InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Completely Innocent Addiction ❯ Part 2 ( Chapter 2 )

A Completely Innocent Addiction

Just A Starving Writer

Disclaimer: nope, not mine.

Part 2: An altercation, an incident, and a new alliance

The day was long and uneventful, devoted to the well being of the shard hunters. Most took it as an opportunity to sharpen weapons or catch up on sleep. Kagome use the break to read. Before she knew it, evening had settled upon the land once more. Still, she was no where near solving either the mystery of Henry's murder, or her own stalker. She allowed Sango to drag her off for a bath before the light was gone, but otherwise remained glued to the spot, taking in every detail of the book she was addicted to. Disappointment poured from her though as there was no quiet watcher to talk to. Finally she could take it no more. Tucking the novel and a flashlight into her waistband, she took her leave of the group, returning to the nearby spring and settling into another night of mystery.

However, there seemed to be no sinking into the story tonight. The air around her was charged. Her watcher was anxious. But why?

All at once, the entire world sprang to life. An unexpectedly strong gust of wind swept by with enough force to blow Kagome into the water. Sputtering and shivering, she emerged from the chilled pool to find that her book had thankfully survived the assault.

Unfortunately, it was now sprawled some distance from her at the feet of the most unlikely of people.

She should have been terrified, or at the very least frightened. She was neither. Instead all she saw was that her reading had once again been disturbed, at the most inopportune of moments, and now the novel was not in her grasp. Her eyes clouded over with all the anger she had suppressed from the day before. She glared threateningly at her enemy as he switched his gaze from the book at his feet to herself.

"Give. Me. The book." The voice and energy sounded strange coming as it did from a girl resembling a drowned cat.

He merely smirked wickedly. Yes, this would work out just fine. It was time to see just how desperate for the book the girl had become.

"You want…this," he stated solemnly while picking up the not-so-discarded novel.

"GIVE IT BACK!" she shouted, her blue eyes flashing dangerously. He took in every aspect of her appearance, from her soaking attire, dripping hair still plastered to her face, and over bright eyes, to her lips set in a grim line, her small fisted hands, and her tense stature. To someone as experienced as he was in battle, it was achingly obvious that she was prepared for a fight. This interested him to no end. He was curious just what the little spitfire was capable of.

"Then come and take it." He held the book out for her, regarding her with cool disinterest, but was inwardly hoping she would take his bait. She seemed to be suspicious, but one shake of the novel proved too much for her and she quickly removed herself from the water and walked, in soggy shoes no less, the few steps to her opponent. Kagome tried to grab the book, only to have it swiftly pulled from her reach. Looking into his usually cold face, she swore she saw a spark of amusement in his eyes.

It was that flash of emotion that broke all her remaining barriers that had held her anger in check. As if it was not enough that she had to have her reading interrupted continually all damn day, now here was this pompous ass of a demon practically laughing at her. Her comrades, especially the hanyou, would be forced to agree that the girl did have a temper, but even they would not have been prepared for the onslaught of anger that was now practically radiating from her overly tense form.

He mused that he was supposed to be frightened by the show of power that was enveloping her, but he found himself only increasingly amused.

`Does she even realize who she is speaking to?' he questioned himself thoughtfully.

However further debate was postponed as the soggy miko suddenly jumped, amazingly reaching his raised arm and there remaining, hanging precariously from his forearm. Moving quickly, her hand reached for the book, but not before her opponent shook his arm violently enough to send her falling to the ground. In an instant, she had regained her feet, and with eyes glazed by anger and addiction, she jumped the book thief. He, of course, had figured her first attack would be her last, especially considering the unnatural way she had landed on her left foot, something that almost made him cringe. Therefore he was taken by surprise when the astonishingly resilient girl threw her body onto him. He landed on his back with a dull thud and was instantly aware of the girl straddling him while she reached for the book that was still held over his head.

Immediately hating the position she had put him in, he flipped her quickly over and gained his feet. It was becoming obvious that the girl was a spirited fighter and could be quite skilled…if she wasn't so distracted by the novel.

Kagome took no time to catch her breath and went to rise but found an irresistible pressure on her stomach forcing her down. Her tormentor was standing over her, left foot firmly planted beneath her ribs, thereby restricting her movement. Eyes still glazed by hatred and want, she watched as he lowered the book to his eyes reading snippets of random pages and then closing the novel to examine the cover.

"Give it back!" she muttered angrily as she tried to remove the offending foot. He ignored her plight, though he did spare her a glance when a sound curiously like a growl erupted from her slender throat. His previous question concerning her sanity was answered with that quick look. Her distant eyes, focused solely on the book, proved that she still had no idea who she was so Hell bent on attacking.

`What an interesting little creature you are,' he thought as he attempted to keep his face from belying his extreme amusement. The little miko was making such a splendid jester.

However, a quickly approaching sensation and familiar smell threatened his fun. He would have to end this session quickly before anyone caught on to his newest hobby.

Reluctantly tossing the book aside, and watching as the girl followed its progress into the bushes as a puppy would a stick, he prepared himself for a show as the half breed came into view brandishing his sword as always.

"Hello brother," he said nonchalantly, while allowing his claw to fill with poison, trying to ignore the girl under his foot who was busy struggling, not so much to escape him as to retrieve the novel. It was truly quite humorous, though of course Inuyasha would fail to see it.

"Kagome…" the hanyou whispered, clearly frightened over his companion's present situation. The remainder of the group rushed to his side, all preparing for a battle that he was hesitant to start. There was a chance his toy could be harmed and that would just not do, not after all the energy he had expended for her protection. Of course, they didn't need to know that.

The small group stank of confusion and fear, so unlike his pet miko, though he was well aware they would not let anything hold them back from defending the girl.

Overall, the tension they were filling the air with was bothersome. He would surrender this useless fight just this once for her. He lifted his foot slowly and surely, fighting, and not completely beating, the pleased smirk that threatened his expression when the girl rolled away from him and jumped into the bushes to retrieve the novel instead of joining her friends.

"Tend your wench," he said coldly. "Next time she attacks me, she dies." That being said, he turned and walked away. It should have been quite the grand exit and would have been had said wench not chosen that instant to extract herself from the bushes, book tightly clasped to her chest.

"Never touch my book again, you pompous ass!" she yelled furiously as she glared menacingly at his retreating figure. His footsteps paused as her friends stared at her in open disbelief. For a moment he considered killing her for her insolence but decided this defiance was part of what made the spirited little miko entertaining. He settled for glaring at her coldly before he resumed his walking.

He continued until he was quite sure he was far beyond the range of all the senses of the small group, including the girl, before thoroughly masking his presence and returning to watch the reactions of the shard hunters. It was bound to be worth his time. Sure enough, they were all still there, right where he had left them, still staring with slack jaws at the soggy miko. Finally, much to be expected, the silence was broken by his half brother.

"What the FUCK is WRONG WITH YOU!" The volume made his ears tingle and broke the daze of everyone in the group. Suddenly, they all seemed to have questions.

"Are you hurt, Kagome?" the young fox asked with tears in his eyes.

"What happened?" the demon slayer inquired.

"Did he say you attacked him?" the monk pondered, curiosity fighting the wonder and shock in his eyes.

Kagome simply whimpered. The spell of the book had finally broken and she did not seem to be aware of where she was. Looking meekly at the faces of her comrades, she appeared to need answers as much as they did. Still completely shell shocked, she started to walk in the direction of the campfire when she promptly fell to the ground with a squeal of pain. Now that the book had released her, she could feel the ache of her hurt ankle and he once again felt the urge to cringe. He tried to dismiss the feeling, but he actually was a tad bit remorseful for injuring his toy. It was silly really, the extents he would go to for a touch of amusement.

The instant she hit the ground, the girl's companions rushed to her side, clearly afraid that she was in jeopardy. She grumbled as she sat up and tenderly examined the swollen ankle, grateful when the monk retrieved the odd torch so she could see the extent of the damage.

"Hmph," she sighed exasperatedly.

Distress quickly faded from the face of the hanyou and was replaced by an odd combination of anger and worry. Clearly the girl meant a lot to him.

The group quickly decided answers were best achieved at the comfort of the camp and helped the girl to her foot. Before she could begin the stumbling journey on her own, the half breed picked her up to her surprise.

"Warn me when you do that!" was her quick outburst as she adjusted herself into his arms, ensuring the safety of her ankle.

"Warn me next to you decide to run off and pick a fight with Sesshoumaru!" was the retaliation. Said victim smirked in the confines of the shadows.

"I did not!"

"Could we please continue this discussion in front of a warm fire once Kagome's leg has been tended?" came the monk's wise interception. Their observer nodded in agreement and stowed away in his mind a promise to be less harsh on the monk if he ever came across him in battle.

The group sulked but walked back to the campsite, the hanyou settling his burden on a log and tenderly propping her foot up on a rock before allowing the monk and exterminator to tend it. Sitting on the ground across from her, he stared unnervingly at the poor girl the entire time her injury was being wrapped. All the would-be ghost could focus on was the strained face of the miko. Every cringe seemed to affect him before he relentlessly squashed the guilt that tried to surface. Luckily, she was soon situated and as comfortable as possible and awaiting the questions of her interrogators.

"Please, Kagome. Tell us what happened." The monk really did seem to have a talent for dealing well with awkward situations.

"Well…" the girl began tiredly. She told her tale with enough detail to satisfy the crowd and entertain the watcher. By the time she had reached the end, daylight was beginning to seep into the sky. The hanyou had yet to say anything.

"Curious," the monk stated while leaning back against a tree and tapping his chin. "Your protector left. Of course, anyone would be frightened of Sesshoumaru." He quickly glanced at the dejected girl. "But still, he could have at least used the bracelet to do something."

Everyone looked up at that statement. It seemed it hadn't occurred to anyone else. More than anything, the miko looked devastated. He simply couldn't dismiss how hard it was to keep his eyes trained on her. Her uncanny faith in her unknown protector's abilities and intentions had very obviously been shattered. The monk seemed to sense her distress and calmly helped her into her odd blanket. A few comforting words later and the girl seemed to simply collapse from exhaustion and emotional strain. Departing from the girl's side, the monk took a seat next to the demon slayer.

"Will Kagome be alright?" the woman asked, clearly unable to keep the worry out of her voice. "She's always been so strong, but this…this is bothering her greatly."

"Yes, I believe her obsession with the book is getting quite hazardous. It may be in her best interest to keep the object from her, at least until she is more stable."

"I'll let you do that, Miroku," the half breed said, finally breaking his silence. "No way in hell am I getting sat for this anymore." With a huff of annoyance, he jumped into the tree overlooking the unconscious girl signaling that his involvement in the conversation had ended.

The camp became silent once more and the watcher began to leave when he was stopped in his tracks by the monk's next words.

"It's strange though that the only damage to Kagome was unintentional, despite the lack of protection. Almost as if Sesshoumaru…I don't know. It just doesn't seem right."

"How..?" the demon slayer began confused.

"I don't know. But from what I saw and what Kagome said, it almost seems as if he was playing with her." He paused, half for effect and half to get his thoughts in order. "Does offering her the book then pulling it from her grasp seem like something the All Mighty Lord Sesshoumaru would do?"

The demon slayer shook her head warily.

"I think," the monk said while adjusting himself back onto a tree trunk. "I think there is more to this situation than any of us realize."

Silence once more. The monk seemed to drift into sleep and the slayer followed soon afterwards. A hidden demon lord walked soundlessly away from the resting group, a slight frown on a calm face belying his consternation.

*********************

Kagome slept through most of the day, guarded alternately by the other hunters. Their worry only increased as the day progressed and the girl showed no signs of waking. Deciding that action was necessary to save the miko from further damage, the monk and slayer conspired to confiscate the offending novel. Once the book was tucked out of sight, the mood of the camp seemed to lighten until finally, when the sky was approaching dusk, the girl came back to the world of the wake.

"Kagome!" the fox child yelled joyously while jumping into said party's lap. "We were so worried about you!"

"Oh, Shippou, I didn't mean to worry you," the girl stated lovingly while hugging the child tightly.

"Good evening, Kagome," the monk said calmly.

"Good evening, Miroku. I'm starving! How about some ramen?"

Of course, everyone instantly agreed that the noodles were the perfect dinner. Soon, the sounds of contentment could be heard as everyone enjoyed the evening meal and went about preparing for the following day. Once all the dishes had been cleansed and packed away, the recently pleasant miko found herself getting antsy as she had nothing left to do. After performing at least a dozen odd jobs, she finally gave in to the relentless urge and went to retrieve the novel. The novel, however, was not to be found.

All the preparations that had been carefully made for the continuation of their journey in the morning were laid to waste as the increasingly anxious woman-child searched for the book. Bags were emptied and bedding was strewn about as the search continued recklessly. The others watched with increasing alarm. The recently arrived observer watched with amusement. Finally the girl turned to her companions, beseeching them for answers.

"Where is it? Where is the novel?" she asked with overly bright blue eyes darting to and fro.

"Perhaps it is best if you resist the book tonight, Kagome," the monk stated knowledgeably. The girl immediately turned her pointed gaze to him, anger and desperate need growing in her eyes.

"Give me the book."

"I think not."

"Now."

"Now, Kagome…" his sentence was cut off when the girl jumped him, pushing him to the ground with her small hands clasped tightly on his throat. This sudden move shocked everyone, including the smirking spectator.

"GIVE IT TO ME!" she screeched as the hanyou tried without success to remove her from the monk.

She seemed to have gained inhuman strength in her desperation. It would have been quite humorous had the monk's life not been in jeopardy. Finally the situation was resolved when the fumbling monk pulled the novel from his robe and the crazed girl removed her hands from his neck to grab the book and allowed herself to be heaved off of her victim.

The exterminator saw to the monk while Inuyasha turned the offending girl around in his arms until he was looking into her distant face. It was obvious she was still in her own little world. Being a person prone to violence before thought, he did the only thing he could think of: he slapped the poor girl. Not harshly by any means, but enough to jar her back to her senses. The would-be ghost couldn't stop the growl coming from his throat and immediately the bracelet around the miko's wrist glowed, creating a barrier around her, and pushing the slapper away. But the damage was done. She had come back to reality and lifted one hand to tenderly touch the stinging cheek. Her troubled eyes fell on the hanyou before finding the still gasping monk. Tears immediately began to fall when she realized what had happened. With a small gasp, she took off as fast as her still aching ankle would allow. The shocked hunters let her go.

The watcher found her curled in a ball at the clearing that had served their last encounter. The bubbling water of the spring was amplified by her streaming tears and quiet sobs. The heartbreak was evident, even for one such as him. After a time, the girl lifted the offending novel to her eyes and stared at it in a mix of disdain and want.

"Stupid book…why do you have to be so good?" the miko said miserably. The observer smirked in amusement. The girl tensed.

"Would you stop laughing at me!" she sobbed furiously into the failing light of the forest. The smirk faded. Such a strange creature she was. Such passion, such power. The watcher averted his gaze from the girl who had resumed sobbing. It was time to go. His toy appeared to be broken. Stepping away from the clearing, he turned his back on the girl. She looked up, seemingly aware that he was leaving.

"I appreciate your protection. I really do. And there are times when you are not so bad and I enjoy your company." She paused to breath. He released one of his own. "But please remember that you are a stranger to me." She gulped. There seemed to be so much more that was left unspoken.

The watcher tried to leave but found it near impossible. His toy was distraught and close to a breakdown. He could not help but feel responsible after the stunt he had pulled. Never before had he been this childish…never before had he been able to. It was liberating really, but he was not foolish enough to dismiss the control he was allowing her to have over him. Thankfully she did not realize his identity as that would have made the situation unforgivably awkward. She had no idea the depths he was going to just to enjoy her company.

The girl had since passed out again. Strange how easy that was to her. He couldn't help but envy the ability. She would no doubt be safe there until she woke or was found by her comrades. His true presence still lingered on the spot from the night before and no demon would dare trespass.

Still, he couldn't bring himself to leave her. Before he was quite aware of what he was doing, he was stepping out of the safety of the trees and into the clearing, watching her sleeping form for any show that she was waking. Once he was certain she was deeply lost in slumber, he was beside her, eyeing her carefully for injuries. His gaze fell to the left ankle. In her hurry to escape the scrutiny and shock of her companions, the bindings had become loose. Kneeling at her feet, he carefully removed her shoe and unwound the fabric, ever watchful for her return to consciousness. He wrapped the ankle securely, ensuring that she would be as comfortable as possible, before reattaching the shoe.

He remained at her side though, thoughtfully contemplating the girl. He felt the material of the odd clothing she wore and was surprised to find it smooth, thick, and strangely confining, very much different than anything he had ever felt before. While the strangeness seemed to fit the girl, he couldn't help but think it wrong that such a seemingly delicate creature would wear such obviously rough fabric. Moving to her head, he soon found his fingers gripping a lock of her hair. This was much more proper for a being such as her.

Further examination was cut short. The hunters were making their way toward her location and he could not be seen. With one parting touch to her cheek, he took his leave.

*************************

Sitting at his desk, attempting to finish up paperwork, there was no way to dismiss the extreme boredom that was threatening his concentration. Ever since his short vacation watching the strange girl two weeks before, he had been unable to find anything that would entertain him for more than a few minutes. Nothing topped what the girl could offer.

His retainer, his previous source of amusement, had ceased to please him. No amount of kicks could bring the pleased smirk to his face anymore. No amount of flowers his young ward decorated the poor toad with could make him ache for more. Instead, he ached for the little pet miko who had so pleased him for days on end. Really, she was such a splendid creature to have that ability to keep him of all people occupied for so long.

He stopped his mulling over the papers when a sudden thought occurred to him. What had started as a way to sate his curiosity had turned into an odd addiction. It was no where near as far progressed as that which held the miko to the novel, but an obsession none the less.

`Speaking of which, did she ever solved the mystery of Henry's murder…'

Miles away, under a cloudy sky, Kagome sat under a tree, forgoing lunch so she could continue reading the novel. She was so close to the end now. Just a few more pages and she would know exactly what had happened to poor Henry. She was pretty sure she had solved the mystery surrounding the murder of Charles Franklin, and later, Mrs. Jackson. But with Henry, she was still as lost as at the beginning.

`So…very…close…'

Every night she had waited patiently for her watcher to return but never once in the last two weeks had she felt his calming presence. After the first few nights she became worried that something dreadful had happened to him. This was impossible though as the bracelet still acted to protect her in the few battles they had been involved in during his absence.

Try as she might, she could not lie to herself. She missed the strange observer. No matter that he seemed to be laughing at her expense. It was comforting to have someone looking after her and listening to her rambling on about the story. Now that he had left, a dull ache began to form and the book, though just as addictive, somehow didn't seem to be as fulfilling as before. She could still remember the last night of his presence when she had passed out. She swore she had felt tender touches and upon awakening, she had discovered that her ankle had been rewrapped perfectly. Such an odd thing for a stranger to do, but it made her impression of him jump a few notches.

`I miss the ass,' she thought with a sigh.

Suddenly a familiar prickle in her mind caused her some alarm as she took her mind from the book to confirm.

"Inuyasha, a jewel shard is approaching fast from the north. Seems to be coming straight for us." That information having been relayed, she returned her attention to the novel. No way was she going to let a silly demon interrupt her reading when she was this close to solving the mystery. Luckily, her friends were well versed in this routine and she was rarely needed for fighting.

After a few minutes the demon crashed through the trees and she spared it a glance to pinpoint the jewel shard's location.

"It's in the left foot," she yelled nonchalantly as she returned her attention to the book. So very close…

Unfortunately, she was so involved in the mystery that she failed to notice the battle had turned out to be slightly more difficult than anyone had expected. The demon slayer had already been put out of commission and the monk was standing guard over her, leaving only the hanyou to defeat it. As it was, he seemed to be having a hard time of it, being unable to get a good shot at the beast. Without warning, he was tossed aside and the demon rushed at the unaware girl. One minute she was discovering the latest twist in the mystery and the next she was laying in the middle of the clearing, the book at least a good fifty feet from her. Angered and desperate for resolution, her vision tunneled until only the novel could be seen as she crawled her way back to her obsession, completely ignoring the dozens of small pains that shot through her body.

She was so close now. Just a few more feet and the book, and the answers to so many questions, would be hers once more. `Almost there,' she thought as she reached out one hand to grab the book.

She never made it. Immediate darkness took over. The forgotten demon had been in the process of stepping on her when Inuyasha had finally taken the killing stroke. However, the damage was done. Back broken, Kagome had been killed instantly. Her crumbled body lying outstretched, book mere inches from her reaching fingers, it was obvious to all that she would not be getting up. A deathly stillness filled the clearing as the shard hunters collectively held their breath.

Back at his desk, the former watcher suddenly tensed. A nagging tick formed in the back of his mind. In an instant he realized that something must have happened to his favorite toy. Without a thought, he was on his way to where he felt the girl must be. He knew it was silly and without a doubt the most unlordly thing he had ever done, but one must protect his hobbies. It simply would not do for someone placed under his protection, even unknowingly, to be harmed. It reflected poorly on him.

At least that's what he kept telling himself.

Easily finding the source of his unease, he stayed back to observe and process the scene. There in the center was the girl, very obviously dead. There by her outstretched hand was the book, very obviously the indirect cause of her death. The hanyou was not ten feet from her, fallen to his knees mumbling "she's dead" while he stared at her still body. The remainder of the group was in a similar state, with the exception of a weeping fox child held in the tense arms of the demon slayer.

An odd sensation alerted him to one of the swords at his hip. Sure enough, the damned worthless Tenseiga was calling for action. He smirked. There was no way he could dismiss his pleasure that his toy could be saved, even though he was unsure why the sword had chosen her.

Still, the time for thought was not now. Walking into the clearing, he ignored the sudden gasps of the hunters, choosing instead to walk up to the girl's still body. Glancing down, he assessed the damage while unsheathing the strangely powerful sword. He blocked out the cries of the miko's comrades as he took two graceful swings over the body. Returning the sword to its rightful place, he kneeled down to ensure the girl's survival. Sure enough, her breath was returning. Her hand twitched and after a few failed attempts, finally gripped the novel. Curling into herself, she pulled the novel to her still half closed eyes and unerringly found her page once more.

Damn it if he couldn't keep the pleased smirk from coming once more to his face.

A thought suddenly occurred to him and he could not resist its temptation. Hauling the still dazed, and reading, girl carefully to his shoulder, he stood and began walking away from the stunned hunters.

Of course, his half-brother was the first to react.

"Hey! Put her down!"

"I have business with the miko. She will not be harmed," he said nonchalantly, not even bothering to turn to face the half breed.

"But!"

"I told you to tend to the wench. You failed." He continued walking. "The bracelet could only do so much. It is obvious she is not safe with you. Would you rather me keep her?"

The hanyou went to retaliate before the enormity of the situation sank in. He stopped in his tracks, staring dumbfounded at the girl who remained oblivious to her predicament.

"The girl will be returned." That being said, the lord disappeared into the forest leaving a stunned group in the clearing.

After a few moments, the tension was broken by a sob from the fox child.

"Kagome!" he whimpered.

"Should we go after her?" the demon slayer questioned anxiously.

"Of course stupid!" the hanyou retorted.

"Not so hasty, Inuyasha. Lord Sesshoumaru promised her return and we have no reason to doubt his word," the monk countered.

"But.."

"No buts. We simply have to trust Kagome on this one. If Sesshoumaru truly was her watcher, which it appears he was, then we have to believe he has some vested interest in her. She will not be harmed while she is useful to him. I trust he will return her uninjured. He did return her to life, after all."

A heavy pause filled the air as everyone took in his wise words.

"This has got to be the weirdest thing to ever happen to us," the fox child stated solemnly.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

A bit removed from the remaining shard hunters, the demon lord carried his prize towards his residence. Taking a guarded glance back, he saw that she was quickly approaching the end of the book. Only a few pages remained. He could only hope that she was kept occupied until they reached their destination.

A few moments later, his prayers were left unanswered. Closing the novel with a content sigh, the girl relaxed before taking into account her position and companion. Tensing, she began to struggle quite ineffectively.

"Stop that. I have no intentions of harming you."

"Yeah right!" she shrieked nervously. "Put me down!"

"No. You are coming with me."

"WHAT?!" she yelled, making him wince in annoyance and leaving him questioning her true worth for his cause.

"If you serve your purpose, you will be returned unharmed."

"WHAT PURPOSE??"

He smirked. "Entertainment."

Her face faulted in a mix of shock, dismay, and disbelief. He could sense her preparing for a fight so he searched for a way to disarm the conflict before it began. There was no need anyway as she was coming with him one way or another.

"I have a library." Such a simple sentence and anyone else would have scoffed and demanded release. However, the story obsessed miko seemed to relax at this random declaration. Her eyes instantly softened as she stared openly at her captor. There was no need to divulge his alternate identity. She seemed to know now.

Deciding the time to test her use was now, he carefully set the girl to her feet before resuming walking. He smirked in delight when he heard her light footsteps catching up to him.

"Do you have mysteries?"

"Whatever you want."

She skipped in elation. Such a strange and interesting creature she was.

They walked in relative silence for some ways, the demon lord quiet as usual but oddly content, the girl very obviously happy. However, there was one thing that needed to be answered before the suspense killed him. At least the question would be welcome to the miko.

"Who killed Henry?" he asked indifferently, his tone in no way belying his true interest in the subject.

"Oh! Henry was never really dead!" she said excitedly. "He faked his own death so he could kill Mrs. Jackson and Charles Franklin without being discovered."

"Interesting."

"You have no idea."

`Yes,' the demon lord thought as a pleased smirk found its way onto his features. `This arrangement will work out perfectly.'

They walked on comfortably into a darkening forest, both content with their own thoughts and each other's reassuring presence.

***