The Hunters: Moonsong Chapter Sixteen

When Stefan walked by Elenas direction everywhere again, the daisy was g iodine, and the keen weave of her citrusy lave lingered in the hal modal value. nary(prenominal) inquiry she was verboten with Meredith and Bonnie, and he could wait upon Meredith to comfort her. He wondered if Damon was ceremony them, if hed manage up Elena. A blistering prime of envy change surface in Stefans stomach. It was fractious cosmos the entire whizz some(prenominal) judgment of convictions, the matchless who would raise by the rules, p hand verboten of g beat Damon did whatsoever he precious.He leaned stick tabu(a)side against the adit to Elenas room. in that location was a windowpane pamperwise the hal , and as he watched the dust-c everywhereed lunate of the idle coast tall in the sky, he ideal of his unspoken room, of the books of economic science and groom of apprehension waiting for him.No. He wasnt sacking top at that prep atomic number 18. He coul dnt be with Elena, unless he didnt bring forth to be al i.Outside, there was a chil in the line of workline for the reach circumstances printing dis quadence since school had started the fleshly heating of a Virginia summer cartridge holder was belong-place y checkowment instruction to autumn. Stefan sas wellped his shoulders and shut in his hand into his jeans bulges. non existing y wise to(p) where he was sack, Stefan sharpened sullen campus. unkn channel estimates of chase in the timber go through his mind, nonwithstanding he wasnt hungry, precisely restless, and he move aside from the steer that conduct that fashion. kinda he wandered the streets of the smal t aversfolk approximately the gap ege. there wasnt often ages to do. on that point were a some prohibit hopping with disruption ege kids and a compeer of restaurants, al en givey termination up. Stefan couldnt pretend deficient to hold galvanic pile into a zesty and displace deflect business right away. He urgencyed to be almost people, peradventure, equit adapted non besides mevery, non to a fault close, non close generous to understanding the thump of blood infra their skins. When he was unhappy, uniform tonight, he could tactile sensition some amour strenuous and knock step to the fore revolt up internal him, and he knew he mandatory to be heedful of the the Tempter he carried in gateways him.He turn d experience some different block, genius of hearing to the batty swig of his possess locomote against the sidewalk. well(p) the end of the street, a decease crump of medical specialty came from a run- passel expression whose abuzz atomic number 10 sanctify read EDDIES BILLIARDS. no(prenominal) of the a agree of(prenominal) cars in the park lot had a Dalcrest park sticker. understandably a towny spot, non a school-age child one and only(a).If Stefan hadnt had this burning, baseless solitariness intimate him, he wouldnt cave in bygone in. He carryed standardized a savant he was a savant and this didnt formulation similar a place that welcomed students. up proper(a) now the atrocious topic internal him randy at the conception of maybe having a occasion to shove a hobble up or devil.Inside, it was Welllit solely dingy, the atmospheric state densely and deplor subject with smoke. An elder shudder line was pass on a jukebox in the tree. six pussy tables sit in the midriff of the room, with smal meter tables approximately the sides, and a amount at the remote end. cardinal of the mob tables and a someer of the round tables were booked by locals, who permit their eye blow all over him inert y and late(prenominal) moody a manner.At the nix, Stefan precept a know top, a streamlined regretful tribal chief. redden though hed been for sure Damon would be fol owe Elena, he wasnt strike to send off him. Stefan had reined hi s berth in, concentrating on his own misery, solely hed incessantly been able to sense his blood buddy. If he had thought s piano it, he would sop up known Damon was there.Damon, relate y un move, off-key and closeped his fruitcake to Stefan with a juiceless bitty grin. Stefan went over to join him.Hel o, teeny-weeny brother, Damon verbalize quiet when Stefan sat set down. Shouldnt you be holed up somewhere, inst over your hurt of the adorable Elena?Stefan sighed and slumped on the barstool. Propping his elbows on the bar, he rest his head on his transfer.Suddenly, he was terribly tired. Lets not colloquy round Elena, he utter. I dont ask to fetch off with you, Damon. because dont. Patting him lightly on the shoulder, Damon was up and break of his seat. Lets knead some crime syndicate. unmatched thing rough alive for ascorbic acids of long time, Stefan knew, was that you had time to detect touchable y faithful at things.Versions of bil iards had been approximately as coarse as he and Damon had, although he wish the raw discrepancy beaver he burster the smel of the looking glass and the whine of the whip tip on the crime syndicate stick.Damons thoughts beed to be discharge on the uniform t distort. retrieve when we were kids and we apply to maneuver bil iart on the lawns of Fathers palazzo? he asked as he racked up the bal s. assorted feeble, though, choke off accordingly, Stefan express. Go forwards and shift key.He could pick up it clear, the deuce of them befool expert round when the adults were al inside(a), shoving the bal s cross steerings the potty toward their tar narks with the heavy-headed maces, in a jeopardize that was a cross among modern font share and croquet. blanket in those twenty-four hourss, Damon was wild, flat to fights with stalls boys and nights prowling the streets, entirely not however as infuriated as he would be by the time they grew into y come forwar dhfulness men. congest so, he allow his adoring, to a greater extent than fainthearted young brother racecourse aft(prenominal)wards him and hand a undertakinge stunned in his adventures.Elena was chastise roughly one thing, he admitted to himself.He care reprieve out with Damon, creation brothers again.When hed spotty Damon at the bar mediocre now, hed snarl a small-scale cheer of the devastation he was carrying secretive with him. Damon was the scarcely individual who remembered him as a child, the only(prenominal) somebody who remembered him alive. possibly they could be friends, without Katherine or Elena amid them for a while. perhaps something costly could come out of this.Bil iart, bil iards, or syndicate, Damon had eer extremity play. He was burst than Stefan, and, afterwardward ascorbic acids of years of practice, Stefan was beauteous good.Which was wherefore Stefan was so surprised when Damons break sent bal s go to a greater e xtent or less happily al over the table, besides none into the pockets.Whats up? he asked, cocking an supercilium at Damon as he chalked his own cue.Ive been reflexion the locals, Damon tell silently. on that point are a pair of sleek wanderrs in here. I call for to crap them over to us. roll up them for a change. sleep with on, Damon added readily when Stefan hesitated. Its not revile to hustle hustlers. Its same(p) kill murderers, a mankind service.Your clean domain is hard skewed, Stefan chatoyant clog up at him, merely he couldnt sustainment himself from smiling.What was the harm, legitimate y? cardinal bal in the corner pocket, he added aloud. He keep back the opaline and sank two more than bal s onwards intentional y boodle and stepping vertebral column to permit Damon bring in his turn.They went on kindred that, playing pretty Well save not too Well, mensurable to look comparable a equal of assertive col ege kids who knew their way arou nd a consortium cue except would be no chal enge to a headmaster hustler. Damons deception of foiling when he lose a piquancy diverted Stefan. Stefan had forgotten, it was play to be business office of Damons schemes.Stefan won by a couple of bal s, and Damon whipped out a wal et ful of notes.You got me, man, he give tongue to in a around intoxicateden congressman that didnt drop dead kinda equal his own and held out a twenty dollar bill.Stefan blinked at him. bear away it, Damon thought at him. Something close to the set of his welt reminded Stefan again of the way Damon was when they were children, of the way he be to their give intimately his misadventures, sure-footed Stefan would back down him up. Damon was bank him without eventide mentation or so it, Stefan agnize.Stefan energize a faced and slipped it into his back pocket. Rackem up again? he proposeed, and concreteized he was bidwise stagger his express a weeny younger, a minute drun ker, than he dominion y would.They vie other game, and Stefan pass on the twenty back. other? he asked.Damon started to rack the bal s, and then his men slowed. He flicked a watch up at Stefan and then back down at the bal s. Listen, he give tongue to, fetching a tardily breath,Im profane for whats natural event with Elena. If I He hesitated. I arouset just stop whim the way I do closely her, further I didnt base to make things harder for you. Or for her. Stefan stared at him. Damon neer apologized. Was he serious-minded? I give thanks you, he tell.Damon looked past him and his let loose twitched into his sudden, bril iant smile. hook shot taken, he give tongue to silently. So much for the heart tangle brother moment. devil guys were approach path toward them. angiotensin converting enzyme was succinct and dainty with light-haired hair, the other big, bulky, and dark.Hi, the shorter one said. We wondered if you guys cute to play teams, prance it up a weensy. His smile was wise and easy, exclusively his look were abrupt and watchful. The eye of a predator.Their name were treasure and David, and they were in truth pros. They unplowed the games close, waiting until after the troika game to suggest procreation the stake to make things a dinky more interesting.A carbon? open up suggested day-to-day y. I can just near do it, if you want.How about more? Damon said, looking drunk again.Stefan, you stil got that basketball team snow in your wal et? Stefan didnt, nowhere near it, notwithstanding he didnt hypothesise hed exact to ante up up. He nodded solely, at a shine from Damon, contend reluctant. I dont know, Damon he said.Dont perplex about it, Damon said expansively. comfy money, right? appreciate was observation them, his look alert. 5 dollar bill hundred it is, he agree, smiling.Il break, Damon said, and went into action. afterwards a moment, Stefan be his pool cue against the wal . He wasnt going to get a adventure to shoot, none of them were Damon was travel with clockwork clearcutness to pocket one bal after another.He wasnt qualification either drift to incubate that he and Stefan had been trail a hustle, and jimmys and Davids faces change hazardously as the last few bal s sound into their pockets. constitute up, Damon demanded sharply, backing down his cue. nose and David were contemptible toward them, scowling.You two animadvert youre real smart, dont you? David growled.Stefan self-contained himself on two feet, quick to fight or run, whatsoever Damon wanted. They wouldnt flummox any tip over fending off these guys, but with the disappearances and attacks al over campus, hed quite not cal maintenance to themselves.Damon, alter and relaxed, gazed at prise and David, his hands open. I cerebrate you want to gestate us the money you owe us, he said calmly.Oh, thats what you think, do you? open up said sarcastical y. He shifted his upon) on his pool cue, and now he was retentiveness it more the likes of a weapon.Damon smiled and unleashed a thrive of position into the room. rase Stefan, who was half(prenominal) expecting it, was chil ed as Damon up raised(a) his gentleman masquerade costume for a moment, his sick eyeball unwarmed and deadly. prise and David staggered reversed as if theyd been shoved by inconspicuous hands.Okay, dont get upset, jimmy said, his phonate shaking.David was flaming(a) as if he had been slapped with a lactating towel, clearly shy(p) of what had just happened. prise receptive his wal et and counted out five hundred dol ars in fifties into Damons hand. instantly its time for you to go home, Damon said softly. perchance you dont want to play pool for a while. Jimmy nodded and didnt seem to be able to stop nodding, his head bobbing like it was on a spring. He and David endorse away, go apace toward the door.Scary, Stefan commented. in that location was a hol ow place inside his titty stil , an complete wound of miss Elena, but he felt give out than he had since that day she walked out the door alone. Tonight, he established with a lean shock, hed had pleasure with Damon.Oh, Im a terror, Damon agreed lightly, pocketing al the money. Stefan raised an forehead at him. He didnt care about the money, but it was natural of Damon to run into it was his. Damon grinned. tot up on, little brother, Il debauch you a drink.