When Kagome awoke, she found herself in her room. She sat up carefully, feeling as though her head might explode with any sudden movement.
"Kagome-sama, you're awake." It was one of the maids who had been assigned to serve her, an older human woman who had taken Kagome under her wing shortly after her arrival. "Thank the gods."
"What happened?" Kagome asked, confused. She was fully dressed, and it was light outside, so why was she in her room. She had a sudden flash of memory, a pale white hand touching her arm. Her eyes opened wide and she shot upright, staggering as the edges her vision went gray . "Sesshoumaru! Is he all right? He came in when I was trying to cast a spell and was caught in it." She looked pleadingly at her maid, hoping for good news. The woman looked away.
"He was also found unconscious in the garden. He was taken to his rooms, and had not awoken the last time I was given information."
"Oh, God!" Kagome collapsed. "What happened? I have to see him."
Her maid stared at the floor.
"You may not leave your room until Sesshoumaru-sama gives his permission, Kagome-sama." She bowed, as though her reverence would make the news more palatable.
"Oh." Kagome closed her eyes again, defeated.
She began to pray.
It was nearly nightfall before there was a scratching at her door. The maid rose to answer it. Kagome held her breath, hoping it would be good news.
"Is Lady Kagome awake?" It was a chamberlain, one Kagome had not met before.
"Yes, sir. Would you wish to speak with her?"
"No. Lord Sesshoumaru has instructed me to bring her to his chambers with all haste." Kagome stood, determined to get this over with. At least she knew Sesshoumaru had awoken. And he seemed to be well enough to command her presence. Perhaps he might even forgive her.
"I am ready," she told the chamberlain before allowing him to lead her out of her room.
The short walk was made in silence. Soon they stood before the door of Sesshoumaru's audience chamber. Her guide (jailer?) scratched lightly before sliding the door open. He bowed to Kagome, indicating that she should enter, and she cautiously obeyed.
The room was darker than the last time she had seen it, the many candles extinguished. Sesshoumaru sat on his stool, a pale ghost in the dimness. The door slid shut behind her, and they were alone.
Kagome thought that this would be a good time to apologize.
"I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru. I hope you are well."
He stood and stepped forward, his face coming into what little light there was. As usual, she could read nothing from his expression.
"What have you done, Kagome?" his question sounded almost idle, but she suspected that her answer would be very important.
"I was trying to cast a healing spell." The words tumbled out of her in her haste. "I can show it to you if you'd like. It's on one of the scrolls I've been reading in the library."
"A healing spell?" His voice and expression didn't change, but some previously silent sense awoke and told her that he was surprised.
She nodded.
"Which scroll?" he asked before calling out for an attendant. The same man who had brought Kagome opened the door.
"The human miko magic one. It should be open on the table in the library."
Sesshoumaru gestured and the man scurried away.
"How come you were bleeding? No healing magic I am aware of requires the shedding of blood." His surprise had settled and he was now simply gathering information.
Kagome blushed. "I needed something to heal, so I cut myself." She felt the need for more explanation. "I've done it before and it worked." She showed him her forearm, where several faint scars were visible. He surprised her by reaching out to trace a claw delicately over one silvery track.
They were still standing that way, his hand on her arm, when the chamberlain returned. He handed the scroll to Sesshoumaru with a deep bow and scurried away.
Once the door had slid shut behind him, Sesshoumaru released Kagome and began to read through the scroll. Kagome opened her mouth to speak, but he waved her off with a gesture. She subsided, watching as he scanned quickly through the spells. He slowed suddenly, and she knew he had found the spells she had been casting. He read through it once, then again.
"You followed this exactly?"
She nodded.
"Except for the blood?"
She nodded again.
He threw back his head and barked out a harsh laugh. Kagome was stunned. Sesshoumaru was showing emotion? What had happened?
"Do you know what you did, Kagome?" This time she shook her head. Although she desperately wanted to know.
"This spell, with your little addition, is almost identical to one of the most powerful youkai magics. All it needs is the addition of a person of the opposite sex."
Opposite sex? What was he talking about?
He continued speaking before she could work out the implications of his words.
"This spell, with blood and a partner, is for forging a youkai mate bond."
Mate bond, what was he talking ... The penny dropped and Kagome felt suddenly faint. He couldn't mean *they* were bonded, could he? she thought dimly. She couldn't have done that to them, could she?
Apparently, he did mean just that, as his next words confirmed.
"It is a spell that cannot be undone short of the death of one of the partners. We are mated Kagome, thanks to your magic."
Oh gods, was all she could think before she fainted for the second time that day.
***
Kagome woke in her rooms with an odd feeling of deja vu. It was dark now, but she was once again on her futon fully clothed. Memory returned, and she buried her face in her hands, nearly in tears.
What have I done? she asked herself. What is *he* going to do?
Thought provoked a sudden panic, and she shot to her feet, looking desperately around her. She had to get out of here. She could hear his words echoing in her mind cannot be undone short of the death of one of the partners. Does that mean he's going to kill me? She was searching for her luggage when reality set in. If he wants to kill me, he'll do it, whether I run or not. There's no way I can escape him. Depression settled over her.
I guess I'll just have to wait and see.
***
The next two days were uncomfortable for Kagome.
Nothing more was said about the situation she had unwittingly caused. Sesshoumaru insisted that she take her meals with him, but neither of them seemed willing to break the silence. Occasionally, Kagome felt strange pulses of emotion, emotion that seemed to belong to someone other than her. She wished she could ask about them, find out if this was to be expected in their situation, or if this was something else she had screwed up.
Even more disturbing was her physical awareness of him. Whenever she was in his presence, she found herself watching him out of the corners of her eyes. Had he always been this attractive, she wondered, and she was noticing now that she was spending more time in his presence? Or was this awareness a part of the misfired spell? As she surreptitiously watched him move around her she found herself wanting to tangle her fingers in his hair, pull his mouth to hers, taste his skin.
She was always relieved when their encounters ended, and she could hide from the disturbing sensations.
***
He broke the pattern that had established by tracking her down in the garden on the afternoon of the third day. After her recent experience with magic, she was afraid to try any new spellcasting, so instead she was weeding the part of the garden nearest her pavilion when he came up behind her.
"Kagome." The sound of her voice on his tongue was an exquisite caress, and she turned slowly to face him.
"Hello, Sesshoumaru," she whispered, almost afraid of the intensity radiating from him. She raised her eyes to his and found herself caught in his golden gaze. A now familiar slow heat began to burn in her veins, and she turned away from him, embarrassed by her reaction. "What do you want?" she asked, hoping that it would be something simple and that he would leave soon, before she did something stupid like try to tear off his clothes. Or hers.
"We are mated," he told her, "and so I have come to claim what is mine." His eyes were steady on her, telling her that he would not be diverted or denied.
Shock rolled through her, and the heat settled in the base of her belly. "I-I'm not sure that's a good idea," she told him, stepping away from him carefully. "A week ago ... " she started.
"A week ago I wanted you, but was resisting taking a human to my bed," he corrected. "But you are my mate whether we share a bed or not, so I see no reason to deny myself what I want." he stepped forward again, reaching out to take her arm, and Kagome broke, diving past him and fleeing down one of the shaded pathways.
She felt a thrill shoot through her as she realized that he was pursuing her, his long, lazy strides keeping up with her effortlessly. He let her run, let her lead him away from the busier parts of the garden until they were in a private arbor outside his pavilion. That odd awareness was telling her that her attempt to flee was arousing him, the excitement of the chase running hot in his blood. Once they were hidden from the eyes of the court, he increased his pace, catching her easily. He spun her to face him, and she shivered as he pulled her to him. Fear and anticipation raced through her as she realized that he would not let her escape.
His mouth crashed down on hers, claiming her, demanding a response, and Kagome felt desire race through her. This was what she had wanted, she admitted to herself as she melted under his touch, what she had tried to deny she wanted for what seemed like forever. Her hands came up to tangle in his silky white hair, holding him closer as he kissed and licked his way to her neck. He bit her gently, drawing a moan of pleasure from her.
"Yes or no," his whispered question was smug.
"Yes," she replied, dazed.
He smiled and lifted her in his arms. "I believe we would both prefer privacy."
They retired.
***
They spent a week at the palace, adjusting to their new relationship. They discovered that they were able to sense each others stronger emotions and their physical state, and spent some time exploring that link. They spent a great deal of time exploring the physical side of their relationship as Sesshoumaru taught Kagome how to give and receive pleasure.
There were some among Sesshoumaru's court who were displeased about their lord having taken a human mate, but after he brutally punished the first one who mentioned the issue to his face, public grumbling was kept to a minimum, with the exception of Jaken, who seemed to have a special dispensation to annoy the Lord of Western Lands, as long as he obeyed him.
Osuka seemed quietly pleased, and Kagome suspected that it was he who had spread the news that she was a powerful miko amongst the courtiers, news that served to calm some of the worst complaints. After all, if there was one thing youkais coveted and admired, it was power, and apparently even human power was acceptable, if there was enough of it.
At the end of the week, Kagome brought up the issue that had been simmering in the back of her mind since before the accident.
"I need to go home for a while Sesshoumaru." she told her mate one night as they lay curled together on his futon. "I need to see my family and tell them what's happened."
She had explained the well to him weeks before, so he understood what she meant immediately.
"You wish to travel back to your time," he stated, and she could tell that he was unhappy with the thought.
"They need to know, Sesshoumaru. If I don't go back for a visit soon, they'll think I'm dead. I don't want to hurt them that way."
"What if you are unable to return?" he asked her seriously. "You do not understand how the well works. What if the passage closes and you are trapped there?"
She buried her head in his shoulder.
"I'm trying not to think about it."
"I will accompany you."
"But you might not be able to. As far as I know, only Inuyasha and I have ever managed to go through."
"And I have never tried. Perhaps I too will be able to visit your time." A small smile curled the corner of his mouth. "And your mother should meet her daughter's mate, should she not?"
After a few minutes more discussion, it was decided that they would return to the well in the morning, and that they would spend a week in Kagome's time before returning.
***
The roused themselves early, and Sesshoumaru left to tidy up a few details that would free him to travel. Kagome was dressing in the new clothing he had had made for her - a loose fitting shirt and trousers made out of a heavy gray cloth with intricately worked embroidery about the neck and cuffs - when he returned to their room. In one hand, he held a bow and a quiver containing one arrow.
"Kagome." She could sense the seriousness of his mood, so she quickly went to stand in front of him. This last week had taught her that although Sesshoumaru's emotions rarely showed through his impassive mask, he did feel them, and deeply. He simply controlled them in order to not be deceived by them, and to deceive others.
"What is it, Sesshoumaru?" she asked, wanting to ease his mood.
"This is for you." He held out the weapon, and Kagome took it, confused but pleased.
"Thank you," she smiled up at him happily, testing the draw of the bow. It was the perfect weight, exactly like the one she had carried with her when she left Inuyasha, but it was much older, the dark wood polished smooth by generations of hands.
"Try it," he told her, and pointed out of the open door to a tree in the garden. "See if you can hit the plum tree there."
"Ok." She drew the arrow and notched it on the bow. She drew back, aimed, and let the shaft fly. It sped through the air and buried itself in the tree. "There." She was satisfied, but more, she could sense restrained happiness coming from him in place of the previous seriousness.
"What is it," she asked again, and he indicated the quiver, where another arrow stood ready for her.
"It accepted you. I was not certain it would."
"How ... ?"
"It has been in my family for generations. This is the bow used by our founding bitch. It is enchanted to always shoot true, and the quiver to always have one more arrow for it's chosen master. Many of our females have used it over the centuries, and now it is yours as my mate."
She threw her arms around him and gave him a passionate kiss. "Thank you," she whispered, suddenly happy herself. They held each other for a few minutes, readying themselves to leave this place in which they had come to know each other.
Finally, Sesshoumaru lead Kagome back into the room, where she picked up a bag filled with a few essentials and slung it over her shoulders.
"Let's go."
***
The trip back to the well was relatively uneventful. And, Kagome was forced to concede, made much easier by the dragon they rode through the air, avoiding all the altercations that had tended to interrupt her travels with Inuyasha. It took almost two days to reach their destination. By mutual agreement, the avoided Kaede's village, not wanting to have to deal with the old miko.
The alit beside the well and stood there for a moment as Kagome prepared herself for the jump. Taking a deep breath, she climbed to the edge of the housing.
"Well, here goes nothing," she murmured as she jumped, Sesshoumaru's hand held firmly in her own. There was a flash of movement, and they stood on the bottom. Kagome looked up and felt like bursting into tears.
"It didn't work," she choked out. She had been hoping it would, praying it would. Suddenly, the alternative, going through the well without Sesshoumaru seemed frightening. What if she got trapped in the future without him.
While she was worrying, Sesshoumaru levitated them out of the well and lowered them to stand beside it. Kagome leaned into him, drawing strength.
"I don't want to go," she told him, and felt his hand brush over her hair.
"Then don't. I don't want you to go." She could sense the honesty in his words, and wished she could do what they both wanted and stay.
"I have to." She lowered her arms and took a step away. He caught her close and kissed her passionately.
"Hurry back." She nodded and turned to the well.
She jumped in.
There was a flash of movement, and she buried her head in her hands for a moment, not wanting to look up and see the ceiling of the well house. She lowered her hands and looked up. Sky.
"What???" She leapt over to the ladder and scrambled up it. As her head rose over the edge, she saw Sesshoumaru watching her with a curious look on his face.
"What is wrong?" he asked her. "Why have you returned so soon?"
She looked back down into the well and let herself fall. She looked up again. Still sky.
"It didn't work," she said out loud, needing to hear the words to make it real. "It didn't work," she repeated, torn between joy and sadness. She scrambled back up the ladder and climbed out of the well.
"I'm trapped here."
***
They were still standing beside the well when an event decided to impose itself, in the form of Naraku.
"Kukuku," he greeted them as he stepped out of a nearby grove of trees. Sesshoumaru immediately pushed Kagome behind him, shielding her from possible danger.
"Naraku." Sesshoumaru greeted the creature who had caused his mate so much pain calmly, but Kagome could sense his hidden rage.
"Greetings, Lord of the West." The baboon clad figure bowed. "I beg a favor."
"And why should I grant one?" Sesshoumaru seemed but idly curious as he asked the question.
"It would cause your brother Inuyasha great pain." Naraku did know where to aim his darts. Unfortunately for him, Kagome thought, things had changed.
"An eminently desirable goal, true." Sesshoumaru conceded, seemingly reluctantly. "What do you wish from me?"
"Give me the miko, and the Shikon shards she carries." Kagome could hear gloating in Naraku's voice as the hanyou made his proposal. She wondered that he could not sense the violence crackling in the air.
"I fear that I cannot grant you this," was the answer, and she nearly smiled. Suddenly, Sesshoumaru was moving, flying across the space between them to claw at the creature.
"Die, Naraku," Sesshoumaru told him as the battle began in earnest.