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Brendan Carroll's Blog
Category:
Fantasy
Publisher: Brendan Carroll
ISBN-10: 1456566890
Type: Fiction
Pages: 306
Copyright: Jan 20, 2011
ISBN-13: 9781456566890
Price: $3.99 (eBook)
The King of the woodland elves returns to a kingdom in crisis as the Knight of Death finds himself at the mercy of his former love, Queen Semiramis and she does not feel inclined to deal gently with him. Things deteriorate globally as Omar's New Order of the Temple falls victim to an unexpected foe with a familiar face. The Knight of the Golden Eagle must use his magick to help save the elves and the entire Order when they are forced to go ground in the underworld seeking sanctuary from the New Prophet of Allah. Mark must do his best to protect not only his sons and his Brothers, he must do it from behind the scenes after Semiramis wreaks revenge on him for abandoning her while also suffering from the results of yet another of Meredith's magickal disasters. Luke Andrew and Omar travel to Jerusalem, intent upon taking on the entire Fox by themselves and Paddy, along with his cousin Seamus are imprisoned after they gain an audience with the King of England.
Excerpt
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Brother!” Barry objected as he stood and put his hand on the hilt of his sword. He squared off with Montague, who stood in front of him, a dark look on his face. Montague was livid with rage. He had been questioning the Knight of the Baldric about the possibility that Luke Matthew’s loyalties were not where they were should be. When he had finally accused them openly of a conspiracy against the Order and mentioned that the Ifrit Djinni seemed to be a demonic servant of the Knight, Barry had heard enough. “You would accuse us?!”
All eyes turned on the two Knights and silence reigned in the great hall. Montague had been drinking too much of the cherry wine and he had stepped over the line.
Montague stepped back and reached for his own sword. Luke Matthew stood up quickly and Rachel threw herself between the Knight of the Baldric and the Seneschal.
Louis was between them before anyone else could intervene. “Hold, Brothers!” The Frankish Knight shoved Rachel Leah out of harm’s way and held up his hand in front of Montague.
Montague drew his sword in spite of Louis Champlain and pointed the tip toward Luke Matthew.
“He holds the keys to the devil’s own door in his pocket,” the Seneschal told them. “He brought us here because he voted against Edgard d’Brouchart’s appointment!”
“You speak falsely, Brother!” Luke told him in astonishment. “I voted the white ball.”
“You lie!” Montague growled took a step toward the Knight. “You knew what you were doing. You brought us here to rot! You are in league with Mark Ramsay and his demon-son, Luke!”
“Brother!” Louis reached for his arm and Montague swung on the big Knight. Louis caught the sword, just above the hilt and bent it up and back, twisting the English Knight’s arm back painfully, sending him to his knees. “You have drunk too much and thought too much!”
“Enough!” D’Brouchart trundled around the table and lifted the Seneschal from the floor. “I will not have this! You would…” He stopped as Lavon de Bleu stepped onto the table and began to remove his clothes. Everyone turned to watch this new spectacle. The faeries fled the hall as the French Knight began to walk up and down the table, removing his mantle, surcoat and hauberk with almost ceremonial grace, throwing them onto the floor carelessly. He was speaking in a tongue none of them recognized.
“The son of the prophet, John Paul!” Someone shouted as the great hall began to clear.
“Flee! Flee!” Another faery voice joined the first.
Simon reached for Lavon, but his son, Andrew, held him back.
“Let him speak, Father!” Andy shouted at the healer.
Lavon sank to his knees in the center of the table and sat back on his heels. He picked up a knife from one of the overturned fruit bowls and held it up in front of him.
“Without shedding of blood is no remission. They have shed the blood of saints and prophets! Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man!” Lavon drew the dagger across his own bare chest. Blood ran down his stomach. He wiped his left in it and held it up for them to see. “And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: am I my brother's keeper? And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.”
The prophet stood slowly and turned about holding out his bloodied hand to them.
“And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great!” Lavon made another cut on his chest and more blood flowed onto his stomach, though he seemed not to feel it. “I pour out my blood as a testimony to you! Hear my words! Because of the mountain of Zion, which is desolate, the foxes walk upon it. Thou, O Lord, remainest for ever; thy throne from generation to generation. Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, and forsake us so long time? Turn thou us unto thee, O Lord, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old. But thou hast utterly rejected us; thou art very wroth against us.”
Lavon lowered his head and stepped down from the table. He sat down heavily on one of the benches and dropped the bloody dagger on the floor.
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