The Return: Midnight Chapter 9

Damon dropped his hand. He simply couldnt nominate himself do it. reason equal to(p) was weak, light- channeli specifyd, a liability in combat, easy to blur Thats it, he thought. Il use that Shes so naive Let go for a second,he coaxed. So I can go off the stave No Youl jump if I do Whats a stave? fair(a) express, al in unity breath. and stubborn, and impractical Was the bril iant light comening to flicker?Bonnie,he verbalize in a low voice, I am mortal(a) serious here. If you dont let go, Il make you and you wont like that, I promise.Do what he says,Meredith pleaded from nearlywhere quite close. Bonnie, hes modality unwrap(a) into the Dark Dimension how of all time youre office bring out to end up passing with him and youl both be serviceman slaves this term Take my handTake her handDamon roared, as the light in spades flickered, for an instant be orgasm less blinding. He could feel Bonnie fracture and nerve-racking to see where Meredith was, and because he heard her say, I cant And and so they were fal ing.The last time they had traveled through a Gate they had been follow y enclosed in an elevator-like box. This time they were simply flying. there was the light, and at that place were the two of them, and they were so blinded that somehow speaking didnt seem possible. in that location was only the bril iant, fluctuating, beautiful light And thusly they were standing in an al ey, so narrow that it on the nose barely al owed the two of them to character each different, and between buildings so high that there was al most(prenominal) no light belt down where they were.No that wasnt the reason, Damon thought. He remembered that blood-red perpetual light. It wasnt coming straightaway from either side of the narrow slit of al ey, which meant that they were basical y in deep burgundy twilight.Do you trueize where we are?Damon demanded in a furious whisper.Bonnie nodded, seeming happy somewhat having go intod that out a lready. Were basical y in deep burgundy CrapBonnie looked around. I dont smel some(prenominal)thing,she offered cautiously, and examined the soles of her feet.We are,Damon said slowly and quietly, as if he needed to soothe himself between each word, in a world where we can be flogged, flayed, and decapitated that for stepping on the ground.Bonnie tried a little hop and and thus a jump in place, as if diminishing her ground-interaction time mogul help them in some manner. She looked at him for further instructions.Quite suddenly, Damon picked her up and winded at her hard, as revelation dawned. Youre drunkhe final y whispered. Youre not raze awake Al this while Ive been showing to direct you to see sense, and youre a drunken sleepwalkerI am notBonnie said. And good in case I am, you ought to be nicer to me. You do me this way.Some distant part of Damon agreed that this was true. He was the one whod gotten the misfire drunk and then drugged her with truth serum and sleep ing medicine. But that was simply a fact, and had nothing to do with how he felt about it. How he felt was that there was no possible way for him to maintain with this al -too-gentle creature along.Of course, the sensible thing would be to get away from her very quickly, and let the city, this huge metropolis of evil, swal ow her in its great, black-fanged maw, as it would most certainly do if she walked a dozen steps on its streets without him. But, as before, something inside him simply wouldnt let him do it. And, he realized, the sooner he admitted that, the sooner he could draw a place to stupefy her and begin taking care of his own affairs.Whats that?he said, taking one of her hands.My opal ring,Bonnie said proudly. See, it goes with everything, because its al colors. I always wear it its casual or dress-up.She happily let Damon take it off and examine it.These are real diamonds on the sides?Flawless, pure white,Bonnie said, stil proudly. Lady Ulmas fianceLucen made it so th at if we ever needed to take the stones out and sel them She came up short.Youre going to take the stones out and sel them No No no no no noYes I wee to, if youre going to subscribe to any pass off of surviving,Damon said. And if you say one more word or fail to do exactly as I tel you, I am going to present you alone here.And then you wil die. He turned narrowed, menacing eyes on her.Bonnie of a sudden turned into a frightened bird. Al right,she whispered, tears gathering on her eyelashes. Whats it for?Thirty minutes later, she was in prison or as beneficial as.Damon had instal ed her in a second-story apartment with one window covered by rol er blinds, and strict instructions about charge them down. He had pawned the opal and a diamond successful y, and paid a sour, humorless-looking landlady to cultivate Bonnie two meals a day, escort her to the toilet when necessary, and otherwise entrust about her existence.Listen,he said to Bonnie, who was stil prognosticateing sil ently afterward the landlady had odd them, Il try to get tail to see you within three days. If I dont come within a week itl mean Im dead. Then you dont cry Listen then you need to use these jewels and this money to try to get al the way from here to here where Lady Ulma wil stil be we hope.He gave her a map and a little money alkali ful of coins and gems left over from the personify of her bread and board. If that happens and I can pretty wel promise it wont, your best chance is to try walking in the daytime when things are busy persevere your eyes down, your aura smal , and dont talk to anyone. Wear this sacking smock, and carry this bag of food. Pray that nobody asks you anything, scarce try to look as if youre on an errand for your master. Oh, yes.Damon reached into his jacket pocket and pul ed out two smal iron slave bracelets, bought when he had gotten the map. Never take them off, not when youre sleeping, not when youre eating never.He looked at her darkly, hard ly Bonnie was already on the threshold of a panic attack. She was trembling and crying, but too frightened to say a word. Ever since entering the Dark Dimension shed been keeping her aura as smal as possible, her psychic defenses high she didnt need to be told to do that. She was in danger. She knew it.Damon finished somewhat more leniently. I survive it sounds difficult, but I can tel you that I personal y arrest no end whatsoever of dying. Il try to visit you, but getting across the borders of the sundry(a) sectors is dangerous, and thats what I may have to do to come here. Just be patient, and youl be al right. Remember, time passes differently here than fanny on Earth. We can be here for weeks and wel get back practical y the instant we set out. And, look Damon gestured around the room dozens of star bal s You can watch al of them.These were the more common strain of star bal , the kind that had, not Power in them, but memories, stories, or lessons.When you held one to y our temple, you were immersed in whatever material had been imprinted on the bal .Better than TV,Damon said. Much.Bonnie nodded slightly. She was stil crushed, and she was so smal , so slight, her skin so pale and fine, her hair such(prenominal) a flame of bril iance in the dim crimson light that seeped through the blinds, that as always Damon found himself melting slightly. Do you have any questions?he asked her final y.Bonnie said slowly, And youre going to be? protrude getting the vampire versions of Whos Who and the Book of Peers,Damon said. Im looking for a lady of quality. aft(prenominal) Damon had left, Bonnie looked around the room.It was horrible. Dark brown and just horrible She had been trying to save Damon from going back into the Dark Dimension because she remembered the terrible way that slaves who were mostly humans were treated.But did he appreciate that? Did he? non in the slightest And then when shed been fal ing through the light with him, shed thought that at to the lowest degree they would be going to Lady Ulmas, the Cinderel a-story woman whom Elena had rescued and who had then regained her wealth and status and had designed beautiful dresses so that the girls could go to fancy parties.There would have been big beds with satin sheets and maids who brought strawberries and clotted cream for breakfast. There would have been amiable Lakshmi to talk to, and gruff Dr. Meggar, andBonnie looked around the brown room and the evident rush-fil ed pal et with its single blanket. She picked up a star bal listlessly, and then let it drop from her fingers.Suddenly, a great sleepiness fil ed her, qualification her head swim. It was like a fog rol ing in. There was absolutely no question of fighting it. Bonnie stumbled toward the bed, fel onto it, and was asleep to the highest degree before she had colonized under the blanket.Its my recess far more than yours,Stefan was saying to Meredith. Elena and I were deep asleep or hed never have manag ed any part of it. Id have noticed him talking with Bonnie. Id have realized he was taking you hostage. entertain dont blame yourself, Meredith.I should have tried to warn you. I just never expected Bonnie to come running out and cunt him,Meredith said. Her dark gray eyes shimmered with unshed tears. Elena squeezed her hand, sick in the pit of her domiciliate herself.You certainly couldnt be expected to fight off Damon,Stefan said flatly. pitying or vampire hes trained he knows moves that you could never counter. You cant blame yourself.Elena was view the same thing. She was worried about Damons disappearance and terrified for Bonnie. Yet at another level of her mind she was wondering at the lacerations on Merediths handle that she was trying to warm. The strangest thing was that the wounds appeared to have been treated rubbed slick with lotion. But she wasnt going to bother Meredith about it at a time like this. especial(prenominal) y when it was real y Elenas own fault. S he was the one who had enticed Stefan the night before. Oh, they had been deep, al right deep in each others minds.Anyway, its Bonnies fault if its anyones,Stefan said lamentable y. But now Im worried about her. Damons not going to be inclined to watch out for her if he didnt want her to come.Meredith bowed her head. Its my fault if she gets hurt.Elena chewed her lower lip. There was something wrong.Something about Meredith, that Meredith wasnt tel ing her.Her hands were real y damaged, and Elena couldnt figure out how they could have gotten that way.Almost as if she knew what Elena was thinking, Meredith slipped her hand out of Elenas and looked at it. Looked at both her palms, side by side. They were equal y scratched and torn.Meredith change shape her dark head farther, almost doubling over where she sat. Then she straightened, throwing back her head like someone who had made a decision. She said,Theres something I have to tel you Wait,Stefan whispered, putting a hand on her shoulder.Listen. Theres a car coming.Elena listened. In a moment she heard it too. Theyre coming to the boarding house,she said, puzzled.Its so early,Meredith said. Which means It has to be the police after two-dimensionality,Stefan finished. Id better go in and wake him up. Il put him in the root cel ar.Elena quickly corked the star bal with its meager ounces of fluid. He can take this with him,she was beginning, when Meredith suddenly ran to the opposite side of the Gate. She picked up a long, slender object that Elena couldnt recognize, even out with Power channeled to her eyes. She saw Stefan blink and survey at it.This needs to go in the root cel ar too,Meredith said. And there are probably earth tracks coming out of the cel ar, and blood in the kitchen. Two places.Blood?Elena began, furious with Damon, but then she shook her head and refocused. In the light of dawn, she could see a police car, cruising like some great white shark toward the house.Lets go,Elena said. Go, go , goThey al dashed back to the boardinghouse, crouching to stay low to the ground as they did it. As they went, Elena hissed, Stefan, youve got to Influence them if you can.Meredith, you try to clean up the soil and blood. Il get Matt hes less probably to punch me when I tel him he has to hide.They hastened to their appointed duties. In the middle of it al , Mrs. Flowers appeared, dressed in a flannel nightgown with a wooly pink robe over it, and slippers with bunny heads on them. As the inaugural hammering knock on the entry sounded, she had her hand on the door handle, and the police officer, who was beginning to shout, POLICE OPEN THE found himself bawling this directly over the head of a little old lady who could not have looked more frail or harmless. He ended almost in a whisper, door?It is open,Mrs. Flowers said sweetly. She opened it to its widest, so that Elena could see two officers, and the officers could see Elena, Stefan, and Meredith, al of whom had just arrived from the kitchen area.We want to speak to Matt Honeycutt,the fe phallic officer said.Elena noted that the squad car was from the Ridgemont Sheriffs Department. His mother inform us that he was here after serious questioning.They were coming inside, shouldering their way past Mrs.Flowers. Elena glanced at Stefan, who was pale, with tiny beads of sweat visible on his forehead. He was looking intently at the female officer, but she just kept talking.His mother says hes been virtual y living at this boardinghouse recently,she said, while the male officer held up some kind of paperwork.We have a warrant to search the premises,he said flatly.Mrs. Flowers seemed uncertain. She glanced back toward Stefan, but then let her gaze move on to the other teenagers. maybe it would be best if I made everyone a nice loving cup of tea?Stefan was stil looking at the woman, his face looking paler and more emaciated than ever. Elena felt a sudden panic clutch at her stomach. Oh, God, even with the gi ft of her blood tonight, Stefan was weak far too weak to even use Influence.May I ask a question?Meredith said in her low, calm voice.Not about the warrant,she added, waving the paper away.How is it out there in Fel s Church? Do you know whats going on?She was buying time, Elena thought, and yet everyone stopped to hear the answer.Mayhem,the female sheriff replied after a moments pause.Its like a war zone out there. worse than that because its the kids who are She broke off and shook her head.Thats not our business. Our business is purpose a fugitive from justice. But first, as we were driving toward your hotel we saw a very bright column of light. It wasnt from a helicopter. I dont suppose you know anything about what it was?Just a door through space and time, Elena was thinking, as Meredith answered, stil calmly, Maybe a power transmitter blowing up? Or a freak shaft of lightning? Or are you talking abouta UFO?She lowered her already soft voice.We dont have time for this,the m ale sheriff said, looking disgusted. Were here to find this Honeycutt man.Youre welcome to look,Mrs. Flowers said. They were already doing so.Elena felt ball over and nauseated on two fronts. This Honeycutt man.Man, not boy. Matt was over eighteen. Was he stil a juvenile? If not, what would they do to him when they eventual y caught up to him?And then there was Stefan. Stefan had been so certain, so convincingin his announcements about be wel again.Al that talk about going back to hunting animals but the truth was that he needed much more blood to recover. right away her mind spun into planning mode, faster and faster.Stefan obviously wasnt going to be able to Influence both of those officers without a very large donation of human blood.And if Elena gave itthe sick feeling in her stomach increased and she felt the smal hairs on her body stand upif she gave it, what were the chances that she would become a vampire herself?High, a cool, rational voice in her mind answered. Very hig h, considering that less than a week ago, she had been exchanging blood with Damon. Frequently. Uninhibitedly.Which left her with the only plan she could think of. These sheriffs wouldnt find Matt, but Meredith and Bonnie had told her the whole story of how another Ridgemont sheriff had come, asking about Matt and about Stefans girlfriend. The problem was that she, Elena Gilbert, had diednine months ago. She shouldnt be here and she had a feeling that these officers would be inquisitive.They needed Stefans Power. Right now. There was no other way, no other choice. Stefan. Power. Human blood.She moved to Meredith, who had her dark head down and cocked to one side as if listening to the two sheriffs clomping above on the stairs.Meredith Meredith turned toward her and Elena almost took a step back in shock. Merediths ruler y olive complexion was gray, and her breath was coming fast and shal owly.Meredith, calm and composed Meredith, already knew what Elena was going to ask of her. Enough blood to leave her out of control as it was being taken. And fast. That terrified her.More than terrified.She cant do it, Elena thought. Were lost.