Author's Corner
Good news everyone! Yashahime ended up being a great stimulus to carry on writing this. Not because it's good (it isn't) but because it's surprisingly boring. I've only watched four out of the six episodes that are out and I have absolutely zero desire to catch up, which is a shame because I love this world and its characters, in case that wasn't obvious from me writing a 160k+ fic about them. There are a few aspects of the sequel that I like (those being the Dream Butterfly and Kirinmaru) so I might end up borrowing them in some capacity, but for the most part, the events of the sequel don't exist in my eyes. Especially if the rumours about Sesshoumaru marrying grown-up Rin and having kids with her turn out to be true because... yikes.
So with all that said, I hope you enjoy the new chapter! Thank you to everyone who read/commented on the last one!
EIGHTH BLOOD
Chapter 55: Pandora's box
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Octavia waited until it was after dark to begin her search. She managed to say goodnight to Rin without bursting into tears and retired to her chambers. She only ventured out again when she felt confident that the rest of the stronghold had turned in for the night.
The halls were quiet as she travelled swiftly but silently, like a cat creeping through a house whilst its owners were asleep. She saw a couple of sentries on her way to Touga's former study, but fortunately, none of them bothered asking what she was doing up at this ungodly hour. After the first time she was caught and dragged before the court, the residents of the stronghold no longer seemed to care what she got up to. Either that or they'd been given strict orders from the boss to leave her the heck alone. Whatever the reason, it made her scheme significantly easier to pull off. She only hoped Sesshoumaru could forgive her for it.
She was almost at her destination when she rounded a corner and found herself unexpectedly thrust before the very object of her thoughts.
Sesshoumaru ceased walking and stared at her. He didn't even look surprised, which was more than she could say for herself. Running into him had spooked her – hence how she'd practically frozen on the spot when their eyes locked – and it definitely showed.
"Oh, it's you," she said, trying her best not to sound guilty. "I didn't know you were . . . Hi."
"What are you doing?" he asked.
Always straight to the point.
"I couldn't sleep," she lied. "I thought a walk might help."
As always, his expression was completely unreadable. Did he believe her? She didn't have to wonder for long, because his eyes slid closed and he murmured softly, "Neither could I."
Octavia's chest ached at the confession. She felt wicked, like she'd betrayed his trust, even though she hadn't done anything even remotely traitorous. Yet. How could she possibly go through with her plan now? She wasn't strong enough to pretend everything was okay when it really wasn't. But she had to be. The children's lives were all in her hands. If she couldn't find the courage to be a coward, they were doomed. The Dressmaker had made that explicitly clear. No. She had to do this. Nothing could stop her.
Not even Sesshoumaru.
She sighed and looked down at her feet.
Sesshoumaru tilted his head to the side and regarded her strangely. When she finally lifted her gaze, he saw that her manner had changed. "Something is troubling you."
She forced herself to smile. "I'm fine."
"You lie."
Her smile faltered.
". . . What?"
"I know you," he said. "You haven't been yourself since this morning."
"How so?"
"You didn't laugh."
Octavia's eyes widened slightly.
He must have realised that he needed to explain himself because he quickly added, "You always laugh. Even if the situation doesn't call for laughter, you still manage to find some form of amusement. But not today. Not since Nagisa told us about the island."
"You've hardly seen me since then."
"I always see you."
Her eyes suddenly stung with the threat of tears. "Don't," she whispered, her voice shaking a little.
He paused before asking, "Don't what?"
A laugh tore free of her throat and she smiled at him truly. She didn't expect him to smile back, if what he'd done could even be described as such. The corners of his mouth had edged ever so slightly upwards; however, it had been so brief that she could have easily blinked and missed it. Sesshoumaru didn't smile. Not in this context, at least. And certainly not at her.
She thought that was to be the end of it, but he surprised her again with an unusual request.
"Walk with me," he said.
Her black heart hammered in her chest.
"What if someone sees?"
He arched an eyebrow. "It is only a walk."
Was it, though?
They hadn't discussed what had transpired between them after she'd confronted him about Nidawi. She was starting to think she must have misinterpreted his behaviour that day. But they'd been so close. Touching, yet not touching. How could it have been both? She knew they should probably talk about it, but what she didn't know was where to start. She also really didn't want to make a fool of herself. As stupid as it was, she liked the way he made her feel, and regardless of what she did tonight, she didn't want that feeling to go away.
He would hate her tomorrow, anyway.
"Okay," she said, falling into step beside him. "Seeing as you grovelled and all."
"I never grovel."
"Of course you don't."
They walked in silence for a while. Neither of them minded, in fact, they welcomed it. Like Sesshoumaru, Octavia had grown so weary of noise that the absence of it was somewhat cleansing. Restorative, even. The shadow of what she was going to do still trailed behind her, but it seemed less invasive now.
"You were right," he blurted, entirely out of the blue. "About why I cannot bear to look at Inuyasha. He does remind me of our father. He even sounds like him sometimes."
"You must miss him."
"Who, Inuyasha?"
"No, your father. I know you two didn't have the best relationship, but I can tell you really loved him."
For a moment, Octavia was afraid she'd overstepped, but Sesshoumaru's sardonic reply eased her worries. "Loved?" he said, then grimaced, as if the word itself offended him. "What good is love against death? Answer me that, O insightful one."
She rolled her eyes. "I don't know much about love, but I don't think you're supposed to be able to fight death with it. If you were, there'd be a lot less funerals. Love isn't a counterspell. It's a promise."
His brow pinched. "Is that so? Who makes this promise?"
"You do, obviously."
His indifference proved that it wasn't obvious.
"But what do I know?" she backtracked. "I'm not a philosopher. I just work in a shop. Well, worked. I wonder if they replaced me. They must have by now."
"I imagine you would be a hard act to follow."
A beat. "I was pretty good."
He smirked and passed through a set of doors leading out onto an unguarded engawa. Pausing on the edge, he turned and looked back at her, his eyes bright with an unspoken invitation. Octavia closed the distance between them without hesitating and inclined her head to meet his stare. She wanted to tell him she was sorry, but that would lead to him asking questions she wasn't prepared to answer.
The feeling of guilt increased tenfold when he stepped down onto the patio leading into the gardens – not once breaking eye contact with her – and reached up to twine his pinkie with hers. Her breathing hastened.
"Are you tired yet?" he asked.
This was her opportunity to escape. If she said yes, she could leave and begin her search for the box. All she had to do was fake a yawn and go. It was simple. But anyone who claimed that 'simple' and 'easy' went hand-in-hand deserved a strong kick in the teeth.
She didn't want to leave.
It doesn't matter what you want, she reminded herself callously. This isn't about you.
Those kids needed her.
And she was running out of time.
Sesshoumaru moved closer. His hand drifted up to curl around her wrist, but before it could go any higher, she caught it and gently pushed it away.
"It's getting late," she whispered, trying not to overthink the puzzled look on his face. "People might get the wrong idea if they hear we've been, uh . . . I think I'll be able to sleep now."
The mask slid back into place.
"Very well," said Sesshoumaru. "Goodnight."
Something in her rebelled. He turned to enter the gardens, seemingly content to end the encounter there, when Octavia's hand shot out and captured his sleeve.
"I never thanked you," she said.
His mouth curved into a frown. "For what?"
Still holding his sleeve, she stepped down onto the patio and replied, "For all of it."
His frown refused to dwindle, until she braced both hands on his shoulders and lifted herself up to land a kiss on his cheek. It ended up being closer to his mouth than she'd intended, but that didn't matter now. She wanted him to understand afterwards. She wanted him to know how sorry she was.
When she drew away, he looked aghast. "Octavia—" he started.
"See ya," she interrupted, because she hoped she would see him again.
She didn't linger. As swiftly as she'd placed them there, she removed her hands from his shoulders and climbed back onto the engawa. His eyes never left hers, not even as she inched towards the set of doors they'd come through and wished they were made of something thicker than paper. She fought the urge to touch her lips. His skin had been warm. Warmer than she'd remembered. Damn him. Maybe it wasn't too late for her to hate him instead.
Knowing that she'd made the right choice, she slipped away without a word.
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Sesshoumaru watched her leave without putting up any semblance of a fight.
They always did in the end.
You care for her.
He was growing tired of the people who mattered the most walking away from him. The others made sense, but he hadn't expected this from her. Had he done something to offend her? He'd thought he was beginning to understand the way the human mind worked, but clearly, he had much to learn.
Immortality would be so easy if we only bothered with our own.
He didn't exactly share Nagisa's views regarding humanity, but he couldn't deny that she had at least a couple of valid points. As much as he loathed to admit it, they had a purpose to fulfil, like all living things. For instance, an ant might seem insignificant to a bear, but that didn't make the ant's place in nature any less important. Everything existed for a reason. To declare oneself as superior to another being that had a part to play in this life was the pinnacle of ignorance.
I'm human, Octavia had proudly declared. Like it was something she took pride in, which she did. He knew she did. She'd said as much as herself. I'm not ashamed. He hadn't understood at the time, but now he did.
Although he still detested humans – that part hadn't changed – there were . . . exceptions. Most notably two. The first being Rin, with the second being her.
He contemplated going after her.
Never make choices with your heart.
Did he really want to take into account the advice of a man who had forsaken his only daughter? Arashi was a wise and competent ruler, however, those traits didn't automatically make him a good father. He could have forgiven her. If he truly loved her, he would have, but he had cared more about maintaining appearances than the happiness of his child. Not that it came as a shock to anyone.
Sesshoumaru's father hadn't cared about his happiness, either.
His mother used to say that 'son' and 'daughter' could easily be synonyms for 'property'. They weren't loved, they were owned.
Despite her many faults, Izayoi had never once looked at Inuyasha in that light. He had been her greatest treasure, but not in an ownership sense. She had loved him more than anything—more than she'd loved Touga. And not only that, her love was powerful, because it had done the unthinkable . . . It had stood the test of time.
Love isn't a counterspell. It's a promise.
Why couldn't it be both?
Love hadn't been enough to stop her from dying, but her death hadn't stopped Inuyasha from loving her. Because of that, a part of her was still alive, and would remain that way for as long as the hanyou lived.
Sesshoumaru had always wanted to be remembered long after he died, and until recently, he'd believed that power was the only way to make that happen.
But Izayoi had proved him wrong.
Standing alone in the dark, Sesshoumaru finally admitted to himself what he would never admit aloud . . .
He wanted to be loved.
Being a demon, he didn't know if he was capable of the kind of love he was thinking of, but he was willing to try.
He wanted to be remembered for reasons other than killing. He wanted his subjects to cheer when they heard his name, not blench in terror as he knew they did now. He wanted to be alone with Octavia and not have to worry about being judged by onlookers. He wanted to be able to touch her without first having to check it was safe to do so. To put it simply, he wanted her, in every possible way. And most of all, he wanted her to want him, too.
After tonight, he wasn't foolish enough to delude himself into thinking she did.
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No one saw her sneaking into the unused study.
She closed the door behind her and surveyed the sea of darkness that swallowed the room. Snapping her fingers, a sphere of purple light ignited above her head, illuminating the space. The enormity of the task ahead weighed hard on her shoulders. How was she ever going to find what she was looking for when she had no idea where to look? Touga could have hidden it anywhere, presuming he had felt the need. Besides, what was so special about a box? Or rather . . . What was inside?
She started with the desk. There wasn't time to keep things tidy, so anything unimportant got tossed onto the floor. Books, parchment, quills. They all joined the growing pile at the foot of the desk.
Once the desk was cleared, she focused her attention on the drawers. Each one had its contents tipped out, searched through, and finally added to the pile.
By now, she'd come across at least a dozen different boxes, but none with a little black smear like the Dressmaker had described.
You'll know it when you see it.
She snapped her fingers again and a second light appeared. She wished they could help her look. Cyril hadn't taught her how to make shikigami yet, which was a shame, because she could've done with some minions right about now.
Heaving a sigh, she abandoned the now-empty desk and waded through the mess towards the bookcases.
She paused in front of the one she'd found the Book of Four Souls on top of. She couldn't recall seeing a box up there, though, at the time, she hadn't been looking for one.
It was almost dawn.
She had to check.
The ladder was too heavy for her to lift by herself, so she used the shelves to scale the bookcase. The wood creaked and groaned as she climbed, scaring her the same amount every time, and she briefly worried that if she fell, the bookcase would topple over and crush her. If she survived, she'd have quite a bit of explaining to do.
The moment the thought crossed her mind, her left foot broke through the shelf she was standing on and she plummeted to the ground. She landed on her shoulder and slapped a hand over her mouth to muffle her scream of pain.
Mercifully, the bookcase stayed where it was.
She dragged herself into a sitting position and pulled a face. Clutching her shoulder, she determined that it wasn't broken, which was a huge relief. It hurt like hell, though.
She waved the two lights closer.
Now that they were beside her, she noticed that the floorboards beneath her had ruptured slightly.
They would only sag like that if there was a space under the floor.
She shuffled sideways and brought her foot down to finish the job. The floorboards snapped and dipped, revealing several inches of leeway. Not enough for a person, but certainly enough for, say, an item. Conscious of putting weight on her injured shoulder, Octavia laid on her stomach and lowered her head into the space. It was pitch black in there, so she ignited another light and released it into the darkness.
The light revealed a murky silhouette several floorboards ahead of the hole.
She pulled herself up and crawled over to the stretch of floor above the unknown object. Freeing the Reikon Blade from its holster, she used it to remove the floorboards. She felt bad using the dagger in such a crude way, but she couldn't afford to go hunting for the medieval equivalent of a crowbar.
Once the floorboards were out of the way, she gazed into the newly formed fissure and saw a wooden box with a clasp.
She pulled it out and set it down in front of her. It was old. So old that the varnish had completely worn away and the clasp was rusted shut.
Her heart stopped when she noticed a tiny black stain on the lid.
She tried to undo the clasp, but it refused to budge.
Perhaps it needed a key?
Peering down into the space beneath the floorboards once more, Octavia found a folded piece of parchment that was held closed by a piece of string. She unpicked the knot and flattened the parchment with her fists. Unable to suppress her curiosity, she blew away the dust and began to read what was written on the page.
My dearest Touga,
There are few words that convey how lost I am without you.
Your child grows stronger every day, but I grow more and more weary. Every day I fear that when I wake, word will reach me that you have fallen, and our unborn child will no longer be protected. I cannot bear the thought our child being in danger, which is why I understand your reasons for not coming to visit me.
That said, how are you faring with your quest? Have you found a way to save him yet? If the answer is no, I pray that this will be of some use to you. The box contains an item supposedly able to alter one's destiny. It may be a worthless trinket, but it cost my family a large sum of gold, so I hope that is not the case. Once you've discovered a way to thwart his fate, tell Sesshoumaru that I would very much like to meet him.
May the gods watch over you, my love. I know they will return you to me.
Your Izayoi.
Octavia stared blankly at the letter for a while. She found herself remembering the demon's conversation with Nidawi. Your son is in grave danger, general. But from what? Sesshoumaru was one of the most powerful beings in the world. Nothing could touch him. Not even destiny itself. His father must have been mistaken.
Unless . . . the danger was her.
Totosai's warning was as clear in her mind as the day she had heard it.
When the shards have been scattered, de-shattered, and eventually demolished, then the true power of Shikon will be unleashed. Through the eighth born in the bloodline, the sky will rain with flames, demonkind will erupt into ashes, and darkness will fall.
Tears rolled down her cheeks. Some of them landed on the parchment she was holding and created wet spots. She sniffed and refolded the letter, placing it back where she'd found it. The box, on the other hand, she picked up and took with her.
She didn't bother hiding it.
Walking solemnly through the stronghold, she made her way towards the eastern gate, which was being manned by two large jackals with wings. Their ears perked as she approached; their eyes curious.
She stopped and waited for them to turn her away. They exchanged an uncertain glance. Letting a human into the stronghold was definitely against the rules, but letting one out? She supposed that was somewhat of a grey area. If it had been Kanetsugu manning the gate, he probably would have waved her off with a smile.
"I've been told to leave," she lied.
"By whom?" asked one of the sentries.
"Who do you think?"
They shared another look.
"We weren't informed of this."
Octavia frowned. "And?"
"It seems like something we should have known about beforehand."
"Well, feel free to check. But he was super pissed when I last saw him. If he finds out I'm still here after he specifically ordered me to go, he'll probably kill all three of us."
They both fought back a flinch.
Unsurprisingly, they let her pass after that. She hurried down the road and finally, into the forest, clutching the box to her chest. She couldn't bring herself to look back at the stronghold. Not with the sunrise so imminent. Her brisk walk became a sprint, and the trees blurred on either side, both from the speed and from her tears.
Meanwhile, in a hidden glade not too far from where she was, a servant of Erem waited with a band of sleeping children.
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Author's Corner
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