the return midnight | Page 9

d fr o w ne d a nd a ske d, if th e
ro se c o uld c ha ng e a v a m pir e to a h um an, c o uld a s ta r b all
c ha ng e a h um an to a v a m pir e ?
E le na h a dn’t b een th e o nly o ne to s e e th e s lo w r is in g o f
D am on’s b ent h e ad, a nd th e g li m mer in h is e ye s a s th e y
tr a ve le d th e le ng th o f th e r o om to th e s ta r b all fille d w ith
P ow er. E le na c o uld p ra ctic a lly h e ar h is lo gic . M att m ig ht b e
to ta lly o ff tr a ck… but th e re w as o ne p la ce a h um an c o uld b e
s ure to fin d p ow erfu l v a m pir e s. In th e D ark D im ensio n— to
w hic h th e re w as a G ate w ay in th e b oard in g ho use ’s g ard en.
T he G ate w ay w as c lo se d r ig ht n o w … fo r la ck o f P ow er.
U nli k e S te fa n, D am on w ould h a ve a bso lu te ly n o q ua lm s
a bout w ha t w ould h a ppen if h e h a d to u se a ll th e s ta r b all’ s
li q uid , w hic h w ould r e sult in th e d eath o f M is a o. A fte r a ll, s he
w as o ne o f th e tw o fo xe s w ho h a d a band one d S te fa n to b e
to rtu re d.

S o a ll b ets w ere o ff.
O ka y, y o u’r e s ca re d;
now d eal w ith it
, E le na to ld h e rs e lf
fie rc e ly . D am on’s b een in th a t r o om fo r a lm ost fifty h o urs n o w
— and w ho k no w s w ha t h e ’s b een p lo ttin g to d o to g et h o ld o f
th e s ta r b all. S till, s o m ebody’s g ot to g et h im to e at— and
w he n y o u s a y “ s o m ebody,” fa ce it, it’s y o u.
E le na h a d b een s ta nd in g a t th e d oor s o lo ng th a t h e r k ne es
w ere s ta rtin g to lo ck. S he to ok a d eep b re ath a nd k no cke d.
T he re w as n o a nsw er, a nd n o li g ht w ent o n in sid e. D am on
w as h um an. It w as q uite d ark o uts id e n o w .
“D am on? ”It w as m eant to b e a c a ll. It c a m e o ut a w his p er.
N o a nsw er. N o li g ht.
E le na s w allo w ed. H e
had
to b e in