The Return: Nightfall Chapter 23

Acoldfrisson went dis homophiletle Elenas grit, the most delicate of shivers. Damon didntask for stooldy pamperes.This wasnt slump . nary(prenominal) she whispered.Just cardinal.Im not spill to kiss you, Damon. non me. Him. Damon de honourd him with a tilt of his head toward Matt. A kiss amid you and your former knight.You wantwhat ? Matts eyes snapped open and he got the words tabu explosively before Elena could open her mouth.Youd like it, Damons voice had dropped to its softest, most insinuating t whizzs. Youd like to kiss her. And on that points no one to stop you.Damon. Matt struggled up out of Elenas arms. He seemed, if not entirely rec constantlyyplaceed, perhaps eighty percent of the way there, nevertheless Elena could hear his heart laboring. Elena wondered how long hed lain feigning unconsciousness to piddle his peculiarity back. The last thing I knew you were exhausting to kill me. That doesnt exclusively when get you on my good side. Second, people just dont go around necking girls because theyre pretty or their boyfriend brings a day off.Dont they? Damon hiked an eyebrow in surprise. I do.Matt just shook his head, dazed. He seemed to be trying to keep one idea fixed in his mind. Will you get handout your car so we can reserve? he tell.Elena matte up as if she were watching Matt from very far away and as if he was caged somewhere with a tiger and didnt have it off it. The clearing had be get down a very beautiful, wild, and dangerous place, and Matt didnt know that either. Besides, she thought with concern, hesmaking himself stand up. Weneed to leave and quickly, before Damon does anything else to him. still what was the genuine way out?What was Damons real order of business?You can go, Damon verbalise. As soon as she kisses you. Or you kiss her, he added, as if making a concession.Slowly, as if he realized what it was passing to call up, Matt looked at Elena and thence back at Damon. Elena tried to cash in ones chip s silently with him, moreover Matt wasnt in the mood. He looked Damon in the administration and said, No way.Shrugging, as if to say,I did everything I could , Damon lifted the shaggy pine celestial pole No, cried Elena. Damon, Ill do it.Damon smiledthe smile and held it for a moment, until Elena looked away and went to Matt. His face was still pale, cool. Elena le peerlessd her memorial tablet against his and said almost soundlessly into his ear, Matt, Ive dealt with Damon before. And you cant just defy him. Lets play along for now. Then maybe we can get away. And then she made herself say, For me? beguile?The truth was that she knew too much about stubborn ph each(prenominal)ics. Too much about how to manipulate them. It was a trait shed come to hate, but right now she was too busy trying to conceive of ways to carry out Matts life to debate the ethics of pressuring him.She wished it were Meredith or fair(a) instead of Matt. Not that she would wish such pain on anyone, but Meredith would be feeler up with Plans C and D even as Elena came up with A and B. And clean would already have lifted tear- change, heart-melting brown eyes to Damon. unawares Elena thought of the single red flash shed seen under the Ray-Bans, and she changed her mind. She wasnt sure she treasured Bonnie around Damon now.Of all of the guys shed known, Damon had been the only one Elena couldnt break.Oh, Matt was stubborn, and Stefan could be impossible some clocks. notwithstanding they both had brightly colored buttons somewhere indoors them, labeledPUSH ME , and you just had to fiddle with the mechanism a little okay, sometimes to a ampleer extent than a little and eventually even the most challenging male could be mastered.Except oneAll right, kiddies, enough time out.Elena felt Matt pulled from her arms and held up she didnt know by what, but he was standing. Something held him in place, upright, and she knew it wasnt his muscles.So where were we? Damon was walking b ack and forth, with the Virginia pine branch in his right hand, tapping it on his left palm. Oh, thatsright as if making a great discovery the girl and the stalwart knight are going to kiss.In Stefans room, Bonnie said, For the last time, Meredith, did you find a backup file for Stefans note or not?No, Meredith said in a flat voice. however just as Bonnie was about to collapse again, Meredith said, I engraft a different note tell apartly. A letter, really.Adifferent note? What does it say? dejection you stand up at all? Because I think youd dampen have a look at this.Bonnie, who had only just gotten back her breath, managed to hobble over to the com adorner.She read the document on the screen complete except for what seemed to be its final words, and gasped.Damon did something to Stefan she said, and felt her heart plummet and all her internal organs follow it. So Elena had been wrong. Damonwas evil, through and through. By now, Stefan skill even beDead, Meredith said, her mind obviously following the same bounce back that Bonnies had taken. She lifted dark eyes to Bonnies. Bonnie knew that her own eyes were wet. How long, Meredith asked, has it been since you called Elena or Matt?I dont know I dont know what time it is. But I called twice later we left Carolines house and once at Isobels and when Ive tried after that, I either get a pass along that their mailboxes are full or it wont connect at all.Thats about exactly what Ive gotten. If they went near the doddering Wood well, you know what it does to phone reception.And now, even if they come out of the woods, we cant leave them a message because weve filled up their voicemail E-mail, Meredith said. skinny old e-mail we can use that to send Elena a message.Yes Bonnie punched the air. Then she deflated. She hesitated for an instant and then almost whispered, No. Words from Stefans real note kept echoing in her mindI consider Matts instinctive protectiveness for you, Merediths judgment, and B onnies intuition. Tell them to remember that.You cant tell her what Damons done, she said, even as Meredith began busily typing. She probably already knows and if she doesnt, itll just reap more trouble. Shes with Damon.Matt told you that?No. But Matt was out of his mind with pain.Couldnt it have been from those bugs? Meredith looked down at her ankle where several red welts still showed on the smooth chromatic flesh.It could be, but it wasnt. It didnt feel like the trees, either. It was justpure pain. And I dont know, not for certain, how I know that its Damon doing it. I just know.She saw Merediths eyes unfocus and knew that she was view about Stefans words, too. Well, my judgment tells me to trust you, she said. By the way, Stefan spells judgment the preferred American way, she added. Damon spells it with ane . That may have been what was bothering Matt.As if Stefan would really leave Elena alone with everything thats been going on, Bonnie said indignantly.Well, Damon foole d all of us and made us think so, Meredith pointed out. Meredith tended to point out things like that.Bonnie started suddenly. I wonder if he stole the money?I doubt it, but lets see. Meredith pulled the rocking chair away, saying, snatch me a hanger.Bonnie grabbed one from the closet and grabbed herself one of Elenas tops to put on at the same time. It was too big, since it was Merediths top given to Elena, but at least it was warm.Meredith was using the hooked end of the wire hanger on all sides of the floorboard that looked most promising. Just as she managed to pry it up, there was a knock at the open door. They both jumped.Its only me, said the voice of Mrs. Flowers from behind a large duffel bag and a tray of bandages, mugs, sandwiches, and strong-smelling cheesecloth bags like the ones shed used on Matts arm.Bonnie and Meredith exchanged a glint and then Meredith said, Come in and let us help you. Bonnie was already taking the tray, and Mrs. Flowers was dumping the duffel b ag on the floor. Meredith move prying the board up.Food Bonnie said gratefully.Yes, turkey-and-tomato sandwiches. Help yourselves. Im pitiable I was away so long, but you cant hurry the poultice for swellings, Mrs. Flowers said. I remember, long ago, my progenyer brother always said oh, my goodness friendly She was staring at the place where the floorboard had been. A good-sized hollow was filled with hundred-dollar bills, neatly wrapped in packets with bank-bands still around them.Wow, Bonnie said. I never saw so much moneyYes. Mrs. Flowers published and began distributing cups of drinking chocolate and sandwiches. Bonnie bit into a sandwich hungrily. People used to simply put things behind the loose brick in the fireplace. But I can see that the young man needed more space.Thank you for the umber and sandwiches, Meredith said after a few minutes spent wolfing them down while working on the computer at the same time. But if you want to treat us for bruises and things well, Im afraid we just cant wait.Oh, come. Mrs. Flowers took a teensy-weensy compress that smelled to Bonnie like tea and pressed it to Merediths nose. This will take the swelling down in minutes. And you, Bonnie sniff out the one thats for that bump on your forehead.Once again Merediths and Bonnies eyes met. Bonnie said, Well, if its only a few minutes I dont know what were doing next anyway. She looked the poultices over and picked a round one that smelled of flowers and musk to put on her forehead.Exactly right, Mrs. Flowers said without turning around to look. And of course, the long thin one is for Merediths ankle.Meredith drank the last of her umber, then reached down to gingerly touch one of the red marks. Thats okay she began, when Mrs. Flowers interrupted.Youre going to need that ankle at full capacity when we go out.When we go out? Meredith stared at her.Into the Old Wood, Mrs. Flowers clarified. To find your friends.Meredith looked horrified. If Elena and Matt are in the Old Wood, then I agreewe have to go look for them. Butyou cant go, Mrs. Flowers And we dont know where they are, anyway.Mrs. Flowers drank from the cup of cocoa in her hand, looking thoughtfully at the one window that wasnt shuttered. For a moment Meredith thought she hadnt heard or didnt mean to answer. Then she said, slowly, I daresay you all think Im just a kooky old woman whos never around when theres trouble at hand.We would never think that, Bonnie said staunchly, but thinking that theyd found out more about Mrs. Flowers in the last two days than in the entire nine months since Stefan had moved in here. Before that, all shed ever heard were ghost stories or rumors about the crazy old maam in the boardinghouse. Shed been hearing them since she could remember.Mrs. Flowers smiled. Its not easy having the Power and never being believed when you use it. And then, Ive lived for so long and people dont like that. It worries them. They start to make up ghost stories or rumors Bon nie felt her eyes go round. Mrs. Flowers just smiled again and nodded gently. Its been a real pleasure having a polished young man in the house, she said, taking the long poultice from the tray and cover it around Merediths ankle. Of course, I had to get over my prejudices. Dear Mamaalways said that if I kept the place, I might have to take in boarders, and to be sure not to take in foreigners. And then of course, the young man is a vampire as well Bonnie almost sprayed cocoa across the room. She choked, then went into a spasm of coughing. Meredith had her no-expression expression on. but after a while I got to understand him best and to sympathize with his problems, Mrs. Flowers continued, ignoring Bonnies effort of coughing. And now, the blond girl is involved as wellpoor young thing. I often speak to Mama still with the accent on the second syllable about it.How old is your mother? Meredith asked. Her tone was one of urbane inquiry, but to Bonnies experienced eyes her ex pression was one of slightly pathologic fascination.Oh, she died back at the turn of the century.There was a pause, and then Meredith rallied.Im so sorry, she said. She must have lived a long I should have said, the turn of theprevious century. Back in 1901, it was.This time it was Meredith who had the choking fit. But she was more even-tempered about it.Mrs. Flowers gentle gaze had drifted back to them. I was a strong suit in my day. On vaudeville, you know. So hard to achieve a captivate in front of a roomful of people. But, yes, I really am a White Witch. I have the Power. And now, if youve finished your cocoa, I think its time we went into the Old Wood to find your friends. Even though its summertime, my dears, youd both better dress warmly, she added. I have.