Hell's Ascendant (Mantles of Power Book 3)

by Benjamin Medrano

  Anna reached up and rubbed her eyes tiredly, letting out a sigh as she shook her head and murmured, “Oh, what a mess we’ve made of things, haven’t we? Well, there’s naught to do but deal with the problem.”

  Kitania couldn’t help a snort, turning away from Anna to look at Rose. She was concerned about the angel, but Rose looked healthy enough, and appeared to be healing fairly rapidly. How Ember was managing that was a whole different question, but not one that Kitania was going to voice at the moment. She had enough difficulty even looking at Anna.

  “To my knowledge, we haven’t deliberately misled you about anything else. Oh, I’m certain that there have been minor deceptions here or there, but that’s normal. The day that someone goes their entire life without a deception of some kind is the day the world ends,” Anna said, a trace of amusement in her voice, but her chair scraped against the floor as she stood. “No, we made mistakes, yes, but at least part of that is my fault, as I was trying to hide from the heavens. I didn’t want to be Anathiel anymore, Kitania. I wanted to live a relatively normal life, and Estalia… she wanted to give me that. I’m so, so sorry.”

  Her vision was getting blurry, Kitania realized, and she blinked, trying to force back the tears in her eyes, but it was a losing battle. Instead she finally turned to look at Anna, meeting the archangel’s gaze unsteadily as she murmured, “I… why couldn’t I have had the same? Why did it have to come to what it did?”

  Anna didn’t reply in words, and instead she embraced Kitania again, hugging her tightly as her fingers ran gently through Kitania’s hair. It took a little while before Kitania felt herself begin to relax into the comfortable embrace of the archangel. It wasn’t easy to think of Anna as one of her parents, not after so long thinking it had been someone else. Still, she smelled oddly comforting, and Kitania slowly embraced Anna, holding her tight as a finger brushed one of the angel’s feathers, which were soft despite their metallic hue.

  As the tears began trickling down her face, Kitania closed her eyes and whispered. “If I’d known about you… if I’d known, I wouldn’t have left for a millennium. I wouldn’t have hidden from everything for so long.”

  “Oh. I… am such a fool. A damned fool, it appears,” Anna said, and the shocked grief in her voice prompted Kitania to open her eyes. Anna looked like she’d been stabbed, and the angel blinked back her tears as she leaned forward to kiss Kitania’s forehead.

  “We made mistakes. Many of them, as it happens. However, there is nothing I want more than your happiness at this point, Kitania. Nothing at all,” Anna said softy, almost rocking back and forth with Kitania in her arms. “Estalia… she truly does want peace, and I’ve supported her aims for all this time. Not because I think it’s the best solution, but because it’s the only one I’ve seen with a chance of working. However, if it means setting that aside for your happiness, I’d do it. I give my word, Kitania.”

  “Thank you,” Kitania replied, her voice trembling slightly now. She was having a hard time seeing as she quietly cried, the tears tracking down her face to soak into Anna’s shirt. After a moment she smiled hesitantly, teasing, “At least now I know why I’ve always been so attracted to angels. I must have gotten it from you.”

  Anna snorted, pulling away as she looked at Kitania skeptically. “Really? That’s what you got out of all of this, when I ended up enthralled with a succubus? If anything, you take after her where that’s concerned.”

  “I suppose. I just… it’s so strange. I’m the daughter of an archangel and demon lord… no wonder I’m so weird. That much power is bound to cause issues,” Kitania said, trying to joke, yet it almost fell flat as she looked at Rose sadly. “Immortality feels like a curse a lot of times.”

  “Yes, well… have you ever considered the possibility of your power being an angelic mantle?” Anna asked, drawing Kitania gently over to a chair, and only taking a seat once Kitania had settled into one, her expression turning thoughtful. “It was a possibility your mother and I considered for a very long time, though neither of us is certain. I can’t say that I’m not relieved you were able to survive to this point, though.”

  “I… well, of course not! I’m a demon, not—” Kitania began, then stopped, blinking as she inhaled, then exhaled, murmuring, “I thought I was a demon. If it was a mantle, Mother said I’d know how to pass it down instinctively.”

  “That’s right, but only if you want to pass it down, and are considering the proper individual for it,” Anna corrected gently, frowning as she added, “I… probably should have passed down mine a long time ago, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.”

  “I see. So you’re saying I might be able to die after all,” Kitania said, a little mirthless at this point as she teased. “I thought you didn’t want me to die.”

  “Death comes for everyone, no matter how powerful or insignificant. It’s merely a question of when it’ll happen,” Anna said solemnly, a hint of grief in her voice as she looked back at Kitania steadily, taking her hands again as she let out a sigh. “I don’t believe that anyone can be truly undying or eternal, and… well, would you really want it? Most deities pass down their mantles for a reason, Kitania.”

  “Of course I wouldn’t, not in the end,” Kitania said, letting out a sigh as she glanced at Rose and winced, murmuring, “If anything, I wish I could help her. I’ve felt so useless since I was sent to the Forest of Sighs.”

  “Who’s to say you can’t? The nature of a mantle means that you can grant divine gifts. Not to other bearers of mantles, for good or ill, but to those who’re without,” Anna replied, smiling and nodding at Rose. “Why don’t you think about her? Honestly consider whether you could give her your power, Kitania. If you can… well, that’ll mean that I was right, that it’s truly an angelic mantle. And that would mean you could help her in truth.”

  “Well… I suppose it’s worth a try,” Kitania said, blinking a couple of times as she thought, surprised at how easily she’d gotten over her anger where Anna was concerned. Yet in the end, it really didn’t matter that much, so she drew one hand from Anna’s grasp and turned to look at Rose.

  The angel was beautiful even in repose, and Kitania regretted every time she’d pushed Rose away. They hadn’t had much time together since the Ascent of Faith, especially as dirty and tired as they were at the end of each day, but she’d enjoyed Rose’s company, enough that she felt guilty. The memory of her time with Niadra plagued Kitania, as she hated the thought of doing something which would hurt someone else, and yet… yet it felt like she couldn’t help herself. It was something she needed to address later, though, and Kitania took a deep breath, focusing on Rose and trying to truly consider attempting to pass her power to the angel.

  For a moment there was nothing, and Kitania was disappointed. She almost stopped there, but her lessons with magic came to mind again. Magic was rarely something that could be done on a whim, so she took a deep breath and forced herself to truly concentrate on the possibility… and something deep inside of Kitania stirred.

  It was something that had always been there, unmoving and silent for all these years, yet which Kitania hadn’t ever noticed. Yet the moment it moved, Kitania almost stopped breathing, for the power was also immense. It almost felt like it blossomed within her, as a heat spread through her body. It would be so easy to pass it on, she realized, looking at Rose. All she’d have to do is touch the other woman, and it would gently slip into her body, granting her power.

  “As I thought.” Anna’s voice distracted Kitania, and she looked back at the angel, blinking in confusion, at least until Anna gestured down at Kitania’s hand.

  Kitania looked down and blinked, her mouth opening, then shutting again. Her skin was glowing softly, almost like Estalia’s did, though as she watched it slowly died down as the power within her settled back into place. This time it didn’t entirely vanish from her awareness, though, because now Kitania knew it was there, and she could hardly believe that she’d missed the power within her fo
r all this time.

  “I… it’s there. It’s always been there, yet I didn’t see it. It was like… like a boulder under the water, which I never even noticed,” Kitania said, dumfounded as she shook her head slowly. “How is that even possible?”

  “Most likely it’s because it has been there all this time. Your power also appears to be something which acts mostly in a passive manner, unlike the powers of so many others,” Anna said, looking at Kitania curiously, then she smiled as she added, “Take me, for instance. I am war. I am the clash of weapons, the thunder of cavalry, and the roar of war cries. When I call upon my power, I am steel. I am a blade which can break all foes.”

  With every word Anna spoke, her entire presence suddenly changed, almost like knives were touching Kitania’s skin, and the demoness’s eyes widened as she saw the table next to them tremble, Anna’s feathers harden, and everything about Anna subtly changed to be almost harsh, sharp-edged and deadly. As the archangel had said, she was a weapon in that moment, and one that made Kitania tremble with a mere look. Anna held her power like that for a long moment, then relaxed, turning back to normal as she smiled again.

  “My power is that of warfare, yes, but it’s something which is called upon. Oh, I can defend myself instinctively, and my body is incredibly difficult to harm, but it isn’t something that’s always there and active, unlike your own,” Anna explained gently. “That isn’t to say you don’t have other powers. You very well might have abilities you’ve never discovered, dear. However, that doesn’t change the fact I’m not surprised that you didn’t notice your power before.”

  “Maybe so. I just… how can this help?” Kitania asked, looking at her hands curiously, sensing the power within her and shivering. She didn’t like the idea of Anna looking like that. It felt alien, like it wasn’t the woman she’d known and trained with. The woman she was barely starting to believe might truly be her other parent.

  “You know that deities of any form can give blessings to others, and despite what people may think, archangels and demon lords are simply another type of deity. The differences between our powers are minor at best, even if mortal deities can be slightly more powerful than us. Assuming they have a mantle that’s strong enough, that is,” Anna said, smirking at the last. “For instance, Krath seems to have a crush on me, after I disarmed him immediately after my arrival.”

  “You what?” Kitania asked, her eyes widening in shock as Anna distracted her. “I mean, I noticed that he seemed to like you, but… you disarmed him?”

  “He thought I was ashborn because of my wings,” Anna explained, then sighed as she nodded at Rose and continued. “However, we’re getting distracted. A single angel, demon, or mortal can bear the blessing of only a single deity at a time, at least as far as I know, and they have to accept it. My blessing grants increased resilience and skill at arms, while Estalia’s grants a measure of her aura and, ironically to her, improved skill with mental magic. Yours would likely improve their ability to heal, and I suspect a mortal with it might cease aging entirely. The problem with Rose is that you couldn’t help her now. She has to be conscious to accept it.”

  “Ah,” Kitania murmured, nodding as her mood improved somewhat. The idea of being able to grant additional healing to Isalla and Rose was rather appealing; the question was how to go about doing it. After a moment of hesitation she asked, “Could you teach me how?”

  “Certainly,” Anna said, smiling warmly as the archangel seemed to relax at last. “Now, first I need you to relax. This is going to take some work, at least the first time, and…”

  Kitania listened closely, doing her best to relax and learn. Even if they were far away from home, this felt so much like being back in the Spire of Confession, and despite all her misgivings, there was a large part of her that just didn’t care. She felt safe with Anna.

  And that was as it should be.

  Chapter 32

  “There you are!” Isalla said in relief, standing up as Kitania entered their room at last.

  It was well after dark, and Vinara had gone to keep an eye on Rose over two hours earlier, which had made Isalla even more concerned that something might have gone wrong. On the other hand, Kitania, back in her guise as a dragon-blooded human, arched an eyebrow skeptically. That was so much like Kitania had been like in the hells that a rush of relief washed through the angel.

  “Where else was I going to go? I mean, I suppose that some priest or priestess might have invited me to their chambers, since none of the local orders practice celibacy, or a noble who wanted to learn more about Lady Anna could have, but you know me better than that,” Kitania replied, and Isalla blushed.

  “Well, that’s not… I didn’t…” Isalla began, then stopped, taking a deep breath before looking at Kitania sternly, speaking more bluntly. “That’s not what I meant! Violet went to keep watch hours ago, and you barely got back, that’s what I was saying!”

  “Ah, well, I think you overestimated how much the crowd would die down as the sun set,” Kitania replied, smiling as she hung her cloak on a peg and started taking off her tail armor. “When I left, I saw people setting up a bonfire and what looked like musicians getting comfortable on a platform. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s singing and dancing by firelight this evening.”

  “That’s… well, that does explain it. They’re having a festival?” Isalla asked, shaking her head in disbelief, then a little amusement as she thought about it, then murmured, “Well, I suppose it makes sense. They’ve always been close allies of the heavens, so when a famous archangel of legend comes to visit their deities… they probably see it as adding legitimacy to their views.”

  Kitania paused, looking up at Isalla thoughtfully for a long moment, then continued removing the armor. It was rather involved, which didn’t surprise Isalla much, considering how flexible the demon’s tail was. If anything, she was surprised Kitania could stand to have the armor on all day to begin with.

  “That would explain it, and I wonder if Anna knows? I doubt she’d be happy if she did… but it isn’t like there’s much to be done about it,” Kitania said, a hint of amusement to her voice. “She doesn’t seem to like the idea of worshipers, on a personal level. I can’t say as I blame her, as managing a church seems like it would be hard work.”

  “Agreed,” Isalla said, nodding and relaxing as she sat on the edge of the bed, a bit nervously.

  The room in Season of Light was well-built and reasonably nice, with sheets that were nicer than most of the inns they’d stayed at on their way through Uthren, which made her happier in some ways. More importantly, the room was also built to dampen sound, which gave them a measure more privacy than in many rooms. Isalla was looking forward to that.

  Kitania took off the last of the armor and let out a soft sigh of relief, stretching the tail for a moment, which looked a little comical with the illusion in place, then slipped a letter out of her belt pouch. “Ah, before I forget, here’s the letter she’s going to have you deliver. I’m told she’s politely declining the request for an audience, since if she grants one, she’d have no time for the next year due to all the others she’d have to grant. She wanted me to let you know about the contents.”

  “Mm, I can’t blame her. She seems to have gotten a lot of attention,” Isalla acknowledged, wincing slightly at the thought of the letters piled on Anna’s table. She hesitated, then asked nervously, watching curiously as Kitania poured water in a bowl and slowly, carefully washed her tail, “So, did it go well? You weren’t happy when we left.”

  “No, I wasn’t. I also gave her a piece of my mind, and she apologized profusely. I also learned a few things which are… startling, to say the least,” Kitania said, wiping a washcloth along her tail with a wry smile. “I thought I knew pretty much everything there was to know about myself, but I was wrong. It’s a little embarrassing in some ways.”

  “Oh?” Isalla asked, her curiosity truly piqued by this point.

  Kitania paused, considering for a mom
ent before she finished washing her tail off and dried it with another cloth. She didn’t speak immediately, instead waiting until she walked over to the bed and sat next to Isalla.

  “I learned that my immortality is a mantle,” Kitania murmured, her voice so soft that Isalla could barely hear it from right next to her. Isalla inhaled sharply, but Kitania hadn’t finished. “In fact, it’s an angelic mantle… and isn’t that the height of irony?”

  “What?” Isalla asked, her voice rising slightly, and she barely kept herself from shouting in her shock. Kitania quickly put her finger against her lips.

  “Shh, we don’t want other people to hear,” Kitania cautioned, and Isalla couldn’t help flushing. Instead she lowered her voice as she spoke.

  “You’re an archangel?” Isalla asked incredulously, shock roiling through her. “Are you serious?”

  “Of course not. I’m not an angel, so I can’t be an archangel,” Kitania replied, looking at Isalla chidingly. “I simply have an angelic mantle, though that isn’t exactly simple. I learned quite a bit from Anna, even if we initially had a few… disagreements.”

  “I see. That’s… a little surprising, I’ll admit, but fascinating as well. What can you do?” Isalla asked, looking at Kitania curiously. The idea of Kitania having an angelic mantle was startling, but it wasn’t like it changed much unless Kitania could do even more than she’d thought before.

  “Mostly? Heal from nearly anything,” Kitania replied in a deadpan tone, looking at Isalla in amusement. “I’ve only had an afternoon to explore the idea, you know. Maybe I’ll figure something else out eventually, but for now the only thing I know I can do now is give blessings to others. Not that I know what that would do, but… would you like one?”