EIGHTH BLOOD

Chapter 49: Purple Eye

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That night, they feasted.

Octavia stared at her empty plate and tried to block out the sounds of the other courts gorging themselves on boar meat, which was easier said than done. The stench of blood coated the air, penetrating her nose, and the slabs of raw meat glistened in the lamplight.

Thankfully, Susumu and his family were vegetarians, so they opted for flowers and fruits instead. She watched Chiaki peel an orange and separate the pieces before offering her one. Octavia accepted it graciously but couldn't bring herself to eat it. The texture and the juice dripping onto her plate were too similar to the meat for her liking, prompting her stomach to turn.

She braved a glimpse at Sesshoumaru and the other warlords, who were sitting in a straight line in front of several platters of blood-soaked meat. Only the Lord of the Eastern Lands' lips were unstained. Octavia swallowed as Sesshoumaru met her gaze and held it. The whites of his eyes were tinted pink, and the markings on his cheeks looked sharp and uneven.

You will never belong here.

He'd said it in anger, but he'd been right. This wasn't her world. She wanted so badly to fit in, but no matter what she did, she never would. She would always be an outsider.

Nothing would change that.

"You look sad, human," Ahmya murmured softly.

"Is something wrong?" asked Doi.

She shook her head. "No. I'm fine."

Kazane tilted her head sideways and frowned at Octavia's empty plate. "Aren't you hungry? You don't have to hold back on account of us. Eat something. Please, we insist."

"That's okay. I usually prefer my meat cooked."

"Interesting," Chiaki said. "Won't you at least try the special dish? It's meant to be eaten raw."

"I don't know, I'd rather not—"

"Father!" Doi shouted, rising to her feet. "The heart should go to the human! She is the one that killed the boar, is she not? It wouldn't be right to take what's rightfully hers."

Octavia's face paled.

"My daughter has a point," Susumu agreed. "What do you think, Sesshoumaru?"

Sesshoumaru's eyes once again settled on her, and a strange gleam appeared in them. Octavia tried to convey what she was thinking with her fierce expression, but it didn't work. The corners of Sesshoumaru's mouth inched upwards into a smirk as he uttered, "I have no objections."

Bastard, she mouthed now that the attention was on him and not her.

His eyes danced with amusement.

The servants brought her a large plate with a sticky mound of muscle on top of it. She was glad that she hadn't eaten anything when they placed it in front of her, because the sight of the boar's uncooked heart was enough to make anyone feel nauseous. It was smaller than she'd expected, but it was far from a measly morsel. The heart was about the size of a football and as red as a Lancashire rose. She could feel the intensity of the Daiyoukai's stares as she picked it up with both hands and felt it trying to slip free from her grasp. Warm blood ran down her arms and dripped onto the table, reminding her of the horse carcass she'd stumbled across in the tree.

She trembled violently, remembering how its blood had rolled down her cheeks like tears.

"Perhaps we ought to excuse her," Arashi suggested quietly. "She is only human. Their bodies aren't equipped to deal with copious amounts of raw food. It makes them ill."

Octavia froze.

Hiroto's words echoed in her mind.

You see how our kind looks at you. We pretend, but our eyes are taunting, hateful, and filled with disgust. You may have a fellow Daiyoukai's favour, but you are still nothing in our minds.

This was her chance to show them that she was worth her salt. This was how she'd become powerful. Not by beating them in combat, but by proving that she could rise to any challenge. She couldn't give up now. She'd already completed the first step by winning the tournament. Next, she had to smash their expectations and make them see that she was more than just a toy.

Whether or not she was worthy would be determined by her actions tonight.

No matter what, she absolutely wouldn't fail.

"One bite won't kill her," Taiki said.

"But if it's a case of biology—" Susumu began, before he was interrupted mid-sentence.

Octavia stood with the heart still clasped in her hands and declared, "I'll do it."

The warlords' brows lifted in surprise. Sesshoumaru regarded her strangely before resting his arm on his knee. "Will you devour the entire heart?" he asked, sounding almost bored.

The challenge both frightened and excited her.

She lowered her head slightly and said, "If it pleases you, my lord."

His eyes blazed. "You may proceed."

Raising her head, she lifted the heart to her lips and bit into it like an apple. More blood spurted out from the places that had been pierced by her teeth, painting her mouth and chin red. She maintained eye contact with him as she chewed vigorously before swallowing the slimy mince. The taste was revolting, and the blood clung to the walls of her oesophagus, making it hard to breathe. Her stomach roared in protest as the first bite completed its descent, but she couldn't stop there.

The second bite wasn't any less painful than the first. Despite it all, she forced herself to keep going. The front of her kimono was now drenched, and her hands and arms were slick with blood. Her teeth sparkled like rubies as she used them to tear off another huge chunk of muscle.

You're almost there, she told herself.

Her belly groaned and she had to close her eyes to stop the room from spinning. She was definitely going to be sick if she carried on. She squeezed what was left of the heart, adding to the puddle on the table, and breathed in and out slowly. She just had to endure it for a little longer.

She thought about her conversation with Bokuseno and felt her resolve strengthen.

She opened her eyes and looked at Sesshoumaru, who was leaning forwards in his seat. As usual, his face betrayed nothing, but his eyes burned with what could only be pride. He believed in her. He thought she would succeed. Knowing that, how could she possibly let him down?

Adrenaline surged through her veins as she shoved what remained of the heart into her mouth and chewed until it was mush, then downed it all in one swallow.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes and smiled.

Exhausted, she managed to shoot him a toothy grin, which the other courts mirrored as they showered her with praise. Yuudai winked as his sisters crushed her into a hug, whereas Hiroto scoffed and turned away in disgust. His brothers, however, cheered and clapped their hands.

Octavia squealed in surprise when the Lord of the Southern Lands marched over and picked her up like a child. "Not bad for a human!" he bellowed, laughing. "Not bad at all!"

"Put her down, dear," Lady Konami implored him.

"Nonsense! She doesn't mind. Do you, human?"

The blood sloshing around in her stomach made it difficult to give him a verbal answer, so she gave him a tight smile and shook her head. Taiki laughed again, revealing his perfect teeth, which were stained red like hers. Konami sighed and flashed her an apologetic smile.

"Octavia," Sesshoumaru corrected. "Her name is Octavia."

Taiki stopped laughing and met his amber gaze.

Octavia's pulse quickened when she saw the intense look on Sesshoumaru's face. She suddenly realised what he'd done. He'd given her an opportunity. Her heart swelled with affection for him, and she smiled a special smile that she reserved only for him.

"Of course," said Taiki. "Forgive me."

They all turned in for the night not long afterwards, and Octavia spent the next few hours vomiting into a bucket. Once her stomach had been emptied, she tumbled into a deep but troubled sleep.

Yet again, she was plagued by bizarre and unsettling dreams. The first dream took place on a foggy day atop a bridge. When she looked up, a giant wheel with stars for spokes floated above her, turning on the spot. The second dream was about a great golden beast that fell from a cliff and landed in the ocean. A woman was standing on the cliff's edge shouting, but Octavia couldn't make out what she was saying. Finally, the third dream placed her in a room with dark blue walls, where a being with a moon on its brow cleaned the blood from her body with its tongue. She shuddered as its teeth grazed her bare skin, travelling lower and lower until . . .

Fate cackled from within her web of crimson cords, amused by the dream, which unlike the first two, was neither past, present nor future. Things were finally getting interesting.

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Sesshoumaru was especially restless that night.

He'd spent the last few hours pacing, attempting to regain control over his thoughts. He felt like he was standing on the precipice of something very important. If he jumped, there'd be no going back, but he also couldn't remain where he was. How long could he keep holding her at arm's length? How long until this passing fancy of his evolved into something more permanent?

He stopped pacing and balled his hands into fists.

He was acting like a child.

Speaking of children, he realised that he'd forgotten to check on Rin. Technically, she wasn't a child anymore, but he still saw her as one, and probably always would.

They hadn't spoken since her outburst, but he wasn't about to let that stop him. He strolled out onto the engawa that was attached to his room and glided down to Rin's. She'd barely used it since he and Octavia had returned from their quest, preferring to sleep in Octavia's bed. However, after the incident yesterday, she seemed to be avoiding her, as well.

After checking that Rin was safe, he took a detour on his way back to his room.

The balcony doors were open, allowing a cool breeze into the room where Octavia slept. He entered silently and paused before he reached her bed. She was lying on her back with one leg straight and the other slightly bent. Her arms were outstretched but folded at the joints, creating a wall on either side of her head. Not a very dignified pose, but she looked comfortable enough.

The weight on his chest lifted and he exhaled softly, relishing in the peace her presence brought him. He shifted closer, unsure of how to wake her, when his boot made contact with something on the floor.

It was a sheet of parchment. He leaned down and picked it up, wondering what it was doing on the ground. His eyes narrowed when he saw what was written on it.

The sheet was covered in symbols that belonged to the True Speech.

It wasn't the only one. The floor was covered in pieces of parchment that had been arranged in a spiral pattern at the centre of the room. The ones on the outer rings contained more of the strange symbols, whereas the ones in the middle of the spiral were detailed drawings of events that had transpired over the past month and a half. But that wasn't all. One of the drawings was an old memory of his – a memory that he was quite certain she hadn't accessed.

He'd been a child at the time, and the drawing reflected that. A younger version of him was standing on the peak of Mount Daisen, practicing the balancing techniques his father had taught him. A large part of his childhood had been spent up there, training with his father. It was why Inuyasha would never be able to defeat him without the Tessaiga. The hanyou had gotten stronger, but he hadn't spent a hundred years eliminating each and every one of his weaknesses.

Sesshoumaru screwed the sheet into a ball and melted it with his acidic claws.

Octavia sighed through her nose and rolled onto her side. She still reeked of blood, but it didn't bother him. He walked towards the bed and loomed over her, casting a dark shadow across her sleeping form. Her wounds were healing quickly. The bruises on her face had changed to a yellowish-brown, and the scabs on her throat were already starting to flake. He doubted that they would ever fully heal, though. Human skin didn't possess the same regenerative abilities that his did. It was a shame, but because it was her, they couldn't possibly be ugly.

She'd been absolutely magnificent. He'd taken a risk goading her in front of the other courts, but it had paid off wonderfully. Her accomplishments today wouldn't be forgotten. Not for a long time. He couldn't stop thinking about the way the blood had oozed down her chin, or how her eyes had dazzled like emeralds, or the raspy sound of her voice.

He clenched his jaw.

Don't let her fool you, too.

He disagreed with most of what Bokuseno had said, but he couldn't deny that the tree youkai had a point. She was dangerous. He'd known that from the start. He just didn't care. And that was precisely the problem.

She murmured something unintelligible.

Sesshoumaru stiffened, then realised that she was merely talking in her sleep. Her eyelids fluttered frantically as she whispered into her pillow, clearly distressed. Frowning, she fisted the sheets so tightly that her knuckles turned white, and her breathing hastened.

"No . . ." she said, burying her face deeper into the pillow.

Sesshoumaru instinctively moved closer and pushed her hair out of the way with his fingers. Her breathing evened out and she leaned into the touch, pressing her lips to his palm. They were so soft. Too soft. He snatched his hand back, but her following words prevented him from leaving.

"The mountains sigh . . . Mistress wind blows through fields of rye . . . Eight birds fly high above the sky . . . She opens her purple eye . . ."

His eyes widened slightly.

Purple Eye?

Where on Earth had she heard that? It wasn't a very well-known poem. The only reason he knew it was because his father had made him read the collection it was a part of. He'd never been a fan of poetry, but that particular poem had infuriated him to no end. He hated the nonsensical nature of abstract poems. What was the point of reading something that you couldn't understand?

"Did you learn that in the library?" he asked, not really expecting an answer.

"Nagisa . . ." she whispered, startling him. "Parting gift . . ."

His eyes narrowed. "Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?"

"It wouldn't let me."

The clarity in her voice unnerved him.

"What wouldn't?" he probed.

She didn't reply.

He thought back to what she'd told Bokuseno, about how she'd felt like a passenger in her own body. Could something be piloting her? There was the nameless creature she'd made a deal with. Perhaps he was responsible for what was happening to her. She had promised him his freedom in exchange for holding off her curse. What exactly did that entail?

"Octavia?" he called, but she was done talking.

He exited her room and headed to his father's study. When he arrived, he closed the door behind him and tore open the bottom drawer in the desk, revealing stacks of first edition poetry books.

He seemed to recall Purple Eye being in Anthology 3, so he pulled it out and quickly turned to the table of contents. He soon found what he was looking for. Flipping to the correct page, he was relieved to see the title and began skimming through the poem. It was exactly as he'd remembered it, except for one small detail. He recognised his father's penmanship at the bottom of the page, only it was in Mandarin, not Nihongo.

His eyes widened as he read what it said.

'Do not trust her.'

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Author's Corner

Just so you know, that paragraph about Octavia's dreams is full of foreshadowing ;) Thanks for reading! The scene with the heart may or may not have been inspired by the episode of Game of Thrones where Dany gets to chow down on a stallion's heart...

Nihongo = Japanese