CHAPTER 12

Mammon

Luci’s timing was perfect. Not that I expected it to be anything less. He calls me brother and in a way we are. We were both there at the dawn of creation; we were both angels back then, before everything became… complicated. I’d like to say things are simpler now, but they aren’t. The humans are just as temperamental now as they have always been, actually they may well be worse. The Lucem has been a thorn in my side for eighteen thousand years, give or take. And during that time, I’ve seen them plot and scheme, and kill each other. Cross is not unique in that way, actually he is more like Nero than I’d care to admit. But then Nero’s mother Julia had traded her soul to give her son his chance at power. That woman was no innocent having killed her second husband, so she could marry her uncle. Oh, I kid you not. She did that all before her deal with Karriel. Then the eruption of Vesuvius happened eleven years later. Bring forth the Lucem, the bane of my existence.

My phone call had been the perfect excuse for Luci to break from reading the quarterly level review meeting papers.

“Brother, is this the guy you called me about?”

“It is, and what do you think?”

“Hmm… give me a moment. I need to process what I’ve learned.”

“Could you possibly judge his soul a little faster?”

“Patience is a virtue, brother.”

Luci may well be my boss and my prince, but he was damn annoying sometimes, but seeing as he has the power to make me go do yoga. I can afford him a minute or two.

“Ha, oh now well, haven’t you been a naughty one? Almost from the day you were born, you were manipulating people and, ordinarily as the ruler of hell, I wouldn’t concern myself with a human such as you. But I can see the darkness within your soul and you’re destined to burn alongside the likes of Charles Ravenwood in the fiery lakes. Your Nero delusions? Nope, not going to happen.”

“Do you know who I am?”

Ugh fucking hell he said it… and if I didn’t have an audience

I’d smite his arse.

“I don’t believe he said that.” Luci’s just as incredulous as I am. Cross’s sudden burst of confidence was surprising, but not as surprising as the soft murmur from Cross’s supporters. It grew louder and turned into a chant of ‘Mervin Cross, Mervin Cross, Mervin Cross.’ The expression on Cross’s face morphed from wariness to thunderous, contorting with rage, his eyes sparkling with malicious zeal. Yep, more power filled the room, only this time it was from Mervin. He was calling on his powers of manipulation to stir the crown up into a frenzy. The more his supporters cheered and chanted his name, the more emboldened he grew.

“Look around you, you see, people love me. They know that I’m what’s best for them and for the country. I’m the people’s choice.”

With each cheer from Cross’s supporters, the energy in the room surged higher. Pulling on my power, I sent it towards Cross to combine with Luci’s and the Nan’s, then joined by Jack, Ryan and Sam.

Amidst a scene of chaos, the electrical equipment in the room went haywire, sending sparks of electricity around the room, but that was nothing compared to the swirling vortex of energy that was building. With a twisted smile, Cross threw his head back and burst into laughter.

Things were getting out of hand. There was so much energy in the room that I worried about my mate being hit by flying debris. Cross’s supporters were taking cover, their cheers turning to screams. Before my eyes, the vortex began pulsating. “We have to channel it into the haze and Mervin Cross along with it now, otherwise it’ll destroy the building and every human in it.” I called out to Luci.

As much as I wanted to blast Mervin into oblivion, the force of the releasing power would still be too much to contain. We had to get it under control. Just as the door burst open, I could feel Luci unleash another power surge, as I turn towards the now open door to see a bookish-looking man walk in. Suddenly, the light bursts and the vortex vanishes, swallowing Mervin.

“What just happened?” Sam asked, running forward. “Where’s Mervin?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Yeah, that’s my fault. Sorry about that.” The bookish man says.

“And you would be…?”

“Thomas Schmidt, energy vampire.”

“And a member of the Lucem.” Jack points out, glaring at the newcomer.

“And my mate.” Luci’s voice is barely above a whisper.

The vortex opened a portal directly to my realm. Where Lothar and Cronos were keeping an eye on things.

“I was expecting a pizza delivery, not a Lucem leader. I’d ask to what do we owe the pleasure? But it’s not a pleasure, not for you. For us, it’s party time!”

“What? Where am I?”

“Awwww, really? So, the fire pits aren’t a big enough hint, huh?” Lothar jokes.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“You said it buddy… welcome to Tartarus. I believe you already know Charles Ravenwood” Cronus pointed towards the fiery lakes where the tormented soul of Ravenwood burns.

“Mervin, I bet you didn’t expect to see me again, now did you?”

“Noooo.”