"I'm not sure I understand," Stefan said.
Elena bounced on her heels, tugging at his sleeve in her excitement. "If we find something that we know Solomon has looked at, Andres might be able to see what Solomon's looking at now!" she exclaimed. "We could figure out where he's hiding!"
"But we don't know what he's seen," Stefan said, frowning. "The things that happened here, with Sammy and my stave, he must have compelled humans to do."
"The ice?" Elena wondered. "He wasn't there, but he must have seen it somehow, right? Could we use the windows, or the bed ...?"
Andres was shaking his head. "I think it has to be something more specific," he said. "Something Solomon actually laid eyes on, rather than controlling from a distance. And something recent, so a lot of people haven't seen it since he did. Too many people have been in and out of this apartment since then."
There was a baffled silence as they all thought.
"The car accident," Stefan said suddenly. Andres and Elena stared at him, and then Elena began to smile.
"Of course," she said. "He would have watched, wouldn't he? That open road, surrounded by tree cover. It would have been easy for him." She got up and disappeared into the bedroom. "I haven't worn this shirt since that day," she said, coming out with a white shirt in one hand. "I washed out as much of the blood as I could, but it still needs to be dry-cleaned."
Andres took it from her, turning the soft fabric over in his hands. "I'll try," he said. "Help me. The more Power we can put into this, the better." Elena took his hand and they both closed their eyes. For several moments, the only sound in the room was their breathing, deep and slow and in time with each other. Stefan held perfectly still.
Elena's blue eyes and Andres's brown ones flew open at the same moment.
"Shining metal," Andres said. "A young girl, fighting a tall dark-haired man. No, they're working out, very formal movements. A big open room."
"That's what Jack's seeing, not Solomon," Elena said instantly. "Jack saw me in that shirt, too. He must be training with his team."
"Okay, yes." Andres's eyes were tracking back and forth rapidly, but Elena was sure he wasn't seeing the room they were in. "A library. Wooden tables, books. Oh, this one feels familiar. Meredith." He swallowed and tried again, his eyes moving faster. "Oh! I'm seeing through Stefan's eyes now." His gaze focused for a moment, snapping out of the trance. "That was curious, seeing myself from outside."
"Try again," Elena said. "Push past the people you recognize if you can. I think, other than Jack, Solomon would be the only stranger."
"Okay." They closed their eyes and breathed together for a moment, then began again. This time Andres didn't speak immediately, his eyes moving more slowly back and forth, as if he was looking hard for something. There was a silence.
Elena was frowning, still holding tightly to Andres hand, but her gaze shifted to meet Stefan's. "The apple men," she said slowly. "The ones who attacked us. They said something about Solomon having yellow eyes."
The fact had gotten lost in everyone's excitement over the supposed clue to where Solomon was going to be, but that was a clue, too, wasn't it? The idea of yellow eyes teased at the back of her mind, reminding her of something, but she couldn't quite place it.
"Does knowing he has yellow eyes help, Andres?" Stefan asked quietly.
Andres didn't answer, but his eyes moved a little faster. When he spoke, he sounded breathless. "A big room," he said. "Wainscoting, paneling. I can see a formal garden through the windows." He frowned. "There's a woman. No, a mannequin. In a long dress, blue, with a full skirt. A large fireplace."
Stefan looked baffled. "An old mansion?" he asked doubtfully. "Something at the college, maybe?"
But Elena knew. "The Plantation Museum," she gasped. "Down near the river. It's got to be."
Spontaneously, she hugged Andres, then jumped to her feet and hurled herself into Stefan's arms. "We can do it," she said, her voice muffled against his shoulder. "We've finally got him."
Stefan nodded and held her close for a second. His arms were strong around her, and, when he kissed her, soft and sweet, she felt a flash of how he wanted to protect her, hold her here forever safe in his arms.
Finally he let go and headed for the closet where they kept his weapons. "Call the others," he said. "We should attack tonight."
Chapter 16
Meredith felt as tense as the string of a bow, taut and ready to fire. "And I have a crossbow," she muttered to herself, "so that's convenient."
The weapon was smooth and reassuringly heavy in her hand, and she had her hunter's stave strapped to her back. When she got close enough for the stave to be useful, she would drop the bow.
The sun was setting, its last long rays coloring the horizon. Meredith, Alaric, and Stefan were coming up on the east side of the Plantation Museum, concealed behind the remnants of what had once been slave cabins. Jack's team, Matt, and the Pack would be circling around the house, ready to approach from any angle.
Her earpiece crackled to life as Jack's voice said, "In position," and Trinity answered "In position."
"In position," Meredith repeated. Alaric glanced over as he pulled out a crossbow of his own and headed farther into the garden: As the least powerful fighters, he and Matt were supposed to stick to the long-range weapons, keeping their distance from Solomon and whoever was in the house with him. Andres would hang back, too, wielding his Guardian Powers if he could.