The Hunters: Phantom Chapter 16

He walked for a foresighted, long time, though it seemed his surroundings never changed. The same dim light filtered through a everlasting cloud of ash. He plodded on through grime, through mud, through ankle- thick pools of dark water.Occasional y, he unclenched his fist and gazed again at the locks of fuzz. Each time, the magic liquid bloodlessed them a little more, changing a scrap of fibrous blackness to two locks of shining hair, red and gold.He walked on.E trulything hurt, but he couldnt stop. If he stopped he would sink back below the ash and mud, back to the grave back to death.Something talk almost the edges of his mind. He didnt know quite what had happened to him, but run-in and phrases spun in his inquiry.Words homogeneous aband wholenessd, words like alone.He was in truth cold. He kept walking. afterward a while, he realized he was mumbling. Left me al alone. Theyd never have left him here. He couldnt remember who this him was, but he mat up a sick sort of sat is accompanimention from the glow of resentment. He held on to it as he proceed his march. After what felt like an unchanging eternity, something 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 opened suddenly at a lower place his feet. In the space of a heartbeat, he was fal ing into nothingness. Something inside him howled, Not now, not now. He grabbed and clawed at the earth, his arms holding him afloat, his feet swinging into the emptiness below him.No, he moaned. No, they cant Dont leave me here. Dont leave me again. His palpates slipped, mud and ash sliding beneath his hands.Damon? an incredulous voice ro bed. A great muscular figure s as well asd above him, silhouetted against the moons and planets in the sky, his chest b ard, long, spiraling tangles of hair spil ing over his shoulders. This statue of a man reached down and graspe d 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 other man grunted, muscles rippling. He strained and heaved against any(prenominal) was clinging onto Damon Damon, the man had cal ed him, and that felt right, somehow. The other man gave a great tug, and final y the trace below released him, and he shot kayoed of the earth, knocking his rescuer backward.Damon lay panting on the ground, spent.You are conceived to be dead, the other man told him, climbing to his feet and holding out a hand to veritable(a) Damon. He pushed a long lock of hair away from his face and gazed at Damon with serious, troubled 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 wet his lips and tried to speak, but his voice wouldnt go up.Everything has been disturbed here since your friends left, the man tell. Somethi ng requisite has shifted in this universe. Things are not right. He shook his head, his eyes troubled. But tel me, mon cher, how does it come to be that you are here?Final y Damon found his voice. It came out 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 ahead of them. Damon hesitated for a moment, glancing at the emptiness and ash around them, then trudged after him toward the open doors.After Stefan swept out of the room so suddenly, everyone could only see after him as the front door banged, signaling that he had left the house just as quickly. reasonable 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 tell. Is he always so intense? Or is it a lamia thing?A laric 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 thoughtful y, possibly it was the personal line of credit with his brother that do him seem so reasonable. Damon was pretty unpredictable.Meredith frowned thoughtful y. No, youre right. This isnt the way Stefan usual y acts. Maybe hes emotional because Elenas threatened? 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 qualification him so jumpy is that he doesnt know where the threats coming from this time. reasonable took a sip of tea, zoning out as Meredith hmmmed thoughtful y, and Celia raised one skeptical eyebrow. I stil dont understand what you mean when you say Elena d ied. atomic number 18 you suggesting she actual y rose from the dead?Yes, say Meredith. She was turned into a vampire, then she was exposed to temperateness and physical y died. They buried her and everything. Later months later she returned. Shes human again, though.I find 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 throttling 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 saying 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 curl around her finger. She watched as her finger turned white and red against the strand of hair. Elena. Of course they were talking rough Elena. E veryone 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 whole 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 appearance if it even was Caleb could have been a coincidence. Dont you think so, Meredith?Oh, dont bother to ask me about the visions, Bonnie thought crispterly. 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 glanced under her eyelashes at Matt, but he was staring out the window, apparently completely detached from the conversation. She could tel that Matt stil loved Elena, even if no one else knew. It was too bad M att was awful y cute. He could date anyone, but it was taking him a long time to get over her.But then, no one ever seemed to get over Elena. half(prenominal) the boys at Robert E. Lee High School had gone around gazing wistful y after her, as if she cleverness 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 feller for more than a few weeks at a time. What was wrong with her? People always told her how cute she was, how adorable, how frolic 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 peasant 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 mannikin of threat. Whether or not Bonnies purported vision comes to anything Bonnie shot her best unpleasant look at Celia, but Celia ignored it we should definitely go over any background or scope we can find for the unexplained appearance of the names. We should find out if theres a recorded history of this attractive 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 facial expression for something like this. A countersign on curses, maybe? Or omens?Do you have anything like that 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 helpful 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 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 witchcraft, 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 better if I went up there for a few days. Her library isnt as wel organized as it could be I cypher its symptomatic of the kind of mind that studies stories rather than facts and it might take a while to discover 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 shade 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 better stay here and help Meredith. With her sprained ankle and everything.Mmm-hmmm. Celia glanced at Meredith again. Meredith, who had been looking steadily 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 blanch pink, they could al clearly read one word written across the carpet bonnie