Chapter Eight
A Watchful Eye
The phone chimed, loud an unwelcome on the silent-as-death grounds of the castle that towered over Yusuke and Hiei like a foreboding metaphor. A murder of crows took flight at the sudden notification. The sound of their wings flapping through the air and their cawing rose the hairs on the back of Hiei's neck.
Quickly, Hiei fumbled with the small device, trying to shut off the chimer, but the damage had been done. The phone's chime gave away their location. It wasn't like they were trying to be sneaky or anything.
Even so, their target didn't move. It seemed she had somehow missed the chime that shattered the silence around them like a foghorn in the night.
"Oh!" Yusuke crooned, drawing the word out in jest.
Hiei immediately snapped at him to keep his voice down, but Yusuke ignored his demon counterpart. "She wants to have dinner!" Yusuke must have suddenly realized he was being loud because he immediately dropped his voice. "You're going to go, right?"
The screen shone like a beacon in the night, Ashley's text standing out against the light: -Do you want to get dinner tomorrow?- Why the girl insisted on spending time with him was beyond what he could imagine. She, herself, was barely tolerable. The fact that they were doing this prank to get back at Kuwabara gave her points, sure, but humans, for the most part, minus a few particular people he had grown close to over the years, were not worth his time.
Another text came in soon after, a notification sliding down from the top of his screen with a short vibration. -I'd love to see you!- A bristle of frustration passed over him. Most likely she was teasing him to get a rise out of him. It was working; she always seemed to know how to get under his skin.
Kurama kept saying that the way to be polite with humans was to reply to such messages as soon as possible so the other person would not think less of them. Still, trying to navigate human world social cues and remember all the little nuances was taxing.
Keeping his Jagan focused on their target, he quickly typed out a response. Short and sweet.
-Sure. Friday works.- Knowing her, Ashley would carry the conversation in making the plans and he wouldn't have to put too much effort into this, especially with Kameko within reach.
Hiei didn't bother to respond to Yusuke, who got his answer from reading over Hiei's shoulder. Although the fire demon had had a growth spurt a few years back, Urameshi still had a good few inches on him.
A beat of silence passed, then: "You're doing this to get back at Kuwabara, aren't you?"
With this, Hiei spun on Yusuke, fully expecting the human to tease him further about Kuwabara. The two of them had never gotten along in the same way that Hiei and Kurama or even Yusuke seemed to. Of course, there was always that chance that Yusuke told Kuwabara. He hadn't done it in years: stirred up drama with Kuwabara just for the sake of drama, and it took Hiei a few extra moments to realize this wasn't something that Yusuke would poke and prod at at Hiei's expense.
"Stop worrying!" Yusuke conceded, holding his hands up in surrender. "I won't say anything to him. But she wants to have dinner right? Are you going to go?"
The glare that Hiei shot Yusuke could have melted the young man where he stood. "Hey! I learned a few tricks from my old girl!" Yusuke crowed in laughter.
"Careful, Urameshi," Hiei said, turning away from Yusuke's antics. "If she hears you saying that, those words will likely be your last."
Hiei really hadn't spent a lot of time around Keiko one-on-one, but with Yusuke practically glued to the girl's hip since he returned to Human World after the Makai Tournament five and a half years previously, it was hard not to know Keiko at least in an acquaintance sense. She was practical, and often took out the frustration she felt towards her significant other in a comical fashion, which endeared her to him at least in some small way.
Yusuke muttered a, "Yeah, you're probably right," while scratching the back of his neck in that way that was so Yusuke.
Once Hiei locked and pocketed the phone again, he turned back to the task at hand. For the last two years he'd been tracking the remaining members of the Shono Legion, the rebels who had overthrown and killed the last Makai Tournament winner. Of course, Takayo hadn't been the smartest ruler either, and had let down her guard as soon as she won and became Demon World's second King. While it was probably for the best long-term, as she wasn't the smartest he'd ever met, Hiei at least recognized there needed to be rules in place for the new system of governing to work in Demon World. It was especially important for it to be enforced since the barrier between Human World and Demon World was now down and demons of acceptable strength were able to pass through to live a peaceful life in Human World.
Two months after the assassination, however, an A-class demon was found in human world without the proper documentation. A week later, ten more were found as well as a handful of S-class. A month after that there were so many demons that had passed through the barrier, all of varying classes and strength levels, that it had become an issue to keep track of them all and keep incidents from arising with the humans. As a result, tensions began rising in Human World and there were disturbances throughout Demon World, as well. The most concerning of all was that there were rumors that Shono's ambitions had turned towards Human World.
Koenma had requested aid once they learned about the hundreds of rogue demons in Human World. Hiei had been the one to be dispatched, since he was the only one of the original Urameshi Spirit Detective team to still be working actively for Demon World's interests. And he was the most capable to handle the situation besides that.
When Hiei had come for Shono, most of the Legion had escaped to Human World, scattering like dust to the wind, leaving their leader unprotected and left to defend for himself. Now, all that remained since Hiei had installed the second Makai Tournament's runner up to the throne, Koji, was to track down the remaining members of the Legion, one at a time, and make sure this situation didn't happen again.
The double benefit that came from tracking them down was hopefully soothing the tensions that were at a breaking point in Human World. Most of the unrest that was currently felt could be traced back to the Shono Legion's purposeful prodding.
Currently, they were tracking Kameko, the Legion's main spy, who was most adept at her job and the hardest to track down. The Jagan could pick up Kameko's location, almost to the exact square footage now that he was within range of her, but this castle had old magick that remained on the grounds and hidden in the walls - from when magick reigned in the world - and it clashed with his Jagan. The magick swirled in his brain like the fog that crept between the trees in the afternoon light. The sensation made thinking straight difficult. Yes, it really was a perfect location for anyone searching for refuge who didn't want to be found.
Not to mention Kameko had evasive powers of her own that made tracking her difficult.
Hiei felt the device vibrate against his leg. Once more, and with a huff of frustration, he dug the phone back out of his pocket. Ashley again. -7 okay? I'm thinking The Ramen Shoppe. I've heard it's good?-
Hiei just about scoffed aloud. Again with the social nuances. Again, he'd have to answer her. Unlocking it, he quickly typed, -See you then-, and pocketed the phone once more.
Usually, Hiei could use the Jagan like a sixth sense. It was part of him, and as soon as it picked up on something he knew it to be true. When Kameko moved locations this time, however, he was slow in registering the action.
"She's on the move!" He barked aloud, cursing the magick that slowed him down.
Immediately, he disappeared as Yusuke ran into the castle itself to take the slower way. Hiei jumped onto the nearest tower of the centuries-old building, and jumped from tower to tower, trying to gain vertical distance. She was in the rafters -
Hiei broke through one of the old windows, glass shattering around him as he landed inside the old castle and somersaulted, momentum sending him flying.
He was back on his feet in an instant and flitting from room to room searching for Kameko. She hadn't left the castle yet.
The castle was dark - even with it being afternoon outside - and musty. No human life had inhabited the castle in likely centuries. Yes, there were a few ashy areas where a vagabond or two had come and used the castle as shelter for a time, some graffiti on an old, crumbling brick wall, and trash strewn about, but the rooms themselves were empty of life.
Kameko was a master of the shadows, not only being able to control the darkness like an extension of herself, but was able to disappear within their depths and move within the darkness. Inside a castle such as this, it would be heaven for her.
Shadows clung to every corner in every room and passageway. The windows, while some had been boarded up, most had the late afternoon sun filtering in through the broken glass or shutters. The shadows were long within the rooms.
So when Kameko appeared out of nowhere, while it caught Hiei off-guard, it didn't surprise him.
Shadows swirled around her as she reappeared, her red hair a streak through the darkness, and her wakizashi swept up his arm before he could fully bring it up to defend himself.
He grunted in pain, but still tried to aim a blow at her. She disappeared again, the shadows swallowing her.
The next time Hiei found her he'd heard Yusuke yell, "Try it again, bitch!" and something heavy collided with a wall. Hiei followed the sound, disappearing from where he was to reappear within the room the sound came from. Sure enough, Yusuke had attempted to throw a right-hook at her, but all that had accomplished was his fist lodging itself into the stone wall. The stone crumbled as he turned, but it wasn't quick enough.
Hiei lunged as he realized what was about to happen, but before he could reach Yusuke, Kameko's blade had cut across the back of Yusuke's legs.
Ungracefully, he collapsed onto the floor with a yowl, the muscles in his calves severed.
Hiei met Kameko's blade with his own, sparks flying as he pushed her back. He tried again, trying to aim another blow to her head, which she blocked.
Through their power struggle of trying to gain the upper hand over the other, Hiei realized that Kameko's eyes, sharp and icy blue, hidden under her blaze of hair, smirked. Her lips pulled up and she disappeared from where she stood.
Literally fucking disappeared.
She reappeared just a few paces away. Far enough that she couldn't be reached by Hiei's blade without him running.
Over the years, mostly from surviving on his own for so long in Demon World, he'd learned to school his face so he was free from showing any emotion, any weakness, to potential enemies.
So when she laughed, he knew Yusuke's face must have betrayed what was going through his mind. Which was likely similar to what Hiei was currently feeling: What the absolute fuck?
"Oh, Jaganashi, don't you know?" She smirked at him, knowing she had the advantage here. She didn't bother even looking at Yusuke; Kameko only had eyes for Hiei. "The human's magick works wonders on us. Or at least, some of us."
"What the fuck do you mean?" Hiei snarled, feeling his blood run down his arm and spread onto the hilt of his katana. It stuck to him, clinging.
"It means, young one, that I can be here," she disappeared from view in front of him, and reappeared a few steps away. "And then I can be here."
He might have thought she'd increased her speed, but the Jagan stopped reading her signature completely. It was like she'd disappeared from the earth. Which wasn't possible.
Demons could have speed - hell, he had it. Demons could use their power to lurk in the flames or shadows, or move on the wind as that kid, Jin, did. But they couldn't fucking disappear completely.
"You're lying. There's no way that's true!" Yusuke yelled from his pathetic position on the floor. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the tell-tale position of Yusuke's hand behind his knee. Hiei just had to keep her talking.
"Oh, it is. Just the same that our energy will often bring out abilities in the humans, their magick does similar things to us. It goes both ways."
She was correct on at least one of those points: it was common knowledge that humans who were connected to the spiritual or supernatural world often had abilities brought out that would otherwise remain dormant when exposed to either humans with large spiritual energies or demons of similar ilk.
However the second point, the fact that the humans' magick brought out abnormal abilities in demons was something he had yet to come across.
The thought crossed his mind that Genkai should be made aware of this new information. She could figure out whether or not it was true. Hiei growled, "Kameko, how many others are there?" He tried to keep her talking, as he worked to formulate a plan to trap her here with this new knowledge.
Her eyes glinted in the light streaming in from the windows. "Wouldn't you like to know? And besides, my name isn't Kameko anymore. I like 'Dion' much better."
Hiei had heard of demons going by a different names once they got to Human World and found a culture or a name they liked. For Kameko to do it, however, there had to be a reason behind it. She never did anything without a reason.
Kameko, or Dion, or whatever her name was these days, pulled a little electronic device from her pocket, the screen glowing brightly.
Immediately Hiei recognized the little text bubbles that had appeared on his screen from Ashley's string of messages. He didn't even need to see her name at the top of the phone to know they were hers.
"Now, I must ask," Dion said, her voice musical. "Who is this lovely child?"
Hiei's grip tightened on his katana's hilt prepared for the moment when Dion's attention wandered elsewhere. Screw Yusuke. If he didn't get that spirit gun activated and working soon he'd take matters into his own hands.
"How did you get that?" Hiei growled, his voice low.
Dion's lips stretched over her teeth in a smirk. "Be careful of the shadows, Jaganashi. We're watching you. And you will pay for what you've done."
Shono. She meant killing Shono, he knew, but she didn't need to drag Ashley into this mess. All this had started long before her.
Yusuke didn't waste any time. "SPIRIT GUN!" He yelled, shooting the mass of spiritual energy at Dion at the same time Hiei disappeared from view, trying to move to get behind her before she could move into the shadows again.
As soon as the energy was let lose from Yusuke's hand, however, Dion didn't turn into shadow as she usually did.
She disappeared completely.
The blast cleared through the place she used to stand, and out the opposite wall of the castle, leveling the stone and wood.
As it cleared, the Jagan failed to pick up on her demon energy at all, until she popped up a hundred miles from the castle, down to the south.
She'd even taken his phone with her.
"Well, shit." Yusuke cursed from his place on the floor, a fist punching through the floor. "Why the fuck didn't you lock your phone?"
Yusuke's voice echoed in the cavernous space.
Hiei gripped his katana tighter, and barely turned to glare at Yusuke.
Fuck, this was a mess. This wasn't supposed to happen. Ashley wasn't supposed to get drug into this mess. This was exactly why he'd refrained from seeking out a partner.
Every time his thoughts wandered back to the image of Dion holding his phone, that smirk playing on her face as she essentially held Ashley in her hands, his stomach rolled, and his anger intensified.
Hiei had once heard humans identifying a day of bad luck as saying, "It must be a full moon!"
Today was the first time he had used that phrase, even if it was only in his head.
He leaned against the wall near the doorway, boots crossed at the ankle, arms crossed against his chest, listening to the discussions that were currently overlapping in Yukina's house.
As soon as Dion had slipped away, Hiei had helped Yusuke back to Yukina, where she healed his legs and he told her the whole story about what had happened with Dion. Or, more specifically, what she had threatened. Kurama even showed up at one point, mentioning that Kuwabara had texted him.
That was just like the oaf. Call in Kurama when he thought something had happened to get the team back together. They hadn't been an official "team" in years. Friends, yes. Team? No. They all had their own lives now. Yusuke had retired as Spirit Detective after the first Makai Tournament. Kurama had joined his step-father's company. Kuwabara had pursued higher education and married Yukina to start a life of their own. Him? He'd been in employ of Mukuro for a few years after the first Makai Tournament, including a stint in the border patrol at the barrier, and then got tangled in the Shono Legion mess since Takayo was killed.
As Kuwabara filled in Kurama of what had transpired, Yusuke and Yukina listened, Yukina hearing it for the second time, Yusuke reliving it for a third as Yukina healed the muscles in his legs.
"We're not going to let anything happen to Ashley, Hiei! You best believe it!" Kuwabara finally finished, turning to the fire demon.
While his concern was a good reminder that he had Hiei's back no matter what happened, it was also annoying and snapped at his patience. "Don't bother concerning yourself with this. This is my problem. I'll handle it."
"Oh stop that. You've been doing that whole, 'shoulder-my-own-problems' for nearly a decade, Hiei. We're in this together, and we'll help you."
Kuwabara really was one for the over-dramatic, "we'll save you" type persona. Hiei, however, was not impressed. Not even after dealing with it for ten years. He was really the main reason he'd gotten into this faux-relationship with Ashley in the first place and had subsequently dragged her into this mess. Kuwabara, for all his intentions, was not the person that Hiei was going to let pull him out of this mess.
But he couldn't say that. Instead, a sharp, "No," came out. The word was sharp enough to cut through the chatter and end the conversation. "I'll take care of it." The subject was closed. Kuwabara tried to object, but Hiei shot him a glare, silencing his protests.
He turned to go, to leave this little meet up, but Yukina spoke. "Hiei, if you'll just wait, I'll heal your arm!"
At that moment, however, he didn't want to wait. He didn't want to be in this tiny room with all these people any longer than was necessary. If it was anyone else he would ignore them and leave. As it was Yukina who spoke, who sounded as distressed as she looked, he grumbled a reply, "I'll heal fine. And I'll handle this. I've dealt with Kameko - Dion, whatever the fuck she's calling herself - for years. It'll be handled and Ashley won't have to know about any of it."
"She deserves to know what she's getting herself into." Yusuke finally said, his voice firm. The hard glint in his eye told Hiei that Yusuke remembered their relationship wasn't real. His words were for her safety only. She still deserved to know, even if they weren't romantically involved.
Hiei couldn't find an easy way to reply. Not in front of Kuwabara. Instead, he turned on his heel and trudged out, ignoring Kurama's attempts to catch his eye.
If the fox had something to say he knew how to find him.
She really wasn't very interesting.
From the third floor, where Ashley's apartment was located, there was a tree outside where Hiei could settle in and watch over her. So settle in he did.
He watched as she walked the strange-looking dog that lived with her. He watched as she slept for nine hours. He looked away as she changed clothes - did she never close her blinds?
He followed her to work, and then to a park where she settled on a blanket, opened a book, and read.
And she read.
And read.
And read.
It was easily the most boring surveillance he'd ever done.
The sun had begun to slip low in the sky by the time Ashley finally began to stir. She dog-eared the page she was on and set the book aside, not bothering to close it. The movement caught Hiei's attention, and he watched as she rose to her feet and wandered over to a nearby couple lounging on a blanket. She stayed at their blanket for a moment, exchanging a few words and a laugh - something about asking them to watch her things - and then walked on over to a squat little building, disappearing inside.
She was gone for a minute. Two. Four.
The couple didn't really look back over to Ashley's blanket and book, their eyes only on each other.
As Hiei waited, he wanted to rush into the building and make sure Ashley was alright, but he didn't pick up on Dion's demon energy, or anyone else's for that matter. No one seemed to be around that could harm her, but they could show up at any moment.
The desire that focused his mind on her book, however, the pages threatening to turn in the breeze, was to take a look at what was inside the book. What had grabbed her attention so thoroughly for so long?
Another minute passed. The couple still hadn't taken a look toward Ashley's belongings.
Watching the door of the building warily, Hiei dropped to the ground and flashed over to her belongings.
He kept one eye on the building, waiting for the door to open as he bent down and took the book in his calloused hands.
Hiei knew what a book was. Kuwabara used them a lot when he was studying, and Kurama nearly always had one on him when he was passing as human, so the little thing packed with sheets of paper was not a foreign object to him. He did realize, though, as he flipped through the pages, that all the pages held the same foreign little letters he didn't recognize. He knew what English looked like, and the characters reminded him of the few words he'd come across in English, but the language was foreign and unreadable. Not that he'd ever learned to read anyway, but it might have been nice to be able to decipher what had held Ashley's attention so aptly all afternoon.
The door to the squat building was pushed open. Before it could even crack, Hiei fled her blanket back to the safety of the trees, leaving the book open on the blanket.
Ashley didn't sit, though, when she returned to her spot. Instead, she took the book in her hand, fingering a page delicately.
It was in that moment that he realized the dog-eared page she had left the book open to had been lost beneath the other pages as he'd flipped through it.
He could see her pause, the thoughts working through her mind, and he stiffened as she raised her gaze to the trees. From where he sat, even though she didn't look right at him, he could see the curiosity behind her gaze.
Hiei followed Ashley home to drop off her things. He followed her to the train, and then followed her as she walked the streets of Sarayashiki to The Ramen Shoppe, as they had decided.
Just as she turned the corner of the street that the little shack sat on, he sped ahead and dropped back to the cement, forcing himself to walk on the ground as he pretended he'd been traveling to the shop himself.
The smile that broke out on Ashley's face as she made eye contact with him was like a light coming on. She glowed.
"Hiei!" She called, raising a hand in greeting.
She was an enigma. And she was in danger. The Shono Legion would find her, and they would snuff her light out because of his past actions.
All because she texted him at the wrong time.
His annoyance toward the girl grew, and he shoved his hands in his pockets.
She noticed his mood immediately. "Rough day, huh?" She didn't try to close the distance between them, but rather kept a respectful distance away. The heat that rose to her cheeks when she looked at him suggested something different, however.
Hiei barely noticed. Scoffing, he replied, "I've had better."
"Have you eaten, yet?" Ashley asked, but she seemed to realize what she just asked immediately. "Sorry. I guess you wouldn't be here if you had. But I guess you could also just be humoring me." She was babbling, and her cheeks were growing pinker and pinker with each unnecessary word. Finally, she just sighed and looked back up at him beneath her lashes. "Please ignore me."
Beneath his breath he chuckled. At least she knew when to shut up. He nodded towards the shop, the lights strung out on the awning twinkling in the night. "Come on. We're here, aren't we?"
Dinner passed fairly simply. The whole evening Hiei had one ear on the shop around them, and the other on Ashley. Around humans, the Jagan was too noticeable to use, so he had to rely on his senses alone. Dion definitely knew that Hiei was supposed to see Ashley tonight. It was only a matter of time before she showed up.
"Hey, are you okay?" Ashley asked next to his left elbow. She'd been eating, but not much was gone from her Ramen quite yet. Hiei had barely touched his, his mind elsewhere as he made sure no one would harm them that night.
His gaze slid to hers. It seemed she was observant after all.
"Fine," he replied, picking up his chopsticks again.
He took another bite to create the illusion that he was actually enjoying himself. "You were talking about Yukina?"
He was listening, but mostly letting her guide the conversation, as she usually did around him.
"Well I was, but we can change the subject if you prefer. Or we can just head back. You've barely touched your food."
She sounded disappointed, but Hiei didn't think too much of it. However, seeing an exit, he took advantage of the opportunity.
"Let's head back, then." He called for two to-go containers. While they packed up their food he watched her eye him.
"You seem really distracted. Do you want to talk about it?"
She was kind, he'd give her that. But he was never one to open up about his feelings. That was the kind of shit Kuwabara always encouraged him to do.
"No." He replied. One word. He tried not to make it sound too harsh, but she still looked like she'd been kicked. Oh well. This would all be over soon.
As they exited the Ramen Shoppe, Ashley stepped away, toward the direction that her apartment complex was. Hiei, for a brief moment, entertained the idea to walk her home. He quickly decided against it; he knew it was best not to give her that kind of hope.
"So I'll see you tomorrow?" She asked, though, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
Tomorrow? "No. What are you talking about?"
She sighed, lifting her eyes to the sky above. The stars above were barely visible, he knew. Their light drowned out by the city's lights. He also wondered, briefly, if she'd ever seen the stars outside of a city. The first time he had ever seen them in human world had taken his breath away.
Sucking in a breath, she replied evenly, obviously trying to control her frustration. "What I was talking about inside. Yukina invited us to the festival tomorrow. I texted you about it, too. Didn't you get it?"
Hiei's stomach dropped.
She'd texted him.
Dion.
It was sudden and disorienting the way that the world tightened in on him. It was like being trapped on that bus again. It was like he couldn't quite breathe.
At this rate, she'd never be safe from this mess she'd unknowingly stumbled into. The mess he'd let her stumble into.
Screw the prank. Screw Kuwabara. Fuck this "prank" they were engaged in.
"Don't text me anymore," he seethed.
Ashley's eyebrows shot into her hairline. "Well what about calling?"
"No."
"How am I supposed to contact you then? Is your phone broken?"
He leveled his gaze at her, trying to control the anger he suddenly felt towards her. Was she just playing dumb? He needed to end all contact with her. She shouldn't get caught up in Dion's games or his past actions.
"It's not that," he finally relented and steeled himself. "I don't want you to contact me anymore."
The mix of emotions that crossed her expression at the same time was both impressive and concerning. Shock being the first, leading to confusion, then understanding, and finally hurt.
- End of Chapter Eight -
I'm actually extremely proud of the way this chapter turned out because, if you follow me on Tumblr, you'll know that this was an extremely difficult chapter for me to write.
Magick: a term used to show and differentiate the occult from performance magic. I'm not using it as a "fantasy magic" but rather as acts of will as part of ritual magic. "Magick", in this case, is actually referenced in a few of the nature-based religions.
Thank you to LadyEllesmere, WistfulSin, and 2 for your lovely reviews. Also thank you to destinyswindow for your amazing comments, too (that I have not yet replied to yet and I feel terrible).
I know I said I wouldn't post during November (because NaNoWriMo), but I also said I'd post this chapter LAST Sunday and I didn't do that because the weeks leading up to it were crazy and then last week the chapter was being difficult. So this will be my last update until December 9 because I'm going to switch my update days to Saturdays! If you follow my tumblr, o-dragon05, I'll be posting mood boards every weekend until my next update, starting next weekend.
Also, if anyone is participating in NaNoWriMo this year, look me up! I'm username Olivia_wat928. On Dating a Demon will be my project during NaNoWriMo.
I do not own, in any way, the characters, places, or ideas of the Yu Yu Hakusho universe created by Yoshihiro Togashi. I only own my own characters and plot.