InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Forever a Shadow ❯ Lucidity Out of Reach ( Chapter 26 )

6. Lucidity Out of Reach

 

 

 

Ayame kept her outward self collected yet internally the nurse was raging at the pompous youkai who allowed her patient to be put in harms way. Just because one man has more money than god doesn't mean he can do whatever he wished. But, when it came to Sesshomaru it really did seem to be the case, people fawned over his every wish and desire like he shit gold bricks and pissed rainbows. When first Ayame was told of the Chinkara families' arrival weeks ago, she mentioned the fact that they should have armed guards at each door, however Sesshomaru blew her off saying his youkai guards would never allow a hostile entity upon the floor. Well look where his invulnerable attitude got him, a stranger in his sister-in-laws room risking Kikyo's life, which the haughty youkai fought and threw money at to protect.

 

 

“Kikyo, honey do you hear me?” Ayame's voice was calm, yet her emotions were spinning wildly within her as she viewed the helplessness of her patient. “Oh please tell me he didn't shoot you up with anything.”

 

 

With her eyes still closed Kikyo gave a small smile. “I am fine.”

 

 

Ayame gave a nervous laugh, relieved that Kikyo was not dead. “Oh thank god. Do you know what happened?” Ayame leaned over her new friend the look of worry still etched on her face, as Kikyo opened her eyes. “So playing possum huh?”

 

 

“Of course, how could I ever forget the overwhelming scent of cologne he wore, or the dark, lusty voice of that beast. All I could do is feign sleep and pray perhaps he would think me to frail to injure anymore. Did Sesshomaru get him?” Kikyo's long fingers manipulated the buttons beside her to raise the bed to sitting. “I haven't been so terrified in quite a while, being with Inuyasha always made me feel safe, now he's not here to protect me.” Kikyo's smile seemed completely fake, her skin was so pale, and small fearful tremors took hold of her body as she thought of the man who was just in her room, his cologne still hung heavy in the air, repulsive to her senses. “The dead talked to me so how can a dead man speak? I suppose the deceased really do rise from the grave, be it from the mind or six feet under. Because one way or another that bastard by some luck of the devil is alive again. And hunting me down like so much pray.”

 

 

“What did he say?” Ayame checked Kikyo's vitals, and then pulled up a chair right next to the hospital bed.

 

 

“It was so creepy, I could sense his face only inches from mine, his breath assailing me, but -” Kikyo shuddered in remembrance. “He is still infatuated with me, and he spoke of his dark feelings, the monster cannot forgive me for leaving him, or that I married Inuyasha, but he wants to posses me, control me, like I'm some sort of prize to be won or a simple pet that broke away from its leash. The depravity of his soul is more prevalent now, he said I will always be his, no one but his.” Kikyo shivered again, pulling up the blankets on her bed to her chin.

 

 

“What a psycho.” Ayame gave Kikyo's hand a reassuring squeeze.

 

 

“No Onigumo makes a psychopath seem as tame as a lamb. And his delusions of grandeur have gotten even more ambitious. He is either going to have me alive, and dead, I can guarantee both for what I did to him, but I have a feeling that a simple death would be far too good for me in Onigumo's twisted, diseased mind.” Kikyo frowned; her fearful doe eyes meeting the shocked look on Ayame's face.

 

 

“Don't think like that. Sesshomaru would-“

 

 

“Sesshomaru would what? Give me a magnificent funeral? Obviously Sesshomaru cannot stop him, hell, Onigumo strolled right into my room, and he clearly had no fear of my brothers' men. What about my girls?” Kikyo's eyes blurred with tears, she had to get stronger, and it needed to be done today, no, right this very second. “I have to get out of here.”

 

 

 

Kikyo was not deceiving herself if she thought Onigumo would leave her children unharmed, the son of a bitch would wish to wipe out all traces of her life with Inuyasha, like a lion mercilessly killing the cubs of his offspring to end a rivals bloodline. It was painfully clear to her not only did Onigumo want her dead the bastard wished to see her suffer, torturing her both body and soul until she broke. When it came to her girls, Kikyo's heart felt as if it would fracture into a million tiny pieces, where was Inuyasha to protect them? Didn't he always promise to keep his family safe? Didn't he say he would always be there?

 

 

“Where are you Inuyasha?” Kikyo asked aloud, Ayame felt her sprits plummet even further watching the frail woman, how could such things be happening to someone so kind?

 

 

 

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Inuyasha pulled into the average priced motel a paltry fifteen minutes from the Denver airport; his thinking was simply if the wolf clan were looking for them it would certainly be at the more prestigious hotels of the city, not the middle class ecnolodge. The two-story travel lodge was near as inconspicuous as Inuyasha could muster, he barely remembered a time in which his family was so blue collar, doubting they ever truly were. Kagome had fallen asleep wrapped up in his blood-fouled trench, the woman sleeping practically all of the near two-hour drive from the private airfield in Ft. Collins to the bustling nightlife turning to morning of downtown Denver. The once gentle snowfall was now spiraling toward a complete whiteout, the windshield wipers giving little help for visibility, the Kitsune was noticeably nervous on the drive, Inuyasha wondered if it was the snow, or the fact that he sat beside Kagomes lover, then again, maybe a bit of both.

 

 

“I'm gonna check in. Stay with her.” Inuyasha stepped out into the blizzard, seemingly immune to the biting cold.

 

 

“Yea, where the fuck am I going to go?” Inuyasha closed the door, disappearing into the night. “Prick.” Shippo mumbled under his breath as Inuyasha disappeared into the storm.

 

 

“Don't let him hear you. It could get really messy.” Shippo jumped, surprised to hear the sleep entwined voice of Kagome from the backseat. “He has a volatile temper Shippo, please keep that in mind okay? You don't pull on a dogs tail and expect it not to bite, Inuyasha is the same way.” Kagome sighed sleepily with a yawn overtaking her. “Then again so is Kouga.”

 

 

“Boy Kagome, you have horrific choice in men don't you?” Shippo twisted his body around to face her. Even in the darkness of the SUV Kagome looked sickly pale, and her eyes were rimmed with dark circles, she had been through a lot for a human, hell, she had been through a lot for even a youkai. “Yea, but that guy is just a prick in expensive clothes.”

 

 

“Shhhh, he's back.” Kagome's eyes fixed of the driver door, as Shippo spun back around in is seat looking as if his teacher had just caught him cheating on a final or something.

 

 

His aqua eyes meeting the xanthic eyes of their hanyou savior, that eerie gaze set on him through the frosty window glass. Kagome could not help but give a small inner smile, even if her beloved disowned her, hated her, cast her out, Kagome could not help but love Inuyasha with her entire being. In vein Kagome wished that only the hormones of pregnancy fueled the deepening love for Inuyasha, but what if hormones had nothing to do with it? Would she simply settle and marry the first fool who saw her only as a bank account with breast, and an illegitimate child of a half demon who owned half the globe? By a righteous god Kagome prayed not.

 

 

 

“Room 309, its around back and on the second floor, it will be easier for me to keep watch.” Inuyasha slammed the door against the howling wind, as Shippo let out a flustered laugh. “What's so funny little man?”

 

 

“Come on, its not like Kagome is the star witness for the FBI in a mafia case, this isn't CSI, I mean do you really think were in so much danger? The wolves have no idea where we are.” The youth anxiously laughed again.

 

 

“Never underestimate your opponent, you can never truly outrun the pack. An' right now Kouga is out for blood and vengeance, going so far as to frame me for Kagome's death.” Inuyasha started the engine and reversed quickly throwing an unbuckled Shippo into the dashboard with a thud. Inuyasha half smirked. “Oh yea, hold on.”

 

 

Kagome let out a small giggle herself, Inuyasha was trying hard not to let loose his anger on the boy, and Kagome was appreciative. Inuyasha parked quickly getting out of the vehicle, swinging open Kagomes door scooping her up in his arms leaping skillfully to the second floor in a matter of mere seconds she was in the dusky smelling room, leaving Shippo beside the SUV looking up at the adept Inu, his father never trained Shippo in the more physical aspects of his clan, now defensive magic's, he nailed `em, but it had been so long that he needed to use the techniques, he was so adapted to living the life of humans the ways of the old country were nearly lost. Shippo followed Inuyasha with a twinge of jealousy over the relationship he had with Kagome, but the kit brushed it aside quickly as he entered the tension filled room.

 

 

Inuyasha threw a room key Shippos way as he closed the door, staring at Inuyasha with his back to Kagome. “I'm going to check things out around here, an' keep watch, stay with Kagome.”

 

 

“Inuyasha you need to sleep.” Kagome stood up from the tacky rust and yellow comforter of the double bed. She reached out for Inuyasha, but he once again shied away from her outstretched hand. “Alright then, but at least let me look at that gunshot wound.”

 

 

The hanyou continued to ignore her as he stepped toward the door. Shippo just stood at the closed door wishing that at the moment he could become invisible, he, not Kagome saw the change in the powerful demeanor of Inuyasha, his clawed fingers flexed into fists at his side, this man was trying with all of his might to control emotions which were raging within, and Kagome was in the eye of that storm, yet the woman had no knowledge of it, nor how close she was coming to total devastation.

 

 

Inuyasha spun on his left heel going into the bathroom; the throbbing in his right shoulder became a nuisance he had to fix. Kaogme stood at the end of the bed looking hurt, and on the verge of tears, and how she had any left to shed was a mystery to her. Kagome and Shippos eyes were both on the man in the dark bathroom, watching in earnest as to what he was going to do, Inuyasha stripped off the blood soaked black shirt letting it hang at his waist. The tap came on and moments later a ribbon of steam floated into the room. Feeling the presence of eyes Inuyasha glanced to his left, meeting the distressed eyes of his former lover, the look pierced his heart, and Inuyasha knew full well if he opened his mouth he would only speak something hurtful, or completely idiotic, so he opted for silence, turning his attention to the slowly oozing wound in the socket of his right shoulder.

 

 

Kagome stood watching in a surreal daze. He got hurt because of me. She put a reassuring hand to her abdomen almost for comfort, seeing him in pain hurt her nearly as much, she wondered if the baby could feel the anguish of his sire as well.

 

 

Inuyasha thrust his long clawed fingers of his left hand into the wound with a hiss through clinched teeth, his eyes closed tightly in an attempt to hold the pain at bay, as his fingers dexterously sank into the wound up to his second knuckle searching for the metal slug that tore though muscle and splintered bone.

 

 

“Oh my god.” Shippo whispered, feeling his knees turn to jelly, and his back falling into the stability of the door, before averting his gaze to the scraggly shag carpeting.

 

 

With a hard exhale and a sound of tearing fleshy tissue the projectile bounced into the stark whiteness of the porcelain sink with bright droplets of blood adorning its pristine surface. With a grungy wash cloth Inuyasha wet the rag in the scorching water and shoved it into the gaping hole, within seconds the dingy white turned crimson, with another towel he reached around to the entrance wound whipping away what he could, but pleased to feel that wound already closing under his own hanyou metabolism.

 

 

Sufficiently pleased that the wound would now take care of itself, Inuyasha removed the washcloth, dropping it into the sink, turned off the tap and slung his shirt back on, the stiffness in his shoulder was already letting up as Inuyasha finished buttoning his shirt stepping back into the room. Kagome sat on the edge of the bed, her sad eyes locked on his countenance, Inuyasha avoided her gaze intentionally as he scooped up his trench coat and walked to the door hurriedly pushing Shippo aside and disappearing into the snow filled walkway the door closing behind him so hard the frame rattled.

 

 

Shippo slinked to the nearest bed and flopped on it. “Holy shit, I've never seen anything like that in my life.”

 

 

“He truly hates me now.” Kagome softly spoke to herself pulling back the covers kicking her shoes to the floor and climbing into the foreign bed, covering her self, silently crying once again. I will always love you Inuyasha.

 

 

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Inuyasha retrieved Tetsusaiga from beside the drivers' seat of the car, returning the blade to its hiding place in the coat. The pulsating burn radiating down his right arm was blessedly beginning to ebb, as Inuyasha leapt to the four inch railing from beside the vehicle, then disappearing only to re-emerge on the pitch of the motels roof, the lamentation of the winds cry echoing in his own beating heart. Below him lay the temptation which brought his world crumbling down around him, compounded by the child of his infidelity developing, an innocent, yet a constant reminder of his mistake.

 

 

Inuyasha gazed up into the sky knowing a full moon moving across the sky was somewhere above the angry clouds watching him, and judging him with the guise of his father. The besieged man howled out in anger and pain to the white sky fighting back the coming sunrise, wishing to awaken from this nightmare of his own design, with his wife and children lying hundreds of miles away in pain wondering where their strength was. It was standing on a rooftop drowning in self-pity and regret wondering what else the nightmare would unveil when the sun finally did rise.

 

 

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Kanna sat across from Naraku, whose pitch shadowed eyes watched her from beneath the rim of his ball cap observing the petite woman in silence for a moment. The delicate woman sipped at her coffee averting her eyes from the man whom held the life of her sister in his wicked claw, the woman was intelligent enough to know that he was displeased with her. Of course he was, Kikyo's daughter was supposed to be lying cold on a slab in the hospital morgue, not lying in a room down the hall from her mother with color returning to her cheeks.

 

 

“Forgive me Naraku.” Kanna had to break the silence, she set her mug aside, out of nervous habit she began to tear the paper napkin on the table before her into shreds.

 

 

With movements to quick for the human eye Naraku had Kanna's left hand in his right, squeezing the tiny bones together with such force tears leapt into Kanna's eyes. “What did you call me bitch?” His voice low and menacing, Naraku commanded her eyes to his, with a venomous smile playing across his thin lips.

 

 

“I'm sorry…. so sorry…master.” Kanna's ripped her eyes from his hypnotic gaze; her now downcast eyes dripped tears to the table. Naraku manipulated her hand twisting the wrist ever so gently that an audible popping noise escaped the appendage, the bones of her wrist were turning to dust in his grip. “Forgive me master.” Kanna whimpered, as she held back a scream and fighting not to pass out, if she did she would surely never awaken.

 

 

Naraku's cell phone rang and he released the woman's now destroyed wrist and crushed digits, it would heal, but by all the gods it would hurt. He stood for a moment looking at the phone; he had been waiting in earnest for this call for some time. Gazing toward Kanna he picked up her chin so she could gaze into his crimson eyes. “I want that hanyou's whelp to be no more than a memory by tomorrow evening. If not Kanna you and your sister had better run and never stop till the end of your days.” Naraku opened the phone, leaned over kissing Kanna on the forehead, his lips centimeters from her flesh as he whispered. “Because when I find you and Kagura you both will know pain like no other creature in this world has ever experienced. You will beg for release that will never come.”

 

 

Naraku handed off a $20 to their waitress on his way out the doors, with an ominous smirk Naraku put the phone to his ear as he nonchalantly walked down the block.

 

 

“Kouga, the biggest ingrate of the wolf clan, how are you, you little piece of shit?”

 

 

A/N: Well, a guarded hello to anyone who, is by chance reading this chapter. I have literally been going through my own hell since the middle of October, and it hasn't let up. I am finding writing (one of my favorite things) I have been unable to give time to, and I do apologize with all my heart. But keeping family together (extended as well) after a loss is more difficult than I ever imagined. So please I hope you all have not abandoned me, but please bare with me, 1/29 has been the first time in months that I have been able to get on the computer other than respond to email from my family. Also those that are reading Blood I have not abandoned that either, but I do need time. Thank you, Pandora