EIGHTH BLOOD

Chapter 73: The guardian

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Rin blew into her teacup, creating green waves that crashed against the ceramic. Her eyes remained fixed on a fallen tree in the distance as Tsunayoshi droned on and on about his plans for the Western Lands once Lord Sesshoumaru had been taken care of.

The sight of the gardens in their current state was enough to break one's heart. Everything beautiful had been destroyed in the invasion, leaving little but scorched grass and dead plants. Rin tried not to look at the places where her favourite flowers had once grown, but she couldn't help herself. She missed the patch of daisies that had smiled at her whenever she'd strolled past, and the hydrangeas that had flourished underneath the morning sun. The latter had always evoked a powerful sense of longing in her. Her mother had adored all flowers, but hydrangeas had been her favourite. Rin liked to sit beside them whenever she felt sad, and although she struggled to recall her mother's face, the flowers made her feel closer to her. The gardens had been her haven, but now, they were a reminder of all she'd lost.

She wondered if Master Jaken had found Lord Sesshoumaru yet. If he agreed to fight Tsunayoshi, there was a good chance that he'd win, but his victory wasn't guaranteed. Should Lord Sesshoumaru perish, Tsunayoshi would have no reason to keep her and the others alive. He might spare Nagisa and marry her, since she was a powerful demoness who could be used to sway the other courts into forging alliances with him.

"What are you thinking about, my little savage?"

Rin's eyes slid to Tsunayoshi's. "Forgive me, my lord. I was daydreaming. It's so nice out today."

He nodded in agreement. "So it is."

She sipped her tea the way her sensei had taught her to avoid ruining her lipstick. However, it didn't stop the paste on her teeth from flaking off and sticking to her tongue. If there was a way to keep that from happening, her sensei had never mentioned it. He was probably dead now. The unbidden thought made her eyes sting.

"You look fantastic in that kimono," Tsunayoshi purred.

"Thank you, my lord. You look rather handsome yourself."

The lie tasted like poison. She'd gotten better at hiding her fear, but she still found his appearance terrifying. Not because of his monstrous features, but because of the odd gleam she saw in his eyes sometimes. He looked at her the way a cat peered down at a bird trapped in its claws. The compliments were his way of asserting his power over her, yet there were times when his gaze lingered on her for longer than was necessary, and she felt violated even though he hadn't laid a finger on her.

He chuckled. "I admire your commitment, but even the best liars know when to stop."

She bit the inside of her cheek. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."

"There's no need to apologise. You have plenty of time to get used to my temperament."

Not if Lord Sesshoumaru wins the duel, she thought.

Tsunayoshi beckoned the guards closer. "I think she's had quite enough sun for the day. Escort her back to her chambers."

Rin suppressed a snort. 'Chambers' was a funny way of saying prison cell. She didn't speak as the guards led her out of the main garden and through a smaller one full of shrivelled bonsai trees and tiny white stones. Like everything else, the patterns had been ruined during the invasion, and there was no one left to rake new ones or tend to the dying plants.

"This is far enough," one of the guards said.

The other guard blinked. "What the hell are you talking about? We're nowhere near the room with the barrier yet—"

The first guard chucked a handful of yellow powder at his associate's face, silencing him mid-sentence. The second guard coughed and spluttered as the powder coated the inside of his mouth. Rin's eyes widened when he fell to the ground and ceased moving. She tensed as the first guard wiped the powder from his hands and turned to face her, eyes glittering with triumph.

"Man, he was annoying. I've had to put up with him all day."

"Who are you?" Rin asked.

He grinned. "Don't you recognise me? I guess I can't blame you. I have gotten pretty good at transforming myself."

She gasped as his eyes flashed green and he lifted his cloak to reveal a cream, bushy tail. "Shippo-chan?" she squeaked. "What are you doing here?"

"What do you think? We came to rescue you."

Before he could elaborate, one of the watchtowers exploded, spewing pieces of broken stone onto the ground below. The section of wall beneath the tower crumbled as the structure above lost its integrity and came crashing down on top of it. Still in his disguised form, Shippo picked Rin up and sprinted towards the pile of rubble.

"No!" she cried, her head whipping towards the castle. "My friends are in there! We can't just leave them. Listen to me! Please!"

He ignored her and kept running. Her eyes burned with tears and she struggled in his hold, but his altered form was too strong. Leaping over the rubble, he was about to make a dash for the forest, when an arrow zipped through the air and pierced his left shoulder. He howled in pain and landed in the pile of debris, reverting back to his true self. Rin left the arrow where it was and applied pressure to the wound, but the blood continued to seep out, staining her hands a sticky red.

"Is it bad?" he wheezed.

"Don't talk! You'll make it worse—"

"What an interesting turn of events!" Tsunayoshi laughed.

Rin covered Shippo's smaller body with her own and continued to press down on the wound. Tears streamed down her cheeks as his breathing turned laboured.

She found the strength to meet Tsunayoshi's gaze and glared. "How could you! He's just a child!"

"He shouldn't have tried to steal from me."

The usurper lifted his head to study the destroyed tower. Rin saw several guards restraining a large two-tailed cat with cream fur and black stripes on her tail. Kirara growled as they pinned her to the stone, limiting her movement. Rin searched for the third member of their party, but he was nowhere to be seen. Refusing to let herself hope, she redirected her focus onto Tsunayoshi and tried to steady her erratic heartbeat.

"Don't hurt them," she sobbed. "They didn't know what they were doing. They've got nothing to do with any of this, so please, let them go—"

A second explosion came from within the castle itself. Tsunayoshi's head whipped towards the plume of smoke that was sifting through a hole in the roof. His red eyes narrowed and he smiled as two crow demons flew out of the hole, then landed on the ground in front of him.

Kohaku's face was covered in dirt from the explosion, and his hands were black with soot. He was wearing his taijiya costume, with the addition of a short black cape. His hair had gotten longer, and he looked taller too, but she still recognised him as the boy who'd been brainwashed into being Naraku's puppet. His brown eyes found hers and she sobbed harder.

"Those were some impressive weapons," Tsunayoshi praised. "Do slayers tinker with gunpowder often, or is it just a hobby of yours, boy? I commend you for your talent; however, I suggest making sure that you're out of the blast zone before igniting the powder next time."

Kohaku spat in his face.

Tsunayoshi's guards all froze in horror, as did Rin. Shippo's pulse was growing weaker. His blood still pushed against her palms, hot and fierce, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from Kohaku. Was he trying to get himself killed?

"You're going to wish you hadn't done that," Tsunayoshi hissed, wrapping a hand around Kohaku's throat.

"Wait!" Rin cried, then added, "Please, my lord!"

Tsunayoshi's hate-filled eyes travelled to her. The saliva on his scales glittered in the sunlight, making them look like diamonds.

"Please don't kill him," she begged. "I'll do anything you ask, just don't kill him. Please . . ."

His eyes gleamed. "Anything?"

She nodded, sending fresh tears tumbling down her cheeks. She didn't care if he commanded her to eat shards of broken glass, or if he forced her to crawl on her hands and knees everywhere. If it meant saving her friends, she'd pour Tsunayoshi's wine and serve him his food for the rest of her life. She owed it to them after they'd risked everything by coming here.

"Very well," Tsunayoshi said. "I will spare their lives."

Rin's posture sagged in relief. "Thank you."

"In exchange for what?" Kohaku demanded.

Tsunayoshi held Rin's gaze and smiled again. She shivered as he removed his hand from Kohaku's neck and extended it to her. "These lands have been deprived of parental guidance for far too long. They need a father who will teach them to be strong, and a mother who will love them unconditionally. You can be that for them, Rin. Be my bride and prove that humans are every bit as powerful as demons. Together, we'll create a dynasty that will be remembered forever."

Her stomach sank. "You want us to . . ." She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence. Fortunately, she didn't have to.

"Alliances are often made through marriage," Tsunayoshi continued. "As Sesshoumaru's ward, you are more than worthy of ruling by my side."

"You sick fuck," Kohaku growled. "Why would she ever agree to marry a monster like you?"

"To save you three, of course. The kitsune's life hangs by a thread. Each passing second propels him closer to death. She would never forgive herself if he succumbed to his injuries as a result of her selfishness."

Rin glanced down at Shippo's pallid face and felt her chest tighten. She'd been the cause of so many deaths. The list of people who'd given their lives to save her was already far longer than it had any right to be. She refused to let more names be added to it.

"Okay," she said, meeting Tsunayoshi's gaze. "I accept your proposal."

Kohaku's eyes widened. "No! Rin, you can't—"

One of the guards backhanded him, silencing him before he could finish. Rin fought the urge to wince as a thin trail of blood trickled down from the corner of his soot-stained mouth.

Tsunayoshi's eyes blazed with triumph. "Wonderful."

He murmured something to the guards closest to him, which sent them scurrying up the large pile of rubble. Rin wailed as they pried her and Shippo apart so that one of the guards could scoop him up like a small bag of potatoes. She watched as the guard carried him off somewhere, whilst the others helped her climb down the uneven slope of debris.

Tsunayoshi was still waiting for her to take his hand. Swallowing, she slid her hand into his and resisted the urge to grimace at the eerie smile he gave her. Kohaku struggled as the guards restraining him shoved a gag into his mouth to muffle his shouts of protest. Rin's throat burned as they beat him into submission and bound his wrists and ankles with rope. Despite it all, his eyes never left hers. Even as they hauled him away alongside Kirara, he held Rin's stare for as long as he was able.

"Where are they taking them?" she asked Tsunayoshi.

"The jail sector," he answered. "They're our prisoners now and will be treated as such."

"You promised not to hurt them."

"I only agreed to let them live," he corrected. "And I intend to honour that promise. However, violence often encourages compliance. Any resistance will be met with varying amounts of force. The sooner they realise that, the easier their lives will be." Rin shivered. Tsunayoshi must have felt it because he tightened his grip on her hand. "Fret not, my little savage. Come. Allow me to escort you to your new chambers."

He led her up several staircases and down a corridor reserved for the nobles. She was fairly certain that Lord Sesshoumaru's chambers were on this floor somewhere. The knowledge would have been soothing if those chambers weren't occupied by Tsunayoshi. Unlike the gardens, the castle interior was pretty well-preserved. Rin let the usurper guide her across the untouched floorboards to a room at the end of the corridor, which had a single painted lily on the door. Its snowy petals seemed to taunt her as she wandered inside. It was similar to Octavia's room, only the walls were covered in white flowers. They ought to have made her feel more at home, but they ended up having the opposite effect.

Tsunayoshi released her hand and hovered on the threshold. "This used to be the bride's bedchamber," he explained. "All old castles have one. In ancient times, it was custom for the lord and his betrothed to sleep apart but within walking distance of one another."

"Why?" she whispered.

"To practice restraint. In the past, women were expected to remain pure and virtuous until marriage. That aspect hasn't changed, but men were held to a much higher standard than they are today. Resisting temptation was a way of proving one's strength. If the lord gave in to his desires and dishonoured his betrothed before the wedding, he was seen as weak by his subordinates."

Rin's shoulders sagged. She couldn't help but feel relieved after hearing that. She knew she wouldn't be able to reject his advances when the time came to consummate their marriage, but at least she didn't have to worry about that yet. The thought of him undressing her with those long, bony fingers made her skin crawl.

"Do you think you'll be comfortable here?" he asked.

She flashed him the sweetest smile she could muster. "Yes, my lord. Very much so."

He beamed in response. Sinking to one knee, he bowed and said, "I'll see you at sundown. My generals will be keen to meet their lord's future wife. Those drawers by the window are full of the finest clothes you'll ever see. Wear whatever you like the best."

"You're too kind, my lord."

"And you're still a fine liar."

She waited until she could no longer hear his footsteps before closing the door and barricading it with a wooden dresser. Tears blurred her vision and streamed down her cheeks like floods. She covered her mouth with her hands and tried to hold in her sobs, but they escaped anyway. Because of her, Jaken was hiking through the wilderness with nothing but a stick to guide him. Because of her, Shippo was on the brink of death. Because of her, Kohaku and Kirara were going to be tortured by Tsunayoshi's soldiers. It was all her fault. If Cyril were here, he'd tell her that it wasn't, but he was trapped behind a barrier with Nagisa and Kannika. Rin would have given anything to be there, too.

The temperature in the room dropped cold all of a sudden. She lowered her hands and inhaled the crisp, wintry air. Drying her eyes, she marched over to the drawers in search of another layer of clothing, but stopped when she realised that she wasn't alone.

One corner of the room was shrouded in darkness. Not even the broad daylight spilling in from the engawa was strong enough to penetrate it. Rin's eyes widened when the darkness shifted like a swarm of black beetles, then swept across the floor to where she was standing. She held her breath as a humanoid shape rose from the patch of darkness and stood before her. It was entirely black, faceless, and lacking in all features except the distinctness of its silhouette.

"I know what you are," she whispered. "You possessed Sesshoumaru-sama's guards. Why are you doing this? What do you want?"

"They were the same," the creature answered. "The Shadow and the Radiant One. But our master was betrayed by the very thing that made him whole."

She thought about what Tsunayoshi had told her in the dining room. 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. Monsters hiding in plain sight.

"You're talking about Erem, aren't you?" she asked.

The creature's outline bristled in response to the name.

"Tsunayoshi told me that story," she continued. "I didn't understand it at first, but I do now. You think Octavia-san is the Radiant One."

"She is. But there is another. A second split occurred nineteen years ago. Two were born instead of one. The very same thing happened billions of years ago when the universe was still new."

"What do you mean?"

"The first split," it said like that explained it all. "There was an egg. When it cracked, two beings emerged instead of one. And so, it ends as it began. Fitting, no?"

Rin balled her fists. "I don't know what you're planning, but you're wrong about her. She's not a monster or a god. She's just a girl."

Two more shadows swooped down from the ceiling and landed on either side of her. They looked identical to the first one. Rin clenched her jaw as they circled her like sharks.

"We ought to wear her face next," one purred.

"And be forced to wed that repulsive beast who fancies himself as a lord? I think not."

Rin felt her pulse quicken. They weren't serious, were they? If they took control of her body, surely someone would notice? Master Jaken would. Provided that she ever saw him again. She knew that he'd return, but Tsunayoshi might still kill him if he ran out of uses for him. Then again, Lord Sesshoumaru might have already killed him for switching sides. He wouldn't do that, would he? She hoped not. It was no secret that Master Jaken was a bit of a coward, but when it mattered, he was one of the bravest people she knew.

"That young taijiya would be more useful to us than her," one of the shadows suggested.

"Yes," agreed another. "We should wear his face instead."

"No!" Rin shouted. "Leave Kohaku out of this. He and the others are innocent. I'm the one with the most blood on my hands. I use people to stay alive, so I know a thing or two about being a parasite. If you have to 'wear' someone, choose me."

"So selfless," one taunted.

"I want to see inside her mind!" another clamoured.

"Show us! Show us!"

Rin closed her eyes and braced herself. But nothing happened. When she reopened her eyes, she saw that the creatures hadn't moved an inch. They seemed smaller than they had been before. She opened her mouth to ask what they were doing, but closed it when she saw a butterfly flitting around in front of her. The shadows recoiled away from it in terror, like children in the presence of a wasp.

The butterfly flapped its wings and landed on Rin's head. The shadows shrank even more and hissed. The hissing only lasted for a couple of seconds, though, because they disappeared into the floorboards, leaving her alone with the mysterious insect. She reached for it with her hands, but it was no longer there. She turned the entire room inside out but never found the butterfly.

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Author's Corner

Shippo, Kohaku and Kirara are finally here lol! Unfortunately, they're not going to have the best time from here on out. This part of the story is so depressing haha...

Thanks for reading and don't forget to review!