Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

In a World of Demons

Chapter 9: Seductresses and Wolves

Kagome walked through the streets of the city, her arms hugging herself as she did in an attempt to keep out the cold. So far, it wasn't really working.

From the corner of her eye, she kept seeing flashes of black from the rooftops. She'd come to the conclusion awhile ago that someone—or something—was following her.

Her grip tightened on the bag she was carrying, so much so that her knuckles turned white. She did not want the thing following her to follow her home because then she could be putting her mother and brother in danger as well. So, acting like a typically ditz would, she walked into a deserted alleyway nearby. Sure enough, she saw the blur land on the roof of the building next to her.

Kagome kept walking, slower now, the sound of her shoes hitting the concrete echoing off the walls.

She felt as much as heard the thing drop to the ground behind her. She would not have heard him if it were not for the wind that made his clothes rustle as he landed behind her. But she could also feel him and his demonic energy. Yukio, was her first thought.

He crept silently forward but she was ready for him. She spun around quickly and hit him in the head as hard as she could with her bag. The demon fell to the floor, his face spread across the concrete.

"Ow, what the hell was that for!" he exclaimed.

She froze. Hey, wait a second, she recognized that obnoxious voice.

"Oh, sorry Inuyasha!" she said, rushing to his side and helping him up.

He yanked his arm out of her reach and rubbed the side of his face that had a huge red mark on it.

"You didn't have to hit me," he growled.

"I thought you were a demon trying to attack me. You were following me," she accused.

"Yeah, well it's a good thing I did. I killed a demon following you, not twenty minutes ago. I was following to see if there were anymore."

"You know, you could walk with me instead of following me like some stalker," she challenged, crossing her arms, then abruptly began walking away toward the streets once more.

"I am not a stalker," he called after her, not moving.

"Uh-huh. Riight. Just keep telling yourself that," she teased and lifted a hand in a goodbye gesture without turning around, then disappeared from view as she turned onto the walkway.

"Hey, wait up!" he called as he jogged out of the alley and caught up to her so he was walking beside her.

She smiled secretly. Now he'd walk with her instead of following her.

"What do you have in that bag anyway? Bricks?" Inuyasha inquired, half-heartedly.

"Actually, yes," she responded.

He stopped. "What?"

She kept walking. "Well, I need them to keep some zealous demons at bay, now don't I?" she said with a laugh as she turned to look back at him.

He tried to frown, he really did, but he could not help the corners of his mouths that turned upwards. Kagome's smile only grew as she saw him trying to keep from smiling.

"So how are Sango and Miroku doing?" Inuyasha asked once he caught up with her again.

The smile dropped from her face completely. It had been two weeks since she had woken up after knocking herself unconscious with her powers and her two best friends had only been let out a week before. Luckily, nothing was broken for either of them, but otherwise they were hurt pretty badly. Kaede and Midoriko had almost completely healed them, but they would not be going back to school until Monday, since it would seem odd how they had healed so quickly after an accident. Still just in case anyone knew how bad the accident was, there were a few bruises they had to heal on their own, the painfully slow way.

"Better, I guess," Kagome said gloomily, kicking a rock as they walked, her head turned downward.

Yukio had also not shown his face since he had taken her, but then again, she had not asked Kouga about him. Kagome began to wonder if Yukio was in league with Naraku since he had come after her, or was it just his need for petty revenge? Somehow she did not want to tell any of it to Kouga. Because… because, well, if she did, Kouga would most likely kill him and Kagome… she wanted him to live so then maybe… then she could the good in him.

It sounded stupid, especially after he attacked her, but… there had been something different about him. He had stopped himself before he hurt her. Maybe he just didn't want to kill her or maybe, just maybe, there was some good in him after all, even if it was a small amount. Then again, he could just need her like everybody else and had been ordered not to kill her. Who knew anymore?

Inuyasha looked down at her and seeing her solemn face, began, "sorry, I didn't mean to… are you okay?"

He was not even sure what he was apologizing for, he only had a feeling that he should.

She tilted her head up to look at him and gave him a warm smile. "I'm fine. It's just that… it's my fault they're hurt. It's always my fault. They come after me… and others get hurt. Sometimes I wish—"

Abruptly, she stopped talking when she felt the knot in his stomach tighten. Beside her, Inuyasha, too, tensed. From Inuyasha, Kagome had recently become aware of the slight demon aura around him and she felt it as a tingling in her stomach. Now she felt another demon aura, one strong enough to knot her stomach with its awful presence.

Kagome whipped her head around her, this way and that, but there were a number of people passing her at the moment and she could not tell exactly where the feeling was coming from. Inuyasha gripped her wrist, as a sign to tell her to stop scrutinizing the people so intently around them.

She stopped and took many stiff steps forward, trying to keep herself collected, especially since some of the people around her were starting to give her strange looks. Kagome felt someone bump into her arm and she stumbled back slightly, but not too badly, since Inuyasha had a grip on her.

Turning back to see the person who bumped into her, Kagome's brown eyes clashed with red ones. A slight smile appeared on the woman's face, though it was anything less than pleasant. That was all Kagome could notice before the woman with the blood red eyes melted into the crowd, disappearing.

What kind of person had red eyes? But that was just it. No person did, but a demon could.

"What is it?" Inuyasha asked curiously, seeing the dazed expression on her face.

"I just saw…" Kagome started, but stopped both in words and motion when she noticed something perplexing.

There was something gripped in her hand, something she had not been holding before. Looking down inquisitively, she found a small folded up piece of white paper in her hand. She chanced a glance at the hanyou beside her, but he was staring at the paper in her hand.

Timidly, Kagome opened the white paper, ignoring the people giving Inuyasha and she dirty looks for stopping in the middle of the busy sidewalk. She began reading the message on the paper to herself, noticing the elegant-seeming female handwriting.

Meet me tonight at one in the alley behind the club Disillusion. Come alone.

That was it. No name, no reason. Just those two small sentences.

Inuyasha took it from her and read it angrily, then made his hand into a fist, crumpling the paper forcefully. He then looked to Kagome once again, but her gaze was locked on the wrinkled note in his hand.

"You weren't thinking of going, were you?" Inuyasha inquired, furiously.

At first she did not answer. He squeezed the note tighter in his fist.

"Kagome," he said warningly through gritted teeth.

"…Of course not," Kagome said tentatively. If he noticed the hesitation in her voice, he decided not to comment.

He walked her all the way home, keeping an eye on her the entire way. She was lost in thought for the majority of the way and it was not hard to guess what she was thinking.

Inuyasha stayed by her side until she reached the door, than without so much as a goodbye—although he did give her a meaningful glance—he left. Kagome noticed he kept the message from the demoness, having somewhere along the way thrown it into his pocket. Not like it mattered anyway.

The information had been simple enough for her to remember.

Kagome paced back and forth in her room for what must have been the millionth time. She was surprised she had not worn a hole through the carpet yet. But she supposed that was partial thanks to the soft pink bunny slippers she was wearing that cushioned her feet.

Thinking it over a many number of times, she always came to the same conclusion.

She would not go.

It would be stupid.

Beyond stupid. It would be idiotic. Irrational. Ridiculous. Preposterous. And a bunch of other words that described the stupidity of it.

And yet… a part of her, the curious part of her, wanted to go. Wanted to know why this demoness wanted to see her. The demoness could want to kill her, true, but it could want to help her instead. It seemed a long shot, but in a way demons were like humans. They were neither good nor evil by nature. Life experiences made them who they were. Inuyasha, Kouga and his pack were proof of this.

Nevertheless, in the end she always came to the same conclusion. She couldn't take the risk. If she was to get hurt…. Kagome did not want to have her loved ones to be troubled on her account.

She would not go.

Kagome sighed as she walked through the school hallways, her eyelids feeling heavy. She was dead tired after getting little sleep the night previous since she had been contemplating whether or not to go for most of the night. Luckily, it was Friday so she'd be able to sleep late the next day. Of course, that was only if she did not have to go see Kaede and Midoriko for another one of their torture sessions. Err, lessons, she meant.

She came in view of her locker, only to not be able to gain access to it since there was a couple leaning against it, making out.

"Excuse me," Kagome said politely, but she was ignored by the couple.

"Excuse me," she said again, this time with more of an edge to it.

Of course, again she was ignored and by now Kagome was losing her patience. The heavy books she was carrying in her arms were not helping her mood either.

Kagome tapped her foot impatiently. "Hey, you two. Move," she told them rudely.

The male of the couple detached his lips from the girl to stare at Kagome for only a moment and give her a too-bad-for-you look, before beginning to kiss his girlfriend—at least she assumed it was his girlfriend—again.

Inhaling sharply, Kagome was about to yell at them once more when a male voice came from behind her.

"Beat it," the male voice said, referring to the two against the locker.

Kagome turned around to see the male behind her at the same time the couple looked up to snap at whoever had interrupted them for a second time. However, their words died when they saw just who had spoken.

Kouga grinned in a menacing way that was more a baring of teeth than an actual good-natured smile. The two scrambled quickly away from Kagome's locker.

He may not have been there long, but Kouga had made quite a reputation for himself already, faster than even Inuyasha when he came to the school. Most of the students were terrified of him already and he did not even have to beat anyone up, like Inuyasha had to. Kagome believed that last part saddened him a bit. He would have rather beaten a few people up here and there.

Kagome smiled brightly at him. "Thanks, Kouga."

Since Miroku and Sango had not been around in school for awhile, Kouga and his two wolves had taken to hanging around her. Not that she minded. She got lonely if there was no around to talk with and Kouga was quite sweet, once you got to know him. Unless Inuyasha was around, then the bickering would begin and their constant fighting got on her nerves.

He smiled kindheartedly at her, losing his overwhelming presence. "Anytime."

She opened her locker as Kouga leaned on the locker next to hers, eyeing Kagome the entire time with a secretive smile she was not sure she liked so much on his face.

"So where's Inu-trash?" Kouga inquired as Kagome switched the books in her arms for the books in her locker.

"Inuyasha," she corrected him automatically while closing her locker, "And I don't know where." Kagome turned to face him. "Why?"

The wicked smile on his face grew. "Just wondering."

He moved closer but Kagome took no notice to his advances. What she did notice was the wound the left side of his forehead. Timidly, she raised a hand to touch the wound lightly.

"Where did you get this?"

Kouga grinned widely. "My wolves got attacked the other night, probably by some of Naraku's goons. But they were no match for my wolves."

"Acting a little cocky, don't you think?" Kagome commented.

"Not when it's true."

Kagome rolled her eyes, but was feeling troubled. Since Naraku could not get to her as of yet, he was sending demons after her friends and allies instead. She was sure Kouga and his wolves could handle themselves, but she still did not like the idea of them getting attacked because of her. Everything seemed to happen because of her.

Kouga reached a hand out and tilted her head upward, sensing her uneasiness while his other hand was sneaking its way around her waist. Kagome first instinct was to slap him, but her arms were full with books and she did not want to offend him. She still needed him as a ally. Kagome needed all the help she could get.

He was about to speak when Kagome was pulled backward and Inuyasha stepped in front of her.

"Want me to rough him up a little bit?" Inuyasha inquired, glancing back at Kagome for a second.

Kagome groaned inwardly. They would begin bickering now and if they weren't stopped, it would turn into an all-out fight. Her good mood was quickly vanishing.

"Become her loyal servant dog now? How cute," Kouga commented sarcastically though he looked angrily at Inuyasha. He took Kagome hand and brought her to him.

"Listen, wolf-turd—" Inuyasha started, taking a threatening step forward. He took Kagome from Kouga.

She just kept back and forth between them. What was she, a yo-yo? Next they'll have me each by an arm and start pulling until I split in half, Kagome thought dryly.

"Look, Dumb and Dumber, I'm not in the mood to listen to you fight so I'll just be going now."

Ignoring the stupefied looks the two demon-boys gave her, she shifted the books in one arm to the other and began walking away from both of them.

"Kagome, wait," she heard Inuyasha call from behind her.

"I'm the dumb one, right?" he inquired stepping in front of her, blocking Kagome's way.

"What?" she asked while stopping, irritated.

"He's the Dumber, right?"

She starred at him incredulously for a moment then shook her head and walked past him, thinking, oh my God, I'm surrounded by idiots.

"Look, Kagome… Sorry," Inuyasha said. There he went again, apologizing when he did not even know what he was apologizing for.

She sighed and turned around, now feeling bad for snapping at him. "Don't apologize, I'm just tired is all." She gave him a small smile.

He looked at her suspiciously. "You didn't go last night, did you?"

"Well, I'm in one piece, so what do you think?" she questioned.

Relief went through his face. "Good."

She smiled cunningly and moved toward him. "Worried about me, were you?"

He crossed his arms and looked away. "Feh, like I'd be worried about you." He glanced at Kagome to see her still slowly approaching him. "Well… maybe a little. But if you didn't do such stupid things all the time, then I wouldn't have to—"

Kagome let her books drop to the floor so she could use her arms for more useful things—like wrapping them around her neck. She brought her lips up to gently brush against his, then moved her head back. However, Inuyasha put his hand on the back of her neck, forcing her up for another kiss, which she eagerly returned.

His arms slid around her, his hands gripping her waist as he deepened the kiss. She melted into him as his tongue stroked hers, her hands moving up to tangle in his silky hair.

That's, of course, when the bell rang.

Kagome's eyes shot open and she removed Inuyasha's hands from her as she stepped back. Her lips were last to leave him and when they did he let out a soft protest. He opened somewhat unfocused golden eyes.

"I gotta go. I'm late for class."

"Skip class," he told her, his arms snaking around her waist once again, "it's not like you haven't done it before."

The hallway became deserted as the late people scampered off to their classes. He brought his lips down to her neck, trailing moist kisses up and down her neck.

"Yes, and that's why I can't now," she informed him, though she was pretty sure he was not really listen, concentrated on other matters. "I got in trouble last time—ahhh!"

She let out a soft gasp as a hot, searing tongue dragged across her skin. Gently, he used his teeth to nibble at her neck.

"You're not making this any easier," she muttered to him, though she was not really complaining.

…but she really did have to go to class. Stupid school.

Kagome put a hand to his chest and pushed him away. He moved back from her reluctantly and helped her collect the books that had been forgotten on the floor.

"Thanks," she told him.

Kagome then made the mistake of looking up, where she met golden eyes filled with heat. "I'll—I'll see you later," she said, faltering a little.

He nodded and she spun around, heading quickly toward her class that she was already late for.

Kagome began her walk home with Ginta at her heels. With Sango and Miroku not around and her tendency to get almost captured when she walked somewhere alone, Ginta was escorting her home.

"You know you don't have to do this," she told him, going through the conversation that had almost everyday.

"Yes, but I want to," Ginta responded automatically, knowing the dialogue by heart by now, "it's my job to keep you safe from Naraku anyway."

Naraku. She heard the name so often, yet had no face to put together with the name in her mind. The day she did have one though, would probably not be a good day for her.

She continued walking, when suddenly one second she's on the ground, the next second she's being carried in someone's arms. Kagome squealed in surprise, her heart racing, only to look up and see Inuyasha.

"Thank you," Inuyasha told Ginta with a mischievous grin for the second he was on the ground, then he leapt up and was soaring through the air with Kagome in his arms.

"What do you mean 'thank you'! I'm not a package!" Kagome screeched at him while hearing Ginta exclaim of surprise.

Ginta was not too worried though because he knew Inuyasha was on their side, as much as Kouga distrusted and disliked the hanyou.

"I didn't say you could carry me away! Put me down!" she commanded of him.

He ignored her as he continued leaping through the air, bringing her toward the nearby city.

For more emphasis she hit his arms with every word as she said again, "Put-me-down!"

He landed on a roof and glared at her. Then abruptly, he dropped her, letting her fall to the floor with a small "oomph".

While rubbing her thigh that had hit the ground roughly, she glared at him.

"Meany."

"What? You told me to put you down," he told her, irritated.

"I meant put me down nicely," she informed him.

"Be more specific next time," he said, as he took her arm and helped her up. "Now where were we?" he asked deviously with a look in his eyes that sent shivers down her spine.

"Ah, right about here…" he said, as he lowered his face to her neck.

"Hey, Inuyasha! You can't just—" she began, but he did not hear her or did not care. She was guessing on the latter.

He kissed his way up to her ear where he began to nibble playfully on her ear.

"Inuyasha, I have to meet Miroku soon," she mumbled.

He growled softly as he moved back so he could look into her face.

"He's bringing me to Kaede and Midoriko's," she explained, "so I don't have to time to… dawdle."

"Fine, I'll bring you to your precious Miroku," he told her, crossing his arms.

"You know it's nothing like that," she told him with a frown. Was that jealousy in his tone? How did he manage to change moods so quickly, anyway?

"Feh."

She sighed. "You're a stubborn mule, you know that?"

"Mule? I'm not—" he started, but stopped when she kicked him in the leg.

"Down," she said.

Grumbling some incomprehensible words that she suspected were none too nice, he crouched down and she climbed onto his back.

"Good, Inuyasha," she said while patting his head, as though he were a pet dog that had just performed a trick.

"You're lucky I don't throw you off while you're getting a free ride," Inuyasha grumbled.

Kagome could just imagine herself going 'splat' all over the pavement below. She tighten her grip on Inuyasha. He smirked.

It was quiet for a while, until Kagome began speaking again, wanting to break the silence.

"Can you jump over oceans too with that leap of yours?" He looked over his shoulder at her, giving her an odd look. "What? Just asking. If you were able we could go spend the afternoon in Rome… then to Paris for the night…and back before anyone knows the difference. It would been fun."

"Did I ever tell you how strange you are?"

"No."

"Well, then I should have," he informed her.

"Well, then I'm offended," she teased, mimicking his tone.

He landed in front of Miroku's home. "Now off," he told her.

"How rude," she told him, getting off and crossing her arms. She bit her lip to keep from smiling.

"Yeah, well, too bad," he told her then leapt away.

Kagome watched him disappear with a small frown on her face. She had only been teasing. He did know that, right?

She shook her head, leaving the thoughts for further speculation later. Now she had to train for hours, probably get nowhere from it to, then finally she'd be able to sleep.

Sleep was the only thing she could look forward to.

Kagome twitched as she heard someone banging on her door. She turned her head to look at her alarm clock. Nine in the morning.

She groaned. "Come back in three hours."

"Kagome, phone," she heard her brother's muffled voice coming through the door.

With a heavy sigh, she threw off the comforter and lay staring at the ceiling for a split second. Then she was up, trudging over to the door, throwing it open.

Souta jumped back when he saw his sister. "You look like Frankenstein," he commented, looking at her disarrayed hair.

Her eyes narrowed, though they were hardly open to begin with, thick with sleep. "I hate you," she growled as she snatched the phone from his hand.

She closed the door before he could think of something more to say to annoy her. Yawning, she put the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" she inquired.

Kagome paused in motioned as she listened, then responded, "Yeah, sure. I'm free today. What time? Alright. Bye."

Well, there went the idea of sleeping in. She had to be at Rin's at one to watch two wide-awake, probably hyper seven-year-olds.

Oh, the joy.

Kagome sat on the park swing, laughing as she watched Rin and Shippo run through the park. It had been a nice day out and instead of being cooped up inside all day, she had asked Rin's parents if she could bring them to the park. They had told her it was okay, so here they were now.

It was a small park and it was void of all other people, so Shippo ran freely around his true demon form. It helped him anyway, since he was smaller than his illusion self and he was harder to tag when he was smaller.

Half her mind was focused on watching them, while the other half was thinking her complicated life. Kagome had blown off getting trained by the priestesses that day, only because they had been meeting and working for two weeks now and she deserved one day of break.

She wanted to be able to keep the demons that hunted her at bay on her own, but she did need to breathe once and awhile also. Kagome needed the day of rest, to just relax in the nice warm sun in the park, surrounded by children's laughter.

If only she could get this Naraku to stop trying to go after her…. Fat chance of that.

"Shippo…" Kagome began, "have you ever heard of a demon named… Naraku."

Shippo stopped so suddenly that Rin, who had been chasing him, ran full force right into his back. His eyes were wide as he turned to her and he had a faint deer-caught-in-the-headlights look to him.

"He's a bad, bad man, Kagome," Shippo told her as he walked closer to her. Rin, curiously, followed.

"He isn't a man at all," Kagome said softly.

"You know what I mean," he told her as he sat on the swing next to her. He looked down at the ground, while his little fox feet kicked slowly in the air. He continued, "he… he once…. My parents opposed him once and then… he attacked. My parents were hurt pretty badly… but… he killed a close friend of my parents as a warning. My family's been neutral ever since."

Kagome found herself gasping softly. "Shippo, I'm sorry…."

He shrugged. "It wasn't anyone I knew. And I was too little to remember much, but…. He likes to torture people, to see them in pain. He goes after loved ones to break a person's spirit. Then they are easy to manipulate."

Kagome was very silent, as were the two children. The only sounded to be heard was the bird's chirping and the creak as the swings moved gently back a forth, pushed by the wind.

"Kagome… how did you know about demons?" Shippo asked suddenly. "I know you're not one… so how did you know?"

"…well, Inuyasha…" she started but drifted off.

"That's not just it, is it?" Rin said quietly.

Why were children so perceptive?

"I…" she began, but never did have a chance to finish.

It was getting late in the day and shadows were cast all over the park from the trees nearby, but there was one shadow in particular that she saw that was bothering her. Since when did shadows move?

Kagome was then reminded of the shadow that had been there that night with Inuyasha on the roof. Could it be…?

"Kagome?" Rin asked nervously, sensing the tension in the air.

Abruptly, Kagome got up and she saw Shippo stiffen beside her. He, too, sensed it.

"Get up," she told the two. They did so. "And don't make a sound," she said softly when Rin inhaled to speak.

The shadow, which had been moving swiftly toward them, suddenly stopped. Shippo jumped to her shoulder, while Kagome grabbed Rin's hand, bring her to her, and picked her up. She edged slowly over to the jungle gym, trying to be as quiet as possible.

The black shadow quivered and began inching toward them. She set Rin down and commanded, "climb."

Shippo jumped from her shoulder onto the bars of the jungle gym and both began climbing as high as they could. They reached the platform and ran over a small, shaky, wooden bridge to the steps that led higher, to the slide.

The shadow was still after the kids, since they were moving and Kagome was standing absolutely still. It reached the edge of the stairs and began to go upward.

Kagome stomped her feet. "Over here," she said, knowing it would not hear her, but it might have been able to sense the vibrations of her voice. She was not exactly an expert on evil demon shadows that chased people. Go figure.

It quivered once again, as though deciding which way to go. It went closer to the children, and it brushed against Shippo's foot, which he immediately yanked away. Then it raced for Kagome, sensing her movement. Kagome ran the other way, not sure where to go. Maybe she should have thought this through a little more.

"Kago—!" Rin cried, but was stopped when Shippo clamped a hand over her mouth, muffling the rest of her cry.

The shadow was right on her heels, following her every move perfectly. She spotted the monkey bars and quickly headed for them. Just when the shadow was about to catch her, Kagome jumped up, grabbing the bar so that the thing missed her.

She used the rest of the monkey bars to get over to the rest of the playground equipment, as the demon shadow paused, searching for the lost prey.

Kagome, as quietly as she could, made her way to the two children, where both hugged her.

"What is that?" Rin whispered.

"I don't know," Kagome said truthfully.

Kagome watched the two children as they watched the shadow begin squirming away.

"…but I don't think I should be watching you two anymore," Kagome told them.

"What! Why?" Rin cried in outrage.

Kagome put her hands on each one of their mouths as the shadow stopped and they continued to make muffled protests. It, however, finally disappeared into the other shadows of the trees.

"Because my life's too dangerous," Kagome told them, "and I don't want you to get hurt."

"It's not too dangerous!" Shippo told her.

She smiled, while shaking her head. They knew nothing of her life, they only wanted her to stay.

"Yeah, and we won't get hurt!" Rin told her, while hugging her as tightly as she could. "We can take care of ourselves! And Shippo could use some of his fox tricks if we ever were in trouble. We could help you!"

Kagome smiled sadly and hugged them both tightly. "I wish you could."

Her eyes flew to where the shadow had disappeared.

"I really do."

Kagome waved goodbye to Rin's parents who had driven her home right before she closed the door, locking it behind her. It had been opened when she got there, but she just supposed her mom had left it open for her like she sometimes did after baby-sitting.

Climbing the stairs, she sighed heavily. Kagome had told Rin's parents that she could not baby-sit for her anymore. She had told them she had other "obligation". Rin had cried while she did. First she had begged Kagome not to go, then she began screaming. Rin told Kagome how much she hated her. She'd screamed it over and over, the words still echoing in Kagome's head. She'd never forgive her, or so Rin had said. Kagome did not blame her. She was a kid and that was the only way she knew how to react

Kagome took in a long, shaky breath. It was too late now to take back what she said. Her life was too dangerous anyway. Everyone she knew, had ever talked to could be in danger because of her. She could not risk putting to innocent children at risk too.

Fighting back another yawn, Kagome lazily opened the door to her room and walked into the darkness. Normally the darkness did not bother her, but today she had a bad feeling as though something was lurking in the dark. That's when she heard the voice.

"Don't make a sound," the feminine voice said through the darkness. "Close the door."

Kagome froze in her place. Then, grudgingly, closed the door with a soft click while wondering in her mind if she should scream or not. She decided against it. Whatever was in her room could probably killed her before she anyone could come to help her and even if they did get there in time, everyone that was in hearing range was too fragile to help her.

Kagome reached for the light switch, but before she could use it, the voice snapped, "don't turn on the light."

"Then how am I suppose to see where I'm going?" Kagome asked annoyed, though thought, or see you.

The female turned on a small nightlight in arms reach, revealing a demoness sitting in one of her chairs. Black hair was up in a bun-like way with a small white feather sticking slightly out from the bun. Her red eyes had an eerie glow in the nearly dark room and were fixated on Kagome, giving her an uncomfortable feeling. She had a tight dress on that emphasized her every curve and a low décolletage meant to taunt men. Kagome could only imagine if Miroku were there. His eyes would have fallen right out of their sockets.

Kagome almost immediately recognized her as the demoness who had given her that note, only because she remembered those eyes.

"Who are you?" Kagome questioned.

A small, wicked smile appeared on her face. "Does it really matter, Kagome?"

"I just think it's unfair for you to know my name and me not to know yours," Kagome said stubbornly.

"Unfair? Unfair?" The demoness laughed harshly. "This entire world is unfair. Deal with it."

Fine, be that way, Kagome thought, annoyed. "How did you find out where I lived?"

"It wasn't that hard. You might be able to control your powers some, but I could still feel them."

Oh, that is just great, Kagome thought, I'm still like a homing beacon for demons.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, "is it because I didn't show up?"

The demoness responded nonchalantly. "Oh, I didn't expect you to. Going somewhere alone with a strange demon? You would have truly been an idiot if you had done that."

Kagome nearly fell. She really almost did. All that consideration for nothing? By the way she talked, the demoness would not have even been there. If Kagome had gone, she would have waited forever for no one and probably would have been kidnapped by some wacko, if not another demon, on the way home.

"No, why I'm here now has to do with Naraku," she mentioned.

"Naraku?" Kagome said nervously, feeling her heartbeat speed up and she took a small step backward. She mentally scolded herself for the step backward, but it was too late to take it back now.

Seeing Kagome take a step back uneasily, the demoness laughed. "Don't worry. I'm not here to harm you." She paused there for a second, maybe for dramatic effect, maybe to think over what she was going to say next. Who knew?

She took the time though to crossed her legs, making the dress rise higher unconsciously, another movement that would have Miroku dazed for hours at a time. However, Kagome was not male and only found the movement annoying.

"Quite the opposite actually," she began as she pushed a piece of stray black hair out of her face. "You see, I don't want the world like Naraku wants it. I'm like Kouga, I like this world. It's full of such wonderful things. For instance, ignorant, weak humans. If Naraku's plan succeeds, all cities and towns will be destroyed and the earth's land will be leveled. Then objects that your society holds so dear to them, like televisions and computers won't exist anymore. You won't be able to use them with no power lines and the demons would never let you rebuild them."

"I… I can do all that?" Kagome said in a mere whisper.

"You have the ability to destroy all that, but you also have the ability to keep it. I'd rather help you," the demoness told her.

"Why? Why would you…" her voice trailed off.

"I've worked for Naraku for a couple of hundred years now. I know some of his plans and I know that what he has in store with the power you have is not going to be good." Kagura told her, ignoring whatever she was going to say.

Kagome crossed her arms. "Why should I believe you, believe anything you say?"

"You don't have a choice. You're desperate for allies, because you could die easily at Naraku's hands. Or if he won't kill you, he can kill those you care for. It's always been the human's weakness." The demoness said the last line with certain disgust. "You need all the help you can get."

Her words were true. Kagome needed the help and although she was not sure she could trust the demoness, she might have some valuable information if she worked so closely with Naraku. Kagome needed that information.

The demoness raised a hand up to her hair and removed the white feather and began twirling it lazily in her hand. "So what do you say, Kagome?"

"Do I have time to think it over?" Kagome questioned.

The demoness inhaled sharply. "Getting here wasn't exactly easy, you know," she informed the girl in an annoyed fashion, "I can't be seen or it'll be my head on the line. I do wish to be your ally, but it can't be revealed as so until the time is right. I still have to fool Naraku because he could kill me easily."

It only made Kagome more suspicious. Her words made it seem more like a scam then her actually wanting to be an ally.

The demoness stood up and walked over until she stood only a few feet in front of Kagome. "What is your answer?"

What if she truly wanted to be her ally and she said no? Then would she be angry and go back to Naraku's side? If it was not a scam and she said yes, she gained an ally. If it was and she said yes, she neither gained nor lost anything. So the answer was simple.

"Alright," Kagome said cautiously.

She smiled deviously. "Good." She handed Kagome the feather. "A token to remember me by. I won't always be around, but if I have any useful information, you'll be seeing me."

She then turned and went toward the door. Just as her hand was on the doorknob, she half-turned her face to Kagome. "By the way, It's Kagura."

Kagura then left the room by doorway, too dignified, Kagome supposed, to use the window as Inuyasha always did.

So she had a new ally, just like that. Aside from her friends she had a seductress and wolves, which was not many compared to the number of demons Naraku probably had, but it would have to do.

Nonetheless, one thought kept going through her mind as she readied herself for bed that night.

Could she trust Kagura?

But Kagura was right about one thing. She was not sure she had a choice in the matter.

The shadow wrapped around Naraku's arm reaching up to almost his shoulder. It was neither hot nor cold, yet it had substance as it wrapped around him. It did not talk, but by the touch, Naraku knew all it had seen, or rather felt, since it did not have eyes.

He frowned, annoyed that the shadow had not found the girl. It had found someone, but not the human girl. It should have been easy to find the human. Then again, it should have been easy to kidnap her with the weakest of demons. Things were not working out according to plan.

Naraku closed his hand tightly around the shadow. It struggled for a few moment, screaming silently, then it disappeared complete into his fist.

He would have to take harsher actions.

The doors to Naraku's chambers were slammed open. Naraku watched it slight amusement as Yukio stormed into the room.

"You told me I could handle Kouga!" he growled.

Naraku eyed the intolerant wolf. "Be patient. I knew that the demon I sent would be no match for the idiot wolves of his pack. It was merely a distraction. We don't want anyone to get too suspicious if we stay away for too long. Besides, I don't want to use you until I absolutely have to."

"Just as long as I'm the one to kill him, I don't mind waiting," Yukio said, though his body language spoke differently, "just make sure none of your demons kill him in the meantime."

Naraku raised an eyebrow. "Giving me orders now?"

"No, my lord," he said through gritted teeth. No matter where he went, he was never on top. He'd always be somebody's lackey. He hated it.

"You're lucky I don't punish you for not only not capturing the girl, but also putting her on the brink of death. Do you know what would happen if she died?" he asked furiously, then threatened, "do something like that again and you won't be alive to take Kouga on. Do you understand?"

"Yes, my lord," he said, going down on one knee before the other demon, as much as he hated to. But Naraku was not someone Yukio wanted to be angry with him.

"Now who was this demon that interfered?" Naraku inquired.

"A hanyou, actually," Yukio corrected with great humility. How could he have been beaten by a mere half-demon? "I didn't catch his name."

"A hanyou?" Naraku asked with an eyebrow raised. No, it couldn't be him…

"Mom, I'm home!" Kagome called as she entered the house, shrugging off the bag on her shoulder. She had just gotten back from the priestesses' home and she was exhausted.

She received no answer.

"Mom?" she called once again.

Again, all was silent but she shrugged it off. Her mom must have taken Souta to the movies or something like that.

Kagome took off her jacket and hung it on the coat rack, along with her gloves. It was late November and things were starting to get very chilly, making a heavy winter coat necessary.

As she hung up her coat she noticed a white envelope on the floor next to the door. She guessed someone must have slipped it under the door. Curiously, Kagome picked it up, noticing her name printed neatly on the front by no handwriting that she recognized.

She opened it nicely, not wanting to rip the note inside.

However, there was not a note inside. There was a picture. And what a picture it was.

Kagome's face grew pale as the picture dropped from her hand and drifted slowly to the floor. She not too soon after followed it.