EIGHTH BLOOD

Chapter 44: Wish

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Octavia hopped on the spot, scanning the surrounding area for her missing sandals. "Any idea where I left my shoes?"

Sesshoumaru rose from his seat by the pond and said, "Wait here."

He left before she could ask where he was going. She pulled up a fistful of grass and chucked it into the pond. Her arousal was less intense now, but still undeniably there. Maybe the wine hadn't been entirely to blame. She pulled her knees into her chest and screwed her eyes shut.

A surge of youki demanded her attention. Her eyes snapped open and she shot to her feet. It wasn't just one demon. There were several. Whoever they were, they didn't feel as powerful as Sesshoumaru or the other warlords, but they were far from small fry. Balling her fists, Octavia steadied her breathing and reached out with her magic. When she made contact, she experienced an array of varying sensations – the sweet aroma of flowers, the warmth of an open flame, the crackle of lightning, and the icy cold of winter.

Sesshoumaru reappeared with her sandals and thrust them into her hands. His eyes narrowed as he sniffed the air.

"Who are they?" Octavia whispered.

"Intruders," he said.

"What should we—"

"Return to the plaza. I will handle the pests myself."

Nodding, she shoved her feet into her sandals and hurried away.

Octavia followed the sound of music. A few minutes later, she saw the plaza through the trees and sprinted towards it, only to almost collide with Prince Yuudai. "Hello," he said. "I was wondering where you'd gone. Why aren't you with the warlock and the rest of your companions?"

"I wasn't feeling very well," she answered. "Too much to drink, me thinks."

He nodded. "I heard about what happened earlier. I'm sorry you had to go through that. My sisters often act without thinking. Try not to hold it against them."

"And you?" she asked. "Why are you out here all alone?"

"I was looking for our elusive host. It's been so long since we chatted one-on-one. You seem to have beat me to it, though."

"Why do you say that?"

"His scent is all over you."

Octavia stiffened. "It's not what you think—"

"Worry not, human. I know you aren't lovers."

Her lips curled into a frown. "What do you mean, you know?"

"Sess-chan isn't the type to climb into bed with a stranger."

"I'm not a stranger."

"Oh? How long have you known each other?"

"We first met a little over a month ago."

"Then my initial assessment was correct."

Anger sparked in her chest. "What do you know? Your last proper conversation was hundreds of years ago. If anyone's a stranger to him, it's you, not me."

He chuckled. "Bold words for a human."

"My name is Octavia," she snapped.

"I meant no disrespect. I was merely stating that you are braver than the majority of your kind. And more foolish. We Daiyoukai don't take kindly to being undermined."

"That's because you all have egos as fragile as glass."

His hand shot out and caught her wrist. She flinched and tried to pull it free, but his grip was tight and unrelenting. "Watch your words," he warned. "Few are as forgiving as Sess-chan."

"Let go."

He leaned in close and murmured, "Who are you, human? Why are you here? And I want the truth this time."

"I said let go!"

"Not until you tell me who you are—"

Her other hand struck his cheek, silencing him mid-sentence. The slap echoed through the grove. Her heart stopped for a moment when she realised what she'd done, and a ringing started in her ears. Yuudai blinked in slow motion. Without speaking, he released her wrist and caressed his stinging face. She trembled with remorse. "I'm sorry—"

He burst out laughing. Octavia bit her lip and twisted her fingers together. What was so funny?

"That's much better," he said. "I knew there was a reason that he was keeping you all to himself. You really are something, aren't you?"

"You're not angry?"

"Why would I be angry?"

"I hit you."

"Exactly. I've never been struck by a human before." Yuudai smiled wider and tucked his hands into his sleeves. "I'll tell my mother not to worry about you so much. You're not in any danger here. You never were. Especially since Sess-chan takes such good care of you."

"I don't need him to take care of me."

"I never said you did."

He bowed his head before walking away, leaving her to mull over his words. Not wanting to be alone, she marched towards the plaza. It didn't take her long to spot Rin's bright orange kimono. She bounded over to the group and barrelled into Rin's arms, then hid her face in her raven hair. Rin wound her arms around Octavia's waist and rested her chin on her shoulder. Jaken scolded her for running off without saying anything, but Octavia ignored him and concentrated on Rin's comforting scent, which reminded her of lemons and freshly mowed grass.

"Did they hurt you?" Rin whispered.

Octavia shook her head.

Rin planted both hands on her shoulders. "I'm glad. I was so scared when I noticed that you were gone. Not all Daiyoukai are like Sesshoumaru-sama, so I thought something bad had happened to you. Please don't ever do that again."

"I won't," she promised.

"Sesshoumaru-sama will be furious when he finds out that you made Rin cry!" screeched Jaken.

"I didn't cry!" rebuked Rin. "You were the one wailing about how he was going to drown you in the pond if we didn't find her."

"It wouldn't have been entirely his fault," said Cyril. "She was under my watch, too."

"And mine," Sou added.

Octavia glanced around the plaza, searching for Koga and his companions. Had he been worried about her, as well? Had he even cared that she'd gone missing?

Rin saw her scanning the crowd for him and sighed. "He went to look for you a while ago."

Octavia's cheeks warmed. "He did?"

"Uh-huh. You can let him know you're okay once you've made a wish with me."

"What wish?"

Rin pulled her towards the nearest pot of bamboo and handed her a piece of blank card. There was a brush and some ink on the ground in front of the pot, so Octavia picked the former up and tried to decide what to write. Once she'd made up her mind, she pressed the tip of the brush to the card and wrote down her wish. She then attached the card to a branch with a piece of twine and watched as it dangled alongside the other wishes.

"Who reads them?" she asked.

"Most people think it's Orihime and Hikoboshi," Cyril replied. "But some people think it's the magpies. They were the ones who granted Orihime's wish to cross the river, after all."

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The intruders waited until she was out of earshot to reveal themselves. They descended from above and had him surrounded in an instant. Standing his ground, Sesshoumaru hovered a hand over the Bakusaiga's hilt.

"Hello again, Sesshoumaru," the blue-haired demoness greeted. "It's been a while."

"Toran," he growled.

Grinning, the demoness and her siblings dropped to their knees. "Fear not," Toran said. "We didn't come here to fight. We have a proposition for you."

He arched an eyebrow. "Go on."

"We think it's time for our clans to become allies."

He snorted. "Don't be absurd."

"I told you he'd never agree to it," Karan muttered.

"We have much to offer," continued Toran. "The Panther Tribe has grown since you last saw us. Our territory now covers most of the western shoreline, and we own a rather large fleet of ships."

"I do not need ships."

"We also heard a rumour that the lightning in your sword has awakened at long last," added Shuran.

"What lightning?"

"The attack that vaporises those with demon blood. I can teach you how to wield it."

Sesshoumaru paused. Could Shuran be referring to the beam of blue light that had destroyed the crones and their underlings? Why would a cat know how to master such a complex move? Yes, the cat in question was a master of lightning, but there was no proof that his lightning was the same as the kind the Tenseiga could produce. Then again, there was no proof that it wasn't.

Karan smirked. "Now he's interested."

"How did you come to know about it?" he asked.

"All in good time," Toran answered. "Now, will you accept our offer or not?"

He stared at them. "What are your motives for proposing this alliance?"

"You're the son of the Inu no Taisho," Shunran replied. "No one would dare get in our way if they knew we were friends with you. We'd be unstoppable."

Sesshoumaru kept his expression neutral as he weighed the pros and cons of accepting their proposal. His father would never have agreed to an alliance with the Panther Tribe, but looking back, his father was the reason that their clans were at odds to begin with. If he hadn't killed the Panther King, Toran and her siblings would have had no reason to seek revenge on him.

You've spent so long trying to be like your father. When are you going to start being you?

"Well?" Karan probed. "What do you say?"

"I shall consider it." They smiled. "In the meantime, feel free to enjoy the festivities."

"Oh, we will," Shuran promised.

Sesshoumaru turned his back to them and was about to walk away, when Toran asked, "Is it true that you've allied yourself with a human?"

He clenched his jaw. "It is. Not that it concerns the likes of you."

"What is she? Her power . . . It reminded me of the Shikon no Tama."

He glanced at them from over his shoulder and donned an evil smirk. "Why do you think I chose her of all people?"

"So it's true," gasped Karan. "The jewel might be gone, but its power remains."

"Her magic precedes the jewel by centuries," Sesshoumaru said. "And exceeds its abilities tenfold."

"Is that supposed to reassure us?" Shunran asked with a frown.

He resisted the urge to chuckle. "Calm yourselves. Unlike the jewel, which could be ruled by no man, the mage is under my control."

"I hope you're right," Toran uttered. "Not just for our sake, but for yours, too."

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Author's Corner

Octavia's wish will be revealed in due time ;)