Curiosity? Sesshoumaru was willing to continue whatever they'd started because of curiosity?

Kagome bit her lip, picking at the delicate flesh until she tasted blood, a frown wrinkling her brow. It didn't make sense. Sesshoumaru prided himself on not feeling anything, hence why she'd needled him about it, but was willing to give into such an unpredictable emotion? For a mere human?

Ah-Un nudged her shoulder, and she realized she'd stopped walking. Sighing, she ran her hand over their scales. "I'm alright, just thinking." Both heads nuzzled her cheeks, snorting softly as she started moving again.

"They've imprinted on you." The edge of Kohaku's mouth twitched with amusement.

"Doesn't that only happen when they're first born?"

"Usually," the slayer said, "but from what Jaken-sama told Rin, their family was slain before they hatched." Heart clenching, she kept her hand on the dragon's back. "They've bonded with Rin, but I think they see her as more of a pet than anything else."

Instincts compelled her to glance back further, but she clamped down on them, not wanting to bring anyone else into the conversation—especially him. "But they protect her, don't they?"

"It's not just about protection." Kohaku increased his pace, so he was on the other side of Ah-Un. "They followed Sesshoumaru-sama because they sensed his strength and knew they'd be safe with him. Rin was small and vulnerable, so they probably saw themselves in her—or one of their lost siblings."

The thought of the beast finally breaking through its shell, expecting to be coddled and only finding bloodshed, was heartbreaking, and Kagome vowed to buy them more treats in the next village. "And me? I've only been around them as long as Rin's been in Kaede's care. And even then, they spend more time in the West than with her."

Kohaku shrugged casually. "I'm not an expert; I can just see how they act around you. They haven't let you out of their sight since Rin disappeared. They were waiting in the forest while you and Sango were bathing."

She'd known that, had sensed their proximity, but Kagome assumed they'd been looking for food. Did dragons hunt? They hadn't shown any indication of needing to do so, but then again, she'd been more focused on other things.

"So it's kind of a safety thing? Am I pack to them?" she asked. Sango and Inuyasha had explained various points of what being pack meant, but they still found it difficult to describe it in human terms.

It was family but not, and everyone had a role, with alphas at the top. But alphas weren't assigned or voted upon; it was all power and actions, so packs could form without purposeful intention, all based on how a group interacted with each other.

Thinking about it only made Kagome's head spin, and she pulled herself back to the present conversation. "Does that mean they'll never leave me out of their sight?"

"Mostly," Kohaku agreed. "Unless they view whoever you're with not to be a threat." The memory of last night surfaced, and Kagome flushed. Ah-Un had woken when she'd stepped away with Sesshoumaru but hadn't shown any indication to follow. Did that mean she wasn't in danger with him?

The implications only increased the heat in her face. Had the dragon known what they were doing and assumed it was consensual? Or was it just because they trusted Sesshoumaru's power? She started chewing on her lip again, eyes flickering back to the daiyoukai against her wishes.

He hadn't said anything all morning, though she hadn't expected him to. In fact, she'd hoped it wouldn't come up at all. She couldn't stop thinking about it, but having his added snark would only back her into a corner that, at this point, she wasn't willing to be kept in.

She enjoyed him touching her.

She'd been surprised how easily she'd been able to admit that to herself. She'd thought there would be a lot more denial, especially with the lack of emotional connection between them, but it boiled down to the fact that he'd known what he was doing and was willing to do it without any strings attached.

The reason behind his so-called curiosity seemed to be a nuance, so if he could decompartmentalize, so could she.

Coming to the realization they could be adults about it, a weight lifted from her shoulders, and she raised an eyebrow at Sesshoumaru. His own rose in surprise before an odd gleam swirled within his eyes, the possibility of what the future would hold sending a welcome shiver down her spine.

If he was that good with his hands, she was looking forward to what else he'd be knowledgeable in—and her body buzzed with anticipation of teaching him a few things along the way.

"We've been here before," Inuyasha said, hand gripping the hilt of Tessaiga. They'd finally caught a break, a pack of travelling merchants pointing them back towards the mountains. They'd just finished selling their wares in a riverside village when there'd been an uproar about a healer going missing.

The merchants had been up early to set up their shop when the woman in question rushed from her hut towards an unseen threat. They'd assumed it was part of her usual routine, but when she hadn't returned by evening, and no blood had been found, they'd decided to move on.

Kagome had had to step in to stop both brothers from spilling the merchants' blood, forcing them back with her now unblocked reiki. Inuyasha had been surprised at how easily she'd controlled it, but although he'd been irked at her interference, there had been something akin to approval on Sesshomaru's face.

The merchants had been more willing to part with the information about which direction they'd seen the healer run after Kagome promised no harm would come to them, and they'd retraced their steps in the hopes of finding a trace of her power.

Inuyasha got down on his haunches, inhaling deeply as he crawled around the campsite. The river had led away from the village, tapering off to a gurgling stream, but it was enough to sustain a group while they rested for the night. Kagome knew water often washed away scent and aura alike, but Inuyasha sensed something, and she was more than willing to explore it.

There was also something familiar about the area, an odd sense of foreboding wrapping around her and tightening within her chest. Something had happened to her here, something terrible, and though she never considered herself a coward, nothing about the small patch of dirt put her at ease.

Inuyasha continued toward a cave at the back of a mountainside, shoulders hunched as Kirara followed, mewing softly. Kagome looked at Sango in question, but Sesshoumaru knelt down, dragging his fingers through the upturned soil. "Dark magic has been used here."

The slayers frowned, and the pit in Kagome's stomach worsened. Slayer training was intense and included being prepared for as many contingencies as possible, but dark magic was an entity all to itself, and if that's what they were up against, she wasn't sure how much help they'd be.

"Is it fresh?" Kagome asked, keeping an eye on Inuyasha and her power primed, ready for an ambush, but Sesshoumaru shook his head.

"It is stale, possibly from years ago. But the roots run deep." He flicked his claws and straightened. "There has not been any life here for some time. There are remnants of clay and grave soil—" Kagome grabbed his arm, and he growled at the force of it, but her eyes remained on Inuyasha, her friend having spun around at the same moment.

Clay.

Grave soil.

Dark magic.

Inuyasha bounded back over to them, yanking the two apart. "We gotta get you away from here! There's no tellin' what could happen!"

A strange buzzing started in her ears, and she struggled to stay upright, grappling for purchase. Inuyasha cursed as Ah-Un shoved him out of the way, teeth bared as they curled protectively around her.

Inuyasha gripped Tessaiga, pulling it halfway out before Sango placed a hand on his shoulder. "They think you're the one scaring her. What's going on? Is Kagome-chan in danger?"

Inuyasha continued to glare at the dragon as they rested their heads under Kagome's arms, keeping her steady as her vision swam. She shouldn't be here. The magic was long gone, but she shouldn't be here. Her side ached, though she couldn't be sure if the pain was real or a phantom of her soul being ripped from her body.

This was where Urasue had resurrected Kikyou.