Declan sat at his desk, poring over every line, every word and every implied nuance of the old texts Doc had given him until his vision blurred. There had to be something they'd missed, something they weren't seeing. Declan would not believe they were helpless against a simple stone. There had to be a way to use it against the vampires, there had to be a way to fight back. The power in that crystal couldn't only go one way. But how? Why? He started down on the book in front of him. The answer was right there before him, but he couldn't read the language.
Swiping a hand over his burning eyes, he flipped over another page of the ancient book. Particles of dust flew in the air, landing behind his eyelids like sandpaper. With a frustrated growl, he shoved the useless book on the floor. The so
