“I know. As to what I saw… she was crouched down, on one knee, and was holding something against part of the circle,” Zeera said, frowning. “I couldn’t see what it was, since her hand was wrapped around it, but it couldn’t have been large, and was on a necklace or chain.”
“Hm, I can’t say for sure what it was, but she must have had a keystone linked to another node,” Ithik said unhappily, frowning. “That’s quite troubling, since it has to have been one that’s connected to the other end of the teleporter. That means that she knew it was there, and that we’d be using it to get Lady Rose here.”
The group fell silent for a long moment, then Ethan sighed. “She had to have known that, to set up that trap. I’ve never heard of that fungus before, but it was nasty.”
“I think we should make haste to the capital,” Dathael said, her voice soft, but prompting everyone to look at her. “We can’t follow her, so the sooner we report to Her Majesty, the better.”
There was a moment of silence, then Ithik nodded. “Agreed. We don’t have the things we’d need to give chase, or even to determine where they went. Her Majesty can make a decision and has the resources to do what’s necessary.”
The others agreed, and they quickly headed for the cavern exit. As they did so, Ethan asked, “Did anyone recognize either of them?”
A murmur of denial came back, but Ataron spoke a moment later. “While I didn’t, I do know that she moved well. I suspect she’d have been a difficult foe even if we hadn’t been disabled by her.”
“Really?” Ithik asked, his eyebrows rising. “That’s high praise. I wasn’t in a good position to look at her, unfortunately.”
“There was no fear in her eyes as I approached,” Zeera said, her voice soft. “I may not know who she was, but she is dangerous.”
“All the more reason to get to Her Majesty. We don’t know if her word can be trusted,” Ataron added, and with that they picked up their pace.
Rose felt her senses drift back into focus and blinked, slightly disoriented. Her stomach was still churning from the teleportation, and they’d arrived in the middle of a clearing among scrub-like bushes. Then she focused, and her breath caught in her throat.
Rose had thought she might be dreaming that she’d seen Isalla, but it wasn’t a dream. Standing there, holding her hand tightly, was Isalla. Her old lover wasn’t nearly the same, with her missing wings, longer hair that desperately needed a trim, and slightly dusty clothing with forest detritus on it instead of armor, but Isalla still had that same hesitant smile, her eyes were still bright, and she somehow felt even more beautiful than Rose had remembered her being.
“Isalla!” Rose exclaimed, and she enveloped Isalla in a sudden hug, squeezing tight as she resisted the urge to pick her friend up and swirl her around. “I was afraid you were dead!”
“Oof. Roselynn, you remember me? I’d heard some stories about the Spire of Confession, and I was afraid that you wouldn’t…” Isalla began, then swallowed hard and finished, smiling again shyly. “Well, wouldn’t be the same. You feel different, too.”
“That’s because I’m not the same, Isalla,” Rose replied, smiling and letting go, a hint of sorrow rippling through her at the same time as she saw her friend’s wings were missing once more. Isalla had possessed the loveliest wings. She also saw Isalla’s companion, but she wasn’t interfering, so Rose focused on her friend. “They helped me realize just how unfulfilled I was. How the army had choked so much pleasure from my life… and led me to lose you. I was afraid I’d lost you for good, even when Queen Estalia promised that she’d search for you.”
“You’ve met her?” Isalla asked, her eyes going wide. “A-and… you look really different. I almost didn’t recognize you.”
“I wanted to feel more beautiful, and to be pretty for when I met you again,” Rose explained, smiling at Isalla’s blush, happiness spreading through her with every passing moment. “As for the queen, I did meet her. There’s no way to describe her… and she was one of the kindest women I’ve ever met.”
“She always is,” the other woman said, her voice soft. “It’s what makes her so incredibly dangerous.”
Rose stiffened, then looked at the woman more closely, her eyes narrowing. Her brief displeasure at the woman’s comment faded slightly as she looked at the demoness, as it didn’t look like she’d meant her words to be spiteful. The woman was pretty, with pale skin and deep purple hair that was almost black. She looked quite competent in her dark armor, and there was something… intriguing about her, something that Rose couldn’t place.
“Who is this, Isalla?” Rose asked at last, studying the woman’s purple eyes as the demoness looked back calmly.
“Oh! This is Kanae, she saved my life when Haral threw me off the Evergardens,” Isalla said, and Rose stiffened, her eyes going wide in disbelief.
“What? Haral… isn’t she the one who you said was giving you information?” Rose demanded, her gaze focusing on Isalla.
“Yes, that’s right. She cut off my wings with her followers, then threw me down into the hells. If Kanae hadn’t caught me, I’d have died when I hit the ground,” Isalla said, flinching slightly. “Kanae’s also the one who brought me to rescue you. I couldn’t have done it without her.”
“I see,” Rose said, her voice icy with anger as she thought about Haral. If she ever had the chance, she was going to make the woman pay for what she’d done to Isalla. Suddenly, Queen Estalia’s suggestion that she not abandon the sword seemed far more reasonable. After a moment, Rose looked at Kanae and relaxed slightly, nodding her head. “I think I’ll return the favor to Haral if I ever meet her. Thank you for saving Isalla, Kanae. She means a lot to me, even if I’m not sure I needed rescuing.”
“You’re welcome, Roselynn. I do understand, since I’ve come to be fond of Isalla myself,” Kanae replied, smiling thinly. “As for your rescue… I think it was necessary. You need some time away from Estalia to learn to breathe again.”
“What?” Rose asked, bristling internally. She wasn’t sure if it was the implication that Kanae was interested in Isalla or that she needed to be away from Queen Estalia that offended her more.
“I’m speaking from experience, Roselynn,” Kanae said, her voice cutting off Isalla, who’d opened her mouth to speak. “Tell me, is Anna well?”
Rose froze for an instant, startled. Then her eyes narrowed as she asked cautiously, “You know Anna?”
“Yes. Unless she’s changed, she’s the ruler of the Spire of Confession. Blonde hair, blue eyes, a lovely disposition, and gently convincing,” Kanae said, smiling gently, her gaze softening. “She’s the one who taught me to wield the sword. I never came close to beating her in a fight.”
“That… sounds like Anna, yes. She’s well, or was this morning,” Rose said, feeling off-balance. “Why are you so convinced I need time away, then? If you’ve been to the spire…”
“The Spire of Confession, somewhat intentionally, is meant to enrapture those who come there with Queen Estalia. I’m not sure if it’s quite brainwashing, but it’s close, and it’s effective because they use your own hopes and desires to do it,” Kanae explained, her voice calm as she met Rose’s gaze steadily. “They never lie to you, they don’t force you into anything… but they manipulate you anyway. If you go to Queen Estalia right now, you’ll never leave her side, except at her command. I’ve seen it happen before.”
Rose was about to speak sharply in return, but Isalla spoke first. “Um, Kanae? I thought that you said you’d only seen her once. The queen, I mean. How do you know that?”
“I… dare not say yet. Once we’ve reached my home, perhaps, and the two of you have decided whether or not to make your escape,” Kanae said, shaking her head. “I also haven’t lied to you, Isalla, but I’ve also not spoken the full truth. I met Queen Estalia once while I was in the army, yes, but I’ve met her more times than I can count before that. If I tell you everything, merely speaking of it will likely bring attention that we can il
l afford at present.”
Watching the demoness, Rose’s eyes narrowed as she began to think. Despite her anger at the woman accusing Anna and the others of brainwashing her, Rose also felt like the woman wasn’t lying to her. Like she might be telling the truth, and that made her… uncertain. She had rescued Isalla, which was a point in her favor, but…
“What do you mean?” Isalla asked, looking even more confused.
“Queen Estalia will search for Roselynn when she learns she’s gone missing. She’ll send word to her temples, have magi scry for her, and deploy others to try to find her. I’ve taken precautions that will make that difficult for the scrying, and even sending out descriptions of us will give us time,” Kanae said, then looked at Rose as she smiled thinly. “If I reveal myself, I fear that she will act herself. If she acts like I expect she would, our chances of doing anything would be essentially nonexistent.”
The explanation made everything suddenly fall into place for Rose, and she felt her eyes widen. Queen Estalia had said that her daughter was missing, and that she missed her terribly. Could Kanae possibly be her daughter? They didn’t look much alike, but there was that tiny sense of her presence that felt so familiar. Despite her suspicions, Rose didn’t say anything for a long moment. Then she finally asked, “What do you intend, then?”
“We’re perhaps four days from my home. It will take at least two days for your guards to report in to Her Majesty. That means they will have only two days to begin the search before we reach the house, and that isn’t enough. If you decide what you want quickly, you’ll have time to begin ascending Hellmount to escape before all hope of such is cut off,” Kanae said, looking back at Rose. “Or you can return to Queen Estalia, if that’s what you choose.”
“Four days from home? It took us weeks to get to the spire, though!” Isalla said, her eyes widening.
“I had a focus to allow us to teleport to this site, Isalla, but there isn’t a teleportation platform here, and I don’t know how to build one,” Kanae said, glancing away to look at Isalla patiently, and the look that flickered across her face made up Rose’s mind for the moment. She decided to play along for now and listened as Kanae continued. “We had to take the long way to get there but getting back was simple.”
“Oh,” Isalla said, then looked pleadingly at Rose. “In that case, would you please come with us, Roselynn? I don’t know what you went through, but—”
Rose raised a finger and placed it over Isalla’s lips, shaking her head in amusement as she spoke. “Call me Rose, both of you. I’ve decided I like it better.”
“As you like,” Kanae said, looking unsurprised.
“Now, considering things… I’ll come along for now. I’m not sure I entirely believe you, Kanae, but you haven’t harmed Isalla, and there’s no reason that you would have known we’d be acquainted when you first encountered her.” Rose continued, smiling thinly. “I’ll come with and judge your intentions and words for myself, then decide.”
“Thank heavens!” Isalla said, tension visibly leaving her shoulders as she abruptly hugged Rose again, which caused Rose to smile. “I was so afraid you’d have changed entirely! Come on, let’s go!”
“Now, now, Isalla… not so fast. Things have changed, and it’s been a long day for me. Why don’t we make camp, and you tell me all about your time since coming to the hells?” Rose asked, smiling gently at Isalla.
“That sounds like a good idea,” Kanae agreed, then nodded to the side. “There’s a good camp site that direction, though I’ll need to ensure it’s still secure before we can settle down.”
“Right,” Isalla agreed, letting go and straightening.
They began to follow Kanae, but Rose noticed that Isalla hadn’t let go of her hand. That made her smile even more.
Later that evening, Rose waited until Isalla had gone to bed. She was sitting by the low fire and watching Kanae thoughtfully. The discussion of what they’d each been doing since they’d been captured had been illuminating, and Isalla hadn’t believed what Rose had chosen to do to herself, since the changes were quite extensive, at least from her point of view. By the same token, Rose had found herself intrigued by everything that Isalla had gone through, as well as what the hells were like outside the spire.
There was a stark contrast between the pristine interior of the spire and the small town that Isalla had described, or even between it and the cities she’d visited with Kanae. The talk about the different villagers, including even a bone demon store manager, were fascinating. It was amazing how differently the two of them had experienced the hells, and what Kanae had done for Isalla… it dispelled much of her suspicion of the woman, though not all of it. The strangest thing was how attracted she was to Kanae despite herself, like a lodestone to metal.
So she waited until she was sure that Isalla was asleep before deciding to speak any further, as she didn’t want to upset her friend.
“Queen Estalia would have her wings regenerated if we went to her,” Rose said, her voice soft.
“Doubtlessly,” Kanae agreed, gently setting a branch on the fire and glancing up as the coals softly popped. “All the harm that was dealt to her would be undone within a day… but at what price? She’d be ensnared by the queen’s beauty, much as you are. That’s her power, after all. She bears the Mantle of Desire.”
Rose blinked, somewhat startled by Kanae’s agreement. It wasn’t what she’d expected, and she frowned slightly. The sound of her power… it did make some sense of how she’d reacted to the first sight of Queen Estalia, and yet she didn’t really care about that. Instead, she looked at Kanae with narrowed eyes. “And? Why should that matter?”
“Why should it matter? What matters to me is how, all too often, I’ve seen that power used as a weapon,” Kanae replied, looking over to meet Rose’s eyes. “Those who she meets can’t help but be enthralled by her, unless they’re strong of will and prepared. Even then, the mightiest bulwarks can crumble with a single moment of weakness. Oh, most of the time she doesn’t use her power that way, but when she does… it can strike home more powerfully than Serian’s Hammer itself. I fear few things in this world, Rose, but I fear falling under Queen Estalia’s sway again. I don’t hate or fear her. I can’t hate or fear her.”
Rose blinked in surprise, then sat back. The idea of Queen Estalia using her beauty as a weapon had never occurred to her. It might make a little sense, but part of her bristled at the thought. Another quiet part of her accepted it, though, and she thought for a long minute, trying to make sense of her thoughts.
“You’re her daughter, aren’t you?” Rose asked, her voice quiet.
“I’m not going to answer that question,” Kanae said, her gaze dropping to the fire again, but her response confirmed what Rose had thought.
“She said that her daughter was missing, and that she missed her terribly,” Rose began, then froze as Kanae looked up, a flash of utter fear going through the woman’s eyes.
“Missing?” Kanae breathed out, her voice barely audible. “Are you certain that she said missing? Not dead?”
“Yes… I’m quite sure,” Rose said, swallowing hard as she saw how Kanae’s breathing had grown sharper and faster.
“Right, that means I need to run away, as far and as fast as I can, when we reach the house,” Kanae said, lowering her head and taking a deep breath. The demoness calmed herself quickly, but her momentary near-panic had been obvious.
Rose resisted the urge to say anything for a moment, that same attraction growing stronger as she saw Kanae’s distress. She wondered if it was something about Queen Estalia that had been passed on to her daughter that drew her to Kanae, but it truly didn’t matter. Instead, Rose decided to change the subject, glancing over to Isalla.
“On a different matter… what about you and Isalla? I can tell that the two of you have been involved with one another,” Rose said, a hint of jealousy welling up inside her. Whether it was for Isalla’s experiences or that she’d accepted Kanae’s company wa
s another question entirely.
“Yes, we have been. She took solace in my company, but… I’m not sure how deep her feelings might run. I’m fond of Isalla, but…” Kanae paused for a long moment, looking at Isalla, then back to Rose, somehow looking like she’d aged in the last minute. “As soon as she heard about you, she wanted to do everything possible to rescue you. At that moment, I realized that chances were that it was the end of any relationship between us, even if she tried to keep the spark alive as we traveled to find you. Then, the look on her face when she found you…”
Rose couldn’t help blushing as she glanced at Isalla, startled by her friend’s bravery. It was unexpected, considering how things had ended between them before. Even more unexpected was that Kanae had helped Isalla, considering how worried she was about Queen Estalia knowing about her.
“Then why did you help her?” Rose asked, almost startling herself as she spoke. “It was an immense risk, from what you’ve told me, and if you thought she was gone anyway…”
“Why? Because it was the right thing to do,” Kanae said, smiling bitterly. “Angels in the hells… they can’t truly live here. If you try to go into public without guards or overwhelming power, you’ll be mobbed and captured, so you have to be trapped in gilded cages, like Anna is in the Spire of Confession, or other angels who live in pampered luxury. It isn’t right, to be forced to live like that. The war between the heavens and hells… it’s consumed enough lives as it is. I’d rather try to help those I can find freedom.”
Her words were startling, and Rose stared in shock. Even if Coral and Tina had been kind to her, and if Queen Estalia had been beautiful and accepting beyond words, none of them had said anything like Kanae had. They’d never suggested that they wanted Rose to be free, despite encouraging her to make her own choices. And as she stared at Kanae more, Rose found herself smiling as interest turned into attraction.
Kanae looked back at her and raised her eyebrows, speaking in an almost challenging tone. “What? Do you not like my reasons?”
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