"What goes on here?" Kei asked as he looked down at the wet, wrapped in nothing but a drying cloth, panicked girl.
Kagome locked her eyes with his copper and sighed lightly in relief. "Oh it's you." She stated breathlessly then grabbed his haori in one of her hands. "You have to get me out of here! He's going to kill me."
Kei arched his eyebrows in wonder. "What happened now?"
She hurriedly stepped around him, pressing herself against his back trying to hide from the being she could feel coming towards her fast and angry. "Oh Kami here he comes." She cried as she attempted to take off running again, but was halted by a large, angry, dripping wet, red eyed demon standing in front of her. She pressed herself harder against Kei's back, trying to sink herself into his skin.
Kei turned to see a wet Sesshoumaru staring down deadly at the girl. He tried to keep the grin off his face but couldn't. "She didn't." He said with a small chuckle.
Sesshoumaru didn't bother looking at his guard; just kept his deadly gaze upon the girl. "Leave us." He growled.
Kagome kept her wide blue eyes locked onto the angry demon as she locked her hand into Kei's haori. "Don't you dare leave me alone with him." She ordered as she tightened her grip upon his haori.
"Girl you will be punished." Sesshoumaru growled out as he reached out to grab her.
Kagome cried out in fear as she shot around Kei to hide behind him before the deadly hand could grab her. "Leave me alone!" She yelled as she peeked around Kei's arm.
"Kei remove yourself." Sesshoumaru ordered with a deadly glance at his guard.
The cat demon made no move to obey his lord. "Iie Sesshoumaru." He started as he locked his copper with the demon lord's crimson. "Your beast is raging and you have no sense about yourself." He held his hand up before the demon lord could make another order. "She can not withstand your retribution. She will die."
Sesshoumaru eyed his guard with contempt but could see the truth in his words. With an inward evil smirk he decided that he would punish them both with one simple order. "Kei since you seem so concerned with the girl; she is now your responsibility. You will keep her silent and out of trouble; and once the hanyou is brought down perhaps I shall mate her off to you." Then in a swirl of dripping wet silk, he walked away from the two shocked beings behind him.
Kei laughed nervously as he ran his claws through his hair. "Well that was unexpected." He sighed as he turned to face a pale, wide eyed girl.
"What?" Kagome whispered as she stared at the wet spot on the floor where Sesshoumaru was just standing; trying desperately to wrap her mind around what just happened.
A small laugh escaped Kei's lips as he grabbed the girl by the shoulder and led her to the new room that was just prepared for her. "Let's get you dressed before some of the males start getting ideas about you." He led her down the hall to her room silently.
--
Kagome sat on her bed eyebrows furrowed, hands clenching and unclenching in her lap as she tried to sort out this sudden change in her life. She was practically chained to the cat demon, only allowed to leave her room with him and if she needed to bathe he had to escort her to the hot springs, stand out side the entrance until she was done then take her back to her room, or to eat, or to do whatever it was Sesshoumaru ordered them to do.
It wasn't so much that she didn't like Kei, but she felt bad that he had to baby sit her every waking moment of her day. Sure this was her own fault in a sense; putting Sesshoumaru into a hot spring wasn't exactly her greatest idea; but damn why couldn't he just leave her alone?
"Come it is time for us to go." Kei stated as he stepped into her room.
Kagome looked up at the demon and sighed miserably. "Where to this time?"
Kei stared down at her for a moment. "Does it displease you to have my company?"
She shook her head. "No, it's just that…" She sighed again. "I mean having to have me with you all the time. Doesn't it bother you? Don't you have other things you would rather be doing than constantly watching over me?"
Kei smirked at her. "Iie. I enjoy your company and besides…" He started with a wicked glint in his eyes. "So long as I am with you I don't have to run the guard." His lips pulled into an unnerving smirk. "Leaving only one other to take up the responsibility."
Kagome looked up at him and smiled hugely. "The jerk." She whispered.
Copper eyes glinted in amusement. "Hai and it's only a matter of time until either he goes mad or the guards begin to abandon him and his working them from dawn to dusk." He held his hand out to her. "Come. Let us go, sit in the gardens, and watch the jerk, while we relax in the shade."
She placed her hand in his and smirked just as evilly. "Yes. Lets." She stated with a nod then walked out of her room with the cat.
--
"So tell me how is it you ankle is completely healed?" Kei asked as he relaxed against the trunk of the large tree.
Kagome furrowed her eyebrows. "Well I'm not entirely sure. I was sitting in the hot spring, eyes closed and completely relaxed and the next thing I knew, Sesshoumaru was there and…" She waved her hand in the air. "You know what happened after that." She looked down at the appendage in question. "Some time between the bath and the escape from the hot spring it healed."
"Hmm…" Kei stated as he stared at her thoughtfully for a moment. "So he hasn't told you of what you really are then?"
Her eyebrows drew together in question. "What do you mean; what I am? As far as I know I'm just Kagome."
"Hai, you are Kagome by name; but what I speak of is something deeper than that." He cut his eyes over to the figure clad in white on the training grounds; locking eyes with him and smirking at the death glare he was receiving. "Have you heard of a jewel called the Shikon no Tama?"
Her blue eyes widened slightly. "My ojiisan told me of it, but I never believed it to be true." She moved to sit against the tree next to the cat demon. "From what he says is that it's a gem that was created by a powerful miko who trapped her soul along with the evil demons she was at war with; and whoever holds the jewel will be granted their ultimate wish. I don't believe it though." She said with a nod of agreement with herself.
Kei looked at her. "You should believe it, for it is very true. You…" He was cut off when a large shadow cast over him.
"You will hold your tongue neko." Sesshoumaru growled. He heard them speaking and did not like where the conversation was going. He did not want the girl to know who and what she was just yet; not to mention it was grating on his nerves to see them just sitting there relaxing while he was running the guard. "Kei you will return to your duties immediately." He ordered with narrowed eyes, just daring the cat to dispute him.
Kei stretched his spine against the tree. "My lord, I am only doing what you have ordered me to do." He then cocked an eyebrow at the demon lord. "Unless you wish to sit and converse with this beautiful young lady here?" Kei questioned as he grabbed Kagome by the hand then pressed his lips to her inner wrist.
Sesshoumaru curled his lip at the sight before him. He did not like the neko behaving in such a manner with the girl; then a small growl caught in his throat when he heard the female gasp, blush and giggle shyly. Why it angered him to see the neko behave in such a fashion with the female, he didn't know but it did. "You try my patience." He gave the girl a pointed look. "You will return to your duties while I deal with the girl."
Kei smirked at the demon lord. "Very well." He languidly rose to his feet and began to walk away then stopped when he was just past his master. "However should you need me to continue to entertain this lovely creature…" He gave Kagome a wink. "I will be close by." Then which a chuckle at the small growl that passed the demon's lips he walked away. Kei wasn't stupid, and did not miss the death glare his lord gave him when he kissed the girl's wrist. "I believe it's time for a little matchmaking." He chuckled to himself.
Sesshoumaru stared down at the girl at his feet and narrowed his eyes at the death glare she was giving him.
"Now what?" Kagome hissed as she stared up at him. "I'm not allowed to sit and have a conversation; unless you approve of them first?" She sneered.
He didn't bother acknowledging her manner of speaking to him. "You will return to your room, where you will stay until I fetch for you." He ordered in the voice none dared to dispute.
Kagome scrambled to her feet. "You know what?!" She growled as she stepped closer to him. "Why don't you go fling yourself off a cliff." She hissed then stepped around him and began walking back towards the palace. Suddenly she stopped, turned, and glared as hard as she possibly could at him. "Better yet, why don't you just drop dead where you stand! The world would be a hell of a lot better place without the likes of you in it!" She snapped then turned and stormed away from the demon.
Sesshoumaru knew what rage was and was a master of keeping his rage well under control; but the girl was pushing him into a whole new area of rage; an area uncharted and one he would rather not know existed. With and irritated angry growl he went off after the girl; he was going to teach her a lesson in how to behave towards him and she was going to begin behaving that way today.
Kagome slammed the shoji door to the gardens closed so hard that the trim around the door cracked slightly; however she paid no mind to it. "Pompous bastard!" She hissed as she stormed around the garden, until she found something to take her rage out upon. The poor rose bush didn't stand a chance as it was quickly stomped to death. "Think you can control everyone just because you're some haughty lord!" She growled with an extra hard stomp to the poor defenseless plant.
She placed her hands on her hips and glared at her handy work. "That's it!" She bit out with a curt nod of her head. Turning on her heel she walked to the gate leading to the outer wall and glared at the guard standing next to it. "I dare you to stop me." She hissed as she placed her hand on the gate to open it.
"Girl what do you think you are doing?" The guard questioned with an arched eyebrow.
Her eyes narrowed to dangerous little slits. "What does it look like I am doing?" She questioned with a hiss. "And if you dare try to stop me you will be one sorry…" She looked him up and down trying to decide what exactly he was. "Whatever you are."
The guard looked down at the tiny female and cocked a smile. "Tell you what. If you can bring me to my knees I will let you pass."
Kagome pulled her lips into an unnerving smile and cocked her eyebrow at him. "Really? Let's play then."