"Hey," she answered, once she was alone back in the mosaic-floored living room where she had first met her team. "How's it going? I miss you."
"Sure you do." Zander's voice sounded rougher than usual, tired, but she could hear the smile in it. "That's because I'm awesome."
"Modest, too," Bonnie told him. She wandered over to a window and looked out at the streets far below. "How are things there?" Zander didn't say anything for a moment, and Bonnie tensed. "What's going on?"
"I'm thinking," Zander said. "How's witch camp?"
"Witch camp is fantastic. Soon I will be the queen of all witches. Seriously, I'm getting really strong." She wanted to go into more detail, tell Zander all the amazing things she was learning to do, but she didn't like the way he had paused when she asked him what was going on back home. His voice wasn't quite right-he sounded worried. She used her firmest tone. "What do you mean you're thinking? Give me a straight answer. Is everything okay?"
Zander sighed. "The Old One-Solomon-is getting closer. He's sent compelled humans after us. And he killed Elena's cat. Last night, we thought we had him, but we just stumbled into a trap." He paused. "He drew lighting and fire down around us."
Bonnie stiffened, feeling the blood drain out of her cheeks. Fire was one thing that the Pack couldn't fight. "I'm coming home," she said.
"No."
"You need me." She was already crossing the living room, heading for the stairs that would lead to her bedroom. She could pack and be at the airport in an hour, catch the next flight to Richmond or Washington, D.C. ... "You'll pick me up at the airport, right?"
"Bonnie, stop," Zander insisted. "Listen to me."
"I have to be there!"
"We can handle it!" Zander said loudly, and Bonnie stopped in her tracks.
"If you're in danger-"
"We've got the Pack," Zander interrupted. "We've got hunters; we've got Stefan. We've got Elena, and she's bringing her other Guardian friend out. Solomon's tough, but there's a whole superhero alliance here."
Bonnie felt like her heart was being squeezed. "You don't need me?" she said in a tiny voice.
"Of course we need you," Zander said, his voice warm and reassuring. "I need you. Even when you're not here, you're helping protect us. We're all using the charms and everything you left. But right now, you need to stay there, keep working on your own stuff. You'll be stronger than ever when you come back, and then you'll fix whatever we haven't taken care of yet. Trust me and the Pack and the others for now, okay?"
Wavering, Bonnie closed her eyes for a moment. Her friends were in danger.
But it was true that she needed to be stronger if she was really going to be useful. The agate falcon rested cool against her collarbone-it never seemed to get warm-and she tried to take comfort in its calming properties.
"Trust us," Zander said again. "We want you back, but not till you're ready. Believe me, I miss you like crazy, but it'll all be okay. We'll hold down the fort."
"Okay." Bonnie bit her lip. "I'm going to learn everything that might help us, and then I'm on the first plane back."
I hope I'm doing the right thing, she thought.
Chapter 15
Stefan stared at the row of small white bottles on the drugstore shelf and looked at Elena's list again. Moisturizer, he read. It seemed like that ought to be simple, but there were fifteen different brands lined up in front of him, divided into different categories: revitalizing, he read, and tone correcting, and age defying.
Age defying? Stefan shook his head. Elena was going to look eighteen forever; surely that wasn't the one she wanted.
His phone buzzed, and he pulled it out of his pocket, hoping it wasn't Elena with more additions to the shopping list.
Damon, said the display.
A bubble of relief rose up in Stefan's chest. He'd been positive that Damon was fine and would get back in touch when he was ready, and he'd been right. But it was nice to have it confirmed.
"Elena's been worried about you," Stefan said in greeting when he answered the phone.
"I guess the Guardians' bond is still good, then. Nice to know they do quality work," Damon answered. His voice sounded tired, rougher than Stefan was used to hearing it, and very far away.
"Damon?" Stefan asked, gripping the phone. "Are you okay? Where are you?"
There was a shifting, as if Damon was looking around. "Let's see," he said. "Casinos. Sunshine. Yachts. Monaco. Not for long, though, I'm afraid."
"What's going on?" Stefan asked, grabbing a bottle of moisturizer at random and tossing it into his basket. There was a long silence on the other end of the line, and he shifted the phone to his other ear. "Are you there?"
Damon sighed. "There's something after Katherine and me," he said, sounding a little embarrassed. "Wherever we go, packs of vampires come after us. I wanted to know if you had any idea who they are or what's going on. They're strong, and there are a lot of them. It's nothing we can't handle," Damon added quickly. "But it's getting tiresome."
"That sounds strange," Stefan began, worried, and then something Damon had said finally clicked. "Wait-you're traveling with Katherine?" he asked sharply. "Is she hunting for you?" Trust Damon to find a way around the rules the Guardians gave him, he thought. And Katherine, of all people: After everything she'd done, how could Damon trust her?
"You think I'm cheating?" Damon asked, his voice flattening dangerously. "You should know better than anyone, I always keep my word." There was a long pause, and Stefan kneaded the bridge of his nose between two fingers, feeling guilty. He always assumed the worst of Damon, but that wasn't fair.