The Codex: An Angel's Guide To Seducing A Human (36 page)

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 collided 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?”

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.

The demon screamed, and when the light faded away, Palkeon's entire body was burnt, his skin shriveled up to reveal the cooked muscles beneath it.

Palkeon raised an eyebrow, his muscles visibly stretching as he made the effort. "Ah, Astreal. You used to be such a good little girl. It truly pains me to do this." He snapped his fingers. A ring of smoky corruption exploded around Astreal and rose to form a dark dome, trapping her inside. "But I fear if I get hit by that again, I might not survive."

Astreal roared and raised her weapon. Flashes of light erupted as she hacked at her prison. The corruption around her scattered, but came straight back at her only moments later. Astreal continued to swing away, but the light emitting from her dimmed as she was gradually devoured by the darkness. At the last moment, she threw her spear away and looked at us, her hand stretched out to Narius, before vanishing into the lightless dome.

Narius cried out and rushed forward a few steps. He glanced over his shoulder, and his eyes met mine. Instead of continuing his charge, he stopped and tightened his grip on the sword.

The demon looked at his handiwork. Corruption seeped out from his wings and covered his hand before moving to the rest of his burnt body. In the blink of an eye, the dark smoke engulfed him. Then just as quickly, it disappeared, and Palkeon stood with his skin restored.

He smiled at the dome. “Can you believe I spent centuries in a prison like that? I almost lost my mind with no one to talk to." Palkeon stepped up and squatted before the wall of corruption. "But, Astreal, if you listen carefully, you might hear something very beautiful." Palkeon glanced at the incapacitated angels surrounding him. He put his index finger and thumb in his mouth and whistled. A stream of corruption escaped him and engulfed the helpless angels. When the darkness vanished, thousands of tiny little white maggots covered the angels like a living blanket.

The angels shrieked as the creatures ate away at their skin, drawing blood from the gouges they had eaten through, turning the white blanket into a crimson one.

The sound was soul-wrenching, and I clasped my hands over my ears, but each of their cries pierced through my hands and into my ears. My eyes swelled with tears and terror filled my mind.

Narius flapped his wings and readied himself to fly off to his death. I hugged and held onto him, exposing myself to the music of death. "No!"

I clutched his body until the screaming of the angels stopped. When I looked back at the angels, there were only bodies mutilated beyond recognition in their place, limbs twisted and skin covered in blisters. Blood and gore filled the cathedral, the red tide flooding across the floor.

Dusting off his hands, Palkeon turned to Mafis, the latter crouching behind the altar, his mouth open and eyes wide. In his hand, Mafis held the Grimoire, and the demonic dagger glinted by his side.

“So you are the one who freed me from that awful, awful, place,” Palkeon said. “I cannot thank you enough for rescuing me. If there is anything you wish, all you have to do is ask.”

The terror on Mafis's face disappeared, replaced with a maniacal grin. “There is only one thing I want.”

“Speak. I am very generous.”

“Can you bring my daughter back from the dead?”

“Of course. If the soul is there, any Archangel of Lord Halfaya can.” The demon patted the air above his head and grinned. “Hmm. I must have lost mine some time ago. By the way... when did she die?"

“Nine years ago.”

Palkeon picked up a broken piece of Heliose’s halo and tapped it against his chin. “Then I am afraid that might be a little difficult. Perhaps if her dead body was preserved by magic immediately after she was killed... or maybe if she died minutes ago.”

Mafis brightened, his ears perking up. "That's not a problem. Heliose placed a spell on her to keep her body intact."

The demon chucked the halo over his shoulder. "In that case, you have a decent chance. Do you have her with you?"

Mafis nodded, scurried behind the altar, and brought out a small body wrapped in a large silk sheet. Placing the body in front of the demon, Mafis flung the sheet off, revealing a little elf dressed in a white gown whose silvery hair reached her waist. She looked so peaceful, like she was taking a short nap in spite of the horror around her.

"Excellent." Palkeon bent down and touched the little elf's pale cheeks. Corruption seeped out of him and formed around Filia, encasing her in an oily embrace. “You shall have her back, just the way you remember her.”

Narius gripped my shoulders with wavering hands and eyes. “Now is your chance. Run. Don't look back.”

I shook my head. "What happened to ‘I’ll never let you out of my sight’?”

“You can’t stay here. I'll have to do my duty, but I want you to run. It's too—”

An earth-shattering shriek echoed from the altar. I shifted my gaze back to the demon. The little silver-haired elf girl was on her feet, her bright eyes staring back at Palkeon.

“How are you feeling, little one?” the demon asked.

“Hungry,” she answered in the clear, innocent voice of a child.

I felt sorry for her, knowing the horror she would soon see. 
No one should wake up in this bloodbath.

Mafis, not sharing my pessimism, got down to his knees and extended his hand to her. “Filia?”

The little elf tilted her head. “Daddy?”

Palkeon nudged her forward. "Go on. Go give your father a hug."

Filia ran up to Mafis as fast as her legs could carry her. She jumped into the air and wrapped her hands around him. "Daddy!"

Palkeon gazed at us and smiled. “Well, isn’t that lovely? Father and daughter reunited.”

Narius’s wings quivered, and his breathing quickened. He shoved me behind his back and raised his sword.

“Why are you so scared, young one?" Palkeon asked Narius. "Did I upset you? Have you never seen the dead come back to life?”

The sword in Narius's hand shook.

“Not much of a talker, are you? Hmm… maybe this will cheer you up.” The demon walked over to Filia and whispered into her ear.

The little girl glanced back at the demon. “Really? I can?”

“Of course. He is your daddy. Your flesh and blood.”

Between the gap of Narius's wing and armor, I saw the little elf lick her father’s neck.

Mafis smiled at his daughter. “Daddy loves you so much.”

"I know." The little girl bit into his throat. Blood gushed out, spraying her face crimson. Thankfully, Mafis didn’t scream. Instead, blood gurgled out of his mouth as his own daughter ripped his flesh, eating him, biting through his neck and drinking from the wound. Mafis didn't try to push her away. Instead he held her tight, and they fell to the ground together where she continued to devour him.

Palkeon took the Grimoire from Mafis's limp hand and linked it to the side of his armor with a shadowy chain that materialized from the corruption. "Let this be a lesson to you. Return other people's books on time instead of asking favors." The demon stretched his arms and strolled towards us, leaving the little monster to devour her father’s corpse.

Narius took a step back, his legs shaking. “Run, Emily. Get out of the city as fast as you can.”

Palkeon tilted his head. “Emily? Is that what you have behind you, cherub?”

“No! I have nothing behind me!”

“He’s not stupid.” I stepped away from Narius's wings and into Palkeon's view, channeling my magic into the staff. 
So far, everything points to the corruption as the source of his power. If I can just avoid the smoke—

The demon clapped his hands together. “Ah! So, you were the demonspawn used to power the spell. I owe you my thanks. Now, would you kindly lower that staff? Casting all these spells has taken a toll on me. Even for someone of my magnificence, it isn't easy to dispatch two Archangels and resurrect a creature. Besides... someone is going to get very mad if I end up killing a third-generation demonspawn."

Third-generation?

“What are you going to do?" Narius asked, positioning himself in front of me once again. "Destroy the city?”

Palkeon squinted at us as he stroked the Grimoire rhythmically. “What? No. I love humans. Do you not remember, little angel? We have a duty to protect them. Given to us by Lord Halfaya himself."

Narius lowered his sword. “You are not going to hurt them?”

The demon shook his head, the smile on his face turning to a scowl. “My, my. Who do you think I am? Some sort of mass murderer? I am not insane. In fact, I share the same goal as you: to gather knowledge and protect the humans, just as Lord Halfaya ordered us to.”

“But... but you are a demon. You are corrupted, and corruption must be wiped out to save the humans.”

“Am I?" The demon pointed at the scene of carnage behind him. "Tell me, aside from the instances where someone wanted to manipulate my power for his own gain, has the ‘corruption’ been used to hurt anyone except in self-defense? What about your little friend? Did she murder hundreds of people because she has some extra powers that no one else has?" He jabbed his finger at Narius. "Are you going to kill her after you are done killing me?”

Narius froze, confusion running through his voice. “No, no..." He shook his head. "But that doesn’t change anything! Everyone is dead because of you! Even... Mother...”

"Mother?" Palkeon tapped a finger against his chin. "Ah, you must be one of Astreal's. You do realize she is alive, right? In fact, once I am out of here, I will stop supplying my magic to her prison."