The Codex: An Angel's Guide To Seducing A Human (19 page)

She reached across the table and smacked me in the head. “Wrong.”

I squirmed and held my head. “Why?”

“Our primary purpose is to ensure that mortal races do not encounter a demon. Gathering and preserving knowledge is limited only to our flock." Archangel Maeriediana closed the book, and her green eyes bore into me. “Second question: how do you identify a demon?”

"They look evil!"

The archangel smacked me again, striking the same spot.

“Their wings are black and their eyes are red?”

“Correct. Now, what do we do with them?”

I scratched the back of my neck. 
What did Mother always say?
 I placed my hand against my chest. "Drive a sword through their hearts?"

The archangel nodded. “Good. At least Astreal taught you that one right. Just remember all of this when you attend the trial with your mother.”

Narius—present day

My eyes opened, and I found myself snuggled under a warm wool blanket. 
Trial? What trial? I’ve never been to a trial in my life. 
The dream felt too real, much like the actual memory that had come to me the last time I slept. Moist air greeted my lungs as I sat up and stretched. On the far end of the bed, my armor and Codex awaited me.

I flung off the blanket and jumped out of bed. Grabbing my armor, I dressed myself and linked the Codex to the chain of my armor. "Emily, do you have anything to eat?"

She didn't answer.

Curious where she could have run off to, I looked around, and realized I was no longer in the forest.

Instead of the familiar green scenery, I was inside a majestic cave filled with crystals of all colors humming with magic. Many were about the size of pebbles while others were the size of mature trees, but all of them reflected my image as I moved about.

Then the gnomes' conversation about Emily flashed in my mind, and fear took hold of me. "Emily! Where are you?"

Only the steady hum of crystals answered back.

Flapping my wings furiously, I rose into the air. I searched every corner of the cave, but only saw the bright crystals illuminating the massive cavern. The only sound was that of water dripping. "Emily?"

She was nowhere to be found. 
Where did they take her?
 Despair gripped my heart. Unsure of what I should do next, I looked around until I caught a glimpse of a figure entombed within the top of a giant crystal the size of a small tower.

Praying the figure wasn’t Emily, I flew towards it and placed my hand on the cold, foggy surface of the crystal. The tremendous amount of power within the mineral resonated against my hands and sent a shiver down my wings. This wasn't a human's magic. It was something created by a powerful angel.

I rubbed my hand against the crystal, cleaning off the outer surface, and peeked inside. There, a dark-haired human rested in peace, her eyes closed, the power imbued within the crystal preserving the body and soul inside against time.

A heavy weight lifted from my heart. Whoever was inside wasn't Emily. I let out a deep breath, and caught a familiar odor that I could not quite put my finger on. Something I should remember but could not.

"So you are finally awake," a voice said from behind.

I spun around and was blinded by the light of a halo. Raising my hand, I covered my eyes and blinked until I adjusted to the light.

An archangel hovered before me, the light from his halo warming the air around us. “Hello, Narius.”

Narius

The archangel, like those in Tristina's flock, wore a shiny white cloth that looked like a silk blanket with a sash holding everything together. "Have a seat, Narius," he said, gesturing at the armchairs and table below us.

I didn’t move, but continued to hover and study the archangel.

His green eyes, red hair, and even his halo triggered nothing within my memory. It felt strange. I had always prided myself on knowing Lady Love’s flock as well as my own, but everything about him escaped me. "How do you know my name?"

The corners of his mouth lifted into a rueful half-smile. “You do not remember me?"

I respectfully shook my head. "Though you seem familiar somehow."

The archangel’s face turned into a scowl for a brief instant before smiling again. “Interesting. Has anyone touched you?”

An image of Emily sitting on top of me flashed into my mind and warmed my cheeks. “Well, Emily was licking me everywhere.”

“Emily?”

“Yes, Emily. She’s a human, raven-haired with blue eyes and—"

"I know who she is." The pitch of his voice dropped into a low rumble, sending chills down my spine. "How much do you remember?"

“Wait. You know Emily?”

The archangel saw my confusion and smiled. “Let me introduce myself. I am Heliose, servant of Lady Tristina. Now, come. We have much to talk about."

"But—"

Heliose snapped his fingers, and before I could resist the power, I found myself transported to an armchair. The next instant, the Archangel materialized onto the chair across the low table with his legs wide open.

The Codex giggled, and I did my best not to look at what his posture revealed.

The archangel snapped his fingers again, summoning a bottle of brown liquid and an empty glass. "So what were you doing sleeping half-naked in the middle of the road?" he asked, pulling out the cork and sniffing it.

“Well, there was a group of…" Images of being attacked by the gnomes flooded my mind. I leaped from my seat, sending it crashing backwards, and looked for an exit. "Emily! I have to go save her!“

The archangel poured himself a drink. “Relax, Narius.”

“No! I have to go—"

"Sit." Heloise’s eyes glowed.

My body, commandeered by the holy commandment, righted the chair and glued my buttocks to it.

The archangel stretched out his hands and the power in his eyes vanished. He summoned a small glass, filled it with the brown liquid, and offered it to me. "Have a drink. Everything is better when you are drunk."

I took the glass, but placed it back down on the table. "I... I have to go. Emily needs my help."

Heliose rubbed his halo. "The human is fine.”

“She is?”

“Yes. She is safe. I took care of everything.”

I sighed with relief. “Thank you. She is important to me.”

Heliose raised his eyebrow. “Oh? Do you know why?”

My head spun at the thought of her sitting on top of me, trying to lick me. Lowering my gaze, I placed my hands on my lap and twiddled my thumbs. “Well... well, she is just a human, but a little different than others.”

The archangel narrowed his eyes and poked out his chin. He shifted to the edge of his seat and leaned forward, his green eyes glowing with power. “Tell me all you remember about the trial ten years ago.”

My mouth opened, but nothing came out. Once the commandment had withered away, I tilted my head. “Ten years ago? It was only a month ago. And... and I didn't do it on purpose." Tapping my fingers together, I added, "The bookcases were already burning when I woke up.”

The archangel waved his hand. “No. I'm referring to the one where you were sitting behind that ice queen, Astreal, like a well-trained puppy. The one where the three flocks met to determine the fate of a … .” The archangel's mouth moved, but the last word he said was silent as was every other noise in the cave. Even the humming of the crystals vanished for a split second, as if someone had thrown a thick blanket over my head and jammed his fingers into my ears.

I frowned, and my head ached as I tried to recreate the unknown syllables. “What was that, archangel?”

Heliose tapped his finger against the table. "The trial. It took weeks trying to decide how we could use the ... . Why, you’ve even spent some time with the … herself."

The Codex vibrated against my side, but something in my mind silenced her words. I grabbed my head and grunted in pain. Every time the archangel uttered the unknown word, it felt like my head was going to split in half. I shivered as the air around me chilled, frosting my breath.

Heliose placed his hand over his chin in a thoughtful expression. "Interesting. Looks like a Seal, or at least part of one, is hampering your memory."

“Seal? You mean someone is blocking my memory?”

The archangel stepped onto the table, spilling my drink as he stretched his hand towards me. “Don’t worry, Narius. I will fix everything after I figure out how much you remember. Now hold still.”

His hand shone with a golden glow as power radiated from it. My eyes screwed shut to protect myself from his painfully bright palm. I pulled my head away, but his fingers grasped my face and held me in place.

Agonizing lights engulfed my eyes. His hand reached into my mind and pulled at something, a memory I had long forgotten. I screamed.

Narius—ten years ago

Mother sat on one of the thrones of the council room, her foot tapping against the hardwood floor whilst the two other archangels, Heliose from Lady Tristina’s flock and Ghaster from Lord Arudi’s flock, argued with each other. She scowled at them both, wrinkles of frustration disguising her usually gentle nature.

I squirmed in my seat. Bored of their everlasting debate, my eyes wandered away from the marble table and drifted towards the glass dome over my head. Unlike the dust-filled Great Library, the courtroom of Lord Arudi was spotless. Everything was unnaturally well-kept. Even his angels were pristine. Their large, bulky plate armor was oiled and polished, especially in the hard-to-reach places.

Twiddling my thumbs, I thought about the upcoming day that would mark the first decade of my life, and the first day I would be spending with my Codex. 
I hope I can be a good listener.

The air suddenly brightened, a flash of energy erupting from the center of the room as someone was summoned inside.

Wondering who it could be, I returned my gaze to the archangels.

There, the smallest angel I had ever seen sat on the ground, her head against her knees. Her dark hair seemed normal enough, but, to my puzzlement, I couldn't see her wings.

Mother’s wings, on the other hand, twitched with annoyance. She sighed and leaned back in her chair. After cracking open her Codex, she glared at the archangel of love. "Heliose, keep your problems to yourself. We are here to discuss the girl and the stolen Grimoire, not your wife.”

"You wouldn’t know anything about true love, you stuck-up bookworm. I 
will
 do whatever I can to save her."

"Not by trying to break out the very thing Lord Halfaya locked away."

Heliose thrust his finger at the wingless angel. “We have to use the girl. The demon will escape soon with the Grimoire missing. Don't you see? We need to drag him out of his cell and kill him, before he escapes, and not worry about the proper 'order' of things like Ghaster does."

Archangel Ghaster towered over the other archangels, his body larger than the two combined. His shaved head gleamed in the sunlight along with the jeweled blade at his side. He scrubbed his already-pristine hands in the small golden basin for what seemed like the hundredth time today. "We do not corrupt the minds of innocents for our benefit. Even if she is a … ."

Heliose slammed the table with his hands, sloshing the water inside the basin and spilling it onto the marble surface. "What about my wife?"

Ghaster summoned a clean cloth and wiped away the spill. He slid his finger across the reflective surface and grinned. "Do not be so impatient, Heliose. Her curse will be over eventually."

"She's not an angel, damn it. My spell won't keep her alive forever. At best, she has about a century. I know it is a desperate measure, but with Lord Halfaya sick and my Lady too occupied with her work, we must use the … to power the ritual and yank Palkeon out from his cell! Then I will personally shove an arrow through that bastard's eyes and end the curse he cast on her."

Mother snorted as she flipped another page. "It was your actions that had resulted in her being cursed in the first place. You shouldn't have let her study imprisoned demons. Furthermore, I doubt you would survive a fight with Palkeon, even in his weakened state.”

Heliose winced. “Well, that doesn’t matter now, does it? All we have to do is sacrifice the … and the curse on my wife will end.”

Ghaster dipped his hands into the basin of water again. "The little … is not a threat, and we do not harm the innocent—"

“Stop washing your hands, you compulsive freak!” Heliose shrieked. “Your skin is going to peel off!” Again, he pointed at the wingless angel, who hugged her knees and wept softly. “And that thing is not innocent. It is an abomination that must be purified immediately.”

Ghaster raised his hands and dried them in the sunlight. "She has not harmed the Order, and the Order shall not harm her."

"Ghaster! She is a bloody ... ! There is no need to treat her like a human!"

Mother closed her Codex, blue eyes illuminated with power. “Heliose, while it is entertaining to hear you wail, I do have better things to do, such as locating the missing Grimoire. And before you forget, Palkeon is a demon from our flock. His potential to escape is our problem, and this … has nothing to do with any of your problems. Lord Halfaya himself has imprisoned the demon, and you will not go against his wishes.” She bared her teeth at the archangel. "Do I make myself clear?"

Heliose avoided mother's eyes and muttered, "This is going to end in a disaster."

Mother ignored the archangel and glanced at me. She gestured for me to stand. “Narius, take Emily to confinement. We are done here.”

Narius—present day

My eyes flung open, and I gasped for breath as I woke up back in the cave. "Th-that wasn't a dream. Why was Emily in heaven?"

Heliose scowled. "Because she's a … !"

I clutched my face as pain pierced my skull.

The archangel tapped his half-filled bottle rhythmically. "Anyway, the Seal is intact, but it seems like the recent consumption of a magical artifact is responsible for unraveling parts of it."

“I... I ate an apple that changed me. Could it be the reason?”

The archangel shrugged and righted my tipped glass. “Well, it is nothing to worry about. Everything is fine.” Heliose poured the brown liquid from the bottle until the cup was filled to the brim. Then he waved his hand again, creating a crimson flower that turned to ash in his palm. He dumped the remains into the drink. “Now, as our lady Tristina once said: 'Drink! Everything looks so much better then.'”

I wanted to ask the archangel about the Seal, but it seemed a little rude. So, instead, I eyed the pitch-black drink and the specks of white powder floating on top. "Is it safe?”

He laughed. “Of course it is. Nothing bad ever happened from drinking.”

A bit nervous, I slowly raised the glass and sipped. Immediately, my tongue shriveled at the bitter taste. I tried to keep my body under control, but my eyes watered, and I squirmed as molten fire burned my tongue. I coughed and wiped my lips with the back of my hand. "Archangel... what are you doing inside a cave filled with crystals?"

He sipped the bottle like it was water and ran his hand through his crimson hair. “I had to disappear before I was caught. The fact that the crystals mask my presence is an added bonus.”

“Caught? Added bonus? Wait. Who’s the human inside the crystal?”

“Drink first. This time, empty the glass.”

I stared at the murky water with ash still floating on top.

"Go on." He put his lips to the bottle again and drank.

I hesitated, but, wanting to know the answers, I shut my eyes and drained the cup. The liquid fire rampaged down my throat and sent me into another coughing fit.

The archangel’s eyes twinkled. “See? That wasn’t so hard. And, to answer your question... the human you see over there?" He poured more brown liquid into his mouth before continuing. “That’s my wife.”

“Wife?”

“Yes, and as Lady Tristina once explained, nothing can stand between two people in love,” he said, filling my glass.

I scratched my head at his cryptic words. “But she’s a crystal.”

His halo dimmed, and Heliose stared at the bottle with a hint of sadness in his eyes. He tossed away the empty bottle and summoned a new one. "I believe Elena is now what humans would call a 'trophy wife': something that one has, but cannot touch. She's cursed and will be dead the moment she steps out.”