“I’m glad to hear that, Your Grace,” Ethris said, sounding relieved.
Alserah didn’t reply, and her gaze drifted lower again, back to Kitania. Part of her wondered just what had upset the demon so much, for her to work to wear herself out for so long.
Chapter 25
Estalia had mostly suppressed her aura, but even so, Rose was having difficulties keeping her gaze off the queen, who was sitting at the head of the table. The presence of Eziel in the corner behind Estalia was a bit of a surprise, and the angel watched at the floor and dressed simply, much like most of the maids in the palace.
Also present were Isalla and Vinara, the latter of which surprised Rose even more than Eziel’s presence. She wasn’t going to object to Vinara being there, or even the two guards in the room, but it made her wonder why the mage had come to the meeting as well.
“So, Kitania is alive and has been moved to the other side of the mortal world. It’s truly fortunate that she isn’t in the heavens or worse, buried in a volcano. That would have been difficult to deal with,” Estalia said at last, shaking her head slowly as the queen let out a soft sigh. “Alserah is… at least a more reasonable goddess than some of the others that Kitania could have ended up in the custody of. If what Azalea says is true, Kitania is safe.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Rose said, wondering why the queen was repeating what they already knew. She didn’t think that anyone had managed to miss the news, not with elves from far away having visited the palace.
Estalia smiled as she looked at Rose, her eyes glittering as she shook her head and laughed. “Oh, my apologies, Rose. To a certain extent, I was just talking to myself. I’m happy that Kitania is safe, mind you, it’s just a bit… frustrating. She was so close to coming home when all this occurred.”
“I can’t say as I blame you,” Rose said, relaxing a little at Estalia’s smile, and the others laughed softly.
“I’m stunned, too. I thought we’d have to wait for the scrying, and then someone showed up to speak to you about Kitania. I’m shocked they’d send someone all this way to ask us to pick her up,” Isalla said, almost bouncing in her chair, her eyes glittering with eagerness.
“Hm, I don’t believe that they intended to, originally. Reading between the lines of what Azalea said, as well as what she told Rose, I think that, originally, I was going to receive a rather significant ransom demand,” Estalia said, which put a damper on Rose’s mood for a moment, at least until she continued. “However, then Kitania somehow helped Alserah in such a way as to change that. It must have caused a great deal of recalculating for Azalea, but it doesn’t matter in the end, does it?”
“No, it doesn’t,” Isalla said, then frowned. “Unless it’s a trap.”
“I doubt that. Otherwise we wouldn’t be having this meeting,” Estalia said, looking at Vinara as she nodded, continuing. “Vinara asked if we might send the pair of you to retrieve Kitania, since you’re planning to investigate the conspiracy among the heavens, and after some deliberation, I’ve agreed that such is the best approach. The two of you will have some of the finest armor my artificers can forge, and I’ve asked if my representatives can travel with Azalea, to which the answer was yes.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Rose said, straightening as she continued. “I’m worried about Kitania, and we lack so much information that I’m concerned about what Haral and her coconspirators might be up to.”
“Agreed. However, I also intend to send Eziel and Vinara with you,” Estalia said, nodding to Vinara as she continued, prompting Rose to blink in surprise. It did explain why the two were present, though. “Eziel is intended to be Kitania’s servant, of course, but unless Kitania kills her out of hand, she can also be useful in your investigations. I’ll give her items to disguise herself, but I’m quite certain she won’t be a threat.”
“As for me, I’m going to act as Her Majesty’s personal representative when we meet Alserah,” Vinara explained, straightening. “I’m going to bring a gift for the goddess, and I also believe that my presence will be good for Isalla, as I can continue her lessons. Besides, none of you are powerful magi, and you may have need of magic in the process of your investigation.”
Isalla looked at Eziel dubiously for a moment, but her face cleared as she looked at Vinara before speaking. “I understand, but I do have to wonder, isn’t it dangerous for you to come with us, Teacher? I know I’d be happier with your instruction along the way, but as a demon you’ll be in a good deal of danger, as much as you stand out.”
“Unlike most succubi, I’ve mastered enough magic to be able to shapechange,” Vinara replied, smiling gently at the pair of angels, her eyes glittering in amusement. “I can maintain it practically indefinitely, though that puts a limit on how much magic I can use on other projects, so that shouldn’t be a concern. We’ll have to put a touch more work into ensuring that the three of you can hide your wings, which will be useful under some circumstances.”
“That won’t be a problem,” Estalia interjected, smiling as she looked at Rose while explaining. “I believe you had a necklace that hid your wings, yes? I had a couple more made to be safe, so hiding your identities as angels won’t be difficult. Your armor is even designed to adapt to such.”
“Truly?” Rose asked, her eyebrows rising in surprise. “I didn’t realize that.”
“I didn’t mention it, and it’s a relatively minor enchantment,” Estalia said, and her smile faded slightly as she continued. “However, even with the precautions we’re speaking of, I worry about what you may be walking into. The arrow that struck Kitania was powerful, and if it was intended for me… that means that those you’re looking into are extremely powerful. Some of them may be among the uppermost echelons of the heavens, and they may even include archangels among their allies. I don’t know what it is that they’re after, but I truly believe that they could be planning to instigate another war.”
“That’s what I’ve been worried about too,” Isalla agreed, chewing her lip slightly, looking concerned. “There’s also a nagging feeling that there could be something more to it, but I don’t know what it might be.”
“Regardless, we need to be careful, as Estalia says,” Rose agreed, nodding at the queen as she took a deep breath and let it out, trying to suppress her anxiety. “I have a few people I feel I can trust enough to speak to about this, but it will take some time to reach them, as most of them aren’t near the Forest of Sighs.”
The others nodded, and Estalia smiled, looking at Vinara as she spoke. “I’ll have the items needed prepared for you, Vinara. They’ll take a day or so. I also want each of you to consider what you need for your journey and make any requests as soon as you can. I’ll see that whatever can be prepared in time is provided, but I can’t make guarantees.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Rose said, bowing her head, and she heard the others following suit.
“You’re welcome. Just make sure that you take care of yourselves, and my daughter when you find her, hm?” Estalia said, smiling as she stood. “I do miss having her here, but I can’t go in person.”
Isalla nodded and spoke sincerely as she stood as well. “I’ll be sure to do my best, Your Majesty.”
With that, the meeting adjourned, and Rose took Isalla’s arm as they headed out. As they walked, she was already starting to make a mental list of all the things she might need. If they were going to be investigating those in the heavens, it would be difficult and dangerous, but Rose was certain they could manage. There was no other choice, after all.
Chapter 26
Kitania almost jumped as a pair of arms wrapped around her, almost overreacting until she glanced back to see Niadra. She smiled as she spoke, feeling slightly breathless. “You really shouldn’t do that, you know; you startled me.”
“I wanted to, though,” Niadra replied, smiling back, giving Kitania a gentle squeeze as she hugged the demoness. It was hard for Kitania to see Niadra easily, positioned behind Kitania as she was. �
�What are you doing?”
“Just watching it rain,” Kitania replied softly, letting her surprise subside as she looked out through the glass, which was unusually clear, at least in her opinion. Outside the palace, she could see the rain falling, and it splashed against the windows occasionally, leaving beads of moisture to slowly trickle downward. As she saw a flash of lightning in the distance, Kitania hesitated, then continued, a note of melancholy in her voice. “Rain in the hells isn’t the same. It’s often hot or has a fair amount of ash or soot in it. It’s rarely so… clean.”
Niadra giggled, hugging Kitania again, then let go and stepped close to the window beside her, looking outside as she replied warmly. “I see. Well, I can tell you that it isn’t always so clean. Sometimes there’s a dust storm or the like, and the clouds rain what amounts to mud on us. Most of the time it isn’t that bad, mind you, but it happens.”
“Ah, then I’m glad that it isn’t one of those days,” Kitania murmured, glancing over at Niadra, then continuing to watch and listen to the rain. The princess’s company comforted her.
For a time, they just stood next to one another, the popping of a fire in the hearth behind them an odd counterpoint to the drumming of the rain and the occasional rumble of thunder. It was calming to Kitania, and that was something she needed, at least after the events of the past couple of days.
“Why do you seem so melancholy? I thought that you’d be happy after hearing that Lady Azalea had confirmed that you were Estalia’s daughter,” Niadra asked, looking over in concern, almost biting her lip before she continued, not trying to hide her confusion. “Instead, you’ve been even more withdrawn, and I’m not sure why that would be.”
“Lady Azalea? Isn’t that a type of flower?” Kitania asked, a flutter of nervous laughter trying to escape, but she forced it down, at least until Niadra laughed in turn.
“Why yes, it is. A pink one that doesn’t really suit her, but that isn’t her fault. It’s also not her fault that her parents were ignorant of the fact it’s somewhat poisonous,” Niadra replied, grinning as she reached up to squeeze Kitania’s shoulder reassuringly. “It also isn’t really an answer to my question, but I’ll drop it if you don’t want to answer.”
Kitania smiled, but she felt like it was something of a strain. It wasn’t as hard to smile as it might have been, considering the brief discussion of toxic flowers, but it was still difficult. Even so, she didn’t want to lie to Niadra. The princess had been kind to Kitania for the last several days, and her presence had kept away several people whose gazes Kitania didn’t like.
“I… was hoping for a message from them,” Kitania admitted at last, closing her eyes and pressing her forehead into the cool glass, and there was a clicking sound as her horns tapped against the window. After a moment, she continued softly. “My mother, Isalla, or Rose, to be specific. If Lady Azalea is able to pass along information, I’d assume that she’d mention if any of them specifically sent me a message, and yet… it’s been two days since the first message, and there’s been nothing.”
“Oh. Well, decisions on things take time, and it’s always possible that it’s harder to communicate than you think it is. I’m not sure how they’re keeping in contact with Lady Azalea, to be perfectly honest,” Niadra replied softly, her voice ever so slightly hesitant, but fell silent after a moment. The silence was a little too much, and Kitania felt the need to fill it.
“True, I suppose. I just… find myself wondering at times,” Kitania murmured, pulling her head away from the window again, the coolness lingering on her skin as she stroked one of the smooth panes of glass. She caught hints of her reflection in it, as well as the concern on Niadra’s face.
“Kitania?” Niadra spoke softly at last, turning to face the demoness, and Kitania turned her head toward the elf. To her surprise, Niadra raised a hand and gently stroked Kitania’s cheek, her touch gentle as could be.
“Yes, Niadra?” Kitania asked, a sense of contentment flowing through her at the warmth against her skin. It helped her feel better, if only slightly.
“What is it? Really, I mean. The way you talk about Isalla and Rose… there’s just the faintest hint of depression to your voice. After what happened with Her Grace, and what she said… I just worry about you,” Niadra said, looking directly into Kitania’s eyes.
Kitania hesitated, then looked downward. Niadra started to lower her hand, but Kitania quickly reached up to hold it in place. As the rain fell, she felt her heart grow a little heavier as she hesitated. Then finally, Kitania replied, her voice soft as could be, grief welling up inside her.
“I caught Isalla as she fell from the sky, just before she struck the ground in the forest. She’d been tormented by others, her wings cut off, and was poisoned. I doubt more than ten other healers in Estalia could have saved her life, but I managed it. At first… at first, she was suspicious and angry. She expected me to sell her or sacrifice her, when all I was doing was trying to heal her,” Kitania explained, and smiled bitterly, shaking her head as she let out a soft sigh. “She came around in the end, but it was stressful. Then we… grew close. I’d been away from others for so long, and she was just so… intoxicating. It’s something about angels, something I should have expected from growing up around them. Even so, I knew it couldn’t last, that she wouldn’t be able to stand the hells forever, but… I took comfort in our time together.”
Kitania paused, then let go of Niadra’s hand as she turned away, not daring to look at the elf’s face as she approached the fireplace, preferring to stare into the flames than to see the pity in Niadra’s gaze. She was just thankful that the princess wasn’t interrupting.
“I know I told you some of this, but I feel I need to explain more fully. To help you understand. It was then that we found out that her old lover had been captured in a demon raid. First Sword Roselynn Emberborn, commonly called the Flame of Ember in the hells. I’m sure you’ve heard of her family, or at least of her sword,” Kitania said, smiling mirthlessly as she heard Niadra inhale sharply.
“I have. Not of her specifically, as you said, but Ember is a legendary weapon,” Niadra confirmed, sounding shocked. “I hadn’t heard that she was captured by demons, though.”
“Oh, she was. I didn’t know that it had been arranged by angels at the time… no, that isn’t what we’re talking about. The issue was that she was brought to Estalia, and rather than allow her to be killed when they’d gotten the information they wanted, my mother’s price was Roselynn herself. When Isalla learned that Roselynn was in Estalia, she wanted desperately to rescue her, and I decided to help. I suspect that was the beginning of the end of our relationship,” Kitania said, taking a deep breath and slowly lowering herself into a chair, despondence starting to overwhelm her. “I won’t go into the details, but we succeeded flawlessly, though that was largely because I knew how the guards worked, and where they were going. Roselynn, now going by Rose, had changed. She’d grown more… intimate, with fewer inhibitions than she’d possessed before. To say that she was delighted to see Isalla would be putting it mildly.
“She also tried to approach me, but I was… concerned, and pushed her away, especially with how close the two of them had become,” Kitania admitted, shaking her head slowly. “I… perhaps I was just a fool. I don’t know what Isalla thought, not really. We also didn’t have time to work it out. Estalia came in person, and while we reconciled, it also caused an upheaval in my life. We had to leave my home… and before I could resolve everything and spare the time to figure out what to do with Isalla and Rose? I got shot with an arrow. More than a dozen angels ambushed me and sent me here. A tiny part of me… I just hoped they were…”
Kitania found her voice was shaking and stopped, inhaling as she blinked back tears. She reached up and rubbed her eyes as she swallowed hard, unable to speak.
“That’s enough, Kitania,” Niadra interrupted, and she surprised Kitania by grabbing her shoulders and turning the demoness to face her. Kitania kept her gaze low
ered, and the elf spoke firmly. “No, look at me, Kitania. I’m not talking to your horns or hair, I’m talking to you.”
Kitania hesitated, then slowly raised her head to look at Niadra, and she winced at the look in the elf’s blue eyes. After a moment, she spoke, her voice trembling. “I just wish you wouldn’t look at me with so much… pity.”
“I’m sorry that you’ve had to go through all this, Kitania. You don’t deserve to have something like that happen, not after being so kind to others,” Niadra replied firmly, shaking her head. “No, it isn’t right. None of it is right, and if they’ve decided to move on, that’s one of the most foolish decisions I think they could make.”
“Is it? Unless someone finds a way to kill me, I’m going to outlast either of them. One century at a time, I’ll leave them behind, until they’re dust and memories,” Kitania said, her tears welling up again.
“Piffle. If they’re so shortsighted, that’s their own problem. That’s not a problem with you,” Niadra said, sniffing derisively as she pulled Kitania into a hug. “You’re beautiful, intelligent, and strong. You’ve saved Alserah from a horrible death and convinced her to let me follow my heart and desires rather than being chained to the expectations of others. Yes, you’ll outlive me by countless years… but you aren’t the type of person to forget someone you cared about, not with how you’re agonizing over this. That in itself is a tiny form of immortality, but you know what? I don’t care about that.”
“Why not?” Kitania asked, hugging Niadra in turn, resisting the urge to hug tightly to keep from crushing her.
The princess pulled away and smiled brightly at Kitania as she spoke. “Because I like you, silly.”
Niadra kissed Kitania suddenly, though the kiss was startlingly brief. An instant later, the woman pulled away again, grinning as she added, “In fact, I think that once the weather clears, I need to take you to Mist and show you around. You’ve been cooped up in the palace for far too long.”
Mortal Gods (Mantles of Power Book 2) Page 22
