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silversmiths in Florence."
Stefan was listening without comprehension, but when she turned to him he smiled again,
encouragingly.
"And so," she said, gazing into his eyes. "I have had a present made for you." She took his hand and
pressed something into it. When he looked he saw that it was a ring in the same fashion as her own,
but larger and heavier, and wrought in silver instead of gold.
"You do not need it yet to face the sun," she said softly, smiling. "But very soon you will."
Pride and rapture made him mute. He reached for her hand to kiss it, wanting to take her into his
arms right then, even in front of Damon. But Katherine was turning away.
"And for you," she said, and Stefan thought his ears must be betraying him, for surely the warmth,
the fondness in Katherine's voice could not be for his brother, "for you, also. You will need ft very
soon as well."
Stefan's eyes must be traitors, too. They were showing him what was impossible, what could not
be. Into Damon's hand Katherine was putting a ring just like his own.
The silence that followed was absolute, like the silence after the world's ending.
"Katherine – " Stefan could barely force out the words. "How can you give that to him? After what
we shared – "
"What you shared?" Damon's voice was like the crack of a whip, and he turned on Stefan angrily.
"Last night she came to me. The choice is already made." And Damon jerked down his high collar to
show two tiny wounds in his throat. Stefan stared at them, fighting down the bright sickness. They
were identical to his own wounds.
He shook his head in utter bewilderment. "But, Katherine… it was not a dream. You came to me…"
"I came to both of you." Katherine's voice was tranquil, even pleased, and her eyes were serene.
She smiled at Damon and then at Stefan in turn. "It has weakened me, but I am so glad I did. Don't you
see?" she continued as they stared at her, too stunned to speak. "This is my choice! I love you both,
and I will not give either of you up. Now we all three will be together, and be happy."
"Happy – " Stefan choked out.
"Yes, happy! The three of us will be companions, joyous companions, forever." Her voice rose with
elation, and the light of a radiant child shone in her eyes. "We will be together always, never feeling
sickness, never growing old, until the end of time! That is my choice."
"Happy… with him?" Damon's voice was shaking with fury, and Stefan saw that his normally selfcontained
brother was white with rage. "With this boy standing between us, this prating, mouthing
paragon of virtue? I can barely stand the sight of him now. I wish to God that I should never see him
again, never hear his voice again!"
"And I wish the same of you, brother," snarled Stefan, his heart tearing in his breast. This was
Damon's fault; Damon had poisoned Katherine's mind so that she no longer knew what she was doing.
"And I have half a mind to make sure of it," he added savagely.
Damon did not mistake his meaning. "Then get your sword, if you can find it," he hissed back, his
eyes black with menace.
"Damon, Stefan, please! Please, no!" Katherine cried, putting herself between them, catching
Stefan's arm. She looked from one to the other, her blue eyes wide with shock and bright with unshed
tears. "Think of what you are saying. You are brothers."
"By no fault of mine," Damon grated, making the words a curse.