::laughs evilly:: Okay I'm back! Did you guys like the last chapter?! Anyways...At long last my romance muse, Aden, got off his lazy butt and gave me an idea...but he didn't come alone…Lyla, my gore/angst muse, came right in behind him ((Yep…there will be bloody scenes ahead..^.^….And I say I hate writing gore....)). So here is the next chappie before you all kill me for my ramblings…::dodges random vegetables and yells at the people…screams as they run after her with pitch forks and torches::

~*~

Chapter 9- Betrayal

Rae stiffened as a sensation went down her spine. She nearly fell off the bed. Something was happening that she needed to stop. Rae looked around hurriedly, searching for any remnants of her clothes. At that point Genrô walked back in. He froze when he saw Rae looking around frantically in just her bandages and underwear.

"Um, whadda lookin' fer?" Genrô shifted uncomfortably. He wasn't used to seeing half naked women running around. Hell, he had sworn to hate them, but this one had managed to get under his skin. She had managed to captivate him even when she was beaten on the side of the road. That's what had compelled him to pick her up, besides the fact she was hurt.

"I'm looking for my clothes. Do you have them?" Rae looked up at Genrô with wide ice blue eyes, something deep within them told him it was an emergency.

"No…err…See, you was pretty beat up and yer clothes were shredded. So, um, yer gonna have to wear some of my clothes but I don't know if they would fit…," Genrô scratched his head, blushing slightly.

Rae blinked, "Aw hell. Just bring me some pants and a shirt. I can make them fit."

Genrô blinked. This girl was very blunt, definitely not like any girl from this world. "Uh, okay. Don't move."

Rae raised an eyebrow, Genrô seemed a little surprised that she had cursed and probably more so at the fact that she would wear men's clothing. He turned on his heel and started to dig through a trunk at the end of the bed. After a few minutes he pulled out a plain white tunic and pants. Rae nearly laughed when she saw him hold up the pants and tunic for two reasons, one being they would be way to big, two his face was blood red.

Genrô raised an eyebrow as Rae stifled a giggle behind her hand, "Wat? You said you needed some clothes, so here they are."

'He's so cute when he blushes…Ack, what am I thinking?! Focus, Rae!'

Rae cleared her throat, nodding, "Yeah, I do need some clothes, so bring them over here and I can get ready."

Genrô handed Rae the clothes and turned his back to her. Rae studied him for a few minutes before standing shakily, throwing the clothes on despite the pain from all of the sudden movements. She looked down at the very baggy pants that rested low on her hips, exposing the top of her neon green underwear, and the over sized shirt that looked like a sheet wrapped around her. Rae started laughing at the site of herself. Genrô shifted at the sound of Rae's soft, bouncing laughter.

"Ya done yet?" Genrô tried to ask with as much gruffness in his voice, but with Rae laughing it was hard to do.

"Yeah, turn around and look." Rae managed between laughs. She held her arms out as Genrô turned to look at her.

His eyes widened as he took in the site of her, the clothes one or two sizes too big for her small lithe form. Genrô walked over to her and tugged on the back of the tunic, gathering it in the back and tying it off so it barely showed her stomach and fit her better.

"How's this?" He raised an eyebrow in question.

Rae laughing had by then calmed down to a giggle as she turned and tugged on the sash around his waist, "By putting one of these around my waist it should look fine. The pants are fine, rather comfy if you ask me, so no change in them."

Genrô looked down at the pants, they hung low on Rae hips giving him a nice view of her flat stomach and curved hips, he tugged them up and tightened the drawstring. "Ya might wanna watch that. Guys around here are ruthless."

Rae blinked and shuddered at what he was hinting towards, that made her want to see Kia even more, to make sure she was okay. "How far away is Konan? Time wise."

Genrô blinked, "Um, a few hours if we don't stop. Why? How do you know about Konan?"

Rae didn't answer only looked at him. Genrô saw urgency in her eyes once more, nodding he lead her quickly out to the horses and soon they were off. Racing towards Konan, Rae tried to settle the uneasiness eating at her brain.

'Kia, you better be there. I don't know how I knew the word Konan but…Maybe I am psychic…Or maybe I'm losing my mind…'

~*~

Kia screamed when the cloaked assassin leapt towards her, Tamahome spun around to kick him but he disappeared. Kia gasped.

"Where'd he go?" Tamahome looked around and the other warriors stood still trying to sense him.

Kia's eyes widened when she was lifted roughly off the ground by her arm, a evil laugh rang through the air.

"You think you can defeat me? Ha, now if you attack me, I shall electrocute your priestess to death." Everyone's eyes widened at the sound of the voice, it wasn't masculine but feminine. The figure reappeared her grasp on Kia's arm tightened as she yanked her cloak off to reveal a woman with long burgundy hair and piercing green eyes. "I am Soi of the Seriyuu warriors and I suggest you stop your fight or more harm than necessary will come to your priestess."

The warriors dropped their fighting stance but continued to watch the warrior. Nuriko finally broke the silence, "What do you want with the priestess of Suzaku? Don't you have your own priestess?"

Soi smirked, her eyes narrowing, "Nakago has taken a special interest in your priestess. Our own escaped, I think he plans on forcing her to be our priestess or…Something dear to her will be taken away."

Kia whimpered and tugged on her arm only to be rewarded with pain as Soi tightened her hold with nearly bone crushing strength. Kia's struggles stopped as she looked at her warriors, defeat present in their eyes. She looked up at Soi, who was a good head taller than herself, "If…I go with you…Will you promise me you won't attack my warriors again? If you don't then when you take me back to Kutô I shall kill myself."

The warriors eyes widened but they said nothing, knowing Kia had a plan, or at least hoped she did. Kia was hoping this plea would hit home in someway, but if it did Soi made no sign of it.

"That is Nakago's decision, not mine." was all she said as she jerked Kia up and threw her over her shoulder, "Say good-bye to your beloved priestess….Tamahome."

Kia screamed and reached out for her warriors but it was to late as they took their first step she disappeared from their sight. Tamahome sank to the ground and punched a hole into the floor, "I'm going after her whether you allow it or not. I don't care if its suicide…I don't want her to go through any of Nakago's whims."

Chichiri placed a hand on Tama's shoulder, his mask removed, "Tamahome we need a plan first…I don't think Nakago will do anything to her just yet….Let's pray to Suzaku he doesn't."

~*~

Two horses sped past the open gates toward the Konan palace, the guards yelling at them to stop but when seeing that they wouldn't yelled warning to the others. Rae and Genrô scrambled off their horses and up the palace steps as ten guards ran towards them. Rae looked around and threw open a door, jerking Genrô inside as she slammed it shut.

"Hey! Watch it!" a hand clamped firmly over his mouth as the running footsteps ran closer then headed towards the right as they shouted about the shrine. Rae listened and finally let go of Genrô's mouth, knowing the guards had thought they went to the palace or shrine.

"Follow me." she whispered creaking open the door and looking both ways before heading in the opposite direction of where the guards footsteps had went.

"How do ya know wer yer goin'?" Genrô asked only to be jerked out of the room and dragged around the corner.

A blade appeared at Rea's throat, forcing her to stop or get her throat slit. She looked sideways up the blade, expecting to meet rough and tumble guard but instead found herself looking into a very handsome face with honey colored eyes that were on fire with anger. She straightened up and cleared her throat.

"I am looking for the Priestess of Suzaku…Please tell me where she is." the sword moved from her throat as the swordsman sheathed it with practiced ease and natural grace. He tucked long chocolate brown hair behind his ear.

"She is gone…Who are you?" Hotohori looked at the girl who was pale with wide blue eyes and midnight black hair, her cheeks flushed red from her riding and running.

"Gone…NO! Genrô we're too late! No…Kia…," Rae sank down to her knees, not hearing Hotohori's last question, more footsteps were heard as the other Suzaku warriors stopped when Hotohori held his arm out. "I tried…I felt it. I should have come sooner."

Before it even registered Genrô was beside her, taking her shaking form into his arms, while whispering soothing words. He didn't know why he had done it, crying women always meant trouble but this one was different as he had noticed before. "It's okay. We'll find her…I promise, on my honor as a bandit."

Chichiri studied the girl, taking note to how her features were strikingly close to the person Kia had described as her best friend during one of their talks, "You're Rae, Kia's best friend, no da? She told me about you….Priestess of Seriyuu."

~*~

Kia whimpered as she was thrown roughly into a room, scrambling to get up she ran towards the door which closed quickly trapping her in uncomfortable darkness. She panted softly, her struggles had no affect on Soi or the gaurds who had dragged her here. Kia studied the door, running her fingers over it she could tell there was a dragon carved into it with various symbols around it. She stopped moving when she felt a presence behind her, one that was nearly suffocating with power.

"Welcome to my room…Priestess."

Kia shivered at the voice, turning slowly to stare into cold blue eyes that would forever haunt her dreams at the end of all this.

' Tamahome…Help…'

~*~

Authors' Note:

Well…That is all you guys! What'd ya think? Better…Worst? You tell me. I hope to type the next one up and have it out during Christmas Break so yay! I'm on a roll I guess you could say. Writer's block has subsided for now…::laughs evilly…squeezes her Tamahome plushie:: More to come minna-san!

-Eru

PS: I also plan on rewriting the first few chapters I don't like how I threw them together when I know I can do a lot better. So look for that in the future.