ve
come so far—farther than Misao ever imagined we would. We can find
it. We will find it.”
“All right,” Damon said, suddenly deadly serious. “If we have to
pretend to be staff and use pickaxes on that soil outdoors, we’ll do it.
But first, let’s go through the entire house inside. That seemed to work
well last time.”
“All right,” Meredith said, for once looking straight at him and
without disapproval. “Bonnie and I will take the upstairs floors and you
can take the downstairs ones—maybe you can make something of that
White Waltz Ballroom.”
“All right.”
They set to work. Elena wished that she could calm down. Despite
most of three goblets of Black Magic oscillating inside her—or perhaps
because of them—she was seeing certain things in new lights. But she
must keep her mind on the quest—and only on the quest. She would do
anything—anything—she told herself, to get the key. Anything for
Stefan.
The White Ballroom smelled of flowers and was garlanded with
large, opulent blooms in the midst of abundant greenery. Standing
arrangements were placed to shield an area around a fountain into an
intimate nook where couples could sit. And, although there was no
visible orchestra, music poured into the ballroom, demanding a response
from Elena’s susceptible body.