The Hunters: Phantom Chapter 16

He walked for a long, long sequence, though it recognizemed his surroundings neer changed. The same dim light filtered through a invariant cloud of ash. He plodded on through grime, through foul up, through shallow pools of dark water.Occasional y, he unclenched his fist and gazed again at the locks of hairsbreadth. separately time, the magic liquid cleaned them a short(p) more, changing a meth of fibrous melanizeness to two locks of shining hair, red and gold.He walked on.E actuallything hurt, husband he couldnt stop. If he stopped he would sink back to a lower place the ash and mud, back to the grave back to death.Something whispered nearly the edges of his mind. He didnt k nary(prenominal) quite what had happened to him, but news shows and phrases spun in his head.Words standardised abandoned, words like alone.He was very cold. He kept walking. after(prenominal) a while, he realized he was mumbling. Left me al alone. Theyd never wee-wee left him here. He could nt remember who this him was, but he mat a sick sort of satisfaction from the glow of resentment. He held on to it as he continued his march. After what felt like an consistent eternity, roughthing happened. Ahead of him he could see the gatehouse he had imagined spired like a fairy-tale castle, black as night. He walked faster, his footsteps shuffling through the ash. And then the earth loose on the spur of the moment beneath his feet. In the space of a heartbeat, he was fal ing into nonhingness. Something intimate him howled, Not now, not now. He grabbed and clawed at the earth, his arms retentivity him afloat, his feet swinging into the emptiness down the stairs him.No, he moaned. No, they cant Dont bestow me here. Dont leave me again. His fingers slipped, mud and ash sliding beneath his men.Damon? an incredulous voice roared. A keen muscular figure stood above him, silhouetted against the moons and planets in the sky, his chest bared, long, spiraling tangles of hair s pil ing over his shoulders. This statue of a slice reached down and grasped him by the arms, lifting him up. He yelped in pain. Something beneath the earth had latched onto his legs and was pul ing him back down.Hold on The opposite man grunted, muscles rippling. He strained and heaved against whatever was clinging onto Damon Damon, the man had cal ed him, and that felt right, somehow. The different man gave a great tug, and final y the force below released him, and he shot aside of the earth, knocking his rescuer backward.Damon lay puff on the ground, spent.You are supposed to be deathlike, the other man told him, mounting to his feet and holding erupt a hand to steady Damon. He pushed a long lock of hair away from his face and gazed at Damon with serious, trouble eyes. The fact that you are not wel , I am not as surprised as I should be.Damon blinked at his savior, who was watching him attentively. He soused his lips and tried to speak, but his voice wouldnt come.Everyt hing has been disturbed here since your friends left, the man express. Something of the essence(p) has shifted in this universe. Things are not right. He move his head, his eyes troubled. notwithstanding tel me, mon cher, how does it come to be that you are here?Final y Damon embed his voice. It came come to the fore rough and quavering. I dont know.The man immediately was al courtesy. I think the situation cal s for some Black Magic, oui? And some blood, perhaps, and a chance to clean up. And then, Damon, we must talk.He gestured toward the dark castle onwards of them. Damon hesitated for a moment, glancing at the emptiness and ash nearly them, then trudged after him toward the open doors.After Stefan swept out of the room so suddenly, everyone could exactly stare after him as the front door banged, signaling that he had left the house just as quickly. Bonnie hugged her arms around herself, shivering. A little voice in the back of her head told her that something was very, very wrong.Celia final y broke the silence. Interesting, she said. Is he ever so blood-and-guts? Or is it a vampire thing?Alaric chuckled dryly. Believe it or not, hes always seemed very low-key and practical to me. I dont remember him being so volatile. He ran a hand through his sandy hair and added careful y, Maybe it was the contrast with his brother that made him seem so reasonable. Damon was graceful unpredictable.Meredith frowned thoughtful y. No, youre right. This isnt the way Stefan usual y acts. Maybe hes emotional because Elenas jeopardize? But that doesnt make sense shes been in danger before. Even when she died he was heartbroken, but, if anything, it made him more responsible, not wilder.But when Elena was dead, Alaric reminded her, the worst thing he could imagine had already happened. Its possible that whats making him so jumpy is that he doesnt know where the threats coming from this time.Bonnie took a sip of tea, zoning out as Meredith hmmmed thoughtful y, an d Celia raised one skeptical supercilium. I stil dont consider what you mean when you say Elena died. Are you suggesting she actual y rose from the dead?Yes, said Meredith. She was turned into a vampire, then she was exposed to sunlight and sensual y died. They buried her and everything. Later months later she returned. Shes human again, though.I lift al that very hard to believe, said Celia flatly.Honestly, Celia, said Alaric, throwing up his hands in exasperation. With everything youve seen since we got here your scarf nearly choking you, then spel ing out a name, Bonnie having a vision, Stefan practical y flying to save you I dont know why youre drawing the line now and byword you dont believe a girl could come back from the dead. He paused and took a breath. I dont mean to sound harsh, but real y.Meredith smirked. Believe it or not, its true. Elena came back from the dead.Bonnie wrapped one long red peal around her finger. She watched as her finger turned white and red against the brim of hair. Elena. Of course they were talking around Elena. Everyone was always talking about Elena. Whether she was with them or not, everything they did or thought centered on Elena.Alaric turned to address the only group. Stefan seems convinced that he wants you means Caleb, but Im not sure that it does. From what Ive seen of Bonnies visions, and what you guys have told me, theyre hardly ever about whats right in front of her. Calebs style if it correct was Caleb could have been a coincidence. Dont you think so, Meredith?Oh, dont bother to ask me about the visions, Bonnie thought bitterly. Im only the one who has them. Wasnt that the way it always was, though? She was the one everyone overlooked.It could be a coincidence, Meredith said doubtful y. But if its not Caleb she was talking about, who is it? Who wants Elena?Bonnie inspectd under her eyelashes at Matt, but he was stare out the window, apparently completely detached from the conversation. She coul d tel that Matt stil loved Elena, nevertheless if no one else knew. It was too bad Matt was awful y cute. He could date anyone, but it was taking him a long time to make water over her.But then, no one ever seemed to compass over Elena. Half the boys at Robert E. Lee High School had at peace(p) around gazing wistful y after her, as if she might suddenly turn around and fal into their arms. Certainly most of the boys Elena had dated had stayed a little bit in love with her, even after Elena had more or less forgotten their names. It isnt fair, Bonnie thought, twirling her hair more tightly around her finger. Everyone always wanted Elena, and Bonnie had never even had a mate for more than a few weeks at a time. What was wrong with her? deal always told her how cute she was, how adorable, how fun and then they looked past her to Elena, and it was like they couldnt see Bonnie anymore.And while Damon, amazing, sexy Damon, had been fond of her, sometimes, when she wasnt trying to ki d herself, she knew he hadnt real y seen her, either.Im just the sidekick, thats my problem, Bonnie thought glumly. Elena was the star Meredith was a hero Bonnie was a sidekick.Celia cleared her throat. I have to confess Im intrigued by the appearance of the names, she said stiffly. It does seem like they point to some winsome of threat. Whether or not Bonnies purported vision comes to anything Bonnie shot her scoop nasty look at Celia, but Celia ignored it we should definitely study any background or context we can find for the undetermined appearance of the names. We should find out if theres a recorded history of this physique of thing happening before. The writing on the wal , if you wil .She gave a thin-lipped smile at her own joke.But what would we investigate? Bonnie said, finding herself unwil ingly responding to Celias teacherlike manner. I wouldnt even know where to start looking for something like this. A book on curses, maybe? Or omens?Do you have anything like t hat in your library, Mrs. Flowers?Mrs. Flowers shook her head. Im afraid not, dear. My library, as you know, is mostly herbals. I have a few more specialized books, but I cant recal anything that might be subservient with this problem.When she mentioned more specialized books,Bonnies cheeks got hot. She thought of the grimoire on communication with the dead, stil tucked under the floorboards in her bedroom, and hoped Mrs. Flowers hadnt noticed it was missing.After a few seconds, her cheeks had cooled enough that she dared to glance around, but only Meredith was looking at her, one elegant eyebrow raised. If Meredith thought something was up, she wouldnt rest until she got the whole story from Bonnie, so Bonnie gave her a bland smile and crossed her fingers behind her back for luck. Meredith raised her other eyebrow and looked at her with deep suspicion.Actual y, Celia said, I have a contact at the University of Virginia who studies folklore and mythology. She specializes in witchc raft, folk magic, curses, al that kind of thing.Do you think we could cal her? said Alaric hopeful y. Celia frowned. I think it would be bust if I went up there for a few days. Her library isnt as wel organized as it could be I suppose its symptomatic of the kind of mind that studies stories rather than facts and it might take a while to severalise if theres anything useful there. I think it would be just as wel for me to get out of town for a while, anyway. After two brushes with death in two days she sent a pointed glance toward Meredith, who blushed Im beginning to timber that Fel s Church isnt the healthiest place for me. She looked at Alaric. You might find her library of interest, if youd like to come with me. Dr. Beltram is one of the best-known experts in her field.Uh Alaric looked startled. Thanks, but Id break up stay here and help Meredith. With her sprained ankle and everything.Mmm-hmmm. Celia glanced at Meredith again. Meredith, who had been looking steady more delighted every second since Celia had announced she was leaving, ignored her and smiled at Alaric. Wel , I suppose I should give her a cal and get my things together. No time like the present.Celia stood up, smoothed her sundress, and walked out the door, head high. As she passed, she brushed against the table near Mrs. Flowerss chair, sending her knitting to the floor.Bonnie let out a breath as Celia left the room. Wel , real y she said indignantly.Bonnie, said Matt warningly.I know, said Bonnie angrily. She could have at least said excuse me, right? And what was that with asking Alaric to come with her to UVA? He just got here, practical y. He hasnt seen you for months. Of course hes not going to leave again with her right now.Bonnie, said Meredith, in a strangely choked voice.What? said Bonnie, catching the oddness in her tone and looking around. Oh. Oh. Oh, no.Mrs. Flowerss knitting had fal en from its table, and the skein of yarn had rol ed across the floor, unwinding as it went. Now, in the curls of soft pale pink, they could al clearly read one word written across the carpet bonnie