Read The Codex: An Angel's Guide To Seducing A Human Online
Authors: Joe Duck
My heart pounded against my chest at the thought of being so close to him. I reached out to stroke his head when my stomach grumbled, and I spotted a bowl of tomato soup on the table next to him, waiting for me.
Did you make that for me?
I took the spoon resting against the bowl.
Wait. What color are my eyes? Are they red?
Nervous, I raised the silver spoon and looked at my dull reflection in it. My eyes were blue. I let out a sigh of relief, and I dipped the spoon into the crimson soup and took a sip.
It was way too salty. And cold, as if it was cooked last night.
Still, knowing the soup was from him made it taste wonderful, but each bite grew sour in my mouth.
He’s willing to do all of this even after what I’ve done. Why? Why didn’t I just talk to him?
My appetite disappeared, and I pushed the bowl away.
No. Don't think like that. This is a chance. When he wakes up, I’ll give him the best surprise he ever had. Maybe I should make a cake for him. Anything to get him to forgive me.
Taking the blanket off, I got out of bed and immediately realized I wore nothing but my bra and underwear.
My face warmed.
Did he undress me? Did he see my chest? Was he disappointed?
A swarm of thoughts whirled in my mind. I looked down at my flat chest.
Damn it! Why couldn’t they have been bigger?
I shook my head and calmed myself.
No, size doesn’t matter. At least I don't have back problems. Besides, I will win him over with food and money.
With my newfound confidence, I used my feet to scoop up the damp shirt and skirt lying on the floor. I quickly dressed myself before Narius could wake up and see me in my underwear.
After I had buttoned the blouse and made sure my skirt was wrinkle-free and hanging properly from my waist, I looked at Narius.
He still slept peacefully, a warm glow surrounding him as his armor reflected the sunlight. He looked absolutely divine, and my heart tightened at the sight of him.
What are you going to do, Emily? Wake him up and hope everything will be fine? Maybe, if the gods smile on me, but that's not going to happen.
I let out a sigh. Looking at his sleeping face, I knelt beside him and stroked his head. "Narius, I'm sorry for everything. I—"
At that moment, Narius awoke. Our eyes met, and his widened in surprise. Narius fell forward and crashed onto the wooden floor. He yelped and scrambled to his feet. “What? You can’t be awake! Go back to sleep!”
I wanted to hug him, kiss him on the lips, and beg him to forgive me. But I needed to be strong and confident. So, I placed my hand on my hip and smiled while my heart threatened to put me on the ground from its beating. "And what if I don't?"
Tears like bits of raindrops formed in his eyes, and my feeling of bravado evaporated.
No! Why did I say that? I should have been on my knees begging. Is it too late? Should I do it now to—
Narius threw his arms around me and squeezed, driving the wind out of me. ”I'm sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry I tried to hurt you!”
At his words of acceptance, the weight in my heart lifted, and a smile spread across my lips. "I thought angels didn't cry."
"I am not crying," he said as he wailed. "I am just sweating." Narius covered me with his wings, his soft feathers brushing against me and making me feel as if I was sleeping in a silk bed. “I won’t let you out of my sight, Emily.” His arms tightened. “No matter what happens, I am not letting you go. I... I don't care that you are a demonspawn. You are still Emily. You are my Emily.”
My heart warmed at his words. I returned his hug. "Thanks. Thank you."
Not wanting to let him go, I held him, just feeling the warmth of his body. Finally, Narius loosened his grip. He pulled his hands away and wiped the "sweat" coming from his eyes. "This is what humans call a trade, right? I'll stay with you if you stay with me. Is this fair?"
I shook my head.
He probably hasn't told his mother... and if she finds out I'm alive... There is only one thing I can give to him.
"No, this isn't fair at all. You are risking too much for me. And there is nothing I can give you back except... well... me. I want you to have me."
Breaking out of his embrace, I lay on the bed and turned onto my side to face him. I crossed my legs a little—trying to ignore my embarrassment—and positioned the rest of my body to look as seductive as possible. I tried to undo the top button of my blouse, but I fumbled with it until I gave up, hoping he didn't notice my small failure. "I-I want you to have your way with me. To do whatever you want with me here and now. Like kissing... taking my clothes off... and..."
Narius blushed and twiddled his thumbs. "Are you sure? I... I would be happy to if you don't mind."
I readied myself for what was to come.
Narius, after a moment of hesitation, removed his armor and stripped down to his shirt and pants. I could see muscles that had previously been hidden as he climbed into bed.
He lay beside me, our faces almost touching. "Are you ready?"
"Yes." My face felt hot with anticipation of what he would do next.
It might be too quick, but whatever happens, I will be his first, and he will be my first. He'll always remember me.
Narius grabbed my hands and pulled them up between us. His hand radiated warmth that spread to the rest of my body, but instead of continuing, he stopped. "Could I do this as long as I like?"
I sighed. The mood to continue gone.
What did I expect from an innocent angel. Still... this feels awfully nice.
"As long as you want."
Narius closed his eyes and smiled. "Hehe... I am finally holding your hands in bed."
"That's all you wanted?"
"Yes."
"Narius, this is nice, but what are we going to do about my... problem?"
He took his right hand off and shushed me. "Let's talk about it later. For now, let's just enjoy this."
Unable to argue back, I held my tongue. For some time, I tried to stay awake, to say something back, but a sense of peace and happiness overwhelmed me, and I slowly drifted off with Narius holding my hand...
Emily
When I opened my eyes, it was mid-afternoon, and Narius slept beside me, breathing in and out, his skin glowing golden with sunlight.
It felt wonderful to have him by my side again.
I should go bake him a cake, make him drool a bit. Then kiss him while he is distracted.
Smiling at the thought of our lips touching, I quietly got out of the bed. But just as I snuck to the door, trying to decide between vanilla and chocolate, I saw a note on the floor.
I picked it up, and read the elegant handwriting.
We need you for the ritual. Come to the cathedral dedicated to Halfaya today at dusk, alone. I must say that watching the two of you sleep was interesting. The way Narius thinks holding your hand would solve all of his problems. Of course, you know better than that. I know what you are thinking. Don't. I am sure you could try to tell him—get him to heaven or find some other way to protect him. But if you do, I will find you, and I will kill Narius while you watch, making you wish you'd ended your miserable stinking life instead. Yours truly, Heliose. Archangel of love.
My hands trembled. The strength in my legs gave out, and I sank to the floor. I read the message again, hoping it was some sort of joke Nathen had left. It wasn't.
They are watching me. They can get into my room.
I shuddered at the thought of Mafis or Heliose watching the two of us sleep.
Narius isn't safe here.
I glanced at the angel.
Should I wake him? Could he convince his mother to help us? No. She would most likely try to kill me.
I bit my thumb.
What can I do? Wait... maybe this is a chance. Maybe I can fix this. Stop Heliose and prove to his mother that I can control myself. Yes, and with Narius asleep, he won't be able to stop me. This is perfect. I need to go to the cathedral.
I crumpled the paper in my hand and tossed it away.
But could I kill an archangel? Maybe. Not every one of them can be as strong as Narius's mother. Besides, do I really have another choice?
I glanced at the sleeping beauty.
I could talk to Narius.
No. The only thing that would accomplish would be putting him in danger because I was stupid enough to be in this position in the first place. I can't ask him to sacrifice any more for me than he already has. I need to clean up my own mess.
Grabbing a parchment, I pulled Narius's feather out and scribbled a note. I wrote to him, explaining where and why I was going. Once it was finished, I kissed him on the forehead and left the room, quietly closing the door behind me.
Narius, I hope I can see you again.
Narius
I opened my eyes and found myself lying on Emily's bed, alone.
What happened?
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
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 windows 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."