CHAPTER ONE
“Greed!” The voice dripped with rage, smothering all who heard in a blanket of terror. It ripped through the darkness, making lower demons cower in fear for their continued existence. When the Lord of the Underworld roared your name, you hid or welcomed oblivion.
Seven flames wavered in the darkness, sparking and flickering in the black. Not a single one created light around it, yet each blazed with a blinding, horrifying glory. A low rumble began in the chamber; a flame of azure blue transformed into the shape of a man. His breathing was deep and fast, sweat covering his muscled chest, his eyes mirrored the blue of the fire now sinking into his flesh. He turned that gaze on a flame of emerald green. The roar that left him contained pure rage and unending fury. He tackled the sparkling green flame, ripping from it another male form.
“Greed, you bastard! You pissed him off. Again!” Satanus, Sin of Wrath began to beat the male to the floor, fists delivering one crushing blow after another. His rage made the very air around him shimmer with pulsing heat.
Behind him, three other flames of blood red, flickering silver, and glowing orange coalesced into human form. Eyes glowing, matching the fire that slowly seethed and retreated under their flesh. One flame of undulating gold expanded into a glowing mist and hovered in the corner. They all watched the Sins of Wrath and Greed fighting on the chamber floor.
Greed let out a feral growl. Tired of being pummeled he rolled, pinning Satanus below him, delivering harsh blows of his own. Two pairs of arms grabbed him, pulling him off, another moving to stand between the two raging demons.
“Lucifer! Unless you want to be my next target, get the fuck out of my way!” Waves of fury beat against flesh as Satanus stood, locking his murderous gaze upon his brother, Mammon, the Sin of Greed.
Lucifer, Sin of Pride turned his blood-red eyes on Satanus, turning to fully face him. His long, white-blond hair laid pin straight over his shoulders, perfectly pristine, as the two squared off.
“Father has summoned us. More to the point, he has summoned Mammon. So, shall we continue to fight like beasts, or shall we answer his call?” As the leader of the Seven Deadly Sins, he spoke with utter confidence in every word that flowed from his mouth.
Satanus glared at his leader. Behind him, Mammon gave a half smile and a wave, emerald eyes mocking him. Roaring, Satanus charged toward him. Lucifer lifted his fist and stuck with pinpoint accuracy, crushing his brother’s windpipe in a strike so fast, no mortal would have seen. Blue eyes went wide with pain and Satanus fell to his knees coughing, covering his throat as he tried, unsuccessfully, to take in air.
“Mammon, do you want to be next?” Lucifer slowly turned his red gaze to Mammon. The look he gave his youngest sibling said he was going to get a fist to the throat as well in a second.
Mammon knew better than to cross Lucifer and dropped his eyes to the floor. At his side, Beelzebub, Sin of Envy, and Belphegor, Sin of Gluttony, released his arms and took a step back. One flame remained flickering in the room. Sloth snorted in dismissal of his leader’s words. Red eyes turned on the remaining flicker of writhing black.
“Abbadon, get your ass out here, or I will inform Father why you are absent.”
The dark flame audibly sighed and began to form, arms and legs wreathed in liquid darkness. His eyes, grey like pounded steel, glowed with inner annoyance. His skin was as black as shadow and appeared to be cut from obsidian.
“Of course you would, Lucifer, such a good little pet, let’s all do what Daddy says. Maybe he will give you a pat on the head for being such a dutiful son.” Abbadon leaned against the wall watching the blood-red flames flickering in Lucifer’s eyes. He crossed his arms, observing his leaders attempt to control his temper.
Mammon let out a bark of laughter at the whole scene. As the youngest, he was more inclined to push the boundaries. His laugh earned him a smack to the back of the head. Rubbing the spot, he scowled at Beelzebub, whose silver eyes were almost haunting to behold. They swirled and moved like molten metal. It was exceedingly eerie at times.
“Don’t push it, Mammon. You have already pissed off Father. So, let us go and see if we can save your ass from one hundred years in the Pit.”
“Geez Ze,” Mammon glared at him.
Ze glared right back before he turned and walked from the chamber. He was built hard and lean, like a swimmer, nothing but pure muscle. With a thought, clothing wrapped around his form—clearly he wasn’t going to attract the ire of their father for being late or naked.
Satanus snarled at Mammon as he scrambled to his feet. Rubbing his sore but rapidly-healing throat, he left the chamber, followed by Belphegor. Lucifer turned his ruby gaze back to Abbadon and Mammon. His eyes settled on the shimmering, iridescent golden mist undulating in the corner.
Asmodeus, the Sin of Lust, was a formless entity. He sighed and began to coalesce, becoming a solid figure forming from the swirling mist. The sparkling golden haze sank under the new skin of a male who did not look much different from Lucifer. Well, Asmodeus did need someone to imprint from if he was going to take on a human form. Lucifer growled and shook his head at his brother’s mimicry. Asmodeus just grinned and ran his newly formed hand through his own slightly darker blond hair, daring his leader to say something.
“You three will be the death of me. Move.” Lucifer’s voice was tight with exasperation. If Mammon didn’t know any better, he would have mistaken Lucifer’s tone for concern. He hung back and watched Lucifer exit the chamber, a sudden fear biting at him. He pushed it away quickly; showing fear to Hades was a death sentence. Abbadon pushed off the wall, smacking Mammon upside the head.
“Your antics will get us all thrown in the Pit, Bro.” Mammon flinched and rubbed his head again. Abbadon moved towards the door, an unfamiliar feeling of worry for the others hit him square in the chest. Abbadon was the only one close in age to himself. He would like to have said the rest could go to hell, but they were already in hell.
“Come on, Mammon. Our Lord and Master will be waiting.” The tone of rebellion was clear in the Abbadon’s voice. Asmodeus shrugged, clearly not bothered by the summoning at all, ruffling Mammon’s messy dark hair as he headed out of the chamber.
The three remaining demons followed the intricately carved hallways of Hades. Pain and sexual excess were etched for eternity in the writhing bodies depicted upon the walls. They were almost alive in the way the light moved across them. Mammon was pretty sure his father had trapped a few souls in those intricate carvings. They paused before the grand chamber door, where Thanatos, the God of Death, stared out at them, emblazoned upon the white marble. Abbadon and Asmodeus entered the great hall first, leaving Mammon lagging behind.
Mammon knew what this was about. He had made a choice, a stupid one obviously, but he had chosen a mortal over his orders. He had chosen her life over his. Now he would have to live—or die—with the consequences of his actions. But Kathrine was safe, and would remain hidden for the rest of her days, of that he was sure. Blinking, he took in a breath of the stifling air and entered the chamber, his shoulders straight. If he was going to his death, he was damn well going to do it with his head high.
The grand chamber of Hades was made of shimmering onyx. The silver river Styx and golden river Acheron ran through the chamber along each side of a carved obsidian dais. Upon it sat two thrones—one for Hades and the other for his wife, Persephone, who at this moment was unfortunately on sabbatical with her mother. That meant Hades would be in a foul mood, which did not bode well for the demons who served him.
Hades body was wreathed in pulsing, shimmering black shadow, the god himself stood watching the silver waters of Styx as they passed through his chamber. Cold, silver eyes downcast, he observed the souls of the dead who had mistakenly strayed into the river as they silently floated by. They were now lost to the ebb of time forever.
Power emanated from every pore of Hades’ being. Mammon could feel it beating against his skin. His father stood as if contemplating, hands held behind his back. The silence was almost deafening, only the soft sound of trickling water filled the chamber. There was the barest turn of his head, a flash of his eyes as he observed the demons kneeling. His face could have been cut from marble, his skin so white it made his pitch-black hair stand out in stark comparison.
Mammon felt a twinge of trepidation at the sight of everyone now kneeling before the throne. He was the Sin of Greed after all. It was his desire to have everything, to be the one who sat upon that throne, to have the demons kneel before him. It ripped hard at his mind. He wasn’t stupid enough to act on the impulse; instead he knelt against the cool stone. All seven of them waited in silence.
He turned his gaze to the others. Directly to his right was Satanus, Sin of Wrath, eyes of blue flame, hair as black as night, still seething with rage. Mammon could see the ripples of heat coming from him, obscuring the air like a rippling halo. Beside him Lucifer, Sin of Pride, completely angelic in his appearance, white-blond hair and flame red eyes. Lucifer always found kneeling to be the hardest task, his inner pride resenting the act as an aberration to his very being.
Ironically, the calmest of them all was Ze, Sin of Envy, known for coveting anything and everything. If a person had something he wanted, his jealousy could become so great he would kill for a simple trinket. Mammon liked Envy—or Ze, as he wanted to be known these days. Ze kept his own silver eyes on the floor, his hair like spun silver, catching the flickering firelight in the great hall.
Abbadon, Sin of Sloth, a contradiction to his name, was the epitome of perfection, black hair, dark steel eyes, glowing ebony skin, and the perfect Adonis-like body. His attitude to everything, however, was a battle. He had to be forced to do even the most menial task. Maybe that was why they got along so well? They were always getting into trouble, thick as thieves.
Mammon’s emerald eyes moved to Belphegor, Sin of Gluttony. It was ironic most mortals imagined him as fat, a demon of never ending hunger. He was far from obese though: pure, lean muscle, deep, tan skin, thick, blond hair. Filled with a perpetual hunger, his eyes were raging fires of burning orange that echoed the appetite from within. He devoured the souls of those he hunted, in an attempt to satiate his eternal emptiness. They had all learned early on not to feel pity for Belor; he did not appreciate it.
Finally, his gaze stopped on Asmodeus, Sin of Lust. In his usual form he was nothing but the formless undulating gold mist. He no longer had a true body of his own. He had one once, but it had been so long ago none of them really remembered what he looked like, and neither did he. Therefore, when he found a mortal who had become consumed by lust, his body assumed the form of their most secret desire.
Right now, he was receiving waves of anger from Lucifer, and Asmodeus was lapping it up. He knew what people wanted before they did, and it wasn’t merely sex. Mortals desired money and power, and Asmodeus needed to give it to them. He knew how to rile someone with perfection and was enjoying every moment of the death stare Lucifer cast his way. Mammon wished he had half of Lust’s talent for reading people.
Mammon dropped his gaze quickly. Why was he looking at his kin like he would never see them again? Maybe because the cold glare his father had shot him let him know there would be no mercy in this sentencing? His heart felt tight in his chest but he breathed through it. He would see them again, he had to believe that.
“My sons.” Their father’s voice rolled over their flesh, cooling like ice water, yet stinging like a million hornets. The demons tensed at the pain, Satanus turning his blue gaze to Mammon. Of course, blaming him was easy, Mammon could take it. Besides it provided an outlet for the pulsing rage of Wrath. Without a word, Mammon ignored the scowl and kept his head down.
Only Lucifer dared speak, “We are here at your summons, Father.” The only indication Hades had moved at all was the soft shuck of his robes across the stone floor.
“Pride, or is it Lucifer now? I can’t keep up. Why biblical names?” Hades curled his lip and shook all over before continuing, focusing his cold glare on Lucifer. “You’re always so formal, yet you throw your tie to my blood at me as if it would prevent my ire. I find it immensely irritating.” The Lord of the Underworld slowly knelt and touched Lucifer under the chin. “It pains you, doesn’t it? Kneeling before me. Of course it does. I made you that way. The perfect arrogant child.”
The others watched as Hades simply flicked Lucifer between the eyes with his finger. His body flew across the room as if he had been thrown, slamming into the far wall with a sickening crack. Not one of them made a move to aid him—they knew better. The soft coughing from across the chamber told them Lucifer was still alive but in immense pain.
“You seven are becoming tiresome, but boys will be boys I suppose. You’re growing, pushing the boundaries of your world, your ties to me.” Silence seemed to stretch, the sound of his robes sliding over rock the only sound. Mammon felt that deathly gaze stop on him, then in a cool, calm voice that brought terror to his soul, Hades continued.
“Mammon. That is the name you go by now, yes?” He looked up quickly, fists upon the cold floor. One day he would have all this; one day he would make Hades kneel before him, his inner sin whispered in his mind. Shut up! Now is not the time!
“Yes… Father.” The words were like ashes in his mouth. He hated any tie to the Lord of the Underworld and Hades knew it.
“Why does that one word from your mouth sound like, ‘Fuck you old man?’ Only you could put such a tone on it. Well, maybe Abbadon could pull it off.” Rather than sound annoyed, Hades appeared entertained by the idea. He returned to his throne, slowly taking each stair at a time. Flicking out his robes behind him and he sat looked down on his sons below.
The demons waited. Mammon was sure each of them wondered what their fate would be this day. Lucifer had finally crawled his way back to the semicircle and returned to a kneeling position. Mammon risked a glance up at his father. Hades watched them all in silence. Had that been a flicker of pride in his eyes? It was forgotten as those cold eyes focused on him, and the very air in the room froze.
“So tell me Mammon, why did you allow the little Seer to escape her fate? You had one job. Bring her to me. Did you think I would harm her? That she would be mistreated by my hand? She belongs to me, Mammon, and no one else.” Each word was spoken with a soft tone, yet each syllable was like a whip ripping into flesh.
Mammon tensed, confusion rushing through his mind at the unfamiliar stabbing in his chest as he thought about the little mortal female he had been sent to collect. Kathrine, one small woman, had laid her hand upon him. He had tasted her lips and felt fire between them. He didn’t know why, but when he looked into those violet eyes, he ‘felt’ something other than endless, craving greed.
So against his very nature, the very thing that made him, he had given her freedom and protection. That freedom had earned the anger of his father, yet he still did not fully understand why she had affected him so strongly. He could still taste her on his tongue, the scent of roses in his nose. He knew he would never give up her location.
“Father, I cannot answer that.”
“Sounds like you are saying ‘go fuck yourself’.” Hades steepled his fingers and sat regarding his son. Shit, the look his father was giving him, he would have given anything to be able to read his mind right then. Straightening his shoulders, the god’s eyes narrowing on him, Mammon bowed his head.
“Forgive my weakness my Lord. It will not happen again.” Mammon could feel eyes on him, the others had no idea he had allowed the mortal to go free. Not just any mortal but one of the rare Seers. It was unheard of.
Mammon had not mentioned a word of it to them. He had been trying to…what? Keep them safe? Prevent the punishment from being levied upon them as well? Hell, he was experiencing some odd sensations since that female laid her hand upon him. Emotions he’d not experienced before. He had come to realize he actually ‘cared’ for his brothers; he had to shelter them from his decision to protect the Seer.
“Forgive? Since when do I forgive? You, my dear boy, cost me a Seer. That I do not forgive. Your punishment, Mammon, Sin of Greed. Five hundred years in the Pit. Give you time to think on your…transgression.”
The brothers lifted their heads in unison. Mammon was paralyzed, his mind rolling over and over, five hundred years in that place? A hell where your soul would be ripped apart, your body cut and sliced until agony was the only thing you knew, until you craved it like a lover. None of them had experienced more than a year. He heard Ze growl low and saw him make a move to stand.
“You can’t, that will destroy him!”
“Silence!” Hades voice boomed through the hall, his silver hellfire eyes bored into Beelzebub. Ze strained as the weight of that gaze forced him back to a kneeling pose. He fought against it, teeth gritted in rage, body shaking with the strain of resisting his father’s command. But Hades did not stop his downward push until Ze was laid out flat on the floor, his face pressed against the cold stone.
Abbadon turned his eyes from his prone sibling to their father. “Enough, Father. We get it; he messed up. But…five hundred years? He won’t be Mammon when he returns.”
The swirling gaze of Hades turned on Abbadon, who managed to stifle the cry of pain as he threw up blood. His hand moved to cover his mouth as his insides turned to mush, his agony clear. He slid to the floor, retching as his eyes began to bleed, blood seeping from the very pores of his skin.
Mammon stood facing his father, fists to his sides. This was his mistake, his choice, and he had made it knowing full well he might never see those violet eyes again. But his brothers did not deserve punishment for his transgression.
“Punish me as you will, Father! They are not at fault.” His voice echoed in the great hall as he faced his creator.
“That annoying tone again. Maybe you all need time in the Pit, insolent children.” Hades paused and looked over his sons, anger clear in the writhing of the shadows around him.
Hades lifted his hand, and with a small gesture, the light in the room dimmed. Power gathered like wind around him, whipping his shadowed cloak around his body. His silver gaze locked on Mammon, not a moment’s hesitation in his actions.
“Five hundred years. I will not accept failure again.” His voice boomed with the verdict. Hades’ words were final.
Mammon wasn’t even afforded the opportunity to check on the wellbeing of his kin. The obsidian floor below him began to roll and boil like liquid tar. His last vision was of his brother Satanus reaching for him, it was burned into his retina as his eyes were swamped with black.
It felt like his flesh was being melted from his bones as the darkness took him down, drowning him in shadows. Mammon sealed his mind as best he could from the endless pain to come, he hoped Hades wouldn’t punish the others further. He pictured her in his mind, Kathrine, her eyes bright, shining violet in the eternal darkness to come, but nothing was protected from the Pit. The last thing Mammon heard was the roar of his own voice as his body was consumed by the void.