InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Nightwalker ❯ Rules ( Chapter 5 )

Part Five: Rules

 

 

“It's almost dawn. I can smell the sun.” Rukiya remarked. Lilliana looked up from the book she had been reading, regarding Rukiya with her shining emerald eyes.

 

“Did he take the drug to her home?” She asked as she remerged herself into her leather, bound book.

 

“Don't call her that!” Rukiya scolded. “Lilliana, your attitude is starting to bother me. I'd well appreciate it if you weren't so errant with Kagome.”

 

“Why should I bother with a human?” Lilliana waved her hand, hiding her face behind her book. Rukiya rose.

 

“I think Inuyasha has been too lenient with you for the past few decades. It's time that you learned to hold that tongue of yours. I didn't save you for you to become and unappreciative twit of a girl.”

 

Lilliana's eyes darkened as she stood on her feet, her shining, black hair puffing up with her annoyance. “It's his fault! He goes and develops an addiction right in the middle of a war! He broke the rules and he can get away with it!” Lilliana hissed.

 

Rukiya sighed, her dark eyes watching Lilliana with deep disappointment. “He formed an addiction by biting her once. I thought you understood.”

 

“I know that!” Lilliana yelled.

 

Rukiya watched her, scrutinizing the way she puffed out her chest in defense. “Lilliana…are you jealous?”

 

Lilliana's face reddened and she rounded on Rukiya with her green eyes blazing. “NO! Why would I be jealous of a human! I'm angry that he was so careless!”

 

Rukiya crossed her arms. “If that's true, then why the animosity toward Kagome? As far as I see it, she's the victim here, not the antagonist.”

 

Lilliana turned her head to the side, a pink hue in her cheeks. “I just…I don't like her.”

 

“You've never even met her.”

 

“SO! I still don't like her! Her blood, it messed up everything! Now we have to carry a deadbeat human as excess baggage.”

 

Rukiya's eyes glowed a deep red and instantly Lilliana knew that she had gone too far. Though even tempered, when Rukiya became angry it was not without good reason and Lilliana knew that she had spoken too much and out of place. She stepped back a few paces, her eyes on Rukiya.

 

“You've always had that sharp tongue. I understand that need to voice you words when you think something is erroneous, but, for once, you couldn't have the been more incorrect. You WILL accept this and you will behave yourself in the civilized manner that I taught you. To do otherwise is simply,” Rukiya's eyes became black again and she smirked as she emphasized the word, “human.”

 

Lilliana gasped. “Fine.” She looked away, abashed. “But that doesn't mean I like it!”

 

“We were once human too, Lilliana. Please do not antagonize her. I believe we should show her just how `gracious' we can be.”

 

“I'd listen to what she says, Lilliana.” Inuyasha said as he came into the room, his black coat back on his shoulders.

 

“I'm taking her back to her home before the sun rises.” He breathed, his golden eyes watching Lilliana dissatisfied. Lilliana turned her face away from his eyes, the pink hue in her cheeks deepening. Inuyasha kept his eyes on her. Breathing in tiredly, he said, “It's not like I planned for this to happen. Believe me, I don't find the idea of relying on a human to survive brilliant. I thought you would be the most understanding Lilliana. I suppose I was wrong.”

 

Lilliana gasped, but did not say anything as he left.

 

 

 

Kagome vaguely felt the pillow against her check as she opened her eyes. Yawning, she rose to a sit, her yes locking on the digital clock next to her bed. Six? When did she get home? She rubbed her eyes, and tried to stretch.

 

“Ow!” Kagome's fingers felt around the sore spot on her neck. It pulsed when she touched it. “That bastard.” She hissed.

 

“That bastard can hear you.” His voice echoed through the room.

 

Kagome's eyes snapped in his direction, narrowing. He leaned against the closed, glass windows of her balcony with his arms crossed, the light from outside shadowing his face, making his eyes glow. It should be illegal to be that devilishly handsome, Kagome snarled at the thought.

 

“Well?” Kagome asked.

 

“Well what?” Inuyasha countered.

 

Kagome stood, her eyes blazing. “I'm not stupid. Rukiya said I would be free at dawn but I know that won't last for long. And since you are now so dependent on my blood, I know that I'm not seeing the last of you.”

 

Inuyasha sighed, watching her from the corner of his eye. “You're pretty clever for a human.” He stepped away from the glass, standing straight seconds before she rushed forward and hit him square in the stomach.

 

Taken by surprise, he stumbled for a moment, air puffing out of his chest. “You really love hitting me, don't you?”

 

“It really makes me feel better.” She glared at him from the corner of her eye. “That's for attacking me yesterday. Twice I might add!” She said as she retracted her arm only to hit him across the face.

 

His head snapped to the side. He was silent for a moment, his eyes wide as the red mark on his cheek throbbed a little. Flexing his jaw, he turned back to her, placing his hands on her shoulders and roughly pushing her a few paces away from him.

 

He growled. Why was it that his nose would always concentrate on that scent? He had never met a more infuriating woman, let alone a woman who had the gall to strike him. It was both interesting and frustrating. In addition, there were things that he did not understand because of her. Why did he develop an addiction only by biting her once? What was it that caused his blood to boil?

 

Kagome glared at him as he pushed her away, before her eyes concentrated on the view from the window behind him. It was cloudy, but it was clear that it was daylight. She narrowed her eyes in confusion before returning her gaze to him. He hadn't moved, watching her without expression but something in his eyes showed annoyance. “It's daytime? How is it that you're awake? Aren't you supposed to be sleeping in a coffin somewhere?” She raised her brows, crossing her arms coolly.

 

He gave her a sardonic and irate look. “Again you associate with vampires. That's a myth created by your foolish human ancestors, who, by the way, never really encountered the real thing.”

 

Even with his remark, something was buzzing in Kagome's curiosity. “So, you won't die in the sun? What do you do during the day anyway? Being a `nightwalker' you must not do much during the daytime.”

 

Inuyasha starred at her with aggravated eyes, looking down at her. “Daytime for us is equivalent to nighttime for you.” He said curtly.

 

“So does that mean you sleep?”

 

“In a manner of speaking.”

 

“Would you care to elaborate?”

 

“No.”

 

Kagome sighed. “Fine, then will you tell me what happens to your kind in the sun?”

 

Something glinted in Inuyasha's eyes. Was it fear or anger? Kagome couldn't tell. He growled. “I'd prefer to keep our information to ourselves.” Curiosity got the better of her. What did happen to them in the sun? How much of the myth of vampires was true? Kagome had a sneaking suspicion that he was strategically avoiding her questions. Either he didn't want to tell her or, “You don't trust me?”

 

His eyes were suddenly cold. “Right on the mark. I course I don't.”

 

“Why? We are going to be spending a lot of time together if you're addicted to my blood.” She said in a sarcastic sweetness, her narrow eyes watching him.

 

“Let's just say that I don't trust your kind. There is hardly any loyalty among humans.”

 

Kagome puffed up in anger. “So you're saying that I'm not trustworthy because I'm human! That's discrimination!”

 

For the first time that day, he smiled. “That may be, but it doesn't deny that fact that I still don't trust you. The last thing I would need is for you to carry on our information.”

 

“Who would believe me anyway? I'd be welcomed into a crazy home.”

 

“You'd be surprised, but I'm not here to talk about this crap.” He stopped smirking. “I'm here to lay down some rules.”

 

Kagome walked around him, inspecting him. His posture was relaxed but alert, she noticed. His eyes followed her as she walked around him. There was no way she could beat him out of her room because catching him by surprise was now impossible. She sighed, “What rules?”

 

“You were right when you said that your freedom won't last. Make sure you get home before dusk and stay out of the shadows.” She gave him a sideways look.

 

“And what will happen if I don't?”

 

“If you have any common sense, you'd know that there are more of my kind out at night. Maybe I made a mistake in thinking you were smart.” Kagome snarled at him. This guy was clever and she hated it: looks and brains, an odd and rare combination in men, but why she did she care.

 

“So that's it? I just come home before sundown? That's my curfew?”

 

“No, that's not all. Under no circumstances are you to be out after dark. You're not safe in your home either. It is highly unlikely that you would be attacked during daytime when most humans are active. I'll send someone to come get you and bring you to our home every night.”

 

“So I'm to be your prisoner at night?”

 

“It's better than dying, isn't it?”

 

Kagome growled. She didn't like the plan and look of authority he was giving her hinted that he wasn't going to change his mind. “Fine.” She grumbled.

 

“Good.” Before she could say anything, he turned and disappeared through her window. Huffing, Kagome ran across her room, gathering her books and clothes. Once finished with dressing herself, Kagome picked up her keys and proceeded to leave her apartment. Passing the mirror, she stopped to stare at her appearance.

 

There it was again. Like the night prior, her face was paler. It was almost as if she were translucent and her skin looked like stone. Her lips were a dark red and her hair was more tussled then flat. Why did she look so…sick? Was that the right word? She couldn't describe her own appearance but she knew she didn't like it.

 

Shrugging, Kagome grabbed an umbrella and left the house. The nerve of him! She thought as she walked out of the building and into the morning rain. Barely knowing the man for two days, maybe less, and he was already making demands. She walked toward the metro, her mind steaming with questions. Till now, she couldn't even get a boy at the university to talk to her. Now this person, who was not even human, suddenly seduces her, her stomach quenched guiltily, and develops an addiction. How did this situation play out?

 

“Could things get any more weird?” Kagome muttered as she closed her umbrella, stepping into the train.

 

It was unusual. Just a few weeks ago she was blissfully unaware of this new world that exists at night. That was until he appeared and turned her world topsy-turvy, inviting her into the word of blood and killings. How did something like this happen to her? Kagome wondered as she stepped away from the train station and walked across the street.

 

She had always been a good girl: she stayed out of trouble, she learned quickly, she never lied, and she followed rules. It would be pointless to think, “Why me?”

 

Kagome wandered into her usual coffee shop. She sat at the table, reading the newspaper and drinking her espresso, trying to bring back some normality to her life. “Kagome? Is that you?”

 

She tore her eyes from the entertainment section to find herself looking at Tsuki, who gleefully invited herself to sit at Kagome's table. “Wow, have you been experimenting with make-up?” She smiled.

 

Kagome tilted her head to the side. “What?”

 

“You look…different.”

 

Kagome cursed him in her head. It was his fault, she was sure. “I know. I look like I have just donated blood. I'm so pale.”

 

“No, it's not that...” Tsuki said, watching Kagome's unbelieving face.

 

“Right.”

 

()()()()()()()

 

She starred at the house. Had it been that long? She wondered what Bill would say when he finally returned. Clicking her teeth tiredly, she sprinted into the house. “Guess who's back!” She yelled as she entered. As usual, not one answered.

 

“Typical.” She huffed. “No one's every lively here.” She sighed, walking up the stairs and wandering through the hallways, listening intently for any familiar voices. It wasn't long before a very familiar older brother came walking gracefully out of one of the rooms.

 

She jumped excitedly and snuck up behind him. “Hey there, grumpy! How've you been?” She laughed heartily, thumping him hard on the back. He staggered for a moment, and then brought his annoyed eyes to look at her.

 

“Claire,” he sighed, “remind me again, why I saved you?”

 

Claire placed index fingers on her cheeks, smiling sweetly. “Because I'm so adorable and full of good, old, American, sixties, hippy loving! Anyway, aren't you going to hug me, or say, `I missed you?' I was gone for eight months in London! You're such a stick in the mud Inuyasha.”

 

Inuyasha gave her a half annoyed, half serious, and half amused look. Claire was always the…“white” sheep in the family.

 

“Where's Bill?” He asked.

 

“Said he was going to Moscow to help Christiano.”

 

“So did you find it?”

 

Claire stopped smiling and looked at him professionally. “No, unfortunately. It's not in London. Hell, I even looked through the old ruins! It's nowhere!”

 

Inuyasha sighed. “Maybe they were right. If it has vanished from our history…”

 

“I'm starting to think this whole thing was a wild goose chase. We have as much luck finding the damn thing as the humans have finding the Holy Grail.”

 

“We can't find the real heir without it. Maybe it's time to pay Richard a visit.” Inuyasha thought aloud.

 

“Oh, no! Do you have to visit old cranky? Like he'll have any real information for us!” Claire whined.

 

“You never know, humans do take history somewhat seriously.” Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. Claire gave him a curious look. There was something different about him.

 

“Oh, it's you.” Lilliana emerged from the parlor, watching Claire with exasperation.

 

“Hey, is that any way to treat me! Jeez, you people.” She huffed.

 

“Actually, Claire, you've made good timing. And just when I thought that I would have to do it.” Lilliana smiled.

 

Claire stared at her. “Do what?”

 

“I asked Lilliana to tail someone, but she's a bit busy.” Inuyasha elaborated.

 

“Tail who?”

 

“The human I'm addicted to.” Inuyasha answered.

 

“So it is true. Oooh! Sesshoumaru's going to be pissed!”

 

“I think I know that Claire!” Inuyasha growled.

 

“You want her followed?” Claire made a face.

 

“Yes. Just make sure to stay out of sight. I don't want her knowing that she's being watched.”

 

“You got it, big bro!” Claire headed out of the house in a flash.

 

“That brat never changes. How is she going to find out which one is Kagome? She didn't even ask.” Lilliana sighed.

 

“That's her, always rushing into things.” Said Rukiya as she came out of the parlor and passed by the pair of them.

 

 

 

“Thankfully I don't have classes after sundown.” Kagome said aloud. Rika, Yuri and Tsuki looked at her quizzically.

 

“I mean, uh, I wouldn't want to be out after dark with all those killings happening.” She added quickly. The three girls broke into silent laughter on their library table.

 

“What happened to, `it's all a bunch of news propaganda?'” Yuri laughed.

 

Tsuki made a face. “Yeah, you didn't exactly believe when I told you that it was real.” She wined.

 

Kagome glared at her. “Well, maybe something convinced me.” No kidding, three deaths in front of my eyes, Kagome thought.

 

Rika was rubbing the back of her neck, yawning. Taking notice, Kagome asked, “Are you tired?”

 

“Yeah, lately, there's always been this crick in my neck. I keep thinking that the guy I saw in my dream somehow bit me in real life. You know what's really weird, is that there was two bug bites on my neck. I just noticed this morning. Some guy said something about it on the street.”

 

Kagome perked up in her seat. “What did he say?”

 

“He asked where I got that `bite mark' from. What a weirdo! Of course I told him it was a bug bite. He seemed really interested.” Rika said thoughtfully.

 

“Was he cute?”

 

“Yuri!” Tsuki and Kagome exclaimed.

 

“What? I was curious.”

 

“Actually, he was.” Rika interrupted. “Really, really cute. He didn't give me his name though.”

 

“What did he look like?” Kagome demanded.

 

“Black hair, blue-grey eyes, I think. He was taller then me. His hair was short but he had long bangs covering his eyes. He said something about being careful and not being out after dark.” Rika blushed. “He said, `wouldn't want a beautiful girl like yourself getting into trouble.'”

 

“Wooo!” Yuri chirped.

 

“Oh shut up!” Rika huffed. Kagome breathed out a sigh of relief. Based on what Rika described, it didn't sound like anyone she knew. Still, why was that guy so interested in Rika's bite mark; it was hardly that visible now. Unconsciously, Kagome softly touched Inuyasha's mark on her neck to find that it still stung. If he kept biting her, would it leave a permanent scar?

 

“Does your neck hurt too?” Yuri tilted her head to the side, her eyes pinning on the mark before Kagome could cover it.

 

“No way! You were bitten by a bug too?” She exclaimed so loudly that several of the students and librarians looked at her in exasperation and shock. Blushing, Yuri looked back at Kagome.

 

“Well?”

 

“What a coincidence. Looks like I have got bitten by the same bug?” Kagome faked.

 

“This is weird.” Rika remarked.

 

“Maybe we should get some extra bug repellent.” Yuri joked.

 

Tsuki laughed. Her three friends looked at her. “Imagine. What if,” she leaned into the table, whispering ominously, “we were dealing with,” she looked around and then said, “…vampires?”

 

Yuri and Rika began giggling. Kagome however, paled and nodded her head. “It wasn't that funny.” Yuri said, taking notice of Kagome.

 

“Oh right, yeah.” She turned her head to the side. “I wish I could say it was.” She said to herself.

 

“You've been acting weird all day. Is there something that's bothering you?” Tsuki asked softly.

 

Kagome shook her head. There was no chance she would tell her classmates that she was now a bloodsucker's addiction. She knew it was real, yet the idea still seemed ludicrous to her.

 

“You've got bags under your eyes. Maybe you should cut down on studying. I mean, you've already got top grades in the class.” Yuri offered.

 

“Yeah, I guess I have been pushing it.” Kagome lied.

 

Noticing the time, Kagome bade her friends goodbye and exited the library. It was raining outside. Opening her black umbrella, Kagome stood at the street corner, waiting for the light to change. Several boys from her university exited the library, coming to stand a few paces behind her. She could barely hear them speaking over the loud drops of the rain.

 

“Hey, is that Higurashi?” Kagome strained her hears as she caught her last name.

 

“Who?” Another boy asked.

 

“She sits right next to you in anthropology. Don't tell you don't remember?” Another boy whispered.

 

“You mean the ugly girl?” Kagome sighed. Of course, that was what she notorious for: being the ugly one.

 

“She looks…different?”

 

Kagome strained her ears to hear more. “ Yeah, what happened?”

 

The light changed, and Kagome was more than happy to cross the street and escape that humiliating conversation. Unfortunately, the group of boys seemed to be heading in the same direction and she was reunited with them a few blocks away. It's raining but the day is so terrible, Kagome thought.

 

The light became green and a car swished by her so fast, that she had to jump backward to avoid the water as it splashed onto the sidewalk. As Kagome set her feet on the ground, her ankle twisted and she fell backward.

 

Something warm caught her before she hit the floor, helping her to stand. Steadying herself, she turned just as the man said, “Are you alright?”

 

Kagome blushed. She recognized the boy from her school. It was Takashi. She had been secretly admiring him from afar for the past few months. He was a tall, athletic young man. It was strange that he would talk to her. Most of the time, he pretended she didn't exist.

 

“You're in my biology class. Kagome right?” He asked. Kagome nodded. She could see the group of boys from the library not to far behind him. Was this some kind of joke? Kagome narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

 

“So, how do you like the class?” Takashi asked.

 

“I don't like the fact that the professor rambles too much. Other than that, it's fine. Though I like philosophy better.” She answered, blushing when he gave her a curious look.

 

“Wow. I can't stand that class. I find it too boring.” He said.

 

“Who's your teacher?”

 

“ Hirabawa.” He answered.

 

“You should have taken Owa. He's really good. He talks about racism, genocide, everything. He doesn't leave anything out when he talks about philosophy.” Kagome smiled.

 

Takashi fidgeted for a moment. “ Um, this may seem a little…are you busy Friday night?” He asked quickly.

 

Kagome turned a darker shade of crimson. She finally gets asked out! She looked up at him, about to say yes when a weight dropped on her. His voice came into her mind: “Under no circumstances are you to be out after dark.” Stupid bastard and his rules, Kagome cursed in her mind.

 

Kagome sighed. “Actually, I am busy, sorry.”

 

“Really? That's too bad. I was hoping…what are you doing anyway?”

 

“I have a lot of studying to do.” Kagome lied.

 

Takashi laughed. “Is that it? C'mon, it'll be fun. You can skip studying for one night, can't you?”

 

Kagome looked at him, then beyond him at his friends, who seemed to be snickering. “No, I'm sorry. I can't.” She said, turning.

 

“Why not?” He insisted, rushing forward to hold her arm. Why is he being so pushy? What happened to that innocent and nervous act he had been displaying before? The bubbly feeling she had a moment ago was gone as Kagome pulled her hand away from him.

 

“Back off.” She snarled.

 

“So now that you're pretty, you're playing hard to get?” Takashi scoffed.

 

“Excuse me!” Kagome roared. Now he was making fun of her too!

 

“My, aren't we rambunctious. I believe you're bothering the lady. If you would be kind,” a man on the street walked toward them, “and leave her alone?”

 

Takashi sent the man and Kagome an unhappy look and walked away with his friends. Kagome turned to her would-be savior. He came closer to her, and Kagome was slightly taken aback. Blue eyes, black hair, and tall, wasn't that the guy Rika had described earlier?

 

“Thank you, um-”

 

“Miroku.” The man said. “And you are Kagome.” He smiled.

 

“Yes.” He reached to pick up her umbrella, which had fallen when Takashi had taken a hold of her arm. Handing it to her he said with a smile, “Be careful.”

 

“I will, thanks.” The light had changed, and Kagome rushed across the street. Unknown to her, as she distanced herself, the man pulled a phone from the pocket of his coat and dialed a number.

 

As the other line picked up, he whispered into the phone, “Sango, I've found another one.”