"If spel ing out Damon's name is meant to upset us, then it's aiming at Stefan and Elena," Matt said. "I mean, it's no secret that Meredith and I didn't like him much." He crossed his arms defensively. "I'm sorry, Stefan, but it's true."
"I respected Damon," said Meredith, "especial y after he worked so hard with us in the Dark Dimension, but it's true that his death didn't... affect me the way it did Elena and Stefan. I have to agree with Matt."
Elena glanced at Bonnie and noticed that her jaw was clenched and her eyes glistened with angry tears. As Elena watched, Bonnie's bright eyes dul ed and lost focus, gazing off into the distance. She stiffened and turned her face up toward the top of the cliff.
"She's having a vision," Elena said, jumping to her feet. Bonnie spoke in a voice flatter and rougher than her own.
"He wants you, Elena," she said. "He wants you."
Elena fol owed her gaze toward the cliff. For a wild moment, that hard, bright hope came bursting back into her chest again. She ful y expected to see Damon up there, smirking down at them. It would be just like him, if he'd somehow survived death, to show up suddenly, make a grand entrance, and then pass off the miracle with a shrug and a dry quip.
And there was someone standing at the top of the cliff. Celia gave a little scream, and Matt swore loudly. It wasn't Damon, though. Elena could tel that right away. The silhouetted figure was broader than Damon's lithe form. But the sun was so bright she couldn't make out the person's features, and she lifted her hand to shade her eyes.
Like a halo, blond curly hair gleamed in the sunlight. Elena frowned.
"I think," she said, recognition dawning on her, "that's Caleb Smal wood."
Chapter 15
As soon as Elena spoke Caleb's name, the person on the cliff began to pul back out of their line of sight. After a moment of hesitation, Matt took off running pel -mel up the path toward where they'd seen him.
It should have been sil y, Elena thought, the way they al reacted as if they'd been threatened. Anyone had a right to hike the trails at Hot Springs, and Caleb - if it was Caleb -
hadn't done anything but peer down over the edge of the cliff at them. But nevertheless, there had been something ominous about the figure hovering so watchful y above them, and their reaction didn't feel sil y.
Bonnie gasped and her body relaxed as she came out of the trance.
"What happened?" she asked. "Oh, gosh, not again."
"Do you remember anything?" Elena said.
Bonnie shook her head mournful y.
"You said, 'He wants you, Elena,'" said Celia, examining Bonnie with a clinical y enthusiastic glint in her eye. "You don't remember who you were talking about?"
"I guess if he wanted Elena, it could have been anyone,"
Bonnie said, her eyes narrowing. Elena stared at her. Had there been an uncharacteristic catty edge to Bonnie's tone? But Bonnie grinned rueful y back at her, and Elena decided the comment had just been a joke.
A few minutes later, Matt came back down the path, shaking his head.
"Whoever it was just vanished," he said, his forehead crinkled in confusion. "I couldn't see anyone on the trail in either direction."
"Do you think he's a werewolf, like Tyler was?" Bonnie asked.
"You're not the first person who's asked me that," Elena said, glancing at Stefan. "I just don't know. I don't think so, though. Caleb seems total y nice and normal. Remember how wolfy Tyler was even before he became a werewolf?
Those big white teeth and his sort of animalness? Caleb's not like that."
"Then why would he spy on us?"
"I don't know," Elena said again, frustrated. She couldn't think about this now. Her mind was stil swimming with the question: Could Damon be alive? What did Caleb matter, compared to that? "Maybe he was just hiking. I'm not even sure it was Caleb. It could have been some other guy with curly blond hair instead. Just a random hiker who got scared off when Matt went charging up the hil toward him."
Their discussion went in circles until eventual y Alaric took Meredith off to the hospital to have a doctor check out her ankle. The rest of them adjourned to the top of the fal s to gather up the picnic stuff.
They al nibbled at the chips and brownies and fruit, and Matt made himself a hot dog on the hibachi gril , but the joy had gone out of the day.
When Elena's phone rang, it was a welcome relief. "Hey, Aunt Judith," she said, forcing a cheerful note into her voice.
"Hi," Aunt Judith said hurriedly. "Listen, I have to go to the auditorium to help do al the girls' hair and makeup, and Robert already wil have to leave work early to get to the recital on time. Would you do me a favor and pick up some flowers for Margaret on your way over? Something sweet and bal erinaish, if you know what I mean."
"No problem," Elena said. "I know exactly what you mean. I'l see you there." She wanted to forget for a while: forget mystery hikers and near-drownings and her constant alternating feelings of hope and despair about the appearance of Damon's name. Watching her little sister twirl around in a tutu sounded just about right.
"Terrific," said Aunt Judith. "Thank you. Wel , if you are al the way up at Hot Springs, you'd better start heading home soon."
"Okay, Aunt Judith," Elena said. "I'l get going now."
They said good-bye, and Elena hung up and started gathering her things together. "Stefan, can I take your car?"
she asked. "I need to get to Margaret's dance recital. You can give him a ride back, right, Matt? I'l cal you guys later and we'l work on figuring this out."
Stefan got to his feet. "I'l come with you."
"What?" said Elena. "No, you need to stay with Celia and get to the hospital to take care of Meredith, too."
Stefan took her arm. "Don't go, then. You shouldn't be alone now. None of us are safe. There's something out there hunting us, and we need to al stick together. If we don't let each other out of our sight, then we can al protect one another."
His leaf green eyes were clear and ful of anxiety and love, and Elena felt a pang of regret as she tugged her arm gently out of his grasp. "I need to go," she said quietly. "If I spend al my time being scared and hiding, then the Guardians might as wel have let me stay dead. I need to be with my family and live as normal a life as I can."