Author's Corner

Thank you so much to all the new readers who've followed and favourited! This fic now has a whopping 500 follows! How on earth did that happen?

Shout-out to my lovely friend victoriarogue as well! Your support means the world. ❤️

I hope you all enjoy this chapter. The opening scene has a lot of foreshadowing, so pay attention to the details *wink wink*.

EIGHTH BLOOD

Chapter 112: Nocturne

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The sand was cold and gritty between her toes, like a powdering of fresh snow.

There was nothing around her for miles. The desert had no beginning and no end. She was caught in the middle of it, with no memory of how she had gotten there or how to get out. The night sky was an abyss waiting to swallow her. There were no clouds, but no stars, either. Even the moon had abandoned its post and fled, leaving the ground below to fend for itself.

Rin pinched the inside of her wrist. She was surprised by how real the pain seemed. Rubbing to ease the sting, she trudged across the sand dunes until she arrived at her destination.

A grey, disc-shaped island awaited her in the distance. At its centre stood a high tower that was leaning sideways. The tower was anchored to the ground by curved support beams to ensure that it didn't topple over, whereas the disc it was sitting on rotated freely, riding the sand currents as if they were waves in the ocean.

She entered the tower wordlessly. Its stone walls and hollowed-out interior made it feel like a tomb. It was eerily quiet, except for a mysterious ticking noise that ricocheted around the space like a swarm of insects periodically beating their wings. Shivering, Rin climbed the spiral staircase all the way to the pinnacle of the tower. It was empty there, too. But then she blinked, and suddenly it wasn't anymore.

A figure sat cross-legged on the floor in front of her, swathed in darkness. All she could see were two tiny spots of light where their eyes were. Creeping closer, Rin could have sworn that she saw a mane of silver hair flowing down the figure's back like a waterfall, but the scene vanished before she had a chance to verify it.

The pinnacle of the tower was inexplicably replaced by a dense forest that was buried in several metres of snow. Remembering what Rafu had told her about his dreams, she searched for the butterfly that was supposed to guide her, but it wasn't there.

There was only him.

Her eyes met Kohaku's through the icy branches and widened when she saw a thin trickle of blood running down his chin from his mouth. His face was a portrait of horror as he lowered his gaze to his chest, which was skewered by a large sword with a purple blade. The man wielding it had multicoloured eyes – one lime and one lilac – and his cheeks bore terrible scars that made her stomach turn. He was a complete stranger to her, yet he seemed so familiar.

The man smiled as he pushed the blade in deeper, causing blood to spurt out of Kohaku's chest and onto the once-perfect snow.

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As soon as the vision subsided, Rin lurched into a sitting position and gasped for breath. Her heart was like a caged animal, clawing at her insides and howling to be let out.

The bedsheets had crystallised where her hands had been, and her temples throbbed. Pulling her knees into her chest, she willed herself to be calm, but she couldn't get the sight of Kohaku impaled on that man's sword out of her head.

Swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, she stuffed her arms into the sleeves of a midnight blue kosode and sprinted towards the door. Starlight seeped in through the paper windows, illuminating her way.

She didn't stop running until she reached the correct door and banged on it with her fists. Her heart was still racing when it finally opened, revealing Kohaku's stunned expression.

"Has something happened?" he asked.

"You're okay," she whispered. "I mean, no. Everything's fine."

"That's a relief." He smiled awkwardly. "Well? What can I do for you?"

His kosode appeared to have been fastened in a hurry – as evidenced by its failure to cover his toned upper torso – and his hair was tousled from sleep. He lifted his arm and raked his fingers through the dark locks, causing the remaining shards of Shikonstone to glimmer with each turn of his wrist. Cyril had managed to extract most of it, but some had fused to his bone and thus could not be removed. It was a little off-putting, but it was also strangely beautiful. Heat bloomed in her cheeks and she averted her eyes quickly, hoping that her ogling hadn't been too obvious.

"I wanted to see you," she mumbled.

"Why?"

"Because—"

"Taijiya-san?" a musical voice called out from inside the room. "What's taking so long?"

It was his turn to look flustered now. "J-Just a moment," he replied politely, but there was an edge to his voice that couldn't be concealed by courtesy.

Rin's chest constricted painfully. "Oh. I didn't realise you had company. I'm sorry for bothering you."

"It's not—"

"Is it that demoness you were with at the celebration? Or is it someone else?"

He blushed harder. "Go back to bed, Rin. It's late, and . . . We can talk about this tomorrow—"

"Don't bother," she grumbled. "I'm actually not interested."

Eyes burning, she marched away before he could respond. It was childish of her to react in such a manner, but she couldn't stomach the thought of someone touching him so intimately, and him doing the same to them. She didn't understand why it bothered her so much. Kohaku was her friend. He deserved to feel loved and cherished, and if a demoness could do that for him, Rin ought to be happy for them.

Tears blurred her vision, plunging her surroundings underwater. These days, all she ever did was cry. It was pathetic. She was pathetic.

Her forehead slammed against something hard and solid. Pain rippled through her skull, making her groan and clamp a hand over her aching brow.

"Hey! Watch where you're going—" The voice cut out abruptly, then muttered, "Oh, shit."

Rin released a shuddering breath and kept her gaze low in an attempt to hide her tears. A pointless endeavour, really. After all, there was nothing she could do to disguise the scent of salt. Perhaps if she ignored him, he would walk away and pretend he hadn't seen her.

". . . I know I promised not to talk to you, but are you all right?"

She laughed in disbelief. The action broke the dam that had been holding back her tears and caused them to flow violently down her cheeks. "No!" she sobbed, then wept into her hands.

Koga was silent as the tears drenched her palms. Eventually, he cleared his throat and said, "Do you need me to get someone for you? Sesshoumaru or Octavia, maybe? Just say the word and I'll—"

"Don't!" Rin grabbed his wrist. "I don't want anyone to see me like this. Especially not them. Please don't say anything."

"Okay," he agreed. "I won't."

Relieved, she let go of his wrist and used her sleeve to dry her eyes.

"I don't know what happened, but is there anything I can do to help?" he asked.

She shook her head.

"You sure? I know a few jokes I think you'd like."

"Jokes?" she sniffed.

"It's when you say something funny to try and make someone laugh—"

"I know what a joke is," she snapped. "I'm not stupid."

His throat bobbed. He must have subconsciously known that he had taken things too far. Asking if she was all right was one thing, but actively trying to cheer her up was another story entirely. He was lucky that she was even talking to him at all.

Come to think of it, why was she still talking to him?

"What brings you here this time?" she asked sharply. "I don't think Sesshoumaru-sama would be very happy if he found out that you'd been shirking your duties in the name of comedy. Unless he specifically ordered you to compile a list of jokes for him?"

He seemed to realise that she was being sarcastic and relaxed his shoulders. "My pack has been tracking Yuudai and his sisters for the past few weeks," he explained. "Things were looking pretty good for a while, but the trail went cold just before the Hill of the Ancients."

Her tear ducts were fully dried now. "They survived the attack on the Eastern Stronghold?"

Koga nodded. "It sure seems that way."

"Do you think they're still alive?"

He shrugged. "Do you?"

She hesitated. "You didn't answer the question."

"Neither did you."

His eyes bore into hers—blue piercing brown. Her heart rate increased when he used his thumb to wipe away a tear that was dangling from her jaw. His hand lingered there for a moment, fingers curling around her chin, before finally loosening.

"Why were you crying?"

Rin heaved a sigh. "You wouldn't get it."

"Try me," he persisted.

She looked away. "I don't want to talk about it."

Thankfully, he didn't push for an answer. She wouldn't have known what to say, anyway.

"Can I at least walk you back to your room? It's pretty dark out tonight. I'd feel bad if you tripped and hurt yourself."

The offer took her by surprise. A month ago, she would have told him to go to hell, but the prospect of being left alone with her thoughts was infinitely less appealing.

"Sure. Why not?"

He seemed pleased and gestured for her to lead the way. The combined sounds of their footsteps echoed in her ears. She peeked up at him from under her lashes and was disappointed to find him staring ahead obliviously. Unless he was avoiding her gaze on purpose. She had threatened him with a lifetime ban from the stronghold, after all.

"These jokes of yours," she started. "Are they any good?"

"They're okay, I guess."

"Tell me one."

She half expected him to refuse, but he quickened his pace so that they were walking side by side and said, "What happens when two samurai get into an argument?" He paused for dramatic effect, then concluded, "It might take a while, but they'll sword things out eventually."

She grimaced. "That's terrible."

"In your opinion."

". . . Tell me another."

He racked his brain for a follow-up. "Which are funnier: mountains or forests?"

"I don't know."

"Mountains, 'cause they're hill areas."

As awful as it was, she couldn't help but smile a little.

"There it is," he said with a smile of his own. "I told you I was good, didn't I?"

"That's not the word I'd use."

He chuckled.

Her chest tightened when she registered where they were. Her room was only a corridor away. She wasn't sure how many more sleepless nights she could take. The visions were always worse in the hours between dusk and dawn, and her room often felt more like a cell than a refuge. The most recent vision was still fresh in her mind, each detail more horrendous than the last.

But it wasn't the only thing that was bothering her. Even now, her thoughts kept drifting back to Kohaku—to his bare chest and tousled hair.

"Here we are," said Koga. "Mission accomplished."

He patted the wall next to her door and nodded in approval. Rin's mouth felt uncomfortably dry as she studied his chiselled jawline. Their eyes met and she stiffened, suddenly self-conscious.

It was there again—that strange feeling in the pit of her stomach, like a noose tightening with the weight of some invisible load. The longer he stared at her, the stronger the feeling became. She thought of Kohaku again and felt a wave of bitterness swell up inside of her. He would never look at her the way he'd looked at that demoness. No matter how much time passed, or how much she matured, he would never see her as anything more than a child.

Koga flashed her a small grin. "This is where I leave you." He paused, then added quietly, "G'night, Rin."

"Wait."

He stopped his retreat instantly.

Rin swallowed. She hadn't meant to say it out loud.

There was no turning back now.

"Wait," she repeated. When he didn't react, her feet moved towards him, each step slow and deliberate. "Before you go, tell me one more stupid joke."

"All right." He sounded hesitant, but he obliged anyway. "What does a fish say when she disagrees with her husband?"

The silence that followed was oddly charged.

"I don't quite sea it that way?" she finished. "Yeah, I've heard that one before." Her chest was mere centimetres from his. "Tell me a different one."

His pupils dilated, the black pushing out the blue. "Do you really want me to?"

No, she thought. And then she kissed him.

He didn't reciprocate, but he also didn't push her away like she'd thought he would. His lips were cold. With her limited experience, she did what she could to warm them. She laid her palms flat against his breastplate and peppered his mouth with shy kisses. Surely he would stop her soon?

Or not.

His hands closed over her forearms and squeezed them gently. The touch made heat pool low in her belly, like a volcano stirring awake. "This is a bad idea," he breathed. "I shouldn't—"

The strain in his voice boosted her confidence. "I'm not a little girl anymore, Koga."

"You think I can't see that?" He sounded angry. Not at her, she realised with a start, but at himself. "We can't. Sesshoumaru would kill me—"

She silenced him with another kiss. It started out the same as the previous one, but changed when she felt his lips moving against hers.

It was nothing like how it had been with Tsunayoshi. With him, it had been a means of exerting power over her. This, on the other hand, was raw and primal.

Koga's breathing harshened as she looped her arms around his neck. She resisted the urge to smile when he cupped her cheeks with his strong hands. Kissing him felt good. Really good. No wonder people liked doing it so much. Was this how Kohaku felt when he was with that demoness?

The unbidden thought soured her mood slightly. Eager to suppress it, she utilised her upper body strength to push against Koga's powerful frame. He seemed surprised when his back made contact with the wall, but it didn't dampen his enthusiasm. If anything, it made him even more agitated. Her skin burned as he kissed her harder and gripped her waist for better leverage.

There was a tingling sensation between her legs that seemed to be getting worse with each passing second. She shifted uncomfortably, hoping it would go away if she ignored it, but it never did. Crushing her thighs together, she moved to untangle herself from Koga's hold, only to inadvertently bump her hips against his. The unexpected jolt of pleasure made her gasp inappropriately.

Mortified, she broke away from the kiss and hid her face in his neck. She didn't want to see his reaction. What if he laughed at her?

"Damn it," he cursed, then reversed their positions so that she was the one pressed against the wall. His eyes were like two scalding pools of water. "That taijiya of yours is an idiot."

"What—"

His mouth claimed hers roughly, reigniting the spark in her lower abdomen. His armour was uncomfortable, but the soft fur around his waist and shoulders more than made up for it.

Wolf's fur, she thought absently, expecting to recoil away from him in terror. He was the embodiment of every nightmare she'd ever had—her worst fears brought to life in the form of a man. He should have tasted like death, yet she couldn't detect a single trace of it. All she could think about was how alive he was making her feel.

She grabbed hold of his face and grazed his bottom lip with her teeth. He was panting when he wrenched his mouth away from hers and rasped, "Enough."

Puzzled, Rin leaned in to kiss him again, but he was already out of reach. Releasing her waist, Koga staggered backwards with a troubled expression. Her stomach twisted with anxiety. Had she somehow offended him?

"No more wandering around at night, okay?" he said through gritted teeth. "It's not safe with all these strange demons running amok."

"The refugees aren't dangerous," she replied, similarly out of breath.

His eyes were dark when he murmured, "We're all dangerous."

He left without waiting to hear her response.

She considered calling him back, but she didn't want to risk being ignored. She had already humiliated herself enough. Clinging onto the last few scraps of her dignity, she ducked into her room and slammed the door as hard as she could.

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Author's Corner

Being a teenager is just one embarrassing thing after another. Don't worry, Rin, we've all been there.

Thanks for reading! Please consider leaving a review with your thoughts. I promise I don't bite!