Hell's Ascendant (Mantles of Power Book 3) Page 23

  “You called, Your Holiness?” the priestess asked, maintaining the bow.

  “Yes. A group of Lady Anathiel’s guests just arrived in the outer temple and were turned away. They’re near the Shrine of Blood, and require escort to the inner temple,” Cyclone said, glancing at Anna as he asked, “What do they look like, again? I believe you told the priesthood before, but I’d rather she was able to identify them directly.”

  “Of course. The most obvious will be a woman with a dragon’s tail and horns, but there are two elves among their number, as well as three humans, a blonde and two brunettes,” Anna said, smiling slightly as she looked at the priestess as she straightened. Part of Anna was going through the suggestions she’d make for adjusting the woman’s appearance if she was in the spire, though she knew that the woman would never end up there, considering the spire was on the opposite side of the world and in the hells.

  “I will retrieve them immediately, Your Holiness, Your Excellency,” the priestess said, nodding quickly as she smiled and added, “I will be back presently.”

  The woman turned to leave, and as she did, Anna went back to what she’d been saying before they were interrupted. “Now, as for your lightning, I’ve noticed that you tend to focus it too much, Krath. You need to learn to let it permeate your body, so even if something strikes from an unexpected angle it provides some defense. It won’t work against everything, but…”

  Krath leaned forward, listening closely, and Anna inwardly hoped she wasn’t giving advice to a future enemy.

  Kitania looked up as a back door opened and a priestess stepped into the antechamber. Despite the acolyte having pointedly hinted they should leave several times, their group had stubbornly stayed, though Kitania grew worried when the acolyte had spoken to a temple guard and several other guards had started gathering. It was likely they’d be forced to leave soon, which would be very annoying.

  The priestess had pale blue robes, and at the sight of her the temple guards quickly snapped to attention, obviously startled. She spoke briefly to them as she scanned the room, then her gaze settled on Kitania and the others. The woman smiled slightly, then approached. As she did so, the acolyte caught sight of her, and the young woman’s eyes widened.

  “Mother Kora, I didn’t know you were visiting!” the acolyte exclaimed, standing up straighter, and she was about to speak further when the priestess raised a hand to interrupt.

  “I know you didn’t, as I’m acting on the instructions of the Lord of Winds,” Mother Kora replied calmly, smiling at her for a moment, then looked at Kitania and the others as she continued. “I believe that you’re here for an audience, is that correct?”

  “Yes, it is,” Kitania said, relief rushing through her. A tiny part of her had been afraid that the woman was planning to kick them out, but it seemed their message had gotten through to Anna.

  “Excellent. Just the six of you, yes?” the priestess asked, looking across them as the acolyte’s eyes widened enormously.

  “Yes,” Isalla said, looking relieved as she smiled. “There was a seventh, but she should already be inside.”

  “Excellent. If you’d follow me?” Kora said, turning toward the doors again, and paused near the temple guards to add, “These six are allowed inside, but not any others.”

  “Of course, ma’am,” the guard replied, bowing his head.

  Kitania and the others quickly followed, and the demoness couldn’t help a smile at the shock on the acolyte’s face as they were led out of the crowded antechamber. On the other hand, the priestess’s caution was obviously well-placed, as at least three people Kitania saw tried to follow Eziel through the door. Fortunately, the guards stopped them, and the door shut to give a semblance of quiet, though the noise still managed to filter through the door.

  “Now that we’re more easily able to speak, I presume you’re here for a meeting with Lady Anathiel?” Kora asked, looking them over curiously.

  “That’s right. One of our friends was injured, and she took her away, then told us to ask for an audience with her here,” Isalla spoke quickly, her voice a little nervous. “I… is our friend alright? Do you know?”

  “I’m afraid I do not. I’m aware that she brought someone with her, but they have been sequestered in her chambers since her arrival,” Kora said, her tone perfectly polite as she examined them, then nodded. “I must stress that you each need to be polite, as Lady Anathiel is currently in the company of the Lord of Winds and the Lord of Thunder. As the guardian deities of Uthren, they expect others to be respectful.”

  “Of course,” Kitania said, a thread of dread rushing through her. Two deities beyond Anna didn’t fill her with any sense of joy, just worry, so she took a deep breath as she tried to focus.

  Murmurs of agreement came from the others, and Kitania noticed that Vinara had been unusually quiet lately. She glanced over, and she could see the concern in her old friend’s eyes. Vinara met her gaze and flashed a smile, but it was quite brief and only increased Kitania’s worries.

  “Good, if you’d follow me? We’ll have to go through the gardens to reach our destination,” Kora said, her voice brisk.

  The priestess swiftly led them out of the temple and into broad gardens that would be perfect for secluded contemplation, in Kitania’s opinion. There were numerous acolytes tending to the gardens, both male and female, though there was a slight preponderance of men. As they walked Kitania noticed that their clothing was usually in one of three sets of colors; blue, red, or white and gold.

  “May I ask what the different colors of robes mean? I’m guessing its which deity you serve, but I’d like to be certain,” Kitania said, breaking the silence when they were about halfway to the largest structure on the temple grounds.

  “That’s right,” Kora said, glancing at Kitania with a smile of approval. “Those of us who wear blue are the devoted of Cyclone, Lord of Wind and eldest of the guardian deities. You were at the Shrine of Blood, devoted to Sanguine, the Lady of Blood, whose colors are red and gold. As for Krath, the Lord of Thunder, his colors are white and gold. There are a handful who are devoted to more than just one of the Three, but it isn’t common, and they usually wear a combination of the colors.”

  “Interesting,” Kitania said, smiling as she relaxed slightly.

  “I’ve always found it fascinating how stable Uthren is, even when the deities have passed down their mantles,” Yain said, her voice musing as she looked around. “In some ways you’ve always seemed even more stable than those countries who haven’t had their deities change over the millennia.”

  Kora nodded, slowing down slightly as she replied. “Indeed, it’s something of a puzzle, isn’t it? However, I personally think that it’s because of the changes that we’ve been stable. None of the Three can make decisions without convincing one of the others, and the mantle being passed down means there’s a chance for new ideas to come about, while My Lord is old enough that he has the wisdom of the past to draw upon. I believe it’s a delicate balance, and one they’ve striven to keep over the centuries.”

  “Hm…” Maura murmured, looking intrigued, but while she opened her mouth to speak, she shut it without saying anything further.

  “May I ask what your relationship with Lady Anathiel is? I’m startled that she’d accept an audience with any of you, after rejecting so many other requests, including those of the Heavenly Orders,” Kora asked, looking back at them speculatively, curiosity in her eyes. “You don’t have to answer, of course. I won’t pry further.”

  “I believe I’m the only one with a lengthy history with her, but… I didn’t know who she was at the time, mind you, but she taught me to fight,” Kitania said and smiled slightly as she added softly, “I simply knew her as Lady Anna.”

  “I see,” Kora said, glancing back at Kitania with wide eyes. “I wouldn’t have expected that, and you’ve had an amazing opportunity.”

  “That I have,” Kitania agreed, continuing to follow Kora toward the looming building ahe
ad of them. At the very highest point in the back she could see a smaller building that was open to the air, and Kitania wondered what it was used for. The front was open, anyway.

  They entered the buildings below that, though, and none of the numerous guards tried to stop Kora, leading Kitania to believe that she was either higher-ranking than she’d initially thought, or they knew she was on a task set by one of their deities. Possibly both, but almost certainly the latter. The hallways weren’t quite as gaudy as the others had been, but there were numerous tapestries with different scenes stitched into them that Kitania had to assume were legends about the different deities of Uthren. Soon enough they came to a solid pair of double doors, and Kora slowed.

  “Here we are. Please, remember to be on your best behavior,” Kora warned them again, a flicker of nervousness in her expression, prompting pity to well up in Kitania.

  “We’ll do our best,” Kitania promised sincerely.

  “I certainly don’t want to be smote by an angry deity,” Maura murmured, prompting a titter of laughter from most of the others.

  “Good,” Kora said, waiting until they’d quieted down before knocking on the door.

  “Come in!” a resonant voice replied, and even the sound of it sent a shiver down Kitania’s spine. This wouldn’t be the first she met a mortal god, but it’d be the first time she’d met one of those solidly on the side of angels. Alserah didn’t count, not really.

  While she was distracted, Kora opened the door and stepped inside smoothly, taking several steps forward before bowing deeply, her voice seemingly calm. “I have brought Lady Anathiel’s guests, Your Holiness.”

  “Excellent,” the man on the left said, the same one who’d spoken before, and Kitania only saw a glimpse of his brown eyes before she bowed as well, shivering at the aura of power that struck her.

  The well-appointed room had a modest round table in the middle of it, as well as four chairs, though one didn’t match the dark, polished wood of the others. Three of the chairs were occupied, and Anna sat in the one that didn’t fit, smiling warmly as she relaxed in her white toga, her wings comfortably folded behind her.

  In the other two chairs were other deities, both of them human men, and their power was obvious, though not quite as overwhelming as Anna’s was. One was the man with blue robes and brown eyes, while the other was stockier, and Kitania thought she could smell a hint of ozone from him as he studied her.

  “Ah, there you are! I’d expected you to arrive yesterday, not today,” Anna said, her eyes twinkling as she looked at them. “I take it I underestimated how long the trip would take.”

  “I’m afraid that the attack killed all but one of our mounts, Lady Anna, so we had to walk once we received healing,” Kitania said politely, holding her bow. “We arrived earlier today, and immediately made our way here. May I ask if Lynn is alright?”

  “Ah, Roselynn was going by Lynn? Fair enough,” Anna said, and paused.

  A moment later the first deity spoke, his voice calm. “You may all rise. May we have some privacy, priestess? Thank you for your assistance.”

  “It was my pleasure, Your Holiness,” Kora said, and Kitania glanced over just in time to see the woman leave the room, while the others straightened cautiously, their nervousness obvious.

  “As for Roselynn, she’s doing well. It’ll take a few more days for her to heal, but that’s as I expected. To do it right takes a while, as the method I chose is more beneficial to her than simply using regeneration magic would be,” Anna said, meeting Kitania’s eyes with a hint of concern and… something else, something that Kitania couldn’t quite identify, and she smiled. “Now, would you mind introducing yourselves to Cyclone and Krath? Cyclone is an old friend of mine.”

  “Of course,” Kitania said, turning slightly to face the two men as she continued. “I am called Kim Fireblood and trained with Lady Anna when I was young. It’s an honor to meet the two of you.”

  Isalla audibly swallowed, then spoke, her voice soft. “I’m… Isalla, formerly of the Order of the Phoenix. Yes, I’m an angel like Rose, Roselynn, I mean, and we were traveling in disguise together.”

  Kitania saw the expression of surprise cross Krath’s face, though Cyclone was far more impassive. Despite that, they didn’t say anything as the others introduced themselves. Neither Eziel or Vinara used their real names, and the succubus inserted a bit of nervousness into her voice, though that easily could be real, and the elves went by their own names. Maura and Yain didn’t have to feign their nervousness, she knew, but she couldn’t blame them. Even if they worked in Alserah’s palace, it wasn’t as though they interacted with her every day, and Alserah was their goddess.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet all of you, and a trifle intriguing. I’d ask why you were in hiding, Isalla, but my conversations with Anathiel have led me to believe that ignorance is better in this case,” Cyclone said, and his gaze drifted to Kitania as he raised an eyebrow curiously. “That said… you truly trained someone, Anathiel? I thought you said that you were tired of warfare until recently.”

  “Just because I’m tired of war doesn’t mean that I became naïve. The world is a dangerous place, Cyclone, and people should be able to defend themselves,” Anna replied dryly, smiling as she glanced at Kitania warmly, her eyes glittering with mirth. It was such a different appearance for the angel, and yet at the same time it didn’t feel wrong to Kitania. “As for training her, Kim was a gifted student for a mortal, even if she doesn’t have wings. Have you been keeping in practice?”

  “As best I can, yes. I was in a location where using a cloudpiercer was ill-advised, so used a sword for quite a while, but I’ve been trying to get my old form back,” Kitania replied, resisting the urge to say anything more. She really disliked having to speak half-truths like this, particularly when deities could be far better at noticing inconsistencies.

  “I see,” Cyclone said, looking at them curiously, then let out a sigh as he murmured. “I take it you wish to speak with them in private?”

  “Yes, but there’s no need for the two of you to leave. I’m a guest in your temple, after all, and they’re at least partly here to check on their friend,” Anna said, standing up gracefully as she smiled at them and nodded. “I’ll take them to my room so they can see how things are coming along.”

  “As you wish. I hope to speak with you again, Lady Anathiel,” Krath said, standing quickly, and Kitania almost did a double take as she recognized the adoration in his eyes when he looked at Anna. That was unexpected, and she had no idea how to react to the idea, even if pretty much everyone in the Spire of Confession had loved Anna. They weren’t gods, after all.

  “I’m sure we will,” Anna said, nodding graciously as she glanced at Cyclone and added, “I’ll see both of you later. For now, I’ll bid you a good day.”

  “And you as well,” Cyclone replied, nodding but not standing.

  Anna headed for the door, and without a word the others made a path for her, all but Eziel, who quickly opened it for the archangel. Stepping outside, Anna spoke calmly. “Thank you for getting the door. Now, would you follow me? I’d prefer to speak where we aren’t going to be overheard.”

  “Of course, Your Excellency,” Vinara replied politely, and Anna snorted softly, shaking her head.

  “Oh, I don’t want to hear that from you. Lady Anna is more than enough, and possibly even too much,” Anna replied, pausing as they followed her out. Kitania resisted the urge to look back as she closed the door at last, letting out the faintest breath of relief at being out of the presence of the deities. She knew Anna and was far more comfortable with her, even if it’d been a long time since they were together.

  “May I ask why it’s taking time for Rose to heal? I’ve been really worried,” Isalla said, her voice unsteady as she swallowed hard, and Kitania quickly took her hand and squeezed it gently. Isalla gripped her hand hard in return, which didn’t surprise Kitania.

  “That’s one of those discussions for in private,�
� Anna said firmly, gesturing for them to follow. “Come along, my rooms are warded fairly heavily.”

  “As you say, Lady Anna,” Kitania murmured, and followed as Anna walked down the hallways, looking perfectly at home as she ignored the guards and priests along their path.

  No one obstructed them, though the curious looks they received were frequent and Kitania could practically feel the scrutiny they were under. Anna wanted to speak privately for a good reason, obviously, and Kitania tried to pick up the pace a little, since she and Isalla were in the back.

  Soon enough they reached an ornate hall with a set of doors which practically radiated magic, even if the runes of spells reinforcing the walls were fairly well hidden, and Anna laid a hand on the door. Kitania saw the wards dim, and Anna opened the door, speaking calmly. “Come in, all of you.”

  The others stepped into the room, and Kitania took in the room with a glance. The bed’s sheets were perfectly folded, which some might think was done by a maid, but Kitania suspected that Anna had done it herself. The room was quite nice, and the only thing that was out of place was the cot next to the larger bed, resting on a drop cloth and with Rose’s armor resting on an armor rack behind it, next to a rack holding Anna’s equipment. Resting on the cot was Rose, and Kitania’s eyes widened as she saw Ember laying across Rose, flames gently billowing around its blade.

  “Rose?” Kitania asked, and almost jumped as the door clicked shut behind them.

  The next moment Kitania froze as a warm pair of arms embraced her from behind and Anna almost picked her up, squeezing tightly as she spoke, and everyone else stared at her.

  “Oh, Kitania, what am I supposed to do with you?” Anna asked, and Kitania blinked, startled and nonplused.

  Chapter 30

  “Um, Anna? What are you doing?” Kitania sounded stunned, which was about how Isalla felt as well, watching the archangel hugging the demoness. The relief on Anathiel’s face was visible, which confused Isalla enough that her concern for Rose receded slightly.