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Bonnie swallowed again, greedily. Stefan, in trying to calculate how much she needed, realized he had perhaps panicked unnecessarily. He hadn’t taken enough to really put her in danger. And Bonnie didn’t need all that much.
Her blue eyes opened, then opened wide. There was surprise in them, but not—
thanks to any gods that were—revulsion. After another moment he began the gentle struggle to get his wrist back. Elena had described to him once what vampire blood did to humans after their first prejudice had been overcome, and he was able to understand why it was a struggle to get his arm back from Bonnie. But she was no match for his strength. He stopped the bleeding with a thought and turned back to her.
Bonnie? I’m so sorry that was necessary. I took too much—I think. I’m pretty sure. I’m a little confused right now—
Don’t worry about it, Bonnie answered simply, and he was astounded to hear triumph in her voice. If you did, well, then I win.
You win? Win what?
A bet I made with myself. Sanctioned by Elena—I think. I bet myself that I could make you forget—just for tonight. Since it may be the last night. Damon told me I was a baby—
“So I became a bet between Damon and you?”
No! Stefandearheart, no, no, no, never! I told you it was a bet I made with myself . I bet that I was a woman, and that you would treat me like one. Please don’t be angry.
I don’t know whether to be angry, or . . . oh, Bonnie what you gave me! Those memories . . .
And you gave me the knowledge that I’m not a baby. Plus all the fireworks that Elena promised. She said that no one would be afraid if they’d never shared blood with a vampire before. She told the truth. So if I you did take too much, I win, and if you didn’t . . . well, I still win. Bonnie hugged herself for pure ecstasy.
“But how did you know? What a vampire does when he miscalculates?” Shocked? Girls talk. Maybe more than guys do; I don’t know.
I don’t either. Are you shocked?
It’s quite an experience, waking up to find you’re drinking blood. But I was half prepared for it. And now I feel like wrestling elephants.
He couldn’t help but smile. She was amazing, but tel
ling her that, here, now, was not a good idea.
Matt
Matt had to find his own way up to Stefan’s crow’s nest room.
The room was dim, and it was hard to see more of Stefan than a silhouette in profile. He seemed to be looking at the dusty window.
It was disconcerting, to say the least, to know that Stefan could see perfectly in this semidarkness.
It was even more disconcerting when Stefan spoke.
" Ave, Matt! Morituri te salutant," Stefan said cheerfully.
"Huh?"
"S'joke. A joke," Stefan said, enunciating more carefully. "Latin.
Hail, Matt. We who are about to die salute you. Salude!"
Matt stared.
"Mer'dith thought it w’s funny."
"Meredith knows Latin?"
"Yeah. Mer’dith"—Stefan held up one finger. It was hard to know whether it meant
"don't interrupt" or "let me tell you a few things, starting with . . . " and Matt didn't think he could stand still for a long speech. His heart was already pounding. Damn. Stefan could probably hear that. Probably? What would a vampire be more attuned to hearing than the muscle that pushed around the blood of its prey?
