Elena and her friends now have no conscious memories of Stefan—but each is having a difficult time adapting to a world without him. Damon can scarcely put out fires fast enough.

Bonnie feels as if she’s going insane. Her latest oddity is sleepwalking across the Dalcrest campus with only a golden-eyed white “dog” as a companion. This behavior terrifies the others, especially given the recent attacks in neighboring towns that leave girls drained of blood.

More, Bonnie finds herself caught up in her own love triangle with Matt’s shy new roommate, Bastian, and Damon. She realizes that Damon should be completely off limits, but she can’t help feeling there is someone else who is Elena’s perfect partner somewhere.

No one knows much about Bastian, who has white-blond hair and golden eyes, but he doesn’t seem to like Damon. Is Bastian just jealous of Damon’s affection for Bonnie or does he have some darker secret?

Meanwhile, both red roses and black are mysteriously appearing for Bonnie and Elena. Who are they from, and why do they seem so important? The War of Roses has just begun. . . .