The Codex: An Angel's Guide To Seducing A Human (7 page)

I turned my head and saw a tubby figure push his way through the crowd. After a brief moment of struggle the man finally made his way past the humans and stepped in front of me. He was different than the rest of the crowed. Aside from his figure, he wore a white robe that was trimmed in gold to indicate his position as a High Priest of Lord Arudi.

Our eyes met and the High priest knelt before me, his spotlessly-clean white robe spreading across the pavement. “Your Holiness. I am the High priest Varian. Welcome to Arehan.”

Narius

With the sun going to sleep, the light from the windows dimmed with every step I took through the temple. Everywhere I looked, statues of Arudi's flock lined the hall. Some held swords, while others held brooms, hoes, or deck brushes. The High Priest of order didn’t smell right. He reeked of the rotten books that symbolized corruption. Still, he was the favored servant of Arudi, and with Emily spirited away somewhere, I feared I might accidentally offend him and kept the thought to myself.

“Your Holiness, what brings you to our humble mining town?” Varian asked.

“I am here to find a page of the missing Grimoire.”

Varian paused for a moment before speaking. “Well, Your Holiness, we just happen to have one right here.”

“You do?” I stopped. “Can I have it? It is my duty to purify all the pages under Lord Halfaya's will.”

The priest maintained his pace, forcing me to catch up to him. “Despite my deepest respect for Lord Halfaya and his flock, I must refuse.”

“What? Why?”

“As our Lord Arudi once said, ‘There must be balance in everything to keep the peace.’ I believe we need to come to an arrangement that will benefit both parties involved. And I am sure an angel of Lord Halfaya would not stoop to rob a man.”

"But I have nothing to give you. Except for..." I folded my arms and hugged myself. 
Is this what Mother warned me about? Is he going to throw me to women and let them ravish me?

No, you dummy,
 Codex replied, 
I think the order-obsessed pudgy wants something different.

The priest glanced at me before speaking again. “You see, your Holiness, our town's very first gold mine ran dry a decade ago, and we were only saved from an economic collapse by establishing a second mine in the withered forest abandoned by the elves.”

I bobbed my head, trying to understand why a priest would refuse to aid me. 
Do humans only help the angels from the flock they worship? Or do you think the corruption has influenced his—

“And, well … let’s just say that our current mine will not last the month, and we had no luck finding another site rich in minerals. Now, I’m responsible for the people living here, whether they follow the teachings of Lord Halfaya, Lord Arudi, or Lady Tristina. 
And
 it would be a shame to see all these hard-working people lose their jobs and go hungry.”

I nodded. “That sounds terrible.”

“Indeed. So, all I require to address this little problem is to turn our town into a holy city. Then we will be able to generate revenue by providing services to the holy devotees making a pilgrimage here.”

“How?”

“Why, by having you stay here.”

I tilted my head. “Me?”

He’s trying to use you as a tourist trap, you nitwit. He’s going to make you heal humans and spurt out words of wisdom.

The task seemed promising and certainly worth my time, but I shook my head. “I have to look for the Grimoire.”

Varian stopped and gestured to a large double door. “Do not worry about that, Your Holiness. If you accept my offer, I will use my considerable influence on the other churches to search out and retrieve all of the pages for you. You will not have to lift a finger.”

“But what about Emily?” Noticing the frown on the priest, I added, “I owe her a lot of coins.”

The High Priest squinted his left eye while arching his right eyebrow. “The magician? I see. She will be taken care of. You will no longer have to worry about her.”

I sighed and my shoulders sagged in relief. “Thank you. If I can ask for a favor... can I have something to eat?”

Varian opened the door for me. “Of course, right after your bath. Afterwards, I shall order a special pie to be delivered to your room.”

Emily

Despite the open window and proper ventilation for the fireplace, the smell of burning logs filled the room.

I bit my lip, trying not to show my annoyance at being forced to wait for an hour then being stuck in this furnace of a room. "Just call me 'Emily,'" I said as Varian buried his nose into his paperwork and scribbled away. Meanwhile, the heat from the ridiculously-large fireplace nibbled at my back. Unable to take it anymore, I escaped to the cool embrace of air near the open window.

Below me, people celebrated in the town square, their laughter echoing all the way up to the tower. Though the sun had just disappeared, caskets filled with fireworks were already paraded and set up throughout the mining town for the celebration of the summer solstice. Everywhere, children dashed through the streets with sparkling sticks in hand while dogs circled around the food carts, gobbling anything dropped to the ground by messy eaters.

For a man who believed in the value of order, the room was an absolute mess. Every piece of furniture was out of place, and several racks that lined the wall were filled with swords thrown in without a care for organization. Nothing seemed clean, and I returned my attention to the High Priest, sitting comfortably in his throne-like chair behind a well-oiled maple desk stacked with a mountain of paperwork and littered with wine bottles.

"I apologize for summoning you up here," Varian finally said, eyes fixated on his parchment.

"It's all right. I'm just glad that you sent Narius to take a bath. He’s been smelling a little sweaty the last few days. Thank you."

"No, no. I am the one who should be thanking you for taking care of His Holiness, Miss Bryant. Now, I hear His Holiness has a debt.”

I flinched. 
How much did he blab?
 “He did a few things that cost me money. 
A lot
 of money."

“Then once I get the paperwork finished, I shall reimburse you for your expenses, along with a little extra coin to show our gratitude," Varian said, scribbling onto a parchment without bothering to meet my eyes. "Then you will be free to go where you please."

In other words, take the money and scram. Fine by me as long as it's enough.
 I curved my lips and feigned delight. "That sounds wonderful."

Varian smirked and moved aside the stacked paperwork he was working on.

I arched an eyebrow. "Speaking of 'wonderful,' I'm a little curious. You serve a different god than Narius. Why do you care about him so much?"

The smile on the High Priest’s face grew as he uncorked a fresh bottle of wine and filled his glass. "Our branch of the temple respects both Lady Tristiana and Lord Halfaya as much as Lord Arudi, and believe that it is our duty to aid any angel in his task."

I nodded, pretending to understand his vague answer. Gold was the only thing keeping me and Narius tied together. There was no reason to stay with him if I was going to be paid. 
Why do I care suddenly? The priest for all I care can take care of Narius and fawn over the angel as much as he likes.

Varian pointed at the door. "But, please don't let me hold you here. Enjoy the festival. And may I recommend that you try our baths before you head out? They were blessed by an angel a few centuries ago to mend minor wounds and drive away fatigue."

Feeling a bit tired from the long journey, I nodded and exited the office. 
A bath would feel nice.
 I closed the door behind me and walked down a spiral staircase that led to the temple itself. 
So, that's it. Narius and I are finished.
 I bit my lower lip. Oddly enough, the thought of leaving him troubled me, and each step down the stair felt heavy. 
Isn’t this what I wanted? Just to get a bit of gold? Isn’t that why I tagged along with him in the first place?

I tapped myself on the head to focus my thoughts. Being with that angel was too uncomfortable. I needed to leave.

Emily

The halls were dark without a single lit torch or candle. Nor were there any priests to tell me where I was. Most of them were probably outside, celebrating the summer solstice. Focusing a bit of magic into the orb of my staff, I illuminated the cracked stone floor of the temple and wandered the halls.

Eventually, I stumbled onto the doorway leading to the bath, with light spilling out beneath its door and a sign with an image of a tub that told me I was in the right place. I opened the door into the changing room, kept bright with glowing lanterns and filled with towels.

After placing my staff against a wooden bin, I unbuttoned my shirt, but before I pulled my skirt down, a splash sounded from inside the bath. Curious at who I would be sharing the waters with, I poked my head around the corner.

The bath was spectacular, far bigger and more luxurious than the ones I used back in the guild. Spotless tiles reflected light from the magical lamps hanging from the ceiling, making the floor glow radiantly. Water flowed around the chamber like a river, rushing past and creating a rhythm pleasant to the ear, coupled with various waterfalls that added to the symphony.

Then I saw a pair of white wings.

Narius stood under a small waterfall, his eyes closed, letting the water flood down his body. He wasn’t wearing anything. My mind tingled. I glanced at the feminine sign bolted over the door. I was in the right place. He wasn't.

Buttoning my shirt back up, I gripped the wooden post and watched. I wanted to yell at him for being in the wrong place, but no words came out.

My eyes drifted down to the muscular chest and hardened abdomen that were previously hidden by his armor.

Blood rushed up to my ears, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from him, and I wondered what it would be like to rest my head on his naked chest.

Shaking my head, I pushed the dirty thought out of mind. 
I'll just tell him that he is in the wrong place.
 But my body refused to move, and my face grew warmer as my gaze shifted downwards, towards his waist. To my disappointment it was hidden beneath rippling water falling from his head. 
Then again... why should I ruin his bath? Besides, what harm can this do?
I craned my neck and relaxed my grip, waiting for him to move.

Eventually, Narius stepped out of the waterfall, wiped the water from his face, and prepared to make his way out of the bath.

Eager to see the rest of his body, I leaned forward. My hands slipped, and I crashed onto the wet tiles.

Narius

I stepped out from the waterfall and rubbed my eyes to see where the crashing sound had come from, but there was nothing.

After wading through the water, I climbed out of the enchanted pool and flapped my wings. There was no pain. The waters had done their job wonderfully. Delighted that I could fly again, I dried my wings and body with a towel. Then I fished out the Codex buried within the pile of my clothes and armor, dressed myself, and stepped out into the hall.

Outside, Emily sat with her back propped against the wall, her head lowered, and breathing heavily.

I squatted in front of her, drying the remaining water in my hair before tossing away the towel. "What are you doing here? I thought you were talking to the High Priest."

Startled by my voice, she looked up at me, her cheeks flushed. “Y-you're dressed?”

I scratched the back of my head. Just as I was about to ask if she wasn't feeling well, a flash of light penetrated the window. I looked outside. There, green, red, yellow, and other colors painted the night sky like the brush of an artist.

I pressed my nose to the glass, and gasped as one in a shape of a halo came into view. “They are so pretty. Do humans light the sky like this all the time?”

Emily, now recovered from her brief illness, sniggered. “You should see the summer solstice in Lodina. You wouldn't believe how many fireworks we launch in the capital city."

"Really? Can you take me there?"

"Sure. Once everything is finished here, we can go together… together—"

I glanced back at her. "Together...?"

Emily stared down at the ground with her lips pressed together. “Never mind.”

“What about the capital city?”

A firework exploded outside, illuminating her saddened face. “Forget it.”

Oddly enough, my heart throbbed seeing her sad. So, I smiled and grasped her soft hand. “Come on. Let’s go and see what they are doing.”

Instead of returning to her normal self, she gave me a sullen look, the life in her eyes dimming a little. “Idiot,” she whispered, drifting her gaze away from me.

Troubled by her strange behavior, and wanting to see her smile again, I lifted her to her feet and dragged her outside, to a place where the dark sky rippled with blossoming flowers of light.