Chapter 22

Anger coursed through his body as he stared at the back of the youth's head. He had no idea who the guy was, but the level of power he exerted was ridicules. To be able to control a Mistress this much and for this long you had to be at least the same level as the Mistress to begin with, if not more powerful. How a being like that could escape the notice of all three of them was beyond him and thinking about it only made him even more annoyed at the situation.

To make matters worse, the casual, unrushed way the youth was walking through Kama Traydon felt like some kind of veiled insult. As if the guy was letting him know he didn't need to rush because there was no way anyone was breaking free of his hold. The way each of his steps rolled and slinked was almost feminine, but at the same time exhumed a strong and masculine confidence. It was a walk which could only be pulled off by someone completely self-assured. Someone who not only knew who they were inside and out, but liked... no loved that person.

It took them almost too long to reach the Sacred Huntay at the centre of Kama Traydon. As the youth led him across the Huntay itself, he couldn't help but notice Joey sat under the shade of one of the trees. Their eyes met and a curious frown spread across Joey's face for a moment before his eyes turned questioningly towards the youth. The youth made no attempt to reply nor give any indication an explanation would follow.

When they reached a spot opposite Joey the youth forced him to sit and watch as he casually made his way towards the centre of the Huntay. As he did music began to play out of nowhere. The youth then began to dance around in a manner somewhere halfway between a little kid and a world class dancer. Inside he found himself willing the youth to distract himself with his little performance, as he attempted to free himself from the binding control. The more he struggled, however, the tighter the binding which held him in place.

As he continued to struggle, a young woman with a bob of ash blonde hair in an outfit just as revealing as the one the youth was wearing appeared. She made a beeline towards Joey, draping herself over him and kissing him several times. Joey was clearly enjoying the attention she was giving him, which made him smirk to watch; just what would Mai think if she knew about this?

After what felt like an eternity, the ash blonde got up from Joey's lap and joined the youth in his dancing. As they danced he could sense the power they were both exhuming. The feel of it alone let him know exactly why the bind on him had become stronger and not weaker in the past few minutes. The music, the dancing, it created energy for them. It made them stronger, but that didn't mean they were strong enough.

If they were strong enough they would have had all three of the Mistresses captured by now. It wasn't as though the youth hadn't had the opportunity or the strength to take Kaiba when he'd taken him, so why hadn't he? Just what were these strange creatures planning anyway? Well whatever it was they weren't going to succeed, he would make sure of that. After all, he had his own plans to carry out and nothing and nobody was going to stop him.

Kaiba lowered Tristan onto the bed in his room, before turning his attention towards his still glowing arm. For a few minutes Kaiba tried to figure out exactly what he could do with his newly released powers, only to find it wasn't a whole lot. Apparently whoever or whatever unlocked his arm had done so with the sole intent of giving him some kind of protection. But Protection against what exactly? Yugi? A weird feeling shifted through Kaiba's stomach; it was hard to believe anyone would think Yugi capable of hurting anyone, but since it had happened...

Kaiba shook the thoughts from his head and tried to figure out who or what had given him access to some of the Pure's powers. For half a second the face of the youth flashed through his mind, causing him to grit his teeth hard. As much as he hated to admit it, the arm which was glowing was the same one the youth had focused on earlier. But that didn't mean... did it?

'I don't know if I should be grateful or looking to file a restraining order,' he shook his head as he turned his attention towards the still unconscious Tristan. 'Well whatever the case it's pretty clear this place isn't safe anymore.'

He gave a heavy sigh as a deep feeling of exhaustion moved through him. He didn't have the energy to be playing hide and seek with who knew how many potential threats. And it wasn't just his own safety he was responsible for... His eyes shifted towards the door as his mind slowly formulated a plan. The first thing he needed to do was get to Mokuba and then... Well, the preferable option was to get all three of them as far away from the mansion as possible.

Kaiba lifted Tristan back up from the bed and made his way out of the room. For some reason his movements were starting to feel awkward and heavy, as though the combination of stress and sleep deprivation was finally starting to get to him. When he reached Mokuba's room he was unsurprised to find his brother drawing yet another one of his grotesque doodles on the wall in the far right corner of the room.

'What do you want now?'

'We've got to leave the house,' Kaiba lowered Tristan onto the bed for a moment, but only because he was too exhausted to continue holding him.

'Why?'

'It's not safe here anymore.'

'Because of me?' Mokuba chuckled for a moment. 'I mean I am the reason you got rid of ninety percent of our household staff, right?'

'No, you're not the threat here Mokuba,' Kaiba gritted his teeth.

'Then what is?'

'It doesn't matter. All that matters is that we get out of here now. All three of us.'

'You don't need me weighing you down, when you've already got Tristan to look after,' Mokuba shook his head. 'You go. I'm staying right here.'

'I'm not leaving without you.'

'Then don't leave. Those are your options.'

'Mokuba, please, be reasonable about this. It's not safe for any of us here.'

'I don't care. I'm staying.'

'Mokuba...'

'I told you I'm staying and that's final. I have to be here Seto, but you don't. So if you want to leave without me then leave, see if I care.'

'Why do you have to make this so difficult,' Kaiba gritted his teeth in defeat. 'Fine then, we'll all stay.'

At first Duke hadn't realised the voice had come from his own mouth. In fact it took his a long time to really understand what was going on at all. His mind was now in this strangely dreamlike state so lulling and inviting he wasn't sure whether or not he cared how and why he had spoken for her. His eyes lifted with a strange kind of haze to meet with hers, she was watching him intensely as if to make sure he was okay. A slight smile pulled at his lips to reassure her he was fine, if a little out of it.

A strange laugh rippled its way out of him, make him feel like some made for TV adaption of a drunken or high teenager before the negative effects kicked in. In response to this his body tittered its way towards her, every step making his head swim and swarm with a slushy kind of fascination. He even found himself lifting up his hands to study them, grinning madly to himself at the nonsensical thoughts stirring inside his own head.

He came to a stop right in front of her and she placed a hand on his cheek, forcing his attention towards her. Automatically he leant in to kiss her. The movement was as sloppy and uncoordinated as the kiss, but he didn't really care. Who needed common sense, rationality and inhibitions when you felt like this? It was a beautiful, glorious, freeing sensation and he never, ever wanted it to go away. After a few minutes he pulled back from her and she gently stroked some of the hair out of his eyes.

'Thank you,' he knew the words were coming out of his own mouth, but he felt as though someone else were saying them, 'you have no idea how grateful I am for your help and I promise your kindness will be return.'

'I need no reward,' again the voice came out of his own mouth, but felt much more solid and real than the other one.

'That is not what your Id is telling me,' as he spoke she tilted her head to one side, 'I know what your Id desires and I promise you it shall be yours.'

'I thought you said Dee was the one who knew everything,' SK's tongue skated across his lips, 'so why are we going to see Catilin?'

'Dee might have her ear to the ground, but Catilin's a Calicaccu, she knows about things in a way no one else does.'

'And you think she might know something about this?' SK cocked an eyebrow at him.

'Right now we don't have a whole lot to go on,' Jay pulled a face, 'Dee might have useful information for us, but unless we have a basis for interpreting that information...'

'Since when was Catilin a basis for interpreting anything?' SK rolled his eyes.

'Oh come on SK, she understands things in a way no one else does. That's what makes her such a great Calicaccu. Unfortunately great Calicaccus are rarely sane people; it's just the price they have to pay for the purity of their gift. If you ever bothered to read the Guardian Handbook you might actually know that.'

'For someone with such a pure gift she's been evil more than enough times,' SK licked his lips again, 'it's hard to trust someone after they've been evil.'

'Does that include me?' Jay came to a stop just as they entered the great hall of the Northern Palace.

'Doesn't look like there's anyone in here,' SK glanced around, 'are you sure she's at home?'

'I can sense her nearby,' Jay folded his arms, 'but you didn't answer my question. Do you think I can't be trusted just because I've been evil?'

'Sometimes.'

'Only sometimes?'

'Look Jay, I want to believe you're one of the good guys now, but sometimes you do things which are questionable,' SK's tongue skated across his lips again. 'Knowing your past it's hard to trust you completely and you're just going to have to accept that fact.'

'Fantastic,' Jay stretched out every possible inch of sarcasm in the word, 'and just when I thought we were starting to get on really well.'

'We are getting on well Jay, but... that's just how I feel, okay?'

'Whatever, come on we need to keep looking for Catilin.'

'Any idea where she might be?'

'Her room maybe,' Jay shrugged, 'Silkoneons with cat Sintoys are known for their excessive sleeping habits and Cat's no exception.'