Author's Corner

Thank you to the anon who sent me a lovely message about this fic via Tumblr. If you've made it this far, I hope you're still enjoying yourself!

This fic is nearly seven years old now and has seen several edits since its conception, but it still holds an incredibly special place in my heart. I feel like I've grown so much both as a person and as a writer since I posted the first chapter all the way back in 2015, and although it hasn't always been smooth sailing, I will always be grateful to this fic for being the cornerstone of my creative journey.

Trigger warning: depictions of violence, blood and gore, and allusions to sexual assault.

EIGHTH BLOOD

Chapter 80: Retribution

.

.

Sesshoumaru had arrived in the Panther Tribe's domain at dawn and been met with immediate resistance from the band of felines who manned the border.

He could have torn through their defences and flown straight to the fortress, but he wanted to do things right this time. After explaining why he was there, he was escorted to the fortress at the heart of the territory, where he was greeted by Shuran, who waved as he approached. Sesshoumaru inclined his head in response and followed the other Daiyoukai inside.

"Whoa. You look like shit," Shuran remarked.

Sesshoumaru glared at him.

The panther chuckled. "That was uncalled for. Sorry." His expression turned serious as he murmured, "We heard about the stronghold. Horrible. Just horrible. You have our condolences."

They climbed to the top floor of the fortress in silence. Shuran's younger sister, Shunran, was lounging on a bed of cushions in the centre of the throne room, weaving something into a small cotton tile. She glanced up from her weaving when they entered and set her materials aside.

"Sesshoumaru-sama," she said with a small bow. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

"Where are your sisters?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"Right here," replied Toran.

Sesshoumaru turned and saw the two demonesses enter the room like a pair of wraiths. Karan's red eyes glittered with amusement, whereas Toran's blue ones were cold and calculating. Sesshoumaru kept his focus on the latter and waited for her to address him first.

"We weren't expecting you," Toran stated. "We may be allies now, but it's still rude to show up at a friend's home uninvited. What is the reason for this random drop-in?"

He decided not to call her out on her hypocrisy. They hadn't exactly been invited to Tanabata, either.

"I take it you all know that my position as Lord of the Western Lands has been compromised?" They nodded. "The usurper's name is Tsunayoshi. He is the son of Ryukotsusei."

"As in the Ryukotsusei your father sealed to a cliff?" Karan asked.

"Yes."

"Impossible," said Toran. "Ryukotsusei had no offspring."

"No legitimate ones," Sesshoumaru corrected. "Tsunayoshi is a hanyou."

"Ryukotsusei bedded a human?" Shunran squeaked.

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "Not a human. It was a creature called a hatchling."

Toran laughed. "Have you gone mad?" she asked once she realised he was being serious. "Hatchlings aren't real. They're fairy tales."

Sesshoumaru remembered what Octavia had said to him on the beach. In her time, youkai were no more than stories used to frighten children. There, magic was just a fantasy—a thing that people wished was real but wasn't. Perhaps all stories had been real once.

"So are we," he said.

"You still haven't told us why you're here," Karan pointed out. "You wouldn't have come all this way just to spout rubbish at us. What do you want?"

"An army," he answered.

All of them laughed that time.

"You really have lost it," Shuran snorted. "Why should we sacrifice our troops after everything your clan has done to ours?"

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. "Because that's what an alliance is. You were the ones who proposed a partnership between our two clans; therefore, you must honour it. It is obligatory."

Toran smirked. "Is it? Because I seem to recall forging an alliance with the Lord of the Western Lands, which is a title you no longer possess."

Sesshoumaru was stumped. He'd anticipated some pushback, but not an outright refusal.

"A partnership works both ways," she continued. "What would the Panther Tribe gain by helping you?"

"I would owe you a great debt," he replied.

"What good are debts after our clan has been wiped out by this usurper's forces?" Karan rebuked. "We came close to extinction once already, and we'll be damned if we let it happen again. If you want our help, we'll need to hear a better offer."

Sesshoumaru clenched his jaw.

"Take some time to think about it," Shunran suggested. "You must be tired. Why not rest your aching muscles in a nice warm bath? I have some wonderful lotions that I can lend you."

"There is no need—"

"We insist," Toran cut him off. "You might be a dog, Sesshoumaru, but that doesn't mean you have to smell like one."

.

.

Rin turned and met Tsunayoshi's murderous gaze. The whites of his eyes were jet black, and his irises resembled blood moons. The fury in them was enough to make a coward out of anyone.

Her heart stopped when she saw what he had trapped beneath his talons. Shippo struggled in his hold, trying to free his limbs from Tsunayoshi's powerful grasp. He locked eyes with Rin and shot her a desperate look. Instinct drove her to take a step forwards, only to be overpowered by rationale. Tsunayoshi's hands were wrapped around the kitsune's wrists and ankles. One wrong move and he would snap Shippo in half like a twig.

"I can explain," she said.

"I should think so," he growled. "My mother was a witch. I cannot be fooled by a mere illusion."

She winced when he twisted Shippo's body like he was wringing water out of a towel. The kitsune cried out in pain as several of his joints cracked in protest, but he didn't fight back or try to call upon his magic. She wondered why, until she saw that the beads around his neck were still intact.

"My patience is wearing thin, girl," Tsunayoshi warned, twisting harder. "Now speak."

"Forgive me, my lord," she sobbed. "I was scared. I'm only a young girl. I've seen so little of the world. Shippo-chan, on the other hand, has seen many wonders. That's why I asked him to change into me and spend time with you on my behalf. I wasn't trying to trick you. I thought his stories would make me seem more interesting."

Tsunayoshi's expression faltered. "If that's true, why are you here? And don't lie. I know you came to see the boy."

"I did come to see him," she confessed. "But not for the reasons you think."

"Enlighten me, then."

She swallowed. "Kohaku and I were close once, but Sesshoumaru-sama became envious of our bond, so he forbade us from seeing each other. He couldn't stand that I preferred a human over him. At first, he wanted to kill Kohaku, but I managed to talk him out of it. I persuaded him that banishment was a worse punishment than death. When Kohaku heard that the stronghold had been captured, he assumed the worst. For all he knew, you were a man-eating monster who planned on devouring me. So he and his companions hatched a plan to rescue me."

"He's in love with you."

"Yes," she lied.

"Do you reciprocate his feelings?"

She shook her head. "He was only ever a friend to me. Besides, my heart belongs to another."

"Oh, that's right. I almost forgot. You only have eyes for Sesshoumaru."

"You're wrong," she whispered.

He frowned. "Then whom do you speak of?"

She dropped to her knees and bowed. "You, my lord. I am yours in every way."

When he didn't respond, she stole a glimpse at him through lowered lashes and fought the urge to grin. The starstruck look on his long, misshapen face told her all that she needed to know. At last, she had him right where she wanted him.

Tsunayoshi released Shippo's wrists and ankles, causing the kitsune to land on his backside with a thump. Rin remained on her knees as the usurper strode over Shippo and walked towards her. Her heart raced as he leered at her with a hungry expression. Fresh tears slid down her cheeks when he knelt in front of her and dragged his tongue across her right temple. He didn't seem to mind the taste of her white face powder, or the way she flinched when his teeth grazed her flesh.

"Don't be afraid, my bride," he purred. "There is nothing dull about you."

She shivered when the cold air hit her dampened skin.

"Deceit cannot go unpunished, though."

She only had a few seconds to process what he'd said before he marched back over to Shippo and grabbed his neck. Her eyes bulged in horror when Tsunayoshi pressed him into the ground, before driving two sharp talons into his left eye. Shippo screamed as the usurper gouged the eyeball out of its socket, snapping the nerve that connected it to his brain and causing blood to cascade down his cheek like a waterspout. Rin clamped a hand over her mouth to muffle her own scream. Balancing the severed eyeball between his fingers, Tsunayoshi released Shippo's neck and sat back on his haunches to admire his handiwork. The left side of Shippo's face was drenched in blood.

"Let this be a lesson to you, boy," the usurper hissed. "She is not your master. I am."

Shippo didn't respond.

Tsunayoshi plopped the eyeball into his mouth and swallowed it, making Rin's stomach turn. He tilted his head sideways and smirked at her. "Do you still love me? I wager not."

Determination coursed through her like a river, reminding her of what needed to be done. She lowered her hands from her mouth and said, "Deceit cannot go unpunished. A lesser man would have ordered one of his underlings to carry out the sentence in his stead, but you aren't like those other men. They are spineless and weak, whereas you are noble and strong. It is an honour to love you, my lord."

Surprised laughter bounced around the jail sector. "Interesting!" he barked. "Very interesting indeed . . ."

She resisted the urge to cry out when he rushed over and seized her arm. He dragged her past Shippo's crumpled form and the pool of blood that surrounded him, ignoring her pleas to summon a healer before it was too late. When they arrived at the bride's bedchamber, he shoved her through the door and tossed her onto the bed, then slammed the door shut with them both inside. She was too afraid to move as he approached the bed and snarled.

"Are you going to kill me?" she whispered.

"Of course not," he hissed. "What use would you be to me dead?"

Her stomach turned again when she realised what the alternative was.

He surprised her by laughing. "Wipe that frightened look off your face, girl. If I am to achieve my true goal, your virtue must remain intact."

Her fear was making her dizzy. "Your true goal?"

"That's right," he said, bending over and capturing her chin. "You thought you had me all figured out, didn't you? I admire your determination, so I'll let you in on a little secret. I don't want to kill Sesshoumaru. I want to break him. The duel is nothing but a ruse to capture and enslave him. Then I will make sure that he pays for his crimes against my family. This I promise you." He traced the curve of her mouth with his fingers, smudging her lipstick with each rough caress. "That's where you come in, my sweet. Did you know that in some cultures, couples are expected to take part in a ceremony where they must consummate their marriage before a group of witnesses? I intend to honour that tradition, but with an audience of one."

"Why?" she whimpered.

"Because I want him to know how it feels to lose everything. He stole my whole life from me before I was even born. It's only fair that I return the favour."

Rin shuddered as Tsunayoshi's fingers left her lips and he stood straight, towering over her. For a moment, he reminded her of the bandits who'd slaughtered her family. All of a sudden, she was back beneath the floorboards, watching through a crack in the wood as one of the men drew a line across her father's throat with his sword, whilst another did the same to her mother's, but only after he'd slashed through the seams in her clothes and had his way with her.

She stifled a sob. Upon seeing her tears, the malice in Tsunayoshi's eyes faded, replaced by something that looked almost like fear.

"Don't do that," he said. "Your crocodile tears won't work on me. Stop it."

She tried, but now that she'd started, she found she couldn't stop.

"What's wrong?" he asked in a mocking voice. "I thought you loved me."

Her breath hitched as she remembered Kohaku's words. Bravery isn't the absence of fear. It's what you use to fight it.

She took a steadying breath and gazed up at Tsunayoshi with big, watery eyes. "I do love you," she sniffed. "But it isn't enough for you. I'm not enough. You said I was, but you were lying. You don't care about me. I'm just a means to an end. You only want me to get back at Sesshoumaru-sama. I wasn't enough for him, either. He was pretending, too." She made a show of choking on her tears, and covered her face with her hands. "It doesn't matter what I do! I can't change what I am! I wish I could, but I can't! I'm just a useless human—"

"Enough!" he boomed. "I can't think straight when you're like this."

She felt him lay his hand on her shoulder and squeeze it. Keeping her eyes downcast, she waited for a sign that he'd bought into her lies. Seconds passed. Then minutes. Or was it hours? An eternity seemed to crawl by before Tsunayoshi finally opened his mouth and spoke.

"You're more than enough, Rin. In fact, you're exceptional."

She reached out and wrapped her arms around his waist. He stiffened, but made no attempt to push her away. She smiled a secret smile when his other hand came to rest on the nape of her neck, delivering reassuring strokes. However, unbeknownst to him, the real comfort came from the knowledge that although she couldn't wield magic or a sword, she wasn't weak at all.

.

.