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

  “Mm, now I’m tempted to come with you and help,” Haral murmured, looking like she was relaxing for the first time since she’d returned, at least while she’d been awake. Unfortunately, Sorm knew he had to refuse her idea.

  “I’m afraid you can’t, dear. I’ve received word from above, and they sent instructions for you,” Sorm said, his smile fading as her happiness visibly faltered.

  “Oh? I… well, what do they want me to do?” Haral asked, reaching up to toy with her necklace nervously. The teleportation charm had burned out, but he knew she had a replacement gem in storage.

  “They’ve decided that, in case my attempts don’t work out, we need to eliminate several avenues of assistance that Isalla and Roselynn might call on,” Sorm said, taking a deep breath, then looked Haral in the eyes as he continued. “I’ve brought a supply of midnight shadow from them, and they’ve instructed that both the Emberborn family and Isalla’s family be… dealt with.”

  Haral’s smile faltered even more, and she paled for a moment. It was only for a moment, but she regained her poise as she asked softly, “All of them? But the Emberborn family has been…”

  “All of them. While the Emberborn family has an excellent reputation, the risk of Roselynn gaining the assistance of members of the family is too high for the society to risk. As such… well, you’ve heard their decision,” Sorm said, understanding her hesitation. In fact, he paused for a moment before admitting, “I’m not terribly happy about it either, but… I think they’re testing your devotion to the cause.”

  “I… see. Well, it seems I’ll just have to show them that I haven’t changed,” Haral said, straightening and looking at Sorm decisively, gritting her teeth. “Even if I believe that such is going a bit too far… if it’s what I must do, so be it.”

  Sorm nodded, the slight knot in his stomach easing. While he hadn’t believed that Haral would refuse the order, he also knew that it was possible that she’d rebel slightly. She’d always had a soft spot for children, after all.

  “Good. Well, I’m not leaving today; I’m just getting my things ready,” Sorm said, glancing at the table, then asked a little more warmly, “I don’t suppose you’re feeling up to going out to dinner? After the last couple of days, I think fresh air would do you good.”

  “Even if it’s raining?” Haral asked, glancing toward the window idly.

  “Especially if it’s raining. The air is never cleaner than during or after a good rainstorm,” Sorm replied, his mood improving still more, and he smiled. “Besides, it’d be with you, and there’s nothing as wonderful as that.”

  “Flatterer,” Haral said, smiling warmly at him, then turned away, adding, “Let me get changed, hm?”

  “Of course,” Sorm said, and his anger eased even more as relief surged through him. His anger wasn’t gone, but Haral was doing better, and that was something he’d needed more than he could express.

  Even if he was concerned about the orders for Haral, she was devoted and clever. He had no doubts she’d do what she had to, even if she might bend the orders where she could.

  Chapter 3

  “Here you are, milady,” Eziel said, offering Kitania a towel. The black-haired angel had a smile on her face, and she seemed far more at ease than she had been the last few days, likely because they were settling into their new positions at last.

  Kitania was still a little disconcerted by the angel’s presence, as Eziel had tried to kill her, but it wasn’t as though Kitania would’ve been able to pick the angel out of a crowd afterward. In any case, it didn’t make sense to hold a grudge after her mother had changed Eziel utterly. Now the only problem was how eager to please the angel was, since Kitania resembled Estalia somewhat.

  “Thank you,” Kitania said, having given up on telling Eziel not to treat her like a noblewoman. She took the towel and began drying off, thankful that this time Eziel hadn’t started drying her off. It had been disconcerting the first time Eziel had done so, since Kitania hadn’t had help in the baths in a very long time.

  “It’s a pleasure to serve you,” Eziel said, instead moving to the attached closet where she’d put Kitania’s clothing for the rest of the day. The angel spoke softly as she pulled out the dress on its hanger. “Is this dress still the one you wish for, or shall I acquire another?”

  “That one’s fine, Eziel. I’m not the type to change my mind on a dress in only a few minutes, unless there’s some event that necessitates it,” Kitania replied, suppressing the urge to sigh as she dried her hair, which was the worst to deal with. “I haven’t heard any alarms, so don’t worry about it.”

  “As you wish,” Eziel said, adjusting the blue dress with a critical eye as Kitania continued drying off.

  In short order Kitania was done and allowed Eziel to take the towel, then to help her into the dress. As much as Kitania was loathe to admit it, it did help to have other people assist her with dresses, even if Kitania was extremely flexible. It was just too difficult to reach laces on her back most of the time and making them look good was even harder.

  “Thank you for your help,” Kitania said at last, swishing her tail to ensure the fabric wouldn’t chafe, then nodded. “Yes, I think this will do nicely.”

  “There’s no need to thank me, Milady,” Eziel said humbly, carefully folding the towel and putting it in a laundry basket. “I’m entirely at your disposal.”

  “Perhaps, but I prefer not to take that for granted. It’s rude, and as far as I’m concerned you’re a different person than you were before you met Estalia,” Kitania said, smiling at the angel. The overall situation they were in might be complex, but at least this was something she felt was easy to figure out.

  “If you say so, Milady,” Eziel conceded politely, though her body language indicated that she didn’t agree with Kitania.

  Shaking her head, Kitania left the bathing room, amused despite herself. Despite how eager to please Eziel was, the angel could be absurdly stubborn as well. It was probably part of what had made her a zealot, Kitania reflected. She was stubborn in her beliefs, which meant that it would’ve taken someone like Estalia or Anna to convince her of her errors.

  “Have you heard of any plans, aside from lunch with the others?” Kitania asked, glancing back at Eziel. She’d arranged to meet Isalla, Niadra, and Rose for lunch today, and was looking forward to it. Alserah and Vinara had been invited as well, but both had been busy, so it would just be the four of them. Or maybe more with any servants, Kitania realized belatedly.

  “No, I’m afraid not. Your schedule has been rather inconsistent of late, but I’ve been arranging for proper supplies for the trip ahead as best I can,” Eziel reported. “I also—ah, my apologies. Bright morning, Lady Cecilia.”

  Kitania saw Cecilia at about the same time, and smiled at Niadra’s handmaiden, then paused as she saw how nervous the elven woman looked. Her blue eyes were filled with worry, even if her blonde hair was as elegant as always, and she was wearing a relatively mundane yellow dress. The handmaiden smiled back, but there was something forced about her expression.

  “Bright morning to the two of you as well,” Cecilia said, looking between them as she hesitated, then asked, “I… might I have a moment to speak with you in private, Lady Darkshade? I wish to speak to you about something. It’s not on behalf of my lady, just myself.”

  Kitania blinked, then frowned as she asked, “I… perhaps so. How long will this take? I do have lunch fairly soon.”

  “I’m not sure, though it shouldn’t take too long. I thought about trying to wait until after, but I don’t know if I could work up the nerve again,” Cecilia admitted, which confused Kitania even more.

  “Hm… well, I suppose. Eziel? Would you go see if everything is coming along well for lunch?” Kitania asked, then gestured toward her room, adding, “If you’ll accompany me to my room, Cecilia, we can speak privately while I finish my preparations.”

  “Yes, Milady,” Eziel said, bowing her head and giving Cecilia a sidelong, curiou
s look. However, the angel quickly moved down the hallway as she followed Kitania’s orders.

  “Thank you,” Cecilia said, the relief on her face palpable.

  “Not at all, it’s fine,” Kitania replied, her curiosity growing as she glanced at the woman, but led the way toward her room and opened the door. No one had been in since she’d left that morning, so she let Cecilia in, then closed the door behind them. Walking over to her vanity, she continued. “Now, what was it that you wanted to tell me?”

  “It’s… well…” Cecilia began, then hesitated, fidgeting visibly. Kitania could see her in the mirror and couldn’t help a smile. It was a world of difference from how coldly Cecilia had acted just a few weeks before that it piqued her curiosity even more, but the woman took a deep breath, then spoke. “First, I wanted to thank you properly. You saved me and Her Highness from death the other day, and you really didn’t have to. I… I thought I was going to die, and you saved my life.”

  “You’re welcome. I… have mixed feelings about it. If it weren’t for me, neither of you would have been targeted, but… that’s water under the bridge. We had no way of knowing it might happen, and I feel terrible about it,” Kitania said, shaking her head as she sighed.

  “Yes, but even so… it made me feel guiltier because… well…” Cecilia hesitated, looking down. Past her, Kitania saw the door open a little, and Niadra poked her head in at that moment, her mouth opening. Before she could speak, though, Cecilia spoke quickly. “I hid the message that Isalla and Rose were coming.”

  Kitania froze in surprise, both shock and anger rushing through her, which she quickly forced down before she jumped to conclusions. The surprise on Niadra’s face quickly turned to cold anger, but Kitania met the princess’s gaze in the mirror and shook her head silently since Cecilia’s gaze was downcast. Instead, Kitania slowly turned her chair to face the woman.

  “That… is somewhat upsetting. Why would you do that?” Kitania asked, her eyes narrowing. Despite herself, Kitania felt anger smoldering within, and she tried to ignore it.

  “I… well, it made more sense to me at the time, but…” Cecilia began, then stopped, inhaling as she looked up at Kitania nervously before continuing. “I saw how close you and the princess were becoming, and when I thought about how your relationship was improving her standing among the nobility… I was just selfish. I thought that if they really cared, they’d send another message, and what I did wouldn’t matter, so discarded that one. But… it did matter, didn’t it? You risked yourself for us, and I… I’ve been just trying to work up the courage to admit what I’ve done ever since. It wasn’t right, and I shouldn’t have done it.”

  Kitania stared at the younger woman, her anger flaring slightly for a moment, but then it banked as she thought about the situation from an outside perspective. It probably wouldn’t seem like it was important to many people, even if it was to her. It frustrated her that she could have learned that Isalla and Rose were coming yet hadn’t. Eventually she asked, “What did the message say?”

  “It was from Isalla, and she mentioned that she had to keep it short. She said… she thought about you every day, and that they were coming for you. Nothing more than that,” Cecilia said, hesitating before she admitted, “I burned the note, but I’m sure someone could copy it from the message book again.”

  “I see. That… would have made an enormous difference for me. I felt abandoned by them, and this would have told me that they hadn’t left me alone,” Kitania said, her voice quiet as she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, then letting it out. “You… hurt me, by doing that.”

  “I know, at least now. I wasn’t thinking about it at the time, and… well, I had to tell you now,” Cecilia said. Kitania opened her eyes to see the young woman was shifting in place unhappily. “I don’t expect your forgiveness, to be honest. I’d like it, but don’t expect it.”

  “Mm… I will have to think about it,” Kitania said, carefully not looking at Niadra, who was listening near the doors, her hands clenched at her sides. The demoness considered before asking, “Is Niadra aware of this?”

  “No, I never said a word about it to her,” Cecilia said, quickly shaking her head, a flash of worry flickering across her face as she spoke. “I’m planning to speak to her about it tonight, after dinner. I have no idea how she’s going to react, but I… will accept the consequences. I made a mistake, and it’s entirely possible that it led to the attack on us.”

  “There’s no need to wait until this evening,” Niadra interjected at last, her voice icy with anger and her blue eyes blazing.

  “Your Highness! I didn’t realize you were—” Cecilia began, but Niadra didn’t let her continue, cutting the handmaiden off with a sharp gesture.

  “No, Cecilia, you didn’t. I heard everything just now and saying that I’m angry isn’t the half of it,” Niadra spat, her anger only seeming to grow stronger. She pointed at the door and continued harshly. “Get out.”

  “Niadra?” Kitania asked, but the princess ignored her, for the most part. For her part, Cecilia was as pale as a ghost.

  “Out, and not out of the room. You’re to leave the palace immediately, Cecilia. Gather your things and go home,” Niadra said flatly, her gaze unwavering. “I doubt I’ll forgive you easily, but I may. On the other hand, I may not.”

  “I… but…” Cecilia began, then her expression crumbled, and her shoulders slumped. The elf nodded, her voice tiny as she replied. “Yes, Your Highness. I… will go.”

  Kitania watched, a little stunned as Cecilia left the room, then looked at Niadra in concern. She waited until Cecilia was out of earshot, then asked, “Was that really necessary?”

  “Of course it was!” Niadra snapped, then a flicker of guilt rippled across her face as she looked away, adding, “Sorry, I shouldn’t have taken that tone with you.”

  “It’s alright, Niadra, I’m just wondering why you reacted so harshly,” Kitania said, though she was a little taken aback by Niadra’s tone. She’d never seen the princess act like this before, so it was startling and a bit worrying.

  “She overstepped herself dramatically. If she was entrusted with a message from Lady Azalea, that means that she was given it by Ethris or Hanrith, either of which have authority which far exceeds her own,” Niadra explained, approaching slowly, her voice still taut with anger. “That means she didn’t pass along a message that they entrusted to her, and that is beyond the pale. I’d have been angry with her in most cases, since she manipulated us, or tried to, but that is not something I can abide. If she withheld that information from you and I, what other information might she not pass along? What if she tried to keep something truly important from me?”

  “I… well, that does make sense. I guess I didn’t know that the message had to come from someone that important,” Kitania said, frowning. A part of her was still troubled by how readily Niadra had dismissed Cecilia, but she didn’t want to argue with Niadra, not now. It just… made her wonder. After a moment she shook her head and sighed. “I just… she admitted the truth and was trying to apologize. Everyone makes mistakes; what matters to me is that they learn from them. On the other hand, I might simply be more forgiving than I should be.”

  “Perhaps you’re right. Maybe my anger with her will cool, and I’ll give her another chance. However, that day isn’t today. I can’t trust her right now, so I’m not going to let her stay in the palace,” Niadra said resolutely, shaking her head as her gaze darkened and she reached out to take one of Kitania’s hands. “This isn’t how I wanted today to go, you know. I wanted to relax with you, since you’re leaving so soon.”

  “I know you didn’t. It isn’t how I wanted it to go, either, but… there’s nothing to be done about it,” Kitania replied, sighing softly. She squeezed Niadra’s hand, then smiled as she asked, feeling like the expression was a little forced. “Would you like to help me get ready for lunch? Or was there another reason that you came here?”

  “I’d love to! You’re always in
teresting to help, with how different your skin tone is,” Niadra said, a smile dawning on her face again at last.

  Despite the smile, Kitania felt like she was ever so slightly more distant than before, and it sent a pang of regret through her. She hoped that the conversation with Cecilia wouldn’t ruin what they had, but… Kitania wasn’t sure what was going to happen in the future. With Isalla, Rose, and even Alserah herself involved… the future was just too murky for her to guess.

  Setting the thoughts aside, Kitania turned to the mirror again, and smiled as Niadra eagerly began helping her with the makeup. It was entertaining how much fun the princess had with it.

  Chapter 4

  The air shivered, and Alserah looked up, then smiled as she saw the yellow glow from the courtyard. Kitania and the others hadn’t left yet, but she hadn’t expected them to. What she also hadn’t expected was for the first of her allies to arrive, but she certainly wasn’t going to complain about it.

  Standing, Alserah quickly stepped through the doorway and took flight, circling the tower as she approached the courtyard. The yellow glow was dimming as she moved, but it didn’t fade too quickly, and she came around in time to see Gandar rolling his shoulders and tilting his head back and forth, as if to pop his neck. The dwarven god was stocky, like all his people, but was unusual in that he had no beard and was relatively slim, though his powerful figure was sheathed in ornate plate armor that had a great deal of gold engravings across it, and he had a similarly ornate double-headed axe slung behind him.

  “Welcome to my home, Gandar. It’s good to see you again,” Alserah said, smiling as she stopped a few feet from the dwarf and bowed her head slightly.

  “Eh, I was overdue for a visit anyway. It’s been what, a decade? Then you went and got attacked by a whole host of beasties, and I’d have been surprised if you didn’t contact me after that,” Gandar said, his voice deep as he smiled, flashing his teeth at her, but his brown eyes were watchful, almost worried, she thought. It was hard to tell through the helm, plus they were in public. “How are you? Was it the hells?”