her judgment, and she couldn't control herself.
Neither of them had been trying for a deep mind probe. But telepathy was al they had left, and it was warm and wonderful and it left them for an instant in the circle of each other's arms, laughing, panting - with electricity flashing between them. Elena's whole body felt as if she'd just gotten a sizable jolt.
Then she pul ed herself out of his arms, but it was too late.
Their shared gaze had gone on much too long, and Elena felt her heart pounding in fear. She could feel Damon's eyes on her. She barely managed to whisper, "Wil you tel them?"
"Yes,"Stefan said softly. "I'l tel them."But he didn't move until she actual y turned her back on Bonnie and Damon.
After that she peeked over her shoulder and listened.
Stefan sat down by the sobbing girl and said, "Bonnie, can you look at me? That's al I want. I promise you, you don't have to go across that bridge if you don't want to. You don't even have to stop crying, but try to look me in the eye. Can you do that? Good. Now..."His voice and even his face changed subtly, becoming more forceful - mesmerizing.
"You're not afraid of heights at all, are you? You're an acrobat who could walk a tightrope across the Grand Canyon and never turn a hair. You're the very best of al your family, the flying McCul oughs, and they're the best in the world. And right now, you're going to choose whether to cross over that wooden bridge. If so, you'l lead us. You'l be our leader."
Slowly, while listening to Stefan, Bonnie's face had changed.
With swol en eyes fixed on Stefan's, she seemed to be listening intently to something in her own head. And final y, as Stefan said the last sentence, she jumped up and looked at the bridge.
"Okay, let's go!"she cried, picking up her backpack, while Elena sat staring after her.
"Can you make it?"Stefan asked, looking at Elena. "We'l let her go first - there's real y no way she can fal off. I'l go after her. Elena can come after me and hold on to my belt, and I'm counting on you, Damon, to hold on to her. Especial y if she starts to faint."
"I'l hold her,"Damon said quietly. Elena wanted to ask Stefan to Influence her, too, but everything was happening so fast.
Bonnie was already on the bridge, only pausing when cal ed back by Stefan. Stefan was looking behind him at Elena, saying, "Can you get a good grip?"Damon was behind Elena, putting a strong hand on her shoulder, and saying,
"Look straight ahead, not down. Don't worry about fainting; I'l catch you."
But it was such a frail wooden bridge, and Elena found that she was always looking down and her stomach floated up outside her body and above her head. She had a death-grip on Stefan's belt with one hand, and on the woven creeper with the other.
They came to a place where a slat had detached and the slats on either side looked as if they might go at any moment.
"Careful with these!"Bonnie said, laughing and leaping over al three.
Stefan stepped over the first chancy slat, over the missing one, and put his foot on the next.
Crack!
Elena didn't scream - she was beyond screaming. She couldn't look. The sound had shut her eyes.
And she couldn't move. Not a finger. Certainly not a foot.
She felt Damon's arms around her waist. Both of them. She wanted to let him support her weight as he had many times before.
But Damon was whispering to her, words like spel s that allowed her legs to stop shaking and cramping and even let her stop breathing so fast that she might faint. And then he was lifting her and Stefan's arms were going around her and for a moment they were both holding her firmly. Then Stefan took her weight and gently put her feet down on firm slats.
Elena wanted to cling to him like a koala, but she knew that she mustn't. She would make them both fal . So somewhere, from inner depths she didn't know she had, she found the courage to take her own weight on her feet and fumbled for the creeper.
Then she lifted her head and whispered as loudly as she could, "Go on. We need to give Damon room."
"Yes,"Stefan whispered back. But he kissed her on the forehead, a quick protective kiss, before he turned and stepped toward the impatient