26

"but I'm telling you I saw her even though she's dead. And yeah, I wasn't asleep; she was dressed in something that looked like silver, and her hair was golden and blowing in the wind-"

Elizabeth gave Dominic a thoughtful brow raise before looking thoughtfully down at the conservative black clothing she was wearing. He smiled.

He referred to it as "romanticism." "Myself, I prefer you in black."

She said, "Well, you would, wouldn't you?" as a response to his question. It was quite bizarre how much more at ease she felt when she was around Dominic these days. She maintained her silence, allowing the discussions to flow about her as she nearly forgot the passage of time. Then she became aware of a familiar voice that was harsh and more immediate than the others.

"Okay, okay, I'm going. Okay."

When they saw that the handle on the attic door was turning, Elizabeth and Dominic gave each other a look before standing up. Denis sneaked a peek around the corner.

"Merit instructed me to come up to this location. I have no idea why that is. It's a terrible party since she has Alaric all to herself. Achoo!"

She then took a seat on the mattress, and after a few moments, Elizabeth returned to the spot and took a seat next to her. She was starting to become impatient and hope that Katherine would arrive. She had already made up her mind by the time the door opened a second time and Merit stepped in.

"What's going on, Merit?," I said.


"Nothing, or at the very least, there is no need to be concerned. Where has Katherine gotten to?" Merit had a strange flush to her cheeks, and her eyes had an odd expression about them, as if she were trying to keep something firmly under control. Her cheeks also seemed to be unnaturally red.

"Nothing, or at the very least, there is no need to be concerned. Where has Katherine gotten to?" Merit had a strange flush to her cheeks, and her eyes had an odd expression about them, as if she were trying to keep something firmly under control. Her cheeks also seemed to be unnaturally red.

"It makes no difference where he is. Who is it that I hear coming up the stairs?

Denis stood and said, "What do you mean, 'who's coming up the stairs?' " as he walked up the steps.

Merit replied, "Everyone just be calm," as she took a position in front of the window as if she were defending it. "Just stay calm." Elizabeth had the impression that she was not very composed at the moment. She then yelled, "All right," as the door opened to see Alaric Saltzman entering the room.

Dominic's maneuver was so fluid that even Elizabeth's eyes were unable to track it; in a single motion, he grabbed Elizabeth's wrist and pushed her behind him, while simultaneously turning to face Alaric head-on. He ended himself in a crouching position, similar to that of a predator, with every muscle pulled tight and ready for the assault.

Denis yelled in a hysterical manner, "Oh, don't!" She launched herself towards Alaric, who had already started to back away from Dominic by one step before she arrived. Alaric was so close to losing his equilibrium that he reached behind him in an attempt to find the door. The other hand of his was rummaging about in his belt.

"That's enough! "Put a halt to it!" Merit said. Elizabeth recognized the form of a pistol hiding under Alaric's coat as soon as she saw it there.

Once again, she was having trouble keeping up with what was going on. Dominic released his grip on her wrist and reached for Alaric's instead. After then, Alaric was found sitting on the ground with a bewildered face while Dominic was stripping the pistol of its ammunition one cartridge at a time.

Merit responded by stating, "I warned you it was dumb, and you wouldn't need it." Elizabeth became aware that she was restraining the girl with the dark hair by the arms. She had probably done it to prevent Merit from meddling with Dominic, but she couldn't remember doing it.

Dominic used a reprimanding tone to his tone as he said, "These wood-tipped things are ugly; they may injure anybody." He switched out one of the cartridges and reinserted the clip, all the while directing his attention attentively on Alaric.

Merit spoke out in a stern voice, "Stop it!" She then shifted her attention to Elizabeth. "Elizabeth, you need to tell him to stop; he's just causing more damage. I guarantee that Alaric won't do you any harm. I've spent the last week trying to persuade him that you won't do him any harm.

"And now I believe my wrist is fractured," Alaric stated with a level of calmness that belied his statement. The sandy strands of his hair were always getting in his eyes.

"You have only yourself to blame for this situation." The harsh taste of merit returned. Denis, who had been clinging to Alaric's shoulders in a solicitous manner, glanced up at the familiarity in Merit's tone, and then took a few steps back before sitting down.

She said, "I can't wait to hear the reason for this," and I couldn't agree more. Elizabeth was asked by Merit whether or not she would trust her.
Elizabeth stared intently at the gloomy eyes. She had made it clear that she trusted Merit. And it was the sound of her own voice pleading Katherine to believe her that brought back another memory. She nodded.


She questioned him with, "Dominic." He then grinned around at all of them, making it very plain that he didn't need any such manufactured weaponry by flipping the pistol aside in a casual manner and then smiling at all of them.

She questioned him with, "Dominic." He then grinned around at all of them, making it very plain that he didn't need any such manufactured weaponry by flipping the pistol aside in a casual manner and then smiling at all of them.

"Oh, I'm sure," Denis responded.
Elizabeth started walking in the direction of Alaric Saltzman. She did not feel threatened by him, but it was clear from the way he gazed at her exclusively and deliberately, beginning at her feet and moving upward, that he did feel threatened by her.

She came to a halt when she was just a yard away from where he was sitting on the ground, and she bent down to examine his face from that position.

"Hello," she greeted me with.

He had not yet released his grip on his wrist. "Hello," he murmured after taking a deep breath.

Elizabeth cast a quick peek back in the direction of Merit before returning her focus to Alaric. Indeed, he was shaking with fear. And in that position, with his hair falling over his eyes, he seemed to be rather youthful. There's a possibility that Elizabeth is four or even five years older than I am. That is the limit of it.

She reassured him by saying, "We are not going to harm you."

Merit said, "That's what I've been telling him," as she continued her explanation. "I stressed that regardless of what he's seen in the past or the things that he's heard, you're different. I relayed to him what you had told me about Katherine, including how he had been struggling against his nature for all of those years. I explained to him what you have been going through, Elizabeth, and how you have not asked for this in any way.

But why did you provide so much information to him? Elizabeth was thinking. She addressed Alaric with the following words: "All right, you know about us. However, the only thing we know about you is that you are not a history teacher.

Dominic said in a threatening tone, "He's a hunter," referring to the man. "A vampire hunter."

"No," answered Alaric. "At the very least, not in the manner that you mean it," she said. It seemed as if he had made up his mind. "Okay, that's good. According to what I am aware of you three-" He halted his speech and looked around the dim room as if he had just had an epiphany about something. Where can I find Katherine?

"Get ready for him. In point of fact, he ought to have arrived by now. Elizabeth said that she overheard him saying that he was going to bring Caroline to the school. She was caught off guard by Alaric's response to her.

He sat up straight and said in a stern tone, "Caroline Forbes?" His tone was authoritative and determined, just as it had been when she had overheard him speaking with Dr. Feinberg and the principal.

"Yes. Today, she sent him a message in which she expressed her desire to apologize for whatever reason. Before the party, she had hoped to speak with him at the school.

"He is unable to depart. You can't let him get away with it." After struggling to get to his feet, Alaric yelled at the top of his lungs, "You have to stop him."

"He has already departed. Why? Why Shouldn't He Do That? The request was made by Elizabeth.

"Because I hypnotized Caroline a few of days ago," she said. Earlier, while I was working with Tyler, I attempted it, but I was unsuccessful. However, Caroline is an excellent subject, and she recalled some of the events that took place in the Quonset hut. In addition, she named Katherine Salvatore as the one who attacked her.

transpired inside the confines of the Quonset hut. In addition, she named Katherine Salvatore as the one who attacked her.

"Don't you understand? You're not only dealing with teenagers in high school anymore," Alaric pointed out to me. It's gotten out of hand. Both Caroline's and Tyler's fathers had prior knowledge of the situation. They are worried for the welfare of the community as a whole.

"Hush! Be quiet!" Elizabeth's thoughts were wandering all over the place as she searched for any indication that Katherine was there. The one part of her that remained ice-cold and composed amongst the swirling terror and panic had the notion that he had allowed himself to become weak. Finally, she picked up a hint of something, but she mistook it for Katherine since it was so faint. And it was in a precarious position.