Angel of Darkness Books 1-5

by Mackenzie Morris

  "Oh. Sorry. How much to replace everything?" Jaylen asked. "I have enough money to pay for it."

  "Uh . . . I'm not sure. This is . . . why? Why would you do this?"

  "It was an accident. I can pay you to have it replaced. It was my fault."

  The man shook his head as he walked around the room, surveying the damage. He took out a small notebook and flipped through the pages. "Let's call it one thousand gold."

  "One thousand gold! Are you serious?"

  "You punched a hole in my wall. You do have enough to pay for this, don't you? If not, I will be forced to hand you over to the authorities."

  Jaylen pulled the top drawer of the dresser open where he had stashed his coin purse. "Of course I can pay for it. I'm the Duke of Ilyan, after all." He sorted through the various articles of clothing he had bought yesterday, but he couldn't find the velvet coin purse. He started to panic as he threw the clothes onto the floor. "It's here. I know it's here."

  "Don't waste my time. If you don't have it, then you don't have it."

  How was this happening? "I . . . my money was right in here."

  "Sure. And I'm supposed to believe that you're nobility?"

  "I swear it! By Sola's rays, I've been robbed."

  "Do you know what happens to thieves in Tivareshen?" The innkeeper asked.

  "No, no, no. Please listen to me. I'm a victim here. Do you know who my family is? Send a letter to King Talyn of Vilyron. He is my uncle. He will pay for it. I'm not a thief."

  "Do you have money with you?" The elf asked with one eyebrow raised curiously.

  "No, but-"

  "Then you have no way of paying your debts. Elven culture is vastly different from human culture. We get the money that is owed to us, one way or another." The man turned and shouted downstairs. "Cali, get the guards. We have a thief on our hands."

  Jaylen's heart raced as he backed up into the corner under the angry glare of the inn owner. A few tense minutes passed as no words were exchanged. What could Jaylen possibly say to get out of this? The evidence was everywhere. In truth, he could have paid for the damage twenty times over, but without his money, he was useless. Who would have taken his money? Any hope he had of escaping vanished when the elven guards in thin leather armor entered the room.

  The owner of the inn pointed to Jaylen. "This boy owes me one thousand gold that he agreed to pay, but he does not have the money."

  One of the guards stepped forward and grabbed Jaylen's arm roughly. "To the docks with you, boy."

  "The docks?" Jaylen asked. "What happens at the docks?"

  "The slave auction. If you can't pay for your debts, then you will be sold to someone who will pay your debts."

  "A slave? What? I'm not a slave!"

  "As soon as you couldn't pay your debts, you became a slave. Now, be a good little slave and come with us. If you behave well, your new owner will be more inclined to treat you well. If you respect him, he will respect you. It does slave owners no good to kill their slaves before they get the work they need out of them."

  Jaylen winced as his arms were bound behind his back. "Work?"

  "You didn't think that you would be sent off to some comfy palace somewhere, did you?" The guard asked with a chuckle. "You're a young male with plenty of healthy years ahead of you. Your owner will work you every day. I'm talking hard physical labor. It will take quite a while for you to pay off one thousand gold, kid. Though, you do have pretty skin and bright eyes. Play your cards right and you might land yourself a job as some wealthy lord or lady's bedmate."

  Bedmate? Jaylen felt sick as the guards led him downstairs and out into the dirt streets where the light was bright and burned his eyes. Or was that from his tears? He closed his eyes as the guards pulled him onward to avoid the jeering stares and angry whispers of the elven people around him.

  The ground underneath his feet turned from soft dirt and clay to the rough hot boards of the stage near the harbor. Seagulls darted overhead and the sea breeze tousled Jaylen's messy blond hair. White sails spotted the calm dark water in the harbor as trade ships brought all manner of goods into the elven city. He opened his eyes to see the busy crowds gathering around the wooden stage where other boys were being auctioned off. Some of them were so young that they couldn't even walk on their own. Other toddlers were crying while the older boys tried to console them the best that they could. Elven guards stood ready to quell any attempts at rebellion with long bull whips curled on their belts. Across the docks, there was another stage where women and girls were being sold as well, then delivered into the overly anxious arms of the men who wasted no time in kissing them or tearing off their clothing to examine their new purchases.

  Through all of his education in Ilyan, Jaylen had learned that slavery was an ancient trade that no place still practiced. That would explain why none of the history books went into much detail about elven culture. Apparently, slavery was still alive and well amongst the elves. But it wasn't only elves being sold here. There were an overwhelming number of humans, especially women. They far outnumbered the elven slaves. How did so many humans end up here when Liaxa said that elves hardly ever saw another human? Was that how Tivareshen made its money? Kidnapping human children to be brought to the docks and sold, then taken away on ships to distant lands where they would never be heard from again?

  "It's a sad thing to see." One of the guards next to Jaylen said. "There are so many children being sold these days. When the parents die, they leave their debts to their children who have no way of paying them off. Then the children are sold. It's just the way things work around here. Remember what we told you. Obey your owner and you shouldn't have many problems. They are required to keep you alive . . . at least until they feel you have earned the right to die."

  "What about-"

  "You will remain silent, or the slave guards will beat you. Is that understood?"

  "Yes, sir."

  "Did I tell you to speak?" The guard asked roughly.

  Jaylen lowered his head, defeated. How did he end up like this? Seventh in line to the throne of Vilyron, member of the wealthiest family in all of Aldexa, and nephew of the king himself . . . now to be sold as a slave?

  The guards dragged him over to an examination area where a healer examined his teeth, eyes, and ears before reaching under Jaylen's clothes and moving to the more private areas of his body. Once the humiliating examination was completed, Jaylen was pushed onto a scale then up against the wall where he was measured. All of the information was hastily recorded on a slip of paper and handed to a messenger.

  Jaylen was pushed into the group with the other teenagers who were all chained together with shackles around their wrists and ankles. The rope was removed and replaced with the shackles to ensure that he wasn't going to run. He tried his hardest to cast his light magic, but nothing happened. Could those shackles be enchanted? Or had his magic finally left him completely? One by one, he watched the other boys be unchained and led onto the stage in front of the shouting crowds who waved their bags of coins in the air eagerly awaiting their chance to bid on the humans and elves.

  It wasn't long until the guards were removing the shackles and leading him up onto the stage. Never before had Jaylen felt so insignificant. Here, he was no longer a person. He was an object to be used by whoever could afford him. Everything he had been working towards would be gone once the money was exchanged.

  The auctioneer in all red took a slip of paper from the messenger and read aloud from it. "Jaylen Amalas Corrifus, human from Vilyron. Age fifteen, one hundred and sixteen pounds, five-feet three inches tall. Slender build, but muscular enough for field work. Healthy and fertile. Literate and trained with a longsword. His debts total one thousand gold, a steep price, but a bargain for this young slave."

  One man called out to the guards. "I will pay twice his debt."

  A woman was next. "Three thousand gold."

  "Four thousand."

  There was a gust of wind and heavy boots landed on the s
tage. Some of the women swooned and threw flowers while the elven men bowed. Some knelt and stretched out their hands begging for a blessing. Jaylen kept his head down, for fear of the whips.

  The new arrival voiced his price. "Ten thousand gold."

  The crowds began frantically whispering as the other bidders tucked their money away and waited for the next slave.

  Jaylen recognized the deep booming voice. When he looked up at the exchange of money, he saw the face of his Master. The long white hair topped with a wreath of grape vines, the flowing white robes, and large golden wings made his heart drop. Archangel Carvael.

  The auctioneer bowed and motioned to Jaylen. "For the exorbitant price of ten thousand gold, Jaylen Corrifus is now the sole property of our beloved Archangel Carvael. You're a lucky slave, boy, to be sold to a Holy Angel. There are many men and women who would treat you worse. Holy Carvael, you may examine your purchase."

  Carvael walked up to Jaylen and took his face roughly in his hand. "Look at you, Jaylen. How does it feel to know that your angel has abandoned you? Zeriel isn't coming back for you. He doesn't care. You're my slave now, Jaylen Corrifus. You will join the other children I've bought. Guards, take my purchases to the ship and prepare them for travel. I hope you like sea travel, boy. You have a long trip ahead of you."

  Jaylen futility pulled against the angel's grasp. The strong hand was bruising his already hurting jaw. "You can't do this. You're the protector of children."

  "And I protect children how I see fit. Sometimes naughty children must be taught a lesson. By the time the island is done with you, you will wish you had died in The Cleansing."

  "The island?" Jaylen asked as a sinking feeling embedded itself inside his chest. "What island?"

  "You will see soon enough. It will be your one and only home until you are able to work enough to pay me back. And under my wages, it will take you at least twenty years to do so."

  "Twenty years?" Jaylen couldn't believe the words that came out of his mouth. "I'm going to be a slave for twenty years? I'll be thirty-five."

  Carvael slapped him with the back of his hand, causing Jaylen to whimper. "Exactly. Get a final look at the world around you. You won't have a chance to return here until you are very much a man. Enough procrastinating. I have more slaves to purchase. Guards, take him to the ship."

  As the guards secured the shackles around his wrists again, Jaylen began to panic. "Zeriel! Liaxa! Someone, help me. Sulstair! Please don't let them take me. Zeriel, where are you?"

  "Shut him up, will you?" Carvael asked. "I don't want him riling up the other children."

  One of the guards grabbed Jaylen's collar to hold him still then hit him in the back of his head with the hilt of a sword. Jaylen collapsed to the wooden stage as the crowd cheered and his vision faded to black.

  Chapter 12

  "One month."

  Axaniel shook his head as they landed in the snow-covered field outside of the invisible door to the vampire coven. "Give up. Jaylen is long gone by now."

  Zeriel held his long black coat tightly around him in the blowing snow. "It's not over yet."

  "Face the facts, Zeriel. We have been talking with spies and agents all across Aldexa, and no one has found even a trace of him. If your bond was truly broken, then he could have died and you wouldn't know it."

  "Is that how that works? I only die if he dies when we are bound?"

  "In theory. There aren't many cases of things like this happening. What will you do if Jaylen is dead?" Axaniel asked as he blindly searched for the door to the vampire coven.

  "I'm not sure. I can't think like that right now. What are you going to tell Oviel when you see him inside? He doesn't know that you're actually alive, or that you are Fallen."

  "You haven't told him yet?"

  "I figured it was your place to do so. That's what you wanted, wasn't it?"

  "Yes, but I didn't think you would keep it a secret."

  "Keep what a secret?" Oviel emerged from the slightly glowing barrier, his turquoise wings shivering in the cold. He stepped up to Axaniel and stared at him silently for a few moments.

  Axaniel knelt down and kissed the tips of Oviel's wings. "Forgive me, Oviel. Forgive me. You had such high hopes for me, but I let you down. I let Heaven down. Sola has rejected me."

  Oviel joined him on the ground and took Axaniel in his arms. "Sola may have rejected you, but I never will. You should have told me the truth. I was worried sick that I had lost you again. I'm just thrilled that you are alive. You mean so much to me, no matter what color your wings are. I love you, Axa."

  "I love you too, Oviel. Thank you."

  Oviel stood and helped Axaniel to his feet. "Zeriel, do you mind giving me and Axa some time alone together? I have a lead for you, but it's one that you might not want to pursue. If you want to find Jaylen, this is your last option. We have exhausted all of our resources. And what is the saying everyone uses in times like this? Desperate times call for desperate measures? Yes, that sounds about right. This is your desperate measure."

  Zeriel had to know. "Tell me."

  "Your father. You already used him to find Jaylen before. One more time won't kill you."

  "But he will want something in return. I don't have anything else to give up."

  "Think about it this way. If Carvael did have a hand in Jaylen's disappearance, then he will be eagerly waiting to rub it in your face. He will want to gloat and brag about how great he is that he was able to take your paladin away from you. Give him that. If he doesn't tell you anything, then at least you will know that you tried."

  * * *

  Carvael was waiting for him at the front gates. He crossed his arms and raised his large golden wings threateningly. "Be gone, demon. You know you aren't allowed in here unless you are in shackles."

  "I know you had something to do with Jaylen's disappearance. You can deny it all you want, but I know how you are. You killed him, didn't you? How did he die? Did you cut his throat? Burn him? Drown him? Just tell me that he died painlessly. Please don't tell me that you tortured him. I know you probably dragged it out and made him beg for death. I get that. You had a vendetta to feed. Spare me the gory details and just tell me if he's dead."

  "He's alive." Carvael pulled out a note from his robe and handed it to him.

  "What is this?" Zeriel scanned over the piece of paper. "A bill of sale? You sold Jaylen?"

  "Read it again. I bought Jaylen. And look at this." Carvael held up a glowing sphere filled with swirling streaks of light. "I found the rest of Jaylen's missing soul segments and trapped them in here. It's a beautiful glow, isn't it? He's so troubled and plagued by darkness, but his soul is still so bright. This means that I have the majority of Jaylen's soul."

  "You know that's not what really matters."

  "Oh? And how long have you been away from your paladin, Zeriel? It has been a month. I know that he ordered you to leave him alone. Your bond with Jaylen has been broken and therefore you have no claim over him any longer. Your authority is null and void. Jaylen Corrifus belongs, body and soul, to me. Now go down to Hell where you belong before I call a meeting of the Angelic Court so all the angels you used to call friends can watch you be tortured to death as we slowly rip apart your demonic black wings."

  "And what does Sola think about this?" Zeriel asked. "Buying children?"

  "Who gives a damn what she thinks? I am the one with the true power of Heaven. The only reason I am not killing you now is because you are my son. Not that you ever did anything to make me proud to call you that. But this is because of who you used to be. I loved my little baby Zeriel who had the tiny pearly wings that would flitter when he giggled, the cutest smile I've ever seen, and the way he would ride on my shoulders and tell me to fly faster and faster. Where is that Zeriel? I'll tell you where he is. He is dead. You saw the world for what it was and decided that it was better than the glory of Heaven. Once you hit puberty and your wings grew large enough for you to fly, you did what you wanted. I c
ouldn't talk to you anymore. You hated me for no reason. What was I supposed to do? I had to punish you in order to keep you from destroying Heaven. You were rebellious and dangerous. Why? You've never told me why. That's not the way I raised you."

  "You're right about one thing. You were a great father when I was little. We did everything together. Remember how the other angels would say how close we were and bring me little sponge cakes and that pink sweet ambrosia stuff? They wanted me to be just like you."

  "And what was so wrong with that?" Carvael asked.

  "I know."

  "You know what?"

  Zeriel took a deep breath to calm himself. "I found your journal one night when you were addressing the court. I read everything. I read what you did to my brother."

  "Zeriel . . . I . . . no one was supposed to know. Brinx was . . . deformed. I couldn't raise a deformed angel in Heaven. It would be too cruel for him."

  "You mean it would be too hard for you to not have a perfect son! I was his replacement after you deemed him not worthy of Heaven's grace."

  "Hold your insolent tongue!" Carvael snapped at him. "You know nothing of Brinx and what he went through. I don't care what you read about in that journal. It was lies. They were all lies. That was only what I had planned to do to Brinx."

  "Then what did you do to my brother?"

  "I can't tell you."

  "And you wonder why I haven't been able to trust you for over a hundred years. You have far too many secrets that have come between us. If you do not have enough respect for me to tell me the truth about Brinx, then I have no reason to respect you as my father."

  "Brinx . . . Brinx is alive."

  "I have a brother?" Zeriel asked.

  "He is alive, but I don't know where he is. Looking for him will only bring you more pain."

  "After a father like you, there's not much pain that can be worse."

  Carvael's hand drifted to the dagger on his belt. "You don't understand. I'm warning you, Zeriel. Do not look for Brinx."

  "Why should I start obeying you now?"