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EIGHTH BLOOD

Chapter 57: Monsters

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"Sesshoumaru-sama, have you seen Octavia-san?"

The Daiyoukai opened his eyes to see Rin leaning over him with a worried expression. He rested his head against the tree trunk behind him and replied without thinking, "Not since last night."

If Rin found his answer strange, she didn't show it.

"She wasn't in her room, and Cyril-kun said that she was supposed to meet him after breakfast for her magic lesson, but she never showed. Do you know where she is?"

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes suspiciously. It wasn't like her to be tardy. Not when it came to her lessons with the warlock. He wondered what she deemed was more important than honing her powers. Unless she was still upset about what had happened last night. He cursed himself for being so impertinent. He should have known better than to make assumptions.

Rin sighed when he didn't answer. "I'll ask Jaken-sama if he's seen her. I'm sorry for bothering you."

Before she could run off, Sesshoumaru's hand shot out and grabbed her sleeve. Her brown eyes widened, and she stopped dead in her tracks, staring down at his clawed fingers in disbelief.

". . . Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"I understand that I have been dismissive of your feelings," he said, letting go of her sleeve. "It was never my intention to make you feel like you weren't in control of your own future. If you wish to cease taking your lessons, know that I will honour your decision."

She looked absolutely horrified. "I'm the one who should be sorry," she rebuked fiercely. "I shouldn't have yelled at you. I was frustrated and I took it out on you. It was selfish and immature."

"You're allowed to be selfish sometimes."

"Not if it comes at the cost of hurting others." She averted her eyes awkwardly. "I didn't mean what I said. About my life not being mine anymore. I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for you, my lord. You've done so much for me. I was just a child when we met, so I had nothing to offer, but you protected me all the same. I'll never forget your kindness."

"It wasn't kindness that brought you back to life," he said quietly, remembering Octavia's words in the boat. "It was arrogance. I'm not what you think I am, Rin."

"Sure, you are. You just can't see it."

He closed his eyes. "If you say so."

She smiled and sat beside him on the grass.

"Are you okay?" she asked, noting how tense he was.

"You needn't worry about me so much," he deflected, reopening his eyes. "I am as well as I can be."

"Did something happen between you and Octavia-san?"

He sometimes wondered if Rin could read his mind. It was the only explanation he could think of to justify how perceptive she was compared to those around her. He narrowed his eyes and smirked at her. "What makes you think that?" he queried, trying not to give anything away.

"You spent the night out here," she answered. "You only do that when you've had a disagreement of some kind. What happened this time?"

He snorted. As usual, she was right. Sitting under the night sky helped him think, but most of all, it calmed him when his emotions were out of check, which was happening more and more often these days. He couldn't exactly tell Rin about his conflicting feelings towards her precious friend. She might be perceptive, but even she would never understand the turmoil that he was currently experiencing because of Octavia.

It had been hours since she'd kissed him, yet he could still feel the warmth of her lips. She was in him like a sickness, feasting on his insides, and there was no known cure.

"It doesn't matter now," he said.

Her eyes softened unexpectedly. "It's okay to care about her, you know. I care about her, too. Whatever happened between the two of you, it'll all work out fine in the end. You'll see."

"How can you know that?"

"Because we're her family. And she loves us. Can't you see how happy she is when we're all together? We make her happy . . . Especially you."

He couldn't help but find the timing of her wink awfully suspicious.

She giggled. "Relax. I'm just messing with you." She pushed herself up and brushed grass off of her kimono. "Well, I'd better get going. Sensei hates it when I'm late."

"Sensei?" he echoed, letting his surprise show.

She shrugged and mumbled, "This one's actually kind of cool."

Smirking, he watched her dark hair sway in the breeze. It had gotten longer and less wild over the years, so the silky ends now reached her waist. She'd tried out a variety of different styles during her time in the elderly miko's village, and continued to experiment even now, but the one she favoured the most was a simple half-pony which she tied at the back of her head.

She'd gotten taller again, too. Her growth spurts happened so quickly that the rest of her struggled to keep up with her rapidly increasing height. Her limbs were thin and willowy, and she was more legs than torso. She reminded him of a young doe that was constantly fighting to keep her balance. There were days where he barely recognised her, but if he concentrated hard enough, he could still see traces of the little girl that he'd met in the woods.

"What?" she asked, no doubt contemplating the meaning behind his stare.

"You've changed," he said.

She flashed him a tender smile. "So have you."

"Hn."

She threw her long glossy hair over her shoulder and turned to walk away. "If you see her before I do, will you tell her I was looking for her?"

"I will. In fact, I shall begin searching for her right away. There are things we must discuss."

Rin tilted her head sideways and met his gaze, then beamed at him like a proud parent. It wasn't the first time she'd looked at him like that, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. "Thanks, Sesshoumaru-sama," she said gently, and walked away with a spring in her step.

He waited until he could no longer see her before setting his sights on Octavia's balcony.

He closed the distance with a single leap. Unsurprisingly, she wasn't there, and his nose told him that she hadn't been for quite some time. He followed her scent out of the room and through the castle until it eventually went cold. The mixture of smells made it impossible to pinpoint her exact location, which was rather strange in itself. It would have made sense if the other courts were still here. Finding her should have been easy without their combined scents getting in the way, so why couldn't he sniff her out?

Perhaps she simply didn't want to be found. If she could easily elbow her way into other people's dreams, who was to say that she hadn't learned of a way to conceal her scent?

"Sesshoumaru-sama!"

The Daiyoukai turned and saw Kanetsugu racing towards him.

"What is it this time?" he growled impatiently.

Kanetsugu swallowed. "Pardon the ambush, my lord, but someone has ransacked your father's study. It happened at some point during the night. We think it was the human."

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"Her scent is faint, but it's there. We thought you ought to know—"

He tore past Kanetsugu and marched in the direction of the old study.

Upon arrival, he ordered the demons inside to get out and observed the damage alone. It definitely looked damning. The contents of the desk were strewn across the floor in muddled heaps, and one of the shelves on the bookcase had snapped down the middle, disturbing the volumes that had been resting there. There were also two great gaping holes in the floor.

He examined both holes and found a roll of parchment hidden in one. He plucked it out and opened it, recoiling when he saw the sender's name. Fighting the urge to destroy it with his acid, he read Izayoi's horrendously neat handwriting and felt bile rising in his throat.

Octavia's scent was all over it.

The letter floated out of his hand and landed back in the dusty hole. He felt numb as he watched it fall, taking the smell of Octavia's tears with it. It was an emotional letter, true, but surely it wasn't upsetting enough to make someone cry. But then what had been the reason for her tears?

Kanetsugu appeared in the doorway. "Well? Did she take anything?" he asked.

"Get out," Sesshoumaru said through gritted teeth.

"My lord?"

Sesshoumaru spun around and snarled. His eyes were red with sapphire centres, and his enormous teeth poked out of his mouth like knives. Similarly, his face was warped and angular, and his hands had transformed into giant paws with sharp ends.

Kanetsugu flinched and backed off. "Forgive me," he muttered. "I'll take my leave now."

Sesshoumaru's mind replaced Kanetsugu's retreating form with an image of Octavia, making this the second time he'd watched her walk away. He almost ran after her, but he knew that it wasn't real. She wasn't here. She was gone. Why hadn't she told him she was leaving?

Was she really that afraid of him?

He caught a glimpse of his reflection in an old helmet on the floor and froze. Picking it up, he cradled it carefully in his paws. He couldn't help but grimace at the sight of his own beastly appearance. Perhaps he wasn't the only one whose instincts were at war with his desires. She'd told him she didn't care that he was a demon, but maybe that had been a lie.

Would she want him if he was human?

You're right. There's nothing human about you.

But that's why I like you.

Sesshoumaru's heart thrashed in his chest. How could he have been so foolish? She'd been lying to him. They weren't friends. Her kind and his were natural enemies. It had been that way since the dawn of time, and it would stay the same until the very last second of eternity. Yet he couldn't deny that he still wanted her. However, wanting and having were two very different things.

Nevertheless, he couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if he'd gone after her last night. Would she have turned him away, or would she have committed to the fantasy and surrendered herself to him? How far would she have been willing to go to convince him? How long until the distinction between truth and lies blurred, and they became one and the same?

You're the only one who looks at me and doesn't see what's missing.

In a way, she and him were both monsters.

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When Octavia came to, she felt the bed beneath her shaking. Annoyed and confused, she opened her eyes to see what was going on, only to remember that she was in the back of a boat.

She dragged herself into a sitting position and scrubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Welcome back," the Dressmaker cooed. "You missed the sunset. It was very pretty."

Octavia looked up at the sky and saw a river of bright stars stretching from horizon to horizon. She thought about the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl and imagined them standing on opposite sides of the Milky Way, staring out at the water as they waited for the magpies to come.

"How much longer?" she asked.

"We're almost there," replied Asuka. "We made good time."

Octavia shifted her attention to the Dressmaker, who was stabbing sewing pins into a piece of pink fabric. "How did you do that with the sail?" she queried.

The woman didn't even glance up from her work. "Haven't you ever seen anyone draw a mitama mark before?"

"I've drawn some before," Octavia whispered. "But I don't remember doing any of it."

"Were you dreaming?"

"I don't know. Maybe. Why?"

"We're more vulnerable when we're dreaming. It's like a door gets opened. Yes, we can travel anywhere, but it goes both ways. Anything can wander in."

A chill ran down Octavia's spine. "I sometimes dream about moments I wasn't there for."

"You have the dagger to thank for that."

Dagger?

Octavia reached under her kimono and slipped the Reikon Blade out of its sheath. The purple crystal shone brilliantly, reflecting starlight. She saw Asuka steal a glimpse at it before returning her gaze to the ocean.

The Dressmaker cocked her head to the side and smiled distantly. "This belonged to a friend of mine. There's something different about it, though. It looks heavier."

"You can tell just from looking?"

"You can't?"

Asuka rolled her eyes.

"Was your friend's name Midoriko?" Octavia whispered.

"It was."

Octavia's eyes widened. Exactly how old was this woman?

"What's different about it?" she asked, studying the dagger closely.

"Something has been added to it."

The Dressmaker took the dagger and weighed it in her hands. Unsatisfied, she lifted it to her lips and ran her tongue along the flat edge of the blade. Asuka saw and grimaced, but Octavia scooted closer. "Well?" she probed. "What is it?"

"A tooth," the woman answered.

Octavia nearly laughed in disbelief, until she remembered Cyril's dream. "It's Sesshoumaru's," she breathed. "Isn't it?"

The Dressmaker scowled and returned the dagger. "Does it matter where it came from? It's spoiled a once magnificent weapon. Poor Mi-chan must be turning in her grave." Her puce eyes slid to Octavia's and narrowed menacingly. "How did you acquire this?"

"It was given to me by a spirit called Nidawi."

The Dressmaker's expression faltered. She looked puzzled. Alarmed, even. It was the most emotion she'd shown throughout the entire journey. "I see," she said finally. "How interesting."

"I have no idea what she wants me to do with it, though. She's always talking in riddles."

"That's just like her."

"You know her?"

The Dressmaker smiled. "I know everyone."

Octavia leaned in closer and asked, "Do you know why she gave it to me?"

"I can think of a few reasons."

"Such as?"

"You'll find out soon enough. It's almost time for you to choose whose side you're on. Which will it be? Your Daiyoukai captors or your twi—"

"Enough!" Asuka yelled, shooting the Dressmaker a sharp glare. "It's not your place to tell her that. You know full well that the Commander wants to explain it to her himself. You have no right to take that from him, so just concentrate on your sewing and keep your mouth shut."

The Dressmaker smirked. "Projecting much?"

"Excuse me?"

"You might have lost his favour, but I'm more valuable to him than all of you combined. He and I are the same. The biggest difference between us is that he's human and I'm not, but even that doesn't matter in the end."

Octavia saw Asuka's knuckles turn white as she squeezed the handle of the steering rod.

No more words were exchanged for the remainder of the voyage, until a strip of land appeared on the horizon. Octavia leapt out of her seat and rushed to the bow of the boat. Squinting her eyes, she was able to make out the silhouette of a tiny island.

As they sailed closer, she saw that it was made entirely out of sand. The wind picked up when they came within range and dragged them towards the shore.

"Hold on!" Asuka shouted over the howling gales.

The boat rocked as it tore over the thrashing waves, taking in water, but Octavia was oblivious to the danger, her attention having been stolen by the strange phenomenon in front of her.

The air around the sandbar was being pulled into what could only be a crack in the fabric of reality. The crack was a pointed oval that emitted a faint blue light. It was exactly like the light at the bottom of the Bone-Eater's Well. Asuka steered the boat towards the crack, and they passed through it, entering a bizarre black and blue realm. At first, Octavia thought it was snowing, but the flakes were actually tiny orbs of light, and they were floating up instead of down.

"What is this place?"

"Our ancestors called it the schism," Asuka said. "It's the space between dimensions."

Octavia's mouth was agape. "It's beautiful."

The boat sailed through the sea of stars blissfully, heading for one that was noticeably larger than the rest. It suddenly occurred to Octavia that they weren't stars at all, but rips in time and space, leading to faraway places.

According to Kagome, only she and Inuyasha had been able to travel through the Bone-Eater's Well, so not everyone could enter the schism. But why? Had it been because of the jewel shards?

She glanced down at the Reikon Blade – which was still in her lap – and gasped when she saw that it was glowing from pommel to tip. The polished lump of Shikonstone in the handle dazzled brightly, nearly blinding her . . . Maybe that was the condition for entering the schism.

The boat passed through a different crack and swiftly skidded to a halt on the other side. Octavia slid the now dull Reikon Blade back into its sheath as she rose to her feet. Asuka climbed out of the boat and landed on the soft soil below, which was covered in leaves. There were trees all around them, and the sound of birdsong filled the rich, earthy air. Gone was the smell of salt and freshness. Octavia turned and looked at the crack, which was calmer now; no longer sucking in waves. She walked towards it and reached out to touch it, but her path was blocked by Asuka.

"Don't even think about it," she said with a frown. "You won't be able to get anywhere without the boat, anyway."

Octavia lowered her hand. "I wasn't trying to escape."

"Of course you weren't."

Asuka strode over to the boat and picked up the basket she'd placed the box in. She lifted the lid to check that it hadn't gotten damaged during the trip, before breathing a sigh of relief once she determined that it was okay.

The Dressmaker put away her fabrics and elegantly stepped out of the boat. Octavia gasped as she pulled down her hood for the very first time. She had pale blonde hair that matched her eyebrows, and like her eyes, there was no warmth to it.

"Where are we?" Octavia asked, studying her surroundings.

"Greece," Asuka answered, pointing west. "Athens is that way."

Greece? Octavia thought, puzzled. Why?

But then it dawned on her.

". . . Are we in my time?"

Asuka nodded. "That's right. Welcome back to the twenty-first century, Octavia. You vanished from the Higurashi residence a little under two months ago. The police are still looking into your disappearance. It's the sixteenth of July. Happy birthday, by the way."

Octavia's heart was pounding. "How do you know that?"

"Because it's his birthday, too."

"You're his present," the Dressmaker sang. "Should we make you wear a bow?"

"We don't have time to dawdle," Asuka scolded. "Not if we want to reach the chapel before sunup."

She set off walking with the basket tucked under her arm. Octavia glanced back at the crack before balling her fists and taking several deep breaths. Contrastingly, the Dressmaker was motionless where she stood, staring at Octavia with those odd puce eyes.

"Don't lie to him," she said, lowering her voice so Asuka wouldn't hear. "He'll know if you do."

Octavia nodded and sprinted after Asuka. The Dressmaker's eyes followed the pair until they became tiny specks amid the trees.

It was time for the old gods to die.

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