The CW has released a new promotional photo for The Vampire Diaries.

In it, the character of Elena is sandwiched between the Salvatore brothers, both of whom are vampires, yet each of whom possess very different motivations when the series opens.

Viewers will also notice a pair of interesting items in the picture below: a black crow and large rings on the finger of Stefan and Damon Salvatore. Check them out now:

What do these items signify? We've seen the pilot episode. Follow this article's jump for a pair of Vampire Diaries spoilers...

The crow first appears when a couple is killed in the show's opening scene; it's then spotted again at the cemetery where Elena is writing in her journal.

Finally, the crow flies into Stefan's room seconds before he turns around to see Damon (for the first time in 15 years). The bird appears to be some sort of stand-in for, or symbol of, the evil Salvatore siblings.

The rings, meanwhile, serve a valuable purpose: they enable the vampires to survive in the daytime.

The Vampire Diaries premiere on September 10. Tune in. You won't be disappointed.

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.