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The Voice

Chapter

12

We meet again

These dreams are my daily bread.

My rotting crumbs, vanish.

Slowly.

Steadily.

Kaoru awoke to the feel of a foreign presence but before she could even breathe a sharp sword point nipped at the back of her neck. She remained quiet and still. As soon as she opened her eyes her sight fell on the sleeping child safely tucked against her. At least he was safe…that he was such a snuggler was a big problem she realized now. Both her arms were pinned by his small frame and there was definitely no chance for her to defend herself against this opponent.

Wasn't she supposed to be safe in Enishi's lair? Where was Yukishiro? Was this the man he had been trying to lure out with Kenji? If he was…then Yukishiro plainly underestimated him. The man had definitely found Kenji and as of this moment held her life.

Defeat, fear and nervousness fluttered in her heart like a panicked butterfly but she dared not move. The fear that he may kill her thinking she was about to hurt Kenji had her stone still. She had been afraid at times in her life but this was one of the most frightening experiences thus far.

It was not only the pointy end of the sword against her pale neck which worried her. It was the easy breathing of her ward as he slept and the fear that would assault him once she was killed. If that wasn't enough…the man behind her had an intimidating inky dark ki. It was small and controlled, she could tell, but it was dark with way too many erratic, conflicting and hateful emotions. It was ironic for her to think about Kenji's mental and emotional health at this moment. If this was the boy's father…he may very well end up with severe problems as an adult. The man surely couldn't be a good example…although he, at least, cared enough for his son to come and kill dozens of men to get him back. Perhaps…at the end love is the all important thing.

The end of the sword pressed a centimeter more against her flesh and she cringed and hugged the boy closer to her unconsciously. She tried to take on a fetal position in order to protect Kenji against this intruder. It was silly, really, since this probably was his father. He wouldn't hurt his son…but she couldn't help this sudden surge of maternal instinct.

"Why do you protect him?" a voice, an unheard whisper, broke through the absolute quiet of the room.

Kaoru refused to answer. She had no truthful answer, only that it felt right. The tip of the sword moved…and Kaoru winced as she felt a small nick on her neck. The sword was scratching her frail skin and she suddenly felt very little. That overwhelming feeling of fear and darkness merged against her and made her heart jump on her ribcage, "I don't know," she whispered back with a small note of anxiety.

A tight and tense silence settled over the pair and Kaoru dug her nose on the loose red mane in front of her. She breathed in and out in order to focus her thoughts into survival mode and not the fear she was being consumed into. It was just so difficult…

"You will release him," the assassin whispered in the same hushed tone. The way his ki coiled let Kaoru know—in a very instinctual way—that he would not be kind if she chose to ignore his command.

Fearful but determined Kaoru slipped her arms free of Kenji very slowly, trying to not wake him up. After a good three minutes she was successfully free. A strange pain twisted and churned at her heart but she was only feeling uncertain. She'd known the boy for two days…it didn't make sense.

"You did well," and with that hushed appraisal the assassin retracted his sword and moved to take the boy next to her. Kaoru marveled at his ability to be silent but wisely chose to remain quiet. The man didn't even glance at her and the only thing she saw before he moved away from her was long strands of bloody hair.

xxoOoxx

An hour later found Kaoru on Yukishiro's lap. Her whole body was tense and she was ready to bolt at any time. She endured it as maturely as she could but that was just not enough. She despised how dirty she felt…how indecent Yukishiro made her feel while he attempted to care for the scratch on the back of her neck. He was trying to be gentle, but he got it all wrong. At the end, this was worse than tending for her small wound herself.

"Kami, I am not going to kill you Kaoru," hissed Enishi in frustration. He pressed a small cotton moistened with alcohol and pressed it to the wound for a few moments.

Kaoru hissed at the burning sensation making her shoulders shake involuntary and she scowled, angry and uncomfortable, "Kamiya," she corrected firmly.

This made a single gray-white eyebrow rise defiantly. "Is that so?" asked Enishi with a warning tone. He discarded the cotton and applied an unguent of some sort against the scratch and then bandaged it, "You are being awfully rude, Kamiya-san."

As soon as his hand left her neck Kaoru tried to flee him but big and strong hands suddenly grabbed her small and deceptively frail upper arms. "You are being awfully touchy, Yukishiro-sama." Kaoru intended to wriggle her way free but she knew he wouldn't release her until he felt like it and she didn't want to turn this into a wrestle fight. She would sorely loose anyways.

Enishi sighed and pressed his forehead to the back part of Kaoru's hair. His nose instantly picked on her personal fragrance and he was compelled to open his eyes and watch the ebony hair he knew intimately. Her hair was the thing he loved about her the most. His muscles loosened in despair and pleasure. "I've never hidden my interest in you Kamiya-san." He knew this was not the way to do things. She feared him, he knew. Even when he saw that her memories were erased when the new chip was implanted on her personally, she continued to fear him. There were other things apart from memories, it would seem, and these rejected him completely.

"I've hidden nothing either," the black haired woman replied back with a bite to her tone, "You are over stepping your boundaries." She's always rejected his indirect advances.

His hand released her at his defeat, "Forgive me," he said softly and slowly pushed her up. He stood quickly after and bowed to the waist, his hair hiding his face, "I am pleased you are well." He said with an even voice, then aqua eyes snapped up to her. Their intensity was frightening and Kaoru gave a step back, "I will hunt that assassin down and I will bring back the child."

Fear instantly blanched Kaoru's face, "Why?" she asked completely confused, "Let him go…stealing a child was a mistake. He did nothing to me…just let them go." Her plea was not because she was worried about Yukishiro or that she was worried about the mysterious assassin. She was concerned about Kenji. He was so young, he didn't need to be involved in these bloody affairs.

Anger passed through Enishi's eyes and his hands darted out and grabbed her shoulders. It earned him a startled gasp but before he could stop it he shook her tiny frame in his rage, "You know nothing," he said with a hardly controlled voice. His hands released his grip on her but he kept their heavy weight upon her shoulders, "You know nothing…but I will get that boy back. That boy is mine."

Kaoru shook her head in denial, for the first time since she began to work with him, she began to think him insane. It scared her to death…people like him could do absolutely everything without realizing. It made her freeze in place. She knew she should run or fight him off her, but she could do nothing. Only keep her horrified eyes on him.

"That boy, Kenji, is the…fruit…of a mistake. That boy was supposed to be mine. I was supposed to father that child, not him…do you understand now?" The insanity was clear in his eyes, the anger and the hurt too. Kaoru knew not what to do or what to say…she was so scared. "Why don't you say anything?"

Kaoru opened and closed her mouth. Then, after a deep breath, she dared ask, "What about his mother?" What she asked was a good question…would he tell her he killed the boy's mom? Why did she feel the need to find out about Kenji's mother…or was it about how deep his insanity ran?

A dark chuckle exploded from Yukishiro's lips and his mouth curved in what could be a very pleasant and charming smile, if she didn't already believe him insane. The tilt of his head would have made him endearing. He moved closer and snaked his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to his chest and his face came down to her right ear, "Do you think I killed her for her betrayal?" he asked and was pleased when she shivered in fear against his arms, "I love her too much. I keep her close…and he doesn't know it. They think her dead, but I have her and I am not giving her back. She will love me…and if she doesn't by the next full moon, I will take what was once mine. Willingly or not."

Tears formed at Kaoru's eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She couldn't stop them in time and a moment later a sob erupted from her throat. Why was he doing this? Why was she reacting like this? Why was she so afraid?

His hand came to pet her head but it only increased her fear, "You shed tears, why?" he asked with a soft, almost considerate, voice. He continued to play with her hair distractedly while he waited for an answer but after her sobs only increased he shook his head and added, "I like you enough Kamiya-san, do you want Kenji for yourself? Do you want to take her place? Will you free me of her? Will you…let me love you instead? Will you mother my orphaned child?"

Sobs increased to wails and Kaoru's legs gave way. The fear and despair she was feeling was driving her insane, and soon enough her mind could no longer keep up and she felt her vision blur before everything turned black.

Enishi smiled a knowing smile and gathered her limp frame on his arms, she was always fainting on him, "So strong…and yet you still play the damsel in distress role to perfection."

xxoOoxx

To be continued…

xxoOoxx

Special thanks to Kokoronagomu, again, for editing this chapter. As always she was very fast at it. It's so nice to have a beta-reader like her. I am in the mood to finish this story, and I'm happy about it. I hope you are too.

Please, review!