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Noit orsebecause with Stefan there had been hope and Elena had the feeling that now hope was gone

Everything was gone She was hol ow: a girl who looked solid, but whose insides were ,"she whispered "I know itAre you al going to say good-bye now?"

And with that Sage - Sage! - choked up and began to sob

Stefan, Stilllooking so oddly mussed, with those traces of soot on his face and ar wet, said, "Elena, you’re not going to die Not unless you choose to"

She had never seen Stefan look like this before Not even in prison His flame, his inner fire that he showed to ale saved us,"he said, slowly careful y, as if it cost hi - you and Bonnie would have died if you’d had to breathe any ht in front of us I could barely see it;worse on thatat the bottoain her memory failed her It was almost as if she’d been Influenced to not re?"she asked, realizing that her voice was husky, hoarse - as if she’d cheered too long at a footbal gas of Destruction,"Stefan said steadily, looking at her with his swol en eyes "You saved our lives But you kil ed the Tree - and the star bal disintegrated"

Wings of Destruction She must have lost her temper And she’d kil ed a world She was a murderer

And now the star bal was lost Fel ’s Church Oh, God What would Da Bonnie was sobbing now, her face turned away

"I’ how inadequate this was For the first time she looked around miserably "Damon?"she whispered "He won’t speak to e and Stefan looked at each other

Ice went down Elena’s spine

She started to get up, but her legs weren’t the legs she re down at herself, at her oet and s likeblood

Bonnie , too, in a new husky voice that et the ashes out of the top of your hair Sage had to give you an eet the ashes out,"Elena said flatly She let her knees bend She fel onto the, she leaned down to the little brook and let her head fal forward

Through the icy shock she could dimly hear exclamations from the people above water, and Stefan’s sharp, Elena, are you All right? in her head

No, she thought back But I’ out my hair Maybe Damon will at least see me if I’ht for Fell’s Church

Let me help you up, Stefan sent quietly

Elena had come to the end of her air She pul ed her heavy head out of the water and flipped it, soaking but clean, so that it fel down her back She stared at Stefan

"Why?"she said - and then, with a sudden panic - "Has he left already? Was he angrywithtiredly Stefan, as staring out of his green eyes like a hunted animal, ,"Sage said "She will remember on her own"