Kuros

Kuros read her mind like the evil creature he was. He attempted to sniff out dirty secrets, haunting pasts, and childhood scars; but all the effort resulted in no output. All he saw was the face of her child. A young boy with a bright smile and a handsome face.

Troubled with her purity and the unidirectional nature of her thoughts, he pulled back from her mind and frowned. The tranquilizing effect he had put on her began to fade. Her eyes regained focus and her irises shrunk as the darkness of the kitchen gave way to white light. Kuros knew it was his last chance to coerce a wish from her. She would be too rational without the influence of dark magic. If he failed, the consequence of this on his perfect record could be devastating and reputation-ruining. How could he let this taint his glorious past? It was impossible to believe that he could have lost his touch in a mere three year absence from Earth.

"Tell me, Yuki," Kuros growled, using assertion to push her to the edge. "Your child needs your attention. I'll give you money."

"Money?" Yuki tilted her head and addressed the demon.

“Yes... money. So you won't have to work."

Yuki began to sweat. It was an indication of her conscious mind coming out of the coma-like state Kuros' demonic arrival had put her into. The moment she opened her mouth to answer him, Kuros pressed forward, eagerness evident in his actions. He waited for the words to come out of her mouth with narrowed eyes and vigilant ears. She'll wish any time now...

"Shit, the chicken!" Yuki shouted, breaking their eye contact. She caught the glimpse of the overflowing water from the pot of boiling chicken and ran to switch off the gas.

A mix of anger and disappointment filled Kuros. He curled his fists and tried to maintain is composure. Was chicken more important than him? In a wild gesture he was unfamiliar with, Kuros grabbed her hand and swiveled her body towards him. The electric jolt halted Yuki in her steps and she gasped, facing the demon. It wasn't fear that lighted her eyes, though.

With a wicked tilt to her lips, she whispered, "I know what I need."

Kuros smirked, finally getting what he wanted. "Your wish is my command, Yuki."

"I can't afford a babysitter. Become Yuu-chan's best babysitter."

*

As the notes of Yuki’s lullaby came to an end, Kuros, standing in the shadows of the hallway, opened his eyes. Leaning against the ancient wall, he released a sigh. A break from his suspension. But for what? An alpha demon like him, and he would be serving the likes of a human? As a babysitter?

The possibility of him doing so was so rare and laughable, so eccentric, and weird, and out of place, that Kuros was going out of his mind to find a way out of this contract. He needed her to wish for something to maintain his perfect record.

But what did she wish for? Kuros grumbled to himself.

Not fame, money or even... sex (surprising, since she reeked of unsatisfied female hormones), but a... babysitter.

How could this have happened? How was this mortal able to get him out of the Underworld? He was banned from Earth. What ritual did she perform that it broke even the Council’s order? Kuros tightened his fist. He wasn't one to let a mystery go unsolved.

Slowly, steadily, he reached out through black magic and touched her mind. Whatever happened was in there. A record of her memory. Closing his eyes, he took her memories back to four hours ago and tried to coax out the truth. He felt resistance for the first few minutes, but her walls broke down as she fell into a slumber. Kuros felt her breathing go even and he joined her dreamlike recall of the evening.

“Mama! Mama! Look.” Yuu came running into the kitchen. His hands were dirty, the nails crusted with mud, and his small palms carried a bunch of dried and shriveled leaves in his hand. Something like old parsley or mint. Nothing Yuki recognized.

“Where did you get this, Yuu-chan?” she asked.

“It’s a secret.”

Yuki gave him a disapproving look, shook her head and bent down to ruffle Yuu’s hair. He protested and moved his head away, just for a moment, before letting her embrace him. She laughed when he tried to wiggle out of her tight hug. Taking the leaves from him, she asked, “What do you want to do with this?”

“Chop. Chop. Chop.” Yuu jumped around and made a ruckus in the kitchen.

Yuki titled her head at the odd request “But you can’t eat it,” she warned.

“I won’t, I won’t!”

“Fine, wash your hands first.” Yuki got up, taking the dried leaves from him, and took the knife out of the drawer. She glanced down at Yuu, who watched her with a grin on his face. “Go wash it.”

“After, please? Are you done?” Yuu pulled on her long skirt, attempting to look at the counter with his limited vision. He tugged again, harder this time, and called out, “Mama?”

The suddenness of his movement pulled Yuki towards him, and her knife swiveled downwards, scraping the end of her thumb. She stared at the cut for a moment. It tuned a little white. Then, unexpectedly, blood rushed out from the wound and bled into the dried leaves, soaking them in the wet goriness.

Yuu’s eyes widened. He grew silent as his mother yelped and backed away from her. Closing his eyes, he shouted, “Sorry, mama!” and ran into the bedroom to find the medical kit for her.

As he disappeared around the corner, a new figure emerged in the centre of the kitchen, coming out from the dark depths of the underworld. A chill went down Yuki’s neck as she turned to find a lonesome, beautiful, dark creature standing a foot away from her.

“Good evening, lady. I'm Kuros. At your service.” Kuros bowed, a polite bow, but his shoulders and back remained stiff. He looked up, his eyes meeting Yuki’s for the first time. True horror crawled up her neck and she prepared to scream. But before she could do that, a slight smirk appeared on the figure’s face and next thing she knew she had performed an ancient ritual. Brought the demon to Earth and then assigned him to be Yuu-chan’s babysitter.