The Return: Nightfall Chapter 23

Acoldfrisson went down Elenas back, the most delicate of shivers. Damon didntask for osculationes.This wasntright . no she whispered.Just one.Im not waiver to court you, Damon.Not me. Him. Damon denoted him with a tilt of his head toward matting. A kiss between you and your former knight.You wantwhat ? Matts eyeb on the whole snapped open and he got the words proscribed explosively before Elena could open her mouth.Youd like it, Damons voice had dropped to its softest, most insinuating tones. Youd like to kiss her. And theres no one to s meridian you.Damon. Matt struggled up out of Elenas implements of war. He seemed, if not entirely rec everyplaceed, perhaps eighty percent of the way there, besides Elena could key his heart laboring. Elena wondered how long hed lain feigning unconsciousness to get his strength back. The last thing I knew you were move to kill me. That doesnt exactly get you on my frank side. Second, people serious dont go a tumid kissing girls because t heyre pretty or their boyfriend takes 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 move your car so we can intrust? he said.Elena felt as if she were watching Matt from very far external and as if he was caged somewhere with a tiger and didnt distinguish it. The alter had become a very beautiful, wild, and dangerous office, 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. merely what was the sure way out?What was Damons real agenda?You can go, Damon said. 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 going to mean, Matt looked at Elena and so back at Damon. Elena tried to communicate silently with him, simply Matt wasnt in the mood. He looked Damon in the face and said, No way.Shrugging, as if to say,I did everything I could , Damon lifted the shaggy pine rod 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 leaned her cheek against his and said some 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? Please?The truth was that she knew too practically about stubborn males. Too some(prenominal) about how to manipulate them. It was a trait shed come to hate, provided right now she was too busy trying to hypothesize of ways to save Matts life to debate the ethics of pressuring him.She wished it were Meredith or Bonnie instead of Matt. Not that she would wish such pain on anyone, but Meredith would be coming up with Plans C and D change surface as Elena came up with A and B. And Bonnie would already induct lifte d tear-filled, heart-melting brown eyes to Damon.Suddenly Elena thought of the single red flash shed seen under the Ray-Bans, and she changed her mind. She wasnt sure she wanted 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 sometimes. But they both had brightly colored buttons somewhere inside them, labeledPUSH ME , and you just had to fiddle with the mechanism a little okay, sometimes more 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 back and forth, with the Virginia pine branch in his right hand, tapping it on his left hand palm. Oh, thatsright as if making a great discovery the girl and t he 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. But just as Bonnie was about to dud again, Meredith said, I found a different note knowly. A letter, really.Adifferent note? What does it say?Can you stand up at all? Because I think youd better have a look at this.Bonnie, who had only just gotten back her breath, managed to hobble over to the computer.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 might even beDead, Meredith said, her mind obviously following the same track 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 c alled Elena or Matt?I dont know I dont know what time it is. But I called twice after we left Carolines house and once at Isobels and when Ive tried after that, I either get a message that their mailboxes are full or it wont connect at all.Thats about exactly what Ive gotten. If they went near the Old 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. Good old e-mail we can use that to cast 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 trust Matts instinctive protectiveness for you, Merediths discretion, and Bonnies 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 make more trouble. She s 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 olive 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 thinking 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 fooled 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 question it, but lets see. Meredith pulled the roc king chair away, saying, Grab 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 nuzzle 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 glance and then Meredith said, Come in and let us help you. Bonnie was already taking the tray, and Mrs. Flowers was dumping the duffel bag on the floor. Meredith continued prying the board up.Food Bonnie said gratefully.Yes, turkey-and-tomato sandwiches. Help yourselves. Im sorry I was away so long, but you cant hurry the poultice for swell ings, Mrs. Flowers said. I remember, long ago, my boyisher brother always said oh, my goodness gracious 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 turned and began distributing cups of cocoa 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 cocoa and sandwiches, Meredith said after a few minutes worn-out(a) 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 subatomic 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 expose 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 cocoa, then reached down to gingerly speck 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 w asnt shuttered. For a moment Meredith thought she hadnt comprehend or didnt mean to answer. Then she said, slowly, I daresay you all think Im just a batty 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 lady 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 Bonnie felt her eyes go round. Mrs. Flowers just smiled again and nodded gently. Its been a real pleasure having a polite young man in the house, she said, taking the long poultice from the tray and wrapping it around M erediths 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 better and to sympathize with his problems, Mrs. Flowers continued, ignoring Bonnies attack 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 polite inquiry, but to Bonnies experienced eyes her expression was one of slightly morbid 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 quiet about it.Mrs. Flowers gentle watch had drifted back to them. I was a medium in my day. On vaudeville, you know. So hard to achieve a trance 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.