InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Captive Soul ❯ chapter 10 ( Chapter 10 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of it's characters. ____________________________________________________________

chapter 10: To Hold You Near

Sesshomaru woke the next morning to the smell of sausage and eggs. His stomach growled, effectively waking him up.

He blinked several times to make sure he had not been dreaming and he was actually in a bed, unchained, and owned by a beautiful girl.

Stretching lazily, he scratched around his collar. He sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, noting that he had not slept that deep in years.

As his ears picked up the sound of Rin's foot steps on the stairs, he pulled the covers closer to him.

He remembered her nervous manner last night when he began to undress. She had averted her attention away from his body.

She may not wish to see him unclothed.

The sight of his body may have repulsed her.

Rin appeared in the doorway, beaming in the morning light. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

He nodded.

"Great..breakfast is ready." With that, she bounded back down the stairs.

Sesshomaru rose, dressed, then went to the bathroom to freshen up.

A few minutes later he walked into the kitchen.

The table was set for two people. In the center laid a large dish of scrambled eggs, a bowl full of cut sausages, a small plate of buttered toast, and a large bowl of sugared strawberries.

It smelled heavenly and his stomach growled again.

Rin turned from the stove with a teapot in her hand and noticed him. "Oh, hi.....hungry?"

"Yes....Rin"

"I didn't know how much you would want so I made plenty." she said while pouring tea into the cup by each setting.

She sat down at the table then smiled at him. "Come on....sit down and eat with me..."

Sesshomaru tilted his head with slight wonder then joined her.

After they had finished eating, Rin began cleaning the table. "Sesshomaru, would you help me with the dishes?"

He elegantly rose then went to stand beside her at the sink.

"Here...." Rin handed him a towel. "...I'll wash while you dry."

Sesshomaru accepted the cloth from her small hand and watched as she filled the sink with soapy water.

As he dried the wet plates, Rin's shoulder would occasionally brush against his arm.

The scent of vanilla wafted from her chestnut brown hair as she swayed back and forth.

He could feel her body heat and hear her heart beating in a relaxed rhythm.

Unconsciously, he breathed in deeper as if to hold her comforting essence within him as long as possible.

A coolness caressed his face. The window above the sink was open, allowing the fresh smell of the garden flowers along with the midmorning sun to filter in.

The demon watched, transfixed, as a pearl white butterfly danced above the scarlet spider lilies.

Then a soft melody, almost in tune with the tinkle of the windchimes nearby, filled the air.

After a moment, he realized the sweet harmony was coming from right beside him. Rin was humming.

It was a tune he recalled from his youth, a child's lullaby.

As soon as she had started, Rin finished the sweet melody. "Kagome probably won't be here for awhile. Would you like to go outside with me?"

"Yes, Rin"

After the dishes were finished, Rin walked out the back door.

Sesshomaru followed closely behind her as she stepped lightly along the cobblestone pathway.

When they approached a wooden outdoor shed, the young girl opened the door and went in.

Upon entering, He had to wait for his sight to adjust to the shadowed darkness of the room.

But Rin had no trouble as she foraged about.

The acrid fumes of paint and turpentine stung his sensitive nose and he fought to clear his head.

If it had not been for the offensive odor of ink tearing his sense of smell to pieces, he would have noticed Rin climbing precariously up an unstable and rotten wooden ladder.

There was a resounding crack followed by a shrill curt shriek as the ladder broke, causing the girl to fall backwards.

In a blink, he caught her before she hit the concrete floor.

He held her for a moment searching for injuries. "Are you.....Rin, are you alright?"

She did not appear to be hurt but the scent of pain told him otherwise.

Holding her small form tighter to him, Sesshomaru waited for the girl to regain her bearings.

She looked up a little wide eyed. "I...uh...I think so...

"Guess I should have replaced that ladder a long time ago." she stated with a shaky laugh.

As he stared down at her, she audibly gulped.

.........................."You...uh... can put me down now." she said softly.

Reluctantly, he lowered the girl to her feet.

Rin wavered then let out a sharp gasp of pain as she stumbled backwards against him.

This time he caught the girl by the waist and held her steady. A wince crossed her features before she glanced sheepishly up at him. "I think I sprained my ankle a little."

With that confession, the youkai picked up the injured girl and carried her to the house.

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Sesshomaru laid Rin on the couch and proceeded to remove her shoe and sock. He gently rubbed the swollen area. Rin hissed when he touched a tender spot.

"It is not a serious injury." he rose from his kneeled postition. "I shall return."

Entering the kitchen, he went over to the fridge and searched the ice box. After grabbing a package of vegetables, he hurried back to the living room.

He sat down at Rin's feet and placed her ankle in his lap. Tendrels of icy mist curled away from the frozen package as he laid it directly on the heated injury.

Rin sighed, looking downcast. "Im sorry, Sesshomaru, I guess we can't go shopping today after all."

He almost spoke up, the thought of carrying Rin around all day, tempting him, but Sesshomaru said nothing and only tended to the ankle.

"Thank you" a pink blush splashed her cheeks as she looked up at him.

A knocking at the door interupted his reply.

"That must be Kagome and Kikyo." Rin motioned to get up but he placed his hand gently on her stomach and shook his head.

Laying the injured foot back on the couch , he went to open the front door.

He opened the door and there stood two young women who could have been mistaken for twins at first glance.

Immediately, he fell to one knee and bowed before them.

"Oh...hi..".. said the first raven haired girl...."You must be Sesshomaru. Where's Rin?"

As Sesshomaru rose, the powerful aura of the two, barraged his senses. Backing away, the demon led the two women to Rin. He remained quiet and placid next to her.

"Hey, Rin"...the young woman looked at her ankle..."What happened?"

Rin sat up a little on the couch. "Hi, Kagome..... I kinda twisted my foot while climbing a ladder. Luckily, Sesshomaru was there to catch me....Kagome, Kikyo, this is Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru, this is my sister Kagome and this..." She said, gestering to the other young woman. "...is my cousin, Kikyo."

The miko with bright kind eyes smiled at him. "Nice to meet you, Sesshomaru."

Then, the other young woman approached, inspecting him thoroughly with carnal delight. "Why Rin, I didn't know you had bought a pet."

"Sesshomaru is not a pet, Kikyo." Rin shot back.

Kikyo prowled closer. "O.K....Slave then."

Kikyo purred, a wicked want gleaming in her eye. "Does he serve you well?"

Kagome interupted Kikyo's audacious inquiry. "For you information, Kikyo, Rin plans to set Sesshomaru free." she moved between her cousin and the youkai. "Now quit acting so snotty!"

Kikyo huffed then headed in the direction of the kitchen.

"I apologize for my cousin's behavior, Sesshomaru." Kagome gave him a reassuring smile. "May I look at your collar?"

The inu-youkai kneeled before the miko once again, lifting his chin to bare his neck to her. She gently brushed his hair aside . As the young womans warm fingers glided along the metal next to his skin she murmured to herself "mmmmm......no edges what so ever....solid"

She traced the inscriptions with the tips of her fingers and her brow creased in concentration as a hint of her energy crept into him. It was nature base and inviting, seeking out his darkness to purify. But, as soon as it was sent, the magic returned to the miko, leaving peacefulness in its wake.

Kagome's examination ended. "Thank you, Sesshomaru. I'm through. You can get up now."

He did as instructed while Kagome sat on the couch next to Rin.

Rin looked at her sister. "Well....what's the verdict?"Kagome let out a heavy breath, "I'll tell you the truth, Rin. It won't be easy. The spell's aura is old, very old. Long ago, miko's had immense power due to their intense training. And as I suspected, this particular subduing spell is one of a kind. The inscriptions are archaic and the metal is symbolic. A form of black gold...I have a releasing spell that I'm ninety percent sure will work but it will take both of us. I'll have to recite the incantation while you remove the collar. Because of the dangerously massive amount of power expelled during the process we will have to be careful. It's risky for all three of us."

Kagome turned to the demon. "I have a feeling that whoever cursed you, Sesshomaru, wanted your servitude to be eternal."

Kagome then looked to her sister. "I'll study a few more journals to make sure I haven't missed anything."

I sure am glad your his owner, Rin. The counter spell requires the owner to be pure of heart and a vir...."

"KAGOME!!!"

Rin glowered at her smirking sibling with tinted cheeks. Then she turned to Sesshomaru and handed him the now wet package of vegetables. "Sesshomaru, can you put this back for me? I think the swelling has gone down now." She gave him a sweet smile." Thank you....again."

He nodded, then left.

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Sesshomaru sensed the other miko before opening the door. Cautiously, the youkai entered the kitchen.As he kept his eyes to the floor, he prayed that the young priestess would not notice him. After placing the vegetables back in the ice box, he turned for the door but didn't quite make it as her sultry voice called to him.

"Sesshomaru...."

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