Disclaimer: Why do I even bother with this? We all know that I don't own the damn show.

Chapter 8

My eyes opened slowly, sluggishly blinking away the "sand" from them. The room was dark, and I was lying on something soft.

My head also still hurt like a son of a bitch.

I pushed myself up with my arms, so that I was supporting all my weight on them. I looked around the room, taking in the low table, the floor mats, and another person. I jumped when I noticed the other presence, but quickly relaxed, slightly, as I recognized him.

"Hiei?" I called.

"What, human?"

"I have a name, jerk," I growled back.

If I could have seen him in the dark, I'm pretty sure that I would have found him glaring at me. I felt kind of bad about being antagonizing, after all, he had saved me from the...void. But then again...maybe I didn't. It was too fun a thing to pass up. In all truth, it's kind of cute when he's pissed off.

And I would never, ever say that out loud.

So instead, I decided with a better line of questioning. "How did you force your way into my vision? You should have been able to do that. In fact, you should have been scorched, like the others."

He gave a shrug that meant everything and nothing.

I frowned, pressing, "How did you do it?"

Again, my query was met with silence. Then, it dawned on my. It had to be a... "You have a third eye," I whispered out loud.

There was movement in the dark. His head had swung around sharply, catching my eyes with his, I could see them glowing crimson.They were blank, those red eyes. Perfectly and utterly blank. "Do I?" His voice was soft.

"Yeah, you do. That's why you were the headband. It's the only explanation. Even if you had talent in divining, you still shouldn't have been able to worm your way into my vision, which means that you have another way. A way that allows you to see the unseen."

More silence, then, "It's called the Jagan Eye."

"I've heard of it," I responded. "A third eye that could be surgically implanted into a demon, endowing the demon with abilities in the area of sight, and other areas as well."

I think he nodded. I just couldn't see well in the blackness. I pulled out a small thread of power from my core, channeling it into my palm and creating a small light. I continued speaking as I did this, still pursuing the issue, "But even with the Jagan, you shouldn't have been able to do it. You should have been burned like..." I trailed off as the obvious answer dawned on me.

Sometimes I just couldn't stand my own obtuseness.

"A Fire Apparition," I stated, "You're a freaking Fire Apparition."

"What of it?" he growled.

"Nothing. Just amazed that I didn't figure it out before now."

Another glare was all I received.

"Fine, have it your way," I told him, then asked, "Where are the others?"

"They left to try and pursue that vision of yours."

"And your here because..?"

I heard him mutter, "Damn you, Kurama," under his breath.

I didn't press this issue.

A few moments passed with out words. Neither of us seemed in the mood for talking. Hiei seemed to just be at quiet (or anti-social, depending on howyou looked at it)person by nature, and I was too busy dealing with my own thoughts.

I was focusing mainly on what the hell I had seen in the fire. That...thing had been so different from any other demon I had ever encountered. I didn't know how to kill or fight it, and I knew how to kill and fight a lot of things. My grandmother had taught me all she knew over the three years that she had trained me before her death.

This thought led me down a different thought path. I thought about my grandmother, from my father's side, and how she had rescued me from my...uncle. I thought about all she had taught me...and about her death.

Just another reason why I don't like getting attached to things, they all die. I sighed, not sure of what the fuck was going to happen next.

A small, quick movement to my right and I was already moving. I hadn't even thought about it, just my body reacting. I lost the light as my concentration shifted, plunging the room back into darkness. Unfortunately, I was a little wobbly, and I didn't get far. I was in the process of losing my balance when a warm hand wrapped around my upper arm, catching me. I followed the arm to find its owner looking down at me.

"What is it, Hiei?" I asked, trying my very best to ignore the heat spreading from his hand, from where his skin was touching mine.

He frowned and let me go. "Hn."

"You need a bigger vocabulary..." I grumbled, angry with myself for having the slightest bit of attraction to the Fire Apparition. Since when did that happen? I sure as hell didn't need it.

But of course, the body never listens to the mind.

Four hours later...

I heard the front door open and feet shuffling against the floorboards. I rose from my seat in the kitchen. I had asked Kurama, who had stopped in briefly three-and-a-half hours ago, if could bring me some books from my house, and he had. I had been pouring over the ancient texts for overthree hours straight. My eyeballs were literally twitching in their sockets and my vision was slightly blurry.

But it was worth it.

I think I found our big, ugly bad guy. But there was a slight problem...

"We're back!" Kuwabara yelled.

I winced. My headache was still here, though not nearly as strong. It had faded to only a dull throbbing behind my eyes.

The entire gang flooded into the kitchen, all of them looking tired and frustrated. "We didn't find anything helpful," Yusuke announced angrily. "Not a Goddamn thing!"

Botan broke in, "We have a lead with the kidnapping though. That's a start."

I was about to add my two cents when Yusuke muttered, "A lot of good that does the girl he's gonna kidnap next."

"Uremeshi's right," Kuwabara stated, "We don't even know who this guy is working for, let alone-

"Actually," I interrupted, "I think I might have something for you there." Astonished eyes all fell on me as I pulled out an old book. The leather was red and worn, tattered. There was no title, but I knew it to be a compendium of different demons, and their races. It has been compiled over the generations in my family, each generation adding their own entries when they encounter something new. I flipped to a page near the beginning.

I read, "Anexis, Class S demon. It feeds on anything with a substance, as it has none of its own. A creature of nothingness, a void, completely with out emotions other than the ones that arise out of the most basic of needs and desires, it is capable of ruthless and yet practical planning. Highly intellegent."

"Wow, that's handy," Kuwabara remarked, "What is it?"

"A book of demons compiled by my family," I informed him.

"Does it say how to kill the fucking son of a bitch?" Yusuke asked.

"Anexis cannot be killed," I read from the book.

"Shit!" the detective exclaimed. Other such exclamations came from the others as well, except for Yukina. The Ice Apparition just stood there, completely solemn.

As the others began an impromptu argument over plans, she asked me, "He was sealed away, wasn't he?"

A hush followed the girl's words.

I nodded in response and continued to read out loud the entry, "The entity has been sealed away through cooperation between our family and a collection of demons and human mages. Anexis fed on any and all, making no distinction between Demon World and Human World. It is an elemental seal that will keep it locked away," I finished reading. I snapped the book closed, "It then proceeds to give a description of the ritual that was used, and the spell that was said. The book also provides information about how the seal might be undone."

"Let me guess, five femalemages for each element must...donate their souls to release the binding," Hiei remarked.

"That would be it."

"So, now we know what it is, and how to stop it," Yusuke threw out for confirmation.

"Yep," I agreed.

"Call me crazy," Kuwabara said with a smile, "but does this mean we have a chance?"

I smiled back, and it wasn't a very nice smile, I think. "That's right, and what's more, this means that we could have a plan too."

(A.N.) Ok, look guys, reviews would be nice, even if you have nothing nice to say. So if you are reading, but not reveiwing, just start. I need a little self-esteem booster right now. Thanks.