The Return: Shadow Souls Chapter 43

Elena had a feeling she couldnt sort of describe. It wasnt letdown. It waslet up. For what seemed desire most of her life she had been searching for Stefan. besides now she had him back again, quite fail-safe and clean (hed had a long bath while she insisted on scrubbing him gently with all sorts of brushes and pumice stones, and then a turn outer, and then a rather cramped shower with her). His hair was drying into the silky hushed dark shock a microscopical longer than he usually kept it that she knew. He hadnt had slide fastener for frivolities like keeping his hair short and clean before. Elena unders similarlyd that.And now in that location were no guards or kit solarisee around to spy on them. There was no issue to keep them from each other. They had been playful in the shower, dab each other, Elena always making sure to keep her feet on the no-slip guard and ready to try to nominate Stefans lanky weight. But they could not be playful now.The showers spray had been v ery helpful, too at conceal the teardrops that kept flowing down Elenas cheeks. She could oh, dear heaven count and feel each one of his ribs. He was unless bones and skin, her beautiful Stefan, that his green eyes were alive, sparkling and dancing in his ghastly face.After they were dressed in nightclothes they simply sat on the bed for a little while. Sitting to workher, both breathing Stefan had got into the habit from being around humans so much and, recently, from as pronounce to eke out the small amount of nutrition he received in synchronicity, and both feeling the others adoring body beside themit was almost too much. then, almost tentatively, Stefan groped for Elenas hand, and catching it, held it in both of his, turning it over wonderingly.Elena was swallowing and swallowing, toil roughly to make a start in a conversation, felt up herself practically radiating bliss. Oh, I neer want anything much, she thought, although she knew that soon enough she would w ant to talk, and to hold, and to kiss, and to feed Stefan. But if someone had asked her if she would have accepted salutary this, sitting together, communicating by touch and love alone, she would have accepted it.Before she knew it, she was talking, words that came like bubbles out of molasses, only these were bubbles from her soul. I thought that somehow I might lose this time. That Id won so many times, and that this time something would teach me a lesson and youwouldnt make it.Stefan was calm down wondering over her hand, bending industriously to kiss each separate finger. You call winning dying in pain and sunlight to save my wasted life and my pull down more worthless brothers?I call this a better kind of winning, Elena admitted. all time we get to be together is winning. Any moment veritable(a) in that dungeonStefan winced, neertheless Elena had to finish her thought. Even there, to look in your eyes, to touch your hand, to know that you were looking at me and touch ing me and that you were blissful well, thats winning, in my book.Stefan lifted his eyes to hers. In the dim light, the green looked suddenly dark and mysterious. And one more thing, he whispered. Because I am what I amand because your crowning glory isnt that glorious golden hide of hair, solely an aura that isineffable. Indescribable. Beyond any wordsElena had thought they would sit and simply gaze at each other, drowning in each others eyes, scarce that wasnt happening. Stefans expression had slipped and Elena realized how close to bloodlust and to death he still really was.Hurriedly, Elena pulled her damp hair to one side of her neck, and then she leaned back, knowing Stefan would catch her.He did this, but although Elena tilted her chin back, he tilted it down in his two hands to look at her.Do you know how much I love you? he asked.His entire face was masked now, dubious and strangely thrilling. I dont cogitate you do, he whispered. Ive watched and watched how you wer e willing to do anything, anything to save mebut I dont think you know how much that love has been building up, Elena.Delicious shivers were going down Elenas spine.Then youd better show me, she whispered. Or I might not believe that you mean it Ill show you what I mean, Stefan whispered back. But when he bent down it was to kiss her softly. The feelings inside Elena that this starving creature wanted to kiss her or else of going at once for her throat, reached a peak that she could not explain in thoughts or words, but only by drawing Stefans head so that his mouth rested on her neck.Please, she said. Oh, Stefan, please.Then she felt the quick sacrificial pains, and then Stefan was drinking her blood, and her mind, which had been fluttering around like a bird in a lighted room, now saw its nest and its mate and swooped up and up and up to at last reach unity with its best-beloved.After that there was no need for clumsy things like words. They communicated in thoughts as pure and clear as shimmering gems, and Elena rejoiced because all of Stefans mind was open to her, and none of it was walled off or dark and there were no boulders of secrets or chained and weeping youngsterrenWhat she heard Stefan exclaim voicelessly. A child in chains? A mountain-sized boulder? Who could have that in their mind ? Stefan broke off, knowing the answer, even before Elenas lightning-swift thought could tell him. Elena felt the clear green wave of his pity, spiced by the natural pettishness of a young man who has gone through the depths of hell, but untainted by the terrible vitriolic poison of hatred of brother for brother.When Elena had finished explaining all she knew about Damons mental processes, she said, And I dont know what to do Ive done all(prenominal)thing I could, Stefan, Ive Ive even loved him. I gave him anything that wasnt yours alone. But I dont know if its made even the slightest difference.He called Matt Matt instead of Mutt, Stefan interrupted.Yes. In oticed that. Id kept asking him to, but it never seemed to matter.It mattered this way you managed to change him. Not many people can.Elena wrapped him in a tight embrace, stopped, mad that it was too tight, and glanced at him. He smiled and shook his head. He was already looking like a individual rather than a death camp survivor.You should keep using it, Stefan said voicelessly. Your influence over him is strongest.I will without any artificial Wings, Elena promised. Then she worried that Stefan would think her too presumptuous or too attached.But one look at Stefan was enough to assure her that she was doing the right thing.They clung to each other.It wasnt as hard as Elena had imagined it would be handing Stefan over to other humans to be bled. Stefan had a clean pair of pajamas on, and the offset printing thing he said to all three donors was, If you get frightened or change your mind, just say so. I can hear perfectly well, and Im not in bloodlust. And anyway, Ill probab ly sense it if youre not enjoying it before you do, and Ill stop. And finally thank you thank you all. Ive decided to break my oath tonight because theres still some little chance that if I slept I wouldnt wake up tomorrow without you.Bonnie was horrified and shadowy and furious. You mean you couldnt sleep all that time because you were afraid to to?I did fall asleep from time to time, but thank fortune thank God I always woke up again. There were times when I didnt dare move to conserve energy, but somehow Elena kept finding ways to come to me, and every single time she came, she brought me some kind of sustenance. He gave Elena a look that sent her heart reel out of her chest and high into the stratosphere.And then she set up a schedule, with Stefan being fed every hour on the hour, and then she and the others left the first volunteer, Bonnie, alone, so as to be more comfortable.It was the close morning. Damon had already been out to visit Leigh, the antiques-sellers niece , who had seemed very glad to see him. And now he was back, to look with patronage at the slug-a-beds who were distributed all around the boardinghouse.That was when he saw the bouquet.It was heavily sealed down with wards amulets to help get it through the dimensional gap. There was something powerful in there.Damon cocked his head to one side.HmmI wonder what? sexual love Diary,I dont know what to say. Were home.Last night we each had a long bathand I was half-disappointed, because my darling long-handled back-scrubbing brush wasnt there, and there was no star ball to make dreamy music for Stefan and the weewee was LUKEWARM And Stefan went to see if the water heater was turned on all the way and met Damon going to do the same thing Only, they couldnt because were home again.But I woke up a couple of hours ago for a few minutes to see the most beautiful sight in the worlda sunrise. demented pink and eerie green in the east, with nighttime still full dark in the west. Then deep er rose in the sky, and the trees all wreathed in dew clouds. Then a shiny glory from the edge of the eyeshot and dark rose, cream, and even a green melon color in the sky, Finally, a line of get up and in an instant all the colors change. The line becomes an arc, the western sky is deepest deepest blue, and then up comes the sun bringing warmth and light and color to the green trees and the sky begins to become aeriform blue celestial just means heavenly, although somehow, I have a delicious shivery feeling when I say it. The sky becomes a gemlike, celestial, cerulean blue and the golden sun begins to pour energy, love, light, and every good thing onto the world.Who could not be happy to watch this while Stefan held her?We who are so lucky as to be born(p) into the light who see it every day and never think about it, were blessed. We could have been born shadow souls who live and die in crimson darkness, never even knowing that somewhere there is something better.