Blood Of The Heart
By AriznGlori
A/N: Hola! How are you all doing? Well, I put up, decorated, and lit the Christmas tree all by myself this year to save my mom the trouble (pregnancy stress). But, for the first time in four years, I put up the Christmas lights, also all by myself! Yay Christmas lights! Ours look so awesome that, when people drive by, they usually slow down to take a look. Yay! Well, here is the tradition: ('-,-') KITTY! I am really serious when I say this, which is kind of sad: I CRAVE SALMON!
Disclaimer: What do you think??? If I owned Inuyasha and the gang, I'd be happy as hell to say the least. In fact, they're all going on my Christmas list!
Chapter 9: Malicious
Kagome went inside, intent on forgiving Inuyasha, then ignoring him. As she thought of this, she saw him leaving out the front door carrying a large suitcase. But before she could call out his name, he shot her a glare so cold it made her wince, and slammed the door so hard that two pictures fell off of the wall.
Sighing with regret, and muttering a "Sorry" that no one heard, she picked up the pictures and re-hung them. She felt a growing despair in her heart. She was too late to say sorry. But she would not give up just yet.
Pulling her mental self back together, she flung wide the front doors and walked outside, down the long drive, following the tracks in the snow made by a large suitcase, or perhaps several even, being dragged. She pursued the tracks into the street, and followed them to The Wolf's Den. After looking around once more to make sure there was no sign of Kouga, she at last stepped carefully inside.
Even at a glance, Kagome knew that Sesshomaru's wisdom about the pub getting more business was true; it was twice as packed as The Fox Den when she first came to Heinrich. Stepping carefully around various tables full of drinking men, she wandered up to the bar, looking for familiar faces, but saw none. She then peered closely at all the tables in the smoky room, but saw no silver-haired Sesshomaru or black-haired Inuyasha.
Remembering Sesshomaru's words though, she wandered to the back of the pub room, and saw a flight of stairs leading to upper floors, and a hallway leading to other rooms, probably the owners'. She quickly hiked up the rickety wooden flight, reaching the nearly silent upper floor in seconds. A single torch lit the hall, and dimly illuminated the doors of rooms, most probably vacant.
"Okay now," Kagome muttered, glancing at the various doors for hints. "Which room would it be?" She stood in the creaking hall, looking from door to door; afraid to open the wrong one and come across someone she might not want to meet…
"Hello Kagome." Like him… "What are you doing in my hallway?" Kouga stood at the head of the stairs, blocking her only way of escape. He smiled at her, his bright blue eyes luminous in the shadows of the hallway.
"Oh…Hello Kouga…" She curtsied politely. "I'm looking for Lord Sesshomaru's room… Do you know which one it is?" Kagome looked at him hopefully, but backed up slowly, trying to distance herself from him; she was, as far as she could tell, all alone up there with only him in the hallway besides her.
"Why do you want to know?" he asked casually, a dark smile crossing his face as he slowly, steadily approached her.
"N-nothing really," Kagome said with a small fake grin. "I-I got into a fight with Inuyasha, and he came here with his brother's traveling group and was helping, so…" Kouga had backed Kagome into a side table topped by an old ornamental silver bowl covered in layers of dust. She was now trapped.
"Kagome…" Kouga whispered softly, observing her, brushing a hand down the side of her face. "I know you lied to me…" He tucked a stray strand of her locks behind her ear; Kagome shuddered. What does he think he's doing?
"Why did you lie?" he queried in a soft, seductive voice as he kissed her neck, making her blood quicken beneath her skin. She was getting nervous now. He licked her ear, and nibbled on the lobe. Kagome moaned softly, partly in fear, partly in the unwanted pleasure.
"Liars are very naughty people, Lady Higurashi," he said, gently forcing a knee between her legs, backing onto the table and into the bowl. "Are you naughty?"
"N-n-no…s-s-stop…" Kagome felt herself start to shut down in fear. What was he doing? Why was he doing this when he barely knew her? How will she escape? Then she realized it: the bowl! She slowly reached her left hand down for it, and tried to move it, but he had pushed her into it too far. She couldn't move the bowl out from under her butt. She felt her fear pull into a solid object… felt herself build, and, with all the force she had, she slapped him, quite hard, across the face; so hard, in fact, that he spun around.
"Holy shit! What the hell was that for?!" Kagome, gasping in relief, grabbed the bowl just as Kouga came back at her. Quickly, she held it up. Kouga stopped.
"Don't you dare take a step closer to me," she hissed, "or I'll bash in your skull!" Kouga just raised an eyebrow at her; he obviously didn't believe she could do it. He took a step closer.
"Like you have the guts to hurt me," he sneered. He grabbed the bowl right out of her hands, and put it down; he pinned both of her hands to the wall with his left one, and began to hike up her dress.
"HELP ME! SOMEONE PLEASE!" Kagome wailed, kicking at Kouga as best she could. "INUYASHA!"
Suddenly, bursting out of the door nearest them, Inuyasha came. He stopped, and stared at Kouga and Kagome. Kouga scowled at Inuyasha and hissed, "Go away. Haven't you seen two lovers before?"
Inuyasha scowled deeply, his hands balling into fists; his eyes glinted dangerously. "Remove your filth from her," he growled, "or I'll castrate you and watch you bleed to death."
"Oh, touchy," Kouga said sarcastically. "You're not her lover!"
"Who says you are?" Kagome grumbled.
"Do you even know her?" Kouga continued as if he couldn't hear her.
"I'm Inuyasha Krischan, and I am her fiancé," Inuyasha hissed. "Now release my Kagome, or I'll kill you very, very slowly." He cracked his knuckles for good measure. Kagome felt her spirit lift, and she swore her heart skipped a beat when he said fiancé.
"Inuyasha," she whispered softly, smiling. Kouga turned to her, and scowled disapprovingly.
"You liar…you really are naughty!" He smirked a little. "You are a spunky one at least, and very pretty. I like that in a woman." Kagome glared daggers at him in response, which only made Kouga smile wider.
"Kagome!" Inuyasha said, glancing sidelong at her, that golden glint still in his eyes. "Are you alright?"
"Y-yes, Inuyasha! Thank you," she said in wonder. So he isn't mad? "Kouga let me go!"
"No! You're my woman!" He pulled her into his chest, held her there like a human shield. "I won't let that mutt of a man take you away!"
"You're woman?!" Inuyasha raged. "YOU'RE WOMAN?! Come here, you little piece-of-shit excuse for a whelp-"
"Ah! Don't hurt me!" Kagome wailed. She attempted to put her arms up to shield herself when Kouga swung her in the way of Inuyasha's blow, but her arms were pinned to her side by Kouga's strong hands. Inuyasha stopped himself before he hit her, looking for a way around the human shield Kouga now had.
He cursed in frustration, but then saw the bowl, lying on the floor in front of him. Quickly he snatched it up. Like a discus, Inuyasha threw the bowl so it rebounded quickly off two walls before hitting Kouga squarely in the back of the head.
The dark-haired youth with the icy blue eyes fell forward, on top of Kagome. Kouga was knocked out, Kagome hoping that it was for good; Inuyasha pulled her from underneath the man's knocked out body.
"Thank you Inuyasha!" Kagome wept in happiness, burying her head in his chest. Inuyasha was thrown off. Nervously, he made an odd petting motion on her back, and lightly gave her a hug.
"Y-you're welcome Kagome," he said blushingly. "I'm glad you're okay. You are okay, right?" he peered at her worriedly, looking her up and down as though he would instantly be able to tell. It was enough to make Kagome flash a huge smile at him, turning the rather self-conscious man into an even brighter shade of red than he already was.
"Of course I'm okay, thanks to you!" she said, hugging him tightly. "Thanks to you, Inuyasha, I still have my virginity!" She giggled into his chest, the tears still coming. Now Inuyasha was getting confused.
"What? He was raping you?" Inuyasha looked at her seriously.
"You couldn't tell?!" Kagome fumed. "I was pinned to a wall and he had his knee between my frigging legs! Of course I was about to be raped! You're so thick-headed sometimes, Inuyasha!"
"I thought he was going to hurt you, but not that way!" Inuyasha howled.
"Why else would a guy hurt a girl?!"
"I don't know, Kagome! People are sick these days!" Inuyasha said in a huff, crossing his arms. Suddenly Rin popped out from the doorway.
"What's going on out here, Uncle Inu? What hap- Oh dear! The boy who likes Kagome is dead! Inuyasha, did you kill him? Well, you obviously did, what with that look of plain guilt on your face- No, don't crack your knuckles at me! That's such a bad habit, Inuyasha. After all, people get arthritis that way! Yes sir, that is a horrible…Ah! Lord Fluffums! Inuyasha's going to hurt me! Wait a second…you're a mean man, mister Inu; scaring a little girl like that. What did the boy do to deserve to die? Did he do something naughty?" Rin asked an adorably cute way.
"Err… yes…He was bad and had to be punished but he's not dead yet…is he?" Kagome said uneasily to the little girl. Rin huffed, looking annoyed.
"I know how to tell if he's alive."
"You do?" Inuyasha raised an eyebrow and smiled.
"Of course," Rin said in a prissy way. She walked up to Kouga, kicked him very hard in the loins, and when he groaned loudly, she announced with grim satisfaction
"He's alive."
Kagome sighed. "Darn it Inuyasha, you missed."
Inuyasha glared at her. "Missed what? You're insensitive ranting?"
"No. If I'm right in the head, I'm pretty sure that even you heard it."
"Stupid girl!"
"Go to Hell!"
"It doesn't get much worse than this, Kagome!" Inuyasha growled. "I'm done helping Sesshomaru. I'm going back to Miroku's."
"Fine, but not without me!" Kagome pouted.
"Sorry, but I'm leaving you with Mr. Reinhardt and Rin-tin-tin."
"I like Rin-tin-tin!" Rin jumped happily.
"Anyhow, I'm still following."
"Prove it, wench."
"You're going to die now."
"Not if I get inside first and lock you out." Rin watched, amused as Kagome and Inuyasha raced back to the house. "Idiots… They're totally into each other." Kouga stirred, and sat up, rubbing his very sore neck. Rin sighed.
"Lord Sesshomaru, there's a pervert trying to get me. Ah!" she said half-heartedly. Sesshomaru's head appeared in the doorway, and he glared at Kouga, cracking his knuckles in preparation of torturing the man. Kouga gulped.
"Ha! I win!" Inuyasha declared with a satisfied slump on the chair in the parlor.
"What took you?" Kagome said, already seated on the couch.
"You cheated…" Inuyasha huffed, glowering at the smirking girl. "You always cheat." Kagome shrugged it off.
"I didn't. I took a shortcut through a gap in the wall the separates the gardens from the tavern, and came in the back door. Ha."
"That's not the way you're supposed to take."
"You never said what route to take, so I still won."
"Grrrr…"
"Quit snarling, puppy dog."
"Oh, now I'm going to kill-" Inuyasha got up, cracking his knuckles.
"I was saved from assault, Inuyasha! Don't kill me now! I've got things to live for."
"Whatever… bitch…" he muttered.
"Oh, you're really chivalrous, Inuyasha! Is that how you plan to sweep me off my feet?" She raised an eyebrow, watching him, daring him to say anything.
"No. I'm going to find something to read in the library."
"Good luck," Kagome smiled, watching as he walked toward the library. She smirked, and began counting. "Three…two…one…" SLAM!
"Ouch! Kagome, do you know how dusty this floor is? Ah, my ass is going to be killing me for weeks!" Inuyasha could be heard, moaning, scrambling to try to get up. He must have succeeded, because he came walking out of the room, his butt covered in a thick gray layer of dust. "That's not normal."
"Neither are vampires."
"Speaking of which…you said, way back on the way into town, that you saw the man in your dreams for the first time… and he called you by…. A different name… What was it?"
"It was…it was… Hang on…Admit, I know this one…it's on the tip of my tongue…"
"Here we go again," Inuyasha sighed.
"I remember! Ha! He said Kikyo, you silly dog of a vamp, you!"
"What?" Inuyasha gaped at her.
"Kikyo, Inuyasha! Kikyo was what he called me." Kagome looked at him with earnest.
"Not that, you silly wench! What did you call me?"
"I WAS TALKING! NOW SIT!" Kagome roared, her face going green and eyes going red for two brief seconds while dark flames shot around her. Inuyasha sat (it was more like a drop, but for the sake of reason, we'll go with sat, ok?) down on the chair, eyes wide, jaw dropped to his chest.
"Dear Holy Lord!" he gasped. "I've never seen you do that before!"
"Anyways, back to Kikyo!" Inuyasha's jaw dropped further at this.
"Kagome, I hope, for your sake, that it wasn't Kikyo Lamarr." Inuyasha couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"He never said a last name…why?" Kagome frowned.
"Where's Sango?" Inuyasha asked urgently.
"I don't know. Perhaps she's in the garden?" Kagome sarcastically replied.
"Let's get her!"
"What? Why?"
"I think she knows who Kikyo is!"
"Hold on a second! Kikyo is a real person?"
"Yes, Miroku said her husband murdered her!"
"Well, that's nice…so my dreams are mistaking me for a dead woman?"
"I don't know..."
"Sango, I'm so glad I found you!" Kagome said happily finding Sango placing dead flowers in the rotunda. "Inuyasha hasn't gotten to you yet, so before listening to anything he says, be aware that he is a nutcase."
"You think?"
"Sometimes."
"Sango!" Inuyasha said, coming into the rotunda from the opposite side. "I'm so glad I found- Oh man, she beat me! Anyways, I was wondering if you could find out how many Kikyos lived in this village."
"How the Hell should I know? Get one of the family tree books out of the library or something."
"We can't even walk in there, Sango," Kagome grimaced.
"Well, no one's been in that room for forty years. Of course it'll be dusty," Sango said as she placed down the flowers. "Excuse me, but I need a few minutes to pray. Leave now."
"Thanks for the help. Come Kagome!" Sango watched as Inuyasha threw the girl over his shoulder like a rag doll and ran inside.
"Miroku would laugh if he saw that." She glanced up at the window to her and her husband's chambers, and smiled when she saw her husband blow a kiss from the window. Then, she began her prayers for more flowers.
"What was the last name of that girl?" Inuyasha whined, looking at the huge assortment of family history books, all labeled with different last names. "This looks like… City Records or something!"
"Well, maybe someone important who needed all this stuff lived here."
"I need Miroku to find out Kikyo's last name was. He said Lamarr, but she married Onigumo Lamarr, so that must not be her maiden name. MIROKU!"
"WHAT?"
"WHAT WAS KIKYO LAMARR'S MAIDEN NAME?!"
"AMELIA!"
"THANKS!"
"SPANKS?"
"NO! THANK YOU!"
"OH! YOU'RE VERY WELCOME!"
"Okay Kagome! Look for the book of the Amelia family."
"Got it."
"Huh?"
"It was the prettiest, so I picked it up first."
"Women…anyway, look for Kikyo."
"Okay." Kagome opened the elegant volume, carefully turning the pages of yellow parchment. She went through 200 years worth of family and family members without finding a single 'Kikyo,' but when she drew into the last few pages, she found what she was looking for. "Inuyasha, I found the last part of the family tree."
Inuyasha perked up, and leaned over her shoulder, intent upon reading as well. Below the tree adorned with pictures under which names were displayed, there was a great paragraph describing the family. He spoke aloud:
"'The eldest son of Clyde Amelia, Draco Amelia, wedded the daughter of the Orlandus family, Georgette, and had two daughters, one by the name of Kikyo Amelia and one by the name of Kaede Amelia. Status: Clyde, Draco and Georgette are currently deceased and buried in the Graveyard of the Lost, the old Necropolis being taken by the count during this time. Kikyo Amelia wed the count, Onigumo Lamarr, Lord of Heinrich, and had a son, who died in labor. Both are currently deceased. Kaede avoided marriage by joining the local convent. Because of this, Draco committed suicide, for he was hoping to have grandchildren, and was denied. Kaede is now the Head Sister, third only in authority over the archdiocese of Heinrich to the Mother Kordula and the Bishop Jonathon.'"
"Kaede's the Mother of the Sisters now," Kagome said. "No wonder she left for the Church wit a family like that. Wow! I remember that!"
"Well, at least we're not as screwed up as this family is," Inuyasha grinned slightly. "Wait… The pictures of Kikyo and her husband… they're getting darker..." Indeed, before they could be seen or looked at closely to make identifications, the pictures darkened, fading to black before Inuyasha and Kagome's eyes.
"Oh no… not again…"Kagome trembled, watching as the pictures, now totally dark, began to burn in their centers. "Not another nightmare…"
Inuyasha gaped at Kagome. "A nightmare?" A loud boom echoed from the book, an invisible force blasting the two into the shelf-lined walls of the library. The centers of the pictures of Kikyo and Onigumo erupted in flames, and book began to burn itself, fire trailing onto the dusty floor, feeding on the dirt, flames licking the marble floor, scorching it, making it too hot to stand on. The deathly cry of a dying woman filled the room as a tower of flame shot up though the ceiling.
End of Chapter 9
A/N: Hola peoples! This is getting good, no? But there are a few things that you must read on to find out about. What happened to Kouga? Is Sesshy going to kill him? How did Rin get so smart? Is Sango a freak? Where's the flea? What's Miroku doing all alone in his bedroom? And then there's the annoying cliffy… Read on. Okay, this is the second time I want feedback like this:
How do you rate Blood Of The Heart on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 the worst and 5 the best? Tell me in your reviews! Prays to get more See you in the 10th installment! OMG! 10! It's the double-digits! Oh, I'm so proud!