The water was so calm.
Kagome looked into it, mesmerized. Nature held a power even greater than hers – and that fascinated her, made her want to understand it more.
Maybe if she contemplated Fire and Water – the mysteries of the land – more, she would regain her powers sooner.
Maybe that's what he had meant when he said she needed to see through the veils of the world. Sekai no chō. She knew he was right – he understood her power, understood her whims to be alone.
Where was he?
Kagome felt a wave of weariness wash over her. Was it natural for the Bōtan Miko to feel fatigue? She wasn't invincible, she knew, but this sudden need to rest – it just seemed so unnatural and unlike anything he'd told her.
But she did not have time to think on it more before her head fell to one side and the shadows gently covered her in deep sleep.
The man threw the unconscious girl over his shoulder and looked down at her in disdain. They had told him that she was the very emblem of power, yet she was so easy to get, for just a whiff of the scent was enough to send her to dreamland.
Or maybe I'm just not flattering myself enough, his lips curved faintly, that my powers have grown greatly over the past years.
He trod over the tall tree branches with ease, careful as not to wake the girl. Glancing down, he caught dim sights of her features and nodded in approval. She was a pretty thing – deep-set eyes and long eyebrows… It was all insignificant, though, he reminded himself, the most important part was that she was the Bōtan Miko.
But the girl is nice. He smiled into the night – and that's always to be appreciated.
Suimei bent to the ground and bore his eyes into the ground, looking for Itsuko's tracks. She had been here before, he could sense, but then… sudden disappearance? For someone as clever as Itsuko, that seemed unlikely. And what was this… strange scent?
Suimei collapsed back against a tree trunk and sighed. Where the hell would Itsuko ever go?
It must be really late, and that's why she can't see anything.
That's right…
What? With a start, Kagome almost cried out in pain, but she couldn't hear her own breath, or voice.
And she could always see in the dark.
She batted her eyelids and frowned at the feel of fabric over her lids, and tried to untie it with her filaments of power.
Don't even try. The silent voice came and Kagome stopped, too shocked to reply.
Not that she could anyway, with the gag over her mouth.
And what was this excruciating pain? She was so helpless and confused that she could no longer think. Who dared do this to her? Who in the world would dare offend the Bōtan Miko? Who–
She gasped soundlessly – someone was inside her.
It kept coming and wouldn't stop – as if it was enjoyable. She felt the sense of domination and ascendancy and struggled futilely – because she was up against a wall.
He twiddled with a strand of silver hair.
Just as he had planned.
Suddenly, roughly, she felt withdrawal. Too stunned to sense any relief, she felt herself dumped onto a soft surface. The pressure on her cores lifted as well and she lied there, exhausted, too tired to even blast away the blind over her eyes. It wasn't until it was taken off with the gag and she found herself staring up at an incredibly handsome face that Kagome regained her wits.
He stood there, calmly fastening his robes. When he adjusted one last wrinkle on the sleeve and smiled in satisfaction, he finally looked down again at Kagome.
"Not bad." His smile was faint.
"How," Kagome seethed, "How dare you?"
The man just shrugged, "It's not as if it was your first time, my lady."
"That's no excuse!"
He swept her into his arms and put a finger to her lips, "Shh, my lady. You shouldn't tire yourself. Even a miko has to regain her strength sometimes." He casually adjusted a strand of hair back over her shoulder and put her down on the mat.
"You sick bastard!" Kagome propped herself up on one elbow and shrieked.
He just caressed her chin and at the same time, ever so nonchalantly, forced her head down onto the pillow, "My lady, stop it."
Recollection surged through Kagome and she was suddenly calm. Stop it? Wasn't that what she kept telling Suimei? It had seemed so natural at the time – but maybe if this doesn't feel right, that wasn't either? She looked up at the man icily, "Why are you calling me 'my lady'? Is this how you treat all your 'ladies'?"
"I have only one lady," he stood up again and faced the mirror, "and that's you. Go back to sleep now, you need it."
Kagome felt the invisible ropes retie themselves over her body and core. He was doing this, she knew, and she was livid at the fact that she could do nothing to stop him. She was the Bōtan Miko and no one invaded her like this! She tried to push the restraints out of the way but only felt them tighten ever so slightly.
He turned around, "I knew you'd try to get up." He cocked an eyebrow, "Well, you can't, so just close your eyes and rest."
"Who the hell are you?" Kagome demanded angrily.
The man smirked. "I, my lady, am named Sesshoumaru."