Chapter 9
***Nakago's POV***
"Say that again!" I demanded.
I could barely keep my anger at bay. In truth, it was more than anger. It was fear. I hoped that I had heard wrong but deep down I knew I hadn't.
"The Priestess of Suzaku has fallen gravely ill. A doctor is attending her and it seems as though she may have been poisoned," my spy informed me.
I clenched my fists so tightly that I felt the warmth of my blood pour out through my fingers. My vision turned red as his words sank in. Someone had poisoned my woman? Someone had dared to try to kill MY MIAKA?!
"Is the culprit known to us?" I asked, attempting to keep my voice steady.
"Not at this time sir," my spy replied.
"Inform me the moment the responsible party is found," I ordered.
My spy bowed his head low and exited my chamber. I quickly followed him out and made my way to the training grounds. I needed to work out my anger. In truth, what I really wanted was to sleep. I wasn't at all tired but I would be able to contact Miaka in her dreams and check on her well-being. I couldn't do it however. I have never been seen to take a nap, not even on the rare occasions that I became ill.
I unsheathed my sword and faced the handful of men who were training. With a wave of my free hand they all nodded and charged me at once. It was over in a matter of moments. I had not killed them, merely wounded them. Still, I was unsatisfied. I knew I would remain so until I was with Miaka again.
***Hotohori's POV***
"Your Highness can you hear me?"
I looked up from my never ending paperwork as my comrades voice filtered through the room. I looked around but was unable to see him. My head ached slightly from all the stress I had been forced to endure recently. Perhaps I was merely hearing things.
"Your Highness? Hello?" Chichiri's disembodied voice called again.
"I hear you but I do not see you," I replied.
"I know, sorry about that. I'm reaching out to you with Nuriko's help. I have some bad news and I really hope you're sitting down."
Fear swept through my veins like a river of ice. Bad news? Had something happened to Miaka? By Suzaku why hadn't I gone with her?! My heart clenched as all the terrible possibilities raced through my mind.
"I am seated. Tell me," I said in a steady voice that surprised me.
"Miaka has been poisoned. There is a doctor with us but he doesn't have the antidote. We are doing all we can to save her but right now, it doesn't look good," Chichiri said.
I could hear the sorrow and worry in his voice. It echoed within my own heart. Sniffling sounded from his side of the connection and I knew that at least one other person was shedding the tears I could not.
"Tell me where you are!" I demanded.
"No Highness. There's nothing you can do for her. We will be making our way back to you so that she can be comfortable. Yui has been joined by three warriors of Seriyuu and they will be coming with us. I have every intention of leaving the girls in their care and searching for a cure. Nuriko will protect them."
"Find the cure Chichiri. No matter what it takes, Miaka must be saved," I said.
"Count on it."
I sensed that I was once again alone. The connection had been severed. I rose from my seat and went to Tamahome's chamber. He was recovering slowly but steadily. I felt a moment of hesitation before telling him. He, like me, wanted to leave immediately to be by her side.
"It is out of our hands. We must trust our friends and pray," I told him. Bile rose in my throat at my own words. How could I have so much power and still be powerless?
"Trust and pray?! That's your answer?!" Tamahome demanded.
"Yes," I said.
Without another word I turned from him and left his chamber. I heard rustling behind me and soon he was walking by my side. We entered the Temple of Suzaku and began to do as I said. I trusted our friends to save her and I prayed for her speedy recovery.
Was it not enough that our enemy had developed a dangerous passion for my beloved? Was it not enough that she had already suffered greatly through illness and being separated from all she'd ever known and loved? Why did she have to endure this as well?
***Yui's POV***
"What now Mitsukake?" I asked as I rung out the cool cloth before mopping Miaka's brow.
The doctor, Mitsukake, frowned thoughtfully as he re-examined Miaka. I knew that once she recovered we would laugh about how we'd found another of her warriors. Leave it to my favorite glutton to find him by getting sick. Despite the fear coursing through me at her condition, I felt a small smile tug at the corners of my mouth. I would never let her live this one down.
"We wait and make her as comfortable as possible," he replied.
I hated that answer. It was as if he were telling me we had to wait for her to die. Didn't he understand? She's not allowed to die! I can't do this alone! Miaka is not allowed to leave me! A tear traced down my cheek as that thought settled into my heart.
"We'll wait until the cure is found. When does Chichiri leave? He'll be retracing our steps to try and figure out when and where she was poisoned right?"
"He's saddling his horse now. He'll meet us while we're en route to the palace," Nuriko said as he walked into the room.
I nodded at his words. My heart clenched as Miaka let out a low moan of pain. Her hands clenched into fists as pain swept through her body. I dropped the cloth and clutched her hand. Her grip on me was so tight, I felt as though she might break a bone. I didn't care. If that was what she needed to endure this pain she could break every bone in my body. I'd take it.
Within a few moments she relaxed back onto the bed. Her breathing evened out and the pain eased out of her expression. My heart felt as though it were cracked glass. If she didn't make it, it would shatter into a million pieces and I would never be whole again. How could I be if I lost my best friend?
"Mitsukake! Mitsukake!" Chichiri called from outside.
Footsteps raced across the front room to us in the back. An unrelenting rage swelled within me. Why the hell hadn't he left yet?! Didn't he care about Miaka at all?! I turned, about to give him a piece of my mind when I froze. Standing just behind him was a man I'd hoped I'd never have to see again. The leader of the mountain bandits face was as pale as Miaka's as he took in her sickly form.
"What the hell is he doing here?!" I yelled as I jumped to my feet.
"He brought the cure," Chichiri replied.
My anger was quickly doused by a sudden rush of hope. The cure? Suspicion ebbed into my mind. If he had the cure then that meant he also had the poison. Did he do this to Miaka? The bandit leader must have seen the mixture of hope, rage, and suspicion in my eyes because he held his hands up in a sign of surrender.
"I didn't do it. One of my followers, a misguided fool, stole the poison and dosed the food. He'd heard the priestess was a glutton and wanted her dead in order to save Konon," he explained.
"That makes absolutely no sense. How could poisoning the Priestess of Suzaku save Konon?" I demanded.
"He thought it was the Priestess of Seriyuu who was the glutton. He was trying to kill you," he said without breaking eye contact. His voice was cold as his eyes were hard.
"That doesn't matter right now ya know. What's done is done. Give the antidote to Mitsukake so he can cure Miaka," Chichiri said.
"Right," the bandit said with a nod.
He removed a leather pouch from his belt and handed it to Mitsukake. The doctor took it without a word and immediately set to work. Nuriko walked over to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. With a reassuring smile, he tipped his head toward the door. I nodded and followed him out of house.
In the front yard Soi and the twins had surrounded a tied man. There were multiple bruises on his face and his nose was bleeding. It looked as though he'd been put through the proverbial ringer.
"Is this him?" I asked as I heard the other two join us.
"Yeah," the bandit leader replied. "Do what you want with him. I'd told my men after we'd left you in the pass that you none of you were to be touched. You were all to be given safe passage."
With that said, he detached another pouch from his belt and tossed it to Nuriko. Inside was all the money he'd stolen from us. My suspicion turned to confusion.
"Why?" I asked.
"Well I couldn't let my priestess die could I?" he asked.
"All this because she's the Priestess of Suzaku?" Nuriko asked.
"All this because I am one of her warriors," he replied as he pulled up his sleeve. He revealed a Chinese symbol on the back of his fore arm proving his claim to be true.
"I am Tasuki of the Suzaku Seven and I've decided to join the party."
***Miaka's POV***
The room was dark. The bed I lay on was as comfortable as the one waiting for me back at the palace. Silk sheets draped over my over heated body. Odd, even in my dream I had a fever. A cool cloth was placed on my forehead and I sighed in relief. The sigh hurt as my throat was raw with pain.
"Does this help at all?" a concerned male voice asked. I recognized that voice.
"Nakago," I whispered softly.
A hand gently stroked my cheek and I found myself leaning into his touch.
"I should have known you'd come."
"Of course," he replied in a soft whisper.
I opened my eyes a bit and found him sitting by my side. Concern etched in every line of his face. I reached up my own hand and stroked his cheek. Odd that I would want to comfort him after all our previous dream encounters.
"I'll be alright. My friends won't let me die. They're almost as stubborn as you are," I teased.
He chuckled and I found myself smiling. How was it that in my fevered dream I found myself wanting to be near him? Was he reaching my heart? Hadn't I already given my heart to Tamahome? Confusion made my aching head swim and I closed my eyes again. I felt the bed shift as he lay beside me. I tensed. Surely he wouldn't try anything sexual while I was sick!
"Relax my beauty. Just let me hold you," he said as he moved me to lay on his chest.
He softly ran his fingers through my hair and I found myself sighing contentedly. What was he doing to me? How could he be so kind and gentle when before he'd only ever been rough and demanding?
"What are you doing?" I asked.
My raw throat made me wince in pain. Nakago noticed and reached for something on the bedside table. He handed me a cup full of cool water that soothed the fire. Once I'd drank my fill, he took the glass and resumed stroking my hair.
"I am not a barbarian. It occurred to me that I was going about obtaining your heart in the wrong way. I am going to prove to you that I love you by any means necessary. I can be a gentle man when I want to be. With you, I want to be everything you could ever want or need. Just tell me what you want." He said passionately.
My heart twisted at his words. This powerful, dangerous man was willing to turn into whatever I wanted him to be? He was willing to swallow his pride and let me have that kind of control? I could not believe my ears.
"I refuse to give my heart to a lie," I told him firmly.
I felt him shift as he looked down at me. I tilted my head up and met his gaze.
"If you want me to love you, then show me the real you. Hold nothing back. If you want my heart, then I need to know that it's the real Nakago that receives it. Not the man I want you to be."
"So there is hope?" he asked.
I could have kicked myself. I had no intentions of falling in love with him. The clear vulnerability in his voice was written all over his face. That took me by surprise. From what I knew of this man, he was anything but vulnerable. How could I deny him hope?
"There is always hope. Even for the impossible."
The room around us flared with momentary light and I felt as though something inside my head snapped. Suddenly my body, which had felt like it was covered with a lead blanket, felt lighter. I could swear my flushed skin was beginning to cool. Had my fever broken? If that was the case, had the cure been found. I looked into Nakago's eyes once again. Hope shone brilliantly in his clear blue gaze.
"You desire the real me? Then the real me you shall have? I protect what is mine. You, Miaka, are mine whether you accept it or not. I will have you; mind, body, and heart."
I couldn't help but smile at his arrogant confidence. He may have thought I was a challenge so far but he hadn't seen anything yet. He wanted all of me? That was fine. That didn't mean he wouldn't have to work extremely hard to get me. After all, he did have some major league competition.
Yeah so, I'm going to leave it there. I was actually going to leave it with Tasuki's "I've come to join the party." but decided not to be so cruel. I hope you all enjoyed it. As for the "Guest" reviewer who commented on my last chapter, I don't mean to be rude or dismissive but I don't take kindly to emotional blackmail. I have a life outside of fanfiction. I work 14+ hours a day, plus I'm working on a novel that is being published within the next 2 years!
I truly love all of my fans but I'm not going to drop everything and focus on this story when I have neither the time or the means to do so. I hope your sister recovers. If she can't then I hope her suffering is at a minimum. I don't mean to sound cruel or harsh but I can only update as often as my schedule allows.
I LOVE ALL OF YOU GUYS AND AS ALWAYS, REVIEWS FEED MY MUSE!
