CHAPTER 5

Mammon

“What? Why?”

“Because Cross is ahead in the polls. And it’s just not enough for you to roll up and expect voters to support you just because you smiled at them.”

Ryan had been trying to convince me it was necessary for me to have my own rally. So far, I’ve resisted. I was a demon of action and talking, especially on mass, was not my bag. I just didn’t have the patience. I was better suited to being a military commander than a peacemaker. And yes, I could argue my point, like the best of them, and it could also be said that I wasn’t good at compromise. I gave my men their instructions and let them carry the task out without interference. Unless I was needed. It was the way things had been for thousands of years and not once had I thought to question it. I was created to be in charge of the low-level demons. They were designed to follow. There’s no need to convince them or treat them like slaves. Humans were so disorderly that way that damn free will thing again. But a demon’s lifespan is so much longer, and things never really change. It’s not like just any demon can decide that they want to be a leader of a level of hell. You have to be born into it. And as such, there was no one vying for my position. So having to convince humans that I, or rather. Eammon Lewis would make a much better candidate than Mervin Cross. Was going to be a hard sell. So, Ryan and Ev, with help from Eric, had created an online persona for me, or rather as Eammon, giving me back story and depth enough to satisfy the most ardent hacker or journalist. I had ID and properties listed in my name and just enough media presence to give me credence. Now for the tricky part. Creating a media stir. And that was where Nan came in.

You should have seen the look on Ryan’s face when his tiny Irish Nan had revealed that she was a Facebook and Instagram guru. With over 10,000 followers, I thought he was going to faint. Seems Nan’s antics on her matchmaking and ‘ask Nan’ segment had made her popular. All it took was for Nan to said how much she supported Eammon Lewis for our Facebook page to get ‘followers’ and ‘likes’ galore. But the facts were. Issuing statements and posting slogans alone did not gain popular support. In order to achieve that, I had to be seen to be interested in how I could help make the day-to-day lives of ordinary working men and women better. In short, promise them I was going to fix all that was broken.

Not even using my demon powers would I be able to do that. The scale of what the humans had fucked up in the name of progress was infinite. They did not take kindly to my suggestion, which was to wipe the slate clean and start again, arguing that it would be easier. After all, it had already happened once. With the dinosaurs. But apparently Ryan, Nan and a few others were less than impressed at my suggestion of hitting the reset button. Not that I have the power to do that alone. And the last time it had happened, the number of interdimensional discussions and bureaucracy was ridiculous, so maybe Ryan had a point.

Still, I was far from feeling enthusiastic about having to inspire voters to support me when I wasn’t a genuine politician. But Jack had assured me that this was the only way, and that I was playing a role by being a distraction. Drawing Cross’s focus, thus giving Jack time and space to find the key to the Lucem’s downfall.

This was not about me. I was a means to an end. I just had to remember that and get with the program. Be who everybody needed me to be, AKA Eammon Lewis. And to get the damn job done. Then I could go back to my simple, okay, not so simple life of running my realm. And maybe, just maybe, do something other than pine after my mate.

Because that’s who I had spent the best 30 minutes of my life speaking to whilst having the worst tea ever. Now I was having a devil of a time, no pun intended, concentrating on anything or anyone else. The point in case being Ryan, as I’d all but forgotten what he was speaking about.

“Sorry, what were you saying? I kind of zoned out there for a bit.” I admitted a little sheepishly, much to Evren’s amusement. His chuckles soon stuttered out. When I fixed him with a glare and threatened to smite him.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, it’s like herding a cat!”

Ryan threw his hands in the air, turned around and stomped off, muttering that he’d arrange everything himself and send me the details of where and when to show up. I turned back to my correspondence, trying my best to focus on the here and now. Not so easy with my mind wishing to wander back through my dreams.

Everytime I close my eyes, I see my mate’s face. Only they didn’t seem like dreams. They feel far too real. I could feel the warmth and the softness of his skin under my fingertips. As I learned all the places that made his heart beat faster. I devoured his moans in a kiss, so scorchingly hot that I felt it set my heart ablaze. Leaving me feeling as weightless as ash blowing in the wind. How I wanted to revel in his tender torment. Drink him in and drown in the stormy blue depths of his eyes. All the while rendering myself senseless and oblivious to anything. But him.

Ping.

“Message for you, Sir.” The annoying message notification that Evren had installed on my cell rudely wrenched me from my fantasy. It was yet another thing I needed to smite him for.