07 The Return_ Midnight - L. J. Smith

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44 On the smallest moon of the Nether World fine ash was falling. It fell on two already ash-covered bodies. It fell on ash-choked water. It blocked the sunlight so that an endless midnight covered the moon’s ash-coated surface. And something else fell. In the smallest imaginable droplets, an opalescent fluid fell, colors swirling as if to try and make up for the ugliness of the ashes. They were tiny drops, but there were trillions upon trillions of them, falling endlessly, concentrated over the spot where they had once been part of the largest container of raw Power in three dimensions. There was a body on the ground on this spot—not quite a corpse. The body had no heartbeat; it did not breathe, and there was no brain activity. But somewhere in it there was a slow pulsing, that quickened very slightly as the tiny drops of Power fell upon it. The pulsing was made up of nothing but a memory. The memory of a girl with dark blue eyes and golden hair and a small face with wide brown eyes. And the taste: the taste of two maidens’ tears. Elena. Bonnie. Putting the two of them together they formed what was not exactly a thought, not exactly a picture. But to someone who only understood words, it might be translated: They are wiating for me. If I can figure out who I am. And that sparked a fierce determination. After what seemed like centuries but was only a few hours, something moved in the ash. A fist clenched. And something stirred in the brain, a self-revelation. A name. Damon.
About the Author L. J. SMITH has written more than two dozen books for children and young adults. She lives in the Bay Area of California, but is happiest in a little cabin near Point Reyes National Park, which has lots of trees, lots of animals, lots of beaches to walk on, and lots of places to hike. Please visit her online at www.ljanesmith.net for new stories about old characters and even sneak peeks of upcoming books. Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.
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L. J. Smith The Vampire Diaries The
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Contents 1 Elena Gilbert put down t
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28 Elena was nodding slowly. “It
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1 “Dear Diary, I’m so frightene
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species he’s come to hate and sco
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one. Step two. Step three—I must
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against a wall, or throw her across
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Is she thinking about Stefan in the
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vampirism was a curse. Humans never
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3 Damon leaped. Somewhere in the mi
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“So—assuming you’re alive—y
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Matt’s eyes met Meredith’s and
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comes to the final showdown with Sh
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No, I would not let Sage make me in
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“Well, I can—if you’re done,
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5 “I thought you wanted to get ou
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Stefan! I never begged your pardon
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scared, Damon thought. “I’m mor
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short shake of curls and then a yaw
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He now ascended the steps slowly. H
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“No, I’m serious! When I’m a
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“Now sit down there,” he adjure
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9 Damon dropped his hand. He simply
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them off, not when you’re sleepin
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dressed in a flannel nightgown with
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10 Damon was making his way up the
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He stood again, looking at the girl
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definitely don’t like it. And tha
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11 When M. le Princess Jessalyn D
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Damon smiled at the surly guard.
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Bonnie threw the star ball across t
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12 “Stefan. Stefan!” Elena had
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him back tightly, knowing that her
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13 Elena, sleeping serenely with on
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it up with some of the papers. When
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into the urns. We do know that the
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14 The next morning Elena noticed t
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Matt cleared his throat as somethin
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shop, maybe six or seven. One brown
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15 Bonnie woke slowly, coming up fr
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entertainment—even the Dustbins w
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starting to feel better she was hus
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comfort of her own. The next minute
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star ball.” “Mouse, here, is ri
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examined her, murmuring, “Hair of
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17 Meredith and Matt were sitting a
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“Since I first saw you, I loved y
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They’re faster, she thought. As f
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18 After breakfast Matt went online
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stared at him but with eerie, uncan
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The Gilbert-Maxwells were Elena’s
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seated Misao on the couch, rubbing
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Meredith, Matt, and Bonnie were fri
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Long pause. Then her mother drained
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Meredith stared in utter disbelief.
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21 Someone was still knocking on St
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It was Influence. Before Elena coul
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e wrong. She and Stefan had only jo
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22 “Mama said not in Fell’s Chu
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They were just playing, he figured,
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your first witness.” “We call C
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Matt realized that the duct tape ar
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23 In the car, Matt sat by the slee
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She had the attic bed straightened
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“I know that!” Bonnie said indi
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24 Stefan woke early. He spent the
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“I’ll bring it,” Elena offere
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And only Matt knew how close he had
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deep kiss. For a moment he resisted
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25 “Sleeping in the storage room
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fingers closed on a small sheaf of
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stamped on it, but the malach insid
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what was out there before they step
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Good-bye, Pelat. You may go.” “
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27 Stefan whirled around and saw Bo
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and-ruby necklace and ring—but no
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Bonnie’s head came up. “Even th
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efore putting her down again. “Yo
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“Is it safe, having Biratz carry
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Elena hesitated. It was true; she c
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Damon’s warm hand was inside her
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oh, God, he might murder Stefan. Ag
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elow her feet, or so it seemed. It
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other Godawful Hellacious monsters
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Biratz’s trunks. “It was pointl
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30 “Strip to your underwear and g
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Something was shaking the room. Sha
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we’ll destroy the container.”
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comfortingly. At last Damon dropped
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“Can you make it?” Stefan asked
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32 “Damon doesn’t mean to be su
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At a quarter to eleven Meredith cam
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33 Elena was waiting for the fog to
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in Fell’s Church the Last Midnigh
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She found herself bumping into a ha
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34 “You’ve been fed and taken c
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There was also a picture of a pair
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“Or where,” said the old woman.
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35 Elena felt as if she had been do
Page 200 and 201: Elena did and gasped. For just an i
Page 202 and 203: he’d had his puppet, Damon, do wh
Page 204 and 205: “A little. But I could hear you,
Page 206 and 207: 36 Matt broke a lot of traffic rule
Page 208 and 209: shining as silver as her hair. Matt
Page 210 and 211: knew she had to keep going. Isobel
Page 212 and 213: 37 Then Meredith saw something that
Page 214 and 215: parent this night, and no parent ha
Page 216 and 217: 38 Damon had stopped and was kneeli
Page 218 and 219: was proper javelin size, had gone t
Page 220 and 221: Suddenly, a huge shudder—a convul
Page 222 and 223: Thank you…Elena. Thank you…for
Page 224 and 225: 39 Elena clutched the child to her.
Page 226 and 227: them and Damon’s body between two
Page 228 and 229: Elena knew, as perhaps this child d
Page 230 and 231: earlier. Stefan and Bonnie had been
Page 232 and 233: 41 Stefan didn’t move or speak fo
Page 234 and 235: how do we offer them the Fountain o
Page 236 and 237: plant to survive in. Elena stared s
Page 238 and 239: air car. Instead of a crash with on
Page 240 and 241: “That’s what you tell us!” St
Page 242 and 243: escape. But she eventually was comp
Page 244 and 245: at the blurry mass of Guardians aro
Page 246 and 247: fierce and concerned and loving and
Page 248 and 249: felt her soul expand and come out o
Page 252 and 253: Other Books by L. J. Smith THE VAMP
Page 254 and 255: Credits Jacket art © 2011 by Carri
Page 256 and 257: About the Publisher Australia Harpe
Page 258: 42 43 44 About the Author Other Boo
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