"Hiei!" Kurama shouted.
Neither Hiei or Tohru seemed to notice.
Two impassive eyes stared into each other.
Two faces somehow so alike and so different regarded each other.
Tohru didn't seem afraid. There was a reason for that.
He didn't understand the situation.
That. And he didn't see that Hiei's left hand was reaching for his sword.
But Kurama did.
He didn't bother shouting.
There wasn't enough time.
Kurama didn't understand one thing...Hiei was after Tohru?
Why?
Scowling in Hiei's grip, Tohru suddenly saw his reflection in the steel of a descending sword.
For the first time, a look of fear spread across his face.
Hiei didn't smile.
"Hiei! Stop!"
Tohru turned wide eyes to Kurama. Hiei didn't.
"Minamino?" came Tohru's low voice, still stubborn to sound afraid, but nevertheless shaking so very finely.
Kurama stood behind Hiei and one hand touched the hand that held Hiei's sword.
"Hiei?" Kurama said softly.
Hiei didn't answer.
"What are you doing, Hiei?" Kurama said. He noted suddenly that the hand he was touching was cold. He didn't know that Hiei could get cold. He realized that the Jaganshi was shivering and he suddenly remembered his injuries. What made the fire demon shake so wasn't winter. It was pain.
So why was he here?
Why didn't he turn to Kurama when he called his name?
Why...
That's when Hiei finally did turn. He had thrown Tohru aside and in the next second, he had a hand around Kurama's throat.
Kurama gasped and Hiei pushed him to the ground.
"Kurama..." he whispered and the blade was cold against the fox's neck. His voice was thick, raw, as he demanded, "What did you do to me....Kurama?"
...to be continued...