A/N: Sorry for the wait on this! Here is the next installment. I hope you enjoy it!
"No," Sesshomaru growled almost immediately to Kasai's suggestion. Kasai openly flinched at his dismissal but turned to Rin.
"I can't do any harm to you now that I submit to Sesshomaru," Kasai stated, "here, let me show you," he offered before reaching for her arm. Sesshomaru bared his fangs at Kasai before grabbing his arm.
Before Sesshomaru could reach him, Rin saw the mark around Kasai's neck light up, and he whimpered in pain before letting her go. Sesshomaru released his hold on Kasai when he realized that the bear demon was not going to hurt Rin.
"If I go back to the base alone, my father will not hesitate to kill me. I'm just another one of his employees. He's told me multiple times that he won't miss me if I die," Kasai explained.
"That's horrible," Rin murmured. She didn't know much about her parents, but she doubted that they would ever say something so cruel to her.
"It's expected from someone like him. He's a demon who's lived for centuries. He's had so many children and met so many people. I am just another being that he barely knows in the endless cycle that is his life," Kasai continued before rubbing his face, "I've never told anyone that much information before. Is this what happens when you submit to another demon?" he asked Sesshomaru.
"When you submit, you submit every part of your being," Sesshomaru explained through narrowed eyes, "However, I do not trust this proposition of yours. You could just as easily get someone else to capture or hurt Rin when you bring her to the base,"
Rin's eyes widened at the suggestion before looking back at Kasai. He turned his eyes away from her, signaling that the thought had crossed his mind. Sesshomaru didn't miss the action, either.
"Can you bring a woman who is not human to this base?" Kagura asked suddenly, catching the group off guard, "While I don't like the idea of putting myself at risk for a bunch of humans, I can't stand by and do nothing," she added when she received a group of confused looks.
"We typically stick to human women since they are easier to handle, but I don't think anyone would object to you. Especially if you claim that you submitted to me," Kasai answered while eying Kagura with eyes that weren't exactly innocent.
"Kagura," Sesshomaru bit out in warning, "you don't need to involve yourself. Surely we can get the address from Kasai and take down the base ourselves. We don't need theatrics or trickery,"
"But that's what I'm good at," Kagura pouted.
"There are too many demons guarding the gates to storm in. They'll let their guard down when they see me with captives. If you're out for blood, then attack once we get inside. You'll have the element of surprise then," Kasai replied.
"I can apply for a warrant once we have the address and get the police to raid the place. That will give you some more firepower," Miroku offered, "we may not do well against a bunch of demons, but it will at least take the focus off of you,"
"I don't mean to offend," Kagura began, "but I don't think we need a bunch of humans learning about the existence of demons. Feel free to raid the building and save the women once the demons are taken care of and gone,"
"My sister and I can help fight some of the demons with Sesshomaru," Kohaku offered before looking over to Rin, "I don't like you going in as a decoy, but if that is what you want then I'll follow you,"
Rin glanced around the group meekly before gulping. She wanted to help, she really did, but she was scared too. Kasai was telling her he couldn't hurt her, but Sesshomaru made a valid point that he could simply pass her along to another demon who could. But the longer they waited, the longer they gave the demons to hurt or sell off the missing women.
"I'll do it," she stated solemnly. She saw Sesshomaru tense next to her but looking at the group of people ready to go kept him silent.
"We should go as soon as we can," Kasai replied before glancing back at the group of demons still trapped, "We can't release them until this is all over, or they will tell my father," he added.
"Don't worry. I know exactly where to keep them," Kagura replied with a smirk.
"Where?" Kohaku asked, surprised by her eagerness.
"I have an underground lab adjacent to the cadaver room," she replied, and Kohaku looked just as surprised as before.
"I didn't know that you had another lab," he retorted.
"Darling, you don't know a lot about me," she teased, "Let me take them there before we leave. They'll be stuck in there without a way to escape," she added more seriously.
"I need to tell Sango as well. These missing women might be the ones she's been searching for," Kohaku stated.
The group agreed to regroup in the field after they took care of their needs. Kagura and Kohaku left with the group of demons together. Miroku went off to file for a warrant for the building. Sesshomaru closed the barrier around them but left it open around Kasai. The barrier would provide them with some much-needed privacy.
"He won't be able to hear us," Sesshomaru told her when he spotted her looking over at Kasai floating within the barrier. She let out a light sigh before immediately throwing her arms around Sesshomaru's waist.
He didn't flinch at her sudden attack but simply wrapped his arms around her in return. "I'm scared," she murmured against his shirt, "but if I were one of those women stuck at that base, I'd want to get saved," she added sadly.
"You do not have to do anything," Sesshomaru assured her levelly, "We can take care of it,"
"But I - " Rin began but stopped when she saw the look of concern on Sesshomaru's face. It was one of the most torn expressions she had ever seen. He was worried about her too. The thought made her feel both nervous and appreciative at the same time.
Instead of saying anything more, she stood on her toes and planted a kiss on his lips. He took a moment to respond before returning her kiss. Her nerves and the adrenaline of the situation had Rin feeling all kinds of things.
The feeling that scared her, most of all, was love.
She knew she loved Sesshomaru, more than anything. More than she thought she ever could feel for another being. The thought of losing him, of never seeing him again, made Rin selfishly want to run away.
Sesshomaru quickly deepened the kiss by letting his tongue slide across her lips, asking for entry. She opened her mouth, and their tongues danced around each other. Rin felt a delicious chill run down her spine when Sesshomaru's hands came up to cup her face as they continued to kiss.
Seeing Sesshomaru be dominant in his demonic form moments before, and feeling how gentle he could be with her, made her fall even harder for him. Her hands made their way to his broad shoulders, reveling in their size difference.
His claws ran through her hair before he twirled a strand around his finger. They pulled away to look into each other's eyes, gold to cinnamon, for a moment before Sesshomaru lowered his head to capture her lips again.
For a moment, Rin forgot where they were and slipped her hands under his shirt. She wanted to feel the softness of his skin under her hands. Sesshomaru returned the gesture by letting his claws run down her waist and along her hips.
"Don't get too carried away, you two," Kagura's voice mocked, and the two pulled away for a moment. Rin's face blushed a beat red. Sesshomaru's expression remained neutral as they eyed the wind sorceress.
"You back much earlier than expected," Sesshomaru noted. Rin didn't miss the slight edge to his voice as he addressed the other demon. Kagura winked before crossing her arms over her chest.
"I would have met up with Kohaku if I had known you two had other intentions," she teased before her expression grew serious, "You shouldn't let your guard down just yet. You'll have plenty of times to bump uglies after we infiltrate the hideout,"
Rin could only hide her face behind her hands at Kagura's blatant statement while Sesshomaru's glanced away from the sorceress.
"You should probably release him," Kagura nodded towards Kasai, still housed in the barrier. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed before he flicked his hand, and the barrier disappeared. Kasai landed on his feet before looking around in surprise. He seemed to forget where he was for a moment before recognition brightened his gaze.
"Do you have much experience fighting other demons?" Kagura asked Kasai once she was sure he was paying attention.
"Of course," he replied. Kagura's red lips turned upward into a seductive smile.
"I think we should fight," she stated, and Kasai looked concerned, "I'm sure your companions would be suspicious if I just walked into your base unscathed. If it were a true kidnapping, I would have put up some of a fight," she continued.
Kasai turned to Sesshomaru. He eyed Kagura for a moment, possibly mulling over her words before he nodded. The bear demon growled before allowing his claws to show through his human appearance. Kagura giggled before pulled a fan from her sleeve.
She opened it before fanning herself daintily. "Come and get me, Pooh bear," she taunted, and Kasai quickly complied.
"Kohaku!" Sango cried out in relief when she spotted her brother hurrying back to her. He took a moment to catch his breath.
"Sango, I think Rin and I may have a lead for your missing person cases," he told her, and her eyes widened in disbelief.
"Seriously? What is it?" she asked excitedly.
"We came across a demon who told us they were planning to abduct Rin to sell her off as a human bride to other demons," he replied, and Sango couldn't hide her surprise. She had imagined they were dealing with a serial killer of the human-kind. She couldn't believe her theory could be so offbase. She hadn't even considered demons as a viable option.
"We are planning to infiltrate their base, tonight," Kohaku continued, "I told them that we could use your help too. You may be able to identify the women they are holding captive and put up a fight against any demons,"
"Of course. Let me get my weapon," Sango replied curtly before hurrying up to her room to open her bag. She sheathed it around the hoop of her pants before concealing it under her shirt. Sango made sure to grab a few of the extra topical poisons Kohaku had crafted for her. She could lace it along her blade before attacking.
She rushed back down the stairs to meet up with Kohaku. "Where is that policeman?" Sango asked, realizing the man wasn't with her brother.
"He's requesting a warrant to seize the place in a few days. He's willing to let us deal with the demons first,"
"Wait, he knows about demons?" Sango retorted, and Kohaku nodded meekly.
"Miroku was with us when Kagura and I confronted the demon who knows where the base is," he added before his face paled.
"Kagura? Wait, isn't that your professor?" Sango asked back while her eyes narrowed.
"Yes - I'll explain everything later. Please, we have to hurry. They are waiting for all of us to regroup before we can take the base down. We have to do it tonight. Those women don't have much time," Kohaku stressed. Sango sighed before she nodded.
"Okay, but I expect a full explanation. You aren't allowed to leave anything out," Sango replied, and Kohaku nodded.
They rushed out of the shop, Sango making sure to lock it behind them. Kohaku led them to the alley behind the shop. He stopped suddenly before pulling a feather out of his hair. Sango blinked, surprised she hadn't noticed the hair accessory before.
The feather began to glow before Kohaku brought it to his lips and whispered something to it. Then he threw it out in front of them, and it tripled in size. He hopped on before extending his hand to her. Sango hesitated for a moment before taking his hand and allowing him to pull her up beside him.
"This is Kagura's feather," Kohaku explained, "It will take us back to the group," he added before the feather took off towards the sky. Sango grabbed hold of Kohaku to steady herself before noting a rift in the sky. The feather flew straight through it before the rift closed behind them.
Sango glanced down and spotted Rin beside a silver-haired demon. She picked up the aura of two other demons and saw them fighting one another. The female had the upper hand but was allowing the male to get a few hits in.
The feather carried them to the ground. Kohaku and Sango stepped off the feather, and it returned to its original size. Kohaku placed it back in his hair before watching the female demon intently. Sango followed his gaze and assumed the female was Kagura.
As if sensing their eyes on her, Kagura turned to stare back. Sango caught sight of her red stare before giving a start when the male demon got a good punch to her stomach. Kagura let out a labored breath before thrusting her fan forward, sending an air stream that sent the red-headed male flying.
"I think that's plenty of scrapes for now," Kagura stated before stretching. She put her fan into her sleeve before taking out the hair tie in her hair. Then she walked over to the male demon and presented her wrists. "You can now call me your prisoner," she added while handing him her hair tie. The male demon took it and wrapped it around her wrists.
Both demons looked worse for wear, the male considerably more beat up than Kagura. The male demon let out a light sigh before turning to look Sango's way.
"Who's this?" he asked excitedly, suddenly checking her out. Sango ignored her need to send her sickle his way and feigned a smile.
"A demon slayer," she announced and reveled in the look of surprise she got from the male demon. She also noted that the silver-haired demon had turned to size her up as well. While he wasn't as taken aback as the red-head, he appeared to be wary of her presence.
"She'll be back up in case things get hairy while we try to take down the base," Kohaku stated, "she's a seasoned demon slayer, which means she can hold her own against anyone who tries to pick a fight," he added, and Sango had to hide the blush she felt creeping up on her cheeks. She appreciated the kind words her brother said, and almost forgot that he had only recently learned the truth about her.
"I excel in stealth, so infiltrating the base will be easy," Sango informed them, "Just let me know what the plan is," she added.
The group quickly explained what their strategy was, including using Kagura and Rin as bait to keep the bulk of the demons busy while the others took out any guards and tried to find the missing women. If Kagura and Rin found the missing women first, Kagura would attack and try to lead them to safety.
"It's not commonplace for demon slayers to work alongside demons," Sango pointed out while eyeing said demons, "however, I can make an exception this once. But know that I will just as easily kill all of you if you decide to harm a human," she added venomously.
Sango thought she sounded pretty menacing, but she only seemed to scare Kasai. Sesshomaru and Kagura looked unfazed, which irked her. But she kept her feelings to herself. They had bigger things to worry about right now.
With the group finally together and ready to go, Kagura used her fan to create a rift in the air. Similar to the rift that the feather had done earlier. Sango could only assume that meant the feather Kohaku used belonged to her.
"The base is on the other side of this rift," Kagura stated as the group neared it, "It will transport us about a mile away, so we should be out of sight," she informed them. Sango and the rest of the group nodded before they stepped into the rift one by one.
True to her word, they appeared beside a thicket of trees. Towards the edge of the forest was a clearing where a large building stood tall and foreboding. Sango recognized the enchantments along the ground that went around the building. The spell would hide the building from the untrained eye. Most humans could pass by the building and have no idea it was there.
"Are you sure we are in the right place?" Kohaku asked Kagura, and the sorceress nodded before moving closer to him. Sango tensed before instinctively grabbing the sheath of her scythe behind her back. She didn't pull it out from under her shirt but watched closely as Kagura covered his eyes with her hand. It glowed for a moment before she let it fall to her side, and Kohaku let out a surprised breath.
"I have given you the sight," Kagura informed him, "It won't last long, but once we walk inside the enchantments, your eyes should adjust to seeing the building," she explained. Sango let go of her scythe hilt before noticing that Sesshomaru was doing the same thing to Rin. They were too far apart for her to hear them, but she figured he was telling Rin something similar.
Rin and Kagura stepped forward to stand with Kasai as the bear demon led the two women down the clearing towards the building. Kohaku and Sango would try to sneak in from the left while Sesshomaru would go right. Kasai mentioned that the sides of the base were often not guarded, whereas the front and back were heavily guarded. Their plan of attack was to take out the smaller guarded areas and try to lead the women out of one of those entrances.
Sango and Kohaku quickly descended towards the building. She didn't miss how her brother kept his eyes on Kagura, a look of worry plastered on his face. "Focus," she seethed as gently as she could. Kohaku's eyes snapped back to her before he nodded.
Sango and Kohaku remained hidden in the shadows as they watched Sesshomaru practically glide towards the right entrance, his eyes trained on Rin.
They stayed in position while the other three made their way to the front gate. A group of at least five demons was there to greet them.
A/N: Cliffhanger! No worries, though! I will have the next installment out shortly. Thank you to everyone who is still invested in this story and for giving me feedback. It helps so much and makes my day. Until next time!