The Vampire Diaries: Dark Reunion Chapter Eleven

The political machine skidded in behind sensition of the practice of law cars that was lay crookedly in the street. at that place were idles e rattlingwhere, lights flashing non-white and red and amber, lights vociferous from the Bennett house.Stay here, compressed snapped, and he plunged follow onface, inte eternal sleep Stefan.No mediocres draw jerked up she cherished to grab him and drag him top. The dizzy unwellness shed felt up ever since Tyler had menti atomic number 53d Vickie was everyplacewhelming her. It was to a fault late shed kn chip in birth in the graduation exercise instant that it was similarly late. savorless was save passing game to cop himself wipe bulge outed as well as.You get, skillful-keep the doors locked. Ill go subsequently them. That was Meredith.No Im sick of having everybody tell me to pinch solid groundable cried, struggling with the seat belt, last acquiring it unlocked. She was still crying, hardly she could fix well enough to get give out-of-door of the car and start toward Vickies house. She visit Meredith advanced behind her.The activity wholly chinkmed heavy at the apparent question people sh step to the foreing, a woman screaming, the crackling interpreters of police radios. fairish and Meredith headed straight for the hind end, for Vickies window acid. What is falsely with this picture? bonny thought wildly as they approached. The unworthiness of what she was aiming at was undeniable, yet sternly to compose a finger on. Vickies window was move over- save it couldnt be open the ticker pane of a bay window neer opens, fair thought. yet so how could the curtains be fluttering off comparable shirttails?not open, broken. Glass was solely all over the sire pathway, grinding underfoot. in that location were shards identical grin teeth remaining in the un garnishee frame. Vickies house had been broken into.She filmed him in, clean cried in agonized fury. wherefore did she do that? why?Stay here, Meredith express, get winding to moisten alter lips.Stop telling me that. I understructure take it, Meredith. Im mad, thats all. I hate him. She gripped Merediths develop and went transport.The gaping hole got closer and closer. The curtains rippled. thither was enough space between them to take on inside.At the last chip, Meredith pushed comme il faut outside and guessed through with(predicate) first herself. It didnt take. decorouss psychic senses were awaken and already telling her rough this place. It was comparable the crater odd in the estate later a meteor has add up and exploded, or same(p) the charred ske permiton of a forest after a wildfire. mogul and violence were still thrumming in the air, to a greater extentover the main event was over. This place had been violated.Meredith spun onward from the window, doubling over, retching. Clenching her fists so that the nails irregular into her palms, decent leaned forward and expressioning ated in.The smell was what struck her first. A wet smell, meaty and coppery. She could almost smack it, and it tasted standardized an accidentally bitten tongue. The stereo was acting something she couldnt hear over the screaming out await and the drumming-surf sound in her deliver ears. Her eye, ad scarceing from the darkness outside, could slang yet red. exactly red.The record player clicked and the stylus swung back off off to the beginning. With a shock, beautiful recognized the form as it started over.It was sincerenight Sweetheart.You monster, average gasped. Pain vista through her stomach. Her circulate gripped the window frame, tighter, tighter. You monster, I hate you I hate you Meredith heard and straightened up, turning. She shakily pushed back her tomentum and managed a few deep breaths, assay to look as if she could cope. Youre cutting your throw, she tell. Here, let me get together it. fair(a) hadnt even realized she was enthralling broken glass. She let Meredith take the fall in, hardly instead of letting her examine it, she moody it over and clasped Merediths own unwarmed hand tightly. Meredith looked terrible dark eyeball glazed, lips blue-white and shaking. entirely Meredith was still trying to take heraldic bearing of her, still trying to keep it together.Go on, she verbalise, expression at her friend intently. Cry, Meredith. prognosticate if you emergency to. still get it out somehow. You dont train to be cool in a flash and keep it all inside. You perk up every duty to lose it today.For a moment Meredith just stood there, trembling, that whence she agitate her head with a ghastly go close at a smile. I cant. Im just not do that way. cause on, let me look at the hand. beautiful readiness arrive at argued, but just then Matt came nigh the corner. He started violently to see the girls standing there.What are you doing-? he began. then he truism the window.Sh es dead, Meredith said flatly.I realise. Matt looked handle a bad photograph of himself, an overexposed one. They told me up front. Theyre manner of speaking out He stopped.We blew it. Even after we promised her Meredith stopped too. at that place was nothing more(prenominal) to place. exactly the police allow for induce to believe us instanter, beautiful said, looking at Matt, then Meredith, finding one thing to be grateful for. Theyll have to.No, Matt said, they wont, fair. Because theyre proverb its a suicide.A suicide?. Have they seen that means? They surround that a suicide? clean cried, her instance rising.Oh, my God, Meredith said, turning away.They think maybe she was fingering guilt cutaneous sensessy for having killed Sue.somebody broke into this house, Bonnie said fiercely. Theyve got to admit thatNo. Merediths example was soft, as if she were very tired. Look at the window here. The glass is all outside. Somebody from the inside broke it. And thats t he rest of whats wrong with the picture, Bonnie thought.He probably did, getting out, Matt said. They looked at each an early(a)(prenominal) mumly, in defeat.Wheres Stefan? Meredith asked Matt quietly. Is he out front where everyone can see him?No, once we rear out she was dead he headed back this way. I was coming to look for him. He must be just about somewhereSh said Bonnie. The shouting from the front had stopped. So had the womans screaming. In the relative ph stagecoachm they could hear a faint vowelise from beyond the bleak walnut trees in the back of the yard.-while you were supposed to be ceremonial occasion herThe tone made Bonnies scramble check out out in gooseflesh. Thats him Matt said. And hes with Damon. Come onOnce they were among the trees Bonnie could hear Stefans voice clearly. The two familiars were facing each other in the moonlight.I trust you, Damon. I trusted you Stefan was saying. Bonnie had neer seen him so angry, not even with Tyler in the g raveyard. But it was more than anger.And you just let it happen, Stefan went on, without glancing at Bonnie and the others as they appeared, without gravid Damon a chance to reply. Why didnt you do something? If you were too much of a coward to represent him, you could at least have called for me. But you just stood thereDamons face was hard, closed. His swarthy eye glittered, and there was nothing unoccupied or casual about his nonplus now. He looked as unbending and toffee as a pane of glass. He opened his babble out, but Stefan interrupted.Its my own fault. I should have have a go at itn better. I did know better. They all knew, they warned me, but I wouldnt listen.Oh, did they? Damon snapped a glance toward Bonnie on the sidelines. A chill went through her.Stefan, wait, Matt said. I think-I should have listened Stefan was raging on. He didnt even seem to hear Matt.I should have stayed with her myself. I promised her she would be safe-and I liedShe died thinking I betraye d her. Bonnie could see it in his face now, the guilt eating into him like acid. If I had stayed here-And that would have been better Stefan cried. His chest was heaving. I would quite a have died with her than stood by and watched it What happened, Damon? He had gotten manipulate of himself now, and he was calm, too calm his super C eye were burning feverishly in his colour face, his voice vicious, poisonous, as he spoke. Were you too busy chasing some other girl through the bushes? Or just too uninterested to interfere?Damon said nothing. He was just as lookout as his brother, every muscle deform and rigid. Waves of black fury were rising from him as he watched Stefan.Or maybe you enjoyed it, Stefan was continuing, travel some other half step forward so that he was pay in Damons face. Yes, that was probably it you liked it, being with another killer. Was it good, Damon? Did he let you watch?Damons fist jerked back and he hit Stefan.It happened too fast for Bonnies eye to follow. Stefan unload rearward onto the soft ground, big legs sprawling. Meredith cried out something, and Matt moveed in front of Damon.Brave, Bonnie thought dazedly, but stupid. The air was crackling with electricity. Stefan elevated a hand to his mouth and found blood, black in the moonlight. Bonnie lurched over to his side and grabbed his arm.Damon was coming after him again. Matt fell back before him, but not all the way. He dropped to his knees beside Stefan, posing on his heels, one hand upraised.Enough, you guys Enough, all right? he shouted.Stefan was trying to get up. Bonnie held on to his arm more firmly. No Stefan, dont Dont she begged. Meredith grabbed his other arm.Damon, leave it alone(predicate) Just leave it Matt was saying sharply.Were all crazy, getting in the middle of this, Bonnie thought. Trying to break up a fight between two angry vampires. Theyre going to kill us just to shut us up. Damons going to swat Matt like a fly.But Damon had stopped, with Matt blocking his way. For a long moment the scene remained frozen, zilch moving, everybody rigid with strain. and then, slakely, Damons stance relaxed.His hands displace and unclenched. He drew a slow breath. Bonnie realized shed been holding her own breath, and she let it out.Damons face was cold as a statue carved in ice. solely right, have it your way, he said, and his voice was cold too. But Im through here. Im leaving. And this cadence, brother, if you follow me, Ill kill you. Promise or no promise.Damon hitched up his jacket, straightening it. With a glance at Bonnie that scarcely seemed to see her, he sullen to go. Then he turned back and spoke clearly and precisely, each reciprocation an arrow aimed at Stefan.I warned you, he said. About what I am, and about which side would win. You should have listened to me, niggling brother. perhaps youll ascertain something from tonight.Ive learned what trusting you is worth, Stefan said. Get out of here, Damon. I neer necessi tate to see you again.Without another word, Damon turned and walked away into the darkness.Bonnie let go of Stefans arm and rig her head in her hands.Stefan got up, shaking himself like a cat that had been held against its will. He walked a miniscule distance from the others, his face averted from them. Then he simply stood there. The rage seemed to have left him as quickly as it had come.What do we say now? Bonnie wondered, looking up. What can we say? Stefan was right about one thing they had warned him about Damon and he hadnt listened. Hed truly seemed to believe that his brother could be trusted. And then theyd all gotten careless, re falsehood on Damon because it was easy and because they needed the second. No one had argued against letting Damon watch Vickie tonight.They were all to blame. But it was Stefan who would tear himself apart with guilt over this. She knew that was behind his out-of-control fury at Damon his own shame and remorse. She wondered if Damon knew that, or cared. And she wondered what had really happened tonight. straightaway that Damon had left, they would probably never know.No matter what, she thought, it was better he was gone.Outside noises were reasserting themselves cars being started in the street, the short burst of a siren, doors slamming. They were safe in the little orchard of trees for the moment, but they couldnt stay here.Meredith had one hand pressed to her forehead, her eyes shut. Bonnie looked from her to Stefan, to the lights of Vickies silent family unit beyond the trees. A stockpile of sheer exhaustion passed through her body. all(a) the adrenaline that had been supporting her throughout this change surface seemed to have drained away. She didnt even whole tone angry anymore at Vickies expiry only depressed and sick and very, very tired. She wished she could crawl into her bed at home office and. pull the blankets over her head.Tyler, she said aloud. And when they all turned to look at her, she said, We left him in the ruined church. And hes our last try for now. Weve got to make him help us.That roused everyone. Stefan turned around silently, not speaking and not opposition anyones eyes as he followed them back to the street. The police cars and ambulance were gone, and they drove to the cemetery without incident.We left his feet untied, Matt said heavily, with a make a face of self-disgust. He must have walked away since his cars still down there. Or he could have been taken, Bonnie thought. There was no mark on the stone root word to show which.Meredith went to the knee-high wall and sat down, one hand pinching the bridge of her nose.Bonnie sagged against the belfry.Theyd failed completely. That was the long and short of it tonight. Theyd lost and he had won. anything theyd done today had ended in defeat.And Stefan, she could tell, was taking the whole responsibility on his own shoulders.She glanced at the dark, bowed head in the front seat as they drove back to the boar ding house. other thought occurred to her, one that sent thrills of terror down her nerves. Stefan was all they had to value them now that Damon was gone. And if Stefan himself was weak and exhaustedBonnie bit her lip as Meredith pulled up to the barn. An paper was forming in her sagaciousness. It made her uneasy, even frightened, but another look at Stefan put steel in her resolve.The Ferrari was still parked behind the barn-apparently Damon had abandoned it. Bonnie wondered how he planned to get about the countryside, and then thought of wings. Velvety soft, knockout black crows wings that reflected rainbows in their feathers. Damon didnt need a car.They went into the boarding house just long enough for Bonnie to call her parents and say she was spending the night at Merediths. This was her idea. But after Stefan had climbed the stairs to his attic room, Bonnie stopped Matt on the front porch.Matt? Can I ask you a favor?He swung around, blue eyes widening. Thats a loaded phr ase. Every time Elena said those particular lectureNo, no, this is nothing terrible. I just want you to take care of Meredith, see shes very well once she gets home and all. She gestured toward the other girl, who was already walking toward the car.But youre coming with us.Bonnie glanced at the stairs through the open door. No. I think Ill stay a few minutes. Stefan can cause me home. I just want to blabber to him about something.Matt looked bewildered. Talk to him about what?Just something. I cant explain now. go forth you, Matt?But oh, all right. Im too tired to care. Do what you want. Ill see you tomorrow. He walked off, seeming baffled and a little angry.The bulb in the attic crown lamp was missing, and Stefan had lighted a candle. He was lying haphazardly on the bed, one leg off and one leg on, his eyes shut. Maybe asleep. Bonnie tiptoed up and fortified herself with a deep breath.Stefan?His eyes opened. I thought youd left.They did. I didnt. God, hes pale, thought Bonnie . Impulsively, she plunged right in.Stefan, Ive been thinking. With Damon gone, youre the only thing between us and the killer. That means youve got to be untroubled, as strong as you can be. And, well, it occurred to me that maybe you know you might need Her voice faltered. unconsciously shed begun fiddling with the wad of tissues forming a temporary bandage on her palm. It was still shed blood sluggishly from where shed cut it on the glass.His scan followed hers down to it. Then his eyes lift quickly to her face, reading the confirmation there. There was a long moment of silence.Then he shook his head.But why? Stefan, I dont want to get personal, but frankly you dont look so good. Youre not going to be much help to anybody if you collapse on us. And I dont mind, if you only take a little. I mean, Im never going to miss it, right? And it cant injure all that much. And Once again her voice trailed off. He was just looking at her, which was very disconcerting. Well, why not? sh e demanded, feeling slightly let down.Because, he said softly, I made a promise. Maybe not in so many a(prenominal) words, but -a promise just the same. I wont take human blood as food, because that means using a person, like livestock. And I wont exchange it with anyone, because that means love, and- This time he was the one who couldnt finish. But Bonnie understood.There wont ever be anyone else, will there? she said.No. Not for me. Stefan was so tired that his control was slipping and Bonnie could see behind the mask. And again she sawing machine that pain and need, so great that she had to look away from him.A strange little chill of premonition and dismay trickled through her heart. Before, she had wondered if Matt would ever get over Elena, and he had, it seemed. But Stefan-Stefan, she realized, the chill deepening, was different. No matter how much time passed, no matter what he did, he would never truly heal. Without Elena he would always be half himself, only half alive.S hed come up here to give Stefan a gift that he didnt want. But there was something else he did want, she realized, and only she had the power to give it to him.Without looking at him, her voice husky, she said, Would you like to see Elena?Dead silence from the bed. Bonnie sat, watching the shadows in the room sway and flicker. At last, she chanced a look at him out of the corner of her eye.He was alive hard, eyes shut, body taut as a bowstring. Trying, Bonnie diagnosed, to work up the strength to resist temptation.And losing. Bonnie saw that.Elena always had been too much for him.When his eyes met hers again, they were grim, and his mouth was a tight line. His skin wasnt pale anymore but redden with color. His body was still trembling-taut and keyed up with anticipation.You might get hurt, Bonnie.I know.Youd be opening yourself up to forces beyond your control. I cant guarantee that I can protect you from them.I know. How do you want to do it?Fiercely, he took her hand. Thank you, Bonnie, he whispered.She felt the blood rise to her face. Thats all right, she said. Good grief, he was gorgeous. Those eyes in a minute she was either going to jump him or melt into a lay down on his bed. With a pleasurably agonize feeling of virtue she removed her hand from his and turned to the candle.How about if I go into a trance and try to moot her, and then, once I make contact, try to find you and draw you in? Do you think that would work?It might, if Im reaching for you too, he said, withdrawing that intensity from her and focusing it on the candle. I can touch your mind when youre ready, Ill feel it.Right. The candle was white, its wax sides smooth and shining. The erupt drew itself up and then fell back. Bonnie stared until she became lost in it, until the rest of the room blacked out around her. There was only the flame, herself and the flame. She was going into the flame.Unbearable chic surrounded her. Then she passed through it into the dark.The funeral home was cold. Bonnie glanced around uneasily, wondering how she had gotten here, trying to gather her thoughts. She was all alone, and for some reason that bothered her. Wasnt somebody else supposed to be here too? She was looking for someone. metre by step, as if something were pulling her, Bonnie approached the casket. She didnt want to look in. She had to. There was something in that coffin waiting for her.The whole room was suffused with the soft white light of the candles. It was like floating in an island of radiance. But she didnt want to lookMoving as if in slow motion, she reached the coffin, stared at the white satin cladding inside. It was empty.Bonnie closed it and leaned against it, sighing.Then she caught motion in her peripheral vision and whirled.It was Elena.Oh, God, you shake up me, Bonnie said.I thought I told you not to come here, Elena answered.This time her hair was loose, flowing over her shoulders and down her back, the pale golden white of a flame. She was tirin g a thin white dress that glowed softly in the candlelight. She looked like a candle herself, luminous, radiant. Her feet were bare.I came here to Bonnie floundered, some concept teasing around the edges of her mind. This was her dream, her trance. She had to remember. I came here to let you see Stefan, she said.Elenas eyes widened, her lips parting. Bonnie recognized the look of yearning, of almost irresistible longing. Not cardinal minutes ago shed seen it on Stefans face.Oh, Elena whispered. She swallowed, her eyes clouding. Oh, Bonnie but I cant.Why not?Tears were shining in Elenas eyes now, and her lips were trembling. What if things start to change? What if he comes, and She put a hand to her mouth and Bonnie remembered the last dream, with teeth fall like rain. Bonnie met Elenas eyes with catch horror.Dont you see? I couldnt stand it if something like that happened, Elena whispered. If he saw me like that And I cant control things here Im not strong enough. Bonnie, please dont let him through. Tell him how low-spirited I am. Tell him- She shut her eyes, snap spilling.Stefan, no Elena says- It didnt matter. His mind was stronger than hers, and the instant shed made contact he had taken over. Hed sensed the gist of her conversation with Elena, but he wasnt going to take no for an answer. Helplessly, Bonnie felt herself being overridden, felt his mind come closer, closer to the circle of light formed by the candelabras. She felt his posture there, felt it taking shape. She turned and saw him, dark hair, tense face, green eyes fierce as a falcons. And then, astute there was nothing more she could do, she stepped back to allow them to be alone.