Kagome looked around the cabin warily, wondering what would happen to her next.
When she had agreed to go with Naraku, so that she might save Kikyou, she had been brought aboard his ship and taken to his cabin. There she had been left to her own devices, her days interrupted only when Naraku would join her for meals, and…to talk to her.
Sometimes they didn't talk about anything in particular (over many conversations, Naraku had explained her true relation to Kikyou, which had actually made her quite happy), but recently their conversations had had darker undertones, pertaining to what Kagome was beginning to realize was the reason behind his kidnapping first Kikyou, and then herself.
"You have something I want," he had whispered into her ear, giving the round shell a long lick.
The Shikon Jewel of the Seven Seas. A gem that held the power of granting any wish to its user.
"I don't know where the jewel is," she had confessed to him out of desperation, having been left on her own for two days after he told her she would give him the jewel that first day on board.
"Do not worry, Kagome, for I do," he had replied, his oily voice washing over her and leaving her feeling dirty for days after.
It had been nearly a week since then, and Kagome was beginning to feel very afraid for the first time. Naraku never did anything that would indicate his true intentions towards her, and that was making her nervous, especially because she could feel him looking at her constantly, even if he wasn't in the room.
It was as if he were a silent spectre in the shadows of her mind, simply waiting for her to break down.
That day, like always, Naraku came into her room promptly at noontime, a tray of food balanced on one hand as he closed and locked the door firmly with the other. After her little display on the beach, he had begun taking precautions against any attempts to escape.
As if she would. Sango had ingrained it into her mind that moves were not made unless there was a chance to escape. On the open water, and surrounded by his crew no less, Kagome had no false hopes that she could escape him here.
No, she would have to wait until they made land, wherever it was that he was taking her. There, she would try to escape.
Naraku set everything up on the table, his greedy, feverish gaze never leaving her for a second. He sat down in his chair across from her, knife and fork poised above his meal.
"Will you not speak, Kagome?" he purred.
As he placed a morsel of the food in his mouth, Kagome finally lifted her own hands to take the utensils and eat. There was no way she could trust the demon not to try to poison her.
Uncharacteristic silence reigned as Naraku ate, for once refusing to speak first, until finally Kagome couldn't take it anymore. She had gotten so used to him speaking almost constantly in her presence, about anything that seemed to take his fancy, that his silence perturbed her more than anything else had.
"What are you going to do with me?" she finally begged, voice high with her emotions.
Naraku smirked behind his handkerchief as he lightly dabbed the corners of his mouth. "Do with you? I do not know to what you are referring, my dear."
"You've held me captive for over a week now. Aren't you going to kill me?"
"Kill you?" he murmured, red eyes glowing as they gazed at her from under lowered lashes. "There'd be no use in doing that, now would there?"
"What do you mean?" Kagome gasped, eyes wide with fright, hand tightening around her knife.
"If you were dead, there'd be no reason for Sesshoumaru to come to save you. You see," he continued, leaning forward across the table, "Sesshoumaru and I have a little score to settle."
"I don't understand," she confessed, standing up and backing away, hands hidden in the folds of her skirt as he pushed back his chair and slowly stalked towards her.
"You see, I did something many years ago, and have never received the credit I rightly deserved for my actions," he explained, gliding a clawed finger down her cheek and drawing a light amount of blood. He picked it up on the tip of his finger, raising the drop to his lips to lick away.
"W-what did you do?"
"I lured the Inu no Taisho into a trap," he snarled. "Without me, he would never have been captured! But because I didn't use brute force the way other filthy, common, brutish men do, my involvement was swept under the proverbial rug."
"I…"
"Don't understand?" Naraku mocked, smirking. "I can't engage the Inu no Taisho to prove that while I am indeed cunning, I am not lacking in power. My next best option, then, is the men who knew of my actions, and yet ignored them.
"I've one down, one to go," he gloated.
Kagome stiffened at his comment, feeling as if her heart were breaking.
Naraku sniffed, a pleased smile curling his lips. "I see you knew of your father's death. Did you know, however, that it was I who plunged the blade into his heart?"
"You killed him?" she croaked. Her head fell forward, bangs shrouding her features.
"Oh yes, I certainly did. But only after he had surrendered Kikyou, his only niece, into my possession."
"He gave Kikyou to you?"
Naraku's cruel smile widened, stretching across his face in a grotesque manner. "He did more than that. He told me to find the Jewel and give it to him. Power, it would seem, was more important to old Morgan than family. Why, he even killed your mother after she refused for the last time to tell him where it was—!"
"NO!" she shouted, suddenly lunging forward, anger making her do something she hadn't intended. Her hand came up, the knife she yet held poised in her grasp as she brought it down with enough force to plunge it into Naraku's chest.
The spider demon's eyes flared with anger, and he brought one hand across her face in a hard slap that knocked her to the ground. She sobbed on the floor, pushing herself shakily by her hands to rest on her side.
"Bitch," he seethed, pulling the knife from his chest. "Did you think that would kill me? Did you think to escape me? I'm a demon!" He tossed the knife away, ignoring its dull thud as it landed on the other side of the room.
Leaning down, he pressed his face close to hers, stale breath wafting up her nose. "Just because I said I wouldn't kill you, doesn't mean you have to be in good condition for that bastard dog to come after you."
"Think about that, Kagome," he snarled. "We'll be arriving in Port Royal within the next few days. If you're good, you can stay in your old room while we wait for your lap dog – if not, I'm sure we can find other accommodations for your short stay."
Kagome pulled herself up weakly, holding onto the edge of the table.
"Stupid Kagome," she muttered to herself. "And after you'd just finished accepting that you probably wouldn't be able to escape until we landed; now you may have ruined your only chances to escape."
He'll be watching me like a hawk now, she thought remorsefully. God, and in Port Royal, I stand my best chance of escaping! I know that city like the back of my hand, I can easily find a place to hide – but not if he locks me up, and not if he decides to keep a close watch on me.
She banged her fist on the table, frustrated tears leaking down her face. She jolted slightly when timid knocking came at the door.
"W-who is it?" she called out. "W-what do you want?"
The door opened slowly, and a young man not much older than she poked his head in, looking around warily before scrambling into the room and up to her side, clasping her hand tightly and weeping over it.
"I'm so sorry, miss! I'm so sorry I couldn't stop him! But you're safe now, Miss Kikyou, safe now…"
Kagome pulled from his grasp roughly, gasping. "I am not Kikyou! Who are you?"
The man looked up at her sadly from his place on the floor. "Muso, miss."
"Muso," she said slowly, voice soothing, "my name is Kagome. I'm Kikyou's sister."
"Two," he breathed. "Yes, I remember. She had two daughters." The pirate looked up at her beseechingly. "If you are here, then…Miss Kikyou is safe?"
"Yes, she is safe," Kagome assured him, wondering what type of relationship he and her sister had held while she was on board Shikon.
"I promised her," Muso mumbled, unmindful that Kagome could hear. "But then, she was suddenly gone, and I thought, 'I've failed. He has the jewel, and I failed'."
She blinked, beginning to feel nervous. "Kikyou is safe, Muso. You don't have to worry anymore."
"But I do," he whimpered. "I promised her that I'd protect the secret, but now he knows, he knows…and he'll take it!" He looked up at her with crazed eyes. "He'll kill you for it – kill us all, like he helped kill her! She was never meant for the land, never meant to leave the sea."
"Who are you talking about?" Kagome gasped.
He nodded dully. "But she's gone…they're both gone…only you remain. I will protect you," he promised passionately, grabbing at her hand with clammy palms.
Kagome cried out as he took her hand. "Stop it! I don't need protecting!"
"You don't mean that," Muso shuddered. "Don't worry, I'll stop him. This time, I'll stop him, and you'll be free."
Standing on the stern deck, facing the wind, Sesshoumaru saw as a seagull shrieked before circling down to land on the railing beside him. With a leap and jump, a small figure landed on his cheek before he felt the telltale pinch and sucking of a flea biting him. He smacked the creature with a smart slap.
"Captain, I'm so glad I found you quickly!" a wizened voice panted as he fell into Sesshoumaru's open palm.
"What is it, Myouga?" Sesshoumaru asked blandly, ignoring as the gull took flight and soared away, his errant navigator left behind.
"It's Miss Kagome," the flea replied anxiously.
The dog demon immediately pressed the flea between two fingers. "What's happened? Is Kagome okay?"
"She's…gone, Captain. Kidnapped by Naraku."
"Naraku?" Sesshoumaru snarled, eyes flashing red. "How could that happen? How did he get passed the barrier?"
"I do not know, Master!" Myouga cried out, wincing in Sesshoumaru's strong pinch. "But he has taken her! Your mother has asked you to return to the island!"
Sesshoumaru sneered, dropping the flea onto the railing. "I left the island to seek out Naraku, destroy him and save Inuyasha's woman. Now that he has Kagome, as well, my desire to find him has only increased. Why, then, would I return?"
"Because Miss Kikyou is no longer in Naraku's possession! She is on the island."
The larger demon stilled, brow creasing. "Then Kikyou does not possess the jewel."
"Aye, my lord! And if Naraku uses the jewel, you will have no chance of defeating him alone!"
Sesshoumaru glared at the diminutive demon. "Do you doubt my power, Myouga?"
"Of course not, Captain! But in possession of the Shikon Jewel…surely no demon stands a chance against the power it can bring him! In addition to that, it is entirely probable that he is expecting you to go charging in, and has a trap waiting for you. You must return to the island, if only to gather more men!"
He snarled, spinning away from his father's retainer. "Very well," he growled. "Manten, changed course for the island. Myouga," he snapped, "return to my mother and inform her that I should arrive in a week. Inuyasha, and any other men among the primary crew who are willing, must be ready to board when I arrive."
"And Myouga," he added darkly, as the flea seemed ready to conjure up some method of returning, "an explanation had best be ready upon my return."
That night, Kagome was awoken by someone's scream on deck, followed by the splash of something falling overboard. The sound of heavy footfalls migrated towards her doors, and Kagome huddled under the bed sheets, praying the steps would continue passed her room.
They didn't. With a slam the wooden door opened, and Naraku's blackened form filled the entryway, his eyes the only thing visible in the dark.
"I think it's time, Kagome, that I finally show you why it is not wise to cross me."