-1Disclaimer: Inuyasha and friends are Rumiko Takahashi's, not mine.
A/N- I know you all have been waiting- er- patiently for this chapter and I want to apologize for how long it took. I had some unexpected baby-sitting jobs come up as well as some difficulty trying to get this chapter written. I know where I want it to go, but I 've had some trouble getting it to come out right. Feel free to review with any problems, complaints or praise, and by all means enjoy reading.
Chapter 8
Last time:
"I never said I would not kill him..." Sesshomaru said matter-of-factly as he calmly snapped the man's neck. Kagome gasped in horror. He did not even release the man until the last spark of life faded from his eyes. The body hit the ground with a muffled thud.
But he promised. He gave his word, Kagome thought numbly as she watched the demon's actions.
Sesshomaru calmly walked over to his armor and extracted Tenseiga and Tokijin from where he had left them earlier that night. He placed them on the piece of furniture he had used to block the door, one of the few things that had not been complete destroyed by his poison claws.
Kagome felt a smile twitch her lips and relief that made her want to laugh. How could she have forgotten about his father's fang? "You only promised he wouldn't die. You were planning to use Tenseiga to revive him all along."
xxxxx
Birds softly sang their morning greetings as the first pale rays of dawn peeked above the horizon. Insects accompanied with a chirping symphony while the wind danced softly among the upper canopy of the forest. The first few sounds of life stirred in the village, but none of these things had awoken Inuyasha from his pleasant dreams.
The half-demon let out a grunt of pain and squeezed his eyes shut as a small knee attacked his groin for the third time. After the initial shock had subsided, Inuyasha looked down at the tiny black head resting against his chest like an innocent cherub, then he moved his gaze to her demonic little appendage that had assaulted him.
"Oi, I think this is all a ploy by Sesshomaru to keep me from ever having pups," he muttered to the sleeping girl. She merely murmured softly and curled herself against him.
Glancing back to make sure Kaede was still sleeping, Inuyasha let a smile curve his lips and he gently brushed her hair back from her face with his claws.
"Ahh! You filthy half-breed, get your hands off of Lord Sesshomaru's ward!" a shrill voice shrieked.
Inuyasha growled in discomfort and flattened his ears against his skull. Unfortunately, the shouting woke Rin who jumped excitedly to her feet and shouted, "Lord Sesshomaru!"
"No, you foolish human, that is my lord's half-breed brother, and I don't think Lord Sesshomaru will be pleased to return to find you consorting with that ruffian," the voice continued.
Inuyasha glared at the squat, green source of the noise and snapped, "Hmph, I don't think my brother will be to happy to know you couldn't protect Rin from a few little demons either, toad."
That got the little imp shaking.
"Master Jaken, you fought bravely but there were just too many. Inuyasha came to save us, then he carried you here so the nice priestess could help you," Rin explained. She skipped over and gave the little demon a crushing hug. "I was worried that you would die, Master Jaken."
Inuyasha noticed that the demon blushed a little and stopped struggling against her grip so much.
"Who would Lord Sesshomaru kick around if you were gone?" Rin continued in her childishly happy voice and then skipped out of the hut. "I'm going to check on Ah and Un."
Jaken opened his mouth to rant at Inuyasha, but the half-demon decided that the girl's company was preferable to the demon's and ran out after her. Shocked at being abandoned, Jaken ran after them wailing, "Wait, Rin! Why did you leave me with her, milord? I would be of much better service at your side!"
After stumbling several times over his feet, his staff, and absolutely nothing at all, Jaken finally reached Ah-Un. Rin giggled as he staggered up panting for air then squealed, "You lose, Master Jaken! Let's race again!"
Then before either Jaken or Inuyasha could protest, she was sprinting into the forest. Demon and half-demon glared at each other, then Inuyasha sprang gracefully after her, jumping from tree to tree as he went. He was starting to enjoy this little game when a scream split the air and sent his heart racing.
It came from the direction of the Bone-Eater's well sounding over and over like a siren from Kagome's time. Arriving at the familiar structure, Inuyasha found Rin standing near the bodies of the demons he had slain the day before screaming over and over.
Flattening his ears in agitation, he crossed his arms and barked, "Stop that, girl! They're dead already."
The girl ignored him and continued to scream. Jaken burst through the underbrush a moment later while he brandished his staff and shouted threats.
Inuyasha rolled his eyes and said, "You know, if it had been a live demon, she'd already be dead. Why does my brother keep you alive again?"
"Hmph," Jaken sniffed. "I don't need to lower myself to speak with one such as you, half-breed." Turning to Rin, the toad snapped, "Stop that noise, you foolish human."
Rin continued to scream while Jaken pleaded with her.
"Do you do this for that bastard too, or do you listen when Sesshomaru tells you to stop?" Inuyasha growled at her.
She fell silent immediately at the mention of her lord. "Do you think he will return today?" she asked suddenly.
Ears still ringing from her shouts, Inuyasha studied the well sadly for a moment as an image of Kagome flitted through his thoughts. "He better," he muttered angrily while his hand hovered over Tetsusaiga's hilt.
Breaking himself from the frustrating musings, Inuyasha said, "Girl, why don't you stick close. I have a feeling that he'll be coming through here when he comes back."
Rin clapped her hands and jumped excitedly. "Oh, good, and we can pick flowers. Master Jaken, come help me find lots of flowers to give my lord when he returns."
Jaken shot Inuyasha a hateful glare as he reluctantly followed his charge. "And just what will you be doing?"
"I'd love to hunt flowers too," Inuyasha told him with a smirk. "But I need to get rid of these demons' bodies."
He jumped over to the nearest corpse and called out to Rin, "Hey girl, I think there's a large patch of pink ones just beyond the trees over there."
"Oh, thank you, Inuyasha," she exclaimed and ran over to see for herself.
Grinning maliciously now, Inuyasha added, "Yeah, make sure to get lots of pink and purple if you can find them. Those colors would look really pretty on Sesshomaru."
In his mind, Inuyasha pictured his brother staring coldly into space with a large wreath of pink flowers on his head and more spread throughout that knee-length hair. A large purple one rested behind a pointed ear and more were braided into the fur he wore on his shoulder.
"Yeah, really pretty," Inuyasha said softly before breaking out into a fit of laughter that had his sides aching.
Rin was lost in her own happy thoughts of what was probably a very similar image of her lord, but Jaken eyed him warily before moving a little closer to Rin.
xxxxxxxxxxx
Sesshomaru stirred upon noticing the lack of warmth against his chest and the loss of the calming fragrance he had been inhaling. More disturbing was the unpleasant scent of the healer that seemed to have been imprinted all over his body. Yet all these scents were paled by the overwhelming stench of his own blood.
And the pain. Not since he had received that blow from Tetsusaiga had he felt such weakness. How had that simple human weapon done this to him?
He lay still trying to assess his injury as well as his inexplicable actions. Judging by his position in the wench's bed it had been more than just a dream. Yet what angered him most was that he did not even feel upset by this, rather he felt content. The slightest of movement told him that the doctor had attempted, feeble as it was, to restrain his arm and leg,
The healer's conversation with the wench finally caught his attention. So, he is curious as to my power, is he?
At that point, the healer's scent moved in close as the man bent over to look at him again. It took all of Sesshomaru's efforts not to stir with amusement as he heard the miko's defiant warning against touching him. Her remark earned her a slap and Sesshomaru slit an eye open to see her reaction.
He could tell it had hurt her because she shied away from the man, but the defiant rage never left her eyes. The miko's gaze passed over him, so the demon quickly closed his eye again not wanting to be detected just yet. He still wanted to know what exactly this doctor wanted with him, but if the human wench decided to provide entertainment, then there was nothing to keep him from enjoying it.
Their useless argument continued and his rage only grew. That wench seemed to feel obligated to defend his actions and character against this healer's accusations. It was her fault he was obligated to protect her life, her fault he had even had to come to this human wasteland and suffer the curiosities of mortals, then she further insulted him by dignifying this healer's insults with responses on his behalf.
He felt a slight prick in his neck, then a surge of elated triumph in the healer's scent. Ridiculous, that mortal believed he had gained some victory over him by pricking his neck? Apparently, to mortals this prick was some sort of devastating attack because he also sensed a spike in fear from the miko when it happened.
Enough, he had learned all he needed from this petty healer. Now he could relieve some of his frustrations. Sesshomaru opened his eyes and stared at the healer's back waiting with scarcely veiled amusement for the man to realize that he had not been successful with his attack. A smile played across his lips as he contemplated the many ways this man would meet his end.
When the man finally turned, he jumped in the air before regaining a semblance of composure.
The miko noticed and giggled. Apparently they would both enjoy this. He addressed the man, but his eyes drifted once again to the little miko who sat attached helplessly to that chair with a confident smile on her face. A spark of relief passed through him that she was well, but that was replaced by a surge of hateful rage. It was her fault, and yet she sat there grinning at him like he was that stupid half-breed about to rescue her yet again.
He was surprised when her smile faded and she seemed to pass into some inner argument with herself. Had he allowed her a glimpse of his anger? Regaining all composure, Sesshomaru sat up and purposefully began to repair his appearance, silently basking in the mounting fear of the two humans. It only excited his predator instincts, but he calmed himself. Unlike earlier this evening, there would be no hunt to appease him, so he could not allow himself to succumb to his blood lust.
Despite her obvious enjoyment at the healer's expense, the miko yet again interfered, pleading with him to spare the mortal. Her argument was surprisingly valid and well-spoken, and he had agreed knowing that allowing the man to live, did not mean he could not kill him first.
He ignored the wench's protests as he effortlessly squeezed the life from the man. He dropped the man and returned to retrieve his Tenseiga, but now that his anger had been sated, the pain began to come back.
"You only promised he wouldn't die. You were planning to use Tenseiga to revive him all along," the miko suddenly said, her voice almost quivering with relief.
Sesshomaru ignored her. He had no reason to explain his actions to her. He studied the two swords trying to combat the pain he felt. It had taken more strength than he cared to admit to keep up his show with that mortal, and now that strength had begun to wane. His scars were almost gone, so why was he still in pain and weak?
He felt the miko moving up behind him. Her scent crept around him like a mist, clouding his senses and reviving the image of her smiling warmly down at him, arms extended in an unconditional welcome. Sesshomaru dug his claws into the wood trying to ward off the effect she was having on him. Why did he desire her touch? Why did he want to hear her speak softly to him, reassuring him that it was all okay?
"Sesshomaru?" she questioned softly, as her soft hand brushed his shoulder. He felt his skin shiver beneath her touch, but fought it. Unfortunately, his body revolted, sending him a brief fit of coughing. The pain sent him to his knees as he felt as though his body were tearing slowly on the inside. A bright red stain coated his hand when he withdrew it from his mouth.
I am still bleeding within then, he observed silently.
A warm, slender arm snaked around him once again as the miko sank down beside him and gasped, "Sesshomaru, you're still injured. You shouldn't have shown off for that guy if you were still so badly wounded."
He glanced at her, locking his gaze with hers. The brown depths were filled only with a compassion and concern that stirred a loathing in his own. He despised that face, her face that wrecked havoc on his emotions, that toyed with his mind and manipulated his actions.
"Silence! Save your pity, wench. I have no need of anything from a human. Remove yourself from my person," he snarled at her and shoved her back with enough force to send her sliding across the floor several feet. Yet even as he pushed her away, his arm wanted to pull her against him.
The miko's eyes blazed and she jumped back up to her feet and wagged her finger at him as she shouted, "You sure didn't seem to mind this human wench when you climbed into bed and started feeling me up, you arrogant baka! All I'm trying to do is help! It's not like it's my fault you were dumb enough to get yourself shot. I didn't ask you to come through the well which, by the way, I still don't understand how you did it."
Sesshomaru noted that her anger seemed to be spent, and she began to exude a completely different emotion. Pathetic how open mortal were with their feelings.
"Please, lay back. I know you can heal quickly, but you've never encountered guns before. Two of the bullets went through, but one stayed inside and the doctor said it tore you up inside. Even a demon will need a lot of rest after something like that."
"Do not waste your concern, and do not think I am here out of any compassion for you," Sesshomaru snapped at her through his gritted fangs. "It is a direct result of yours and that hanyou's foolish actions that I am here. Had you simply minded your own business, I would not owe you a life debt, nor would I be plagued by flashes of images that make no sense."
Kagome stood over him with her arms crossed now and she tapped one of her toes. "Are you referring to the day we saved you from the demon and that cursed mirror, because I could have sworn that you said our story was- what now? Oh, yes, ridiculous!"
Sesshomaru eased himself to a seated position against the wall using his fur to cushion the hardness of the wall. He glared at her and replied, "It is ridiculous." It is ridiculous that I would have needed the aid of a mortal or my half-breed brother. It is ridiculous that your presence soothes me even when I hate you for it. "What is this effect you have over me? What do you have that I could possibly need or want? What draws me to you?"
Sesshomaru continued to stare blankly at her as he thought, but she gasped suddenly and went to her knees in front of him. Her eyes were wide and her face pale. She leaned in, a confused anger causing her tiny frame to quiver, and asked in a very low voice, "What did you say?"
Sesshomaru felt a shock run through him though he effectively hid it. He had spoken his thoughts aloud, albeit unintentionally, and he refused to reveal that he had had a slip of the tongue. Besides it would be interesting to learn her answers to these questions.
"You heard, wench. I will not repeat myself."
Could it be curiosity that drove him to her? He studied her feminine form and the soft features of her face. His father had fallen to a mortal woman, was he trying to understand his father's weakness? Was it simply his body responding to the call of a female, a simple matter of lust as revolting as that idea may have been? After all she was not a completely unpleasant human to look on.
The wench sat back on her heels and touched her fingers to her lips as though deep in thought on what he had said. "I only hoped I hadn't heard," she whispered softly.
On impulse he reached out and caught her chin with his hand, he could feel his claws pressed against her delicate skin. Could such a fragile thing really command his interest? Her fear at his sudden movement only furthered his resolve as he bent forward and captured her lips with his. He ignored her violent protests as he tasted her, cutting her lips with his fangs only to lap up the blood with his tongue.
She jerked back violently when he released her and reached up to staunch the blood from her lip with her sleeve. Her eyes blazed with anger and to his surprise, hurt. He saw her open palm coming and did not try to dodge or block it. His mind still worked around his new information he had gained.
She whimpered and caressed her own hand, apparently stung by the force of her own blow, glaring at him all the while.
"Interesting," Sesshomaru said, then he watched in amusement at the emotional display his remark inspired.
Defiant anger won out and the wench snapped at him, "Oh, you liked that, huh, pervert? Well, I didn't, and if you think you-"
"It was not enjoyable to me either, wench. I find you no more pleasing to look on than to be around," he interrupted his mood greatly improved by this realization despite his physical pain.
Her anger melted into confusion then she asked, "Why?"
"Because you are mortal, you are weak and I am not my father," he told her, inwardly upset by her audacity. Didn't she like Inuyasha?
Her anger flared again and she snapped, "Not about that, you arrogant jerk. I don't care why you don't like me, and just so you know, you are too effeminate for my taste. I want to know why you're doing this? Why do you feel drawn to me, or feel that I have something you need or want, though obviously it's not in the physical department?"
"That is what you will explain to me, miko," he told her, his own temper ignited by hers. "What did you do to me during my time with you and your companions? Why do I have no memory of this? Strange emotions continue to assault me and I find myself more and more reluctant to kill or even despise you and the half-breed. You both conspired to make me indebted to you against my will."
"So in other words, you don't know why the heck you're drawn to me, and don't like not knowing," she stated wryly. "You remember enough to know we spared your life and feel you owe us, but you aren't happy about that either. Inuyasha was right."
"I find that highly unlikely," Sesshomaru retorted.
"I thought that you had been following us around because you felt guilty about being so rude and wanted to apologize in your own stuck-up way. Inuyasha asked if I remembered who I was talking about," she muttered to herself as though she hadn't heard his comment.
"Are you sure it's not my dazzling conversation skills that interest you? You don't seem to talk much and a little girl and a brown-nosing toad can't be all that stimulating conversationalists."
Sesshomaru rewarded her miserable attempt at jest with a blank stare. At least he hoped she had been joking. He had doubted her sanity from the first time he laid eyes on her, so he could not certain.
She clapped her hands together and said, "Okay, not a time for jokes I see."
He offered his favorite response, heavy silence.
"So you can't remember anything that happened after you touched the mirror until the day you left us? But you say you feel things, towards me and Inuyasha, that you normally wouldn't? And you feel drawn to me in particular, like I have something you want?"
Sesshomaru stared at her. How dense could she be? He refused to dignify such idiocy with an answer.
She rolled her eyes at him and said sarcastically, "Don't say anything if I'm right."
He glared at her in annoyance.
"Now glare at me. Good boy, now, roll over!"
Sesshomaru fought to keep a growl from his lips as his eyes flashed red. He lunged forward, wrapping his claws around her neck as he said, "I may be honor bound to protect your life now, but that does not mean I value it. I can live without knowing the answers to my questions if you continue this insolence in the presence of your betters."
"Sorry, it was just a joke," she muttered under her breath.
He tried to glare angrily at her until she bowed in submission, but he felt the searing pain flare at his sudden movement. The miko had said there was still one of those tiny pieces of metal inside him. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on the pain until he managed to locate it just below his left lung.
His claws released the miko who began to gasp for air, then plunged through his flesh hunting for the offending piece of metal. Quickly, Sesshomaru found and drew it out. The thing gleamed defiantly in a shining coat of his own blood. He cleaned it on his clothing and then destroyed it with the poison in his claws.
He had almost forgotten the miko's presence when he felt her gently pressing a cloth over his self-inflicted wound. Eyes still closed he let out a warning growl which she predictably ignored.
"Do you not understand, wench? I do not need your aid, and the more you force it upon me, the more I loathe you," he told her as he pushed her across the floor yet again.
She returned and continued to bandage him as she replied, "Yeah, yeah, well it'll be a lot more fun to hate me once you're not in pain, and you'll heal faster if the wounds are treated."
He did not feel like arguing with the wench further, so he remained silent while she worked. If she thought this would dissuade him from killing her for her behavior, then she would be a very disappointed corpse.
"So, what do you want or need?" she asked in a light-hearted manner.
"I, Sesshomaru, do not bend to a wench's curiosity," he told her icily.
"I meant," she almost hissed through her teeth, "that if you can tell me what kind of thing you want or need, then maybe we can figure out just what it is you're drawn to in me."
He remained silent, considering. "Power."
"What?" the woman he now was certain was deaf asked.
"I seek power and conquest," he repeated.
"Yet the Shikon Jewel doesn't interest you? Because I have some shards and they could be calling you like they do to other demons," the miko responded quietly.
"No, I have no desire for the jewel, I am strong enough that it would be of no use to me. That is merely a desperate ploy of the weak to imitate true power. The Tetsusaiga I desired as my birthright and a formidable weapon to complement my own strength not increase it," Sesshomaru explained, not sure as to why he did.
He turned his gaze on the wench and added, "You see now why this irks me? You are nothing but a weak, useless mortal, you have no power. Therefore you have nothing I need or want."
"Just like Tenseiga, huh?" was her quiet reply.
Sesshomaru ignored her.
"You know, for being such a wise and respected demon lord, your dad sure did father two complete bakas! I can't believe just how stupid you two mutts can be!" the girl shouted so suddenly that Sesshomaru actually jumped.
"Well, just to let you know, those two weak, useless things you despise so much saved your life. Instead of dying, Tenseiga saved you by reverting you back into a child. I jumped into the river and saved you from drowning. I held you in my arms while you cried."
Sesshomaru felt his control slipping. This mortal dared address him in such a manner! He found he had her pinned to the floor with his claws pressed against her pulse before he realized his own actions, though he decided not to amend this for the time being.
"I cared for you, protected you," she continued in a steady voice, meeting his gaze. "Did you ever think that maybe there is a power I have that you don't, and you want it?"
"Your abilities as a miko have no appeal to me, wench," he informed her, growing more agitated at himself for not removing her head.
"Not that power, Sesshomaru, a power that I had never shown you until I pulled you from the river and held you to my chest. It is the same power that lured a frightened young demon to my side in the middle of the night. It is a power your father tried to teach his son so that he could achieve the greatness he desired."
The haunting image of the campfire in his dreams returned.
"Despite the fact that you and Inuyasha hate each other, your father loved you both equally. He wanted to give both his sons a chance to be all-powerful by leaving Inuyasha the Tetsusaiga to give him strength, and bequeathing Tenseiga to you to teach you to love," she went on.
Her voice rose in anger again. "I mean, really, you and Inuyasha are both fools afflicted with the same curse. He doesn't see the strength he has where you do not see the strength you lack. You yourself claim to seek ultimate power, yet you refuse the one thing that would give you this. Instead, you see it as a weakness and a failing. It's not your arm that makes you cripple, Sesshomaru," she moved her eyes toward his left stump, "it's your inability to love."
She seemed to reconsider, then added, "No, not an inability to love. You recognized the power of love in Inuyasha and respected him for it when you were a child. You are simply unwilling to love."
Sesshomaru still did not know why he had not killed her yet. Her words seemed to take on a force of their own as they assaulted his composure. He snarled at her and shouted, "You know nothing, girl! My father was weak, he died for love a human and a hanyou at the hands of a mortal, no less."
She met him anger for anger, shout for shout. "That is not weakness, you baka, it was a sacrifice of love, the greatest feat of strength! And something you are not yet powerful enough to do."
Sesshomaru remained silent. He did not want to consider her words, but they had been heard none the less. Worse, he could think of nothing to rebut her. He did not notice when he had released her, but presently she was kneeling in front of him with his Tenseiga gripped in her hands.
"But your father believed you could learn," she whispered softly as she presented the sword to him.
Sesshomaru extended his hand and took the sword from her without a word. She dropped her hands to her he knees and, to his utter astonishment, gave him a sincere bow of respect.
Kagome lifted herself and smiled inwardly. She could only hope that he had heard some of what she had said, and would consider it later. She also hoped that he realized her show of respect was sincere, though she doubted her sincerity meant anything to him.
The demon lord regained his feet not giving any outward sign of his recent pain. His gaze turned toward the window that had begun to fade from a deep black to the soft pink and purple of an approaching dawn. She noticed the blood caked on his kimono and glanced down at her own clothing. The shirt was torn from where the demons had first struck her then cut by paramedics when they inspected the wound.
I look like I've been fighting demons all night, she thought to herself. I wish I had my pack and a change of clothes. And a nice, hot bath wouldn't hurt either.
She glanced back up at the demon who was still enjoying his favorite hobby of staring pensively into space. Clearing her throat, she used her friendliest voice and said, "Um, Sesshomaru, would you like me to wash the blood from your kimono?"
He did not answer her or even glance in her direction, but he did shrug out of his garment revealing flawless ivory skin, except where he had pierced himself to get the bullet and the ugly stump of his left arm. She feared for a moment that he might remove the pants as well, but he did not. He turned his head away from her sending a curtain of white hair over his shoulder shielding his exposed flesh from her gaze.
Kagome blushed furiously then escaped into the tiny bathroom. It was sparsely furnished with a stand-in shower, toilet and a small sink. Turning on the shower, she plunged her hands and his kimono into the steamy stream of water. Twice she nearly stripped and jumped in herself, but finally settled for a simple face washing.
Feeling somewhat refreshed, she wrung out his clothing as best she could then returned to what remained of the hospital room. The demon had not moved an inch, and did not appear that he would anytime in the near future. Skirting the body of the doctor on the floor she ran over to Sesshomaru and returned his garment. Without even an acknowledgment or a gesture of gratitude, he took his clothing and dressed, surprising her again with his one-handed dexterity. He then, with a little more difficulty, put on his armor.
Kagome fought the urge to offer help knowing it would only anger him and his stupid pride. Once he had finished, he turned to face her looking every bit the accomplished killer he was. Tokijin and Tenseiga hung at his waist, and his fur rode proudly on his shoulder. His demonic aura filled the room with the presence of pure power.
Turning a completely passive face to the doctor, he said, "He will pay for his deceit."
With a melodic ring of metal on metal, Tenseiga leapt from its sheath. She watched in awe as he stared at the man as though looking for something. The air split with a hiss as the Tenseiga cut a swath of white light through the air around the man's body.
Slowly, the doctor began to breath again, then he began to stir as though waking from a deep sleep. Sesshomaru smoothly returned the sword to its sheath and stood waiting for the man to revive completely.
"What? How? I- you killed me," the doctor stuttered as he stared up into the cold eyes of the demon.
"This Sesshomaru does not lie, mortal. I said you would not die by hand, therefore I would not have killed you if I did not have the power to bring you back," Sesshomaru stated as he continued to burn the man with his gaze.
Kagome smiled at the slight emphasis on the word "power" knowing that it had been for her benefit. Probably the closest to a thanks she would ever receive.
"But you are a liar, and all will know you for what you are," Sesshomaru continued.
He pinned the man beneath his black shoe, sighing at the crunch of bone as ribs cracked beneath his effortless strength and crushed the life from the man yet a again.
"Okay, now I think you're just having fun," Kagome remarked. She crossed her arms and put a feigned look of disapproval on her face. To her complete surprise, Sesshomaru turned his head slightly and smirked at her, before using Tenseiga once more and pinning the man with enough force to crack ribs, but not kill him.
After the man had sputtered his surprise, Sesshomaru knelt so that he could reach the doctor's face. A deadly claw ran across the man's cheek making the flesh seem more like delicate rice paper by proximity. Both Kagome and the man shivered at the contact. A soft green light enveloped the claw as Sesshomaru drew a slight amount of poison to its tip. The man screamed as the poison ate into his skin, dissolving through to the deepest layer, but Sesshomaru continued to trace out strokes of a word.
When he had finished, he released the man who curled himself into a fetal ball clutching his now disfigured face. Kagome stared at him, then gave Sesshomaru a questioning look. He responded by pulling the man's hands from his face to reveal the acid burns that read "liar" in a perfectly written script.
The doctor whimpered, and covered his face again once the demon had released him. Sesshomaru walked over and retrieved the vial of his blood from the remains of the nightstand. Kagome fell into step behind him as he walked toward the door and jerked it open, nearly pulling it off the hinges in the process.
Kagome nearly ran into his back when he did not keep moving. Catching herself just in time, she peered around him to see what had caught his attention.
"Oh, shit!" she swore under her breath.