Hell's Ascendant (Mantles of Power Book 3) Read online

  Glancing around, Isalla realized she wasn’t alone in her confusion, as even Vinara looked puzzled. The succubus was the one who should know the most about Anathiel besides Kitania, so if she didn’t know what was going on, no one else would have a clue.

  “I’m hugging you. Isn’t it obvious?” Anathiel replied, a slightly teasing edge to her voice. “I know you were observant enough to figure that out before, but I suppose it’s possible that a millennium in hiding might have dulled your mind.”

  “That isn’t what I meant!” Kitania protested, craning her neck to try to look at the archangel. “I can tell that you’re hugging me, but I’m not sure why.”

  Anathiel laughed and let go, taking a step backward as she looked at everyone in the room, then shrugged, folding her arms. The archangel’s smile was almost infectious, and she looked at Kitania for a long moment.

  “Mm… well, I suppose you wouldn’t know, after how much effort Estalia and I took to mislead others. Take off the illusion, Kitania. I want to look at my daughter properly,” Anathiel said, amusement evident in her voice.

  Her words caused the atmosphere throughout the room to practically freeze, and astonishment rushed through Isalla as she suddenly looked at Kitania, who wasn’t moving, her mouth slightly open.

  “W-what?” Kitania stammered, taken completely off guard for what was likely the first time since Isalla had met the demoness. Her reaction just made Isalla’s sense of disbelief grow stronger.

  “I said I wanted a proper look at you. Your mother and I agreed that it was time to reveal the full truth to you, even if she had intended to explain things when you got back to the palace,” Anathiel said, clicking her tongue chidingly as she circled Kitania. “Now, off with the illusion, hm? I want a proper look at you… it’s good you didn’t take after any other ashborn, or our attempt wouldn’t have worked at all.”

  “Wait, Kitania is half angel?” Vinara protested, her eyes huge. “That… wait, but I thought her sire was Her Majesty’s brother!”

  “A story which we came up with, and he agreed not to contradict. If people learned that Estalia had a child with an angel, it would have caused problems, likely with more dissidents trying to overthrow Estalia or to kill me… and that would have led to revealing who I was. That was something she was trying to avoid at all costs, so it was necessary,” Anathiel explained, even as Kitania seemed almost rooted in place from shock, which Isalla couldn’t blame her for. The archangel’s eyes darkened as she continued softly. “That was why she sent you to me when you were rebellious, Kitania. She hoped I could do better with you, and I… I nearly told you many times, but I couldn’t. I was too afraid to tell you, with how things had gone, and… well, I should have. I’m sorry I didn’t, because if I had, maybe you wouldn’t have joined the war.”

  “I… I just…” Kitania said, still looking utterly flummoxed.

  “Kitania? Take off the bracelet,” Vinara ordered, then paused, looking at Isalla as she added, “Or you take it off for her, Isalla. She’s obviously too surprised to do anything.”

  “She’s not the only one who’s shocked!” Isalla protested, but reached for Kitania’s wrist anyway, looking at Anathiel with wide eyes as she asked, “She’s the daughter of you and Estalia? How? I mean, you’re both women!”

  “Magic is a wondrous thing,” Anathiel replied, sniffing slightly as she smiled and added, “Though it was only used to let her bear Kitania to term, honestly. We discussed things, and she did need an heir. After we learned about Kitania’s power, though… well, we decided it was best to refrain from having more children. It isn’t as though she wasn’t a handful all on her own.”

  “I just can’t believe that neither of you told me before this!” Kitania finally managed, just as Isalla removed the bracelet and the illusion masking her appearance vanished. The demoness looked a little outraged and shook off the hand that Vinara had laid on her shoulder, her armored tail lashing as she said, “Kingdoms have risen and fallen dozens of times in the time I’ve been alive, and you led me to believe that my father was someone else entirely!”

  “Kitty, calmly,” Isalla urged quickly, grabbing Kitania’s arm, and Kitania looked back at her, anger flashing in the demoness’s eyes for a moment as she took a deep breath, but Anathiel spoke first.

  “I’m sorry,” the archangel said simply, regret filling her voice as she looked at Kitania. Isalla looked at her at the same time as Kitania, and the sorrow in Anathiel’s gaze startled her.

  “You’re sorry?” Kitania demanded, her voice half-breaking. “That… that’s…”

  “Kitania, people make mistakes. They get set in their ways and go with what they know. It’s all too easy to do, you know that,” Isalla said, trying to calm her friend down, her concern growing stronger. Kitania’s mood was impacting her own, and not necessarily for the better. Her steady presence was usually soothing, especially after what had happened to Rose, and to see her almost breaking down… well, it caused Isalla’s stomach to knot up.

  “That’s—” Kitania began but cut herself off as she raised a finger in the air, breathing in and almost visibly counting to herself, then let out the breath as she forcibly steadied herself. When she spoke again, her voice was taut, and she reached over to squeeze Isalla’s arm almost painfully tightly. “No, now is not the time to get into this. Not with so much company. I’m sorry to have made a scene at all, and I should apologize to Maura and Yain at the least. For now, you’ve seen me, Anna. I’m not going to pretend to be alright with things, but we can discuss that later. In private. For now, I’d like to know what in all the fiery magma of the hells is going on with Rose.”

  “Very well,” Anna said, her disappointment obvious, but the archangel didn’t argue, instead walking over next to Rose’s bedside, where the angel hadn’t stirred. She wasn’t wearing her collar that hid her wings anymore, Isalla noticed, and the angel’s wings were tucked carefully into the cot.

  “As you can see, she’s still unconscious, and will be until her wounds have finished healing,” Anathiel explained, her voice calm as she reached down to touch the hilt of Ember. “As for why it’s taking so long, it’s because Ember is the one healing her. She’s been attuned to the sword for so long that its help healing her is essentially ideal, improving her affinity for fire magic even as it restores her body.”

  “Um, why? I’ve never heard of Ember healing anyone before, not in all the legends of it,” Isalla asked, frowning as she looked at her beloved, unable to shake her sense of unease. “This seems strange to me.”

  “Of course you haven’t. No one in the Emberborn family has ever unlocked all its power, in part because the original creator of the sword didn’t want it to become the symbol of the Order of the Phoenix,” Anna said, her smile wry as she looked at Isalla, adding, “It was forged while I was still in the heavens, so I know a bit more about it than others. I knew the man who forged it, Javan Firewing, as well as several of its wielders. In any case, I was able to unlock the ability for it to heal Rose, and in three or four days she’ll be fine.”

  “I see,” Isalla said, slightly taken aback and chagrined as she looked down, admitting softly, “I… forgot that you were around that long ago. It’s hard to believe… I’ve only heard legends of you, really. They still taught us about some of the battles you commanded when we joined the Order of the Phoenix.”

  “Mm, I wish I could say I was surprised, but I’m not,” Anathiel said, her smile fading quickly as she shook her head. “Many people died for the sake of those tales of glory, and I doubt they pay them proper respect. Few of those who look back on history remember the countless people who died in order to allow others to succeed.”

  For a moment the room was quiet, then Yain cleared her throat and spoke nervously. “I… well, I hate to change the subject, but I have to ask… will you be helping us investigate, then? Or will you be waiting for Rose to recover before continuing the investigation, or…?”

  “Whether you continue or wait i
s entirely up to you, but I wouldn’t wait,” Anathiel said, sitting on the bed as she looked at them all in concern. “Also, I cannot help you, not directly. My presence is too likely to draw attention from those we’re investigating, and I’ve likely put them on edge. I’m an excellent distraction, but at the same time I bear many problems as well. For instance, look at the table.”

  “Hm?” Isalla murmured, looking over at the table, then blinked. She hadn’t looked at it before, but now that she did, she found herself almost gawking. There had to be hundreds of letters on the table, sitting in numerous neat piles, and only half of them were open. She looked at them, then asked, “Ah, what’s all of that?”

  “Those are the letters that I’ve received over the last three days and exclude the countless letters from random citizens of Uthren’s Throne or the heavens. I’ve only taken those from noble families, military orders, or similar groups,” Anathiel said, her voice desert-dry. “As you can see, I haven’t even gotten through all of them, and doubtlessly there are more waiting to be delivered. I’ve had demands for my presence from nobles, questions about where I’ve been, and even orders to present myself to a tribunal of the heavenly orders to answer questions. As if I answer to them… regardless, I haven’t replied to any of them yet.”

  “Oh my,” Vinara murmured, and Isalla had to agree with her. The idea of Anathiel drawing that much attention so quickly was mind-boggling, though she had to wonder why the orders would dare try to make demands of an archangel.

  “I see. So, you’re going to stay here and distract them while we try to find out who’s been plotting in the heavens?” Kitania asked, her voice cool, and her arms folded.

  The archangel nodded, letting out a soft sigh as she shrugged. “Well, yes. I don’t think I can do much more, yet, not without evidence. If some of my old friends come calling, I might try to get something of an alliance going, much as Alserah reportedly has been doing, but beyond that, there isn’t much I can do without evidence. I can back you up and ensure that you don’t simply disappear, but we’re close enough to the heavens that I have my limits. I might suggest that you and Vinara take turns keeping watch over Rose until she recovers, Kitania.”

  “Unfortunately, I believe she has a point. If there’s anywhere they’ll be able to see through your illusion, or detect that I’m a demon, it’d be here,” Vinara said unhappily, folding her arms as she looked at Kitania. “Agreed?”

  Kitania hesitated, then nodded grudgingly, stepping over to the cot, and reaching down to stroke Rose’s cheek gently. The sight helped soothe some of Isalla’s worries, at least.

  “That being the case, it sounds like the choice of how to proceed is up to you, Isalla,” Maura said, and Isalla froze as everyone looked at her.

  “Ah, crap,” Isalla murmured.

  Her response prompted a chorus of chuckles, though Maura and Yain’s were a bit more nervous than Vinara’s. Isalla took the moment to think, then sighed as she shook her head unhappily. Several of the plans she’d made for when they got to Uthren’s Throne relied on Rose, and with her currently out of the picture it made things more difficult, and not just because Isalla wished Rose hadn’t been injured. In the end, she didn’t dare wait, which meant that she was going to be doing this almost entirely on her own.

  “I think that I’m going to try to contact the current commander of the Order of the Phoenix. Rose was hoping it was still Janel Ironheart, since she trusts her, but I don’t have much information about her, and don’t know Janel personally,” Isalla said, frowning unhappily as she added, “I don’t think trying to bring anyone else with me is a good idea, either. That’d draw attention, while an angel seeking an audience with the current commander would be relatively innocuous.”

  “Mm, one moment, I seem to remember seeing a letter from the order…” Anathiel said, standing and moving to the table. She shuffled through the letters, and after a minute cracked the seal on one. Finally, she spoke in approval. “Ah, yes, this one is from Heavenly Wing Janel Ironheart, so I believe you’re in luck. If you’d like, I can pen a short missive, which should allow you to approach her more easily.”

  “That would be very much appreciated,” Isalla said, some of her tension fading at the offer. She considered, frowning as she looked at the elves, then asked, “Um, now that we’re here, I was wondering… what are the two of you going to do?”

  “We were primarily sent as guides, so I think our task is largely done,” Maura said, frowning unhappily as she added, “Well, we were also supposed to be guards, but we are pretty far out of our depth. I think the attack on the road showed that rather pointedly, and we’d stick out like sore thumbs trying to investigate anything in the heavens.”

  “And Kitania and I wouldn’t?” Vinara asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically.

  “She didn’t say anything about that. You two can at least fly, once you’ve used magic,” Yain said, shaking her head and letting out a heavy sigh. “I think the two of us would be best left to guarding your things or something of the sort. I don’t want to head back, not with so many things up in the air… besides which, I’m not entirely comfortable with what we’ve heard here.”

  “I can’t imagine why,” Kitania muttered, and Isalla couldn’t suppress a smile at her slightly sullen tone, while Vinara simply laughed.

  “Perhaps we should let Kitania stay here and talk to Lady Anna while she keeps an eye on Rose,” Vinara suggested, glancing at Kitania with a slight smile as she added, “I imagine they have a lot to talk about.”

  “True enough,” Anathiel said, glancing at Kitania, then let her gaze settle on Isalla. “Is that alright with you?”

  “Of course. You’ve given me a lot to think about, and I’m not even the one who had the real surprises,” Isalla said, looking at Kitania and hesitating, then asked, “Kitty?”

  “It’s a reasonable suggestion. Not one that makes me particularly happy at the moment, but I can’t blame anyone else for that,” Kitania replied, letting out a soft sigh as she looked at Isalla. It seemed like the demoness’s anger had ebbed slightly, which reassured Isalla, but Kitania smiled faintly as she added, “Good luck and be safe. If you have to, use Anna’s name to keep out of trouble, hm? They might consider you a deserter.”

  “A definite point. I’ll write the missive and have it delivered to you a bit later,” Anathiel said, setting down the letter from Janel as she smiled warmly at Isalla.

  “Thank you,” Isalla said, hesitating, then approached Rose.

  Her friend was pale, and she could see the partially healed injuries across her torso, which made Isalla tremble internally. Still, Rose’s face looked practically untouched and like she was in fairly good health, even if she was still. Anathiel had obviously been taking care of Rose, as the angel’s hair had been brushed out and she looked like she’d been bathed, but even so it hurt to see her like this. Isalla tried to ignore Ember, though it was hard, with how the flaming sword laid down the length of Rose’s body, billowing with surprisingly gentle flames that didn’t burn Rose or the bed.

  Isalla hesitated for a long moment, then leaned down to kiss her friend, murmuring softly. “Get better, Rose. Don’t leave me, not again.”

  Rose didn’t stir, which caused Isalla’s heart to sink slightly, as a tiny part of her had hoped that Rose would wake, even if Anathiel had said she wouldn’t for a few days yet. Instead Isalla stroked Rose’s warm, smooth cheek gently as she straightened, then looked at Kitania sadly.

  “Take care of her, please?” Isalla asked, surprised by the plaintive note in her voice.

  “Of course I will,” Kitania replied, her expression softening still more, and she pulled Isalla into a tight hug. Isalla felt tears welling up in her eyes as she forced them back, blinking rapidly as she hugged Kitania tightly for what felt like several minutes. Then at last she separated, giving Kitania a gentle kiss before leaving at last.

  For some reason, Anathiel being an archangel just didn’t feel as important, not with Rose injure
d.

  Chapter 31

  “I owe you an apology, as does Estalia,” Anna said at last, now that they were alone in the room. Alone aside from Rose, at least, which suited Kitania just fine.

  She couldn’t express how much of a shock Anna’s revelation was, and Kitania was startled by how much it’d shaken her, though she’d never admit that out loud. For centuries she’d been sure that she was purely a demon and that she was just a strange mutation, but now… now that assumption had been utterly destroyed. Worse, she’d learned that one of the few people that Kitania had ever truly trusted and respected, terrifying as her methods could be from time to time, had lied to her as well. That left a particularly foul taste in Kitania’s mouth.

  “Yes, you do,” Kitania replied, crossing her arms as she stepped close to Anna’s armor. The power radiating off the cloudpiercer resting on its rack made her skin crawl, and the mundanity of the armor puzzled her, at least until she realized that it bore as potent of enchantments as the weapon.

  “You know… I never really expected this. For some reason I had an idealized idea of how things would go,” Anna murmured softly, setting aside her ink pen as she finished her note, letting out a sigh. Kitania looked over in time to see the angel’s eyes darkening in sorrow. “You and I got along so well in the spire. Oh, I made mistakes… I should have told Estalia no when she sent you to me. I should have encouraged you to fully find your path, but I didn’t. I taught you duty because it was what I’d known growing up, and it led to… well, war. Yet somehow I thought that, as much as you seemed to adore me, you’d almost leap with joy at learning about our relationship.”

  “I probably would have, if I were still under a century in age, but I haven’t been that young in a long, long time,” Kitania admitted, shifting slightly as she considered her past unhappily, then continued. “I’ve thought that I knew who my parents were for a long time, and now you make me wonder… how many other things have you and Mother lied to me about? Not even direct lies, for that matter, but by omission? How much of my life was the product of still more manipulations?”