Chapter 6:

Shadow of the Past

"Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru asked, his voice deadly cold.

"My Lord," Azami interjected. "May I ask a question? Who is this Inuyasha?"

"Do not speak his name to me!" he hissed.

"I am sorry, My Lord Sesshomaru," Azami pleaded. "But who is he?" She began feeling dizzy. Her head spun.

"Why did he send you?" Sesshomaru asked the bat demon. She quivered in fear. "Speak!"

"He wanted her dead!" the demon screamed, pointing to Azami. "That was his main objective. But he also wanted you dead. Please, I gave you the information you wanted. Now, let me go. Please, My Lord."

There was a thump behind Sesshomaru. He turned. Azami was lying on the ground unconscious in a small pool of her own blood. Sesshomaru turned back to the bat demon. His hand shot out and took the demon by the throat, crushing her windpipe and snapping her neck in two.

Azami came to in a small hut. Her vision was blurry and the room spun slightly. She tried sitting up, but her chest stung and a pain shot through her right arm. It was night and no one else was about.

"Now what?" she sighed. She looked around, thinking to herself. "I wonder how long I've been out of it."

"Two days," came Sesshomaru's voice from the doorway.

"My Lord!" Azami exclaimed, sitting up. She let out a gasp of pain, falling back onto the bed.

"Don't move," Sesshomaru commanded her. He moved towards her bed. "I brought you here for a speedy recovery. With all of the blood you lost, I was unsure of how long you would stay unconscious."

Sesshomaru bent down, his long hair brushing at Azami's bare arms. "I was worried, Azami."

"I thought you never worried," she teased.

"You've managed to worm your way into my heart." He lightly kissed her forehead. "Stay here..." He turned to leave.

"Well, it's not like I can go anywhere." Sesshomaru shot her a glare over his shoulder. "Sorry, My Love. Lord!" she said quickly. "Sorry, My Lord."

Sesshomaru turned again, smiling secretly. He walked through the door into the night. Azami sighed. Real smooth, Thorn. Real smooth. She rolled over gently and fell asleep.

It was storming outside. A small girl huddled in her room, clinging to a stuffed dog her mother had given to her two years ago for her birthday. There were frightening noises coming from outside the window. Giant booms, terrifying barking, and the lights. The lights were scary because she never knew when they would come, but those booms always followed.

The little girl tried to lie down in her bed and go to sleep again, but it wouldn't work. The lights and noises kept her awake. She looked to the window. Two bright yellow yes stared back at her. The little girl screamed...

Azami jerked awake. She had been screaming in her dream. All she could see were those two yellow eyes. Those same eyes had haunted her dreams since it happened.

Azami looked around the room. The door was shut and the windows were covered to keep out the draft. It was just a dream, she thought to herself. It was just a dream. But I haven't had that dream in years, not since...

She shook her head. No, it was only a dream, nothing more. Just a faint memory... she hoped.