Author's Corner

Thank you Sara Immel and Kaadannatum for the awesome reviews. I know how daunting starting a lengthy fic like this can be, so I really appreciate that you stuck with it. I'll try not to make it too long lol but there is still a decent chunk of the story left to tell, so the ending is quite a ways off. With that said, I hope you enjoy the latest chapter!

Trigger warning: underage and non-con elements.

EIGHTH BLOOD

Chapter 70: A gilded cage

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Rin's stomach churned as the two serving demonesses ferried her to the dining room. After being scrubbed within an inch of her life with various soaps and bath oils, her poor skin had been slathered with sweet-smelling lotions, and her teeth had been blackened with a thick coating of ohaguro paste. The demonesses had also powdered her face and painted her lips a deep, sultry red. The junihitoe they'd dressed her in felt stiff and heavy, and worst of all, the outer robe bore the usurper's crest instead of Lord Sesshoumaru's.

When they arrived at the entrance to the dining room, the demonesses opened the doors and shoved her inside. Rin's nausea worsened when she locked eyes with the usurper, who was alone at the table.

"Leave us," he told the demonesses.

Rin kept her eyes fixed on Tsunayoshi as the doors rumbled shut. Swallowing, she took a seat beside him and watched as he uncorked a bottle of vintage sake. He poured some into a cup and offered it to her. She shook her head.

"It's not poisoned. I give you my word." To prove that he was telling the truth, he opened his large jaws and poured the contents of the cup down his throat. "See? It's perfectly safe."

"That's not why I—I mean, I don't . . ." The first and only time she'd tasted alcohol was when she and Kohaku had stolen a bottle of sake from Lady Kaede's hut whilst the old woman had been out foraging for herbs. However, they hadn't been able to stomach more than a few sips each and had been forced to pour the rest into a stream. So much for being rebellious teenagers.

"I see," said Tsunayoshi. "How old are you, girl?"

"Fourteen," she whispered. "But I'll be fifteen in a month."

"Have you bled yet?" She nodded, shaking harder. Tsunayoshi noticed and chuckled. "You needn't look so frightened." He refilled the cup and coerced it into her hands. "Drink," he said. "It'll ease your nerves. Go on now."

Caving under the pressure, Rin forced herself to take a sip. It tasted horrible, but she didn't have the courage to tell him. Instead, she flashed him a tight smile and dabbed the corner of her mouth with her sleeve. He seemed satisfied with her reaction and proceeded to pour himself another drink.

"You look lovely, by the way. When you came in, I almost didn't recognise you. It's no wonder that Sesshoumaru is so smitten with you. Tell me, has he bedded you yet or not?"

Her gut twisted. "What?"

Tsunayoshi used one of his talons to stab a piece of meat and pop it into his mouth. "Why else would he be interested in a weak human such as yourself?" he asked as he chewed. "It's no secret that he despises your kind, but you're beautiful enough to make even the deadliest of creatures change their minds about killing you. It's only a matter of time until you end up as his—"

"You're wrong," she said.

"Am I?"

"Yes! Sesshoumaru-sama isn't like that."

He grinned. "Are you sure? I've heard he's awfully close with that mage of his. Some demons prefer the touch of a human to their own kind. It's a peculiar fetish, but it exists. When she reaches a certain age, his attention will no doubt shift to you."

Rin's eyes burned with tears. She couldn't bear to listen to him talk about her lord like that. Lord Sesshoumaru was a good man. She knew that. He'd never done anything that had caused her pain, or made her think that he was in any way disingenuous. She had always struggled to come up with a label for her relationship with him, but it wasn't at all like what Tsunayoshi was insinuating. Lord Sesshoumaru had saved her life more times than she could count. He'd taken care of her when no one else would. She'd already accepted that she'd never be able to repay him for all he'd done for her, so she'd made a silent vow to stay with him forever. She would be whatever he needed her to be – a daughter, a sister, a friend. And perhaps someday, when she was old and grey, he'd look at her and see a woman that he might call mother.

"You're wrong," Rin repeated. "Not just about me, but Octavia-san, as well. She's not a fetish. She's his friend. I'm guessing you don't have many of those?"

The usurper's eyes darkened. "Eat," he said, gesturing to the food. "We'll talk more once your strength has returned."

In case the food was poisoned, she made sure to match her plate with Tsunayoshi's. She drank her sake slowly, praying that it wouldn't make her too drowsy. Once their plates were empty, Tsunayoshi poured himself yet another drink and gulped it down appreciatively.

"Where is she?" he asked, moving to lie on his back.

"Who?" Rin probed.

"The mage. My spies say she disappeared a little over a month ago. Where did she go?"

Rin's chest tightened. "I don't know," she mumbled. "No one does. She was there one day and gone the next."

"How bizarre. Perhaps she ran away?"

"She wouldn't do that."

He peered up at her from the floor. "Wouldn't she? Her kind are notoriously fickle. My mother was the same. They don't love the same way that we do. Stars are born heartless, you see."

"Not Octavia-san. She's different."

"So I've heard. Is it true that she's the newest vessel?"

Rin frowned. "Vessel?"

"You don't know? Humans with spirit magic all belong to the same bloodline. Long ago, one of them offered themselves to a deity called the Radiant One. After that first host died, the god's consciousness was passed on like a sickness. The following hosts were given the name Erem's Vessel because that's what they were – just shells for a false god to parade around in." He closed his eyes and murmured, "Monsters hiding in plain sight."

Rin stared at his exposed throat and thought about how easy it would be to pick up a knife from the table and slash it. Did he realise how vulnerable he'd made himself? Did he even care? He probably didn't think she had the guts to do something like that. She couldn't blame him for making such an assumption. All her life, she'd relied on others to save her. People had killed for her. Unlike them, her hands were clean. At least, they had been before now.

She could still feel the intruder's blood running down her arms.

Before she could talk herself out of it, she grabbed the biggest knife she could see and lunged at Tsunayoshi. His eyes snapped open and he barrelled into her, knocking the knife out of her hand with his fist before pinning her to the floor. She squeaked in pain as he pressed down on her with all of his weight.

"Foolish girl," he purred. "You're fast, I'll give you that. But I will always be faster."

"You're hurting me," she wheezed.

"Am I? How unfortunate. Would you like me to get up?"

She gave him a desperate nod.

His snout twisted into what looked like a smile. "Say please."

"Please."

He smiled wider. "Say 'please, my lord.'"

Scorching hot tears escaped from her eyes and streamed down her face. "Please, my lord."

He combed his talons through her hair. "Good girl."

She remained as still as a statue even after he climbed off of her, too frightened to move without his permission. He saw her shaking and tutted, then offered her his giant hand. Fighting back shivers, she let him help her to her feet. He kept her hand hostage in his own and escorted her back to the room with the barrier around it. A wave of relief washed over her when they rounded the corner and arrived at the edge of the barrier. A cage had never looked so appealing before.

"Have you enjoyed yourself?" Tsunayoshi asked.

She forced herself to smile. "Yes, my lord."

He seemed pleased by the lie. "I did, too. We should do it again sometime."

"I look forward to it."

His grip on her hand loosened before he let it fall completely. She resisted the urge to wipe it on her kimono. The usurper was in the process of creating an opening in the barrier when she suddenly remembered her promise to Kannika.

"Wait!" she cried, grabbing his arm. "I've been meaning to ask you something." His eyes flashed, but he stopped what he was doing and gave her his full attention. "Are there any other pris—I mean guests? Are there any other guests here? Or is it just us?"

He chuckled. "Why do you want to know?"

"I was just wondering why you chose us and not . . ."

"The other bat youkai?" he finished. "He escaped before we could apprehend him. The coward is probably halfway across the country by now."

That didn't sound like Kannika's brother at all.

"I see," she murmured. "You don't think he'll come back?"

"If he does, my men will kill him on sight. Had he stayed behind with his sister, I would have let them both live, but I have no sympathy for a man who would choose self-preservation over his own flesh and blood."

Nodding, Rin watched him finish cutting a hole in the barrier. It was a curious sight. The claw on his index finger had changed colour and looked sharper than the rest. It was now a dark purple, and it flared to life when he touched the barrier with it. She couldn't help but be reminded of Octavia as the purple light infected the silvery veil and created an opening large enough for her to fit through.

"Good night," he said as she stepped through the barrier. "Sleep well, my little savage."

"And you, my lord."

He flashed her a menacing smile and withdrew his magic. The hole shrunk, trapping her inside, but she felt a thousand times safer than she had on the outside.

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The Western Lands looked like they'd been frozen in time. Even the wind had stopped blowing.

"I'm tired," Haru whined, dragging his feet.

"I know," Octavia said. "But we can't stop yet. It's not safe."

He lowered his head and sniffed. His friends Mari and Hoka did the same, pulling at her heartstrings. The trio had been glued to her side ever since they'd left the caves, like ducklings waddling after their mother. If their lives weren't at stake, she would have found it annoying, but she was painfully aware of the murderous looks that Haru and his friends received from their fellow survivors. She doubted that they would try anything whilst Sesshoumaru was around, but she was still reluctant to let the three half-demons out of her sight. Especially since they were the only Namidan children that had made it out of the stronghold alive. She couldn't stop thinking about how her decision to give herself up had resulted in them dying anyway.

"Why don't we play a game?" she suggested.

Their eyes lit up at the proposition.

"Can we play that one we played last time?" asked Haru.

She shrugged. "Sure."

She studied her surroundings for ideas. The mountain pass was eerily quiet. Unnerved by the silence, she cast her gaze skywards and stared at the endless expanse of blue.

"Would you rather never be able to go out during the day, or never be able to go out at night?"

"That's easy," Mari answered. "We badgers are nocturnal, so I'd choose the first one."

"I like being able to see where I'm going, so I'd pick the opposite," Hoka decided after giving it some thought.

"And you?" Octavia asked Haru.

He frowned. "No fair. I like both."

"That's not how the game works, Haru-kun," scolded Mari.

"Fine," he sighed. "I'd choose the first one, too."

"Are you crazy?" squeaked Hoka. "You love looking for shapes in the clouds."

"I know, but the night sky reminds me of home. All those parties we had under the stars . . . I'd be sad if I could never see them again. Besides, I told Taro-san that I was going to memorise the constellations. He used to say there's one that looks just like me."

Octavia's smile faltered. She wondered what had become of Taro's grave amid all of the destruction, and fought the urge to grimace when she imagined the meadow that surrounded him in ruin. He's already dead, she reminded herself. You can't die twice.

Her thoughts turned to Rin, causing her eyes to sting with tears. She blinked them away before anyone could notice and carried on walking.

"Would you rather vomit on your crush or have your crush vomit on you?" Hoka asked with a grin.

"Eww!" Mari shrieked. "Why do you always have to make everything so gross!"

Haru opened his mouth to say something, but a loud crunch echoed through the pass, followed by the sound of something groaning. The survivors all stopped and listened. Octavia's eyes snapped to Sesshoumaru, who was standing at the front of the formation with his head tipped back as he sniffed the air. By the time he realised what was happening, it was already too late.

Several large boulders tumbled down the slopes on either side of the pass, heading straight for them. Sesshoumaru unleashed his light whip, breaking a couple of them into pieces, whilst the more able-bodied youkai attacked the other boulders. Octavia watched in horror as debris rained down from above, threatening to crush the rest of them. Her arms shot out and her fingers scrambled to draw the mark for 'earth', which froze the pieces of shattered rock in place. The survivors gasped as the shards hovered in the air like small floating islands, suspended in rippling purple light. Octavia fought to keep her breathing steady, but she'd never tried to control so many variables before.

Her hands trembled as she focused on using her magic to combine the pieces into one giant boulder. Grinding her teeth, she waited until the boulder was complete before throwing it with all her might, aiming far beyond the pass. The other survivors watched with bated breath as the boulder disappeared over the nearest mountain peak, never to be seen again. Octavia lowered her arms and collapsed to her knees, gasping for breath. Haru joined her on the ground and clutched her sleeve.

Lifting her head, she met his worried gaze and smiled. He flinched and scooted away from her. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Your face," Mari whispered. "You look like a . . ."

She didn't finish her sentence. Shivering, Octavia turned and saw Sesshoumaru towering over her. Unlike the others, he'd seen her half-transformed state several times already. She wished she could see herself. All she had to go on was Jaken's recount of what she'd looked like after using Bokuseno's youki to kill the boar. She wanted to know if her teeth looked as sharp as they felt, and if her pupils had in fact been replaced by glowing purple specks. Peering down at her claw-shaped fingernails, she realised that Augustus had been wrong about the Radiant One. After all, what kind of god invaded the bodies of children? A parasite, on the other hand . . .

"It's okay," she told the three hanyou. "I'm okay. I'll be back to normal before you know it."

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Author's Corner

Ohaguro = the Japanese custom of blackening teeth with a paste made of vinegar and iron filings.