EIGHTH BLOOD

Chapter 41: The calm before the storm

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Octavia had never seen the stronghold look so alive.

In honour of Tanabata, star-themed decorations had been put up around the castle, and wagons full of bamboo had arrived from the east, ready to be erected in the gardens. Servants hurried from one place to the next, completing their duties, and security was tighter than ever. There was now a guard permanently stationed outside her door, who accompanied her whenever she left the confines of her room. He was a bird youkai named Sou, and he was a man of few words – which didn't bother her – but it made conversations between them incredibly one-sided.

As it was the final day of preparations, Sesshoumaru had requested that she remain in her room. She'd tried sweet-talking her way out of it, but her new bodyguard had seen through her scheming and given her the silent treatment. Annoyed and embarrassed, she'd slammed the door in his face and stormed out onto the engawa, where she'd spent the next few hours sulking.

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't hear the door opening and closing behind her.

"Sou looks miserable again," remarked Sesshoumaru.

Octavia's breath hitched as she spun around to face him. Her traitorous pulse quickened as she locked eyes with him from across the engawa. It was the most he'd said to her in days.

"Does he?" she asked sharply. "I can never tell."

His eyes narrowed. "If you continue mistreating him, I may replace him with someone less docile."

"I'm not being a bitch on purpose. I'm just tired of being told what to do all the time. And I'm bored. Why can't I help set things up for the festival? I promise I won't get in the way."

"You would be more of a hindrance than a help."

She frowned and crossed her arms. Instead of lashing out, she took the opportunity to study the subtle changes in his appearance. The haori he was wearing was almost identical to his usual one, only the parts that had been red were now a silvery purple, and the obi around his waist was white with pale blue stripes. Even his armour seemed a lighter colour than usual, and his hair was cinched at the bottom with a magenta ribbon that matched the markings on his cheeks.

"You look different," she mumbled.

"You don't," he said. "I suggest that you make more of an effort tomorrow."

"Why? It's not like anyone's gonna see me."

"Unfortunately, I cannot keep you locked up forever. Our visitors have expressed an interest in meeting you. It would be most unwise to deny them what they want."

She frowned harder. "What visitors?"

"The rulers of the other strongholds," he replied. "We take it in turns to host large-scale events such as Tanabata. The last celebration we all attended took place four hundred years ago in the Southern Lands. It was one of the rare times that my mother accompanied us on a trip."

"Why has it taken four hundred years for you all to come together again?"

"It wasn't a priority," he answered vaguely.

"But now it is?"

She thought she saw the faintest of smirks. "As I said, they wish to see you."

She rolled her eyes. "Great. What am I, the Mona Lisa? Why didn't you tell them no? We have enough on our plates already. As far as I'm concerned, they can piss off and—"

"Silence, human. You will mind your tongue in their presence, or else I will make good on my promise of removing it."

Octavia's stomach twisted. His icy glare shattered her bold persona and made her chest ache. "Did I do something wrong?" she asked quietly, trying to hide how hurt she was. "Because I thought things were good between us, but now it feels like you want nothing to do with me."

His eyes widened slightly, but the disgruntled look didn't dissipate. "The fault lies not with you but with—"

"It's not you, it's me?" she interrupted harshly. "Really?"

"It would be inappropriate if we behaved as we did before," he clarified. "I suffered a momentary lapse in judgement that impacted the two of us negatively. My actions towards you were appalling and unfairly misguided. The best option would be for us to move on and forget."

She surprised them both by laughing. "You're such a fucking cliché."

Her kimono had come loose at the front. She only noticed when his eyes darted down to her exposed chest, where the Mark of Erebus was stark against her beige skin. His throat bobbed at the visual reminder of what had happened on the island. Of what they'd been through. Together. Her hands moved to pull her kimono shut, only to hover over the knot in her obi. Their eyes met and she lowered her hands, opting to leave her kimono open.

She walked towards him and saw his pupils inflate.

"What am I to you?"

He didn't answer.

She moved closer. His jaw was clenched, and his posture became rigid when he felt her fingers grasp his sleeves. She repeated the question more firmly. His youki swelled and encompassed her, stealing the air from her lungs and turning her legs to jelly.

"You are mine," he rasped.

It took every ounce of willpower she had not to kiss him.

"Your power belongs to me now," he continued, ruining the mood. "You will use it to carry out my bidding and mine alone. If you please me, I will see to it that you're rewarded. However, if you don't, you'll regret ever having looked at the Bone-Eater's Well. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes," she snarled, glaring at him. "You always do."

The moment he withdrew his youki, she yanked her kimono shut and pulled the obi tighter, trying to avoid meeting his stare.

"You're angry," he observed.

"No shit," she snapped.

"I was simply answering your question—"

"Spare me the drama."

He paused.

She sighed. "I can't keep doing this. Every time we take a step forwards, we take another two backwards. It's exhausting. You're either my friend or my keeper. Which is it?"

His silence was answer enough.

Her eyes burned with tears. "Get out," she said, turning her back to him.

She waited for him to reprimand her, but the only sounds she heard were groaning floorboards and a door creaking open behind her. He hadn't even tried to convince her otherwise. She squeezed her eyes shut to hold in her tears as the door closed with him on the other side.

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Octavia laid awake in her bed that night, imagining various ways she could get back at Sesshoumaru for making her feel so stupid. The more she thought about it, the angrier she felt. Not just at him, but at herself, as well. She should have known better than to get attached. He was a demon, for Christ's sake. She should have seen this coming from a mile away.

A soft tap on the door distracted her from her thoughts and demanded her attention. She leapt out of bed and hurried over to the door. Her heart was in her throat. What if it was him? Had he come to apologise? It seemed unlikely, but maybe he'd had a change of heart.

I suggest that you make more of an effort tomorrow.

Her hand paused on the door handle. She quickly smoothed down her hair and adjusted her kimono. After making sure that she was at least semi-presentable, she turned the handle and slowly opened the door.

She hoped her disappointment wasn't too obvious to Sou, who was standing in the doorway with his beloved naginata. "Did I wake you?" he asked anxiously, having witnessed her wrath before.

She shook her head. "I couldn't sleep. Is everything okay?"

"You seem to have a visitor."

Octavia's eyes widened in surprise as Rin stepped out from behind Sou, lacking her usual smile. She looked paler than usual, and her hair was flat and oily. Octavia reached out and pushed Rin's fringe out of her eyes to touch her brow, which was scalding hot and dripping with sweat.

"I don't feel so good," Rin murmured.

"I'm not surprised. You're burning up."

"She's bleeding," Sou whispered.

Octavia frowned and searched Rin's body for injuries. "Where?"

The guard squirmed and averted his eyes.

Oh.

Octavia cupped Rin's cheeks and smiled at her. "Hey," she called gently. "It's okay. I know it hurts, but you're gonna be fine. I promise. I'll look after you until the pain goes."

Rin looked at her through lidded eyes and nodded.

"Is there anything I can do?" asked Sou.

Octavia was moved by his concern. She made a mental note to be nicer to him going forwards.

"Can you take us to the baths?" she asked. "Mine was emptied earlier, but the ones there should still be full. She'll feel better once she's clean. Then we can find her something to eat."

Sou showed them to the communal washroom and stood watch outside whilst they searched for a suitable tub. Moonlight streamed in through the tiny windows, making the water shimmer. Octavia helped Rin undress and clamber into a rectangular tub full of lukewarm water. Rin grimaced as her insides constricted painfully and clutched her lower abdomen. Octavia brushed Rin's hair out of the way and kissed her temple, before picking up a sponge and using it to scrub her back.

"You can't go in there right now," Sou's voice echoed from outside.

"We'll do as we please. Now, step aside."

The door slid open and Kannika entered with one of her handmaids. Her eyes bulged when she saw Octavia and Rin, who were equally shocked to see her. Sou bowed his head in shame and apologised for his failure, whereas the handmaid blushed and shifted awkwardly. Octavia wondered why she was acting like that, until she noticed the lipstick stains on the handmaid's neck. She looked away before it became obvious what she was staring at.

Kannika's brows rose when her gaze fell on Rin, who was writhing uncomfortably in the tub.

"Fuko," she said, addressing her handmaid. "Go and see if Aya and Suki are awake. And bring the bath oils back with you, too. I think we left them in my room."

"Yes, my lady."

Kannika glided across the washroom and knelt beside the tub. Octavia gasped as the demoness rolled up her sleeves and combed her fingers through Rin's dark hair, removing the knots. Even Rin seemed at a loss for words.

"Do you understand what is happening to you?" Kannika asked.

Rin nodded sheepishly. "I think so. Kaede-sama told me about it once."

Fuko soon returned with two other handmaids and a large basket full of creams and oils. They set the basket down on the edge of the tub and focused their attentions on Rin. Octavia studied them as they worked, taking in the details of their appearances. Fuko was a tanuki, hence the black rings around her eyes and bushy tail; Aya was some kind of elemental youkai, as evidenced by her ability to summon flames and heat water using only her hands; and Suki was a snake. She was also very naked. Her top half looked human enough, with creamy white skin and full breasts, but her lower half was covered in scales and coiled around the tub Rin was sitting in like twine.

Octavia felt self-conscious all of a sudden. Were demonesses specifically designed to be beautiful? How could she possibly compete with any of them? No wonder Sesshoumaru wasn't interested. Why would he be when he could have someone like Nagisa or Kannika instead?

Rin giggled at Fuko's joke and unconsciously reached for Octavia's hand. It was just enough to make her feel wanted again. She was tired of the constant tug of war between her and Sesshoumaru. Maybe it was time to cut her losses and admit defeat. There were plenty of other attractive men that she could waste her time with. Like Koga, for instance. Her loyalty to Rin made pursuing a relationship with him impossible, but she hadn't completely ruled out fucking him.

She caught Kannika's eye and regretted doing it instantly. The intensity of her gaze reminded Octavia of Sesshoumaru. She hadn't noticed how similar their mannerisms were until now. She wondered if they were aware of how alike they were. Kanetsugu certainly wasn't.

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Sesshoumaru was nothing short of furious.

She had no right to be angry with him after all the trouble she'd caused. What had she wanted him to say? That she was important to him? That he spent every waking moment thinking about her? She was delusional. Besides, she was the one who was sending him mixed messages.

What am I to you?

He'd been asking himself the exact same question a lot lately. When had her magic become little more than an afterthought? That was the reason he'd agreed to help her, wasn't it? Her attachment to Rin had been useful, yes, but it hadn't been what had swayed him into taking her with them. Her power had intrigued him. It still did, but it wasn't all he was fascinated by.

He kept thinking about her voice in the darkness, and the way her eyes surged with light when she laughed, and the sensation of his hands on her waist. It was positively shameful to be having such repulsive thoughts about her, yet they persisted despite his attempts to banish them.

Kanetsugu was waiting for him inside the main stable.

When he saw him enter, the bat youkai bowed his head in greeting. "Good evening, my lord," he said. "Apologies for calling you out so late. I hope I didn't wake you."

"What have you found?"

Kanetsugu gestured to a dark stain on the ground. It was animal blood. The scent was unmistakable.

"The horse was one of ours," he explained. "I was so focused on finding the killers that I never even thought about where it came from. It didn't seem important. Turns out it was." He pointed to an empty paddock. "Seven days ago, somebody walked in here and stole a horse in broad daylight. A few hours later, its mutilated corpse appeared in a tree. It couldn't have been a stranger. Someone would have noticed if it was. I'm willing to bet that this was an inside job."

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. It was as if history was repeating itself. The traitors that had called themselves the Black Drakes were long gone, so what was this? The work of a copycat, perhaps? It was unsettling, to say the least . . . He refused to spend another two weeks underground.

"Have you compiled a list of suspects?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"Not yet. It's going to take time—"

"Do what you must. But bring them to me once you've found them. I want my face to be the last thing they see before they perish." He lowered his voice and added, "You should have seen the look on your father's face when mine drove a blade through his treasonous heart."

Kanetsugu recoiled at the words.

Sesshoumaru had been a child at the time, but executions were public events where everyone was welcome. His father rarely executed criminals himself, but the Black Drakes were an exception. Sesshoumaru remembered smelling the blood before he saw it. He remembered the way they fell after his father plunged his sword into their chests and shattered their souls. He'd been too far away to see the light fade from their eyes, but he'd known the exact moment each traitor had stopped breathing. The rush he'd gotten from hearing their last breaths had been indescribable.

Each death had reminded him that he was alive, and that the horrors he'd witnessed underground hadn't been for nothing. Watching the traitors die had made him realise that there was light left in the world, after all. Vengeance was beautiful. It was fast and clean and right.

"I'll let you know if I find anything else," Kanetsugu uttered softly, unable to meet his gaze.

"Good," he replied, then walked away without another word.

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