07 The Return_ Midnight - L. J. Smith

“Well, I can—if you’re done, Mrs. Flowers.”
“Yes, dear Elena,” Mrs. Flowers said, winding a bandage around Elena’s throat. “Now
you shouldn’t get tetanus.”
Elena stopped in mid-motion. “I thought you got tetanus from rusty blades,” she said. “Da
—this one looked brand-new.”
“Tetanus comes from dirty blades, my dear,” Mrs. Flowers corrected her. “But this”—
she held up a bottle—“is Grandmama’s own personal recipe that has kept many a wound disease-free
down the cen—down the years.”
“Wow,” Elena said. “I never even heard of Grandmama before. Was she a—healer?”
“Oh, yes,” Mrs. Flowers said earnestly. “She was actually accused of being a witch. But
at her trial they could prove nothing. Her accusers seemed not even to be capable of coherent
speech.”
Elena looked at Stefan only to find that he was looking at her. Matt was in danger of
being dragged off to a kangaroo court—for allegedly assaulting Caroline Forbes while under the
influence of some unknown and terrible drug. Anything to do with courts was interesting to both of
them. But looking at Stefan’s concerned face, Elena decided not to pursue the subject. She squeezed
his hand. “We have to go now—but let’s talk about Grandmama later. I think she sounds fascinating.”
“I just remember her as a crotchety old recluse, who didn’t suffer fools gladly and
thought just about everyone was a fool,” Mrs. Flowers said. “I suppose I was going down the same
path until you children came and made me sit up and take notice. Thank you.”
“We’re the ones who should thank you,” Elena began, hugging the old woman, feeling her
heart stop pounding. Stefan was looking at her with open love. It was all going to be all right—for
her.
I’m worried about Matt, she thought to Stefan, testing the waters more vigorously.
Damon’s still so fast—and you know he doesn’t like Matt a bit.
I think, Stefan returned with a wry smile, that that is a rather stunning understatement.
But I also think you shouldn’t worry until we see who comes back injured.
Elena eyed that smile, and thought for a moment about impulsive, athletic Matt. After a
moment, she smiled back. She was feeling both guilty and protective—and safe. Stefan always made
her feel safe. And right now, she wanted to spoil him.
In the front yard, Bonnie was abasing herself. She couldn’t help thinking, even now, about how
handsome Damon looked, how wild and dark and ferocious and gorgeous. She couldn’t help thinking
about the times he’d smiled at her, laughed at her, come to save her at her urgent call. She had
honestly thought that someday…But now she felt as if her heart were breaking in two.
“I just want to bite my tongue out,” she said. “I should never have assumed anything from
what I saw.”
“How could you possibly have known that I wasn’t stealing Elena away from Stefan?”
Damon said wearily. “It’s just the kind of thing I’d do.”
“No, it isn’t! You did so much to free Stefan from prison—you always faced the most
danger yourself—and you kept us all from being hurt. You did all that for other people—”
Suddenly Bonnie’s upper arms were being held by hands that were so strong that her
mind was flooded with clichés. A grasp of iron. Strong as steel bands. An inescapable grip.