Author's Corner

I want to start this chapter by sending out a huge thanks to both JerseyPrime23 and Vulpeculaa for their kind reviews (as if you both binge read the whole thing in one go omg ur poor eyes), and also Snodil for your constant support. I really appreciate and love every single comment you guys leave. So without further ado, I hope you all enjoy the new chapter!

The title for this chapter is a reference to the phrase 'yuyeh sesh', which appears in Leigh Bardugo's Grisha series and translates literally to 'despise your heart'.

EIGHTH BLOOD

Chapter 52: Despise your heart

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Dawn arrived and swathed the Western Lands in soft, yellow light.

Octavia had spent the night in Rin's bed rather than her own – mostly because she missed her, but partially because Rin's engawa faced the front of the stronghold, whereas hers faced the gardens at the back. Octavia leaned against the railing and watched the other courts climb into their various palanquins. They must have known that she was watching, but none of them bothered to look at her. Or maybe they were too afraid to whilst Arashi was present.

His words had haunted her all night.

I wanted to be wrong about you, human. You had so much potential.

Her fingernails dug into the meat of her palms, and she clenched her jaw. She was furious with him for renouncing Nagisa's claim to the Northern Lands, but she'd be lying if she said that his opinion meant nothing to her.

Despite everything that had happened, she still wanted his approval. It was pathetic.

Sighing, she turned away from the bannister and headed back inside.

She tensed when she heard the shuffling of feet on the other side of Rin's door. Her pulse accelerated when a small envelope was pushed through the crack at the bottom. She waited until the footsteps faded away before snatching the envelope from the floor and reading the kanji on the front. It was addressed to Nagisa, and the wax seal at the back had been pressed with Arashi's crest, implying that it had been sent by a member of the Northern Court.

Octavia opened the door and searched the corridor for the person who had delivered it, but they hadn't stuck around. She slipped the envelope into her robes and hurried back onto the engawa. Her eyes scanned the crowd of Daiyoukai below, making sure that everyone was accounted for.

The only one who met her gaze was Nagisa's mother, Lady Maiha, who stared at her intently.

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"None of this was your fault, Sesshoumaru," Susumu said with a weak smile. "I want you to know that. And Arashi will come around eventually, so don't take the things that he said to you too personally. He doesn't always think before he speaks."

Sesshoumaru ignored the old tortoise's attempts to console him. "Travel safely, Susumu."

"We will. Take care of yourself."

They bowed their heads in unison and Susumu took his leave. Yuudai waited until his father was out of earshot before saying, "Whilst I'm disappointed, I can't say I'm surprised. There were too many variables for it to not go horribly wrong. Anyway, it was good to see you again."

"Likewise," said Sesshoumaru.

Yuudai glanced at his sisters, who were waving from inside their palanquin, and sighed. "I'm tempted to transform and make my own way home," he grumbled. "My sisters have always been insufferable, but they've gotten worse since meeting the human. They were heartbroken when they found out she wasn't coming to see us off. They're pretty in love with her, you know."

"They're not the only ones," Sesshoumaru remarked, narrowing his eyes accusingly.

Yuudai blinked in surprise. "I'm not . . . Is that what you think? Damn. I knew I'd gone too far when I spoke to her during Tanabata. I was only trying to get her to lower the act a little." He brought a hand to his cheek and grinned. "She has quite the smack, doesn't she?"

Sesshoumaru arched a brow. "She struck you?"

"Yeah, but I deserved it."

He hadn't doubted that for a second.

"What is she to you?" asked Yuudai. "Your little speech yesterday made it sound like she meant nothing to you, but I know that's not the case. You wouldn't have gone head-to-head with Arashi in front of everyone if you didn't care about her, so what gives?"

What am I to you?

You are mine.

"The exact nature of our relationship is none of your business," he replied.

Yuudai chuckled. "Always so mysterious. I wonder what Megumi-san thinks of this 'relationship'. That's assuming she knows, of course. You never were particularly close to your mother, were you? I'd love to be a fly on the wall when she finds out that you're friends with a human."

Sesshoumaru glared at him.

"I'm just teasing. You're right. Who you deem worthy of your time is none of my business." He chuckled again and tucked his hands into his long sleeves. "To be honest, I admire you. Bonds are important, after all. Take us four, for example. You, me, Hiroto and Nagisa . . . Perhaps if we'd made more of an effort when we were young, she wouldn't have been so eager to disappear."

He has a point, Sesshoumaru thought.

Nagisa wasn't entirely to blame for what had happened. He recalled her words inside the destroyed temple on Namida. Don't tell me you enjoyed being treated like an accessory? Our fathers didn't care about us as individuals. The only reason they sired us was because they needed heirs to inherit their kingdoms. Our happiness never meant a damn to them.

"It's pointless to dwell on what has already happened," he said finally. "The past can't be altered, but the present can. Concentrate on improving that instead."

Yuudai's eyes softened. "You've changed," he whispered.

"Haven't we all?"

"Well, yeah, but that's not what I mean. It's hard to explain, but . . . It's like you were a boy the last time I saw you. And now you're a man."

Sesshoumaru's brow creased. True, it had been a while since they'd seen each other, but he was almost positive that they'd both been adults then, too.

"Goodbye, Sess-chan," Yuudai said, smiling tenderly.

"Goodbye," Sesshoumaru responded quietly.

He'd always hated that nickname.

The prince joined his sisters in the palanquin, leaving Sesshoumaru to mull over his words alone.

He cast a subtle glance towards Octavia – who was watching from Rin's engawa – and was surprised to find her attention elsewhere. He followed her gaze to Lady Maiha. The demoness broke eye contact with her as soon as she sensed him looking at her and met his intense stare.

Before he could wander over and interrogate her, Arashi collared him from behind. His aura was calmer than it had been yesterday, but he still seemed miffed. Sesshoumaru kept his composure as the Lord of the Northern Lands balled his fists and said, "May I speak with you?"

Sesshoumaru inclined his head in affirmation.

"I want to apologise for my behaviour yesterday. I allowed my emotions to get the better of me. My attitude towards you was completely unacceptable. I hope you can forgive me."

"It's not too late to change your mind," Sesshoumaru told him.

"I'm afraid it is. If I go back on my word, I lose the respect of all who follow me."

"Better that than a daughter."

Arashi sighed sadly. "I know we haven't always seen eye to eye, Sesshoumaru, but I want you to know that I don't hate my daughter. I understand how this might seem unfair to you, but things are never as simple as they seem. Nagisa is my first and only child, and I love her dearly. I always will. But I have a duty to my lands and the people that live in them. And duty comes first."

"My father was under the impression that love is the most important thing of all."

"Technically, he wasn't wrong. The heart is powerful, but it also makes us weak. The irony of that statement is not lost on me. But the truth of the matter is: the more you love others, the more they can hurt you." Arashi placed his hands on Sesshoumaru's shoulders. "Listen to me. Never make choices with your heart. Your father was a brilliant warrior, but he was also reckless and emotional. He was guilty of prioritising his heart over his head, which resulted in his downfall. I see so much of him in you. Don't make the same mistakes he did."

Sesshoumaru's eyes were cold and vacant when he said, "I don't intend to."

Arashi smiled slightly. "Farewell, Sesshoumaru. And good luck."

Sesshoumaru silently bowed his head, prompting Arashi to do the same.

He watched as the other courts travelled through the eastern gate together before separating at the fork further down the road. His heart ached as he remembered the last time that he'd watched them leave, all those centuries ago. He glanced sideways at the spot his father had been standing in and grimaced at the empty space beside him. I see so much of him in you.

Sesshoumaru tilted his head towards Rin's engawa, which was empty now, and tried to suppress the unexpected surge of emotion that he was experiencing. He'd lost count of how many times he'd wished his father was still alive, and there it was again, gnawing away at his senses.

Acid oozed out of his claws and burned the ground at his feet. He hated that he would never surpass him. He hated that his father was all anyone saw whenever they looked at him. But most of all, he hated how much he missed him.

There was nothing he wouldn't give to see him again.

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Octavia practically sprinted through the castle. She asked the servants if they knew whether Nagisa had returned or not, but the majority of them didn't even know who she was. Only a select few had witnessed her arrival yesterday, and as it had been four hundred years since her last visit to the stronghold, many of them were too young to know what she'd looked like.

Since Rin and Jaken hadn't been spotted either, Octavia had no choice but to assume that they were still paying their respects to Taro.

Sighing, she decided to visit Cyril and see if he'd made any progress with the Reikon Blade. When she arrived at his study, she knocked once and waited for him to give her permission to enter. But there was no response. Puzzled, she banged on the door again and called out his name.

Eventually, she tired of waiting and yanked the doors open.

The room was a disgrace. Tables were turned over and the equipment on the shelves had been destroyed. Her eyes widened when she noticed Cyril lying on the ground next to a wall, surrounded by broken glass. She rushed over to him and carefully rolled him onto his back. Her heart stopped when she saw blood on his clothes from where the glass had pierced his skin.

His chest heaved up and down, confirming that he was still alive. She tried to rouse him awake, but her actions were in vain. He was out cold.

A burnt smell forced its way into her nostrils. It was coming from the central desk behind her. Turning slowly, she identified the Reikon Blade amongst the debris and saw that it was smoking slightly. The purple crystal blinked on and off, matching the rhythm of Cyril's pulse perfectly.

"Vessel . . ." he murmured, startling her. "Tooth . . ."

"Cyril?" she called urgently. "It's me, Octavia. Wake up!"

His snout twisted into a grimace, and he groaned. She stroked his neck anxiously, wishing she knew the mitama mark to pull someone out of a dream.

"Dream Eater," she whispered suddenly, remembering what Nidawi had told her.

The dagger glowed brighter in response to the name. Closing her eyes, Octavia reached out with her magic and brushed against a wall around Cyril's mind. The Reikon Blade pulsed, shattering the wall and granting her access. Unlike Sesshoumaru's, Cyril's thoughts were scattered and incredibly difficult to navigate, like walking through a sandstorm. She suspected that there was magic at work, which made sense. She wouldn't want someone digging around in her memories, either.

Suddenly, the room started to fill with luminous purple water.

She stayed afloat for as long as she could, until the water reached the ceiling, and she was forced to take a deep breath so that she didn't drown. Now that she was submerged, she saw that the walls and floor were all gone, leaving nothing but water. Her lungs burned as she fought against the current. The surface didn't look too far. She could make it.

Kicking her legs, she swam towards the rippling sun. The moment the air hit her skin, she released the breath she'd been holding and closed her eyes, relishing in the feel of fresh oxygen in her lungs. Her pulse steadied and she examined her surroundings. She was in the middle of a large pond surrounded by a dense forest. Swimming to the bank, she crawled out of the now crystal-clear water and slicked back her fringe, which was soaking wet like the rest of her.

Muffled voices drifted over to the pond from somewhere deep in the forest. She followed them to a small glade where two figures were conversing with each other. They had their backs turned to her, so she couldn't see their faces, but she recognised the first voice.

"Your child is in terrible danger," Nidawi said.

Octavia peered out from behind a tree to get a better look at them.

The man standing next to Nidawi had long silver hair which was bound with a dark blue band, spiked shoulder plates, and a fur cape that reached his ankles. He turned his head to meet Nidawi's gaze, revealing blue stripes on his cheekbones, and a pair of bright gold eyes with magenta lids.

Octavia's eyes widened when she realised that the man was Sesshoumaru's father.

"I have taken the necessary precautions to ensure that the babe's blood stays contained," Touga told Nidawi. "Totosai is creating the solution as we speak. When it is complete, the Tessaiga will protect Izayoi and our unborn child from such a fate."

"I meant your eldest," Nidawi clarified. "You've heard the prophecies. You know what will happen."

Octavia dug her fingers into the bark.

Touga closed his eyes and sighed. He looked . . . sadder than the mental image she had of him. She'd imagined a stoic warrior who was strong enough to cleave mountains in half, but looking at him now, all she saw was a father fraught with worry for his children.

"Provoking Ryukotsusei was a mistake," he said softly. "I was wrong about his paramour, the Lady Rayna. She is not what I thought she was."

"Indeed," replied Nidawi. "Her power may be great, but she is only a hatchling. The incarnation of Erem's Vessel that we seek does not yet exist."

Octavia shivered as she remembered Asuka's words. A Daiyoukai and a hatchling? Interesting. I can't say I'm surprised, though. It wouldn't be the first time it's happened.

Touga opened his eyes and said, "I cannot wait that long. I fear my time in this world is coming to an end. Ryukotsusei and I are to battle to the death. It is too late to back out. He is a powerful adversary. I may not survive. How can I guarantee my son's safety if I am dead?"

Nidawi's black eyes glittered. "Bring me a tooth."

Touga blinked. "A tooth?"

"That's right. Bring me one of your son's teeth and I swear he will live."

Octavia waited for Nidawi to explain why she wanted the tooth, but the dream disintegrated around her.

She woke with a start and found that she was sitting hunched over Cyril. The warlock groaned and finally opened his eyes. Taking notice of their position, he shot her a puzzled look.

"What are you doing?" he asked once she'd scooted backwards.

Her hands were shaking. "I could ask you the same thing," she said, feigning confidence. "What the hell happened in here?"

"I was . . ." He frowned slightly. "That's strange. I can't recall."

The shakes didn't relent. "Can you at least remember your dream?"

"I was dreaming?"

Her eyes travelled across the room to the Reikon Blade, which was no longer glowing. Had it been a dream or a memory? Or both? If it had happened, then Sesshoumaru's life was supposedly in danger. But from what? Touga had mentioned Ryukotsusei, but he was dead, and she still hadn't the faintest idea what a hatchling was, or either of the bizarre names that Nidawi had uttered.

Octavia's heart pounded as she wondered what Nidawi's motives for giving her the dagger were.

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Author's Corner

Points for anyone who can figure out the mystery of the Reikon Blade ;) Hint, hint: read through the dream conversation between Touga and Nidawi again very carefully.