Author's Corner

As always I'd like to say a massive thank you to my friend victoriarogue. The updates would be a lot less frequent without you. ❤️

I hope you all enjoy this chapter. It's pretty spicy if you ask me lol. ️ ️

Trigger warning: sexual content.

EIGHTH BLOOD

Chapter 104: The blooming

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Leaves crunched beneath her feet as she walked, like old bones breaking underfoot. Rin tried to think of something else, but it was hard to visualise anything but the bodies of those she had lost lining the path in front of her. Would one grave be enough to appease their wandering souls? Or would they continue to haunt her dreams as they had done for the better part of a decade?

Her musings were cut short by the sound of a second pair of footsteps further along the path. Lifting her head, Rin locked eyes with the newcomer and ceased walking. Her heart raced as she studied him from across the way. He was still clad in armour, but his furs extended down beyond his knees, and his arms were fully covered. Despite being heavily glamoured, he looked more like his brethren than ever. She dreaded to think what his true form might look like.

"Hey," Koga greeted awkwardly. "It's cold out today, isn't it?"

Rin hadn't seen him since he had returned to his home in the mountains nearly two months ago, but it was like he'd never left. "Why are you here?" she asked.

The hostility in her voice made him avert his eyes and mutter, "Don't worry, I ain't staying long. Sesshoumaru asked me to keep an eye out for anything weird or suspicious. His words, not mine."

Her eyes narrowed. "And have you? Seen anything weird or suspicious, I mean?"

He shrugged. "I'm here, aren't I?"

She didn't grace him with a reply, because why should she? She'd said all that she needed to say to him. Whatever business he had with Lord Sesshoumaru, it had nothing to do with her, and she was quite content to keep it that way.

"You look taller," he blurted out suddenly, catching her off guard. "Did you get taller or am I just imagining it?"

"I might have," she said with a scowl. "What's it to you?"

He raised his hands in surrender. "Easy. I wasn't trying to be rude or nothing. I didn't come all the way out here to pick a fight with you, kid—"

"Don't call me that," she snapped, frowning harder. "I'm not a child."

"You're telling me."

Rin wasn't sure how to respond to that. She wondered what he was intending to tell Lord Sesshoumaru and considered asking him in an attempt to break the uncomfortable silence that had formed, when his eyes flicked to stare at something over her shoulder.

Turning her head, she saw a huge black crow hurtling towards them like a smoking arrow. She barely had time to shriek before Koga hooked his arms around her and yanked her out of the bird's trajectory. They both tumbled to the ground and wagon-rolled down the leafy path as the crow zipped through the air above, missing them by a hair's breadth.

Rin groaned in discomfort as they eventually rolled to a standstill. Her back felt like it was on fire and her left wrist was throbbing painfully. She tried lifting it so that she could assess how badly it had been damaged, only to realise that she couldn't, as it was wedged beneath something hard and solid. Her blood turned to ice when she felt the unmistakable press of a body lying on top of her, pinning her to the ground. Crimson eyes peered down at her like rubies, blazing with the heat of a thousand roaring volcanoes, and a familiar voice reverberated in her ear—rich with mockery and contempt.

Foolish girl. You're fast, I'll give you that. But I will always be faster.

Terror seized hold of her and turned her limbs to stone. She couldn't move. She couldn't breathe. All she could do was wait for the usurper to cut through her robes with his talons and—

"Damned messenger birds," Koga grumbled. "Those stupid bastards never look where they're going. Either that or they get a kick out of knocking unsuspecting folks on their asses. Just wait 'til I get my hands on one of 'em."

Rin gazed up at him in bewilderment. The eyes weren't red, they were blue. As blue as the summer sky. And there was no malice in them at all.

Once he'd finished muttering to himself, Koga met Rin's gaze and held it. Her heart began to beat impossibly fast, and she found that she couldn't breathe again, only this time it was for an entirely different reason. Her face felt hot and clammy, and she didn't dare move out of fear that he would somehow guess what she was thinking and laugh at her. He was so close. So close that she need only raise her head a couple of inches and their faces would be within touching distance. She wondered if his mouth would be as warm as the parts of him that were pressed against her.

What's the matter with you? You're supposed to be afraid of him.

But it wasn't fear that she was feeling now. It was something else.

"Sorry about that," he said. "The landing was a hell of a lot rougher than I expected. You ain't hurt, are you?"

When she didn't respond, he lifted a palm to her face and traced the shape of her cheekbone carefully. The touch, whilst innocent, left a trail of embers dancing across her skin. Her pulse stuttered when he shifted his weight to avoid crushing her, and heat curled low in her belly in response to the strong thighs resting on either side of her hips.

"Get off," she snarled.

She only had to say it once. As soon as the command had left her lips, Koga untangled himself from her and shuffled backwards hastily. "Shit. I shouldn't have . . . I'm really sorry, Rin."

She shifted into a sitting position and wrapped her arms around herself protectively. The air was bitingly cold, but it did little to cool the heat under her skin. She avoided eye contact with him and instead focused on his exposed throat, which was corded with muscle.

I hate him, she thought, repeating the phrase over and over again in her head. I hate him, I hate him, I hate him. She imagined taking a blade to his skin and peeling back the layers to reveal what was hiding underneath. She imagined raking her nails up and down his back, then sinking her teeth into him the way his wolves had done to her. The coil in her stomach tightened as she imagined pressing him into the dirt and making him cry out in ecstasy, desperate for more of her.

"Stay away from me," she growled, swiftly scrambling to her feet. "I mean it. Don't talk to me—don't even look at me. If you do, I'll have you blacklisted from the stronghold forever."

He wore a look of resignation. "If that's what you want," he mumbled sadly. "But if you ever change your mind—"

"I won't."

His blue eyes shone with remorse, but he refrained from arguing with her. That was the worst part. She had hoped he would put up more of a fight, but he simply rose to his feet and turned away silently.

Rin wanted to scream. She wanted to yell and curse at him, but she had no reason to. After all, her orders had been very specific. As had the punishment. He must have known that she had no grounds to carry through with such a threat, yet he obeyed anyway. After everything he had done, it was the least he could do. The message had finally sunk in. She should have been over the moon about it, but she couldn't have been more unhappy.

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Sesshoumaru's mouth was fast and hot as he used it to work her into a stupor. Octavia arched her back and drove her fingers into his hair, using the new leverage point to grind against him shamelessly. She moaned as his tongue curled inside her and threw her head back to gaze at the ceiling through the thick blanket of steam. The humidity was making her feel dizzy, but she didn't dare tell him out of fear that he would stop what he was doing and leave her wanting. What did it matter if she passed out mid-climax? There were worse ways to go, and none of those involved that exhilaratingly tight feeling in her lower belly as the rubber band reached its snapping point.

Her eyelids fluttered closed as his fingers replaced his tongue, whilst his other hand roamed higher and palmed an aching breast. She breathed a string of curse words and rolled her hips in time to the rhythm of his hand. She didn't have to open her eyes to know that he was looking at her. He liked to watch as she unravelled before him like a spool of thread. If it had been anyone else, it might have made her feel self-conscious, but with him, it had the opposite effect.

"Fuck . . ." she panted after floating down from her high. "I've missed this. Don't you ever go anywhere without me again."

He chuckled against her inner thigh. "Or what?"

She laughed breathlessly. "Or I'll make sure you regret it."

Her eyes found his through the steam and looked at him tauntingly. He took the bait immediately and climbed out of the bathtub, trailing water everywhere as he settled on top of her. Desire pulsed between her legs when he leaned down to kiss her neck.

"I'm gonna be so late," she said. "Cyril will never let me hear the end of it—"

"Fuck Cyril."

"I'd rather fuck you."

He dragged his tongue across the place where her jaw met her ear and murmured, "So be it."

A giggle slipped past her lips as he lifted her hips to meet his, but was quickly replaced by a moan when he entered her in a single thrust. Digging her heels into his lower back, she clawed at his shoulder blades desperately, the sound of him grunting in her ear turning her thoughts to mush. He pulled another moan from her when he reached between them and rubbed the swollen bundle of nerves between her legs with his thumb. And then he was kissing her, breathing fire into her lungs and setting her ablaze from within. He gasped into her mouth as he reached the end of his tether, gripping her hips hard enough to leave bruises in the shape of his fingerprints.

He wasn't the only one who liked watching his partner's face as they climaxed. It was never something she'd been interested in before, but seeing his scrunched-up brow and parted lips always managed to make her breath catch in her throat. She found herself focusing on his eyelashes and marvelling at how long and silky they were. Taking advantage of the fact that his eyes were still closed, she lifted a hand to his face and caressed his striped cheek tenderly. He was so beautiful. How could he be for her?

His eyelids peeled open then to reveal bright gold irises and fully dilated pupils. Octavia's pulse quickened as she gazed into them without blinking.

Sesshoumaru waited until his breathing had returned to normal before leaning down and gently pressing his lips to hers. Cupping his jaw, she melted into the kiss, appreciative of how soft it was. He broke away temporarily to whisper something in Mandarin, before burying his hands in her hair and kissing her more deeply. He had been doing it a lot during the past month – typically whilst they were having sex or basking in the afterglow – but he always refused to translate for her afterwards. She supposed it was her own fault for all the times she had insulted him in Greek.

"I hope that means you're going to finish what you started," she said between kisses. "I'm still waiting for you to—"

"I know," he cut her off, smirking against her mouth. "Did you think I wouldn't notice?"

She returned the smile. "I wouldn't have held it against you. You were sort of . . . preoccupied."

"And whose fault is that?" He rolled onto his back, pulling her with him. His eyes glinted mischievously as he peered up at her whilst tracing the imprint of the stone tiles on the backs of her thighs with his fingers. "Go on," he said smugly. "You know what you want. Take it. I am at your mercy, O great and powerful star mage."

Her smile widened. "Flattery doesn't work on me."

"You and I both know that isn't true."

The Prophecy-Breaker dangled from her neck as she lowered her head and brushed her lips against his. She rarely ever took it off now, not even to sleep. Ever since Rin had shown her the matching necklace given to her by Tsunayoshi and repeated what the ngea had told her about them, Octavia had started seeing hers as a lucky charm of sorts.

Sesshoumaru's hands warmed her hips as she kissed him, then her waist, and eventually her breasts. Still kissing him, she reached down and curled her fingers around his manhood. Half a dozen strokes later and she was guiding him back inside her, breathing hard as her weary muscles shifted to accommodate him. Tipping her head back, she closed her eyes and rode him until she saw stars on the backs of her eyelids. In the end, she wasn't sure if it was her screaming or them as they exploded, unleashing supernovas inside her skull.

When the fog cleared, her ears were ringing and there was a ferocious ache between her legs where their bodies were still joined. With his flushed cheeks and heaving chest, Sesshoumaru looked exactly how she felt. Despite how sore she was, she couldn't help but smile at him. He didn't return it, but his gaze seemed warmer than usual.

"I really have to go now," she said.

"Stay," he mumbled in protest.

"I can't."

"Skipping one lesson won't kill anyone."

Her smile faded. "It might."

The ease in his expression vanished as he sat up and gave her a fierce look. "Enough of this madness," he chastised. "You cannot hold yourself accountable for his actions simply because he is your kin. He is not your responsibility anymore."

She found herself thinking of what her uncle Galen had said to her in the tower. Half the power, half the burden. He'd tried to warn her, but as usual, she hadn't listened. She wondered what had become of him after she'd fled from the kasbah. Had Augustus somehow gotten wind of his betrayal and executed him for it? Alive or not, she owed it to him and the children in the barracks to stop Augustus from carrying out his plan, by whatever means necessary.

"But he is," she argued. "He's my brother. And not only that, the Radiant One is a part of him, too. We're connected, him and I. That's why I have to stop him. Before it's too late."

Sesshoumaru's face darkened. "You're out of your mind if you think I'll allow you to face that wretch alone."

"Of course I'm not going to face him alone! He has an entire army at his beck and call, whereas all I have are flashing lights and parlour tricks. He has everything, and I have nothing."

"You have me."

Her chest tightened at the sincerity in his voice. "I know."

"Then use me." His eyes blazed as he lifted a hand to cup her cheek. "I would be your sword."

Her heart pounded in response to his words, but unfortunately, devotion wasn't enough to exorcise the pessimist in her. "What use are swords against wizards?" she asked sadly.

He snorted. "Have you that little faith in me?"

"It's not a question of faith. I'm trying to protect you."

"And what do you suppose I did during the five hundred years before I met you? Cowered in the face of danger and hid from my enemies like a weak and defenceless child? There's a reason I'm still standing where so many others are not. They didn't keep me alive, Octavia. I did."

His flippant tone and disregard for her feelings made her blood boil. Seething, she clambered out of his lap and slipped into the tub. The water had cooled slightly, but it was still warm enough to sit in. He didn't speak as she began the process of scrubbing away his scent.

Keeping her back to him, she tried to sound nonchalant as she spoke, but her emotions could be heard as clearly as cicadas in the summer. "My brother is no ordinary enemy," she said quietly. "Have you forgotten what he's capable of? Nagisa lost her husband because of him. He's the reason that Haru and the others had their families snatched away from them. Hundreds dead, and for what? A few tonnes of Shikonstone? He didn't have to kill them, but he did it anyway. He did it because he wanted to—because he thought they were the monsters, when in reality, it was him."

Sesshoumaru remained silent. Octavia craned her head backwards to look at him. She could practically see the cogs turning inside his brain.

"Their blood is on his hands," she continued. "You can't expect me to just stand by and watch as he spills yours. I won't do it. I won't . . . Not after how hard you've worked to keep others from spilling mine."

His eyes narrowed as he regarded her through the dispersing steam. She was worried that he was going to leave without saying anything, until he unfolded his legs and slid into the lukewarm water after her. She shuddered as his arms coiled around her waist from behind and pulled her into a comforting embrace.

"You misunderstand," he said. "Arrogant as I may be, I am no fool. Knowing when to fight and when to stand down are just as important as the fighting itself."

Relief coursed through her upon hearing those words. "You mean—"

He nodded begrudgingly. "As much as I want to, I cannot fight your battles for you. I understand that now. However, that doesn't mean you have to go it alone." He tightened his hold on her. "I will follow you anywhere. To the ends of the earth, if need be. Don't even try to argue. Nothing you say or do will change my mind. Whatever happens, know that we will overcome it."

A smile pulled at her lips. "Together," she whispered, threading their fingers together over her abdomen.

"Together," he agreed.

There was no sweeter word in existence.

"You could always keep Asuka busy for me whilst I'm dealing with Augustus," she said in a dreamy voice as he trailed his lips across her shoulder. His declaration had left her in a bit of a daze.

"Which one was she again?"

"We had a run-in with her when we were in Ebisu. Dark hair. Weird robes. Blood-infused lasso that's since been converted into a whip? Don't act like you've forgotten." She closed her eyes and concentrated on the sensations he was evoking with his mouth. "I know you've been waiting for an excuse to get back at her. Call it revenge for what she did to you."

She felt him smirk against her neck. "Perhaps I will make a challenge of it."

"In what way?"

She peeked at him from out of the corner of her eye and saw that his irises were that ghostly shade of blue she loved so much, with red sclerae surrounding them like seas of freshly spilt blood. "How fast can I make her head roll?" he replied darkly. "My personal best is three seconds."

"Is that supposed to impress me? Three seconds is basically an eternity."

Laughter warmed the divot where her neck met her shoulder. Fuck it, she thought, guiding his hand lower and spreading her legs to allow him easier access to her submerged sex. Cyril would just have to wait.

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