City Of Swords

City Of Swords
Alex Archer

In Charlemagne's footsteps, a man who would be Holy Emperor…It was the kind of internet posting guaranteed to attract the attention of the American cable TV show Chasing History's Monsters: "Dog-headed men sighted by tourists in Avignon." Drawn to France to explore the myth of Saint Christopher and the cynocephalus, or the dog-headed, archaeologist and television host Annja Creed finds herself repeatedly and inexplicably targeted by vicious mercenaries. Her best defense is to trace this brutal violence back to its source, which she soon discovers to be a millionaire and self-professed descendant of King Charlemagne.Caught up in a romantic and ruthless sixth-century world, the man is convinced that if he collects mankind's most precious and holy swords, he can fulfill his medieval ancestor's failed goal to build the City of God. And he's stealing the priceless relics one by one to arm his modern-day paladins. Now he has his eye on a very special sword–Annja's.And he'll have to kill her to get it.

In Charlemagne’s footsteps, a man who would be Holy Emperor...

It was the kind of internet posting guaranteed to attract the attention of the American cable TV show Chasing History’s Monsters: “Dog-headed men sighted by tourists in Avignon.” Drawn to France to explore the myth of Saint Christopher and the cynocephalus or the dog-headed, archaeologist and television host Annja Creed finds herself repeatedly and inexplicably targeted by vicious mercenaries. Her best defense is to trace this brutal violence back to its source, which she soon discovers to be a millionaire and self-professed descendant of King Charlemagne.

Caught up in a romantic and ruthless sixth-century world, the man is convinced that if he collects mankind’s most precious and holy swords, he can fulfill his medieval ancestor’s failed goal to build the City of God. And he’s stealing the priceless relics one by one to arm his modern-day paladins. Now he has his eye on a very special sword—Annja’s.

And he’ll have to kill her to get it.

It happened fast, the two grabbed Rembert and spun him around

The taller of the two men put a knife to her cameraman’s throat, while the other produced a second knife and held it to his stomach. Rembert dropped his camera and flailed his arms up, but stopped moving when the one named Gaston jabbed the tip hard enough to draw blood.

“Stay still,” Gaston said.

Annja had been reaching for the sword in her mind, had felt the sensation of the pommel against her palm, but she left the blade hanging in the otherwhere.

“I told the kid the money is at the hotel.” Annja squinted through the driving rain, taking in Rembert’s panic. “I only have a few Euros with me. You can have them, but—”

“We don’t want your money, Annja Creed. We want your sword.”

His accent. Annja recognized Gaston. He was one of the gang she’d fought in Paris outside the old train station. He was one of the gang who’d fled before the police arrived. What was he doing here? Had he overheard her talking to Roux, telling him she was coming to this city for another episode of Chasing History’s Monsters?

“The sword! If you hand over the sword, we’ll let your friend live.”

City of Swords

Alex Archer

www.mirabooks.co.uk (http://www.mirabooks.co.uk)

The Legend

...The English commander took Joan’s sword and raised it high.

The broadsword, plain and unadorned, gleaned in the firelight. He put the tip against the ground and his foot at the center of the blade. The broadsword shattered, fragments falling into the mud. The crowd surged forward, peasant and soldier, and snatched the shards from the trampled mud. The commander tossed the hilt deep into the crowd.

Smoke almost obscured Joan, but she continued praying till the end, until finally the flames climbed her body and she sagged against the restraints.

Joan of Arc died that fateful day in France, but her legend and sword are reborn...

Special thanks and acknowledgment to

Jean Rabe for her contribution to this work.

Contents

Chapter 1 (#u0d48cdc8-af26-50de-a743-db0900116e83)

Chapter 2 (#u2f297406-83d4-58ae-9772-a8dd57abbde6)

Chapter 3 (#uf4a3a8e6-3057-58d0-a3dd-47a39b686016)

Chapter 4 (#u247d3199-4d6e-5ee7-9b1e-e150ddda9212)

Chapter 5 (#ufbd3efa1-8ecc-5bff-bdba-96e2e0902c6e)

Chapter 6 (#uf473bcd7-f260-5102-ab0b-c3482b3bdf1d)

Chapter 7 (#ua210b4d2-d434-55ce-bef8-5701d6a0a647)

Chapter 8 (#u62a91e3c-83c9-53ea-b825-fac96fabff4d)

Chapter 9 (#u43f82ac1-d5f8-5347-bf29-928c90d1e806)

Chapter 10 (#u0077a113-d6e1-5a7d-86aa-010e054b781a)

Chapter 11 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 12 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 13 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 14 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 15 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 16 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 17 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 18 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 19 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 20 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 21 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 22 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 23 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 24 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 25 (#litres_trial_promo)