vampire diaries MIDNIGHT | Page 8

tr e m bli n g s o th a t th e e ntir e tr a y o f f o od s he w as c a rry in g ji n gle d. S in ce th e re
was n o a cce ss to th e s to ra ge r o om f r o m in sid e , a nyo ne w ho w ante d to s e e D am on
ha d to g o o ut th e f r o nt d o or a nd a ro und to th e a ddit io n ta cke d o n n e ar th e k it c he n
ga rd e n.
D am on’s la ir
, p e ople w ere c a lli n g it n o w .
As s he p a sse d th e g a rd e n E le na g la nce d s id e w ays a t th e h o le in th e m id dle o f
th e a nge li c a p a tc h th a t w as th e p o w ere d-d o w n G ate w ay w he re th e y’d c o m e b a ck
fr o m th e D ark D im ensio n.
She h e sit a te d a t th e s to ra ge r o om d o or. S he w as s till tr e m bli n g, a nd s he k n e w
th a t w as n o t th e r ig ht w ay to f a ce D am on.
Just r e la x, s he to ld h e rs e lf . T hin k o f S te fa n.
Ste fa n h a d h a d a g rim s e tb a ck w he n h e ’d f o und th a t th e re w as n o th in g le ft o f th e
ro se , b ut h e h a d s o on r e co ve re d h is u sua l h um ili t y a nd g ra ce , to uchin g E le na ’s
che ek a nd s a yin g th a t h e w as th a nkfu l ju st to b e th e re w it h h e r. T ha t th is c lo se ne ss
was a ll h e a ske d o f li f e . C le an c lo th e s, d e ce nt f o od—
fr e edom
—all th e se w ere
worth f ig htin g f o r, b ut E le na w as th e m ost im po rta nt. A nd E le na h a d c rie d.
On th e o th e r h a nd, s he k n e w th a t D am on h a d n o in te ntio n o f r e m ain in g a s h e
no w w as. H e m ig ht d o a nyth in g, r is k a nyth in g… to c ha nge h im se lf b a ck.
It h a d a ctu a lly b e en M att w ho h a d s ugge ste d th e s ta r b a ll a s a s o lu tio n f o r
Dam on’s c o ndit io n. M att h a dn’t u nde rs to od e it h e r th e r o se o r th e s ta r b a ll u ntil it
was e xp la in e d th a t th is s ta r b a ll, w hic h w as p ro ba bly M is a