Stefan’s Diaries: The Craving Chapter 22

one time we had gear up several pins between us and the police precinct, we stopped in the shadows of a bare maple tree. Well, thanks for the rescue non that I couldnt nominate through it myself, level offtually, Damon express. And now, I conceive Im ready for a drink. Adieu, mes amis, he saluted us, and spun on his heel, fade into the shadow.Good riddance, Lexi muttered.What now? I asked.You heard the man. Lets go for a drink, she said, grinning, and establish her arm in mine. I walked with Lexi, further it felt wrong, somehow, to be fitting to go on with my existence so casually knowing that the Sutherlands had been polish off, and it had been partially my doing. What would I tell Margaret? She deserved to know some version of the truth, disrespect the fact that on that point would be no simplyice here. Creatures alike the iodine who killed her family did not suffer consequences for their actions. Human lives were much shorter than vampire lives, but that didnt rush them less valuable. In fact, it made their lives more than precious.So catch me up, she said, crush my arm and pulling me out(a) of my dark thoughts. Whats been divergence on since you go forth our fair city?I got married to mean solar day, I said.Her eyes widened.at once I really do need a drink, she declared. Stefan Salvatore, you are going to be the death of me. I invite heard of a beautiful new place that gets its vodka straight from St. Petersburg and freezes it in a fancy unretentive ice-bottle.She prattled on, leading me through what I had thought was my city, but sassy York with Lexi was an all different animal. Whereas Id stuck to the shadows and back alleys, Lexi knew her way around glittering nightlife. Soon we came to what tinted like an elegant private club. Thick red carpets c everyplaceed every square toes inch of the floor, and gold, black, and red lacquer covered everything else, including a giant carve of a firebird that hung from the ceiling.A ma?tre d came up, and after unmatched envision at Lexi, ushered us over to the most extravagant booth. It had velvet and cloth-of-gold pillows with utmost too many tassels to be perfectly comfortable. The strains of a easy filtered from the succeeding(prenominal) room over, and I understood why shed chosen this bar Lexi unceasingly asked Hugo, a member of her vampire family in New Orleans, to play piano for her.Married? she said as soon as we were settled in and she had ordered us something.The image of the Sutherlands bloody bodies scorched my vision for a moment.How did you know where we were, really? I asked, changing the subject. News didnt travel that straightaway unless it was rough the war. It calm down should have taken her at least a week to get from Louisiana to New York, whether by train or vampiric speed.I set one of my friends after Damon. I worried just about you, she admitted, a sheepish look on her appear. I know you roll in the hay take care of yourself , but Damon is dangerous, Stefan, and I dont want anything to happen to you.The waiter came over with our drinks. As promised, the bottle was encased in a block of bluish ice with flowers and herbs pressed inside, as fresh as the day they were frozen. I couldnt help touching a fingertip to a blossom that was more or less the surface, and feeling the ridge of rime that separated it from my skin. A humans heat would have melted the ice. A vampires flesh was colder, kept in a resembling state of perpetual frozen perfection.The waiter poured us each a shot in goblets carved from solid green malachite.I hurl my hand over hers. Thank you, Lexi. For everything youve done. I can never get you.No, you cant, she said cheerfully. But you can start by telling me everything. As I said before married?So I told her about my discovery of Bridget and being inducted into the Sutherland household, and Damons insane plans. She giggled and gasped at every detail. I adventure from an outsiders pers pective, particularly a much older vampire, Damons machinations might seem easy in comparison.Oh, oh my God, she said, unable to stop laughing. A double wedding? You and Damon unneurotic? And no one ate the flower girl? She waved the waiter over for another bottle of vodka. Oh, how I wish I was there. Stefan I didnt raze get you anything.I smiled, wishing I could just sit there and continue to watch her laugh. But I had to finish the tale.Are you sure it wasnt Damon? she asked quietly, when I told her of the Sutherlands murders.There are a lot of things I cant signal about him, I admitted. I had no idea he would in reality follow me to the ends of the earth just to make my life miserable blush after he murdered Callie. But Im positive he had zip fastener to do with the slaying he was just as surprised as I was. And he has not been one to hide his evil acts. Besides, Margaret even believed him and apparently she has a sixth intelligence about these things, I said.New York City isnt exactly the ends of the earth, she said, but this time there was no mental capacity in her voice. But its an odd coincidence that some other heavyweight would set his sights on the very same family that you did. It wasnt a coincidence at all.Lexis face went ashen as I recounted what the lawyer had said. A look I had never seen before on her crossed her pretty face dread.Describe him to me, she ordered.He was huge. Blond hair, blue eyes. He seemed older than time, I said, struggling to express the ancient menace I felt. Evil. Just clean darkness radiating out of him.Did he did he have an accentuate? she asked hesitantly, as if she already knew the answer.Yes. I thought it was just part of whatever he was. But it could have been Polish or Russian. He said something about someone named Klaus?Lexi thumped the underside of the table with her fist and looked away.Who was it, Lexi? I demanded. I needed to know. If he was going to be my executioner, if he was the one who had murdered the Sutherlands, at the very least I would get to know who my resistance was.He mentioned Klaus? she asked, speaking more into her glass than to me. Everyone knows about him. He was one of the first vampires.A hush seemed to descend over the restaurant, and the gas lamps flickered. I clutched my glass of vodka.He is directly descended from Hell. Any piece of good, any sense of morality, anything at all that keeps you and me and even Damon from becoming a completely twisted, ravingly monster of pure evil none of that is in him. There is zip human about him. He has minions, other old ones who do his bidding. No ones ever seen Klaus or at least lived to tell about itI digested this horrifying information, wrapping my hands around my glass. This thing said we took Katherine.Lexi paled. If she was main(prenominal) to Klaus and he believes that you and your brother are responsible for what happened to her, youre in serious trouble.He mentioned a curse. Do you know what h es talking about?Lexi drummed her fingers against the table, her brow furrowing. loathing? Many vampires consider being confined to wander at night a curse, but I dont know what Katherine had to do with that.Do you think he did he turn her into a vampire? I asked.Thats irrelevant, Lexi said. Its doesnt be how or why he cares about her just that he does. You have your own fate to worry about.I ran my hands through my hair, frustrated. Once again Katherine had found a way to insert herself into my life and become havoc. While I felt guilty about what had happened to Katherine, I still blamed her for destroying my family, for turning my life into the mess it was now.Katherine had been nothing but selfish. Shed toyed with me and Damon, when Damon pull down in love with her and I well, was falling in lust with her, not once did she think about the possible dangers for us. That we would die, that our brotherhood would be disunite irreparably, that her sire might eventually catch up to her, hell-bent on revenge.I have to get rid of him, I said.Lexi shook her head. Youre not getting rid of anything that old and powerful, my young stripling. Youre just a babe and on top of that, your diet of rodents and birds hasnt exactly strengthened you. You and your brother working unitedly couldnt defeat him. I couldnt take him on.Well, what do I do? I demanded, my voice taking on a hard, determined edge. I had just been letting everything that had come along in my life control me Damon and his goosey plans, getting married. It was time I acted.Lexi rubbed her temples. The best you can commit for right now is to figure out what his plans are and then invalidate them. You will need to live long enough to figure out a way to vanquish this old one, before he has a chance to tell Klaus where you are.I nodded, thinking. We need to go back to the mansion.Lexi open up her mouth, but I put up my hand. I know but maybe he left something behind.Lexi squared her jaw. Ill go wi th you. My senses are more finely tuned than yours.You dont need finely tuned senses to catch the scent of Hell, I told her, but I appreciate the help.