Page 22 (1/2)

"Of course," Siobhan said "He’s just like the rest of them" She wandered closer to theust, Elena realized she was eyeing the vein on the side of Elena’s throat "I’h I don’t want anyone else getting e Maybe I should kill you instead Eliminate the competition"

An instinctual fear clenched Elena’sThis old, wicked varound and killed the and determined

"Please," Elena said softly She felt oddly as if she was rolling over to show her own underbelly, appeasing the vicious old va you do" Her Guardian instincts were chanting kill her kill her now, but Elena sed thees of Siobhan’s lips curled up in a sleamed with triumph "Take me with you"

Damon shot Elena a look His distrust of Siobhan cah their bond

Elena hesitated, and Siobhan’s sain "The only way you’re getting the poison is if I can watch Henrik die"

Daht; they couldn’t trust her But they didn’t have a choice, not if they wanted Siobhan’s secret She sed hard and said, as evenly as she could, "Okay Let’s go"

As they headed for the exit, Damon’s eyesthrough them both Siobhan was clearly vicious and unstable What kind of ally would she be?

For now, they needed her But as soon as Jack was dead, Elena pro her restless Guardian Power, she would kill Siobhan herself

Chapter 28

The drive back had been far too long, Daht route ho path that had led theru about the asoline and oil

For his part, Da blood froer

"It’s alht," she said now, as Damon took the side road that would lead them to Jack’s warehouse lair "If the sun reaches inside this car, I’ll be sure to bring you both doithat his reflection in the rearview mirror

"We’ll be in before dawn, and the warehouse doesn’t have any s," he told her reassuringly "We can cover you with soood way to kill her, heblanket ripped away, and they’d be free of Siobhan before she could turn on thee through their bond

But Elena was leaning forward, peering through the windshield at the warehouse "Good, they’re already here"

The others aiting in a parking lot across the highway froh away that Jack’s va Meredith, tall and poised, stood half-concealed in the shadows, her eyes shining in the reflected glare of their headlights As the car turned into the lot, she raised a hand in greeting Beside her was Alaric, his hands cralimpsed two curly heads Bonnie and Jasmine

No Zander, no Pack His little redbird had seemed strained the last time he saw her; there must be trouble in paradise It was a pity They could have used the wolves

Daht They’d hat they had He parked the car, and he and Elena crossed the parking lot to their friends, Siobhan stalking behind the on the back of Da able to see Siobhan’s every move

"What a lot of humans," Siobhan said "Will we feed before we kill Jack?"

"No," Dah of disappointot close, jerking her head toward the warehouse on the other side of the highway

"Oh, she’s one of Henrik’s nasty creations," Siobhan said, sounding disgusted "She’s not even real" Meredith’s hand clenched on her stave

Darip She looked pale and drahich answered one question he’d had She hadn’t been drinking huroup He hadn’t had anything but animal blood either, not since he’d fed fro to be at their best for this fight

Still, they just had to overpower Jack long enough to inject him with the poison And to rescue Matt, Da his hand out to Siobhan She cocked her eyebrow at him "Please" She hesitated for a moment and then reached into her pocket and drew out a vial of dark liquid She’d had it hidden so her corpses She hadn’t let them see exactly where

Damon waited Siobhan turned the vial over in her hands, watching the liquid flow back and forth Her eyes were hooded and thoughtful

She’s not going to hand it over Daht Siobhan, freshly full of huer than he was, but at least she was outnumbered

"I don’t know," Siobhan said slowly "I’ve been waiting a long time to kill Henrik And it was very clever of me to find the poison This ishi It must be a burden Let us help you"

The two pairs of blue eyes enerals on a battlefield They weren’t friends, would never be friends, but they had a coaze first With a scornful curl of her lip, she gave Daainst his

He looked at Jase?" Jas she carried