07 The Return_ Midnight - L. J. Smith

efore putting her down again. “You and your precognitions!”
“Oooh…” Bonnie said dizzily, gazing up at him. “Damon was excited, too, when I told
him about the Gateway of the Seven Treasures.”
“You know why, Bonnie? It’s because everybody has heard about those seven treasures
—but no one had any idea where they are…until you dreamed it. You do know exactly where they
are?”
“Yes, if the precognition was true.” Bonnie was flushed with pleasure. “And you agree
that that giant star ball will save Fell’s Church?”
“I’d bet my life on it!”
“Woo-hoo!” cried Bonnie, pumping a fist. “Let’s go!”
“So you see,” Elena was saying, “it’ll mean twice as much of everything. I don’t see how we can start
tomorrow.”
“Now, now, Elena. As we discovered, oh, eleven months ago when you left, any job can
be done quickly if we summon enough hands. I am now the regular employer of all those women we
used to call in to make your ball gowns.” As Lady Ulma spoke she quickly and gracefully took
Elena’s measurements—why do only one thing when you can do two at once? She glanced at her
measuring tape. “Still exactly the same as when I last saw you. You must lead a very healthy life,
Elena.”
Elena laughed. “Remember, for us it’s only been a few days.”
“Oh, yes.” Lady Ulma laughed, too, and Lakshmi, who was seated on a stool amusing the
baby, made what Elena knew was one last appeal.
“I could go with you,” she said earnestly, looking at Elena. “I can do all sorts of helpful
things. And I’m tough—”
“Lakshmi,” Lady Ulma said gently, but in a voice that wore the hat of authority. “We’re
already doubling the size of the wardrobe needed to accommodate Elena and Stefan. You wouldn’t
want to take Elena’s place, would you?”
“Oh, no, no,” the young girl said hastily. “Oh, well,” she said, “I’ll take such good care
of little Adara that she’s no bother to you while you supervise Elena’s and Stefan’s clothes.”
“Thank you, Lakshmi,” Elena said from her heart, noting that Adara now seemed to be
the baby’s official name.
“Well, we can’t let out any of Bonnie’s things to fit you, but we can call in
reinforcements and have a full set of garments ready for you and Stefan by the morning. It’s just a
matter of leather and fur to keep you warm. We use the pelts of the animals up north.”
“They’re not nice, cuddly baby animals, either,” Bonnie said. “They’re vicious nasty
things that are used for training, or they might come up from the dimension below and attack all the
people on the northern fringes here. And when they finally get killed, the bounty hunters sell the
leather and fur to Lady Ulma.”
“Oh, well…good,” Elena said, deciding not to make an animal rights speech just now.
The truth was that she was still very shaken by her actions—her reactions—toward Damon. Why had
she acted that way? Was it just to let off pressure? She still felt as if she could smack him a good one
for taking poor Bonnie away, and then leaving her alone. And…and…for taking poor Bonnie—and
not taking her!