“You don’t have much time,” Damon said, grabbing a fallen tree branch and cracking it over his knee. He handed it to Cora. “Go in and kill the vampire. And then we’ll kill Samuel.”
I shot him a look. Leave it to Damon to be as delicate about our situation as possible.
“Cora.” I turned to her. “You’ll be great. You’re strong. But if there’s any hint of danger, promise me you’ll run right back here. We can figure out another way.”
Cora nodded resolutely and hoisted herself through the broken window.
“And now, the games really begin.” Damon slid into a seated position next to me. He rifled through his pocket until he found a small pouch of chewing tobacco. “Want some?” he asked, like we were just two men whiling away the hours.
I shook my head silently, all attention and Power focused on Cora inside the house.
“Suit yourself,” he said, putting a large wad in his mouth. “Aren’t you proud of me, brother? Going along with this whole ‘saving the prime minister’ plan? Even if it might be among your most ridiculous.”
“I don’t really care what you think,” I murmured reflexively.
“Stefan.” Damon shook his head. “Always wanting to get the last word in.” He chuckled.
“Right,” I said shortly. “Let’s just focus on Cora and the task at hand. Shouldn’t we protect people while we still can?”
Damon shrugged. “We’re vampires, Stefan, not gods. We’re merely death’s messengers.”
That was the difference between me and my brother. I believed we did have a choice. We may have been meant to die that night in Mystic Falls. But certainly, all of our victims over the past few decades weren’t fated to be food and Power for monsters.
I cocked my head, trying to listen for any sound within the house. But there was nothing beyond hushed murmurs, beating heartbeats, and clinking dishes—the sounds of a house that had no idea what was going on within its very walls.
I rose to my knees and peeked through the window into what appeared to be a small library. Shelves of books lined the room, two leather club chairs were set up so they faced each other, and a looking glass in the far corner of the room reflected my expression: I was pale with red veins visible under my skin.
Suddenly I heard a shriek, then racing footsteps. Soon, Cora came into view. She dove out of the window, getting a cut on her upper arm in the process, and fell on top of me.
“Did you do it?” Damon asked roughly.
Cora nodded. “We need to go. Get me out of here!”
Damon picked her up, slung her over his shoulder, and ran away from the house at vampire speed. I tried to follow, but was pulled back by one of the guards who’d rushed around to the back of the house. He put two fingers in his mouth and whistled, causing five more guards to race over, pointing rifles at me.
And then, one of them turned and saw the prone body of the guard Damon had knocked unconscious. He was lying perfectly still, and from a distance, he looked like a murder victim.
“Harry is dead!” the guard screamed. “We’re under attack!” A shot rang out.
I turned to face the circle of guards and bared my fangs, anything to buy Damon and Cora a few more minutes to escape. A ripple of panic spread through the group.
“Fire!” One of the guards shot his gun, and I bolted. A bullet grazed my shoulder as I ran at vampire speed into the darkness. Behind me, I could hear a shout: “Stop that man!”
But they were too late.
14
I fled down the streets, listening for the sound of Cora’s heart. I could hear it, fast and jerky, and followed it until I found the source. Damon and Cora were sitting underneath the awning of a bakery, which provided little protection from the now pelting rain. Cora was lying in Damon’s lap, sobbing.
“What happened?” I demanded. “Is she all right?”
“Cora is. But the compelled vampire wasn’t so lucky. Cora did a great job.”
I gingerly rubbed Cora’s back. She was crying into Damon’s shirt and seemed oblivious to my presence. “Cora, it’s all right,” I said. “You did exactly what we wanted.”
Cora turned and stared at me, tears running down her cheeks. Her expression looked as broken and terrified as it had after she killed Violet.
“Cora, you did everything you were supposed to. You’re safe. Now, what happened?” I asked, using my shirtsleeve to wipe the tears rolling down her cheeks.