DARK REUNION

The Vampire Diaries Book 4 By

L. J. Smith One
"Things can be just like they were before," said Caroline warmly, reaching out to squeeze Bonnie's hand. But it wasn't true. othing could e!er be the way it had been before "lena died. othing. #nd Bonnie had serious misgi!ings about this $arty Caroline was trying to set u$. # !ague nagging in the $it of her stomach told her that for some reason it was a !ery, !ery bad idea. "%eredith's birthday is already over," she $ointed out. "&t was last 'aturday." "But she didn't ha!e a $arty, not a real $arty like this one. (e'!e got all night) my $arents won't be back until 'unday morning. Come on, Bonnie*just think how sur$rised she'll be." +h, she'll be sur$rised, all right, thought Bonnie. 'o sur$rised she just might kill me afterward. ",ook, Caroline, the reason %eredith didn't ha!e a big $arty is that she still doesn't feel much like celebrating. &t seems* disres$ectful, somehow*"

"But that's wrong. "lena would want us to ha!e a good time, you know she would. 'he lo!ed $arties. #nd she'd hate to see us sitting around and crying o!er her si- months after she's gone." Caroline leaned forward, her normally feline green eyes earnest and com$elling. There was no artifice in them now, none of Caroline's usual nasty mani$ulation. Bonnie could tell she really meant it. "& want us to be friends again the way we used to be," Caroline said. "(e always used to celebrate our birthdays together, just the four of us, remember. #nd remember how the guys would always try to crash our $arties. & wonder if they'll try this year." Bonnie felt control of the situation sli$$ing away from her. This is a bad idea, this is a !ery bad idea, she thought. But Caroline was going on, looking dreamy and almost romantic as she talked about the good old days. Bonnie didn't ha!e the heart to tell her that the good old days were as dead as disco. "But there aren't e!en four of us anymore. Three doesn't make much of a $arty," she $rotested feebly when she could get a word in. "&'m going to in!ite 'ue Carson, too. %eredith gets along with her, doesn't she." Bonnie had to admit %eredith did) e!eryone got along with 'ue. But e!en so, Caroline had to understand that things couldn't be the way they had been before. /ou couldn't just substitute 'ue Carson for "lena and say, There, e!erything is fi-ed now. But how do & e-$lain that to Caroline. Bonnie thought. 'uddenly she knew. ",et's in!ite 0ickie Bennett," she said.

Caroline stared. "Vickie Bennett. /ou must be joking. &n!ite that bizarre little dri$ who undressed in front of half the school. #fter e!erything that ha$$ened." "Because of e!erything that ha$$ened," said Bonnie firmly. ",ook, & know she was ne!er in our crowd. But she's not in with the fast crowd anymore) they don't want her and she's scared to death of them. 'he needs friends. (e need $eo$le. ,et's in!ite her." 1or a moment Caroline looked hel$lessly frustrated. Bonnie thrust her chin out, $ut her hands on her hi$s, and waited. 1inally Caroline sighed. "#ll right) you win. &'ll in!ite her. But you ha!e to take care of getting %eredith to my house 'aturday night. #nd Bonnie*make sure she doesn't ha!e any idea what's going on. & really want this to be a sur$rise." "+h, it will be," Bonnie said grimly. 'he was un$re$ared for the sudden light in Caroline's face or the im$ulsi!e warmth of Caroline's hug. "&'m so glad you're seeing things my way," Caroline said. "#nd it'll be so good for us all to be together again." 'he doesn't understand a thing, Bonnie realized, dazed, as Caroline walked off. (hat do & ha!e to do to e-$lain to her. 'ock her. #nd then2 +h, 3od, now & ha!e to tell %eredith. But by the end of the day she decided that maybe %eredith didn't need to be told. Caroline wanted %eredith sur$rised) well, maybe Bonnie should deli!er %eredith sur$rised. That way at least %eredith wouldn't ha!e to worry about it beforehand. /es, Bonnie concluded, it was $robably kindest to not tell %eredith anything.

And who knows, she wrote in her journal 1riday night. Maybe I'm being too hard on Caroline. Maybe she's really sorry about all the things she did to us, like trying to humiliate lena in !ront o! the whole town and trying to get "te!an #ut away !or murder. Maybe Caroline's matured since then and learned to think about somebody besides hersel!. Maybe we'll actually have a good time at her #arty. #nd maybe aliens will kidna$ me before tomorrow afternoon, she thought as she closed the diary. 'he could only ho$e. The diary was an ine-$ensi!e drugstore blank book, with a $attern of tiny flowers on the co!er. 'he'd only started kee$ing it since "lena had died, but she'd already become slightly addicted to it. &t was the one $lace she could say anything she wanted without $eo$le looking shocked and saying, "Bonnie %cCullough4" or "+h, Bonnie." 'he was still thinking about "lena as she turned off the light and crawled under the co!ers. 'he was sitting on lush, manicured grass that s$read as far as she could see in all directions. The sky was a flawless blue, the air was warm and scented. Birds were singing. "&'m so glad you could come," "lena said. "+h*yes," said Bonnie. "(ell, naturally, so am &. +f course." 'he looked around again, then hastily back at "lena. "%ore tea." There was a teacu$ in Bonnie's hand, thin and fragile as eggshell. "+h*sure. Thanks." "lena was wearing an eighteenth5century dress of gauzy white muslin, which clung to her,

showing how slender she was. 'he $oured the tea $recisely, without s$illing a dro$. "(ould you like a mouse." "# what." "& said, would you like a sandwich with your tea." "+h. # sandwich. /eah. 3reat." &t was thinly sliced cucumber with mayonnaise on a dainty square of white bread. (ithout the crust. The whole scene was as s$arkly and beautiful as a $icture by 'eurat. (arm '$rings, that's where we are. The old $icnic $lace, Bonnie thought. But surely we'!e got more im$ortant things to discuss than tea. "(ho does your hair these days." she asked. "lena ne!er had been able to do it herself. "6o you like it." "lena $ut a hand u$ to the silky, $ale gold mass $iled at the back of her neck. "&t's $erfect," said Bonnie, sounding for all the world like her mother at a 6aughters of the #merican 7e!olution dinner $arty. "(ell, hair is im$ortant, you know," "lena said. 8er eyes glowed a dee$er blue than the sky, la$is lazuli blue. Bonnie touched her own s$ringy red curls self5consciously. "+f course, blood is im$ortant too," "lena said. "Blood. +h*yes, of course," said Bonnie, flustered. 'he had no idea what "lena was talking about, and she felt as if she were walking on a tightro$e o!er alligators. "/es, blood's im$ortant, all right," she agreed weakly. "#nother sandwich." "Thanks." &t was cheese and tomato. "lena selected one for herself and bit into it delicately.

Bonnie watched her, feeling uneasiness grow by the minute inside her, and then* #nd then she saw the mud oozing out of the edges of the sandwich. "(hat*what's that." Terror made her !oice shrill. 1or the first time, the dream seemed like a dream, and she found that she couldn't mo!e, could only gas$ and stare. # thick glob of the brown stuff fell off "lena's sandwich onto the checkered tablecloth. &t was mud, all right. ""lena9 "lena, what*" "+h, we all eat this down here." "lena smiled at her with brown5stained teeth. "-ce$t that the !oice wasn't "lena's) it was ugly and distorted and it was a man's !oice. "/ou will too." The air was no longer warm and scented) it was hot and sickly sweet with the odor of rotting garbage. There were black $its in the green grass, which wasn't manicured after all but wild and o!ergrown. This wasn't (arm '$rings. 'he was in the old gra!eyard) how could she not ha!e realized that. +nly these gra!es were fresh. "#nother mouse." "lena said, and giggled obscenely. Bonnie looked down at the half5eaten sandwich she was holding and screamed. 6angling from one end was a ro$y brown tail. 'he threw it as hard as she could against a headstone, where it hit with a wet sla$. Then she stood, stomach hea!ing, scrubbing her fingers frantically against her jeans. "/ou can't lea!e yet. The com$any is just arri!ing." "lena's face was changing) she had already lost her hair, and her skin was turning gray and leathery. Things were mo!ing in the $late of sandwiches and the freshly dug $its.

Bonnie didn't want to see any of them) she thought she would go mad if she did. "/ou're not "lena4" she screamed, and ran. The wind blew her hair into her eyes and she couldn't see. 8er $ursuer was behind her) she could feel it right behind her. 3et to the bridge, she thought, and then she ran into something. "&'!e been waiting for you," said the thing in "lena's dress, the gray skeletal thing with long, twisted teeth. ",isten to me, Bonnie." &t held her with terrible strength. "/ou're not "lena4 /ou're not "lena4" ",isten to me, Bonnie4" &t was "lena's !oice, "lena's real !oice, not obscenely amused nor thick and ugly, but urgent. &t came from somewhere behind Bonnie and it swe$t through the dream like a fresh, cold wind. "Bonnie, listen quickly*" Things were melting. The bony hands on Bonnie's arms, the crawling gra!eyard, the rancid hot air. 1or a moment "lena's !oice was clear, but it was broken u$ like a bad long5dis5 tance connection. "9 8e's twisting things, changing them. &'m not as strong as he is9" Bonnie missed some words. "9 but this is im$ortant. /ou ha!e to find9 right now." 8er !oice was fading. ""lena, & can't hear you4 "lena4" "9 an easy s$ell, only two ingredients, the ones & told you already9" ""lena4" Bonnie was still shouting as she sat bolt u$right in bed.

Two

"#nd that's all & remember," Bonnie concluded as she and %eredith walked down 'unflower 'treet between the rows of tall 0ictorian houses. "But it was definitely "lena." "/es, and she was trying to tell me something at the end. But that's the $art that wasn't clear, e-ce$t that it was im$ortant, terribly im$ortant. (hat do you think." "%ouse sandwiches and o$en gra!es." %eredith arched an elegant eyebrow. "& think you're getting 'te$hen :ing mi-ed u$ with ,ewis Carroll." Bonnie thought she was $robably right. But the dream still bothered her) it had bothered her all day, enough to $ut her earlier worries out of her mind. ow, as she and %eredith a$$roached Caroline's house, the old worries returned with a !engeance. 'he really should ha!e told %eredith about this, she thought, casting an uneasy sideways glance at the taller girl. 'he shouldn't let %eredith just walk in there un$re$ared9 %eredith looked u$ at the lighted windows of the ;ueen #nne 8ouse with a sigh. "6o you really need those earrings tonight." "/es, & do) yes, absolutely." Too late now. %ight as well make the best of it. "/ou'll lo!e them when you see them," she added, hearing the note of ho$eful des$eration in her own !oice. %eredith $aused and her keen dark eyes searched Bonnie's face curiously. Then she knocked on the door. "& just ho$e Caroline's not staying home tonight. (e could end u$ stuck with her." "Caroline staying home on a 'aturday night. 6on't be ridiculous." Bonnie had been holding

her breath too long) she was starting to feel lightheaded. 8er tinkling laughter came out brittle and false. "(hat a conce$t," she continued somewhat hysterically as %eredith said, "& don't think anybody's home," and tried the knob. <ossessed by some crazy im$ulse Bonnie added, "1iddle5dee5dee." 8and on doorknob, %eredith sto$$ed dead and turned to look at her. "Bonnie," she said quietly, "ha!e you gone com$letely through the ozone." " o." 6eflated, Bonnie grabbed %eredith's arm and sought her eyes urgently. The door was o$ening on its own. "+h, 3od, %eredith, $lease don't kill me9" "'ur$rise4" shouted three !oices. "'mile," Bonnie hissed, sho!ing the suddenly resistant body of her friend through the door and into the bright room full of noise and showers of foil confetti. 'he beamed wildly herself and s$oke through clenched teeth. ":ill me later*& deser!e it*but for now just smile." There were balloons, the e-$ensi!e %ylar kind, and a cluster of $resents on the coffee table. There was e!en a flower arrangement, although Bonnie noticed the orchids in it matched Caroline's $ale green scarf e-actly. &t was a 8ermes silk with a design of !ines and lea!es. 'he'll end u$ wearing one of those orchids in her hair, &'ll bet, Bonnie thought. 'ue Carson's blue eyes were a little an-ious, her smile wa!ering. "& ho$e you didn't ha!e any big $lans for tonight, %eredith," she said. " othing & can't break with an iron crowbar," %eredith re$lied. But she smiled back with wry warmth and Bonnie rela-ed. 'ue had been a

8omecoming <rincess on "lena's court, along with Bonnie, %eredith, and Caroline. 'he was the only girl at school besides Bonnie and %eredith who'd stood by "lena when e!eryone else had turned against her. #t "lena's funeral she'd said that "lena would always be the real queen of 7obert ". ,ee, and she'd gi!en u$ her own nomination for 'now ;ueen in "lena's memory. obody could hate 'ue. The worst was o!er now, Bonnie thought. "& want to get a $icture of us all on the couch," Caroline said, $ositioning them behind the flower arrangement. "0ickie, take it, will you." 0ickie Bennett had been standing by quietly, unnoticed. ow she said, "+h, sure," and ner!ously flicked long, light brown hair out of her eyes as she $icked u$ the camera. =ust like she's some kind of ser!ant, Bonnie thought, and then the flashbulb blinded her. #s the <olaroid de!elo$ed and 'ue and Caroline laughed and talked around %eredith's dry $oliteness, Bonnie noticed something else. &t was a good $icture) Caroline looked stunning as e!er with her auburn hair gleaming and the $ale green orchids in front of her. #nd there was %eredith, looking resigned and ironic and darkly beautiful without e!en trying, and there she was herself, a head shorter than the others, with her red curls tousled and a shee$ish e-$ression on her face. But the strange thing was the figure beside her on the couch. &t was 'ue, of course it was 'ue, but for a moment the blond hair and blue eyes seemed to belong to someone else. 'omeone looking at her urgently, on the !erge of saying something im$ortant. Bonnie frowned at the $hoto, blinking ra$idly. The image swam in

front of her, and a chilling uneasiness ran u$ her s$ine. o, it was just 'ue in the $icture. 'he must'!e gone crazy for a minute, or else she was letting Caroline's desire for them "all to be together again" affect her. "&'ll take the ne-t one," she said, s$ringing u$. "'it down, 0ickie, and lean in. o, farther, farther*there4" #ll of 0ickie's mo!ements were quick and light and ner!ous. (hen the flashbulb went off, she started like a scared animal ready to bolt. Caroline scarcely glanced at this $icture, getting u$ and heading for the kitchen instead. "3uess what we're ha!ing instead of cake." she said. "&'m making my own !ersion of 6eath by Chocolate. Come on, you'!e got to hel$ me melt the fudge." 'ue followed her, and after an uncertain $ause, so did 0ickie. The last traces of %eredith's $leasant e-$ression e!a$orated and she turned to Bonnie. "/ou should ha!e told me." "& know." Bonnie lowered her head meekly a minute. Then she looked u$ and grinned. "But then you wouldn't ha!e come and we wouldn't be ha!ing 6eath by Chocolate." "#nd that makes it all worthwhile." "(ell, it hel$s," Bonnie said, with an air of being reasonable. "#nd really, it $robably won't be so bad. Caroline's actually trying to be nice, and it's good for 0ickie to get out of the house for once9" "&t doesn't look like it's good for her," %eredith said bluntly. "&t looks like she's going to ha!e a heart attack." "(ell, she's $robably just ner!ous." &n Bonnie's o$inion, 0ickie had good reason to be

ner!ous. 'he'd s$ent most of the $re!ious fall in a trance, being slowly dri!en out of her mind by a $ower she didn't understand. obody had e-$ected her to come out of it as well as she had. %eredith was still looking bleak. "#t least," Bonnie said consolingly, "it isn't your real birthday." %eredith $icked u$ the camera and turned it o!er and o!er. 'till looking down at her hands, she said, "But it is." "(hat." Bonnie stared and then said louder, "$hat did you say." "& said, it is my real birthday. Caroline's mom must ha!e told her) she and my mom used to be friends a long time ago." "%eredith, what are you talking about. /our birthday was last week, %ay >?." " o, it wasn't. &t's today, =une @. &t's true) it's on my dri!er's license and e!erything. %y $arents started celebrating it a week early because =une @ was too u$setting for them. &t was the day my grandfather was attacked and went crazy." #s Bonnie gas$ed, unable to s$eak, she added calmly, "8e tried to kill my grandmother, you know. 8e tried to kill me, too." %eredith $ut the camera down carefully in the e-act center of the coffee table. "(e really should go in the kitchen," she said quietly. "& smell chocolate." Bonnie was still $aralyzed, but her mind was beginning to work again. 0aguely, she remembered %eredith s$eaking about this before, but she hadn't told her the full truth then. #nd she hadn't said when it had ha$$ened. "#ttacked*you mean like 0ickie was attacked," Bonnie got out. 'he couldn't say the

word vam#ire, but she knew %eredith understood. ",ike 0ickie was attacked," %eredith confirmed. "Come on," she added, e!en more quietly. "They're waiting for us. & didn't mean to u$set you." %eredith doesn't want me to be u$set, so & won't be u$set, Bonnie thought, $ouring hot fudge o!er the chocolate cake and chocolate ice cream. "!en though we'!e been friends since first grade and she ne!er told me this secret before. 1or an instant her skin chilled and words came floating out of the dark corners of her mind. %o one is what they seem. 'he'd been warned that last year by the !oice of 8onoria 1ell s$eaking through her, and the $ro$hecy had turned out to be horrifyingly true. (hat if it wasn't o!er yet. Then Bonnie shook her head determinedly. 'he couldn't think about this right now) she had a #arty to think about. #nd &'ll make sure it's a good $arty and we all get along somehow, she thought. 'trangely, it wasn't e!en that hard. %eredith and 0ickie didn't talk much at first, but Bonnie went out of her way to be nice to 0ickie, and e!en %eredith couldn't resist the $ile of brightly wra$$ed $resents on the coffee table. By the time she'd o$ened the last one they were all talking and laughing. The mood of truce and toleration continued as they mo!ed u$ into Caroline's bedroom to e-amine her clothes and C6s and $hoto albums. #s it got near midnight they flo$$ed on slee$ing bags, still talking.

"(hat's going on with #laric these days." 'ue asked %eredith. #laric 'altzman was %eredith's boyfriend* sort of. 8e was a graduate student from 6uke Ani!ersity who'd majored in $ara$sychology and had been called to 1ell's Church last year when the !am$ire attacks began. Though he'd started out an enemy, he'd ended u$ an ally*and a friend. "8e's in 7ussia," %eredith said. "<erestroika, you know. 8e's o!er there finding out what they were doing with $sychics during the Cold (ar." "(hat are you going to tell him when he gets back." asked Caroline. &t was a question Bonnie would ha!e liked to ask %eredith herself. Because #laric was almost four years older, %eredith had told him to wait until after she graduated to talk about their future. But now %eredith was eighteen*today, Bonnie reminded herself*and graduation was in two weeks. (hat was going to ha$$en after that. "& ha!en't decided," %eredith said. "#laric wants me to go to 6uke, and &'!e been acce$ted there, but &'m not sure. & ha!e to think." Bonnie was just as glad. 'he wanted %eredith to go to Boone =unior College with her, not go off and get married, or e!en engaged. &t was stu$id to decide on one guy so young. Bonnie herself was notorious for $laying the field, going from boy to boy as she $leased. 'he got crushes easily, and got o!er them just as easily. "& ha!en't seen the guy so far worth remaining faithful to," she said now. "!eryone looked at her quickly. 'ue's chin was resting on her fists as she asked, " ot e!en 'tefan."

Bonnie should ha!e known. (ith the only light the dim bedside lam$ and the only sound the rustle of new lea!es on the wee$ing willows outside, it was ine!itable that the con!ersation would turn to 'tefan*and to "lena. 'tefan 'al!atore and "lena 3ilbert were already a sort of legend in the town, like 7omeo and =uliet. (hen 'tefan had first come to 1ell's Church, e!ery girl had wanted him. #nd "lena, the most beautiful, most $o$ular, most una$$roachable girl at school, had wanted him too. &t was only after she'd gotten him that she realized the danger. 'tefan wasn't what he seemed*he had a secret far darker than anyone could ha!e guessed. #nd he had a brother, 6amon, e!en more mysterious and dangerous than himself. "lena had been caught between the two brothers, lo!ing 'tefan but drawn irresistibly to 6amon's wildness. &n the end she had died to sa!e them both, and to redeem their lo!e. "%aybe 'tefan*if you're "lena," Bonnie murmured, yielding the $oint. The atmos$here had changed. &t was hushed now, a little sad, just right for late5night confidences. "& still can't belie!e she's gone," 'ue said quietly, shaking her head and shutting her eyes. "'he was so much more ali!e than other $eo$le." "8er flame burned brighter," said %eredith, gazing at the $atterns the rose5and5gold lam$ made on the ceiling. 8er !oice was soft but intense, and it seemed to Bonnie that those words described "lena better than anything she'd e!er heard. "There were times when & hated her, but & could ne!er ignore her," Caroline admitted, her green eyes narrowed in memory. "'he wasn't a $erson you could ignore."

"+ne thing & learned from her death," 'ue said, "is that it could ha$$en to any of us. /ou can't waste any of life because you ne!er know how long you'!e got." "&t could be si-ty years or si-ty minutes," 0ickie agreed in a low !oice. "#ny of us could die tonight." Bonnie wriggled, disturbed. But before she could say anything, 'ue re$eated, "& still can't belie!e she's really gone. 'ometimes & feel as if she's somewhere near." "+h, so do &," said Bonnie, distracted. #n image of (arm '$rings flashed through her mind, and for a moment it seemed more !i!id than Caroline's dim room. ",ast night & dreamed about her, and & had the feeling it really was her and that she was trying to tell me something. & still ha!e that feeling," she said to %eredith. The others gazed at her silently. +nce, they would all ha!e laughed if Bonnie hinted at any5 thing su$ernatural, but not now. 8er $sychic $owers were undis$uted, awesome, and a little scary. "6o you really." breathed 0ickie. "(hat do you think she was trying to say." asked 'ue. "& don't know. #t the end she was trying so hard to stay in contact with me, but she couldn't." There was another silence. #t last 'ue said hesitantly, with the faintest catch in her !oice, "6o you think9 do you think you could contact her." &t was what they'd all been wondering. Bonnie looked toward %eredith. "arlier, %eredith had dismissed the dream, but now she met Bonnie's eyes seriously.

"& don't know," Bonnie said slowly. 0isions from the nightmare ke$t swirling around her. "& don't want to go into a trance and o$en myself u$ to whate!er else might be out there, that's for sure." "&s that the only way to communicate with dead $eo$le. (hat about a +uija board or something." 'ue asked. "%y $arents ha!e a +uija board," Caroline said a little too loudly. 'uddenly the hushed, low5key mood was broken and an indefinable tension filled the air. "!eryone sat u$ straighter and looked at each other with s$eculation. "!en 0ickie looked intrigued on to$ of her scaredness. "(ould it work." %eredith said to Bonnie. "'hould we." 'ue wondered aloud. "6o we dare. That's really the question," %eredith said. +nce again Bonnie found e!eryone looking at her. 'he hesitated a final instant, and then shrugged. "-citement was stirring in her stomach. "(hy not." she said. "(hat ha!e we got to lose." Caroline turned to 0ickie. "0ickie, there's a closet at the bottom of the stairs. The +uija board should be inside, on the to$ shelf with a bunch of other games." 'he didn't e!en say, "<lease, will you get it." Bonnie frowned and o$ened her mouth, but 0ickie was already out the door. "/ou could be a little more gracious," Bonnie told Caroline. "(hat is this, your im$ression of Cinderella's e!il ste$mother." "+h, come on, Bonnie," Caroline said im$atiently. "'he's lucky just to be in!ited. "he knows that."

"#nd here & thought she was just o!ercome by our collecti!e s$lendor," %eredith said dryly. "#nd besides*" Bonnie started when she was interru$ted. The noise was thin and shrill and it fell off weakly at the end, but there was no mistaking it. &t was a scream. &t was followed by dead silence and then suddenly $eal after $eal of $iercing shrieks. 1or an instant the girls in the bedroom stood transfi-ed. Then they were all running out into the hallway and down the stairs. "0ickie4" %eredith, with her long legs, reached the bottom first. 0ickie was standing in front of the closet, arms outstretched as if to $rotect her face. 'he clutched at %eredith, still screaming. "0ickie, what is it." Caroline demanded, sounding more angry than afraid. There were game bo-es scattered across the floor and %ono$oly markers and Tri!ial <ursuit cards strewn e!erywhere. "(hat are you yelling about." "&t grabbed me4 & was reaching u$ to the to$ shelf and something grabbed me around the waist4" "1rom behind." " o4 1rom inside the closet." 'tartled, Bonnie looked inside the o$en closet. (inter coats hung in an im$enetrable layer, some of them reaching the floor. 3ently disengaging herself from 0ickie, %eredith $icked u$ an umbrella and began $oking the coats. "+h, don't*" Bonnie began in!oluntarily, but the umbrella encountered only the resistance of cloth. %eredith used it to $ush the coats aside and re!eal the bare cedarwood of the closet wall.

"/ou see. obody there," she said lightly. "But you know what is there are these coat slee!es. &f you leaned in far enough between them, &'ll bet it could feel like somebody's arms closing around you." 0ickie ste$$ed forward, touched a dangling slee!e, then looked u$ at the shelf. 'he $ut her face in her hands, long silky hair falling forward to screen it. 1or an awful moment Bonnie thought she was crying, then she heard the giggles. "+h, 3od4 & really thought*oh, &'m so stu$id4 &'ll clean it u$," 0ickie said. ",ater," said %eredith firmly. ",et's go in the li!ing room." Bonnie threw one last look at the closet as they went. (hen they were all gathered around the coffee table, with se!eral lights turned off for effect, Bonnie $ut her fingers lightly on the small $lastic $lanchette. 'he'd ne!er actually used a +uija board, but she knew how it was done. The $lanchette mo!ed to $oint at letters and s$ell out a message*if the s$irits were willing to talk, that is. "(e all ha!e to be touching it," she said, and then watched as the others obeyed. %eredith's fingers were long and slender, 'ue's slim and ta$ering with o!al nails. Caroline's nails were $ainted burnished co$$er. 0ickie's were bitten. " ow we close our eyes and concentrate," Bonnie said softly. There were little hisses of antici$ation as the girls obeyed) the atmos$here was getting to all of them. "Think of "lena. <icture her. &f she's out there, we want to draw her here."

The big room was silent. &n the dark behind her closed lids Bonnie saw $ale gold hair and eyes like la$is lazuli. "Come on, "lena," she whis$ered. "Talk to me." The $lanchette began to mo!e. one of them could be guiding it) they were all a$$lying $ressure from different $oints. e!ertheless, the little triangle of $lastic was sliding smoothly, confidently. Bonnie ke$t her eyes shut until it sto$$ed and then looked. The $lanchette was $ointing to the word &es. 0ickie ga!e something like a soft sob. Bonnie looked at the others. Caroline was breathing fast, green eyes narrowed. 'ue, the only one of all of them, still had her eyes resolutely closed. %eredith looked $ale. They all e-$ected her to know what to do. ":ee$ concentrating," Bonnie told them. 'he felt unready and a little stu$id addressing the em$ty air directly. But she was the e-$ert) she had to do it. "&s that you, "lena." she said. The $lanchette made a little circle and returned to &es. 'uddenly Bonnie's heart was beating so hard she was afraid it would shake her fingers. The $lastic underneath her fingerti$s felt different, electrified almost, as if some su$ernatural energy was flowing through it. 'he no longer felt stu$id. Tears came to her eyes, and she could see that %eredith's eyes were glistening too. %eredith nodded at her. "8ow can we be sure." Caroline was saying, loudly, sus$iciously. Caroline doesn't feel it,

Bonnie realized) she doesn't sense anything & do. <sychically s$eaking, she's a dud. The $lanchette was mo!ing again, touching letters now, so quickly that %eredith barely had time to s$ell out the message. "!en without $unctuation it was clear. C#7+,& " 6+ T B" # ="7:, it said. /+A7" ,AC:/ &% T#,:& 3 T+ /+A #T #,, "That's "lena, all right," %eredith said dryly. "&t sounds like her, but*" "+h, shut u$, Caroline," Bonnie said. ""lena, &'m just so glad9" 8er throat locked u$ and she tried again. B+ &" T8"7"' + T&%" 'T+< ' &0",& 3 # 6 3"T 6+( T+ BA'& "'' #nd that was "lena too. Bonnie sniffed and went on. "& had a dream about you last night." T"# "/es." Bonnie's heart was thudding faster than e!er. "& wanted to talk to you, but things got weird and then we ke$t losing contact*" B+ &" 6+ T T7# C" + T7# C" + T7# C" "#ll right." That answered her question, and she was relie!ed to hear it. C+77A<T& 3 & 1,A" C"' 6&'T+7T& 3 +A7 C+%%A &C#T&+ T8"7" #7" B#6 T8& 3' 0"7/ B#6 T8& 3' +AT 8"7" ",ike what." Bonnie leaned closer to the board. ",ike what." + T&%"4 The $lanchette seemed to add the e-clamation $oint. &t was jerking !iolently from letter to

letter as if "lena could barely contain her im$atience. 8"' BA'/ '+ & C# T#,: +( BAT T8"7"' +T %AC8 T&%" ,&'T" (8" (" 'T+< 3"T +AT +1 T8" 8+A'" 1#'T /+A7" & 6# 3"7 "6anger." 0ickie re$eated, looking as if she might jum$ off the chair and run. (#&T ,&'T" 1&7'T T8" (8+," T+( &' & 6# 3"7 "(hat do we do." said %eredith instantly. /+A ""6 8",< 8"' +AT +1 /+A7 ,"#3A" A B",&"0#B,/ 'T7+ 3 +( ,&'T" # 6 1+,,+( & 'T7ACT&+ ' /+A 8#0" T+ 6+ # 'A%%+ & 3 '<",, # 6 T8" 1&7'T & 37"6&" T &' 8* (ithout warning, the $lanchette jerked away from the letters and flew around the board wildly. &t $ointed at the stylized $icture of the moon, then at the sun, then at the words 'arker Brothers, Inc. ""lena4" The $lanchette bobbed back to the letters. # +T8"7 %+A'" # +T8"7 %+A'" # +T8"7 %+A'" "(hat's ha$$ening." 'ue cried, eyes wide o$en now. Bonnie was frightened. The $lanchette was $ulsing with energy, a dark and ugly energy like boiling black tar that stung her fingers. But she could also feel the qui!ering sil!er thread that was "lena's $resence fighting it. "6on't let go4" she cried des$erately. "6on't take your hands off it4"

%+A'%A6:&,,/+A, the board reeled off. B,++6B,++6B,++6. #nd then9 B+ &" 3"T +AT 7A 8"' 8"7" 7A 7A 7A* The $lanchette jerked furiously, whi$$ing out from under Bonnie's fingers and beyond her reach, flying across the board and through the air as if someone had thrown it. 0ickie screamed. %eredith started to her feet. #nd then all the lights went out, $lunging the house into darkness.

Three
0ickie's screams went out of control. Bonnie could feel $anic rising in her chest. "0ickie, sto$ it4 Come on) we'!e got to get out of here4" %eredith was shouting to be heard. "&t's your house, Caroline. "!erybody grab hands and you lead us to the front door." "+kay," Caroline said. 'he didn't sound as frightened as e!erybody else. That was the ad!antage to ha!ing no imagination, Bonnie thought. /ou couldn't $icture the terrible things that were going to ha$$en to you. 'he felt better with %eredith's narrow, cold hand gras$ing hers. 'he fumbled on the other side and caught Caroline's, feeling the hardness of long fingernails. 'he could see nothing. 8er eyes should be adjusting to the dark by now, but she couldn't make out e!en a glimmer of light or shadow as Caroline started leading them. There was no light coming through the windows from the street) the $ower seemed to be out e!erywhere. Caroline cursed, running into some $iece of furniture, and Bonnie stumbled against her.

0ickie was whim$ering softly from the back of the line. "8ang on," whis$ered 'ue. "8ang on, 0ickie, we'll make it." They made slow, shuffling $rogress in the dark. Then Bonnie felt tile under her feet. "This is the front hall," Caroline said. "'tay here a minute while & find the door." 8er fingers sli$$ed out of Bonnie's. "Caroline4 6on't let go*where are you. Caroline, gi!e me your hand4" Bonnie cried, gro$ing frantically like a blind $erson. +ut of the darkness something large and moist closed around her fingers. &t was a hand. &t wasn't Caroline's. Bonnie screamed. 0ickie immediately $icked it u$, shrieking wildly. The hot, moist hand was dragging Bonnie forward. 'he kicked out, struggling, but it made no difference. Then she felt %eredith's arms around her waist, both arms, wrenching her back. 8er hand came free of the big one. #nd then she was turning and running, just running, only dimly aware that %eredith was be5 side her. 'he wasn't at all aware that she was still screaming until she slammed into a large armchair that sto$$ed her $rogress, and she heard herself. "8ush4 Bonnie, hush, sto$4" %eredith was shaking her. They had slid down the back of the chair to the floor. "'omething had me4 'omething grabbed me, %eredith4" "& know. Be quiet4 &t's still around," %eredith said. Bonnie jammed her face into %eredith's shoulder to kee$ from screaming again. (hat if it was here in the room with them.

'econds crawled $ast, and the silence $ooled around them. o matter how Bonnie strained her ears, she could hear no sound e-ce$t their own breathing and the dull thudding of her heart. ",isten4 (e'!e got to find the back door. (e must be in the li!ing room now. That means the kitchen's right behind us. (e ha!e to get there," %eredith said, her !oice low. Bonnie started to nod miserably, then abru$tly lifted her head. "(here's 0ickie." she whis$ered hoarsely. "& don't know. & had to let go of her hand to $ull you away from that thing. ,et's mo!e." Bonnie held her back. "But why isn't she screaming." # shudder went through %eredith. "& don't know." "+h, 3od. +h, 3od. (e can't lea!e her, %eredith." "(e have to." "(e can't. %eredith, & made Caroline in!ite her. 'he wouldn't be here e-ce$t for me. (e ha!e to get her out." There was a $ause, and then %eredith hissed, "#ll right4 But you $ick the strangest times to turn noble, Bonnie." # door slammed, causing both of them to jum$. Then there was a crashing, like feet on stairs, Bonnie thought. #nd briefly, a !oice was raised. "0ickie, where are you. 6on't*0ickie, no4 o4" "That was 'ue," gas$ed Bonnie, jum$ing u$. "1rom u$stairs4" "(hy don't we ha!e a !lashlight." %eredith was raging.

Bonnie knew what she meant. &t was too dark to go running blindly around this house) it was too frightening. There was a $rimiti!e $anic hammering in her brain. 'he needed light, any light. 'he couldn't go fumbling into that darkness again, e-$osed on all sides. 'he couldn't do it. e!ertheless, she took one shaky ste$ away from the chair. "Come on," she gas$ed, and %eredith came with her, ste$ by ste$, into the blackness. Bonnie ke$t e-$ecting that moist, hot hand to reach out and grab her again. "!ery inch of her skin tingled in antici$ation of its touch, and es$ecially her own hand, which she had outstretched to feel her way. Then she made the mistake of remembering the dream. &nstantly, the sickly sweet smell of garbage o!erwhelmed her. 'he imagined things crawling out of the ground and then remembered "lena's face, gray and hairless, with li$s shri!eled back from grinning teeth. &f that thing grabbed hold of her9 & can't go any farther) & can't, & can't, she thought. &'m sorry for 0ickie, but & can't go on. <lease, just let me sto$ here. 'he was clinging to %eredith, almost crying. Then from u$stairs came the most horrifying sound she had e!er heard. &t was a whole series of sounds, actually, but they all came so close together that they blended into one terrible swell of noise. 1irst there was screaming, 'ue's !oice screaming, "0ickie4 0ickie4 o4" Then a resonant crash, the sound of glass shattering, as if a hundred windows were

breaking at once. #nd o!er that a sustained scream, on a note of $ure, e-quisite terror. Then it all sto$$ed. "$hat was it. (hat ha$$ened, %eredith." "'omething bad." %eredith's !oice was taut and choked. "'omething !ery bad. Bonnie, let go. &'m going to see." " ot alone, you're not," Bonnie said fiercely. They found the staircase and made their way u$ it. (hen they reached the landing, Bonnie could hear a strange and oddly sickening sound, the tinkle of glass shards falling. #nd then the lights went on. &t was too sudden) Bonnie screamed in!oluntarily. Turning to %eredith she almost screamed again. %eredith's dark hair was dishe!eled and her cheekbones looked too shar$) her face was $ale and hollow with fear. Tinkle, tinkle. &t was worse with the lights on. %eredith was walking toward the last door down the hall, where the noise was coming from. Bonnie followed, but she knew suddenly, with all her heart, that she didn't want to see inside that room. %eredith $ulled the door o$en. 'he froze for a minute in the doorway and then lunged quickly inside. Bonnie started for the door. "(h, my )od, don't come any !arther*" Bonnie didn't e!en $ause. 'he $lunged into the doorway and then $ulled u$ short. #t first glance it looked as if the whole side of the house was gone. The 1rench windows that connected the master bedroom to the balcony seemed to ha!e e-$loded outward, the wood s$lintered, the glass shattered. ,ittle $ieces of glass were

hanging $recariously here and there from the remnants of the wood frame. They tinkled as they fell. 6ia$hanous white curtains billowed in and out of the ga$ing hole in the house. &n front of them, in silhouette, Bonnie could see 0ickie. 'he was standing with her hands at her sides, as motionless as a block of stone. "0ickie, are you okay." Bonnie was so relie!ed to see her ali!e that it was $ainful. "0ickie." 0ickie didn't turn, didn't answer. Bonnie maneu!ered around her cautiously, looking into her face. 0ickie was staring straight ahead, her $u$ils $in$oints. 'he was sucking in little whistling breaths, chest hea!ing. "&'m ne-t. &t said &'m ne-t," she whis$ered o!er and o!er, but she didn't seem to be talking to Bonnie. 'he didn't seem to see Bonnie at all. 'huddering, Bonnie reeled away. %eredith was on the balcony. 'he turned as Bonnie reached the curtains and tried to block the way. "6on't look. 6on't look down there," she said. 6own where. 'uddenly Bonnie understood. 'he sho!ed $ast %eredith, who caught her arm to sto$ her on the edge of a dizzying dro$. The balcony railing had been blasted out like the 1rench windows and Bonnie could see straight down to the lighted yard below. +n the ground there was a twisted figure like a broken doll, limbs askew, neck bent at a grotesque angle, blond hair fanned on the dark soil of the garden. &t was 'ue Carson. #nd throughout all the confusion that raged afterward, two thoughts ke$t !ying for dominance in Bonnie's mind. +ne was that Caroline would ne!er ha!e her foursome now.

#nd the other was that it wasn't fair for this to ha$$en on %eredith's birthday. &t just wasn't fair. "&'m sorry, %eredith. & don't think she's u$ to it right now." Bonnie heard her father's !oice at the front door as she listlessly stirred sweetener into a cu$ of chamomile tea. 'he $ut the s$oon down at once. (hat she wasn't u$ to was sitting in this kitchen one minute longer. 'he needed out. "&'ll be right there, 6ad." %eredith looked almost as bad as she had last night, face $eaked, eyes shadowed. 8er mouth was set in a tight line. "(e'll just go out dri!ing for a little while," Bonnie said to her father. "%aybe see some of the kids. #fter all, you're the one who said it isn't dangerous, right." (hat could he say. %r. %cCullough looked down at his $etite daughter, who stuck out the stubborn chin she'd inherited from him and met his gaze squarely. 8e lifted his hands. "&t's almost four o'clock now. Be back before dark," he said. "They want it both ways," Bonnie said to %eredith on the way to %eredith's car. +nce inside, both girls immediately locked their doors. #s %eredith $ut the car in gear she ga!e Bonnie a glance of grim understanding. "/our $arents didn't belie!e you, either." "+h, they belie!e e!erything & told them* e-ce$t anything im$ortant. 8ow can they be so stu$id." %eredith laughed shortly. "/ou'!e got to look at it from their $oint of !iew. They find one dead body without a mark on it e-ce$t those caused

by the fall. They find that the lights were off in the neighborhood because of a malfunction at 0irginia "lectric. They find us, hysterical, gi!ing answers to their questions that must ha!e seemed $retty weird. (ho did it. 'ome monster with sweaty hands. 8ow do we know. +ur dead friend "lena told us through a +uija board. &s it any wonder they ha!e their doubts." "&f they'd ne!er seen anything like it be!ore," Bonnie said, hitting the car door with her fist. "But they have. 6o they think we made u$ those dogs that attacked at the 'now 6ance last year. 6o they think "lena was killed by a fantasy." "They're forgetting already," %eredith re$lied softly. "/ou $redicted it yourself. ,ife has gone back to normal, and e!erybody in 1ell's Church feels safer that way. They all feel like they'!e woken u$ from a bad dream, and the last thing they want is to get sucked in again." Bonnie just shook her head. "#nd so it's easier to belie!e that a bunch of teenage girls got riled u$ $laying with a +uija board, and that when the lights went out they just freaked and ran. #nd one of them got so scared and confused she ran right out a window." There was a silence and then %eredith added, "& wish #laric were here." ormally, Bonnie would ha!e gi!en her a dig in the ribs and answered, "'o do &," in a lecherous !oice. #laric was one of the handsomest guys she'd e!er seen, e!en if he was a doddering twenty5two years old. ow, she just ga!e %eredith's arm a disconsolate squeeze. "Can't you call him somehow." "&n 7ussia. & don't e!en know where in 7ussia he is now." Bonnie bit her li$.

Then she sat u$. %eredith was dri!ing down ,ee 'treet, and in the high school $arking lot they could see a crowd. 'he and %eredith e-changed glances, and %eredith nodded. "(e might as well," she said. ",et's see if they're any smarter than their $arents." Bonnie could see startled faces turning as the car cruised slowly into the lot. (hen she and %eredith got out, $eo$le mo!ed back, making a $ath for them to the center of the crowd. Caroline was there, clutching her elbows with her hands and shaking back her auburn hair distractedly. "(e're not going to slee$ in that house again until it's re$aired," she was saying, shi!ering in her white sweater. "6addy says we'll take an a$artment in 8eron until it's o!er." "(hat difference does that make. 8e can follow you to 8eron, &'m sure," said %eredith. Caroline turned, but her green cat's eyes wouldn't quite meet %eredith's. "(ho." she said !aguely. "+h, Caroline, not you too4" Bonnie e-$loded. "& just want to get out of here," Caroline said. 8er eyes came u$ and for an instant Bonnie saw how frightened she was. "& can't take any more." #s if she had to $ro!e her words that minute, she $ushed her way through the crowd. ",et her go, Bonnie," %eredith said. "&t's no use." ""he's no use," said Bonnie furiously. &f Caroline, who knew, was acting this way, what about the other kids.

'he saw the answer5in the faces around her. "!erybody looked scared, as scared as if she and %eredith had brought some loathsome disease with them. #s if she and %eredith were the $roblem. "& don't belie!e this," Bonnie muttered. "& don't belie!e it either," said 6eanna :ennedy, a friend of 'ue's. 'he was in the front of the crowd, and she didn't look as uneasy as the others. "& talked with 'ue yesterday afternoon and she was so u$, so ha$$y. 'he can't be dead." 6eanna began to sob. 8er boyfriend $ut an arm around her, and se!eral other girls began to cry. The guys in the crowd shifted, their faces rigid. Bonnie felt a little surge of ho$e. "#nd she's not going to be the only one dead," she added. ""lena told us that the whole town is in danger. "lena said9" 6es$ite herself Bonnie heard her !oice failing. 'he could see it in the way their eyes glazed u$ when she mentioned "lena's name. %eredith was right) they'd $ut e!erything that had ha$$ened last winter behind them. They didn't belie!e anymore. "(hat's wrong with you all." she said hel$lessly, wanting to hit something. "/ou don't really think 'ue threw herself off that balcony4" "<eo$le are saying*" 6eanna's boyfriend started and then shrugged defensi!ely. "(ell* you told the $olice 0ickie Bennett was in the room, right. #nd now she's off her head again. #nd just a little bit earlier you'd heard 'ue shouting, ' o, 0ickie, no4'." Bonnie felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her. "/ou think that Vickie*oh, 3od, you're out of your mind4 ,isten to me. 'omething grabbed my hand in that house, and it

wasn't 0ickie. #nd 0ickie had nothing to do with throwing 'ue off that balcony." "'he's hardly strong enough, for one thing," %eredith said $ointedly. "'he weighs about ninety5fi!e $ounds soaking wet." 'omebody from the back of the crowd muttered about insane $eo$le ha!ing su$erhuman strength. "0ickie has a $sychiatric record*" ""lena told us it was a guy4" Bonnie almost shouted, losing her battle with self5control. The faces tilted toward her were shuttered, unyielding. Then she saw one that made her chest loosen. "%att4 Tell them you belie!e us." %att 8oneycutt was standing on the fringe with his hands in his $ockets and his blond head bowed. ow he looked u$, and what Bonnie saw in his blue eyes made her draw in her breath. They weren't hard and shuttered like e!eryone else's, but they were full of a flat des$air that was just as bad. 8e shrugged without taking his hands from his $ockets. "1or what it's worth, & belie!e you," he said. "But what difference does it make. &t's all going to turn out the same anyway." Bonnie, for one of the first times in her life, was s$eechless. %att had been u$set e!er since "lena died, but this9 "8e does belie!e it, though," %eredith was saying quickly, ca$italizing on the moment. " ow what ha!e we got to do to con!ince the rest of you." "Channel "l!is for us, maybe," said a !oice that immediately set Bonnie's blood boiling. Tyler. Tyler 'mallwood. 3rinning like an a$e in his o!ere-$ensi!e <erry "llis sweater, showing a mouthful of strong white teeth.

"&t's not as good as $sychic e5mail from a dead 8omecoming ;ueen, but it's a start," Tyler added. %att always said that grin was asking for a $unch in the nose. But %att, the only guy in the crowd with close to Tyler's $hysique, was staring dully at the ground. "'hut u$, Tyler4 /ou don't know what ha$$ened in that house," Bonnie said. "(ell, neither do you, a$$arently. %aybe if you hadn't been hiding in the li!ing room, you'd ha!e seen what ha$$ened. Then somebody might belie!e you." Bonnie's retort died on her tongue. 'he stared at Tyler, o$ened her mouth, and then closed it. Tyler waited. (hen she didn't s$eak, he showed his teeth again. "1or my money, 0ickie did it," he said, winking at 6ick Carter, 0ickie's e-5boyfriend. "'he's a strong little babe, right, 6ick. 'he could ha!e done it." 8e turned and added deliberately o!er his shoulder, "+r else that 'al!atore guy is back in town." "/ou cree$4" shouted Bonnie. "!en %eredith cried out in frustration. Because of course at the !ery mention of 'tefan $andemonium ensued, as Tyler must ha!e known it would. "!eryone was turning to the $erson ne-t to them and e-claiming in alarm, horror, e-citement. &t was $rimarily the girls who were e-cited. "ffecti!ely, it $ut an end to the gathering. <eo$le had been edging away surre$titiously before, and now they broke u$ into twos and threes, arguing and hastening off. Bonnie gazed after them angrily.

"'u$$osing they did belie!e you. (hat did you want them to do, anyway." %att said. 'he hadn't noticed him beside her. "& don't know. 'omething besides just standing around waiting to be $icked off." 'he tried to look him in the face. "%att, are you all right." "& don't know. #re you." Bonnie thought. " o. & mean, in one way &'m sur$rised &'m doing as well as & am, because when "lena died, & just couldn't deal. #t all. But then & wasn't as close to 'ue, and besides9 & don't know4" 'he wanted to hit something again. "&t's just all too much4" "/ou're mad." "&es, &'m mad." 'uddenly Bonnie understood the feelings she'd been ha!ing all day. ":illing 'ue wasn't just wrong, it was evil. Truly e!il. #nd whoe!er did it isn't going to get away with it. That would be*if the world is like that, a $lace where that can ha$$en and go un$unished9 if that's the truth9" 'he found she didn't ha!e a way to finish. "Then what. /ou don't want to li!e here anymore. (hat if the world is like that." 8is eyes were so lost, so bitter. Bonnie was shaken. But she said staunchly, "& won't let it be that way. #nd you won't either." 8e sim$ly looked at her as if she were a kid insisting there was so a 'anta Claus. %eredith s$oke u$. "&f we e-$ect other $eo$le to take us seriously, we'd better take oursel!es seriously. "lena did communicate with us. 'he wanted us to do something. ow if we really belie!e that, we'd better figure out what it is." %att's face had fle-ed at the mention of "lena. /ou $oor guy, you're still as much in lo!e

with her as e!er, thought Bonnie. & wonder if anything could make you forget her. 'he said, "#re you going to hel$ us, %att." "&'ll hel$," %att said quietly. "But & still don't know what it is you're doing." "(e're going to sto$ that murdering cree$ before he kills anybody else," said Bonnie. &t was the first time she'd fully realized herself that this was what she meant to do. "#lone. Because you are alone, you know." "$e are alone," %eredith corrected. "But that's what "lena was trying to tell us. 'he said we had to do a summoning s$ell to call for hel$." "#n easy s$ell with only two ingredients," Bonnie remembered from her dream. 'he was getting e-cited. "#nd she said she'd already told me the ingredients*but she hadn't." ",ast night she said there were corru$ting influences distorting her communication," %eredith said. " ow to me that sounds like what was ha$$ening in the dream. 6o you think it really was "lena you were drinking tea with." "/es," Bonnie said $ositi!ely. "& mean, & know we weren't really ha!ing a mad tea $arty at (arm '$rings, but & think "lena was sending that message into my brain. #nd then $artway through something else took o!er and $ushed her out. But she fought, and for a minute at the end she got back control." "+kay. Then that means we ha!e to concentrate on the beginning of the dream, when it was still "lena communicating with you. But if what she was saying was already being distorted by other influences, then maybe it came out weird. %aybe it wasn't something she

actually said, maybe it was something she did9" Bonnie's hand flew u$ to touch her curls. "8air4" she cried. "(hat." "8air4 & asked her who did hers, and we talked about it, and she said, '8air is !ery im$ortant.' #nd %eredith*when she was trying to tell us the ingredients last night, the first letter of one of them was 84" "That's it4" %eredith's dark eyes were flashing. " ow we just ha!e to think of the other one." "But & know that too4" Bonnie's laughter bubbled u$ e-uberantly. "'he told me right after we talked about hair, and & thought she was just being strange. 'he said, 'Blood is im$ortant too.' " %eredith shut her eyes in realization. "#nd last night, the +uija board said 'Bloodblood5 blood.' & thought it was the other thing threatening us, but it wasn't," she said. 'he o$ened her eyes. "Bonnie, do you think that's really it. #re those the ingredients, or do we ha!e to start worrying about mud and sandwiches and mice and tea." "Those are the ingredients," Bonnie said firmly. "They're the kind of ingredients that make sense for a summoning s$ell. &'m sure & can find a ritual to do with them in one of my Celtic magic books. (e just ha!e to figure out the $erson we're su$$osed to summon9" 'omething struck her, and her !oice trailed off in dismay. "& was wondering when you'd notice," %att said, s$eaking for the first time in a long while. "/ou don't know who it is, do you."

Four
%eredith tilted an ironic glance at %att. "8mm," she said. " ow, who do you think "lena would call in time of trouble." Bonnie's grin ga!e way to a twinge of guilt at %att's e-$ression. &t wasn't fair to tease him about this. ""lena said that the killer is too strong for us and that's why we need hel$," she told %att. "#nd & can think of only one $erson "lena knows who could fight off a $sychic killer." 'lowly, %att nodded. Bonnie couldn't tell what he was feeling. 8e and 'tefan had been best friends once, e!en after "lena had chosen 'tefan o!er %att. But that had been before %att found out what 'tefan was, and what kind of !iolence he was ca$able of. &n his rage and grief o!er "lena's death 'tefan had nearly killed Tyler 'mallwood and fi!e other guys. Could %att really forget that. Could he e!en deal with 'tefan coming back to 1ell's Church. %att's square5jawed face ga!e no sign now, and %eredith was talking again. "'o all we need to do is let some blood and cut some hair. /ou won't miss a curl or two, will you, Bonnie." Bonnie was so abstracted that she almost missed this. Then she shook her head. " o, no, no. &t isn't our blood and hair we need. (e need it from the $erson we want to summon." "(hat. But that's ridiculous. &f we had "te!an's blood and hair we wouldn't need to summon him, would we." "& didn't think of that," Bonnie admitted. "Asually with a summoning s$ell you get the stuff beforehand and use it when you want to

call a $erson back. (hat are we going to do, %eredith. &t's im$ossible." %eredith's brows were drawn together. "(hy would "lena ask it if it were im$ossible." ""lena asked lots of im$ossible things," Bonnie said darkly. "6on't look like that, %att) you know she did. 'he wasn't a saint." "%aybe, but this one isn't im$ossible," %att said. "& can think of one $lace where 'tefan's blood has got to be, and if we're lucky some of his hair, too. &n the cry$t." Bonnie flinched, but %eredith sim$ly nodded. "+f course," she said. "(hile 'tefan was tied u$ there, he must ha!e bled all o!er the $lace. #nd in that kind of fight he might ha!e lost some hair. &f only e!erything down there has been left undisturbed9" "& don't think anybody's been down there since "lena died," %att said. "The $olice in!estigated and then left it. But there's only one way to find out." & was wrong, Bonnie thought. & was worrying about whether %att could deal with 'tefan coming back, and here he is doing e!erything he can to hel$ us summon him. "%att, & could kiss you4" she said. 1or an instant something she couldn't identify flickered in %att's eyes. 'ur$rise, certainly, but there was more than that. 'uddenly Bonnie wondered what he would do if she did kiss him. "#ll the girls say that," he re$lied calmly at last, with a shrug of mock resignation. &t was as close as he'd gotten to lightheartedness all day. %eredith, howe!er, was serious. ",et's go. (e'!e got a lot to do, and the last thing we want is to get stuck in the cry$t after dark."

The cry$t was beneath the ruined church that stood on a hill in the cemetery. &t's only late afternoon, $lenty of light left, Bonnie ke$t telling herself as they walked u$ the hill, but goose5flesh broke out on her arms anyway. The modern cemetery on one side was bad enough, but the old gra!eyard on the other side was downright s$ooky e!en in daylight. There were so many crumbling headstones tilting crazily in the o!ergrown grass, re$resenting so many young men killed in the Ci!il (ar. /ou didn't ha!e to be $sychic to feel their $resence. "Anquiet s$irits," she muttered. "8mm." said %eredith as she ste$$ed o!er the $ile of rubble that was one wall of the ruined church. ",ook, the lid of the tomb's still off. That's good news) & don't think we would ha!e been able to lift it." Bonnie's eyes lingered wistfully on the white marble statues car!ed on the dis$laced lid. 8on5 oria 1ell lay there with her husband, hands folded on her breast, looking as gentle and sad as e!er. But Bonnie knew there would be no more hel$ from that quarter. 8onoria's duties as $rotector of the town she'd founded were done. ,ea!ing "lena holding the bag, Bonnie thought grimly, looking down into the rectangular hole that led to the cry$t. &ron rungs disa$$eared into darkness. "!en with the hel$ of %eredith's flashlight it was hard to climb down into that underground room. &nside, it was dank and silent, the walls faced with $olished stone. Bonnie tried not to shi!er. ",ook," said %eredith quietly.

%att had the flashlight trained on the iron gate that se$arated the anteroom of the cry$t from its main chamber. The stone below was stained black with blood in se!eral $laces. ,ooking at the $uddles and ri!ulets of dried gore made Bonnie feel dizzy. "(e know 6amon was hurt the worst," %eredith said, mo!ing forward. 'he sounded calm, but Bonnie could hear the tight control in her !oice. "'o he must ha!e been on this side where there's the most blood. 'tefan said "lena was in the center. That means 'tefan himself must ha!e been9 here." 'he bent down. "&'ll do it," %att said gruffly. "/ou hold the light." (ith a $lastic $icnic knife from %eredith's car he scra$ed at the encrusted stone. Bonnie swallowed, glad she'd had only tea for lunch. Blood was all right in the abstract, but when you were actually confronted with so much of it*es$ecially when it was the blood of a friend who'd been tortured9 Bonnie turned away, looking at the stone walls and thinking about :atherine. Both 'tefan and his older brother, 6amon, had been in lo!e with :atherine, back in fifteenth5century 1lorence. But what they hadn't known was that the girl they lo!ed wasn't human. # !am$ire in her own 3erman !illage had changed her to sa!e her life when she was ill. :atherine in her turn had made both the boys !am$ires. #nd then, thought Bonnie, she faked her own death to get 'tefan and 6amon to sto$ fighting o!er her. But it didn't work. They hated each other more than e!er, and she hated both of them for that. 'he'd gone back to the !am$ire who made her, and o!er the years she'd turned as e!il as he was. Antil at last all she wanted to do was destroy the brothers she had once lo!ed. 'he'd

lured them both to 1ell's Church to kill them, and this room was where she'd almost succeeded in doing it. "lena had died sto$$ing her. "There," %att said, and Bonnie blinked and came back to herself. %att was standing with a $a$er na$kin that now held flakes of 'tefan's blood in its folds. " ow the hair," he said. They swe$t the floor with their fingers, finding dust and bits of lea!es and fragments of things Bonnie didn't want to identify. #mong the detritus were long strands of $ale gold hair. "lena's*or :atherine's, Bonnie thought. They had looked much alike. There were also shorter strands of dark hair, cris$ with a slight wa!e. 'tefan's. &t was slow, finicky work sorting through it all and $utting the right hairs in another na$kin. %att did most of it. (hen they were through, they were all tired and the light sifting down through the rectangular o$ening in the ceiling was dim blue. But %eredith smiled tigerishly. "(e'!e got it," she said. "Tyler wants 'tefan back) well, we'll gi!e him 'tefan back." #nd Bonnie, who had been only half $aying attention to what she was doing, still lost in her own thoughts, froze. 'he'd been thinking about other things entirely, nothing to do with Tyler, but at the mention of his name something had winked on in her mind. 'omething she'd realized in the $arking lot and then forgotten afterward in the heat of arguing. %eredith's words had triggered it and now it was suddenly all clear again. 8ow had he known4 she wondered, heart racing. "Bonnie. (hat's the matter." "%eredith," she said softly, "did you tell the $olice s$ecifically that we were in the li!ing

room when e!erything was going on u$stairs with 'ue." " o, & think & just said we were downstairs. (hy." "Because & didn't either. #nd 0ickie couldn't ha!e told them because she's gone catatonic again, and 'ue's dead and Caroline was outside by that time. But +yler knew. 7emember, he said, '&f you hadn't been hiding in the li!ing room, you'd ha!e seen what ha$$ened.' 8ow could he know." "Bonnie, if you're trying to suggest Tyler was the murderer, it just won't wash. 8e's not smart enough to organize a killing s$ree, for one thing," %eredith said. "But there's something else. %eredith, last year at the =unior <rom, Tyler touched me on my bare shoulder. &'ll ne!er forget it. 8is hand was big, and meaty, and hot, and dam$." Bonnie shi!ered at the recollection. "=ust like the hand that grabbed me last night." But %eredith was shaking her head, and e!en %att looked uncon!inced. ""lena's sure wasting her time asking us to bring back 'tefan, then," he said. "& could take care of Tyler with a cou$le of right hooks." "Think about it, Bonnie," %eredith added. "6oes Tyler ha!e the $sychic $ower to mo!e a +uija board or come into your dreams. ,oes he." 8e didn't. <sychically s$eaking, Tyler was as much a dud as Caroline. Bonnie couldn't deny it. But she couldn't deny her intuition, either. &t didn't make sense, but she still felt Tyler had been in the house last night. "(e'd better get mo!ing," %eredith said. "&t's dark, and your father's going to be furious."

They were all silent on the ride home. Bonnie was still thinking about Tyler. +nce at her house they smuggled the na$kins u$stairs and began looking through Bonnie's books on 6ruids and Celtic magic. "!er since she'd disco!ered that she was descended from the ancient race of magic workers, Bonnie had been interested in the 6ruids. #nd in one of the books she found a ritual for a summoning s$ell. "(e need to buy candles," she said. "#nd $ure water*better get some bottled," she said to %eredith. "#nd chalk to draw a circle on the floor, and something to make a small fire in. & can find those in the house. There's no hurry) the s$ell has to be done at midnight." %idnight was a long time coming. %eredith bought the necessary items at a grocery store and brought them back. They ate dinner with Bonnie's family, though no one had much of an a$$etite. By ele!en o'clock Bonnie had the circle drawn on the hardwood floor of her bedroom and all the other ingredients on a low bench inside the circle. +n the stroke of twel!e she started. (ith %att and %eredith watching, she made a small fire in an earthenware bowl. Three candles were burning behind the bowl) she stuck a $in halfway down the one in the center. Then she unfolded a na$kin and carefully stirred the dried flakes of blood into a wineglass of water. &t turned rusty $ink. 'he o$ened the other na$kin. Three $inches of dark hair went into the fire, sizzling with a terrible smell. Then three dro$s of the stained water, hissing. 8er eyes went to the words in the o$en book.

"wi!t on the heel thou comest, +hrice summoned by my s#ell, +hrice troubled by my burning. Come to me without delay. 'he read the words aloud slowly, three times. Then she sat back on her heels. The fire went on burning smokily. The candle flames danced. "#nd now what." %att said. "& don't know. &t just says wait for the middle candle to burn down to the $in." "#nd what then." "& guess we'll find out when it ha$$ens." &n 1lorence, it was dawn. 'tefan watched the girl mo!e down the stairway, one hand resting lightly on the banister to kee$ her balance. 8er mo!ements were slow and slightly dreamlike, as if she were floating. 'uddenly, she swayed and clutched at the banister more tightly. 'tefan mo!ed quickly behind her and $ut a hand under her elbow. "#re you all right." 'he looked u$ at him with the same dreaminess. 'he was !ery $retty. 8er e-$ensi!e clothes were the latest fashion and her stylishly disarrayed hair was blond. # tourist. 8e knew she was #merican before she s$oke. "/es9 & think9" 8er brown eyes were unfocused. "6o you ha!e a way to get home. (here are you staying."

"+n 0ia dei Conti, near the %edici cha$el. &'m with the 3onzaga in 1lorence $rogram." 6amn4 ot a tourist, then) a student. #nd that meant she'd be carrying this story back with her, telling her classmates about the handsome &talian guy she'd met last night. The one with night5dark eyes. The one who took her back to his e-clusi!e $lace on 0ia Tornabuoni and wined her and dined her and then, in the moonlight, maybe, in his room or out in the enclosed courtyard, leaned close to look into her eyes and9 'tefan's gaze slid away from the girl's throat with its two reddened $uncture wounds. 8e'd seen marks like that so often*how could they still ha!e the $ower to disturb him. But they did) they sickened him and set a slow burning in his gut. "(hat's your name." "7achael. (ith an a." 'he s$elled it. "#ll right, 7achael. ,ook at me. /ou will go back to your #ensione and you won't remember anything about last night. /ou don't know where you went or who you saw. #nd you'!e ne!er seen me before, either. 7e$eat." "& don't remember anything about last night," she said obediently, her eyes on his. 'tefan's <owers were not as strong as they would ha!e been if he'd been drinking human blood, but they were strong enough for this. "& don't know where & went or who & saw. & ha!en't seen you." "3ood. 6o you ha!e money to get back. 8ere." 'tefan $ulled a fistful of crum$led lire* mostly B?,??? and C??,??? notes*out of his $ocket and led her outside. (hen she was safely in a cab, he went back inside and made straight for 6amon's bedroom.

6amon was lounging near the window, $eeling an orange, not e!en dressed yet. 8e looked u$, annoyed, as 'tefan entered. "&t's customary to knock," he said. "(here'd you meet her." said 'tefan. #nd then, when 6amon turned a blank stare on him, he added, "That girl. 7achael." "(as that her name. & don't think & bothered to ask. #t Bar 3illi. +r $erha$s it was Bar %ario. (hy." 'tefan struggled to contain his anger. "That's not the only thing you didn't bother to do. /ou didn't bother to influence her to forget you, either. 6o you want to get caught, 6amon." 6amon's li$s cur!ed in a smile and he twisted off a curlicue of orange $eel. "& am never caught, little brother," he said. "'o what are you going to do when they come after you. (hen somebody realizes, '%y 3od, there's a bloodsucking monster on 0ia Tornabuoni'. :ill them all. (ait until they break down the front door and then melt away into darkness." 6amon met his gaze directly, challengingly, that faint smile still clinging about his li$s. "(hy not." he said. "6amn you4" said 'tefan. ",isten to me, 6amon. This has got to sto$." "&'m touched at your concern for my safety." "&t isn't fair, 6amon. To take an unwilling girl like that*" "+h, she was willing, brother. 'he was !ery, !ery willing." "6id you tell her what you were going to do. 6id you warn her about the consequences of e-changing blood with a !am$ire. The

nightmares, the $sychic !isions. (as she willing for that-" 6amon clearly wasn't going to re$ly, so he went on. "/ou know it's wrong." "#s a matter of fact, & do." (ith that, 6amon ga!e one of his sudden, unner!ing smiles, turning it on and off instantly. "#nd you don't care," 'tefan said dully, looking away. 6amon tossed away the orange. 8is tone was silky, $ersuasi!e. ",ittle brother, the world is full of what you call 'wrong,' " he said. "(hy not rela- and join the winning side. &t's much more fun, & assure you." 'tefan felt himself go hot with anger. "8ow can you e!en say that." he flashed back. "6idn't you learn anything from :atherine. "he chose 'the winning side.' " ":atherine died too quickly," said 6amon. 8e was smiling again, but his eyes were cold. "#nd now all you can think about is re!enge." ,ooking at his brother, 'tefan felt a crushing weight settle on his own chest. "That and your own $leasure," he said. "(hat else is there. <leasure is the only reality, little brother*$leasure and $ower. #nd you're a hunter by nature, just as much as & am," 6amon said. 8e added, "& don't remember in!iting you to come to 1lorence with me, anyway. 'ince you're not enjoying yourself, why don't you just lea!e." The weight in 'tefan's chest tightened suddenly, unbearably, but his gaze, locked with 6amon's, did not wa!er. "/ou know why," he said quietly. #nd at last he had the satisfaction of seeing 6amon's eyes dro$. 'tefan himself could hear "lena's words in his mind. 'he'd been dying then, and her !oice had

been weak, but he'd heard her clearly. &ou have to take care o! each other. "te!an, will you #romise- 'romise to take care o! each other. #nd he had $romised, and he would kee$ his word. o matter what. "/ou know why & don't lea!e," he said again to 6amon, who wouldn't look at him. "/ou can $retend you don't care. /ou can fool the whole world. But & know differently." &t would ha!e been kindest at this $oint to lea!e 6amon alone, but 'tefan wasn't in a kind mood. "/ou know that girl you $icked u$, 7achael." he added. "The hair was all right, but her eyes were the wrong color. "lena's eyes were blue." (ith that he turned, meaning to lea!e 6amon here to think it o!er*if 6amon would do anything so constructi!e, of course. But he ne!er made it to the door. "&t's there4" said %eredith shar$ly, her eyes on the candle flame and the $in. Bonnie sucked in her breath. 'omething was o$ening in front of her like a sil!er thread, a sil!er tunnel of communication. 'he was rushing along it, with no way to sto$ herself or check her s$eed. +h, 3od, she thought, when & reach the end and hit* The flash in 'tefan's head was soundless, lightless, and $owerful as a thundercla$. #t the same time he felt a !iolent, wrenching tug. #n urge to follow*something. This was not like :atherine's sly subliminal nudging to go somewhere) this was a $sychic shout. # command that could not be disobeyed. &nside the flash he sensed a $resence, but he could scarcely belie!e who it was.

Bonnie"te!an* It's you* It worked* Bonnie, what have you done. lena told me to. .onestly, "te!an, she did. $e're in trouble and we need* #nd that was it. The communication colla$sed, ca!ing in on itself, dwindling to a $in$oint. &t was gone, and in its aftermath the room !ibrated with <ower. 'tefan and his brother were left staring at each other. Bonnie let out a long breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and o$ened her eyes, though she didn't remember closing them. 'he was lying on her back. %att and %eredith were crouched o!er her, looking alarmed. "(hat ha$$ened. 6id it work." %eredith demanded. "&t worked." 'he let them hel$ her u$. "& made contact with 'tefan. & talked to him. ow all we can do is wait and see if he's coming or not." "6id you mention "lena." %att asked. "/es." "Then he's coming."

Five
Monday, /une 0, 11213 '.M. ,ear ,iary, I don't seem to be slee#ing very well tonight, so I might as well write you. All day today I've been waiting !or something to ha##en. &ou don't do a s#ell like that and have it work like that and then have nothing ha##en.

But nothing has. I stayed home !rom school because Mom thought I should. "he was u#set about Matt and Meredith staying so late "unday night, and she said I needed to get some rest. But every time I lie down I see "ue's !ace. "ue's dad did the eulogy at lena's !uneral. I wonder who's going to do it !or "ue on $ednesdayI've got to sto# thinking about things like this. Maybe I'll try to go to slee# again. Maybe i! I lie down with my head#hones on, I won't see "ue. Bonnie $ut the diary back in her nightstand drawer and took out her (alkman. 'he fli$$ed through the channels as she stared at the ceiling with hea!y eyes. Through the crackle and s$utter of static a 6.=.'s !oice sounded in her ear. "#nd here's a golden oldie for all you fabulous fifties fans. '3oodnight 'weetheart' on the 0ee =ay label by The '$aniels9" Bonnie drifted away on the music. The ice cream soda was strawberry, Bonnie's fa!orite. The jukebo- was $laying '3oodnight 'weetheart' and the counter was squeaky clean. But "lena, Bonnie decided, would ne!er ha!e really worn a $oodle skirt. " o $oodles," she said, gesturing at it. "lena looked u$ from her hot fudge sundae. 8er blond hair was $ulled back in a $onytail. "(ho thinks of these things anyway." Bonnie asked. "/ou do, silly. &'m only !isiting." "+h." Bonnie took a $ull at the soda. 6reams. There was a reason to be afraid of dreams, but she couldn't think of it just now.

"& can't stay long," "lena said. "& think he already knows &'m here. & just came to tell you9" 'he frowned. Bonnie looked at her sym$athetically. "Can't you remember either." 'he drank more soda. &t tasted odd. "& died too young, Bonnie. There was so much & was su$$osed to do, to accom$lish. #nd now & ha!e to hel$ you." "Thanks," Bonnie said. "This isn't easy, you know. & don't ha!e that much $ower. &t's hard getting through, and it's hard kee$ing e!erything together." "3otta kee$ it together," Bonnie agreed, nodding. 'he was feeling strangely lightheaded. (hat was in this soda. "& don't ha!e much control, and things turn out strange somehow. 8e's doing it, & guess. 8e's always fighting me. 8e watches you. #nd e!ery time we try to communicate, he comes." "+kay." The room was floating. "Bonnie, are you listening to me. 8e can use your fear against you. &t's the way he gets in." "+kay9" "But don't let him in. Tell e!eryone that. #nd tell 'tefan9" "lena sto$$ed and $ut a hand to her mouth. 'omething fell onto the hot fudge sundae. &t was a tooth. "8e's here." "lena's !oice was strange, indistinct. Bonnie stared at the tooth in mesmerized horror. &t was lying in the middle of the whi$$ed cream, among the sli!ered almonds. "Bonnie, tell 'tefan9" #nother tooth $lunked down, and another. "lena sobbed, both her hands at her mouth now.

8er eyes were terrified, hel$less. "Bonnie, don't go9" But Bonnie was stumbling back. "!erything was whirling around. The soda was bubbling out of the glass, but it wasn't soda) it was blood. Bright red and frothy, like something you coughed u$ when you died. Bonnie's stomach con!ulsed. "Tell 'tefan & lo!e him4" &t was the !oice of a toothless old woman, and it ended in hysterical sobs. Bonnie was glad to fall into darkness and forget e!erything. Bonnie nibbled at the end of her felt $en, her eyes on the clock, her mind on the calendar. "ight and a half more days of school to sur!i!e. #nd it looked as if e!ery minute was going to be misery. 'ome guy had said it outright, backing away from her on the stairs. " o offense, but your friends kee$ turning u$ dead." Bonnie had gone into the bathroom and cried. But now all she wanted was to be out of school, away from the tragic faces and accusing eyes*or worse, the #itying eyes. The $rinci$al had gi!en a s$eech o!er the <.#. about "this new misfortune" and "this terrible loss," and Bonnie had felt the eyes on her back as if they were boring holes there. (hen the bell rang, she was the first $erson out the door. But instead of going to her ne-t class she went to the bathroom again, where she waited for the ne-t bell. Then, once the halls were em$ty, she hurried toward the foreign language wing. 'he $assed bulletins and banners for end5of5the5year e!ents without glancing at them. (hat did '#Ts matter, what did

graduation matter, what did anything matter anymore. They might all be dead by the end of the month. 'he nearly ran into the $erson standing in the hall. 8er gaze jerked u$, off her own feet, to take in fashionably ratty deck shoes, some foreign kind. #bo!e that were jeans, body hugging, old enough to look soft o!er hard muscles. arrow hi$s. ice chest. 1ace to dri!e a scul$tor crazy2 sensuous mouth, high cheekbones. 6ark sunglasses. 'lightly tousled black hair. Bonnie stood ga$ing a moment. +h, my 3od, & forgot how gorgeous he is, she thought. "lena, forgi!e me) &'m going to grab him. "'tefan4" she said. Then her mind wrenched her back into reality again and she cast a hunted look around. o one was in eyeshot. 'he grabbed his arm. "#re you crazy, showing u$ here. #re you nuts-" "& had to find you. & thought it was urgent." "&t is, but*" 8e looked so incongruous, standing there in the high school hallway. 'o e-otic. ,ike a zebra in a flock of shee$. 'he started $ushing him toward a broom closet. 8e wasn't going. #nd he was stronger than she was. "Bonnie, you said you'd talked to*" "/ou ha!e to hide4 &'ll go get %att and %eredith and bring them back here and then we can talk. But if anybody sees you, you're $robably going to get lynched. There's been another murder." 'tefan's face changed, and he let her $ush him toward the closet. 8e started to say something, then clearly decided not to.

"&'ll wait," he said sim$ly. &t took only a few minutes to find %att in auto tech and %eredith in economics class. They hurried back to the broom closet and bustled 'tefan out of school as incons$icuously as $ossible, which wasn't !ery. 'omeone's bound to ha!e seen us, Bonnie thought. &t all de$ends on who, and how much of a blab they are. "(e ha!e to get him some$lace safe*not to any of our houses," %eredith was saying. They were all walking as fast as they could through the high school $arking lot. "1ine, but where. (ait a minute, what about the boarding house9 ." Bonnie's !oice trailed off. There was a little black car in the $arking slot in front of her. #n &talian car, sleek, s!elte, and se-y looking. #ll the windows were tinted illegally dark) you couldn't e!en see inside. Then Bonnie made out the stallion emblem on the back. "+h, my )od" 'tefan glanced at the 1errari distractedly. "&t's 6amon's." Three sets of eyes turned to him in shock. ",amon's." Bonnie said, hearing the squeak in her own !oice. 'he ho$ed 'tefan meant 6amon had just loaned it to him. But the car window was rolling down to re!eal black hair as sleek and liquidy as the car's $aint job, mirrored glasses, and a !ery white smile. "Buon giorno," said 6amon smoothly. "#nybody need a ride." "+h, my 3od," Bonnie said again, faintly. But she didn't back away.

'tefan was !isibly im$atient. "(e'll head for the boarding house. /ou follow. <ark behind the barn so nobody sees your car." %eredith had to lead Bonnie away from the 1errari. &t wasn't that Bonnie liked 6amon or that she was e!er going to let him kiss her again as he had at #laric's $arty. 'he knew he was dangerous) not as bad as :atherine had been, maybe, but bad. 8e'd killed wantonly, just for the fun of it. 8e'd killed %r. Tanner, the history teacher, at the 8aunted 8ouse fund5raiser last 8alloween. 8e might kill again at any time. %aybe that was why Bonnie felt like a mouse staring at a shining black snake when she looked at him. &n the $ri!acy of %eredith's car Bonnie and %eredith e-changed glances. "'tefan shouldn't ha!e brought him," said %eredith. "%aybe he just came," Bonnie offered. 'he didn't think 6amon was the sort of $erson who got brought anywhere. "(hy should he. ot to hel$ us, that's for sure." %att said nothing. 8e didn't e!en seem to notice the tension in the car. 8e just stared through the windshield, lost in himself. The sky was clouding u$. "%att." "=ust lea!e it alone, Bonnie," said %eredith. (onderful, thought Bonnie, de$ression settling like a dark blanket o!er her. %att and 'tefan and 6amon, all together, all thinking about "lena. They $arked behind the old barn, ne-t to the low black car. (hen they went inside, 'tefan

was standing alone. 8e turned and Bonnie saw that he'd taken off his sunglasses. The faintest chill went through her, just the lightest $rickling of the hairs on her arms and neck. 'tefan wasn't like any other guy she'd e!er met. 8is eyes were so green) green as oak lea!es in the s$ring. But just now they had shadows underneath. There was a moment of awkwardness) the three of them standing on one side and looking at 'tefan without a word. o one seemed to know what to say. Then %eredith went o!er to him and took his hand. "/ou look tired," she said. "& came as soon as & could." 8e $ut an arm around her in a brief, almost hesitant hug. 8e ne!er would ha!e done that in the old days, Bonnie thought. 8e used to be so reser!ed. 'he came forward for her own hug. 'tefan's skin was cool under the T5shirt, and she had to make herself not shi!er. (hen she $ulled back, her eyes were swimming. (hat did she feel now that 'tefan 'al!atore was back in 1ell's Church. 7elief. 'adness for the memories he brought with him. 1ear. #ll she could tell was that she wanted to cry. 'tefan and %att were looking at each other. 8ere we go, thought Bonnie. &t was almost funny) the same e-$ression was on both their faces. 8urt and tired, and trying not to show it. o matter what, "lena would always be between them. #t last, %att stuck out his hand and 'tefan shook it. They both ste$$ed back, looking glad to ha!e it o!er with. "(here's 6amon." said %eredith. "<oking around. & thought we might want a few minutes without him."

"(e want a few decades without him," Bonnie said before she could sto$ herself, and %eredith said, "8e can't be trusted, 'tefan." "& think you're wrong," 'tefan said quietly. "8e can be a big hel$ if he $uts his mind to it." "&n between killing a few of the locals e!ery other night." %eredith said, her eyebrows u$. "/ou shouldn't ha!e brought him, 'tefan." "But he didn't." The !oice came from behind Bonnie, behind and frighteningly close. Bonnie jum$ed and made an instincti!e lunge for %att, who gri$$ed her shoulder. 6amon smiled briefly, just one corner of his mouth u$. 8e'd taken off his sunglasses, but his eyes weren't green. They were black as the s$aces between the stars. 8e's almost better looking than 'tefan, Bonnie thought wildly, finding %att's fingers and hanging on to them. "'o she's yours now, is she." 6amon said to %att casually. " o," %att said, but his gri$ on Bonnie didn't loosen. "'tefan didn't bring you." $rom$ted %eredith from the other side. +f all of them, she seemed least affected by 6amon, least afraid of him, least susce$tible to him. " o," 6amon said, still looking at Bonnie. 8e doesn't turn like other $eo$le, she thought. 8e goes on looking at whate!er he wants no matter who's talking. "/ou did," he said. "%e." Bonnie shrank a little, uncertain who he meant. "/ou. /ou did the s$ell, didn't you." "The9" +h, hell. # $icture blossomed in Bonnie's mind, of black hair on a white na$kin. 8er eyes went to 6amon's hair, finer and

straighter than 'tefan's but just as dark. +b!iously %att had made a mistake in the sorting. 'tefan's !oice was im$atient. "/ou sent for us, Bonnie. (e came. (hat's going on." They took seats on the decaying bales of hay, all e-ce$t 6amon, who remained standing. 'tefan was leaning forward, hands on knees, looking at Bonnie. "/ou told me*you said that "lena s$oke to you." There was a $erce$tible $ause before he got the name out. 8is face was tense with control. "/es." 'he managed a smile for him. "& had this dream, 'tefan, this !ery strange dream9" 'he told him about it, and about what had ha$$ened after. &t took a long time. 'tefan listened intently, his green eyes flaring e!ery time she mentioned "lena. (hen she told about the end of Caroline's $arty and how they had found 'ue's body in the backyard, the blood drained from his face, but he said nothing. "The $olice came and said she was dead, but we knew that already," Bonnie finished. "#nd they took 0ickie away*$oor 0ickie was just ra!ing. They wouldn't let us talk to her, and her mother hangs u$ if we call. 'ome $eo$le are e!en saying 0ickie did it, which is insane. But they won't belie!e that "lena talked to us, so they won't belie!e anything she said." "#nd what she said was 'he,' " %eredith interru$ted. "'e!eral times. &t's a man) someone with a lot of $sychic $ower." "#nd it was a man who grabbed my hand in the hallway," said Bonnie. 'he told 'tefan about her sus$icion of Tyler, but as %eredith $ointed out, Tyler didn't fit the rest of the descri$tion.

8e had neither the brains nor the $sychic $ower to be the one "lena was warning them about. "(hat about Caroline." 'tefan asked. "Could she ha!e seen anything." "'he was out front," %eredith said. "'he found the door and got out while we were all running. 'he heard the screams, but she was too frightened to go back in the house. #nd to be honest, & don't blame her." "'o nobody actually saw what ha$$ened e-ce$t 0ickie." " o. #nd 0ickie's not telling." Bonnie $icked u$ the story where she had left off. "+nce we realized nobody would belie!e us, we remembered "lena's message about the summoning s$ell. (e figured it must ha!e been you she wanted to summon, because she thought you could do something to hel$. 'o9 can you." "& can try," 'tefan said. 8e got u$ and walked a little distance away, turning his back on them. 8e stood like that in silence a while, unmo!ing. #t last he turned back and looked Bonnie in the eyes. "Bonnie," he said, quiet but intense, "in your dreams you actually s$oke to "lena face to face. 6o you think if you went into a trance you could do it again." Bonnie was a little frightened by what she saw in his eyes. They were blazing emerald green in his $ale face. #ll at once it was as if she could see behind the mask of control he wore. Anderneath was so much $ain, so much longing *so much of that intensity that she could hardly bear to look at it. "& could, maybe9 but 'tefan5*" "Then we'll do it. 7ight here, right now. #nd we'll see i! you can take me with you." Those

eyes were mesmerizing, not with any hidden <ower, but with the sheer force of his will. Bonnie wanted to do it for him*he made her want to do anything for him. But the memory of that last dream was too much. 'he couldn't face that horror again) she couldn't. "'tefan, it's too dangerous. & could be o$ening myself u$ to anything*and &'m scared. &f that thing gets hold of my mind, & don't know what might ha$$en. & can't, 'tefan. <lease. "!en with a +uija board, it's just in!iting him to come." 1or a moment she thought he was going to try to make her do it. 8is mouth tightened in an obstinate line, and his eyes blazed e!en brighter. But then, slowly, the fire died out of them. Bonnie felt her heart tear. "'tefan, &'m sorry," she whis$ered. "(e'll just ha!e to do it on our own," he said. The mask was back on, but his smile looked stiff, as if it hurt him. Then he s$oke more briskly. "1irst we ha!e to find out who this killer is, what he wants here. #ll we know now is that something e!il has come to 1ell's Church again." "But why." said Bonnie. "(hy would anything e!il just ha$$en to $ick here. 8a!en't we been through enough." "&t does seem a bit of a strange coincidence," %eredith said drolly. "(hy should we be so singularly blessed." "&t's not coincidence," said 'tefan. 8e got u$ and lifted his hands as if unsure how to start. "There are some $laces on this earth that are9 different," he said. "That are full of $sychic energy, either $ositi!e or negati!e, good or e!il. 'ome of them ha!e always been that way, like the Bermuda Triangle and 'alisbury <lain, the $lace where they built 'tonehenge. +thers

become that way, es$ecially where a lot of blood has been shed." 8e looked at Bonnie. "Anquiet s$irits," she whis$ered. "/es. There was a battle here, wasn't there." "&n the Ci!il (ar," %att said. "That's how the church in the cemetery got ruined. &t was a slaughter on both sides. obody won, but almost e!eryone who fought got killed. The woods are full of their gra!es." "#nd the ground was soaked with blood. # $lace like that draws the su$ernatural to it. &t draws e!il to it. That's why :atherine was attracted to 1ell's Church in the first $lace. & felt it too, when & first came here." "#nd now something else has come," %eredith said, $erfectly serious for once. "But how are we su$$osed to fight it." "(e ha!e to know what we're fighting first. & think9" But before he could finish, there was a creak and $ale, dusty sunlight fell across the bales of hay. The barn door had o$ened. "!eryone tensed defensi!ely, ready to jum$ u$ and run or fight. The figure nudging the huge door back with one elbow, howe!er, was anything but menacing. %rs. 1lowers, who owned the boarding house, smiled at them, her little black eyes crinkling into wrinkles. 'he was carrying a tray. "& thought you children might like something to drink while you're talking," she said comfortably. "!eryone e-changed disconcerted glances. 8ow had she known they were out here. #nd how could she be so calm about it. "8ere you go," %rs. 1lowers continued. "This is gra$e juice, made from my own Concord

gra$es." 'he $ut a $a$er cu$ beside %eredith, then %att, then Bonnie. "#nd here are some gingersna$ cookies. 1resh." 'he held the $late around. Bonnie noticed she didn't offer any to 'tefan or 6amon. "/ou two can come round to the cellar if you like and try some of my blackberry wine," she said to them, with what Bonnie would swear was a wink. 'tefan took a dee$, wary breath. "Ah, look, %rs. 1lowers9" "#nd your old room's just like you left it. obody's been u$ there since you went. /ou can use it when you want) it won't $ut me out a bit." 'tefan seemed at a loss for words. "(ell* thank you. Thank you !ery much. But*" "&f you're worried &'ll say something to somebody, you can set your mind at ease. & don't tend to run off at the mouth. e!er ha!e, ne!er will. 8ow's that gra$e juice."*turning suddenly on Bonnie. Bonnie hastily took a gul$. "3ood," she said truthfully. "(hen you finish, throw the cu$s in the trash. & like things ke$t tidy." %rs. 1lowers cast a look about the barn, shaking her head and sighing. "'uch a shame. 'uch a $retty girl." 'he looked at 'tefan $iercingly with eyes like ony- beads. "/ou'!e got your work cut out for you this time, boy," she said, and left, still shaking her head. "(ell4" said Bonnie, staring after her, amazed. "!eryone else just looked at each other blankly. " ''uch a $retty girl'*but which." said %ere5 dith at last. "'ue or "lena." "lena had actually s$ent a week or so in this !ery barn last winter* but %rs. 1lowers wasn't su$$osed to know that.

"6id you say something to her about us." %eredith asked 6amon. " ot a word." 6amon seemed amused. "'he's an old lady. 'he's batty." "'he's shar$er than any of us ga!e her credit for," %att said. "(hen & think of the days we s$ent watching her $otter around that basement *do you think she knew we were watching." "& don't know what to think," 'tefan said slowly. "&'m just glad she seems to be on our side. #nd she's gi!en us a safe $lace to stay." "#nd gra$e juice, don't forget that." %att grinned at 'tefan. "(ant some." 8e $roffered the leaky cu$. "/eah, you can take your gra$e juice and9" But 'tefan was almost smiling himself. 1or an instant Bonnie saw the two of them the way they used to be, before "lena had died. 1riendly, warm, as comfortable together as she and %eredith were. # $ang went through her. But "lena isn't dead, she thought. 'he's more here than e!er. 'he's directing e!erything we say and do. 'tefan had sobered again. "(hen %rs. 1lowers came in, & was about to say that we'd better get started. #nd & think we should start with 0ickie." "'he won't see us," %eredith re$lied instantly. "8er $arents are kee$ing e!eryone away." "Then we'll just ha!e to by$ass her $arents," 'tefan said. "#re you coming with us, 6amon." "# !isit to yet another $retty girl. & wouldn't miss it." Bonnie turned to 'tefan in alarm, but he s$oke reassuringly as he guided her out of the barn. "&t'll be all right. &'ll kee$ an eye on him."

Bonnie ho$ed so.

Six
0ickie's house was on a corner, and they a$$roached it from the side street. By now the sky was filled with hea!y $ur$le clouds. The light had an almost underwater quality. ",ooks like it's going to storm," %att said. Bonnie glanced at 6amon. either he nor 'tefan liked bright light. #nd she could feel the <ower emanating from him, like a low thrum just under the surface of his skin. 8e smiled without looking at her and said, "8ow about snow in =une." Bonnie clam$ed down on a shi!er. 'he had looked 6amon's way once or twice in the barn and found him listening to the story with an air of detached indifference. Anlike 'tefan, his e-$ression hadn't changed in the slightest when she mentioned "lena*or when she told about 'ue's death. (hat did he really feel for "lena. 8e'd called u$ a snowstorm once and left her to freeze in it. (hat was he feeling now. 6id he e!en care about catching the murderer. "That's 0ickie's bedroom," said %eredith. "The bay window in the back." 'tefan looked at 6amon. "8ow many $eo$le in the house." "Two. %an and woman. The woman's drunk." <oor %rs. Bennett, thought Bonnie. "& need them both aslee$," 'tefan said. &n s$ite of herself, Bonnie was fascinated by the surge of <ower she felt from 6amon. 8er $sychic abilities had ne!er been strong enough to sense its raw essence before, but now they

were. ow she could feel it as clearly as she could see the fading !iolet light or smell the honeysuckle outside 0ickie's window. 6amon shrugged. "They're aslee$." 'tefan ta$$ed lightly on the glass. There was no res$onse, or at least none Bonnie could see. But 'tefan and 6amon looked at each other. "'he's half tranced already," 6amon said. "'he's scared. &'ll do it) she knows me," said 'tefan. 8e $ut his fingerti$s on the window. "0ickie, it's 'tefan 'al!atore," he said. "&'m here to hel$ you. Come let me in." 8is !oice was quiet, nothing that should ha!e been heard on the other side of the glass. But after a moment the curtains stirred and a face a$$eared. Bonnie gas$ed aloud. 0ickie's long, light brown hair was dishe!eled, and her skin was chalky. There were huge black rings under her eyes. The eyes themsel!es were fi-ed and glassy. 8er li$s were rough and cha$$ed. "'he looks like she's dressed u$ to do +$helia's mad scene," %eredith said under her breath. " ightgown and all." "'he looks #ossessed," Bonnie whis$ered back, unner!ed. 'tefan just said, "0ickie, o$en the window." %echanically, like a windu$ doll, 0ickie cranked one of the side $anels of the bay window o$en, and 'tefan said, "Can & come in." 0ickie's glazed eyes swe$t o!er the grou$ outside. 1or a moment Bonnie thought she didn't recognize any of them. But then she blinked and

said slowly, "%eredith9 Bonnie9 'tefan. /ou're back. (hat are you doing here." "#sk me in, 0ickie." 'tefan's !oice was hy$notic. "'tefan9" There was a long $ause and then2 "Come in." 'he ste$$ed back as he $ut a hand on the sill and !aulted through. %att followed him, then %eredith. Bonnie, who was wearing a mini, re5mained outside with 6amon. 'he wished she'd worn jeans to school today, but then she hadn't known she'd be going on an e-$edition. "/ou shouldn't be here," 0ickie said to 'tefan, almost calmly. "8e's coming to get me. 8e'll get you too." %eredith $ut an arm around her. 'tefan just said, "(ho." "8im. 8e comes to me in my dreams. 8e killed 'ue." 0ickie's matter5of5fact tone was more frightening than any hysteria could ha!e been. "0ickie, we'!e come to hel$ you," %eredith said gently. ""!erything's going to be all right now. (e won't let him hurt you, & $romise." 0ickie swung around to stare at her. 'he looked %eredith u$ and down as if %eredith had suddenly changed into something unbelie!able. Then she began to laugh. &t was awful, a hoarse burst of mirth like a hacking cough. &t went on and on until Bonnie wanted to co!er her ears. 1inally 'tefan said, "0ickie, sto$ it." The laughter died into something like sobs, and when 0ickie lifted her head again, she looked less glassy eyed but more genuinely u$set. "/ou're all going to die, 'tefan," she said,

shaking her head. " o one can fight him and li!e." "(e need to know about him so we can fight him. (e need your hel$," 'tefan said. "Tell me what he looks like." "& can't see him in my dreams. 8e's just a shadow without a face." 0ickie whis$ered it, her shoulders hunching. "But you saw him at Caroline's house," 'tefan said insistently. "0ickie, listen to me," he added as the girl turned away shar$ly. "& know you're frightened, but this is im$ortant, more im$ortant than you can understand. (e can't fight him unless we know what we're u$ against, and you are the only one, the only one right now who has the information we need. /ou ha!e to hel$ us." "& can't remember*" 'tefan's !oice was unyielding. "& ha!e a way to hel$ you remember," he said. "(ill you let me try." 'econds crawled by, then 0ickie ga!e a long, bubbling sigh, her body sagging. "6o whate!er you want," she said indifferently. "& don't care. &t won't make any difference." "/ou're a bra!e girl. ow look at me, 0ickie. & want you to rela-. =ust look at me and rela-." 'tefan's !oice dro$$ed to a lulling murmur. &t went on for a few minutes, and then 0ickie's eyes droo$ed shut. "'it down." 'tefan guided her to sit on the bed. 8e sat beside her, looking into her face. "0ickie, you feel calm and rela-ed now. othing you remember will hurt you," he said, his !oice soothing. " ow, & need you to go back to 'aturday night. /ou're u$stairs, in the master bedroom of Caroline's house. 'ue Carson is with you, and someone else. & need you to see*"

" o4" 0ickie twisted back and forth as if trying to esca$e something. " o4 & can't*" "0ickie, calm down. 8e won't hurt you. 8e can't see you, but you can see him. ,isten to me." #s 'tefan s$oke, 0ickie's whim$ers quieted. But she still thrashed and writhed. "/ou need to see him, 0ickie. 8el$ us fight him. (hat does he look like." "8e looks like the de!il4" &t was almost a scream. %eredith sat on 0ickie's other side and took her hand. 'he looked out through the window at Bonnie, who looked back wide eyed and shrugged slightly. Bonnie had no idea what 0ickie was talking about. "Tell me more," 'tefan said e!enly. 0ickie's mouth twisted. 8er nostrils were flared as if she were smelling something awful. (hen she s$oke, she got out each word se$arately, as if they were making her sick. "8e wears9 an old raincoat. &t fla$s around his legs in the wind. 8e makes the wind blow. 8is hair is blond. #lmost white. &t stands u$ all o!er his head. 8is eyes are so blue*electric blue." 0ickie licked her li$s and swallowed, looking nauseated. "Blue is the color of death." Thunder rumbled and cracked in the sky. 6amon glanced u$ quickly, then frowned, eyes narrowed. "8e's tall. #nd he's laughing. 8e's reaching for me, laughing. But 'ue screams ' o, no' and tries to $ull me away. 'o he takes her instead. The window's broken, and the balcony is right there. 'ue's crying ' o, $lease.' #nd then & watch him*& watch him throw her9" 0ickie's breath was hitching, her !oice rising hysterically.

"0ickie, it's all right. /ou're not really there. /ou're safe." "+h, $lease, no*'ue4 "ue* "ue4" "0ickie, stay with me. ,isten. & need just one more thing. ,ook at him. Tell me if he's wearing a blue jewel*" But 0ickie was whi$$ing her head back and forth, sobbing, more hysterical each second. " o4 o4 &'m ne-t4 &'m ne-t4" 'uddenly, her eyes s$rang o$en as she came out of the trance by herself, choking and gas$ing. Then her head jerked around. +n the wall, a $icture was rattling. &t was $icked u$ by the bamboo5framed mirror, then by $erfume bottles and li$sticks on the dresser below. (ith a sound like $o$corn, earrings began bursting from an earring tree. The rattling got louder and louder. # straw hat fell off a hook. <hotos were showering down from the mirror. Ta$es and C6s s$rayed out of a rack and onto the floor like $laying cards being dealt. %eredith was on her feet and so was %att, fists clenched. "%ake it sto$4 %ake it sto$4" 0ickie cried wildly. But it didn't sto$. %att and %eredith looked around as new objects joined the dance. "!erything mo!able was shaking, jittering, swaying. &t was as if the room were caught in an earthquake. "'to$4 'to$4" shrieked 0ickie, her hands o!er her ears. 6irectly abo!e the house thunder e-$loded. Bonnie jum$ed !iolently as she saw the zigzag of lightning shoot across the sky. &nstincti!ely she grabbed for something to hang

on to. #s the lightning bolt flared a $oster on 0ickie's wall tore diagonally as if slashed by a $hantom knife. Bonnie choked back a scream and clutched tighter. Then, as quickly as if someone had flicked a $ower switch off, all the noise sto$$ed. 0ickie's room was still. The fringe on the bedside lam$ swayed slightly. The $oster had curled u$ in two irregular $ieces, to$ and bottom. 'lowly, 0ickie lowered her hands from her ears. %att and %eredith looked around rather shakily. Bonnie shut her eyes and murmured something like a $rayer. &t wasn't until she o$ened them again that she realized what she had been hanging on to. &t was the su$$le coolness of a leather jacket. &t was 6amon's arm. 8e hadn't mo!ed away from her, though. 8e didn't mo!e now. 8e was leaning forward slightly, eyes narrowed, watching the room intently. ",ook at the mirror," he said. "!eryone did, and Bonnie drew in her breath, fingers clenching again. 'he hadn't seen it, but it must ha!e ha$$ened while e!erything in the room was going berserk. +n the glass surface of the bamboo mirror two words were scrawled in 0ickie's hot coral li$stick. )oodnight, "weetheart. "+h, 3od," Bonnie whis$ered. 'tefan turned from the mirror to 0ickie. There was something different about him, Bonnie thought*he was holding himself rela-ed but $oised, like a soldier who's just gotten

confirmation of a battle. &t was as if he'd acce$ted a $ersonal challenge of some kind. 8e took something out of his back $ocket and unfolded it, re!ealing s$rigs of a $lant with long green lea!es and tiny lilac flowers. "This is !er!ain, fresh !er!ain," he said quietly, his !oice e!en and intense. "& $icked it outside 1lorence) it's blooming there now." 8e took 0ickie's hand and $ressed the $acket into it. "& want you to hold on to this and kee$ it. <ut some in e!ery room of the house, and hide $ieces somewhere in your $arents' clothes if you can, so they'll ha!e it near them. #s long as you ha!e this with you, he can't take o!er your mind. 8e can scare you, 0ickie, but he can't make you do anything, like o$en a window or door for him. #nd listen, 0ickie, because this is im$ortant." 0ickie was shi!ering, her face crum$led. 'tefan took both her hands and made her look at him, s$eaking slowly and distinctly. "&f &'m right, 0ickie, he can't get in unless you let him. 'o talk to your $arents. Tell them it's im$ortant that they don't ask any stranger inside the house. &n fact, & can ha!e 6amon $ut that suggestion in their mind right now." 8e glanced at 6amon, who shrugged slightly and nodded, looking as if his attention was somewhere else. 'elf5consciously, Bonnie remo!ed her hand from his jacket. 0ickie's head was bent o!er the !er!ain. "8e'll get in somehow," she said softly, with terrible certainty. " o. 0ickie, listen to me. 1rom now on, we're going to watch your house) we're going to be waiting for him."

"&t doesn't matter," 0ickie said. "/ou can't sto$ him." 'he began to laugh and cry at the same time. "(e're going to try," 'tefan said. 8e looked at %eredith and %att, who nodded. "7ight. 1rom this moment on, you will ne!er be alone. There will always be one or more of us outside watching you." 0ickie just shook her bent head. %eredith ga!e her arm a squeeze and stood as 'tefan tilted his head toward the window. (hen she and %att joined him there, 'tefan s$oke to all of them in a low !oice. "& don't want to lea!e her unguarded, but & can't stay myself right now. There's something & ha!e to do, and & need one of the girls with me. +n the other hand, & don't want to lea!e either Bonnie or %eredith alone here." 8e turned to %att. "%att, will you9" "&'ll stay," said 6amon. "!eryone looked at him, startled. "(ell, it's the logical solution, isn't it." 6amon seemed amused. "#fter all, what do you e-$ect one of them to do against him anyway." "They can call for me. & can monitor their thoughts that far," 'tefan said, not gi!ing one inch. "(ell," 6amon said whimsically, "& can call for you too, little brother, if & get into trouble. &'m getting bored with this in!estigation of yours anyway. & might as well stay here as anywhere." "0ickie needs to be $rotected, not abused," 'tefan said. 6amon's smile was charming. ".er." 8e nodded toward the girl who sat on the bed, rocking o!er the !er!ain. 1rom dishe!eled hair to bare feet, 0ickie was not a $retty $icture.

"Take my word for it, brother, & can do better than that." 1or just an instant Bonnie thought those dark eyes flicked sideways toward her. "/ou're always saying how you'd like to trust me, anyway," 6amon added. "8ere's your chance to $ro!e it." 'tefan looked as if he wanted to trust, as if he were tem$ted. 8e also looked sus$icious. 6amon said nothing, merely smiled in that taunting, enigmatic way. <ractically asking to be mistrusted, Bonnie thought. The two brothers stood looking at each other while the silence and the tension stretched out between them. =ust then Bonnie could see the family resemblance in their faces, one serious and intense, the other bland and faintly mocking, but both inhumanly beautiful. 'tefan let his breath out slowly. "#ll right," he said quietly at last. Bonnie and %att and %eredith were all staring at him, but he didn't seem to notice. 8e s$oke to 6amon as if they were the only two $eo$le there. "/ou stay here, outside the house where you won't be seen. &'ll come back and take o!er when &'m finished with what &'m doing." %eredith's eyebrows were in her hair, but she made no comment. either did %att. Bonnie tried to quell her own feelings of unease. 'tefan must know what he's doing, she told herself. #nyway, he'd better. "6on't take too long," 6amon said dismissi!ely. #nd that was how they left it, with 6amon blending in with the darkness in the shadow of the black walnut trees in 0ickie's backyard and 0ickie herself in her room, rocking endlessly. &n the car, %eredith said, "(here ne-t."

"& need to test a theory," said 'tefan briefly. "That the killer is a !am$ire." %att said from the back, where he sat with Bonnie. 'tefan glanced at him shar$ly. "/es." "That's why you told 0ickie not to in!ite anyone in," %eredith added, not to be outdone in the reasoning de$artment. 0am$ires, Bonnie remembered, couldn't enter a $lace where humans li!ed and sle$t unless they were in!ited. "#nd that's why you asked if the man was wearing a blue stone." "#n amulet against daylight," 'tefan said, s$reading his right hand. +n the third finger there was a sil!er ring set with la$is lazuli. "(ithout one of these, direct e-$osure to the sun kills us. &f the murderer is a !am$ire, he kee$s a stone like this somewhere on him." #s if by instinct, 'tefan reached u$ to briefly touch something under his T5shirt. #fter a moment Bonnie realized what it must be. "lena's ring. 'tefan had gi!en it to her in the first $lace, and after she died he'd taken it to wear on a chain around his neck. 'o that $art of her would be with him always, he'd said. (hen Bonnie looked at %att beside her, she saw his eyes were closed. "'o how can we tell if he's a !am$ire." %eredith asked. "There's only one way & can think of, and it isn't !ery $leasant. But it's got to be done." Bonnie's heart sank. &f 'tefan thought it wasn't !ery $leasant, she was sure she was going to find it e!en less so. "(hat is it." she said unenthusiastically. "& need to get a look at 'ue's body."

There was dead silence. "!en %eredith, normally so unfla$$able, looked a$$alled. %att turned away, leaning his forehead against the window glass. "/ou'!e got to be kidding," Bonnie said. "& wish & were." "But*for 3od's sake, 'tefan. (e can't. They won't let us. & mean, what are we going to say. '"-cuse me while & e-amine this cor$se for holes'." "Bonnie, sto$ it," %eredith said. "& can't hel$ it," Bonnie sna$$ed back shakily. "&t's an aw!ul idea. #nd besides, the $olice already checked her body. There wasn't a mark on it e-ce$t the cuts she got in the fall." "The $olice don't know what to look for," 'tefan said. 8is !oice was steely. 8earing it brought something home to Bonnie, something she tended to forget. 'tefan was one of them. +ne of the hunters. 8e'd seen dead $eo$le before. 8e might e!en ha!e killed some. 8e drinks blood, she thought, and shuddered. "(ell." said 'tefan. "#re you still with me." Bonnie tried to make herself small in the backseat. %eredith's hands were tight on the steering wheel. &t was %att who s$oke, turning back from the window. "(e don't ha!e a choice, do we." he said tiredly. "There's a !iewing of the body from se!en to ten at the funeral home," %eredith added, her !oice low. "(e'll ha!e to wait until after the !iewing, then. #fter they close the funeral home, when we can be alone with her," said 'tefan.

"This is the most gruesome thing &'!e e!er had to do," Bonnie whis$ered wretchedly. The funeral cha$el was dark and cold. 'tefan had s$rung the locks on the outside door with a thin $iece of fle-ible metal. The !iewing room was thickly car$eted, its walls co!ered with somber oak $anels. &t would ha!e been a de$ressing $lace e!en with the lights on. &n the dark it seemed close and suffocating and crowded with grotesque sha$es. &t looked as if someone might be crouching behind each of the many standing flower arrangements. "& don't want to be here," Bonnie moaned. ",et's just get it o!er with, okay." %att said through his teeth. (hen he sna$$ed the flashlight on, Bonnie looked anywhere but where it was $ointing. 'he didn't want to see the coffin, she didn't. 'he stared at the flowers, at a heart made of $ink roses. +utside, thunder grumbled like a slee$ing animal. ",et me get this o$en*here," 'tefan was saying. &n s$ite of her resol!e not to, Bonnie looked. The casket was white, lined with $ale $ink satin. 'ue's blond hair shone against it like the hair of a slee$ing $rincess in a fairy tale. But 'ue didn't look as if she were slee$ing. 'he was too $ale, too still. ,ike a wa-work. Bonnie cre$t closer, her eyes fi-ed on 'ue's face. That's why it's so cold in here, she told herself staunchly. To kee$ the wa- from melting. &t hel$ed a little. 'tefan reached down to touch 'ue's high5 necked $ink blouse. 8e undid the to$ button.

"1or 3od's sake," Bonnie whis$ered, outraged. "(hat do you think we're here for." 'tefan hissed back. But his fingers $aused on the second button. Bonnie watched a minute and then made her decision. "3et out of the way," she said, and when 'tefan didn't mo!e immediately, she ga!e him a sho!e. %eredith drew u$ close to her and they formed a $halan- between 'ue and the boys. Their eyes met with understanding. &f they had to actually remo!e the blouse, the guys were going out. Bonnie undid the small buttons while %eredith held the light. 'ue's skin felt as wa-y as it looked, cool against her fingerti$s. #wkwardly, she folded the blouse back to re!eal a lacy white sli$. Then she made herself $ush 'ue's shining gold hair off the $ale neck. The hair was stiff with s$ray. " o holes," she said, looking at 'ue's throat. 'he was $roud that her !oice was almost steady. " o," said 'tefan oddly. "But there's something else. ,ook at this." 3ently, he reached around Bonnie to $oint out a cut, $ale and bloodless as the skin around it, but !isible as a faint line running from collarbone to breast. +!er the heart. 'tefan's long finger traced the air abo!e it and Bonnie stiffened, ready to smack the hand away if he touched. "(hat is it." asked %eredith, $uzzled. "# mystery," 'tefan said. 8is !oice was still odd. "&f & saw a mark like that on a !am$ire, it would mean the !am$ire was gi!ing blood to a human. That's how it's done. 8uman teeth can't $ierce our skin, so we cut oursel!es if we want to share blood. But 'ue wasn't a !am$ire."

"'he certainly wasn't4" said Bonnie. 'he tried to fight off the image her mind wanted to show her, of "lena bending to a cut like that on 'tefan's chest and sucking, drinking9 'he shuddered and realized her eyes were shut. "&s there anything else you need to see." she said, o$ening them. " o. That's all." Bonnie did u$ the buttons. 'he rearranged 'ue's hair. Then, while %eredith and 'tefan eased the lid of the casket back down, she walked quickly out of the !iewing room and to the outside door. 'he stood there, arms wra$$ed around herself. # hand touched her elbow lightly. &t was %att. "/ou're tougher than you look," he said. "/es, well9" 'he tried to shrug. #nd then suddenly she was crying, crying hard. %att $ut his arms around her. "& know," he said. =ust that. ot "6on't cry" or "Take it easy" or ""!erything's going to be all right." =ust "& know." 8is !oice was as desolate as she felt. "They'!e got hair s$ray in her hair," she sobbed. "'ue never used hair s$ray. &t's awful." 'omehow, just then, this seemed the worst thing of all. 8e sim$ly held her. #fter a while Bonnie got her breath. 'he found she was holding on to %att almost $ainfully tightly and loosened her arms. "& got your shirt all wet," she said a$ologetically, sniffling. "&t doesn't matter."

'omething in his !oice made her ste$ back and look at him. 8e looked the way he had in the high school $arking lot. 'o lost, so9 ho$eless. "%att, what is it." she whis$ered. "<lease." "& told you already," he said. 8e was looking away into some immeasurable distance. "'ue's lying in there dead, and she shouldn't be. /ou said it yourself, Bonnie. (hat kind of world is it that lets a thing like that ha$$en. That lets a girl like 'ue get murdered for kicks, or kids in #fghanistan star!e, or baby seals get skinned ali!e. &f that's what the world is like, what does anything matter. &t's all o!er anyway." 8e $aused and seemed to come back to himself. "6o you understand what &'m talking about." "&'m not so sure." Bonnie didn't e!en think she wanted to. &t was too scary. But she was o!erwhelmed by an urge to comfort him, to wi$e that lost look from his eyes. "%att, &*" "(e're finished," 'tefan said from behind them. #s %att looked toward the !oice the lost look seemed to intensify. "'ometimes & think we're all finished," %att said, mo!ing away from Bonnie, but he didn't e-$lain what he meant by that. ",et's go."

Seven
'tefan a$$roached the corner house reluctantly, almost afraid of what he might find. 8e half e-$ected that 6amon would ha!e abandoned his $ost by now. 8e'd $robably been an idiot to rely on 6amon in the first $lace. But when he reached the backyard, there was a shimmer of motion among the black walnut trees. 8is eyes, shar$er than a human's because

they were ada$ted for hunting, made out the darker shadow leaning against a trunk. "/ou took your time getting back." "& had to see the others home safe. #nd & had to eat." "#nimal blood," 6amon said contem$tuously, eyes fi-ed on a tiny round stain on 'tefan's T5 shirt. "7abbit, from the smell of it. That seems a$$ro$riate somehow, doesn't it." "6amon*&'!e gi!en Bonnie and %eredith !er!ain too." "# wise $recaution," 6amon said distinctly, and showed his teeth. # familiar surge of irritation welled u$ in 'tefan. (hy did 6amon always ha!e to be so difficult. Talking with him was like walking between land mines. "&'ll be going now," 6amon continued, swinging his jacket o!er one shoulder. "&'!e got business of my own to take care of." 8e tossed a de!astating grin o!er his shoulder. "6on't wait u$." "6amon." 6amon half turned, not looking but listening. "The last thing we need is some girl in this town screaming '0am$ire4' " 'tefan said. "+r showing the signs, either. These $eo$le ha!e been through it before) they're not ignorant." "&'ll bear that in mind." &t was said ironically, but it was the closest thing to a $romise 'tefan had e!er gotten from his brother in his life. "#nd, 6amon." " ow what." "Thank you." &t was too much. 6amon whi$$ed around, his eyes cold and unin!iting, a stranger's eyes.

"6on't e-$ect anything of me, little brother," he said dangerously. "Because you'll be wrong e!ery time. #nd don't think you can mani$ulate me, either. Those three humans may follow you, but & won't. &'m here for reasons of my own." 8e was gone before 'tefan could gather words for a re$ly. &t wouldn't ha!e mattered anyway. 6amon ne!er listened to anything he said. 6amon ne!er e!en called him by name. &t was always the scornful "little brother." #nd now 6amon was off to $ro!e how unreliable he was, 'tefan thought. (onderful. 8e'd do something $articularly !icious just to show 'tefan he was ca$able of it. (earily, 'tefan found a tree to lean against and slid down it to look at the night sky. 8e tried to think about the $roblem at hand, about what he'd learned tonight. The descri$tion 0ickie had gi!en of the killer. Tall, blond hair and blue eyes, he thought*that seemed to remind him of someone. ot someone he'd met, but someone he'd heard about9 &t was no use. 8e couldn't kee$ his mind on the $uzzle. 8e was tired and lonely and in des$erate need of comfort. #nd the stark truth was that there was no comfort to be had. "lena, he thought, you lied to me. &t was the one thing she'd insisted on, the one thing she'd always $romised. "(hate!er ha$$ens, 'tefan, &'ll be with you. Tell me you belie!e that." #nd he had answered, hel$less in her s$ell, "+h, "lena, & belie!e it. (hate!er ha$$ens, we'll be together." But she had left him. ot by choice maybe, but what did that matter in the end. 'he had left him and gone away.

There were times when all he wanted was to follow her. Think about something else, anything else, he told himself, but it was too late. +nce unleashed, the images of "lena swirled around him, too $ainful to bear, too beautiful to $ush away. The first time he'd kissed her. The shock of dizzy sweetness when his mouth met hers. #nd after that, shock after shock, but at some dee$er le!el. #s if she were reaching down to the core of himself, a core he'd almost forgotten. 1rightened, he'd felt his defenses tear away. #ll his secrets, all his resistance, all the tricks he used to kee$ other $eo$le at arm's length. "lena had ri$$ed through them all, e-$osing his !ulnerability. "-$osing his soul. #nd in the end, he found that it was what he wanted. 8e wanted "lena to see him without defenses, without walls. 8e wanted her to know him for what he was. Terrifying. /es. (hen she'd disco!ered his secret at last, when she'd found him feeding on that bird, he had cringed in shame. 8e was sure that she'd turn away from the blood on his mouth in horror. &n disgust. But when he looked into her eyes that night, he saw understanding. 1orgi!eness. ,o!e. 8er lo!e had healed him. #nd that was when he knew they could ne!er be a$art. +ther memories surged u$ and 'tefan held on to them, e!en though the $ain tore into him like claws. 'ensations. The feel of "lena against him, su$$le in his arms. The brush of her hair on his cheek, light as a moth's wing. The cur!e of her

li$s, the taste of them. The im$ossible midnight blue of her eyes. #ll lost. #ll beyond his reach fore!er. But Bonnie had reached "lena. "lena's s$irit, her soul, was still somewhere near. +f anyone, he should be able to summon it. 8e had <ower at his command. #nd he had more right than anyone to seek her. 8e knew how it was done. 'hut your eyes. <icture the $erson you want to draw near. That was easy. 8e could see "lena, feel her, smell her. Then call them, let your longing reach out into the em$tiness. +$en yourself and let your need be felt. "asier still. 8e didn't gi!e a damn about the danger. 8e gathered all his yearning, all his $ain, and sent it out searching like a $rayer. #nd felt9 nothing. +nly !oid and his own loneliness. +nly silence. 8is <ower wasn't the same as Bonnie's. 8e couldn't reach the one thing he lo!ed most, the one thing that mattered to him. 8e had ne!er felt so alone in his life. "/ou want what." Bonnie said. "'ome sort of records about the history of 1ell's Church. <articularly about the founders," 'tefan said. They were all sitting in %eredith's car, which was $arked a discreet distance behind 0ickie's house. &t was dusk of the ne-t day and they had just returned from 'ue's funeral*all but 'tefan. "This has something to do with 'ue, doesn't it." %eredith's dark eyes, always so le!el and

intelligent, $robed 'tefan's. "/ou think you'!e sol!ed the mystery." "<ossibly," he admitted. 8e had s$ent the day thinking. 8e'd $ut the $ain of last night behind him, and once again he was in control. #lthough he could not reach "lena, he could justify her faith in him*he could do what she wanted done. #nd there was a comfort in work, in concentration. &n kee$ing all emotion away. 8e added, "& ha!e an idea about what might ha!e ha$$ened, but it's a long shot and & don't want to talk about it until &'m sure." "(hy." demanded Bonnie. 'uch a contrast to %eredith, 'tefan thought. 8air as red as fire and a s$irit to go with it. That delicate heart5sha$ed face and fair, translucent skin were dece$ti!e, though. Bonnie was smart and resourceful* e!en if she was only beginning to find that out herself. "Because if &'m wrong, an innocent $erson might get hurt. ,ook, at this $oint it's just an idea. But & $romise if & find any e!idence tonight to back it u$, &'ll tell you all about it." "/ou could talk with %rs. 3rimesby," %eredith suggested. "'he's the town librarian, and she knows a lot about the founding of 1ell's Church." "+r there's always 8onoria," Bonnie said. "& mean, she was one of the founders." 'tefan looked at her quickly. "& thought 8onoria 1ell had sto$$ed communicating with you," he said carefully. "& don't mean talk to her. 'he's gone, #!!t, ka$ut," Bonnie said disgustedly. "& mean her journal. &t's right there in the library with "lena's) %rs. 3rimesby has them on dis$lay near the circulation desk."

'tefan was sur$rised. 8e didn't entirely like the idea of "lena's journal on dis$lay. But 8onoria's records might be e-actly what he was looking for. 8onoria had not just been a wise woman) she had been well !ersed in the su$ernatural. # witch. "The library's closed by now, though," %eredith said. "That's e!en better," said 'tefan. " o one will know what information we're interested in. Two of us can go down there and break in, and the other two can stay here. %eredith, if you'll come with me*" "&'d like to stay here, if you don't mind," she said. "&'m tired," she added in e-$lanation, seeing his e-$ression. "#nd this way & can get my watch o!er with and get home earlier. (hy don't you and %att go and Bonnie and & stay here." 'tefan was still looking at her. "+kay," he said slowly. "1ine. &f it's all right with %att." %att shrugged. "That's it, then. &t might take us a cou$le of hours or more. /ou two stay in the car with the doors locked. /ou should be safe enough that way." &f he was right in his sus$icions, there wouldn't be any more attacks for a while*a few days at least. Bonnie and %eredith should be safe. But he couldn't hel$ wonder what was behind %eredith's suggestion. ot sim$le tiredness, he was sure. "By the way, where's 6amon." Bonnie asked as he and %att started to lea!e. 'tefan felt his stomach muscles tighten. "& don't know." 8e had been waiting for someone to ask that. 8e hadn't seen his brother since last night, and he had no idea what 6amon might be doing.

"8e'll show u$ e!entually," he said, and closed the door on %eredith's, "That's what &'m afraid of." 8e and %att walked to the library in silence, kee$ing to the shadows, skirting areas of light. 8e couldn't afford to be seen. 'tefan had come back to hel$ 1ell's Church, but he felt sure 1ell's Church didn't want his hel$. 8e was a stranger again, an intruder here. They would hurt him if they caught him. The library lock was easy to $ick, just a sim$le s$ring mechanism. #nd the journals were right where Bonnie had said they would be. 'tefan forced his hand away from "lena's journal. &nside was the record of "lena's last days, in her own handwriting. &f he started thinking about that now9 8e concentrated on the leather5bound book beside it. The faded ink on the yellowing $ages was hard to read, but after a few minutes his eyes got accustomed to the dense, intricate writing with its elaborate curlicues. &t was the story of 8onoria 1ell and her husband, who with the 'mallwoods and a few other families had come to this $lace when it was still !irgin wilderness. They had faced not only the dangers of isolation and hunger but of nati!e wildlife. 8onoria told the story of their battle to sur!i!e sim$ly and clearly, without sentimentality. #nd in those $ages 'tefan found what he was looking for. (ith a $rickling at the back of his neck, he reread the entry carefully. #t last he leaned back and shut his eyes. 8e'd been right. There was no longer any doubt in his mind. #nd that meant he must also

be right about what was going on in 1ell's Church now. 1or an instant, bright sickness washed o!er him, and an anger that made him want to ri$ and tear and hurt something. 'ue. <retty 'ue who had been "lena's friend had died for9 that. # blood ritual, an obscene initiation. &t made him want to kill. But then the rage faded, re$laced by a fierce determination to sto$ what was ha$$ening and set things right. & $romise you, he whis$ered to "lena in his own mind. & will sto$ it somehow. o matter what. 8e looked u$ to find %att looking at him. "lena's journal was in %att's hand, closing itself o!er his thumb. =ust then %att's eyes looked as dark a blue as "lena's. Too dark, full of turmoil and grief and something like bitterness. "/ou found it," %att said. "#nd it's bad." "/es." "&t would be." %att $ushed "lena's journal back into the case and stood. There was a ring almost of satisfaction in his !oice. ,ike somebody who's just $ro!ed a $oint. "& could ha!e sa!ed you the trouble of coming here." %att sur!eyed the darkened library, jingling change in his $ocket. # casual obser!er might ha!e thought he was rela-ed, but his !oice betrayed him. &t was raw with strain. "/ou just think of the worst thing you can imagine and that's always the truth," he said. "%att9" 'udden concern stabbed at 'tefan. 8e'd been too $reoccu$ied since coming back to 1ell's Church to look at %att $ro$erly. ow he realized that he'd been unforgi!ably stu$id. 'omething was terribly wrong. %att's whole

body was rigid with tension lying just under the surface. #nd 'tefan could sense the anguish, the des$eration in his mind. "%att, what is it." he said quietly. 8e got u$ and crossed to the other boy. "&s it something & did." "&'m fine." "/ou're shaking." &t was true. 1ine tremors were running through the taut muscles. "& said &'m fine4" %att swung away from him, shoulders hunched defensi!ely. "#nyway, what could you ha!e done to u$set me. Besides taking my girl and getting her killed, & mean." This stab was different, it was somewhere around 'tefan's heart and it went straight through. ,ike the blade that had killed him once u$on a time. 8e tried to breathe around it, not trusting himself to s$eak. "&'m sorry." %att's !oice was leaden, and when 'tefan looked, he saw that the tense shoulders had slum$ed. "That was a lousy thing to say." "&t was the truth." 'tefan waited a moment and then added, le!elly, "But it's not the whole $roblem, is it." %att didn't answer. 8e stared at the floor, $ushing something in!isible with the side of one shoe. =ust when 'tefan was about to gi!e u$, he turned with a question of his own. "(hat's the world really like." "(hat's9 what." "The world. /ou'!e seen a lot of it, 'tefan. /ou'!e got four or fi!e centuries on the rest of us, right. 'o what's the deal. & mean, is it basically the kind of $lace worth sa!ing or is it essentially a $ile of cra$."

'tefan shut his eyes. "+h." "#nd what about $eo$le, huh, 'tefan. The human race. #re we the disease or just a sym$tom. & mean, you take somebody like* like "lena." %att's !oice shook briefly, but he went on. ""lena died to kee$ the town safe for girls like 'ue. #nd now 'ue's dead. #nd it's all ha$$ening again. &t's ne!er o!er. (e can't win. 'o what does that tell you." "%att." "(hat &'m really asking is, what's the $oint. &s there some cosmic joke &'m not getting. +r is the whole thing just one big freaking mistake. 6o you understand what &'m trying to say here." "& understand, %att." 'tefan sat down and ran his hands through his hair. "&f you'll shut u$ a minute, &'ll try to answer you." %att drew u$ a chair and straddled it. "3reat. Take your best shot." 8is eyes were hard and challenging, but underneath 'tefan saw the bewildered hurt that had been festering there. "&'!e seen a lot of e!il, %att, more than you can imagine," 'tefan said. "&'!e e!en li!ed it. &t's always going to be a $art of me, no matter how & fight it. 'ometimes & think the whole human race is e!il, much less my kind. #nd sometimes & think that enough of both our races is e!il that it doesn't matter what ha$$ens to the rest. "(hen you get down to it, though, & don't know any more than you do. & can't tell you if there's a $oint or if things are e!er going to turn out all right." 'tefan looked straight into %att's eyes and s$oke deliberately. "But &'!e got another question for you. 'o what." %att stared. "'o what." "/eah. 'o what."

"'o what if the uni!erse is e!il and if nothing we do to try and change it can really make any difference." %att's !oice was gaining !olume with his disbelief. "/eah, so what." 'tefan leaned forward. "'o what are you going to do, %att 8oneycutt, if e!ery bad thing you'!e said is true. (hat are you going to do $ersonally. #re you going to sto$ fighting and swim with the sharks." %att was gras$ing the back of his chair. "(hat are you talking about." "/ou can do that, you know. 6amon says so all the time. /ou can join u$ with the e!il side, the winning side. #nd nobody can really blame you, because if the uni!erse is that way, why shouldn't you be that way too." ",ike hell4" %att e-$loded. 8is blue eyes were searing and he had half risen from his chair. "That's 6amon's way, maybe4 But just because it's ho$eless doesn't mean it's all right to sto$ fighting. "!en if & knew it was ho$eless, &'d still ha!e to try. & ha!e to try, damn it4" "& know." 'tefan settled back and smiled faintly. &t was a tired smile, but it showed the kinshi$ he felt right then with %att. #nd in a moment he saw by %att's face that %att understood. "& know because & feel the same way," 'tefan continued. "There's no e-cuse for gi!ing u$ just because it looks like we're going to lose. (e ha!e to try*because the other choice is to surrender." "&'m not ready to surrender anything," %att said through his teeth. 8e looked as if he'd fought his way back to a fire inside him that had been burning all along. ""!er," he said.

"/eah, well, 'e!er' is a long time," 'tefan said. "But for what it's worth, &'m going to try not to either. & don't know if it's $ossible, but &'m going to try." "That's all anybody can do," %att said. 'lowly, he $ushed himself off the chair and stood straight. The tension was gone from his muscles, and his eyes were the clear, almost $iercing blue eyes 'tefan remembered. "+kay," he said quietly. "&f you found what you came for, we'd better get back to the girls." 'tefan thought, his mind switching gears. "%att, if &'m right about what's going on, the girls should be okay for a while. But you go ahead and take o!er the watch from them. #s long as &'m here there's something &'d like to read u$ on*by a guy named 3er!ase of Tilbury, who li!ed in the early CD??s." ""!en before your time, eh." %att said, and 'tefan ga!e him the ghost of a smile. They stood for a moment, looking at each other. "#ll right. & guess &'ll see you at 0ickie's." %att turned to the door, then hesitated. #bru$tly, he turned again and held out his hand. "'tefan* &'m glad you came back." 'tefan gri$$ed it. "&'m glad to hear it" was all he said, but inside he felt a warmth that took away the stabbing $ain. #nd some of the loneliness, too.

Eight
1rom where Bonnie and %eredith sat in the car, they could just see 0ickie's window. &t would ha!e been better to be closer, but then someone might ha!e disco!ered them.

%eredith $oured the last of the coffee out of the thermos and drank it. Then she yawned. 'he caught herself guiltily and looked at Bonnie. "/ou ha!ing trouble slee$ing at night too." "/es. & can't imagine why," %eredith said. "6o you think the guys are ha!ing a little talk." %eredith glanced at her quickly, ob!iously sur$rised, then smiled. Bonnie realized %eredith hadn't e-$ected her to catch on. "& ho$e so," %eredith said. "&t might do %att some good." Bonnie nodded and rela-ed back into the seat. %eredith's car had ne!er seemed so comfortable before. (hen she looked at %eredith again, the dark5 haired girl was aslee$. +h, great. Terrific. Bonnie stared into the dregs of her coffee mug, making a face. 'he didn't dare rela- again) if they both fell aslee$, it could be disastrous. 'he dug her nails into her $alms and stared at 0ickie's lighted window. (hen she found the image blurring and doubling on her, she knew something had to be done. 1resh air. That would hel$. (ithout bothering to be too quiet about it, she unlocked the door and $ulled the handle u$. The door clicked o$en, but %eredith went on breathing dee$ly. 'he must really be tired, Bonnie thought, getting out. 'he shut the door more gently, locking %eredith inside. &t was only then that she realized she herself didn't ha!e a key. +h, well, she'd wake %eredith to let her back in. %eanwhile she'd go check on 0ickie. 0ickie was $robably still awake.

The sky was brooding and o!ercast, but the night was warm. Behind 0ickie's house the black walnut trees stirred !ery faintly. Crickets sang, but their monotonous chir$ing only seemed like $art of a larger silence. The scent of honeysuckle filled Bonnie's nostrils. 'he ta$$ed on 0ickie's window lightly with her fingernails, $eering through the crack in the curtains. o answer. +n the bed she could make out a lum$ of blankets with unkem$t brown hair sticking out the to$. 0ickie was aslee$ too. #s Bonnie stood there, the silence seemed to thicken around her. The crickets weren't singing anymore, and the trees were still. #nd yet it was as if she was straining to hear something she knew was there. &'m not alone, she realized. one of her ordinary senses told her this. But her si-th sense, the one that sent chills u$ her arms and ice down her s$ine, the one that was newly awakened to the $resence of <ower, was certain. There was9 something9 near. 'omething9 watching her. 'he turned slowly, afraid to make a sound. &f she didn't make any noise, maybe whate!er it was wouldn't get her. %aybe it wouldn't notice her. The silence had become deadly, menacing. &t hummed in her ears with the beat of her own blood. #nd she couldn't hel$ imagining what might come screaming out of it at any minute. 'omething with hot, moist hands, she thought, staring into the darkness of the backyard. Black on gray, black on black was all she could see. "!ery sha$e might be anything, and all the shadows seemed to be mo!ing. 'omething with

hot, sweaty hands and arms strong enough to crush her* The sna$ of a twig e-$loded through her like gunfire. 'he s$un toward it, eyes and ears straining. But there was only darkness and silence. 1ingers touched the back of her neck. Bonnie whirled again, almost falling, almost fainting. 'he was too frightened to scream. (hen she saw who it was, shock robbed all her senses and her muscles colla$sed. 'he would ha!e ended u$ in a hea$ on the ground if he hadn't caught her and held her straight. "/ou look frightened," 6amon said softly. Bonnie shook her head. 'he didn't ha!e any !oice yet. 'he thought she still might faint. But she tried to $ull away just the same. 8e didn't tighten his gri$, but he didn't let go. #nd struggling did about as much good as trying to break a brick wall with bare hands. 'he ga!e u$ and tried to calm her breathing. "#re you frightened of me." 6amon said. 8e smiled re$ro!ingly, as if they shared a secret. "/ou don't need to be." 8ow had "lena managed to deal with this. But "lena hadn't, of course, Bonnie realized. "lena had succumbed to 6amon in the end. 6amon had won and had his way. 8e released one of her arms to trace, !ery lightly, the cur!e of her u$$er li$. "& su$$ose & should go away," he said, "and not scare you anymore. &s that what you want." ,ike a rabbit with a snake, Bonnie thought. This is how the rabbit feels. +nly & don't su$$ose he'll kill me. & might just die on my own, though. 'he felt as if her legs might melt away at any

minute, as if she might colla$se. There was a warmth and a trembling inside her. Think of something9 fast. Those unfathomable black eyes were filling the uni!erse now. 'he thought she could see stars inside them. +hink. ;uickly. "lena wouldn't like it, she thought, just as his li$s touched hers. /es, that was it. But the $roblem was, she didn't ha!e the strength to say it. The warmth was growing, rushing out to all $arts of her, from her fingerti$s to the soles of her feet. 8is li$s were cool, like silk, but e!erything else was so warm. 'he didn't need to be afraid) she could just let go and float on this. 'weetness rushed through her9 "(hat the hell is going on." The !oice broke the silence, broke the s$ell. Bonnie started and found herself able to turn her head. %att was standing at the edge of the yard, his fists clenched, his eyes like chi$s of blue ice. &ce so cold it burned. "3et away from her," %att said. To Bonnie's sur$rise, the gri$ on her arms eased. 'he ste$$ed back, straightening her blouse, a little breathless. 8er mind was working again. "&t's okay," she said to %att, her !oice almost normal. "& was just*" "3o back to the car and stay there." ow wait a minute, thought Bonnie. 'he was glad %att had come) the interru$tion had been !ery con!eniently timed. But he was coming on a little hea!y with the $rotecti!e older brother bit. ",ook, %att*" "3o on," he said, still staring at 6amon.

%eredith wouldn't ha!e let herself be ordered around this way. #nd "lena certainly wouldn't. Bonnie o$ened her mouth to tell %att to go sit in the car himself when she suddenly realized something. This was the first time in months she'd seen %att really care about anything. The light was back in those blue eyes*that cold flash of righteous anger that used to make e!en Tyler 'mallwood back down. %att was ali!e right now, and full of energy. 8e was himself again. Bonnie bit her li$. 1or a moment she struggled with her $ride. Then she conquered it and lowered her eyes. "Thanks for rescuing me," she murmured, and left the yard. %att was so angry he didn't dare mo!e closer to 6amon for fear he might take a swing at him. #nd the chilling darkness in 6amon's eyes told him that wouldn't be a !ery good idea. But 6amon's !oice was smooth, almost dis$assionate. "%y taste for blood isn't just a whim, you know. &t's a necessity you're interfering with here. &'m only doing what & ha!e to." This callous indifference was too much for %att. They think of us as food, he remembered. They're the hunters, we're the $rey. #nd he had his claws in Bonnie, Bonnie who couldn't wrestle a kitten. Contem$tuously he said, "(hy don't you $ick on somebody your own size, then." 6amon smiled and the air went colder. ",ike you."

%att just stared at him. 8e could feel muscles clench in his jaw. #fter a moment he said tightly, "/ou can try." "& can do more than try, %att." 6amon took a single ste$ toward him like a stalking $anther. &n!oluntarily, %att thought of jungle cats, of their $owerful s$ring and their shar$, tearing teeth. 8e thought of what Tyler had looked like in the ;uonset hut last year when 'tefan was through with him. 7ed meat. =ust red meat and blood. "(hat was that history teacher's name." 6amon was saying silkily. 8e seemed amused now, enjoying this. "%r. Tanner, wasn't it. & did more than try with him." "/ou're a murderer." 6amon nodded, unoffended, as if he'd just been introduced. "+f course, he stuck a knife in me. & wasn't $lanning to drain him quite dry, but he annoyed me and & changed my mind. /ou're annoying me now, %att." %att had his knees locked to kee$ from running. &t was more than the catlike stalking grace, it was more than those unearthly black eyes fastened on his. There was something inside 6amon that whis$ered terror to the human brain. 'ome menace that s$oke directly to %att's blood, telling him to do anything to get away. But he wouldn't run. 8is con!ersation with 'tefan was blurred in his mind right now, but he knew one thing from it. "!en if he died here, he wouldn't run. "6on't be stu$id," 6amon said, as if he'd heard e!ery word of %att's thoughts. "/ou'!e ne!er had blood taken from you by force, ha!e you. &t hurts, %att. &t hurts a lot."

"lena, %att remembered. That first time when she'd taken his blood he'd been scared, and the fear had been bad enough. But he'd been doing it of his own !olition then. (hat would it be like when he was unwilling. & will not run. & will not look away. #loud he said, still looking straight at 6amon, "&f you're going to kill me, you'd better sto$ talking and do it. Because maybe you can make me die, but that's all you can make me do." "/ou're e!en stu$ider than my brother," 6amon said. (ith two ste$s he crossed the distance to %att. 8e grabbed %att by his T5shirt, one hand on either side of the throat. "& guess &'ll ha!e to teach you the same way." "!erything was frozen. %att could smell his own fear, but he wouldn't mo!e. 8e couldn't mo!e now. &t didn't matter. 8e hadn't gi!en in. &f he died right now, he died knowing that. 6amon's teeth were a white glitter in the dark. 'har$ as car!ing kni!es. %att could almost feel the razor bite of them before they touched him. & will not surrender anything, he thought, and closed his eyes. The sho!e took him com$letely off balance. 8e stumbled and fell backward, his eyes flying o$en. 6amon had let go and $ushed him away. "-$ressionless, those black eyes looked down at him where he sat in the dirt. "&'ll try to $ut this in a way you can understand," 6amon said. "/ou don't want to mess with me, %att. & am more dangerous than you can $ossibly imagine. ow get out of here. &t's my watch."

'ilently, %att got u$. 8e rubbed at his shirt where 6amon's hands had crum$led it. #nd then he left, but he didn't run and he didn't flinch from 6amon's eyes. & won, he thought. &'m still ali!e, so & won. #nd there had been a kind of grim res$ect in those black eyes in the end. &t made %att wonder about some things. &t really did. Bonnie and %eredith were sitting in the car when he got back. They both looked concerned. "/ou were gone a long time," Bonnie said. "#re you okay." %att wished $eo$le would sto$ asking him that. "&'m fine," he said, and then added, "7eally." #fter a moment's thought he decided there was something else he should say. "'orry if & yelled at you back there, Bonnie." "That's all right," Bonnie said coolly. Then, thawing, she said, "/ou really do look better, you know. %ore like your old self." "/eah." 8e rubbed at his crum$led T5shirt again, looking around. "(ell, tangling with !am$ires is ob!iously a great warm5u$ e-ercise." "(hat'd you guys do. ,ower your heads and run at each other from o$$osite sides of the yard." asked %eredith. "'omething like that. 8e says he's going to watch 0ickie now." "6o you think we can trust him." %eredith said soberly. %att considered. "#s a matter of fact, & do. &t's weird, but & don't think he's going to hurt her. #nd if the killer comes along, & think he's in for

a sur$rise. 6amon's s$oiling for a fight. (e might as well go back to the library for 'tefan." 'tefan wasn't !isible outside the library, but when the car had cruised u$ and down the street once or twice he materialized out of the darkness. 8e had a thick book with him. "Breaking and entering and grand theft, library book," %eredith remarked. "& wonder what you get for that these days." "& borrowed it," 'tefan said, looking aggrie!ed. "That's what libraries are for, right. #nd & co$ied what & needed out of the journal." "/ou mean you found it. /ou figured it out. Then you can tell us e!erything, like you $romised," Bonnie said. ",et's go to the boarding house." 'tefan looked slightly sur$rised when he heard that 6amon had turned u$ and stationed himself at 0ickie's, but he made no comment. %att didn't tell him e-actly how 6amon had turned u$, and he noticed Bonnie didn't either. "&'m almost $ositi!e about what's going on in 1ell's Church. #nd &'!e got half the $uzzle sol!ed, anyway," 'tefan said once they were all settled in his room in the boarding house attic. "But there's only one way to $ro!e it, and only one way to sol!e the other half. & need hel$, but it isn't something &'m going to ask lightly." 8e was looking at Bonnie and %eredith as he said it. They looked at each other, then back at him. "This guy killed one of our friends," said %eredith. "#nd he's dri!ing another one crazy. &f you need our hel$, you'!e got it." "(hate!er it takes," Bonnie added.

"&t's something dangerous, isn't it." %att demanded. 8e couldn't restrain himself. #s if Bonnie hadn't been through enough9 "&t's dangerous, yes. But it's their fight too, you know." "6arn right it is," said Bonnie. %eredith was ob!iously trying to re$ress a smile. 1inally she had to turn away and grin. "%att's back," she said when 'tefan asked her what the joke was. "(e missed you," added Bonnie. %att couldn't understand why they were all smiling at him, and it made him feel hot and uncomfortable. 8e went o!er to stand by the window. "&t is dangerous) & won't try to kid you about that," 'tefan said to the girls. "But it's the only chance. The whole thing's a little com$licated, and &'d better start at the beginning. (e ha!e to go back to the founding of 1ell's Church9" 8e talked on late into the night. +hursday, /une 11, 4255 A.M. ,ear ,iary, I couldn't write last night, because I got in too late. Mom was u#set again. "he'd have been hysterical i! she'd known what I was actually doing. .anging out with vam#ires and #lanning something that may get me killed. +hat may get us all killed. "te!an has a #lan to tra# the guy who murdered "ue. It reminds me o! some o! lena's #lans*and that's what worries me. +hey always sounded wonder!ul, but lots o! the time they went wrong. $e talked about who gets the most dangerous 6ob and decided it should be Meredith. $hich is

!ine with me*I mean, she is stronger and more athletic, and she always kee#s calm in emergencies. But it bugs me 6ust a little that everybody was so 7uick about choosing her, es#ecially Matt. I mean, it's not like I'm totally incom#etent. I know I'm not as smart as the others, and I'm certainly not as good at s#orts or as cool under #ressure, but I'm not a total dweeb. I'm good !or something. Anyway, we're going to do it a!ter graduation. $e're all in on it e8ce#t ,amon, who'll be watching Vickie. It's strange, but we all trust him now. ven me. ,es#ite what he did to me last night, I don't think he'll let Vickie get hurt. I haven't had any more dreams about lena. I think i! I do, I will go absolutely screaming berserk. (r never go to slee# again. I 6ust can't take any more o! that. All right. I'd better go. .o#e!ully, by "unday we'll have the mystery solved and die killer caught. I trust "te!an. I 6ust ho#e I can remember my #art.

Nine
"9 #nd so, ladies and gentlemen, & gi!e you the class of 'ED4" Bonnie threw her ca$ into the air along with e!eryone else. (e made it, she thought. (hate!er ha$$ens tonight, %att and %eredith and & made it to graduation. There had been times this last school year when she had seriously doubted they would. Considering 'ue's death, Bonnie had e-$ected the graduation ceremony to be listless or grim. &nstead, there was a sort of frenzied e-citement

about it. #s if e!eryone was celebrating being ali!e*before it was too late. &t turned into rowdiness as $arents surged forward and the senior class of 7obert ". ,ee fragmented in all directions, whoo$ing and acting u$. Bonnie retrie!ed her ca$ and then looked u$ into her mother's camera lens. #ct normal, that's what's im$ortant, she told herself. 'he caught a glim$se of "lena's aunt =udith and 7obert %a-well, the man #unt =udith had recently married, standing on the sidelines. 7obert was holding "lena's little sister, %argaret, by the hand. (hen they saw her, they smiled bra!ely, but she felt uncomfortable when they came her way. "+h, %iss 3ilbert*& mean, %rs. %a-well* you shouldn't ha!e," she said as #unt =udith handed her a small bouquet of $ink roses. #unt =udith smiled through the tears in her eyes. "This would ha!e been a !ery s$ecial day for "lena," she said. "& want it to be s$ecial for you and %eredith, too." "+h, #unt =udith." &m$ulsi!ely, Bonnie threw her arms around the older woman. "&'m so sorry," she whis$ered. "/ou know how much." "(e all miss her," #unt =udith said. Then she $ulled back and smiled again and the three of them left. Bonnie turned from looking at them with a lum$ in her throat to look at the madly celebrating crowd. There was 7ay 8ernandez, the boy she'd gone to 8omecoming with, in!iting e!erybody to a $arty at his house that night. There was Tyler's friend 6ick Carter, making a fool of himself as usual. Tyler was smiling brazenly as his father took $icture after $icture. %att was listening, with an unim$ressed look, to some football

recruiter from =ames %ason Ani!ersity. %eredith was standing nearby, holding a bouquet of red roses and looking $ensi!e. 0ickie wasn't there. 8er $arents had ke$t her home, saying she was in no state to go out. Caroline wasn't there either. 'he was staying in the a$artment in 8eron. 8er mother had told Bonnie's mother she had the flu, but Bonnie knew the truth. Caroline was scared. #nd maybe she's right, Bonnie thought, mo!ing toward %eredith. Caroline may be the only one of us to make it through ne-t week. ,ook normal, act normal. 'he reached %eredith's grou$. %eredith was wra$$ing the red5and5black tassel from her ca$ around the bouquet, twisting it between elegant, ner!ous fingers. Bonnie threw a quick glance around. 3ood. This was the $lace. #nd now was the time. "Be careful with that) you'll ruin it," she said aloud. %eredith's look of thoughtful melancholy didn't change. 'he went on staring at the tassel, kinking it u$. "&t doesn't seem fair," she said, "that we should get these and "lena shouldn't. &t's wrong." "& know) it's awful," Bonnie said. But she ke$t her tone light. "& wish there was something we could do about it, but we can't." "&t's all wrong," %eredith went on, as if she hadn't heard. "8ere we are out in the sunlight, graduating, and there she is under that*stone." "& know, & know," Bonnie said in a soothing tone. "%eredith, you're getting yourself all u$set. (hy don't you try to think about something else. ,ook, after you go out to dinner with your

$arents, do you want to go to 7aymond's $arty. "!en if we're not in!ited, we can crash it." " o4" %eredith said with startling !ehemence. "& don't want to go to any $arty. 8ow can you e!en think of that, Bonnie. 8ow can you be so shallow." "(ell, we'!e got to do something 9" "&'ll tell you what I'm doing. &'m going u$ to the cemetery after dinner. &'m going to $ut this on "lena's gra!e. 'he's the one who deser!es it." %eredith's knuckles were white as she shook the tassel in her hand. "%eredith, don't be an idiot. /ou can't go u$ there, es$ecially at night. That's crazy. %att would say the same thing." "(ell, &'m not asking %att. &'m not asking anybody. &'m going by myself." "/ou can't. 3od, %eredith, & always thought you had some brains*" "#nd & always thought you had some sensiti!ity. But ob!iously you don't e!en want to think about "lena. +r is it just because you want her old boyfriend for yourself." Bonnie sla$$ed her. &t was a good hard sla$, with $lenty of energy behind it. %eredith drew in a shar$ breath, one hand to her reddening cheek. "!eryone around them was staring. "That's it for you, Bonnie %cCullough," %eredith said after a moment, in a !oice of deadly quiet. "& don't e!er want to s$eak to you again." 'he turned on her heel and walked away2 " e!er would be too soon for me4" Bonnie shouted at her retreating back. "yes were hastily a!erted as Bonnie looked around her. But there was no question that she

and %eredith had been the center of attention for se!eral minutes $ast. Bonnie bit the inside of her cheek to kee$ a straight face and walked o!er to %att, who had lost the recruiter. "8ow was that." she murmured. "3ood." "6o you think the sla$ was too much. (e didn't really $lan that) & was just sort of going with the moment. %aybe it was too ob!ious9" "&t was fine, just fine." %att was looking $reoccu$ied. ot that dull, a$athetic, turned5in look of the last few months, but distinctly abstracted. "(hat is it. 'omething wrong with the $lan." Bonnie said. " o, no. ,isten, Bonnie, &'!e been thinking. /ou were the one to disco!er %r. Tanner's body in the 8aunted 8ouse last 8alloween, right." Bonnie was startled. 'he ga!e an in!oluntary shi!er of distaste. "(ell, & was the first one to know he was dead, really dead, instead of just $laying his scene. (hy on earth do you want to talk about that now." "Because maybe you can answer this question. Could %r. Tanner ha!e got a knife in 6amon." "$hat-" "(ell, could he." "&9" Bonnie blinked and frowned. Then she shrugged. "& su$$ose so. 'ure. &t was a 6ruid sacrifice scene, remember, and the knife we used was a real knife. (e talked about using a fake one, but since %r. Tanner was going to be lying right there beside it, we figured it was safe enough. #s a matter of fact9" Bonnie's frown dee$ened. "& think when & found the body, the

knife was in a different $lace from where we'd set it in the beginning. But then, some kid could ha!e mo!ed it. %att, why are you asking." "=ust something 6amon said to me," %att said, staring off into the distance again. "& wondered if it could be the truth." "+h." Bonnie waited for him to say more, but he didn't. "(ell," she said finally, "if it's all cleared u$, can you come back to "arth, $lease. #nd don't you think you should maybe $ut your arm around me. =ust to show you're on my side and there's no chance you're going to show u$ at "lena's gra!e tonight with %eredith." %att snorted, but the faraway look disa$$eared from his eyes. 1or just a brief instant he $ut his arm around her and squeezed. 6FjG !u, %eredith thought as she stood at the gate to the cemetery. The $roblem was, she couldn't remember e-actly which of her $re!ious e-$eriences in the gra!eyard this night reminded her of. There had been so many. &n a way, it had all started here. &t had been here that "lena had sworn not to rest until 'tefan belonged to her. 'he'd made Bonnie and %eredith swear to hel$ her, too*in blood. 8ow suitable, %eredith thought now. #nd it had been here that Tyler had assaulted "lena the night of the 8omecoming dance. 'tefan had come to the rescue, and that had been the beginning for them. This gra!eyard had seen a lot. &t had e!en seen the whole grou$ of them file u$ the hill to the ruined church last 6ecember, looking for :atherine's lair. 'e!en of them had gone down into the cry$t2 %eredith herself, Bonnie, %att, and "lena, with 'tefan, 6amon,

and #laric. But only si- of them had come out all right. (hen they took "lena out of there, it was to bury her. This gra!eyard had been the beginning, and the end as well. #nd maybe there would be another end tonight. %eredith started walking. & wish you were here now, #laric, she thought. & could use your o$timism and your sa!!y about the su$ernatural*and & wouldn't mind your muscles, either. "lena's headstone was in the new cemetery, of course, where the grass was still tended and the gra!es marked with wreaths of flowers. The stone was !ery sim$le, almost $lain looking, with a brief inscri$tion. %eredith bent down and $laced her bouquet of roses in front of it. Then, slowly, she added the red5and5black tassel from her ca$. &n this dim light, both colors looked the same, like dried blood. 'he knelt and folded her hands quietly. #nd she waited. #ll around her the cemetery was still. &t seemed to be waiting with her, breath held in antici$ation. The rows of white stones stretched on either side of her, shining faintly. %eredith listened for any sound. #nd then she heard one. 8ea!y footste$s. (ith her head down, she stayed quiet, $retending she noticed nothing. The footste$s sounded closer, not e!en bothering to be stealthy. "8i, %eredith." %eredith looked around quickly. "+h* Tyler," she said. "/ou scared me. & thought you were*ne!er mind."

"/eah." Tyler's li$s skinned back in an unsettling grin. "(ell, &'m sorry you're disa$$ointed. But it's me, just me and nobody else." "(hat are you doing here, Tyler. o good $arties." "& could ask you the same question." Tyler's eyes dro$$ed to the headstone and the tassel and his face darkened. "But & guess & already know the answer. /ou're here for her. "lena 3ilbert, # ,ight in 6arkness," he read sarcastically. "That's right," %eredith said e!enly. " '"lena' means light, you know. #nd she was certainly surrounded by darkness. &t almost beat her, but she won in the end." "%aybe," Tyler said, and worked his jaw meditati!ely, squinting. "But you know, %eredith, it's a funny thing about darkness. There's always more of it waiting in the wings." ",ike tonight," %eredith said, looking u$ at the sky. &t was clear and dotted with faint stars. "&t's !ery dark tonight, Tyler. But sooner or later the sun will come u$." "/eah, but the moon comes u$ first." Tyler chuckled suddenly, as if at some joke only he could see. "8ey, %eredith, you e!er see the 'mallwood family $lot. (ell, come on and &'ll show you. &t's not far." =ust like he showed "lena, %eredith thought. &n a way she was enjoying this !erbal fencing, but she ne!er lost sight of what she had come here for. 8er cold fingers di$$ed into her jacket $ocket and found the tiny s$rig of !er!ain there. "That's all right, Tyler. & think &'d $refer to stay here." "/ou sure about that. # cemetery's a dangerous $lace to be alone."

Anquiet s$irits, %eredith thought. 'he looked right at him. "& know." 8e was grinning again, dis$laying teeth like tombstones. "#nyway, you can see it from here if you ha!e good eyes. ,ook that way, toward the old gra!eyard. ow, do you see something sort of shining red in the middle." " o." There was a $ale luminosity o!er the trees in the east. %eredith ke$t her eyes on it. "#w, come on, %eredith. /ou're not trying. +nce the moon's u$ you'll see it better." "Tyler, & can't waste any more time here. &'m going." " o, you're not," he said. #nd then, as her fingers tightened on the !er!ain, encom$assing it in her fist, he added in a wheedling !oice, "& mean, you're not going until & tell you the story of that headstone, are you. &t's a great story. 'ee, the headstone is made of red marble, the only one of its kind in the whole gra!eyard. #nd that ball on to$*see it.*that must weigh about a ton. But it mo!es. &t turns whene!er a 'mallwood is going to die. %y grandfather didn't belie!e that) he $ut a scratch on it right down the front. 8e used to come out and check it e!ery month or so. Then one day he came and found the scratch in the rear. The ball had turned com$letely backward. 8e did e!erything he could to turn it around, but he couldn't. &t was too hea!y. #nd that night, in bed, he died. They buried him under it." "8e $robably had a heart attack from o!ere-ertion," %eredith said caustically, but her $alms were tingling. "/ou're funny, aren't you. #lways so cool. #lways so together. Takes a lot to make you scream, doesn't it."

"&'m lea!ing, Tyler. &'!e had enough." 8e let her walk a few $aces, then said, "/ou screamed that night at Caroline's, though, didn't you." %eredith turned back. "8ow do you know that." Tyler rolled his eyes. "3i!e me credit for a little intelligence, okay. & know a lot, %eredith. 1or instance, & know what's in your $ocket." %eredith's fingers stilled. "(hat do you mean." "0er!ain, %eredith. Verbena o!!icinalis. &'!e got a friend who's into these things." Tyler was focused now, his smile growing, watching her face as if it were his fa!orite T0 show. ,ike a cat tired of $laying with a mouse, he was mo!ing in. "#nd & know what it's for, too." 8e cast an e-aggerated glance around and $ut a finger to his li$s. "'hh. 0am$ires," he whis$ered. Then he threw back his head and laughed loudly. %eredith backed away a ste$. "/ou think that's going to hel$ you, don't you. But &'m going to tell you a secret." %eredith's eyes measured the distance between herself and the $ath. 'he ke$t her face calm, but a !iolent shaking was beginning inside her. 'he didn't know if she was going to be able to $ull this off. "/ou're not going anywhere, babe," Tyler said, and a large hand clas$ed %eredith's wrist. &t was hot and dam$ where she could feel it below her jacket cuff. "/ou're going to stay right here for your sur$rise." 8is body was hunched now, his head thrust forward, and there was an e-ultant leer on his li$s. ",et me go, Tyler. /ou're hurting me4" <anic flashed down all %eredith's ner!es at the feel of

Tyler's flesh against hers. But the hand only gri$$ed harder, grinding tendon against bone in her wrist. "This is a secret, baby, that nobody else knows," Tyler said, $ulling her close, his breath hot in her face. "/ou came here all decked out against !am$ires. But &'m not a !am$ire." %eredith's heart was $ounding. ",et go4" "1irst & want you to look o!er there. /ou can see the headstone now," he said, turning her so that she couldn't hel$ but look. #nd he was right) she could see it, like a red monument with a shining globe on to$. +r*not a globe. That marble ball looked like9 it looked like9 " ow look east. (hat do you see there, %eredith." Tyler went on, his !oice hoarse with e-citement. &t was the full moon. &t had risen while he'd been talking to her, and now it hung abo!e the hills, $erfectly round and enormously distended, a huge and swollen red ball. #nd that was what the headstone looked like. ,ike a full moon dri$$ing with blood. "/ou came here $rotected against !am$ires, %eredith," Tyler said from behind her, e!en more hoarsely. "But the 'mallwoods aren't !am$ires at all. (e're something else." #nd then he growled. o human throat could ha!e made the sound. &t wasn't an imitation of an animal) it was real. A !icious guttural snarl that went u$ and u$, sna$$ing %eredith's head around to look at him, to stare in disbelief. (hat she was seeing was so horrible her mind couldn't acce$t it9 %eredith screamed.

"& told you it was a sur$rise. 8ow do you like it." Tyler said. 8is !oice was thick with sali!a, and his red tongue lolled among the rows of long canine teeth. 8is face wasn't a face anymore. &t jutted out grotesquely into a muzzle, and his eyes were yellow, with slitlike $u$ils. 8is reddish5sandy hair had grown o!er his cheeks and down the back of his neck. # $elt. "/ou can scream all you want u$ here and nobody's going to hear you," he added. "!ery muscle in %eredith's body was rigid, trying to get away from him. &t was a !isceral reaction, one she couldn't ha!e hel$ed if she wanted to. 8is breath was so hot, and it smelled feral, like an animal. The nails he was digging into her wrist were stum$y blackened claws. 'he didn't ha!e the strength to scream again. "There's other things besides !am$ires with a taste for blood," Tyler said in his new slur$ing !oice. "#nd & want to taste yours. But first we're going to ha!e some fun." #lthough he still stood on two feet, his body was hum$ed and strangely distorted. %eredith's struggles were feeble as he forced her to the ground. 'he was a strong girl, but he was far stronger, his muscles bunching under his shirt as he $inned her. "/ou'!e always been too good for me, ha!en't you. (ell, now you're going to find out what you'!e been missing." & can't breathe, %eredith thought wildly. 8is arm was across her throat, blocking her air. 3ray wa!es rolled through her brain. &f she $assed out now9 "/ou're going to wish you died as fast as 'ue." Tyler's face floated abo!e her, red as the moon, with that long tongue lolling. 8is other

hand held her arms abo!e her head. "/ou e!er hear the story of ,ittle 7ed 7iding 8ood." The gray was turning into blackness, s$eckled with little lights. ,ike stars, %eredith thought. &'m falling in the stars9 "Tyler, take your hands off her4 ,et go of her, now4" %att's !oice shouted. Tyler's sla!ering snarl broke off into a sur$rised whine. The arm against %eredith's throat released $ressure, and air rushed into her lungs. 1ootste$s were $ounding around her. "&'!e been waiting a long time to do this, Tyler," %att said, jerking the sandy5red head back by the hair. Then %att's fist smashed into Tyler's newly grown muzzle. Blood s$urted from the wet animal nose. The sound Tyler made froze %eredith's heart in her chest. 8e s$rang at %att, twisting in midair, claws outstretched. %att fell back under the assault and %eredith, dizzy, tried to $ush herself u$ off the ground. 'he couldn't) all her muscles were trembling uncontrollably. But someone else $icked Tyler off %att as if Tyler weighed no more than a doll. "=ust like old times, Tyler," 'tefan said, setting Tyler on his feet and facing him. Tyler stared a minute, then tried to run. 8e was fast, dodging with animal agility between the rows of gra!es. But 'tefan was faster and cut him off. "%eredith, are you hurt. %eredith." Bonnie was kneeling beside her. %eredith nodded*she still couldn't s$eak*and let Bonnie su$$ort her head. "& knew we should ha!e sto$$ed him sooner, & knew it," Bonnie went on worriedly.

'tefan was dragging Tyler back. "& always knew you were a jerk," he said, sho!ing Tyler against a headstone, "but & didn't know you were this stu$id. &'d ha!e thought you would ha!e learned not to jum$ girls in gra!eyards, but no. #nd you had to brag about what you did to 'ue, too. That wasn't smart, Tyler." %eredith looked at them as they faced each other. 'o different, she thought. "!en though they were both creatures of darkness in some way. 'tefan was $ale, his green eyes blazing with anger and menace, but there was a dignity, almost a $urity about him. 8e was like some stern angel car!ed in unyielding marble. Tyler just looked like a tra$$ed animal. 8e was crouched, breathing hard, blood and sali!a mingling on his chest. Those yellow eyes glittered with hate and fear, and his fingers worked as if he'd like to claw something. # low sound came out of his throat. "6on't worry, &'m not going to beat you u$ this time," 'tefan said. " ot unless you try to get away. (e're all going u$ to the church to ha!e a little chat. /ou like to tell stories, Tyler) well, you're going to tell me one now." Tyler s$rang at him, !aulting straight from the ground for 'tefan's throat. But 'tefan was ready for him. %eredith sus$ected that both 'tefan and %att enjoyed the ne-t few minutes, working off their accumulated aggressions, but she didn't, so she looked away. &n the end, Tyler was trussed u$ with nylon cord. 8e could walk, or shuffle at least, and 'tefan held the back of his shirt and guided him urgently u$ the $ath to the church. &nside, 'tefan $ushed Tyler onto the ground near the o$en tomb. " ow," he said, "we are

going to talk. #nd you're going to coo$erate, Tyler, or you're going to be !ery, !ery sorry."

Ten
%eredith sat down on the knee5high wall of the ruined church. "/ou said it was going to be dangerous, 'tefan, but you didn't say you were going to let him strangle me." "&'m sorry. & was ho$ing he'd gi!e some more information, es$ecially after he admitted to being there when 'ue died. But & shouldn't ha!e waited." "& ha!en't admitted anything4 /ou can't $ro!e anything," Tyler said. The animal whine was back in his !oice, but on the walk u$ his face and body had returned to normal. +r rather, they'd returned to human, %eredith thought. The swelling and bruises and dried blood weren't normal. "This isn't a court of law, Tyler," she said. "/our father can't hel$ you now." "But if it were, we'd ha!e a $retty good case," 'tefan added. ""nough to $ut you away on cons$iracy to commit murder, & think." "That's if somebody doesn't melt down their grandma's teas$oons to make a sil!er bullet," %att $ut in. Tyler looked from one to another of them. "& won't tell you anything." "Tyler, you know what you are. /ou're a bully," Bonnie said. "#nd bullies always talk." "/ou don't mind $inning a girl down and threatening her," said %att, "but when her friends turn u$, you're scared s$itless." Tyler just glared at all of them.

"(ell, if you don't want to talk, & guess &'ll ha!e to," 'tefan said. 8e leaned down and $icked u$ the thick book he'd gotten from the library. +ne foot on the li$ of the tomb, he rested the book on his knee and o$ened it. &n that moment, %eredith thought, he looked frighteningly like 6amon. "This is a book by 3er!ase of Tilbury, Tyler," he said. "&t was written around the year CDC? #.6. +ne of the things it talks about is werewol!es." "/ou can't $ro!e anything4 /ou don't ha!e any e!idence*" "'hut u$, Tyler4" 'tefan looked at him. "& don't need to $ro!e it. & can see it, e!en now. 8a!e you forgotten what & am." There was a silence, and then 'tefan went on. "(hen & got here a few days ago, there was a mystery. # girl was dead. But who killed her. #nd why. #ll the clues & could see seemed contradictory. "&t wasn't an ordinary killing, not some human $sycho off the street. & had the word of somebody & trusted on that*and inde$endent e!idence, too. #n ordinary killer can't work a +uija board by telekinesis. #n ordinary killer can't cause fuses to blow in a $ower $lant hundreds of miles away. " o, this was somebody with tremendous $hysical and $sychic $ower. 1rom e!erything 0ickie told me, it sounded like a !am$ire. ""-ce$t that 'ue Carson still had her blood. # !am$ire would ha!e drained at least some of it. o !am$ire could resist that, es$ecially not a killer. That's where the high comes from, and the high's the reason to kill. But the $olice doctor found no holes in her !eins, and only a small amount of bleeding. &t didn't make sense.

"#nd there was another thing. &ou were in that house, Tyler. /ou made the mistake of grabbing Bonnie that night, and then you made the mistake of shooting off your mouth the ne-t day, saying things you couldn't ha!e known unless you were there. "'o what did we ha!e. # seasoned !am$ire, a !icious killer with <ower to s$are. +r a high school bully who couldn't organize a tri$ to the toilet without falling o!er his own feet. (hich. The e!idence $ointed both ways, and & couldn't make u$ my mind. "Then & went to see 'ue's body myself. #nd there it was, the biggest mystery of all. # cut here." 'tefan's finger sketched a shar$ line down from his collarbone. "Ty$ical, traditional cut* made by !am$ires to share their own blood. But 'ue wasn't a !am$ire, and she didn't make that cut herself. 'omeone made it for her as she lay there dying on the ground." %eredith shut her eyes, and she heard Bonnie swallow hard beside her. 'he $ut out a hand and found Bonnie's and held tight, but she went on listening. 'tefan had not gone into this kind of detail in his e-$lanation to them before. "0am$ires don't need to cut their !ictims like that) they use their teeth," 'tefan said. 8is u$$er li$ lifted slightly to show his own teeth. "But if a !am$ire wanted to draw blood !or somebody else to drink, he might cut instead of biting. &f a !am$ire wanted to gi!e someone else the first and only taste, he might do that. "#nd that started me thinking about blood. Blood is im$ortant, you see. 1or !am$ires, it gi!es life, <ower. &t's all we need for sur!i!al, and there are times when needing it dri!es us crazy. But it's good for other things, too. 1or instance9 initiation.

"&nitiation and <ower. ow & was thinking about those two things, $utting them together with what &'d seen of you, Tyler, when & was in 1ell's Church before. ,ittle things & hadn't really focused on. But & remembered something "lena had told me about your family history, and & decided to check it out in 8onoria 1ell's journal." 'tefan lifted a $iece of $a$er from between the $ages of the book he held. "#nd there it was, in 8onoria's handwriting. & Hero-ed the $age so & could read it to you. The 'mallwoods' little family secret*if you can read between the lines." ,ooking down at the $a$er, he read2 "%ovember 19. Candles made, !la8 s#un. $e are short on cornmeal and salt, but we will get through the winter. :ast night an alarm; wolves attacked /acob "mallwood as he returned !rom the !orest. I treated the wound with whortleberry and sallow bark, but it is dee# and I am a!raid. A!ter coming home I cast the runes. I have told no one but +homas the results. "Casting the runes is di!ining," 'tefan added, looking u$. "8onoria was what we'd call a witch. 'he goes on here to talk about 'wolf trouble' in !arious other $arts of the settlement* it seems that all of a sudden there were frequent attacks, es$ecially on young girls. 'he tells how she and her husband became more and more concerned. #nd finally, this2 ",ecember 95. $ol! trouble at the "mallwoods' again. $e heard the screams a !ew minutes ago, and +homas said it was time. .e made the bullets yesterday. .e has loaded his ri!le and we will walk over. I! we are s#ared, I will write again.

",ecember 91. $ent over to "mallwoods' last night. /acob sorely a!!licted. $ol! killed. "$e will bury /acob in the little graveyard at the !oot o! the hill. May his soul !ind #eace in death. "&n the official history of 1ell's Church," 'tefan said, "that's been inter$reted to mean that Thomas 1ell and his wife went o!er to the 'mallwoods' to find =acob 'mallwood being attacked by a wolf again, and that the wolf killed him. But that's wrong. (hat it really says is not that the wolf killed =acob 'mallwood but that =acob 'mallwood, the wol!, was killed." 'tefan shut the book. "8e was a werewolf, your great5great5great5whate!er grandfather, Tyler. 8e got that way by being attacked by a werewolf himself. #nd he $assed his werewolf !irus on to the son who was born eight and a half months after he died. =ust the way your father $assed it on to you." "& always knew there was something about you, Tyler," Bonnie said, and %eredith o$ened her eyes. "& ne!er could tell what it was, but at the back of my mind something was telling me you were cree$y." "(e used to make jokes about it," %eredith said, her !oice still husky. "#bout your 'animal magnetism and your big white teeth. (e just ne!er knew how close to the mark we were." "'ometimes $sychics can sense that kind of thing," 'tefan conceded. "'ometimes e!en ordinary $eo$le can. & should ha!e seen it, but & was $reoccu$ied. 'till, that's no e-cuse. #nd ob!iously somebody else*the $sychic killer* saw it right away. 6idn't he, Tyler. # man wearing an old raincoat came to you. 8e was tall, with blond hair and blue eyes, and he made

some kind of a deal with you. &n e-change for* something*he'd show you how to reclaim your heritage. 8ow to become a real werewolf. "Because according to 3er!ase of Tilbury"* 'tefan ta$$ed the book on his knee*"a werewolf who hasn't been bitten himself needs to be initiated. That means you can ha!e the werewolf !irus all your life but ne!er e!en know it because it's ne!er acti!ated. 3enerations of 'mallwoods ha!e li!ed and died, but the !irus was dormant in them because they didn't know the secret of waking it u$. But the man in the raincoat knew. 8e knew that you ha!e to kill and taste fresh blood. #fter that, at the first full moon you can change." 'tefan glanced u$, and %eredith followed his gaze to the white disk of the moon in the sky. &t looked clean and two dimensional now, no longer a sullen red globe. # look of sus$icion $assed o!er Tyler's fleshy features, and then a look of renewed fury. "/ou tricked me4 /ou $lanned this4" "0ery cle!er," said %eredith, and %att said, " o kidding." Bonnie wet her finger and marked an imaginary C on an in!isible 'coreboard. "& knew you wouldn't be able to resist following one of the girls here if you thought she'd be alone," said 'tefan. "/ou'd think that the gra!eyard was the $erfect $lace to kill) you'd ha!e com$lete $ri!acy. #nd & knew you wouldn't be able to resist bragging about what you'd done. & was ho$ing you'd tell %eredith more about the other killer, the one who actually threw 'ue out the window, the one who cut her so you could drink fresh blood. The !am$ire, Tyler. (ho is he. (here is he hiding." Tyler's look of !enomous hatred changed to a sneer. "/ou think &'d tell you that. 8e's my friend."

"8e is not your friend, Tyler. 8e's using you. #nd he's a murderer." "6on't get in any dee$er, Tyler," %att added. "/ou're already an accessory. Tonight you tried to kill %eredith. <retty soon you're not going to be able to go back e!en if you want to. Be smart and sto$ this now. Tell us what you know." Tyler bared his teeth. "&'m not telling you anything. 8ow're you going to make me." The others e-changed glances. The atmos$here changed, became charged with tension as they all turned back to Tyler. "/ou really don't understand, do you." %eredith said quietly. "Tyler, you hel$ed kill 'ue. 'he died for an obscene ritual so that you could change into that thing & saw. /ou were $lanning to kill me, and 0ickie and Bonnie too, &'m sure. 6o you think we ha!e any $ity for you. 6o you think we brought you u$ here to be nice to you." There was a silence. The sneer was fading from Tyler's li$s. 8e looked from one face to another. They were all im$lacable. "!en Bonnie's small face was unforgi!ing. "3er!ase of Tilbury mentions one interesting thing," 'tefan said, almost $leasantly. "There's a cure for werewol!es besides the traditional sil!er bullet. ,isten." By moonlight, he read from the book on his knee. "It is commonly re#orted and held by grave and worthy doctors that i! a werewol! be shorn o! one o! his members, he shall surely recover his original body. 3er!ase goes on to tell the story of 7aimbaud of #u!ergne, a werewolf who was cured when a car$enter cut off one of his hind $aws. +f

course, that was $robably hideously $ainful, but the story goes that 7aimbaud thanked the car$enter 'for ridding him fore!er of the accursed and damnable form.' " 'tefan raised his head. " ow, &'m thinking that if Tyler won't hel$ us with information, the least we can do is make sure he doesn't go out and kill again. (hat do the rest of you say." %att s$oke u$. "& think it's our duty to cure him." "#ll we ha!e to do is relie!e him of one of his members," Bonnie agreed. "& can think of one right off," %eredith said under her breath. Tyler's eyes were starting to bulge. Ander the dirt and blood his normally ruddy face had gone $ale. "/ou're bluffing4" "3et the a-, %att," said 'tefan. "%eredith, you take off one of his shoes." Tyler kicked when she did, aiming for her face. %att came and got his head in a hammer5 lock. "6on't make it any worse on yourself, Tyler." The bare foot %eredith e-$osed was big, the sole as sweaty as Tyler's $alms. Coarse hair s$routed from the toes. &t made %eredith's skin crawl. ",et's get this o!er with," she said. "/ou're joking4" Tyler howled, thrashing so that Bonnie had to come and grab his other leg and kneel on it. "/ou can't do this4 /ou can't4" ":ee$ him still," 'tefan said. (orking together, they stretched Tyler out, his head locked in %att's arm, his legs s$read and $inned by the girls. %aking sure Tyler could see what he was doing, 'tefan balanced a branch $erha$s two inches thick on the li$ of the tomb. 8e

raised the a- and then brought it down hard, se!ering the stick with one blow. "&t's shar$ enough," he said. "%eredith, roll his $ants leg u$. Then tie some of that cord just abo!e his ankle as tight as you can for a tourniquet. +therwise he'll bleed out." "/ou can't do this4" Tyler was screaming. "&ou can't dooooooo this4" "'cream all you want, Tyler. A$ here, nobody's going to hear you, right." 'tefan said. "/ou're no better than & am4" Tyler yelled in a s$ray of s$ittle. "/ou're a killer too4" "& know e-actly what & am," 'tefan said. "Belie!e me, Tyler. & know. &s e!erybody ready. 3ood. 8old on to him) he's going to jum$ when & do it." Tyler's screams weren't e!en words anymore. %att was holding him so that he could see 'tefan kneel and take aim, hefting the a- blade abo!e Tyler's ankle to gauge force and distance. " ow," said 'tefan, raising the a- high. "%o* %o4 &'ll talk to you4 &'ll talk4" shrieked Tyler. 'tefan glanced at him. "Too late," he said, and brought the a- down. &t rebounded off the stone floor with a clang and a s$ark, but the noise was drowned by Tyler's screaming. &t seemed to take Tyler se!eral minutes to realize that the blade hadn't touched his foot. 8e $aused for breath only when he choked, and turned wild, bulging eyes on 'tefan. "'tart talking," 'tefan said, his !oice wintry, remorseless. ,ittle whim$ers were coming from Tyler's throat and there was foam on his li$s. "& don't

know his name," he gas$ed out. "But he looks like you said. #nd you're right) he's a !am$ire, man4 & saw him drain a ten5$oint buck while it was still kicking. 8e lied to me," Tyler added, the whine cree$ing back into his !oice. "8e told me &'d be stronger than anybody, as strong as him. 8e said & could ha!e any girl & wanted, any way & wanted. The cree$ lied." "8e told you that you could kill and get away with it," 'tefan said. "8e said & could do Caroline that night. 'he had it coming after the way she ditched me. & wanted to make her beg*but she got out of the house somehow. & could ha!e Caroline and 0ickie, he said. #ll he wanted was Bonnie and %eredith." "But you just tried to kill %eredith." "That was now. Things are different now, stu$id. 8e said it was all right." "(hy." %eredith asked 'tefan in an undertone. "%aybe because you'd ser!ed your $ur$ose," he said. "/ou'd brought me here." Then he went on, "#ll right, Tyler, show us you're coo$erating. Tell us how we can get this guy." ")et him. /ou're nuts4" Tyler burst into ugly laughter, and %att tightened the arm around his throat. "8ey, choke me all you want) it's still the truth. 8e told me he's one of the +ld +nes, one of the +riginals, whate!er that means. 8e said he's been making !am$ires since before the $yramids. 8e said he's made a bargain with the de!il. /ou could stick a stake in his heart and it wouldn't do anything. /ou can't kill him." The laughter became uncontrolled.

"(here's he hiding, Tyler." 'tefan ra$$ed out. ""!ery !am$ire needs a $lace to slee$. (here is it." "8e'd kill me if & told you that. 8e'd eat me, man. 3od, if & told you what he did to that buck before it died9" Tyler's laughter was turning into something like sobs. "Then you'd better hel$ us destroy him before he can find you, hadn't you. (hat's his weak $oint. 8ow's he !ulnerable." "3od, that $oor buck9" Tyler was blubbering. "(hat about 'ue. 6id you cry o!er her." 'tefan said shar$ly. 8e $icked u$ the a-. "& think," he said, "that you're wasting our time." The a- lifted. " o4 o4 &'ll talk to you) &'ll tell you something. ,ook, there's one kind of wood that can hurt him*not kill him, but hurt him. 8e admitted that but didn't tell me what it was4 & swear to you that's the truth4" " ot good enough, Tyler," said 'tefan. "1or 3od's sake*&'ll tell you where he's going tonight. &f you get o!er there fast enough, maybe you can sto$ him." "(hat do you mean, where he's going tonight. Talk fast, Tyler4" "8e's going to 0ickie's, okay. 8e said tonight we get one each. That's hel$ful, isn't it. &f you hurry, maybe you can get there4" 'tefan had frozen, and %eredith felt her heart racing. 0ickie. They hadn't e!en thought about an attack on 0ickie. "6amon's guarding her," %att said. "7ight, 'tefan. 7ight."

"8e's su$$osed to be," 'tefan said. "& left him there at dusk. &f something ha$$ened, he should ha!e called me9" "/ou guys," Bonnie whis$ered. 8er eyes were big and her li$s were trembling. "& think we'd better get o!er there now." They stared at her a moment and then e!eryone was mo!ing. The a- clanged on the floor as 'tefan dro$$ed it. "8ey, you can't lea!e me like this4 & can't dri!e4 8e's gonna come back for me4 Come back and untie my hands4" Tyler shrieked. one of them answered. They ran all the way down the hill and $iled into %eredith's car. %eredith took off s$eeding, rounding corners dangerously fast and gliding through sto$ signs, but there was a $art of her that didn't want to get to 0ickie's house. That wanted to turn around and dri!e the other way. &'m calm) &'m the one who's always calm, she thought. But that was on the outside. %eredith knew !ery well how calm you could look on the outside when inside e!erything was breaking u$. They rounded the last corner onto Birch 'treet and %eredith hit the brakes. "+h, 3od4" Bonnie cried from the backseat. " o4 o4" ";uick," 'tefan said. "There may still be a chance." 8e wrenched o$en the door and was out e!en before the car had sto$$ed. But in back, Bonnie was sobbing.

Eleven
The car skidded in behind one of the $olice cars that was $arked crookedly in the street. There were lights e!erywhere, lights flashing

blue and red and amber, lights blazing from the Bennett house. "'tay here," %att sna$$ed, and he $lunged outside, following 'tefan. " o4" Bonnie's head jerked u$) she wanted to grab him and drag him back. The dizzy nausea she'd felt e!er since Tyler had mentioned 0ickie was o!erwhelming her. &t was too late) she'd known in the first instant that it was too late. %att was only going to get himself killed too. "/ou stay, Bonnie*kee$ the doors locked. &'ll go after them." That was %eredith. " o4 &'m sick of ha!ing e!erybody tell me to stay*" Bonnie cried, struggling with the seat belt, finally getting it unlocked. 'he was still crying, but she could see well enough to get out of the car and start toward 0ickie's house. 'he heard %eredith right behind her. The acti!ity all seemed concentrated at the front2 $eo$le shouting, a woman screaming, the crackling !oices of $olice radios. Bonnie and %eredith headed straight for the back, for 0ickie's window. (hat is wrong with this $icture. Bonnie thought wildly as they a$$roached. The wrongness of what she was looking at was undeniable, yet hard to $ut a finger on. 0ickie's window was o$en*but it couldn't be o$en) the middle $ane of a bay window ne!er o$ens, Bonnie thought. But then how could the curtains be fluttering out like shirttails. ot o$en, broken. 3lass was all o!er the gra!el $athway, grinding underfoot. There were shards like grinning teeth left in the bare frame. 0ickie's house had been broken into. "'he asked him in," Bonnie cried in agonized fury. "(hy did she do that. (hy."

"'tay here," %eredith said, trying to moisten dry li$s. ""to# telling me that. & can take it, %eredith. &'m mad, that's all. & hate him." 'he gri$$ed %eredith's arm and went forward. The ga$ing hole got closer and closer. The curtains ri$$led. There was enough s$ace between them to see inside. #t the last moment, %eredith $ushed Bonnie away and looked through first herself. &t didn't matter. Bonnie's $sychic senses were awake and already telling her about this $lace. &t was like the crater left in the ground after a meteor has hit and e-$loded, or like the charred skeleton of a forest after a wildfire. <ower and !iolence were still thrumming in the air, but the main e!ent was o!er. This $lace had been !iolated. %eredith s$un away from the window, doubling o!er, retching. Clenching her fists so that the nails bit into her $alms, Bonnie leaned forward and looked in. The smell was what struck her first. # wet smell, meaty and co$$ery. 'he could almost taste it, and it tasted like an accidentally bitten tongue. The stereo was $laying something she couldn't hear o!er the screaming out front and the drumming5surf sound in her own ears. 8er eyes, adjusting from the darkness outside, could see only red. =ust red. Because that was the new color of 0ickie's room. The $owder blue was gone. 7ed wall$a$er, red comforter. 7ed in great gaudy s$lashes across the floor. #s if some kid had gotten a bucket of red $aint and gone crazy. The record $layer clicked and the stylus swung back to the beginning. (ith a shock, Bonnie recognized the song as it started o!er.

&t was "3oodnight 'weetheart." "/ou monster," Bonnie gas$ed. <ain shot through her stomach. 8er hand gri$$ed the window frame, tighter, tighter. "/ou monster, & hate you4 & hate you4" %eredith heard and straightened u$, turning. 'he shakily $ushed back her hair and managed a few dee$ breaths, trying to look as if she could co$e. "/ou're cutting your hand," she said. "8ere, let me see it." Bonnie hadn't e!en realized she was gri$$ing broken glass. 'he let %eredith take the hand, but instead of letting her e-amine it, she turned it o!er and clas$ed %eredith's own cold hand tightly. %eredith looked terrible2 dark eyes glazed, li$s blue5white and shaking. But %eredith was still trying to take care of her, still trying to kee$ it together. "3o on," she said, looking at her friend intently. "Cry, %eredith. 'cream if you want to. But get it out somehow. /ou don't ha!e to be cool now and kee$ it all inside. /ou ha!e e!ery right to lose it today." 1or a moment %eredith just stood there, trembling, but then she shook her head with a ghastly attem$t at a smile. "& can't. &'m just not made that way. Come on, let me look at the hand." Bonnie might ha!e argued, but just then %att came around the corner. 8e started !iolently to see the girls standing there. "(hat are you doing*." he began. Then he saw the window. "'he's dead," %eredith said flatly. "& know." %att looked like a bad $hotogra$h of himself, an o!ere-$osed one. "They told me u$ front. They're bringing out9" 8e sto$$ed.

"(e blew it. "!en after we $romised her9" %eredith sto$$ed too. There was nothing more to say. "But the $olice will ha!e to belie!e us now," Bonnie said, looking at %att, then %eredith, finding one thing to be grateful for. "They'll have to." " o," %att said, "they won't, Bonnie. Because they're saying it's a suicide." "# suicide.. 8a!e they seen that room. They call that a suicide." Bonnie cried, her !oice rising. "They're saying she was mentally unbalanced. They're saying she*got hold of some scissors9" "+h, my 3od," %eredith said, turning away. "They think maybe she was feeling guilty for ha!ing killed 'ue." "'omebody broke into this house," Bonnie said fiercely. "They'!e got to admit that4" " o." %eredith's !oice was soft, as if she were !ery tired. ",ook at the window here. The glass is all outside. 'omebody from the inside broke it." #nd that's the rest of what's wrong with the $icture, Bonnie thought. "8e $robably did, getting out," %att said. They looked at each other silently, in defeat. "(here's 'tefan." %eredith asked %att quietly. "&s he out front where e!eryone can see him." " o, once we found out she was dead he headed back this way. & was coming to look for him. 8e must be around somewhere9" "'h4" said Bonnie. The shouting from the front had sto$$ed. 'o had the woman's screaming. &n the relati!e stillness they could

hear a faint !oice from beyond the black walnut trees in the back of the yard. "*while you were su$$osed to be watching her4" The tone made Bonnie's skin break out in gooseflesh. "That's him4" %att said. "#nd he's with 6amon. Come on4" +nce they were among the trees Bonnie could hear 'tefan's !oice clearly. The two brothers were facing each other in the moonlight. "& trusted you, 6amon. & trusted you4" 'tefan was saying. Bonnie had ne!er seen him so angry, not e!en with Tyler in the gra!eyard. But it was more than anger. "#nd you just let it ha$$en," 'tefan went on, without glancing at Bonnie and the others as they a$$eared, without gi!ing 6amon a chance to re$ly. "(hy didn't you do something. &f you were too much of a coward to fight him, you could at least ha!e called for me. But you just stood there4" 6amon's face was hard, closed. 8is black eyes glittered, and there was nothing lazy or casual about his $osture now. 8e looked as unbending and brittle as a $ane of glass. 8e o$ened his mouth, but 'tefan interru$ted. "&t's my own fault. & should ha!e known better. & did know better. +hey all knew, they warned me, but & wouldn't listen." "+h, did they-" 6amon sna$$ed a glance toward Bonnie on the sidelines. # chill went through her. "'tefan, wait," %att said. "& think*" "& should ha!e listened4" 'tefan was raging on. 8e didn't e!en seem to hear %att. "& should ha!e stayed with her myself. & $romised her she would be safe*and & lied4 'he died thinking &

betrayed her." Bonnie could see it in his face now, the guilt eating into him like acid. "&f & had stayed here*" "/ou would be dead too4" 6amon hissed. "This isn't an ordinary !am$ire you're dealing with. 8e would ha!e broken you in two like a dry twig*" "And that would have been better4" 'tefan cried. 8is chest was hea!ing. "& would rather ha!e died with her than stood by and watched it4 (hat ha$$ened, 6amon." 8e had gotten hold of himself now, and he was calm, too calm) his green eyes were burning fe!erishly in his $ale face, his !oice !icious, $oisonous, as he s$oke. "(ere you too busy chasing some other girl through the bushes. +r just too uninterested to interfere." 6amon said nothing. 8e was just as $ale as his brother, e!ery muscle tense and rigid. (a!es of black fury were rising from him as he watched 'tefan. "+r maybe you enjoyed it," 'tefan was continuing, mo!ing another half ste$ forward so that he was right in 6amon's face. "/es, that was $robably it) you liked it, being with another killer. (as it good, 6amon. 6id he let you watch." 6amon's fist jerked back and he hit 'tefan. &t ha$$ened too fast for Bonnie's eye to follow. 'tefan fell backward onto the soft ground, long legs s$rawling. %eredith cried out something, and %att jum$ed in front of 6amon. Bra!e, Bonnie thought dazedly, but stu$id. The air was crackling with electricity. 'tefan raised a hand to his mouth and found blood, black in the moonlight. Bonnie lurched o!er to his side and grabbed his arm.

6amon was coming after him again. %att fell back before him, but not all the way. 8e dro$$ed to his knees beside 'tefan, sitting on his heels, one hand u$raised. ""nough, you guys4 "nough, all right." he shouted. 'tefan was trying to get u$. Bonnie held on to his arm more firmly. " o4 'tefan, don't4 6on't4" she begged. %eredith grabbed his other arm. "6amon, lea!e it alone4 =ust lea!e it4" %att was saying shar$ly. (e're all crazy, getting in the middle of this, Bonnie thought. Trying to break u$ a fight between two angry !am$ires. They're going to kill us just to shut us u$. 6amon's going to swat %att like a fly. But 6amon had sto$$ed, with %att blocking his way. 1or a long moment the scene remained frozen, nobody mo!ing, e!erybody rigid with strain. Then, slowly, 6amon's stance rela-ed. 8is hands lowered and unclenched. 8e drew a slow breath. Bonnie realized she'd been holding her own breath, and she let it out. 6amon's face was cold as a statue car!ed in ice. "#ll right, ha!e it your way," he said, and his !oice was cold too. "But &'m through here. &'m lea!ing. #nd this time, brother, if you follow me, &'ll kill you. <romise or no $romise." "& won't follow you," 'tefan said from where he sat. 8is !oice sounded as if he'd been swallowing ground glass. 6amon hitched u$ his jacket, straightening it. (ith a glance at Bonnie that scarcely seemed to see her, he turned to go. Then he turned back and s$oke clearly and $recisely, each word an arrow aimed at 'tefan.

"& warned you," he said. "#bout what & am, and about which side would win. /ou should ha!e listened to me, little brother. %aybe you'll learn something from tonight." "&'!e learned what trusting you is worth," 'tefan said. "3et out of here, 6amon. & ne!er want to see you again." (ithout another word, 6amon turned and walked away into the darkness. Bonnie let go of 'tefan's arm and $ut her head in her hands. 'tefan got u$, shaking himself like a cat that had been held against its will. 8e walked a little distance from the others, his face a!erted from them. Then he sim$ly stood there. The rage seemed to ha!e left him as quickly as it had come. (hat do we say now. Bonnie wondered, looking u$. (hat can we say. 'tefan was right about one thing2 they had warned him about 6amon and he hadn't listened. 8e'd truly seemed to belie!e that his brother could be trusted. #nd then they'd all gotten careless, relying on 6amon because it was easy and because they needed the hel$. o one had argued against letting 6amon watch 0ickie tonight. They were all to blame. But it was 'tefan who would tear himself a$art with guilt o!er this. 'he knew that was behind his out5of5control fury at 6amon2 his own shame and remorse. 'he wondered if 6amon knew that, or cared. #nd she wondered what had really ha$$ened tonight. ow that 6amon had left, they would $robably ne!er know. o matter what, she thought, it was better he was gone.

+utside noises were reasserting themsel!es2 cars being started in the street, the short burst of a siren, doors slamming. They were safe in the little gro!e of trees for the moment, but they couldn't stay here. %eredith had one hand $ressed to her forehead, her eyes shut. Bonnie looked from her to 'tefan, to the lights of 0ickie's silent home beyond the trees. # wa!e of sheer e-haustion $assed through her body. #ll the adrenaline that had been su$$orting her throughout this e!ening seemed to ha!e drained away. 'he didn't e!en feel angry anymore at 0ickie's death) only de$ressed and sick and !ery, !ery tired. 'he wished she could crawl into her bed at home and. $ull the blankets o!er her head. "Tyler," she said aloud. #nd when they all turned to look at her, she said, "(e left him in the ruined church. #nd he's our last ho$e now. (e'!e got to make him hel$ us." That roused e!eryone. 'tefan turned around silently, not s$eaking and not meeting anyone's eyes as he followed them back to the street. The $olice cars and ambulance were gone, and they dro!e to the cemetery without incident. But when they reached the ruined church, Tyler wasn't there. "(e left his feet untied," %att said hea!ily, with a grimace of self5disgust. "8e must ha!e walked away since his car's still down there." +r he could ha!e been taken, Bonnie thought. There was no mark on the stone floor to show which. %eredith went to the knee5high wall and sat down, one hand $inching the bridge of her nose. Bonnie sagged against the belfry. They'd failed com$letely. That was the long and short of it tonight. They'd lost and he had

won. "!erything they'd done today had ended in defeat. #nd 'tefan, she could tell, was taking the whole res$onsibility on his own shoulders. 'he glanced at the dark, bowed head in the front seat as they dro!e back to the boarding house. #nother thought occurred to her, one that sent thrills of alarm down her ner!es. 'tefan was all they had to $rotect them now that 6amon was gone. #nd if 'tefan himself was weak and e-hausted9 Bonnie bit her li$ as %eredith $ulled u$ to the barn. #n idea was forming in her mind. &t made her uneasy, e!en frightened, but another look at 'tefan $ut steel in her resol!e. The 1errari was still $arked behind the barn* a$$arently 6amon had abandoned it. Bonnie wondered how he $lanned to get about the countryside, and then thought of wings. 0el!ety soft, strong black crow's wings that reflected rainbows in their feathers. 6amon didn't need a car. They went into the boarding house just long enough for Bonnie to call her $arents and say she was s$ending the night at %eredith's. This was her idea. But after 'tefan had climbed the stairs to his attic room, Bonnie sto$$ed %att on the front $orch. "%att. Can & ask you a fa!or." 8e swung around, blue eyes widening. "That's a loaded $hrase. "!ery time "lena said those $articular words9" " o, no, this is nothing terrible. & just want you to take care of %eredith, see she's okay once she gets home and all." 'he gestured toward the other girl, who was already walking toward the car.

"But you're coming with us." Bonnie glanced at the stairs through the o$en door. " o. & think &'ll stay a few minutes. 'tefan can dri!e me home. & just want to talk to him about something." %att looked bewildered. "Talk to him about what." "=ust something. & can't e-$lain now. (ill you, %att." "But9 oh, all right. &'m too tired to care. 6o what you want. &'ll see you tomorrow." 8e walked off, seeming baffled and a little angry. Bonnie was baffled herself at his attitude. (hy should he care, tired or not, if she talked to 'tefan. But there was no time to waste $uzzling o!er it. 'he faced the stairs and, squaring her shoulders, went u$ them. The bulb in the attic ceiling lam$ was missing, and 'tefan had lighted a candle. 8e was lying ha$hazardly on the bed, one leg off and one leg on, his eyes shut. %aybe aslee$. Bonnie ti$toed u$ and fortified herself with a dee$ breath. "'tefan." 8is eyes o$ened. "& thought you'd left." "They did. & didn't." 3od, he's $ale, thought Bonnie. &m$ulsi!ely, she $lunged right in. "'tefan, &'!e been thinking. (ith 6amon gone, you're the only thing between us and the killer. That means you'!e got to be strong, as strong as you can be. #nd, well, it occurred to me that maybe9 you know9 you might need9" 8er !oice faltered. Anconsciously she'd begun fiddling with the wad of tissues forming a makeshift bandage on her $alm. &t was still bleeding sluggishly from where she'd cut it on the glass.

8is gaze followed hers down to it. Then his eyes lifted quickly to her face, reading the confirmation there. There was a long moment of silence. Then he shook his head. "But why. 'tefan, & don't want to get $ersonal, but frankly you don't look so good. /ou're not going to be much hel$ to anybody if you colla$se on us. #nd9 & don't mind, if you only take a little. & mean, &'m ne!er going to miss it, right. #nd it can't hurt all that much. #nd9" +nce again her !oice trailed off. 8e was just looking at her, which was !ery disconcerting. "(ell, why not-" she demanded, feeling slightly let down. "Because," he said softly, "& made a $romise. %aybe not in so many words, but*a $romise just the same. & won't take human blood as food, because that means using a $erson, like li!estock. #nd & won't e-change it with anyone, because that means lo!e, and*" This time he was the one who couldn't finish. But Bonnie understood. "There won't e!er be anyone else, will there." she said. " o. ot for me." 'tefan was so tired that his control was sli$$ing and Bonnie could see behind the mask. #nd again she saw that $ain and need, so great that she had to look away from him. # strange little chill of $remonition and dismay trickled through her heart. Before, she had wondered if %att would e!er get o!er "lena, and he had, it seemed. But 'tefan* 'tefan, she realized, the chill dee$ening, was different. o matter how much time $assed, no matter what he did, he would ne!er truly heal.

(ithout "lena he would always be half himself, only half ali!e. 'he had to think of something, do something, to $ush this awful feeling of dread away. 'tefan needed "lena) he couldn't be whole without her. Tonight he'd started to crack u$, swinging between dangerously tight control and !iolent rage. &f only he could see "lena for just a minute and talk to her9 'he'd come u$ here to gi!e 'tefan a gift that he didn't want. But there was something else he did want, she realized, and only she had the $ower to gi!e it to him. (ithout looking at him, her !oice husky, she said, "(ould you like to see "lena." 6ead silence from the bed. Bonnie sat, watching the shadows in the room sway and flicker. #t last, she chanced a look at him out of the corner of her eye. 8e was breathing hard, eyes shut, body taut as a bowstring. Trying, Bonnie diagnosed, to work u$ the strength to resist tem$tation. #nd losing. Bonnie saw that. "lena always had been too much for him. (hen his eyes met hers again, they were grim, and his mouth was a tight line. 8is skin wasn't $ale anymore but flushed with color. 8is body was still trembling5taut and keyed u$ with antici$ation. "/ou might get hurt, Bonnie." "& know." "/ou'd be o$ening yourself u$ to forces beyond your control. & can't guarantee that & can $rotect you from them." "& know. 8ow do you want to do it."

1iercely, he took her hand. "Thank you, Bonnie," he whis$ered. 'he felt the blood rise to her face. "That's all right," she said. 3ood grie!, he was gorgeous. Those eyes9 in a minute she was either going to jum$ him or melt into a $uddle on his bed. (ith a $leasurably agonizing feeling of !irtue she remo!ed her hand from his and turned to the candle. "8ow about if & go into a trance and try to reach her, and then, once & make contact, try to find you and draw you in. 6o you think that would work." "&t might, if &'m reaching for you too," he said, withdrawing that intensity from her and focusing it on the candle. "& can touch your mind9 when you're ready, &'ll feel it." "7ight." The candle was white, its wa- sides smooth and shining. The flame drew itself u$ and then fell back. Bonnie stared until she became lost in it, until the rest of the room blacked out around her. There was only the flame, herself and the flame. 'he was going into the flame. Anbearable brightness surrounded her. Then she $assed through it into the dark. The funeral home was cold. Bonnie glanced around uneasily, wondering how she had gotten here, trying to gather her thoughts. 'he was all alone, and for some reason that bothered her. (asn't somebody else su$$osed to be here too. 'he was looking for someone. There was light in the ne-t room. Bonnie mo!ed toward it and her heart began $ounding. &t was a !isitation room, and it was filled with tall candelabras, the white candles glimmering

and qui!ering. &n the midst of them was a white coffin with an o$en lid. 'te$ by ste$, as if something were $ulling her, Bonnie a$$roached the casket. 'he didn't want to look in. 'he had to. There was something in that coffin waiting for her. The whole room was suffused with the soft white light of the candles. &t was like floating in an island of radiance. But she didn't want to look9 %o!ing as if in slow motion, she reached the coffin, stared at the white satin lining inside. &t was em$ty. Bonnie closed it and leaned against it, sighing. Then she caught motion in her $eri$heral !ision and whirled. &t was "lena. "+h, 3od, you scared me," Bonnie said. "& thought & told you not to come here," "lena answered. This time her hair was loose, flowing o!er her shoulders and down her back, the $ale golden white of a flame. 'he was wearing a thin white dress that glowed softly in the candlelight. 'he looked like a candle herself, luminous, radiant. 8er feet were bare. "& came here to9" Bonnie floundered, some conce$t teasing around the edges of her mind. This was her dream, her trance. 'he had to remember. "& came here to let you see 'tefan," she said. "lena's eyes widened, her li$s $arting. Bonnie recognized the look of yearning, of almost irresistible longing. ot fifteen minutes ago she'd seen it on 'tefan's face.

"+h," "lena whis$ered. 'he swallowed, her eyes clouding. "+h, Bonnie9 but & can't." "(hy not." Tears were shining in "lena's eyes now, and her li$s were trembling. "(hat if things start to change. (hat if he comes, and9" 'he $ut a hand to her mouth and Bonnie remembered the last dream, with teeth falling like rain. Bonnie met "lena's eyes with understanding horror. "6on't you see. & couldn't stand it if something like that ha$$ened," "lena whis$ered. "&f he saw me like that9 #nd & can't control things here) &'m not strong enough. Bonnie, $lease don't let him through. Tell him how sorry & am. Tell him*" 'he shut her eyes, tears s$illing. "#ll right." Bonnie felt as if she might cry too, but "lena was right. 'he reached for 'tefan's mind to e-$lain to him, to hel$ him bear the disa$$ointment. But the instant she touched it she knew she'd made a mistake. "'tefan, no4 "lena says*" &t didn't matter. 8is mind was stronger than hers, and the instant she'd made contact he had taken o!er. 8e'd sensed the gist of her con!ersation with "lena, but he wasn't going to take no for an answer. 8el$lessly, Bonnie felt herself being o!erridden, felt his mind come closer, closer to the circle of light formed by the candelabras. 'he felt his $resence there, felt it taking sha$e. 'he turned and saw him, dark hair, tense face, green eyes fierce as a falcon's. #nd then, knowing there was nothing more she could do, she ste$$ed back to allow them to be alone.

Twelve

'tefan heard a !oice whis$er, soft with $ain, "+h, no." # !oice that he'd ne!er thought to hear again, that he would ne!er forget. 7i$$les of chills $oured o!er his skin, and he could feel a shaking start inside him. 8e turned toward the !oice, his attention fi-ing instantly, his mind almost shutting down because it couldn't co$e with so many sudden dri!ing emotions at once. 8is eyes were blurred and could only discern a wash of radiance like a thousand candles. But it didn't matter. 8e could !eel her there. The same $resence he had sensed the !ery first day he'd come to 1ell's Church, a golden white light that shone into his consciousness. 1ull of cool beauty and searing $assion and !ibrant life. 6emanding that he mo!e toward it, that he forget e!erything else. "lena. &t was really "lena. 8er $resence $er!aded him, filling him to his fingerti$s. #ll his hungry senses were fi-ed on that wash of luminance, searching for her. eeding her. Then she ste$$ed out. 'he mo!ed slowly, hesitantly. #s if she could barely make herself do it. 'tefan was caught in the same $aralysis. "lena. 8e saw her e!ery feature as if for the first time. The $ale gold hair floating about her face and shoulders like a halo. The fair, flawless skin. The slender, su$$le body just now canted away from him, one hand raised in $rotest. "'tefan," the whis$er came, and it was her !oice. 8er !oice saying his name. But there was such $ain in it that he wanted to run to her, hold

her, $romise her that e!erything would be all right. "'tefan, $lease9 & can't9" 8e could see her eyes now. The dark blue of la$is lazuli, flecked in this light with gold. (ide with $ain and wet with unshed tears. &t shredded his guts. "/ou don't want to see me." 8is !oice was dry as dust. "& don't want you to see me. +h, 'tefan, he can make anything ha$$en. #nd he'll find us. 8e'll come here9" 7elief and aching joy flooded through 'tefan. 8e could scarcely concentrate on her words, and it didn't matter. The way she said his name was enough. That "+h, 'tefan" told him e!erything he cared about. 8e mo!ed toward her quietly, his own hand coming u$ to reach for hers. 8e saw the $rotesting shake of her head, saw that her li$s were $arted with her quickening breath. A$ close, her skin had an inner glow, like a flame shining through translucent candle wa-. 6ro$lets of wetness were caught on her eyelashes like diamonds. #lthough she ke$t shaking her head, ke$t $rotesting, she did not mo!e her hand away. ot e!en when his outs$read fingers touched it, $ressing against her cool fingerti$s as if they were on o$$osite sides of a $ane of glass. #nd at this distance her eyes could not e!ade his. They were looking at each other, looking and not turning aside. Antil at last she sto$$ed whis$ering "'tefan, no" and only whis$ered his name. 8e couldn't think. 8is heart was threatening to come through his chest. othing mattered e-ce$t that she was here, that they were here

together. 8e didn't notice the strange surroundings, didn't care who might be watching. 'lowly, so slowly, he closed his hand around hers, intertwining their fingers, the way they were meant to be. 8is other hand lifted to her face. 8er eyes closed at the touch, her cheek leaning into it. 8e felt the moisture on his fingers and a laugh caught in his throat. 6ream tears. But they were real, she was real. "lena. 'weetness $ierced him. # $leasure so shar$ it was a $ain, just to stroke the tears away from her face with his thumb. #ll the frustrated tenderness of the last simonths, all the emotion he'd ke$t locked in his heart that long, came cascading out, submerging him. 6rowning both of them. &t took such a little mo!ement and then he was holding her. #n angel in his arms, cool and thrilling with life and beauty. # being of flame and air. 'he shi!ered in his embrace) then, eyes still shut, $ut u$ her li$s. There was nothing cool about the kiss. &t struck s$arks from 'tefan's ner!es, melting and dissol!ing e!erything around it. 8e felt his control unra!eling, the control he'd worked so hard to $reser!e since he'd lost her. "!erything inside him was being jarred loose, all knots untied, all floodgates o$ened. 8e could feel his own tears as he held her to him, trying to fuse them into one flesh, one body. 'o that nothing could e!er se$arate them again. They were both crying without breaking the kiss. "lena's slender arms were around his neck now, e!ery inch of her fitting to him as if she had ne!er belonged anywhere else. 8e could

taste the salt of her tears on his li$s and it drenched him with sweetness. 8e knew, !aguely, that there was something else he should be thinking about. But the first electric touch of her cool skin had dri!en reason from his mind. They were in the center of a whirlwind of fire) the uni!erse could e-$lode or crumble or burn to ashes for all he cared, as long as he could kee$ her safe. But "lena was trembling. ot just from emotion, from the intensity that was making him dizzy and drunk with $leasure. 1rom fear. 8e could feel it in her mind and he wanted to $rotect her, to shield her and to cherish her and to kill anything that dared frighten her. (ith something like a snarl he raised his face to look around. "(hat is it." he said, hearing the $redator's ras$ in his own !oice. "#nything that tries to hurt you*" " othing can hurt me." 'he still clung to him, but she leaned back to look into his face. "&'m afraid for you, 'tefan, for what he might do to you. #nd for what he might make you see9" 8er !oice qua!ered. "+h, 'tefan, go now, before he comes. 8e can find you through me. <lease, $lease, go9" "#sk me anything else and &'ll do it," 'tefan said. The killer would ha!e to shred him ner!e from ner!e, muscle from muscle, cell from cell to make him lea!e her. "'tefan, it's only a dream," "lena said des$erately, new tears falling. "(e can't really touch, we can't be together. &t's not allowed." 'tefan didn't care. &t didn't seem like a dream. &t felt real. #nd e!en in a dream he was not

going to gi!e u$ "lena, not for anyone. o force in hea!en or hell could make him9 "(rong, s$ort. 'ur$rise4" said a new !oice, a !oice 'tefan had ne!er heard. 8e recognized it instincti!ely, though, as the !oice of a killer. # hunter among hunters. #nd when he turned, he remembered what 0ickie, $oor 0ickie, had said. .e looks like the devil. &f the de!il was handsome and blond. 8e wore a threadbare raincoat, as 0ickie had described. 6irty and tattered. 8e looked like any street $erson from any big city, e-ce$t that he was so tall and his eyes were so clear and $enetrating. "lectric blue, like razor5frosted sky. 8is hair was almost white, standing straight u$ as if blown by a blast of chilly wind. 8is wide smile made 'tefan feel sick. "'al!atore, & $resume," he said, scra$ing a bow. "#nd of course the beautiful "lena. The beautiful dead "lena. Come to join her, 'tefan. /ou two were just meant to be together." 8e looked young, older than 'tefan, but still young. 8e wasn't. "'tefan, lea!e now," "lena whis$ered. "8e can't hurt me, but you're different. 8e can make something ha$$en that will follow you out of the dream." 'tefan's arm stayed locked around her. "Bra!o4" the man in the raincoat a$$lauded, looking around as if to encourage an in!isible audience. 8e staggered slightly, and if he'd been human, 'tefan would ha!e thought he was drunk. "'tefan, #lease," "lena whis$ered. "&t would be rude to lea!e before we'!e e!en been $ro$erly introduced," the blond man said.

8ands in coat $ockets, he strode a ste$ or two closer. "6on't you want to know who & am." "lena shook her head, not in negation but in defeat, and dro$$ed it to 'tefan's shoulder. 8e cu$$ed a hand around her hair, wanting to shield e!ery $art of her from this madman. "& want to know," he said, looking at the blond man o!er her head. "& don't see why you didn't ask me in the first $lace," the man re$lied, scratching his cheek with his middle finger. "&nstead of going to e!erybody else. I'm the only one who can tell you. &'!e been around a long time." "8ow long." said 'tefan, unim$ressed. "# long time9" The blond man's gaze turned dreamy, as if looking back o!er the years. "& was tearing $retty white throats when your ancestors were building the Colosseum. & killed with #le-ander's army. & fought in the Trojan (ar. &'m old, 'al!atore. &'m one of the +riginals. &n my earliest memories & carried a bronze a-." 'lowly, 'tefan nodded. 8e'd heard of the +ld +nes. They were whis$ered about among !am$ires, but no one 'tefan had e!er known had actually met one. "!ery !am$ire was made by another !am$ire, changed by the e-change of blood. But somewhere, back in time, had been the +riginals, the ones who hadn't been made. They were where the line of continuity sto$$ed. o one knew how they'd gotten to be !am$ires themsel!es. But their <owers were legendary. "& hel$ed bring the 7oman "m$ire down," the blond man continued dreamily. "They called us barbarians*they just didn't understand4 (ar, 'al!atore4 There's nothing like it. "uro$e was e-citing then. & decided to stick around the

countryside and enjoy myself. 'trange, you know, $eo$le ne!er really seemed comfortable around me. They used to run or hold u$ crosses." 8e shook his head. "But one woman came and asked my hel$. 'he was a maid in a baron's household, and her little mistress was sick. 6ying, she said. 'he wanted me to do something about it. #nd so9" The smile returned and broadened, getting wider and im$ossibly wider, "& did. 'he was a $retty little thing." 'tefan had turned his body to hold "lena away from the blond man, and now, for a moment, he turned his head away too. 8e should ha!e known, should ha!e guessed. #nd so it all came back to him. 0ickie's death, and 'ue's, were ultimately to be laid at his door. 8e had started the chain of e!ents that ended here. ":atherine," he said, lifting his head to look at the man. "/ou're the !am$ire who changed :atherine." "To save her li!e," the blond man said, as if 'tefan were stu$id at learning a lesson. "(hich your little sweetheart here took." # name. 'tefan was searching for a name in his mind, knowing that :atherine had told it to him, just as she must ha!e described this man to him once. 8e could hear :atherine's words in his mind2 I woke in the middle o! the night and I saw the man that )udren, my maid, had brought. I was !rightened. .is name was <laus and I'd heard the #eo#le in the village say he was evil 9 ":laus," the blond man said mildly, as if agreeing with something. "That was what she called me, anyway. 'he came back to me after two little &talian boys jilted her. 'he'd done e!erything for them, changed them into

!am$ires, gi!en them eternal life, but they were ungrateful and threw her out. 0ery strange." "That isn't how it ha$$ened," 'tefan said through his teeth. "(hat was e!en stranger was that she ne!er got o!er you, 'al!atore. /ou es$ecially. 'he was always drawing unflattering com$arisons between us. & tried to beat some sense into her, but it ne!er really worked. %aybe & should ha!e just killed her myself, & don't know. But by then &'d gotten used to ha!ing her around. 'he ne!er was the brightest. But she was good to look at, and she knew how to ha!e fun. & showed her that, how to enjoy the killing. "!entually her brain turned a little, but so what. &t wasn't her brains & was kee$ing her for." There was no longer any !estige of lo!e for :atherine in 'tefan's heart, but he found he could still hate the man who had made her what she was in the end. "%e. %e, s$ort." :laus $ointed to his own chest in unbelief. "&ou made :atherine into what she is right now, or rather your little girlfriend did. 7ight now, she's dust. (orm's meat. But your sweetie is just slightly beyond my reach at $resent. 0ibrating on a higher $lane, isn't that what the mystics say, "lena. (hy don't you !ibrate down here with the rest of us." "&f only & could," whis$ered "lena, lifting her head and looking at him with hatred. "+h, well. %eanwhile &'!e got your friends. 'ue was such a sweet girl, & hear." 8e licked his li$s. "#nd 0ickie was delectable. 6elicate but full bodied, with a nice bouquet. %ore like a nineteen5year5old than se!enteen." 'tefan lunged one ste$ forward, but "lena caught him. "'tefan, don't4 This is his territory,

and his mental $owers are stronger than ours. 8e controls it." "<recisely. This is my territory. Anreality." :laus grinned his staring $sychotic grin again. "(here your wildest nightmares come true, free of charge. 1or instance," he said, looking at 'tefan, "how'd you like to see what your sweetheart really looks like right now. (ithout her makeu$." "lena made a soft sound, almost a moan. 'tefan held her tighter. "&t's been how long since she died. #bout simonths. 6o you know what ha$$ens to a body once it's been in the ground si- months." :laus licked his li$s again, like a dog. ow 'tefan understood. "lena shi!ered, head bent, and tried to mo!e away from him, but he locked his arms around her. "&t's all right," he said to her softly. #nd to :laus2 "/ou're forgetting yourself. &'m not a human who jum$s at shadows and the sight of blood. & know about death, :laus. &t doesn't frighten me." " o, but does it thrill you." :laus's !oice dro$$ed, low, into-icating. "&sn't it e-citing, the stench, the rot, the fluids of decom$osing flesh. &sn't it a kick-" "'tefan, let me go. 'lease." "lena was shaking, $ushing at him with her hands, all the time kee$ing her head twisted away so he couldn't see her face. 8er !oice sounded close to tears. "'lease." "The only <ower you ha!e here is the $ower of illusion," 'tefan said to :laus. 8e held "lena to him, cheek $ressed to her hair. 8e could feel the changes in the body he embraced. The hair

under his cheek seemed to coarsen and "lena's form to shrink on itself. "&n certain soils the skin can tan like leather," :laus assured him, bright eyed, grinning. "'tefan, & don't want you to look at me*" "yes on :laus, 'tefan gently $ushed the coarsened white hair away and stroked the side of "lena's face, ignoring the roughness against his fingerti$s. "But of course most of the time it just decom$oses. (hat a way to go. /ou lose e!erything, skin, flesh, muscles, internal organs *all back into the ground9" The body in 'tefan's arms was dwindling. 8e shut his eyes and held tighter, hatred for :laus burning inside him. #n illusion, it was all an illusion9 "'tefan9" &t was a dry whis$er, faint as the scratch of $a$er blown down a sidewalk. &t hung on the air a minute and then !anished, and 'tefan found himself holding a $ile of bones. "#nd finally it ends u$ like that, in o!er two hundred se$arate, easy5to5assemble $ieces. Comes with its own handy5dandy carrying case9" +n the far side of the circle of light there was a creaking sound. The white coffin there was o$ening by itself, the lid lifting. "(hy don't you do the honors, 'al!atore. 3o $ut "lena where she belongs." 'tefan had dro$$ed to his knees, shaking, looking at the slender white bones in his hands. &t was all an illusion*:laus was merely controlling Bonnie's trance and showing 'tefan what he wanted 'tefan to see. 8e hadn't really hurt "lena, but the hot, $rotecti!e fury inside 'tefan wouldn't recognize that. Carefully, 'tefan laid the fragile bones on the ground and touched

them once, gently. Then he looked u$ at :laus, li$s curled with contem$t. "+hat is not "lena," he said. "+f course it is. &'d recognize her anywhere." :laus s$read his hands and declaimed, " 'I knew a woman, lovely in her bones=' " " o." 'weat was beading on 'tefan's forehead. 8e shut out :laus's !oice and concentrated, fists clenched, muscles cracking with effort. &t was like $ushing a boulder u$hill, fighting :laus's influence. But where they lay, the delicate bones began trembling, and a faint golden light shone around them. '' 'A rag and a bone and a hank o! hair= the !ool he called them his lady !air=' " The light was shimmering, dancing, linking the bones together. (arm and golden it folded about them, clothing them as they rose in the air. (hat stood there now was a featureless form of soft radiance. 'weat ran into 'tefan's eyes and he felt as if his lungs would burst. " 'Clay lies still, but blood's a rover=' " "lena's hair, long and silky gold, arranged itself o!er glowing shoulders. "lena's features, blurred at first and then clearly focused, formed on the face. ,o!ingly, 'tefan reconstructed e!ery detail. Thick lashes, small nose, $arted li$s like rose $etals. (hite light swirled around the figure, creating a thin gown. " 'And the crack in the teacu# o#ens a lane to the land o! the dead . . .' " " o." 6izziness swe$t o!er 'tefan as he felt the last surge of <ower sigh out of him. # breath lifted the figure's breast, and eyes blue as la$is lazuli o$ened.

"lena smiled, and he felt the blaze of her lo!e arc to meet him. "'tefan." 8er head was high, $roud as any queen's. 'tefan turned to :laus, who had sto$$ed s$eaking and was glaring mutely. "This," 'tefan said distinctly, "is "lena. ot whate!er em$ty shell she's left behind in the ground. This is "lena, and nothing you do can e!er touch her." 8e held out his hand, and "lena took it and ste$$ed to him. (hen they touched, he felt a jolt, and then felt her <owers flowing into him, sustaining him. They stood together, side by side, facing the blond man. 'tefan had ne!er felt as fiercely !ictorious in his life, or as strong. :laus stared at them for $erha$s twenty seconds and then went berserk. 8is face twisted in loathing. 'tefan could feel wa!es of malignant <ower battering against him and "lena, and he used all his strength to resist it. The maelstrom of dark fury was trying to tear them a$art, howling through the room, destroying e!erything in its $ath. Candles snuffed out and flew into the air as if caught in a tornado. The dream was breaking u$ around them, shattering. 'tefan clung to "lena's other hand. The wind blew her hair, whi$$ing it around her face. "'tefan4" 'he was shouting, trying to make herself heard. Then he heard her !oice in his mind. ""te!an, listen to me* +here is one thing you can do to sto# him. &ou need a victim, "te!an*!ind one o! his victims. (nly a victim will know*" The noise le!el was unbearable, as if the !ery fabric of s$ace and time was tearing. 'tefan felt "lena's hands ri$$ed from his. (ith a cry of

des$eration, he reached out for her again, but he could feel nothing. 8e was already drained by the effort of fighting :laus, and he couldn't hold on to consciousness. The darkness took him s$inning down with it. Bonnie had seen e!erything. &t was strange, but once she ste$$ed aside to let 'tefan go to "lena, she seemed to lose $hysical $resence in the dream. &t was as if she were no longer a $layer but the stage the action was being $layed u$on. 'he could watch, but she couldn't do anything else. &n the end, she'd been afraid. 'he wasn't strong enough to hold the dream together, and the whole thing finally e-$loded, throwing her out of the trance, back into 'tefan's room. 8e was lying on the floor and he looked dead. 'o white, so still. But when Bonnie tugged at him, trying to get him on the bed, his chest hea!ed and she heard him suck in a gas$ing breath. "'tefan. #re you okay." 8e looked wildly around the room as if trying to find something. ""lena4" he said, and then he sto$$ed, memory clearly returning. 8is face twisted. 1or one dreadful instant Bonnie thought he was going to cry, but he only shut his eyes and dro$$ed his head into his hands. "'tefan." "& lost her. & couldn't hold on." "& know." Bonnie watched him a moment, then, gathering her courage, knelt in front of him, touching his shoulders. "&'m sorry."

8is head lifted abru$tly, his green eyes dry but so dilated they looked black. 8is nostrils were flared, his li$s drawn back from his teeth. ":laus4" 8e s$at the name as if it were a curse. "6id you see him." "/es," Bonnie said, $ulling back. 'he gul$ed, her stomach churning. "8e's crazy, isn't he, 'tefan." "/es." 'tefan got u$. "#nd he must be sto$$ed." "But how." 'ince seeing :laus, Bonnie was more frightened than e!er, more frightened and less confident. "(hat could sto$ him, 'tefan. &'!e ne!er felt anything like that <ower." "But didn't you*." 'tefan turned to her quickly. "Bonnie, didn't you hear what "lena said at the end." " o. (hat do you mean. & couldn't hear anything) there was a slight hurricane going on at the time." "Bonnie9" 'tefan's eyes went distant with s$eculation and he s$oke as if to himself. "That means that he $robably didn't hear it either. 'o he doesn't know, and he won't try to sto$ us." "1rom what. 'tefan, what are you talking about." "1rom finding a !ictim. ,isten, Bonnie, "lena told me that if we can find a sur!i!ing !ictim of :laus's, we can find a way to sto$ him." Bonnie was in com$letely o!er her head. "But9 why." "Because !am$ires and their donors*their $rey*share minds briefly while the blood is being e-changed. 'ometimes the donor can learn things about the !am$ire that way. ot always,

but occasionally. That's what must ha!e ha$$ened, and "lena knows it." "That's all !ery well and good*e-ce$t for one small thing," Bonnie said tartly. "(ill you $lease tell me who on earth could ha!e sur!i!ed an attack by :laus." 'he e-$ected 'tefan to be deflated, but he wasn't. "# !am$ire," he said sim$ly. "# human :laus made into a !am$ire would qualify as a !ictim. #s long as they'!e e-changed blood, they'!e touched minds." "+h. +h. 'o9 if we can find a !am$ire he's made9 but where-" "%aybe in "uro$e." 'tefan began to $ace around the room, his eyes narrowed. ":laus has a long history, and some of his !am$ires are bound to be there. & may ha!e to go and look for one." Bonnie was utterly dismayed. "But 'tefan, you can't lea!e us. /ou can't4" 'tefan sto$$ed where he was, across the room, and stood !ery still. Then at last, he turned to face her. "& don't want to," he said quietly. "#nd we'll try to think of another solution first* maybe we can get hold of Tyler again. &'ll wait a week, until ne-t 'aturday. But & may ha!e to lea!e, Bonnie. /ou know that as well as & do." There was a long, long silence between them. Bonnie fought the heat in her eyes, determined to be grown u$ and mature. 'he wasn't a baby and she would $ro!e that now, once and for all. 'he caught 'tefan's gaze and slowly nodded.

Thirteen
/une 1>, ?riday, 112@3 '.M. ,ear ,iary,

(h, )od, what are we going to do+his has been the longest week o! my li!e. +oday was the last day o! school and tomorrow "te!an is leaving. .e's going to uro#e to search !or a vam#ire who got changed by <laus. .e says he doesn't want to leave us un#rotected. But he's going to go. $e can't !ind +yler. .is car disa##eared !rom the cemetery, but he hasn't turned u# at school. .e's missed every !inal this week. %ot that the rest o! us are doing much better. I wish Aobert . :ee was like the schools that have all their !inals be!ore graduation. I don't know whether I'm writing nglish or "wahili these days. I hate <laus. ?rom what I saw he's as craBy as <atherine*and even crueler. $hat he did to Vickie*but I can't even talk about that or I'll start crying again. .e was 6ust #laying with us at Caroline's #arty, like a cat with a mouse. And to do it on Meredith's birthday, too*although I su##ose he couldn't have known that. .e seems to know a lot, though. .e doesn't talk like a !oreigner, not like "te!an did when he !irst came to America, and he knows all about American things, even songs !rom the !i!ties. Maybe he's been over here !or a while9 Bonnie sto$$ed writing. 'he thought des$erately. #ll this time, they had been thinking of !ictims in "uro$e, of !am$ires. But from the way :laus talked, he had ob!iously been in #merica a long time. 8e didn't sound foreign at all. #nd he'd chosen to attack the girls on %eredith's birthday9 Bonnie got u$, reached for the tele$hone, and called %eredith's number. # slee$y male !oice answered.

"%r. 'ulez, this is Bonnie. Can & s$eak to %eredith." "Bonnie4 6on't you know what time it is." "/es." Bonnie thought quickly. "But it's about *about a final we had today. <lease, & ha!e to talk with her." There was a long $ause, then a hea!y sigh. "=ust a minute." Bonnie ta$$ed her fingers im$atiently as she waited. #t last there was the click of another $hone being $icked u$. "Bonnie." came %eredith's !oice. "(hat's wrong." " othing. & mean*" Bonnie was e-cruciatingly conscious of the o$en line, of the fact that %eredith's father hadn't hung u$. 8e might be listening. "&t's about*that 3erman $roblem we'!e been working on. &ou remember. The one we couldn't figure out for the final. /ou know how we'!e been looking for the one $erson who can hel$ us sol!e it. (ell, & think & know who it is." "/ou do." Bonnie could sense %eredith scrambling for the right words. "(ell*who is it. 6oes it in!ol!e any long5distance calls." " o," Bonnie said, "it doesn't. &t hits a lot closer to home, %eredith. # lot. &n fact, you could say it's right in your own backyard, hanging on your family tree." The line was silent so long Bonnie wondered if %eredith was still there. "%eredith." "&'m thinking. 6oes this solution ha!e anything to do with coincidence." " o$e." Bonnie rela-ed and smiled slightly, grimly. %eredith had it now. " ot a thing to do with coincidence. &t's more a case of history

re$eating itself. 6eliberately re$eating itself, if you see what & mean." "/es," %eredith said. 'he sounded as if she were reco!ering from a shock, and no wonder. "/ou know, & think you just may be right. But there's still the matter of $ersuading*this $erson*to actually hel$ us." "/ou think that may be a $roblem." "& think it could. 'ometimes $eo$le get !ery rattled*about a test. 'ometimes they e!en kind of lose their minds." Bonnie's heart sank. This was something that hadn't occurred to her. (hat if he couldn't tell them. (hat if he were that far gone. "#ll we can do is try," she said, making her !oice as o$timistic as $ossible. "Tomorrow we'll ha!e to try." "#ll right. &'ll $ick you u$ at noon. 3ood night, Bonnie." " ight, %eredith." Bonnie added, "&'m sorry." " o, & think it may be for the best. 'o that history doesn't continue to re$eat itself fore!er. 3ood5bye." Bonnie $ressed the disconnect button on the handset, clicking it off. Then she just sat for a few minutes, her finger on the button, staring at the wall. 1inally she re$laced the handset in its cradle and $icked u$ her diary again. 'he $ut a $eriod on the last sentence and added a new one. $e are going to see Meredith's grand!ather tomorrow. "&'m an idiot," 'tefan said in %eredith's car the ne-t day. They were going to (est 0irginia, to the institution where %eredith's grandfather

was a $atient. &t was going to be a fairly long dri!e. "(e're all idiots. "-ce$t Bonnie," %att said. "!en in the midst of her an-iety Bonnie felt a warm glow at that. But %eredith was shaking her head, eyes on the road. "'tefan, you couldn't ha!e realized, so sto$ beating u$ on yourself. /ou didn't know that :laus attacked Caroline's $arty on the anni!ersary of the attack on my grandfather. #nd it didn't occur to %att or me that :laus could ha!e been in #merica for so long because we ne!er saw :laus or heard him s$eak. (e were thinking of $eo$le he could ha!e attacked in "uro$e. 7eally, Bonnie was the only one who could ha!e $ut it all together, because she had all the information." Bonnie stuck out her tongue. %eredith caught it in the rear!iew mirror and arched an eyebrow. "=ust don't want you getting too cocky," she said. "& won't) modesty is one of my most charming qualities," Bonnie re$lied. %att snorted, but then he said, "& still think it was $retty smart," which started the glow all o!er again. The institution was a terrible $lace. Bonnie tried as hard as she could to conceal her horror and disgust, but she knew %eredith could sense it. %eredith's shoulders were stiff with defensi!e $ride as she walked down the halls in front of them. Bonnie, who had known her for so many years, could see the humiliation underneath that $ride. %eredith's $arents considered her grandfather's condition such a blot that they ne!er allowed him to be mentioned to outsiders. &t had been a shadow o!er the entire family.

#nd now %eredith was showing that secret to strangers for the first time. Bonnie felt a rush of lo!e and admiration for her friend. &t was so like %eredith to do it without fuss, with dignity, letting nobody see what it cost her. But the institution was still terrible. &t wasn't filthy or filled with ra!ing maniacs or anything like that. The $atients looked clean and well cared for. But there was something about the sterile hos$ital smells and the halls crowded with motionless wheelchairs and blank eyes that made Bonnie want to run. &t was like a building full of zombies. Bonnie saw one old woman, her $ink scal$ showing through thin white hair, slum$ed with her head on the table ne-t to a naked $lastic doll. (hen Bonnie reached out des$erately, she found %att's hand already reaching for hers. They followed %eredith that way, holding on so hard it hurt. "This is his room." &nside was another zombie, this one with white hair that still showed an occasional fleck of black like %eredith's. 8is face was a mass of wrinkles and lines, the eyes rheumy and rimmed with scarlet. They stared !acantly. "3randdad," %eredith said, kneeling in front of his wheelchair, "3randdad, it's me, %eredith. &'!e come to !isit you. &'!e got something im$ortant to ask you." The old eyes ne!er flickered. "'ometimes he knows us," %eredith said quietly, without emotion. "But mostly these days he doesn't." The old man just went on staring. 'tefan dro$$ed to his heels. ",et me try," he said. ,ooking into the wrinkled face he began to s$eak, softly, soothingly, as he had to 0ickie.

But the filmy dark eyes didn't so much as blink. They just went on staring aimlessly. The only mo!ement was a slight, continuous tremor in the knotted hands on the arms of the wheelchair. #nd no matter what %eredith or 'tefan did, that was all the res$onse they could elicit. "!entually Bonnie tried, using her $sychic $owers. 'he could sense something in the old man, some s$ark of life tra$$ed in the im$risoning flesh. But she couldn't reach it. "&'m sorry," she said, sitting back and $ushing hair out of her eyes. "&t's no use. & can't do anything." "%aybe we can come another time," %att said, but Bonnie knew it wasn't true. 'tefan was lea!ing tomorrow) there would ne!er be another time. #nd it had seemed like such a good idea9 The glow that had warmed her earlier was ashes now, and her heart felt like a lum$ of lead. 'he turned away to see 'tefan already starting out of the room. %att $ut a hand under her elbow to hel$ her u$ and guide her out. #nd after standing for a minute with her head bent in discouragement, Bonnie let him. &t was hard to summon u$ enough energy to $ut one foot in front of the other. 'he glanced back dully to see whether %eredith was following* #nd screamed. %eredith was standing in the center of the room, facing the door, discouragement written on her face. But behind her, the figure in the wheelchair had stirred at last. &n a silent e-$losion of mo!ement, it had reared abo!e her, the rheumy old eyes o$en wide and the mouth o$en wider. %eredith's grandfather looked as if he had been caught in

the act of lea$ing*arms flung out, mouth forming a silent howl. Bonnie's screams rang from the rafters. "!erything ha$$ened at once then. 'tefan came charging back in, %eredith s$un around, %att grabbed for her. But the old figure didn't lea$. 8e stood towering abo!e all of them, staring o!er their heads, seeming to see something none of them could. 'ounds were coming from his mouth at last, sounds that formed one ululating word. "0am$ire4 Vam#iire4" #ttendants were in the room, crowding Bonnie and the others away, restraining the old man. Their shouts added to the $andemonium. "Vam#ire* Vam#ire4" %eredith's grandfather caterwauled, as if warning the town. Bonnie felt $anicked*was he looking at 'tefan. (as it an accusation. "<lease, you'll ha!e to lea!e now. &'m sorry, but you'll ha!e to go," a nurse was saying. They were being whisked out. %eredith fought as she was forced out into the hall. "3randdaddy*4" "Vam#ire4" that unearthly !oice wailed on. #nd then2 "(hite ash wood4 0am$ire4 (hite ash wood*" The door slammed shut. %eredith gas$ed, fighting tears. Bonnie had her nails dug into %att's arm. 'tefan turned to them, green eyes wide with shock. "& said, you'll ha!e to lea!e now," the harassed nurse was re$eating im$atiently. The four of them ignored her. They were all looking at each other, stunned confusion gi!ing way to realization in their faces.

"Tyler said there was only one kind of wood that could hurt him*" %att began. "$hite ash wood," said 'tefan. "(e'll ha!e to find out where he's hiding," 'tefan said on the way home. 8e was dri!ing, since %eredith had dro$$ed the keys at the car door. "That's the first thing. &f we rush this, we could warn him off." 8is green eyes were shining with a queer mi-ture of trium$h and grim determination, and he s$oke in a cli$$ed and ra$id !oice. They were all on the ragged edge, Bonnie thought, as if they'd been gul$ing u$$ers all night. Their ner!es were frayed so thin that anything could ha$$en. 'he had a sense, too, of im$ending cataclysm. #s if e!erything were coming to a head, all the e!ents since %eredith's birthday $arty gathering to a conclusion. Tonight, she thought. Tonight it all ha$$ens. &t seemed strangely a$$ro$riate that it should be the e!e of the solstice. "The e!e of what." %att said. 'he hadn't e!en realized she'd s$oken aloud. "The e!e of the solstice," she said. "That's what today is. The day before the summer solstice." "6on't tell me. 6ruids, right." "They celebrated it," Bonnie confirmed. "&t's a day for magic, for marking the change of the seasons. #nd9" she hesitated. "(ell, it's like all other feast days, like 8alloween or the winter solstice. # day when the line between the !isible world and the in!isible world is thin. (hen you can see ghosts, they used to say. (hen things ha$$en."

"Things," 'tefan said, turning onto the main highway that headed back toward 1ell's Church, "are going to ha$$en." one of them realized how soon. %rs. 1lowers was in the back garden. They had dri!en straight to the boarding house to look for her. 'he was $runing rosebushes, and the smell of summer surrounded her. 'he frowned and blinked when they all crowded around her and asked her in a rush where to find a white ash tree. "'low down, slow down now," she said, $eering at them from under the brim of her straw hat. "(hat is it you want. (hite ash. There's one just down beyond those oak trees in back. ow, wait a minute*" she added as they all scrambled off again. 'tefan ringed a branch of the tree with a jack5 knife %att $roduced from his $ocket. & wonder when he started carrying that. Bonnie thought. 'he also wondered what %rs. 1lowers thought of them as they came back, the two boys carrying the leafy si-5foot bough between them on their shoulders. But %rs. 1lowers just looked without saying anything. #s they neared the house, though, she called after them, "# $ackage came for you, boy." 'tefan turned his head, the branch still on his shoulder. "1or me." "&t had your name on it. # $ackage and a letter. & found them on the front $orch this afternoon. & $ut them u$stairs in your room." Bonnie looked at %eredith, then at %att and 'tefan, meeting their bewildered, sus$icious

gazes in turn. The antici$ation in the air heightened suddenly, almost unbearably. "But who could it be from. (ho could e!en know you're here*" she began as they climbed the stairs to the attic. #nd then she sto$$ed, dread fluttering between her ribs. <remonition was buzzing around inside her like a nagging fly, but she $ushed it away. ot now, she thought, not now. But there was no way to kee$ from seeing the $ackage on 'tefan's desk. The boys $ro$$ed the white ash branch against the wall and went to look at it, a longish, flattish $arcel wra$$ed in brown $a$er, with a creamy en!elo$e on to$. +n the front, in familiar crazy handwriting, was scrawled "te!an. The handwriting from the mirror. They all stood staring down at the $ackage as if it were a scor$ion. "(atch out," %eredith said as 'tefan slowly reached for it. Bonnie knew what she meant. 'he felt as if the whole thing might e-$lode or belch $oisonous gas or turn into something with teeth and claws. The en!elo$e 'tefan $icked u$ was square and sturdy, made of good $a$er with a fine finish. ,ike a $rince's in!itation to the ball, Bonnie thought. But incongruously, there were se!eral dirty finger$rints on the surface and the edges were grimy. (ell*:laus hadn't looked any too clean in the dream. 'tefan glanced at front and back and then tore the en!elo$e o$en. 8e $ulled out a single $iece of hea!y stationery. The other three crowded around, looking o!er his shoulder as he unfolded it. Then %att ga!e an e-clamation. "(hat the9 it's blank4"

&t was. +n both sides. 'tefan turned it o!er and e-amined each. 8is face was tense, shuttered. "!eryone else rela-ed, though, making noises of disgust. # stu$id $ractical joke. %eredith had reached for the $ackage, which looked flat enough to be em$ty as well, when 'tefan suddenly stiffened, his breath hissing in. Bonnie glanced quickly o!er and jum$ed. %eredith's hand froze on the $ackage, and %att swore. +n the blank $a$er, held tautly between 'tefan's two hands, letters were a$$earing. They were black with long downstrokes, as if each were being slashed by an in!isible knife while Bonnie watched. #s she read them, the dread inside her grew. "te!an* "hall we try to solve this like gentlemen- I have the girl. Come to the old !armhouse in the woods a!ter dark and we'll talk, 6ust the two o! us. Come alone and I'll let her go. Bring anyone else and she dies. There was no signature, but at the bottom the words a$$eared +his is between you and me. "(hat girl." %att was demanding, looking from Bonnie to %eredith as if to make sure they were still there. "(hat girl." (ith a shar$ motion, %eredith's elegant fingers tore the $ackage o$en and $ulled out what was inside. # $ale green scarf with a $attern of !ines and lea!es. Bonnie remembered it $erfectly, and a !ision came to her in a rush. Confetti and birthday $resents, orchids and chocolate. "Caroline," she whis$ered, and shut her eyes.

These last two weeks had been so strange, so different from ordinary high school life, that she had almost forgotten Caroline e-isted. Caroline had gone off to an a$artment in another town to esca$e, to be safe*but %eredith had said it to her in the beginning. .e can !ollow you to .eron, I'm sure. "8e was just $laying with us again," Bonnie murmured. "8e let us get this far, e!en going to see your grandfather, %eredith, and then9" "8e must ha!e known," %eredith agreed. "8e must ha!e known all along we were looking for a !ictim. #nd now he's checkmated us. Anless *" 8er dark eyes lit with sudden ho$e. "Bonnie, you don't think Caroline could ha!e dro$$ed this scarf the night of the $arty. #nd that he just $icked it u$." " o." The $remonition was buzzing closer and Bonnie swatted at it, trying to kee$ it away. 'he didn't want it, didn't want to know. But she felt certain of one thing2 this wasn't a bluff. :laus had Caroline. "(hat are we going to do." she said softly. "& know what we're not going to do, and that's listen to him," %att said. " 'Try to sol!e it like gentlemen'*he's scum, not a gentleman. &t's a tra$." "+f course it's a tra$," %eredith said im$atiently. "8e waited until we found out how to hurt him and now he's trying to se$arate us. But it won't work4" Bonnie had been watching 'tefan's face with growing dismay. Because while %att and %eredith were indignantly talking, he had been quietly folding u$ the letter and $utting it back in its en!elo$e. ow he stood gazing down at it, his face still, untouched by anything that was

going on around him. #nd the look in his green eyes scared Bonnie. "(e can make it backfire on him," %att was saying. "7ight, 'tefan. 6on't you think." "& think," said 'tefan carefully, concentrating on each word, "that & am going out to the woods after dark." %att nodded, and like the quarterback he was, began to chart out a $lan. "+kay, you go distract him. #nd meanwhile, the three of us*" "The three of you," 'tefan continued just as deliberately, looking right at him, "are going home. To bed." There was a $ause that seemed endless to Bonnie's taut ner!es. The others just stared at 'tefan. #t last %eredith said lightly, "(ell, it's going to be hard to catch him while we're in bed unless he's kind enough to come !isiting." That broke the tension and %att said, drawing a long5suffering breath, "#ll right, 'tefan, & understand how you feel about this*" But 'tefan interru$ted. "&'m dead serious, %att. :laus is right) this is between him and me. #nd he says to come alone or he'll hurt Caroline. 'o &'m going alone. &t's my decision." "&t's your !uneral," Bonnie blurted out, almost hysterically. "'tefan, you're crazy. /ou can't." "(atch me." "(e won't let you*" "6o you think," 'tefan said, looking at her, "that you could sto$ me if you tried." This silence was acutely uncomfortable. 'taring at him, Bonnie felt as if 'tefan had changed somehow before her eyes. 8is face

seemed shar$er, his $osture different, as if to remind her of the lithe, hard $redator's muscles under his clothes. #ll at once he seemed distant, alien. 1rightening. Bonnie looked away. ",et's be reasonable about this," %att was saying, changing tactics. ",et's just stay calm and talk this o!er*" "There's nothing to talk o!er. &'m going. /ou're not." "/ou owe us more than that, 'tefan," %eredith said, and Bonnie felt grateful for her cool !oice. "+kay, so you can tear us all limb from limb) fine, no argument. (e get the $oint. But after all we'!e been through together, we deser!e more of a thorough discussion before you go running off." "/ou said it was the girls' fight too," %att added. "(hen did you decide it wasn't." "(hen & found out who the killer was4" 'tefan said. "&t's because of me that :laus is here." " o, it isn't4" Bonnie cried. "6id you make "lena kill :atherine." "& made :atherine go back to :laus4 +hat's how this got started. #nd & got Caroline in!ol!ed) if it wasn't for me, she would ne!er ha!e hated "lena, ne!er ha!e gotten in with Tyler. & ha!e a res$onsibility toward her." "/ou just want to belie!e that," Bonnie almost yelled. ":laus hates all of us4 6o you really think he's going to let you walk out of there. 6o you think he $lans to lea!e the rest of us alone." " o," 'tefan said, and $icked u$ the branch leaning against the wall. 8e took %att's knife out of his own $ocket and began to stri$ the twigs off, making it into a straight white s$ear.

"+h, great, you're going off for single combat4" %att said, furious. "6on't you see how stu$id that is. /ou're walking right into his tra$4" 8e ad!anced a ste$ on 'tefan. "/ou may not think that the three of us can sto$ you*" " o, %att." %eredith's low, le!el !oice cut across the room. "&t won't do any good." 'tefan looked at her, the muscles around his eyes hardening, but she just looked back, her face set and calm. "'o you're determined to meet :laus face to face, 'tefan. #ll right. But before you go, at least be sure you ha!e a fighting chance." Coolly, she began to unbutton the neck of her tailored blouse. Bonnie felt a jolt, e!en though she'd offered the same thing only a week earlier. But that had been in $ri!ate, for 3od's sake, she thought. Then she shrugged. <ublic or $ri!ate, what difference did it make. 'he looked at %att, whose face reflected his consternation. Then she saw %att's brow crease and the beginning of that stubborn, bullheaded e-$ression that used to terrify the coaches of o$5 $osing football teams. 8is blue eyes turned to hers and she nodded, thrusting out her chin. (ithout a word, she unzi$$ed the light wind5 breaker she was wearing and %att $ulled off his T5shirt. 'tefan stared from one to another of the three $eo$le grimly disrobing in his room, trying to conceal his own shock. But he shook his head, the white s$ear in front of him like a wea$on. " o." "6on't be a jerk, 'tefan," %att sna$$ed. "!en in the confusion of this terrible moment something inside Bonnie $aused to admire his bare chest. "There's three of us. /ou should be

able to take $lenty without hurting any one of us." "& said, no4 ot for re!enge, and not to fight e!il with e!il4 ot for any reason. & thought you would understand that." 'tefan's look at %att was bitter. "& understand that you're going to die out there4" %att shouted. "8e's right4" Bonnie $ressed her knuckles against her li$s. The $remonition was getting through her defenses. 'he didn't want to let it in, but she didn't ha!e the strength to resist anymore. (ith a shudder, she felt it stab through and heard the words in her mind. "%o one can !ight him and live," she said $ainfully. "That's what 0ickie said, and it's true. & !eel it, 'tefan. o one can fight him and li!e4" 1or a moment, just a moment, she thought he might listen to her. Then his face went hard again and he s$oke coldly. "&t isn't your $roblem. ,et me worry about it." "But if there's no way to win*" %att began. "That isn't what Bonnie said4" 'tefan re$lied tersely. "/es, it is4 (hat the hell are you talking about." %att shouted. &t was hard to make %att lose his tem$er, but once lost it wasn't easily gotten back. "'tefan, &'!e had enough*" "#nd so ha!e &4" 'tefan shot back in a roar. &n a tone Bonnie had ne!er heard him use before. "&'m sick of you all, sick of your bickering and your s$inelessness*and your $remonitions, too4 This is my $roblem." "& thought we were a team*" %att cried. "(e are not a team. &ou are a bunch of stu$id humans4 "!en with e!erything that's ha$$ened

to you, dee$ down you just want to li!e your safe little li!es in your safe little houses until you go to your safe little gra!es4 &'m nothing like you and & don't want to be4 &'!e $ut u$ with you this long because & had to, but this is the end." 8e looked at each of them and s$oke deliberately, em$hasizing each word. "& don't need any of you. & don't want you with me, and & don't want you following me. /ou'll only s$oil my strategy. #nyone who does follow me, &'ll kill." #nd with one last smoldering glance, he turned on his heel and walked out.

Fourteen
"8e's gone round the bend," %att said, staring at the em$ty doorway through which 'tefan had disa$$eared. " o, he hasn't," said %eredith. 8er !oice was rueful and quiet, but there was a kind of hel$less laugh in it too. "6on't you see what he's doing, %att." she said when he turned to her. "/elling at us, making us hate him to try and chase us away. Being as nasty as $ossible so we'll stay mad and let him do this alone." 'he glanced at the doorway and raised her eyebrows. " '#nyone who does follow me, &'ll kill' was going a bit o!erboard, though." Bonnie giggled suddenly, wildly, in s$ite of herself. "& think he borrowed it from 6amon. '3et this straight, & don't need any of you4' " " '/ou bunch of stu$id humans,' " %att added. "But & still don't understand. /ou just had a $remonition, Bonnie, and 'tefan doesn't usually discount those. &f there's no way to fight and win, what's the $oint of going."

"Bonnie didn't say there was no way to fight and win. 'he said there was no way to fight and survive. 7ight, Bonnie." %eredith looked at her. The fit of giggles dissol!ed away. 'tartled herself, Bonnie tried to e-amine the $remonition, but she knew no more than the words that had s$rung into her mind. %o one can !ight him and live. "/ou mean 'tefan thinks*" 'low, thunderous outrage was smoldering in %att's eyes. "8e thinks he's going to go and sto$ :laus e!en though he gets killed himself. ,ike some sacrificial lamb." "%ore like "lena," %eredith said soberly. "#nd maybe*so he can be with her." "8uh5uh." Bonnie shook her head. 'he might not know more about the $ro$hecy, but this she knew. "8e doesn't think that, &'m sure. "lena's s$ecial. 'he is what she is because she died too young) she left so much unfinished in her own life, and*well, she's a s$ecial case. But 'tefan's been a !am$ire for fi!e hundred years, and he certainly wouldn't be dying young. There's no guarantee he'd end u$ with "lena. 8e might go to another $lace or*or just go out. #nd he knows that. &'m sure he knows that. & think he's just kee$ing his $romise to her, to sto$ :laus no matter what it costs." "To try, at least," %att said softly, and it sounded as if he were quoting. ""!en if you know you're going to lose." 8e looked u$ at the girls suddenly. "&'m going after him." "+f course," said %eredith $atiently. %att hesitated. "Ah*& don't su$$ose & could con!ince you two to stay here." "#fter all that ins$iring talk about teamwork. ot a chance."

"& was afraid of that. 'o9" "'o," said Bonnie, "we're out of here." They gathered what wea$ons they could. %att's $ocketknife that 'tefan had dro$$ed, the i!ory5hilted dagger from 'tefan's dresser, a car!ing knife from the kitchen. +utside, there was no sign of %rs. 1lowers. The sky was $ale $ur$le, shading to a$ricot in the west. Twilight of the solstice e!e, Bonnie thought, and hairs on her arms tried to lift. ":laus said the old farmhouse in the woods* that must mean the 1rancher $lace," %att said. "(here :atherine dum$ed 'tefan in the abandoned well." "That makes sense. 8e's $robably been using :atherine's tunnel to get back and forth under the ri!er," %eredith said. "Anless +ld +nes are so $owerful they can cross running water without harming themsel!es." That's right, Bonnie remembered, e!il things couldn't cross running water, and the more e!il you were, the harder it was. "But we don't know anything about the +riginals," she said aloud. " o, and that means we'!e got to be careful," %att said. "& know these woods $retty well, and & know the $ath 'tefan will $robably use. & think we should take a different one." "'o 'tefan won't see us and kill us." "'o <laus won't see us, or not all of us. 'o maybe we'll ha!e a chance of getting to Caroline. 'omehow or other we'!e got to get Caroline out of the equation) as long as :laus can threaten to hurt her he can make 'tefan do anything he wants. #nd it's always best to $lan ahead, to get a jum$ on the enemy. :laus said

meet there after dark) well, we'll be there be!ore dark and maybe we can sur$rise him." Bonnie was dee$ly im$ressed by this strategy. o wonder he's a quarterback, she was thinking. & would ha!e just rushed in, yelling. %att $icked out an almost in!isible $ath between the oak trees. The undergrowth was es$ecially lush this time of year, with mosses, grasses, flowering $lants, and ferns. Bonnie had to trust that %att knew where he was going, because she certainly didn't. #bo!e, birds were gi!ing one last burst of song before seeking out a roost for the night. &t got dimmer. %oths and lacewings fluttered $ast Bonnie's face. #fter stumbling through a $atch of toadstools co!ered with feeding slugs, she was intensely grateful that this time she'd worn jeans. #t last %att sto$$ed them. "(e're getting close," he said, his !oice low. "There's a sort of bluff where we can look down and :laus might not see us. Be quiet and careful." Bonnie had ne!er taken so much trouble $lacing her feet before. 1ortunately the leaf litter was wet and not crackly. #fter a few minutes %att dro$$ed to his stomach and gestured for them to follow. Bonnie ke$t telling herself, fiercely, that she didn't mind the centi$edes and earthworms her sliding fingers dug u$, that she had no feelings one way or another about cobwebs in the face. This was life and death, and she was com#etent. o dweeb, no baby, but com#etent. "8ere," %att whis$ered, his !oice barely audible. Bonnie scooted on her stomach u$ to him and looked.

They were gazing down on the 1rancher homestead*or what was left of it. &t had crumbled into the earth long ago, taken back by the forest. ow it was only a foundation, building stones co!ered with flowering weeds and $rickly brambles, and one tall chimney like a lonely monument. "There she is. Caroline," %eredith breathed in Bonnie's other ear. Caroline was a dim figure sitting against the chimney. 8er $ale green dress showed u$ in the gathering dark, but her auburn hair just looked black. 'omething white shone across her face, and after a moment Bonnie realized it was a gag. Ta$e or a bandage. 1rom her strange $osture* arms behind her, legs stretched straight out in front*Bonnie also guessed she was tied. <oor Caroline, she thought, forgi!ing the other girl all the nasty, $etty, selfish things she'd e!er done, which was a $retty considerable amount when you got down to it. But Bonnie couldn't imagine anything worse than being abducted by a $sycho !am$ire who'd already killed two of your classmates, dragged out here to the woods and bound, and then left to wait, with your life de$ending on another !am$ire who had fairly good reason to hate you. #fter all, Caroline had wanted 'tefan in the beginning, and had hated and tried to humiliate "lena for getting him. 'tefan 'al!atore was the last $erson who should feel kindly toward Caroline 1orbes. ",ook4" said %att. "&s that him. :laus." Bonnie had seen it too, a ri$$le of mo!ement on the o$$osite side of the chimney. #s she strained her eyes he a$$eared, his light tan raincoat fla$$ing ghostlike around his legs. 8e glanced down at Caroline and she shrank from

him, trying to lean away. 8is laughter sounded so clearly in the quiet air that Bonnie flinched. "That's him," she whis$ered, dro$$ing down behind the screening ferns. "But where's 'tefan. &t's almost dark now." "%aybe he got smart and decided not to come," said %att. " o such luck," said %eredith. 'he was looking through the ferns to the south. Bonnie glanced that way herself and started. 'tefan was standing at the edge of the clearing, ha!ing materialized there as if out of thin air. ot e!en :laus had seen him coming, Bonnie thought. 8e stood silently, making no attem$t to hide himself or the white ash s$ear he was carrying. There was something in his stance and the way he looked o!er the scene before him that made Bonnie remember that in the fifteenth century he'd been an aristocrat, a member of the nobility. 8e said nothing, waiting for :laus to notice him, refusing to be rushed. (hen :laus did turn south he went still, and Bonnie got the feeling he was sur$rised 'tefan had sneaked u$ on him. But then he laughed and s$read his arms. "'al!atore4 (hat a coincidence) & was just thinking about you4" 'lowly, 'tefan looked :laus u$ and down, from the tails of his tattered raincoat to the to$ of his windblown head. (hat 'tefan said was2 "/ou asked for me. &'m here. ,et the girl go." "6id & say that." ,ooking genuinely sur$rised, :laus $ressed two hands to his chest. Then he shook his head, chuckling. "& don't think so. ,et's talk first." 'tefan nodded, as if :laus had confirmed something bitter he'd been e-$ecting. 8e took

the s$ear from his shoulder and held it in front of him, handling the unwieldy length of wood deftly, easily. "&'m listening," he said. " ot as dumb as he looks," %att murmured from behind the ferns, a note of res$ect in his !oice. "#nd he's not as an-ious to get killed as & thought," %att added. "8e's being careful." :laus gestured toward Caroline, the ti$s of his fingers brushing her auburn hair. "(hy don't you come here so we don't ha!e to shout." But he didn't threaten to hurt his $risoner, Bonnie noticed. "& can hear you just fine," 'tefan re$lied. "3ood," %att whis$ered. "That's it, 'tefan4" Bonnie, though, was studying Caroline. The ca$ti!e girl was struggling, tossing her head back and forth as if she were frantic or in $ain. But Bonnie got a strange feeling about Caroline's mo!ements, es$ecially those !iolent jerks of the head, as if the girl was straining to reach the sky. The sky9 Bonnie's gaze lifted u$ to it, where full darkness had fallen and a waning moon shone o!er the trees. That was why she could see that Caroline's hair was auburn now2 the moonlight, she thought. Then, with a shock, her eyes dro$$ed to the tree just abo!e 'tefan, whose branches were rustling slightly in the absence of any wind. "%att." she whis$ered, alarmed. 'tefan was focused on :laus, e!ery sense, e!ery muscle, e!ery atom of his <ower honed and turned toward the +ld +ne before him. But in that tree directly abo!e him9 #ll thoughts of strategy, of asking %att what to do, fled from Bonnie's mind. 'he bolted u$ from her $lace of concealment and shouted. "'tefan4 #bo!e you4 &t's a tra$4"

'tefan lea$ed aside, neat as a cat, just as something $lunged down on the e-act $lace he'd been standing an instant before. The moon lit the scene $erfectly, enough for Bonnie to see the white of Tyler's bared teeth. #nd to see the white flash of :laus's eyes as he whirled on her. 1or one stunned instant she stared at him, and then lightning crackled. 1rom an em$ty sky. &t was only later that Bonnie would realize the strangeness*the fearsomeness*of this. #t the time she scarcely noted that the sky was clear and star swe$t and that the jagged blue bolt that forked down struck the $alm of :laus's u$raised hand. The ne-t sight she saw was so terrifying as to black e!erything else out2 :laus folding his hand o!er that lightning, gathering it somehow, and throwing it at her. 'tefan was yelling, telling her to get away, get away4 Bonnie heard him while she stared, $aralyzed, and then something grabbed her and wrenched her aside. The bolt sna$$ed o!er her head, with a sound like a giant whi$ cracking and a smell like ozone. 'he landed facedown in moss and rolled o!er to gras$ %eredith's hand and thank %eredith for sa!ing her, only to find that it was %att. "'tay here4 7ight here4" he shouted, and bounded away. Those dreaded words. They cata$ulted Bonnie right u$, and she was running after him before she knew what she was doing. #nd then the world turned into chaos. :laus had whirled back on 'tefan, who was gra$$ling with Tyler, beating him. Tyler, in his wolf form, was making terrible sounds as 'tefan threw him to the ground.

%eredith was running toward Caroline, a$$roaching from behind the chimney so :laus wouldn't s$ot her. Bonnie saw her reach Caroline and saw the flash of 'tefan's sil!er dagger as %eredith cut the cords around Caroline's wrists. Then %eredith was half carrying, half dragging Caroline behind the chimney to work on her feet. # sound like antlers clashing made Bonnie s$in around. :laus had come at 'tefan with a tall branch of his own*it must ha!e been lying flat on the ground before. &t looked just as shar$ as 'tefan's, making it a ser!iceable lance. But :laus and 'tefan weren't just stabbing at each other) they were using the sticks as quarterstaffs. 7obin 8ood, Bonnie thought dazedly. ,ittle =ohn and 7obin. That was what it looked like2 :laus was that much taller and hea!ier boned than 'tefan. Then Bonnie saw something else and cried out wordlessly. Behind 'tefan, Tyler had gotten u$ again and was crouching, just as he had in the gra!eyard before lunging for 'tefan's throat. 'tefan's back was to him. #nd Bonnie couldn't warn him in time. But she'd forgotten about %att. 8ead down, ignoring claws and fangs, he was charging at Tyler, tackling him like a first5rate linebacker before he could lea$. Tyler went flying sideways, with %att on to$ of him. Bonnie was o!erwhelmed. 'o much was ha$$ening. %eredith was sawing through Caroline's ankle cords) %att was $ummeling Tyler in a way that certainly would ha!e gotten him disqualified on the football field) 'tefan was whirling that white ash staff as if he'd been trained for it. :laus was laughing deliriously,

seeming e-hilarated by the e-ercise, as they traded blows with deadly s$eed and accuracy. But %att seemed to be in trouble now. Tyler was gri$$ing him and snarling, trying to get a hold on his throat. (ildly, Bonnie looked around for a wea$on, entirely forgetting the car!ing knife in her $ocket. 8er eye fell on a dead oak branch. 'he $icked it u$ and ran to where Tyler and %att were struggling. +nce there, though, she faltered. 'he didn't dare use the stick for fear she'd hit %att with it. 8e and Tyler were rolling o!er and o!er in a blur of motion. Then %att was on to$ of Tyler again, holding Tyler's head down, holding himself clear. Bonnie saw her chance and aimed the stick. But Tyler saw her. (ith a burst of su$ernatural strength, he gathered his legs and sent %att soaring off him backward. %att's head struck a tree with a sound Bonnie would ne!er forget. The dull sound of a rotten melon bursting. 8e slid down the front of the tree and was still. Bonnie was gas$ing, stunned. 'he might ha!e started toward %att, but Tyler was there in front of her, breathing hard, bloody sali!a running down his chin. 8e looked e!en more like an animal than he had in the gra!eyard. #s if in a dream, Bonnie raised her stick, but she could feel it shaking in her hands. %att was so still* was he breathing. Bonnie could hear the sob in her own breath as she faced Tyler. This was ridiculous) this was a boy from her own school. # boy she'd danced with last year at the =unior <rom. 8ow could he be kee$ing her away from %att, how could he be trying to hurt them all. 8ow could he be doing this. "Tyler, $lease*" she began, meaning to reason with him, to beg him9

"#ll alone in the woods, little girl." he said, and his !oice was a thick and guttural growl, sha$ed at the last minute into words. &n that instant Bonnie knew that this was not the boy she'd gone to school with. This was an animal. +h, 3od, he's ugly, she thought. 7o$es of red s$it hung out of his mouth. #nd those yellow eyes with the slitted $u$ils*in them she saw the cruelty of the shark, and the crocodile, and the was$ that lays its eggs in a cater$illar's li!ing body. #ll the cruelty of animal nature in those two yellow eyes. "'omebody should ha!e warned you," Tyler said, dro$$ing his jaw to laugh the way a dog does. "Because if you go out in the woods alone, you might meet the Big Bad*" "=erk4" a !oice finished for him, and with a feeling of gratitude that bordered on the religious, Bonnie saw %eredith beside her. %eredith, holding 'tefan's dagger, which shone liquidly in the moonlight. "'il!er, Tyler," %eredith said, brandishing it. "& wonder what sil!er does to a werewolf's members. (ant to see." #ll %eredith's elegance, her standoffishness, her cool obser!er's dis$assion were gone. This was the essential %eredith, a warrior %eredith, and although she was smiling, she was mad. "&es4" shouted Bonnie gleefully, feeling $ower rush through her. 'uddenly she could mo!e. 'he and %eredith, together, were strong. %eredith was stalking Tyler from one side, Bonnie held her stick ready on the other. # longing she'd ne!er felt before shot through her, the longing to hit Tyler so hard his head would come flying off. 'he could feel the strength to do it surging in her arm.

#nd Tyler, with his animal instinct, could sense it, could sense it from both of them, closing in on either side. 8e recoiled, caught himself, and turned to try and get away from them. They turned too. &n a minute they were all three orbiting like a mini solar system2 Tyler turning around and around in the middle) Bonnie and %eredith circling him, looking for a chance to attack. +ne, two, three. 'ome uns$oken signal flashed from %eredith to Bonnie. =ust as Tyler lea$ed at %eredith, trying to knock the knife aside, Bonnie hit. 7emembering the ad!ice of a distant boyfriend who'd tried to teach her to $lay baseball, she imagined not just hitting Tyler's head but through his head, hitting something on the o$$osite side. 'he $ut the whole weight of her small body behind the blow, and the shock of connecting nearly jarred her teeth loose. &t jolted her arms agonizingly and it shattered the stick. But Tyler fell like a bird shot out of the sky. "& did it4 /es. All right* &es4" Bonnie shouted, flinging the stick away. Trium$h eru$ted from her in a $rimal shout. "$e did it4" 'he grabbed the hea!y body by the back of the mane and $ulled it off %eredith, where it had fallen. "(e *" Then she broke off, her words freezing in her throat. "Meredith4" she cried. "&t's all right," %eredith gas$ed, her !oice tight with $ain. #nd weakness, Bonnie thought, chilled as if doused with ice water. Tyler had clawed her leg to the bone. There were huge, ga$ing wounds in the thigh of %eredith's jeans and in the white skin that showed clearly through the torn cloth. #nd to Bonnie's absolute horror, she could see inside the skin too, could

see flesh and muscle ri$$ed and red blood $ouring out. "%eredith*" she cried frantically. They had to get %eredith to a doctor. "!eryone had to sto$ now) e!eryone must understand that. They had an injury here) they needed to get an ambulance, to call ECC. "%eredith," she gas$ed, almost wee$ing. "Tie it u$ with something." %eredith's face was white. 'hock. 3oing into shock. #nd so much blood) so much blood coming out. +h, 3od, thought Bonnie, $lease hel$ me. 'he looked for something to tie it u$ with, but there was nothing. 'omething dro$$ed on the ground beside her. # length of nylon cord like the cord they'd used to tie u$ Tyler, with frayed edges. Bonnie looked u$. "Can you use that." asked Caroline uncertainly, her teeth chattering. 'he was wearing the green dress, her auburn hair straggling and stuck to her face with sweat and blood. "!en as she s$oke she swayed, and fell to her knees beside %eredith. "#re you hurt." Bonnie gas$ed. Caroline shook her head, but then she bent forward, racked with nausea, and Bonnie saw the marks in her throat. But there was no time to worry about Caroline now. %eredith was more im$ortant. Bonnie tied the cord abo!e %eredith's wounds, her mind running des$erately o!er things she'd learned from her sister %ary. %ary was a nurse. %ary said*a tourniquet couldn't be too tight or left on too long or gangrene set in. But she had to sto$ the gushing blood. +h, %eredith.

"Bonnie*hel$ 'tefan," %eredith was gas$ing, her !oice almost a whis$er. "8e's going to need it9" 'he sagged backward, her breathing stertorous, her slitted eyes looking u$ at the sky. (et. "!erything was wet. Bonnie's hands, her clothes, the ground. (et with %eredith's blood. #nd %att was still lying under the tree, unconscious. 'he couldn't lea!e them, es$ecially not with Tyler there. 8e might wake u$. 6azed, she turned to Caroline, who was shi!ering and retching, sweat beading her face. Aseless, Bonnie thought. But she had no other choice. "Caroline, listen to me," she said. 'he $icked u$ the largest $iece of the stick she'd used on Tyler and $ut it into Caroline's hands. "/ou stay with %att and %eredith. ,oosen that tourniquet e!ery twenty minutes or so. #nd if Tyler starts to wake u$, if he e!en twitches, you hit him as hard as you can with this. Anderstand. Caroline," she added, "this is your big chance to $ro!e you're good for something. That you're not useless. #ll right." 'he caught the furti!e green eyes and re$eated, "#ll right." "But what are you going to do." Bonnie looked toward the clearing. " o, Bonnie." Caroline's hand gras$ed her, and Bonnie noted with some $art of her mind the broken nails, the ro$e burns on the wrists. "'tay here where it's safe. 6on't go to them. There's nothing you can do*" Bonnie shook her off and made for the clearing before she lost her resol!e. &n her heart, she knew Caroline was right. There was nothing she could do. But something %att had said

before they left was ringing in her mind. To try at least. 'he had to try. 'till, in those ne-t few horrible minutes all she could do was look. 'o far, 'tefan and :laus had been trading blows with such !iolence and accuracy that it had been like a beautiful, lethal dance. But it had been an equal, or almost equal, match. 'tefan had been holding his own. ow she saw 'tefan bearing down with his white ash lance, $ressing :laus to his knees, forcing him backward, farther and farther back, like a limbo dancer seeing how low he could go. #nd Bonnie could see :laus's face now, mouth slightly o$en, staring u$ at 'tefan with what looked like astonishment and fear. Then e!erything changed. #t the !ery bottom of his descent, when :laus had bent back as far as he could go, when it seemed that he must be about to colla$se or break, something ha$$ened. :laus smiled. #nd then he started $ushing back. Bonnie saw 'tefan's muscles knot, saw his arms go rigid, trying to resist. But :laus, still grinning madly, eyes wide o$en, just ke$t coming. 8e unfolded like some terrible jack5in5 the5bo-, only slowly. 'lowly. &ne-orably. 8is grin getting wider until it looked as if it would s$lit his face. ,ike the Cheshire cat. # cat, thought Bonnie. Cat with a mouse. ow 'tefan was the one grunting and straining, teeth clenched, trying to hold :laus off. But :laus and his stick bore down, forcing 'tefan backward, forcing him to the ground.

3rinning all the time. Antil 'tefan was lying on his back, his own stick $ressing into his throat with the weight of :laus's lance across it. :laus looked down at him and beamed. "&'m tired of $laying, little boy," he said, and he straightened and threw his own stick down. " ow it's dying time." 8e took 'tefan's staff away from him as easily as if he were taking it from a child. <icked it u$ with a flick of his wrist and broke it o!er his knee, showing how strong he was, how strong he had always been. 8ow cruelly he had been $laying with 'tefan. +ne of the hal!es of the white ash stick he tossed o!er his shoulder across the clearing. The other he jabbed at 'tefan. Asing not the $ointed end but the s$lintered one, broken into a dozen tiny $oints. 8e jabbed down with a force that seemed almost casual, but 'tefan screamed. 8e did it again and again, eliciting a scream each time. Bonnie cried out, soundlessly. 'he had ne!er heard 'tefan scream before. 'he didn't need to be told what kind of $ain must ha!e caused it. 'he didn't need to be told that white ash might be the only wood deadly to :laus, but that any wood was deadly to 'tefan. That 'tefan was, if not dying now, about to die. That :laus, with his hand now raised, was going to finish it with one more $lunging blow. :laus's face was tilted to the moon in a grin of obscene $leasure, showing that this was what he liked, where he got his thrills. 1rom killing. #nd Bonnie couldn't mo!e, couldn't e!en cry. The world swam around her. &t had all been a mistake, she wasn't com$etent) she was a baby after all. 'he didn't want to see that final thrust,

but she couldn't look away. #nd all this couldn't be ha$$ening, but it was. &t was. :laus flourished the s$lintered stake and with a smile of $ure ecstasy started to bring it down. #nd a s$ear shot across the clearing and struck him in the middle of the back, landing and qui!ering like a giant arrow, like half a giant arrow. &t made :laus's arms fling out, dro$$ing the stake) it shocked the ecstatic grin right off his face. 8e stood, arms e-tended, for a second, and then turned, the white ash stick in his back wobbling slightly. Bonnie's eyes were too dazzled by wa!es of gray dots to see, but she heard the !oice clearly as it rang out, cold and arrogant and filled with absolute con!iction. =ust fi!e words, but they changed e!erything. ")et away !rom my brother."

Fifteen
:laus screamed, a scream that reminded Bonnie of ancient $redators, of the sabertooth cat and the bull mammoth. Blood frothed out of his mouth along with the scream, turning that handsome face into a twisted mask of fury. 8is hands scrabbled at his back, trying to get a gri$ on the white ash stake and $ull it out. But it was buried too dee$. The throw had been a good one. "6amon," Bonnie whis$ered. 8e was standing at the edge of the clearing, framed by oak trees. #s she watched, he took a ste$ toward :laus, and then another) lithe stalking ste$s filled with deadly $ur$ose. #nd he was angry. Bonnie would ha!e run from the look on his face if her muscles hadn't

been frozen. 'he had ne!er seen such menace so barely held in check. "3et9 away9 from my brother," he said, almost breathing it, with his eyes ne!er lea!ing :laus's as he took another ste$. :laus screamed again, but his hands sto$$ed their frantic scrabbling. "/ou idiot4 (e don't ha!e to fight4 & told you that at the house4 (e can ignore each other4" 6amon's !oice was no louder than before. "3et away from my brother." Bonnie could feel it inside him, a swell of <ower like a tsunami. 8e continued, so softly that Bonnie had to strain to hear him, "Before & tear your heart out." Bonnie could mo!e after all. 'he ste$$ed backward. "& told you4" screamed :laus, frothing. 6amon didn't acknowledge the words in any way. 8is whole being seemed focused on :laus's throat, on his chest, on the beating heart inside that he was going to tear out. :laus $icked u$ the unbroken lance and rushed him. &n s$ite of all the blood, the blond man seemed to ha!e $lenty of strength left. The rush was sudden, !iolent, and almost inesca$able. Bonnie saw him thrust the lance at 6amon and shut her eyes in!oluntarily, and then o$ened them an instant later as she heard the flurry of wings. :laus had $lunged right through the s$ot where 6amon had been, and a black crow was soaring u$ward while a single feather floated down. #s Bonnie stared, :laus's rush took him into the darkness beyond the clearing and he disa$$eared. 6ead silence fell in the wood.

Bonnie's $aralysis broke slowly, and she first ste$$ed, and then ran to where 'tefan lay. 8e didn't o$en his eyes at her a$$roach) he seemed unconscious. 'he knelt beside him. #nd then she felt a sort of horrible calm cree$ o!er her, like someone who has been swimming in ice water and at last feels the first undeniable signs of hy$othermia. &f she hadn't had so many successi!e shocks already, she might ha!e fled screaming or dissol!ed into hysterics. But as it was, this was sim$ly the last ste$, the last little slide into unreality. &nto a world that couldn't be, but was. Because it was bad. 0ery bad. #s bad as it could be. 'he'd ne!er seen anybody hurt like this. ot e!en %r. Tanner, and he had died of his wounds. othing %ary had e!er said could hel$ fi- this. "!en if they'd had 'tefan on a stretcher outside an o$erating room, it wouldn't ha!e been enough. &n that state of dreadful calm she looked u$ to see a flutter of wings blur and shimmer in the moonlight. 6amon stood beside her, and she s$oke quite collectedly and rationally. "(ill gi!ing him blood hel$." 8e didn't seem to hear her. 8is eyes were all black, all $u$il. That barely leashed !iolence, that sense of ferocious energy held back, was gone. 8e knelt and touched the dark head on the ground. "'tefan." Bonnie shut her eyes. 6amon's scared, she thought. 6amon's scared *,amon4*and oh, 3od, & don't know what to do. There's nothing to do*and it's all o!er and we're all lost and ,amon is scared for 'tefan. 8e

isn't going to take care of things and he hasn't got a solution and somebody's got to fi- this. #nd oh, 3od, $lease hel$ me because &'m so frightened and 'tefan's dying and %eredith and %att are hurt and :laus is going to come back. 'he o$ened her eyes to look at 6amon. 8e was white, his face looking terrifyingly young at that moment, with those dilated black eyes. ":laus is coming back," Bonnie said quietly. 'he wasn't afraid of him anymore. They weren't a centuries5old hunter and a se!enteen5year5old human girl, sitting here at the edge of the world. They were just two $eo$le, 6amon and Bonnie, who had to do the best they could. "& know," 6amon said. 8e was holding 'tefan's hand, looking com$letely unembarrassed about it, and it seemed quite logical and sensible. Bonnie could feel him sending <ower into 'tefan, could also feel that it wasn't enough. "(ould blood hel$ him." " ot much. # little, maybe." "#nything that hel$s at all we'!e got to try." 'tefan whis$ered, " o." Bonnie was sur$rised. 'he'd thought he was unconscious. But his eyes were o$en now, o$en and alert and smoldering green. They were the only ali!e thing about him. "6on't be stu$id," 6amon said, his !oice hardening. 8e was gri$$ing 'tefan's hand until his knuckles whitened. "/ou're badly hurt." "& won't break my $romise." That immo!able stubbornness was in 'tefan's !oice, in his $ale face. #nd when 6amon o$ened his mouth again, undoubtedly to say that 'tefan would break it and like it or 6amon would break his neck,

'tefan added, ""s$ecially when it won't do any good." There was a silence while Bonnie fought with the raw truth of this. (here they were now, in this terrible $lace beyond all ordinary things, $retense or false reassurance seemed wrong. +nly the truth would do. #nd 'tefan was telling the truth. 8e was still looking at his brother, who was looking back, all that fierce, furious attention focused on 'tefan as it had been focused on :laus earlier. #s if somehow that would hel$. "&'m not badly hurt, &'m dead," 'tefan said brutally, his eyes locked on 6amon's. Their last and greatest struggle of wills, Bonnie thought. "#nd you need to get Bonnie and the others out of here." "(e won't lea!e you," Bonnie inter!ened. That was the truth) she could say that. "/ou have to4" 'tefan didn't glance aside, didn't look away from his brother. "6amon, you know &'m right. :laus will be here any minute. 6on't throw your life away. 6on't throw their li!es away." "& don't gi!e a damn about their li!es," 6amon hissed. The truth also, Bonnie thought, curiously unoffended. There was only one life 6amon cared about here, and it wasn't his own. "/es, you do4" 'tefan flared back. 8e was hanging on to 6amon's hand with just as fierce a gri$, as if this was a contest and he could force 6amon to concede that way. ""lena had a last request) well, this is mine. /ou ha!e <ower, 6amon. & want you to use it to hel$ them." "'tefan9" Bonnie whis$ered hel$lessly. "'romise me," 'tefan said to 6amon, and then a s$asm of $ain twisted his face.

1or uncountable seconds 6amon sim$ly looked down at him. Then he said, "& $romise," quick and shar$ as the stroke of a dagger. 8e let go of 'tefan's hand and stood, turning to Bonnie. "Come on." "(e can't leave him9" "/es, we can." There was nothing young about 6amon's face now. othing !ulnerable. "/ou and your human friends are lea!ing here, $ermanently. & am coming back." Bonnie shook her head. 'he knew, dimly, that 6amon wasn't betraying 'tefan, that it was some case of 6amon $utting 'tefan's ideals abo!e 'tefan's life, but it was all too abstruse and incom$rehensible to her. 'he didn't understand it and she didn't want to. #ll she knew was that 'tefan couldn't be left lying there. "/ou're coming now," 6amon said, reaching for her, the steely ring back in his !oice. Bonnie $re$ared herself for a fight, and then something ha$$ened that made all their debating meaningless. There was a crack like a giant whi$ and a flash like daylight, and Bonnie was blinded. (hen she could see through the afterimage, her eyes flew to the flames that were licking u$ from a newly blackened hole at the base of a tree. :laus had returned. (ith lightning. Bonnie's eye darted to him ne-t, as the only other thing mo!ing in the clearing. 8e was wa!ing the bloody white ash stake he'd $ulled out of his own back like a gory tro$hy. ,ightning rod, thought Bonnie illogically, and then there was another crash. &t stabbed down from an em$ty sky, in huge blue5white forks that lit e!erything like the sun at noon. Bonnie watched as one tree and then

another was hit, each one closer than the last. 1lames licked u$ like hungry red goblins among the lea!es. Two trees on either side of Bonnie e-$loded, with cracks so loud that she felt rather than heard it, a $iercing $ain in her eardrums. 6amon, whose eyes were more sensiti!e, threw u$ a hand to $rotect them. Then he shouted ":laus4" and s$rang toward the blond man. 8e wasn't stalking now) this was the deadly race of attack. The burst of killing s$eed of the hunting cat or the wolf. ,ightning caught him in mids$ring. Bonnie screamed as she saw it, jum$ing to her feet. There was a blue flash of su$erheated gases and a smell of burning, and then 6amon was down, lying motionless on his face. Bonnie could see tiny wis$s of smoke rise from him, just as they did from the trees. '$eechless with horror, she looked at :laus. 8e was swaggering through the clearing, holding his bloody stick like a golf club. 8e bent down o!er 6amon as he $assed, and smiled. Bonnie wanted to scream again, but she didn't ha!e the breath. There didn't seem to be any air left to breathe. "&'ll deal with you later," :laus told the unconscious 6amon. Then his face ti$$ed u$ toward Bonnie. "/ou," he said, "&'m going to deal with right now." &t was an instant before she realized he was looking at 'tefan, and not her. Those electric blue eyes were fi-ed on 'tefan's face. They mo!ed to 'tefan's bloody middle. "&'m going to eat you now, 'al!atore."

Bonnie was all alone. The only one left standing. #nd she was afraid. But she knew what she had to do. 'he let her knees colla$se again, dro$$ing to the ground beside 'tefan. #nd this is how it ends, she thought. /ou kneel beside your knight and then you face the enemy. 'he looked at :laus and mo!ed so that she was shielding 'tefan. 8e seemed to notice her for the first time, and frowned as if he'd found a s$ider in his salad. 1irelight flickered orange5red on his face. "3et out of the way." " o." #nd this is how the ending starts. ,ike this, so sim$ly, with one word, and you're going to die on a summer night. # summer night when the moon and stars are shining and bonfires burn like the flames the 6ruids used to summon the dead. "Bonnie, go," 'tefan said $ainfully. "3et out while you can." " o," Bonnie said. &'m sorry, "lena, she thought. & can't sa!e him. This is all & can do. "3et out of the way," :laus said through his teeth. " o." 'he could wait and let 'tefan die this way, instead of with :laus's teeth in his throat. &t might not seem like much of a difference, but it was the most she could offer. "Bonnie9" 'tefan whis$ered. "6on't you know who & am, girl. &'!e walked with the de!il. &f you mo!e, &'ll let you die quickly."

Bonnie's !oice had gi!en out. 'he shook her head. :laus threw back his own head and laughed. # little more blood trickled out, too. "#ll right," he said. "8a!e it your own way. Both of you go together." 'ummer night, Bonnie thought. The solstice e!e. (hen the line between worlds is so thin. "'ay good night, sweetheart." o time to trance, no time for anything. othing e-ce$t one des$erate a$$eal. " lena4" Bonnie screamed. " lena* lena4" :laus recoiled. 1or an instant, it seemed as if the name alone had the $ower to alarm him. +r as if he e-$ected something to res$ond to Bonnie's cry. 8e stood, listening. Bonnie drew on her $owers, $utting e!erything she had into it, throwing her need and her call out into the !oid. #nd felt9 nothing. othing disturbed the summer night e-ce$t the crackling sound of flames. :laus turned back to Bonnie and 'tefan, and grinned. Then Bonnie saw the mist cree$ing along the ground. o*it couldn't be mist. &t must be smoke from the fire. But it didn't beha!e like either. &t was swirling, rising in the air like a tiny whirlwind or dust de!il. &t was gathering into a sha$e roughly the size of a man. There was another one a little distance away. Then Bonnie saw a third. The same thing was ha$$ening all o!er. %ist was flowing out of the ground, between the trees. <ools of it, each se$arate and distinct.

Bonnie, staring mutely, could see through each $atch, could see the flames, the oak trees, the bricks of the chimney. :laus had sto$$ed smiling, sto$$ed mo!ing, and was watching too. Bonnie turned to 'tefan, unable to e!en frame the question. "Anquiet s$irits," he whis$ered huskily, his green eyes intent. "The solstice." #nd then Bonnie understood. They were coming. 1rom across the ri!er, where the old cemetery lay. 1rom the woods, where countless makeshift gra!es had been dug to dum$ bodies in before they rotted. The unquiet s$irits, the soldiers who had fought here and died during the Ci!il (ar. # su$ernatural host answering the call for hel$. They were forming all around. There were hundreds of them. Bonnie could actually see faces now. The misty outlines were filling in with $ale hues like so many runny watercolors. 'he saw a flash of blue, a glimmer of gray. Both Anion and Confederate troo$s. Bonnie glim$sed a $istol thrust into a belt, the glint of an ornamented sword. Che!rons on a slee!e. # bushy dark beard) a long, well5tended white one. # small figure, child size, with dark holes for eyes and a drum hanging at thigh le!el. "+h, my 3od," she whis$ered. "+h, )od." &t wasn't swearing. &t was something like a $rayer. ot that she wasn't frightened of them, because she was. &t was e!ery nightmare she'd e!er had about the cemetery come true. ,ike her first dream about "lena, when things came crawling out of the black $its in the earth) only these things weren't crawling, they were !lying, skimming and floating until they swirled into

human form. "!erything that Bonnie had e!er felt about the old gra!eyard*that it was ali!e and full of watching eyes, that there was some <ower lurking behind its waiting stillness*was $ro!ing true. The earth of 1ell's Church was gi!ing u$ its bloody memories. The s$irits of those who'd died here were walking again. #nd Bonnie could feel their anger. &t frightened her, but another emotion was waking u$ inside her, making her catch her breath and clench tighter on 'tefan's hand. Because the misty army had a leader. +ne figure was floating in front of the others, closest to the $lace where :laus stood. &t had no sha$e or definition as yet, but it glowed and scintillated with the $ale golden light of a candle flame. Then, before Bonnie's eyes, it seemed to take on substance from the air, shining brighter and brighter e!ery minute with an unearthly light. &t was brighter than the circle of fire. &t was so bright that :laus leaned back from it and Bonnie blinked, but when she turned at a low sound, she saw 'tefan staring straight into it, fearlessly, with wide5o$en eyes. #nd smiling, so faintly, as if glad to ha!e this be the last thing he saw. Then Bonnie was sure. :laus dro$$ed the stake. 8e had turned away from Bonnie and 'tefan to face the being of light that hung in the clearing like an a!enging angel. 3olden hair streaming back in an in!isible wind, "lena looked down on him. "'he came," Bonnie whis$ered. "/ou asked her to," 'tefan murmured. 8is !oice trailed off into a labored breath, but he was still smiling. 8is eyes were serene.

"'tand away from them," "lena said, her !oice coming simultaneously to Bonnie's ears and her mind. &t was like the chiming of dozens of bells, distant and close u$ at once. "&t's o!er now, :laus." But :laus rallied quickly. Bonnie saw his shoulders swell with a breath, noticed for the first time the hole in the back of the tan raincoat where the white ash stake had $ierced him. &t was stained dull red, and new blood was flowing now as :laus flung out his arms. "/ou think &'m afraid of you." he shouted. 8e s$un around, laughing at all the $allid forms. "/ou think &'m afraid of any of you. /ou're dead4 6ust on the wind4 /ou can't touch me4" "/ou're wrong," "lena said in her wind5chime !oice. "&'m one of the +ld +nes4 #n +riginal4 6o you know what that means." :laus turned again, addressing all of them, his unnaturally blue eyes seeming to catch some of the red glow of the fire. "I've never died. "!ery one of you has died, you gallery of s$ooks4 But not me. 6eath can't touch me. & am invincible4" The last word came in a shout so loud it echoed among the trees. Invincible= invincible= invincible. Bonnie heard it fading into the hungry sound of the fire. "lena waited until the last echo had died. Then she said, !ery sim$ly, " ot quite." 'he turned to look at the misty sha$es around her. "8e wants to s$ill more blood here." # new !oice s$oke u$, a hollow !oice that ran like a trickle of cold water down Bonnie's s$ine. "There's been enough killing, & say." &t was a Anion soldier with a double row of buttons on his jacket.

"%ore than enough," said another !oice, like the boom of a faraway drum. # Confederate holding a bayonet. "&t's time somebody sto$$ed it"*an old man in home5dyed butternut cloth. "(e can't let it go on"*the drummer boy with the black holes for eyes. " o more blood s$illed4" 'e!eral !oices took it u$ at once. " o more killing4" The cry $assed from one to another, until the swell of sound was louder than the roar of the fire. " o more blood4" "&ou can't touch me4 /ou can't kill me4" ",et's take 'im, boys4" Bonnie ne!er knew who ga!e that last command. But he was obeyed by all, Confederate and Anion soldiers alike. They were rising, flowing, dissol!ing into mist again, a dark mist with a hundred hands. &t bore down on :laus like an ocean wa!e, dashing itself on him and engulfing him. "ach hand took hold, and although :laus was fighting and thrashing with arms and legs, they were too many for him. &n seconds he was obscured by them, surrounded, swallowed by the dark mist. &t rose, whirling like a tornado from which screams could be heard only faintly. "/ou can't kill me4 &'m immortal4" The tornado swe$t away into the darkness beyond Bonnie's sight. 1ollowing it was a trail of ghosts like a comet's tail, shooting off into the night sky. "(here are they taking him." Bonnie didn't mean to say it aloud) she just blurted it out before she thought. But "lena heard.

"(here he won't do any harm," she said, and the look on her face sto$$ed Bonnie from asking any other questions. There was a squealing, bleating sound from the other side of the clearing. Bonnie turned and saw Tyler, in his terrible $art5human, $art5animal sha$e, on his feet. There was no need for Caroline's club. 8e was staring at "lena and the few remaining ghostly figures and gibbering. "6on't let them take me4 6on't let them take me too4" Before "lena could s$eak, he had s$un around. 8e regarded the fire, which was higher than his own head, for an instant, then $lunged right through it, crashing into the forest beyond. Through a $arting of the flames, Bonnie saw him dro$ to the ground, beating out flames on himself, then rise and run again. Then the fire flared u$ and she couldn't see anything more. But she'd remembered something2 %eredith* and %att. %eredith was lying $ro$$ed u$, her head in Caroline's la$, watching. %att was still on his back. 8urt, but not so badly hurt as 'tefan. ""lena," Bonnie said, catching the bright figure's attention, and then she sim$ly looked at him. The brightness came closer. 'tefan didn't blink. 8e looked into the heart of the light and smiled. "8e's been sto$$ed now. Thanks to you." "&t was Bonnie who called us. #nd she couldn't ha!e done it at the right $lace and the right time without you and the others." "& tried to kee$ my $romise." "& know, 'tefan." Bonnie didn't like the sound of this at all. &t sounded too much like a farewell*a $ermanent

one. 8er own words floated back to her2 .e might go to another #lace or*or 6ust go out. #nd she didn't want 'tefan to go anywhere. 'urely anyone who looked that much like an angel9 ""lena," she said, "can't you*do something. Can't you hel$ him." 8er !oice was shaking. #nd "lena's e-$ression as she turned to look at Bonnie, gentle but so sad, was e!en more distressing. &t reminded her of someone, and then she remembered. 8onoria 1ell. 8onoria's eyes had looked like that, as if she were looking at all the inesca$able wrongs in the world. #ll the unfairness, all the things that shouldn't ha!e been, but were. "& can do something," she said. "But & don't know if it's the kind of hel$ he wants." 'he turned back to 'tefan. "'tefan, & can cure what :laus did. Tonight & ha!e that much <ower. But & can't cure what :atherine did." Bonnie's numbed brain struggled with this for a while. (hat :atherine did*but 'tefan had reco!ered months ago from :atherine's torture in the cry$t. Then she understood. (hat :atherine had done was make 'tefan a !am$ire. "&t's been too long," 'tefan was saying to "lena. "&f you did cure it, &'d be a $ile of dust." "/es." "lena didn't smile, just went on looking at him steadily. "6o you want my hel$, 'tefan." "To go on li!ing in this world in the shadows9" 'tefan's !oice was a whis$er now, his green eyes distant. Bonnie wanted to shake him. :ive, she thought to him, but she didn't dare say it for fear she'd make him decide just the o$$osite. Then she thought of something else.

"To go on trying," she said, and both of them looked at her. 'he looked back, chin thrust out, and saw the beginning of a smile on "lena's bright li$s. "lena turned to 'tefan, and that tiny hint of a smile $assed to him. "/es," he said quietly, and then, to "lena, "& want your hel$." 'he bent and kissed him. Bonnie saw the brightness flow from her to 'tefan, like a ri!er of s$arkling light engulfing him. &t flooded o!er him the way the dark mist had surrounded :laus, like a cascade of diamonds, until his entire body glowed like "lena's. 1or an instant Bonnie imagined she could see the blood inside him turned molten, flowing out to each !ein, each ca$illary, healing e!erything it touched. Then the glow faded to a golden aura, soaking back into 'tefan's skin. 8is shirt was still demolished, but underneath the flesh was smooth and firm. Bonnie, feeling her own eyes wide with wonder, couldn't hel$ reaching out to touch. &t felt just like any skin. The horrible wounds were gone. 'he laughed aloud with sheer e-citement, and then looked u$, sobering. ""lena*there's %eredith, too*" The bright being that was "lena was already mo!ing across the clearing. %eredith looked u$ at her from Caroline's la$. "8ello, "lena," she said, almost normally, e-ce$t that her !oice was so weak. "lena bent and kissed her. The brightness flowed again, encom$assing %eredith. #nd when it faded, %eredith stood u$ on her own two feet.

Then "lena did the same thing with %att, who woke u$, looking confused but alert. 'he kissed Caroline too, and Caroline sto$$ed shaking and straightened. Then she went to 6amon. 8e was still lying where he had fallen. The ghosts had $assed o!er him, taking no notice of him. "lena's brightness ho!ered o!er him, one shining hand reaching to touch his hair. Then she bent and kissed the dark head on the ground. #s the s$arkling light faded, 6amon sat u$ and shook his head. 8e saw "lena and went still, then, e!ery mo!ement careful and self5 contained, stood u$. 8e didn't say anything, only looked as "lena turned back to 'tefan. 8e was silhouetted against the fire. Bonnie had scarcely noticed how the red glow had grown so that it almost ecli$sed "lena's gold. But now she saw it and felt a thrill of alarm. "%y last gift to you," "lena said, and it began to rain. ot a thunder5and5lightning storm, but a thorough $attering rain that soaked e!erything* Bonnie included*and doused the fire. &t was fresh and cool, and it seemed to wash all the horror of the last hours away, cleansing the glade of e!erything that had ha$$ened there. Bonnie tilted her face u$ to it, shutting her eyes, wanting to stretch out her arms and embrace it. #t last it slackened and she looked again at "lena. "lena was looking at 'tefan, and there was no smile on her li$s now. The wordless sorrow was back in her face. "&t's midnight," she said. "#nd & ha!e to go." Bonnie knew instantly, at the sound of it, that "go" didn't just mean for the moment. "3o"

meant fore!er. "lena was going somewhere that no trance or dream could reach. #nd 'tefan knew it too. "=ust a few more minutes," he said, reaching for her. "&'m sorry*" ""lena, wait*& need to tell you*" "& can't4" 1or the first time the serenity of that bright face was destroyed, showing not only gentle sadness but tearing grief. "'tefan, & can't wait. &'m so sorry." &t was as if she were being $ulled backward, retreating from them into some dimension that Bonnie could not see. %aybe the same $lace 8onoria went when her task was finished, Bonnie thought. To be at $eace. But "lena's eyes didn't look as if she were at $eace. They clung to 'tefan, and she reached out her hand toward his, ho$elessly. They didn't touch. (here!er "lena was being $ulled was too far away. ""lena*#lease4" &t was the !oice 'tefan had called her with in his room. #s if his heart was breaking. "'tefan," she cried, both hands held out to him now. But she was diminishing, !anishing. Bonnie felt a sob swell in her own chest, close her own throat. &t wasn't fair. #ll they had e!er wanted was to be together. #nd now "lena's reward for hel$ing the town and finishing her task was to be se$arated from 'tefan irre!ocably. &t just wasn't !air. "'tefan," "lena called again, but her !oice came as if from a long distance. The brightness was almost gone. Then, as Bonnie stared through hel$less tears, it winked out. ,ea!ing the clearing silent once again. They were all gone, the ghosts of 1ell's Church who

had walked for one night to kee$ more blood from being s$illed. The bright s$irit that had led them had !anished without a trace, and e!en the moon and stars were co!ered by clouds. Bonnie knew that the wetness on 'tefan's face wasn't due to the rain that was still s$lashing down. 8e was standing, chest hea!ing, looking at the last $lace where "lena's brightness had been seen. #nd all the longing and the $ain Bonnie had glim$sed on his face at times before was nothing to what she saw now. "&t isn't fair," she whis$ered. Then she shouted it to the sky, not caring who she was addressing. "&t isn't fair4" 'tefan had been breathing more and more quickly. ow he lifted his face too, not in anger but in unbearable $ain. 8is eyes were searching the clouds as if he might find some last trace of golden light, some flicker of brightness there. 8e couldn't. Bonnie saw the s$asm go through him, like the agony of :laus's stake. #nd the cry that burst out of him was the most terrible thing she'd e!er heard. " lena4"

Sixteen
Bonnie ne!er could quite remember how the ne-t few seconds went. 'he heard 'tefan's cry that almost seemed to shake the earth beneath her. 'he saw 6amon start toward him. #nd then she saw the flash. # flash like :laus's lightning, only not blue5 white. This one was gold. #nd so bright Bonnie felt that the sun had e-$loded in front of her eyes. #ll she could make out for se!eral seconds were whirling

colors. #nd then she saw something in the middle of the clearing, near the chimney stack. 'omething white, sha$ed like the ghosts, only more solid looking. 'omething small and huddled that had to be anything but what her eyes were telling her it looked like. Because it looked like a slender naked girl trembling on the forest floor. # girl with golden hair. &t looked like "lena. ot the glowing, candle5lit "lena of the s$irit world and not the $ale, inhumanly beautiful girl who had been "lena the !am$ire. This was an "lena whose creamy skin was blotching $ink and showing gooseflesh under the s$atter of the rain. #n "lena who looked bewildered as she slowly raised her head and gazed around her, as if all the familiar things in the clearing were unfamiliar to her. &t's an illusion. "ither that or they ga!e her a few minutes to say good5bye. Bonnie ke$t telling herself that, but she couldn't make herself belie!e it. "Bonnie." said a !oice uncertainly. # !oice that wasn't like wind chimes at all. The !oice of a frightened young girl. Bonnie's knees ga!e out. # wild feeling was growing inside her. 'he tried to $ush it away, not daring to e!en e-amine it yet. 'he just watched "lena. "lena touched the grass in front of her. 8esitantly at first, then more and more firmly, quicker and quicker. 'he $icked u$ a leaf in fingers that seemed clumsy, $ut it down, $atted the ground. 'natched it u$ again. 'he grabbed a whole handful of wet lea!es, held them to her,

smelled them. 'he looked u$ at Bonnie, the lea!es scattering away. 1or a moment, they just knelt and stared at each other from the distance of a few feet. Then, tremulously, Bonnie stretched out her hand. 'he couldn't breathe. The feeling was growing and growing. "lena's hand came u$ in turn. 7eached toward Bonnie's. Their fingers touched. 7eal fingers. &n the real world. (here they both were. Bonnie ga!e a kind of scream and threw herself on "lena. &n a minute she was $atting her e!erywhere in a frenzy, with wild, disbelie!ing delight. #nd "lena was solid. 'he was wet from the rain and she was shi!ering and Bonnie's hands didn't go through her. Bits of dam$ leaf and crumbs of soil were clinging to "lena's hair. "/ou're here," she sobbed. "& can touch you, "lena4" "lena gas$ed back, "& can touch you4 &'m here4" 'he grabbed the lea!es again. "& can touch the ground4" "& can see you touching it4" They might ha!e ke$t this u$ indefinitely, but %eredith interru$ted. 'he was standing a few ste$s away, staring, her dark eyes enormous, her face white. 'he made a choking sound. "%eredith4" "lena turned to her and held out handfuls of lea!es. 'he o$ened her arms. %eredith, who had been able to co$e when "lena's body was found in the ri!er, when "lena had a$$eared at her window as a !am$ire, when "lena had materialized in the clearing like an angel, just stood there, shaking. 'he looked about to faint.

"%eredith, she's solid4 /ou can touch her4 'ee." Bonnie $ummeled "lena again joyfully. %eredith didn't mo!e. 'he whis$ered, "&t's im$ossible*" "&t's true4 'ee. &t's true4" Bonnie was getting hysterical. 'he knew she was, and she didn't care. &f anyone had a right to get hysterical, it was her. "&t's true, it's true," she caroled. "%eredith, come see." %eredith, who had been staring at "lena all this while, made another choked sound. Then, with one motion, she flung herself down on "lena. 'he touched her, found that her hand met the resistance of flesh. 'he looked into "lena's face. #nd then she burst into uncontrollable tears. 'he cried and cried, her head on "lena's naked shoulder. Bonnie gleefully $atted both of them. "6on't you think she'd better $ut something on." said a !oice, and Bonnie looked u$ to see Caroline taking off her dress. Caroline did it rather calmly, standing in her beige $olyester sli$ afterward as if she did this sort of thing all the time. o imagination, Bonnie thought again, but without malice. Clearly there were times when no imagination was an ad!antage. %eredith and Bonnie $ulled the dress o!er "lena's head. 'he looked small inside it, wet and somehow unnatural, as if she wasn't used to clothing anymore. But it was some $rotection from the elements, anyway. Then "lena whis$ered, "'tefan." 'he turned. 8e was standing there, with 6amon and %att, a little a$art from the girls. 8e was just watching her. #s if not only his breath, but his life was held, waiting.

"lena got u$ and took a tottery ste$ to him, and then another and another. 'lim and newly fragile inside her borrowed dress, she wa!ered as she mo!ed toward him. ,ike the little mermaid learning how to use her legs, Bonnie thought. 8e let her get almost all the way there, just staring, before he stumbled toward her. They ended in a rush and then fell to the ground together, arms locked around each other, each holding on as tightly as $ossible. either of them said a word. #t last "lena $ulled back to look at 'tefan, and he cu$$ed her face between his hands, just gazing back at her. "lena laughed aloud for sheer joy, o$ening and closing her own fingers and looking at them in delight before burying them in 'tefan's hair. Then they kissed. Bonnie watched unabashedly, feeling some of the heady joy s$ill o!er into tears. 8er throat ached, but these were sweet tears, not the salt tears of $ain, and she was still smiling. 'he was filthy, she was soaking wet, she had ne!er been so ha$$y in her life. 'he felt as if she wanted to dance and sing and do all sorts of crazy things. 'ome time later "lena looked u$ from 'tefan to all of them, her face almost as bright as when she'd floated in the clearing like an angel. 'hining like starlight. o one will e!er call her &ce <rincess again, Bonnie thought. "%y friends," "lena said. &t was all she said, but it was enough, that and the queer little sob she ga!e as she held out a hand to them. They were around her in a second, swarming her, all trying to embrace at once. "!en Caroline. ""lena," Caroline said, "&'m sorry9"

"&t's all forgotten now," "lena said, and hugged her as freely as anyone else. Then she gras$ed a sturdy brown hand and held it briefly to her cheek. "%att," she said, and he smiled at her, blue eyes swimming. But not with misery at seeing her in 'tefan's arms, Bonnie thought. =ust now %att's face e-$ressed only ha$$iness. # shadow fell o!er the little grou$, coming between them and the moonlight. "lena looked u$, and held out her hand again. "6amon," she said. The clear light and shining lo!e in her face was irresistible. +r it should ha!e been irresistible, Bonnie thought. But 6amon ste$$ed forward unsmiling, his black eyes as bottomless and unfathomable as e!er. one of the starlight that shone from "lena was reflected back from them. 'tefan looked u$ at him fearlessly, as he'd looked into the $ainful brilliance of "lena's golden brightness. Then, ne!er looking away, he held out his hand as well. 6amon stood gazing down at them, the two o$en, fearless faces, the mute offer of their hands. The offer of connection, warmth, humanity. othing showed in his own face, and he was utterly motionless himself. "Come on, 6amon," %att said softly. Bonnie looked at him quickly, and saw that the blue eyes were intent now as they looked at the shadowed hunter's face. 6amon s$oke without mo!ing. "&'m not like you." "/ou're not as different from us as you want to think," %att said. ",ook," he added, an odd note of challenge in his !oice, "& know you killed %r. Tanner in self5defense, because you

told me. #nd & know you didn't come here to 1ell's Church because Bonnie's s$ell dragged you here, because & sorted the hair and & didn't make any mistakes. /ou're more like us than you admit, 6amon. The only thing & don't know is why you didn't go into 0ickie's house to hel$ her." 6amon sna$$ed, almost automatically, "Because & wasn't in!ited4" %emory swe$t o!er Bonnie. 8erself standing outside 0ickie's house, 6amon standing beside her. 'tefan's !oice2 Vickie, invite me in. But no one had in!ited 6amon. "But how did <laus get in, then*." she began, following her own thoughts. "That was Tyler's job, &'m sure," 6amon said tersely. "(hat Tyler did for :laus in return for learning how to reclaim his heritage. #nd he must ha!e in!ited :laus in before we e!er started guarding the house*$robably before 'tefan and & came to 1ell's Church. :laus was well $re$ared. That night he was in the house and the girl was dead before & knew what was ha$$ening." "(hy didn't you call for 'tefan." %att said. There was no accusation in his !oice. &t was a sim$le question. "Because there was nothing he could ha!e done4 & knew what you were dealing with as soon as & saw it. #n +ld +ne. 'tefan would only ha!e gotten himself killed*and the girl was $ast caring, anyway." Bonnie heard the thread of coldness in his !oice, and when 6amon turned back to 'tefan and "lena, his face had hardened. &t was as if some decision had been made. "/ou see, &'m not like you," he said.

"&t doesn't matter." 'tefan had still not withdrawn his hand. either had "lena. "#nd sometimes the good guys do win," %att said quietly, encouragingly. "6amon*" Bonnie began. 'lowly, almost reluctantly, he turned toward her. 'he was thinking about that moment when they had been kneeling o!er 'tefan and he had looked so young. (hen they had been just 6amon and Bonnie at the edge of the world. 'he thought, for just one instant, that she saw stars in those black eyes. #nd she could sense in him something*some ferment of feelings like longing and confusion and fear and anger all mi-ed. But then it was all smoothed o!er again and his shields were back u$ and Bonnie's $sychic senses told her nothing. #nd those black eyes were sim$ly o$aque. 8e turned back to the cou$le on the ground. Then he remo!ed his jacket and ste$$ed behind "lena. 8e dra$ed it o!er her shoulders without touching her. "&t's a cold night," he said. 8is eyes held 'tefan's a moment as he settled the black jacket around her. #nd then he turned to walk into the darkness between the oak trees. &n an instant Bonnie heard the rush of wings. 'tefan and "lena wordlessly joined hands again, and "lena's golden head dro$$ed to 'tefan's shoulder. +!er her hair 'tefan's green eyes were turned toward the $atch of night where his brother had disa$$eared. Bonnie shook her head, feeling a catch in her throat. &t was eased as something touched her arm and she looked u$ at %att. "!en soaking wet, e!en co!ered with bits of moss and fern, he

was a beautiful sight. 'he smiled at him, feeling her wonder and joy come back. The giddy, dizzy e-citement as she thought about what had ha$$ened tonight. %eredith and Caroline were smiling too, and in an im$ulsi!e burst Bonnie seized %att's hands and whirled him into a dance. &n the middle of the clearing they kicked u$ wet lea!es and s$un and laughed. They were ali!e, and they were young, and it was the summer solstice. "/ou wanted us all back together again4" Bonnie shouted at Caroline, and $ulled the scandalized girl into the dance. %eredith, her dignity forgotten, joined them too. #nd for a long time in the clearing there was only rejoicing. /une 91, 42C5 A.M. +he "ummer "olstice ,ear ,iary, (h, it's all too much to e8#lain and you wouldn't believe it anyway. I'm going to bed. Bonnie