Vampire Diaries The Hunters Phantom | Page 7

y o ung er s is te r, M arg are t, d re sse d in p in k flo w er-
p rin te d p aja m as, h e r c o rn -s ilk h a ir s ta nd in g s tr a ig ht u p in th e m id dle li k e a th ru sh’s fe ath e rs . T he fiv e -y e ar-
o ld d id n’t d ece le ra te u ntil s he w as a lm ost o n to p o f E le na — and th e n s he la unche d h e rs e lf a t h e r th ro ug h th e
a ir .
She la nd ed s q ua re ly o n h e r o ld er s is te r, k no ckin g th e b re ath o ut o f h e r. M arg are t’s c he eks w ere w et, h e r
e ye s s hin in g , a nd h e r li ttle h a nd s c lu tc he d a t E le na .
Ele na fo und h e rs e lf h o ld in g o n ju st a s tig htly , fe eli n g th e w eig ht o f h e r s is te r, in ha li n g th e s w eet s ce nt o f
b aby s ha m poo a nd P la y-D oh.
“I m is se d y o u!” M arg are t s a id , h e r v o ic e o n th e v e rg e o f s o bbin g . “ E le na ! I m is se d y o u s o m uch!”
“W ha t? ” D esp ite h e r e ffo rt to m ake h e r v o ic e li g ht, E le na c o uld h e ar it s ha kin g . S he r e ali z e d w ith a jo lt
th a t s he h a dn’t s e en M arg are t—
re ally
s e en h e r— fo r m ore th a n e ig ht m onth s. B ut M arg are t c o uld n’t k no w
th a t. “ Y ou m is se d m e s o m uch s in ce b edtim e th a t y o u h a d to c o m e r u nnin g to fin d m e?”
Marg are t d re w s li g htly a w ay fr o m E le na a nd s ta re d a t h e r. M arg are t’s fiv e -y e ar-o ld c le ar b lu e e ye s h a d a
lo ok in th e m , a n in te nse ly
kn owin g
lo ok, th a t s e nt a s hiv e r d ow n E le na ’s s p in e .
But M arg are t d id n’t s a y a w ord . S he s im ply tig hte ne d h e r g rip o n E le na , c urli n g u p a nd le ttin g h e r h e ad
re st o n E le na ’s s ho uld er. “ I h a d a b ad d re am . I d re am ed y o u le ft m e. Y ou w ent
away.
” T he la st w ord w as a
q uie t w ail.
“O h, M arg are t,” E le na s a id , h ug gin g h e r s is te r’s w arm s o li d ity , “ it w as o nly