Chapter 31 — The Bomb Is Ticking

Before everyone knew it, another school year had arrived. Before it started, there were several more attacks from Salvatore, Johann, and Chris, but Selene was watched day and night. Later, even during her lessons at school, Damon was always somewhere around, ready to protect her, although he doubted that Salvatore would attack Selene in a place with a lot of people. Maybe he was getting more and more desperate, but for sure was not so stupid. No matter how powerful some demons were, they never risked exposing themselves to too many mortals at once.

Jennifer and Sarah, Selene's school friends, also did not leave her side, as if they subconsciously knew something was going on, although in fact they were still blissfully ignorant.

"How are you and Damon?" Jen asked excitedly.

"Everything is fine...even auntie got used to him," Selene replied, recalling the last days of vacation and Aunt Meredith, who was talking to Damon more and more, and as heartily as ever.

"That's great to hear," Sarah smiled broadly.

"And how are you girls?" Selene asked. It was so long since she had seen them. They were a memory for her from the time when life was still running quite normally, as for any teenager.

"Well... Steven and I recently broke up and I'm free for now, but I'm keeping an eye on a nice guy." Jennifer said with a slightly dreamy look.

"I'm still with Michael and I don't regret it. He's probably that one." Sarah replied with excitement.

"It's so good that you are doing well too." Selene hugged them tightly. She knew that sooner or later would have to say goodbye to those girls forever, after all, she would probably live for thousands of years, and Sarah and Jessica were supposed to grow old and die normally. Selene was going to age every thousand years to look like ten years older, that's how it was with sorceresses.

"I will never forget you two." she whispered finally.

"We won't forget about you either..." Sarah replied in a surprisingly natural tone, as if she understood exactly what Selene meant.

"Sure, but why are you telling us this now? You're acting like we'll never meet again." Jen looked at her slightly surprised.

"Well, that's true, we still have time, but eventually it will happen one day... Each of us will go our own way and it is not known if there will be an opportunity for such a confession." Selene explained. She did not lie. In her case, these words were only an understatement.

"I understand you, it can happen in the end." Sarah said after a moment of silence and sighed softly.

"Well, yeah... You're right." Jennifer agreed after a moment's thought.

Their conversation was interrupted by the bell, and they went to class together, holding hands.

~~~~~~

Salvatore was sitting in the armchair, staring at some distant point and Johann was leaning nonchalantly against the wall, staring at his brother. Suddenly Chris burst into the cave, so Salvatore and Johann immediately looked at him, expectantly.

"So I was at Alistair's chambers. He's losing patience and reminds us that the eighteenth birthday of the "chosen one" is inexorably approaching." Chris informed them in a serious tone.

"How is it inexorably? We still have a few more months. It's still April now, and her birthday is in July." said Johann.

"I suppose so, but knowing Alistair, it doesn't matter to him anyway. He wants to get it over with as soon as possible." Salvatore replied with a very dissatisfied face.

"So what are we going to do?" Chris asked, a little impatient.

"We will develop a new plan. Because what else can we do?" Salvatore decided.

So the three of them sat around the table, pondering the appropriate tactics, although it was difficult for them, because their constant defeats did not lift their spirits at all.

~~~~~~

The next day, Selene was sitting in the living room on the couch. She was thoughtful, because Damon had been sitting with her a moment ago, but unfortunately had to go back to patrolling the area. He kept saying that the most important thing right now was the safety of her and everyone else, and that there would be time to be together later. Isabelle found her so pensive and sat down nearby gently.

"Hey." she said after a moment.

"Oh, hello Isabelle." Selene greeted her with a smile.

"How are you?" she asked.

"I'm good. How about you?" Selene replied, looking at her.

"I'm good too." Isabelle replied, gently stroking a visibly larger belly.

"Which month is it?" Selene asked after a pause.

"Fourth. Johnathan is jumping around me as if I would have a miscarriage at the earliest opportunity. Previously, I had it in the second month, and now I'm in the fourth, so I'm thinking positively. But I understand that Johnathan loves me very much, and he is so happy about this child, therefore is worried..." she added, smiling a little.

"Don't worry, they're not letting me do anything for now either. My aunt thinks that I am still too weak and do not know enough, although in lessons with her, Rita and Elisabeth, I am getting better and better each day..." Selene said and sighed softly. "I would also like to help, train myself in fight with demons." she added after a moment.

"Well, you are too valuable to us for the Council to risk too much by letting you fight. I bet they'd let me do it sooner than you." Isabelle laughed softly and Selene also followed her example, laughing lightly.

"I suppose so." she added, barely holding back another burst of laughter.

~~~~~~

Deborah woke up in a sweat. She dreamed of Salvatore again.

"Are you okay?" Maria immediately leaned over her.

"It's only that damn nightmare." Deborah replied, slowly settling back on the pillow.

"Should I help you fall asleep peacefully? I can heal not only the body, but also the psyche..." Maria offered.

"I would be forever grateful to you if you could do that for me." Deborah replied, closing her eyes. "I'm afraid I will not fall asleep otherwise." she added sadly.

Maria, without hesitating at all, raised hands above her head and closed eyes, concentrating to the maximum. After about fifteen minutes, Deborah began to drift away, forgetting the nightmare that had plagued her not so long ago.

~~~~~~

The following months passed relatively calmly. The attacks of Salvatore and his gang almost completely ceased. Soon, June came and so the end of the school year, which Selene ended with good results, despite the unfavorable conditions. However, now Damon was even more careful than before. Just like Marco, he thought it could all be the calm before the storm. Damon suspected Salvatore of wanting to lull their vigilance, and Meredith agreed with him, after all, he and Marco were the experts in this field.

"We have so much better situation, since two demons cooperate with us. This has never been the case before, so protectors never knew what to expect. I think that this time we will manage to keep the "chosen one" alive." Rita repeated all the time, enthusiastically.

Selene was glad she would have her eighteenth birthday soon. From midnight on July 20, she would become powerful enough to defeat Alistair, Lord of the Underworld. Selene was happy because she really wanted to be useful, to do something. From June 25, 2018, Selene began practicing hand-to-hand combat and successfully avoiding fireballs. Marco was her teacher because she couldn't even pretend to fight Damon. Selene's physical fitness made her learning easier, and within a week she mastered the fighting and dodging skills to a perfect degree. Besides, Aunt Meredith had sent her to self-defense courses many times before. She had been kind of crazy about them, and now Selene understood why.

Rest of the June passed quickly. The time for a decisive battle between the sorceresses and demons inevitably was approaching, and every visitor to the Monroe house felt it all too well.