Read Online Fire And Steel (The Merryweather Chronicles Book 2) by Lesley Woodral - Free Book Online
Authors: Lesley Woodral
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voice was soft, thoughtful, as she said. "Then we just have to show him that he isn't alone. That shouldn't be too hard."
"Oh, no. Not at all." Claire said, layering her voice with sarcasm, but gently. She sighed. And, suddenly, she understood Emily better. Emily loved her. Truly loved her. Not just as a sister and best friend, but also as a fellow survivor of the terrors they had faced. And would face again. "You're a warrior at heart, Emily." The words felt strange as they tumbled forth, coming from someplace within, from some deep and true fountain of knowledge that her mind had brushed up against.
Intuition, she told herself, trying to rationalize the words still slipping out of her mouth. "In time, you'll move past the darkness, leading others to the light with your strength and grace. You will save lives, Emily. You will save souls." The words stopped coming and Claire swallowed hard. She hadn't intended to say any of those things, but she knew that every word was true. She knew it with every fiber of her being, to her very bones.
Emily's hand had stopped stroking Claire's hair and she looked up to find her friend staring down at her in wonder. Tears were drying on her cheeks, but she was smiling. Even with the yellowing bruises and her broken lips, maybe even because of them, it was the most beautiful smile Claire had ever seen. Full of love and strength and something new. A steely determination that took Emily's shattered beauty and turned it into something grander. Something almost angelic. Emily said. "You're awesome, Claire."
And the spell was broken. Both girls began to giggle and soon they were once again a pair of teenage girls. Resilient and tough, as all teenagers tended to be.
CHAPTER 6
Brandon and Albert were walking to school, having just left The Coffee Nook, when Brandon noticed something in the dusty window of Goldman's Antique and Curiosity Shop. He stopped walking, staring at the handful of items on display with a hollow feeling in his chest. The old Tiffany lamp and worn old pitcher's mitt held no interest for him. Forgotten relics of somebody else's past. Nothing to do with him.
But the hardcover book with his father's name on it was something else. It was THE MURDER HOUSE, his father's debut novel. A paper placard next to the book proclaimed. "Signed copy! Limited Edition!"
Albert continued walking a few steps before realizing that Brandon was no longer beside him. Pivoting on his heel, the smaller boy came back and stood with Brandon, staring into the dusty window. "Wow." His voice was hushed. He didn't seem to know what else to say.
Brandon didn't slow to think about what he was doing as he stepped toward the shop door, but Albert tried to stop him. "We're already late, Bran. If we're too tardy, we could get detention. They might even call our parents." Realizing exactly what he just said, Albert winced. "I'm sorry, Bran, I just mean we can get into a lot of trouble. We should go."
But Brandon paid his friend no mind. Still looking at the book in the window, he reached for the door. "You go ahead, Albert. I'll catch up." He went inside the store.
Albert stood there for a long time, his face expressionless as he stared at the closed door and the darkness beyond the dusty glass. Then he turned and walked away.
The inside of Goldman's Antiques and Curiosity Shop was dim, forcing Brandon to pause as he allowed his eyes to adjust, and not so dusty as the display window had led him to believe. Standing silent sentry at the front entrance was a suit of armor unlike anything Brandon had ever seen in history books. Painted a dull green, it was made up of a series of overlapping plates, shaped to resemble scales. Massive spikes on the shoulders, elbows, and knees gave it a demonic appearance. The helm resembled an open mouthed bullfrog. It should have looked
"Oh, no. Not at all." Claire said, layering her voice with sarcasm, but gently. She sighed. And, suddenly, she understood Emily better. Emily loved her. Truly loved her. Not just as a sister and best friend, but also as a fellow survivor of the terrors they had faced. And would face again. "You're a warrior at heart, Emily." The words felt strange as they tumbled forth, coming from someplace within, from some deep and true fountain of knowledge that her mind had brushed up against.
Intuition, she told herself, trying to rationalize the words still slipping out of her mouth. "In time, you'll move past the darkness, leading others to the light with your strength and grace. You will save lives, Emily. You will save souls." The words stopped coming and Claire swallowed hard. She hadn't intended to say any of those things, but she knew that every word was true. She knew it with every fiber of her being, to her very bones.
Emily's hand had stopped stroking Claire's hair and she looked up to find her friend staring down at her in wonder. Tears were drying on her cheeks, but she was smiling. Even with the yellowing bruises and her broken lips, maybe even because of them, it was the most beautiful smile Claire had ever seen. Full of love and strength and something new. A steely determination that took Emily's shattered beauty and turned it into something grander. Something almost angelic. Emily said. "You're awesome, Claire."
And the spell was broken. Both girls began to giggle and soon they were once again a pair of teenage girls. Resilient and tough, as all teenagers tended to be.
CHAPTER 6
Brandon and Albert were walking to school, having just left The Coffee Nook, when Brandon noticed something in the dusty window of Goldman's Antique and Curiosity Shop. He stopped walking, staring at the handful of items on display with a hollow feeling in his chest. The old Tiffany lamp and worn old pitcher's mitt held no interest for him. Forgotten relics of somebody else's past. Nothing to do with him.
But the hardcover book with his father's name on it was something else. It was THE MURDER HOUSE, his father's debut novel. A paper placard next to the book proclaimed. "Signed copy! Limited Edition!"
Albert continued walking a few steps before realizing that Brandon was no longer beside him. Pivoting on his heel, the smaller boy came back and stood with Brandon, staring into the dusty window. "Wow." His voice was hushed. He didn't seem to know what else to say.
Brandon didn't slow to think about what he was doing as he stepped toward the shop door, but Albert tried to stop him. "We're already late, Bran. If we're too tardy, we could get detention. They might even call our parents." Realizing exactly what he just said, Albert winced. "I'm sorry, Bran, I just mean we can get into a lot of trouble. We should go."
But Brandon paid his friend no mind. Still looking at the book in the window, he reached for the door. "You go ahead, Albert. I'll catch up." He went inside the store.
Albert stood there for a long time, his face expressionless as he stared at the closed door and the darkness beyond the dusty glass. Then he turned and walked away.
The inside of Goldman's Antiques and Curiosity Shop was dim, forcing Brandon to pause as he allowed his eyes to adjust, and not so dusty as the display window had led him to believe. Standing silent sentry at the front entrance was a suit of armor unlike anything Brandon had ever seen in history books. Painted a dull green, it was made up of a series of overlapping plates, shaped to resemble scales. Massive spikes on the shoulders, elbows, and knees gave it a demonic appearance. The helm resembled an open mouthed bullfrog. It should have looked
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