Kagome was tempted to flare her power, regardless of who else was involved and the consequences therein, but she needed to remain calm. Fae were tricky, even in a good mood, and she didn't want to scare off any of the younglings. She still hadn't met some of them, though they'd often come up in her conversations with Shippou. He was so protective of them even though he wasn't the oldest, and some of them out-ranked him.

She gripped Entei's mane as they ran around the grounds, leaving a trail of her power behind as a beacon. The gardens and the city left too many variables up in the air, so she knew Hakudoushi wouldn't set up his base anywhere but within the castle walls. And depending on who he was working with, she might luck out and be able to keep them out.

The horse whinnied as she neared Bokuseno's glade, and only the thought of someone using her as entry stopped her from stepping inside. Her power was strongest there, so she left more of it behind, hoping the younglings would follow it to safety. Shippou would have enough sense to recognize the signal and lead them there. The old tree would be overflowing with guests, but at least she wouldn't have to worry about any of them getting hurt.

Confident that the barriers would hold, Kagome turned toward the castle, eyeing the window to Sesshoumaru's room. She still hadn't felt a response to her power, so either he was ignoring her, or he was distracted. She tapped her heels against Entei's side, guiding him toward the nearest entrance.

She still hadn't figured out the point of all this, but she was going to stop it. If anything, it was to harm the king, and if they succeeded, all of Meikyuu would go down with him. Regardless of how blue their blood was, leaders were chosen, and the previous king had seen something in Sesshoumaru to pass on his crown. And Sesshoumaru was honourable, if nothing else.

She doubted it was something he considered he needed to be praised for; he probably saw it as a requirement. Those who followed him certainly had it—vile little mind-probing slugs aside.

Entei showed no sign of danger, so they dashed through the halls, flames disappearing into the air instead of catching the curtains and doors. Kagome cursed under her breath as they came upon another empty room. She hadn't even seen Jaken yet, so she had no idea where the king was supposed to be at this time of day.

Steeling her breath, she closed her eyes, searching for a spark of his power. The ball in her pocket pulsed, Sesshoumaru's face appearing in the distant recesses of her mind before quickly fading away, and she turned Entei around. "The throne room," she whispered, urging him forward. Whatever was blocking his power was close by, but she wasn't giving up without a fight.

She could hear voices on the other side of the door as she approached, a sense of foreboding weighing heavily on her shoulders. She'd entered this room before, but someone was always by her side, even as a teen. Entei's warmth was comforting, but he lacked an opinion on matters that would've reassured her if someone like Shippou or Jinenji had been with her.

No matter. She'd deal with whatever was coming herself.

Kagome didn't bother to knock, the doors swinging open with a bang, and she was once again surprised at the lack of inhabitants inside. Maybe Sesshoumaru preferred this location to somewhere more comfortable, or maybe it was his way of flexing his power, but she always imagined mindless chatter and the clink of glasses whenever she entered.

As it was, he wasn't even sitting in his chair. Kagome made a face, once again reminded of how little it matched his personality. Sesshoumaru liked to lounge, but the throne at the back of the room was stiff and tall, leaving little room to lay across it comfortably.

She approached slowly, eyes fixated on his person—and the one across from him. They were both sitting on the floor, two goblets between them, but the dark-haired man was someone she'd never met, and her instincts were instantly on high alert.

"Did you bring us entertainment?" he asked, lifting his cup to his lips.

"Do you require some?" Sesshoumaru replied, leaning against the side of his throne. He looked haggard, though he tried to hide it, and it took everything in her not to race to his side. He hadn't looked this bad since he'd chased her doppelgangers, and the dread only worsened.

The stranger waved in her direction. "Not usually, but it's been a while since you've thrown a party."

"It had been a while since you visited," the king quipped, reaching for his own cup. Entei stomped a hoof and stepped closer.

"Your Majesty," she drew out, unsure how to address him in their given company. "Can I speak to you for a moment?" She looked at his guest. "Alone?"

Sesshoumaru's hand hovered over his cup, slowly meeting her gaze. The chill from earlier spread to her entire body at the hollowed look in his eyes, and he downed the rest of the drink. "I am busy."

The man chuckled, flipping a long ponytail over his shoulder. His ears were similar to the king's, but he had no markings, violet eyes watching her over the rim of his goblet. The periwinkle tunic did nothing to settle her nerves, especially with the sword strapped to his back. He felt fae, but so did the infant, and Kagome wasn't taking any chances. "Is this your latest plaything?" he asked.

Sesshoumaru didn't so much as blink in her direction. "She is merely a figment of my imagination." He rubbed his temples, his sleeve following down to his wrist, and her eyes widened at the unblemished skin.

His stripes had disappeared.

Entei shook his head as she shifted, but Kagome patted his neck reassuringly before sliding off his back. "It's most urgent that I speak with you," she said, trying to keep her voice calm. She still hadn't come across Hakudoushi or either of his siblings, and each second that went by meant less time to discuss strategy.

"She seems most smitten with you," the man said, refilling their cups.

"They all are." They shared a laugh, but the man hesitated while Sesshoumaru raised his cup, and Kagome moved without thinking, smacking the goblet away. It clanged against the floor, liquid sloshing the men's feet, and Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. "You overstep."

"You're not listening!" she shot back. "And who knows what was in that!"

The man hummed, leaning back on his hands. "Do you hear that, Brother? She thinks I'm trying to poison you."

Kagome stilled, slowly turning around. "Brother?"

The man shot her an amused look. "Indeed. I'm surprised he hasn't mentioned me. I am Byakuya." His introduction went no further, and she wasn't convinced of his laid-back attitude.

She straightened, wondering if she should've brought a weapon with her. "If you're his brother, why are you fae?"

Violet eyes widened with interest, and he leaned to the side, looking at Sesshoumaru. "You're employing humans now?"

Sesshoumaru got to his feet. "She is not one of mine. I assumed you brought her with you." Kagome's heart began to beat erratically against her ribs. Something was wrong. He wasn't looking at her properly, and he'd resorted to the complacent version of himself she'd seen when she first arrived.

"Sess—"

The tip of Byakuya's blade pressed against her throat. "You forget your place. None may speak that name."

Kagome kept her eyes locked on Sesshoumaru, but he didn't so much as flinch. Even when the sword cut into her skin, her blood sliding down the underside of it, he remained calm and uncaring. She didn't know what to do, and her dread gave way to panic.

She'd expected him to listen to her immediately, to start spouting off commands to search the castle for the traitors, but he stared at her, unseeing.

"What did you do to him?" she asked.

The blade pressed deeper into her neck, and she hissed in pain but didn't pull away. "You're the one that barged in here and interrupted our afternoon tea time," Byakuya said. "Dear Brother, are your dungeons still in working order? I think this figment needs some time to reflect on her attitude when it comes to addressing royalty."

There was a crack next to them, followed by a puff of smoke, and Hakudoushi appeared, Shippou's tail caught in his hand. The fox boy thrashed wildly, claws and teeth bared as he tried to get free. "I found a spy," he said. "Can I dispose of him?" He trailed off as he spotted Kagome, and she gave up trying to hide, reiki-shaped daggers forming in her hands.

Hakudoushi threw Shippou against the wall, his yelp of pain only strengthening her resolve to dismantle him permanently. She slashed at his head, but he was too fast, his spear materializing in his hand to block the next blow. "How dare you bring a youngling into this!" she spat, swiping at his midsection as he aimed high. "You know the king would never—"

Hakudoushi smirked. "I wasn't asking him." The warning came too late, Byakuya's sword catching her side. Kagome spun away, managing to keep it from being fatal, but pain shot through her as she stood in front of Shippou, weapons raised.

"You said you were his brother." She winced, unable to hide her expression as she cradled her side.

Byakuya wiped her blood off with his shoe. "I am. Which is why you should be very careful with what you say next." He eyed the kit behind her, tilting his head toward Hakudoushi. "He's going to notice if that one disappears."

"He won't notice anything if you get on with it," Hakudoushi griped.

The fae sighed. "It wouldn't have come to this if you'd kept him sufficiently distracted." He waved a hand at her. "Your illusions are getting out of control. They're supposed to call to him, not fight back." The king hadn't moved, eyes glassy as confusion pinched his brow, but he said nothing.

Kagome shifted her daggers into the sabre, needing something she could wield with one hand as she bent down to check on Shippou. "You were supposed to stay in Bokuseno's garden."

The boy groaned, rubbing his head. "You wouldn't send out that signal if something wasn't wrong. Jinenji's looking after the others." She sighed but nodded her head, helping him to his feet. "I couldn't find you, so I thought you were hurt again," he confessed.

"The barrier should've been enough."

Shippou shook his head. "It was like you'd disappeared again." He finally looked up, grabbing the front of her robe. "Your eyes are brown!" It was barely more than a whisper, but Byakuya heard it anyway, turning on them both. She grabbed the boy, blades clashing as she struggled to remain upright.

The wound wasn't enough to incapacitate her, but it was enough to weaken, and now she had someone else to protect. "What the hell are you playing at?" she yelled, expending more power to keep the fae back.

"I could ask you the same thing," he replied. He hit the bottom of her blade, attempting to worsen the wound on her side, but she parried, moving closer to the king. Why wasn't he responding?

"Your eyes," Shippou repeated. "That's why I couldn't find you."

"I didn't do anything," she said. Hakudoushi attempted to rein in Entei, but the horse wanted nothing to do with his old master, the flames from his hooves setting his sleeves on fire before he ran off.

Byakuya raised a hand, wind ruffling her hair. "This isn't one of mine." He shoved her back, looking toward his brother. "Has he started dreaming again?"

Hakudoushi shook his head. "He hasn't done that for a while. The copies took too much out of him."

"She didn't just appear by herself," Byakuya mocked. He slid his hand along Sesshoumaru's hair before placing a finger in the centre of his moon. Kagome surged forward, knocking his sword from his hand. Hakudoushi's spear was raised in retaliation, but the fae waved him off. "She can't harm me."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that."

"Shippou," she said, glancing over her shoulder. "The stripes of power you mentioned before. Can someone lose them?"

The kit shoots his head. "Not unless they're stolen. And it would mean they'd lost a bunch of their power, too."

"How many should the king have?"

Shippou held up his hands, counting furiously. "18 that I can see. But he probably keeps a few of them hidden."

She knew of two specifically, which meant they were unaccounted for. He'd lost two before she'd come back and at least two now. Wasn't he supposed to acquire more with age? "How would someone go about stealing them?"

He shook his head again. "You'd have to weaken him. A lot. Like, to the point of making him sick. It's another reason why he doesn't sleep that much." He looked between her and their foe. "Have some of them been stolen?"

Byakuya retrieved his sword. "You know a lot for someone so young."

"Is he right?" Kagome cut in. "Have you been stealing his power? The entire castle—"

"Will be rebuilt," Byakuya said, twirling his sword around in his hand. "With someone more qualified in charge." His image wavered, and when he came back into focus, he had two stripes on either cheek.

Her mouth fell open. "Why would you do something so stupid? He was chosen—"

"He is unworthy!" Byakuya snapped. "He was content to lounge around and save babies instead of using his position to conquer the surrounding cities. What is the point of power if you refuse to wield it?"

"He protects us!" Shippou slid down to grip her leg. "He pays attention when we're scared and tired! The land responds to him."

Byakuya's face turned manic. "And it will respond to me when he has been disposed of."

"Over my dead body," Kagome seethed. The sabre turned into a bow, arrow pointed at Byakuya's head.

The two males looked at each other before Byakuya laughed. "A figment created by my brother's lingering attachment is no match for me." She let an arrow fly, catching the end of his ponytail, and he stepped back in shock as several inches were shorn off. He raised his hand again, but there was nothing but wind, and he glared at her. "Why are you unaffected?"

"Your pocket!" Shippou said. She looked down, the odd light of the ball she'd stolen from the infant glowing through the fabric.

Byakuya paled before whirling on Hakudoushi. "You were supposed to keep your brother safe!"

"I did!" his underling argued. "She broke his hold on her!"

Kagome yanked the ball out. If Byakuya knew about the infant, she wanted nothing to do with his trinket. She'd felt off since she'd grabbed the thing, anyway. Muscles clenched, and she threw it at the ground, the ball shattering on impact.

It was like a bomb went off, only more concentrated—and in her favour.

She'd thought it was just because she'd been wounded, that her power was being used to heal her, but as soon as she was rid of the ball, her power flared, forcing both males to their knees. She felt something stir behind her, and she turned to check on the king, arms around his shoulders as she helped him to his feet.

"Sesshoumaru," she whispered. He groaned, shaking his head, and she cupped his face, forcing him to look at her. His eyes were still wrong, and she held him close. "Sesshoumaru." She said it louder this time, power coiling around him in a protective barrier.

Byakuya let out an enraged scream, energy crackling along the ground. "Don't say his name!"

She pointed her bow at him, eyes glowing with the strength of her power. "I have more of a right to say it than you!" she shot back. "Sesshoumaru offered it to me freely." There'd been a ripple of his power when she'd said it the first time, but it was more evident now, and his arm snaked around her waist. She looked up at him, saw the awareness come back into his eyes, and said his name again.

The light returned to his eyes as the marks on his face darkened, and she gave him more of her power. Byakuya grabbed Hakudoushi by the collar. "You said there was no one left who knew it," he accused.

"I tried to get rid of her!" he ground out, yanking himself away from Byakuya's hold. "The little brat brought her here pretending she was one of your illusions." Both brothers stared at her, her name escaping their lips in harmony. But while Byakuya's was filled with venomous hate, Sesshoumaru's was like butterfly wings against her heart, and she sagged in relief.

She'd found him.