The Phoinix: Age of Demigods

by S. L. Mancuso

Chapter 29

  Annwyn

  Breanna and Eoghan fell fast through the darkness. Eoghan clung to Bre’s hand, almost crushing it under his desperate grasp.

  A dim light filled the pit around them. The ground rapidly approached and their bodies tensed to embrace for the impact when suddenly, they stopped midair and hovered inches above the ground. As abruptly as they stopped, whatever halted their decent released them and they fell face first onto soft grass.

  Bre coughed, sputtering dirt out of her mouth.

  Eoghan laughed at her disheveled appearance with grass sticking out of her hair. “It could have been worse, Bre. We could have not stopped at all.”

  “Yes,” Breanna replied, pulling the green blades from her hair, “but I would have preferred not landing on my face.”

  Still holding hands, their knuckles white from their unyielding clutch, they took in the breathtaking surroundings. They landed in a beautiful garden filled with every kind of flower imaginable, whose fragrances mixed flawlessly and intoxicated the air. The scent of the flowers pushed every bad memory and worried thought from their minds. Blissful existence was all that remained in their world.

  Birds sung in harmony, adding to the calming effect of the garden. Clear blue skies stretched across the horizon. The sweet, scented air had the perfect temperature: not cold enough to require winter cloaks, but not hot enough to force them to strip their clothes. The Trees were filled with bright green leaves and ripe fruit. It was a seductive environment to remove all troubles. It felt like home.

  Overwhelmingly hungry, Eoghan’s stomach growled at the sight of the fruit. Still holding hands, Eoghan dragged Bre over to a tree and pulled down two peaches for them. The sweetest juice filled their mouths as they gorged on the fruit.

  “Well that did not take long,” a familiar female voice made Eoghan spin around. The half-eaten peach fell from his mouth and he wiggled his hand away from Bre.

  Standing before them, healed and beautiful was Haley. There was No sign of her brutal murder by giving birth to a demon baby.

  “How?” Eoghan stuttered, unable to spit out another word.

  Bre looked hurt as she watched Eoghan frantically search for words. Her hand felt weak and cold, almost naked, without his touch. She decided to help Eoghan and address Haley properly. Her words came out harsher than she intended, “How are you alive?”

  “I am not, Your Majesty. You are in the lands of Arawn, his Kingdom of Annwyn. You know, The Celtic god of the Dead, also known as your grandfather,” Haley addressed Bre with the same cold tone Bre accidently used.

  “And how do you know this?” Bre took an aggressive step forward, annoyed Haley knew about her life.

  “Everyone has known about this,” Haley rolled her eyes. “And she is the one to bring this world peace?” Haley scoffed to Eoghan.

  “Are you truly dead?” Eoghan asked, still in shock, trying to absorb the news.

  “Yes,” Haley laughed, “Dead and happy. I am finally at peace.” Haley smiled at Eoghan comfortingly.

  “But you are all alone here. I can’t leave you here by yourself.” Eoghan’s eyes watered.

  Eoghan’s emotions overwhelmed Bre and Leora was not near to help her control her empathic power. It was getting increasingly difficult to tell whose emotions belonged to whom.

  “I won’t be alone for long,” Haley said calmly. “My brothers are also here.”

  Bre shook her head trying to rid herself of Eoghan’s grief. She did not want to mourn for Haley. There was nothing more that could be done; Haley was dead and in the underworld. Bre needed to find the rest of her party and leave.

  “Alina!” Bre shouted, finally remembering her injured mother. “Eoghan, I might be able to heal her with my new powers. We have to find her!”

  The image of Eversor stabbing Alina replayed in her mind. Breanna’s breathing became erratic, until Eoghan’s warm but firm grasp held her both her arms. “Where do we start, Bre? We do not even know where we are exactly. We may have fallen through the same hole, but clearly, we did not land in the same place. First, we have to find someone who can guide us.”

  Haley smiled again. “That is why Arawn sent me. He caught your mother when she fell and summoned the rest of your group to his palace. He was so distracted in gathering your mother that he missed taking you.”

  Eoghan spoke calmly, but firmly, “Where is the palace?”

  Haley held open her palm and her yew staff appeared in her hand. She stomped the staff on the ground and the scene changed from the field filled with flowers and trees to a throne room made of marble, engraved with red Celtic knots. In the center of the room, a giant throne made of shiny onyx stood against the marble wall. A giant white dog with red ears lay in the throne sleeping: the same dog Alina conjured to kill the Germanic tribe.

  “You’ll find your mother and the rest of your group in the next room, Your Highness. Hurry now,” Haley warned.

  With a single nod conveying her thanks, Breanna took off, desperately sprinting around the corner to get to her mother.

  Eoghan lingered behind, staring at Haley. This was the last time he would ever see her, and it felt like a knife twisting in his gut.

  “I am so sorry, Hale.” Eoghan took her hand but avoided her eyes.

  “There is nothing to be sorry about. It was my destiny, just as this is yours. I played an important role in the upcoming battle and for that, I am sorry. I am Sorry that I could not do more to help your clan in the war.” Haley cocked her head, listening to an inaudible voice. “I have to go now, Eoghan. You must go to Bre. She will need you now, more than ever.”

  Haley kissed his cheek and stepped backwards. She smiled and winked at Eoghan as she slammed her staff on the floor. The Druidess was gone in a flash of white light.

  Eoghan winced at Haley’s absence, rubbing the heel of his palm over the left side of his chest. “I am sorry I could not save you. It was my choice in joining the o’Conaills that left you to this fate. Forgive me,” Eoghan whispered to the empty room, hoping Haley, wherever she was, could hear him.

  Eoghan took a steadying, deep breath and jogged after Breanna. When he turned the corner, he found the closest room and opened the door. Inside, Alina was sprawled on a tall four-poster bed, unconscious and barely breathing.

  Brian and Cailean mumbled healing prayers. Lysandros, Cole, and Leo conversed off to the side. None of them took their eyes off Alina. Nikolaos sat on the floor with Bre, rocking her back and forth, as she sobbed in his arms. Lupa and all four of Bre’s animals huddled around Alina’s bed.

  Eoghan moved towards Bre, when suddenly a blur of brown and green flew past his head, making him stumble sideways. The blur crashed hard into the back wall then crumbled to the ground.

  Eoghan gasped at the realization of who flew past him. Nemetona lay on the ground, bloody and beaten. She tried to recover from her beating when another blur, black and grey, stopped in front of her. A man with short brown hair and raging grey eyes picked Nemetona up by the throat with ease. He slammed her hard against the wall, leaving a human-sized dent.

  “How dare you!” the man screamed at the goddess, his handsome features wrinkling in his wrath. “Do you know what you have done?”

  Bam! Another slam. Cracks webbed out from where Nemetona collided with the stone wall.

  The goddess had burn marks where her skin peaked through the vines and leaves that covered little of her body. Nemetona grabbed hold of the man’s shoulders as he started to strangle her, but her eyes rolled to the back of her head and her arms slid off his shoulders, dangling limp in the air.

  “Oh no you don’t!” the man said as he released his grip around her throat.

  The man threw Nemetona across the room where she hit the ground and slid backwards into a wooden chair. In an instant, the man stood over her with the chair above his head. Nemetona, gasping for air, tried to stand but he shattered the chair over her back, forcing her back down on her stomach. The g
oddess lay still as welts appeared, some with splinters from the shattered chair sticking out. The man then kicked her repeatedly in the stomach until she gagged on her own blood.

  Everyone, except Brian and Cailean still mumbling over Alina, stared silently at the one-sided fight. Breanna could feel the hatred and rage from the man, as well as the agony from Nemetona. The pain made her so sick she began to cough and gag like Nemetona.

  The man stopped beating the grove goddess and walked over to Bre. He gently touched the side of her face and Bre stopped coughing. All pain vanished, and for the first time in days, she could only feel herself.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Nemetona make a dash for the door. He held out his arm and spread his fingers as if they were claws. “Dochartas,” the man snarled.

  Nemetona screamed and crawled into the fetal position, her broken body shaking in fear and agony.

  “You have betrayed the pantheon, Nemetona,” the man’s voice boomed with authority. “You will suffer your punishment at my hands. Dochartas!”

  Nemetona screamed again, her nails digging at the marble floor.

  “I only wanted to stop the marriage,” Nemetona breathlessly whispered.

  “An entire nemeton was slaughtered because of you!” bellowed the man. His grey eyes turned red as he landed another kick to her stomach.

  “Enough, Arawn!” a man’s voice filled the room. “Alina wouldn’t want this.”

  Eoghan’s mouth dropped, astonished at who dared to give an order to the Celtic Death God. Remus sat on the bed next to Alina, holding her hand.

  “She is the reason Alina is like this. She is responsible for the rebirth of The Queen.” Arawn gave Nemetona another kick, this time to the face. “I may not be able to kill her, but I will certainly make her suffer. Cnaimh, come!” Arawn called his dog.

  The large white dog from the throne trotted into the room. He growled to announce his presence.

  “Deal with her.” Arawn pointed at Nemetona.

  The dog howled and then took Nemetona’s ankle in his mouth. Nemetona’s screams faded down the hall as Cnaimh dragged her out of earshot to a fate far worse than death.

  “I know she is responsible, but there is nothing we can do about that now. The only thing you should be doing is holding your daughter’s hand,” Remus said as he stroked Alina’s hair.

  “I want to know what you meant, Arawn, by her causing this,” Bre said as she stood up, red eyed and puffy faced, to address Arawn.

  Arawn gave Bre a sorrowful look and sighed. “Nemetona met Eoghan and Druantia at Arras last night. She then proceeded to search out The Morrigan and informed the witch of Eoghan’s whereabouts. So of course The Morrigan told Eversor, who then took advantage of attacking Arras while a fertility goddess visited.” Arawn gently grabbed Bre’s hand and rubbed his thumb soothingly over the top of it. “He assumed you would be the first to get to Eoghan and knew he could con you into a fight. All he needed was a pregnant girl and you or your mother’s blood. I am thankful that Druidess was there instead of you, otherwise you might have been the one to conceive the demon spawn.” Arawn glared at Eoghan as if threatening him never to touch his granddaughter.

  “Why did he need our blood?” Bre asked, trying to get his attention away from Eoghan.

  “Because you and Alina both have half The Power. It courses through your blood. Blood magic is the most powerful magic there is. I can only assume he decided to use your mother because it would hurt you and get rid of a powerful enemy.” He glanced at Alina, who was still unconscious but still breathing. “The only way to resurrect The Queen was to use The Power that created the monstrosity.”

  “What do you mean resurrect?” Nikolaos stood next to Bre, folding his arms across his chest. He leaned closer to Bre, making sure a part of his arm touched her. Their physical contact gave them both a sense of security.

  Elpis has been reborn,” Brian answered his question.

  “Do not stop chanting, o’Conaill!” Arawn bellowed at Brian.

  “There is nothing more we can do. Her life force is being drained. Eversor ripped her soul in two by removing The Power. All we can do now is ease her pain. Not even the fairies can heal this.” A tear fell from Brian’s face as he stared at his powerful hands, useless to save his friend.

  “I thought she was a goddess, how can she die?” Bre’s voice cracked as she asked Arawn.

  “The Power has the ability to kill gods, which is what makes The Queen so deadly. It is difficult to do so and the Queen risks killing herself in attempting it, but it can be done. When The Power is removed from a vessel, just as Brian explained, its splits the soul and drains their life’s essence. That is why the gods killed Elpis. They feared for their lives, and rightfully so. Unfortunately, that fear has been rekindled,” Arawn explained.

  “She is a baby. How big of a threat can she be?” Breanna asked what they were all thinking.

  “She has half The Power, Breanna, and unlike you, she knows how to use those powers to the extreme. She is the greatest threat to the entire world now. This is all thanks to Eoghan not resisting a simple fertility spell. Next time, take a swim in a cold lake.” Arawn stared daggers at Eoghan.

  The idea that he fathered baby Elpis nauseated Eoghan. “Oh, gods,” Eoghan ran to the door and vomited around the corner.

  “So our task has gotten much harder,” Leo added, frustrated, looking at his brothers. “In order to fulfill our ‘destiny’, we need to destroy Elpis, who is now Breanna’s equal in power. How delightful.”

  “She is a baby. Not even gods can wield their powers as infants,” Cole said, not understanding why everyone was so afraid of Elpis.

  “She will not be a baby for long,” Brian answered.

  Eoghan returned, wiping his mouth, still nauseous. He glanced at Bre but immediately averted eye contact. He cannot face her without facing his own failures.

  A Gasp from the bed silenced everyone, drawing their attention to Alina. She opened her eyes wide in panic and scanned the room for Bre. They softened when they landed on Breanna’s face, seeing she was all right. Alina reached out a hand for her daughter and spoke in a hushed voice, “I failed you. Forgive me, Sweetheart.”

  Bre reached for her hand, but Alina arched her back and painfully gasped for air.

  As Alina exhaled, her hand fell from her chest and hung limp over side of the bed. Everyone held their breaths, waiting for her to inhale again, but her chest never rose.

  “No, Mama!” Bre cried and ran to Alina.

  Cailean jumped out of Bre’s way and wiped tears from his eyes.

  Bre cradled her mother’s head and swayed with her body on the bed. Alina was cold and gave Bre shivers, but she refused to let her go. Remus patted his daughter’s back and kissed the top of her head, but then he smiled at his grieving daughter.

  “I never got to say goodbye to either of you.” Breanna’s tears fell onto Alina’s strawberry blonde hair. She gripped her father’s hand as she sobbed.

  Remus’ hands were strong and steady. His grasp forced Bre’s hand to stop shaking uncontrollably.

  To everyone’s surprise, Breanna stopped weeping and her eyes turned black as she lifted her head, facing Arawn.

  “Bring her back,” Bre growled. “You are the god of the underworld, her father! You can bring her back!”

  Arawn slowly shook his head. “I cannot do that, Breanna. She is gone. What is dead must stay dead. This was her destiny. Once The Power is removed, that life is forsaken.”

  “Bring her back before I destroy the underworld to do it myself!” Bre screamed. Power swelled in her chest and increased the turmoil of her rage.

  “Calm yourself, Sweetheart,” Alina’s sweet voice called out from behind Arawn.

  Everyone standing behind Arawn scurried next to the bed where Bre held her mother’s dead body. Arawn stepped aside to allow Bre to see Alina’s smiling face. She wore a gold dress with her hair pinned into a bun, surrounded by a golden cr
own.

  Arawn waved his hand and Alina’s body disappeared from Breanna’s arms. Bre fell forward from the lack of weight in her lap.

  Bre climbed off the bed and rushed to her mother. “I can’t lose you. There is still so much you have not taught me. Tell me how to fix this.”

  Alina squeezed her daughter, cradling her head against her breasts. “You have everything you’ll ever need. You have your powers, your brothers, Lysandros, and the Clan o’Conaill.” Alina smiled at each as she named them. “When you need me the most, I will be there. Your father and I will always aid you in your most dire times, but you must go now, Breanna. The world needs its heroes back.”

  “How can I save the world when I cannot even save my own parents?” Breanna sobbed.

  “Because you must,” Alina replied as if the answer were simple. “Listen to me carefully; all that I can offer you now is knowledge about the prophecy. Elpis has been reborn and she will have two goals in her new life: revenge and power. She will want to destroy the pantheons that created her, and it is your job to save them. In saving the gods, you save the world. Elpis must not get your half of The Power. The world must be protected at all costs, even if that means sacrificing everything you love.” Alina’s face was stern, but her eyes were sad. She knew the unfair choices that awaited her daughter.

  However, Alina quickly changed her demeanor with a satisfied smile as she looked over her loving friends and family.

  Remus came up behind Breanna and squished her in a bear hug. “I love you, Princess. You must call upon your uncle and Rome for help. Do not be afraid to use its force. After all, you are the granddaughter of Mars, especially since our kingdom is now part of Rome.” Remus flashed Bre a giant, playful smile. "Oh, and look, you have my half of the pendant. Keep it safe and it will keep you safe,” he said, pleased as he gently raised the gold pendant with his finger to watch the torch light shimmer in the metal.

  He picked Bre up off her feet and spun her around in the air.

  “He took over Etruria?” Cailean asked, shocked. “Breanna is the heir to the kingdom. How can Romulus claim that land for himself?”

  “Because he now knows Breanna is The Queen. She is not only the heir to Etruria, but also the heir to the throne of the world. Mark my words: He will bow to you, Breanna, or father will see to him.” Remus winked and smiled again.

  Remus lifted Bre’s chin and kissed her forehead before walking to the doorway, where he waited patiently for Alina.

  “You must go now,” Alina advised. “Time passes differently here. When you return, you will all age to your proper earth year. I also fear that Brian and Arawn are right. With the help of The Morrigan and Eversor’s powers, Elpis will also have aged tremendously and will be able to fight.”

  Alina kissed Bre then hugged the o’Conaill brothers, Lysandros, and Eoghan. Tears welled in her eyes as she said her goodbyes. When Alina came to her three sons, they each silently cried as they hugged their mother for the last time.

  “You cannot leave her. If you three are not there for the final battle, she will not succeed,” she whispered so only the brothers could hear; however, due to their connection, Breanna heard what her mother murmured to them.

  Alina kissed her sons one last time then walked over to the door where Remus held out his hand. She turned to face the group, who were now all in tears, and blew them a kiss.

  Remus snapped his fingers and they both disappeared.

  “Don’t worry about your mother. I have made comfortable arrangements for her and your father.” Arawn smiled. “However, Alina is right. I must get you back to your world. You have spent far too much time here and the lives of the gods are in your hands.” Arawn turned to Breanna. “As for you, my precious granddaughter, allow me to give you a gift.” Arawn cupped his hand and ball of grey smoke emerged.

  Arawn tossed the ball and hit Bre in the chest. She stumbled backwards as a black light burned in her chest.

  “What was that?” Bre examined her body, expecting a burn mark.

  “You have your mother’s powers over the dead now. Be careful with them, they can be intoxicating and will consume you if you allow it.” Arawn rubbed his hands together and licked his lower lip. He bent down to whisper in Bre’s ear, “Remember the earthquake on Delos.”

  Arawn’s whisper confused Breanna. She learned of the earthquake on Delos and its mass destruction when she was younger. She remembered her father and Lysandros spent a year there helping to rebuild houses and bury the dead.

  “Why would you remind me of such a tragedy?” Bre asked confused.

  Arawn cleared his throat, ignoring Bre’s question. “Now stand together. I don’t want to miss any of you.” Arawn herded everyone around Bre. “Goodbye, Breanna. I will be watching.”

  Arawn swung his arms out wide and black smoke poured in around the group.

  Through the smoke, Arawn called out, “Tilleadh!”