Hell's Ascendant (Mantles of Power Book 3) Page 14

  “Sure! I mean, it isn’t that interesting, but if you want to know, why not?” Emanuel said with a shrug, looking far more enthusiastic. “I’m not from the primary bloodline of the family, but our family is pretty close on the whole. I mentioned I have a sister, and mother is a noted wind mage…”

  The young man continued to talk enthusiastically, and Haral listened closely, filing away information and asking the occasional question, trying to keep them innocuous. She liked Emanuel, as the boy seemed rather sincere in his beliefs.

  Besides, with the Lord of Light as her witness, she wasn’t going to murder someone that could easily be one of their allies in the future.

  “Excuse me, My Lord, but I have a message for you,” Cilla said, her voice faintly accented, and Lord Ordath looked up with a smile at the elderly elf.

  Her black hair betrayed a few threads of white, showing her age in a way that prompted sorrow to well up inside him. When an elf was in their final years, the collapse of their physical form came absurdly quickly, which meant she had no more than two years left at a guess. She was still vibrant for the moment, though, much like the young elven woman he’d rescued on the battlefield centuries before. Cilla was also one of the few people Ordath trusted absolutely, which was why she handled his correspondence.

  “Oh? Who is it from?” Ordath asked, looking away from the sheet summarizing the forces available to the Society of Golden Dawn.

  “It’s Haral, and I’m afraid that she’s chosen not to eliminate the Emberborn family,” Cilla said, a frown flickering across her face as she entered his office, his orange-brown radiance washing over her as she did so, and Ordath’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “I find myself torn, My Lord, even if she did refuse a directive.”

  “Truly? I didn’t think she had it in her to refuse instructions,” Ordath said, pausing to think for a long moment, his surprise and a flash of anger turning to curiosity.

  If Cilla wasn’t outraged, it meant that she at least partially agreed with Haral’s decision, which made him wonder why. Ordath trusted her opinion, even if he didn’t always agree with it.

  “Yes, My Lord. She reports that Isalla’s family is dead, but after investigating she chose to refrain where the Emberborn family is concerned, for several reasons,” Cilla said, gently setting the letter on his desk, its seal broken. That was as it should be, since Ordath didn’t open his letters personally, not when there was the chance of them being trapped somehow. Cilla knew she was protecting him, which was why she opened them instead.

  “I see. If you’d summarize for me? I’d prefer to avoid her flattery, and you’re skilled at dissecting the essence of messages,” Ordath said, smiling slightly more.

  “As you wish, My Lord,” Cilla said, a smile playing across her lips, then she straightened, growing far more serious than before. “During her investigation Haral met several members of House Emberborn, including several of the younger generations, and she learned that they’re largely true patriots of the heavens, believing in defending it and living up to their ancestral honor, especially after Ember disappeared. While some of them may be less fervent than others, most of them appear to be closer to our beliefs than anything else, which made her wonder if she might have been too hasty in eliminating Roselynn. She believes that it’s possible that she might have been able to convert her to our cause if she hadn’t, and her family’s fervor would likely prevent them from believing her if Roselynn tried to turn them against us.”

  “Interesting… and I have had little interaction with the family, so it is possible that she’s correct. They simply have such deep ties with the Order of the Phoenix that we’ve been concerned that they could prove… problematic,” Ordath murmured, sitting back in his chair as he considered, then raised an eyebrow at Cilla. “Still, I’m sure you have more to say about her decisions.”

  “Of course, though I’m not certain I entirely agree with her conclusions. A second aspect to her decision is that Sorm is hunting Roselynn and the others, though I’m skeptical that such is enough to keep them from interfering, personally. However, I am not an angel, and my grasp of angelic politics is imperfect,” Cilla said, ignoring Ordath’s snort of disbelief, since he knew far too well that she was quite well-versed in the political factions of the heavens. Her voice was steady as she continued. “However, her following point was quite relevant, in my view. She learned that the Emberborn family has in excess of two hundred members, if not even more, and that they have extensive holdings as well. She sincerely doubts that she could eliminate all of them, and with as deep as their relationship with the Order of the Phoenix are, the deaths of that many people would cause an extremely in-depth investigation that we may not be able to afford.”

  “Hm. I didn’t realize they had quite that many members of the family,” Ordath said, frowning deeply as he murmured unhappily. “When I acquired my mantle, there were only a few dozen of them… but it has been a rather long time. Longer than I thought, when I think about it, since you came well after that.”

  “I’m not surprised, My Lord. Immortality can lead to losing track of minor details such as that,” Cilla replied, smiling gently in return, her expression softening significantly. “On a personal note, I’ve treasured my time with you since then.”

  “As it should be,” Ordath said, pushing his chair back so he could stand, considering for a long moment, then asked, “Did Haral give any other reasons?”

  “Yes. She said that while she’s willing to destroy traitors without hesitation, she’s realized that she draws the line at innocent civilians in the heavens,” Cilla said, the warmth in her voice vanishing, almost with an edge to her voice. “She’s willing to submit to any punishment the Council demands and will return if commanded to.”

  Ordath didn’t respond immediately, though a part of him wanted to curse at Haral for making her own decision. Some of the other members of the Council probably would have her executed outright if she’d sent the message to them. When he thought about it, that was probably why she’d contacted him. On the other hand, she did have a few points, though her qualms about innocents seemed a bit childish to him. Ordath had long since steeled himself to the knowledge that defeating the hells would require sacrificing innocents of any species, not just mortals. Even so, he wasn’t going to react immediately, he needed to give the message some thought.

  “I see why you’re conflicted, Cilla. I am as well, even if I think this is a bit late for her to hesitate,” Ordath said at last, looking at the elf as he smiled. “What do you think?”

  “I think that she’s considered non-angels as lesser beings from the beginning, and that even a single innocent angel is more valuable than an entire nation of mortals,” Cilla replied bluntly, shaking her head as she sighed. “I don’t think she understands that sacrifices are required of everyone to make a difference, not just others. That said… My Lord, I think she may have made the right decision in this case. You didn’t have the Emberborn family investigated before making the decision to send her after them, and knowing the other members of the council, I doubt they did, either. That or they didn’t consider the potential consequences.”

  “Mm… so you think I should argue that she should get away with this?” Ordath asked, looking at Cilla curiously, probing the elf.

  “Of course not, My Lord!” Cilla replied, looking scandalized. “I think she should be punished for it, but she’s too useful to simply discard. I just don’t know how you’d want to go about it.”

  “Fair,” Ordath agreed, and the archangel smiled, nodding to her. “Please send Haral a summons. I’ll see about contacting the rest of the Council so we can come to a decision.”

  “As you wish, My Lord,” Cilla murmured, and she quickly turned to leave.

  The archangel watched her go, then sighed as he took a seat again, murmuring, “So close, and things are starting to get precarious. Just a little further, though.”

  No one answered, but that was as it should be.

  Chapte
r 18

  Looking through his spyglass, Sorm frowned unhappily as he saw the women approaching the Ascent of Faith, the primary route up the Harth Plateau. He was somewhat vexed at the sight of them, but didn’t dare show it here.

  Isalla and Roselynn appeared to be perfectly fine, which was stunning to him, and implied that one of their companions was likely a powerful healer. At his best guess, they’d been delayed a day, possibly two, and that was all. Worse, he didn’t have a good chance to attack again here, as the Ascent of Faith was one of the most heavily guarded locations in Uthren. He’d rather attack them in one of the core cities of the nation than here.

  Instead Sorm studied the others in the group, trying to decide who the healer could be, murmuring softly to himself. “Not the demon, obviously. Two humans and two elves… the elves look like guards to me, which means one of the humans. Question is, which?”

  The two women each had dark hair, but the one farther back in the line looked more like a maid to Sorm, even if she was armed and wore leather armor. Conversely, the one in front had light clothing and what looked like a staff holstered beside her, which meant it was probably her. That didn’t mean anything for certain, though, as Sorm had frequently seen healers learn to fight on the front lines so they could patch people up in the field. It was frustrating to not know, but he wasn’t going to overreact, not yet.

  “I could always let the authorities know that they had a demon infiltrating Uthren. That’d deal with them quickly enough,” Sorm murmured after a minute, considering the idea for a long moment, then shook his head. “No, that wouldn’t be satisfying. I want to see them suffer, not have an easy end.”

  It wasn’t necessarily the wisest thing Sorm could do, he knew. It would be smarter to just let the knights know what was going on and ruin whatever plans Roselynn and Isalla had made. At the same time, though, he just couldn’t bring himself to give up his personal vengeance.

  “Soon. I’ll get one of you soon… and make all of you suffer,” Sorm said softly, his breathing slow and steady as he tracked them from his shadowy perch. He didn’t want his spyglass to give him away, so he’d deliberately chosen a spot where there wouldn’t be any direct light this morning.

  Besides, he doubted he’d catch the women entirely by surprise this time.

  “That is going to be incredibly unpleasant,” Maura said, her disbelief obvious as she looked up at the plateau. “You didn’t tell me we were going to have to climb something like that, Yain!”

  “I said it was a plateau! It isn’t my fault that you didn’t think about what that meant,” Yain replied tartly, and Kitania suppressed the urge to laugh at her indignance.

  On the other hand, Kitania could understand Maura’s complaint, as the ascent to the top of the plateau was even harsher than the one to get out of Port Hope. It looked like a small town was nestled at the foot of the plateau, just far enough away to avoid any falling rocks, and a series of waterfalls descended from above to form a river that ran through the middle of town. Another town was at the top, looking like it was slightly more heavily settled, though Kitania couldn’t tell much from their angle and distance. Criss-crossing up the mountain were switchbacks, with numerous spots to rest along the way up, including what Kitania suspected were viewing points near the waterfalls, guard posts, and even an inn about halfway up. The last told her a lot about how hard the ascent was on most people.

  “It’s called the Ascent of Faith because Uthren considers all of the Harth Plateau to be holy ground, and pilgrims to the city are expected to take their time in contemplation on the way up. It’s also difficult for many pilgrims, as high as the plateau is, so it’s said to be something where the tradition came later, I think,” Rose said, her voice calm as she looked up the mountainside. “There are two other ways to the top of the plateau, but each are less conveniently located, and none of them are easy to reach the top of. I seem to recall that they can redirect the river down the switchbacks if they need to.”

  “That would do a lot of damage to the trail, but anyone trying to ascend the mountain would be… upset, I imagine,” Kitania said, looking at the upper town, then shook her head in wonder. “It’s very different than most of the fortresses I’ve seen before, and impressive. Really impressive.”

  “We’ll have plenty of time to admire it on the way up,” Vinara said, her voice desert-dry as she looked at the mountain dubiously, sighing as she murmured, “Oh, to be able to fly to the top instead…”

  “We could hire riding drakes to take us to the top, but that would mean abandoning the horses,” Yain explained, her displeasure fading slightly. “On the other hand, we could always get a stagecoach or the like. After the attack, I don’t like that idea, but I’m not going to say it isn’t tempting.”

  “I definitely don’t like the idea,” Isalla said, shaking her head firmly. “If we get attacked again, I want the chance to go after whoever’s behind it. Speaking of which, how’s the spell, Violet?”

  “Just as much of an annoyance to maintain as it was the last time you asked,” Vinara replied calmly, smirking at the angel. “I fully understand wanting to deal with sniping, which is why I’m maintaining it, but it is a minor drain. There’s only so much mana I can use in a day and still fully recover, you know.”

  “We’re thankful you’re willing to make the sacrifice for us,” Rose said, smiling as their horses slowly meandered down the road, their hooves clip-clopping all the while. “I know that it makes me less worried compared to before.”

  “Agreed,” Kitania murmured, nodding in appreciation at Vinara. The succubus smiled briefly, some of her distaste fading.

  “You’re welcome,” Vinara murmured, obviously pleased by their attention.

  The succubus had come up with a spell to hopefully deflect any bolt by creating a momentary, intense windstorm around them. While the bolt used before had penetrated Kitania’s barrier, they’d reasoned that it likely wouldn’t have the enchantments to completely ignore wind as well, which was why she’d been maintaining the spell, and was ready to trigger it at a moment’s notice. Kitania didn’t envy the effort it took and was amazed at Vinara’s patience and ability to focus. On the other hand, Vinara always had been more skilled with magic than Kitania was.

  Maura looked like she was about to speak, but paused, straightening in the saddle as she said, “I hear someone coming.”

  “Multiple someone’s,” Yain corrected, and Kitania again suppressed the urge to smile, as she wondered if they were getting closer, or becoming rivals. She had noticed Vinara smirking at the two meaningfully over the course of their trip.

  “Likely a patrol, from what I can see,” Isalla said, peering ahead of them, where a bit of dust was rising. “Does Uthren patrol this area often?”

  “I honestly couldn’t say. I don’t remember encountering one near here last time I came through, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t happen,” Yain said, peering ahead of them, while one hand went to the hilt of her sword. “Still, until I can see their colors, I don’t want to make assumptions.”

  “What are Uthren’s colors?” Kitania asked, a little bemused. “I never had reason to find out.”

  “Red and white, primarily a deep crimson,” Rose replied, smiling as she explained. “They like to style themselves as the ‘Blood of the Heavens,’ which is a bit overwrought from my perspective. There seems to be some truth to it, as they’ve been some of the closest allies of the heavens for a very long time, and there are some angelic bloodlines among the humans in Uthren, but some traditionalists in the heavens bristle at the claim.”

  “Ah, I see. I understand the unhappiness that could prompt… and it is a rather arrogant claim, on the whole,” Kitania said, watching the approaching soldiers, then smiled as she added. “It looks like their surcoats are close to what you described, so they’re probably from Uthren.”

  “I think you’re right. The dust makes it hard to tell, though,” Isalla added, standing in her stirrups to get a better angl
e, which her mount didn’t seem to appreciate as it pranced, and she exclaimed, “Hey, settle down!”

  “Maybe you shouldn’t try standing up like that,” Rose said, smiling warmly as she exchanged an affectionate look with Kitania. “You aren’t used to horses to begin with, so unsettling the poor thing isn’t nice.”

  “Fine, fine,” Isalla said, sighing as she sat back down, which seemed to calm the horse after a few moments. Kitania barely heard her murmur, “I can’t wait to be able to fly again.”

  No one told her to be quiet, likely since there wasn’t anyone nearby to overhear her complaint. Instead Kitania fell silent, moving to the right side of the road as they drew closer to the soldiers on the road.

  The group appeared to be predominantly humans, though it was hard to tell with their armor and helms. Most of them were in full plate and had surcoats with different emblems than just the primary red with white trim. There were at least two dozen soldiers there, and two lightly armored men with a distinct aura about them struck Kitania as magi. As they came closer, she realized that about a quarter of their number were women, though it was hard to tell even up close.

  “Hail, travelers!” the lead soldier exclaimed, his voice deep and with an undertone of arrogance to it. “What brings you to Uthren?”

  “We’re pilgrims heading to the capital, good sir,” Yain replied respectfully, bobbing her head as she smiled at him, continuing as they brought their horses to a halt. Kitania’s mount took the chance to graze on some grass alongside the road while they spoke. “To be more accurate, I’m the guide for the rest of these ladies, and this is my partner. What brings a group of knights of the realm out this direction?”