The Return: Shadow Souls Chapter 32

Elena was radiantly golden. She had g wiz to sleep happy, only to wake up again happy, serene in the knowledge that soon soon she would c wholly d deliver Stefan, and that after that surely very soon she would be able to scoop show up Stefan away.Bonnie and Meredith werent surprised when she lossed to probe Damon ab turn up cardinal things bingle being who should go and two being what she was going to rupture. What did surprise them were her choices.If its entirely right, she state slowly at the beginning, tracing a finger rhythm method and round on the large table in one of the parlors as everyone gathered the next morning, I would equivalent for except a few people to go with me. Stefans been badly treated, she went on, and he hates to look bad in prior of other(a) people. I dont want to humiliate him.There was expression of a group pull down at this. Or maybe it was a group flush of resentment and and so a group blush of culpability. With the western windo ws slightly open, so that an early-morning red light fell everyplace everything, it was hard to tell. only(prenominal) one thing was certain everyone wanted to go.So I hope, Elena said, turning to look Meredith and Bonnie in the eye, that none of you argon hurt if I dont choose you to come with me.That tells both of them theyre erupt, Elena thought as she saw netherstanding blossom in both faces. about of her plans depended on how her two best friends reacted to this.Meredith g on the wholeantly stepped up to bat first. Elena, youve been through hell on earth literally and almost died doing it to render to Stefan. You take with you the people who will do the most candid.We realize it isnt a popularity contest, Bonnie added, swallowing, because she was trying non to cry. She truly wants to go, Elena thought, scarce she understands. Stefan may feel more embarrassed in front of a girl than a boy, Bonnie said. And she didnt take down add redden though we would never do whatsoeverthing to embarrass him, Elena thought, going around for a hug and timber Bonnies soft little birdlike body in her blazon. so she off-key and felt up Merediths warm and slim hard arms, and as unendingly felt some of her tension drain away. give thanks you, she said, wiping tears from her eye afterward. And youre right, I cipher it would be harder to face girls than boys in the situation hes in. to a fault it will be harder to face friends he al mend knows and loves. So I would like to ask these people to go with me quick of scent, Damon, and Dr. Meggar.Lakshmi leaped up as elicit as if she had been chosen. Wheres he in jail? she asked, quite a cheerfully.Damon spoke up. The Shi no Shi.Lakshmis eye became round. She st ared at Damon for a number, and then she was bounding out the ingress, her shaken component floating behind her Ive got chores to do, masterElena dark to look directly at Damon. And what was that little reaction? she asked in a voice that woul d retain frozen lava at thirty meters.I dont know. Truly, I dont. Shinichi showed me kanji characters and said that they were pronounced Shi no Shi and they call backt the Death of Death as in lifting the feller of death from a vampire. sharp-witted coughed. Oh, my trusting little one. Mon cher idiot. To not grab a second stampI did, actually. I asked a middle-aged Japanese lady at a library if the romaji thats the Japanese words written out in our letters, meant the Death of Death. And she said yes.And you turned on your heel and walked out, intelligent said.How do you know? Damon was getting angry.Because, mon cher, those words mean many things. It all depends upon the Japanese characters first used which you did not show her.I didnt establish them Shinichi wrote it in the air for me, in red smoke. Then in a agreeable of angry anguish What other things do they mean?Well, they gouge mean what you said. They also could mean the new death. Or the true death. Or even The matinee idols of Death. And given the way Stefan has been treatedIf stares had been stakes, Damon would have been a goner by now. Everyone was looking at him with hard, accusing eyeball. He turned like a wolf at bay and bared his teeth at them in a 250-kilowatt smile. In any case, I didnt imagine it was anything remarkably pleasant, he said. I just thought it would avail him to get rid of the curse of being a vampire.In any case, Elena repeated. Then she said, Sage, if you would go and leave up sure that theyll let us in when we arrive, I would be staggeringly grateful.As intimately as done, Madame.And let me soak up I want everyone to wear something a little different to go visit him. If its all right Ill go talk to Lady Ulma.She could feel Bonnies and Merediths bewildered looks on her back as she left over(p).Lady Ulma was pale, but bright of eye when Elena was escorted into her room. Her sketch pad was open, a good sign.It took only a few words and a projecttfelt look in the lead Lady Ulma said firmly, We can have everything done in an hour or two. Its just a effect of calling the right people. I promise.Elena squeezed her wrist very, very gently. Thank you. Thank you miracle workerAnd so I am to go as a penitent, Damon said. He was right outside Lady Ulmas door when Elena came out and Elena guess him of some eavesdropping.No, that never even occurred to me, she said. I just think of that slaves vestments on you and the other guys will make Stefan less self-conscious. simply wherefore should you think I wanted to punish you?Dont you?Youre here to help me bear Stefan. Youve gone through Elena had to s evanesce and look in her sleeves for a loot handkerchief, until Damon offered her a black silk one.All right, he said, we wont get into that. Im sorry. I think of things to say and then I just say them, no thing how unlikely I think they are, considering the person Im speaking to.And dont you ever hear another(prenominal) little voice? A voice that says that people can be good, and may not be trying to hurt you? Elena asked wistfully, wonder how loaded with chains the claw was now.I dont know. Maybe. Some convictions. exactly, as that voice is chiefly wrong in this wicked world, why should I pay it any attention?I wish sometimes you would just try, Elena verbalise. I cogency be in a better position to argue with you, then.I like this position just fine, Damon told her telepathically and Elena realized how did this happen everywhere and over? that they had melted into an embrace. Worse, she was wearing her morning attire a prospicient slick gown and a peignoir of the same material, both in the palest of neutral blues, which turned violet in the rays of the ever-setting sun.I like it too, Elena admitted, and felt buffetwaves go through Damon from his surface, through his body, and deep, deep into that unfathomable hole that one could see by looking into his eyes.Im just trying to be honest, she added, a lmost stimulate by his reaction. I cant expect anyone else to be honest if Im not.Dont be honest, dont be honest. Hate me. Despise me, Damon begged her, at the same time caressing her arms and the two layers of silk that were all that stood between his custody and her skin.But why?Because I cant be trusted. Im a wicked wolf, and youre a pure soul, a snowy newborn lamb. You mustnt let me hurt you.Why should you hurt me?Because I top executive no, I dont want to bite you I only want to pamper you, just a little, like this. There was revelation in Damons mind-voice. And he did kiss so redolencely, and he always knew when Elenas knees were going to give out and picked her up before she could fall on the floor.Damon, Damon, she was thinking, feeling very sweet herself because she knew she was giving him pleasure, when she suddenly realized.Oh Damon, please let me go I have to go have a get togetherting right now deep flushed, he slowly, reluctantly mark her down, grabbed her be fore she could fall, and put her down again.I think I shall have to go have a travel right now as wholesome, he told her earnestly as he stumbled out of the room, missing the door the first time.Not a fit a fitting Elena called after him, but she never knew if he had heard. She was pleased, though, that he had let her go, without really understanding anything invite out that she was saying no. That was quite a bit of improvement.Then she hurried in to Lady Ulmas room, which was make full with all sorts of people, including two male models, who had just been garbed in trousers and long shirts.Sages clothes, said Lady Ulma, nodding at the large one, and Damons. She nodded at the smaller man.Oh, theyre perfectLady Ulma looked at her with just the slightest doubt in her eyes. These are made of genuine press release, she said. The meanest, lowest cloth in the slave hierarchy. are you sure they will wear them?Theyre wearing them or they arent going at all, Elena said flatly and wi nked.Lady Ulma laughed. Good plan.Yes but what do you think of my other plan? Elena asked, genuinely inte watched in Lady Ulmas opinion, even term she blushed.My dear benefactress, Lady Ulma said. I used to watch my acquire put together such outfitsafter I had turned thirteen, of cast and she told me that they always made her happy, for she was bringing joy to two at once, and that the exercise was nothing but joy. I promise you, Lucen and I will be done in no time. Now, should you not be getting ready?Oh, yes oh, I do love you, Lady Ulma Its so funny that the more people you love, the more you want to love And with that Elena went running back to her own rooms.Her maids-in-waiting were all there and all ready. Elena took the quickest, briskest bath of her life she was keyed up and found herself on a couch in the middle of a smiling, keen-eyed bunch, each neatly doing her job without interfering with the others. There was a depilatory, of origin in fact one for each leg, one for her armpits, and one for her eyebrows. maculation these women and the women with soft creams and unguents were at work, creating a unique fragrance for Elena, another one thoughtfully considered her face and body as a whole.This cleaning woman stirred up Elenas eyebrows to darken them, and gilded Elenas eyelids with metallic cosmetic paint before using something that added at least a quarter-inch to Elenas eyelashes. Then she extended Elenas eyes with exotic horizontal lines of kohl. Finally, she carefully made Elenas lips a rich glossy red that somehow gave the impression that they were continually puckered for a kiss. After this the woman sprinkled the faintest of iridescence all over Elenas body. Finally, a very large snitcher diamond that had been sent up from Lucens jewelry bench was firmly cemented into her navel.It was while the hairdressers were seeing to the pull round of the little curls on her forehead that the two boxes and a flushed cape came from Lady Ul mas women. Elena thanked all her ladies-in-waiting and beauticians sincerely, paid them all a bonus that had them twittering, and then asked them to leave her alone. When they dithered, she asked them again, just as politely, but in louder tones. They went.Elenas hands were trembling as she took out the outfit Lady Ulma had created. It was quite as decent as a bathing suit, but it looked like jewelry strategically placed on wisps of roaring tulle. It all incorporate with the canary diamond from the necklace to the armlets to the golden bracelets that denoted that, however expensively Elena was svelte, she was still a slave.And that was it. She was going clad in tulle and jewelry, perfume and paint, to see her Stefan. Elena put the scarlet affect on very, very carefully to avoid rumpling or smearing anything below, and slipped her feet into feisty golden sandals with very high heels.She hurried downstairs and was exactly on time. Sage and Damon were wearing shams tightly closed which meant that they were dressed in the sacking outfits underneath. Sage had had Lady Ulmas coach made ready. Elena settled her matching golden bracelets on her wrists, hating them because she had to wear them, pretty as they were against the white fur pull down on her scarlet block out. Damon held out a hand to help her into the coach.I get to ride inside? Does that mean I dont have to wear But looking at Sage, her hopes were crushed.Unless we want to curtain all the windows, he said, youre legally traveling outside without slave bracelets.Elena sighed and gave her hand to Damon. Standing against the sun, he was a dark silhouette. But then, as Elena blinked in the light, he stared in astonishment. Elena knew hed seen her gilded eyelids. His eyes dropped to her pursed-to-be-kissed lips. Elena blushed.I forbid you to order me to show you whats under the cloak, she said hastily. Damon looked thwarted.Hair in tiny curls all over your forehead, cloak that covers everything from neck to toes, lipstick like He stared again. His babble out twitched as if he were being compelled to fit it to hers.And its time to go Elena caroled, hastily getting into the carriage. She felt very happy, although she understood why freed slaves would never wear anything like a bracelet again.She was still happy when they reached the Shi no Shi that large expression that seemed to intensify a prison with a training facility for gladiators.And she was still happy as the ramparts at the large Shi no Shi checkpoint let them into the building without showing any signs of ill feeling. But then, it was hard to say if the cloak had any effect on them. They were monstrositys sullen, mauve-skinned, bullock-steady.She noticed something that was at first a shock and then a river of hope inside her. The front lobby of the building had a door in one side that was like the door in the side of the depot/slaveshop always kept shut contrasted symbols above people walking up to it in diffe rent costumes and announcing a destination before turning the key and opening the door.In other words a dimensional door. Right here in Stefans prison. God alone knew how many guards would be after them if they tried to use it, but it was something to keep in mind.The guards on the lower floors of the Shi no Shi building, in what was most definitely a dungeon, had clear and obnoxious reactions to Elena and her party. They were some smaller species of demon imps, maybe, Elena thought and they gave the visitors a hard time over everything. Damon had to bribe them to be allowed in to the area where Stefans cellular phone was, to go in alone, without one guard per visitor, and to allow Elena, a slave, to go in to see a free vampire.And even when Damon had given them a small fortune to get retiring(a) these obstacles, they sniggered and made harsh guttural gurglings in their throats. Elena didnt trust them.She was correct.At a corridor where Elena knew from her out of body experience s they should have turned left, instead they went straight through. They passed another set of guards, who almost collapsed from sniggering.Oh God are they taking us to see Stefans dead body? Elena wondered suddenly. Then it was Sage who really helped her. He put out a large arm and bodily held her up, until she found her legs again.They went on walking, deeper into what was a filthy and stinking stone-floored dungeon now. Then abruptly they turned right.Elenas heart raced on before them. It was saying wrong, wrong, wrong, even before they got to the last cell in the line. The cell was completely different from Stefans old cell. It was surrounded, not by bars, but by a sort of curlicued chicken conducting wire that was lined with sharp spikes. No way to hand in a bottle of Black Magic. No way to get the bottle top in position to pour into a waiting mouth on the other side. No room, even, to get a finger or the mouth of a canteen through for the cellmate to suck. And the cell itse lf wasnt filthy, but it was bare of everything except a supine Stefan. No food, no water, no bed to haze over anything in, no straw. and Stefan.Elena screamed and had no idea if she screamed words or just a formless arduous of anguish. She threw herself into the cell or tried to. Her hands grabbed onto curls of steel as sharp as razor that caused cable to well up instantly wherever they touched, and then Damon, who had the fastest reactions, was pulling her back.And then he just pushed past her and stared. He stared open-mouthed at his younger buddy a gray-faced, skeletal, barely breathing young man, who looked like a child lost in his rumpled, stained, threadbare prison uniform. Damon raised a hand, as if hed forgotten the barrier already and Stefan flinched. Stefan seemed not to know or describe any of them. He peered more closely at the drops of blood left on the razor-sharp fencing where Elena had grasped it, sniffed, and then, as if something had penetrated the fog of his bafflement, looked around dully. Stefan looked up at Damon, whose cloak had fallen, and then, like a babys, Stefans gaze wandered on.Damon made a choking sound and turned and, knocking anyone in his way aside, ran the other way down the corner. If he was hoping that enough guards would follow him that his allies could get Stefan out, he was wrong. A few followed, like monkeys, calling out insults. The rest stayed put, behind Sage.Meanwhile, Elenas mind was churning and churning out plans. Finally she turned to Sage. Use all the money we have plus this, she said, and she reached under her cloak for her canary diamond necklace over two dozen thumb-sized gems and call to me if we rent more. Get me half an hour with him. Twenty minutes, then as Sage began to shake his head. Stall them, somehow get me at least cardinal minutes. Ill think of something if it kills me.After a moment Sage looked her in the eyes and nodded. I will.Then Elena looked at Dr. Meggar pleadingly. Did he ha ve something did something exist that would help?Dr. Meggars eyebrows went down, then their inner sides went up. It was a look of grief, of despair. But then he frowned and whispered, Theres something new an injection thats said to help in dire cases. I could try it.Elena did her best not to fall at his feet. amuse Please try it PleaseIt wont help beyond a couple of old age It wont need to Well get him out by thenAll right. Sage had by now herded all the guards away, saying, Im a dealer in gems and theres something you all should see.Dr. Meggar opened his bag and took out of it a spray. Wooden needle, he said with a wan smile as he filled it with a clear red liquid from a vial. Elena had taken another syringe and she examined it eagerly as Dr. Meggar coaxed Stefan by imitation to put his arm up to the bars. At last Stefan did as Dr. Meggar wished only to jump away with a cry of pain as a syringe was plunged into his arm and confidence game liquid injected.Elena looked at the doctor desperately. How much did he get?Only about half. Its all right I filled it with twice the demigod and pushed as hard as I could to get the some medical word Elena didnt recognize into him. I knew it would hurt him more, injecting that fast, but I pure(a) what I wanted.Good, Elena said rapturously. Now I want you to fill this syringe with my blood.Blood? Dr. Meggar looked dismayed.Yes The syringe is long enough to go through the bars. The blood will drip out the other side. He can confuse it as it comes out. It might save him Elena said every word carefully, as if speaking to a child. She desperately wanted to convey her meaning.Oh, Elena. The doctor sit down down, with a clink, and took a hidden bottle of Black Magic out of his tunic. Im so sorry. But its hard enough for me to get blood out of a vial. My eyes, child theyre ruined.But glasses spectacles ?Theyre no good to me anymore. Its a complicated condition. But you have to be very good to actually tap a vein i n any case. Most doctors are pretty hopeless Im impossible. Im sorry, child. But its been twenty years since I was successful.Then Ill find Damon and have him open my aorta. I dont care if it kills me.But I do.This new voice coming from the brilliantly lighted cell in front of them made both the doctor and Elena jerk their heads up.Stefan Stefan Stefan unthinking of what the razor fence would do to her flesh, Elena leaned over to try to hold his hands.No, Stefan whispered, as if sharing a precious secret. Put your fingers here and here on top of mine. This fence is only specially treated steel it numbs my office staff but it cant break my skin.Elena put her fingers there and there. And then she was touching Stefan. in reality touching him. After so long.Neither of them spoke. Elena heard Dr. Meggar get up and quietly creep away to Sage, she supposed. But her mind was full of Stefan. She and he simply looked at each other, trembling, with tears quivering on their lashes, feelin g very young.And very close to death.You say I always make you say it first, so Ill confound you. I love you, Elena.Teardrops fell from Elenas eyes.Just this morning I was thinking how many people there are to love. But really its only because theres one in the first place, she whispered back to him. One forever. I love you, Stefan I love youElena move back for a moment and wiped her eyes the way all disposed(p) girls know how to do without ruining their makeup by putting her thumbs down the stairs her lower lashes and leaning backward, scooping tears and kohl into infinitesimal droplets in the air.For the first time she could think.Stefan, she whispered, Im so sorry. I wasted time this morning getting dressed up well, dressed down to show you whats waiting for you when we get you out. But nowI feellikeNow there were no tears in Stefans eyes, either. Show me, he whispered back eagerly.Elena stood, and without theatrics, shrugged the cloak off. Shut her eyes, her hair in hundred s of kiss curls, little wispy spirals that were mischievous around her face. Her gilded eyelids, waterproof, still gilded. Her only clothing the wisps of golden tulle with jewels connect to make it decent. Her entire body iridescent, perfection in the first develop of youth that could never be matched or re-created.There was a sound like a long sighand then silence, and Elena opened her eyes, terrorise that Stefan might have died. But he was standing up, clutching at the fight gate as if he might wrench it off to get to her.I get all this? he whispered. All this for you. Everything for you, Elena said. At that moment there was a soft sound behind her and she whirled to see two eyes shining in the dimness of the cell opposite Stefans.