Chapter 9- Visitors

"Your half brother..." I trail off, hoping if I act clueless he'll drop the subject and we can get out of bed. I really don't want to have this conversation with him right now, if ever. I remember waking up in his arms for mere moments while he carried me from Rin's room. It'd been too dark for me to fully see him and I'd been too drowsy to recognize him. The person I'd seen was Inuyasha. I'd called him Inuyasha.

"Don't play dumb, miko. Inuyasha" he glances away before looking at me again through narrowed eyes "you called me his name before when I was carrying you."

"Look, Sesshomaru, it's personal. There was a time when I thought we'd be together, when I wanted us to be together. Something happened and things changed ok? Maybe I'll tell you the whole story sometime, but today is not that day. Can we please just drop it?" when he only stares at me, narrowing his eyes further, I add; "I'm really hungry and the others will be waiting for us in the dining hall."

As if to prove my point, my tummy rumbles loudly and Sesshomaru glances down at it.

"That" he says, poking my stomach "is a human thing."

"The constant need for food?" I ask, pushing at his chest so that I can get up. He turns and flops down on his back next to me on the bed. He continues to watch me as I get out of bed and walk over to the dresser containing my clothes. The clothes that only contain the western colors on them. I choose one that's red with a white inu at the bottom tipping its head back to look as though it's howling.

"No. The strange sound your stomach just made."

"Ah. Hope my human tendencies aren't too horrible and disdainful in the company of the great Lord of the West" I tease him.

"Miko."

"Hm?" I turn with the garment in my arms and look at him in confusion. He smirks.

"My colors suit you. And This Sesshomaru assures you he does not mind your human tendencies."

I blush and lower my eyes.

"Thanks" I mumble quietly.

I move to the hot springs to get ready for the day. When Sesshomaru moves to follow me, I blush once more before turning to look at him with a serious face.

"Sleeping next to me is one thing. But I will be bathing alone."

He stares at me for several moments.

"Hn" he tilts his head up and for a moment I worry that he'll try to enter with me anyway. I give him my fiercest glare and refuse to back down on the issue. I'll purify him before he joins me in the baths. Apparently my worry is for nothing, because he simply makes the noise once more before turning on his heel and walking out.

"Men! Doesn't matter if they're demon, human, or half-demon" I mutter to myself as I enter the steam filled room and begin the process of getting ready for the day. I have no idea what the next challenge will be, but I'm determined to beat the others for Sesshomaru. Maybe he doesn't want me for a mate, only his beast, but I'll damn sure compete as good as I can, push myself to the limit, to make sure the others are proven unfit to be the Lady of the West.

Finished getting ready, I leave my room and stop by Rin's to see if she's headed there already. To my relief she's just bounding out the door with a servant right behind her. When she spots me, she squeals loudly before throwing herself at my legs, her arms wrapping around my waist.

"Good morning pretty lady! Rin loved the story you told her last night!" she says excitedly. The servant looks at me with wide eyes before turning her full attention back to Rin.

"Come, Rin. We must get to the dining hall" she moves to grab Rin from my side but I wave her off with a smile.

"I'll take her. She can help me find my way there faster than I would get there on my own anyway."

The servant looks uncertain before bowing and turning to leave.

I go to brush Rin's cheek but she flinches back and her eyes go wide. Confused about her reaction, I look closer at her cheek and notice the slight difference in color from the rest of her fair skin. Frowning, I crouch down to her level and put my hand on her shoulder to keep her still. Once more i reach for her cheek but this time instead of softly stroking it, like I had planned to do before, I rub at her cheek roughly. Something rubs off on my fingers and when I move my hand away I see that her cheek is bruised badly, as though she'd been struck hard. I gasp and my eyes swiftly move to look at hers but she avoids looking at me, tears pooling in her usually cheerful orbs.

"Who. Did. This?" I ask her through gritted teeth.

"Please, lady Kagome. I-it's not new. It's happened before. Can we just go eat, please?"

"Who?" I don't yell at her, instead I keep my voice low and I take notice that her lips are trembling. Tears are streaking down her face as she sniffles before answering me.

"M-mizuki" she sobs. I take her in my arms and rub my hands softly up and down her back, making cooing noises and trying to comfort her.

"Does lord Sesshomaru know of this, Rin?" I ask her softly. She's done crying and instead just sobs into my shoulder.

"N-No."

"He's about to" I tell her confidently.

She moves back to look at me and I see her tears have washed away and smudged the rest of whatever was used to cover the mark. Giving her a small smile I move to stand up, taking her hand in mine and letting her lead the way. We make it there and the second we enter Sesshomaru glances first at me, then down to Rin. I know when his gaze lands on the mark because his eyes narrow in anger and flash red and he's standing before her in the blink of an eye.

"Rin" he addresses her coldly and she flinches slightly before tilting her head up and meeting his gaze.

"Lord Sesshomaru?" she asks him uncertainly.

"Who did this?"

I notice Mizuki glare over at Rin from her seat and I quickly move so that I'm blocking her view. I give Mizuki a glare of my own, challenging her to do something, anything. I feel like a snake. Coiled and ready to strike at the first sign of movement.

"Mizuki, my lord" I hear Rin say. I watch Mizuki's eyes turn red the moment the words leave Rin's lips.

My body tenses even more as Mizuki stands from her seat. I gather reiki in my palm but before she can take a step towards us, Sesshomaru appears before her, and he grabs her roughly by the neck. His eyes have stayed red and he growls low in his throat at her. She's visibly shaking and soon she starts clawing at his arm, desperately needing to breathe. He tosses her to the side and she lands at the feet of the guard that's always standing by the door that leads to a hallway I haven't had the chance to explore yet.

"Keep her in the dungeons." he says coldly, his mask back in place once more.

I watch the guard take her and move to take my seat, Rin following me closely and settling into the chair next to me once more. Sesshomaru glances at the door we came in and turns his nose up before walking to his seat at the head of the table once more, his gaze remaining fixed on the door. The others at the table are staring at the door Mizuki was dragged through with looks of disbelief and anger. Only the northern princess does not have any expression at all and I glare at her when she turns to look over at me and Rin. She merely glares back at me before her gaze lowers to fixate on Rin and I see the calculating look she has as she looks from Rin to Sesshomaru and back again.

Soon I hear loud footsteps and my breath catches in my throat before I bow my head, trying to appear unnoticeable when I see who it is that Sesshomaru must have smelled earlier stomp through the door.

"Heard you were finally taking a mate and that even the Shikon Miko was participating in the Rights. Had to come see who it was because the true Shikon Miko is with me."

Inuyasha.


Sorry this chapter is a little shorter than the rest, and that it took me so long to update it. I've had a headache since I got up and just didn't feel like getting on the computer for a while. When I finally did get on to start on this chapter and hopefully finish it tonight, Word decided not to work for me and I didn't really have the patience to try fixing it. SO, sorry for the late update, and that Kagome hasn't told Sessh her past yet like some of you were looking forward to- tried to do a little better and have him show up. Hope you like it!