Chapter 23: The silver haired Demon
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"Oy!" Inuyasha's voice flooded her with relief, when the man pulled away from her, she was able to see him. Kagome sighed as she spotted his angry silhouette making his way towards them, "You're not going to want to do that, trust me."
Her eyes found his, taking in his form little at a time, as if she hadn't just left his side not hours ago. When Inuyasha's eyes shifted to hers, she found the strength to flinch away from the cold hand that still had her.
The man allowed her to do this, shifting his focus to his new threat, and leaving her to inch away from him.
"Hm, then you must be the half demon I was warned about." The man snickered, scoffing with superiority, he went on- "My, oh, my; a human, and a half breed. Ah how the mighty can fall, Naraku turned out to be such a disappointment, if he could not handle even this."
Kagome stiffened at the mention of that dreaded man, the reason behind her most recent nightmares, and the fuel that fed into her fears. Suddenly, she realized what was happening, it was just as Inuyasha had said.
Naraku had come for her.
Inuyasha tilted his head from side to side, cracking the bones of his neck, his steps were by no means hurried. The feeling of his carefully banked anger, beginning to tip over the edge, filled him with a strange sensation. He was living in a euphoric moment, as the rage that normally blinded him settled into place, expanding his senses and enhancing his muscles.
His blood was strong, and growing stronger, leaving Inuyasha to feel a predator's high.
On his arrival, his eyes had found the girl almost automatically, a quick scan had shown him she was fine; scared and tussled up, but fine nonetheless.
This helped in calming him, but the cocky bastard wasn't helping his case any, spouting off in that arrogant way that made his demon growl with the need to put him in his place.
"If that's what you think, why don't you come over here and see why Naraku couldn't finish the job."
"Oh, I would, but you see-" The man moved quickly, reaching back and grabbing onto the girl before she had moved too far away, "I came for her, not you."
His hands had caught her around the waist, pulling Kagome in close and enticing a distress sound from the back of her throat.
This sound traveled through him within a second, reaching the dark depths where he kept the demon's rage, and pulled it forward in a fast haul.
Unlike other full moon nights, where his blood twisted and his insides turned as it surged forward, this felt like the calm within the wreckage of a storm.
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Kagome felt herself growing angry, the man's glacier touch no longer rooting her to the ground, knowing that Inuyasha was there; she found herself reacting in a different way, Inuyasha's subtle rage was enticing her own to grow with it.
Making her bold while chasing away whatever fear had kept her impassive.
"Last chance, let the girl go."
Wedging her hip against the demon holding her captive, Kagome couldn't help in adding her own little snippet of, "Yeaahhh."
"Not on your fucking life, thin blood."
The demon dug his nails deeper into her side, she almost reacted to such a tight grip, but the growl that had risen in volume from across the street called to her.
Inuyasha had her attention like a moth to a flame, her breath catching at the sight he made, his feral growl reaching her ears despite their distance.
Darkness from the night's fast approach covered his figure, she couldn't find his eyes with his head tilted down the way it was, but the air around him electrified with his intensity.
Inuyasha's growled words reached her ears, the phrase, "Ties of blood" loud in the empty streets.
At first, she was confused, he hadn't moved, aside from swinging one hand around in slashing motions. Then she heard it, the sound of distant screams and bodies dropping. Her eyes widened, as she saw just how many bodies that had been.
One, then two, five, twelve and so on. Inuyasha was clearly the one responsible and it frustrated her greatly that she was only receiving half the picture, missing the big pieces right in front of her!
They fell from great heights in a large, ranged circle around them, only then did Kagome realized just how much trouble she truly had been in, feeling foolish for believing that she could've run away from this.
The man beside her cursed softly under his breath, his relaxed façade gone to be replaced with annoyed trepidation. Kagome felt the urge to turn and taunt the man but seeing the bloodied mess the corpses left on the ground reminded the girl that there was more here that met the eye, forcing Kagome to keep vigil over Inuyasha, less she missed something.
When the last body fell, Inuyasha slowed in his movements, leaving only one person left standing in his way.
"Tch, I see now why Naraku sent me for this retrieval, you're tougher than you look."
Kagome twisted in his hold, anger blossoming fully at the feel of his long fingers digging in, his attempt at keeping her still. In response, Kagome's efforts doubled, becoming more daring even as the man had turned his head to glare her down.
"Stay still you pest!"
His name calling only fueled her fire, and in an act that was entirely hazardous, she dug her fingers into the arm around her waist, her anger coming forth clearly now. The man didn't react this time, but she got some twisted satisfaction in watching the crescent indents of her nails over his pale flesh.
"Last warning."
"Eh, I'll take my chances."
"Hm, Bad call."
It may have been the changing light; twilight had gone and here came sunset.
Or it may have been the long day, playing tricks with her tired mind.
Of course, it was neither of these things, for when Inuyasha lifted his right hand, palm inward and knuckles flexing; Kagome could just barely see a gleam of light from his hand, as if he held steel blades in the tips of his fingers. Which of course, he did.
"Oy! Kagome! Listen up, and listen good, Woman." He had her undivided attention, "You will not move, not one inch, do you understand?"
The man beside her grew tense, as if he knew as well, his time was coming up. Still, that arrogant bastard never let his grip loosen.
"Oh? What's this? Shouldn't you tell her to run? Escape while I'm feeling playful?"
Inuyasha did not lift his gaze, there was no reaction from him either, making it clear the conversation did not include the pompous ass.
"Hey! You hear me, Woman?"
Kagome felt lost, she nodded her understanding none the less, but a shake of the head from Inuyasha told her it wasn't enough.
"Not- One- Inch. Understood?"
It was clear he was waiting on her, and in a rush, Kagome managed to stutter out, "H-Hai!"
Inuyasha lifted his eyes then, the coming night tricking her eyes, for when her gaze met his, two sets of blood red eyes with blue irises met her.
Inuyasha took two casual steps towards them, the stranger tightened his hold in response, and Kagome had to remember to stay as still as her frightened being could manage.
The wind whistled with his speed as he moved, Inuyasha had been down the street facing them, and even with her eyes wide open and her attention fully on him; she never saw him coming.
Her breath was stolen, it took far too long for her brain to register what had just occurred, clicking only when the shower of red sprayed around her.
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Inuyasha had walked in a straight path towards them, although, flying was a better way to describe it. His hand stiff upon his chest, as if preparing to strike.
She only saw when his hand came out, reaching them within a blink of an eye, it had appeared as if his attack had missed. Inuyasha walked on behind them, as though he were merely passing them.
Then the blood had landed all over her, a splatter that covered her childhood shirt in gore. It was daunting to feel the headless body slowly collapsing beside her.
His arm had still tight around her waist as the body dropped to its knees, she shuddered in response, a fearful mantra playing inside her head.
'Don't look down... Don't look down... Don't look down... Don't look down... Don't look down... Don't look down.'
Night fell around them, announced by the timed streetlights, clicking to life. Ironically, illuminating this bloodbath.
Kagome needed a moment to collect herself, the feeling of warm liquid pooling around her sneakers didn't help. Her jaw felt impossibly tight, but she counted her luck as it helped keep the scream inside her in check.
Exhaling slowly, Kagome forced her gaze heavenward, gazing at the dark sky. The building around them dark and void of life, a grim reminder of what lay at her feet, and the last thing she wanted to think about. So instead, she focused on the full moon that hung above them.
Concentrating on its glow to ease her jumbled thoughts, and frayed emotions, it took far longer than she would've liked to find her equilibrium. Finally, she grew brave enough to turn around.
Her legs shook in their effort to keep her upright; for there he was, in all his original glory, a demon through and through.
His long silver hair swayed with the night's passing breeze, gleaming beautifully under the moon's light, she wondered briefly when he had taken off his concealment spell.
But he looked different even now, the marks around his face stood out, looking like purple slashes coming down each cheekbone, and she could make out the elongated fangs glistening with a red glaze.
She watched, mouth growing dry, as he lifted his red stained hand. Eyes locked on the appendage as he raised it up to his lips, and to her horror, proceeded to lick the scarlet liquid from his talon-like claws.
The world tilted before her, realizing far too late that her knees had grown too weak to keep her upright; Kagome was powerless as she crumbled to the floor, knees hitting the pavement with an impact that should've hurt.
It was impossible to care or think of anything else, but the hunter right in front of her; not the puddle of blood that was seeping into her jeans, not the body that continued to twitch but a fingertip away from where she kneeled.
Just the magnificent and terrifying beast before her.
His eyes had lifted to drink her in, in this prone position, she made an effortless kill.
Kagome tried to tame her wild heart, truly did, knowing that the man before her had done what he had done to save her. But when he began his slow approach, she was ashamed to find herself shaking with fear.
Her eyes stayed locked in on his face, even when she had to tilt her head back to stare up at him; the picture he painted in the dark night terrified her.
"Kagome."
She didn't recognize his voice, it came out dark, blending in with the growl that had yet to stop. It didn't help keep the fear at bay, making her flinch away when he reached down for her.
He either didn't notice or didn't care.
Inuyasha lifted her body with ease, surprising her when those long sharp daggers he called hands didn't even break the material of her shirt. His grip was tight but not in an unbearable way, as he scooped her into his rigid arms, heedless of her stiff composure.
He moved her away from the nightmare before them, walking down the road to deposit her on a nearby bus bench, illuminated by a lone streetlamp.
Inuyasha had taken a step back away from her, standing a foot away, Kagome sat motionless under those red eyes. He was panting, his growl a constant noise between them, his body seemed to be rocking ever so slightly as well.
He appeared troubled, looking closely now, Kagome could see it in every part of him. His hands clenching and unclenching at his side, the glistening of sweat on his forehead, his ragged breathing mixing with his growl so that he was now snarling softly in the dark.
Seeing him like that brought it all into perspective, in an act that was entirely hazardous, she rose on shaky legs but with a steeled resolve.
Inuyasha snarled in warning, but she had already made up her mind.
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The three steps that it took her to reach him seemed so small, one moment she was under the light, and he encased in darkness.
The next, she was standing in the dark with him.
Something inside her had settled, so that when she reached up and found her hand under his crushing grip, the fear that had plagued her no longer touched her.
"It's okay" She spoke softly, lifting her other hand just as slowly to land on top of their combined ones, "I think I get it now."
She tried to reach for his face, surprise barely hidden when he allowed her to do so, nothing could stop her from tracing those jagged lines with her fingers then.
"You know what? I like'em"
If he understood what she was saying, he didn't show it, his dilating eyes making her wonder how in control of his inhibitions he truly was. Either way he had saved her, once again, leaving her in a wash of gratitude towards him.
The sound behind them broke whatever spell was building. Inuyasha had whipped around, tucking her in behind him as he did, all of it happening within the course of a few seconds.
"Inuyasha?"
She whispered his name as what looked like a black mass started to engulf the dead body, his snarl was her answer, as it seemed he was incapable of much else.
Peeking past his shoulder, Kagome clung to him as she located the source of the thumping sound. The corpse of the young man had begun to move.
The body moved in quick jerky motions, looking like a puppet as it stood with folded feet. The shriek rose, and when she spotted the decapitated head rolling towards its body, it broke free.
Inuyasha's snarl matched her shriek, his entire being reacting to that frightened sound, as if it were his call to battle.
He launched himself at what he perceived to be the threat against her.
Moving in a blur of silver hair and blue suit, Kagome had to concentrate to keep up with the obscure haze, that was Inuyasha in all his might.
It was far too easy to stop the head before it reached its destination, keeping the two pieces of detached body parts away from each other. Picking it up, he held the head between his hands.
His hands tightened slowly but gradually, his ears drinking in the sound of cracking, when with a final show of power; Inuyasha crushed the skull into pieces, watching with satisfaction as the body fell back down into a heap of limbs.
He would've stood there, reeling in the power behind his strength, when her distressed cry reached him.
"Inuyasha!"
Inuyasha turned in time to catch her frightened gaze, locking his sight on her watery blues, he watched her be engulfed inside black ribbons. They danced around her form, encasing her within their grasp.
He was running before she finished her wail, eyes narrowing on her outstretched hand, seeing only her. She was reaching for him, and just as his hand had touched upon the dark crystalized ribbon, it closed her in.
The hard cast fell before him, going down in flickers of ash, leaving nothing but the scorched ground in its wake.
His pants grew loud within his ears, his eyes staying on the spot where she had just been, the rush from his blood bathed him in fire. Burning him from the inside out, his once focused thoughts jumped into an incomprehensible mess, the roar that left boomed inside his chest.
"KAAAAAGOOOOMMMEEEE!"
It would be the last coherent thing he would say for the rest of the night.
His demon would hold possession of his mind, allowing only glimpses to come through, enough so that he knew the pain his beast was in. His fangs cut into his lips, the blood a heavy coating on his tongue, not like the satisfying tang of the demon they had slayed, but bitter muck from his own veins.