Before reading, please note that this is rated MA for a reason.

The next chapter contains gore and torture. Readers' discretion is advised.

20º - Dark Plans

(*)

The three of them looked at the entrance of the cell and saw Kagome. The sword was now on the ground in front of her. Even though it was dark inside, all of them could see her body shaking, her left hand in front of her mouth as if holding in a scream, and her eyes looked terrified. It was obvious that she had never seen anything like the scene playing in front of her eyes before.

A full minute passed before anyone moved, but that minute felt like an hour. Before anyone could say a word, Kagome turned her back to them and started running out of the dungeons. Hideo, when he saw her run away from them, had every intention of running after her. However, before he could take a step, Sesshomaru's growl stopped him from pursuing the girl.

Sesshomaru saw Kagome running away from them, and every instinct in him told him to run after her, hold her in his arms and ensure that she understood what was happening, why he had to do this. His blood was running faster and his power going wild. Yet he had a job to finish. He needed the information that this spy had, and he would get it before going after her.

His hand was still on top of the spy. His back was still turned to Hideo and his father. Yet, he felt Hideo move and knew exactly what the demon intended to do, and he would not let it happen. No one would go near his female except for him. Releasing a growl, he stopped Hideo in his tracks before adding, "You take one more step, and I'll kill you where you stand."

That wasn't an empty threat. Hideo knew that at that point in time Sesshomaru was talking with all the instincts of a bonded male. Not wanting to lose his head, nor engage in a fight, Hideo took a step back. Yet he couldn't resist asking, "If you are concerned with me comforting her, then why are you still down here?"

Sesshomaru released another growl even though he decided to answer. "There's still a job to be done."

Bringing his full attention on the spy again, Sesshomaru waited for a name. With a crooked smile, the next words that left the spy's mouth had Sesshomaru nearly killing him. "So that's the lost princess. She's more beautiful than I thought. If, of course, you are comparing her with a whore." Sesshomaru couldn't look at this man anymore. His nerves were getting to him as well as the disgusting odor. He wanted to rip the spy's throat out. And that was when he got an idea.

"I can see that you still have energy in you, and even if you were willing to talk a few seconds ago, you are no longer that willing. That would mean that you would have to go through this torture all over again." Sesshomaru saw fear in his eyes, yes, but it wasn't enough. The man would still not tell him what he wanted quickly enough. So he would offer the unthinkable. "You tell me what I want to know, and I give you my word that I'll set you free from this chair, and I'll let you cross the castle gates no further harmed"

Hideo heard what Sesshomaru said and had to speak his mind. "Sesshomaru, you can't do that. He's a spy an—"

"Silence!" Sesshomaru interrupted. His voice was cold as always.

The spy couldn't believe his ears. Was it true? He tried to read Sesshomaru's face, but it was impossible for the spy to detect any emotions from it. He had heard the stories in his travels, and there were three things that everyone knew about Sesshomaru. First, he was a cold, bloody killer and very good with torturing prisoners, 'Well, that was clear.' Third, was that his word meant gold. Everyone knew that if Sesshomaru gave his word, than he could keep it. It was who he was. A trustworthy killer. And he was proposing a deal where he could walk free? Of course he would talk.

"Very well," the spy said. "I'll talk, and you let me walk free." Sesshomaru nodded and waited for the information that they wanted. Hideo meant to interrupt, but Sesshomaru gave him a look over his shoulder, as if sensing that he was about to open his mouth. Sesshomaru had a plan that was clear, but what? Five seconds later, the spy started talking.

"Well, I don't know her name. She is a heavily wrinkled, white haired, elderly woman. I've never seen her before but she found me in a tavern one night and said that all she wanted was information. She told me to come here and gather information on that girl. She gave me a few gold coins and told me that she would give me more after the job's done." The spy took a deep breath before adding, "That's all I know. I swear."

Sesshomaru didn't detect any deception in the man's scent, meaning that he was indeed telling the truth. Apparently, this man wasn't a loyal servant and was only a spy to hire. Then, why hadn't he talked sooner? "Why didn't you tell us this sooner? Why take the torture until the end?"

"The coins were made of gold. That meant that she was someone important. Gold coins are not just lying around. I knew I would die by either your hand for not speaking or the elderly woman, but I knew she would have also killed my family if I betrayed her. But now you told me you will release me. I now may have enough time to take them away before she gets them."

Without another word, Sesshomaru released the shackles from the man and grabbed him by his collar. The spy almost pissed his pants when Sesshomaru grabbed him, and he was surprised when he was dragged to the castle's gates. Once outside, Sesshomaru released the spy and stood there watching. 'So this demon was truly going to keep his word and let me go free.' Using his last bits of strength, the spy walked towards the castle's gates.

Hideo and Inu no Taisho could not believe their eyes. They followed Sesshomaru to the front gate and saw him release the man on the ground without any care. Sesshomaru wasn't moving a muscle, except for his predatory eyes, which never abandoned the body moving away.

A few minutes later, the spy was finally able to cross the castle's' main gates and took a deep breath. He couldn't believe he had survived the torture. He had been convinced that he was a goner. Yet the lord had let him go free. He decided that he would move away from this land with his mate and children. They would be happy again. Using the gold coins the elderly woman had paid him with, he would stop drinking, start working, and be a real father for a change. Yes, that sounded like a goo—

Before he could take one more step, however, Sesshomaru was standing in front of him, blocking his way out. Sesshomaru moved so fast that not even Hideo and Inu no Taisho saw him.

"No!" the spy said between breaths. "You promised that you would release me. That you would set me free—" Sesshomaru, however, never let him finish.

"Do not dare questioning my word, you lowlife. I promised I would release you from that chair and that I would let you walk without further harm past the gate. So I did." The spy looked around him and saw that the gate was five steps away from him. Before he could say anything else, he felt cold. Sesshomaru's left arm had just gone through his stomach and come out the other side. With a horrific smile, Sesshomaru added, "I did not promise anything past the gate."

In one swift backwards jerk of his arm, the spy's blood spurted out of the gaping wound, blood spraying outward, barely missing Sesshomaru's towering form. However, his arm was covered in the crimson liquid. The spy's body drooped dead on the grown, and Sesshomaru didn't even flinch. Dispassionately, Sesshomaru knelt beside the felled man and used the spy's garments to clean the blood from his hand and arm. Afterwards, he bypassed the dead body and went inside the castle once more. He had to find Kagome.

Meanwhile, Inu no Taisho and Hideo looked on from afar. Neither one of them liked what they had been forced to do. Torturing a man for information always left a scar deep within them. But it was necessary for their family's sake. If they allowed such man to walk, he could sell his information to the enemy. They lived in dangerous times and protecting what they held dear was key in keeping them all safe.

Sesshomaru passed them and heard a small "Damn it" from Hideo. Yes, Sesshomaru agreed that it was horrifying. But if his suspicions were true than this would only be the beginning, and they would need to brace themselves for war.

Sesshomaru went to his room first. He needed to wash his hands and face and change his clothes that were now soaked in blood. When that was done, he closed his eyes, and let his nose guide him towards Kagome. Meanwhile, Inu no Taisho went to look for his mate, while Hideo started taking care of the dead body. It wouldn't bode well for the females to see it, so he would burnt it to ashes.

(*)

After Kagome had seen Sesshomaru in the dungeons, she felt the need to run. It didn't matter where. She just wanted to run away from that place. Unconsciously, her feet took her to her room. Once inside she locked the door and went calmly to the bathroom. She felt dirty and disgusting. Discarding her clothes, she entered the small hot spring and submerged herself. Letting her sore muscles relax under the water was helping, but not much.

In her head she was still seeing the torture scene. Sesshomaru standing on top of the man in the chair, while Inu no Taisho and Hideo stood there and watched. No, it was horrific. There was blood everywhere, a smell embedded on the walls, the screams of agony from the man… It was too much for her to handle. Yet, what was terrifying her the most was Sesshomaru. She had seen him angry, especially towards Hideo. And yet, that cold face showing no regret for what had happen or what he had done scared her the most. Was he really like that? And if so, how had she never seen it before?

Kagome lost track of time. For how long did she stay in that hot tube? Ten minutes, one hour, the whole night? She didn't know. All she knew was that in her mind she wasn't capable of stopping the loop of images of Sesshomaru. His smile, his warm kisses on her forehead, his reassuring words… All that gone in less than five seconds. Without realizing it, she started crying. Her tears rolling down her face, mixing with the water. She couldn't stop. But why was she crying in the first place? She wasn't sure. And yet, she felt that if she didn't cry, she would combust.

A soft knock on her door made her snap out of her trance. She didn't answer it, yet she could almost guess who it was. Rolling a towel around her body, she dried herself clean and put her white, sleeping yukata on. The person on the other side of the door knocked once more and Sesshomaru's voice filtered through the portal.

"Kagome, I know you are inside. Please, open the door so that we can talk about it." Again, Kagome gave him the silent treatment. She didn't wanted to see him nor talk to him. She didn't want anything to do with him. "I'll remain here until you open the door."

Kagome didn't answer and didn't have any intention to. It was no longer cold outside, so she went to her balcony, as far away from the door as possible. She didn't want to be near him. She wanted distance, and yet she could almost see him on the other side of the door. She took a seat near the balcony and kept crying.

(*)

On the other side of the door was Sesshomaru. He could hear her crying and it almost broke his heart. He wanted to bust the door open and go to her. But that wouldn´t help his case. She would have to go to him willingly and when she was ready. So he took a seat near her door and decided that he wouldn't move from that spot until she was ready to talk to him.

It was going to be a long night.

(*)

Far away from the Western lands, a servant was reporting to his superior.

"Apparently, the spy has been discovered and captured. They killed him after getting information." It wasn't unexpected that they had kill him. In fact, it was common behavior from lords to do that. The spy himself wasn't important though. He couldn't have given them that much information since he didn't know anything himself, making him the perfect choice.

Better yet, he had been able to collect and send useful information about the princess before getting caught. The most interesting one was that it had been made clear that the heir of the West was interested in her and that could work to their favor one way or the other.

A small smile appeared before she dismissed the servant. The news was indeed interesting.

"What are you grinning about?"

"I just received news from the West…"

(*)

*A big thank you to my beta, BelovedStranger! She's absolutely amazing! 3

**Also, a big thank you to everyone for reviewed! Really, thank you!