as he was.
But at that moment Matt, eyes on the wickedly spiked staff, said, "Meredith has something to do with that?"
"I should never have said anything at al about it,"Stefan replied. "But if you want to know more, you'd real y better ask Meredith herself. Tomorrow."
"Al right,"Matt said, final y seeming to understand. Elena was way ahead of him. A weapon like that was - could only be -
for kil ing al sorts of monsters walking the earth. And Meredith - Meredith who was as slim and athletic as a bal erina 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 al 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 Hol ywood 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 Hel acious 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 al had enough stress this morning,"Stefan said in his own gentle voice. "Mrs. Flowers, Meredith is in the first-floor bedroom - she'l 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 wil 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 hal , where Stefan was thanking a flushing Matt.
And then Mrs. Flowers cal ed 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 final y 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 real y 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.
Chapter 13
Elena, sleeping serenely with one hand locked onto Stefan's, knew she was having an extraordinary dream. No, not a dream - an out-of-body experience. But it wasn't like her previous out-of-body visits to Stefan in his cel . She was skimming through the air so quickly that she couldn't real y make out what was below her.
She looked around and suddenly, to her astonishment, another figure appeared beside her.
"Bonnie!"she said - or rather tried to say. But of course there was no sound. Bonnie looked like a transparent edition of herself. As if someone had created her out of blown glass, and then put in just the faintest tint of color in her hair and eyes.
Elena tried telepathy. Bonnie?
Elena! Oh, I miss you and Meredith so much! I'm stuck here in a hole -