InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Exchanged ❯ Endangered ( Chapter 5 )

Disclaimer: All I possibly own is the storyline…Takahashi-sama owns the characters!

 

A/N: Coarse language alert…

 

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Exchanged: Part Five

Decisions

 

“They took Tai.”

 

Inuyasha's voice was close to breaking. Cold fingers reached into my gut and squeezed. I hugged him as hard as I could, then went to Kagome and embraced her tightly. Tsuki cried out fearfully at my touch, and burrowed deeper into her mother's neck. Kagome soothed her while trying to smile at me. I took her elbow, and brought her into the room, seating her and Mrs. Higurashi on the couch. Lady Kagetsu moved aside with a flick of her skirts; Lady Shiraha, in contrast, fussed over them while I asked the servant to clear the table, in preparation for serving the new arrivals anything they needed.

 

Sesshomaru dropped to one knee in front of Kagome; he tenderly touched Tsuki's back. The little girl screamed and twitched; he bowed his head briefly before smiling at Kagome and placing his hand on her arm. He also nodded at Mrs. Higurashi before moving to stand facing his brother. Something crackled between them; I saw Inuyasha nod slightly.

 

“Lady Kagetsu, please attend Lord Shippo in the infirmary.” It wasn't a request, and after a little sniff, the lady in question vacated the apartment. The door was closed firmly behind her. “Lady Rin… General Tsume… Lady Shiraha… please step this way.” We moved in a body to the other side of the apartment; my fingers reached out to clutch the trailing edge of Inuyasha's sleeve.

 

“The ravens attacked in force just at dawn; they threw everything at us. We held them off long enough to send a runner, since all the communications were down, and then all hell broke loose. We were swarmed; it's a miracle Kagome wasn't hurt in the onslaught, because she was right out there, pegging away with her bow. The assholes smashed through a wall in the house, slashed Kirara up pretty good and grabbed both Tsuki and Tai. They used Tsuki to draw us away from Tai, and then when the fucker carrying him made a clean getaway, Tsuki was dropped. Shippo inflated and caught her, and then was injured himself. Bastards.”

 

Knowing what those talons and beaks could do to tender flesh, I flinched, my heart going out to the little girl sobbing quietly behind us. “What do we do now? We can't just leave him ….”

 

General Tsume was grim. “All we can do is wait… they will let us know the price for his life…” I shuddered, and reached for Inuyasha, hugging him again. He held me tight for a long moment; I could feel him trying to control his breathing, his face hidden in my shoulder. He finally held me away from him, smiling although his eyes were moist, then grinned cheekily at his brother, shaking his head.

 

“You sure don't waste time, do you, Sesshomaru? Claimed, bedded, possibly pupped and then tossed in with those court bitches, all in just over twenty-four hours…bit of a shock treatment for the poor girl, don't you think?”

 

Pupped? Right, potential result of unprotected sex with a dog demon…oh, boy. I'd better make sure mom was sitting down, with a stiff drink, when I told her about all this…

 

Inuyasha chuckled at the expression on my face, and handed me back to Sesshomaru, who was glowering magnificently. General Tsume and Lady Shiraha looked at each other, then she whispered something in his ear. He nodded, and she excused herself, whisking out the door. I bobbed my head to the general, and went back to Kagome. Tsuki was now just sniffling; I slid beside Kagome and put my arm around her shoulders. “It'll be okay; Tai will be home with you soon.” Tsuki peered at me from under Kagome's chin; her pretty little face was damp with tears, and she was chewing on her thumb hard enough to make it bleed.

 

“Tai gone,” she whispered.

 

I smiled gently at her. “He'll be back soon, sweetie. Uncle Sesshomaru and your Daddy will make sure he comes home.” She looked around for a moment, and then jumped off Kagome's lap to run to Inuyasha. He scooped her up and held her close, his face buried in her luminous hair, while she hugged him tightly around the neck. Then, she twisted and held out her arms to Sesshomaru. He took her, and the expression on his face would have broken a far tougher heart than mine. Tsuki patted his cheeks with both tiny hands, looking into his eyes intently.

 

“Unca Sess bring Tai back?” He nodded gravely. She hugged him too, and then wanted down to scamper back to us. She climbed up to hug her grandmother, then crawled across her mother's lap to give me one, too. Satisfied that she'd done her job, she snuggled into Kagome's arms and promptly went to sleep. Mrs. Higurashi ruffled her granddaughter's hair, and then smiled wanly at me.

 

“I could do with some breakfast, now, if your kitchen staff is up to it, Rin.” The kitchen certainly was, and a second round of beautifully-prepared food arrived on trays, accompanied by carafes of water and tea and a plate of sliced fruit.

 

After we ate and worried some more, I accompanied Kagome and Mrs. Higurashi out of the room to another apartment across the hall from Sesshomaru's. They wanted to put Tsuki down to sleep away from the main action. I looked around curiously. The apartments were identical in layout, just mirror-images of each other. Kagome noticed. “Inuyasha and I stay here occasionally when we want an evening away from the children…Sesshomaru would have slept here on Saturday night. The whole floor belongs to the family; the rest of the court is spread out over the whole building.”

 

And here I thought he'd slept on the couch.

 

“Can I get anything for either of you? You mustn't have had time to pack…”

 

She waved her hand tiredly. “The staff are probably bringing things out of storage right now…please excuse me, Rin, but I think I need to lie down for a while…”

 

“Of course…” I closed the door behind me, and was startled to be facing a couple of large guard-types flanking Sesshomaru's entryway. Either I hadn't noticed them on the way out…pretty hard to miss two guys, each the size of an armoured refrigerator…or they had just arrived on scene. They bowed to me, and one swung the door open. I remembered to bob my head at them, and muttered a `thank you' for good measure as I scuttled past.

 

Just the dog brothers were left, the kitchen guy working away unobtrusively. The events of the day had hit a lull. I was unsettled, and couldn't sit still on the couch, even as I drank some tea. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha conferred quietly, moving to kneel at the dining table, maps and papers spread out over its surface. I fished around for a book or magazine, but I couldn't concentrate. The sense of something coming unbalanced was too strong, and I was conscious of a distinct feeling of dread growing in the back of my being. Sesshomaru glanced over at me a few times, probably picking up my fidgeting (I was squirming like a two-year-old in a crowded waiting room). I decided I'd better make myself scarce so that I didn't distract them.

 

I was just contemplating a nap and a quick shower, when Sesshomaru beckoned to me. I was in the process of crossing the room to him, when the door behind me was flung open. The hinges in this place must be replaced frequently…I turned to see a very grim-faced liveried man, who came several paces into the room before dropping to one knee and bowing his head. Sesshomaru spoke, close to my ear, his voice as cool as a breeze off a frozen lake. “What are the terms?”

 

“My lord…” The messenger, who looked like he normally ate rebar for breakfast with a side of barbed wire, hesitated. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha both growled, which wasn't the most reassuring of sounds at the best of times. I stepped forward and bent down, taking the man's clawed hand in both of my own. He looked up, startled, his cat-slit eyes wide.

 

I smiled reassuringly at him. “Go on, please.”

 

He swallowed very hard, and looked away. His voice was low. “Master Tai's life in exchange for… the Lady Rin.”

 

Everything stopped, then spun crazily for a second. I closed my eyes, squeezing his hand tightly while I tried to breathe. Getting a grip, I rose and patted his shoulder. I heard my own voice speaking in measured tones. “Thank you. I know that must have been a difficult message to convey. When must the transfer take place?”

 

He held onto my other hand, looking up at me. “At two hours before dusk this evening… My lady…I do not know what to say…”

 

I pulled him up to standing, and tried to smile confidently. “Now that we know the terms, plans can be made. You have done well. Please be ready to carry out whatever is decided as a course of action.” Who was this person that had taken over my mouth? Sounded like me, but internally, I was screaming, not talking like a news anchor. I released his hand; he bowed deeply to me, then to the brothers standing behind me, and left. I took a deep breath, and turned around, lifting my chin. “Well, now what?”

 

Sesshomaru's eyes were bleeding crimson, and he was flexing his claws. Inuyasha answered for both of them; I noticed that his grip on the Tetsusaiga's sheath was white-knuckled. “No damn way that filthy bitch is getting her hands on you, Rin. We'll find another way.” They swept past me, out the door, and before it closed, I heard Sesshomaru roar. There was plenty of quick movement in the corridor; I guessed that no-one wanted to miss out on this meeting.

 

In the silence of the apartment, I had to collect my thoughts. Once gathered, I immediately tried to ball them up and stuff them out of sight. I knew that Tai would be dead if I wasn't handed over. This wasn't a fairy tale, and I doubted that anyone would be able to ride up on a white horse (or glowing ball of light) to rescue me. Those beaks were razor-sharp…I suddenly felt very, very ill, but I knew what I had to do.

 

I'm not a fucking hero, I'm a computer geek, dammit! Damn all nasty bird demons to whatever hell they keep open for them, and for what it's worth, damn all sexy dog demon lords, too. I should be sitting in a café in San Jose, mainlining high-octane coffee and regaling my girlfriends with judiciously edited juicy details, not worrying about dying the day after my first real sexual experience.

 

How operatic. Maybe I needed an inspiring aria or two to psych myself up. It ain't over `til the fat lady sings…

 

I marched across to the bedroom door, and shut myself inside. I had to do this quickly, before I lost my nerve and went fetal into a little gibbering ball in the corner.

 

The housekeeping crew hadn't been in, what with all the fuss. I assume there were housekeepers; if there was a kitchen guy, I'm equally sure Sesshomaru didn't do laundry or windows. The bed was as unmade and rumpled as we had left it, our clothes scattered untidily. I searched the closets, and found my clean t-shirt, jeans and jacket folded neatly on a shelf, next to my underwear. I scooped them, and headed into the ensuite. I very quickly showered, and dressed. I braided my hair, and then twisted it again into a low bun. Any of my girlfriends back home would have immediately identified my tough-bitch look and got out of the way. Hurrying out of the ensuite, I sat down on the bed to pull on my socks, and noticed Sesshomaru's black shirt from the night before lying crumpled on the floor.

 

What was that look for? How many of you have swiped a boyfriend's shirt to wear, because it reminded you of him? Don't say you haven't at least thought about it…

 

I pulled it on over my t-shirt, buttoned it halfway and tucked it in. Something to be said for nearly being the same height as my Big Dog…on the other Rin, it would have hung down around her knees. I shouldered into my jean jacket, folded the cuffs of his shirt over, and stood the collar up. I was about to grab the door handle, when I had to lean my forehead against the wall for a moment.

 

I was scared shitless. I didn't want to do this. I had to do this. Fuck.

 

I wondered if the other Rin had ever sworn in a distinctly unladylike way…and suddenly, I knew she had a temper like mine. Maybe I'd run into her in the afterlife, and we could compare notes...or could reincarnations do that? Guess I might be finding out…

 

She would have done exactly the same thing that I was going to do, especially if it involved a child. For an uncomfortable moment, I wondered if she was driving my impulse to save Tai. It's a stupid pod-person that deliberately kills off the host, so that was unlikely.

 

I also knew that my decision would nearly kill Sesshomaru. I didn't want to think about that, or I really would lose my nerve.

 

The kitchen guy looked at me, open-mouthed, a cloth dangling from his fingers as I bounced out of the bedroom. I grinned at him. “Which way to the war room?” He just stood and stared. I waved, stooped to put on my shoes, and spun out of the entryway.

 

Once in the corridor, it was pretty obvious which room was excitement central, because I could hear Inuyasha bellowing from four doors down. The two guards were non-plussed when I erupted from between them, and marched down to face off against two more armoured types. “Open up, boys…I have business inside.” They regarded me impassively. I pointed a finger at them. “In the name of the Lady of the Western Lands, I command you to open these doors!” My voice got a little shrill at the end of that sentence; they both winced, and hesitantly reached for the handles. I smiled sweetly. “Thank you, gentlemen.”

 

There was no turning back. I took a deep breath.

 

The room was very crowded. Inuyasha stopped in mid-pace at the opposite end when the doors opened; Sesshomaru was standing to the side. When I stepped into the room, I tugged on the bottom hem of my jacket and straightened up. The people closest to me turned to see what Inuyasha was looking at. I was suddenly, abundantly, searingly nervous; this bunch could probably smell my fear from three floors away and with miserable head colds.

 

The crowd parted ahead of me, until I was standing in front of my recently acquired brother-in-law. His golden eyes were tinged with crimson, and some faint ragged stripes were visible on his cheeks. I grinned, trying to be cocky and confident, and probably failing miserably. “Let's go bring Tai home, brother.”

 

He was staggered, but recovered nicely, shaking his head, never taking his eyes from mine. “No, Rin…you weren't asked to do this.”

 

“I know what they'll do to him…how do you think that I could live, with Tai's life on my conscience? They are ruthless bastards…he's only a pawn in a sick game, and I won't have him used. Unless someone has a better idea, I think our course of action is obvious.”

 

There; that was my `hero' speech. I only hoped that I wouldn't faint dead away from fear at what would happen when the ravens got a hold of me. I reached out and patted Inuyasha's arm, trying to smile cheerfully. “Besides, if all else fails, I seem to have a pretty good chance at reincarnation.”

 

Inuyasha swept me into his arms, and hugged me tightly. He held me away from him, searching my face, and then turned both of us towards his brother. I gulped, and forced myself to meet Sesshomaru's eyes, which were dark and unreadable, as remote as his expression. I bowed very deeply to him. “Forgive me, danna, but I must do this. Thank you for the happiness you have brought me…I am so very sorry our time together couldn't be longer.” He didn't answer, just continued to gaze steadily at me from those dark blood-red eyes.

 

A flicker of movement caught my eye. General Tsume was standing there, looking more than a little ruffled. I smiled wryly, and addressed him. “If, by any chance, I get a shot in at one of those bastards, where is the best place to hit them?”

 

He seemed surprised by the question, but readily answered. “The neck. The only way to make sure they are dead is to decapitate them. Do you have some weapons training, my lady?”

 

I shook my head. “No. My chances are less than zero, but it's the thought that counts…”

 

He bowed deeply to me. “Your spirit truly suits you to be the mate of Lord Sesshomaru…we will do our utmost to rescue you, my lady, do not fear.”

 

Inuyasha jerked his head. “Clear out, now.” The room hastily emptied, leaving the three of us in a frozen tableau. Inuyasha wrapped his arm around my shoulders, and kissed my temple. “We will get you out of this, Rin…we won't leave you to those bastards, I swear it.”

 

“Say good-bye to Kagome for me, please. It was really wonderful meeting all of you…I just wish it had been for longer… if this is destiny, it really sucks to be me right now, huh?” He didn't answer, just touched my cheek with his fingertips, and was gone.

 

Rather than look at Sesshomaru, who hadn't flicked so much as an eyelash the whole time since I came through the door, I looked out the window instead. It was now late afternoon; there were only a couple more hours left until we had to convene at the transfer site, wherever that was. I tried to swallow the huge lump in my throat, and bowed my head, squeezing my eyelids together to stop the tears from leaking out.

 

“Sesshomaru…I wish…I wish…if wishes came true, I wouldn't ever have to leave you…but I can't let those birds have Tai. If the price of his life is my death… I am willing to pay it.” He didn't respond, didn't even blink. This was going to be tough. I grinned crookedly. “Think positive… if you wait around for twenty or so years, there's a good chance you'll find me again…”

 

“I have waited too long for you as it is, Rin…I will NOT lose you again!”

 

His roar deafened me, and I flinched away from the blast, even though I knew it wasn't directed at me. Then he was pinning me tightly against his chest, his claws biting into the fabric of my jacket. His breathing was harsh and ragged, and his sword hilt was jabbing me in the gut. I wrapped my arms around him, sliding my hands under his hair and stroking his back in long sweeps. I could feel his heart pounding violently; I hugged him tighter, willing him to stop his transformation, and hold me for a while longer. Finally, his breathing calmed somewhat, and his hands became gentle on my body, moving in deliberate patterns, as if he was memorizing how I felt against him.

 

He'd better stop it, or the crowd outside the door would be listening in on something x-rated.

 

Then he started kissing me, starting at my forehead, and working his way down my face; tiny, light, butterfly kisses rained tenderly, until he hovered a moment before gently, carefully, pressing his lips to mine. I slid my hands up his back, curled my fingers over his shoulders and kissed him back as intensely as I could. He broke the kiss and locked me with eyes of molten gold, the red having drained away. I drowned in his eyes for a long moment, and then with a muttered oath, he gathered me against him for a desperate embrace. I clung limpet-tight to him, wishing I never had to leave his arms, because the big, bad world was looking pretty damn scary right now.

 

Once he let me go, that would be it. I'd never see him again. I couldn't bear the thought, and tried to push it away, but it always came back, like an annoying mosquito, and wouldn't allow me to enjoy these peaceful last moments in his arms before the storm broke.

 

“I-I have to go, Sesshomaru…danna…please don't forget this version of `Rin'…”

 

He gripped my face in his hands, his eyes boring into mine. “I will not forget you, aisai, because you will be returned to me. I will not let the witch have you.”

 

I tried to smile. “Then let's not say good-bye…au revoir, my love.” He looked puzzled. “It means, `until we meet again'…” Then he really kissed me, melting my body into his until I was nearly whimpering with desire. Damn. I wanted him to take me up against the wall, or let me straddle him on the floor, chasing all fears away in the white heat of the moment.

 

Then I never would leave him, and Tai would die, and so would a piece of Kagome's and Inuyasha's hearts. Damn. When he shifted his hands, and it felt like he had full intentions of taking us horizontal, I quickly stepped away. The look on his face was as stricken as his brother's. I caught one of his hands, and pressed a kiss on his palm, then turned and walked away. My eyes started blurring. At the door, I paused, and turned back to blow him a kiss, before slipping out.

 

There was no time to mourn. I blinked hard, to clear the moisture from my eyes. Inuyasha stood there, surrounded by about a dozen tough-looking fellows in dark leather that were armed to the canines with various swords, spears and battle-axes. I wiped a shaking hand over my face, and pushed away from the doors, trying to will confidence into my shaky smile. “Is this my escort?” He nodded, and held out his hand to me.

 

“I'm coming too…I want to smell the bastards that touched my kid, so I'll know who to kill the next time I come across them.” I had just taken the proffered hand, when we were all startled by an unearthly howl shaking the very walls of the corridor. If my hair hadn't been braided firmly, it would have stood on end. “Come on, Rin…as long as he can smell you, he won't be able to think straight…and we need him to do the strategy thing as soon as possible.”

 

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Confrontation

 

We sat on a couple of rocks at the exchange point, waiting. It was a wild and desolate spot, probably a national park or something, because there were no habitations for a few miles. We were well outside Tokyo, having travelled for around three hours roughly north at a fairly fast clip, although I could see the lights of a city off in the distance. I felt uncomfortably exposed, but my escort was showing few signs of nervousness.

 

Expecting a ride in a SUV or van, I had been surprised to be led up to the roof of the building. Inuyasha went down on one knee in front of me. “Climb on, Rin…we have a long way to go…”

 

I honestly don't know how Kagome did it. When Inuyasha came in for a landing, he really planted himself before we sprang off again. My spine was thoroughly jarred, and by the end, my fingers and legs were numb from gripping his shoulders and hips so tightly. And she used to shoot arrows at the same time…

 

Our pack of guards was moving around, alert and springy, like my uncle's hunting dogs right before they were sent off after a scent. I knew a couple of them had hidden, in case the ravens tried something. Suddenly, I felt very, very tired. The adrenaline had run out; I contemplated sliding off the rock for a quick nap. Inuyasha noticed me blinking blearily, and scooped me roughly into his lap. When I looked up at him, he merely grinned, and arranged my head against his shoulder. “Try to catch a few winks, Rin. I have a feeling it's going to be a very long night.”

 

If I knew then what I knew later, I'd have tried pulling a Rip Van Winkle to avoid the whole thing.

 

I actually did manage to doze off for a little while. Inuyasha gently shook me, and whispered in my ear, “They're here, Rin…showtime.” Instantly awake, I scrambled to my feet, to see at least two and a half dozen dark shapes winging towards us. I had to suppress the impulse to run and hide. They landed about fifty feet away, and three of them transformed into their humanoid state. One of them was carrying Tai.

 

Inuyasha was right behind me, his breath tickling my neck as it accelerated. He dropped one hand onto my shoulder, and I felt the other hand start to twitch towards the Tetsusaiga's hilt. I grabbed his sword arm tightly around the wrist. “Don't try anything, Inuyasha…don't risk your son's life…” I hissed over my shoulder at him. “Promise…” He wouldn't go that far, but his hands dropped back to his sides. Then I felt him shove something down the back of my jeans. I rather doubted he was goosing me, so tried not to react. Maybe it was a GPS unit or something. I squeezed his wrist, and walked forward, until I was partway between the two groups.

 

The leader of the ravens looked me over with a jaundiced expression. “This is the human bitch? She's a lot bigger than we expected…we'll need some heavy lift experts.”

 

Heavy lift…?! If I get one chance, and one only, that fucker is goin' down.

 

I was instantly pissed off, and that allowed me to forget to be scared…for a while. “Give me Tai. I want to make sure you assholes haven't hurt him.”

 

“Hurt him? Oh, no, we didn't hurt him…just terrorized him a little…” The raven youkai leered evilly, but gestured his crony forward with the little boy in his arms. Tai's silvered dark hair spilled over the youkai's arm; his small face was turned inward. I could see his chest rising and falling; I couldn't believe he was asleep.

 

Okay, I'd been asleep not long before, but I wasn't being cuddled by a raven.

 

I held out my arms, and Tai was deposited in them. He looked flushed, and I thought I smelled something harsh and medicinal on his clothing. I snapped my head up. “You drugged him!”

 

The leader shrugged. “We needed him to hold still; the brat's a real little devil…just like his old man.” I glared at him before rubbing Tai's cheek gently with my finger. He mumbled a bit, burrowing his face into my shoulder.

 

“I'll carry him back to his father; detail some of your feather-brains to escort me. Inuyasha won't try anything. I've made him promise…”

 

“Ah, the loyalty of the dog-demons…gives me a warm fuzzy feeling all over…”

 

“At least they have honour, unlike some carrion-eaters I could mention…” I turned on my heel, and stomped the distance back to Inuyasha. I heard the rustle of feathers? Clothes? behind me, and knew I was being closely shadowed. Tai slightly woke up when I handed him into his father's arms.

 

“Da-aa-ddy…?”

 

“It's all right, Tai. Daddy is going to take you home to Mommy and Tsuki.” I kissed his soft little cheek, and squeezed Inuyasha's arm, looking intently into his flaming amber eyes. “Tell Sesshomaru that…that I love him, and I'll see him again…I promise.” Then I turned away and walked back across to the trio of ravens.

 

“If you bastards harm her, you are all as good as dead twice over, do you hear me?”

 

“Oh, it won't be us that hurts the lady; the Mistress intends to keep that privilege for herself…” I was surrounded by a clutch of black feathered humanoid birds; they rapidly buckled a sort of climbing harness onto me, and then two of the biggest ravens I'd ever seen took the looped carrying straps into their claws, and I was jerked skyward.

 

It was like the most stomach-churning ride you can imagine at a theme park. No, I didn't do the technicolour hurl, but I did come this close. Once my internals settled down, it was kind of cool, watching the landscape unroll beneath me in the gathering dusk…as long as I didn't think about what was at the end of the trip. I thought I glimpsed the sea, way far off to the right.

 

It was also very, very cold at the altitude we travelled. I should have worn a heavier jacket. Like maybe a down parka. And snowmobile boots. And those big sheepskin-lined mitten things. With hot packs inside them.

 

I was half frozen by the time we arrived at our destination. I'm lousy with directions…just ask anyone who has ever driven with me…so I had absolutely no idea where we were. The only reason I knew the transfer point was north of the city was because I asked Inuyasha. The sea-waves I thought I saw before it became fully dark indicated that we were still travelling north of Tokyo, for whatever that was worth. I just knew it was really, really far from Sesshomaru, and anything that might be interested in protecting me.

 

I don't know what I was expecting. Possibly a dark creepy castle, or maybe an abandoned hotel. I know I wasn't expecting a townhouse complex in a suburb of an ordinary looking city. Obviously this complex was organized like the apartment building of the dog clan, and was full of youkai of some type, because absolutely no-one batted a hair, or called 911, when a flock of giant black ravens dropped in on the parking courtyard carrying a freezing cold and rather terrified human woman.

 

That would be me.

 

I was hustled into one of the buildings, and down a few corridors and staircases, until I realized I was in some sort of underground bunker. My shoes and jacket were forcibly removed, and I was shoved into what could pass for a conference room back in the Tomogawa corporate offices. It is very unsettling when evil looks so commonplace, like we were just going to sit down and discuss the sales figures for the last quarter. Hey, boss-san, I forgot my highlighter…I'll just nip back to my desk and retrieve it, okay?

 

I prowled the room, checking for…I don't know, it just gave me something to do, rather than quiver in a corner. I paced around it a few times, then slid down the wall into a corner the farthest from the door. The thing Inuyasha had shoved down my pants jabbed me in the hip; I pulled it out. No, it wasn't a GPS unit, which would have been practical; instead, it was a dagger in a sheath. As if I knew what to do with one of those, besides whittle marshmallow roasting sticks. It was extremely sharp; I slid it back into the sheath and shoved it down my pants on a more comfortable angle. I wondered how long it would be before something happened.

 

Not long, as it turned out. I thought they'd let me stew for a bit. There was a mild commotion in the corridor outside my room. The door swung open. There was nothing commonplace, but definitely something evil, about the woman who flounced in. I quickly stood up.

 

She was extremely beautiful, in an unsettling sort of way. Raven-black hair pulled back into a top-knot decorated with white feathers set off her pure-white skin, dark eyebrows and lashes, crimson-red eyes and pouty little mouth. She looked like one of those expensive porcelain geisha dolls kept in glass cases in the dining room of my house, except that her dainty mouth was twisted into a cruel smile, and those eyes were hard as ice stained with fresh blood.

 

I discovered that I can be quite poetic when I'm trying not to scream with fear.

 

Kagura.

 

I knew that she wouldn't show me any mercy. Dear gods, I was dead meat.

 

She smiled wider, almost as if she could read my thoughts. “The Lady Rin…how nice to make your acquaintance again after all this time.” With a rustle of silken robes, she swirled in closer to me. I straightened right up, and discovered she barely reached my chin. I did my best to glare icily at her; she laughed, a delighted, tinkling sound, as if I was a child that had done something to amuse her. “Oh my, you do have his killing stare down pat already, don't you? And he's only had you for what, two days? You are a quick study, even for a reincarnation… As disappointed as I was not to have snatched you on Saturday night, this works out so much better for my plans. He's had a chance to scent you, to know you…and according to my spies, bed you quite thoroughly…so his agony over your fate will play on his mind even more. Yes, a much more satisfying triumph…”

 

Spies? Shit…

 

My voice was much steadier than I hoped. “Why do you hate him so, Kagura?”

 

She sniffed a bit, and waved her hand dismissively. “At first it was because he chose your predecessor over me…I'll never know why; she was a silly little peasant brat… but over time, it progressed into a challenge, of sorts, to keep raising his hackles. I guess you could say I was bored.”

 

“Bored?! You malevolent bi… you kidnap children, kill people… all because you're bored?”

 

Kagure flipped her fan around in her white fingers. “When you live as long as we demons do, you have to find something to pass the time… Sesshomaru has been a special project of mine for about the last, oh, three hundred years? He makes such an obvious target… he reacts so spectacularly to my teasing.”

 

I stopped myself, with great effort, from giving my opinion of her, and to not react to her `teasing' myself. This was gonna be hard… Kagura cocked her head to the side, gently tapping her fan against her chin while she assessed me. Long fingers flashed out and she gripped my jaw firmly while tilting my face down towards her; she studied my eyes, then twisted my head to look at my tightly-braided hair. Finally she released me and stepped back, an odd look on her face.

 

“Sesshomaru's tastes are certainly unusual. Not only are you as human as the first Rin, but you are also as much of a half-breed as his charming brother.”

 

Half-breed?

 

“Just what the hell do you mean by that?”

 

Kagura closed her eyes for a moment, as if giving my question due thought. I could see her smiling, so I knew that she was pleased to get a rise out of me. “My spies said you were not of pure Japanese descent…that is painfully obvious. Therefore, you are a half-breed…it will be doing a service to destroy you. Pure demonic blood shouldn't be diluted with trash.”

 

I'll be damned. The witch was a racist. I'd dealt with her kind of bully before, on the playground, on the campus, and I'd won handily every time, even if it was a fistfight…my resolve started to go up a notch or two. I might end up dead, but I'd go down fighting, as befitted the granddaughter of a Marine and the daughter of an Airborne veteran…and the mate of Sesshomaru. Half-breed my ass! I'd been the underdog before; I'd show her what I was made of.

 

I folded my arms, blanked my face, and stared down my tormentor. She wasn't going to get any more easy rises out of me. Sensing my change of mood, she laughed lightly and moved away, towards the door. “Your danna will, of course, be planning a rescue attempt…however, it is doomed to failure, as of course, his trackers are land-bound. General Tsume's wing was led off by course by a decoy, and quite successfully, too. We won't keep you long, just enough to make him quite frantic. In the meantime, there's someone who wants to spend some time with you…I'm sure you'll enjoy his attentions…”

 

She gestured to the door, and a demon walked in. I felt a fist grab my guts and squeeze them into a cold pit in my stomach.

 

Moto.

 

He slithered a little closer and stopped, his cold black eyes sliding up and down my body in a manner that gave me no illusions about his intentions. Kagura tapped him on the arm with her fan. “Now remember, Moto…do not damage her too much. We need her alive, so no disembowelment or dismemberment, all right? Oh, and conscious is important…apparently she screams very passionately for the right lover.” She clapped her hands. “I know! We could send Sesshomaru a recording if you do it right. How he'd enjoy that to remember her by…”

 

She slid out the door behind him, and it swung shut with a definite `click'. Moto regarded me with those dead, creepy eyes for a moment longer, then stepped to the corner, dropped his sword, and began to take off his hakama. I was frozen in horror at what he was going to do, and then cold fury took the place of cold fear. I decided that I wasn't going to be raped in this place by that piece of shit.

 

I'd rather die first.

 

No, I'd rather kill him instead.