THEFURYTheVampireDiariesBook3

By

L.J.Smith

THEVAMPIREDIARIES

TheFury

VolumeIII

L.J,Smith

HarperTorch

AnImprintofHarperCollinsPublishers

BOOKSBYL.J.SMITH

THEVAMPIREDIARIES

VolumeI:TheAwakening

VolumeII:TheStruggle

VolumeIII:TheFury

VolumeIV:DarkReunion

THESECRETCIRCLETRILOGY

VolumeI:TheInitiation

VolumeII:TheCaptive

VolumeIII:ThePower

TheNightoftheSolstice

HeartofValor

PublishedbyHarperPaperbacks

Thisisaworkoffiction.Names,characters,places,andincidentsareproductsoftheauthor'simaginationorareusedfictitiouslyandarenottobeconstruedasreal.Anyresemblancetoactualevents,locales,organizations,orpersons,livingordead,isentirelycoincidental.

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Copyright©1991byDanielWeissAssociates, Inc. andLisaSmithCover artcopyright©1991byDanielWeissAssociatesInc.

ISBN:0-06-102000-1

FirstHarperTorchpaperbackprinting:May2001

FirstHarperPrismpaperbackprinting:March1999

Amassmarketeditionofthisbookwaspublishedin1991byHarperPaperbacks.

ProducedbyDanielWeissAssociates,Inc.,33West17thStreet,NewYork,NY10011.

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TomyAuntMargie,andinmemoryofmyAuntAgnesandAuntEleanore,forfosteringcreativity.

TheFury

OneElenasteppedintotheclearing.

Beneathher feet tattersofautumn leaveswere freezing into theslush.Duskhad fallen, and although the storm was dying away the woods were gettingcolder.Elenadidn'tfeelthecold.

Neither did she mind the dark. Her pupils opened wide, gathering up tinyparticlesof light thatwouldhavebeeninvisible toahuman.Shecouldsee thetwofiguresstrugglingbeneaththegreatoaktreequiteclearly.

Onehad thickdarkhair,which thewindhadchurned intoa tumbledseaofwaves.Hewasslightlytallerthantheother,andalthoughElenacouldn'tseehisfaceshesomehowknewhiseyesweregreen.

The other had a shock of dark hair as well, but his was fine and straight,almost like the pelt of an animal.His lipswere drawn back from his teeth infury,andthelounginggraceofhisbodywasgatheredintoapredator'scrouch.Hiseyeswereblack.

Elenawatchedthemforseveralminuteswithoutmoving.She'dforgottenwhyshehadcomehere,whyshe'dbeenpulledherebytheechoesof theirbattle inhermind.Thisclose theclamorof theirangerandhatredandpainwasalmostdeafening, like silent shouts coming from the fighters. Theywere locked in adeathmatch.

Iwonderwhichofthemwillwin,shethought.Theywerebothwoundedandbleeding,and the tallerone's left armhungatanunnaturalangle.Still,hehadjustslammedtheotheragainstthegnarledtrunkofanoaktree.HisfurywassostrongthatElenacouldfeelandtasteitaswellashearit,andsheknewitwasgivinghimimpossiblestrength.

And then Elena remembered why she had come. How could she haveforgotten?Hewas hurt.Hismind had summoned her here, battering herwithshockwavesofrageandpain.Shehadcometohelphimbecauseshebelongedtohim.

The two figures were down on the icy ground now, righting like wolves,

snarling.Swiftlyand silentlyElenawent to them.Theonewith thewavyhairand green eyes—Stefan, a voice in her mind whispered—was on top, fingersscrabbling at the other's throat. Anger washed through Elena, anger andprotectiveness.Shereachedbetweenthetwoofthemtograbthatchokinghand,toprythefingersup.

Itdidn'toccurtoherthatsheshouldn'tbestrongenoughtodothis.Shewasstrong enough; that was all. She threw her weight to the side, wrenching hercaptiveawayfromhisopponent.Forgoodmeasure,sheboredownhardonhiswoundedarm,knockinghimflatonhisfaceintheleaf-strewnslush.Thenshebegantochokehimfrombehind.

Herattackhadtakenhimbysurprise,buthewasfarfrombeaten.Hestruckback at her, his good hand fumbling for her throat. His thumb dug into herwindpipe.

Elenafoundherselflungingatthehand,goingforitwithherteeth.Hermindcouldnotunderstandit,butherbodyknewwhattodo.Herteethwereaweapon,andtheyslashedintoflesh,drawingblood.

Buthewasstrongerthanshewas.Withajerkofhisshoulders,hebrokeherholdonhimandtwistedinhergrasp,flingingherdown.Andthenhewasaboveher,hisfacecontortedwithanimalfury.Shehissedathimandwentforhiseyeswithhernails,butheknockedherhandaway.

Hewasgoingtokillher.Evenwounded,hewasbyfarthestronger.Hislipshaddrawnbacktoshowteethalreadystainedwithscarlet.Likeacobra,hewasreadytostrike.

Thenhestopped,hoveringoverher,hisfacechanging.

Elena saw the green eyeswiden. The pupils,which had been contracted toviciousdots,sprangopen.Hewasstaringdownatherasiftrulyseeingherforthefirsttime.

Whywashelookingatherthatway?Whydidn'thejustgetitoverwith?Butnow the iron hand on her shoulder was releasing her. The animal snarl haddisappeared, replaced by a look of bewilderment and wonder. He sat back,helpinghertositup,allthewhilegazingintoherface.

"Elena,"hewhispered.Hisvoicewascracked."Elena,it'syou."

IsthatwhoIam?shethought.Elena?

Itdidn'treallymatter.Shecastaglancetowardtheoldoaktree.Hewasstillthere,standingbetweentheupthrustroots,panting,supportinghimselfagainstitwithonehand.Hewas lookingatherwithhisendlesslyblackeyes,hisbrowsdrawntogetherinafrown.

Don'tworry, she thought. I can take careof thisone.He's stupid.Then sheflungherselfonthegreen-eyedoneagain.

"Elena!"hecriedassheknockedhimbackward.Hisgoodhandpushedathershoulder,holdingherup."Elena,it'sme,Stefan!Elena,lookatme!"

Shewaslooking.Allshecouldseewastheexposedpatchofskinathisneck.Shehissedagain,upperlipdrawingback,showinghimherteeth.

Hefroze.

Shefelttheshockreverberatethroughhisbody,sawhisgazeshatter.Hisfacewentaswhiteasifsomeonehadstruckhimablowinthestomach.Heshookhisheadslightlyonthemuddyground.

"No,"hewhispered."Oh,no…"

Heseemedtobesayingittohimself,asifhedidn'texpecthertohearhim.Hereachedahandtowardhercheek,andshesnappedatit.

"Oh,Elena…"hewhispered.

Thelasttracesoffury,ofanimalbloodlust,haddisappearedfromhisface.Hiseyesweredazedandstrickenandgrieving.

Andvulnerable.Elenatookadvantageofthemomenttodiveforthebareskinat his neck. His arm came up to fend her off, to push her away, but then itdroppedagain.

Hestaredatheramoment,thepaininhiseyesreachingapeak,andthenhesimplygaveup.Hestoppedfightingcompletely.

Shecouldfeelithappen,feeltheresistanceleavehisbody.Helayontheicygroundwithscrapsofoakleavesinhishair,staringuppastherattheblackandcloudedsky.

Finishit,hiswearyvoicesaidinhermind.

Elena hesitated for an instant. There was something about those eyes thatcalled up memories inside her. Standing in the moonlight, sitting in an atticroom…Butthememoriesweretoovague.Shecouldn'tgetagrasponthem,andtheeffortmadeherdizzyandsick.

Andthisonehadtodie,thisgreen-eyedonecalledStefan.Becausehe'dhurthim, theotherone, theoneElenahadbeenborntobewith.Noonecouldhurthimandlive.

Sheclampedherteethintohisthroatandbitdeep.

She realized at once that she wasn't doing it quite right. She hadn't hit anarteryorvein.Sheworriedat the throat,angryatherown inexperience. It feltgood tobitesomething,butnotmuchbloodwascoming.Frustrated,she liftedupandbitagain,feelinghisbodyjerkinpain.

Much better. She'd found a vein this time, but she hadn't torn it deeplyenough.Alittlescratchlikethatwouldn'tdo.Whatsheneededwastoripitrightacross,tolettherichhotbloodstreamout.

Hervictimshudderedassheworkedtodothis,teethrakingandgnawing.Shewas just feeling the fleshgivewaywhenhands pulled at her, liftingher frombehind.

Elena snarled without letting go of the throat. The hands were insistentthough.Anarmloopedaboutherwaist,fingerstwinedinherhair.Shefought,clingingwithteethandnailstoherprey.

Letgoofhim.Leavehim!

Thevoicewassharpandcommanding, likeablast fromacoldwind.Elenarecognized it and stopped strugglingwith the hands that pulled her away. Astheydepositedheronthegroundandshelookeduptoseehim,anamecameintohermind.Damon.HisnamewasDamon.Shestaredathimsulkily,resentfulofbeingyankedawayfromherkill,butobedient.

Stefanwassittingup,hisneckredwithblood.Itwasrunningontohisshirt.Elena licked her lips, feeling a throb like a hunger pang that seemed to comefromeveryfiberofherbeing.Shewasdizzyagain.

"Ithought,"Damonsaidaloud,"thatyousaidshewasdead."

He was looking at Stefan, who was even paler than before, if that waspossible.Thatwhitefacefilledwithinfinitehopelessness.

"Lookather"wasallhesaid.

AhandcuppedElena'schin, tiltingher faceup.ShemetDamon'snarroweddarkeyesdirectly.Thenlong,slenderfingerstouchedherlips,probingbetweenthem.InstinctivelyElenatriedtobite,butnotveryhard.Damon'sfingerfoundthesharpcurveofacaninetooth,andElenadidbitenow,givingitaniplikeakitten's.

Damon'sfacewasexpressionless,hiseyeshard.

"Doyouknowwhereyouare?"hesaid.

Elenaglancedaround.Trees."Inthewoods,"shesaidcraftily,lookingbackathim.

"Andwhoisthat?"

She followed his pointing finger. "Stefan," she said indifferently. "Yourbrother."

"Andwhoam I?Doyouknowwho I am?"She smiledupathim, showinghimherpointedteeth."OfcourseIdo.You'reDamon,andIloveyou."

TwoStefan'svoicewasquietlysavage."That'swhatyouwanted,wasn'tit,Damon?

Andnowyou'vegotit.Youhadtomakeherlikeus,likeyou.Itwasn'tenoughjusttokillher."

Damondidn'tglancebackathim.Hewas lookingatElena intently throughthosehooded eyes, still kneeling thereholdingher chin. "That's the third timeyou've said that, and I'm getting a little tired of it," he commented softly.Disheveled, still slightly out of breath, he was yet self-composed, in control."Elena,didIkillyou?"

"Ofcoursenot,"Elenasaid,windingherfingersinthoseofhisfreehand.Shewasgettingimpatient.Whatweretheytalkingaboutanyway?Nobodyhadbeenkilled.

"Ineverthoughtyouwerealiar,"StefansaidtoDamon,thebitternessinhisvoiceunchanged."Justabouteverythingelse,butnotthat.I'veneverheardyoutrytocoverupforyourselfbefore."

"Inanotherminute,"saidDamon,"I'mgoingtolosemytemper."

Whatmorecanyoupossiblydotome?Stefanreturned.Killingmewouldbeamercy.

"I ran out ofmercy for you a century ago," Damon said aloud. He let go,finally,ofElena'schin."Whatdoyourememberabouttoday?"heaskedher.

Elena spoke tiredly, like a child reciting a hated lesson. "Today was theFounders'Daycelebration."Flexingherfingersinhis,shelookedupatDamon.Thatwasasfarasshecouldgetonherown,butitwasn'tenough.Nettled,shetriedtoremembersomethingelse.

"There was someone in the cafeteria…Caroline." She offered the name tohim,pleased."Shewasgoingtoreadmydiaryinfrontofeveryone,andthatwasbadbecause…"Elenafumbledwith thememoryandlost it."Idon't rememberwhy.Butwetrickedher."Shesmiledathimwarmly,conspiratorially.

"Oh,'we'did,didwe?"

"Yes.Yougot itawayfromher.Youdid it forme."Thefingersofherfreehand crept under his jacket, searching for the square-cornered hardness of thelittle book. "Because you love me," she said, finding it and scratching at itlightly."Youdoloveme,don'tyou?"

Therewasafaintsoundfromthecenteroftheclearing.ElenalookedandsawthatStefanhadturnedhisfaceaway.

"Elena.Whathappenednext?"Damon'svoicecalledherback.

"Next? Next Aunt Judith started arguing with me." Elena pondered this amoment and at last shrugged. "Over… something. I got angry. She's not mymother.Shecan'ttellmewhattodo."

Damon'svoicewasdry."Idon'tthinkthat'sgoingtobeaproblemanymore.Whatnext?"

Elena sighed heavily. "Next I went and gotMatt's car.Matt." She said thenamereflectively, flickingher tongueoverhercanine teeth. Inhermind'seye,shesawahandsomeface,blondhair,sturdyshoulders."Matt."

"AndwheredidyougoinMatt'scar?"

"ToWickeryBridge,"Stefansaid, turningbacktoward them.Hiseyesweredesolate.

"No,totheboardinghouse,"Elenacorrected,irritated."Towaitfor…mm…Iforget.Anyway, Iwaited there.Then… then the storm started.Wind, rain, allthat.Ididn'tlikeit.Igotinthecar.Butsomethingcameafterme."

"Someonecameafteryou,"saidStefan,lookingatDamon.

"Something,"Elenainsisted.Shehadhadenoughofhisinterruptions."Let'sgoawaysomewhere, justus,"shesaid toDamon,kneelingupso thather facewasclosetohis.

"Inaminute,"hesaid."Whatkindofthingcameafteryou?"

She settledback, exasperated. "Idon'tknowwhatkindof thing! Itwas likenothing I've ever seen. Not like you and Stefan. It was…" Images rippledthroughhermind.Mistflowingalongtheground.Thewindshrieking.Ashape,white, enormous, lookingas if itweremadeoutofmist itself.Gainingonherlikeawind-drivencloud.

"Maybe itwas justpart of the storm," she said. "But I thought itwanted tohurtme.Igotawaythough."FiddlingwiththezippertoDamon'sleatherjacket,shesmiledsecretlyandlookedupathimthroughherlashes.

For the first time, Damon's face showed emotion. His lips twisted in agrimace."Yougotaway."

"Yes. I remembered what… someone… told me about running water. Evilthingscan'tcrossit.SoIdrovetowardDrowningCreek,towardthebridge.Andthen…" She hesitated, frowning, trying to find a solid memory in the newconfusion.Water.Sherememberedwater.Andsomeonescreaming.Butnothingelse. "And then I crossed it," she concluded finally, brightly. "I must have,becausehereIam.Andthat'sall.Canwegonow?"

Damondidn'tanswerher.

"Thecar'sstillintheriver,"saidStefan.HeandDamonwerelookingateachotherliketwoadultshavingadiscussionovertheheadofanuncomprehendingchild, their hostilities suspended for the moment. Elena felt a surge ofannoyance. She opened her mouth, but Stefan was continuing. "Bonnie andMeredithandIfoundit.Iwentunderwaterandgother,butbythen…"

Bythen,what?Elenafrowned.

Damon'slipswerecurvedmockingly."Andyougaveuponher?You,ofallpeople,shouldhavesuspectedwhatmighthappen.Orwastheideasorepugnantto you that you couldn't even consider it?Would you rather she were reallydead?"

"She had no pulse, no respiration!" Stefan flared. "And she'd never hadenoughbloodtochangeher!"Hiseyeshardened."Notfrommeanyway."

Elenaopenedhermouthagain,butDamonlaidtwofingersonittokeepherquiet.Hesaidsmoothly,"Andthat's theproblemnow—orareyoutooblindtosee that, too?You toldme to lookather; lookatheryourself.She's inshock,irrational. Oh, yes, even I admit that." He paused for a blinding smile beforegoingon. "It'smore than just thenormalconfusionafterchanging.She'llneedblood,humanblood,orherbodywon'thave the strength to finish thechange.She'lldie."

Whatdoyoumeanirrational?Elenathoughtindignantly."I'mfine,"shesaidaroundDamon'sfingers."I'mtired,that'sall.IwasgoingtosleepwhenIheard

youtwofighting,andIcametohelpyou.Andthenyouwouldn'tevenletmekillhim,"shefinished,disgusted.

"Yes,whydidn'tyou?"saidStefan.HewasstaringatDamonas ifhecouldboreholesthroughhimwithhiseyes.Anytraceofcooperationonhispartwasgone."Itwouldhavebeentheeasiestthingtodo."

Damonstaredbackathim,suddenlyfurious,hisownanimosityfloodinguptomeetStefan's.Hewasbreathingquicklyandlightly."MaybeIdon'tlikethingseasy," hehissed.Thenhe seemed to regain control of himself oncemore.Hislipscurledinmockery,andheadded,"Putitthisway,dearbrother:ifanyone'sgoingtohavethesatisfactionofkillingyou,itwillbeme.Nooneelse.Iplantotakecareof the jobpersonally.Andit'ssomethingI'mverygoodat; Ipromiseyou."

"You'veshownusthat,"Stefansaidquietly,asifeachwordsickenedhim.

"Butthisone,"Damonsaid,turningtoElenawithglitteringeyes,"Ididn'tkill.WhyshouldI?IcouldhavechangedheranytimeIliked."

"Maybebecauseshehadjustgottenengagedtomarrysomeoneelse."

Damon liftedElena's hand, still twinedwith his.On the third finger a goldring glittered, set with one deep blue stone. Elena frowned at it, vaguelyremembering having seen it before. Then she shrugged and leaned againstDamonwearily.

"Well,now,"Damonsaid,lookingdownather,"thatdoesn'tseemtobemuchofaproblem,doesit?Ithinkshemayhavebeengladtoforgetyou."Helookedup at Stefan with an unpleasant smile. "But we'll find out once she's herselfagain.Wecanaskherthenwhichofusshechooses.Agreed?"

Stefan shook his head. "How can you even suggest that? After whathappened…"Hisvoicetrailedoff.

"WithKatherine?Icansayit, ifyoucan't.Katherinemadeafoolishchoice,andshepaidthepriceforit.Elenaisdifferent;sheknowsherownmind.Butitdoesn'tmatter if you agree," he added, overriding Stefan's new protests. "Thefactisthatshe'sweaknow,andsheneedsblood.I'mgoingtoseethatshegetsit,and then I'm going to find who did this to her. You can come or not. Suityourself."

Hestood,drawingElenaupwithhim.Let'sgo.

Elena camewillingly, pleased to bemoving.Thewoodswere interesting atnight; she'd never noticed that before. Owls were sending their mournful,hauntingcries through the trees,anddeermicescuttledawayfromherglidingfeet.Theairwascolderinpatches,asitfrozefirstinthehollowsanddipsofthewood. She found itwas easy tomove silently besideDamon through the leaflitter; itwas just amatter of being carefulwhere she stepped. She didn't lookbacktoseeifStefanwasfollowingthem.

Sherecognizedtheplacewheretheyleftthewood.Shehadbeenthereearliertoday.Now,however,therewassomesortoffrenziedactivitygoingon:redandblue lights flashing on cars, spotlights framing the dark huddled shapes ofpeople.Elenalookedatthemcuriously.Severalwerefamiliar.Thatwoman,forinstance,with the thinharrowedfaceand theanxiouseyes—AuntJudith?Andthetallmanbesideher—AuntJudith'sfiancé,Robert?

Thereshouldbesomeoneelsewiththem,Elenathought.AchildwithhairaspaleasElena'sown.Buttryasshemight,shecouldnotconjureupaname.

The two girls with their arms around each other, standing in a circle ofofficials, those twosherememberedthough.The littlered-hairedonewhowascryingwasBonnie.Thetalleronewiththesweepofdarkhair,Meredith.

"But she'snot in thewater,"Bonniewassaying toaman inauniform.Hervoicetrembledontheedgeofhysteria."WesawStefangetherout.I'vetoldyouandtoldyou."

"Andyoulefthimherewithher?"

"Wehad to.Thestormwasgettingworse,and therewassomethingcoming—"

"Nevermindthat,"Meredithbrokein.ShesoundedonlyslightlycalmerthanBonnie."Stefansaidthatifhe—hadtoleaveher,he'dleaveherlyingunderthewillowtrees."

"AndjustwhereisStefannow?"anotheruniformedmanasked.

"Wedon'tknow.Wewentbacktogethelp.Heprobablyfollowedus.Butasforwhathappened to—toElena…"Bonnie turnedbackandburiedher face inMeredith'sshoulder.

They'reupsetaboutme,Elenarealized.Howsillyofthem.Icanclearthatup,anyway. She started forward into the light, but Damon pulled her back. Shelookedathim,wounded.

"Notlikethat.Picktheonesyouwant,andwe'lldrawthemout,"hesaid.

"Wantforwhat?"

"Forfeeding,Elena.You'reahunternow.Thoseareyourprey."

Elenapushedhertongueagainstacaninetoothdoubtfully.Nothingouttherelookedlikefoodtoher.Still,becauseDamonsaidso,shewasinclinedtogivehimthebenefitofthedoubt."Whicheveryouthink,"shesaidobligingly.

Damontiltedhisheadback,eyesnarrowed,scanningthescenelikeanexpertevaluatingafamouspainting."Well,howaboutacoupleofniceparamedics?"

"No,"saidavoicebehindthem.

DamonbarelyglancedoverhisshoulderatStefan."Whynot?"

"Becausethere'vebeenenoughattacks.Shemayneedhumanblood,butshedoesn'thavetohuntforit."Stefan'sfacewasshutandhostile,buttherewasanairofgrimdeterminationabouthim.

"There'sanotherway?"Damonaskedironically.

"Youknowthereis.Findsomeonewho'swilling—orwhocanbeinfluencedtobewilling.SomeonewhowoulddoitforElenaandwhoisstrongenoughtodealwiththis,mentally."

"AndIsupposeyouknowwherewecanfindsuchaparagonofvirtue?"

"Bringhertotheschool.I'llmeetyouthere,"Stefansaid,anddisappeared.

They left the activity still bustling, lights flashing, peoplemilling. As theywent,Elenanoticedastrangething.Inthemiddleoftheriver,illuminatedbythespotlights,wasanautomobile.Itwascompletelysubmergedexceptforthefrontfender,whichstuckoutofthewater.

Whatastupidplacetoparkacar,shethought,andfollowedDamonbackintothewoods.

Stefanwasbeginningtofeelagain.

It hurt. He'd thought he was through with hurting, through with feelinganything. When he'd pulled Elena's lifeless body out of the dark water, he'dthought that nothing could ever hurt again because nothing could match thatmoment.

He'dbeenwrong.

Hestoppedandstoodwithhisgoodhandbracedagainsta tree,headdown,breathingdeeply.When the redmists clearedandhecould seeagain,hewenton, but the burning ache in his chest continued undiminished. Stop thinkingabouther,hetoldhimself,knowingthatitwasuseless.

But shewasn't trulydead.Didn't that count for something?He'd thoughthewouldneverhearhervoiceagain,neverfeelhertouch…

Andnow,whenshetouchedhim,shewantedtokillhim.

Hestoppedagain,doublingover,afraidhewasgoingtobesick.

Seeing her like thiswasworse torture than seeing her lying cold and dead.MaybethatwaswhyDamonhadlethimlive.MaybethiswasDamon'srevenge.

AndmaybeStefanshouldjustdowhathe'dplannedtodoafterkillingDamon.Wait until dawn and take off the silver ring that protected him from sunlight.Standbathinginthefieryembraceofthoseraysuntiltheyburnedthefleshfromhisbonesandstoppedthepainonceandforall.

Butheknewhewouldn't.AslongasElenawalkedtheearth,hewouldneverleaveher.Evenifshehatedhim,evenifshehuntedhim.Hewoulddoanythinghecouldtokeephersafe.

Stefandetoured toward theboardinghouse.Heneeded tocleanupbeforehecouldlethumansseehim.Inhisroom,hewashedthebloodfromhisfaceandneck and examinedhis arm.Thehealingprocess had alreadybegun, andwithconcentrationhecouldaccelerateitstillfurther.HewasburninguphisPowersfast; the fight with his brother had already weakened him. But this wasimportant.Not because of the pain—he scarcely noticed that—but because heneededtobefit.

DamonandElenawerewaitingoutsidetheschool.Hecouldfeelhisbrother's

impatienceandElena'swildnewpresencethereinthedark.

"Thishadbetterwork,"Damonsaid.

Stefansaidnothing.Theschoolauditoriumwasanothercenterofcommotion.PeopleoughttohavebeenenjoyingtheFounders'Daydance;infact,thosewhohadremainedthroughthestormwerepacingaroundorgatheredinsmallgroupstalking. Stefan looked in the open door, searching with his mind for oneparticularpresence.

Hefoundit.Ablondheadwasbentoveratableinthecorner.

Matt.

Matt straightened and looked around, puzzled. Stefan willed him to comeoutside. You need some fresh air, he thought, insinuating the suggestion intoMatt'ssubconscious.Youfeellikejuststeppingoutforamoment.

ToDamon,standinginvisiblejustbeyondthelight,hesaid,Takeherintotheschool,tothephotographyroom.Sheknowswhereitis.Don'tshowyourselvesuntilIsay.ThenhebackedawayandwaitedforMatttoappear.

Matt came out, his drawn face turned up to the moonless sky. He startedviolentlywhenStefanspoketohim.

"Stefan!You'rehere!"Desperation,hope,andhorrorstruggledfordominanceonhisface.HehurriedovertoStefan."Didthey—bringherbackyet?Isthereanynews?"

"Whathaveyouheard?"

Mattstaredathimamomentbeforeanswering."BonnieandMeredithcameinsayingthatElenahadgoneoffofWickeryBridgeinmycar.Theysaidthatshe…"He paused and swallowed. "Stefan, it's not true, is it?"His eyeswerepleading.

Stefanlookedaway.

"Oh, God,"Matt said hoarsely. He turned his back on Stefan, pressing theheelsofhishandsintohiseyes."Idon'tbelieveit;Idon't.Itcan'tbetrue."

"Matt…"Hetouchedtheotherboy'sshoulder.

"I'msorry."Matt'svoicewasroughandragged."Youmustbegoingthrough

hell,andhereIammakingitworse."

Morethanyouknow,thoughtStefan,hishandfallingaway.He'dcomewiththe intention of using his Powers to persuade Matt. Now that seemed animpossibility.Hecouldn't do it, not to the first—andonly—human friendhe'dhadinthisplace.

His only other option was to tell Matt the truth. Let Matt make his ownchoice,knowingeverything.

"IfthereweresomethingyoucoulddoforElenarightnow,"hesaid,"wouldyoudoit?"

Mattwas too lost in emotion to askwhat kind of idiotic question thatwas."Anything," he said almost angrily, rubbing a sleeve over his eyes. "I'd doanything for her." He looked at Stefan with something like defiance, hisbreathingshaky.

Congratulations', Stefan thought, feeling the sudden yawning pit in hisstomach.You'vejustwonyourselfatriptotheTwilightZone.

"Comewithme,"hesaid."I'vegotsomethingtoshowyou."

ThreeElena and Damon were waiting in the darkroom. Stefan could sense their

presenceinthesmallannexashepushedthedoortothephotographyroomopenandledMattinside.

"Thesedoorsaresupposed tobe locked,"MattsaidasStefanflippedon thelightswitch.

"Theywere,"saidStefan.Hedidn'tknowwhatelsetosaytoprepareMattforwhatwascoming.He'dneverdeliberatelyrevealedhimselftoahumanbefore.

He stood, quietly, untilMatt turned and looked at him. The classroomwascoldandsilent,andtheairseemedtohangheavily.Asthemomentstretchedout,he saw Matt's expression slowly change from grief-numbed bewilderment touneasiness.

"Idon'tunderstand,"Mattsaid.

"I knowyoudon't."Hewent on looking atMatt, purposefullydropping thebarriersthatconcealedhisPowersfromhumanperception.Hesawthereactionin Matt's face as uneasiness coalesced into fear. Matt blinked and shook hishead,hisbreathcomingquicker.

"What—?"hebegan,hisvoicegravelly.

"Thereareprobablya lotof thingsyou'vewonderedaboutme,"Stefansaid."WhyIwearsunglassesinstronglight.WhyIdon'teat.Whymyreflexesaresofast."

Matthadhisbacktothedarkroomnow.Histhroatjerkedasifheweretryingtoswallow.Stefan,withhispredator'ssenses,couldhearMatt'sheart thuddingdully.

"No,"Mattsaid.

"You must have wondered, must have asked yourself what makes me sodifferentfromeverybodyelse."

"No.Imean—Idon'tcare.Ikeepoutofthingsthataren'tmybusiness."Matt

was edging toward the door, his eyes darting toward it in a barely perceptiblemovement.

"Don't,Matt.Idon'twanttohurtyou,butIcan'tletyouleavenow."HecouldfeelbarelyleashedneedemanatingfromElenainherconcealment.Wait,hetoldher.

Mattwent still, givingup anyattempt tomoveaway. "If youwant to scareme,youhave,"hesaidinalowvoice."Whatelsedoyouwant?"

Now,StefantoldElena.HesaidtoMatt,"Turnaround."

Mattturned.Andstifledacry.

Elenastoodthere,butnottheElenaofthatafternoon,whenMatthadlastseenher.Nowherfeetwerebarebeneaththehemofherlongdress.Thethinfoldsofwhitemuslinthatclungtoherwerecakedwithicecrystalsthatsparkledinthelight.Herskin,alwaysfair,hadastrangewintry luster to it,andherpalegoldhair seemed overlaid with a silvery sheen. But the real difference was in herface.Those deepblue eyeswere heavy-lidded, almost sleepy looking, andyetunnaturallyawake.Anda lookofsensualanticipationandhungercurledabouther lips. She was more beautiful than she had been in life, but it was afrighteningbeauty.

AsMattstared,paralyzed,Elena'spinktonguecameoutandlickedherlips.

"Matt," she said, lingering over the first consonant of the name. Then shesmiled.

StefanheardMatt'sindrawnbreathofdisbelief,andthenearsobhegaveashefinallybackedawayfromher.

It's all right, he said, sending the thought toMatt on a surge of Power.AsMattjerkedtowardhim,eyeswidewithshock,headded,"Sonowyouknow."

Matt'sexpressionsaid thathedidn'twant toknow,andStefancouldsee thedenialinhisface.ButDamonsteppedoutbesideElenaandmovedalittletotheright,addinghispresencetothechargedatmosphereoftheroom.

Matt was surrounded. The three of them closed in on him, inhumanlybeautiful,innatelymenacing.

Stefan could smellMatt's fear. Itwas the helpless fear of the rabbit for the

fox, the mouse for the owl. AndMatt was right to be afraid. They were thehuntingspecies;hewasthehunted.Theirjobinlifewastokillhim.

Andjustnowinstinctsweregettingoutofcontrol.Matt'sinstinctwastopanicandrun,anditwastriggeringreflexesinStefan'shead.Whenthepreyran,thepredatorgavechase;itwasassimpleasthat.Allthreeofthepredatorsherewerekeyed up, on edge, and Stefan felt he couldn't be responsible for theconsequencesifMattbolted.

Wedon'twanttoharmyou,hetoldMatt.It'sElenawhoneedsyou,andwhatsheneedswon't leave youpermanentlydamaged. It doesn't evenhave tohurt,Matt.ButMatt'smuscleswere still tensed to flee, andStefan realized that thethreeofthemwerestalkinghim,movingcloser,readytocutoffanyescape.

YousaidyouwoulddoanythingforElena,heremindedMattdesperatelyandsawhimmakehischoice.

Mattreleasedhisbreath,thetensiondrainingfromhisbody."You'reright;Idid,"hewhispered.Hevisiblybracedhimselfbeforehecontinued."Whatdoessheneed?"

Elena leaned forward and put a finger onMatt's neck, tracing the yieldingridgeofanartery.

"Not that one," Stefan said quickly. "You don't want to kill him. Tell her,Damon."Headded,whenDamonmadenoefforttodoso,Tellher.

"Try here, or here."Damon pointedwith clinical efficiency, holdingMatt'schinup.HewasstrongenoughthatMattcouldn'tbreakthegrip,andStefanfeltMatt'spanicsurgeupagain.

Trustme,Matt.Hemoved in behind the human boy.But it has to be yourchoice, he finished, suddenly washed with compassion.You can change yourmind.

Matthesitatedandthenspokethroughclenchedteeth."No.Istillwanttohelp.Iwanttohelpyou,Elena."

"Matt," shewhispered, herheavy-lashed jewelblue eyes fixedonhis.Thentheytraileddowntohisthroatandherlipspartedhungrily.Therewasnosignoftheuncertaintyshe'dshownwhenDamonsuggestedfeedingofftheparamedics."Matt."Shesmiledagain,andthenshestruck,swiftasahuntingbird.

Stefan put a flattened hand againstMatt's back to give him support. For amoment,asElena'steethpiercedhisskin,Matttriedtorecoil,butStefanthoughtswiftly,Don'tfightit;that'swhatcausesthepain.

AsMatttriedtorelax,unexpectedhelpcamefromElena,whowasradiatingthe warm happy thoughts of a wolf cub being fed. She had gotten the bitingtechniquerightonthefirsttrythistime,andshewasfilledwithinnocentprideand growing satisfaction as the sharp pangs of hunger eased. And withappreciation for Matt, Stefan realized, with a sudden shock of jealousy. Shedidn'thateMattorwanttokillhim,becauseheposednothreattoDamon.ShewasfondofMatt.

Stefan lether takeasmuchaswassafeand then intervened.That'senough,Elena. You don'twant to injure him.But it took the combined efforts of him,Damon,andarathergroggyMatttopryheroff.

"Sheneeds to restnow,"Damon said. "I'm takingher someplacewhere shecandoitsafely."Hewasn'taskingStefan;hewastellinghim.

As they left, his mental voice added, for Stefan's ears alone, I haven'tforgottenthewayyouattackedme,brother.We'lltalkaboutthatlater.

Stefan stared after them. He'd noted how Elena's eyes remained locked onDamon,howshefollowedhimwithoutquestion.Butshewasoutofdangernow;Matt'sbloodhadgivenher thestrengthsheneeded.ThatwasallStefanhadtohangonto,andhetoldhimselfitwasallthatmattered.

He turned to take inMatt'sdazedexpression.Thehumanboyhadsunk intooneoftheplasticchairsandwasgazingstraightahead.

ThenhiseyesliftedtoStefan's,andtheyregardedeachothergrimly.

"So,"Matt said. "Now I know." He shook his head, turning away slightly."ButIstillcan'tbelieveit,"hemuttered.Hisfingerspressedgingerlyatthesideof his neck, and hewinced. "Except for this." Then he frowned. "That guy—Damon.Whoishe?"

"My older brother," Stefan said without emotion. "How do you know hisname?"

"Hewas at Elena's house last week. The kitten spat at him."Matt paused,clearly remembering something else. "And Bonnie had some kind of psychic

fit."

"Shehadaprecognition?Whatdidshesay?

"Shesaid—shesaidthatDeathwasinthehouse."

Stefan looked at the doorDamon and Elena had passed through. "Shewasright."

"Stefan,what'sgoingon?"AnoteofappealhadenteredMatt'svoice."Istilldon'tunderstand.What'shappenedtoElena?Isshegoingtobelikethisforever?Isn'tthereanythingwecando?"

"Belikewhat?"Stefansaidbrutally."Disoriented?Avampire?"

Mattlookedaway."Both."

"As for the first, shemay becomemore rational now that she's fed. That'swhatDamonthinksanyway.Asfortheother,there'sonlyonethingyoucandotochangehercondition."AsMatt'seyes litwithhope,Stefancontinued."Youcangetawoodenstakeandhammer it throughherheart.Thenshewon'tbeavampireanymore.She'lljustbedead."

Mattgotupandwenttothewindow.

"Youwouldn'tbekillingher, though,because that's alreadybeendone.Shedrownedintheriver,Matt.Butbecauseshe'dhadenoughbloodfromme"—hepaused to steady his voice—"and, it seems, from my brother, she changedinstead of simply dying. Shewoke up a hunter, like us. That's what she'll befromnowon."

With his back still turned, Matt answered. "I always knew there wassomethingaboutyou. I toldmyself itwas justbecauseyouwere fromanothercountry."Heshookhisheadagainself-deprecatingly."ButdeepdownIknewitwasmorethanthat.AndsomethingstillkepttellingmeIcouldtrustyou,andIdid."

"Likewhenyouwentwithmetogetthevervain."

"Yeah.Likethat."Headded,"Canyoutellmewhatthehellitwasfor,now?"

"ForElena'sprotection.IwantedtokeepDamonawayfromher.Butitlooksasifthat'snotwhatshewantedafterall."Hecouldn'thelpthebitterness,theraw

betrayal,inhisvoice.

Mattturned."Don'tjudgeherbeforeyouknowallthefacts,Stefan.That'sonethingI'velearned."

Stefanwasstartled;then,hegaveasmallhumorlesssmile.AsElena'sexes,heand Matt were in the same position now. He wondered if he would be asgraciousaboutitasMatthadbeen.Takehisdefeatlikeagentleman.

Hedidn'tthinkso.

Outside,anoisehadbegun.Itwasinaudibletohumanears,andStefanalmostignoredit—untilthewordspenetratedhisconsciousness.

Thenherememberedwhathehaddoneinthisveryschoolonlyafewhoursago.Untilthatmoment,he'dforgottenallaboutTylerSmallwoodandhistoughfriends.

Nowthatmemoryhadreturned;shameandhorrorclosedhisthroat.He'dbeenout of hismindwith grief over Elena, and his reason had snapped under thepressure.Butthatwasnoexcuseforwhathehaddone.Weretheyalldead?Hadhe,whohadswornsolongagonevertokill,killedsixpeopletoday?

"Stefan,wait.Whereareyougoing?"Whenhedidn'tanswer,Mattfollowedhim, half running to keep up, out of the main school building and onto theblacktop.Onthefarsideofthefield,Mr.ShelbystoodbytheQuonsethut.

Thejanitor'sfacewasgrayandfurrowedwithlinesofhorror.Heseemedtobetryingtoshout,butonlysmallhoarsegaspscameoutofhismouth.Elbowingpasthim,Stefanlookedintotheroomandfeltacurioussenseofdejàvu.

It looked like the Mad Slasher room from the Haunted House fundraiser.Exceptthatthiswasnotableausetupforvisitors.Thiswasreal.

Bodieswere sprawledeverywhere, amid shardsofwoodandglass from theshattered window. Every visible surface was spattered with blood, red-brownandsinisterasitdried.Andonelookatthebodiesrevealedwhy:eachonehadapair of livid purple wounds in the neck. Except Caroline's: her neck wasunmarked,buthereyeswereblankandstaring.

Behind Stefan,Matt was hyperventilating. "Stefan, Elena didn't—she didn't—"

"Bequiet,"Stefananswered tersely.HeglancedbackatMr.Shelby,but thejanitor had stumbled over to his cart of brooms and mops and was leaningagainst it.Glass grated under Stefan's feet as he crossed the floor to kneel byTyler.

Notdead.ReliefexplodedoverStefanattherealization.Tyler'schestmovedfeebly,andwhenStefanliftedtheboy'sheadhiseyesopenedaslit,glazedandunfocused.

Youdon'trememberanything,Stefantoldhimmentally.Evenashedidit,hewonderedwhyhewasbothering.HeshouldjustleaveFell'sChurch,cutoutnowandnevercomeback.

Buthewouldn't.NotaslongasElenawashere.

Hegatheredtheunconsciousmindsoftheothervictimsintohismentalgraspand told them the same thing, feeding it deep into their brains. You don'trememberwhoattackedyou.Thewholeafternoonisablank.

As he did, he felt hismentalPowers tremble like overfatiguedmuscles.Hewasclosetoburnout.

Outside,Mr.Shelbyhad foundhis voice at last andwas shouting.Wearily,Stefan let Tyler's head slip back through his fingers to the floor and turnedaround.

Matt's lips were peeled back, his nostrils flared, as if he had just smelledsomething disgusting.His eyeswere the eyes of a stranger. "Elena didn't," hewhispered."Youdid."

Be quiet! Stefan pushed past him into the thankful coolness of the night,puttingdistancebetweenhimandthatroom,feelingtheicyaironhishotskin.Runningfootstepsfromthevicinityofthecafeteriatoldhimthatsomehumanshadheardthejanitor'scriesatlast.

"Youdidit,didn'tyou?"MatthadfollowedStefanouttothefield.Hisvoicesaidhewastryingtounderstand.

Stefan rounded on him. "Yes, I did it," he snarled. He stared Matt down,concealing none of the angry menace in his face. "I told you, Matt, we'rehunters.Killers.You'rethesheep;we'rethewolves.AndTylerhasbeenaskingforiteverydaysinceIcamehere."

"Askingforapunchinthenose,sure.Likeyougavehimbefore.But—that?"Mattclosedinonhim,standingeyetoeye,unafraid.Hehadphysicalcourage;Stefanhadtogivehimthat."Andyou'renotevensorry?Youdon'tevenregretit?"

"WhyshouldI?"saidStefancoldly,emptily."Doyouregretitwhenyoueattoomuchsteak?Feel sorry for thecow?"HesawMatt's lookof sickdisbeliefandpressedon,drivingthepaininhischestdeeper.ItwasbetterthatMattstayawayfromhimfromnowon,faraway.OrMattmightenduplikethosebodiesin theQuonset hut. "I amwhat I am,Matt. And if you can't handle it, you'dbettersteerclearofme."

Matt stared at him amoment longer, the sick disbelief transforming slowlyintosickdisillusionment.Themusclesaroundhisjawstoodout.Then,withoutaword,heturnedonhisheelandwalkedaway.

Elenawasinthegraveyard.

Damonhadleftherthere,exhortinghertostayuntilhecameback.Shedidn'twant tositstill, though.Shefelt tiredbutnotreallysleepy,andthenewbloodwasaffectingherlikeajoltofcaffeine.Shewantedtogoexploring.

Thegraveyardwasfullofactivityalthoughtherewasn'tahumaninsight.Afox slunk through the shadows toward the river path. Small rodents tunneledunder the long lank grass around the headstones, squeaking and scurrying. Abarnowlflewalmostsilentlytowardtheruinedchurch,whereitalightedonthebelfrywithaneeriecry.

Elenagotupandfollowed it.Thiswasmuchbetter thanhiding in thegrasslikeamouseorvole.Shelookedaroundtheruinedchurchinterestedly,usinghersharpened senses to examine it.Mostof the roofhad fallen in, andonly threewalls were standing, but the belfry stood up like a lonely monument in therubble.

AtonesidewasthetombofThomasandHonoriaFell,likealargestoneboxorcoffin.Elenagazedearnestlydownintothewhitemarblefacesoftheirstatuesonthelid.Theylayintranquilrepose,theireyesshut,theirhandsfoldedontheirbreasts.ThomasFelllookedseriousandalittlestern,butHonorialookedmerelysad.Elenathoughtabsentlyofherownparents, lyingsidebysidedownin themoderncemetery.

I'llgohome;that'swhereI'llgo,shethought.Shehadjustrememberedabouthome. She could picture it now: her pretty bedroom with blue curtains andcherrywoodfurnitureandherlittlefireplace.Andsomethingimportantunderthefloorboardsinthecloset.

ShefoundherwaytoMapleStreetbyinstinctsthatrandeeperthanmemory,lettingherfeetguideherthere.Itwasanold,oldhouse,withabigfrontporchandfloor-to-ceilingwindowsinfront.Robert'scarwasparkedinthedriveway.

Elenastartedforthefrontdoorandthenstopped.Therewasareasonpeopleshouldn't see her, although she couldn't rememberwhat itwas right now.Shehesitatedandthennimblyclimbedthequincetreeuptoherbedroomwindow.

Butshewasn'tgoingtobeabletogetinherewithoutbeingnoticed.AwomanwassittingonthebedwithElena'sredsilkkimonoinherlap,staringdownatit.AuntJudith.Robertwasstandingbythedresser,talkingtoher.Elenafoundthatshecouldpickupthemurmurofhisvoiceeventhroughtheglass.

"…outagaintomorrow,"hewassaying."Aslongasitdoesn'tstorm.They'llgoovereveryinchofthosewoods,andthey'llfindher,Judith.You'llsee."AuntJudithsaidnothing,andhewenton,soundingmoredesperate."Wecan'tgiveuphope,nomatterwhatthegirlssay—"

"It'snogood,Bob."AuntJudithhadraisedherheadatlast,andhereyeswerered-rimmedbutdry."It'snouse."

"Therescueeffort?Iwon'thaveyoutalkingthatway."Hecameovertostandbesideher.

"No,notjustthat…althoughIknow,inmyheart,thatwe'renotgoingtofindheralive.Imean…everything.Us.Whathappenedtodayisourfault—"

"That'snottrue.Itwasafreakaccident."

"Yes,butwemadeithappen.Ifwehadn'tbeensoharshwithher,shewouldneverhavedrivenoffaloneandbeencaughtinthestorm.No,Bob,don'ttrytoshutmeup;Iwantyoutolisten."AuntJudithtookadeepbreathandcontinued."Itwasn'tjusttoday,either.Elena'sbeenhavingproblemsforalongtime,eversinceschoolstarted,andsomehowI'veletthesignssliprightpastme.BecauseI'vebeentooinvolvedwithmyself—withus—topayattentiontothem.Icanseethatnow.AndnowthatElena's…gone…Idon'twantthesamethingtohappenwithMargaret."

"Whatareyousaying?"

"I'm saying that I can't marry you, not as soon as we planned.Maybe notever."Withoutlookingathim,shespokesoftly.

"Margarethaslosttoomuchalready.Idon'twanthertofeelshe'slosingme,too."

"Shewon'tbelosingyou.Ifanything,she'llbegainingsomeone,becauseI'llbeheremoreoften.YouknowhowIfeelabouther."

"I'msorry,Bob;Ijustdon'tseeitthatway."

"Youcan'tbeserious.AfterallthetimeI'vespenthere—afterallI'vedone…"

AuntJudith'svoicewasdrainedandimplacable."Iamserious."

From her perch outside the window, Elena eyed Robert curiously. A veinthrobbedinhisforehead,andhisfacehadflushedred.

"You'llfeeldifferentlytomorrow,"hesaid.

"No,Iwon't."

"Youdon'tmeanit—"

"Idomean it.Don't tellme that I'mgoing tochangemymind,because I'mnot."

For an instant, Robert looked around in helpless frustration; then, hisexpressiondarkened.Whenhespoke,hisvoicewasflatandcold."Isee.Well,ifthat'syourfinalanswer,I'dbetterleaverightnow."

"Bob."AuntJudithturned,startled,buthewasalreadyoutsidethedoor.Shestoodup,wavering, as if shewereunsurewhetherornot togoafterhim.Herfingers kneaded at the redmaterial shewas holding. "Bob!" she called again,more urgently, and she turned to drop the kimono on Elena's bed beforefollowinghim.

But as she turned she gasped, a hand flying to hermouth.Herwhole bodystiffened.Her eyes stared intoElena's through the silverypaneofglass.For alongmoment, they stared at each other that way, neithermoving. ThenAuntJudith'shandcameawayfromhermouth,andshebegantoshriek.

FourSomethingyankedElenaoutof the treeand,yowlingaprotest, she felland

landed on her feet like a cat.Her knees hit the ground a second later and gotbruised.

She reared back, fingers hooked into claws to attack whoever had done it.Damonslappedherhandaway.

"Whydidyougrabme?"shedemanded.

"Whydidn'tyoustaywhereIputyou?"hesnapped.

They glared at each other, equally furious. Then Elenawas distracted. Theshriekingwasstillgoingonupstairs,augmentednowbyrattlingandbangingatthewindow.Damonnudgedheragainstthehouse,wheretheycouldn'tbeseenfromabove.

"Let's get away from this noise," he said fastidiously, looking up.Withoutwaitingforaresponse,hecaughtherarm.Elenaresisted.

"Ihavetogointhere!"

"Youcan't."Hegaveherawolfishsmile."Imeanthatliterally.Youcan'tgointhathouse.Youhaven'tbeeninvited."

Momentarilynonplussed,Elenalethimtowherafewsteps.Thenshedugherheelsinagain.

"ButIneedmydiary!"

"What?"

"It's in the closet, under the floorboards. And I need it. I can't go to sleepwithoutmydiary."Elenadidn't knowwhy shewasmaking sucha fuss, but itseemedimportant.

Damon looked exasperated; then, his face cleared. "Here," he said calmly,eyesglinting.Hewithdrewsomethingfromhisjacket."Takeit."

Elenaeyedhisofferingdoubtfully.

"It'syourdiary,isn'tit?"

"Yes,butit'smyoldone.Iwantmynewone."

"This one will have to do, because this one is all you're getting. Come onbefore theywakeup thewhole neighborhood."His voice had turned cold andcommandingagain.

Elenaconsideredthebookheheld.Itwassmall,withabluevelvetcoveranda brass lock. Not the newest edition perhaps, but it was familiar to her. Shedecideditwasacceptable.

SheletDamonleadheroutintothenight.

She didn't ask where they were going. She didn't much care. But sherecognized thehouseonMagnoliaAvenue; itwaswhereAlaricSaltzmanwasstaying.

And itwasAlaricwhoopened the frontdoor, beckoningElena andDamoninside.Thehistoryteacherlookedstrange,though,anddidn'treallyseemtoseethem.Hiseyeswereglassyandhemovedlikeanautomaton.

Elenalickedherlips.

"No,"Damonsaidshortly."Thisone'snotforbiting.There'ssomethingfishyabouthim,butyoushouldbesafeenoughinthehouse.I'vesleptherebefore.Uphere."Heledherupaflightofstairstoanatticwithonesmallwindow.Itwascrowded with stored objects: sleds, skis, a hammock. At the far end, an oldmattresslayonthefloor.

"Hewon'tevenknowyou'rehere in themorning.Liedown."Elenaobeyed,assuming a position that seemed natural to her. She lay on her back, handsfoldedoverthediarythatsheheldtoherbreast.

Damondroppedapieceofoilclothoverher,coveringherbarefeet.

"Gotosleep,Elena,"hesaid.

He bent over her, and for a moment she thought he was going to… dosomething.Her thoughtswere toomuddled.Buthisnightblackeyesfilledhervision.Thenhepulledback,andshecouldbreatheagain.Thegloomoftheatticsettledinonher.Hereyesdriftedshutandsheslept.

She woke slowly, assembling information about where she was, piece bypiece.Somebody'satticfromthelooksofit.Whatwasshedoinghere?

Rats ormicewere scuffling somewhere among the piles of oilcloth-drapedobjects,but thesounddidn'tbotherher.Thefaintest traceofpalelightshowedaroundtheedgesof theshutteredwindow.Elenapushedhermakeshiftblanketoffandgotuptoinvestigate.

Itwasdefinitelysomeone'sattic,andnotthatofanyonesheknew.Shefeltasifshehadbeensickforalongtimeandhadjustwokenupfromherillness.Whatdayisit?shewondered.

Shecouldhearvoicesbelowher.Downstairs.Somethingtoldhertobecarefulandquiet.Shefeltafraidofmakinganykindofdisturbance.Sheeasedtheatticdoor openwithout a sound and cautiously descended to the landing. Lookingdown,shecouldseealivingroom.Sherecognizedit;she'dsatonthatottomanwhenAlaricSaltzmanhadgivenaparty.ShewasintheRamseyhouse.

AndAlaricSaltzmanwasdownthere;shecouldseethetopofhissandyhead.His voice puzzled her. After a moment she realized it was because he didn'tsoundfatuousor inaneoranyof thewaysAlaricusuallysounded inclass.Hewasn'tspoutingpsycho-babble,either.Hewasspeakingcoollyanddecisivelytotwoothermen.

"She might be anywhere, even right under our noses. More likely outsidetown,though.Maybeinthewoods."

"Whythewoods?"saidoneofthemen.Elenaknewthatvoice,too,andthatbaldhead.ItwasMr.Newcastle,thehighschoolprincipal.

"Remember,thefirsttwovictimswerefoundnearthewoods,"saidtheotherman. Is that Dr. Feinberg? Elena thought.What's he doing here?What am Idoinghere?

"No,it'smorethanthat,"Alaricwassaying.Theothermenwerelisteningtohimwithrespect,evenwithdeference."Thewoodsaretiedupinthis.Theymayhave a hiding place out there, a lair where they can go to earth if they'rediscovered.Ifthereisone,I'llfindit."

"Areyousure?"saidDr.Feinberg.

"I'msure,"Alaricsaidbriefly.

"And that'swhereyou thinkElena is," said theprincipal. "Butwill she staythere?Orwillshecomebackintotown?"

"Idon'tknow."Alaricpacedafewstepsandpickedupabookfromthecoffeetable,runninghisthumbsoveritabsently."Onewaytofindoutistowatchherfriends. BonnieMcCullough and that dark-haired girl, Meredith. Chances arethey'llbethefirstonestoseeher.That'showitusuallyhappens."

"Andoncewedotrackherdown?"Dr.Feinbergasked.

"Leave that to me," Alaric said quietly and grimly. He shut the book anddroppeditonthecoffeetablewithadisturbinglyconclusivesound.

Theprincipalglancedathiswatch."I'dbettergetmoving;theservicestartsatteno'clock.Ipresumeyou'llbothbethere?"Hepausedonhiswaytothedoorandlookedback,hismannerirresolute."Alaric,Ihopeyoucantakecareofthis.WhenIcalledyouin,thingshadn'tgonethisfar.NowI'mbeginningtowonder—"

"Icantakecareofit,Brian.Itoldyou;leaveittome.WouldyouratherhaveRobertE.Leeinallthepapers,notjustasthesceneofatragedybutalsoas'TheHaunted High School of Boone County'? A gathering place for ghouls? Theschoolwheretheundeadwalk?Isthatthekindofpublicityyouwant?"

Mr.Newcastlehesitated,chewinghislip,thennodded,stilllookingunhappy."Allright,Alaric.Butmakeitquickandclean.I'llseeyouatthechurch."HeleftandDr.Feinbergfollowedhim.

Alaric stood there for some time, apparently staring into space. At last henoddedonceandwentoutthefrontdoorhimself.

Elenaslowlytrailedbackupthestairs.

Nowwhathadallthatbeenabout?Shefeltconfused,asifshewerefloatinglooseintimeandspace.Sheneededtoknowwhatdayitwas,whyshewashere,andwhyshefeltsofrightened.Whyshefeltso intensely thatnoonemustseeherorhearherornoticeheratall.

Looking around the attic, she saw nothing that would give her any help.Whereshehadbeenlyingtherewereonlythemattressandtheoilcloth—anda

littlebluebook.

Her diary! Eagerly, she snatched it up and opened it, skipping through theentries.TheystoppedwithOctober17;theywerenohelptodiscoveringtoday'sdate.Butasshelookedatthewriting,imagesformedinhermind,stringinguplikepearlstomakememories.Fascinated,sheslowlysatdownonthemattress.She leafed back to the beginning and began to read about the life of ElenaGilbert.

Whenshe finished, shewasweakwith fearandhorror.Bright spotsdancedand shimmered before her eyes. There was so much pain in these pages. Somanyschemes,somanysecrets,somuchneed.Itwasthestoryofagirlwho'dfelt lost in her own hometown, in her own family.Who'd been looking for…something,somethingshecouldneverquitereach.Butthatwasn'twhatcausedthisthrobbingpanicinherchestthatdrainedalltheenergyfromherbody.Thatwasn'twhyshefeltasifshewerefallingevenwhenshesatasstillasshecouldget.Whatcausedthepanicwasthatsheremembered.

Sherememberedeverythingnow.

Thebridge,therushingwater.Theterrorastheairleftherlungsandtherewasnothingbutliquidtobreathe.Thewayithadhurt.Andthefinalinstantwhenithadstoppedhurting,wheneverythinghadstopped.Wheneverything…stopped.

Oh,Stefan,Iwassofrightened,shethought.Andthesamefearwasinsidehernow.Inthewoods,howcouldshehavebehavedlikethattoStefan?Howcouldshehaveforgottenhim,everythinghemeanttoher?Whathadmadeheractthatway?

Butsheknew.Atthecenterofherconsciousness,sheknew.Nobodygotupandwalkedaway fromadrowning like that.Nobodygotupandwalkedawayalive.

Slowly,sheroseandwenttolookattheshutteredwindow.Thedarkenedpaneofglassactedasamirror,throwingherreflectionbackather.

Itwasnot thereflectionshe'dseeninherdream,whereshehadrundownahallofmirrorsthatseemedtohavealifeoftheirown.Therewasnothingslyorcruel about this face. Just the same, itwas subtlydifferent fromwhat shewasusedtoseeing.Therewasapaleglowtoherskinandatellinghollownessaboutthe eyes.Elena touched fingertips to her neck, on either side.Thiswaswhere

StefanandDamonhadeach takenherblood.Had it reallybeenenough times,andhadshereallytakenenoughoftheirsinreturn?

It must have been. And now, for the rest of her life, for the rest of herexistence,shewouldhavetofeedasStefandid.Shewouldhaveto…

Shesanktoherknees,pressingherforeheadagainstthebarewoodofawall.Ican't,shethought.Oh,please,Ican't;Ican't.

Shehadneverbeenveryreligious.Butfromthatdeepplaceinside,herterrorwaswelling up, and every particle of her being joined in the cry for aid.Oh,please, she thought. Oh, please, please, help me. She didn't ask for anythingspecific;shecouldn'tgatherherthoughtsthatfar.Only:Oh,pleasehelpme,ohplease,please.

Afterawhileshegotupagain.

Herfacewasstillpalebuteerilybeautiful,likefineporcelainlitfromwithin.Hereyeswerestillsmudgedwithshadows.Buttherewasaresolveinthem.

Shehad to findStefan. If therewas anyhelp forher, hewouldknowof it.Andiftherewasn't…well,sheneededhimallthemore.Therewasnowhereelseshewantedtobeexceptwithhim.

She shut the door of the attic carefully behind her as she went out. AlaricSaltzmanmustn'tdiscoverherhidingplace.Onthewall,shesawacalendarwiththe days up to December 4 crossed off. Four days since last Saturday night.She'dsleptforfourdays.

When she reached the front door, she cringed from the daylight outside. Ithurt.Eventhoughtheskywassoovercastthatrainorsnowlookedimminent,ithurthereyes.Shehadtoforceherselftoleavethesafetyofthehouse,andthenshefeltagnawingparanoiaaboutbeingoutintheopen.Sheslunkalongbesidefences, staying close to trees, ready to melt into the shadows. She felt like ashadow herself—or a ghost, in Honoria Fell's long white gown. She wouldfrightenthewitsoutofanyonewhosawher.

But all her circumspection seemed to be wasted. There was no one on thestreetstoseeher;thetownmighthavebeenabandoned.Shewentbyseeminglydeserted houses, forsaken yards, closed stores. Presently she saw parked carsliningthestreet,buttheywereempty,too.

And then she saw a shape against the sky that stoppedher in her tracks.Asteeple,whiteagainst the thickdarkclouds.Elena's legs trembledasshemadeherselfcreepcloser to thebuilding.She'dknown thischurchallher life; she'dseen the cross inscribed on that wall a thousand times. But now she edgedtoward itas if itwereacagedanimal thatmightbreak looseandbiteher.Shepressed one hand to the stonewall and slid it nearer and nearer to the carvedsymbol.

Whenheroutspreadfingerstouchedthearmofthecross,hereyesfilledandher throat ached. She let her hand glide along it until it gently covered theengraving.Thensheleanedagainstthewallandletthetearscome.

I'mnotevil,shethought.IdidthingsIshouldn'thave.Ithoughtaboutmyselftoomuch;IneverthankedMattandBonnieandMeredithforalltheydidforme.IshouldhaveplayedmorewithMargaretandbeennicertoAuntJudith.ButI'mnotevil.I'mnotdamned.

Whenshecouldseeagain,shelookedupatthebuilding.Mr.Newcastlehadsaidsomethingaboutthechurch.Wasitthisonehemeant?

Sheavoidedthefrontofthechurchandthemaindoorway.Therewasasidedoor that led to the choir loft, and she slipped up the stairs noiselessly andlookeddownfromthegallery.

Shesawatoncewhythestreetshadbeensoempty.ItseemedasifeveryoneinFell'sChurchwas here, every seat in every pew filled, and the back of thechurch packed solid with people standing. Staring at the front rows, Elenarealizedthatsherecognizedeveryface;theyweremembersoftheseniorclass,andneighbors,andfriendsofAuntJudith.AuntJudithwas there, too,wearingtheblackdressshe'dworntoElena'sparents'funeral.

Oh,myGod,Elenathought.Herfingersgrippedtherailing.Untilnowshe'dbeen too busy looking to listen, but the quietmonotone ofReverendBethea'svoicesuddenlyresolvedintowords.

"…shareourremembrancesofthisveryspecialgirl,"hesaid,andhemovedaside.

Elenawatchedwhathappenedafterwiththeunearthlyfeelingthatshehadalogeseatataplay.Shewasnotatallinvolvedintheeventsdownthereonstage;shewasonlyaspectator,butitwasherlifeshewaswatching.

Mr.Carson,SueCarson'sfather,cameupandtalkedabouther.TheCarsonshadknownhersinceshewasborn,andhetalkedaboutthedayssheandSuehadplayed in their front yard in the summer. He talked about the beautiful andaccomplishedyoungladyshehadbecome.Hegotafroginhisthroatandhadtostopandtakeoffhisglasses.

SueCarsonwentup.SheandElenahadn'tbeenclosefriendssinceelementaryschool, but they'd remainedongood terms.Suehadbeenoneof the fewgirlswho'd stayed on Elena's side after Stefan had come under suspicion for Mr.Tanner'smurder.ButnowSuewascryingasifshe'dlostasister.

"Alotofpeopleweren'tnicetoElenaafterHalloween,"shesaid,wipinghereyesandgoingon."AndIknowthathurther.ButElenawasstrong.Sheneverchanged just to conform to what other people thought she should be. And Irespected her for that, somuch…" Sue's voicewobbled. "When Iwas up forHomecomingQueen,Iwantedtobechosen,butIknewIwouldn'tbeandthatwasall right.Because ifRobertE.Leeeverhadaqueen, itwasElena.And Ithinkshealwayswillbenow,becausethat'showwe'llallrememberher.AndIthinkthatforyearstocomethegirlswhowillgotoourschoolmightrememberherandthinkabouthowshestuckbywhatshethoughtwasright…"ThistimeSuecouldn'tsteadyhervoiceandthereverendhelpedherbacktoherseat.

The girls in the senior class, even the ones that had been nastiest andmostspiteful,werecryingandholdinghands.GirlsElenaknewfora facthatedherweresniffling.Suddenlyshewaseverybody'sbestfriend.

Therewereboyscrying,too.Shocked,Elenahuddledclosertotherailing.Shecouldn'tstopwatching,eventhoughitwasthemosthorriblethingshehadeverseen.

FrancesDecaturgotup,herplainfaceplainerthaneverwithgrief."Shewentoutofherway tobenice tome,"shesaidhuskily."She letmeeat lunchwithher."Rubbish,Elenathought.Ionlyspoketoyouinthefirstplacebecauseyouwereuseful in findingout information aboutStefan.But itwas the samewitheachpersonwhowentuptothepulpit;noonecouldfindenoughwordstopraiseElena.

"Ialwaysadmiredher…"

"Shewasarolemodeltome…"

"Oneofmyfavoritestudents…"

WhenMeredith rose, Elena's whole body stiffened. She didn't know if shecoulddealwith this.But thedark-hairedgirlwasoneof the fewpeople in thechurchwhowasn'tcrying,althoughherfacehadagrave,sadlookthatremindedElenaofHonoriaFellasshelookedonhertomb.

"WhenIthinkaboutElena,Ithinkaboutthegoodtimeswehadtogether,"shesaid, speaking quietly andwith her customary self-control. "Elena always hadideas,andshecouldmakethemostboringworkintofun.Inevertoldherthat,andnowIwishIhad.IwishthatIcouldtalktoheronemoretime,justsoshewould know.And if Elena could hearme now"—Meredith looked around thechurchanddrewa longbreath, apparently to calmherself—"if she couldhearme now, Iwould tell her howmuch those good timesmeant tome, and howmuchIwishthatwecouldstillhavethem.LiketheThursdaynightsweusedtosittogetherinherroom,practicingforthedebateteam.Iwishwecoulddothatjustoncemore likeweused to."Meredith tookanother longbreathandshookherhead."ButIknowwecan't,andthathurts."

What are you talking about? Elena thought, her misery interrupted bybewilderment.WeusedtopracticeforthedebateteamonWednesdaynights,notThursdays.Anditwasn'tinmybedroom;itwasinyours.Anditwasnofunatall;infact,weendedupquittingbecausewebothhatedit…

Suddenly, watching Meredith's carefully composed face, so calm on theoutsidetoconcealthetensionwithin,Elenafeltherheartbegintopound.

Meredithwassendingamessage,amessageonlyElenacouldbeexpectedtounderstand.WhichmeantthatMeredithexpectedElenatobeabletohearit.

Meredithknew.

HadStefantoldher?Elenascannedtherowsofmournersbelow,realizingforthe first time that Stefan wasn't among them. Neither wasMatt. No, it didn'tseem likely that Stefan would have told Meredith, or that Meredith wouldchoosethiswayofgettingamessagetoherifhehad.ThenElenarememberedthewayMeredithhadlookedatherthenighttheyhadrescuedStefanfromthewell,whenElenahadaskedtobeleftalonewithStefan.

Sherememberedthosekeendarkeyesstudyingherfacemorethanonceinthelast months, and the way Meredith had seemed to grow quieter and more

thoughtfuleachtimeElenacameupwithsomeoddrequest.

Meredithhadguessedthen.Elenawonderedjusthowmuchofthetruthshe'dputtogether.

Bonnie was coming up now, crying in earnest. That was surprising; ifMeredith knew,why hadn't she toldBonnie?ButmaybeMeredith had only asuspicion,somethingshedidn'twanttosharewithBonnieincaseitturnedouttobeafalsehope.

Bonnie'sspeechwasasemotionalasMeredith'shadbeencollected.Hervoicekept breaking and she kept having to brush tears off her cheeks. FinallyReverendBetheacrossedoverandgavehersomethingwhite,ahandkerchieforsometissue.

"Thank you," Bonnie said, wiping her streaming eyes. She tilted her headbacktolookattheceiling,eithertoregainherpoiseortogetinspiration.Asshedid,Elenasawsomethingthatnooneelsecouldsee:shesawBonnie'sfacedrainofcolorandofexpression,not likesomebodyabout tofaint,but inawaythatwasalltoofamiliar.

A chill crawled up Elena's backbone. Not here. Oh, God, of all times andplaces,nothere.

Butitwasalreadyhappening.Bonnie'schinhadlowered;shewaslookingatthecongregationagain.Exceptthatthistimeshedidn'tseemtoseethematall,andthevoicethatcamefromBonnie'sthroatwasnotBonnie'svoice.

"Noone iswhat theyappear.Remember that.Noone iswhat theyappear."Thenshejuststoodthere,unmoving,staringstraightaheadwithblankeyes.

People began to shuffle and look at one another. There was a murmur ofworry.

"Remember that—remember—noone iswhat they seem…"Bonnie swayedsuddenly,andReverendBethearantoherwhileanothermanhastenedupfromtheotherside.Thesecondmanhadabaldheadthatwasnowshiningwithsweat—Mr.Newcastle,Elenarealized.Andthereatthebackofthechurch,stridingupthenave,wasAlaricSaltzman.HereachedBonniejustasshefainted,andElenaheardastepbehindheronthestair.

FiveDr. Feinberg, Elena thought wildly, trying to twist around to look and

simultaneously press herself into the shadows. But it wasn't the small, hawk-nosedvisageofthedoctorthatmethereyes.ItwasafacewithfeaturesasfineasthoseonaRomancoinormedallion,andhauntedgreeneyes.Timecaughtforamoment,andthenElenawasinhisarms.

"Oh,Stefan.Stefan…"

She felt his body go still with shock. He was holding her mechanically,lightly,asifshewereastrangerwho'dmistakenhimforsomeoneelse.

"Stefan,"shesaiddesperately,burrowingherfaceintohisshoulder,tryingtogetsomeresponse.Shecouldn'tbearitifherejectedher;ifhehatedhernowshewoulddie…

Withamoan,shetriedtogetevenclosertohim,wantingtomergewithhimcompletely, to disappear inside him. Oh, please, she thought, oh, please, oh,please…

"Elena.Elena,it'sallright;I'vegotyou."Hewentontalkingtoher,repeatingsillynonsensemeanttosoothe,strokingherhair.Andshecouldfeelthechangeas his arms tightened around her.He knewwhohewas holding now.For thefirsttimesinceshe'dawakenedthatday,shefeltsafe.Still,itwasalongwhilebeforeshecouldrelaxhergriponhimevenslightly.Shewasn'tcrying;shewasgaspinginpanic.

Atlastshefelttheworldstarttosettleintoplacearoundher.Shedidn'tletgo,though, not yet. She simply stood for endless minutes with her head on hisshoulder,drinkinginthecomfortandsecurityofhisnearness.

Thensheraisedherheadtolookintohiseyes.

Whenshe'dthoughtofStefanearlierthatday,she'dthoughtofhowhemighthelpher.She'dmeanttoaskhim,tobeghim,tosaveherfromthisnightmare,tomakeherthewayshehadbeenbefore.Butnow,asshelookedathim,shefeltastrangedespairingresignationflowthroughher.

"There'snothingtobedoneaboutit,isthere?"shesaidverysoftly.

Hedidn'tpretendtomisunderstand."No,"hesaid,equallysoft.

Elena feltas if shehad takensomefinal stepoveran invisible lineand thattherewasnoreturning.Whenshecouldspeakagain,shesaid,"I'msorryfortheway I acted toward you in thewoods. I don't knowwhy I did those things. Irememberdoingthem,butIcan'trememberwhy."

"You're sorry?"Hisvoiceshook."Elena,afterall I'vedone toyou,all that'shappened to youbecause ofme…"He couldn't finish, and they clung to eachother.

"Verytouching,"saidavoicefromthestairway."Doyouwantmetoimitateaviolin?"

Elena's calm shattered, and fear snaked through her bloodstream. She'dforgottenDamon'shypnoticintensityandhisburningdarkeyes.

"Howdidyougethere?"saidStefan.

"Thesamewayyoudid,Ipresume.AttractedbytheblazingbeaconofthefairElena'sdistress."Damonwasreallyangry;Elenacouldtell.Notjustannoyedordiscommodedbutinawhiteheatofrageandhostility.

But he'd been decent to her when she'd been confused and irrational. He'dtakenhertoshelter;he'dkepthersafe.Andhehadn'tkissedherwhileshe'dbeeninthathorrifyinglyvulnerablestate.He'dbeen…kindtoher.

"Incidentally,there'ssomethinggoingondownthere,"Damonsaid.

"Iknow;it'sBonnieagain,"saidElena,releasingStefanandmovingback.

"That'snotwhatImeant.Thisisoutside."

Startled,Elenafollowedhimdowntothefirstbendinthestairs,wheretherewas a window overlooking the parking lot. She felt Stefan behind her as shelookeddownatthescenebelow.

Acrowdofpeoplehadcomeoutof thechurch,but theywerestanding inasolidphalanxattheedgeofthelot,notgoinganyfarther.Oppositethem,intheparkinglotitself,wasanequallylargeassemblyofdogs.

Itlookedliketwoarmiesfacingeachother.Whatwaseerie,though,wasthatbothgroupswereabsolutelymotionless.Thepeopleseemedtobeparalyzedby

uneasiness,andthedogsseemedtobewaitingforsomething.

Elenasawthedogsfirstasdifferentbreeds.Thereweresmalldogslikesharp-faced corgis and brown-and-black silky terriers and a Lhasa apso with longgoldenhair.Thereweremedium-sizeddogslikespringerspanielsandAiredalesandonebeautifulsnowwhiteSamoyed.Andtherewerethebigdogs:abarrel-chested rottweiler with a cropped tail, a panting gray wolfhound, and a giantschnauzer,pureblack.ThenElenabegantorecognizeindividuals.

"That's Mr. Grunbaum's boxer and the Sullivans' German shepherd. Butwhat'sgoingonwiththem?"

Thepeople,originallyuneasy,nowlookedfrightened.Theystoodshouldertoshoulder,noonewantingtobreakoutof thefront lineandmoveanycloser totheanimals.

Andyet thedogsweren'tdoinganything, justsittingorstanding,somewiththeir tongues lolling gently out. Strange, though, how still they were, Elenathought.Every tinymotion, suchas theslightest twitchof tailorears, seemedvastly exaggerated.And therewere nowagging tails, no signs of friendliness.Just…waiting.

Robertwastowardthebackofthecrowd.Elenawassurprisedatseeinghim,butforamomentshecouldn'tthinkofwhy.Thensherealizeditwasbecausehehadn'tbeeninthechurch.Asshewatched,hedrewfartherapartfromthegroup,disappearingundertheoverhangbelowElena.

"Chelsea!Chelsea…"

Someonehadmovedoutofthefrontlineatlast.ItwasDouglasCarson,Elenarealized,SueCarson'smarriedolderbrother.He'dsteppedintotheno-man's-landbetweenthedogsandthepeople,onehandslightlyextended.

Aspringerspanielwithlongearslikebrownsatinturnedherhead.Herwhitestumpofatailquiveredslightly,questioningly,andherbrown-and-whitemuzzlelifted.Butshedidn'tcometotheyoungman.

DougCarson took another step. "Chelsea…goodgirl.Comehere,Chelsea.Come!"Hesnappedhisfingers.

"Whatdoyousensefromthosedogsdownthere?"Damonmurmured.

Stefanshookhisheadwithoutlookingawayfromthewindow."Nothing,"hesaidshortly.

"Neither do I." Damon's eyes were narrowed, his head tilted backappraisingly,buthisslightlybaredteethremindedElenaofthewolfhound."Butweshouldbeableto,youknow.Theyoughttohavesomeemotionswecanpickupon.Instead,everytimeItrytoprobethemit'slikerunningintoablankwhitewall."

Elenawished she knewwhat theywere talking about. "What do youmean'probethem'?"shesaid."They'reanimals."

"Appearances can be deceiving,"Damon said ironically, and Elena thoughtabouttherainbowlightsinthefeathersofthecrowthathadfollowedhersincethefirstdayofschool.Ifshelookedclosely,shecouldseethosesamerainbowlights inDamon's silkyhair. "But animalshaveemotions, in anycase. If yourPowersarestrongenough,youcanexaminetheirminds."

AndmyPowersaren't,thoughtElena.Shewasstartledbythetwingeofenvythat went through her. Just a few minutes ago she'd been clinging to Stefan,frantictogetridofanyPowersshehad,tochangeherselfback.Andnow,shewishedshewerestronger.Damonalwayshadanoddeffectonher.

"Imaynot be able to probeChelsea, but I don't thinkDoug should go anycloser,"shesaidaloud.

Stefanhadbeenstaringfixedlyoutthewindow,hiseyebrowsdrawntogether.Nowhenoddedfractionally,butwithasuddensenseofurgency."Idon'teither,"hesaid.

"C'mon, Chelsea, be a good girl. Come here." Doug Carson had almostreached the first rowofdogs.Alleyes,humanandcanine,were fixedonhim,andevensuchtinymovementsastwitcheshadstopped.IfElenahadn'tseenthesides of one or two dogs hollow and fillwith their breathing, shemight havethoughtthewholegroupwassomegiantmuseumdisplay.

Doughadcome to ahalt.Chelseawaswatchinghim frombehind the corgiandtheSamoyed.Dougcluckedhistongue.Hestretchedouthishand,hesitated,andthenstretcheditoutfarther.

"No,"Elenasaid.Shewasstaringattherottweiler'sglossyflanks.Hollowandfill,hollowandfill."Stefan,influencehim.Gethimoutofthere."

"Yes."Shecouldseehisgazeunfocuswithconcentration;then,heshookhishead, exhaling like a person who's tried to lift something too heavy. "It's nogood;I'mburntout.Ican'tdoitfromhere."

Below,Chelsea'slipsskinnedbackfromherteeth.Thered-goldAiredaleroseto her feet in one beautifully smooth movement, as if pulled by strings. Thehindquartersoftherottweilerbunched.

Andthentheysprang.Elenacouldn'tseewhichofthedogswasthefirst;theyseemedtomovetogetherlikeagreatwave.HalfadozenhitDougCarsonwithenough force to knock him backward, and he disappeared under theirmassedbodies.

Theairwas full ofhellishnoise, fromametallicbaying that set the churchraftersringingandgaveElenaaninstantheadache,toadeep-throatedcontinuousgrowl that she felt rather than heard. Dogs were tearing at clothing, snarling,lunging,whilethecrowdscatteredandscreamed.

ElenacaughtsightofAlaricSaltzmanattheedgeoftheparkinglot,theonlyonewhowasn'trunning.Hewasstandingstiffly,andshethoughtshecouldseehislipsmoving,andhishands.

Everywhere else was pandemonium. Someone had gotten a hose and wasturningitintothethickofthepack,butitwashavingnoeffect.Thedogsseemedtohavegonemad.WhenChelsearaisedherbrown-and-whitemuzzlefromhermaster'sbody,itwastingedwithred.

Elena's heart was pounding so that she could barely breathe. "They needhelp!"shesaid,justasStefanbrokeawayfromthewindowandwentdownthestairs, taking themtwoand threeata time.Elenawashalfwaydownthestairsherself when she realized two things: Damon wasn't following her, and shecouldn'tletherselfbeseen.

Shecouldn't.Thehysteria itwouldcause, thequestions, the fearandhatredoncethequestionswereanswered.Somethingthatrandeeper thancompassionor sympathyor the need to helpwrenchedher back, flatteningher against thewall.

In the dim, cool interior of the church, she glimpsed a boiling pocket ofactivity. People were dashing back and forth, shouting. Dr. Feinberg, Mr.McCullough,ReverendBethea.ThestillpointofthecirclewasBonnielyingon

a pew with Meredith and Aunt Judith and Mrs. McCullough bent over her."Something evil," she was moaning, and then Aunt Judith's head came up,turninginElena'sdirection.

Elenascuttledupthestairsasquicklyasshecould,prayingAuntJudithhadn'tseenher.Damonwasatthewindow.

"Ican'tgodownthere.TheythinkI'mdead!"

"Oh,you'verememberedthat.Goodforyou."

"If Dr. Feinberg examines me, he'll know something's wrong. Well, won'the?"shedemandedfiercely.

"He'llthinkyou'reaninterestingspecimen,allright."

"ThenIcan'tgo.Butyoucan.Whydon'tyoudosomething?"

Damoncontinuedtolookoutthewindow,eyebrowshikingup."Why?"

"Why?"Elena'salarmandoverexcitementreachedflashpointandshealmostslapped him. "Because they need help!Because you can help.Don't you careaboutanythingbesidesyourself?"

Damon was wearing his most impenetrable mask, the expression of politeinquiryhe'dwornwhenheinvitedhimselftoherhousefordinner.Butsheknewthatbeneath ithewasangry,angryat findingherandStefan together.Hewasbaitingheronpurposeandwithsavageenjoyment.

Andshecouldn'thelpherreaction,herfrustrated, impotentrage.Shestartedforhim,andhecaughtherwristsandheldheroff,hiseyesboringintohers.Shewas startled to hear the sound that came fromher lips then; itwas a hiss thatsounded more feline than human. She realized her fingers were hooked intoclaws.

WhatamIdoing?Attackinghimbecausehewon'tdefendpeopleagainstthedogs that are attacking them?What kind of sense does that make? Breathinghard,sherelaxedherhandsandwetherlips.Shesteppedbackandhelether.

Therewasalongmomentwhiletheystaredateachother.

"I'mgoingdown,"Elenasaidquietlyandturned.

"No."

"Theyneedhelp."

"All right, then,damnyou."She'dneverheardDamon'svoiceso low,or sofurious. "I'll—"hebrokeoff andElena, turningbackquickly, sawhimslamafistintothewindowsill,rattlingtheglass.Buthisattentionwasoutsideandhisvoiceperfectlycomposedagainwhenhesaiddryly,"Helphasarrived."

Itwas the fire department. Their hosesweremuchmore powerful than thegardenhose,andthejetstreamsofwaterdrovethelungingdogsoffwithsheerforce.Elenasawasheriffwithagunandbittheinsideofhercheekasheaimedandsighted.Therewasacrack,andthegiantschnauzerwentdown.Thesheriffaimedagain.

It ended quickly after that. Several dogs were already running from thebarrageofwater, andwith the secondcrackof thepistolmorebroke from thepackandheadedfortheedgesoftheparkinglot.Itwasasifthepurposethathaddriventhemhadreleasedthemallatonce.ElenafeltarushofreliefasshesawStefan standing unharmed in themiddle of the rout, shoving a dazed-lookinggolden retriever away fromDougCarson's form.Chelsea took a skulking steptowardhermasterandlookedintohisface,headandtaildrooping.

"It's all over," Damon said. He sounded only mildly interested, but Elenaglancedathimsharply.All right then,damnyou, I'llwhat?she thought.Whathadhebeenabout tosay?Hewasn't inanymood to tellher,butshewas inamoodtopush.

"Damon…"Sheputahandonhisarm.

Hestiffened,thenturned."Well?"

Forasecondtheystoodlookingateachother,andthentherewasasteponthestair.Stefanhadreturned.

"Stefan…you'rehurt,"shesaid,blinking,suddenlydisoriented.

"I'mallright."Hewipedbloodoffhischeekwithatatteredsleeve.

"WhataboutDoug?"Elenaasked,swallowing.

"Idon'tknow.Heishurt.Alotofpeopleare.ThatwasthestrangestthingI'veeverseen."

ElenamovedawayfromDamon,upthestairsintothechoirloft.Shefeltthatshehadtothink,butherheadwaspounding.ThestrangestthingStefanhadeverseen…thatwassayingalot.SomethingstrangeinFell'sChurch.

She reached thewallbehind the last rowof seats andput ahandagainst it,sliding down to sit on the floor. Things seemed at once confused andfrighteninglyclear.SomethingstrangeinFell'sChurch.Thedayofthefounders'celebrationshewouldhaveswornshedidn'tcareanythingaboutFell'sChurchorthepeopleinit.Butnowsheknewdifferently.Lookingdownonthememorialservice,shehadbeguntothinkperhapsshedidcare.

And then, when the dogs had attacked outside, she'd known it. She feltsomehowresponsibleforthetown,inawayshehadneverfeltbefore.

Herearlier senseofdesolationand lonelinesshadbeenpushedaside for themoment.Therewassomethingmoreimportantthanherownproblemsnow.Andsheclungto thatsomething,because the truthwas thatshereallycouldn'tdealwithherownsituation,no,shereally,reallycouldn't…

SheheardthegaspinghalfsobshegavethenandlookeduptoseebothStefanandDamoninthechoirloft,lookingather.Sheshookherheadslightly,puttingahandtoit,feelingasifshewerecomingoutofadream.

"Elena…?"

ItwasStefanwhospoke,butElenaaddressedherselftotheotherone.

"Damon,"shesaidshakily,"ifIaskyousomething,willyoutellmethetruth?Iknowyoudidn't chasemeoffWickeryBridge. I could feelwhatever itwas,anditwasdifferent.ButIwanttoaskyouthis:wasityouwhodumpedStefanintheoldFrancherwellamonthago?"

"Inawell?"Damonleanedbackagainsttheoppositewall,armscrossedoverhischest.Helookedpolitelyincredulous.

"On Halloween night, the night Mr. Tanner was killed. After you showedyourselfforthefirsttimetoStefaninthewoods.Hetoldmeheleftyouintheclearingandstartedtowalktohiscarbutthatsomeoneattackedhimbeforehereached it.Whenhewokeup, hewas trapped in thewell, andhewouldhavedied there ifBonniehadn't ledus tohim. I always assumedyouwere theonewhoattackedhim.Healwaysassumedyouweretheone.Butwereyou?"

Damon's lip curled, as if he didn't like the demanding intensity of herquestion.HelookedfromhertoStefanwithhooded,deridingeyes.ThemomentstretchedoutuntilElenahadtodigherfingernailsintoherpalmswithtension.ThenDamongaveasmallshrugandlookedoffatamiddledistance.

"Asamatteroffact,no,"hesaid.

Elenaletoutherbreath.

"You can't believe that!" Stefan exploded. "You can't believe anything hesays."

"WhyshouldIlie?"Damonreturned,clearlyenjoyingStefan'slossofcontrol."I admit freely to killing Tanner. I drank his blood until he shriveled like aprune.AndIwouldn'tminddoingthesamethingtoyou,brother.Butawell?It'shardlymystyle."

"I believe you," Elena said. Her mind was rushing ahead. She turned toStefan. "Don't you feel it? There's something else here in Fell's Church,somethingthatmaynotevenbehuman—mayneverhavebeenhuman,Imean.Something thatchasedme, forcedmycaroff thebridge.Something thatmadethosedogsattackpeople.Someterribleforcethat'shere,somethingevil…"Hervoicetrailedoff,andshelookedovertowardtheinteriorofthechurchwhereshehad seen Bonnie lying. "Something evil…" she repeated softly. A cold windseemedtoblowinsideher,andshehuddledintoherself,feelingvulnerableandalone.

"Ifyou'relookingforevil,"Stefansaidharshly,"youdon'thavetolookfar."

"Don'tbeanymorestupidthanyoucanhelp,"saidDamon."I toldyoufourdaysagothatsomeoneelsehadkilledElena.AndIsaidthatIwasgoingtofindthat someone and deal with him. And I am." He uncrossed his arms andstraightened up. "You two can continue that private conversation you werehavingwhenIinterrupted."

"Damon,wait."Elenahadn'tbeenable tohelp theshudder that tore throughher when he said killed. I can't have been killed; I'm still here, she thoughtwildly,feelingpanicswellupinheragain.ButnowshepushedthepanicasidetospeaktoDamon.

"Whateverthis thingis, it'sstrong,"shesaid."Ifelt itwhenitwasafterme,anditseemedtofillthewholesky.Idon'tthinkanyofuswouldstandachance

againstitalone."

"So?"

"So…"Elenahadn'thadtimetogatherherthoughtsthisfar.Shewasrunningpurely on instinct, on intuition. And intuition told her not to let Damon go."So… I thinkwe three ought to stick together. I thinkwehave amuchbetterchanceoffindingitanddealingwithittogetherthanseparately.Andmaybewecanstopitbeforeithurtsor—orkills—anyoneelse."

"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn about anyone else," Damon saidcharmingly. Then he gave one of his ice-cold lightning smiles. "But are yousuggesting that this isyourchoice?Remember,weagreed thatwhenyouweremorerationalyouwouldmakeone.

Elenastaredathim.Ofcourseitwasn'therchoice,ifhemeantromantically.She was wearing the ring Stefan had given her; she and Stefan belongedtogether.

Butthensherememberedsomethingelse,justaflash:lookingupatDamon'sfaceinthewoodsandfeelingsuch—suchexcitement,suchaffinitywithhim.Asifheunderstoodtheflamethatburnedinsideherasnobodyelseevercould.Asiftogethertheycoulddoanythingtheyliked,conquertheworldordestroyit;asiftheywerebetterthananyoneelsewhohadeverlived.

I was out of my mind, irrational, she told herself, but that little flash ofmemorywouldn'tgoaway.

And then she remembered something else: howDamonhad acted later thatnight,howhe'dkepthersafe,evenbeengentlewithher.

Stefanwaslookingather,andhisexpressionhadchangedfrombelligerencetobitterangerandfear.Partofherwantedtoreassurehimcompletely,tothrowherarmsaroundhimandtellhimthatshewashisandalwayswouldbeandthatnothingelsemattered.Notthetown,notDamon,notanything.

Butshewasn'tdoingit.Becauseanotherpartofherwassayingthatthetowndidmatter.Andbecausestillanotherpartwasjustterribly,terriblyconfused.Soconfused…

She felt a trembling begin deep inside her, and then she found she couldn'tmakeitstop.Emotionaloverload,shethought,andputherheadinherhands.

Six"She'salreadymadeherchoice.Yousawityourselfwhenyou'interrupted'us.

You'vealreadychosen,haven'tyou,Elena?"Stefansaid itnot smugly,orasademand,butwithakindofdesperatebravado.

"I…"Elenalookedup."Stefan,Iloveyou.Butdon'tyouunderstand,ifIhaveachoicerightnowIhavetochooseforallofustostaytogether.Justfornow.Do you understand?" Seeing only stoniness in Stefan's face, she turned toDamon."Doyou?"

"I think so."Hegaveher a secret,possessive smile. "I toldStefan from thebeginningthathewasselfishnottoshareyou.Brothersshouldsharethings,youknow."

"That'snotwhatImeant."

"Isn'tit?"Damonsmiledagain.

"No,"Stefansaid."Idon'tunderstand,andIdon'tseehowyoucanaskmetoworkwithhim.He'sevil,Elena.Hekills forpleasure;hehasnoconscienceatall.Hedoesn'tcareaboutFell'sChurch;hesaidthathimself.He'samonster—"

"Right now he's being more cooperative than you are," Elena said. Shereached for Stefan's hand, searching for some way to get through to him."Stefan,Ineedyou.Andwebothneedhim.Can'tyoutrytoacceptthat?"Whenhe didn't answer she added, "Stefan, do you reallywant to bemortal enemieswithyourbrotherforever?"

"Doyoureallythinkhewantsanythingelse?"

Elenastareddownattheirjoinedhands,lookingattheplanesandcurvesandshadows.Shedidn'tanswerforaminute,andwhenshediditwasveryquietly.

"Hestoppedmefromkillingyou,"shesaid.

She felt the flare of Stefan's defensive anger, then felt it slowly fade.Somethinglikedefeatcreptthroughhim,andhebowedhishead.

"That's true," he said. "And, anyway,who am I to call himevil?What's he

donethatIhaven'tdonemyself?"

Weneedtotalk,Elenathought,hatingthisself-hatredofhis.Butthiswasn'tthetimeorplace.

"Then you do agree?" she said hesitantly. "Stefan, tell me what you'rethinking."

"RightnowI'mthinkingthatyoualwaysgetyourway.Becauseyoualwaysdo,don'tyou,Elena?"

Elenalookedintohiseyes,noticinghowthepupilsweredilated,sothatonlyaringofgreenirisshowedaroundtheedge.Therewasnolongerangerthere,butthetirednessandthebitternessremained.

ButI'mnotjustdoingitformyself,shethought,thrustingoutofhermindthesuddensurgeofself-doubt.I'llprovethattoyou,Stefan;you'llsee.ForonceI'mnotdoingsomethingformyownconvenience.

"Thenyouagree?"shesaidquietly.

"Yes.I…agree."

"And I agree," said Damon, extending his own hand with exaggeratedcourtesy. He captured Elena's before she could say anything. "In fact, we allseemtobeinafrenzyofpureagreement."

Don't,Elenathought,butatthatmoment,standinginthecooltwilightofthechoir loft, she felt that it was true, that theywere all three connected, and inaccord,andstrong.

ThenStefanpulledhishandaway. In thesilence that followed,Elenacouldhearthesoundsoutsideandinthechurchbelow.Therewasstillcryingandtheoccasional shout, but the overall urgencywas gone. Looking out thewindow,she sawpeoplepicking theirwayacross thewetparking lotbetween the littlegroups that huddled over wounded victims. Dr. Feinberg was moving fromisland to island,apparentlydispensingmedicaladvice.Thevictims looked likesurvivorsofahurricaneorearthquake.

"Nooneiswhattheyseem,"Elenasaid.

"What?"

"That'swhatBonniesaidduringthememorialservice.Shehadanotheroneofherfits.Ithinkitmightbeimportant."Shetriedtoputherthoughtsinorder."Ithink there are people in town that we ought to look out for. Like AlaricSaltzman." She told them, briefly, what she had overheard earlier that day inAlaric'shouse."He'snotwhatheseems,butIdon'tknowexactlywhatheis.Ithinkwe shouldwatchhim.And since I obviously can't appear inpublic, youtwoaregoingtohavetodoit.Butyoucan'tlethimsuspectyouknow—"ElenabrokeoffasDamonheldupahandswiftly.

Down at the base of the stairs, a voice was calling. "Stefan? Are you upthere?"Andthen,tosomeoneelse,"IthoughtIsawhimgouphere."

It sounded likeMr. Carson. "Go," Elena hissed almost inaudibly to Stefan,"YouhavetobeasnormalaspossiblesoyoucanstayhereinFell'sChurch.I'llbeallright."

"Butwherewillyougo?"

"ToMeredith's.I'llexplainlater.Goon."

Stefanhesitated,andthenstarteddownthestairs,calling,"I'mcoming."Thenhepulledback."I'mnotleavingyouwithhim,"hesaidflatly.

Elena threw her hands up in exasperation. "Then both of you go.You justagreed to work together; are you going to go back on your word now?" sheaddedtoDamon,whowaslookingunyieldinghimself.

He gave another of his little shrugs. "All right. Just one thing—are youhungry?"

"I—no." Stomach lurching, Elena realizedwhat hewas asking. "No, not atall."

"That'sgood.Butlateron,youwillbe.Rememberthat."HecrowdedStefandownthestairs,earninghimselfasearinglook.ButElenaheardStefan'svoiceinhermindastheybothdisappeared.

I'llcomeforyoulater.Waitforme.

She wished she could answer with her own thoughts. She also noticedsomething.Stefan'smentalvoicewasmuchweaker than ithadbeen fourdaysagowhenhehadbeenfightinghisbrother.Cometothinkofit,hehadn'tbeen

able to speakwithhismind at all before theFounders'Day celebration.She'dbeensoconfusedwhenshewokeupbytheriver that ithadn'toccurredtoher,butnowshewondered.Whathadhappened tomakehimso strong?Andwhywashisstrengthfadingnow?

Elena had time to think about it as she sat there in the deserted choir loft,while below the people left the church and outside the overcast skies slowlygrewdarker.ShethoughtaboutStefan,andaboutDamon,andshewonderedifshehadmadetherightchoice.She'dvowednevertoletthemfightoverher,butthatvowwasbrokenalready.Wasshecrazytotryandmakethemliveunderatruce,evenatemporaryone?

Whentheskyoutsidewasuniformlyblack,sheventureddownthestairs.Thechurchwasemptyandechoing.Shehadn'tthoughtabouthowshewouldgetout,but fortunately the sidedoorwasboltedonly from the inside.She slippedoutintothenightgratefully.

She hadn't realized how good it was to be outside and in the dark. Beinginsidebuildingsmadeherfeeltrapped,anddaylighthurthereyes.Thiswasbest,free and unfettered—and unseen. Her own senses rejoiced at the lush worldaroundher.Withtheairsostill,scentshungintheairforalongtime,andshecould smell awhole plethora of nocturnal creatures.A foxwas scavenging insomebody's trash. Brown rats were chewing something in the bushes. Nightmothswerecallingtooneanotherwithscent.

Shefounditwasn'thardtogettoMeredith'shouseundetected;peopleseemedtobestayinginside.Butonceshegotthere,shestoodlookingupatthegracefulfarmhousewith thescreenedporch indismay.Shecouldn't justwalkup to thefront door and knock. Was Meredith really expecting her? Wouldn't she bewaitingoutsideifshewere?

Meredith was about to get a terrible shock if sheweren't, Elena reflected,eyeing the distance to the roof of the porch.Meredith's bedroomwindowwasabove it and just around the corner. It would be a bit of a reach, but Elenathoughtshecouldmakeit.

Gettingontotheroofwaseasy;herfingersandbaretoesfoundholdsbetweenthe bricks and sent her sailing up. But leaning around the corner to look intoMeredith'swindowwasastrain.Sheblinkedagainstthelightthatfloodedout.

Meredith was sitting on the edge of her bed, elbows on knees, staring at

nothing.Every so often she ran a hand through her dark hair.A clock on thenightstandsaid6:43.

Elenatappedonthewindowglasswithherfingernails.

Meredithjumpedandlookedthewrongway,towardthedoor.Shestoodupinadefensivecrouch,clutchingathrowpillowinonehand.Whenthedoordidn'topen,shesidledapaceortwotowardit,stillinadefensiveposture."Whoisit?"shesaid.

Elenatappedontheglassagain.

Meredithspuntofacethewindow,herbreathcomingfast.

"Letme in," saidElena.Shedidn'tknow ifMeredithcouldhearher, so shemoutheditclearly."Openthewindow."

Meredith, panting, looked around the room as if she expected someone toappearandhelpher.Whennoonedid,sheapproachedthewindowasifitwereadangerousanimal.Butshedidn'topenit.

"Letmein,"Elenasaidagain.Thensheaddedimpatiently,"Ifyoudidn'twantmetocome,whydidyoumakeanappointmentwithme?"

She saw the change as Meredith's shoulders relaxed slightly. Slowly, withfingers that were unusually clumsy, Meredith opened the window and stoodback.

"Nowaskmetocomeinside.OtherwiseIcan't.

"Come…"Meredith's voice failed and shehad to try again. "Come in," shesaid.WhenElena,wincing,hadboostedherselfoverthesillandwasflexinghercramped fingers,Meredith added almost dazedly, "It's got to be you.Nobodyelsegivesorderslikethat."

"It'sme,"Elenasaid.Shestoppedwringingoutthecrampsandlookedintotheeyesofherfriend."Itreallyisme,Meredith,"shesaid.

Meredithnoddedandswallowedvisibly.Right thenwhatElenawouldhavelikedmostintheworldwouldhavebeenfortheothergirltogiveherahug.ButMeredith wasn't much of the hugging type, and right now she was backingslowlyawaytositonthebedagain.

"Sitdown," she said in anartificially calmvoice.Elenapulledout thedeskchairandunthinkinglytookupthesamepositionMeredithhadbeeninbefore,elbowsonknees,headdown.Thenshelookedup."Howdidyouknow?"

"I…"Meredithjuststaredatherforamoment,thenshookherself."Well.You—your body was never found, of course. That was strange. And then thoseattacksontheoldmanandVickieandTanner—andStefanandlittle thingsI'dput together about him—but I didn't know. Not for sure.Not until now." Sheendedalmostinawhisper.

"Well, itwasagoodguess,"Elenasaid.Shewastryingtobehavenormally,but what was normal in this situation? Meredith was acting as if she couldscarcelybeartolookather.ItmadeElenafeelmorelonely,morealone,thanshecouldeverrememberbeinginherlife.

Adoorbellrangdownstairs.Elenaheardit,butshecouldtellMeredithdidn't."Who'scoming?"shesaid."There'ssomeoneatthedoor."

"IaskedBonnietocomeoveratseveno'clock,ifhermotherwouldlether.It'sprobablyher.I'llgosee."Meredithseemedalmostindecentlyeagertogetaway.

"Wait.Doessheknow?"

"No…Oh,youmeanIshouldbreakittohergently."Meredithlookedaroundtheroomagainuncertainly,andElenasnappedonthelittlereadinglightbythebed.

"Turn the room lightoff. Ithurtsmyeyesanyway," she saidquietly.WhenMeredithdid,thebedroomwasdimenoughthatshecouldconcealherselfintheshadows.

WaitingforMeredithtoreturnwithBonnie,shestoodinacorner,huggingherelbows with her hands. Maybe it was a bad idea trying to get Meredith andBonnie involved. If imperturbableMeredithcouldn'thandle thesituation,whatwouldBonniedo?

Meredith heralded their arrival by muttering over and over, "Don't screamnow;don'tscream,"asshebundledBonnieacrossthethreshold.

"What'swrongwithyou?Whatareyoudoing?"Bonniewasgaspinginreturn."Letgoofme.DoyouknowwhatIhadtodotogetmymothertoletmeoutofthehousetonight?ShewantstotakemetothehospitalatRoanoke."

Meredith kicked the door shut. "Okay," she said to Bonnie. "Now, you'regoingtoseesomethingthatwill…well, it'sgoingtobeashock.Butyoucan'tscream,doyouunderstandme?I'llletgoofyouifyoupromise."

"It'stoodarktoseeanything,andyou'rescaringme.What'swrongwithyou,Meredith?Oh,allright,Ipromise,butwhatareyoutalking—"

"Elena,"saidMeredith.Elenatookitasaninvitationandsteppedforward.

Bonnie'sreactionwasn'twhatsheexpected.Shefrownedandleanedforward,peering in thedim light.WhenshesawElena's form,shegasped.But then,asshestaredatElena'sface,sheclappedherhandstogetherwithashriekofjoy.

"Iknewit!Iknewtheywerewrong!Sothere,Meredith—andyouandStefanthoughtyouknewsomuchaboutdrowningandall that.But Iknewyouwerewrong!Oh,Elena,Imissedyou!Everyone'sgoingtobeso—"

"Be quiet, Bonnie! Be quiet!" Meredith said urgently. "I told you not toscream.Listen,youidiot,doyouthinkifElenawerereallyallrightshe'dbehereinthemiddleofthenightwithoutanybodyknowingaboutit?"

"Butsheisallright;lookather.She'sstandingthere.Itisyou,isn'tit,Elena?"Bonniestartedtowardher,butMeredithgrabbedheragain.

"Yes, it's me." Elena had the strange feeling she'd wandered into a surrealcomedy,maybeonewrittenbyKafka,onlyshedidn'tknowherlines.Shedidn'tknowwhattosaytoBonnie,whowaslookingrapturous.

"It'sme, but… I'm not exactly all right," she said awkwardly, sitting downagain.MeredithnudgedBonnietositdownonthebed.

"Whatareyoutwobeingsomysteriousfor?She'shere,butshe'snotallright.What'sthatsupposedtomean?"

Elenadidn'tknowwhethertolaughorcry."Look,Bonnie…oh,Idon'tknowhow to say this.Bonnie, didyourpsychicgrandmother ever talk toyou aboutvampires?"

Silencefell,heavyasanax.Theminutestickedby.Impossibly,Bonnie'seyeswidenedstillfurther;then,theyslidtowardMeredith.Therewereseveralmoreminutes of silence, and thenBonnie shifted herweight toward the door. "Uh,look, you guys," she said softly, "this is getting really weird. I mean, really,

really,really…"

Elenacastaboutinhermind."Youcanlookatmyteeth,"shesaid.Shepulledher upper lip back, poking at a canine with her finger. She felt the reflexivelengtheningandsharpening,likeacat'sclawlazilyextending.

Meredithcameforwardandlookedandthenlookedawayquickly."Igetthepoint,"shesaid,butinhervoicetherewasnoneoftheoldwrypleasureinherownwit."Bonnie,look,"shesaid.

Alltheelation,alltheexcitementhaddrainedoutofBonnie.Shelookedasifsheweregoingtobesick."No.Idon'twantto."

"Youhaveto.Youhavetobelieveit,orwe'llnevergetanywhere."Meredithgrappledastiffand resistingBonnie forward."Openyoureyes,you little twit.You'retheonewholovesallthissupernaturalstuff."

"I've changed mymind," Bonnie said, almost sobbing. There was genuinehysteria in her tone. "Leave me alone, Meredith; I don't want to look." Shewrenchedherselfaway.

"Youdon'thaveto,"Elenawhispered,stunned.Dismaypooledinsideher,andtearsfloodedhereyes."Thiswasabadidea,Meredith.I'llgoaway."

"No. Oh, don't." Bonnie turned back as quickly as she'd whirled away andprecipitatedherself intoElena's arms. "I'msorry,Elena; I'msorry. Idon't carewhatyouare;I'mjustgladyou'reback.It'sbeenterriblewithoutyou."Shewassobbingnowinearnest.

The tears thatwouldn't comewhenElena had beenwith Stefan came now.She cried, holding on to Bonnie, feeling Meredith's arms go around both ofthem.Theywereallcrying—Meredithsilently,Bonnienoisily,andElenaherselfwithpassionateintensity.Shefeltasifshewerecryingforeverythingthathadhappenedtoher, foreverythingshehad lost, forall the lonelinessand thefearandthepain.

Eventually,theyallendedupsittingonthefloor,kneetoknee,thewaytheyhadwhentheywerekidsatasleepovermakingsecretplans.

"You'resobrave,"BonniesaidtoElena,sniffling."Idon'tseehowyoucanbesobraveaboutit."

"Youdon'tknowhowI'mfeelinginside.I'mnotbraveatall.ButI'vegottodealwithitsomehow,becauseIdon'tknowwhatelsetodo."

"Your hands aren't cold." Meredith squeezed Elena's fingers. "Just sort ofcool.Ithoughtthey'dbecolder."

"Stefan'shandsaren'tcoldeither,"Elenasaid,andshewasabouttogoon,butBonniesqueaked:"Stefan?"

MeredithandElenalookedather.

"Besensible,Bonnie.Youdon'tget tobeavampirebyyourself.Somebodyhastomakeyouone."

"ButyoumeanStefan...?Youmeanhe'sa…?"Bonnie'svoicechokedoff.

"Ithink,"saidMeredith,"thatmaybethisisthetimetotellusthewholestory,Elena.Likeallthoseminordetailsyouleftoutthelasttimeweaskedyouforthewholestory."

Elenanodded."You'reright.It'shardtoexplain,butI'lltry."Shetookadeepbreath."Bonnie,doyourememberthefirstdayofschool?ItwasthefirsttimeIeverheardyoumakeaprophecy.YoulookedintomypalmandsaidI'dmeetaboy,adarkboy,astranger.And thathewasn't tallbut thathehadbeenonce.Well"—she looked at Bonnie and then at Meredith—"Stefan's not really tallnow.Buthewasonce…comparedtootherpeopleinthefifteenthcentury."

Meredith nodded, but Bonnie made a faint sound and swayed backward,lookingshell-shocked."Youmean—"

"I mean he lived in Renaissance Italy, and the average person was shorterthen. So Stefan looked taller by comparison. And, wait, before you pass out,here'ssomethingelseyoushouldknow.Damon'shisbrother."

Meredith nodded again. "I figured something like that. But then why hasDamonbeensayinghe'sacollegestudent?"

"They don't get along verywell. For a long time, Stefan didn't even knowDamon was in Fell's Church." Elena faltered. She was verging on Stefan'sprivatehistory,whichshe'dalwaysfeltwashissecrettotell.ButMeredithhadbeen right; itwas time to come outwith thewhole story. "Listen, itwas likethis,"shesaid."StefanandDamonwerebothinlovewiththesamegirlbackin

Renaissance Italy. Shewas fromGermany, and her namewasKatherine. ThereasonStefanwasavoidingmeat thebeginningofschoolwas that I remindedhimofher; shehadblondhairandblueeyes, too.Oh,and thiswasher ring."ElenaletgoofMeredith'shandandshowedthemtheintricatelycarvedgoldencircletsetwithasinglestoneoflapislazuli.

"And the thingwas thatKatherinewas a vampire.AguynamedKlaushadmadeheronebackinhervillageinGermanytosaveherfromdyingofherlastillness.StefanandDamonbothknewthis,buttheydidn'tcare.Theyaskedhertochoosebetween themtheoneshewanted tomarry."Elenastoppedandgavealopsidedsmile,thinkingthatMr.Tannerhadbeenright;historydidrepeatitself.She only hoped her story didn't end like Katherine's. "But she chose both ofthem.Sheexchangedbloodwithbothofthem,andshesaidtheycouldallthreebecompanionsthrougheternity."

"Soundskinky,"murmuredBonnie.

"Soundsdumb,"saidMeredith.

"Yougotit,"Elenatoldher."Katherinewassweetbutnotverybright.StefanandDamonalreadydidn'tlikeeachother.Theytoldhershehadtochoose,thattheywouldn'teventhinkofsharingher.Andsheranoffcrying.Thenextday—well,theyfoundherbody,orwhatwasleftofit.See,avampireneedsatalismanlikethisringtogooutinthesunwithoutbeingkilled.AndKatherinewentoutinthesunandtookhersoff.She thought ifshewereoutof theway,DamonandStefanwouldbereconciled."

"Oh,myGod,howro—"

"No,itisn't,"ElenacutBonnieoffsavagely."It'snotromanticatall.Stefan'sbeenlivingwiththeguilteversince,andIthinkDamonhas,too,althoughyou'dnevergethimtoadmitit.Andtheimmediateresultwasthattheygotacoupleofswordsandkilledeachother.Yes,killed.That'swhythey'revampiresnow,andthat's why they hate each other so much. And that's why I'm probably crazytryingtogetthemtocooperatenow."

Seven"Tocooperateatwhat?"Meredithasked.

"I'llexplainaboutthatlater.ButfirstIwanttoknowwhat'sbeengoingonintownsinceI—left."

"Well, hysteria mostly," Meredith said, raising an eyebrow. "Your AuntJudith'sbeenprettybadlyoff.Shehallucinatedthatshesawyou—onlyitwasn'tahallucination,wasit?AndsheandRoberthavesortofbrokenup."

"Iknow,"Elenasaidgrimly."Goon."

"Everybodyat school isupset. Iwanted to talk toStefan, especiallywhen Ibegantosuspectyouweren'treallydead,buthehasn'tbeenatschool.Matthasbeen, but there's something wrongwith him. He looks like a zombie, and hewon't talk to anyone. Iwanted to explain to him that therewas a chance youmightnotbegoneforever;Ithoughtthatwouldcheerhimup.Buthewouldn'tlisten.Hewasactingtotallyoutofcharacter,andatonepointIthoughthewasgoingtohitme.Hewouldn'tlistentoaword."

"Oh, God—Matt." Something terrible was stirring at the bottom of Elena'smind, some memory too disturbing to be let loose. She couldn't cope withanythingmorejustnow,shecouldn't,shethought,andslamdunkedthememorybackdown.

Meredith was going on. "It's clear, though, that some other people aresuspicious about your 'death.' That's why I said what I did in the memorialservice;IwasafraidifIsaidtherealdayandplacethatAlaricSaltzmanwouldendupambushingyououtsidethehouse.He'sbeenaskingallsortsofquestions,andit'sagoodthingBonniedidn'tknowanythingshecouldblab."

"That isn't fair,"Bonnieprotested. "Alaric's just interested, that's all, andhewantstohelpusthroughthetrauma,likebefore.He'sanAquarius—"

"He'saspy,"saidElena,"andmaybemorethanthat.Butwe'lltalkaboutthatlater.WhataboutTylerSmallwood?Ididn'tseehimattheservice."

Meredithlookednonplussed."Youmeanyoudon'tknow?"

"Idon'tknowanything;I'vebeenasleepforfourdaysinanattic."

"Well…"Meredith paused uneasily. "Tyler just got back from the hospital.SamewithDickCarterandthosefourtoughguystheyhadalongwiththemonFounders'Day.TheywereattackedintheQuonsethutthateveningandtheylostalotofblood."

"Oh."Themystery ofwhyStefan's Powers had been somuch stronger thatnight was explained. And why they'd been getting weaker ever since. Heprobablyhadn'teatensincethen."Meredith,isStefanasuspect?"

"Well,Tyler'sfathertriedtomakehimone,butthepolicecouldn'tmakethetimesworkout.TheyknowapproximatelywhenTylerwasattackedbecausehewassupposedtomeetMr.Smallwood,andhedidn'tshowup.AndBonnieandIcanalibiStefanfor that timebecausewe'd just lefthimby the riverwithyourbody. So he couldn't have gotten back to theQuonset hut to attackTyler—atleast no normal human could. And so far the police aren't thinking aboutanythingsupernatural."

"Isee."Elenafeltrelievedonthatscoreatleast.

"Tylerandthoseguyscan'tidentifytheattackerbecausetheycan'trememberathingaboutthatafternoon,"Meredithadded."NeithercanCaroline."

"Carolinewasinthere?"

"Yes,butshewasn'tbitten.Justinshock.Inspiteofeverythingshe'sdone,Ialmost feel sorry for her." Meredith shrugged and added, "She looks prettypatheticthesedays."

"AndIdon'tthinkanyonewilleversuspectStefanafterwhathappenedwiththosedogsatchurchtoday,"Bonnieput in."Mydadsaysthatabigdogcouldhavebroken thewindow in theQuonset hut, and thewounds inTyler's throatlookedsortoflikeanimalwounds.Ithinkalotofpeoplebelieveitwasadogorapackofdogsthatdidit."

"It'saconvenientexplanation,"Meredithsaiddryly."Itmeanstheydon'thavetothinkanymoreaboutit."

"But that's ridiculous," said Elena. "Normal dogs don't behave that way.Aren'tpeoplewonderingaboutwhytheirdogswouldsuddenlygomadandturnonthem?"

"Lots of people are just getting rid of them.Oh, and I heard someone talkaboutmandatory rabies testing,"Meredith said. "But it's not just rabies, is it,Elena?"

"No,Idon'tthinkso.AndneitherdoStefanorDamon.Andthat'swhatIcameovertotalktoyouabout."Elenaexplained,asclearlyasshecould,whatshehadbeenthinkingabouttheOtherPowerinFell'sChurch.Shetoldabouttheforcethathadchasedheroffthebridgeandaboutthefeelingshe'dhadwiththedogsand about everything she and Stefan and Damon had discussed. She finishedwith,"AndBonniesaiditherselfinchurchtoday:'Somethingevil.'Ithinkthat'swhat's here in Fell's Church, something nobody knows about, somethingcompletelyevil.Idon'tsupposeyouknowwhatyoumeantbythat,Bonnie."

But Bonnie's mind was running on another track. "So Damon didn'tnecessarilydoallthoseawfulthingsyousaidhedid,"shesaidshrewdly."LikekillingYangtzeandhurtingVickieandmurderingMr.Tanner,andall.Itoldyounobodythatgorgeouscouldbeapsychokiller."

"I think," saidMeredithwith a glance at Elena, "that you had better forgetaboutDamonasaloveinterest."

"Yes," said Elena emphatically. "He did kill Mr. Tanner, Bonnie. And itstands to reasonhedid theother attacks, too; I'll askhimabout that.And I'mhaving enough trouble dealingwith himmyself.You don'twant tomesswithhim,Bonnie,believeme."

"I'm supposed to leaveDamon alone; I'm supposed to leaveAlaric alone…ArethereanyguysI'mnotsupposedtoleavealone?AndmeanwhileElenagetsthemall.It'snotfair."

"Life isn't fair,"Meredith told her callously. "But listen, Elena, even if thisOther Power exists,what sort of power do you think it is?What does it looklike?"

"I don't know. Something tremendously strong—but it could be shieldingitselfsothatwecan'tsenseit.Itcouldlooklikeanordinaryperson.Andthat'swhyIcameforyourhelp,becauseitcouldbeanybodyinFell'sChurch.It'slikewhatBonniesaidduringtheservicetoday:'Nobodyiswhattheyseem.'"

Bonnielookedforlorn."Idon'tremembersayingthat."

"You said it, all right. 'Nobody is what they seem,' " Elena quoted again

weightily. "Nobody." She glanced at Meredith, but the dark eyes under theelegantlyarchedeyebrowswerecalmanddistant.

"Well, thatwould seem tomakeeverybody a suspect,"Meredith said inhermostunruffledvoice."Right?"

"Right,"saidElena."Butwe'dbettergetanotepadandpencilandmakealistof the most important ones. Damon and Stefan have already agreed to helpinvestigate,and ifyou'llhelp, too,we'llstandanevenbetterchanceof findingit." Shewas hitting her stridewith this; she'd always been good at organizingthings, from schemes to get boys to fundraising events. Thiswas just amoreseriousversionoftheoldplanAandplanB.

Meredithgavethepencilandpaper toBonnie,wholookedat it.andthenatMeredith,andthenatElena."Fine,"shesaid,"butwhogoesonthelist?"

"Well,anyonewehavereasontosuspectofbeingtheOtherPower.Anyonewhomighthavedonethe thingsweknowitdid:sealStefanin thewell,chaseme,setthosedogsonpeople.Anyonewe'venoticedbehavingoddly."

"Matt,"saidBonnie,writingbusily."AndVickie.AndRobert."

"Bonnie!"exclaimedElenaandMeredithsimultaneously.

Bonnielookedup."Well,Matthasbeenactingoddly,andsohasVickie,formonths now. And Robert was hanging around outside the church before theservice,buthenevercamein—"

"Oh,Bonnie,honestly,"Meredithsaid."Vickie'savictim,notasuspect.AndifMatt'sanevilPower,I'mthehunchbackofNotreDame.AndasforRobert—"

"Fine,I'vecrosseditallout,"saidBonniecoldly."Nowlet'shearyourideas."

"No, wait," Elena said. "Bonnie, wait a moment." She was thinking aboutsomething,somethingthathadbeennaggingatherforquiteawhile,eversince—"Eversincethechurch,"shesaidaloud,rememberingit."Doyouknow,IsawRobertoutsidethechurch, too,whenIwashiddeninthechoir loft.Itwasjustbefore thedogs attacked, andhewas sortofbackingaway likeheknewwhatwasgoingtohappen."

"Oh,butElena—"

"No, listen,Meredith.And I saw him before, on Saturday night,withAunt

Judith.Whenshe toldhimshewouldn'tmarryhim therewassomething inhisface…Idon'tknow.ButIthinkyou'dbetterputhimbackonthelist,Bonnie."

Soberly,afteramoment'shesitation,Bonniedid."Whoelse?"shesaid.

"Well,Alaric,I'mafraid,"Elenasaid."I'msorry,Bonnie,buthe'spracticallynumberone."ShetoldwhatshehadoverheardthatmorningbetweenAlaricandtheprincipal."Heisn'tanormalhistoryteacher; theycalledhimhereforsomereason.HeknowsI'mavampire,andhe'slookingforme.Andtoday,whilethedogswereattacking,hewasstandingthereonthesidelinesmakingsomekindofweirdgestures.He'sdefinitelynotwhatheseems,andtheonlyquestionis:whatishe?Areyoulistening,Meredith?"

"Yes.Youknow,IthinkyoushouldputMrs.Flowersonthatlist.RememberthewayshestoodatthewindowoftheboardinghousewhenwewerebringingStefanbackfromthewell?Butshewouldn'tcomedownstairstoopenthedoorforus?That'soddbehavior."

Elenanodded."Yes,andhowshekepthanginguponmewhenIcalledhim.Andshecertainlykeepstoherselfinthatoldhouse.Shemayjustbeadottyoldlady,butputherdownanyway,Bonnie."Sheranahandthroughherhair,liftingitoffthebackofherneck.Shewashot.Or—nothotexactly,butuncomfortableinsomewaythatwassimilartobeingoverheated.Shefeltparched.

"Allright,we'llgobytheboardinghousetomorrowbeforeschool,"Meredithsaid. "Meanwhile, what else can we be doing? Let's have a look at that list,Bonnie."

Bonnieheldthelistoutsotheycouldseeit,andElenaandMeredithleanedforwardandread:

MattHoneycutt

VickieBennett

RobertMaxwell—Whatwashedoingatthechurchwhenthedogsattacked?AndwhatwasgoingonthatnightwithElena'saunt?

AlaricSaltzman—Whydoesheasksomanyquestions?WhatwashecalledtoFell'sChurchtodo?

Mrs.Flowers—Whydoessheactsostrange?

Whydidn'tsheletusinthenightStefanwaswounded?

"Good,"Elenasaid."Iguesswecouldalsofindoutwhosedogswereat thechurchtoday.AndyoucanwatchAlaricatschooltomorrow."

"I'llwatchAlaric,"Bonniesaidfirmly."AndI'llgethimclearedofsuspicion;youseeifIdon't."

"Fine,youdothat.Youcanbeassignedtohim.AndMeredithcaninvestigateMrs.Flowers,andIcantakeRobert.AndasforStefanandDamon—well,theycanbeassignedtoeveryone,becausetheycanusetheirPowerstoprobepeople'sminds.Besides,thatlistisbynomeanscomplete.I'mgoingtoaskthemtoscoutaroundtownsearchingforanysignsofPower,oranythingelseweirdgoingon.They'remorelikelythanIamtorecognizeit."

Sitting back, Elena wet her lips absently. She was parched. She noticedsomethingshe'dnevernoticedbefore:thefinetraceryofveinsonBonnie'sinnerwrist.Bonniewasstillholdingthenotepadout,andtheskinofherwristwassotranslucent that the tealblueveinsshowedclearly through.Elenawishedshe'dlistenedwhenthey'dstudiedhumananatomyatschool;nowwhatwasthenameforthisvein,thebigonethatbranchedlikeaforkinatree…?

"Elena.Elena!"

Startled, Elena looked up, to see Meredith's wary dark eyes and Bonnie'salarmedexpression.ItwasonlythenthatsherealizedshewascrouchedclosetoBonnie'swrist,rubbingthebiggestveinwithherfinger.

"Sorry,"shemurmured,sittingback.Butshecouldfeel theextra lengthandsharpnessofhercanine teeth. Itwassomething likewearingbraces; shecouldclearlyfeelthedifferenceinweight.SherealizedherreassuringsmileatBonniewasnothavingthedesiredeffect.Bonniewaslookingscared,whichwassilly.Bonnieought toknowthatElenawouldneverhurther.AndElenawasn'tveryhungrytonight;Elenahadalwaysbeenalighteater.Shecouldgetallsheneededfromthistinyveinhereinthewrist…

Elena jumped to her feet and spun toward thewindow, leaning against thecasing, feeling the cool night air blowing on her skin. She felt dizzy, and she

couldn'tseemtogetherbreath.

Whathadshebeendoing?SheturnedaroundtoseeBonniehuddledclosetoMeredith,bothofthemlookingsickwithfear.Shehatedhavingthemlookatherthatway.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn'tmean to, Bonnie. Look, I'm not coming anycloser.IshouldhaveeatenbeforeIcamehere.DamonsaidI'dgethungrylater."

Bonnieswallowed,lookingevensicker."Eaten?"

"Yes,ofcourse,"Elenasaidtartly.Herveinswereburning;thatwaswhatthisfeelingwas. Stefan had described it before, but she'd never really understood;she'dneverrealizedwhathewasgoingthroughwhentheneedforbloodwasonhim. Itwas terrible, irresistible."Whatdoyou thinkIeat thesedays,air?"sheaddeddefiantly."I'mahunternow,andI'dbettergoouthunting."

Bonnie andMeredithwere trying to cope; she could tell theywere, but shecould also see the revulsion in their eyes. She concentrated on using her newsenses, in opening herself to the night and searching for Stefan's or Damon'spresence.Itwasdifficult,becauseneitherofthemwasprojectingwithhismindashehadbeenthenightthey'dbeenfightinginthewoods,butshethoughtshecouldsenseaglimmerofPoweroutthereinthetown.

But she had no way to communicate with it, and frustration made thescorchinginherveinsevenworse.She'djustdecidedthatshemighthavetogowithoutthemwhenthecurtainswhippedbackintoherface,flappinginaburstof wind. Bonnie lurched up with a gasp, knocking the reading lamp off thenightstand and plunging the room into darkness.Cursing,Meredithworked toget it righted again. The curtains fluttered madly in the flickering light thatemerged,andBonnieseemedtobetryingtoscream.

Whenthebulbwasfinallyscrewedbackin,itrevealedDamonsittingcasuallybutprecariouslyon the sillof theopenwindow,onekneeup.Hewas smilingoneofhiswildestsmiles.

"Doyoumind?"hesaid."Thisisuncomfortable."

Elena glanced back at Bonnie and Meredith, who were braced against thecloset, looking horrified and hypnotized at once. She herself shook her head,exasperated.

"AndI thoughtI liked tomakeadramaticentrance,"shesaid."Veryfunny,Damon.Nowlet'sgo."

"Withtwosuchbeautifulfriendsofyoursrighthere?"DamonsmiledagainatBonnieandMeredith."Besides,Ionlyjustgothere.Won'tsomebodybepoliteandaskmein?"

Bonnie's brown eyes, fixed helplessly on his face, softened a bit. Her lips,whichhadbeenparted inhorror, parted further.Elena recognized the signsofimminentmeltdown.

"No, theywon't," she said.SheputherselfdirectlybetweenDamonand theother girls. "Nobody here is for you,Damon—not now, not ever." Seeing theflare of challenge in his eyes, she added archly, "And anyway, I'm leaving. Idon't know about you, but I'm going hunting." She was reassured to senseStefan's presence nearby, on the roof probably, and to hear his instantamendment:We're going hunting, Damon. You can sit there all night if youwant.

Damon gave in with good grace, shooting one last amused glance towardBonniebeforedisappearingfromthewindow.BonnieandMeredithbothstartedforward in alarm as he did, obviously concerned that he had just fallen to hisdeath.

"He'sfine,"saidElena,shakingherheadagain."Anddon'tworry,Iwon'tlethimcomeback.I'llmeetyouatthesametimetomorrow.Good-bye."

"But—Elena—"Meredith stopped. "Imean, I was going to ask you if youwantedtochangeyourclothes."

Elena regarded herself. The nineteenth-century heirloom dress was tatteredandbedraggled,thethinwhitemuslinshreddedinsomeplaces.Buttherewasnotimetochangeit;shehadtofeednow.

"It'llhavetowait,"shesaid."Seeyoutomorrow."Andsheboostedherselfoutof thewindow thewayDamon had. The last she saw of them,Meredith andBonniewerestaringafterherdazedly.

Shewasgettingbetteratlandings;thistimeshedidn'tbruiseherknees.Stefanwasthere,andhewrappedsomethingdarkandwarmaroundher.

"Your cloak," she said, pleased. For a moment they smiled at each other,

rememberingthefirsttimehehadgivenherthecloak,afterhe'dsavedherfromTyler in the graveyard and takenher back to his room to cleanup.He'd beenafraid to touchher then.But,Elena thought, smilingup intohis eyes, shehadtakencareofthatfearratherquickly.

"Ithoughtwewerehunting,"Damonsaid.

Elenaturnedthesmileonhim,withoutunlinkingherhandfromStefan's."Weare,"shesaid."Whereshouldwego?"

"Anyhouseonthisstreet,"Damonsuggested.

"Thewoods,"Stefansaid.

"Thewoods,"Elenadecided."Wedon'ttouchhumans,andwedon'tkill.Isn'tthathowitgoes,Stefan?"

Hereturnedthepressureofherfingers."That'showitgoes,"hesaidquietly.

Damon's lip curled fastidiously. "And just what are we looking for in thewoods,ordon'tIwanttoknow?Muskrat?Skunk?Termites?"HiseyesmovedtoElena and his voice dropped. "Come with me, and I'll show you some realhunting."

"Wecangothroughthegraveyard,"Elenasaid,ignoringhim.

"White-taileddeerfeedallnightintheopenareas,"Stefantoldher,"butwe'llhavetobecarefulstalkingthem;theycanhearalmostaswellaswecan."

Anothertime,then,Damon'svoicesaidinElena'smind.

Eight"Who—?Oh,it'syou!"Bonniesaid,startingatthetouchonherelbow."You

scaredme.Ididn'thearyoucomeup."

He'dhavetobemorecareful,Stefanrealized.Inthefewdayshe'dbeenawayfromschool,he'dgottenoutof thehabitofwalkingandmoving likeahumanand fallen back into the noiseless, perfectly controlled stride of the hunter."Sorry,"hesaid,astheywalkedsidebysidedownthecorridor.

"S'okay," said Bonnie with a brave attempt at nonchalance. But her browneyeswerewideandratherfixed."Sowhatareyoudoingheretoday?Meredithand I cameby the boardinghouse thismorning to check onMrs. Flowers, butnobodyansweredthedoor.AndIdidn'tseeyouinbiology."

"Icamethisafternoon.I'mbackatschool.Foraslongasittakestofindwhatwe'relookingforanyway."

"TospyonAlaric,youmean,"Bonniemuttered."ItoldElenayesterdayjustto leavehim tome.Oops," sheadded,asacoupleofpassing juniors staredather.SherolledhereyesatStefan.Bymutualconsent,theyturnedoffintoasidecorridorandmadeforanemptystairwell.Bonnieleanedagainstthewallwithagroanofrelief.

"I'vegottoremembernottosayhername,"shesaidpathetically,"butit'ssohard.MymotheraskedmehowIfeltthismorningandIalmosttoldher,'fine,'sinceIsawElenalastnight.Idon'tknowhowyoutwokept—youknowwhat—asecretsolong."

Stefanfeltagrintuggingathislipsinspiteofhimself.Bonniewaslikeasix-week-oldkitten,allcharmandnoinhibitions.Shealwayssaidexactlywhatshewas thinkingat themoment,even if it completelycontradictedwhat she'd justsaid themoment before, but everything she did came from the heart. "You'restanding inadesertedhallwaywithayouknowwhat rightnow,"heremindedherdevilishly.

"Ohhh."Hereyeswidenedagain."Butyouwouldn't,wouldyou?"sheadded,relieved. "Because Elena would kill you… Oh, dear." Searching for anothertopic,shegulpedandsaid,"So—sohowdidthingsgolastnight?"

Stefan's mood darkened immediately. "Not so good. Oh, Elena's all right;she'ssleepingsafely."Beforehecouldgoon,hisearspickedupfootfallsattheendofthecorridor.Threeseniorgirlswerepassingby,andonebrokeawayfromthegroupatthesightofStefanandBonnie.SueCarson'sfacewaspaleandhereyeswerered-rimmed,butshesmiledatthem.

Bonniewasfullofconcern."Sue,howareyou?How'sDoug?"

"I'mokay.He'sokay,too,oratleasthe'sgoingtobe.Stefan,Iwantedtotalktoyou,"sheaddedinarush."IknowmydadthankedyouyesterdayforhelpingDoug the way you did, but I wanted to thank you, too. I mean, I know thatpeople in town have been pretty horrible to you and—well, I'm just surprisedyoucaredenoughtohelpatall.ButI'mglad.MymomsaysyousavedDoug'slife.Andso,Ijustwantedtothankyou,andtosayI'msorry—abouteverything."

Hervoicewasshakingbytheendofthespeech.Bonniesniffedandgropedinherbackpackforatissue,andforamomentitlookedasifStefanwasgoingtobecaughton the stairwellwith twosobbing females.Dismayed,he rackedhisbrainsforadistraction.

"That'sallright,"hesaid."How'sChelseatoday?"

"She'satthepound.They'reholdingthedogsinquarantinethere,alltheonestheycouldroundup."Sueblottedhereyesandstraightened,andStefanrelaxed,seeingthatthedangerwasover.Anawkwardsilencedescended.

"Well," said Bonnie to Sue at last, "have you heardwhat the school boarddecidedabouttheSnowDance?"

"Iheardtheymetthismorningandthey'veprettymuchdecidedtoletushaveit.Somebodysaidtheyweretalkingaboutapoliceguard,though.Oh,there'sthelatebell.We'dbettergettohistorybeforeAlarichandsusalldemerits."

"We're coming in aminute," Stefan said.He added casually, "When is thisSnowDance?"

"It'sthethirteenth;Fridaynight,youknow,"Suesaid,andthenwinced."OhmyGod,Fridaythethirteenth.Ididn'teventhinkaboutthat.ButitremindsmethattherewasoneotherthingIwantedtotellyou.ThismorningItookmynameoutoftherunningforsnowqueen.It—itjustseemedright,somehow.That'sall."Suehurriedaway,almostrunning.

Stefan'smindwasracing."Bonnie,whatisthisSnowDance?"

"Well,it'stheChristmasdancereally,onlywehaveasnowqueeninsteadofaChristmasqueen.AfterwhathappenedatFounders'Day,theywerethinkingofcancelingit,andthenwiththedogsyesterday—butitsoundslikethey'regoingtohaveitafterall."

"OnFridaythethirteenth,"Stefansaidgrimly.

"Yes." Bonnie was looking scared again, making herself small andinconspicuous. "Stefan, don't look that way; you're frightening me. What'swrong?Whatdoyouthinkwillhappenatthedance?"

"I don't know." But something would, Stefan was thinking. Fell's Churchhadn't had one public celebration that had escaped being visited by theOtherPower,andthiswouldprobablybethelastfestivityoftheyear.Buttherewasnopointintalkingaboutitnow."Comeon,"hesaid."We'rereallylate."

Hewasright.AlaricSaltzmanwasatthechalkboardwhentheywalkedin,ashe had been the first day he'd appeared in the history classroom. If he wassurprisedatseeingthemlate,oratall,hecovereditfaultlessly,givingoneofhisfriendliestsmiles.

Soyou'retheonewho'shuntingthehunter,Stefanthought,takinghisseatandstudyingthemanbeforehim.Butareyouanythingmorethanthat?Elena'sOtherPowermaybe?

Onthefaceofit,nothingseemedmoreunlikely.Alaric'ssandyhair,wornjusta little too long for a teacher, his boyish smile, his stubborn cheerfulness, allcontributed to an impression of harmlessness.But Stefan had beenwary fromthe beginning ofwhatwas under that inoffensive exterior. Still, it didn't seemverylikelythatAlaricSaltzmanwasbehindtheattackonElenaortheincidentwiththedogs.Nodisguisecouldbethatperfect.

Elena. Stefan's hand clenched under his desk, and a slow achewoke in hischest.Hehadn'tmeanttothinkabouther.Theonlywayhehadgottenthroughthe last five dayswas by keeping her at the edge of hismind, not letting herimage any closer.But then of course the effort of holding her away at a safedistancetookupmostofhistimeandenergy.Andthiswastheworstplaceofalltobe, inaclassroomwherehecouldn'tcare lessaboutwhatwasbeing taught.Therewasnothingtodobutthinkhere.

Hemadehimselfbreatheslowly,calmly.Shewaswell;thatwastheimportantthing.Nothingelsereallymattered.Butevenashetoldhimselfthis,jealousybitintohim like the thongsof awhip.Becausewheneverhe thought aboutElenanow,hehadtothinkabouthim.

AboutDamon,whowasfreetocomeandgoasheliked.WhomightevenbewithElenathisminute.

AngerburnedinStefan'smind,brightandcold,minglingwiththehotacheinhischest.Hestillwasn'tconvincedthatDamonwasn'ttheonewhohadcasuallythrownhim,bleedingandunconscious,intoanabandonedwellshafttodie.AndhewouldtakeElena'sideaabouttheOtherPowermuchmoreseriouslyifhewascompletelysurethatDamonhadn'tchasedElenatoherdeath.Damonwasevil;hehadnomercyandnoscruples…

Andwhat'shedonethatIhaven'tdone?Stefanaskedhimselfheavily,forthehundredthtime.Nothing.

Exceptkill.

Stefanhadtriedtokill.He'dmeanttokillTyler.Atthememory,thecoldfireofhisangertowardDamonwasdoused,andheglancedinsteadtowardadeskatthebackoftheroom.

Itwasempty.ThoughTylerhadgottenoutofthehospitalthedaybefore,hehadn't returned to school. Still, there should be no danger of his rememberinganythingfromthatgrislyafternoon.Thesubliminalsuggestiontoforgetshouldholdforquiteawhile,aslongasnoonemessedwithTyler'smind.

He suddenly became aware that he was staring at Tyler's empty desk withnarrow, brooding eyes. As he looked away, he caught the glance of someonewho'dbeenwatchinghimdoit.

Mattturnedquicklyandbentoverhishistorybook,butnotbeforeStefansawhisexpression.

Don't thinkabout it.Don't thinkaboutanything,Stefan toldhimself,andhetriedtoconcentrateonAlaricSaltzman'slectureabouttheWarsoftheRoses.

December5—Idon'tknowwhattime,probablyearlyafternoon.

DearDiary,

Damongotyoubackformethismorning.Stefansaidhedidn'twantmegoinginto Alaric's attic again. This is Stefan's pen I'm using. I don't own anythinganymore,oratleastIcan'tgetatanyofmyownthings,andmostofthemAuntJudith would miss if I took them. I'm sitting right now in a barn behind theboardinghouse.Ican'tgowherepeoplesleep,youknow,unlessI'vebeeninvitedin.Iguessanimalsdon'tcount,becausetherearesomeratssleepinghereunderthehayandanowlintherafters.Atthemoment,we'reignoringeachother.

I'mtryingveryhardnottohavehysterics.

I thoughtwritingmighthelp.Somethingnormal, something familiar.Exceptthatnothinginmylifeisnormalanymore.

DamonsaysI'llgetusedtoitfasterifIthrowmyoldlifeawayandembracethenewone.Heseemstothinkit'sinevitablethatIturnoutlikehim.HesaysIwasborntobeahunterandthere'snopointindoingthingshalfway.

I hunted a deer last night. A stag, because it was making the most noise,clashing itsantlersagainst treebranches,challengingothermales. Idrank itsblood.

When I look over this diary, all I can see is that I was searching forsomething, for someplace to belong.But this isn't it. This new life isn't it. I'mafraidofwhatI'llbecomeifIdostarttobelonghere.

Oh,God,I'mfrightened.

Thebarnowlisalmostpurewhite,especiallywhenitspreadsitswingssoyoucanseetheunderside.Fromthebackitlooksmoregold.Ithasjustalittlegoldaroundtheface.It'sstaringatmerightnowbecauseI'mmakingnoises,tryingnottocry.

It'sfunnythatIcanstillcry.Iguessit'switchesthatcan't.

It'sstartedsnowingoutside.I'mpullingmycloakuparoundme.

Elenatuckedthelittlebookclosetoherbodyanddrewthesoftdarkvelvetofthe cloak up to her chin. The barn was utterly silent, except for the minutebreathingoftheanimalsthatsleptthere.Outsidethesnowdrifteddownjustassoundlessly, blanketing theworld inmuffling stillness. Elena stared at itwithunseeingeyes,scarcelynoticingthetearsthatrandownhercheeks.

"AndcouldBonnieMcCulloughandCarolineForbespleasestayafterclassamoment,"Alaricsaidasthelastbellrang.

Stefan frowned, a frown that deepened as he sawVickie Bennett hoveringoutsidetheopendoorof thehistoryroom,hereyesshyandfrightened."I'llberightoutside,"hesaidmeaningfullytoBonnie,whonodded.Headdedawarningliftofhiseyebrows,andshe respondedwithavirtuous look.CatchmesayinganythingI'mnotsupposedto,thelooksaid.

Goingout,Stefanonlyhopedshecouldsticktoit.

VickieBennettwasenteringasheexited,andhehadtostepoutofherway.ButthattookhimrightintothepathofMatt,who'dcomeouttheotherdoorandwastryingtogetdownthecorridorasfastaspossible.

Stefangrabbedhisarmwithoutthinking."Matt,wait."

"Letgoofme."Matt'sfistcameup.Helookedatitinapparentsurprise,asifnot surewhat he should be somad about. But everymuscle in his bodywasfightingStefan'sgrip.

"Ijustwanttotalktoyou.Justforaminute,allright?"

"I don't have a minute," Matt said, and at last his eyes, a lighter, lesscomplicated blue than Elena's,met Stefan's. But therewas a blankness in thedepths of them that reminded Stefan of the look of someone who'd beenhypnotized,orwhowasundertheinfluenceofsomePower.

OnlyitwasnoPowerexceptMatt'sownmind,herealizedabruptly.Thiswaswhatthehumanbraindidtoitselfwhenfacedwithsomethingitsimplycouldn'tdealwith.Matthadshutdown,turnedoff.

Testing,Stefansaid,"AboutwhathappenedSaturdaynight—"

"Idon'tknowwhatyou're talkingabout.Look, I said Ihad togo,damn it."DenialwaslikeafortressbehindMatt'seyes.ButStefanhadtotryagain.

"Idon'tblameyouforbeingmad.IfIwereyou,I'dbefurious.AndIknowwhatit'slikenottowanttothink,especiallywhenthinkingcandriveyoucrazy."Mattwasshakinghishead,andStefanlookedaroundthehallway.Itwasalmostempty,anddesperationmadehimwilling to takea risk.He loweredhisvoice."Butmaybeyou'datleastliketoknowthatElena'sawake,andshe'smuch—"

"Elena's dead!" Matt shouted, drawing the attention of everyone in thecorridor."AndItoldyoutoletgoofme!"headded,obliviousoftheiraudience,andshovedStefanhard.ItwassounexpectedthatStefanstumbledbackagainstthe lockers, almost ending up sprawled on the ground.He stared atMatt, butMattneverevenglancedbackashetookoffdownthehallway.

StefanspenttherestofthetimeuntilBonnieemergedjuststaringatthewall.TherewasapostertherefortheSnowDance,andhekneweveryinchofitbythetimethegirlscameout.

DespiteeverythingCarolinehadtriedtodotohimandElena,Stefanfoundhecouldn't summonupanyhatredofher.Herauburnhair looked faded,her facepinched. Instead of beingwillowy, her posture just lookedwilted, he thought,watchinghergo.

"Everythingokay?"hesaidtoBonnie,astheyfellintostepwitheachother.

"Yes,ofcourse.Alaric justknowswe three—Vickie,Caroline,and I—havebeenthroughalot,andhewantsus toknowthathesupportsus,"Bonniesaid,butevenherdoggedoptimismaboutthehistoryteachersoundedalittleforced."Noneofustoldhimaboutanything,though.He'shavinganotherget-togetherathishousenextweek,"sheaddedbrightly.

Wonderful,thoughtStefan.Normallyhemighthavesaidsomethingaboutit,butatthatmomenthewasdistracted."There'sMeredith,"hesaid.

"Shemustbewaitingforus—no,she'sgoingdownthehistorywing,"Bonniesaid."That'sfunny,ItoldherI'dmeetherouthere."

Itwasmorethanfunny,thoughtStefan.He'dcaughtonlyaglimpseofherasshe turned the corner, but that glimpse stuck in his mind. The expression onMeredith's facehadbeencalculating,watchful,andherstephadbeenstealthy.Asifsheweretryingtodosomethingwithoutbeingseen.

"She'llcomebackinaminutewhensheseeswe'renotdownthere,"Bonniesaid,butMeredithdidn'tcomebackinaminute,ortwo,orthree.Infact,itwasalmost ten minutes before she appeared, and then she looked startled to seeStefanandBonniewaitingforher.

"Sorry, I got held up," she said coolly, and Stefan had to admire her self-possession. But he wondered what was behind it, and only Bonnie was in amoodtochatasthethreeofthemleftschool.

"Butlasttimeyouusedfire,"Elenasaid.

"ThatwasbecausewewerelookingforStefan,foraspecificperson,"Bonniereplied."Thistimewe'retryingtopredictthefuture.IfitwasjustyourpersonalfutureIwastryingtopredict,I'dlookinyourpalm,butwe'retryingtofindoutsomethinggeneral."

Meredithenteredtheroom,carefullybalancingachinabowlfulltothebrimwithwater.Inherotherhand,sheheldacandle."I'vegotthestuff,"shesaid.

"Waterwassacredto theDruids,"Bonnieexplained,asMeredithplacedthedishonthefloorandthethreegirlssataroundit.

"Apparently,everythingwassacredtotheDruids,"saidMeredith.

"Shh.Now,put thecandle in thecandlestickand light it.Then I'mgoing topourmeltedwaxintothewater,andtheshapesitmakeswilltellmetheanswersto your questions. My grandmother used melted lead, and she said hergrandmotherusedmeltedsilver,butshetoldmewaxwoulddo."WhenMeredithhad lit the candle,Bonnieglanced at it sideways and took adeepbreath. "I'mgettingscarederandscaredertodothis,"shesaid.

"Youdon'thaveto,"Elenasaidsoftly.

"Iknow.ButIwant to—thisonce.Besides, it'snot thesekindofrituals thatscareme;it'sgettingtakenoverthat'ssoawful.Ihateit.It'slikesomebodyelsegettingintomybody."

Elenafrownedandopenedhermouth,butBonniewascontinuing.

"Anyway,heregoes.Turndownthelights,Meredith.Givemeaminutetogetattunedandthenaskyourquestions."

InthesilenceofthedimroomElenawatchedthecandlelightflickeringoverBonnie's loweredeyelashesandMeredith'ssoberface.She lookeddownatherown hands in her lap, pale against the blackness of the sweater and leggingsMeredithhadlenther.Thenshelookedatthedancingflame.

"Allright,"Bonniesaidsoftlyandtookthecandle.

Elena'sfingerstwinedtogether,clenchinghard,butshespokeinalowvoice

soasnottobreaktheatmosphere."WhoistheOtherPowerinFell'sChurch?"

Bonnie tilted the candle so that the flame licked up its sides. Hot waxstreameddownlikewaterintothebowlandformedroundglobulesthere.

"Iwas afraidof that,"Bonniemurmured. "That's no answer, nothing.Try adifferentquestion."

Disappointed, Elena sat back, fingernails biting into her palms. It wasMeredithwhospoke.

"CanwefindthisOtherPowerifwelook?Andcanwedefeatit?"

"That's twoquestions,"Bonniesaidunderherbreathasshe tilted thecandleagain.Thistimethewaxformedacircle,alumpywhitering.

"That'sunity!Thesymbolforpeoplejoininghands.Itmeanswecandoitifwesticktogether."

Elena'sheadjerkedup.Thosewerealmostthesamewordsshe'dsaidtoStefanand Damon. Bonnie's eyes were shining with excitement, and they smiled ateachother.

"Watchout!You'restillpouring,"Meredithsaid.

Bonniequicklyrightedthecandle,lookingintothebowlagain.Thelastspillofwaxhadformedathin,straightline.

"That'sasword,"shesaidslowly."Itmeanssacrifice.Wecandoitifwesticktogether,butnotwithoutsacrifice."

"Whatkindofsacrifice?"askedElena.

"Idon'tknow,"Bonniesaid,her face troubled."That'sall Ican tellyou thistime."Shestuckthecandlebackinthecandleholder.

"Whew,"saidMeredith,asshegotuptoturnonthelights.Elenastood,too.

"Well, at leastwe knowwe can beat it," she said, tugging up the leggings,which were too long for her. She caught a glimpse of herself in Meredith'smirror.Shecertainlydidn'tlooklikeElenaGilbertthehighschoolfashionplateanymore.Dressed all in black like this, she lookedpale and dangerous, like asheathedsword.Herhairfellhaphazardlyaroundhershoulders.

"They wouldn't know me at school," she murmured, with a pang. It wasstrange thatsheshouldcareaboutgoing toschool,butshedid. Itwasbecauseshecouldn'tgo,sheguessed.Andbecauseshe'dbeenqueentheresolong,she'drun thingsforso long, that itwasalmostunbelievable thatshecouldneversetfootthereagain,

"Youcouldgosomewhereelse,"Bonniesuggested."Imean,after this isallover,youcouldfinishtheschoolyearsomeplacewherenobodyknowsyou.LikeStefandid."

"No,Idon'tthinkso."Elenawasinastrangemoodtonight,afterspendingtheday alone in thebarnwatching the snow. "Bonnie," she said abruptly, "wouldyoulookatmypalmagain?Iwantyoutotellmyfuture,mypersonalfuture."

"Idon'tevenknowif I rememberall thestuffmygrandmother taughtme…but, all right, I'll try," Bonnie relented. "There'd just better be nomore darkstrangers on the way, that's all. You've already got all you can handle." ShegiggledasshetookElena'soutstretchedhand."RememberwhenCarolineaskedwhatyoucoulddowithtwo?Iguessyou'refindingoutnow,huh?"

"Justreadmypalm,willyou?"

"Allright,thisisyourlifeline—"Bonnie'sstreamofpatterbrokeoffalmostbefore itwas started.She stared atElena's hand, fear and apprehension in herface. "It should go all the way down to here," she said. "But it's cut off soshort…"

She and Elena looked at each other without speaking for amoment, whileElena felt that sameapprehensionsolidify insideherself.ThenMeredithbrokein.

"Well, naturally it's short," she said. "It justmeanswhat happened already,whenElenadrowned."

"Yes,ofcourse,thatmustbeit,"Bonniemurmured.SheletgoofElena'shandand Elena slowly drew back. "That's it, all right," Bonnie said in a strongervoice.

Elena was gazing into the mirror again. The girl who gazed back wasbeautiful,buttherewasasadwisdomabouthereyesthattheoldElenaGilberthadneverhad.SherealizedthatBonnieandMeredithwerelookingather.

"Thatmustbeit,"shesaidlightly,buthersmiledidn'ttouchhereyes.

Nine"Well, at least I didn't get taken over," Bonnie said. "But I'm sick of this

psychic stuff anyway; I'm tired of the whole thing. That was the last time,absolutelythelast."

"All right," said Elena, turning away from the mirror, "let's talk aboutsomethingelse.Didyoufindanythingouttoday?"

"ItalkedwithAlaric,andhe'shavinganotherget-togethernextweek,"Bonniereplied."HeaskedCarolineandVickieandmeifwewantedtobehypnotizedtohelpusdealwithwhat'sbeenhappening.ButI'msureheisn'ttheOtherPower,Elena.He'stoonice."

Elena nodded. She'd had second thoughts about her suspicions of Alaricherself.Notbecausehewasnice,butbecauseshehadspentfourdaysinhisatticasleep. Would the Other Power really have let her stay there unharmed? Ofcourse,Damonhadsaidhe'd influencedAlaric toforget thatshewasup there,butwouldtheOtherPowerhavesuccumbedtoDamon'sinfluence?Shouldn'titbefartoostrong?

UnlessitsPowershadtemporarilyburnedout,shethoughtsuddenly.ThewayStefan's were burning out now. Or unless it had only been pretending to beinfluenced.

"Well,wewon't cross him off the list just yet," she said. "We've got to becareful.WhataboutMrs.Flowers?Didyoufindoutanythingabouther?"

"No luck," saidMeredith. "Wewent to theboardinghouse thismorning,butshe didn't answer the door. Stefan said he'd try to track her down in theafternoon."

"If somebodywouldonly inviteme in there, I couldwatchher, too,"Elenasaid. "I feel like I'm theonlyonenotdoinganything. I think…"Shepausedamoment,considering,andthensaid,"IthinkI'llgobyhome—byAuntJudith's,Imean.MaybeI'llfindRoberthangingaroundinthebushesorsomething."

"We'llgowithyou,"Meredithsaid.

"No,it'sbetterformetodoitalone.Really,itis.Icanbeveryinconspicuous

thesedays."

"Thentakeyourownadviceandbecareful.It'sstillsnowinghard."

Elenanoddedanddroppedoverthewindowsill.

Assheapproachedherhouse, shesaw thatacarwas justpullingoutof thedriveway.Shemeltedintotheshadowsandwatched.Theheadlightsilluminatedan eerie winter sight: the neighbors' black locust tree, like a bare-branchedsilhouette,withawhiteowlsittinginit.

Asthecarroaredpast,Elenarecognizedit.Robert'sblueOldsmobile.

Now,thatwasinteresting.Shehadanurgetofollowhim,butastrongerurgetocheckthehouse,makesureeverythingwasallright.Shecircleditstealthily,examiningwindows.

Theyellowchintzcurtainsatthekitchenwindowwereloopedback,revealingabrightsectionofkitcheninside.AuntJudithwasclosingthedishwasher.HadRobertcometodinner?Elenawondered.

Aunt Judith moved toward the front hallway and Elena moved with her,circling the house again. She found a slit in the living room curtains andcautiously applied her eye to the thick, wavery old glass of thewindow. Sheheard the frontdooropenand shut, and then lock, and thenAunt Judith cameinto the living roomandsaton thecouch.She switchedon theTVandbeganflippingthroughchannelsidly.

Elenawishedshecouldseemorethanjustheraunt'sprofileintheflickeringlightoftheTV.Itgaveherastrangefeelingtolookatthisroom,knowingthatshecouldonlylookandnotgoin.Howlonghaditbeensincesherealizedwhata nice room it was? The old mahogany whatnot, crowded with china andglassware, the Tiffany lamp on the table next toAunt Judith, the needlepointpillowsonthecouch,allseemedprecioustohernow.Standingoutside,feelingthefeatherycaressofthesnowonthebackofherneck,shewishedshecouldgoinjustforamoment,justforalittlewhile.

Aunt Judith's head was tilting back, her eyes shutting. Elena leaned herforeheadagainstthewindow,thenslowlyturnedaway.

She climbed the quince tree outside her own bedroom, but to herdisappointment thecurtainswere shut tight.Themaple treeoutsideMargaret's

roomwasfragileandhardertoclimb,butonceshegotupshehadagoodview;thesecurtainswerewideopen.Margaretwasasleepwith thebedcoversdrawnuptoherchin,hermouthopen,herpalehairspreadoutlikeafanonthepillow.

Hello,baby,Elena thoughtandswallowedback tears. Itwassuchasweetlyinnocent scene: the nightlight, the little girl in bed, the stuffed animals on theshelves keeping watch over her. And here came a little white kitten paddingthroughtheopendoortocompletethepicture,Elenathought.

Snowball jumped onto Margaret's bed. The kitten yawned, showing a tinypinktongue,andstretched,displayingminiatureclaws.ThenitwalkeddaintilyovertostandonMargaret'schest.

SomethingtingledattherootsofElena'shair.

She didn't know if it was some new hunter's sense or sheer intuition, butsuddenly she was afraid. There was danger in that room. Margaret was indanger.

The kittenwas still standing there, tail swishing back and forth.And all atonceElenarealizedwhatitlookedlike.Thedogs.ItlookedthewayChelseahadlooked at Doug Carson before she lunged at him. Oh, God, the town hadquarantinedthedogs,butnobodyhadthoughtaboutthecats.

Elena'smindwasworkingattopspeed,butitwasn'thelpingher.Itwasonlyflashing pictures of what a cat could do with curved claws and needle-sharpteeth.AndMargaretjustlaytherebreathingsoftly,oblivioustoanydanger.

The furonSnowball's backwas rising,her tail swelling like abottlebrush.Herearsflattenedandsheopenedhermouthinasilenthiss.HereyeswerefixedonMargaret'sfacejustthewayChelsea'shadbeenonDougCarson's.

"No!"Elenalookedarounddesperatelyforsomethingtothrowatthewindow,somethingtomakenoise.Shecouldn'tgetanycloser;theouterbranchesofthetreewouldn'tsupportherweight."Margaret,wakeup!"

Butthesnow,settlinglikeablanketaroundher,seemedtodeadenthewordsintonothingness.A low, discordantwailwas started inSnowball's throat as itflickeditseyestowardthewindowandthenbacktoMargaret'sface.

"Margaret,wake up!" Elena shouted. Then, just as the kitten pulled back acurvedpaw,shethrewherselfatthewindow.

Sheneverknew, later,howshemanaged tohangon.Therewasnoroomtokneelon thesill,buther fingernails sank into thesoftoldwoodof thecasing,andthe toeofoneboot jammedintoafootholdbelow.Shebangedagainst thewindowwithherbodyweight,shouting.

"Getawayfromher!Wakeup,Margaret!"

Margaret'seyesflewopenandshesatup,throwingSnowballbackward.Thekitten'sclawscaughtintheeyeletbedspreadasitscrambledtorightitself.Elenashoutedagain.

"Margaret,getoffthebed!Openthewindow,quick!"

Margaret'sfour-year-oldfacewasfullofsleepysurprise,butnofear.ShegotupandstumbledtowardthewindowwhileElenagrittedherteeth.

"That'sit.Goodgirl…nowsay,'Comein.'Quick,sayit!"

"Comein,"Margaretsaidobediently,blinkingandsteppingback.

ThekittensprangoutasElenafell in.Shemadeagrabforit,butitwastoofast. Once outside it glided across themaple brancheswith taunting ease andleapeddownintothesnow,disappearing.

A small hand was tugging at Elena's sweater. "You came back!"Margaretsaid,huggingElena'ships."Imissedyou."

"Oh,Margaret, Imissed you—"Elena began, and then froze.Aunt Judith'svoicesoundedfromthetopofthestairs.

"Margaret,areyouawake?What'sgoingoninthere?"

Elenahadonlyaninstanttomakeherdecision."Don'ttellherI'mhere,"shewhispered,droppingtoherknees."It'sasecret;doyouunderstand?Sayyouletthekittyout,butdon'ttellherI'mhere."Therewasn'ttimeforanymore;Elenadivedunderthebedandprayed.

Fromunderthedustruffle,shewatchedAuntJudith'sstockingfeetcomeintotheroom.Shepressedherfaceintothefloorboards,notbreathing.

"Margaret!Whatareyoudoingup?Comeon,let'sgetyoubackinbed,"AuntJudith'svoicesaid,andthenthebedcreakedwithMargaret'sweightandElenaheard the noises of Aunt Judith's fussing with the covers. "Your hands are

freezing.Whatonearthisthewindowdoingopen?"

"IopeneditandSnowballwentout,"Margaretsaid.Elenaletoutherbreath.

"Andnowthere'ssnowalloverthefloor.Ican'tbelievethis…Don'tyouopenitupagain,doyouhearme?"Alittlemorebustlingandthestockingfeetwentoutagain.Thedoorshut.

Elenasquirmedout.

"Good girl," she whispered as Margaret sat up. "I'm proud of you. NowtomorrowyoutellAuntJudiththatyouhavetogiveyourkittyaway.Tellheritscaredyou.Iknowyoudon'twantto"—sheputupahandtostopthewailthatwasgatheringonMargaret'slips—"butyouhaveto.BecauseI'mtellingyouthatkittywillhurtyouifyoukeepit.Youdon'twanttogethurt,doyou?"

"No,"saidMargaret,herblueeyesfilling."But—"

"Andyou don'twant the kitty to hurtAunt Judith, either, do you?You tellAuntJudithyoucan'thaveakittenorapuppyorevenabirduntil—well,forawhile.Don't tellher that I saidso; that's stilloursecret.Tellheryou'rescaredbecause of what happened with the dogs at church." It was better, Elenareasonedgrimly,togivethelittlegirlnightmaresthantohaveanightmareplayoutinthisbedroom.

Margaret'smouthdroopedsadly."Okay."

"I'msorry,sweetie."Elenasatdownandhuggedher."Butthat'sthewayithastobe."

"You'recold,"Margaretsaid.ThenshelookedupintoElena'sface."Areyouanangel?"

"Uh…notexactly."Justtheopposite,Elenathoughtironically.

"AuntJudithsaidyouwenttobewithMommyandDaddy.Didyouseethemyet?"

"I—it'ssortofhardtoexplain,Margaret.Ihaven'tseenthemyet,no.AndI'mnotanangel,butI'mgoingtobelikeyourguardianangelanyway,allright?I'llwatchoveryou,evenwhenyoucan'tseeme.Okay?"

"Okay."Margaretplayedwithherfingers."Doesthatmeanyoucan'tlivehere

anymore?"

Elena looked around thepink-and-whitebedroom, at the stuffed animals ontheshelvesandthelittlewritingdeskandtherockinghorsethathadoncebeenhersinthecorner."That'swhatitmeans,"shesaidsoftly.

"WhentheysaidyouwenttobewithMommyandDaddy,IsaidIwantedtogo,too."

Elenablinkedhard."Oh,baby.It'snottimeforyoutogo,soyoucan't.AndAuntJudithlovesyouverymuch,andshe'dbelonelywithoutyou."

Margaret nodded, her eyelids drooping. But as Elena eased her down andpulledthebedspreadoverher,Margaretaskedonemorequestion."Butdon'tyouloveme?"

"Oh,ofcourseIdo.Iloveyousomuch—Ineverevenknewhowmuchuntilnow.ButI'llbeallright,andAuntJudithneedsyoumore.And…"Elenahadtotakeabreath tosteadyherself,andwhenshe lookeddownshesawMargaret'seyeswereshut,herbreathingregular.Shewasasleep.

Oh, stupid, stupid, Elena thought, forging through the banked snow to theother side ofMaple Street. She'dmissed her chance to askMargaret whetherRoberthadbeenatdinner.Itwastoolatenow.

Robert.Hereyesnarrowedsuddenly.Atthechurch,Roberthadbeenoutsideandthenthedogshadgonemad.AndtonightMargaret'skittenhadgoneferal—justalittlewhileafterRobert'scarhadpulledoutofthedriveway.

Roberthasalottoanswerfor,shethought.

Butmelancholywaspullingather,tuggingherthoughtsaway.Hermindkeptreturningtothebrighthouseshe'djustleft,goingoverthethingsshe'dneverseeagain.Allherclothesandknickknacksandjewelry—whatwouldAuntJudithdowiththem?Idon'townanythinganymore,shethought.I'mapauper.

Elena?

Withrelief,Elenarecognizedthementalvoiceandthedistinctiveshadowattheendof thestreet.ShehurriedtowardStefan,whotookhishandsoutofhisjacketpocketsandheldherstowarmthem.

"Meredithtoldmewhereyou'dgone."

"I went home," Elena said. That was all she could say, but as she leanedagainsthimforcomfort,sheknewthatheunderstood.

"Let's find someplacewecan sit down,"he said, and stopped in frustration.AlltheplacestheyusedtogowereeithertoodangerousorclosedtoElena.ThepolicestillhadStefan'scar.

Eventually they justwent to thehigh schoolwhere theycould sit under theoverhang of a roof and watch the snow sift down. Elena told him what hadhappenedinMargaret'sroom.

"I'mgoingtohaveMeredithandBonniespreaditaroundtownthatcatscanattack, too. People should know that. And I think somebody ought to bewatchingRobert,"sheconcluded.

"We'lltailhim,"Stefansaid,andshecouldn'thelpsmiling.

"It's funny how much more American you've gotten," she said. "I hadn'tthought about it in a long time, butwhenyou first cameyouwere a lotmoreforeign.Nownobodywouldknowyouhadn'tlivedhereallyourlife."

"We adapt quickly. We have to," Stefan said. "There are always newcountries,newdecades,newsituations.You'lladapt,too."

"Will I?"Elena'seyes remainedon theglitterof fallingsnowflakes."Idon'tknow…"

"You'll learn, in time. If there is anything…good…aboutwhatweare, it'stime.Wehaveplentyofit,asmuchaswewant.Forever."

" 'Joyous companions forever.' Isn't that what Katherine said to you andDamon?"Elenamurmured.

ShecouldfeelStefan'sstiffening,hiswithdrawal."Shewastalkingaboutallthreeofus,"hesaid."Iwasn't."

"Oh,Stefan,pleasedon't,notnow.Iwasn'teventhinkingaboutDamon,onlyabout forever. It scaresme.Everything about this scaresme, and sometimes IthinkIjustwanttogotosleepandneverwakeupagain…"

In the shelterofhisarmsshe felt safer, andshe foundhernewsenseswere

justasamazingcloseupastheywereatadistance.ShecouldheareachseparatepulseofStefan'sheart,andtherushofbloodthroughhisveins.Andshecouldsmell his own distinctive scent mingled with the scent of his jacket, and thesnow,andthewoolofhisclothes.

"Pleasetrustme,"shewhispered."Iknowyou'reangrywithDamon,buttrytogivehimachance.Ithinkthere'smoretohimthanthereseemstobe.AndIwanthishelpinfindingtheOtherPower,andthat'sallIwantfromhim."

Atthatmomentitwascompletelytrue.Elenawantednothingtodowiththehunter'slifetonight;thedarknessheldnoappealforher.Shewishedshecouldbeathomesittinginfrontofafire.

Butitwassweetjusttobeheldlikethis,evenifsheandStefanhadtositinthesnowtodoit.Stefan'sbreathwaswarmashekissedthebackofherneck,andshesensednofurtherwithdrawalinStefan'sbody.

Nohunger,either,oratleastnotthekindshewasusedtosensingwhentheywerecloselikethis.Nowthatshewasahunterlikehe,theneedwasdifferent,aneedfor togethernessratherthanforsustenance.Itdidn'tmatter.Theyhadlostsomething,buttheyhadgainedsomething,too.SheunderstoodStefaninawayshe never had before. And her understanding brought them closer, until theirminds were touching, almost meshing with each other's. It wasn't the noisychatter of mental voices; it was a deep and wordless communion. As if theirspiritswereunited.

"I love you," Stefan said against her neck, and she held on tighter. Sheunderstoodnowwhyhe'dbeenafraidtosayitforsolong.Whenthethoughtoftomorrow scared you sick, it was hard to make a commitment. Because youdidn'twanttodragsomeoneelsedownwithyou.

Particularlysomeoneyouloved."I loveyou, too,"shemadeherselfsayandsatback,herpeacefulmoodbroken."AndwillyoutrytogiveDamonachance,formysake?Trytoworkwithhim?"

"I'llworkwithhim,butIwon'ttrusthim.Ican't.Iknowhimtoowell."

"I sometimeswonder if anybodyknowshim at all.All right, then, dowhatyoucan.MaybewecanaskhimtofollowRoberttomorrow."

"I followed Mrs. Flowers today." Stefan's lip quirked. "All afternoon andevening.Andyouknowwhatshedid?"

"What?"

"Threeloadsofwash—inanancientmachinethatlookedlikeitwasgoingtoexplode any minute. No clothes dryer, just a wringer. It's all down in thebasement.Thenshewentoutsideandfilledabouttwodozenbirdfeeders.Thenbacktothebasementtowipeoffjarsofpreserves.Shespendsmostofhertimedownthere.Shetalkstoherself."

"Just like adottyold lady," saidElena. "All right;maybeMeredith'swrongand that'sall she is."ShenoticedhischangeofexpressionatMeredith'snameandadded,"What?"

"Well, Meredith may have some explaining to do herself. I didn't ask heraboutit;Ithoughtmaybeitwasbettercomingfromyou.ButshewenttotalktoAlaricSaltzmanafterschooltoday.Andshedidn'twantanyonetoknowwhereshewasgoing."

DisquietuncoiledinElena'smiddle."Sowhat?"

"So she lied about it afterward—or at least she evaded the issue. I tried toprobe her mind, but my Powers are just about burnt out. And she's strong-willed."

"And you had no right! Stefan, listen to me. Meredith would never doanythingtohurtusorbetrayus.Whatevershe'skeepingfromus—"

"Soyoudoadmitthatshe'shidingsomething."

"Yes," Elena said reluctantly. "But it's nothing that will hurt us, I'm sure.Meredithhasbeenmyfriendsincethefirstgrade…"Withoutknowingit,Elenalet the sentence slip away from her. She was thinking of another friend, onewho'dbeenclosetohersincekindergarten.Caroline.WholastweekhadtriedtodestroyStefanandhumiliateElenainfrontoftheentiretown.

AndwhatwasitCaroline'sdiaryhadsaidaboutMeredith?Meredithdoesn'tdoanything;shejustwatches.It'sasifshecan'tact,shecanonlyreacttothings.Besides, I'veheardmyparents talkingabouther family—nowondershenevermentionsthem.

Elena'seyesleftthesnowylandscapetoseekStefan'swaitingface."Itdoesn'tmatter,"shesaidquietly."IknowMeredith,andI trusther. I'll trusther to theend."

"Ihopeshe'sworthyofit,Elena,"hesaid."Ireallydo."

TenDecember12,Thursdaymorning

DearDiary,

Soafteraweekofwork,whathaveweaccomplished?

Well, between us we've managed to follow our three suspects just aboutcontinuously for the last six or seven days. Results: reports on Robert'smovements for the last week, which he spent acting like any normalbusinessman.ReportsonAlaric,whohasn'tbeendoinganythingunusual forahistory teacher. Reports onMrs. Flowers,who apparently spendsmost of hertimeinthebasement.Butwehaven'treallylearnedanything.

StefansaysthatAlaricmetwiththeprincipalacoupletimes,buthecouldn'tgetcloseenoughtohearwhattheyweretalkingabout.

Meredith and Bonnie spread the news about other pets besides dogs beingdangerous.Theydidn'tneedtoworkveryhardatit;itseemsasifeverybodyintownisonthevergeofhysteriaalready.Sincethenthere'vebeenseveralotheranimalattacksreported,butit'shardtoknowwhichonestotakeseriously.Somekidswereteasingasquirrelanditbitthem.TheMassases'petrabbitscratchedtheir littlestboy.OldMrs.Coombersawcopperheadsnakesinheryard,whenallthesnakesshouldbehibernating.

TheonlyoneI'msureaboutistheattackonthevetwhowaskeepingthedogsin quarantine. A bunch of them bit him and most of them escaped from theholdingpens.Afterthattheyjustdisappeared.Peoplearesayinggoodriddanceandhopingthey'llstarveinthewoods,butIwonder.

Andit'sbeensnowingallthetime.Notstormingbutnotstopping,either.I'veneverseensomuchsnow.

Stefan'sworriedaboutthedancetomorrownight.

Whichbringsusback to:whathavewe learned so far?Whatdoweknow?NoneofoursuspectswereanywhereneartheMassases'orMrs.Coomber'sorthevet'swhentheattackshappened.We'renoclosertofindingtheOtherPowerthanwewerewhenwestarted.

Marie's little get-together is tonight. Meredith thinks we should go to it. Idon'tknowwhatelsethereistodo.

Damonstretchedouthislonglegsandspokelazily,lookingaroundthebarn."No,Idon'tthinkit'sdangerous,particularly.ButIdon'tseewhatyouexpecttoaccomplish."

"NeitherdoI,exactly,"Elenaadmitted."ButIdon'thaveanybetterideas.Doyou?"

"What,youmeanaboutotherwaystospendthetime?Yes,Ido.Doyouwantmetotellyouaboutthem?"Elenawavedhimtosilenceandhesubsided.

"Imeanaboutusefulthingswecandoatthispoint.Robert'soutoftown,Mrs.Flowersisdown—"

"Inthebasement,"chorusedseveralvoices.

"Andwe'realljustsittinghere.Doesanybodyhaveabetteridea?"

Meredithbroke the silence. "Ifyou'reworriedabout itsbeingdangerous forme and Bonnie, why don't you all come? I don't mean you have to showyourselves.Youcouldcomeandhideintheattic.Thenifanythinghappened,wecouldscreamforhelpandyouwouldhearus."

"Idon't seewhyanybody'sgoing tobe screaming," saidBonnie. "Nothing'sgoingtohappenthere."

"Well,maybenot,butitdoesn'thurttobesafe,"Meredithsaid."Whatdoyouthink?"

Elenanoddedslowly."Itmakessense."Shelookedaroundforobjections,butStefanjustshrugged,andDamonmurmuredsomethingthatmadeBonnielaugh.

"Allright,then,it'sdecided.Let'sgo."

Theinevitablesnowgreetedthemastheysteppedoutsidethebarn.

"BonnieandIcangoinmycar,"Meredithsaid."Andyouthree—"

"Oh,we'll findourownway,"Damonsaidwithhiswolfishsmile.Meredithnodded, not impressed. Funny, Elena thought as the other girlswalked away;

MeredithneverwasimpressedwithDamon.Hischarmseemedtohavenoeffectonher.

ShewasabouttomentionthatshewashungrywhenStefanturnedtoDamon.

"AreyouwillingtostaywithElenatheentire timeyou'reover there?Everyminute?"hesaid.

"Tryandstopme,"Damonsaidcheerfully.Hedroppedthesmile."Why?"

"Becauseifyouare,thetwoofyoucangooveralone,andI'llmeetyoulater.I'vegotsomethingtodo,butitwon'ttakelong."

Elenafeltawaveofwarmth.Hewastryingtotrusthisbrother.ShesmiledatStefaninapprovalashedrewheraside.

"Whatisit?"

"IgotanotefromCarolinetoday.SheaskedifIwouldmeetherattheschoolbeforeAlaric'sparty.Shesaidshewantedtoapologize.

Elenaopenedhermouthtomakeasharpremark,andthenshutitagain.Fromwhat she'd heard,Carolinewas a sorry sight these days.Andmaybe itwouldmakeStefanfeelbettertotalktoher.

"Well,you don't haveanything to apologize for," she toldhim. "Everythingthathappenedtoherwasherownfault.Youdon'tthinkshe'sdangerousatall?"

"No; I'vegot thatmuchofmyPowers left anyway.She's all right. I'llmeether,andsheandIcangotoAlaric'stogether."

"Becareful,"Elenasaidashestartedoffintothesnow.

The atticwas as she remembered it, dark and dusty and full ofmysteriousoilcloth-coveredshapes.Damon,whohadcomeinmoreconventionallythroughthefrontdoor,hadhadtotaketheshuttersofftoletherinthroughthewindow.Afterthattheysatsidebysideontheoldmattressandlistenedtothevoicesthatcameupthroughtheducts.

"I could think of more romantic settings," Damon murmured, fastidiouslypullingacobweboffhissleeve."Areyousureyouwouldn'trather—"

"Yes,"saidElena."Nowhush."

Itwaslikeagame,listeningtothebitsandpiecesofconversationsandtryingtoputthemtogether,tryingtomatcheachvoicetoaface.

"AndthenIsaid,Idon'tcarehowlongyou'vehadtheparakeet;getridofitorI'mgoingtotheSnowDancewithMikeFeldman.Andhesaid—"

"—rumorgoingaroundthatMr.Tanner'sgravewasduguplastnight—"

"—youhearthateverybodybutCarolinehasdroppedoutofthesnowqueencompetition?Don'tyouthink—"

"—dead,but I'm tellingyou Isaw her.Andno, Iwasn't dreaming; shewaswearingasortofsilverydressandherhairwasallgoldenandblowing—"

ElenaraisedhereyebrowsatDamon, thenlookedmeaningfullydownathersensibleblackattire.Hegrinned.

"Romanticism,"hesaid."Myself,Ilikeyouinblack."

"Well, youwould,wouldn't you?" shemurmured. Itwas strangehowmuchmore comfortable she feltwithDamon these days. She sat quietly, letting theconversations drift aroundher, almost losing trackof time.Then she caught afamiliarvoice,cross,andcloserthantherest.

"Okay,okay,I'mgoing.Okay."

ElenaandDamonexchangedaglanceandrosetotheirfeetasthehandleontheatticdoorturned.Bonniepeeredaroundtheedge.

"Meredithtoldmetocomeuphere.Idon'tknowwhy.She'shoggingAlaricandit'sarottenparty.Achoo!"

Shesatdownon themattress,andaftera fewminutesElenasatbackdownbesideher.ShewasbeginningtowishthatStefanwouldgethere.Bythe timethedooropenedagainandMeredithcamein,shewassureofit.

"Meredith,what'sgoingon?"

"Nothing, or at least nothing to worry about. Where's Stefan?" Meredith'scheekswereunusuallyflushed,andtherewasanoddlookabouthereyes,asifshewereholdingsomethingtightlyundercontrol.

"He'scominglater—"Elenabegan,butDamoninterrupted.

"Nevermindwhereheis.Who'scomingupthestairs?"

"Whatdoyoumean,'who'scomingupthestairs?'"saidBonnie,rising.

"Everybodyjuststaycalm,"Meredithsaid,takingupapositioninfrontofthewindow as if guarding it. She didn't look overly calm herself, Elena thought."Allright,"shecalled,andthedooropenedandAlaricSaltzmancamein.

Damon'smotionwas so smooth thatevenElena'seyescouldn't follow it; inonemovementhecaughtElena'swristandpulledherbehindhim,at thesametime moving to face Alaric directly. He ended in a predator's crouch, everymuscledrawntautandreadyfortheattack.

"Oh,don't,"criedBonniewildly.SheflungherselfatAlaric,whohadalreadybegun to recoil a step fromDamon.Alaric nearly lost his balance and gropedbehindhimselfforthedoor.Hisotherhandwasgropingathisbelt.

"Stopit!Stopit!"Meredithsaid.ElenasawtheshapebeneathAlaric'sjacketandrealizeditwasagun.

Again, she couldn't quite followwhat happened next. Damon let go of herwristandtookholdofAlaric's.AndthenAlaricwassittingonthefloor,wearingadazedexpression,andDamonwasemptyingthegunofcartridges,onebyone.

"I told you thatwas stupid andyouwouldn't need it,"Meredith said.Elenarealizedshewasholdingthedark-hairedgirlbythearms.ShemusthavedoneittokeepMeredithfrominterferingwithDamon,butshedidn'tremember.

"These wood-tipped things are nasty; they might hurt somebody," Damonsaid,mildlychiding.Hereplacedoneofthecartridgesandsnappedtheclipbackin,aimingthoughtfullyatAlaric.

"Stop it," said Meredith intensely. She turned to Elena. "Make him stop,Elena;he'sonlydoingmoreharm.Alaricwon'thurtyou;Ipromise.I'vespentallweekconvincinghimthatyouwon'thurthim."

"AndnowI thinkmywrist isbroken,"Alaricsaid,rathercalmly.Hissandyhairwasfallingintohiseyesinfront.

"You'vegotnoonebutyourselftoblame."Meredithreturnedbitterly.Bonnie,who had been clutching solicitously at Alaric's shoulders, looked up at the

familiarityofMeredith'stone,andthenbackedawayafewpacesandsatdown.

"Ican'twaittoheartheexplanationforthis,"shesaid.

"Pleasetrustme,"MeredithsaidtoElena.

Elenalookedintothedarkeyes.ShedidtrustMeredith;she'dsaidso.Andthewords stirred another memory, her own voice asking for Stefan's trust. Shenodded.

"Damon?"shesaid.Heflippedthegunawaycasuallyandthensmiledaroundatallofthem,makingitabundantlyclearthathedidn'tneedanysuchartificialweapons.

"Nowifeverybodywilljustlisten,you'llallunderstand,"Meredithsaid.

"Oh,I'msure,"Bonniesaid.

Elenawalked towardAlaric Saltzman. Shewasn't afraid of him, but by thewayhelookedonlyather,slowly,startingfromthefeetandthencontinuingup,hewasafraidofher.

Shestoppedwhenshewasayardfromwherehesatonthegroundandkneltthere,lookingintohisface.

"Hello,"shesaid.

Hewasstillholdinghiswrist."Hello,"hesaid,andgulped.

ElenaglancedbackatMeredithandthenlookedatAlaricagain.Yes,hewasscared.Andwith his hair in his eyes thatway, he looked young.Maybe fouryearsolderthanElena,maybefive.Nomorethanthat.

"We'renotgoingtohurtyou,"shesaid.

"That'swhat I've been telling him,"Meredith said quietly. "I explained thatwhatever he's seen before, whatever stories he's heard, you're different. I toldhimwhatyoutoldmeaboutStefan,howhe'sbeenfightinghisnatureallthoseyears. I told him aboutwhat you've been going through, Elena, and how youneveraskedforthis."

Butwhy did you tell him somuch?Elena thought. She said toAlaric, "Allright,youknowaboutus.Butallweknowaboutyouisthatyou'renotahistoryteacher."

"He'sahunter,"Damonsaidsoftly,menacingly."Avampirehunter."

"No,"saidAlaric."Oratleast,notinthesensethatyoumeanit."Heseemedto come to some decision. "All right. Fromwhat I know of you three—"Hebroke off, looking around the dark room as if suddenly realizing something."Where'sStefan?"

"He'scoming.Infact,heshouldbeherebynow.HewasgoingtostopbytheschoolandbringCaroline,"Elenasaid.ShewasunpreparedforAlaric'sreaction.

"CarolineForbes?"hesaidsharply,sittingup.Hisvoicesounded theway ithad when she'd overheard him talking with Dr. Fein' berg and the principal,hard-edgedanddecisive.

"Yes.Shesenthimanotetoday,saidshewantedtoapologizeorsomething.Shewantedtomeethimatschoolbeforetheparty."

"He can't go. You've got to stop him." Alaric scrambled to his feet andrepeatedurgently,"You'vegottostophim."

"He'sgonealready.Why?Whyshouldn'the?"Elenademanded.

"Because IhypnotizedCaroline twodaysago. I'd tried it earlierwithTyler,withnoluck.ButCaroline'sagoodsubject,andsherememberedalittleofwhathappened in the Quonset hut. And she identified Stefan Salvatore as theattacker."

The shocked silence lasted only a fraction of a second. Then Bonnie said,"ButwhatcanCarolinedo?Shecan'thurthim—"

"Don't you understand? You're not just dealing with high school studentsanymore,"Alaric said. "It'sgone too far.Caroline's fatherknowsabout it, andTyler'sfather.They'reconcernedforthesafetyofthetown—"

"Hush!Bequiet!"Elenawascastingaboutwithhermind, trying topickupsomehintofStefan'spresence.He'slethimselfgetweak,shethought,withthepartofherthatwasicycalmamidthewhirlingfearandpanic.Atlastshesensedsomething,justatrace,butshethoughtitwasStefan.Anditwasindistress.

"Something'swrong,"Damonconfirmed,andsherealizedhemusthavebeensearching,too,withamindmuchmorepowerfulthanhers."Let'sgo."

"Wait, let's talk first. Don't just go jumping into this." ButAlaricmight aswellhavebeen talking to thewind, trying torein in itsdestructivepowerwithwords.Damonwasalreadyatthewindow,andthenextmomentElenaletherselfdrop out, landing neatly byDamon in the snow.Alaric's voice followed themfromabove.

"We'recoming,too.Waitforusthere.Letmetalktothemfirst.Icantakecareofit…"

Elena scarcely heard him. Her mind was burning with one purpose, onethought.TohurtthepeoplewhowantedtohurtStefan.It'sgonetoofar,allright,she thought.Andnow I'm going togo as far as it takes. If theydare to touchhim…imagesflashedthroughhermind,tooquicklytocount,ofwhatshewoulddo to them. At another time, she might have been shocked at the rush ofadrenaline,ofexcitement,thatcoursedupatthethoughts.

ShecouldsenseDamon'smindbesideherastheyracedoverthesnow;itwaslikeablazeofredlightandfury.ThefiercenessinsideElenawelcomedit,gladtofeelitsonear.Butthensomethingelseoccurredtoher.

"I'mslowingyoudown,"shesaid.Shewasscarcelyoutofbreath,evenfromrunningthroughunbrokensnow,andtheyweremakingextraordinarytime.Butnothingontwolegs,orevenfour,couldmatchthespeedofabird'swings."Goon,"shesaid."Getthereasfastasyoucan.I'llmeetyou."

She didn't stay to watch the blur and shudder of the air, or the swirlingdarknessthatendedintherushofbeatingwings.ButsheglancedupatthecrowthatsoaredupandsheheardDamon'smentalvoice.

Goodhunting,itsaid,andthewingedblackshapearrowedtowardtheschool.

Goodhunting,Elenathoughtafterhim,meaningit.Sheredoubledherspeed,hermindfixedallthewhileonthatglimmerofStefan'spresence.

Stefan lay on his back,wishing his visionwasn't so blurred or that he hadmorethanatentativeholdonconsciousness.Theblurwaspartlypainandpartlysnow, but therewas also a trickle of blood from the three-inchwound in hisscalp.

He'dbeenstupid,ofcourse,nottolookaroundtheschool;ifhehadhewould

haveseenthedarkenedcarsparkedontheotherside.He'dbeenstupidtocomehereinthefirstplace.Andnowhewasgoingtopayforthatstupidity.

If only he could collect his thoughts enough to call for help… but theweaknessthathadallowedthesementoovercomehimsoeasilypreventedthat,too. He'd scarcely fed since the night he'd attacked Tyler. That was ironic,somehow.Hisownguiltwasresponsibleforthemesshewasin.

Ishouldneverhavetriedtochangemynature,hethought.Damonhaditrightafterall.

Everyone'sthesame—Alaric,Caroline,everyone.Everyonewillbetrayyou.Ishouldhavehuntedthemallandenjoyedit.

HehopedDamonwouldtakecareofElena.She'dbesafewithhim;Damonwasstrongandruthless.Damonwouldteachhertosurvive.Hewasgladofthat.

Butsomethinginsidehimwascrying.

The crow's sharp eyes spotted the crossing shafts of headlight below anddropped.ButDamondidn'tneedtheconfirmationofsight;hewashominginonthe faint pulsation thatwasStefan's life-force. Faint becauseStefanwasweakandbecausehe'dallbutgivenup.

Youneverlearn,doyou,brother?Damonthoughttohim.Ioughttojustleaveyouwhereyouare.Butevenasheskimmedtheground,hewaschanging,takingashapethatwoulddomoredamagethanacrow.

The black wolf leaped into the knot of men surrounding Stefan, aimingprecisely for the one holding the sharpened cylinder of wood above Stefan'schest.Theforceoftheblowknockedthemantenfeetbackward,andthestakewentskitteringacrossthegrass.Damonrestrainedhisimpulse—allthestrongerbecauseitfittheinstinctsoftheshapehewaswearing—tolockhisteethintheman'sthroat.Hetwistedaroundandwentbackfortheothermenwhowerestillstanding.

Hissecondrushscatteredthem,butoneofthemreachedtheedgeofthelightand turned, lifting something to his shoulder. Rifle, thought Damon. AndprobablyloadedwiththesamespeciallytreatedbulletsasAlaric'shandgunhadbeen.Therewasnoway to reach themanbeforehe couldget a shotoff.The

wolfgrowledandcrouchedforaleapanyway.Theman'sfleshyfacecreasedinasmile.

Quick as a striking snake, a white hand reached out of the darkness andknockedtherifleaway.Themanlookedaroundfrantically,bewildered,andthewolfletitsjawsfallopeninagrin.Elenahadarrived.

ElevenElenawatchedMr.Smallwood'sriflebounceacrossthegrass.Sheenjoyedthe

expressiononhisfaceashespunaround,lookingforwhathadgrabbedit.Andshefelt theflareofDamon'sapproval fromacross thepoolof light, fierceandhotliketheprideofawolfforitscub'sfirstkill.ButwhensheglimpsedStefanlyingontheground,sheforgoteverythingelse.Whitefurytookherbreathaway,andshestartedtowardhim.

"Everybodystop!Juststopeverything,rightwhereyouare!"

The shout was borne toward them alongwith the sound of tires squealing.AlaricSaltzman'scarnearlyspunoutas it turnedintothestaffparkinglotandscreeched to a halt, and Alaric leaped from the car almost before it stoppedmoving.

"What'sgoingonhere?"hedemanded,stridingtowardthemen.

Attheshout,Elenahadpulledbackautomaticallyintotheshadows.Now,shelookedat themen's faces as they turned towardhim.BesidesMr.Smallwood,sherecognizedMr.ForbesandMr.Bennett,VickieBennett'sfather.Theothersmustbethefathersoftheotherguyswho'dbeenwithTylerintheQuonsethut,shethought.

Itwasoneofthestrangerswhoansweredthequestion,inadrawlthatcouldn'tquitehide thenervousnessunderneath. "Well now,we just got a little tiredofwaitinganylonger.Wedecidedtospeedthingsupabit."

Thewolfgrowled,alowrumblingthatrosetoachainsawsnarl.Allthemenflinchedback,andAlaric'seyesshowedwhiteashenoticedtheanimalfor thefirsttime.

There was another sound, softer and continuous, coming from a figurehuddlednexttooneofthecars.CarolineForbeswaswhimperingoverandover,"Theysaid theyjustwantedto talktohim.Theydidn't tellmewhat theyweregoingtodo."

Alaric,withoneeyeonthewolf,gesturedtowardher."Andyouweregoingtoletherseethis?Ayounggirl?Doyourealizethepsychologicaldamagethat

coulddo?"

"Whataboutthepsychologicaldamagewhenherthroatgetsrippedout?"Mr.Forbesreturned,andtherewereshoutsofagreement."That'swhatwe'reworriedabout."

"Thenyou'dbetterworryaboutgettingtherightman,"Alaricsaid."Caroline,"headded,turningtowardthegirl,"Iwantyoutothink,Caroline.Wedidn'tgettofinish your sessions. I know when we left off you thought you recognizedStefan. But, are you absolutely positive it was him? Could it have beensomebodyelse,somebodywhoresembledhim?"

Carolinestraightened,bracingherselfagainstthecarandraisingatear-stainedface.ShelookedatStefan,whowasjustsittingup,andthenatAlaric."I…"

"Think,Caroline.Youhavetobeabsolutelycertain.Istheresomeoneelseitcouldhavebeen,like—"

"LikethatguywhocallshimselfDamonSmith,"cameMeredith'svoice.ShewasstandingbesideAlaric'scar,aslimshadow."Yourememberhim,Caroline?HecametoAlaric'sfirstparty.HelookslikeStefaninsomeways."

Tension held Elena in perfect suspension as Caroline stared,uncomprehending.Then,slowly,theauburn-hairedgirlbegantonod.

"Yes… it couldhavebeen, I suppose.Everythinghappened so fast…but itcouldhavebeen."

"Andyoureallycan'tbesurewhichitwas?"Alaricsaid.

"No…notabsolutelysure."

"There,"saidAlaric."Itoldyousheneededmoresessions,thatwecouldn'tbecertain of anything yet. She's still very confused."Hewaswalking, carefully,toward Stefan. Elena realized that the wolf had withdrawn back into theshadows.Shecouldseeit,butthemenprobablycouldn't.

Itsdisappearancemadethemmoreaggressive."Whatareyoutalkingabout?WhoisthisSmith?I'veneverseenhim."

"ButyourdaughterVickieprobablyhas,Mr.Bennett,"Alaricsaid."Thatmaycomeoutinmynextsessionwithher.We'lltalkaboutittomorrow;itcanwaitthat long. Right now I think I'd better take Stefan to a hospital." There was

discomfortedshiftingamongsomeofthemen.

"Oh, certainly, andwhilewe'rewaiting anything could happen," beganMr.Smallwood."Anytime,anywhere—"

"Soyou'rejustgoingtotakethelawintoyourownhands,then?"Alaricsaid.Hisvoicesharpened."Whetheryou'vegottherightsuspectornot.Where'syourevidencethisboyhassupernaturalpowers?What'syourproof?Howmuchofafightdidheevenputup?"

"There's a wolf around somewhere who put up plenty of fight," Mr.Smallwoodsaid,red-faced."Maybethey'reinittogether."

"I don't see anywolf. I saw a dog.Maybe one of the dogs that got out ofquarantine. But what's that got to do with it? I'm telling you that in myprofessionalopinionyou'vegotthewrongman."

The men were wavering, but there was still some doubt in their faces.Meredithspokeup.

"I think you should know that there've been vampire attacks in this countybefore,"shesaid."AlongtimebeforeStefancamehere.Mygrandfatherwasavictim. Maybe some of you have heard about that." She looked across atCaroline.

Thatwas theendof it.Elenacouldsee themenexchanginguneasyglancesandbackingtowardtheircars.Suddenlytheyallseemedeagertobesomewhereelse.

Mr.Smallwoodwasonewhostayedbehindtosay,"Yousaidwe'dtalkaboutthis tomorrow, Saltzman. Iwant to hearwhatmy son says the next timehe'shypnotized."

Caroline's father collected her and got in his car fast, muttering somethingaboutthisallbeingamistakeandnobodytakingittooseriously.

Asthelastcarpulledaway,ElenarantoStefan.

"Areyouallright?Didtheyhurtyou?"

HemovedawayfromAlaric'ssupportingarm."Somebodyhitmefrombehindwhile I was talking to Caroline. I'll be all right—now." He shot a glance atAlaric."Thanks.Why?"

"He'sonourside,"saidBonnie,joiningthem."Itoldyou.Oh,Stefan,areyoureally okay? I thought I was going to faint there for a minute. They weren'tserious.Imean,theycouldn'treallyhavebeenserious.…"

"Serious or not, I don't think we should stay here," said Meredith. "DoesStefanreallyneedahospital?"

"No,"Stefan said, asElena anxiously examined the cut on his head. "I justneedrest.Somewheretositdown."

"I'vegotmykeys.Let'sgotothehistoryroom,"Alaricsaid.

Bonniewaslookingaroundtheshadowsapprehensively."Thewolf,too?"shesaid,andthenjumpedasashadowcoalescedandbecameDamon.

"Whatwolf?"hesaid.Stefanturnedslightly,wincing.

"Thank you, too," he said unemotionally. But Stefan's eyes lingered on hisbrotherwithsomethinglikepuzzlementastheywalkedtotheschoolbuilding.

In thehallway,Elenapulledhimaside. "Stefan,why didn'tyounotice themcomingupbehindyou?Whywereyousoweak?"

Stefan shook his head evasively, and she added, "When did you feed last?Stefan,when?Youalwaysmakesomeexcusewhen I'maround.Whatareyoutryingtodotoyourself?"

"I'mallright,"hesaid."Really,Elena.I'llhuntlater."

"Doyoupromise?"

"Ipromise."

Itdidn'toccurtoElenaatthemomentthattheyhadn'tagreedonwhat"later"meant.Sheallowedhimtoleadherondownthehall.

The history room looked different at night to Elena's eyes. There was astrange atmosphere about it, as if the lights were too bright. Just now all thestudents' deskswere shovedout of theway, and five chairswerepulledup toAlaric's desk.Alaric,who'd just finished arranging the furniture, urged Stefanintohisownpaddedchair.

"Okay,whydon'ttherestofyoutakeaseat."

Theyjustlookedathim.AfteramomentBonniesankdownintoachair,butElenastoodbyStefan,Damoncontinuedto loungehalfwaybetweenthegroupand the door, andMeredith pushed somepapers to the center ofAlaric's deskandperchedonthecorner.

TheteacherlookfadedfromAlaric'seyes."Allright,"hesaidandsatdowninoneofthestudents'chairshimself."Well."

"Well,"saidElena.

Everyonelookedateveryoneelse.Elenapickedupapieceofcottonfromthefirst-aidkitshe'dgrabbedatthedoorandbegandabbingStefan'sheadwithit.

"Ithinkit'stimeforthatexplanation,"shesaid.

"Right. Yes. Well, you all seemed to have guessed I'm not a historyteacher…"

"In the first fiveminutes," Stefan said.His voicewas quiet and dangerous,andwithajoltElenarealizeditremindedherofDamon's."Sowhatareyou?"

Alaric made an apologetic gesture and said almost diffidently, "Apsychologist. Not the couch kind," he added hastily as the rest of themexchanged looks. "I'm a researcher, an experimental psychologist. FromDukeUniversity.Youknow,wheretheESPexperimentswerestarted."

"Theoneswheretheymakeyouguesswhat'sonthecardwithoutlookingatit?"Bonnieasked.

"Yes,well,it'sgoneabitbeyondthatnow,ofcourse.NotthatIwouldn'tloveto test youwithRhine cards, especiallywhen you're in one of those trances."Alaric'sfacelitwithscientificinquiry.Thenheclearedhisthroatandwenton."But—ah—asIwassaying.ItstartedacoupleofyearsagowhenIdidapaperonparapsychology. Iwasn't trying toprovesupernaturalpowersexisted, I justwantedtostudywhattheirpsychologicaleffectisonthepeoplewhohavethem.Bonnie,here,isacaseinpoint."Alaric'svoicetookonalecturer'stone."Whatdoesitdotoher,mentally,emotionally,tohavetodealwiththesepowers?"

"It's awful," Bonnie interrupted vehemently. "I don't want them anymore. Ihatethem."

"Well,thereyousee,"Alaricsaid."You'dhavemadeagreatcasestudy.MyproblemwasthatIcouldn'tfindanybodywithrealpsychicpowerstoexamine.Therewereplentyoffakers,allright—crystalhealers,dowsers,channelers,younameit.ButIcouldn'tfindanythinggenuineuntilIgotatipfromafriendinthepolicedepartment.

"There was this woman down in South Carolina who claimed she'd beenbittenbyavampire,andsincethenshewashavingpsychicnightmares.Bythattime Iwas soused to fakes I expectedher to turnout tobeone, too.But shewasn't, at least not about being bitten. I never could prove she was reallypsychic."

"Howcouldyoubesureshe'dbeenbitten?"Elenaasked.

"There was medical evidence. Traces of saliva in her wounds that weresimilartohumansaliva—butnotquitethesame.Itcontainedananticoagulatoryagentsimilartothatfoundinthesalivaofleeches…"Alariccaughthimselfandhurried on. "Anyway, I was sure. And that was how it started. Once I wasconvinced something had really happened to the woman, I started to look upothercaseslikehers.Thereweren'talotofthem,buttheywereoutthere.Peoplewho'dencounteredvampires.

"I dropped all my other studies and concentrated on finding victims ofvampiresandexaminingthem.AndifIsaysomyself,I'vebecometheforemostexpertinthefield,"Alaricconcludedmodestly."I'vewrittenanumberofpapers—"

"Butyou'veneveractuallyseenavampire,"Elenainterrupted."Untilnow,Imean.Isthatright?"

"Well—no.Not in the flesh, as itwere.But I'vewrittenmonographs…andthings."Hisvoicetrailedoff.

Elenabither lip. "Whatwereyoudoingwith thedogs?" sheasked. "At thechurch,whenyouwerewavingyourhandsatthem."

"Oh…" Alaric looked embarrassed. "I've picked up a few things here andthere,youknow.Thatwasaspellanoldmountainmanshowedmeforfendingoffevil.Ithoughtitmightwork."

"You'vegotalottolearn,"saidDamon.

"Obviously,"Alaric said stiffly.Thenhegrimaced. "Actually, I figured thatoutrightafterIgothere.Yourprincipal,BrianNewcastle,hadheardofme.HeknewaboutthestudiesIdo.WhenTannerwaskilledandDr.Feinbergfoundnoblood in thebodyand lacerationsmadeby teeth in theneck…well, theygavemeacall.Ithoughtitcouldbeabigbreakforme—acasewiththevampirestillinthearea.TheonlyproblemwasthatonceIgothereIrealizedtheyexpectedmetotakecareofthevampire.Theydidn'tknowI'ddealtonlywiththevictimsbefore.And…well,maybeIwasinovermyhead.ButIdidmybesttojustifytheirconfidence—"

"Youfakedit,"Elenaaccused."ThatwaswhatyouweredoingwhenIheardyou talking to thematyourhouseabout findingoursupposed lairandall that.Youwerejustwingingit."

"Well,notcompletely,"Alaricsaid."Theoretically,Iamanexpert."Thenhedidadoubletake."Whatdoyoumean,whenyouheardmetalkingtothem?"

"While you were out searching for a lair, she was sleeping in your attic,"Damoninformedhimdryly.Alaricopenedhismouthandthenshutitagain.

"WhatI'dliketoknowishowMeredithcomesintoallthis,"Stefansaid.Hewasn'tsmiling.

Meredith, who had been gazing thoughtfully at the jumble of papers onAlaric'sdeskduringallthis,lookedup.Shespokeevenly,withoutemotion.

"I recognizedhim,yousee. Icouldn't rememberwhere I'dseenhimat first,because it was almost three years ago. Then I realized it was at Granddad'shospital. What I told those men was the truth, Stefan. My grandfather wasattackedbyavampire."

TherewasalittlesilenceandthenMeredithwenton."Ithappenedalongtimeago,beforeIwasborn.Hewasn'tbadlyhurtbyit,butheneverreallygotwell.Hebecame…well,sortoflikeVickie,onlymoreviolent.Itgotsothattheywereafraid he'd harmhimself, or somebody else. So they took him to a hospital, aplacehe'dbesafe."

"Amentalinstitution,"Elenasaid.Shefeltapangofsympathyforthedark-haired girl. "Oh,Meredith.Butwhydidn't you say anything?You could havetoldus."

"Iknow.Icouldhave…butIcouldn't.Thefamily'skeptitasecretsolong—

ortriedanyway.FromwhatCarolinewroteinherdiary,she'dobviouslyheard.Thethingis,nobodyeverbelievedGranddad'sstoriesaboutthevampire.Theyjust thought itwas another of his delusions, and he had a lot of them.Even Ididn't believe them… until Stefan came. And then—I don't know, my mindstartedtoputlittlethingstogether.ButIdidn'treallybelievewhatIwasthinkinguntilyoucameback,Elena."

"I'msurprisedyoudidn'thateme,"Elenasaidsoftly.

"How could I? I know you, and I know Stefan. I know you're not evil."Meredithdidn'tglanceatDamon;hemightaswellnothavebeenpresentforallthe acknowledgment she gave him. "But when I remembered seeing Alarictalking toGranddadat thehospital Iknewhewasn't,either. I justdidn'tknowexactlyhowtogetallofyoutogethertoproveit."

"I didn't recognize you, either," Alaric said. "The old man had a differentname—he's your mother's father, right? And I may have seen you hangingaround the waiting room sometime, but youwere just a kid with skinny legsthen.You'vechanged,"headdedappreciatively.

Bonniecoughed,apointedsound.

Elena was trying to arrange things in her mind. "So what were those mendoingouttherewithastakeifyoudidn'ttellthemtobe?"

"I had to askCaroline's parents for permission to hypnotize her, of course.AndIreportedwhatIfoundtothem.Butifyou'rethinkingIhadanythingtodowithwhathappenedtonight,you'rewrong.Ididn'tevenknowaboutit."

"I'vetoldhimaboutwhatwe'vebeendoing,howwe'vebeenlookingfortheOtherPower,"Meredithsaid."Andhewantstohelp."

"IsaidImighthelp,"Alaricsaidcautiously.

"Wrong," said Stefan. "You're eitherwith us or against us. I'm grateful forwhatyoudidoutthere,talkingtothosemen,butthefactremainsthatyoustarteda lotof this trouble in thefirstplace.Nowyouhave todecide:areyouonourside—ortheirs?"

Alariclookedaroundateachofthem,atMeredith'ssteadygazeandBonnie'sraisedeyebrows,atElenakneelingon the floorandatStefan'salready-healingscalp. Then he turned to glance atDamon,whowas leaning against thewall,

darkandsaturnine."I'llhelp,"hesaidatlast."Hell,it'stheultimatecasestudy."

"All right, then," Elena said. "You're in. Now, what aboutMr. Smallwoodtomorrow?WhatifhewantsyoutohypnotizeTyleragain?"

"I'llstallhim,"Alaricsaid."Itwon'tworkforever,butit'llbuysometime.I'lltellhimI'vegottohelpwiththedance—"

"Wait," said Stefan. "There shouldn't be a dance, not if there's any way toprevent it.You'reongood termswith theprincipal;youcan talk to theschoolboard.Makethemcancelit."

Alariclookedstartled."Youthinksomething'sgoingtohappen?"

"Yes,"Stefansaid."Not justbecauseofwhat'shappenedat theotherpublicfunctions,butbecausesomething'sbuildingup.It'sbeenbuildingupallweek;Icanfeelit."

"SocanI,"Elenasaid.Shehadn'trealizedituntilthatmoment,butthetensionshe felt, the senseofurgency,wasnot just from insideher. Itwasoutside, allaround.Itthickenedtheair."Something'sgoingtohappen,Alaric.

Alaric letouthisbreathinasoftwhistle."Well,Icantrytoconvincethem,but—I don't know. Your principal is dead set on keeping everything lookingnormal.Anditisn'tasifIcangiveanyrationalexplanationforwantingtoshutitdown."

"Tryhard,"Elenasaid.

"Iwill.Andmeanwhile,maybeyoushouldthinkaboutprotectingyourself.Ifwhat Meredith says is right, then most of the attacks have been on you andpeopleclosetoyou.Yourboyfriendgotdroppedinawell;yourcargotchasedinto the river;yourmemorial servicewasbrokenup.Meredith saysevenyourlittlesisterwasthreatened.Ifsomething'sgoingtohappentomorrow,youmightwanttoleavetown."

ItwasElena'sturntobestartled.Shehadneverthoughtoftheattacksinthatway, but it was true. She heard Stefan's indrawn breath and felt his fingerstightenonhers.

"He'sright,"Stefansaid."Youshouldleave,Elena.Icanstayhereuntil—"

"No. I'm not goingwithout you.And," Elena continued, slowly, thinking it

out, "I'mnot goinganywhere untilwe find theOther Power and stop it." Shelookedup at himearnestly, speakingquicklynow. "Oh,Stefan, don't you see,nobodyelseevenhasachanceagainst it.Mr.Smallwoodandhisfriendsdon'thaveaclue.Alaricthinksyoucanfight itbywavingyourhandsat it.Noneofthemknowwhatthey'reupagainst.We'retheonlyoneswhocanhelp."

She could see the resistance in Stefan's eyes and feel it in the tenor of hismuscles.Butasshekeptonlookingstraightathim,shesawhisobjectionsfallonebyone.Forthesimplereasonthatitwasthetruth,andStefanhatedlying.

"All right," he said at last, painfully. "But as soon as this is all over,we'releaving. I'm not having you stay in a town where vigilantes run around withstakes."

"Yes."Elena returned thepressureofhis fingerswithhers."Once this isallover,we'llgo."

StefanturnedtoAlaric."Andifthere'snowaytotalkthemoutofhavingthedancetomorrow,Ithinkweshouldkeepaneyeonit.Ifsomethingdoeshappen,wemaybeabletostopitbeforeitgetsoutofhand."

"That'sagoodidea,"Alaricsaid,perkingup."Wecouldmeettomorrowafterdarkhereinthehistoryroom.Nobodycomeshere.Wecouldkeepupawatchallnight."

ElenatiltedadoubtfuleyetowardBonnie."Well…itwouldmeanmissingthedanceitself—forthoseofuswhocouldhavegone,Imean."

Bonnie drew herself up. "Oh, who cares about missing a dance?" she saidindignantly."Whatonearthdoesadancemattertoanyone?"

"Right," saidStefangravely. "Then it's settled."Aspasmofpain seemed toovertakehimandhewinced,lookingdown.Elenawasimmediatelyconcerned.

"Youneedtogethomeandrest,"shesaid."Alaric,canyoudriveus?It'snotthatfar."

Stefanprotestedthathewasperfectlyabletowalk,butintheendhegavein.Attheboardinghouse,afterStefanandDamonhadgottenoutofthecar,ElenaleanedinAlaric'swindowforonelastquestion.IthadbeengnawingathermindeversinceAlarichadtoldthemhisstory.

"Aboutthosepeoplewho'dencounteredvampires,"shesaid."Justwhatwerethe psychological effects? I mean, did they all go crazy or have nightmares?Wereanyofthemokay?"

"It depends on the individual," Alaric said. "And with how many contactsthey'd had, and what kind of contacts they were. But mostly just with thepersonalityofthevictim,withhowwelltheindividualmindcancope."

Elena nodded, and said nothing until the lights of Alaric's car had beenswallowedbythesnowyair.ThensheturnedtoStefan.

"Matt."

TwelveStefan looked at Elena, snow crystals dusting his dark hair. "What about

Matt?"

"I remember—something. It's not clear. But that first night, when I wasn'tmyself—didIseeMattthen?DidI—?"

Fearandasicksenseofdismayswelledherthroatandcutherwordsoff.Butshedidn'tneedtofinish,andStefandidn'tneedtoanswer.Shesawitinhiseyes.

"It was the onlyway, Elena," he said then. "Youwould have diedwithouthumanblood.Wouldyouratherhaveattackedsomebodyunwilling,hurt them,maybekilledthem?Theneedcandriveyoutothat.Isthatwhatyouwouldhavewanted?"

"No,"Elenasaidviolently."ButdidithavetobeMatt?Oh,don'tanswerthat;I can't think of anybody else, either." She took a shaky breath. "But now I'mworriedabouthim,Stefan.Ihaven'tseenhimsincethatnight.Isheokay?Whathashesaidtoyou?"

"Notmuch,"saidStefan,lookingaway."'Leavemealone'wasaboutthegistof it.Healsodeniedthatanythinghappenedthatnight,andsaid thatyouweredead."

"Soundslikeoneofthoseindividualswhocan'tcope,"Damoncommented.

"Oh,shutup!"saidElena."Youkeepoutof this,andwhileyou'reat it,youmight think about poor Vickie Bennett. How d'you think she's coping thesedays?"

"Itmighthelp if IknewwhothisVickieBennett is.Youkeeptalkingabouther,butI'venevermetthegirl."

"Yes, you have. Don't play games with me, Damon—the cemetery,remember?Theruinedchurch?Thegirlyouleftwanderingaroundthereinherslip?"

"Sorry,no.AndIusuallydoremembergirlsIleavewanderingintheirslips."

"IsupposeStefandidit,then,"Elenasaidsarcastically.

Anger flashed to the surface of Damon's eyes, covered quickly with adisturbingsmile.

"Maybehedid.Maybeyoudid.It'sallthesametome,exceptthatI'mgettingalittletiredofaccusations.Andnow—"

"Wait,"saidStefan,withsurprisingmildness."Don'tgoyet.Weshould talk—"

"I'mafraidIhaveapreviousengagement."Therewasaflurryofwings,andStefanandElenawerealone.

Elena put a knuckle to her lips. "Damn. I didn'tmean tomake him angry.Afterhewasreallyalmostcivilizedallevening."

"Nevermind,"saidStefan."Helikestobeangry.WhatwereyousayingaboutMatt?"

Elena saw theweariness in Stefan's face and put an arm around him. "Wewon'ttalkaboutitnow,butIthinktomorrowmaybeweshouldgoseehim.Totell him…" Elena lifted her other hand helplessly. She didn't know what shewantedtotellMatt;sheonlyknewthatsheneededtodosomething.

"Ithink,"saidStefanslowly,"thatyouhadbettergoseehim.Itriedtotalktohim,buthedidn'twanttolistentome.Icanunderstandthat,butmaybeyou'lldobetter.And I think," hepaused and thenwenton resolutely, "I thinkyou'ddobetteralonewithhim.Youcouldgonow."

Elenalookedathimhard."Areyousure?"

"Yes."

"But—willyoubeallright?Ishouldstaywithyou—"

"I'llbefine,Elena,"Stefansaidgently,"Goon."

Elenahesitated,thennodded."Iwon'tbelong,"shepromisedhim.

Unseen, Elena slipped around the side of the frame housewith the peelingpaintandthecrookedmailboxlabeledHoneycutt.Matt'swindowwasunlocked.

Carelessboy,she thought reprovingly.Don'tyouknowsomethingmightcomecreepingin?Sheeaseditopen,butofcoursethatwasasfarasshecouldgo.Aninvisiblebarrierthatfeltlikeasoftwallofthickenedairblockedherway.

"Matt,"shewhispered.Theroomwasdark,butshecouldseeavagueshapeonthebed.Adigitalclockwithpalegreennumbersshowedthat itwas12:15."Matt,"shewhisperedagain.

Thefigurestirred."Uh?"

"Matt, Idon'twant to frightenyou."Shemadehervoicesoothing, trying towakehimgentlyratherthanstartlehimoutofhiswits."Butit'sme,Elena,andIwantedtotalk.Onlyyou'vegottoaskmeinfirst.Canyouaskmein?"

"Uh.C'monin."

Elenawasamazedatthelackofsurpriseinhisvoice.Itwasonlyaftershe'dgottenoverthesillthatsherealizedhewasstillasleep.

"Matt.Matt,"shewhispered,afraidtogotooclose.Theroomwasstiflingandoverheated,theradiatorgoingfullblast.Shecouldseeabarefootstickingoutofthemoundofblanketsonthebedandblondhairatthetop.

"Matt?"Tentatively,sheleanedoverandtouchedhim.

Thatgotaresponse.Withanexplosivegrunt,Mattsatboltupright,whippingaround.Whenhiseyesmethers,theywerewideandstaring.

Elena found herself trying to look small and harmless, nonthreatening. Shebackedawayagainstthewall."Ididn'tmeantofrightenyou.Iknowit'sashock.Butwillyoutalktome?"

Hesimplywentonstaringather.Hisyellowhairwassweatyandruffleduplikewetchickenfeathers.Shecouldseehispulsepoundinginhisbareneck.Shewasafraidhewasgoingtogetupanddashoutoftheroom.

Then his shoulders relaxed, slumping, and he slowly shut his eyes.Hewasbreathingdeeplybutraggedly."Elena."

"Yes,"shewhispered.

"You'redead."

"No.I'mhere."

"Deadpeopledon'tcomeback.Mydaddidn'tcomeback."

"Ididn'treallydie.Ijustchanged."Matt'seyeswerestillshutinrepudiation,andElenafeltacoldwaveofhopelessnesswashoverher."ButyouwishIhaddied,don'tyou?I'llleavenow,"shewhispered.

Matt'sfacecrackedandhestartedtocry.

"No.Oh,no.Oh,don't,Matt,please."Shefoundherselfcradlinghim,fightingnottocryherself."Matt,I'msorry;Ishouldn'tevenhavecomehere."

"Don'tleave,"hesobbed."Don'tgoaway."

"Iwon't."Elena lost the fight,and tears fellontoMatt'sdamphair."Ididn'tmean to hurt you, ever," she said. "Not ever,Matt. All those times, all thosethingsIdid—Ineverwantedtohurtyou.Truly…"Thenshestoppedtalkingandjustheldhim.

Afterawhilehisbreathingquietedandhesatback,swipinghis facewithafistfulofsheet.Hiseyesavoidedhers.Therewasalookonhisface,notjustofembarrassment,butofdistrust, as ifhewerebracinghimself for somethinghedreaded.

"Okay,soyou'rehere.You'realive,"hesaidroughly."Sowhatdoyouwant?"

Elenawasdumbfounded.

"Comeon,theremustbesomething.Whatisit?"

Newtearswelledup,butElenagulped themback."Iguess Ideserve that. IknowIdo.Butforonce,Matt,Iwantabsolutelynothing.Icametoapologize,tosaythatI'msorryforusingyou—notjustthatonenight,butalways.Icareaboutyou,andIcareifyouhurt.IthoughtmaybeIcouldmakethingsbetter."Afteraheavysilence,sheadded,"IguessIwillleavenow."

"No,wait.Wait a second."Matt scrubbed at his facewith the sheet again."Listen.Thatwasstupid,andI'majerk—"

"Thatwasthetruthandyou'reagentleman.Oryou'd'vetoldmetogotakeahikealongtimeago."

"No,I'mastupidjerk.Ishouldbebangingmyheadagainstthewallwithjoybecauseyou'renotdead. Iwill inaminute.Listen."Hegrabbedherwrist and

Elenalookedatitinmildsurprise."Idon'tcareifyou'retheCreaturefromtheBlackLagoon,It,GodzillaandFrankensteinallrolledupintoone.Ijust—"

"Matt."Panicked,Elenaputherfreehandoverhismouth.

"I know. You're engaged to the guy in the black cape. Don't worry; Irememberhim.Ievenlikehim,thoughGodknowswhy."Matttookabreathandseemedtocalmdown."Look,Idon'tknowifStefantoldyou.Hesaidabunchofstuff tome—aboutbeing evil, aboutnotbeing sorry forwhathedid toTyler.YouknowwhatI'mtalkingabout?"

Elenashuthereyes."He'sscarcelyeatensincethatnight.Ithinkhe'shuntedonce.Tonighthealmostgothimselfkilledbecausehe'ssoweak."

Mattnodded."Soitwasyourbasiccrap.Ishouldhaveknown."

"Well,itisanditisn't.Theneedisstrong,strongerthanyoucanimagine."Itwas dawning on Elena that she hadn't fed today and that she'd been hungrybeforethey'dsetoutforAlaric's."Infact—Matt,I'dbettergo.Justonething—ifthere's a dance tomorrow night, don't go. Something's going to happen then,somethingbad.We'regoingtotrytoguardit,butIdon'tknowwhatwecando."

"Who's'we'?"Mattsaidsharply.

"StefanandDamon—IthinkDamon—andme.AndMeredithandBonnie…andAlaricSaltzman.Don'taskaboutAlaric.It'salongstory."

"Butwhatareyouguardingagainst!"

"I forgot; you don't know. That's a long story, too, but… well, the shortanswer is,whateverkilledme.Whatevermade thosedogsattackpeopleatmymemorialservice.It'ssomethingbad,Matt,that'sbeenaroundFell'sChurchforawhile now. And we're going to try to stop it from doing anything tomorrownight."Shetriednottosquirm."Look,I'msorry,butIreallyshouldleave."Hereyesdrifted,despiteherself,tothebroadblueveininhisneck.

Whenshemanagedtotearhergazeawayandlookathisface,shesawshockgivingwaytosuddenunderstanding.Thentosomethingincredible:acceptance."It'sokay,"Mattsaid.

Shewasn'tsureshe'dheardcorrectly."Matt?"

"Isaid,it'sokay.Itdidn'thurtmebefore."

"No.No,Matt,really.Ididn'tcomehereforthat—"

"Iknow.That'swhyIwant to. Iwant togiveyousomethingyoudidn'taskfor."Afteramomenthesaid,"Foroldfriends'sake."

Stefan,Elenawasthinking.ButStefanhadtoldhertocome,andcomealone.Stefanhadknown,sherealized.Anditwasallright.ItwashisgifttoMatt—andtoher.

ButI'mcomingbacktoyou,Stefan,shethought.

As she leaned toward him, Matt said, "I'm going to come and help youtomorrow,youknow.EvenifI'mnotinvited."

Thenherlipstouchedhisthroat.

December13,Friday

DearDiary,

Tonight'sthenight.

IknowI'vewrittenthatbefore,orthoughtitatleast.Buttonightisthenight,thebigone,wheneverythingisgoingtohappen.Thisisit.

Stefanfeelsit,too.Hecamebackfromschooltodaytotellmethatthedanceis still on—Mr. Newcastle didn't want to cause a panic by canceling it orsomething.Whatthey'regoingtodoishave"security"outside,whichmeansthepolice, Iguess.AndmaybeMr.Smallwoodandsomeofhis friendswithrifles.Whatever'sgoingtohappen,Idon'tthinktheycanstopit.

Idon'tknowifwecan,either.

It'sbeensnowingallday.Thepassisblocked,whichmeansnothinggetsinoroutof townonwheels.Until the snowplowgetsup there,whichwon'tbeuntilmorning,whichwillbetoolate.

Andtheairhasafunnyfeelingtoit.Notjustsnow.It'sasifsomethingevencolderthanthatiswaiting.It'spulledbackthewaytheoceanpullsbackbeforeatidalwave.Whenitletsgo…

I thought aboutmy other diary today, the one under the floorboards ofmybedroomcloset. If I ownanything anymore, I own that diary. I thought aboutgettingitout,butIdon'twanttogohomeagain.Idon'tthinkIcouldcope,andI

knowAuntJudithcouldn'tifshesawme.

I'm surprised anybody's been able to cope. Meredith, Bonnie—especiallyBonnie. Well, Meredith, too, considering what her family has been through.Matt.

They'regoodandloyalfriends.It'sfunny,IusedtothinkthatwithoutawholegalaxyoffriendsandadmirersIwouldn'tsurvive.NowI'mperfectlyhappywiththree,thankyou.Becausethey'rerealfriends.

I didn't knowhowmuch I caredabout thembefore.Or aboutMargaret, orAunt Judith even. And everybody at school… I know a few weeks ago I wassayingthatIdidn'tcareiftheentirepopulationofRobertE.Leedroppeddead,butthatisn'ttrue.TonightI'mgoingtodomybesttoprotectthem.

IknowI'mjumpingfromsubject tosubject,butI'mjust talkingabout thingsthatare important tome.Kindofgathering them together inmymind.Just incase.

Well,it'stime.Stefaniswaiting.I'mgoingtofinishthislastlineandthengo.

Ithinkwe'regoingtowin.Ihopeso.

We'regoingtotry.

Thehistoryroomwaswarmandbrightlylit.Ontheothersideoftheschoolbuilding, the cafeteria was even brighter, shining with Christmas lights anddecorations. Upon arriving, Elena had scrutinized it from a cautious distance,watchingthecouplesarriveforthedanceandpassbythesheriff'sofficersatthedoor.FeelingDamon'ssilentpresencebehindher,shehadpointedoutagirlwithlong,lightbrownhair.

"VickieBennett,"shesaid.

"I'lltakeyourwordforit,"hereplied.

Now, she looked around theirmakeshift headquarters for the night.Alaric'sdesk had been cleared, and he was bent over a rough map of the school.Meredith leaned in beside him, her dark hair sweeping his sleeve. Matt andBonniewereoutminglingwiththedancegoersintheparkinglot,andStefanandDamonwereprowlingtheperimeteroftheschoolgrounds.Theyweregoingto

taketurns.

"You'd better stay inside," Alaric had told Elena. "All we need is forsomebodytoseeyouandstartchasingyouwithastake."

"I've been walking around town all week," Elena said, amused. "If I don'twant tobeseen,youdon'tseeme."Butsheagreedtostayin thehistoryroomandcoordinate.

It's likeacastle, she thoughtasshewatchedAlaricplotout thepositionsofsheriff'sofficersandothermenonthemap.Andwe'redefendingit.Meandmyloyalknights.

Theround,flat-facedclockonthewalltickedtheminutesby.Elenawatcheditassheletpeopleinthedoorandletthemoutagain.ShepouredhotcoffeeoutofaThermosforthosewhowantedit.Shelistenedtothereportscomein.

"Everything'squietonthenorthsideoftheschool."

"Carolinejustgotcrownedsnowqueen.Bigsurprise."

"Somerowdykidsintheparkinglot—thesheriffjustroundedthemup…"

Midnightcameandwent.

"Maybewewerewrong,"Stefansaidanhourorsolater.Itwasthefirsttimethey'dallbeeninsidetogethersincethebeginningoftheevening.

"Maybeit'shappeningsomewhereelse,"saidBonnie,emptyingoutabootandpeeringintoit.

"There'snowaytoknowwhereit'sgoingtohappen,"Elenasaidfirmly."Butweweren'twrongaboutithappening."

"Maybe," said Alaric thoughtfully, "there is a way. To find out where it'sgoing tohappen, Imean."Asheads raisedquestioningly,he said, "Weneedaprecognition."

AlleyesturnedtoBonnie.

"Oh,no,"Bonniesaid."I'mthroughwithallthat.Ihateit."

"It'sagreatgift—"beganAlaric.

"It'sagreatbigpain.Look,youdon'tunderstand.Theordinarypredictionsarebadenough.ItseemslikemostofthetimeI'mfindingoutthingsIdon'twanttoknow. But getting taken over—that's awful. And afterward I don't evenrememberwhatI'vesaid.It'shorrible."

"Gettingtakenover?"Alaricrepeated."What'sthat?"

Bonniesighed."It'swhathappenedtomeinthechurch,"shesaidpatiently."Icandootherkindsofpredictions,likediviningwithwaterorreadingpalms"—she glanced at Elena, and then away—"and stuff like that. But then there aretimeswhen—someone—takesmeoverandjustusesmetotalkforthem.It'slikehavingsomebodyelseinmybody."

"Likeinthegraveyard,whenyousaidtherewassomethingtherewaitingforme,"saidElena."Orwhenyouwarnedmenot togonear thebridge.OrwhenyoucametodinnerandsaidthatDeath,mydeath,wasinthehouse."Shelookedautomatically around atDamon,who returnedher gaze impassively.Still, thathad beenwrong, she thought.Damon hadn't been her death. Sowhat had theprophecy meant? For just an instant something glimmered in her mind, butbeforeshecouldgetagrasponit,Meredithinterrupted.

"It's like another voice that speaks through Bonnie,"Meredith explained toAlaric."Sheevenlooksdifferent.Maybeyouweren'tcloseenoughinthechurchtosee."

"Butwhydidn'tyou tellmeabout this?"Alaricwasexcited."Thiscouldbeimportant. This—entity—whatever it is—could give us vital information. ItcouldclearupthemysteryoftheOtherPower,oratleastgiveusacluehowtofightit."

Bonniewas shakingher head. "No. It isn't something I can justwhistle up,anditdoesn'tanswerquestions.Itjusthappenstome.AndIhateit."

"Youmeanyoucan'tthinkofanythingthattendstosetitoff?Anythingthat'sledtoithappeningbefore?"

ElenaandMeredith,whoknewverywellwhatcouldsetitoff,lookedateachother. Elena bit the inside of her cheek. It was Bonnie's choice. It had to beBonnie'schoice.

Bonnie, who was holding her head in her hands, shot a sideways glancethroughredcurlsatElena.Thensheshuthereyesandmoaned.

"Candles,"shesaid.

"What?"

"Candles.Acandleflamemightdoit.Ican'tbesure,youunderstand;I'mnotpromisinganything—"

"Somebodygoransackthesciencelab,"saidAlaric.

Itwasascene reminiscentof thedayAlarichadcome toschool,whenhe'daskedthemalltoputtheirchairsinacircle.Elenalookedatthecircleoffacesliteerily from below by the candle's flame. There was Matt, with his jaw set.Beside him,Meredith, her dark lashes throwing shadowsupward.AndAlaric,leaningforward inhiseagerness.ThenDamon, lightandshadowdancingovertheplanesofhisface.AndStefan,highcheekboneslookingtoosharplydefinedtoElena'seyes.Andfinally,Bonnie,lookingfragileandpaleeveninthegoldenlightofthecandle.

We'reconnected,Elenathought,overcomebythesamefeelingthatshe'dhadinthechurch,whenshehadtakenStefan'sandDamon'shands.Sheremembereda thinwhitecircleofwax floating inadishofwater.Wecando it ifwesticktogether.

"I'm just going to look into the candle," Bonnie said, her voice quiveringslightly."Andnot thinkofanything.I'mgoingtotryto—leavemyselfopentoit."Shebegantobreathedeeply,gazingintothecandleflame.

And then it happened, just as it hadbefore.Bonnie's face smoothedout, allexpression draining away. Her eyes went blank as the stone cherub's in thegraveyard.

Shedidn'tsayaword.

ThatwaswhenElenarealizedtheyhadn'tagreedonwhattoask.ShegropedthroughhermindtofindaquestionbeforeBonnielostcontact."WherecanwefindtheOtherPower?"shesaid,justasAlaricblurtedout,"Whoareyou?"Theirvoicesmingled,theirquestionsintertwining.

Bonnie'sblankfaceturned,sweepingthecirclewithsightlesseyes.Thenthevoicethatwasn'tBonnie'svoicesaid,"Comeandsee."

"Waitaminute,"Mattsaid,asBonniestoodup,stillentranced,andmadeforthedoor."Where'sshegoing?"

Meredithgrabbedforhercoat."Arewegoingwithher?"

"Don'ttouchher!"saidAlaric,jumpingupasBonniewentoutthedoor.

ElenalookedatStefan,andthenatDamon.Withoneaccord,theyfollowed,trailingBonniedowntheempty,echoinghall.

"Where arewe going?Which question is she answering?"Matt demanded.Elenacouldonlyshakeherhead.Alaricwas jogging tokeepupwithBonnie'sglidingpace.

She slowed down as they emerged into the snow, and to Elena's surprise,walkeduptoAlaric'scarinthestaffparkinglotandstoodbesideit.

"Wecan'tallfit;I'llfollowwithMatt,"Meredithsaidswiftly.Elena,herskinchilledwithapprehensionaswellascoldair,gotinthebackofAlaric'scarwhenheopeneditforher,withDamonandStefanoneitherside.Bonniesatupfront.Shewaslookingstraightahead,andshedidn'tspeak.ButasAlaricpulledoutoftheparkinglot,sheliftedonewhitehandandpointed.RightonLeeStreetandthen left onArborGreen.Straight out towardElena's house and then right onThunderbird.HeadingtowardOldCreekRoad.

ItwasthenthatElenarealizedwheretheyweregoing.

They took theotherbridge to thecemetery, theoneeveryonealwayscalled"thenewbridge" todistinguish it fromWickeryBridge,whichwasnowgone.Theywereapproachingfromthegateside,thesideTylerhaddrivenupwhenhetookElenatotheruinedchurch.

Alaric'scarstoppedjustwhereTyler'shadstopped.Meredithpulledupbehindthem.

Withaterriblesenseofdéjàvu,Elenamadethetrekupthehillandthroughthe gate, following Bonnie to where the ruined church stood with its belfrypointinglikeafingertothestormysky.Attheemptyholethathadoncebeenthedoorway,shebalked.

"Whereareyoutakingus?"shesaid."Listentome.Willyoujusttelluswhichquestionyou'reanswering?"

"Comeandsee."

Helplessly,Elena lookedat theothers.Thenshesteppedover the threshold.Bonniewalkedslowlytothewhitemarbletomb,andstopped.

Elenalookedatit,andthenatBonnie'sghostlyface.Everyhaironherarmsandthebackofherneckwasstandingup."Oh,no…"shewhispered."Notthat."

"Elena,whatareyoutalkingabout?"Meredithsaid.

Dizzy, Elena looked down at the marble countenances of Thomas andHonoria Fell, lying on the stone lid of their tomb. "This thing opens," shewhispered.

Thirteen"Youthinkwe'resupposedto—lookinside?"Mattsaid.

"Idon'tknow,"Elenasaidmiserably.Shedidn'twanttoseewhatwasinsidethat tombnowanymore thanshehadwhenTylerhadsuggestedopening it tovandalize it. "Maybewewon't be able to get it open," she added. "Tyler andDickcouldn't.ItstartedtoslideonlywhenIleanedonit."

"Lean on it now; maybe there's some sort of hidden spring mechanism,"Alaricsuggested,andwhenElenadid,withnoresults,hesaid,"Allright,let'sallgetagrip,andbraceourselves—likethis.Comeon,now—"

Fromhiscrouch,helookedupatDamon,whowasstandingmotionlessnextto the tomb, looking faintly amused. "Excuse me," Damon said, and Alaricsteppedback,frowning.DamonandStefaneachgrippedanendofthestonelidandlifted.

Thelidcameaway,makingagrindingsoundasDamonandStefanslidittothegroundononesideofthetomb.

Elenacouldn'tbringherselftomovecloser.

Instead,fightingnausea,sheconcentratedonStefan'sexpression.Itwouldtellher what was to be found in there. Pictures crashed through her mind, ofparchment-coloredmummifiedbodies,of rottingcorpses,ofgrinningskulls. IfStefanlookedhorrifiedorsickened,disgusted…

ButasStefanlookedintotheopentomb,hisfaceregisteredonlydisconcertedsurprise.

Elenacouldn'tstanditanylonger."Whatisit?"

Hegave her a crooked smile and saidwith a glance atBonnie, "Come andsee."

Elenaincheduptothetombandlookeddown.Thenherheadflewup,andsheregardedStefaninastonishment.

"Whatisit?"

"Idon'tknow,"hereplied.HeturnedtoMeredithandAlaric."Doeseitherofyouhaveaflashlight?Orsomerope?"

After a look inside the stone box, they both headed for their cars. Elenaremained where she was, staring down, straining her night vision. She stillcouldn'tbelieveit.

Thetombwasnotatomb,butadoorway.

Nowsheunderstoodwhyshehadfeltacoldwindblowfromitwhenithadshiftedbeneathherhandthatnight.Shewaslookingdownintoakindofvaultorcellarintheground.Shecouldseeonlyonewall,theonethatdroppedstraightdownbelowher,andthatonehadironrungsdrivenintothestone,likealadder.

"Hereyougo,"Meredith said toStefan, returning. "Alaric'sgota flashlight,andhere'smine.Andhere'stheropeElenaputinmycarwhenwewentlookingforyou."

ThenarrowbeamofMeredith'sflashlightsweptthedarkroombelow."Ican'tseeveryfarinside,butitlooksempty,"Stefansaid."I'llgodownfirst."

"Go down?" said Matt. "Look, are you sure we're supposed to go down?Bonnie,howaboutit?"

Bonniehadn'tmoved.Shewasstillstandingtherewiththatutterlyabstractedexpressiononher face,as if shesawnothingaroundher.Withoutaword, sheswungalegovertheedgeofthetomb,twisted,andbegantodescend.

"Whoa,"saidStefan.Hetuckedtheflashlightinhisjacketpocket,putahandonthetomb'sfoot,andjumped.

ElenahadnotimetoenjoyAlaric'sexpression;sheleaneddownandshouted,"Areyouokay?"

"Fine."Theflashlightwinkedatherfrombelow."Bonniewillbeallright,too.Therungsgoallthewaydown.Betterbringtheropeanyway."

Elena looked at Matt, who was closest. His blue eyes met hers withhelplessness and a certain resignation, and he nodded. She took a deep breathandput ahandon the footof the tombasStefanhad.Anotherhand suddenlyclampedonherwrist.

"I've just thought of something," Meredith said grimly. "What if Bonnie's

entityistheOtherPower?"

"I thoughtof that a long timeago,"Elena said.ShepattedMeredith'shand,prieditoff,andjumped.

ShestoodupintoStefan'ssupportingarmandlookedaround."MyGod…"

Itwasa strangeplace.Thewallswere facedwith stone.Theywere smoothandalmostpolished-looking.Drivenintothematintervalswereironcandelabra,someofwhichhadtheremainsofwaxcandlesinthem.Elenacouldnotseetheotherendoftheroom,buttheflashlightshowedawrought-irongatequiteclose,likethegateinsomechurchesusedtoscreenoffanaltar.

Bonniewas just reaching thebottomof the rung ladder.Shewaited silentlywhiletheothersdescended,firstMatt,thenMeredith,thenAlaricwiththeotherflashlight.

Elenalookedup."Damon?"

She could see his silhouette against the lighter black rectangle thatwas thetomb'sopeningtothesky."Well?"

"Areyouwithus?"sheasked.Not"Areyoucomingwithus?"Sheknewhewouldunderstandthedifference.

Shewaitedfiveheartbeatsinthesilencethatfollowed.Six,seven,eight…

Therewasarushofair,andDamonlandedneatly.Buthedidn'tlookatElena.Hiseyeswereoddlydistant,andshecouldreadnothinginhisface.

"It'sacrypt,"Alaricwassayinginwonder,ashisflashlightscythedthroughthedarkness."Anundergroundchamberbeneathachurch,usedasaburialplace.They'reusuallybuiltunderlargerchurches."

Bonnie walked straight up to the scrolled gate and placed one small whitehandonit,openingit.Itswungawayfromher.

Elena's heartbeats were coming too quickly to count now. Somehow sheforcedher legstomoveforward, tofollowBonnie.Hersharpenedsenseswerealmost painfully acute, but they could tell her nothing about what she waswalking into.ThebeamfromStefan's flashlightwas sonarrow,and it showedonlytherockfloorahead,andBonnie'senigmaticform.

Bonniestopped.

Thisisit,thoughtElena,herbreathcatchinginherthroat.Oh,myGod,thisisit;thisisreallyit.Shehadthesuddenintensesensationofbeinginthemiddleofa lucid dream, one where she knew she was dreaming but couldn't changeanythingorwakeup.Hermusclesdeadlocked.

Shecouldsmellfearfromtheothers,andshecouldfeelthesharpedgeofitfromStefanbesideher.HisflashlightskimmedoverobjectsbeyondBonnie,butat first Elena's eyes could make no sense of them. She saw angles, planes,contours, and then something leaped into focus. A dead-white face, hanginggrotesquelysideways…

Thescreamnevergotoutofherthroat.Itwasonlyastatue,andthefeatureswerefamiliar.Theywere thesameason the lidof the tombabove.This tombwas the twinof theone theyhadcome through.Except that thisonehadbeenravaged, the stone lid broken in two and flung against the wall of the crypt.Somethingwasscatteredaboutthefloorlikefragileivorysticks.Bitsofmarble,Elenatoldherbraindesperately;it'sonlymarble,bitsofmarble.

Theywerehumanbones,splinteredandcrushed.

Bonnieturnedaround.

Herheart-shapedfaceswungasifthosefixedblankeyesweresurveyingthegroup.SheendeddirectlyfacingElena.

Then, with a shudder, she stumbled and pitched violently forward like amarionettewhosestringshavebeencut.

Elenabarely caught her, half falling herself. "Bonnie?Bonnie?"Thebrowneyesthatlookedupather,dilatedanddisoriented,wereBonnie'sownfrightenedeyes."Butwhathappened?"Elenademanded."Wherediditgo?"

"Iamhere."

Abovetheplunderedtomb,ahazylightwasshowing.No,notalight,Elenathought. She was sensing it with her eyes, but it was not light in the normalspectrum. Thiswas something stranger than infrared or ultraviolet, somethinghumansenseshadnotbeenbuilttosee.Itwasbeingrevealedtoher,forcedonherbrain,bysomeoutsidePower.

"TheOtherPower,"shewhispered,herbloodfreezing.

"No,Elena."

Thevoicewasnotsound,inthesamewaythatthevisionwasnotlight.Itwasquietasstarshine,andsad.Itremindedherofsomething.

Mother?shethoughtwildly.Butitwasn'thermother'svoice.Theglowabovethe tomb seemed to swirl and eddy, and for amomentElena glimpsed in it aface,agentle,sadface.Andthensheknew.

"I'vebeenwaitingforyou,"HonoriaFell'svoicesaidsoftly."HereIcanspeaktoyouatlastinmyownform,andnotthroughBonnie'slips.Listentome.Yourtimeisshort,andthedangerisverygreat."

Elenafoundhertongue."Butwhatisthisroom?Whydidyoubringushere?"

"You asked me to. I couldn't show you until you asked. This is yourbattleground."

"Idon'tunderstand."

"Thiscryptwasbuilt formeby thepeopleofFell'sChurch.Arestingplaceformybody.Asecretplaceforonewhohadsecretpowersinlife.LikeBonnie,Iknewthingsnooneelsecouldknow.Isawthingsnooneelsecouldsee."

"Youwerepsychic,"Bonniewhisperedhuskily.

"Inthosedays,theycalleditwitchery.ButIneverusedmypowersforharm,andwhenIdiedtheybuiltmethismonumentsothatmyhusbandandIcouldlieinpeace.Butthen,aftermanyyears,ourpeacewasdisturbed."

The eldritch light ebbed and flowed, Honoria's form wavering. "AnotherPowercametoFell'sChurch,fullofhatredanddestruction.Itdefiledmyrestingplaceand scatteredmybones. Itmade itshomehere. Itwentout toworkevilagainstmytown.Iwoke.

"Ihave tried towarnyouagainst it from thebeginning,Elena. It livesherebelowthegraveyard. Ithasbeenwaitingforyou,watchingyou.Sometimes intheformofanowl—"

Anowl.Elena'smindracedahead.Anowl,liketheowlshehadseennestinginthebelfryofthechurch.Liketheowlthathadbeeninthebarn,liketheowlin

theblacklocusttreebyherhouse.

White owl… hunting bird… flesh eater… she thought. And then sheremembered greatwhitewings that seemed to stretch to the horizon on eitherside.Agreatbirdmadeofmistorsnow,comingafterher,focusedonher,fullofbloodlustandanimalhate…

"No!"shecried,memoryengulfingher.

She felt Stefan's hands on her shoulders, his fingers digging in almostpainfully.Itbroughtherbacktoreality.HonoriaFellwasstillspeaking.

"Andyou,Stefan,ithasbeenwatchingyou.IthatedyoubeforeithatedElena.Ithasbeentormentingyouandplayingwithyoulikeacatwithamouse.Ithatesthoseyoulove.Itisfullofpoisonedloveitself."

Elena looked involuntarily behind her. She sawMeredith,Alaric, andMattstandingfrozen.BonnieandStefanwerenext toher.ButDamon…wherewasDamon?

"Itshatredhasgrownsogreat thatanydeathwilldo,anybloodspilledwillgiveitpleasure.Rightnow,theanimalsitcontrolsareslinkingoutofthewoods.Theyaremovingtowardthetown,towardthelights."

"TheSnowDance!"Meredithsaidsharply.

"Yes.Andthistimetheywillkilluntilthelastofthemiskilled."

"Wehavetowarnthosepeople,"Mattsaid."Everyoneatthatdance—"

"Youwill neverbe safeuntil themind that controls them isdestroyed.Thekillingwill go on.Youmust destroy the Power that hates; that iswhy I havebroughtyouhere."

Therewasanotherfluxinthelight;itseemedtobereceding."Youhavethecourage,ifyoucanfindit.Bestrong.ThisistheonlyhelpIcangiveyou."

"Wait—please—"Elenabegan.

Thevoicecontinuedrelentlessly,takingnoheedofher."Bonnie,youhaveachoice.Yoursecretpowersarearesponsibility.Theyarealsoagift,andonethatcanbetakenaway.Doyouchoosetorelinquishthem?"

"I—"Bonnieshookherhead,frightened."Idon'tknow.Ineedtime…"

"Thereisnotime.Choose."Thelightwasdwindling,cavinginonitself.

Bonnie'seyeswerebewilderedanduncertainasshesearchedElena'sfaceforhelp."It'syourchoice,"Elenawhispered."Youhavetodecideforyourself."

Slowly, the uncertainty leftBonnie's face, and she nodded. She stood awayfromElena,withoutsupport,turningbacktothelight."I'llkeepthem,"shesaidhuskily."I'lldealwiththemsomehow.Mygrandmotherdid."

There was a flicker of something like amusement from the light. "You'vechosenwisely.Mayyouuse themaswell.This is the last timeIwill speak toyou."

"But—"

"Ihaveearnedmyrest.Thefightisyours."Andtheglowfaded,likethelastembersofadyingfire.

With it gone, Elena could feel the pressure all around her. Something wasgoingtohappen.Somecrushingforcewascomingtowardthem,orhangingoverthem."Stefan—"

Stefanfeltittoo;shecouldtell."Comeon,"Bonniesaid,hervoicepanicked."Wehavetogetoutofhere."

"Wehavetogettothedance,"Mattgasped.Hisfacewaswhite."Wehavetohelpthem—"

"Fire,"criedBonnie,lookingstartled,asifthethoughthadjustcometoher."Firewon'tkillthem,butitwillholdthemoff—"

"Didn'tyoulisten?WehavetofacetheOtherPower.Andit'shere,righthere,rightnow.Wecan'tgo!"Elenacried.Hermindwasfilledwithturmoil.Images,memories,andadreadfulforeboding.Bloodlust…shecouldfeelit…

"Alaric." Stefan spokewith the ring of command. "You go back. Take theothers;dowhatyoucan.I'llstay—"

"Ithinkweallshouldleave!"Alaricshouted.Hehadtoshouttobeheardoverthedeafeningnoisesurroundingthem.

HisweavingflashlightshowedElenasomethingshehadn'tnoticedbefore.Inthewall next toherwas agapinghole, as if the stone facinghadbeen ripped

away.Andbeyondwasatunnelintotherawearth,blackandendless.

Wheredoesitgo?Elenawondered,butthethoughtwaslostamongthetumultof her fear.White owl… hunting bird… flesh eater… crow, she thought, andsuddenlysheknewwithblindingclaritywhatshewasafraidof.

"Where's Damon?" she screamed, dragging Stefan around as she turned,looking."Where'sDamon?"

"Getout!"criedBonnie,hervoiceshrillwithterror.Shethrewherselftowardthegatejustasthesoundsplitthedarkness.

Itwasasnarl,butnotadog'ssnarl.Itcouldneverbemistakenforthat.Itwassomuchdeeper,heavier,moreresonant. Itwasahuge sound,and it reekedofthe jungle,of thehuntingbloodlust. It reverberated inElena'schest, jarredherbones.

Itparalyzedher.

The sound came again, hungry and savage, but somehow almost lazy.Thatconfident.Andwithitcameheavyfootfallsfromthetunnel.

Bonnie was trying to scream, making only a thin whistling sound. In theblackness of the tunnel, something was coming. A shape that moved with arangy feline swing. Elena recognized the snarl now. It was the sound of thelargestofthehuntingcats,largerthanalion.Thetiger'seyesshowedyellowasitreachedtheendofthetunnel.

Andtheneverythinghappenedatonce.

ElenafeltStefantry topullherbackwardtogetheroutof theway.Butherown petrifiedmuscleswere a hindrance to him, and she knew that itwas toolate.

Thetiger'sleapwasgraceitself,powerfulmuscleslaunchingitintotheair.Inthatinstant,shesawitasifcaughtinthelightofaflashbulb,andhermindnotedtheleanshiningflanksandthesupplebackbone.Buthervoicescreamedoutonitsown.

"Damon,no!"

Itwasonlyas theblackwolf sprangoutof thedarkness tomeet it that sherealizedthetigerwaswhite.

Thegreatcat'srushwasthrownoffbythewolf,andElenafeltStefanwrenchheroutoftheway,pullinghersidewaystosafety.Hermuscleshadmeltedlikesnowflakes,andsheyieldednumblyasheputheragainstthewall.Thelidofthetombwasbetweenherandthesnarlingwhiteshapenow,butthegatewasontheothersideofthefight.

Elena's own weakness was part terror and part bewilderment. She didn'tunderstandanything;confusionroaredinherears.AmomentagoshehadbeencertainDamonhadbeenplayingwith themall this time, that he hadbeen theOtherPowerallalong.Butthemaliceandthebloodlustthatemanatedfromthetigerwere unmistakable. Thiswaswhat had chased her in the graveyard, andfrom the boardinghouse to the river and her death. Thiswhite Power that thewolfwasfightingtokill.

Itwasanimpossiblematch.Theblackwolf,viciousandaggressivethoughitmight be, didn't stand a chance. One swipe of the tiger's huge claws laid thewolf'sshoulderopentothebone.Itsjawssnarledopenasittriedtogetabone-crackinggriponthewolf'sneck.

But then Stefanwas there, training the blaze of the flashlight into the cat'seyes, thrusting the wounded wolf out of the way. Elena wished she couldscream,wishedshecoulddosomethingtorelease thisrushingacheinsideher.Shedidn'tunderstand;shedidn'tunderstandanything.Stefanwasindanger.Butshecouldn'tmove.

"Getout!"Stefanwasshoutingtotheothers."Doitnow;getout!"

Fasterthananyhuman,hedartedoutofthewayofawhitepaw,keepingthelightinthetiger'seyes.Meredithwasontheothersideofthegatenow.MattwashalfcarryingandhalfdraggingBonnie.Alaricwasthrough.

Thetigerlungedandthegatecrashedshut.Stefanfelltotheside,slippingashetriedtoscrambleupagain.

"Wewon'tleaveyou—"Alariccried.

"Go!"shoutedStefan."Gettothedance;dowhatyoucan!Go!"

Thewolfwasattackingagain,despitethebleedingwoundsinitshead,anditsshoulder wheremuscle and tendon lay exposed and shining. The tiger foughtback.The animal sounds rose to avolume thatElena couldn't stand.Meredithandtheothersweregone;Alaric'sflashlighthaddisappeared.

"Stefan!"shescreamed,seeinghimpoisedtojumpintothefightagain.

Ifhedied,shewoulddie,too.Andifshehadtodie,shewantedittobewithhim.

Theparalysislefther,andshestumbledtowardhim,sobbing,reachingouttoclutch him tightly. She felt his arm around her as he held her with his bodybetweenherandthenoiseandviolence.Butshewasstubborn,asstubbornashewas.Shetwisted,andthentheyfacedittogether.

Thewolfwasdown.Itwaslyingonitsback,andalthoughitsfurwastoodarktoshowtheblood,aredpoolgatheredbeneathit.Thewhitecatstoodaboveit,jawsgapinginchesfromthevulnerableblackthroat.

Butthedeath-dealingbitetotheneckdidn'tcome.InsteadthetigerraiseditsheadtolookatStefanandElena.

With a strange calmness, Elena found herself noticing tiny details of itsappearance.

The whiskers were straight and slender, like silver wires. Its fur was purewhite, striped with faint marks like unburnished gold. White and gold, shethought,rememberingtheowlinthebarn.Andthatstirredanothermemory…ofsomethingshe'dseen…orsomethingshe'dheardabout…

With a heavy swipe, the cat sent the flashlight flying out of Stefan's hand.Elena heard him hiss in pain, but she could no longer see anything in theblackness.Wheretherewasnolightatall,evenahunterwasblind.Clingingtohim,shewaitedforthepainofthekillingblow.

Butsuddenlyherheadwasreeling; itwasfullofgrayandspinningfogandshecouldn'tholdontoStefan.Shecouldn'tthink;shecouldn'tspeak.Thefloorseemedtobedroppingawayfromher.Dimly,sherealizedthatPowerwasbeingusedagainsther,thatitwasoverwhelminghermind.

ShefeltStefan'sbodygiving,slumping,fallingawayfromher,andshecouldno longer resist the fog. She fell forever and never knew when she hit theground.

FourteenWhiteowl…huntingbird…hunter…tiger.Playingwithyoulikeacatwitha

mouse.Likeacat…agreatcat…akitten.Awhitekitten.

Deathisinthehouse.

Andthekitten,thekittenhadrunfromDamon.Notoutoffear,butoutofthefearofbeingdiscovered.LikewhenithadstoodonMargaret'schestandwailedatthesightofElenaoutsidethewindow.

Elenamoaned and almost surfaced from unconsciousness, but the gray fogdraggedher back under before she could openher eyes.Her thoughts seethedaroundheragain.

Poisoned love… Stefan, it hated you before it hated Elena… White andgold…somethingwhite…somethingwhiteunderthetree…

This time, when she struggled to open her eyes, she succeeded. And evenbeforeshecouldfocusinthedimandshiftinglight,sheknew.Shefinallyknew.

Thefigureinthetrailingwhitedressturnedfromthecandleshewaslighting,andElenasawwhatmighthavebeenherownfaceonitsshoulders.Butitwasasubtly distorted face, pale andbeautiful as an ice sculpture, butwrong. ItwasliketheendlessreflectionsofherselfElenahadseeninherdreamofthehallofmirrors.Twistedandhungry,andmocking.

"Hello,Katherine,"shewhispered.

Katherine smiled, a sly and predatory smile. "You're not as stupid as Ithought,"shesaid.

Her voicewas light and sweet—silvery, Elena thought. Like her eyelashes.Therewere silvery lights in her dresswhen shemoved, too.But her hairwasgold,almostaspaleagoldasElena'sown.Hereyeswerelikethekitten'seyes:roundandjewelblue.Atherthroatsheworeanecklacewithastoneofthesamevividcolor.

Elena'sownthroatwassore,asifshehadbeenscreaming.Itfeltdryaswell.Whensheturnedherheadslowlytotheside,eventhatlittlemotionhurt.

Stefanwasbesideher,slumpedforward,boundbyhisarms to thewrought-ironpicketsof thegate.Hisheadsaggedagainsthischest,butwhatshecouldseeof his facewasdeathlywhite.His throatwas torn, andbloodhaddrippedontohiscollaranddried.

ElenaturnedbacktoKatherinesoquicklythatherheadspun."Why?Whydidyoudothat?"

Katherinesmiled,showingpointedwhiteteeth."BecauseIlovehim,"shesaidinachildishsingsong."Don'tyoulovehim,too?"

ItwasonlythenthatElenafullyrealizedwhyshecouldn'tmove,andwhyherarms hurt. She was tied up like Stefan, lashed securely to the closed gate. ApainfulturningofherheadtotheothersiderevealedDamon.

Hewasinworseshapethanhisbrother.Hisjacketandarmwererippedopen,andthesightofthewoundmadeElenasick.Hisshirthungintatters,andElenacouldseethetinymovementofhisribsashebreathed.Ifithadn'tbeenforthat,she would have thought he was dead. Bloodmatted his hair and ran into hisclosedeyes.

"Which one do you like better?"Katherine asked, in an intimate, confidingtone."Youcantellme.Whichonedoyouthinkisbest?"

Elena looked at her, sickened. "Katherine," she whispered. "Please. Pleaselistentome…

"Tellme.Go on." Those jewel blue eyes filled Elena's vision asKatherineleaned in close,her lips almost touchingElena's. "I think they'reboth fun.Doyoulikefun,Elena?"

Revolted, Elena shut her eyes and turned her face away. If only her headwouldstopspinning.

Katherine steppedbackwithaclear laugh. "Iknow, it's sohard tochoose."Shedidalittlepirouette,andElenasawthatwhatshehadvaguelytakenforthetraintoKatherine'sdresswasKatherine'shair.Itflowedlikemoltengolddownherbacktospilloverthefloor,trailingbehindher.

"It all depends on your taste," Katherine continued, doing a few gracefuldancestepsandendingupinfrontofDamon.ShelookedoveratElenaimpishly."But then I have such a sweet tooth." She grasped Damon by the hair, and,

yankinghisheadup,sankherteethintohisneck.

"No!Don'tdothat;don'thurthimanymore…"Elenatriedtosurgeforward,butshewastiedtootightly.Thegatewassolidiron,setinstone,andtheropesweresturdy.Katherinewasmakinganimalsounds,gnawingandchewingattheflesh, and Damonmoaned even in unconsciousness. Elena saw his body jerkreflexivelywithpain.

"Pleasestop;oh,pleasestop—"

Katherineliftedherhead.Bloodwasrunningdownherchin."ButI'mhungryandhe'ssogood,"shesaid.Sherearedbackandstruckagain,andDamon'sbodyspasmed.Elenacriedout.

Iwaslikethat,shethought.Inthebeginning,thatfirstnightinthewoods,Iwaslikethat.IhurtStefanlikethat,Iwantedtokillhim…

Darknesssweptuparoundher,andshegaveintoitgratefully.

Alaric'scarskewedonapatchof iceas it reached theschool,andMeredithalmostranintoit.SheandMattjumpedoutofhercar,leavingthedoorsopen.Ahead,AlaricandBonniedidthesame.

"Whatabout the restof the town?"Meredithshouted, running toward them.Thewindwasrising,andherfaceburnedwithfrost.

"Just Elena's family—Aunt Judith and Margaret," Bonnie cried. Her voicewasshrillandfrightened,buttherewasalookofconcentrationinhereyes.Sheleanedherheadbackasiftryingtoremembersomething,andsaid,"Yes,that'sit.They'retheotheronesthedogswillbeafter.Makethemgosomewhere—likethecellar.Keepthemthere!""I'lldoit.Youthreetakethedance!"BonnieturnedtorunafterAlaric.Meredithracedbacktohercar.

The dance was in the last stages of breaking up. As many couples wereoutsideas inside, starting toward theparking lot.Alaric shoutedat themasheandMattandBonniecamepoundingup.

"Go back in! Get everybody inside and shut the doors!" he yelled at thesheriff'sofficers.

Buttherewasn'ttime.Hereachedthecafeteriajustasthefirstlurkingshapeinthedarknessdid.Oneofficerwentdownwithoutasoundorachancetofirehisgun.

Another was quicker, and a gunshot rang out, amplified by the concretecourtyard.Studentsscreamedandbegantorunawayfromit,intotheparkinglot.Alaricwentafterthem,yelling,tryingtoherdthemback.

Other shapes cameout of the darkness, frombetweenparked cars, fromallsides. Panic ensued. Alaric kept shouting, kept trying to gather the terrifiedstudentstowardthebuilding.Outheretheywereeasyprey.

Inthecourtyard,BonnieturnedtoMatt."Weneedfire!"shesaid.Mattdartedintothecafeteriaandcameoutwithaboxhalf-fullofdanceprograms.Hethrewit to the ground, groping in his pockets for one of thematches they'd used tolightthecandlebefore.

The paper caught and burned brightly. It formed an island of safety. Mattcontinued to wave people into the cafeteria doors behind it. Bonnie plungedinside,tofindascenejustasriotousasoutside.

Shelookedaroundforsomeoneinauthoritybutcouldn'tseeanyadults,onlypanickedkids.Thentheredandgreencrepepaperdecorationscaughthereye.

Thenoisewasthunderous;evenashoutcouldn'tbeheardinhere.Strugglingpastthepeopletryingtogetout,shemadeittothefarsideoftheroom.Carolinewas there, looking palewithout her summer tan, andwearing the snowqueentiara.Bonnietowedhertothemicrophone.

"You'regoodattalking.Tellthemtogetinsideandstayin!Tellthemtostarttakingdownthedecorations.Weneedanythingthat'llburn—woodchairs,stuffin garbage cans, anything. Tell them it's our only chance!" She added, asCarolinestaredather,frightenedanduncomprehending:"You'vegotthecrownonnow—sodosomethingwithit!"

Shedidn'twaittoseeCarolineobey.Sheplungedagainintothefuroroftheroom.AmomentlatersheheardCaroline'svoice,firsthesitantandthenurgent,ontheloudspeakers.

ItwasdeadquietwhenElenaopenedhereyesagain.

"Elena?"

Atthehoarsewhisper,shetriedtofocusandfoundherselflookingintopain-filledgreeneyes.

"Stefan," she said. She leaned toward him yearningly, wishing she couldmove.Itdidn'tmakesense,butshefeltthatiftheycouldonlyholdeachotheritwouldn'tbesobad.

Therewasachildishlaugh.Elenadidn'tturntowardit,butStefandid.Elenasawhisreaction,sawthesequenceofexpressionspassingacrosshisfacealmosttooquicklytoidentify.Blankshock,disbelief,dawningjoy—andthenhorror.Ahorrorthatfinallyturnedhiseyesblindandopaque.

"Katherine,"hesaid."Butthat'simpossible.Itcan'tbe.You'redead…"

"Stefan…"Elenasaid,buthedidn'trespond.

Katherineputahandinfrontofhermouthandgiggledbehindit.

"Youwakeup,too,"shesaid,lookingontheothersideofElena.ElenafeltasurgeofPower.AfteramomentDamon'sheadliftedslowly,andheblinked.

Therewasnoastonishmentinhisface.Heleanedhisheadback,eyeswearilynarrowed,and looked foraminuteor soathiscaptor.Thenhesmiled,a faintandpainfulsmile,butrecognizable.

"Oursweetlittlewhitekitten,"hewhispered."Ishouldhaveknown."

"You didn't know, though, did you?" Katherine said, as eager as a childplayingagame."Evenyoudidn'tguess.Ifooledeveryone."Shelaughedagain."Itwassomuchfun,watchingyouwhileyouwerewatchingStefan,andneitherofyouknewIwasthere.Ievenscratchedyouonce!"Hookingherfingersintoclaws,shemimickedakitten'sslash.

"AtElena'shouse.Yes,Iremember,"Damonsaidslowly.Hedidn'tseemsomuch angry as vaguely,whimsically amused. "Well, you're certainly a hunter.Theladyandthetiger,asitwere."

"AndIputStefaninthatwell,"Katherinebragged."Isawyoutwofighting;Ilikedthat.IfollowedStefantotheedgeofthewoods,andthen—"Sheclappedhercuppedhandstogether,likesomeonecatchingamoth.Openingthemslowly,she peered down into them as if she really had something there, and giggled

secretly."Iwasgoingtokeephimtoplaywith,"sheconfided.Thenherlowerlip thrust out and she looked atElenabalefully. "But you tookhim.Thatwasmean,Elena.Youshouldn'thavedonethat."

Thedreadfulchildishslynesswasgonefromherface,andforamomentElenaglimpsedthesearinghatredofawoman.

"Greedygirlsgetpunished,"Katherinesaid,movingtowardher,"andyou'reagreedygirl."

"Katherine!"Stefanhadwoken fromhisdaze,andhe spokequickly. "Don'tyouwanttotelluswhatelseyou'vedone?"

Distracted,Katherinesteppedback.Shelookedsurprised,thenflattered.

"Well—ifyoureallywantmeto,"shesaid.Shehuggedherelbowswithherhandsandpirouettedagain,hergoldenhairtwistingonthefloor."No,"shesaidgleefully,turningbackandpointingatthem."Youguess.YouguessandI'lltellyou'right'or'wrong.'Goon!

Elenaswallowed,castingacovertglanceatStefan.Shedidn'tseethepointofstallingKatherine; itwasallgoing tocomeout thesamein theend.Butsomeinstincttoldhertohangontolifeaslongasshecould.

"YouattackedVickie,"shesaid,carefully.Herownvoicesoundedwindedtoherears,butshewaspositivenow."Thegirlintheruinedchurchthatnight."

"Good! Yes," Katherine cried. She made another kitten swipe with clawedfingers. "Well, after all, she was in my church," she added reasonably. "Andwhat she and that boy were doing—well! You don't do that in church. So, Iscratched her!" Katherine drew out the word, demonstrating, like somebodytellingastorytoayoungchild."And…Ilickedthebloodup!"Shelickedpalepinklipswithhertongue.ThenshepointedatStefan."Nextguess!"

"You've been hounding her ever since," Stefan said. Hewasn't playing thegame;hewasmakingasickenedobservation.

"Yes,we'redonewiththat!Goontosomethingelse,"Katherinesaidsharply.But then she fiddled with the buttons at the neck of her dress, her fingerstwinkling.AndElenathoughtofVickie,withherstartled-fawneyes,undressingin the cafeteria in front of everyone. "I made her do silly things." Katherinelaughed."Shewasfuntoplaywith."

Elena'sarmswerenumbandcramped.She realized that shewas reflexivelystraining against the ropes, sooffendedbyKatherine'swords that she couldn'thold still. She made herself stop, trying instead to lean back and get a littlefeeling intoherdeadenedhands.Whatshewasgoing todo if shegot freeshedidn'tknow,butshehadtotry.

"Nextguess,"Katherinewassayingdangerously.

"Why do you say it's your church?" Damon asked. His voice was stilldistantly amused, as if none of this affected him at all. "What about HonoriaFell?"

"Oh, thatoldspook!"Katherinesaidmaliciously.ShepeeredaroundbehindElena,hermouthpursed,hereyesglaring.Elenarealizedforthefirst timethattheywerefacingtheentrancetothecrypt,withtheransackedtombbehindthem.MaybeHonoriawouldhelpthem…

Butthensherememberedthatquiet,fadingvoice.ThisistheonlyhelpIcangiveyou.Andsheknewthatnofurtheraidwouldcome.

As if she'd read Elena's thoughts, Katherine was saying, "She can't doanything.She'sjustapackofoldbones."ThegracefulhandsmadegesturesasifKatherinewerebreakingthosebones."Allshecandoistalk,andlotsoftimesIstoppedyoufromhearingher."Katherine'sexpressionwasdarkagain,andElenafeltanacidtwingeoffear.

"YoukilledBonnie'sdog,Yangtze,"shesaid.Itwasarandomguess,thrownouttodivertKatherine,butitworked.

"Yes! That was funny. You all came running out of the house and startedmoaningandcrying…"Katherineevokedthesceneinpantomime:thelittledoglyinginfrontofBonnie'shouse,thegirlsrushingouttofindhisbody."Hetastedbad,butitwasworthit.IfollowedDamontherewhenhewasacrow.Iusedtofollowhimalot.IfIwantedIcouldhavegrabbedthatcrow,and…"Shemadeasharpwringingmotion.

Bonnie'sdream, thoughtElena, icy revelation sweepingoverher.Shedidn'teven realize she'd spokenalouduntil she sawStefan andKatherine looking ather. "Bonniedreamedaboutyou," shewhispered. "But she thought itwasme.Shetoldmethatshesawmestandingunderatreewiththewindblowing.Andshewasafraidofme.ShesaidIlookeddifferent,palebutalmostglowing.Anda

crow flewby and I grabbed it andwrung its neck."Bilewas rising inElena'sthroat,andshegulpeditdown."Butitwasyou,"shesaid.

Katherine looked delighted, as if Elena had somehow proved her point."People dream about me a lot," she said smugly. "Your aunt—she's dreamedaboutme.Itellheritwasherfaultyoudied.Shethinksit'syoutellingher."

"Oh,God…"

"I wish you had died," Katherine went on, her face turning spiteful. "Youshould have died. I kept you in the river long enough. But you were such atramp,gettingbloodfrombothofthem,thatyoucameback.Oh,well."Shegavea furtive smile. "Now I can playwith you longer. I lostmy temper that day,becauseIsawStefanhadgivenyoumyring.Myring!"Hervoicerose."Mine,thatIleftforthemtoremembermeby.Andhegaveittoyou.ThatwaswhenIknewIwasn'tjustgoingtoplaywithhim.Ihadtokillhim."

Stefan's eyeswere stricken, confounded. "But I thoughtyouweredead,"hesaid."Youweredead,fivehundredyearsago.Katherine…"

"Oh, thatwas the first time I fooledyou,"Katherine said, but therewasnogleeinhertonenow.Itwassullen."IarrangeditallwithGudren,mymaid.Thetwoof youwouldn't acceptmy choice," she burst out, looking fromStefan toDamonangrily."Iwantedusalltobehappy;Ilovedyou.Ilovedyouboth.Butthatwasn'tgoodenoughforyou."

Katherine'sfacehadchangedagain,andElenasawinitthehurtchildoffivecenturies ago. That must have been what Katherine looked like, then, shethoughtwonderingly.Thewideblueeyeswereactuallyfillingwithtears.

"Iwantedyoutoloveeachother."

Katherinewenton,soundingbewildered,"butyouwouldn't.AndIfeltawful.IthoughtifyouthoughtI'ddied,thatyouwouldloveeachother.AndIknewIhadtogoaway,anyway,beforePapastartedtosuspectwhatIwas.

"SoGudrenandIarrangedit,"shesaidsoftly,lostinmemory."Ihadanothertalismanagainstthesunmade,andIgavehermyring.Andshetookmywhitedress—mybestwhitedress—andashesfromthefireplace.Weburnedfatthereso the ashes would smell right. And she put them out in the sun, where youwould find them, alongwithmy note. I wasn't sure you'd be fooled, but youwere.

"Butthen"—Katherine'sfacetwistedingrief—"youdideverythingallwrong.Youweresupposedtobesorry,andcry,andcomforteachother.Ididitforyou.Butinsteadyouranandgotswords.Whydidyoudothat?"Itwasacryfromtheheart."Whydidn'tyoutakemygift?Youtreateditlikegarbage.ItoldyouinthenotethatIwantedyoutobereconciledwitheachother.Butyoudidn'tlistenandyougotswords.Youkilledeachother.Whydidyoudoit?"

TearswereslippingdownKatherine'scheeks,andStefan'sfacewaswet,too."Wewerestupid,"hesaid,ascaughtupinthememoryofthepastasshewas."We blamed each other for your death, and we were so stupid… Katherine,listen tome. Itwasmy fault; Iwas theonewho attacked first.And I've beensorry—you don't know how sorry I've been ever since. You don't know howmanytimesI'vethoughtaboutitandwishedtherewassomethingIcoulddotochange it. I'd have given anything to take it back—anything. I killed mybrother…"Hisvoicecracked, and tears spilled fromhiseyes.Elena,herheartbreaking with grief, turned helplessly to Damon and saw that he wasn't evenaware of her. The look of amusement was gone, and his eyes were fixed onStefaninutterconcentration,riveted.

"Katherine, please listen to me," Stefan said shakily, regaining his voice."We'veallhurtoneanotherenough.Please letusgonow.Orkeepme, ifyouwant, but let them leave. I'm the one that's to blame. Keep me, and I'll dowhateveryouwant…"

Katherine's jewel-like eyes were liquid and impossibly blue, filled with anendless sorrow. Elena didn't dare to breathe, afraid to break the spell as theslendergirlmovedtowardStefan,herfacesoftenedandyearning.

But then the ice insideKatherine crept out again, freezing the tears on hercheeks. "Youshouldhave thoughtof that a long timeago," she said. "Imighthavelistenedtoyouthen.Iwassorryyou'dkilledeachotheratfirst.Iranaway,without evenGudren, back tomy home. But then I didn't have anything, noteven a new dress, and I was hungry and cold. I might have starved if Klaushadn'tfoundme."

Klaus.Throughherdismay,ElenarememberedsomethingStefanhadtoldher.Klauswasthemanwho'dmadeKatherineavampire,themanthevillagerssaidwasevil.

"Klaus taughtme the truth,"Katherine said. "Heshowedmehow theworldreallyis.Youhavetobestrong,andtakethethingsyouwant.Youhavetothink

onlyofyourself.AndI'm thestrongestofallnow. Iam.YouknowhowIgotthatway?"Sheansweredthequestionwithoutevenwaitingforthemtorespond."Lives.Somanylives.Humansandvampires,andthey'reall insidemenow.IkilledKlausafteracenturyortwo.Hewassurprised.Hedidn'tknowhowmuchI'dlearned.

"Iwassohappy, takinglives,fillingmyselfupwiththem.But thenIwouldrememberyou,youtwo,andwhatyoudid.Howyoutreatedmygift.AndIknewIhadtopunishyou.Ifinallyfiguredouthowtodoit.

"Ibroughtyouhere,bothofyou.Iputthethoughtinyourmind,Stefan,thewayyouputthoughtsintoahuman's.Iguidedyoutothisplace.AndthenImadesureDamon followed you. Elenawas here. I think shemust be related tomesomehow; she looks like me. I knew you'd see her and feel guilty. But youweren'tsupposedtofallinlovewithher!"TheresentfulnessinKatherine'svoicegave way to fury again. "You weren't supposed to forget me! You weren'tsupposedtogivehermyring!"

"Katherine…"

Katherineswepton."Oh,youmademesoangry.AndnowI'mgoingtomakeyou sorry, really sorry. I know who I hate most now, and it's you, Stefan.BecauseI lovedyoubest."Sheseemedtoregaincontrolofherself,wipingthelast traces of tears from her face and drawing herself up with exaggerateddignity.

"Idon'thateDamonasmuch,"shesaid."Imightevenlethimlive."Hereyesnarrowed, and thenwidenedwith an idea. "Listen,Damon," she said secretly."You'renotasstupidasStefanis.Youknowthewaythingsreallyare.I'veheardyousayit.I'veseenthingsyou'vedone."Sheleanedforward."I'vebeenlonelysinceKlausdied.Youcouldkeepmecompany.Allyouhave todo issayyoulovemebest.ThenafterIkillthemwe'llgoaway.Youcanevenkillthegirlifyouwant.I'dletyou.Whatdoyouthink?"

Oh,God, thoughtElena, sickened again.Damon's eyeswere onKatherine'swide blue ones; he seemed to be searching her face. And the whimsicalamusement was back in his expression. Oh, God, no, Elena thought. Please,no…

Slowly,Damonsmiled.

FifteenElenawatchedDamonwithmutedread.Sheknew thatdisturbing smile too

well. But even as her heart sank, her mind threw amocking question at her.Whatdifferencediditmake?SheandStefanweregoingtodieanyway.ItonlymadesenseforDamontosavehimself.Anditwaswrongtoexpecthimtogoagainsthisnature.

Shewatchedthatbeautiful,capricioussmilewithafeelingofsorrowforwhatDamonmighthavebeen.

Katherinesmiledbackathim,enchanted."We'llbesohappytogether.Oncethey're dead, I'll let you go. I didn't mean to hurt you, not really. I just gotangry."Sheputoutaslenderhandandstrokedhischeek."I'msorry."

"Katherine,"hesaid.Hewasstillsmiling.

"Yes."Sheleanedcloser.

"Katherine…"

"Yes,Damon?"

"Gotohell."

Elena flinched from what happened next before it happened, feeling theviolentupsurgeofPower,ofmalevolent,unbridledPower.ShescreamedatthechangeinKatherine.Thatlovelyfacewastwisting,mutatingintosomethingthatwasneitherhumannoranimal.AredlightblazedinKatherine'seyesasshefellonDamon,herfangssinkingintohisthroat.

Talons sprang from her fingertips, and she rakedDamon's already-bleedingchestwithit,tearingintohisskinwhilethebloodflowed.Elenakeptscreaming,realizingdimly that thepain inherarmswas fromfighting the ropes thatheldher. She heard Stefan shouting, too, but above everything she heard thedeafeningshriekofKatherine'smentalvoice.

Nowyou'llbesorry!NowI'mgoing tomakeyousorry! I'll killyou! I'll killyou!I'llkillyou!I'llkillyou!

Thewordsthemselveshurt,likedaggersstabbingintoElena'smind.ThesheerPower of it stupefied her, rocking her back against the iron pickets.But therewas no way to get away from it. It seemed to echo from all around her,hammeringinherskull.

Killyou!Killyou!Killyou!

Elenafainted.

Meredith,crouchedbesideAuntJudithintheutilityroom,shiftedherweight,strainingto interpret thesoundsoutside thedoor.Thedogshadgotten into thecellar;shewasn'tsurehow,butfromthebloodymuzzlesofsomeofthem,shethought they had broken through the ground-level windows. Now they wereoutsidetheutilityroom,butMeredithcouldn'ttellwhattheyweredoing.Itwastooquietoutthere.

Margaret,huddledonRobert'slap,whimperedonce.

"Hush," Robert whispered quickly. "It's all right, sweetheart. Everything'sgoingtobeallright."

Meredithmethis frightened,determinedeyesoverMargaret's towhead.WealmosthadyoupeggedfortheOtherPower,shethought.Buttherewasnotimetoregretitnow.

"Where's Elena? Elena said she'd watch over me,"Margaret said, her eyeslargeandsolemn."Shesaidshe'dtakecareofme."AuntJudithputahandtohermouth.

"She is takingcareofyou,"Meredithwhispered."She just sentme todo it,that's all. It's the truth," sheadded fiercely, and sawRobert's lookof reproachmeltintoperplexity.

Outside, the silence had givenway to scratching and gnawing sounds. Thedogswereatworkonthedoor.

RobertcradledMargaret'sheadclosertohischest.

Bonnie didn't know how long they had been working. Hours, certainly.Forever,itseemedlike.Thedogshadgotteninthroughthekitchenandtheold

woodensidedoors.Sofar,though,onlyaboutadozenhadgottenpastthefireslitlikebarricadesinfrontoftheseopenings.Andthemenwithgunshadtakencareofmostofthose.

ButMr.Smallwoodandhisfriendswerenowholdingemptyrifles.Andtheywererunningoutofthingstoburn.

Vickiehadgottenhystericalalittlewhileago,screamingandholdingherheadas if somethingwas hurting her.They'd been looking forways to restrain herwhenshefinallypassedout.

Bonnie went up to Matt, who was looking out over the fire through thedemolishedsidedoor.Hewasn'tlookingfordogs,sheknew,butforsomethingelsemuchfartheraway.Somethingyoucouldn'tseefromhere.

"Youhadtogo,Matt,"shesaid."Therewasnothingelseyoucoulddo."Hedidn'tanswerorturnaround.

"It'salmostdawn,"shesaid."Maybewhenthatcomes, thedogswill leave."Butevenasshesaidit,sheknewitwasn'ttrue.

Matt didn't answer. She touched his shoulder. "Stefan's with her. Stefan'sthere."

Atlast,Mattgavesomeresponse.Henodded."Stefan'sthere,"hesaid.

Brownandsnarling,anothershapechargedoutofthedark.

It was much later when Elena came gradually to consciousness. She knewbecauseshecouldsee,not justby thehandfulofcandlesKatherinehad litbutalsobythecoldgraydimnessthatfiltereddownfromthecrypt'sopening.

ShecouldseeDamon,too.Hewaslyingonthefloor,hisbondsslashedalongwith his clothes. There was enough light now to see the full extent of hiswounds,andElenawonderedifhewasstillalive.Hewasmotionlessenoughtobedead.

Damon? she thought. Itwasonly after shehaddone it that she realized thewordhadnotbeenspoken.Somehow,Katherine'sshriekinghadclosedacircuitinhermind, ormaybe it had awakened something sleeping.AndMatt's bloodhadundoubtedlyhelped,givingherthestrengthtofinallyfindhermentalvoice.

Sheturnedherheadtheotherway.Stefan?

Hisfacewashaggardwithpain,butaware.Tooaware.ElenaalmostwishedthathewereasinsensibleasDamontowhatwashappeningtothem.

Elena,hereturned.

Whereisshe?Elenasaid,hereyesmovingslowlyaroundtheroom.

Stefanlookedtowardtheopeningofthecrypt.Shewentupthereawhileago.Maybetocheckonhowthedogsaredoing.

Elenahadthoughtshe'dreachedthelimitoffearanddread,butitwasn'ttrue.Shehadn'trememberedtheothersthen.

Elena,I'msorry.Stefan'sfacewasfilledwithwhatnowordscouldexpress.

It'snotyour fault,Stefan.Youdidn'tdo this toher.Shedid it toherself.Or—itjusthappenedtoher,becauseofwhatsheis.Whatweare.RunningbeneathElena'sthoughtswasthememoryofhowshehadattackedStefaninthewoods,andhowshehadfeltwhenshewasracingtowardMr.Smallwood,planningherrevenge.Itcouldhavebeenme,shesaid.

No!Youcouldneverbecomelikethat.

Elena didn't answer. If she had the Power now, what would she do toKatherine? Whatwouldn't she do to her? But she knew it would only upsetStefanmoretotalkaboutit.

IthoughtDamonwasgoingtobetrayus,shesaid.

I did, too, said Stefan queerly. He was looking at his brother with an oddexpression.

Doyoustillhatehim?

Stefan'sgazedarkened.No,hesaidquietly.No,Idon'thatehimanymore.

Elenanodded.Itwasimportant,somehow.Thenshestarted,hernerveshyper-alert,assomethingshadowedtheentrancetothecrypt.Stefantensed,too.

She'scoming.Elena—

I love you, Stefan, Elena said hopelessly, as the misty white shape hurtled

down.

Katherinetookforminfrontofthem.

"Idon'tknowwhat'shappening,"shesaid,lookingannoyed."You'reblockingmytunnel."ShepeeredbehindElenaagain,towardthebrokentombandtheholein the wall. "That's what I use for getting around," she went on, seeminglyunawareofDamon'sbodyatherfeet."Itgoesbeneaththeriver.SoIdon'thaveto cross over runningwater, you see. Instead, I crossunder it."She looked atthemasifwaitingfortheirappreciationofthejoke.

Ofcourse,thoughtElena.HowcouldIhavebeensostupid?DamonrodewithusinAlaric'scarovertheriver.Hecrossedrunningwaterthen,andprobablylotsofothertimes.Hecouldn'thavebeentheOtherPower.

Itwasstrangehowshecouldthinkeventhoughshewassofrightened.Itwasasifonepartofhermindstoodwatchingfromadistance.

"I'mgoingtokillyounow,"Katherinesaidconversationally."ThenI'mgoingundertherivertokillyourfriends.Idon'tthinkthedogshavedoneityet.ButI'lltakecareofitmyself."

"LetElenago," saidStefan.Hisvoicewasquenchedbut compelling all thesame.

"Ihaven'tdecidedhowtodoit,"saidKatherine,ignoringhim."Imightroastyou.There'salmostenoughlightforthatnow.AndI'vegotthese."Shereacheddown the front of her gown and brought her closed hand out. "One—two—three!"shesaid,droppingtwosilverringsandagoldoneontotheground.Theirstones shone blue as Katherine's eyes, blue as the stone in the necklace atKatherine'sthroat.

Elena'shandstwistedfranticallyandshefeltthesmoothbarenessofherringfinger.Itwastrue.Shewouldn'thavebelievedhownakedshefeltwithoutthatcircletofmetal.Itwasnecessarytoherlife,tohersurvival.Withoutit—

"Without theseyou'lldie,"Katherine said, scuffing the ringscarelesslywiththe toe of one foot. "But I don't know if that's slow enough." She paced backalmosttothefarwallofthecrypt,hersilverdressshimmeringinthedimlight.

ItwasthenthattheideacametoElena.

Shecouldmoveherhands.Enoughtofeelonewiththeother,enoughtoknowthattheyweren'tnumbanymore.Theropeswerelooser.

ButKatherinewas strong.Unbelievably strong.And faster thanElena, too.EvenifElenagotfreeshewouldhavetimeforonlyonequickact.

Sherotatedonewrist,feelingtheropesgive.

"Thereareotherways,"Katherinesaid."Icouldcutyouandwatchyoubleed.Ilikewatching."

Grittingherteeth,Elenaexertedpressureagainsttherope.Herhandwasbentatanexcruciatingangle,butshecontinuedtopress.Shefelttheburnoftheropeslippingaside.

"Or rats," Katherine was saying pensively. "Rats could be fun. I could tellthemwhentostartandwhentostop."

Workingtheotherhandfreewasmucheasier.Elenatriedtogivenosignofwhatwasgoingonbehindherback.ShewouldhavelikedtocalltoStefanwithhermind,butshedidn'tdare.NotiftherewasanychanceKatherinemighthear.

Katherine's pacing had taken her right up to Stefan. "I think I'll start withyou,"shesaid,pushingherfaceclosetohis."I'mhungryagain.Andyou'resosweet,Stefan.Iforgothowsweetyouwere."

Therewasarectangleofgraylightonthefloor.Dawnlight.Itwascominginthroughthecrypt'sopening.Katherinehadalreadybeenoutinthatlight.But…

Katherine smiled suddenly, her blue eyes sparkling. "I know! I'll drink youalmost up and make you watch while I kill her! I'll leave you just enoughstrengthsoyouseeherdiebeforeyoudo.Doesn'tthatsoundlikeagoodplan?"Blithely,sheclappedherhandsandpirouettedagain,dancingaway.

Justonemorestep,thoughtElena.ShesawKatherineapproachtherectangleoflight.Justonemorestep…

Katherinetookthestep."That'sit,then!"Shestartedtoturnaround."Whatagood—"

Now!

Yankinghercrampedarmsoutofthelastloopsofrope,Elenarushedher.It

waslike therushofahuntingcat.Onedesperatesprint toreach theprey.Onechance.Onehope.

ShestruckKatherinewithherfullweight.Theimpactknockedthembothintotherectangleoflight.ShefeltKatherine'sheadcrackagainstthestonefloor.

Andfeltthesearingpain,asifherownbodyhadbeenplungedintopoison.Itwas a feeling like the burning dryness of hunger, only stronger. A thousandtimesstronger.Itwasunbearable.

"Elena!"Stefanscreamed,withmindandvoice.

Stefan, she thought. Beneath her Power surged asKatherine's stunned eyesfocused.Hermouth twistedwithrage, fangsburstingforth.Theywereso longtheycutintothelowerlip.Thatdistortedmouthopenedinahowl.

Elena'sclumsyhandfumbledatKatherine'sthroat.HerfingersclosedonthecoolmetalofKatherine'sbluenecklace.Withallherstrength,shewrenchedandfelt the chain give way. She tried to clasp it, but her fingers felt thick anduncoordinatedandKatherine'sclawinghandscrabbledatitwildly.Itspunawayintotheshadows.

"Elena!"Stefancalledagaininthatdreadfulvoice.

Shefeltasifherbodywerefilledwithlight.Asifsheweretransparent.Only,lightwaspain.Beneathher,Katherine'swarpedfacewaslookingupdirectlyintothewintersky.Insteadofahowl,therewasashriekingthatwentupandup.

Elenatriedtoliftherselfoff,butshedidn'thavethestrength.Katherine'sfacewasrifting,crackingopen.Linesoffireopenedin it.Thescreamingreachedacrescendo.Katherine'shairwasaflame,herskinwasblackening.Elenafeltfirefrombothaboveandbelow.

Thenshefeltsomethinggrabher,seizehershouldersandyankheraway.Thecoolnessoftheshadowswaslikeicewater.Somethingwasturningher,cradlingher.

She saw Stefan's arms, red where they had been exposed to the sun andbleedingwherehehadtornfreeofhisropes.Shesawhisface,sawthestrickenhorrorandgrief.Thenhereyesblurredandshesawnothing.

MeredithandRobert,strikingattheblood-soakedmuzzlesthatthrustthroughthehole in thedoor,paused inconfusion.The teethhadstoppedsnappingandtearing.Onemuzzlejerkedandslidoutoftheway.Edgingsidewaystolookattheother,Meredithsawthatthedog'seyeswereglazedandmilky.Theydidn'tmove.ShelookedatRobert,whostoodpanting.

Therewasnomorenoisefromthecellar.Everythingwassilent.

Buttheydidn'tdaretohope.

Vickie's demented shrieking stopped as if it hadbeen cutwith a knife.Thedog,whichhadsunkitsteethintoMatt'sthigh,stiffenedandgaveaconvulsiveshudder;then,itsjawsreleasedhim.Gaspingforbreath,Bonnieswungtolookbeyondthedyingfire.Therewas justenough light toseebodiesofotherdogslyingwheretheyhadfallenoutside.

SheandMattleanedoneachother,lookingaround,bewildered.

Ithadfinallystoppedsnowing.

Slowly,Elenaopenedhereyes.

Everythingwasveryclearandcalm.

Shewasglad the shriekingwasover.That hadbeenbad; it hadhurt.Now,nothinghurt.She felt as ifherbodywere filledwith light again,but this timetherewasnopain.Itwasasifshewerefloating,veryhighandeasy,onwaftsofair.Shealmostfeltshedidn'thaveabodyatall.

Shesmiled.

Turningherheaddidn'thurt,althoughitincreasedtheloose,floatingfeeling.She saw, in theoblongofpale lighton the floor, the smoldering remainsof asilverydress.Katherine'slieoffivehundredyearsagohadbecomethetruth.

Thatwas that, then.Elena looked away.Shedidn'twish anyoneharmnow,and she didn't want to waste time on Katherine. There were so many moreimportantthings.

"Stefan," she said and sighed, and smiled.Oh, thiswas nice. Thismust behowabirdfelt.

"I didn't mean for things to turn out this way," she said, softly rueful. Hisgreeneyeswerewet.Theyfilledagain,buthereturnedhersmile.

"Iknow,"hesaid."Iknow,Elena."

He understood. That was good; that was important. It was easy to see thethings thatwerereally importantnow.AndStefan'sunderstandingmeantmoretoherthanalltheworld.

Itseemedtoherthatithadbeenalongwhilesinceshe'dreallylookedathim.Sinceshe'dtakentimetoappreciatehowbeautifulhewas,withhisdarkhairandhiseyesasgreenasoakleaves.Butshesawitnow,andshesawhissoulshiningthroughthoseeyes.Itwasworthit,shethought.Ididn'twanttodie;Idon'twanttonow.ButI'ddoitalloveragainifIhadto.

"Iloveyou,"shewhispered.

"Iloveyou,"hesaid,squeezingtheirjoinedhands.

Thestrange,languorouslightnesscradledhergently.ShecouldscarcelyfeelStefanholdingher.

She would have thought she'd be terrified. But she wasn't, not as long asStefanwasthere.

"Thepeopleatthedance—they'llbeallrightnow,won'tthey?"shesaid.

"They'llbeallrightnow,"Stefanwhispered."Yousavedthem."

"I didn't get to saygood-bye toBonnie andMeredith.OrAunt Judith.YouhavetotellthemIlovethem."

"I'lltellthem,"Stefansaid.

"You can tell them yourself," panted another voice, hoarse and unusedsounding. Damon had pulled himself across the floor behind Stefan. His facewas ravaged, streakedwith blood, but his dark eyes burned at her. "Use yourwill,Elena.Holdon.Youhavethestrength—"

Shesmiledathim,waveringly.Sheknewthetruth.Whatwashappeningwasonlyfinishingwhathadbeenstartedtwoweeksago.She'dhadthirteendaystogetthingsstraight,tomakeamendswithMattandsaygood-byetoMargaret.TotellStefanshelovedhim.Butnowthegraceperiodwasup.

Still, therewasnopoint inhurtingDamon.ShelovedDamon,too."I'll try,"shepromised.

"We'lltakeyouhome,"hesaid.

"Butnotyet,"shetoldhimgently."Let'swaitjustalittlewhile."

Somethinghappenedinthefathomlessblackeyes,andtheburningsparkwentout.ThenshesawthatDamonknew,too.

"I'mnotafraid,"shesaid."Well—onlyalittle."Adrowsinesshadstarted,andshefeltverycomfortable,butasifshewerefallingasleep.Thingsweredriftingawayfromher.

Anacheroseinherchest.Shewasnotmuchafraid,butshewassorry.Thereweresomanythingsshewouldmiss,somanythingsshewishedshehaddone.

"Oh,"shesaidsoftly."Howfunny."

Thewallsofthecryptseemedtohavemelted.Theyweregrayaridcloudyandtherewassomethinglikeadoorwaythere,likethedoorthatwastheopeningtotheundergroundroom.Onlythiswasadoorwayintoadifferentlight.

"Howbeautiful,"shemurmured."Stefan?I'msotired."

"Youcanrestnow,"hewhispered.

"Youwon'tletgoofme?"

"No."

"ThenIwon'tbeafraid."

Somethingwas shiningonDamon's face.She reached toward it, touched it,andliftedherfingersawayinwonder.

"Don'tbesad,"shetoldhim,feelingthecoolwetnessonherfingertips.Butapangofworrydisturbedher.Whowas there tounderstandDamonnow?Whowouldbetheretopushhim,totrytoseewhatwasreallyinsidehim?"Youhavetotakecareofeachother,"shesaid,realizingit.Alittlestrengthcamebacktoher,likeacandleflaringinthewind."Stefan,willyoupromise?Promisetotakecareofeachother?"

"Ipromise,"hesaid."Oh,Elena…"

Waves of sleepiness were overcoming her. "That's good," she said. "That'sgood,Stefan."

Thedoorwaywascloser,socloseshecouldtouchitnow.Shewonderedifherparentsweresomewherebehindit.

"Timetogohome,"shewhispered.

Andthenthedarknessandtheshadowsfadedandtherewasnothingbutlight.

Stefanheldherwhilehereyesclosed.Andthenhejustheldher,thetearshe'dbeen keeping back fallingwithout restraint. Itwas a different pain thanwhenhe'dpulledheroutoftheriver.Therewasnoangerinthis,andnohatred,butalovethatseemedtogoonandonforever.

Ithurtevenmore.

He looked at the rectangle of sunlight, just a step or two away from him.Elenahadgoneintothelight.She'dlefthimherealone.

Notforlong,hethought.

Hisringwasonthefloor.Hedidn'tevenglanceatitasherose,hiseyesontheshaftofsunlightshiningdown.

Ahandgrabbedhisarmandpulledhimback.

Stefanlookedintohisbrother'sface.

Damon's eyeswere dark asmidnight, and hewas holding Stefan's ring.AsStefan watched, unable to move, he forced the ring onto Stefan's finger andreleasedhim.

"Now,"hesaid,sinkingbackpainfully,"youcangowhereveryouwant."HepickedtheringStefanhadgiventoElenaoffthegroundandhelditout."Thisisyours,too.Takeit.Takeitandgo."Heturnedhisfaceaway.

Stefangazedatthegoldencircletinhispalmforalongtime.

Thenhis fingers closedover it andhe lookedback atDamon.Hisbrother'seyeswereshut,hisbreathinglabored.Helookedexhaustedandinpain.

AndStefanhadmadeapromisetoElena.

"Comeon,"hesaidquietly,puttingtheringinhispocket."Let'sgetyousomeplacewhereyoucanrest."

Heputanarmaroundhisbrothertohelphimup.Andthen,foramoment,hejustheldon.

SixteenDecember16,Monday

Stefangavethistome.He'sgivenmostofthethingsinhisroomaway.IsaidIdidn'twantitatfirst,becauseIdidn'tknowwhattodowithit.ButnowIthinkIhaveanidea.

Peoplearestarting to forgetalready.They'regetting thedetailswrong,andadding things they just imagined. And, most of all, they're making upexplanations.Why itwasn't really supernatural,why there's a rational reasonfor this or that. It's just silly, but there's no way to stop them, especially theadults.

They're theworst. They're saying the dogswere hydrophobic or something.Thevet'scomeupwithanewnameforit,somekindofrabiesthat'sspreadbybats.Meredithsaysthat'sironic.Ithinkit'sjuststupid.

Thekidsarealittlebetter,especiallytheoneswhowereatthedance.TherearesomeIthinkwecanrelyon,likeSueCarsonandVickie.Vickie'schangedsomuchinthelasttwodaysthatit'slikeamiracle.She'snotthewayshe'sbeenforthelasttwoandahalfmonths,butshe'snotthewaysheusedtobe,either.Sheused tobeprettymuchofabimbo, runningaroundwith the toughcrowd.ButnowIthinkshe'sokay.

EvenCarolinewasn't sobad today. Shedidn't talkat theother service, butshetalkedatthisone.ShesaidElenawastherealsnowqueen,whichwaskindofcribbingoffofSue'sspeechfrombefore,butprobablythebestCarolinecoulddo.Itwasanicegesture.

Elena lookedsopeaceful.Not likeawaxdoll,butas ifsheweresleeping. Iknoweverybodysaysthat,butit'strue.Thistime,itreallyistrue.

But afterward people were talking about "her remarkable escape fromdrowning"andstufflikethat.Andsayingshediedofanembolismorsomething.Whichisabsolutelyridiculous.Butthat'swhatgavemetheidea.

I'mgoingtogetherotherdiaryoutofhercloset.AndthenI'mgoingtoaskMrs.Grimesbytoputtheminthelibrary,notinacaselikeHonoriaFell's,but

wherepeoplecanpickthemupandreadthem.Becausethetruthisinhere.Thisiswheretherealstoryis.AndIdon'twantanybodytoforgetit.

Ithinkmaybethekidswillremember.

IsupposeIshouldputwhathappenedtotherestofthepeoplearoundhere;Elenawouldwantthat.AuntJudithisokay,althoughshe'soneoftheadultswhocan'tdealwiththetruth.Sheneedsarationalexplanation.SheandRobertaregoingtogetmarriedatChristmas.ThatshouldbegoodforMargaret.

Margaret'sgottherightidea.Shetoldmeattheservicethatshe'sgoingtogoseeElenaandher parents someday, but not now, because therewere a lot ofthings she still had to do right here. I don't knowwhat put that idea into herhead.She'ssmartforafour-year-old.

AlaricandMereditharealsookay,ofcourse.Whentheysaweachotherthathorriblemorning,aftereverythinghadquieteddownandwewerepickingupthepieces, they practically fell into each other's arms. I think there's somethinggoing on there. Meredith says she'll discuss it when she's eighteen and shegraduates.

Typical, absolutely typical. Everybody else gets the guys. I'm thinking oftryingoneofmygrandmother'srituals,justtoseeifI'llevergetmarriedatall.Thereisn'tevenanybodyIwanttomarryaroundhere.

Well, there'sMatt.Matt's nice. But right now he's only got one girl on hismind.Idon'tknowifthatwilleverchange.

He punched Tyler in the nose after the service today, because Tyler saidsomethingoff-colorabouther.TylerisonepersonIknowwillneverchange,nomatterwhat.He'llalwaysbethemean,obnoxiousjerkheisnow.

But Matt—well, Matt's eyes are awfully blue. And he's got a terrific righthook.

Stefan couldn't hit Tyler because he wasn't there. There are still plenty ofpeopleintownwhothinkhekilledElena.Hemusthave,theysay,becausetherewasnobodyelsethere.Katherine'sasheswerescatteredalloverbythetimetherescuersgottothecrypt.Stefansaysit'sbecauseshewassooldthatsheflamedup like that. He says he should have realized the first time, when Katherinepretendedtoburn,thatayoungvampirewouldn'tturntoashesthatway.She'djustdie,likeElena.Onlytheoldonescrumble.

Some people—especially Mr. Smallwood and his friends—would probablyblameDamoniftheycouldgetholdofhim.Buttheycan't.Hewasn'ttherewhenthey reached the tomb, because Stefan helped him get away. Stefanwon't saywhere,butIthinktosomeplaceinthewoods.Vampiresmusthealfastbecausetodaywhen Imethimafter the service,Stefansaid thatDamonhad leftFell'sChurch. He wasn't happy about it; I think Damon didn't tell him. Now thequestionseemstobe:WhatisDamondoing?Outbitinginnocentgirls?Orishereformed?Iwouldn'tlaybetsoniteitherway.Damonwasastrangeguy.

Butgorgeous.Definitelygorgeous.

Stefan won't say where he's going, either. But I have a sneaking suspicionDamon may get a surprise if he looks behind him. Apparently, Elena madeStefan promise towatch out for him or something. And Stefan takes promisesvery,veryseriously.

Iwishhimluck.Buthe'llbedoingwhatElenawantedhimto,whichI thinkwillmakehimhappy.Ashappyashecanbeherewithouther.He'swearingherringonachainaroundhisnecknow.

IfyouthinkanyofthissoundsfrivolousorasifIdon'tcareaboutElena,thatjustshowshowwrongyouare.Idareanybodytosaythattome.MeredithandIcriedalldaySaturday,andmostofSunday.AndIwassoangryIwantedtoripthingsapartandbreakthem.Ikeptthinking,whyElena?Why?Whenthereweresomanyotherpeoplewhocouldhavediedthatnight.Outofthewholetown,shewastheonlyone.

Ofcourse,shedidittosavethem,butwhydidshehavetogiveherlifetodoit?Itisn'tfair.

Oh,I'mstartingtocryagain.That'swhathappenswhenyouthinkaboutlifebeingfair.AndIcan'texplainwhyitisn't.I'dliketogobangonHonoriaFell'stombandaskherifshecanexplain,butshewouldn'ttalktome.Idon'tthinkit'ssomethinganybodyknows.

IlovedElena.AndI'mgoingtomissherterribly.Thewholeschoolis.It'slikealightthat'sgoneout.Robertsaysthat'swhathernamemeansinLatin,"light."

Nowthere'llalwaysbeapartofmewherethelighthasgoneaway.

IwishI'dbeenabletosaygood-byetoher,butStefansaysshesentherlovetome.I'mgoingtotrytothinkofthatasalighttotakewithme.

I'd better stop writing now. Stefan's leaving, and Matt and Meredith andAlaricandIaregoingtoseehimoff.Ididn'tmeantogetsointothis;I'veneverkept a journal myself. But I want people to know the truth about Elena. Shewasn'tasaint.Shewasn'talwayssweetandgoodandhonestandagreeable.Butshewasstrongand lovingand loyal toher friends,and in theendshedid themostunselfish thinganybodycoulddo.Meredithsays itmeansshechose lightoverdarkness.Iwantpeopletoknowthatsothey'llalwaysremember.

Ialwayswill.

—BonnieMcCullough

12/16/91