Dark Descent: The Arondight Codex - Book One by R Nicole (best books to read all time TXT) 📗

the air. I cried out, throwing my arms in front of my face as millions of tiny razor-sharp spears rushed towards me.

I guessed this was it. Crunch time.

19

I screamed as thousands of shards of glass rushed towards me. Throwing up my arms, I closed my eyes and said a prayer.

Don’t hurt too much, I thought. I’ve had enough for one day. Just make it quick. God? Codex? Lady of the Lake?

The air pulsed in front of me and something brushed past my tense body, but the pain didn’t come. Opening my eyes, I gasped as the last of a purple-ish shimmer faded, and a thousand spears of glass tinkled onto the roof.

Breathing heavily, I patted myself down, but I couldn’t find any nicks or cuts anywhere. For once in my life, my Light had done what it was supposed to do. It’d actually worked—which was a feat in itself—but it didn’t help what was probably going on downstairs in the Sanctum.

The pillar of red light still burned, piercing the library like a giant spear of flame. I knew there was some freaky shit out there, but this? This was the ultimate in supernatural bad news.

The alarms wailed once more before they were abruptly cut off. Swallowing hard, I pushed into the Sanctum and made my way downstairs, trying to remember what Wilder had taught me about emergency procedures.

I emerged into the main foyer, the marble glinting strangely. The pillar’s light was emanating through the air, filtering through the skylight above. I wouldn’t find any help here.

Turning, I let out a curse as I saw movement at the opposite side of the foyer. A humanoid creature lurched from the shadows, its arms and legs bent in awkward positions—a lesser demon. It used to be a woman, or it’d been attempting to pass for one. Its floral dress flapped all over the place and I copped an eyeful of its beige underpants a split-second before it saw me.

It skittered across the marble floor with a wail, its feet slipping and sliding. They really were clumsy creatures, but after tangling with one that night in Moorgate, I knew better than to underestimate its thirst for blood.

Rushing towards the display of halberds on the wall, I wrapped my fingers around a shaft and pulled. Wilder told me they were handy weapons on the battlefield in the Middle Ages, with their spear and axe combination, but not so much in modern times. It wasn’t exactly a weapon you could tuck into your back pocket. The two-handled pole was a little too long, and the axe a little too menacing. I called it the stabby chop-chop pole. Needless to say, Wilder wasn’t impressed with my creativity.

The halberd came loose, and the top end was so heavy I almost dropped it. Behind me, the lesser demon shrieked and its human-like voice freaked me out. Spinning, I brandished the halberd, eyeing my prey. Now is so not the time to choke, Scarlett.

The demon leapt and I swung, the axe flying. The sharp end smacked into flesh and the shock vibrated up my arms. A scream pierced the air as I let go of the halberd. It clattered to the floor as I dodged to the side, the demon landing in a bloody heap on the black marble.

It twitched, a clicking sound emitting from its throat, its white eyes open, and tongue lolling out the side of its mouth.

Wiping the back of my hand across my forehead, I backed away, melting into the shadows. That was only one demon. There’d be more. Lots more. Glancing at the halberds on the wall, I left them behind. They were way too bulky for close quarters fighting. I needed an arondight blade, stat.

I made my way through the halls, back to the gym where I’d last seen Wilder. He’d know what to do and there were actual weapons in there. There were countless displays of swords, shields, and ancient arondight hilts in the halls, but they were all useless. I couldn’t be certain they’d work and right now, I needed certain.

Ahead, I could see the crimson light of the pillar filtering through the stairwell skylight. I leaned over the edge and peered down to the lower level. It was hard to see in the dark, and with everything tinged red, it made visibility even worse. I just had to make a break for it.

I sidled down the stairs and into the hall, the emptiness of the Sanctum eerier than ever. The gym was just ahead, but it may as well have been five hundred miles away. This felt exactly like a scene from a horror movie where at any second, something would jump out at me, slashing a knife. I swallowed hard and glanced over my shoulder.

Maybe it was my heightened senses, but I hesitated when the sound of footsteps echoed through the murky darkness.

Something was patrolling the halls, but it didn’t feel like a Natural. I tensed, knowing I was screwed if it was an Infernal or a more powerful demon. I had nothing to fight with that could take down one of those things.

I dashed down the hall towards the gym, knowing I’d find some arondight blades in the training room Wilder and I used. Wrenching on the door handle, I cursed. Locked. It was open before, but now it was sealed tight.

I could hear the footsteps approach, the sound booming louder and louder. Grasping the door handle, I begged my Light to come forth. I glanced down the hall, my heart beating wildly. It was going to turn the corner at any second. Open. Please, open!

The mechanism clicked, and I ducked through the crack. Closing the door behind me, I pressed my palms against it, willing the same feeling to pulse back into the opening. I felt a wave of warmth heat my skin and I sealed the gaps and fused the hinges. Nothing was coming through that door any time soon.

Turning, I realised I’d walked in on