Read Guardian of the Hellmouth Online

Authors: A.C. Greenlee

Guardian of the Hellmouth (13 page)

 

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

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