The Asylum (The Vampire Diaries 18)

At this, Violet turned to her sister possessively. “Look at you, Cora,” she said. “Why, you’re a mess. You need me to take care of you.”

“No, Violet, come with us. Please, this isn’t you,” Cora implored.

“Oh, Cora,” Violet said, grasping her sister’s hands in hers. “Don’t you see? I have everything I’ve ever wanted. Join me. It could be just like we talked about, me and you, taking on the world!”

“Don’t listen to her!” I interjected.

Violet turned and glared at me. “You’re the one who’s been lying. She needs a real vampire to protect her. And to think I believed you were so brave and so strong. You’re nothing like Samuel. You’re nothing at all,” she hissed.

Her words sliced through my stomach. There was nothing left of the girl I’d kissed on the hill in Ivinghoe.

“Violet, please. You’re hurting me,” Cora said, twisting her hands in Violet’s grip. “Stefan—”

“Shh,” Violet said tenderly, brushing her lips across Cora’s forehead. “I’m here now. He doesn’t matter. He’s nothing to you.”

“You don’t know what you’re doing, Violet,” I said, lunging toward her. But Violet stepped daintily out of reach, still holding Cora tight.

“And you do?” Violet laughed sharply. “Good-bye, Stefan. I’ll send Samuel out to deal with you.” She dragged Cora across the lawn as Cora tried desperately to claw her way out of her sister’s grasp.

“Let go, Violet!” Cora yelled futilely. “Stop!”

I barreled toward them and knocked Violet away from Cora. But Violet quickly retaliated with a kick that sent me flying into the wall of Lansdowne House. In the split second it took me to regain my feet, Violet snatched Cora, threw her over her shoulder, and sped over the threshold into house.

The door clicked closed. I rushed against it, but it wouldn’t budge. All I could hear was the faint sound of Violet’s laughter from within.

Down at my feet, I noticed a glint of silver. Cora’s vervain necklace. She was defenseless against her bloodthirsty sister, and Samuel’s compulsion.

She was doomed.

17

I circled around, hoping to find some entry into the house. I knew it was no use—I hadn’t been invited in—but I couldn’t give up on Cora yet. At one rear window, I caught sight of Violet leading Cora up a curved staircase. I rapped desperately on the glass, not caring that Violet would hear me as well.

Both girls whirled around.

“I’ll be back,” I mouthed to Cora. Her eyes were huge and her face was twisted with fright. I didn’t think Violet would kill her, but beyond that, I had no idea what would happen. Would Violet turn her? Compel her?

I had to rescue Cora as soon as possible.

Without a second thought, I began to run, my feet thudding against the cobblestones, heading toward Whitechapel and James at vampire speed. I didn’t care who saw me. I didn’t care about anything. All I wanted was to move, to hear the blood coursing through my veins, to see the spots of light in front of my eyes that signaled I was close to fainting. To know I was doing everything in my power to save her.

I turned down the twisty alleyway and burst into James’s store, not bothering to knock.

“James!” I called, my voice taking on a hysterical tone. “James!”

He shuffled out from the back of the store, clad in a white nightshirt and holding a candle in front of him. From his expression, I could tell he wasn’t entirely surprised to see me.

“Hello,” he said, using the candle to light a candelabra at the front of the store. “What can I do for you?”

“Cora’s gone. Violet took her,” I said dully. “Damon’s disappeared. Samuel’s getting away with murder every night, and a crazy witch is now running around with a vial of my blood. I don’t have any money, my name is worthless, and for all I know the relocation spell was cast for Violet’s benefit.”

James looked up at me, grimacing. “You’re ranting like a madman,” he said.

“I’m sorry. But I’m in a hurry. I need to get Cora back before anything horrible happens to her. Do you understand?” I asked firmly. I didn’t trust James. I didn’t trust anyone. My gaze landed on the beating hearts in a jar on a shelf. What did those do? I had a wild desire to buy everything in the store. The answer had to be somewhere. And I was feeling more and more that the hawthorn in my pocket was useless, just a ruse to get my blood.

“Sit down.” James gestured at a threadbare red chair across from me. Realizing how tired I was, I sank down, massaging my temples. Mice were scurrying in the far corners of the store, and

it was impossible to tell whether they were there because it was filthy or because they were an essential part of the inventory.