Shawn Salvatore

Chapter 15.

Shawn's POV

"Emily." Lily stands from her perch at the libraries biggest table. The hard wooden chair scrapes across the floor as she moves.

I could tell from the moment I heard the guest bedroom door open that Emily was feeling nervous; the smell of her blood pumping through her veins as her heart increased in speed was enough to make even Lily shift uncomfortably in her seat. I'm not sure if it's the fact Emily's in a house full of vampires or because of what we're planning to do on Monday but she's scared of something I'm almost certain of it. She would never tell me her fears though. I know for a fact she would never want to appear weak to anybody and I admire that about the girl. She might not be physically strong compared to a vampire but she is mentally strong and that's a good thing to have. It might mean she could stand a change at surviving if anything were to go wrong tomorrow. I'm praying it doesn't go wrong though.

"Please, come, take a seat." Lily waves for Emily to take a seat opposite her at the six person conference table.

Stefan and Damon are sat adjacent to each other at both sides of the table and I notice neither take their eyes off Lily. I choose to stand behind Emily's chair. Acting as a protective friend? I'm not sure but with the way Lily acted when she smelt Emily's blood earlier it has us all on edge but of course Emily, I hope is oblivious to what's happening in the room around her.

Being Lily's age of over two hundred and something (I've never asked for specifics in her age) I've never seen her cravings for blood affect her like it does my brothers and I. Stefan and Damon are good at handling their needs but they're still young too. Having decade upon decade to master a technique should mean it's near to impossible Lily should ever lose control like we do unless she choices to. However even I've never seen her shift like she did moments ago and with the way her dark eyes haven't moved off Emily since she entered the room it has us all waiting for something to happen. I don't think Emily knows what she could have just walked in to if Lily loses her concentration. It might take more than three of us to take Lily down.

My adoptive Mother returned back from God knows where early this morning. After we informed her of the attacks in town Lily went to see what she could dig up from friends in neighbouring towns. I'm unaware of where she disappeared to exactly to get this information but, apparently over the past twelve months sporadic reports of teenagers going missing for days on end to then be found miraculously fit and healthy have cropped up out of the blue.

I don't think anybody has ever pieced together these teenage disappearances as being related because they happen too far apart - probably one every few months. It's always just been plugged to be that kids like to runaway but there is a critical detail that should have been noticed at some point along the line. All the teenagers come home, every single one of them and they come home acting aggressive, emotionless, hungry and sensitive to sunlight. All of which are crucial vampire traits for newly turned vampires. I don't know how nobody has ever picked up on this but that's the first clue to knowing something isn't right. It's our first clue in knowing we need to stop whoever is doing this.

Lily tells all of this to Emily while the rest of us sit in silence listening to what we've already been told. I don't mind listening again though and I'm sure Damon and Stefan don't either because if we missed something first time around we won't miss it again a second time.

"Ok, so all previous attacks happened months apart. Why are there so many now?" Emily asks after Lily has finished talking.

"What do you mean?" Lily questions, coking her head slightly to the side in curiosity.

"Why are so many teenagers being turned now when it was only one every few months before? It doesn't make sense." Emily concludes her hands are balled together in her lap, tight enough I can see them turning white. I slide my hands to rest on Emily's shoulders in an act of comfort.
My touch thankfully works and Emily's hands regain their colour instantly.