AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Mammon, my favorite demon,” Lucifer greets.
My right eye twitches. I’m only his favorite because greed is the easiest way to get him the souls he needs. Lust is a close second but is confined to a certain percentage of the population.
For me, it’s a job. But for him, this is what he needs. More souls. Always more souls.
“You seem bored,” he snaps before I can say anything.
“You know I relish all this power you afford me,” I tell him, forcing myself to look into his fiery eyes, a red-orange blazing back at me. I don’t know why I’m so bothered today. I haven’t been frightened of him in at least a century. But my skin crawls at his presence today. “But I have to say it’s become monotonous lately. They all want the same thing. It's too…easy.”
Maybe that dose of honesty will garner a reaction or at least encourage him to leave me the fuck alone.
“I thought you found the easy life desirable, Mammon. Don’t you love your little trips to The Above?” The sarcasm in his voice is followed by a chuckle that shakes the foundations of The Below, and my throne quivers beneath me.
“Only because it lacks the usual routine.” I pretend to admire my black talons, which shine like Lucifer’s skin. He’s always been sensitive about my draw to The Above. There are so many diversions on the surface, whether it be attacks from my enemies, humans making constant mistakes, or all the clubs, casinos, and shopping at my disposal. “I don’t always hate my job, Lucifer, but the humans you’ve been sending me are not interesting or challenging.”
Lucifer leans on the arm of my throne, looking thoughtful. “I'm not too arrogant that I cannot take that into account." He pauses, smiling evilly. "Who am I kidding? Of course, I'm too arrogant. I'm the King of Hell." He taps a sharp claw against his chin. "Still, you are my most successful demon. It’s why I let you have your little diversions without interruption and ensure you are protected from the enemies you’ve made while in my dominion.”
The King of the Underworld towers over me as he straightens to his full height and begins to pace. “I have someone who wants to make a deal of a different kind. He and the next few souls will be more to your liking. Keep up those numbers, Mammon. You know I like a steady influx of souls, or I get… grumpy." His forked tongue slithers out to lick his lips. "Fresh souls are so delicious."
His words are a clear threat, though they don't bother me unduly. It’s part of the deal here, and I’ve never had trouble keeping Lucifer sated when it comes to souls.
I open my mouth to acknowledge what he’s said, but he's already fucked off in a puff of glitter. Fucking glitter. That stuff gets everywhere. Asshole.
The next human steps forward—an infertile woman who wants children more than anything. Children for manipulation and revenge, oddly enough. How…nurturing.
These people have no idea that they're setting themselves up for painful, horrifying payments later on down the line, but the greedy never think about tomorrow. They think about what they want in the here and now. It's all that matters to them.
The next few souls are a little more interesting, but none are "different" in the way Lucifer promised. Where is the man Lucifer referred to?
Time passes like the slow trickle of molasses as it always does in The Below, never moving in a straight line. I sigh heavily as I grab the arrowhead-shaped tip of my writhing tail and study the next man. He's not young, but his greed rolls off him in waves. He also seems to be from a different time than the others. It's not always easy to tell. Time jumps around in my universe. This is the man with a "deal of a different kind" that Lucifer promised. I'm… intrigued.
I straighten in my throne and give him my best demonic smile, wondering what treat is in store for me. I can tell this man isn't simply greedy; he's mean and manipulative. A monster hiding beneath human skin.
“And what can I do for you?” I purr.
The dark-haired man with eyes of flint steps forward. “It’s not what you can do for me but what I can do for you,” he replies, the corner of his mouth twisting into a sinister smile. Something cruel in that half-smile is a little exciting. Something new, then.
“And what is that?” I ask, my gray skin glowing in the shimmer of the torch behind me.
“A pure soul. Unblemished and unfettered. And all yours if you wish. I offer that soul in exchange for the kind of wealth and power to rival that of the gods,” the man says, his smile growing crueler. “Do you accept my proposal?”
My lips twist, and my nostrils flare as I look at the man in disgust. “You can’t trade someone else's soul; it has to be your own.”
“But I’m not trading a soul. I’m trading a life. A pure life that will be yours and yours alone.”
I glare as the man takes another step closer. “That’s far enough,” I growl, holding up a hand in warning. “Another step, and I will take your life and your soul, whether you wish it or not.”
“Of course. My apologies.” The man retreats a few steps, bowing his head. At least he has some common sense despite his desire to push my buttons and his luck at the same time.
You don't become one of Lucifer’s favorite demons without making enemies, and this sounds like a setup to me. Who would trade the life of an innocent for their own gain?
I study the man, looking past his flesh and bones to see into his mind, his psyche. I read his thoughts, learning his true desires and cruelty in an instant. Oh, yes. I see that this man will do whatever it takes to achieve his objective. He will sire a daughter, and her soul will, indeed, be pure. Everything else about his future is blurry. Unusual.
One thing is crystal clear, though—in all my centuries of delivering souls to Lucifer, this man's is the blackest. And that's saying something in my world.
Yet I can't deny the temptation of his offer. A pure soul. One that belongs only to me. I've never had someone who's mine alone. It could be…interesting.
“All right,” I say, deciding that perhaps I can use a human companion when I visit The Above, someone to take care of me, look after me. “We have an agreement.”
