Mortal Gods (Mantles of Power Book 2)

by Benjamin Medrano

  The ballroom was impressive, though, and Kitania admired how the support pillars of the room had been shaped to look like living trees, and the support beams across the ceiling looked like stylized branches. The effort it must have taken made Kitania want to shake her head, but she knew elves. Likely as not, they’d recruited a druid or dryad to create the patterns, which would be much easier than trying to carve them by hand. The rest of the ballroom was just as elaborate, with paintings, tapestries, and a handful of statues around the edge of the room, along with a few guards and a raised platform for the band that was playing music.

  On the other hand, the central dance floor was quite solid, despite being made of wood, something which Kitania had determined after spending nearly an hour and a half dancing. Niadra had started the process by requesting a dance, and despite Kitania’s lessons with a reasonably friendly maid, she’d barely managed to keep up and didn’t think much of her attempt at dancing.

  Then the others had struck. Unlike the other ladies at the ball, Kitania didn’t have a dance card, and the elves in the ballroom had taken that to mean she could accept any number of dances. The good part was that having so many dances in a row had given Kitania ample time to practice and watch the elves on the dance floor, so by the end she’d managed to become decent with the local dances. She wouldn’t claim she was much good, but she was decent.

  “I see you decided to take a break! I suspect a few people are disappointed, though. I heard that some of the others were taking bets on how long you could keep going,” Niadra said, smiling broadly as she waited nearby, looking relaxed as she plucked a grape from her plate and popped it in her mouth. The princess had only danced four times that Kitania had seen, so she hadn’t had people trying to run her ragged, which caused Kitania’s anger to flare, if only a little.

  Kitania eyed the grapes jealously, then replied as civilly as she could manage with her mouth almost watering. “I do hope you weren’t in on the betting.”

  “Of course not! It would be a conflict of interests, and most of the others seem to think that I know more about you than everyone else does,” Niadra replied, chewing for a moment before swallowing and grinning. “All I know is that you’ve managed to dance for quite a long time without looking like you’ve developed blisters and barely look tired. It’s rather impressive.”

  “I never develop blisters,” Kitania replied, shaking her head and crossing her arms as she stepped closer so that a noblewoman wouldn’t accidentally wander into her. She wasn’t sure why the woman was trying, but Kitania was in no mood to apologize. “It’s part of my ability to heal. They never have the chance to form.”

  “That simply isn’t fair,” Niadra replied, betraying the first bit of frustration Kitania had seen from the princess, her eyebrows furrowing. “I’ve ended up with far, far too many blisters over the years. You just not getting them is… a tiny bit infuriating, if I’m being honest.”

  “It isn’t like I have a choice in the matter, you know,” Kitania replied, keeping her tone mild as she looked at the tables of refreshments. She did rather want something to eat. Even if she didn’t require food, it didn’t stop her from getting hungry, and the food she’d seen was tempting beyond belief. “I’ve had this… gift for as long as I can remember. Believe me, some days I really, sincerely wished that I could just end it all. Especially after Rosken.”

  “You truly were there?” a man asked, stepping out of the crowd. Kitania remembered him from the dance floor, a handsome brown-haired man with soft blue eyes. His dance had been about midway through the evening, so her impressions of him were something of a blur, unfortunately. He had a pair of wine glasses in one hand and a plate of food in the other, and he smiled as he said, “I saw the pair of you were without drinks, and Miss Kitania was on the dance floor since the ball began, so I thought it best to bring her refreshments.”

  “Oh, thank you, Lord Navian!” Niadra replied, smiling broadly as she reached to take one of the glasses. “I was just thinking about getting something to drink, and you saved me the trip!”

  “Not at all, Your Highness. It’s my pleasure to be of assistance,” Lord Navian replied, looking pleased as he turned to Kitania. She hesitated, then took the drink and plate as she nodded, trying to hide how much she was looking forward to trying the food.

  “Thank you, Lord Navian. I was debating going to retrieve some food, but have been rather preoccupied,” Kitania told him, and her smile faded as she continued, her hunger abating slightly as she answered his question. “As to Rosken… yes. I remember seeing the archangels and Alserah approaching from above as the deities and demon lords rose to meet them. They strafed the walls first, injuring or killing nearly a quarter of those on the walls in moments and disabling many of the siege engines. That alone likely wouldn’t have decided the battle, but it might have. It didn’t matter in the end, though. The explosion consumed everyone in the fortress, and a large part of the attacking army.”

  Pausing, Kitania considered the glass of wine before taking a slow sip, savoring the unusual liquid. It was so different from what she drank in the hells, sweeter and without the smokiness that many wines from below possessed. Finally, she continued, her voice calm as they stared at her. “I woke over a month afterward, on the edge of the crater. I must have… washed up on the shore, as it were, and dragged myself out of it so I could finish healing. It was one of the worst days of my life, I think.”

  “I can only imagine,” Niadra murmured, her eyes darker now as much of her pleasure faded. “I’ve never been in battle, myself. I’ve taken some basic training in combat, of course… every princess of the realm is expected to know how to defend themselves. But something of that scale is unimaginable for me.”

  “There’s a reason why it was one of the last battles of the war,” Kitania replied, shrugging uncomfortably. “I also decided it pretty much proved that I couldn’t die. I’d tried a number of things before that to see if they inhibited my healing, but when even the wrath unleashed by the equivalent of seven gods couldn’t kill me… well, there’s a certain point where you just give up. I consider my ability to heal more of a curse than a gift.”

  “Do you think it might be a mantle of power?” Lord Navian asked, tilting his head curiously. “Like a demon lord’s mantle, I mean.”

  “That’s the question, isn’t it? I just don’t know. I haven’t had the chance to try to absorb a demonic mantle before, and I’m not sure I’d want that kind of power,” Kitania replied, shaking her head and adjusting her grip so she could hold the plate with the same hand holding the wine glass. She took a bite of a thin sandwich, one which would only take two bites to finish at most. The flavors exploded in her mouth, and it was all Kitania could do to keep her eyes from closing blissfully, or from instantly inhaling the rest of the sandwich. Instead, she ate it carefully, and when she was done with it, she continued. “I don’t know how it would be passed on, either. My mother told me that the bearer of a mantle instinctively knows how to pass it on to others, if they want to, and I’ve never had knowledge like that. So… I don’t know. I doubt it is, since that would make my life easier.”

  “Most interesting, since I would have thought a gift of that power would only be available to a demon lord or—” Lord Navian began, only to be interrupted by a manservant tapping his shoulder, and the noble turned, asking, “Yes, what is it?”

  “I’m afraid that Lady Navian has retired for the evening, sir. It appears that something she ate earlier disagreed with her,” the manservant explained apologetically. “She was calling for the carriage. Would you like me to arrange for separate transport back to your estate?”

  “She what? No, no… if Trisha is feeling that unwell, I’d best tend to her,” Lord Navian said, suddenly looking concerned. He turned back and bowed his head to Niadra, then smiled at Kitania. She noticed that he really did look unhappy to go, but instead nodded to her as he spoke. “My apologies, Your Highness, it seems I must go. I hope the pair of you have a
lovely evening, Miss Kitania. I wish that I’d been able to ask you more questions, but alas, I must depart.”

  “If your wife is feeling unwell, of course you should go. I do hope she gets feeling better,” Niadra said, smiling at him as she drank more of her wine.

  “Indeed. If she ate something bad, I’d suggest she drink a fair amount of water if she’s able, or some broth. It might help soothe the symptoms,” Kitania told him, then smiled as she added, raising the hand holding her plate and glass slightly, “Thank you for bringing the food and drinks, it’s very appreciated.”

  “It was nothing. Thank you for the advice, but I’d best go,” Lord Navian replied, then quickly turned to head for the door at a brisk pace.

  “He’s such a nice man,” Niadra murmured softly, watching him go. “It’s a shame his wife is so sickly, though. Otherwise he’d be able to attend court more often.”

  “What does he do?” Kitania asked, watching the noble go as she idly continued sampling her food, luxuriating in the incredible flavors. “He didn’t seem like a warrior to me.”

  “He isn’t. Lord Navian is an administrator over his family lands. They control a large portion of croplands in specific, and he provides much of the cotton for the Forest of Sighs, as well as a significant amount of food,” Niadra explained, smiling broadly at Kitania. “He’s not the most powerful of nobles, but he has a good amount of sway due to how many people owe him favors. It’s good that he seemed to like you.”

  “If you say so,” Kitania said, shifting the plate to her other hand so she could take another drink. For her part, Niadra set her empty glass on a passing servant’s tray, and they were silent for the moment, watching the dancing continue. Kitania felt her tension slowly beginning to fade, which was rather nice.

  Kitania continued eating, watching some of the nearby nobles warily. It looked like several were considering approaching her, and only Niadra’s presence was helping ward them off. It really didn’t look like her food was going to slow them down for long, so Kitania regretfully started eating more quickly. She also eyed the doors out of the ballroom into one of the huge gardens speculatively, trying to decide if she could make a brief escape there.

  “My, but aren’t you popular?” Niadra said, looking around and smiling as she handed her plate over to another servant. “I normally have some people hovering in the wings, but not this many.”

  “I think that it’s more along the lines that they like being able to needle a demon without them being able to do anything in return,” Kitania replied, shaking her head and draining her glass of wine. She noticed that it took her a little longer to find a servant to take the glass than it had taken Niadra, almost like they were avoiding her. Still, she managed to find one, then worked her way through the meal as she continued. “A part of why I left the dance floor was to avoid the thinly veiled observations about demons. Or me, for that matter.”

  “Ah, of course, the usual pastime of nobility, trying to take people down a peg. I think they don’t like how you’ve kept your poise even in the middle of a nation that hasn’t been on the best terms with your own,” Niadra replied, sounding even more relaxed as she glanced over at Kitania, her eyes sparkling as she asked, “In any case, care for a walk in the garden? If you don’t wish to dance, the least you could do is keep me company.”

  “As you like, Your Highness,” Kitania agreed, polishing off the last of her food while wishing she’d been able to get more. A tiny part of her mind noticed that a fuzzy sensation was creeping over her thoughts, and it briefly let out a warning that she wasn’t quite thinking straight. Unfortunately, Kitania felt good enough about leaving the ballroom that she promptly buried the warning and handed off the plate to a servant. She definitely felt more relaxed.

  Niadra offered her arm again, and Kitania took it, heading toward the door with the princess beside her. At least no one was going to stop Niadra from leaving with her, Kitania reflected happily.

  Chapter 11

  The garden reminded Kitania of the ones in her mother’s palace, if even lusher and with more greenery. The flowers were different for the most part, the product of the different environments, but even so, Estalia had worked to have some plants from the mortal world cultivated in her gardens and built them into incredibly elaborate displays. The elven gardens were no different, there, and the care that had been put into them was comforting.

  “You’ve relaxed, Kitania,” Niadra murmured, her pace slow as Kitania looked at a flowering bush. She didn’t know most of the plants in the mortal world, but the white flowers were lovely under the light of the setting sun.

  “I’ve never been too fond of balls,” Kitania replied, smiling at the plants, then back at the princess as she continued, a sense of contentment helping her relax even more. “Gardens, on the other hand… they’ve long been my refuge from the rest of the world. I grew up among ones as elaborate as these, and I lost myself in them as a child. I remember thinking that if I came around the right corner, I might find a portal to some wonderful world far better than the palace I lived in… I never found the corner, mind you, but I dreamed of it.”

  “Ah, I see. Perhaps the two of us aren’t quite as different as I thought we were at first,” Niadra said, looking around with a smile, then continuing at a sedate pace. “There’s a nice gazebo with a view over the pond to our left, but I’d rather have some privacy. For that, there’s a few places that aren’t frequented in the hedge maze to our right.”

  “Very well,” Kitania agreed, feeling even warmer and more relaxed as she looked at the princess curiously, noting how attractive she was. “Why are you wanting privacy, then?”

  “Because some people can’t help but stick their noses where they aren’t wanted, and I want to get to know you better,” Niadra said mischievously, glancing behind them as she considered, then continued. “Speaking of which, I suppose I’d best throw anyone following off our trail, hm?”

  The princess tapped the bracelet she was wearing, and Kitania blinked as a cloud of amber mist swirled out around them, then they turned semitranslucent as another pair of softly glowing copies of Kitania and Niadra appeared, taking a slightly different path. Niadra turned a corner into a different part of the maze, leading the way calmly.

  “Won’t they notice that the other two were glowing?” Kitania asked curiously, expecting that the answer was no, but having to ask. “Your item made quite a display, too.”

  “It only makes a display if you’re within a foot of me when I activate it,” Niadra replied, her eyes twinkling with amusement as she patted Kitania’s hand. “From the perspective of others, we just kept going and went down the other path, since initially the illusions were over us as we went invisible. It only lasts for a few minutes, and they’ll vanish just after taking a few more corners, more than enough to confuse any pursuit.”

  “Interesting, and rather useful. I wouldn’t expect to see something like that used to throw off pursuers at a party, but I suppose it works as well here as in other situations,” Kitania murmured, glancing behind them and not seeing or hearing anyone else. “So why do you want to get to know me?”

  “Isn’t it obvious?” Niadra asked, turning to face Kitania as she smiled widely. “I find you very interesting, Kitania.”

  The princess leaned forward into Kitania, and it was no surprise at all when her lips met the demoness’s. In fact, Kitania felt herself melt into the embrace and the warmth of the elf, feeling the other woman’s heat… and a tiny part of her simply sighed in relief. She let go of her worries and fears, and just drifted pleasantly as the kiss went on for several long seconds, and Kitania found her arms wrapping around the princess. At last, Niadra broke the kiss, smiling radiantly as she did so.

  “Oh, that was even better than I’d guessed it might be,” Niadra said dreamily, gazing into Kitania’s eyes. “I hope you don’t mind? I didn’t intend for things to get to this point, mind you, but it felt like it was the right time.”

  “No, I don’t
mind. I find it a little surprising, perhaps, but I don’t mind at all,” Kitania replied, surprising herself by blushing a little. “I had wondered why you invited me to the ball and felt that it couldn’t just be to show me off to the other nobles. I just didn’t expect this.”

  “Mm, I take pains to hide my interests. There’s more than one reason I don’t think I’ll ever have a position of particular power,” Niadra explained, grinning as she pulled out of Kitania’s embrace and tugged at her arm insistently. “Come on, I want to get to somewhere a bit more private. We can’t have people seeing us, after all.”

  “Sure,” Kitania agreed, pleasure spreading through her quickly. Part of her knew that this wasn’t a good idea. Following a princess into a private part of the garden for a liaison could end horribly for her. Beyond that, she wouldn’t normally be so agreeable, but… she just couldn’t bring herself to care. So, she followed the princess through the garden happily.

  Niadra obviously knew her way around the hedge maze, because she rarely stopped long enough to get her bearings, and about halfway in, the magic hiding them faded. Kitania probably could retrace their path if she weren’t so distracted. All the lights seemed brighter, the colors more vivid, and she felt the tension of the last few days falling off rapidly. All that mattered was what was happening right now.

  Soon enough, they came to a secluded alcove, one with a bench and flowers all around it. The sounds of the party had faded almost entirely, and Kitania looked around in appreciation. It might not be the nicest place she’d visited, but it was quite lovely, and she couldn’t see any windows in direct line of sight. That was likely on purpose.