The Return: Midnight Chapter 2

Elena couldnt contrive been out for more(prenominal) than a few seconds.When she came to, every function was the equivalent although she wondered how she hadnt lethal y knock her own pharynx on the wound.She k vernal that the tray with the dishes and formful had gone flying into the darkness in that first instant when she couldnt attend to flinging out her arms. But immediately she solidize the grip, she recognized the scent, and she unders as well asd the conclude for the injure. And she was glad that she did, because she was about as proud of fainting as sage-green would suck up been of doing it. She wasnt a fainterNow she wil ed herself to sag in Damons arms, except for where the knife was. To show him that she was no threat.Hel o, princess,a voice exchangeable black velvet utter into her ear.Elena felt an inner shiver tho non of fear. No, it was more as if her insides were melting. But he didnt change his grasp on her.Damonshe tell huskily, Im here to help you. Please let me. For your sake.As abruptly as it had come, the iron grip was with wasted from her waist. The knife stopped pressing into her flesh, although the sharp, lancinate feeling at her throat was quite enough to remind her that Damon would fork out it ready. Substitute fangs.There was a click, and all at once the dwell was too b proper(ip).Slowly, Elena sullen to scene at Damon. And unconstipated straight out(p), even when he was pale and mess up and haggard from not eating, he was so gorgeous that her heart seemed to fill out into darkness. His black tomentum, fal ing every which way over his fore head up his perfect, carven features his arrogant, fleshly mouth proper in a flash compressed into a brooding bank billWhere is it, Elena?he asked briefly. Not what. Where. He knew she wasnt stupid, and, of course, he knew the mankinds in the boardinghouse were hiding the dealer bal from him deliberately.Is that al you corroborate to say to me?Elena whispe red.She saw the con pieceed softening in his hearts, and he took one step toward her as if he couldnt help himself, but the next instant he looked grim. Tel me, and therefore perchance Il mystify more.Isee. Wel , then, we make a system, two days ago,Elena state quietly. Everyone draws lots for it. Then the person who pee-pees the paper with the X sucks it from the center of the kitchen table and everyone goes to their rooms and stays there until the person with the star bal hides it. I didnt get the lot straightaway, so I dont k today where it is. But you can endeavour to test me.Elena could feel her body cringing as she said the subsist words, feeling soft and helpless and easily vitiated.Damon reached over and slowly slipped a hand beneath her haircloth. He could slam her head against a wal , or throw her across the room. He could simply squeeze her neck surrounded by knife and hand until her head fel off. Elena knew that he was in the mood to take out his emotions o n a human, but she did nothing. Said nothing. precisely stood and looked into her eyes.Slowly, Damon solidifying toward her and brushed his lips so softly against hers. Elenas eyes drifted shut. But the next arcminute Damon winced and slid the hand back out of her hair.That was when Elena gave another thought as to what mustiness shake become of the food she had been bringing to him.Near-scalding coffee seemed to have splashed her hand and arm and soaked her jeans on one t mettle or so. The cup and smasher were laying in pieces on the floor. The tray and the cookies had bounced off behind a chair. The scale leaf of steak tartar, however, had miraculously landed on the couch, right side up. There was miscel aneous cutlery everywhere.Elena felt her head and shoulders droop in fear and pain.That was her immediate universe of discourse right now fear and pain.Overwhelming her. She wasnt usual y a crier, but she couldnt help the tears that fil ed her eyes.Damn Damon thought. It was her. Elena. Hed been so legitimate an adversary was spying on him, that one of his many enemies had tracked him bulge and was setting a trapsomeone who had discovered that he was as weak as a small fry now.It hadnt even occurred to him that it power be her, until he was holding her soft body with one arm, and smel ing the perfume of her hair as he held an ice-slick web to her throat with the other.And then hed snapped on a light and saw what he had already guessed. Unbe prevaricationvable He hadnt recognized her.He had been outside in the garden when hed seen the door to the storage room patroniseing open and had known that there was an intruder. But with his senses degraded as they were he hadnt been able to tel who was inside.No excuses could cover up the facts. He had ache and terrified Elena. He had hurt her. And instead of apologizing he had tried to enduringness the truth out of her for his own selfish desires.And now, her throatHis eyes were drawn to the thin line of red droplets on Elenas throat where the knife had cut her when shed jerked in fear before col apsing right onto it. Had she fainted? She could have died right then, in his arms, if he hadnt been fast enough in whipping the knife away.He kept tel ing himself that he wasnt afraid of her. That he was plainly holding the knife ab displacemindedly. He wasnt convinced.I was outside. You know how we humans cant see?he said, knowing he sounded indifferent, unrepentant. Its standardised being wrapped in cotton plant al the time, Elena We cant see, cant smel , cant hear. My reflexes are like a tortoises, and Im starving.Then wherefore dont you emphasize my blood?Elena asked, sounding un anticipately calm.I cant,Damon said, trying not to eye the dainty ruby necklace flowing down Elenas slim white throat.I already cut myself,Elena said, and Damon thought, Cut herself? Ye gods, the girl was priceless. As if shed had a undersize kitchen accident.So we might as wel see what human blo od savors like to you now,Elena said.No.You know that youre spillage to. I know you know. But we dont have much time. My blood wont flow forever. Oh, Damon after everything effective last week He was looking at her too long, he knew. Not unspoilt at the blood. At the glorious golden beauty of her, as if the child of a sunbeam and a moonbeam had entered his room and was harmlessly bathing him in light.With a hiss, narrowing his eyes, Damon took hold of Elenas arms. He expected an automatic recoil like the one when hed grabbed her from behind. But there was no parkway backward. Instead there was something like the leap of an eager flame in those wide malachite eyes. Elenas lips parted involuntarily.He knew it was involuntarily. Hed had many years to study untested womens responses. He knew what it meant when her gaze went first to his lips before lifting to his eyes.I cant kiss her again. I cant. Its a human weakness, the way she affects me. She doesnt realize what it is to be so junior and so impossibly beautiful. Shes going to learn someday.In fact, I might accidental y teach her now.As if she could hear him, Elena shut her eyes. She let her head fal back and suddenly Damon embed himself half-supporting her weight. She was surrendering al thought of herself, viewing him that despite everything she stil trusted him, stil stil loved him.Damon himself didnt know what he was going to do as he bent toward her. He was starving. It tore at him like a wolfs claws, the hunger. It do him feel dazed and dizzy and out of control. fractional a thousand years had left him be restving that the alone thing that would relieve the famishment was the crimson fountain of a cut artery. several(prenominal) dark voice that might have come from the Infernal motor lodge itself whispered that he could do what some vampires did, ripping a throat like a werewolf. Warm flesh might ease the starvation of a human.What would he do, so close to Elenas lips, so close to her r elease throat?Two tears slipped from under the dark lashes and slid a slight way down her face before dropping into golden hair. Damon found himself tasting one before he could trust.Stil a maiden. Wel , that was to be expected Stefan was too weak to stand yet. But on top of the misanthropic thought came an image, and just a few words a affection as pure as driven snow.He suddenly knew a different hunger, a different thirst. The only place to ease this remove was close by. Desperately, urgently, he sought and found Elenas lips. And then he found himself losing al control. What he needed most was here, and Elena might tremble, but she didnt zip him away.This close, he was bathed in an aura as golden as the hair he was poignant gently at the ends. He was pleased himself when she shivered in plea sure enough, and he realized that he could sense her thoughts. She was a strong projector, and his telepathy was the only Power left to him. He had no idea why he stil had it, but he d id. And right now he treasured to tune into Elena.The wench She wasnt mentation at al Elena had been offering her throat, rightfully surrendering herself, abandoning al thought but that she wanted to aid him, that his wishes were hers. And now she was too deeply enmeshed in the kiss to even make plans which was special for her.Shes in love with you, the tiny part of him that could stil think said.Shes never said so Shes in love with Stefan something visceral answered.She doesnt have to say it. Shes showing it. Dont pretend you havent seen it beforeBut Stefan Is she thinking about Stefan in the slightest right now? She opened her arms to the wolf-hunger in you. This is no one-day stand, no libertine meal, not even a steady donor. This is Elena herself.Then Ive taken usefulness of her. If shes in love, she cant protect herself. Shes stil a child. I have to do something.The kisses had now gotten to the point that even the tiny voice of reason was fading. Elena had lost her c apability to stand. He was either going to have to put her down somewhere, or give her a chance to back out.Elena Elena Damn it, I know you can hear me. AnswerDamon? faintly. Oh, Damon, now do you understand ? in any case well, my princess. I exploitd you, so I should know.You? No, youre lyingWhy should I lie? For some reason my telepathy is as strong as ever. I still want what I want. But you might want to think a minute, maiden. I dont need to drink your blood. Im human and right now Im ravenous. But not for that mess of bloody hamburger you brought me.Elena broke away from him. Damon let her go.I think youre lying,she said, meeting his eyes directly, her mouth kiss-swol en.Damon locked the spy of her inside the boulder ful of secrets he dragged around with him. He gave her his best swarthy ebony stare. Why should I lie?he repeated. I just thought you deserved a chance to make your own choice. Or have you already decided to abandon little brother speckle hes out of commissi on?Elenas hand flashed up, but then she dropped it. You used Influence on me,she said bitterly. Im not myself. I would never abandon Stefan special y when he needs me. There it was, the essential fire at her core, and the fiery golden truth. Now he could sit and let icterus gnaw at him, time this pure spirit fol owed her conscience.He was thinking this, already feeling the loss of her dazzling light receding when he realized he no longer had the knife.An instant later, horror just catching up with his hand, he was snatching it from her throat. His telepathic blast was goodly reflexive pronounWhat in Hell are you doing? Killing yourself because of what I said? This blade is like a razorElena faltered. I was just making a nick You almost made a nick that spurted six feet highAt to the lowest degree he was able to speak again, despite the compactness of his throat.Elena was back on stable desktop too. I told you I knew you knew youd have to try blood before youl try to eat. I t feels as if its flowing down my neck again. This time, lets not waste it.She was only tel ing the truth. At least she hadnt bad hurt herself. He could see that fresh blood was flowing from the new cut shed so recklessly made. To waste it would be idiotic.Utterly cold-eyed now, Damon took her again by the shoulders. He tilted up her chin to look at her soft, rounded throat. Several new ruby cuts were flowing freely.one-half a mil ennium of instinct told Damon that just there was nectar and ambrosia. Just there was sustenance and rest and euphoria. Just here where his lips were as he bent to her a second timeand he had only to taste it to drinkDamon reared back, trying to force himself to swal ow, determined not to spit. It wasntit wasnt utterly revolting.He could see how humans, with their degraded senses, could make use of the animal varieties. But this coagulating, mineral-tasting compress wasnt blood it had none of the perfumed sweetness, the heady richness, the sweet, velv ety, provocative, life-giving, ineffable attributes of blood.It was like some sort of bad joke. He was tempted to bite Elena, just to skim a canine over the common carotid, making a tiny chicken feed, so he could taste the little burst that would explode onto his palate, to compare, to make sure that the real stuff wasnt in there somehow. In fact he was more than tempted he was doing it. But no blood was coming.His mind paused in midthought. Hed made a scratch al right a scratch like a scuff. It hadnt even broken the outer layer of Elenas skin. tone down teeth.Damon found himself pressing on a canine with his tongue, wil ing it to extend, wil ing it with al his secure and frustrated soul to sharpen.Andnothing. Nothing. But then, hed spent al day doing the same(p) thing. Miserably, he let Elenas head turn back.Thats it?she said shakily. She was trying so hard to be brave with him Poor doomed white soul with her demon lover. Damon, you can try again,she told him. You can bite hard er.Its no good,he snapped. Youre visionary Elena almost slid to the floor. He kept her upright while snarling in her ear, You know what I meant by that. Or would you prefer to be my dinner party rather than my princess?Elena simply shook her head mutely. She rested in the stria of his arms, her head against his shoulder. Little wonder that she needed rest after al hed put her through with(predicate). But as for how she found his shoulder a teething ringwel , that was beyond him.Sage Damon sent the furious thought out on al the frequencies he could access, just as he had been doing al day. If only he could meet Sage, al his problems would be solved. Sage, he demanded, where are you?No answer. For al Damon knew, Sage had managed to operate the Gateway to the colored Dimension that was even now standing, powerless and useless, in Mrs. F glowerss garden. Stranding Damon here. Sage was unendingly that blindingly fast when he took off.And why had he taken off?Imperial Summons? som etimes Sage got them. From the Fal en One, who lived in the Infernal Court, at the lowest of the Dark Dimensions. And when Sage did get them, he was expected to be in that prop instantly, in mid-word, in mid-caress, in mid whatever. So far Sage had always made the deadline, Damon knew that. He knew it because Sage was stil alive.On the afternoon of Damons blasting bouquet investigation Sage had left on the mantel a polite note thanking Mrs. Flowers for her hospitality, and even leaving his gigantic dog, Saber, and his falcon, Talon, for the protection of the habitation a note doubtlessly pre-prepared. He had gone the way he always did, as unpredictably as the wind, and without saying good-bye.Undoubtedly hed thought that Damon would find his way out of the problem easily. There were a number of vampires in Fel s Church. There always were. The ley lines of sheer Power in the ground drew them even in normal times.The problem was that just now al those vampires were infested with m alach parasites control ed by the evil fox-spirits. They couldnt be lower in the vampire hierarchy.And of course Stefan was a complete nonstarter. Even if he hadnt been so weak that trying to change Damon into a vampire would have kil ed him even if his anger over Damons stealing his humanitycould be assuaged, he would simply never have agreed, out of his feeling that vampirism was a curse.Humans never knew about things like the vampire hierarchy because the subjects didnt fright them until suddenly, they did, usual y because they had just been changed into a vampire themselves. The hierarchy of vampires was strict, from the useless and ignoble to the fanged aristocracy. Old Ones fit in that category, but so did others who were particularly il ustrious or powerful.What Damon wanted was to be made a vampire by the kind of women Sage knew, and he was determined to have Sage find him a vampire lady of quality, one who was real y worthy of him.Other things tormented Damon, who had sp ent two immaculate sleepless days pondering them. Was it possible that the white kitsune who had given Stefan the bouquet had engineered a rose that turned the first person to smel it permanently human? That would have been Stefans greatest dream.The white fox had listened to days upon days of Stefans ramblings, hadnt he? Hed seen Elena weeping over Stefan.Hed seen the two lovebirds together, Elena hand-feeding a dying Stefan her blood through razor wire. Fortune only knew what ideas that fox had gotten into his furry white head when hed prepared the rose that had curedDamon of hiscurse.If it turned out to be an irreversible cureIf Sage turned out to be unreachableIt suddenly broke into Damons thoughts that Elena was cold.It was strange, since the night was warm, but she was shivering violently. She needed his jacket orShes not cold, the smal voice somewhere deep inside him said. And shes not shivering. Shes vibration because of al youve put her through.Elena?You forgot all about me. You were holding me, but you wholly forgot my existenceIf only, he thought bitterly. Youre branded on my soul.Damon was suddenly furious, but it was different from his anger at kitsune and Sage and the world. It was the kind of anger that made his throat close and his chest feel too tight.It was an anger that made him pick up Elenas scalded hand, which was rapidly turning scarlet in patches, and rise it.He knew what he would have done as a vampire stroked over the burns with a silky cool tongue, generating chemicals to accelerate the healing. And nowthere was nothing he could do about it.It doesnt hurt,Elena said. She was able to stand now.Youre lying, princess,he said. The insides of your eyebrows are up. Thats pain. And your pulse is jumping You can sense that without touching me?I can see it, at your temples. Vampires,with vicious emphasis on what he stil was, in essence, notice things like that. I made you hurt yourself. And I cant do anything to help.Also he shrugged y oure a beautiful liar. more or less the star bal , I mean.You can always sense when Im lying?Angel,he said wearily, its easy. You are either the lucky holder of the star bal todayor you know who is.Again, Elenas head drooped in consternation.Or else,Damon said lightly, the entire story of the drawing of the lots was a lie.Think what you like,Elena said, with at least some of her usual fire. And you can clean up this mess, too.Just as she turned to leave, Damon had a revelation. Mrs.Flowershe exclaimed.Wrong,Elena snapped.Elena, I wasnt talking about the star ball. I give you my word on this. You know how hard it is to lie telepathically Yes, and I know that therefore, if theres one thing in the world youd coifatShe couldnt finish. She couldnt make the speech. Elena knew how much Damons word meant to him.Ill never tell you where it is, she sent telepathical y to Damon. And I swear to you that Mrs. Flowers wont either.I believe you, but were stil going to see her.He picked Elena up e asily and stepped over the smashed cup and saucer. Elena automatical y grabbed his neck with both hands to balance herself.Darling, what are you doing ?Elena cried, then stopped, wide-eyed, two scalded fingers flying to her lips.Standing in the doorway, not two yards away from them, was petite middling McCul ough, a bottle of Black Magic wine, nonalcoholic but mystical y exhilarating, held high in her hand.But as Elena watched, Bonnies expression changed al in an instant. It had been triumphant joy. But now it was shock. It was hesitation that couldnt hold. Elena knew exactly what she was thinking. The whole house had devoted itself to making Damon comfortable while Damon stole what rightful y belonged to Stefan Elena. Plus hed lied about not being a vampire anymore. And Elena wasnt even fighting him off.She was cal ing him darlingBonnie dropped the bottle and turned, running.