Short chapter, thickening the plot. Hee hee!

I'd like to thank Kat Morning for the setting of my story, which is based on the alternate universe of her inu fanfic "Blood Ties."

Disclaimer: I do not own Miroku, Sesshomeru, or any other Inuyasha characters. They are owned by their author/creator, Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 22: Conspiracy

Hiten knew he was being tailed: he could see the figure leaping from roof to roof behind him. However, he was puzzled when the Jeromeru and his brother caught up to him. Had the demon lord sent only one pair of warriors against the lightning demon? If so, Hiten was eager to show Sesshomeru his error by sending their heads back to him.

"Hiten-san!" Kagomeru called. "Won't you talk to your old comrades?"

Hiten snorted. "I don't have anything to discuss with that dog's followers."

"No? You don't want to hear my proposal for putting him down permanently?" Kagomeru waited while Hiten slowly descended to stand on the ground.

"What are you scheming, sly one?"

Kagomeru widened his eyes in mock-innocence. "I come to offer you valuable information, and you accuse me of scheming?"

"I'll accuse you of worse, trickster." He paused. "What information?"

Jeromeru's grin showed all of his sharp teeth. "Only the location of his human foster-daughter. Of course, we must be careful not to let such information fall into the hands of Sesshomeru's enemies, or something terrible might happen to her."

Hiten smiled tightly. "That would be a tragedy. Unfortunately, I have no intention of doing your dirty work for you, while you stand securely at Sesshomeru's right hand. Leave me out of your plots, cripple."

Kagomeru let his eyelids droop dangerously as he said in a drawl, "My dear Hiten, I am not talking about inconveniencing our lord. I want him dead, even if it means tipping my hand."

Hiten raised his eyebrows as he asked, "You're willing to fight against all of Sesshomeru's warriors?"

"Fewer than you might think," Kagomeru said, grinning. "Actually, two of his trusted servants approached me about getting rid of him." Hiten gaped, and the schemer continued, "One of them was inordinately concerned about the way the demon lord would be killed. Seems she's doesn't want his beautiful hair stained with blood."

The conspirators smiled at each other, then began to laugh.

Kagomeru added another thought: "I imagine that the Nosferatu emperor would reward us handsomely for ridding him of this pest. He might make us generals."

"Hn," Hiten snorted. "I don't care about that, as long as my brother is avenged."

"Speaking of revenge, my dear Hiten, there is a small favor I would ask of you. . ."

"Yes?"

"The lord has new pet, a human girl. You threatened her at the mall. I want you to kill her."

Hiten was amused. "Kill a human girl for you? Why? Don't you want to take your revenge personally?"

Kagomeru's eyes slid sideways as he admitted, "She is strong."

"Then command your brother."

"I would, but Jeromeru can be a bit . . . messy." Kagomeru grimaced. "I don't want her corpse torn to pieces, immediately . . . I want her terrified, shamed, begging for her life. I have noticed that you have a way with ladies, my dear Hiten. I am asking you to make her suffer for humiliating me in front of Lord Sesshomeru and my comrades."

"I see," Hiten said, licking his lips. "Tell me: is she pretty?"

Kura woke with the certainty that there was someone else in the room with her. She sat up and swung her legs down to the floor to seem less helpless. "Kagura-san? What do you want?"

The wind demon was leaning casually against the door, which she had shut behind her. "You're good," she noted. "You went from REM sleep to fully awake in five seconds when you sensed my presence." She touched a hand to her immaculate bun. "By the way, Sesshomeru left half an hour ago, along with Koga, Kirara and Yura. Masayo is downstairs."

"Um, OK," Kura said as she stood up.

"I'm telling you this so you know how useless it will be to scream." Kagura was fast. She grabbed Kura's arm, but the human woman managed to break the hold. Switching strategies, Kagura made a tackle. Their tangled bodies crashed into the edge of the bed before tumbling to the carpet. Kura struggled until the wind demon caught one of the human's fingers and bent it back, threatening to break it. "Lie still now, there's a good girl," Kagura cooed as she leaned close. By straddling the human and using one hand to hold her down, Kagura had her mostly pinned. The wind demon caught the point of Kura's shirt collar in her teeth and pulled until the top button undid itself. For a panicked moment, Kura was sure the demon was going to bite her neck like a vampire. Instead, Kagura licked her from the place where her neck joined her shoulder to just behind her ear. Kura shivered. The demon's tongue was as dry as a cat's, but smooth and silky.

Kagura released her captive's finger to touch the side of her neck. "What's this bump? A hickey?"

Kura scowled. "It's a souvenir from the first vampire I killed. It bit me." Kura looked into the other's eyes, which seemed to be glowing. "Are you . . . seducing me?"

Kagura's low chuckle vibrated between them like a purr. "I was . . . curious. What you said before, about not being Sesshomeru-sama's whore . . . I wanted to know if you were lying."

"And you found out by jumping me?"

"No; I found out by licking you." Kagura's grin was lazy and self-satisfied. She slowly rose, allowing her captive to sit up.

"What?!?"

"Demon lords exert powerful auras when they are excited, emotionally or sexually." Kagura licked her lips. "If you had been in close proximity to an . . . excited . . . demon lord, I would have been able to taste him on your skin. Or, if you were carrying some sort of a spell or hidden power, I would taste it." She pouted slightly as she concluded, "It seems you have neither seduced Lord Sesshomeru nor ensorcelled him. If he is bewitched, it is entirely by natural means."

"Bewitched?" Kura repeated, confused. "But if you weren't trying to . . . ah . . ." The human blushed. ". . . why did you jump on me, instead of just explaining?"

Kagura gave her body a lingering look. "I never said I wasn't trying to seduce you." The wind demon exited, leaving Kura in a state of openmouthed stupefaction. Kagura poked her head back in to comment, "You're kinda cute when you blush, you know." The human obliged by flushing red. Kagura winked. "Yeah, like that."