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Greed. Lust. Envy. What a perfect trio among seven. His brothers were still so glorious even though they no longer walked God’s golden paths, and the Garden was long locked and lost to man.
“Eat this, my brothers. If it will teach the humans things that God doesn’t want them to know, what will it do to us? He never saidwecouldn’t have it. As Princes, shouldn’t we? What’s clean and of the Earth and of God is no good for us, but this came from the Earth and what exists opposite to what He wants.”
Fairies. Such simple beings with their cute little towns. They thought they thrived under their Goddess, but they were weak like humans. And just like humans who sacrificed to Princes and Baal, they were ready to give up things to get what they wanted.
They all deserved to be toys and shiny trinkets to appease their new god.
The statue reappeared again in Aurelius’s vision as his breath sawed in and out, and he clutched the stem of the rose so hard, the thorns bit his flesh.
Gold blossomed along the edge of the plinth, and his eye twitched as something lodged itself deeper in his head. Some part of him said to drop the item because this was too much and not what he’d planned on. Not quite. He couldn’t handle this. He couldn’tbeMammon too, but it was there, and he couldn’t fight this time.
He was supposed to go on his terms, the whole way. Not part of the way only to be lost and turned into the very thing he’d despised and fought against for almost twenty-four years. If the key had made him stronger, it had to mean his downfall now because this wasn’t supposed to happen.
The sky and the bright branches above flashed as Aurelius crumpled to the grass that rapidly turned gold beneath him.
“Help me,” he managed to whisper before the weight in his mind prepared to crush him.
Jari wasn’t there.
Chapter Five
The sky returned as Aurelius felt the stem and wetness on his fingers. He could crack them all like they’d cracked him. The chain snapped, and he turned over. The statue was entirely gold, and he knew if he broke it open, it’d be solid all of the way through. He didn’t need to touch anymore, and everything would be his.
“Aurelius?”
Aurelius ignored the voice as he opened his palm. He had to yank on the stem to free the thorns from his flesh, and he flicked his tongue out to taste the red and see what fairies were like.
But he was a fairy. One to be feared now. The voice rattled as the anger tinting it grew.
“Oh, do shut up.” Aurelius’s voice was a tiny bit rougher.
“What the fuck did you do?”
Aurelius thought for a moment before he looked at David who was standing several feet away. That wouldn’t save him. “I’m me and Mammon at once. He was too dead and split to inhabit a body. But merging with someone. That’s…” He raised a finger as David came a little closer and stared at him. “That’s enough. What? Isn’t that what you wanted?”
“Put that down,” snarled David. “Now. Remember what I said. You won’t leave this place alive if you try anything.”
“Did you really think you’d turn me into your slave who does whatever you say and makes you richer? Just like that? You’d break me, and I’d forever be your perfect little gilder until I died while you sit on your arse and enjoy the pretty things that won’t fill your empty, worthless life?”
David’s expression made laughter bubble up. It burst out as Aurelius twirled the rose in one hand. Why contain himself?Everything was his now, and he’d grow richer. Nobody would have more than him because he’d have itall.He focused on the statue and watched as a crack formed in the base.
“Put that down now-”
The noise drew David’s attention. Further cracks appeared along the surface, and Aurelius knew they had gone through. He could shatter anything just like they’d shattered him. More lines formed upon the face, and Benjamin’s gentle face suddenly looked pained. A crack came from the neck, and the head fell off.
“Benjamin!” David stepped back, and real fear appeared in his eyes as the head thumped on the ground and rolled to stare at his Father.
“Benjamin’s dead,” said Aurelius.
David shouted as the rest burst and fell to the ground. It was gold through and through, and tiny nuggets and chips collapsed to the ground around the larger chunks.
Gold spread along the dirt, stiffened grass blades, and inched toward David who turned to him.
“Stop this or-”
“Or what?” Aurelius stood. “Are you going to torture me? Rape me? You allowed that already, and it didn’t get you what you wanted.”
David stumbled back.
