VI.

Bridge of Dreams

For a little while, a few minutes, Sesshomaru's visitor - the Lord Kinawai - stood in silent shock, staring up at the place where Sesshomaru had paused to look down at him. His friend was -

"What do you think is wrong with him, Kinawai?"

Kinawai's eyes slid down towards the female at his side, and then away.

Kasuka…

His mate was too fond of speaking openly things better left for private conversation.

"I don't think I know what you mean, Kasuka. What would you like to imply is wrong with Sesshomaru-sama?"

The Hall around them suddenly contained a vicious whisper, like a voice from miles away carried in a sudden wind. The female turned her head aside, avoiding the match of eyes and wills that her mate sought to create.

"Kinawai, always so touchy. I only seek…knowledge. After all, if there were something troubling him, shouldn't we…help?"

Kinawai's studied glance at the back of her head displayed his disbelief of her words, but he made no more open challenge. Carefully, her fingers precise and elegant, Kasuka removed her cloak. It revealed green masses of curling hair that loitered on their way down her back and shoulders. The light that had not reached the features hidden behind the folds of her hood caressed them now, revealing a face of startling winter beauty, as if frosted from within.

It was a face so heavily imprinted with the perfection that was youkai heritage that even Kinawai, her own mate, found it impossible to remember her as herself; her features, once seen, seemed to slide out of thought. Only her eyes seemed unusual, as if they were hiding something, allowing a secret - or many - to lurk unidentified.

Those secrets reached from within Kasuka's barest glance like instruments of torture, capable of inflicting terrible agony without remorse on the unprepared. Her nose was small, delicate, slightly upturned over lavish lips; they were lover's lips, in a face wholly without love.

The invisible hands that had treated Kagome with such attentive care appeared to take Kinawai's cloak, and then disappeared into the woodwork, leaving Kasuka with her own in hand. Bitter laughter came from her when she realized it; a glint smoothed itself out in the corners of her eyes.

"The living and the dead, they all remember. So, my lord? Where is our host now - assuming that the tempest at the railing was, in fact, him? What could have caused such a thing?"

Kinawai did not answer, feeling the rise of certain sentiments that might end violently - for her. There was a certain intensity of annoyance that he could tolerate where his mate was concerned, but after that…

His gaze lingered silently on the railing where he had seen Sesshomaru, wild, roused to a point that would have forced the Change on any other youkai. Now, another hand appeared where he watched. At other times he had seen a human child, a girl, half-invisible by some skill of submission that kept her out of the way but still smiling. At first glance he thought the hand grasping the railing belonged to that child, judging only by delicacy. As he stared at it fixedly, his certainty wavered, and then his eyes widened; he felt the dragon Sight that was the gift of his mother's blood rising to the surface, overtaking his vision. It was a female, a demoness with golden eyes!

The overlay flickered, and then vanished as the hand was withdrawn. When he had regained his breath, Kinawai turned slightly and looked down at his mate.

"Perhaps there is your answer, Kasuka."

The scent of berries and spice that had tingled gently at the tip of Kinawai's nose stood with its source revealed in the one who possessed those pale and trembling fingers. He was...curious.

Kasuka watched with thinly veiled amusement as Kinawai hurried to the foot of the stairs. When she was certain his attention was no longer upon her, she stalked away into the Hall and disappeared behind a curtained door, cloak still in hand. When she was gone, a watchful presence relaxed; there was a sense of a hundred silent footsteps that lingered, and then melted away into the empty space.

Kagome sat on the edge of the chair where Sesshomaru had left her, leaned on the armrest and trembled. She felt a chill crawl over her skin though the air was warm and without menace. For the first time, she considered leaving - if she could. The strength of her response to Sesshomaru frightened her; the idea that nearly two months had passed while she had slept in fever dreams - that frightened her too. And – to be youkai! She could barely even think about it, couldn't wrap her thoughts around the idea. Mostly, it was Sesshomaru who was at the front of her thoughts, Sesshomaru who so confused her – with his ideas, his explanations, his actions.

Why let her stay; why heal her? Why...do anything else?

With light steps, Kagome crossed the room to a window; beneath her, it showed a view of perfect gardens and careful courtyards, out to a wall that shimmered in the distance, high and white. The drop to the ground from the balcony was high - not impossibly so – but either Sesshomaru would let her out the door, or jumping from windows would do no good. He needed no physical barriers to keep her where he wished, not when he could catch her running by the taste of her scent, follow at the speed of the wind.

Inuyasha had done it; there was no doubt in her mind that Sesshomaru could, and with far more ease.

But I don't want to stay in here.

Her eyes were on the armrest of the chair behind her; Sesshomaru's claws had left deep rents, and her obi was scattered in pieces across the furniture, some of them on the floor.

She was careful about holding the edges of her robe together as she moved around the room; her feet wandered past the shelves stacked around her slowly, but the movements of her eyes were rapid and darting.

Maybe…I can find my way back to the room I was in before? The room where I was sleeping…

The library door was right in front of her, wide-open. She crossed the room towards it and peeked outside around the edge. No one was there, but for a second time she readjusted the robes that Sesshomaru had - had -

Heat flushed through her, almost as bad as when he had been touching her. When he looked at her that way, when his hands -

She could not help believing him; she could not help wanting him, wanting what he offered. She knew - knew - that she should be afraid...but she wasn't. And if she was youkai...if she was youkai...he would let himself want her. She could see it in his face, knew, deep in herself, what was restraining him - why he pulled back from her at the last moment each time he touched her.

If...

Beyond that, she had not yet decided what a demon nature would mean for her - she could only suspect. It was not the power she wanted, but the freedom for whatever was chained inside her; she did not want to regret, someday, that she had not taken this chance. And then, attached to every one of these thoughts, there was Sesshomaru…again.

Kagome took a deep breath and stepped outside. The hallway outside the library was dim, lit by lamps that lined the walls with a flickering of oil light, illuminating the long tapestries that covered the cold stone. The rug under her feet was rough and soft, a narrow lane of warmth down the middle of the corridor, and she saw quickly that it bore a pattern similar to the one that had carved its way down the bedposts of the bed in the room where she had been sleeping; the shape of the Inu, Inu everywhere, in shape and fang and fur and tapestry.

One hand on the wall, her footsteps slow, Kagome followed the tapestries down the twisting hallways. She stopped before one particular, imposing view, the great white shape of the Inu no Taisho bearing down over a giant wolf, the hanging she had been admiring before.

Sesshomaru had interrupted her earlier examination; she could see now that both youkai in the tapestry were covered in bloody wounds; the trees that formed the background of the weaving were splashed with blood and the ground was trampled into a froth of red mud. The Inu had his teeth in the throat of the wolf; the wolf's claws were buried deep in the flanks of the Inu.

She noticed suddenly that there was a sequence to these cloth-portraits, a story in the long row of tapestries. To the right, the Inu stood triumphant, howling over the body of his adversary…and to the left, in the previous frame, she saw a human woman in glorious embroidered robes, the junihitoe of an Imperial lady. Behind the Lady was an Inu-youkai with a face like Sesshomaru's but softer, silver hair bound up in a high tail; he wore three swords and she knew immediately that it was the more human shape of the father. Seeing that, she knew instantly that the woman was -

Yes. In her arms was the soft bundle of an infant and the tiny, perfect features, a peeking fang and two tiny, white-furred ears, gave away his identity.

Inuyasha.

The sight of him, his likeness worked in thread, the thought of the pup he once had been, awoke a sudden and terrifying sadness. She had loved him - loved him -

Grief welled up from deep inside her, grief she thought she had put behind her in the long months of travel - six months, wandering from village to village, aiding the wounded, purifying youkai - six months…but not enough, perhaps. She turned away from the tapestry as if that way she could turn away from the reasonless depths of pain; she stumbled, and her hand reached out and caught a railing she had not even been aware of. Between its bars, she could see the empty space of an enormous Hall beneath her feet.

Then came the eyes!

Her soul felt naked before them, as if her flesh was melting away to reveal the bare essence of her being. Her awareness flickered, a snapshot of the future or the past designing changes to the outlines of her body, her thoughts – sharpness! Kagome snatched her hands away, backed into the shadows, and felt the weight of heavy cloth against her hands. She was touching the tapestry that had caught her attention. At the other end of the hall she saw suddenly the open door of the room she had been sleeping in, inviting her with privacy, escape.

She was already too late. There were footsteps coming up the stairs - swift footsteps – and she was unable to move an inch. It was not fear that held her still, but something deeper, wherein the powers of her senses were amplified by a mysterious and empty need. That need told her there was no menace in those footsteps, told her in a silent voice that she had heard before, in her dreams and in her darkest moments. She relinquished her hold on the corner of tapestry that had come into her hand; the feeling melted away, and she was left knowing only that those eyes were standing behind her.

"You seem entranced. Are you a guest of Sesshomaru?"

Kagome was startled by the voice despite the fact that she knew someone was behind her; it was unlike her expectations of youkai, shaped by Sesshomaru's coldness, Inuyasha's roughness, Kouga's arrogance. This voice held warmth, a tingle of curiosity, but no contempt – as if he didn't care that she was human.

"Yes, I -"

Kagome turned to face the owner of this voice, and was confused. The eyes that had stripped her were aching and green over high cheekbones; this demon had skin darker than Sesshomaru's, and lips that had known sternness and laughter both, but now were smiling. While she spoke, his eyes glittered, searching her.

"I am his guest. My name is Kagome."

His smile widened, revealed sharp teeth, wildness.

"Kagome-sama."

He bowed; she was confused beyond belief, but she retained just enough presence of mind to return his gesture.

"You must forgive me for…surprising you. I was intrigued by your scent, Kagome-sama, and now that I am close to you I see that it is a miko's scent. What are you doing…here?"

Kinawai's eyes momentarily dissected her disheveled appearance and then focused again on her face. Her eyes darted down, not even attempting to match that stare, and came back up to him smiling. She had learned while she was traveling that that was the best reaction when anyone asked that question. She had heard it a hundred times, a hundred ways - why does a miko allow a youkai near her? When she smiled, instead of reacting with anger or fear, whoever was asking was always astonished. This youkai was no different; his confusion was so real he took a half-step back, and that gave her the confidence to offer something that he found to be a fascinating tidbit.

"I am - visiting."

He eyed her, and this time there was no strangeness in it, no pressure. Rather, his eyes were focused on the rents in her exquisite robes, the loss of her obi and the rapidly darkening marks of teeth at her throat and the edge of her not-quite-closed collar. Kagome noticed his preoccupation, flushed faintly and then stammered out a question.

"Please, tell me - who are you?"

The youkai hesitated for a moment, and then his smile returned.

"Kinawai, Kagome-sama; my name is Kinawai. I am…a friend of Sesshomaru's, but I was not aware that he had been keeping company with a miko. And there is something else about you - "

He was talking about what his eyes had revealed in her, what his Sight had shown him while he was looking up from the floor below. He was talking about the sparkle of sharpness that could have been claws, the red flicker of eyes that had been barely visible - but Kagome's thoughts immediately darted to the jewel that was hung around her neck.

Sesshomaru had never been interested in it, but -

This Kinawai is youkai and I cannot forget the shikon no tama. Cannot forget - cannot forget!

The light in her eyes was quenched; her smile dissolved. Her hand shot up and grasped the gem around her throat, and it was only then that Kinawai noticed it; that the pull of strong power he felt from her was not all her own.

"You - you carry the shikon no tama? You are that miko?"

His eyes were drawn downwards to the glitter of gem half-hidden by her hand; she took a step backwards, her eyes focusing behind him on the open door that she had first been aiming for.

If I could just -

She sensed no violence in him, no danger, but the expression on his face was changing - and there were his words, the recognition in them. How did he know who she was? What else did he know?

"Kagome-sama -"

"Please - I - have to go, now."

"Kagome-sama…"

Slowly, she edge around him, her back to the railing, and then she was free. Out of her control, her feet pushed her forward; she ran down the hall to the only room that was familiar, and shut the door behind her.

At first only amused, Kinawai's eyes followed her as she ran - and then widened. He knew what she did not - he knew that it was Sesshomaru's own chamber that she had gone into.

So, Sesshomaru, that is how it is?

He missed the gold eyes glittering at him from the other end of the hallway; they disappeared before he could turn around.

Purposefully, Kinawai strode down the hallway to the place he knew was Sesshomaru's retreat, unknowing retracing Kagome's footsteps. He pushed open the door to the library with a single thrust of his arms - and instantly, Sesshomaru dragged him inside and shoved him against the nearest wall; his voice was ragged, all reason dispelled. The hands that grabbed Kinawai were shaking with tenseness, his words thick with blood.

"You have seen her, you have seen - I heard you, talking to her. Tell me, what do you see when you look at her?"

There was a glitter of red from the corners of his eyes.

"What do you See, Kinawai?"

Kinawai was not worried; a thin, stinging smile was beginning to wind its way across his face.

"So, you speak of your strange guest, yes? I never thought I would see you this way, wild after a woman!"

Sesshomaru's growl was sudden, meant to silence. Kinawai ignored it.

"I met her in the hallway, and she was human…but when I saw her from below stairs she was…something else. Then, she looked at me, and she was…smiling. Full of power, that one - but she carries the shikon no tama, Sesshomaru, and that means she is the miko who walked with your brother. What is she doing here? Why are you keeping your brother's woman, Sesshomaru?"

He knew the words were harsh, made them that way deliberately. Too often had he heard Sesshomaru's sneering remarks for humanity, and now he was keeping, not one, but two! And this one -the girl was strange enough, had caused trouble, but this Kagome was dangerous!

Sesshomaru bared his fangs, snarling, and leapt out into the corridor, dragging Kinawai behind him towards his own bedroom. Halfway down the hall he let go, but Kinawai still followed, slower, wondering what it was that he would find in that room.

Inside, he found Sesshomaru, bent over Kagome, who was huddled wide-eyed on a pallet of furs. The looming presence of the two youkai startled her so much that she almost screamed. For a moment, she fully believed that one of them intended to kill her.

Her hands scrabbled for purchase on the soft furs behind her, seeking distance, or a place to hide from the deafening features that held her focus. She could not speak, found herself suddenly tense with a fear that had gained purchase in her throat and fluttered now around her heartbeat, aching.

Why? I wasn't afraid - before -

Sesshomaru was close to her then, pressed his face against her skin and breathed, drunk on the scent of crushed berries and mulling spices, thicker than wine and far more narcotic. She was stiff with fear and nervous want, until he looked up at her and met her eyes, bewitched.

She saw only the gold, streaked with red, glowing, potent; abruptly tears were running down her face in streams.

Suddenly, instead of pulling towards her, Sesshomaru was pulling frantically away; it was her hands that were clutching, her fingers tight. He was vaguely aware that he should be concerned, but small sparks of terror were igniting unusual thoughts. Only Rin had ever done this, thrown herself at him in a delirium of tears, and only once. He had allowed it; the memory of a wolf-torn death could not be pleasant for a child.

But this -! A grown human woman, a miko, that had so recently been an object of distrust, pleading at him with her eyes and her hands for – comfort?

With the softest of growls, so deep it seemed as the rumble of a distant storm, he disentangled her clutching hands from his hair, his shoulders, his hands, and eased back with her onto the pallet of cushions that had been her bed. She lay across his crossed legs, drawn up into a knot of curious pain, and sobbed into his chest. The gentle vibration of his growl soothed her inner agony; gradually, the tears abated, and there was only an occasional hitch in her breath. He should have put her down, but was oddly comfortable, leaning against the wall with the warm weight of his Kagome, and he was forced to recognize the fact that, other concerns aside, his thoughts had already claimed her; possession of her came as easily as that. He would not let even her deny it.

He had found her, and healed her; more deeply, more intimately than she knew. His blood ran in her veins. The haze of her skin-scent and a thicker taunt still covered him. Despite Kinawai's presence, he sank into it willingly. His eyes glanced up and saw the Tiger-lord still standing in his doorway; Sesshomaru moved a single claw, let it slip into her flesh, and a drop of blood flowed down her arm. She sighed, and then lifted herself to his tongue when it touched the tiny scratch.

"See, Kinawai? The scent of her…"

Even under the influence of Kagome, it was obvious to him that Kinawai, did, in fact, See. His eyes had become wide, wavering stars.

"What - what is she? Sesshomaru - that woman - "

Somewhere deep in Sesshomaru's soul, there was a roar of victory; his hands tightened with the urge to claim his prize.

"She is youkai; she is miko. I wanted you to look at her, so that I would know it is true."

Kinawai's eyes moved slanting across Kagome, relaxed in Sesshomaru's grasp, her eyes closed almost as if she was sleeping. Her robes had fallen apart to reveal the fullness of the dark, red bruises at her throat, across the tops of her breasts; there were the marks of fangs, the imprints of sharp teeth in her flesh.

"What are you going to do with her, Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru only smiled; the expression was deadly, beautiful.

"You should go now, Kinawai. Later, I will ask you why you came, and why you brought Kasuka."

As Kinawai's mouth began to open, in protest or explanation, Sesshomaru's smile disappeared; his face regained its usual coldness.

"Later, Kinawai. Not now. Not...now."

Sesshomaru ignored him after that; his attention returned to Kagome, her fluttering eyelashes, her trembling breath.

A/N: Much apologizings for no updates yesterday; I slept! It was good...so now, refreshed and rampant: chapter 6! more soon! Also, thanks to new reviews! That means you, caitibug323, and Iamdimples! Thanks to repeat reviewers, too, which means Anime Lady PIMP (Kinky-hoe? HA! I had to say that out loud before I got it, though, does that make me lame?) and Kouga's Older Woman - cause that's extra awesomeness! Coming Soon to A Fic Near You (actually this one) : Lemony. Goodness.

Woo! Final Revisions, complete! Continuing onward!