Archbishop Alonzo de Urdaneta growled in frustration. His forehead wrinkled as he squinted in the candlelight. He had the stone in his possession for weeks, but he had made little progress in understanding its power. His vast collection of texts and correspondence with others in his circle had helped to verify that he did indeed…
The bonfire immediately grew from sparks in the kindling to dancing flames in the parched fuel. Soon it overtook the waning sunset as the source of light on the beach. The crew of the Siren Song, 75 in all, brought crates, camp stools, and small casks to set up as seating around the bonfire. One…
Grace took a deep breath before taking up the looking glass. Ever since her fever broke and she had been awake, she had been running her fingers through the shortened hair. The lack of weight on her head was still strange. Now she would see if she deserved the pitying looks she received from Bartolo…
The ample brim of his hat did little to shade his eyes from the dazzling sunlight. Images of the chapel entrance still burned white in his vision as Captain Juan Carlos Montoya slowly stepped down the center aisle toward the altar. Eventually his eyes adjusted to the candlelight of is favorite shrine in Manila. While…