07 The Return_ Midnight - L. J. Smith

8
Damon nodded thoughtfully, glancing back and forth between the fighting stave and the pillowcase in
his hand.
Hadn’t he suspected something like this for a long time? Subconsciously? After all, there
had been that attack on the grandfather, which had failed to either kill him or to erase his memory
completely. Damon’s imagination could fill in the rest: her parents seeing no reason to blight their tiny
daughter’s life with this gruesome business—a whole new change of scenery—and then giving up the
practice in the provincial, protected little town of Fell’s Church.
If they had only known.
Oh, doubtless they had made sure that Meredith had had self-defense and various martial
arts training since she was a child, while swearing her to absolute secrecy—even from her best
friends.
Well, now, Damon thought. The first of Shinichi’s riddles was already solved. “One of
you has a lifetime secret kept from everyone.” I always knew there was something about this girl…
and this is it. I’d bet my life that she’s a black belt.
There had been a long silence. Now Damon broke it.
Your ancestors were hunters too? he asked, as if she were telepathic. He waited a
moment—still silence. Okay—no telepathy. That was good. He nodded at the magnificent stave. “That
was certainly made for a lord or lady.”
Meredith wasn’t stupid. She spoke without glancing away from his eyes. She was ready,
at any instant, to go into killing mode. “We’re just ordinary folk, trying to get a job done so innocent
humans will be safer.”
“By killing the odd vampire or two.”
“Well, so far in recorded history saying ‘Naughty, naughty, Mama spank’ has failed to
convert a single vampire to vegetarianism.”
Damon had to laugh. “Pity you weren’t born early enough to convert Stefan. He could
have been your grand triumph.”
“You think that’s funny. But we do have converts.”
“Yes. People will say anything while you’re holding a pointed stick at them.”
“People who feel that it’s wrong to Influence other people into believing they’re getting
something for nothing.”
“That’s it! Meredith! Let me Influence you!”
This time it was Meredith who laughed.