InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Peace Treaty ❯ Proof ( Chapter 41 )

It was long past midnight when the infirmary doors finally groaned open and Gina, slumped by stress and exhaustion, exited. She had briefly attended Akeno Sato when he was first brought in, but left him in the hands of a capable assistant; General Inutaisho's condition required the most skilled care, and she had been diligently tending his injuries, fighting feelings of despair all night. Most of the inhabitants of the manor had gone to the comfort of their own quarters to wait for word of the General's condition and to give privacy to his mate and son as they kept vigil. Gina found them sitting close together. They looked up, wary and hopeful, when they heard her approach.

 

“You can go to him now,” Gina told her aunt.

 

Seiobo closed her eyes and took a cleansing breath, trying to center to regain some of the control she felt had slipped through her fingers. “Is he awake?”

 

“No,” Gina said, “but he still lives, and I expect him to make it through the night.” She smiled gently at Seiobo as she hurried past to go into the room, but Gina's pointed stare at Sesshoumaru and hand on his arm clearly told him she wished to speak alone before he followed. “Cousin,” she said, her voice weighted by concern.

 

“You chose your words carefully. `Expect him to make it through the night.' How bad is he?” Sesshoumaru knew Gina wouldn't lie to him.

 

She shook her head. “I don't know how he's still alive. His head wound is graver than any I've ever seen.”

 

He sighed heavily and turned to the window nearby to look out at the blackness beyond. Kagome was out there somewhere, and inside his father was close to death, setting the safety of the stronghold squarely on his shoulders, and his mother needed him. He had always known that this responsibility would one day be his, but at that moment he only wanted to tear the forest apart and find his mate. “When will he wake? The truth.”

 

“I don't know. Sesshoumaru, I don't know if he'll wake.” She stood next to him and squeezed his hand, the gesture meant to give herself strength to continue. “His arm. Even if he wakes, he'll never use it again. And a burn that severe will putrefy. It needs to come off…as soon as possible.”

 

This stung him deeply. The loss of an arm for a warrior could be seen as a loss of identity.

 

“Sometimes, even when unconscious, the reflexes to pain are present. Your father is still powerfully strong.” She paused, hating to ask, but he was the only one on whom she felt she could depend. “Will you help me when it's time?”

 

The weight of duty was crushing. He straightened and nodded.

 

Together they walked toward the open doors. “Have you learned anything about what happened?” she asked. Kagome's absence from the infirmary told Gina that her friend hadn't gotten hurt, but it also told her that something was wrong—if Kagome had been at the stronghold, she would have been seeing to the injured as well. When one of the servants came in with a tale that Akeno had woken for a few moments and had blamed Kagome, Gina reacted angrily, forbidding such talk, but also knew that her apparent disappearance was troubling.

 

Sesshoumaru looked at her, expression unreadable. “I assume you've heard what the other survivor had to say.”

 

“You don't really believe that?” Gina asked incredulously. “Akeno Sato was very badly injured. We can't take anything he says while in a poppy daze seriously.”

 

A brief flicker of relief crossed his face. No longer was he confined to frantic denial; he was again given permission to hope.

 

They entered, and Sesshoumaru was confronted with a sight that would come to haunt him for weeks after. His father, who only hours before was as strong a leader as the House of the West had ever known, was stretched out helpless on a low bed, hair on one side of his face cropped short, with dark stitches crossing his scalp indignantly, a map of destruction and near-death. His right arm was covered with a light sheet, as if hiding, but the twisted, black hand that peeked out was an ugly truth that couldn't be ignored.

 

Lady Seiobo was sitting next to him, carefully wiping the last remnants of dried blood from his head and chest. “He lives,” she said resolutely. “Right now, that is all that matters.”

 

Gina watched Sesshoumaru take his place next to his mother and allowed herself to fully feel the impact of grief for the first time since word had come that the hunt had gone wrong. So many times she had been a witness to mourning, but this was much more personal. The General was like a father to her. So many times when she dared hope happiness and peace had finally come to the House of the West, each time the cruelties of fate had ultimately slapped them down.

 

XXXXX

 

Miles away and later that night, a group of Ningen was huddled around a tiny fire, taking a brief respite from their flight. They made the most of the break, taking turns sleeping and keeping watch; those still awake relived the short, one-sided battle that had recently taken place, their eyes trained on the still figure, head covered by a hood and arms bound awkwardly behind her back, lying near them.

 

“Leiko,” one of the other miko said, “when Kagome wakes, perhaps one of us should give her some water.”

 

Their leader laughed. “Hiroko, you really think she sleeps?” She glanced at Kurono and Akagawa's soldiers who accompanied them. “Let me tell you something about Kagome Higuarashi—underestimate her at your peril. She's fast and quick thinking and has power none of you have ever seen in a miko. Don't let the fact that she's a Ningen fool you; she's a dangerous enemy…and wide awake, listening to our every word. Isn't that right, Kagome?” she said, prodding the prone figure roughly with her foot. She reached down and yanked the covering off Kagome's head.

 

The miko who had shown concern hurried over and helped Kagome to sit up and offered her water, ignoring Leiko's look of derision. She had left the Sisterhood because she didn't trust Youkai to honor the peace treaty, thinking the best way to serve her vows was to join with Kurono and Akagawa. She would never have agreed then if she knew it would result in the mistreatment of another miko, especially Kagome Higurashi. They had never been close friends when they were both at the Sisterhood, but Kagome was loved by many and respected by all.

 

Kagome winced at the pain in her shoulders, made worse by the movement, and drank a little. “Thank you, Hiroko.”

 

“Tell me, Kagome, how is it that I can sense a demon's aura coming from you? What did they do to you?” Leiko asked.

 

Kagome was aware of Sesshoumaru's Youki in her and felt comforted. There was still something tying her to him, something she could continue to cling to. “It's part of their mating ritual,” she said, hoping that if she spoke as one of them, they would not consider her so different. “Youkai energy goes into the female.”

 

Leiko stared at her, not bothering to temper her disgust. “You were a whore for soldiers before you came to the Sisterhood, and a whore for demons once you left. What would Kaede think of her favorite now?”

 

“She would be proud of me for my role in the end of the fighting.”

 

“You think so? Living a life in direct opposition to how we were trained? You are an abomination.”

 

“I am the future,” she said calmly. “You just can't see past your hatred to realize it.”

 

“Hatred is all I have left to me. The Youkai who slaughtered my family saw to that.”

 

“Leiko,” Kagome said gently, “we all—”

 

“Don't. Just don't.” She pulled the hood over Kagome's face. “We've stayed long enough. Wake the others. We have at least three days of hard travel ahead of us.”

 

Kagome's world was blackened again. She ignored the pain in her shoulders and the agonizing uncertainty about the General, concentrating on staying alive and listening to everything that was said in hope that it would provide her a scrap of information that she could use to escape.

 

XXXXX

 

Akeno Sato was aware of one thing as he left the darkness of drug-fueled sleep—an intense, pulsating pain in his abdomen. His stomach lurched, and in a rush, it all came back him.

 

Early in the ambush he had taken an arrow in the shoulder and had hoped that would be the extent of his injuries, but the Ningen soldiers were far too thorough. The fact that the one who wounded him saw the red tie in time and took care to avoid major organs was cold comfort in his misery, though a more serious, and realistic, injury was certainly for the best. There may have been questions if he walked away with a flesh wound while the others were left mutilated.

 

But his suffering was worth it in the end, he reasoned. The plan seemed to have worked, all the calculation and subterfuge paid off. He saw the General cut down and assumed Sesshoumaru was dead as well. He saw Kagome bound and carried away. Now he had only to provide an account of the attack, recover, and take Azami for a mate, the hero claiming his prize.

 

He carefully opened his eyes, just barely to still appear asleep, and looked around the room, which he recognized as a private room attached to the infirmary. The bright sunlight streaming through the one east-facing window told him it was late morning. Only his parents and two servants were within, seated near the window and looking everywhere but at him.

 

Then with a start he remembered the ring. The previous morning before they had left the stronghold walls for the hunt, he snuck into Sesshoumaru's empty quarters to plant the false evidence, a stack of forged letters. Why he took the heavy signet lying near the trays on the table, he, not previously disposed toward thievery, did not know or understand, but he examined the ornately carved tree and, without thinking, hid it among his clothes instead of returning it to the table. And now he realized its discovery upon his person would put the plan in jeopardy.

 

With as much stealth as he was capable, he shifted a hand to search for a small lump at his hip. Still there, nestled in the folds of his hakama, he felt with relief. He retrieved it, each movement bringing new levels of pain, but was successful. He tossed it under a nearby chair, groaning loudly at the same time to cover the noise of rustling on tatami mats.

 

His parents' attention immediately was on him.

 

“Good gods, he is awake,” Lord Sato exclaimed. He and Lady Sato rushed to Akeno's beside. “Get Lady Gina,” he told a servant.

 

Within minutes the small room was flooded with a dozen Youkai, mainly General Inutaisho's advisors. Gina pushed her way to his bed, threatening to evict them all if they didn't give her space and quiet so she could examine his wounds. Once the bandages had been changed, she determined that he could withstand a brief period of talking. She stood up and listened to his recount, praying that the gossip on the servants' lips was the result of drugs or miscommunication.

 

“We left Lord Sesshoumaru and went to straight to the road,” Akeno began. Everyone present stared at him intently, wondering if the strange murmurs of the night before would be repeated. “Lady Kagome was walking slower and slower, and General Inutaisho stayed by her. Several of us noticed that she kept stopping and looking into the forest, but we had problems with the boar Youkai and merely assumed she was concerned about them. At one point she asked the General if he could carry her, so they stopped and he took off his armor. We walked ahead, and after a moment there was a flash of light and a loud noise. We spun around and couldn't believe what we saw. The General had been knocked to the ground, his arm burned, and Lady Kagome was standing over him. Before any of us could react, she started yelling, `Now!' and a second later, arrows rained down on us, then five or six miko rushed out of the woods.” He grimaced from the memory of the ambush. Though his tale was significantly altered, the real events had been frightening enough and left him fearing for his life. “We were slaughtered, basically defenseless. It's difficult to fight against sword when only armed with hunting knives. I still can't believe how quickly it happened, and the powers with which the miko fought.”

 

Many Youkai in the room nodded. They had all seen Kagome in action and knew of her capabilities. Several with her skills fighting together would be a formidable foe.

 

Gina felt the blood drain from her face. She was unable to reconcile what she had just heard with the Kagome she loved and knew it was imperative that she find Sesshoumaru. Turning to the others, she said, “He needs rest. Everyone must leave now. This wound, though thankfully not as bad as it could have been, is still severe.” Gina pulled aside a servant and spoke quietly. “Go to Kouga and tell him that Lord Sesshoumaru went out to look for Lady Kagome. Tell him he needs to find Lord Sesshoumaru as soon as possible and bring him back to the manor. It's an emergency.”

 

“May I stay with him?” Lady Sato asked. Her son had spent a great many of his years fostered with a different family; she couldn't bear to leave him now.

 

“Of course,” Gina answered. “His recovery will be long and is not assured yet. Please come get me if his condition changes.” She went out to the corridor, where the other Youkai had gathered.

 

Okuri broke the uneasy silence. “If she had help in this assassination, help from other miko, she must have been plotting for some time.”

 

Lord Sato nodded. “Yes, it seems that she was not acting alone.”

 

“You can't possibly believe this!” Gina said, trying to keep the rising terror from her voice. “This is Kagome we are talking about. We know her. She has healed our sick. She's trained with you. Think of everything she has sacrificed because of the peace treaty. What possible motivation could she have for doing something like this? And don't talk about the General as if he's dead,” she added. “He's not.”

 

Okuri looked sympathetically at Gina. “I completely agree with Lady Gina. We need other evidence. Wasn't she communicating with the Miko Sisterhood? Perhaps there are letters that would give us more information. Either something incriminating or something that would clear her name.”

 

“Perhaps.” Commander Endo, General Inutaisho's second in command, stepped up. He was used to taking control in the General's absence. “Go fetch Lady Kagome's maid,” he said to a servant.

 

It didn't take long for a red-eyed Yukika to be brought before them. The rumors that her lover was badly hurt and her mistress was gone had reached her, and she spent the night lurking in the shadows near the infirmary, crying and waiting to hear any news.

 

“Lady Kagome has been writing to her fellow miko,” Lord Sato said. “Do you know if there still exist any letters of that correspondence?”

 

Yukika nodded. “She asked me to help her. To take her letters to the aviary and pick up any that arrived for her. I know where they all are. She had different trays to set them in.”

 

The advisors exchanged glances. Perhaps they would soon learn if there was any truth to what they had just heard. “Are there any recent ones that you could show us?”

 

“She got a lot of letters…and wrote them every morning. In fact there was one yesterday morning that I delivered to the aviary, but the Youkai who usually tends the birds wasn't there. I don't know if it ever went out.”

 

“He went out on the hunt with the falconers and was among the dead,” Endo said. “That letter should still be there. I'll go to the aviary.”

 

“I'll go to Lord Sesshoumaru's quarters with this maid and fetch the other letters,” Lady Higa, another advisor, said.

 

“Good. I propose we meet back in the Advisors' Hall in two hours to discuss the next step. It will give us a chance to read.” Endo looked at Gina. “You sent for Lord Sesshoumaru?”

 

She nodded. “He left at sunrise to look for his mate.”

 

“And how is Lady Seiobo?” Okuri asked.

 

Gina met his eyes in a challenge. She felt instantly protective of her aunt, currently seated by her mate in the main part of the infirmary and veiled in a conflicted haze of hope and mourning. “She is, under the circumstances, fairing well. I will remind everyone that the infirmary is my domain. No one may enter without my permission.”

 

Okuri bowed silkily. “No one would think to interfere, dear Gina.”

 

She cringed inwardly at the familiar address. He may have sworn allegiance, but she would never regard him as one of them.

 

The other Youkai filed out, leaving Gina and Commander Endo hanging behind.

 

“You said earlier that the General lives, and his heart is strong, but I saw his injuries. I don't need to tell you that we must guard the state of his health carefully. Lord Okuri may not have orchestrated this, but we both know he won't hesitate to take advantage. The last thing the House of the West needs is a battle for succession. Lord Sesshoumaru has clearly been named the heir, but the situation with Lady Kagome…”

 

Gina shook her head violently. “No! Kagome had nothing to do with this. You must see that!”

 

“Lady Gina,” he said gently, “I don't want to believe it any more than you, but we simply cannot ignore Akeno Sato's testimony. He seems lucid enough.”

 

“Yes…but…he could have been mistaken.”

 

“We won't judge until we've seen the other evidence.” He sighed, confused and tired. “Will you see that Lady Seiobo is informed of this news and knows of the meeting?”

 

“Certainly.” She walked back to her aunt, whispering an entreaty to the gods that Sesshoumaru would return soon.

 

XXXX

 

When he finally strode into the Advisors' Hall, Sesshoumaru could almost taste his bitter apprehension.

 

Kouga had found him in the forest miles away, engaged in an internal battle. He knew the territory as well as anyone and searched every cave, every thicket for a sign that she was still nearby, but as the hunt went on, every trace of Kagome ended in a drift of snow or into simple, mocking nothingness. As he followed the fading scents, recognition that it all was futile slowly became evident, each dead end a small blow, successively forcing him to admit that she was gone. But he couldn't give up on her. He couldn't stop looking. His instinct to protect her pushed him to continue. When Kouga delivered the message that he was needed at the manor, the one place he knew she was not within, Sesshoumaru again felt torn by duty. His father hovered on the edge of death, and until he awakened, the safety of the House of the West was in his hands. But, he reminded himself as he trekked back to the stronghold, he wasn't abandoning hope that she could be found.

 

Sesshoumaru entered and took his usual spot, just to the right of the vacant place where his father should be. He may be the acting leader of the West right now, but so long as his father lived, that place of honor belonged to the General. He glanced around the table as the others bowed to him. The first thing that struck him was the empty spaces. Commander Nakamura, he knew, had been killed, and so, he realized, were two other advisors. Then he saw the faces, imprinted with a mixture of horror and grief, and Gina's tear-stained cheeks. “Father?” he asked his mother anxiously. He had noticed when he returned to the stronghold that the standard was still flying high, indicating the General was still alive. “Has his condition worsened?”

 

Seiobo shook her head. “He hasn't changed.” She reached across the void between them and took his hand. “Akeno Sato woke again.”

 

He lowered his head. There was only one explanation for the air of tension in the hall—Kagome still stood accused. But now the accusation was not merely some rambling influenced by drugs. It had been repeated and was apparently being taken seriously. Confusion, anger, and sorrow all fought for prominence, and the tragic implications of the accusations were given new, loud life.

 

“Lord Akeno offered a brief retelling of the ambush,” Commander Endo said. “Lady Kagome attacked the General, then called out for aid. There were several miko in the forest, apparently waiting for a signal. They rushed the group and quickly finished the job.” He stopped a moment before continuing. “We of course needed corroboration, so we asked her maid for her correspondence with the Ningen world. There were two letters from the Councilwoman, Lady Tokuhoshi, and several dozen written by numerous miko. I've sorted them in the order they were received, not an easy task, as some were not dated. They began innocently, primarily asking questions about her life here and answering those she asked, questions about their personal lives, Ningen reactions to the peace, and knowledge of the activities of Kurono and Akagawa. Two or three weeks ago there was a noticeable shift in the tone of the letters, and the topics were no longer small talk and gossip. It would be easier if I read select portions.”

 

Sesshoumaru nodded once, and Endo picked up the top letter from one of the stacks in front of him. “'Dear Kagome, your last letter brought me considerable alarm and sadness. To think that you have been living with your father's killer…it must be so difficult for you to have learned of his last moments the way you did. But Kagome, I urge you to rethink your decision. You said in previous letters that you were treated well and you were happy. Is it possible that with time you could be happy again? I sympathize entirely and understand your desire to avenge your father's death, but are you sure this is a path you wish to pursue? Do you realize what it would mean? Think what would happen if you were caught. I sorely doubt the Youkai would excuse your need for retribution. You'd be executed, despite the warmth you say your husband has for you. And what if they suspected that the Council was somehow involved? The peace treaty would be broken. Can you live with the knowledge that resumption of War may be the result if you do this? In all the time I've known you, Kagome, you've never been a vengeful, bloodthirsty person. Please, dear friend, think carefully before you act. Yours, Taka'”

 

Endo set the letter down. “Though we don't know what Lady Kagome had originally written, the next letter offers a bit of clarification. `Kagome,'” he continued, “`My heart broke when I read your latest letter. Dearest friend, to dream of your father begging for revenge night after night must truly be frightening. I'm so sorry it has turned out this way…the fact that you seemed so happy before makes this even more tragic. It must be so difficult to keep up the appearance that nothing is amiss during the day, to act normal around him…no wonder you fear for your sanity. Do what you must. I will pray to the gods for your safety. I wish I could somehow spirit you away. Please forgive me for questioning you in my last letter. Taka'”

 

“We know she threatened the General when she first learned about Fukuoka, but he assured us it was no longer an issue,” Lord Sato said ruefully. “Did she ever give any indication that she was nursing this resentment?”

 

“No.” Sesshoumaru recalled her reaction to seeing his father's sword. She was greatly affected by it and insisted upon using it in the tournament, but at the time he thought she seemed at peace. That she was bitterly hanging on to their history and he never sensed it were difficult to believe. “I must say, I am doubtful. There were no nightmares, and she's not an actress...I think she's incapable of hiding her emotions.”

 

“Or perhaps,” Okuri said softly, “she is a better actress than any of us suspected. Don't blame yourself. Apparently she fooled us all.”

 

“I'm no fool,” Sesshoumaru growled. “Nor am I convinced.”

 

Gina sighed with relief. As she heard the contents of the letters read aloud before Sesshoumaru returned, her hope that matters would be easily straightened out died, and she clung to her faith in her cousin.

 

“I couldn't believe her capable of it myself at first, but there's more. I'll read the other relevant parts.” Endo picked up another letter. “`Dear Kagome, I have spoken with Kita about your situation…the nightmares of your father, your need for revenge. She cried when I told her—that you are the lone human among Youkai, trapped with no one to confide in…she wants to help you to get out. She said you have suffered more than anyone and you should not have to martyr yourself in order to give your father peace. She's correct of course. Life has treated you so unfairly; the least we can do is help you to escape. And Kagome, we may be able to do it. I've been thinking nonstop about the possibilities. Some of the senior miko are allowed a brief trip to visit family after taking our vows. I think I can recruit three more to your cause, three that are eligible and we can trust implicitly to be loyal to you and not balk and run to Kaede. I can almost hear your voice now, saying that you don't want anyone else to risk their own lives for your sake, but we want to help. The killing of a Taiyoukai will not be an easy task and escaping after will be even more difficult. Your chance for success will improve if we are there. You have stated that you don't want to kill anyone else, but that may be unavoidable. Please do not act alone in this. Taka'”

 

He exchanged letters. “I'll skip the small talk at the beginning. `My dear friend, Taka told me of your plight and showed me your latest letter. I beg you, please let us help you. You've saved my life on more than one occasion, and I cannot bear the thought of you being executed as an assassin among enemies. You have made so many sacrifices for the peace treaty. Let us help you escape and bring you home. Your friend, Kita.'”

 

Sesshoumaru waited, his face showing no emotion.

 

“And another. `Kagome, I am beyond relieved to read that we convinced you to accept our assistance. But please stop worrying—we want to do this. It is our choice. I will be aided be Kita, Kaori, Maki, and Fuji—all miko you know and trust. I know we are only five, and though I think the whole of the Sisterhood would come to your aid, we cannot involve any more miko. A greater number suddenly needing to leave would arouse suspicion. Kaede, I'm certain, would be sympathetic to your position, but she is honor bound to uphold the treaty terms. She surely would prevent us if she were to learn of our plan. I am equally sure though that she will give us sanctuary when the deed is done and we return to the Sisterhood. Some ties are more important than politics. Taka'”

 

“It would seem this is the point that she had no intentions of changing her mind,” Sato said. “She is involving others and surely beginning to plot.”

 

“This is the last letter from the Sisterhood; it came a week ago. `Dear Kagome, We are ready to move. We told Sakiko about our plan. She has elected to remain behind to be sure that if word comes to Kaede that you are a traitor, she can still hide you somewhere. We await your instructions. Taka'”

 

Commander Endo shuffled the stack of crumpled parchment together and pushed them toward Sesshoumaru. “I know it seems impossible to believe that Lady Kagome would do such a thing, but the evidence…” He trailed off briefly. “There's one last letter, written the night before last by Kagome herself. Lady Gina identified the penmanship as hers.”

 

“I said that it could be hers,” Gina interrupted.

 

“Would you agree?” Endo asked.

 

Sesshoumaru accepted the scroll and unrolled it enough to recognize his mate's distinctive script. He nodded slowly.

 

“We were able to intercept it before it went out. I'll let you read it in private. At this point we should send word to the other Houses. They need to be informed at the very least that the General has been injured and Lord Sesshoumaru is the acting leader of the West.”

 

They stood and slowly filed out, but Seiobo stopped her son.

 

“Sesshoumaru…I'm so very sorry. This fiasco is my making. A Ningen mate for you was my idea—”

 

“Mother, stop.” His world was in chaos; he only wanted to go back to the isolation of his quarters and attempt to make sense of everything he had just been told. “Go to him. I'll be along when I'm able.”

 

XXXXX

 

Dear Sakiko, I'm writing this in the middle of the night as a way to settle my nerves. Tomorrow I will avenge my father, allowing him to finally sleep well, and the fear and doubt I feel is paralyzing. General Inutaisho has been nothing but kind to me, treating me as one of them, like his own daughter. I will be a traitor to all—both the Youkai who welcomed me and the Ningen world that depends upon this peace. But I cannot waver; the ties of blood family win over all else. My father's ghost cries to me nightly for death and if I must be the instrument of his revenge, so be it. It may cost me my life, though if that is my fate, I will at least die knowing I fulfilled a long-delayed destiny. I only pray that I am successful in this cursed, bloody errand…and our friends make it to safety. I am still filled with remorse that they are involved, but I would be a liar to deny that I fervently wish to escape and be back at the Sisterhood with you in a few days time. The thought of reunion with you gives me strength to stay calm and remain steadfast.

 

The plan, as I told Taka, isn't incredibly complex. I decided when I was thinking about the best way that there were too many variables to bother with much detail. They are to hide in the forest until they see me and wait for my sign to make a move. I told them to stay downwind and make no noise—Inuyoukai sense of smell is highly developed. It was a stroke of fortune that my plan coincides with a hunt and we will be outside the stronghold walls. With it, I'm given a much greater chance to both kill the General and affect an escape. I need only to wait and see when I can be alone or nearly alone with him. Another factor in my favor is the recent arrival of his cousin and rival. Everyone is so consumed with wariness of Okuri, they pay scant attention to anything else. I hated that I had to tell Taka they needed to be prepared to kill…the General is mine, but others unlucky enough to be nearby may end up casualties as well. My chief concern is avoiding Sesshoumaru. He is more powerful than any Youkai we've ever encountered and would make a clear escape impossible.

 

But he suspects nothing. I worried that he might think I had been acting strangely, but apparently I covered myself well. Of that—after this night, one holy to Youkai—I am sure. He feels great affection for me…and I for him. I blush to think of the nights with him, the pleasure…pleasure I never knew could exist. A few weeks ago I indulged in a maiden's fancy and cut some of our hair and braided it together. It was a moment of whimsy and sentimentality that I will treasure always. I suppose I feel as much guilt in betraying him and our marriage vows than in killing his father, maybe even more, but the laws of the gods are more substantial than the laws of demons or humans. I am steel in the hand of retribution, and if it comes that we cross blades at some point, I will do my best to kill him. And I would expect nothing less from him.

 

Sakika, if the fates are kind, I will bid you greetings in a matter of days. If I fail altogether, I hope our friends are not caught up in this inescapable, knotted web of history. I pray that all forgive me. I will wrong many; I only act a dutiful daughter. Yours, Kagome

 

Sesshoumaru let the scroll curl back up on itself, but the words on the page didn't disappear. They continued to echo in his mind tortuously. There in front of him, in her own hand, was the evidence of her treachery—thoughts of her father, her guilt, the joylessness with which she described her revenge. They all rang true to her personality, and yet he still couldn't believe it was real. One piece of paper, though tangible, wasn't enough to erase the past months with her, as though the only thing that would convince him that she was so deceitful, such a monster, would be seeing her again in the flesh and hearing her tell the truth.

 

Suddenly the walls of his study seemed too close, and he wandered out, drawn to their shared bedroom like a moth pulled to light. He stood just inside and allowed her scent, still strong, to wash over him. It was dusk and in the dim light he could almost imagine her sitting at the window. How many times had he seen her there, looking out, then turning with a soft smile when she heard him enter?

 

How many of those times was she plotting the murder of his father? How many of those smiles were false?

 

He pushed the agonizing, unanswerable questions away. It was not in his nature to engage in meaningless pursuits. He needed solid proof. And a part of him—a frightened, desperate, hopeful part of him—needed a piece of her, something to grasp. “Jaken.”

 

As typical, the small Youkai appeared instantly. “Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru.”

 

“There was a signet ring here,” he said, indicating the table where Kagome's writing implements lay. “Did you move it?”

 

“No, my Lord. I cleaned yesterday morning and found no ring. On that table or anywhere else.”

 

Sesshoumaru's expression darkened. Her gift to him, a relic of her father, was gone. Jaken wouldn't lie, and the maid was too timid to thieve. It had to be her. The disappearance of the ring denied the grasping part of him sustenance…and offered him the proof he dreaded finding.

 

He hurried down to the yard and found Commander Endo. “My father's battle sword. He wore it to the hunt. Was it found?”

 

Endo shook his head. “No. His armor had been taken off and was lying nearby, but his sword was unaccounted for.”

 

And with that his hope was ground into nothing, mere dust. “I'm going to check on my father” he said coldly. “Have the troops ready for inspections in an hour. And inform the other advisors that we will meet at dawn tomorrow to discuss the course of events.” He turned and walked to the infirmary, focused on his parents and responsibility to his birthright. She was gone, of her own accord, and wouldn't be found. She had planned and carried out betrayal and took a trophy. To his hardened heart, she was dead, less than nothing.