InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Nightwalker ❯ Warped ( Chapter 10 )

Let me say that the last chapter's reviews were FREAKIN AWESOME! Thank you so much! It was great and wonderfully inspiring! So in order to thank you, there may just be a little treat at the end of this chapter. Also, I won third place! YAY! Third Place October 2007 Winner for best AU, that's nightwalker.

 

Warning! This is a dark chapter. Narek's past is not something to be taken lightly. I mean it when I say that it's VERY dark and it happens that this event he's part of occurred in real life. Please DO NOT READ if you are offended.

 

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, nor did I have the brilliance to come up with him like that of Romicko Takahashi.

 

 

Part Ten: Warped

 

Lilliana took her hands away from Kagome's shoulders, staring at her. She trembled and instantly she knew that Kagome had encountered Narek and seen first hand how inviting and lethal he was. She debated. It wasn't her story to tell; if anything it should be told by the very person who created Narek. Lilliana turned her eyes to Inuyasha where he stood by the door, his fists clenched and his eyes going from gold to red in his rage.

 

He came toward them, harshly pushing Lilliana aside and glaring at Kagome. “What the hell did he do to you?” He demanded.

 

“Lilliana?” Kagome called anxiously, ignoring him.

 

Lilliana snapped her eyes back to Kagome. “Promise me…” She began. “Promise me that you'll do anything to keep away from Narek.”

 

“I…I promise but…”

 

“Do you swear?”

 

“Yes, but-”

 

“No buts!”

 

“You're not answering my question!” Kagome shouted impatiently. Lilliana gave Inuyasha a look, pleading with him. He stood still.

 

“What's going on in here?” Rukiya scolded as she entered the parlor, her countenance annoyed. No one said anything. “Well?” Inuyasha stepped forward. “It was Narek. He was the one who attacked Kagome.” Rukiya looked sickly stricken.

 

“Then we have a very versatile, perilous threat on our hands.”

 

Four pairs of eyes locked onto Sesshoumaru as he walked into the room. He shut the door behind him and locked it. His eyes pinned to Kagome, sizing her up before he turned to the very frightened looking Lilliana. Her green eyes, terrified and blurred, made his incensed aura soften a little.

 

“You noticed it, did you not?” He asked her.

 

“I knew it was Narek's scent the moment she said his name. I thought there was something strange about her. He pushed his scent into her skin to hide it.” Lilliana answered.

 

Sesshoumaru gestured for her to sit down, pulling up a comforting chair. Lilliana slumped into it and Rukiya came to stand beside her, motherly stroking her black, curly crown. “Are you alright?” She asked. Lilliana looked up to the older nightwalker, her eyes shining. “I'm okay.”

 

“Kagome.” She snapped her eyes to Sesshoumaru. “I think it would make the gravity of things set in if you knew just who Narek really was. Perhaps you should sit down.”

 

“I'll stand thanks.”

 

Sesshoumaru's stoic expression did not change. “Very well. Where to begin.” He cast a look at Rukiya who avoided his gaze.

 

“After Rukiya joined us, we began adding new members to our family. Among our earliest members was a young man named Chase. Then Natalia joined and through her Christiano came to us.”

 

“Through her?” Kagome repeated.

 

“Natalia was the one that made Christiano into a nightwalker.” Inuyasha explained.

 

“But what does this have to do with Narek?” Kagome questioned.

 

“Let me finish.” Sesshoumaru stated unemotionally. “When a nightwalker is born, if they were born after being human and not a natural born, their creator is, in a sense, their parent. The only person I've ever changed is Rukiya.”

 

Kagome turned her eyes to Inuyasha, waiting. He gave her a frustrated look before saying, “I changed Natalia and Claire. Claire changed Bill and Albier.”

 

“What about-”

 

“I'm getting to that.” Inuyasha said tiredly. “Now when a nightwalker is born the human way, they get abilities from their family and their creator. Out of everyone that was changed in our family, four were born stronger than normal. Rukiya, being bitten by Sesshoumaru, was the first. Claire, being bitten by me was another one.”

 

“Rukiya changed three people. The first was Chase. Her next two were both born from the same human race, both born under terrible circumstances, both incredibly powerful. The younger one was Lilliana. The other was Narek.”

 

Kagome was shocked. She glimpsed at Lilliana, whose blank eyes and silent face said nothing, then to Rukiya who sat next to her.

 

“You were the one that changed Narek?”

 

“Yes.” Rukiya cleared her throat and spoke. “Narek had joined us long before Lilliana. I had been walking through Turkish territories at the time. It was 1915 and Narek was a victim of the Armenian Genocide.”

 

Kagome's heart clenched and she felt tears forming in her eyes. “Armenian Genocide? You mean he was part of the massacre? I read about that, and how Turkey refuses to acknowledge it happened.”

 

“Yes. His father, mother and brothers were gone.” Rukiya took a deep breath. “I found him, dying. He had been shot in the chest and, perhaps in a rare or cruel way, they had left him to die slowly rather then finish the job. Narek had stared at me with those same beautiful eyes and he could barely talk. He said, `Are you here to finish me? Make it quick.'”

 

“That's when I offered to save him, just as Sesshoumaru had saved me. Do you know what he told me when I said I could help him? `Live? In this hell?' He laughed and then said, `Why? Why do I hold onto this life? Why do I want to live after the atrocities I've seen? I don't want life, I want freedom, retribution.' At the time, I never felt so much pity for one person. When Narek gave me his answer, I didn't hesitate.”

 

“Narek joined us and was welcomed into our family. He was gifted, gorgeous, resourceful, and strong. Everyone adored him for he had this charm. But he was haunted. He never once spoke of his human life. It seemed that he cast that part of him aside. He would voice his opinions about the humans: that he hated them for what they had done to him, to the culture he had been apart of. We never knew what kinds of things Narek went through during the genocide, what terrible things he had seen. He did not speak of it, but I would hear him wake from his sleep, screaming. Several weeks after he first joined us, he stopped sleeping completely.”

 

“You mean Narek doesn't sleep at all?” Kagome whispered.

 

“No. I suppose he wanted to escape those terrible images he would see in his dreams. I tried to look into his mind, search for what scared him so, but he had already learned how to block me out. He spoke of revenge so many times and I admit it was my fault because I only humored him. I kept thinking it was emotional trauma. I didn't realize that it was more than that…” Rukiya trailed off, her eyes looking weak.

 

“Narek spoke often of his hatred for human beings.” Sesshoumaru continued. “Three years later in 1920, Lilliana was found, dying from the same slaughter. Narek had been with the family at the time. Rukiya contacted me and told me about our new member. We thought that Lilliana would be the perfect counterpart for Narek, both Armenian, both powerful and handsome. She looked upon her new life differently then he did. We thought that she could change him. However, three days before Lilliana was to be introduced to our family, Narek betrayed us.” Sesshoumaru growled.

 

“Narek argued with me many times. He said that he could not forgive humans for what they had done and that our methods for dealing with them were wrong. Sesshoumaru and I had to beat him to convince him otherwise.” Inuyasha sighed. Kagome sent him a stunned look.

 

“Beat?”

 

“You don't know much about our ways. When someone gets out of place, the head of the family punishes them as a form of discipline. It's not always beatings, though. It's a way to keep things in order. Narek frequently showed us how powerful he was when he was able to defend himself. Not only did he protect himself but he did severe damage to us in the process. Considering how it was two against one…”

 

“How did Narek betray you?” Kagome found herself inching toward Inuyasha, looking up into his angered face.

 

“Narek's ideals coincided with the Nightwalker King.” Inuyasha answered.

 

“I don't understand. So he was tempted by him to change sides?”

 

“Narek was never tempted!” Lilliana roared, rising from the chair, some color flaring in her cheeks.

 

“Lilliana!” Rukiya called in outrage.

 

“He betrayed us all on his own!”

 

“Lilliana. Sit.” Sesshoumaru commanded and Lilliana slumped back into the chair, scowling.

 

“She's right.” Sesshoumaru continued. “Three days before Lilliana was to meet the whole family, Narek went and pledged his allegiance to the nightwalker king. He also killed Chase and took his head as a metaphor for cutting his ties to us and vowing his loyalty to the king. Loyalty is something that's considered sacred, for lack of a better word, to a nightwalker. Narek's betrayal was unheard of.”

 

“That's horrible, but I almost feel sorry for him.” Kagome mumbled sadly. “I mean he must have been through so much…”

 

“Narek does not deserve your pity. Don't bother.” Lilliana said from her seat.

 

“What Narek wants is vengeance, not sympathy.” Rukiya added.

 

“Do you understand now? How unsafe Narek is?” Lilliana asked.

 

“But I still don't understand what your relationship with him is.” Kagome countered.

 

“There is nothing between him and me. I hate him.” Lilliana grumbled. Silence followed much like it had earlier that night. Kagome, lost in her own thoughts did not see Rukiya get up and take her daughter of sorts to go rest. After some agonizing moments of quiet, Sesshoumaru finally called her.

 

“I imagine it's quite a shock, learning about the very man that attacked you. His past could be something of remorse, but understand this. Narek is as sly and untrustworthy as he is dangerous. You should follow Lilliana's advice and keep away from him. There is no reasoning with him, you can't change him for he has taken his path and will stick to it.”

 

“I see.” Kagome whispered.

 

“You should get some sleep.” Inuyasha came forward, patting her shoulder.

 

Kagome nodded, still deep in thought, and exited the room, closing the door behind her. After her departure, Sesshoumaru turned to his brother, a grave glint in his eyes. “This is very serious.”

 

“No kidding…” Inuyasha replied.

 

“Yet don't you think it's strange? Why would Narek himself attack Kagome? Why would the nightwalker king's favorite do such a mundane task? Do you suppose they see Kagome as a threat more then a weakness?”

 

Inuyasha's eyes shined with interest. “I hadn't thought of that. I thought that they had dispatched Narek because he would have been the best person to do it. He'd kill her and probably revel in it.” Inuyasha sneered with disgust.

 

“I'm not so certain. It seems unlikely that he would send Narek, one of his most powerful, to kill little old Kagome.”

 

 

 

Kagome walked up the steps that led to her room, her eyes downcast. She felt so tired. Sleep sounded so appealing. Closing the door behind her, Kagome made it across the room slumping on the bed where she attempted to close her eyes but tossed and turned.

 

She didn't know how to feel. He had suffered so much as a victim of genocide, how cruel. It made her want to cry for him. She could see why he would hate her. She was also a part of a race that had a history of cruelty to another. What did it feel like to have been hated for being born of a certain culture and to see the very people he loved die because of that? She knew that Lilliana told her that Narek does not deserve her pity, yet she couldn't stop thinking of it. But did what he had gone through justify his killings? What was it like in his mind?

 

Kagome got up from the bed, lazily looking at her watch, which was placed on the nearby table. Two in the morning, she thought. Time traveled quickly yet silently. Several hours ago she had heard Narek's history and now she could not sleep. She cursed her overactive compassion and tried to remind herself that this was the man that almost killed her earlier that night! Why should she feel sorry for him after what he had almost done? And he had killed a member of his own family and betrayed them!

 

Lilliana had suffered through the same dilemma yet she did not act as he did. She wasn't as deranged and sinister. Kagome should feel more compassion for her. She slapped her cheeks softly. Stop thinking about it, she ordered herself.

 

Sighing, Kagome turned toward the door, opening it. Maybe a walk could clear her head. The house was silent again and Kagome saw no one as she walked through the halls. Many times she had wandered through the house, almost memorized every inch of it. She knew that the family was awake. Daytime was their night, or so Inuyasha had said, so she supposed that they rested while the sun was up. Kagome passed by a slightly ajar door and paused.

 

“I thought I'd find you here.” A voice drifted through the door. Kagome peeked through, suddenly curious.

 

Lilliana sat on a rock in the small yard. She still looked weak. Yet she could look beautiful while doing it, Kagome thought. Across the yard Kagome made out the strong form that was Natalia, her clothes slightly disheveled, yet she looked quite pleased.

 

“You look proud of yourself. You stink, you know.” Lilliana said, a playful tone in her voice.

 

“I do?” Natalia said with obvious sarcasm.

 

“Christiano must have been in his element tonight.” Lilliana coughed. Natalia's color did not change, but Kagome had turned a deep red as she listened.

 

“I thought you'd up and hug me when I came back. I haven't seen you in a year, didn't you miss me?” Natalia gave her a teasing pout. Lilliana didn't say anything. Kagome noticed that Natalia straitened, her eyes calm. She walked and set herself next to the other girl.

 

“Lilliana, what's wrong? This isn't like you. You never mope around like this.” Natalia placed a hand on Lilliana's shoulder.

 

“Nat you know me too well.” Kagome heard the tremor in Lilliana's voice.

 

“What's this about?” Natalia lifted Lilliana's arm. “Have you been fasting? You look like you haven't fed in days.” She asked, inspecting Lilliana's white skin.

 

“Yes.”

 

“What?” Natalia stood, outrage apparent in her slouched posture.

 

“I can't hunt, Nat. I want to stay away from the city.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Everything will get worse if I go there.”

 

“What are you talking about?” Natalia took hold of Lilliana's shoulders again. “Lilliana, are you alright? You never act like this, what happened to my tough best friend. Tell me what's wrong.”

 

Lilliana's eyes closed. “It's him, he's back.” She said.

 

Natalia was immobile. “Did he hurt you?”

 

“No.”

 

“Did you tell Rukiya?”

 

“I can't tell her Nat. She'd worry about me, and she worries about him enough. He's back and he's killing people. And I'm betting he's not alone.”

 

“And you think staying away from the hunting ground is going to make him stop?” Natalia interrogated, her voice lost of its soothing coo. Who were they talking about? Kagome leaned against the wall.

 

“I hate humans…but it doesn't mean I want them all dead. I think he's trying to get his point across. I didn't think he was serious until I heard he attacked Kagome.” Lilliana said quietly, yet Kagome's heart was hammering as she caught the words.

 

“So he's taking revenge by mass slaughter?” Natalia questioned. “It must be all these humans that are setting him off.” Lilliana's eyes narrowed to shining slits.

 

“You're wrong. It's not the humans that set Narek off…it's me.” Natalia sat next to her. “Now you know that's not true.” She offered as comfort. Lilliana bounced to her feet, shaking her head.

 

“No! Natalia it's true. I set Narek off, I know I do.”

 

“It's not nice to eavesdrop.” Kagome didn't hear what Lilliana said next because she had jumped away from the door, holding her chest as she stared, panting and red-faced at Inuyasha. Her ear prickled still from his whisper.

 

“Y-you scared the living daylight out of me! Don't do that!” She breathed.

 

“See anything interesting?” Gasping, Kagome answered her no before he strode part her and she rushed to catch up with him.

 

“Can I ask you something?” She asked as she came near.

 

He halted in his step. “What?”

 

“Why does Lilliana look so upset when she talks about Narek?”

 

Inuyasha sighed. “I don't know.”

 

“Does he hate her?”

 

“Narek hates the whole family.”

 

Kagome thought she understood. They had hoped that Lilliana could help Narek change his ways. Perhaps that was the reason Lilliana would anger him. “Does he hate Rukiya too? She created him right? I wonder how she must have felt when he betrayed her.” Kagome thought aloud and to her astonishment, Inuyasha answered.

 

“I think that she feels like she failed. Narek was one of the nightwalkers under her care. Maybe she feels like it was her responsibility for not reaching him. Not only did he get out of control but he also killed another one of her...children. I can only imagine what it must have been like for her.”

 

“Do you think that if Narek had met Lilliana before he went to the king, things would have been different?” Kagome wondered.

 

Inuyasha turned to look at her, the aggravation in his face making her take a step back. “What? Stop looking at me like that!” He stared down at her, his eyes narrowed. “Why the sudden interest in him?” He demanded.

 

“I was only curious! You don't have to get all edgy!”

 

Inuyasha growled. The heat flared in her skin, her heart speeded in its rhythm, and he felt the red rush to the surface. Growling, he stepped away from her, grinding his teeth. Damn that scent of hers, damn that delicious heartbeat and how it made him want to sink his teeth into her. He felt his own body burn. She moved, and he felt a spring in her heartbeat. Red inked into the corners of his yes, his fangs pounding. He stumbled backward, trying to keep his inhalation smooth. What he would do to get rid of this addiction, this temptation. It was beginning to prove to be the nuisance he thought it would.

 

“Why do you always act so weird when I'm nearby?” Kagome huffed, noticing his aloof posture and crossing her arms irritably.

 

His fangs grew. Damn it, he screeched in his mind. “Are you stupid? Why do you think?” He hissed, standing straight and fighting the urge to grab and feed.

 

Kagome threw her arms up in vexation. “I don't know! I'm not a mind reader like Rukiya!”

 

Inuyasha gave her a maddened glance. “Think about it. When was the last time I bit you?”

 

Kagome sighed and rolled her eyes. “Days ago…what does that have to do with…” She trailed off, her eyes widening as the realization dawned on her. “You're thirsty?” She shivered, gazed at him as he inched toward her, a hungry look in his eye.

 

“No shit.” He said huskily.

 

“W-wait a minute.” Kagome said, placing her hands up in front of her to make him stop. “Before you do that, umm, can you at least tell me what will happen afterward?”

 

“Afterward?” He laughed. “What do you mean afterward? I bite you, we're done, there is no `afterward.'”

 

“I mean about the venom. How will it affect me?”

 

He gave her an impatient growl. “Look woman, I haven't fed for days and you're weighing on my patience.”

 

“Answer the question damn it!”

 

“I already told you. All that will happen is that the venom will make your body produce more blood. That's it! End of story!”

 

“Is that really it?”

 

“Yes!” He said wearily.

 

“Okay, okay. So do I get a warning or are you just going to bite me or-”

 

Snarling, he hooked his arm around her back, pulling her flush against him as he looked down into her wide eyes. “Just shut up and hold still.” Kagome let out a nervous gasp seconds before his face descended and his fangs pierced her neck. She went limp as a twinge of pain sprang from the bite and resounded through her body. She tried to scream but no sound came out. Her body surrounded by his fire, she could feel liquid flame enter her.

 

He already felt ten times stronger as he pulled the intoxicating wine from her body. Her blood burned his throat, it was so warm. Inuyasha slowly pulled his teeth from her, licking his upper fangs. He inhaled in deeply and Kagome felt her skin warm where his breath touched. Her legs felt like jelly as Kagome sank, boneless in his grasp. He lifted her back up by the arms, steadying her against him. She let her head rest on his shoulder.

 

“Why do I feel so tired after you bite me?” She asked more to herself then to him.

 

“It'll pass.”

 

Kagome pushed against his chest with her hands, trying to steady herself on her feet, but the instant she let go of him, she waddled backward and tumbled to the floor. He caught her halfway down. Kagome didn't move, holding on to him for fear of falling on her chin again. Her legs were numb. Kagome stared above her, waiting for the haze to clear from her mind. She tried to move, but she felt sore again from head to toe.

Inuyasha's hands slid across her back and in the instant he had done it she had snapped her eyes open and returned to her senses. Kagome screeched, coming alive and hitting him across the face. His face snapped to the side, but, no longer off guard, he captured both her hands before she could renew the damage and pinned them behind her back.

 

“Let go of me!” She barked.

 

“I don't think I'd like to be hit across the face again.” He flexed his jaw. Kagome kept struggling, her hands twisting to break loose, but his grip was too strong. Her strength finally gave and she sat still.

 

Kagome felt his breath puff against her neck. She froze, her heart thumping. “Hmm, why so docile?” She felt him smirk against her skin.

 

“S-shut up!” She countered, resisting again, His free hand caressed her face. Kagome closed her eyes and instinctively flinched away.

 

Inuyasha pulled his hand away, staring at her. He placed his palm against her cheek to feel her shake in alarm. Why was she suddenly so frightened of his touch? Had it been her encounter with Narek? A brow twitched in annoyance. When she named him as her would be killer, he could identify Narek's scent in her skin, the hatred broiling in him. He wanted to reclaim dominance over her, to have his scent all over her.

 

Kagome squeezed her eyes shut. She loathed how he could make her forget everything, how her body followed him, how he was able to swallow up her self-restraint and push her under his power. She felt him move again and trembled when his long fingers brushed over her belly, moving the wool cloth up. She fought against the moan that had found its way into her throat.

 

“Open your eyes.” Kagome did as he asked, to see his eyes bore into hers. She held still, looking into the gold, wondering how long she could remain in control of herself.

 

He cupped her chin, his countenance slightly perturbed. “Are you afraid of me?”

 

Kagome quivered. “N-no.” She spoke in sharp denial.

 

A shine shimmered in his eyes. “I can hear the lie on your voice.”

 

“All right, you bastard, you want the truth? When you do this I have no control over myself! I'm practically under your damn thumb and you have all the rules! I don't want to be your toy!” She didn't know which feeling was the more potent: the anger she felt, or the shock of what she had blurted out.

 

He smiled, causing her to stupefy and gap at him. “W-what?”

 

He leaned into her shoulder, whispering as he ran his tongue over his mark. “ `Under my thumb.' I like the sound of that, but I could do without the toy. Let me shatter that misconception of yours. You're not my plaything.”

 

“Then what am I to you?” He didn't answer. In truth, he didn't know. Why he wanted to regain domination over her, why he was so attracted and fascinated by her, he couldn't understand. What was she to him? More importantly, he wondered, what was he to her? Leaning up, he said against her lips, “Whatever you want to be.”

 

Coherent though was whipped from Kagome's mind the moment Inuyasha closed the distance between them. She yielded, letting his tongue search through her mouth, and closed her eyes. His tongue found the cut in her cheek, running over it, soothing it. Kagome mewed, pushing her tongue against his.

 

She couldn't breath. It was as though he were stealing her breath from her lungs, his hand moving from her belly to glide over her ribcage. She almost whined when he pulled back, licking his lower lip. “Even if you are human,” his intense eyes cut into her, “you're still mine.”

 

Kagome's mind felt muddled. She knew what he had said, but it did not register in her inarticulate thoughts. Nothing reached her thoughts as her eyelids touched and her breathing slowed.

 

 

 

Richard sighed as he leaned back against his chair. The turmoil following the girl's disappearance had done a number for his headache. There was something exceedingly suspicious about that girl. Why would she say no to protection among humans? Why did she seem insistent that she knew nothing? She was more than what she seemed.

 

Rubbing his tired eyes, Richard stood from his desk, turning to look into the city from his window. A knock was heard on the door and he allowed entry. Seconds later, Sango poked her head inside before coming to stand in front of his desk. What is it?” He asked, turning.

 

“I've reviewed the security cameras.”

 

“And?”

 

“The surveillance tapes show her going out through the back parking lot. Either she was being guided or she somehow knew the building's inner map to find an exit.” She said.

 

“I'm going to go with the idea that she was being guided.” Richard went back to the view.

 

“Richard, this girl, why did she refuse to help us?” Sango asked.

 

“Perhaps she's in league with the nightwalkers somehow.”

 

“How can she be?”

 

“I'll sense of that later.” Richard said tiredly.

 

“What should we do about her?”

 

“If we could gain her trust, she'd be a valuable aid to our cause.”

 

“Shall I search for her?”

 

“That'd be best.” He heard Sango bow and leave the room. Sitting back at his desk, he lifted a cup of hot coffee to his lips. A coldness had entered the room and he found that he was taking more sips of the drink for warm. Richard finally placed the mug down, looking about the room. Something felt off. He stood and headed toward the door.

 

A deep cackle was heard behind him. Before he could turn to see who it was, he heard the smooth voice say menacingly, “Hello Richard.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had to go back and edit this chapter before I could submit it. Did you like? I hope you liked. Please let me know what you liked.