Chapter Ten

Amidst the darkness

Inuyasha was lying on the floor of the cave, staring at the stone ceiling, the book on his lap. He had finished it hours ago.

It was already dawn, but he hadn't been able to sleep. He was still trying to come to terms with everything his father had written about humans.

Long before Sesshomaru was born, Toga Taisho had chosen Irasue for the sole purpose of conceiving an heir, a dog yōkai like them who would be strong enough to carry on his legacy.

After the signing of the blood pact, all the demons had retreated to that vast forest and the barrier between their world and that of the humans was activated. But Toga had lived among them for centuries, knowing them and learning their ways.

He had written all his thoughts in that book, wanting to record that humans were not as despicable as the yōkai thought.

In those days, there was nothing separating the forest from the small town that would be called Tokyo fifty years later. Some humans dared to venture into the trees, unable to contain their curiosity despite the danger.

That was how Toga met Izayoi, Inuyasha's mother. A snake yōkai was about to devour her when he found her. He instantly recognised her distinctive scent, a sign that she was his destined mate. But Toga reacted very differently to Inuyasha, saving her life.

That day a strange friendship started between one of the yōkai lords of the forest and a woman from the human world, who was also the daughter of a prince.

The book ended with Toga's last words before he renounced his title of Lord and left the palace, going to live with Izayoi in the hut he had built north of the demon forest.

"Son, if you read this, never stop looking for your mate. She may appear when you least expect it, she may even be a human. If that happens, don't turn her away. Finding Izayoi is the best thing that has happened to me in my more than a thousand years of life."

Inuyasha knew that was directed to Sesshomaru, because he didn't even exist then... but it had affected him as if his father had written it for him.

The best thing that had ever happened to him? Less than ten years after writing that, he was dead because of her. The demons were always trying to kill her, they hated a human living in their forest and were unwilling to allow it... and, in the end, Toga died trying to protect her from a group of moon yōkais who attacked one night, taking advantage of the power the full moon gave them.

When Sesshomaru arrived, there was no trace of his parents' bodies and only the ashes of the house they had lived in remained. He found Inuyasha hiding in the undergrowth, covered in wounds, and took him back to his palace.

He knew all this thanks to his brother. Sesshomaru had told him the story of his parents and how he rescued him from certain death several times while they trained together on the grounds of the Taisho palace.

Inuyasha blinked, snapping back to the present. Kagome was going to enter the forest in a few hours and he would finally be able to finish her off.

The image of her lifeless body lying on the forest floor came to his mind. Her brown eyes empty, a large wound in her throat, her arms covered in blood...

Inuyasha shook his head. He had to do it, he couldn't have a human mate.

Either he would kill her, or he would live the rest of his long life knowing that she existed and was very close, especially when he visited the city on dark nights.

No, he wasn't willing to live like that. What if they crossed paths and he saw her with another human? What if he couldn't help but follow her scent and every night he went looking for her? The urge to be close to her was too strong, even if Inuyasha didn't like to admit it.

Kagome had to die. It wasn't that big of a deal, human lives were short anyway.

Inuyasha sat up, extinguishing the embers of the fire. It was still early, but he preferred to be prepared. He left his sword hidden in the roots of a nearby tree, carrying only his mobile phone on him.

Inuyasha could kill her easily with his claws. He needed nothing else.

He ran towards the border after hunting for something to help him relax. When he reached the end of the fence, he climbed up one of the trees to wait. It was almost ten o'clock.

His phone vibrated. A message from Kagome.

I'm close, Inuyasha. Are you there yet?

Inuyasha didn't answer. He climbed up to the last of the branches and peeked through them, seeing her. She was walking alone on a dirt path by the metal fence.

Perfect.

The fence was only built where the forest bordered the city, the rest of the frontier was marked with panels nailed to the ground. Inuyasha saw her stop right in front of the first one and stare at the letters with wide eyes.

She was scared. He could smell her fear from there.

Inuyasha felt the phone vibrate again as he slowly made his way down the tree, trying not to make a sound.

Where are you?

He stopped on a branch that was only three metres high to answer.

I'm waiting for you inside.

He saw her sigh, putting her mobile phone in her pocket. As soon as she took a step forward, Inuyasha froze completely. His heart was racing and all he could do was watch as she reached the first tree and touched it.

All he had to do was jump, drag her a few metres inside and dig his claws into her throat. He tried to move, but he couldn't. He was feeling a new emotion he hadn't known before... Fear?

With shock, Inuyasha noticed that he was afraid for the first time. And he didn't fear for his own life, but for the life of this human who was getting closer and closer.

He furiously pounded his fist against the trunk of the tree. So much planning and now he couldn't fucking kill her.

He hit the trunk again, trying to scare her away from there as soon as possible. He would have to live sixty or seventy years in agony, waiting for her to die so he could feel free again. But he was willing to do it if it meant she was still alive.

This human was good, kind... and besides, she had feelings for him. She didn't deserve to die like that.

Kagome held her breath as she heard the knock and Inuyasha's ears twitched forward at the sound of her voice.

"Is that you, Inuyasha? Don't do that again, you're scaring me."

He closed his eyes, hitting the trunk hard again. Kagome had to leave now, she had been in the forest for almost thirty seconds and surely some yōkai had heard her talking.

Inuyasha sighed in relief as he saw her backing away. But, just as she was about to reach the first row of trees, a yellowish whip emerged from the undergrowth and wrapped around her ankles, sending her tumbling to the ground.

Kagome's scream chilled his blood. Shit, Sesshomaru was there and he wasn't going to let her escape. No human was getting out of the demon forest alive.

Kagome's heart raced as she saw the last few metres of the fence. She had never been near the outskirts of her city before, but everything was exactly the same as in her nightmare.

There were posts nailed to the damp earth every few steps. They had warnings on them in several languages, indicating that it was absolutely forbidden to go into the forest.

Though she had not been there before, it was so similar to what Kagome remembered from her dream that her hair stood on end.

She stopped by the first panel, looking around. Inuyasha hadn't answered her and she couldn't hear anyone close.

Where had Inuyasha gone? It looked like he was going to be late... What if he had gotten cold feet?

Kagome texted him again, and this time, the reply wasn't long in coming.

I'm waiting for you inside.

She looked up, staring at those gigantic trees. Kagome sighed, putting her phone back in her pocket.

Surely Inuyasha was nearby. If he was already walking through the trees, it meant there was no danger. Were those who said the legends weren't true right? Maybe what was in the forest was something else... Radiation, perhaps? Was there an ancient nuclear power plant buried in the woods?

Kagome stopped thinking about all the conspiracy theories and advanced towards the trees, holding her breath.

As she passed the first one, she stopped to touch its bark. Kagome remembered that she had done the same thing in her dream, so she lowered her hand and continued walking slowly. When she took five more steps, she could hear nothing. Only the song of some bird in the tops of those trees more than twenty metres high.

The demon forest was incredible. It had an unearthly air that made your stomach lurch, but at the same time it was the most wonderful thing she had ever seen in her life. Everything was pure wilderness. Kagome could hardly see the ground with so many branches, leaves and bushes covering it. The smell of wood and damp was very intense and everything was in semi-darkness. The sunlight barely penetrated the immense trees.

She looked around, confirming that no one was there. A thud sounded not too far away and Kagome started to get nervous. She was getting that feeling again that she shouldn't be there. If Inuyasha didn't show up in five seconds, she would turn around and leave.

When she heard another thud much closer, her legs froze as she held her breath.

"Is that you, Inuyasha? Don't do that again, you're scaring me," she asked quietly, trying to see if there was anything in the trees.

Again, something hit the trunk of a tree. Kagome swallowed, taking a step back. She shouldn't have gone in alone, she should have called Inuyasha and told him to meet her outside.

She turned around, her heartbeat pounding in her ears. Kagome started to walk faster and faster, retracing her steps. She sighed as she realized she had only two metres to go, but felt something wrap around her ankles.

Kagome staggered, falling to the ground. Something was pulling at her, dragging her at full speed into the depths of the forest. Panic overcame her and she screamed louder than ever, reaching for the rope that had her trapped.

When everything stopped, Kagome opened her eyes. She was lying on the ground, her arms full of wounds and her hair covered with leaves. She looked back and gasped as she saw a bright yellow rope around her ankles.

What on earth was that?

As if to answer her question, red-tinted eyes opened in the darkness only a few metres away. Kagome blanched and felt that she was going to faint. Scarlet eyes with electric blue pupils, just like in that horrible nightmare.

Was she dreaming again?

It let out a roar that froze every cell in her body. She heard it move, as if preparing to pounce on her, but something reddish fell from a nearby branch, stepping between the two of them.

"No, Sesshomaru!"

The mysterious rope disappeared and Kagome blinked in confusion. She felt like she was about to faint, but she had to get out of there.

Run, she had to escape. This was too real to be just a dream.

Kagome tried to get up, grimacing as she felt a sting in her left foot. She had probably sprained it, just what she needed.

When she looked up again, she saw that the reddish figure had a human form. His arms were outstretched and a long mane of white hair fell down his back, reaching below his waist. He wore something that looked like a very strange red kimono and was tall, much taller than her. Also, his husky, manly voice sounded familiar.

Time was passing in slow motion for Kagome, but in reality it had all happened in just a few seconds.

That boy turned towards her and Kagome stopped breathing as she saw that he was not a human. He had golden eyes, two furry ears on top of his head and he was staring at her in a very strange way. Suddenly, his body started to change at full speed. Fangs protruded from his lips and his eyes darkened, turning blood red.

Kagome began to run without looking back. That dream she had not yet forgotten had been a premonition. She was going to die at the hands of a monster, she would not have time to escape.

Just as in her nightmare, she felt something lunging at her and she stumbled, breaking the fall with her arms. It had pinned her to the ground with its weight and had just grabbed her arms, preventing her from moving.

"Let go of me!" she screamed, writhing in desperation.

Razor-sharp nails grazed her wrists and Kagome screamed again, trying to get that thing to let her free. It was digging its feet into her back and gripped her tighter, making all the air rush out of her lungs. She felt its breath on her neck and Kagome froze, afraid to breathe. That thing snorted and she heard his voice again.

"Fuck."

Something pierced her shoulder and Kagome felt a sharp pain spread throughout her body. She shrieked at the scent of her own blood, knowing she was going to die. The creature was biting her, its teeth sank into her skin.

She pushed at its face in agony and a bright light blinded her.

With a jump, that thing disappeared. Kagome didn't hesitate and got up as fast as she could, running the few metres she had left to get out of that hell.

As soon as she left the trees behind, Kagome dropped to the ground in tears.

She placed a hand on her shoulder and, looking at it, saw her palm covered in blood. She had been bitten and it still hurt, and her whole body was probably bruised.

She wiped her tears with her other hand, thinking that she hadn't noticed when she started crying. Kagome turned her head slightly, looking up into the trees with terror still coursing through her veins, but the forest was as calm and quiet as ever.

Kagome stood up, wanting to get the hell out of there and never come back. She removed the neckerchief she had tied around her throat and pressed it against her shoulder to stop the wound from bleeding. All her clothes were covered in dirt and her shirt was stained with blood. Trying to slow her breathing, she limped to the area of the path where the metal fence started, cursing her curious side.

She should never have gone into those woods, she was an idiot.

Kagome pulled out her phone, letting out a sigh of relief when she saw that it wasn't broken and was still working. She looked in her phone list for the number of the taxis and asked for one to come and pick her up in the industrial part of the city, which was at the end of that road.

No one could ever find out what had happened. If someone discovered that she had entered the forest, Kagome risked jail.

She limped on until she reached the industrial park and the taxi driver frowned at her as he got out of the car.

"Are you alright? What happened to you?"

"I fell," Kagome replied, trying not to look him in the eye.

The man took a few steps towards her, helping her walk to one of the doors.

"Do you need a ride to the hospital?"

"No, I just want to go home. I can cure this there."

Unconvinced, the taxi driver closed the door once she was seated inside and returned to the driver's seat, starting the engine.

"Are you sure? You can't walk well and that wound might need stitches."

Kagome covered the bite on her shoulder better with the neckerchief, shaking her head.

"Take me to Higurashi temple, please."

As soon as he tasted her blood, Inuyasha reacted. He was biting her, for fuck's sake! Kagome pushed him and her hand glowed, burning his skin.

He took a great leap backwards, pulling away and watching her run into the human world.

A claw wrapped around his throat, throwing him into a tree trunk. Inuyasha gasped, using both hands to try to free himself. He focused his eyes, seeing a completely furious Sesshomaru in front of him.

Inuyasha didn't care. When he was in his yōkai form he feared no one, not even his own brother.

"What have you done, you damned hybrid?" Sesshomaru snarled, raising his other hand.

His fingers glowed with a greenish light, a sign that he was about to use his powerful poison.

Inuyasha dug his long nails into his brother's forearm, but to no avail. His venomous claw pierced his chest and he gasped, feeling himself grow angrier.

"She escaped because of you, idiot!"

"And you're going to kill me?"

Sesshomaru scowled. He pulled out his claw and shook it, staining the forest floor with Inuyasha's blood.

"I should do it," he growled, tightening his grip around his throat.

Inuyasha tensed his jaw, clawing at the yōkai's face with one of his hands. He couldn't breathe.

"Enough," Sesshomaru added, releasing him.

Inuyasha was still furious. Not being a full yōkai, he could not control his rage as well as his brother.

Sesshomaru took a deep breath and the red in his eyes disappeared. The magenta lines on his cheeks returned to their normal size and his irises changed to gold. He brought a hand to his face, running a finger over the cuts Inuyasha had made.

He was still leaning against the tree trunk, breathing heavily. His demon blood cried out for vengeance and he wanted to tear apart the yōkai right in front of him, but something told him that wasn't a good idea.

With one of his hands, Inuyasha covered the gigantic wound Sesshomaru had given him and gasped again as he felt the poison burning inside him.

"Do you know what you have done, Inuyasha?"

He gave a growl in response.

"You were supposed to kill her, but you transformed and marked her."

"I couldn't help it. My demon blood reacted with her scent that close," Inuyasha replied in a deep voice.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes.

"Well, now that human bears the mark of a yōkai under her skin. You know what that means."

Inuyasha growled again and Sesshomaru clicked his tongue.

"You deserve the pain. I knew you wouldn't be able to finish her off, you're too weak."

"Say that again," Inuyasha growled, clenching his fists and digging in his own nails.

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow, snorting with contempt.

"Pathetic. Once you calm down and get back to being yourself, you'll realise what you've done."

Without another word, he began to levitate and disappeared into the trees.

Inuyasha slid down the tree trunk until he was sitting on the ground, pressing his two claws against the wound in his chest. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself back to his half-demon form.

The human had escaped... and now she would bear his mark for the rest of her life.

Oh, and she had priestess powers. But Sesshomaru hadn't seen that.