Mortal Gods (Mantles of Power Book 2)

by Benjamin Medrano

  “Ember will burn anyone but its chosen wielder, and not even immunity to fire can defend against it. Furthermore, none but those of the Emberborn line can gain Ember’s acknowledgement,” Rose said, pulling her hand away after several long seconds to show it was unmarred. She glanced at Seidrel as she continued pointedly. “I know that you’re aware of this, Seidrel. I told you once when you asked if you could examine Ember, then tried to touch it.”

  “Yes, you did tell me that once,” Seidrel conceded after a moment, looking at Ember warily. He paused for a long moment, then asked, “In fact, that brings yet another question to mind. Why in heaven’s name are you cooperating with these… these monsters that attacked us? They obviously trust you if they let you bring Ember in here, and I have to assume the volunteers who came to rescue you failed! Why would you—”

  “They weren’t here to rescue me.” Rose cut him off, her tone instantly going cold as she sheathed Ember again, and the other angels froze. Rose realized she was scowling and tried to relax.

  “What are you talking about, First Sword?” David asked, his voice unsteady, but looking far more composed than the others were.

  “My abduction may have been carried out by demons, but the mercenaries who struck the island were hired by angels to take me to the hells and have me questioned. Apparently, one of my old friends had started delving into secrets that others wanted concealed, and they believed that I might have information from her. However, they were rather dismayed when the mercenaries decided to leave me alive in order to get their information,” Rose replied steadily, stepping deeper into the room as she looked around at the others. “About three weeks ago, the rescue party struck. They attempted to kill me, my friend Isalla, and the person who’d helped us, a demoness named Kitania.”

  “That’s insane! Why would they do something like that?” Alanah exclaimed, her eyes wide with shock, obviously not believing what she was hearing. “How do you even know that they were trying to kill you?”

  “Fifteen trained soldiers against the three of us, and you don’t think I’d know if they were trying to kill me?” Rose asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically, and Alanah flushed in embarrassment. After a moment, Rose continued calmly. “The group behind them threw Isalla into the portal in Hragon when she started investigating what they were doing in the Evergardens, but not before cutting off her wings and poisoning her. If it hadn’t been for Kitania using magic to catch her, she’d have died almost instantly. Then the supposed rescuers attacked us, and they used an arrow that may have killed Kitania, and did teleport her somewhere else. That enraged both me and Isalla, and Estalia… well, her anger exceeded ours. None of the supposed rescuers who survived are injured, but neither will they be allowed to return. That same anger is why Her Majesty attacked Firewatch. If it weren’t for the fact that you didn’t know what you’d been used for, she’d have attacked with virtually no mercy, rather than capturing all of you.”

  All the angels in the room flinched, and Rose saw them look at each other. It took a few moments before Seidrel spoke, his voice almost plaintive. “But why would she be so angry, and take it out on us?”

  “Kitania is Estalia’s only daughter,” Rose replied simply, and the angels flinched even harder. Before any of them could gather themselves again, she continued calmly. “That’s not the full extent of it, either. I asked much the same thing, but she explained that a raid of that magnitude, especially as visible as it was, couldn’t go unanswered. If she allowed the attack to go without retaliation, her neighbors would think they could raid her territory with impunity. I wasn’t happy about it, but she promised to attempt to take all of you alive if you weren’t at fault for the attack. I’m more surprised that she was willing to hold back, as angry as she was.”

  “That was mercy?” Eina demanded, the woman’s voice slightly incredulous.

  “Yes, it was. She didn’t have most of you killed, and you’re in a rather nice prison, rather than enslaved or sacrificed, like most other demons would have treated you,” Rose told her, a hint of displeasure crossing her face. “If you haven’t seen the others around the palace or talked to them, for the most part Estalia treats angels well. And you still can hope to be freed via a prisoner exchange or ransom, which is more than most can hope for.”

  “And what of you? Are you just another prisoner like we are?” Alanah asked, looking like she’d calmed down, though she looked worried and more than a little suspicious.

  “Me? No, of course not. I’m free to leave whenever I choose,” Rose said, shaking her head as she smiled thinly. “If we hadn’t waited for Isalla’s wings to be regenerated and to find where Kitania was teleported to, I’d already have left the hells in the search for those who betrayed me. Neither of us have any faith that they have the heavens’ best interests at heart, and we’re not willing to let them have their way.”

  The room remained quiet for a long minute as they looked at Rose, shifting uncomfortably. It was Seidrel who spoke at last, sounding almost drained as he did so. “So, why’d you come here, then? To rub our faces in what’s happened?”

  “Of course not. I came to visit and make sure everyone was being taken care of, to answer some questions, and to see if there were any requests you had that were reasonable enough to grant,” Rose said, shaking her head slowly. “I may not consider myself a member of the order anymore, but you were still my subordinates before I was captured. I feel responsible for at least ensuring that you’re well-treated.”

  “Ah,” Seidrel said, then he sighed and looked at the others, giving a faint smile as he asked, “I don’t suppose weapons and armor would be considered reasonable, would they? Or removing the mana restriction collars of the magi?”

  “Unfortunately, I don’t think that Estalia would consider those wise, so no,” Rose said, smiling slightly in return. “If you manage to win her trust… perhaps, but I doubt that any of you would be happy with that.”

  “Probably not, no,” David agreed with a laugh, and the others added their own agreement. After a moment, he looked at Seidrel and continued. “That said, I think that I can think of a few things. Equipment to work out with would be nice, for one thing.”

  “True. Well, why don’t we all sit down so we can discuss it?” Seidrel said, sighing as he pulled out his chair. He gave Rose an unhappy look as he continued. “I’m not happy with you, and I feel a bit betrayed… but there’s not much I can do about that right now. Getting into a position where we’re not in danger of someone getting themselves killed is more important.”

  “Agreed,” Rose said, pulling out a chair to take a seat as she added, “I don’t blame you for your feelings, either. My life has changed, but I remember what it was like for me. Now then, let’s hear your concerns, and I’ll see what can be done. Not that there’s any sort of guarantee that I can help, but I’ll do my best to convince Her Majesty to listen.”

  The other angels nodded, finishing taking their seats. Then they got down to their discussion, and Rose focused on ignoring their barely hidden distrust of her.

  She couldn’t honestly blame them, but also didn’t much care. They’d learn or they wouldn’t. And if Estalia visited… well, she didn’t think their suspicion would hold out for long.

  “Demons took Firewatch?” Haral demanded, looking at Raezel in shock. The man nodded, his face grim as his wings fluttered behind him nervously.

  “That’s right. I was taking your message there, but was also keeping a sharp eye out, and I saw the guards from far enough off to evade them. I checked, and the fort’s walls were also manned by demons,” Raezel said, the shorter angel looking distinctly unhappy. “I don’t know how they managed to take the fort without them getting a message off, but I didn’t have much choice but to flee.”

  “Lord of Light help us…” Haral said, mentally cursing. Losing Firewatch would be a major setback, at least if the plans she knew were underway were to be carried out. It’d been the perfect staging ground for several vital raids, and it
being lost to demons was frustrating, to say the least. After a moment, she looked up and asked, “Did you report this to your superiors?”

  “Of course. I didn’t have any real choice, as quickly as I returned,” the man replied, smiling wryly as he shook his head. “They reacted poorly, much as I expected them to. I suspect they’re already reporting to the Holy Council.”

  “Well, thank goodness for small favors. This might even convince those imbeciles to support proper retaliation against those monsters,” Haral said, taking a deep breath as she calmed down, nodding. “Losing Firewatch is unfortunate, but we can work around it. I suspect that Eziel’s group must have run afoul of the demons in that domain and led them back to Firewatch. It’s unfortunate, but at least we know something, now.”

  “As you say, Lady Haral,” Raezel said, bowing deeply. “Is there anything else you’d like me to do?”

  “No, just tell any representatives of the Council the truth. You were sent to inquire about the status of the rescue of Roselynn Emberborn,” Haral said, smiling at the man as she nodded. “You may go.”

  “Thank you,” Raezel said, and he turned to leave, moving briskly.

  Once he was gone, Haral’s smile faded, and she murmured unhappily, “The problem is that preparations are just taking too much time. Soon, though…”

  She shook her head, and looked at some of the letters she’d received from others, and from Sorm in particular. At least her decision regarding the Forest of Sighs had been approved.

  Chapter 22

  To Kitania’s surprise, the Sylvan Garden was exactly what she’d expected it to be, unlike most other places she’d visited in the palace. An undine was playing in the pond in the center of the garden, and around the edges of the garden were shy dryads, some of them tending to the flowers, but others hiding behind their trees as they whispered and watched Kitania and Niadra curiously. Mostly Kitania, admittedly, but that was to be expected.

  The garden was beautiful, with flowers blooming readily, some of which Kitania suspected were out of season, and it gave a good view of the area around them, making it hard for others to sneak up. That made a few men and women peeking at them a little more obvious, and Kitania resisted the urge to smile when they noticed her gaze and hurried on their way.

  “I did hear that you had a hard time after being drugged. I hope it wasn’t too bad?” Niadra asked, her expression a bit downcast, as far as Kitania could tell. The princess was better at hiding her emotions than most of the elves Kitania had met, which made judging what she was feeling a little harder.

  “The withdrawal was particularly bad. Imagine a regular hangover, then multiply it by about… three times, and you’d have how I felt the next day,” Kitania replied, glancing idly at the tea she’d been served, debating whether it’d be safe to drink. “It wasn’t the most pleasant of experiences. I’m grateful you didn’t have to go through that.”

  “Ooh, that… wouldn’t be pleasant, no. I got a slight headache after they removed its effects, but even that was gone by morning,” Niadra said, wincing sympathetically. “I wanted to speak to you the next day and apologize, but I couldn’t.”

  “It isn’t your fault, Your Highness. How were you to know someone would drug the pair of us? Besides, it was for the best in the end,” Kitania said, bypassing the tea to nibble on a sandwich happily.

  Niadra seemed to notice Kitania’s hesitation over the tea, and she quickly spoke, smiling at the demoness as she spoke brightly. “If you’re wondering, I had the High Priestess examine everything for drugs before coming out here, so I’m certain that the tea and everything else is safe. I’m not risking something like that happening again.”

  “Ah, I’m glad to hear that. I admit to a certain amount of hesitation, since even if a poison can’t kill me, it can make me miserable for a while. As you saw, drugs can also alter my mind just like anyone else,” Kitania said, feeling a little more relieved as she took the tea and sipped at it, relishing the rich flavor, something almost unknown in the hells.

  “Yes, well… you aren’t the only one. I acted much more forthrightly than I’d intended to,” Niadra said, looking away as she blushed ever so slightly. “I’d taken pains to keep my interests private, and that was… very nearly public. I wish they’d found who was responsible, but whoever delivered the drug seems to be long gone.”

  “Unsurprising, really,” Kitania murmured, nodding as she set down her teacup, studying Niadra. After a moment, she glanced down at the elaborate green dress the princess was wearing, one that was much more modest than she’d worn the other night. For her part, Kitania had chosen to wear a modest, sleeveless purple dress that she’d been given, since it seemed nice to her. Eventually she spoke further. “As I said, though, it was for the best, considering the conversation with Her Grace.”

  “True enough,” Niadra said, and the two of them enjoyed the tea together, almost silent. Finally, the princess spoke again, her voice soft. “My memories of the night are slightly fuzzier than they should be, but I remember something about a dream spider. After hearing about a huge spider that was removed from one of the older ball rooms… is Her Grace safe now?”

  Kitania paused, her cup halfway to her lips, then smiled and nodded, taking a sip. Only once she’d returned the cup to its saucer did she reply simply. “Yes, she is.”

  “I’m glad to hear that,” Niadra said, looking into her teacup. She fell silent for a long minute, as the sounds of birds echoed through the garden. Since Niadra seemed to be thinking, Kitania didn’t interrupt, simply waiting for the princess to make up her mind.

  “I… want to apologize for being so forward. Even if I was drugged, it isn’t an excuse. I didn’t even check to see if you had someone you were romantically involved with,” Niadra said, toying with her teacup nervously. “It wasn’t what I intended at all, even if I’d decided to approach you later. I probably wouldn’t have, simply due to my caution… but I dared imagine things.”

  Kitania couldn’t help a smile at that, though her smile quickly faded as she thought about her last interactions with Isalla and Rose, and at how close the two of them had grown. She’d realized that Rose had been trying to get close to her, but after how firmly Kitania had put her foot in her mouth where they were concerned… at this point, she was sure that the two had simply settled down with each other. Or possibly given in to her mother’s charms, for that matter. Estalia was glorious, after all, and if they were interested in demons, she was a far more attractive choice.

  “I don’t blame you, Your Highness. As for the idea of romance, I… have had several relationships over the years. Most simply ended, though some ended more poorly than others. I lost one lover before Rosken, for instance, and two others over the years, both before and since,” Kitania said, and she saw Niadra stiffen slightly, her eyes going wide as she inhaled, but Kitania didn’t let her interrupt, simply continuing to speak. “More recently… I found an angel, bereft of her wings. Isalla had been the victim of an assassination attempt, and they threw her into the hells to die. I nursed her back to health, and we began to grow close. Then we found out a former lover of hers had also been betrayed, and…”

  Kitania paused for a long moment, then sighed and shook her head unhappily, her emotions almost feeling brittle. “We went to rescue Rose, and I think Isalla was trying to keep what relationship we had alive, at least until we rescued Rose. The two of them got together, and I handled things… poorly. My fear of being found by my mother caused me to snap and push them away, at least until I learned my fears were misplaced, and then I was trying to work out what to do. Then I was shot and appeared here. I’d be startled if they hadn’t lost all interest in me by this point. Even if they were interested in a demon, I’m nothing compared to Estalia.”

  “That’s…” Niadra began, looking a bit shocked, then her eyes went wide as she looked past Kitania, freezing in place. Then another voice spoke.

  “I see that you and I have a bit more in common with one another
than I had thought, Kitania,” Alserah said, and Kitania turned to see the goddess stepping closer, and where she stepped it seemed like all the grass was greener. Kitania and Niadra started to rise, but the goddess waved them down, continuing. “No, don’t stand. I chose to visit when I wasn’t invited, so there’s no need for that.”

  “Ah, you’re more than welcome to join us, Your Grace; I simply didn’t expect you to. It’s so rare that you do so that…” Niadra began, then paused, taking a breath before she asked, “Would you care for some tea? It should still be warm.”

  “Please,” Alserah said, pulling out a chair and looking at each of them with a small smile, continuing. “As to why I rarely visited before this, it was because there was little to interest me, and I wished to minimize chances of the stabbing headaches. Fortunately, that problem has been rather thoroughly solved.”

  “I’m glad to hear it, Your Grace,” Kitania said, bowing her head slightly while Niadra poured a cup of tea with trembling hands, then placed it in front of Alserah. Kitania was glad that she wasn’t the only one stunned by Alserah’s presence, and she felt herself growing even more nervous, considering what she’d been discussing with Niadra. She didn’t like exposing her weaknesses to others, so she tried to change the subject. “I’m just glad that my knowledge was of some use. So little of what I know is applicable here.”

  “It was. I’ve also ordered the palace healers and alchemists to record the affliction in detail, as well as how to deal with it, and it will be spread to every alchemist and temple in the Forest of Sighs, and possibly beyond. With any fortune, dream spiders will never be a threat, but if they are, we’ll be prepared,” Alserah replied, her gaze hardening slightly for just a moment, then she shook it off, taking a sip of tea. Then she set the teacup down and continued. “For that, I have you to thank, Kitania. Not just for my own life, but for those who you may have saved in the future.”