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EIGHTH BLOOD

Chapter 25: The crossing

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They didn't talk about it afterwards.

The streets of Ebisu were empty when they emerged from the mountain. The people had either fled or barricaded themselves in their houses, waiting for things to settle down before venturing out again. Sesshoumaru and Octavia gathered supplies from the abandoned stalls and left before that happened. They disposed of their old clothes and changed into new ones. Octavia had chosen a simple purple kosode and a pair of beige hakama, whereas Sesshoumaru had opted for a dark blue haori with grey bottoms. They also took plenty of food and water.

Despite their unspoken agreement not to discuss what had taken place inside the mountain, Octavia mulled over the events in her head. She just couldn't shake the feeling that she'd seen the crest on Asuka's back before. And not only that, Asuka had seemed to know who she was.

You're not a hatchling at all. You're the one he—

"We ought to be able to see the ocean soon."

Sesshoumaru's voice yanked her out of her thoughts and forced her to look up at him. His eyes were on the road, but his attention was elsewhere. He'd been quieter than usual since their interaction last night. She wondered if he was embarrassed.

"Oh, yeah?" she asked.

He nodded.

Sure enough, a strip of sapphire appeared on the horizon. The water sparkled in the sunlight, and the air tasted fresh and salty. She thought of the stronghold and felt her chest tighten unexpectedly. Was Rin staring out to sea, as well? Was she thinking about them?

"Do you miss her?" Octavia asked Sesshoumaru.

"Who?"

"Rin."

He paused. "Sometimes," he admitted faintly.

"Me, too," she confessed. "I hope she doesn't get bored."

"She has Jaken and Ah-Un."

"That's true."

The finger she'd pricked on the aoi ha ached mercilessly. It seemed trivial compared to Sesshoumaru's wounds, which had yet to fully heal, so she'd been reluctant to mention that it was steadily getting worse. She didn't want him to think she was complaining.

He stopped walking and looked at her at last. The intensity of his gaze startled her.

"What?"

"Show me your finger."

She sighed and let him examine her swollen skin. Nothing gets past him.

"It's infected," he stated, pinching the tip of her finger gently.

"Please don't say I have to chop it off."

"That won't be necessary. The poison hasn't spread yet, so removing it will be easy."

"That's a relief. How do I—"

He captured her hand with his and lifted her finger to his lips. She froze as he slipped it into his mouth and sucked. His teeth were frighteningly sharp, but his tongue was surprisingly soft.

"What the fuck are you doing?" she squeaked, mortified.

"Removing the poison," he answered, resuming sucking.

She averted her eyes and tried not to think about how good it felt. "I always forget that you're a dog," she muttered, scowling slightly. "Do you do this a lot?"

He chuckled around her finger. She clenched her teeth and waited for him to finish. He released her finger with a pop and smirked at the sight of her rosy cheeks. Her frown deepened as he asked in a mocking tone, "Am I making you nervous, human?"

She snatched her hand out of his. "You're such a dick."

His eyes danced with amusement.

"I could've done that myself," she grumbled.

"Your saliva isn't as strong as mine," he countered. "You wouldn't have been able to neutralise the poison fast enough."

She studied her finger, which was no longer swollen or discoloured. The pain had also faded significantly and was now a dull ache. "I wish you would've asked first, but thank you."

"Your gratitude is misplaced. I owed you a debt for what you did inside the mountain. You would have been well within your rights to leave me there to rot."

"Well, I didn't."

"Why?"

"Because you saved me. If you hadn't told me to run, that crone would've caught me, and I'd be a slave or dead. I couldn't let you sacrifice yourself for me."

He snorted. "I did nothing of the sort."

"You did, though," she teased. "You saved my life . . . And I saved yours."

He contemplated her words carefully before answering. "Yes, you did."

She smiled brightly.

"Did that woman's words mean anything to you?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No. I've never even heard of the Iwa Faction, and I have no idea what a hatchling is."

"Nor I. Perhaps she mistook you for someone else."

Octavia chewed the inside of her cheek. She supposed that was a possibility.

They walked the rest of the way in silence. The road led them to a fishing village that spanned several miles of coast. They spent the night at an inn on the waterfront. There was only one bed, but it wasn't an issue, since Sesshoumaru stationed himself by the doorway and stayed there until morning. Octavia could feel his eyes on her from the futon. She couldn't decide if he was being courteous or if he simply couldn't stomach sleeping next to her a second time. He hadn't called her by her name since he'd recovered from his delirium. She hated how much it bothered her.

Morning arrived and they set out to secure themselves a ship. Sesshoumaru seemed intent on stealing one, but the docks were full of witnesses, and no ship could stay afloat for long with a measly crew of two. Octavia tailed after him wordlessly, holding in a sigh.

"There are other ways to get what you want, you know," she said eventually.

He looked unconvinced. "Such as?"

"Well, for starters, you could ask."

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Sesshoumaru left the 'asking' to her.

He leaned against a wall and watched as she weaved her way through the crowd in front of him. Her smile was like a weapon. She was ruthless with her charm, ensnaring victims left and right and dragging them into her orbit. No one could resist her. Not when she clung to their every word and laughed at all their jokes. Her charismatic nature became deadly when paired with the supernatural pull of her magic, which affected youkai and humans alike. Because of that, the people on the docks couldn't help but feel drawn to her, like moths to a flame.

She could wind up being more useful than he'd thought. The Western Court had been divided ever since his father's death, but with her, he might finally be able to unite them. The human's ability to influence the thoughts of strangers was a form of control, and it was control he craved more than anything. Power and control came hand in hand. One couldn't exist without the other.

The best part was that she'd never be able to control him. No matter how powerful she got, she would remain his to do with as he pleased. No matter how many strings she pulled, she would never be the puppet-master. That role was reserved for him and him alone.

The human suddenly caught his eye from across the docks. The timing of it unsettled him. Had she somehow known what he was thinking about? No . . . The crooked smile she threw his way confirmed that she was none the wiser. Her features softened as she looked at him and the falseness melted away. His heart stuttered and he fought the urge to frown. He'd been content to forget all that had transpired between them in Ebisu, but he was already remembering the feel of her hands on his face, and the sound of her voice in the darkness.

You're not alone.

His throat felt tight. He looked away and gritted his teeth together, banishing the repulsive thoughts that were crawling around in his brain.

He hadn't been himself. The infection from the miko blood combined with the panic of being underground had unravelled him. Her singing had been a lifeline, pulling him back from the edge. It was only natural that his feelings towards her would change after an experience like that.

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Octavia pranced over to Sesshoumaru with a triumphant grin.

"I take it you succeeded?"

She nodded enthusiastically.

"Which one is it, then?"

"I'll show you. Follow me."

She guided him through the crowd to the water's edge, where a little fishing boat was moored to a pier. His expression soured as she climbed into it and offered him her hand to do the same.

"What is this?" he hissed.

"A boat, duh."

"This isn't a boat. It's driftwood."

"Don't be so dramatic. Just get in. Unless you're not brave enough?"

His eyes narrowed as she winked mischievously. "Tch. Ridiculous."

The boat wobbled under his weight. Octavia hid her laugh under a cough and watched him pick up the oars. She made herself useful by untying the boat from the pier and securing their belongings to the bottom whilst Sesshoumaru rowed them out to sea.

There wasn't a cloud in sight, but the wind was strong and blustery, making the water choppy. The waves carried them north, giving Sesshoumaru a break from rowing. Octavia sat with her legs crossed, gazing up at the cerulean sky. The sun blazed down on them from above. She contemplated taking her clothes off, but she didn't want to risk getting sunstroke, and Sesshoumaru would probably throw her overboard if she flashed him.

"Can I ask you a personal question?"

"I have no doubt that you will even if I say no."

She smiled.

"What do you wish to know?"

"Why did you let Rin follow you?"

His brows arched slightly. "She was alone," he said.

"So? You could've dropped her off somewhere. You didn't have to add her to your inner circle."

"But I did."

"Exactly. Why?"

"The motive behind the action is irrelevant. The action itself is what truly matters."

Octavia gnawed on her bottom lip.

"What is it that you really want to know?" he asked curtly.

"You saw yourself in her, didn't you?" She waited for him to deny it, but he stayed silent, waiting for her to continue. "I don't know what kind of childhood you had, but I'm guessing it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. When I was in your head, I saw so much pain . . . You know how it feels to be superfluous. That's why you took her with you. You wanted someone to need you."

Affirmation passed through his eyes.

A lump formed in her throat. "She wants to stay with you forever. So, promise me. Promise me you won't let anything happen to her. Ever. She's your responsibility. You have to keep her safe, no matter what. And never, ever, abandon her. Don't leave her and never come back."

"Why do you care?" he murmured, noting the silver in her eyes.

Her voice cracked. "Because I know how it feels, too."

A single tear rolled down her cheek and beaded on her jaw. Sesshoumaru's hand shot out and caught it before it could fall. Her eyes widened as it landed on the edge of his thumb and trickled down his palm. His eyes tracked its descent all the way to his elbow, where it disappeared into his sleeve. He promptly lifted his gaze and met hers. His fingers were still grazing her jaw.

"I won't abandon her," he said fiercely. "I swear it."

She sniffed. "Good."

He lowered his hand and leaned back in his seat. Blinking back her tears, Octavia suddenly noticed how cold it had gotten. She glanced up at the sky and saw that it was as white as the breast of a gull. A thick fog descended on them and spilt over the edges of the boat in waves.

"The barrier . . ." she whispered, remembering Myoga's words. "This is it."

"It may be a coincidence," Sesshoumaru pointed out. "Sea frets are hardly uncommon."

The hairs on her arms bristled in response to the magic in the air, and her pulse hammered wildly in her chest. Contrastingly, the water was as calm as a millpond. "The wind's stopped blowing."

That caught his attention.

The boat had ceased moving and bobbed about aimlessly. Octavia closed her eyes and took a deep, sobering breath. When she reopened them, the green in her irises had been replaced with a pinkish purple, and she could feel her right eye twitching.

"Start rowing," she said.

Sesshoumaru obeyed. Her eyes shone brighter as he steered the boat forwards, reacting to the source of the magic. They were almost there. Whatever it was, it was calling out to her, like an echo in the darkness.

Come . . .

Finally, the fog thinned enough for them to spot a shoreline. "There!" she gasped, pointing at it.

Sesshoumaru manoeuvred the boat towards the sand. The bottom scraped along a coral reef before slowing to a halt in the shallows. Sesshoumaru and Octavia both climbed out and pushed it onto the beach, which was covered in a thin layer of snow and ice. Sakimitama's tears, she thought absently, listening to the crunch that accompanied every step she took.

"Myoga was right."

"It certainly seems that way."

They left the boat on the threshold of a frosty forest. The icicles hanging from the branches glittered in the sunlight, reminding her of diamonds, whilst the ground looked like it was sprinkled with sugar.

Octavia glanced sideways at Sesshoumaru, who was assessing the forest for danger, and whispered, "Now what?"

"We take back what's ours," he replied. "Together."

"Together," she agreed with a nod.

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