Hell's Ascendant (Mantles of Power Book 3) Page 22

  “Don’t even bother,” Kitania told him bluntly, looking into his eyes steadily as she glanced down at his hand again and continued. “You were trying for my purse and failed. And if your friend doesn’t back away from my companion, I’ll call the guard.”

  The boy that’d been approaching Isalla while they were distracted froze, and her captive swallowed hard, then said, “I… I didn’t… you’re mistaken what I was trying for, milady, and—”

  “I said not to bother,” Kitania said flatly, glancing at the other boy with a mirthless smile that deliberately bared her fangs, prompting both of them to pale a little as she continued. “I have had a horrible week, and I don’t have the time or patience for this. The two of you are going to go tell your friends to steer clear of us, because the next time I see a pickpocket, they’re going to be explaining themselves to the city guard if they’re lucky, is that clear? I’d also suggest trying to find a better way of making a living, as one of these days you’re going to find someone far less forgiving than I am.”

  “Ah, um, yes, ma’am,” the boy said, gulping audibly as he paled still more, and Kitania smiled.

  “Good. Now go away,” Kitania told him, letting go of his hand. She watched the two disappear into the crowd, then nodded to Yain and the others who’d stopped to watch her.

  As they got moving again, Isalla asked, “Why’d you let them go? I mean, they were trying to steal from you.”

  “Because there really wasn’t much point right now. From what I’ve seen of human cities, there are countless pickpockets who’re young, and often the punishment for their crimes are… particularly harsh, in my opinion. I wish I knew a good way to prevent them from needing to be on the streets, or getting them jobs, but I don’t,” Kitania said, and bit back the urge to continue that such wasn’t needed in the hells. The survival rate was low enough that there were always jobs to be had, but that was a problem in its own right.

  “Well, maybe so. Aren’t there thieves back where you’re from, though?” Isalla asked, frowning unhappily.

  “Of course there are, and many of them are more skilled than children like that. I don’t like them either, and I’d turn those people in without batting an eyelash. They usually chose to be in a position like that, unlike the boys from before,” Kitania said, guilt flickering through her briefly at the thought of being abandoned on the streets. At least she hadn’t had to worry about that happening when she was young.

  “I suppose that’s true… I certainly wouldn’t,” Isalla admitted, following the others through the streets. Now she was keeping an eye out for pickpockets, Kitania noticed, suppressing the urge to smile. It was better late than never, she supposed. The problem was that as an angel, Isalla had probably never been targeted before, while as a human noble she was a much easier target.

  Kitania didn’t spot any more attempts to steal from them on the way to the inn, though she wasn’t naïve enough to believe that she could spot anyone who might try. Most of them, certainly, but a truly skilled pickpocket would probably manage to avoid even her notice. On the other hand, she was sure there were far easier targets as well.

  Reaching the inn, Kitania’s eyebrows arched slightly, as it was only a street over from the old city walls, which were still well-kept from her point of view. Looking at the inn was the real reason for her surprise, though, since the inn was a nice enough building, but it was little different than any of the inns they’d passed on their way to it. The sign out front had two leaves painted on it, one red and the other green, and between them was a painted rendition of the sun.

  “Here we are,” Yain announced, a hint of relief in her voice as she glanced back, smiling as she said. “Emma? You can hand the horse over to the stable hand, and we can arrange for rooms.”

  “Thank you, but I’ll go with and bring in our luggage,” Eziel replied politely, smiling in return. “I’m sure it won’t take long.”

  “As you like,” Yain said, and led the way into the inn.

  Kitania followed, and as she did her eyebrows rose even more for a moment, then her surprise settled down as she realized what was different about the inn.

  The Season of Light was like any other decent inn she’d seen in the human kingdoms superficially, but that was only at first glance. Even the interior looked a lot like the others, but she expected humans would notice that something was off about it. The simple explanation was that the inn was in better repair and everything was higher quality to begin with.

  Where most inns would get by with cheap, sturdy furniture, the chairs and tables Kitania could see were not just sturdy, but well-crafted to last for a long time. The walls were similar, with carefully planed boards that, while they might have stains, were obviously regularly cleaned and otherwise maintained. It was a subtle difference, but about what she expected from elves, with their longer lifespans and tendency to try to take care of their homes.

  There were a decent number of people at the tables in the common room of the inn, about half of which were humans, while the remainder were a near even split between elves and half-elves. There were two maids serving as well, a pretty human and the other a half-elf, while behind the counter was a brown-haired elven man who looked up from the slate board in front of him. He smiled, looking much more handsome as his brown eyes twinkled at them.

  “Ah, travelers! Welcome to Season of Light, how may I help you?” the man asked, pausing as he looked at Yain and asked, “As a matter of fact… I think I remember you, madam. Did you stay here once before?”

  “Yes, I did, Master Dominick. It’s been the better part of a decade, but I visited once before with a few family members,” Yain said, smiling warmly as she nodded. “I’m Yain, and I’m surprised you remembered me at all.”

  “I have a good memory for faces, which is good in this business,” Dominick replied with a chuckle, his gaze sweeping across their group, his eyebrows rising slightly as he saw Kitania’s tail, but he didn’t betray any further shock as he asked, “Now, what may I do for you?”

  “We’d like three rooms for two, if we could,” Yain said, her tone growing a little brisker as she continued. “I think we’ll be here for at least three days, possibly more, and we’ll definitely need baths. Unfortunately, we have an audience at the temple today, which makes things a bit tighter than I’d like.”

  “The temple? Today? Well, that’s certainly going to be a problem for you,” Dominick said, looking taken aback.

  “Why do you say that?” Vinara asked, frowning as she continued. “I heard that it’s always open for pilgrims.”

  “Yes, well, normally they don’t have one of the most famous generals and archangels of the heavens in residence,” Dominick replied, smiling wryly as he shook his head. “Anathiel arrived three days ago, and ever since the temple has been flooded with petitioners. Why, I even heard that she and Krath had a sparring match yesterday, which by all reports was glorious to behold! Getting inside isn’t going to be easy for weeks, I expect. Still, you might be able to manage it.”

  “That means we’d probably better get those baths sooner, rather than later,” Kitania murmured, glancing at Isalla as she asked, “Do you have the rooms available?”

  “Certainly! Let’s get you settled in while I have the baths drawn,” Dominick said, pulling out a drawer with keys in it. “Do you need any luggage brought in?”

  “Emma went to take care of that and to get the horse settled in,” Yain explained, pulling out her coin purse. “Thank you for your help.”

  “I just hope you enjoy your stay in Uthren’s Throne,” Dominick replied, smiling broadly. “Now, as for payment…”

  The better part of an hour later, Kitania let out a tiny sigh as they headed down the street toward the temple, a tiny bit wistful. The bath hadn’t been exactly bad, but bathing in a tub just made her remember her home in the hells, which spoiled the pleasure it caused, at least somewhat.

  Isalla seemed to read her mind, as the angel glanced over and asked, her tone a t
ouch wry, “Missing your hot spring bath?”

  “Was it that obvious?” Kitania asked, looking back guiltily.

  “Well, yes? I mean, I miss it, even if I could do without the scent of sulfur,” Isalla said, a light blush rising in her cheeks. “It certainly was a nice luxury.”

  “Wait, what’s this about a hot spring?” Vinara asked, her eyebrows rising suddenly.

  “I built my home under a hill where a hot spring welled up,” Kitania explained, keeping her explanation hopefully vague enough that bystanders wouldn’t guess where she was from as she continued. “I gave it a separate room and set things up so that the hot water was filtered before coming into a large tub, then drained into the stream like normal. It was lovely, and every time I have to bathe normally, I miss it.”

  “That… oh, that would be nice,” Maura exclaimed, her eyes widening a little. “There’s only a couple of hot springs in the Forest of Sighs, and the people who control them charge others for access. I went once, and it was lovely, even if the water was pretty opaque.”

  “It certainly can be, if you don’t filter the water right. It took some work to get the enchantments for that, but I think it was worth it in the end,” Kitania said and smiled even more as Yain looked at Maura.

  “I believe it,” Yain said, letting out a soft sigh. “I can’t remember having the chance to use a large, hot bath more than a handful of times in my life. It sounds absolutely decadent.”

  “I’m not sure about decadent, but certainly nice for those taking baths,” Vinara said, eyeing Kitania crossly as she murmured, “I see you didn’t suffer much in your absence. In any case, it makes me wonder why more places don’t enchant pools to create warm water, and then charge for access.”

  “That would be the bathhouses mentioned before,” Eziel said quietly. “They charge a relatively minor amount, which makes people more likely to make use of their services.”

  “I might have to give one a try after we’re back to Dolia, and… oh my, I see Dominick wasn’t joking,” Kitania said, pausing as she caught sight of the plaza in front of the temple grounds, along with the steps leading up to the temple itself.

  The plaza was larger than she’d expected to begin with, though when she thought about it Kitania really should have known better. With so many pilgrims coming to Uthren’s Throne and the emphasis on faith in the nation, it only made sense to have a large plaza in front of it, and dozens of stalls had been set up to sell things around the plaza, mostly food from what she could see. The stairs ended at a gate that opened into the temple and its grounds proper, and to a degree the place looked like a fortress to Kitania, even if many of the buildings were airier and beautiful compared to most fortresses.

  The problem was the sheer number of people she could see. At least a thousand people had to be crowded into the plaza or on the steps leading up to the temple, if not even more than that, and Kitania hated to think about what would happen if someone fell over in the middle of it. Most of the people looked like they were human, but a surprisingly large percentage were dwarves, and an even larger number looked like knights, mercenaries, or soldiers. On the other hand, Anathiel was the archangel of war, so it made some sense… though Kitania would’ve expected them to be more interested in the deity of war, whoever that was at the moment.

  “Getting through that is going to be… interesting,” Isalla said, sounding a little stunned.

  “That’s one way to put it,” Yain said, eying the crowd unhappily. “I wonder if we can even get there before they close the temple for the night.”

  “There’s only one way to find out,” Maura said, and she led the way as she tried to forge a path through the crowd.

  Maura’s attempt didn’t go as planned, mostly because she simply wasn’t large or strong enough to force her way through the crowd. Instead, they ended up slowly working their way through the mass of people bit by bit, and Kitania quickly regretted their choice to come there, as her nose was assaulted not just by powerful clashing perfumes, but also by the sheer mass of people in one place.

  Slowly they made progress, though, and though she was separated from Vinara and the elves, Kitania, Eziel, and Isalla made their way toward the steps, where they managed to meet up with the others again. It’d taken a disgustingly long time, but none of them had the energy to try to shout over the crowd, so they instead moved to the side of the steps where people were ascending and got into the line of petitioners filtering up onto the temple grounds.

  This time they were able to move faster, if only because half the stairs were intended to move upward, while the other half was going down, and they didn’t have people loitering and talking. Still, it took a lot longer than it should have to reach the temple grounds, and Kitania’s eyes widened as she took in the sight of dozens of buildings around the grounds, though they were behind fences that funneled everyone who was entering toward a set of gardens and a larger temple. The temple was probably for receiving guests, while the gardens were beautiful and likely for reflecting by the pilgrims, Kitania suspected, though right now everywhere was crowded, and frequent priests in light blue, red, or white and gold robes moved about, speaking to people while looking somewhat harried.

  “Where to?” Kitania asked, having to raise her voice to be heard over the hubbub surrounding them.

  “The temple!” Yain almost yelled, wincing as she did so. “If we want to contact her, that’s where to do it!”

  Kitania simply nodded, exchanging a pitying look with Vinara, as she realized that the keen hearing of an elf was probably unpleasant under these circumstances. Vinara considered, then Kitania saw her murmur something, drawing sigils in the air as she cast a spell. A shimmering, near-transparent bubble surrounded Maura and Yain’s heads, and Kitania could see them visibly relax, then look at Vinara in relief. She guessed that Vinara had dampened the sound which reached them, which was probably for the best.

  Eventually they reached the temple, and after one look at the gaudy interior, Kitania winced and focused purely on following the others. She did notice that it looked like a couple of the three statues of Uthren’s deities had been replaced recently, but it really didn’t matter. Instead, she followed as Yain made her way to a female acolyte in red robes, and waited as the three people ahead of them went about whatever they were requesting. One received a blessing, and the brunette dealt with the other two briskly before focusing on them.

  “Yes, how may I assist you?” the woman asked, a barely concealed note of impatience in her voice.

  “We’re here to request an audience with Lady Anathiel. She’s—” Yain began, only to have the acolyte interrupt.

  “No. Lady Anathiel isn’t seeing any visitors, let alone random visitors who came in the front door,” the acolyte said impatiently, her blue eyes flashing with irritation.

  “But she’s expecting us!” Isalla protested, inhaling to continue, but the woman didn’t give her time to say anything more.

  “You and half the city, by all estimations! No, she isn’t seeing anyone, so if you don’t have business in the temple to do with our deities, I’ll have to ask you to move along!” the woman said bluntly, her eyes narrowing as she looked at them. “We’re busy enough we don’t have time to deal with common gawkers.”

  Even Kitania was taken aback by the woman’s vehemence, and she promptly ignored them to start talking to the next person in line. On the other hand, Vinara looked around, then murmured, “I think it’s time to send a message, hm?”

  “An excellent idea,” Yain said, and they pushed themselves to the side, ignoring the acolyte’s irritated look as Vinara began casting another spell.

  Chapter 29

  “Lady Anna, my apologies for disturbing you, but when we requested an audience it was denied. We’re currently standing in the outer temple next to what the inscriptions say is the Shrine of Blood.” Vinara’s voice was a whisper on the wind, and caused Anna to stop in mid-sentence, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

  “Oh dear
. My apologies, Anathiel,” Cyclone said apologetically, and Krath blinked, looking between Anna and Cyclone in confusion. Anna shared the confusion for a brief moment, then she realized what had happened.

  “Ah, I forgot that you can eavesdrop on wind-based message spells simply by being nearby. My apologies, Krath, but it appears that my other guests arrived and were turned away,” Anna said, smiling wryly as she glanced toward the front of the temple, adding, “I suspect that it’s chaotic enough that they’re simply turning away everyone asking for an audience with me.”

  “That sounds likely, considering the complaints I’ve heard from my priests,” Krath said, his confusion clearing up as he tugged on his beard gently, chuckling as he added, “I must say, having priests confused me for the first year with the mantle. I don’t mind much anymore, but it’s an awful lot of responsibility.”

  Anna nodded, smiling slightly as she murmured, “I never had many priests, not since angels don’t generally worship archangels, but I had a few champions and the like. They’re long gone, though. The nature of my mantle and the people they were… well, their deaths weren’t unexpected.”

  Both of the deities fell silent at that, and Anna could understand why. Few deities liked being reminded the mortality of their trusted followers. It was why so many archangels and deities eventually passed their mantles to someone else and lived out the remainder of their lives quietly.

  Suddenly Cyclone cleared his throat and sat up, changing the subject. “Regardless, if the people you’ve been waiting for are here, we should have them escorted into the temple proper. One moment.”

  Cyclone rang a small bell that was resting on the table, one which Anna knew was magically linked to a servant’s room nearby. Moments later the door opened and a priestess in light blue robes stepped in, bowing deeply.