Before either could make a move towards the youkai it grabbed the girl and moved towards the window. "Thissss girl isss mine." He hissed as he raised his tail up, sticking the sharp tip against Kagome's neck. "One move and I will kill her."
Sesshoumaru and Kei stared hard at the youkai, silently communicating, unbeknownst to the snake.
The youkai smirked in victory as he took a single step backwards closer to the window; then just as he blinked the two more powerful youkai vanished, and a split second later reappeared, with Sesshoumaru standing in front of him, and the cat behind him.
Kagome let off a yelp of pain as the snake's tail began to press into her neck breaking the skin, trickling blood down the side of her neck.
Kei grabbed the snake's tail that was pressed up to Kagome's neck and used it to liberate the snake of the use of its head, at the same moment Sesshoumaru rid the snake of its arms freeing the girl. He grabbed her before she could hit the floor fully, and possibly injuring her ankle further.
Kagome wrapped her arms around Sesshoumaru's waist, afraid that the snake was still going attack her.
"How did that thing make it past my guards?" Kei hissed. He looked over at his lord with the girl wrapped around him, and was tempted to smirk. The two of them holding on to each other just looked so right. With a curt nod towards Sesshoumaru he leapt out the window in order to pull the guard and find out how the snake managed to break their defenses and enter the castle unnoticed.
Sesshoumaru released the girl, but she didn't release him, instead she squeezed tighter around his waist. "Girl you are safe, you can let go now." He stated plainly.
Kagome shook her head against his chest. "They're still out there, waiting."
"Nonsense." He grabbed her arms in an attempt to pull them from around his person, but as he did so her arms tightened their hold upon him, almost like she was trying to squeeze him in two. "Girl" He growled.
"But they really are out there, waiting." She pulled her head from his chest and looked hard into his eyes. "I can feel them. Like something tickling on the edge of my senses. Just beyond the trees that border this place; and besides I am not staying in her with that." She bit the last part out and jerked her head towards the dead creature on the floor behind her.
Sesshoumaru looked down into her face, and released his aura; sure enough he could feel them out there shifting and waiting. He narrowed his eyes at the window, not liking for one second that the girl was able to sense something he couldn't, until he tried. Instead of growling like he desired to do, he issued his commands to Kei telepathically. 'Kei, send the scouts to the forest to mark the exact location of the enemy. Upon their return we shall sweep the trees.'
'Hai, master.'
Sesshoumaru looked at the girl still holing onto him with all her strength. "You will release your hold upon me."
"No" Was her one word response, and with such an edge to it he thought for sure she was going to maintain her attachment to him for the rest of eternity. Perhaps if he were to take her to another room, then perhaps she would release him so that he could sweep the forest with his army.
He picked her up, made for his own room and slid the door open; once inside he set her down and again tried to pull the girl from his being, and found that she still held her iron tight grip around his waist. "Girl" He attempted to not sound so irritated, but his voice belied his intent.
Kagome let off an annoyed sigh and released him, then hopped back from him. "Can I ask you a question?" She started far too calmly.
Sesshoumaru just stared at her waiting for another one of her demands that usually accompanied the request to ask a question.
"Why do you hate me so much? I mean what did I ever do to you that was so bad, that you growl at me, threaten me, and just all around dislike me?" She poked him hard in the chest with her finger. "You..." She began with her teeth ground together. "were angry with me because I was hungry now your angry because I won't eat. You..." The finger again jabbed him in the chest. "were angry when I sprained my ankle no thanks to you!"
Sesshoumaru grabbed her hand when she attempted to jab him in the chest again, and she quickly jerked her hand from his grasp and continued on. "You got angry because I couldn't walk, you were angry for some reason I don't know, then dropped me to the ground injuring my ankle worse. Now you're angry because I am silent and completely out of your way; which I assumed was what you wanted..." She threw her hands up into the air in exasperation and stared hard at him. "But apparently no matter what I do it angers you. So why don't you just take me back to where you found me and let me be then we could both be happy. You don't want me here anymore than I want to be here."
Gold eyes narrowed at the girl; again she was pushing him to the point of killing her. "You will hold your tongue girl." He growled threateningly.
Kagome looked up at him and purposely widened her eyes. "Oh let me guess. You're angry with me again and for only a reason you know. Right?!" Her eyes suddenly narrowed to a deadly point. "I hate you." She hissed and made for the bed. Her head was beginning to feel light, from the sudden activity and the not eating or sleeping much. She crawled up on the bed and tossed over her shoulder as she laid down on her side, pulling her knees up to her stomach, with her back to him. "Just go do what ever it is that you need to do so that I can leave here and find my way back home and finally be free from you." She let her eyes drop closed and almost instantly fell asleep; that is until she was unceremoniously hauled out of the bed.
"Your insolence wears on my patience girl." Sesshoumaru growled into her face.
Kagome stared back at him and a single tear fell from her eye. "Just let me go." She whispered dejectedly.
Sesshoumaru couldn't explain why he did it and was pretty certain he only did it because his instincts dictated that he should, that was the only explanation he could wrap his mind around and the only one that made any amount of sense. He pulled her against him, crushing her to him, lightly growling in a low calm fashion.
Kagome dropped her head to his shoulder and silently began to cry, letting her tears stain his haori. "Please just..." She trailed off for it was becoming too much for her; her fatigue was wearing on her and soon took her mind into darkness.
Sesshoumaru continued to hold her to him until Kei's voice entered his head. 'The scouts have returned.' He laid the girl on the bed and covered her with the fur bed covering. 'You will send Raidon and Taro to my chambers to guard the girl.'
'Hai'
He gave the girl one last glance, and then left the room through the window; he had enemies to destroy and was going to find much pleasure in doing so.
It was late in the day when Sesshoumaru finally returned, landing silently in his room. Upon looking at the bed he quickly noted that it was empty. He opened the door and found that his guards were missing as well leaving him to figure either the girl crawled her way out of his room and his guards followed, or someone or something absconded with his guards and girl. He was sure it was the former for there was only one being who was a threat to his home and those who dwell in it... Naraku. However there was no scent of the half-breed and he had been battling Naraku all through the night and chasing him down when he once again fled like a coward.
No, the girl was still within his castle walls he could easily scent her out. Walking down the hall he followed her trail, exiting out through the doors that led to the gardens, across the pond, up the small hill... and he knew where she was. The girl had made her way to the hot springs hidden within the base of the mountain and he wondered if she had hopped, crawled, or did one of his guards carry her all this way.
She probably coerced one of his guards to carry her to the hot springs; most likely Taro the boy was simple enough in his view and always more than willing to assist a female in need, no matter what it was they needed. As he approached the entrance he spotted Raidon and Taro standing at the sides of the entrance, confirming what he already knew; the girl was inside. "You will return to your previous duties." Both men gave him a deep bow. "Hai master." Then began walking away well Raidon knew how to obey his orders anyway.
"My Lord" Taro turned and again bowed to him.
Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at the guard but waited to hear what he had to say, for the guard couldn't be around a female and keep his tongue behind his teeth causing female to speak freely to him.
Taro seeing Sesshoumaru not moving and knowing his lord knew he was waiting for him to speak opened his mouth and began. "My Lord, I know that speaking with the girl is stepping beyond my bounds, however I think you should know that upon her recovery she plans on escaping you." He tapped his fingers on the hilt of his sword nervously with what else he knew but was unsure if he should say it or not.
His gold eyes caught the action of the guard. "Continue" He stated in a manner that left no room for disobedience.
"Well it seems as if the girl has discovered something about herself and could be a threat to all of us." He held up his arm and showed him the burned material along with the small burn marks upon his arm. "It occurred during her angered out burst when I denied her her request to be escorted back to where you found her."
Sesshoumaru looked his guard up and down and was pleased with his loyalty. "You have done well Taro; I will deal with the girl." He knew what the girl had discovered and was none too pleased about it. "You will return to your post and when I finish with the girl I shall fetch you and you will tell me everything that has occurred here since my departure."
"Hai master." Taro bowed, then turned and left.
As soon as he lifted the leather covering the entrance, the scent of the girl surrounded him. Yes she was in there and had been in there for some time. Looking at the two entrances to the two hot springs he quickly determined that the girl was in his personal spring. The one to the left was for his guards and servants; the one to the right was his and his alone, none were allowed to use it.
He narrowed his eyes as he moved to confront the girl and upon stepping through the entrance to his hot spring his eyes widened slightly. There she was sitting in his spring, her entire body covered with a light pink light. He was hoping she would never discover her powers, but there was not he could do about it now. "Girl"
Kagome snapped her eyes open and turned to face the demon lord. If her skin wasn't flushed with the heat of the hot spring it certainly would be with him staring at her naked body. The pink surrounding her skin flared then disappeared and she wrapped her arms around her chest in order to hide herself from his gaze. "Hey, get out of here!" She yelled as she pointed towards the entrance with her finger.
"Girl this is my hot spring; you will explain why you are using what is forbidden to all within the castle walls." He stepped closer to her so that when her mouth spoke against him he could easily snatch her out of the hot spring and punish her properly.
Kagome furrowed her eyebrows; his hot spring and forbidden? "First off I didn't know it was YOUR" She sneered at him. "Hot spring and secondly get out of here!"
"You will not speak to me in such a fashion as this nor will you order me about." He growled in a deadly manner. The girl seemed to have found herself and he did not like it.
"Pompous ass!" She bit out, then reached for a cloth to wrap around her body while still in the water. "You don't like me but you won't leave me alone; are you always this insane or am I just that special?!"
Sesshoumaru walked up to the edge of the hot spring and just as he reached down to grab the girl by the neck and yank her out, she quickly grabbed his wrist and yanked him in.