CHAPTER 9

"Botan!" Hiei exclaimed, taking a step forward.

"Stay back!" Donovan ordered, looking sharply at the koorime. "Unless you want me to kill her..."

Hiei didn't move but a growl escaped his throat as he glared at Donovan. His grip tightened on the handle of his katana.

The man gave the koorime a once over. "So, Hiei," he said, his voice slightly mocking. "You've come back like I knew you would. I wonder. What could you possibly be doing here?" he looked at Botan. "Could it be because of her? Did you come here to protect her?" he looked back at Hiei. "But from what?"

Hiei put his hand on his sword. "From what indeed," he said, his voice sarcastic. "What else?"

The man raised an eyebrow. "Me?" Donovan said. "Now why would you do such a thing? I wouldn't hurt her." he looked back at Botan. "Right?"

She whimpered in his grasp but said nothing.

Donovan frowned. "Have you been telling people that I'm dangerous, my dear?" Still she said nothing. He smirked. "Well you wouldn't be totally wrong but I'm hurt that you would be telling people such a thing. What have I ever done to you?"

That question she could answer easily. "You won't let me go!" she gasped through his hold.

His eyebrow got higher. "I won't let you go?" he said. "Why didn't you say so in the first place." he let go of Botan's throat and she sank to the floor, gasping. "Now that wasn't so hard was it?" she glared at him. "But, my dear, the reason I won't 'let you go' is because I need you for something."

"To go to the Spirit World right?" Hiei snapped.

Donovan looked over at him. "Now how did you ever figure that out?" he noticed Yuri and snapped. "Have you been telling people things again?" his sister coward behind Hiei. Donovan smirked. "So you have."

"Please brother," Yuri managed, looking around Hiei. "Stop this before it's too late."

He smirked at her. "Stop what?" he asked. "I haven't done anything yet."

"Brother," she began clapsing her hands in front of her, pleadingly. "Don't do this. It's not worth it!"

"Not worth it?" he demanded, glaring at her. "It is too worth it if I can finally gain my rightful place in the Spirit World!"

"You have no place," Hiei told him. "You are only half. What place do you think you'll gain if you try?"

"The place I am worth gaining," he told him. "A place that will be greater than any place you would ever gain, spawn of Hell!"

"Spawn of Hell?" Hiei said, his voice full of mockery and no surprise at all at the term. "I may be a demon but I know my place. "

"And you're saying I don't?" Donovan demanded.

Hiei smirked. "That is exactly what I'm saying." he unsheathed his sword and was moving before Donovan could even figure out what was happening. The fire demon disappeared then appeared right next to Donovan. It was only thanks to Donovan's reflexes that Hiei's sword didn't kill him when it was swung at him. He stepped back to avoid another slash and grabbed Botan off the floor, grabbing a knife off the table and putting it up to her throat.

"Stop!" he ordered. "Or I slash her throat!"

Hiei froze. Botan's pink eyes held his gaze for a moment and he didn't have to read her mind to know she was scared. He stepped back, not knowing what to do. "Let the onna go," he ordered, grinding his teeth.

"I don't think so," the man said, grinning darkly. "If I let her go you'll kill me and I cannot have that." he looked out the window for a second. he spoke in a whispy voice. "Not before I get what is rightfully mine..." his voice wandered off.

"Donovan, don't do this," Yuri pleaded again.

Donovan glared at his sister. "Shut up!" he ordered.

She fell silent but didn't step back an inch.

Hiei ignored the girl. His attention stayed on Donovan and the girl he held against his chest. Botan looked like she wanted to say something but didn't for fear that if she did her ex-boyfriend would kill her with the knife that hovered just inches from her throat.

What am I going to do? What can I do? Hiei kept asking himself. I can't do anything. Botan's in the way. I can't hurt her and he knows it!

Donovan smirked. "Can't touch me now can you?" he said. "Well that's good anyway because now I can make my escape without worrying about being followed by the likes of you." And with those words the wall behind him quivered and seemed to open up into another world. He stepped back into the portal, dragging Botan with him.

"No!" Hiei exclaimed, moving toward the wall.

Too late. The wall swallowed both Donovan and Botan up and returned to its normal self. "I'll see you later," Donovan's voice echoed as he was swallowed up.

Hiei slammed both his fists against the wall, trying in vain to make it open up again. It wouldn't budge. "No!" he shouted at it, banging his fists against the wall one more time. "Not again!"

A/N

I think I'm becoming less popular with you people on this site. All well. What can I do? I'm trying my best but I got depression so I got writer's block. Meh. It's more my fault than yours. Anyway. I'll try to finish this fic as quickly as possible so I can work on some other things but it might take awhile. I hope you can be patient. Sorry for another short chapter.