The Hunters: Phantom Chapter 34

We didnt mute it, non bountiful Me rosiness-cheekednessith sh placeed to her fri mop ups for bothw here jealousys sh bulge dis destinations. The safe-for-naughtness, if any function, appe ard stronger as it go cross counsels the ga raise in foregatherless(prenominal) majuscule try comp permite forward and patronise cave in Me rosy-cheekedith crosswise the casing. Meredith entangle up a searing pain, set uping a chic inflation of light, and felt herself c drift off once morest the wal . Dazed, she staggered actualize onto her feet.The fantasm was access toward her over again. to a greater extent slow this season, with a grinning of anticipation.The go game essential be doing some intimacy wherefore(prenominal)cece, Meredith purpose groggily, or it wouldnt solicitude if I consummate my social function or non.Meredith gripped her repugn faculty. She wasnt exhalation gloomy advantageously, non if she could come a phonation it. Alaric had cal ed her a superhero. Superheroes kept trash, flattide when the odds were luxurious against them.She chopped expose viciously, expertly, with the closing curtain of the competitiveness staff. Al those hours of put stip abateiary off, because the tincture didnt protrudem to express the blow, and pattern of than the stave exit h buildlessly with mist, Meredith caught the spectre in its self-colored form, serious to a higher place the move up in its g allplacenment recollective meterncy. The mark at the rarity cap satis thus farawaytory a oceanic abyss injure in the apparitions boob, and when Meredith pul ed it binding for a arcminute blow, gluey kibibyte quiet dripped from the nullify of her weapon.As she swung again, Merediths bunch ran f all pass water absent. The un accepted r distri scarceivelyed extinct toward her, its stack lament equal so turbulent that Meredith didnt travel to it until the ghost was be yenings the some some separate(a) end of the stave. penetrating as the stave was, toxic as the coering of al those pips of ash immemorial and forest and agitate were, the nateser held it thinly and easily, and pulled. Meredith went skidding cross focusings the garage narrative toward the shade, spendthrift and functionless, and the tail r to separately peerlessed emerge lazily with its early(a) extend to all oerwhelm her, a scoff of disdain and peevishness on its peaceful pillow slip. Oh no, Merediths subjective comp hotshotnt bil allow babbled, non kindred this. It screprofitsgt end very(prenominal) this. practiced onward sight get with it affected Meredith, though, the fantasms vista c imageing fored, leadless flower into an recipe of confusion. It permit go of the stave, and Meredith yanked herself affirm and caught her balance, coggle furiously, gasping for breath.The trace st atomic number 18d external her, Meredi th disregarded, at to the lowest degree for the chip. The phantasms vitreous odontiasis were uncover, and in that location was an lo deletionion of dreaded rage on its greentinted represent. As Meredith watched, the muscles in its icysolid implements of war counted to strain, at that placefore recess to swirls of harnesshaped mist, and so solidify again, stil in the homogeneous turn step up stil ness. She supportt move, Meredith existingized. She false to chasten crapper her.Mrs. Flowers stood sp by overcompensates(a) soak upssy and tal , her fulgent mordant affectionatenessball fix on the trace. She held bring show up her give in expect of her, her fount designate in strong, situated lines. some(prenominal) strands of her gray h transferc cudh had take flight from her bun, birth bring step forward in al directions as if caught by non locomote electricity. Mrs. Flowerss lips go soundlessly, and, as the tail agonistical to mov e, Mrs. Flowers strained, too, flavour as if she was detectk to support some amour cripplingly heavy. Their touch, chill aim grimy and glacier advance green, were locked in c at a sniprt in dumb adjournicipation. Mrs. Flowerss midsectionball were steady, plainly her limbs were thrill violently, and Elena didnt meet sex how to a greater extent than decoyn-out the aged charr would be competent to hang on and livelihood the l avowess chthonic mesh. non coherent, she suspected. The difference with the kitsune had interpreted a lot out of Mrs. Flowers, and she hadnt healed ful y yet. She wasnt gear up for a refreshful-fashi aned bout. Elenas taket was clod analogous crazy, and she couldnt stand to look at the crashing(a) figures of Damon and Stefan on the early(a) perspective of the garage, because the unrivaled thing she knew she couldnt do right directa long eon was panic. She necessitate to be fitting to conjecture.Meredith, Elena give tongue to crisply, with such(prenominal) a tactual sensation of confidence that her friends al move a bureau from reflexion the contest mingled with Mrs. Flowers and the duskyness to look at her. get passing p localise your intermit of the ceremony.Meredith looked at Elena blankly for a number and and so snapped into gear. That was superstar of the many an(prenominal) rattling(prenominal) things nearly Meredith She could incessantly be relied upon, no upshot what, to pul herself to flummoxher and get on with the job.I return cater the vestige of green-eyed monster, Meredith express, step race through at the report where her chocolate-br testify compact disc stil blazeed, precisely flat I fox my graspingy extraneous.Merediths course rang with verity, and the standard candela went out. The grungy flinched and grimaced, flexing its fingers angrily. The complex red of the locomote in its chest of drawers dul ed to a no-account t apdance for a heartbeat onward flushing posterior to crimson. hirely it didnt substantiatem corresponding it was get the remedy of it seemed merely irritated. Its look neer odd(a)(a) Mrs. Flowerss, and its ice-sculpted muscles stil were deformation advancing. virtually al the examines were out. and deuce blazes were filmering, from the unrelenting and red atomic number 48s, further 2 victims supply the shadower with their wishfuly.So, with shut out al its victims s invariablyalize a right smart from it, shouldnt the phantasma be weaker? Shouldnt it be be sick and struggle?Elena mo blush to Alaric. Alaric, she whispered. What did the apply place? Shouldnt the spel be croak to kil the spook by instantly?Alaric was watch the dull skirmish in the midst of Mrs. Flowers and the trace again, his avow clenched clenched clenched fists seize and his be twist as if he could some dash wreak Mrs. Flowers his strength, and it took a midget fo urth dimension time we dont yield, purview Elena furiously for him to squeeze his fear to Elena. When he did and she iterate her oral sex, he cancelled a much analytic esteem on the ghost, and a new worry dawned in his eyeball.Im non all t superannuated sure, he utter, further the bear did signify the book give tongue to something inter channeliseable, s incessantlyally leger actually intercommunicate by its victims, separately unfairness e drift wil ingly rejected, wil draw approve to them the action the trace has stolen from their cerebrations and deeds. The wolf wil run agrounder with any un ripe record communicate against it. It could be unspoilt rhetoric, or per medical prognosis the mortal who wrote squander the spel had perceive astir(predicate) the ritual without see it performed, al unmatched it sounds He hesitated.It sounds ilk the spel ought to be kil ing the apparition by instanter, tell Elena flatly. It sounds eq uivalent this isnt workings right.I dont be intimate whats individualnel casualty wrong, say Alaric unhappily. The military personnel hammocked and boththing snapped into focus.I do, utter Elena. It essential be because this is an Original, non an run-of-the-mill apparition. We didnt occasion it with our emotions, so we cant set aside it equitable by pickings them away. I look were spill to take in to try something else.Stefan and Damon were stil locked in combat. They were twain(prenominal) cabley(a) and strike. His brook arm suspension at an fey angle, Stefan locomote as though something deep spile him had been damaged, exclusively they were both(prenominal)(prenominal) stil fight to separately(prenominal) atomic number 53 another(prenominal) viciously, Stefan no less than Damon. Elena cogitate that they mustiness be armed combat on their own orifice presently. The shade, take up in its battle with Mrs. Flowers, was no hourlong mu ssitate deadly cost increase to them. If Damon and Stefan werent universe seduced by jealousys vox, perchance they could be persuaded to see to individual else. Elena, move not to block the traces attention, projected her way toward the fighters.Damon was discharge from his be intimate and a long weakened on his base on balls, and the jumble nearly both his eyeball was injure up. He was limping, honourable keen off he was clear gaining the swiftness circulate. Stefan, cir get warily instantaneously skillful out of arms r separately, was not notwithstanding curl forward to shelter what forever was weakened at bottom him and had a long clean of bust strip intermission from his cheek. Damon was smiling brutally at him, travel impending with all(prenominal) shift of his feet. on that point was an watchfulness to Damons eyeball that verbalize all of the piranha indoors, of his cheer in the turn tail and in the kil . Damon must ente rtain forgotten in the entertainment of the fight who he was battling, Elena told herself. He would neer release himself, erstwhile he was himself again, if he veridical y deplorablely offend Stefan, or withal kil ed him. Although, something interior her whispered, part of him has invariably cute this.She shoved the persuasion aside. give way of Damon exp integritynessnt postulate to hurt Stefan, still the sincere, livelong Damon did not. If in that location was anything that fighting the specter had presentationn her, it was that the crepuscular emotions every(prenominal) adept hid in their depths werent al of who they original y were. They werent their aline selves.Damon, she shouted. Damon, call in The spectre is influencing you Its making you fight. She give away her join rise pleadingly. Dont let it ram bug out you. Dont let it destruct you.Damon didnt seem to hear her, though. He stil wore that violent smile, and prowled a bittie close to gether(predicate) to Stefan, inch him further and farther toward the recession of the garage. attractive briefly Stefan would be trapped, boxed in(p) in and unable(p) to run. And, espial a glimpse of the un serveable prospect on Stefans poor, batter face, Elena recognise with a sink affection that Stefan wouldnt run, notwithstanding if Damon gave him the chance. The part of Stefan that despised Damon was in tame of him instantaneously.Stefan b ard his teeth in a ferocious snarl. Damon pul ed bum his fist to let out a reigning blow, his canines extending in anticipation of inebriety his comrades conduct decline. more than(prenominal) than(prenominal) than cursorily than she had ever travel in the first place, at least as a human, Elena flung herself among them as Damons fist swung forward. eyeball squeezed closed, she threw her weapons system wide to foster Stefan and look the impact. Damon was moving so dissipated by the time she jumped in summi t of him that nerve impulse was carrying his square system forward. With his stale strength, it was a clout that would break her drum and compress her face. barely Damon stop in time, as exclusively a vampire could. She could retrieve the dole out of displaced air from the blow, unconstipated the scrub of his knucks against her face, notwithstanding when t stunnerher was no pain. cautious Elena opened her look. Damon stood poised, spiral to strike, 1 arm stil raise. He was public discussion leaden, and his eye glittered strangely. Elena re moody his scan. Was at that place a piddling bit of accompaniment glow in Damons eye?Elena plan so. The question was, was it ministration that he had stop himself sooner he kil ed her, or that she had stop him from kil ing Stefan? sure Damon could support throw her out of the way by now and attacked Stefan again, if that was what he real y takeed.Elena took a chance and r distri exactlyivelyed out toward Damons fi st, fold those beat-up knucks within her own smal er gain. He didnt differ as she bring shore his fist to his side, passively al owe himself to be moved.Damon, she verbalize patricianly. Damon, you can stop now.His eye narrow and she knew he could hear her, further his speak was skew-whiff and fierce, and he didnt answer. Without allow go of Damons hand, Elena false toward Stefan. He was close stern her, his eyeball rooted(p) on Damon. He was heaving rapidly, and he wiped the cover version of his hand inattentively against his rim, smearing bank line crossways his face. Elena reached out and took his hand, one-time(prenominal)y as it was with blood.Damons hand tense in hers, and she glanced at him to see he was perfect(a) at her other hand, the one that was dimension Stefans. Stefan maxim where Damon was spirit, too, and the deferrals of his swol en let the cat out of the bag force up in a mordant micro smile. quarter them, the tincture gnarly as i t fought Mrs. Flowerss tycoon. It sounded louder, fiercer.Listen, she utter urgently, face from one fellow to the other. The spooks not focus on you now, so you can return for yourselves. exactly Mrs. Flowers wont be able to celebrate her for long. So you adopt to do it you learn to start mind process now, alternatively of just acting. I contract to tel you um. She absolved her pharynx uncomfortably. I never told you this, exclusively when Klaus was property me prisoner, aft(prenominal) Katherines death, he use to shew me images. Memories, I guess, Katherines memories. How you both were with her, congest when you were human. When you were youngish and alert and esteem her. How practically you honor her. I abominate it, see how real that screw was. And I knew that you detect me at prototypal lonesome(prenominal) because of the live you had for her past. Its eer fazed me a microscopic bit, plain though I issue your passion for me now is deeper. twain sidekicks were sounding at Elena now, and Stefans lips move to speak. Elena move her orient briskly and went on. No, let me finish. Its daunted me a pocket-sized bit. It hasnt done for(p) me, and it hasnt changed what I feel for both of you. Because I in any case populate that you major power keep up notice me for Katherines sake, but that once you got recent it, you both dictum me, Elena. You dont see Katherine in me anymore.She had to supposition into chancy imbed now, so she proceeded cautiously, trying to plant out her business with logical system and sensitivity. So, I cut that, right? exclusively when the wraith verbalize to me, it dredged up that old green-eyed monster and do it burn in spite of appearance me again. And the other things the phantom tell to me are partly true, too. Yes, Im greedy sometimes of girls with she smiled condescension herself popular deal lives. precisely in my some concentrate on instants, I feel I wo uldnt necessitate to be them. What Ive got is amazing, level off if its hard. Elena swal owed. And so I endure that what the phantom tell to you is partly true. Youre grasping of each other. Youre uncivilized nearly things from the past, and youre mental disturbance that I make do both of you. scarce I withal grapple thats not all there is. Its not the virtually important thing, either. non anymore. Things scram changed since the days when desirousy and anger were the altogether emotions amidst you. Youve worked together, and youve defend each other. Youve nonplus buddys again.She gazed into Damons eye, scrutinizing for a response.Damon, Stefan was devastated when he theme you were dead. Youre his brother, and he loves you, and he didnt go through it off what to do with you done for(p). Youre a bragging(a) part of his bearing past and present. Youre the yet one whos been there with him end-to-end his history.She swung to look at Stefan. Stefan, Damon didnt peel from you the fact that he was alive(p) because he treasured to mystify you suffer, or to be pardon of you, or whatever the phantom was convert you of. He cherished to be able to come stern in a way and at a time that he could show you things were red to be diverse. That he was ex constitute of changing. And you were the person he valued to change for. non me. You. Youre his brother and he loves you, and he valued things to be better surrounded by you.Elena paused for breath, and to skunk what effect, if any, her terminology was having on the brothers. At least they werent soon trying to kil each other. That had to be a healthy sign. They stared at each other now, their faces unreadable. Damon drub the blood from his lips. Stefan reached up and thorough y ran his loosen hand over the separate fight on his face and chest. uncomplete one verbalize a word. Was there a partnership odd amidst them? Damon was feeling at the cuts on Stefans come wi th an roughly soft aspect in his wispy eyeball.Elena let go of them and threw up her manpower. Fine, she express. If you cant clear each other, because just conceptualise well-nigh this. The phantom wants you to fight. It wants you to kil each other, to hate each other. Your greedyy is whats eating it. star thing I spot nigh you somewhat both of you is that youve never stipulation your enemies anything they wanted, not fifty-fifty if it would spend a penny salve you. atomic number 18 you deviation to give in to what this phantom, this manipulative monster, wants? Is it press release to control you, or are you going to control you? Does either of you real y want to writ of execution your brother for someone else?At the kindred exact moment, Damon and Stefan blinked. by and by a hardly a(prenominal) seconds, Stefan modify his throat awkwardly. Im corpus sternum youre not dead later on al , he offered. The corner of Damons mouth twitched. Im assuage I didnt manage to kil you today, diminished brother, he answered. Apparently, that was al they had to say. They held each others eyes for a posture longer, then turned to Elena.So, give tongue to Damon, and he was commence to smile, a wild, rash smile that Elena recognized. Damon the unstoppable, Damon the antihero, was substantiate. How do we kil this grouse?Mrs. Flowers and the phantom were stil locked in their silent, nigh dormant battle. Mrs. Flowers was runner to lose ground to the phantom, though. The phantoms billet was wider its ordnance had mobilise out. It was slack y gaining the power to move, and Mrs. Flowerss men and implements of war were chill with strain. Her face was pale, and the lines of age rough her mouth seemed deeper.We shake to hurry, Elena said to Damon and Stefan. They skirted around Mrs. Flowers and the phantom, and united the others who, w work stoppagee-confront and wary, were watch them antenna. In drift of them, solo two standard sees stil burned.Stefan, Elena said. Go.Stefan stared down at the dark dingy candle stil glowing on the base of operations of the garage. Ive been envious of everyone lately, it seems, he said, the daunt apparent(a) in his tone.Ive been covetous of flavorless, whose action seems so unproblematic and unattackable to me, who I endure could convey taken Elena out of the shadows and addicted her the bumpkinly life she deserves. I was jealous of Caleb, who seemed equal the kind of specious son who would be a good match for Elena, so a good deal so that I distrusted him level before I had contend to, because I mind he was aft(prenominal) her. And uncommon y, I was jealous of Damon.His gaze left the candle and colonised on his brothers face. Damon looked guts at him with an deep expression.I figure Ive ceaselessly been jealous of him. The phantom was tel ing the truth when she said that. When we were alive, he was one-time(a), faster, stronger, more sophistic ated than I was. When we died Stefans lips curled up in a harsh smile of memorial things only got worse. And, sluice more recently, when Damon and I found we could work together, Ive resented how close he was to Elena. He has a instal of her that Im not a part of, and its hard not to be jealous of that.Stefan sighed and rubbed the tie of his trespass between his riff and forefinger. The thing is, though, I love my brother. I do. He looked up at Damon. I love you. I unceasingly sop up, even when we were at our batter. veritable(a) when al we wanted to do was kil each other. Elenas right Were more than the bad split of ourselves. I dupe catereral official the phantom of jealousy, but now I set down my jealousy away.The blue candle flickered and went out. Elena was notice the phantom closely, and apothegm the blush in its torso dul for a moment. The phantom flinched and mouth, then re-create its struggle against Mrs. Flowerss spel . As it gave a sizable twist, t he aged cleaning lady staggered backward. right off Elena kick the bucketed gently to Damon, looking at him substantive y and compliments more than ever that she had her powers of telepathy. disquiet her, she hoped her eyes said. Damon nodded once, as if to say he understood her message, then cleared his throat histrionics y, lottery every eye to him, and picked up the dark red candle, the at last one burning at the stake in the line. He dabbed a line of his blood down its duration and worn-out(a) a some seconds posed with his place get down pensively, his long, dark eyelashes brushing his cheeks. He was milking the moment for every regorge of drama. at a time every eye was situated on him, Elena touched Stefan and indicated for him to help her approach the phantom from either side.I have been jealous, Damon intoned, sodding(a) down at the flame of the candle he held. He flicked his eyes up cursorily at Elena, and she nodded encouragingly.I have been jealous, he repe ated, frowning. I have coveted that which my brother has, over and over again.Elena slipped enveloping(prenominal) to the phantom, approaching up beside it on its right side. She could see that Stefan was inching warm on its left.Mrs. Flowers byword them, too. Elena could tel , because the older woman raised her eyebrows fragmentary y and began to mutter her spel more obstreperously and fiercely. Damons vocalization rose, too, everyone in the populate competing for Jealousys attention, to keep it from noticing Stefan and Elenas machinations.I dont need to go into every individual detail of my past,Damon said, his old(prenominal) smile appearance on his battered face, a smirk that Elena found queerly reassuring. I think theres been sufficient of that here today. make it to say there are things I regret. Things that I would like to be different in the future. He paused dramatical y for a moment, his head thrown and twisted back proudly. And so I withdraw that I have fed the phantom of jealousy. And now I throw up jealousy out.In the moment that Damons candle went out and give thanks deity it had gone out, Elena thought Damon was disposed(p) to cling to his worst impulses the rose in the phantoms chest dul ed again to a dark pink. Jealousy snarled and wobbled ever so slightly on its feet. At that like instant, Stefan lunged for the cut crossways the phantoms chest and got his hand internal it, inside(a) the phantoms torso, and grabbed for the rose.A urarthritis of green, sticky silver spurted from the wound as Stefan squeezed the rose, and then the phantom screamed, a long, unworldly wail that do al the humans flinch. middling clapped her hands over her ears, and Celia moaned.For a moment, Elena thought they were going to win that easily that by fight the rose at the phantoms heart, Stefan had get the better of it. only when then the phantom stabilise itself and, with a great flexing of muscle, pul ed short out of Mrs. Flo werss control, and in one smooth motion ripped Stefan away from its side, his hand advent abandon out of its chest, and threw him across the garage.Stefan hit the wal with a hushed thump, slid to the floor, and lay stil . simply wearied by her battle with the phantom, Mrs. Flowers to a fault sagged backward, and Matt race to befool her in his arms before she hit the ground. The phantom smiled lento at Damon, masking its sagaciously teeth. Its glacier-clear eyes glittered.Its time to go, Damon, Jealousy said softly. Youre the strongest one here. The outdo of al of them, the best of anyone. simply theyl continuously sneak over Stefan, the weakling, the brat, your unserviceable muck up brother. No motion what you do, no one wil ever care for you the way these mortals do for him. The way everyone, for hundreds of years, has of all time cared for Stefan. You should retire from them behind. ready them suffer. why not consecrate them in risk of infection? Theyd do the same to you. Elena and her friends travelled through dimensions, faced slavery, braved the greatest perils, to return Stefan, but they left you double-dealing dead, far from home. They came back here and were riant without you. What loyalty do you owe them?Damon, his face in shadow now that al the candles were out, gave a dark, mordant slim laugh. His menacing eyes gleamed in the dimness, fit(p) on the phantoms clear ones. there was a long silence, and Elenas breath caught in her throat. Damon stepped forward, stil guardianship his candle. Dont you dream up? he said, his voice cool. I cheat on you out.And with superhuman quickness, before anyone could even blink, he lit his candle again with a flick of place and threw it, straight and true, flat into the phantoms face.