Moonsong Read Free Page A

on campus,” Elena said.
    Damon opened his door and hopped out, then turned to give Stefan a long look. “The best dorm on campus, is it?
    Have you been using your powers of persuasion for personal gain, young Stefan?” He shook his head. “Your morals are disintegrating.”
    Stefan got out on his own side and turned to give Elena a courteous hand down. “It’s possible you’re final y rubbing off on me,” he said to Damon, his lips twitching slightly with amusement. “I’m in the turret in a single. There’s a balcony.”
    “How nice for you,” Damon said, his eyes moving quickly between them. “This is a dormitory for both boys and girls, then? The sins of the modern world.” His face was thoughtful for a moment; then he gave a bril iant smile and began to pul luggage out of the back.
    He had seemed almost lonely to Elena for that second
    —which was ridiculous, Damon was never lonely—but that fleeting impression was enough to make her say impetuously, “You could come to school with us, Damon. It’s not too late, not if you used your Power to enrol . You could live on campus with us.”
    She felt Stefan freeze. Then he took a slow breath and slid up next to Damon, reaching for a stack of boxes. “You could,” he said casual y. “It might be more fun than you think to try school again, Damon.”
    Damon shook his head, scoffing, “No, thank you. I parted ways with academia several centuries ago. I’l be much happier in my new apartment in town, where I can keep an eye on you without having to slum with students.” He and Stefan smiled at each other with what looked like perfect understanding.
    Right, Elena thought, with a curious mixture of relief and disappointment. She hadn’t seen the new apartment yet, but Stefan had assured her that Damon would be, as usual, living in the lap of luxury, at least so far as the closest town could offer.
    “Come along, kiddies,” Damon said, picking up several suitcases effortlessly and heading into the dorm. Stefan hoisted his tower of boxes and fol owed him.
    Elena grabbed a box of her own and came after them, admiring their natural grace, their elegant strength. As they passed a few open doors, she heard a girl mock wolf-whistle, then giggle breathlessly with her roommate.
    A box tipped from Stefan’s enormous pile as he started up the staircase, and Damon caught it easily despite the suitcases. Stefan gave him a casual nod of thanks.
    They’d spent centuries as enemies. They’d killed each other, once. Hundreds of years of hating each other, bound together by misery, jealousy, and sorrow. Katherine had done that to them, trying to have them both when they each wanted only her.
    Everything was different now. They’d come so far. Since Damon had died and come back, since they had battled and defeated the jealousy phantom, they’d come to be partners. There was an unspoken acknowledgment that they would work together to protect a little group of humans.
    More than that, there was a cautious, but very real, affection between them. They relied on each other; they’d be sorry to lose each other again. They didn’t talk about it, but she knew it was true.
    Elena squeezed her eyes shut for just a second. She knew they both loved her. They both knew that she loved them. Even though, her mind corrected conscientiously, Stefan is my true love. But something else in her, that imaginary panther, stretched and smiled. But Damon, my Damon…
    She shook her head. She couldn’t break them apart, couldn’t let them fight over her. She wouldn’t do what Katherine had done. If the time came for her to choose, she would choose Stefan. Of course.
    Would you? the panther purred lazily, and Elena tried to push the thought away.
    Everything could fal apart so easily. And it was up to her to make sure that never happened again.

    3
    Bonnie fluffed her red curls as she hurried across Dalcrest’s great lawn. It was so pretty here. Little flagstone paths bordered the lawn,