Author's Note: I'm honestly so sorry for such a long delay. Now that I'm off work, hopefully it won't be so long!
Warnings: This chapter deals with a panic attack, as well as a few mentions of heavy anxiety. Let me know if you have questions.
That Flesh of Mine
Chapter Fifteen
I've been running through the jungle, I've been crying with the wolves to get to you. To get to you.
(Wolves, Marshmello ft. Selena Gomez)
She squeezed her eyes shut, hands clenched into fists within the baggy sweater. Like a constant wail, her body demanded sleep. Exhaustion lined every tendon, sat heavy on her eyelids. But sleep wouldn't come and honestly, she didn't want it to. Kagome listened as a door clicked shut. Sure footsteps trundled down the stairs, even and unhurried. The black-haired girl didn't need to open her eyes to know exactly who it was.
"Hey."
Inuyasha's voice was uncharacteristically soft, though at the same time rough, like a rumbling train in the far away distance. Kagome loosened her hands and gave up trying to hide. She looked at her friend and tried not to catalogue the differences. Inuyasha was human and though she'd seen him like this before, it felt strangely different now in the early Friday morning, hiding from demons in what used to be his old bedroom. The dark hair seemed wrong, somehow.
Kagome eventually found her voice. "Hey," she murmured back. "How is everyone?"
"Fine. Jinenji doesn't sense anything and I believe him. He refuses to go home though so Sango's been finding every heater we have to put in the garage to keep him warm."
That was so, so wrong. Kagome felt the lurch in her chest, the panic setting in every bone of her body. It horrified her that her eyes burned with tears. This couldn't be happening. It wasn't fair. If only she'd—
"Stop it." Inuyasha's command cut through the haze, sharp and unyielding. "If you hadn't sensed it, then they would have caught you at the dance and taken you. Or killed you."
"Yeah." Even as she agreed, everything still felt so much worse. Oh god, she was going to cry. Trying to stave it off, Kagome clutched tighter to Inuyasha's sweater and wrapped it more firmly around herself. She couldn't look at the him; surely that would break her. She forced herself to continue, "Yeah, you're right."
There was a huff, aggravated and tired, before Kagome saw Inuyasha's sneakered feet come into view as he deposited himself right in front of her. With a whoosh he was sitting down, and she could feel the force of his glare like it was a physical thing. "You need to breathe, Kagome."
The reminder was only slightly jarring. Kagome took in a deep inhale and couldn't believe how desperate for air she really was. It dispelled the tightness in her chest a little, made it a tiny bit easier. "Everyone's risking their life for me," she said quietly, staring at the ground. "And I should be out there with you all but my head—"
"I told you to stay here, and Sango nearly lost her mind when you argued," Inuyasha cut in, and he was definitely annoyed. Even without the growl vibrating in his chest, there was no mistaking that tone. "It's no different than before."
"But I'm useful," Kagome pressed, finally daring to look him in the eye. "You know I am."
"I never said you weren't but you are who they're after, so you're going to hide. You are your own last line of defence, got it? So stop with all this," he snapped, waving his hand at her, "and calm down. Breathe."
She did, inhaling and exhaling in steady, counted motions until the scowl on Inuyasha's face lessened. In the silence, all they did was watch each other. Inuyasha was assessing her with every glance, she could tell. His dark gaze – dark, not golden, and that shouldn't be so hard to accept at the moment – eyed her hands, clutched in his sweater. "I promise to give this one back," she joked, her voice and tone all wrong.
Inuyasha smirked anyways. "Guess we'll see."
At least his smirk was the same. Kagome tore her gaze away to stare at the carpet instead.
She knew the question was coming. All the same, her heart stutter-stopped for a terrifying moment when he asked, "Why did you do it?"
Why did she try to sense the demons around her? Why attempt something that held such awful consequences the last time? Breathing out roughly, Kagome shrugged. "I didn't mean to."
"What happened?"
Hojo had been chatting with her and even though he was polite and cheerful, everyone around them kept making faces. Like they knew something she didn't. Like they knew she turned Hojo down but came anyways with her friends. Like they knew she had some sort of older, risqué boyfriend that she was trying to keep secret. Like they knew she was playing hard to get, because who wouldn't date Hojo?
On top of that, Sango and Miroku were gone. Kagome didn't know where they had disappeared to, but she knew without a doubt that they needed the time together. Miroku had been snarky and Sango had been petty. In the end, they were both miserable on the dance floor, eyeing each other.
All Kagome had wanted to do was get away, for just a second. She needed to breathe. She needed to escape from the rising tide of panic that was clawing at her chest, making it almost impossible to take in a proper breath. She had almost been shaking. Making a poor excuse had been her only out, and Kagome vanished as fast as she could, pushing through crowds until she made it to the front lobby, until she disappeared herself down one hallway and then another, specifically marked 'Employees Only'. Until she was alone.
But she hadn't wanted to be alone. Kagome had sighed and leaned against the wall, wishing desperately that, well—
That Inuyasha had been there.
The thought spiralled. What was the half-demon doing? Sango had mentioned it was the new moon, which meant he was going to be human. Was he okay? Was he at home, or out, or still running in the forest despite everything?
One second she was grounded, resting against the wall and wondering.
The next, she was not in her body. Or she was, but she wasn't. Kagome couldn't explain it any better the second time. She was just…soaring. Over, outwards, away. And Sakura was below her, around her, an endless map with unlimited magnification.
There was Inuyasha. She could sense him, but only faintly. His aura was all wrong, far away but there. Not demon, not half. Just…something human. There he was. He was okay, Kagome thought. He was calm. He was—
But then there was another.
And another.
More, closer, oh god so close—
And another pack of them, racing, howling, screaming as they devoured rough forest floor beneath their feet.
Right towards her.
She didn't remember calling Sango.
So in the end, what happened was all centred around a selfish desire to see Inuyasha, which had…activated her powers? Kagome didn't know. She didn't know much, it felt like, when it came to her own strengths. How had she found him at all, if he was human?
"I—" Kagome tugged the sweater closer, like that was even possible. "I didn't mean to. I was thinking about it, and then suddenly I was doing it. The radar thing. I didn't mean to, I swear. I wasn't trying and last time I had been meditating kind of so I didn't know it would be possible. I promise, Inuyasha, I never—"
"Shit." Warm hands gripped her arms, jerking her once until her words broke off and all she could do was look at him, panicked, terrified. What the hell had she done? "Kagome, you need to breathe. With me, okay?"
She couldn't. God, she couldn't. Kagome felt her body tremble and it was like giving up, unwilling. She didn't want to do this. She didn't want to be this kind of person. Why couldn't she just breathe properly? Her chest was far too tight, just like her throat. Bile built up in her mouth, nausea rising, and oh god she couldn't swallow properly. She was going to be sick.
Suddenly, hands were no longer on her arms. They were on her face, cupping her cheeks and radiating warmth. "Breathe, damn it. One, two, three, four, five. Exhale, two, three, four, five—"
Kagome shook her head, trying and failing, not making it—
A hand grabbed at her wrist and Kagome was jolted forward, her palm brought into the crevice of his sweater. The heat was almost too much, but the soft cotton surrounding her hand was like a cocoon. She was touching Inuyasha's shirt-clad chest, right over his heart.
"Inhale, two, three, four, five. Exhale, two, three— Feel my chest, okay? Rise and fall with it."
The next time he counted, Kagome struggled but managed to catch most of it. She was still too fast, unable to slow down, but Inuyasha was relentless. His dark brown gaze was intense and demanding, face only inches away from her own. Their knees were touching.
She breathed.
It felt like an eternity, but Kagome had no concept of how long it actually took for her panic to subside. The two of them simply sat on the floor, breathing in rhythm. The hand that he had on her face slid down to her neck, feeling her pulse.
Five minutes. Ten. An hour. How long had she been staring at him?
"You're okay," Inuyasha told her. Nothing had ever sounded so sure.
"Yeah," she whispered back.
"Here, uh." Inuyasha stuttered a little, reaching out to try and readjust his sweater over her shoulders. It had fallen, somehow, during the panic.
He wasn't looking at her anymore and maybe that was why Kagome felt so safe. Because this whole night had spiralled because she had wanted to be with him, close to him, and now— God, she just wanted to—
Arms outstretched, she closed the distance between them and wrapped herself around his neck. She hid her face in the crook of it, terrified but needed it so desperately. How could she ask though? After all he had done for her, how could she possibly demand more?
Almost instantly, she was wrapped up in his embrace. It broke down whatever wall was still inside and Kagome felt hot tears threaten to spill. Clenching her eyes tightly shut, she willed them away. All Kagome wanted was a hug. Just—To be close. With him.
"Kagome?" Inuyasha whispered.
She couldn't have stopped the word from forming if she had tried. "Please?"
The arms wrapped around her tightened, infinitesimally but so much better for it. Slowly, as if pulled by the swing of earth's gravity, Kagome shifted to the side and Inuyasha tucked her in close.
"Thanks." The word was shaky, but it was there.
Inuyasha didn't say anything back. He just held her and it was enough.
Without her permission, Kagome fell asleep.
She came to like a shock to the heart.
"Hey… Hey Kagome, it's okay." Sango was bent over so that she was eye level with her, the warmth of her hand steady on her back. "It's just after seven. Inuyasha says we can go to bed."
"Seven…in the morning?" Kagome tried to blink away the sleep, struggling to sit up on… Was she on the bed? How had she gotten there?
"Yeah. Come on, Inuyasha said that mattress is crap. My bed is better." There was another pat to her shoulder and a smile. "You sure you don't need to talk to your mom?"
Shaking her head, Kagome slowly got up. "No, she thinks we're at Yuka's. It's fine. As long as I'm back for lunch."
"We'll make sure you're home." Sango led the way up the stairs. "Miroku's already in bed. Jinenji is still here, but he's going to go home soon to check on his mom."
"I should thank him," Kagome mumbled, still barely awake. "I can't believe he stayed."
"He's…sweet," Sango admitted, a softness in her tone that Kagome couldn't have imagined up. "He was worried about you."
Kagome opened her mouth to say something about that – about how she'd been right all along about half-demons, about nature versus nurture – but instead decided to keep silent. She was too exhausted and honestly, just happy that they were all getting along without causing Inuyasha or Jinenji additional hardship. They were protecting her, after all.
She pushed past the lump of guilt in her throat and made her way into the garage.
Jinenji was sitting in the far corner, sitting with his knees curled up to his chin, arms wrapped around. For someone as big as he was, the half-demon certainly shrunk himself as much as possible. When he saw her approach, his massive blue eyes lit up, the orange hue of his skin bronzing under a flush. Kagome could tell just how tired he was, even though they'd only met a handful of times.
Still, he had stayed to protect her.
"Thank you," Kagome started, feeling overly emotional. "Thanks for staying. I'm sorry you're so cramped."
Jinenji shrugged his big shoulders, hands wringing themselves. "I don't mind. Are you alright?"
Smiling, she nodded. "Yeah. I'm okay. Just a bit of a headache but I probably need some more sleep. Did you stay up the whole night?"
The half-demon shrugged again. "Inuyasha was human. He was worried. It's…hard to be human. You already feel vulnerable. It was my turn to…" Jinenji seemed to think for a moment before finishing, "help."
"I don't know how to repay you," Kagome said honestly, the exhaustion making her feel brutally candid. "Your mother must be worried."
"She's okay," Jinenji assured her. He hesitated, and then slowly he reached out towards her. His hand landed on the ground nearby, like he was afraid to get too close still. "I like your dress."
"Oh." Kagome looked down at herself, at the rumpled green slip that was hidden slightly underneath Inuyasha's sweater. It was a bit ruined now, but it still hugged her body, still shined even in the harsh garage lighting. "Thanks! Not exactly demon-fighting clothes but I guess I was in hiding anyways."
"Well." Jinenji gave a tiny smile. "Hopefully this doesn't happen again so you can have fun."
"We're usually not that lucky here in Sakura," Kagome sighed. "But it's a nice thought anyways. Are you going home now?"
"In a minute. I'll wait for Inuyasha, make sure he's okay." Jinenji seemed to wiggle then, frowning like he felt suddenly awkward. "He is but— The moon–"
"I'm sure he'd appreciate it," Kagome told him kindly. "You're a good friend, Jinenji."
The half-demon ducked his head a little but she could see the traces of a smile pushing back on his face. They were so lucky to have him, so lucky to have someone else who understood and could stick by their side. With everything happening, they would need as much help as they could get.
"Goodnight," Kagome murmured, leaning forward to place her hand on his for a moment before leaving the garage. The moment she was back in the house, it felt like a weight had dropped on her. Whatever fumes she was running on before were gone, drained out of her. She needed to go to bed.
Sango was waiting for her just at the end of the hallway, looking worse for wear. Her friend smiled a little, and gestured deeper into the house. "Bed?"
"God, please."
Just as they were passing the kitchen, Inuyasha was there, looking tired but otherwise fine. The tiny silver ears on the top of his head twitched towards them before he even looked up, and Kagome felt such overwhelming relief that she didn't even think about the fact that maybe she should have been embarrassed. She'd fallen asleep on him, after all. But it hadn't crossed her mind, not when those golden irises were watching her approach.
"We're off to bed," Sango said, patting him on the shoulder. "You should sleep too."
"Yeah, I will," he allowed, not looking all that happy about it.
Sango didn't question it though, continuing down the hallway towards her room. The magenta-eyed girl snuck a look back, and Kagome refused to blush when her friend gave her a knowing smile before disappearing inside.
"You should go back to sleep," Inuyasha said gruffly, distracting her from her thoughts and oblivious to the rest of it.
"I will, I just—" Kagome sighed. "Thanks, for earlier."
The half-demon shrugged. "Didn't really do much."
"That's crap and you know it." Kagome grabbed at the hem of his sweater, as if tugging on it would get him to listen. "Thank you."
Blowing out an exasperated breath, Inuyasha sighed. "Fine. You're welcome."
"Good."
For a moment, they just stared at each other. Kagome didn't know whether she should… What, hug him again? She wanted nothing more than to be close but there was something almost guarded about him now, like the moment the human in him subsided, the walls soared back up. It wasn't true though; she knew it wasn't. Kagome knew Inuyasha and he would've done the same thing for her in that tiny, basement bedroom no matter if he was human, half-demon, or full.
"You're not going to bed, are you?" she asked, knowingly.
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Not you, too. I'm heading back with Jinenji. I'll be back soon."
"You're going to run the forest route." His glare was answer enough. Kagome gave him a slow smile and shrugged, tugging again on his sleeve before dropping it. "Well, I'm glad you're you again."
"Demonic enough to stop whatever is coming our way?" he shot back, flexing his claws. A show, and nothing more.
"No." Kagome shrugged again. She hadn't really known what she meant, other than it was good to see him. The one who was familiar, with the scowls framed by silver locks and glowers radiating from golden orbs. "I'll see you later?"
He stared at her for a second, assessing, before he nodded. He tugged on the oversized sleeve of his own sweater – the one that she was still wearing – as he passed and disappeared.
Considering how terrifying the previous night had been, it seemed almost anti-climactic when nothing happened at all. There were no strange howls and Inuyasha couldn't pick up anything in the forest. It made the half-demon snarly and Kagome chose to hangout with Sango most of the morning going through the journals once more. They still had no idea who was behind the dead body dropped on their porch. With each page she flipped, however, Kagome was more and more certain that these notes weren't the right ones.
"I can… I can try again," Kagome murmured quietly to her friend, elbows propped on the kitchen table. "Use that radar, or whatever, to see where they are."
"We called Kaede and she said you should absolutely not do that," Sango reminded her, magenta eyes fierce. "You were attacked the first time."
Kagome bit her lip and said nothing.
"Besides, Inuyasha would claw my throat out," Sango muttered.
"I doubt it."
Her friend shot her a look that could only be described as unimpressed before returning to the journal. That ended that.
Eventually she had to go home. Her mother was expecting her back for lunch.
Inuyasha wasn't happy but he didn't really have any choice in the matter. Kagome couldn't just live at their house until the wolf demons showed up. She had a family and like it or not, she lived under her mother's rules. The last thing Kagome wanted to do was scare her or make her worried. She was out of the house a lot as it was.
Sitting in the car, alone with a tired Inuyasha, Kagome stared out the window. Neither of them were talking but she honestly didn't expect anything different. The half-demon had barely gotten any sleep at all, especially by the time he came back from 'dropping off Jinenji.'
How much longer, she wondered.
How much longer could she get away with keeping her mother in the dark? At what point would things shatter?
Her heart vowed to never.
Her brain knew, just like her body did, that it was only a matter of time before a demon walked right up to their front door.
When she finally did get home, Kagome took a few deep breaths just outside the door. Inuyasha had already driven away, careful to stay out of view of the front windows in case her mother had been waiting. They could keep up the lies, Kagome promised herself. They could do this.
She could do this.
Compared to the terror of last night, her house was almost too quiet. Soft. There was the gentle sound of the news playing on the television, which her grandfather was undoubtedly watching. Some small clattering could be heard from the kitchen and soon, her mother poked her head out into the hallway.
"Hi sweetie, glad you're back."
Maybe it was her smile, trusting and calm. Maybe it was the fact that she was wearing her apron and she clearly was doing the dishes, suds on the material and the sheen of wetness on her hands. Maybe it was the normalcy of it all; the expectedness of entering a house where your loved ones were.
"Hey Mama," Kagome answered, horrified at the lump in her throat.
Of course her mother could tell. She frowned slightly, a wrinkle appearing in the middle of her forehead as she came closer. "Is everything okay? What's—"
Hugging her was the only option. Pressing herself close, Kagome buried her face in her shoulder and reminded herself – again and again – that this was what she needed to protect. Her home. Her family. And she couldn't do that alone, not with the demons always after her. They would inevitably find her, no matter where they went. Kagome needed Sango and Miroku and Inuyasha by her side.
And that meant keeping her mother in the dark, to ensure nothing separated them.
"Nothing's wrong," Kagome replied, as levelly as she could. She even tried to smile while saying it. "Just really exhausted. I think we only got a few hours of sleep."
"Must have been some dance for you to stay up all night talking about it," her mother said, still sounding uncertain.
Only faking it could get her out of this. Kagome took another deep breath, forced a smile and pulled back. "You have no idea," she stated, trying for coy and probably missing by a mile. "Eri has boy problems like you wouldn't believe. It was all-night therapy."
Slowly, the more Kagome talked, the more the concern seemed to fade from her mother's features. It took awhile, but they got there.
Kagome was getting very good at lying.
Monday morning was brisk and a little damp, the ground giving beneath her sneakers as she ran through the forest. Yesterday had been strangly warm, enough to heat the earth and change what was once frozen ground into something softer. Beside her, Inuyasha was easily keeping pace.
They crossed the fallen log.
As planned, as they always did, Kagome picked up the pace to an all-out sprint. They were in the last section of the forest trail, edging closer to her backyard. Just before the end, Inuyasha had recently forced her into giving it all she had, until she was sweating and gasping for breath.
He said it was good for her.
Kagome knew it was because if she was ever running for her life, a steady paced jog may not be good enough.
Her lungs burned, arms pumping to keep her propelling forward. She couldn't even hear the pounding of her feet over the harsh whispers of her breathing, in and out as quickly and smoothly as possible. Still at her side, Inuyasha was keeping pace.
She tried to run that little bit faster.
There was a tree, old and gnarled with a massive knot midway through it. It marked the end of the sprint and Kagome glared daggers at it while she flew past, like the angrier she looked, the faster the tree would get to her.
"Oh god," she wheezed, the moment she could get her body to slow enough to bend over and not fall on her face completely. "I thought I was getting better."
"You are." Inuyasha's feet came into her line of sight. "But you were more stressed today."
"How can—" Kagome stopped herself and then shook her head. Her heartrate, obviously. "Never mind. My brain is just not working well right now."
"Did you even sleep this weekend?"
The tone was enough to make her look up, to take in the crossed arms and patented scowl on the half-demon's face. Kagome barely held back a smile. "Did you?"
The scowl worsened but he looked away. Well, there went that topic.
"I'll feel better when I can see Kaede on Friday," Kagome admitted, rubbing at her face. Her nose was freezing but the rest of her felt hot, flushed from the running. "With the dance and everything, I can't stay out as much this week. My mom will start to worry."
"Can't you just talk to her about it on the phone?" Inuyasha asked, displeased. It was clear that he still didn't like the old woman.
"She needs to see my aura, or whatever." Kagome shrugged. "I don't know, but on the phone she told me my powers are nothing like her sister, Kikyo's. Some things are the same; some are different."
"Like?"
Kagome squirmed a little and decided that they could at least keep walking to the forest edge. There was still a bit to go before her mother would be able to see, if she was even looking. "Kikyo could sense the Jewel if it was close enough to her. Like a sort of perimeter that if crossed, would allow her to find it. Same with demons. But Kaede said her sister was never able to just…project outwards like I do, like it's a sort of radar. And never wide enough to encompass a whole town, never mind further." The whole conversation made her feel anxious, chest tightening at just the thought. "She thinks I'm stronger, especially since I hadn't even been trying to do it."
Inuyasha growled a little, clenching his fists at his sides. "I don't like it. Mushin doesn't even have anything else. He thinks Kaede is the best resource we have."
"You clearly don't."
He smirked, but there wasn't anything particularly kind about it.
"Why?" she pressed, trying to be gentle, even though that course of action was just as likely to fail as getting mad at him. "Why do you hate her so much?"
"It's not hate," Inuyasha corrected. "I don't trust her."
"Fine," Kagome conceded, rolling her eyes. "Why don't you trust her?"
The half-demon stopped abruptly and it took Kagome a moment to realize they were at the treeline. Any further, and someone would be able to see them if they wanted to. With a shake of his head, the long whispery tendrils of silver hair snaking around him, the half-demon grunted. "She thinks she can see the future. I don't believe it."
That made Kagome frown. It was a very specific thing to mention, considering the only time Kaede had mentioned 'seeing the future' was when they had first met her, all those weeks ago. Never had it come up again. Did that mean…? "She told you… What, a fortune? She saw your future?"
Those golden eyes latched onto her. The way he held himself was almost tense, like he was bracing for impact. What, though? What wasn't he telling her?
"No," he said finally, slowly. "No, because it's all bullshit anyways."
And just like that first day meeting Kaede, Kagome was reminded of their conversation on the car ride back. The promise he had made to her. Even though every part of her wanted to push and prod, Inuyasha wouldn't say anything until he was ready. Whatever the hell he was working through – whatever Kaede's place was in it – he'd tell her eventually.
"Alright," she murmured, quiet in the rustling forest. "But you'll tell me when you can."
A pause, but the half-demon didn't scowl or shake his head or get mad. He just sighed and nodded. She didn't hug him, even though she wanted to. She wanted that strength, that promise of safety. No matter what time it was, Kagome hadn't been able to forget the way he held her Thursday night, close to his side.
She wanted that again. She… Well, she wanted that always.
But this had to be at Inuyasha's pace. Sango had told her that he'd never even had someone outside of Sango and Miroku before. He hadn't had anyone to trust. How could she ruin that, by pushing for something he may not be ready for?
So she'd wait. Just for now.
Tugging on the sleeve of his sweater, Kagome gave him a smile before heading through the treeline. "See you, Inuyasha."
Today was the worst day imaginable.
Tense from nightmares and seemingly endless nightly anxiety, Tuesday was a day that she simply didn't want to deal with. It had been a close call to simply ask her mother if she could take a mental health day, but she didn't want to worry her.
The first class of the morning wasn't so bad. Mr. Hitomi was a decent enough teacher, if not a little weird. No, in that class, it was Eri who was the problem.
"Maybe I'll just convince Mr. Hitomi to run away with me," Eri sighed, desolate. Even before Kagome had left the dance, she knew things weren't going so well with the older boy she liked. Still, this kind of whining was uncharacteristic.
"That's a bit gross," Kagome pointed out, gently patting her friend on the back. "And you could do better anyways."
"Do you see him?" Eri waved in his direction, completely unsubtle. Thank god Mr. Hitomi was looking the other way. "He's not that much older, and he's as hot as your boyfriend. Easily."
Yeah, not even close.
Kagome simply gave her another consoling pat and tried to pay attention to the lesson.
Gym, afterwards, was so much worse. She could tell by the way Hojo kept inching towards her that he wanted to say something and honestly? Kagome didn't want to deal with it. She was too stressed out. Too overwhelmed with her life of demon slaying and randomly purifying. Even her demon radar was adding to it. The last thing she cared about was an unrequited crush, as awful as that sounded. But she'd said no, often enough. Hadn't she?
Sticking with Yuka the entire time, Kagome tried her very best to communicate how unavailable she was for talking.
The whole day just seemed to be like that - dealing with her friends complaining about boys and trying to avoid Hojo. Sango was the only respite during their lunch period together, but even then it was hard. Miroku and Sango weren't fighting, per se. But they weren't the solid duo they were before.
It was all just… A lot. Too much.
Kagome sat at the very front of the classroom beside some kid she barely knew the name of during History, just to ensure Hojo didn't come anywhere near her.
She managed to escape the school rather unscathed. She wasn't seeing Sango or Miroku, and since she didn't have class with any of her friends she could slip out of the school pretty quickly. The walk, though cold, would do her some good. Kagome needed to relax. She needed to breathe in deeply and exhale all of the nervousness that felt like it was perpetually building inside of her, getting ready to explode.
A tiny sliver of guilt tried to trickle its way in; how could she feel so horribly towards her friends, towards even Hojo? He was nice, even if his persistence was annoying.
No. No, she reminded herself. She had a right to feel the way she did. Anyone in her position would have been overwhelmed. Looking at her hands, Kagome studied the lines dancing across her palms. They appeared to be normal, human hands.
Sometimes, especially at night, they didn't feel that way. She purified monsters with a single touch. How was that even possible? Kagome needed to spend a good few hours with Kaede, just to try and work everything out. What Kikyo had been able to do, versus what she could. What was she missing? What was she doing that the other woman couldn't? Somewhere in those answers had to have the key to whatever was going on. If it was simply that she was inexplicably stronger, then maybe they could use that to their advantage against the demon that was coming after her. If it was something else…
There was a rustling sound, loud enough that Kagome jerked her eyes away from her hands to the side. She was in her subdivision; nothing other than a row of houses and cars surrounded her. Actually, it was… It was really quiet. There was no one around. Was that normal?
A smacking sound startled her, forced her head to jerk in the direction of another house. It had sounded like something clattering off of a roof, though she didn't see anything. A squirrel, maybe?
But a squirrel wouldn't be causing the sort of alarm in her head that was currently building, that was telling her to run.
Was this just her anxiety, making her far more paranoid than she'd ever been before? Or was she in actual danger?
For a split second, she wanted to use that radar of hers. It was a fleeting thought, discarded as soon as it crossed her mind. Anytime she did it, her mind was a jumbled mess after, pounding with a headache that bordered a migraine. It's usefulness in the situation was non-existent.
Another rustle. A snap of branches. She still couldn't see anything.
Grabbing her cell phone, Kagome dialled one of her saved favourites, frozen in the middle of the sidewalk as it rang. Should she try to knock on someone's door, get inside? No. What if it was a demon and they simply followed her? She couldn't put anyone else at risk.
"What's wrong?" Inuyasha's grumbling voice was sharp, like he knew she was in danger. Well, Kagome supposed, she never really called unless there was danger.
"I'm a block into my subdivision," Kagome whispered. "Get here now."
He growled and Kagome could faintly hear the skidding of tires. "Don't hang up. I'm going to give you to—"
But Kagome hung up. It was her only option, considering she needed all of her attention on what was happening around her. She had no weapon other than her hands. If something came at her, Kagome had to be ready.
Her phone vibrated but she simply jammed it into the pocket of her jeans.
"I know you're there," Kagome stated, voice only slightly raised. If they were demons, then they'd be able to hear her just fine.
The streets were deadly silent.
"I don't know what you want with me," she continued, undeterred, "but I'm not coming with you. You can't take me."
Maybe it was her imagination, but it felt like everything within distance loomed closer. Like the world was holding its breath, poised for the next words, the next declaration. The demon was listening alright.
Oh, no. The demons. The pack of them surrounding her from both sides of the street.
It made her think. She was outnumbered, alone. Why weren't they attacking if they were going to take her? Kill her?
Was there something else?
"Do you want to talk?" Kagome asked, feeling stupid the moment the question was out of her lips. There was yet another rustle though – a different place, a different house over – but no verbal answer. Was it because they were out in the open? Were they actually hiding from humans? It all seemed too strange, so opposite to the behaviour of typical demons they had faced so far. "If you want to talk," she announced, "then you'll have to wait. Two days from now, on Thursday. A bit later than now. In the northern part of the forest. My friends and I will be there."
Her phone vibrated again and she could practically feel the anger with each pulse. Her friends were going to kill her. The thought was fleeting though, the silence of the street almost eerie. She could hear a car, down the block, driving by. But she knew, deep in her bones, that the demons were still there, waiting.
Kagome bit her lip and huffed out quickly, hands at the ready as she surveyed the street. "And let me make myself perfectly clear," she yelled, trying to embody the fierceness of Sango's vigilant tone. "This is my town. If you kill any human here, then we won't be having much of a conversation. No killing. Understood?"
There was a moment of further silence and then, slowly like leaking molasses, Kagome heard multiple sounds of people moving. Branches cracking, things whooshing. No matter how hard she tried, Kagome couldn't see a thing.
Then, in the blink of an eye, there was a man before her. No, not a man. A demon. Tall, broad-shouldered and lean. The first thing she noticed was his blue, blue eyes and the toothy smile he flashed at her, canines prominently sticking out. He was wearing…fur. Dark, brown fur, like a pelt, covering his chest and lower body. He looked wolfish, but maybe that was the memory of the howling still eating at her, haunting her from the other week.
And he was close. So, so close that if she lunged forward, Kagome could touch him, could purify him.
The demon's smile grew, eyes dancing up and down her body. "Understood, beautiful. It's a date."
Before Kagome could open her mouth to demand any answers, the wolf demon gave her a jaunty salute before taking off at a run so fast, it was near impossible to watch. She had thought Inuyasha was fast but this was something else.
What… What had happened? Had the demon called her 'beautiful'?
Just then, the squeal of tires could be heard approaching. Kagome spun around to watch as a familiar truck sped down the road towards her, brakes loudly complaining as the vehicle ground to a halt beside her. Before she could say anything, Miroku was jumping out of the backseat, gun in hand as he took in the surroundings.
"Where?" he demanded.
"They're gone," Kagome said loudly, trying to catch the attention of Inuyasha and Sango who were also climbing out looking vicious. "They're gone. They left."
"How do you know?" Sango demanded. Her magenta eyes took in the houses around them, the still-empty street. She eyed Inuyasha, who growled lowly but nodded. The safety clicked back on her gun.
"Because one of them showed their face to me," Kagome said, already prepared for Inuyasha's horrific snarl as he paced a few steps away. "They didn't attack me. I'm okay. I'm not hurt."
"Not the problem, Kagome," he snapped. "They shouldn't have come for you at all."
"But they are," she said back to him, honest and tired. "All of them are. At least these demons want to talk."
"And how do you know that?" Miroku asked, frowning.
Interrupting, Kagome's cell phone vibrated once more – a text message rather than a call. She pulled out her phone and saw a message from her mother, making sure she was okay. The time told her that she was fifteen minutes later than usual, even on slower days. "Crap, guys. I need to get home."
"We need to talk about this," Sango corrected. "Demons came for you, even if they didn't attack."
"The window." Miroku jerked his head in Inuyasha's direction. "He can get us up to your window and we can talk in your room. If you're fine with that?"
Did she really have any other choice? "Yeah, that's fine," Kagome murmured, heading for the pickup. "My window isn't locked."
"Really," Miroku commented, intrigued.
Kagome frowned at him, but the blue-eyed teen simply disappeared from view as he rounded to the other side of the vehicle. Inuyasha wouldn't look at her but he got in the driver's seat anyways. It was only a minute drive to the house, and they stopped the car a bit further back to ensure no one could see it staring out of her house's windows. Kagome waved to them as they disappeared to the backyard, bursting through the front door and shucking off her shoes.
"Hi Mama, I'm back! Sorry I took so long," she called out. Wanting to make a beeline for the stairs, Kagome knew it would only draw her mother up to her bedroom to inquire as to what had happened. No, better to poke her head into the living room where she surely could explain if needed. There would be no good way to cover up three friends in her bedroom, and how she managed to sneak them in. In typical fashion, her grandfather was sitting in his chair, watching the news and scowling. Kagome's mother was reading a book on the couch, though her head shot up as she entered the room.
"Everything okay?" her mother asked, though she didn't seem all that concerned.
Kagome tried not to sigh in relief at that. Just standard motherly worry then. "Yeah, all good. Just delayed leaving the school. Sorry, I should have texted you to let you know."
"As long as your safe." Her mother smiled. "Dinner in a couple hours?"
"Sounds good." She jerked her thumb back towards the stairs, already trying to leave the room. "I have a ton of homework so I'm going to try and get started on it. Let me know if you need help with dinner at all."
There were the usual assurances that Kagome knew her mother would never accept unless dying. Sunday dinner was truly the only time that cooking was a whole family affair; Kagome had to force her way into the process otherwise. Still, it made tonight easier. The chances of her mother coming up were slim, which meant as much time as they needed to talk.
And did they all have to talk.
Kagome ran up the stairs two at a time, and bodily threw herself inside her bedroom. Unsurprisingly, the whole gang was already waiting for her: Inuyasha leaning unhappily by her desk, Miroku in the chair and Sango on her bed. "Hey," she breathed, dropping her backpack to the floor. "We should be safe for a while."
"Inuyasha will hear them anyways," Sango stated airily. It made sense, but Kagome caught the worried expression on Miroku's face, and the way the blue-eyed boy not-so-subtly looked at the half-demon.
"What happened?" Inuyasha demanded.
"Honestly, not a lot," she admitted. "I thought there was going to be a fight. I was walking home until I got this feeling. I don't know how to describe it. Like a sense that something was wrong. I stopped and I just knew. I couldn't see the demons, but I knew they were there. That's when I called you."
"And then hung up," Miroku said. His expression communicated just how much he liked that. "You should have stayed on the line."
"I didn't have any weapons," Kagome argued. "Just my hands if they grabbed me. I could try to purify them. Kind of hard to do that if I'm gripping my phone."
Miroku groaned. "Point. But god, you didn't have to listen to all the freaking growli—"
"Then what?" Inuyasha snapped, interrupting and sending his friend a glare.
"They weren't coming out. No attacking. Just…rustling nearby. Like they were watching me. I figured if they were going to take me or kill me, it would have been then. A group of them, versus just me?"
"But you're a priestess," Sango said. "One touch and they're gone."
"But they don't know that," the half-demon argued. "She's right. So what the hell did they want then?"
Kagome winced. "I think… I think they wanted to talk. I asked them but there was no answer at first. I told them if they wanted to talk, to meet us in the forest on Thursday. I told them the northern part of the woods, so that it was near your place. Safer out there."
Sango sat up on the bed, magenta eyes narrowing. "What do you mean at first? They answered?"
"One of them did. By the end, after I told them no killing humans or there'd be no conversation." Kagome shrugged, trying to keep it as casual as possible. "One of them – male, wolf demon, maybe the leader? He said he agreed to meet."
She desperately forced herself to not look at Inuyasha, keeping her gaze focused on Sango. Her friend didn't seem happy, but she was taking her at face value.
Miroku hummed. "This is different for us. A demon wanting to talk? What do—"
"What aren't you telling us?" Inuyasha asked. His voice was low, a sort of rumbling threat that she only heard towards an enemy. Which meant he was paying attention to her damn heartbeat, which meant he knew she was omitting something. Or that she was lying.
"That's honestly it," she tried, slowly unravelling into a grimace when the half-demon's gaze didn't lessen any. If anything, he looked unhappier. "He was just…strange." That wasn't the right word. Kagome knew it was a mistake the moment the adjective left her lips.
"Strange, how?" Miroku pressed, looking concerned. Sango looked concerned, too. Inuyasha was still glowering.
"He—" She couldn't even say it. The whole thing sounded stupid, even inside of her head. How much worse would it sound out loud? "He looked at me funny," she decided on. It wasn't a lie and maybe it was enough of the truth that Inuyasha couldn't pick it out either. "I didn't like it."
"Funny, how?" Inuyasha snarled.
"Hey, she's not in danger yet," Sango appeased. "We have two days to come up with a plan. This is good. Kagome, great job. We can set up traps, establish parameters."
"Is there anything about wolf demons in the journals?" Miroku asked, turning to her. "Your dad wrote about so many. There has to be something."
Sango nodded. "I think I remember something about them. Might be useless, but we should check again anyways."
Inuyasha wasn't talking. He wasn't glaring at her anymore though; just the floor.
"We'll go home and get started," Sango promised, standing up and stretching. She made an abortive movement – like she was going in for a hug and then wondered what was wrong with her – before going to the window. "I'm glad you're okay," she said, smiling. "See you at school, tomorrow?"
"Definitely."
"We'll pick you up," Inuyasha promised then, crossing his arms like he needed to be defensive for the comment. "Miroku and Sango can get ready early for a change."
Miroku groaned again but he winked in Kagome's direction before ushering in close to get Sango out the window.
"Thanks," Kagome replied, making sure to smile softly in Inuyasha's direction. She just wanted him to relax a bit more. She knew he was worried about everything; the pressure on him was enormous. But she could take care of herself and while she couldn't be sure, Kagome thought that the demons would uphold her deal. No killing, just talking. Thursday.
Inuyasha blinked at her and then seemed to sort of deflate. His scowl turned into a pressed, flat line of lips.
It was better than nothing.
Sen was not at all happy to hear that she was skipping out on archery.
"But you weren't here last week," she pointed out, utilizing all of that older, better-than-you vibe she usually had going on. She tugged at her long red hair, eyes narrowing. "It's not like you."
"Last week was the gala," Kagome explained. "I promise I'm practicing at home. You can destroy me at targets next week."
Sen sighed but the look she gave was nothing more than fond. The two of them had to stick together. "Fine. As long as you're not rusty."
Kagome would be a bit, but she still trained with Inuyasha when she was at their place, when they had the time and weren't recovering from anything. Recently, they'd been recovering from a lot. "I'll try my best not to be. See you!"
Racing to the other side of the school, she headed towards the side door. Miroku and Sango should be waiting there and once the crowd of students died down, Inuyasha would show to pick them up. They were about to meet the wolf demons in the forest, and her mother would think she was at archery. Not perfect, but it was the best she could do. Sneaking out was just not an option.
Opening the door, Kagome instantly felt a bit horrified. Outside, leaning on the railing and standing intimately close, was Miroku and Sango.
Oh god, she had just interrupted something.
"Ah, I forgot my books," Kagome babbled, throwing out a grin that probably looked more like a grimace before disappearing back inside.
"Wait! Kagome!" Sango called, peaking her head through the door. "Come on. It's fine."
It wasn't fine. Kagome wanted to know everything. What had she interrupted? Had they been kissing? Were they about to?
Oh god, she really ruined it, didn't she? Trying to communicate her apology with her eyes, Kagome followed her friend out. Miroku smiled at her, at least, though it was clearly forced.
"So," she started slowly. "Have a good day?"
Miroku shrugged. "Classes were boring. You?" He seemed overly casual. It made anxiety rise in her chest like boiling steam. It seemed like the only constant this last week was her anxiety.
"Awful," Kagome choked out, which was true. Never mind what had just transpired here; the whole school day had been a disaster.
"What happened?" Sango asked, sounding worried.
"Hojo."
"My god," her friend groaned, rolling her eyes. "Does he not get the hint?"
Kagome shrugged. "It's not like he's asking me. It's just weird. Like we can talk about other things casually, no issue, but then it'll be like one random word and he gets awkward. He's shy though."
"That's not your problem," Miroku pointed out.
"No, but I still feel bad." Kagome grimaced and tucked her hair behind her ear, the inky black strands trying to escape with the strength of the wind. It was a bit breezy, colder than usual. She tried not to think about how much harder it would make shooting, if the meeting with the wolf demons went badly.
They chatted idly about absolutely nothing. Sango, at least, seemed like she was no different than usual. Miroku had to take a few minutes to relax again, to settle into the conversation and smile like he genuinely meant it. There were a thousand questions she had but Inuyasha pulled up in the pickup truck, and it wouldn't have been the time or place to ask anyways.
"All good?" Sango asked, climbing into the backseat. Kagome grabbed her backpack to help her friend inside, the two of them sharing the bench seat.
"Yeah," Inuyasha replied. He spun around to look at them, and Kagome couldn't help the way she lit up when that gaze fell on her. "Ready for later?"
Sango snorted. "As we'll ever be. A talk with demons."
"We've been wrong before," Miroku pointed out nonchalantly.
"That's what I'm betting on." Sango shook her head. "Dad would have been a lot better at this."
Inuyasha grunted, but didn't follow that up with anything more reassuring. The half-demon turned back to drive them out of the school lot and Sango instantly grabbed her arm. Kagome frowned for only a moment, taking in Sango's very pointed glances between her and Inuyasha, before understanding. Oh god, she was so obvious, wasn't she? What had happened?
A lot of things, really. Could Kagome actually pinpoint to a specific moment in the months that she'd known him? No. It was impossible. A culmination, growing bigger and bigger with each passing day. Tiny little things:
When he had made her tea and practically blurted out that he hated it himself, so obviously the drink was for her. When he practically forced her to wear his sweater after the rat demons had attacked, and she'd been outside freezing. When he had delivered those bow and arrows as a present to her, from the group of them. When he had whispered 'I couldn't kill my mom' and had been silent but warm at her side when she sobbed, 'I didn't remember my dad.' When he was drunk and smiled so big and easy, like there was nothing to regret or worry over. When he had grumped and complained the whole time Kagome cajoled him into taking a nap on her bed. When he told her to stay here because he was going to run into danger for her. When he held her close, in the basement bedroom of his childhood. All of their morning runs. All of his gazes.
His hand, tugging on her own sleeve as he disappeared down the hallway.
Sango was still watching her and Kagome knew she was blushing. What could she possibly say, in the face of all that?
It was enough to keep her silent for the rest of the ride back to their house. Inuyasha was reminding them about the traps placed closer to the house, by the training area, and how they would wait just a little further south of there. If they needed to retreat, they'd have more leverage. Weirdly, Kagome didn't feel nervous about it, not even as they drove down the winding driveway. Not even as Inuyasha parked and the engine quieted.
It was like a flipped switch, one that she knew the group felt as a whole. Everything was an action towards their purpose: changing, double checking weapons and readying the ATVs. Inuyasha had already done most of the work, but Kagome tested her bow anyways, felt the weight of it in her palm to remind herself.
They set off into the forest.
The clearing Inuyasha had chosen was a good one, familiar. Kagome was pretty sure this was near where they had fought those lightning demons. Bow in hand, she walked over to the half-demon and nudged his arm. "Can you sense anything?"
"Not yet," he replied, golden gaze distant for the trees. "But they'll show."
"I know." The way the wolf demon had looked at her – the smile, the assuredness – suggested he wouldn't miss the chance. "Worried?"
Inuyasha shot her an unreadable look. "No."
"Because we're only going to talk?" It was as much of a question as a reminder. She had set this up because the demons hadn't attacked her, because they clearly wanted something from her other than her death.
The smirk that slid on his face wasn't pretty, but it wasn't bloodthirsty either. Bitter, perhaps, of all the times things had gone wrong. "I'm not really a conversationalist."
"Then I guess it's—" But the rest of the sentence was cut off when Inuyasha grabbed her arm suddenly, his silver ears perked forward and alert. The half-demon shifted, stepping in front of her.
"They're coming."
"How many?" Sango asked.
"Three," Inuyasha replied, "but maybe four. One of them is—Shit."
And just like that, a wind storm took over the clearing, like a mini tornado had simply touched down. Sticks and wet leaves whipped in the wind and as it all died down, a single demon standing in the eye of it. The wolf demon from before.
"Well," he greeted, stunning blue eyes taking in each of them. "You must be the protectors of Sakura."
Kagome heard Miroku mutter just behind her, "Please tell me demons don't gossip."
But apparently they did.
Making sure to be slow about it, Kagome stepped out from Inuyasha's defensive position of her. She stayed right at his side though, telling her body over and over to remain relaxed. This was a conversation, and nothing more. "And who are you?" Kagome asked, trying for polite.
The wolf demon grinned. "I don't give my name to anyone outside of the pack, but for you, beautiful? I can make an exception."
And there was Inuyasha's snarl, low and vicious and threatening dismemberment and suffering. Kagome shot him a look, but he wasn't paying any attention to her.
"The name is Koga and this—" He waved to his sides and one-by-one, like they had been training for this moment their whole lives, three other demons showed. "This is part of my pack."
"The rest of them?" Sango questioned. At least she didn't sound like murder was the only option.
"Far away from here," Koga answered breezily. "We've been on the move for weeks. But enough about us. I came here to meet you."
"Why?" Inuyasha snapped.
"Oh look, the mutt can talk," Koga toyed, face contorted into a cruel sneer.
Inuyasha laughed, short and horrific, and Kagome grabbed his arm to make her own declaration. She stood in front of him and drew an arrow. It wasn't nocked and she kept her posture as relaxed as possible even in the face of possible death. This was supposed to be a conversation and so far, it appeared the demons were staying true to their word. Still. "Disrespect one of us again and the conversation is over." Her voice only shook a little.
Koga smiled again; her threat went apparently unnoticed. "And what's your name, beautiful?"
"Not that," Miroku piped up.
"Kagome," she answered. "And this is Inuyasha, Sango and Miroku."
The wolf demon considered them all for a moment before gesturing towards his pack. "Hakkaku, Ginta, and Ayame."
"Yeah, yeah, this is nice and shit, but why are you chasing after Kagome?" Inuyasha demanded, arms crossing. "Like she said, she's not going anywhere."
Koga frowned but it was the redheaded woman that spoke up, eyes glittering green. "Chasing her? We weren't chasing her."
"Last week, towards the dance hall," Sango stated, and that was definitely the click of her safety. "We heard your howling. You were coming after her."
"No, we weren't," Koga replied, eyes narrowed. "We were making up a bit of a fuss, going around to where all the demons were hanging about. Letting them know that we were in town and should be avoided. Unless they wanted to die, of course."
"Demons?" But the question was mostly a whisper and Kagome thought to herself, agonizing over the details, was there a demon at the hall that they missed? She had thought that there was something nearby, something close—
"Not buying it," Inuyasha snapped. "Try again."
"Don't know what to tell you, mutt, but it's the truth," Koga spat. "Now run along, while the adults have a conversation."
"If you think I can't kill you, you have another thing coming, you mangy wolf!"
"Enough," Sango declared, pushing forward to stand closer to their sides. "Wolf demon, if you say one more thing about my brother I will personally stab you through the throat."
This wasn't helping. "What do you want?" Kagome tried, desperately, to bring the conversation back to its purpose. "Why are you in Sakura, if not for me?"
"What even are you? A witch?" one of the wolf demons asked – Hakkaku, she thought – before he shot a terrified glance Koga's way.
There was silence in the clearing, strange and resilient considering the situation. She opened her mouth, but Inuyasha growled again.
"None of your fucking business, wolf." He smirked, but it was vicious and sent towards the leader. "You gonna talk any time soon?"
Koga narrowed his eyes at the half-demon but just when Kagome thought for sure there would be another fight – this one with blood – he seemed to collect himself. His blue eyes found Kagome and it felt like he was only talking to her. "You're powerful. We can sense that much. For a human… It doesn't make sense. But we've long heard about Sakura, and the protectors of it. Of the—" And here, he practically spat the word, "half-breed that lives here. There's power all in this town. You can feel it. And that means one thing. So tell me, beautiful, where is the Jewel of Four Souls?"
Of all the things she expected the wolf demon to say, that was certainly not it. The Jewel? The one in the books Mushin had leant her, that hadn't been seen in how long? "What are you talking about?" Kagome asked, playing a little dumb.
Koga saw right through it. He smiled and then in a flash, he was right in front of her, not touching but so, so close. Kagome went to step back but Inuyasha was there, in a flash of his own, and the snarl promised a bloody death.
"Get away from her," Inuyasha growled. "Or you will regret it."
"And what are you going to do about it, mutt?" the wolf demon spat back.
"Stop already!" Kagome exclaimed, managing to push in between them. "We are getting no where."
"He's the one saying shit," Inuyasha argued, incredulousness all over his expression. "You shouldn't be getting mad at me!"
"I'm—" Well, not wasn't really the right word. Kagome sighed and rubbed at her face.
"No more insults, or the conversation is done with. Permanently," Sango snapped. She waved her gun around as a not-so-gentle reminder. "So pick."
The female wolf demon – Ayame, Kagome thought her name was – stepped up and placed a hand on Koga's shoulder. "That's fine. Look, we just want the location of the Jewel of Four Souls. With the power coming from this town, it must be here and you must know where it is."
"The Sacred Jewel is powerful and dangerous," Miroku said. "Why would we give it to a pack of demons?"
"Initially, we weren't going to ask so much as take, but then Koga saw—" Ginta yelped as Hakkaku elbowed him sharply in the ribs. "I mean—"
Inuyasha's eyes narrowed but he didn't say anything. Kagome took that as a blessing. "The Jewel belongs to the priestess," she finally stated, "and no one else."
Koga scoffed. "Like there's a priestess around now, in these times? We would've heard of one."
Well, that confirmed something, at least. They didn't know she was a priestess. They called her – what? – a powerful human? A witch? Were witches even real?
"So why do you need it, then?" Sango asked, magenta eyes connecting with Kagome momentarily before shifting away. "A big pack like you… Why more power?"
"Because something's coming, slayer," Ayame answered, mouth pursed in a tight line. "Something horrible. Something that's killing us all and won't stop until it gets what it wants."
"And what's that?" Inuyasha asked.
Koga shrugged. "Don't know. No demon who disappears ever comes back to tell."
Kagome could practically feel Inuyasha's molten, golden gaze on her. He even stepped a bit closer and for the first time since the wolf demons had appeared, she didn't mind. It wasn't protection. It was comfort. She could practically feel the heat radiating off of him. "We don't have the Jewel of Four Souls," she admitted finally. "No one knows where it is."
At that, the entirety of the wolf pack looked shocked, like they hadn't expected that outcome. "You don't have it?" Ayame asked. "But how do you protect this town without it?"
"Killing," Inuyasha answered, smirking. "We kill them all."
"You?" Koga snorted, condescension dripping from his tone. "No, you're lying."
Cracking his knuckles, the half-demon smirked. "Want to fight and see?"
Slowly, the wolf demon smiled and it was anything but kind. "As much as that would be entertaining, I don't. I need to find the Sacred Jewel to save my pack." He eyed Kagome then, his blue gaze sharp and assessing. "I'll find out if you're lying."
She didn't want to reply that. Even though she wasn't, Kagome knew the ramifications if the wolf pack claimed the Jewel. With the little she knew about it, she was aware of its power. What had Kaede said about it, those weeks ago? Immense power and the inability to be purified once controlled. Even Kagome would be powerless to stop a demon with the Jewel in their possession.
The wolf demon pack couldn't find it. Not before they did.
If her lack of response bothered Koga, he didn't show it. The demon glanced towards his group before nodding. The two male wolf demons took off immediately, seemingly happy just to get out of there. The female demon, Ayame, glared at the ground for a moment before her gaze shifted to Kagome, fierce with a promise only the heaven's knew of. She, too, finally took off.
"We'll see you around, Kagome," Koga claimed, giving them all a rough salute before disappearing, the clearing swirling with debris and mud.
For a moment, there was silence.
"That went better than I expected," Miroku stated slowly, shocked.
"That was not better than I expected," Sango shouted, forcing the group of them to gather around her. "We should have just killed them. Conversation is nice and all, but he's after the Sacred Jewel. Do you know how dangerous that is?"
"They didn't kill any humans," Kagome countered, "but you're right. This is a problem."
"I'm happy to kill him right now," Inuyasha growled and it didn't take a genius to know that the half-demon was only partially paying attention to their little group chat. His one ear was focused in the direction the wolves had run off to.
"Even you can't take on four demons without help," Miroku snorted, shaking his head. "It would take all of us, and Kagome's powers."
"Which they know nothing about." Sango's magenta eyes levelled with her.
"Someone knows though." Inuyasha growled, crossing his arms defiantly once more. "As much as I hate to admit it, the wolf actually said something useful. We didn't know this town gave off a sort of signal."
"Power," Miroku confirmed. "Why haven't you ever sensed it?"
The half-demon shrugged. "It's always just been home, and how many times do I actually leave? If I did…" He trailed off, glaring at the ground. Kagome stepped a little closer, encouragement intended without being obvious about it. She doubted the half-demon would appreciate it, otherwise. "I would have written it off as something else. Or, lately, been distracted." He stared intently at Miroku for a moment, enough so that Kagome wondered just what those words meant.
"By the dead body on the porch?" Sango let out a huff. "Think we're lucky and the wolf pack did it?"
"No," Miroku answered slowly, but he nodded contrarily. "So there's a power that's driving demons here. That makes sense for some of the increased demonic activity."
"But not all of it," Sango argued. "The lightning demons were specifically after Kagome."
Inuyasha growled again, louder than before as if this was a battle he could only lose. "Which is why someone knows," the half-demon pressed. "Because if there's power around this town, then the mangy wolf is right: the Sacred Jewel is here. It's not Kagome that's drawing them in. Kaede said her priestess powers are supposed to hide her, not show her off like a neon sign."
"But you—"
Inuyasha cut Miroku off with a glare. "The Jewel of Four Souls is in Sakura, and one demon knows about Kagome's powers. About her ability to purify. The only thing standing in the way of getting it is her, which is why the demon is sending others after her."
The truth of it sat heavy in the clearing. Kagome swallowed but in a weird way, it almost felt like a sort of relief. All this time, they hadn't determined exactly why the demons were after her. Why they wanted to kill her, or take her. This made a sickening sort of sense and as horrible as it was – as terrifying as it was – at least they finally knew.
"Then we need to find it," Kagome rallied, straightening her spine and trying for all intents and purposes to look like what she imagined a real priestess to look like. Like the woman in the books, the Creator of Jewel. Midoriko had given her life to protect everything and while Kagome knew she was no warrior in comparison, she could try.
She would try. For her family. For the group of them, standing close in a clearing on a windy, winter's day.
"Kaede told me that like calls to like. That only really powerful demons can truly sense the Jewel and its location. Others are just drawn like—" Kagome searched for the expression. "Like moths to a flame. But I can find it. Kaede had been trying to show me how to find it."
"Then that's our new goal," Sango decided. "Until we can figure out anything else about that poor dead body, our focus is on finding the Sacred Jewel."
Kagome counted her breaths, grip deathly tight on her bow and arrow. She wanted to hold something else instead. "Yeah," she murmured, in agreeance.
"What about the demon at the dance?" Miroku asked, almost hesitant. "If Koga isn't lying, if he was actually running around town to where other demons were then that means—"
"We've missed something." Sango shook her head. "How would we even find out? Could—Kagome, you sensed the wolf pack. Have you sensed anything at school before?"
"No," she answered honestly. "Never."
"Take me then," Inuyasha cut in, voice rough. "Take me to school. I'll find it."
The group of them looked at each other. It wasn't much of a plan, but it was all they had.
TBC
Responses to Anon Reviews:
Stella: Well I hope you enjoyed the InuKag moments in this chapter. There will be so many more because it's ALMOST TIME. And I'm so glad you liked the Inuyasha and Jinenji moment. Honestly, I was so excited for it. So, so happy you loved it :) Thank you love!
Mya: Hehehe there will definitely be jealousy! Even more than just the tidbit in this chapter :) Koga's going to be around for a while! Thank you dear!
The Well: Aw thank you darling. I hope you enjoyed this! More jealousy on the way.
Yara S 11: Jealous Inuyasha is definitely coming. There were hints of it here but there WILL be more! Thank you darling.
Questions: Thank you so much, my dear. I'm so sorry for the delay. Hope this chapter was enjoyable for you :)
Lola1991: Thank you darling! So glad :D
Qwerty: Aw, thank you so, so much. I hope this chapter brought you a bit of joy in these crazy times.
Guest: So glad you found this through Tumblr. I feel like I have no idea what I'm doing on that site XD And trust me, this won't get abandoned. May take a bit to update, but it'll get done. We're too close to the endgame now. Thank you!
Guest: LOL sometimes it blows my mind that this is a hobby too hahaha. But thank you so, so much my darling. You're far too kind.
Guest: Ha well it's…slowly coming to the point where things are burning up between Inuyasha and Kagome. This chapter is part of the start, but the next couple chapters are endgame for our lovely couple. Thank you darling!
Mal: Yay! I'm so happy to hear that. The milkshake scene – and honestly the whole scene with Jinenji – was something I was super excited for like a long time ago haha. You'll be seeing a lot of him (and Koga!) in the story :) As always, thank you my dear!
Guest: Hope you enjoyed this! Thank you so much!
Guest: Thanks darling :)
I hope everyone is staying safe in these scary and trying times. Please take care of yourself!
