Angel of Darkness Books 1-5

by Mackenzie Morris

  A young boy's crying brought Jaylen's thoughts back to the reality of the night's impending darkness. He watched as a guard carried a feisty Liam on his shoulder then carelessly tossed the thin boy onto the floor where he landed flat on his back and coughed a few times as he tried to catch his breath. He was only three years younger than Jaylen, but Liam appeared to be so much more a child. He was thin and spindly with boyish features and a voice that exposed his true innocence.

  Liam finally sat up on his knees and pushed his messy bangs that had grown out in the past couple of months out of his face where the pink brands forever marked his cheeks. His bright green eyes glistened as the tears streamed down his pink cheeks. "Don't hurt me. Oviel! Oviel, save me!"

  Oviel was then marched into the courtroom as well, his wrists secured in front of him by golden enchanted shackles. "Don't show weakness, Liam. You can do this. I know you can do this. I'm right here. Carvael, have mercy on him. He's just a boy." He then tightened his fists. "You. Doran Corrifus. Who was the sadistic idiot who decided to bring you back to life?"

  "For your information, I am a demon. Can't you tell by my orange eyes?"

  "What are you, exactly? Your eyes are redder than a normal demon's. Vampire?"

  "Vampire and a chained spirit of regret."

  Oviel scoffed. "A chained spirit. Pathetic. Who are you chained to that has caused you so much regret in your human life before you died?"

  "Who do you think? You have to ask that? He's right here in this room. My son."

  Jaylen gritted his teeth as he listened to the sincerity in his father's voice. Just to shut them up so he wouldn't be forced to hear his father's lies anymore, he walked up to join Carvael's side. "Can't we move this along? If you're going to do something to them, then do it."

  "Eager for their pain, are you?" Carvael asked.

  "No. I'm exhausted and I hate dragging this out for no reason. Just get it over with."

  "Fine." Carvael stood up and stretched out his gold wings. "Liam Ulverin, you were caught attempting to escape from your cell. Not that it makes any difference because I simply don't care, but do you have anything to say for yourself?"

  "Jaylen is innocent!"

  Jaylen looked to the boy who was still on his knees then shook his head. How could he do this? Why would he want to take the blame solely on his shoulders?

  Carvael grinned. "We already know that Jaylen gave you the key."

  "No!" Liam cried out as he held up his hands pleadingly. "It was all my idea. I'm the one who stole the key from him. He didn't do anythin' wrong. Neither did Oviel. Punish me, not them."

  Oviel only hung his head. "Liam, no."

  Liam shouted at them, his tiny voice echoing against the marble and ivory walls. "Don't hurt my friends! I will take their punishment for them. Please. I don't care what it is or how much it hurts. I love them!"

  "Very well." Carvael cracked his knuckles then laughed when he heard the deep growling bubbling up from below the floor. He turned to the incubus with the slicked black hair and goatee who was sitting sideways in the throne next to him. "Hey, Stephan?"

  Stephan grinned, showing his bright white fangs that glinted in the light from the balls of mage-glow on the chandeliers. "Yeah?"

  "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

  "Dragon?" Stephan asked.

  "Dragon. Karixlesminatim hasn't had a warm meal in a while. He will like a human snack."

  Axaniel's black wings rustled and his heavy boots slammed against the floor as he strutted up to Liam then twisted his hand in the boy's messy brown hair. He forced one of his green eyes open. "What about the emeralds in his eyes?"

  "I'll have Karixlesminatim save them for me. They have everything I need now anyway. I don't think I will need any more spying from him, especially seeing as he will be dead. What's wrong, Axa? You look like someone is taking your favorite toy away. It's okay. You can go ahead and rough the boy up a little bit before we throw him in the dragon pit. Karixlesminatim will like his meat tenderized."

  Liam squealed as he was slammed against the wall and held there by his hair. He squirmed in a desperate attempt to get away from the muscular angel, but his cries were silenced when Axaniel powerfully hit the boy's face against the stone wall and Liam slid to the floor where he remained motionless.

  "Axaniel, no! Why are doing this?" Oviel asked. "Liam is a child."

  "Shut up or you'll be next."

  Jaylen looked away as Axaniel continued to kick and hit the unconscious boy. This brutal beating lasted for a couple of minutes until someone stopped it.

  "Enough!" Doran stormed across the throne room, pulled Axaniel away from the child, then punched him hard in the face. "I don't care what that kid has done. You don't have the right to beat him. Look at him. Look at him! He's unconscious. You've done enough. Far too much, if you ask me. Leave him alone."

  Axaniel held his cheek where a bruise was starting to form. "You would dare hit an angel?"

  "I've done so much worse to a much better angel than you."

  "You say that like you're proud of it."

  "No. But I won't hesitate to defend that boy like I should have defended my own son. I will do whatever I can to make sure that no boy is ever abused like Jaylen was."

  "Silence, both of you." Carvael went up to Liam and picked the unconscious boy up in his arms. "It won't matter anymore. His fate has been decided."

  Oviel looked extremely pale. "Please don't do this. Don't kill him. What do you want from me? Gold? Jewels? I can get them for you. Whatever you want, I will get it."

  "Too late. Let this be a lesson to you as well, angel."

  * * *

  The darkness in the cold cave was broken by a few large silver braziers that dotted the grey stone walls. Liam moaned as he recovered his consciousness and wearily sat up to observe the world around him. His body was aching from the beating that Axaniel had given him. A stripe of bright blood trickled from his nose which he quickly wiped away on the back of his hand. A raspy growling filled the air and made him anxious. Then he saw movement in the shadows as a large black dragon with shimmering scales and velvety wings like the ones from the stories his mother used to tell him opened its glowing golden eyes and crawled closer to him. The dragon was at least fifteen feet taller than him. Liam backed up against the wall as the dragon sat down in front of him and eyed him curiously.

  The dragon's deep booming voice echoed in the cave. "This is what they give me to eat? You're barely half a snack. What would I do with a bunch of bones like you? No meat, no fat, nothing. Hardly even worth my time to chew you. My name is Karixlesminatim and I'm going to eat you."

  Liam groaned as he rubbed his forehead where a dark bruise was forming.

  "Those eyes . . . your eyes are hauntingly green. What are those marks on the sides of your face? A key and the letter V? Does that stand for Vilyron? Well? Don't waste my time, boy. Tell me what they are."

  "They're brands. I got 'em as punishment for stealin' stuff."

  "Stealing?" Karixlesminatim asked. "And what would a young boy like you want to steal so badly?"

  Liam found a surge of confidence as he stood up to face the dragon. "I didn't want to steal. I had to do it. I had to feed my baby sisters."

  "What is your name, boy?"

  "Liam Ulverin."

  "Wait. You're Liam Ulverin? When I was invading your dreams, I thought you were much older by the awful things you've seen." The dragon snorted with laughter. "Just because I'm bored down here, I will let you plea your case for me to not eat you. Go ahead. Do something entertaining. Humans can do all sorts of funny things."

  "Funny things? I can't do nothin' funny. Just go ahead and eat me. I've got nothin' to live for anyway. Everyone wants me dead, includin' the necromancer elf. I shoulda been dead a long time ago. Just please don't chew me very much. I hate the sound my bones make when I break 'em."

  "Your accent . . . what is that?" Karixlesminatim asked. "Why do you say your words like that? Where are you
from?"

  "I'm from Kervlin, the town of cotton fields in Vilyron. I'm a peasant. I never went to school, so I talk this way. Not like Jaylen or the angels. They're all noble and upper class and stuff. I'm just talkin' how I was taught to talk by my ma and pa, I guess. Sorry if you don't like it."

  "No, it's not that. It's just different. Sometimes different is a good thing. The world needs more different people in it. Diversity. I've never eaten a peasant boy before. Though, you certainly don't look very tasty. What is your diet like?"

  Liam bounced excitedly on his toes as he thought about his favorite foods. "I love cookies and pancakes."

  "Uh huh . . . well . . . I don't." The dragon ran the tip of one of his razor sharp black claws across Liam's arm and pushed the sleeve of his dark green tunic up. "Bruises. I don't like my food to be tampered with. Bruises make humans bitter. They really roughed you up, didn't they?"

  "Yeah." Liam's breath grew shallow and rapid as he watched the dragon's claws inching down his tunic to his belt.

  "It's okay. Don't worry about my claws. I won't hurt you. I just want to see what I'm dealing with here." The dragon tucked his claw under the hem of Liam's tunic then pulled it off in one quick motion. "There we go. I have never understood why humans wear fabric and furs over their own skin. That doesn't make any sense. If Sola gave you a body, why do you want to hide it away?"

  Liam only stared up at the dragon's glowing golden eyes. "Do you want me to take my pants off too?"

  "Go ahead."

  Without any feeling of shame or embarrassment, Liam completely undressed then held out his arms and spun in a circle. "There ya go. That's all of me."

  "You truly are shameless, aren't you? I like that." The dragon tossed Liam's clothes far down the tunnel to the left, obviously telling Liam that he couldn't wear them anymore. "You know what? You aren't like the pretentious overbearing humans who are so concerned with riches and portraying themselves as being Sola's gift to Aldexa. But you . . . there is something natural about you, Liam Ulverin. Just look at yourself, standing there naked in front of an Elder Dragon who could eat you alive at any second. You aren't crying or cowering a corner. Why is that?"

  Liam shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno. You seem nice, even if ya do wanna eat me."

  "Come over here and sit under my wing. We're going to talk some more."

  Liam didn't really have a choice, but even if he did, he knew he would do so anyway. He walked up to the glimmering black velvety left wing and sat down up against the dragon's slick black scales. He pulled his knees up to his chest and shivered from the cold stones underneath him.

  "Why are you shivering?" Karixlesminatim asked. "Are you scared?"

  "No. I'm cold."

  "Cold? Interesting. Do your clothes keep you warm?"

  He shrugged his shoulders as his teeth started chattering. "They help."

  "So, humans cannot regulate their own body temperatures efficiently enough to wear only their natural skin. I will have to remember that." The dragon winced and let out a hissing sound as he punctured his left leathery wing with his sharp claw then ripped out a piece and set it down on the floor of the cave. He continued the same process with the right wing.

  Liam frowned as he listened to the dragon's pained growling. "What are you doin'?"

  "Making you something." Karixlesminatim used the very tip of his claw to push a thread through the pieces of his wings. "Tell me, Liam. Do you know anything about dragons?"

  "I know stuff from the stories my ma would tell me at bedtime about Dragon Knights ridin' their dragons into battle."

  "Soul combining."

  "Huh?" Liam asked.

  "When a dragon and a human bond with each other. It is even beyond the bond between a paladin and his angel. The soul of the human and soul of the dragon become one soul permanently. It binds their lives, their minds, their every thought. The human rider can communicate with his dragon telepathically."

  "Ooh! That's really cool."

  "Which is why I am making you something."

  "Doesn't that hurt you?" Liam asked as he watched the dragon cut out another section of his giant wings.

  "A bit, but sacrifices are a part of this."

  "A part of what?"

  "You becoming my rider, my Dragon Knight."

  Liam squealed as he latched onto the dragon's side. "Really? You want me to be your rider?"

  Karixlesminatim chuckled warmly as he nuzzled the top of Jaylen's head with his nose. "I do, if you will have me. I'm old, but I haven't found my mate yet. I believe that you could be the one for me."

  "Mate?"

  "Not in the sense you are thinking. Dragons do not reproduce like many other organisms when we are wanting to create a baby dragon. We reproduce once we die, but only if our bond with our human mate, or rider, is strong enough. At that point, the combined soul of the dragon and the rider become a dragon egg deep down in the lava fields underneath The Veil. Then a century later, a new dragon is born with the traits of both the dragon and the rider who died to create the new egg."

  "Your mate?" Liam asked, feeling more and more uneasy. He had no desire to mate with anyone, especially not a dragon.

  "That word bothers you, doesn't it?" Karixlesminatim asked. "I apologize. I did not view you as being a family man."

  "I don't want a family. I'm only thirteen and I haven't been with a woman."

  "Then be my mate. Dragons mate for life, aside from those very specific rituals when we mate with special human women, but those are on an entirely different level. Those produce humans and are not truly mating. The mating between me and you will produce a dragon. Once we do this, there is no going back. You can never have a family of your own or a mate other than me. And you have nothing to worry about. Lust and sexual attraction are not feelings dragons have. Our relationship will be on a more complete and intimate level beyond anything that human relationships can provide. I will protect you and keep you away from the dark magic of that necromancer. Not even Archangel Carvael will be able to separate us."

  Liam took a deep breath then looked up into the dragon's eyes. "Do it."

  "You agree to be my mate, my rider, my Dragon Knight?"

  "I do."

  The dragon smiled warmly. "Then call me Karix. Once I finish sewing this, we will conduct the ritual."

  Chapter 5

  "Close your eyes and hold up your arms above your head."

  Liam obeyed the dragon's instructions then smiled as he felt the smooth clothing pass over his head. He opened his eyes and looked down at the short black tunic. "Oh, what is it?"

  "Every proper Dragon Knight has a set of armor made out of the wings or scales of their dragon. Since you're little and more inclined to sneaking, I used a small section of my wings to make that for you. It is impenetrable by anything other than another dragon's claws. It fits you well, Liam. And here are the pants. They will grow with you."

  Liam pulled the pants on then ran his hands over the extremely soft yet strong material. It all fit perfectly. He sniffed his shirt then smiled. "It smells like honey. It's warm. And it's comfy."

  "Good. Wear it at all times except when you're bathing. Now it all makes more sense, after finding out that humans truly need clothing. This will be all the clothing you ever need."

  "Thank you, Karix."

  "No problem, Liam." Karix watched him flexing his muscles and moving in the armor. "I can't believe I'm about to do this after so long."

  "Why'd ya pick me? You could've had anyone, but you're choosin' me."

  "Why you? Because I don't want the others. I have been watching humanity for centuries, but I've never met anyone like you."

  "I'm stupid."

  "Why do you think that about yourself?" Karix asked. "Because you didn't learn history and literature from a bunch of old dusty books? While that knowledge is very important, that's not what defines you. You have so much intelligence and common sense that many people will never be able to learn, no matter how many books they read.
Don't doubt yourself. I see a very bright young man in front of me. I believe we will make a difference . . . together."

  "You really don't think I'm dumb?"

  "Not in the slightest." Karix tapped his claws twice against the floor. "Come here and stand in front of me. I need a bit of your blood for the ritual."

  "M-my blood?"

  "I will do my best to make a clean cut and not take more than necessary. But first, we need to find your soul." Karix's claws began shining with a dark blue hue. He placed the tip of one claw against Liam's forehead and another against his chest. "Take a deep breath."

  Once Liam did, his breath was drawn out of him and materialized in a green swirling ball.

  "Ah. There we are. Look, Liam. That's your soul."

  "I'm not dead? I'm truly not dead?"

  "I don't know what you've been brainwashed to believe, but you're as alive as I am. And if that necromancer wanted you that badly, then he wouldn't have taken this risk of putting you down here with an unmated dragon." Karix rolled Liam's glowing soul around in his claws while he studied it as if he was assessing its weight. "Oh, yes. I almost forgot. There is one caveat on my part."

  Liam tilted his head to the side inquisitively. "A what?"

  "A caveat? Um, a stipulation. A condition. That better?"

  "Okay."

  "I will always remain in my full dragon form. Some dragons take on other forms to hide or disguise themselves. I refuse to do that. Is that a problem?"

  Liam's eyes were still fixated on his soul. "No. I like you the way ya are, Karix."

  "Good, good. Then be prepared to have a lot of people watching you."

  Liam clasped his hands over the brands on his cheeks. "But then they'll all see my brands."