Angel of Darkness Books 1-5

by Mackenzie Morris

  "Your voice is deeper now."

  Jaylen tried to sound as manly as he could. "Really?"

  "You're not funny."

  "What is with you? Why are you so distant? Aren't you happy to see me?"

  Reya snipped off another messy clump of hair. "No."

  "But why not? You don't actually believe what everyone has been saying about me, do you? Reya . . ." Jaylen turned around and grabbed her wrist. He stared into her light brown eyes. "I didn't set that fire. I would never destroy priceless knowledge like that. Education has been a very important part of my life, even in my training to be a paladin. You have to believe me."

  "I do believe you. That's the problem. Because now you're going to be killed in the Crypt after you lose in the slave games. I can't have my heart broken again."

  "Again?"

  She sighed and set down the scissors. "When Carvael addressed the judges and I heard the sentence that was handed down for you, I fell apart. I couldn't lose you, Jaylen. It was crazy, wasn't it? For me to feel that way about you after only a few days? But I did. You have been the kindest man I have been around and the thought of you starving to death out there in the isolation cell was terrifying. I cried for a week straight, even when Zirla assigned me to another scribe. That new scribe was mean, but I did what I had to do. I gave up on life and everything. Zirla told me that Carvael was going to free you so you could compete in the slave games yesterday. I was thrilled that you were still alive, but at the same time, I knew that you wouldn't stand a chance in the games. Zirla was kind enough to let me continue to serve you until you were called to the assembly."

  "Do you really think I'll fail?" Jaylen asked.

  "You are weak from five months of starvation. You have one hand. How are you going to shoot a bow or run ten miles through the city? You could barely walk up the stairs last night."

  "I will have to try my hardest."

  Reya shook her head and continued the haircut. "Your determination is admirable, but futile. You know that, don't you? Nothing good is going to come out of this. I prayed for you. Every morning, I prayed to Sola, begging her to give you a painless death. I couldn't think during the day, knowing that as I made meals for my new scribe, that you were starving. Nothing can change. I hope you haven't changed your mind."

  "Changed my mind about what?"

  "This." Reya leaned in close and kissed his lips gently. She took a deep breath then pulled away from him. "I'm sorry."

  Jaylen smiled and took her hand in his. "Don't be. I had a lot of time to think while I was in that cell. Just because I took a vow of chastity doesn't mean that I can't fall in love, right?"

  "Jaylen . . ."

  "We don't have to have sex. But we can be in love."

  "What are you saying?" Reya asked.

  "I'm saying that even though sex and children are out of the question for my life, I would like to spend my life with a beautiful woman at my side."

  "I don't understand."

  Jaylen kissed her then gently rubbed her shoulder. "Reya, I am asking for permission to court you."

  "But you can't get married."

  "No one is talking about marriage. I just want you here with me for as long or as short of a period of time that is. You make me feel things I haven't felt before. I need you. Will you agree to this courtship?"

  "You truly are a noble, aren't you?" She asked with a slight giggle in her voice.

  "I can't hide it very well, can I?"

  "What will you call me? What will we be if we are not betrothed? I don't know how this form of courtship works."

  He shrugged his shoulders. "You will be my girlfriend."

  "Is that a new term? Something used in your fancy culture of Vilyron?"

  Jaylen shook his head. "Cilona is a bit less advanced than the modern cities, isn't it? Don't worry. I'm not making fun of you. It's endearing. I bet you don't have black powder on this continent yet, either."

  "Black powder?"

  "Never mind. It's more of a sea-faring thing than anything." Jaylen put his arm around Reya and pulled her close to him. "You didn't answer my question."

  "What will people say?" Reya asked. "To see an ex-paladin actively courting a slave girl from Cilona?"

  "I'm a slave now too, remember? No one will think twice about two lowly slaves trying to get to know each other better."

  Reya put her arms around Jaylen and held him to her chest. "Then yes. I accept your proposal of courtship."

  Chapter 2

  After flying back and forth across the Onyx Sea for three days straight, searching tirelessly for any sign of Jaylen, Zeriel landed in the melting snow of the field outside of the vampire coven's invisible door. As he searched for the entrance, Oviel joined him outside with a ball of purple mage-glow in his hand.

  The angel's turquoise feathers rustled in the warm spring air. "Any luck?"

  Zeriel shook his head. "No." He pushed past his friend and entered the dim caves of grey wet stones and red light from down in the main room where the vampires were praying to some sort of idol on their blood-soaked altar. He ignored them.

  Oviel followed closely to him. "Talk to me, Zeriel."

  "I'd rather not."

  "You can't keep killing yourself like this." He brushed the water off of Zeriel's black wings. "Have you been eating? You look sick. You are truly mortal now. You can't forget that."

  "I don't need you keeping track of what I do or don't do. You're not my father."

  "Thank Sola for that blessing." Oviel laughed.

  "I don't know. If you were Carvael, I could simply kill you right now and get this entire thing over with."

  "Well, I'm glad you came back. Dinner will be finished in about an hour. In the meantime, Gavin wants to meet with you in the conference room. He says it is urgent and he has someone you should meet."

  "Who is it?" Zeriel asked.

  "You will see. Be respectful. I know you have a slight prejudice against that type of relationship, but be nice."

  "What kind of relationship are you talking about?" Zeriel asked.

  "One that might hit some sensitive parts of you, knowing what Doran did to you. However, not all relationships of that type are abusive. They can be very loving and just as respectable as a man and a woman."

  "I don't understand."

  Oviel stopped in front of the hallway. "One like Gawain and I had."

  "Oh. I see."

  "So be nice. Don't judge people."

  Zeriel had no qualms with that. "I wouldn't do that."

  "Good. Head on back to the conference room when you are ready."

  What a strange warning. Zeriel rubbed his eyes as he went up to the door and pushed it open to see the only demon he considered a close friend.

  Gavin was pouring some red wine into a crystal glass, his bright red hair tied back behind his ears and his sharp teeth showing as he grinned at the larger incubus with the black goatee sitting at the table beside him. He handed the glass to the other incubus then fetched another glass from the cabinet. "Zeriel, I'd like to introduce you to my primary boyfriend, Stephan."

  Zeriel raised an eyebrow as he shook hands with the darkly tanned incubus from across the table who was wearing much more conservative clothes than the skimpy ones Gavin wore. "Pleasure to meet you."

  Stephan's orange eyes smoldered with a flowing forbiddance in contrast to his suave slicked-back black-blue hair. "Oh, no, my friend. We are the ones who deal in pleasures. Gavin, hurry up. Don't keep the angel waiting. Seriously, you are so worthless."

  "I'm sorry." Gavin handed Zeriel a glass as well before sitting down next to Stephan, only to jump up again when Stephan slapped his arm hard. "Hey, what was that for?"

  Stephan's airy laughter scraped across Zeriel's ears. The incubus leaned back in his chair and placed his feet on the table. "You will learn. Zeriel, you'll have to excuse Gavin. He isn't the best host."

  "It's fine, really. I've known Gavin for a while and he's always been very accommodating."

/>   "Really? He's the reason I was forced to employ servants into his house. Gavin is incompetent in most things, especially formal parties. I mean, look at him. A half-shirt and a navel piercing? He actually thinks he looks good."

  From behind the white mask, Gavin's orange eyes showed embarrassment and humiliation. He slinked over into the corner of the room and sat alone until Stephan snapped his fingers. He obediently went over to Stephan and sat in his lap.

  Stephan patted his head. "Good boy, Gavin. Just let me handle the big stuff . . . well, not all the big stuff. Some of that is your job."

  Zeriel grimaced as he watched the two incubi kiss. Weird. It wasn't that he hadn't been around two men or women who were in a relationship with each other, but it was the fact that Gavin and Stephan were incubi who definitely had some sort of power struggle going on. Stephan clearly held Gavin on a short leash, but when they weren't around each other, Gavin was in control of everything. What changed when they were near each other and why? It was strange, though. They were both incubi who should have been governed by their insatiable lust, but they weren't very affectionate or caring for each other. They seemed to be going through the motions or keeping up the appearance of being in a relationship. He began to feel uneasy, so he changed the subject. "Have you heard from your daughter?"

  "There have been no signs of Liaxa since the day Jaylen went missing as well."

  "Gavin, tell Zeriel why you have called him here today."

  Gavin sighed and reached under the chair. He set the leather bag on the table then opened it to slide out a large stack of papers and folders. "Read."

  "What is all this?" Zeriel asked.

  "Evidence. Written witness accounts, sales records, arrest reports, and official court records."

  Zeriel flipped through the stacks of papers. "I don't understand. What am I supposed to find in all of this?"

  "Jaylen is dead." Gavin said plainly.

  "What? How do you know?"

  "Read the papers."

  "I'm not going to read through all of this. Explain what is going on."

  Stephan turned to the side hallway and called out. "Sulstair, come in here, please."

  The grey-skinned elf with foot-long thin ears stepped around the corner and bowed. "We meet again."

  Zeriel jumped out of his chair and lunged at the elf, pinning him against the wall. "You!"

  Sulstair only smiled. "Can I help you, angel?"

  "You tricked me into selling you Jaylen's soul segments. You're dead!"

  "Stephan, tell him."

  Stephan slammed his fist on the table. "Sulstair works for me. If you hurt him, I hurt you, angel."

  Sulstair continued to voice his case. "I witnessed the botched trial firsthand. Jaylen wasn't defended at all. The judge handed down a sentence of starvation."

  Zeriel's heart sank. He let the elf go. "Starvation?"

  "It has been nearly five months since Jaylen was locked in the isolation cell and left to die with no food or water. No one can survive that long. It is time for you to face the facts, Zeriel. Your paladin is dead."

  "I don't believe you. I don't care how many reports or eye witnesses you show me. I will never give up hope that my Jaylen is alive. Until his lifeless body is securely in my arms, I cannot believe he is dead."

  Gavin shook his head. "Stubborn."

  "Hold on. You said you personally witnessed this?" Zeriel asked, turning back to Sulstair. "How did you get into Carvael's country? Can you lead us there?"

  "No."

  "Why not? If you know where it is, can't you go back? We have to get Jaylen!"

  "Jaylen is dead. Even if I did lead you to Cilona, you couldn't enter because you are an angel. Only a few demons and angels have the ability to pass through the barrier because Carvael himself agreed to let a few enter for his own reasons."

  "So you're working with Carvael?" Zeriel asked threateningly.

  "I didn't say that. I'm saying that Carvael trusts me enough to let me travel back and forth through the barrier."

  "So you're a spy? A double agent?"

  "You could say that." Sulstair ran his bony fingers through his waist-length black hair. "Carvael believes that I'm working for him, but I am actually working for Stephan. You trying to go to Cilona will only make Carvael question my allegiance and therefore put everything at risk. If there is even the slightest chance that Jaylen could be alive, would you want to chance that?"

  "No."

  "Then you can't go to Cilona. Leave this to me, Stephan, and Aiden."

  "Aiden is part of your group as well?" Zeriel asked.

  "We all work together."

  Gavin suddenly stood up. "Zeriel, can I talk to you in private?"

  Stephan glared at him. "No. You stay with me, Gavin. Anything you have to say to Zeriel can be discussed in the open with me."

  Zeriel intently watched as Gavin tried to silently communicate something to him through his eyes where Stephan couldn't see. The incubus seemed panicked, almost as if he was begging for help. But Zeriel couldn't understand.

  "What did you have to say, Gavin?" Stephan asked.

  "I . . . um . . ."

  "Go ahead. Don't keep Zeriel waiting."

  For a minute, Gavin was silent then he leaned over the table. "Zeriel, I was baking a cake, but some of the ingredients were spoiled. I believe that some of the eggs went bad, so I can't use them as a part of the recipe. You wouldn't use bad eggs, would you?"

  "Uh . . . what? I don't bake very often."

  "Bad eggs. Bad eggs could ruin the integrity of the entire cake. The bad eggs have turned. What would you do instead?"

  What was that supposed to mean? "I would, uh, throw out the bad eggs and find new ones."

  "Bad eggs can be poisonous and deadly."

  Stephan laughed dryly as he pulled Gavin back into his lap and stroked his hair. "Dearest, I'm sure Zeriel doesn't feel like talking about baking cakes right now. Why don't we enjoy some wine and try to forget about all of the awful things Carvael is doing? How does that sound? Gavin, pour us some more wine."

  * * *

  The mushroom stew was hot and nourishing. Jaylen ate every bowl that Reya brought to him. Being secluded in his room wasn't the worst thing he could have been subjected to after being brought back to Cilona. At least here, he could sleep on a comfortable bed that didn't hurt his back, eat plenty of food, and bathe in warm water. Compared to the isolation cell, this was heaven. Three days under the care of Reya had done wonders for Jaylen's body and his mind as well. But his spiritual reawakening was the one thing that had improved the most.

  Once the sun had risen and the sky began to lighten with oranges and pinks, Jaylen set down the half-eaten bowl of mushroom stew and slid out of bed. Reya was still down in the kitchen, so Jaylen took his chance at a silent morning prayer. He walked across the cold wooden floor to the tiny shrine that Reya had constructed for him. A white marble statuette of Sola was wrapped in grapevines next to two candles. Jaylen knelt down in front of the shrine and lit the candles then he placed his hand against the sun sigil on his chest where thin hair had begun to grow. With a deep breath, he started his prayer.

  "Divine Sola, goddess of mercy and love, show me your infinite wisdom. Give me your guidance during these tough times and lead me to my salvation. I have failed The Order. I have failed my angel. And I have failed you, divine one. I don't know where to turn now. My life is crashing down around me, but I can't run fast enough o get away from the landslide. Eventually, it will all catch up to me and bury in the rubble. Give me a purpose again. Tell me that my life has been for something. I know I will die soon in the slave games. I can accept that. What I can't accept is knowing that my life may have been for nothing. Don't let me die without having done something great. Let me die as a savior, a hero, or a great man. Don't let me die as a slave. I don't know what the value of my soul is now that I'm Tainted, but I have upheld my vows. Forgive me for my sins."

  "Oh, Jaylen." Reya entered the room and placed her
hand on his bare shoulder. "Aren't you cold, just in your underwear?"

  "Reya, I need you to do something for me. Will you get the whip from the dresser?"

  "The whip? Why?"

  "Just get the whip. If you love me like you claim, then you will do this for me."

  Reya slid open the drawer to get the short coiled bullwhip. "Jaylen, don't make me do what I think you want me to do."

  "I have to repent, to atone. Do you know about the twenty grapevines that the first king of Vilyron offered to Sola as a sign of peace when he begged for her blessing over the kingdom? In the Holy Order and the clergy, it is a sign of repentance for all paladins and priests to receive twenty lashes in remembrance of those grapevines whenever they feel the need to purge their soul of any guilt. It has been a long time since I underwent that."

  "When was the last time?" Reya asked.

  "It was also my first time. During my Divinity Trial, I was whipped like that, but with actual grapevines. I went through so many horrible things from starvation, being tied to a statue of Sola in a blizzard, and having the bottoms of my feet scarred with knives. Once I was out of that place, I heard the paladins congratulating me on surviving it. They told me about their spiritual awakenings they all had during their trials, but I didn't have one. It's time that I had a spiritual awakening. I want to be pure. All of my life, I have striven to be pure and holy, to make up for the failings of my father. I need this, Reya."

  She moved behind him and unwound the whip. "I don't want to hurt you."

  Jaylen traced the slick marble figure with his fingertips. "I need it. I know you won't hit me too hard. You don't have to break my skin or anything, just let me feel all twenty. It is the will of Sola for her paladins to be disciplined."

  "You're not a paladin anymore. You know that. You can't keep living a lie."

  He turned to her and screamed at the top of his lungs, even when his voice cracked. "I'm not lying! This is my life. I earned my title back in Ilyan. I survived the Divinity Trial and was chosen by an angel. I am a paladin, even if the world around me says otherwise. I will be a paladin until the day I die. Now, either use that whip or I will use it on myself."