vampire diaries the return shadow souls

L. J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries
The Return: Shadow Souls
Vol. 2



For my wonderful agent, Elizabeth Harding



Contents
1 �
Dear Diary,� Elena whispered, �
how frustrating is this? I
left�
2
Elena burst out of the backseat of the Jaguar and�
3
Time stopped. Elena found that she was instinctively groping for�
4 �
You�re shaking. Let me do it alone,� Meredith said, putting�
5
Elena got into the backseat of the Jaguar and put�
6
Elena was using all her considerable talents at negotiation to�
7
Elena woke to the sound of Damon impatiently rapping on�
8
As they hastened from the car to the secluded motel�
9
Even as Elena opened her mouth to speak, she could�
10
The next morning Elena got up and dressed quietly in�
11
Arizona was as hot and barren a state as Elena�
12
Elena checked the edges of the hotel room�s draperies for�
13
The Demon Gate.
14
�All right,� Damon said as he and Elena reached Bonnie�
15
Hurrying behind Damon, Elena tried not to look either to�
16
Damon clearly decided to throw himself on the mercy of�

17
�Her name�s Ulma,� a voice said, and Elena looked down�
18
Elena came back to the real world slowly, fighting it�
19
Damon wouldn�t have thought a sadistic old fool who whipped�
20
Elena had seldom felt such relief as she did when�
21
Pandemonium. Elena whipped her head up, confused as to whether�
22
The afternoon after Elena�s �discipline,� Damon took out a room�
23
That �night� they moved in, choosing the hour while the�
24
Elena put down the pen and stared at her diary�
25
�Oh, I just want to take a little peek,� Bonnie�
26
�We have to keep our minds on saving Stefan,� Elena�
27
Elena felt confident and just a little light-headed as they�
28
They walked right by the weeping door-guards. But very quickly,�
29
Someone was trying to make her drink out of a�
30
Matt watched Mrs. Flowers go over Sheriff Mossberg�s badge, holding it lightly�
31
�I�m feeling much better,� Elena told Dr. Meggar. �I�d like to�
32
Elena was radiantly happy. She had gone to sleep happy,�
33
To her surprise, Elena felt no anger, only a determination�
34
I don�t think about those things, Elena answered in the�
35
�Nevertheless��Damon�s eyes took on a steely glint��without the amulet my�
36
�What?� shouted Damon over the music, while adding: Run�go! telepathically�
37
Elena had been tied, like someone in a B-movie who�
38
�Talon! Uh�heel!� Elena shouted and began to race as fast�
39
Elena waded into the crowd feeling like a soldier. She�

40
Matt and Mrs. Flowers were in the bunker�the addition to the�
41
�Stefan!� Elena screamed and knew that she sounded like a�
42
By now Matt and Mrs. Flowers couldn�t ignore the blinding lights�
43
Elena had a feeling she couldn�t quite describe. It wasn�t�
44
Elena was wakened by shouting. She�d already once awakened to� About the Author
Other Books by L. J. Smith
Credits
Copyright
About the Publisher

1
�Dear Diary,� Elena whispered, �how frustrating is this? I left you in the trunk of the
Jaguar and it�s two o�clock in the morning.� She stabbed her finger on
the leg of her nightgown as if she had a pen and was making a period. She whispered even more softly, leaning her forehead against the window, �And
I�m afraid to go outside�in the dark�and get you. I�m afraid!� She made another stab and then, feeling tears slip down her cheeks, reluctantly turned her
mobile on to record. It was a stupid waste of the battery, but she couldn�t help it. She
needed this.
�So here I am,� she said softly, �sitting up in the backseat of the car. This has to be my diary entry for today. By the way, we made a rule for this
road trip�I sleep in the Jag�s backseat and it�s the Great Outdoors for Matt and Damon. Right now it�s so dark outside that I can�t see Matt anywhere�.
But I�ve been going crazy�crying and feeling lost�and so lonely for Stefan�.
�We have to get rid of the Jaguar�it�s too big, too red, too flashy, and too memorable when we�re trying not to be remembered as we travel to the
place where we can free Stefan. After the car is sold, the lapis lazuli and diamond pendant Stefan gave me the day before he disappeared will be the
most precious thing I have left. The day before�Stefan got tricked into going away, thinking he could become an ordinary human being. And now�
�How can I stop thinking about what They might be doing to him, at this very second�
whoever �They� are? Probably the kitsune, the evil fox spirits at the prison called the Shi no Shi.�
Elena paused to wipe her nose on her nightgown sleeve.
�How did I ever get myself into this situation?� She shook her head, hit the seatback with her clenched fist.
�Maybe if I could figure that out, I could come up with Plan A. I always have a Plan A. And my friends always have a Plan B and C to help me.�
Elena blinked hard, thinking of Bonnie and Meredith. �But now I�m frightened that I�ll never see them again. And I�m scared for the entire town of Fell�s

Church.�For a moment she sat with her clenched fist on her knee. A small voice inside her was