|𝐑𝐄𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐇 𝐎𝐅 𝐁𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐒|
Song: I'll stand by you by the Pretenders
After hours of frantic searching—every alley, back road, and dead end combed with nothing to show for it—Stefan and I finally raced through the front doors of the boarding house. Our clothes clung to our skin, soaked with sweat and grime, adrenaline still lacing every nerve in my body.
We didn't knock. We didn't pause. There wasn't time.
The drawing room was dimly lit, the flicker of lamplight casting long shadows across the floor. Damon lounged on the couch like he hadn't a care in the world, casually flipping through the grimoire. Kaiden stood above him, arms crossed, reading over his brother's shoulder with unreadable eyes.
The contrast between their calm and our desperation made something coil hot and tight in my chest.
"Anna took Elena," Stefan said, wasting no time as he dropped onto the sofa beside them.
I stayed standing—rigid, tense, unwilling to sit until I knew Elena was safe. My arms crossed over my chest, every inch of me burning with exhaustion and fury. I fixed my stare on both of them, daring one of them to act like this wasn't life or death.
"Yeah," Damon replied, barely lifting his eyes from the page. "We got that from your 600 voicemails."
I blinked, stunned by the sheer indifference in his voice. He was unfazed. Completely unfazed. My heart felt like it had been scraped raw, and he couldn't even pretend to care.
"Damon, all night long, every single street in town—we've been searching," I said, voice rising with urgency. "What if your blood hasn't passed out of her system?"
He just shrugged.
"Well, at least you know you'll see her again."
The cruelty of it landed like a slap. I swallowed the words that burned the back of my throat. I wasn't sure if I wanted to scream at him or cry or both.
"Please," Stefan added, his voice cracking just slightly. He looked wrecked—face pale, jaw tight. "What do you know? You two were both with Anna. You must know where she's living. Tell me where I can find her."
Damon finally looked up at that, if only to offer his response directly.
"No."
Kaiden remained still. Silent.
"You can both go. Really."
The dismissal hit hard. So did the silence that followed. I could practically hear Stefan trying to swallow his rising frustration.
"You know, all I can remember is hating the both of you," Stefan said, and I nearly turned to him and begged him to stop. But the words kept coming. "There might have been a time when that was different, but your choices have erased anything good about either of you. But see, I also know you both have just as much reason to hate me. This all began with me."
That was what finally made them look up. Both Kaiden and Damon shifted slightly, the atmosphere in the room shifting with them. The tension went quiet—not gone, but listening.
"Katherine got taken away from both of you because of me. And I'm sorry."
Damon nodded slowly. "Apology accepted."
"So, please," Stefan said again, softer, his tone stripped bare of anything but raw desperation. "Just tell me what you know. It's Elena. Please, if you know something, tell me!"
Damon closed the book with a quiet snap and stood. Stefan stood too, instinctively mirroring his older brother as the two came face to face. I held my breath.
