The Asylum (The Vampire Diaries 18)

“He knew,” Cora said simply.

“Yes. And so did everyone else. But what’s important was her reaction. She was in agony. Vervain is like poison— it renders us helpless. So if we could only dose some of the girls with vervain, and wait for Samuel to drink, then…”

“You and Damon will be able to attack,” Cora said quietly, twisting the necklace back and forth in her fingers

. In the distance, I could hear Sister Benedict’s voice.

“No talking!” she was saying. “Contemplate what you learned in church.”

“You need to go. Damon and I will find more vervain and come up with a way for you to distribute it. Same time tomorrow?” I asked.

Cora nodded, clutching at the charm.

“Good. Stay safe. And know that I’m thinking about you,” I said, brushing my lips gently against her cheek. Her skin felt ice cold.

“Good-bye!” Cora said, rushing toward the street so she could slip back in line. She had a high flush in her cheeks, and I knew our plan had galvanized her. And it would work. It had to. After all, if it had worked against Katherine, then it would certainly work on such a bloodthirsty duo as Henry and Samuel.

I stood up and stretched. The rain showed no signs of relenting, but the gloomy weather no longer matched my mood. Instead, I felt alive and ready to take on anyone. And that included vampires.

10

I practically flew back to the tunnel, knocking into pedestrians and coachmen along the way. At one point I stopped, catching sight of a broadsheet posted outside a bank.

CRIMINAL MOST FOUL! proclaimed the headline above the now-familiar etching of Damon’s face. Soon, these posters would come down and Damon would be able to roam the streets of London as a free man. But for now, I was worried about him leaving the tunnel even for a moment.

“Bloody awful, don’t you think?” I turned to find a man standing next to me, staring at the broadsheet.

“I suppose so,” I said stiffly.

“Won’t be for long. We’ve got all of London looking for him. Thinks he’s a fancy man about town, but then gets his jollies from ripping apart them girls. Terrible.”

“I suppose no one is ever really what they seem,” I said uncomfortably. “If you’ll excuse me.” I backed away, picking up my pace until I lost sight of him.

I reached the tunnel and climbed down the ladder into the darkness. “Damon!” I called, not bothering to be cautious.

“Good day, brother,” Damon said, nodding at me from his perch on the ledge. He was playing a game of solitaire, slapping each card down violently. I knew he was angry about being stuck belowground. But that wasn’t my problem. I was sick of tiptoeing around Damon’s moods.

“I saw Cora,” I said.

“Oh? And how is she?” he asked politely, as though he were inquiring about a long-lost cousin.

“They’re using them for blood. Samuel and Henry are feeding on the girls,” I said. I swung myself onto the ledge so I was sitting next to my brother.

“Really?” Damon’s eyes widened. “That’s their blood supply. That’s brilliant,” he said.

“It’s awful!” I retorted.

“Right. Of course it is. But just think. No hunting, and so many girls available that they don’t feed enough to kill them. I hate to say it, but Samuel knows what he’s doing,” Damon said grudgingly. “If they weren’t trying to kill me, I would probably join them.”

I grimaced. I knew Damon wasn’t saying it to shock me—he actually would have.

“I think I have a plan to catch them,” I said quietly, almost afraid to voice the idea. I knew it could work. But I didn’t want to see Damon’s sneer or listen to him list all the reasons the plan wouldn’t work, all the ways it could go wrong.

“Really? Does it involve you sacrificing yourself? Now that’s a plan I could get behind,” Damon quipped.

“Vervain,” I said simply. “Cora can sneak some in, and she’ll dose the girls at breakfast. Then, when Samuel feeds, he’ll be poisoned, and we’ll be able to attack.”

“Vervain,” Damon repeated thoughtfully. “That’s not bad, brother.”