The Return: Nightfall Chapter 27

When Damon woke up, he was wrestling with the wheel of the Ferrari. He was on a finalize road, detailing almost clean into a glorious sunset and the passenger door was waving open.Once once again, scarce the combination of almost fast reflex and perfectly de scared automobile solelyowed him to keep forbidden of the wide, doughy ditches on either post of the i-lane road. however he managed it and ended up with the sunset at his back, gazing at the tenacious shadows down the road and inquire what the hell had and happened to him.Was he sleep-driving now? The passenger door w herefore was it open?And consequently around issue happened. A long, thin thread, or so waving, almost compar adapted a single strand of gos identicalr, lit up as the cherry sun lighten bam it. It was dangling from the top of the passenger window, which was shut, with the roof down.He didnt irritate to pull the car to nonpareil side, plainly stopped in the middle of the road and went ar ound to look at that cop.In his fingers, held toward the light, it off dust coat. tho turned toward the dark of the timbre, it showed its true color gold.A long, slightly waving, golden h give ventsbreadth.Elena.As soon as he had identified it, he got back into the car and pinkan to backtrack. Something had ripped Elena even up taboo of his car without putt so much as a scratch on the paint. What could subscribe do that?How had he managed to sting Elena to go for a spin any personal manner? And wherefore couldnt he dream up? Had they both been attacked?When he backtracked, however, the snitchs by the passengers side of the road told the correct grisly story. For slightly reason, Elena had been f rightened into jumping out of the car or some power had pulled her. And Damon, who now matte as if thither were steam rising from his skin, knew that in either the woods in that location were however two creatures that could agree been responsible.He sent out a scouting probe, a simple circle that was meant to be undetectable, and almost disoriented control of the car again.MerdaThat blast had enumerate out as a sphere-shaped killing strafe birds were dropping out of the sky. It tore through the mature Wood, through Fells church, which surrounded it, and into the areas beyond, before fin every last(predicate)y dying out hundreds of miles away. effect? He wasnt a vampire, he was Death Incarnate. Damon had a vague impression of pulling all over and waiting until the turmoil inside himself had stopped. Where had such baron come from?Ste devotee would hit stopped, would grant dithered around, wondering. Damon save grinned savagely, gunned the engine, and sent thousands of probes raining from the sky, all attuned to catch a blur-shaped creature running or hiding in the Old Wood.He got a hit in a ten percent of a second.There. Under a dismal cohosh bush, if he wasnt ludicrous down the stairs some unspeakable bush, anyway. And Shinichi knew he was coming.Good. Damon sent a ramble of Power directly at the jumble, catching it in akekkai , a flesh of invisible rope-barrier that he tightened on purpose, slowly, around the struggling animal. Shinichi fought back, with killing force. Damon used the kekkai to pluck him up bodily and slam the modest dodger body into the ground. subsequently a few of these slams Shinichi decided to stop fighting and played unawares instead. That was fine with Damon. It was the way he approximation Shinichi looked best, except for the bit roughly playing.At last he had to stash the Ferrari between two trees and ran fleetly to the bush where Shinichi was now fighting the barrier around him to feel into benevolent form.Standing back, eyeball narrowed, arms crossed on his chest, Damon watched the struggle for a while. wherefore he let up bounteous on the kekkais expanse to allow the budge.And the instant Shinichi became human, Damons considers were around his throat.Where i s Elena, kono bakayarou? In a biography as a vampire you learned a lot of gent words. Damon preferred to use those of a victims native language. He called Shinichi eachthing he could cypher of, because Shinichi was fighting, and was Calling telepathically for his sister. Damon had some choice things to say nearlythat in Italian, where hiding moreovertocks your younger twin sister waswell, proper for alot of creative cursing.He felt an some other fox-shape racing at him and he realized that Misao intended to kill. She was in her true shape as a kitsune just like the russet thing hed tried to run over while driving with Damaris. A fox, yes, merely a fox with two, threesix shites altogether. The plain ones usually were invisible, he gathered, as he neatly caught her in a kekkai as well. But she was ready to show them, ready to use all her powers to rescue her brother.Damon contented himself with holding her as she struggled vainly within the barrier, and byword to Shinich i, Your baby sister fights better than you do,bakayarou . Now,give me Elena. Shinichi changed forms abruptly and leaped for Damons throat, sharp discolour odontiasis in evidence, top and bottom. They were both too keyed up, too mettlesome on testosterone and Damon, on his new Power to let it go.Damon actually felt the teeth scrape his throat before he got his hands again around the foxs neck. But this eon Shinichi was showing his buttockss, a fan that Damon didnt bother to count.Instead he stomped one neat boot on the fan andpulled with his other two hands. Misao, watching, shrieked in anger and anguish. Shinichi thrashed and arched, golden eye fixed on Damons. In another minute his spine would crack.Ill have a go at it that, Damon told him sweetly. Because Ill bet that Misao knows whatever you know. Too bad you wont be here to seeher die.Shinichi, rabid with fury, seemed go awaying to die and condemn Misao to Damons mercies just to avoid losing the fight. But then his ey es darkened abruptly, his body went limp, and words appeared faintly in Damons mind. pricescant ventureDamon regarded him gravely. Now, Stefan, at this point, would release a goodness deal of the pressure on the kitsune so the poor little fox could hypothesize, Damon, on the other hand, change magnitude the pressure briefly, then released it back to the previous level.Is that better? he asked solicitously. brush aside the deoxidisee little foxie think now?YoubastardAngry as he was, Damon suddenly remembered the point of all this.What happened to Elena?Her trail runs out up against a tree. Is sheinside it? You have seconds go forth-hand(a) to live, now. Talk.Talk, seconded another voice, and Damon barely glanced up at Misao. Hed left her relatively unguarded and shed found power and room to change into her human shape. He took it in instantaneously, dispassionately.She was small-boned and petite, looking like any Japanese schoolgirl, except that her hair was just like her broth ers black tipped with red. The only difference was that the red in her hair was lighter and brighter a sincerely brilliant scarlet. The bangs that push down into her eyes had blazing fiery tips, and so did the knavish dark hair delivering over her shoulders. It was great but the only neurons that lit in Damons mind in response were connected to inflammation and danger and deception.She might have fallen into a set up,Shinichi managed.A trap?Damon frowned.What kind of trap?Ill bear you to where you can look into them,Shinichi said evasively.And the fox can suddenly think again. But you know what? I dont think youre cute at all, Damon whispered, then dropped the kitsune on the ground. Shinichi-as-a-human fountained up, and Damon dropped the barrier just long enough to let the fox in human form gauge to take his head off with one punch. He leaned away from it easily, and returned it with a blow that knocked Shinichi back into the tree hard enough to bounce. Then, while the k itsune was un surviveed dazed and glassy-eyed, he picked him up, slung him over one shoulder, and started back to the car.What about me?Misao was onerous to curb furious and sound pathetic, but she really wasnt very good at it.Youre not cute, either, Damon said, recklessly. He could get to like this super-Power thing. But if you mean, when do you get out, its when I get Elena back. Safe and healthy, with all her bits attached.He left her cursing. He precious to get Shinichi to wherever they had to go while the fox was still dazed and in pain.Elena was counting. Go straight one, go straight two untangle crutch from creeper, three, four, go straight five it was definitely getting darker now, go straight six, caught by something in hair,yank , seven, eight, go straight shit A fallen tree. Too high to scramble over. Shed have to go around it. All right, to the right, one, two, three a long tree seven steps. Seven steps back now,sharp right turn and keep walking. untold as yo ud like to, you cant count any of those steps. So youre at nine. shed light on yourself because the tree was perpendicular dear heaven, its pitch dark now. Call that football team and she was flying. What had caused her crutch to slip, she didnt know, couldnt tell. It was too dark to go frisking around, maybe finding herself a case of poison oak. What she had to do was to think about things, to think so that this all-pervading hellish pain in her left leg would quiet down. It hadnt careed her right arm either that instinctive windmilling, trying to catch something and save herself. God, that fall had hurt. The whole side of her body hurt so much But she had to get to civilization because she believed only civilization could help monotonous.You have to get up again, Elena.Imdoing itNow she couldnt see anything, but she had a pretty good idea which way shed been pointed when shed fallen. And if she was wrong, she would hit the road and be able to backtrack.Twelve, bakers dozen she unbroken counting, kept talking to herself. When she reached twenty she felt relief and joy. either minute now, shed hit the driveway. all minute now, shed hit it.It was pitch black out, but she was scrupulous to scuff the ground so she would know, the minute she hit it.AnyminutenowWhen Elena reached forty she knew she was in trouble.But where could she have gone so far wrong? Every duration some small obstacle had do her turn right, shed turned carefully left the next time. And there was that whole line of landmarks in her way, the house, the barn, the small cornfield. How could she have gotten lost?How? It had only been half a minute in the woodsonly a few steps in the Old Wood. horizontal the trees were changing. Where she had been, near the road, most of the trees had been hickory or tulip. Now she was in a thicket of sporting oaks and red oaksand conifers.Old oaksand on the ground, needles and leaves that muffled her foot-hops into soundlessness.tranquilitybut she mandatory helpMrs. Dunstan Mr. Dunstan Kristin Jake She threw the names out into a globe that was doing its best to muffle her voice. In fact, in the darkness she could discern a certain swirling wispy patriarchalness that seemed to be yes it was fog.Mrs. Dunstaa a-aan Mr. Dunstaa-aa-an Kriiiissstiiiinnn Jaaa-aaakeShe needful shelter she needed help. Everything hurt, most of all her left leg and right shoulder. She could just figure what a sight she would make cover in mud and leaves from travel every few feet, her hair in a wild sweep from being caught on trees, livestock everywhere.One good thing she certainly didnt look like Elena Gilbert. Elena Gilbert had long silky hair that was always perfectly coifed or charminglydishabille . Elena Gilbert set the fashions in Fells Church and would never be seen wearing a torn camisole and jeans covered with mud. Whoever they thought this forlorn crazy was, they wouldnt think she was Elena.But the forlorn stranger was feeling a su dden qualm. Shed walked through woods all her bread and butter and never had her hair caught once. Oh, of course she had been able to see then, but she didnt remember having to step out of her way often to avoid it.Now, it was as if the trees were deliberately reaching down to catch and snag her hair. She had to hold her body clumsily still and try to whip her head away in the crush cases she couldnt manage to stay upright and get the tendril torn out as well.But painful as the tearing at her hair was, zipper scared her like the grabbing at her legs.Elena had grown up playing in this forest, and there had always been plenty of room to walk without hurting herself. But nowthings were reaching out, fibrous tendrils were grabbing at her ankle just where it hurt most. And then it was agony to try to rip with her fingers at these thick, sap-coated, stinging roots.Im frightened, she thought, putting into words at last what all her feelings had been since she stepped into the darkness of the Old Wood. She was wear out with dew and sweat, her hair was as wet as if shed been standing in the rain. It was so dark And now her imagination began to work, and unlike most peoples imaginations it had genuine, solid instruction to workwith . A vampires hand seemed to tangle in her hair. After an endless time of agony in her ankle and her shoulder, she had twisted the hand out of her hair to find another curling stalk.All right. She would fire the pain and get her bearings here, here where there was a remarkable tree, a massive etiolate pine that had a huge hole in its center, big enough for Bonnie to get into. She would put that flat at her back and then walk straight western United States she couldnt see stars because of the cloud cover, but shefelt that west was to her left. If she were correct, it would bring her to the road. If she were wrong and it was north, it would take her to the Dunstans. If it were south, it would eventually take her to another rationalis e of the road. If it were eastwell, it would be a long walk, but it would eventually take her to the creek.But first she would gather all her Power, all the Power shed been unconsciously using to dull the pain and give her strength she would gather it and light up this place so she could see if the road was visible or, better, a house from where she stood. It was only a humans power but, again, the knowledge of how to use it made all the difference, she thought. She gathered the Power in one tight white ball and then loosed it, twisting to look around before it dissipated.Trees. Trees. Trees. Oaks and hickories, white pine and beech. No high ground to get to. In every direction, nothing but trees, as if she were lost in some grimly enchanted forest and could never get out.But shewould get out. Any of those directions would take her to people eventually even east. Even east, she could just succeed the stream until it led to people.She wished she had a compass.She wished she coul d see the stars.She was trembling all over, and it wasnt just from the cold. She was injured she was terrified. But she had to forget about that. Meredith wouldnt cry. Meredith wouldnt be terrified. Meredith would find a sensible way to get out.She had to get help for Matt.Gritting her teeth to ignore the pain, Elena started off. If any of her wounds had happened to her in isolation, she would have made a big squabble about it, sobbing and writhing over the injury. But with so to a greater extent different pains, it had all melted into one repellant agony.Be careful now. Make sure youre going straight and not tilting off at an angle. Pick your next target in your straight line of sight.The worry was that by now it was too dark to see much of anything. She could just make out deeply grooved bark straight ahead. A red oak probably. All right, go to it. vamoose oh, it hurts hop the weeping washing down her cheeks hop just a little farther hop you can make it hop. She put her hand out on shaggy bark. All right. Now, look straight in count of you. Ah. Something gray and rough and massive ahead maybe a white oak. Hop to it agony hop somebody help me hop how long will it take? hop not that far now hop.There. She put her hand on the wide rough bark.And then she did it again.And again.And again. And again. And again.What is it? Damon demanded. Hed been forced to let Shinichi select once they were out of the car again, but he still kept the kekkai loosely around him and he still watched every move the fox made. He didnt trust him as far as well, the fact was, he didnt trust him at all. Whats substructure the barrier? he said again, to a greater extent roughly, tightening the noose around the kitsunes neck.Our little cabin Misaos and mine.And it wouldnt possibly be a trap, would it?If you think so, fine Ill go in alone. Shinichi had finally changed into a half-fox, half-human form black hair to his waist, with ruby-colored flacks licking up from the ends, one silky tail with the same coloration behind him waving behind him, and two silky, crimson-tipped twitching ears on top of his head.Damon approved aesthetically, but more important, he now had a ready-made handle. He caught Shinichi by the tail and twisted.Stop thatIll stop it when I get Elena unless you waylaid her deliberately. If shes hurt, Im going to take whoever harmed her and cut him into slivers. His life is forfeit.No matter who it was?No matter who.Shinichi was quivering slightly. ar you cold?justadmiring your resolve. More inadvertent quivering. Almost shaking his entire body.Laughter?At Elenas discretion, I would keep them alive. But in agony. Damon twisted the tail harder. MoveShinichi took another step and a charming country cabin came into view, with a gravel path leading up between wild creepers that loaded the porch and hung down like pendants.It was exquisite.Even as the pain grew, Elena began to have look forward to. No matter how turned around she was, shehad to come out of the forest at some point. She had to make it. The ground was solid no sign of mushiness or slanting downward. She wasnt headed for the creek. She was headed for the road. She could tell.She fixed her sights on a distant, smooth-barked tree. Then she hopped to it, the pain almost forgotten in her new feeling of certainty.She fell against the massive, peeling, ash-gray tree. She was resting against it when something bothered her. Her dangling leg. Why wasnt it bumping painfully against the trunk? It had knocked continually against all the other trees when she turned to rest. She pulled back from the tree, and, as if she knew it were important, gathered all her Power and let it go in a burst of white light.The tree with the huge hole in it, the tree she had started from, was in front of her.For a moment Elena stood completely still, wasting Power, holding the light. Maybe it was some differentNo. She was on the other side of the tree, but it was the same one. That washer hair caught in the peeling gray bark. That dried pipeline washer handprint. Below it was where her bloody leg had left a mark fresh.Shed walked straight out and come straight back to this tree.NooooooooooooooIt was the first vocalized sound shed made since shed fallen out of the Ferrari. Shed endured all that pain in silence, with little gasps or sharp breaths, but shed never cursed and screamed. Now she wanted to do both.Maybe it wasnt the same tree Nooooooo, nooooooo, nooooooooooooMaybe her Power would come back and shed see that shed only hallucinated No, no, no, no, no, noIt just wasnt possible NoooooooHer crutch slipped from to a lower place her arm. It had dug into her armpit so deeply that the pain there rivaled the other pains. Everything hurt. But worst was her mind. She had a picture in her mind of a sphere like the Christmas snow globes you shook to make snow or glitter fall through liquid. But this sphere had trees all over the inside. From top to bo ttom, side to side, all trees, all pointing toward the middle. And herself, wandering inside this solitary(a) sphereno matter where she went, shed find more trees, because that was all there were in this world shed stumbled into.It was a nightmare, but something like it was real.The trees were intelligent, too, she realized. The little move vines, the vegetation even now it was pulling her crutch away from her. The crutch was moving as if being passed from hand to hand by very small people. She reached out and just barely grabbed the end of it.She didnt remember having fallen to the ground, but here she was. And there was a smell, a sweet, earthy, resinous aroma. And here were creepers, testing her, taste sensation her. With delicate little touches, they wound into her hair so that she couldnt pick her head up. Then she could feel them tasting her body, her shoulder, her bloody knee. Nothing about it mattered.She squeezed her eyes shut, her body heaving with sobs. The creepers we re pulling at her wounded leg now, and instinctively she jerked away. For a moment the pain woke her up and she thought,Ive got to get to Matt , but the next moment that thought was dulled, too. The sweet, resinous smell remained. The creepers felt their way across her moving chest, across her breasts. They encircled her stomach.And then they began to tighten.By the time Elena realized the danger, they were restricting her breathing. She couldnt expand her chest. As she let out her breath, they only tightened again, working together all the little creepers like one titan anaconda.She couldnt tear them away. They were tough and springy and her nails couldnt cut through them. Working her fingers under a handful, she pulled as hard as she could, scraping with her nails and twisting. Finally one fiber sprang loose with the sound of a harps string breaking and a wild whipping in the air.The rest of the creepers pulled tighter.She was having to fight to get air now, fight not to contract her chest. Creepers were delicately touching her lips, swaying over her construction like so many thin cobras, then suddenly inter-group communication and going taut around her cheek and head.Im going to die.She felt a deep regret. She had been given the chance of a second lifetime a third, if you counted her life as a vampire and she hadnt done anything with it. Nothing but pursue her own pleasure. And now Fells Church was in peril and Matt was in immediate danger, and not only was she not going to help them, she was going to give up and die right here.What would be the right thing to do? The spiritual thing? Cooperate with evil now, and hope shed have the chance to destroy it later? Maybe. Maybe all she needed to do was to ask for help.The feeling of breathlessness was leaving her light-headed. She would never have believed it of Damon, that he would put her through all this, that he would allow her to be killed. Just days ago she had been defending him to Stefan.Damon and th e malach. Maybe she was his offering to them. They certainly demanded a lot.Or maybe it was just that he wanted her to beg for help. He might be waiting in the darkness quite a close, his mind centered on hers, waiting for a whisperedplease .She tried to luminosity the last of her Power. It was almost depleted, but like a match, with repeated striking she managed to get a tiny white flame.Now she visualized the flame going into her forehead. Into her head. Inside. There.Now.Through the fiery agony of not being able to draw a breath, she thoughtBonnie. Bonnie. Hear me.No answer but she wouldnt hear one.Bonnie, Matt is in a clearing in a lane off the Old Wood. He may need blood or some other help. Look for him. In my car.Dont worry about me. Its too late for me. Find Matt.And thats all I can say, Elena thought wearily. She had a vague, sad intuition that she hadnt gotten Bonnie to hear her. Her lungs were exploding. This was a terrible way to die. She was going to be able to exhale one more time, and then there would be no more air. poop you, Damon, she thought, and then she concentrated all her thoughts, all her minds reach on memories of Stefan. On the feeling of being held by Stefan, on Stefans sudden leaping smile, on Stefans touch.Green eyes, alternate green, a color like a leaf held up to sunlightThe decency he had somehow managed to retain, untaintedStefanI spang you.Ill always love you.Ive loved you.I love