She appeared suddenly in front of the doors. A small girl really. How could anyone be afraid of her? But Sesshomaru knew that appearances were often misleading. Wasn't he a case of that himself? People often found him beautiful and found out too late that he was far more dangerous than he appeared.

"Hello." The girl only looked mildly surprised. He hated that she held no fear of him. "You are not Holken obviously."

"Obviously." He agreed, carefully observing her.

"My errand is not with you. I must ask you to move out of my way." Lillya bowed her head slightly to the demon standing in front of her. He was tall, dressed in white that looked cleaner than snow against his dark armor. He was pretty for a demon, his face made lovelier by the two lines on each cheek and the moon on his forehead. His golden eyes ere cold and his long silver hair nearly glinted like stars.

"Your errand is with me now. You have knowledge that I would have. Tell me or I will force it from you."

"That depends on what you wish to know." Lillya watched him suspiciously.

"How is your master's castle reached?"

"It is not without an invitation."

"I will not ask again." He had seen the metallic tip seem to come slicing through the air, he now saw the cover on her finger. This had to be what allowed her the instant transport to her master. Sesshomaru was simply checking his assumption to ensure that he was correct.

"Why with this. It is the only way. Only my men and I may use it though." Lillya held up her finger, guessing that he had already guessed. She did not know this demon, but she could tell he was not dangerous merely because of his power and strength, but also because he was intelligent, dangerously smart. Those were the most trying demons.

"Then you will take me to your master. I have business with him."

"I will do no such thing. I obey my lord's orders, not those of a nameless demon standing in another's hall."

"If you knew who I am you would not speak to me so."

"Then you must be Lord Sesshomaru, ruler of the west." She continued despite his lack of response to her, " I have been warned away from you. My lord has no wish to pick a fight with one as merciless as yourself. I can not back down from you however."

"You have told me all I needed to know." He would kill her, use her key to her master's castle and retrieve his human. Other than that he had no need of her, and no further business with this Gorenchi.

"I am prepared," The girl charged at him, two long knives cutting at him. Sesshomaru stopped her easily, knocking one hand into the other and causing her to loose her grip on one of the knives.

"Is that your best?" He asked quietly, actually curious. This girl was said to be a worthy opponent, he was so far greatly disappointed.

"Not at all." Lillya whirled to him again, more knives in her hands. Now she was going to kill him. She had been warned that the lord of the west was dangerous, and a fierce warrior. She would test herself to test him.

He dodged her attacks again and again. This girl was fast, but not as fast as he was. Perhaps he would kill her with his own knife. It would be fitting punishment. He had recognized her scent. This one had kidnapped Kagome. His anger was righteous, but still he held it in check. Overreacting would get him injured when battling a quick enemy. He had learned that lesson again when he had lost his arm.

She had never faced an enemy with speed to match her own, but this lord Sesshomaru was leaving her in the figurative dust. Perhaps it would be best to alter her strategy. Clearly she could not outstrip him. It was a pointless attempt.

She was not only quick she was smart. He could see that she was testing him, trying to find a vulnerable spot. He had none of course, and was quickly tiring of playing with her. He had given her an opportunity to defend herself, and she was doing a poor job of it.

The air sizzled, and too late she tried to dodge the yellow ribbon descending on her. She screamed and crumbled to the ground, feeling a piece of her flesh being torn away, soon she would not be able to fight back. Thinking quickly Lillya fell to the ground, ready to spring when he came to finish her.

Sesshomaru knew she had fallen too easily. Sensing a trap he approached her slowly, watching for any signs of motion. She shoved herself upward, swinging a knife toward his side. Sesshomaru spun away, avoiding the knife and cutting into her with his claws. This time she did not scream, but made a strange gurgling choking sound as the poison of his claws mixing with what was left of her blood.

He stepped back as the small body hit the stone floor with a mix of a splash and a thud. Despite the pool that had formed on the floor he was mercifully free of her blood. He glanced over at Holken who had just entered the room. "You will take care of this mess."

"Gladdly. Have you learned what you wished to know."

"Yes." He used his whip to sever her arm and lifted it, carving a slash in the air. It widened slowly to show a large castle. "You're assistance was helpful Holken."

"You're welcome Sesshomaru." Holken smiled. He had known this young demon for nearly all his life, long enough to recognize the meaning behind his words, "But I owe you some thanks as well." He saw the silver head incline slightly and then Sesshomaru stepped through the portal and it sealed itself again.

*

"Lillya is missing my lord, I cannot find her." Berena turned from the mirror.

"Then there is a serious threat out there." Gorenchi stood, "Send all forces to find her. Minimum patrol is to remain at the castle."

"Even those watching your queen my lord."

"Yes, there is no risk of her running away now that I have her friends in my dungeon. There is someone out there who must want to kill me. I will have them killed first."

"As you wish my lord." Berena didn't tell him that she had a feeling he was too late . That some deathly force was moving toward them.

*

Her tears had slowed, but not stopped. She was shivering, her skin colder than the stone she knelt on. Kagome wanted to pray, but couldn't form words through the sobs or even thoughts. There was nothing except for pain and fear. This time no one could save her. She would have to save them. If keeping her friends alive meant sacrificing herself she had no choice, but to do it. Tomorrow she would tell Gorenchi. She would agree to marry him if he would release her friends. Her already flattened dreams and hopes began to crack and her heart was reducing itself to dust. There was nothing else that she could do. She wished that she wasn't alone, that almost anyone was with her.

She didn't dare to hope that Sesshomaru would come for her. He probably didn't even know that she had been kidnapped. It had been so long since she had seen him. She couldn't think of that, it only made her pain worse, made crying useless against the building pain. She would never know the joy of seeing him again, of hearing his voice. Kagome hugged herself tighter against the overwhelming loneliness and building pain, only increased as she was gripped by another fear.

If by some miracle Sesshomaru did find out what had happened, and for some reason came to find her he could be captured and killed as well. How could she live if she caused his death? If she caused him any harm at all? She couldn't, it was that simple.

The night wind tugged at his hair and clothes as he stood watching the castle. The enormous structure was oddly lifeless, even for the lateness of the hour, but he could sense no danger in the stillness, no threat of any kind. Without a second thought to it Sesshomaru walked directly at the front of the building, surprised by the lack of walls around the structure, but understanding that Gorenchi was under the impression that his castle was hidden. He hadn't hidden it nearly well enough.

The door was already open when he reached it, and for a second Sesshomaru suspected a trap, but as he entered the darkened hall it became obvious that none had been set. Nothing moved in the shadows, and only the layered trails of faded scents remained.

His gaze landed on a set of doors directly in front of him, resembling the heavy wooden doors of his own castle rather than the more common lightweight screens favored by the majority of the population. That would be where Gorenchi, his still unknown enemy unknowingly awaited him. Sesshomaru started forward, but his feet found their own path and carried him down a nearly invisible hallway. There was no scent to lead him, no light even, just some kind of inexplicable pull, as if his blood had become metallic and was being drawn by a magnet. He could only breath properly if he followed this path. Sesshomaru found himself at the base of a thin curving staircase, the walls coated with a thick layer of dust, and scuff marks from many sets of feet in the layer on the stairs themselves, and oddly there was no scent. Without pausing he moved upward, passing the only torch he had seen so far.

The light spilled down the hall in faint tendrils crawling along the floor and walls. Like the entry and staircase before it this hall was empty around Sesshomaru, and he didn't pause before continuing, his steps constant and in no way hesitant. Halfway down the hall his blood stopped pulling him, settled into its normal course and pace, but his eyes were pulled immediately to the door beside where he had stopped. He turned, pushing carefully at the wooden door that resisted him. His eyes found and recognized a lock similar to those on dungeon cells. It would be easily worked around. He placed a fingertip in the lock, releasing only enough poison into the mechanism to melt the delicate pieces working inside. He pushed the door open and stepped into the room.

Kagome turned toward the almost silently opening door, quickly wiping away the traces of her tears. For a second she froze, staring at him. Another tear burned her cheek, and she turned away from the mirage. Why did she have to play these kind of cruel tricks on herself? She squeezed her eyes tightly closed, hiding her face in her hands.

His eyes left hers to sweep the room. With the exceptions of a mat and blanket on the floor it was bare stone and empty. There was no fireplace, and no candles to provide light, the only illumination was faint moonlight coming from the only window a tiny opening high on the wall. It was obviously glassless, but two thick bars blocked anyone from attempting to escape through it. He looked to the girl kneeling on the floor. She wasn't looking at him, and she didn't' speak. Her shoulders shook with silent sobs. Something made him want to speak, but for the first time no words would find his tongue.

Kagome looked up again. Why hadn't he disappeared yet? Why was this false image just standing there? Was it possible this was really him? She pushed herself to her feet, hesitantly moving toward him. "Se…Sesshomaru?" Her voice was less than a whisper of sound, but he nodded once. Kagome stopped almost close enough to, but not quite touching him. Her fingers shook as she reached up, hesitantly, fearfully, to touch his face.

Her fingertips were icy against his skin. Sesshomaru stood perfectly still as her trembling fingers moved down his cheek, outlined his lower lip. Even in the dimness he could see tears glistening in her eyes. What was he supposed to do if she started crying again? He'd never been forced to deal with an emotional woman.

She pulled her hand back from him, still waiting for him to vanish despite being solid. "You're really here?" The cold must have seeped into her skull and numbed her brain because it was suddenly refusing to work. Again he only nodded silently, "Say something please." She whispered, needing to hear his voice to be certain it was really him.

"You are proving to be more trouble than I had expected hu…Kagome."

For a second she bit on her quivering lower lip, staring up at him. "What are you doing here?" She asked softly.

"I should think it obvious." He couldn't tell her that he had come for her, and he assured himself that he was only repaying her for what he had done to her. Ravishing her had been unintentional, but he had and owed her something for allowing it to happen, and for treating her so coldly afterward.

She understood, but didn't say anything in response. She had nothing to say. She hadn't expected him to come and now that he was here she could only think of how glad she was to see him and what would happen if anyone else had. "You have to go." She whispered.

"Is there any particular reason?" The sudden smell of fear the panic in her eyes almost alarmed him, but Sesshomaru held it easily in check. Any encouragement and the girl was likely to explode in hysterics.

"If anyone sees you or finds out you're here Gorenchi will try to capture of kill you. He has the others already, please you have to…"

He recognized that words would not stop her and silenced her by touching her lips with a fingertip. "That is enough." She began to object, but he stopped her with a look. "Your concern is misplaced and unnecessary."

"Please Sessh, I can't let him hurt you too." She gripped his hand with both of hers, her eyes locking onto, pleading with his.

His eyes left hers only to narrow as he gently caught her chin and tilted her face to expose her left cheek to the faint moonlight, "He's marked you." His words were more growled than spoken as he tried to bite down his anger.

"It's nothing, I'll be fine." His hold on her was light, but Kagome found she couldn't pull away from him, "You have to leave Sesshomaru. If he finds you here he'll kill you and everyone else."

"Do you think so lowly of me?"

"Of course not…just… I don't want anything to happen to you." His hand was so warm she felt like he was burning her. She tried and failed to stop her shivering.

"I will hear no more talk of me running away." He released her, stepped back a little. It took him a second to realize that her body was shacking with cold, not sobs. Why did it anger him to see her so badly mistreated?

The blanket was thin and coarse against his fingers as he lifted it from the floor and draped the cloth around her shoulders. "Come." He seated himself on the woven mat on the floor, pulled her sideways onto his lap and placed his arm around her shoulders as she curled against his chest.

Somehow her fear vanished the second he pulled her close to him. Kagome relaxed against him, her body soaking in the warmth of his. She could feel his slow even breathing, hear the steady beat of his heart and as she closed her eyes the world shrank to include only the two of them. She wasn't cold and alone, there was nothing to fear because there was only Sesshomaru and time stopped moving.

Kagome wasn't sure how long they sat there before she could make herself move. She lifted her head, turning to look at him, not sure what she was going to say. His grip on her loosened only to tighten again. She was beginning to recognize the boiling melting heat in his eyes. She held her breath, waiting for the kiss she was certain would come.

He stared down at her in the dimness, watched the fading moonlight skip over her pale skin. Her dark eyes were pools of rich color in her face, glowing up into his. She was marred only by the bruise she had been given, another testament to how badly she had been treated. As if in a trance he released her shoulders to touch her face, covering the mark with his fingers and unable to explain even to himself why he did it.

She watched him closely, suddenly very aware of how close he was, that she hadn't been this near to him for far too long. She waited and still Sesshomaru didn't move. The butterflies that always found her demanded she do something. Kagome caught his hand, linked her fingers with his. She stared at his eyes that were glued to their hands. She wanted to speak, drag his attention to her, but no sound would escape her. She reached out to touch his face, her fingers barely brushing against him before he turned to her.

There was no way to tell which of them moved first, but as their lips met neither cared. He had tasted hunger befor, but never had it been as intoxicating as in her kiss. Sesshomaru crushed her to him as his own need broke through the walls he'd surrounded it with. Something deep in the back of his mind told him to gentle his hold on her, to be careful as she was only human. He stopped.

"No." He broke the kiss but, didn't completely release her. This could not be allowed to continue. Such behavior was ill advised and would lead him into trouble. He had only narrowly escaped once before. Narrowly escaped? He hadn't escaped at all. Didn't the memory of her haunt him at every turn? Hadn't he come all this distance for her?

Could it really be so bad to want her? To want to keep her for eternity? To want to love her? Sesshomaru did his best to banish the thoughts. Love was the most dangerous of emotions, most of which he functioned far more effectively without. If he allowed himself to love her he was certain to loose her. The things you loved were what were used to hurt you. He would give no one such an advantage over him.

Kagome stared at him in shock, wondering what she had done wrong, what he was thinking. She couldn't move away from him, and his face diverted. She could still see his eyes, the blaze in them only a little cooler. "I…um…" She stopped, not sure what to say.

"More romanticized situations." He murmured.

"Funny how we keep ending up in those." She looked away from him, oddly disappointed, feeling hurt and rejected. It was only when she was brave enough to risk a little more pain that she looked back to him, "They aren't entirely bad, are they?"

"They are dangerous." He fought franticly for his control. He'd only come this close to such a loss once and it had come so suddenly he had no chance of breaking away, now he would stop before he went too far.

"Oh… dangerous, yeah." Couldn't he tell that she didn't care? His continuing certainty that somehow he had hurt her or would was proving to be annoying. She was beginning to wonder if this was his way of playing with her. For a second she bit on her lip, thinking of what to say or do. She turned to him again, placing a hand carefully on his face and making him look at her. She couldn't speak suddenly only stare into his eyes. Her hand trailed down from his jaw over the side of his neck. She felt Sesshomaru swallow, then tremble. "Sessh."

There was an offer in her eyes that he couldn't ignore or turn away from. Not again. Not when he wanted so badly to accept it, her. The need was almost overwhelming and mirrored so perfectly in her eyes that Sesshomaru could only lower his head to her shoulder, overpowered by the scent and feel of her. Fighting his own internal battle, one shaking him to his core.

She could only imagine what was taking place in his mind, but she understood that it had to be difficult. For a moment she was afraid to move, afraid of him moving away. Slowly Kagome slid her arms around him, and after another second of hesitation stroked his hair, that felt like silk as her fingers combed through the strands. He didn't move.

A soft growl brought Miroku and Sango's attention to the red figure curled in the corner.

"Inuyasha, are you alright?" Miroku called over to him, watching tensely as the half demon pushed himself upward, shaking his head.

"Who hit me?" He demanded angrily, jumping to his feet.

"One of the guards. They've been keeping you unconscious for most of the day." Miroku explained softly.

"Have you seen Kagome?"

"When they first brought us in. He's holding her somewhere else, and blackmailing her." Sango was aware of the confused look, but left it for Miroku to explain further.

"He wants Kagome to marry him, and Gorenchi is threatening to kill us if she does not agree. Probably hurt her as well."

"Being married to him would be worse than dieing. I hope she doesn't go through with it."

"She won't, once we get out of here."

"There's no way Inuyasha. Even you can't bend or dislodge these bars." Miroku sank onto a bench pushed against the wall, his eyes on the ground, "I must acknowledge that this is my fault. It was my decision that let the girl capture us."

"Um…yeah." Inuyasha murmured.

"It was a misjudgment Miroku. Everything will work out, it always does."

"Oh yeah? We're stuck in a dungeon, there's no way out of here." Inuyasha snapped.

"Being pessimistic isn't going to help us Inuyasha. Blame me all you want, but try to think of a way out." Miroku said softly, still staring at the ground.

He lifted his head, thinking his decision was made, and realizing he really had no choice. He had to leave her immediately or build more regrets, injure her further. He turned to her, preparing a gentle explanation for moving away and leaving her. He froze as he saw her face, feeling foolish for thinking he could reject her. It would have been best. He was tiring of doing what was best.

The silence pressed in on her, so complete Kagome could hear the stars chiming over the millions of miles between them. She could see the sun hiding in his eyes, keeping time from moving again, holding her as well. He didn't speak, but she understood everything he was saying with those eyes, things he would never say aloud. This time she moved first, slowly she touched her lips to his, at first just brushing her mouth to his then his lips settled against hers, his arm pulled her closer and together they fell sideways.