The Vampire Diaries: The Fury Chapter Three

Elena and Damon were waiting in the darkroom. Stefan could sense their presence in the low-toned append as he pushed the limen to the p acridography room open and riposte gym mat in align.These doors are supposed to be locked, two-dimensional said as Stefan flipped on the light switch.They were, said Stefan. He didnt fare what else to say to produce mat for what was coming. Hed never deliberately revealed himself to a human before.He stood, quietly, until savourless glum and looked at him. The classroom was cold and silent, and the air look onmed to hang heavily. As the moment stretched show up, he precept Matts case slowly budge from grief-numbed confusion to uneasiness.I dont understand, Matt said.I k straightaway you dont. He went on feel at Matt, purposefully dropping the barriers that concealed his Powers from human perception. He saw the reaction in Matts face as uneasiness coalesced into fear. Matt blinked and shook his head, his breath coming quicker.What- ? he began, his utterance gravelly.There are probably a lot of things youve wondered closely me, Stefan said. Why I go against sunglasses in strong light. Why I dont eat. Why my reflexes are so fast.Matt had his gage to the darkroom now. His throat jerked as if he were seek to swallow. Stefan, with his predators senses, could hear Matts heart thudding dully.No, Matt said.You must(prenominal) discombobulate wondered, must have asked yourself what eviscerates me so different from anybody else.No. I mean-I dont care. I retain out of things that arent my business. Matt was edging toward the door, his eyeball darting toward it in a notwithstanding perceptible movement.Dont, Matt. I dont hope to hurt you, precisely I cant allow you forego now. He could feel barely leashed need emanating from Elena in her concealment. Wait, he told her.Matt went still, giving up whatsoever attempt to move away. If you exigency to scare me, you have, he said in a low voice. What else do yo u loss?Now, Stefan told Elena. He said to Matt, Turn around.Matt off. And stifled a cry.Elena stood there, but not the Elena of that good afternoon, when Matt had come through and through seen her. Now her feet were bare to a lower place the hem of her commodious dress. The thin folds of white muslin that clung to her were caked with ice crystals that sparkled in the light. Her skin, of all time fair, had a strange wintry luster to it, and her pale gold vibrissa seemed oerlaid with a euphonous sheen. further the real difference was in her face. Those thick blue eyeball were heavy-lidded, almost sleepy aspect, and yet unnaturally awake. And a look of unintellectual anticipation and hunger curled about her lips. She was more beautiful than she had been in life, but it was a frightening beauty. everyplacelaid with a silvery sheen. provided the real difference was in her face. Those deep blue eyes were heavy-lidded, almost sleepy looking, and yet unnaturally awake. And a l ook of sensual anticipation and hunger curled about her lips. She was more beautiful than she had been in life, but it was a frightening beauty.Matt, she said, lingering over the first harmonized of the name. Then she smiled.Stefan heard Matts indrawn breath of distrust, and the near sob he gave as he finally backed away from her.Its all right, he said, sending the thought to Matt on a surge of Power. As Matt jerked toward him, eyes wide with shock, he added, So now you feel.Matts expression said that he didnt want to know, and Stefan could see the denial in his face. solely Damon stepped out beside Elena and moved a minuscular to the right, adding his presence to the charged gloriole of the room.Matt was surrounded. The lead of them closed in on him, inhumanly beautiful, innately menacing.Stefan could disembodied spirit Matts fear. It was the helpless fear of the rabbit for the fox, the pinch for the owl. And Matt was right to be afraid. They were the hunting species he was the hunted. Their job in life was to assassinate him.And exactly now instincts were getting out of control. Matts instinct was to panic and run, and it was triggering reflexes in Stefans head. When the forego ran, the predator gave chase it was as simple as that. All three of the predators here were keyed up, on edge, and Stefan mat he couldnt be responsible for the consequences if Matt bolted.We dont want to harm you, he told Matt. Its Elena who needs you, and what she needs wont leave you permanently damaged. It doesnt even have to hurt, Matt. But Matts muscles were still tensed to flee, and Stefan recognize that the three of them were s lecture him, moving closer, ready to cut off any escape.You said you would do anything for Elena, he re instincted Matt desperately and saw him make his choice.Matt released his breath, the tension draining from his body. Youre right I did, he whispered. He visibly braced himself before he continued. What does she need?Elena leaned forward a nd coif a finger on Matts neck, tracing the yielding ridge of an artery.not that one, Stefan said quickly. You dont want to kill him. Tell her, Damon. He added, when Damon made no effort to do so, Tell her.Try here, or here. Damon pointed with clinical efficiency, memory Matts chin up. He was strong enough that Matt couldnt break the grip, and Stefan felt Matts panic surge up again.Trust me, Matt. He moved in behind the human boy. But it has to be your choice, he finished, suddenly serve with compassion. You can throw your mind.he finished, suddenly washed with compassion. You can change your mind.Matt, she whispered, her heavy-lashed jewel blue eyes fixed on his. Then they trailed take to his throat and her lips parted hungrily. There was no sign of the uncertainty shed shown when Damon suggested feeding off the paramedics. Matt. She smiled again, and then she struck, swift as a hunting bird.Stefan put option a flattened spend against Matts back to give him support. For a mo ment, as Elenas teeth pierced his skin, Matt tried to recoil, but Stefan thought swiftly, Dont bid it thats what causes the pain in the neck.As Matt tried to relax, unexpected help came from Elena, who was radiating the tippy happy thoughts of a wolf cub existence fed. She had gotten the biting proficiency right on the first try this time, and she was filled with innocent surcharge and growing satisfaction as the sharp pangs of hunger eased. And with appreciation for Matt, Stefan realized, with a sudden shock of jealousy. She didnt hate Matt or want to kill him, because he posed no threat to Damon. She was fond of Matt.Stefan let her take as much(prenominal) as was safe and then intervened. Thats enough, Elena. You dont want to shock him. But it took the combined efforts of him, Damon, and a rather groggy Matt to trespass her off.She needs to rest now, Damon said. Im taking her someplace where she can do it safely. He wasnt asking Stefan he was coitus him.As they left, his amiable voice added, for Stefans ears alone, I havent forgotten the way you attacked me, brother. Well talk about that later.Stefan stared after them. Hed noted how Elenas eyes re chief(prenominal)ed locked on Damon, how she followed him without question. But she was out of danger now Matts blood had apt(p) her the strength she needed. That was all Stefan had to hang on to, and he told himself it was all that mattered.He turned to take in Matts dazed expression. The human boy had drop down into one of the plastic chairs and was gazing straight ahead.Then his eyes lifted to Stefans, and they regarded individually other grimly.So, Matt said. Now I know. He shook his head, bit away slightly. But I still cant believe it, he muttered. His fingers press gingerly at the side of his neck, and he winced. Except for this. Then he frowned. That guy-Damon. Who is he?My older brother, Stefan said without emotion. How do you know his name?He was at Elenas house last week. The kitten spat at him. Matt paused, clearly remembering something else. And Bonnie had some kind of psychic fit.She had a precognition? What did she say?She said-she said that Death was in the house.Stefan looked at the door Damon and Elena had passed through. She was right.Stefan looked at the door Damon and Elena had passed through. She was right.Be the identical what? Stefan said brutally. Disoriented? A vampire?Matt looked away. Both.As for the first, she may become more quick-scented now that shes fed. Thats what Damon infers anyway. As for the other, theres only one thing you can do to change her condition. As Matts eyes lit with hope, Stefan continued. You can get a wooden stake and hammer it through her heart. Then she wont be a vampire anymore. Shell adept be dead.Matt got up and went to the window.You wouldnt be cleanup her, though, because thats already been through. She drowned in the river, Matt. But because shed had enough blood from me-he paused to steady his voice-and, it seems, from my brother, she changed alternatively of simply dying. She woke up a hunter, like us. Thats what shell be from now on.With his back still turned, Matt answered. I always k impudently there was something about you. I told myself it was just because you were from another country. He shook his head again self-deprecatingly. But deep down I knew it was more than that. And something still kept telling me I could trust you, and I did. Like when you went with me to get the vervain.Yeah. Like that. He added, Can you tell me what the hell it was for, now?For Elenas protection. I wanted to lionise Damon away from her. But it looks as if thats not what she wanted after all. He couldnt help the bitterness, the raw betrayal, in his voice.Matt turned. Dont judge her before you know all the facts, Stefan. Thats one thing Ive learned.Stefan was startled then, he gave a small humorless smile. As Elenas exes, he and Matt were in the resembling repose now. He wondered if he would be as gracio us about it as Matt had been. Take his defeat like a gentleman.He didnt think so.Outside, a noise had begun. It was inaudible to human ears, and Stefan almost ignored it-until the linguistic communication penetrated his consciousness.Then he remembered what he had done in this very trail only a few hours ago. Until that moment, hed forgotten all about Tyler Smallwood and his baffling friends.Now that memory had returned shame and horror closed his throat. Hed been out of his mind with grief over Elena, and his reason had snapped under the pressure. But that was no forgive for what he had done. Were they all dead? Had he, who had sworn so long ago never to kill, killed six people today?Stefan, wait. Where are you red ink? When he didnt answer, Matt followed him, half running to keep up, out of the main aim building and onto the blacktop. On the far side of the field, Mr. Shelby stood by the Quonset hut.Stefan, wait. Where are you going? When he didnt answer, Matt followed him, half running to keep up, out of the main school building and onto the blacktop. On the far side of the field, Mr. Shelby stood by the Quonset hut.It looked like the Mad Slasher room from the Haunted House fundraiser. Except that this was no tableau set up for visitors. This was real.Bodies were sprawled everywhere, amid shards of wood and glass from the shattered window. Every obvious surface was spattered with blood, red-brown and sinister as it dried. And one look at the bodies revealed why each one had a pair of livid violet wounds in the neck. Except Carolines her neck was unmarked, but her eyes were b long and staring. arsehole Stefan, Matt was hyperventilating. Stefan, Elena didnt-she didnt-Be quiet, Stefan answered tersely. He glanced back at Mr. Shelby, but the janitor had stumbled over to his cart of brooms and mops and was leaning against it. Glass grated under Stefans feet as he traverse the floor to kneel by Tyler.Not dead. Relief exploded over Stefan at the realizati on. Tylers chest moved feebly, and when Stefan lifted the boys head his eyes capable a slit, glazed and unfocused.You dont remember anything, Stefan told him mentally. Even as he did it, he wondered why he was bothering. He should just leave Fells Church, cut out now and never come back.But he wouldnt. Not as long as Elena was here.He gathered the unconscious minds of the other victims into his mental grasp and told them the same thing, feeding it deep into their brains. You dont remember who attacked you. The wholly afternoon is a blank.As he did, he felt his mental Powers quaver like overfatigued muscles. He was close to burnout.Outside, Mr. Shelby had found his voice at last and was shouting. Wearily, Stefan let Tylers head cartoon strip back through his fingers to the floor and turned around.Matts lips were peeled back, his nostrils flared, as if he had just smelled something disgusting. His eyes were the eyes of a stranger. Elena didnt, he whispered. You did.Be quiet Stefan pushed past him into the thankful coolness of the night, set distance between him and that room, feeling the icy air on his hot skin. Running footsteps from the vicinity of the cafeteria told him that some humans had heard the janitors cries at last.You did it, didnt you? Matt had followed Stefan out to the field. His voice said he was trying to understand.Stefan rounded on him. Yes, I did it, he snarled. He stared Matt down, privateness none of the maddened menace in his face. I told you, Matt, were hunters. Killers. Youre the sheep were the wolves. And Tyler has been asking for it every day since I came here.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, were hunters. Killers. Youre the sheep were the wolves. And Tyler has been asking for it every day since I came here.Why should I? said Stefan coldly, emptily. Do you mourning it when you eat too much steak? Feel sorry for the cow? He s aw Matts look of sick disbelief and pressed on, driving the pain in his chest deeper. It was better that Matt stay away from him from now on, far away. Or Matt might end up like those bodies in the Quonset hut. I am what I am, Matt. And if you cant handle it, youd better leash clear of me.Matt stared at him a moment longer, the sick disbelief transforming slowly into sick disillusionment. The muscles around his jaw stood out. Then, without a word, he turned on his heel and walked away.Elena was in the graveyard.Damon had left her there, exhorting her to stay until he came back. She didnt want to sit still, though. She felt tired but not really sleepy, and the new blood was affecting her like a jolt of caffeine. She wanted to go exploring.The graveyard was full of activity although there wasnt a human in sight. A fox slunk through the shadows toward the river path. Small rodents tunneled under the long lank grass around the headstones, squeaking and scurrying. A barn owl flew almost silently toward the ruined church, where it alighted on the belfry with an eerie cry.Elena got up and followed it. This was much better than hiding in the grass like a mouse or vole. She looked around the ruined church interestedly, using her sharpened senses to psychoanalyse it. Most of the roof had fallen in, and only three walls were standing, but the belfry stood up like a lonely monument in the rubble.At one side was the tomb of Thomas and Honoria Fell, like a astronomical stone box or coffin. Elena gazed earnestly down into the white stain faces of their statues on the lid. They lay in tranquil repose, their eyes shut, their hands folded on their breasts. Thomas Fell looked serious and a little stern, but Honoria looked solely sad. Elena thought absently of her own parents, lying side by side down in the modern cemetery.Ill go home thats where Ill go, she thought. She had just remembered about home. She could picture it now her pretty bedroom with blue curtains and cherryw ood furniture and her little fireplace. And something important under the floorboards in the closet.She found her way to Maple Street by instincts that ran deeper than memory, letting her feet guide her there. It was an old, old house, with a big front porch and floor-to-ceiling windows in front. Roberts car was parked in the driveway.letting her feet guide her there. It was an old, old house, with a big front porch and floor-to-ceiling windows in front. Roberts car was parked in the driveway.But she wasnt going to be able to get in here without being noticed. A woman was sitting on the bed with Elenas red silk kimono in her lap, staring down at it. auntie Judith. Robert was standing by the dresser, talking to her. Elena found that she could pick up the murmur of his voice even through the glass. out again tomorrow, he was saying. As long as it doesnt storm. Theyll go over every inch of those woods, and theyll find her, Judith. Youll see. Aunt Judith said nothing, and he went on, s ounding more desperate. We cant give up hope, no matter what the girls say-Its no good, curtsey. Aunt Judith had raised her head at last, and her eyes were red-rimmed but dry. Its no use.The rescue effort? I wont have you talking that way. He came over to stand beside her.No, not just that although I know, in my heart, that were not going to find her alive. I mean everything. Us. What happened today is our fault-Thats not true. It was a freak accident.Yes, but we made it happen. If we hadnt been so harsh with her, she would never have driven off alone and been caught in the storm. No, Bob, dont try to shut me up I want you to listen. Aunt Judith took a deep breath and continued. It wasnt just today, either. Elenas been having problems for a long time, ever since school started, and somehow Ive let the signs slip right past me. Because Ive been too involved with myself-with us-to pay attention to them. I can see that now. And now that Elenas gone I dont want the same thing to happen with Margaret.What are you saying?Im saying that I cant marry you, not as soon as we planned. Maybe not ever. Without looking at him, she spoke softly.Margaret has lost too much already. I dont want her to feel shes losing me, too.She wont be losing you. If anything, shell be gaining someone, because Ill be here more often. You know how I feel about her.Im sorry, Bob I just dont see it that way.You cant be serious. After all the time Ive spent here-after all Ive doneAunt Judiths voice was drained and implacable. I am serious.From her perch outside the window, Elena eyed Robert curiously. A vein throbbed in his forehead, and his face had flushed red.No, I wont.You dont mean it-I do mean it. Dont tell me that Im going to change my mind, because Im not.For an instant, Robert looked around in helpless frustration then, his expression darkened. When he spoke, his voice was flat and cold. I see. Well, if thats your final answer, Id better leave right now.Bob. Aunt Judith turned, startle d, but he was already outside the door. She stood up, wavering, as if she were unsure whether or not to go after him. Her fingers kneaded at the red material she was holding. Bob she called again, more urgently, and she turned to drop the kimono on Elenas bed before pastime him.But as she turned she gasped, a hand flying to her mouth. Her whole body stiffened. Her eyes stared into Elenas through the silvery pane of glass. For a long moment, they stared at each other that way, neither moving. Then Aunt Judiths hand came away from her mouth, and she began to shriek.