The Codex: An Angel's Guide To Seducing A Human

by Joe Duck

  No! I raised my staff and summoned a large wall of ice just in time.

  The arrow exploded as it slammed into the icy barrier, sending chunks of frozen shards everywhere and collapsing the wall.

  “You still have some magic left after all that?” Heliose said, nocking another arrow and sending it at us.

  I summoned another barrier. "I have more magic than you have arrows!"

  The arrow struck, quivering on impact, and vibrating the very air around us. There was a loud crack as the wall's foundations crumbled, followed by the wall of ice toppling over us like a falling tree.

  Narius grabbed me by the waist and pulled me back before it could crush us.

  Without pausing, Heliose loaded his bow and continued to fire one arrow after another, smiling throughout it all.

  Narius, with his hands wrapped around my waist, flew us into the air and around the pillars of the cathedral, dodging the arrows and letting them crash into the stone behind us.

  Meanwhile, I focused on Heliose by conjuring up some icy arrows of my own. I shot them with enough weight and strength, but they melted right before they could touch him. Still, they weren't useless. Every missile of mine had left a mist that obstructed Heliose's view for a few seconds after each volley.

  For minutes, we kept at it, but soon, sweat fell from my brow. Every bolt I created drained my magic close to my limit. It was only a matter of time before we took an arrow.

  I bit my lip. My spells won't work because they just disintegrate. But they worked the first time. Why? Was it because I was touching him? Yes, that must be it. I need some way to maintain the spell as it hits Heliose. "Narius, we can't keep this up."

  "What can we do?" he asked, banking hard to the right to dodge an arrow.

  Repeat what I did to you when we first met. "Fly directly over his head."

  "No! We'll get shot down."

  "We'll be skewered if we don't. Do it!"

  Narius tightened his grip on me. Dodging the sharp wooden sticks, he flew above Heliose, and hovered just beneath the ceiling.

  "Now dump me."

  "What?"

  "Let me go."

  "But—"

  With no time to explain, I jammed my elbow into his stomach. He grunted, and the firm grip of his hands vanished. Wind whipped at my hair up as I plummeted down to the archangel, who upon seeing my descent, pulled his bow back.

  Using the split second I had, I turned the air in front of me into the largest pile of ice I could. Immediately, parts of it melted from Heliose's magic, and I hugged the block of ice as best I could and channeled all my magic to keep it preserved.

  A moment later, an arrow broke through, close enough for me to feel the tip brush against my cheek.

  But unlike before, the ice held its form, and before I could wonder if my half-baked plan would work, the ice I was holding slammed against the floor. The force of the impact flung me off to the side. I hit the floor, hard, and rolled a few times before coming to a stop.

  Dust and chips of ice covered us in a white fog that hid everything around me under the misty blanket.

  I sucked in a lungful of air. Nothing seemed broken, but it felt like I'd been hit by a runaway cart.

  Heliose lay next to me, a chunk of crimson ice poking out of his thigh. He rose to his feet, faltering once before getting up. The angel drew his bow back, an arrow materializing in his hand. "Reckless, reckless, but you are going to pay for—"

  Narius tackled the archangel from above. The force of his impact pushed Heliose to kiss the ground with a loud crack. Narius kicked Heliose's bow, sending it flying away. "It's over."

  "What are you going to do now, cherub?" Heliose asked, pressed down against the floor under the weight of the ice. "You think you can keep me bound like this?"

  "No," a female voice said. "But I will."

  I glanced over my shoulder. Narius's mother hovered above us, the flap of her wings so quiet it was like a whisper in the wind. She gestured at me and Narius. "Have the two of you gone completely insane? This is too dangerous for you, Narius. Leave this to us."

  "Us?" I asked.

  Angels emerged from the shadows behind her, dressed much like Narius. A few of them looked at me and Narius and smirked, giggling or chuckling amongst themselves.

  Heliose turned his head to see what was happening around him. "Ah, Astreal." His voice cracking with nervousness. "This is not what it looks like."

  Astreal glared at him, her eyes glowing white with power. "Do you take me for a fool?"

  "Shit."

  Narius's mother brushed her golden hair over her ear and landed next to us. After a quick nod to Narius, she stared at me with such intensity I shrank a little from her gaze. “Do you really love him?”

  Surprised by her question, I muttered the truth, “Yes. I love him.”

  She rubbed the side of her head and sighed. “Why is life so complicated? I will deal with you love-struck fools later. Narius, move aside. This is a matter for an Archangel to handle.”

  Narius moved away, and Heliose, who had wiggled himself from the ice, scrambled away like a crab missing a few of his legs until he had his back against a pillar. "Now, Astreal, I think you are mistaken here. I am an archangel of love. Why would I hurt these two?"

  Spreading her wings, she growled and then spoke, “Traitor Heliose, you will come back to heaven to pay for Archangel Ghaster's death, and for whatever mischief you caused here."

  "Mischief? I am trying to summon a demon."

  "Do not lie. I know you do not have the necessary knowledge. Whatever summoning you have planned won't work."

  I glanced at Narius, who seemed just as confused as I was. Wait... if Heliose can't summon the demon, then what was the point of sending Narius?

  The mad angel laughed, his show of fear now gone. “Astreal, how little you know, Archangel of Knowledge. Palkeon will be summoned today, and I will kill him for Elena.”

  “Your lover can stay cursed for all I care. You will come with me, even if I have to drag you back to heaven missing a wing.”

  "No need to get so violent," Heliose said. “You know I don't stand a chance against you.” He took a step to the side of the pillar and began to limp away. "We should really talk about all of this. As my lady once said, violence does not solve anything."

  “Good. Come peacefully. You will be tried before Lord Halfaya, then handed over to Lady Tristina for punishment.”

  “No, no. No need to get my lady involved in this mess,” Heliose said with a glint of madness in his eyes. “You are right. I do lack the knowledge to pluck a demon from his cell, but the Grimoire doesn't.”

  Astreal frowned, and her eyes became alert. "You spoke to the mad book?"

  "Yes, and not a single feather blackened. Now... time's up."

  The hall fell into quiet slumber, the incantation behind Heliose now silent. Heliose gave a short nod to Mafis, who had just crawled out from behind the altar. "Do it."

  Mafis, reaching to his side, pulled out the dagger Heliose had stabbed me with and raised it over his head in front of the altar.

  Blood drained from Astreal's face at the sight of the weapon, and she thrust her hand towards the elf. “Stop him!”

  The angels around her obeyed. Halberds and spears of all shapes and sizes materialized into their hands as they flew towards the elf.

  Mafis slammed the dark dagger down into the center of the Altar. The very light in the hall began to stutter, vanishing and reappearing as if the world was a flickering candle about to go out. The floor rumbled, columns around us cracked, and the stained-glass angel above us shattered.

  Dark smoke exploded outwards from the altar and engulfed the elf. The smell of death and decay filled the building, threatening to make me puke. Heliose screeched with glee and grabbed his bow from the floor. The angels rushing towards the altar met the corruption. The cloud tangled its dark form around them, cutting through wings and armor, filling the air with blood. The angels spiraled out of control and co
llided with the pews, some crashing through several of them before lying still.

  Narius grabbed me.

  "Narius, what—"

  He pressed me against his chest and flew towards the exit, his hands trembling. Once we touched down by the door, he placed me against a stone pillar and glanced back, terror painted on his face. “Everything... everything is going to be fine. Just... just stay here with me.”

  Over his shoulder, the smoke cleared. I saw a brunette angel, clad in armor like Narius, his face beautiful like a flawless marble statue. But, in place of white wings, the angel had black ones, much like the color of the feather of my necklace when it had turned dark. So someone like that was my father? Or grandfather?

  His red eyes drifted across the room as he stretched his arms to the sky. “Well, isn’t this a nice surprise.”

  Astreal held up her hand and took a hesitant step away from the demon. "Fall back. Let Heliose pay for his mistake. Regroup."

  The angels followed her command, and those who were relatively unaffected by the smoke carried those who could not move on their own.

  Unfazed by the scene around him, Heliose laughed, his gaze briefly following Mafis as the elf scurried behind the altar for cover. "Finally, Palkeon. It’s been too long. Nice to see your face,” he said gleefully, nocking an arrow and pulling it back. “But I am afraid you will have a rather short stay here.”

  The demon smiled. “Ah, Heliose, you psychopath. How is your wife doing? Is she still a magical popsicle?”

  Heliose howled and shot the arrow. The missile emitted a deadly hum as it sailed towards Palkeon’s head.

  The demon snatched the shaft in mid-air and crushed it, crumbling it to pieces. "Really? Where are your manners?”

  Palkeon glanced at his surroundings. His crimson eyes paused on me, sending chills through the marrow of my bones. It was like looking at the reflection of myself when I had tried to hurt Narius. Then as it quickly as it had come, the demon returned his attention to the mad Archangel. “Heliose, Heliose, you naughty little boy," Palkeon said. "Are you in a bit of trouble?”

  “Die!” Heliose screamed, releasing another arrow, this one blazing with white fire.

  The demon held his hand outward. A thick black smoke floated out and formed into a dark spear. He grasped the weapon and deflected the arrow, sending the missile to smash into the wall of the cathedral. The building trembled on impact, groaning in protest.

  Heliose fired off another shot.

  Palkeon deflected with ease, sending the arrow tumbling away from him.

  The cathedral shook again from a parried arrow. A rain of dust fell around us, and I swayed to the side until Narius grasped me in his arms. Another shot like that and the building will collapse. Should I get out? Ask Narius to come with me? Will he come with me? But what about the demon? Would he know my parents? Could he be my father or grandfather? No! Why am I wondering this now? No. Now's not the time.

  Heliose continued his assault, unleashing a series of colorfully-tipped arrows and sending them off as quickly as they materialized into his hand.

  None of them reached the demon. Palkeon's shadowy spear effortlessly blocked or parried every single arrow as he began walking towards the mad Archangel. Thankfully, none of these arrows exploded, and when they hit the floor, they rattled harmlessly to the tiles, sparing the temple from being turned into a smoldering ruin.

  Still, with every step the demon took, the stream of arrows grew shorter, and it became clear he would soon be upon Heliose.

  Heliose beat his wings and flew backwards, nocking another arrow. "Die, corrupted servant of Lord Halfwit!"

  "You mean Lord Halfaya." Palkeon spread his wings and launched himself into the air, far too quickly for Heliose to release his arrow, and the demon struck Heliose’s bow with his spear, breaking it in half.

  Dropping what remained of his bow, Heliose threw a punch. Palkeon jerked his head to the side. The blow sailed past, and the demon reached forward and grabbed the angel's throat.

  The act froze the angel in his place. “Heliose, my young friend, you know that I am an honorable angel, and you must be fairly disappointed your wife is imprisoned. So here is your reward for your excellent service.” The demon snapped his fingers. “There. Your wife is now free from my curse.”

  Confusion flashed over Heliose’s face. “She is? Why?”

  “For your services, and for my amusement.” The demon ran his spear through Heliose's stomach, and the tip burst through his back, dripping with bright red blood. Flapping his wings and gaining momentum, the demon flew into the wall of the cathedral and left the angel there as a gruesome decoration, pinned to a crack in the stone by the spear.

  The demon hovered next to the angel, his face shining in the light of Heliose's halo. “Isn’t this a wonderful reward? She is free in exchange for your own life. Pity she will never see you again.” Palkeon snapped his fingers and summoned a mirror, identical to the one that Heliose had shown me inside the dungeon.

  Though it was too far for me to see what was inside, Heliose's face brightened at whatever he saw within it.

  "See? She is finally free from her prison." Palkeon placed his ear against the mirror. "If you listen carefully, you can hear your wife asking for you. 'Heliose, Heliose, where are you? Where am I?' Haha. Isn’t she adorable?"

  Tears dropped from Heliose’s eyes as he stroked the mirror lovingly. "Thank you."

  “You are welcome, my friend. Now... rest.” A surge of corruption seeped from the demon’s hand and into Heliose.

  The angel twitched and shook violently. Blood poured from his eyes, flowed down his cheeks, and he screamed, louder than anything I had ever heard. Dust dislodged from the ceiling and fell down like snow as I covered my ears. Next to me, Narius did the same, his face contorted in agony while the few remaining windows in the cathedral popped and cracked.

  Dropping back down to the ground, away from the screaming angel, Palkeon stretched his wings until they were fully open and clapped his hands.

  Heliose burst apart into a red mist, and chunks of his flesh rained down from the wall.

  Something landed on my boot with a squishy thud. I looked down and saw what could only be Heliose's hand grasping at the tip of my boot. The fingers had exploded like sausages that someone had squeezed too hard, and the rest of the hand had been severed at the wrist. I covered my mouth and resisted the urge to puke.

  With Heliose's blood trickling down his face, the demon smiled. “Now, what should I do with the rest of you?”

  Chapter Twenty One

  Emily

  Narius clenched the hilt of his sword, his knuckles white. "Emily, go now!" His arms and wings trembled. "Please."

  I touched his quivering hand and shook my head. “I’m not leaving you.”

  At that moment, an angel who had been flung into the pews staggered up from the pile of broken wood. She scowled, shook off the bits of wood from her wings, and flew towards Palkeon, her spear aimed at the demon. "Die, abomination!"

  Palkeon twisted his body to avoid the spear. He snatched the shaft as it slid past his armor and jerked it, bringing the angel closer to him. Tearing the weapon from her hand, Palkeon tossed the spear away, clutched the angel’s throat, and lifted her over his head.

  The angel flapped her wings, and kicked her legs in the air, trying to break free, but the demon tightened his grip.

  “It isn’t very polite to intrude when someone is having a conversation, you know."

  The angel gurgled in response.

  Dark smoke wreathed Palkeon's hands and covered the helpless angel's neck.

  A loud crack echoed through the hall. The angel's severed head fell and bounced on the floor. Blood squirted from her neck, pattered on the floor like rain. The angel’s wings twitched one last time before sagging into a lifeless droop.

  I covered my mouth and looked away for a moment, trying to calm my nerves.

  When I returned my gaze to the horrific scene, Palkeon dropped
the decapitated corpse and kicked its head in Astreal's direction. "I believe that belongs to you, darling."

  Astreal's halo glowed white, her eyes cold and hard. "Kill him now!” As one, the angels flew towards Palkeon, their halberds and spears poised to pierce him.

  Palkeon spread his arms, and dark smoke exploded from him, dozens of tendrils reaching for the incoming attackers.

  The angels scattered. Some banked left, others right, and others climbed to the ceiling in an effort to avoid the corruption.

  It didn't matter.

  I watched with Narius as the corruption curled, twisted, and swallowed each angel in turn. Only Astreal remained visible by the light of her halo with a grimace on her face. She staggered backward, the wisps of darkness only caressing her skin.

  She let out a piercing scream, and her Codex shone, driving away the darkness. But when the dark cloud faded, she was surrounded by angels bent over on the floor, vomiting or screaming in agony as shadowy eels slithered out of their mouths.

  Astreal sank to her knees, leaning on her staff to keep from toppling, and her halo and Codex shining with light. She glared at Palkeon, her jaw set. She raised her palm. Her hand flashed in rapid succession and streaks of lightning bolts shot towards Palkeon.

  The light struck the demon, engulfing him in flames that burned with the intensity of a raging furnace, and the awful stench of burning hair filled the air. I let out a startled laugh, glad it was finally over.

  But my laugh soon died as corruption wheezed out of the demon. It covered his skin and extinguished the fire. Palkeon emerged from the smoke, not even singed. He smiled. “Now, now, Astreal. You shouldn't do something you will regret.”

  "Silence, demon. In Lord Halfaya's name, you will be punished for your transgressions." Astreal waved her spear, the tip of it gathering the very light in the air, then she drove the butt of the weapon to the floor.

  It seemed like nothing happened.

  After a moment, though, the air gave me a gentle nudge back as a shaft of light, emitting through the ceiling of the cathedral, struck Palkeon.