itsoundedlike.ButIwastootiredtogetup.”

“It might mean something—or nothing at all.”Mrs. Flowers frowned. Shewas boiling tapwater for tea. The electricitywas sporadic.Matt and Saber had drivenbacktotheboardinghouseearlierthatdaysothatMattcouldgatherMrs.Flowers’smostimportant instruments—herherbs for teas,compresses,andpoultices.Hehadn’thad theheart to tellherabout thestateof theboardinghouse,orwhat thosemaggotmalachhaddone to it. He’d had to find a loose board from the garage to get from the hall to thekitchen.Therewasnothirdflooranymoreandverylittlesecond.

Atleasthehadn’trunintoShinichi.

“What I’m saying is thatmaybe there’s some real kid out there,”Meredithsaid.

“Atnightalone?SoundslikeaShinichizombie,”Mattsaid.

“Maybe.Butmaybenot.Mrs.Flowers, do youhave any idea ofwhenyouhearthecrying?Earlyinthenightorlate?”

“Letme think,dear. It seems tome that Ihear itwhenever Iwakeup—andoldpeoplewakeupquitefrequently.”

“Iusuallyhearittowardthemorning—butIusuallysleepwithoutdreamingforthefirstfewhoursandwakeupearly.”

Mrs.FlowersturnedtoMatt.“Whataboutyou,Matt,dear?Doyoueverhearasoundlikecrying?”

Matt,whodeliberatelyoverworkedhimselfthesedaystotrytogetasolidsixhoursof sleepatnight, said,“I’veheard thewindkindofmoaningandsobbingaroundmidnight,Iguess.”

“It sounds as if we have an all-night ghost, my dears,”Mrs. Flowers saidcalmlyandpouredthemeachamugoftea.

Matt sawMeredithglanceathimuneasily—butMeredithdidn’tknowMrs.Flowersaswellashedid.

“Youdon’treallythinkit’saghost,”hesaidnow.

“No, I don’t.Mama hasn’t said a word about it, and then it’s your house,Matt, dear.No gruesomemurders or hideous secrets in its past, I should think.Letmesee…”SheshuthereyesandletMattandMeredithgoonwiththeirtea.Thensheopenedhereyesandgavethemapuzzledsmile.

“Mamasays‘searchthehouseforyourghost.Thenlistenwelltowhatithastosay.’”

“Okay,”Mattsaidpoker-faced.“Sinceit’smyhouse,IguessI’dbettersearchforit.Butwhen?ShouldIsetanalarm?”

“Ithinkthebestwaywouldbetoarrangeawatchrota,”Mrs.Flowerssaid.

“Okay,” Meredith agreed promptly. “I’ll take the middle watch, frommidnighttofour;Mattcanhavethefirstone;andMrs.Flowers,youcanhavetheearly-morningone,andgetanapintheafternoonifyouwant.”

Mattfeltuneasy.“Whydon’twejustbreakitupintotwowatchesandthetwoofyoucanshareone?I’lltaketheother.”

“Because, dear Matt,” Meredith said, “we don’t want to be treated like‘ladies.’Anddon’targue”—sheheftedthefightingstave—“becauseI’mtheonewiththeheavyequipment.”

Somethingwasshakingtheroom.ShakingMattwithit.Stillhalf-asleep,heputhishandunderhispillowandpulledouttherevolver.Ahandgrabbeditandheheardavoice.

“Matt!It’sme,Meredith!Wakeup,willyou?”

Groggily,Mattreachedforthelampswitch.Again,strong,slimcoldfingerspreventedhimfromdoingwhathewanted.

“No light,”Meredith whispered. “It’s very faint, but if you comewithmequietly,youcanhearit.Thecrying.”

ThatwokeMattuptherestoftheway.“Rightnow?”

“Rightnow.”

Doinghisbesttowalkquietlythroughthedarkhalls,MattfollowedMeredithtothedownstairslivingroom.

“Sh!”Meredithwarned.“Listen.”

Mattlistened.Hecouldhearsomesobbingallright,andmaybesomewords,buttheydidn’tsoundallthatghostlytohim.Heputhiseartothewallandlistened.Thecryingwaslouder.

“Dowehaveaflashlight?”Mattasked.

“I have two, my dears. But this is a very dangerous time of night.” Mrs.Flowerswasashadowagainstdarkness.

“Pleasegivetheflashlightstous,”saidMatt.“Idon’tthinkourghostisverysupernatural.Whattimeisit,anyway?”

“AbouttwelvefortyA.M.,”Meredithanswered.“Butwhydoyouthinkitisn’tsupernatural?”

“Because I think it’s living in our basement,”Matt said. “I think it’s ColeReece.Thekidwhoatehisguineapig.”

Tenminuteslater,withthestave,twoflashlights,andSaber,theyhadcaughttheirghost.

“Ididn’tmeananythingbad,”Colesobbed,whentheyhadluredhimupstairswithpromisesofcandyand“magic”teathatwouldlethimsleep.

“Ididn’thurtanything,honest,”hechoked,wolfingdownHersheybarafterHersheybar from theiremergency rations.“I’mscared thathe’sontome.Becauseafteryouhitmewiththatstickynote,Ihaven’tbeenabletohearhiminmyheadanymore.Andthen you came here”—he gestured aroundMatt’s house—“and you had amulets and Ifigureditwouldbebettertostayinsidethem.OritcouldbemyLastMidnighttoo.”

Hewasbabbling.ButsomethingaboutthelastwordsmadeMattsay,“Whatdoyoumean…‘yourLastMidnighttoo’?”

Colelookedathiminterror.TherimofmeltedHersheybararoundhis lipsmadeMattrememberthelasttimehe’dseentheboy.

“You know, don’t you?” Cole faltered. “About the midnights? Thecountdown?TwelvedaystilltheLastMidnight?ElevendaystilltheLastMidnight?Andnow…tonight is one day till the LastMidnight…”He began to sob again, evenwhilecrammingchocolateintohismouth.Itwasclearthathewasstarving.

“ButwhathappensontheLastMidnight?”Meredithasked.

“Youknow,don’tyou?Thatthat’sthetimewhen…youknow.”MaddeninglyColeseemedtothinktheyweretestinghim.

MattputhishandsonCole’sshoulders,andtohishorrorfeltbonesunderhisfingers.Thekidreallywasstarving,he thought, forgivinghimall theHersheybars.HiseyesmetMrs.Flowers’seyesandsheimmediatelywenttothekitchen.

But Cole wasn’t answering; he was mumbling incoherently. Matt forcedhimselftoapplypressuretothosebonyshoulders.

“Cole,talklouder!What’sthisLastMidnightabout?”

“You know. That’s when…all the kids…you know, they wait up and atmidnight…theygetknivesorguns.Youknow.Andwego intoourparents’ roomwhilethey’reasleepand…”Colebrokedownagain,butMattnoticedhehadslippedintosaying“we”and“our”bytheend.

Meredithspokeinhercalm,steadyvoice.“Thechildrenaregoingtokilltheirparents,isthatright?”

“Heshoweduswheretoslashorstab.Orifthere’sagun—”

Matthadheardenough.“Youcanstay—inthebasement,”hesaid.“Andhereare some amulets. Put themon you if you feel like you’re in danger.”He gaveCole awholepacketofPost-itNotes.

“Justdon’tbeafraid,”Meredithadded,asMrs.Flowerscameinwithaplateof sausages and fried potatoes forCole.At any other time the smellwould havemadeMatthungry.

“It’s just like that island in Japan,” he said. “Shinichi and Misao made ithappenthere,andthey’regoingtodoitagain.”

“I say time’s running out.Actually it’s already theLastMidnight day—it’snearlyone thirty in themorning,”Meredithsaid.“Wehave less than twenty-fourhours.WeshouldeithergetoutofFell’sChurchordosomethingtoarrangeaconfrontation.”

“Aconfrontation?WithoutElenaorDamonorStefan?”Mattsaid.“We’llbemurdered.Don’tforgetSheriffMossberg.”

“Hedidn’thavethis.”Meredithtossedthefightingstaveintotheair,caughtitneatly,andputitatherside.

Mattshookhishead.“Shinichiwillstillkillyou.Orsomelittlekidwill,withthesemi-automaticfromDaddy’scloset.”

“Wehavetodosomething.”

Mattthought.Hisheadwaspounding.Finallyhesaid,headlowered,“WhenIgottheherbsIgotMisao’sstarball,too.”

“You’rekidding.Shinichistilldidn’tfindit?”

“No.Andmaybewecoulddosomethingwithit.”

Matt looked atMeredith, who looked atMrs. Flowers.Mrs. Flowers said,“WhataboutpouringouttheliquidindifferentplacesinFell’sChurch?Justadrophereandadropthere?WecouldaskthePowerinittoprotectthetown.Maybeitwouldlisten.”

Meredith said, “Thatwas the exact reasonwewanted to get Shinichi’s andMisao’s star balls in the first place. The star balls control their owners, according tolegend.”

Mattsaid,“Itmaybeold-waysthinking,butIagree.”

Meredithsaid,“Thenlet’sdoitrightnow.”

While the other twowaited,Matt gotMisao’s star ball. It had a very, verylittleliquidonthebottom.

“AftertheLastMidnightsheplanstofillittothetopwiththeenergyofthenewlivesthatgettaken,”Meredithsaid.

“Well, she’s not going to get a chance to do that,”Matt said flatly. “Whenwe’redonewe’lldestroythecontainer.”

“Butweprobably shouldhurry,”Meredith added. “Let’sget someweaponstogether: something silver, something long and heavy, like a fire iron. Shinichi’s littlezombiesarenotgoingtobehappy—andwhoknowswho’sonhisside?”

31

Elenawokeupfeelingstiffandcramped.Butthatwasn’tsurprising.Threeotherpeopleseemedtobeontopofher.

Elena?Canyouhearme?

Stefan?

Yes!You’reawake?

I’mallcramped…andhot.

A different voice interrupted. Just give us a moment and you won’t becrampedanymore.ElenafeltDamonmoveaway.Bonnierolledintohisplace.

ButStefanclungtoherforamoment.Elena,I’msorry.Ineverevenrealizedwhatconditionyouwerein.ThankGodforDamon.Canyouforgiveme?

Despite the heat, Elena cuddled closer to him. If you can forgive me forputtingthewholepartyindanger.Ididthat,didn’tI?

Idon’tknow.Idon’tcare.AllIknowisthatIloveyou.

ItwasseveralminutesbeforeBonniewokeup.Thenshesaidfeebly,“Hey!Whachoodoin’inmybed?”

“Gettingoutof it,”Elenasaid,and tried to rolloverandgetup.Theworldwaswobbly.Shewaswobbly—andbruised.ButStefanwasnevermorethanafewinchesaway,holdingher,rightingherwhenshestartedtofall.Hehelpedhergetdressedwithoutmakingher feel like ababy.Heexaminedherbackpack,which fortunatelyhadn’t goneintothewater,andthenhetookoutanythingheavyinside.Heputtheheavythingsinhisownpack.

Elenafeltmuchbetterafterbeinggivensomefood,andafterseeingthethurgs—both of them—eating too; either stretching their great double trunks up to break offpiecesofwoodfromthebarrentrees,orscoopingawaysnowtofinddrygrassunderneath.Theyclearlywerenotgoingtodieafterall.

Elenakneweveryonewaswatchinghertogaugewhetherornotshewasuptoanymorethatday.Shehurriedtofinishdrinkingtheteaheatedoveradungfire,tryingtoconcealthefactthatherhandsshook.Afterforcingsomejerkydown,shesaidinhermostcheerfulvoice,“Sowhatnext?”

Howdoyoufeel?Stefanaskedher.

“Littlesore,butI’llbefine.Iguesseveryoneexpectsmetohavepneumonia,butIdon’tevenhaveanycough.”

Damon, after one heavy-lidded glance at Stefan, took both her hands andstaredather.Shecouldn’t—shedidn’tdare—meethiseyes,soshefocusedonStefan,whowaslookingathercomfortingly.

At lastDamondroppedElena’shandsabruptly.“Iwent inasfarasIcould.

Youshouldknowhowfarthatis,”headdedtoStefan.“She’ssound,hernoseiswet,andhercoatisshiny.”

Stefanlookedasifheweregoingtosmackhimone,butElenatookhishandsoothingly. “I’mhealthy,” she said. “So that’s twovotes formegoingon to saveFell’sChurch.”

“I’vealwaysbelievedinyou,”Stefansaid.“Ifyouthinkyoucangoon,youcangoon.”

Bonnie sniffled. “Just don’t take anymore chances, okay?” she said. “Youscaredme.”

“I’mreallysorry,”Elenasaidgently,feelingthevoidofMeredith’sabsence.Meredithwouldbeagreathelptobothofthemnow.“So,shallwecontinue?Andwhereareweheading?I’mallturnedaround.”

Damonstood.“Ithinkwejustkeepinastraightline.Thepathisnarrowafterthis—andwhoknowswhatthenexttrialis?”

The pathwas narrow—andmisty. Just as before, it started in filmy veils and ended upblindingthem.ElenaletStefan,withhiscatlikereflexes,gofirst,andsheheldontohispack.Behind her, Bonnie clung like a burr. JustwhenElena thought shewas going toscreamifshehadtokeeptravelingthroughthewhiteblanketanyfarther,itcleared.

Theywerenearthetopofsomemountain.

ElenatookoffafterBonnie,whohadhurriedaheadatthesightoftransparentair.Shewas just fastenough tograbon toBonnie’spackandpullherbackwardas shereachedtheplacewherethelandstopped.

“Noway!”Bonniecried,settingupaclamoringechofrombelow.“There isnowayI’mgoingacrossthat!”

Thatwasachasmwithaverythinbridgespanningit.

Thechasmwasfrostywhiteoneithersideatthetop,butwhenElenagrippedthebridge’sice-coldmetalpolesandleanedalittleforwardshecouldseeglacialbluesandgreensattheverybottom.Achillwindhitherface.

Thegapbetweenthisbitoftheworldandthenextbitdirectlyinfrontofthemwasaboutahundredyardslong.

Elenalookedfromtheshadowydepthstotheslenderbridge,whichwasmadeofwoodenslatsandjustwideenoughforonepersontowalkon.Itwassupportedhereandtherebyropeswhichran to thesidesof thechasmandweresunkwithmetalposts intobarren,icyrock.

Italsoswoopedmagnificentlydownandthenbackupagain.Evenlookingatit gave the eye a sort ofmini–thrill ride.Theonly problemwas that it didn’t include asafetybelt,aseat,twohandrails,andauniformedguidesaying,“Handsandfeetmustbekept inside theattractionat all times!” Itdidhavea single, thin, creeper-woven rope toholdontoontheleft.

“Look,”Stefanwas saying, as quietly and intently asElenahad ever heardhimspeak,“wecanholdontoeachother.Wecangogoonebyone,veryslowly—”

“NOOO!” Bonnie put into that one word a psychic shriek that almostdefeanedElena.“No,no,no,no,NO!Youdon’tunderstand!Ican’tDOIT!”Sheflungherbackpackdown.

Thenshebeganlaughingandcryingatthesametimeinafull-blownattackofhysterics.Elenahadanimpulsetodashwaterinherface.ShehadastrongerimpulsetothrowherselfdownbesideBonnieandshriek,“AndneithercanI!It’sinsane!”Butwhatgoodwouldthatdo?

AfewminuteslaterDamonwastalkingquietlytoBonnie,unaffectedbytheoutburst.Stefanwaspacingincircles.ElenawastryingtothinkofPlanA,whilealittlevoicechantedinsideherhead,Youcan’tdoit,youcan’tdoit,youcan’tdoit,either.

Thiswasalljustaphobia.TheycouldprobablytrainBonnieoutofit—if,say,theyhadayearortwo.

Stefan, on one of his circular trips near her, said, “And how are you aboutheights,love?”

Elenadecidedtoputabravefaceonit.“Idon’tknow.IthinkIcandoit.”

Stefanlookedpleased.“Tosaveyourhometown.”

“Yes…but it’s toobadnothingworkshere. Icould try tousemyWings forflying,butIcan’tcontrolthem—”

Andthatkindofmagicissimplynotavailablehere,Stefan’svoicesaidinhermind.

Buttelepathyis.Youcanhearme,too,can’tyou?

They thought of the answer simultaneously, andElena saw the light of theideabreakingonStefan’sfaceevenasshebegantospeak.

“Influence Bonnie! Make her think she’s a tightrope walker—a performersinceshewasatoddler.Butdon’tmakehertooplayfulsoshedoesn’tbouncetherestofusoff!”

Withthatlightinhisface,Stefanlooked…toogood.HeseizedbothElena’shands,whirledheraroundonceasifsheweighednothing,pickedherup,andkissedher.

Andkissedher.

AndkissedheruntilElenafelthersouldrippingoffherfingertips.

They shouldn’t have done it in front of Damon. But Elena’s euphoria wascloudingherjudgment,andshecouldn’tcontrolherself.

Neitherofthemhadbeentryingforadeepmindprobe.Buttelepathywasalltheyhadleft,anditwaswarmandwonderfulanditleftthemforaninstantinthecircleofeach other’s arms, laughing, panting—with electricity flashing between them. Elena’swholebodyfeltasifshe’djustgottenasizablejolt.

Thenshepulledherselfoutofhisarms,butitwastoolate.Theirsharedgazehad gone onmuch too long, and Elena felt her heart pounding in fear. She could feelDamon’seyesonher.Shebarelymanagedtowhisper,“Willyoutellthem?”

“Yes,” Stefan said softly. “I’ll tell them.” But he didn’t move until sheactuallyturnedherbackonBonnieandDamon.

Afterthatshepeekedoverhershoulderandlistened.

Stefansatdownbythesobbinggirlandsaid,“Bonnie,canyoulookatme?That’sallIwant.Ipromiseyou,youdon’thavetogoacrossthatbridgeifyoudon’twantto.Youdon’tevenhave tostopcrying,but try to lookme in theeye.Canyoudo that?Good.Now…”His voice and even his face changed subtly, becomingmore forceful—mesmerizing.“You’renotafraidofheightsatall,areyou?You’reanacrobatwhocouldwalkatightropeacrosstheGrandCanyonandneverturnahair.You’retheverybestofallyour family, the flyingMcCulloughs, and they’re the best in theworld.And right now,you’regoing to choosewhether to crossover thatwoodenbridge. If so, you’ll leadus.You’llbeourleader.”

Slowly,while listening toStefan,Bonnie’s facehad changed.With swolleneyesfixedonStefan’s,sheseemedtobelisteningintentlytosomethinginherownhead.Andfinally,asStefansaidthelastsentence,shejumpedupandlookedatthebridge.

“Okay,let’sgo!”shecried,pickingupherbackpack,whileElenasatstaringafterher.

“Canyoumakeit?”Stefanasked,lookingatElena.“We’lllethergofirst—there’sreallynowayshecanfalloff.I’llgoafterher.Elenacancomeaftermeandholdontomybelt,andI’mcountingonyou,Damon,toholdontoher.Especiallyifshestartstofaint.”

“I’llholdher,”Damonsaidquietly.ElenawantedtoaskStefantoInfluenceher, too, but everythingwashappening so fast.Bonniewas alreadyon thebridge, onlypausing when called back by Stefan. Stefan was looking behind him at Elena, saying,“Can you get a good grip?” Damon was behind Elena, putting a strong hand on hershoulder, and saying, “Look straight ahead, not down. Don’t worry about fainting; I’llcatchyou.”

Butitwassuchafrailwoodenbridge,andElenafoundthatshewasalwayslookingdownandherstomachfloatedupoutsideherbodyandaboveherhead.Shehadadeath-griponStefan’sbeltwithonehand,andonthewovencreeperwiththeother.

Theycame toaplacewhereaslathaddetachedand theslatsoneithersidelookedasiftheymightgoatanymoment.

“Carefulwiththese!”Bonniesaid,laughingandleapingoverallthree.

Stefan stepped over the first chancy slat, over themissing one, and put hisfootonthenext.

Crack!

Elena didn’t scream—she was beyond screaming. She couldn’t look. The

soundhadshuthereyes.

Andshecouldn’tmove.Notafinger.Certainlynotafoot.

ShefeltDamon’sarmsaroundherwaist.Bothofthem.Shewantedtolethimsupportherweightashehadmanytimesbefore.

ButDamonwaswhisperingtoher,wordslikespellsthatallowedherlegstostopshakingandcrampingandevenletherstopbreathingsofastthatshemightfaint.AndthenhewasliftingherandStefan’sarmsweregoingaroundherandforamoment theywerebothholdingherfirmly.ThenStefantookherweightandgentlyputherfeetdownonfirmslats.

Elenawantedtoclingtohimlikeakoala,butsheknewthatshemustn’t.Shewouldmake thembothfall.Sosomewhere, frominnerdepthsshedidn’tknowshehad,shefoundthecouragetotakeherownweightonherfeetandfumbledforthecreeper.

Thenshe liftedherheadandwhisperedas loudlyasshecould,“Goon.WeneedtogiveDamonroom.”

“Yes,” Stefan whispered back. But he kissed her on the forehead, a quickprotectivekiss,beforeheturnedandsteppedtowardtheimpatientBonnie.

Behindher,Elenaheard—andfelt—Damonjumpingcatlikeoverthegap.

ElenaraisedhereyestostareatthebackofStefan’sheadagain.Shecouldn’tcompassalltheemotionsshewasfeelingatthatmoment:love,terror,awe,excitement—and,ofcourse,gratitude,allatonce.

She didn’t dare turn her head to look at Damon behind her, but she feltexactlythesamethingsforhim.

“Afewmoresteps,”hekeptsaying.“Afewmoresteps.”

A brief eternity later, they were on solid ground, facing a medium-sizedcavern,andElenafelltoherknees.Shewassickandfaint,butshetriedtothankDamonashepassedbyheronthesnowymountaintrail.

“Youwereinmyway,”hesaidshortlyandascoldlyasthewind.“Ifyouhadfallenyoumighthaveupsettheentirebridge.AndIdon’thappentofeellikedyingtoday.”

“Whatareyousayingtoher?Whatdidyoujustsay?”Stefan,whohadbeenoutofearshot,camehurryingback.“Whatdidhesaytoyou?”

Damon, examininghis palm for creeper thorns, saidwithout lookingup, “Itoldherthetruth,that’sall.Sofarshe’szerofortwoonthisquest.Let’shopethataslongas you make it through they let you in the Gatehouse, because if they’re grading onperformancewe’veflunked.OrshouldIsay,oneofushasflunked?”

“ShutuporI’llshutyouup,”StefansaidinadifferentvoicethanElenahadeverheardhimusebefore.Shestared. Itwasas ifhe’dgrown tenyears inonesecond.“Don’tyouevertalktoheroraboutherthatwayagain,Damon!”

Damon stared at him for a moment, pupils contracted. Then he said,“Whatever,”andstrolledaway.

StefanbentdowntoholdElenauntilhershakingstopped.

Andthat’sthat,Elenathought.Anice-coldragegrippedher.Damonhadnorespect for her at all; he hadnone for anyonebut himself. She couldn’t protectBonniefromBonnie’sownfeelings—orstophimfrominsultingher.Shecouldn’tstopBonnieforforgiving.Butshe,Elena,wasdonewithDamon.Thislastinsultwastheend.

Thefogcameinagainastheywalkedthroughthecavern.

32

“Damondoesn’tmeantobesucha—abastard,”Bonniesaidexplosively.“He’sjust—sooftenhefeelslikeit’sthethreeofusagainsthim—and—and—”

“Well,whostartedthat?Evenbackridingthethurgs,”Stefansaid.

“I know, but there’s something else,” Bonnie said humbly. “Since it’s onlysnowandrockandice—he’s—Idon’tknow.He’salltight.Something’swrong.”

“He’shungry,”Elenasaid,strickenbyasuddenrealization.Sincethethurgstherehadbeennothingfor the twovampires tohunt.Theycouldn’texist, likefoxes,oninsectsandmice.OfcourseLadyUlmahadprovidedplentyofBlackMagicforthem,theonlythingthatevenresembledasubstituteforblood.Buttheirsupplywasdwindling,andofcourse,theyhadtothinkofthetripback,aswell.

SuddenlyElenaknewwhatwoulddohergood.

“Stefan,”shemurmured,pullinghim intoanook in thecraggystoneof thecaveentrance.Shepushedoffherhoodandunrolledherscarfenoughtoexposeonesideofherneck.“Don’tmakemesay‘please’toomanytimes,”shewhisperedtohim.“Ican’twaitthatlong.”

Stefanlookedintohereyes,sawthatshewasserious—anddetermined—andkissedoneofhermittenedhands.

“It’s been long enough now, I think—no, I’m sure, or I would never evenattemptthis,”hewhispered.Elenatippedherheadback.Stefanstoodbetweenherandthewindandshewasalmostwarm.ShefeltthelittleinitialpainandthenStefanwasdrinkingandtheirmindsslidtogetherliketworaindropsonaglasswindow.

He took very little blood. Just enough to make the difference in his eyesbetweenstillgreenpoolsandsparkling,effervescentstreams.

But then his gaze went still again. “Damon…” he said, and pausedawkwardly.

WhatcouldElenasay?Ijustseveredalltieswithhim?Theyweresupposedtohelponeanotheralongthesetrials;toshowtheirwitandcourage.Ifsherefused,wouldshefailagain?

“Sendhimquickthen,”shesaid.“BeforeIchangemymind.”

FiveminuteslaterElenawasagaintuckedintothelittlenook,whileDamonturnedherheadbackandforthwithdispassionateprecision,thensuddenlydartedforwardandsankhisfangsintoaprominentvein.Elenafelthereyesgowide.

A bite that hurt this much—well, she hadn’t experienced it since the dayswhenshehadbeenstupidandunpreparedandhadfoughtwithallherstrengthtogetfree.

AsforDamon’smind—therewasasteelwall.Sinceshehadtodothis,shehadbeenhopingtoseethelittleboywholivedinDamon’sinmostsoul,theonewhowastheunwillingWatch-Keeperoverallofhissecrets,butshecouldn’teventhawthesteela

little.

Afteraminuteor two,StefanpulledDamonoffofher—notgently.Damoncameawaysullenly,wipinghismouth.

“Are you okay?” Bonnie asked in a worried whisper, as Elena rummagedthroughLadyUlma’smedicineboxforapieceofgauzetostaunchtheunhealedwoundsinherneck.

“I’vebeenbetter,”Elenasaidbriefly,asshewrappedupherscarfagain.

Bonniesighed.“Meredithistheonewhoreallybelongshere,”shesaid.

“Yes,butMeredithreallybelongsinFell’sChurch,too.Ionlyhopetheycanholdonlongenoughforustocomeback.”

“I only hope that we can come backwith something that will help them,”Bonniewhispered.

MeredithandMattspentthetimefrom2:00A.M.todawnpouringinfinitesimaldropsfromMisao’sstarballontothestreetsofthetown,andaskingthePowerto—somehow—helpthem in the fight against Shinichi. This brisk movement from place to place had alsonettedasurprisingbonus:kids.Notcrazykids.Normalones,terrifiedoftheirbrothersandsistersoroftheirparents,notdaringtogohomebecauseoftheawfulthingstheyhadseenthere.MeredithandMatthadcrammedthemintoMatt’smother’ssecond-handSUVandbroughtthemtoMatt’shouse.

In theend, theyhadmorethanthirtykids, fromagesfive tosixteen,all toofrightenedtoplay,ortalk,oreventoaskforanything.Butthey’deateneverythingMrs.Flowers could find that wasn’t spoiled inMatt’s refrigerator and pantry, and from thepantriesofthedesertedhousesoneithersideoftheHoneycutts’.

Matt,watchingaten-year-oldgirlcrammingplainwhitebreadintohermouthwithwolfishhunger, tears runningdownhergrimy face as she chewed and swallowed,saidquietlytoMeredith,“Thinkwe’vegotanyringersinhere?”

“I’dbetmylifeonit,”sherepliedjustasquietly.“Butwhatarewegoingtodo?Coledoesn’tknowanythinghelpful.We’lljusthavetopraythattheun-possessedkidswillbeabletohelpuswhenShinichi’sringersattack.”

“I think the best optionwhen confronted by possessed kidswhomay haveweaponsistorun.”

Meredith nodded absently, butMatt noticed she took the stave everywherewithhernow. “I’vedeviseda little test for them. I’mgoing to smackeveryonewith aPost-It, and seewhathappens.Kidswho’vedone things they regretmaygethysterical,kidswho’realreadyjustterrifiedmaygetsomecomfort,andtheringerswilleitherattackorrun.”

“ThisIhavetosee.”

Meredith’stestluredoutonlytworingersinthewholemob,athirteen-year-oldboyandafifteen-year-oldgirl.Eachofthemscreamedanddartedthroughthehouse,

shriekingwildly.Mattcouldn’tstopthem.Whenitwasalloverandtheolderkidswerecomforting theyoungerones,MattandMeredith finishedboardingup thewindowsandpastingamuletsbetweentheboards.Theyspenttheeveningscoutingforfood,questioningthe kids about Shinichi and theLastMidnight, and helpingMrs. Flowers treat injuries.They tried to keep one person on guard at all times, but since they had been up andmovingsince1:30A.M.,theywereallverytired.

AtaquartertoelevenMeredithcametoMatt,whowascleaningthescratchesofayellow-hairedeight-year-old.“Okay,”shesaidquietly,“I’mgoingtotakemycarandget the new amuletsMrs. Saitou said she’d have done by now.Do youmind if I takeSaber?”

Mattshookhishead.“No,I’lldoit.IknowtheSaitousbetter,anyway.”

Meredithgavewhat,inalessrefinedperson,mighthavebeencalledasnort.“Iknowthemwellenoughtosay,excuseme,Inari-Obaasan;excuseme,Orime-san;we’rethetroublemakerswhokeepaskingforhugeamountsofanti-evilamulets,butyoudon’tmindthat,doyou?”

Matt smiled faintly, let the eight-year-old go, and said, “Well, they mightminditlessifyougottheirnamesstraight.‘Obaasan’means‘grandma,’right?”

“Yes,ofcourse.”

“And‘san’isjustathingyyouputattheendofanametobepolite.”

Meredithnodded,adding, “And ‘a thingyat theend’ is calledan ‘honorificsuffix.’”

“Yeah, yeah, but for all your bigwords you’ve got their nameswrong. It’sOrime-grandmaandOrime-Isobel’s-mother.SoOrime-ObaasanandOrime-san,too.”

Meredith sighed. “Look, Matt, Bonnie and I met them first. GrandmaintroducedherselfasInari.NowIknowshe’salittlewacky,butshewouldcertainlyknowherownname,right?”

“And she introduced herself tome and said not just that she was namedOrime,butthatherdaughterwasnamedafterher.Talkyourwayoutofthatone.”

“Matt,shallIgetmynotebook?It’sintheboardinghouseden—”

Mattgaveashort sharp laugh—almostasob.He looked tomakesureMrs.Flowerswasn’taroundandthenhissed,“It’ssomewheredownatthecenteroftheearth,maybe.Thereisnodenanymore.”

ForamomentMeredith lookedsimplyshocked,but thenshefrowned.Mattglareddarkly.Itdidn’thelptothinkthattheywerethetwomostunlikelyoftheirgrouptoquarrel. Here they were, andMatt could practically see the sparks flying. “All right,”Meredith said finally, “I’ll just go over there and ask forOrime-Obaasan, and then tellthemitwasallyourfaultwhentheylaugh.”

Mattshookhishead.“Nobody’sgoingtolaugh,becauseyou’regoingtogetitrightthatway.”

“Look,Matt,”Meredithsaid,“I’vebeenreadingsomuchontheInternetthat

Ievenknow thenameInari.I’vecomeacrossitsomewhere.AndI’msureIwouldhavemade…made theconnection…”Hervoice trailedoff.WhenMatt turnedhiseyesdownfromtheceiling,hestarted.Meredith’sfacewaswhiteandshewasbreathingquickly.

“Inari…”shewhispered.“Idoknowthatname,but…”SuddenlyshegrabbedMatt’swristsohardthatithurt.“Matt,isyourcomputerabsolutelydead?”

“Itwentwhentheelectricitywent.Bynoweventhegeneratorisgone.”

“ButyouhaveamobilethatconnectstotheInternet,right?”

Theurgency inhervoicemadeMatt, in turn, takeher seriously. “Sure,”hesaid.“Butthebattery’sbeenkaputforatleastaday.WithoutelectricityIcan’trechargeit.Andmymomtookhers.Shecan’tlivewithoutit.StefanandElenamust’velefttheirstuffat the boardinghouse—” He shook his head at Meredith’s hopeful expression andwhispered,“Or,shouldIsay,wheretheboardinghouseusedtobe.”

“Butwehavetofindamobileorcomputerthatworks!Wehaveto!Ineeditto work for just a minute!” Meredith said frantically, breaking away from him andbeginningtopaceasiftryingtobeatsomeworldrecord.

Mattwasstaringatherinbewilderment.“Butwhy?”

“Becausewehaveto.Ineedit,evenjustforaminute!”

Mattcouldonlygazeather,perplexed.Finallyhesaid,“Iguesswecanaskthekids.”

“Thekids!Oneof themhasgot tohave a livemobile!Comeon,Matt,wehavetotalktothemrightnow.”Shestoppedandsaid,ratherhuskily,“Ipraythatyou’rerightandI’mwrong.”

“Huh?”Matthadnoideawhatwasgoingon.

“IsaidIpraythatI’mwrong!Youpray,too,Matt—please!”

33

Elenawaswaitingforthefogtodisperse.Ithadcomeinasalways,bitbybit,andnowshe was wondering if it would ever leave, or if it were actually another trial itself.Therefore,whenshesuddenlyrealizedshecouldseeStefan’sshirtinfrontofher,shefeltherheartboundforjoy.Shehadn’tmessedanythinguplately.

“Icanseeit!”Stefansaid,pullingherupbesidehim.Andthen,“Voilà…”—butinawhisper.

“What,what?”criedBonnie,boundingforward.Andthenshestoppedtoo.

Damondidn’tbound.Hestrolled.ButElenawasturningtowardBonnieatthetime,andshesawhisfaceashesawit.

Infrontofthemwasasortofsmallcastle,orlargegatewaywithspiresthatpiercedthelowcloudsthathungaboveit.Therewassomekindofwritingoverthehugecathedral-likeblackdoorsinfront,butElenahadneverseenanythinglikethesquigglesofwhateverforeignlanguageitwas.

Oneithersideofthebuilding,therewereblackwallsthatwerenearlyastallasthespires.Elenalookedleftandrightandrealizedthattheydisappearedonlyoffatthevanishingpoint.Andwithoutmagic,itwouldbeimpossibletoflyoverthem.

Whattheboyandgirlinthestoryhaddiscoveredonlybyfollowingthewallsfordays,theyhadsimplywalkedstraightinto.

“It’stheGatehouseoftheSevenTreasures,isn’tit,Bonnie?Isn’tit?Look!”Elenashouted.

Bonnie was already looking, both hands pressed against her heart, and foroncewithoutawordtosay.AsElenawatched,thediminutivegirlfelltoherkneesinthelight,powderysnow.ButStefananswered.HepickedupBonnieandElenaat thesametimeandwhirledthemboth.“Itis!”hesaid,justasElenawassaying“Itis!”andBonnie,theexpert,gasping,“Oh,itreally,reallyis!”withtearsfreezingonhercheeks.

StefanputhislipstoElena’sear.“Andyouknowwhatthatmeans,don’tyou?IfthatistheGatehouseoftheSevenTreasures,youknowwherewearestandingnow?”

Elenatriedtoignorethewarm,tinglingsensationthatshotupfromthesolesofherfeetatthefeelingofStefan’sbreathonherear.Shetriedtofocusonhisquestion.

“Lookup,”Stefansuggested.

Elenadid—andgasped.

Abovethem,insteadofafogbankorincessantcrimsonlightfromasunthatneverstoppedsetting,werethreemoons.Onewasenormous,coveringperhapsasixthofthe sky, shining in swirlsofwhite andblue,hazyat theedges. Just in frontof itwasabeautifulsilverymoonatleastthreequartersasbigasitwas.

Last,therewasatinymooninhighorbit,whiteasadiamond,thatseemedtobe deliberately keeping its distance from the other two.All of themwere half full and

shonedownwithgentle,soothinglightontheunbrokensnowaroundElena.

“We’reintheNetherWorld,”Elenasaid,shaken.

“Oh…it’s just like in the story,” Bonnie gasped. “Exactly like. Even thewriting!Eventheamountofsnow!”

“Exactlylikethestory?”Stefanasked.“Eventothephaseofthemoons?Howfulltheyare?”

“Justexactlythesame.”

Stefannodded.“Ithoughttheywouldbe.Thatstorywasaprecognition,giventoyouwiththepurposeofhelpingusfindthelargeststarballevermade.”

“Well,let’sgoinside!”criedBonnie.“We’rewastingtime!”

“Okay—but everyone on your guard.We don’twant anything to gowrongnow,”Stefansaid.

Theywent into theGatehouseof theSevenTreasures in thisorder:Bonnie,who found that the great black doors swung open at a touch, but that she could seenothing,cominginfrombrightsunlight;StefanandElena,handinhand;andDamon,whowaitedoutsideforalongtimeinthehopes,Elenathought,ofbeingdeemed“adifferentparty.”

Meanwhiletheotherswerehavingthemostpleasantshocksincethey’dtakentheMasterKeysfromthekitsune.

“Sage—Sage!” Bonnie shrilled as soon as her eyes adjusted. “Oh, look,Elena,it’sSage!Sage,howareyou?What’reyoudoinghere?Oh,it’sjustsogoodtoseeyou!”

Elena blinked twice, and the dim interior of the octagonal room came intofocus. She went around the only piece of furniture in the room, the large desk in themiddle. “Sage,doyouknowhow long it seems?Didyouknow thatBonniealmostgotsoldforaslaveatapublicauction?Didyouknowaboutherdream?”

Sage looked as he always had to Elena’s eyes. The bronzed, terminally fitbody, like a model of a Titan, the bare chest and bare feet, the black Levi’s, the longspiralingtanglesofbronzehair,andthestrangebronzeeyesthatcouldcutsteel,orbeasgentleasapetlamb.

“Mesdeuxpetitschatons,”Sagewassaying.“Mytwolittlekittens,youhaveastoundedme. I have been following your adventures. TheGatekeeper is not providedwithmuchentertainmentandisnotallowedtoleavethisfortress,butyouweremostbraveand amusing. Je vous félicite.” He kissed first Elena’s hand and then Bonnie’s, thenembracedStefanwiththeLatintwo-cheekedkiss.Thenheresumedhisseat.

BonniewasclimbingSageasifshewerearealkitten.“DidyoutakeMisao’sstarballfullofPower?”shedemanded,kneelingonhisthigh.“Didyoutakehalfofit,Imean?Togetbackhere?”

“Maisoui,Idid.ButIalsoleftMadameFlowersalittle—”

“DoyouknowthatDamonusedtheotherhalftoopentheGateagain?Andthat I fell in too,even thoughhedidn’twantme?And thatbecauseof that Ialmostgotsoldasaslave?AndthatStefanandElenahadtocomeafterme,tomakesureIwasokay?AndthatonthewayhereElenaalmostfelloffthebridge,andwe’renotsureifthethurgsaregoingtomakeit?AnddoyouknowthatinFell’sChurchtheLastMidnightiscoming,andwedon’tknow—”

StefanandElenaexchangedalong,meaningfulglanceandthenStefansaid,“Bonnie,we have to ask Sage themost important question.”He looked at Sage. “Is itpossibleforustosaveFell’sChurch?Dowehaveenoughtime?”

“Ehbien.AsfarasIcantellfromthechronologicalvortex,youhaveenoughtimeandalittletospare.EnoughforaglassofBlackMagictoseeyouoff.Butafterthat,nodawdling!”

Elena felt like a crumpled piece of paper that had been straightened andsmoothed. She took a long breath. They could do it. That allowed her to remembercivilizedbehavior.“Sage,howdidyougetstuckwayouthere?Orwereyouwaitingforus?”

“Hélas,no—Iamassignedhereaspunishment. Igotan ImperialSummonsthatIcouldnotignore,mesamis.”Hesighedandadded,“IamjustOutofFavoragain.Sonow I am the ambassador to theNetherWorld, as you see.”Hewaved a languid handaroundtheroom.“Bienvenue.”

Elenahadasenseof time tickingaway,ofpreciousminutesbeing lost.ButmaybeSagehimselfwoulddo something forFell’sChurch. “You reallyhave to stay inhere?”

“But assuredly, untilmon père—my father”—Sage said the word savagelyandresentfully—“relentsandIamallowedtoreturntotheInfernalCourt,or,muchbetter,togomywayswithoutever returning.At leastuntil someone takes thepityonmeandkills me.” He looked inquiringly around the group, then sighed, and said, “Saber andTalon,theyarewell?”

“They were when we left,” Elena said, itching to get on with their realbusinesshere.

“Bien,” Sage said, looking at her kindly, “but we should have your entiregroupinherefortheviewing,no?”

Elena glanced at the doors and then again at Stefan, but Sagewas alreadycalling—both with voice and telepathy—“Damon, mon poussinet, do you not want tocomeinwithyourcomrades?”

Therewasalongpause,andthenthedoorsopenedandaverysullenDamonstepped in.Hewouldn’t reply toSage’s friendly,“Bienvenue,” instead saying, “Ididn’tcomeheretosocialize.IwanttoseethetreasuresintimetosaveFell’sChurch.Ihaven’tforgottenaboutthedamnedhicktown,evenifeveryoneelsehas.”

“Alorsmaintenant,” Sage said, lookingwounded. “Youhave all passed thetests in your way and may look upon the treasures. You may even use magic again,

althoughIamnotsurethatitwillhelpyou.Italldependsuponwhichtreasureyouseek.Félicitations!”

EveryonebutDamonmadesomegestureofembarrassment.

“Now,”Sagecontinued,“Imustshoweachgatetoyoubeforeyoucanpick.Iwilltrytobequick,butbecautious,s’ilvousplaît.Onceyouchooseatreasure,thatistheonlydoorthatwillopenagainforanyofyou.”

ElenafoundherselfclutchingatStefan’shand—whichwasalreadyreachingforhers—asonebyonethedoorsshonewithafaint,silverylight.

“Behindyou,”saidSage,“istheverygateyouenteredtogetintothisroom,yes?Butnext to it, ah…”Adoorbrightened to showan impossible cavern. Impossiblebecause of the gems lying on the ground or sticking out of the cave walls. Rubies,diamonds,emeralds,amethysts…eachoneasbigasElena’sfist,lyingthickingreatpilesforthetaking.

“It’sbeautiful,but…no,ofcourse!”shesaidfirmly,andreachedouttoputahandonBonnie’sshoulder.

Thenext door lit up, brightened, thenbrightenedmore so that it seemed todisappear.“Andhere,”Sagesighed,“isthefamouskitsuneparadise.”

Elenacouldfeelhereyeswiden.Itwasasunnydayinthemostbeautifulparkshehadeverseen.Inthebackgroundalittlewaterfallspilledintoacreek,whichrandowna green hill, while directly in front of her was a stone bench, just the size for two,underneathatreethatlookedlikeacherryinfullbloom.

Blossomswere flying in a breeze that rustled other cherry and peach treesnearby—causinga rainofdawn-coloredpetals.AlthoughElenahadonlyseen theplaceforamoment,italreadyseemedfamiliartoher.Shecouldjustwalkintoit…

“No,Stefan!”Shehadto touchhisarm.Hehadbeenwalkingright into thegarden.

“What?”he said, shakinghishead like someone inadream.“Idon’tknowwhathappened.ItjustseemedasifIweregoingtoanold,oldhome…”Hisvoicebrokeoff.“Sage,goon,please!”

Thenextdoorwasalreadylighting,showingascenewithrackafterrackofClarionLoessBlackMagicwine.Inthedistance,Elenacouldmakeoutavineyardwithlush grapes hangingheavily, fruit thatwould never see the light of the sununtil itwasmadeintoafamousliquid.

EveryonewasalreadysippingattheirglassesofBlackMagic,soitwaseasytosay“no”eventothelusciousgrapes.

AsthenextdoorbrightenedElenaheardherselfgasp.Itwasbrilliantmidday.Growinginafieldasfarasshecouldseeweretallbushesthickwithlong-stemmedroses—theblossomsofwhichwereavelvety-lookingblack.

Startled,shesawthateveryonewaslookingatDamon,whohadtakenasteptowardtherosesasifinvoluntarily.Stefanputanarmout,barringhisway.

“Ididn’t lookveryclosely,”Damonsaid,“butI think theseare thesameastheoneI…destroyed.”

ElenaturnedtoSage.“They’rethesame,aren’tthey?”

“But yes,” Sage said, looking unhappy. “These are allMidnight roses,noirpur—thesortinthewhitekitsune’sbouquet.Buttheseareallblanks.Thekitsunearetheonlyoneswhocanputspellsonthem—liketheremovalofthecurseofavampire.”

Therewasageneralsighofdisappointmentamonghislisteners,butDamonjustlookedmoresullen.Elenawasabouttospeakup,tosaythatStefanshouldn’tbeputthrough this,when she tuned in to Sage’swords and the next gate, and felt a surge ofsimple,selfishlongingherself.

“Isupposeyouwouldcallit‘LaFontaineofEternalYouthandLife,’”Sagesaid.Elenacouldseeanornatefountainplaying,theeffervescentsprayatthetopmakingarainbow.Smallbutterfliesofallcolorsflewaroundit,alightingontheleavesofthebowerthatcradleditingreenery.

Meredith,withhercoolheadandstraightforwardlogicwasn’tthere,soElenadughernails intoherpalmsandcried“No!Nextone!”asquicklyandforcefullyasshecould.

Sage was speaking again. She made herself listen. “The Royal RadhikaFlower, which legends saywas stolen from the Celestial Courtmanymillennia ago. Itchangesshape.”

Asimpleenoughthingtosay…butactuallytoseeit…

Elenawatchedinastonishmentasadozenorsothick,twiningstems,toppedbygorgeouswhitecallalilyblossoms,trembledslightly.Thenextinstantshewaslookingataclusterofvioletswithvelvetleavesandadropofdewshiningonapetal.Amomentlater, thestemswere toppedwithradiantmauvesnapdragons—with thedewdropstill inplace.Beforeshecouldremembernottoreachoutandtouchthem,thesnapdragonshadbecomedeep,fullyopenredroses.WhentherosesbecamesomeexoticgoldenflowerthatElenahadneverseen,shehadtoturnherback.

She foundherselfbumping intoahard,masculine,barechestwhile forcingherselftothinkrealistically.Midnightwascoming—andnotintheformofarose.Fell’sChurchneededallthehelpitcouldgetandhereshewasstaringatflowers.

Abruptly, Sage swung her off her feet and said, “What a temptation,especiallyforaloveroflabeautélikeyou,bellemadame.Whatafoolishruletokeepyoufrom taking just a bud!But there is something evenhigher andmorepure thanbeauty,Elena. You, you are named for it. In old Greek, Elena means ‘light’! The darkness iscoming fast—the Last, Everlasting Midnight! Beauty will not hold it back; it is abagatelle, a trinket, useless in times of disaster.But light,Elena, light will conquer thedarkness!IbelievethisasIbelieveinyourcourage,yourhonesty,andyourgentle,lovingheart.”

Withthat,hekissedherontheforeheadandsetherdown.

Elenawasdazed.Ofallthethingssheknew,sheknewbestthatshecouldnot

defeatthedarknessthatwascoming—notalone.

“Butyou’renotalone,”Stefanwhispered,andsherealizedthathewasrightbesideher, and that shemustbewideopen,projectingher thoughts as clearly as if shewerespeaking.

“We’reallherewithyou,”Bonniesaidinavoicetwicehersize.“We’renotafraidofthedark.”

TherewasapausewhileeveryonetriednottolookatDamon.Atlasthesaid,“SomehowIgottalkedintothisinsanity—I’mstillwonderinghowithappened.ButI’vecomethisfarandI’mnotgoingtoturnaroundnow.”

Sageturnedtowardthefinaldooranditbrightened.Notbymuch,however.Itlookedliketheshadyundersideofaverylargetree.Whatwasodd,though,wasthattherewasnothingatallgrowingunderit.Nofernsorbushesorseedlings,noteventhenormallyever-present creepers and weeds. There were a few dead leaves on the ground, butotherwiseitwasjustdirt.

Sagesaid,“Aplanetwithonlyonecorporealformoflifeuponit.TheGreatTreethatcoversanentireworld.Thecrowncoversallbutthenaturalfreshwaterlakesitneedstosurvive.”

Elena looked into the heart of the twilit world. “We’ve come so far, andmaybetogether—maybewecanfindthestarballthatwillsaveourtown.”

“Thisisthedooryoupick?”askedSage.

Elenalookedat therestof thegroup.Theyallseemedtobewaitingforherconfirmation.“Yes—andrightnow.Wehavetohurry.”Shemadeamotionasiftoputhercupdownanditdisappeared.ShesmiledthanksatSage.

“Strictlyspeaking,Ishouldn’tgiveyouanyhelp,”hesaid.“Butifyouhaveacompass…”

Elenahadone. Itwas alwaysdangling fromherbackpackbecause shewasalwaystryingtoreadit.

Sagetookthecompassinhishandandlightlytracedalineonit.HegavethecompassbacktoElenaandshefoundthattheneedlenolongerpointedtothenorth,butatananglenortheast.“Followthearrow,”hesaid.“ItwilltakeyoutothetrunkoftheGreatTree.IfIhadtoguessatwheretofindthelargeststarball,Iwouldgothisway.Butbewary! Others have tried this path. Their bodies have nourished the Great Tree—asfertilizer.”

Elena scarcely heard the words. She had been terrified at the thought ofsearchinganentireplanetforastarball.Ofcourse,itmightbeaverysmallworld,like…like…

LikethelittlediamondmoonyousawovertheNetherWorld?

Thevoice inElena’smindwasboth familiar andnot.Sheglanced atSage,whosmiled.Thenshelookedaroundtheroom.Everyoneseemedtobewaitingforhertotakethefirststep.

Shetookit.

34

“You’vebeenfedandtakencareofasbestaswecanmanage,”Meredithsaid,lookingatallthetaut,frightenedyoungfacesturnedtowardherinthebasement.“Andnowthere’sjustonethingIwanttoaskofyouinreturn.”Shemadeaneffortandsteadiedhervoice.“Iwant to know if anybody knows of amobile phone that connects to the Internet, or acomputer that is still working. Please, please—if you even think you knowwhere onemightbe,tellme.”

Thetensionwaslikea thickrubbercord,draggingMeredithtowardeachofthepale,strainedfaces,draggingthemtoher.

ItwasjustaswellthatMeredithwasessentiallywell-balanced.Abouttwelvehandswentupimmediately,andtheirlonefive-year-oldwhispered,“Mymommyhasone.Andmydaddy.”

TherewasapausebeforeMeredithcouldsay,“Doesanybodyknowthiskid?”andanoldergirlspokeupbeforeshecould.

“ShejustmeanstheyhadthembeforetheBurningMan.”

“IstheBurningMancalledShinichi?”Meredithasked.

“’Course. Sometimes hewouldmake the red parts of his hair burn upwayoverhishead.”

MeredithfiledthatlittlefactawayunderThingsIdonotwanttosee,honest,crossmyheart,ever.

Thensheshookherselffreefromtheimage.

“Youguysandgirls,please,pleasethink.Ionlyneedone,onemobilephonewith Internet access that still has power rightnow. One laptop or computer that is stillworkingnow,maybebecauseofageneratorstillmakingelectricity.Justonefamilywithahomegeneratorstillworking.Anybody?”

Thehandsweredownnow.AboyshethoughtsherecognizedasbeingoneoftheLoringsiblings,maybeagetenoreleven,said,“TheBurningMantoldusthatmobilephonesandcomputerswerebad.Thatwaswhymybrothergotinafistfightwithmydad.Hethrewallthemobilesathomeinthetoilet.”

“Okay. Okay, thanks. But anybody who’s seen a working mobile orcomputer?Orahomegenerator—”

“Why,yes,mydear,I’vegotone.”Thevoicecamefromthetopofthestairs.Mrs. Flowers was standing there, dressed in a fresh sweat suit. Strangely, she had hervoluminouspurseinherhand.

“You had—have a generator?” Meredith asked, her heart sinking. What awaste!And ifdisaster cameallbecause she,Meredith,hadn’t finished readingoverherown research!Theminuteswere tickingaway,and if everyone inFell’sChurchdied, itwouldbeherfault.Herfault.Shedidn’tthinkshecouldlivewiththat.

Meredithhadtried,allherlife,toreachthestateofcalm,concentration,andbalancethatwastheothersideofthecoinfromthefightingskillshervariousdisciplineshadtaughther.Andshehadbecomegoodatit,agoodobserver,agooddaughter,evenagood student for all that shewas in Elena’s fast-paced, high-flying clique. The four ofthem:Elena,Meredith,Caroline,andBonniehadfittogetherlikefourpiecesofapuzzle,andMeredith still sometimesmissed the old days and their daring, dominating pseudo-sophisticatedcapersthatneverreallyhurtanyone—exceptthesillyboyswhohadmilledaroundthemlikeantsatapicnic.

Butnow,lookingatherself,shewaspuzzled.Whowasshe?AHispanicgirlnamedforhermother’sWelshbestfriendincollege.Ahunter-slayerofvampireswhohadkitten canines, a vampire twin, andwhose groupof friends includedStefan, a vampire;Elena,anex-vampire—andpossiblyanothervampire,althoughshewasextremelyhesitanttocallDamona“friend.”

Whatdidthatalladdupto?

Agirltryingtodoherbesttokeepherbalanceandconcentration,inaworldthathadgone insane.Agirl still reeling fromwhatshe’d learnedaboutherownfamily,andnowtotteringfromtheneedtoconfirmadreadfulsuspicion.

Stopthinking.Stop!YouhavetotellMrs.Flowersthatherboardinghousehasbeendestroyed.

“Mrs.Flowers—abouttheboardinghouse—Ihavetotalktoyou…”

“Why don’t you use my BlackBerry first?” Mrs. Flowers came down thebasementstairscarefully,watchingher feet,and then thechildrenpartedbeforeher likewavesontheRedSea.

“Your…?” Meredith stared, choked up. Mrs. Flowers had opened herenormouspurseandwasnowprofferingaratherthickall-blackobjecttoher.

“Itstillhaspower,”theoldladyexplainedasMeredithtookthethingintwoshakinghands,asifreceivingaholyobject.“Ijustturneditonanditwasworking.AndnowI’montheInternet!”—proudly.

Meredith’sworld had been swallowed up by the small, grayish, antiquatedscreen. She was so amazed and excited at seeing this that she almost forgot why sheneeded it.But her body knew.Her fingers clutched; her thumbs danced over themini-keyboard.Shewent toher favorite searchpage and entered theword “Orime.”Shegotpages of hits—most in Japanese. Then feeling a trembling in her knees, she typed in“Inari.”

6,530,298results.

Shewenttotheveryfirsthitandsawawebpagewithadefinition.Keywordsseemedtorushoutatherlikevultures.

Inari is the Japanese Shinto deity of rice…and…foxes. At the entrance to an

Inarishrineare…statuesoftwokitsune…onemaleandonefemale…eachwithakey or jewel carried inmouth or paw…These fox-spirits are the servants andmessengersofInari.TheycarryoutInari’sorders….

Therewasalsoapictureofapairofkitsunestatues,intheirfoxforms.Eachhadafrontpawrestingonastarball.

Threeyearsago,MeredithhadfracturedherlegwhenshewasonaskiingtripwithhercousinsintheBlueRidgeMountains.Shehadrunstraightintoasmalltree.Nomartial arts skills could save her at the last minute; she knew she was skiing off thegroomedareas,whereshecouldrunintoanything:powder,crud,oriced-overruts.And,ofcourse,trees.Lotsoftrees.Shewasanadvancedskier,butshehadbeengoingtoofast,lookinginthewrongdirection,andthenextthingsheknew,shewasskiingintothetreeinsteadofaroundit.

Nowshehadthesamesensationofwakingupafterahead-onintowood.Theshock, thedizzinessandnausea thatwere, initially,worse than thepain.Meredithcouldtakepain.Butthepoundinginherhead,thesickeningawarenessthatshehadmadeabigmistakeand that shewasgoing tohave topay for itwereunbearable.Plus therewasacurious horror about the knowledge that her own legs wouldn’t hold her up. Even thesameuselessquestionsranthroughhersubconscious, like:HowcouldIbesostupid?Isthispossiblyadream?and,Please,God,canIhittheUndobutton?

Meredith suddenly realized that shewas being supported on either side byMrs.Flowersand their sixteen-year-old,AvaWakefield.Themobilewason thecementfloorofthebasement.Shemusthaveactuallystartedtoblackout.SeveraloftheyoungerkidswerescreamingMatt’sname.

“No—I—Icanstandupalone…”Allshewantedintheworldwastogointothedarknessandgetawayfromthishorror.Shewanted to lether legsgoslackandhermindgoblank,toflee…

Butshecouldn’trunaway.Shehadtakenthestave;shehadtakentheDutyfromher grandfather.Anything supernatural thatwas out to harmFell’sChurch on herwatchwasherproblem.Andtheproblemwasthatherwatchneverended.

Matt came clattering down the stairs, carrying their seven-year-old,Hailey,whocontinuallyshookwithpetitmalseizures.

“Meredith!”Shecouldheartheincredulityinhisvoice.“Whatisit?Whatdidyoufind,forGod’ssake?”

“Come…look.” Meredith was remembering detail after detail that shouldhavesetoffwarningbellsinhermind.Mattwassomehowalreadybesideher,evenassherememberedBonnie’sveryfirstdescriptionofIsobelSaitou.

“Thequiettype.Hardtogettoknow.Shy.And…nice.”

AndthatfirstvisittotheSaitouhouse.Thehorrorthatquiet,shy,niceIsobelSaitouhadbecome:theGoddessofPiercing,bloodandpusoozingfromeveryhole.Andwhen they had tried to carry dinner to her old, old grandmother,Meredith had noticedabsently that Isobel’s roomwas right under the doll-like old lady’s.After seeing Isobel

pierced and clearly unbalanced,Meredith had assumed that any evil influencemust betryingtotravelup,andhadworriedinthebackofhermindaboutthepoor,old,doll-sizedgrandmother. But the evil could just as easily have traveled down. Maybe Jim Brycehadn’tgivenIsobelthemalachmadnessafterall.Maybeshehadgivenittohim,andhehadgivenittoCarolineandtohissister.

And that children’s game! The cruel, cruel song that Obaasan—that Inari-Obaasanhadcrooned.“Foxandturtlehadarace…”Andherwords:“There’sakitsuneinvolvedinthissomewhere.”She’dbeenlaughingatthem,amusingherself!Cometothat,itwasfromInari-ObaasanthatMeredithhadfirstheardtheword“kitsune.”

Andonemoreadditionalcruelty,thatMeredithhadonlybeenabletoexcusebeforebyassumingObaasanhadverypoorsight.Thatnight,MeredithhadhadherbacktothedoorandsohadBonnie—theyhadbothbeenconcentratingon“poordecrepitoldGrandma.”ButObaasanhadbeenfacing thedoor,andshewas theonlyonewhocouldhave seen—must have seen—Isobel sneaking up behind Bonnie. And then, just as thecruelgamesongtoldBonnietolookbehindher…Isobelhadbeencrouchingthere,readytolickBonnie’sforeheadwithaforkedpinktongue…

“Why?”Meredithcouldhearherownvoice saying. “Whywas I so stupid?HowcouldInothaveseenfromthebeginning?”

MatthadretrievedtheBlackBerryandreadthewebpage.Thenhejuststood,fixed,hisblueeyeswide.“Youwereright,”hesaid,afteralongmoment.

“Iwantsomuchtobewrong…”

“Meredith—ShinichiandMisaoareInari’sservants…IfthatoldladyisInariwe’vebeenrunningaroundlikecrazyafterthewrongpeople,thehiredmuscle…”

“Thedamnnote cards,”Meredith chokedout. “TheonesdonebyObaasan.They’re useless, flawed. All those bullets she blessed should have been no good—butmaybe she did bless them—as a game. Isobel even came to me and changed all thecharacters the old lady had done for the jars to holdShinichi andMisao. She said thatObaasanwasalmostblind.Sheleftatearonmycarseat.Icouldn’tunderstandwhysheshouldbecrying.”

“I still can’t. She’s the granddaughter—probably the third generation of amonster!”Mattexploded.“Whyshouldshecry?AndwhydothePost-itNoteswork?”

“Becausethey’redonebyIsobel’smother,”Mrs.Flowerssaidquietly.“DearMatt,ItrulydoubtthattheoldwomanisrelatedtotheSaitousatall.Asadeity—orevenapowerfulmagic-usernamedafteradeity—andundoubtedlyakitsuneherself,shesurelyjustmovedinwiththemandusedthem.Isobel’smotherandIsobelhadnochoicebuttocarryonthecharadeforfearofwhatshe’ddotothemiftheydidn’t.”

“ButMrs.Flowers,whenTyroneandIpulledthatlegboneoutofthethicket,didn’tyousay that theSaitouwomenmadesuchexcellentamulets?Anddidn’tyousaythatwe could get the Saitouwomen to help translate thewords on the clay jarswhenAlaricsentthepicturesofthemfromthatJapaneseIsland?”

AsformybeliefintheSaitouwomen,well,I’llhavetoquibblealittlehere,”

Mrs.Flowerssaid.“Icouldn’tknowthatthisObaasanwasevil,andtherearestilltwoofthemwhoaregentleandgood,andwhohavehelpedustremendously—andatgreatrisktothemselves.”

Meredithcould taste thebitternessofbile inhermouth. “Isobelcouldhavesavedus.Shecouldhavesaid‘Myfakegrandmotherisreallyademon.’”

“Oh, my dear Meredith, the young are so unforgiving. This Inari wasprobablyinstalledinherhousewhenshewasachild.Allsheknowsatfirstisthattheoldwomanisatyrant,withagod’sname.Thenperhapssomedemonstrationofpower—whathappenedtoOrime’shusband,Iwonder,tomakehimgobacktoJapan—ifindeedhewentthere? Hemay well be dead. And then Isobel is growing up: shy, quiet, introverted—frightened.This isnot Japan; therearenootherpriestesseshere toconfide in.AndyousawtheconsequenceswhenIsobelreachedouttosomeoneoutsideofthefamily—toherboyfriend,JimBryce.”

“And to us—well, to you andBonnie,”Matt said toMeredith. “She siccedCarolineonyou.”

Scarcelyknowingwhattheyweredoing,theyweretalkingfasterandfaster.

“Wehavetogothererightnow,”saidMeredith.“ShinichiandMisaomaybethe ones bringing on the LastMidnight, but it’s Inari who gives the orders. And whoknows?Shemaydoleoutthepunishmentsaswell.Wedon’tknowhowbigherstarballis.”

“Orwhere,”saidtheoldwoman.

“Mrs.Flowers,”Mattsaidhastily,“you’dbetterstayherewiththekids.Ava,here,isreliable,andwhere’sJacobLagherty?”

“Here,”saidaboywholookedolderthanfifteen.HewasastallasMattwas,butgangly.

“Okay.Ava, Jake, you’re in charge underMrs. Flowers.We’ll leave Saberwithyoutoo.”Thedogwasabighitamongthekids,onhisbestbehavior,evenwhentheyoungeroneschewedhistail.“YoutwojustlistentoMrs.Flowers,and—”

“Matt,dear,Iwon’tbehere.Buttheanimalswillsurelyhelptoprotectthem.”

Mattstaredather.Meredithknewwhathewasthinking.WasMrs.Flowers,soreliableupuntilnow,goingsomewheretohidealone?Wassheabandoningthem?

“AndI’llneedoneofyoutodrivemetotheSaitouhouse—quickly!—buttheothercanstayandprotectthechildrenaswell.”

Meredithwasbothrelievedandworried,andclearlyMattwastoo.

“Mrs. Flowers, this is going to be abattle.You could get hurt or be takenhostagesoeasily—”

“Dear Matt, this is my battle. My family has lived in Fell’s Church forgenerations,allthewaybacktothepioneeringtimes.IbelievethisisthebattleforwhichIwasborn.Certainlythelastofmyoldage.”

Meredith stared. In the dim light of the basement, Mrs. Flowers seemedsuddenlydifferentsomehow.Hervoicewaschanging.Evenhersmallbodyseemedtobechanging,steadying,standingtall.

“Buthowwillyoufight?”Mattasked,soundingdazed.

“Withthis.Thatniceyoungman,Sage,leftitformewithanoteapologizingforusingMisao’sstarball.IusedtobequitegoodwiththesewhenIwasyoung.”Fromher capacious purse, Mrs. Flowers pulled out something pale and long and thin as itunwoundandMrs.Flowerswhirleditandsnappeditwithaloudcrackattheemptyhalfof the basement. It hit a Ping-Pong ball, curled around it, and brought it back toMrs.Flowers’sopenhand.

Abullwhip.Madeofsomesilverymaterial.Undoubtedlymagical.EvenMattlookedscaredofit.

“Whydon’tAvaandJake teach thechildren toplayPing-Pongwhilewe’regone—andwereallymustgo,mydears.There’snotaminutetowaste.Aterribletragedyiscoming,Mamasays.”

Meredithhadbeenwatching—feelingasdazedasMattlooked.Butnowshesaid,“Ihaveaweapontoo.”Shepickedupthestaveandsaid,“I’mfighting,Matt.Ava,thechildrenareyourstocarefor.”

“Andmine,” Jacob said, and immediately proved his usefulness by adding,“Isn’tthatanaxehangingbacktherenearthefurnace?”

Mattranandsnatcheditup.Meredithcouldseefromhisexpressionwhathewasthinking:Yes!Oneheavyaxe,atinybitrusty,butstillplentysharpenough.Nowifthekitsunesentplantsorwoodagainstthem,hewasarmed.

Mrs.Flowerswas alreadygoingup thebasement stairs.Meredith andMattexchangedonequickglanceandthentheywererunningtocatchupwithher.

“Youdriveyourmom’sSUV.I’llsitinback.I’mstillalittlebit…well,dizzy,I guess.” Meredith didn’t like to admit to a personal weakness, but better that thancrashingthevehicle.

Mattnoddedandwasgoodenoughnottocommentonwhyshefeltsodizzy.Shestillcouldn’tbelieveherownstupidity.

Mrs.Flowerssaidonlyonething.“Matt,dear,breaktrafficlaws.”

35

Elena felt as if she had been doing nothing in all her life exceptwalk under a shadycanopyofhighbranches. Itwasn’tcoldhere,but itwascool. Itwasn’tdark,but itwasdim. Insteadof theconstant crimsonsunlight from thebloated red sun in the firstDarkDimension,theywerewalkinginaconstantdusk.Itwasunnerving,alwayslookingupforthe sky and never seeing the moon—or moons—or the planet—that might well be upthere.Ratherthansky,therewasnothingbuttangledtreebranches,clearlyheavyandsointricatelyentwinedastotakeupeverybitofspaceabove.

Was she crazy, thinking that maybe they were on that moon, the diamondbrighttinymoonthatyoucouldseefromtheoutsideoftheNetherWorldGatehouse?Wasittootinytohaveanatmosphere?Toosmallforpropergravity?ShehadnoticedthatshefeltlighterhereandthatevenBonnie’sstepsseemedquitelong.Couldshe…?Shetensedherlegs,letgoofStefan’shand,andjumped.

It was a long jump, but it hadn’t taken her anywhere near the canopy ofwovenbranchesabove.Andshedidn’t landneatlyonher toes,either.Her feet flewoutfromunderheronmillenniaofleafmoldandsheskiddedonherrearendformaybethreefeet,beforeshecoulddigherfingersandfeetinandstop.

“Elena!Areyou all right?”She couldhearStefan andBonnie calling frombehindher,andaquick,impatient:Areyoucrazy?fromDamon.

“Iwas trying to figureoutwherewewereby testing thegravity,” she said,standinguponherownandbrushing leavesoff the seatofher jeans,mortified.Damn!ThoseleaveshadgoneupthebackofherT-shirt,hadevengotteninsidehercamisole.ThegrouphadleftmostoftheirfursbehindattheGatehouse,whereSagecouldguardthem,andElenadidn’tevenhavespareclothes.Thathadbeenstupid, she toldherself angrilynow.Embarrassed, she tried towalkand shimmyat the same time, toget thecrumbledleavesoutofhertop.Finallyshehadtosay,“Justasecond,everybody.Guys,couldyouturnaround?Bonnie,couldyoucomebackhereandhelpme?”BonniewasgladtohelpandElenawasastonishedathowlongittooktopickgunkawayfromherownflinchingback.

Next time you want a scientific opinion, try asking, Damon’s scornfultelepathycommented.Aloud,headded,“I’dsayit’sabouteightypercentEarth’sgravityhereandwecouldwellbeonamoon.Doesn’tsignify.IfSagehadn’thelpeduswiththiscompass,we’dneverbeabletofindthetree’strunk—atleastnotintime.”

“Andremember,”Elenasaid,“thattheideathatthestarballisnearthetrunkisjustaguess.Wehavetokeepoureyesopen!”

“Butwhatshouldwelookfor?”Once,Bonniewouldhavewailedthis.Nowshesimplyaskedquietly.

“Well…”Elena turned toStefan.“Itwill lookbright,won’t it?Against thishorriblehalf-light?”

“This horrible camouflage-green half-light,” Stefan agreed. “It should look

likeaslightlyshiftingbrightlight.”

“Butputitlikethis,”Damonsaid,walkingbackwardgracefullyandflashinghisold250-kilowatt smile for a secondat them. “Ifwedon’t followSage’s suggestion,we’llneverfindthetrunk.Ifwetrytowanderrandomlyaroundthisworld,wewillneverfindanything—includingourwayback.AndthennotonlyFell’sChurch,butwewillalldie, in this order. First, we two vampires will break with all civilized behavior, asstarvation—”

“Stefanwon’t,”criedElena,andBonniesaid,“You’rejustasbadasShinichi,withhis‘revelations’aboutus!”

Damonsmiledsubtly.“IfIwereasbadasShinichi,littleredbird,youwouldalready be punctured like an empty juice box—or I would be sitting back with Sage,enjoyingBlackMagic—”

“Look,thisispointless,”Stefansaid.

Damonfeignedsympathy.“Maybeyouhave…problems…inthecaninearea,butIdonot,littlebrother.”Hedeliberatelyheldthesmilethistimesoeveryonecouldseehispointedteeth.

Stefanwouldn’tbebaited.“Andit’sholdingusup—”

“Wrong, little brother. Some of us have mastered the art of speaking andwalkingatthesametime.”

“Damon—stopit!Juststop!”Elenasaid,rubbingherhotforeheadwithcoldfingers.

Damonshrugged,stillmovingbackward.“Youonlyhadtoask,”hesaid,withjusttheslightestemphasisonthefirstword.

Elenasaidnothinginreturn.Shefeltfeverish.

It wasn’t all just straight walking. Frequently there were huge mounds ofknotted roots in theirway thathad tobeclimbed.SometimesStefanhad touse theaxefromhisbackpacktomakefootholds.

Elena had come to hate the deep green demi-light more than anything. Itplayedtricksonhereyes,justasthemuffledsoundoftheirfeetontheleaf-strewngroundplayed tricks on her ears. Several times she stopped—and once Stefan did—to say,“There’ssomeoneelsehere!Followingus!”

Eachtimetheyhadallstoppedandlistenedintently.StefanandDamonsenttelepathicprobesofPowerasfarastheycouldreach,seekinganothermind.Buteitheritwassowelldisguisedastobeinvisibleoritdidn’texistatall.

And then, after Elena felt as if she had been walking her whole life, andwould keepwalking until eternity ended,Damon stopped abruptly.Bonnie, just behindhim,suckedinherbreath.ElenaandStefanhurriedforwardtoseewhatitwas.

WhatElenasawmadehersay,unsteadily,“Ithinkmaybewemissedthetrunkand…found…theedge…”

Onthegroundinfrontofherandasfarasshecouldsee,wasthestar-studdeddarknessofspace.Butwashingoutthelightofthestarswasahugeplanetandtwohugemoons,oneswirledblueandwhiteandonesilver.

Stefanwasholdingherhand,sharingthewonderwithher,andtinglesranupherarmandintohersuddenlyweakknees,justfromhisfeather-lighttouchonherfingers.

ThenDamonsaidcaustically,“Lookup.”

Elenadidandgasped.Forjustaninstantherbodywascompletelyunmoored.She and Stefan automatically wound their arms around each other. And then Elenarealizedwhattheywereseeing,bothaboveandbelow.

“It’s water,” she said, staring at the pool spread out before them. “One ofthosefreshwaterseasSagetoldusabout.Andnotarippleonit.Notabreathofwind.”

“Butitdoeslookasifwe’reonthatsmallestmoon,”Stefansaidmildly,hiseyesdeceptivelyinnocentashelookedatDamon.

“Yes, well, then there’s something exceedingly heavy at the core of thismoonlet,toallowforeight-tenthsthegravitywenormallyexperience,andtohangontosomuchatmosphere—butwhocaresaboutlogic?ThisisaworldwereachedthroughtheNether World. Why should logic apply?” He looked at Elena with slightly narrowed,hoodedeyes.

“Whereisthethirdone?Thegraveone?”

Thevoicecamefrombehindthem—Elenathought.Shewas—theyallwere—turning from looking at brilliant light into half-darkness. Everything shimmered anddancedbeforehereyes.

“GraveMeredith;laughingBonnie;AndElenawithgoldenhair.Theywhisperandthenaresilent…TheyplotandInolongercare…ButImusthaveElena,ElenawiththeGoldenHair…”

“Well, you’re not going to have me!” cried Elena. “And that poem is acomplete misquote, anyway. I remember it from freshman English class. And you’recrazy!”Even throughher anger and fear shewonderedaboutFell’sChurch. IfShinichiwashere,couldhebringabouttheLastMidnightthere?OrcouldMisaosimplysetitoffwithalanguidwave?

“ButIwillhaveyou,goldenElena,”thekitsunesaid.

Both Stefan and Damon had knives out. “That’s just where you’re wrong,Shinichi,”Stefansaid.“Youwillnever,evertouchElenaagain.”

“Ihavetotry.You’vetakeneverythingelse.”

Elena’sheartwaspoundingnow.Ifhe’lltalksensetoanyofus,he’lltalktome, she thought. “Shouldn’t youbegetting ready for theLastMidnight,Shinichi?” sheaskedinafriendlytone,inwardlytremblingincaseheshouldsay,“It’salreadyover.”

“Shedoesn’tneedme.Shewouldn’tprotectMisao.WhyshouldIhelpHer?”

ForamomentElenacouldn’tspeak.She?She?OtherthanMisao,whatotherShewasinvolvedinthis?

Damonhadacrossbowoutnow,withaquarrelloadedinit.ButShinichijustwentramblingon.

“Misaocouldn’tmoveanymore.ShehadputallherPowerintoherstarball,yousee.Shenever laughedorsangany longer—nevermadeupanyplotswithme.Shejust…sat.

“Finallysheaskedmetoputherintomyself.Shethoughtwe’dbecomeonethat way. So she dissolved and merged right into me. But it didn’t help. Now…I canbarelyhearher.I’vecometogetmystarball.I’vebeenusingitsenergytotravelthroughthedimensions.IfIputMisaointomystarball,she’llrecover.ThenI’llhideitagain—butnotwhereIleftitlast.I’llputitfartherupwherenooneelsewilleverfindit.”Heseemedtofocusonhis listeners.“SoIguess it’sMisaoandIwhoare talking toyourightnow.ExceptthatI’msolonely—Ican’tfeelheratall.”

“YouwillnottouchElena,”Stefansaidquietly.

DamonwaslookinggrimlyattherestofthegroupatShinichi’swords,“…I’llputitfartherup…”

“Goon,Bonnie,keepmoving,”Stefanadded.“Youtoo,Elena.We’llfollow.”

Elena let Bonnie go some feet ahead before saying telepathically,We can’tbreakup,Stefan;there’sonlyonecompass.

Watchout,Elena!Hemighthearyou!cameStefan’svoice,andDamonaddedflatly,Shutup!

“Don’tbothertellinghertoshutup,”Shinichisaid.“You’remadifyouthinkthatIcan’t justpickyour thoughtsrightoutofyourminds.Ididn’t thinkyouwere thatstupid.”

“We’renotstupid,”Bonniesaidhotly.

“No?Thendidyoufigureoutmyriddlesforyou?”

“This is hardly the time for that,” Elena snapped. It was a mistake, for itcausedShinichitofocusonheragain.

“DidyoutellthemwhatyouthinkaboutthetragedyofCamelot,Elena?No,Ididn’tthinkyou’dhavethecourage.I’lltellthem,then,shallI?I’llreaditasyouputitinyourdiary.”

“No! You can’t have read my diary! Anyway—it’s no longer applicable!”Elenaflared.

“Letmesee…theseareyourownwordsnow.”Heassumedareadingvoice.

‘Dear Diary, one of Shinichi’s riddles was what I thought of Camelot. You know, thelegendofKingArthur,QueenGuinevere,andtheknightsheloved,Lancelot.Andhere’swhat I thought.A lot of innocent people died andweremiserable because three selfishpeople—aking,aqueen,andaknight—couldn’tbehaveinacivilizedway.Theycouldn’tunderstand that themore you love, themore you find to love.But those three couldn’tgiveintoloveandjustshare—allthreeofthem…’”

“Shutup!”screamedElena.“Shutup!”

MyGod,Damonsaid,mylifejustlappeditself.

Sodidmine.Stefansoundeddizzy.

Justforgetaboutallofit,Elenatoldthem.It’snottrueanymore.Stefan,I’myoursforever,andIalwayswas.Andrightnowwe’vegottogetridof thisbastard,andrunforthetrunk.

“MisaoandIusedtodothat,”Shinichisaid.“Talkalonetogetheronaspecialfrequency.You’re certainly a goodmanipulator, Elena, to keep them from killing eachotheroveryou.”

“Yes,it’saspecialfrequencyIcallthetruth,”Elenasaid.“ButI’mnothalfasgoodamanipulatorasDamonis.Nowattackusorletusgoaway.We’reinahurry!”

“Attackyou?”Shinichiseemedtobethinkingovertheidea.Andthen,fasterthanElenacouldtrackit,hewentforBonnie.Thevampires,whohadbeenexpectinghimto try toget toElena,werecaughtoffguard,butElena,whohadseen theflickerofhiseyestowardtheweakergirl,wasalreadydivingforhim.Hemovedbacksoquicklythatshefoundherselfheadingforhislegs,butthensherealizedshehadachancetothrowhimoff balance. She deliberately went for a headbutt with his kneecap, at the same timestabbingdeepintohisfootwithherknife.

Forgiveme,Bonnie,shethought,knowingwhathewoulddo.Itwasthesameaswhathe’dhadhispuppet,Damon,dowhenhe’dheldElenaandMatthostagebefore—exceptthathedidn’tneedapinebranchtodirectthepain.BlackenergyerupteddirectlyfromhishandsintoBonnie’ssmallbody.

But therewas another factor he hadn’t taken into account.When he’d hadDamonattackMattandElenahe’dhadthesensetokeepawayfromthemwhiledirectingagonyintotheirbodies.Thistime,he’dseizedBonnieandwrappedhisarmsaroundher.AndBonniewasamostexcellenttelepathherself,especiallyatprojecting.Whenthefirstwaveofagonyhither,shescreamed—andredirectedthepaintowardShinichi.

Itwas likecompletingacircuit. Itdidn’thurtBonnieany less,but itmeantthat anythingShinichi did to her he felt in his ownbody, amplified byBonnie’s terror.That was the system that Elena slammed into as hard as she could. When her headimpactedwith his knee, his kneebonewas themore fragile of the two, and somethinginsideitcrackled.Dazed,sheconcentratedontwistingtheknifeshe’dstabbedthroughhisfootandintothesoilbelow.

Itwouldn’thaveworkedifshehadn’thadtwoextremelyagilevampiresrightbehindher.SinceShinichididn’tfallover,shewouldjusthavebeenputtingherneckat

theperfectlevelforhimtosnapcleanly.

ButStefanwasonlyasplitsecondbehindher.HeseizedherandwasoutofShinichi’sreachbeforethekitsunecouldevenassessthesituationproperly.

“Letmego,”ElenagaspedatStefan.Shewasdetermined togetBonnie.“Ileftmyknife,”sheaddedcraftily,findingamoreconcretereasonforforcingStefantoletherbackintothefray.

“Where?”

“Inhisfoot,ofcourse.”

ShecouldfeelStefantryingnottolaughoutloud.“Ithinkthat’sagoodplacetoleaveit.Takeoneofmine,”headded.

If you’vequite finishedyour little chat, youmightget ridofhis tails,cameDamon’scoldtelepathy.

At thatmomentBonniepassedout,butwithherowntelepathiccircuitsstillwideopenanddirectedback towardShinichi.AndnowDamonhadgone intooffensivemode,asifhecarednothingaboutBonnie’swell-being,aslongashecouldgetthroughhertoShinichi.

Stefan, quick as a striking snake, went for one of themany tails that nowwavedbehindShinichi,advertisinghistremendousPower.Mostofthemweretranslucent,andtheysurroundedhisrealtail—theflesh-and-bloodtailthateveryfoxhad.

Stefan’sknifewentsnickandoneofthephantomtailsfelltothegroundandthendisappeared.Therewasnoblood,butShinichikeenedinfuryandpain.

Damon, meanwhile, was ruthlessly attacking from the front. As soon asStefanhaddistractedthekitsunefromtheback,DamonslashedbothShinichi’swrists—onequicklyontheupstroke,theotherjustasfastonthedown-stroke.ThenhewentforabodyblowjustatthemomentthatStefan,withElenaheldlikeababyonhiship,snickedawayanotherphantomtail.

Elena was struggling. She was seriously worried that Damon would killBonnietogettoShinichi.Andbesides,sheherselfwouldnotbetotedaroundlikeapieceofluggage!Civilizationhadtumbleddownallaroundherandshewasreactingfromherdeepest instincts: protect Stefan, protect Bonnie, protect Fell’s Church. Put the enemydown.Shehardlyrealizedthatinherheightenedstateshehadsunkherunfortunatelystill-humanteethintoStefan’sshoulder.

Hewincedslightly,buthelistenedtoher.Allright!TrytogetBonnie,then—seeifyoucaneaseher.

He let go of her just as Shinichi whirled to deal with him, channeling theblackpainthat,backonEarth,hadflungMattandElenaofftheirfeetinseizures,directlytowardStefan.

Elena, just released, found that everyone was making a half turn, as if toobligeher,andsuddenlyshesawachance.ShesnatchedatthelimpformofBonnie,andShinichidroppedthesmallergirlintoherarms.

WordswereechoinginElena’sbrain.GetBonnie.Seeifyoucaneaseher.

Well, she had Bonnie now. Her own sense split Stefan’s two orders withanother—getherawayfromShinichi.She’sthepricelesshostage.

Elena found that she could almost screamwith fury even now. She had tokeepBonniesafe—butthatmeantleavingStefan,gentleStefan,atthemercyofShinichi.She scrambled away with Bonnie—so small and light—and at the same time threw abackwardglanceatStefan.Hewaswearingaslight frownofconcentrationnow,buthewasnotonlynotoverwhelmedwithpain,hewaspressingforwardtheattack.

Even though Shinichi’s head was on fire. The brilliant crimson tips of hisblack hair had burst into flames, as if nothing else would express his enmity and hiscertaintyofwinning.Hewascrowninghimselfwithaflaminggarland,ahellishhalo.

Elena’s anger at that turned into chills down her spine as she watchedsomethingmostpeopleneverlivedtoanalyze:twovampiresattackingtogether,perfectlyinsync.Therewas theelementalsavagery in itofapairof raptorsorwolves,but therewas also the awesome beauty of two creatures working as a single, unified body. ThedistanceinStefan’sandDamon’sexpressionssaidthatthiswasafighttothedeath.Theoccasional frown from Stefan or vicious smile from Damon meant that Shinichi wassendinghissearingdarkPowerthroughoneortheotherofthem.Buttheseweren’tweakhumansShinichiwasplayingwithnow.Theywerebothvampireswithbodiesthathealedalmost instantly—and vampires who had both fed recently—from her—Elena. Herextraordinarybloodwasfeulingthemnow.

SoI’malreadyapartofthis,Elenathought.I’mhelpingthemrightnow.Thatwouldhave tosatisfy thesavagery thisno-holds-barred fightelicited inher.To ruin theperfect synchronicitywithwhich the two vampireswere handling Shinichiwould be acrime,especiallywhenBonniewasstilllimpinherarms.

Ashumans,we’rebothliabilities,shethought.AndDamonwouldn’thesitatetotellmeso,evenifallIwantedwastogetinonesinglestroke.

Bonnie,comeon,Bonnie,shethought.Holdon tome.We’regetting fartheraway.Shepickedup thesmallergirlunder thearmpitsanddraggedher.Shebackedupinto theolivedimness that stretched inalldirections.Whenshe trippedovera rootandaccidentally satdown, shedecided that she’dgone farenough,andmaneuveredBonnieintoherlap.

ThenshecuppedherhandsaroundBonnie’s littleheart-shapedfaceandshethoughtof themost soothing things shecould imagine.AcoolplungeatWarmSpringsbackhome.AhotbathatLadyUlma’sandthenafour-handedmassage,lyingcomfortablyonadryingcouchwiththescentoffloralincenserisingaroundher.AcuddlewithSaberinMrs.Flowers’sinformalden.Thedecadenceofsleepinglateandwakingupinherownbed—withherownmotherandfatherandsisterinthehouse.

As Elena thought of this last, she couldn’t help giving a tiny gasp, and ateardropfellontoBonnie’sforehead.Bonnie’seyelashesfluttered.

“Now,don’tyoubesad,”shewhispered.“Elena?”

“I’vegotyou,andnobody’sgoingtohurtyouagain.Doyoustillfeelbad?”

“Alittle.ButIcouldhearyou,inmymind,anditmademefeelbetter.Iwantalongbathandapizza.AndtoholdbabyAdara.Shecanalmosttalk,youknow.Elena—you’renotlisteningtome!”

Elenawasn’t.ShewaswatchingthedénouementofthefightbetweenStefanandDamonandShinichi.Thevampireshadthekitsunedownnowandweresquabblingoverhimlikeacoupleoffledglingsoveraparticularlytastyworm.Ormaybelikeapairofbabydragons—Elenawasn’tsureifbirdshissedateachother.

“Oh,no—yuck!”BonniesawwhatElenawaswatchingandcollapsed,hidingherheadagainstElena’sshoulder.Okay,Elenathought.Igetit.There’snosavageryatallinyou,isthere,Bonnie?Mischief,butnothinglikebloodlust.Andthat’sgood.

Even as she thought this,Bonnie abruptly sat up straight, bumpingElena’schin,andpointingintothedistance.“Wait!”shecried.“Doyouseethat?”

Thatwasaverybright light,which flaredbrighteraseachvampire foundaplacetohislikingonShinichi’sbodyandbitsimultaneously.

“Stayhere,”Elenasaid,alittlethickly,becausewhenBonniehadbumpedherchinshe’daccidentallybittenhertongue.Sheranbacktothetwovampiresandknockedthemashardasshecouldover theheads.Shehad toget theirattentionbefore theygotcompletelylockedintofeedingmode.

Notsurprisingly,Stefandetachedfirst,andthenhelpedhertopullDamonoffhisdefeatedenemy.

Damon snarled and paced, never taking his eyes off Shinichi as the beatenkitsune slowly sat up. Elena noticed drops of blood scattered around. Then she saw it,tuckedintoDamon’sbelt,blackandcrimson-tippedandsleek:Shinichi’srealtail.

Savageryfled…fast.ElenawantedtohideherheadagainstStefan’sshoulderbutinsteadturnedupherfaceforakiss.Stefanobliged.

ThenElenasteppedbacksothattheyformedatrianglearoundShinichi.

“Don’teventhinkofattacking,”Damonsaidpleasantly.

Shinichigaveaweakshrug.“Attackyou?Whybother?You’llhavenothingtogobackto,evenifIdie.Thechildrenarepre-programmedtokill.But”—withsuddenvehemence—“Iwishwe’dnevercometoyourdamnedlittletownatall—andIwishwe’dneverfollowedHerorders.IwishI’dneverletMisaonearHer!Iwishwehadn’t—”Hestoppedspeakingsuddenly.No,itwasmorethanthat,Elenathought.Hefroze,eyeswideopenandstaring.“Oh,no,”hewhispered.“Oh,no,Ididn’tmeanthat!Ididn’tmeanit!Ihavenoregrets—”

Elenahadthefeelingofsomethingcomingat themat tremendousspeed,sofast, infact, thatshe justhad timetoopenhermouthbefore ithitShinichi.Whatever itwas,itkilledhimcleanlyandpassedbywithouttouchinganyoneelse.

Shinichifellfacedownontothedirt.

“Don’t bother,” Elena said softly, as Stefan reflexively moved toward the

corpse.“He’sdead.Hedidittohimself.”

“Buthow?”StefanandDamondemandedinchorus.

“I’mnottheexpert,”Elenasaid.“Meredithistheexpertonthis.Butshetoldmethatkitsunecouldonlybekilledbydestroying theirstarballs,shooting themwithablessed bullet…or by the ‘Sin ofRegret.’Meredith and I didn’t knowwhat thatmeantbackthen—itwasbeforewehadevengoneintotheDarkDimension.ButIthinkwejustnowsawitinaction.”

“Soyoucan’tbeakitsuneandregretanythingyou’vedone?That’s—harsh,”Stefansaid.

“Notatall,”Damonsaidcrisply.“Although,ifithadoperatedforvampires,nodoubtyouwouldhavebeenpermanentlydeadwhenyouwokeupinthefamilyvault.”

“Earlier,”Stefansaidexpressionlessly.“Iregretedstrikingyouamortalblow,evenasIwasdying.You’vealwayssaidIfeeltooguilty,butthatisonethingIwouldgivemylifetotakeback.”

Therewasasilence that stretchedandstretched.Damonwasat the frontofthegroupnow,andnoonebutBonniecouldseehisface.

Suddenly Elena grabbed Stefan’s hand. “We still have a chance!” she toldhim. “Bonnie and I saw something bright that way! Let’s run!” He and Elena passedDamonrunningandhegrabbedBonnie’shandtoo.“Likethewind,Bonnie!”

“ButwithShinichidead—well,dowereallyhavetofindhisstarballorthebiggest star ball or whatever is hidden in this awful place?” Bonnie asked. Once, shewouldhavewhined,Elenathought.Now,despitewhateverpainshefelt,shewasrunning.

“Wedohavetofindit,I’mafraid,”Stefansaid.“Becausefromwhathesaid,Shinichi wasn’t at the top of the ladder after all. He and his sister were working forsomeone,someonefemale.AndwhoeverSheis,ShemaybeattackingFell’sChurchrightnow.”

“Theoddshavejustshifted,”Elenasaid.“Wehaveanunknownenemy.”

“Butstill—”

“Allbets,”Elenasaid,“areoff.”

36

MattbrokealotoftrafficrulesonthewaytotheSaitous’street.Meredithleanedontheconsolebetweenthetwofrontseatssothatshecouldseethedigitalclocktickingdowntomidnight, and so that she could watch the transformation ofMrs. Flowers. At last herrecently sane, sensible mind forced words out of her mouth. “Mrs. Flowers—you’rechanging.”

“Yes,Meredith,dear.SomeofitisduetothelittlepresentthatSageleftforme.Someofitismyownwill—toreturntothedayswhenIwasinmyprime.Ibelievethatthiswillbemylastfight,soIdon’tmindusingallmyenergyinit.Fell’sChurchmustbesaved.”

“But—Mrs. Flowers—the people here—well, they haven’t always been—exactlynice—”Mattstammeredhiswaytoastop.

“The people here are like people everywhere,” Mrs. Flowers said calmly.“Treatthemasyou’dliketobetreated,andthingswillbefine.ItwasonlywhenI’dletmyselfbecomeabitter, lonelyoldwoman,alwaysresentfulof thefact thatIhadhadtoturnmyhomeintoaboardinghousejusttomakeendsmeet,thatpeoplebegantotreatme—well,atbestasaloonyoldhag.”

“Oh,Mrs.Flowers—andwe’vebeensuchabothertoyou!”Meredithfoundthewordscomingwithouthervolition.

“You’vebeen thesavingofme,child.DearStefanwas thestart,butasyoucanimagine,hedidn’twanttoexplainallhislittledifferencestome,andIwassuspiciousofhim.ButhewasalwayscordialandrespectfulandElenawaslikesunlight,andBonnielikelaughter.Eventually,whenIdroppedmyhideboundbarriers,sodidyouyoungones.Iwon’tsaymoreaboutthosewhoarepresentsoasnottoembarrassyou,butyou’vedonemeaworldofgood.”

Matt ran another stop sign and cleared his throat. Then, the steeringwheelwaveringslightly,heclearedhisthroatagain.

Meredith tookover.“I thinkwhatMattandIbothwant tosayis…well, it’sthatyou’vebecomeveryspecialtous,andwedon’twanttoseeyougethurt.Thisbattle—”

“IsabattleforallIholddear.Forallmymemories.BackwhenIwasachildand theboardinghousewasbuilt—itwas justahome, then,andIwasveryhappy.Asayoungwoman, Iwas very happy.And now that I have lived long enough to be an oldwoman—well, besides you children, I still have friends like Sophia Alpert and OrimeSaitou.They are both healingwomen, andvery good at it.We still talk about differentusesformyherbs.”

Matt snapped his fingers. “That’s another reason I was confused,” he said.“BecauseDr.AlpertsaidthatyouandMrs.Saitouweresuchgoodpeople.IthoughtshemeanttheoldMrs.Saitou—”

“Whoisnota‘Mrs.Saitou’atall,”Mrs.Flowerssaid,almostsharply.“Ihave

noideawhathernamereallyis—perhapssheisreallyInari,adeitygonebad.Tenyearsago,Ididn’tknowwhatmadeOrimeSaitousuddenlysodiffidentandquiet.NowIrealizethat it began just around the time her ‘mother’moved inwith her. Iwas quite fond ofyoungIsobel,butshesuddenlybecame—aloof—inanunchildlikeway.NowIunderstand.AndIamdeterminedtofightforher—andforyou—andforatownthatisworthsaving.Humanlivesarevery,veryprecious.Andnow—hereweare.”

Matt had just turned onto the Saitous’ block. Meredith took a moment toopenlystareatthefigureinthefrontpassengerseat.“Mrs.Flowers!”sheexclaimed.

ThismadeMatt turn to stare in his turn andwhat he sawmade him clip aVolkswagenJettaparkedbythesidewalk.

“Mrs….Flowers?”

“Pleaseparknow,Matt.Youneedn’tcallmeMrs.Flowersifyoudon’twantto.IhavereturnedtothetimewhenIwasTheophilia—whenmyfriendscalledmeTheo.”

“But—how—why—?”Mattstuttered.

“Itoldyou.Ifeltthatitwastime.Sageleftmeagiftthathelpedmechange.Anenemybeyondyourpowerstofighthasarisen.Ifelt thisbackat theboardinghouse.ThisisthetimethatIhavebeenwaitingfor.ThelastbattlewiththetrueenemyofFell’sChurch.”

Meredith’sheartactuallyseemedreadytoflyoutofherchest.Shehadtobecalm—calmandlogical.Shehadseenmagicmanytimes.Sheknewthelookofit,thefeelofit.ButfrequentlyshehadbeentoobusycomfortingBonnie,ortooworriedaboutaidingBonnietotakeinwhatshewasfacing.

Now,itwasjustherandMatt—andMatthadastricken,stupefiedlook,asifhehadn’tseenenoughmagicbefore.Asifhemightcrack.

“Matt,” she said loudly, and then even louder,“Matt!” He turned, then, tolookather,withhisblueeyeswildanddark.

“They’llkillher,Meredith!”hesaid.“ShinichiandMisao—youdon’tknowwhatitfeelslike…”

“Comeon,”Meredithsaid.“Wehavetomakesurethatitdoesn’tkillher.”

The dazed look passed fromMatt’s eyes. “We have to do this,” he agreedsimply.

“Right,”saidMeredith,finallyreleasinghim.TogethertheygotoutofthecartostandbyMrs.Flowers—no,byTheo.

Theohadhairthathungalmosttoherwaist;sofairthatitlookedsilverinthemoonlight. Her face was—electrifying. It was young; young and proud, with classicfeaturesandalookofquietdetermination.

Somehow during the drive, her clothes had changed too. Instead of a coatcoveredwithbitsofpaper,shewaswearingasleevelesswhitegownthatendedinaslighttrain.Instyle,itremindedMeredithalittleofthe“mermaid”dresssheherselfhadwornwhengoingtoaballintheDarkDimension.ButMeredith’sdresshadonlymadeherlook

sultry.Theolooked…magnificent.

AsforthePost-itNoteamulets…somehowthepaperhaddisappearedandthewritinghadgrownenormously,changingintoverylargescrawlsthatwrappedaroundthewhitegown.Theowasliterallyswathedinhautecouturearcaneprotection.

Andalthoughshewasreedslender,shewastall.TallerthanMeredith,tallerthanMatt,tallerthanStefan,whereverhewasintheDarkDimensions.Shewasthistallnot only because she had grown so much, but because the train of her dress was justbrushingtheground.Shehadentirelyovercomegravity.Thewhip,Sage’spresenttoher,wascoiledintoacircleattachedtoherwaist,shiningassilverasherhair.

Matt and Meredith simultaneously closed the SUV’s doors. Matt left theenginerunningforaquickgetaway.

Theywalkedaroundthegaragesothattheycouldseethefrontofthehouse.Meredith,notcaringwhatshelookedlikeorwhethersheseemedcoolorincontrol,wipedherhands,oneandthentheother,onher jeans.Thiswasthestave’sfirst—andpossiblyonly—truebattle.Whatcountedwasnotappearance,butperformance.

Both she andMatt stopped deadwhen they saw the figure standing at thebottomofthestepsinfrontoftheporch.Itwasnoonetheycouldidentifyfromthehouse.But then the crimson lips opened, the delicate hands flewup to cover them, andwind-chimelaughtercamefromsomewherebehindthehands.

For a moment they could only stare, fascinated, at this woman who wasdressedallinblack.ShewasfullyastallasTheo,fullyasslenderandgraceful,andshewasfloatingequallyhighofftheground.ButwhatMeredithandMattwerestaringatwasthefactthatherhairwaslikeMisao’sorShinichi’s—butreversed.Whereastheyhadblackhairwithacrimsonfringeonthebottom,thiswomanhadcrimsonhair—yardsandyardsofit,withablackfringeallaroundit.Notonlythat,butshehaddelicateblackfoxearsemergingfromthecrimsonhair,andalongsleekcrimsontail,tippedwithblack.

“Obaasan?”Mattgaspedindisbelief.

“Inari!”Meredithsnapped.

The lovely creature didn’t even look at them. She was staring at Theo incontempt.“Tinywitchofatinytown,”shesaid.“You’veusednearlyallyourPowerjusttostanduptomylevel.Whatgoodareyou?”

“IhaveverysmallPowers,”Theoagreed.“Butifthetownisworthless,whyhasittakenyousolongtodestroyit?Whyhaveyouwatchedotherstry—orweretheyallyourpawns,Inari?Katherine,Klaus,pooryoungTyler—weretheyyourpawns,KitsuneGoddess?”

Inarilaughed—stillthatchiming,girlishgiggling,behindherfingers.“Idon’tneedpawns!Shinichi andMisaoaremybond-servants, asallkitsuneare! If Ihave leftthemsomefreedom, ithasbeenso theycangetexperience.We’llgoon to largercitiesnow,andravagethem.”

“Youhave to takeFell’sChurch first,”Theosaid steadily. “And Iwon’t letyoudothat.”

“Youstilldon’tunderstand,doyou?Youareahuman,withalmostnoPowerleft!Mineisthelargeststarballintheworlds!IamaGoddess!”

Theoloweredherhead,thenliftedittolookInariintheeyes.“DoyouwanttoknowwhatIthinkthetruthis,Inari?”shesaid.“Ithinkthatyouhavecometotheendofalong,long,butnotimmortallife.IthinkyouhavedwindledsothatatlastyouneedtouseagreatdealofPowerfromyourstarball—whereveritis—toappearthisway.Youareavery,veryancientwomanandyouhavebeensettingchildrenagainsttheirownparents,andparentsagainstchildrenacrosstheworldbecauseyouenvythechildren’syouth.YouhaveevencometoenvyShinichiandMisao,andletthembehurt,asrevenge.”

MattandMeredithlookedateachotherwithwideeyes.Inariwasbreathingrapidly,butitseemedshecouldn’tthinkofanythingtosay.

“You’ve even pretended to have entered a ‘second childhood’ to behavegirlishly.Butnoneofitsatisfiesyou,becausetheplain,sadtruthisthatyouhavecometotheendofyour long, long lifetime—nomatterhowgreatyourPower.Wemustall takethatfinaljourney,anditisyourturnnow.”

“Liar!” shrieked Inari, looking for a moment more glorious—more radiantthanbefore.ButthenMeredithsawwhy.Herscarlethairhadactuallybeguntosmolder,framingherfaceinadancingredlight.Andatlastshespokevenemously.

“Well,then,ifyouthinkthisismylastbattle,ImustbesuretocauseallthepainIcan.Startingwithyou,witch.”

Meredith and Matt both gasped. They were afraid for Theo, especially asInari’shairwasbraidingitselfintothickropeslikeserpentsthatfloatedaroundherheadasifshewereMedusa.

The gasps were a mistake—they attracted Inari’s attention. But she didn’tmove.Sheonlysaid,“Smell thatsweetscentonthewind?Aroastsacrifice!I thinktheresultwill beoishii—delicious! But perhaps you twowould like to speak to Orime orIsobelonelasttime.I’mafraidtheycan’tcomeouttoseeyou.”

Meredith’sheartwaspoundingviolentlyinherthroat,assherealizedthattheSaitous’housewasonfire.Itseemedasiftherewereseveralsmallfiresburning,butshewas terrifiedat the implication that Inarihadalreadydonesomething to themotheranddaughter.

“No,Matt!”shecried,grabbingMatt’sarm.Hewouldhavechargedstraightat the laughing black-clad woman and tried to attack her feet—and seconds wereinvaluablenow.“Comehelpmefindthem!”

Theocameto theiraid.Drawingup thewhitebullwhip,shewhirled itoncearoundherheadandcrackeditpreciselyonInari’sraisedhands,leavingabloodygashonone.AsafuriousInariturnedbacktoher,MeredithandMattran.

“Thebackdoor,”Mattsaidastheycareeredaroundthesideofthehouse.Upaheadtheysawawoodenfence,butnogate.Meredithwasjustconsideringusingthestavetopole-vault,whenMattpanted,“Here!”andmadeacradleofhishandsforher tostepinto.“I’llboostyouover!”

Meredithhesitatedonlyaninstant.Then,asheskiddedtoastopshejumpedtoplaceonefootinhisinter-lockedfingers.Suddenlyshewasflyingupward.Shemadethemostofit,landing,catlike,onthefence’sflattop,andthenjumpingdown.ShecouldhearMattscramblingupthefenceasshewassuddenlysurroundedbyblacksmoke.Shejumped backward three feet and yelled, “Matt, the smoke is dangerous! Get low; holdyourbreath.StayoutsidetohelpthemwhenIbringthemout!”

MeredithhadnoideawhetherMattwouldlistentoherornot,butsheobeyedherownrules,crouchinglow,breathheld,openinghereyesbrieflytotrytofindthedoor.

Thenshealmostjumpedoutofherskinatthesoundofanaxecrashingintowood,ofwoodsplintering,andof theaxecrashingagain.SheopenedhereyesandsawthatMatthadn’t listened toher,butshewasgladbecausehe’dfound thedoor.His facewasblackwithsoot.“Itwaslocked,”heexplained,heftingtheaxe.

AnyoptimismMeredithmighthavefeltsplinteredlikethedoorasshelookedinsideandsawonlyflamesandmoreflames.

MyGod,shethought,anyoneinthereisroasting,isprobablydeadalready.

Butwherehadthatthoughtcomefrom?Herknowledgeorherfear?Meredithcouldn’tjuststopnow.Shetookastepintosearingheatandshouted,“Isobel!Mrs.Saitou!Whereareyou?”

There was a weak, choking cry. “That’s the kitchen!” she said. “Matt, it’sMrs.Saitou!Pleasegogether!”

Mattobeyed,butthrewoverhisshoulder,“Don’tyougofartherin.”

Meredithhadtogofartherin.SherememberedverywellwhereIsobel’sroomwas.Directlyunderher“grandmother’s.”

“Isobel! Isobel!Can you hearme?”Her voicewas so low and husky fromsmokethatsheknewshehadtokeepgoing.Isobelmightbeunconsciousortoohoarsetoanswer.Meredithdroppedtoherknees,crawlingonthegroundwheretheairwasslightlycoolerandmoreclear.

Okay.Isobel’sroom.Shedidn’twanttotouchthedoorhandlewithherhand,soshewrappedherT-shirtaroundit.Thehandlewouldn’tturn.Locked.Shedidn’tbotherto investigatehow, she simply turnedaroundandmule-kicked thedoor rightbeside thehandle.Woodsplintered.Anotherkick,andwithawoodenscreamthedoorswungfree.

Meredithwasfeelingdizzynow,butsheneededtoseetheentireroom.Shetooktwostridesin,and—there!

Sittinguponthebedinthesmoky,hot,butotherwisescrupulouslytidylittleroomwasIsobel.AsMeredithnearedthebedshesaw—toherfury—thatthegirlwastiedto thebrassheadboardwithduct tape.Twoslashesof thestave tookcareof that.Then,amazingly,Isobelmoved,raisingablackenedfaceuptoMeredith’s.

That was whenMeredith’s fury peaked. The girl had duct tape across hermouth, to prevent her frommaking any cry for help.Wincing herself to show that sheknew this was going to be painful,Meredith grasped the duct tape and stripped it off.

Isobeldidn’tcryout;insteadshetookinlungfulafterlungfulofsmokyair.

Meredith stumbled toward the closet, snatched two identical-looking whiteshirts,andswervedbacktoIsobel.Therewasafulltumblerofwaterrightbesideher,onthenightstand.MeredithwonderedifithadbeenputtheredeliberatelytoincreaseIsobel’sagony,butshedidn’thesitatetouseit.ShegaveIsobelaquicksip,tookoneherself,andthen soaked each shirt. She held one over her own mouth and Isobel mimicked her,holdingthewetshirtoverhernoseandmouth.ThenMeredithgrabbedherandguidedherbacktothedoor.

Afterthatitsimplybecameanightmarejourneyofcrawlingandkneelingandchoking,pullingIsobelwithherallthetime.Merediththoughtitwouldneverend,aseachinch forward became harder and harder. The stavewas an unbearable weight to heavealongwithher,butsherefusedtoletgoofit.

It’sprecious,hermindsaid,butisitworthyourlife?

No,Merediththought.Notmylife,butwhoknowswhatelsewillbeoutthereifIgetIsobelintothecooldarkness?

You’llnevergetherthereifyoudiebecauseof—anobject.

It’snotanobject!PainfullyMeredithusedthestavetoclearsomesmolderingdebris fromher path. It belonged toGrandpa in the timewhen hewas sane. It fitsmyhand.It’snotjustathing!

Haveityourownway,thevoicesaid,anddisappeared.

Meredithwasbeginningtorunintomoredebrisnow.Despitethecrampinginherlungs,shewassurethatshecouldmakeitoutofthebackdoor.Sheknewthereshouldbealaundryroomonherright.Theyshouldbeabletofeelaspacethere.

Andthensuddenlyinthedarksomethingrearedupandstruckherablowonthehead.Ittookherdimmingmindalongtimetocomeupwithanameforthethingthathadhurther.Armchair.

Somehowthey’dcrawledtoofar.Thiswasthelivingroom.

Meredithwasfloodedwithhorror.They’dgonetoofar—andtheycouldn’tgooutthefrontdoorintothemidstofmagicalbattle.Theywouldhavetobacktrack,andthistimemakesuretofindthelaundryroom,theirgatetofreedom.

Meredith turned around, pulling Isobel with her, hoping the younger girlwouldunderstandwhattheyhadtodo.

Sheleftthestaveontheburninglivingroomfloor.

Elenasobbedtogetherbreath,eventhoughshewasallowingStefantohelphernow.Heran,holdingBonniebyonehandandElenabytheother.Damonwassomewhereinfront—scouting.

Itcan’tbefarnow,shekeptthinking.BonnieandIbothsawthebrightness—webothdid.Justthen,likealanternputintoawindow,Elenasawitagain.

It’sbig,that’stheproblem.IkeepthinkingweshouldreachitbecauseIhavethewrongideaofwhatsizeitisinmymind.Thecloserweget,thebiggeritgets.

Andthat’sgood forus.We’llneeda lotofPower.Butweneed toget theresoon,oritcouldbeallthePowerintheuniverseanditwon’tmatter.We’llbetoolate.

Shinichi had indicated that theywould be too late—but Shinichi had beenbornaliar.Still,surelyjustbeyondthatlowbranchwas…

Oh,dearGod,shethought.It’sastarball.

37

ThenMeredithsawsomethingthatwasnotsmokeorfire.Justaglimpseofadoorframe—andatinybreathofcoolair.Withthishopetosustainher,shescuttledstraightforthedoortothebackyard,draggingIsobelbehindher.

As she passed the threshold, she felt blessedly cold water somehowshoweringdownontoherbody.Whenshepulled Isobel into the spray, theyoungergirlmadethefirstvoluntarysoundshehadduringtheentirejourney:awordlesssobofthanks.

Matt’shandswerehelpingheralong,weretakingawaytheburdenofIsobel.Meredithgotuptoherfeetandstaggeredinacircle,thendroppedtoherknees.Herhairwasonfire!Shewasjustrecallingherchildhoodrehearsalofstop,drop,androll,whenshefeltthecoldwaterturnedonit.Thehosewaterwentupanddownherbodyandsheturnedaround,baskinginthefeelingofcoolness,untilsheheardMatt’svoicesay,“Theflamesareout.You’regoodnow.”

“Thankyou,Matt.Thankyou.”Hervoicewashoarse.

“Hey,youweretheonewhohadtogoallthewaytothebedroomsandback.GettingMrs.Saitououtwasprettyeasy—therewas thekitchensinkfullofwater,soassoonasIcutherfreefromthekitchenchairwejustgotallwetanddashedoutside.”

Meredith smiled and looked around quickly. Isobel had become herresponsibilitynow.Toherrelief,shesawthatthegirlwasbeinghuggedbyhermother.

And all it had taken was the nonsense choice between a thing—howeverpreciousitwas—andalife.Meredithgazedatthemotheranddaughterandwasglad.Shecouldhaveanotherstavemade.ButnothingcouldreplaceIsobel.

“Isobelsaidtogivethistoyou,”Mattwassaying.

Meredithturnedtowardhim, thefierylightmakingtheworldcrazy,andforonemomentdidn’tbelievehereyes.Mattwasholdingthefightingstaveouttoher.

“Shemusthavedraggeditwithherfreehand—oh,Matt,andshewasalmostdeadbeforewestarted…”

Mattsaid,“She’sstubborn.LikesomeoneelseIknow.”

Meredithwasn’tquite surewhathemeantby that,but sheknewone thing.“We’d all better get to the front yard. I doubt the volunteer fire department is going tocome.Besides—Theo—”

“I’llgetthemmoving.Youscoutthegateside,”Mattsaid.

Meredithplungedintothebackyard,whichwashideouslyilluminatedbythehouse,nowfullyengulfedinflames.Fortunately,thesideyardwasnot.Meredithflickedthegateopenwith thestave.Mattwas rightbehindher,helpingMrs.Saitouand Isobelalong.

Meredithquickly ranby the flaminggarageand then stopped.Frombehindhersheheardacryofhorror.Therewasnotimeto try tosoothewhoeverhadcried,no

timetothink.

Thetwofightingwomenweretoobusytonoticeher—andTheowasinneedofhelp.InariwastrulylikeafieryMedusa,withherhairwrithingaroundherinflaming,smokingsnakes.Onlythecrimsonpartburned,anditwasthatpartthatshewasusinglikeawhip, using one snake towrest away the silver bullwhip fromTheo’s hand, and thenanothertowraparoundTheo’sthroatandchokeher.Theowasdesperatelytryingtopulltheblazingnoosefromherneck.

Inari was laughing. “Are you suffering, petty witch? It will all be over inseconds—foryouandforyourentirelittletown!TheLastMidnighthasfinallycome!”

Meredith glanced back atMatt—and that was all it took. He ran forward,passingher,allthewayuptothespacebelowthefightingwomen.Thenhebentslightly,cuppinghishands.

AndthenMeredithsprinted,puttingeverythingshehadleftintotheshortrun,leavingherjustenoughenergytoleapandplaceonefootintoMatt’scuppedhands,andthenshefeltherselfsoaringaloft,justwithindistanceforthestavetoslicecleanlythroughthesnakeofhairthatwaschokingTheo.

AfterthatMeredithwasinfreefall,withMatttryingtocatchherfrombelow.Shelandedmoreorlessontopofhimandtheybothsawwhathappenednext.

Theo,whowasbruisedandbleeding,slappedoutapartofhergownthatwassmoldering. She held out a hand for the silver bullwhip and it flew to meet heroutstretchedfingers.ButInariwasn’tattacking.Shewaswavingherarmswildly,asifinterror, and then suddenly she shrieked: a sound soanguished thatMeredithdrew inherbreathsharply.Itwasadeath-scream.

Before their eyes she was turning back into Obaasan, into the shrunken,helpless,doll-likewomanMattandMeredithknew.Butbythetimethisshriveledbodyhittheground itwasalreadystiffanddead,herexpressiononeof suchunrepentantmalicethatitwasfrightening.

ItwasIsobelandMrs.Saitouthenwhocameforwardtostandoverthebody,sobbingwithrelief.MeredithlookedatthemandthenupatTheo,whoslowlyfloatedtotheground.

“Thankyou,”Theosaidwiththefaintestofsmiles.“Youhavesavedme—yetagain.”

“But what do you think happened to her?” Matt asked. “And why didn’tShinichiorMisaocometohelpher?”

“I think they allmust be dead, don’t you?”Theo’s voicewas soft over theroaroftheflames.“AsforInari—Ithinkthatperhapssomeonedestroyedherstarball.I’mafraidIwasnotstrongenoughtodefeathermyself.”

“Whattimeisit?”Meredithabruptlycried,remembering.SherantotheoldSUV,whichwasstillrunning.Itsclockshowed12:00midnightexactly.

“Didwesavethepeople?”Mattaskeddesperately.

Theo turned her face outward toward the center of the town. For nearly aminute shewas still, as if listening for something.At last,whenMeredith felt that shemightshatterfromtension,sheturnedbackandsaidquietly,“DearMama,Grandmama,and I are one, now. I sense children who are finding themselves holding knives—andsome with guns. I sense them standing in their sleeping parents’ rooms, unable toremember how they got there. And I sense parents, hiding in closets, a moment agofrightenedfortheirverylives,whoareseeingweaponsdroppedandchildrenfallingontomasterbedroomfloors,sobbingandbewildered.”

“Wedidit,then.Youdidit.Youheldheroff,”Mattpanted.

Stillgentleandsober,Theosaid,“Someoneelse—faraway—didmuchmore.Iknowthatthetownneedshealing.ButGrandmamaandMamaagree.Becauseofthem,nochildhaskilledaparentthisnight,andnoparenthaskilledachild.ThelongnightmareofInariandherLastMidnightisover.”

Meredith, grimy and bedraggled as she was, felt something rise and swellinsideher,biggerandbigger,until, forallher training, shecouldn’t containherself anylonger.Itexplodedoutofherinayellofexultation.

ShefoundthatMattwasshoutingtoo.Hewasasgrubbyandunkemptasshewas,butheseizedherbythehandsandwhirledheraroundinabarbarianvictorydance.

And it was fun, whirling around and yelling like a kid.Maybe—maybe intryingtobecalm,inalwaysbeingthemostgrown-up,shehadmissedoutontheessenceoffun,whichalwaysfeltasifithadsomechildlikequalitytoit.

Matthadnotroubleinexpressinghisfeelings,whatevertheywere:childlike,mature, stubborn, happy.Meredith foundherself admiring this, and also thinking that ithadbeenalongtimesinceshe’dreallylookedatMatt.Butnowshefeltasuddenwaveoffeelingforhim.AndshecouldseethatMattfeltthesamewayabouther.Asifhe’dneverreallylookedatherproperlybefore.

Thiswasthemoment…whentheyweremeanttokiss.Meredithhadseenitsoofteninmovies,andreadaboutitinbooks,thatitwasalmostagiven.

But thiswas life, itwasn’t a story.Andwhen themoment came,MeredithfoundherselfholdingMatt’sshoulderswhileheheldhers,andshecouldseethathewasthinkingexactlythesamethingaboutthekiss.

Themomentstretched…

Then,withagrin,Matt’sfaceshowedthatheknewwhattodo.Meredithdidtoo.Theybothmovedin,andhuggedeachother.Whentheydrewback,theywerebothgrinning. They knew who they were. They were very different, very close friends.Meredithhopedthattheyalwayswouldbe.

TheybothturnedtolookatTheo,andMeredithfeltapanginherheart, thefirstsinceshehadheardthey’dsavedthetown.Theowaschanging.ItwasthelookonherfaceasshewatchedthemthatgaveMerediththepang.

Afterbeingyoung,andwhilewatchingyouthatitspeak,shewasonceagainaging,wrinkling,herhairgoingwhite insteadofmoonlit silver.At last, shewasanold

womanwearingaraincoatcoveredwithbitsofpaper.

“Mrs.Flowers!”Thisperson,itwasperfectlysafeandrighttokiss.Meredithflungherarmsaboutthefrailoldwoman,liftingheroffherfeetinexcitement.Mattjoinedthem, and theyboostedher above their heads.Theycarriedher like this to theSaitous,motheranddaughter,whowerewatchingthefire.

There,sobered,theyputherdown.

“Isobel,”Meredithsaid.“God!I’msosorry—yourhome…”

“Thankyou,”Isobelsaidinhersoft,slurredvoice.Thensheturnedaway.

Meredithfeltchilled.Shewasevenbeginningtoregretthecelebration,whenMrs.Saitousaid,“Doyouknow,thisisthegreatestmomentinthehistoryofourfamily?Forhundredsofyears,thatancientkitsune—oh,yes,I’vealwaysknownwhatshewas—hasbeenforcingherselfuponinnocenthumans.Andforthelastthreecenturiesithasbeenmyfamilylineofsamuraimikosthatshehasterrorized.Nowmyhusbandcancomehomeatlast.”

Meredithlookedather,startled.Mrs.Saitounodded.

“Hetriedtodefyherandshebanishedhimfromthehouse.EversinceIsobelwasborn,Ihavefearedforher.Andnow,pleaseforgiveher.Shehastroubleexpressingwhatshefeels.”

“Iknowaboutthat,”Meredithsaidquietly.“I’llgohavealittletalkwithher,ifit’sallright.”

Ifeverinherlifeshecouldexplaintoafellowtravelerwhatfunhavingfunwas,shethought,itwasnow.

38

Damonhad stopped andwaskneelingbehind an enormousbroken tree branch.Stefanpulled both girls to him and caught them so that they all three landed just behind hisbrother.

Elenafoundherselfstaringataverylargetreetrunk.Stillasbigasitwas,itwas nowhere near as large as she had been expecting. It was true; the four of themcertainlycouldn’thaveheldhandsaroundit.Butinthebackofhermindhadbeenlurkingimagesofmoonsandtreesandtrunksthatwereastallasskyscrapers,inwhichastarballcouldbehiddenonany“floor,”inany“room.”

This was simply a grand oak tree trunk sitting in a sort of fairy circle—perhaps twenty feet indiameteronwhichnodead leafhadstrayed. Itwasapalercolorthantheloamtheyhadbeenrunningon,andevensparkledinafewplaces.Overall,Elenawasrelieved.

More,shecouldevenseethestarball.She’dfeared—amongother things—thatitmightbeuptoohightoclimb,thatitmightbesoentangledwithrootsorbranchesthattoday,certainlyafterhundredsoreventhousandsofyears,itwouldbeimpossibletochop out.But there itwas, the greatest star ball that had ever been, fully the size of abeachball,anditnestledfreelyinthefirstcrutchofthetree.

Hermindwas racingahead.They’ddone it; they’d found the starball.Buthow much time would it take to get it back to where Sage was? Automatically, sheglancedathercompassandsawtohersurprisethattheneedlenowpointedsouthwest—inotherwords,backtotheGatehouse.ThatwasathoughtfultouchofSage’s.Andperhapstheydidn’thavetogothroughthetrialsbackward;theycouldsimplyusetheirMasterKeytogobacktoFell’sChurch,andthen…well,Mrs.Flowerswouldknowwhattodowithit.

Ifitcametothat,maybetheycouldjustblackmailHer,whoeverShewas,togoawayforeverinexchangeforthestarball.Although—couldtheylivewiththethoughtthatshemightdothisagain—andagain—andagaintoothertowns?

Even as she planned, Elena watched the expressions of her comrades: thechildlike wonder on Bonnie’s heart-shaped face; the keen assessment in Stefan’s eyes;Damon’sdangeroussmile.

Theywereviewingtheirhard-wonreward,atlast.

But she couldn’t look for too long. Things had to be done. Even as theywatched, the starball brightened, showing suchbrilliant, incandescent colors thatElenawashalf-blinded.SheshieldedhereyesjustassheheardBonnieinhalingsharply.

“What?” Stefan asked, a hand in front of his eyes, which, of course weremuchmoresensitivetolightthanhumaneyes.

“Someone’s using it right now!”Bonnie replied. “When itwent bright likethat,itsentoutPower!Along,longwayout!”

“Thingsareheatingupinwhat’sleftofpooroldFell’sChurch,”saidDamon,

whowasstaringintentlyupwardatthebranchesabovehim.

“Don’t talkabout it like that!”Bonnieexclaimed.“It’sourhome.Andnowwecanfinallydefendit!”ElenacouldpracticallyseewhatBonniewasthinking:familiesembracing; neighbors smiling at neighbors again; the entire town working to fix thedestruction.

Thisishowgreattragediessometimeshappen.Peoplewithasinglegoal,yetwhoarenotinsync.Assumptions.Presumptions.And,maybe,mostimportantofall,thefailuretositdownandtalk.

Stefan tried, even though Elena could see that he was still blind from thebrillianceofthestarball.Hesaidquietly,“Let’stalkthisoverforawhileandbrainstormwaystogetit—”

ButBonniewaslaughingathim,thoughnotunkindly.Shesaid,“Icangetupthereasfastasasquirrel.AllIneedissomeonestrongtocatchitwhenIknockitdown.IknowIcan’tclimbdownwithit;I’mnotthatsilly.Comeon,youguys,let’sgo!”

That’showithappened.Differentpersonalities,differentmodesof thinking.Andonelaughing,light-headedgirl,whodidn’thaveaprecognitionwhenitwasneeded.

Elena, who was envying Meredith the fighting stave, didn’t even see thebeginning.ShewaswatchingStefan,whowasblinkingrapidlytogethiseyesightback.

AndBonniewas scramblingas lightlyas shehadboasted,upon topof thedead tree branch that sheltered them. She even gave them a little laughing salute justbeforesheleapedintothebarren,sparklingcirclearoundthetree.

Then microseconds stretched infinitely. Elena felt her eyes slowly gettingwider,eventhoughsheknewtheywereflyingopen.ShesawStefanleisurelyreachacrossher to try to twinehis fingersaroundBonnie’s leg,even thoughsheknew thatwhatshewasseeingwasalightning-fastgrabfor thepetitegirl’sankle.SheevenheardDamon’sinstantaneoustelepathy:No,littlefool!asifhewerespeakingthewordsinhisaccustomedlazytonesofsuperiority.

Then,stillinslowmotion,Bonnie’skneesbentandshelaunchedintotheairabovethecircle.

Butshenever touchedtheground.Somehow,ablackstreak,stunninglyfastevenintheslow-motionhorrorfilmthatElenawaswatching,landedwhereBonniewouldhavelanded.AndthenBonniewasbeingthrown,beinghurledtoofastforElena’seyestotrack,outsideofthebarrencircleandthentherewasadullthud—toofastforElena’smindtotrackasbeingBonnie’slanding.

Quite clearly, she heard Stefan cry “Damon!” in a terrible voice.And thenElena saw the thin dark objects—like curving lances—that were already shootingdownward.Anotherthinghereyescouldn’tfollow.Whenhervisionadjusted,shesawthattheywere long, curved black branches, spaced evenly around the tree like thirty spiderlegs, thirty longspears thatweremeant toeither imprisonsomeone inside themlike thebarsofacell,orto—pinthemintothestrangesandbeneathherfeet.

“Pin”wasagoodword.Elenalikedthesoundofit.Evenasshewasstaringat

the sharp recurvedbarbs on thebranches,meant to keep anything caught by themheldpermanentlyintheground,shewasthinkingofDamon’sannoyanceifashafthadpiercedhisleatherjacket.Hewouldcurseatthem,andBonniewouldtrytopretendhehadn’t—and…

Shewas close enough by now to see that it wasn’t as simple as that. Thebranch,whichwasproper javelinsize,hadgonethroughDamon’sshoulder,whichmusthurtlikehell,inadditiontohavingsplatteredablooddroprightatthecornerofhismouth.Butfarmoreannoyingthanthatwasthefactthathehadclosedhiseyesagainsther.ThatwashowElenathoughtofit.Hewasshuttingthemoutdeliberately—maybebecausehewasangry;maybebecauseofthepaininhisshoulder.Butitremindedherofthesteelwallfeelingshe’dgotten the last timeshe’d tried to touchhismind—and,damn,couldn’thetellhewasscaringthem?

“Open your eyes, Damon,” she said, flushing, because that was what hewantedhertosay.Hereallywasthegreatestmanipulatorofall.“Openyoureyes,Isaid!”Nowshewasreallyirritated.“Don’tplaypossum,becauseyou’renotfoolinganyone,andwe’vereallyhadenough!”Shewasabout to shakehimhardwhen something liftedherintotheair,intoStefan’slineofvision.

Stefanwas in pain, but surely not as badly asDamon, so shewas lookingbacktocurseDamonwhenStefansaidharshly,“Elena,hecan’t!”

For just the tiniest fleeting instant thewords sounded like nonsense to her.Notonlygarbled,butmeaningless,likesayingsomeonecouldn’tstoptheirappendixfromdoing—whateveritwasanappendixdid.Thatwasalltherespitethatshegot,andthenshehadtodealwithwhathereyeswereshowingher.

Damonwasn’tpinnedbyhisshoulder.He’dbeenstaked, justslightly to theleftofcenterofhistorso.

Exactlywherehisheartwas.

Wordsdriftedbacktoher.Wordsthatsomeonehadoncesaid—althoughshecouldn’trememberwhorightnow.“Youcan’tkillavampiresoeasily.Weonlydieifyoustakeusthroughtheheart….”

Die?Damondie?Thiswassomekindofmistake…

“Openyoureyes!”“Elena,hecan’t!”

But she knew,without knowing how, thatDamonwasn’t dead. Shewasn’tsurprisedthatStefandidn’tknowit;itwasahumonaprivatefrequencybetweenherandDamon.

“Comeon,hurry,givemeyouraxe,”shesaid,sodesperately,andwithsuchanairofknowledgethatStefanhandeditoverwordlessly,andobeyedwhenshetoldhimto steady the curving spider-leg branch from above and below. Thenwith a few quickstrokesoftheaxeshecutthroughtheblackbranchthatwasthickenoughincircumferencethat she couldn’t have clasped her fingers around it. It was done in a spurt of pureadrenaline,butsheknewitawedStefanandallowedhimtolethercontinuedoingit.

Whenshewasfinished,shehadaloosespider-legbranchthatdroopedback

to the tree,anchoredtonothing—andsomethingthat lookedmorelikeaproperstakeinDamon.

Itwasn’tuntilshebeganpullingupwardonthestakethatahorrifiedStefanmadeherstop.

“Elena!Elena,Iwouldn’tlietoyou!Thisisjustwhatthesebranchesarefor.For intruderswho are vampires.Look, love—see.”Hewas showing her another of thespider legs thatwas anchored in the sand, and the barbs on it. Just like the backward-facingtinesofaprimitivestonearrowhead.

“Thesebranchesaremeant tobe like this,”Stefanwas saying.“And ifyoupulleduponithardenough,you’djust—justenduppullingoutchunksof—hisheart.”

Elena froze. She wasn’t sure she really could understand the words—shecouldn’tallowherselfto,orshemightpictureit.Butitdidn’tmatter.

“I’ll destroy it someotherway,” she said shortly, looking atStefanbut notabletoseethetruegreenofhiseyesbecauseoftheolivelight.“Youwait.Justwaitandwatch.I’llfindaWingspowerthatwilldissolvethis—this—damnedabomination.”Shecould think ofmany otherwords to call the stake, but she had to stay in some sort ofcontrol.

“Elena.”Stefanwhisperedhernameasifhecouldbarelygetitout.Eveninthetwilightshecouldseethetearsonhischeeks.Hecontinued,nonverbally,Elena,lookathisclosedeyes.ThisTreeisaviciouskiller,withwoodlikenothingI’veeverseen,butI’veheardaboutit.It’s…it’sspreading.Insidehim.

“Insidehim?”Elenarepeatedstupidly.

Along his arteries and veins—and his nerves—everything connected to hisheart.He’s—oh,God,Elena,justlookathiseyes!

Elenalooked.StefanhadkneltandgentlypulledupthelidsofDamon’seyesandElenabeganscreaming.

Deepin thefathomlesspupils thathadheldendlessnightskiesfullofstars,therewasaglimmer—notofstarlight,butofgreen.Itseemedtoglowwithitsownhellishluminescence.

Stefan lookedatherwithagonyandcompassion.Andnow,withonegentlepass,Stefanwasclosingthoseeyes—forever,sheknewhewasthinking.

Everythinghadbecomestrangeanddreamlike.Nothingmadesenseanymore.StefanwascarefullylayingDamon’sheaddown—hewaslettingDamongo.

EveninherfuzzyworldofnonsenseElenaknewshecouldneverdothat.

And then, amiraclehappened.Elenaheardavoice inhermind thatwasn’thers.

All this isratherunexpected. Iacted, foronce,without thinking.Andthis ismyreward.Thevoicewasahumontheirprivatefrequency,Damon’sandhers.

Elena rippedherself away fromStefan,whowas trying to restrain her, and

fell,graspingDamon’sshoulderswithherhands.Iknewit!Iknewyoucouldn’tbedead!

Itwasonlythenthatsherealizedthatherfacewasdrippingwet,andsheusedhersoftleathersleevetowipeit.Oh,Damon,yougavemesuchascare!Don’tyouever,everdothatagain!

I thinkIcangivemywordonthat,Damonsent—indifferent tonesthanhisusualones—soberbutatthesametimewhimsical.Butyouhavetogivemesomethinginreturn.

Yes, of course, Elena said. Just letme get some ofmy hair offmy neck. ItworkedbestlikethiswhenStefanwaslyingdown—whenwewerecarryinghimoutonhispalletfromtheprison—

Not that,Damon toldher.Foronce, angel, I don’twant yourblood. I needyou togivemeyourmost solemnword thatyouwill try tobebrave. If ithelpsatall, Iknow that females are better thanmales at this sort of thing. They’re less cowardly atfacing—whatyouhavetofacenow.

Elenadidn’tlikethetoneofthesewords.Thedizzinessthatwasmakingherlipsnumbwastravelingalloverherbody.Therewasnothingtobebraveabout.Damoncouldstandpain.ShewouldfindaWingspowerthatwouldobliterateallthatwoodthatwaspoisoninghim.Itmighthurt,butitwouldsavehislife.

Don’ttalktomelikethat!shesnappedharshly,beforeshecouldremembertobegentle.Everythinghadbeguntofloat,andshecouldn’tevenrememberwhyshehadtobegentle,buttherewasareason.Still,itwasdifficult,whenshewasusingeveryounceofher concentration and strength to search for a Wings power she had never heard of.Purification?Would that take away thewoodorwould it just leaveDamonwithouthiswickedsmile?Therewasnoharmintryingit,anyway,andshewasgettingdesperate—becauseDamon’sfacewassopale.

ButeventhestanceforWingsofPurificationeludedher.

Suddenly, a huge shudder—a convulsion—went through Damon’s entirebody.Elenaheardbrokenwordsbehindher.

“Love, love—you really have to let him go. He’s living in—in intolerablepain, justbecauseyou’rekeepinghimhere,” thevoicesaid,and itwasStefan’s.Stefan,whowouldneverlietoher.

For just an instantElenawavered,but thenablazing ragecame rushingupthroughherbody.Itgaveherthestrengthtocryhoarsely,“I…won’t!Iwon’teverlethimgo!Damnyou,Damon,youhavetofight!Letmehelpyou!Myblood—it’sspecial.It’llgiveyoustrength.Youdrinkit!”

She fumbled for her knife. Her blood was magical. Maybe if she gaveenough, itwouldgiveDamon the strength to fightoff thewooden fibers thatwere stillspreadingthroughhisbody.

Elena slashed at her throat.Maybe subconsciously she avoided doingmorethannickinghercarotidartery,butifsoitwasentirelysubconsciously.Shesimplyreacheddown,foundametalknife,andwithonesweepset thebloodtogushingout.Brightred

arterialblood,thateveninthesemi-darknesswasthecolorofhope.

“Here,Damon.Here!Drinkthis.Asmuchasyouwant—allyouneedtohealyourself.”Shegot into thebestposition thatshecould,hearingbutnothearingStefan’shorrifiedgaspbehindherattherecklessnessofherslashing,notheedinghisgriponher.

But—Damon didn’t drink. Not even the heady blood of his Princess ofDarkness—andhowdid thephrasego?Itwas likerocket fuelcompared to thegasolinefoundinothergirls’veins.Nowitjustranoutofthesidesofhismouth.Itflowedontohispaleface,soakinghisblackshirtandpoolinginhisleatherjacket.

No…

Damon, Elena sent,please. I’m—begging you. Please. I’m begging you forme,forElena.Pleasedrink.Wecandothis—together.

Damondidn’tmove.Bloodspilledintothemouthshe’dopenedanditfilledandspilledoutagain. Itwasas ifDamonwere tauntingher,saying,“Youwantedme togiveuphumanblood?Well,Ihave—forever.”

Oh,dearGod,please…

Elenawasdizzierthanevernow.Outsideeventspasseddimlyaroundher,likean ocean that only slightly bobbed a person out deep in the swells. She was entirelyfocusedonDamon.

Butonethingshedidfeel.Herbravery—Damonhadbeenwrongaboutthat.Hugesobswererisingfromsomewheredeepinsideher.ShehadmadeStefanletgoofherandnowshecouldn’tholdherselfupanylonger.

ShefellrightontopofherbloodandDamon’sbody.Hercheekfellagainsthischeek.

Andhischeekwascold.Evenundertheblood,itwascold.

Elena never knew when the hysterics began. She simply found herselfshrieking and sobbing, beating on Damon’s shoulders, cursing him. She had neverproperlycursedhimbefore,notdirectlytohisface.Asfortheshrieking,thatwasn’tjustasound.Shewasonceagainscreamingathimtofindsomewaytofight.

Andfinally,shebeganthepromises.Promisesthatdeepinherheart,shenowknewwerelies.Shewasgoingtofindawaytofixhiminamoment.ShealreadyfeltanewWingspowercomingtosavehim.

Anythingsoastonotfacethetruth.

“Damon?Please?”Itwasaninterludeintheshrieking,whenshewastalkingsoftlyinhernewhusky,hoarsevoice.“Damon,justdoonethingforme.Justsqueezemyhand.Iknowyoucandothat.Justsqueezeoneofmyhands.”

Buttherewasnopressureoneitherofherhands.Onlybloodthatwasturningsticky.

And then themiraclehappenedand sheonceagainheardDamon’svoice—veryfaintly—inherhead.

Elena?Don’t…cry,darling.It’snot…asbadasStefansaid.Idon’tfeelmuchofanything,exceptonmyface.I…feelyourtears.Nomoreweeping…please,angel.

Because of themiracle,Elena steadied herself.He’d calledStefan “Stefan”andnot“littlebrother.”Butshehadotherthingstothinkaboutrightnow.Hecouldstillfeel things on his face! This was important information, valuable information. Elenaimmediatelycuppedhischeekswithherhandsandkissedhimonthelips.

Ijustkissedyou.I’mkissingyouagain.Canyoufeelthat?

Forever,Elena,Damonsaid.I’ll…takethatwithme.It’spartofmenow…doyousee?

Elenadidn’twanttosee.Shekissedhislips—icycold—again.Andagain.

She wanted to give him something else. Something good to think about.Damon,doyourememberwhenwefirstmet?Atschool,afterthelightswentout,whenIwasmeasuringfortheHauntedHousedecorations.Ialmostletyoukissmethen—beforeIevenknewyourname—whenyoujustcamedriftingoutofthedarkness.

Damon surprised her by answering immediately. Yes…and you…youastonishedmebybeingthefirstgirlIcouldn’tInfluencerightaway.Wehad…funtogether—didn’twe?Somegoodtimes?Wewenttoaparty…andwedancedtogether.I’lltakethatwithmetoo.

Through her daze, Elena had one thought. Don’t confuse him anymore.They’dgonetothat“party”onlytosaveStefan’slife.Shetoldhim,Wehadfun.You’reagooddancer.Imagineuswaltzing!

Damonsentslowly,fuzzily,I’msorry…I’vebeensohorriblelately.Tell…herthat.Bonnie.Tellher…

Elena steadied herself. I’ll tell her. I’m kissing you again.Can you feelmekissingyou?

Itwasarhetoricalquestion,soshegotashock,whenDamononlyansweredslowlyandsleepily.DidI…takeavowtotellyouthetruth?

Yes,Elenaliedinstantly.Sheneededthetruthfromhim.

Then…no, to be honest…I can’t. I don’t seem to have…a body now. It’scomfortableandwarm,andnothinghurtsanymore.And—IalmostfeelasifI’mnotalone.Don’tlaugh.

You’renotalone!Oh,Damon,don’tyouknowthat?I’llnever,everletyoubealone. Elena choked, wondering how to make him believe her. Just for a few moreseconds…now.

Here, she sent in a telepathicwhisper, I’ll give youmy precious secret. I’llnevertellanyoneelse.Doyourememberthemotelwestayedinonourroadtrip,andhoweveryone—evenyou—wonderedwhathappenedthatnight?

A…motel? A road trip? He was sounding very unsure now. Oh…yes. Iremember.And…thenextmorning—wondering.

BecauseShinichi tookyourmemories,Elena said, hoping that hateful namewouldrevivifyDamon.Butitdidn’t.LikeShinichi,Damonwasdonewiththeworldnow.

Elenaleanedhercheekagainsthiscoldandbloodyone.Iheldyou,darling,justlikethis—well,almostlikethis.Allnight.Thatwasallyouwanted,tonotfeelalone.

TherewasalongpauseandElenabegantopanicinthefewpartsofherthatwerenotnumboralreadyhysterical.Butthenthewordscameslowlytoher.

Thankyou…Elena.Thankyou…fortellingmeyourprecioussecret.

Yes, and I’ll tell you something even more precious. No one is alone. Notreally.Nooneiseveralone.

You’rewithme…sowarm…nothingtoworryaboutanymore…

Nothingmore,Elenapromisedhim.And I’ll alwaysbewith you.Noone isalone;Ipromiseit.

Elena…thingsarebeginningtofeelstrangenow.Notpain.ButIhavetotellyou…what I know you already know…. How I fell in love with you…you’ll remember,won’tyou?Youwon’tforgetme?

Forgetyou?HowcouldIeverforgetyou?

ButDamonwasspeakingonandsuddenlyElenaknewthathecouldn’thearher,notevenbytelepathyanymore.

Willyouremember?Forme?Justthat…Ilovedonce—justonce,really,inmywholelife.CanyourememberthatIlovedyou?Thatmakesmylife…worth…something…Hisvoicefaded.

Elenawassodizzynow.Sheknewshewasstill losingbloodfast.Toofast.Hermindwasnotsharp.Andshewassuddenlyshakenbyafreshstormofsobbing.Atleastshewouldneveryellagain—therewasnoonetoyellat.Damonhadgoneaway.Hehadrunawaywithouther.

Shewantedtofollow.Nothingwasreal.Didn’theunderstand?Shecouldnotimagineauniverse,nomatterhowmanydimensionstherewere,withoutaDamoninit.Therewasnoworldforher,iftherewasnoDamon.

Hecouldn’tdothistoher.

Neitherknowingnorcaringwhatshewasdoing,sheplungeddeep,deepintoDamon’smind,wieldingher telepathy likeasword,slashingat thewoodenconnectionsthatshefoundeverywhere.And,atlast,shefoundherselfplungingintotheverydeepestpart ofhim…where a littleboy, themetaphor forDamon’sunconscious,hadoncebeenloadedwithchainsandsettoguardthegreatstonethatDamonkepthisfeelingslockedin.

Oh,God,hemustbesofrightened,shethought.Whateverthecost,hemustnotbeallowedtogoawayfrightened….

Nowshesawhim.Thechild-Damon.Asalways,shecouldseeinthesweetlyroundedface, thesharp-cheekbonedyoungman thatDamonwouldbecome, in thewideblackeyes,thepotentialforhislookoffathomlessdarkness.

Butalthoughhewasnotsmiling,thechild’slookwasopenandwelcoming,inawaythatDamon’solderselfhadneverbeen.Andthechains…thechainsweregone.Thegreatstonewasgonetoo.

“Iknewyou’dcome,”theboywhispered,andElenatookhimintoherarms.

Easy, Elena told herself. Easy. He’s not real. He’s what’s left of Damon’smind, thedeepestpartofhishindbrain.But still, he’s evenyounger thanMargaret, andhe’sjustassoftandwarm.Nomatterwhat,pleaseGod,don’tlethimknowwhat’sreallyhappeningtohim.

But therewasknowledge in thewide,darkchildeyes that turnedup toherface.“I’msogladtoseeyou,”heconfided.“IthoughtthatImightnevertalktoyouagain.And—he—you know—he left some messages with me. I don’t think he could sayanythingmore,sohesentthemtome.”

Elena understood. If therewas anywhere thewood had not reached, itwasintothislastpartofthebrain, themostprimitivepart.Damonstillcouldspeaktoher—throughthisinfant.

Butbeforeshecouldspeakherself,shesawthatthereweretearsinthechild’seyesandthenhisbodyspasmedandhebithislipveryhard—tokeepfromcryingout,sheguessed.

“Doesithurt?”sheasked,tryingtobelievethatitdidn’t.Desperatetobelieveit.

“Notsomuch.”Buthewaslying,sherealized.Still,hehadn’tshedanytears.Hehadhispride,thischild-Damon.

“Ihaveaspecialmessageforyou,”hesaid.“Hetoldmetotellyouthathe’llalwaysbewithyou.Andthatyou’reneveralone.Thatnooneisreallyalone.”

39

Elenaclutchedthechildtoher.Damonhadunderstood,eveninhisdazedandconfusedstate.Everyonewasconnected.Noonewasalone.

“Andheaskedsomethingelse.Heaskedifyouwouldholdme,justlikethis—ifIgotsleepy.”VelvetydarkeyessearchedElena’sface.“Wouldyoudothat?”

Elenatriedtokeepsteady.“I’llholdyou,”shepromised.

“Andyouwon’tletgoever?”

“AndIwon’tletgoever,”Elenatoldhim,becausehewasachild,andtherewasnopointinfrighteninghimifhehadnofear.AndbecausemaybethispartofDamon—this small, innocent part—would have some kind of “forever.” She had heard thatvampiresdidn’tcomeback,didn’treincarnate thewayhumansdid.Thevampires in thetop Dark Dimension were still “alive”—adventurers or fortune-seekers, or condemnedthereasaprisonbytheCelestialCourt.

“I’llholdyou,”Elenapromisedagain.“Foreverandever.”

Just thenhis smallbodywent intoanother spasm,and she saw tearsonhisdarkeyelashes,andbloodonhislip.Butbeforeshecouldsayaword,headded,“Ihavemoremessages.Iknowthembyheart.But”—hiseyesbeggedherforgiveness—“Ihavetogivethemtotheothers.”

Whatothers?Elenathoughtatfirst,bewildered.Thensheremembered.StefanandBonnie.Therewereotherlovedones.

“Ican…tellthemforyou,”shesaidhesitantly,andhegaveatinysmile,hisfirst,justthecornerofonelipup.

“Heleftmealittletelepathy,too,”hesaid.“IkeptitincaseIhadtocalltoyou.”

Still fiercely independent,Elena thought.All she saidwas, “Yougo ahead,then.”

“Thefirstoneisformybrother,Stefan.”

“Youcantellhiminjustamoment,”Elenasaid.SheheldontothesmallboyinDamon’ssoul,knowingthatthiswasthelastthingshehadlefttogivehim.Shecouldsacrifice a fewpriceless seconds, so that Stefan andBonnie could say their owngood-byes. Shemade some sort of enormous adjustment to her real body—her body outsideDamon’smind,andfoundherselfopeninghereyes,blinkingandtryingtofocus.

ShesawStefan’sface,whiteandstricken.“Ishe—?”

“No. But soon. He can hear telepathy, if you think clearly, as if youwerespeaking.Heaskedtotalktoyou.”

“Tome?”Stefanbent down slowly andput his cheek against his brother’s.Elena shut her eyes again, guiding him down through the darkness towhere one smalllightwasstillshining.ShefeltStefan’swonderashesawherthere,stillholdingthelittle

dark-hairedboyinherarms.

Elenahadn’trealizedthatthroughherlinktothechild,shewouldbeabletoheareverywordspoken.OrthatDamon’smessageswouldcomeinthewordsofachild.

Thelittleboysaid,“IguessyouthinkI’mprettystupid.”

Stefan started. He’d never seen or heard the child-Damon before. “I couldneverthinkthat,”hesaidslowly,marveling.

“Butitwasn’tmuchlike…him,youknow.Like…me.”

“I think,” Stefan said unsteadily, “that it’s terribly sad—that I never reallykneweitherofyouverywell.”

“Pleasedon’t be sad.That’swhathe toldme to say.That you shouldn’t besad…orafraid.Hesaidit’salittlebitlikegoingtosleep,andalittlebitlikeflying.”

“I’ll…rememberthat.And—thankyou—bigbrother.”

“Ithinkthat’sall.Youknowtowatchoverourgirls….”Therewasanotheroftheterriblespasmsthatleftthechildbreathless.Stefanspokequickly.

“Ofcourse.I’lltakecareofeverything.Youfly.”

ElenacouldfeelthegriefslashatStefan’sheart,buthisvoicewascalm.“Flyawaynow,mybrother.Flyaway.”

Elenafeltsomethingthroughthelink—BonnietouchingStefan’sshoulder.Hequicklygotupsothatshecouldliedown.Bonniewasalmosthystericalwithsobbing,butshehaddoneagoodthing,Elenasaw.WhileElenahadbeeninherownlittleworldwithDamon,BonniehadtakenadaggerandcutoffalonglockofElena’shair.Thenshehadcut one of her own strawberry curls, and placed the locks—onewavy and golden, onecurling and red-blond—on Damon’s chest. It was all they could do on this flowerlessworldtohonorhim,tobewithhimforever.

Elena could hearBonnie, too, through her linkwithDamon, but at first allBonniecoulddowassob,“Damon,please!Oh,please!Ididn’tknow—Ineverthought—thatanyonewouldgethurt!Yousavedmylife!Andnow—oh,please!Ican’tsaygood-bye!”

She didn’t understand,Elena thought, that shewas talking to a very youngchild.ButDamonhadsentthechildamessagetorepeat.

“I’m supposed to tell you good-bye, though.” For the first time the childlooked uneasy. “And—and I’m supposed to tell you ‘I’m sorry,’ too.He thought you’dknowwhatthatmeantandyou’dforgiveme.But…ifyoudon’t…Idon’tknowwhatwillhappen—oh!”

Anotherof thehatefulspasmswent throughthechild.Elenaheldon tohimhard,bitingherownlipuntil thebloodcame;at thesametimetryingtoshieldthelittleboy completely from her own feelings. And deep in Damon’smind, she sawBonnie’sexpressionchange,fromtearfulpenancetoastonishedfeartocarefulcontrol.AsifBonniehadgrownupallinaninstant.

“Of course—of course I understand! And I forgive you—but you haven’tdoneanythingwrong.I’msuchasillygirl—I…”

“We don’t think you’re a silly girl,” the child said, looking vastly relieved.“Butthankyouforforgivingme.There’saspecialnameI’msupposedtocallyou,too—butI…”HesankbackagainstElena.“Iguess—I’m…gettingsleepy…”

“Was it ‘redbird’?”Bonnie asked carefully, and the littleboy’spale face litup.

“That was it. You knew already. You’re all…so nice and so smart. Thankyou…formakingiteasy…ButcanIsayonemorething?”

Elenawasabout toanswer,whenabruptlyshewas jarredcompletelyoutofDamon’smindandbackintoreality.TheTreehadslammeddownanotherspider’slegsetofbranches,trappingthemandDamon’sbodybetweentwocirclesofwoodenbars.

Elenahadnoplans.NoideahowtogettothestarballthatDamonhaddiedfor.EithertheTreewasintelligent,oritwaswiredtohavesuchefficientdefensesthatitmightaswellhavebeen.Theywere lyingon theevidence thatmany,manypeoplehadtriedforthatstarball—andleftbehindtheirbonesgroundtosand.

Come to that, she thought, I wonder why it hasn’t gone for us, too—especiallyforBonnie.She’sbeenin,andthenout,andbackinagain,whichIshouldneverhave letherdoexcept thatwewereall thinkingaboutDamon.Whydidn’t itgoforheragain?

Stefan was trying to be strong, trying to organize something out of thisdisaster that was so stunning that Elena herself simply sat. Bonniewas sobbing again,makingheart-wrenchingsounds.

Between both circular sets of bars a wooden network was spreading—tooclose-knit for even Bonnie to squeeze through. Elena’s groupwas efficiently separatedfromanythingoutsidethesandpit,andjustasefficientlyseparatedfromthestarball.

“Theaxe!”Stefancalledtoher.“Throwme—”

But there was no time. A rootlet had curled around it and was swiftlydraggingitintotheupperbranches.

“Stefan,I’msorry!Iwastooslow!”

“Itwastoofast!”Stefancorrected.

Elena held her breath, waiting for the last crash from above, the one thatwouldkillthemall.Whenitdidn’tcome,sherealizedsomething.TheTreewasnotonlyintelligent, but sadistic. Theywere to be trapped here, away from their supplies, to dieslowlyofthirstandstarvation,ortogomadwatchingtheothersdie.

ThebestthattheycouldhopeforwasthatStefanwouldkillbothBonnieandher—but even he would never get out. These wooden branches would come crashingdown again and again, as often as theTree felt necessary, until Stefan’s crushed bonesjoinedtheothersthathadbeenmilledtofinesand.

Thatwaswhatdidit,thethoughtofallofthem,trappedwithDamon,making

amockeryofhisdeath.ThethingthathadbeenswellinginsideElenaforweeksnow,athearing thestoriesaboutchildrenwhoate theirpets,atcreatureswhodelighted inpain,had,withDamon’ssacrifice,finallygottensobigthatshecouldnolongercontainit.

“Stefan,Bonnie—don’t touchthebranches,”shegasped.“Makesureyou’renottouchinganypartofthebranches.”

“I’mnot,love,andBonnieisn’teither.Butwhy?”

“Ican’tkeepitinanymore!Ihavetostandlikethis—”

“Elena,no!Thatspell—”

Elena could no longer think. The hateful demi-light was driving her mad,remindingherofthepinpointofgreeninDamon’spupils,thehorriblegreenlightoftheTree.

She understood exactly about the Tree’s sadism to her friends…and in thecornerofhereyeshecouldseeabitofblack…likearagdoll.Exceptthatitwasnodoll;itwasDamon.Damonwithallofhiswildandwittyspiritbroken.Damon…whomustbegonefromthisandallworldsbynow.

Hisfacewascoveredwithherblood.Therewasnothingpeacefulordignifiedabouthim.TherewasnothingtheTreehadnottakenfromhim.

Elenalosthermind.

With a scream that peeled raw and bleeding from her backbone and camehoarselyoutofherthroat,ElenagrabbedabranchoftheTreethathadkilledDamon,thathadmurderedherbeloved,andthatwouldmurderherandthesetwoothersshelovedaswell.

She had no thoughts. Shewasn’t capable of thinking.But instinctively sheheld a high bough of the Tree’s cage and let the fury explode out of her, the fury ofmurderedlove.

WingsofDestruction.

ShefelttheWingsarchbehindher,likeebonylaceandblackpearls,andforamomentshefeltlikeadeadlygoddess,knowingthatthisplanetwouldneverharboranylifeeveragain.

Whentheattackflaredout,itturnedthetwilightallaroundhertomatteblack.What a fitting color. Damon will like this, she thought in confusion, and then sherememberedagain,and it slammedblisteringoutofheragain, thePower todestroy theTreealloverthissmallworld.Itshatteredherfromtheinsidebutsheletitkeepcoming.Nophysicalpaincouldcomparewithwhatwasinherheart,withthepainoflosingwhatshehadlost.Nophysicalpaincouldexpresshowshefelt.

Thehugerootsinthegroundunderneaththemwerebuckingasif therewasanearthquake,andthen—

TherewasadeafeningsoundasthetrunkoftheGreatTreeexplodedstraightupward like a rocket, disintegrating to fine ash as itwent.The spider’s-legbars aroundthemsimplydisappearedalongwiththecanopyabove.SomethinginElena’smindnoted

thatveryfarawaythesamedestructionwasgoingon,racingtoturnbranchesandleavesintoinfinitesimalbitsofmatterthathungintheairlikehaze.

“Thestarball!”Bonniecriedintheeeriesilence,anguished.

“Vaporized!”StefancaughtElenaasshesanktoherknees,heretherealblackwingsfading.“Butwe’dneverhavegottenitanyway.ThatTreehadbeenprotectingitforthousandsofyears!Allwe’dhavegottenwouldhavebeenaslowdeath.”

ElenahadturnedbacktoDamon.Shehadnotbeentouchingthestakethatranthrough him—in seconds it would be the only remnant of the Tree on thisworld. Shecouldhardlydarehope that therewasa sparkof life left inhimnow,but thechildhadwantedtospeakwithherandshewouldmakethatpossibleordietrying.ShescarcelyfeltStefan’sarmsaroundher.

Onceagain,sheplungedintotheverydepthsofDamon’smind.Thistimesheknewexactlywheretogo.

And there, by amiracle, hewas, althoughobviously inhideouspain.Tearswererollingdownhischeeksandhewastryingnottosob.Hislipswerebittenraw.HerWings had not been able to destroy the wood inside him—it had already done itspoisonousdamage—andtherewasnowaytoreversethat.

“Oh,no,ohGod!”Elenacaughtthechildinherarms.Ateardropfellonherhand.Sherockedhim,scarcelyknowingwhatshewassaying.“WhatcanIdotohelp?”

“You’rehereagain,”hesaid,andinhisvoice,sheheardtheanswer.Thiswasallthathewanted.Hewasaverysimplechild.

“I’llbehere—always.Always.I’mneverlettinggo.”

Thisdidn’thavetheeffectthatshewanted.Theboygasped,tryingtosmile,butwastornwithahorriblespasmthatalmostarchedhisbodyoutofherarms.

AndElenarealizedthatshewasturningtheinevitableintoslow,excruciatingtorture.

“I’llholdyou,”shemodifiedherwordsforhim,“untilyouwantmetoletgo.Allright?”

Henodded.Hisveryvoicewasbreathlesswithpain.“Couldyou—couldyouletmeshutmyeyes?Just…justforamoment?”

Elenaknew,asperhapsthischilddidnot,whatwouldhappenifshestoppedbadgeringhimandlethimsleep.Butshecouldn’tstandtoseehimsufferinganylonger,andnothingwasrealagain,andtherewasnooneelseintheworldforher,andshedidn’tevencareifdoingitthiswaymeantshewouldfollowhimintodeath.

Carefullysteadyinghervoice,shesaid,“Maybe…wecanbothshutoureyes.Notforalongtime—no!But…justforamoment.”

Shekeptrockingthesmallbodyinherarms.Shecouldstillfeelafaintpulseoflife…notaheartbeat,butstill,apulsing.Sheknewthathehadn’tshuthiseyesyet;thathewasstillfightingthetorture.

Forher.Notforanythingelse.Forhersakeonly.

Puttingherlipsclosetohisear,shewhispered,“Let’scloseoureyestogether,allright?Let’sclosethem…atthecountofthree.Isthatallright?”

Therewassuchrelief inhisvoiceandsuchlove.“Yes.Together.I’mready.Youcancountnow.”

“One.” Nothing mattered except holding him and keeping herself steady.“Two.And…”

“Elena?”

Shewasstartled.Hadthechildeversaidhernamebefore?

“Yes,sweetheart?”

“Elena…I…loveyou.Notjustbecauseofhim.Iloveyoutoo.”

Elena had to hide her face in his hair. “I love you, too, little one. You’vealwaysknownthat,haven’tyou?”

“Yes—always.”

“Yes. You’ve always known that. And now…we’ll close our eyes—for amoment.Three.”

Shewaiteduntilthelastfaintmovementstopped,andhisheadfellback,andhis eyeswere shut and the shadowof sufferingwasgone.He looked,notpeaceful, butsimply gentle—and kind, and Elena could see in his facewhat an adultwithDamon’sfeaturesandthatexpressionwouldlooklike.

ButnoweventhesmallbodywasevaporatingrightoutofElena’sarms.Oh,shewasstupid.She’dforgottentoclosehereyeswithhim.Shewassodizzy,eventhoughStefanhadstoppedthebleedingfromherneck.Closinghereyes…maybeshewouldlookashehad.Elenawassogladthathe’dgonegentlyattheend.

Maybethedarknesswouldbekindtoher,too.

Everythingwasquietnow.Timetoputawayhertoysanddrawthecurtains.Timenowtogetinbed.Onelastembrace…andnowherarmswereempty.

Nothinglefttodo,nothinglefttofight.She’ddoneherbest.And,atleast,thechildhadnotbeenfrightened.

Timetoturnoffthelightnow.Timetoshutherowneyes.

Thedarknesswasverykindtoher,andshewentintoitgently.

40

Butafteranendlesstimeinthesoft,kinddarkness,somethingwasforcingElenabackupinto light. Real light. Not the terrible green half-light of the Tree. Even through shuteyelids she could see it, feel its heat. A yellow sun. Where was she? She couldn’tremember.

Andshedidn’tcare.Somethingwassayinginsideherthatthegentledarknesswasbetter.Butthensherememberedaname.

Stefan.

Stefanwas…?

Stefanwastheonewho…theonesheloved.Buthe’dneverunderstoodthatlovewasnotsingular.He’dneverunderstoodthatshecouldbeinlovewithDamonandthat it would never change an atom’s worth of her love for him. Or that his lack ofunderstandinghadbeensowrenchingandpainfulthatshehadfelttornintotwodifferentpeopleattimes.

Butnow,evenbeforesheopenedhereyes,sherealizedthatshewasdrinking.She was drinking the blood of a vampire, and that vampire wasn’t Stefan. There wassomethinguniqueinthisblood.Itwasdeeperandspicierandmoreheavy,allatonce.

Shecouldn’thelpopeninghereyes.Forsomereasonshedidn’tunderstand,they flewopenandshe tried immediately to focuson thescentand feelingandcolorofwhoeverwasbendingoverher,holdingher.

She couldn’t understand, either, her sense of letdown when she slowlyrealizedthatitwasSageleaningoverher,holdinghergentlybutsecurelytohisneck,withhisbronzechestbareandwarmfromthesunlight.

Butshewaslyingdownflat,ongrass,fromwhatherhandscouldfeel…andforsomereasonherheadwascold.Verycold.

Coldandwet.

She stoppeddrinking and tried to sit up.The light gripbecame firmer.SheheardSage’svoicesay,andfelttherumblinginhischestashesaidit,“Mapauvrepetite,youmustdrinkmoreinamomentorso.Andyourhairhasstillsomeoftheashesinit.”

Ashes?Ashes? Didn’t you put ashes on your head for…nowwhat had shebeenthinkingabout?Itwasasiftherewasablockinhermind,keepingherfromgettingcloseto…something.Butshewasn’tgoingtobetoldwhattodo.

Elenasatup.

She was in—yes, she was very sure—the kitsune paradise, and until amomentagoherbodyhadbeenarchedback,so thatherhairhadbeen in theclear littlestream that shehad seenearlier.Stefan andBonniehadbeenwashing somethingpitch-blackoutofherhair.Theybothweresmudgedwithblackaswell:Stefanhadabigswathacrossonecheekbone,andBonniehadfaintgraystreaksbelowhereyes.

Crying.Bonniehadbeencrying.Shewas still crying, in little sobs that shewas trying to suppress. And now that Elena looked harder she could see that Stefan’seyelidswereswollenandthathehadbeencryingtoo.

Elena’slipswerenumb.Shefellbackontothegrass,lookingupatSage,whowaswipinghiseyesfurtively.Herthroatached,notjustinside,wheresobbingandgaspingmightmakeithurt,butoutside,too.Shehadapictureofherselfslashingatherownneckwithaknife.

Throughhernumblips,shewhispered,“AmIavampire?”

“Pasencore,”Sagesaidunsteadily.“Notyet.ButStefanandI,webothhadtogiveyoumassiveamountsofblood.Youmustbeverycareful in thenextdays.Youarerightonthebrink.”

That explained how she felt. Probably Damon was hoping that she wouldbecomeone,wickedboy.Instinctively,sheheldoutherhandtoStefan.Maybeshecouldhelphim.

“Wejustwon’tdoanythingforalittlewhile,”shesaid.“Youdon’thavetobesad.” But she herself still felt verywrong. She hadn’t felt thiswrong since she’d seenStefaninprisonandhadthoughtthathewoulddieatanymoment.

No…itwasworse…becausewithStefantherehadbeenhopeandElenahadthe feeling thatnowhopewasgone.Everythingwasgone.Shewashollow: agirlwholookedsolid,butwhoseinsidesweremissing.

“I’mdying,”shewhispered.“Iknowit…Areyouallgoingtosaygood-byenow?”

And with that Sage—Sage!—choked up and began to sob. Stefan, stilllookingsooddlymussed,withthosetracesofsootonhisfaceandarmsandhishairandclothessoakingwet,said,“Elena,you’renotgoingtodie.Notunlessyouchooseto.”

ShehadneverseenStefanlooklikethisbefore.Noteveninprison.Hisflame,hisinnerfirethatheshowedtoalmostnoonebutElena,hadgoneout.

“Sage saved us,” he said, slowly carefully, as if it cost him great effort tospeak.“Theashthatwasfalling—youandBonniewouldhavediedifyou’dhadtobreatheanymoreof it.ButSageput adoorback to theGatehouse right in frontofus. I couldbarelyseeit;myeyesweresofullofashfall,andit’sonlygettingworseonthatmoon.”

“Ashfall,”Elenawhispered.Therewassomethingatthebottomofhermind,but once againhermemory failedher. Itwas almost as if she’dbeen Influenced to notremember.Butthatwasridiculous.

“Why were ashes falling?” she asked, realizing that her voice was husky,hoarse—asifshe’dcheeredtoolongatafootballgame.

“YouusedWingsofDestruction,”Stefansaidsteadily,lookingatherwithhisswollen eyes. “You saved our lives. But you killed the Tree—and the star balldisintegrated.”

Wings of Destruction. She must have lost her temper. And she’d killed a

world.Shewasamurderer.

Andnowthestarballwaslost.Fell’sChurch.Oh,God.WhatwouldDamonsaytoher?Elenahaddoneeverything—everythingwrong.Bonniewassobbingnow,herfaceturnedaway.

“I’msorry,”Elenasaid,knowinghowinadequatethiswas.Forthefirsttimeshelookedaroundmiserably.“Damon?”shewhispered.“Hewon’tspeaktome?BecauseofwhatIdid?”

SageandStefanlookedateachother.

IcewentdownElena’sspine.

She started to get up, but her legsweren’t the legs she remembered. Theywanted to unlock at the knees. She was staring down at herself, at her own wet andsmudged clothes—and then something like mud came down her forehead. Mud orcongealingblood.

Bonniemadeasound.Shewasstillsobbing,butshewasspeaking,too,inanewhuskyvoicethatmadehersoundmucholder.“Elena—wedidn’tgettheashesoutofthetopofyourhair.Sagehadtogiveyouanemergencytransfusion.”

“I’llgettheashesout,”Elenasaidflatly.Sheletherkneesbend.Shefellontothem,jarringherbody.Then,twisting,sheleaneddowntothelittlebrookandletherheadfall forward.Through the icyshockshecoulddimlyhearexclamations from thepeopleabovewater,andStefan’ssharp,Elena,areyouallright?inherhead.

No,shethoughtback.ButI’mnotdrowning,either.I’mwashingoutmyhair.MaybeDamonwillatleastseemeifI’mpresentable.Maybehe’llcomewithusandfightforFell’sChurch.

Letmehelpyouup,Stefansentquietly.

Elenahadcome to theendofherair.Shepulledherheavyheadoutof thewaterandflippedit,soakingbutclean,sothatitfelldownherback.ShestaredatStefan.

“Why?”shesaid—andthen,withasuddenpanic—“Hasheleftalready?Washeangry…withme?”

“Stefan.” It was Sage, speaking tiredly. Stefan, whowas staring out of hisgreeneyeslikeahuntedanimal,madesomefaintsound.

“The Influence, it is not working,” Sage said. “Shewill remember on herown.”

41

Stefandidn’tmoveorspeakforlongmoments.Elena’sheartswelled.Suddenlyshewasasafraidasheclearlywas.Shewenttohimandtookbothhishands,whichwereshaking.

Darling, don’t cry, she sent.Theremust still be time to saveFell’sChurch.There must. It can’t end this way. And besides, Shinichi is gone! We can get to thechildren; we can break the conditioning…” She stopped. It was as if the word“conditioning”echoedinherears.Stefan’sgreeneyeswerefillinghervision.Hermindwasgetting…itwasgettingfuzzy.Everythingwasbecomingunrealagain.Inaminuteshewouldn’tbeableto…

Shewrenchedhereyesaway,breathinghard.

“Youwere Influencingme,” she said. She could hear the anger in her ownvoice.

“Yes,”Stefanwhispered.“I’vebeenInfluencingyouforhalfanhour.”

Howdareyou?Elenathought,justforhim.

“I’mstoppingit…now,”Stefansaidquietly.

“AsamI,”Sageadded,soundingexhausted.

AndtheuniversedidaslowspinandElenarememberedwhatitwasthattheywereallkeepingfromher.

With a wild sob, she rose, scattering droplets, coming to her feet like anavenginggoddess.ShelookedatSage.ShelookedatStefan.

AndStefanprovedhowbravehewas,howmuchhe lovedher.He toldherwhatshealreadyknew.“Damonisgone,Elena.I’msosorry.I’msorryif…ifIkeptyoufrombeingwithhimasmuchasyouwantedto.I’msorryifIcamebetweenyou.Ididn’tunderstand—howmuchyou lovedeachother. Idonow.”And thenhedroppedhis faceintohishands.

Elenawantedtogotohim.Toscoldhim,toholdhim.TotellStefanthatshelovedhimjustasmuch,dropfordrop,grainforgrain.Butherbodyhadgonenumb,andthe darkness was threatening again…all she could do was hold out her arms as shecrumpledontothegrass.AndthensomehowBonnieandStefanwereboththere,thethreeofthemallsobbing:Elenawiththeintensityofnewdiscovery;Stefanwithalostsoundthat Elena had never heard before; and Bonnie with a dry, wrenching exhaustion thatseemedtowanttoshatterhersmallbody.

Timelostallmeaning.ElenawantedtogrieveforeverymomentofDamon’spainfuldeath,andforeverymomentofhislife,too.Somuchhadbeenlost.Shecouldn’tgetherheadaroundit,andshedidn’twanttodoanythingbutcryuntilthekinddarknesstookhermindagain.

ThatwaswhenSagebroke.

He grabbed Elena and pulled her up, and shook her by the shoulders. It

snappedherheadbackandforth.

“Yourtownisinruins!”heshouted,asifthiswasherfault.“Midnightmayormaynotbringdisaster.Oh,yes,IsawitallinyourmindwhenIwentintoInfluenceyou.LittleFell’sChurchisalreadydevastated.Andyouwon’tevenfightforit!”

Somethingblazed throughElena. Itmelted thenumbness, the iciness. “Yes,I’llfightforit!”shescreamed.“I’llfightforitwitheverybreathinmybody,untilIstopthepeoplewhodidit,oruntiltheykillme!”

“Andhow,puis-jesavoir,willyougetback in time?By the timeyouwalkbackthewayyoucame,itwillallbeover!”

Stefanwas beside her, bracing her, shoulder to shoulder. “Thenwe’ll forceyoutosendussomeotherway—sothatwecangetbackintime!”

Elenastared.No.No.Stefancouldn’thavesaid that.Stefandidn’t forcehisway—andshewouldn’thavehimchanginghimself.ShewhirledbackonSage.“There’snoneedtofight!IhaveaMasterKeyinmybackpack,andmagicworkshereinsidetheGatehouse!”shecried.

But Stefan and Sagewere staring each other down, each fierce and intent.ElenawantedtogotoStefanbuttheworldwasdoinganotherofitsslowsomersaults.ShewasafraidthatSagewouldattackStefan,andthatshecouldn’tevenfightforhim.

But instead, suddenly, Sage threw back his head and laughed wildly. Orperhapsitwassomethingbetweenthunderouslaughingandcrying.Itwasaseerieasthesound of a wolf baying, and Elena felt Bonnie’s small, trembling body hug her—tocomfortbothofthem.

“Whatthehell!”Sagebellowed,andnowtherewasawildlookinhiseyes,too.“Maisoui,whattheHell?”Helaughedagain.“Afterall,IamtheGatekeeper,andIhavealreadybrokentherulesbyallowingyouthroughtwodifferentdoors.”

Stefanwasstillbreathinghard.NowhereachedoutandgrabbedSagebyhisbroadshouldersandshookhimwiththestrengthofavampiregonemad.“Whatareyoutalkingabout?There’snotimefortalk!”

“Ah, but there is, mon ami. My friend, there is. What you need is thefirepoweroftheheavenstosaveFell’sChurch—andtoundothedamagethathasalreadybeen done. To wipe it out, to make it as if it had never happened. And,” Sage addeddeliberately,lookingdirectlyatElena,“perhaps—justperhaps—toundothisday’sevents,also.”

Suddenly every inch of Elena’s skin was tingling. Her whole body waslistening to Sage, leaning toward him, yearning,while her eyeswidenedwith the onlyotherquestionthatmattered.

Sagesaid,verysoftly,verytriumphantly,“Yes.Theycanbestowlifeuponthedead. They have that Power. They can bring back mon petit tyran Damon—as theybroughtyouback.”

StefanandBonniewereholdingElenaup.Shecouldn’tstandonherown.

“Butwhy would they help?” she whispered painfully. She wouldn’t allowherselfevenabreathofhope,notuntilsheunderstoodeverything.

“In exchange forwhatwas stolen from themmillennia ago,” Sage replied.“Youare ina fortressofHell,youknow.That iswhat theGatehouse is.TheGuardianscannotenterhere.Theycannotstormthegateanddemandbackwhatisinside…theseven—pardon,nowsix—kitsunetreasures.”

Notabreathofhope.Notabreath.ButElenaheardherselfgiveawildlaugh.

“Howdowegivethemapark?Orafieldofblackroses?”

“Wegive them the rights to the land that theparkand the fieldof roses lieupon.”

Not a breath, even though the bodies on either side of Elenawere shakingnow.“AndhowdoweofferthemtheFountainofEternalYouthandLife?”

“Wedonot.However,Ihaveherevariouscontainers,waitingtobecollectedas garbage.The threat of a gallonbottle ofLaFontaine randomly spread all over yourEarth…that would devastate them.And, of course,” Sage added, “I know the kinds ofgemswith enchantments already upon them that theywouldmost desire. Here, let meopenthedoorsallatonce!Wetakeallwecan—therooms,stripthembare!”

Hisenthusiasmwascontagious.Elenahalf-turned,breathheld,eyeswidenedtocatchthefirstglowingofadoor’slight.

“Wait.”Stefan’svoicewashardsuddenly.BonnieandElenaturnedbackandfroze,embracingeachother,trembling.“Whatisyour—yourfather—goingtodotoyouwhenhefindsoutthatyouallowedthis?”

“Hewillnotkillme,”Sagesaidbrusquely, thewild toneback inhisvoice.“HemayevenfinditasamusantasIdo,andwewillbesharingabellylaughtomorrow.”

“And if he doesn’t find it amusing? Sage, I don’t think…Damonwouldn’thavewanted—”

Sagewhirledaroundandforthefirsttimesinceshehadmethim,Elenacouldbelievewithherwholesoulthathewasthesonofhisfather.Hiseyeshadevenseemedtochangecolor,totheyellowofaflame,withdiamondpupilslikeacat’s.Hisvoicewaslikesteelsplintering,hardereventhanStefan’s.“Whatisbetweenmyfatherandmeismyownbusiness—mine!Stayhereifyouwant.Heneverbothershimselfaboutvampires,anyway—hesaysthey’recursedalready.ButIamgoingtodoeverythingIcantobringmonchériDamonback.”

“Whateverthecosttoyou?”

“Thehellwiththecost!”

ToElena’ssurprise,StefangrippedSage’sshoulders foramomentand thensimplyhuggedasmuchofhimashecouldhold.

“Ijustwantedtomakesure,”hesaidquietly.“Thankyou,Sage.Thankyou.”ThenheturnedandstrodeovertotheRoyalRadhikaplant,andwithoneyank,pulleditoutofitsbower.

Elena, heart beating in her lips and throat and fingertips, ran to gather theemptycontainersandbottlesSagewastossingoutofaninthdoorwaythathadappearedinbetween themineshaftand the fieldofblack roses.ShesnatchedupagalloncontainerandanEvianwaterbottle,bothwithsecurecapsintact.Theyweremadeofplastic,whichwas good, because she dropped them both just going across the room to the bubblingfountain. Her hands were shaking that badly; and all the time she was sending up amonotonousprayer,Oh,please.Oh,please.Oh,please!

ShegotwaterintobothcontainersattheFountainandcappedthem.Andthenshe realized thatBonniewas still standing in themiddle of theGatehouse. She lookedbewildered,frightened.

“Bonnie?”

“Sage?”Bonniesaid.“Howdoweget these things to theCelestialCourt tobargainwiththem?”

“Have no worries,” Sage said kindly. “I am certain that Guardians will bewaitingjustoutsidetoarrestus.TheywilltakeustotheCourt.”

Bonnie didn’t stop trembling, but she nodded and hurried to help Sage getbottlesofBlackMagic—andbreakthem.“Asymbol,”hesaid.“UnsigneofwhatwewilldotothisareaiftheCelestialsdon’tagree.Becarefulnottocutyourprettyhands.”

Elena thought she heard Bonnie’s husky voice then, and that it was not ahappytone.ButSage’srumblingmurmurwasreassuring.AndElenawouldneitherallowherself to hopenor despair. Shehad a task in hand, a scheme.ShewasmakingprivatePlansfortheCelestialCourt.

When she and Bonnie had all the plunder they could carry, and theirbackpackswerefullaswell,whenStefanhadtwonarrowblackboxesthathelddeeds,andwhenSagelookedlikeacrossbetweenSantaClausandabronzed,gorgeous,long-hairedHercules,ashecarriedtwosacksmadeofpillowcases,theygaveonelastlookaroundattheravagedGatehouse.

“All right,” Sage said then. “Time to face the Guardians.” He smiledreassuringlyatBonnie.

As usual, Sage was right. The moment they came out with their booty,Guardians from two different dimensionswere ready for them. The first typewere theoneswholookedvaguelylikeElena:blondhair,darkblueeyes,slender.TheGuardiansoftheNetherWorldseemedseniortothese,andwerelithewomenwithskinsodarkitwasalmost ebony, and hair that curled tightly in a cap over their heads.Behind themwerebrilliantgoldenaircars.

“You are under arrest,” one of the dark ones said, not looking as if sheenjoyedherjob,“forremovingtreasuresthatrightfullybelongtotheCelestialCourtoutofthe sanctuarywhere itwas agreed that theywould be kept, under the laws of both ourdimensions.”

And then it was only a matter of hanging on to the golden air cars whilehangingonatthesametimetotheirunlawfulbooty.

TheCelestialCourtwas…celestial.Pearlywhitewithafainthintofblue.Minarets.Itwasa long distance from the heavily guarded gate—where Elena had seen a third type ofGuardian,onewithshortredhairandslanted,piercinggreeneyes—totheactualpalace,whichseemedtoencompassacity.

But itwaswhenElena’sgroupwasguided to the throne room that the realculture shockhit. Itwas far largerand farmoreglorious thanany roomElenahadeverimagined.NoballorgalaintheDarkDimensionscouldhavepreparedherintheleastforit.Thecathedralceilingseemed tobemadeentirelyofgold,aswere thedouble lineofstatelycolumnsthatmarchedverticallyacrossthefloor.Theflooritselfwasofintricatelypatternedmalachiteandgold-threadedlapislazuli,withgoldseeminglyusedasgrouting—andwithaheavyhandatthat.Thethreegoldenfountainsinthemiddleoftheroom(thecentralonewasthelargestandmostelaborate)threwintotheairnotwater,butdelicatelyperfumed flower petals that sparkled like diamonds in turning at their apex and thenfloated down again. Stained-glass windows in brilliant colors that Elena couldn’tremember everhaving seenbefore threw rainbow light like abenediction fromhighoneverywall,givingwarmthtotheotherwisecoolengravedgold.

Sage and Elena and Stefan and Bonnie were seated in small comfortablechairs just a few feet back froma great dais, drapedwith a fantasticallywoven goldencloth.Thetreasureswerespreadoutinfrontofthem,asattendantsdressedinflowingblueandgoldtooktheobjectsonebyoneuptothecurrentrulingtriumvirateinback.

The rulers comprised one each of the groups of Guardians—fair, dark,redheaded.Theirseatsonthedaisensuredthattheywerefarfrom—andhighabove—theirpetitioners.ButwithPowersenttohereyes,Elenacouldseeperfectlywellthattheyeachsatonanexquisitelyjeweledgoldenthrone.Theywerespeakingsoftlytogether,admiringtheRoyalRadhika flower—bluedelphiniums at themoment.Then thedarkone smiledandsentoneofherattendantsrunningforapotwithsoilfortheplanttosurvivein.

Elena stared sightlessly at the other treasures. A gallon of water from theFountainofEternalYouthandLife.SixbottlesofunbrokenBlackMagicwine,and theshards of at least thatmany around them. A blazing rainbow to rival the stained-glasswindows in fist-sized gems, some raw, some already faceted and polished, butmost ofthemnotonly faceted,but alsohand-carvedwithmysteriousgoldor silver inscriptions.Twolong,black,velvet-linedboxeswithyellowingcylindersofpapyrusorpaper insidethem,onewithapureblackroselyingnexttoit,andtheotherwithasimplesprayoflightspringtime-green leaves. Elena knew what the yellowed documents with their crackedwaxensealswere.Thedeedstothefieldofblackrosesandthekitsuneparadise.

Whenyousawallthetreasurestogetherlikethis,italmostseemedtoomuch,Elena thought. Any one object from any one of the Seven—no, now Six—kitsuneTreasureswas enough to tradeworlds for.One sprig of theRoyalRadhika,whichwasevennowbeingreturned,(pinklarkspurchangingtoawhiteorchid)properlypottedagain,wasimmeasurablyprecious.Sowasasinglevelvetyblackrose,withitspowertoholdthemost powerful of magics. One jewel from the hoard in the mining cavern, maybe adouble-fist-sized diamond that put the Star ofAfrica and theGolden Jubilee to shame.

Onedayinthekitsuneparadise,whereadaycouldseemlikeaperfectlifetime.OnesipofthateffervescentwaterthatcouldmakeahumanliveaslongastheoldestOldOne…

Ofcoursethereshouldalsohavebeenthelargeststarballinexistence,fullofeldritchPower,butElenawashopingthattheGuardianswouldoverlookthat.

Hoping? She wondered and shook her head at nothing, causing Bonnie tosqueezeherhandtightly.Nothoping.Shedidn’tdarehope.Notabreathyet.

Anotherattendant, red-haired, flashing themacoldgreen-eyed look,pickeduptheplasticgallonbottlethatsaidSector3Wateronthelabel.Sagerumbledassheleft,“Qu’est-cequi luiprend? Imean,what is herproblem? I like thewater in thevampiresector.Idon’tlikethepumpwaterintheNetherWorld.”

Elena had already figured out the color code for theGuardians. The blondones were all business, impatient only with delays. The dark ones were the kindest—maybetherewaslessworkforthemtodointheNetherWorld.Thegreen-eyedredheadswerejustplainbitchy.Unfortunately,theyoungwomanonthecentralthroneupthereonthedaiswasaredhead.

“Bonnie?”shewhispered.

Bonniehadtogulpandsniffbeforeshecouldgetout,“Yes?”

“HaveIevertoldyouhowmuchIlikeyoureyes?”

Bonnie gave her a long brown-eyed gaze before beginning to shake withlaughter. At least it started out like laughter, and then Bonnie burrowed her head intoElena’sshoulderandsimplyshook.

StefansqueezedElena’shand.“She’sbeentryingsohard—foryou.She—shelovedhimtoo,yousee.Ididn’tevenknowthat.Iguess…IguessI’vejustbeenblindonallsides.”

Heranhisfreehandthroughhisalready-tousledhair.Helookedveryyoung,likealittleboywhohadbeensuddenlypunishedfordoingsomethinghehadn’tbeentoldwaswrong.Elena rememberedhim in thebackyardof theboardinghouse,dancingwithher feet onhis feet, and then in his attic room,kissingher hands, her knuckles bruisedwithhammering,thepulsinginsideofherwrists.Shewantedtotellhimthateverythingwasgoingtobeallright,thatthelaughterwouldcomebacktohiseyes,butshecouldn’tstandthechanceoflyingtohim.

SuddenlyElenafeltlikeavery,veryoldwoman,whocouldhearandseeonlydimly, whose everymovement caused her terrible pain, and whowas cold inside. Hereveryjointandeverybonewasfilledwithice.

At last, when all the treasures, including a sparkling, diamond-set, goldenMaster Key, had been taken up for the young women on the thrones to handle, heft,examine, and discuss, a warm-eyed dark-skinned woman came to Elena’s group. “YoumayapproachTheirHighJudgmentsnow.And,”sheaddedinavoiceassoftasthestrokeofadragonfly’swing,“theyarevery,veryimpressed.Thatdoesn’toftenhappen.SpeakmeeklyandkeepyourheadslowandIthinkyoushallhaveyourhearts’desires.”

Something inside Elena gave a bound that would have sent her leaping toclutchat theretreatingattendant’s robe,but fortunatelyStefanhadher inanembraceofiron.Bonnie’sheadcameoffElena’sshoulder,andElenahadtorestrainher,inturn.

Theywalked, the very portrait ofmeekness, towhere four scarlet cushionsblazed against the goldenweave of the floor cloth.Once,Elenawould have refused toabaseherself.Now,shewasthankfulforasoftrestingplaceforherknees.

This close, she could see that the rulers eachwore a circlet of somemetal,fromwhichasinglestonehungontoherforehead.

“Wehaveconsideredyourpetition,”thedarkonesaid,herwhite-goldcircletwith itsdiamondpendantdazzlingElenawithpinpricksof lilacand redand royalblue.“Oh,yes,”sheadded,laughing.“Weknowwhatyouwant.EvenaGuardianonthestreetwouldhave tobeverybadather jobnot toknow.Youwantyour town…renewed.Theburned buildings rebuilt. The victims of the malach pestilence re-created, their soulsswathedagaininflesh,andtheirmemories—”

“But,first,”interruptedthefairone,wavingahand,“don’twehavebusinessathand?Thisgirl—ElenaGilbert—maynotbeeligibletobeaspokesmanforhergroup.IfshebecomesaGuardian,shedoesn’tbelongwiththepetitioners.”

Theredheadtossedherheadlikeanimpatientfilly,causingtherosegoldofhercirclettoflash,anditsrubytoshimmer.“Oh,goonthen,Ryannen.Ifyourrecruitmentlevelsaresolow—”

Thebusinesslikefaironeignoredthis,butbentforward,someofherhairheldbackfromherfacebyhercircletofyellowgoldwithitssapphirependant.“Whataboutit,Elena?Iknowourfirstencounterwas—unfortunate.YoumustbelievethatIamsorryforthat.Butyouwerewell onyourway tobecominga fullGuardianwhenwehadordersfromAbovetoweaveyouintoanewbodysothatyoucouldtakeupyourlifeasahumanagain.”

“You did that? Of course you did.” Elena’s voice was soft and low andflattering.“Youcandoanything.But—ourfirstencounter?Idon’tremember—”

“Youweretooyoung,andyousawjustaflashofouraircarasitpassedyourparents’ vehicle. Itwasmeant tobe aminor accidentwithone apparent casualty—you.Butinstead…”

Bonnie’shandsflewtohermouth.ShewasclearlygettingsomethingElenawasn’t.Herparents’“vehicle”…?Thelasttimeshe’ddrivenwithherfatherandmother—and littleMargaret—hadbeen thedayof the crash.Theday she’ddistractedher father,who’dbeendriving…

“Look,Daddy!Lookatthepretty—”

Andthenhadcometheimpact.

Elenaforgotaboutbeingmeekandkeepingherheadlow.Infact,sheraisedherhead,andmetgold-splatteredblueeyesverymuchlikehers.Herowngaze,sheknew,waspiercingandhard.

“You…killedmyparents?”shewhispered.

“No,no!”thedarkonecried.“Itwasanoperationgonesour.WeonlyhadtointersectwiththeEarthdimensionforafewminutes.But,quiteunexpectedly,yourtalentflared.Yousawouraircar.Insteadofacrashwithonlyoneapparentcasualty:you,yourfather turned to look and…”Slowly her voice trailed off asElena’s turned unbelievingeyesonher.

Bonnie was staring sightlessly into the distance, almost as if she were intrance.“Shinichi,”shebreathed.“Thatweirdriddleofhis—orwhateveritwas.Thatoneof us had murdered, and that it was nothing to do with being a vampire or a mercykilling…”

“I’dalwaysassumeditwasme,”Stefansaidquietly.“Mymotherneverreallyrecoveredaftermybirth.Shedied.”

“Butthatdoesn’tmakeyouamurderer!”Elenacried.“Notlikeme.Not likeme!”

“Well, thatwaswhy Iwasaskingyounow,” thebusinesslikeblondwomansaid.“Itwasaflawedmission,butyouunderstandthatwewereonlytryingtorecruityou,yes? It’s the traditional method. Our genes have honed us to be the best at managingpowerful,irrationaldemons,whodon’trespondtotraditionalstrengthbutrequireon-the-spotrecalculation—”

Elenachokedbackascream.Ascreamofwrath—agony—disbelief—guilt—shedidn’tknowwhat.HerPlans.Herschemes.Thewayshehadhandledboisterousboysinthebadolddays—itwasallgenetic.And…herparents…whathadtheydiedfor?

Stefan stood up.His jawwas hard, his green eyeswere burning brilliantly.Therewasnogentlenessinhisface.HeclaspedElena’shandandsheheard,Ifyouwanttofight,I’min.

Mais, non. Elena turned around and saw Sage. His telepathic voice wasunmistakable.Shewascompelled to listen.Wecannot fight themon theirown territoryandwin.EvenIcannot.Whatyoucando ismake thempay!Elena,mybraveone,yourparents’spiritshaveundoubtedlyfoundnewhomes.Itwouldbecrueltodragthemback.ButletusdemandoftheGuardiansanythingyoudesire.Forayearandadayinthepast,demandwhateveryouwish!Ithinkthatweallwillbackyou.

Elenapaused.She looked at theGuardians and she looked at the treasures.ShelookedatBonnieandStefan,whowerewaiting.Therewaspermissionintheireyes.

ThenshesaidslowlytotheGuardians,“Thisisreallygoingtocostyou.AndIdon’twanttohearthatanyofitisimpossible.ForallyourtreasuresbackandtheMasterKey too…Iwantmyold life.No, Iwantanew life,withmy realold lifebehindme. IwanttobeElenaGilbert,exactlyasifI’dgraduatedwithmyhighschoolclass,andIwanttogotoDalcrestCollege.IwanttowakeupinmyauntJudith’shouseinthemorningandfind thatnoone realizes I’vebeengone foralmost tenmonths.And Iwanta4.5gradepoint average formy lastyear inhigh school—just incaseofemergencies.And IwantStefantohavelivedintheboardinghousepeacefullyall that time,andtohaveeveryoneaccepthimasmyboyfriend.AndIwanteverysinglethingthatShinichiandMisaoand

whoever theywereworking for didundone and forgotten. Iwant the person theywereworkingfordead.AndIwanteverythingthatKlausdidinFell’sChurchundoneaswell.IwantSueCarsonback!IwantVickieBennettback!Iwanteveryoneback!”

Bonniesaidfaintly,“EvenMr.Tanner?”

Elenaunderstood.IfMr.Tannerhadnotdied—mysteriouslydrainedofblood—thenAlaricSaltzmanwouldneverhavebeencalledtoFell’sChurch.ElenarememberedAlaricfromtheout-of-bodyexperience:sandyhair, laughinghazeleyes.She thoughtofMeredithandhisalmost-engagementtoher.

ButwhowasshetoplayGod?Tosay,yes,thispersoncandiebecausehewasunlovelyandunloved,butthisonehastolivebecauseshewasmyfriend.

42

“It’snotaproblem,”thefairruler,Ryannen,saidunexpectedly.“Wecanmakeitsothatyour Mr. Tanner repelled an apparent vampire attack and the school called in AlaricSaltzmantotakehisplaceandinvestigate.Allright,Idola?”—totheredhead,andtothedarkone—“Allright,Susurre?”

Elenawasn’tallright.Despitetheexampleshe’djusthadofturn-on-a-dimeplottingand scheming, shewas scarcely listening.All sheknewwas thathervoicehadgonehuskyandthattearsblurredhereyes.“And…fortheMasterKey—Iwant—”

Stefansqueezedherhand.Elenasuddenlyrealizedthattheywereallstanding,allthreeofthem,besideher.Andthelookoneveryfacewasthesame.Deadresolve.

“IwantDamonback.”Elenahadn’theardquite thisnote inhervoicesincetheday she’dbeen toldbothherparentshaddied. If therehadbeena table, shewouldhaveputherclenchedfistsonitanddidherbesttoloomoverthewomen.Asitwas,shesimplyleanedtowardthem,speakingina lowandgratingvoice.“Ifyoudothat—bringhim back, exactly as he was before he walked into the Gatehouse—then you get theMasterKeyandthetreasures.Yousayno—andyouloseeverything.Everything.Thisisnon-negotiable,getit?”

ShekeptstaringintoIdola’sgreeneyes.SherefusedtoseedarkSusurredropherforeheadontothreefingertipsandbegintorubitinsmallcircles.Shewouldn’tgiveaglance to blond Ryannen, who was looking at her steadily, having gone into people-managementmode.Shestareddirectlyintothosegreeneyesundertheirwillfuleyebrows.Idolagavealittlehuffandshookhergorgeoushead.

“Look,someoneclearlyhasscrewedupinpreparingyouforthisinterview.”A glance at Susurre. “The other things you’ve asked for—all together, it forms a veryheavyransom.Doyouunderstandthat?Doyouunderstandthatitinvolveschangingthememoriesofallthepeopleformilesaroundyourtown,andchangingthemforeverydayoftenmonths?ThatitmeanschangingeverythinginprintaboutFell’sChurch—andthatthere is a lot in print—not tomention othermedia outlets? Itmeans begging for threehuman spirits and weaving flesh around them again. I’m not sure we even have thepersonnelforthis—”

Blond Ryannen put a hand on the redhead’s arm. “We have it. Susurre’swomenhavelittletodointheNetherWorld.Icanlendyouperhapsthirtypercentofmine—afterall,we’regoingtohavetosendupapetitiontoahigherCourtforthosespirits—”

Idolatheredheadinterrupted.“Allright.WhatIwassayingisthatwemightjustbeabletomanage—ifyouthrowintheKey.However,yourvampirecompanion—wecan’t give life back to the lifeless.We can’tworkwith vampires.Once they’re gone—they’regone.”

“That’swhatyou tellus!”Stefancried, trying toget in frontofElena.“Butwhyarewesoparticularlydamned,ofallcreatures?Howdoyouknowit’s impossible?Haveyouevereventried?”

Red-haired Idolawasmakingadisgustedgesture,whenBonnie interrupted,hervoiceshaking.“It’sridiculous!Youcanrebuildatown,youcankillthepersonwho’sreallybehindallShinichiandMisaodid,butyoucan’tbringonelittlevampireback?YoubroughtElenaback!”

“Elena’s death as a vampire allowed her to become the Guardian she wasoriginallymeanttobe.AsforthepersonwhogaveorderstoShinichiandMisao:ItwasInariSaitou—ObaasanSaitou,asyouknewher—andsheisalreadydead,thankstoyourfriendsinFell’sChurch,whoweakenedher—andtoyou,whodestroyedherstarball.”

“Inari?YoumeanIsobel’sgrandma?You’resayingitwasherstarballintheGreatTree’strunk?That’simpossible!”Bonniecried.

“No,it’snot.It’sthetruth,”blondRyannensaidsimply.

“Andshe’sdeadnow?”

“Afteralongbattlewhichnearlykilledyourfriends.Yes—butwhatactuallykilledherwashavingherstarballdestroyed.”

“So,” dark Susurre said quietly, “if you follow the curve…in a way yourDamondiddietosaveFell’sChurchfromanothermassacreliketheoneonthatJapaneseisland.Hekept saying thatwaswhathe’dcome to theNetherWorld todo.Doyounotthinkhewouldbe…satisfied?Atpeace?”

“Atpeace?”Stefanspatbitterly,andSagegrowled.

“Woman,”hesaid,“youobviouslyhavenevermetDamonSalvatorebefore.”The tone in his voice—more resonant,more threatening somehow—madeElena finallybreakoffherstaredownwiththered-hairedIdola.Sheturnedandlooked—

—andsawtheenormousroomfilledwithSage’sout-spreadwings.

Theyweren’tlikeanyofherephemeralWingsPowers.Theywereclearlypartof Sage. They were velvety and reptilian, and, unfurled like this, they stretched fromdistantwalltowall,andtouchedthegrand,goldenceiling.TheyalsodemonstratedwhySagedidn’tusuallywearshirts.

Hewasbeautifulthisway,bronzeskinandhairagainstthosegiant,leatherysoft-lookingarches.ButElena,afteronelookathim,knewthatthetimehadcometoplaytheaceuphersleeve.SheturnedaroundtomeetIdola’sgreengazesquarely.

“All this timewe’vebeenbargainingforaGatehousefullof treasures,”shesaid,“and—oneMasterKey.”

“AMasterKey,stolenbythekitsuneagesuponagesago,”Susurreexplainedquietly,liftingherdarkeyes.

“Andyou’vesaid that it’snotenoughforyoutobringDamonback.”Elenaforcedhervoicenottowaver.

“Notevenifitwereyouronlyrequest.”Ryannentossedagoldenlockofhairoverhershoulder.

“Soyousay.But…whatifIthrowintothepot…anotherMasterKey?”

Therewasapause,andElena’sheartbegantopoundinsickterror.Becauseitwasthewrongkindofpause.Therewerenoshockedgasps.NoastonishedglancesfromoneGuardianrulertoanother.Nolooksofdisbelief.

Afteranothermoment Idolasaidsmugly,“Ifyoumean theotherstolenkeythat your friends hadonEarth—itwas confiscated as soon as theyhid it. Itwas stolenproperty.Itbelongedtous.”

She’s been here too long, in theDarkDimensions, Elena thoughtwith onepartofhermind.She’senjoyingherself.

Idolaleanedtowardher,asiftoconfirmElena’sguess.“It—simply—isnot—possible,”shesaidemphatically.

“Really, it isn’t,” the fair Ryannen added briskly. “We don’t know whathappens tovampires.But theydon’tpass throughourpurview.Weneversee themafterdeath.Thesimplestexplanationisthattheyjust—goout.”Shesnappedherfingers.

“Idon’tbelievethat!”Elenawasawarethathervoicehadriseninvolume.“Idon’tbelievethatforonemoment!”

Voices,notattachedtoanyoneinparticular,burstintoaclamorofargumentaroundElena,formingasortofpoem:

Notpossible.It’ssimplynotpossible!(Butplease…)No!Damonisgone,andtoaskwhereislikeaskingwhereacandleflamegoeswhenit’sblownout.(Butshouldn’tyou try tobringhimback,at the least?)Whateverhashappened togratitude?You fourshouldbegrateful that theother thingsyouaskedforcanbedone.(But inexchange forbothMasterKeys—)NoPowerwecancommandcouldbringDamonback!Elenamusttry to reconcile herself to reality. She has been pampered toomuch already! (Butwhatharmcanitdototryagain?)Allright!Ifyoumustknow,Susurrehasalreadyforcedustotry.Andnothingcameofit!Damon…is…gone!Hisspiritwasnowheretobefoundintheether!Thatiswhathappenstovampires,andeveryoneknowsit!

Elenafoundherself lookingdownatherownhands,whichwereverycleanbutwithbrokennailsandeveryknucklebleeding.Theoutsideworldhadbecomeunrealagain.Shewasinsideherself,strugglingwithhergrief,strugglingwiththeknowledgethatIdola, thecentralrulerofGuardians,hadn’tevenmentionedbeforethat theyhadlookedforDamon’sspirit.Andthatitwas…gone.

Suddenly, the roomwaspressing inonher.Therewasn’t enoughair.Therewereonlythesewomen:thesepowerful,magicalGuardianwomen;whostilldidnothaveenoughpowerormagictosaveDamon—oratleastdidn’tevencareenoughtotrytwice.

Shewasn’t surewhatwas happening to her.Her throat felt puffed out, herchestwasbothhugeand tight.Eachheartbeatsounded throughheras if trying toshakehertodeath.

Todeath.Inhermind’seye,shesawahandholdupaglassofClarionLoessBlackMagic.

Andthen,Elenaknewthatshehadtostandacertainway,andholdherarmsacertainway,andwhispercertainwordsinherownmind.Butthelast, thenamingofthe

spell,hadonlytobesaidaloudattheend.

At the end—when things slowed.When green-eyed Idola—what a perfectname for someonewho idolized herself, Elena thought—and fair businesslikeRyannenandnurturingSusurre—allstaredatherwithopenmouths, tooshocked tomoveevenafingeras,quietlyandcalmly,Elenasaid,“WingsofDestruction—”

It was a soldier, just an ordinary one of the rank and file, one of the darkwomen,whostopped it.She leapeduponto thedais,and,with inhumanspeed, slappedher hand overElena’smouth, so that the final syllablewas amumble, and the golden,green,andbluehalldidnotexplodeintofragmentswithhotmetalrunninginrivuletslikelava, and the flower-fountain did not vaporize, and the stained-glass windows didn’tshatterintoatoms.

ThenthereweremorearmsaroundElena,holdingherdown,scarcelylettingherbreathe,evenwhenshewentlimpforlackofair.Elenafoughtlikeananimal,withherteeth and nails, to escape. But she eventuallywas completely restrained, pinned to thefloor.ShecouldhearSage’sdeepvoiceragingandStefan,inbetweendesperatetelepathicbursts toher,pleadingandexplaining,“She’sstillnot inreality!Shedoesn’tevenknowwhatshe’sdoing!”

But louder, she could hear the voices of the Guardians. “She would havekilledusall!”“ThoseWings—I’veneverseenanythingsodeadly!”“Ahuman!Andwithjustthreewords,shecouldhavewipedusout!”“IfLeneahadn’ttackledher—”“Orifshehadbeenanotherfewfeetaway—”“Shedestroyedamoon,youknow!Nolifeonitatallnow, and ashes still falling from the sky!” “That isn’t the point. The point is that sheshouldn’thaveWingspowersatall.She’sgottobeclippedofthem.”“That’sright—clipherWings!Doit!”

ElenarecognizedRyannen’sandIdola’svoicesattheendthere.Shewasstilltrying to fight, but they held her so tightly and piled on her so ruthlessly that it hadbecomeafightsimplytogetairandallshedidwasexhaustherself.

Andthen theyclippedherWings. Itwasquick,at least,andElenafeltverylittle.Whathurtmostwasherheart.Someproud, stubbornstreakhadbeenbroughtoutwiththefighting,andnowshewasashamedtofeeleachpaircutoff.FirstwentWingsofRedemption, those great rainbow-hued arches. ThenWings of Purification, white andiridescentasfrostedcobwebs.WingsoftheWind, likehoney-coloredthistledown.WingsofRemembrance,softvioletandmidnightblue.AndthenWingsofProtection—emeraldgreenandgold,theWingsthathadsavedherfriendsfromBloddeuwedd’sfrenziedattackonthemthefirsttimetheyhadenteredtheDarkDimensions.

And,finally,WingsofDestruction—high,ebonyarcheswithedgesasdelicateasblacklace.

Elenatriedtokeepsilentaseachpowerwastaken.Butafterthefirstoneortwohadfallenathersides,inshadowsthatperhapsonlyshecouldsee,sheheardasmallgasp,andrealizedthatitwasherownvoice.Andwiththenextcut,aninvoluntarylittlecry.

Foramomenttherewassilence.Andthensuddenlytherewasoverwhelming

noise. Elena could hear Bonnie keening and Sage roaring, and Stefan, gentle Stefan,shoutingblasphemiesandcursesattheGuardians.Elenaguessedfromthestifledsoundofhisvoicethathewasfightingthem,fightingtogettoher.

He reachedher, somehow, just as the deadly, delicateWingsofDestructionwereshearedfromhershouldersandmind,andfellliketallshadowstotheground.Itwasgoodthathedidreachherthen,becauseatlast,whenElenawastheleastdangerousshehadbeensincethePowersofWingshadbegunawakeninginher,suddenlytheGuardiansseemedafraid.Theysteppedbackfromher,thesestronganddangerouswomen,andonlyStefanwastheretocatchherandholdherinhisarms.

Stunned,dazed,shewasaneighteen-year-oldgirlwhowasordinary.Exceptforherblood.Theywantedtorobherofherbloodaswell…to“purify”it.Thethreerulersandtheirattendantshadalreadygatheredinadetermined,multihuedtrianglearoundherandwereworkingtheirmagicwhenSagebellowed,“Stop!”

Elena, drooping over Stefan’s shoulder, could see him vaguely, his velvetyblackwingsstillspreadfromwalltowall,stilltouchingthegoldenceiling.Bonnieclungtohimlikeabitofstraydandelionfluff.“Youhavealreadydiminishedherauratoalmostnothing,”hegrowled.“Ifyou‘purify’thebloodofthispauvrepetitecompletely,shewilldie—andthenshewillawaken.Youwillhavecreatedunvampire,Mesdames.Isthatwhatyouwish?”

Susurrereeledback.Fortherulerofsuchaharshandunyieldingrealm,sheseemed almost too gentle—but not too soft to shear off my Wings, Elena thought,wrigglingher shoulders toease them.Maybeshedidn’tknowhowmuch itwouldhurt,anotherpartofhermindofferedvaguely.

Thenallhermindcametogetherinanemergencymeeting.Somethingwarmandcoolingwasslidingdownthebackofherneck,intinydroplets.Notblood.No,thiswasinfinitelymorepreciousthanwhattheGuardianshadtakenaway.Stefan’stears.

Sherockedhard,tryingtotakeherownweightonherfeet.Somehow,shakily,shemanagedit.SheonlyrealizedjusthowshakyshewaswhenshetriedtoliftahandandwipethetearsoffStefan’scheekswithherthumb.Herwholehandwobbledasifsheweremakinga childish joke.Her thumbstruckhis cheekwith enough force tomakeanyoneelsewince.Shelookedathimwithdumbapology,tooshockedtotrytospeak.

Stefanwasspeaking.Overandover.“Itdoesn’tmatter,”hewassaying.“It’sallright,love.Oh,lovelylove,itwillbeallright.”Hewipedhereyeswithahandthatwasrocksteady,andallthetimehewaslookingonlyather,and—sheknew—thinkingonlyofher.

Sheknewthatbecauseshealsoknewthemomentwhenitchanged.

Red hairwas in her line of sight, blurred through new tears. Red hair andnarrowgreeneyes,tooclosetoher.ThatwaswhenElenafeltStefanrememberthattherewasanythingotherthanElenaintheworld.

His face changed.Hedidn’t snarl or stickouthis chin.The changewas anentire alteration, but it centered around his eyes, which became deadly hard whileeverythingelsebecamesharpandfierce.

“Ifyoutouchheragain,youviciousbitch,Iwillripoutyourthroat,”Stefansaid,andeachwordwaslikeachipofice-coldirondroppedontothefloor.

Elena’s tears stopped with the shock of it. Stefan didn’t talk that way towomen. Even Damon didn’t—hadn’t. But the words were still echoing in the suddensilenceofthecathedral-likeroom.Peoplewerebackingaway.

Idola was backing away too, but her lip was curled. “Do you think thatbecauseweareGuardiansthatwecannotharmyou—?”shewasbeginning,whenStefan’svoicecutthroughherscleanly.

“I think thatbecause you are ‘Guardians’ you can kill sanctimoniously andgetawaywithit,”Stefansaid,andhislipmadeafarmorecompelling—andfrightening—lineofscornthanIdola’shad.“YouwouldhavekilledElenaifSagehadn’tstoppedyou.Damnyou,”headdedsoftly,butwithsuchutterconviction that Idola tookanother stepbackward.“Yes,you’dbetterrallyallyourlittlefriendsaround,”headded.“Imightjustdecidetokillyouanyway.Ikilledmyownbrother,asI’msureyourealize.”

“Butsurely—thatwasonlyaftertakingamortalblowyourself.”Susurrewasbetweenthetwoofthem,tryingtointercede.

Stefanshrugged.Helookedatherwiththesamecontemptashehadtheotherruler.“Istillhadtheuseofmyarm,”hesaiddeliberately.“Icouldhavedecidedtodropmy sword, or tomerelywoundhim. Instead I chose to put a blade straight throughhisheart.”Heshowedhisteethinadistinctlyunfriendlysmile.“AndnowIdon’tevenneedaweapon.”

“Stefan,”Elenamanagedatlasttowhisper.

“Iknow.She’sweakerthanIamandyoudon’twanttoseemekillher.That’swhy she’s still alive, love. It’s the only reason.”AsElena lifted half-frightened eyes tohim,Stefanaddedinavoiceonlyshecouldhear,Ofcourse,therearesomethingsaboutme you don’t know, Elena. Things I’d hoped you’d never have to see. Knowing you—lovingyou—mademealmostforgetaboutthem.

Stefan’svoiceinherheadwokesomethinginsideElena.SheliftedherheadandlookedattheblurrymassofGuardiansaroundthem.Shesawstrawberry-blondcurlssuspendedinmidair.Bonnie.Bonniefighting.Doingitweakly,butonlybecauseapairofthefairGuardiansandanotherpairofdarkoneswereholdingherintheair,onetoeachlimb.AsElenastaredather sheseemed to regainenergyand foughtharder.AndElenacouldhear…something.Itwasfaintandfaraway,butitalmostsoundedlike…hername.Likehernamespokenbywhisperingbranchesorthewhirringofpassingbicyclewheels.lay…nah…eee…lay…

Elenareachedinwardlyforthesound.Shetrieddesperatelytograspwhatevercameafter,butnothinghappened.Shetriedatrickshewouldhavefoundeasyyesterday—channelingPowertothecenterofhertelepathy.Itdidn’twork.Shetriedhertelepathy.

Bonnie!Canyouhearme?

Therewasn’teventheslightestchangeinthesmallergirl’sexpression.

ElenahadlostherlinktoBonnie.

ShewatchedasBonnierealized thesamething,watched thefightgooutofthe small body. Bonnie’s face, upturned in blank despair, was indescribably sad, andsomehowindescribablypureandbeautiful,allatonce.

That will never happen to us, Stefan’s voice in hermind told her fiercely.Never!Igiveyoumy—

No! Elena thought back, superstitiously terrified of a jinx. If Stefan swore,somethingmighthappen—shemighthavetobecomeavampireoraspirit—toensurethathedidn’tbreakhisword.

He stopped, and Elena knew that he had heard her. And somehow thisknowledge,thatStefanhadheardasinglewordfromher,stilledher.Sheknewhewasn’tspying.He’dheardbecauseshe’dsentthethoughttohim.Shewasn’talone.Shemightbeordinaryagain;theymighthavetakenherwingsandmostofthePowerofherblood,butshewasn’talone.Sheleanedtowardhim,herforeheadagainstStefan’schin.

“Nooneisalone.”She’dtoldDamonthat.DamonSalvatore,abeingwhonolongerexisted.Butwhostillcalledforthfromheronemoreword,onefinalcry.Hisname.

Damon!

He’d died four dimensions away. But she could feel Stefan backing her,amplifying her transmission, sending it like one last beacon through the multitude ofworldsthatseparatedthemfromhiscoldandlifelessbody.

Damon!

Therewasn’t the slightest glimmer of an answer.Of course not. Elenawasmakingafoolofherself.

Suddenlysomethingstrongerthangrief,strongerthanself-pity,evenstrongerthanguilt,tookholdofher.Damonwouldn’thavewantedhertobecarriedoutofthishall—evenbyStefan.EspeciallybyStefan.Hewouldhavewantedher to showno signofweaknesstothesewomenwho’dshornherandhumiliatedher.

Yes.ThatwasStefan.Herlove,butnotherlover,willingtoloveherchastelyfromnowuntiltheendofherdays….

Theend…ofherdays?

Elenawassuddenlyglad thatshecouldn’tproject tostrangers telepathicallyandthatStefanhadsetshieldsaroundthemwhenhe’dtakenherintohisarms.SheturnedtoRyannen,whowaswatching…warily,butstillwithbusinessinhereyes.

“I’dliketogonow,ifyoudon’tmind,”shesaid,pickingupherbackpackandslingingitoverhershoulderwithagestureasarrogantasshecouldmakeit.Therewasaboltofagonyastheweightofthestraphit theplacefromwhichmostofherwingshadsprung,butshekeptherfacecontemptuousandindifferent.

Bonnie, back on the ground since shewasn’t fighting any longer, followedElena’slead.StefanhadlefthisbackpackintheGatehouse,buthegentlycuppedahandaroundElena’selbow,notguidingher,butshowingthathewasthereforher.Sage’swingsfoldedbackintothemselvesandweregone.

“Youunderstandthatforthereturnofthesetreasureswhichareoursbyright—butwhichwewerebarredfromretrieving—youwillbegrantedyourrequestswiththeexceptionoftheimposs—”

“I understand,”Elena said flatly, just as Stefan said,muchmore brusquely,“Sheunderstands.Justdoit,willyou?”

“Itisalreadybeingorganized.”Ryannen’seyes,darkbluesplashedwithgold,metElena’swithalooknotentirelyunsympathetic.

“Thebestthing,”Sussureaddedhastily,“wouldbeforustoputyoutosleepandsendyou toyour—yourold,newdwellings.By the timeyouawaken,allwillhavebeenaccomplished.”

Elenaforcedherfacenottochange.“SendmetoMapleStreet?”sheasked,lookingatRyannen.“AuntJudith’shouse?”

“Inyoursleep,yes.”

“I don’twant to be asleep.”Elenamoved even closer to Stefan. “Don’t letthemputmetosleep!”

“Noone’sgoingtodoanythingtoyouthatyoudon’twant,”Stefansaid,andhisvoicewasliketheedgeofarazor.Sagerumbledhissupport,andBonniestaredatthefairwomanhard.

Ryannenbowedherhead.

Elenawokeup.

Itwasdark,andshe’dbeenasleep.Shecouldn’trememberexactlyhowshe’dfallen asleep, but sheknew shewasn’t on thepalanquin, and sheknew shewasn’t in asleepingbag.

Stefan?Bonnie?Damon?shethoughtautomatically,buttherewassomethingoddabouthertelepathy.Itfeltalmostasifitwereconfinedtoherownhead.

WassheinStefan’sroom?Itmustbepitch-blackoutside,sinceshecouldn’tevenseetheoutlineofthetrapdoorthatledtothewidow’swalk.

“Stefan?” she whispered, while various bits of information pooled in hermind.Therewasasmell,atoncefamiliarandunfamiliar.Shewaslyingonacomfortabledoublebed,notoneofLadyUlma’ssilken-and-velvetextravaganzas,butnotanylumpyfeatherbedfromtheboardinghouse,either.Wassheinahotel?

Asthesevariousthoughtscametogetherinherbrain,therewasasoftquickrapping.Knucklesonglass.

Elena’sbodytookover.Shetossedoffthebedspreadandrantothewindow,mysteriouslyavoidingobstacleswithoutthinkingaboutthematall.Herhandswrenchedaside curtains that she somehowknewwere there andher skyrocketingheart brought anametoherlips.

“Da—!”

Andthentheworldstoppedanddiditsslowestsomersaultofall.Thesightofaface,fierceandconcernedandlovingandyetstrangelyfrustrated,justontheothersideofthesecond-storywindow,broughtElena’smemoriesback.

Allofthem.

Fell’sChurchwassaved.

AndDamonwasdead.

Herheadbentslowlyuntilherforeheadtouchedthecoolpaneofglass.

43

“Elena?”Stefansaidquietly.“Couldyouaskmetocomein?Youhavetoinvitemeinifyouwantto—totalk—”

Invite him in? He was already in—inside her heart. She had told theGuardiansthateveryonewouldhavetoacceptStefanasherboyfriendofalmostayear.

Itdidn’tmatter.Inalowvoiceshesaid,“Comein,Stefan.”

“Thewindow’slockedfromyourside,Elena.”

Numbly,Elenaunlockedthewindow.Thenextmomentshewasencompassedbywarm,strongarmsinadesperate,ferventembrace.Butthemomentafterthat,thearmsdropped,leavingherfrozenandlonely.

“Stefan?What’swrong?”Hereyeshadadaptedandbythestarlight throughthewindowshecouldseehimhesitatingbeforeher.

“Ican’t—Itisn’t—It’snotmeyouwant,”hesaidinarushthatsoundedasifitcamethroughaconstrictedthroat.“ButIwantedyoutoknowthat—thatMeredithandMatt are holding Bonnie. Comforting her, I mean. They’re all okay and so is Mrs.Flowers.AndIthoughtthatyou—”

“Theyputmetosleep!Theysaidtheywouldn’tputmetosleep!”

“You fell asleep, lo—Elena. While we were waiting for them to send ushome. We all watched over you: Bonnie, Sage, and I.” He was still speaking in thatformal, unusual tone. “But I thought—well, that you might want to talk tonight, too.BeforeI—Ileft.”Heputafingeruptostophislipfromshaking.

“Yousworeyouwouldn’tleaveme!”Elenacried.“Youpromised,notforanyreason,notforanylengthoftime,nomatterhownoblethecause!”

“But—Elena—thatwasbeforeIunderstood…”

“Youstilldon’tunderstand!Doyouknow—”

Hishandflewtocoverhermouthandheputhislipstoherear.“Lo—Elena.We’reinyourhouse.Youraunt—”

Elenafelthereyeswiden,althoughofcoursesubconsciouslyshehadknownthis all along.The air of familiarity.This bed—itwasher bed, and the spreadwas herbelovedgoldandwhitebedspread.Theobstaclesshe’dknownhowtoavoidinthedark—thetappingatherwindow…shewashome.

Like a climber who has negotiated an impossible-seeming section of rock,and almost fallen, Elena felt a tremendous rush of adrenaline. And it was this—or,perhaps,simply thepowerof the love that floodedthroughher—thatachievedwhatshehadbeensoclumsilytryingtoreach.Shefelthersoulexpandandcomeoutofherbody.AndmeetStefan’s.

She was appalled by the hastily swept-away desolation in his spirit, andhumbledbythesurgeoflovethatfloodedeverypartofhimatthetouchofhermind.

Oh,Stefan.Just—saythat—thatyoucanforgiveme,that’sall.IfyouforgivemeIcanlive.Maybeyoucanevenbehappywithmeagain—ifyoujustgiveitalittletime.

I’m already happywith you. Butwe have all the time in theworld, Stefanreassuredher.But she caught the shadowof a dark thoughtwhiskedquicklyout of theway.Hehadallthetimeintheworld.She,however…

Elena had to choke back a laugh but then clutched at Stefan suddenly.Mybackpack—didtheytakeit?Whereisit?

Rightbesideyournightstand.Icanreachit.Doyouwant it?Hereachedinthedarknessandpulledup somethingheavyand roughandnone toopleasant-smelling.ElenathrustonefrantichandinsideitwhilestillholdingontoStefanwiththeother.

Yes!Oh,Stefan,it’shere!

Hewasbeginningtosuspect—butheonlyknewwhenshedrewoutthebottlelabeledEvianWaterandheldittohercheek.Itwasicycold,althoughthenightwasmildandhumid.Andasiteffervescedviolently,itglowedinawaythatnoordinarywaterdid.

Ididn’tmeantodoit,shetoldStefan,suddenlyworriedthathemightnotliketo associate with a thief. At least—not at first. Sage said to get the water from theFountainofEternalYouthandLifeintobottles.Idugupabigbottleandthis littleone,andsomehowIstashedthesmalleroneinmybackpack—I’d’veputthebigonein,too,butitdidn’tfit.AndIdidn’teventhinkaboutthelittleoneagainuntilaftertheytookawaymyWingsandmytelepathy.

Andagoodthing,Stefanthought.Iftheyhadcaughtyou—oh,mylovelylove!His arms squeezed the breath from Elena’s lungs. So that’s why you were suddenly soeagertoleave!

“Theytookalmosteverythingelsesupernaturalaboutme,”Elenawhispered,placingher lipsclose toStefan’sear.“Ihave to livewith that,and if they’dgivenmeachanceI’dhaveagreed—forthesakeofFell’sChurch—ifI’dbeenlogical—”Shebrokeoffasshesuddenlyrealizedthatshehadbeenliterallyoutofhermind.She’dbeenworsethana thief.She’d tried tousea lethalattackonagroupof—mostly—innocentpeople.AndtheworstthingwasthatapartofherknewthatDamonwouldhaveunderstoodhermadness,whileshewasn’tsureStefanevercould.

“Butyoudon’thave to changeme into—youknow,” shebeganwhisperingfreneticallyagain.“AsiportwoofthisandIcanbewithyouforever.Foreverand—for—forever—Stefan—”Shestopped,tryingtogetherbreathandhermentalbalance.

Hishandclosedoverhersonthecap.“Elena.”

“I’mnotcrying.It’sbecauseI’mhappy.Foreverandever,Stefan.Wecanbetogether,just…justustwo…forever.”

“Elena,love.”Hishandkepthersfromtwistingopenthebottle.

“It—isn’twhatyouwant?”

With his other arm,Stefan pulled her tightly to him.Her head fell forwardontohisshoulderandherestedhischinonherhair.“It’swhatIwantmorethananything.

I’m…dazed,Iguess.Ihavebeeneversince—”Hestoppedandtriedagain.“Ifwehaveallthe time in the world, we have tomorrow,” he said in a voice muffled by hair. “Andtomorrowistimeenoughforyoutostarttothinkitthrough.There’senoughinthatbottleformaybefourorfivepeople.You’retheonewho’sgoingtohavetodecidewhodrinksit,love.Butnottonight.Tonightisfor…”

WithasuddenrushofjoyElenaunderstood.“You’retalkingabout—Damon.”Amazinghowdifficult itwas tosimplysayhisname. Italmostseemedaviolation,andyet…

When he could talk—like this—for a moment to me, he told me what hewanted, shesent.Stefanstirreda little in thedarkness,butsaidnothing.Stefan,heonlyaskedforonethingbeforehe…went.Itwasnottobeforgotten.That’sall.Andwe’retheoneswhorememberthemost.UsandBonnie.

Aloudsheadded,“Iwillneverforgethim.AndIwillnever letanyoneelsewhoknewhimforgethim—foraslongasIlive.”

Sheknewshe’dspokentooloudly,butStefandidn’ttrytoquiether.Hegaveonequickshudderandthenheldhertightlyagain,hisfaceburiedinherhair.

Iremember,hesenttoher,whenKatherineaskedhimtojoinher—whenwethreewereinHonoriaFell’scrypt.Irememberwhathesaidtoher.Doyou?

Elenafelttheirsoulsintertwineastheybothsawthescenethroughtheother’seyes.Ofcourse,Iremembertoo.

Stefan sighed,half-laughing. I remember trying to takecareofhim later inFlorence.Hewouldn’tbehave,wouldn’tevenInfluencethegirlshefedon.Anothersigh.Ithinkhewantedtogetcaughtatthatpoint.Hecouldn’tevenlookmeinthefaceandtalkaboutyou.

ImadeBonniesendforyou.Imadesureshegotbothofyououthere,Elenatoldhim.Hertearshadbeguntoflowagain,butslowly—gently.Hereyeswereshutandshefeltafaintsmilecometoherlips.

Doyou know—Stefan’smental voicewas startled, astonished—I remembersomethingelse!FromwhenIwasveryyoung,maybe threeor fouryearsold.Myfatherhadaterrible temper,especiallyrightaftermymotherdied.Andbackthen,whenIwaslittle,andmyfatherwasfuriousanddrunk,Damonwoulddeliberatelygetinbetweenus.He’dsaysomethingobnoxiousand—well,myfatherwouldendupbeatinghiminsteadofme.Idon’tknowhowIcouldhaveforgottenaboutthat.

I do, Elena thought, remembering how frightened she had been of Damonwhen he’d first turned human—even though he’d put himself in between her and thevampireswhowantedtoDisciplineherintheDarkDimension.Hehadagiftforknowingexactlywhattosay—howtolook—whattodo—togetunderanyone’sskin.

ShecouldfeelStefanchucklefaintly,wryly.Agift,wasit?

Well,Icertainlycouldn’tdoit,andIcanmanagemostpeople,Elenarepliedsoftly.Nothim,though.Neverhim.

Stefanadded,Buthewasalmostalwayskindertoweakpeoplethantostrongones.Healwaysdidhavethatsoftspot forBonnie…Hebrokeoff,asiffrightenedhe’dventuredtoonearsomethingsacred.

ButElenahadherbearingsnow.Shewasglad,soglad,thatintheendDamonhaddiedtosaveBonnie.Elenaherselfneedednomoreproofofhisfeelingsabouther.ShewouldalwaysloveDamon,andshewouldneverallowanythingtodiminishthatlove.

And, somehow, it seemed fitting that she and Stefan should sit in her oldbedroomandspeakofwhattheyrememberedofDamoninhushedtones.Sheplannedontakingthesamethingupwiththeotherstomorrow.

WhenshefinallyfellasleepinStefan’sarms,itwashoursaftermidnight.

44

On the smallestmoonof theNetherWorld fineashwas falling. It fellon twoalreadyash-coveredbodies.Itfellonash-chokedwater.Itblockedthesunlightsothatanendlessmidnightcoveredthemoon’sash-coatedsurface.

And something else fell. In the smallest imaginable droplets, an opalescentfluidfell,colorsswirlingasiftotryandmakeupfortheuglinessoftheashes.Theyweretinydrops,but therewere trillionsupontrillionsof them,fallingendlessly,concentratedoverthespotwheretheyhadoncebeenpartofthelargestcontainerofrawPowerinthreedimensions.

Therewasabodyonthegroundonthisspot—notquiteacorpse.Thebodyhadnoheartbeat;itdidnotbreathe,andtherewasnobrainactivity.Butsomewhereinittherewasaslowpulsing,thatquickenedveryslightlyasthetinydropsofPowerfelluponit.

The pulsingwasmade up of nothing but amemory. Thememory of a girlwithdarkblueeyesandgoldenhairandasmallfacewithwidebrowneyes.Andthetaste:thetasteoftwomaidens’tears.Elena.Bonnie.

Puttingthetwoofthemtogethertheyformedwhatwasnotexactlyathought,notexactlyapicture.Buttosomeonewhoonlyunderstoodwords,itmightbetranslated:

Theyarewiatingforme.IfIcanfigureoutwhoIam.

Andthatsparkedafiercedetermination.

Afterwhatseemedlikecenturiesbutwasonlyafewhours,somethingmovedintheash.Afistclenched.

Andsomethingstirredinthebrain,aself-revelation.Aname.

Damon.

AbouttheAuthorL.J.SMITHhaswrittenmorethantwodozenbooksforchildrenandyoungadults.Shelives in the Bay Area of California, but is happiest in a little cabin near Point ReyesNationalPark,whichhaslotsoftrees,lotsofanimals,lotsofbeachestowalkon,andlotsofplacestohike.Pleasevisitheronlineatwww.ljanesmith.netfornewstoriesaboutoldcharactersandevensneakpeeksofupcomingbooks.

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OtherBooksbyL.J.SmithTHEVAMPIREDIARIES:VOL.I:THEAWAKENING

THEVAMPIREDIARIES:VOL.II:THESTRUGGLE

THEVAMPIREDIARIES:VOL.III:THEFURY

THEVAMPIREDIARIES:VOL.IV:DARKREUNION

THEVAMPIREDIARIES:THERETURNVOL.1:NIGHTFALL

THEVAMPIREDIARIES:THERETURNVOL.2:SHADOWSOULS

THEVAMPIREDIARIES:THERETURNVOL.3:MIDNIGHT

THESECRETCIRCLE:THEINITIATIONANDTHECAPTIVEPARTI

THESECRETCIRCLE:THECAPTIVEPARTIIANDTHEPOWER

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CopyrightTHEVAMPIREDIARIES:TheReturn:Midnight.Copyright©2011byL.J.Smith.Allrightsreserved under International and Pan-AmericanCopyrightConventions. By payment ofthe required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right toaccessandreadthetextofthise-bookon-screen.Nopartofthistextmaybereproduced,transmitted,down-loaded,decompiled,reverseengineered,orstoredinorintroducedintoany information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whetherelectronicormechanical,nowknownorhereinafterinvented,withouttheexpresswrittenpermissionofHarperCollinse-books.

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Smith,L.J.(LisaJ.)

Midnight/L.J.Smith.—1sted.

p.cm.—(Thevampirediaries:thereturn;v.3)

Summary:Eighteen-year-oldElenaGilbert’slatestbattleagainstthedemonsthathavetakenoverherhometownofFell’sChurchiscomplicatedbythefactthatDamonisamortalsincehe,hisbrotherStefan,andElenareturnedfromtheDarkDimension.

ISBN978-0-06-172085-7(tradebdg.)

[1. Supernatural—Fiction. 2. Interpersonal relations—Fiction. 3. Brothers—Fiction.4.Vampires—Fiction.]I.Title.

PZ7.S6537Mid20112010042677

[Fic]—dc22FIRSTEDITION

EPubEdition©FEBRUARY2011ISBN:978-0-06-206982-5

10987654321

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