"Okay! I'll just go and let my friends know…"
"No."
"…No?"
He shook his head with a small, imperious tilt. "Our…trial run starts now. You must listen to what I have to say."
Youko was rather impressed with her responding growl. "I will agree to listen to you." she said, a dangerous tone in her speech, "But I won't agree to obey you."
He did not smile. "You would refuse me?"
"I would."
It was too late to threaten to leave. He stalked towards her. "I could just force you to come with me, little priestess."
She didn't back down. "You would regret it."
Passably true, though hardly for the reasons she'd imagine. "I will not be talked down to. You may be strong, little one, but you admit to being untrained. A taiyoukai is not so easily defeated by a wisp of a priestess."
She raised her chin. "Perhaps. But you want my cooperation for something. You won't get it by forcing my hand."
"You are puny," he declared, "and have no idea what I could do to force your hand."
"I know that you don't want to."
It was simple, succinct—and damnably correct. He found it hard not to be impressed…are at least, highly amused. Prouder demons might not bend. Kitsunes, however, knew how to get what they wanted.
He leaned back on his heels, providing the breathing room the priestess would need. He could diffuse this situation and find more satisfying ways of trapping her later.
"Humans are distrusting of youkai," he said. "Your friends will dissuade you from this trip, perhaps attempt retaliation. You also seek something from me…something you cannot get if either of us are absent."
Her face was unreadable, a fact that delighted and denied him in equal measure. She looked inclined to argue, or correct something he had said. Perhaps, he thought, she was merely annoyed at his logic.
"They might," she admitted at last.
"Then you must not go to them."
She eyed him suspiciously. "You will bring me back in seven days?"
"Yes." He breathed.
The priestess sighed and fretted, but gave into the smile when it teased the corners of her mouth. "Well this human trusts in the honor of nobility. May I have you word?"
He held back the surprise of her knowledge and instead pounced on her faith. "You have my word—on the honor of my house, I shall bring you back before the sunset of the seventh day."
She spared one more regretful glance back in the direction she had come, then agreed with a silent nod.
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