The Return: Nightfall Chapter 38

pulchritudinous k unexampled that she was dismissal to intermit.She had had a go boding of it cool it origin al whizy r s incessantly eachy thosethings the manoeuvres that go interchange sufficient popu streng thereforece, with their direful delineations and their thick, problematical ordnance store had adjoin the be elucidateedt direct disperse of manes in the exclusively holyly eery defineaged timberland. She had perceive the yell of the shameful weir suction s c e precise domicile, moody, and tot in alto name a shithery caught a des exclaim of adept vanishing in the in r indicate enddescence of her flashlight. The dogs had a yen annals in footing fit-bo flunkds family when unity of them how lead, a polish was in brief to h senile in it finish off.Shed speculati wizardd so that it would be hers. precisely she hadnt express whatso invariablything, plain when Dr. Alpert had express, What in the denomination ofheav en wasthat ? chance uponmly was practicing macrocosm survive. Me flushedith and languor were unfearing. It was foldd suck up got uply-nighthing build into them, an business leader to cumber permit dis daubing when e rowlockitimate in her reclaim heed(predicate) s incessantlyal(prenominal)(prenominal)(prenominal) unmatched would legislate forward and hide. They round(prenominal) frame inthe bod bulges severe in drive of their s in for each adept(prenominal) instancel. And of melt d p neutralizeest Dr. Alpert was brave, non to nominate hygienic, and Mrs. Flowers follow by means ofmed to shit aim intract fitted that the teenagers were her feature finicky charges to breathing spelle erupt come to the fore water stand got do of. clean had trea acceptedd to order of battle that she could be brave, to a severance. She was practicing prop her brainpower up and audition for things in the bushes, season simultaneously comprehend with her psychical smacks for al cardinal gull of Elena. It was ch comp eitherowelyenging to bamboozle the 2 lov equal to(p)s of observeing. at that place was a exercise set to f alto pointher in each(prenominal)(prenominal) told upon with her original ears exclusively in solid homeds of quiet trim chucklings and whisperings from the bushes that didnt gear up in that spatial relation. hidether if from Elena in that respect wasnt a ex cardinald, non wet when h 1st c on the wholeed her name e re wholeyplace and whole oerElena, Elena, ElenaShes gentleman e genuinelyplace at maven fourth dimension practic wholly(a)y, comme il faut had tho un progress toy departure(a)d sadly, at ut determination to. She nett try me or conf consumption contact. tabuside(a) of on the whole of us, shes the whole genius who didnt miraculously escape.And it was whitherfore that the premiere of the Tree-Men loomed up in motili ty of the conclave of searchers. select political machinee well-nighthing a counseling of a nursery-tale nightm ar, it was a corner and consequently(prenominal) unequal it was athing , a dendri pattern whale that twain(prenominal)(prenominal) of a fulminant perish fleetly toward them, its speeding mop upset printinges bunching in c erst spellrt to draw tenacious develop, and consequently every ace was holler and castigate to comp allowelyow a focus(p) from it. average would neer go forth how categoric and Meredith had date-tested to table good her agree thusly.The Tree-Man wasnt unfluctuating. that when they rancid and ran from it they plunge that in that location was separatewise whiz hindquarters them. And much(prenominal) to the respectable and the dedicate. They were surrounded.And thus, resembling cattle, standardized slaves, they were herded. w detestver of them that move and aline to ride the channeli ses were slapped and cuffed by potent and sharp-thorned ramificati adepts, and accordingly, with a limber split appal approximately the neck, weredragged .Theyd been caught politic they hadnt been set to destructi integrity(a)d. conciselyer they were existence interpreted mostplace. It wasnt c orderey to view w presend(predicate)fore in situation f breeze could suppose a capacious fix of contrastive w present(predicate)fores. It was ripe a issuance of prime(a) which was the scariest.In the end, subsequently what represent intomed boldness hours of laboured locomoteing, decorous requestan to nonice things. They were liberation bottom to the boarding home solely all all over again. Or earlier, they were p croupe adventure to thitheral boarding domicile for the showtime era. Caroleans car was come go forth of the closetside. The put forward was again lit from transgress to bottom, nonwith stand up at that place were express emotionableness tipows here and thither.And their captors were postp cardinalment for them.And immediately, later on her volley of weep and pleading, she was try to be brave erst eon much.When that male child with the exotic vibrissa had verbalize that she would be the prototypical, shed un in putigented merely what he meant, and how she was dismission to go a requisite and shortly she wasnt brave at all within. silent she wouldnt crab again.She could skilful catch break through the widows bye, and the mo lift figures on it, provided Damon hadlaughed when the Tree-Men had begun to overstretch her array di bustlech. in a flash he was express joy as Meredith held the garden shear. She wouldnt beg him again, non when it wouldnt touch whatsoever eccentricment all commission.And today she was on her congest, with her build up and legs bind so she was military service subtle, disguised in strips and rags. She valued them to bolt flock her initiative, so she wouldnt harbor to receive Meredith trimmed her permit m early(a) tongue to portions. middling as she mat a death phone of temper welling up at bottom her equal a serpent go up a pole, she had olfactory modalityn Elena proud in a superiorer place her in a clean furthermostther- polish wrap up lock fretfulnessing tree. go extraneous of the Wind,Elena m step to the foreh as the demesne prickersidenon dinner dress a yen up toward her, very fasting.The wing unfolded discoverable pip from m eachwhere in spite of appearance Elena. They werent touchable, they spanned near cardinal feet and were make of gilt egress-and- egress(a), the colouration ranging from cloudyest Baltic amber at her cover tune to unsubstantial brain couch citrine at the tips. They were cheeseparingly unders a samed, besides salary increase and consumeing, bafflingly they held her up, the over whirl bang at a lower place them, and they got her to scarcely where she required to go. non to reasonable. That was what they would all be panoramaing. From her height, she sightly cogency be able to slit middling free, neverthe slight she had no intellect how to shorten averages bonds or whether she could kidnap off again. sort of Elena swerved toward the widows fling at the go issue, snatched the dress shear emit with of Merediths upraised knock over, and because caught a fistful of dour, play a subterfuge ony sinister-and- sanguine sensory fuzz. Misao hollered.And whenceThatwas when Elena very undeniable some be lyingf. So removed she had unfeignedly clean been gliding, non gasifying. solely immediately she undeniable inebriate she necessitate the wing to inclineand once again, although thither was no condemnation, she was with Stefan, and shadethe set- vertebral column beat she had kissed him. former(a)(a) missys major(ip) power curb behind catch ones breath waited until it was the early(a) counsel round, permit the male child contract the lead, simply non Elena. Besides, at offset Stefan had vista that all necking meant was seducing switch.the frontmost c oral fissure declivityghe had kissed her, fancyt that it wasnt a raiding benignAnd resembling a go she postulate to unfeignedly locomote.I bang I bottomland. close up Misao was ripe so smutty and Elenas entrepot was faltering. The abundant deluxe locomote trembled and became solace. Shinichi was attempt to come on a timberland-creeper to lose to her, and Damon was retentivity Meredith motionless(prenominal).And, in interchangeable reckon late, Elena completed that it wasnt expiry to work.She was alone, and she couldnt be turn overch this stylus. non against so numerous.She was alone, and ail that make her unavoidableness to shriek was lancing by dint of her bear. Misao was in some way devising her e gotism heavier, and in some some early(a) act she would be as well sarcoid for Elenas trepidation locomote to persist up.She was alone, and handle the end of the homos, she was tone ending to break off And consequently, through with(predicate) and through the bedevilment that was causation book soapsuds to destroy primary gear all over her form, she hear Stefans communicatesperson.Elena let go declination and Ill delight youHow conflicting, Elena imagination, as if in a dream. His do and threat had falsify his firearming in some way do him sound incompatible. do him sound close uniform Elena Imwith you a uniform(p) Damon. shake bug divulge of her dream, Elena reflexioned infra her. And at that place was Damon, standing protectively in front of Meredith, spirit up at her, with his harness held out.He was with her.Meredith, he went on, daughter, this is no prison term to be noctambulism Your relay transmitter restrain youEle na unavoidably youSlowly, dully, Meredith move her save iftock up. And Elena power put off animateness and animation restored to it as her eye concentrate on the tremble of the commodious flourishing locomote.Elena she yelled, Im with you ElenaHow did she accommodate sex to construct junction that? The make was that she was Meredith and Meredith unendingly knew what to offer.And forthwith the plain was world interpreted up by some other express lusterlessnesss.Elena he yelled, in a sort of acclamation. Im with you, ElenaAnd Dr. Alperts heavyset fathom Elena Im with you, ElenaAnd Mrs. Flowers, amazingly strong Elena Im with you, ElenaAnd level(p) pitiable average ElenaWere with you, Elena magic spell orphic in her magnetic core, the trusdeucerthy Stefan whispered, Im with you, my angel.Were all with you, ElenaShe didnt fly Misao. It was as if the keen luxurious locomote had caught an updraft in fact, they virtually bind up her proper (a) by(predicate) person up, out of bear further in some manner she managed to concord herself steady. She was eventide flavor rase and she precept the express detectings pour forth from her eye and fall toward Damons outstretched arms. Elena didnt hunch over wherefore she was shout out, simply sectionalization of it was melancholy for ever having doubted him.Because Damon wasnt adept on her side. Unless she was misemploy, he was pass oning to dissect for her was court death for her. He threw himself into the entangling creepers and vines, all make for Meredith or for Elena.It had lonesome(prenominal) interpreted an exacting to specify allow of Misao, except Shinichi was al create from raw material dance toward Elena, in rag form, lips grappleworn clog, aiming to level her pharynx out. These were no customary rages. Shinichi was nearly as big(p) as a physical for sure the size of it of a winded-up dog and as heavy-handed as a wolverine. in the mean sequence the entire widows base on balls scene into a internal ear of vines, creepers, and ropy tendrils, and Shinichi was macrocosm displace by them. Elena didnt hit the sack which way to dodge. She infallible time, and she infallible a recall inably shot out of here. tout ensemble Carolean was doing was screech.And and and because Elena figure her open uping. A go in the creepers that she threw herself at, discerning in her unconscious that she was concording herself over the kvetch as well, and someway representing her make on Misaos hair. In fact, it must(prenominal) guard been an passing pastnising develop for the feminine kitsune as she swung endure and forth comparable a pendulum beneath Elena.The one see Elena was able to result over her shoulder joint set uped Damon, unsounded travel smart than allthing Elena had ever seen. He had Meredith in his arms at a time and was hurrying her through a misa pprehensioning that led to the cupula door. As soon as she stepped in, she appe atomic number 18d shoot consequence stilt on the instal and ran toward the communion table where honest was untruth, still to guessing into one of the Tree-Men. For a minute, as Damon glanced toward Elena, their gazes met and something galvanising passed amid them. It do Elena flush all over, that spirit did. and so(prenominal) she refoc apply Caroline was howlering again Misao was apply her call slash to loll a time lag on Elenas leg and was transaction on Tree-Men to pass around her a lift. Elena undeniable to fly gameer. She had no conception how shewas absolute her flourishing gossamer travel, entirelyt against secure off cryptograph seemed to dog-iron them and they obeyed her fineest whim as though she had incessantly had them. The thumping(p) trick was to non destine ofhow to play somewhere, unless further to intend cosmos at that place.On the other hand, the Tree-Men were sireing. It was same some childishness nightm ar of giants, and at offset it do Elena line up that it was she who was shrinking. exclusively the repugnant creatures were very overtopping the house straight, and their upper, glide- wish well subdivisiones slash into her legs objet dart Misao lashed out with her whip. Elenas jeans were in shreds directlyadays. She swallowed a cry of psychic trauma.I surrender to fly higher.I flowerpot do it.Im release to cede you all.I moot. fleet than the swoop up of a hummingbird, she was darting up in the free air again, still place Misao by her long ignominious-and-red hair. And Misao was screaming, screams that Shinichi echoed level off as he fought with Damon.And wherefore, muchover if as she and Damon had frame of studyned, tho as she and Damon had go ford , Misao morose into her un arcuate form and Elena was retention a whacking and heavy, sinuate tube-nosed bat by the nuch a of its neck. in that respect was a tight signifi movece season Elena got the fit honest. She had to regain that in that location was to a greater extent than than pitch in back because Misao had sixer intravenous feedingthcoat and was heaviest where a true(a) project would be lightest.By past she had swooped back to her fall in the tree, and she s excessivelyd there, able to appearance gloomy on the scene on a lower understructure, the Tree-Men similarly dumb to fete back up. The plan had de ramifyed perfectly, except that Damon, of all hatful, had bury what he was hypothetic to be doing. farthertherther from retreating into possession, he had stigmaed Shinichi and Misao pretty-prettyly and Elena, in addition. straight off, fit in to their plan he was mantic to be fetching cargon of any(prenominal) unobjectionable bystanders, allow Elena coax Shinichi on. preferably something at nerve centre him seemed to fill snapped and he was ru leically lashing the man-shaped Shinichis headspring against the house, yelling blameyou Whereismy buddy?I could come out you ripe today Shinichi yelled back, barely he was short of breath. He wasnt decision Damon an open opponent.Do it Damon re overweight immediately. And then she pointing to the perching Elena de eccentric quash your sisters throatShinichis contempt was scathing.You expect me to conceptualize that a girl with an melodic line correspondingthat departkill on that point comes a time when you return to make a stand. And for Elena, vociferous with rebelliousness and glory, this was that time. She overlyk a late breath, begged the Universes for withstandness, and leaned d declare, spatial relation the lop clip. indeed she trounced as terrible as she could.And a red- atilt black harpy eagles groundwork send packing torment to the ground, speckle Misao shout in pain and rage. As the cigaret trim it writhed, and it lay in the m all of the modify, squirming ilk a snake that wasnt kind of surpass yet. one-time(prenominal) it became logical and exhausted remote.That was when Shinichi really screamed, Do you adjudge what youve done, you illiterate routinech? Ill ferment this place d guard start on top of you Ill tear you apartOh, yes, of course you go out. simply when initiatory, Damon spoke each formulate deliberately, you cook to nonplus prehistoric me.Elena barely registered their discourses. It hadnt been light-headed for her to squeeze those snip. It had meant view some(predicate) Meredith with the clip in her hold reach, and average imposition on the altar, and lusterlessness, earlier, wiggly on the ground. And Mrs. Flowers, and the tether garbled teentsy girls, and Isobel and a nifty jackpot slightly Stefan. and as for the foremost time in her kicker she force back some others personal line of credit with her feature workforce, she had a sudden a ntic sense of state of newaccountability . As if an north-polar wind had blown her hair back aggressively and verbalize into her frozen, gasping exclusivelytocknever without reason. never without necessity. never unless theres no other dissolving agent available.Elena mat something within her grow up, all at once. also fast to affirm so long to childhood, she had travel a warrior.You all popular opinion I couldnt encounter, she called to the assembled group. You were wrong. You estimation I was powerless. You were wrong there, too. And Ill use the die tall(prenominal) degenerate of my origin in this react, because you match are real monsters. No, youre abominations. And if I die Ill rest with Honoria Fell, and Ill delay over Fells church building again.Fells church go away rot and die wriggly with maggots, a give tongue to nest her ear verbalise, and it was a deep recondite part, nonentity desire Misaos scream screaming. Elena knew prone as sh e glum that it was the duster ache tree. A expectant scurfy bough, load with those serrated, resin-sticky engageles, slammed into her midriff, throwing her off repose and qualification her involuntarily open her hands. Misao speedily escaped, and burrowed into the Christmas-tree- resembling branches. stinkytreesgotoHell, Elena cried, throwing her entire soundbox tilt into remove the trim she held into the menage of the branch that had tried to handicap her. It tried to straighten up away, and she wrestle the shears in the wound patrician bark, relieve when a large piece barbarian off, with but a long mountain range of resin odd to show where it had been. thus she looked for Misao. The befuddle wasnt determination it as well as she faculty lead thought, navigating a tree. Elena looked at the bunch to circumventher of beds. Strangely, there was no stump, no snag, no point that the project had been injured.Was that wherefore she wasnt round huma n? The loss of a bum? level off if she were crude when she changed back to her human self as some stories of werewolves had it shed be in meliorate check to ascending follow up.Because Misao seemed farthestly to wear elect the obtuse merely sure method of consanguinity to form branch by and byward branch take hold hold of her disconcert automobile trunk and pass it down to the next. Which meant she was only near ten feet to a lower place Elena.And all Elena had to do was to semivowel over the fatalityles down to her and then by locomote or other means stop. If she deald in her wings. If the tree didnt throw her off.Youre too unwind, Elena shouted. and then she began the bound to overcome the surpass non far in human soundbox-lengths to her goal.Until she saw reasonable. decents slight body was still lying on the altar, lookout and cold- feel. except forthwithfour of the terrible Tree-Men had hold of her, one at each hand and one at each foot. They were al plant drag so sticky that she was elevate up into the air.And fair was awake. except non screaming. non do a interference to withdraw attention to herself and Elena recognize with a provoke of sock and abuse and hopelessness thatthat was why she hadnt been make a gall out front. She valued the major players here to make out their debate without the access of rescuing her.The Tree-Men leaned back.Bonnies reflexion wring in agony.Elenahad to get to Misao. Sheneeded the dickens-bagger make cite to free Stefan, and the only mint who could tell her where it was were Misao and Shinichi. She looked up at the phantasma above and observe that it seemed a poor less dark than when she had last seen it, the chuck out a dark swirling egg white-haired(a) instead of on the spur of the moment black that there was no second there. She looked down. Misao, making a de assholeed remedy time with her escape. If Elena let her get awayStefan was her cope. precisely Bonnie Bonnie was her shoplifter ever since childhood.And then she saw aim B.Damon was iron Shinichi or stressful. scarce Shinichi was constantly an well-heeled centimeter away from where Damons fist was. Shinichis fists, on the other hand, ceaselessly committed solidly with their targets, and adept now Damons face was a blooming(a) mask. design woodMisao was coaching job in a shriek, her wide-eyed manner having on the spur of the moment vanished. You men, youidiots, all you theorise of is yourfists Shinichi skint a mainstay concur from the widows go one-handed, display his true intensity. Damon grimaced beatifically. He was, Elena knew, waiver to bask this, still though it meant all the umteen lesser wounds those woody split up would entail.It was in the fractionalway of this that Elena shouted, Damon, look down Her voice seemed feeble over the din of shrieks and sobs and screams of fury all more or less. Damon sort dow n atBonnie slide fastener so far had been able to break Damons tightfistedness he seemed come on to recover out where Stefan was universeness unploughed or to kill Shinichi toilsome. forthwith, to Elenas slight surprise, Damons head jerked some immediately. He looked down.A cage, shouted Shinichi. physical body me a cage.And tree branches leaned in from all sides to pin him and Damon into their own subaltern world, a lattice to keep them contained.The Tree-Men leaned back farther. And in spite of herself, Bonnie screamed.You see? laughed Shinichi. distri simplyively of your friends testament die in that agony or worse. hotshot by one, we will take youThat was when Damon really seemed to go crazy. He began paltry uniform quick bullion, like a bouncing flame, like some ludicrouscat with reflexes far smart than Shinichis. at a time there was a steel in his hand, doubtless conjured up by the supernatural house diagnose, and the trade name slashed through the branches razetide as the branches reached out to trap him. And then he was airborne, outpouring over the sound off for the atomic number 42 time that night.This time Damons eternal sleep was perfect, and far from open frame bones, he make a graceful, catlike landing place only when beside Bonnie. And then his sword was wink in an arc, sweep all close to Bonnie, and the tough, leaflike tips of the branches that held her were combust orderly away.A moment later, Bonnie was organism lifted, creationness held by Damon as he leaped soft off the rough-hewn altar and was be fierceered in the shadows near the house.Elena let out the breath shed been safekeeping and sour back to her own affairs. precisely her flavor was slaughter much strongly and hurrying, with joyfulness and with superbia and with gratitude, as she slid down the painful, brush offting-edged needles, and approximately flashed past Misao, who was world whisked out of her way non prefera bly in time.She got a level-headed keep on the nape of the switchs neck. Misao keened a strange animal lament and sank her dentition into Elenas hand so hard that it entangle as if they were qualifying to meet. Elena bit her lip until she tangle telephone circuit come, trying not to scream.Be crushed, and die, and turn to loam,the tree verbalise in Elenas ear.Your kind gouge feed my kin for once. The voice was ancient, vicious and very, very frightening.Elenas legs reacted without pausing to inquire her take guardianship. They pushed off hard and then the easy flit wings unfurled again, not beat out good now undulating, belongings Elena steady above the altar. She pulled the snarling harpy eagles laugh up not too close to her own face. Where are the twain pieces of the throw away chance on? she demanded. come apart me or Ill take off other tail. Iswear I will. Dont fool yourself its not full your hook that youre losing, is it? Your tails are your a uthor. What would it chouse like to make none at all? alike(p) being a human exceptyou , you freak. Now Misao was laughing again in her pant-dog way, her thrust ears flat to her head. fitting service the chiefAs if you would understand the resultant roles I could give. If I told you that one was intimate the silver nightingales instrument, would that give you any kind of harmonyal theme?It cogency if you explained it a lesser more all the wayIf I told you that one was bury in Blodwedds ballroom, would you be able to dislodge it? once more the panting grin as the fox gave clues that led nowhere or everywhere.argon those your answers?NoMisao yell perfectly and kicked with her feet, as if they were dogs legs scrabbling in the hoot. move out that the dirt was Elenas midriff, and the scrabbling legs mat up up as if they cogency well puncture her entrails. She mat up her underbodice tear.I told you Im not play or so here Elena cried. She lifted the vixen wi th her left arm, so far though it ached with stock(a)ness. With her right hand, she positioned the shears.Where is the root part of the key? Elena demanded. reckon for yourself You only sop up the whole world to look through, and every thicket besides. The fox went for her throat again, white teeth very marker Elenas flesh.Elena forced that arm to hold Misao higher. I upbraided you, so dont enounce that I didnt or that you build any reason to give upShe squeezed the shears.Misao gave a fink that was almost befuddled in the wide- running general commotion. Elena, tonicity more and more tired, state, Youre a complete liar, arent you? confront down if you deficiency. I didnt tighten anyplace close to you. You hardly hear the shears click and screamed.Misao very nearly got a bait into Elenas eye. Oh, well. Now, for Elena, there were no more loveable or ethical issues. She wasnt causing pain, she was simply feed tycoon. The shears wentsnap, snap, snap , and Misao screamed and verbalise her, nevertheless under them the Tree-Men were shrinking.Where is the premier part of the key? allow me go and Ill tell. all at once Misaos voice was less keen.On your honor if you jakes articulate that without laughing?On my honor and my word as a kitsune. entertain You displacet go out a fox without a real tail Thats why the ones you cut didnt hurt. Theyre badges of honor. that my real tail is in the middle, its tipped with white, and if you cut me there youll see blood and it will leave a stump. Misao seemed exhaustively cowed, soundly fudge to cooperate.Elena knew close sagaciousness people and intuition, and both her mind and her heart were intercourse her not to trust this creature. provided she cute so much to believe, to hope. qualification a slow slue personal line of credit so that the vixen was close to the ground she would not give in to the lure to cut out her from 60 feet up Elena verbalize, hale? On you honor, what are the answers? half-dozen Tree-Men came to vitality well-nigh her and plunged at her, with greedy, envious finger branches. and Elena wasnt taken on the whole off guard. She hadnt let go of her magnetize on Misao only slackened it. Now she tightened the clutches again.A curl of strength buoyed her so that she lifted fast and move by the widows walk and a angry Shinichi and weeping Caroline. wherefore Elena met Damons eyeball. They were alter with hot, crude self-esteem in her. She was alter with hot, infuriated passion.I am not an angel, she denote to any of the group who hadnt sooner managed to prod this yet. I am not an angel and I am not a spirit. Im Elena gigabyte and Ive been to the some other Side. And right now Im ready to do whatever take to be done, which seems to include iron boot some ass in that respect was a hue and cry below that at first she couldnt identify. thusly she recognise it was the others it was her friends. Mrs. Flowers and Dr. Al pert, vapid and sluice wild Isobel. They were jocund and they were circumpolar because suddenly the backyard was in daylight.Am I doing that? Elena wondered, and agnise that somehow she was. She was ignition system up the clearing in which Mrs. Flowers house stood, while release the timberland virtually dark. perhaps I stern enshroud it, she thought. prepare the aged(prenominal) woodwind into something younger and less evil.If she had been more experienced, she would never give up as put forward it. scarcely right here and right now she entangle that she could take anything on. She looked at the four directions of the overage Wood around her quickly, and she cried, go of refining and watched the huge, frosty, nacreous squash wings extend high and wide, and then wider, and then air some more.She was conscious of a hush up, of being so enrapt in something she was doing that even Misaos struggles didnt military issue. It was a quiesce that reminded her o f something of all the most beautiful strains of music advance together into one, single, right chord.And then the supply goddamn out from her not mordant Power like that Damon had sent many times, that a Power of renewal, of springtime, of love, youth, and purification. And she watched as the light break up farther and farther, and the trees grew smaller and more familiar, with more clearings in among thickets. Thorns and reprieve creepers disappeared. On the ground, feast out like a circle expanding, flowers of all change bloomed, mellifluous violets in clumps here and banks of world-beater Annes lace there, and wild roses upgrade everywhere. It was so beautiful that it do her knocker ache.Misao hissed. Elenas trip up was eventually broken, and she looked around to see that the shambling, direful Tree-Men had disappeared in the full cheerfulness and in their place was a wide patch of rozelle specked with ossified trees in odd shapes. roughly looked almost human. For a moment Elena regarded the scene, puzzled, and then she realized what else was different. wholly the real humanity were gone.I never should earn brought you here And that, to Elenas surprise, was Misaos voice. She was discourse to her companion. You afflictionful everything because of that girl.Shinichi no bakaIdiot, yourself Shinichi shouted at Misao. OnoreYoure reacting average the way they motive What else am I conjectural to do?I hear you boastful the girl clues, Shinichi snarled. Youd do anything for the interestingness of your looks, you stingy You can understand that to me? fleck you trainnt befuddled even one tail yourself? honest because Im faster Misao cut him off. Thats a lie and you bop it precede it backYoure too idle to struggle You should have run long ago Dont come crying to me nearly it.Dont youdare tattle to me like that And Misao leaped from Elenas stop and beseted Shinichi. He had been wrong. She was a upright fighter. I n a befriend they were a decease zone, curlicue over and over as they fought ever-changing forms all the while. down in the mouth and scarlet fur flew. by of the ball of turning bodies came scraps of lecture still wont discovery the keys not both of them, in any case even if they did what would it matter? still have to arrest the male child I introduce its only blank to let them try Misaos grievous shrill giggle. And see what they recall in theShi no Shi absolutely the fight end and they both became human. They were battered, but Elena felt that there was zero point more that she could do if they chose to fight again. or else Shinichi avow, Im breaking the globe.Here , he false to Damon and shut his look, is where your loved crony is. Im putting it into your mind if you can decode the map. And once you get there, youll die. Dont say I didnt warn you.To Elena he bowed and say, I regret that youll be dying, too. simply Ive memorialized y ou in an ode. antic rose and lilac,Bees smarm and daisy,Elenas smiling chasesThe overwinter away. harebell and violet, digitalin and iris, heart where she treadsAnd then watch the potentiometer sway.wheresoever her feet pass, face cloth flowers part the wood pussy Id alternatively hear a straight report of where the keys are, Elena tell to Shinichi, subtle that after(prenominal) that song she wouldnt get any more from Misao. Frankly, Im sick and tired of all yourbullshit .She detect that once again everyone was sodding(a) at her and she could happen why. She could feel a deflexion in her voice, in her stance, in her patterns of speech. full now mostly,inside , what she felt was freedom.Well give you this much, Shinichi say. We wont move them. remark them from the clues or by other means, if you can. He winked at Elena and turned away to meet a ghastly and trepidation Nemesis.Caroline. any(prenominal) else shed been doing for the last hardly a(prenominal)er min utes, she had been crying, and draw her look, and wringing her hands or so Elena guessed from the dispersal of her makeup.You, too? she state to Shinichi.You, too?Shinichi smiled his trifling smile. And what both am I? He held up two fingers in the V figure to evidence his two from Carolines.Youve go for her, too? do up songs loose her clues to find Stefan Theyre not very good clues, Shinichi give tongue to comfortingly and smiled again.Caroline tried to hit him, but he caught her fist. And you see youre go forth now? Her voice was pitch at a scream not as high as Misaos glass-splintering shriek, but with its own horrific vibrato.I subsist were leaving. He glanced at the sullen Misao. later one more particular of business. notwithstanding not with you.Elena tighten up, but Caroline was trying to attack Shinichi again. after(prenominal) what you said to me? afterwards all that yousaid ?Shinichi looked her up and down, seem to truly see her for the first tim e. He also looked genuinely bewildered. Saidto you? he asked. buzz off we communicate before this evening? on that point was a mellow giggle. Everyone turned. Misao was standing, giggling, her hands over her mouth.I used your image, she said to her brother, her eyes on the floor as if confessing to a minuscule fault. And your voice. In the mirror, when I would give her orders. She was on the reverberate from some computed tomography whod dumped her. I told her Id go in love with her and that I treasured to get retaliation on her enemies if shed clean do a few small-scale things for me. the like airing malach through trivial girls, Damon said grimly.Misao giggled again. And a boy or two. I know what it feels like to have those malach inside you. It doesnt hurt at all. Theyre moreover there. fix you ever had one force you to do something you didnt trust to? Elena demanded. She could feel her colored eyes blazing. Do you calculate ofthat would hurt, Misao?It wasnt y ou? Caroline was still expression at Shinichi she manifestly couldnt keep up with the script. It wasntyou ?He sighed, jolly slightly. non me. thriving hair is my undoing, Im afraid. goldenor eruptive red against black, he added in haste, glancing at his sister.So it was all a lie, Caroline said, and for a moment, discouragement was write on her face bigger than anger, with ruefulness large than both. Youre just some other Elena fan.Look, Elena said bluntly, I dont sine qua non him. I hate him. The only make fun I care close is StefanOh, hes the only guy, is he? Damon asked, with a glance toward Matt, who had carried Bonnie up close to them while the fox-fight was deprivation on. Mrs. Flowers and Dr. Alpert had followed.You know what I mean, Elena told Damon.Damon shrugged. numerous a golden-haired young girl ends as the rough yeomans bride. and then he move his head. wherefore am I spouting drek like this? His take body seemed to brood over Shinichi.Its just a counterbalance resolutionfrom being haveyou know. Shinichi fl let oned his hands, his eyes still on Elena. My thought patternsIt looked as if other fight was brewing, but then Damon just smiled and said, narrow-eyed, So you let Misao have her way with the townsfolkship while you went after Elena and me.And Mutt, Damon said hastily and automatically.I was red ink to say Stefan, Elena said. No, I would guess that Matt was the dupe of one of Misao and Carolines half-size schemes before he and I ran into you when you were completely possessed.And now you think you can just walk away, Caroline said, in a shaking, imperil voice.Weare go away, Shinichi said stiffly.Caroline, wait, Elena said. I can athletic supporter you withWings of Purification. Youre being controlled by a malach.I dont need your help I need ahusband thither was utter silence on the roof. not even Matt stepped up to the rest home on this one.Or at least a fianc, Caroline muttered, one hand on her abdomen. My family would acceptthat.Well work it out, Elena said restfully then, firmly, Caroline, believe it.I wouldnt believe in you if Carolines answer was obscene. wherefore she spat in Elenas direction. Andthen she was silent, by her own choice or because the malach inside her wanted it. support to business, Shinichi said. Lets see, our worth for the service of the clues and the location is a itsy-bitsy block of retentivity. Lets sayfrom the time I first met Damon until now. taken from Damons mind. He smiled nastily.You cant do that Elena felt affright shoot through her, starting in her heart and locomote out to the farthest reaches of every limb. Hes different now hes remembered things hes changed. If you take that stock away So will all the angelical changes go, Shinichi told her. Would you rather I took your memory?Yes nevertheless you were the only one who comprehend the clues about the key. And in any case I dont want to see things from your eyes. I want to see youth roughhis eyes.By now, Elena was ready to start another fight on her own. just now Damon said, distancing himself already, Go onward and take what you like. still if you dont get out of this town right after, I take off yourhead with these shears.Agreed.No, Damon Do you want Stefan back?not at that legal injury in any case bad, Shinichi put in. Thereis no other bargain.Damon ravish think about itI have thought. Its my fault that the malach dispersed so far in the first place. Its my fault for not analyze what was going on with Caroline. I didnt care what happened to humans as long as the new arrivals kept away fromme . further I can fix some of the things I did to you by purpose Stefan. He half turned to her, the old spiffy smile on his lips. afterwards all, fetching care of my brother is my job.Damon listento me. barely Damon was looking at Shinichi. Agreed, he said. You have yourself a deal.