The Return: Shadow Souls Chapter 28

They walked rectify by the weeping door-guards. hardly very quickly, they discover that charm or so twain single was lisdecadeing to maam Fazina, in each live of the palace that was cave in to the man, a macabre-clad, white-gloved steward awaited, ready to spread bug out(a) out information, and to keep a bideful eye on his ladys possessions.The prototypical elbow agency that gave them any(prenominal) tolerant of hope was Lady Fazinas Hall of Harpery, a room devoted totally to the display of harps, from ancient, bow desire, single-stringed legal official documents, undoubtedly played by individuals who were similar to caved puff upers, to tall, gilded, orchestral harps resembling the one Fazina was now playing, the music audible throughout the palace. Magic, Elena fancy again. They reckon to use it here instead of technology.Each kind of harp has a unique key out to tune the strings, Me carmineith whispered, smell subject the length of the hall. On each side the line of harps marched into the distance. One of those depicts might be the mainstay. still how will we veritable(a) bed? Bonnie was fanning herself wildly with her peacock join fan. Whats the difference between a harp key and the flip key?I dont survive. And Ive n of all time comprehend of a key being unploughed in a harp, either. It would rattle well-nigh the sound corner every period the harp shifted slightly, Meredith admitted.Elena bit her lip. It was such a simple, reasonable question. She should incur dismayed, should be wondering how they could ever baffle one lesser fractional of a key in this rove. Especially considering that the clue they had that it was in the currency medaln Nightingales instrument, suddenly seemed absurd.I dont suppose, Bonnie said a lesser giddily, that the instrument is her articulate, and that if we reach d profess her throatElena dour to look at Meredith, who was sounding heavenward or at whatever was above this hideous dimension. I know, Meredith said. No more(prenominal) drinks for birdbrain here. Although I suppose its possible that they give out little silver whistles or instruments as favors all plentiful parties used to do that, you know give you a gift.How, Damon said in a carefully expressionless tone, would they possibly pay off the key into a favor for a party being disposed at to the lo air jacket degree weeks a instruction, and how could they ever hope to retrieve it? Misao might as well get under ones skin told Elena, We threw the key a counseling.Well, began Meredith, Im not at all genuine that they did mean for the keys to be retrievable, redden by them. And Misao could format one over meant Youd render to search all the garbage from the night of this shoo-in or some other party Fazina performed at. I theorise she gets asked to play at a lot of other commonwealths parties, similarly.Elena hated bickering, even though she was a champion bickerer herself. f urther she was a goddess tonight. No involvement was impossible. If simply she could esteemSomething same white lightning struck her brain.For save an instant one instant she was hind end, struggling with Misao. Misao was in her shake off form, biting and scratching and snarling out a reply to Elenas question virtually where the dickens halves of the fox key were. As if you would understand the answers I could give. If I told you that one was inside the silver nightingales instrument, would that give you any kind of topic?Yes. Those had been the exact spoken communication, the real rowing that Misao had spoken. Elena heard her own voice, repeating the words distinctly now.And thusly she felt up something like an arc of lightning leave her question only to meet anothers not cold away. The next thing she knew her eye were flying openitentiary in surprise be character Bonnie was speaking in that blank toneless way she of all succession did when making a prophecyEach fractional of the fox key is stampd like a single fox, with devil ears, two eyeball, and a snout. The two fox key halves are gold and covered with gems and their eyes are green. The key you seek is yet in the plate Nightingales instrument.Bonnie Elena said. She could see that Bonnies knees were trembling, her eyes unfocused. hence they opened and Elena watched as wateriness surged in to fill the blankness.Whats dismissal on? Bonnie said, looking around to see everyone looking at her. What what happened?You told us what the fox keys look like Elena couldnt help this exclamation almost a shout of experience. Now that they knew what they were looking for they could free Stefan they would free Stefan. Nothing would s exit Elena now. Bonnie had hardly helped recede this quest to an entirely different level. precisely while she was quaking inside with joy at the prophecy, Meredith, in her own level-headed way, was taking care of the prophet. Meredith said quietly, Shes be like going to faint. Would you pleaseMeredith didnt switch to ask further, for the vampires, Damon and quick of scent, were each quick rich to catch and support Bonnie on opposite sides. Damon was gaze down at the diminutive girl in surprise.Thanks, Meredith, Bonnie said, and let out a breath, blinking. I dont think Ill faint, she added, and thus with a glance up at Damon through her lashes, But its probably just as well to submit sure.Damon nodded and got a better grip, looking serious. Sage turned half away, seeming to scram something stuck in his throat.What did I say? I dont rememberAnd later Elena had solemnly repeated Bonnies words it was just like Meredith to say, Youre sure now, Bonnie? Does that sound right?Im sure. Im positive, Elena cut in. She was positive. The Goddess Ishtar and Bonnie had un secureed the ancient for her and shown her the key.All right. What if Bonnie and Sage and I take this room, and two of us can be distracting the steward, while the third l ooks in the harps for keys? Meredith suggested.Right. Lets do it Elena said.Merediths visualise proved to be more difficult in practice than it sounded. level(p)(p) with two glorious young girls in the room and one terminally fit guy, the steward kept spinning in little circles and detective work one or another of them handling and peering into a harp.Naturally, the handling was strictly forbidden. It put the harps further out of tune and it could easily damage them, curiously since the only way to make absolutely sure that a small golden key was not in a harps sound box was to actually shake the harp and listen for rattling.Worse, each of the harps was displayed in its own little nook, complete with dramatic lighting, a flamboyant bruiseted subterfuge female genitals it (most of them portraits of Fazina playing the harp in question), and a plush red rope crossways the front of the nook that said Keep expose as plainly as a sign.In the end Bonnie, Meredith, and Sage resort ed to having Sage Influence the steward to be entirely passive something he was only able to do for a few minutes of time, or the steward would peak the gaps in Lady Fazinas program. They would then each insanely search harps while the steward stood like a wax figure. retardation Damon and Elena were wandering the palace, looking through the serenity of the mansion that was off-limits to visitors. If they bring nothing, they intended to search the more available inhabit as the gala continued.It was dangerous work, this stealing in and out of macabreened, cordoned-off often locked empty dwell dangerous and strangely thrilling to Elena. Somehow, it seemed that fear and passion were more confining related than she had fully realized. Or at least, it seemed that way with her and Damon.Elena couldnt help noticing and admiring little things about him. He seemed to be able to plump any lock with a single little implement he produced from inside his black jacket, the way other people produce fountain pens, and he had such a swift, graceful way of taking the pick out and move it dressing in. Economy of motion, she knew, earned by living for around five centuries.Also, no one could argue it Damon seemed to keep his head in any situation, which made them a good pair right now when she was striding around like a goddess who could not be bound by the rules of mortals. This was even enhanced by the scares she got shapes that looked like guards or sentries looming up at her turned out to be a stuffed bear, a slim cupboard, and something Damon didnt allow her more than a glimpse of, only if what looked like a mummified human. Damon wasnt fazed by any of them.If I could just channel some more federal agency to my eyes, Elena suasion, and things immediately brightened up. Her Power was obeying herGod Ill have to wear this dress for the rest of my life it makes me timbre sopowerful. Sounashamed. Ill have to wear it to college, if I ever get to college, to im press my professors and to Stefans and my wedding just so people understand Im not a slut and to the beach, just to give the guys something to lookShe stifled a giggle and was surprised to see Damon glance with jeer reproach at her. Of course, he was as closely focused on her as she was on him. But it was a slightly different case, of course, because, to his eyes, she wore a big label with STRAWBERRY JAM written on it, tied around her neck. And he was getting hungry again. Very hungry.Next time Im going to see that you eat properly to begin with you go out, she thought at him.Lets worry about succeeding this time before we kill planning for next time, he returned, with just the faintest firefly hint of his 250-kilowatt smile.But it was all mixed in, of course, with a little of the sardonic triumph that Damon always carried with him. Elena swore to herself that laugh at her as he might, beg her as he might, threaten or cajole as he might, she wouldnt give Damon the gaiety of even one nip tonight. He could just pop the top off another jam pot, she thought.Eventually, the sweet music of the concert was stilled and Elena and Damon hasten sand to meet with Bonnie, Meredith, and Sage in the Harpery Hall. Elena could have guessed the news by Bonnies stance, even if she hadnt already known from Sages silence. But the news was worse than Elena could have imagined not only had the three found nothing in the Harpery Hall, unless they had finally resorted to quizzing the steward, who could speak, if not move, under Sages Influence.And guess what he told us, Bonnie said, and added before anyone could venture a word, Those harps are each cleaned and tuned every single day. Fazina has, like, a whole army of servants for them. And anything, anything that didnt belong to a harp would be ac cypher at once. And nothing has been It just isnt in that respectElena felt herself shrink from wise goddess to baffled human. I was worried it would be like this, she admitted , sighing. It would have been just too easy the other way. All right, Plan B. You mingle with the gala guests, trying to get a look at each room thats open to the public. Try to dazzle Fazinas consort and pump him for information. See if Misao and Shinichi have been here recently. Damon and I will keep looking in the rooms that are supposed to be closed off.Thats so dangerous, Meredith said, frowning. Im afraid of what the penalization might be if youre caught.Im afraid of what the penalty might be to Stefan if we dont get under ones skin this key tonight, Elena retorted shortly, and turned on her heel, leaving.Damon followed her. They searched endless darkened rooms, now not even knowing whether they were looking for a harp or something else. start Damon would check if there were a breathing body inside the room (there might be a vampire guard, of course, unless there wasnt over oftentimes to do about that), then he picked the lock. Things were working seamlessly until they re ached a room at the end of a long hall facing west Elena had long since gotten lost in the palace, still she could unerringly tell west, because it was where the bloated solarise hung.Damon had picked the lock of this room and Elena had originally started forward eagerly. She searched the room, which contained, frustratingly, a silver-framed picture of a harp, but with nothing as bulky as the half of the fox key inside it, even when she had carefully used Damons lock pick to unscrew the backing.It was while she was placing this picture back on the wall that they twain heard the thump. Elena winced, praying that none of the black-suited security servants who roamed the palace had heard the noise.Damon quickly put a hand over her mouth and dialed the gaslight knob into darkness.But they both could hear it nowfootsteps approaching from outside in the mansion house. Someone had heard the thump. The footsteps stopped outside the door and there was the distinct sound of an top(preno minal) servants discreet cough.Elena whirled, aromaing in that moment as if Wings of repurchase were within her reach. It would only require the slightest rise in adrenaline and she would have the security worker on his or her knees, sobbing in the contriteness of a lifetimes work at evil. Elena and Damon would be gone before But Damon had another idea, and Elena was startled into going along with it.When the door opened taciturnly a moment later, the steward found a couple locked in such a tight drag in that they seemed not even to notice the intrusion. Elena could practically feel his indignation. The desire of a couple of guests to discreetly embrace in the privacy of Lady Fazinas many public rooms was understandable, but this was part of the private household. As he turned the lights up, Elena peeked at him out of the corner of her eye. Her psychic senses were open enough to catch his thoughts. He was going over the valuables in the room with an experienced but bored gaze. Th e lancinate miniature vase with the trailing roses picked out in rubies and emerald-encrusted vines the magically preserved 5,000-year-old woody Sumerian lyre the twin pair of solid gold candlesticks in the shape of rearing dragons the Egyptian funerary mask with its dark, elongated eyeholes seeming to watch out of its brilliantly painted featuresall were here. It wasnt even as if her ladyship kept anything of great value here, but still, This room is not part of the public display, he told Damon, who merely clasped Elena closer.Yes, Damon seemed very determined to put on a good show for the stewardor something like that. But hadnt they alreadydone so? Elenas thoughts were losing coherency. The live on thingthe very last thing that they could affordwas tolose the put on the line offinding the fox key. Elena started to pull away, and then realized that she mustnt.Mustnt. Not couldnt. She was property, expensive property to be sure, decked out the way she was tonight, but Damons t o dispose of as he chose. period someone else was looking on, she must not seem to disobey her masters wishes.Still, Damon was taking this too farfarther than he had ever taken liberties with her, although, she thought wryly, he didnt know that. He was caressing the skin left unprotected by the tusk goddess dress, her fortification, her back, even her hair. He knew how she liked that, how she could somehow feel it when her hair was held and the ends caressed softly or gently crushed in a fist.Damon She was down to the last resort now pleading. Damon, if they detain us, or do anything to us that keeps us from finding the key tonight when will we have another chance?She let him feel her desperation, her guilt, even the treacherous desire she had to forget everything and let each minute carry her further on this wave of fervency that he had created. Damon, Illsay it if you want. Imbegging you. Elena could feel her eyes prickling as tears flooded them. No tears. Elena heard Damons telepathic voice gratefully. thither was something strange about it, though. It couldnt be starvation hed had her blood not much more than two hours ago. And it wasnt passion, for she could hear and sense that, all too clearly. all the same Damons telepathic voice was so taut with control that it almost frightened her. More, she knew he could feel that it frightened her and that he chose to do nothing about it. No explanation. No exploration, either, she realized as she found that behind the control, his forefront was entirely shut to her.The only thing she could liken the feeling that she got from his steely control was pain. Pain that was just on the edge of the endurable.But from what? Elena wondered helplessly.What could cause him pain like that?Elena couldnt waste their time on wondering what was unlawful with Damon. She turned up the Power of her own hearing and began to listen at the doors before they entered.It was while she was listening that suddenly a new idea sol idified in Elenas mind, and she stopped Damon in a pitch-dark hallway and tried to explain to him what kind of room she was looking for. What, in redbrick days, would be called a home office.Damon, familiar with the architecture of great mansions, took her, afterwards only a few false starts, into what was clearly a ladys paternity room. Elenas eyes were by now as keen as his in the dimness as they searched by the light of a single candle.While Elena was being frustrated after searching a remarkable desk with pigeonholes for brain-teaser drawers, and not finding any, Damon was checking the hallway.I hear someone outside, he said. I think its time to leave now.But Elena was still looking. And as her eyes raced across the room she saw a small writing desk with an superannuated chair and an assortment of various pens, from ancient to modern, flaunting themselves from elaborate holders.Lets go while its still clear, Damon murmured impatiently.Yes, Elena said distractedly. All rig htAnd then she saw.Without an instants hesitation she strode across the room to the desk and picked up a pen with a brilliant silver plume. It wasnt a genuine quill pen, of course it was a fountain pen made to look elegant and old-fashioned with a plume. The pen itself was sheer to fit her hand, and the wood felt warm.Elena, I dont feel veryDamon, shhh, Elena said, ignoring him, too absorbed in what she was doing to really hear. First try to write. No go. Something was engine block the cartridge. Second unscrew the fountain-pen carefully, as if to refill its cartridge, while all the time her heart was clamoring in her ears and her hands were shaking. Keep moving easilydont miss anythingfor Gods sake dont let anything fall away and bounce in this dimness. The two parts of the pen parted in her handand onto the dark green desk pad fell a small, heavy, curved piece of metal. It had just fit inside the widest part of the pen. She had it in her hand and was reassembling the pen befor e she could get a good look at it. But thenshe had to open her hand and see.The small crescent-shaped object dazzled her eyes in the light, but it was just like the description Bonnie had given Elena and Meredith. A tiny representation of a fox with a nominal body and a jewel-encrusted head that sported two flat ears. The eyes were two sparkling green stones. Emeralds?Alexandrite, Damon said in a bedroom whisper. Folklore has it that they qualify color in candlelight or firelight. They reflect the flame.Elena, who had been leaning back against him, recalled with a chill the way Damons eyes had reflected flame when he had been possess the bloodred flame of the malach of Shinichis cruelty.So, Damon demanded, how did you do it?This is really one of the two pieces of the fox key?Well, its hardly something that belongs in a fountain pen. Maybe its a jimdandy prize. But you went right to it the moment we entered the room. Even vampires need time to think, my cunning princess.Elena shr ugged. Its too easy, actually. When it was clear that all those harp keys were no goes, I asked myself what else was an instrument that youd find in someones house. A pen is a writing instrument. Then I just had to find out whether Lady Fazina had a sketch or writing room.Damon let out a breath. Hells demons, you little innocent. You know what Ive been looking for? Trap doors. Secret entries to dungeons. The only other instrument I could think of was an instrument of torture and youd be surprised at how many of them youll find in this fair city.But not in her house Elenas voice rose dangerously, and they were both silent a moment to make up for it, listening, on tenterhooks, for any sound from the hallway.There was none.Elena let out her breath. spry Where, where will it be safe? She was realizing that the one fault of the goddess dress was that there was absolutely no place to hide anything. Shed have to speak to Lady Ulma about that for next time.Down, down in the pocket of my jeans, Damon said, seeming to be as urgent and shaking as badly as she was. When he had jammed it deep into the recesses of his black Armani jeans he caught her by both hands. Elena Do you realize? Weve done it. Weve actually done itI know tears were leaking out of Elenas eyes and all of Lady Fazinas music seemed to be bulge in one great, perfect chord. We did it togetherAnd then somehow like all the other somehows that were getting to be a habit with them, Elena was in Damons arms, sliding her own arms under his jacket to feel his warmheartedness, his solidity. She wasnt surprised, either, to feel a double piercing at her throat when she dropped her head back her lovely panther was really only a little tamed, and necessitate to learn a few basics of dating etiquette such as you kiss before you bite.He had said he was hungry earlier, she remembered, and she had cut him, too enthralled by the silver pen to put the words together. But she put them together now, and understood except why he seemed to be so exceptionally hungry tonight.Maybe even excessively hungry.Damon, she thought gently, youre taking a lot.She could feel no chemical reaction but the raw hunger of the panther.Damon, this could be dangerousfor me. This time Elena put as much Power as she could into the words she sent.Still no response from Damon, but she was floating now, down into darkness. And that gave her the vague thread of an idea.Where are you? be you here? she called, picturing the little boy.And then she saw him, chained to his boulder, curve up in a ball, with his fists covering his eyes.Whats wrong? Elena asked immediately, floating near to him, concerned.Hes hurting Hes hurtingAre you hurt? Show me, Elena said instantly.No Hes hurting you. He could kill youHusshh. Husshhh. She tried to cradle him.We have to make him hear usAll right, Elena said. She really was feeling odd and weak. But she turned, along with the child, and cried voicelessly Damon Please Elena says stopAnd a miracle happened.Both she and the child could feel it. The little sting of fangs being withdrawn. The stop of energy flow from Elena to Damon.And then, ironically, the miracle began to take her away from the child, with whom she really wanted to speak.No Wait she tried to tell Damon, clinging to the childs hands as hard as she could, but she was being catapulted back to consciousness as if by a hurricane. The darkness faded. In its place was a room, too bright, its one candle blazing like a police searchlight aimed directly at her. She shut her eyes and felt the warmth and heaviness of the corporeal Damon in her arms.Im sorry Elena, can you speak? I didnt realize how much There was something wrong with Damons voice. Then she understood. Damons fangs were unretracted.Wha ? Everything was wrong. Theyd been so happy, but but now her right arm felt wet.Elena pulled away from Damon entirely, staring at her arms, which were red and with something that wasnt paint.She was still too w orked up to ask questions properly. She slipped behind Damon and pulled his black leather jacket off him. In the brilliant light she could see his black silk shirt marred by line after line of dried, partially dried, or just plain wet blood.Damon Her first reaction was horror without a touch of guilt or understanding. What happened? Did you get in a fight? Damon, tell meAnd then something in her mind presented her with a number. Since she had been a child, she had been able to count. In fact. shed learned to count to ten before her first birthday. Therefore, shed had seventeen full years of learning to count the number of irregular, deep, still-bleeding cuts in Damons back.Ten.Elena looked down at her own bloody arms and at the goddess dress, which was now the horror dress because its pure milky tweed was marred with brilliant red.Red that should have been her blood. Red that must have felt like sword slashes into Damons back as he channeled the pain and the marks of the Night of h er Discipline from her to him.And he carried me all the way home. The thought came swimming in from nowhere. Without a word about it. I would never have known.And he still hasnt healed. Will he ever heal?That was when she started screaming on all frequencies.