Don't own this……

CHAPTER 21

Shido sat alone inside his hut a stray hand caressing the hollow skin of his bruised throat. By all accounts right now he should have been dead. He growled low under his breath, he never would have guessed that Sesshomaru would have shown up like he did and ruin his perfect moment with Rin. A moment that he had carefully planned out and so longed for. He cursed aloud and with his other free hand stoked the fire with a long iron prod.

"Sesshomaru……..you shall pay for this insult. I swear it!" he whispered finally as he pushed the embers of the fire with more force than was necessary. He then put down the rod and turned to pick up a hot cup of tea when the sweet scent of magnolia's filled the room and a soft breeze erupted from out of no where. Before he had a moment to react there was the figure of a very tall and elegantly dressed woman across the hearth from him. He focused his dark eyes in her direction and knew on animal instinct whom she was. With a sigh he relaxed himself and again reached for his tea cup.

The woman stood forth from the shadows smoothly, her hands clasped before her resting upon her thighs. She was dressed in a long white silk kimono that was decorated with swooping cranes. Her long dark brown hair trailing out behind her like a satin curtain, ice blue eyes catching on the light and reflected not unlike a cat. Once she stood in the light fully she smiled briefly before bowing and just stood there.

Shido gulped down the remnants of his tea and moved closer toward the fire pit, and began the process of brewing another kettle of hot water for tea. "And to what do I owe the honor of your presence Yanori?" he said quietly not even exchanging a glance at the woman. Yanori smiled and moved just a bit closer to the fire, a wry grin on her face.

"You waste too much time here Shido. Have you lost all sight of everything we had planned? You waste time in this village among these filthy humans when you have a purpose yet to achieve! Why isn't that girl dead yet?!!"

Shido sighed on reflex before attempting an answer. "It is not as easy as that Yanori, did you forget what you asked? You told me you wanted her broken, it takes time to do that. Hell it took me a while to figure out where she was in the first place! Neither one of us knew that he would remove her from his side at all, even putting her here. Just you wait you sick woman, you'll have your twisted revenge….."

"Oh?", replied Yanori as she twisted her hands in the folds of her kimono, "you haven't any idea now do you? Time grows short…..after your little mishap today at the waters edge."

Shadow sat back on the floor angrily his hand still gripping at the sore spot on his throat that refused to subside in pain. He could feel that there was some skin missing, like he had been burned. He had forgotten about what Yanori said, about Sesshomaru using some form of acid, some kind of poison within his claws. It would take some time for the wounds to fully heal.

"Silence woman! My plans were going quite well until that bastard showed up I'll have you know. I'm in no mood for you or your twisted mind games this evening. If you have any other further instruction than I advise you to say it and leave….."

Yanori began to laugh, "You forget who you are talking to half-demon. If I were you I would sit back and do as I am told. For it was not long ago when you were as weak as the human that is now your prey…..now is it?" she asked with a twisted smile. Shido looked away from the sight of her quickly as though burned. She always knew just how to twist things to put herself back in control.

"And you will do as your told, you will follow my orders until the end is that clear?", and she brought out her right hand and began to make a fist, clenching her palm until her nails dug into the skin. Shido instantly fell to the floor writhing in pain, a hand placed over the near center of his chest above his heart.

"And you will do as I say…….won't you my dear Shido?" she teased as her fist twisted harder and Shido was brought to his knees as he cried out. "Y-yes……I will…..I will …." he screamed as he pushed along the floor in agony. Yanori nodded with a sick smile, "Good my darling..very good. I want that wench dead before the weeks end. I want her humiliated, soiled, stained……..broken. You have until midnight three days from now, I shall lure Sesshomaru here and we shall both destroy him……"

Shido could only nod in approval from his position on the floor as Yanori retreated back into the shadows and was gone. The pain clutching at his heart had begun to fade ever so slowly.

TBC……

Sorry that was so short, more soon. The end is in sight!