The Codex: An Angel's Guide To Seducing A Human (38 page)

Palkeon took a deep breath as corruption from the Grimoire gathered around his wound and began to heal it, pieces of muscles slowly regenerating and the skin itself closing. The demon brought his book up to his chest. "I will survive..."

The sword pierced through Palkeon's stomach and exited out the cover of the Grimoire.

Palkeon screamed as the blade glowed white, and the Grimoire shook out of control, pages tearing off with each vibration. A second later, a muffled explosion of corruption shot from the book, and it crumbled away to ash.

The corruption around Palkeon's wound vanished. He groaned, and the life in his red eyes vanished, leaving behind his dead body.

A shadow blocked the light that had been shining on me, but I didn't feel like thanking my savior. The demon might be dealt with, but nothing mattered anymore.

Narius was dead. The thought repeated itself over and over in my head. I wanted to cry, but my body refused even that simple command.

He died to save me, and I failed to save him in return. 
I don't deserve to live. There's no point. I couldn't even have my own petty revenge. Why am I still alive? Why is Narius dead?

Maybe it's time to end it all.

The shadow of my savior stood still, remaining silent.

I wanted the light to shine on me. To let it warm the world around me one last time before I froze my own throat and killed myself. But the shadow remained, the angel's wing casting a shadow that held me in its dark embrace. It spoke to me, but the words were too softly spoken for me to hear.

"Go away," I muttered back. "I'm done with angels and demons."

The shadow refused to move, and I screamed at my savior, "Can't I just have a moment alone to myself? Then you can watch me kill myself and tell Lord Halfaya!"

"Emily."

I looked up.

Narius stood over me. He clutched his stomach, blood seeping from between his fingers. His Codex glowed faintly, probably using whatever magic she had to keep him standing. He pulled the sword out from Palkeon's back, dropped it into the pool of blood, and fell to his knees.

I caught him before he fell face first into the floor.

His breathing was rough, and his wings draped over the carpet. “I don't... want you to die."

Tears clouded my sight, but I stopped myself from bursting into a sobering mess and smiled instead. "Narius."

With new-found strength, I slung his arm over my shoulder, and somehow I managed to carry him far enough to rest his back against the side of the altar.

"Emily, I feel... so... tired,” he said, the light in the Codex vanishing.

"Hold still," I whispered as I pried his hand away to look at his injury.

His armor was bent inward where Palkeon had stabbed him, and dark blood gushed out of him. The wound was too wide and deep. He was bleeding too much.

But I wasn't going to lose him again.

I tore off his armor as fast as I could to reveal even more of the gruesome sight. Ripping the piece of silk Mafis had used to cover his daughter, I wrapped it around Narius's stomach as a bandage. But instead of pressuring the wound, the blood soaked through the cloth in matter of seconds. Desperate, I looked around for any remaining angel to heal him, but none stirred. Even Narius's mother—who was now free from her prison—lay still on the ground. The spear in her hand snapped in half.

The lights in his eyes slowly dimmed. “Emily, I feel... so cold. Can I... sleep now?”

I grabbed his bloodied cheeks and made him look at me. “No. You are going to stay awake, damn it!"

"But... my eyes feel so... heavy. Maybe... just for... a moment."

He closed his eyes.

I shook him with all my strength and screamed into his ear. “Narius!”

His brown eyes revealed themselves again, and he smiled. “No need... to yell. I am not... dead, Emily. Just... getting a bit tired. I will wait for you. No matter how long it takes, on your bed, waiting... waiting...”

I applied pressure to his wound, his blood continued to flow between my fingers, reminding me how futile it all was. “Don’t you dare go to sleep. If you do, I-I'll get mad.”

Narius winced, and the smile on his face disappeared. “Don’t... worry about me.”

I sniffed, trying not to let him see how afraid I was. “You are not going to die. You need to make me happy. You promised..."

“I am an angel... angels don’t die. I just need to... rest. Then I’ll be good as new. Then maybe... we could eat a cake?”

A smile crept onto my lips. “When we get out of here, I’ll bake you the biggest chocolate cake in the world.”

“That sounds wonderful...” The light in Narius's eyes dimmed to a flicker like a candle about to be blown out.

“Narius! Stay with me."

"I can't..."

"But I love you, damn it. Please... don't go. I... I love you.”

His brown eyes came back into focus. “Even... if I'm gone?”

I fought back the tears as they began to water the corners of my eyes. “Now and forever. No matter what happens.”

“Emily… will you be sad if I die?”

I didn't answer him.

He shook his head, his eyes looking so drowsy. “No.”

“What?”

“I... don't want you to be sad. I want you… to forget about me. Find… someone… else. Someone... who will love you... more than I could. Someone who can hold your hand and make you smile.”

“No! I just need you, damn it! I don't need anyone else!”

“Please?” His lips struggled to rise until they formed a weak smile. "That's... the... magic word."

I couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. “Never! You can't make me!”

He raised his hand, but it fell down long before it could reach me. “Then… can you just… hold me? It hurts… so much.”

My eyes blurred, and I hugged him, the blood from his wound seeping into my shirt. “There has to be another way. We just need a bit more time.” I looked at the feather around my neck, and a desperate plan began to hatch. Pulling back a little from Narius, I reached for the feather. 
Yes, if I can just keep him alive and wait for another angel—

Narius smiled. His eyes were filled with sorrow. “Emily, I can already feel myself slipping away. It’s too late… Please... forgive me.” He laid his hand against my head. It started to glow.

I tried to shake his hand off me, but his other arm had somehow wrapped itself around my waist and refused to budge. “What! What are you doing?”

Narius closed his eyes, a peaceful expression settling across his face. “I know making you forget... is wrong. But... I want you to be happy… without me. It would be easier if you don't remember me. Goodbye… Emily. My first and last love…”

Emily

When I opened my eyes, I was in the arms of a lifeless angel dressed for war, sitting upright against an altar. My shirt was drenched in his blood.

I pulled myself away from his grasp, fell onto my butt, and wiped away the water that had somehow gotten onto my cheeks.

The beautiful creature looked familiar, but I couldn’t figure out where I had ever seen him before. Plucking my staff from a nearby pool of blood, I surveyed the scene around me. Angels lay scattered across the floor, some horribly disfigured, others contorted into bizarre postures. I was inside a cathedral, and everyone in it appeared dead.
Why am I here? Shouldn't I be in a forest? On my way to hunt Pannaxx?

But no dragon was in sight. Instead, the only thing that stood out amongst the white wings of deceased angels was a black-feathered one lying near me, his hollow eyes fixated on the ceiling. 
Is that a fallen angel? Was there a battle here? Why do I have blood on me? What happened here?

Curious, I got to my feet to take look around, only to kick something across the floor. It was a dagger made completely out of ivory, from the tip of the blade to the handle. 
Well, this looks like it's valuable. Worth enough coins to pay for Nathen's bookkeeping mistakes. Collectors are going to love this.
 I reached for it and stuffed the dagger into my pouch when I felt something brush my neck.

I glanced down at my chest and found a crude necklace made up of tiny chains. Hanging from it was a white feather. I pulled the poorly made necklace up to my face and studied the feather. 
What is this?

It looked so familiar, but I couldn’t understand where I had seen it before or why it was around my neck. I turned back to the angel sitting against the altar.

Something told me I should know who he was.

I stared at his peaceful face, trying to decide if I had seen him before, and just to be sure, I checked his pulse.

His heart was silent, and the hastily-wrapped bandage around his stomach hinted at the painful death he must have suffered.

Tears dripped from my eyes. I wiped them away, but they didn't stop. 
Why am I crying?

Somehow, through the tears, I saw a blue book resting on the floor. It was linked to the angel's armor, its pages drenched in blood. Hoping the book could explain why my heart ached so much just looking at him, I opened it.

The page I turned to showed a picture of me standing next to an ancient oak. Even more tears welled from my eyes and dropped onto the page, smearing the ink. I didn’t know why. Wiping the tears away, I flipped to the next page.

There was another picture, this time of me sitting at a table with lips stained crimson thanks to a bowl of what I could only guess to be a tomato soup.

On the next page, I stood by a dragon. My staff was pointed at it, and my face looked terrified, eyes shining like I was about to cry.

On the next page, I scowled at Princess Yuriana across a dining table filled with countless delicacies.

On the next page, I was smiling at something, twirling the feathered necklace while the rest of the picture was left unfinished.

I couldn't remember any of them, yet they felt familiar to me.

Confused, I closed the book. Looking at the pictures had brought me an agonizing headache.

I raised my hand, ready to throw the troubling book away, when a female voice whispered inside my head, 
The end…

Emily

"The end?" I narrowed my eyes at the blue book. 
How much can I sell this talking tome for? One hundred gold pieces? Two hundred? It came from an angel, so the church would definitely be interested in buying it.
 I tightened my grip on the book and bit my lip. 
No. This is looting. I am better than this. Still, maybe I could just keep it as a—

It isn't over!
 the voice shrieked. 
Now is not the time to take advantage of me, you greedy little goblin—

"What?"

I don't have time for this. Listen carefully. Right now, I am holding onto a part of Narius's soul and anchoring him to his body, but now I am going to use all of my magic to break the seal on you.

"Seal?"

Quiet! It will be up to you to save that idiot.

"Save an idiot? Who?"

Use the feather. Astreal isn't dead, but at this rate, she is going to wake up when Narius's soul is reborn. You have to make sure she regains consciousness before you pass out. Do you understand?

"No. Who is Narius—"

Good enough.

A flash of light erupted from the book. I tried to throw it away, but it had glued itself to my hand and refused to let go. "Stop!"

Anchor his soul to yours and keep channeling the spell,
 the voice inside my head said. 
It won't stop it, but we can slow it down. No matter what happens, we can't let him roll his dice.

Narius

“Narius,” Emily whispered into my ear. Waves crashed and seagulls cried out in the distance.

I wasn't wearing any clothes, and I lay on a grassy hill outside Lodina. It was the place where Emily and I first kissed. The grass felt smooth against my wings, and, off in the distance, ships with their large bed sheets glided in and out of the city.

Emily rested on top of me, her cheek lying against my naked chest. Her raven hair fluttered down onto my neck, tickling me, and the minty scent of her body put me at ease. I ran my hand through her hair then across her back. The soft fabric of her shirt made my hand tingle, and the warmth of her body relaxed me even further. I loved every bit of her. She was with me, here and now. Just the way I remembered and wanted.

She lifted her head and looked at me, her blue eyes gazing into mine and making my heart race.

Emily touched her lips to mine, and everything in the world felt right. It was as wonderful as our first kiss. Just as I remembered it. 
This is perfect.

After a long kiss, our lips parted, and I touched her cheek. “What happened?”

Emily smiled. Just the way I remembered. “Don’t worry about that. We have all the time in the world to be together.”

Her hand slid down my chest and a mischievous grin formed on her lips. "And we can do anything we want."

Something felt a little off, as if I was reading a book with one of its pages ripped out. 
Wasn't she crying?
 I raised my hand to gently push her off, but she leaned down and kissed me again, driving away the odd feeling.

“I love you, Narius,” she said after breaking for air, her hand brushing through my hair. “And we can stay together for all eternity.”

“Really? That would be wonderful.” I relaxed and prepared myself for what was to come. “Just... just be gentle.”

Emily hugged my neck and pressed herself against me. “I want you to be mine,” she said, breathing roughly. My heart beat faster and my skin warmed. She smiled. “Come on. You have the stamina. I want us to enjoy this as long as we can without resting."

Stamina? Where did I hear that before?
 I untangled Emily from my neck and let her rest against my chest. “I feel like I am missing something.”

She blew into my ear. “Narius... All you need is me.”

I squirmed from the pleasure. “I... I know, but, I think I have forgotten something important.”

Emily sat up, straddling me like a horse. She twirled her hair and avoided my eyes, her face blushing. With her other hand, she tugged the back of her shirt, making it stick to her skin, revealing her lovely figure. “Narius, don't you want me?” she said in the most innocent voice I had ever heard.

My cheeks warmed. “Of... Of course. I am just a little confused.”

Emily laid her hand on my cheek and gazed into my eyes. “Nothing to be confused about, Narius. It’s all instinct. You want me. And I want you.” She lifted my right hand and licked it. “I'll teach you everything. We have all the time in the world to figure it out. Then we can hold hands and eat cake.”

An image of a black book, oozing with evil, popped into my mind. “Didn’t I have to do something? Find something important?”

She lifted my hand and pressed it against her left breast. It felt firm, and warm. “You already have it in your hand.”

Brief images of a gruesome slaughter seeped into my mind. I saw splattered blood and fleeting glimpses of Emily crying. “But wasn’t there a battle? How did it end? And why were you crying?"

“It doesn’t matter. You have me.”

Emily wants to marry me,
 I said to the Codex. 
I think she wants to rub herself against me, but it feels wrong. I mean, I want her to marry me like Nathen said. But I keep trying to remember something. What... what should I do? Is this the time for me to wrap myself in a ribbon?

The book didn’t answer. My hand searched the ground next to my hip, but there was only a patch of grass. It seemed a little odd. She was always there for me, providing flawless, sound advice whenever I needed it.

I scanned the field around us, but the Codex was nowhere to be found. Suspicion gripped my mind. I gently pushed Emily off me, and as soon as her body no longer touched mine, I felt something tugging my soul from somewhere distant. Then everything came back together—painful, horrible, and unforgettable memories.

I stared at the human lying next to me. “You are not Emily.”

The smile on her face faltered. “What are you talking about, Narius? I am Emily. Just the way you remembered her. A creation born from your heart.”

“What? Where am I?”

“You are dead, Narius, and this is one of the choices you can make,” Emily said with sorrow in her eyes. “If you choose me, you can rest peacefully for all eternity.”

The world around me came in and out of focus. Then a jolt went through my body, and I felt something within me, something that was tying me to this world, vanish.

I tried to rise, but my eyelids grew heavy, until I couldn’t keep them open. The image of Emily stroked my head and whispered, “Remember, this is the Paradise.”

Narius

“So, did you enjoy your brief time in Paradise, Narius?” a feminine voice asked. "Was it nice being with Emily again?"

My eyes blinked open. I sat on a creaky chair, my hands resting on a cold marble table. I was no longer naked—I wore my armor again.

Across the table, an archangel leaned back on a wooden chair of her own. She brushed back her chestnut hair as the light from her halo reflected off her spotless cuirass that looked almost identical to mine in design.

I could not see her Codex anywhere, nor even the markings of the other flocks. I looked around for clues to reveal her identity, but the rest of the room was shrouded in darkness. There was no sign of Emily, and my heart sank with my wings.

The archangel rubbed her halo, casting a flitting shadow upon the white table. “Smile, Narius. I am Mortia, a rather bored custodian of the afterlife.”

“So I am really dead?” I asked as sadness seeped into my mind. 
Then I did the right thing. I wouldn't want Emily to remember me and cry.

“I am afraid so. But, don’t worry, it happens to all of us.” She covered her mouth and let out a muffled laugh. "Well, almost all of us."

“Why am I here?”

"You were impaled by a large stick."

I laid a hand on my stomach where Palkeon had struck me, but found nothing.

Mortia flashed me a smile. "Now, let's get you processed and send you off on your jolly way." She placed her hands on the table and brought them together, palm against palm, as if to clap. When they parted, a small aquamarine cube appeared between them. "First, a decision. What would you like to do, Narius?”

“I want to be with Emily.”

"Then you have two paths before you. Do you wish to go back to the Paradise? There is 
an
 Emily there waiting for you, waiting to make your stay comfortable for a very long time.”

I shook my head.

"Then do you wish to be reborn?"

I bobbed my head.

“Do you understand what being reborn will do to you? Do you know the price?”

“I do. Even if I don’t remember her, even if I am not an angel, even if I don't know how much I love her, I want to have the chance to meet her again. Fall in love again.”

Mortia snorted. "Somebody is a romantic.” She tossed the aquamarine dice on the marble table. Sparks flew off the cube like lightning with each bounce until it came to a halt in front of me. "Now, before we start, give me a second to look at my timetable."

She summoned a long parchment to her hand, and the long page drooped on the floor and curled around the table. "Let's see. Well, if it's any consolation, Emily will be dead by next winter. So I can time your and Emily's rebirths for the upcoming—”

I jumped from my seat, the chair screeching against the floor. “No!”

Her green eyes glowed. "Sit."

My body obeyed and forced me back down.

“Do not worry," Mortia said. "Nothing you can do from here will change that."

"But can't you do something to save her?"

The archangel raised an eyebrow. "What am I, a god? Besides, everyone dies in the end. Just accept her fate, pick up that dice, and roll your life away."

I grimaced and took the cube into my hand. It felt cold, and as final as death. I hesitated, knowing that I held my life in my palm.

Mortia sighed. "It won't be that bad. It might seem like a bit of a setback for your love, but you will have a new life to live. There will be others."

I took a deep breath and looked at my future, condensed into a cube. With Emily and her gentle soul filling my heart and mind, I rolled the dice. 
Emily, I will find you.

The dice spun across the table, sparking with a bright green light. After what seemed an eternity, it slowed to a stop. The image of a wing appeared on its luminescent top.

Mortia leaned against the table and looked at the rune on top of the dice. “Congratulations! You will be an angel again. Always glad to have more of our kind. Now we should decide which flock you will be serving.”

She pushed the dice to me again.

I tossed the cube across the table. When it came to a halt, a symbol of a harp shone over it.

"Lady Tristana's, then. Fitting for you to end up in Lady love's flock, I suppose." She flicked the dice back to me. "Now, one last time, to leave this life and begin your new one."

I picked up the dice again. It felt heavy, and my mouth soured. 
So this is how everything ends. Mother, Father, and Lord Halfaya, I wish I had been a better angel.
 I closed my eyes, thought of Emily one last time, and tossed my life away.

The dice clattered against the table.

It kept on bouncing.

I opened my eyes and watched, waiting for it to stop.

It didn't. It refused to settle.

Mortia frowned. She reached out to snatch it. The dice slipped from her fingers, and it kept hopping—again, again, and again—striking the table with a steady drumbeat.

With irritation written on her face, she tried to grab it again, but caught only air.

As if taunting her, the dice began to glow, increasing in intensity until it outshone her halo like the morning sun.

Mortia scratched her head. "Huh. That's not supposed to happen."

The cube bounced against the table one last time, and then it rose, higher and higher, until the light grew so bright that I could only see white.

Narius

When the light from the cube faded, I found myself dressed in pants and a white shirt with holes cut in the back for my wings. I was tucked in a bed. Next to me was a nightstand bearing the Codex. Below her leaned Castilia and my armor, basking in the sunlight.

Books were thrown on the shelves without a care for size or category, like some untamed part of the great library, and the floor was littered with wrinkled skirts and shirts. I was in Emily's room.

The owner of the room stood over the bed. Her eyes widened, and she dropped the tray she'd been holding. Soup splashed on the floor, but she didn't seem to mind. Emily rushed towards me. With tears in her eyes, she slapped me. Before I could get over the shock, she hugged me and cried. “You idiot! Do you know how worried I was?”