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But that was before his brother Damon had returned from the University. Before Damon had come back and seen Katherine's jewel-blue eyes. On his bed in the low-roofed room, Stefan moaned. Then the darkness drew him in deeper and new images began to flicker through his mind. They were scattered glimpses of the past that did not form a connected sequence. He saw them like scenes briefly illuminated by flashes of lightning. His brother's face, twisted into a mask of inhuman anger. Katherine's blue eyes sparkling and dancing as she pirouetted in her new white gown. The glimmer of white behind a lemon tree. The feel of a sword in his hand; Giuseppe's voice shouting from far away. The lemon tree. He must not go behind the lemon tree. He saw Damon's face again, but this time his brother was laughing wildly. Laughing on and on, a sound like the grate of broken glass. And the lemon tree was closer now… "Damon – Katherine – no!" He was sitting bolt upright on his bed. He ran shaking hands through his hair and steadied his breath. A terrible dream. It had been a long time since he had been tortured by dreams like that; long, indeed, since he'd dreamed at all. The last few seconds played over and over again in his mind, and he saw again the lemon tree and heard again his brother's laughter. It echoed in his mind almost too clearly. Suddenly, without being aware of a conscious decision to move, Stefan found himself at the open window. The night air Was cool on his cheeks as he looked into the silvery dark. "Damon?" He sent the thought out on a surge of Power, questing. Then he fell into absolute stillness, listening with all his senses. He could feel nothing, no ripple of response. Nearby, a pair of night birds rose in flight. In the town, many minds were sleeping; in the woods, nocturnal animals went about their secret business. He sighed and turned back into the room. Perhaps he'd been wrong about the laughter; perhaps he'd even been wrong about the menace in the graveyard. Fell's Church was still, and peaceful, and he should try to emulate it. He needed sleep. September 5 (actually early September 6 – about 1:00 a.m.) Dear Diary, I should go back to bed soon. Just a few minutes ago I woke up thinking someone was shouting, but now the house is quiet. So many strange things have happened tonight that my nerves are shot, I guess. At least I woke up knowing exactly what I'm going to do about Stefan. The whole thing just sort of sprang into my mind. Plan B, Phase One, begins tomorrow. Frances's eyes were blazing, and her cheeks were flushed with color as she approached the three girls at the table. "Oh, Elena, you've got to hear this!" Elena smiled at her, polite but not too intimate. Frances ducked her brown head. "I mean… can I join you? I've just heard the wildest thing about Stefan Salvatore." "Have a seat," said Elena graciously. "But," she added, buttering a roll, "we're not really interested
in the news." "You – ?" Frances stared. She looked at Meredith, then at Bonnie. "You guys are joking, right?" "Not at all." Meredith speared a green bean and eyed it thoughtfully. "We have other things on our minds today." "Exactly," said Bonnie after a sudden start. "Stefan's old news, you know. Passe." She bent down and rubbed her ankle. Frances looked at Elena appealingly. "But I thought you wanted to know all about him." "Curiosity," Elena said. "After all, he is a visitor, and I wanted to welcome him to Fell's Church. But of course I have to be loyal to Jean-Claude." "Jean-Claude?" "Jean-Claude," said Meredith, raising her eyebrows and sighing. "Jean-Claude," echoed Bonnie gamely. Delicately, with thumb and forefinger, Elena drew a photo out of her backpack. "Here he is standing in front of the cottage where we stayed. Right afterward he picked me a flower and said…"Well," – she smiled mysteriously – "I shouldn't repeat it." Frances was gazing at the photo. It showed a bronzed young man, shirtless, standing in front of a hibiscus bush and smiling shyly. "He's older, isn't he?" she said with respect. "Twenty-one. Of course," – Elena glanced over Tier shoulder – "my aunt would never approve, so we're keeping it from her until I graduate. We have to write to each other secretly." "How romantic," Frances breathed. "I'll never tell a soul, I promise. But about Stefan…" Elena gave her a superior smile. "If," she said, "I am going to eat Continental, I prefer French to Italian every time." She turned to Meredith. "Right?" "Mm-hmm. Every time." Meredith and Elena smiled knowingly at each other, then turned to Frances. "Don't you agree?" "Oh, yes," said Frances hastily. "Me, too. Every time." She smiled knowingly herself and nodded several times as she got up and left. When she was gone, Bonnie said piteously, "This is going to kill me. Elena, I am going to die if I don't hear the gossip." "Oh, that? I can tell you," Elena replied calmly. "She was going to say there's a rumor going around that Stefan Salvatore is a narc." "A what!" Bonnie stared, and then burst into laughter. "But that's ridiculous. What narc in the world would dress like that and wear dark glasses? I mean, he's done everything he can to draw attention to himself…" Her voice trailed off, and her brown eyes widened. "But then, that may be why he does it. Who would ever suspect anybody so obvious? And he does live alone, and he's awfully secretive… Elena! What if it's true?" "It isn't," said Meredith. "How do you know?" "Because I'm the one who started it." At Bonnie's expression, she grinned and added: "Elena told me to." "Ohhhh." Bonnie looked admiringly at Elena. "You're wicked. Can I tell people he's got a terminal disease?" "No, you cannot. I don't want any Florence Nightingale types lining up to hold his hand. But you can tell people whatever you want about Jean-Claude."
Page 2 and 3: Vampire Diaries Volume 1 THE AWAKEN
Page 4 and 5: "Are you having a good time?" Elena
Page 6 and 7: HarperPaperbacks A Division of Harp
Page 8 and 9: Elena Gilbert stopped writing. She
Page 10 and 11: He wasn't. Deep in the woods, where
Page 12 and 13: eyes lifted to Elena's in bewilderm
Page 14 and 15: could be more than that, could beco
Page 16 and 17: presence of that mind again. It glo
Page 18 and 19: Chapter Three The first light of da
Page 20 and 21: silver ring, also set with lapis, o
Page 22 and 23: They were enjoying the game, slouch
Page 24 and 25: Chapter Four By the time Elena reac
Page 26 and 27: were alien, unfamiliar, vaguely men
Page 28 and 29: I'll swear." Closing her eyes, she
Page 30 and 31: her lips and laughed shortly. "Sure
Page 32 and 33: His sight was sharper, his reflexes
Page 36 and 37: Bonnie picked up the photograph. "W
Page 38 and 39: Chapter Six September 26 Dear Diary
Page 40 and 41: "Matt," she said, slowly, "don't yo
Page 42 and 43: in, and compliments rained down on
Page 44 and 45: Outside, she threw herself into the
Page 46 and 47: "Why don't we go inside?" Vickie sa
Page 48 and 49: Tyler tried to roll off, giggling s
Page 50 and 51: Even through the numbness, Elena fe
Page 52 and 53: me, or you might get a disease." He
Page 54 and 55: smudged and grimy with dirt. She wa
Page 56 and 57: "I've been at the boarding house, w
Page 58 and 59: Chapter Nine She was not the reinca
Page 60 and 61: " - or your duty? Do you love her e
Page 62 and 63: Spanish Inquisition is not a rock g
Page 64 and 65: Elena nodded, dazed herself. Not in
Page 66 and 67: eat either. We didn't touch each ot
Page 68 and 69: Chamber. They'll go straight out of
Page 70 and 71: artificial twilight, but she could
Page 72 and 73: Chapter Eleven Elena stumbled down
Page 74 and 75: thing." "It's hard to see him all w
Page 76 and 77: She remembered the smile, too. "Tha
Page 78 and 79: "Hush," she whispered again, and he
Page 80 and 81: clothes were as natural as his usua
Page 82 and 83: Outside, thunder rumbled again, and
Page 84 and 85:
"No! Shut the doors! Don't let anyb
Page 86 and 87:
Stefan turned toward the gym, as if
Page 88 and 89:
soon… now. The boarding house was
Page 90 and 91:
she should see what he truly was, w
Page 92 and 93:
silversmiths in Florence." Stefan w
Page 94 and 95:
Chapter Fourteen Elena felt her fle
Page 96 and 97:
His harsh sobs went on and on, as s
Page 98 and 99:
"I… don't remember," he said blea
Page 100 and 101:
pleading. She knew that her own fac
Page 102 and 103:
other. She has a spirit and a fire
Page 104 and 105:
Stefan did not look back or try to
Page 106:
there were a crushing weight all ar
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