“Am I dead?” she asked, her hand reaching out toward mine. I closed my fingers over hers. I tried to remember back to my own death. I’d felt hazy and confused as well, coupled with the grief and guilt of losing Katherine. Then, when I’d made the full transition, I’d felt fast, sharp. Inhuman.
“Yes,” I said. “You’re dead.”
Violet flopped back down and closed her eyes.
“It hurts so much,” she whimpered as she slumped against the side of the boat in exhaustion. Her body couldn’t take the transition.
I felt anger slice through my stomach. Damon needed to pay for this.
I took a piece of muslin, most likely used to repair sails, from the side of the boat and pulled it over her body like a blanket. She was sleeping now, and I knew she didn’t have the strength to run off. She sighed and burrowed into the cloth while I jumped off the skiff and tore back into the party.
As soon as I walked back into the smoky warehouse, I could hear my brother’s voice above the din, laughing and making fun of the ridiculous expedition Lord Ainsley had planned in India. Not caring who saw me, I used my vampire speed to reach him. He was laughing with Samuel and Henry. Cora clung to his every word.
“You ought to go to India, too, Damon. You’re always complaining you’ve had enough of London society,” Henry said, raising his champagne toward Damon. “Maybe an adventure would do you good.”
“Yes, you could try your luck at snake charming,” Samuel suggested. “You already have proven your talent for charming women.”
At this, Damon laughed appreciatively. Fury rose up inside me. How dare he laugh and joke only minutes after he’d attacked Violet and set her on the path we’d both regretted taking.
“You,” I growled, dragging my brother out by the arm and toward the alley that led down to the docks, empty except for a far-off vagrant sleeping with a bottle of whiskey clutched against his chest.
“Ah, a moonlit conversation by the waterfront. How picturesque. What’s the special occasion?” Damon asked, arching a dark eyebrow.
I recoiled. I hated everything about him. I hated his affected Virginia drawl that he put on in my presence as if to make fun of our polite upbringing, the way he twisted words even if he was the only one who’d get the joke, and the way he made a mockery out of everything, including human life.
“You are dead to me,” I growled, grabbing him with all my might and throwing him toward the opposite wall, satisfied to hear his skull cracking against the concrete. He slumped, ragdoll-like, before standing up, his eyes flashing in the darkness. He took a quick step toward me, then stopped and laughed softly.
“Someone’s found his strength again,” Damon said, still rubbing his temple. The wound had closed almost instantaneously, leaving nothing but smooth, pale flesh. “Why so upset? Didn’t find the murderer you were looking for?” Damon mocked in a low voice.
“No more games. You’re the killer!” I spat, rage boiling in my veins. I wanted to hurt him. But the trouble was, nothing would.
“I am, am I?” Damon asked nonchalantly. “Tell me, how did you reach that conclusion, Detective Salvatore?”
So this was how he’d decided to torment me now. No more blows or fights or battles, just psychological torture. Well, he’d succeeded.
“You framed me for the attack the other day. And you killed Violet,” I said, my voice clear as a crack of thunder.
A million expressions—hate, anger, annoyance—flashed across Damon’s face before he lunged toward me, pinning me against the cold concrete wall, his face only inches from mine. I squirmed to get away, but he only held me harder.
“I’ve tried to be patient with you, brother,” Damon said, hate dripping from his voice. “I thought that maybe a few decades had done us both good. But you’re the same as you’ve always been. Always the one to come into a situation and think he knows how to fix it. Always the foolish knight in shining armor. Always the one who takes responsibility for the whole world on his shoulders. But . . .” Damon’s voice dropped to a whisper, so only I could hear. “You are not innocent. You started all of this. And death doesn’t begin and end with me. Get used to it, brother. People die, and you can’t change it.” He let go of my neck, but not before spitting in my face. “Be warned, next time I show up in your life, it won’t be all parties and picnics. You can trust me on that.” Damon turned on his heel and headed back to the party.
I watched him, fists clenched, still fully aware of the indents on my neck where Damon had pinned me. He was much stronger than I was, and I knew he didn’t want me to forget it. My mind lingered on Damon’s glee that Violet was dead. Of course, he would never change. He would forever enjoy seeing me in pain. He thought I had wronged him and would continue to destroy anyone I cared about. He would keep killing, and for what? To settle a score against me that could never, ever be settled. Because while I may have turned him into a vampire, he was the one who turned himself into a monster.
But now Violet was transitioning and the only thing I could do to make up for my mistakes was to try to help her through it. I hurried as fast as I could back to the skiff, where I saw slight movement from underneath the muslin cloth.
“Violet!” I said, sinking to my knees next to her.
Her eyes fluttered open, the pupils enormous and cloudy. I pulled her tightly against my body, wishing there was something I could do for her. But the only thing I could do was give her the opportunity to leave this world as she came into it—as a human, without blood on her hands.
“Stefan,” she croaked, struggling to sit up.
“We need to go,” I said, dragging her to her feet. Damon would be looking for her now to ensure her transformation was complete. I knew I should double back in and find Cora, but I couldn’t risk it. I had to hope the vervain was helping Cora when I could not.
I couldn’t give Violet much, but I could at least give her a choice—and let her know exactly what would happen with either path she chose. It was an impossible, monstrous choice, but it was hers, and might be the last one she’d ever make. She deserved to do it in peace. I needed to bring Violet somewhere she could be safe.
“Come on,” I said, helping her up and holding her close. I began to run, clumsily at first, until I gathered the speed I was accustomed to when I was fully in tune with my Power. Once or twice, I thought I caught a glimpse of a curtain rus
tling, or a shadow too tall to be my own. I even thought I heard a racing footstep behind me. It only galvanized me to go faster, barely stopping before we reached the street in front of our hotel. I paused. Damon knew where we were staying. It wasn’t safe there. I looked down at Violet, who was still disoriented and growing weak.