* * *
After locking Bre and Eoghan in the cave, Elpis enjoyed the harmonious ballad of spells whistling through the air and clanging of swords crashing against each other. She walked through the battle with her own sword, slashing through soldiers with ease. Her sword glowed a dark-green light. As she swung her blade through men, they disintegrated and left nothing but a pile of ash on the ground.
“Eversor?” Elpis called as she continued her deadly parade through the battle.
“I’m here, my sweet,” Eversor appeared next to his wife and hugged her in the middle of the battle. He squeezed her tight and cradled her head against his neck lovingly, but Elpis simply patted his back in return.
“You’ve won. You destroyed the Phoenicians. Tell me, sweetheart, how does victorious revenge feel?”
“Empty.” Elpis said, void of emotion as she pushed herself away from Eversor. “Our mission is far from over.” Elpis yawned. “I’m tired of this. I want the other pantheons dead. I must destroy the gates of Olympus that they pitifully hide behind,” Elpis yelled up to the heavens. “They act like the gates have stopped me before. Simpletons, the lot of them.”
“We will, but first I have a vendetta with the o’Conaill brothers. Let me abolish their bloodline and we will go.” Eversor spotted Brian and Cailean fighting his clones.
Eversor smiled at his wife and sweetly kissed her forehead.
Elpis reached a hand up and adoringly cupped the side of his face. “Oh, my love, you misheard me. I said I must storm the gates of Olympus. Do not worry. Your powers will play a part in that massacre.”
Elpis stabbed her husband in the chest with the enchanted dagger he once used to kill her.
As Eversor gasped for air, black light traveled out from his chest, through the blade, up Elpis’ arm and into the nape of her neck. Her skin absorbed his powers and her eyes turned black as night. All around her, puffs of black smoke where clones used to be filled the air, leaving confused soldiers looking for their foes.
“Why?” Eversor asked his wife.
Elpis looked at her dying husband with cold black eyes and said, “Because you are my weakness. Your mind was weak all those years ago, poisoned by the will of the gods. Our love has destroyed me once before. I will not let it happen again.”
An explosion of rocks burst out into the battlefield. Walking out of the rock dust, Bre and Eoghan aimed their swords at Elpis. They expected to walk into a raging battle, but instead witnessed Elpis pulling the dagger out of Eversor’s chest, his lifeless body crumbling to the ground.
You are too late to save anyone here, Princess, Elpis whispered in Bre’s mind.
The dagger in Elpis’ hand grew into a sword. Elpis slowly inhaled through her nose as her body seemingly recharged itself from the power she stole from Eversor. Her sword glowed white as heat radiated off the blade. Bre, standing at least a hundred feet away from Elpis, felt the heat vibrate on her face. Bre read Elpis’ mind and saw she was planning to incinerate everyone in the pass.
With a wave of Bre’s hand, all the soldiers, Lupa, and her uncle disappeared from the battlefield. All that remained were the members of her intimate group, the people who began this journey with her.
“No! How?” Bre glared at Elpis. She meant to send Eoghan, Lysandros, and the o’Conaills with Romulus.
“A simple transference spell? Honestly, Princess, you need to get better with your magic. Be original with them. It is not hard to interfere with simplicity,” Elpis scolded Breanna.
Elpis had a wicked smile and pulled a closed fist to her chest. With a quick jerk of her wrist, Eoghan knelt in front of Elpis again, but this time his hands were tied behind his back. Elpis pulled her sword back, aimed at his heart, about to reclaim The Power.
To Bre, everything appeared in slow motion. Cailean and Lysandros sprinted forward to grab Eoghan, while vines sprung out from Brian’s palm to restrain Elpis. Off to the side, Andraste stood in the entrance of one of the caves. In her hand burned a small bird made of orange and red flames.
Breanna nodded, understanding what must happen. “The Phoinix must burn.” Andraste bowed her head apologetically and disappeared.
Help me one last time, Bre sent a message to her animals.
Of course, Leora replied.
It was a good run, Whisper answered with a nod of his head.
This is not the end, My Queen, Aurora responded, followed by a purr.
We gladly follow you, Clover howled in the now silent pass.
Bre smiled appreciatively as a blue light radiated out from her and the animals, freezing time in the pass.
Bre glided gracefully towards Elpis, silently saying her goodbyes to Cailean, Lysandros, and Brian as she walked past them. They were so fierce and dedicated in this fight. They fought valiantly; she would not let any more harm come to them.
A trail of white roses followed Bre as her tears of farewell fell to the ground.
When Bre arrived in front of Elpis, she expected anger or fear on Eoghan’s face. Instead, he gazed at her with the loving look he always had for her. He knew without a doubt that one day Bre would find a way to bring him back.
She loved him even more for his never wavering faith in her. Bre shook her head and mumbled, “Stubborn, stubborn man,” under her breath. Bre touched the side of Eoghan’s face and unfroze him from the spell. She quickly untied his hands and knelt down in front of him so she could entwine her fingers with his.
“Marry me,” Eoghan whispered in her ear.
“No,” Bre chuckled and pushed her hair out of her eyes, “Die with me.”
Eoghan flashed his usual prize-winning grin as he said, “Gladly, Brat.”
The blue light faded and the sword Elpis drew back to kill Eoghan pierced both of their chests. Neither cried out in pain. They firmly grasped each other’s hands and stared in each other’s eyes, welcoming the lull of death.
Cries from the men rushing to stop Elpis were a distant sound as The Power built up in both Bre’s and Eoghan’s chests.
Elpis smiled gloriously thinking she won both powers because of “foolish” love. However, she quickly discovered their hearts were not all she pierced. White light blazed out from the wolf pendant around Bre’s neck. The sword stabbed the smallest edge of the necklace before plunging into Bre’s chest, but it was enough to cause a massive surge of power.
The light quickly consumed the entire pass, and the screams of Elpis shook the earth miles away. The screams of her defeat were the song of victory in the heavens.
When the light subsided, Breanna, Eoghan, the animals, Elpis, and the bodies of the dead vanished. It was as if there had never been a battle. All that remained was the wolf pendant with jagged cut on the back of one of the wolves and Elpis’ sword, with a red string wrapped around the blade.
Brian, Lysandros and Cailean ran over to the where Bre and Eoghan had been. Brian picked up the sword and examined the weapon. The handle burned his palm. He ripped a piece of his shirt to wrap around the handle in order to hold it.
“We failed her. Elpis won and vanished with Breanna’s power. How are we going to stop her now?” Lysandros squatted down, on the verge of tears. “I promised her mother I would protect her.”
Brian, still examining the sword, said, “Elpis does not have Bre’s half of The Power. It is here on the sword.”
“Maybe they survived that…whatever that was. Maybe they were transported somewhere,” Cailean added, flustered, grief starting to set in.
Brian patted his brother on the back to console him. “No, Cail. Without The Power in their bodies, they would not be able to survive such a surge. Breanna and Eoghan are physically dead, but that does not mean this is the last time we will see them. Elpis, however, is another story. There are too many gold eagles here. She may have escaped a true death again, although, I have a feeling that she will not be an issue right away.”
“What do you mean by physically dead?” Cailean asked, hopeful.
>
Brian smiled and plunged the sword into the ground. The Power spread from the sword and into the earth, casting a red hue throughout the land.
“She will rise again, because the prophecy has not been completed,” Brian gave a light-hearted chuckle.
Brian helped Lysandros up and swung his arms around Cailean’s and Lysandros’ necks as they limped out of the pass. “This is not the end, boys. Let’s be prepared for the next time, huh?” Brian laughed loudly.
The sounds of Brian’s laughter echoed through the caves as if they celebrated with him.
The Phoinix: Age of Demigods Page 76