Part 13: Council
A/N: Hello all, I am sorry for the late update. I fell ill and unfortunately had to take a break with writing to take care of my health. I am doing much better now, and have time to focus on this fic once again!
Thank you for reviewing:
Maria-Reynne
Reesexxoo
Nihao-tiger
Little25victor
AmorPorSiempre (Thank you for the nice PM)
Disclaimer: No matter how much I wish for it, I unfortunately own nothing except my plot, and a few OC's here and there.
"So, what do you think Mama? Did I not tell you Kagura is talented?" Kagome asked as she gently twirled, showing off the green flared dress I had finished making for her this very morning. She had been serious when she had asked me to make her a new wardrobe. I was just happy she enjoyed wearing the clothes I had made for her. She was my very first client, and seeing the joy on her face as she got to wear a garment I had made with my own two hands pleased me beyond words.
"Very talented indeed. You look fantastic honey!"
Mrs. Higurashi was a nice middle-aged human lady. She was the living stereotype of what a mom should be. Even now, during Kagome's fashion show, the older Higurashi was keeping a close eye on a bunch of pots and pans on the stovetop, which constituted what she had called a 'small family dinner'.
This was my first visit to the shrine. I was a bit nervous. I was not used to being around a bunch of humans; especially not a family dedicated to spirituality. Kagome was not only a miko, the descendant of the guardians of the Shikon Jewel, but her family also lived in a freaking shrine! I had been a bit worried about stepping on sacred grounds, but nothing had happened to me so far. No lighting bolt fell from the sky to strike me, and I had not been paralyzed by some sort of binding ofudas. The shrine was just like any old house.
"Mama, you should let Kagura make you a dress for your special day." Kagome picked up Izayoi from her bassinet, and gently cradled her fussy newborn against her chest.
She was so comfortable and knew how to handle the baby. I idly wondered if when the time came, I would be as comfortable taking care of my own babies. A small blush and secret smile found themselves on my face. Who knew, at the rate things were going, maybe my girlish dreams of silver-haired babies were not so far-fetched after all. Sure, Sesshoumaru and I had not talked about our future together, but I knew he liked kids, why else would he have taken in Rin after all? And, I knew he was coming to care for me. Maybe down the line, we would have children of our own together. That sure would be a way to get mom to like Sesshoumaru. No way could she hate the father of her only grandkids.
"Kagura, I'm sure you could make a great dress for Mama for her high school reunion. It's in three weeks, should give you plenty of time, no?"
Kagome's question brought me out of my thoughts. I looked over the older Higurashi woman with a critical eye. She had married young, and despite having a grandchild, she still looked youthful, and had a great figure. I could come up with a nice cocktail dress to show off her great body in a tasteful way. If I was to dress her, I would probably encourage her to have a total makeover. She needed a new more modern haircut. Who still permed their hair in this century?!
Kagome must have noticed my nodding because she happily squealed.
"Mama, Kagura will make sure you look fantastic, and you never know, you might just meet someone." She gushed, way too excited about the prospect of her mother finding love and companionship again.
"At my age? What foolishness!" Mrs. Higurashi blushed. She was an attractive woman, and would look terrific if it wasn't for her horrendous housewife clothing and her hair. She definitely needed a makeover, and I was up to the task.
"Did you not tell me your former classmates Mr. Kanzaki would be attending? The same M. Kanzaki who recently sent you some gifts." Kagome gently rocked her daughter to sleep just as she teased her mother.
"Don't be ridiculous Kagome, I had run into him at the grocery store for the first time in years and he had seen I was feeling poorly, so he sent me some fruits as a get well gift. Nothing more."
"Sure Mom, but I do wonder why then he is he the only of your former high school classmates you said you were eager to see at the reunion?"
I smiled at the way Kagome's words prompted her mother's face to flush a painful shade of red. I knew all about secret crushes, but mine had turned out happily. I promised myself then and there I would do my best to help Mrs. Higurashi get a happy ending of her own.
Souta, Kagome's teenage brother made a gagging noise before running out of the room, the family cat clutched in his hands. I guess no teen wanted to find out about his mother's potential love life.
"Keh! The kid is right. That's not a conversation I ever want to be a part of." Inuyasha, who had been my escort tonight in case Naraku would be crazy enough to dare try anything also ran away from the kitchen. Sesshoumaru had insisted Inuyasha accompanied us. Well the hanyou had planned on coming anyway. He was still not totally on board with the idea of using his in-laws as bait, but had grudgingly agreed when faced with the determination of the Higurashi clan to face down a potential threat.
"If you ask me, would be about time. My son has been gone for quite a long time." Kagome's grandfather grumbled under his breath from the spot where he had been quietly sipping his tea.
We three women had been so wrapped up in our planning, we had completely forgotten these three men were around.
"Father…" Mrs. Higurashi's blush only became brighter at her father in-law's words. She went back to her pot quickly stirring her soup. Guess she needed a distraction from the conversation taking place.
"So girlie, you said you wanted to find out more about our family history, so come with me and I'll show you something good." I figured the old man meant me, but before I had the chance to speak up, he had left. Damn for looking so frail, he was actually quite energetic.
"Go on ahead, Mama and I will get dinner finished up while we discuss what's the best look for her dress." Kagome commented as she put back her now sleeping daughter in her bassinet.
I rushed out and quickly made up the small shape of the old man. I followed him in silence as we crossed the living room, and went outside. I wondered where exactly he was taking me when we exited the house and headed to a small wooden structure on the side of the main building of the shrine.
Kagome's grandfather turned on the light and I saw we were in what seemed to be some sort of decrepit well house.
"The Shikon no Tama, Sacred Jewel, Jewel of the Four Souls, Shikon Jewel, many names for one of the most powerful artifacts to ever be. The size of just a small marble, but containing power beyond your imagination. It is said it was born right here, in this very place." The old man opened his arms wide, clearly proud of his family's heritage.
"Our ancestor, the miko known as Midoriko, was the greatest and strongest priestess to ever be. She was so courageous she took on a hoard of youkai the size of which the world had never seen before! They battled for seven days and seven nights with no interruption. Midoriko might have been the strongest miko ever, but she was just a human, with a human's mortal body. Soon her exhaustion got the best of her. As she felt her end coming, she made the ultimate sacrifice. She decided to bind her very spirit with the one of the youkai she had been battling. Thus killing them and herself, and creating the Shikon Jewel. Since then the jewel has been protected by our family, and our guardians the Moru clan. Sadly they are no more, but we the Higurashis still stand strong." The old man stroked his small white beard, lost in his own thoughts.
"Where is the Shikon Jewel?" I had been enthralled by his tale. Did I think he had exaggerated some parts of it, absolutely. However considering the lengths Naraku was willing to go to just to find out more about that sacred jewel, I guessed there was some truth to it.
"I would never tell you that. I am the only one to know the whereabouts of the Jewel, and will only tell my grandchildren on my deathbed." The old man stuck out his lower lip stubbornly. "Now if you want to find out more, I invite you to wait for this spring when we have our guided tours of the shrine and the grounds. Let's go back to the main house. I'm ready for my dinner, and it's too cold out here. The first snows will be coming within a week, mark my words."
Indicating that the discussion was done, Kagome's grandfather walked out of the well house. To my frustration, this visit had left me with more interrogations than answers.
Despite the reassuring words I had given Sesshoumaru the day the Council was called, I was nervous. Whatever Naraku was planning, it had to be bad. Why else would he call all four Lords to convene? Due to lack of trust and safety issues, none of the Lords would agree to meet in the territory of the other. The Council meeting was therefore taking place in a no man's land, a small stretch of town that belonged in the territory of none of the four Lords.
I insisted on joining Sesshoumaru and his team. I realized that was unusual to have the companion of one of the Lords present. Most would of course bring their henchmen and business partners, but I doubted wives, girlfriends, mates or whatever would be present. However I also knew Naraku better than any of Sesshoumaru's men. I was the best able to figure out what his next moves might be.
Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, Miroku and I were riding in my lover's silver limo, heading for the meeting spot. I wished I had been able to get more information on the Shikon Jewel, but despite my research, and what I had found out from old man Higurashi, I still was not able to figure out Naraku's plan, and that pissed me off.
Inuyasha was scowling. Not only did he not like leaving his wife and children behind, but his older brother had forced him to wear a proper suit and tie as he was representing the whole Tashio clan during the meeting. Until Sesshoumaru produced some children of his own, his half brother was his heir apparent, and needed to look the part. Miroku had happily helped his best friend tie the accessory around his neck. I wondered if the red tint of Inuyasha's face had to do with his annoyance or the fact that the human lawyer had purposely looped the tie too close around the hanyou's neck. Considering how Miroku was smirking, it might be the latter.
"We have arrived." Sesshoumaru waited until his driver/butler/all around servant Jaken opened the door before he slid out. Inuyasha and Miroku followed closely. I got out last, with the help of Sesshoumaru.
I remembered then Sesshoumaru's arched eyebrow in surprise and appreciative gaze as he had taken in my appearance before we headed out. I was wearing a long slinky silver sheath dress that perfectly matched the color of Sesshoumaru's hair. It proved without words that I was with the Tashio clan; they were the only youkai known for their unusual silver hued hair. The dress left both my back and my cleavage mostly bare, and made it impossible to wear underwear. Something that Sesshoumaru seemed to enjoy quite a lot. I could see in his eyes that he could not wait to take me home and take the dress off. Maybe I needed to invest in some more revealing outfits. I tended to dress in less sexy clothes, but this time around it was necessary. My choice of dress reflected my decision to play the part of the bimbo on the arm of Sesshoumaru. Better the other Lords think Sesshoumaru was interested in me just for my body. I did not want them to figure out how it was that the daughter of the Lord of the South was "married" to the Lord of the West. If they believed Naraku and Sesshoumaru were forming an alliance, they could consider it an act of war, and decide to take down the new threat. After all from what I understood, the West was the wealthiest territory, while the South held the most territory. If the two of them allied forces, then the North and the East would be screwed.
The only drawback was that my revealing dress made it impossible to hide my weapon, and I therefore had to resort to attaching my fan to my wrist with a silver silk band. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha had no such problem. They both wore their swords attached to their hips, which paired with their suits proved to be quite an attractive contrast. Miroku had hidden some ofudas in his pockets, and looped his prayer beads around his right hand along with some weird purple glove. We were all ready to do battle if need be. Sesshoumaru had made it clear we were not to provoke anyone or throw the first punch. He did not want a war. I felt the same way.
Sesshoumaru gave me his arm, and I took it. We led the way inside what looked like an abandoned factory. I recognized some of Naraku's goons patrolling around, and shivers racked my spine. The last time I had been at an event hosted by my father, Naraku had somehow managed to turn Sesshoumaru against me, and my lover had tried to choke me. Sesshoumaru locked his arm around my shoulder, and brought me closer to his side.
"If you are cold, I can give you my jacket."
"And ruin the look of this fabulous dress, no thanks." He faintly chuckled at my words. I forced a smile in return. We were past that incident, and despite what mom had told me, I trusted Sesshoumaru, and had made the decision to stay with him. It was time to forgive and forget.
"Sesshoumaru-sama, so glad you could join us."
Despite myself I could not suppress a shiver of repulsion from running through me at hearing Naraku's oily voice. He seemed way too happy, something was definitely up.
"Naraku." My lover acknowledged with a nod of his head.
My father's smile stretched impossibly larger as he took in how closely tucked to Sesshoumaru's side I was. Gosh, I hated giving him pleasure. As if he sensed my discomfort, Sesshoumaru tightened his hold on me, making it impossible for me to step away from him.
"Please have a seat at the table. Your… associates are free to sit down where they please, and make free use of the refreshments."
The empty factory had been set up with a square table at the center with four chairs; one of which was currently occupied by the creepy looking moth demon Menoumaru. Some chairs on the side where also set up for us 'associates', I guessed, as some of Naraku and Menoumaru's men were currently seated there. Some of my father's goons were also by the refreshment table, stuffing their faces. How they managed to have an appetite despite the tension in the air was beyond me.
Sesshoumaru removed his comforting arm around me, and went to take his designed sit at the table. Inuyasha, Miroku and I also went in search of a spot of our own. As soon as we sit, Inuyasha shifted his sword from his hip to his lap, where he would be able to easily access it.
"Dear guests, let us wait until the arrival of our dear Northern Lord before we proceed. In the meantime, feel free to make use of my hospitality." Naraku smiled broadly before gesturing for one of his goons to bring him a flute of champagne.
"What's that guy's problem?" Inuyasha's question grabbed my attention. I looked in the direction of his pointed chin, and was surprised to see none other than my former protector Sasaki sending daggers our way.
He was a fire demon who had been in Naraku's employ for at least a dozen years now. He had had a crush on me for a while, and I had learned to use it to my advantage; whether to get information out of him, or to get help in sneaking around and breaking the many rules Naraku had forced me to live by. He had been content with my grateful smiles, hugs and small kisses on the cheeks. I knew he would have wanted more, but I was not attracted to him in that way. Besides fire demons were known for being unstable and temperamental. So while I toyed with him, I had always kept my distances.
I knew he was unhappy about Naraku forcing me to marry Sesshoumaru and move in with him, and he was not shy about sharing his feelings. He had given me an earful the last time we had spoken, which was when I had gone back home to try to get information about Sesshoumaru's stolen shipment. Wow this felt like a lifetime ago, so much had happened since then!
"That's Sasaki. One of Naraku's… employees. He's had a crush on me for a while, and he doesn't like the fact that I'm… involved with your brother."
"Isn't that just peachy." Inuyasha chuckled to himself before throwing a possessive arm around my bared shoulders.
Fuck. Sasaki leaned forward in his chair, his fist clenched in anger. I could swear I saw a flame dancing in his bright red eyes. We had one pissed off demon on our hands. We had enough to worry about Naraku's plan, a jealous mobster was the last thing we needed right now.
I quickly swatted Inuyasha's arm away, hoping that would calm Sasaki enough to dissuade him from crossing the room to come brawl with the younger Tashio brother. "You shouldn't provoke him. He's a fire demon, they don't know how to control their impulses."
"Keh, you're just like my brother, you don't want me to have any fun." Even if he complained, Inuyasha did as I asked and kept his hands to himself. "Well at least things are finally about to get more interesting."
Just as he spoke, the last of the Four Lords made his entrance.
"Sorry, ran into some traffic." The ookami youkai Kouga stated. He headed directly for the table, and gesture for his furry underlings to take their sits on the sides. The wolf demons did as asked by their alpha.
"Alright let's get this done and over with. What'd you call us over Naraku?" The brash blued eyed young Lord asked as he sat next to Sesshoumaru. Kouga was the youngest of the Four Lords. Just like Sesshoumaru, he had inherited his territory from his father. Unlike Touga Tashio, the old wolf had not been murdered though. He had passed away in his sleep after a massive stroke, the result of too many decades indulging in women, good food and alcohol. Ookami youkai were known for being brash, blunt and demons who liked to enjoy life. They spent most of their time partying and having a good time. This explained why Kouga was the owner of the city's hottest nightlife spots. Despite his young age, the young wolf demon had earned the respect of his peers, Sesshoumaru included, and had shown himself to be a good manager. His businesses were thriving, and as far as I knew, he had not inherited his father's love of over-indulgence. He was true to his wife, and stayed away from the drugs that flowed as freely as alcohol in his clubs.
My father took the time to drain another glass of champagne before addressing his audience.
"Kagura, dear daughter of mine, join me."
I was surprised by the summons, and I was not the only one. Things were getting stranger by the minute.
"Don't tell me you called a Council meeting because of some family issue." Kouga growled angrily. "I got a mate and a newborn cub at home I could be spending time with." He crossed his arms over his chest. Seems the wolf demon was as straight-laced as I had heard. Good to know Sesshoumaru was not the only decent of the four Lords.
"Do not worry, what I wish to discuss will be sure to b of interest to you." Naraku smirked. "Kagura come now!"
This time the sharpness of Naraku's tone let me know he was losing patience; something that was never good. Despite my better judgment, I stood up and went toward my fahter's outstretched hand. From the corner of my eyes I caught Inuyasha taking a hold of the hilt of his sword, and Miroku discreetly reach inside his pocket for some ofuda. It was comforting to know I had them watching my back. I looked straight ahead, and locked eyes with Sesshoumaru over Naraku's shoulder. My lover might have his usual blank Ice Block mask on, but I could see his emotions playing out in his beautiful eyes. Whatever Naraku was planning, Sesshoumaru and his family would keep me safe.
I reluctantly placed my hand in Naraku's ice-cold palm, and he wasted no time crushing my hand in his. Even if I wanted to leave, I would be unable to do so.
"As you know my only son has tragically passed away in a horrific accident just some weeks ago. I will like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support in this difficult time for our family." If I did not know that Naraku was a heartless monster, I could have believed he actually meant what he said, and had been affected by the death of Hakudoushi. "Despite this difficult time, one good news is to be shared. Lord Sesshoumaru if you would join us too."
Murmurs started in the room. I could guess the fact that I had attended Hakudoushi's memorial service on the arm of Sesshoumaru, and had come in this evening with the Tashio clan must have caused quite a stir.
I saw Sesshoumaru's jaw clench, but he still made it to his feet, and joined Naraku and I. Despite my father gesturing for my lover to come stand next to him, Sesshoumaru walked past him in order to stand on my side. Naraku seemed briefly annoyed, but decided to continue on. We may be playing along this little performance he seemed intent on putting forward, but that did not mean we needed to make it easy for him…
"It is with much pleasure that I would like to announce the marriage of my daughter with our dear friend Sesshoumaru Tashio, Lord of the West."
The murmurs exploded to all out shouts of protests all around us. I thought I also caught Inuyasha swearing unhappily. I tightened my hold on my fan. I did not know what exactly Naraku was planning, but I could tell the other lords and their people were not happy about this news.
"Sesshoumaru, what's the meaning of this? What the fuck is going on here?" I could understand why Kouga would be upset. From what Sesshoumaru had said earlier, of all the other Lords, the wolf was his closest ally. He must not have liked being sidelined with such news.
"Are you two forming an alliance?" Menoumaru's voice might be calm, but his sharp glare let us know he was not happy at the prospect.
"Kukuku, there is no need for you two to worry. This private matter will in no way affect our current business practices."
The unconvincing tone caused quite an uproar as chatter exploded all over the place.
Sesshoumaru raised his hand, getting everyone to quiet immediately. I guess the Killing Perfection was indeed feared by all.
"My personal life and matrimonial state has absolutely no incidence on our current arrangement. As always, the boundaries of our respective territories will be respected, and we will stay out of each other's businesses. Kagura has nothing to do with either Naraku's or my operation. She is but an innocent by-stander."
"Indeed. As my son in-law said, this union will only help cement this long lasting truce among us all. Love is the best way to build bridges, and very soon the next generation will take over. We all wish for them to grow in a peaceful environment." To my surprise, Naraku pointedly looked at my lower stomach.
Speculative chatter ran wild through the room. A bunch of youkai started sniffing as if trying to see if their nose could help them figure out if I was indeed pregnant. Creepy. A weird tension suddenly settled around the room. I could tell Sesshoumaru's little intervention had convinced most of them to keep their cool, but Naraku and his stupid innuendo had just doused gasoline on the embers, and the fire was roaring back to life.
People had barely had the time to get used to Sesshoumaru and I being married, that they were faced with the prospect of me being pregnant. They were probably thinking about the fact that Inuyasha, a man they knew, would be deposed as heir to the Western territory in favor of Naraku's hypothetical grandchild, and they were not happy at the prospect. After all it would be all too easy for Naraku to make quick work of Sesshoumaru in order to have his grandchild inherit a territory, that he would then indirectly claim as his own. Thus becoming the most powerful of the Lords.
"Why is your father insinuating you are carrying my child?" Sesshoumaru leaned sideways to whisper in my ear. Even if his voice remained calm, I could tell he also felt the growing hostility in the room. I could almost make the tension emanating from him.
"I don't know." I answered. Whatever web he was spinning, Naraku had not shared with me. I had a bad feeling about this. I instinctively took a hold of Sesshoumaru's arm. If we were to make a quick getaway, I did not want to lose sight of him. Sesshoumaru swiftly shifted his right hand to have easy access to his sword if need be. As we all stood in silence, the tension in the room was growing even more. I looked back to the horde of goons at our back, and was not surprised to see they too now had their hands on their favored weapon. I clenched my fan tighter. A sure way to nip the possibility of Naraku becoming a super-Lord though his grandchild was to murder me and my unborn child. The way Menomarou's eyes glowed with pure hatred and contempt as he stared at Sesshoumaru let me know he would not mind getting rid of my husband as well.
The peace among the Lords was so thin, anything could set things on fire, and the bombshells Naraku dropped might just be the things to do it. To be honest, I was scared. Sure Sesshoumaru was one strong demon, and we had Inuyasha and Miroku to watch our backs, but unlike my foolish prideful lover, all the other Lords had brought in over a dozen goons with them. Even the Tashio brothers would not be able to fight off that many assailants.
Kouga suddenly jumped to his feet, and I was pretty sure my heart stopped. If he, the closest ally of the West was the one to launch the first attack instead of defending us, then we were done for.
To my surprise the young wolf threw his head back, and exploded in laughter. "Oh man, can't wait to see our proper Sesshoumaru-sama knee deep in dirty baby diapers."
All the wolves suddenly chuckled nervously in response to their lord's stupid joke. As if a magic spell had been cast, the tension lessened in the room.
I might have always thought that ookami youkai were dirty, uncivilized, dumb brutes, but in that moment I could have kissed Kouga. He had brilliantly managed to diffuse the situation with humor. Sure this was far from over, and the other Lords would be sure to show their displeasure later on, but for now we would get to leave this place alive. And that gave us the chance to speak with the Lords of the North and the East at a later date to smooth things over.
"If that was all you wanted to let us know, then I guess we're done. Naraku, next time send us a card or an email, we're busy you know." Kouga frowned at my father. "I've got my own little cub to get home to."
He whistled loudly, and his wolves fell in ordained formation around him. With one nod of greeting to Sesshoumaru, Kouga ran out of there, his wolves following close behind him. I swore I saw a small dust tornado around his feet.
"This is not over. You have much explaining to do Sesshoumaru-sama." The moth youkai ran a hand through his long blue hair in clear annoyance. With a nod to his people, the moth regrouped around their leader and also made their exit.
"Keh! Can we go now? I wanna make it home to my own family too."
Sesshoumaru acknowledged his brother's question with a nod before heading towards the exit.
We had almost made it to the door when my lover turned to send a glare to my smirking father over his shoulder.
"The next time you attempt such a stunt will be the last Naraku." Sesshoumaru's eyes briefly flashed red. He was so pissed his inner demon was coming out to play. Despite the reassuring words he had given me some days ago about him mastering the beast inside him, the idea of witnessing his other half taking over terrified me. If Sesshoumaru had not been holding on to me so tightly, I probably would have stepped away from him.
The threat only made Naraku chuckle in amusement.
A shiver of unease ran down my spine. I had a bad feeling about this. We had gotten away way too easily.
"I never liked the mangy wolf, but he showed he's a true ally to us today. Things could have turned pretty ugly pretty fast. Sure we're strong enough to kick the ass of any of them any day, but preventing an all out war is the best." Inuyasha voiced what we were all thinking.
We four were once again riding in Sesshoumaru's limo, but were going home now. Even if I did not dare say it out loud, if Naraku's plan was to try to cause a rift between Sesshoumaru and the other Lords, then he sure as hell succeeded.
"We made it out safely, but we will have to do some damage control." Miroku commented. "Sesshoumaru-sama you will have to meet with Kouga and Menoumaru. I would advise telling them that Naraku orchestrated a fake marriage between you and his daughter, and that you are just playing along. This will help smooth things over."
I bristled at hearing the lawyer's words. It made it sound like Sesshoumaru and I were not involved, and I did not like that one bit. Sure we had started based on a scheme, but I had developed real feelings for Sesshoumaru, and so had he.
"I will meet with Kouga and Menoumaru, but they do not need to know about my private life. All they need to know is that business will continue as usual." I did my best not to smile at my lover's words. He had after all not confirmed Miroku's words.
Miroku was prevented from saying more as the limo came to a stop, signifying we had arrived home.
Inuyasha threw the door opened, ready to jump out, his now loosened tie in his hand. "Keh! It's late I'm going to bed." His face then split with a grin. "Izayoi's been keeping Kagome and I up at night." It was adorable to see how much the hanyou loved his wife and children. How my life would have turned out differently if I had had such a loving and caring father.
Miroku followed closely behind his friend. "I'll go give Sango a summary of what went down tonight, and make sure she has added security ready for the kids just in case the other Lords stat creating trouble."
"Right, because the middle of the night is the best time to do this, and it can't wait tomorrow. You pervert." Inuyasha clasped his best friend on the back as the two of them went up the front steps, and disappeared behind the main door.
"Let's stay out for a minute." I paused as soon as Sesshoumaru and I exited the car. Jaken bowed respectfully to his beloved master before getting back behind the wheel, and taking the limo to the garage.
Sesshoumaru nodded his assent to my words then put his jacket over my naked shoulders.
"If you insist on staying out, do not catch a cold."
I sent him a grateful smile. It was true I was freezing, but I wanted a moment to shake out what had happened earlier in the evening. "I just need to get some air…I have to admit I was scared."
"You hid it well."
"I was not going to give Naraku the satisfaction. I'm sorry he's such an asshole. Will you really be okay with the other Lords?"
"You have no reason to worry. I will sort things out. They may not like the idea of us being together and the implications it might have in regards to the balance of power, but they will have to accept it. I will not have them dare presume they can dictate this Sesshoumaru's private life."
My heart beat faster. He wanted to fight for me. The way Sesshoumaru was speaking made it seem like our marriage was real. Maybe the time had come for me to put my big girl pants on, and dare ask the man I loved how he saw our relationship evolving. Sure we were sharing a home now, and he had claimed me in front of everyone, but was the latter because he meant it, or because he wanted to keep playing Naraku's game? I was so confused.
I was startled when I felt a wet spot fall on the tip of my nose. Was it rain? I extended my hand out, smiling as little snowflakes landed in my palm. The first snow of the year. Now this was a sign.
"You know they say it's good luck to kiss during the first snow."
He chuckled. "If you want a kiss from this Sesshoumaru, just ask. No need to come up with silly superstitions."
He pressed both hands on my shoulders, and leaned forward to press a brief kiss to my lips. I was not happy with that. My greedy self wanted more. I gently flicked my tongue along his bottom lip, and he opened himself up to my kiss in response. Soon enough our tongues happily started their now familiar dance.
All too soon to my taste we had to break apart to take in some air. Never mind, it was time to take things up a notch. He had appreciated my dress all evening, and it was now time to put his admiration to good use. I leaned forward to whisper in Sesshoumaru's ear all the wicked things I was about to let him do to me in the privacy of our bedroom. However before I opened my mouth, something stopped me. I saw a shape over Sesshoumaru's shoulder. It was hiding in the bushes and trees that faced the front door of the mansion. Someone was there. Despite the darkness and the distance, the shape seemed familiar. So it was someone I knew, and somehow I could guess this was not a social call. Then it hit me. The pair of glowing red eyes gave the stranger away. Sasaki! Naraku's fire demon henchman! Why was he here? The flames of anger I had seen in his eyes earlier, were now a blazing inferno. This was not good, fire demons were known to be quick to anger, and highly unstable. I needed to warn Sesshoumaru before things turned ugly.
"Look out!"
I had barely shouted the words that Sesshoumaru pushed me backwards, and came to stand in front of me. He was now facing the threat head on, but before he managed to take his sword out, our uninvited guest had already launched his attack.
A huge fireball was now heading straight for the man I loved, and I was too terrified to move a muscle.
To be continued.
A/N: Things are heating up (pun-intended) and unrest is on its way. Is Naraku done twisting things around? Will Sesshoumaru manage to keep the peace? Let's find out more in the next chapter named Warpath.