Mortal Gods (Mantles of Power Book 2)

by Benjamin Medrano

  “I don’t even dare exercise in here,” Kitania added, looking around the bedroom warily. The furnishings were too fine for her to dare risk breaking, not after everything else she’d been through in the palace, but at least she’d taken a bath before meeting with Alserah.

  A knock at the door managed to sidetrack Kitania’s thoughts, and she paused, uncertain if she should answer it. After a few moments, she slowly approached the door and called out, “Who is it?”

  “I’m Breanne, miss,” a woman’s voice replied, her voice slightly more accented than Kitania was used to. “I was asked to bring you some clothing, regards of Princess Sellis.”

  “What? She already knows?” Kitania asked under her breath, somewhat startled. It hadn’t been that long since she’d been given her freedom… but at the same time, it was possible that the princess had been planning to give her clothing after the unfortunate incident at the ball, and just hadn’t been able to yet. Wondering wouldn’t help any, though, so after a moment she shrugged and opened the door.

  “Eek!” Breanne let out a scream as she jumped back from the cart she’d been pushing, her eyes going huge as she saw Kitania. The elf was brown-haired, blue-eyed, and slightly more tanned than most elves were, while she looked slightly uncomfortable in her maid’s outfit. The woman looked like she was on the verge of running, and the guards behind her both looked a little amused.

  “What, didn’t you know that she was a demon?” one of the guards asked, smiling slightly as she glanced at Kitania. “I thought everyone in the palace knew by this point.”

  “I… I thought the others were just joking with me! It’s only my second day in the palace, and… and…” Breanne replied, almost frozen in place as she stared at Kitania, her breathing quick. The sight amused Kitania a little, but more than that, she felt a bit of pity for the woman.

  A couple of guards rushed around the corner, likely in response to the scream, but one of Kitania’s guards waved at them, moving to meet them. The guard was probably going to explain what had happened, but Kitania decided to focus on the maid instead. She spoke calmly, keeping her tone gentle as she met Breanne’s eyes. “Hello, Breanne. I’m Kitania Darkshade, and I was allowed to stay here by Her Grace. I won’t hurt you, at least as long as you don’t try to hurt me.”

  “I… you’ve met Her Grace?” the maid asked, seeming to calm down slightly, her back almost against the wall.

  “Yes, a couple of times now. She was debating what to do with me, and I suppose I’m a guest now. I suspect that’s why the princess sent me clothing, since I’m rather drably dressed for a guest in the palace,” Kitania replied, smiling as she looked at the cart, which had several boxes stacked on it. “Would you come in? I’ll leave the door open to make you more comfortable, so the guards can keep an eye on me.”

  “Um, alright… I guess that would make me feel better,” the maid replied, obviously still flustered as she reluctantly pushed the cart into the room.

  Kitania looked around and found a doorstop to hold the door open, then stepped close to look at the boxes. There were rather more of them than she’d anticipated, and she had to wonder when Niadra had ordered the clothing. Breanne nervously edged away when she came close, but Kitania pretended not to notice, a little sad about how nervous the young woman was.

  “Let’s see what Her Highness decided to send me, shall we?” Kitania murmured, taking a lid off the first box as Breanne paused, looking unsure of what to do.

  The clothing inside was wrapped in cloth, and Kitania opened the top one before pausing, pursing her lips slightly. The clothing inside wasn’t anywhere near as nice as the dress Niadra had provided before, but it also wasn’t as simple and dowdy as the clothing Kitania was currently wearing. It was nice, purple linen, and had elegant embroidery that wouldn’t make her stand out too much in the palace, even if it wasn’t overly ornate. In fact, as Kitania went through the box, she found that it was mostly tunics and dress tops that would be functional, some of them even ideal for exercising in, yet were still fairly nice.

  Kitania paused, then looked at Breanne and spoke politely. “Would you unload these into the wardrobe for me? You don’t need to hang them up or anything. I’ll take care of that once I’ve decided how to organize them. I’d like to go through the other boxes before deciding where to put their contents.”

  “Of… of course, Miss Darkshade,” Breanne replied, her face flickering with relief. Probably because it gave her something to do that wasn’t next to her, Kitania suspected.

  As the young woman got to work, Kitania went through the other three boxes. The second one contained underthings, which Kitania was happy to see. The third had several simpler gowns within, including a nightgown and what she thought was a bathing gown from how fluffy it was. The fourth box had a variety of sets of skirts and trousers, while the last had three sets of shoes within, one of them with heels, one for exercising, and one just as a nice set that were probably for around the palace.

  “Her Highness certainly decided to outdo herself,” Kitania said at last, standing up straight as she smiled in admiration, and began helping move the contents into her wardrobe as she added, “Would you please convey my thanks to her, Breanne?”

  “I can do that,” Breanne agreed quickly, seeming to have calmed down by this point. She was still keeping an eye on Kitania, but after a moment she paused and blushed. “Oh! I almost forgot, she gave me a message for you as well. Where did I put it…”

  The maid fumbled through the cart for a moment, then found the letter from where it had slipped between two boxes. It was in a cream-colored envelope with Kitania’s name on the front, and as she handed it to Kitania, the demoness caught the faint scent of a fruity perfume.

  “Oh, let’s see what she had to say,” Kitania said, cracking the wax seal to open the envelope. As she did so, the scent grew stronger, and Kitania pulled out the letter to read it. The letter was in elven, but the last couple of weeks had given Kitania enough practice that she could read it, though she had a little difficulty in a few places.

  Dear Lady Darkshade,

  I do hope you don’t hold the unfortunate events at the ball against me. Unfortunately, I did not expect interference such as we encountered, and I do wish that it had gone better. Up until the end, I did enjoy my time with you, however, and I would like to spend more time in your company. As you’ve been granted freedom to travel about the palace, I would like to ask you to tea the day after tomorrow in the Sylvan Garden at two bells after noon.

  Additionally, I thought it best to provide you a better wardrobe as well. While not up to royal standards, it should at least aid in mitigating the tendency of others to look down on you. I employed the same seamstress as before, so all of it should fit adequately.

  Sincerely,

  Princess Niadra Sellis the Fourth

  Kitania blinked, then smiled slightly. She was a little surprised that the princess had sent her anything, but it seemed that the other woman really did regret what had happened, and that was admirable, at least from Kitania’s point of view. It helped that the other night had made clear what Niadra’s ulterior motives were, and it was even a little flattering. As it was, she wondered what the ambassador would find in Estalia, though the thought made her pensive at best. She didn’t want to get her hopes up, and it felt… unpleasant to consider.

  “Interesting. If you’d please let Her Highness know that I’d be happy to join her for tea, I’d appreciate it,” Kitania replied, folding the note again and moving it to the table. She made a mental note to burn it later, since she doubted that Niadra would like others reading what she’d said.

  “I’ll certainly do that,” Breanne agreed, moving what Kitania thought were the last of the things into the wardrobe. It wasn’t tidy, not yet, but that would be easy enough to fix. The maid hesitated, and Kitania resisted the urge to laugh. It was obvious that the maid was torn between doing a proper job and fleeing as quickly as she could.

  “Go ahead and
take my message to Her Highness,” Kitania said kindly, the corners of her lips curving upward in her amusement, which banished some of her gloom. “I’ll take care of things here.”

  “As you say. I’ll convey your messages immediately,” Breanne said, and she quickly placed the lids back onto the boxes before pulling the cart into the hallway again. Kitania followed, pulling out the doorstop and gently closing the door to give herself privacy again.

  Turning, Kitania debated for a moment, then moved to the wardrobe to organize it properly. She doubted that Breanne would have organized it in a way that would satisfy her, anyway, so she was happy to do it herself.

  “Once I’m done, I can change into something nicer and see what I’m going to do about dinner,” Kitania murmured, then shivered as a thought struck her, and she swallowed before adding softly, “I really hope I don’t have to attend a court banquet or the like.”

  After a moment, she continued to work. If Alserah decided to invite Kitania to a banquet, there was little she could do but acquiesce. In the meantime, she could at least make herself a little more comfortable.

  Chapter 21

  As Rose approached the building the prisoners were in, she couldn’t help her blood chilling slightly at the sight of it. The building itself was as beautiful as the rest of the palace, almost an art piece on an enormous scale, but despite that, it was also obviously a prison. Around it were numerous pillars, between which she could see glittering strands like a massive web. They surrounded the building on every side, including above the structure, which would keep any angels from escaping if the strands were strong enough.

  On the ground, near where she was approaching, there was a guarded doorway. Rose could see a few more demons inside the pillars, keeping an eye on a couple dozen dispirited angels who were in the yard around the building. She was surprised to see a couple of them tending to the gardens inside their prison, but she supposed that not all the people who’d been captured would be content with just sitting around.

  As Rose approached, the guards next to the door saluted her, one of them speaking in a harsh voice, which was somewhat explained by the tusks jutting from his mouth. “Greetings, Lady Rose. We were told to expect you.”

  “Thank you. How have things been going today?” Rose asked, glancing into the prison as a couple of the angels inside looked in her direction curiously. One of them stiffened, but the others didn’t seem to have recognized her yet. She wasn’t sure if that made her feel better or worse, if she was honest.

  “The prisoners have been quiet for the most part, at least after the first few days. They’ve also organized somewhat, but that isn’t unusual,” the guard’s partner said, shrugging as she smiled at Rose. “They’re acclimating at last, which always helps. If Her Majesty visits, it helps more, but that’s not too common.”

  “Except when they’re being rowdy,” the other guard said, shaking his head in disapproval. “You’d think they’d know that being difficult won’t help.”

  “I see. Well, may I go inside?” Rose asked politely, soothing herself with formality. She wasn’t sure if she was looking forward to what was coming.

  “Of course, one moment,” the first guard said, and he turned to unlock the outer gate, then opened the heavy doors with a grunt.

  Rose stepped inside, then waited as the two closed the doors and locked them, then the guards on the inner side unlocked the second set of doors to let her fully into the prison compound. She’d never seen a prison camp quite like this one, though she’d seen two sets of doors around some prisons before. It was just the care that Estalia had put into trapping those who could fly that startled her.

  As the guard closed the door behind her, Rose saw that she was getting a few more odd looks. One of the soldiers slowly approached, and Rose recognized Alanah, a woman who’d been about fourth in line to command Firewatch, as she recalled. Alanah hadn’t been too close to Rose, as she’d transferred to the post relatively recently, but they knew each other reasonably well.

  “Is… is that you, First Sword?” Alanah asked, sounding cautious and with a note of disbelief in her voice.

  “I don’t think that those in charge of the Order would consider that to be accurate anymore, at least not the rank,” Rose replied, keeping her hand off Ember’s hilt as she looked Alanah in the eyes, then smiled as she continued calmly. “If you’re asking if I’m Roselynn Emberborn, the answer is yes. However, I now go by Rose, as things have changed in the last few months.”

  “What?” a nearby man exclaimed, his eyes widening enormously, and a couple of other angels looked on in shock. Some of them began speaking quietly among themselves, but Rose chose to ignore them.

  “You… why are you armed? We thought you were captured, and… and…” Alanah began, her eyes brimming with tears as she asked, “Did… did you betray us?”

  “Betray you? No, of course not. I didn’t tell Estalia anything about Firewatch; she learned all that on her own,” Rose replied, taking a step forward and sighing heavily as she looked around. “As to why I’m armed… I was captured, Alanah. Then things changed immensely. I’d tell you right here, but I believe it’s best to not repeat myself. May I speak with you and whoever is in charge? I know someone had to replace me, and I’m told that no one escaped.”

  “I… yes, Seidrel took your position as First Sword,” Alanah replied, taking a deep breath, then letting it out slowly as she looked Rose over. She hesitated before adding quietly, “You’ve changed a lot. I almost didn’t recognize you. If it weren’t for Ember, I probably wouldn’t have.”

  “I’m not surprised. When I look back, I’m rather surprised at how much I changed, but I feel like it’s for the best,” Rose said, looking down at herself, at the beautiful bodice and embroidered leather pants she was wearing, something she’d never have worn in Firewatch. “I hadn’t realized how much I’d been strangling myself in the Order, so I feel free for the first time in my life.”

  “That’s… wait, no, I should take you to Seidrel,” Alanah said, taking a deep breath, then nodded and turned away. “He should be in the conference room about this time, anyway.”

  “Lead the way,” Rose replied and began following the other angel. Alanah seemed tense, so after a moment Rose asked, hiding her nervousness, “Have you been treated well? I know some of the other angels here came to tend to wounds, and that there were injuries, but not much more than that.”

  “For the most part, we’re alright. A few people are still in shock at being captured, but despite having quite a few injuries in the attack, everyone was healed fairly quickly,” Alanah said, her voice a bit unsteady as she opened the door to the building and entered. “I’m still in shock. We don’t really even know why Firewatch was attacked. Or why they took such pains to take us all alive.”

  “Ah, well, I should be able to shed some light on that, at the least,” Rose told the other woman, not feeling quite as happy that she’d be the one bearing bad news, but she supposed that the others hadn’t wanted to upset the prisoners too much. “The situation is far more complex than you might think.”

  “I… well, as you said, you’ll be able to explain soon enough, I guess,” Alanah said, letting out a frustrated breath as she glanced back at Rose, hesitating before she asked, leading the way down the halls of the building, which at least looked nice, “How did you end up looking like that, anyway?”

  “Expert teachers, and a bit of magic to help,” Rose replied, smiling warmly at the more innocent subject. “It’s amazing what you can do when you put your mind to it, and people help you relax. I think I’d gotten a bit… stiff.”

  “If you say so. I guess you’re a lot more expressive now… I don’t remember you smiling much,” Alanah said, her voice softer than it had been.

  “No, I didn’t. I also didn’t have much reason to,” Rose agreed, some of her pleasure fading. Alanah couldn’t seem to decide how to reply to that, so the woman continued down the hall without saying anything, and Rose followed
her.

  Soon they reached another door, aside from several they’d passed, and Rose could hear a soft voice through it, though she couldn’t quite make out the words. The voice was familiar and became clearer as Alanah opened the door.

  “… have to do something to keep people occupied, so putting them on details simply makes sense, and… Alanah? What are you doing here?” Seidrel asked, looking slightly frazzled as he looked away from the four other men and women in the room. The dark-haired man had seen better days, Rose thought, and his eyes widened as she stepped into the room, demanding, “Who is this?”

  “Ah…” Alanah hesitated, looking at Rose nervously.

  “Allow me, Alanah,” Rose said, smiling as she looked at Seidrel and the others, all of whom she knew, but most of them didn’t recognize her. “As you don’t recognize me, I’m former First Sword Roselynn Emberborn. Call me Rose, if you please. I can’t blame you for not recognizing me immediately, as I’ve changed quite a bit, all of which was of my own volition.”

  Seidrel studied Rose for a long moment, a frown on his face. She thought she saw a spark of recognition in his eyes, but he didn’t say anything just yet. Finally, he spoke, his voice stern. “I think you are Roselynn, and yet… how can you prove it? Demons have many shapechangers among their ranks, and it would be quite easy for someone to change into an approximation of you and claim that they’re Roselynn.”

  “Indeed, such would be quite possible. However, there’s one thing they couldn’t fake,” Rose agreed, and she smiled as she casually drew Ember.

  The ruby blade of her sword lit up as flames ignited around it, the sword blazing like a scarlet star in the room. Seidrel, Alanah, and all the others flinched at the sight of the flames, backing away slightly. Rose smiled more widely as she placed the blade against the palm of her left hand, the metal feeling slightly warm against her skin, satisfied at their reaction. She didn’t like scaring them, but at least she was certain that they’d believe her now.