His fingers reached to stroke her cheek. “It worked,” he extolled. “The old texts – ‘turn moonlight into day’ – it worked.”
“What does this mean?” he asked.
“The amulet was a weapon, father,” Bree replied.
“The threat is over?”
“No,” Bree replied. “Francisco still seeks its power. He knows it still exists.”
“Then we shall never have peace,” the archivist sighed.
“Francisco has been turned,” I told him. “He may have been a vampire for years, I do not know. But he is no longer the man you once knew.”
“But he can have the amulet,” Bree said.“It’s useless now.”
“But…” he stammered.
“It’s a trinket!” Bree spat. “Keep it as a good luck charm. But I warn you, it never brought me any.” She smirked at the bewildered man before her. His face twisted like a knotted tree trunk and questions jammed his weary mind. “I hold its power now, father. I’m the weapon now.”
“You’re the weapon?” he asked as he brushed his fingers against Bree’s cheek once more. “What does this mean?”
“It means, father, Francisco has started a war and it has spilled into both our worlds,” Bree said. “Let us stand united.”
Bree knelt before the man, her head humbly bowed. He watched as she extended her arm and opened her fist. Within her charred palm laid the amulet, scrubbed clean of soot – her portrait cracked and aged while she remained ageless. He fingered the jewel, sliding his hand over her roughened, sun-scarred palm as he picked up the trinket. He looked at the image, turned the amulet over in his hand, and then stared at her expectantly.
“We are at war with Francisco,” Bree told him. “Ready yourself for battle.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Catherine Woods-Field holds degrees in Professional Writing from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and Patient Safety from the University of Illinois-Chicago. Woods-Field is a freelance writer, educator, and women’s health advocate. She resides in Illinois with her husband, Tim, and their two children.
Other Books by Catherine Woods-Field
Writer’s Block
Visit chroniclesofbree.com for announcements on future novels in the Chronicles of Bree series.
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