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Where r u? Elena texted impatiently Stefan was supposed to o Surely his study group was over by now? She was starving

She paced around the roo at the dark tree branches beyond the s It wasn’t like Stefan to be late

She checked her phone It was too soon to try to reach hiasped

Then she shook her head It was just the branches of the trees out there, waving in the breeze She lass Their roo that high up At least not anyone human Elena shuddered

"Elena," said a cool, clear voice frohtened rabbit, Elena jerked backward, pressing one hand to her pounding heart After a moment, she stepped up to theand threw it open

"Da out there?"

There was a flash of white teeth in the shadows Afor you to invite me into your room, of course"

"You don’t need an invitation," Elena said "You helped"I’entleman" Elena hesitated She trusted Damon, of course she did, but this seemed so intimate Damon outside in the dark, Elena alone in her bedroom, neither of her roommates around He’d been in her room at home, but Aunt Judith and Robert had been just down the halShe wondered if Stefan wouldalone here with Daht He trusted Elena, that hat mattered

"Elena," Damon’s voice was soft but insistent "Lether eyes, she said, "You’d never falAnd if you did, you’d fly But you can come in anyway" With a soft whoosh, faster than her eye could fol ow, Damon was suddenly beside her She had to step back a pace Eyes and hair as dark as night, pale luood His lips looked so soft

Elena caught herself leaning toward hi, and pul ed away "Stop it," she said

"I’," Damon said innocently When Elena arched a skeptical eyebrow at hied and shot her a brief, bril iant sht ht

I’ you"

He looked around the room and quirked an eyebrow of his own "Why, Elena," he said, "I’m almost disappointed

You and your friends are running so true to type here" Elena fol owed his eyes Bonnie’s side of the room was a mess, a tumble of stuffed animals, rejected outfits, and Dalcrest paraphernalia In contrast, Meredith’s area was rigidly tidy, books lined up alphabetical y, a single silver pen on the desk next to her slim silver laptop, her bed neatly draped in a silk duvet in subtly patterned gray and white

Her dresser and closet were closed, but inside, Elena knew, Meredith’s clothes would be organized by type, color, and season Da at their parts of the room, you could tel that Meredith was rational, sophisticated, careful y control ed, and private, while Bonnie was fluffy, fun-loving, and disorganized

What about Elena’s own things? What did they say about her? She looked over her part of the room with a critical eye Framed art prints from her favorite exhibits, her silver brush and comb lined up on her dresser, deep-blue sheets that she knew set off her eyes and hair Soe easily?

Someone as very aware of what suited her? She wasn’t sure

Dae this tiht, princess," he said affectionately "You’re more than your possessions"

"Thanks," Elena said shortly "So, did you just drop in myto say hel o?"

He reached out and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear They were standing very close together, and Elena backed away a little "I thought o out tonight and have some fun"

"Fun?" Elena said, stil distracted by his mouth "What kind of fun?"

"Oh, you know," he said, "just a little dinner, a few drinks

Friend stuff Nothing too daring"

"Right," Elena said firht Stefan and I are going out to dinner"

"Of course," Daave her a firm little nod and as so obviously supposed to be a supportive sle Supportive, friendly, and unassu were not natural looks on Da so very hard to be her friend even though they al knew there was more than that between them

Since he had died and coe his relationships with Stefan and with her, she knew, to be with them in a way he never had before It couldn’t be easy on poor Daood He was out of practice

Elena’s phone chiroup’s running late I think it’ll be at least another hour Meet later?

"Proble her, the same innocent, friendly smile on his face, and affection for him washed over Elena Dao out with hie of plans," she said briskly "We’l go out, but just for a little while I need to be back here to meet Stefan in an hour" She texted Stefan quickly to let hirab some food and looked up to see a triumphant smile on Damon’s face as he reached to take her arm

Bonnie walked across ca in time to the happy tune in her head A date with Zander, la la la la la It was about tiain al week, and although they’d talked on the phone, she hadn’t laid eyes on hih of course she’d been looking

At last she was about to see hieous Zander

She had on jeans and a sort of silvery, draping top that at least ood outfit, she thought, understated enough for just hanging out but also a little bit special Just in case they decided to go out clubbing or so at the last minute

Zander hadn’t told her what he’d planned, just asked her toLa la la la la, she hummed

Bonnie’s footsteps slowed, and the tune in her head died off as she saw flickering lights il uathered in the courtyard in front of one of the dorirls holding candles The wavering light from the candles sent shadows across their serious faces Propped against the wal of the doruy Al across the grass in front of them were heaped flowers, letters, and teddy bears

Hesitant to break the silence, Bonnie touched the ar on?" she whispered

"It’s a candlelight vigil for thepeople? Bonnie scanned the faces in the photographs Young, se "Are they al students here?" she asked, horrified "What happened to theaze serious "They just vanished You didn’t hear about this?" Bonnie’s sto - on the quad the first night, but she hadn’t known about any disappearances No wonder her gut instinct had warned her to be scared walking across caer

"No," she said slowly "I didn’t hear anything" She dropped her eyes and bowed her head, silent as she sent out a fervent hope that these three happy-looking people would be found, safe and sound

In the distance, a siren began to wail

"So’s happened"

"Do you think sohtened voices rose as the sirens got closer A girl near Bonnie began to sob, a hurt, scared sound

"Al right, what’s the trouble here?" said a new, authoritative voice, and Bonnie looked up to see two cah the crowd

"Weuh" The girl who had spoken to Bonnie gestured at the photos and flowers against the wal"We were having a vigil For thepeople"

"What are those sirens for?" another girl asked, her voice rising

"Nothing to worry about," said the officer, but his face softened as he looked at the sobbing girl Bonnie realized with a slight shock that he wasn’t much older than she was

"Miss?" he said to the crying girl "We’l help you get home" His partner looked around at the crowd "It’s tis up and head inside," he said sternly "Stick together and be careful"

"I thought you said there was nothing to worry about," said another girl angrily "What aren’t you tel ing us?"

"There’s nothing you don’t know already," theYou can never be too careful"

If there’s nothing to worry about, why do we have to be careful? Bonnie wondered, but she bit back the words and hurried away down the path, toward the science building where Zander had suggested theyto have a vision, to see if she could learn anything about the ed at Bonnie’s mind, but she pushed it away She hated that

She hated the loss of control when she slid into one of her visions

It was unlikely to work, anyway Her visions had always been about people she knew, about i the people

She bit her lip and walked faster The excitement about her date had fizzled out, and she didn’t feel safe now But at least if she got to Zander, she wouldn’t be alone

When she arrived at the science building, though, Zander wasn’t there Bonnie hesitated and looked around nervously This corner of campus seemed to be deserted