Keepers of the Flame (Trilogy Bundle) - By Melissa F. Hart Page 0,15

they both watched him stride out. She looked at the empty spot where Dylan had been standing and I could see she was pensive. Finally, she turned to me.

“Sit down, Lu.” Her voice was really grave. She waited for me to sit on the armchair across from where she was standing, then she sat on the sofa. “I'm not going to sugarcoat this for you. A lot of this is going to shock you, but you need to hear it and I believe you're old enough to hear it straight.”

I could feel my heart banging against my ribcage. I wanted to speak but my throat felt too dry, so I settled for nodding instead. Just before she began, Dylan came back into the room. He stood leaning against the wall and somehow I knew he was already in on what I was about to hear. I don't know how I knew, I just did.

“That stone you're wearing is no ordinary stone,” she began.

I put my hands above my heart, just where the stone rested beneath my t-shirt. It still retained some of the earlier heat, which had never happened before. Then again, this had been a very strange day.

“That stone is the source of the power of all Pereneans,” she went on. “Whoever has the stone controls the powers we all have.”

I waited a beat, expecting them to both burst out laughing and say they were just pulling my leg. But when I saw the grave expression on Dylan's face, I knew that wasn't going to happen.

“You mean those vampires are after this stone?” I asked in disbelief, focusing on my grandmother.

She nodded slowly.

I clutched the stone tightly. It meant so much to me. I had woken up to the stone on my pillow on the day I turned thirteen and had thought it was a present from my parents, even though they'd denied it. Still, it was practically all I had of them.

“Okay. I'm trying to understand this. So you're saying if I hand the stone over to the Council this is all going to stop?”

“I'm afraid it's not as easy as that, dear. If I tried to hold the stone, I would be turned into cinders.”

I felt my eyes open wide in shock. This was mind-boggling. “You mean...” I couldn't say it. But I didn't need to, Katrina was already nodding.

“You are the only one who can hold the stone. It chose you as its keeper when it came to you on the day you turned thirteen.”

“Can't we find another keeper then?” I felt the stone reach out and zap me then. “Ouch!” I cried quickly taking my hands off my chest. “It burned me.” I looked down in accusation.

Katrina smiled slightly. “It's alive and you probably hurt its feelings.”

Okay, time out! This was getting ridiculous. “I hurt its feelings? It's a stone, for goodness sake!” It zapped me again and I winced. Okay, I was getting the message.

“To answer your question, the last known keeper died five hundred years ago.”

This was worse than I thought. I was actually trapped with the stone. Although to be quite honest, I wasn't interested in giving it up to anyone, for anything.

“What of Lord Morrison?” I asked and saw Katrina wilt for a few seconds before she drew herself up.

“He's your grandfather.”

“My grand...!” This was too much to take in sitting down. So I got up and began to pace. I sneaked a look at Dylan and could tell he had known nothing about this. It eased my resentment a little.

“Okay.” I came to a halt in front of my grandma. “So why does he want me? How come you're both on opposite sides?”

“We weren't at first. He was the head of the protectors for so long, but somehow he got corrupted and left the protectors. We haven't been together since before your father was born.”

I had just decided that I'd had enough when the door burst open and we were invaded by said Lord Morrison.

Chapter Nine

I tried to move to where Luanne was standing but I was quickly overpowered. I struggled against the platinum bonds but there was no point. It was almost as effective as kryptonite on Superman in those classic shows. I watched, powerless, as she was surrounded by Lord Morrison's men, even though I noticed none of them was touching her.

“Katrina darling, it's been too long.”

Katrina stood up slowly and patted down one of her trademark caftans. She walked to where he was standing, barely reaching his