Disclaimer I don't own much. Of course this means Inuyasha and his crew.
Of Fates Unknown
Chapter Twenty Three
When he awoke, Inuyasha was certain that she'd come to him, after all. But as he shook off the last vestiges of sleep, he realized that he must have been dreaming. And yet it seemed that he could still feel her presence along with smelling the hint of jasmine and poppies that he had come to recognize as her scent. Could she have come, and then left again when she found him asleep? How was it possible for her to enter the room without his youkai senses noticing? He knew she had been hovering on the edges of uncertainty, wanting him but not wanting to want him.
He got quietly out of bed and went into the other room, thinking she might be there, waging a silent battle with that uncertainty. But the room was empty and silent, even though something of her presence remained, barely teasing his nose again. He lit a lamp and searched his quarters, even checking the large wardrobe before he shook his head at his foolishness.
How could she possibly be here, when he'd bolted the outer door after finally giving up any hope that she would come? But then she'd somehow passed through a bolted door before.
He turned off the lamp and sat down on the edge of his bed, irritated with the uneasiness of his thoughts. She wasn't the only one plagued by uncertainty. He rested his elbows on his knees and ran his fingers through his hair. He wasn't yet prepared to acknowledge it as a fact, but the thought was lurking there in his brain: he'd made a mistake by bringing her here.
He'd been so sure he could control anything that might happen, so secure in his position in this place. He'd never really doubted that if she regained the lost powers of the Ceadda, he could bend her to his will.
It was an understandable mistake, though he was in no mood to forgive himself. Throughout his life, people had always bent to his will, and generally with little effort on his part. Even his father hadn't been much of a match for him in his drunkenness, leaving Inuyasha to rule while he was still in his young teens. Men followed him unquestioningly; women sought his favor. Even his enemies would not challenge him alone, but rather formed alliances against him.
And in battle, he'd prevailed by choosing his wars carefully and not pressing his advantage too strongly when the other side weakened, because today's enemy was intended to become tomorrow's ally. Besides the throne the there were only two things Inuyasha thanked his father for: his youkai heritage, and his youkai blade. Both have been invaluable in during times of both war and peace.
He believed that it was all within his grasp now. His enemies were tiring and exhausting their resources, while he remained both strong and wealthy, thanks in part to an abundance of gold and other resources, and thanks in no small part to his attention to the needs of his people.
Only Naraku remained a threat to him- and then only if he allied himself with some of the others. And even though Naraku had scoffed, Inuyasha knew that his discovery of a Ceadda in Domna was giving Naraku second thoughts about starting a war against him. But something was nagging at him, a feeling he just couldn't name. A shadow loomed over a distant sky, and the wind seemed to be shifting towards Domna. Half whispered rumors, and nervous glances about seemed to become to frequent for Inuyasha's peace of mind.
The Ceadda had never ruled by virtue of conquests, but rather, because any potential enemy had been afraid to face their sorcery. And until they'd pursued the fleeing Inutashio beyond the borders of their lands, no one- apparently not even the Ceadda themselves- had known that their powers were not without limits.
Inuyasha thought wryly that if the Ceadda who had come back after all these years had been male, he would almost certainly have put him to death. But when he found Kagome, his male arrogance and youkai instinct had led him to believe he could control her, Ceadda or not.
Still, even if he had known then that she would not submit to his will, he could not have killed her. She might not have come into her powers then, but she had still ensorcelled him from that first night in the tavern. And Souta, who could certainly pose a threat to him as well, he had quickly come to love as his own little brother.
Inuyasha's mind went back over the years to all the times when he'd gone up to the tower to stare at the mute symbol of Ceadda power. From the beginning, he'd always harbored an illogical belief that even though it was a Ceadda place, he too belonged there and he too was touched somehow by its magic.
And now the obelisk glowed again- but it shone for her, not for him. Or did it? What he'd felt for that brief moment up there with her was a yearning that went far beyond the mere need to have her. It called to both his human and youkai sides, both wanting to claim not only the power, but also the woman in which the power flowed through.
He sat there in his darkened bedchamber, aching with unfulfilled desire and burning with the need to control a destiny, a destiny that he had planned out, that he sensed was slipping through his fingers. There would be no more sleep for him this night.
)O(
Kagome awoke slowly, clinging to a memory that wasn't a memory, holding to what might have been. Even when she was fully awake and hearing Souta's voice as he talked to Shippou, she was still half-caught in that strangeness.
After Inuyasha's urgent invitation, she had walked through the rest of the day with visions of what might be- if she went to him. She'd gone to the tavern and had lost herself in her music even more than before. The haunting strains of the lythra became the background for a vision of two naked bodies moving to ancient rhythms, shifting from light to shadow as those rhythms built to a shattering crescendo.
Afterward, Kaede had said that there'd been something different in her playing. Pressed by Kagome to explain what she meant, the older woman had actually blushed.
"It got me to thinking of a long time ago, dearie, when Myouga and me were young like ye."
Kagome had returned to the keep in an agitated state, torn between what she wanted and what she feared. And in the end, fear had won- but just barely. She feared giving herself to Inuyasha because she knew it was a step from which there could be no retreat. How she knew this, she couldn't have said- but she knew.
Still, she'd gone to bed thinking of him, imagining him in his own bed, waiting for her. And when she was in that tentative place between wakefulness and sleep, a sudden vision had come to her: Inuyasha in his bed, all traces of harshness gone from his face as he slept. And she'd felt, for just one moment, that she'd been there- or some part of her had been there standing beside his bed, watching his nose flare as if smelling her presence.
As she got out of bed now, she wondered if it might have happened. Had she gone there, just as she'd gone to the tower that time? All she knew for sure was that he had started to stir restlessly and she had seen his dark lashes flutter and his ears twitch- and then it ended.
The cool air in the room touched her heated body in a curiously sensual way, and brought with it a sharp, sudden memory. She and Tarren had never made love, but had been close one time but they had decided to wait, until the wedding to join fully. When it happened it was just a few days before the Vali had killed him. She could remember awakening to find that they'd forgotten to add logs to the fire. The cool air had touched a body newly wakened to the pleasure that could be and had been- and the memory had survived to haunt her now.
A deep, sharp pain shot through Kagome as she longed for those days- for that quiet, uneventful life in the village and the equally quiet, undemanding love Tarren had given her. And most of all, she longed for the innocence of that time before she'd discovered Ceadda sorcery.
Before her thoughts could grow even more painful, Kagome went to join the boys, who were eating bowls of porridge and dried fruits as they warmed themselves before the hearth before going off to school. The maid had brought her a cup of strong tea and a butter-drenched piece of fresh-baked bread and she took a seat beside the boys.
Looking at Souta she sighed, "Inuyasha told me you've had problems at school." She continued carefully, "Why didn't you tell me about it Souta?"
He wouldn't meet her gaze and he didn't reply. Then, when she simply sat there waiting, he finally glanced at her briefly.
"You wouldn't understand, 'cause you're a girl."
"That's not fair, Souta. It's because of me that you've had trouble, isn't it?"
He looked up at her again, this time with a determined expression that made him look years older and brought a lump to her throat.
"Inuyasha's gong to teach me how to fight. He said he would. Then no one can call you names."
Sighing again she shook her head. "Fighting won't solve anything," she replied, knowing it was useless.
"Yes it will," he insisted. "They'll stop if they know I can bet them up." Bowing his head he continued, "If we were stronger then Mama and the people in our village wouldn't have been killed off." Looking her straight in the eye, "I don't want to have to worry about that again."
She couldn't dispute that, so she didn't even try. "You like him a lot, don't you?" she asked instead.
"Who- Inuyasha?" When she nodded, he did the same. Then, in one of those bursts of insight that never fail to catch adults by surprise, Souta looked at her challengingly.
"You don't like him, do you 'Gome?"
"He's… been very kind to us," she said slowly, not about to give him an answer she hadn't sorted out herself.
"He says that you have a lot of adjustments to make," Souta stated, pronouncing the new word carefully. "He says I should be patient."
"Oh?" She didn't like the notion that they'd been discussing her and that Inuyasha must have been defending her.
Shippou finally couldn't keep quiet any longer. "Well, that's ok. He seems ok; I just don't like him that much. Guess it has to do with him being half dog youkai. Personally if Kagome likes him or not for whatever reason, I can see why she might not. I mean his father did drive out your ancestors from this place. Not to mention the fact that it is very dangerous for Kagome and you when you first got here." Shifting in his seat he glanced up at Kagome, "I think it still is dangerous. I can't put a claw on it, but it is just a feeling."
Souta looked angry as Kagome just looked shocked. Souta voice his anger first though.
"Inuyasha wouldn't do anything bad to us. He likes me!"
Shippou defended his statement. "I know what I feel. I don't think it is coming from Inuyasha as much as it is from somewhere else. But I think Inuyasha can be just as cunning as any fox when it is needed."
Kagome shook her head as the two boys bickered about whether Inuyasha could be considered a threat or not. She reached out and touched Souta's hand, "I'm sorry if I haven't been myself- but you will have to face this someday, too, you know."
He jerked his hand free and stood up. "I don't want to be a sorcerer. I don't want people staring at me and calling me names."
And before she could think of a response to that, he gathered up his things and run off to school. Shippou sighed and gave her a hug, before following suite.
I don't want it, either, she said to herself, wondering if Souta, too, had been thinking of their other life. But she was also proud to be Ceadda, and proud of the use to which she was putting her talents.
Of course, she thought, I don't have to put up with taunts. The people here at the keep and the patrons at the tavern treated her with great respect. Only when she occasionally went to market did she sometimes see fear or hatred in the eyes of others. But none of them dared to say or do anything because Inuyasha's men always accompanied her.
She decided she would have to talk with Souta about all this, and perhaps she should take him to the surgery with her and Shippou to let him see Ceadda magic at work to help people. Often, they came to her fearfully, but by the time they left, the fear was replaced with gratitude.
)O(
Review responses:
Josie'n the P.cats – Thanks for understanding. I got at least three chapters done and working on fourth one now. (sigh) It makes things so much easier to get ahead like that. In case something comes up, I don't have to rush stuff. I was really tempted to bring Kouga back. I love the little wolfie, but he and his buds served their purpose and so now, they are backstage helping with the lighting. (lol, sorry, couldn't resist that…)
Yes, the long awaited kiss. Things get… shall we say more 'interesting' now. (giggles evilly) I just couldn't resist the evil cliffy since I was going to be gone for a day. Had to keep the suspense up. :P
hana no tenshi – lol, glad you liked it. Just wait till you see what's coming up soon.
Ebonyangel – Thanks, and I think Fanfiction was going screwy for the past two days. I hope you can see the chapters now. I know there was a day were I couldn't even get into my account to post a chapter too.
Mrsjenthornton – Hehe, I hope you got a little sleep at least. If your too tired, then it makes it hard to read. I know, I have tried.
Aitu – ROFLMAO! Well, I guess she is now grounded. Souta is such a cutie in the anime, I just couldn't resist using him in the story, Shippou too. But don't worry, his problems will be resolved quite well. And about the matching necklaces, well, you'll just have to wait and see. I was just so darn tempted to having his necklace have the sit command put on it in some way. It is why I am going to do a parody of my story once I am done with this one. There is just so much to work with here.
Foamyfun – Cute name! Glad you like the story, even though it took so long to read. I personally like long stories. And about Kikyou… well, I have her making a short appearance in the story, more so then Kouga, but I can't explain, you'll just have to wait and see.
Poabrittany – You're welcome. Yesterday was a productive day for me in typing out more chapters. This over all story has me extremely pleased.
Ramzgurl – Thanks, thanks, thanks… lol. I am going to try to do so, and glad you love it.
Abovefaith – Aw, thanks. I am just so happy that this story is being so well received for being an A.U.
resq188 – (giggles) Don't get too frustrated. But I do know what you mean though, I do too. There are three stories that are getting me like that. "The White Dog", "Turnabout is Fair Play", and "Present Time". These stories I have been dying to see an update on. (sigh)
Wow, all these wonderful responses to my story. I am just so happy. I am glad that no one seemed to upset about me taking a day, though. It really helped me get caught up. Well, anyways, I do have one um, shall we say issue. In my story… there is a reason for the R rating. (well, actually a couple of them) But I will not get into graphic detail about lemony things. If I decide to change that in the future, I will post it in MM and then show a link to the chapter. But without it, the story is not lacking, but I sort of am not sure about my (ahem) skills in that area. I am writing a lemon to post in AdultFan, to see if I have any sort of… 'talent' for it. O.o (er, yeah) It's sort of a test lemon, to see if it makes lemonade or just a really sour taste in peoples mouth.
I just wanted to let you know, and if you have any thoughts on it please, don't hesitate to let me know. Like I classified this story, it is a romance, but some people don't want to read a lemon, hence the posting it at another site. (besides Fanfiction gets sort of funny about 'em anyways.)
Thanks again for the wonderful reviews,
Brightest of Blessings,
Lady Banshee 999