Hiei came awake with the worst pain throbbing in his temple that he had ever experienced; And he had experienced a lot of pain. Last night slowly came to the front of his mind starting with that blasted pixie sending him over to the bar. Yeah, it had all gone downhill after that.
He had talked with Vaislen for a while before playing some stupid game with him and Avidan. That hadn't been Hiei's brightest idea and telling by the pain in his head, he was going to make the two wolves pay dearly; And Jen.
He froze as the last of the night came back to him and he became aware of the weight and warmth against his side. With a snarl, Hiei pushed her away from him and jumped out of bed, the increased throbbing of pain only fueling his anger more. Jen glanced around confused before looking up at him, eyes widening as she noticed he had no clothes on and she looked down with a blush. "U-Uhm-" she stuttered before he growled at her.
"What the Hell did you do to me?"
She looked up, pain pulling at the sides of her eyes. "You don't remember?"
With a growl, he lunged, pulling her up and pushing her against the wall by her throat. "Of course I remember, you did something to me so that I would allow it."
Her eyes widened a little before they narrowed and he felt her anger rise to meet his. "I didn't do shit to you. You did all of that yourself. If you want something to blame, blame the damn alcohol, but don't you Dare accuse me of doing Anything but giving you something freely."
Jen went to move away but his grip tightened around her throat, her energy snapped around them. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he remembered one of the bandits who raised him telling him to never corner a wolf-demon, or most any demon related to a predatory animal, but he hardly cared at this point. Jen didn't even know how to control her energy anyway. The worst she could do to him was scratch him with her claws.
Pulling out of those thoughts, he contemplated what she said. Giving me something freely? "Why?"
Jen huffed, continuing to push against him before meeting his glare evenly. "Because everyone deserves to experience being cared for. Even selfish, jaded, stubborn assholes like you."
She punctuated the end of her statement by slamming her hands against his chest in anger, the energy crackling around them stinging his chest. Between being stunned by what she said and not expecting her to really do much damage to him, he wasn't prepared and she actually pushed him back and broke out of his hold and left through the window beside them.
Now alone in his room, he became aware of the pain in his head again and the slight stinging sensation that remained where she had hit him. The woman really did have a great deal of power, but it was useless because she had no idea how to use it.
With a growl, he slammed his fist into the wall. Not hard enough to damage it, but enough to feel the slightest bit of relief so he could take a shower instead of going after her to beat the hell out of her for how she made him feel.
He sighed slightly as the hot water tumbled over his shoulders, releasing a small amount of tension. After washing up and feeling slightly better from the shower, he wrapped a towel around his waist and used his energy to dry his hair as he walked out of the bathroom.
He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Leta, her blue etheral form sitting cross-legged on his bed, bouncing up and down slightly. Great, just what I need.
"Why so frazzled, boo," she asked with a sing-songy voice.
What did she just call him? He shook his head slightly and mumbled. "Nothing."
Leta laughed softly as Hiei made his way to the closet to grab his clothes. "You can't lie to me, Hiei. I know what's in your heart."
He turned and nearly crashed through Leta, floating in front of him at eye-level. She placed her hand over his heart. His eyes widened as that warm feeling returned to his chest. "Unfortunately, I don't think you know what's in your heart."
She dropped her hand but remained infront of him as she spoke. "I can't stay long, but I felt I should tell you. The ancestors were not actually happy to find out that Jen-Jen will eventually mate with you in the distant future. I get the feeling that they are doing this to try to push the two of you apart. Both of you need to be careful."
Hiei arched a skeptical brow. "If the ancestors are not happy with it, then why are you going against them?"
Leta looked down in sadness. "I had always wished I had the courage my sister did. She always stood up for what she believed in, no matter what everyone else said or did. Even when she felt completely alone, she held her head up and didn't give in."
She smiled sadly. "Even when she was wrong, she didn't give in," she continued as she looked up at him, sadness in her eyes. "When I died, I had been so scared, I couldn't even move. Even though I could hear voices telling me to run, I just fell down and closed my eyes, crying; Waiting for the nightmare to be over."
Leta sighed as she turned away. "Jen-Jen wouldn't have done that. She would have fought with everything she had until they stole her final breath from her." She turned back to him with a small glimmer of hope in her eyes. "I guess I'm just trying to stand up for the right thing for once."
Hiei was slightly taken back by the young girl's story. Despite being six, she seemed to hold a great deal more of wisdom since she died. "How do you know that this is what is right," he asked.
Leta smiled as she floated back over to him. "Because I like to think that you are good for my Jen-Jen. You make her feel happy even when she should be sad. You give her strength when hers fails. You make her think about more than just herself too."
And I just kicked her out of my room for trying to do something for me. Hiei sighed and turned away. "I highly doubt that any of that is my doing."
Leta giggled, which caused him to turn and look at her questioningly. "You will see for yourself. But don't let the council push the two of you into anything. They may try to drive you apart by pushing you into something too quickly. Both you and Jen-Jen need time to understand just what it is you feel for each other. Time to develop and to come to terms with it. Do as you would do normally and things will fall into place."
With another giggle, Leta floated forward and wrapped her arms around Hiei's neck. He was a little less shocked by the gesture and warmth it held this time and wrapped an arm around her tiny figure before she disappeared and there was nothing but air in front of him. I don't think I will ever get used to that, he thought to himself with a sigh and dressed.
After a few moments, there was a knock on his door. With a frown Hiei opened the door to find Kurama at his door, looking a little more worried than normal. "Hiei, have you seen Jen?"
With an arched brow Hiei responded. "Why would I know where the she-wolf is?"
Kurama tensed a little and Hiei sensed the fox getting a little agitated. "Because she spent the night in your room before she disappeared a little while ago."
Though his voice had remained calm, Hiei could tell the fox's patience was wearing thin. "Hn. I don't know where she went after she left," he said, answering him honestly.
Kurama sighed, staring out the window. "Did anything happen between you two?"
"Hn. I don't believe that is any of your business, Fox."
Clearly used to this type of response, Kurama nodded slightly and turned to leave.
Hiei wordlessly followed him out to where the rest were gathered, shifting anxiously as they discussed a possible search party for the princess.
Vaislen's voice came out from the corner. "There is no reason to send out a search party. Jen has gone after her mother."
Everyone turned to him and Yusuke tilted his head to the side. "How do you know that is what she did?"
Vaislen arched a brow. "Logic," he said simply and continued after a pause. "That and she stopped by before she left to let me know."
Avidan frowned. "Why would she tell you and not any of us?"
Kurama sighed. "Probably because she knew Vaislen would be the only one who wouldn't try to stop her."
The room shifted uncomfortably. Yusuke shook his head. "We have to go after her."
The wolves seemed uneasy about that idea. "Jen can handle herself," Vaislen finally said.
Yusuke huffed. "I have seen Mukuro's lands. She keeps that place pretty well staffed with guards. She will be lucky if she makes it past the gate alive."
Vaislen shook his head slightly. "They will keep her alive. They will even deliver her straight to her mother. Carlotta has been waiting for Jen to finally show up for a long time. It is why they sent Makya and Terrance back so brutally beaten. Mukuro and Carlotta want to draw Jen out to attack them out of anger. And now she is going to do just that."
Hiei flinched. Jen was walking right into their trap, and if he knew anything about his ruthless boss, it was that her torture for the she-wolf would not be light. Deep in thought, he hadn't noticed Yusuke approach him.
Without warning, he grabbed Hiei up by the front of the shirt. "Listen to me, Hiei. If you even think about telling Mukuro that Jen is coming, I swear I will beat the Hell out of you and-"
Vaislen cut him off. "Hiei didn't notify Mukuro."
Yusuke looked at Vaislen with wide-eyes, and Hiei assumed he had the same look on his face. "How do you know," Yusuke asked.
"Just a feeling about the guy, I guess," he said, with a smirk to Hiei.
Yusuke let him go with a huff. "Come on, we need to go."
Kurama and Kuwabara nodded and Hiei simply turned and walked away. "Don't get killed. I'd hate to have to tell Mukuro that I had to kill all her men because they pissed me off," Hiei said as he walked.
"What's that supp-" Yusuke cut off Kuwabara.
Yusuke wasn't entirely sure what surprised him more. The fact that Hiei hadn't told Mukuro about the coming attack, or that he actually told them to not get killed. With a smile, Yusuke left to prepare. Hiei had changed so much, and it seemed he was only changing more.
He still couldn't figure out how Jen had managed to spend two nights now with the fire demon over the months they had been there. He shook his head and focused on the task at hand as he met up with Kuwabara and Kurama at the gate. He figured Hiei was somewhere in the distance, and he didn't doubt he was on his way to Mukuro's as well.
At the gate, Koenma actually appeared. He seemed a little annoyed so Yusuke didn't push it too much. Without a word he created a portal and Yusuke frowned. Finally, the Prince spoke. "I'm supposed to give you a portal straight to Mukuro's lands."
Yusuke's frown increased. "By who? And Why?"
Koenma sighed. "I'm not supposed to tell you and because Jen needs your help. No doubt Hiei has already created his own portal with the device Mukuro gave him to enter her lands. You need to hurry."
Not wasting anymore time, Yusuke waved a thanks to Koenma and jumped in, Kurama and Kuwabara close behind.
Jen came awake slowly, her entire body throbbing. On high alert, Jen cracked her eyes open, looking around without moving as she tried to figure out where she was. Chains were wrapped around her arms and neck and secured to the ground. Based on the look of the length, Jen assumed she couldn't manage much more than a crouch. The chains were too short to allow her to stand.
With a growl, she sat up, the increase in pain pulsing through her body as she moved. Slowly, everything came back to her. She had arrived at Mukuro's only to find there were no guards and the door was wide open. She had been cautious, but not enough as thousands of demons swarmed on her.
The first few waves had gone okay, but the demons kept getting up, becoming stronger than before. It wasn't long after that, that Jen had been beaten down and she blacked out. Apparently, death hadn't been what was in store for her.
A door off to the side opened and two demons came in. She growled as they got closer. Not paying much attention to her, one started to pick up the chains. With the chains in hand, he pulled on them, Jen getting ready to lunge before freezing instantly. The crack of electricity sang through the air as the other demon waved an electrical rod in front of her in warning. With another growl, she got up and followed them.
It seemed they led her to a throne room of sorts, where Mukuro was waiting, lounging in a large chair. Carlotta was standing next to her, a rather smug look on her face. With a snarl, Jen launched after Carlotta but the chains yanked her back and slammed her into the ground.
Mukuro watched as the two demons attached the chains to the ground again and stepped back. "So you are what my little fire demon has been keeping himself busy with. To think he actually disobeys me for you."
Jen growled. "Hiei had no idea that I was coming. He didn't disobey."
Mukuro laughed low in her throat. "No, but he withheld details on the last attack when you sent those two mutts to me and has been ignoring my summons since. His scent is all over you too."
Jen's eyes widened. Had he really done that? It was then that Carlotta stepped forward, a look of sadness in her eyes. "I had such high hopes for you, Jenista. Why couldn't you have just done what you were told?"
Jen bit down on her snarl, waiting for Carlotta to get close enough. Once she did, she lashed her hand out, putting three distinct and deep cuts across Carlotta's cheek. With a shriek, Carlotta hit Jen across the face, sending her flying as far as the chains would allow. There was a growl in the corner. "Let her go, Mukuro," Hiei spoke from where the growl had come.
When the Hell did he get here? "I am pleased to see you finally answered my summons, Hiei. I was beginning to think I would need to find another to replace you and have you killed. Though it seems I still have to," she said.
Her voice seemed a little sad at the end, but otherwise held no emotion. "But enough. Guards, seize him."
Two guards appeared near Hiei and he fought against them, but as they did before, they only got stronger until they were able to restrain Hiei and brought him to stand beside Jen. "Put him on the wall. I would like for them to see each other tortured. I would like you to find Yukina for me as well. She will most likely be in Aerisia. Bring her to me."
The two guards chained Hiei to the wall across from Jen before nodding and disappearing from the room. Hiei snarled and fought against the chains. "Don't touch her," he spoke with such ferrosity that it caused Jen to shiver slightly.
Mukuro seemed unphased as she laughed. "Don't worry. Yukina won't be here for a while."
Mukuro formed an orb of energy on her finger tip and touched it to Hiei's cheek. Hiei tensed slightly, but gave no other hint that he had been in pain. With a huff, Mukuro turned and threw the orb at Jen.
The highly concentrated blast of energy burned into Jen's side. She hissed in pain. Mukuro tilted her head thoughtfully as she looked between the two. "I suppose neither of you are really going to break under physical pain, are you?"
It was then that Carlotta stepped forward. "Let me give Jenista a try. I'm sure I can pull a few screams out of her."
Jen scoffed. "What makes you think you could do anything that the guards could not?"
Carlotta only raised an eyebrow. "Bring out Asher."
Jen froze, looking up at her mother with wide eyes as a guard brought in her younger brother. His body was bruised and bloodied from several beatings and Jen's vision dimmed as she snarled at Carlotta, pulling against the chains even harder. Without flinching Carlotta stared at Jen with emotionless eyes. "Kill him."
With a scream, Jen pulled even harder against the chains, her energy snapping through out the room as the guard pulled a knife and held it to Asher's throat. It was then that Carlotta stepped forward and buried a knife to its hilt into Jen's chest. Pain seized her entire body as she felt her strength quickly dropping. She heard Hiei snarl, yelling out in anger, but everything sounded distant. She could hear Mukuro curse foully at Carlotta, saying something about creating another Venatore.
Without warning, a massive power flooded the room, a black blur moving faster than she could track shot through the room, killing all but one guard. The blur stopped behind Mukuro and she seemed to freeze entirely. Jen tried to focus on the man standing behind Mukuro, but couldn't quite make him out. "Release them, Mukuro."
Jen recognized his voice but couldn't quite place it. Carlotta shrieked and started to move towards Mukuro, but she threw her hand out, causing Carlotta to fly across the room and land in the corner unconscious. "You heard him. Release them, now."
Jen vaguely felt the chains retracting from around her wrists and neck. After a few moments, she saw Hiei knelt in front of her. His face was blurred slightly as he turned her over, and she could swear she saw a look of concern in his eyes. "Asher," she managed to force out. "Get Asher."
He nodded slightly and left from her vision. A distant crash sounded and she could hear several people enter the room. Despite everything, Jen forced herself to focus on the man who had come to their rescue. Dressed entirely in black with sunglasses covering his eyes, Jen's breath caught in her throat.
Salvatore.
Only it wasn't Salvatore. He was different. His energy was darker, more menacing, and black tribal markings covered the left side of his face. He is part of the Venatore now. A hunter. And that meant only one thing. Salvatore had died. That being the last thought in her mind, Jen slipped into the blackness.
Yusuke cursed as he looked down at Jen, the hilt of a dagger still protruding from the center of her chest. "We need to get her back to Aerisia for Genkai and Yukina to heal her," he said as he looked around. His eyes widened on the man behind Mukuro. He looked just like Salvatore, only black markings covered the entire left side of his face and his energy sent a shiver down his spine. It was like a void of energy that surrounded him, as if his life force was gone completely.
Yet there he stood, alive and stronger than ever. When he spoke, it made Yusuke jump a little. "You need to hurry, Yusuke. If Jen turns up like me, you are going to be the first I come after in vengence."
Hiei picked Jen up without a word and threw a small token at the ground, a portal forming in front of them as he jumped in with Jen. Kuwabara and Kurama wordlessly followed. Yusuke turned to Salvatore, who was walking towards Asher. In the middle of everything, Asher had fallen unconscious. With a sigh, Salvatore picked him up and walked towards Yusuke and the portal. "You are coming back with us, right?"
Salvatore only nodded silently. Yusuke jumped into the portal himself, Salvatore following close behind.
A/N~ So, next chapter is here :) I actually kinda ended up doing the same thing that I had with chapters 3/4. so chapter 12 is nearly finished. I'm just working on the end of it now, with a little bit of fluff at the end :3
By the way, I will be using a concept from another author for what Salvatore is. Anyone who has read Sherrilyn Kenyon will know exactly what I am talking about next chapter.
I am also setting up for a second story for Yusuke and an OC that occurs in the same story-line but I will be writing it in full as separate story on FF, as soon as I figure out just what to call it. But, there will be a little bit of a start to that in the next chapter, so just a heads up :P
Reviews always appreciated
Much love ~Jessa
