EIGHTH BLOOD

Chapter 7: Olive branch

.

.

"Clear your mind of all distractions."

"This would be a lot easier without Scooby-Doo huffing and puffing over there."

Kagome opened her eyes and shot Inuyasha an icy look from across the field. He lowered his legendary sword, the Tessaiga, and whistled. She turned back to Octavia and said, "Sorry. He always shows off in front of new people. Just pretend you can't see him."

"Are we also pretending he's not shirtless?"

Kagome sighed. "I'm sure he has his reasons. He gets kind of agitated when Sesshoumaru is around."

Octavia studied Inuyasha from afar. "Why him?" she asked.

"Huh?"

"What made you want to marry him of all people? Was it the biceps?"

Kagome's face flushed. "N-No! He has lots of great qualities."

Octavia grinned. "I'm just messing with you. I didn't expect you to be so shy about it. How long have you been married?"

"Three years. It still feels so new, though." She leaned closer and whispered, "I know people think it's weird that we don't have kids, but I don't think we're ready yet. We both have a lot of maturing to do. Plus, whenever someone brings it up, Inuyasha gets all freaked out."

"Why?"

"I think it's because of his childhood. He was orphaned at a very young age, you see, and his father died before he was born. I think he's worried that he'll be a bad parent."

Octavia thought that Kagome would be better having this conversation with him rather than with her, but she didn't say that. "It's hard growing up without anyone to teach you what's right and what's wrong," she said. "But it doesn't mean you're destined to fail. Maybe he just needs to know that someone believes in him."

Kagome gave her a warm smile. "I think so, too." She cradled Octavia's hands in hers and closed her eyes again. "Concentrate on me."

Octavia could feel Kagome's reiki spilling out from her fingers. It flowed into her, gliding through her veins. She steadied her breathing and focused on guiding it through her body.

"That's good," Kagome praised. The reiki spread down to her stomach, then her legs, then back up to her ribcage, where it settled above her heart. "Now release it." Her voice sounded distant. "Octavia-chan? Let it go."

Inuyasha appeared at her side. "What's going on?"

"I don't know. She just stopped responding all of a sudden."

Inuyasha snapped his fingers in front of Octavia's face. "Oi! Can you hear me?"

Her body felt like it was floating. Kagome's reiki was warm. It was a heated blanket, a mug of steaming hot chocolate, a radiator against her back on a cold winter's morning. Until Inuyasha grabbed her by the shoulders. Before he could shake some sense into her, a dark purple glow enveloped them both, locking him in place. He yelped as the magic penetrated his skin and latched onto his youki. Octavia heard his stifled scream and saw Kagome reaching to separate them, but the light was like a forcefield and knocked her hand away.

Sesshoumaru watched from the treeline. He waited until the brunt of Inuyasha's youki had been drained before intervening at last. The eight-pointed star on his wrist flared to life and cancelled out the forcefield. He caught Inuyasha by the arm and yanked him out of harm's way. Kagome rushed to his side. When Octavia's senses snapped back into focus, she saw Sesshoumaru looming over her like a giant. Her skin crackled with youki. Inuyasha's youki, she realised. Kernels of Kagome's reiki were buried beneath it.

"Enough," Sesshoumaru hissed. "Look what you've done."

Her eyes slid to Inuyasha, whose flesh was pale and clammy. She relinquished her hold on his youki and it scampered back to its owner. As soon as it reattached itself, Inuyasha broke out into a coughing fit. Kagome hugged him from behind once his breathing returned to normal and the colour rushed back into his cheeks. She looked like she was holding back tears.

"And the rest of it," Sesshoumaru said.

The eight-pointed star blazed on his wrist.

Octavia's shoulders slumped. She expelled Kagome's reiki and almost sobbed at the loss of warmth.

"What happened?" Inuyasha slurred.

Kagome gasped. "Your hands!"

His palms were marked with matching star-shaped burns. They were much bigger than Sesshoumaru's. "What the hell?" he muttered.

Sesshoumaru fixed his molten stare on Octavia. "How did you do that?"

"Which part?" she grumbled.

"You drained his youki."

"I didn't mean to."

Inuyasha tried to sit up. "Leave her alone, Sessho—"

"Stay out of this, half-breed!"

Octavia staggered to her feet. The Daiyoukai was as surprised as the others had been to learn that her ankle had somehow healed overnight. He must not have been paying attention to it when they'd last spoken. She took a step towards him and he flinched away from her.

Your powers are unnatural.

Maybe they were, but power was power.

"Killing demons? Easy. But this?" Her lips curved into a smile. "Now you're scared."

His eyes thinned to slits before he stormed away without another word.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Inuyasha choked, leaning on Kagome's shoulder for support.

Octavia's eyes followed Sesshoumaru's retreating form. "No. He knows that if he tries anything, it'll be his youki that gets drained next time." She turned to face Inuyasha and gazed at the marks on his palms. "I'm sorry. Do they hurt?"

"A little. What are they?"

"Totosai called them eight-pointed stars. They're like residual spirit magic, if I understood him right."

"The jewel shards never did anything like that," said Kagome. "Are they permanent?"

"I don't think so. Sesshoumaru's is fading, so I doubt it."

Octavia travelled with them to their house. She watched as Kagome washed the burns with cool water and wrapped Inuyasha's hands in cloth. She was lucky that it had been Inuyasha and not her. As a hanyou, his pain tolerance was higher than a human's, and he healed faster, too. If it had been Kagome's powers being drained instead of his, the outcome might have been quite different.

Octavia ate her stew and thanked them for having her, then walked back to Kaede's house alone. She couldn't risk hurting Kagome by asking her to continue teaching her. She'd have to seek help elsewhere.

.

.

On the dawn of the third day, Sesshoumaru found himself observing the human from a distance.

She and Jaken were playing a game that involved drawing crosses and circles in a grid with nine boxes. To win, you had to make a line of either three crosses or three circles. The players took turns to draw their designated symbol, whilst also trying to prevent their opponent from completing a full line. Jaken had lost every game so far, and he wasn't taking it well.

"Cheat!" he screeched. "The game is rigged!"

"It's not rigged, you're just shit."

"I'm going to make you eat those words. Let's go again!"

Rin updated the scores and drew a new grid. Sesshoumaru watched the human wipe the floor with him again. What would become of her if she stayed here with the old miko? She hadn't used her magic since the incident with Inuyasha, but how long would it be before she tried again? It would be dangerous to leave her unattended. Perhaps she could be of some use to him, after all. Draining youki was a useful ability. If she was under his command, his enemies wouldn't stand a chance. However, he couldn't guarantee that she wouldn't turn on him at some point. She would probably relish the opportunity to show him the full extent of her power.

Midday came and went. The human showed Rin how to turn paper into shapes. Her skills were rather impressive. She could fold paper into flowers, birds, and fish. There were also several creatures he was unfamiliar with, like the beast with a horn jutting out of its nose, and the horse-like being with a neck that was twice the size of its body.

It had only been a few days, yet Rin was utterly besotted with her. That complicated things. Rin never complained about being lonely, but Sesshoumaru sensed she longed for more than just him and their travelling companions. She wanted a friend. A real friend. Someone closer to her age. Perhaps the human could fill the Kohaku-sized hole in Rin's heart.

It was late afternoon by the time he reached a decision.

The human was sitting by herself on a knoll in the village outskirts. She was fisting the grass on either side of her and staring up at the yellowing sky. The grass beneath her fingers grew higher and curled around her wrists. She didn't seem to have noticed. He supposed that if she could drain reiki from a miko, she must be able to do the same to the energy present in nature. Her eyes were closed as he landed on the grass in front of her. She was an uncanny thing with disproportionate features and rust-coloured hair. There were dark circles under her eyes, and she had hollowed-out cheeks that made her look older than her alleged eighteen years.

"Aren't you leaving tonight?" she asked.

"Yes," he said.

Her eyelids fluttered open and she peered up at him with expectant eyes. He'd never seen a human with green eyes before. "Well? What do you want?"

"You will be accompanying us."

Her face fell. "Damn it, Rin."

He arched an eyebrow.

"Is there anything I can do to make you change your mind?"

"No."

She sighed. "I didn't think so. Oh, well. Maybe it's for the best. Inuyasha got hurt because of me."

The blades of grass around her wrists wilted and died. Sesshoumaru's eyes flickered. Had he imagined it? "You give yourself far too much credit," he said. "The whelp is a magnet for misfortune. Save your sympathies for someone who deserves them."

She laughed. The sound revived the grass, turning it from a stringy brown to a thick and healthy green. Weeds sprouted all around her, before unfurling to reveal bright purple flower heads. Sesshoumaru backed away and groped for the Bakusaiga's handle.

"What's wrong?" She followed his gaze down to her legs, which were swaddled in thistles. Her eyes bulged and she reached to tear herself free, only to witness the weeds convulse before withering away to nothing. She crawled out of the dead patch and said, "What the hell just happened?"

"Your powers seem to be influenced by your emotions as well as exterior factors."

"Are you saying my fear killed them?"

"It appears so."

She plucked a single dead thistle from the ground and cradled it in her cupped hands. "What a shame. They had such a short life."

"Everything dies eventually."

"Even you?"

He paused. "Except for me."

The corners of her mouth twitched. She was still holding what remained of the weed. He watched as she closed her eyes and exhaled. A pale purple light enveloped the thistle, restoring its colour and making it bloom again. The human beamed. "Here," she said, offering it to him. "Pretend it's an olive branch."

"I have no use for weeds."

"I know. It's a peace offering, idiot. Just shut up and take it."

"Ask nicely and I'll consider it."

She surprised him by playing along. "Please accept this humble flower, my lord. I picked it just for you." The comment was followed by a muffled snort.

He sighed through his nose. "As you wish."

Still smiling, she stood and dropped it into his waiting palm. He waited until she was out of sight before squashing the pathetic weed in his fist.

.

.

Octavia said her goodbyes and met Sesshoumaru in the fields separating the village and the forest. Kagome had hugged her so tightly that she'd worried she was going to break a rib, whereas Inuyasha just told her to be careful.

Rin was quieter than usual on the walk to the rendezvous spot, glancing back at the village every now and then whilst Jaken babbled on about how grateful he was to be leaving. Octavia caught her eye and smiled. Rin returned the smile and seized her hand, intertwining their fingers. Maybe Sesshoumaru wasn't the only one who was lonely.

Sesshoumaru was waiting for them by the treeline. Ah-Un bounded over to its master, dragging Jaken with it. Rin giggled as the imp was hauled through the mud by the dragon's reins. "Where are we going, Sesshoumaru-sama?" she asked.

He held Octavia's stare for a moment before turning away and facing the forest. "The Western Stronghold," he answered.

Jaken gasped. "Did you just say what I think you said, milord?"

"Are you hard of hearing, Jaken?"

"N-No, milord! Forgive me for asking such a foolish question."

Ah-Un wagged its tail and bumped Sesshoumaru's torso with its heads. "Calm yourself," he told the dragon, but his tone lacked its usual venom.

"Why the change of heart?" Octavia queried.

"It is time to stop hiding," he answered in English.

Octavia's eyes widened. Rin and Jaken shared a puzzled glance, but neither of them dared to ask what he'd said.

Sesshoumaru walked towards the forest in silence. Ah-Un was the first to follow. "Hey, wait for us!" Rin shouted, running after them. Jaken did the same. Octavia stuffed her hands into her pockets and looked in the direction of the well-house. She hadn't heard the echo in days. Whatever it was, it was long gone.

.

.