Chapter 26: Unveiling
"Me?" Kagome asked, bewildered out of her wits. She cursed as she saw Akitori smirk. How the hell does she always get herself into this kind of predicament? She recognized the hunger in his eyes as his eyes surveyed her from head to foot, momentarily lingering on the mating mark. "Do you mind explaining that?" she asked to give herself some more time to think.
The handsome demon walked around her. "It's quite simple, dear Lady," he said as he stopped to her right, his breath brushing the soft tendrils on the side of her face. "I want you."
Kagome clenched her hand and cursed her weakened condition. She could feel Akitori's strength. She knew she could take him on if she was stronger but right now, she won't even be able to muster enough strength to attack him once. The festivities of the night had drained her. Besides, she didn't want to create any unnecessary conflict between Sesshoumaru and Lord Kigami. Then again, Akitori was the one who was looking like a predator stalking his prey.
"You do realize that I am Sesshoumaru's mate," she said as calmly as she can although she was panicking inside. "And there's that little statement made by the other three lords including your father?"
"Ah," Akitori breathed. "That little statement about whosoever tries to come between you and Sesshoumaru shall forfeit his or her life."
She gave him a soft smile. "I'm glad you remembered," she said.
"You see, Kagome," the demon said as he resumed walking around her. "I would be free to pursue you once Sesshoumaru is out of the way. The mating mark disappears when the one who gave the mark dies."
"And you believe that you could take care of Sesshoumaru just like that?" Kagome mocked, forgetting the danger she was in. "What makes you think I would not warn him about this?"
She saw the spark of anger in his dark eyes and she tried to stop the urge to shiver in fear. "Easily, Kagome," he said. "You won't have the chance to tell him about this."
Kagome saw him disappear and then felt a dizzying sensation before blackness consumed her.
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"I can't find her," Yoji whispered to Sesshoumaru.
Kagome had left to go to the gardens to cool herself. He could tell that she was already tired. He did not want her to go alone but she told him that it would not be proper for them to disappear at the same time. He told her to take someone with her but she had declined, saying that she did not want to bother anybody.
Sesshoumaru had reluctantly agreed but after a while, he told Yoji to look after Kagome. His cousin went on his way and now he was telling him that he could not find Kagome.
"I've checked everywhere," Yoji continued. "However, it was odd that her scent stopped even before she reached the gardens. As far as my senses are telling me, she never got there."
Sesshoumaru caught his father's eye and saw his brow furrowed in concern. The old youkai knew that something was amiss. InuTaisho excused himself and made his way towards them.
"What is wrong?" InuTaisho asked carefully.
"Kagome is missing," Sesshoumaru said levelly despite the panic lodging in his chest at his mate's disappearance. He watched his father's eyes bleed red at the news. He felt his youki raging inside him. It wanted to find its mate no matter what the cause.
Yoji nodded to confirm Sesshoumaru's words. "I have searched but all traces of her stopped before she reached the gardens," he repeated his observation to InuTaisho.
"We must keep this a secret until the others had gone," InuTaisho said.
Sesshoumaru hesitated a moment. He wanted to leave to find Kagome but he knew that he could not afford the others to suspect that Kagome had disappeared inside the Palace of the Moon. He nodded to his father and began the longest wait of his life.
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Kagome awoke from the sound of waterfalls. She stared at the plain white ceiling as she let memories of how she got there came back to her. She mentally checked herself and was satisfied that she didn't feel anything unusual. Gingerly, she sat up and noted that the futon she was lying on was very comfortable.
It was a very minimalist room. She sniffed the air and was immediately assaulted by Akitori's spicy scent. Kagome contemplated whether Akitori was stupid enough to create a conflict between their lands and Sesshoumaru's, probably not. Maybe she was somewhere in the Northern Lands but definitely not within the castle since she could only feel Akitori close by. She stiffened when she felt another familiar aura.
She started to panic as the two auras neared her. Kagome knew she was still not strong enough to take on Akitori. She trained her eyes on the shoji screen. She did not wait long.
"Ah," Naraku said with a smirk. "I am glad that the Lady of the Western Lands is finally awake." He started to advance toward her but stopped when Kagome shot him an icy glare that mirrored Sesshoumaru's.
"Don't come near me," Kagome said coldly. Her aura flared automatically around her as she stared at the hanyou.
Akitori, sensing Kagome's distress in Naraku's presence came between them. "That is enough, Naraku," he said warningly.
Kagome's aura retracted when Akitori came between her and Naraku. She watched curiously as the two stared at each other, as if willing the other one to back down. Naraku's eyes narrowed when he realized that the demon was not going to back down. Soon, he smirked and turned to leave but Kagome knew that Naraku's devious mind is up to something. At least she knows that Akitori is on her side.
"Whatever you say, Akitori," Naraku said. "However, I suggest you think of something. I doubt Sesshoumaru would let you get away for stealing his mate. We both know how he is."
Finally, Naraku left. Kagome's rigid posture relaxed once the hanyou's evil presence was no longer near. She knew he had left, at least for now. She tensed again when Akitori faced her. She watched wearily as the demon slowly approached her with a calculating look. Kagome refused to show how nervous she was and so she stood her ground. When Akitori was merely a few feet away from her, Kagome decided that she would not take any chances. She erected a barrier around her that would keep him away from her.
Akitori stopped and smirked. "You think that would stop me?" he asked, amusement dancing in his eyes.
She smirked back. "You bet I do," she replied smugly and watched as the shield crackled as his hand came into contact with it. There was a hiss as Akitori's skin was purified by the miko energy she had infused the barrier.
Kagome watched as Akitori's face contorted into a mask of fury. "What does Sesshoumaru have that I don't?" he suddenly burst out, his youki expanding dangerously. "First Michiko, and now you!"
"Michiko?" Kagome asked, her heart clenching at the name.
Akitori's face was now saddened as he remembered. "She looked so much like you," he said sadly. "Many youkai sought her hand in marriage. We were very close and I knew that she would eventually choose me."
Her heart went out to Akitori. It was evident that he really loved Michiko. Kagome watched as his hands clenched against his sides. "Then she saw Sesshoumaru," he continued bitterly. "Despite Sesshoumaru's disinterest, she still wanted him. She even went so far as to seduce him. According to rumors, Sesshoumaru just looked at her coldly and turned away, leaving her humiliated and rejected."
Tears threatened to fall from Kagome's eyes as her heart went out to the demoness. She kept herself from interrupting Akitori whose eyes have now begun to bleed red in his anger. "Michiko was so devastated by his rejection that she wasted away, waiting for Sesshoumaru to come for her until she fell ill and died," he finished harshly. "Sesshoumaru could have everything he could ever want. It had always been him. He is the strongest, the most powerful, and now he even has you and his heirs! The youkai court admires him, many youkai envy him. My own mother thinks he's better than me." He had spat the last sentence bitterly.
Kagome reached out to Akitori's clenched fists; both hands were now bleeding from his claws. "I understand how you feel," she said in a soothing voice as she healed his hands. "But you have to realize that I am not Michiko."
His eyes softened as he caressed her face. "I know that," Akitori said. "You may look like her but I have realized long ago that you are different from her."
Kagome turned away from Akitori's touch. "Please, just return me to my family," she pleaded. Deep down, she knew Akitori was not evil. "I promise I'll forget this incident."
"No, Kagome," he said fiercely. "You will be mine! I'll do anything to have you."
"You don't understand," she whispered sadly as she retreated away from him. Before Akitori could reach her, she had erected another barrier around her. "Even if you succeed in your plan, my heart will always belong to Sesshoumaru. I will always be his and his alone."
Akitori growled angrily and stalked out of the room.
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"We can't find her," Sango said as her group arrived back at the library.
After the party, Sesshoumaru had called everyone to the library. By then, everyone already noticed that Kagome was missing. When asked of Kagome's whereabouts, Sesshoumaru had told them that she was resting since she had not fully recovered from her ordeal.
Shitare had immediately noticed that something was amiss when he noticed how restless Sesshoumaru was. It was not obvious to the others but Shitare was different. He and Sesshoumaru practically grew up together. Thus, he knew Sesshoumaru's little quirks.
The lord of the southern lands had stayed after the party and joined their search. Hitomi, Kimiko and Yoji were left with the twins to ensure their safety.
"There's not even a trace," Kenji said irritably. "It was as if she just vanished."
"That's just impossible," Inuyasha spat, his worry for his best friend evident. "People don't just disappear without a trace."
Kikyou looked thoughtful. "She did not vanish," she said. "I can still feel her. I can feel her sadness but something is preventing me from identifying her exact location."
Sesshoumaru observed everyone. He knew Kagome is safe since he could still feel her through their connection. Like Kikyou, he had tried to determine her exact location since he found out that she was missing. However, something was also blocking him. It was as if a barrier was placed around Kagome to prevent anyone from locating her.
"Then who took her?" Shitare asked. "Who has the ability to cloak his aura and scent so completely that it did not leave any trace?"
"Naraku," Inuyasha growled.
"No," Kikyou said with conviction. "If it was Naraku, I would have felt him. It is not him. I am sure of it."
Sesshoumaru has his suspicions but unless he could have proof, he would not be able to act on it. He does not want to wage a war with the other taiyoukai unless absolutely necessary.
"If it would help," Miroku started, finally joining the conversation. "I felt something very strange back where lady Kagome disappeared."
As Miroku spoke, Sesshoumaru's eyes immediately focused on the monk. He had observed that the lecherous monk gives very wise advice when he was not being perverted.
"Explain," InuTaisho said eager to learn anything that may help in their search.
"It was as if there was a void in that small area," Miroku said, his confusion evident. "Wherever I go, I can feel something, a lingering aura or a spirit. They are everywhere. But when I step on the spot where you say that Lady Kagome disappeared, there was nothing. I could not feel a thing."
Sango's eyes narrowed at this. "I have not met anyone with this kind of ability," she said. "But I can't think of any other way. Kagome's aura would leave a trace unless she suppresses it completely. However, that would mean she had gone on her own will and she could not cloak her scent. We all know that she would not do that even if she can."
"What are you getting at?" Shitare asked curiously.
The taijiya's expression became troubled. "There is this ancient ability that I have read about," she said. "It is the ability to form a barrier that makes an individual completely invisible, hiding all traces including aura and scent. When used on another individual, it creates a void, much like Miroku's description."
"Who could have this ability?" InuTaisho asked.
Sesshoumaru was troubled, thinking of that same question.
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Kagome paced restlessly around the room. She had tried to expand her aura. She knew that Sesshoumaru and the others would feel it, especially her mate since she could feel him somehow and knew he was very worried about her. No matter how hard she tried, her aura seemed to be contained as if there was a barrier that kept it inside, within a space, much like to the barrier inside the cave where InuTaisho was trapped. She contemplated on releasing a burst of energy to destroy the barrier but immediately discarded the idea. It would be dangerous to the youkai within the vicinity and she could feel a few weak ones and some average youkai.
A female youkai entered the room. Kagome looked at her bowed head from across the room. The youkai seemed terrified of her as she placed the tray on the table near the door.
"You should eat, my Lady," the youkai said timidly. "Lord Akitori assigned me to attend to your needs."
Kagome sighed and went to the table. She didn't feel much like eating but knew she had to in order to regain her health. "What's your name?" she asked the youkai kindly as she swallowed the small morsel of fish.
She watched as the youkai hesitated. "Rui, My Lady," she said finally.
Kagome smiled as she chewed on the steamed vegetable. "My name is Kagome," she said cheerfully. "Since I would be seeing you a lot, it's only right that we know each other's names."
Rui nodded tentatively and looked at her, as if judging her sincerity. However, when she noticed that she was staring, she immediately bowed down again.
"I'm guessing you know who I am," Kagome said as she watched the female youkai blush. "Don't worry. I won't take this against you."
"But Lord Sesshoumaru surely would," she said, her voice trembling. Her eyes widened as she realized what she said. "I'm sorry, my Lady."
Kagome shook her head. "I know you're scared," she began. "And I know Sesshoumaru, too but I can reason with him. So, you don't believe that Akitori might succeed in his plan?"
Rui looked thoughtful for a minute. "I really believe in my master's capabilities," she began carefully.
"But?" Kagome urged gently. She could almost hear the "but" in that statement.
"But I heard so much about Lord Sesshoumaru," she whispered reverently. "They say he is a very powerful youkai and very ruthless. Many also say that those who had dared anger him never survived."
"I did," Kagome said, her smile radiant as she remembered the many times she had purposely challenged his authority. She watched as Rui's face turned into confusion. She giggled. "You honestly think that he chose me among many available female taiyoukai? If you heard so much about him then you must also know that he did not even like humans, much less a very irritating human like me."
"But surely, my lady," Rui began but Kagome stopped her with a shake of her head.
"I used to purposely go against him. I wanted to see him show some emotion," she explained. "Sometimes, I get what I want but most of the time, he remains as stoic as ever. It's frustrating, I tell you. I know you're wondering how we ended up mated. Well, that's another part of Sesshoumaru that many know of, his honor."
The girl had relaxed as she listened with fascination. "And that same honor would drive him to find you," she said.
"Yes," Kagome said with conviction. "I know he would find me."
End chapter
Hey :D
I really like Akitori's story there, it's quite interesting but very sad. I hope he gets a happy ending though. I'm guessing that he might join in to defeat Naraku. Another guess is that eventually Akitori will let Kagome go free.
A few things you need to improve on are using words like "here" and "hear", and "week" and "weak". They sound the same, but mean different things.
e.g. Here: The desk is over here.
Hear: I can hear the house creaking.
Week: You will hand in your essays at the end of the week.
Weak: The prisoner escaped because there were weak points within the
security system.
Another thing would be the language used. In some parts the language is too formal. When you speak to people that are close to you, like friends, then it'd be more suitable to use colloquial language.
e.g. Formal: I do not think this type of
material would be suitable.
Colloquial: I don't think this type of material would be
suitable.
Formal should only be restricted for certain occasions such as a lecture, seminar, meeting, etc. And to people who are in a higher status than you: e.g. your boss, a superior, etc.
Informal can be used with friends, family, people that you're close to, people of the same status: e.g. classmates
For example, it's a little strange if Kagome is trying to be friendly, but sounds so formal.
Other than those two things, it's all good :D