Mortal Gods (Mantles of Power Book 2) Read online

  Estalia looked at Isalla for a moment, then slowly she began to laugh, her voice low and soft, and something about her tone of voice made the hairs on the back of Isalla’s neck stand on end.

  “Of course you haven’t, Isalla. Taking my anger out on inanimate objects, or those who were at no fault for what happened… what would the point of that be?” Estalia said, grinning at last, her eyes glittering with something that felt almost like madness to Isalla, yet it was glorious despite the terror it sent through the angel, forcing every bit of her attention to fix on the demon queen. “No, I’m bottling it up, Isalla. I’m saving my anger and rage for those who deserve it. They’ve intruded into my domain, attacked my daughter, and threaten to undo everything I’ve been working on for longer than either of you have lived. I’m not ignoring my anger. I’m channeling it for a purpose.”

  “I… I see,” Isalla whispered, trying to focus her thoughts instead of simply being enraptured by Estalia. She did faintly wonder why Rose hadn’t said anything, and managed to look away to see Rose staring at Estalia with a look of fascination on her face, one that might mirror Isalla’s expression.

  “Now then, I should explain what I can do. I can get the information out of our… guests, but there is a price to such,” Estalia continued, the enrapturing anger fading from her eyes and smile, and the woman sat back in her chair as she spoke, almost back to her old self, and a tiny part of Isalla missed the sight. “If I do so, however, it will destroy them. Their minds will break and become subservient to me, chained to my words and desires. I would have but to ask and they would throw themselves into lava for me, or tear their own wings from their backs. They would become shadows of their former selves, and such is… a dangerous step. While I’m seriously considering it, I could send them to the Spire of Confession and be sure that Anna would bring them around in the end.”

  Isalla flinched at the description of what the prisoners would do if Estalia acted and she looked at Rose, her lips parted for a moment as she saw Rose’s eyes clearing. Rose paused, then spoke softly. “Why are you telling us this? I’d think that the nature of your power is something that you would prefer to keep private.”

  “It is, but at the same time, many people know. My mother yet lives, and many demon lords lived in fear of her and my grandmother. Memories of what they did die slowly,” Estalia explained, her smile fading slightly as she added, “Beyond that, I decided to let the pair of you make the choice of whether to spare the angels or not. They attacked you and Kitania, and in the end, it’s a question of whether you wish to spare their lives. If you ask me to spare the angels who attacked you, I will send them to the Spire of Confession. If you do not…”

  Isalla froze for a long moment, then looked at Rose again. Making a decision on something that would break another woman’s mind… it was enough to pierce through her anger and make her hesitate. While Isalla was angry, it shook her a little. Rose looked taken aback as well, and her friend looked over, worry in her eyes as she pursed her lips, obviously thinking.

  “What will you do with them afterward?” Isalla asked at last, her pity warring with the memory of the sneer on the woman’s face as she shot Kitania. The memory was almost enough to make her tell Estalia to do it.

  “They’d become servants here in the palace, most likely. I might give them to Kitania after we find her, but she might not accept them,” Estalia said, her voice almost back to its normal, pleasant tone. It was somewhat at odds with the subject, but Isalla did her best to ignore that.

  “Ah,” Isalla said, swallowing as she asked hesitantly, “Rose? What do you think?”

  “They would have had no mercy on us, Isalla. They’d have killed all of us without a thought if they’d had the chance,” Rose said softly, and for a moment Isalla felt her heart sink. Fortunately, Rose continued a moment later. “However, that doesn’t mean we have to be as merciless as them. Their leader is the most likely person to have vital information, and she would be the most difficult one to question. Is that right, Your Majesty?”

  “Most likely, yes. I have confidence they could convince her in far less time than you might think, but it wouldn’t be guaranteed,” Estalia agreed, her smile sending a surge of relief through Isalla.

  Isalla considered, then slowly nodded, looking at Estalia as she asked hopefully, “Then… could you send all the others to the Spire? If they aren’t likely to have the information we need…”

  “Very well, I’ll do as you ask,” Estalia agreed, and Isalla heard Rose let out a soft sigh of relief. Then she stiffened as Estalia continued firmly. “There’s another matter I need to speak about as well. This one isn’t up for negotiation, sadly, and primarily involves Rose.”

  “Oh?” Rose asked, her tone showing her concern, and Isalla tensed nervously. “What is it?”

  “It’s unfortunate, but the battle near Kitania’s home had a great many witnesses. Rumors that angels attacked my domain have already spread far and wide,” Estalia said, a pensive look on her face that worried Isalla more. “That is… problematic. It means that I cannot let the attack go unanswered.”

  “But… you defeated the raid and captured the angels who attacked,” Isalla said, frowning again as she tried to figure out what the problem was. “Isn’t that enough?”

  “Not for other demon princes and princesses. If I don’t strike back, they’ll believe that I won’t do so if they raid my territory,” Estalia explained, a hint of unhappiness in her voice. “As such is the case, I have little other choice but to retaliate. Unfortunately, there’s only one place within easy striking distance, and only one place the angels could reasonably have come from. Firewatch.”

  “What? But I didn’t recognize any of the angels who attacked, they couldn’t possibly—” Rose began speaking hotly, only to have Estalia interrupt with a raised hand, an apologetic expression on her face.

  “You’ve been gone for some time, which has given ample time for others to arrive, Rose. However, I’m going to question the leader before making any final decisions,” Estalia said firmly, her gaze fixed on Rose. “If the people in Firewatch are not at fault, my forces will do everything in their power to take the soldiers there captive, and they’ll be returned here and placed in a prison camp. I will not give the same guarantees if they knowingly chose to attempt to send you, Isalla, and Kitania to the grave.”

  “I… but…” Rose began, and Isalla quickly reached up to squeeze her hand, her other hand on Rose’s knee. She was a bit horrified by the idea but wanted to comfort her lover as well as give Estalia the benefit of the doubt.

  “Would it really be that bad, where the other demons are concerned?” Isalla asked, looking at Estalia nervously.

  “Unfortunately, yes. Many demon lords are simply waiting for one of their neighbors to show weakness before choosing to strike. My neighbors are wary because, despite seeming like I don’t take many precautions, I’ve always defended my realm,” Estalia said, shrugging slightly, looking a little unhappy with the situation. “As far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing else I can safely do.”

  “Very well,” Rose said unhappily, nodding slowly as she reached over to pat Isalla’s hand on her shoulder. “If there isn’t any other way, I suppose there isn’t any choice.”

  “I give my word, I’ll be as polite as I reasonably can be, depending on the circumstances,” Estalia said, and she stood gracefully, glancing at Isalla as she smiled. “Now, just as a reminder, Isalla? Tonight you’ll have your wings regrown, so please don’t go missing, hm?”

  “Oh, right!” Isalla said, her eyes brightening at the reminder, a surge of happiness overwhelming much of her worry. “Thank you, I’d almost forgotten about that!”

  “Soon we’ll be able to fly together, and that’ll make things much easier,” Rose said, looking at Isalla and smiling, though Isalla could see that Rose’s worries weren’t gone.

  “Agreed. Now… I know you have other things to do, Your Majesty,” Isalla said, standing up and smiling at t
he demon queen as she gave a gentle curtsey. “Thank you again.”

  “You’re welcome, Isalla. I just wish I was able to bring better news,” Estalia said, then nodded at each of them before heading for the door.

  “Well, we’d best go ourselves,” Rose said, sighing softly as she stood up.

  “Are you going to be alright, Rose?” Isalla asked in concern, resisting the urge to fidget, and instead smoothing her dress. “I mean, you’re obviously worried about Firewatch, and…”

  “I… I’m torn. I was probably abandoned after being captured, which gives me mixed feelings, but I hate the idea of my old subordinates being injured,” Rose said, pausing before she shook her head, a pensive expression on her face. “I just don’t know. At least she’ll try not to hurt those who weren’t involved, but… she’s right, she doesn’t have much choice. I’m just not happy about it.”

  “I can’t say as I blame you,” Isalla agreed, taking Rose’s hand again to try to reassure her.

  As they left, Isalla tried to avoid wondering what Estalia was going to do to the angelic leader but failed. The simple way that Estalia could utterly fascinate Isalla with a look was incredibly dangerous all on its own, and yet Isalla couldn’t find it in her to dislike it. If Estalia tried to use it… it was no wonder that Kitania had said that Estalia could use her power as a weapon.

  “I must say, whoever did the healing on your back did an excellent job. I’ve run into over a dozen angels who’ve lost their wings before, and you’re the first who healed this cleanly,” Verrine said, her hands tracing the muscles along Isalla’s back gently. It was particularly strange since the woman was one of the demons with four arms, so it felt like two people were touching Isalla at the same time. After a moment, the priestess continued, her voice oddly soothing. “You said you were dosed with warrior’s end as well?”

  Isalla was in a private room in the palace, one set aside for healing, based on the beds and other items in the room, such as the various bottles of potions, reagents, or medicinal herbs. She was laying face-down on a table and felt a little nervous. She’d been told that they’d have to re-open the wounds to regrow her wings, after all, and she hated the thought of how much it might hurt.

  “That’s what Kan—Kitania said, yes,” Isalla replied, mentally cursing herself for starting with the wrong name again, but continued. “She said that it was weakened because they put it in contact with iron, but she had an antidote. She’s also the person who healed my injuries. I think she said it took about a week, including the time I spent unconscious. A week until the bandages came off, anyway.”

  “Did she? That’s quite impressive, using only alchemy,” Verrine murmured, pausing for a long moment. “And she’s correct about warrior’s end. I wish I could speak with her about how she helped you recover. I must say that your condition is quite remarkable after such a short time. I’d have expected you to only have become fully mobile a couple of weeks ago, let alone having participated in a battle.”

  “I… is it really that impressive?” Isalla asked, a little taken aback. Kitania had been so indifferent about the effects of her elixirs that Isalla hadn’t thought it was that unusual in the hells. “She made an elixir that she said helped rebuild my muscles. It was foul-tasting, but…”

  “Yes, it is. I know of a few spells which can help in mere moments, but such spells are difficult to cast,” the priestess explained in admiration, pulling her hands away as she spoke. “Being able to do this much with alchemy is new to me. I’ve heard rumors that alchemists could create wonders, but this is my first time seeing it.”

  “Oh. I didn’t realize that… I guess I should’ve thanked her more,” Isalla said, feeling guilty that she hadn’t realized what Kitania had truly done for her. She shifted in place, then asked, “So, um, how are you going to do this?”

  “It’s going to be fairly quick, though I’ll warn there will be some pain,” Verrine said, stepping away and picking up a scalpel, which Isalla looked at with a wince. The demoness had pitch-black skin, which was offset by the white robe she wore, and was almost seven feet tall and spindly. She had a lovely voice, though, and her touch had been gentle so far, which reassured Isalla. “I’m going to make an incision where each of your wings should be. Normally, that’s enough to allow the regeneration magic to regrow them, if there’s an injury still in place. If it doesn’t, I might have to make a few more. Regrowing your wings should take no more than a minute, but it will hurt, Isalla. There’s nothing I can do to prevent that.”

  “Alright. I… can handle that, I think,” Isalla agreed, taking a deep breath again. “But I’ll be able to fly afterward?”

  “Most certainly. Your muscles might not be up to it, though, so be cautious about overdoing it. We wouldn’t want you to fall in midflight,” Verrine said, smiling down at Isalla with a mouth full of fangs. “Would you like me to begin?”

  “Yes, please,” Isalla said, closing her eyes as she braced herself for the cool touch of the blade. She didn’t want to be injured, but if she was able to fly again, it’d be worth it. In fact, the thought made her almost as happy as the idea of being reunited with Kitania. Kitania, Rose, and herself… something about the thought just made Isalla almost giddy inside.

  Eziel struggled against the chains again, seething with anger as she bit into the gag. If she had the power to do so, she’d burn the entire building to the ground, along with every hellspawn, traitor, and mortal within it. Even if it cost her own life and those of her companions, Eziel would do it in a heartbeat. Being taken alive galled her more than anything else, and she was frustrated beyond belief at how the demons had found and disabled the enchantment which was supposed to end Eziel’s life if she was captured.

  Now Eziel was chained up in a tiny cell, her arms, legs, and wings restrained as she hung from the ceiling, and unable to even curse at the demons since they’d finally chosen to gag her. She should’ve tried to bite her tongue while she’d had the chance, but Eziel hadn’t thought of it at the time. For the most part, she’d been left alone since then, and despite the slight gnawing sensation of hunger, Eziel remained defiant. The demons wouldn’t get anything from her.

  The door opened so abruptly that it surprised her, and the light from the halls made Eziel wince after the darkness of the cell. She could see even in near-total darkness, but it wasn’t easy to transition from one to another. Then her eyes went wider and she froze as a woman stepped into the cell, her light blue skin glowing with internal radiance. The demon’s presence hit Eziel like a hammer, and she tried to breathe, tried to pull her gaze away, but she couldn’t. Not as those deep blue eyes swallowed her whole and Eziel began to drown in them.

  The demon queen, it had to be the demon queen, looked at Eziel in disdain, glancing up and down her body briefly, then focusing on Eziel’s eyes. The sheer weight of her presence weighed on Eziel like nothing she’d ever experienced in her life, though after a few moments she was at least able to breathe again. Pulling her attention away, though… that was an entirely different story, because nothing could manage that, no matter how hard she tried.

  “I am Queen Estalia,” the queen said, her voice seductive and perfect despite how cold the tone was, every word striking Eziel’s will like a boulder hitting a castle wall, and it felt like her mind was cracking. She was staring at Eziel, and the demon queen took a step closer as she continued at a slow, steady pace. “You have harmed my daughter. You’ve intruded into my domain, and your belligerence is… upsetting. So, this is what is going to happen. I am going to speak to you. You will listen. And when I am done… I’ll ungag you, and you will tell me anything I desire to know. Is that clear?”

  Eziel let out a soft whimper into the gag, barely able to feel terror as her mind shuddered under the weight of Estalia’s words. She almost lost control of her bowels, and her anger had vanished, to be replaced by fear and… something else. Something that was too fascinated by the demon queen.

  “Good,” Estalia said, smiling t
hinly.

  Then she began to speak.

  Chapter 3

  “Your Grace, I’d like to suggest that instead of merely keeping the demon prisoner we make use of her,” Oriah said calmly, the mage sitting forward in her chair as she smiled, her fingers tapping on the table in front of her. “If the demon is truly immortal, it would make her ideal for testing the various anti-demon weapons that I’ve been developing.”

  “Are you insane? I’d never condone someone harming a prisoner like that!” Hanrith almost snarled, glowering across the table as he continued angrily. “I don’t care if she’s a demon, she’s still a prisoner.”

  “Is it really harm when she recovers from anything? She intruded into the palace without leave, and you’re the one who told us that she barely seemed to care about having to regenerate,” Oriah countered, the brunette’s eyebrows rising. She obviously was annoyed by his objection.

  “No,” Alserah interjected calmly as she decided to stop the argument before it could fully begin, and her statement instantly silenced both elves.

  For a moment, the room was quiet, then Moira spoke, the priestess’s voice more tranquil than either of the other two had been. “While I don’t believe that Oriah’s request would be wise to grant, I will say that I find myself very concerned about the demon’s intrusion, Your Grace. Her claims are unlikely in the extreme.”

  “Anything that could teleport a demon from the hells near Hragon to here would be… extremely powerful,” Ethris agreed, the mage frowning unhappily. “I wish that I’d been able to examine the emanations after her arrival to be certain, but too much power was expended in her destruction.”

  “Unfortunate, but there is nothing to be done about that,” Alserah said, her tone calm as she watched her followers through lidded eyes. She paused for a moment, seeing Oriah’s impatience, Hanrith’s frustration, Moira’s tranquility, and Ethris’s curiosity. Then the goddess spoke further. “While unlikely, I believe that the demoness’s claims are most likely accurate, or at least partially true.”