by Joe Duck
Well, Narius, Codex said, I think this was a one night stand.
I rubbed my eyes and got to my feet. The blanket slid off me as I reached for the vibrating sword on the floor. Where's Emily?
Long gone, Castilia said, her hilt glowing crimson with annoyance. Probably out of the city, trying to hide in a dark corner of the world.
I shook my head. Emily would never do such a thing.
Castilia shook against my side. She would if she didn't want you anymore.
The sword’s words made sense, and everything fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. Oh, no. I shouldn't have held her hand. It was too early. I should have just slept with her. What... what should I do?
The Codex sighed. Don't listen to that old crone. Emily's probably bored of you being too coy, so you'll just need to reveal more of your body. Strip away that oppressive layer of clothing so she can ogle you. Show off your body to her. Sell yourself.
All I need to do is take my clothes off? I hugged the blanket and sniffed it, breathing in Emily’s minty scent. I can do that.
Well... there is one other thing you could do, Sniffy.
Really?
You should wait here until she comes back and have your body ready for her.
Without any clothes?
Exactly. And on top of that, you should tie yourself with a ribbon and reveal yourself as her present.
I stretched my arms and wings. Present?
Girls love ribbons.
But... but what if she doesn’t want me as a present? I asked, folding the blanket into a neat square and making her bed. And what should I say to make her want me as her present?
Nothing. The conversation will be between her eyes and your body, but I suppose you could blush and be innocent as you usually are. Speaking of which, when she decides to take the lead, you should—
Castilia groaned and shoved the Codex to the corner of my mind. Enough! What is wrong with the two of you? Narius, stop listening to that whore. If purifying that demonspawn isn't the solution, I suggest you find a different and proper way into a woman's heart! Get her some flowers, or a box of—
Flowers? Right... Codex pushed Castilia back, dimming the sword's voice. Shut up, pole pipe. What do you know about seducing people?
The sword laughed. Well, I, for one, would buy her a gift. A very sharp gift... but that's just me. You should probably get her something pretty and shiny.
I scratched my head. What kind of a gift should I give her?
Well, Castilia said, Emily left you a note on the nightstand. Maybe that has a subtle clue?
Subtle? Ha! the Codex said. Probably her top ten fantasy locations for exciting activities. Pick it up!
Following the Codex's advice, I reached for the note and read the message inside.
Emily
My hand tightened around my staff as I stared up at the massive cathedral. The sun reflected off the stained glass at the center of the temple, casting a luminous, halo-like glow around the building. The window's illustration was of an angel holding a book, reminding me of Narius and his Codex. The thought brought a smile on my lips. I'll be right back, Narius.
Though it wasn't the day of worship, I had expected to see at least a few people, but the area surrounding the cathedral was deserted. Not even the caretakers were around. Figuring now was as good a time as any, I took several deep breaths to steady my shaking hands. The holy building exuded the familiar smell of corruption, overwhelming all others. It smelled wonderful, like I was standing in a patch of fresh lilies that were blossoming in the spring.
I pinched myself. The pain brought me out of my happy place and awoke me from the spell. I reached for my neck and touched Narius's feather for comfort.
To my surprise, the feather was white just like the ones on his wings.
I squeezed it, wishing I was with him right now. But the thought only made me even more nervous, and my hand quivered. Calm down. Even if I can't kill Heliose, I can still stop the ritual. That should be more than enough for Narius's mother to trust me instead of just killing me on sight. Relaxing my grip, I let the feather slide through my fingers and rest against my chest.
I took another deep breath and reached for the handle to open the door. Time to prove my worth.
The door was locked.
Annoyed by my first obstacle, I tapped my staff against the door. Ice formed on it and spread until it covered the frame. I kicked the frozen door, breaking it out of its weakened hinges and shattering it into hundreds of pieces. I stepped inside, ice crunching beneath my boots.
There, at the center of the cathedral, Heliose sat crossed-legged on an altar that was draped with red silk. Before him, Mafis drew mystical runes on the fancy carpet with a tiny brush. The drawing he made on the floor was too complex for me to decipher.
Mafis chanted as he worked, and the sweet words sounded like a choir of angels. The word "Palkeon" was repeated several times. I stopped and listened to the chant, mesmerized by its beauty.
I couldn't help myself, and began to hum along with the words. Maybe I should just take the book. It would be a shame to destroy it. No one would miss it, and I can always lie to Narius.
I stomped on my own foot and drove the foul thought away with the pain. No! I'm going to destroy it no matter what. That's why I am here.
Heliose smiled and beckoned to me, Grimoire in hand. “Ah, Emily! I was wondering if I would have to snatch you up and carry you here. Mafis has been laboring all week to set up the spell. Come and ready yourself. The time is at hand to summon the demon.”
I smirked back at the crazy redhead. "I’ll pass, you pants-less creep.”
The smile on the angel's face faltered, and his hands tugged down on his robe. “What did you say?”
“I said no.”
Heliose brushed his hair and chuckled. “Really? I didn’t know you could refuse.” His eyes glowed, much like Astreal’s had moments before she placed a spell on me. "Stay where you are."
A strange power swept over me, and it seemed like my feet had turned to stone, trapping me in place.
Heliose opened the book and held it up. Though I tried not to, a short glance at the text made my mind fuzzy, and with it returned the familiar desire of wanting nothing more than to read it. No! I'm stronger than this. I gritted my teeth and turned my gaze towards the empty space between the pages, a safe haven where the pressure to read vanished. My feet were still glued to the ground, but Heliose in his haste had forgotten about my hands.
"Good," Heliose said, holding up the book with one hand. "Now... just stay there." He strolled up to me until he was only a few steps away. He reached for something in his robe with his free hand. "That wasn't too hard, was it?"
I raised my staff and pressed the orb against his neck. "No. It was quite easy."
The orb glowed.
Heliose jerked his head back as his eyes bulged, looking like he had been hit by a runaway carriage. "Impossible, you—"
I unleashed enough magic to disintegrate a steel door. The energy exploded with a bang, throwing the angel backwards towards the altar. He crashed into it and lay motionless. The Grimoire fell to the floor next to him.
The bond holding me broke, but I wasn't about to let my guard down. I planted my staff on the ground and focused my magic. Shame about the book, but Narius is worth it.
Trails of ice appeared around me and snaked towards Heliose, surrounding and binding him while Mafis continued his ritual, too entranced to see his impending doom. I waved my staff, and hundreds of spear-sized icy shards materialized at the ceiling then plunged down onto the angel, the elf and the Grimoire.
The shards shattered against the altar, sending chips of ice flying everywhere and covering the area in vapor.
I maintained the spell, the blue orb of my staff growing hotter by the moment as it struggled to keep the flow of magic steady. In the blink of an eye, the area around the altar disappeared under the hail of ice. Hoarfrost glossed over the pews, statues, and stained-glass window
s as if a winter storm had barged into the Cathedral.
I kept up my bombardment, dropping several sharp icicles—each the size of a small tree trunk—down into the misty fog.
Cracks appeared along my staff, travelling all the way to the orb and threatening to shatter it into pieces. Satisfied that I had annihilated the pair, and careful not to destroy my expensive orb, I lowered my staff and dismissed my magic. With a sigh of relief, I waited for the mist to dissipate. That’s all it took? Why didn’t I do this sooner?
At that moment, the cloud exploded, and a gust of wind burst out in every direction. I covered my eyes as chips of ice flew towards me. Pieces of frozen water pelted the back of my hand while the torrent blew against me, lifting my hair and forcing me to take a step back.
I stood blind and deaf in the howling wind, helpless.
Seconds later, the storm subsided, and I peeked through my fingers. The elf and the angel were near the altar, unscathed, the former still busy drawing on the floor and the latter flashing me an amused smile. Not even the Grimoire had budged, and the drawing on the floor was left unaffected by the attack.
How did he do that? Even if all my spells missed, the ice shouldn't have melted that fast. I clenched my teeth and raised my staff to try again, a spell already forming in my mind to crush them under an iceberg.
As I focused my thoughts, Heliose spread his wings and flew straight towards me, an ivory dagger in hand.
I panicked and changed my incantation, abandoning my larger spell to hastily cast an ice bolt.
He swiped at the frozen bolt with his hand and shattered it, turning it into a cloud of tiny, glittering shards that sounded like wind chimes as they rained down upon the floor.
He's melting them. I backed away and, concentrating my thoughts, tried to create a wall of ice—anything to keep something between us. My mind screamed at the strain of casting the three spells in such quick succession. A crystal clear shield of ice erupted from the floor to protect me. Heliose wouldn't get to me just yet. The spell was going to be just a little bit faster than he would be. I was safe. That should buy enough time for me to come up with—
Light flashed through the ice, forcing me to close my eyes. Moments later a sharp pain lanced through me, and when I opened my eyes again, my wall was now a large puddle.
Heliose stood in front of me, his dagger buried in my chest.
Air wheezed out from my lungs.
I clutched the dagger's hilt and sank onto my knees. Fragments of ice drifted down, shining like diamonds. They reflected the rays of the dying sun as it peeked at me through the frosted panels.
My vision swirled, and my chest felt like it was about to burst.
Pain gripped my entire body as a cloud of corruption exploded out of me. The dark smoke whipped past my hair and briefly surrounded the dagger before being absorbed into it.
I fell on my side and curled up in pain. From the corner of my eye, Heliose’s shadow loomed over me. His voice was clear as water despite the pain. "So much work. Do you know how hard it was for me to find you again after you and that idiot went to slay the dragon?"
Again? Slay the dragon? “You... are crazy.”
"No, no, no, my stupid little lamb. I am quite sane." He grabbed me by my hair, yanked my head up, and made me look into his mad eyes.
I screamed. The strands of my hair refused to break and tugged mercilessly at my scalp.
"Relax. I was told that dagger wouldn't kill you," Heliose said, easing his grip on my hair, just enough to keep it bearable. “Do you know how hard it was for me to keep an eye on you for over a decade? It was all right when you decided to go after one of the pages I had scattered as bait. But, no. You had to follow that stupid angel and keep yourself under guard."
I spat in his face and received a sharp backhand in return, making me see white spots in the air. Blood welled up inside my mouth as he continued his rant.
"Instead, I had to reveal myself to you and get you to read half the text. I had to accelerate all my plans because of you!"
"Well, stupid, you could have just erased my memory like you did with Narius."
"Not without risking the chance that your growth of corruption would be stunted. You know, I had such a miserable time constantly watching you. I had to wait for the corruption to ripen and cause a fever to indicate that sufficient power was there." Heliose smiled and reached down to grip the dagger in my chest. "Still, my patience paid off. You are here now, and your corruption is just enough for our work."
He yanked the weapon out, a breath of air escaping with it. He twirled the dagger before my eyes. The blade was now dark, its once-reflective white surface tainted black, but without a single drop of blood on it.
"You are absolutely... mad."
Heliose released my hair and kicked me to the side. "Not for you."
I crashed to the floor and coughed out what breath remained in me. My body refused to move. Everything hurt so much, but despite the pain, I couldn’t see any blood or a wound, just a hole in my clothes where the dagger had gone through. How is this possible?
“Look at what you made me do, making me play with sharp objects," he said, tossing the dagger back at Mafis. The elf caught the weapon, gave it a quick glance, and then grabbed the Grimoire off the ground. Then he resumed mumbling the unknown words, all the while shifting behind the altar and out of my view, probably to continue his drawing.
To me the chant no longer sounded beautiful. The syllables felt evil. The choppy and harsh words sent shivers through me. “What… did you do to me?”
“I merely drained your corruption into the dagger." He leaned forward and whispered into my ear. "Congratulations, Emily. You are a human again.”
Human? But Narius said I could never be... My vision blurred with tears. “I’m a human?”
Heliose summoned a bow into his hand, an ivory-white weapon radiant with power. An arrow materialized in his other hand. He nocked the arrow and aimed it straight at me. “For now. Anyway, I don't need you around anymore. So why don't you just tell me when Narius will be coming before I kill you? I look forward to seeing him cry over you."
"He won't be coming. I made sure of that. I told him to run. I love him too much to let him get involved in my own stupidity." A smile formed around my lips. "I win."
Heliose scowled back. "Then I will make sure to preserve your corpse and deliver it to him. No matter how long it takes."
He released the arrow.
I closed my eyes. A feeling of peace overwhelmed me as death approached. Narius, I’m sorry for everything.
A sound of metal clanging against metal rang through the hall.
I wasn't dead.
Slowly, I opened my eyes.
Narius stood in front of me, holding a blade covered in soft white light. On the ground next to him was the arrow destined for me, its tip bent.
Before I could react, the sword vanished and reappeared at his side, sheathed in a link of chain.
Narius, with both hands free, scooped me up in his arms. He held me tightly against him, and we flew to the other side of the cathedral. As we fluttered away, Heliose, to my surprise, lowered his bow and smiled. "Ah, love. So beautiful."
I regained some control of my body and looked up at Narius. “Wh-what are you doing here?”
Narius grinned but didn't answer. Landing on the opposite side of the temple, he placed me on a pew. He kept his eyes on Heliose, who watched us, his smile never disappearing.
Ignoring the insane Archangel for a moment, I grasped Narius's hand and returned his attention to me. “Listen. You are going to have to run away. I don't know how far along they are in summoning the demon, but they have what they need from me. It will be any moment now. You have to leave me to get help.”
The idiot shook his head. "I love you.”
You love me? Heat rushed to my face, and I fought the urge to say it back to him. This wasn't the time to tell him how much I loved him. Heliose could kill us at any moment.
; I rose to my feet and raised my hand to slap him, to get him to think straight, to go away and be safe.
I swung my hand.
Narius caught my wrist and pulled me towards him. He leaned in and kissed me, his lips so soft and tender that I melted.
Despair, pain, horror-all washed away with that single act. Just like the first time he kissed me. My ability to think was brushed aside by a flood of sheer happiness.
He pulled back, his soft brown eyes staring into mine. They were so innocent, caring, and loving.
Tears flooded my eyes, and I couldn't stop them. "I'm sorry. Can you forgive me? I should have told you the truth. I just wanted to fix everything."
Narius placed his arms around my waist and hugged me. His body felt relaxing against mine, and I breathed in his pleasant scent of roasted chestnuts. “Emily, I still stand by what I said a week ago. I promise to do everything I can to make you happy. No matter what.”
My cheeks warmed, and I buried my face against his shoulder. "Y-you better keep your promise."
He held me, his breath stroking my neck. "When this is over, I... I’ll wait in your room with only some ribbons tied. Just… just be gentle.”
I nodded, pretending to understand his vague promise about some sort of a present. The warmth from his body mingled with mine, and I felt at peace. I wish we could stay like this forever and never let—
Heliose cackled, his gaudy laughter breaking the small paradise in my mind. “That’s adorable, Narius, but I am afraid you will not be able to mate with her.”
Narius pulled away from me and turned to face Heliose. “What? But the Codex said I had the stamina.”
Heliose sighed and shook his head. "Ah, the loving youth. It is always fascinating to watch. Now, because of respect for love I stopped myself from ruining such a touching moment, but playtime is over, kids. Being the angel of love, I would have let you go, but I can't have the two of you babbling about what happened here to Astreal. So...
"Just die together." He nocked and loosed an arrow of white magic that flew straight at me like a beam of light.
Narius leaped in front of me, raising his sword to deflect the projectile, but his arms were too slow. He wasn't going to make it.