Dark Reunion

'You want what?' Bonnie said.

'Some sort of records about the history of Fell's Church. Particularly about the founders,' Stefan said. They were all sitting in Meredith's car, which was parked a discreet distance behind Vickie's house. It was dusk of the next day and they had just returned from Sue's funeral—all but Stefan.

'This has something to do with Sue, doesn't it?' Meredith's dark eyes, always so level and intelligent, probed Stefan's. 'You think you've solved the mystery.'

'Possibly,' he admitted. He had spent the day thinking. He'd put the pain of last night behind him, and once again he was in control. Although he could not reach Elena, he could justify her faith in him—he could do what she wanted done. And there was a comfort in work, in concentration. In keeping all emotion away. He added, 'I have an idea about what might have happened, but it's a long shot and I don't want to talk about it until I'm sure.'

'Why?' demanded Bonnie. Such a contrast to Meredith, Stefan thought. Hair as red as fire and a spirit to go with it. That delicate heart-shaped face and fair, translucent skin were deceptive, though. Bonnie was smart and resourceful—even if she was only beginning to find that out herself.

'Because if I'm wrong, an innocent person might get hurt. Look, at this point it's just an idea. But I promise if I find any evidence tonight to back it up, I'll tell you all about it.'

'You could talk with Mrs. Grimesby,' Meredith suggested. 'She's the town librarian, and she knows a lot about the founding of Fell's Church.'

'Or there's always Honoria,' Bonnie said. 'I mean, she was one of the founders.'

Stefan looked at her quickly. 'I thought Honoria Fell had stopped communicating with you,' he said carefully.

'I don't mean talk to her. She's gone, pfft, kaput,' Bonnie said disgustedly. 'I mean her journal. It's right there in the library with Elena's; Mrs. Grimesby has them on display near the circulation desk.'

Stefan was surprised. He didn't entirely like the idea of Elena's journal on display. But Honoria's records might be exactly what he was looking for. Honoria had not just been a wise woman; she had been well versed in the supernatural. A witch.

'The library's closed by now, though,' Meredith said.

'That's even better,' said Stefan. 'No one will know what information we're interested in. Two of us can go down there and break in, and the other two can stay here. Meredith, if you'll come with me—'

'I'd like to stay here, if you don't mind,' she said. 'I'm tired,' she added in explanation, seeing his expression. 'And this way I can get my watch over with and get home earlier. Why don't you and Matt go and Bonnie and I stay here?'

Stefan was still looking at her. 'Okay,' he said slowly. 'Fine. If it's all right with Matt.' Matt shrugged. 'That's it, then. It might take us a couple of hours or more. You two stay in the car with the doors locked. You should be safe enough that way.' If he was right in his suspicions, there wouldn't be any more attacks for a while—a few days at least. Bonnie and Meredith should be safe. But he couldn't help wonder what was behind Meredith's suggestion. Not simple tiredness, he was sure.

'By the way, where's Damon?' Bonnie asked as he and Matt started to leave.

Stefan felt his stomach muscles tighten. 'I don't know.' He had been waiting for someone to ask that. He hadn't seen his brother since last night, and he had no idea what Damon might be doing.

'He'll show up eventually,' he said, and closed the door on Meredith's, 'That's what I'm afraid of.'

He and Matt walked to the library in silence, keeping to the shadows, skirting areas of light. He couldn't afford to be seen. Stefan had come back to help Fell's Church, but he felt sure Fell's Church didn't want his help. He was a stranger again, an intruder here. They would hurt him if they caught him.

The library lock was easy to pick, just a simple spring mechanism. And the journals were right where Bonnie had said they would be.

Stefan forced his hand away from Elena's journal. Inside was the record of Elena's last days, in her own handwriting. If he started thinking about that now…

He concentrated on the leather-bound book beside it. The faded ink on the yellowing pages was hard to read, but after a few minutes his eyes got accustomed to the dense, intricate writing with its elaborate curlicues.

It was the story of Honoria Fell and her husband, who with the Smallwoods and a few other families had come to this place when it was still virgin wilderness. They had faced not only the dangers of isolation and hunger but of native wildlife. Honoria told the story of their battle to survive simply and clearly, without sentimentality.

And in those pages Stefan found what he was looking for.

With a prickling at the back of his neck, he reread the entry carefully. At last he leaned back and shut his eyes.

He'd been right. There was no longer any doubt in his mind. And that meant he must also be right about what was going on in Fell's Church now. For an instant, bright sickness washed over him, and an anger that made him want to rip and tear and hurt something. Sue. Pretty Sue who had been Elena's friend had died for… that. A blood ritual, an obscene initiation. It made him want to kill.

But then the rage faded, replaced by a fierce determination to stop what was happening and set things right.

I promise you, he whispered to Elena in his own mind. I will stop it somehow. No matter what.

He looked up to find Matt looking at him.

Elena's journal was in Matt's hand, closing itself over his thumb. Just then Matt's eyes looked as dark a blue as Elena's. Too dark, full of turmoil and grief and something like bitterness.

'You found it,' Matt said. 'And it's bad.'

'Yes.'

'It would be.' Matt pushed Elena's journal back into the case and stood. There was a ring almost of satisfaction in his voice. Like somebody who's just proved a point.

'I could have saved you the trouble of coming here.' Matt surveyed the darkened library, jingling change in his pocket. A casual observer might have thought he was relaxed, but his voice betrayed him. It was raw with strain. 'You just think of the worst thing you can imagine and that's always the truth,' he said.

'Matt…' Sudden concern stabbed at Stefan. He'd been too preoccupied since coming back to Fell's Church to look at Matt properly. Now he realized that he'd been unforgivably stupid. Something was terribly wrong. Matt's whole body was rigid with tension lying just under the surface. And Stefan could sense the anguish, the desperation in his mind.

'Matt, what is it?' he said quietly. He got up and crossed to the other boy. 'Is it something I did?'

'I'm fine.'

'You're shaking.' It was true. Fine tremors were running through the taut muscles.

'I said I'm fine!' Matt swung away from him, shoulders hunched defensively. 'Anyway, what could you have done to upset me? Besides taking my girl and getting her killed, I mean?'

This stab was different, it was somewhere around Stefan's heart and it went straight through. Like the blade that had killed him once upon a time. He tried to breathe around it, not trusting himself to speak.

'I'm sorry.' Matt's voice was leaden, and when Stefan looked, he saw that the tense shoulders had slumped. 'That was a lousy thing to say.'

'It was the truth.' Stefan waited a moment and then added, levelly, 'But it's not the whole problem, is it?'

Matt didn't answer. He stared at the floor, pushing something invisible with the side of one shoe. Just when Stefan was about to give up, he turned with a question of his own.

'What's the world really like?'

'What's… what?'

'The world. You've seen a lot of it, Stefan. You've got four or five centuries on the rest of us, right? So what's the deal? I mean, is it basically the kind of place worth saving or is it essentially a pile of crap?'

Stefan shut his eyes. 'Oh.'

'And what about people, huh, Stefan? The human race. Are we the disease or just a symptom? I mean, you take somebody like—like Elena.' Matt's voice shook briefly, but he went on. 'Elena died to keep the town safe for