PREFACE
"They say you'll hear them singing before you ever see them. It is said that the Watchers are so beguiling, so seductive that just the sound of their voices can entice a woman into their arms and to her doom," a quiet voice broke the silence, grim but melodic in tone.
An air of finality hung over the room, lingering between the ten people inside the old boarding house and the three standing guard outside. Unspoken words hovered in the air; Words of loss. Grief. Goodbye. For once, everyone in this house was on the same side, which was remarkable, really, as it had been nearly one year to the day since this entire chain of events had been set in motion.
Just when Elena had thought she couldn't lose anything else, the stakes had risen even higher, and now she could lose everything all over again. She watched, frowning from her chair near the fireplace, as Damon paced furiously, holding his untouched glass of bourbon in one hand, the other clenched in a fist, a hard look on his handsome face. Elena could tell he hadn't slept in days, his eyes were swollen with exhaustion. He must have felt her gaze on him, because he glanced up for a moment and met her eyes tiredly. She nodded in understanding, managing a small, sad smile.
They'd all faced obstacles, that was true enough, but this time was different. There was more to lose. They'd already suffered one of their greatest losses barely a week before. As always, it touched Elena that so many people were willing to protect her.
She only hoped it wasn't at the expense of more lost lives.