InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Cinderella Stroy ❯ Revelations ( Chapter 17 )

Sesshomaru listened with only half an ear to the other taiyoukai as they questioned him. It was the same round as last night. Who was she? Where did she come from? Was she ningen or youkai? He sat in silence, refusing to answer any of them. Finally Suichi, the taiyoukai of the South gave a soft chuckle. The sound was so strange that everyone else stopped talking. His chuckle grew until he was holding his sides he was laughing so hard. At last he managed to get himself under control. Kouga snarled softly.

“Care to let us in on the joke?”

Suichi wiped tears from the corners of his eyes and shook his head. “No.”

“Then stop laughing.”

Suichi grinned at Sesshomaru, and Sesshomaru felt himself become slightly nervous. The water elemental was just a little too clever for his own good sometimes.

“Sesshomaru-sama, where is your mother's ring?”

He grinned in triumph as the other youkai stared at Sesshomaru's hand. The silver ring had blended so well with his natural skin tones that no one had noticed it was gone. Suichi and Yuiko, the Lady of the East, were grinning at him. Kouga was too young to know what this meant, but he caught the air of expectancy and leaned forward slightly.

“I gave it to her.”

“Last night?” His cold glare turned on Suichi.

“No.”

“So when will you mate her?”

Kouga jumped slightly. “Mate her? Now just wait a second here…”

Yuiko placed a restraining hand on his arm. “Let him answer that.”

“We have not discussed it yet. She is still bound by duties that do not make her future her own.”

“I take it this means you have answered the question as to whether or not she is youkai?”

“She is not, but she is not ningen either.”

“Then she is kami.”

Amusement danced in his eyes, making them all wary. Sesshomaru tended to find the strangest things amusing. “No, she is not.”

They all sat in silence for long moments before Kouga sucked in his breath. “Kami-sama, she can't be…it's not possible.”

Suichi snorted. “What isn't possible?”

“She can't be…a…a Doom.”

All three of them stared at him in shock and horror. Sesshomaru had to fight the smile that touched his lips. “I suppose that's as close as you're ever going to get.”

Yuiko started, “But you can't…”

She trailed off when Sesshomaru stiffened. Knowing the predictable response to trying to tell the Western Lord what he could and could not do, she winced. Instead he merely shrugged, letting himself relax. The others were shocked into silence by the uncharacteristic act. With a nod to them he rose.

“I really must be going, my duties call.”

He was half way to the door when Yuiko called after him. “I will be having a ball in a week's time, I expect to see her on your arm, Sesshomaru-sama. I will be greatly insulted if she is not.”

He shot her a look over his shoulder then continued walking. Suichi shook his head at Yuiko. “You know, one of these days he's going to kill you.”

She shrugged. “Probably, but at least I know it won't be without reason.”