Chapter 13 - Kikyo
"Oh!" Annabelle gasped when a wistful hand slipped between her legs and gingerly moved one finger inside her entrance, contouring her warm and humid spot.
They were laying together, only the two of them within a deep, dark and huge void. His body upon hers, no fabric covering their shapes. His soft mouth spread kisses on her neck, on her shoulders and then his anxious tongue went down, reaching her big round breasts. His raven locks covering his eyes as he left a warm trail of saliva down her belly and went even lower kissing her curves.
"Hi...to...mi" Her hip arched up as she felt a hot tongue turn over her clit and then slip into her wishing gap. So she tangled the back of his neck between her legs and she scratched the floor that was wet with her own sweat. No barriers, she was fully surrendered.
The man of her eyes slowly lifted his head up, wiping the mucus that flowed from his mouth to his chin with his arm. Annabelle smiled tenderly and was ready to say how much she missed him, then she saw the color of his eyes.
Red.
Red as blood.
How much innocent blood those hands have spilled? How many evil words those sadistic lips were about to say?
She thought of running away, yet her arms and legs were tied in indestructible threads of silk – his web.
"No!" she screamed in panic as her whole body started to tremble.
"Annabelle..." his irresistible husky tone almost mesmerized her.
"Ah!" a yell came out hurting her throat. Anna sat up, she was gasping and her white nightdress was attached to her sweaty body. Her femininity was soaked and so were her groins. The red haired woman looked under the sheet and cursed herself for that reaction.
"Did you have good dreams?" the reason of her nightmares was seated by her very side. Since she was captured he used to do that from time to time. However, on that specific night, the bastard chose to dress the same clothes Kagewaki used to wear.
She refused herself to look at him.
"It seems that you had, indeed..." Naraku gazed at her legs, widened under the sheets. "Sleeping has been the only thing you've been doing lately" Then he noticed a tray of food next to her, untouched.
She had been in his scary castle for days, yet she could not scape this time. She was temporary weak and his barrier was confusing her senses so she couldn't find a way out. Naraku seemed to be more powerful and the foreigner lass thought she knew why – he had the pearl almost completed within his shoulder, and Annabelle could remember a strange presence of a woman dressed as a priestess, with dark long hair and cold eyes, her skin white as the moon. Anna heard him speaking the woman's name sometimes – Kikyo – and had the impression that she had already heard that name before, but she was so dizzy by the evil energy surrounding those lands and by the rest of Ailyn's potion within her organism that time and facts seemed to be abstracts concepts.
Naraku was right, she slept too much in the last days.
"You can see it, is it not?" Insisting on that odd conversation, her captor asked in a deep voice while stared her with a dark grin in his lips and some expectation within his eyes.
She was the only one to blame for him noticing the fact, she craved her turquoise globes on his shoulder where Shikon no Tama was hidden after all.
"You, Kikyou, and that girl that walks with Inuyasha... The three of you are capable to sense the shards' presence." He smirked. "To have this huge power within you was not enough" And then he laughed. "After all, you can identify the jewel's energy..." As Naraku spoken, he sank his thumb and forefinger into his own skin, bringing the precious gem – before rosy, now slightly darkened – out.
"I do not want anything with this thing." Annabelle said hoarsely and breathless, then she crawled up to the wall and leaned her back there. Her blanked eyes gazed to the side, running from Naraku's red ones. "You can curse yourself alone".
"You have no idea how magnificent Shikon can be" the stone's purple brightness reflected in his ruby, greedy orbs. "It could even bring the dead back to life. Your Hitomi..." So he looked at her again, his cornered and fragile hostage. "If only you would help me to find the Jewel shards..." the hanyo seductive suggested.
"Forget it." Anna cut him off. "I've already said, you can curse yourself alone. I will not take part on it". She wanted to raise her tone, but was too weak still, so she gasped at the end of the sentence.
"Humpft!" Naraku saved his valuable possession back into his shoulder and got up. After arranging his own clothes, he stared at her one more time and gave her his last words for now: "If you choose to act like this, the days will be very long for you, Annabelle Rose. Anyway, if you do not cooperate, I have someone who does. Get dressed, your clothes are are inside the chest your dear Hitomi gave you, you forgot them as you forgot your horse as well. What a pity that beautiful stallion could not survive my miasma, ku, ku, ku, ku." He left as his laughter echoed trough the walls and corridors, making her shiver in silence.
Enough time passed for the red-haired lass finally gave up to sacrifice her life to her sister. In truth, she doesn't seem to wanna die anymore, she doesn't seem to want anything at all. She even didn't worry about dressing herself properly, Anna walked around her room in her white-silk nightdress and her corset, her tiny warm light around her as a protector dome, and the full moon outside the window making her shine even brighter.
At the end, Annabelle Rose was a survivor. And even she was more miserable than ever, Naraku couldn't break her completely, she was living by the ashes that life had left – memories – specially one about a night when she gave herself to her beloved one.
"What are you doing?" Naraku entered the room while she was dancing with the wind.
She did not respond. Anna kept her focus on her gracious steps, pointing her hand up as if someone could be in front of her to hold it. The lass was smiling sweetly and reticent. Naraku called her name twice and has been ignored. She whirled, lost inside a world she created so the sadness could not drive her mad.
Those tortuous hands contained her shoulders and made her stop. Her smile faded as soon she recognized him.
"I ordered my servants to bring your harp" he said serious, differently from other times, Naraku looked a little disturbed.
"You are not well." As always, Belle could see right through his soul. "Does this have anything to do with that priestess who has been around?"
"Do not try my patience, woman." he restive warned.
"Kikyo, I've heard that name before... didn't I?" She struggled to remember, and when she did, it was her turn to laugh. "Is not she the woman you killed because you could not own her? How could she come back to life so suddenly?"
"Shut your mouth." his voice sounded more deeper than usual, and there wasn't a trace of mockery in his words.
"I see... You are disturbed because of her." the prisoner's satisfaction made him grit his teeth almost to the point of crushing them. Yet, if Naraku thought she was finished, poor of him. There she continued: "You are disturbed because of her and you are judging yourself. After all, you cannot scape from your essence". With that, Annabelle dangerously came near, closing the distance between them, the sky-blue staring the blood-red eyes without a glimpse. "This is your opportunity to leave me at peace once and for all, I am useless for you".
His impetuous hand grab her neck and lift her above, her back against the cold wall. Her bared feet struggled away from the wooden floor.
"Do it!" Anna pressed his arm between her hands, scratching his pale skin under the purple long sleeve. "Do it!" She repeated, even more loudly and wild, her wide eyes craved on his image.
Naraku suddenly released her. The fragile body made a low sound as soon as it reached the floor. The silent hanyo gave his back to her and moved away. When he left the chamber, a servant arrived bringing Annabelle's golden harp.
Not so long ago, Naraku found out Kikyo was "alive". She broke his Fuko¹ spell, allowing those tangled youkai went out the mountain right to him, making him a new body.
While Annabelle was lost between sleep and lucidity, the spider demon took the miko to his nefarious property and tried to manipulate her to fight against her own reincarnation, Kagome.
Surprisingly, Kikyo stole that big piece of jewel that her other part was carefully carrying and gave it in his hands and more, she promised to bring more shards to him, for free, apparently. Kikyo propose herself to do what Annabelle had denied.
The priestess' return distressed his thoughts. Naraku saw himself divided between two gorgeous creatures, secretly desiring them, tormented by fantasies that were worthy of that scalped bandit that originate him.
He hated himself for the ominous inheritance, and he begged that the gem might make him erase the blackness of the priestly eyes, the fire in the hair of a certain foreigner lady.
An angelical sound stirred his interest. It sounded low first, but as he walked trough the corridors, that sweet melody seemed to be more strong, yet it sounded sad and a bit nostalgic. The hanyo stopped in front the door and put his eye in the gap to see it better. Annabelle, thinner than she was before and visibly depressed, was sitting in a bank while playing the delicate strings and singing in a strange language. Although Naraku could not comprehend the meaning of those words, the notes made him understand that it was a song about loss.
Kikyou, she is back. How could it be possible to feel anger and joy at the same time with a discovery?
Annabelle... then he revived his remembrance of her warm, clear light on that day when she almost killed him, but regretted it. He was addicted to the memory of that feeling, having her so near and with her lips upon his, sharing such a cozy aura. With that girl, Naraku experienced serenity.
At first, her merciful conduct made him feel offended. With time, another kind of sentiment flourished without him notice – a kind of a commotion for one person, at least, dedicate to him something different from hate, something almost like affection.
"You are sad." she said as her fingers remained playing that melancholic melody.
"Huh!" he snorted "The most sad and miserable person in this castle is you, Annabelle Rose" and dragged the door, coming into the room. "Could you play something happier?" Naraku sited, his back resting against the wall, his orbs gazing the desert landscape beyond the window's bars.
"Yes, it seems you are in need of it" She sighed lethargic and began to play a folk song from the Highlands.
"Do you care?" his view abandoned the morbid scenery out there to look at her, elegantly seated. Behind his indifference veil, there was some expectation in his tone.
"Would it make some difference?" with her eyes closed, Anna tried to keep her attention in the music.
"Oh, do not tell you started to have feelings for me. Do you?" He regained his sordid mood and approached the matte, yet not obliterated musician. "It would be fun, in a certain way..." his fingers tangled in some of her coppery strands and he brought them to his nose to inhale their scent. His eyes rolled and closed, her perfume made him numb.
"My heart belongs to one man and only, the one I gave myself body and soul." She replied with a trembling voice. Then one of her fingers missed the right string and she played a dissonant note.
Naraku was ready to answer, but a sudden presence did he mute and stole his attention. Kikyo landed outside, embraced by her shikigami. Annabelle finished her humble recital and turned her back to the halfbreed demon. He corresponded to her stillness leaving the room. A few moments later, the Scottish girl moved sneakily through the corridors, till she find the chambers where a Spider and a Miko were discussing. There, she started to listen behind the door.
"There, as I promised." the mysterious woman said after throwing some lilac shards on the floor.
So it's her who is bringing those jewel shards for him! Annabelle's heart seemed to burn into her chest while her fingers were contracting beneath the silky sleeves. Why?! Her pupils dilated.
"I still do not understand the reason you are favoring me, Kikyo" seated in a gloomy corner of that room, Naraku spoke.
"It seems that we have company" the priestess commented, ignoring his last words.
"Annabelle, what are you doing in there?" his ruby eyes stared at the closed entrance, Naraku already knew she was peeking them.
Belle timidly opened the door and showed herself. At least this time she was dressing one of her fancy clothes, a white silky dress with some golden embroidery that shone in that dark, funereal place.
The two woman of different ethnicities stared each other for long seconds. Their eyes didn't dare to blink, their mouths didn't opened to stammer any sound.
"Behold, Kikyo," Naraku elegantly lift up and pointed his hand to the western lass "a woman who overcome your powers without even possess a priestess title. What a pity she thinks so small and prefers to maintain this asset hidden from the world. While so many people strive for power and strength, this woman just wants to live as a common creature. It reminds me someone..." then he faced the resurrected lady without any courtesy.
"Do not tell me you found a random distraction to try to forget me" Kikyo discreetly grinned. "One more plan that will certainly fall apart, Onigumo" As she presumptuously answered his provocation, the miko walked to the door, confronting Annabelle who was on the way, the ginger one seemed to be aphatetic as a marble statue. "You" by Annabelle's side, shoulder almost against shoulder, Kikyo warned: "Do not let his words deceive you. You will never be able to replace me and he knows that". Finally, she whispered into the foreigner's ear before leaving the castle.
Annabelle stangely felt herself uncomfortable and hurried her steps out that damned room. Naraku was visible angered at that point and his wicked youki spread all over the chamber.
How dare she? While he was furious about Kikyo behavior, her words gave him some ideas. Annabelle was not only attractive, but seemed to hide some strange empathy for him, he knew she also felt attracted for him. Every time they were close, or even when Naraku used to speak in a gallant tone, the scent of the woman fluids almost make him numb, for it was very dense. And, on the other hand, if he conquered her, Naraku could convince Annabelle to find Shikon shards and be a protector shield for him. No one would be able to defeat him if he had that woman on his defense.
Ambition and carnality mixed in one, darkening his semblance till his reason screams a warn of indignation. How ridiculous! Him, Naraku, using such a superfluous trick and trouble himself for the sake of another human girl?!
Naraku was confused and he hated such situation, the spider demon needed to be sure of his desires if he wanted Shikon no Tama to make them real. Kikyo was the one to blame, he thought. Before her reappearance, he was certain about his path. Annabelle? Ah, she was a distraction and nothing more! Those odd sensations, similar to lust or even affection, were merely spectra of his human nature, time and power would turn it all to dust. He just had to find a way to get rid of that pale and mortified maiden. As soon as the cursed pearl would be complete, Naraku would free himself from that memory molded in clay.
He would show to that irritating priestess she was worthless than the clay that made up her new body.
His back burned as hell.
Do not let his words deceive you. You will never be able to replace me and he knows that. The cold and straight phrase repeated itself within Annabelle's mind. Maybe for the anguish, or because she regained the will to move, to scape, Anna's white light intense regressed. She knelt as her hands joined palms, her mouth whispered an ancient pray and her body started to bounce forward and backward.
Belle didn't want to have a part in that story, she didn't feel herself inside that plot and did not want to be. Then, when she imagined the spider demon embracing the nocturnal haired woman, she felt bitterness inside her dry throat. Her voice muted, ceasing the prayer, her shine decreased and her hands touched the floor as she stared at the window of her cage.
The air around seemed to be more rarefied. Feeling dizzy, Annabelle lifted up and dared to walk out her prison, bumping her arms against the corridors walls. On the floor, as she roved, she found many corpses of servants and guards, all of them victims of a strong purple poisoned smoke spread around. With her hands covering her nose and mouth, the foreigner woman passed through the miasma mist and turned back to the room she ran off some moments ago.
After opening the door, Anna found him on his back, sat on the floor, bared to the waist and with his dark aura emanating. A spider scar was sparkling on his skin as it was on fire, his hand was trying to reach it. Even she could not see his features, Annabelle knew he was in pain. Them he turned his face and gazed her, at last his suffering could be seen in the way he frowned, in the way he retorted his lips and narrowed those precious scarlet eyes.
"What are you doing here?" Naraku censured her "Leave".
Annabelle did the opposite, she came near, looking at his figure carefully.
"Is this the mark from your past?" she asked, sitting by his back and contemplating that shiny burned flesh.
"Did you not heard what I said?!" he imposed his fury in a frustrated and fastidious voice "Leave, Annabelle!" Naraku hissed. Deep within, he was ashamed to be seen in a moment of vulnerability. He didn't want her to find out about that scar. In fact, he didn't want anyone to discover about his spider mark, painted by the fire – the remembrance of his human heart.
Naraku was ready to hiss again, when he felt that peaceful warmth once more... her soft hands slipped over that shrouded painful skin, sharing with it some tenderness. Naraku sideways contemplated her, red eyelashes sealed and dewy, her pinkish lips pronouncing chants in an unknown tongue. Annabelle's luminous palms caressed his scar till Naraku's youki calm down. At last, when the hanyo seemed to be a bit serene, she slowly opened her eyes, analyzed him one more time and prepared herself to raise up.
Naraku quickly turned his body and held her wrists, keeping the girl sat on the floor, right in front of him.
"I can offer anything you want, Annabelle, you only have to accept joinning me in my endeavor" and he leaned his face closer to hers, tempting. "Give me your power..." Naraku said in a deep, seductive tone as his thumbs stroked the backs of her hands. "Let me stain your whiteness with my darkness".
"W-what?" her heartbeats accelerated and she felt shivers inside, yet, Annabelle found will to answer him severely "I have no interest on your darkness and you cannot give my man back!"
"You are right, I cannot, but the jewel can, you know it! Help me find the shards!" he said a bit loudly, his hands over hers, pressing them. His eyes wide-opened, glowing with greed.
"I do not want anything with this cursed object!" Anna tried to release her hands and his fingers tightened around then even more, still not hurting her skin, only warming it. About to collapse with such sudden proximity, she came to speak something she should not: "I wanted Hitomi's body so I could bring him back myself!" Her cerulean eyes trembled, she wanted to covered her mouth after saying that, yet he was still grabbing her wet fingers into his. What have I done? She thought, reprehending herself for her dumbness.
"Can you bring the dead back to life?" his smile fainted while he asked.
"Release me, I want to go to my room" Belle demanded and shook up, trying to set her hands free.
"What more can you do?" those gorgeous and evil eyes were sparkling again. He pulled Anabelle even more closer, never dropping her wrists.
"Let me go!" Almost feeling his breath on her chin, she screamed desperately as her whole body became to get warmer and warmer "I do not want anything from you!"
"Is that so?" Naraku smiled again, that time was not only ambition designing that curve on his lips, she could tell. Annabelle froze as he continued his game: "It is not what it seems when I come near you..." finally he dropped her hands, only to embrace her waist between his strong, bare arms. "Like this..." and he whispered, his mouth sealed to her ear.
"No!" She made a useless effort to push him, yet she could not avoid to suffocate within those decided arms. Not even her nails scratching that pale and rigid chest made him move away. "My body yearns for the memory of another man, not for you!" she stubborn.
"You want me..." He squeezed her waist, then slid his palms upon all her back. "Admit it and let's finish this game for once" He bit her ear's pink lobe and made her body tremble again. One more time, lust came to silence reason's voice.
"You are wrong..." First, she spoke down and uncertain, eyes wanting to close, however, there was still some will inside of her. Those fragile hands started to beat Naraku's shoulders and tried to push him away again. "The man I want is the man who I gave myself in a cabin!" Her most beautiful Kagewaki's memory would be her armor.
"The man you think it was Hitomi. Ku, ku, ku, ku" Naraku loosen the embrace a little bit, because he wanted to see her expression.
"I do not think" Annabelle kept her certain tone and look "I know!".
"Oh, really?" Naraku's smirk has gone and his eyes sealed, as soon as they were open again, red became brown, and when he spoke, his voice was soft and painfully familiar: "Annabelle Rose, I believe is time to inform you..." He tore some ginger locks away from her shocked face and caressed her cheek "the man you laid with in that cabin was not Hitomi." and he smirked once more "It was Naraku".
No, it is impossible! It cannot be! Her every part was hard as stone, it was like her very heart ceased to beat and became ice. He was a liar, yes, he always was! It is not possible...
Oh, but it was...
In that state of numbness, Annabelle remembered a conversation she had with Kagome about all the things Naraku had done to turn Kikyo against Inuyasha.
"No..." She moaned and her arms lost strength. When her mouth widened, searching for some air, it received a malicious caress from the spider's lips and voracious tongue. Without a chance to breathe or protest, Anna grievously realized that cruel kiss indeed was identical to the one she shared with Hitomi when he came for her that evening, on that humble hovel.
Her dearest memory was nothing but a lie.
To be continued...
¹: Fuko was the spell Naraku used on episode 32 – Kikyo and Inuyasha, Into the Miasma.
That scene when Annabelle sang and played the harp was inspired by Zuberoa Aznárez live version of Stretched On Your Grave, I recommend not only this song, but the whole album Beyond the Threshold, I was listening to it when I wrote most of this fiction chapters. (if you are a Symphonic Metal lover as me, I also recommend you to listen her on Diabulus in Musica band, it's just awesome!)
So, guys... I'm late, but I'm back and anxious to know what are your opinions about this chapter.
I know I've passed such a long time away, but I have a very good new: I've finished writing this fic in Portuguese! I can tell you it will have 46 chapters with so much emotions, passion and a little bit of violence as well. When I decided to write about Naraku, I wanted to invent a story without decharacterizing him. Please don't be mad with me, it's just fiction and, Although I want to be faithful to the original character, it doesn't prevents me to make some changes and put him in curious situations. You'll see!
Please, share this story and leave some comments, it will encourage me to translate more chapters sooner.
Kissuuuuuus! S2