InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Peace Treaty ❯ Sanctuary ( Chapter 47 )

Cold. I have been cold before—numb toes and raw lungs and stinging eyes. This cold. Never before have I felt cold that burns like fire through my skin to hurt the bone beneath. I again curse my bad luck at Hakone and the need to add miles to my journey. It wasn't supposed to take this long to reach the Sisterhood. Has it been nine or ten days since my escape? Long days…spent trudging in snow and staying hidden, my only company the harsh, bleak winter landscape.

So cold and so tired. I want to sleep…just a little, to lie and rest until the sun rises. There is that voice though, so insistent, that tells me to keep walking. That stopping equals death. It asks me, Do you want to die?

I begin to think that painless death in sleep is better than slow torture of endless walking. The temptation to give in and give up is near overwhelming. Do I want to die?

The undeniable force of Youki in my veins reminds me of unfinished business. I will not sleep.

I want to live.

XXXXX

“Will she be okay, Lady Kaede?” Suki asked. She had acted as lookout and interceptor while Kaede and Taka carried Kagome to Kaede's residence, all three thankful that it was early morning and the few miko who were up and about were easily distracted or sent on an errand and kept ignorant. Once they were safely inside, Suki lit additional braziers and gathered blankets from a storeroom, while Taka and Lady Kaede stripped off Kagome's cold, stiff clothes. She was thin—too thin—but they breathed a sigh of relief that her toes and fingers, though swollen and red, were not as bad as they feared. They often had seen digits blackened and dead from prolonged exposed to cold. “Should we use our powers to warm her? Or rub her hands and feet?”

“No, sometimes that does more harm than good. It is best to rewarm her this way.” Kaede gently covered Kagome with blankets, placing the warmest ones on her torso and taking special care around the extremities to avoid further damaging the injured skin. “And I think she'll be fine eventually, child. You found her in time.” She smiled reassurance at her young assistant. “Sensed this powerful Youki, did you?”

Suki nodded. “I thought a Youkai snuck into the Shrine.”

Taka shook her head as she continued to heat blankets. “That Youki may have saved her life by alerting Suki, but any miko coming near this room will sense it as well. Keeping her hidden until she wakes and can explain the events of the past weeks will be challenging.” Taka and Kaede stared at each other a long second. The Sisterhood was a hive of gossip on the best of days, and each took a mental inventory of the miko they knew were trustworthy. How successfully, they wondered, could they keep Kagome's presence a secret?

Kaede turned back to Kagome and placed warm, damp cloths under her arms and on her head. “Wanted by the Council for murder and presumed dead,” Kaede said softly, smoothing wisps of hair away. “It figures that you would turn up on my doorstep frozen solid.” Kagome was the nearest thing she had to a daughter, and the older woman's relief that she was alive and in a safe place made her heart clench, but Kaede knew Kagome was not out of danger yet. There would be time to worry about the political ramifications of sheltering her after they knew she would recover.

XXXXX

I will make it to that tree.

I will make it to the crest of that hill.

I will make it to that bend in the river.

I assign myself little milestones to keep going. I reach it, then scan the landscape before me and pick out my next goal. I will keep going, even as the points I pick are closer and less challenging.

I wonder how much longer it will be until I am too tired. When my goal is to simply take one more step.

I will take one more step. I will take one more step. There is no stopping. Only forward, toward shelter and the Sisterhood.

XXXXX

Kaede watched as Kagome fitfully slept. Over the past hours, her skin tone had lost its frightening, deathly pallor and her breathing became normal. She began to mumble vaguely coherent complaints and what curiously sounded like stubborn curses, causing Taka and Kaede to grin at each other. It was the best sign yet that she would regain full consciousness and be able to answer their myriad questions.

“I think she'll wake before too long,” Kaede said. “Suki, go to the kitchens and bring a bowl of broth and some tea. If anyone asks, tell them I'm still feeling poorly and don't wish to be disturbed.”

They did not have to wait much longer before Kagome was blinking her eyes open, then, once awareness came, trying to sit up.

“Kagome,” Taka soothed, as she gently stopped her forward progress, “take your time. That's it. Lie back down.”

Kagome looked around and quickly shook off her confusion. “I made it. I made it.” Her voice was rough and dry, breaking from disuse and emotion. Suki held the cup of tea for her to drink.

Taka sighed, assured of Kagome's safety for the first time since she had left the Shrine of the Miko Sisterhood three months earlier. “You gave us quite a scare.”

“I scared myself,” Kagome said, wincing. “I'm so glad to see you, all of you. Good gods, my feet hurt.”

“You're very lucky there shouldn't be any permanent damage,” Kaede said. She let a touch of a lecturing tone slide into her voice but gave Kagome a loving pat on the shoulder. Despite the younger woman's alarming ability to somehow consistently manage to put herself in harm's way, she couldn't be angry. “I'll give you some poppy tincture after we've had a chance to talk. There have been some…interesting rumors about you, Kagome. To start with, you are supposed to be dead.”

“Oh thank the gods,” Kagome said. “My ruse worked. I was hoping that would throw them off my trail. Unfortunately it also meant an extra several dozen miles to travel.”

“Yes…a good thing. The Council guard searched the Sisterhood daily and kept the grounds under constant surveillance until a week ago. It seems they believe you are a murderer.”

“You don't believe that!” Kagome said with alarm, trying again to get up.

Taka pushed her back down. “Of course not. Don't get upset, Kagome. You need to rest.”

“Tell us what happened, child. From whatever point you believe the beginning is. We know nothing other than you stand accused of attempting the assassination of the leader of the West.”

The beginning. Her kidnapping or Okuri apparently allying himself with the enemy? The peace treaty or, ages ago, a Taiyoukai dying and naming an unexpected heir? There was no simple beginning in the circular history of the House of the West and the War and hatred between Ningen and Youkai.

Kagome took a deep breath and began. “After the last full moon, the day after the longest night, there was a big hunt. It has special significance to Youkai. Almost every able-bodied male took part. I was granted a place among them, I suppose because of my skills and my insistence.” She groaned to think back on how Okuri had played her into demanding inclusion in the hunting party. “There was some trouble…that now in hindsight I can't help but think was orchestrated—it was so convenient.” Kagome motioned to be given more tea. Her lips were cracked from lack of hydration and her throat was constricting. “Thank you, Suki. We were in the middle of this celebratory hunt, and then a smaller group broke off to go back to the stronghold. General Inutaisho and I were part of it. We were less than a mile away from the stronghold walls when, out of nowhere, a blast of energy hit the General. I knew immediately what it was, but it was too late to stop the ambush. Leiko, several other miko, and a large group of soldiers appeared from the surrounding forest and attacked.”

“Wait,” Taka interrupted, “Leiko?” She traded glances with Kaede. “She's part of this?”

Kagome nodded. “The General was badly hurt. His arm was burned and he was shot with a poisoned arrow. They used a hostage to gain my cooperation in tying me up.” She remembered Eiji, her young, blushing archery pupil. The stricken look on his face as Leiko held the knife to his neck; how they killed him without pity. She wondered if she had fought instead of laying down her sword, what would have happened? Leiko most certainly would have slit his throat. Would she have been able to keep the General safe? Or would the outcome have been the same—scores of dead, the leader of the West gravely injured, and the Youkai believing she was the cause.

“Kagome?”

She smiled sadly, snapped out of her memories and tortuous speculation. “They bound, blindfolded, and threw me over the shoulder of some unnamed soldier.” Now that survival was not foremost in her mind, Kagome was haunted by the first days of her captivity. The stabbing pain in her shoulders from having her arms wrenched back; the constant headache from being carried in that awkward position; the hatred some of the others directed at her; and, most excruciating, not knowing what had happened to General Inutaisho and the realization that Sesshoumaru was not coming for her. She shook her head and resumed her tale. “I knew that they had an agenda beyond my…rescue, as they called it. They treated me like a captive, an enemy, not like someone they liberated. I didn't know why they took me and I didn't know how they knew we would be on that road and, for the most part, not well-armed. I knew that it had to be more than luck, but I didn't even imagine the truth.” She paused. It sickened her to know that Okuri was most likely still at the stronghold, acting the dutiful, concerned cousin. “The House of the West has a traitor. He is working with Generals Kurono and Akagawa, and he arranged the ambush.”

“What?” Kaede asked, incredulous. This was too much information to absorb quickly. The two Ningen generals Kagome named were notorious for their fanatical hatred of Youkai. Not only had they vociferously opposed the peace treaty, they left the Council of Great Families, the pinnacle of prestige in Ningen society, over it. She couldn't contemplate any circumstance under which they would cooperate with those they had made a lifetime of killing. “Wait. Leiko and her friends have allied with Kurono and Akagawa?” Kaede considered it one of the great failings of her tenure as the Head Priestess that she had not been able to persuade Leiko to remain at the Sisterhood and support the peace treaty. That the women who left joined in kidnapping Kagome made the failing that much more personal and painful.

Kagome nodded. “They have taken over my family's abandoned ancestral lands. That's where they brought me.”

“Help me understand,” Kaede said. “Leiko and the miko who defected with her are aiding Kurono and Akagawa. And…they have a Youkai helping them…for the purpose of killing other Youkai?”

“For the purpose of breaking the peace treaty,” Kagome said. “Kurono and Akagawa want War to resume and decided to frame the new Ningen bride for an unspeakable crime.”

“And this Youkai? He also wanted to provoke War?”

Kagome was thoughtful. “I don't know Okuri's justification other than disposing of the General. And removing me so Sesshoumaru can take his daughter as a mate. I can't imagine he would be so audacious, but I truthfully don't know how far ahead he even thought.” The others looked confused and Kagome explained. “He is General Inutaisho's cousin and he is obsessed with having been passed over for the leadership of the House of the West over a century ago. He is manipulative and smart and ruthless.” She shuddered, an image of a bloodstained courtyard and a beheaded Youkai appearing in her mind. “And I think a little bit insane. He arranged my abduction and the attack. He's always had a group of sympathetic followers, but according to Kurono, he has an accomplice inside.”

“This runs deeper than I could have believed possible,” Kaede said. Her mind reeled at the well-laid conspiracy. “I'm suddenly grateful that most of the country thinks you are dead. Kagome, I fear you are in great danger.”

“How did you escape?” Taka asked. “And how did you fake your death?”

“To make a long story short…sheer luck. They put me in my brother's old room. In his last months, he was violent, and there was still debris everywhere. The soldier guarding me was stationed outside the door, and I took advantage of the privacy. In the mess I was able to find a piece of glass that I later used to cut through the ropes that bound me. Once my hands were free, slipping their grasp wasn't a huge problem, though it didn't hurt that the men there underestimated me. They thought they could get me to join them. They thought they could intimidate me. Oh!” she said suddenly. “I just remembered. Hiroko Genda helped me. She pointed me in the right direction to avoid soldiers and gave me warm clothes and hot rice when I escaped. She wants to leave Kurono and Akagawa too. If she comes back here, please don't judge her too harshly. She only wishes to stay true to her vows.”

Kaede looked pleased for the first time since Kagome had begun to wake up. “Well, that's good news. It did surprise me when she chose to leave with Leiko. She will be welcomed back.” She handed Kagome the bowl of broth. “Don't take too much too quickly. Please, continue.”

Kagome tried not to drink deeply, but as she talked, she became more conscious of her hunger. “At first the going was difficult. The snow was unending, and I was terrified of being caught. The second day, I traveled with a group of merchants for a short distance. They gave me hot food and a place to sleep in exchange for helping them dig out of a large drift. I thought of staying with them as cover, but, knowing that Kurono and AKagawa's men would be looking for me…not to mention the Council of Great Families, I did not want to put them at risk. So I went alone. I took the most direct route, meaning that in order to cross the Teshio River, I would have to pass through the checkpoint at Hakone.

“I was so scared. I knew that the guards there were probably not battle-hardened warriors, but rather minor bureaucrats whose duties mainly concerned checking papers and making inspections. Experience has taught that often those in that position are bullies, hassling travelers and demanding bribes as a small perk of the position. I prayed that if I were to keep my nose down and not attract attention, I would be able to pass through. Too bad a young woman traveling alone invites harassment by her very nature.” She closed her eyes, remembering her pounding heart as a guard asked her for her border pass, then her lurching stomach at his cruel, entitled sneer when she told him she was traveling without papers. “I said that I was with a merchant party and accidentally became separated from them. I don't even think they disbelieved; they simply saw me as easy prey. They joked about the types of payment they were willing to accept, then noticed my sword. They accused me of stealing it but still considered me harmless, still threatening me with hints of assault. Then one of them stopped the others. I saw the way he was staring at me. He knew. He pulled out a paper and read a description of me. Young woman traveling alone, average height and build. Sought by the Council of Great Families. Possibly armed; treat as dangerous.” Kagome held out her bowl to be refilled. “I probably could have killed all five guards—I was correct about their lack of skill with a sword—but my whole point was to not drawn attention.”

“What did you do?” Suki asked, enraptured by Kagome's bravery.

Kagome smiled gently. “When I was a girl, my father loved to regale me with tales of ancient history and legends. Hakone, just outside our lands, has always been not only a busy checkpoint, but one with important strategic significance. Centuries ago, the Teshio River was controlled at Hakone by Youkai. My father told me that a long time ago, a huge force of Youkai was approaching Ningen territory, with the intent of crossing at Hakone. A small group of Ningen, led by a Higurashi, hid in a cave off the side of a prominent rock near the top of the tallest bluff. They waited until nightfall and burned the bridge, holding back the invasion and saving many lives.” She grew quiet, reminded of her father's sacrifice and wondering if that legend was the inspiration behind his suicide mission. “The Higurashi family was given the neighboring lands as a reward, and Hakone has been in Ningen possession ever since. It was a piece of history important to the locals, but I doubted that the guards there were aware of it. I thought of turning myself over to them, begging mercy and asking to be taken to the Council, but I decided to take a chance and flee to the rock.”

Taka couldn't hold back her amused snort. “You? Surrender?”

Kagome tried to ignore her, but a short laugh blurted out. “I don't think they expected me to run. I had enough of a head start and the climb was steep, so that my smaller size compared to their rather large bulk was an asset. I reached the top of the bluff a good minute ahead of them. The cave was perfect, concealed by overgrowth, but accessible. I wrapped my coat around a fallen limb and threw it over the side of the cliff, then slipped into the cave and waited. I heard the guards clamor up. They searched briefly, but there was no obvious sign of me, so they looked down. They saw my coat caught on the rocks below. When I heard them go down to investigate, I went back to the building and stole an unused coat and some of their food. I didn't take so much that would be missed. The horses were tempting, but an absent horse not only would be noticed, it could be easily tracked. And I was hoping they assumed I perished from the fall and was swept downriver.”

Kaede sighed in resignation. “Reckless. You should have turned yourself in. So with the bridge at Hakone off limits to you, I suppose you had to cross…where? Did you go as far south as Ebino?”

Kagome nodded. “I hated to go so far out of my way, but I had to cross the river somewhere. The journey became more difficult after that. The temperature grew frigid and it didn't take long for my food to run out. I was afraid to stay close to the road, in case Kurono and Akagawa were still looking for me. I was so cold and so hungry. I thought I was going to die. I think I was dreaming about it before I woke.”

Kaede's brow furrowed, sympathetic again. “You've been through a lot, child. You need your rest. We can continue this after—”

“No!” Kagome said. “I need to know everything you've heard. I need to know what the Youkai might think about me and how bad my position is. Please, Kaede. I won't be able to sleep until I know.”

Kaede frowned. Kagome was as stubborn as ever. “Council troops came a few weeks ago. They told me you attempted to kill General Inutaisho and escaped into Ningen territory. I, of course, protested, but they had their orders and the instructions were clear. The Youkai were demanding your arrest and transfer into their custody, and the Council was cooperating to the fullest. They made it plain that alive or dead was acceptable. And that there was a bounty on your head. Naturally this place was thoroughly searched and monitored. It was very upsetting to the miko here when they learned what was going on. The hostility was dreadful. A week ago, the search was abandoned. The Council declared you dead, though the details were considered unimportant and I was not told how you had been killed. I assumed the worst. That some paid killer had murdered you.” Kaede became even more serious. “However the belief that you are dead is apparently not a good thing. I'm sure the Council thought the matter was over and the peace would hold. Unfortunately the Youkai don't believe the Council and are accusing them of shielding you, a killer.”

“Why do the Youkai assume the Council is lying?” Taka asked.

Kaede replaced a cloth on Kagome's head with a fresh, warm one. “He can feel this Youki, can't he?” she asked gently.

Kagome took Kaede's hand before she pulled it away. “It connects us. He must know I'm alive. The Council stating that I'm confirmed dead is as good to them as an admission of culpability.”

Kaede shook her head sadly. “I received word yesterday from General Miyamoto that the Youkai believe that recent Ningen actions—the attack for which they blame you, various skirmishes involving supply convoys, and the Council protecting you—mean the treaty is irrevocably broken. All four Houses of Taiyoukai are gathering their armies. The only thing left is a formal declaration of War. The Council is in a panic. The Ningen army is realistically in no shape to go back to War.”

Kagome felt like her world was collapsing. The treaty, the promise of peace, the thing for which she had sacrificed her future as a miko and went to live with strangers was dying; Kurono and Akagawa had won. “This is all my fault,” she said, her voice wavering. “I should have turned myself in. This wouldn't be happening if I had—”

“Kagome, stop,” Taka said. “You are a victim in this. No one blames you. Lady Kaede, have the Council members tried to open talks to calm tensions?”

“Miyamoto indicated that all efforts were unsuccessful.”

“Lady Kaede,” Kagome said, “the Youkai have a reason not to trust Ningen. Have you ever heard of kayaku?”

Kaede sat patiently while Kagome described the weapon Kurono and Akagawa were developing. She began with a recounting of Youkai intelligence about its history and composition and ended with the awful demonstration shown her. Kaede had never heard of such a thing. The power of a miko's destruction in the hands of those who took no vows to act with morality and responsibility. Who could potentially use it as it pleased them, with no mandate to protect people, with no sanction of the Earth and the Moon. It was an abomination. When Kagome told her the Ningen generals wanted to use this new weapon to take over the Council, Kaede rose and began pacing. She hated to believe miko, women she trained and guided, were involved. “This is beyond treason. When the Earth created the institution of the miko, it was to counter Youkai power. It was to achieve balance between the races. This tips the scale. It throws the balance. It is sacrilege.” Kagome, Taka, and Suki exchanged glances; they had never seen Lady Kaede so angry. “Are you sure of all this? You saw it?”

Kagome looked grim. “They thought I would either join them or die. They were very straightforward.”

Kaede continued pacing. “To undermine the peace treaty is bad enough…to discuss a coup...”

“What is our next move?” Taka asked. “We have to do something soon.”

“I need to return to the Youkai and explain what happened. Tell them there is no reason to resume the War; that is was Okuri's betrayal and not mine.”

“Kagome, I understand your wish to clear your name,” Kaede said, “but you need to inform the Council about this weapon. Your loyalties right now are with Ningen. They are not the ones preparing for War.”

“No. The Youkai guarded this information. They already think I've betrayed them. And I don't know if I can even trust the Council. Takeo Hino is acting on behalf of General Kurono.”

“Kagome, by not saying anything, you are only making the Council as a whole more vulnerable to Kurono and Akagawa's manipulations. The other members need to know of this treason.”

“But what if they decide to take advantage of this weapon in a renewed War? I don't expect them to look the other way as the Youkai prepare for attack. Ningen society has to defend itself and if the Council's armies aren't strong enough, they will use what they can.” Kagome was resolute. “I need to go back. I need to explain to the Youkai what really happened. Tell them of Okuri's treachery. If I can tell them what I know, they will stop the escalation. But only if they are confident kayaku will not be used against them.”

“Kagome,” Taka said, “I hate to tell you…you aren't going anywhere on those feet.”

“I can—”

“You can't. It will be days before you are even ready to venture beyond the walls of the Sisterhood.”

“Can Kagome send a message to the Youkai?” Suki asked.

Kaede shook her head. “The Council was monitoring communications in and out of the Sisterhood. Trying to get a message into Youkai territory would attract immediate attention. Though I do think Kagome should make contact with the Council of Great Families, we don't want to announce her presence here to the world at large. The Youkai have stated that they don't believe you are dead. It won't take long before a bounty hunter realizes that there must be a reason for that.” Kaede thought for a moment. “I have a suggestion. Kagome, you are not well enough to travel. I can have General Miyamoto here in two or three days. As the Shrine's feudal lord, his presence would not arouse suspicion. You can let your feet heal and gain back some of the weight you lost. Then you can tell him the truth about the attack on the Youkai, this weapon, and the conspiracy. He was one of the original supporters of the peace treaty. You may not feel you can trust the Council, but you can trust him. He may even be able to give you some kind of protection.”

“And what if he wants to arrest me? Once he sees me alive, I'll become a wanted woman again.”

“I won't allow it.”

Kagome gasped. Such action would place Kaede and the institution of the Sisterhood in an incredibly difficult position. “If you are willing to risk telling him, than I am too.”

Three days. She only had to wait three more days.

XXXXX

After dinner, Kaede and Suki went to inform the most trusted and discrete elder miko about Kagome's situation, leaving her and Taka with privacy that they hadn't enjoyed in months. Taka was afraid at first that their friendship would feel strained; so much had changed since they were last together. She helped Kagome sit up to put on a robe and grimaced when she saw scars crisscrossing her back. “You…had a fine sword with you,” she said quickly to mask a horrified gasp. “Did you steal it when you escaped?”

“Yes, I took it, but it belongs to General Inutaisho. Leiko was the original thief. I mean to give it back to him. Taka, I also had a bundle of old papers tucked into my shirt.”

“I set it aside.” She indicated Kaede's desk with a wave of her hand. “Kagome…I saw your back. I know you acquired those scars after you left us. What did they do to you?”

Kagome sighed. Taka's voice was heavy with concern. “I wasn't mistreated. I promise. It's a long story, one that I'll tell you later. I just don't have the energy right now to delve into it.”

“You can tell me while we travel into Youkai lands.” She put up a hand to avoid the protest once Kagome understood the implication. “I'm going with and you cannot stop me. I've already obtained permission from Kaede to accompany you. The gods only know how many people who will seek to capture or kill you. You can't pretend you're dead forever. This journey is too dangerous, with too much riding on it for you to go alone.”

Kagome squeezed her hand, then laid her head on her friend's shoulder. She recalled the abject loneliness of the past days, the horror as she wrestled with the desire to give up. Part of her didn't want to involve anyone else—it would be a hard, potentially dangerous journey. A larger, louder part was relieved that she would not have to bear the burden by herself. She could give voice to the fears that her life with Sesshoumaru would never be the same instead of leaving them left unsaid to fester in her soul. That the person to share the journey was an exceptionally skilled miko and her closest friend was a gift beyond price. “I would be more than grateful for your company.”

Taka put her arms around Kagome and held her tightly. “I missed you. I can't lie and say it isn't nice to have you back here.”

“I missed you too. It's nice to be back, though I wish the circumstances were different. You know…without the threat of War, without my mate thinking I'm a murderer.”

“What's he like?” Taka asked quietly.

“You'll see,” Kagome said, smiling. “He's cold and arrogant. I'm quite sure you'll hate him.”

Taka laughed. They were falling back into their easy friendship. “Is he at least kind to you?”

“Kind…I don't know if kind is the correct word.” She felt the pull of his mark, a near-painful longing and sense of being incomplete. “He's warm in bed,” she said to avoid an onset of melancholy. “Very talented hands.”

Taka laughed, louder. “At least he's good for something.”

“I love him, Taka.”

“And he loves you?”

“He does.” Kagome prayed it was still true. She knew he must be experiencing the same pull and wondered how it made him feel. For her it was a link to him. For him, was it an intolerable reminder? He believed she betrayed him. She had to believe that the damage could be undone. “I want to go back. It's more than to salvage the peace treaty and clear my name. It's my home now. I belong there.”

“A miko and a Taiyoukai. Someday you two will be the subject of the legends your father loved so much.”

Kagome's eye filled with tears. “I hope not the tragic variety. I know of too many tales of dead lovers.”

“Not tragic,” Taka said. “I couldn't bear it. You deserve happiness, Kagome.”

“We all do, Taka.” She grinned. “I think you will like Gina,” she said, to lighten the mood.

“Is she the cousin in charge of the infirmary that you mentioned so frequently in your letters?”

Kagome nodded. “I wonder what she thinks of all this. I hope she doesn't hate me too.”

“Don't dwell on the unknowable. Concentrate on recovering.” Taka got up and added more fuel to the brazier. It felt luxurious to be in such a warm room after residing in the chilly dormitories. “We can do the full moon rite together in a few days. It will be like before you left.”

Kagome frowned and counted days and weeks in her mind. “The full moon is only days away?”

“Not as easy to keep track when it's as overcast as it has been this month. Three days away.”

“Taka,” Kagome said, her voice loaded with apprehension, “I was expecting my monthly bleed a week after the last full moon. I'm late.”

Taka stared at her. “You're never late.”

“I know.”

“You're pregnant.”

“Am I?” Kagome asked, breathless and shocked.

“I don't know,” she responded with a strong hint of amusement. “Maybe? Probably? I'm told that can happen when two people share a bed.”

“Shit.” Kagome groaned and buried her face in her hands. “I can't think about this. I have to go back and fix things first. Then I can think about this.” She lifted her head and smiled slyly, hopefully. “I might be pregnant.”

Taka hugged her. “One thing at a time.” Suddenly more was a stake than any of them had realized. “Just a few days wait. Let your body heal. Then we'll bring you home.”