Ticking Timebomb

Chapter 54 – Bent to Fly

A/N: This chapter is in Hiei's POV (which I'm sure everyone has been chomping at the bit for since chapter 50, lol).

***I'm also going to put a warning here and won't ever again. Since chapter 52 this story will feature strong sexual content on and off until it comes to its close! If this makes you uncomfortable or you just don't want to read that nsfw kind of thing, please stop reading. I don't want to lose any readers but I don't want to cause any drama either!***

Thank you for the wonderful reviews I've received lately! All of you are so awesome!

. . .

Two weeks had passed. Two weeks in which I had stewed in anger over the disappearance of the dragon and his wretched sister. With the loss of that time, we had only a mere month left to find the heart.

And I no longer planned on taking it from the dragon Caius.

I would end the life of the child Kasumi had claimed as her own. I would erase that mark, scourge it from the worlds with a slash of my blade. Then I would cut the heart from the girl's chest and covet it as my own.

I had no plans to heed Hitomi's warning. To give the heart to Kasumi and allow her to devour it. Because the sister had also told me what happens afterwards, the effects the dragon's heart has on body and spirit.

Kasumi could not bear that weight.

But I could.

And I would. For her...I would. Because I wanted to end Ryuunosuke, save her from that fate she had so easily resigned herself to. I would prove her wrong in all regards. And she would learn that doubting me was the most foolish thing she had ever done.

It was late in the evening and we had made camp for the night. I had found a secluded area near a small lake, hidden in a grove of trees. The beasts that lived in them were fearful creatures and did not bother us. But that did not mean something more menacing would not make an appearance for food or water.

It was not easy to find a clean drinking source in the Makai and this lake was as clean as it came – the water crystal clear and ice cold.

I had spent plenty of nights among these trees during my time as Mukuro's second in command. I knew the area well and that is why I had chosen to take first watch. Yusuke had given up the duty with a relieved smile and promptly passed out next to the fire.

Kasumi on the other hand had argued with me. And I had not won that argument, not truly. She had decided to sleep, but she had remained with me, her back pressed against mine where I sat on the ground. She slept sitting up, as had become her norm here in the Makai. And in the two weeks we had been mindlessly wandering the plains of Alaric she had not left me alone.

Her attachment wasn't caused by the sex. Or her admission of...those feelings she supposedly had towards me. No...it was because her mind kept playing a running loop of my body crushed at the bottom of the basin.

She was afraid for my life. And it was senseless and it grated on my nerves even though it also made me feel...something. What that was I was not sure. But her constant worry was going to drive me mad.

Kasumi sighed in her sleep, her head thrown back and resting against my right shoulder. I tilted closer, breathing in her scent. Against my free side rested my blade but as I felt her shift, her body sliding against mine, I wished to toss it aside and pin her beneath me.

It had become a constant craving since that first night. And I had taken her twice more since then. She had the burns and kiss marks on her skin to prove it. But I wished to mark her with something far more permanent, so no other man would even consider laying hands on her.

Kasumi was mine.

But if I did not stake a proper claim...would she remain so? Or would another like Amano or Caius or Ryuunosuke come along and take her from me?

I hadn't had a right to react the way I had over Amano Ren. Kasumi was grown and could do what she pleased with her body...but it had fueled a fire so blazing it had taken all I had not to kill him.

But now...

I drew in a deep breath, trying to purge the thoughts from my mind. I could rectify that easy enough.

Except I remained trapped on a fine line of indecision. Should I step over that line...and toss aside everything I had worked for...my entire existence would change. I was not certain I was prepared for that.

And claiming Kasumi would come with its own set of trials. It would not be so simple as to accept her as a mate. I would need to bring her to Mukuro...and convince the damned mummy to free me of my position.

I would be giving up everything.

And I could not say that I was within my right mind. I was drunk on her. Intoxicated and infatuated with the human woman. It was despicable.

And yet I didn't seem to care. Not as much as I should, at any rate.

She was waking from her slumber, arching her back in a languid stretch, her arms lifting towards the sky. She yawned, settling back against me and said, "I'll take over now. Get some sleep."

Her voice was heavy with tiredness, thick from the few hours of sleep she had gotten. Her head still rested against my shoulder. I moved, arm reaching behind me so I could grasp her chin and keep her in place. I heard when my blade fell from my shoulder to the ground, my body twisting so I could draw closer to her. I kissed her, the angle awkward and uncomfortable, but neither of us gave a damn.

In the next breath I'd tugged my shirt off and hers followed soon after. It was a rush, a feeling that made my energy flare and my toes curl in my boots. It caused my fire to roar through my veins, to heat my skin, to send signals firing across all my senses.

She was like a drug – addicting and deadly but magnificent at making you forget everything. And I needed that fix, needed to feel her skin against mine, needed to taste and touch and fuck her until she was a screaming mess.

I had her naked and pinned against a tree before she was even fully awake. I fucked her with abandon, reveling in the sounds she made, in the way she panted my name over and over. The bark of the tree tore her back to shreds, but she only moaned louder, enjoying the pain. And she gave what she got tenfold. Her nails dug in and dragged down the bare skin of my shoulder blades, drawing blood. I growled low in my throat, hands burning her hips, lips leaving blazing trails down her chest.

The sex did not last as long as I would like it to. But it was not safe here. Back in our own time I would play with her until she begged me to take her, but here...

Suppressing my energy as the orgasm wracked through me was almost impossible. I covered her mouth with my hand, muffling the scream that left her when she fell over the edge too. She managed to put a clamp on her own power, but I could feel it writhing there beneath her skin, fighting to be free. It called to me, just as mine called to her.

Energy expulsion during sex was not normal...but it was not unheard of either. I had known, that first time, that it would occur with her. There would have been no way to stop it. Her energy always sang to me in a way no other's had before.

It wasn't just the bond. But I refused to read further into it, afraid of what I might discover if I did.

Kasumi sagged against me, her body still trembling with the aftereffects, hair mussed and skin flushed. I ran a hand through her sweaty hair, thinking once again how beautiful she looked. My thoughts a betrayal in themselves – a betrayal to the man I had been before I'd met her.

I let her catch her breath, holding her up against that tree, still buried inside her. She grinned at me, teeth flashing in the dark. "I hope we didn't wake up Yusuke," she said.

"That moron could sleep through an earthquake," I replied.

I settled her back on her feet, the sudden loss of contact making that craving for her return with a vengeance. Once we were back in our own time – and safe – I would take my time with her. She would be lucky if she could walk once I was finished. Hell, she'd be lucky if I even let her leave the bedroom.

I expected her to go put her clothes back on and try to force me to sleep. Instead she brushed a soft kiss across the corner of my mouth and moved passed me. She wandered to the edge of the lake, watching as the water lapped at the grass covered bank. The Makai had no sun...but the moons gave off plenty of light and it bathed her in odd shadows. Next thing I knew she was diving into the freezing water.

I flickered to its edge, seeing her swimming beneath the surface. She emerged near the center, shooting up from beneath, shaking the water from her hair. She grinned at me, "Wow, that's cold!"

I chuckled, shaking my head, "You'll catch your death."

But she didn't listen. She just fell backwards, floating across the water as if she didn't have a care in the world.

I sat in the grass, still nude, and just watched her. Kasumi was...different. It was why I had been drawn to her, why I had insisted on being inside her head since day one. I had wanted to learn everything I could about her. But even with the knowledge I had she still did things that surprised me. She had adapted and changed while still keeping the fundamentals that made Kasumi who she was.

My eyes narrowed in contemplation. But all reason fled when I watched as she brought her energy out and around her, electrifying the water. It created a shower of sparks and bright lights that reminded me of those fireworks that humans coveted during celebrations.

The electricity didn't hurt her, not even as the sparks skipped across her skin, bathing her in glowing pink power.

When she swam back towards me, the water sparkling and bright around her, I came to a decision.

I barely waited for her to rest her arms on the bank before the words were out, "When we return to our own time you will come with me to the Makai."

I wanted to take her to Mukuro. To plead my case to the lord of Alaric. Perhaps even to show the other woman why Kasumi was worthy of becoming my chosen.

At first what I had said didn't even register but after a moment her brows drew down over her eyes...and then anger flashed in their depths. "What?! No!"

I stared at her, confused. "Why?"

She clambered out of the water, her energy retreating back into its rightful place near her soul. She had her hands planted on her hips and she looked outraged, like I had just asked for something unreasonable.

I got to my own feet, so she would have no advantage over me. I did not understand what had incited her anger, but like hell would I lose this argument.

"My place is the human world! You can't just carry me off wherever you please."

That had not been my intention. She had misheard me. Kasumi did not understand why I wished her to accompany me. It was not for her to live there...but she had no knowledge of Mukuro. I realized I had not once told her of my position in the hierarchy of the Makai. She would not understand why I needed them to meet...why I needed Mukuro to see her for what she truly was.

Not just a human woman. Not just a vessel.

But pure potential. Someone strong and worthy. A woman I would live to covet as my own.

"I'll make you a deal," she said, before I could explain myself further. She strode up to me and ran a finger down my chest. She traced some long forgotten scar there, trying to distract me. "I'll let you do whatever the hell it is you want to do, if I survive the opening of the gate."

"You continue to doubt me?" I growled. "We will not lose so easily."

I was about to continue to refute her, to tell her once again for what felt like the hundredth time that she wasn't going to die. But I never got the chance.

I felt the energy even before Yusuke had the chance to yell out a warning.

Something massive came swooping out of the sky through the opening in the trees above the lake. It was too fast to make out what it was, but I had felt that youki twice before.

Caius.

The beast came barreling towards Kasumi and the woman swung around to defend herself. I launched in the air, prepared to kill the bastard, but he'd gathered Kasumi into his arms. And with a giant beat of his wings I was sent flying by a mighty gust of wind. I smacked into Yusuke, who had caught me a second before the trunk of a tree would have.

I heard Kasumi scream in outrage as Caius took back to the skies, as fast as I was on foot. She hadn't even had a chance to defend herself.

I was about to take off after them but a hand at my arm dragged me to a sudden stop.

I turned to Yusuke with my lip curled into a snarl, "Why do you stop me?!"

He cast a pointed glance at my nakedness. "Might want to think about putting some pants on first bud."

I wrenched my arm out of his hold. My fire blazed through my veins, my rage fueling the flames. It hadn't helped that the dragon bastard had interrupted an important conversation. I would take both his and his whore of a sibling's head for that injustice.

No one took what belonged to me. No one.

. . .

"Hiei...!" I didn't heed him. I kept the same pace that I had for the past week. I had not rested for more than a couple of hours a night. And wouldn't until I knew she was safe.

"Hiei! Come on man, slow down!"

Yusuke didn't understand why I was pushing myself as hard as I was. He could keep up just fine, and like me, had not truly rested in days. Hunger ate at my stomach and weariness had settled into my bones, but I still pushed myself further.

"Its not like you know where they went!" Yusuke shouted.

I dropped my speed just enough so I could run beside him. I turned to him, irritated, "Where do you think we've been going this entire time, idiot?"

"So what? You found her with the Jagan?" he hollered.

No. I hadn't. But let him think what he wanted. The first thing I had tried was the Jagan. I had tracked both their energies for a time before they had petered out, the dragon Caius realizing that I could find them that way.

So I had resorted to something else. Something I had at first cast aside as unwanted, an added piece of weakness I had done my best to forget about. Now, I could not deny that it had become useful. And without it I would have been unable to track Kasumi at all.

I cast a sidelong glance at the massive red monstrosity, sneering. The rope that connected us. The chains that bound me to Kasumi. It was frayed where I had allowed the Bokur to snip off a section, but it held strong to her heart, even miles away.

We had crossed over into Tourin. And now we traveled across a mountain range so vast you could not see its end. Below those mountains laid a valley with few plants and even fewer sources of water. Tourin was a glorified desert, made of stone and sand. It would have been easier to track Caius if the bastard had stayed in Alaric.

"So where the hell are we going then?"

I was tempted to ignore him, we had wasted enough time as it was. They had gotten so far ahead that by the time I reached them Kasumi could very well be dead. I was certain he planned to murder her to free his sister from Kasumi's mark. And each second the detective dallied my anxiousness grew, morphing into a rage so furious I feared I would melt the stone I was running along.

A hand shot out and grabbed my shoulder, causing me to come skidding to a halt. I swung at him out of instinct but the detective blocked my punch as easy as it was for him to breathe.

"Take a fucking break, Hiei. She's going to be fine."

"You don't know that."

"I do, okay. Caius isn't going to kill her."

I glared at him, my lips curling into a sneer. "And I am supposed to trust your intuition?"

"When have I ever lied to you?"

The answer was never. Yusuke was one of the only people I trusted in all the worlds. He had never led me astray or betrayed me. I conceded, casting my gaze off to the side, unable to admit he was right.

"See? Now take a fucking seat and eat something."

He threw Kasumi's pack on the ground, where he'd stored a decent supply of food and water. He flopped to the ground, releasing a relieved breath, and pulled off his shoes so he could rub his feet. He looked up at me, face a mask of annoyance. "It wasn't a suggestion. Sit your ass down."

"Who the hell are you to order me around?" I barked.

"The goddamn lord of these lands, that's who!"

"Not in this time you imbecile."

"Why don't you come up with some new insults, you ass."

I sat indignantly, a glare still trained on the idiot across from me. Yusuke just rolled his eyes and rose to collect any bits of wood he could find. There weren't many. When he returned he piled them on the ground and cast me a pointed look.

"Start it yourself," I snapped.

"Cripes, I figured after getting laid that stick up your ass wouldn't be so far in there."

I stared at him as if he were mental. "Laid?"

"You know – the horizontal mambo, burying the bone, the ole' bump and grind!"

"Has what remains of your brain leaked through your ears?"

Yusuke laughed, staring at me in disbelief. "You and Kas fucked didn't you?"

I growled low in my throat, a warning for him to shut up before I tore his tongue out.

"Oh come on, you two weren't exactly subtle." He sat back, stretching his arms above him. His neck released several pops before he settled into a more comfortable position.

"That's none of your business," I said, starting the fire with a snap of my fingers. It burst into flames, causing the detective to rear away from it. He'd missed being burned by a mere second.

"No need to be so hostile, jesus," he said. "It was bound to happen sometime anyway."

I chose to ignore that comment. In fact, I pretended the detective had ceased to exist. Because I did not want to look into what he'd implied – that Kasumi and I had been dancing around each other since the moment we'd met.

I'd been too careless...too obvious in my pursuit of her. That was one of the first things you needed to learn and adhere to in demonic courtship (the use of that term made me cringe) – stake a claim but do not dally. If the female was worthy, especially of a higher ranking demon, she would be coveted by others.

I'd made a mistake chasing her as long as I had.

But Kasumi was human...and courting her would come with a different set of rules. Ones I did not understand or care to learn. Then again, how could I expect her to adhere to the ways of demons...if I was so unwilling to learn myself?

"Hey," I was jerked from my reverie when the detective tossed me a drink. I caught it out of midair and sipped from the canteen gratefully. "We sleep tonight...and in the morning we pick up the trail, okay?"

I wanted to disagree...but the look in Yusuke's eyes told me not to. That I would regret it if I did. So I nodded begrudgingly and ignored his presence for the rest of the night.

But come morning...I did nothing but damn Urameshi Yusuke straight to hell.

. . .

Another week of boring travel passed. I killed anything that got in my way without preamble. I cared little for the consequences, my anger never abating. Yusuke's single night of rest had cost us dearly.

The idiot had fallen asleep during his turn on watch. And as it was the way of the Makai, the beasts that hunted at night had found our scents. But not just any beasts – giants had come to feed. Giants looked like over grown ogres and they were just as stupid. But their thick skins and large size made them a nuisance not easily dealt with.

If it were not for the fact I carried Kasumi's sword I would not have been able to cut through their hides at all. As it was, five of them had found us. A battle that destroyed half the mountain had ensued.

They might be stupid but they were also strong, with energy ranking in the higher A class. One...perhaps even two, would have been dealt with in quick succession...but five...

It hadn't helped they'd gotten a jump on us either, thanks to Yusuke's lax in judgement.

Once I had picked up the trail again I had not the faintest idea where it would end. In that time we had left Tourin and traveled back into Gandara. From there we had crossed into an outlaying territory, not ruled by any of the three kings. I was starting to wonder if the dragon wasn't running us in circles.

That was until I had come to a point where the thread shot sharply upwards, straight through the thick dark clouds that crossed over the ruddy color of the sky.

I came to a halt, staring up at that red rope glittering in the air.

It hung above a blackened ocean I had never seen before. Being outside of known territory made me wary. But I could not leave her fate to chance. And we were running out of time to retrieve the heart.

"What is it? Don't tell me more giants?" said Yusuke.

I rolled my eyes, my irritation with the other man not having waned in the slightest. "They're above us," I said in reply.

"The giants?"

It took every ounce of patience I had not to turn and hit him upside the head. "No, you fool. Kasumi and that bastard Caius."

"So, what...? They're just floating up there?"

I opened my Jagan, its power able to pierce through the clouds and see what was hidden up above. As I had expected, and much to my annoyance, there was an island above us. The Ice Maidens were not the only species that lived on a floating isle.

But this one was not made of ice and snow. It was made of solid stone and was covered in plant life. It seemed to have its own ecosystem, protected from the rest of the Makai. Everything was bright and vibrant...much like the Ningenkai.

That is not what surprised me...the amount of demons living on it did. I had been lead to believe the dragons were all dead. So what manner of beasts was Caius living amongst?

"There's an island," I told Yusuke, closing the Jagan.

"How the fuck are we gonna get up there? If I had Puu it wouldn't be a problem..."

I didn't want to admit that I hadn't the slightest clue. It frustrated me beyond belief, to have her so close yet so far out of reach.

"Why didn't Kas fight back?" I heard Yusuke mumble.

I began to walk away, my fury returning like a dog nipping at my heels. "Where are you going?" Yusuke shouted.

"Scouting," I ground out, flickering away.

I must have walked around the shores for hours. I never found a way up to the isle without the ability of flight. With each passing minute my desperation grew. I had lost her again. I had fucking lost her again...

And Yusuke's question still ran in circles through my mind. Why hadn't she fought back? Why hadn't she freed herself?

It made no sense...why would she want to be taken?

I crouched in the sand, my hands threading through my hair, pulling at the strands. She was driving me towards the brink of insanity. She never left my mind, occupying every available space. I hated it.

But I had enjoyed her body...a part of myself had even reveled in her confession. I wanted to believe it wasn't a lie...that each time she had told me in these past weeks that she had meant it. But why?

It was madness. Pure madness. Those feelings were not meant for someone like me.

Except...I did not want her to feel that way about another male either.

I was so lost in my thoughts, my convoluted mind so full of her, I made the fatal mistake of disregarding my surroundings. Surely, I would sense anything that approached me.

But not if they had planned to strike from the shadows. A trap that had been lying in wait specifically designed for Yusuke and I, one that had been set for days before our arrival.

I had no time to defend myself. No time to come up with a plan or even strike back.

Blackness engulfed me, a sharp pain in the back of my head the last thing I remembered.

I should have been more careful...

. . .

Sometime later I awoke with a sharp jerk, a yell on the tip of my tongue. The first thing I noticed was my energy, trapped and warded beneath my skin. It made me feel sick, giving me the urge to tear away layer after layer of flesh as if I could reach it that way. It was a horrible sensation to a demon, to have your energy locked away and out of reach.

It made panic flare up my throat and choke me. I felt as if I were drowning, lost in some kind of abyss.

"You awake?"

A voice in the dark. Yusuke.

My panic calmed a degree. I could see him curled up in the corner of what I assumed was a cell. The bars were warded...but so was our skin.

I looked down at my body, my arm that had once held bandages to conceal the dragon was bare. I was covered in swirling runes, painted on my skin in what looked – and smelt – like something's blood. It reminded me of the technique the shinobi Gama had used against Kurama during the Dark Tournament. I tried to wipe them off, going as far as to spit in my hand, but they did not so much as smear.

"Yeah, I already tried that," said Yusuke. "How's your head?"

I prodded the back of my skull, my fingers encountering a spot that was tender and crusted with blood. How they hell had these primitive fools gotten the jump on us?

"Fine," I snapped in return. "Why didn't you wake me sooner?"

"I tried," he replied with a shrug. "You were out cold."

"Fuck," I snarled, turning to smash a fist into the stone wall of the cell. It did not crumble as I had expected it to. In fact, it hurt my hand to the point I fell to my knees, clutching my now broken fingers to my chest.

"Well that was fucking stupid," Yusuke said with a laugh.

I glared at him, biting back the pain with shear force of will. I could hear footsteps coming our way. Now was not the time to show weakness.

I knew when Yusuke heard them too, because he turned rigid, sliding up the wall so he was standing. He looked as if he were calm, that this was no big deal, his usual cocky smile in place.

I knew better.

These wards did not just suppress our energy – they sapped our strength entirely. We were as weak as regular humans, ripe for the slaughter.

I walked to the bars, folding my arms across my chest, hiding my damaged hand. I knew who was going to round that corner. Once I had freed us from this dungeon there would be nothing in this world that would stop me from killing him. Nothing.

He stopped a few steps away from the cell, face impassive and cold as ice. He was dressed in garish colors, bright golds and purples that made my eyes burn. And all the while, those molten yellow eyes bored into me – a clear challenge that had me standing straighter, baring my teeth.

"Hello Jaganshi...and Mazoku."

"How the hell do you know that?!" Yusuke snarled.

"You smell of Raizen...but there is too much human blood rushing in your veins for you to be full demon," he answered.

I didn't care about that now. I could not careless what Caius knew about us. Only one thing mattered to me at this moment. "Where is Kasumi?"

"Safe," he replied.

I lunged at the bars, ignoring the pain in my hand as I wrapped my fists around the cold steal. My speed was gone as well. And so that panic began to swell, filling my throat to the point it became hard to breathe.

"Tell me where she is!" I hollered.

He sighed, dragging his eyes away from me as if I had bored him. I wanted to tear his throat out with my teeth. But not before I heard him beg for mercy as I ripped his heart from his chest with my bare hands.

"You must give up on her. She is no longer yours." He eyed me up and down, sneering as if what he saw disgusted him. "She will stay here...as Sayuri's betrothed."

I forgot the necessary need for air. Everything went still. My energy reared its head, angry, writhing, painful. It screamed to be released from its bonds. What he'd said was insane.

"What the fuck did you just say?" asked Yusuke. "Her betrothed? Is that some kind of joke?"

Caius raised an eyebrow, lips turning down into a frown. "Of course not. I plan to bind them to each other – permanently."

I really did scream then. My rage boiled over and with no other release all I could do was roar at the top of my lungs. He dared take her from me! He planned to bind her to his slut of a sister!

A demon bonding...it was different from the bonding of soulmates, different from human marriage. It was permanent, far more permanent than even shared mating marks. It tied the lovers' life forces together, entwining them for eternity. There was no way to override a bonding, no matter how powerful the other person may be. And if one of the bound died...so did the other.

I thrashed against the bars, as if I could break them with my fury alone.

"You will be released after the ceremony is complete. But she will not return with you," said Caius as he backed away from the cell.

"Wait a minute you asshole! We helped you and this is how you repay us?!" shouted Yusuke.

"You did nothing. Kasumi saved Sayuri...and she will make a worthy mate for my sister." The dragon turned, his clothes billowing behind him, and waved over his shoulder. "Make yourselves comfortable. You'll be in there a while."

All I could do was snarl through the bars, wishing to gut him as he walked away.

Kasumi would not stop me from devastating this entire isle. I would not rest until every last piece of it had been turned to ashes.

I felt my skin flare to life, the heat so intense I could feel it burning straight from my core outwards. It lit up the wards on my flesh, the skin smoldering. I looked down at that glowing orange, a cruel smirk curling my lips.

They could not hold me.

Not for long.

They would rue the day they dared imprison Jaganshi Hiei.

And once I was finished slaughtering their entire village...I would take Kasumi...and make her mine. Forever.

. . .

A/N: Oooh, possessive Hiei, you've got a reality check coming to you my love.

I mentioned a long time ago that I had a different take on mating and you will see that come into play here. There are basically levels – Human marriage, a mating mark given to one of the chosen couple (can be broken under the right circumstances or made to be temporary), mutual marks (permanent but the other will live on if one dies) and then bonding (which there is no undoing, EVER).

I meant to end the time travel arc this chapter, but it was getting too long so the conclusion will be in the next one. It will switch back to Kasumi's POV.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Some boring bits, but I think the ending made up for it. Until next time, thanks for reading!