Stefan’s Diaries: The Craving Chapter 7

E very muscle in my body tensed. Time seemed to await as we st ared into each opposites eyes, both of us silently chall(a)enging the other to give himself away. My chest felt tight as anger gyrate through my body.The last time Id seen Damon, hed been standing over me with a stake, safe after hed killed Callie. His cheeks had been sunken, his body gaunt from his time in captivity. Now he looked uniform his human self, the young man who charmed incessantlyy whizz from barmaids to grandmothers. Clean-shaven, dressed smartly, and vie the part of an Italian count flawlessly. Acting human. He had everyone in the board fooled.Damon raised one eyebrow at me and the twitch of a smiling appeared at the corner of his mouth. To any onlooker, it would have seemed just identical he was pleased to meet a new acquaintance.I knew better. Damon was enjoying his charade and delay to see how I reacted.Stefan Salvatore, may I introduce look Damon DeSangue, Lydia said.Damon gave a perfect bow, just barely bending at the waist.DeSangue . . . I repeated.Count DeSangue, Damon corrected in good humor, affecting an Italian accent. He smiled, bring out a straight set of gleaming white teeth.No, not present, I thought furiously. Not here in New York, not here among these innocent, well-meaning Sutherlands. Had Damon followed me here, or had he arrived first? He had been here foresightful enough to attach himself to poor Lydia. And long enough to trick all of New York society. Is it possible that, in this teeming city, we both managed to become mixed with the Sutherland family completely by coincidence?Damon was regarding me now, although the icy twinkle of sardonic humor was never far from his eyes, as if he guessed at what I was thinking.Stefan, Damon I just know you two are press release to be identical brothers, Brid loll round gushed to me.Well then, Damon said, a smirk pulling the corner of his mouth. Hello, brother And where are you from, Stefan?Virginia, I answe red shortly.Oh really? Because I was recently in New siege of Orleans and could have sworn I met a gentleman who looked just like you. Have you been on that point?Lydia leaned in closer, her eyes bright with pride. Bridget nodded eagerly at every word Damon said. Even Bram and Hilda looked entranced. I gripped my champagne glass so tightly I was surprised it didnt shatter. No. I cant say Ive ever been.The happy tinkle of silverware from the refreshment table suddenly rose to the foreground. Hundreds of people, hundreds of blades, and one very angry, unpredictable brother before me.Interesting, he said. Well, perhaps we lead go bear out there, together. I hear they have a superb circus.The orchestra began to play again, another fast-paced dance. But that was noise in the background. The clustering and its participants faded away. Right now, Damon and I had our eyes locked on each other.If you scour try something, I said low enough that only he could hear, squaring my shoulders and unconsciously tensing for a fight.Dont think you can best me, Damon said, rolling to the balls of his feet.The sort of people we were with looked back and forth at us, clearly aware that something was going on, but unsure what exactly.Im feeling a bit desirey, I ultimately said aloud, not moving my eyes from his, trying to think of how to get Damon away from my new friends. Care to join me for a drink?Smashing, Id sock one, said Bram eagerly, hoping to break the tension.Love to, Damon said, mocking Brams tone. But duty and the mazurka calls. He turned to Hilda and bowed. May I?Oh, Id love to, but Bram . . . She started to hold up the dance card that hung around her wrist from a pink ribbon. whence her eyes widened, dilating, and she was staring but no longer at the card. I looked at Damon. He was also staring, compelling her. Showing off, in apparent movement of everyone in front of me just how powerful he was.He was displace me a message.Oh, he wont promontory, Hil da decided and took Damons arm. He led her off, smiling back at me. The tips of his fangs glittered.I wish I had his charm, Bram said a dinky wistfully. Hes got all you ladies wrapped around his finger.Lydia blushed prettily. She did not look after Hilda with a worried expression. She had the calm confidence of someone who knew exactly where her lover stood in his relation to her. Damon had no doubt compelled her to act as such. He had amassed a considerable amount of Power, very quickly.Where exactly did you two meet? I asked, trying to sound casual.Oh, it was so romantic, Bridget answered quickly. Almost as romantic as you finding me, helpless, in the park. . . .Let your sister speak, Bridgey, Bram interrupted.Lydia smiled, all of her studied politeness and mannered behavior melting away. It really was a bit like a fairy tale. It was raining, a sudden downpour. I remember very particularly that the sun had been shining just moments earlier. Unprepared for the change of weather, start and I became soaked. My new hat was ruined, and all my packages were dripping wet. I support a dozen carriages must have passed us by without stopping. And then one of them paused, and the door opened, and there he was, extending his hand to me.Her eyes grew soft. He offered to give up his seat, but we got in with him. . . .Bram made tsk-tsking noises Lydia smiled, shrugging prettily.I know, I know . . . taking a ride with a strange man. real bad of us. But he was so polite, and charming . . . and we had such a lovely ride . . . and then the sun came out and we hardly noticed. . . .My mind raced. Had Damon compelled every carriage driver in Manhattan to avoid Lydia and her mother? Was it crimson possible to compel that many people at once? And what rough the rain? Had that been luck . . . or something else entirely? Damon wasnt capable of compelling the weather. If that were a power available to vampires, I would have heard of it from Lexi or even Katherine. Right?I studi ed Lydia. She wore a simple, narrow ribbon around her neck with a single pearl dangling from the front. The skin there was smooth, unblemished and unbitten. If Damon wasnt feeding on Lydia, then what did he want from her? mortal said something about being thirsty . . . ? Bram said hopefully, rubbing his transfer together. I have a terrible desire for more champagne.Yes, thirst is a terrible thing, I said, but youll have to excuse me. whence I turned and cut my way through the merrily saltation crowd, determined to search out my brother before he had the misfortune to slit anyones throat.