CHAPTER SEVEN
*
"You have done as I said, Mikau?"
"Yes, Master Naraku."
A shadowy figure almost glided out into the open. His body was hidden by a heavy baboon pelt, with the toothed snout covering his face. "Very good," a velvety voice said. "Are they both dead?"
The demon in front of him looked uneasy. His too-perfect, quiet face flickered for a moment, as if it had changed shapes under the skin. A moonlit glow covered his thin, wraithlike body. "No."
"Why is that?"
"Inuyasha saw through the illusion too quickly. He turned his sword aside."
Naraku mused over this. His face was covered, so that the demon could not see his expression. But his voice did not change at all. "I see," he finally said. "And what of the human girl, Kagome?"
A small smile came over Mikau's lips. "Kagome was tricked by the illusion. Inuyasha is dead by her hand. I saw him fall, with her arrow in his heart."
Now Naraku was unmistakeably smiling. A faint chuckle came from the baboon mask. "I see you remember what I told you, Mikau. That girl Kagome's arrows can kill a demon -- any demon. Inuyasha died at the end of another such arrow before. But I doubt that she can hope to bring him back a second time," he said in a low voice. "What do you think?"
"I think that you know more than I," Mikau said hastily.
"A wise answer, Mikau. Your skill at weaving illusions has served me well." Naraku smiled again. "But I warn you, do not try to deceive me with those same illusions. Inuyasha and Kagome may not know that what they see, hear and smell is a trick. But I do. And if I choose, I will strip away those illusions and let you see the horrors underneath."
A flicker passed over Mikau's glowing body, as if he were alarmed. "Master Naraku, I would never think to betray you-"
Naraku smirked. "I am no fool," he said quietly, "to place my trust in anyone unless I hold their very heart in my hand... and perhaps not even then. But allying yourself with the strong has rewards. Remain loyal to me, and I will grant you three of Kagome's jewel shards. With that, your illusions will grow even stronger..."
*
Kagome woke up suddenly. She didn't remember falling asleep -- let alone beside Inuyasha. Her head was resting on his shoulder, and her fingers were still clinging to his limp ones. "I must have fainted," she whispered, sitting up. She wiped some of the grime from her eyes. And she felt them fill with tears again.
How could I have done this to him? she thought, looking down at Inuyasha's still face. He was cold -- so cold. But his pale features were peaceful, and his body was cradled in a bed of moss, as if he were just asleep. Like he'd looked... the day she had first saw him... pinned to a tree by Kikyo's enchanted arrow.
"Kikyo... why... did you do it?"
Kagome shook her head, trying to get those words out of her head. He was in so much pain.... he thought I was Kikyo, she thought. She touched his cold cheek. Because I shot him with a sacred arrow, the way she did. Inuyasha... I didn't mean to. I didn't know that it was really you. If only I'd held back... if I had waited just a few more seconds... Inuyasha... I was so stupid!
Kagome brushed hair out of her face. Her eyes filled with tears. I should go back, she thought. This place is pretty dangerous, and the others will be looking for me. But I... can't leave Inuyasha here. I can't just... leave him in this horrible, stinking place crawling with who-knows-what...
She looked up at the treetops. The sun was setting, casting a faint golden glow through the darkened forest. Kagome clutched Inuyasha's hand close to her, and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
She was so lost in her thoughts, it took her a long time to realize that someone was calling her name.
TO BE CONTINUED
*
"You have done as I said, Mikau?"
"Yes, Master Naraku."
A shadowy figure almost glided out into the open. His body was hidden by a heavy baboon pelt, with the toothed snout covering his face. "Very good," a velvety voice said. "Are they both dead?"
The demon in front of him looked uneasy. His too-perfect, quiet face flickered for a moment, as if it had changed shapes under the skin. A moonlit glow covered his thin, wraithlike body. "No."
"Why is that?"
"Inuyasha saw through the illusion too quickly. He turned his sword aside."
Naraku mused over this. His face was covered, so that the demon could not see his expression. But his voice did not change at all. "I see," he finally said. "And what of the human girl, Kagome?"
A small smile came over Mikau's lips. "Kagome was tricked by the illusion. Inuyasha is dead by her hand. I saw him fall, with her arrow in his heart."
Now Naraku was unmistakeably smiling. A faint chuckle came from the baboon mask. "I see you remember what I told you, Mikau. That girl Kagome's arrows can kill a demon -- any demon. Inuyasha died at the end of another such arrow before. But I doubt that she can hope to bring him back a second time," he said in a low voice. "What do you think?"
"I think that you know more than I," Mikau said hastily.
"A wise answer, Mikau. Your skill at weaving illusions has served me well." Naraku smiled again. "But I warn you, do not try to deceive me with those same illusions. Inuyasha and Kagome may not know that what they see, hear and smell is a trick. But I do. And if I choose, I will strip away those illusions and let you see the horrors underneath."
A flicker passed over Mikau's glowing body, as if he were alarmed. "Master Naraku, I would never think to betray you-"
Naraku smirked. "I am no fool," he said quietly, "to place my trust in anyone unless I hold their very heart in my hand... and perhaps not even then. But allying yourself with the strong has rewards. Remain loyal to me, and I will grant you three of Kagome's jewel shards. With that, your illusions will grow even stronger..."
*
Kagome woke up suddenly. She didn't remember falling asleep -- let alone beside Inuyasha. Her head was resting on his shoulder, and her fingers were still clinging to his limp ones. "I must have fainted," she whispered, sitting up. She wiped some of the grime from her eyes. And she felt them fill with tears again.
How could I have done this to him? she thought, looking down at Inuyasha's still face. He was cold -- so cold. But his pale features were peaceful, and his body was cradled in a bed of moss, as if he were just asleep. Like he'd looked... the day she had first saw him... pinned to a tree by Kikyo's enchanted arrow.
"Kikyo... why... did you do it?"
Kagome shook her head, trying to get those words out of her head. He was in so much pain.... he thought I was Kikyo, she thought. She touched his cold cheek. Because I shot him with a sacred arrow, the way she did. Inuyasha... I didn't mean to. I didn't know that it was really you. If only I'd held back... if I had waited just a few more seconds... Inuyasha... I was so stupid!
Kagome brushed hair out of her face. Her eyes filled with tears. I should go back, she thought. This place is pretty dangerous, and the others will be looking for me. But I... can't leave Inuyasha here. I can't just... leave him in this horrible, stinking place crawling with who-knows-what...
She looked up at the treetops. The sun was setting, casting a faint golden glow through the darkened forest. Kagome clutched Inuyasha's hand close to her, and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
She was so lost in her thoughts, it took her a long time to realize that someone was calling her name.
TO BE CONTINUED