07 The Return_ Midnight - L. J. Smith

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“Now you know how it’s done?” Elena asked Meredith. “You put the key in the keyhole and say
where you want to go. Then open the door and go through. That’s it.”
“You three go first,” Stefan added. “And quick.”
“I’ll turn the key,” Meredith told Matt. “You take care of Mrs. Flowers.”
Just then Elena thought of something that she didn’t want to say aloud, only to Stefan. But
she and he were physically so close, she knew he would pick it up. Saber! she thought to Stefan. We
can’t leave him to these malach!
We won’t, she heard Stefan’s voice in her head say. I showed him the way to Matt’s
house, and told him to go there and take Talon and protect the people who will be coming.
At the same time Matt was saying, “Oh, my God! Saber! He saved my life—I can’t just
leave him.”
“Already taken care of,” Stefan reassured him and Elena patted him on the back. “He’ll
be at your house in a little while, and if you go somewhere else he’ll track you.”
Elena turned her pats into gentle pushes. “Be good!”
“Matt Honeycutt’s bedroom in Fell’s Church,” Meredith said, thrusting the key at the
door handle, and opening the door. She and Mrs. Flowers and Matt all stepped forward. The door
shut.
Stefan turned to Elena. “I’m going first,” he said flatly. “But I’m holding on to you. I’m
not going to let you go.”
“Never let me go, never let me go,” Elena whispered in an imitation of Misao’s “Have
nightmares.” Then she had a thought.
“Slave bracelets!”
“What?” Stefan said. Then, “Oh, I remember, you told me. But what are they supposed to
look like?”
“Like any two bracelets, matching if possible.” Elena was scrambling around the back of
the room, where furniture was piled up, opening drawers, closing them. “Come on, bracelets! Come
on! This house is supposed to have everything!”
“What about these things you wear in your hair?” Stefan asked. Elena looked back and he
tossed her a bag of soft cotton ponytail holders.
“You’re a genius! They won’t even hurt my wrists. And here are two white ones so
they’ll match!” Elena said happily.
They arranged themselves in front of the door, with Stefan to Elena’s left so he could see