The scent of wood smoke hung on the chill night air as Jacqueline hurried through Vernazza's narrow alleys. She clutched her satchel of mystical artifacts close, wary of any spies loyal to Victoria. Tonight they would attempt to break the villain’s fetters once and for all.
Jacqueline slipped into the cobbled piazza where they had arranged to meet. Standing beneath the clock tower, she searched for her compatriots in the rebellion. Her breath caught to see a slim, hooded figure detach from the deeper shadows across the way.
For an instant, she feared betrayal—but as the figure glided into a pool of moonlight she recognized Emma, face taut with shared purpose.
Before Jacqueline could speak, more stealthy forms converged from three different directions. Laura and Blake materialized from around a fountain, while Enrique strode quickly from the direction of the guest quarters. Each bore items—arcane film canisters, braziers of purification—to aid their ritual.