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He had to ad her in the ar so sweet about Bonnie, and she was brave and intel igent under that cotton-candy exterior The witchy angle added a little touch of spice to her, too He’d always thought of her as his
Then again, didn’t the little redbird deserve someone of her own? As much as Da the lanky boy’s face light up in response to her shtout for a few more minutes, Bonnie and Zander stood up and wandered, hand in hand, tohat Da to the shadows
He huffed out a breath of self-ht Back in the old days he would have eaten Bonnie without a second thought, and here he orrying about her love life
Stil , it would be nice if the little redhead could be happy
If her boyfriend wasn’t a threat
Damon ful y expected the happy couple to disappear into the dorood-bye and watched as she went inside, then headed back out Da hidden, as he went back to the party where they’d been before A few ain, trailed by his pack of noisy boys
Dae boys, he thought They were probably going to gorge the Zander, he was ready to go back to Elena and report that the boy was guilty of nothingtoward the nearest bar, though, the boys jogged across campus, quick and determined, as if they had an ie of caave theood at this, he was a predator, a natural hunter, and so it took hi his Power out, of final y just racing through the woods, black branches snapping before hione
Final y, Daainst a tree to catch his breath The woods were silent except for the innocent sound of various woodland creatures going about their business and his own ragged panting That pack of noisy, obnoxious children had escaped hiritted his teeth and ta evaded, until it was mostly curiosity about how they’d done it
Poor Bonnie, Daht as he fastidiously s was abundantly clear: Zander and his friends weren’t entirely human
Stefan twitched This was al just kind of strange
He was sitting in a velvet-backed chair in a huge underground roo flowers and candles The rooive theee set in the Vatican And the black-, were giving him the jitters
Matt had cal ed hie secret society that he’d joined, and that the leader wanted Stefan to join, too Stefan agreed to meet him and talk about it He never wasto do
It would take hisaround ca, when he saw Elena, with the way his eyes were irresistibly drawn to her even as he hurried out of sight - he’d watched her Soernails bit into his pal, he turned his attention back to Ethan, as sitting across a smal table from him
"The members of the Vitale Society hold a very special place in the world," he was saying, leaning forward, s
"Only the best of the best can hope to be tapped, and the qualities we look for I think are very Wellexemplified in you, Stefan"
Stefan nodded politely and let hishe actual y knew a little about Sir Walter Raleigh’s School of Night in Elizabethan England wrestled as then forbidden knowledge: science and philosophy the church declared out of bounds
Il Carbonari back hoovern for a unification of al of Italy Damon, Stefan knew, toyed with the members of the Hel fire Club in London for a fewand childish blaspheh, had soainst conventionaltruth, revolution
Stefan leaned forward "Pardon me," he said politely,
"but what is the point of the Vitale Society?" Ethan paused midspeech to stare at him, then wet his lips "Well," he said slowly, "the real secrets and rituals of the Society can’t be unveiled to outsiders None of the pledges know our true practices and purposes, not yet But I can tel you that there are innu one of us Travel, adventure, power"
"None of the pledges know your real purpose?" Stefan asked His natural inclination to stay aas beco more resolute "Why don’t you wear a mask like the others?"
Ethan looked surprised "I’es," he said siuide them"
Stefan uided
"I apologize, Ethan," he said formal y, "but I don’t think I would be an appropriate candidate for your organization I appreciate the invitation" He started to rise
"Wait," said Ethan His eyes ide and golden and had a hungry, eager expression in theain "Wewe have a copy of Pico del a Mirandola’s De honitate" He stumbled over the words as if he didn’t quite knohat they were "An old one, froet to read it You could have it if you wanted"
Stefan stiffened He had studied Mirandola’s work on reason and philosophy with enthusiasfor the university He had a sudden visceral longing to feel the old leather and parch press, so ht somehow than the modern computer-set books There was no way Ethan should have known to offer him that specific book
His eyes narrowed
"Whatacross the table toward Ethan He could feel Power surging through hie, but Ethan wouldn’t meet his eyes
"Iyou told ave a little false laugh, gazing down at the tabletop "I thought you would be interested"
"No, thank you," Stefan said, low and angry He couldn’t force Ethan to look him in the eye, not with al these people around, so after a moment, he stood "I refuse your offer," he told Ethan shortly "Good-bye"
He walked to the door without looking back, holding hi to another student, as he reached the door and, when Mattto telegraph an apology Matt nodded, disappointed but not arguing
No one tried to stop Stefan as he left the roo in the pit of his stoh to dissuade Matt fro, but he decided to keep tabs on the Vitale Society As he shut the door behind hi him