The Compelled (The Vampire Diaries 19)

The girl laughed, one short bark.

“Well, it wasn’t because he liked me, I can tell you that much. No. When a vampire sets after you, you don’t ask why.”

I rocked back on my heels in surprise. “You knew he was a vampire?”

“Yes. And so are you,” she said. “But you saved me. Why?”

“Why wouldn’t I? Do you know who that man was?”

The girl shrugged. “I knew he wanted to kill me, so we never got around to making formal introductions. I was just minding my own business and then…” She shuddered.

“You’re safe now. I don’t drink human blood. I only want to protect you.”

The girl’s eyes blazed into mine, her pupils widening and contracting. And then, after a long moment, she nodded.

“Thank you for being honest,” she said. “I’m Mary Jane. And I suppose you can tell that I’m more than I seem. You saw one of my tricks. I only wish it had worked better,” she said ruefully. She clearly knew how to control her power. But was she a witch? Or some other creature of darkness I’d never encountered? I leaned in, hoping to hear more about her trick. How had she pushed Samuel back?

Instead, she took a deep breath and said, “So, who are you, vampire?”

But before I could respond, she fainted, hitting the dock with a muffled thud.

3

Not knowing what else to do, I grabbed the unconscious girl and made my way back to the tunnel, staying in the shadows to avoid any suspicious glances. As expected, everyone on the pier was too involved in their own miseries to notice me, or the girl breathing shallowly in my arms.

When I finally managed to snake my way down to our makeshift camp, I was relieved to see Cora lying peacefully next to a small fire.

“Cora,” I said.

She started awake, her eyes widening as she took in the figure in my arms.

“Is that Damon? Is he dead?” Her voice was tinged with hysteria.

“No! No, it’s not Damon,” I said hurriedly, trying to assuage her fears. “It’s a girl Samuel attacked. I got there before he could kill her.” I slowly placed the girl on the ground. Instinctively, she curled her small body toward the fire.

“He was trying to kill her?” Cora asked, wrinkling her nose. “But I don’t understand. He’s already framed Damon. And he has all the blood he could want.”

“I know,” I said. Briefly, I tried to explain what I’d seen. The odd words Mary Jane had been muttering to keep Samuel away. The way Samuel seemed intent on killing her with a knife, rather than his fangs. The fact she’d known we were both vampires. The fact that she’d known I hadn’t been lying when I’d said I wouldn’t hurt her.

The fire had burned down to its last embers, casting a flickering orange glow on Cora’s face.

“I think you were right. We need to talk to Ephraim,” she said in resignation.

I nodded in agreement, not able to tear my eyes off the sleeping girl. Was she a witch? An image of Margaret Sutherland swam into my mind. Margaret, sister of Bridget, the girl I’d married in New York, was a witch. She had always known when someone was lying. In fact, that trait had once saved Damon and me: When Margaret came home to find her family brutally slaughtered, she’d been the only person who believed we hadn’t killed them. For my sake, I hoped this girl had the same skill.

“What can I do to help?” Cora asked, gently tucking a frayed flannel blanket around Mary Jane’s thin shoulders.

“I don’t think anything right now,” I said. “We’ll see Ephraim at midnight tomorrow. There’s nothing we can do in the meantime.”

Cora nodded and settled back into her pile of blankets, turning to face the wall. I’m not sure how long I sat, silently keeping watch. Like Samuel would just burst in, I thought. If he wanted to, he could. But he wouldn’t. Here, in the dank tunnel, I felt safe. It was only out there—where Damon was right now—that was the problem.

I contemplated building up the fire, but didn’t. Eventually, the sound of the girls’ even inhalations and exhalations lulled me into a daze.

But I was startled out of my stupor when I heard the rustlings of Mary Jane coming to.

“Where am I?” she asked, in a panicked voice. The quaver in her voice hurt my heart.

“You’re safe,” I said, trying to calm her. “You fainted. I brought you here to protect you from Samuel. I saved you, remember?”