CHAPTER THIRTEEN
*
Marako balanced on the middle of the rooftop, listening intently to the soft murmurs inside the house. So far they were still talking, not doing anything else. His pointed dog ears twitched as he waited for something more to happen.
He wasn't crazy about the idea of Mihaka seducing that idiot. And he wasn't sure why Naraku wanted that to happen before Inuyasha died -- more specifically, before Mihaka tore the life from him. But it served a definite purpose for Marako: Being bedded by Mihaka kept him occupied, so that Marako could take his time with Kagome, without fear of being disturbed. His clawed hands twitched in anticipation.
I'll have some fun with the human girl Kagome, he thought, smiling. After all, Naraku never said I couldn't.
Marako's eyes narrowed as his sensitive ears heard the sounds of kissing, and skin and fabric rustling. Time for me to get to work on the human girl, he thought. He jumped off the rooftop and ran off through the village, searching for Kagome. *
"He can be such an idiot!" Kagome exploded.
She let the electric teapot clatter to the floor, spilling water on the dusty floor. Sango quickly stooped to pick it up. "He's probably just a little preoccupied, Kagome," the slayer said. "I'm sure he didn't mean to brush off your concerns."
"Oh, that's not it," Kagome said, simmering. Inuyasha's "stupid" barb was still stinging. "He just makes me so MAD sometimes."
Sango's started to reply, but her eye widened. She gestured behind Kagome. Inuyasha was hanging in the window, balancing on his knees. The anger and annoyance had faded out of his pale features, and he just looked curious and
"What is it?" Kagome said, starting to fold her sleeping bag.
"Sango, wouldja leave?" Inuyasha said.
Sango glanced over at Kagome, as if waiting for her to disagree with Inuyasha. When Kagome said nothing, the older girl set down the pot and slipped out. "I'll be right nearby if you need me. Try not to hurt each other, okay?" she called over her shoulder.
Inuyasha hopped into the room, circling lightly around Kagome. "You aren't going back home, are you?" he asked, sounding alarmed.
"No, I'm just tidying up," Kagome said, testing her bowstring. "Why? It's not like there are any Shikon shards here. We've been here a few days and nothing has happened."
"That's just it," Inuyasha said hesitantly. "Kagome, I'm... sorry."
The string twanged from Kagome's fingers. "What?" she said slowly.
A faint flush came over Inuyasha's face. For a moment, he looked a little flustered, like he didn't know what to say. "I said I'm sorry. Isn't that good enough?" he said gruffly. "Cause you ain't getting more from me."
"Are you feeling all right?" Kagome asked, putting a hand to his forehead. "Or are you Inuyasha's secret twin, who DOES apologize sometimes without me twisting his arm?"
"No!" Inuyasha said quickly. A strange expression came into his eyes, so briefly that Kagome wondered if she had imagined it. It looked like a mixture of fear and... anger? Over a joke like that? She decided that she must have mistaken something else he was feeling.
"Kagome," Inuyasha said hesitantly. "I... well, I think I know what is causing that weird feeling you've been having. It might have Shikon shards, but I need you to see them for me."
Kagome frowned. "You sure? What is it?"
"I don't know... I've never seen anything like this thing. Come on, we don't have all day." He stalked out.
"Wait a minute." Kagome picked up her bow and quiver, securing them on her back before following Inuyasha out. She waved to Miroku
"Ready?" Inuyasha asked. When Kagome nodded, he set off at a blindingly fast run to the foot of the mountain, then launched himself up into the air. Clinging to his shoulders, Kagome suddenly shivered. For a moment she desperately wanted to run, to hide, to defend herself against something she couldn't identify. The feeling faded away, but she was still uneasy. Maybe I'm just being paranoid, she thought, huddling closer to Inuyasha. She didn't see the faint smirk on his face.
TO BE CONTINUED
*
Marako balanced on the middle of the rooftop, listening intently to the soft murmurs inside the house. So far they were still talking, not doing anything else. His pointed dog ears twitched as he waited for something more to happen.
He wasn't crazy about the idea of Mihaka seducing that idiot. And he wasn't sure why Naraku wanted that to happen before Inuyasha died -- more specifically, before Mihaka tore the life from him. But it served a definite purpose for Marako: Being bedded by Mihaka kept him occupied, so that Marako could take his time with Kagome, without fear of being disturbed. His clawed hands twitched in anticipation.
I'll have some fun with the human girl Kagome, he thought, smiling. After all, Naraku never said I couldn't.
Marako's eyes narrowed as his sensitive ears heard the sounds of kissing, and skin and fabric rustling. Time for me to get to work on the human girl, he thought. He jumped off the rooftop and ran off through the village, searching for Kagome. *
"He can be such an idiot!" Kagome exploded.
She let the electric teapot clatter to the floor, spilling water on the dusty floor. Sango quickly stooped to pick it up. "He's probably just a little preoccupied, Kagome," the slayer said. "I'm sure he didn't mean to brush off your concerns."
"Oh, that's not it," Kagome said, simmering. Inuyasha's "stupid" barb was still stinging. "He just makes me so MAD sometimes."
Sango's started to reply, but her eye widened. She gestured behind Kagome. Inuyasha was hanging in the window, balancing on his knees. The anger and annoyance had faded out of his pale features, and he just looked curious and
"What is it?" Kagome said, starting to fold her sleeping bag.
"Sango, wouldja leave?" Inuyasha said.
Sango glanced over at Kagome, as if waiting for her to disagree with Inuyasha. When Kagome said nothing, the older girl set down the pot and slipped out. "I'll be right nearby if you need me. Try not to hurt each other, okay?" she called over her shoulder.
Inuyasha hopped into the room, circling lightly around Kagome. "You aren't going back home, are you?" he asked, sounding alarmed.
"No, I'm just tidying up," Kagome said, testing her bowstring. "Why? It's not like there are any Shikon shards here. We've been here a few days and nothing has happened."
"That's just it," Inuyasha said hesitantly. "Kagome, I'm... sorry."
The string twanged from Kagome's fingers. "What?" she said slowly.
A faint flush came over Inuyasha's face. For a moment, he looked a little flustered, like he didn't know what to say. "I said I'm sorry. Isn't that good enough?" he said gruffly. "Cause you ain't getting more from me."
"Are you feeling all right?" Kagome asked, putting a hand to his forehead. "Or are you Inuyasha's secret twin, who DOES apologize sometimes without me twisting his arm?"
"No!" Inuyasha said quickly. A strange expression came into his eyes, so briefly that Kagome wondered if she had imagined it. It looked like a mixture of fear and... anger? Over a joke like that? She decided that she must have mistaken something else he was feeling.
"Kagome," Inuyasha said hesitantly. "I... well, I think I know what is causing that weird feeling you've been having. It might have Shikon shards, but I need you to see them for me."
Kagome frowned. "You sure? What is it?"
"I don't know... I've never seen anything like this thing. Come on, we don't have all day." He stalked out.
"Wait a minute." Kagome picked up her bow and quiver, securing them on her back before following Inuyasha out. She waved to Miroku
"Ready?" Inuyasha asked. When Kagome nodded, he set off at a blindingly fast run to the foot of the mountain, then launched himself up into the air. Clinging to his shoulders, Kagome suddenly shivered. For a moment she desperately wanted to run, to hide, to defend herself against something she couldn't identify. The feeling faded away, but she was still uneasy. Maybe I'm just being paranoid, she thought, huddling closer to Inuyasha. She didn't see the faint smirk on his face.
TO BE CONTINUED