An Elemental Difference - AIR - Book 1 (Stefan Salvatore)

Chapter 24 - So... what does desiccation look like?

EDITED JULY 2020

SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE

ONE WEEK LATER

'I shook my head. The friendship that had sprung up between Edward and Seth was something that still boggled my mind. It was proof, though, that things didn't have to be this way. That werewolves and vampires could get along just fine, thank you very much, if they were of a mind to.'

Not everybody liked this idea.

'"Ah," Seth said, his voice cracking up an octave. "Er, Leah's home."'

'"Oh! Bye!"'

'The phone went dead. I left it on the seat and prepared myself mentally to go inside the house, where Charlie would be waiting.'

'My poor dad had so much to deal with right now. Jacob-the-runaway was just one of the straws on his overburdened back. He was almost as worried about me, his barely-a-legal-adult daughter who was about to become a Mrs. in just a few days' time. I walked slowly through the light rain, remembering the night we'd told him...'

'As the sound of Charlie's cruiser announced his return, the ring suddenly weighed a hundred pounds on my finger. I wanted to shove my left hand in a pocket, or maybe sit on it, but Edward's cool, firm grasp kept it front and center. "Stop fidgeting, Bella. Please try to remember that you're not confessing to a murder here."'

'"Easy for you to say."'

'I listened to the ominous sound of my father's boots clomping up the sidewalk. The key rattled in the already open door. The sound reminded me of that part of the horror movie when the victim realizes she's forgotten to lock her deadbolt...'

'"Calm down, Bella,"' Edward whispered, listening to the acceleration of my heart. The door slammed against the wall, and I flinched like I'd been Tasered.'

'"Hey, Charlie,"' Edward called, entirely relaxed.'

'"No!"' I hissed under my breath.'

'"What?"' Edward whispered back.'

'"Wait till he hangs his gun up!'"

"Please give me a gun, just no more!"

Aella paused and looked up from her book towards Damon, who was leaning on his cell door bars with agony on his face, "Apparently someone thinks they have a choice in the matter. Now, where was I?"

Damon glared at the brunette, who sat comfortably on her chair, the damn chair that made annoying noises every time she moved. He soon discovered Aella was a fidgeter.

4 DAYS PREVIOUSLY

"Now, where were we?" Aella skipped happily into the cellar, smiling even more considerable when she heard Damon groan from his cell.

Damon struggled to get up, but once he did, he squinted at the witch, "Please, just kill me now."

"But Damon," she smiled, not so innocently, "We only just finished Twilight, there are three more books, just as brilliant."

Damon slyly motioned to the floor, "But you looked so uncomfortable yesterday. We wouldn't want you to get an achy back."

When Aella smiled brightly, rather than frowned, Damon felt slightly scared for the first time in many years. "You're so thoughtful, Damon. That's why last night when I got home, I searched our attic. Guess what I found... "She ran out of the room, and when Aella returned, Damon wanted out of the cellar and wanted to burn in the sun than face anything this monstrous again. "-this."