Free The Phoinix: Age of Demigods by S. L. Mancuso Page A

needed him the most.
    “Ah,” Brian said after he realized the
target of Remus’ search. “If Eoghan is not standing at my side,
where is he usually?”
    Remus’ tension eased slightly when it
dawned on him to whom Eoghan was attending. It was as if Eoghan
read the king’s mind to protect Breanna before he even thought
it.
    Brian said calming, “I gave Eoghan
strict instructions to protect her, not that I needed to. Breanna
is safe as long as she is with him.”
    Once Remus was confident Eoghan would
protect Bre he asked, “What was that awful bang and blue light you
two conjured?”
    “Protection spell,” Cailean
answered.
    “A very old and very strong protection
spell,” Brian added. “We need it since the MacCathail clan broke
through the charms around the palace. The room is safe as long as
the spell doesn’t fail.”
    Brian walked over to the throne room
door. He placed his hand on the large wooden door, closed his eyes,
and said, “They have traveled through the courtyard and are
searching for an entrance into the throne room.”
    While Brian channeled the
events outside the throne room, Cailean and another Gàidheal
searched inside and barricaded secret passages like the one
Lysandros took with Alina. Cailean knew the passages could cause a
two front battle, if discovered. While scurrying to set up
barricades, Cailean ordered his clansmen into two divisions: first
were the Gàidheal archers, who would take the right flank closest
to the outer wall and doorway; second were the broadswords, who
would stand in the center of the room and form a tight half
circle .
    The Gaels removed their hoods and
pushed back the dark silver and black cloaks over their shoulders
to reveal green tunics with gold leaves embroidered along the
sleeves. They wore grey leather pants with various sizes of bronze
blades attached, fastened by gold hilts.
    The archers held Oak bows that
flawlessly wove out from the handle and concluded in spirals.
Horsehair formed a strong flexible bowstring, and gold vines
wrapped around the curvaceous handle to complete the bows beauty.
Remus’ archers mirrored Cailean’s in their formation and his
Etrusci soldiers formed the Phalanx position. Their long silver
shields bearing Remus’ sigil of a wolf overlapped each other and
formed an impenetrable wall. Bronze spears and swords glistened in
the flickering light of the torches.
    Each Etrusci soldier wore
black leather boots with bronze coverings from their ankles to
their knees. Their breastplates, constructed of layered sheets of
bronze covered by black leather, extended from their chests to
their backs, curving around their ribs just above their hips.
Strips of black leather decorated with small, silver wolves hung
down from the breastplate and protected their thighs. As they
moved, emerald green capes flowed down from their shoulders to the
back of their knees. They were warriors
fit to the likeness of Ares.
    The Gaels and Etrusci took their
places side by side in the throne room. The throne room, once
worthy of the gods, was now an opulent void filled with deafening
silence. Despite the impending battle, the windows cast a rainbow
of rich colors that danced on the marble floor and snow colored
tapestries. It was hypnotic against the stormy nerves of the
men.
    “o’Conaill! ” Remus’ bellowed, his
voice echoing through the silence. “Where are they now?”
    Brian still held his hand against the
door and gravely looked at Remus over his shoulder. “We have
minutes until they break our barricades.”
    Remus, shocked at the news, asked,
“How could they break through so easily? The only way they could do
that is with a ram. I constructed my palace so it would be
impossible to carry one.”
    A familiar voice rang out from behind
the door, “Remus! My dear brother, let me in. Let us talk this
through as proper kings.”
    Remus’ breath caught in his chest as
pure shock made him stammer for words. Brian cleared his throat,
reminding Remus