Chapter 5: Betrayal

Naraku took in a deep breath as he continued walking down the corridors towards the dungeon. Could he really do this? Was proving a point so important to him that he'd risk happiness with his lover? Afraid? a familiar voice said tauntingly, Typical....you are a pathetic half demon after all. You know, just don't even bother; go back and rot in that stone prison you call your room... The voice said, jerking Naraku out of his indecision and mild panic. "No... I will... just to prove you wrong...." He set his jaw and walked down the staircases and into the entrance of the dungeon. The kumo paused just out of the kit's sight range and took in the full effect of what his words had done.

DeVos was still recovering from some of the abuse his mate had given him when he had locked him up. The kitsune rested on his knees, his head bowed, and wrists suspended in shackles above his head. The ground below him was covered with blood, making Naraku's skin crawl in both delight and regret. Maybe invoking his lover's wrath wasn't a good idea...but the demon in him would never let him rest if he didn't go through with it.

Locked up with nowhere else to go, DeVos had begun to slip into a light doze, but was instantly pulled back to reality upon catching the scent of a certain kumo who was just out of sight. He opened his eyes and scanned the gloomy cell, but found nothing. Haughtily, he called out: "I know you're there.... Did you come back to finish what your lover didn't?"

Naraku's face hardened and something in him awoke, "But of course.... after all...that is the only reason Sesshoumaru didn't killed you in the first place." He stepped into view, inching closer. "Because I wanted to be the one who took you life..." He smirked, and for once since that time in Antarctica he felt right, as he bent down in front of DeVos and took his chin roughly in his grasp, raising it so their eyes were locked. "Ironic, isn't it?...how much love can drive someone to lie and betray the ones that care about them?" yes…admit it! His smirk grew into a grin when the kit looked at him in confusion. "Yes.... somewhere deep within me....I hold that same destructive love....for you..." He leaned forward and roughly kissed the kit, tasting a mixture of dried blood and traces of poison on his lips. The kumo snapped back to his present self and pulled away, brushing the kit's blood red hair out of his face. "What has he done to you?"

The kit's eyes widened before he jerked his head to the side, "He's done EVERYTHING you've asked of him! Now get away from me... I will not stand for any further torment from someone who claims to hate me one moment and then when everyone's back is turned, proclaims his love.... MY feelings have never faltered for you." He said growling and refusing to look Naraku in the eye. "And no matter how much I want you, I will not just come to you when it suits you the best!" He grimaced as another wave of pain washed over him, "If you're going to say those things to me, then you had better be able to deal with the consequences...."

Naraku stiffened as the kit's words sunk in. He's right, you know…Heh..I'm sure he'd be more of a suitable mate for you than that mutt ever could, but of course, the likes of you don't deserve a youkai such as DeVos; he's more of a demon than you could ever—"You're in no position to threaten me, fox." He said with feigned indifference.

DeVos leapt to his feet and tried to get at Naraku but the chains held him just inches away from the smirking kumo's face--but not before he caught the trace of fear that had emanated from Naraku a second before the chains jerked him back--and he chuckled inwardly. "You aren't in the position to threaten me either..." He said with a snarl. "You underestimate the power I hold over the situation...." The snarl turned into a wicked grin, "After all, I'm sure Sesshoumaru would love to join this little party, don't you think? Why, perhaps I should call him down here—what d'ya say?"

He glared at him. "You wouldn't dare..." Shifting his weight to his other leg, he continued, "Besides, what makes you think I care if Sesshoumaru comes down here and finishes you off? It'd be no skin off my back." He chose to focus his attention on a stone in the wall as if DeVos wasn't there.

Devos raised an eyebrow, knowing that even in spite of his seemingly nonchalant cover, he'd sturck a cord in the kumo's conscience. "I think you care a lot morethan you're letting on.... After all, I know I won't be leaving the castle alive," He locked his mischevious emerald eyes onto Naraku's, using their allure to pull hisgaze off of the wall to meet his own, "But what will your beloved inu do to you if he finds you here on your knees...?"

Enraged, Naraku brought back his left arm and thrust it square in the kit's jaw, knocking him back against the wall. Shaking himself mentally, he stood up straight and composed himself before calmly addressing the youkai, "And to think I was going togive you a present before I had you torn to shreds...but if you aren't going to behave, I don't think you deserve it..."

Spitting some blood from his cut lip, DeVos narrowed his eyes in mild confusion and suspicion before regaining his arrogant calm. "Aw, but I thought you'd be the type smirk to want to beat the mischief out of me.... there go my plans...." He chuckled, trying to goad Naraku.

The kit's tricks and teases were really starting to wear on the kumo's nerves, but he wasn't about to lose his cool anytime soon. Rather, he took the kit roughly by the chin and smiled, "You should know by now, my dearest kitsune..." he put his hand on the kit's chest and dug his nails in hard, enjoying the wince and gasp of pain, "I much prefer ripping.." He slowly began dragging his nails down as hard as he could. "..and tearing my prey apart....."

Feeling the kumo's embedded nails ripping open his flesh as they traveled down his torso was both painful and delightfully thrilling; it was how he'd pictured their encounter time after time in his thoughts and dreams, ever since he learned of Naraku and his haunted fortress in the faraway land. But with growing tension, he realized that Naraku was just toying with him; he wasn't giving in to his true feelings and desires. He had to discover what was preventing him. Surely it wasn't just that damned inu--it had to be more than that. So defiantly, DeVos leaned into the digging nails, pushing them deeper into his flesh, covering Naraku's hand in his demonic blood. "Why don't you wake up, Love?" he purred seductively.

The demon within him could not be bound by self control any longer. The kumo's eyes widened and the shade of violet took on a slightly more crimson tint. "Here I am..." He pulled out his claws and licked some blood offof his fingertips before smearing the rest of it on the kit's pallid face. He leaned in centimeters closer, their lips touching. "...To take everything from you...." he licked some ofthe blood off of his cheek, "..And give you so...much...more...." He whispered seductively into the kit's ear.

The kit shivered in delight despite the pain from his wounds. Finally! After all his waiting, DeVos had what he had been craving for so long. As if in a trance, he turned his head and kissed the kumo hungrily, probing his tongue deep into the other's mouth, knowing full well Naraku was also tasting his blood at the same time. DeVos soon felt the kumo's tongue slide into his own mouth in return, and, defiantly, he used his tongue to push Naraku's down on his canines, causing the blood of thousands of demons to pour down his throat, and he moaned in ecstacy.

The demon within his mind was basking in the control he was getting. Soon, the weak-minded fool that claimed to be him would be no more. However, right as his hands were slipping under the torn and bloodied kimono the kit was wearing, that annoying weak part of his mind shoved a memory not unlike the experience he was now having into his face. The kitsune was doing to him exactly what he had done to Sesshoumaru a year prior. 'Your blood tastes so much sweeter from your lips, Sesshoumaru…' The words made the demon falter and his control wane. His hands began to shake a little as he continued pushing down the kitsune's sleeves. But once again, a flicker of a memory surfaced as he saw Sesshoumaru in his head once more. Stop it! the demon shouted in his mind, trying to smother the annoying voice of his conscience.

DeVos could feel the change in him. He bit back a growl and pressed his body close to Naraku as he brought his hands to the kumo's back and began to scrape his claws down his spine.

The kumo let out a despairing yelp, not because he disliked the pain, but because instead of helping the demon remain in control, the kit's actions had a reverse effect. The memory of Sesshoumaru rose stronger than ever within his mind and extinguished the demon's wavering flicker. Naraku opened his eyes and then closed them immediately upon seeing the betrayal brought on by his inner monster. What am I doing!? he shouted at himself as he pulled his hands away and backed up. He covered his face with his hands to cover up his look of self-disgust. However, once he thought he found a frail sanctuary from the kit, the scent of blood assaulted his nose and his face was slick and wet with the dark crimson liquid. He tried to wipe it off but there was no where for it to go; he was practically covered with it! He sank to his knees, the threat of his defeat against his demon looming dangerously over his head.

DeVos took in several heavy breaths, closing his eyes and hating that nothing he did would keep the damn kumo from slipping from his claws. "Stop trying to lie to yourself…" he said, opening his eyes and placing a harsh glare on the kumo. "If you hated it so much; if you truly loathed being with me…then why did I see such concern in your eyes?! Why did you even bother to save me from that damn mutt?!" He grit his teeth. "You know that no matter how many times you try to push or pull away, you'll come right back to me! You are not as invincible as you'd like to believe…"

Naraku lowered his hands and looked at DeVos square in the eyes. "I...don't believe you. Saving you was a mistake," he began to let his emotions get to him, "You never saw concern in my eyes for you, and you never shall!" He was almost screaming now, "I won't be brought down by the likes of you!" And with that, he spun on his heels and quickly stormed out of the dungeon as the blood on his face became streaked with tears of rage.

The kitsune let out a low growl in frustration as the kumo rushed out of the dungeon. He tried to go after him in order to force some sense into him, but the chains wouldn't break. In defeat, he plopped down on the ground, his wrists suspended above his head. "My day will come soon enough…." he said with a wicked grin, his arrogance returning, "And then I'll break you once and for all, Beloved."

Sesshoumaru carefully slid under the covers beside his sleeping mate. Naraku had disappeared for a short while after returning from the dungeon, and he hadn't spoken a word since he'd gotten back. He knew it had to do with that accursed fox, and when he'd gone down to the cell, he made sure DeVos got another piece of his mind.

He shifted on the bed and faced Naraku, who had his back turned to him, and began to slowly drift into a light sleep as he thought of what could be going through the kumo's head right now.

A cruel, cold breeze seemed to stir him and he opened his eyes to find Naraku gone and the door slightly ajar. Off in the distance, he swore he could hear voices. Quickly, he got up and hurried down to the dungeon. "Naraku…" he said softly, peering into the cell the kit was in.

"We've been waiting for you, mutt…" DeVos said with a vicious snarl as he shoved Sesshoumaru forward so hard he hit the wall. The inu youkai growled and turned around only to see Naraku, grinning in the way he had so very long ago. He took Sesshoumaru's wrists and locked them in the iron manacles. He sneered and took a few steps back "What's the meaning of this, Naraku!?" he demanded.

DeVos' hands slipped over the kumo's shoulders and Naraku leaned back into the embrace, a look of joy plastered on his face. "You foolish, foolish dog…. Naraku is mine…" He pulled on the kumo's collar and tugged it down so that his shoulder was exposed. He bowed his head down and kissed the bare flesh a few times before sinking his jaws down hard into it. Naraku moaned and took the kit's hands in his own.

The firey-haired kitsune pulled away, locking eyes with Sesshoumaru as he redirected Naraku's face towards his own and he claimed his lips for his own. To Sesshoumaru's surprise and disgust, his naraku was kissing the damned fox with equal, if not greater passion. DeVos broke the kiss and gave the inu a toothy grin. "He's been mine all along….You've just been too blind to see the change in his eyes..."

Sesshoumaru was speechless. He looked from DeVos to Naraku, his eyes lingering on the amethyst eyes of his lover who had betrayed him. "This can't be real!" He shut his eyes and violently shook his head, trying to get rid of the image before him.

When he opened his eyes again, it was dark. His cat-like pupils quickly adjusted and he was once again back in his room, still beneath the warm, feather-insulated blanket. Naraku was fast asleep, his back still turned. Sitting up, he could feel his forehead was coated in a cold sweat, which he immediately wiped away using the back of his hand. He gazed ahead at the empty fireplace, the dream flashing again behind his eyes. After a few minutes, he carefully got out of bed and dressed himself. I don't feel right knowing thatthing is in this castle, he thought solemnly as he gently pushed the door aside and walked down the hallway headed for the dungeon. I'd better go make sure he's tucked in his cell.... he thought sourly as he continued down the long stairwell.

A snake's emerald eyes watched as the inu walked past him. This was just the break he'd been waiting for all night. Boy, wasn't Sesshoumaru going to be surprised when he found an empty dungeon. He slithered into the room and up into their bed. There, he transformed back into his demon form and wrapped his arms around the sleeping kumo. Naraku shifted and pressed further into the warmth, not knowing it was in the arms of his enemy he was resting in. DeVos took the form of Sesshoumaru even though it was beginning to sicken him. He scooped Naraku up in his arms and the kumo stirred and opened his eyes a little. "Go back to sleep, beloved…. I just think it's time we fled from this dreary castle…" He smiled softly, with only a few hints of malice lurking behind the docile façade as Naraku went back to sleep.

Meanwhile, Sesshoumaru rounded the last stairwell and immediately he could smell the absense of kitsune. He ran to the cell in disbelief and glared at the empty chamber. "Kussso," he seethed, turning on his heels as he flew up the stairs and down the halls towards the master bedroom. He came upon it, flinging back the door so hard it nearly broke. The sight before his eyes made his heart stop as his worst fear had come true; the room was completely empty, the bed sheets amiss and the window's shade pushed aside.

Sesshoumaru dug his nails into the palm of his hand, letting his frustration collect in a crimson pool of rage.

Just outside the castle wall, DeVos paused as a dog demon's howl filled the night, sending an uncomfortable shiver down his spine. He grinned, knowing he'd caused it and quickly continued on his way with the sleeping Naraku, who was now safely drugged and wouldn't awaken without the antidote. As he neared the edge of Sesshoumaru's land, he turned and gave a small salute, "Au revoir."