chapter one

Damon Salvatore was relaxing in midair, ostensibly upheld by one part of a who

In any case, know the names of trees? Who gave a damn? It was tall, it permitted him to peep into Caroline Forbes' third-story room, and it made a comfortable backrest. He lay back in the advantageous tree fork, hands fastened together behind his head, one perfectly booted leg hanging more than thirty feet of void space. He was agreeable as a feline, eyes half-shut as he watched.

He was sitting tight for the enchanted snapshot of 4:44 A.M. to show up, when Caroline would play out her peculiar custom.

He'd previously seen it two times and he was captivated. Then he got a mosquito chomp.

Which was absurd since mosquitoes didn't prey on vampires. Their blood wasn't nutritious like human blood. In any case, it surely felt like a minuscule mosquito nibble on the rear of his neck.

He turned to see behind him, feeling the pleasant summer night surrounding him — and didn't see anything.

The needles of some conifer. Nothing flying about. Nothing slithering on them.

Okay then. It probably been a conifer needle. In any case it unquestionably hurt. What's more, the aggravation deteriorated with time, not better.

A self-destructive honey bee? Damon felt the rear of his neck cautiously. No toxin sack, no stinger. Simply a minuscule soft bump that hurt. After a second his consideration was gotten back to the window. He didn't know precisely very thing was continuing however he could feel the unexpected humming of Force around the dozing Caroline, similar to a high-pressure wire. A few days prior, it had

attracted him to this spot, yet whenever he'd showed up he proved unable appear to track down the source.

The clock ticked 4:40 and signaled an alert. Caroline woke and smacked it across the room. Fortunate young lady, Damon thought, with underhanded appreciation.On the off chance that I were a rebel human rather than a vampire, your temperance — assuming you've any left — may be in harm's way.

Luckily for you, I needed to surrender all something like that almost a portion of a thousand years prior.

Damon streaked a grin at nothing specifically, held it for a 20th of a second, and afterward switched it off, his bruised eyes going viral. He thought once more out from the dark window. Indeed . . . he'd continuously felt that his bonehead more youthful sibling Stefan didn't appreciate Caroline Forbes enough. There was no question that the young lady merited checking out: long, brilliant earthy colored appendages, a shapely body, and bronze-hued hair that fell around her face in waves. And afterward there was her psyche. Normally slanted, wrathful, angry. Tasty.

For example, all things considered, she was working with little voodoo dolls in front of her in there Breathtaking. Damon jumped at the chance to see the imaginative expressions at work.The outsider Power actually hummed, yet he was unable to get a fix it. Was it inside — in p young lady? Most likely not. Caroline was quickly snatching for what resembled a

small bunch of luxurious green spider webs. She stripped her Shirt off and — excessively quick for the vampire eye to see — had herself wearing underwear that made her seem to be a wilderness princess. She gazed eagerly at her own appearance in a independent full-length reflect. Presently, what might you at any point be hanging tight for, young lady Damon pondered.

Well — he should stay under the radar. There was a dim shudder, one black quill tumbled to the ground, and afterward  there was only an incredibly enormous crow sitting in the tree.

Damon observed eagerly from one splendid elevated as Caroline pushed ahead unexpectedly as though she'd gotten an

electric shock, lips separated, her look on what appeared to be her own appearance.

Then, at that point, she grinned at it in hello.

Damon could pinpoint the wellspring of Force now. It was inside the mirror. Not in a similar aspect as the mirror,

positively, however contained inside it.

Caroline was acting — strangely. She threw back her long bronze hair so it fell in eminent disorder down her back; she wet her lips and grinned as though at a sweetheart. When

she spoke, Damon could hear her plainly.

"Much thanks to you. Be that as it may, you're not kidding."

There was still nobody however her in the room, and Damon could hear no response. Be that as it may, the lips of the Caroline

in the mirror were not moving in synchronize with the genuine young lady'slips.

Bravo! he thought, continuously ready to appreciate a new stunt on people. All around good, whoever you are!

Lip-perusing the mirror young lady's words, he found something about grieved. Also, wonderful. Damon positioned his head.

Caroline's appearance was saying, ". . . Actually you don't need to . . . after today."

The genuine Caroline addressed huskily. "Yet, what on the off chance that I can't trick them?"

What's more, the reflection: