Illumination Chapter Eight

"The sun isn't even up yet, let me sleep mom. I'm having a good dream." Kagome groaned, not at all aware of where she actually was. Trying with futility to hold onto the sheet after the blanket was pulled away though that thin piece of fabric exited a moment after the thicker comforter.

"I imagine you'd react with more grace had I been your parent." Sesshomaru's cold voice was something that cut through the tired and had Kagome flying up from the bed. Staring at him in the pale moon light filtering in through the window – there weren't even lamps on in the room and she pinched her side to make sure this scene was real. Why was he back in the middle of the night? Did he know what she was dreaming about? "There is much that will require your effort today, get up and get appropriately dressed."

"Uh…like what? Can't I sleep more first?" Mental sigh of relief that he didn't seem at all the wiser despite the warmth she felt in her cheeks. "No horrible side effects to drinking his blood my ass."

"You will be learning magic with me in the early mornings or late evenings as my schedule allows – this is in addition to your other lessons so you will need to adjust to less sleep." Sesshomaru remarked, motioning at the closet. "Move it, we do not have all morning. I will have to be at work before long and you'll have other lessons."

"Ugh, this might as well be slavery…" She muttered as she begrudgingly pushed herself up and out of bed, stumbling a moment and then righting herself before walking to the closet to pick out clothing. She took it to the bathroom and got dressed along with a speedy routine to make certain her teeth were brushed and she was a little more refreshed before returning. He'd lit the lamp, which was just as well so she wouldn't trip and hurt herself in the shadows. She walked up to the table and set her hands on the back of it. "Okay, what do you mean magic. Human's can't learn magic, is this one of those 'not negative' side effects of your blood?"

"You are part demon Kagome, but putting that aside for now, my blood being in your system will help you to control your powers. Given your age and that they were discovered sooner it will take effort but with time you could learn to command more. The potential isn't limited by blood, if you have the ability for magic then you can learn all or any of it as you choose – it won't be as strong as someone like myself but anyone with magic is a capable individual as many half-demons cannot even use it." Sesshomaru explained.

"Wait…what do you mean I'm part demon? I'm human." Kagome said, having a hard time focusing on everything after that remark. "My parents were human, my grandparents were human, even my great grandparents were human."

"I imagine it's a very watered down line given your lack of appropriate marks, more than likely a half demon five or more generations removed. Any blood in your history makes it possible, magic is fickle and it is unknown why people develop it over many generations. You are welcome to pursue your mysterious heritage on your own time…"

That was the end of that part of the discussion. Kagome was distracted soon enough as he started to explain magic and she would have to think about the idea that she was part demon later.

"I'm not certain what you know of magic but there is more to it than simply will, you have to practice to get the effects you desire to manifest with any regularity. Once you begin to learn it will be difficult at first because of your emotional nature but you are willful enough to control it. When you activated magic previously it was on a subconscious level because you wished to protect yourself, do you remember?" Sesshomaru's cold was still there but it was informative instead of insulting as his tone usually came off.

Kagome remembered when she'd knocked Inuyasha away from her with a light that seemed to come out of no where and she nodded at Sesshomaru. Had he known the entire time she could cast magic then? It must be some part of his plan if he meant to teach her now – magic-users were really rare…she'd thought it was just a myth until now.

"I remember yeah…but I was sort of stressed at the time." Kagome replied, frowning a little, this frightened her slightly. "Will this be dangerous?"

"Most things have some level of risk, magic definitely holds that but you will be in greater danger if you do not learn to control it." Sesshomaru replied. "Now, you remember, so I want you to focus on that moment and use that to create a new effect. I want you to create light here in the room."

He blew out the lamp dropping them into shadow again and she swallowed, it was easy enough to recall her frightening experience when he dropped her into darkness alone with him. She took a deep breath, attempting to steady herself while recalling one of the most frightening experiences of her life. Inuyasha was coming in at her, cutting into her shoulder and then there was light and he was gone.

Kagome frowned a little at the lamp, nothing happened and this wasn't exactly something she wanted to think about all morning. She tried again and then sighed when it didn't work. "What am I supposed to focus on exactly, this isn't fun, and can't I try something else?"

She sounded afraid and she could hear it in her own voice, it annoyed her but this wasn't a comfortable environment to say the least. She couldn't hear or see Sesshomaru either, he'd pulled the curtain's and the room was all but pitch black expect for a few lines of pale illumination framing the fabric near the window.

"Focus on when you pushed Inuyasha away, there should have been a slight change in your mind, your body, as the magic itself activated. Attempt to re-create that as you think about the light returning." Sesshomaru explained.

Kagome nodded though she didn't know if he could see her and tried to focus on a lamp she couldn't see but knew was in her hands, taking another deep breath and doing her best to recall the moment where she stopped Inuyasha's assault. She was angry and scared, more scared than she'd ever been in her life, if she didn't get him away from her right then and there then she would die. She had to survive. She had to push him.

The light flickered on but vanished and then the lamp shattered in her hands. Flying away from her in the room and causing her to call out in alarm as pieces of the glass dug into the skin of her arms and face. She could hear the parts of it ripping into the walls and winced as the light returned brightly a moment later, all of the lamps came on in the room at once and she was left to look at her arms covered in shards of crystal. Yet her skin was pushing the crystal out, healing itself while she watched. It still hurt but she was fascinated – this had to be a further result of Sesshomaru's blood. How long would the effects last?

"That was unexpectedly volatile." Sesshomaru remarked, observing the rest of the glass that had shattered around the room, in a few area's it had dug into the furniture but most had only bounced off other objects or the walls. He didn't seem angry which she would have expected, only curious. He didn't seem to notice pieces of the lamp falling from his skin as well – he was close enough that some had dug into his flesh – but not nearly as many as Kagome. "We should practice on the rooftop in the future, and with items that won't explode quite so spectacularly."

"Are you okay?" Kagome asked, unsure how he could be so nonchalant about it. "I'm not sure I should practice, look at what happened."

"A minor accident, no reason to retreat from future attempts to learn." Sesshomaru replied. He didn't even dignify 'are you okay' with an answer. "You will require more thought as to how practice will progress, clearly glass is not an acceptable medium. I will have candles acquired."

"I'm sorry…" Kagome said, she felt guilty about damaging the hotel, it was so beautiful…

"No need, you attempted, which is what I asked of you. You are welcome to return to sleep, I will return tomorrow better prepared." Sesshomaru stated, walking out the door clearly lost in thoughts of his own.

His contemplation made her nervous, did he know more he wasn't telling her? Of course he did but she wanted to know how much and what. There were way too many questions mulling through her mind, along with bad memories he made fresh with her 'magic study' to sleep now…and the sun wasn't even up yet…Sesshomaru was such a jerk…

Kagome spent the morning reading over a book Nadia had left her, it was interesting enough if a little dry since it was a history text. Still, it kept her mind off of all the rest of her troubles which was something she could appreciate. She planned to spend much of the day reading as Nadia wasn't due to visit her again until after lunch. Kagome was unprepared for the flamboyant man that knocked and immediately stepped into her room. He had long black hair, she could swear he was wearing lipstick given how red his lips were compared to pale skin, he had pointed ears that told her he was of some sort of demon heritage – though the lack of other marks hinted it as less than half. He wore a very thin suit that was gold, red, white, and royal purple in color, the combination of which made her blink in surprise.

"Um, can I help you..ah…sir." The features were pretty feminine but the lack of breasts made Kagome hope she'd guessed right.

"You're Kagome yes?" His voice was a little higher pitched than most men, assuming he was a man. "I'm Byakuya, I'll be your dancing teacher from today on…get up and let me look you over, we have a lot of work to do."

End Chapter

Byakuya from Inuyasha to be clear – I always thought he was a tad effeminate anyway and I am amused at the idea of making him Kagome's dance teacher. He won't be super present but I couldn't have Nadia do everything.

-Aura

To my reviewers:

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