The Vampire Diaries #10: Destiny Rising (The Hunters #3) (2012)

Chapter 20

People were rushing past Elena on all sides, buffeting and banging against her, so she flattened herself against a tree. The noise was overwhelming - shouts and groans and bodies slamming together.

Klaus's army was too big, but her friends were holding their own. Stefan, his face a mask of fury, was grappling with a slim, fair-haired girl. When Elena caught a glimpse of the girl's face, her heart seemed to stop for a second. Katherine.

Elena had seen Katherine die, seen lines of fire crack her face open as she screamed. How could she be here? Katherine raised a hand and scratched at Stefan's face, her fingers bent into claws, and he twisted her arm viciously, snarling and knocking her to the ground, where they were lost to Elena's view.

Meredith was sparring with a handsome, dark-haired guy whose face was vaguely familiar to Elena. They were evenly matched, each blocking the other's blows with deadly speed and efficiency. Meredith looked tense and serious, without the gleeful expression she often had in battle.

Matt and Chloe had squared off against a female vampire, Chloe shielding Matt with her body and yanking the vampire's head back, trying to turn her so that Matt could stake her through the heart. The vampire snarled and twisted in Chloe's hands.

A wild howl came from one side of the clearing, making the hair on the back of Elena's neck stand up on end, and her eyes shot to the horizon: the sun was hanging low and a full moon had just risen. The rest of the werewolves had changed as they fought, and now the vampires who had been battling them in human form fell back as the Pack leaped eagerly upon them. Zander and Shay, who was easily identifiable by the reddish tint of her fur, pulled a vampire down together, their heavy bodies pinning him as they tore at his flesh.

Bonnie and Alaric were chanting in Latin, their voices steady but strained. Beside Elena, she could hear Andres muttering softly in Spanish. She glanced at him, and his aura was so clear she could see it without even trying: a circle the color of beech leaves in spring was spreading out from him, touching on their allies in the fight. She realized that like Bonnie and Alaric, Andres was using all the Power he could call on to protect her friends.

They were fighting hard, but there were so many of the vampires, at least twenty. Both men and women of different races and ethnicities, but all young, all beautiful. All with a certain mad savagery in their expression that echoed Klaus's. Their faces were wild with hate and with anticipation. They wanted to fight, Elena could tell, wanted to kill. One, a golden-haired boy who looked younger than Elena herself, high-school age maybe, wrestled a werewolf to the ground laughing, his face smeared with blood.

Katherine is here. The words repeated in Elena's brain as if they had significance beyond the fact that Klaus had resurrected her oldest enemy. Katherine was here . . . and Ethan had used the blood of the vampires Klaus had made to resurrect him.

Klaus had been calling upon old friends. With a sickening twist, Elena wondered: Could these all be vampires Klaus had turned, all gathered together like some kind of vicious tribe, some kind of family? And had Klaus used their blood to resurrect Katherine, to raise his most beloved child as he had been raised?

Through the brutally battling crowd, Klaus was coming toward her, his face gleeful. He was so handsome, she thought irrelevantly, and so terrifying. His ice-blue eyes were wide, and his golden skin glowed in the moonlight. His allies - his children - moved out of his way so that his path was effortless. Something shone in his hand. With a chill, Elena realized that he held an unsheathed dagger.

Elena couldn't move. She felt as if she were in a dream as Klaus came closer and closer, smiling and gliding easily through the crowd, until he was so close she could smell the coppery scent of blood on him. He took her arm rather gently, and his smile grew wider. He held her effortlessly still with his Power, and as she slid her eyes to the side, she saw Andres, his mouth open in horror, and realized Klaus was holding him still as well. Stefan, too, was fighting against Klaus's Power, desperate to reach Elena before it was too late.

"Hello, pretty one," Klaus said, his voice soft and intimate. "I think the time has come, don't you? I'm ready to taste you."

The dagger's blade flashed in the setting sunlight as he raised it to her neck. Elena, with the sharp focus of terror, saw its hilt gleaming with runes and patterns. From below the blade, a curious wry-faced beast, something like a lizard, grinned at her cruelly. And then she couldn't see the dagger anymore, because Klaus had pressed it to her throat.

Stefan, Elena thought. She could see him across the clearing, his face frozen in despair. Even though she was becoming a Guardian, she'd always thought things would work out so that she could be that normal, happy girl with him. His heart would break without her, she realized, and she had just a moment of pure sorrow for him and for what they could have had together.

She felt the freezing cold blade cross her throat, and then the heat of flowing blood. Klaus leaned closer, his breath cool and rank, then suddenly pulled back. The blood had stopped, Elena realized. And she couldn't feel the pain anymore. She was healing almost as fast as Klaus could cut her.

Klaus's blade couldn't kill her. Was this because she was a Guardian? she wondered dazedly.

Klaus growled in fury and slashed at her neck again. Elena felt a shock of pain, but again, the wound seemed to heal. The others were seeing what was going on now, although Klaus's Power must have been holding them at bay. Elena met Stefan's horrified eyes as Klaus shoved her away from him.

"Your magician and witch have found a way to protect you, have they?" Klaus sneered. He glowered at Bonnie and Alaric, who both took an automatic step backward, their faces white with fear, and then he turned back to Elena. "Don't worry, pretty one, it won't stop me from having you." His voice dropped to an insinuating whisper and he reached out with one finger to trace the line of Elena's upper lip. He smiled, but his eyes were furious. "I'll figure out a way around whatever they've done, believe me."

He raised his voice again, looking slowly around the clearing. "We like it here, my children and I," he announced. "All the fresh, young blood - it's a continual feast." A ragged cheer came from some of the vampires. He smiled again, his sharp, white canines gleaming in the last rays of the setting sun, and his hand tightened around Elena's jaw, dragging her forward. "In the end," he said, his voice low and intimate, "not one of your friends will survive us."

Klaus turned away, striding across the clearing. As he passed the Pack, frozen still and silent by his Power, he grabbed up the closest wolf in one smooth, quick move - Chad, Elena realized, recognizing his wiry frame and the white blaze at his throat - and threw him easily into a tree. Elena heard Chad's bones crack and then the wolf collapsed limply at the bottom of the tree, motionless.

Klaus grinned and lightning cracked across the sky. "He's only the first. I'll see you all soon." He sauntered slowly and carelessly into the woods. His vampires melted into the night after him. As Klaus's army vanished, Elena felt his Power release her at last, and she slumped to her knees. The Pack, the first to spring back into motion, raced to Chad's side.

Gazing across the clearing, Elena saw Stefan. He was pale and still, and as their eyes met, Elena saw a mirror of her own fear.

Chapter 21

Elena, oh Elena," Stefan said, stroking her hair, feeling the urge to pull her to him and never, never let her leave his side again. "I was so afraid that I'd lost you. That I'd failed you."

As soon as Klaus had left the clearing, releasing the compelled stillness he'd held them all under, Stefan had raced to Elena, taking her in his arms. They were still on the battlefield, everyone nursing their wounds all around them, but he couldn't let go of her even for a moment.

"I'm okay," Elena said, grasping his hand and holding it against her cheek, letting him feel how warm and alive she was. She sounded bewildered. "How can I be okay, though? Klaus cut my throat."

"Do you know, Andres?" Stefan said, turning to the Guardian beside them. Behind him hovered Meredith, Alaric, and Bonnie. Bonnie was watching the werewolves across the clearing as they gathered around Chad's body, but she lingered with the other humans, giving them some space. A few steps away, Matt and Chloe stood half in the clearing, half below the trees, murmuring quietly to each other.

"I don't know for certain what protected her," Andres said slowly.

"You must have a pretty good idea," Stefan said sharply. "Tell us." He knew he should treat Andres more gently; he was, after all, the only one who could help Elena through her transition to Guardianship. But Stefan was still terrified, feeling sick and hollowed out from the moment when he had seen Klaus draw his dagger across Elena's throat. And he was sure that Andres knew more than he had told them.

"I have heard that, sometimes, Guardians who have very dangerous assignments are given special protections as well," Andres said. The full moon lit up the clearing and he looked pale and worn in its light. "Most commonly, they are safeguarded against death by paranormal means. The Power - the Guardian Powers - can't make them immortal, because they have to stay in tune with nature. Elena could be run over by a car or die of disease, but, if this is what's happened, she can't be killed by a vampire's bite or a spell, or" - he waved a hand in the direction that Klaus and his family had retreated - "by a magical dagger."

"If Klaus and his vampires can't kill her," Meredith said, starting to grin a wild, delighted grin, "then we have a weapon. Elena's safe."

Andres frowned. "Wait," he said. "They can't kill her by supernatural means. If Klaus figures that out, he could kill her with a rope or a kitchen knife." Stefan flinched, and Andres looked at him sympathetically. "I'm sorry," he said. "I know. It's hard to love someone as fragile as a human."

A long, drawn-out howl, echoing with misery and loss, rose from the foot of the tree where Chad had fallen. The wolves had, as a Pack, raced to Chad's side as soon as the Power holding them in place had lifted. They had been nosing at the fallen wolf's shaggy body, whimpering and growling, trying to confirm what Stefan had known since Chad hit the ground: Chad was dead.

Not just humans, Stefan thought bleakly. Anyone mortal is so vulnerable to death.

"We need to take a vow," he said, looking around at the humans' stricken faces. "No one can know about Elena's Powers, or about her being a Guardian. Not anyone. If Klaus finds out, he'll find a way to kill her." He felt sick and dizzy with panic. If Klaus found out Elena's secret . . . He looked wildly around. With the Pack here, there were so many now who might slip and give her away.

Meredith met his eyes challengingly. "I will never tell," she said. "On my honor as a hunter and a Sulez."

Matt nodded fervently. "I won't tell anyone," he promised, and Chloe, her eyes wide, nodded along with him.

Bonnie, Andres, and Alaric all promised, too. Stefan held Elena close to him and kissed her again before, with almost a physical wrench, letting go and walking across the clearing. Approaching the circle of mourning wolves, he called softly, "Zander." The huge white wolf had laid his head alongside Chad's and, at Stefan's approach, jerked his head up to snarl a warning.

"I'm sorry," Stefan said. "It's very important. I wouldn't interrupt you if it weren't."

Zander pressed his muzzle to the top of Chad's head for a moment, and then stood and left the circle of wolves. Shay moved automatically in to take his place, laying next to Chad's body as if she could comfort the dead wolf.

When Zander was standing before Stefan, he stiffened and then writhed, his muscles contracting and expanding. Patches of bare skin began to show between the tufts of his thick fur, and he staggered up onto his hind legs as the direction of his joints reversed with a cracking noise. He was changing back into a human, Stefan realized, and the transformation looked painful.

"It hurts to change back when the moon is still full," Zander said gruffly, once he was standing before Stefan in human form. His eyes were reddened with grief, and he drew his hand roughly across his face. "What do you want?"

"I am so sorry about Chad," Stefan said. "He was a loyal member of your Pack and a valuable ally to the rest of us."

Chad had been a nice kid, Stefan thought, earnest and cheerful. His chest tightened as he remembered that Chad's death was ultimately Stefan's fault: Klaus had come to this part of the world to avenge Katherine, who had followed Stefan. Years of Stefan's own history, leading to the death of a skinny, friendly nineteen-year-old werewolf who had never done anyone harm.

"It's a risk we take when we fight - we all know it," Zander said shortly. His usually open face was closed off: Pack mourning was not for outsiders. "Is that all?"

"No, I need your word. Elena's Guardian Powers are the only reason Klaus couldn't kill her tonight," Stefan said. "I need you and your Pack to promise not to tell anyone she's a Guardian."

"Wolves are loyal," Zander said. "We won't tell anyone." He turned away from Stefan and took two long strides back toward the circle of wolves, his body changing as he went.

Huddled together at the edge of the clearing, Matt took Chloe's hand and noticed she was trembling, a small, tight shiver running through her body. He was cold, but vampires didn't get cold, did they?

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

Chloe pressed her free hand against her chest, as if she was having trouble breathing. "It's just that there were so many people," she said. "It was hard to concentrate. The blood - I could smell everyone's blood. And when the wolf died . . ."

Matt understood. Fresh blood had leaked from Chad's nose and mouth as he died, and Matt had felt Chloe stiffen beside him. "It's okay," he said now. "Let's head back to the boathouse. You just weren't ready to be around such a big group yet, especially with everyone's pulses pounding from the battle."

Watching Chloe closely, he saw her jaw shift shape as her canines involuntarily descended. No talking about pounding pulses, he thought.

Chloe turned her head aside, trying to hide her lowering canines, and Matt noticed something else. There was a long streak of blood along Chloe's jaw, near her mouth. "Where's that from?" Matt asked, hearing the sharpness in his own voice as he let go of Chloe's hand.

"What?" Chloe asked, alarmed, skating her fingers over her own face. "I don't . . . I don't know what you mean." She was looking away, though, avoiding Matt's eyes.

"Did you feed?" Matt asked, trying to calm down, to not scare Chloe. "Maybe from Chad after he died? I know it wouldn't have seemed as bad with him in wolf form, but werewolves are still people." And jeez, when did that become something I believed? he wondered.

"No!" Chloe's eyes flew open wide, the whites showing all the way around her pupil. "No, Matt, I wouldn't do that!" She wiped roughly at her face, trying to erase the mark. "We were together the whole time!"

Matt frowned. "Not the whole time," he contradicted. "I lost sight of you during the fighting for a while." Chloe knew they'd been separated. Why would she say differently?

Chloe shook her head hard. "I didn't feed from anyone," she insisted. But her eyes jittered nervously away and, with a sickening swoop of his stomach, Matt realized he had no idea what to believe. Chloe sighed. "Please, Matt," she said quietly. "I promise I'm not lying to you." Tears shone in her big brown eyes. "I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to become something to be afraid of."

"You won't," Matt promised her. "I'll keep you safe." Chloe leaned her face against his, forehead to forehead, and they stayed that way for a while, breathing quietly. I will, Matt promised himself silently. I can help her.

Chapter 22

Stefan held Elena close to him, ran his fingers through her silky hair, and felt her heart beating against his chest. When their lips met, he could feel her fear and weariness, as well as her wonder at her new Powers. Elena was sensing his own mixture of love and fear, and his delight at the new protection Elena had. She was sending him a constant stream of love and reassurance, which he returned in kind.

It was a marvel to him always, the way the world stopped, however bad things were, when Elena was in his arms. This human girl was his light and his touchstone, the one thing he could rely on.

"Sleep well, my love," he said, reluctantly releasing her. Elena kissed him one more time before going into her dorm room and shutting the door. Stefan hated to see her go; he couldn't erase the image of Klaus slicing her throat. Still, Bonnie and Meredith would be there. Elena had always been strong and independent and now she had Power of her own. He would be only a couple of floors above if she needed him.

Stefan trudged up the two flights of stairs between Elena's room and his own and unlocked his door. His room was dark and peaceful and he thought that although he would not sleep, he might lie down and let the world turn without him for a few hours.

As he closed the door behind him, he caught sight of a flash of white out on the balcony.

Katherine. His slow-beating heart seemed to stop for a moment. She was leaning gracefully against the balcony's railing, looking deceptively young and delicate in a long, white dress. She must have flown up, and waited for him just outside.

His first thought was to barricade the door to the balcony, to keep her out. His second was to arm himself with a stake and attack her. But she could have easily come in already: he wasn't alive; there was no barrier preventing a vampire from entering his room. There was no point in attacking her when she would see him coming, her eyes steady on his through the glass of the balcony door.

"Katherine," he said, stepping out onto the balcony, keeping his voice neutral. "What do you want?"

"Dear Stefan," she said mockingly. "Is that any way to greet your first love?" She smiled at him. He didn't know how he could ever have thought she and Elena looked alike. Their features were similar, certainly, but Elena's were firmer, her hair more golden, her eyes a deeper blue. Katherine seemed waiflike and frail in the style of her times, Elena more muscular and strong. And the love and warmth he saw in Elena's eyes was nothing like the malice Katherine's held.

"Did Klaus send you?" he asked, ignoring her comment.

"Where's Damon?" Katherine asked, playing the same game. She tilted her head flirtatiously. "You two were getting along so well the last time I saw you. Trouble in paradise already?" Stefan didn't answer, and her smile grew. "Damon should have taken my offer. He would have been happier with me."

Stefan shrugged, refusing to let Katherine see she'd gotten under his skin. "Damon didn't love you anymore, Katherine," he said, adding vindictively, "You weren't the one he wanted."

"Oh, yes, Elena," Katherine said. She came closer to Stefan and traced her fingers along his arm, glancing up at him through her eyelashes.

"Leave her alone," Stefan snapped.

"I'm not mad at Elena anymore," she said softly. "I had a lot of time to think. After she killed me."

"Really," Stefan said dryly, stepping away from Katherine's lingering touches. "So being dead gave you time to get over your jealousy of Elena?"

Seeing that he wasn't responding to her pseudoinnocent flirtations, Katherine straightened up, her face hardening. "You'd be surprised how much you learn, being dead," she said. "I saw everything. And I see what's going on with Elena and Damon. In fact" - she smiled, her long, pointed canines shining in the moonlight - "it seems Elena and I have more in common than I ever knew."

Stefan ignored the pang he felt thinking of Elena and Damon together. He trusted Elena now, and he wasn't going to fall for Katherine's games. "If you hurt her, or any of the innocent people here, I'll find a way to kill you," he said. "And this time, you'll stay dead."

Katherine laughed, a soft, bell-like sound that took him back for a moment to the gardens of his father's palazzo, many lifetimes ago. "Poor Stefan," she said. "So loyal, so loving. I've missed your passion, you know." She reached up and brushed one soft, cool hand across his cheek. "It's good to see you again." Stepping backward, she changed, her delicate form rippling in her white dress until a snowy owl spread its wings on the railing and quickly rose into the night.

Bonnie stared out the window of Zander's dorm room. It had been a long night, but now dawn was breaking, pink and gold, over the quad. She had come over an hour before, as soon as Zander had called her to tell her he needed her. When Bonnie had arrived, Zander had taken her in his arms and held her close, his eyes tightly shut, as if he was blocking everything else out, just for a moment.

Now the rest of the Pack was gone and Shay and Zander were hunched over Zander's desk behind Bonnie, sketching battle plans on scraps of paper.

"Tristan's not as strong as he should be," Shay was saying. "If we flank him with Enrique and Jared, they can compensate for his weak left forefoot."

Zander made a low, thoughtful sound. "Tristan pulled a hamstring back at the beginning of the year, but I thought he was almost healed. I'll work out with him and see if he can get back up to speed."

"Until then, we'll need to make sure he's covered," Shay said. "Marcus is strong, but he has a tendency to hesitate. What should we do about that?"

Before tonight, Bonnie hadn't quite understood what it meant that Zander was the Alpha. The Pack had mourned Chad tonight, first as wolves and then, as the moon set, as people. There had been howling and, later, speeches and tears, remembering their friend. And throughout, Zander had taken charge, guiding his friends and supporting them through their grief.

And now, the night over, he and Shay were strategizing the best ways to keep their Pack safe in the future. They were always focused on the good of their Pack.

Bonnie now understood exactly why the High Wolf Council had chosen an Alpha female for Zander when they were younger, not just as a mate, but as a partner.

Bonnie turned as Zander stood up. "Okay," he said, rubbing his eyes. "Let's call it a night. We'll get the guys together this afternoon, see how they're doing."

"I'll head back and call you in a few hours when I'm up," Shay said, getting to her feet. They hugged and she clung to him for a minute. Separating from Zander, she gave Bonnie a stiff nod. "Later, Bonnie," she said coolly.

As the door closed behind Shay, Zander stretched out his arms to Bonnie. "Hey there," he said, and gave her his long, slow smile. Even paired with the pain in his eyes, that smile was devastating, and Bonnie went to him, twining her arms around him.

But even as she held him close, it didn't feel quite right. Zander must have sensed a stiffness in her because he pulled back, his wide, blue eyes searching hers. "What's up?" he said softly. "Are you okay? I know things are really hard."

Bonnie's eyes stung, and she had to let go of Zander with one hand so that she could wipe at them. It was just like Zander: his friend was dead, he'd spent the night comforting and protecting his Pack, and now he was worried about how Bonnie was doing?

"I'm fine," she said. "Just tired."

Zander caught her hand. "Hey," he said. "Seriously, what is it? Tell me."

Bonnie sighed. "I love you, Zander," she said slowly, and stopped.

Zander's eyes narrowed and he half frowned. "Why does that sound like there's a but at the end?" he asked.

"I love you, but I'm not sure that I'm good for you," Bonnie said miserably. "I see you and Shay together . . . taking care of each other, fighting side by side, looking out for the Pack together, and I can't do that. Maybe the High Wolf Council is right about what you need."

"The High Wolf . . . Bonnie, what do they have to do with this? They don't decide what I want," Zander said, his voice rising.

"I can't be that for you, Zander," Bonnie said. "I don't know. Maybe we both need some time to figure out what the future holds. What's best for us. Even if it's not . . ." Her voice broke, and she swallowed hard before continuing. "Even if it's not being together." She was looking down at her clutched hands, twisting them, unable to look Zander in the eye. "I do love you," she said desperately. "But maybe that's not all that matters."

"Bonnie," Zander said reasonably, stepping between her and the door. "This is ridiculous. We can figure this all out."

"I hope so," Bonnie said. "But for right now, I know I'm not the one you need by your side." She was trying to sound reasonable, but she heard her voice crack as she spoke.

Zander grunted a denial and reached out for Bonnie again, but she ducked away. She had to leave his room before she lost her nerve. She was sure that this was the right thing, the best thing - Zander had responsibilities, he needed someone who could understand them and be a true partner for him - but if she didn't leave right now, she was going to fall flat on the floor and wrap her arms around his legs, begging him not to let her go.

"Bonnie," Zander said as she pushed by him. "Stay." She kept moving toward the door without answering. After a moment of silence, she heard Zander sit heavily on the bed.

Bonnie tried not to look back, but she couldn't help sneaking a glance at Zander as she closed the door behind her. He was hunched over, miserable, as if he was protecting himself from a blow. Maybe she was doing the right thing, or maybe she just ruined the best thing that had ever happened to her. She just didn't know.

Chapter 23

Stupid Guardians, Elena thought, hurrying away from the gym. If they want something from me, why can't they just tell me? She and Meredith had been sparring before Meredith's morning class and now she was in a rush to get back home. Being alone on campus made her nervous, and she wasn't sure if it was paranoia, but something felt close to Elena. Too close.

The Guardians were game players; that was all there was to it. Not straightforward, not honest. Nothing like me, she told herself fiercely. Not anymore, not for a long time. Andres certainly wasn't like them, anyway, which was a reassuring fact.

She caught a glimpse of a figure out of the corner of her eye, just the barest impression of movement. All across campus she'd had the creeping sensation of being watched. Someone was following her.

Elena whipped around, but where she had been sure she'd seen another person, there was no one.

The back of her neck prickled, and she hunched her shoulders unhappily. Was Klaus out there? She tried to sense him, but felt nothing. She couldn't see an aura anywhere.

She pulled out her phone and tried to call Stefan. She didn't want to take her chances, and she would feel much safer if she weren't alone. Where was everyone? It was the middle of the morning - although the campus had gotten emptier and emptier as the students got more nervous and classes were canceled, there should have been someone else somewhere around.

Stefan didn't pick up. Shoving the phone back into her bag, she walked faster.

Just as she reached her dorm, a cool, commanding voice spoke behind her. "Elena Gilbert."

Elena froze and then, slowly, turned around. "Yes?" she said.

The tall woman standing behind her was serious and businesslike, her blond hair pulled back in a neat bun, dressed in a simple navy suit. Golden-flecked blue eyes gazed solemnly at Elena. This woman was not Ryannen, the Guardian of the Celestial Court who had once tried to recruit Elena to their ranks, but she was similar enough that Elena had to look carefully to be sure. The likeness bothered Elena: Ryannen had not been kind, not at all.

Quickly, she tried to read the woman's aura, but saw nothing but white light.

After a swift all-encompassing glance at Elena the woman said levelly, "I am Mylea, one of the Principal Guardians, and I have come to administer your oath of Guardianship and assign you your first task."

Elena immediately stiffened. This was what she had been waiting for, true. But was she completely ready? "Wait a minute," she said. "I'd like to know more before I swear any oaths. Were you one of the Guardians that killed my parents?"

The Guardian frowned, a line appearing between her perfectly arched eyebrows. "I'm not here to discuss the past, Elena. You have done your best to awaken your Powers even before my approach. You have brought another human Guardian here to guide and teach you. It's clear from your actions that you are eager for the responsibilities and abilities only Guardians have. You will be given the information that you need after you take your oath."

Flustered, Elena bit her lip. Everything Mylea said was true. Elena had already accepted that she was going to be a Guardian. No matter how tragic her parents' death was, nothing Mylea said now would bring them back. Elena had to think of all the people she could save with her Guardian Powers in full effect.

Mylea shrugged and continued. "Your life was always fated thus," she said calmly. "I could not stop it any more than I could stop the leaves from changing in the autumn." A glimpse of humor flashed suddenly across her face, making it infinitely more human. "Which means, perhaps I could stop it, but it would be difficult and in the end would cause great harm to both you and your world. What will be will be." Then the touch of humor faded, and she stared at Elena, businesslike once more. "Time is short," she said. "Answer yes or no: Are you prepared to give your oath and receive your task?"

"Yes," Elena said, and shivered. Her agreement was irrevocable. There was no changing her mind now, she knew. But she was about to be given the Power she needed to fight Klaus.

"Come, then," Mylea said. She led Elena around the corner of the dorm and into a walled alcove where an oak tree grew. Closing her eyes for a second, she nodded, and then opened them again. "No one will bother us here. Kneel and hold out your hand."

Hesitantly, Elena got to her knees on the cold grass beneath the tree and held her right hand out before her. Mylea firmly turned Elena's hand over so that it was extended palm up, and pulled a small silver, blue-jeweled dagger from her pocket. Before Elena could react, Mylea had quickly drawn the dagger across Elena's palm in a curved pattern, blood springing up in its wake. Elena hissed at the pain and automatically tried to pull back her hand, but Mylea's grip was strong.

"Repeat after me," she said. "I, Elena Gilbert, pledge to use my Powers for the betterment of the human race. I will gladly accept the tasks given me and see them to completion. I will shelter the weak and guide the strong. I acknowledge that my tasks are for the greater good and, should I fail to fulfill them, I may be subject to losing my Powers and being reassigned to the Celestial Court." Elena hesitated - reassigned to the Celestial Court? - but Mylea's eyes were steady and she could feel the pull of Power all around her. Blood ran down her wrist as she repeated Mylea's words, Mylea prompting her when she hesitated. The blood dripped from her hand onto the roots of the oak tree and soaked into the earth. As Elena spoke the last words, the cut across her hand healed, leaving a pale figure eight of scar tissue across her palm.

"The symbol of infinity and of the Celestial Court," Mylea said, giving Elena a small smile. She helped Elena to her feet and kissed her ceremoniously on both cheeks. "Welcome, sister," she said.

"What does it mean by 'lose my place on Earth and be reassigned to the Celestial Court'?" Elena asked. "I'm a human - I belong here."

Mylea frowned, tilting her head to one side to study Elena. "You are no longer a human," she said. "That is the price we have to pay."

Elena gaped at her, horrified, and Mylea waved a hand dismissively and went on. "But you will remain on Earth as long as you perform your duties properly. And now for your first task. An old vampire has come to your campus, one who has caused much damage across the world. He is strong and clever, but you have confronted him before and escaped unscathed. The history you share will give you the ability to defeat him now that your Power is blossoming. At one time, he was no longer a threat."

Elena nodded, thinking of the year Klaus had been dead. "But now he has begun to kill and brought himself to our attention once again. His fate is sealed," Mylea continued. "You must kill the vampire Damon Salvatore."

Elena gasped. No, she thought dazedly. Klaus, she's supposed to say Klaus.

In the split second in which Elena was reeling, Mylea turned neatly away, pulling an elaborate golden key from her pocket, and twisted the key in midair.

"No!" Elena said, finding her voice. But she was too late. The empty air rippled, and Mylea was gone.

Chapter 24

Stefan had a very strong sense of deja vu. Here he was again, heavyhearted outside the dark wood door of Damon's apartment, ready to plead with his brother but knowing already that his words would be pointless. He could hear Damon moving quietly inside the apartment, the pages of a book flicking, his brother's shallow breaths, and he knew that Damon could hear him, too, hesitating in the hall.

He knocked. This time, when Damon opened the door, he didn't immediately snarl at Stefan but instead gazed at him patiently, waiting for Stefan to speak.

"I know you don't want to see me," Stefan said. "But I thought I should tell you what's going on."

Damon stepped back and waved Stefan in. "Whatever you like, little brother," he said airily. "I'm afraid I can't ask you to stay long, though. I've got a date with a delicious little undergraduate." His smile broadened as Stefan winced.

Deciding not to respond to that, Stefan sank down into one of sleek chrome-and-pale-green chairs in Damon's ultramodern living room. Damon was looking better than he had the last time Stefan had been here. His clothes and hair were perfectly, stylishly arranged, and his pale skin had a slight flush, a sure sign that Damon had been feeding freely. Stefan grimaced a little at the thought, and Damon arched one eyebrow at him.

"So, there is something going on?" he prompted. His voice took on a mocking tone with the last few words.

"Katherine's back," Stefan said flatly, and had the pleasure of seeing the smile fall off Damon's face. "Klaus raised her from the dead somehow."

Damon blinked slowly, his long black lashes veiling his eyes for a moment, and then he flashed his cruel smile again. "The dynamic duo together again, hmm?" he asked. "That should be quite a handful for you and your humans."

"Damon." Stefan heard the catch in his own voice. Damon had constructed a wall around himself, but the real Damon was still in there, wasn't he? He couldn't have stopped caring about Elena, stopped caring about Stefan himself, so absolutely in such a short time, could he? If Stefan's plan against Klaus was to work, he would need Damon to care. "Klaus is determined to find out the truth about Elena," he said quickly. "They're bound to use Katherine as a weapon against you. They'll see how you've separated yourself from the rest of us. I'm begging you, please don't tell them anything. If you don't give a damn about any of us anymore, at least remember how much you hate Katherine and Klaus."

Tilting his head to one side, Damon narrowed his eyes speculatively at Stefan. "I've never been the weakest link, brother," he said. "But, as a matter of simple curiosity, tell me, what truth about Elena?"

The floor swung dizzyingly under Stefan's feet and he closed his eyes for a moment. He was such a fool. He hadn't asked for the details of Elena's and Damon's midnight meeting in the woods, and he'd just assumed Elena had told him she was a Guardian. He could have kept his mouth shut, and Damon would have been no danger to them, at least not on this count.

But no, Damon had known that Elena was a potential Guardian, that they had once planned for her to join them. She had told him that the Guardians had killed her parents, trying to get to her. And he knew that Elena had Power now, that she could see auras. If he had let those facts slip to Katherine or Klaus, it would have been dangerous enough. Better that Damon be warned off with a partial truth. Right? Stefan shook his head slightly. It was impossible to know what Damon might do.

Damon was still watching him, his eyes bright and cruelly amused, and Stefan had the uncomfortable feeling that his indecision was playing out boldly across his features, plainly evident to someone who had known him as long as Damon had.

"The truth that Elena is connected to the Guardians," he said at last. "Klaus would use it against her if he could. Please, Damon. You say you don't care, but you can't want Klaus to kill Elena. Klaus nearly destroyed you." He could hear the begging note in his own voice. Please, my brother, he thought, unsure about whether Damon was reading his thoughts. Please. Don't abandon us. There's nothing but pain that way, for all of us.

Damon smiled briefly and flicked his fingers dismissively at Stefan before turning away. "No one hurts me, little brother," he said over his shoulder. "Not for long. But don't worry, I'm sure I can handle Katherine if she comes to me."

Stefan shifted closer to his brother, moving to meet Damon's eyes again. "If something happens to me," he said somberly, "tell me you'll look out for Elena. You loved her once. She could love you, if . . . if things were different." No matter what happened, Elena couldn't be left unprotected.

For a moment, Damon's mask of indifference seemed to lift, his mouth going taut and his midnight-dark eyes narrowing. "What do you mean, if something happens to you?" he said sharply.

Stefan shook his head. "Nothing," he said. "It's a dangerous time, is all."

Damon stared at him for a moment longer, and then the mask slammed back into place. "All times are dangerous," he said, smiling faintly. "Now, if you'll excuse me . . ." He wandered off in the direction of the kitchen, and after a few minutes, Stefan realized he wasn't coming back.

Stefan pushed himself to his feet and hesitated only briefly before turning toward the door. The meeting had gone as well as he could have reasonably expected: Damon hadn't guaranteed his own silence, but he hadn't threatened them either, and he'd seemed scornful of any suggestion that he might help Katherine and Klaus. As far as protecting Elena was concerned, all Stefan could do was say his piece. He knew that if it really came down to it, his brother would do the right thing.

Stefan called a farewell, which went unanswered, and headed out the door. For all he knew, Damon had left through a window and was already winging his way across campus as a crow.

His heart sank at the thought of leaving his brother now without a good-bye, but he kept going. If they both survived, he and Damon would connect again as brothers. He couldn't let go of that hope. But he didn't know when or how it would happen. Maybe he'd lost his brother for another century or two. The thought made him feel bleakly, unutterably alone.

Chapter 25

Matt's feet dragged as he walked slowly toward the boathouse doors. In his hand, the sack he carried thrashed violently, the rabbit inside kicking and squirming. Chloe would be able to calm it with a touch of her Power.

Matt didn't like catching animals for her to feed on. He couldn't help feeling sorry for the poor things, so wide-eyed with terror. But he was responsible for Chloe. And she needed lots of blood to keep control; Stefan had warned them of that. It didn't help that seeing Klaus's army of vampires had terrified her. They were so much more powerful than she was, and she knew they would show no mercy to a vampire who fought against them. Worse, the excitement of the battle had stirred her urge to drink human blood. She didn't trust herself around the others, so she'd been sequestering herself in the boathouse ever since.

She would never hurt Matt, though; she assured him of that every night, holding him tightly, her cold body against his warmer one, her head pillowed on his shoulder in the darkness.

A board creaked under Matt's feet and he glanced down at the water lapping against the pilings beneath him. The dock creaked again, this time in the distance, as if someone else was walking across it.

Matt hesitated. There shouldn't be anyone else here. He stepped forward again, cautiously, and heard the echoing sound of another board creaking in the distance, just a second after his own footstep.

"Hello?" he called into the darkness, and then felt like an idiot. If his enemies were out there, the last thing he wanted to do was draw their attention.

He took a few steps closer to the entrance to the boathouse. The creaking didn't come again; instead, a small splash rose from the shallow lake. Maybe the noises had been an animal.

He broke into a run anyway, slamming through the boathouse doors. What if something had gotten to Chloe? Matt's eyes flew to the tableau in the center of the boathouse.

Klaus stood triumphantly in front of him, his skin lit silver by the moonlight coming through the holes in the roof. A battered raincoat covered his broad figure, and slumped in his arms was a bleeding girl, a stranger.

God. She was young, maybe a small freshman, maybe a high-school girl from the town, and her long, dark hair was matted with the blood streaming from the side of her neck. She wasn't struggling, but she gazed at Matt with a terrified look that reminded him nauseatingly of the rabbit's expression when he'd lifted it out of the trap.

He automatically dropped the sack, hearing it thud behind him, the rabbit scrabbling out and bolting for the door. He had to help the girl. Klaus flicked his eyes toward him for a split second and Matt froze, his muscles tensed helplessly against the force holding him in place.

"Hello, boy," Klaus said, flashing his mad smile. "Come to join the party? Your girlfriend and I have been waiting for you."

Matt followed Klaus's gaze to Chloe, who was huddled in a corner as far from Klaus and the girl as possible, her knees pulled up to her chest. There was a bite mark on her neck, as if Klaus had already drunk from her, too, and she was extraordinarily pale. She needs to feed, Matt thought, as if he could just hand her the rabbit he'd had a moment ago. Chloe was clearly frightened, but there was something else showing in her face. Matt's stomach rolled unhappily as he identified it: hunger.

"Now, where were we?" Klaus turned back to Chloe. "Ah, yes. If you just let go, everything will be so easy." His voice was soft and soothing. "Tell me everything. Tell me the secret these humans are hiding. How have the witches protected Elena from me? If you do, I'll let you join me. You won't be alone. You won't have to be afraid, or feel guilt, or anything anymore." His face twisted with scorn as he said the word humans, and he went on, his voice dropping into a lower register. "Taste the girl," he said. "You can have her. I know you can smell the rich sweetness of her blood. This is no way for you to live, hidden away, ashamed, feeding on vermin. Come to me, Chloe," he said, commanding now.

Chloe uncurled slowly, climbing to her feet. Her eyes were fixed on Klaus and on the girl, who was sobbing quietly now in Klaus's arms. From the shift in Chloe's jaw, Matt could see that her canine teeth had lengthened. Klaus beckoned, and Chloe took one stumbling step forward.

Struggling to cry out, to stop Chloe somehow, Matt realized that his tongue was as frozen as the rest of him, held still by Klaus's Power. The best he could do was let out a small, stifled moan.

Chloe heard it, though. She licked her lips, then slowly dragged her eyes from the girl's throat and focused on Matt. She stared at him for a long moment, and then stepped back, pressing herself flat against the wall. The bones of her face looked sharp and the drying blood on her own throat cracked and flaked as she shook her head.

"No," she said in a tiny voice.

Klaus smiled again and held the girl out toward her. "Come on now," he urged. His victim whimpered and closed her eyes, her face crumpling in misery. Chloe stood still against the wall, seemingly riveted by the long stream of blood running down from the girl's throat to pool on the floor at her feet.

Klaus reached for Chloe and took her by the hand. "Tell me what I want to know, and you can have her. She tastes so good." He tugged Chloe toward him. She gasped sharply, her nostrils flaring as she got closer to the scent of blood, and let herself be drawn closer and closer. Klaus let go of Chloe's hand and stroked her cheek. "There," he said, as if he were talking to a small child. "There we go." Cupping his hand behind her head, he pushed her firmly down, brought her toward the throat of the girl he held.

Matt tried to struggle but he couldn't move, couldn't cry out to Chloe again. Her tongue flickered out quickly across her lips.

Then Chloe pushed away from Klaus, ducking out from under his hand. "No!" she repeated, louder this time.

Klaus snarled, a maddened sound, and with one quick twist, snapped the bleeding girl's neck, dropping her in a heap on the floor.

"Tell your friends they'll all be hearing from me soon," Klaus said, his voice level and cold. He sounded less insane than usual, and for some reason, that made Matt's heart clench with fear. "I will find the truth. I'll take them apart, one by one, until I get what I want."

As he strode out the door, Klaus looked up, reaching one hand toward the sky, and with a crash of thunder, a bolt of lightning struck from the clear, cloudless sky, sparking the boathouse into flames.

Flipping over a page in her psychology textbook, Bonnie firmly pushed the thought of Zander away. She missed him - of course she did - but she would be fine.

Without looking up, Bonnie checked in on the other occupants of their dorm room. The gentle scritching sound of a pen came from Elena's bed, where she was writing in her journal. And on the floor, Meredith and Alaric murmured softly to each other, their hands entwined, for once not sharpening weapons or examining spell books, but just enjoying each other.

Except for the constant empty ache in Bonnie's heart, everything was fine.

Somebody pounded violently on the door, and they all looked up, tensing, ready to slip into fight mode. Meredith jumped to her feet and grabbed a knife from her desk, holding it out of sight as she cracked the door open.

Matt and Chloe, streaked with blood and covered in ash, tumbled through the door.

Meredith was the first to react, grabbing Chloe and turning her under the light to examine the bite on her neck. It looked raw and gruesome, and Chloe nearly collapsed in Meredith's arms before Alaric steered the young vampire into Bonnie's desk chair.

"What happened?" Bonnie exclaimed.

"Klaus," Matt gasped. "Klaus was in the boathouse. There's - oh, God - he left a body in there. And set the place on fire. She was dead, though. I'm sure she was already dead before she burned."

Elena's fingers flew over her phone as she sent a quick text, and a moment later, Stefan was there, taking in the situation at a glance. He knelt in front of Chloe, examining her wound with careful fingers.

"Animal blood isn't enough to heal her right now," he said to Matt, who was watching with a tense, hunted expression, his lips tight and pale. "And a taste of human might send her over the edge." He bit his own wrist and held it to Chloe's lips. "This isn't ideal, but it's the best of some bad options."

Matt nodded tightly, and Stefan held Chloe's hand as the vampire girl gulped hungrily at his arm. "It's all right," he told her. "You're doing well."

Once Chloe had drunk enough to begin healing from Klaus's bite, she and Matt explained what had happened.

"Klaus offered me the girl if I'd tell him what I knew about Elena and why he couldn't kill her with his dagger," she said. Her eyes dropped to the floor. "It was . . ." She paused. "I wanted to say yes."

"She didn't, though," Matt told them. "Chloe did really well. She broke through Klaus's compulsion."

"But he said he would come after us one by one until he got what he wanted?" Bonnie asked faintly. "This is bad. This is really very bad." Her heart was pounding hard, drumming against her chest.

Elena sighed, tucking her hair behind her ears. "We knew that he would be coming after us," she pointed out.

"Yes," Bonnie said, her voice shaking, "but, Elena, he can get into my dreams. He did before, when he told us he was coming." She hugged herself tightly and took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice steady. "I don't know if I can stop him from seeing things in my dreams."

There was a nasty pause in the conversation. "I hadn't thought of that," Meredith admitted.

"I'm sorry, you guys," Elena said, her voice breaking. "He's coming after you because of me. I wish I could defend you. I need to get stronger."

"You will," Meredith said firmly.

"And it's really not your fault," Bonnie said supportively, pushing her own panic down. "If the alternative was you dying, I'd rather he was coming after us."

Elena smiled wanly. "I know, Bonnie," she said. "But even if I get more Power, I don't know how we can protect you in your dreams."

"Are there ways she can protect her dreams herself?" Stefan asked, turning to Alaric, their research expert. "Conscious dreaming and that kind of thing?"

Alaric nodded thoughtfully. "It's a good idea," he said. "I'll look it up right away." He smiled reassuringly at Bonnie. "We'll find something. We always do."

"And we all will stick together," Stefan said, looking around, his leaf-green eyes confident. "Klaus can't break us."

There was a murmur of agreement, and Bonnie automatically reached out, taking Meredith's and Matt's hands in hers. Soon, they were all holding hands, and Bonnie felt a thrum of Power, maybe from Elena, maybe from Stefan, maybe from herself, run around the circle. Perhaps it was from all of them.

But that sense of Power wasn't the only thing she felt. Everyone was nervous; everyone was scared. Klaus could come after any one of them next, and it was impossible to know what he might do.

Chapter 26

Stefan and Elena were alone in Elena's dorm room at last, taking advantage of the small moment they had together. Bonnie, Meredith, and Alaric were in the library studying up on dream control, while Stefan had offered Matt and Chloe his room for the night now that their boathouse hideaway had been destroyed.

Stefan cupped Elena's cheek gently. "What's wrong?" he said, concerned by whatever it was he saw in her eyes. Elena had thought she was hiding her fear pretty well, but Stefan had always been able to see through her masks. She was glad they were finally alone. She didn't want the others to know, not yet. They weren't determined to protect Damon, not like she and Stefan were.

"A Principal Guardian came to me today and made me take the Guardian oath," she told him. "She gave me my first task."

For a moment, Stefan's face lightened. "But that's wonderful news," he said. "Now you'll be able to access more Power to fight Klaus, won't you?"

Elena shook her head. "My task isn't to kill Klaus," she told him simply. "They want me to kill Damon."

Stefan, eyes wide with shock, stepped back, his hand dropping from Elena's cheek.

"I'm not going to do it," she said. "You know that. But we have to figure out how to get around this. If I just refuse to do it, they'll" - her mouth went dry - "banish me to the Celestial Court. I won't be on Earth anymore."

"No." Stefan's arms were around her again, holding her close. "Never."

Elena pressed her face against his neck. "I can't do it," she whispered. "The Guardian told me that Damon was killing again, and I still can't bring myself to hurt him."

She felt Stefan stiffen at the news, but when she looked up his eyes were steady. "Elena, I love my brother. But if Damon's murdering innocent people, we have to stop him. No matter what the cost."

"I can't kill Damon," Elena said again. "The Guardians already took away two people I love, and I won't let them take away any more. We have to find another way."

"What if Damon changes?" Stefan asked. "If he's not a threat to humans, will the Guardians change their minds?"

Elena shook her head. "I don't know," she said. "But Damon won't listen to us; he's completely shut down. Maybe if we tell him that the Guardians want him dead?"

Stefan's lip quirked into a rueful almost-smile, just for a moment. "Maybe," he said. "Or maybe he'll double his attacks just to defy them. Damon would laugh at the devil if he felt like it."

Elena nodded. It was true, and she knew Stefan was sharing both the affection and the despair Damon inspired in her.

"Maybe Andres will have an idea," Stefan suggested. "He knows a lot more about Guardian business than we do. But are you sure we can trust him?"

"Of course we can," Elena said automatically. Andres was good - she knew that without question. And he had fought beside them against Klaus.

Gripping Elena's shoulder tightly, Stefan looked into her eyes again, his face grim. "I know we can trust Andres to do what's right," he said. "But can we trust him to save a vampire - a violent vampire? I don't even know if that's the right thing."

Elena swallowed. "I think I can trust Andres to back me up," she said carefully, "even against the Guardians. He believes in me." She hoped desperately that this was true.

Stefan gave her a sad smile. "Then tomorrow we talk to Andres," he said. He pulled her into an embrace and stroked a hand through her hair. "Tonight, though, let's take some time and be together, you and me," he said, his voice rough. There was a long silence as Elena just let Stefan hold her.

"I want Damon to live," Stefan finally said. "I want him to change. But if it comes down to a choice between him and you, I have to choose you. There's no world for me without you, Elena. I'm not going to let you sacrifice yourself this time."

Elena didn't answer, refused to make any promises she might not be able to keep. She hoped the love flowing between them would be enough, for now.

The next morning, Elena and Stefan sat with James and Andres in James's small, sunny kitchen. All four of them had cups of coffee and bagels in front of them, and Stefan stirred his coffee without sipping it, just to keep his hands busy. He didn't eat or drink much, but it made people more comfortable if they thought he did. It was a cheerful morning scene, except for the look of complete confusion on James's face.

"I don't understand," he said, looking from Elena to Stefan in bewilderment. "Why are you trying to save a vampire?"

Elena opened her mouth, then closed it and thought for a moment. "He's Stefan's brother," she said flatly after a moment. "And we love him."

James shot Stefan a scandalized look, and Stefan tried to remember if James had any idea that Stefan was also a vampire. He didn't think so, actually.

Elena went on. "Damon's fought at our side and saved a lot of people," she said. "We need to give him a chance to get better. We can't just forget all the good he's done."

Andres nodded. "You're reluctant to kill him when there might be some other way to control his missteps."

James shook his head. "I'm not sure I'd call eating people 'missteps,'" he said. "I'm sorry, Elena. I don't think I can help you." Stefan tensed, feeling the coffee spoon bend in his hand.

"We'll fix him," Elena said. Her chin was out determinedly. "He won't be a danger to anyone."

Andres sighed and laid his hands flat on the table, all traces of humor gone from his face. "You took an oath," he said quietly. "The Guardians believe in rules, and, as you've agreed to their rules, you must fulfill your task or suffer the consequences. Even if you accept your removal to the Celestial Court, the task will simply pass to another Earthly Guardian." He grimaced, and Stefan's heart sank. Andres was telling them that he might be the next one assigned to kill Damon. If Elena somehow got out of the job, they'd be fighting Andres.

Elena's eyes were bright with tears. "There must be some way to fix this," she said. "How do I summon the Principal Guardian back? Maybe I can reason with her. Klaus is much more dangerous than Damon is. Even if you don't agree with me about saving Damon, you have to see that Klaus is the one we need to focus on."

"You can't call her," Andres said sadly. "They only appear to assign a task, or when the task is completed." He slowly shook his head. "Elena, there's no gray area here. You're already feeling the drive to fulfill your mission, aren't you? That's only going to get worse."

Elena put her head in her hands, resting her elbows on the table. Stefan touched her shoulder, and she leaned into him as he channeled silent support to her. After a moment, she lifted her head, her mouth firm with resolve. "Okay," she said. "Then I'll try something else. I'm not giving up."

"I will help you if I can," Andres told her. "But if your task passes to me, I won't have a choice."

Elena nodded and stood up briskly. Stefan started to follow her, but she put a hand on his shoulder and gently pressed him back down. "This one I have to do by myself," she said apologetically. She kissed him lightly, her lips warm, and Stefan tried to send all the love and trust he could to her.

I have something I have to take care of, too, he thought. He didn't know when he'd back. This might, he realized with a flare of breathless panic, be the last time they saw each other. His arms tightened around her, holding on to her for as long as he could. Please, Elena, be careful.

Finding Damon was easy. When Elena opened herself to the nagging ache that had been inside her all day, barely touching on her Power, the path to Damon appeared ahead of her and all she had to do was follow the vivid black and red.

This time, it led to a seedy-looking building with a sign out front that read EDDIE'S BILLIARDS. It was open, but there were only a couple of cars in the parking lot. It looked more like a nighttime place. Frankly, it didn't look like Elena's kind of place at all, and she felt a little nervous walking up to the doors. I've been to the Dark Dimension, she reminded herself. I'm a Guardian. There's nothing here that can scare me. She pushed through the doors and boldly stepped inside.

The bartender made eye contact with her for a moment and then turned back to his chore, polishing glasses. Two men sat at a small round table in the corner, smoking and talking quietly. They didn't even glance up at her. All but one of the pool tables were empty.

There, in the middle of the room, Damon leaned over the pool table, lining up his cue to take a shot. He looked tough in his leather jacket, Elena thought, rougher and somehow less elegant than he usually did. A shorter, fairer man hovered behind him. As he made the shot, Damon flicked his eyes up toward Elena, cool and black and giving nothing away.

"Game's over," he said briefly to his companion, despite the colored balls still littering the table. Damon picked up the wad of bills on the corner of the table and stuffed them into his pocket. The sandy-haired guy seemed about to speak at this, but then bit his lip and stared at the floor, remaining silent.

"You don't give up, do you?" Damon said, crossing the room toward Elena in a few quick steps. He seemed to be weighing her up with his dark, considering gaze. "I told you, I won't be any help to you anymore, princess."

Elena felt her cheeks heat up. Damon always called her princess, but this time the nickname lacked the affection she was used to. Now it sounded dismissive, as if he couldn't be bothered to use her real name. She stiffened, using the flash of anger to help her start talking.

"You're in trouble, Damon," she said brusquely. "The Principal Guardians want you dead. They've assigned me to kill you." For a moment, she thought Damon looked startled, and she pushed forward. "I don't want to do it, Damon," she said, letting a pleading note creep into her voice. "I can't. But maybe it's not too late. If you change what you're doing . . ."

Damon shrugged. "Do what you have to do, princess," he said lightly. "The Guardians couldn't keep me dead before - I'm not too worried now." He started to turn away, and Elena sidestepped to block his path.

"You have to take this seriously, Damon," she said. "They will kill you."

Damon sighed. "Frankly," he said, "I think they're overreacting. So I killed someone. It was one girl, in a world of millions of girls." He glanced over her shoulder, back at the pool table. "Jimmy? Rack them up."

Feeling like she'd been punched in the stomach, Elena gaped breathlessly, then followed him back to the table. Jimmy arranged the balls and Damon broke, carefully angling his cue. "What do you mean, you killed someone?" she said at last in a tiny voice.

Something she couldn't quite identify flickered over Damon's face, but then it was gone. "I'm afraid I got carried away," he said lightly. "Happens to the best of us, I suppose." He knocked a ball into a pocket and circled the table to take another shot.

Elena's mind was turning over what she'd seen: the girl she and Stefan had found unconscious in the woods, the girl Damon had been feeding on near the athletic fields. They'd been fine in the end, hadn't they? She and Stefan had made sure they got home safely. Dread coiled inside her as she finally realized what he was saying. Damon had killed someone else, someone they hadn't found. She'd been holding out hope for him, but he was murdering again, and she hadn't even known.

She made an effort now to see Damon's aura, and it became visible almost immediately. Elena winced in dismay at the sight. It was so dark, all the color almost swallowed up in blackness now, cut with repulsive winding strains of dried-blood red. Surely there was still something else there? She saw a wisp of greenish-blue close to Damon's body, but just as quickly as it appeared, it was covered again in darkness.

Still, that glimpse of color gave her a bit of hope. Damon wasn't lost yet. He couldn't be.

Impulsively, she followed Damon to the other side of the table and laid a hand on his arm. His muscles twitched once, as if about to pull away, then grew still. "Please, Damon," she said. "I know this isn't you. You're not a killer, not anymore. I love you. Please."

Damon placed his cue carefully on the table and glared at her, his body tense and strained. "You love me?" he asked in a low, dangerous voice. "You don't even know me, princess. I'm not your lapdog - I'm a vampire. Do you know what that means?" Elena involuntarily stepped back, alarmed by the anger in Damon's eyes, and his lips tipped up in a tiny smirk. "Jimmy," he called over his shoulder, and the guy he'd been playing pool with came over to them, still holding his cue.

"Yeah?" he said hesitantly, and Elena heard it in his tone: he was afraid of Damon. Glancing around, she could see the bartender hurriedly averting his eyes from them, as if he, too, was afraid. The two men from the table in the corner had slipped out while she was talking to Damon.

"Give me your cue," Damon said, and Jimmy handed it to him. Damon snapped it in two as easily as Elena herself would have torn a piece of paper and looked speculatively at the pieces in his hands. From one half extended long, jagged splinters of wood, and Damon handed that half back to Jimmy.

"Now take this and stab yourself with it," he said calmly. "Keep going until I tell you to stop."

"Damon, no! Don't do it," she told Jimmy. "Fight it."

Jimmy, staring at the cue, hesitated, and Elena felt the sudden snap of Power as Jimmy's face went distant and dreamy, and he raised the pool cue and jabbed it hard at his own stomach. As the cue made contact, he gave a harsh exhalation of breath, but his face remained unconcerned, his mind disconnected from what his body was doing. Jimmy pulled the cue back again, and Elena could see a long bloody streak where one of the splinters had gone into his side.

"Stop it!" Elena shouted.

"Harder," Damon ordered, "and faster." Jimmy obeyed, the cue snapping back and forth roughly. Blood was running down his shirt now. Damon watched with a small smile, his eyes bright. "Being a vampire," he said to Elena, "means that I like being in control. I like blood, too. And I don't have to care about human pain, any more than you do about the pain of the insect you tread on as you walk down the street."

"Please stop it," Elena said, horrified. "Don't hurt him any more."

Damon's smile widened, and he looked away from Jimmy, turning his whole attention to Elena. Jimmy's arms kept jerking back and forth, though, thrusting the pool cue into himself even without Damon's focus on him. "I'll only stop if you leave right now, princess," Damon said.

Elena blinked away tears. She was stronger than he thought. She would prove it. "Fine," she said. "I'll go. But Damon" - and here she dared to touch his arm again, a quick soft touch - "what you said when I came in is true. I never give up." Something seemed to shift in Damon when Elena touched him, the slightest softening of the grim lines of his face, and Elena almost felt like she'd gotten through to him. But a second later he was as cold and distant as ever.

Elena wheeled quickly and walked away, head high. Behind her, she heard Damon speak sharply and Jimmy's grunts of pain cease.

Had she imagined the momentary change in Damon's expression? Please, please let that have been real, Elena pleaded silently. Surely there was something left in that angry stranger behind her, something of the Damon she loved. She couldn't lose him. But as she felt a wrenching in her chest, she wondered if she already had.

Chapter 27

The late afternoon sky was deep blue and golden with sunlight, and Stefan was grateful for the shade of the trees. What kind of vampire provokes a confrontation in the daylight? he could imagine Damon asking wryly before answering the question himself: a very stupid one, Stefan.

The sun was making him slightly weary like it always did, his consciousness of its light a constant low, dull throbbing like a headache, despite the ring that protected him. Klaus was older than Stefan, and stronger. The sun wouldn't bother him as much.

But Stefan didn't want to face Klaus in the darkness. The hair on the back of his neck prickled uneasily at the very idea: after so long as a vampire, now Stefan himself was afraid of a monster in the dark.

He stopped when he reached the clearing in the woods where they'd fought Klaus's family. Blood was the best way to attract any vampire's attention. Stefan let his canines lengthen, then, wincing, bit sharply into his own wrist.

"Klaus!" he shouted, turning in a semicircle, his arm extended so that the blood spattered the ground around him. "Klaus!"

Stefan stopped and listened to the noises of the woods: the light crackle of an animal moving through the undergrowth, the creak of tree branches in the wind. A long way away, nearer to campus, he could hear a couple hiking through the woods, laughing. No sign of Klaus. Taking a deep breath, Stefan slumped back against a tree trunk, cradling his bleeding arm protectively to his chest. He thought of Elena's warmth, of her gentle kiss. He had to save her.

From behind him came a deep, amused voice: "Hello, Salvatore."

Stefan spun around, stumbling in alarm. How had he not heard the older vampire arrive?

Klaus's threadbare raincoat was dirty, but he wore it as if it were a royal robe. Every time he saw Klaus, Stefan was struck by how tall he was, how clear and sharp his eyes were. Klaus smiled and closed the distance between them again, standing too close. He smelled nauseatingly of blood and smoke and something subtly rotting.

"You called me, Salvatore?" Klaus asked him. He laid a hand on Stefan's shoulder companionably.

"I wanted to talk," Stefan said, keeping himself from flinching under Klaus's hand. "I have an offer for you."

"Let me guess." Klaus's smile widened. "You think we should settle our differences like gentlemen?" He sounded delighted. His fingers tightened on Stefan's shoulder like a vise, and Stefan's knees buckled. Klaus was so strong, even stronger than Stefan had remembered. "While I appreciate the blood you and your brother gave to bring me back, I hold all the cards in this game, Salvatore. I don't need to play by your rules."

"Not all the cards. You can't kill Elena," Stefan blurted, and Klaus cocked his head to one side, considering.

"Are you going to tell me how?" he asked. "Tired of your lady fair already? I did wonder why she's still human after all this time. You're leaving an out from eternal love, aren't you? Clever."

"I mean, she can't be killed," Stefan said doggedly. He lifted his head proudly, trying to project confidence. Klaus had to believe him. "Kill me instead. I'm the one you hate most."

Klaus laughed, his sharp canines showing. "Oh, not clever after all," he said. "Noble and dreary instead. So Elena's the one with the out, then. She'd rather grow old and die than live forever in your arms? Your great romance must not be as strong as you thought."

"I was the one you blamed for Katherine's death," Stefan went on steadily. "I tried to kill you back in Fell's Church. You can do anything you want with me: kill me, have me join your army of followers. I won't fight you. Just leave Elena alone. You won't be able to kill her, so just let her go."

Klaus chuckled again. Suddenly, he yanked Stefan closely against him and sniffed deeply, pressing his nose against the other vampire's throat. His own scent was overwhelming, the sweet, rotting stench turning Stefan's stomach. Just as quickly, Klaus shoved Stefan away again. "You stink of lies and fear," he said. "Elena can be killed, and I'll be the one to do it. You know it, and that's why you're afraid."

Stefan made himself look Klaus squarely in the eyes. "No. She's untouchable," he stated as firmly as he could. "Kill me instead."

Klaus struck him almost languidly with one hand and Stefan felt himself flying through the air. With a loud crack, he slammed into a tree and slid to the ground, gasping for breath.

"Oh, Salvatore," Klaus said chidingly, towering above Stefan. "I do hate you. But I don't want to kill you, not anymore."

From where he lay on the ground, Stefan managed to raise his head and grunt inquiringly. What, then?

"Better to kill Elena and let you live, I think," the older vampire said, his white teeth gleaming in the sunlight. "I'll kill her right in front of you, and make sure the image of her death haunts you forever, anywhere you go." His smile widened. "That'll be your fate."

Klaus turned deliberately and sauntered out of the clearing, purposely not using his vampiric speed. Just before passing out of Stefan's sight, he looked back and gave a little two-fingered salute. "I'll be seeing you soon," he said. "You and your lady love."

Stefan let his head flop back down onto the forest floor. His spine was still cracked from where Klaus had thrown him into the tree. He had failed. Klaus was convinced that there was some way to kill Elena, and he wasn't going to give up until he found it.

As soon as he could, Stefan would return to Elena and the others, give them their best chance of fighting Klaus. But a cold, dark misery was blossoming inside him and, just for the moment, Stefan let himself sink into that darkness.

Chapter 28

Bonnie was padding across campus in bare feet, her ice-cream-cone pajama bottoms flapping around her ankles. Oh, great, she thought dismally. I forgot to get dressed again.

"Are you ready for the test?" Meredith said brightly next to her. Bonnie stopped and stared at her suspiciously.

"What test?" she asked. "We don't have any classes together, do we?"

"Oh, Bonnie," Meredith said, sighing. "Don't you even read your email? There was some kind of mix-up, it turns out, and we all have to pass a big high-school Spanish exam we missed, or we won't really have graduated."

Bonnie stared at her, frozen in horror. "But I took French," she said.

"Well, yeah," Meredith said. "That's why you should have been studying all this time. Come on, we're going to be late." She broke into a swift-footed run, and Bonnie stumbled after her, tripping over the laces of her Converse high-tops.

Wait a second, she thought. Wasn't I barefoot a minute ago?

"Hang on, Meredith," she said, drawing to a halt to catch her breath. "I think this is a dream." Meredith ran on, though, straight and sure down the path, her long, dark hair flying out in the wind as she left Bonnie behind.

Definitely a dream, Bonnie thought. In fact, I'm pretty sure I've had this dream before. "I hate this dream," she muttered.

She tried to remember the conscious-dreaming techniques she'd been talking about with Alaric. This is a dream, she told herself fiercely. Nothing is real and I can change whatever I want. Glancing down at herself, she made her sneakers tie themselves and changed her pajamas into skinny blue jeans and a black top. "Better," she said. "Okay, forget the exam. I think I want . . ." Possibilities were flying through her mind, but then she forgot them all, because suddenly in front of her was Zander. Wonderful, darling Zander, who she missed with all her heart. And Shay.

"I hate my subconscious so much," Bonnie mumbled to herself.

Zander was gazing down at Shay with a small smile, giving her that adoring look that was supposed to be reserved for Bonnie alone. As Bonnie watched, he ran his hand gently over Shay's cheek, tipping her face toward him. Change it! Bonnie inwardly screamed at herself as Shay's and Zander's lips met in a soft, lingering kiss.

Before she could focus, though, everything went black for one second, and she felt a powerful, painful yank as she was torn from the dream. When her eyes opened, she was somewhere new, a breeze ruffling her curls. And watching her, standing alarmingly close, his face alight with laughter, was Klaus.

"Hello, little redbird," he said. "Isn't that what Damon used to call you?"

"How do you know that?" Bonnie said suspiciously. "And where am I, anyway?" The wind rose, blowing strands of hair across her face, and she shoved them back.

"I've been having a good rummage around in your mind, redbird," Klaus said. "I can't get to everything yet, but I can pick up bits and pieces." He smiled widely and engagingly. He'd be quite handsome, really, Bonnie thought wildly, if he weren't so obviously insane. Klaus went on. "That's why I picked this place to have our chat."

Bonnie's head cleared a little, and she looked around. They were outdoors, on a tiny platform sheltered by an arched cupola. In every direction, a blue expanse spread out, and far below, a touch of green. Oh, jeez. They were somewhere really high.

Bonnie hated heights. Forcing herself to look away from the long drop on every side, she stayed still, in the middle of the platform, as far as possible from the sides, and glared up at Klaus. "Oh, yeah?" she said. It wasn't the best line, but it was the best she could manage under the circumstances.

Klaus smiled cheerfully. "One of the pieces I came across was your memory of the orientation tour of campus. They offered to take you up in the bell tower, didn't they? But you said" - and suddenly an eerie echo of Bonnie's voice rose up all around them, joking, but with a touch of actual fear - "'No way, Jose, if I go up that high I'll have screaming nightmares for a week!'" As the memory of Bonnie's voice died away, Klaus grinned. "And so I thought this might be a good place for our heart-to-heart."

Bonnie remembered the incident on the tour vividly. The bell tower, the highest spot on campus, was a popular place, but Bonnie couldn't look at it without her stomach clenching up. Zander and his friends liked to party on the rooftops of buildings, but rooftops tended to be a lot bigger than the bell tower, and there Bonnie could stay away from the edges. Plus, at those parties, she'd had big, reassuring, protective Zander with her, which made all the difference.

Still, she wasn't going to let Klaus see he was getting to her. Crossing her arms defiantly, she carefully looked only at Klaus. "I was kidding on the tour," she lied. "I just didn't want to climb all those stairs."

"Interesting," Klaus said, his smile widening, and then he raised his hands. He didn't touch Bonnie, but she found herself suddenly skidding back away from him, as if he was pushing her very hard. Her back collided at last with the railing at the edge of the platform, and she let out a helpless little whoof of air.

"Don't lie to me, redbird," Klaus said softly, walking toward her. "I can smell your fear."

Bonnie clenched her teeth and said nothing. She did not look behind her.

"Tell me Elena's secret, little bird," Klaus said, his voice still soft and coaxing. "You're her witch, so you must know. Why couldn't I kill her in the battle? Did you do something?"

"No idea. Maybe your knife was dull," Bonnie quipped.

She squeaked involuntarily as her feet suddenly left the ground. She was - oh, God - dangling in midair like a puppet suspended by invisible strings. Then those strings yanked her backward, her ankles banging painfully against the top of the railing as she was swept powerlessly out to hang in empty space. Bonnie caught one terrifying glimpse of the campus far below her before she slammed her eyes shut. Don't let me fall, she prayed. Please, please. Her heart was pounding so hard she couldn't breathe.

"You know, they say that if you die in your dreams, you really die in your bed," Klaus said softly, sounding like he was right next to her. "And I can tell you from personal experience that the saying's quite true." He let out a low, sickeningly excited laugh. "If I drop you, they'll be picking pieces of you out of your bedroom walls for weeks," he said. "But it doesn't have to come to that. Just tell me the truth and I'll let you down gently. I promise."

Bonnie clenched her eyes and her jaw shut tighter. Even if she were willing to betray Elena - which she wasn't, she never would, no matter what, she told herself firmly - she didn't believe Klaus would keep his promise. She remembered dazedly how Vickie Bennett had died, though, at Klaus's hands. She'd been torn to shreds, her blood spattered like a kid had swung around a can of red paint in her pink room. Maybe Klaus had killed Vickie in her dreams.

Klaus chuckled, and the air around Bonnie shifted again.

"What's going on?" a confused, frightened, and oh-so-familiar voice asked. Bonnie's eyes snapped open.

Next to her in midair dangled Zander. All the color was bleached out of his face, so that his wide, terrified eyes looked even more impossibly blue than usual. He was grasping at empty air with both hands, struggling to find something to hold on to.

"Bonnie?" he croaked. "Please, what's going on?"

"Your girlfriend, or ex-girlfriend, is refusing to tell me something I want to know," Klaus told him. Klaus was seated on the railing of the bell tower, his own legs dangling off the side. He smiled at Zander. "I thought if I brought you in, you might provide some incentive for her."

Zander looked at Bonnie pleadingly. "Please tell him, Bonnie," he begged. "I need this to stop. Let me down."

Bonnie gulped, panicking. "Zander," she said. "Zander, oh, no. Don't hurt him."

"Whatever happens to Zander now is your fault, redbird," Klaus reminded her.

And then something clicked together. Hang on, a voice said inside Bonnie's head. The voice, cool and cynical, sounded sort of like Meredith. Zander's not scared of heights. He loves them.

"Stop it," she said to Klaus. "That's not Zander. That's just something you made up. If you're finding stuff inside my head, you're doing a terrible job. Zander's nothing like that."

Klaus gave a sharp growl of irritation, and the Zander he'd created went limp in the air beside her, his head flopping to one side. He looked disturbingly dead like that, and even though Bonnie knew it wasn't real, she had to look away.

She'd known all along this was a dream, of course. But she'd forgotten the central thing about controlling dreams: they weren't real.

"This is a dream," she murmured to herself. "Nothing is real and I can change whatever I want." She looked at the false Zander and blipped him back out of existence.

"Clever, aren't you?" Klaus commented, and then, as easily as opening his hand, he let her fall.

Bonnie sucked in one frightened breath, and then remembered to make a floor under her feet. She stumbled as she landed, her ankle turning under her, but she wasn't hurt.

"It's not over yet, redbird," Klaus said, climbing down from the railing and walking toward her across the air as if it were solid, his dirty raincoat flapping in the breeze. He was still chuckling, and there was something about the sound that frightened Bonnie. Without even thinking about it, she flexed her mind and threw him as far as she could.

Klaus's body flew backward, as floppy as a rag doll, and Bonnie had just a second to see his startled expression turn to rage before he was only a falling black speck on the horizon. As Bonnie watched, the speck stopped falling, turned, and rose, coming back toward her. It moved alarmingly fast, and soon she could make out the outline of some great predatory bird, a hawk perhaps, swooping toward her.

Time to wake up, she thought. "It's just a dream," she said. Nothing happened. Klaus was getting closer, much closer.

"It's only a dream," she repeated, "and I can wake up anytime I want. I want to wake up now."

And then she really did wake, warm under her comforter in her own cozy bed.

After one gasp of pure relief, Bonnie began to cry - great, ugly, choking sobs. She reached onto her desk, feeling for her cell phone. The images of Zander, his face intent, kissing Shay, hanging powerlessly in the air, stuck with her. They hadn't been the real Zander; Bonnie knew that intellectually. But she needed to hear his voice anyway. Just as she was about to push the button to dial, she hesitated.

It wasn't fair to call him, was it? She was the one who had said they should take some time apart, so Zander could think about what would be right for him, not just as a person, but as the Alpha of a Pack. It wouldn't be fair to call him to make herself feel better, just because Klaus had used his image in Bonnie's dream.

She turned the phone off and shoved it back onto the desk, sobbing harder.

"Bonnie?" The bed dipped as Meredith crossed the space from her own bed and sat on the edge of Bonnie's. "Are you okay?"

In the morning, Bonnie would tell Meredith and the others everything. It was important that they know that Klaus had gotten into her dreams again, and that the techniques Alaric had researched had let Bonnie fight him off this time. But she couldn't talk about it right now, not in the dark.

"Bad dream," she said instead. "Stay here for a minute, okay?"

"Okay," Meredith said, and Bonnie felt her friend's thin, strong arm wrap around her shoulders. "It'll be all right, Bonnie," Meredith said, patting her on the back.

"I don't think so," Bonnie said, and buried her head on Meredith's shoulder and wept.

Chapter 29

Meredith stuffed her econ notes into her bag as she walked across the quad. For the first time in a while, it felt almost like a normal college campus: groups of students sitting on the grass, couples holding hands and strolling the paths. A jogger brushed by Meredith as he passed, and she stepped aside. With the death of the last of the Vitale vampires, the attacks on campus had pretty much stopped, and the fear that had kept everyone inside was receding. They didn't realize that a much more dire enemy was now lurking in the shadows.

Klaus's army must be hunting, but they were keeping a much lower profile. Which was good, of course, but it meant that Meredith's class, after three cancelled sessions, had started again. And they had a lot of material to make up before midterms.

Meredith would have to find a way to fit in studying, working out, and patrolling, and she was also determined not to miss any time with Alaric while he was at Dalcrest. An irrepressible smile broke out on Meredith's face just at the thought of him: Alaric's freckles, Alaric's sharp mind, Alaric's kisses. She was supposed to be meeting him for dinner in town in just a few minutes, she realized, glancing at her watch.

When she looked up again, she saw Cristian, sitting quietly on a bench a little farther down the path, raising his eyes to meet hers.

Meredith reached inside her bag for the small knife that she carried with her. She couldn't carry her stave to class, and she really hadn't expected trouble in the middle of campus in broad daylight. She could have kicked herself: she'd been an idiot and let her guard down.

Cristian got to his feet and came toward her, hands held up unthreateningly. "Meredith?" he said quietly. "I didn't come here to fight."

Meredith gripped her knife tighter, keeping it concealed inside her bag. There were too many people around for him to attack without endangering innocent bystanders. "It didn't seem that way in the woods," she reminded him. "Don't pretend you're not working for Klaus."

Cristian shrugged. "I fought you," he said, "but I wasn't trying to hurt you." Meredith flashed back to facing off against Cristian in the battle with Klaus's vampires. They'd been so evenly matched that it had been clear they'd trained with the same parents: each blow he'd thrown she'd blocked automatically; each time she'd struck at him, he'd seemed to anticipate it. "Think about it," Cristian said. "Klaus turned me just a couple of weeks ago, but I remember everything from before. We used to spar all the time, but I'm a vampire and a hunter now. I should be much stronger and faster than you. If I'd wanted to kill you, I would have."

It was true. Meredith hesitated, and Cristian moved to the side of the path, sitting down on the bench again. After a moment, Meredith joined him. She didn't let go of the knife, but she couldn't help her curiosity about Cristian - her brother, her twin. He was taller than she was, and broader, but his hair was exactly the same shade of brown. He had her mother's mouth, with a subtle dimple on its left, and his nose was shaped like her father's.

When she met Cristian's eyes at last, his gaze was sad. "You really don't remember me, do you?" he asked.

"No," Meredith said. "What do you remember?" she asked.

In the reality she knew, Klaus had stolen Cristian away when he was a baby, raised him as his own. But in the Guardian-altered world, her twin brother would have grown up with her until he was sent away to boarding school for high school. Most of the supernatural-touched people in this world - Tyler, for instance - had a dual set of memories, two different sequences of events overlaying each other. Now that Klaus had made Cristian a vampire once more, would he remember both childhoods?

But Cristian was shaking his head. "I remember growing up with you, Meredith," he said. "You're my twin. We - " He laughed a sad little disbelieving laugh, just a puff of breath, really, and shook his head. "Remember how Dad made us learn Morse code? Just in case, he said? And we used to tap out messages on the wall between our bedrooms when we were supposed to be sleeping?" He looked at her hopefully, but Meredith shook her head.

"Dad made me learn Morse code," she said, "but I didn't have anyone to tap messages to."

"Klaus told me that in your reality, he took me away from home and made me a vampire when we were really little. But it's still weird for me that you don't remember me at all. We are - we were close," Cristian told her. "We used to, um, go to the beach every summer when I was home from school. Up until last summer, when I enlisted. We used to find little creatures and keep them in the tide pools, like our own tiny aquariums." His gray eyes, rimmed with heavy black lashes, were wide and sad. They were similar to Meredith's own eyes, perhaps a shade lighter, but right now they reminded her more forcibly of her mother's. With a jolt, she realized that the army must have told her parents Cristian was missing by now.

"I'm sorry," she told him, and she did feel sorry. "I don't remember ever going to the beach as a kid. I think my parents - our parents - lost their taste for family vacations after you were gone."

Cristian sighed and put his head in his hands. "I wish you had gotten a chance to meet me when I was human," he said. "One minute I'm lying in the barracks surrounded by a bunch of other guys, wondering what ever possessed me to enlist right out of high school anyway, and the next this vampire takes me and tells me all this crazy stuff about how I've always been his, how he's putting things right." He gave another sad huff of laughter. "All my training, and the first vampire I meet takes me out immediately. Dad's going to be so mad."

"It's not your fault," Meredith told him, and winced as she realized that, yeah, their dad would be kind of mad. More sad, of course, and sickened, but he would definitely feel that Cristian should have put up a better fight.

Cristian cocked a cynical eyebrow at her and they both laughed. It was weird, Meredith realized: for a moment there, sharing the feeling of exactly what it meant to be 'Nando Sulez's child, she really had felt like Cristian was her brother.

"I wish I had come to meet you when you were still human," she told him. "I just thought there would be more time."

Would she have been a different person if she'd grown up with a brother? she wondered. Klaus's attacks on her family had changed her parents: the ones in this reality, who hadn't lost a child, were less guarded, more open with their affections. If she had grown up with those parents and with Cristian next to her, someone to compete with, someone to help bear the weight of her parents' expectations, someone who knew all the secrets of their family, what would she be like? She'd felt less alone in the brief time she'd known Samantha: another hunter like her, her age. A brother would have changed everything, Meredith thought wistfully.

"I'm not interested in Klaus's endgame," Cristian told her. "I'm a vampire now, and that's tough for me to deal with. It's hard to fight the way I feel when I'm near Klaus. But I'm still your brother. I'm still a Sulez. I don't want to lose that. Maybe we could spend some time together? You could get to know me now." He looked at her sadly.

Meredith swallowed. "Okay," she said, and let her fingers loosen on the hilt of her knife. "Let's try it."

Dear Diary,

I have to prepare. If the Guardians won't change my task, my Powers will be concentrated on finding and destroying Damon, not Klaus. I need to be able to defeat Klaus on my own, by discovering my Power for myself.

For an hour today, Andres and I tried to unlock more of my Power.

It was a complete failure.

Andres had decided that learning to move things with my mind could be useful, so he folded pieces of paper all over James's house and encouraged me to imagine protecting my friends from evil by flinging them around. It was sickening to imagine Stefan or Bonnie or Meredith at Klaus's mercy, and I wanted to save them. I knew that if I could swing a stake at the right time, I might change things in a fight. But I couldn't even stir a page.

I'm going to be as ready as I can be, though. If I can't use my Guardian Powers to defeat Klaus, I'll fight him face-to-face. If I can't be killed by the supernatural, I have a huge advantage. Meredith and Stefan have been teaching me how to fight, how to use weapons.

Klaus is so much worse than Damon could ever be: when I think back, I can remember so many times that Damon saved innocents instead of killing them - Bonnie, the humans of the Dark Dimension, half our high school. Me. I owe him my life. Time after time, even when he's wavered, he's turned away from the easy darkness and come down on the right side, the side that saved the helpless. I know he's strayed again -

Elena paused. She couldn't bear to think of it: Damon killing again. But she took a deep breath and faced the truth.

- but maybe it is our fault, mine and Stefan's, for not showing him we care. It was just that once I got Stefan back, all I could think of was clutching him to me so tight that he'd never slip away again. Damon needs us, though he'll never admit it, but we'll fight through the darkness that shrouds him. We will save him. If I can just remind the Guardians of all Damon's done for us in the past, they'll see that he isn't evil. They can be rational, even if they are cold and distant.

I used to hate the idea of being a Guardian, of becoming less human. But now I know that it's a gift, a sacred trust to protect the world. As a Guardian, I can stop some of the deaths, some of the suffering. Once I fully come into my Power, I can use it to defeat the right target. I can still be the one to kill Klaus.

"I called Alaric and told him I'd meet him in an hour," Meredith said. "I had to talk to you guys first." She stirred a spoonful of sugar into her tea with such careful, precise movements that Elena was sure Meredith was keeping a firm control on herself to avoid slipping into hysteria.

It was the same reason, Elena knew, that Meredith had called just the three of them to meet her at the coffeehouse: Elena, Bonnie, and Matt, Meredith's oldest friends, the tight group that had withstood so much together. Meredith loved Alaric and trusted him with all her heart, just as Elena did Stefan, but sometimes you wanted your best friends with you.

"Cristian says he wants to be my family," Meredith said. "He isn't interested in fighting on Klaus's side. But how can I believe him? I asked Zander what he could sense about Cristian, but he wasn't sure. He says that sometimes, if the person has a lot going on emotionally, his Power doesn't work on them." She glanced at Bonnie sympathetically. "Zander misses you," she said, and Bonnie stared down at her lap.

"I know," she said softly. "But I can't be the person he needs." Elena squeezed her hand beneath the table.

Matt rubbed the back of his neck. "Maybe Cristian is telling the truth," he offered. "Chloe left Ethan and stopped drinking blood. There are good vampires - we know that. Look at Stefan."

"Where is Chloe, anyway?" Bonnie asked. "You've been spending all your time with her."

"Stefan took her hunting in the woods," Matt told her. "She's afraid to go by herself since Klaus attacked her, but Stefan says if she's going to survive, she can't hide forever. And I have a game later, so Stefan can keep her company, help her stave off the blood lust."

"At least it sounds like Cristian wants to try," Elena told Meredith. "I'm scared I've lost Damon. He was so violent. It was like he wanted me to give up on him." She hadn't told Meredith and the others that Damon had confessed so casually to killing someone, but she'd told them about the brutal, frightening scene at the billiards hall.

Meredith stared down at the surface of her tea for a moment, then raised her eyes to meet Elena's. "Maybe you should," she said quietly.

Elena shook her head in immediate denial, but Meredith pushed on. "You know what he's capable of, Elena," she said. "If he really wants to be bad again, he's strong enough and clever enough to be really bad. The Guardians might be right. Maybe he's even a bigger threat than Klaus."

Elena clenched her fists. "I can't, Meredith," she said, her voice cracking. "I can't. And I can't let anyone else, either. It's Damon." Her eyes met Meredith's. "Cristian's your family - that's why you can't kill him without giving him a chance. Well, Damon's become my family, too."

Bonnie looked back and forth between them, wide-eyed. "What can we do?" she asked.

"Listen," Matt said suddenly. "Meredith was a hunter when she met Stefan and Damon, even though the rest of us didn't know it. She hated vampires, right?" They all nodded. "So" - he turned to Meredith - "how did you get past it?"

Meredith blinked. "Well," she said slowly, "I knew Stefan wasn't a killer. He loved Elena so much, and he tried to protect people. Damon . . ." She hesitated. "For a long time, I thought I probably would have to kill Damon. It was my duty. But he changed. He fought on the right side."

She looked back down at the table, her face grim. "Duty is important, Elena," she said. "A hunter or a Guardian, we are the ones responsible for saving innocent people from evil. You can't ignore that." Elena's eyes filled with tears.

"Exactly," Matt said. "So, what if Damon changes again? If we could get him to act differently - well, if you guys could, anyway; he won't ever listen to me - then we could show the Guardians he's not a threat."

"There's a reason the Guardians aren't worried about Stefan," Bonnie added.

"Maybe," Elena said. She felt her shoulders drooping and automatically stiffened her spine. She wasn't going to give up, no matter how hopeless the idea of getting Damon to change his behavior seemed. "Maybe I can get him back on track. It didn't work the first time, but that doesn't mean I can't try another approach," she said, willing a little more positivity into her voice. She would just have to keep going, think of a way to get Damon on the side of good again.

"Or we could try locking him up until he changes," Matt suggested half jokingly. "Maybe Bonnie and Alaric can come up with some kind of calming spell. We'll figure something out."

"That's the ticket," Meredith said. Elena looked up at her and Meredith gave her a small, rueful smile. "Maybe Damon will change in time to save himself," Meredith said. "And maybe Cristian is telling the truth. If we're lucky enough, neither of them will have to die." She reached across the table and squeezed Elena's hand. "We'll try," she said, and Elena nodded, squeezing back.

"At least we have each other," Elena said, looking around to meet Bonnie's and Matt's sympathetic gazes. "No matter what happens, it'll never be the worst thing, not as long as you guys are by my side."