Chapter 22

Hakuuyo's power

"What are you brooding about?"

Surreal spun around and faced Hakuuyo, hatred and loathing apparent on her face. But she was a good liar, a damn good liar. "You keep butting in on my time with him!"

Hakuuyo just smiled at her. Stupid bitch, she doesn't have a clue.

"Get away from me,"

"Now, darling," Hakuuyo crooned as he came around her. "Naraku is busy, you know this,"

"He always is," She muttered, watching him carefully. "Don't you have something to do?"

"Not at the moment, no," He was a foot away from her now and looked as if he was going to close that little gap between them. Let him. I'll show him the blunt end of my stiletto if he even so much as touches me. "But I can always find something to pass the time," He lifted a hand and twisted a lock of her silky hair between two fingers, then let it go, sliding those clawed fingers down her cheek to her lips. "Surreal, darling, I believe I know exactly what we can do,"

"Do you, sugar?" She dropped her right hand, her fingers curling as she readied herself to call in her stiletto.

"Yes," He took a step back from her, admiring her stance, smiling. "I have an errand I need you to run,"

"Really?"

Hakuuyo smiled at her. "There's a shack three miles to the east of here. I need you to clean it up for me and make sure it will be suitable."

"Suitable for what?"

"Why, my victory, of course. It will need a bed, of course, and a place in the center of the room for a fire. Water, food. Things that you and Naraku will need to hold you over for a week."

"For a week?" Suspiciously, she studied him. "You want us to keep an eye on someone in that hut, don't you?"

"Of course," Hakuuyo circled her, admiring her every curve. You can't help yourself, can you, sugar? I was a damn good whore...and an even better assassin.

"That Miko bitch will be joining us shortly. As well as the Blood. In a few weeks I'll go after the Blood, and I know the Miko will try to interfere, so I'll take her as well." He paused behind her, closing the gap again, resting his lips at her ear. "And I'm going to need you and Naraku to keep an eye on her while I draw the power I need to fight her and the Blood." He licked her ear, grinning at the growl she let out. "I have no doubt in my mind that this plan will work so long as Naraku attacks before sunrise the night I send him."

"Why before sunrise?"

"Because until the sun rises, Inuyasha will not be a problem,"

Surreal's eyes narrowed. What's he planning to do to Kagome and Jaenelle?

"And Sesshoumaru?"

Hakuuyo leaned away from her, thinking. He'd forgotten about Inuyasha's youkai brother. "He will not help his brother or the miko bitch. No, Sesshoumaru won't be a problem,"

Not if I have anything to do with it... "Fine," Surreal spun around, glaring. "You'll send Naraku to the hut?"

"Of course," Hakuuyo watched her leave the garden and smiled in the direction of Ebon Askavi, wondering about the strange flickers of power he'd felt from Surreal's body for a moment before he ignored it completely. "In three weeks, they'll both be mine,"

She glared at the hut and paused, looking towards the sunset. She closed her eyes and drew a deep breath to relax her nerves.

"And the Blood shall sing to the Blood," She ignored the patch of bright red witchblood blooming at the foot of the stairs that lead into the hut and stepped inside. She'd tried reaching Daemon again on a distaff thread, but he'd never connected with her, never even indicated he was there to begin with. But she had to tell someone, and she wasn't willing to test Lucivar's temper when Daemon was ignoring her. So she reached out to the mind she didn't think she could reach and was surprised, greatly, that he responded.

Lord Sesshoumaru,

For a moment, there was nothing, and then a flicker of demonic power as Sesshoumaru responded. You have something to tell me?

She smiled in sick relief. I need a favor,

Do you? Annoyance, anger. She remembered what had happened to Rin. She remembered how she had tricked the younger woman into drawing out the demon brothers for Naraku. She remembered holding her stiletto to Kagome's neck and causing something in Inuyasha to snap. She remembered it all.

My situation is hard to explain,

Then continue,

She couldn't tell if he was bored or was using the link to try and track her, but she continued anyway.

Hakuuyo and Naraku plan to attack in a few weeks. He believes that you'll be at the Keep in Ebon Askavi by then,

We are there now,

Oddly trusting...I need you to do something for me,

Why?

Because I've been asked to help Hakuuyo get what he wants, and I'm not going to do that.

And I would believe you, why?

Because by the end of that night of the attack, Naraku will meet the blunt end of my knife and a wave of gray rage the likes of which he'll never forget. I remember what I've done and I'm not proud of it. But I will not allow myself to be used against my family.

She didn't know why, but he believed her.

Then what is the favor?

When the attack comes, you must fight alongside Inuyasha. Hakuuyo is confident that you won't be interfering. If you don't surprise Naraku and attack, then Hakuuyo will win,

There were a few brief moments of silence where she knew that Sesshoumaru was thinking about her request.

Will Rin's life depend on this?

Surreal took a deep breath, let it out slowly. Lord, everyone's life will depend on this.

We shall see,

And then he was gone. Her eyes opened and she didn't know whether to feel relieved or scared. Did that mean he would fight Naraku or not?

Unable to find those answers, Surreal rose and studied the hut carefully. She had to play out this game and she had to play it out until the end or her efforts over the passed few weeks would have been for nothing. Jaenelle and Kagome were both in danger, and she owed them both a whole hell of a lot for what she'd done. Surreal was determined to rectify her mistakes and she'd be damned if she got thwarted in the process.

Daemon, I'm sorry. I'm going to fix this,

"Well?" Surreal leaned against the wall, looking bored as Hakuuyo toured the one room hut.

"You've done well," Hakuuyo grinned at her as Naraku stepped into the hut.

"This is where we'll be holding them?"

"Yes," Hakuuyo admired Surreal's work for a moment before he turned to Surreal herself. "You're annoyed with me,"

"I'm proud that you've finally noticed,"

Hakuuyo grinned slightly. "I like a woman who's annoyed with me,"

She cocked her head to the side and glared at him. "But you are Naraku's bed warmer, not mine," He left them alone in the hut and when her gray-green eyes focused on Naraku's turned back, she had to fight the urge to skin the demon alive.

Power surged through him, strengthened him, as he broke the witch beneath him. She wasn't going to be missed. She was merely a hearth witch for a family that hardly had any standing in society.

Besides, she'd come to his bed willingly. Stupid woman...

Hakuuyo shifted her head and sank his fangs into her neck, enjoying the taste of the warm blood that flowed back on his tongue. He felt power flood him, strengthening him even more as he took her power from her. She was an opal jeweled witch, and the power wasn't very dark, but it was enough. Just enough to keep him sustained for a little while.

But that Miko bitch's blood...that power alone would keep him going for years. And the Blood's strength...Well that would keep him alive for centuries. The power he would gain from both of them...

He shuddered at the thought of it. He couldn't wait to taste Kagome's blood, couldn't wait to sap the power from her body and leave the dead husk to Naraku for the demon's own nasty pleasure. And after he had her power...he'd go for the other and then...

He smiled as he licked his fangs clean and laughed into the dead witch's face. "There'll be a hundred more like you beneath me soon. I'll break every last Witch and Queen in this disgusting realm, and I'll even make the men watch their wives be broken before I break them, too. And after that..." He moved, grinning as the witch's limp body vaguely reacted to his movement. "After that I'll destroy the barrier and do the same in the demon realm. But I'll leave a few of you alive. A few strong Warlord Princes...a few strong Witches. And when their spawn get old enough, I'll break them, too," Hakuuyo sat back and felt the longing to break another witch surge through him. "And the Blood shall sing to the Blood..." He sensed the presence of a green jeweled woman nearby. And she was ripe, very ripe. He grinned as he climbed onto the window ledge of the inn room he'd broken the witch in and watched the woman walk down the street. Red power surged through him as the yearning to break her overwhelmed him. "I do so love the killing..." And then he leapt from the window and quietly began the hunt for the night's desert.

End chapter. So we've finally discovered the source of Hakuuyo's power, but also his weakness! -evil laughter- Anyway...another chapter in like...three minutes! LOVE TO ALL!