CHAPTER ELEVEN
*
The night became peaceful for a while. Kagome shivered a little as a chilly breeze wafted into the dark cave. She had switched off the flashlight, to save the dying batteries, and now only a little starlight lit the cave. She kept an eye open for the glow of Kikyo's soul skimmers, but the dead priestess wasn't returning. At least, she didn't seem to be.
I'm glad, Kagome thought. She breathed a sigh of relief. Even though Kikyo had saved Inuyasha's life with those herbs, she was still afraid of her. What was more... she didn't like it when Inuyasha was near Kikyo. It hurt, feeling herself being shifted down the ladder of importance, in favor of a woman who was supposed to be dead. But this time, Kikyo didn't seem interested in talking to Inuyasha, just looking at him and leaving.
Kagome's head was still resting on Inuyasha's shoulder. It was a moment of closeness, intimacy he'd never allow when he was fully awake, alert, able and half-demon. He could be so much gentler as a human sometimes. She snuggled against him, and felt a thrill when his muscles twitched under her cheek. The venom must be wearing off, she thought.
She touched his throat. His skin wasn't as cold as before, and his body wasn't as limp. At this rate, he would probably get over the venom quickly enough that they could make a dash for the village. The snake couldn't attack them there -- Miroku and Sango could take care of it until sunrise, if only they made it back in one piece...
Suddenly she felt his arm spasm against hers. "K'gome?" Inuyasha mumbled.
"You're awake," Kagome said, sitting up. "How are you feeling?"
Inuyasha groaned painfully. "Ugh... where... are we?" he said in a low voice.
"A cave."
Inuyasha fell silent for a moment. "The snake come back?" he asked finally.
"Nope." Kagome smoothed his hair away from his face. "How do you feel? Can you move at all?"
She felt something stir in the darkness, brush by her skirt and rest on her hand. His fingers were heavy and clumsy, but he was moving them. "A little," Inuyasha murmured, turning his face toward her. "My legs are still all numb. And I can't sit up."
"But it's wearing off," Kagome said, relieved. "Pretty soon we can make a break for the village!"
"They'll see me," Inuyasha said heavily.
"So? Would you rather be eaten?"
"Of course not," Inuyasha snapped. "I just don't like people seeing me like this. It's hard enough having the four of you knowing..."
Kagome's fingers caught in his hair. "I didn't think you minded so much anymore," she said in a low voice.
Inuyasha swallowed hard. "If I hadn't... if I didn't turn into a damn human every month, this wouldn't have happened," he said, sounding more subdued. "That snake wouldn't have attacked you, and drawn me into its trap."
"Didn't you know it was a trap when you came into the clearing?"
"Stupid, of course I knew," Inuyasha said hoarsely. "I still hear, even if just as a human."
Kagome bit back any reply to his words. Inuyasha doesn't mean it, she thought. It's not just the pain. He feels helpless, and he's scared by that. He's saying things he doesn't mean, just to seem bigger and meaner than he is. Feeling a wave of sympathy, she stroked his dark hair, watching his eyes in the starlight.
Finally Kagome broke out of her thought. She grabbed the front of his red robe and started to pull it open. She felt Inuyasha start under her hands. "What-what are you doing?" he said a little nervously.
"Relax," Kagome said. "I'm checking on your wounds. I know you don't like being touched, but-"
"Don't mind it... if you touch me," Inuyasha said gruffly.
He lay still as Kagome unwound the handkerchief from his chest. "I don't believe it," she whispered. The herbs Kikyo had given her were shrunken and blackened, as if they had been burned.
"Where'd you get those?" Inuyasha asked a little sleepily.
Kagome froze. She had hoped that Inuyasha wouldn't ask -- but she wouldn't lie to him about Kikyo. But... she didn't want him trying to rush off half-paralyzed into the woods, to make sure the snake wouldn't harm Kikyo. Not that it could, probably. Even if she weren't already dead, she could take care of herself.
Inuyasha shifted again. "Kagome? You okay?"
"Yeah," Kagome forced herself to say. "It was... um, someone who... used to come here a lot."
"Must be a fool to be out in the woods on a night like this," Inuyasha said. He was silent for a long time, so long that Kagome suspected that he had fallen asleep. Her face softened as she stretched out on the sandy floor of the cave, listening to Inuyasha's soft breathing. "Kagome..." she heard him whisper.
"Yes, Inuyasha?"
"Would you hold my hand?" Inuyasha said drowsily. "You're warm... makes me feel like I'm getting over the poison faster."
Kagome smiled. She worked her hand into Inuyasha's limp one. "Is this better?" she whispered.
"Yeah," Inuyasha murmured, closing his eyes. "That's better..."
For a moment, Kagome forgot about the snake and Kikyo. Cuddling up at Inuyasha's side, she wondered how long it would be until dawn. She just hoped it wouldn't be too long.
TO BE CONTINUED
*
The night became peaceful for a while. Kagome shivered a little as a chilly breeze wafted into the dark cave. She had switched off the flashlight, to save the dying batteries, and now only a little starlight lit the cave. She kept an eye open for the glow of Kikyo's soul skimmers, but the dead priestess wasn't returning. At least, she didn't seem to be.
I'm glad, Kagome thought. She breathed a sigh of relief. Even though Kikyo had saved Inuyasha's life with those herbs, she was still afraid of her. What was more... she didn't like it when Inuyasha was near Kikyo. It hurt, feeling herself being shifted down the ladder of importance, in favor of a woman who was supposed to be dead. But this time, Kikyo didn't seem interested in talking to Inuyasha, just looking at him and leaving.
Kagome's head was still resting on Inuyasha's shoulder. It was a moment of closeness, intimacy he'd never allow when he was fully awake, alert, able and half-demon. He could be so much gentler as a human sometimes. She snuggled against him, and felt a thrill when his muscles twitched under her cheek. The venom must be wearing off, she thought.
She touched his throat. His skin wasn't as cold as before, and his body wasn't as limp. At this rate, he would probably get over the venom quickly enough that they could make a dash for the village. The snake couldn't attack them there -- Miroku and Sango could take care of it until sunrise, if only they made it back in one piece...
Suddenly she felt his arm spasm against hers. "K'gome?" Inuyasha mumbled.
"You're awake," Kagome said, sitting up. "How are you feeling?"
Inuyasha groaned painfully. "Ugh... where... are we?" he said in a low voice.
"A cave."
Inuyasha fell silent for a moment. "The snake come back?" he asked finally.
"Nope." Kagome smoothed his hair away from his face. "How do you feel? Can you move at all?"
She felt something stir in the darkness, brush by her skirt and rest on her hand. His fingers were heavy and clumsy, but he was moving them. "A little," Inuyasha murmured, turning his face toward her. "My legs are still all numb. And I can't sit up."
"But it's wearing off," Kagome said, relieved. "Pretty soon we can make a break for the village!"
"They'll see me," Inuyasha said heavily.
"So? Would you rather be eaten?"
"Of course not," Inuyasha snapped. "I just don't like people seeing me like this. It's hard enough having the four of you knowing..."
Kagome's fingers caught in his hair. "I didn't think you minded so much anymore," she said in a low voice.
Inuyasha swallowed hard. "If I hadn't... if I didn't turn into a damn human every month, this wouldn't have happened," he said, sounding more subdued. "That snake wouldn't have attacked you, and drawn me into its trap."
"Didn't you know it was a trap when you came into the clearing?"
"Stupid, of course I knew," Inuyasha said hoarsely. "I still hear, even if just as a human."
Kagome bit back any reply to his words. Inuyasha doesn't mean it, she thought. It's not just the pain. He feels helpless, and he's scared by that. He's saying things he doesn't mean, just to seem bigger and meaner than he is. Feeling a wave of sympathy, she stroked his dark hair, watching his eyes in the starlight.
Finally Kagome broke out of her thought. She grabbed the front of his red robe and started to pull it open. She felt Inuyasha start under her hands. "What-what are you doing?" he said a little nervously.
"Relax," Kagome said. "I'm checking on your wounds. I know you don't like being touched, but-"
"Don't mind it... if you touch me," Inuyasha said gruffly.
He lay still as Kagome unwound the handkerchief from his chest. "I don't believe it," she whispered. The herbs Kikyo had given her were shrunken and blackened, as if they had been burned.
"Where'd you get those?" Inuyasha asked a little sleepily.
Kagome froze. She had hoped that Inuyasha wouldn't ask -- but she wouldn't lie to him about Kikyo. But... she didn't want him trying to rush off half-paralyzed into the woods, to make sure the snake wouldn't harm Kikyo. Not that it could, probably. Even if she weren't already dead, she could take care of herself.
Inuyasha shifted again. "Kagome? You okay?"
"Yeah," Kagome forced herself to say. "It was... um, someone who... used to come here a lot."
"Must be a fool to be out in the woods on a night like this," Inuyasha said. He was silent for a long time, so long that Kagome suspected that he had fallen asleep. Her face softened as she stretched out on the sandy floor of the cave, listening to Inuyasha's soft breathing. "Kagome..." she heard him whisper.
"Yes, Inuyasha?"
"Would you hold my hand?" Inuyasha said drowsily. "You're warm... makes me feel like I'm getting over the poison faster."
Kagome smiled. She worked her hand into Inuyasha's limp one. "Is this better?" she whispered.
"Yeah," Inuyasha murmured, closing his eyes. "That's better..."
For a moment, Kagome forgot about the snake and Kikyo. Cuddling up at Inuyasha's side, she wondered how long it would be until dawn. She just hoped it wouldn't be too long.
TO BE CONTINUED
