Page 83 of Gilded Lies

Mammon tilted his head to peer at him with one eye, rather like a dragon. “War?”

The more Aurelius talked, the longer he’d live. “The demons and angels have been fighting for centuries. Neither side wins.”

“Hm.”

The sword with diamonds all over the hilt was too gaudy for Aurelius’s tastes. Carrying around a gold sword wasn’t his thing, but it was probably sharp, and that’s what he currently cared about.

He tried to dart for it, but a wing blocked his way. The bastard had shifted again. When Mammon roared, so much smoke came out, Aurelius had to close his eye. He was fucking screwed.

“If you’re going to kill me, at least give me a chance to fight you,” snarled Aurelius.

Mammon’s deep laugh rang through the cave, and a front foot came for him. Aurelius tried to run again, but it smacked him in the back and sent him to the floor. For a moment, he thought Mammon meant to stomp on him and snap him like a twig, but the foot merely held him down.

Mammon chuckled and dragged him closer, heedless of the rough floor that Aurelius was scraped over. He was forced to turn over, and Mammon’s eye high above him peered at him. The dragon could surely turn him to gold, couldn't he? He must have preferred playing with his prey first. After all, he had all of the time in the realm now, and who could stop him?

“Take the hammer and throw it.”

“Fuck you.”

The pressure increased. “Do it, or I’ll crush you. You’re a toy, and your attempts are pathetic.”

“Fight me like a man, and stop using your size-”

“I’m not a man like you. If you behave, you can live here and enjoy the comforts I would have provided Princess Innogen.”

“A long-rotted bed?” snarled Aurelius. Like fuck he was going to be some dragon’s fancy pet fairy.

Mammon shifted his head and glanced at the bed before he looked beyond his pile. “Hmm. Maybe I’ll get you a few things, but you could live here. Surely a volcano is more interesting than a Palace. Remove the hammer.”

Aurelius’s right arm was free, and no amount of pounding on the foot holding him down was going to work. He finally slid the hammer out of his belt and flung it on the floor. Mammon stared at the tool which must have seemed comically small to him considering his side. If he’d sat in the Hall back home, he wouldn’t have been able to stretch out his wings.

Aurelius could barely breathe now, and he was sure a few ribs were about to snap. The pressure was suddenly gone, and the black light suddenly appeared.

Mammon landed lightly on his feet and shook his head before he snatched the hammer. Aurelius scrambled to his feet as he backed up and struggled to get his breath.

Mammon scowled at the tool and narrowed his eyes at Aurelius. “Do you still want to gild?”

Had he lost the ability to turn things gold? Or control people? Why hadn’t he simply forced Aurelius to do what he wanted? Aurelius still had the faint desire in his head, but he wasn’t able to turn Mammon.

“Are you broken?” he asked.

Mammon laughed and tossed the hammer in the direction of Gullveig’s body so carelessly, Aurelius didn’t expect it to fly the thirty feet and nearly hit his brother in the skull. It wasn't like he would have felt it anyway.

“I’m not the broken one. You are. Life in others isn’t exactly what you’d think, but I knew enough. Your little trick with the salt was laughable.”

“You’re broken, and you must be scared if you have to face me as a dragon and hold me down with your giant foot.” His awareness must have been very limited if he hadn’t known what year it was.

Mammon rolled his eyes. “Aravitia was quite interesting, but you fairies aren’t much different from humans. You’re all selfish and greedy. Considering you’re here, and I’m assuming the realm hasn’t been taken over, something happened to my brothers. They wouldn’t have left me. Asmodeus loved playing with my gold cock, and I know he’d never give that up no matter how many fairies he lusted after. Do you want to see my gold cock?”

“No.”

“It’s quite beautiful. Asmodeus used to lick up the side like this.”

Mammon stuck out his tongue which was longer than it should have been, and Aurelius had to make an effort to not show his revulsion as it wiggled in the air like Mammon was licking something.

“You’re no fun. Five minutes with Asmodeus, and you’d already be squealing like one of those…what’s those gross piggy things you have here that swallow things whole? I ate one once, and it was disgusting. Anyway, Leviathan would be so envious. If you’re aware of the Fallen, I’m sure you know what they do.”

Fight? Occasionally catch humans from Earth to keep as pets and sex slaves? The demons did that, and there were a couple of reasons why they generally weren’t welcome in the fairy realm unless they proved that they could behave and not try to enslave fairies. Mammon kept his eye on Aurelius as he backed up. Itwas tempting to run again or try to grab a sword, but his way would be blocked again.

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