InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Incomplete ❯ Chapter 23 ( Chapter 23 )

The Great Hall was filled with noise; angry shouts, nervous twitters, and more demons than she had ever seen gathered together at one time. Their gazes met across the menagerie of bodies and she offered him a small, reassuring smile. He nodded in acknowledgement before breaking away to speak with a troubled looking advisor.

This wasn't going to be easy. Over tea the previous night he'd explained his plan to her, much to her surprise. He would negotiate with the north and if that didn't work, attempt to ply with them concessions. It was a bold move, she thought, and sounded very un-like the Sesshomaru she knew.

"We lack the power to win this battle without suffering heavy losses," he'd explained with frustration evident in his tone.

Without the Tetsusaiga's ability to slay 100 demons in one swing he was just another demon on a battlefield of thousands, albeit a powerful one. As strong as his Tokijin was, it could not win a war alone, not against thousands of enemies. He was being crippled, yet again, by his father's choice to entrust the Tetsusaiga to Inuyasha.

She briefly considered asking if perhaps Inuyasha might be enlisted to help, but knew with a glance what his response would be. Derision, followed by a scoff of "Ridiculous" and then the silent treatment. There was no greater blow to Sesshomaru's pride than to suggest that he needed Inuyasha's help with anything, even if it meant winning a war.

So she'd wisely remained mum on the topic and asked instead how his advisors and court would react to the news.

"Not well," was the only response he offered and judging by the tension in his jaw this was no understatement.

Now that she was standing in the midst of the chaos, she had more sympathy for him than ever. How do you convince an entire court that rather than fight for the sake of pride and honour, the better option is to lie on your back and hope the enemy is satisfied?

The din of conversation in the Great Hall settled into a quiet murmur and eventually fell into silence. The meeting was set to begin. All eyes, including hers, were fixed on the demon at the front of the room. He stood tall, looking every inch the proud, formidable demon she knew. Kagome couldn't help but notice the attractive way his hair fell over his shoulder, or how the determined look in his eyes made her heart flutter just a little.

"You know why I have called you here," he began, his tone authoritative and even.

"There is war brewing on our northern border."

He paused and the crowd broke into murmurs once more, remarking on their confirmed suspicions. She could hear bits and pieces of the conversations around her. So far the general sentiment seemed to be anxiety and apprehension, which was understandable given the circumstances. In war no victory was ever guaranteed, not even with a demon like Sesshomaru at the helm.

The room grew tense and silent again. Sesshomaru took his time glancing from face to face, ascertaining the crowd's general mood. After a moment he began again.

"For now, negotiation is the wisest course of action."

A cry of, "Negotiate? Let's fight!" followed by several hearty cheers of approval rose up from the crowd. Sesshomaru fixed the group with a severe look and answered with certainty,

"Fighting is not an option."

This drew quiet exclamations of surprise from those closest to her and she noticed more than a few heads shake in disapproval. One advisor, whose name she couldn't recall, stepped forward.

"Your lordship, please forgive us, but we do not understand. How can we not fight when they have threatened our livelihoods? Are we to sit here and do nothing while they ravage our lands?"

Sesshomaru's expression darkened as the crowd erupted into more chatter, most of it negative.

"There are more ways to win a war than at the end of a blade," he retorted.

"But what reassurances do we have that your negotiations will be successful?" another advisor chimed in.

Several more nodded their heads in agreement, their expressions guarded. Kagome had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from lashing out at them. Of all the times they needed to step up and support their leader, this was one of them.

Sesshomaru looked surprisingly calm as he answered, "None."

The room seemed to gasp in unison, their frenzied, frantic whispers now reaching a fever pitch. A few demons turned hard glares in her direction. She could feel the bodies slowly closing in all around her, edging her forward until she found herself exposed at the front of the pack.

"This woman has poisoned your mind," one advisor raged, jabbing a finger in her direction. His face had turned an even deeper shade of purple than normal. He looked like an eggplant and though she worked hard to suppress a giggle, a small smile still managed to quirk her lips.

"This miko has bewitched you! How do we know she isn't working for them?"

The crowd seemed to nod simultaneously in agreement and glare in her direction. She wanted to shrink back into the far wall but a rough hand shoved her forward instead.

"The Northern Tribes lack the forethought or the resources to put such a plot in motion," Sesshomaru pointed out with barely a glance in her direction.

She felt like she was sitting on pins and needles waiting to see how this would turn out. Her fingertips were numb from keeping her hands balled into such tight, anxious fists. Would they concede to his plan and support him, or would they turn on them both and try to kill her again?

He was right about what he'd said before. It was a time of war and people were eager to find a ready scapegoat. And here she was standing before all of them in preparation for the slaughter.

"She is a liability! She needs to be disposed of!"

A few shouts of agreement rose up from the masses and Kagome felt her stomach drop. She didn't have a single weapon on her. If it came down to that it'd be entirely up to Sesshomaru to protect her. Would he if it meant turning his entire court against him? She wasn't so sure.

It seemed the whole room was anxious for his response. In unison they all seemed to hold their breath and lean ever so slightly forward. A hint of a smile graced his lips as he turned on his group of traitorous advisors.

"Is that so? Tell me, how do you propose to win this war without her? A miko is a valuable asset on the battlefield. If it comes to war, she will be our most powerful weapon against the enemy."

A few heads nodded in agreement, while a few more turned to consider her with a new sense of interest. Sesshomaru waited a long moment for his words to sink in before asking,

"Do you still wish to destroy her?"

In the time it took her to blink he'd moved from his place on the stairs. It wasn't until she felt the prick of his claws around her throat that she realized he was behind her. She had to hand it to him - he really knew how to manipulate a crowd.

Several advisors stormed out wearing matching looks of disgust.

"This isn't over!" one shouted over his shoulder before heading out the door.

The rest bowed in apology and joined their colleagues. With his advisors gone, Sesshomaru turned to the crowd that was left and waited expectantly. Eventually they too broke away and silently shuffled off to their respective duties. Whatever their feelings towards her, they had no interest in seeing her die today.

Kagome let out a small sigh of relief when the last of the crowd disappeared from the great hall leaving just the two of them behind. It was only then that he released his hold on her throat. She turned to him wearing an uncertain smile.

"That went well?"

He "Hn"'d his disagreement and cast a long look over her head at the door his advisors had departed through. She followed his gaze and worried her lip between her teeth.

"Follow me," he instructed.

She followed him without hesitation. The belated realization that he was escorting her back to her room didn't sit well. Just how much danger was she in?

A uncomfortable silence hovered between them as they made their way down the hall. Her mind was preoccupied with its own thoughts, primarily Sesshomaru's words from earlier. Had he meant what he said? Was she only here now as a weapon for him to use at will on the battlefield?

Sesshomaru was a brilliant tactician. It seemed like something he would do, mainly because the enemy would never expect such a move from him. Being unpredictable was a significant part of his fighting style. But how much of it had he meant? Had he really just been using her from the start? Manipulating her like he did the crowd from earlier, giving her what she wanted so he could string her along?

By the time they came to a stop outside her door she could feel the heat of her embarrassment and anger burning in her chest.

"Did you mean it?" she demanded, glaring up at him.

He didn't seem surprised by the question. His gaze never wavered from hers as he retorted with a question of his own.

"Would you refuse to fight?"

No of course not. Despite how the people here treated her, helping fight off the enemy felt like the right thing to do. There were people she cared about, like Rin and the nice older serving woman who cleaned her room each day, people she didn't want to see get hurt. Of course she would do everything in her power to protect them, even if it meant fighting in war.

Her silence seemed to be answer enough for Sesshomaru, who fixed her with a pointed look.

But of course he'd already known what her answer would be. He was relying on her human propensity for compassion to work in his favour. She didn't enjoy being made into a pawn, especially one without a will of her own. Feeling her anger return she crossed her arms in front of her chest and blew out a sigh of frustration.

"You could ask, you know."

She expected an arched eyebrow and an arrogant scoff. Sesshomaru ask a human for assistance? Ridiculous! Her words were met with stony silence, which only fuelled her anger more.

"I'm not just some weapon to be used at your disposal! If you want me to put my life on the line so you can win a pissing contest you're going to have to ask nicely."

"Oh?"

A dangerous smile curved his lips and she felt her stomach flutter with uneasy butterflies. He gave her a lot of leeway when it came to expressing her opinions, but perhaps she'd pushed him too far this time?

His claws found her throat and her back met the wall with no small amount of force. Swallowing nervously, she tried to read the expression in his narrowed eyes. There'd be nothing stopping him if he wanted to kill her. Without her weapons, the purification power she could muster would only be enough to slow him down. She was entirely at his mercy.

He leaned in close, his body trapping her between him and the wall. He was solid beneath all that silk. Her hand wrapped around his wrist where it held her throat and she could feel the power in the muscles and tendons there. They teamed with the quiet strength that hummed through him.

"Do you expect this Sesshomaru to beg, Miko?"

His breath was warm against the shell of her ear and she closed her eyes against the tingle that shivered down her spine. It was cruel that he had the ability to do this to her with so little effort. One sidelong look, a fleeting touch or whisper and she was incapable of thinking straight. The arguments and retorts that'd been buzzing through her mind were silenced one by one until there was only him - his smell, the warmth of his breath against her cheek, and the soft, fleeting brush of his lips overtop hers...

Kagome leaned into him, arching up on her tip toes, no longer scared. Her memory of the kiss they'd shared in the onsen was vivid and pushed its way to the forefront of her mind. Just as before, it left her wanting more. She was hungry to feel that burning rush again and the warm fire in the pit of her belly. She wanted him, arrogance, sharp claws, stubbornness and all.

Maybe some small part of him wanted her too. He made a muffled sound of frustration and pulled away leaving her feeling cold and her hunger un-satiated. By the time she opened her eyes he'd released her and was disappearing around the far corner at the end of the hall.

"How's that for asking nicely," she muttered, touching her fingers to her throat.

A servant rounded the corner just then, carrying a large pile of clean bedding. The woman bowed her head politely and wished her a good night. Feeling slightly unsteady on her feet, Kagome nodded in return and then stumbled into her darkened room. There, she took to pacing back and forth across the floor in an attempt to forget about the lingering throb that seemed to pulse throughout her entire body.

Why was he doing this to her? She'd heard of people playing someone hot and cold before, but Sesshomaru took it to a whole new level. Kissing her one minute and then pushing her away the next...

What's wrong with him?

Or maybe I should be asking, 'What's wrong with me?' she realized.

That question was simpler to answer - she was human and a miko, but there were other reasons too. Compared to him she was as plain as a slice of dry, whole wheat toast. Melba toast. Or worse yet, a bran cookie.

"Oh this is ridiculous!" she fumed, throwing her hands into the air. Furious and determined, she flung open the door to her room and stormed down the hall in search of a certain taiyoukai.

Author's Note: Another completely brand new chapter! W00t! I hope you guys enjoyed it :)