Kagome had nothing to say. She couldn't have formed a coherent thought in her mind, even if she had wanted to. Which she didn't. She was too shocked.
It shouldn't have been a surprise, because if Naraku was back for revenge, it was obvious he'd want revenge on the shikon miko. It seemed natural that he'd go after her, and Kikyo had told her as much in her premonition-like dream. She hadn't expected that the council to want her, though.
She took a breathy and looked at Sesshomaru from across the room, and tried to appear normal. Now was her chance to tell him. If she was even going to tell him she was the shikon miko, it would be now. She took a deep breath.
"I must ask you a question about your miko powers." Sesshomaru watched her evenly.
She held her breath and nodded.
"The council will be wary of you not only because you are a miko, but also because there is something odd about your powers." He frowned, "Explain them to me."
She let out her breath. She couldn't do it. She wouldn't tell him she was the shikon miko. "I have a very limited about of miko power." Something had always been off with her miko power. For some odd reason, she could never find a way to tap into the shikon powers, or even all of the miko power in her soul. Something was blocking her, and she'd never been able to use her full abilities.
His face was expressionless as her replied smoothly. "You demonstrate more power than I had previously detected when you become emotional."
She could sense his underlying feelings that he'd never say. He was bothered that he couldn't sense all of her powers. He was supposed to be one of the most powerful demons to ever live, so why wasn't he able to detect the extent of the powers of a mere miko like herself?
She shrugged it off and played casual, "It's not a big deal. Sometimes a miko's powers can be affected by her emotions. And, I'm also fairly skilled in concealment. " So good I've completely blocked off my shikon miko powers; that's how good at concealment I am.
She watched him scrutinize her and after a moment, he let the issue go. "We will be leaving in the morning for a council meeting with the demons assembled in Tokyo."
She blinked, and then refocused herself on his new topic of conversation. She'd missed her chance; she wouldn't tell him she was the shikon miko.
They arrived at the youkai headquarters perfectly on time. Sesshomaru lead her past the intimidating guards at the front doors and through the sky scraper up to a room on one of the last floors. With a quick swipe of his security card, they entered the protected room. She swallowed, and followed him in suit.
When they had driven over to the arranged meeting spot, he had briefed her on the position she had been assigned.
They had driven in his sleek black car, Kagome sitting in the passenger seat with the window down. She basked in the warm sunlight and let her hair be ruffled by the moist air. She was feeling great after their reunion the night before, and was exhilarated by the season change from spring to summer, which she could feel deep in her bones.
"The elder youkai view you as nothing but an object tied to me because I haven't marked you. Therefore, you aren't allowed to speak during the meeting." Sesshomaru's voice cut into Kagome's light feelings as she remembered the mission.
Taking in what he said, she grimaced and crossed her arms. "That's completely stupid. I don't even know what to say to that."
"Nothing. You're like a child—meant to be seen, and not heard."
She groaned. "You youkai are all the same… Completely arrogant and unwilling to see past the tips of your noses."
His eyes flashed over to look at her before flickering back to the road. She met his quick gaze with a smug smile. Teasing, trifling, the atmosphere was relaxed in a tense way. Their unspoken emotions travelled with them as they approached the headquarters, both aware of the strain between them that kept them from being completely casual. It was something of a power issue, hierarchy, and a sexual charge that floated around them.
She sighed as their car approached the largest building on the block.
"Remember what I told you. Not a word." His deep voice demanded her attention as they entered the room at the top of the company.
She grumbled and pinched him subtly on his arm, to warn him that he couldn't treat her like that anywhere else but here. His gaze was sharp but held a slight taint of amusement. He liked how his little bride tried to put him in his place. It wasn't affective, but he felt the spark of interest focused on her ignite.
A dark haired inuyoukai moved to the head of the table that was set in the middle of the room and motioned for the rest of the group to sit down. Sesshomaru ushered her to a seat next to his, at the opposite end of the head of the table. Kagome sat quietly, absorbing the faces and sights of the youkai around her.
The room had two glass walls that looked out on Tokyo, and the sheer view was more than breathtaking. The youkai in the room, most either inuyoukai, kitsune or nekoyoukai, with the exception of a few whom she wasn't able to figure out their race, sat stonily silent, inspecting each other. The males in the room clearly outnumbered the females in the room, there being only three other women in the room besides Kagome herself, however none seemed timid.
The meeting commenced when the inuyokai at the head of the table began speaking. He debriefed everyone on the situation, though Kagome sensed they weren't fully explaining the situation.
Once the leader had sat down again, the other members began to talk and suggest ideas.
"We will need to send search parties for the shikon miko out immediately. She could have been reincarnated anywhere in Japan," the female youkai with sleek black hair curled a lip as she spoke, "or Kami forbid somewhere else."
"It would take months for our people to survey every powerful miko they would find on these searches. We need a more productive approach," an inuyoukai with blond hair challenged the other woman.
Kagome turned slightly so she could observe Sesshomaru. He already had a plan, but he remained silent. She rolled her eyes and looked out the window. The stubborn inuyoukai wouldn't speak until all eyes were on him. She found him incredibly arrogant, but something in her still found him particularly interesting. Her feelings contradicted each other, but as she stole another glance at the smooth, confident male next to her, she couldn't stop the curl of heat from unfurling at the base of her stomach.
Her mind was ripped from her wandering thoughts when the dark inuyoukai at the head of the table spoke.
"Sesshomaru-sama has a miko in his possession that will help us find the shikon miko," the leader motioned to Sesshomaru, and Kagome bit her lip, trying not to frown.
"She doesn't look physically fit. She couldn't be much of an aid to us," a man remarked from a seat near Kagome.
"Her powers aren't strong; she would be more of a burden than an asset."
She clenched and unclenched her fists underneath the table. Being diplomatic and polite was proving to be harder than she'd expected.
"On the other hand, any miko in our possession could help us win over the help of more powerful mikos." An orange haired nekoyoukai piped up from the other side of the table.
That's it! Kagome furiously pinched Sesshomaru's thigh underneath the table. His eyes slid over to hers, and she tried to shoot daggers at him with her gaze.
He didn't respond.
"Humans place a great deal of loyalty and emotional weight on their marriage bond. Though Sesshomaru-sama has not mated her, she would obey his orders without question. Such blind trust is hard to find, and should be taken advantage of."
Kagome writhed in her chair silently and bit her tongue in an attempt to remain silent. It was her duty as the shikon miko to eliminate Naraku, and if she made a fool of herself infront of these youkai, she'd be deemed unsuitable to work with them. Still, though, her pride as a woman and as a human wouldn't allow her to sit and listen to them degrade her like they were doing.
She began pinching Sesshomaru on the thigh and resolved herself to continue pinching him until he stopped the meeting. Eventually, her actions would be so annoying to him he'd have to stop, she concurred.
And sure enough, after a couple more teeth-clenching statements, Sesshomaru cleared his throat.
"We will be having a ten minute break."
Without any questions, the youkai simultaneously rose and exited the room. The second the last one had left, Sesshomaru turned and snarled at her.
Kagome narrowed her eyes. "You didn't really think I'd just sit there and take that, now did you?"
"I expected you to yell later, however I didn't think you'd make a scene."
"I didn't make a scene!" She hissed, "And thanks a lot! While I don't have the power to stand up for myself, you do, and you didn't!"
She turned her back to him, her fury mixing into a deep blend of hurt and betrayal. She didn't really care what the other youkai thought about her, it was just the fact that he hadn't helped her that stung.
She heard him shift behind her and move closer. Sliding one arm around her abdomen, Kagome was pleasantly surprised when Sesshomaru bent his head and pressed a chaste kiss on her cheek. He wasn't apologizing, but doing the next best thing: consoling her.
Kagome turned her head and met his lips. Their kiss was warm and soft, not deep but sweet nonetheless. As they parted, she met molten go0lden eyes, soft with a care she'd never known to exist in him. She gave him a brief smile as they stepped away from each other when the demons entered the room.
Sesshomaru resumed and ended the meeting with a few sentences. "My wife is a capable miko who will be able to perform the task given to her. Her usefulness will be determined by this Sesshomaru, as she will be traveling only with me."
He stood and proceeded to stand by the door. Her eyes found his and he silently conveyed a message to her. She nodded and stood.
"Hello, my name is Kagome," she smiled at the youkai in the room, trying to be as pleasant as she could be. "I, along with my miko and monk brothers and sisters, want Naraku to be put to peace. I look forward to working with you these next months."
She bowed, and then left the room with Sesshomaru.
Hi, hope you liked it! Please RxR. ~Gracie
All characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi