buried over twenty years ago resurfaced. She’d always wondered
why they’d sent her away, it was so she’d never bare witness
to…
“What have I done?” She heard her mother sigh, moving closer to
the dining room table and freezing, her hands going to her mouth
to silence the scream that threatened to rip from her throat. She
could see nothing of the carnage save her fathers arm against the
linoleum, and the blood that pooled around him. Her mother
charged into view then, still crying, her eyes crazed as she
snatched open cabinet after cabinet, littering the floor as she
pulled everything out of them. She finally came upon what she
was looking for, a small shoebox hidden in the back of the
pantry.
“No…” Kailani shook her head in disbelief, vaguely aware of
Leviathan watching her, his eyes bright as he moved to her side.
They watched her mother open the box and pull a small .22
caliber handgun from it. “No…God no!” Kailani moved towards
her but Leviathan wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her
into the air as she struggled against him. “No!!” She screamed
but her mother couldn’t hear her as she placed the gun against her
head, blinking seconds before she pulled the trigger and
splattered her brains all over the kitchen. Her body fell lifeless on
top of her husbands and like a dream the scene faded, leaving
Kailani trembling and crying in Leviathan’s arms. He lowered
her to the ground, still holding her tightly as she fought back her
screams of frustration and pain.
“Why? Why did you show me that?” She sobbed, her dark hair
sticking to her face and neck as her tears continued to flow. He’d
never been fond of the sight of a crying human female, but
comfort was something he didn’t know how to offer.
“I didn’t. Your emotions did.” He brushed the hair away from her
face, frowning as she stared up into his eyes. She was wounded.
“You are a Hellmouth, just like a demon you feed off the dark
energy emitted from a hot spot. It’s something you’ll learn to
control in time.”
“I don’t want to control it!” She shouted suddenly, fighting to get
out of his arms but he held her fast. “I didn’t ask for this! I didn’t
ask to watch my parents die!” She cried and his gut clenched at
the sight of more tears. Not knowing what else to do he tucked
her under his chin and rocked her gently.
“Do any of us really ask to be what we are?” He asked quietly,
his jaw tense as he buried his own past deep within the recesses
of his mind. This was not the time for demonic soul searching.
Kailani shook her head.
“What about the others? The other Hellmouth people, do they go
through this?”
“Some do. Angels kill off most of you before you have a chance
to reach puberty. They don’t want to risk demons gaining any
more power than they already have.” He snorted.
“Angels? Well why wasn’t I—?”
“You have your witch to thank for that also it would seem.” He
answered and she angrily scrubbed tears from her face with the
back of her hand.
“They told me,” She started, staving off a sob by biting her lip,
“They told me they’d died of natural causes.” Kailani chuckled
bitterly. “I should have known then shouldn’t I?”
“Not if it eased your mind and gave you the peace you needed.
Loosing a parent is never an easy thing.” He said and she looked
up at him then.
“You speak as if you know from experience.” He could only stare
at her, a tic working in his jaw. “I’m…I’m sorry. I didn’t
mean…” She started but he moved away from her, going to lean
against the kitchen doorway, staring at the spot her parent’s
bodies had lain just days before.
“It’s nothing. Call your witch, she should be awake by now.” He
growled and she frowned, lifting herself off the floor and going
over to the phone. She dialed Cassandra’s number again,
surprised when she answered groggily.
“Hello? Oh my god Kai! You’d better be alive girl, if you’re
calling me from beyond the grave I’ll hex your ass!” She
screamed suddenly and Kailani instantly felt a wave of relief
wash over her.
“I’m fine. As fine as a demon magnet can be I suppose.” She said
softly and Cassie went silent for a moment.
“It told you didn’t it?”
“It?” She blinked over at Leviathan whose back muscles had
tightened in agitation.
“Yes, It. As in the demon I sent to protect you.”
“But…I thought he was a guy…”
“I am a guy…” Leviathan growled through clenched teeth.
“Honey, it’s a demon, it may have a cock but it’s still a demon.”
Cassandra said and Kailani’s eyes widened at his midsection
before he snarled something and stormed into the kitchen.
“His man bits aside, yes he told me I’m a Hellmouth.” She said
the word and it just felt wrong in her mouth. Like speaking in a
foreign tongue. Cassandra noticed the hesitation in her voice and
chuckled.
“It’s not as bad as it sounds baby-doll, I bet Mr. Levi made it
sound nine kinds of horrible didn’t he?”
“Levi?” She asked but Cassie ignored her.
“Well it’s not bad. It’s completely manageable. I’ve heard of
other Hellmouths that lead perfectly normal lives.”
“Except for the random demon attacks.”
“Well…there is that…”
“And the random replay of vicious murders.”
“Hey how much has it told you?” Kailani sighed, leaning a hip
against the table as she fought down her emotions.
“Apparently enough for me to know that I’m going to be
murdered if he leaves me here.”
“Kai it’s honestly not that bad, it’s not as if you’re at a hot spot.
Then you’d be screwed. But you’re not so don’t worry—”
“Cassie, I’m at a hot spot.” She cut her off.
“What?”
“My parents died here. My mother…” She trailed off, tears
rushing to her eyes and a sick feeling in her stomach following.
“My mother murdered my father, then she shot herself.” She
finished, her voice breaking as she choked on her tears.
“Oh my god Kai…I’m so sorry.” Cassie’s sympathetic words
offered her no comfort.
“It’s fine Cass, just tell me what to do. Tell me how to make it
out of this alive.”
“You…You can’t Kai. Not without help. Demons are not only
drawn to you because you’re a Hellmouth but the very ground
you’re standing on is summoning them.” Kailani cursed. That
was not what she needed to hear.
“Then what am I supposed to do? Just wait for them to break in
and murder me?”
“No, NO! Leviathan! I can make it protect you Kai, you’re not
going to die so don’t say that!”
“But for how long? How long will he just stick around and keep
protecting me from them?” She lowered her voice a bit, “Before
he realizes I’m not worth it and turns on me himself?”
“It won’t do that. It’s under my control.”
“Oh for gods sake Cass he’s a demon!”
“I know that!” She screamed back, tears softly trailing down her
face as she tried to sound strong. “But I won’t let what happen to
them happen to you too Kai. I couldn’t stand it.”
“What happened to who?” She asked but Cassandra kept talking.
“Just don’t worry about anything alright? Get your butt back up
here so I can protect you! I’ve shielded you all these years I’ll
keep doing it until you’re old and grey!”
“That won’t work Cass and we both know it.” She sighed, “I
can’t keep putting you in danger. You and I both know I’ve
caused you enough trouble. There must be some other way…”
Her voice lowered and Cassandra grew quiet, painful memories
assailing them both. The silence was awkward and unsettling,
and it was Cassandra who finally found the strength to break it.
“There’s another Hellmouth I know of. Her name is Naomi and
she may be able to help you.” She said tightly, shuffling papers
around to find the last letter she’d received from the woman.
“The last time I talked to her she’d joined the Peace Corps and
was living in the Fitzgerald River National Park near Perth
Australia. You could talk to her, maybe she knows how to avoid
the demons or make them stop attacking.” She offered and
Kailani felt hope flutter to life in her chest.
“That’s great, what’s her phone number, I could call—”
“Uh…well about that…”
“Cassandra…” She said in a warning tone, knowing there was
something she omitted. The woman just chuckled nervously.
“Well, they don’t really have telecommunication in the park.
When I said last time I talked to her, I meant the last time she
sent me a letter…Snail mail…” The hope crumbled to dust inside
of her.
“Meaning…What? I have to write her a letter and send it to god
knows where and hope she gets it?”
“No. You could always just go see her. It would be much
quicker, and thankfully it’s not that long of a plane ride from
Honolulu to Australia.”
“…Are you insane?!”
“Now Kai, don’t yell….”
“I can’t take a demon on a plane to Australia! What am I going to
say when customs stops us and asks why he doesn’t have an
identity? ‘Oh I’m sorry, I didn’t know it was illegal to bring my
pet demon aboard a plane’?!” She shrieked, jumping out of her
skin when Leviathan suddenly appeared next to her, his brows
creased.
“I am not a pet.”
“It won’t be that bad! You’ll just have to get some identification
for him. It can’t be that hard, they do it in the movies all the
time.”
“Those are
movies
Cassandra. As in
fiction
!”
“But yeah, all fiction is based on reality.” She rebutted and
Leviathan nodded slightly.
“She’s right.” Kailani glared up at him.
“No one asked you demon man!”
“Don’t yell at it Kai, it has feelings.”
“I am not a goddamn fucking it!” He growled, baring his fangs,
which Kailani ignored.
“We’re getting off topic.” She said, her body shaking as she
fought back her anxiety. How in the hell was she going to pull
this off? “Why do we have to go all the way to Australia,
Leviathan seems to know a lot about…this crap, why can’t he
just tell me what I need to know?”
“You really expect me to know how to keep a Hellmouth alive?”
He asked and she frowned up at him.
“Well, aren’t you all knowing or something?” She heard
Cassandra snort into the phone.
“Puh-lease. Maybe if he didn’t spend all his time locking himself
away he’d know
something
. Goddamn hermit demon.” She said
and Leviathan growled.
“The point I’m trying to make is, I have no idea how to get you
what you want Hellmouth. I specialize in making things very,
very
dead, not keeping them alive.” Kailani just pursed her lips
and turned back to the phone.
“This is freaking ridiculous! You’ve sent me the most useless
demon ever!”
“You’re not exactly a cup of tea either princess.” He said and she
opened her mouth to tell him where he could shove his opinion
but Cassandra cut her off.
“Hey! Off topic here!” Kai grit her teeth.
“You’re right. Let’s just get this over with.”
“Right, so you two go to Australia, find Naomi and—” Cassandra
started but Leviathan cut her off.
“I’m not going to Australia.” He said simply and Kailani looked
away from him. She had to admit, that one hurt a bit even if she
didn’t know why.
“Oh yes you are! You’re under contract asshole!” Cassandra
replied and he snarled something that she ignored. “Your orders
were to ‘Protect Kailani Kehena until you are recalled by your
summoner or one true master’ I haven’t recalled you yet so
you’re gonna protect Kai or I’m gonna torture your ass.” She said
and he seethed quietly, his eyes pulsing from silver to red in a
split second. His entire body was rife with frustration, not a
single muscle was relaxed. He could sense the pain he’d inflicted
with his reaction but what did she want him to say? He wasn’t
there of his own accord in the first place, her life meant nothing
to him.
“And if I refuse?” He asked and Kailani watched him in silence,
her wounded pride wanting her to scream at him to get lost. The
