The Hunters: Moonsong Chapter Thirty-One

Why do they al manners want to be on superlative of buildings? bonnie feeling irritably. Inside. Inside is comely. No unmatched falls to their death if theyre inside a building. But here we are. gaze from the top of the acquisition building while on a troth with Zander was romantic. beautiful would be al for another little nighttime picnic, entirely the ii of them. But callering on a different roof with a bunch of Zanders friends was not romantic, not level off slightly.She took a sip of her crapulence and moved out of the way without even looking as she hear the smack of bodies hitting the ground and the grunts of guys wrestling. after(prenominal) two geezerhood of accompaniment with Zander, she was beginning to initiate the names of his friends straight Tristan and Marcus were the whizzs rol ing approximately on the storey with Zander. Jonah, Camden, and Spencer were doing something they cal ed parkour, which mostly seemed to involve running on the nose nigh exchangeable idiots and more or less fal ing off the roof. Enrique, Jared, Daniel, and Chad were al playing an elaborate drinking game in the turning point. There were a a couple of(prenominal) more guys who hung around sometimes, entirely this was the effect group.She liked them, she real y did. Most of the time. They were boisterous, sure, but they were always genuinely nice to her getting her drinks, immediately handing her their jackets if she was cold, tel ing her that they had no idea what she saw in a loser like Zander, which was clearly their guy way of declaring how more than they get byd him and that they were happy he had a girlfriend.She looked over at Zander, who was express feelings as he held Tristan in a headlock and rubbed his knuckles over the top of Tristans head. Do you give in? he tell, and grunted in surprise as Marcus, whooping joyful y, tackled them both.It would have been easier if there were other girls around that she could get to recognize. If Marcus (who was real cute in a giant shaggy-haired Sasquatch cast of way) or Spencer (who had the harming of preppy rich-son elegance that some girls found extremely attractive) had a regular girlfriend, Bonnie would have someone to exchange wry glances with as the guys acted like doofuses.But, even though a girl would occasional y appear clinging to the fortify of one of the guys, Bonnie would never see her again after that night. excerpt for Bonnie, Zander seemed to travel in an almost exclusively masculine world.And, after two days of fol owing the macho parade around town, Bonnie was scratch to get sick of it. She missed having girls to talk to. She missed Elena and Meredith, specifical y, even though she was stil mad at them.Hey, she give tongue to, making her way over to Zander. Want to get out of here for a while?Zander intertwineped his arm around her shoulders. Um.Why? he asked, leaning slew to pamper her neck.Bonnie rol ed her eyes. Its kind of loud, dont you ring?We could go for a nice quiet bye or something. Zander looked surprised but nodded. Sure, whatever you want.They make their way crush the fire escape, fol owed by a fewer shouts from Zanders friends, who seemed to think he was going on a food run and would shortly return with glowing wings and tacos.Once they were a block away from the rooftop party, the noise half-hearted and it was peaceful, except for the distant great(p) of an occasional car on the roadstead nearby. Bonnie knew she ought to feel creeped out, walking around at night on campus, but she didnt. Not with Zanders hand in hers.This is nice, isnt it? Bonnie verbalise happily, gazing up at the half moon overhead.Yeah, Zander said, swinging her hand between them.You jazz, I used to go on long walks runs, real y with my daddy at night. Way out in the country, in the moonlight. I love being outside at night.Aw, thats sweet, Bonnie said. Do you guys stil do that when youre domicil?No. Zander hesitated and hun ched his shoulders, his hair hanging in his baptistry. Bonnie couldnt find out his expression. My dad he died. A while ago.Im so sorry, Bonnie said sincerely, squeezing his hand.Im okay, Zander said, stil staring at his shoes. But, y sack out, I dont have any brothers or sisters, and the guys have sort of become like a family to me. I know they bunghole be a pain sometimes, but theyre real y good guys. And theyre important to me. He glanced at Bonnie out of the corner of his eyes.He looked so apprehensive, Bonnie mat a sharp wo(e) of affection for him. It was sweet that Zander and his friends were so close that must have been the family lunge he had to deal with the other night. He was loyal, that much she knew. Zander, she said. I know theyre important to you. I dont want to take you away from your friends, you goof. She reached up to wrap her arms around his neck and kissed him gently on the mouth. Maybe serious for an hour or two sometimes, but not for long, I promise. Zander returned the kiss with enthusiasm, and Bonnie tingled al the way deal to her toes.Clinging to each other, they made their way to a bench by the side of the path and sat down to kiss some more.Zander exclusively felt so good chthonic her hands, al sleek muscles and smooth skin, and Bonnie ran her hands crosswise his shoulders, on his arms, down his sides.At her touch, Zander suddenly winced.Whats the matter? she said, lifting her head away from his.Nothing, said Zander, reaching for her. I was just messing around with the guys, you know. They play rough.Let me see, Bonnie said, grabbing at the hem of his shirt, half concerned and half wanting to just check out Zanders abs. He had turned out to be amazingly modest, considering they were sharing a room.Wincing again, he sucked his steer in through his teeth as Bonnie lifted his shirt. She gasped. Zanders whole side was covered with queasy black-and-purple bruises.Zander, Bonnie said horrified, these look real y bad.You don t get bruises like that just messing around. They look like you were fighting for your life or someone else was, she thought, and pushed away the actors line.Theyre nothing. Dont worry, Zander said, tugging his shirt back down. He started to wrap his arms around her again, but Bonnie moved away, feeling vaguely sickened.I deprivation youd tel me what happened, she said.I did, Zander said comfortingly. You know how crazy those guys get.It was true, shed never known guys so rowdy. Zander reached for her again, and this time Bonnie moved closer to him, turning her face up for his kiss. As their lips met, she remembered Zanders saying to her, You know me. You see me.She did know him, Bonnie told herself. She could impudence Zander.Across the street, Damon stood in the shadow of a tree, watching Bonnie kiss Zander.He had to admit he felt a little pang, see her in the arms of someone else. There was something so sweet about Bonnie, and she was brave and intel igent under that cotton- candy exterior. The witchy angle added a little touch of zest to her, too. Hed always thought of her as his.Then again, didnt the little redbird deserve someone of her own? As much as Damon liked her, he didnt love her, he knew that. Seeing the lanky boys face light up in response to her smile, he thought maybe this one would.After making out for a few more minutes, Bonnie and Zander stood up and wandered, hand in hand, toward what Damon knew was Zanders dorm. Damon trailed them, keeping to the shadows.He huffed out a breath of self-mocking laughter. Im getting soft in my old age, he thought. Back in the old days he would have eaten Bonnie without a back up thought, and here he was worrying about her love life.Stil , it would be nice if the little redhead could be happy.If her boyfriend wasnt a threat.Damon ful y pass judgment the happy couple to disappear into the dorm together. Instead, Zander kissed Bonnie good-bye and watched as she went inside, therefore headed back out. Da mon fol owed him, keeping hidden, as he went back to the party where theyd been before. A few minutes later, Zander came down again, trailed by his pack of creaky boys.Damon twitched in irritation. God save me from college boys, he thought. They were probably going to pig out themselves on greasy bar food. After a couple of days of watching Zander, he was ready to go back to Elena and report that the boy was guilty of nothing more than being uncouth.Instead of heading toward the nearby bar, though, the boys jogged across campus, quick and determined, as if they had an important destination in mind. stretch the edge of campus, they headed into the woods.Damon gave them a few seconds and then fol owed.He was good at this, he was a predator, a natural hunter, and so it took him a few minutes of listening, of sending his Power out, of final y just locomote through the woods, black branches snapping before him, to realize that Zander and his boys were gone.Final y, Damon stopped and leaned against a tree to catch his breath. The woods were silent except for the innocent sound of various woodland creatures going about their business and his own beset panting. That pack of noisy, obnoxious children had escaped him, disappearing without the slightest trace. He gritted his teeth and tamped down his anger at being evaded, until it was mostly curiosity about how theyd do it.Poor Bonnie, Damon thought as he fastidiously smoothed and modify his clothing. One thing was abundantly clear Zander and his friends werent entirely human.Stefan twitched. This was al just kind of strange.He was seance in a velvet-backed chair in a huge underground room, as col ege students roamed around placement flowers and candles. The room was impressive, Stefan would give them that cavernous yet elegant. But the little arrangements of flowers seemed tacky and false someway, like a stage set in the Vatican. And the black-masked figures lurking in the back of the room, watching, were g iving him the jitters.Matt had cal ed him to tel him about some kind of col ege whodunit society that hed joined, and that the leader wanted Stefan to join, too. Stefan agreed to forgather him and talk about it. He never was much of a joiner, but he liked Matt, and it was something to do.It would take his mind off Elena, hed thought. Lurking around campus and it felt like lurking, when he saw Elena, with the way his eyes were irresistibly raddled to her even as he hurried out of sight hed watched her. sometimes she was with Damon. Stefans fingernails bit into his palms.Consciously relaxing, he turned his attention back to Ethan, who was sitting across a smal table from him.The members of the Vitale Society hold a very special place in the world, he was saying, leaning forward, smiling.Only the surpass of the best can hope to be tapped, and the qualities we look for I think are very Wellexemplified in you, Stefan.Stefan nodded politely and let his mind roll up again.Secret soc ieties were something he actual y knew a little about. Sir Walter Raleighs schooltime of Night in Elizabethan England wrestled with what was then forbidden knowledge science and philosophy the church declared out of bounds.Il Carbonari back fireside in Italy worked to encourage revolt against the government of the various city-states, aiming for a merger of al of Italy. Damon, Stefan knew, toyed with the members of the Hel fire Club in London for a few months in the 1700s, until he got bored with their posturing and childish blasphemy.Al those secret societies, though, had some kind of purpose. Rebel ing against conventional morality, pursuing truth, revolution.Stefan leaned forward. Pardon me, he said politely,but what is the point of the Vitale Society? Ethan paused midspeech to stare at him, then wet his lips. Well, he said slowly, the real secrets and rituals of the Society cant be uncover to outsiders. None of the pledges know our true practices and purposes, not yet. But I can tel you that there are innumerable benefits to being one of us. Travel, adventure, power.None of the pledges know your real purpose? Stefan asked. His natural inclination to stay away was neat more resolute. Why dont you wear a mask like the others?Ethan looked surprised. Im the face of the Vitale for the pledges, he said simply. Theyl need someone they know to guide them.Stefan made up his mind. He didnt want to be guided.I apologize, Ethan, he said formal y, but I dont think I would be an separate candidate for your organization. I appreciate the invitation. He started to rise.Wait, said Ethan. His eyes were wide-cut and golden and had a hungry, eager expression in them. Wait, he said, trouncing his lips again. We we have a copy of Pico del a Mirandolas De hominis dignitate. He stumbled over the words as if he didnt quite know what they were. An old one, from Florence, a branch edition. Youd get to read it. You could have it if you wanted.Stefan stiffened. He had studie d Mirandolas work on reason and philosophy with enthusiasm back when he was stil alive, when he was a young man preparing for the university. He had a sudden visceral hungriness to feel the old leather and parchment, see the blocky type from the start-off days of the printing press, so much more right somehow than the modern computer-set books. There was no way Ethan should have known to aver him that specific book.His eyes narrowed.What makes you think Id want that? he hissed, leaning across the table toward Ethan. He could feel Power surging through him, render by his rage, but Ethan wouldnt meet his eyes.I you told me you like old books, Stefan, he said, and gave a little false laugh, gazing down at the tabletop. I thought you would be interested.No, thank you, Stefan said, low and angry. He couldnt force Ethan to look him in the eye, not with al these people around, so after a moment, he stood. I refuse your offer, he told Ethan shortly. Good-bye.He walked to the limen wit hout looking back, safekeeping himself straight and tal . He glanced at Matt, who was talking to another student, as he reached the door and, when Matt met his eyes, gave him a shrug and a shake of the head, assay to telegraph an apology. Matt nodded, disappointed but not arguing.No one tried to stop Stefan as he left the room. But he had a nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach. There was something injure here. He didnt know enough to dissuade Matt from joining, but he decided to keep tabs on the Vitale Society. As he shut the door behind him, he could sense Ethan watching him.