Breaking the news to the Inu Yasha Tachi went exactly as the hanyou had figured it would. Sango had gone pale and quiet, looking as though nausea was overtaking her innards and tossing them about negligently. Mirokou had draped one robed arm about the taijiya's sloping figure, his own eggplant eyes grave and serious, the hand about his staff digging deeply into the metal. And, of course, Shippo was currently alternating between sobbing and biting from his position in Inu Yasha's hand, where he had irritatingly pulled the young fox from his ears seconds before.
Gritting fangs in anger, white ears flat against his skull, the hanyou searched the room for the one person who had taken the disappearance of Kagome with a seeming indifferent boredom. Kikyou sat calmly at the low polished table in the room, staring blankly at Inu Yasha, her hands calmly laying in her lap. A flash of disappointment streaked through his breast as he glanced away quickly so the dead miko wouldn't see the emotions lingering there.
His disbelieving gaze was brought back to rest on her serene countenance, however, when the smooth nuances of her voice effectively silenced the distraught kitsune as nothing else could.
"Bring me to your brother, Inu Yasha."
Eyebrows reaching high into his white bangs, he let the lax form of Shippo go, shock making his lips part slightly. "Kikyou...."
Standing gracefully, she approached the startled half demon, waiting patiently for him to move aside to allow her to exit the room. "I know Sesshoumaru has much on his mind at the moment, but I assure you, I do have a valid reason for seeking his council."
"Are you sure that is wise, Kikyo," Miroku asked cautiously, Sango's face raising to regard the other woman closely. The dead priestess was not know for offering her help all too willingly. It seemed odd that she would do so now, especially in light of who her proposed patient would be.
Kikyo's opaque gaze remained on Inu Yasha, looking to the hanyou for an answer while forgoing giving any of her own. Inu Yasha stared back in puzzlement, confused as to why his mate would suddenly demand now, of all times, to be taken so his half-brother. No matter how deeply he delved, he could come up with no reason as to why the miko would wish to see Sesshoumaru.
Reluctantly, he handed the now quiet Shippo to Sango, the little demon kit clutching at the taijiya as tears ran in a torrent down his cheeks, soaking into the woman's kimono front and his own collar.
Nodding towards the monk whose arm was still about the Sango's shoulders, he said gruffly, "Keep an eye on the brat, you two. This shouldn't take long, and when I get back we'll decide what to do."
"We're going to go after her, of course!" came the taijiya's impassioned cry as she cradled the fox's sobbing body to her own. There was a hardness about her chocolate eyes that they had only ever seen in battle. The same leveling of a cold stare at a demon she looked to before taking him down with her hiraikotsu.
Scowling, Inu Yasha laced his arms about his chest. "Just wait, alright? I don't know what my brother has planned and I need to see what that damn wolf is going to do before we do anything."
Disgruntled, Sango settled against Miroku in frustration. She hated not going into action immediately to help Kagome. The miko was like a sister to her, damn it, and she had already lost one sibling to an evil youkai.
Assured that the others wouldn't be trying something foolhardy in his absence, he uncrossed his arms to stalk to the door, Kikyo trailing behind him. He didn't want to tell them that he doubted Sesshoumaru would be allowing them to leave on the journey to rescue Kagome. Even the hanyou had noticed how close his bastard half-brother and the miko had grown, even sharing the same bed more than once. Discreet the Taiyoukai may be, but not enough to where Inu Yasha didn't know what Kouga's behavior from earlier under the sakura tree had meant. Unfortunately, if the dog demon did decide to order them to remain at the castle, the hanyou was going to have his hands full keeping them all in place. The least the bastard could do is lend him some of his soldiers to help him keep the group inside and not running about trying to escape.
Sighing wearily, he traipsed the halls that led to his brother's quarters, inwardly hoping that whatever Kikyo wanted to talk over with the Taiyoukai that it didn't cause more trouble. The place was in an uproar as it was.
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In face of the current debacle of what used to be his well run palace, Sesshoumaru ordered Musashi to locate Daija as well as Sora, Shurin and Kaizon as quickly as possible. Once having located said youkai, the cougar was then to escort them, forcefully if need be, to the dog demon's study where he and Kouga would already be waiting. Inu Yasha, he had no doubt, had left to discuss the current events with Kagome's friends, breaking the distressing news to her comrades and decide a course of action for them to follow.
Sesshoumaru debated on whether or not he should set an armed guard outside the humans' rooms in order to keep them from leaving the castle. Really, even with the few skills they held they would just get in the way of any rescue attempt he, and any others he thought worthy to participate, could concoct. The notion that if any of them perished or subsequently became injured from this little outing, thus causing Kagome even more heartache, just solidified the idea even more. However, he was nothing if not thorough in his planning, and thus he would wait until he and the other Lords devised something before giving the orders to restrain the humans. Inu Yasha he wasn't even certain would join them, or remain behind where his own mate could be looked after along with the remaining shard hunting party.
Precious hours had already went by as it was since the miko's abduction, and though he was well aware that she was currently in residence of one of Aion's keeps bordering his own territory, the serpent of unease continued to writhe in his gut. Having felt the deadly caress of that particular demon's claws more than once in his youth, suffered the sadistic dog youkai's ideas on 'training,' he had to forcefully push these memories from his mind. If he allowed himself to dwell on what could be happening to Kagome right now while he sat in composed splendor behind his large desk within his study, Sesshoumaru was certain his inner demonic aura would immediately take control.
With his uncle, one could not rush into any situation without analyzing every single angle first. To do so would result in mortal folly for all involved, whether they be victim or aggressor. Having utilized the same methods himself, the Taiyoukai could easily fall into a role he had been taught from his relative a long time ago. In a sick way, he was almost thankful to Aion for such tutelage, since it was probably going to be that first-hand knowledge which ended up saving Kagome.
Which he would save her. That wasn't a question, but a firm resolution in his mind. His uncle had made the mistake of attacking the one aspect of his nephew's life that was off-limits to everyone. That being the potential lady to the Western Lands, the future mate to Lord Sesshoumaru. Because when all was said and done, at the end of the day when he had safely rescued her from the sadistic claws of his uncle, Sesshoumaru had every plan to make certain she would never be in such a position as to fall into harm's way again.
The depth of his feelings for this human was not really a surprise. For days now he had known that she was becoming to mean more and more to him, winding her warmth and life indelibly into his heart. So much so that he found he couldn't and didn't want to ever be apart from her more than necessary.
Perhaps it was his heritage. A trait passed on through the blood which flowed with such potency in his veins, a subtle legacy the previous Taiyoukai had passed on to both his sons without their knowledge until they met their own mates. Either way, Sesshoumaru was more than prepared to accept Kagome into his life, keep her safe and bind her to him so that never again would something of this caliber transpire.
He was pulled from his musings by the arrival of Inu Yasha and the undead miko. The latter making the dog demon's nostrils flare in irritation at the odor she emitted of earth and death. How his half sibling could stand that, he had no idea.
Raising a cup of sake to chiseled lips, he arched one silvery brow at the hanyou and priestess, sipping delicately at the sharp liquid, amber eyes sweeping over the two new occupants to his study. They had left the door open behind them, allowing the Taiyoukai to be able to easily watch the half-lit hallways illuminated by their torches. He knew that the cougar and his entourage would be joining him soon, and didn't relish the thought that his half-brother and mate would be there to offer their own tidbits of advice on whatever plan they devised.
Leveling them with a calm icy stare, he took in how the various candles in their black cast-iron holders in the shapes of half moons danced across Inu Yasha's features, bathing the undead miko in flickering shadows.
"What is it you want, Inu Yasha?" He studiously ignored addressing Kikyou. She held no importance for him so there was no need to give her any of his attention.
Hands clenched into fists at his sides, his body a line of tense muscle, the hanyou's gold eyes glared in anger at his sibling. "Don't give me shit right now, Sesshoumaru! I wouldn't even be here if Kikyou hadn't demanded an audience with you."
At the mention of the woman's name, his eyes trailed over to the silent female standing with poise next to his brother. Again, his silvery brow arched in mild inquiry as he once more partook of the fiery beverage before lowering it to the gleaming tabletop which was uncharacteristically bare. "You wished to see me, miko?"
Cold, brown eyes settled upon him, the face they peered out of so similar to the woman he had come to care for, yet so drastically different at the same time. Never would he imagine to ever see such an expression on Kagome's face, nor would he want to. The human woman portrayed emotion vividly and without restraint, and before when he would have sneered at such behavior, now he craved it.
"Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru. I have come to offer my assistance in the healing of your personal guard." Her eyes remained lifeless, features bland as they stared straight into the dog demon's. As though his answer was not one she was interested in hearing.
Narrowing his eyes upon her in consideration, he pondered what she had said, mulling over the ramifications of it in his mind. "You believe you can heal Akito, miko?"
Kikyou nodded, not a hair from her head moving with the motion, the hands clasped together at her waist relaxed where they lay against her red and white silk-clad body. The kimono she wore decorated in chrysanthemums in various stages of life, the geta upon her feet as new as her attire. Her voice was low and solemn as it always was whenever she was talking.
"I know I can, Lord Sesshoumaru. Though I may be a miko, I am well aware of the healing arts used to help youkai."
Inu Yasha had turned incredulous eyes to her when she had stated why she had demanded to see his older brother. Of the million different reasons why he had wondered at her request, never would he have figured it was to ask to heal Akito. Quickly, he glanced back over to his silent sibling, wondering what Sesshoumaru thought of the words falling so flatly from the priestess' lips.
For his part, the Taiyoukai was in full agreement to allow the miko to work on the kitsune if it meant a faster recovery for the fox. Akito was too valuable an asset to the palace to lose simply because they were lacking a healer in residence.
Nodding in acquiesce, the undulating light from the numerous candles dancing playfully upon his hair in shimmering oranges and yellows, the dog demon settled an intense gaze upon the unmoved female. "Very well. If you can heal Akito then I grant you full permission to do what you can for him. If there are certain herbs or other medicinal things you need then one of the palace guards will act as your assistant and fetch them for you from Cheiro's stock."
Inu Yasha didn't miss the ice incasing the previous healer's name as it fell from his brother's frowning lips. As he watched his older sibling, he noticed for the first time how stressed the youkai actually looked. Usually, Sesshoumaru was known for keeping an indifferent facade no matter what scenario cropped up. Now, it would seem that when it involved Kagome and their bastard uncle, even the Taiyoukai was finding his superb battle control fraying at the edges. If the tightness to his lips and hardening of his amber eyes was anything to go by.
Bowing respectfully to the reclining ruler, Kikyou straightened, making her way towards the door to leave and begin administering to her new patient. Pausing at the threshold, she caught the dog youkai's eyes with her own. "Do not worry, Lord Sesshoumaru. All will turn out precisely as it is meant to in the end."
Not waiting for a reply to her cryptic statement, the priestess silently departed, leaving the two brothers to gaze at the empty spot she had previously vacated. Inu Yasha frowned in puzzlement, ears flattening a bit, arms crossing over his chest as he turned to regard the other male.
"What the hell was that supposed to mean?"
Glancing up to the hanyou, Sesshoumaru finished the last of the sake in the cup before setting it next to the carafe of a matching black with sakura blossom design. "I wouldn't begin to try and understand what your mate meant by what she said."
Rolling his eyes, Inu Yasha waved an irritated hand through the air, clearly annoyed. "Oi, can't you ever just answer a damn question without something that doesn't make any damn sense?"
"No." The dog demon smirked inwardly at how easy it was to irritate Inu Yasha. Even with the sobering turn of events recently, he still derived a fair amount of dark amusement at driving the hanyou crazy. It passed the time anyway.
Fed up with trying to talk to Sesshoumaru, Inu Yasha threw his hands up in defeat before turning to stalk towards the exit, white hair trailing behind his tense form. " What the hell ever. Just get Kagome back, you bastard."
"Of that, you can be assured," he replied confidently, noticing his sibling's troubled visage as he quit the room, leaving him to his sake and solitude once more as he awaited the arrivals to his summons.
The fact that the hanyou hadn't demanded to be included was more telling than Inu Yasha knew. It showed that he was relinquishing all previous hold upon the woman to his brother, stepping aside to allow the Taiyoukai to retrieve Kagome by whatever means he deemed appropriate.
'Perhaps his little brother was finally growing up', he mused to himself as the sound of multiple pairs of feet approaching reached his sensitive ears.
Fixing his face into cool indifferent lines, Sesshoumaru sat straight and calm, presenting for all intents and purposes the formidable sovereign of the Western Provinces, an immovable force of nature who took everything in stride.
Amber eyes trained in a blank expression to the doorway, he took in the sight of Daija entering, a worried look upon the firebird's face, his cousin, Sora, who was followed by the General and lastly, Musashi who still remained in his bloodied armor. The minute narrowing of amber eyes was the only reaction he showed at the glaring absence of the rain youkai.
He would have to tell the cougar to change out of those sullied clothes soon. There was enough chaos throughout the keep right now without adding the panic of a blood covered demon to the mix. Blood that smelled of the miko their master had brought to the castle not long ago.
Musashi, taking note of his master's gaze, replied stiffly through bloodless lips, the hand about his weapon strained and tense, "My Lord, Shurin cannot be located on the premises." A pregnant pause followed, where all in the chamber watched the exchange with varying expressions before the cougar added, "His scent ended not far from where we lost Lady Kagome's."
Everyone knew what those foreboding words translated into. Though Sesshoumaru may have harbored a certain amount of suspicion towards his personal aide, it didn't stop the quicksilver stab of regret and momentary betrayal the news brought. Outwardly, he remained unmoved, refusing to give in to emotions that had been locked away for years, ever the stoic commander in complete control. Later, he would deal with what this meant and act accordingly. For now, he had the immediate situation to deal with.
"I am not surprised, Musashi. It will be dealt with." The ice underlying the nuances of his voice sent a shiver down every yourkais' spine, none in doubt of what 'dealing with' what happened in question in any of their minds.
Gesturing elegantly with his hand, he kept silent as each male took a place upon the multitude of decorative pillows dotting the floor on the other side of his desk, waiting till each was situated before speaking.
"I am certain that every one of you knows why I asked you here." His amber gaze fixed upon each person's in turn, settling with cooler intent upon Kaizon before moving on. "Since there is nothing that can be done about events that have already happened, we are going to focus on rectifying this problem."
Sesshoumaru paused in his diatribe as Kouga came into the room, all but slamming the door closed upon crossing the threshold, the prince forgoing taking a seat to stand in a corner, arms crossed over his chest. He didn't offer an excuse for his tardiness, but then, the dog youkai hadn't really expected one. Rulers were not accountable to anyone save themselves, not even fellow sovereigns of neighboring provinces.
The ookami inclined his head slightly, ebony bangs swaying with the motion as a silent go ahead for the other youkai to continue with whatever he had been saying before he arrived.
Not showing any reaction to the wolf's movement, he drew the assembled youkais' attention back to himself. "It is obvious that Cheiro has been working for my uncle, Aion," at the mention of his father's name, Sora's nails dug deeply into the soft fabric of his pants, his teeth sitting on edge. "And during her defection, she has managed to take the miko with her."
Daija's incredulous writhing gaze fixed upon Sesshoumaru's, his mouth hanging agape a moment before he demanded, "Cheiro was a spy?"
A single nod from the Taiyoukai was his answer, the phoenix flashing his own fangs in growing anger as the circumstances of the situation grew more and more dire as each new piece of information was divulged.
The dog demon's next words caused everyone in the room to turn their attention to the dragon, who stiffened as his amethyst eyes narrowed at what his master was almost blatantly accusing him of.
"Though, I do not believe she has acted all these years on her own." Sesshoumaru's frosty eyes trained steadily on the aggravated general. "In fact, I know she hasn't. Isn't that so, Ryosuke?"
"What precisely are you accusing me of, my lord?" Came Kaizon's even tone, no stray emotion showing upon his flawless features as he deigned from glancing at anyone else in the chamber. His form was tense, yet his hands still lay in a relaxed splay upon his thighs, staying well away from the swords laced in the sash at his waist.
Kouga, at this point, moved forward to stop a few paces behind the dragon, his azure eyes boring holes into the back of the kneeling demon's skull, clawed hands clenched at his sides and tail swishing back and forth in anger. "Are you fucking telling me, Sesshoumaru, that this bastard had something to do with Kagome's abduction?"
The others watched the proceedings in varying stages of disbelief, Daija going so far as to turn completely to the accused demon at his side, his own hand settling tightly upon the eelskin pummel of his katana as though to draw it at a moment's notice to cut down the ryu.
"The General's exact place in this sordid play isn't clear, as of yet. However, I am sure that will change shortly." Another stray chill went down each of their backs at the cruel intent behind their master's words, even the Northern Prince's tail bristled like a bottle brush at the hidden nuances in his words.
"You wish to place a blame upon me that isn't mine to bear," Kaizon said harshly, his expression fierce as he faced his leader. "Lord Sesshoumaru, you cannot possibly believe I would betray you in any way."
A silvery brow arched at his subordinate's impassioned plea, sweeping the general in an impassive stare as he replied, "Can I not? Even Shurin was a better actor than this paltry display, General Kaizon."
A dull growl akin to a subtle roar flitted from the dragon's throat, his skin taking on a translucent sheen as though shimmering scales were slowly overtaking his visage, amethyst eyes dilating till the slitted pupil nearly consumed the iris. "I refuse to be accused of being some petty criminal! Though I may serve you, Lord Sesshoumaru, the dragon clan has enough power in their own rite to deserve respect. Even from the son of the Great Dog General himself!"
Musashi and Sora clamored to their feet, brandishing their glaives at the insolent words coming from their superior's mouth, Daija having drawn his sword to lay it with deadly accuracy upon the pulse point on Ryosuke's throat.
"You forget yourself, General," the surprisingly threatening words coming from the firebird's dulcet voice inwardly shocked Sesshoumaru, to see the phoenix youkai displaying genuine rage at the other demon's words. The glimmering length of his sword pressed against the ivory column of Kaizon's throat where but a flick of his wrist would slash it open, spilling his blood upon the pristine floorboards. "The ruler of the Southern Lands your father may be, however, you are naught but a soldier in this army. One of many nameless faces who serve the Taiyoukai sitting across from us. Lord Sesshoumaru owes you nothing, save if he wishes to grace your meaningless existence with an order."
Sesshoumaru could easily understand why so many of his own warriors idolized the bird youkai. This being the first time he bore witness to the other demon's formidable power of speech as well as fighting prowess caused the dog demon to gain a new respect for the other Lord.
The dog demon noticed how the dragon's eyes flit to Daija from their corners, the side of his mouth closest to the firebird lifting in a snarl, flashing one elongated fang which had lengthened with the changing of his skin color. "A Lord you may be, Daija, but I do not bow to your wishes, ambassador." The title was said with sarcasm and disdain, displaying what Ryosuke thought of the other youkai.
When it looked as though Daija would exert the pressure needed to end the defiant demon's life, Sesshoumaru spoke up in a bland tone. "Stay your hand, Lord Daija."
With great reluctance, the other demon hesitated a moment more before withdrawing his weapon, sliding it back into his scabbard with a sharp snap, settling for glaring in crimson fury at the male sitting beside him.
Assured that the situation had been handled, the Taiyoukai addressed his General. "General Kaizon, under suspicion of conspiracy against the crown you serve, I am placing you under confinement." He ignored the outraged look growing on the dragon's face, the dangerous slitting of his nearly black eyes. "You will be taken, questioned, and held until I deem it otherwise. Musashi," the cougar straightened to attention at his name, holding his weapon in a tight-knuckled fist beside his stiff form.
"My Lord?"
Waving his striped hand, he indicated the seething General. "You will escort General Kaizon to the detention quarters. Inform Kiro that I have use of his services. Let the kitsune know he can use....corporal persuasion if he deems it necessary." The delicate pause he used in adding the last part was done purposely, giving the satisfying result of seeing the dragon youkai falter a moment, features flashing with real fear before being replaced by outrage once more. It was well known that when Kiro was not being called upon to instruct the troops, or given an assignment for an assassination, the ice fox also was their lead interrogator. A profession that most others could not stomach, including the kitsune's brother.
"Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru." The cougar went to Kaizon, laying a heavy clawed hand upon his silk-clad shoulder, urging him to rise. "Come with me, General."
Kouga stepped to the side, eyes following the slowly rising ryu intently, a growl slipping from his lips as the purple-haired male stood stiffly before the dog demon. The prince was glad that Sesshoumaru had such a ruthless youkai in his arsenal, as Kiro seemed to be. Though it was often a messy business, it was also very necessary for any ruler to have a specific branch which gained information from those who showed ill intent towards the ruler of the region. This did not always mean that torture was utilized since such methods weren't exactly accurate at what information you obtained, but in the General's case, Kouga was all for whatever the bastard suffered.
Daija watched silently, keeping his sitting position with a careful eye on the apprehended General's hand, tense shoulders relaxing subtly as Sora moved to divest the dragon of his weapons, placing them upon the lacquered surface of Sesshoumaru's desk.
"You think to subject me to this barbarism, but I assure you, Lord Sesshoumaru, that if I come to any harm then my father, Lord Tachikaze of the Southern Provinces will not go leniently upon what you have done to his heir." Ryosuke smoothed his face out into blank indifference, the glistening cast to his skin fading to that of the previous flat shades, his voice once more cultured and precise without the growl interspersed within it. The dragon was assured that his parent's formidable influence would keep him safe, no matter how good the standing of the house of Taisho was.
"That is a risk I am well prepared to take, Ryosuke," Sesshoumaru replied flatly, amber eyes following the retreating pair of demons until the door closed behind them with stark finality and their footsteps faded beyond his hearing. Alone with the others once more, he regarded all three before stopping on Kouga. "Lord Kouga, I would suggest you sit," nodding to his cousin, he added, "You as well, Sora. We have much planning to do and I am positive this discussion will take us well into the evening."
Kicking the pillow that the previous demon had sat upon to the other side of the room, the ookami sat Indian-style upon the cold surface of the bare floor, refusing to even rest anywhere that the dragon had before. Sora gracefully lowered his lithe frame to his own spot, the length of hair which was stubbornly falling over his eye fluttering briefly with the movement.
"Let's get this going, already," the wolf bit out impatiently, his arms once more crossing over his torso.
"Patience is a virtue, Lord Kouga," quipped Daija from his left, earning the firebird an irritated scowl in response. The bird youkai studiously ignored the irrate ruler, staying focused upon Sesshoumaru's icy facade instead.
"Gentlemen, please. We don't have time for this." The Taiyoukai cut in before their behavior could incite another delay that he couldn't afford. Turning his attention to his cousin, he asked, "Sora, I've asked you here so you could give us useful insight into your father's home. Its layout, the fortifications he generally uses and such."
Nodding, the dark inu youkai began listing the various aspects to the castle Aion held on the border of the Western Lands. A piece of yellowed parchment was produced along with a bamboo stemmed brush and cast-iron ink holder so he could begin sketching out the blueprint, marking identifying slashes that depicted soldiers and where they were stationed.
As the three Lords listened attentively, asking a question here and there for extra clarification on the domicile, the night wore on sluggishly, and yet, with way too fast a gait than they would have preferred. The candles in their ornate resting places continued to melt down, the flickering flames dancing upon jeweled eyes and alabaster flesh, painting all the youkais' faces with sinister shadows. Yet, none were as somber as that of the Taiyoukai of the West, whose face showed nothing, and whose emotions have never been in such a tangle as they were now.
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Kagome sat amongst the crimson sea of the grand bed, her injured hand cradled within its partner as the deeper color of her blood seeped sluggishly through its new slack bandage. She had no idea how much time had gone by before she had awoken once more. Somehow, by how dark it was outside her windows, she didn't think it had been that long. After awakening, the miko had searched with blurry blue-grey eyes through the various drawers and cabinets for something to stem the flow of the blood dripping from her fingers and wrist, Aion having sullied the previous one beyond redemption. There was a lovely trail of the red liquid which tracked her movements around the chamber until she had found something suitable. Or, as suitable as had been available considering most of what she had seen had to do with traditional Japanese clothing of the time period. Ultimately, an intricate snowy doily emblazoned with the rolling waves she was coming to associate with the owner of her prison was the lucky winner.
She had wrapped the immaculate material about her wound as best she could, burning the old one before retreating to the bed afterwards while ignoring how there were now little dots of the sanguine nature marring Aion's clean floors and expensive carpets, the damage giving Kagome a jab of petty satisfaction that she had managed to ruin something of the dog demon's.
She knew that the shaky, exhausted feeling spreading through her body was from the encounter with the terrifying youkai, having been faced with such purposeful hate from a veritable stranger not something she was used to. After meeting Sesshoumaru's uncle, she could understand why Sora would abandon his home in favor of his cousin's keep. Aion gave new definition to a being gifted in the arts of torture and torment.
Sniffling, she gazed with despondent eyes as the cloth about her palm continued to grow redder, the stain branching out like a sickly ink stain. Though most who knew her would describe the girl as one given to hope, the first person to usually see the brighter side in any situation, there was nothing of that young woman recognizable in Kagome now.
No matter what angle she attempted to analyze the how and why of where she was, not a single ray of inspiration could penetrate the dark miasma of her thoughts.
Honestly, how worse could it possibly get?
Through her own foolishness, Akito was probably dead, Sesshoumaru was no doubt having to deal with, to put it mildly, an irrate Kouga and Inu Yasha over her disappearance, and best of all, she had consummatly failed at what she had tried so hard to preempt. She had all but handed his most hated enemy the best bargaining chip Aion could have dreamed of. Sighing, the image of what had happened out on that dark lonely field danced through her head over and over. Even though the arrow had not penetrated the fox's armor, the purifying energy which had coursed throughout his body would have surely done the trick.
Til the end of her days, Kagome would never forget the sound of the Arctic fox's blood-chilling scream of pain. The blazing white void of his glowing eyes, the lengthening of his fangs from his gaping mouth where the horrible noise kept spilling from his straining throat.
A tear made its way slowly down her salt reddened cheek, the only sign of life from the tragic doll she presented.
She was a failure, a complete and utter disgrace to everyone around her. Because of her lack of control, the inability to wield her power correctly, a close friend of hers had reaped the less than savory benefits. Had such a noble and skilled demon died as befits him? Beneath an enemy's sword or the mortal wound suffered in the defense of his family and station?
No. Instead, the glorious warrior had met his probable end by the frail hands of a human female who had professed to be his comrade. The same woman who he had spent many days and countless hours at her disposal, protecting her, offering his own friendship in return.
Why was it that anyone who came close to her was destined to go through some heartache or other?
By trying to protect Sesshoumaru, a Taiyoukai of vaster power and battle knowledge than herself, she had fairly offered herself up to his uncle as the most useful arsenal he could have attained. Having personally experienced the sadistic dog demon's attentions, Kagome knew that whatever Aion had planned for the Lord of the Western Lands was not pretty.
Thanks to her folly, now, not only was his life in peril, but Kouga's as well. For the miko knew that no matter his faults, the wolf prince was exceedingly loyal to those he cared for, or claimed as part of his 'pack'.
Males seemed to inherit an appalling short life-span when associating with her. She knew they would come for her. No amount of fervent prayer from her would dissuade the demons residing at Sesshoumaru's castle to let her disappearance slide. Especially not after recovering Akito's body from the scene of where she was taken.
Someone would have felt the spike of her purifying power seconds before the kitsune's jaki rose to alarming proportions. Even those not blessed with such insight would have felt that fissure of unbridled power, the hair rising along their bodies in helpless reaction as it brushed against their skin.
Kagome scoffed, the bitter sound reverberating throughout the empty room, a wealth of self-loathing contained in the harsh noise. As noble as her intentions had been on the outset, it now appeared the old adage was true. The road to Hell was, indeed, paved with good intentions.
Hand throbbing in tandem with her pulse, the miko closed her eyes, shutting out the grotesque grandeur of her holding cell. A firm resolution was beginning to take root deep within her. The determination that she would not allow herself to be anymore of a helpless victim than she already had been. Really, it was entirely up to her just how well Aion could use her as a weapon against Sesshoumaru. When all was said and done, it fell completely to her how much damage she would let her presence in this foreign place inflict upon the dog demon she had come to care for so deeply.
The bastard of a youkai holding her captive wanted to use her as an instrument to kill the ones Kagome loved. Gritting her teeth in rage at the thought, she fisted her good hand and let loose a growl which would have made any inu youkai proud.
If Aion honestly thought for one minute that she would timidly permit herself and others to be served up for slaughter, then he was horribly mistaken. Already, she could feel the burning hot loathing rising inside her, effectively replacing the despair and depression of before.
She would devise a plan, figure out a solution to this abominable mess she had managed to immerse herself in. Perhaps she could not bring Akito back, but she could do everything possible to prevent the deaths of anyone else.
Even if she had to forfeit her own meager life to do so.
One thing that continued to alarm the young woman was the glaring absence of the purifying power which had manifested itself so adroitly before with her guard. As though the amount which had poured from her body had been as a match soaked in gasoline, glaring white hot for seconds prior to turning to a cinder of nothingness in its place. In fact, Kagome realized that when the deadly light had coursed throughout her frail body, it had been at its most potent since she had become aware of its existence years ago. However, there was nothing of that power left now. Where the steady dull thrum of the energy had resided inside herself, slowly fluctuating in the past few days in a puzzling manner since her illness, now it was completely gone. As though a vacuum had been attached to where it lay and sucked it entirely from her without leaving a vestige behind, not a dreg to draw upon. If it had, she would have delivered a satisfying jolt to the tortuous youkai who had visited her earlier, taken her precious locket from about her neck.
Lips flattening into an irate line, she growled once more, eyes narrowing at some non-descript point towards the wall. That bastard had stolen the one thing that she had which directly linked her to her family back home in modern Japan. She felt close to naked with the lack of jewelry laying about her throat, the metal warming to her skin and laying flat between her breasts where her heart could beat beneath it. Anger continuing to build at her thoughts, the miko resolved to pay Aion back tenfold for taking something she held dearly, attempting to use it to incite the Taiyoukai into a rage over the scent of her blood tarnishing its shiny surface.
Confidence bolstered by her ire, Kagome was able to push away the fear and sadness, gladly accepting anger in its place. She knew anger could keep a person going, let them survive, even numb the pain of injuries for the person inflicted with it if they allowed it to consume them enough. She would gladly embrace the negative emotion wholeheartedly if it meant she could devise a plan of action to rectify her captivity.
Shoulders straightening, she arose from the bed to stalk on steadier legs towards the armoire where Aion had indicated her new 'wardrobe' was contained. Though she hated the idea of wearing anything the dog demon provided, even she wouldn't wear her bloodied filthy clothing just to spite him. The red liquid had managed to dry on the material, leaving it stiff and half plastered to parts of the skin it lay against beneath. Grimacing in distaste as she took her shirt and pulled it away from her body, the cloth coming loose in increments as it released its hold from her flesh, she managed with some difficulty to pull it over her head without jarring her injury too much. Tossing it carelessly on the floor near the low table, she then opened the door to the heavy piece of furniture. The traces left behind on her abdomen she would take care of later, the faint red swirls from the blood staying in contact and drying on her flesh revolting but bearable.
A raven brow arched at the extravagant array of silk kimonos, yukatas and obis neatly lined upon the polished shelves. Even the Sengoku Jedai's version of undergarments was available, though Kagome absolutely refused to change into something as personal as underwear, especially with her being on her cycle. The miko thanked Kami she had put an extra pad in her jeans pocket like she always did as a failsafe, just in case she accidentally left her house without remembering to bring one in her bag or purse. She had no wish to ask a random servant in the keep what they used in this day and age for a woman on her period, if in fact, a house full of demons had any idea what a human would use.
Reaching out with her good hand, standing in her jeans and black bra, she rummaged without particular care through the expensive clothing, finally settling on a ebony silk kimono that had amber waves the color of Sesshoumaru's eyes in the design of his uncle's insignia. Though she hated putting on something that pointed to her belonging to the evil youkai's household, there was nothing for it since every piece of clothing in the damn armoire had it emblazoned on the left sleeve as well as the hem.
Sighing heavily, she put her arms through the draping sleeves, ignoring the luxurious feel of fabric that in her own time she would never have been able to afford to wear. The edges naturally falling with a slight gap down her front, her creamy skin showing a thin line down her center, she muttered a curse as she undid her jeans and wriggled out of them. Who knew working with only one hand to do something as simple as changing your clothes could be so difficult? It made her have new respect and understanding for the Taiyoukai who only possessed one arm.
Bending down to retrieve the slim square in its yellow plastic from the back pocket of the pants now laying in a heap at her bare feet, she placed it on a random shelf next to a seafoam shaded yukata. Next, the young woman withdrew the long amber obi with its contrasting black waves, a beautiful counterpart to the long robe she had on. Since Kagome had never worn formal wear of this sort, she had no idea if there were under-kimonos or liners that went with it. There must be, she mused to herself as she rubbed the frail tie to her outfit between her fingers, since one layer of silk offered little protection from elements or for one's modesty.
Frowning, she shifted her feet, the diaphanous confection fluttering slightly at her movements as she pondered on how the hell she was exactly going to tie the kimono closed one handed. As it was, she wasn't even certain she knew how to knot it correctly so it didn't decide to slip open at the worst possible moment. Shivering slightly as the chill temperature in the room brushed upon the exposed skin of her legs and torso, she bit her lip in indecision before a hard gleam settled in her blue-grey eyes.
Fisting the delicate obi, she tossed it negligently onto the bare tabletop before wrapping the edges of her new outfit about her, holding it closed with her injured arm across her stomach till only a shallow V remained visible near her neck. Pulling her hair free from the material with her uninjured hand, she stomped to the door, her tread harsh enough to cause one of the ornate silk rugs to move and become askew. Reaching the heavy door, she eyed it narrowly before bringing one bare leg back and delivering a loud flat-footed kick towards its bottom. She was inwardly surprised when she saw the wood shake in its frame, eyebrows forking down into a scowl as she yelled, "Hey! Whoever's out there, tell your damn master I can't get his stupid clothing on by myself!"
Kagome tilted her head towards the silent entryway, focusing on the other side to see if she could hear anyone else acknowledging her outburst. As the silence stretched on, she growled loudly in frustration and administered two more swift blows, each one harder than the last, all but unbalancing herself as she made sure to keep the kimono tightly closed on the off chance someone suddenly opened the door. It wouldn't do to give some youkai a peep show because of her antics. Her modesty and pride had taken a harsh enough beating, thank you.
After what felt like ages, and a few more growled threats and hits to the door, she was happy to hear the steady approach of shoe-clad feet to her prison. Muttering an irritated, "Finally," the young woman backed away from the entrance to stand haughtily to the side where she would be able to instantly see whoever came in.
She kept the surprise and trepidation from her expression with difficulty as the door opened on well-oiled hinges to admit none other than the master of the castle himself.
'Wonderful! Fucking fantastic!' she thought to herself as Aion's tall form stopped just inside the room, the door having been opened enough to let him through before someone from in the hall closed it behind him. She hadn't even been able to get a glimpse of what lay beyond the damn thing since the youkai's imposing frame took up the spare space used to let him pass through. Disgruntled and keeping a tight hold on the anger which had let her have the courage to demand for someone to help her dress in the first place, the miko arched a single brow at his impassive expression, arms tightening about her middle so as not to lose the hold upon the slippery material.
His amber eyes swept the woman in front of him impassively, taking in her untamed mane of ebony hair in fluffy disarray, the deathgrip on one of the kimonos he had provided for her, down to the bare pale feet peeking out in stark contrast against the cloth. Looking back to her irritated blue-grey eyes, he arched his own brow at the look on her face, taking mild note of the lack of fear which had been so prevalent during his last visit.
Crossing his arms over his chest, he asked flatly, "I can't imagine what my nephew sees in a woman with such an appalling lack of decorum. One who can't even dress herself properly for that matter." His other brow joined its brethren to blend in with the bangs framing his forehead when he heard a deep growl issue from the girl's throat.
Interesting....
Making sure to clench her arm with the injured hand forcefully around her waist, she raised her other hand from its resting place along her torso to point at the stoic inu youkai, quailing the stab of unease that slithered along her nerves at the sound of his silky voice.
"Hey, I would have been able to dress myself just fine if a certain youkai who works for you hadn't decided to use me for a pin cushion!"
Brows relaxing back into a bland expression, a corner of his mouth hiked up in a smirk, a large bit of fang flashing with the motion. "Indeed." He tilted his head to the side, his long ponytail following the movement to hang slightly to the left, the amber eyes staring into her own narrowing minutely.
Refusing to become unnerved by his continued regard, Kagome shrouded herself in the bravado which had let her get this far and spoke in a calmer tone, irritation liberally shadowing the nuances of her voice as she let her free hand fall to her side.
"Look, I wouldn't have asked for someone to help me with this damn thing if I could have done it myself. Could you....please," bitterness nearly choked her at asking anything of the youkai, but she forged on anyway, "have someone come in here and help me?"
An expectant silence filled the scant space between them, the few feet separating the pair not nearly enough in her opinion as the male did naught but scan her body again. She did shiver then, unable to help the icy feeling his eyes left in their wake as they made a steady trek up and down her form, making her feel exposed and vulnerable. Gritting her teeth to keep from biting out at him and his suspicious behavior that was reminded her a tad too much of a lech, she did give in to tapping one foot as she continued to wait for his answer.
Aion watched the steady motion of her foot moving up and down to make contact with the bare floor over and over for a few moments, the sound of flesh meeting wood the only sound besides the low sizzle of water evaporating in flame from the brazier.
A thoughtful expression met her annoyed gaze when the youkai suddenly raised his face to look at her again, her body tensing as he moved forward till he was inches from her. She had to consciously keep herself from backing up at his approach, push the bubbling fear at his proximity down so she wouldn't turn tail and flee to the other side of the room.
Eyeing him warily, Kagome stood her ground, determined that the frightened human who Aion had first encountered would not be making an appearance again. The days of her cowering in terror like some whipped dog were over. Having tasted the dog demon's less savory methods before, she knew to be cautious, but also realized that no amount of evading would get her anywhere. If anything, the predator in him would no doubt surface, seeing her as prey.
She had no intention of becoming a scared rabbit hiding from a wolf. Not even for a formidable youkai of his caliber.
That smirk tilted his lips once more, arms unlacing from his chest to rest placidly along his sides as he said, "You hide your fear well, miko, but I can still see and smell it."
Tossing her head in disdain, she stood as proud as she could when wearing nothing but a thin layer of silk and her courage to protect her. "Only a fool wouldn't fear you, Lord Aion."
Her flat words caused a deep chuckle to issue forth from the ivory column of his throat, the youkai now watching her with blatant interest. "Not as ignorant as I first thought, Kagome."
She hated the sound of her name when he said it, the inflections and syllables taking on an almost sinister air. At this point she would have given nearly anything to hear it from anyone else's lips instead of this bastard.
Deigning from answering, Kagome let another silence fall between them before the youkai broke it by saying, "Since I will not allow any others in this castle to attend you I'm afraid you are going to have to make do with myself as a 'Lady's maid'."
Shock made her mouth part in astonishment, the emotion clearly reflected in her stilled form as her foot stopped tapping, her eyes wide in her pale face. "You can't be serious!"
A deadpan look was the answer to her exclamation, quickly followed by the male turning to retrieve the balled up obi in his hands, the owner of the appendages meticulously unraveling it and running striped clawed hands along its sides, smoothing out the creases. Turning back towards the woman, he came to a stop at his previous position before the ningen, the delicate fabric of the sash cradled softly in his grasp.
"Either you turn around so I can tie the obi, miko, or you can traipse around your chamber nearly naked." Shrugging in indifference, he kept his eyes trained on her darkening own. "It matters not to me if you haven't even the grace to cloth yourself properly, or the modesty to keep your body from prying eyes."
Biting her lower lip to hold back a scathing retort, Kagome flashed him a little snarl before spinning abruptly so her back faced him. She hated having him behind her where she couldn't keep an eye on him or what he was doing, but she also knew that he spoke the truth when he said it was either him or no one. Embarrassing the woman who had lived with Sesshoumaru would probably be an added bonus to the sadistic youkai who was currently stepping up close enough to where she could feel the heat emanating from his body onto her own.
She couldn't prevent the flinch of her shoulders when Aion reached up to run the clawed tips of his fingers through the dark strands of hair laying against the back of her neck, gathering the heavy mass with care before moving it to drape over her shoulder. Feeling more exposed than she ever had, Kagome held completely still, eyes flitting down to watch the movement of his arms closing in around her middle to wrap the obi along her stomach. Beginning to gnaw at her lip, tearing at the poor flesh until enough skin was removed to draw blood, she jumped slightly when the warm breath of his voice whispered along the naked shell of her ear.
"You need to remove your arm from about your waist, Kagome, if you want me to do this properly."
Nerves on high at how close he was to her, she hesitantly removed the only thing keeping the kimono closed, blushing in embarrassment as the silk immediately parted in a thin line at having nothing to hold it closed. Closing her eyes in mortification, she silently prayed for this to be over soon so she might be rid of his oppressive presence and forget all about having an evil youkai dress her like a doll and see more of her body than most others had.
A gasp left her throat as the soft scrape of sharp claws flit upon the exposed section of her stomach, the muscles tightening in reflex to the unwanted caress, her eyes scrunching tightly closed to stem the sudden flow of humiliated tears threatening to spill. Biting her lower lip with renewed force, she refused to open her eyes and see his hands on her body lest it remain with her to haunt her forever. All she could think of was if it had only been another dog youkai's hands which were currently tracing the parted edges of the black material from bottom to top, traveling softly between her breasts to stop at the lapels near her clavicle. A different male body embracing her from behind till their chest nearly lay against the curve of her back, the arms which lay in a loose band about her waist belonging to a certain Taiyoukai.
"You are trembling, miko," came his taunting remark in her ear, his breath dancing along the naked expanse of her throat and curve of her shoulder, his lips nearly touching the lobe at his words. Clamping down brutally on her lower lip, she didn't answer, not acknowledging how correct his statement had been.
She was trembling. Small shivers racing along her skin and shaking her body in helpless reaction at keeping herself near him when she wanted nothing more than to tear herself away from the youkai completely.
Again, that dark chuckle rumbled out his throat, the vibrations transmitting to her tense spine, his exhale fanning along the side of her face as he moved his head till his lips brushed against the sensitive shell of her ear as he spoke.
"Human bodies are so frail. A slight illness could end your pathetic lives. Even the tiniest wound which any youkai wouldn't pause at would be fatal to your feeble forms." One of his hands danced down the pale flesh of her exposed skin again, the other still gripping the lapel near her neck in a light hold. The obi was being held up simply by the way their bodies were connected at her back, preventing the material from sliding uselessly to the floor. Bringing his caressive fingers up, Aion stopped at the juncture where the thin material from her bra held itself together in front, his hand laying flat between the cups till she could feel the smooth texture of his skin in a rough line from where his hand lay to the arm laying in a diagonal across her torso. "I can feel your heart racing, Kagome. It beats as a caged bird, frantic and erratic." At the end of his sentence, he pressed down abruptly, causing the female to gasp as he forcefully brought the entire line of her body to his until her back was flush against his front, connecting them completely.
A startled cry left her mouth as she faltered back into the youkai, her arms coming up automatically to place her hands over the ones holding her, eyes flying open in reaction to the sudden change in positions. Her injured palm could do nothing save cover the one laying over her heart as the other clasped the one which had a lapel in its grasp. Shaking more noticeably, Kagome gazed down at the grotesque embrace she had found herself in, her bravery of before nearly abandoning her at this turn of events. She didn't know what the dog demon was doing and could only stand there anxiously as she waited to see what he would do next.
A lone tear made its way down the cheek closest to his face, his dark laughter making her stomach roil as though she would be sick. She nearly did lose it when the velvety wetness of his tongue darted out to follow the line of saline, gathering the drop which had settled near her chin and tracing it to its source near her eye. A violent shudder wracked her frame, a strangled cry of alarm issuing from her throat that she couldn't stop as she made to try and wrench herself away from him. The hard coils of his arms tightening stilled her frantic movements, a small whimper escaping her lips as the youkai tormenting her held her in what would have been a tender embrace if it had been given by anyone else. It sickened her that this youkai would hold her in fashion likened to how Sesshoumaru had cradled her body to his when they had lain in his bed. The fact that this dog demon resembled the other youkai so closely didn't help in the matter one iota, making it worse for her to bear.
"Your terror tastes lovely, miko," came his whispered comment, causing her to stiffen even more if that was possible. The hands that lay over Aion's tightened, the one with the bandage applying a light pressure as the other laced about his own, attempting to break contact with their owner. Growling in warning, the woman's frantic pulling stopping instantly at the aggressive sound, he nipped her neck in retribution where Sesshoumaru had once done, leaving a dark indentation of fangs on the pale surface. The bruise quickly rising to mar her skin caused him great satisfaction, his sharp gaze noting that the teeth marks weren't enough to puncture but would remain for days to come. A reminder to the female who was now silently crying in his arms that insolence was not to be tolerated. Drawing a slow drag of the tip of his tongue over the wound, he relished in the wince it incited despite its soothing nature. "Don't defy me, girl."
Swallowing audibly, Kagome let her tortured eyes slide closed again as she cried quietly, her body deflating suddenly in defeat till he was supporting all of her weight. At this point, she just wanted him to finish tormenting her and just leave her alone, let her attempt to salvage what shredded dignity she could.
A purr-growl of pleasure flit along her skin as he held her, eyes flashing in eerie triumph in the low lighting of the room.
"Good girl, Kagome." Nuzzling the brand he'd given her one more time, he abruptly released his tight hold on her enough to clasp her waist in both his hands, capturing the long forgotten obi between his fingers and her flesh. Waiting patiently till he was certain she would be able to stand on her own, if shakily, Aion deftly closed the kimono and tied the decorative sash with a flourish. Making sure to tighten it securely, the youkai took the unresisting girl's shoulders into his hands and turned her to face him, her head lowered so she wouldn't have to look into his eyes.
Lifting a hand to cradle her chin between clawed fingers, he raised her face to his, using the other to swipe softly at the drops of saltwater trailing from her closed eyes. "Look at me, miko."
With great reluctance, her lids opened to gaze sadly into the demon's, the amber in their irises glowing prominently in the shadows bathing his countenance. Regarding the watery blue-grey orbs quietly, continuing the action of removing her tears from her skin as they fell, he studied the ravaged beauty that stood with less pride than when he had first entered the room. Satisfied with the result of his ministrations, he told her quietly, "I trust that you are satisfied with the results of this little encounter. If in the future you have need of assistance again, do not hesitate to ask."
A sudden well of anger bloomed within her as she heard his scathing remarks. This bastard had humiliated her, hurt her emotionally and physically, and now he was trying to taunt her?! Renewed fury gave her the courage to tilt her head arrogantly, his hand remaining cupping her chin while the other fell to his side as the tears stopped from flowing.
"You bastard!" She whispered fiercely, ignoring the threatening scowl that immediately graced his handsome face. Snarling, Kagome leveled a deadly glare at the youkai who had given her nothing but abject misery since she had awoken in this over-done chamber. "Get your fucking hands off me!"
To reiterate her point she raised her good hand to grip his striped wrist, baring her own less substantial fangs at the demon in an open sign of defiance and aggression, daring him to react.
The grip on her skin became punishing, but she didn't show any sign of how his claws barely missed slicing her flawless complexion. She was finished with being man-handled by him! She would much rather he get his petty little tortures out of the way and end it if that was what he ultimately wanted to do. Kagome had reached her breaking point on this entire fiasco for one evening.
"Defiant to the end I see," came his reply, a growl mixing with the words, his own fangs baring to show their ivory sharp length as he leaned his face closer to hers, amber eyes narrow and ringing in crimson around the iris. His slitted pupils were constricted, even in the low lighting till the luminescent overtones nearly swallowed them completely.
Growling again, louder this time, she pushed her own head towards his in answering fervor. "An asshole from the beginning, I see."
For once, she was glad she had learned that lovely list of profanities from Inu Yasha. Coarse and common they may be, but they also got one's point across nicely while at the same time allowing some stress relief at uttering them.
An enraged hiss left his snarling lips, his canines becoming more pronounced as Aion felt his anger at this woman's show of disrespect rise. "You forget yourself, miko!"
A derisive laugh escaped the lips curling into a sneer upon her face, her eyes narrowing as she scoffed at his show of temper. "And you forget, Aion, that I am no one's obedient lapdog."
Mad beyond reason, he quickly took up her injured hand where it had previously been laying along her hip, crushing it between strong fingers while glaring into her eyes. Though she flinched, the woman steadied herself and dug her own nails further into his wrist in response, carving deep scratches into his pale skin.
"That trick only works once, you damn dog!"
A feral look overcame his features, transforming his handsome face into an ugly visage of anger and hatred as he tightened even further on her captured appendage, hearing the satisfying snap of fragile bones giving under the pressure. It irked the youkai further when she showed no outward sign of having even felt the pain of what that must have caused her.
"My patience grows thin with your disobedience, Kagome."
"My patience grew thin with your presence long ago, Aion," she quipped back, the range of her anger allowing her to become numb to what she knew would be an even worse injury now, thanks to his tender grip on her.
"I will break you, girl. I will tear you apart piece by piece and then remold you to do it all over again," he threatened back in a guttural growling voice. It infuriated him that she refused to be brought down by his attempts to shatter her. No one defied him. No one.
Another scoff left her lips, her breath fluttering his bangs with the force of it. "Neither you nor a hundred youkai like you could manage that, My Lord." His title fell off her lips with great sarcasm, letting him know precisely how much esteem she held him in.
With a small roar he released her chin to instead encircle her throat in a tight clasp, yanking to bring her face centimeters from his own till she almost lay against him again, her eyes widening fractionally at the way his fingers didn't cut off her airway, but were very close to doing so. "You insolent bitch!"
The slick feel of his blood now running beneath the pads of the fingers still wrapped around his wrist filtered into her mind as her own fingers had tightened even further at his new action. It was a small consolation to know that she had managed to draw his blood for once.
In a half crazed fury, Kagome suddenly lent forward and captured his bottom lip between her teeth, biting down harshly on the tender flesh. His cry of surprise was muffled by her mouth against his as she tasted the metallic tang of the youkai's blood pass her lips, her own growl reverberating upon the fangs laying close to the sides of her mouth. Releasing him almost as abruptly as she had bit him, she gathered the liquid in her mouth and spit it into his face, watching the rivulets of saliva mixed with red drip down his pale skin, trail slowly across the markings on his face.
She felt like retching when she swallowed, the thick coating of his blood going down her throat, filming the skin over her lips which were now bathed in the red color.
Her small victory was short-lived, however, when in the next instant he gave an inhuman snarl and launched the both of them backwards, causing her to falter and cry out in alarm. The next instant, she was on her back laying sideways upon the bed with her legs hanging freely, the youkai's body pushing her own down as he snapped his teeth in her face when she attempted to writhe and buck beneath him. All her attempts succeeded in doing was to place him between her thighs, the flimsy cover of her kimono riding up and falling away till she felt the smooth brush of his pants against her bare skin. The intimate position they were in made a new fear take root in her chest, her anger of before evaporating at the horror of what it might mean.
A frantic cough left her tight throat as the weight of the demon's frame settled completely atop her own, pinning her effortlessly to the bed, the hand around her neck nothing more than a staying presence that didn't harm, but prevented her from shifting. Panting heavily, she was aware of the perspiration now giving a soft sheen to her skin, her hair tossed in black abandon around her head, a dark splash of color upon the crimson bedding they lay upon.
She noticed Aion was breathing just as hard as she was, the rise and fall of his chest pressing into her as he released her injured palm and throat to capture her head between his clawed hands. The blood from the scratches she had given him dripped down onto the exposed V near her breasts where the dislodged kimono had gaped open in her struggle. The robe was nearly hanging open completely, the obi smashed and loosened beneath her as Kagome raised both hands to weakly press against his heaving chest. It was a vain attempt, and didn't work to dislodge him from his resting place one bit.
At the feel of her hands pushing him, Aion growled again with a snap of fangs, his fingers tightening painfully into her scalp before lessening as she froze. She felt the thrum of the sound through her fingertips, arcing in icy tendrils up her arms to rest with dread in her pounding heart. His silvery ponytail had slid over the shoulder where his tail did not lay to fall along her side, the afformentioned appendage having unwound itself from its spot on his body to trail behind his crouching frame, brushing in wavering agitation against her dangling feet.
Wheezing from the strain upon her lungs, she let loose another abrasive exhale as she stared into his piercing gaze with fright. This definitely had not been the desired result when she had let her emotions run away from her.
Gulping, she tried to make herself resemble a statue as much as possible since the simple act of breathing caused their chests to brush against one another over and over again in a most unpleasant way.
Amber orbs glaring down into the female he now held captive, Aion inhaled deeply, nostrils flaring at the spicy fragrance of their mixed blood blanketing the air, the sweat from the human's body heightening the odor till he could inhale nothing else. It made the beast inside him ravenous, nearly insatiable with the thought of tearing into the woman until there was nothing left. Reigning in the dark desire, he pulled himself back into a semblance of the control the miko had managed to arrest from him.
"Your idiocy is going to be your downfall one day, miko." He watched her swallow audibly, his eyes darting down momentarily to her larynx, following the motion easily as his ears honed in on her whispered words from a raspy voice.
"Trust me, Lord Aion, you aren't the first one to say so."
"But perhaps the last to do so, Kagome," he replied in a steadying tone that still had a trace of gruffness from a growl, but not near the wild quality it had held before.
A shaky laugh shook her slight frame, the terror in her eyes altering to a somber sad grey that overrode the natural blue. The youkai watched the interplay of emotions flit across her face closely, their breathing beginning to slow, though it still continued at a faster pace than normal.
"Of that, I have no real doubt."
Silence greeted her melancholy comment, her hands slipping from their place on his chest to lay limply near her head outside of his own still cradling her skull.
"You are a very odd creature, miko," Aion stated casually, a pondering look gracing the features that were but a hairbreadth from her own. Gentle claws sifted through the hair at her temples in a caricature of a caress, tangling in her damp mane as his tail continued its slow sway back and forth near her feet. "I think I begin to understand my loving nephew's infatuation with you. You are, indeed, a most peculiar specimen."
Annoyed at being made to sound as though she was some sort of bug being studied under a microscope, Kagome grumbled under her breath about something called a 'vet' and 'being neutered', to which he had no idea what any of it meant. Arching a snowy brow, the red began to slowly recede from his irises, the pupils relaxing to a fuller volume though still maintaining the sharpness about his eyes.
Another cough, a little stronger than the last shook her body, jarring his position atop her in an uneven keel, the feet firmly planted upon the floor shifting to compensate for the motion. Relaxing his hold on her head, the inu youkai paused to hone in on the woman's breathing, the choppy quality to every inhale and exhale from the over-stressed organs. He had been informed upon the ill female's status before she had ever become a 'guest' to his keep, but it was obvious that she still had a long way to go until she would be considered fully recovered. He would have to make certain the healer continued with the boiling herbs. He couldn't have her dying just yet, not when he still had need of her. The ningen's antics earlier had nearly made him forget all that. Totally disregard his plans on using her to harm his nephew in the face of her impudence and defiance. It had been a long time since Aion had felt the blind rage which had almost consumed him, causing him to maneuver them to the state they were currently in. Somewhere in between the time they had begun arguing and the extended personal contact with the woman, something inside of him had snapped easily, and Aion was inwardly puzzled at how easily the leash on his control had slipped.
He became acutely conscious of her nearly bare body lying beneath his in a provocative way, of the aroma of their mingled blood continued to perfume the air about them, thick and cloying. The spit she had spewed upon him he had swiped off in their dash to the bed, cleaning it from his features to smear across one sleeve, staining the silk. His lip had clotted and begun to heal almost immediately, her bite being nothing more than a nip really. He had to give her credit for audacity. Never before had anyone dared to attack him in such a way, not even the women he had taken unwillingly to his bed over the years. The scratches had taken longer for his youkai heritage to take care of, the deep divots the miko had managed to impart having bled sluggishly even as he held her down, spotting her pale flesh until it came to a stop and finally closed. When he had seen the fire ignite in her odd colored eyes, he knew that had she been in possession of a fraction of her purifying power he would have been the unlucky recipient of them.
Releasing his hold from within her hair, he balanced himself on his forearms near where her own hands now lay, raising himself slightly to let his eyes travel down from her eyes till he came to a stop where a small pool of his own blood lay in the center of her chest, right above where the odd undergarment she wore rested. Ignoring her confused stare, the subtle rub of her legs restlessly moving against his own, her dainty feet tangling in the furry length of his tail, capturing it between her arches, Aion began to move lower.
Nervously watching the way the demon shifted down her body, Kagome nearly jumped out of her own skin when she lost sight of his eyes as the tilt of his head made his bangs shadow them just seconds prior to the sinuous stroke of his tongue began lapping up the blood from her skin. Body drawing tight as a bowstring, she began to breath shallowly in renewed fear, disbelieving in what precisely was happening to her. She was beyond disgusted. This demon had put his mouth to her in more places than any other male dared to, and none of it requested or sought after.
Surely he couldn't plan to go any further with his torture than the dog demon had already partaken in. For her part, she was past finished with having him put his hands, body and anything else he deemed fit upon her person without permission. Seeing a male perform such an intimate act on her just made her want to curl up and die from mortification and shame. She felt tainted. Unclean and dirty from the visible mark left on her neck which had replaced Sesshoumaru's to the scandalous brush of a stranger's tongue laving her sternum.
Wriggling in discomfort, she grit her teeth and refused to be cowed if he tried by snapping his fangs in her face. She was miserable and didn't really have faith that she possessed the endurance to continue their little battle any more this evening. As it was, it must have been the early morning hours of the night, and exhaustion was quickly replacing what fleeting energy she had obtained from her emotional effusion. Kagome was positive these horrific episodes with Aion were going to give her nightmares, hang-ups and therapy sessions for life. If the sexual harassment wasn't enough then the pain infliction would be. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, this youkai was succeeding in giving her future relationship issues by molesting her, and deep down she knew the repercussions would take a long time to get over.
Despite her squirming, the dog youkai finished what he had started, his hands holding her shoulders down easily as his lower body did the same for her waist and legs. Accomplishing what he had set out to do, he gave her one last lingering stroke, levering up to stare coldly into the anguished girl he'd captured.
"I wouldn't be so crass as to leave a guest filthy." The bright flash of a smirking mouth shone down at her, and Kagome wished even more that she had managed to tear off his lower lip when she had bit him instead of just a glancing blow.
Desisting her movements, a defeated sigh shuddered through her as she whispered brokenly, "Just leave me. Please."
A long silence overtook them, each regarding the other in varying shades of dispassion and angst. He must have been satisfied with what he read in her eyes because the sudden chill of the room flowed over her as Aion pushed himself into a standing position. She wasted no time in gaining her own feet, pulling the rumpled edges of her attire closed instantly, clutching it in her good hand near her throat. When he reached out towards her, Kagome went to step back, forgetting that it would have made her fall onto the soft bedding, her fall preempted by his clawed hands grabbing her waist in what was becoming a disturbingly familiar gesture. The miko was even more surprised when he simply turned her about, pushing her wild hair over her shoulder as before, the tightening of the sash about her middle pointing to the demon retying the slack material. Once the silk was secure, he pulled her mane to lie down her back in a messy river, gripping the elbow of her uninjured arm to turn her towards him. Facing him, she silently watched the dog demon, waiting to see what else he was going to do.
Releasing his hold, he stepped back a few feet, no longer invading her personal space. Kagome felt her stomach churn nauseatingly as her eyes were drawn to the faint darkened stains along his haori front, realizing with horror that it had been the dried blood that had mixed with sweat from her abdomen where her soiled clothing had lain. It looked as though he had killed someone and been dirtied for his efforts.
Swallowing down the bile that rose in her throat, she kept the tight hold on her clothing, her injured hand now making itself known with its non-stop throbbing. She knew that his last 'handshake' had broken a number of the bones, fractured them into many pieces. With a sinking feeling, she was well aware that if she didn't manage to get it treated by one of the surgeons in her own time era soon, then once she did return there would be no way they could hope to repair the damage enough for her to use it ever again.
'Add it to the list', she thought despondently.
"In the future, for your own welfare, I would strongly advise resisting any displays of impudence as you did earlier. It has....adverse effects upon me, Kagome." His amber eyes, so like the dog demon's she had come to love gazing into, stared at her blandly, his expression once more clear of anything but mild boredom. "Also, I think I will forgo giving you the sedative I mentioned earlier. Perhaps the pain will be a beneficial reminder for you not to behave as you did again."
Shivering, she nodded, unable to find her voice to offer a verbal response.
Casting one final sweep over her, he turned and left on his silent tread, the door closing behind him with as much discretion as it had when he had walked through it.
Nibbling her over-abused lip, she sniffled while moving to the adjoining bathroom in a jog, slamming the door behind her. Crying and shaking, she took the cloth laying beside the basin of water with its matching pitcher in muted browns and started scrubbing it over every inch of skin she could reach. When she came to the edge of the kimono, she pushed her hand beneath it, taking care not to dislodge the robe so it wouldn't become undone again.
Kami, how she wanted to be under the scalding hot spray of a shower right now! Wash away the feel of that demon from her skin as she wanted to rinse the memory of him in her mind.
Skin turning red with the force of the cloth being rubbed so harshly against it, Kagome let her tears fall without check, confident that no one would come to bother her tonight. The bandage on her hand was hopelessly drenched in blood again, so it looked like one of the silk obis was going to have to replace it. She'd deal with that once she had finished scraping her flesh from their bones, maybe then she wouldn't still feel the stroke of a hand, the flit of a tongue, the caress of nails on her.
Shaking so badly that she couldn't keep the coarse wet fabric in contact with her skin any longer, she finally let it drop to the stone floor with a sopping 'plop', covering her face with her hands and sinking to the small square of carpet near the doorway. Huddling into a tight ball, she let out all her despair and hopelessness of the past few events in wracking sobs and shuddering coughs.
Kagome wanted to go home. Wanted to see her mother's smiling face, hear her grandpa's inane chatter on youkai, listen as her brother told her about his newest crush in school. Yet, most of all, she wanted to feel the reassuring strength of a certain Taiyoukai's arm holding her close to a solid body that she was familiar with. One which would completely wipe away any traces of another dog demon with the same coloring until he helped her bury every horrible memory she had garnered since Aion had taken her.
Clenching her hair in fisted hands, she pushed her mouth into her up drawn knees and said one name softly.
"Sesshouarmu...."
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