The Hunters: Moonsong Chapter Twenty-Six

are you sure you dont want us to cal your parents, lose? The campus security officers part was gruff however kind, and his appear were worried.For a second, Meredith allow herself materialise having the kind of parents he must be imagining adepts who would swoop in to rescue their daughter, vagabond her up and take her home until the portentous images of her friends death faded.Her parents would just tel her to construct on with the job. Tel her that every other reaction was a failure. If she allow herself be weak, more people would die.More so because Samantha had been a hunter, from a family of hunters, like Meredith. Meredith knew exactly what her father would view as state if she had cal ed him. Let this be a lesson to you. You are never safe.Il be okay, she told the security guard. My roommates are upstairs.He let her go, stick withing her climb the stairs with a distressed expression. Dont worry, miss, he cal ed. The patrol wil get this guy.Meredith bit end orse end her first reply, which was that he seemed to be assignting a drawing card of faith in a police force that had yet to find some(prenominal) clues as to the whereab asides of the missing people or to solve Chri persisthers murder. He was only toilsome to puff her. She nodded to him and gave a little wave.She hadnt been any more successful than the police, not evening with Samanthas booster. She hadnt been laborious bad profuse, had been too distrait by the new place, the new people. wherefore at once? Meredith wondered suddenly. It hadnt occurred to her before, but this was the first death, attack, or disappearance that took place in a dorm room instead of out on the quad or paths of the campus. whatsoever this was, it came subsequently Samantha specifical y.Meredith remembered the dark figure she go after a sort after it attacked a girl, a girl who said she didnt remember anything. Meredith recal ed the flash of pale hair as the figure turned away. Did Samanth a die because they got too close to the kil er?Her parents were right wing. No one was ever safe. She requisite to work harder, needed to get on with the job and fol ow up on every lead.Upstairs, Bonnies rump was empty. Elena looked up from where she was lying, curled up on her arse. begin of Meredith noted that Elenas face was wet with crying and knew that usual y she would pay off dropped everything to comfort her friend, but now she had to focus on finding Samanthas kil er.Meredith crossed to her own closet, clear it, and pul ed out a morose dense satchel and the case for her hunters stave.Wheres Bonnie? she asked, tossing the satchel onto her bed and unbuckling it.She left before I got up, Elena answered, her voice shaky. I deliberate she had a cartoon group this break of day.Meredith, whats going on?Meredith flipped the satchel easy and began to pul out her knives and throwing stars.Whats going on? Elena asked again, more insistently, her eyes wide.Samanthas dead, M eredith said, testing the edge of a knife against her thumb. She was murdered in her bed by whatevers been stalking this campus, and we need to stop it. The knife could be sharper Meredith had been allow her weapons maintenance slide and she dug in the lulu for a whetstone.What? Elena said. Oh, no, oh, Meredith, Im so sorry. separate began to run down pat(p) her face again, and Meredith looked over at her, holding out the bag with the stave in it.Theres a smal black box in my desk with little bottles of contrasting poison extracts inside it, she said. Wolfsbane, vervain, snake venoms. We dont feel what were dealing with exactly, so youd better fil the hypodermics with a variety of things. Be careful, she added.Elenas mouth dropped open, and because, after a few seconds, she closed in(p) it heavily and nodded, wiping her cheeks with the backs of her hands. Meredith knew that her message mourn later, act now had been received and that Elena, as always, would work with h er.Elena put the stave on her bed and institute the box of poisons in Merediths desk. Meredith watched as Elena evaluate out how to fil the tiny hypodermics inset in the ironwood of the stave, her steady fingers pul ing them out and working them cautiously open. Once she was sure Elena knew what she was doing, Meredith went back to sharpening her knife.They must have come after Samantha on purpose. She wasnt a chance victim, Meredith said, her eyes on the knife as she force it rhythmical y against the whetstone. I think we need to assume that whoever this is have a go at its were hunting him, and that wherefore were in danger. She shuddered, remembering her friends body. Samanthas death was brutal.A car tried to run me and Damon down last night, Elena said. We had been trying to investigate something spiritual in the library, but I dont know if thats why. I couldnt get a look at the driver.Meredith paused in her knife sharpening. I told you that Samantha and I chased away som ebody attacking a girl on campus, she said thoughtful y, but I didnt tel you one thing, because I wasnt sure. Im stil not sure. She told Elena somewhat her impressions of the black-clad figure, including the momentary impression of paleness on a lower floor the hoodie, of almost white hair.Elena frowned, her fingers faltering on the staff.Zander? she asked.They both looked at Bonnies unmade bed.She hearty y likes him, Meredith said slowly. Wouldnt she know if there was something wrong with him? You know She made a vague gesture around her head, trying to indicate Bonnies history of visions.We cant count on that, Elena said, frowning. And she doesnt remember the things she sees. I dont think hes right for Bonnie, she continued. Hes so I mean, hes good-looking, and friendly, but he seems off somehow, doesnt he? And his friends are jerks. I know its a long way from having terrible friends to cosmos dangerous enough to do something like this, but I dont trust him.Can you ask Stefan to watch him? Meredith asked. I know youre taking a break from dating, but this is important, and a vampire would be the best one to nurse an eye on him. Stefan looked so tragical the other night, she thought distantly. Why shouldnt Elena cal him? feeling was short. She felt the blade of the knife against her thumb again. Better. Putting the sharpened knife down, she reached for another.Elena wasnt answering, and Meredith looked up to see her staring hard at the stave, her mouth trembling. I Stefan isnt talking to me, she said in a little burst. I dont think I dont know if hed help us. She closed her mouth firmly, clearly not wanting to talk rough it.Oh, Meredith said. It was hard to imagine Stefan not doing what Elena wanted, but it was besides clear that Elena didnt want to ask him. Should I cal Damon? she suggested reluctantly. The older vampire was a pain, and she didnt real y trust him, but he was certainly good at being sneaky.Elena sucked in a breath and then nodded br iskly, her mouth set. No, Il cal him, she said. Il ask Damon to investigate Zander.Meredith sighed and leaned back against the wal , letting the knife drop onto her bed. Suddenly, she was detestably tired. Waiting for Samantha in the gym that morning seemed like a mil ion eld ago, but it stil wasnt even lunchtime. She and Elena both looked at Bonnies bed again.We have to talk to her about Zander, dont we? Elena asked quietly. We have to ask her whether he was with her al last night. And we have to warn her. Meredith nodded and closed her eyes, letting her head rest against the imperturbableness of the wal , then opened them again. Tired as she was, she knew the images of Samanthas death would come back to her if she let herself pause for even a moment. She didnt have time to rest, not while the kil er was out there. Shes not going to be happy about it.