“What,” Leviathan started quietly, his eyes narrowing at the guilt on the boy’s face. “Do you think you’re doing?”
It seemed to take a few moments for him to speak. Leviathan frowned at the way his face contorted with concentration and pain.
“What’s wrong?” Leviathan demanded, moving closer. “Are you hurt?”
Cullen slapped away his reaching hand, his jaw clenching. “Your…filthy…blood…burned my…throat.”
Leviathan blinked at the rough voice, realizing what he’d overlooked. He reached towards him again, ignoring Cullen’s next flinch as he brushed his fingers against the side of his throat.
“I forgot that the blood burns.” He murmured. It must have been adrenaline that let him speak so casually before, but his throat was surely scorched. “It will heal. With time. It’s a burn that I cannot heal myself.” A lie. But he did have to have some sort of punishment for the scratches Cullen had left on the side of his face.
Not that those weren’t fully healed by now.
Cullen flinched away from his touch and Leviathan dropped his hand. “What were you doing going to the balcony?”
“I was just…” He swallowed hard, clearly in pain. A little prick of glee hit him, making him smile. A good punishment indeed. And it would keep him mostly silent, he was sure. “Going to see…where the fuck I am.” Cullen mumbled, looking nervous. “Since you didn’t answer me before.”
Leviathan’s jaw snapped closed. He knew it was a lie. He knew what that look in Cullen’s eyes meant; had seen itbefore on thousands of human faces in his life.
But he didn’t push it. Not now. He only raised his chin and moved towards him. “Fine. I will show you around now that you are calmer.”
Cullen flinched as he neared, but Leviathan didn’t try to touch him this time, didn’t go in too close. He only paused and waited expectantly. After a long moment, Cullen gave a slight nod of agreement and turned to follow Leviathan as he made his way to the balcony. He pushed the doors open and kept a close eye on Cullen as they walked out onto the wide stone balcony that overlooked a dead world full of nothing but dark, ash-covered lands. His lands.
Cullen took a shaky breath and wrapped his arms tightly around his chest, his eyes scanning the landscape beneath them.
“A world between worlds, as I said.” Leviathan kept his voice soft, focusing on Cullen’s every move from the corner of his eye. “I made this place long ago, when I was…young.” He frowned at the word. “It is a place I razed to ash after the Fall from heaven and claimed as my own. A place cursed to exist beside me, hidden away in this otherworldly pocket.”
“And…you choose to live here?” Cullen’s voice was very quiet. Very careful. Leviathan grimaced internally, but gave a small nod. Standing in that burning land of lost souls, taken by his own hands in his rage against Heaven…yes, he had felt quite at home there. His brothers all had similar places they called home, he knew.
There was a long pause. “What do you…want with me?”
Leviathan looked up at him, his eyes falling on his throat, which gave a rough bob, before moving back up to his face. That lovely face that had drawn his eye again and again, in a way that no other one ever had.
“I…want you to stay here, Cullen. With…me.”
Another too long pause. He could hear the brat’s heart starting to race. He wished it wasn’t in fear. But that was another thing that would take time.
“Why me?” He whispered then, his eyes on the dead landscape.
Leviathan’s mouth pressed into a thin line. This was something he had wondered himself. Something he did not have the answer to.
“Maybe because…you deserve better than what you had.” He responded quietly. Cullen turned to give him a confused look, but Leviathan had already turned to go back inside. “Come.”
Better than he'd had? What the hell did that mean?
The question scratched and picked at him as they made their way through the bedroom–he kept his eyes carefully away from the massive four poster bed as they went–and into a hallway lit with more red candles, set into heavy candelabras at regular intervals.
He stared down the eerily long corridor, taking in the lack of doors and windows, and then glanced up at Leviathan. Who still had that stupid smile on his face, his eyes full of expectancy.
He began walking down the hall without a word, and Cullen hesitantly trailed after him. His eyes were focused on the archway at the end of the hall. At the thick stairway he could see there.
Down. He thought in relief. Down from whatever terrifying tower they were in. Down and out.
He could run. He could get home. Even if there was nochance of them taking him back. Even if there was no way out of this dimension. Even if it meant death at the hands of his family. It was better than a life doing…whatever it was Leviathan wanted. Better than being his goddamn lapdog.
So he would wait. A chance would come. He would run and hide and escape…somehow…
Leviathan chuckled softly, as if he'd heard the thought. But he said nothing as they walked down the steep stone steps. Cullen kept a hand on the wall for balance as they wound around the staircase. Demon slayer with balance training or not…these steps were ruthless and dangerous. He could easily picture himself slipping and taking them both down with him. And he could just imagine what might happen if he landed in a heap with Leviathan on the floor…
