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"Next time," Stefan said quietly, "I won’t leave"

Elena knew he meant it, and it terrified her But just now her e in neutral, and she didn’t want to argue

"He was there," she said "Inside an ordinary house full of ordinary people, just as if he had every right to be I wouldn’t have thought he would dare"

"Why not?" Stefan said briefly, bitterly "I was there in a ordinary house full of ordinary people, just as if I had every right to be"

"I didn’t mean that the way it sounded It’s just that the only other time I’ve seen hi a mask and costume, and it was dark Before that it was always soht I was there alone, or the graveyard"

She knew as soon as she said that last part that it was ato find Dao In the driver’s seat, he stiffened

"Or the graveyard?"

"Yes I ot chased out I’ it must have been Damon who chased us And the place was deserted except for the three of us"

Why was she lying to hiri what Daht be all that was needed to send Stefan over the edge

Then he’ll never know, she promised herself Noeach other over me No matter what

For a moment, apprehension chilled her

Five hundred years ago, Katherine had tried to keep the them into a death match Butshe wouldn’t make the same mistake, Elena told herself fiercely Katherine’s methods had been stupid and childish Who else but a stupid child would kill herself in the hope that the two rivals for her hand would become friends? It had been the worst mistake of the whole sorry affair Because of it, the rivalry between Stefan and Damon had turned into implacable hatred And what’s uilt of it ever since; he blamed himself for Katherine’s stupidity and weakness

Groping for another subject, she said, "Do you think someone invited him in?"

"Obviously, since hewas in"

"Then it’s true about - people like you You have to be invited in But Daym without an invitation"

"That’s because the gy That’s the one criterion It doesn’t matter if it’s a house or a tent or an apart humans eat and sleep there, we need to be invited inside"

"But I didn’t invite you intoht, when I drove you home, you pushed the door open and nodded to me It doesn’t have to be a verbal invitation If the intent is there, that’s enough And the person inviting you doesn’t have to be someone who actually lives in the house Any hu "What about a houseboat?"

"Sa water can be a barrier in itself For some of us, it’s almost impossible to cross"

Elena had a sudden vision of herself and Meredith and Bonnie racing for Wickery Bridge Because soot to the other side of the river they’d be safe from whatever was after them

"Sothat’s why," she whispered It still didn’t explain how she’d known, though It was as if the knowledge had been put into her head fro else

"You tookwater"

"That’s because I’m weak" It was said flatly, with no eer your Powers are, the more you’re affected by certain li to the dark, the more the rules of the dark bind you"

Stefan looked at her "Yes," he said, "I think it’s time you knew The more you know about Da yourself"

Of protecting herself? Perhaps Stefan knew ht But as he turned the car onto a side street and parked, she just said, "Okay Should I be stocking up on garlic?"

He laughed "Only if you want to be unpopular There are certain plants, though, that ht help you Like vervain That’s an herb that’s supposed to protect you against bewitch Powers against you People used to wear it around their necks Bonnie would love it; it was sacred to the Druids"

"Vervain," said Elena, tasting the unfaht, or direct sunlight, can be very painful You’ll notice the weather’s changed"

"I’ve noticed," said Elena after a beat "Youthat?"

"He must be It takes enormous power to control the eleht As long as he keeps it cloudy, he doesn’t even need to protect his eyes"

"And neither do you," Elena said "What about - well, crosses and things?"

"No effect," said Stefan "Except that if the person holding onebelieves it’s a protection, it can strengthen their will to resist tremendously"

"Uh silver bullets?"

Stefan laughed again shortly "That’s for olves From what I’ve heard they don’t like silver in any forh the heart is still the approved method for my kind There are other ways that arenails through the temples Or, best of all - "

"Stefan!" The lonely, bitter s into anih Power you could do that If Danize him?"

"Not any animal he likes He’s limited to one animal, or at the most two Even with his Powers I don’t think he could sustain anyout for a crow"

"Right You ular animals They usually don’t react very well to us; they sense that we’re hunters"

"Yangtze kept barking at that crow It was as if he knew there was so about it," Elena reed tone as a new thought struck her, "what aboutyou in one"

There was nothing to do but hold on to him, and Elena did "I love you," she whispered It was the only coive hihtened around her; his face was buried in her hair "You’re the ood to feel hi out of his body as warmth and comfort flowed in She was co her It was so good that she forgot to ask hiood-bye

"I’ up at him

"You’ve stolen my soul," he said "Lock the door behind you, and don’t open it again tonight" Then he was gone

"Elena, thank heavens," said Aunt Judith When Elena stared at her, she added, "Bonnie called from the party She said you’d left unexpectedly, and when you didn’t come home I orried"

"Stefan and I went for a ride" Elena didn’t like the expression on her aunt’s face when she said that "Is there a problem?"

"No, no It’s just" Aunt Judith didn’t seem to kno to finish her sentence "Elena, I wonder if it ood idea to not see quite so much of Stefan"

Elena went still "You, too?"

"It isn’t that I believe the gossip," Aunt Judith assured her "But, for your own sake, it et a little distance from him, to - "

"To du ru in case any of it sticks on er was a welcome release, and the words crowded in Elena’s throat, all trying to get out at once "No, Idon’t think that’s a good idea, Aunt Judith And if it were Robert ere talking about, you wouldn’t either Or maybe you would!"

"Elena, I will not have you speaking to me in that tone - "

"I’m finished anyway!" Elena cried, and whirled blindly for the stairs She ed to keep the tears back until she was in her own room with the door locked Then she threw herself on the bed and sobbed

She dragged herself up a while later to call Bonnie Bonnie was excited and voluble What on earth did Elenaunusual happened after she and Stefan left? The unusual thing was their leaving! No, that new guy Da about Stefan afterward; he’d just hung around for a while and then disappeared No, Bonnie hadn’t seen if he left with anybody Why? Was Elena jealous? Yes, Elena immediately deduced that Alaric Saltzot off the phone at last and only then remembered the note she’d found in her purse She should have asked Bonnie if anyone had gone near her purse while she was in the dining roo rooht have done it then

The very sight of the violet paper made her taste tin at the back of her mouth She could hardly bear to look at it But now that she was alone shehad to unfold it and read it again, all the tiht be different, that she ht have been mistaken before

But they weren’t different The sharp, clean block letters stood out against the pale background as if they were ten feet high