The Hunters: Phantom Chapter 24

Elena hung up her cel phone as they puled up to the boardinghouse in Stefans car. The nurse at the hospital says Calebs stil unconscious, she verbalise.Good, said Stefan. She gave him a reproving glance and he stared back at her in exasperation. If hes unconscious, he explained, itl give us more of a chance to figure discover what spel hes cast on us.Theyd fil ed three fat black trash bags with the papers, clippings, and books theyd tack together in the Smal woodsgarden shed. Elena had been afraid to disturb the pentagram with the roses and photographs around it on the shed floor, in case that would affect the spel fewhow, but shed taken a geminate of pictures of it with her cel phone. prostrate came out and picked up one of the bags. Bringing over some garbage?Something like that, Elena said grimly, and fil ed him in on what theyd discovered at the Smal wood house. Matt grimaced. Wow. But maybe right off we can final y do something about whats been happening.How come youre present so early? Elena asked, fol owe him toward the house. I sight you werent coming onto guard duty until ten. Stefan trailed a want behind her.I spent the night, Matt t gray-haired her. After Bonnies name appeared, I didnt want to let her out of my sight.Bonnies name appeared? Elena whirled accusingly on Stefan. why didnt you tel me?Stefan shrugged uncomfortably. I didnt complete, he confessed hesitantly.Stefan, I told you to protect Meredith and Celia, she snapped. You were supposed to be here. Even before Bonnies name showed up, it was Meredith and Celia who were in d petulance. I was relying on you to watch over them.Stefan glared back at her. Im not your lapdog, Elena, he said quietly. I saw a mysterious threat that I thought bore investigation. I acted to protect you. And I was right. The danger was more immediate to you than the another(prenominal)s. And now we go a chance to piece together the spel .Elena blinked at his spook but couldnt deny the truth in his words. Im sorry, she said contritely. Youre right. Im glad we discovered Calebs shed.Matt undecided the front door. They dumped the bags in the hal and went with to the kitchen, where Mrs. Flowers, Alaric, and Meredith were enjoying a breakfast of croissants, jam, fruit, and sausages.Celias gone, Meredith said to Elena as soon as they entered the room. Her tone was casual y informative, but her usual y cool gray eye were twinkling, and Elena shared a secret smile with her friend.Whered she go? Elena asked, equal y casual y, reaching for a croissant. It had been a long morning, and she was starving.University of Virginia, Alaric answered. Shes hoping to get some leads by doing research on curses and folk magic.We might have some more information now, Elena announced around a mouthful of deliciously buttery croissant. She explained what they had found in the shed.We brought al the papers and Calebs notebooks with us. And heres what hed laid out on the floor. She pul ed out her phone, loade d the picture, and handed it to Mrs. Flowers.My goodness, said the old woman. This certainly looks like dark magic. I wonder what that child thought he was doing.Stefan snorted. Hes no child, Mrs. Flowers. I strongly suspect hes a werewolf as wel as a dark magician.Mrs. Flowers looked at him sternly. Hes found the wrong way of going about looking for his cousin, thats for certain. But this magic looks rather amateurish to me. If it has worked, it wil have been more by accident than design.If its worked? Meredith asked. I think the evidence suggests that whatever hes done worked.Surely it would be too much of a coincidence for Caleb to be trying to cast spel s on us and for an unexplained curse to be affecting us as wel , Alaric noted.Wheres Caleb now? Matt asked, frowning. Does he know you found al this? Do we exact to track him down and keep an eye on him? Stefan get over his arms. Hes in the hospital.There was a little pause as the others looked at one another and decided, base on Stefans stony demeanor, not to delve deeper. Meredith glanced questioningly at Elena, and Elena nodded slightly to say, Ill explain later. She turned to Mrs. Flowers. give the axe you tel what spel Caleb was using? What was he trying to do?Mrs. Flowers stared thoughtful y at the picture. Its an inte quietusing question, she said. Roses are typical y utilise in love spel s, but the pentagram and multiple pictures around it suggest a darker intent here. The roses unusual crimson color would probably make them more effective. They might be used to evoke other passions as wel . My best guess would be that Caleb was trying to control your emotions in some way.Elena cast a sudden glance at Stefan, taking in his guarded expression and filter out shoulders.But thats as much as I can tel you for now, Mrs. Flowers continued. If the rest of you want to look through Calebs notebooks for clues, Bonnie and I can research the magical properties of roses and what spel s they could be used i n.Where is Bonnie? Elena asked. Although shed had the comprehend that something was missing, shed only(prenominal) just consciously realized that the petite redhead wasnt among the group in the kitchen.Stil intermissioning, Meredith said. You know how she loves to sleep in. She grinned. Bonnie was definitely enjoying being the damsel in peril and having everybody fussing over her last night.I thought she was being real y brave, Matt said unexpectedly. Elena eyed him. Was he beginning to feel something sentimentalist for Bonnie? Theyd be good together, she thought, and was surprised to feel a tiny twinge of possessive anger mixed in with her speculative matchmaking. Matt has always been yours, after all, a hard voice talk to her.Il go up and wake her, Meredith said cheerful y. No rest for the witches. She swung to her feet and headed for the stairs, limping only slightly.Hows your ankle joint? Elena asked. You look a lot better.I heal fast, Meredith said. I guess its part of th e vampire-hunter thing. I didnt need the cane by the time I went to bed last night, and this morning it feels almost back to normal. gilt you, said Elena.Lucky me, Meredith agreed, grinning at Alaric, who smiled back admiringly. Showing off, she ran lightly up the stairs, leaning only a little on the banister for support. Elena took another croissant and spread jam on it. The rest of us should start going through al the papers and things we took from Calebs shed. Alaric, as youre the only one other than Mrs. Flowers and Bonnie who knows much about magic, you can take his notebooks and Il She broke off as a ejaculate came from overhead.Meredith shouted Alaric.Later, Elena didnt real y remember getting upstairs. There was just a flash of shoving limbs and pandemonium as everyone tried to get up the narrow staircase as quickly as possible. At the door of the little cream-and-rose bedroom at the end of the hal , Meredith stood, etiolated-faced and stricken. She turned large panicke d gray eyes toward them and whispered, Bonnie.Inside, Bonnies smal figure coiffure motionless facedown on the floor, one pajamaed arm flung out toward the door. Unlit black and white candles were in a ring behind her, one black candle knocked over. There was a rub of what looked like mostly dried blood inside the candle ring, and a weathered book lay open beside it.Elena pushed past Meredith and knelt beside the stil figure, feeling at her neck for a pulse. She let out the breath shed been keeping as she felt Bonnies heartbeat, steatimedy and strong, beneath her fingers.Bonnie, she said, shaking her by the shoulder, then gently rol ing her over. Bonnie flopped without confrontation onto her back. She was breathing regularly, but her eyes stayed closed, her long lashes dark against her freckled cheeks.Somebody cal an ambulance, Elena said quickly.Il do it, Meredith said, fracture out of her frozen stance.We dont need an ambulance, Mrs. Flowers said quietly, gazing down at Bonnie with an expression of sorrow on her face.What are you talking about? Meredith snapped. Shes unconscious We have to get her help.Mrs. Flowerss eyes were grave. The doctors and nurses at the hospital wont be able to help Bonnie, she said. They might even hurt her by interfering with ineffective medical solutions to a nonmedical problem. Bonnies not sick shes under a spel . I can feel the magic thick in the air. The best thing we can do is to make her as comfortable as we can here while we look for a cure.Matt stepped forward into the room. His face was aghast, but he wasnt looking at Bonnies motionless form on the floor. He raised one hand and pointed. Look, he said.Near the bed, a tray containing a smal teapot, a cup, and a plate had been knocked over onto the floor. The cup had smashed and the teapot lay on its side, tea leaves spil ing out in a long, dark curve across the floor.A curve that spel ed out a name.