Inuyasha stared at Kagome's face with growing concern, and he wasn't the only one. His mate, Akinlana, had whispered her worries to him, too. Kagome was changing again, and it was all his fault.
He held back his shock when he had looked into her eyes. Eyes that were no longer… human. She expelled more power on this damn boat than he and Akinlana put together, and it had made her stronger. But, because of her they had water to drink, and more fish to eat—attracted to her spiritual power more than his or Akinlana's predatory yoki.
Because of her they were alive…and because of them she was growing weaker. He did not know if she knew this or not, but Kagome never fully withdrew her powers when she slept or when it was her turn to row the damn boat. Akinlana and he could still feel her power wrapped around them—protecting them. Even now he could feel her reiki surrounding him, poking at him, checking to see if he was alright.
And it pissed him off.
He should have taken them to land a long-ass time ago, but…
Inuyasha cursed and began rowing faster. They needed to get back home, overriding the voice warning him that to do so would sap his strength faster. He had to get Kagome back to Nippon. He had to try to undo what he had done, and hope the one demon he knew to be the most powerful in the world could change her back to who she used to be… or, at least, what she used to be.
There was no giving back the innocence that had been taken from her. They had been through too much shit—seen too much shit—to go back to who they used to be.
Inuyasha stopped rowing to remove his red fire-rat robe. He tossed it over Kagome, pausing for a moment when his sleeve slipped up his arm and his purple demon markings were uncovered.
Even he had changed…
He no longer became human on the night of the new moon. At first, he transformed back to being a half-breed on those nights…but those nights were long gone. He couldn't remember how many new moons had passed that he hadn't changed back to the half-demon he once was. If he had Tessaiga his demon blood would never have had consumed him. If the jewel hadn't exacted its revenge, he and Kagome would never have had to do the things they had had to do to survive.
If only…
When they had noticed her first change, they had celebrated more than they had worried. She had claws to defend herself. Fangs to bite and tear with. She became his right-hand, his comrade in battle, more so than she had been before. She said she had evolved because of the constant danger they were in, but it was because of what he had done to her that had caused those changes. But she never blamed him. Never.
Just like she wouldn't blame him if he told her just how much time had passed… Even when he had completely lost himself to his demon side, his beast had been aware of everything. Every day, night, month, and year that passed. He thought about telling her. But, as the years passed from one to ten, then ten turned into thirty…and thirty to a hundred, he couldn't find the courage to do so. He didn't want to see that look of despair in her eyes, the knowledge that their friends were all gone.
His lovely mate told him that their Kagome was dangerously smart—she being educated from the future made her intelligence a burnable offence in just about every land they'd visited—and she probably realized the passage of time, regardless of her going insane and shit. But she never gave any indication that she knew.
Pulling the ores in, Inuyasha wiped his brow and grabbed one of the many leather water pouches secured on the side of the boat. He pulled the cork out and took a long gulp.
"Tastes like it came from a mountain stream, doesn't it?"
Inuyasha recorked the water bag before turning his head to look at Akinlana. "You should be meditating."
Akinlana snorted. "I know how to maintain a shield."
"Yeah? Then how come this is the first time you've talked to me?" Inuyasha asked.
"Maybe it is a bit difficult," Akinlana mumbled.
Inuyasha turned back around and looked at Kagome, before looking at Akinlana again. "She won't last much longer," he softly said.
"No, she will not…"
Inuyasha tucked a lock of hair behind his elven ear. "Even though we are safe from our enemy, she's still on guard."
"Maybe we are only safe from our enemy because she is constantly on guard. The great demon is powerful. He will not rest until she is at his side again."
It was Inuyasha's turn to snort. "That fucker is no Daiyokai. You just wait. Once we get to Nippon you will truly feel the power of a great demon."
"Then take me to meet this Daiyokai. I have heard you and Kagome whisper about him in awe so many times," Akinlana said, grinning.
"I don't whisper about that bastard with awe," Inuyasha growled, turning back around, snubbing his mate.
"Aw," Akinlana cooed, "do not feel anger, my mate. It is pride to have such a fearsome sibling. If they had lived, my pack would have howled with joy for the honor of having one such as you taking me as your mate."
To hear Akinlana talking about her pack erased Inuyasha's annoyance with the female. His lovely mate hardly spoke of them. Kagome and he had been wandering aimlessly for many years before stumbling upon Akinlana, his wild inu from Sub-Saharan Africa…or, at least, that's what Kagome told him. His mate had been all kinds of fucked up. Her pack murdered by humans with strange reiki-like powers. He honestly thought she wouldn't last the night, but she proved him wrong. His mate was strong.
They had fed her, healed her, then made her a part of their pack when the crazy inu wouldn't leave them alone. Seven years later he made her his mate. By then, Kagome and he had romantically parted ways years ago. Ninety-nine years, to be exact.
"Your island is in sight," Akinlana said, shaking him back to the present. "Do you really think we can make it before she wakes up? The sea is rough today. The current strong."
Inuyasha dipped the ores back into the water and began to row.
"I will take that as a 'yes'." Akinlana chuckled.
Whether or not he could get them there before Kagome woke up wasn't the problem. The issue was that he would be too weak to defend his pack once they landed. Akinlana would be awake, but drained of yoki. They'd have only Kagome to protect them, and that was something he wanted to avoid as much as possible.
She'd come a long way from the fumbling, untrained teen she used to be. Kagome had proven to be capable of killing to protect their pack…and she's had to kill many, many times. But it came with a price.
Before, she'd killed demons when they'd hunted for shards, but Sango, Miroku, or he had always done the bulk of the killing. If only he had known what killing so many evil humans, demons, and other things would do to her, he would have stopped her. Because the stain on her soul… The darkness of each kill was what he wanted to avoid. Because, the unwilling purification process to remove that stain—that darkness—is what he did not want her to go through. Not again. Not ever again.
He couldn't bear to witness her writhing in agony, her mouth stretched wide with silent screams. He'd seen it too many times.
Far too many times…