Page 3 of Greed

The dragon violently smashed its head against that which should never have been penetrable. With each powerful blow, I stumbled again, bumping into Callista and knocking her to the ground.

“I’m so sorry,” I said as I helped her to her feet once more. “Get inside my house, hide and stay there.”

But she didn’t hear me. Her eyes were fixed on the creature at the gates. Like a massive battering ram and one last Heaven-shattering blow, the dragon crashed its wide head into the gates and blew them wide open, the sound so loud that it was like the sky itself split open to swallow all of Heaven.

If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I’d never believed such a story. It was impossible, unfathomable, and it had only just begun.

One deadly clawed step after the other, the dragon marched further into the plain of light and tarnishing the tranquility where it should never have been. All that followed in its wake were granted access to the holy sanctuary. Head low, it sucked in the streams of fire and opened its mouth. The fire billowed in a deadly ball before bowling over everything and everyone in its path. Lucifer didn’t seem to care that the creature he rode was taking out those he claimed he wanted to protect.

The handful of guards that fearlessly manned the gate now turned to flee, but the fire was faster. I cringed as their high-pitched screams reached my ears. My mouth fell open in shock as the once-beloved family members fell from the sky as blacked lumps of undefinable masses, then burst into ash. What was left of their bodies slipped through the clouds and disappeared to rain on the Earth below, and a flurry of white feathers scattered around the great beast and Lucifer, like slow falling snow.

The ground beneath my feet groaned, and I would have sworn I heard a crack in Heaven’s foundation as the beast’s final leg stepped over the threshold. The deafening triumphant growl sent another shot of fear down my spine. Michael and the army of warrior angels rose from the palace in single file, their stunning white Pegasus’s leading the charge as the dragon headed straight for the ivory palace.

“Callista, please go into the house and remain there until this has passed. Do not come out until either myself or Father says it is alright.”

“I beg of you, Maddix, do not go. I fear I will never see you again. You know I sense these things.” Her voice trembled as tears slipped down her cheeks. “I love you. I don’t want to lose you.”

I stared down into the stunning blue eyes that had stolen my heart the moment I’d seen them. No matter what my heart said, I couldn’t let my brothers and sisters fight amongst themselves like this.

Cupping Callista’s face, I captured her lips in the sweetest of kisses. Lips that I could kiss for eternity and never grow sick of moved against my own.

“I promise you that I will return, but I must go,” I said and gently pried her hands away from my leather straps. “I will return to you, Callista, for I love you too.”

Rising swiftly into the air, I pumped my wings hard as I aimed for the siege that was now fully underway. I had to stop my brothers and sisters. This was madness.

Present Day

The men behind me were like angry squirrels chattering at one another. The boardroom was full of my chief executives as they argued over the most recent acquisition. My head hurt from the bickering over what the best course of action was to make the most money: dividing it up and selling off the pieces or keeping the assets. It should’ve been easy enough, but those who sat around my table had their own agenda—one they didn’t speak about out loud and would deny if ever asked. I, on the other hand, did not play fair, and I knew exactly what each desired. It gave me great insight into which strings I should pull on to get my little human marionettes to dance to my tune with the perfect accord.

The stiff brandy deliciously burned my throat as the dark drink lingered on my lips like a kiss. Blocking out the droning sound of the men arguing, becoming bored with the debate, I stared out the large windows to the car lights far below.

I owned this building, as I owned most of the others that surrounded it, but this one was my biggest accomplishment yet. It was the largest in the city and stood out as a black diamond, a crown jewel of sorts. The other buildings could not compare to the shimmering beauty or highly sought-after location. The rent that I charged per floor was way more than what the market demanded, and yet my mere presence in this place had people clamoring to say their company was here. Their need to be the best, the drive to have it all flowed through every piece of furniture, fixture, and wall in this place. The energy was intoxicating to these mammals, these humans. Many went bankrupt trying to keep up with the astronomical rent.

Did I care? No.

My eyes scanned over lady liberty in the distance, the setting sun allowing the torch to be seen. The humans fawned all over it like it was Father himself. It was a symbol of hope, prosperity, and guidance—blah, blah, blah, puke. The idea was preposterous and a most hilarious construct as far as I was concerned. What a joke. Humans wouldn’t know how to unite if it bit them in the ass. They were pathetic, strange, and highly disappointing creatures of weak bodies and minds. They were vertical, hairless cats with no tails. I smirked as the image of humans naked, running around came to mind. I mean, really, temperamental cats with no fur, what was the point, Father?

The flame in the torch of the ridiculous statue’s hand glowed brighter as the sun dipped a little lower, and as much as I thought the piece of construction was for those with a simplistic mind, I found myself staring. Despite the fact it was not yet dark, the moon was already out, and the reflection was dancing on the water. This view was one of the few things I truly enjoyed about being on Earth—well, I enjoyed that it didn’t cost money or power to enjoy, that is.

A hand slapped on the table as the conversation took a turn and became more heated. Not that I cared, it was all the better for me if they constantly stayed at each other’s throats. Greed was best nurtured amongst those with dissonance.

“Riker, what do you think?” George’s voice asked, and I sighed before turning around to address the room.

Neven, the closest thing I had to a best friend, sat off to the side in the more comfortable chairs. He was the image of relaxed, and yet the zoned-out look and absentminded swirling of his drink told me he was already checked out of the meeting.

“I think this is a waste of my valuable time.” I almost snickered as their mouths dropped in perfect unified symmetry.

Well, at least you can all agree on one thing.

“But…but…” George licked his lips and stared around the room for one of the others to speak up.

I didn’t need to reach out and touch their minds to know what they were thinking.

“This is what we will do,” I said, cutting George off before he could begin a boring rant.

“The company acquired is a broadcast and media company,” I paused for dramatic effect. “We have been wanting to find a way to spend less and advertise more, so although in the short-term we can gain an extra ten million if we pieced it off and sold now. We stand a chance at saving hundreds of millions by bringing Marabellum Communications into the fold.” I gripped the back of the large black leather chair at the head of the table. “Marabellum has a radio, online, and television division, and unless you are all fine with paying exuberant fees to create our media marketing campaigns, I’d suggest you all run along and find the best ways to put these assets to use.”

“May I make a suggestion?” Neven spoke up, and all heads turned in his direction. “The company already broadcasts on a number of major markets. Why not pursue a few more popular shows and sell more expensive advertisements? If you could land something as popular as the Super Bowl, for example, it would be beneficial to all our divisions.”