The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle Chapter Sixteen

hanker ago, in the dark side streets of Florence, starving, frightened, and exhausted, Stefan had made himself a vow. Several vows, in fact, about using the Powers he sensed within himself, and about how to embrace the weak, blundering, scarcely hitherto-human creatures around him.Now he was going to break them completely.As hed thought, the surge of Power had passed everywhere Bonnie and Meredith and followed him, but it had receded again, and was now move back, waiting.He wouldnt let it wait long.Unencumbered by the burden of Elenas body, he broke into a predators lope on the empty road. The freezing come down and wind didnt bother him much. His hunters senses pierced through them.He turned them all to the task of locating the prey he wanted. No thinking of Elena now. Later, when this was over.Tyler and his friends were still in the Quonset hut. Good. They never k modernistic what was overture as the window burst into prompt glass shards and the storm blew inside.Stefan m eant to kill when he seized Tyler by the have intercourse and sank his fangs in. That had been unitary of his rules, non to kill, and he wanted to break it.But another of the toughs came at him before he had kinda drained Tyler of blood. The guy wasnt trying to cherish his fallen leader, only to escape. It was his bad luck that his route besidesk him across Stefans path. Stefan flipped him to the grease and tapped the new vein eagerly.The hot coppery taste revived him, warm up him, flowed through him wish well fire. It made him want more.Power. Life. They had it he postulate it. With the brainy rush of strength that came with what hed already drunk, he stunned them easily. Then he moved from peerless to another, drinking compact and throwing them away. It was desire popping go past on a six-pack.He was on the last when he truism Caroline huddling in the corner.His mouth was dripping as he increase his star to look at her. Those green eyes, usually so narrow, showed uncontaminating all around like those of a terrified horse. Her lips were pale blurs as she gabbled soundless pleas.He pulled her to her feet by the green sashes at her waist. She was moaning, her eyes roster up in their sockets. He wound his hand in her auburn hair to position the exposed throat where he wanted it. His head reared back to strike and Caroline screamed and went limp.He dropped her. Hed had passable anyway. He was bursting with blood, like an overfed tick. He had never mat up so strong, so charged with elemental power.Now it was time for Damon.He went out of the Quonset hut the corresponding way hed come in. But not in human form. A hunting falcon soared out the window and wheeled into the sky.The new course was wonderful. Strong and cruel. And its eyes were sharp. It took him where he wanted, skimming over the oak trees of the woods. He was looking for a particular clearing.Stefan ripped bloody strips out of his arms and perceive Damons answering scream of i njure and anger.Im not your weak little blood brother any more. He sent the thought down to Damon on a stunning blast of Power.And this time Ive come for your blood.He felt the subspecies of hatred from Damon, but the voice in his mind was mocking.So this is the thanks I function for saving you and your betrothed ?Stefans wings folded and he dived again, his whole man narrowed to one objective. Killing. He went for Damons eyes, and the stick Damon had picked up whistled past his new body. His talons tore into Damons cheek and Damons blood ran. Good.You shouldnt dupe left me alive, he told Damon.You should have killed both of us at once.Ill be glad to correct the steal Damon had been unprepared before, but now Stefan could feel his drawing Power, arming himself, standing(a) ready.But first you might tell me whom Im supposed to have killed this time.The falcons brain could not deal with the riot of emotions the taunting question called up. Screaming wordlessly, it plummeted on D amon again, but this time the heavy stick struck home. Injured, one wing hanging, the falcon dropped behind Damons back.Stefan changed to his own form at once, scarcely feeling the pain of his broken arm. Before Damon could turn, he grabbed him, the fingers of his good hand digging into his brothers neck and spinning him around.When he spoke, it was almost gently.Elena, he said, whispered, and went for Damons throat.It was dark, and very acold, and someone was hurt. someone needed help.But she was terribly tired.Elenas eyelids fluttered and opened and that took care of the darkness. As for the cold she was bone-cold, freezing, chilled to the marrow. And no wonder there was ice all over her.Somewhere, deep down, she knew it was more than that.What had happened? Shed been at home, asleep no, this was Founders Day. Shed been in the cafeteria, on the stage.Someones face had looked funny.It was too much to cope with she couldnt think. Disembodied faces floated before her eyes, fragmen ts And so tired.Better go back to sleep then. The ice wasnt really that bad. She started to lie down, and then the cries came to her again.She perceive them, not with her ears, but with her mind. Cries of anger and of pain. Someone was very unhappy.She sat quite still, trying to sort it all out. there was a quiver of feces at the edge of her vision. A squirrel. She could smell it, which was strange because shed never smelled a squirrel before. It stared at her with one bright black eye and then it scampered up the willow tree. Elena realized shed made a grab for it only when she came up empty with her fingernails digging into bark.Now that was ridiculous. What onearth did she want a squirrel for? She puzzled over it for a minute, then lay back down, exhausted.The cries were still going on.She act to cover her ears, but that did nothing to block them out. Someone was hurt, and unhappy, and fighting. That was it. There was a fight going on.All right. Shed figured it out. Now she co uld sleep.She couldnt, though. The cries beckoned to her, drew her toward them. She felt an irresistible need to follow them to their source.Andthen she could go to sleep. After she saw him.Oh, yes, it was coming back now. She rememberedhim. He was the one who understood her, wholoved her. He was the one she wanted to be with forever.His face appeared out of the mists in her mind. She considered it lovingly. All right, then. Forhim she would get up and walk through this ridiculous sleet until she found the victorian clearing. Until she could join him. Then theyd be together.The very thought of him seemed to warm her. There was a fire inside him that few people could see. She saw it, though. It was like the fire inside her.He seemed to be having some sort of difficulty at the moment. At least, there was a lot of shouting. She was close enough to hear it with her ears as well as her mind now.There, beyond that grandpa oak tree. That was where the noise was coming from. He was there , with his black, fathomless eyes, and his secret smile. And he needed her help. She would help him.Shaking ice crystals out of her hair, Elena stepped into the clearing in the wood.