The kazeyoukai looked over at her master, then grimaced, "What?"
His eyes snapped to her. "Watch your tongue, bitch." Grabbing a handfull of her hair, he jerked her face toward his. "Is the miko awake yet?"
"No. She is still going through her changes, Naraku." She breathed, her scalp burning as Naraku released some poison from his hand. "Ah!"
"Hm." Bored, he tossed her away. "Kanna, come with me to check on the miko."
The silent child nodded, following after her master, mirror in her hands.
Naraku pushed open the door to the room he'd placed Kagome in. She laid against the bed, jerking at her restraints with her new demon strength. 'She is getting stronger. Eventually, she will harm herself.' Sitting in the bed, he snapped in her face. "Miko, come to."
Kagome's eyes opened slowly. "N-n-nara-KU!" She cried out in pain, arching her back. Panting heavily, she groaned, tossing her head back and forth. "You make it stop. Make it stop."
"The process has begun, miko. There is no way to cease."
"There has to be!" She managed to free her left arm and dragged it over her body, starting at her thigh, then ending at her neck where Naraku caught her arm. "Let go!"
"Kanna, bring me some herbs and bandages from the nearest village." When the child left, Naraku glared straight into Kagome's eyes. "Look here, you troublesome child. I am going to release you. When I do, do not move."
The instant the restraints were cut, Kagome sprang up, dashing toward the door. When she felt Naraku's arms surround her waist, she screamed, "No!" They both went crashing to the ground. Twitching beneath him, she moaned, "Get off me."
Naraku growled. "You are proving to be more trouble than I initially thought, girl." Sitting up, he pulled her into hsi lap, his arms wrapped securely around her middle, holding her arms to her side. "Be a good girl, and calm down."
"It hurts." She whined.
"I know. Relax."
Taking a few deep breaths, Kagome fought against him. "No! Make the pain stop! Make the voice in my head go away!"
'A beast? She has a beast?' He tilted her head back, grabbed a vial from inside his kimono, and poured the contents down her throat. "Swallow it."
Kagome choked as she tried to spit it out, but Naraku wouldn't let her. "Ughh."
"Swallow it, girl. Must I treat you like an infant?" He blew into her face, smirking with satisfaction when she swallowed the potion. "This will null the potion for a while and give you a chance to sleep peacefully."
"Thank you." She pressed her face deep into his chest. "You're not half *yawn* bad, Naraku."
"Wrong, miko. I am horrible." He leaned his head back against the wall and fell asleep.
Kanna entered the room carefully. Though her face betrayed no emotion, she was shocked to see her master on the floor, holding the miko against him in an intimate manner. "Lord Naraku."
Naraku's eyes opened slowly, and he sat up, casting Kagome a bored glance. "Give them to me." He said, knowing very well that she knew what he wanted. Receiving the herbs and bandages, he tended to Kagome's wounds. "Troublesome miko." Carrying her back to the bed, he exhaled.
"My Lord, if I may ask..." Kanna asked, following Naraku out of the room.
"What is it, Kanna?"
"Why do you put up with the miko?"
"She is the key to finding the last shard. And I can use her against the halfbreed whom thinks that she is dead."
Kanna nodded. "Forgive my ignorance. For a moment, I thought it was your obsession with her."
Naraku stilled, then looked down at her. "I have no obsession with the miko. She is a pawn."
"I know that now, my Lord." She turned off of the hall, leaving him to walk alone.
"Foolish nonsense."
-x-
Kagura frowned in disgust, turning away from Naraku while he poked at his rice with his chopsticks. "Is something wrong, Naraku?"
"Silence, wench. I am thinking." 'What would be the most entertaining way to reveal the miko's existence to dear Inuyasha? And there is still the matter of Sesshomaru. I suppose I could capture that girl again. He wouldn't come after that imp. Yes, the little girl will do fine. As for Inuyasha-' He looked up when the door opened to his room, and Kagome came stumbling in, naked as the day she was born.
"What's with the wench?" Kagura questioned.
"Interesting figure." Hakudoshi smirked, glaring at Naraku when he was growled at.
The 'Lord' of the house slowly approached the girl, staring her in the eyes. "What are you doing out of your room?"
Kagome looked up at him, then smiled brightly. "I feel better. I decided upon a walk around the castle."
He rolled his eyes. "Naked. Really, miko?"
"Someone took my clothes." She shrugged. "Were you eating?"
"Yes. I was." He shrugged off his outside kimono layer, tossing it at her, then turning away. "Cover yourself."
"What's the matter, Naraku? Afraid you won't be able to control yourself?"
He arched a brow. 'The miko has changed in personality. She was bold, but never so bold.' "Hm."
"I'm dressed. Can I eat something now?"
"No." He began to walk away from her.
"Why not?"
"You are not to eat until you have completed today's training."
Kagome snarled, baring her fangs at him. "How am I supposed to do anything if I haven't eaten? Naraku, I swear, I will kill you if I don't get something to eat."
Naraku smirked. "If you can take this bowl from my hands, you may eat as much as you like." He held the bowl up.
She launched at him, his overly large kimono fluttering as she flew through the air. She reached for the bowl, dashing after Naraku when he took off. Stomping against the ground, she smirked as the ground cracked beneath Naraku.
"Hm. Ku ku ku, not bad miko." He jumped out of the way, when she went at him against.
Kagome kicked the floor repeatedly, sending large chunks of rock at Naraku. Scowling when the man dodged again, she hissed, "Enough!" Running so quickly that she was nearly invisible, she grabbed the arm that held the bowl of rice. "Enough, Naraku. I win."
"Do you really?" He tossed the bowl, watching it clatter to the floor. "It seems you don't."
"Y-you-" Her eyes narrowed. "No way in hell am I letting you do that." Pointing a finger at the bowl, she watched with mild satisfaction as the rice returned to the bowl, then flew back to Naraku. Snatching the bowl, she glared, "Don't tempt me to kill you again."
"My, didn't your attitude change." Sitting at the table beside her, he watched with approval as she ate. 'She accomodated to her power quickly."
"So, Naraku, what kind of demons did you put inside me?"
He looked her up and down, then closed his eyes. "Element and Time."
"Element? Water, rock, air, fire?"
"Hai."
"Oh." She huffed. "This rice is cold."
He sneered. "Heat it yourself. You are not incapable."
Kagome nudged the bowl to him. "You do it."
His hand snapped out, gripping her make. "Miko, regardless to what you may think, I will not hesitate to kill you."
"Why am I here, exactly? Because I look like Kikyo. I put up with shit like that with Inuyasha. I won't take it from you." She choked out.
He gripped her neck tighter. "I brought you back, miko. I can kill you just as easily."
Kagome glared at him, then looked to Kagura, Hakudoshi, and Kanna. "Naraku, you're using me. You're trying to make me think you'll help me get revenge on Inuyasha, but you're really going to kill him for your own purposes. I want to leave."
"You can't." He loosened his grip slightly.
"What not?" No answer. Kagome took a deep breath, batting his hand away from her neck. "Fine then. I'm going to my room. And, just so you know, I like it when your hands are around my throat. It's a major turn on." Rising, she left the room without another word.
Kagura shuddered. "You certainly changed that girl for the worse. She's cocky, flirtatious, everything you wanted her to be."
'She will make an excellent mate in due time.' "I hold your heart, Kagura. Watch what you say." He left the room in a different direction than the miko.