Angel of Darkness Books 1-5

by Mackenzie Morris

  Oviel glanced over at Jaylen then back at Zeriel. "I honestly don't know. I just don't know. It's confusing and regret isn't something I like to carry with me. You two get what you need then leave. Please don't get me involved with this anymore than I already am. I messed up once and I won't do it again. Sola forgave me back then, but I don't know if she will so now. I'm sorry."

  "No, I'm sorry for dragging you into this."

  "I'm going now. Please hurry."

  Jaylen watched as Oviel left the room and the front door closed. "So he was intimately involved with his paladin?"

  "Yes. It's difficult for an angel to be so connected with a human and have to resist that kind of relationship. We don't get wives or mates of any kind unless Sola sends a succubus to us so we can reproduce with her. That doesn't happen very often and only a couple of angels have ever gotten to do that. We need interactions and intimacy with people, just like humans do. Your vows of chastity and celibacy are as much for the angel's protection as the paladin's. Angels aren't born with a set sexuality because we don't have an innate need to reproduce or a natural way to do so."

  "Is it common for angels to be intimate with their paladins?"

  "It happens more than Sola would like to admit. It's usually kept so quiet that not many get caught. Relationships sometimes even form between two angels, but those generally end suddenly and violently."

  That brought up an entirely new set of questions. Jaylen battled with himself about whether he should ask one or not. In the end, curiosity got the better of him. "Have you had a relationship with an angel?"

  Zeriel's melancholic mood returned as he leaned against the dresser and stared down at the floor. "Not with an angel."

  Then what about Doran? "With . . . my father?"

  "Things got complicated between me and Doran. It was a painful time, a trying, and confusing time. I haven't felt so vulnerable and empty in my life."

  "That didn't answer my question."

  "Maybe when you're older and will be able to understand things better, I will tell you."

  "What about me?" Jaylen asked, not entirely sure he wanted to know the answer.

  Zeriel turned his back to him and crossed his arms. "What do you mean?"

  "Are you . . . interested in me that way?"

  "Intimately? You are like a son to me. Before your father died, I made him a promise that I would watch over you, even if you weren't my paladin. It's not my place to expect anything else from you."

  "You know that didn't really answer my question either, right?" Jaylen asked. "You're avoiding the subject."

  "It's best if you don't know some things. Get dressed and find your belongings that you want to bring with you. We might not be coming back for a while . . . or at all. I will be in the bathroom."

  Once Jaylen had packed his clothes and a few trinkets from his mother's jewelry box, he stepped into the main room and set his bag down. He noticed something liquid smeared on the wall in the hallway. What was that? He touched the white liquid and it came off on his fingertips. He brought it to his nose and smelled it. Paint? There were more drops on the floor that led to the bathroom door.

  Zeriel jumped when Jaylen pushed the door to the bathroom open. His wings were glistening as if they were wet and he dropped a paintbrush into the sink, next to the open can of white paint. "Jaylen . . ."

  "What is all this? What are you painting?" Jaylen touched Zeriel's wings and his fingers came back covered in white paint. "Are you . . . painting your wings? Why would you do that?"

  Zeriel sighed then turned to him. "I have something to tell you, to show you. Now that you've seen the horror of what angels and Sola are capable of doing, I suppose it is time that I tell you the truth. Now you will see me for what I truly am." He filled one of the buckets with water then poured it over his head.

  The white paint liquefied and dissolved from Zeriel's feathers and dripped down onto the wooden floor. After a few seconds and another bucket of water, Jaylen gasped. Standing in front of him was Zeriel with pitch black wings. "You . . . you're a . . . a-"

  "Jaylen, I'm Fallen."

  He couldn't breathe for a second as the truth hit him hard. "What? No! No, you can't be. You can't be a fallen angel!"

  "It's true."

  "No, I don't believe you. I don't understand. If you're Fallen, how can you be around me and my light magic?"

  "I didn't want you to find out this way. I . . . sent you to that castle in the hopes that a demon would mark you. It turned out that it was Gavin's thrall and he was wanting you anyway. I did that to you so you would be Tainted and I could still serve you, Master. I didn't want you to be sacrificed. I thought that demonic mark on your back would save you. I did this for you, Jaylen."

  Anger flared up in him. "How dare you? I was a Holy Paladin. I wanted to serve Sola and bring back the sun. I should have died in The Cleansing. Why do you think you have the right to play with my soul? I don't want to go to Hell! I want to be holy and pure!" In a blind fury, Jaylen grabbed the paint can and threw it at Zeriel, sending it crashing against the wall. As the white paint spilled out and coated the floor, Jaylen began throwing whatever he could find.

  "Jaylen, stop." Zeriel blocked a bucket with his wings. "Stop throwing things. You're going to break something."

  "I'm trying to break you!"

  Zeriel held out his hands. "Please let me explain."

  "Don't touch me, demon! I should have known when you were just fine being around that Gavin character. He's an incubus and you didn't care. You were just fine in The Veil and you love the darkness. You ruined everything I had been working on. I dedicated my life to being perfect. I wanted to make up for the sins of my father, but you just wouldn't have that, would you? It was my duty to die in The Cleansing. I should have died. Why would you take salvation away from me?"

  "Salvation? You believe that being murdered like that would grant you salvation? No, Jay. Listen to me and see this from every angle. If you embrace this, we can get you away from Carvael and unlock your dark potential."

  "You would turn me into a demon? I would rather die!" Jaylen stormed out of the bathroom and went to the front door.

  Zeriel chased after him. "Where are you going? You can't leave. The guards will find you."

  "Good. I'm going to the temple. I can't risk losing my soul to a demon."

  "Jaylen, no! They will kill you."

  Jaylen's face was red and his fists were clenched as tears fell from his eyes. "I deserve to die. I have to atone for my sins. My soul is vastly more important than my physical body. I want to please Sola. I have to do this. Do not follow me or try to stop me. That's an order."

  "I won't let you do this."

  "I need my soul to be purged."

  "They're not going to purge your soul. That's what they call it, but nothing holy happens during one of those exorcisms. It's public torture, Jaylen. You will be beaten and horrible things will be done to you. They're not going to let you die peacefully. They'll make you into an example. Don't do this to yourself. You're so young."

  "If this is what I must endure to cleanse my soul, then so be it." Jaylen opened the door and shouted out into the streets. "Guards! I'm Jaylen Corrifus. I'm here. Come get me!"

  Chapter 16

  Zeriel went willingly. He let Oviel handcuff him in the enchanted shackles that prevented him from using any of his abilities, or what was left of them. He watched powerlessly as the guards dragged Jaylen down the crowded street towards the temple. Was this the end of it all? Had Zeriel's mistakes finally caught up to him? This wasn't how he wanted any of this to go. He was going to wait until he was certain Jaylen could fully understand what was going on before revealing his true nature to him.

  Oviel tugged on the chain he held securely in his hands, forcing Zeriel to join him in the air. "You will be in my custody until Carvael gets here. If you try to fight me, I will be forced to hurt you."

  "I'm not going to fight you, Oviel."

  "Surrendering this ea
sily?" Oviel asked as they hovered above the plaza. "That's surprising, seeing how much chaos you've caused."

  "I only want Jaylen to be safe."

  "That's not going to happen, I assure you. You know what happens during a soul purge exorcism, don't you?"

  "Unfortunately. I've seen it performed once before, about eighty years ago. It was a paladin who murdered his pregnant sister. The clergy claimed there were demonic forces involved."

  "Even if Jaylen somehow manages to survive the public torture, do you really think they will let him go?" Oviel asked. "No. They are out for vengeance. The only way they will feel satisfied is by spilling Jaylen's blood. It's all a show. The clergy's goal is to instill the fear of Sola into everyone, to ensure that no one ever tries this again. The next few hours will be painful and brutal for Jaylen. I honestly feel sorry for the kid. You know why there have only been four soul purge exorcisms in the history of Vilyron, don't you? They are so gruesome that they are reserved for the worst of the worst."

  "It's difficult for me to view Jaylen as being the worst of the worst."

  "That's because you're Fallen. Your mind has been clouded by darkness, Zeriel. Directly defying the Holy Order and breaking his vows to die in The Cleansing are well worthy of this punishment."

  "And I have to wonder now . . . what will my punishment be?" Zeriel asked. "Surely it can't be any worse than what they did to me after Doran."

  "But see, that's where you're wrong. You're not a Holy Angel anymore. In the eyes of the Angelic Court, you are lower than a demon. You've turned you back on Sola. I'll be completely frank with you because I believe you still deserve that honesty from me. I will be surprised if your soul isn't ripped from you and given to your father to be destroyed."

  He scoffed. "Lovely."

  "You're still joking around, even with the fate you are facing?"

  Hardly. "No. Don't get me wrong. I don't want that to happen, but there's nothing I can do right now, is there? Look at the people down there staring up at us. They can all see my black wings. They know exactly what I am and they hate me. That's why Jaylen called the guards. He was afraid of me. I wonder if I should have come clean and told him the truth earlier."

  "It wouldn't have made a difference. Despite his sins, Jaylen remains devoutly religious. He was raised that way. When he panics, he will always revert to what he knows. He doesn't want to die, but if it means that he is adhering to his religion, then he will suffer through whatever the priests have in store for him. It's that kind of selfless righteousness that will save Vilyron from evil."

  "It's selfish."

  "Selfish?" Oviel asked, cocking an eyebrow curiously. "There's the demonic power seeping into your thoughts. How can atoning for your sins be selfish in any way?"

  "Because Jaylen doesn't care about Sola anymore. You didn't hear him yelling at me after he found out about my wings. He feels that he has to do this so he won't suffer for eternity. What is the point of sacrificing yourself only for your own personal gain? It makes no sense."

  Oviel tugged on the chain again. "Humans will always have some degree of selfishness that drives their actions. It's a survival instinct. Self-preservation drives them. Jaylen is fighting against that innate sin. That is what makes him an honorable young man, despite his crimes."

  "I'll give you that. No matter how much dark influence fills him, Jaylen will always be honorable. He's unbreakable."

  "Even the strongest souls can break when they are eroded from the inside."

  * * *

  Zeriel stayed tethered to Oviel's side as they waited, perched on top of the dome of the temple overlooking the plaza where the entire city had gathered to watch the exorcism. He secretly hated each one of them. Blood-thirsty monsters. And they called him a demon. Sometimes humans are the most demonic beings in existence.

  Jaylen was led onto the stage where countless criminals had been hanged before, always a gory spectacle. The guards pulled him forward by the thick rope binding his wrists together until he was standing below the wooden beam that ran between two metal poles. The boy already looked to be on the verge of tears. His face was blotchy with bruises. He had a black eye and multiple dirt-smeared scratches across his arms.

  As the crowds of angry people shouted obscenities and cursed him, the guards took the humiliation to another level. They ripped every scrap of clothing from Jaylen's body, eliciting all manner of whistles and jeers from the overly-eager audience. It was clear from Jaylen's deep blue eyes that he was trying his hardest to retreat into his own mind, to not be devoured by the scouring eyes around him.

  Zeriel bit his lip as the foreign stinging feeling of tears grew in his own eyes. He reached up and touched his wet cheeks. What was happening to him? Oh, that's right. He nearly laughed at the realization. Fallen angels were no longer immune to human needs and emotions. That must have been why he fell asleep the other day. This was going to take a long time to get used to, especially the gnawing feeling of hunger in his stomach. Though if everyone had their way, he wouldn't be alive to feel those reminders of his newfound mortality.

  The high priest stood in front of Jaylen and help up his hands to Heaven. "Today, we purge the soul of Tainted Jaylen Corrifus. This is the man who refused to give you back the sun. He is the one who incurred Divine Sola's wrath on all of us. He has been influenced and marked by a demon. Today, we exorcise these impurities and ensure that his sins are atoned for. As you know, the only way to do this is through blood."

  The voracious masses cheered and chanted their approval. In unison, they called out in their fury. "Purify him! Nail him to the wood!"

  The high priest turned to Jaylen. "Does the impure one have anything to say on his behalf?"

  Jaylen's voice was weak as his nervousness was undeniable. "I wanted to atone. I just wanted to do what was right. I'm sorry. Please don't hurt me. I'll die for The Cleansing. Just let me die."

  "Your soul must be cleansed first. We must show everyone that this kind of sinful nature is righteously paid for. Every sin has a price and every sin must be atoned for. Nail him to the board."

  The rope that bound his wrists was untied and retied around his ankles, tethering him to the poles. Jaylen's hands were raised above his head and pressed against the wooden board until he was forced to balance on his toes. He screamed as thick metal spikes were driven though the backs of his hands with hammers, securing him to the wood. Streams of blood flowed down his arms and onto his chest. It was clear that the boy couldn't control his crying at this point. His thin body was shaking as his chest heaved when he struggled to draw a breath.

  The more he bled, the more the crowds cheered. The guards let him hang there for an unnecessarily long few minutes as Jaylen continued to groan in his wracking pain. Through his weeping, he begged them to stop. "Let me die. Kill me. Zeriel, kill me! Have mercy."

  Zeriel gritted his teeth as he couldn't help but stand there and listen to his Master's pleas for death. It tore him apart inside. Knowing that he couldn't help the boy in any way was the worst feeling he had ever felt.

  The high priest's voice echoed above the masses. "Embrace the pain and be cleansed of your sins, Jaylen Corrifus. Through your agony, Sola forgives. Be pure." Once the wooden stage below Jaylen's bare feet was sticky with blood, the high priest nodded to the guard next to him who brandished a white hot metal branding iron. "Now to remove that unholy demon's mark. Only the flames of heaven can sear it from his body."

  When the metal was pressed against his back, Jaylen screamed until his voice gave out and he hung limply from the board. The guard then exchanged the branding iron for a whip with twenty thin braided tails. "Be pure, Jaylen." The first hit sent Jaylen crying out and writhing against the strong nails that bound him cruelly to the board above his head. "Be pure."

  Zeriel closed his eyes as the leather ripped though his paladin's back. He couldn't watch the boy be beaten and tortured like that. Even a Fallen like him couldn't stand to watch that kind of merciless display. He desperatel
y wanted to dive down there and take his Master in his arms to comfort him. He could carry him away from all of the pain.

  "Difficult to watch, isn't it?" Oviel asked callously.

  "Why did you bring me here?"

  "So we could watch it together. You need to see what you've done. Yes, everyone knows that you sent Jaylen into that castle in the hopes that he would be marked by a demon. That was all part of your plan. You knew you were changing, losing your white feathers and gaining black ones in their place. You didn't want to lose Jaylen, so you made sure you could still serve him when you were Fallen. If he was Tainted, then you could do whatever you wanted with him."

  Zeriel felt a tear streak down his cheek. "It's true. It's all true. I wanted to use him in order to get back at my father, but then I truly started caring for him. The night after he was marked, I immediately regretted my actions. It was almost surreal when I saw the mark on his back. I didn't actually believe that it would happen. If I could go back and change it all, I would."

  "Zeriel, look."

  The air became electrically charged and tingled on Zeriel's skin. Far of in the distance, he heard the ominous booming of thunder above the mountains. Aside from that, there was a sound missing. Jaylen had stopped screaming. He didn't moan or make any noise. While panic surged in Zeriel's chest, he stared intently at the motionless body of his beloved Master. Even though he was unconscious, the guard continued to beat him relentlessly. Then it all changed.

  Jaylen's blood-stained body began to glow with the bright white aura of his light magic. With a primal scream, he became enraptured in the swirling illumination. The priests and guards were forced backwards as large ethereal wings formed on Jaylen's back and he flew up from the stage, shattering the wooden board and ripping through the ropes from around his ankles. The citizens gasped and screamed, some running from the plaza in a panic.

  Far above the tops of the buildings, the night sky erupted in streaks of lightning where stars had been visible not even minutes before. A cold ferocious wind blew down the streetlamps and extinguished the pale orange mage-glow. Once the entire area was drenched in darkness, Jaylen held out his bleeding hands and thrust them outwards. A blinding flash of light, accentuated by a deafening crack of thunder, threw him backwards far off over the fields in the distance.