Here is chapter two! I hope everyone enjoys!

Ravyn

Disclaimer: I do not own else is just a product of my insanity.


She woke to thunder and what could have been Sano – if he was bellowing at the top of his lungs from another room and maybe drunk. Groaning, she turned deeper into the ginger-scented blankets and tried to remember when she had felt this warm. Days. The sounds of wood crackling had her cracking on eye open to stare fuzzily at a cheerful fire while Sano continued to below in the background. Oh damn – she had forgotten. Shaking her head to clear it of the remains of whatever the red-headed demon had put in her tea; she sat up just in time to see Sano go sprawling onto the floor. Kenshin was standing behind him, shaking his head, an amused smile tugging at his lips.

"I told you that was unnecessary and futile. The door was locked for a reason."

"You mother fu-… Kaoru!"

Kaoru blinked at the utter relief in his voice and frowned. It was too early and she didn't have enough caffeine in her bloodstream to translate everything that was going on in front. There was some obvious byplay between the men… but she was more interested in seeing Sano alive in one piece. Relief made her cranky. She could have used another hour of sleep before having to deal with this. Them.

"Sano, what are you doing?"

She didn't miss the slight smile that crossed Kenshin's mouth when she said her friend's name and she glared at him before turning attention back to Sano.

"This," he shoved a thumb at Kenshin. "Demon kicked me in the head, kidnapped you, drugged me and then locked me in the damn room so he could have his way with you!"

Kenshin snorted and stepped over him. "I merely attended to her with my magic, Sano. As you can see, her color is already better."

"Where the hell did you sleep!"

The raised brow was answer enough for Kaoru to squeeze her eyes shut at the sudden pounding headache. Sano snarled and pushed himself up.

"Where exactly…"

"With her. I would think you would be more concerned with how close she was to burning herself out than whatever amusing notions of modesty you are clinging to." Kenshin said flatly. There was a pause and Kaoru reached up to press the heel of her hand to her forehead.

"There is no need to be embarrassed, Kaoru." Kenshin said. "The head of the fire would not have been enough to stabilize your magic last night."

Her eyes flew open and she spluttered. "I didn't need to use you as a blanket!"

He arched a brow. "Kaoru – even if you weren't pulling subconsciously at my magic to heal the deficit of your own, I would have needed to maintain the fire all night. This solved both of our problems quite nicely."

Kaoru fisted her hands in the blankets. "There is more than one way to keep a fire going."

"You needed a real fire, not the kind that comes from magic to heal your fire-beast – that requires wood, not magical flames." His eyes dragged down her body, even hidden in the too-big borrowed clothing she felt naked under that glance. "You do have some of your color back and with a decent meal I won't have to worry about you falling over again."

"Stop looking at her like you want to eat her."

"Sano!"

Amused yellow eyes moved along her face and he turned back into the kitchen area. Sano growled and tried to loom. Bracing her elbows on her thighs she planted her face in her palms and resisted the urge to put herself out of her misery. She still felt tired but to her chagrin she did feel better. She could feel the heat radiating internally from her fire-beast and her personal levels of magic were starting to balance. The rest of it was what made her uncomfortable. She could practically taste the demon magic that was brushing against her skin and her fire-beast was pulling against the heat of the fire as deeply as it was able.

"Oi, missy, you okay?"

Kaoru tilted her head just enough to peer at Sano over the ridge of her thumb and he winced a little, settling himself next to the blankets.

"Right," His eyes cut over to the demon apparently cheerfully putting together a meal. "He do anything…" he waved his hands.

"Not that I'm aware of."

"Oh… that's… good."

Looking heavenward for patience, she finally straightened her spine and sighed.

"What really happened?"

"Just like I said. We came out of the teleportation – I still have to yell at you for that – and we were on the damn mountain. Wanna explain that?"

"He caught the spell and pulled us."

"What?"

Kaoru sighed and shook her head. "Later. Go on."

She could practically feel the curiosity from the demon, even if he was deliberately keeping his back to them.

"Right. Anyway, couldn't go down – Goblins. So I figured we better try to find a cave. Ran into short and red over there," Sano jerked with his thumb to indicate which demon he was referring to. "We got into a scuffle."

"Sano!"

"What? I wasn't about to hand you over to some strange demon who claims that you're his! He was all very fang-y about it."

Kaoru froze. "What?"

The demon – Kenshin, he said his name was Kenshin – apparently took that as a sign to join the conversation. He had put together a platter of bread and soft, white cheese, fruit and what appeared to be salted ham and a jug of water. He calmly stepped over Sano's legs and settled close enough to Kaoru's feet that she could feel the heat of him through the blankets. Apparently unconcerned by the expressions around him, he set about dividing the food onto plates.

"I told him you were mine."

Kaoru ignored the plate he settled onto her lap and the suspicious way Sano was eyeing the water jug. Instead she counted backwards from one hundred in her head to keep from exploding outwards. Sano was smart enough to shove a piece of cheese in his mouth, eyeing her from the corner of his eye while chewing. The red head either didn't have Sano's skill for self-preservation or was unconcerned about her temper. In fact, Kenshin was frowning over at her, golden eyes faintly amused.

"You need to eat."

Taking a deep, deep breath because she hated getting blood out of her hair, she leaned forward and glared at him. "Repeat that."

He arched a brow. "You need to eat."

"The part," the words were hard to force out through locked teeth, but she managed, "where you think I am yours."

"Ah. Food first."

Sano reached over and fisted a hand in the back of her shirt. "Ignore him for now, Missy. If you eat first, you'll have more energy to roast him."

A faint, knowing smile curled the demons mouth and Kaoru stared furiously at him before biting into a piece of bread. Sano nodded his approval and Kenshin seemed unconcerned with either of their byplay. He quickly and neatly went through his food, keeping a close on eye on her as she worked through her own platter. The water tasted normal enough – clean and sweet and she wondered where he found it. Neither of them had touched their mugs until he had, which only seemed to amuse him.

"What do you know about demon mating rituals?"

Sano choked on the bread he was swallowing and Kaoru reached over and pounded him on the back. Kaoru cut a furious glare at him but the lazy, relaxed smile never wavered. He couldn't seriously…

"That had better have been a joke. Because if you tell me that Sano and I are now in your harem because we ate cheese and bread, I am going to shove this plate down your throat.

Mouth curling in genuine amusement, he reached over and grasped her fingers, lifting her palm and turning it so she could stare at the underside of her wrist. It took a moment for her to realize what he was suggesting and she stilled, cautiously testing the oath marks for any influence beyond her fire-beast. There was the usual brush of magic that always reminded her of feathers and talons that could turn to steal the moment she needed it… and there was something else. It felt like a heartbeat.

She was suddenly having a very hard time breathing.

"You created a blood-bind."

"Yes."

The sensation of a band wrapping around her lungs became considerably worse. The fact that to create such a bond he would have to gain the permission of her fire-beast… She squeezed her eyes shut. No wonder her magic was pulling on his and her beast felt comfortable enough to relax in his hearth. He had bound both of them as if she didn't have any defenses – which last night she hadn't. Gulping a little for air, she was startled out of her panic by a warm palm curving along her jaw.

"Breathe."

She jerked out of his hold and scooted back, eyes wide. "Don't… just don't."

"Missy?"

Sano had scooted over sometime during her little moment of panic and she leaned against his shoulder, seeking comfort. Something like temper flickered through those strangely yellow eyes and he let out a breath, eyes narrowing. Sano shifted just enough that his body was between her and the demons and she wrapped her fingers around his wrist, suddenly exhausted. Demon's… demons didn't make bargains like this. They rooted out fire-beasts and took what was left for their purposes. What was this?

"Why?"

Tilting his head so that his bangs shadowed his eyes, Kenshin was silent for several moments.

"Because when I saw you – I knew you."

And that was all she was apparently going to get out of him because he rolled to his feet, gathering the remains of the meal with him and disappearing back into his work area. Kaoru let herself absorb the feeling of Sano for a moment before pushing away from her friend. Dark brown eyes flickered in her direction – a silent question – she shook her no. She was fine for now. Physically. What she was was extremely confused. There was no reason for him to attach himself to the bond she had with her fire-beast. There was some soul magic she would be at risk for if he managed to wiggle his way too deep but the odds that her fire-beast would allow that sort of vulnerability was very small. He had to know that. That was the entire purpose of the soul and magic bonds that were forged by children with elemental power – to keep them safe from accidental burn out and to external bonds with things like demons.

This was dangerous even if it was shallow and she didn't understand. Sano's expression didn't lose its curiosity. It was time to change the subject. Meeting Sano's gaze again, she took a steadying breath. Luckily, she had one at hand.

"Do you think anyone survived the goblins?"

Sano blew out a breath and shoved his hands through his hair, spiking the ends. "I dunno. There were a shit-load of goblins down there but it was that other thing that made me so damn nervous."

Kaoru tucked her brows together. "I had forgotten about that."

"You were a bit worried about saving our skin." He shrugged. "I hadn't seen anything like that before. Whatever it was, it clung to the darker shadows and even the goblins were avoiding it. But look… you're looking tired again. Get some sleep. I'll make sure short and red doesn't bother you, okay? I'll see if my whittling knife survived and stay right here."

Kaoru gave a weak smile. "Find my clothes?"

"See what I can do!"

Ignoring the way she could practically feel Kenshin watching, she curled back under the blankets and closed her eyes.

X

Kenshin ignored the way Sano was watching him as he settled back onto the pallet, book in hand. Kaoru was sleeping too soundly for him to wake her with his presence and he could already feel her magic reaching for his. She felt better today, her magic warmer against his skin. She would need to draw heavily on his for one more night, perhaps two if she continued to deny herself what he offered while she was waking. Her suspicion and unease were cute, but unnecessary. He would have to do something about that when she woke.

"Don't even think about doing something funny just because I can't see magic the way she can."

Kenshin arched a brow and then deliberately turned to his book. It really was such a pity that her ties to this human were so strong. He could already tell keeping him around and alive was going to be a constant source of a headache but he already knew his Kaoru would never allow less. She was stubborn when she chose to be and those eyes of her would probably get her anything she wanted if she used them right.

His eyes flickered to where she was sleeping and a smile curved his lips.

"I mean it. Missy might not be thinking too clearly right now, but I am."

"Is that so?"

Sano pointed his knife at him, eyes glittering. "I'd slit both our throats before I'd let you hurt her."

Kenshin sighed, setting the book down. "I am curious. Both of you have come to the same conclusion about me. What makes you think I plan on hurting her?"

Sano snorted. "Demon."

He shrugged. "I have no apologies for what I am. Since it saved her life, perhaps you should be a little more grateful."

"Yeah, that's why missy came as close to panic as I've ever seen her. Because demon is really code for teddy bear."

"I don't particularly care what conclusions you draw. But you will keep this in mind. She is mine, Sano. Completely. I will let no one interfere with that."

"She ain't going to like that, fuck, I don't like that. Why the hell did you pick her?"

Kenshin shrugged and smiled lazily. "That is between us."

Sano opened his mouth but Kaoru shifted under the covers, burying herself a little tighter in their warmth so that only one hand and the end of her braid was visible. Smirking, Kenshin leaned forward and tangled his fingers with hers. Another wiggling, sleepy motion of her body and she settled as he stroked her knuckles with his thumb. There were scars along the curves of bone and he wondered what it would take for her to tell him their stories. He could feel the human's muscles tensing and he sighed.

Such an unnecessary indulgence, this human man.

"Before you get into a huff – I am acting something like her personal power source while her magic stabilizes. Touching her is completely necessary."

Sano snapped his teeth in frustration. Commenting on the type of touching would only amuse the damn demon. But even he had noticed how much better Kaoru had looked this morning and the fire-beast hadn't flinched at his touch.

Just… fuck.

"What's your name?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"You have mine. Give me a name."

"Battousai."

Fucking creepy name to go with those damn creepy eyes.

He sure hoped Kaoru was up to dealing with this Battousai demon, because he wasn't sure killing them was going to make that much of a difference. At least it sounded like the blood-bind was first level only, if all he could do was offer her power. That meant Kaoru had not returned his offer and there was still a chance to break it. Turning back to his carving, he kept an eye on Battousai, who had picked his book back up and refused to let go of Kaoru's hand.

X

Kaoru studied the landscape of her dream and frowned. She shouldn't have had enough power to do this sort of memory recall. It was the campsite that had been attacked the previous night. Day? Blowing her bangs out of her eyes, she felt the comfortable weight of her fire-beast sitting on her shoulder – which suggested that her beast was behind this. Reaching up with one hand, she stroked its breast feathers for comfort, before moving along carefully through the action. It wasn't often her beast felt the need to interfere like this, but something had been nagging at the back of her mind. Sano's description of that dark space hadn't been enough.

Clearly her fire-beast felt the same if it was helping her look through her memories this closely.

Right. She had and Sano had been standing here. Twisting around carefully, she stared at the space she hadn't gotten a good look at. Leaning forward, she squinted at the shadows as the memory slowly moved. She could just make out the edges and as the memory started to turn, a squiggly line appeared just faintly. That could have been a tentacle…

At the very last corner of the memory a pair of dark red eyes gleamed before she was facing Sano again. Horror rolled through her gut and she jerked herself out of the memory, shooting straight up in the pallet, heart pounding. Eyes wide and unseeing, she didn't really register the heat that settled along her side and shoulders.

Oh no… please no

"Kaoru?"

She snapped her head up. "Tentacles. Did it have tentacles?"

Sano blinked confused eyes at her. "What?"

"The thing you saw, attacking the men. Think Sano!"

He frowned but did as she asked, brows furring as he considered her words. Slowly he nodded.

"Yeah, I think so. I kept hearing the men screaming and one of them might have been dragged forward on his back so… it's possible."

She swore and dropped her head into hands. The heat along her body shifted and she squeaked when she was suddenly dragged backwards, blankets and all, and deposited into what was most definitely a lap. Going still, she swallowed as long fingers tangled in the hair at the back of her neck.

"Here I thought I wouldn't have to lecture you on the use of magic in your condition."

There was a bite in that tone and warm lips pressed against her ear. Heat flushed through her system and she jerked, attempting to escape. His arms refused to budge and she swallowed as he pressed her up against his chest.

"It wasn't my magic."

Problem one: Sano was being way too silent for her liking. She could move to glare at him, but it was clear that there had been a conversation while she was asleep and now she wasn't getting the expected explosion.

"Then why are you trembling?"

Problem two: he felt wonderful. Male body aside, his magic was hot enough to burn and it twisted around her in those honey-thick strands that clung to all the weak places in her shields. Fact was, even if the sun wasn't hidden behind the moon she would be drawn to the feel of his magic much less the easy way he had trapped her against him.

"Let go."

"No."

Taking a deep breath, she considered slapping at him. What she really wanted to do was melt up against him and drink in what he was offering but she wasn't sure that wouldn't be considered encouragement – something she didn't want to give – and there was a much, much bigger problem.

Fine.

They'd do it his way.

"There is a soul eater on this damn mountain."

The muscles under her cheek tightened with sudden tension. To her relief he allowed her the wiggle room necessary to get off his lap and back onto the thick pillows she had been lying on. Lifting her eyes to his face, she almost wished she hadn't. Before his eyes had been a strange yellow-gold, but they had paled to sun-kissed wheat and they burned.

"You sure missy?" Sano's voice was tight with tension and she managed to look away from Kenshin to nod.

"Yes." She swallowed. "Something about that night kept bothering me so we went back and looked at it. It makes a sick kind of sense. The eclipse ends in three days and we've just been throwing bodies at it. It's probably been hiding itself under the goblin signatures, eating at any soldiers it can find and building itself the base of its gate."

"Shit."

She took another deep breath. "It's probably in one of the goblin caves and it's probably using the goblins to protect itself if it's already drained them. It might've come through right in the middle of their nest, that's why we didn't detect it."

Sano tugged on his hair, "Which means we have to go through them to get to it. Just… fuck."

"I beg your pardon?" Kenshin's voice was mild but there was an edge like a blade.

Kaoru reluctantly turned her attention to the demon sprawled out next to her.

"You wish to go through empty-goblins and the remains of their nest to a soul eater with your magic in its current condition."

"I don't wish anything." Kaoru said flatly. She held her wrist to show the harsh white lines. "I have to. It's part of my oaths as a fire-elemental. Soul eaters are vulnerable to fire. It's why they wait for eclipses to build the bridges from our world to theirs, to bring their families. Unfortunately, this one has had four days to build its power base."

"Don't forget the goblins." Sano snapped.

"And it appears to have taken control of the goblins." Kaoru agreed.

There was a shift in Kenshin and the lazy strokes of his magic became thick, wrapping around her body so suddenly that she gasped for air. It sank deep, pushing against barriers she had wrapped in place and she struggled to keep him out.

"Leave us."

To Kaoru's shock, she felt Sano move and she swallowed back her instinctive demand to make him stay. Kenshin moved forward and he wrapped her braid around his wrist, forcing her neck to arch. His lips were hot as they ghosted along the column of her throat, teeth lightly grazing.

"And you think you will just go and kill this thing without the sun to aid you."

His hand shifted to support her spine and she swallowed – both at his touch and the way he kept pressing down on her magic. He was… "I have no choice."

Hot and wet – his tongue flicked against her skin and her eyes squeezed shut. The hand at her spine slid down to the curve of her butt, lingering before he squeezed and lifted her so that she was sprawled across the length of his lap, back flat against the floor as he stared down at her as she took quick, shallow breaths.

"You think I will allow this?"

She jerked her chin up, set her magic heels and shoved at the magic binding them. It stopped, waiting and his eyes glimmered at her. Why was he touching her like this?

"I do not need your permission to uphold my oaths, demon. And stop touching me."

He leaned down, hair sliding against her cheek. "You are mine."

She lifted her wrist, shoving it in front of him. "What does this mean to you?"

He blinked, clearly surprised by her choice of words. She glared up at him, ignoring the way his magic continued to circle her – like one of the fish with the big teeth.

"This is a physical representation of my oaths. This is why I am what I am. You decided to mark it without my permission and whether you realize it or not, that means you accepted what I am. Fire elementals were created to kill soul eaters the way water elementals were created to kill desert dragons, the way air elementals battles drakes. Do not test me on this."

He lifted his hand, scrapping his calloused fingers down her palm and then traced the white lines; lingering at the point his magic bound her. Her heart started to hammer in her ears and he lifted his eyes to her face, watching her from beneath his lashes as he pulled her wrist to the warmth of his mouth. Sharp fangs grazed along her skin and she inhaled deeply, shivering at the quick rasp of his tongue. If she hadn't tested the bonds herself she would have sworn he had done more than make a simple offering. It… stung to know she was physically this attracted to a demon who she knew had no scruples and yet here she was, trying not to react to the brush of his tongue.

He licked again, just to watch the way her pupils widened until the blue was little more than a thin ring of color. Pressing his lips to the soft skin, he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply before speaking.

"Your soul belongs to me. I will be displeased if you allow this… creature to harm it."

She opened her mouth to reply – her soul belonged to her oaths and her beast – but he leaned down, pressing his lips to hers. She jerked a little in surprise at the first stroke of his tongue against hers and barely held back a moan when he did it again. His kiss was all possession and fire and wonderful. The exploration was lazy for all the heat in his touch. She was vaguely aware of his magic settling where she had stopped it, a thick barrier just beneath her skin that warmed her more fully than even the fire. When he finally pulled back she was breathing hard and she couldn't quite find the words to yell at him.

Kenshin could read the confusion in her eyes. The way she had reacted to his touch and his magic was all the remaining proof he had needed. He had been right to latch onto what he could that day in the desert… not yet mate, but the possibility was there. Lingering in the shadows behind her eyes and the way she responded to him. The way she settled him, this was more than the partnership he had original suspected might lie between them and whatever lingering doubts that this one belonged to him in every way, settled. Her magic called, his answered. She was his. Reaching out, he traced the line of her jaw and opened his mouth to speak when a fist hammered on the front door.

"You two better be done it's started to rain again!"

"We will finish this conversation later, then." Kenshin promised.

Kaoru swallowed as he stood and headed to a place she couldn't see, a door snapping open. Sano stomped in, hair wet and spiking in a million different directions, his expression cranky.

"We've got a problem. The goblins are moving up along the southern ridge. I think they're looking for you."

"They will have difficulty finding her." Kenshin's voice was back and she turned to see that he was back in the kitchen. Where had he gone and why… she reached up to rub her eyes.

"What makes you think that, Battousai?"

Kaoru jerked at the sound of Kenshin's other name, eyes widening. Amused honey-yellow eyes met hers. Challenge.

Surely she had heard wrong?

"This is my territory. Even goblins will find it difficult to track her to this cottage. The soul eater will be in no hurry to challenge me. Not until the end of the eclipse when it believes it will have the advantage of numbers."

Battousai… he was… she sucked in a breath and shoved herself to her feet, any lingering confusion disappearing under a wave of anger. That was impossible. Battousai had scars. She remembered. Her fire-beast snapped in the fire and then disappeared, reappearing in her soul-pocket. Fists clenching, she stared down the redhead.

"Your name is Battousai?"

"It is a nickname," he returned with an amused smile. "I gave you my real name, Kaoru."

She dug her nails into her palms. He wasn't just a demon! He was a demon that she actually knew the name of and that bothered her. Where had she heard it? It had to be from the Temple and the Temple did not concern itself with small, inferior demons.

"This was all some kind of game to you, isn't it?"

The amusement left his face. "No."

"What? You were just going to show up and save us and then help us with the soul eater? Then what?" She ground her teeth together. Was she was supposed to lead him back to where he could do the most damage, right in the heart of a City to the Temple? She had almost believed him. For that one second

He paced forward, eyes narrowed into slits. "To be sure I plan on going with you to face your little problem, Kaoru. You will need me and I will not give it what is mine. But if you think for a single moment that this has anything to do with you and your precious mage temple… you are mistaken."

She flinched at his accurate reading of her.

"Liar."

He hissed, the sound like water hitting hot stone. She held her ground as he bared his teeth.

"I have never lied to you."

She shoved her uncertainty aside and glared right back.

"Then what is this? Demons do not hunt because they simply met someone's gaze on a crowded street!"

He backed her into a wall, slamming his hands on either side of her face, leaning close.

"Because when you looked at me you saw – not the demon, but underneath. And I saw you. The brightness of your soul and the possibilities between us; this is not a hunt, Kaoru, because I have already decided to keep you. You are mine."

She lifted her chin. She would not be intimidated by him. "You cannot tell me that you decided all this with one look or that I am expected to agree."

"That is all any of my kind needs."

"I don't believe you."

Leaning forward, he caught her gaze and dared her. "Open up."

She jerked back. "What?"

The edges of his mouth curled, mocking and somehow triumphant "Open to me completely and find out."

Her brows shot up and he pressed a finger to her lips before she could comment. Something hot curled through his eyes. "I will not do more than touch and by my oath and magic; I will leave you exactly as you are now."

If he broke his word it would shatter him. Trap. This had to be some sort of trap… but if he was going to go with them she had to know. But why was he offering this? Surely he didn't expect her to believe him and… soul magic was dangerous…

He smiled, fangs glittering in the firelight. "Unless you're afraid I am right."

She stared up at him, meeting his gaze.

Sano said nothing.

Shutting her eyes, she threw herself inward until she felt the presence of her fire-beast. The world behind her eyelids was a terrain of mostly darkness and the careful, twisted webs she had created to protect herself from exactly what she was letting this demon do. She swallowed and opened herself up just a crack, letting him hover on the edges of her soul. For a long while, nothing happened. Then she felt him move.

It felt like she was drowning in fire and light. He brushed against her as lightly as he promised and it felt like heaven. It wrapped around her core and her magic, warming her and leaving her with the feeling of right and for just a moment she hovered – wrapped up in him and his magic. Safe. Then he pulled back, tugged each individual strand of his soul that had wound around her away. She felt empty and chilled in a way that not even the lack of sun had ever managed.

Hot lips pressed under her ear. "Mine."


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