The Vampire Diaries: Bound By Blood (Kindle Worlds Novella) by J.R. Rain Page B

phenomenal gifts that I could use for good.
    It was something to think about at a later time.
    For now, I had two blood-sucking brothers to deal with.
    I checked the time: 7:30 p.m. It was the appointed time. Funny, I should have felt more nervous than I did. However, seeing those two cocky bastards today took away my nerves. Now, I just wanted to help put them away. And, since I knew no mortal jail would hold them—at least, not for long—I had a very different idea of how to put them away. Michael’s final instruction to me had been on working with the Earth Elementals, after all. Gracie had liked my plan. I liked that she liked my plan.
    Yeah, I think I had a crush on her. Or more.
    Go figure.
    I made my way into the center of the clearing. There, I cleared my thoughts of Gracie and the brothers and vampires and Michael and everything. I did what I was taught and focused on my breathing and now, the whispering of the forest reached my ears. Soft whisperings at first, and then, more urgent. Michael had told me that with time and practice and long stretches of meditation, I would be able to understand the whisperings … and even speak back.
    For now, I breathed deeply, filling my lungs and listened to the whispering … and was not very surprised when the whispering became more and more urgent. A breeze wafted over me, bring with it the tell-tale scent of decay.
    They’re here, I thought.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
     
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    “Why hello! If it isn’t it our favorite private dick,” said a voice that I knew all too well.
    I opened my eyes to find Damon standing before me. “Where’s your brother?”
    “He’s preoccupied, Mr. Private Dick.”
    “Enough with the dick jokes, okay?”
    “Who’s joking?” he said, stepping out of the surrounding woods so I could see him a little more clearly. To my amazement, I could see better in the night. In fact, the night air seemed suffused with particles of light that I had never known existed. “Besides,” said Damon, “I’m the one you want, right?”
    “You killed the campers,” I said. “So, yes, you have to pay.”
    “Pay?” he said, smirking. “What is this, the Old West?”
    “You tell me,” I said, “since you’re older than the hills.”
    “Very funny, dick. So, how does this go down?”
    I didn’t like that he was alone—no, he wasn’t alone. I caught more decay on the wind, a wind that was coming from a different direction … a wind that was meant for only me. Yes, Mother Nature was taking care of me.
    “Your brother is behind me,” I said. “I can smell him.”
    Damon smirked, and then called out, “Stefan, you might as well come out—and please shower next time. Sheesh. Way to screw up a perfectly good ambush.”
    As I turned at the sound of footsteps behind me, Damon rushed me, moving faster than I could have possibly believed. I had just enough time to raise my palm and focus my thoughts, sending a blast of air that literally knocked the bastard off his feet.
    Damon rolled a couple of times, scrambled to his feet, and then dusted himself. “What the hell just happened?”
    “I don’t know,” said Stefan, behind me. “Maybe we should ask her.”
    As he stepped out of the woods, he had Gracie by the hair, pulling her painfully along with him. She was oddly quiet, although her face was tear-streaked, until I realized she had been undoubtedly compelled to be here, to do as these bastards said. I saw how they played, and they played for keeps.
    “Let her go,” I ordered. For the first time, I saw the perils of my new life—that others who I cared about could get hurt. Interestingly, my life was devoid of anyone close to me. I had no parents, siblings, wife, or kids. Maybe I was ideally suited to this line of work.
    That is, until I’d developed feelings for Gracie.
    Still, feelings or not, I would never allow someone innocent to be hurt.
    “No deal,” said Stefan.
    “She’s innocent.”
    “No, she hired you,” said Damon, stepping