Chapter 16

To say that he was worried about her after he had watched the singer's PV would be an understatement. He could see it in the young man's eyes. Kuon could see the greed, lust and desire to possess completely in his eyes. He had seen that look before in the eyes of his friends and himself. He was worried for her, going to Karuizawa alone. She had admitted to him at one point that she had never been anywhere in the world on her own before, not like this. Not as a traveler. Only as Djinn had she been only exposed to others one at a time, always hoarded and kept guarded like the rare treasure that she was. He tried to shake of the worry and concentrate on other things.

"Haaahhh, What a day..." Kuon groaned as he flopped onto his bed and stared at the ceiling. "Did Yashiro really have to mention that idiot bothering her while I'm away? Nah... She can take care of herself." He chuckled remembering that she had turned Fuwa into a miniature pig. He smirked. "And a roach." A thought came to his mind. "Roach?... No..." He shook it off. "I think I'll go down to the bar and have a drink with the guys." He pulled himself up, straightened his clothes, brushed his hair and made his way to the bar and grill downstairs to relax.

"Ah... My little Queen... So alert..." He whispered to her as he stood near. "So exquisite... So alluring, with wet hair in a yukata... It's erotic." Her hair was a soft as the silks he imagined her in.

"Get away from her! She's mine!" Sho slapped away Reino's hand.

Kyoko turned and glared at him. "I am no one's property." She hissed.

Sho swallowed hard remembering being turned to a small pig and a roach. "I... I"

"Or, did you not learn your lesson?" She purred.

Reino chuckled. "It wouldn't matter... If she was yours or, not... It really doesn't matter to me." He leered at her lustfully making Kyoko uncomfortable.

"I will have you, but not as a slave my dear." He whispered to her.

"What's going on here?" Shoko Aki asked as she entered the lounge.

Kyoko turned to her and smiled stiffly. "Nothing to worry about, thank you." She quickly left for her room.

When she entered her room, she was visibly shaken and Momose Itsumi, her room-mate, was worried about her. Itsumi tried to take her mind off of whatever was bothering her by suggesting a warm soak in the bath. When she had told Kyoko about her phone ringing, she looked relieved so Itsumi let the subject drop. She seemed okay after that.

She sounded strange at first. He had never heard that tone in her voice. Was it fear? Why would she feel fear? After that brief moment she hid it or, did she calm herself? Something didn't feel right with that conversation with her. It unsettled him even more. He had called her because he felt that something was out of place. He felt worried for her. Like someone was going to harm her.

"Yashiro-san? Could you do me a favor?" Kuon asked as he sat next to his manager waiting on his turn in the photo shoot.

"What do you need Ren?" He never really asks for anything. I wonder...

"I'd like to try and finish up here as quickly as possible. Could you go to Karuizawa ahead of me and make sure everything is okay?" He asked in a tone that Yashiro could only interpret as worried.

"Sure... I'll call you when I get there." Yashiro told him as he stood and began to gather his things. He was not going to question this request. His charge had never asked him to do anything like this before. Something must have disturbed him last night.

~xoxo~

"So what's wrong with Ren? He looks a little worried." The photographer asked Michael, the blond male model that served as his dining companion the night before.

"I'm not sure, but I think his girlfriend called last night from the location shoot he has after this. He seemed a little worried about her after the call." Michael answered.

"Hmm, that would explain why he wants to rush through and get everything done today." The photographer pondered.

She was tired. Tired and cranky. She hated this sleeping in a human bed like the night before, they were so uncomfortable and stiff. The room was too cold, the pillow too coarse, the blankets too heavy and she was forced to wear clothing to bed. How was she to get any decent sleep if this kept up? She decided that next time she was to go on location to anywhere, she would definitely make sure that she didn't have to share a room with anyone unless they knew her secret.

What made things worse, is that Momose-san had brought to her attention that Shotaro had been waiting on her to come out of costume and makeup. To stake his claim on me no doubt. She groused internally as she walked to the little rest area that had been set up for the staff.

"Why are you here?" She asked irritably. "Miss your true form?" She smirked when she saw him shiver slightly.

"No... I... I just thought that I would make sure that the pest from last night kept away from you." He told her while staring at the grass.

She rolled her eyes. "I do not need your protection. You need to worry about yourself. You're abilities that were gifted to you mean nothing if you do not put them to use." She waved him away dismissively.

"You don't need to worry about me. I'm fine on my own. I... I just wanted..." She stopped him before he could complete his statement.

"It no longer matters what you want. You have nothing to offer me in return. Our contract is no longer valid. You have nothing of value to me." She told him coldly.

"Nothing?" He walked to her and slowly raised his hand.

She stepped away from him and he dropped his hand to his side. "Nothing of value to a Djinni. Consult the other around you. Perhaps you can bargain with him." She turned and walked away leaving Sho confused.

"Who is she talking about?" Sho whispered to himself as he left the Dark Moon location set.

The strange, wraith-like singer had come to her filming set and chased her into the forest. The strange feeling that she had gotten from him the night before had muddled her mind and she ran. She needed to get somewhere that she wouldn't be seen so she could go to her safe place, but he seemed to always know where she was going.

"I only desire you, Farasha..." He cooed into her ear and she froze.

"H-How..." She stammered. "How do you know?"

He smiled as he took her into his arms and his fingers took hold of the zipper of her dress. "So soft, so beautiful." He murmured. His hot breath on the bare skin of her neck.

"Why are you doing this?" She whispered.

He smiled ferally. "He doesn't deserve what he has and he most certainly doesn't deserve an exquisite creature such as yourself." He tightened his grip around her waist.

She took hold of his arm and pulled away from him. Her runes glowing red. Eyes flashed like hot coals. Hair, tongues of flame and the dress she had been wearing that had burned away, was replaced with her scant silk loin covering and gold chains. "And neither do you." Her voice was thick, seductive and terrifying. She now knew she had been mistaken. He was merely a gifted human, like those in the old days.

"Ifrit?" He whispered in awe of her.

Her haunting laugh echoed through the little forest as she approached him, her feet burning the ground that they touched. "You know nothing, young one. If all you desire is to possess me, you have already lost. If there is anything of him that you think you want, you will find nothing in that hollow empty shell of a mortal. He has already given it to me freely. You have nothing that I want and neither does he. I suggest you cease with your little childish game or, you will be very disappointed with the end result." Her voice lilted menacingly as she now stood directly before him and caressed his face. "Now... little boy... You are not Djinn... Where did you hear of that name that you uttered?"

Reino froze. He felt spellbound by her touch. He felt her draining his very life force away from him through her touch. "I... I see things." He confessed. "A gift from my grandfather." He told her without hesitation. She really despised being wrong. The power was passed down to him and not granted. It was never meant to be bestowed upon other generations.

She smirked. "I see... This gift was never meant for you, child."

He felt her pull him closer to her. He couldn't resist her hypnotic gaze.

"What I have given belongs to another. I rescind your insight of the unknown. I shall return you to what you were intended to be. You shall no longer hear... You shall no longer see... All that you have taken shall be returned." She slowly pulled him to her and he felt her warm, soft, honeyed lips graze his.

"KYOKO!" She was spun away from her prey before she was able to complete her task. She quickly donned her Mio costume before others arrived as she stood before a shocked Sho and a stunned Reino. "What the hell were you doing!" Sho hissed, only seeing her trying to kiss Reino.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Only taking back what was gifted to another." She told him without emotion.

Sho looked at Reino and the full meaning of her words hit him. She... She can take it away? He misunderstood her statement.

Reino let out a breath of relief. He hadn't been careful with this one. She was more dangerous than he had anticipated. He felt a thrill shoot up his spine and smirked. She was worth the risk. He turned. "We'll continue this discussion later, Kyoko..." He started to walk away.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going? Hey!" Sho yelled.

Reino turned to him after they were away from Kyoko and Director Ogata, who had arrived shortly after Sho. He smiled at Sho. "I suggest you take care around that one. She's no longer bound to you and could do a lot of damage." He leaned against a tree. It felt as though she had drained away at least half of his life just with that little brush.

Sho turned and walked away. "Whatever. I'm not a wimp like you."

Reino chuckled breathlessly. "No you're worse." He whispered to his retreating form and pulled out his phone to call his best friend, Miroku.