Guardian of the hellmout.., p.1
Guardian of the Hellmouth, page 1
Guardian of the Hellmouth
A.C. Greenlee
©A.C. Greenlee
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. Published by Kindle Direct and Create Space products of Amazon.com. Cover art designed and created by A.C. Greenlee. Photography by Craig Williams. Model: Jason Aaron Baca.
Dedication
I would like to dedicate this book to all the exceptional people in my life.
To my wonderful mother who never stopped believing in me.
To my hardheaded cousin Ashlee for being my confidant.
To my faithful editor and sister Brittany who pushed me to be better.
And to a God who has never let me down.
Chapter One
“I’m being stalked.” She whispered into the phone
pressed against her ear, “Everywhere I go I feel like someone’s
watching me. I swear I feel like I’m going to wake up one day
and find out my life has been one big horror movie.” Kailani
balanced the phone on her shoulder as she checked the locks on
the windows and doors for the third time that night. She felt
foolish and paranoid, but it was better to look like a total loon
than to end up murdered by some masked serial killer…right?
“Well I don’t know why you even bothered going to the police,
it’s not like they can do anything.” Cassandra replied from the
other end, half distracted by their conversation and the tarot cards
that were no doubt being shuffled for no reason other than to
keep her compulsive hands busy. Kailani rolled her eyes at her
stepsister’s dislike of law enforcement. “Oh yes, because it’s not a human that’s stalking me, but some
type of evil demon out to destroy my chi, or something equally
nonexistent and not to mention fictional.” She snorted, moving to
lean against the kitchen counter and peer over her shoulder at the
beach that her new home sat on. She couldn’t believe that.
Blaming whatever was happening on some mythological being
was entirely too easy. People were far too quick to blame horrible
things on demons and the devil; it was as if no one wanted to take
responsibility for themselves anymore. People killed people, not
some made up little creature with bat wings.
Kailani had moved into her beautiful little cottage when her
parents passed away just days before. Her original plan had been
to sell it then return to the mainland, but once she got there she
just couldn’t bare to part with it. There was so much of her
mother and father in that house, so much happiness that she’d
missed out on as a child. And it was hers now, so why give it all
away? With her name on the deed there was no rent to pay and
due to her mothers habit of over paying bills she wouldn’t have to worry about utilities for a while either. Everything seemed
perfect. Well…almost everything. The moment she’d set foot
over the threshold of the bungalow style cottage she’d had this
overwhelming feeling of being watched. A strong sense of dread,
a foreboding that stuck to the pit of her stomach like burrs. At
first it was just little glimpses of shadows in the corners, foggy
windows and creaking doors. Simple, silly little things she could
just explain away as coincidences. That is, until one night she
could no longer deny that something was going on in her home.
She saw something. The large thing was unmistakably human
shaped as it stood outside her bedroom window panting as if it
had run a marathon. Its warm breath covering the glass in a thin
layer of condensation, as it’s red eyes flared to life with a fury
she’d never known existed. Scared out of her wits she’d gone
straight to the police the very next morning, hoping that someone
could help her or at the very least tell her she’d simply gone
insane. She was sure there was some serial killer loose in the
neighborhood, some man who walked around at night in a Freddy
Krueger mask or something trying to scare the hell out of mainlanders. But the police assured her that Kalihi was a pleasant
neighborhood where nothing bad ever happened. Kailani had
stood in that police station in tears, screaming at them that
something really was going on but they still didn’t believe her.
All they could do was send someone over to check out the
property then patrol the neighborhood. They’d literally sat on the
corner for an hour then drove away as if her life weren’t at stake.
She would have gone to a hotel for the night, but it seemed
whoever her stalker was didn’t just hang out around the cottage;
he’d followed her into town as well. She’d began to see him more
and more. At the Laundromat, the Library, hell even the local
McDonalds. Kailani was trapped. A prisoner of her own fear and
whatever deranged man was stalking her.
“I’m telling you, there are supernatural forces at work baby-doll.”
She said and Kailani could hear her shaking a little bag of runes
before dumping them onto her bed. “And bad ones at that. I don’t
like this Kai. You need to get your butt back to the mainland
where I can protect you.” She said and Kailani snorted again. “Cassie you know I love you, but you’re seriously insane. There
is no demon. They don’t exist…” her chuckles died quickly as
she turned to stare at the back door across from her.
The doorknob was turning.
And she was frozen with fear.
Dread and panic knotted in her throat until she felt it would choke
her to death. The sound of more runes falling on the other side of
the phone snapped her out of what was quickly becoming a panic
attack and she snatched up a knife from the block beside her,
ducking and moving towards the brightly decorated, old
fashioned, dining room.
“What’s going on…?” Cassie started but she cut her off.
“Cass, shh. There’s someone trying to get in the back door.”
“What?! Oh hell no! See this is the shit I’m talking about! It’s
that damn demon, you gotta get out of there!” “It’s not a demon. With my luck it’s probably some psychotic
rapist.” She breathed, gripping the handle of her knife tighter.
The doorknob was jiggling harder, the door thumping against its
frame as if someone were really putting their weight against it in
their attempt to get inside.
“Look, you’ve gotta let me send someone to help you out. That
demon won’t just kill you baby he’ll eat your soul.”
“There is no demon!” She hissed, “And by the time you send
someone all the way to Honolulu from the mainland I’ll be dead.
I’m gonna hang up now, I need to call the police.”
“And by the time the police show up you’ll be demon chow! I’m
sending someone whether you like it or not!” Kailani panicked,
hitting the far wall of the dining room and sliding down to wedge
herself behind the heavy antique table. If her heart beat any faster
it would rip itself from her chest and take off running across the
beach. She could hear Cassandra chanting something in her ear
over the phone and she lifted her hand to cover the earpiece, hoping whoever was breaking into her home wouldn’t hear her
sister’s nonsense.
“Cassie, shut up.” She whispered, her breath seizing in her throat
as the door began to thump louder and harder, the wood bowing
and buckling against the intruder’s weight. Then suddenly, all
movement ceased. Dare she hope they’d given up and just left?
“Kai? You there?!” The phone in her hand began to static and
soon went completely dead as if something had interfered with
the connection. Kailani didn’t notice it; her eyes were completely
transfixed on the door that had gone eerily still. Please, please
just go away.
As if the intruder had suddenly manifested a key the lock clicked
and the door swung open. She watched the black mass that
floated through her back door and into her kitchen with wide
eyes; unable to believe what she was seeing...Cassandra was
right. It really was a demon.
Chapter Two
“Oh god.” The words were off her lips before she realized
she said them. The black mass whipped towards her, its eyes
unseeing as shadows separated to reveal the image of a thin,
distinctly man shaped creature. Its skin was gray and dark hair
lay plastered i n thin strands against its skull. The thing looked
like the bloated corpse of someone who’d fallen into the ocean
and drowned except that it’s eye sockets were completely hollow,
as if someone had gouged out it’s eyes. She lifted her knife, her
hands trembling as she made sure it was between herself and the creature that stalked around her kitchen. Its back and knees
stayed bent unnaturally, it’s neck outstretched and it’s mouth
open as it searched for her. She shook with anxiety and
astonishment, wondering if she could make it to the front door
before the demon could catch her but vetoing that out almost
immediately. There was no way she could out run that!
“Call from Cassandra Lewis.” The annoying little jingle from the
phone’s base began to play as it announced the caller, the handset
vibrating against her palm. Oh god, surely Cassie wasn’t that
stupid?! The demon’s jaws dropped, dislocating as it released a
high-pitched shrieking noise, its sightless black eyes widening in
her direction. Somehow the damn thing had spotted her! With a
scream Kai threw herself from behind the table, ditching the
phone and the knife as she scrambled to her feet. Her flight
instinct kicked in and before she knew it she’d reached the front
of the house, her fingers barely brushing the handle on the front
door before something grabbed her by the back of the head and
ripped her backwards. She tumbled helplessly across the hard wood floor, her body hitting the wall hard enough to send picture
frames raining down upon her. The beast roared, bounding across
the floor towards her on all fours like an animal. Kailani threw
her arm up to protect her head; nearly missing the flash of light
that suddenly filled her dining room. She could hear the creature
whining, part of her wondering what caused the light, and the rest
wondering why she wasn’t being devoured. Lowering her arm
away from her face she gasped at what stood before her.
She and the demon were no longer the only beings in the room.
Her eyes traveled up the broad back of the man who stood
between her and sudden death. She could only see the side of his
face as he looked back at her, shocking eyes so light a blue they
were almost silver. He was handsome from what she could tell,
with dark wavy hair that framed a face neither pretty nor
feminine. He stood with his feet braced apart, his entire being
screaming masculinity and breeding, sex and coiled power. From
his strong Roman nose and high, regal cheekbones, to the planes
of his stubble free jawline. He was simply gorgeous, but not in a way she was accustomed to. This man was dark and mysterious,
brooding and sultry. He was large and muscular, like you’d
expect a medieval knight to be. She could imagine him dressed
from head to toe in gleaming silver armor, shouting furiously as
he rode his blood enraged steed into battle, his fist clenching a
broadsword as he lifted it over his head and gave a mighty battle
cry. She’d never before seen a man more masculine not to
mention this drop dead gorgeous! As if he’d heard her thoughts
he smirked, his face glowing with a boyish charm she suddenly
found very endearing. His eyes, nearly opalescent now, turned to
the demon across the room, the power of his gaze alone keeping
the creature from attacking. She opened her mouth to ask who he
was but before the words could leave her the demon roared and
he snapped into action. The man snarled, speeding towards the
demon with his arm outstretched. They met in the center of the
floor, power rippling off them both as they fought for dominance.
His hand gripped the demon’s throat as it clawed helplessly at his
chest and belly. There wasn’t much of a struggle; the demon was
obviously, severely, outmatched. It howled in pain as its throat was torn completely open, spraying the tall stranger with blood
that was as black as tar. It suddenly went still in his hands, quiet,
and then crumbled like clay to the carpet beneath his feet. Kai lay
there stunned, her eyes fixed on the strangers back as he stared at
the substances that dusted his hands. He gave a little grunt of
approval that had her stomach turning little flips she couldn’t
explain. What on earth had she just witnessed?!
“What you witnessed was me killing a demon. Obviously.” The
man spoke and her stomach tightened at the deepness of his voice
and the growl that thundered within his chest. Could he… “Yes,”
He turned to face her, his eyes glowing like lightening, “I can
read your mind.”
“Who are you?” She trembled, the words sounding weak as her
gaze traveled down his chest. His shirt had been completely
shredded, leaving welts as thick as her forearm in his flesh.
“Leviathan.” He answered simply, his head cocked in curiosity as
he watched her. There was nothing plain about the woman who cowered before him, with her exotically tilted brown eyes and
black hair that hung in a silky sheath down her back. She was
petite but curvaceous. Not the type of woman you would find on
someone’s runway, but rather in some man’s home, tending his
young and warming his bed. Her thoughts were erratic, switching
from wondering who, or what he was to how handsome the
human form he’d taken was. It was amusing. “Yes, the cuts are
painful.” He answered her next question and her brows drew
inward into a little frown, her lips pursing in a way that oddly had
his body stirring.
“I don’t suppose they’ll just fade away like you’re some sort of
supernatural creature right?” She asked with a little flick of her
fingers towards the cuts in question as she climbed to her feet.
She couldn’t have been more than five feet tall. Tiny. Leviathan
smirked.
“Eventually they’ll heal, just not while I’m awake.” He answered
and she snorted as if he’d told her a joke. Leviathan watched her
skirt the remains of the demon and enter the kitchen, grabbing a towel and running it under the sink faucet. He followed her
silently, instantly intrigued by the woman his summoner had sent
him to protect. It wasn’t often someone was brave enough, not to
mention powerful enough, to call him from the depths of hell. He
was almost certain by now most witches and spell casters had
forgotten he existed. Someone had to have been very desperate to
not only call, but form a contract with him. He’d much rather be
at home, alone, in his domain. But there was nothing much he
could do until the contract was settled. It was a bothersome
situation indeed, although, he would enjoy playing with the little
Hawaiian woman. At least until he was returned…
“I don’t know how you showed up when you did, but your timing
couldn’t have been any more perfect.” She turned, jumping when
she found he was standing directly behind her. He was striking,
not only in his appearance but also in the way he moved, like a
snake through water, the air just seemed to ripple around him.
Parting, as if it were unworthy of touching him. Unable to bear
the intensity of his gaze she refused to meet it, wringing the towel out over the sink and moving to press it to a particularly nasty
gash right over his heart. How he wasn’t rolling all over the floor
and howling in pain was a complete mystery. His astounding
tolerance for pain aside, she was grateful for the kind stranger.
“It was nothing as cliché as you’re thinking. I came because the
woman who summoned me told me to, not because I just
‘happened to be in the neighborhood’.” He said and she froze.
Now that she wasn’t expecting. “I’m not going to hurt you,” he
added but she didn’t relax, not a single bit, “I’m not allowed to.”
