"You okay, Keda?" Safara asked entering Keda's room.
Keda sat in a corner. She played with a necklace she always wore. Safara, Ana and Cynde knew that the small red jeweled necklace was a gift from Keda's father, Kole. The necklace was all Keda had left to remind her of her father and of the life she had before she left.
Keda answered with what could only be described as a mix between a hiss and growl. She looked up at her friends her normally purple eyes red as blood. Keda also had black marks under her eyes and on the side of her face, on her lower back, her palms and right leg. Along with the marks she had what most humans would describe as vampire fangs and great black wings coming out from her upper back. Keda lost control and the demon inside her came out.
"Leave now!" Keda demanded pointing at the door with a extremely shape looking nailed finger. "I am in no condition or mood for a pep talk."
All three women drew back a little before coming up with the courage and entering farther into the room. Safara came the farthest in sitting down besides her best friend. She put an arm around Keda's shoulders trying to comfort her and get her to change back. "Keth didn't mean what he said, he was just being an idiot," she said.
Keda laughed but didn't answer. The red jewel belonging to the necklace began to glow; Keda clenched her fist around it. Safara watched as her friend turned back into the purple eyed, white haired form Keda normal kept. When her transformation was complete she returned the necklace to her neck.
"Next time he says something like that I'm kicking him out of my house. You can stay of course but he won't be allowed," Keda whispered resting her head on her friends shoulder.
"Okay but I might be a little cross with you."
Ana and Cynde now came closer perching on Keda's bed. Cynde flopped back returning to her normal cheerful mood but her sister still sat looking concerned and thoughtful.
"Stop looking at me that way, An. I'm fine so don't worry," Keda said not even facing Ana. Ana smiled though you could still tell she was concerned.
They just sat there for a while thinking and just being in each other companies for a while until Safara gathered up the courage to ask her question again she hoped Keda wasn't going to bite her head of for this.
"Keda don't kill me for this but I can sense that you're not telling us the complete truth of why you saved that demon."
Safara could feel her become stiff in her hold but then relax again. "I could never keep anything from you for long," Keda said to her self though she said it out loud.
"I'll tell you if you want but you mustn't tell Tonio and the others, they don't understand things we women do."
Cynde sat up quickly and moved closer anticipation showing in her dark eyes. Ana didn't move at all she just sat there looking concerned. Safara sighed happy that Keda didn't snap at her and promised not to tell anyone, Ana and Cynde followed her in saying they promised.
Keda looked down so no one could see how she looked. "I know him," she whispered barely audibly. Safara raised her eyebrow and told Keda to continue.
"I actually grew up with him. Our fathers were good friends so as their children we got dragged along all over the place with them," She was smiling clearly happy remembering the times she had with her father.
Ana and Safara also smiled happy to hear that there was at least one time she was happy, safe and not forced to hide. To bad her father was killed they both thought. And then they both wondered what would have happened if he never died what would Keda be like? Would they have ever met? Safara quickly putting those thoughts out of her mind and asked, "Who are they? I mean the demon and his father."
Keda paused thinking if she should say anything or that she already told them too much of her past. She decided to go ahead, she trusted them. "The demon you say today his name is Sesshoumaru, Lord Sesshoumaru if you want to put titles. His father was," both Safara and Ana cringed when they heard was, Cynde wasn't really paying close attention to notice small things so she missed it, "the Great Dog Demon or the Dog General Inu no Taishou or InuTaishou he went by both."
Cynde gasped, "He's a dog!" Ana reacted before Safara could by smacking her sister in the head. "You would think after hundred years you would start to gain some restraint," chided Ana. She turned back to Safara and Keda; she was relieved to see that Keda was smiling.
"He's only a dog in his true form," Keda said laughing at Ana and her sister.
"So because you know him you didn't want us to kill him? It makes sense I guess. Is he like other demons we met, you know the kind Keth described?" Safara asked cautiously.
"He's not like other demons, well he can be. He has quite a temper and when he's in his true form I guess that is when he's most like the demons your husband described. He doesn't go around killing randomly and he likes to keep to himself, avoids mortals most of the time since he's not that fond of them. He's dangerous but if you stay away you should be fine."
"So that's all," Cynde said sounding disappointed.
"Yeah, sorry if I bored you." Keda said standing up and stretching.
"No, it's not that. She just expected something more, well something more," Ana said reading her sister's thoughts. Keda smiled at Cynde.
"Well I thought it was interesting," Safara said also standing up. She was happy that Keda trusted them enough to tell them a bit about her past but now she was worried. What would happen if they crossed paths with this Sesshoumaru again? What if we caught him acting like a demon and not they way she described him? Would Keda protect him like she did today? Safara kept wondering. She forced a smile and turned to Keda. "You look exhausted why don't you get some sleep. When was the last time you got any sleep?"
"Um I think about five days ago," Keda answered smiling sheepishly. "I don't really need to sleep Safara, plus I have to work on the plans for tomorrow."
"No you get some rest. I can get Simin to work on it," Ana said gently sending the feelings of rest, peace and just a tad of sleepiness through the telepathic connection she created.
"Fine," she answered turning away and walking over to her desk. She pulled out a thick folder and handed it to Ana. "This is everything on the realm we're going to tomorrow. Make sure Si sees this before he starts to work."
Ana nodded that she understood and gestured to Cynde and Safara to leave. They said goodnight and left. The last thing they saw of Keda before the door shut was her snapping her fingers and her suddenly wearing a pair of black pajama bottoms and a red tank top.
"So how is she," Simin asked when Ana and the others entered the computer room he and Tonio went to after they ditched Keth. Simin sat in front of a gigantic computer, very advanced looking. He was busy typing away. Tonio stood a little behind him, leaning against the wall arms crossed.
"She's better. Calmed down," Safara answered looking around the room, "Where's Keth?"
Tonio walked forward and put an arm around Ana's waist. "We ditched him. Didn't feel like staying in the same room with him," he said.
Safara frowned but said nothing. Cynde smiled from behind Safara and skipped forward. She grabbed the folder from her sister and skipped over to Simin to give it to him.
"Keda wants you to work on the plans for tomorrow. All the info on the place is in here," she said dropping the folder on his lap. She then leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead and told him to have fun. Simin groaned noticing how large the folder was.
"Don't count on me coming to bed tonight," he mumbled opening the folder and flipping through the many, many pages.
His reaction caused everyone to break out laughing but it didn't last long. Keth walked into the room. A weird look showed on his dark eyes. "What are you all laughing at?"
"Nothing," Tonio answered coldly.
"Hey I'm sorry. But I meant what I said. Most demons, with the exception of Keda and her father do act that way."
"Oh just shut up," Cynde said harshly.
Keth frowned and muttered that they did. Safara shot Keth a warning look, telling him to shut up or he would end up having to fight everyone in the room.
"Just leave this alone, Keth."
"Fine," he said glaring at Safara, "But did she tell you why she acted the way she did. I really don't believe the shit she told us."
"Drop it Keth, you don't understand or know the half of it," Safara cried angrily. Keth took a step back, frightened by the suddenly hostility his wife shot at him. But he quickly regained his composer. "Fine, keep her secrets. I'll find them out sooner or later," he yelled storming out of the room. Safara sighed and shook her head. She said goodnight to her friends and left the room following her husband. She hoped she could calm him down and make him understand that it would be better for everyone to just drop it.
"I don't understand why Keth has to hate Keda, she never did anything to him," remarked Simin turning to the others.
"Keth doesn't like her because she's part demon. Keth's people didn't have good experiences with demons so he was raised hating demons," Ana said turning to Simin, "And he was a demon hunter before we recruited him."
"Ya but he's been around Keda long enough to know that she isn't like other demons," Simin argued, "You would think he's hate would of shrunk over these years."
"True, but his hate is what feeds his powers."
"So he needs to hate someone," asked Cynde, she was starting to get confused. They never really talked about Keth that much, they just accepted him when Safara started dating him and then when they married.
"He should go find someone else to hate, Keda's not really the kind to want to kill unless you have a death wish. Besides she's been nice to him all this time. Giving him a place to stay, a job, food and such," added Tonio.
"Yes that's true," agreed Ana, "but hating Keda is so much easier for him since Keda can't do anything to harm him unless she wishes to lose Safara's friendship."
"Whatever, I would still knock him around a few times," Cynde said balling her fist and punching the air.
"It wouldn't be safe to do that," commented Ana, "No one knows the full extent of Keth's powers." With that she nodded goodnight to everyone and left the room. Tonio waited a few minutes and then followed her out of the room.
"Well I guess I'm going to bed too," Cynde said to her husband. She kissed him on the cheek and skipped out of the room before he could say anything.
"Fine leave me all alone," Simin called after her before turning back to the folder and continuing to type up the plans for tomorrow.