Author's Corner

Just to let you know – there are about seven or eight chapters left in this arc. Updates might be a bit slower than usual after that as I'm starting university this year (better late than never) so I'll have to juggle reading assignments, zoom meetings, completing coursework and working full-time at my existing job. I still fully intend to finish this story though, so please bear with me lol.

Trigger warning: sexual content.

EIGHTH BLOOD

Chapter 128: Boiling point

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Mikan wasn't eating.

She spent her days and nights cooped up inside the palanquin, only venturing out to bathe and take care of other bodily functions. Although Daiyoukai could go without food for longer than humans could, they still needed to replenish their strength every few weeks to ward off starvation. Shizuka and Roku were beside themselves with worry. Even Sesshoumaru had tried his hand at convincing his betrothed to eat something.

They were a day's ride from the stronghold when the High Priestess finally swallowed her pride and enlisted Octavia's help. "Talk to her," Shizuka implored. "My lady will not listen to us, but she might make an exception for you."

Octavia was dubious that she would be able to change Mikan's mind when so many others had been unable to, but she was willing to try. She ambushed the demoness later that day whilst she was being lifted out of a portable bathtub by her handmaids. The other women shrieked at the intrusion and tried to shoo her away.

"Be quiet, you insufferable hens," Mikan snapped. "The mage is our guest. Anyone who has a problem with that will be put to the sword."

They dressed her in silence after that, wrapping her in layers of silk and fur that were held together by a pink sash. When they were finished, they reached for the red veil she had worn during her last visit to the Western Lands and draped it over her head.

Mikan swatted it away with a sneer. "Dispose of it," she ordered. "If I ever feel that revolting fabric sully my person again—"

"I'd keep it if I were you," Octavia interrupted. "You look awful."

The handmaids' jaws dropped.

Mikan's expression soured. "Losing one's parent will do that to a person. I imagine you looked the same after your parents died." When Octavia refused to take the bait, she dismissed her handmaids with a wave and waited for them to vacate the tent. "What are you playing at?" she questioned once they were gone. "Did my betrothed send you here to carry out his bidding? Does he think that cruelty will work where kindness didn't?"

"Sesshoumaru doesn't even know I'm here."

"Why are you here, then?"

Octavia breathed a sigh. "Everyone's worried about you. I get that it's hard, but you're not the only one who's—"

"He was my father!" Mikan yelled, shattering the tub with her jaki. Shards of wood exploded outwards and punctured the walls of the tent like darts. None of them flew anywhere near Octavia, though. "Their pain is but a fraction of my pain!"

"Your pain is their pain."

"Says who!"

"Me!" Octavia shouted back. "I say so!" She took a few calming breaths before reaching for Mikan's hands. "I won't watch you kill yourself. If you need to punish someone for what happened, punish me. I'm the guilty one, after all."

Mikan paused. "What do you mean?"

"Do you need to ask?" Tears pricked her eyes. "His death is on me. Your mother was right. If I hadn't travelled to the mountain with you, he'd probably still be alive—"

"Stop." Mikan's voice was hard and assertive. "I don't know what my mother told you, but she was wrong." She gave Octavia's hands a tight squeeze. "My father was a victim of circumstance. The fault lies with those creatures, not you. They used him to get to us, to break us . . . But they failed to realise that we are unbreakable."

"I will kill them," Octavia said, recalling her promise to Mineru. "I don't care if there are two left or two billion. I won't rest until your father has been avenged."

"Nor I," replied Mikan. "We will do it together – the way Amaterasu intended."

Octavia nodded in agreement. The more time she spent with Mikan, the more obvious the similarities between her and Sesshoumaru became.

"How bad is the mess?"

Octavia glanced around the tent with a grimace.

"That bad, huh?" Mikan asked when she didn't reply.

Dropping to a crouch, the demoness patted the ground in pursuit of broken pieces of wood. Octavia intervened before her hand could make contact with one. She picked up the shard and moved it out of Mikan's reach.

"I am more than capable of cleaning up after myself," Mikan huffed.

"I know."

"Then stop treating me like an invalid."

"I was just trying to save you some time." To prove her point, Octavia chose two random pieces and placed them in Mikan's palms. The 'repair' mark glowed as it burrowed into the wood, pulling the pieces together until they merged into one. "See what I mean?"

Mikan seemed more than happy to leave the tidying to her after that.

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They managed to persuade Shizuka into letting them take a slight detour.

Ah-Un carried Octavia and Mikan on its back whilst Sesshoumaru sailed on ahead, towards a thick pillar of smoke in the distance. The volcano was especially lively that morning, pumping ash clouds into the atmosphere and making the ground rattle. Octavia hoped it would wait until they were gone before erupting.

The dragon landed just below the toxic zone and roared, causing the oxen to scatter. Whilst they were dismounting, a second roar answered Ah-Un's call. The ground quaked again as the noise travelled on the wind.

Mikan's breath caught when an enormous black hound emerged from the swirling grey sky. The oxen squealed and scrambled away in terror as Kumoshi's paws slammed into the soil. His blue eyes sparkled with excitement when they fell on Sesshoumaru. He looked like he was going to say something, until his gaze flicked to Octavia and her companion.

His nostrils flared and his pupils dilated. "Mineru?"

Mikan shook her head in slow motion.

"You smell like her," Kumoshi mumbled.

"And you smell like . . ."

Octavia grinned as the two Daiyoukai sniffed each other. Kumoshi stared down at his niece with bright eyes. "You must be their daughter. Goodness me, child. You were a newborn when I last saw you. Has it really been that long?"

Mikan was apparently too dazed to answer.

Sesshoumaru took advantage of the opening. "Where is Totosai?"

"Trouble is brewing in Musashi," Kumoshi answered. "Myoga told us some rather disturbing stories during his last visit, so Totosai went with him to investigate. That was about a week ago, if my memory serves me right."

"What kind of stories?" queried Octavia.

"Something about the sky cracking open like an egg. Knowing Myoga, he was probably exaggerating, but Totosai has friends in Musashi, you see."

Octavia and Sesshoumaru exchanged a look.

"Would you like a tour of the crater, my dear?" Kumoshi asked Mikan. "It's nice and warm up there, and if you listen to the volcano's voice for long enough, you can sometimes hear Amaterasu singing over the flames."

She tilted her head in Octavia's direction for permission. "Go ahead," said Octavia. "We'll see you at sundown."

Mikan followed her uncle up the mountain with an air of fresh sorrow about her. Octavia wondered how she was going to break the news to Kumoshi about Jiahao. It wasn't going to be an easy conversation, that much was certain.

The oxen returned to their grazing and spread themselves across the slopes. Ah-Un wrinkled its snouts at the unappealing grey soil and snorted, challenging Sesshoumaru to meet its gaze. A few seconds later, the dragon made a contented snuffling sound before bounding off in search of greener pastures.

"I'm surrounded by snobs," Octavia muttered.

"We often attract what we are."

The corners of her mouth curled upwards. "What now? I presume that rejoining the horde is off the table?"

"It would be unwise to leave her unsupervised. Our enemies would love to get their hands on her. A warlord's bride makes for quite the hostage these days."

"Great. A day on an active volcano it is, then."

"It has its perks."

"Such as?"

His eyes slid to hers. Octavia's pulse quickened. She knew that look. Her bones turned soft as he intertwined their fingers and tugged her down the slope towards the river. Steam rose from the water, creating a thin mist that folded in on itself.

They walked along the bank and up a steep incline beside a waterfall, which was flowing out of a large opening in the rock. Sesshoumaru ushered her inside without a shred of reluctance. Maybe it was because this cave was hundreds of feet above the ground and the sky was visible through the exit, but he didn't seem to care about the rocky ceiling above their heads, or the compact spaces lining the edges of the cavern.

The waterfall was connected to an assortment of heated pools. A strange animal was wading through them. Octavia had never seen anything like it. It looked like a cross between a goat and an antelope, though its fluffy mane was more reminiscent of a lion's.

The beast fled when Sesshoumaru's youki expanded, unable to withstand the oppressive aura that the Daiyoukai was emitting. Octavia had grown so accustomed to it that she no longer feared the change in atmosphere. The danger was invigorating. Biting her lip, she pressed her thighs together in an attempt to relieve some of the pressure down there.

It didn't work.

"It's cold in here," she lied.

Sesshoumaru's arm snaked around her waist. "Better?"

"A bit."

"How about now?" His other hand cupped her cheek and guided her face towards his.

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His armour clattered to the ground with a series of loud clunks, followed by his swords and footwear. Her own shoes were quick to follow as he ripped open her haori and feasted on the supple flesh of her neck. Octavia stumbled backwards as his tongue pillaged the length of her clavicle. She gasped when her back hit the cavern wall.

Sesshoumaru sealed their mouths together in another fierce kiss whilst he fumbled with the knot in her obi. The belt yielded to his whims and joined the growing pile at their feet. She moaned against his lips as his fingers delved between her thighs. She was already soaked, but he saw no harm in making sure that she was adequately prepared.

When her breaths became short and frantic, he withdrew his hand and yanked her black samue pants down her legs. Before she could cuss him out for leaving her high and dry, he spun her around so that she was facing the wall, then freed himself from his own infernal cloth trappings so that he could feel the curve of her rear without restrictions.

She shuddered with anticipation when his manhood glided over her slick entrance. He bit back a groan as she grinded against him without an ounce of shame or modesty. She never had been the submissive type. As always, her movements were rough and demanding, though they seemed more urgent than usual, and there was a hint of irritation there, too. The message couldn't have been clearer – she was in no mood for games.

His lust was too great for him to even entertain the idea of teasing her further. He lifted her hips and slammed into her from behind, making her cry out in pure ecstasy as he sheathed himself to the hilt. Her inner walls fluttered at the intrusion, drawing him in deeper, and her knuckles turned white as she clung to the wall for dear life.

His hips pounded against her buttocks as he pistoned into her. Her enthusiastic moans echoed around the cavern, accompanied by the lewd sounds of their lovemaking. Bending forwards, he aligned the front of his torso with her spine and shoved her hair away from her nape. He kissed and sucked the plush skin there before forcing her chin sideways and slipping his tongue into her open mouth.

She was on the brink of climaxing. He could tell from the way she was clenching around him. Pulling away from the kiss, he used his other hand to plunge between her folds and rub the small pink bead that was the key to her pleasure. He was rewarded with a throaty scream and the feel of her sex clamping him like a vice. Only then did he allow himself to relinquish control and fuck her into oblivion.

She came a second time at the peak of his own climax, moaning through clenched teeth as he filled her with his seed. He should have checked that she was still drinking the contraceptive tea before finishing inside of her, but it was too late now. A tiny part of him hoped that he had impregnated her. Her being with child would be a disaster for the ages, but the thought of anyone else carrying his offspring made him feel nauseous.

Sesshoumaru eased out of her and marched towards the nearest pool, leaving her clinging to the wall with his seed dripping down her thighs. He removed the rest of his clothes and stepped into the steaming waters.

"What's wrong?" she whispered.

Keeping his back to her, he waded deeper into the water. "Nothing is wrong."

"Liar. You're brooding over something. I can tell by your tone."

His answering chuckle was drowned out by the sound of the waterfall. "Everything is fine," he assured her, tilting his head to meet her gaze. Her flushed skin and tousled hair made his youki hum in satisfaction. "Come here," he said in a voice thick with desire.

His throat felt dry as she removed her ebony haori and the fur-lined kosode underneath, exposing her breasts. He knew she was self-conscious of them, but he couldn't fathom why. Their size had never been a problem for him. They were soft and round, like two ripe peaches. He was as hard as a rock by the time she'd finished undressing.

"Don't move," she told him. "I mean it. I'll be angry if you do."

Good, he thought. He enjoyed making her angry. It meant that she would be rough with him.

Octavia entered the pool and swam towards him like a river spirit. Her hands stroked his thighs underwater, creeping higher and higher until—

He bucked into her palm, grunting in frustration when she scooted backwards and reprimanded him with her eyes. "I told you not to move." She waited until he was as still as a statue before leaning in to kiss him. He fought to keep his hands in check as her lips parted his. His neglected member strained against her stomach when she patted a ledge jutting out of the rock behind him. "On here, please."

He did as he was told, her lime and lilac gaze lulling him into compliance.

"Trust me," she said as she pushed his legs apart.

He relaxed his posture. "As you wish."

Her eyes blazed with triumph. The reaction baffled him. She'd been trying to talk him into doing this for months. He didn't understand why she was so fixated on it. The act in question would only bring about his pleasure, not hers. It was whores' work; beneath her in every conceivable way—

His inhibitions were decimated after the first swipe of her tongue. His claws speared the shelf he was sitting on as she guided him into her mouth. Just as he was getting used to the new sensation, she hollowed her cheeks and bobbed her head up and down his length, causing him to thrust upwards despite her previous warnings.

She locked eyes with him through the steam and took him deeper into her mouth. Breathing hard, he tangled his fingers in her hair and steered her movements. She swirled her tongue around the tip of his cock then sucked harder, stroking the base with one hand and massaging his balls with the other.

He threw his head back and groaned as she worked him to completion, lapping up every drop of his seed that was offered to her. After wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she beamed up at him from between his legs. "See? I told you I was good."

He surprised them both by laughing.

"Wow. Ungrateful much?" She climbed onto his lap and scowled at him. "You're a real piece of work sometimes, you know?"

"And you're beautiful," he countered.

Her eyes glittered like gemstones as she leaned in to kiss him again. Sesshoumaru tasted himself on her lips—musky and bitter, but not as unpleasant as he'd expected. She smiled against his mouth when he curled an arm around her waist and pulled her into the water with him.

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A few hours later, they found Mikan and Kumoshi in a huge pile of animal bones. The light from the setting sun had turned everything a deep crimson, except for the blood smeared around their hands and mouths—or paws, in Kumoshi's case. That had been red long before the sun cast its dying light over the volcano.

Octavia smiled when she spotted Mikan gnawing on a deer carcass. She stole a glimpse at Sesshoumaru and saw relief painted over his features.

"Sorry about the mess," Kumoshi called out to them. "We got a little distracted on our way back from the crater."

Whilst his words were light-hearted and of a jolly disposition, his voice seemed to be lacking its usual mirth. Mikan must have found the right words, after all.

"You can make it up to us by sharing whatever's left of your kill," Octavia said, trying to lighten the mood. She turned to Sesshoumaru and let her gaze fall to his pelvic area. "I usually prefer my meat well done, but rare has its perks, as well."

She giggled at the flustered look on his face as they walked towards the giant mound of bones.

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Author's Corner

To those who are wondering, the animal that Sesshoumaru scared off with his youki was a Japanese serow.

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