She just needed to get to the barrier—or catch up with Kagura.
Kagome bolted through the trees, branches catching her hair and face as she forced herself to keep going. She'd thought she knew every creature in the forest, but this one—this monster—was something otherworldly, and she didn't know if it was friend or foe.
And she wasn't going to stick around to find out.
Her fingers grazed the edge of the barrier, and she fell to her knees within its protective wall, clutching at the grass as she gasped for air.
She was home.
She was safe.
The comforting arms of her mother encircled her shoulders, soft reassurances floating by her ear as she simultaneously caught Kagura's wrist, preventing her from going after whatever Kagome had been running from.
Emiko slowly pulled Kagome to her feet, coaxing her inside as Kagura kept watch, bow at the ready should the threat reappear. Her fan was her best weapon, but she wouldn't take the chance of distorting the barrier—not with the fear emanating from her sister.
The cottage was warm and inviting, as it always was, and Kagome slumped into a chair, fingers tightening around the blanket her mother had draped around her.
She'd finally gotten her heartbeat under control when a startling thought occurred: the entire time she'd been captivated by the beast's gaze, the pain in her chest had disappeared.