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Stefan whirled around and saw Bonnie, with only a torapped around her, trying to physical y restrain Elena, as similarly clad Elena’s hair et and unco pool and run directly into the corridor

Stefan was surprised by Damon’s reaction Was that a spark of alarm in the endlessly dark eyes that had re a thousand disasters, calamities, cruelties?

No, it couldn’t be But it certainly looked like one

Elena was getting closer Her voice rang out clearly through the hal hich was spacious enough to give it a slight echo "Daht there - I’ to kill you! "

This tilanced at the hich was partly open

Meanwhile Bonnie had lost the fight and Elena was running like a gazel e toward the office Her eyes, however, were definitely not doe-like Stefan saw theerously as Elena herself eluded hirab her by the towel, and every other part of her was slippery Elena was now facing Damon, who had risen fro Bonnie like that -

Influencing her, drugging her - al to get at what didn’t belong to you! Using almost al the Power that was left in Misao’s star bal - what did you think Shinichi would do when you did that? He came after us, that’s what he did - and who knows if the boardinghouse is Stillstanding?"

Damon opened hisBonnie to the Dark Dimension with you - I don’t care if you didn’t want to waste opening the Gate or not You knew you shouldn’t be taking her here"

Dary now "I - "

But Elena cut hi her here you abandon her You leave her terrified, alone, in a room where she’s not even al owed to look out of the ith a col ection of star bal s that you don’t even bother to exahtmares! You - "

"If the little dolt had just had the sense to wait quietly - "

"What? What did you say? "

"I said, if the little dolt had just had the sense - "

Stefan, as already on the ain in ti al her Power into it It snapped Dah he positioned himself precisely in case of it - was to see Damon’s hand flash up as quick as a cobra’s strike There was no fol ow-through, but Stefan had already picked Elena up bodily and pul ed her back out of range

"Let go!"Elena cried, struggling to get out of Stefan’s ar to kill hi the raw fury that Stefan could feel coursing through Elena’s aura - was that Elena was actual y winning the struggle, despite the fact that he was orders of er than she was Part of it had to do with the tohich was threatening to drop at any moment The other part was that Elena had acquired a unique style of fighting stronger opponents - at least those with any conscience She deliberately threw herself against any point at which it would hurt her to restrain her, and she didn’t give up Eventual y he was going to have to choose between injuring her and letting her go

At thatShe froze, head turned as she looked behind hilanced backward too, and felt an electrical shock shoot through hi at Dauish, tears in her wide brown eyes and streaister Elena’s pleading glance, Stefan released her He understood: Her mood and the dynamics of this situation had just been turned upside down

Elena adjusted her towel and turned to Bonnie, but by then Bonnie was running away down the corridor Elena’s longer strides al owed her to reach Bonnie in a irl and held her, not so netism "Don’t worry about that snake, "Elena’s voice came back to them clearly, as it was obviously ed in so

Stefan could hear al of it distinctly and noticed that it broke off into tiny hushing sounds just as Elena turned into the door of the bathing salon

Stefan glanced sideways at Daht now; he was ful of rage hinored hi with an expression of icy fury

At that moment Stefan heard a faint sound from the farthest end of the corridor, which was quite a distance away But his vampire senses informed him that surely the person in front was a woman of consequence, probably their hostess He stepped forward so that at least she could be greeted by so

However, at the last moment, Elena and Bonnie appeared in front of hiowns, rather - that were both casual and works of genius Elena’s was an infor into a soft goldenshorter and lighter: pale violet, shot with threads of silver in no particular pattern Both outfits, Stefan grasped suddenly, would look as good in the interas lamps

He re gowns for her, and he realized that whatever else his hostess enius couturier

And then Elena was running, dainty gold sandals flying, and Bonnie’s silver slippers were fol owing and Stefan began to run too, fearing soer They al arrived at the far end of the hal way at the sa there was dressed evena deep red raw silk goith a heavy dia - but no bracelets

The next raceful curtseys Stefan made his best bow

Lady Ulma held out both hands to Elena, who see that Stefan didn’t understand

Elena took the extended hands, breathing quickly and shal owly "Lady Ul of a baby could be heard Elena’s face lit up and she s servant - even younger-looking than Bonnie - gently put a tiny bundle made of lace and sheerest lawn into Lady Ulma’s arms Both Elena and Bonnie blinked away tears, al the while bea little nonsense noises Stefan could understand that - they’d known the Lady since she was a whip-torn slave, trying not to"We saw you only a few days ago, but this baby isit seems to you?"asked Lady Ulic Stillworks, Elena! Your ic rear says that you saved h She is trying to speak already! It is you, Elena, it is your ic!"

At this the Lady ot no farther than a few inches, though, because Elena caught her hands, crying, "Lady Ulirl servant and caught the Lady by her elbows, supporting her weight

"And I’ic,"Elena added "Stefan, tel her that I’ic"

Obediently, Stefan leaned toward the ear of the tal woic I’ve ever encountered,"he stage-whispered "She has Powers that I can’t even understand"

"Ahh!" Elena made a wordless excla her?"the Lady continued Her face, if not conventional y beautiful, was striking, with an aristocratic coh cheekbones

"No"Elena smiled - and then "No!"Elena cried "Please!

Don’t condemn her to a life of expectations and terror Don’t tempt anyone to hurt her while she’s Stilla child Oh, Lady Ule things Once she took a situation in hand there was no way not to go with the flow of it "Lady Ul in your affairs But Bonnie has toldand hopeful young girls, for the most part poor or enslaved, who have taken on the naraced our world,"Lady Ul like that,"Elena said, flushing

"Nobody’s cal ing the nurse cheerful y and with the utirls"

Stefan could have kissed her

"Oh, Laksher "I didn’t even see you properly Let th "Do you know, you’ve grown at least an inch since I last saw you?"

Lakshmi beamed

Elena turned back to Lady Ulma "Yes, I am afraid for the child Why not cal her Ulma?"

The patrician lady half shut her eyes "Because, my dear Elena, Helena, Aliena, Al iana, Laynie, El a - I would not wish