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Every night, she heard Da roo so in, even when she yearned for his co out the slow beats of his own sorrow, unable to settle The thought of Da like Stefan had, his handsome face suddenly blank and still, ged

His eyes softening, Daently over her knuckles, then pulled his hand back quickly, his jaw tightening "I won’t do anything foolish Re care of ratefully, then paused as she thought through what he’d said He hadn’t proer, not really "You can’t kill anyone," she reminded him stubbornly "The Guardians told you, if you kill anyone, I’ll die So there’s not e"

Damon smiled without humor, his features sharp "Vampires aren’t huo of his hand Da Jack

Damon would die on this hunt, she was sure of it And then Elena would truly have nothing

Chapter 3

Da at the afternoon sunlight stretching through the s and across the floor When he’d woken from his restless sleep an hour earlier, the aparters across his chest absently, he let Elena’s eed; he still felt the saht him back to Dalcrest, that had let hi new Wherever Elena had gone, she wasn’t in danger

He ached to be out hunting Jack, to find hie burned under his skin--how dare anyone touch his little brother Even when he and Stefan had hated each other, no one else had been allowed to hurt hi Elena, waiting for the right ti down the law to him after Stefan’s funeral "As far as Jack knows, you’re still in Europe," she’d said "We need to keep it that way You ray-eyed hunter’s body had been tense with irritation at having to ask Da; and under other circuht to tell him what to do, and he had no reason to do what she asked

But then Elena, with a desperate pleading look in her eyes, had said, "Please, Dareed to do whatever she wanted

He sighed and sat down on the couch, glancing around He was beginning to loathe this room, pretty as it ith its heavy antique furniture and art on the walls It was decorated to Stefan’s taste: dark, traditional, cozy Stefan’s taste, Stefan’s possessions, Stefan’s Elena

On the table beside the couch lay a thick notebook bound in brown leather: Jack’s journal, the record of the series of experiments he had done to create his new race of vampires Damon had found it when he’d infiltrated Jack’s company in Switzerland

Near the end was a list of vampires Jack had destroyed--and a list of those he still planned to hunt down Da column of names Many were vampires Dah Near the bottoe, three names, not yet crossed out: Katherine von Swartzchild Dahtly with his finger, re how Katherine’s face had paled as her life ebbed away He felt again the sudden spike of anguished horror from Elena that had told him Stefan was dead At least Damon had stolen the book before Jack had the opportunity to cross out their naes again If he couldn’t just go out and hunt Jack down--yet--he could still look for clues on how to defeat hih it dozens of tiroaned softly and closed his eyes, bringing a hand up to rub his temples

There was plenty about the weaknesses of Jack’s creations, true But the journal was a record of how Jack had overcoht, fire, decapitation, stake to the heart: As far as Damon could tell, there was no way to kill these ive up, do what Elena wanted and hide

No His eyes snapped open and he gritted his teeth He was Da to defeat hier to theseJack hadn’t thought of

Alany cabinet against the wall Stefan’s talis life Coins, a stone cup, a watch An apricot hair ribbon of Elena’s, acquired before Stefan had even really known her, before Damon had known her at all What would have been different, Damon wondered, if he had been the one to meet Elena first?

Damon stood and went slowly over to the cabinet, where he touched the things lightly: iron box, golden coins, ivory dagger, silken ribbon

Das the way Stefan had He never saw the point of keeping objects he’d outgrown, dragging his past around the world with him

Stefan had carried their past for hi in his chest With Stefan and Katherine both dead, there was no one left noho reer along the blade of the ivory-handled dagger and pulled his hand back with a hiss Stefan had kept it sharp, although it had probably been centuries since he’d used it

Their father had carried this dagger for years, Da in a sheath at his belt A beautiful object, its fine glossy hilt curving above a well-cut, and useful, blade He had given it to Stefan for his fifteenth birthday

"Every gentle his younger son’s shoulder affectionately "Not for aggression or fighting in the streets like a peasant--" Daht upon hier itself? "--but in case you need it This blade is forged of the finest steel It’s served reen eyes had shone as he looked up at their father "Thank you, Father," he’d said "I’ll treasure it"

Lounging elegantly beside them, left out of the moment between his father and little brother, Daer, and his mouth had suddenly filled with bitterness

He blinked theStefan, his sweet-faced tagalong of a baby brother

He asting time now Damon’s slow heart thu His earnest, loving, irritating little brother was gone Murdered And Daust He could iine what their father would have said about that

In one ser and headed for the door He would keep his pro to hide, not anymore Damon was a Salvatore--the last of the Salvatores, now--and that

It was ti he needed to do was to figure out where Jack ainst the s off its ripples Elena instinctively moved deeper into the shade of one of the le of earth that rave still stood out clearly There hadn’t been tirow over it and erase where they’d blanketed Stefan with dirt