Angel of Darkness Books 1-5

by Mackenzie Morris

  "No. I'm the only incubus with a mask."

  "Why do you wear it?" Zeriel asked. "I want the actual answer, not the one you make up to change the subject."

  "Don't go there right now."

  "Surely you don't wear it all the time."

  "I wear it when I'm in bed with Stephan and when I'm sleeping." Gavin said. "If Stephan hasn't seen me without the mask, then no one else will."

  "Even he hasn't seen your face?"

  "No. Neither has Liaxa or any of my other children." He looked up into the sky as a rumble of thunder echoed against the distant mountains. "If you're going to throw that bottle, you'd better do it soon. Hey, I'm sorry. Maybe these rough waves will carry it farther, even all the way to Jaylen."

  Zeriel spread his wings as he kissed the bottle and silently said the most sincere prayer of his life. With a deep breath, he threw the bottle through the air and watched it land far out in the harbor. "I love you, Jaylen. Please be okay. Know that I'm thinking about you every minute of every day. I won't forget you. I will never forget you, my funny little Jaybird."

  Chapter 17

  Like being struck by lightning, every nerve in Jaylen's body sprung to life at once. He sat up on his bed in the darkness with sweat pouring down his face. His heart was racing, pounding loudly in the silence. Cautiously, he slid out of bed and looked around the room. What was that? Something woke him up, but couldn't figure out what. Everything seemed normal. Reya was deep in sleep and undisturbed on her bedroll. He dressed and pulled on his new tall brown uniform boots with the same golden trim that all the scribes wore then tied them the best that he could before tiptoeing to the door.

  Once he was down the stairs, Jaylen continued until he reached the wooden doors to the library. He slipped inside, careful to not let the doors slam as they shut. The last thing he needed was for Zirla to catch him sneaking around in here in the middle of the night without permission. Everything seemed to be in order until he spotted the dim light on the second floor balcony. He ran up the stairs then ducked behind one of the bookcases to watch.

  One of the mages in all black was carrying a torch dangerously close to the ancient tomes. Someone whistled from the other side of the large room which triggered the mage to take action. He lowered the flames until they leaped onto the dry books, instantly catching them on fire and filling the rows with smoke.

  Jaylen couldn't stay quiet. His duties as a paladin and a scribe of this place made him leap out of the darkness and hold out his hand. "Stop! What are you doing? You can't burn these books!"

  The mage glanced over his shoulder then turned back to burning the books. "Stand down, scribe. This is not your fight."

  "I will fight you if I have to!"

  "My quarrel is not with you, boy. For the sake of Heaven, I must destroy what is hidden here. These aren't just simple history scrolls and poetry. There is a true evil in these pages that threatens to crack Heaven wide open and spill untold numbers of demons into our world."

  "Like a rift?" Jaylen asked.

  Another mage stepped onto the row with a torch. He pointed at Jaylen. "Who is that? Kill him! He has seen too much. We can have no witnesses."

  "Do you know who he is?" The first man asked.

  "I couldn't care less. We have a job to do. Now, kill him, Stephan."

  "Queen Sela said there weren't supposed to be any fatalities."

  "Shut up!" The second man snapped harshly. "Listen to what you are saying. We don't have time for this. Kill the kid while I finish lighting these stacks on fire. The others are working downstairs. Hurry up so we can get out of here."

  "Fine, but you have to explain this to Gavin."

  "I will do what I have to do. I suggest that you do the same."

  Stephan pushed up the long sleeves of his robe and instantly sent a blast of black shadows towards Jaylen, barely missing him. They crashed into the bookshelf behind him and sent books and loose papers flying. "I didn't want to do this, Jaylen. You are making this so much more complicated than it needed to be."

  Jaylen searched for anything that he could use as a weapon, so he grabbed the heaviest book he could find. He held it up to shield himself so he could buy some time and get some answers. How did this mage know who he was? Jaylen couldn't see his face because of the large hood and he knew he didn't remember his voice from anywhere. Wait. Stephan? As in Gavin's boyfriend Stephan? "You know my name?"

  "Surrender now and we will kill you mercifully instead of this pitiful excuse for a battle. Real men don't die in libraries."

  "No!" He knew he wasn't going to die here. Blocking another ball of shadow magic with the book, he turned to run and got down a few steps of the staircase when he stopped. Jaylen tripped on his untied shoelace, but quickly threw the boot at his attacker who followed closely behind and scrambled to his feet.

  The blast of air pushed back the thick smoke that was starting to fill the entire library. Brinx landed behind Jaylen and drew a silver bow from her back. As she nocked an arrow, she aimed at Stephan. "Stop, demons! You will not touch the paladin. He is now under my protection."

  "You call me a demon?" Stephan asked. "You're a female angel. You're an abomination!"

  "Enough! How dare you set fire to this sacred place? You know not what forces dwell here. Jaylen, run. I'll take care of these idiots."

  Before Jaylen could run, he felt a presence approaching behind him. He screamed when a hand grabbed his neck and a blade flashed in the light from the raging flames. Pressed up against a man and held there by a dagger digging into his throat, Jaylen began to panic. His breathing grew rapid, not helped by the thick choking smoke that made him cough.

  Brinx shot a glowing arrow at Stephan, sending him running away into the inferno. She drew her bow back and aimed at the man holding Jaylen. "Stand down."

  "Jaylen belongs to me. Everything in this library must be destroyed. If that means destroying Jaylen in the process, then so be it. The rift in Wolfekin will close itself over time. We don't need him anymore."

  "Then do it. If you truly believe that Jaylen is worthless, why are you hesitating? Cut his throat and end it."

  "He is worthless to me, but you seem to have some stake in his wellbeing, angel. Give us five minutes in this library to finish what we started, and you get Jaylen to safety. How is that?" The man asked.

  "You expect me to make a deal with a demon?"

  "Don't forget that I used to be a paladin. I know what is going on here."

  Jaylen gasped. "Aiden?"

  "The same."

  Brinx lowered her bow. "How did you get into Cilona? Carvael's barrier should have kept your kind out."

  "Carvael doesn't know everything." Aiden pushed Jaylen at her before vanishing into the black smoke.

  Brinx picked Jaylen up and threw him over her shoulder as she flew out of the library. "You have to learn to fight on your own. Next time, I might not be there to save you."

  "I don't have my sword."

  "You don't need a sword." When she reached the door to his room, she kicked it open and tossed him on his bed. "Stay here. You do not leave this room. I don't care if the guards come or if Sola herself tells you to leave. You stay."

  "But-"

  "No." Brinx left the room and slammed the door shut.

  Jaylen heard the door being locked and Brinx's wings as she flew away.

  Reya looked up from her bedroll and pushed her bangs out of her face. "Master Jaylen? What is going on?"

  How could he explain it to her when even he didn't know? All of his thoughts were racing through his mind so quickly that he couldn't put them all into place. He coughed a few times and wiped the soot from below his eyes.

  "Why do you smell like smoke? Is something going on? What is on fire?"

  "Go to sleep. It's fine. I'm sure everything will be worked out in the morning. There's nothing we can do about it right now. The door is locked. We're stuck here."

  * * *

  The door was thrown open and two guards in plate
armor entered the room just as the sun was rising outside the window. One of them stepped forward and pointed at Jaylen. "You there, scribe!"

  Jaylen wearily sat up, still wearing his soot-streaked clothes from last night. "Can I help you?"

  "Why do you smell like smoke?" The guard asked.

  He knew this was going to happen. All night long, Jaylen had laid awake, thinking of ways to talk himself out of the accusations. He had to play it safe and pretend like he knew nothing. "Uh, I don't know. Last night, there was a lot of smoke in here. I think there must have been a fire somewhere. My window was open."

  "There has been a fire in the library. Invaluable books and scrolls have been destroyed or damaged beyond repair. We have evidence that one of the scribes was in the library at the time and we believe that the owner of this boot is responsible for the fire. It is a scribe uniform boot, so we are gathering up all the scribes to be questioned."

  Jaylen stared at his boot in the guard's hand. That was the one he had left behind after he tripped on his shoelaces. With a shaking hand, he pulled on his one boot then sat there on the edge of his bed.

  "What's wrong?" The guard asked.

  "I . . . um . . ."

  The other guard motioned to Jaylen. "He only has one hand. Help him out."

  "Do you need help?" The guard asked.

  Jaylen's voice was airy as he finally spoke. "No. I . . . I don't know where my other shoe is."

  The guards grabbed Jaylen's arms and stood him to his feet. "You just made our entire investigation so much easier. Jaylen Corrifus, you are under arrest for arson and destroying the sacred knowledge of Cilona."

  Reya cried out. "No! This can't be happening. Master Jaylen would never do this. He loves the library. It could have been any scribe. How do you know that is Jaylen's boot? He is in the library all the time."

  Jaylen surrendered as the guards secured his arms behind his back. "It's my boot, Reya."

  "What? But you left it when you came back here in the afternoon, right?" Reya asked hopefully.

  "No. I was in the library last night. They already know everything. I was there, but I didn't set the library on fire."

  "The word of a slave is worthless." One of the guards said as he dragged Jaylen out of the room. "You will face Archangel Carvael for judgment."

  * * *

  As he shivered in the stone cell in the guard barracks, Jaylen paced back and forth as he heard the crowds cheering outside in the courtyard. There had been some sort of announcement minutes before, but he couldn't make out what it was. The citizens seemed pleased, which only made Jaylen more nervous. If he was being painted as the evil slave who turned against them all and destroyed their beloved books, then anything that made those vindictive people happy was undoubtedly not in his favor.

  The heavy iron door slid open, scraping against the dirty stones on the floor of the cell. Carvael stepped inside and secured it behind him. His wrinkled face did little to hide the burning malice in his eyes. He crossed his arms and leaned against the door. "Look at the trouble you've gotten yourself into now."

  "Why are you doing this to me?" Jaylen asked. "You know I wasn't the one who set the library on fire."

  "Of course I know that. I know everything, boy."

  "Why were Gavin's boyfriend and Aiden of Wolfekin destroying the Haunted Library? What were they looking for?"

  Carvael waved his hand. "Those idiots and their men are nothing better than lawless looters and vandals. If you are going to be angry at anyone, it should be them, not me. I am only here to uphold the unanimous decision by the jury."

  "And what decision was that?"

  "That you are convicted of your crimes. You worked alone and set fire to the library. You destroyed precious documents and records that were integral to the founding of Cilona. You have been declared an enemy of the people. Any title or power you had has been stripped from you."

  Jaylen's hand tightened into a fist as his anger grew. "You know I didn't do it! They will listen to you if you just tell them the truth."

  "And why in Hell would I want to do that? Listen, I don't need to drag this out. The people are already restless. I can't hunt down Aiden and his goons now. They are long gone to Sola knows where. Where does that leave me and my justice system? Begging for answers. You are their answer, Jaylen. Yes, it's a shame to send an innocent boy to his death, but it is the only choice I have now."

  His breath left him. "Death? Is that the punishment for this?"

  "Because you are a slave and because the fire you started was so destructive, yes."

  Jaylen sank down to the cold stone floor and held his head in his hand. "Please tell them the truth. What do I have to do to gain your help? I have tried my hardest to remain loyal to the teachings of Sola. I have adhered to my vows and remained pure through all of this. I was tempted, yes, but I fought through it. I'm not even bonded with a fallen angel anymore. What else do I have to do in order to atone for my sins? Tell me." He reached out and took the hem of Carvael's robe in his hand. "Please. Don't let them kill me, not for something I didn't do. If I am to die, let it be for Sola!"

  Carvael pushed him away and turned to the door. "At sunset, you will be taken out to the isolation cell on the coast where you will be left. No one will care. No one will hear your cries. Your sentence is death by starvation."

  "What?"

  "You will be left in seclusion and forgotten by everyone, just like the knowledge you destroyed in the library. It's quite fitting for your crimes, Jaylen Corrifus."

  The door slammed shut as the archangel left. Jaylen gave up. He collapsed onto the floor and broke down. He pounded the stones with his fist and cursed the tears that flowed from his eyes, matched only by the dark blood from his newly bruised hand. But he continued to scream, slamming his knuckles against the floor. He had tried for all of his life to be perfect, to be pure, and to serve the will of Sola. Where did it get him? Marked by a demon, nails driven through his hands, whipped and branded by the people he looked up to, sold as a slave, starved on a ship for a month, forced to have one of his hands cut off, and now he is facing an agonizingly slow death. He hated the clergy, the church, and every second that he had believed being a paladin was the right thing to do. The teachings were all empty promises, trickery disguised as scripture. There was never anything holy about those words or the priests who claimed to uphold them. Jaylen hated himself for ever being so naive to believe their lies. He had joined the Holy Order to redeem his family name and to serve as a paladin to make up for the sins of his father. But what would Doran think of him now?

  "Bond with me."

  Jaylen stopped weeping and looked up from the floor to see the pale purple wings of Brinx. "What?"

  She put her arms under his and lifted Jaylen to his feet. "Stop crying. Bond with me."

  "I . . . what?"

  "I'm an angel, remember?" Brinx asked. "Bond with me."

  "But Zeriel-"

  "You aren't bonded with him anymore. Besides, I heard a rumor that he's dead."

  Jaylen's tears started anew. "I know."

  Brinx held the crying boy to her chest and smoothed his hair. "Then bond with me."

  "I'm Tainted."

  "Does it look like I care that much?"

  That wasn't the only problem. "You're female."

  "So?"

  "According to the teachings, I have to bond with a male."

  "Now is not the time for you to be picking apart scripture!" Brinx shouted. "I heard you screaming. You may not have realized you were talking out loud, but you were. I heard how you regret following the church and your vows. This is your chance to leave that behind and start fresh, away from the people who will hurt you. I can protect you. That is what I am offering, Jaylen. I'm doing this for my brother."

  Jaylen pulled away from her and turned his back to the angel. "I will not bond with you! I would rather die."

  "Don't do this to yourself. You are far too young to be this stubborn. Why won't you listen to reaso
n? If you go to that cell on the coast, you will die. It won't be quick. It won't be painless. You will suffer. Don't give Carvael the satisfaction of watching you wither away to nothing. Submitting now only gives him the power he needs and lets him win. Why do you want to let him win?"

  "Because I have nothing to live for."

  "That's not true! Jaylen, look at me. Turn around and talk to me. We don't have much time. You have your entire life ahead of you. You have had a rough time, yes, but that doesn't shape your future. Don't send me away when I am the only one trying to help you. I want to help you, Jaylen. But you have to let me do so."

  Jaylen sighed as he watched the sky through the iron bars of the window near the ceiling. It had already started to darken with the oranges and pinks of the setting sun. There was not much time left for him. But he knew he had to keep a promise he made so long ago. It was the one thing he swore he wouldn't change. "I will not bond with you, Brinx. Since the day I completed the Divinity Trial and Zeriel carried me out of the inner cloister, I told him and everyone else the same thing."

  "What is that?" Brinx asked.

  "I will be a paladin until the day I die."

  Chapter 18

  The days dragged on, time slowly melding into one continuous string of jumbled emotions. Even the sun and the moon became strangers. The waves and the salty breezes taunted Jaylen with the promise of freedom on some distant foreign shore past the horizon, just beyond what he could see. Was there anything out there? Some ship to sail by and see him at his lowest that would rescue him? As days turned to weeks, his faith wavered until Sola became nothing but a long-lost memory like a story from his childhood.

  Sitting up against the jagged rocks that surrounded him on every side except one, Jaylen sipped from the tiny pool of rainwater he had managed to trap in a hollow reed that had washed up into his cell one night. The one side of the cell that wasn't rocks was steel bars that blocked off the small cave that Carvael had converted into this death trap. During high tide, the waves would rise over the cliff and fill the cell with seawater up to Jaylen's hips. On a good day, he was able to catch the tiny silver fish that got caught in the current. But those good days were few and far between. Most of the time, the tide only brought him salt water, which he had plenty of already.