EIGHTH BLOOD

Chapter 21: Change the world

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Octavia struggled to concentrate as the villagers thanked them for driving the bandits away.

Her mind swam with questions such as, whose voice had she heard? And what was the deal with that ominous-sounding title? Okteviah True Jewel. She'd never heard her name pronounced that way before. Was it a mistake? Or were the shadow's claws deeper in her than she'd thought?

Sesshoumaru could have passed for a statue. Although the villagers weren't afraid to make their gratitude known, they remained wary of him. Octavia knew the feeling. She was right back to square one, unsure of his intentions and suspicious that he wasn't being entirely truthful with her.

That night, Octavia strolled along the edge of the lake, searching for a secluded spot to bathe.

She wasn't alone.

"Jesus Christ. If you have something to say, just say it."

Sesshoumaru emerged from the shadows like a phantom. His long black hair matched the gloom of the forest and made him difficult to see; or would have, if his eyes didn't glow in the dark. Octavia tossed her pack aside and crossed her arms. Her frustration did little to faze him.

"Have you no self-control?" he asked.

She frowned in confusion. "What?"

"You are too concerned with the problems of others. We should be focusing on our own."

"I couldn't just watch them die."

"It wasn't our battle—"

"It was a slaughter!" She balled her fists. "Those men would've massacred them if I hadn't stayed and helped. And if you hadn't come, they would've killed me, too."

"So, you admit that you were reckless?"

"It's better than being heartless," she hissed. "What if the shadow was trying to teach you a lesson? Don't you think it's weird that your powers miraculously returned because you did something good? It can't be a coincidence. Maybe . . . Maybe you're being punished."

His posture stiffened drastically. "Punished?" he echoed. "For what sin?"

"All of them."

His expression turned hostile. "You aren't exactly innocent yourself. How many of your fellow mortals died today because of your actions?" She opened her mouth to say that she hadn't meant for them to bleed to death, but he beat her to it. "Spare me the argument. Whether you intended to or not, you are responsible for what happened to them."

"That's different," she rebuked. "They were different."

"You humans are all the same. Conversing with you is clearly a waste of time."

"Your father didn't think so."

His hand shot out and caught her chin. "My father was a fool," he growled, increasing his grip.

"You're the fool," she shot back, knocking his hand away. "Stop trying to act like you're so different. Rin is human, and unless I'm mistaken, you don't think she's a waste of time."

"Leave her out of this."

"This is all because of Izayoi, isn't it? You didn't hate her because she was human. You hated her because she got in the way of your parents' relationship. Except she didn't. The only thing she was guilty of was falling in love. What a fucking crime, am I right? Haven't you ever been in love?"

His eyes flashed. "No."

She sighed. "Of course you haven't. Well, if you're going to blame someone, it should be your father, not her. He's the one who couldn't keep it in his pants, after all."

Sesshoumaru was practically shaking. She'd never received such a strong reaction from him before. "You don't know nearly as much as you think you do," he spat. "Does picking apart my flaws help distract you from your own? Unlike you, I see the world for what it is. You, on the other hand, are naive enough to think you can change it."

"At least I'm trying!"

Tears of frustration flooded her eyes, transforming the Daiyoukai into a blurred outline. Her teeth punctured her tongue as she turned away. The tears escaped in thick droplets and rolled down her cheeks, mingling with the dirt and dried blood. She hated herself for letting him see them.

Sesshoumaru was silent behind her. Assuming that he'd left, she stopped holding her breath and sobbed freely. However, the sensation of a hand closing around her wrist confirmed that he was still there. Her breathing hastened as she felt him ease open her fist with his fingers. She shuddered as the pad of his thumb traced circles on her palm. His other hand crept up and carefully pushed her hair to the side, exposing her nape. Heat sparked in her stomach as he moved closer and trailed the tips of his claws along her skin. His breath was wonderfully warm.

"Sesshoumaru," she started. "I—"

"Does it hurt?"

She paused. "What?"

"There is a surprising amount of blood for such a small wound."

Craning her head, she realised that he was referencing a cut just below her nape. The position made it difficult to see, but a light tap from one of his claws confirmed its existence. She flinched at the pain brought about by his touch.

"Shit," she muttered. "I didn't even notice. Is there any in my hair?"

He shook his head and withdrew from her personal space. "Sit," he said, patting a large rock by the water. She perched on the edge and watched him walk around the rock so that he was standing on the bank of the lake. Dropping to his knees, he thrust his hand into the water and snapped the stalk of a plant that had been growing in the shallows. Once he had it in his possession, he seated himself next to her and began stripping it of its leaves.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Ketsueki no kabe," he answered. "Its leaves have medicinal properties."

After tossing the now naked stalk back into the water, Sesshoumaru laid a couple of the leaves over her wound and flattened them. They had a rather peculiar texture – sticky instead of smooth, and heavy despite their thinness. Octavia concentrated on drying her tears as he worked.

"Since when are you a doctor?" she sniffed.

"My mother insisted that I memorise the names and uses of every plant in this region."

"You were close, then?"

"Not particularly."

Octavia's chest ached. Kannika had said as much. She returned to Moon Country after the affair became public. ". . . Why didn't she take you with her?" Octavia whispered.

His hands tensed over her wound. She held her breath, worrying that she'd overstepped, whilst Sesshoumaru leaned back and removed his hands from her nape. "You should bathe," he told her, avoiding the question entirely. "You reek of humans."

"I am human."

"Precisely."

She sighed through her nose. "Shouldn't I give the leaves a bit longer to work?"

"The ketsueki no kabe thrives in water, so waiting isn't necessary."

Nodding, she reached to untie her obi. Sesshoumaru barely averted his eyes. She coughed and angled herself away from him defensively. "You can pretty much fuck off now," she said.

"Leaving you alone in your current state would be incredibly unwise."

"Oh, please. I've had paper cuts worse than this."

"I was referring to your lack of magical powers," he clarified. "Should anyone decide to take advantage of that, you would be unable to defend yourself."

"Fine," she grumbled. "Don't you dare look, though."

He snorted. "That won't be an issue."

She waited until his back was turned to undress and wade into the freezing water. Cursing, she flailed her arms and legs in an attempt to distract herself from the cold, before submerging herself fully. Her foot made contact with something soft and slippery, prompting her to lose her balance and shriek as her head sank underwater. She resurfaced with a mouth full of liquid.

Sesshoumaru chuckled from the bank.

She scowled and scrubbed herself clean. As the blood and dirt drifted away with the current, so did her anger. Although she still vehemently disagreed with the majority of what he'd said, he'd been right about one thing. She had been reckless. And regardless of his feelings towards humans, he'd gone out of his way to save her, risking his life to save hers.

"I'm getting out," she announced, wading towards the bank. "So, don't even think about turning around until I say so. All right?"

"I have absolutely zero interest in seeing you naked, human. You, however, seem to want to be seen."

"I don't!"

Gluing her eyes to the back of his head, Octavia stepped onto the bank and dried herself with her old clothes. Afterwards, she dressed and slid her feet into her sandals. She trudged around the rock Sesshoumaru was sitting on so that she was facing him and planted her hands on her hips.

"You're the narcissist," she said, which earned her a smirk.

"Vanity doesn't necessarily equal narcissism," he pointed out.

"I'm not vain."

"I beg to differ." Her frown deepened as he rose from the rock and moved to stand at the water's edge. "Being proud isn't something you need to be ashamed of. Having a strong sense of self-worth is highly commendable. It will do you well to remember that."

Was that a . . . compliment?

She waited for him to follow it up with an insult, but he appeared to have said all he intended to. Her hand instinctively strayed to her nape, where the leaves from the ketsueki no kabe were still pressed flush against her skin.

"Are you going to stand there all night?"

Her eyes widened at his bluntness. "Is this your way of telling me to get lost?"

"Unlike you, I require no protection to bathe."

"Oh. Right. I'll see you later, then." She paused halfway up the bank before fumbling around in her pack for the kosode she'd bought him. "Here," she said, jogging back down the slope and dumping it in his arms. "I know it's kind of ugly, but it was the nicest one I could find."

His face betrayed nothing.

"You're supposed to say thank you."

"Thank you."

She fought the urge to smile. "You're rubbish at acting."

"Be grateful that I even bothered."

The smile won that time. She bit her bottom lip in an effort to hide it, but it was too late. He'd already seen it. What was wrong with her? Yes, she had a history of being attracted to arrogant men, but Sesshoumaru had never been a candidate. Until now. I'm probably just lonely, she told herself. She hadn't been touched like that in well over a month, and her last sexual encounter had been lacklustre, to say the least. She just needed to blow off some steam. But how?

"Try not to drown," she muttered.

She didn't stick around to hear his response.

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The awkwardness had worn off by morning. Octavia thanked the headman and his wife for giving her a bed for the night before following the path to the main road. Sesshoumaru was waiting for her at the end of the trail. She felt a rush of pride when she noticed what he was wearing.

"It suits you," she said.

"Hn."

She rubbed her unblemished nape and grinned. "The leaves worked."

"Naturally."

"I'll be sure to thank your mother if I ever meet her."

He waited for her to adjust the straps on her pack accordingly before marching off without a word. Rolling her eyes, she matched his pace and walked beside him in silence.

The most surprising thing about being in the past was how quiet everything was. She hadn't realised how loud her life in the present had been. Despite being in a time period famous for its wars, she'd never felt more at peace.

They didn't speak to each other again until mid-afternoon.

Shockingly, Sesshoumaru was the one to kickstart a conversation. "We will soon find ourselves at the entrance to a trading city. It was founded by youkai for youkai; therefore, it is concealed by a glamour that renders it invisible to humans."

"So, how will I see it?"

"The illusion only works if viewed from a distance."

"Cool. And we're going through it because?"

"It is the most direct route."

"Won't they want to kill me, though? I don't exactly look like a youkai."

"Nor do I. But if my suspicions are correct, you won't be the only human there."

Her lips parted in realisation. "That market Ryuuya mentioned . . ."

"May exist, after all," Sesshoumaru finished for her.

"What are we going to do if it does?" she asked.

It took him a moment to answer. "I suppose your theory about my powers being linked to my actions will be put to the test. If you are right, I will end the treachery there and then."

"And if I'm wrong?"

"Then we will have no choice but to rely on your prowess with a bucket."

She laughed as two towering mountains appeared on the horizon. Initially, the space between them looked empty, but as they drew closer, a city began to take shape in the gap.

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Author's Corner

Before all you plant experts come for me, I'm fully aware that the ketsueki no kabe doesn't exist. I just like the idea of something existing in the past but leaving no trace after it eventually disappears. I also think that if spirits and demons can exist in the Inuyasha universe, then so can weird variations of flora and fauna.