Dark Reunion

girls like Sue. And now Sue's dead. And it's all happening again. It's never over. We can't win. So what does that tell you?'

'Matt.'

'What I'm really asking is, what's the point? Is there some cosmic joke I'm not getting? Or is the whole thing just one big freaking mistake? Do you understand what I'm trying to say here?'

'I understand, Matt.' Stefan sat down and ran his hands through his hair. 'If you'll shut up a minute, I'll try to answer you.'

Matt drew up a chair and straddled it. 'Great. Take your best shot.' His eyes were hard and challenging, but underneath Stefan saw the bewildered hurt that had been festering there.

'I've seen a lot of evil, Matt, more than you can imagine,' Stefan said. 'I've even lived it. It's always going to be a part of me, no matter how I fight it. Sometimes I think the whole human race is evil, much less my kind. And sometimes I think that enough of both our races is evil that it doesn't matter what happens to the rest.

'When you get down to it, though, I don't know any more than you do. I can't tell you if there's a point or if things are ever going to turn out all right.' Stefan looked straight into Matt's eyes and spoke deliberately. 'But I've got another question for you. So what?'

Matt stared. 'So what?'

'Yeah. So what.'

'So what if the universe is evil and if nothing we do to try and change it can really make any difference?' Matt's voice was gaining volume with his disbelief.

'Yeah, so what?' Stefan leaned forward. 'So what are you going to do, Matt Honeycutt, if every bad thing you've said is true? What are you going to do personally? Are you going to stop fighting and swim with the sharks?'

Matt was grasping the back of his chair. 'What are you talking about?'

'You can do that, you know. Damon says so all the time. You can join up with the evil side, the winning side. And nobody can really blame you, because if the universe is that way, why shouldn't you be that way too?'

'Like hell!' Matt exploded. His blue eyes were searing and he had half risen from his chair. 'That's Damon's way, maybe! But just because it's hopeless doesn't mean it's all right to stop fighting. Even if I knew it was hopeless, I'd still have to try. I have to try, damn it!'

'I know.' Stefan settled back and smiled faintly. It was a tired smile, but it showed the kinship he felt right then with Matt. And in a moment he saw by Matt's face that Matt understood.

'I know because I feel the same way,' Stefan continued. 'There's no excuse for giving up just because it looks like we're going to lose. We have to try—because the other choice is to surrender.'

'I'm not ready to surrender anything,' Matt said through his teeth. He looked as if he'd fought his way back to a fire inside him that had been burning all along. 'Ever,' he said.

'Yeah, well, 'ever' is a long time,' Stefan said. 'But for what it's worth, I'm going to try not to either. I don't know if it's possible, but I'm going to try.'

'That's all anybody can do,' Matt said. Slowly, he pushed himself off the chair and stood straight. The tension was gone from his muscles, and his eyes were the clear, almost piercing blue eyes Stefan remembered. 'Okay,' he said quietly. 'If you found what you came for, we'd better get back to the girls.'

Stefan thought, his mind switching gears. 'Matt, if I'm right about what's going on, the girls should be okay for a while. But you go ahead and take over the watch from them. As long as I'm here there's something I'd like to read up on—by a guy named Gervase of Tilbury, who lived in the early 1200s.'

'Even before your time, eh?' Matt said, and Stefan gave him the ghost of a smile. They stood for a moment, looking at each other.

'All right. I guess I'll see you at Vickie's.' Matt turned to the door, then hesitated. Abruptly, he turned again and held out his hand. 'Stefan—I'm glad you came back.'

Stefan gripped it. 'I'm glad to hear it' was all he said, but inside he felt a warmth that took away the stabbing pain.

And some of the loneliness, too.

EIGHT

From where Bonnie and Meredith sat in the car, they could just see Vickie's window. It would have been better to be closer, but then someone might have discovered them.

Meredith poured the last of the coffee out of the thermos and drank it. Then she yawned. She caught herself guiltily and looked at Bonnie.

'You having trouble sleeping at night too?'

'Yes. I can't imagine why,' Meredith said.

'Do you think the guys are having a little talk?'

Meredith glanced at her quickly, obviously surprised, then smiled. Bonnie realized Meredith hadn't expected her to catch on. 'I hope so,' Meredith said. 'It might do Matt some good.'

Bonnie nodded and relaxed back into the seat. Meredith's car had never seemed so comfortable before.

When she looked at Meredith again, the dark-haired girl was asleep.

Oh, great. Terrific. Bonnie stared into the dregs of her coffee mug, making a face. She didn't dare relax again; if they both fell asleep, it could be disastrous. She dug her nails into her palms and stared at Vickie's lighted window.

When she found the image blurring and doubling on her, she knew something had to be done.

Fresh air. That would help. Without bothering to be too quiet about it, she unlocked the door and pulled the handle up. The door clicked open, but Meredith went on breathing deeply.

She must really be tired, Bonnie thought, getting out. She shut the door more gently, locking Meredith inside. It was only then that she realized she herself didn't have a key.

Oh, well, she'd wake Meredith to let her back in. Meanwhile she'd go check on Vickie. Vickie was probably still awake.

The sky was brooding and overcast, but the night was warm. Behind Vickie's house the black walnut trees stirred very faintly. Crickets sang, but their monotonous chirping only seemed like part of a larger silence.

The scent of honeysuckle filled Bonnie's nostrils. She tapped on Vickie's window lightly with her fingernails, peering through the crack in the curtains.

No answer. On the bed she could make out a lump of blankets with unkempt brown hair sticking out the top. Vickie was asleep too.

As Bonnie stood there, the silence seemed to thicken around her. The crickets weren't singing anymore, and the trees were still. And yet it was as if she was straining to hear something she knew was there.

I'm not alone, she realized.

None of her ordinary senses told her this. But her sixth sense, the one that sent chills up her arms and ice down her spine, the one that was newly awakened to the presence of Power, was certain. There was… something… near. Something… watching her.

She turned slowly, afraid to make a sound. If she didn't make any noise, maybe whatever it was wouldn't get her. Maybe it wouldn't notice her.

The silence had become deadly, menacing. It hummed in her ears with the beat of her own blood. And she couldn't help imagining what might come screaming out of it at any minute.

Something with hot, moist hands, she thought, staring into the darkness of the backyard. Black on gray, black on black was all she could see. Every shape might be anything, and all the shadows seemed to be moving. Something with hot, sweaty hands and arms strong enough to crush her—

The snap of a twig exploded through her like gunfire.

She spun toward it, eyes and ears straining. But there was only darkness and silence.

Fingers touched the back of her neck.

Bonnie whirled again, almost falling, almost fainting. She was too frightened to scream. When she saw who it was, shock robbed all her senses and her muscles collapsed. She would have ended up in a heap on the ground if he hadn't caught her and held her straight.

'You look frightened,' Damon said softly.