07 The Return_ Midnight - L. J. Smith

weapon like that was—could only be—for killing all sorts of monsters walking the earth. And
Meredith—Meredith who was as slim and athletic as a ballerina with a black belt, and oh! Those
lessons! The lessons that Meredith had always put off if the girls were doing something at that exact
moment, but that she always somehow managed to make time for.
But a girl could hardly be expected to carry a harpsichord around with her and nobody
else had one. Besides, Meredith had said she hated to play, so her BFFs had let it go at that. It was all
part of the Meredith mystique.
And riding lessons? Elena would bet some of them were genuine. Meredith would want
to know how to make a quick escape mounting anything available.
But if Meredith wasn’t practicing for a little light music in the drawing room, or for
starring in a Hollywood Western—then what would she have been doing?
Training, Elena guessed. There were a lot of dojos out there, and if Meredith had been
doing this since that vampire attacked her grandfather she must be pretty darn good. And when we’ve
fought grisly things, whose eyes have ever been on her, a soft gray shadow that kept out of the
limelight? A lot of monsters probably got knocked out but good.
The only question that needed to be answered was why Meredith hadn’t shown them the
Godawful Hellacious monster staker or used it in any fights—say against Klaus—until now. And
Elena didn’t know, but she could ask Meredith herself. Tomorrow, when Meredith was up. But she
trusted that it had some simple answer.
Elena tried to stifle a yawn in a ladylike way. Stefan? she asked. Can you get us out of
here—without picking me up—and to your room?
“I think we’ve all had enough stress this morning,” Stefan said in his own gentle voice.
“Mrs. Flowers, Meredith is in the first-floor bedroom—she’ll probably sleep very late. Matt—”
“I know, I know. I don’t know where the schedule went but I might as well make it my
night.” Matt presented an arm to Stefan.
Stefan looked surprised. Darling, you can never have too much blood, Elena thought to
him, seriously and straightforwardly.
“Mrs. Flowers and I will be in the kitchen,” she said aloud.
When they were there, Mrs. Flowers said, “Don’t forget to thank Stefan for defending the
boardinghouse for me.”
“He did it because it’s our home,” Elena said, and went back into the hall, where Stefan
was thanking a flushing Matt.
And then Mrs. Flowers called Matt into the kitchen and Elena found herself swooped up
in lithe, hard arms and then they were gaining altitude rapidly, with the wood staircase emitting little
creaks and groans of protest. And finally they were in Stefan’s room and Elena was in Stefan’s arms.
There was no better place to be, or anything else either of them really wanted now, Elena
thought and turned her face up as Stefan turned his down and they began with a long slow kiss. And
then the kiss went molten, and Elena had to cling to Stefan, who was already holding her with arms
that could have cracked granite, but only squeezed her exactly as tightly as she wanted them to.