InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Captive Soul ❯ chapter 27 ( Chapter 27 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

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

_____________________________________________________________ ___

Chapter 27: Confrontations

_________________________________________________________ _________

Inuyasha blinked several times as he stood rooted to the spot.

"Kikyo?"

A regretful sadness filled him. Pain twisted within his heart.

Closing his eyes, he shook his head once. No. It could not be her.

Listening to his own voice of reason, he opened his eyes to look at the young woman once more.

This time, he noticed it: the hair, the eyes, the brighter radiance.

No. This was not Kikyo. But, the resemblance brought back so much.

The young woman may be related. As he watched the lovely girl walk away in the other direction, part of him wanted to talk to her.

He took one step forward but stopped.

No.

Turning from the sight of her with a pain he could not understand, Inuyasha covered up the emotions leaking from within.

This was not the time to become wrapped up in the personal past or start chasing after phantom feelings.

He had a job to do.

His ears twitched, sifting through sounds, voices, anything out of the ordinary.

It was getting late; many people had already left but quite a few had stayed and were dancing.

Using his nose, he sniffed while strolling between groups of mingling people.

Not many youkai were here tonight. Actually, he could only smell one in the vast room: a wolf youkai.

He also smelled the lingering scent of another.

"Must be the inu youkai Shippoh was talking about." he mumbled to himself.

For some odd reason the scent seemed familiar, but he could not place it. It smelled as if it had been altered from one he had already known.

Inuyasha glanced about the room as he neared the stage.

It still bothered him about the distressed female from earlier. What could cause that much panic?

Making a final decision to check it out, Inuyasha turned and headed back to the garden exit.

He halted in his tracks when another familiar scent caught his immediate attention.

Naraku.

The hanyou was in the room.....somewhere.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sesshomaru glared up at the miko witch standing before him.

Her frown deepened. "What are you glaring at, dog?"

He said nothing.

Kikyo's brow creased in slight confusion before lightening with amusement. Crossing her arms, she admonished in an airy tone. "Oh, that's right. I told you to be silent. Didn't I?"

She brought one finger to her bottom lip and smiled demurely with a tilt of her head. "You may speak now.....if you wish to."

Still, he only glared at her, trying to control his heated demon blood: the part of him that screamed to kill.

His restraint would not allow harm to one of Rin's blood kin, but he strained with the effort to hold his inner demon at bay.

It howled, aching to slash this witch woman to shreds.

He could easily snap from his denied desires.

Kikyo's frown returned. "You have not answered my question, mutt. Why are you glaring at me? Your countenance is not acceptable for one of your status, slave. Answer me!"

Sesshomaru snarled out a reply. "I hate you. I hate everything about you. Your very presence makes me want to rip your heart out, miko witch."

Kikyo took a step back in startled astonishment. For a moment, her mouth gaped open before she shut it. Irritation replaced the shock. "What has happened to you?! What has Rin done to you?! She has ruined you!"

"She has not ruined me. My future mate has brought I, Sesshomaru, back from the dead. Now release me!"

The young woman's eyes narrowed. "You forget your place, Dog. You are a slave: a subjugated demon slave. It seems you need to be retaught lessons in humility."

She reached out; her hand came close to his cheek.

He growled while flinching away from her putrid fingertip. "Don't touch me!"

She pulled her hand back and sneered. "I can touch you however I wish. Have you forgotten about your curse, Demon? Refusing to give in will only result in pain. You know this. I want you to strip. Now."

Sesshomaru growled out loudly. "When I am set free, you will die for making me do this. I promise."

The miko laughed snidely. "Free? You will never be free. That piddly releasing spell of my cousin's is not powerful enough to break your curse."

She moved around him, halting at his left side. "Delusional Dog! You will remain a slave for eternity."

Something smoothed his hair as her voice became softer. "....or until your death... whichever comes first."

Sesshomaru did not miss her underlining meaning.

But instead of cowering before the threat, he became angry. Jerking away from the filthy caresses, he growled out again. "I said, I do not want you to touch me!"

Kikyo brutally fisted some of his hair and pulled, hissing savagely. "Stay still!"

He complied with the order, staring straight ahead.

Hot breath spat in his ear. "I can and will make you pay for defying me, dog. Whenever I can, I will make your life a living hell. Rin can't watch you all the time and every time she lets you out of her sight, I will be there."

Sesshomaru rasped out angrily. "I will tell Rin about this."

With a short bark of laughter, she released his hair and moved to stand before him again. "Whether you tell Rin or not makes no difference. I will find a way to get to you and when I do, the torture of the past will seem like a picnic compared to what I will do to you. Now be a good dog and remove those clothes!"

Setting his jaw, Sesshomaru reached for his belt and slowly began to untie it as he wrenched his scarlet vision away from her sickening presence. "I swear I will kill you for this. I do not wish to mate with you, witch!"

This time she let out a sordid chuckle. "Why, my dear youkai, whoever said I wanted to mate with you?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Breathing became difficult. It felt as if her chest would explode with the panic. Rin needed to get control before she hyper-ventilated.

She stepped out into the garden, heading towards the left, brick path.

As she ran down the well-lit pathway, Rin prayed that Kikyo hadn't done anything to Sesshomaru.

"If Kikyo has laid one finger on you, love. I will kill her myself."

Skipping a little, Rin removed her heeled shoes in mid run to gain speed.

Cool, wet brick scratched underfoot as she sped up. "Please be okay, please be okay...please..."

Her apprehension grew upon nearing a very empty, brick circle: the threshold to the largest hedge maze in the state.

They were not here.

What if they had gone into the maze?

Would she be able to find them before it was too late?

No, she wouldn't.

Rin stopped at the maze entrance. Putting one hand on the leafy archway, she leaned against the prickly surface.

She calmed her labored breathing.

Dropping her shoes, she cupped both hands over her mouth and yelled. "Sesshomaru, come here!"

Rin stopped breathing and listened.

Nothing.

Something was wrong. Sesshomaru's ears were highly sensitive. He should have heard her and come.

One single thought struck in the confusion. What if.....Naraku had lied?

Rin mentally kicked herself. In her blind panic over Kikyo, she had not listened to her instincts.

Bending down, Rin picked up her shoes, then stood.

When she turned to go back, she froze.

There, across the courtyard, in the middle of the pathway, stood a tall, dark figure.

Naraku.

Suddenly Rin became very aware of everything: silence: no night birds, no crickets, no distant voices or music....and....no wind.

It felt as if she had been sucked into a silent, black void.

His shadowed smile flashed under the passing patches of light as he walked towards her. "Did you find them, Rin? That is what you really came out here for...Wasn't it?"

Rin stayed very still, her eyes searching for an escape route as Naraku came closer. "I...Yes...I thought I would find my cousin here....but I guess I have missed her."

The hanyou shook his head. "It seems they must have taken off."

Rin backed up a step, eyeing the half demon cautiously, a bad feeling forming in her gut. "I do not think so. I think you lied to me. They were never here to begin with."

Naraku stopped. His somewhat shaded features revealing only a touch of surprise. "You may be correct in that assumption, dear Rin. Although I would prefer to say that I was only mistaken in that assessment. Lying is such a....harsh...word."

Rin smiled wanly. "In any case, Naraku, I need to go back and find my companion and my cousin."

When she moved to go around, the hanyou stepped to the side, barring her way.

That bad feeling was quickly evolving into fear.

Trying not to let her apprehension show, Rin gave another half hearted smile. "Will you please excuse me, Naraku?"

Naraku took one step forward, his tone dry and biting. "Why? So you can go back to that dog of a slave?"

Backing up a step, Rin replied through her now growing fear. "Slave? You mean my companion? Well, yes....it could be dangerous without him."

His voice slipped into amusement. "Indeed."

The air cooled to a chilly degree.

An icy, black mist rolled into the rounded courtyard, blanketing the bricked ground.

The invading vapor snaked all around, creeping up her ankles, and tingling up her legs.

Rin looked up to the hanyou who stood there in the darkened mist.

A small smile played on his lips; eerie fascination alighting in the dark depths of his eyes.

She felt like a mouse.....cornered by a sadistic, playful cat.

The hanyou stepped closer once more.

Her muscles tensed, ready to run.

She bolted, but did not get very far when a muscular arm wrapped around her waist.

A distinct rip resounded through the dark as Rin felt her dress tear up the side.

She kicked and bucked, trying to break free of the iron grip.

Rin opened her mouth to scream but was cut short by a large hand.

Naraku hissed in the struggle. "Rin! Stop it!"

That strange mist slithered, covering her. Suddenly, she felt very sluggish, unable to move.

The grip loosened some.

Strong arms turned her around. Naraku grasped her slightly limp form by the forearms and leaned in, his expression accusing her of betrayal. "Why do you want to run from me? I have done nothing to give you this fear of me. All I ever wanted to do was love you, Rin. All I ever wanted was one chance. You never even gave me that, and now you go around with that...that... canine slave...as if you were mated to him...."

Rin blinked. The world was spinning. She focused on the hanyou holding her. "Sesshomaru will not be a slave for long. I will free him and we will be mates."

Naraku raised an eyebrow in irritation. "Sesshomaru?....You're on a first name basis with that....dog?! Mates!?"

"He will come for me...and he will kill you if you harm me."

His anger melted into a wicked smile, creating a feeling beyond fear. "I have a barrier up. Your bodyguard cannot sense where you are and he cannot hear your plea for help."

Waving a hand in the air, Naraku's smile widened. "I have now removed the barrier, but only your pleasure slave can hear you. If you think he will come, then, by all means, scream for him.....my sweet Rin."

Wide-eyed, Rin stared at the hanyou. She opened her mouth to yell for her love but didn't. A deep knowing made her hesitate. It whispered a warning; if she did call for Sesshomaru.....Naraku would hurt him, kill him.

Sticking her chin out, she glared defiantly into the hanyou's eyes that were beginning to glow scarlet fire. "No."

Naraku's features darkened with anger. His bruising hold shook her, causing the surroundings to jerk back and forth. "CALL HIM!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~

Kagome looked around as she neared the table with her father. "Daddy, where did Rin and Sesshomaru go? I don't see them anywhere."

Her father sat down next to her mother. "I don't know where Sesshomaru went, hon. But I do believe I saw your sister hurry out to the garden a few minutes ago."

She didn't know why, but her sixth sense was becoming rather loud on the foreboding scale. Something was wrong.

Kagome looked at her father. "Daddy, I am going to go find Rin. I will be back in a few minutes."

Her father smiled and nodded.

With quickened steps, Kagome headed to the double glass doors that led out into the garden.

Stepping outside into the brick, fountained courtyard, she stopped and listened.

What drove her anxiety to a new height was the sound, or rather, the absense of it.

Using her training, Kagome reached out with her senses.

A faint youkai presence radiated from the left pathway.

Taking it as a sign, Kagome hurried as fast as she could down the brick path.

When she neared the main courtyard that opened up before the hedge maze entrance, Kagome noticed a strange, black fog of some sort.

The mist was so thick she couldn't see.

Raising up her hand, the miko purified the blackness, parting it.

It cleared some, giving a lightened view of the maze entryway.

She stifled a shriek with one hand.

Naraku had Rin by the upper arms, shaking her like a rag doll.

The power coming from the hanyou nearly knocked Kagome to her feet.

She gasped at the sick feeling.Youkai energy of this magnitude was more than she could handle.

Somehow, Naraku had been hiding his power from her all this time.Kagome swallowed the panic at seeing her sister being handled in such a way.

She needed to think fast.

She needed help.

Sesshomaru! Kouga!

Both could help.

Reluctantly tearing her sight away from her helpless sister, Kagome eased quietly backwards until she was far enough away. She bent down, removed both of her shoes, then ripped her dress up the side to below the hip.

Kagome ran like the devil was on her heels.

----------------------------------------------------------------- ------------

Kagome rushed into the banquet hall, gaining quite a few stares along the way.

She ran to the dessert table where she had last seen Sesshomaru with Rin.

Looking around carefully, she searched for any hint of silvery white hair. Far across the room on the other side, she saw that hint.

She almost started towards the head of silvery white hair until she noticed the ears: dog ears.

No, that was not Sesshomaru.

"Excuse me."

Kagome turned to see a young woman dressed in a midnight blue evening gown.

The girl smiled. "Are you looking for your friend?"

"Friend?"

She nodded once. "Yes, the very tall, good looking one with silver hair."

Kagome couldn't believe her luck. "Yes, was he wearing a strange outfit?"

She nodded again. "Yes, the beautiful one."

Small relief sparked along with hope. "Where did he go?"

The girl pointed to a door several yards from the bathrooms. "I saw him follow your twin through that doorway."

After a quick thank you, Kagome ran towards the archway.

She reached out again with her senses as she ran down the long hallway and came to a staircase. Kagome jumped the steps two at a time.

He had to be close.

Then she felt it: Sesshomaru's aura.

It was close.

When she came to the second floor, she halted and peered down the hallway. Sesshomaru's demon aura emanated from the left; the first room on the left.

Kagome hurried to the door, stopped and listened.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

Inuyasha prowled about the banquet hall. He knew he had smelled it. That snake had to be close by.

Once again, he saw a flash of glittering red flit through a crowd of people.

It flew through the standing bodies so fast that Inuyasha lost it altogether.A feeling deep inside urged him to follow the red glint. But Inuyasha refrained. Tonight he was searching for a suspect; not looking for a date.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What is taking you so long!?"

Sesshomaru went slower than slow while fully removing his belt. When finished, it fell, along with his weapons, to the carpeted floor. "What do you plan to do with me, wench?"

The miko huffed. "I've changed my mind. Stop undressing."

Kikyo stepped up to him then laid a hand on the front of his chest. "Stand."

He stood from his kneeled position. "Self centered Bi...."

"Silence!"

The place where her hand was began to burn. Purifying magic seared through his clothes, slicing into his skin.

Clenching his eyes shut, the inu youkai grunted with the pain.

Even through the distorted wave of agony, Sesshomaru felt another miko presence: Kagome's.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The world stopped moving in spasms.

Rin, still in Naraku's tight hold, looked around dizzily.

The grip loosened once more to become a soft embrace when the hanyou pulled her close. "I have dreamed of being with you, Rin."

Her vision blurred as she whimpered. "Don't touch me."

His stance went rigid as a warm breath brushed against her ear. "You know, if you die, any blood kin who is the closest gets your slave. To tell the truth, Rin, I just happened to see your cousin, Kikyo, take your slave up to one of the hotel's rooms. I wonder what they could be doing right now? I think they are.... ...getting to know one another....intimately."

Rin gasped at the painful image.

His voice hardened. "Does he please you as well? Does he touch you often? Does he offer his services the way he offered them to your cousin?"

The hanyou paused. A tear fell from the corner of her eye.

As his body heat smothered her, he continued. "I am sure he does. Perhaps he is enjoying pleasing your cousin right now....."

Nothing could have prepared Rin for the pain his words were inflicting. She choked back a sob. "No....he loves me....he wants me...for life."

The half demon laughed lightly. "Is that what you think? Has he said those three little words?"

Naraku seemed to be waiting for an answer. When he recieved none, he sighed. "No...He has not.....Has he."

Rin felt light caresses on her lower back. "He is a demon, Rin. He cannot love you. He is pure evil. But I, Rin. I am a hanyou. Half human. I love you and could care for you the way you need to be loved. I have the capacity for it."

His hand smoothed against her hair and back as he tightened the embrace. A soft whisper carried along the wind. "I will consider not harming your youkai slave if you agree to be mine."

Disgust sickened its way into her stomach at his twisted words and unwanted touches, nearly inducing vomit.

Trying her best to think with the nausea, Rin didn't know what to do. He was lying. This much was true. Once she agreed there was no doubt Naraku would go after Sesshomaru. Either way, she did not trust him.

Unable to stop the trembling, she quivered out a reply. "No...I will not be yours and I will not call out for him."

The male holding her began to shake. Rough hands grasped her shoulders as he leaned back. Blood red irises glared with violently suppressed anger. One hand left her shoulder. The next thing Rin felt was a solid grip around her throat.

He grimaced in rage before hissing between gritted teeth. "Call out to him or die."

Hot tears dripped down her skin as she shivered with icy tremors of fear.

With one last silent thought of the male she loved, Rin pushed the terror from her mind.

She spit in his face. "Kill me then."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kagome knew this was the room. She had plainly heard her cousin's voice as well as Sesshomaru's.

Time was running out.

Rin needed help.

Grasping the silver knob, Kagome opened the door, surprised that it wasn't locked.

Anger surged within at the scene.

Kikyo looked over to her in startled shock.She was standing next to .....Sesshomaru who was..... lying on the floor, one hand to his chest, eyes closed, breathing hard.

Kagome marched over to Kikyo. Raising her right arm back, she launched a fist forward, punching her cousin square in the eye, knocking Kikyo a few feet back to the floor. "That was for Sesshomaru! If anything happens to Rin, I won't even think about what I will do then!"

Turning from her sprawled out cousin, Kagome kneeled quickly by Sesshomaru. "Sess, are you alright? Speak to me."

The youkai shook his head while propping up on one elbow, still clutching his chest. He rasped out as his eyes opened. "What is...wrong?...Your scent...fear...."

Grabbing his hand, Kagome helped the heavy, injured youkai to his feet and began pulling him to the door. "Come on. We have got to hurry!"

"I need my weapons."

Kagome dropped his hand. "Get them. We don't have much time!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~

The terrified miko dragged him down the stairs.

He followed, healing along the way. "Kagome, where is Rin? What has happened?"

Kagome's overpowering smell of panic caused his hackles to rise.

She spoke quickly. "Naraku has Rin in the garden near the bush mazes. I cannot defeat him on my own. I need your help. When we get to the banquet hall, I want you to go ahead to the garden, take the left brick path. I need to get my bow and Kouga. You must hurry, Sess....Naraku was...shaking her."

Blood red flashed in his vision.

Demon rage nearly blinded him.

Suddenly he wanted to kill.

That....hanyou...touching Rin...hurting...his...Rin....

.

.

.

.

.

.

..

__________________________________________________________________________ _______

.

.

.

.

.

.

..

Ras here, How was that? Comments? Questions? Hope all who read enjoyed the chappie. Please review. ^_^.