before feeding it to the flames. “No matter what sort of
relationship
you believe you share.” Kailani felt her face heat up.
“You…heard us?” Naomi howled with laughter.
“Child, there ain’t a man, woman or animal in a hundred mile
radius that didn’t hear you.” Kai’s eyes widened.
“Oh god.” She buried her face in her hands as Naomi’s chuckles
faded into quiet giggles.
“You needn’t worry. You are not the first to fall prey to the
charms of a demon.” She cast another glance to the tent before
adding, “And that particular spirit is quite enticing.” Kai frowned
as the jealousy she felt fluttering in her stomach turned into a
raging inferno. Naomi just chuckled again. “You don’t have to
worry, I am not after your demon. I’m blissfully married.” She
said, smiling to herself and looking very much like a woman in
love.
“I didn’t mean to glare like that. I…I really don’t know what’s
come over me lately.” Kai admitted and the woman nodded.
“It is understandable. Their kind are enthralling by nature, yet
another mechanism they have to ensnare their prey. And
especially so for Hellmouths. We are unable to resist them; it’s
the darkness inside ourselves that sends an answering call to
theirs. Some believe we were created solely for their amusement
but that is not so.” Kailani watched her speak.
“Then why were we created? If you don’t mind me asking.”
“Bah,” She lifted her hand, “It is why you are here no? For
information? Hellmouths have an interesting history, more so
than other species I’ve come in contact with. We are the children
of the most ancient svartálfar.”
“Sva-what?”
“Svartálfar. Norse dark elves.” Naomi said and Kai frowned.
“I’m an elf.”
“No child, you are a Hellmouth.”
“I must be missing something, I’ll shut up so you can explain.”
She said and Naomi laughed again.
“Swart Elves are a race of Elven beings who inhabit the
Svartálfaheimr, an alternate world to ours that is filled with
nothing but darkness and power. The Svartálfaheimr is the source
of all dark energy, that which fills us, and that which the demons
crave. The elves are notorious for swapping their children for
human babies. Soon the elves realized they could take the
offspring of witches too, leaving behind the babies that were
filled with the darkness of the source. These unsuspecting
witches unknowingly raised these killer children thinking they
were just dark witches, a race of witches opposite to those like
Cassandra who are beings of light. These Swart elves grew and
became attracted to the darkness they sensed in the dark witches,
coupling and creating…well us.” Naomi reached up to tuck her
hair behind her pointed ears, a gesture Kailani didn’t miss.
“Us? So we’re Elf…witches?”
“Let me explain child, don’t jump ahead. But yes, we are the
result of an unholy union between dark witches and dark elves.
We are darkness. We are direct links to the Svartálfaheimr, the
source of all malevolent power. Once the elves and witches
realized what they’d created we were used as portals into that
world. That is, until the demons found out what we were capable
of. Their species was the first to name us Hellmouths, and like
the dark elves before us we became attracted to the darkness
inside of them. Who knows what we’ll create if we succumb to
them. More Hellmouths or…maybe something even more
sinister.” She said, casting a glance to Kailani’s midsection. Kai
frowned.
“But what about my parents? I have their DNA, I mean I have to,
I look just like them. And if we were born of Norse Elves
wouldn’t we all be Norse?” Naomi was shaking her head before
she could finish speaking.
“The witches and elves began switching us with human children
sometime in the sixteen hundreds. And they aren’t stupid either;
they knew the humans would notice children who didn’t
resemble them genetically and reject them. My guess is, and this
is only based on research as I wasn’t alive back then and have no
way of knowing for sure, they did something to us with magic to
make us identical to the human children they took.” Kai took a
moment to digest that, remembering the sight of her so called
parents dying at the cottage back in Waikiki.
“This means…I not only have one set of parents I’ve never
known…but two.” She said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Naomi frowned.
“Yes, that is the sad truth for most of our kind. I didn’t know my
human parents either. They were murdered by the angels when
they came for me just days after the elves delivered me to this
realm.”
“The angels?” Kai watched her nod.
“Yes, they spared me and I was raised in their colony among
others of our kind.” She paused to stare down at the golden
wedding band that adorned her finger, “It’s where I met Pierre.
We were raised together and eventually fell in love. We’ve been
together ever since.” She said and Kailani couldn’t help but smile
with her.
“That sounds lovely. I’m happy for you.” She said honestly.
There was something about the loving look in her eyes. Kai
couldn’t help but wonder if she’d live to feel the same way about
someone.
“Thank you. We had our ups and downs. Once his father found
out he wanted to marry a Hellmouth he was livid and tried to
send him to Antarctica to be frozen into an iceberg for the rest of
eternity.”
“But why? Wouldn’t two hellmouths be the ideal union?”
“Yes, but Pierre isn’t a Hellmouth. He’s an angel.” She said, her
eyes turning towards the sky as a light breeze wafted through the
camp, “And he’s here.”
Chapter Eight
The wind picked up around them, so powerful it ripped at
their hair and clothing. Naomi stood, smiling as she folded her
arms across her chest. The angel’s wingspan was enormous,
making it the first thing either of them saw of Pierre as he landed
near the fire, instantly moving to take Naomi into his arms,
folding those wings around her and holding her close. When they
parted Kailani couldn’t help but find herself staring at him. He
was tall and broad shouldered with hair so blonde it looked like
white gold as it hung around the face of an angel, literally. His
eyes were brown, a beautiful hazel with flecks of gold, green and
silver. He was as beautiful as you would expect an angel to be but
she sensed something…off about him. Something dark that
frightened her.
“I’ve recently been in contact with demons. It is that tainted
energy you sense, Hellmouth.” He said, folding his wings against
his back and staring down his nose at her. His voice was musical,
like a choir of cherubs singing in perfect harmony. Wait…did he
just, “Yes, I just read your mind. Choir of cherubs? You’re rather
creative. I have to admit I’ve never received such a compliment.”
He chuckled and Kailani’s face flamed. Naomi just cocked a
brow.
“I meant no disrespect. Are all demons and angels mind
readers?” She asked Pierre and he gave a slight nod.
“Yes, unfortunately for those of you who aren’t.” He moved
closer to her, stopping to lift his head and sniff the air. “Speaking
of demons,” He took another step towards her and Naomi held up
a hand to caution him.
“Pierre, you may want to keep your distance.” She warned but he
didn’t listen, reaching to take Kailani’s hand in way of greeting
but the moment his skin came into contact with hers a possessive
growl rent the air. They all turned towards the tent behind them,
watching as Leviathan emerged, his eyes blood red as power
crackled around him like electricity. Pierre released her to snarl
in return, first at Leviathan then at Naomi.
“You let a demon into our camp?” He asked and she shook her
head.
“It was an emergency. I could not leave them to die.” They
watched in horror as Leviathan advanced on him, dominance and
rage bleeding from his every pore as he strode across the camp.
“Leviathan.” Kailani said, her voice dropping as he approached.
She’d only seen him like this one other time and it was
frightening but she couldn’t let him attack Naomi and her
husband. She watched him move to stand next to her, turning his
head to stare down into her eyes. “Behave jackass.” She all but
growled and he lifted a hand, which drew a gasp from Naomi and
Pierre, who relaxed when the demon only cupped her cheek. His
eyes flashed back to their normal beautiful blue.
“I don’t like him touching you.” He growled and she nodded.
“I know. He won’t do it again.” Leviathan turned to glare at
Pierre who glared back, the silky white feathers on his wings
ruffling as he prepared himself to attack and be attacked. Naomi
quickly rushed to his side, folding herself around him and
holding on tight. She buried her face against his chest and he
visibly relaxed, though only a smidgen.
“We’re not here to cause any problems.” Kailani said quickly, her
hands moving as she attempted to placate them both.
“See to it that you’re not little Hellmouth.” Pierre spat which had
Leviathan taking another step towards him with Kailani wrapping
her arms around his waist in an attempt to hold him back.
“You’ll watch your tone when you speak to her, sparrow.” He
sneered and Pierre’s eyes pulsed to red and back so fast had she
blinked she would have missed it.
“Okay can we please stop the supernatural posturing please?” Kai
asked, digging her heels into the dirt as Leviathan nearly drug her
towards Pierre.
“I agree with Kailani.” Naomi said, stepping in front of her
husband to give him a warning glare that stopped him in his
tracks. He snarled something unintelligible and her glare
deepened. “They are here on peaceful terms. They come seeking
only information and then they will be on their way.”
“They need to leave. Now. They endanger us both.” He growled
in Leviathan’s direction who took yet another step towards him, a
frighteningly cruel smirk twisting his lips.
“What? Afraid I’ll rip off your wings and stuff you like a
chicken?” He laughed and Kailani’s eyes widened up at him.
“They stuff chickens in he—” Kailani started to ask but he shot
her a glare that had her looking away and chuckling under her
breath. Pierre could only seethe.
“Do not let him bait you my love. The Leviathan is a demon and
cannot control his animal urges.” Naomi said and Kai frowned.
“Leviathan is not an animal.”
“Oh really? I believe I recall you telling him he was an animal
last night. In between your screaming.” Naomi cocked a brow
and Kai’s face flamed again.
“Okay that was low.”
“Look none of this matters! I want them gone! Now Naomi!”
Pierre yelled and she placed her hands on her hips, giving him a
glare that was so nasty it made him flinch.
“They are our friends.”
“I don’t even know them.” He rebutted, ripping himself away
from her and pacing back and forth by the fire.
“Kai, Pierre, Pierre this is Kai and Leviathan. They’ve come
seeking information and assistance and dammit we’re going to
give it to them whether you like it or not!” She shouted so
suddenly people began poking their heads out of their tents to see
what the hell was going on. Pierre just stood there staring at her,
his face twisted like she’d just spit on him. “Now sit your ass
down! All of you!” He stared her down for what felt like hours
before he finally sighed and moved to sit on the log she’d
previously been occupying. She sat next to him, watching Kai
struggle to drag Leviathan over to another log and force him onto
it, damn near having to sit on him to keep him down. “Now.
Kailani is facing the same thing I had to but she doesn’t have as
many resources as we did, Pierre. We have to help her.” Naomi
said, her voice switching from demanding to pleading. Pierre
sighed, his eyes never leaving Leviathan who only seethed in
return.
“She has a choice. She can choose the angels or she can choose
