The Codex: An Angel's Guide To Seducing A Human (26 page)

Promise?
 I asked myself. 
Narius, can you promise things you know you can't keep?

Not really,
 the Codex said.

I twitched at hearing the voice, and realized the book was pressing against my hip.

Emily, why don't you trust him a little? He might not know it yet, but I think there is a way to beat the horny prince—

"No!" I shoved Narius to the ground, fearful the Codex might somehow read my thoughts or my secrets. I stared down at him, feeling guilty at the hurt look he gave me. "No. Wait. I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean that."

He feigned a smile while his eyes trembled with pain. "I know. It's okay."

"You don't get it, do you?" I sank against the wall across from him and hugged my knees. "Narius, I don't want you to leave me. I want you to fail in your quest. Forfeit the fight. I want you to stay with me no matter what."

He shook his head and gazed up at the sky through the gap between the two walls. "Don’t worry, Emily. I will be with you even after I destroy the Grimoire. Even after I find Mafis. I won't leave you.”

The elf's name reminded me of my own promise, the deal I made with Heliose. I stared at the angel sitting before me, his hand tracing the clouds above as if he were drawing them. Simply looking at him made my heart race, and I realized I would do anything to have a life with him. No matter how short it would be.

I clenched my hands. 
Okay, Emily. Think. Everything hasn't gone wrong yet. What are my options? Could I run away from all this? Just take Narius and go?
 I bit my bottom lip. 
But what am I going to tell him? Hey, Narius... want to run away? Sure... just abandon your duty. It's okay. I love you, and the power of our love will solve every problem we have. Oh, I forgot to mention it before, but I'm apparently some sort of monster called a 'demonspawn.' No, I don't know if either of my real parents was a demon. And as icing on the cake, an archangel of love is coming to kill us if I don't hand over half of a book for his dancing ritual, assuming you haven't run your halberd through me by the time I've said all of this.
 I clutched the feathered necklace and sighed. 
Narius, if I can't get you to even break a simple promise, what does it mean when you know what I am? Could you still look me in the eye and smile for me?

Unaware of the hell I was going through, Narius got up and plopped next to me. “Emily, when this is over, I want to ask you something."

I couldn't answer him.

Taking my silence as a hint, he continued. “It won’t be anything important to the rest of the world, but it'll mean a lot to me." His wings lifted slightly and brushed against my hair. "I know I am not the smartest, wisest or even the most mature angel. Actually, I think I am a bit slow and naive and... well... don't know much about hugging and kissing. But I want you to know I want to spend as much time as I can with you. I know I am not the best angel or someone you would want as a mate, but... but I will always be there if you need me.”

His words cut through me like a rusty nail. I clutched the bottom of my shirt and absentmindedly wadded it into a ball. 
Why do you have to say these things? Why do you have to make me feel so ashamed? I'm going to hurt you. I'm going to lie to you—betray you—just so I can have you.

Narius softly laid his hand over mine. "Emily. So, if you'll let me, I want to make you happy."

"No." Despair drowned out every other thought in my mind except for guilt. 
Narius, I don't deserve any of this right now. I need to fix this. I need to deal with the prince. You are worth more than everything I have.

Dusting my skirt, I rose to my feet and shrugged his hand away. I clenched my fist and told him the truth. "You can't make me happy."

Emily

I couldn't face him, and it wasn’t easy losing Narius in the maze of alleyways. No matter which way I turned, he flew after me. Eventually, I had to cast a spell to disguise myself as part of a wall. Narius continued to search for me, but eventually—and with panic sketched all over his face—turned around and flew back to the guild, calling out my name.

I watched the dumb, naive, and gentle angel disappear, a feeling of guilt throbbing in my heart.
Narius can’t win, but maybe the prince will show him mercy when he realizes he is fighting an angel. Still, Narius would find a way to get the book from him. And I need to give the book to Heliose. I can't have Narius remembering what I did to him.

I touched his feather hanging around my neck. 
There's no way I could steal the book myself. The Arena is too heavily protected. Maybe I should let Narius fight and steal it from him afterwards. 
The image of me strangling Narius came back to me. 
No. He's not getting hurt again from me. No matter what happens. But what can I do?

Then it came to me. 
I need to talk to the prince.

Breaking the spell, I headed down the deserted street. The city had grown dark, and the light from the now-absent sun had been replaced by the street lamps planted across the road.

With each step, my boot-falls echoed off the pavement, leaving me alone with my thoughts. 
Will he forgive me for what I’m about to do? Will he understand that I'm trying to keep him safe?
 Before I could think more about my decision, I arrived at an upscale tavern called the Last Delight. Its red brick walls gave it a unique appearance amongst the grey and white buildings that filled the neighborhood. I pushed the wooden door open and let the smell of booze waft out.

Ignoring a waiter who tried to show me to an empty seat, I scanned the tables for the one man who could solve some of my problems. Unfortunately, there were too many patrons, and the sound of their chatter distracted me. Then I heard a familiar voice. One that reeked of arrogance.

“My beautiful ladies, the troll was already old and feeble. It was such a shame to kill a senile creature, really. I crave something more... dangerous."

I closed my eyes and tried to pinpoint the voice's location.

"But wasn't it dangerous?" a woman asked.

"Not at all," Prince Kale said, his voice traveling from the corner of the bar. "Isn't that right, darling? You hardly felt that troll's grasp, did you?"

Thinking about what I was about to do, I sighed. 
Narius's stupidity must be infecting me, coming up with such a risky plan. Still, better than letting the princess manipulate him.
 Opening my eyes, I walked past tables and drunken patrons until I stood in front of the prince's table, stacked with liquor that looked more expensive than a good horse. Behind the mountain of luxury, the prince sat with two women, one of whom I recognized as the woman he had saved from the troll.

I bowed. The prince, dressed fully in white, looked me up and down, stopping for longer than was appropriate on my skirt. I flinched, his green eyes reminding me of Heliose. 
I can do this.
 "We need to talk, prince."

Light from a nearby streetlamp pierced through the window and reflected off his golden hair as he bent over to whisper into the ears of the women.

They giggled, brushed past me, and headed towards the bar.

With his companions out of the picture, the prince smiled, his hand hovering next to the jeweled hilt of his sword. “Last time I saw you, you were going to freeze my pride and joy. Does that still stand?"

I gritted my teeth and forced a smile. “No... Your Highness.”

He gave me a long look and moved his hand away from his sword. "Glad to hear that. It would have been a shame to kill such a beautiful lady." He pointed at the empty chair across from him and waited for me to take the seat.

“So, what is it you desire?” he asked once I was seated, brushing his golden locks with his hand. “Are you here to take a peek at my handsome looks?”

I gripped my staff. 
Narius is a thousand times more handsome than you, playboy.
 “I want you to do something for me.”

He closed his eyes and placed his hand against his forehead. “I really shouldn't do this, but I will allow you the privilege of my company tonight." Removing his hand, he winked, eyeing the two women pestering the bartender in the corner. "I hope you can share."

I entertained the idea of blasting him away for a split second before my senses returned to me. “I'll have to pass, Your Highness.”

The prince tsked. “Such a shame. Still, if you are not here to pleasure me, why are you here?”

“I’m here to talk about the Arena.”

"Ah. A fan, then?"

"No. I want to make a deal. I want to talk to you about the grand prize of the tournament."

The prince raised his gloved hand to silence me. “If you are working for Yuriana, tell her that she will just have to wait for me to win the tournament before I can mount her." He clasped his hands and winked. "Though, she is free to visit my inadequate quarters with you if she cannot withstand the lure of my irresistible body."

I 
resisted
 the urge to punch him in the face instead. “The princess’s marriage isn't my concern. I want you to give me the book and to spare the life of your final opponent in the tournament.”

The prince laughed. “The book? That little thing? Of course. I was planning on giving it away. Useless trinket to me anyway. But mercy? Absolutely not.”

Well, that went well. And this was supposed to be the hard part. Maybe I can give it a brief read before I hand it over to Heliose. Now, the easy bit.
 I smiled, anticipating his reaction. “But you will be facing an angel.”

"I know." His lips slowly curved at the corners. "Emily Bryant.”

My smile withered. 
How does he know my name? And how does he know Narius will be fighting him? The idiot just sold himself an hour ago.
 “You know he is an angel. And you still want to fight him?”

“The rules state that anyone can be killed in fair combat. I am merely exercising that right.”

"But, you can’t!”

The prince grinned, and I regretted my hasty outburst. “And why not?" he asked, tapping his hand against his sword, immediately radiating a warm glow every time he placed his finger on it. "And don't tell me it's because this angel is kin to the gorgeous Narius." Madness flashed in his eyes. "Oh, what I would give to spend a single night with her."

What? Spend a night?
 Then I remembered the apple and kept my mouth shut.

Kale thrust his arms to the side, in a theatrical manner. "Anyway, I intend to slay one. Imagine: a man who killed an angel."

I glanced at my staff, its blue orb reflecting the fear in my eyes. 
Can I really convince this psychopath? Maybe I should just take Narius and flee from the city. If we head towards the northern hinterlands, Heliose might not be able to follow us—

“Now, now, don’t be so upset. I could still be persuaded to your goals. It all depends on what you offer me... Assuming this wasn't some desperate plea.”

No, no, no. Damn it. Why didn't he back down when he knew he would be fighting an angel?
 I faked a smile, desperate to push down the boiling emotions. "Of course, I have saved up quite a bit of gold. More than seven thousand gold pieces." 
Everything I saved up since I was a child.

"What's a pretty girl like you doing with so much money?"

"Some of it is to support my guild until my parents return. The rest is for my future."

The prince rubbed his middle finger with his thumb, appearing unimpressed by my life's savings. "Unfortunately, I will have to pass. Money doesn't interest me." His eyes traveled down my skirt and settled on my legs. “Though I would be much more inclined if you offered yourself."

I tightened my grip on my staff. 
Wait. If I maim or wound him right now, Narius would avoid fighting, but that would mean he'd get the book.
 I held my breath. 
No, I should pretend to agree with the prince here. I'll let him hand me the Grimoire first. Then I can break our deal.

Still, even with my mind made up, it took every ounce of my strength to say the necessary words. "Fine, but only after Narius is safe, and you hand the book over to me. Then you can..." I clenched my fists. "...have me."

The prince sighed. "Why is it that beautiful women always lie?" He shoved the table aside, sending the drinks to the floor with the sound of shattering glass, and stepped towards me.

Instinctively, I pushed myself off the chair and readied myself.

Kale laid a finger below my chin and lifted it to make me look into his green eyes, filled with lust. “If you think you can break our agreement, you are sorely mistaken. If you do, I shall spend every resource I have to find you. Then, I'll lock you in my dungeon where I will spend a long, enjoyable time training you until you beg to share my bed every day.”

My hands wavered with both anger and fear. I wanted to lash out, but Narius and his accursed innocent smile kept coming back to my mind. 
Stop. I need to pretend that I'm a weak little girl. Nothing good will come of it if I try to bend his ego. I need to make him think that I'm easy to manipulate.
 "I... I'll do as you say."