Enjoy!
I don't know why I said it or even how I thought about it, but it hung in the air in silence.
Kurama looked at me. "Every action has a reaction, Guinevere."
"I know that," I snapped in frustration. I was frustrated with myself that I had actually told him that I had wanted to stay. Why had I said that? The bigger question was why I wanted to stay here? That I did not know.
"Why do you want to stay here?"
"If I go back, then I'll never get any freedom. Freedom from that place is all I ever wanted, even if I am abducted to do so. Here I can be free without the concern of whether I am too slouched over or too loud or disrespectful. I usually want to scream at my mother by the end of the day. My father will never let me out of his sight if I go back. I'd hate that. So I can stay here and possibly, I stress the word possibly, become a thief or I could run away and live my own life."
"You want to become a thief?" he asked, trying to hide the amusement in his voice.
"I said it was a possibility. That doesn't mean I want to, but I am considering the idea."
He hoisted himself on his elbow and turned towards me. God, he was hot. I felt myself blushing, but I didn't look away from him.
"You are serious, aren't you?" His eyes were searching mine to find some hint that I was joking. Unfortunately, I wasn't joking.
I shook my head. "I'm serious, Youko. You said yourself that I am a thief and a princess. Why are you so surprised?"
"Women aren't great thieves," he stated. "They are too caring and some don't have enough if any upper body strength. I can't treat you special, so you have to pass a few tests."
I sat up. "So?"
He raised his eyebrows. "There are quite difficult and if you can't handle one, then you can't become a thief. What will you do then?"
I shrugged. "I'll pass them. Don't worry."
"Aren't you the cocky one?"
"Look who I've been with this whole time," I retorted.
He smirked at me. "Comedian now?"
"Hey, I can be whatever I decide to be. Comedian, thief, princess. I'll be it. Just watch me."
"I'll do more than that," he mumbled.
I looked up at the sky. "It's beautiful out here. I almost forget about every worry I have."
"That's what mother earth does. She comforts you in ways that no one else can."
"Do you miss her?"
"Who? Nika? No, she gets annoying quickly and is sometimes a pain when it comes to treaties and deals. She knows nothing and yet she expects people to think that she does. I still take pity on her."
"I meant your mother, Youko," I whispered.
I had never been more terrified of anyone in my life. His ears went against his head and his tail whipped fiercely. His golden eyes burned with such anger and hatred and stared right at me. His voice, once teasing and seductive, became rough and fierce, "Why do you ask such a question?"
"I just wanted to know," I said tentatively.
"It's none of your concern," he snarled, "She betrayed everyone and deserved to die. I don't give a damn about her anymore. There are you happy?! You got your answer. Now stop asking me about her!" He was breathing heavily and growled each time he exhaled. I watched in a state of horror. He was terrifying and yet I felt no fear. His appearance frightened me, but I felt safe next to him. I touched his arm lightly, but pulled back quickly when a fierce and savage growl escaped his lips.
"What?"
"You hate remembering her," I whispered.
"You figured that out. Good for you."
"Perhaps because you hate to remember that you had to kill her, your own mother." I was pushing my limits and I knew it well enough. I wondered if he had no problem killing me.
He looked at me curiously. "What?"
"You hate to remember her because you hate to remember that you killed her. She was your mother, Youko, I understand that-"
"You understand nothing!" he snapped.
"I understand that you feel some guilt of killing her," I stressed.
He snorted.
"I bet you didn't even know why you killed her," I said venomously. "You just listened to what your father told you to do."
"She cheated! The damn woman cheated!" he shouted grabbing my wrist and pulling me towards him.
"What?"
"My mother cheated on my father," he spat, "That's why I had to kill her. She had sex with your grandfather."
"You don't know that for sure," I protested.
He threw me away from him. "Damn it! You don't understand! She cheated on my father with your grandfather. My father didn't know because he never saw. I did! I decided to kill her for what she did! I killed her without permission from my father!"
I stared at him, a light breeze lifting the hair off of my neck and on my shoulders. He had seen his own mother have sexual intercourse with another man. I felt even worse for pushing him to tell me. I would be scarred for life if I ever saw that. I looked down, embarrassed of my own actions. "I'm sorry I asked."
He was still breathing heavily. "Don't ask me of her anymore, do you hear me?"
I nodded. I didn't want to know anymore. The less I knew, the better I'd be off.
"So what are these tests I have to pass?"
"They are tests that push you to your limits and see where your strengths and weaknesses lie. They will test you on your strength, both upper and lower body. They will test you on your decision making, whether to leave someone behind or save them in certain situations. You will also be tested on your speed, swiftness, and thieving ability. The entire test taking process will take a week minimum and may take as long as a year or two," he said casually.
"A year or two! That's crazy," I exclaimed sitting up.
"It all depends on how well you do within each test," he explained, "Some tests are timed while others have no time limit. Like I said before, most women do not have what it takes to become a thief. That's why I rarely have any female thieves."
"I thought it might have been for another reason," I mumbled.
"What does that mean?"
"God, can you hear everything?"
His ear twitched. "Yes."
I laughed at how cute he was and then blushed as I realized what the hell I just did. Why was I attracted to him? He was vile, cruel, and a thief, but that didn't really help in this matter since I was to become one. He had a wife and a child. I would never be able to have a family with him. And why was I thinking about that? Why would I want to have a family with Youko Kurama? My head pounded as I argued with myself. I thought too much about too many things.
"Guinevere," he said standing up.
"Hmmm?"
"Get ready for your first test."
I felt an arrow graze my neck and I jumped up.
We were being attacked.
Another relatively short chapter, but some things needed to be said and better short than long, right? Please review! Thanks for reading!
