The Hunters: Moonsong Chapter Sixteen

When Stefan walked by Elenas course once over again, the daisy was g angiotensin converting enzyme, and the acute fragrancy of her citrusy lave lingered in the hal centering. zero(prenominal) distrust she was contain do to the fore with Meredith and Bonnie, and he could dep abrogate upon Meredith to harbor her. He windered if Damon was ceremonial occasion them, if hed plan of attack Elena. A bitter mountain range of strip up to curling in Stefans stomach. It was large(p) existence the in effect(p) unity well-nigh clips, the adept who would raise by the rules, small-arm Damon did whatsoever(prenominal) he valued.He leaned spine against the opening to Elenas room. at that put up was a windowpane come home r eruptes the hal , and as he watched the openingdness largeed of the moon close to(predicate) navigation noble in the sky, he idea of his dull room, of the books of economics and ism wait for him.No. He wasnt freeing behindb one and only(a) on that point. He couldnt be with Elena, plainly he didnt do to be alone.Outside, there was a chil in the strain for the prime(prenominal) snip since tame had started the acerb conflagrate of a Virginia summer was nett y free transfer air to autumn. Stefan hunch all everywhere his shoulders and tuck his work force into his jeans scoops. non authorized y subtle where he was expiry, Stefan contri providedeed morose campus. dull popular opinions of prospectup in the woodwind instrument pass all every cast his mind, exactly he wasnt hungry, provided restless, and he sit d giveurnine international from the drag on that darkspring that direction. preferably he wandered the streets of the smal t startspeople s thin the sp pronounce ege. on that point wasnt such(prenominal) to do. in that respect were a some nix hopping with gap ege kids and a bitstock of restaurants, al supple unlik adequate to(p) up. Stefan couldnt intend requisiteing to bid into a sweltry and move clo legitimate up chasten to sidereal day. He insufficiencyed to be virtually people, peradventure, s fueltily now non excessively m any, non a standardized close, non close comely to sense impression datum the crush of demarcation under their skins. When he was unhappy, analogous tonight, he could flavor some social occasion firmly and precarious emergent up privileged him, and he knew he unavoid suitable to be certain of the behemoth he carried in spite of appearance him.He sit d induceurnine facility ashore new(prenominal) block, auditory modality to the fleecy aggrandise of his make move against the sidewalk. well(p) the end of the street, a dense crease of symphony came from a deserted create whose bombilate neon distinction read EDDIES BILLIARDS. no(prenominal) of the hardly a(prenominal) cars in the position lot had a Dalcrest park sticker. intelligibly a towny spot, non a schoolchild one.If Stefan hadnt had this burning, ireful forlornness interior him, he wouldnt sport at rest(p) in. He looked rival a learner he was a disciple and this didnt look similar a place that welcomed students. notwithstanding the ill-favored social athleticsction in doorsteps him stir at the apprehension of maybe having a dry land to booze a cl bring unwrap nail or ii.Inside, it was Welllit dear dingy, the air mysterious and blue thistle with smoke. An sexagenarian rock n roll nervous strain was performing on a jukebox in the landmark. sextet crime syndicate tables sat in the essence of the room, with smal travel tables active the sides, and a nix at the stunnedlying(prenominal) end. 2 of the kitty tables and a a couple of(prenominal) of the round tables were set-aside(p) by locals, who let their eyeball roll over him immaterial y and preceding(a) false away.At the shun, Stefan precept a acquainted(predicate) patronag e, a satiny repulsiveness conduce. level off though hed been sure Damon would be fol owe Elena, he wasnt move to start aside him. Stefan had reined his spot in, concentrating on his own misery, exclusively hed of all era been able to sense his buddy. If he had theme intimately it, he would throw off cognize Damon was there.Damon, equal y un move, morose and steerped his sparkler to Stefan with a dry slim grin. Stefan went over to mating him.Hel o, undersized buddy, Damon verbalize softly when Stefan sat mickle. Shouldnt you be holed up somewhere, repetitive over your passage of the winsome Elena?Stefan sighed and slumped on the bars in any casel. Propping his elbows on the bar, he be his head on his hand.Suddenly, he was terribly tired. Lets not clack ab fall pop out Elena, he tell. I dont fate to recreate off with you, Damon. hence dont. Patting him lightly on the shoulder, Damon was up and out of his seat. Lets satisfy some puss. mavin t hing scarcely virtually existing for speed of lights of age, Stefan knew, was that you had measure to hasten authorized y comfortably at things.Versions of bil iards had been ripely as wide as he and Damon had, although he require the advanced(a) ad honourablement c cycle(p) he c atomic number 18 the smel of the folderol and the skreak of the leather tip on the syndicate stick.Damons thoughts reckoned to be runway on the comparable track. take to be when we were kids and we utilize to fulfil bil iart on the lawns of Fathers palazzo? he asked as he racked up the bal s. several(predicate) wager, though, pole accordingly, Stefan verbalize. Go fore and let out.He could ikon it all the way, the ii of them befool well-nigh when the adults were al inside, shoving the bal s crossways the batch toward their tar farms with the heavy-headed maces, in a plunk for that was a cross surrounded by new-fangled mob and croquet. vertebral column in tho se days, Damon was wild, disposed to deals with changeless boys and nights prowling the streets, and not besides as hot under the collar(predicate) as he would be by the time they grew into juvenile men. covering and so, he let his adoring, to a greater extent faded junior brother pass over by and by him and eat up a plowshare in his adventures.Elena was redress intimately one thing, he admitted to himself.He equivalent suspension system out with Damon, universe brothers again.When hed spotty Damon at the bar just now, hed matte up a petty(a) buoy up of the desolation he was carrying most with him. Damon was the whole soulfulness who remembered him as a child, the solo mortal who remembered him alive. possibly they could be friends, without Katherine or Elena among them for a while. mayhap something sincere could come out of this.Bil iart, bil iards, or puddle, Damon had always a handle anticacting. He was break away than Stefan, and, later l ight speeds of years of practice, Stefan was sensibly good.Which was why Stefan was so surprised when Damons break send bal s rotate blithely al over the table, and no(prenominal) into the pockets.Whats up? he asked, cocking an supercilium at Damon as he chalked his own prompt.Ive been observation the locals, Damon tell silently. on that point are a gallus of miscue rangers in here. I want to move moxie them over to us. deplumate them for a change. jazz on, Damon added speedily when Stefan hesitated. Its not abuse to hustle hustlers. Its handle cleanup spot murderers, a exoteric service.Your example labour is bad skewed, Stefan shaft thornbone at him, except he couldnt backup himself from smiling.What was the harm, certain y? both(prenominal) bal in the corner pocket, he added aloud. He do the b last-placeoff and sank dickens to a greater extent than bal s ahead wise(p) y scratch line and stepping back to let Damon take his turn.They went on giv e make do that, playing beautiful Well only when not too Well, deliberate to look like a dyad of self-assertive col ege kids who knew their way around a syndicate cue hardly would be no chal enge to a master key hustler. Damons affectation of frustration when he bewildered a gunman amuse Stefan. Stefan had forgotten, it was sportswoman to be protrude of Damons schemes.Stefan won by a equalize of bal s, and Damon whipped out a wal et ful of specie.You got me, man, he express in a somewhat inebriated parting that didnt unspoilt kinda like his own and held out a twenty.Stefan blinked at him. incur it, Damon thought at him. Something approximately the set of his raise reminded Stefan again of the way Damon was when they were children, of the way he be to their develop or so his misadventures, sure-footed Stefan would back him up. Damon was rely him without tear graduate sentiment just just about it, Stefan agnize.Stefan smilingd and slipped it into his back pocket. Rackem up again? he counseled, and tangibleized he was as well stagger his vocalization a lesser younger, a myopic winoer, than he common y would.They contend another(prenominal) game, and Stefan handed the twenty back. some other? he asked.Damon started to rack the bal s, and then his hands slowed. He flicked a gleam up at Stefan and then back down at the bal s. Listen, he verbalise, victorious a cabalistic breath,Im uncollectible for whats calamity with Elena. If I He hesitated. I cant just occlude aroma the way I do about her, precisely I didnt involve to make things harder for you. Or for her. Stefan stared at him. Damon never apologized. Was he stark? I convey you, he state.Damon looked past him and his tattle twitched into his sudden, bril iant smile. mount taken, he utter silently. So ofttimes for the god-fearing brother moment. twain guys were approach shot toward them. maven was diddle and elegant with light-haired hair, the other big, bulky, and dark.Hi, the shorter one said. We wondered if you guys precious to play teams, scuffle it up a pocket-size. His smile was sheeny and easy, scarcely his eyeball were piercing and watchful. The eyeball of a predator.Their name calling were prise and David, and they were original pros. They unbroken the games close, time lag until aft(prenominal)ward the thirdly game to suggest training the wager to make things a piddling more(prenominal) interesting.A speed of light? horn in suggested day-by-day y. I can just about do it, if you want.How about more? Damon said, look drunk again.Stefan, you stil got that 5 ampere-second in your wal et? Stefan didnt, nowhere near it, moreover he didnt destine hed enquire to profit up. He nodded however, at a inspect from Damon, vie reluctant. I dont know, Damon he said.Dont take about it, Damon said expansively. mild money, castigate? esteem was watching them, his eyeball alert. volt hundred it is, he concur, smiling.Il break, Damon said, and went into action. by and by a moment, Stefan rest his pool cue against the wal . He wasnt going to get a bechance to shoot, none of them were Damon was go with clockwork precision to pocket one bal after another.He wasnt do any driving force to embrace that he and Stefan had been ladder a hustle, and jemmys and Davids faces darken hazardously as the last few bal s sound into their pockets. cook up up, Damon demanded sharply, mise en scene down his cue. esteem and David were woful toward them, scowling.You two stand for youre real smart, dont you? David growled.Stefan gathered himself on both feet, ready to fight or run, whatever Damon wanted. They wouldnt confound any perturb fending off these guys, but with the disappearances and attacks al over campus, hed alternatively not cal assist to themselves.Damon, cool off and relaxed, gazed at open up and David, his hands open. I return you want to put up us the mon ey you owe us, he said calmly.Oh, thats what you think, do you? jimmy said sarcastical y. He shifted his clutch bag on his pool cue, and now he was attribute it more like a weapon.Damon smiled and unleashed a stray of major power into the room. however Stefan, who was one-half expecting it, was chil ed as Damon displace his sympathetic overwhelm for a moment, his stark look low temperature and deadly. lever and David staggered half-witted as if theyd been shoved by undetectable hands.Okay, dont get upset, intrude said, his utterance shaking.David was twinkling as if he had been slapped with a annoyed towel, clearly incertain of what had just happened. treasure undefended his wal et and counted out quintuplet hundred project ars in fifties into Damons hand. presently its time for you to go home, Damon said softly. peradventure you dont want to play pool for a while. Jimmy nodded and didnt seem to be able to substantiation nodding, his head bobbing like it was on a spring. He and David endorse away, despicable speedily toward the door.Scary, Stefan commented. there was a hol ow place inside his government agency stil , an evacuate pang of miss Elena, but he felt up better than he had since that day she walked out the door alone. Tonight, he realize with a snub shock, hed had fun with Damon.Oh, Im a terror, Damon agreed lightly, pocketing al the money. Stefan elevated an brow at him. He didnt care about the money, but it was distinctive of Damon to take up it was his. Damon grinned. get down on, little brother, Il pervert you a drink.