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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. Sesshoumaru and Octavia gathered supplies from the abandoned stalls before leaving. They disposed of their old clothes and changed into new ones. Octavia chose a plum kosode and a pair of beige samue pants, whereas Sesshoumaru opted for a white haori with midnight blue tobi trousers. They also stocked up on 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's—

"We'll be able to see the ocean soon." Sesshoumaru's voice yanked her out of her thoughts and forced her to look up at him. He'd been quieter than usual since their conversation in the grotto. She wondered if he was embarrassed.

"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. 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."

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

"She has Jaken and Ah-Un to keep her company."

"I guess."

The finger that she'd pricked on the aoi ha was still hurting. It seemed trivial compared to Sesshoumaru's wounds, so she'd been reluctant to mention that it was getting more painful by the minute. She didn't want him to be any more of a burden than she already was.

Sesshoumaru stopped walking and looked at her at last. The intensity of his gaze startled her. "What's your problem?" she asked.

"Show me your finger." Sighing, she presented it to him for examination. "It is infected."

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

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

"That's a relief. How do I—"

He lifted her finger to his lips. She froze as he slipped it into his mouth and sucked. "What the hell are you doing?" she squeaked.

"Removing the poison," he answered, then resumed sucking.

She averted her eyes. "I keep forgetting that you're a dog demon. 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. Her frown deepened as he asked in a mocking tone, "Am I making you nervous?"

She snatched her hand out of his. "You're such a dick. I could have taken care of that myself."

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

Octavia studied her finger, which was no longer swollen or discoloured. The pain had also faded to a dull ache. "Huh. 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?"

"I couldn't let you sacrifice yourself for me."

He snorted. "I had no such intentions."

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

"Yes, you did."

She smiled in vindication.

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

She shook her head. "No. I've never 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 humble fishing village. They spent the night at an inn on the waterfront. There was only one futon, 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 mattress. She couldn't decide if he was being courteous or if he just 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 crew of two. "There are other ways to get what you want, you know," she said.

He seemed 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 easy charisma became deadly once paired with the pull of her magic, which affected youkai and humans alike. Because of those factors, 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 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.

The human caught his eye from across the docks. The timing of it unsettled him. Had she somehow known what he was thinking about? 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 ground 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. "Where is it, then?"

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 too chicken?"

His eyes narrowed. "Tch. Ridiculous."

The boat wobbled under his weight. She disguised her laugh as a cough as she 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 he 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.

"Can I ask you a personal question?"

"If you must."

"Why did you let Rin follow you?"

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

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

"But I did."

"Why?"

"The motive behind the action is irrelevant. The action itself is what truly matters." Octavia gnawed on her bottom lip. "What are you really asking?"

"You saw yourself in her, didn't you?" She waited for him to deny it, but he stayed silent. "I don't know what sort 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 and loneliness. You know how it feels to be superfluous. That's why you took her with you, isn't it? You needed someone to need you." A lump formed in her throat. "She wants to stay with you forever. So, promise me something. Promise that you won't let anything happen to her. Ever. She's your responsibility. You have to keep her safe, no matter what. And don't abandon her, either. Don't leave her behind one day and never come back."

"Why do you care?" he murmured.

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 to his elbow, where it disappeared into his sleeve.

He lifted his gaze and met hers, his fingers still grazing her jaw. "I won't abandon her," he said. "I swear it."

Octavia sniffed. "Good."

He lowered his hand and leaned back in his seat. Blinking back her tears, it suddenly dawned on her 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 aren't uncommon in these parts."

The hairs on her arms bristled in response to the magic in the air, and her pulse hammered in her chest. "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. They were almost there. Whatever it was, it was calling out to her, like an echo in the darkness. Come . . .

She spotted a shoreline through the fog. "There!"

Sesshoumaru manoeuvred the boat towards the beach. Its wooden bottom scraped along a coral reef before slowing to a halt in the shallows. They both climbed out of the boat and pushed it onto the sand, which was covered in a thin layer of snow and ice. They left the boat on the threshold of a frosty forest. The icicles hanging from the branches glittered in the sunlight, reminding Octavia of diamonds, whilst the ground looked like it was covered in sugar.

She glanced sideways at Sesshoumaru and whispered, "What do we do now?"

"We take back what's ours."

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