InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Dark Hour ❯ Puppet Master ( Chapter 17 )

Ch. 17

Puppet Master....

Naraku took a small step back to study his willing slave. Kagome stood completely still, her eyes staring at nothing. She looked like an exquisite mannequin dressed in evening finery. He was delighted with the results.

"Kagome, do you hear me?" He asked, his voice low and smooth. Kagome's head moved up and down mechanically. "I want you to answer me, Kagome." Naraku said, his voice still low with just a hint of irritation.

"Yes, master." She responded robotically. Naraku smiled. "Good. Now I want you to listen carefully to what I'm about to tell you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, master."

Naraku took a deep breath, trying to keep his excitement under control. All of these years of planning had finally paid off. Kagome was now in a deep hypnotic state, her mind susceptible to the slightest command given to her. He frowned slightly. The only problem was that the formula Kagome had been ingested with didn't last long. He was still working on perfecting the formula.

He concentrated on what exactly his next words would be. He needed to make sure Kagome comprehended everything he was going to tell her. One slip up and all would be lost.

"Do you know where you are, Kagome?"

She blinked. "Yes, master."

"And do you know whom you came here with?"

"Yes, master." The way the words came out sounding so whispery and soft made something stir deep down inside Naraku, but he quickly brushed it aside. He'd come back to that later, after he'd taken care of his meddling cousin. He was still seething with rage at seeing his father. Even though he'd known of his escape, he hadn't expected him be so healthy, let alone at the charity ball.

"Here's what I want you to do for me, Kagome." Naraku continued, keeping his voice low and steady. "After the charity ball is over, you will find a way to get Sesshomaru alone. Make sure you are completely alone, understand?" Naraku made this last statement forceful. He didn't need some stranger interfering with his plans.

Kagome's eyes flickered before settling back into their blank stare. "Yes, master." Naraku caught the slight hesitation. Was the hypnotic state wavering? He decided to hurry up the process.

"Once you have Sesshomaru alone, you will then kill him. Do you understand all that I have just told you, Kagome?" Naraku searched her face. Again, he saw the slight flickering of her soft gray eyes. She remained silent.

Naraku gripped her arms, his fingers digging into her ivory skin. Her face never lost its emptiness. "Do...you...understand?" He hissed between clinched teeth. Kagome nodded slowly. "Yes, master."

Naraku released her arms, almost becoming strangely aroused at the sight of the bright red marks he'd left on her soft flesh. He cupped her cheek, stroking it lightly. She really was quite a remarkable specimen.

"You will do everything I've commanded, won't you dear?" He asked, dragging his thumb across her glossy red lips. Her mouth opened slightly, as if she wanted to say something. He looked at her, wondering what was going through her mind. Her mouth closed and she nodded.

"Yes, master."

Naraku nodded, pleased with himself. He brushed his knuckle across her cheek longingly, wishing he could take advantage of the situation, but there were more pressing matters to attend to.

"Good. Now close your eyes and count to 10. As soon as you say the number 10, you will snap out of your hypnotic state and forget everything I have just told you and forget coming out with me onto the balcony." He instructed. Of course he knew she would retain the information only in her subconscious. She would carry out his orders as directed, having no choice but to obey what her mind would tell her.

"Yes, master." Kagome immediately closed her eyes and started the count. Naraku took one last look at her before slipping back inside.

Kagome stood on the balcony, quietly counting as told. Anybody walking by the balcony would have thought the scene odd. Kagome, however, was oblivious to the rest of the world. Her only thoughts were of completing Naraku's instructions.

"8, 9, 10."

Kagome's eyes flew open. She looked around, confused. How had she gotten to the balcony? The last thing she remembered was being at the buffet and then...the rest was kind of hazy.

She frowned. Maybe she'd had too much too drink. She decided to stay away from the alcohol and made her way back inside the crowded ballroom. Her eyes searched the room for Sesshomaru. She sighed in frustration when she didn't spot him anywhere. She turned to find the lady's room when she ran smack into a tall, imposing form.

Her eyes traveled up the black tuxedo jacket to the slightly amused golden gaze.

"Sesshomaru, I've been looking everywhere for you." She said. Sesshomaru's gaze turned from amusement to worry. "Are you ok? You don't look so well." He said, putting a hand to her forehead. Kagome had to admit she was feeling a bit lightheaded.

She swatted him lightly. "I feel fine." She said just as her eyelids fluttered and her knees gave way beneath her. Sesshomaru instinctively reached out and caught her before she fell to the floor. A few people standing nearby murmured in alarm.

Sesshomaru looked into Kagome's eyes, his heart beating a little faster. Something was wrong.

"Kagome, what's wrong?" He asked. Kagome looked up at him. "Don't be silly, I think I just had a little too much to drink." She explained, disentangling herself from his arms and straightening to her feet. Sesshomaru knew she'd only had two glasses of champagne at the most and doubted they were the cause of her current condition. He chose to keep this to himself, however.

"I think we should be going." He said sternly, searching for Onigumo. He spotted him talking with a group of former business partners and motioned for him. Onigumo nodded and said his good-byes and made his way to where Sesshomaru and Kagome were standing.

"Kagome isn't feeling well so we're making an early departure." Sesshomaru told Onigumo. Onigumo nodded, his eyes flickering with concern. Kagome waved away Sesshomaru's words. "He's blowing this way out of proportion." She said. "Honestly, I feel fine."

Onigumo looked from Kagome to Sesshomaru, uncertain as to what to believe. "If Ms. Higurashi isn't feeling up to it, maybe we should go." He said, a hint of disappointment in his voice. Kagome sensed Onigumo's unwillingness to leave and felt bad that she was causing him to cut his night short. He deserved to enjoy this night after all the nights he'd missed being locked away in Naraku's lab of horrors.

She put a hand on Onigumo's arm. "Please stay and enjoy the rest of the night, Onigumo. I can have a cab take me back to Sesshomaru's."

Onigumo shook his head adamantly. "I will not have you taking a cab in your condition." Sesshomaru nodded in agreement. "I can take you back to my place. I'm sure Onigumo can ask one of the partners for a ride, right?" Onigumo nodded his head. "They would be happy I asked. Besides," He said, "I was thinking of renting a suite at the Four Seasons anyway." He gestured toward the group he was with earlier. "Some of the bigwigs at VersaTech asked me to join them for drinks after the charity so I suspect my night won't end until late."

He turned to Kagome. "Please, dear. Go and get some rest and don't worry about me." He stepped forward and gave her a fatherly kiss on the cheek. Kagome smiled and patted his arm. "Thank you." She said. She turned to Sesshomaru. "Alright then, let's go."

By the time they arrived back at Sesshomaru's house, a light rain had begun to fall. Kagome let out a small yawn.

'Perfect sleeping weather.' She thought as she followed Sesshomaru into the house. He switched on the overhead kitchen light and turned to Kagome. Kagome rolled her eyes as he looked her over.

"For the last time, Sesshomaru, I'm perfectly fine!" She exclaimed. She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. He gave her a look. "I guess it's normal for you to go weak and almost faint, huh?"

Kagome wasn't amused by his sarcasm. Even though he was right, she didn't want him to know it. "Whatever." She muttered, turning and walking towards the stairs. "I'm going to bed." She said over her shoulder. Sesshomaru frowned, watching her as she walked upstairs. Maybe a good night's sleep would be the remedy, but he had the same nagging feeling about Kagome that he'd had about Onigumo every since they'd come back from Tokyo. Something was wrong.

The wind howled and whipped the trees into a frenzy. The rain had picked up significantly and was now beating furiously upon the darkened house nestled in the woods.

A figure drifted down the hall slowly, the movements sure and strong. She came to the closed door at the end of the hall and twisted the knob without hesitation. The door opened soundlessly and she entered the room.

'What's going on here?' Kagome thought to herself. She didn't know what she was doing, what she was doing in Sesshomaru's bedroom. Maybe it was a dream, a really lifelike dream. That was quickly ruled out as she felt her feet moving her towards the bed.

Sesshomaru lay on his back, his limbs thrown about haphazardly in his deep slumber. Even as she approached his bedside, she marveled at how gorgeous he was. As he lay sleeping, he reminded her of an angelic young boy, having not a care in the world.

'Go back to your own room, you nut!' She told herself sternly. Her body would not listen, however, as she reached out a hand and firmly shook Sesshomaru from his sleep. His eyes opened groggily.

"What?" He said, still half asleep. Kagome tried to open her mouth to explain that she didn't know what the hell was going on, but she couldn't, no matter how much she tried. It was then that she began to feel the first stirrings of panic. She remained silent and at that moment, Sesshomaru realized something was off. He rubbed his eyes and sat up, his eyes focusing on her.

"Kagome, what are you doing here?" He asked, glancing at the alarm clock on the nightstand. The 10:00 glowed green in the darkness. He returned his gaze to Kagome. She was standing before him dressed in a silk slip, her hair falling down her back. He would have been immensely aroused were it not for the fear shining in Kagome's misty gray eyes.

He quickly rose to his feet, thinking someone had broken into the house. "Is someone here?" He asked. He looked past her to the darkened hallway. He looked back at her when she didn't say anything.

"Kagome, what is it?" He repeated, a feeling of unease prickling his skin. That bad feeling was starting to stir in his gut. Kagome stayed motionless, only her eyes betraying her true feelings.

'What's happening to me?' Kagome shouted at herself. It was like she had no control over her body whatsoever. She wanted to move, but her feet remained planted to the floor.

Strangely enough, Kagome just realized she held something in her right hand. Kagome's eyes widened, knowing what she held without seeing it. Sesshomaru noticed her eyes widen in terror.

"Kagome, what..." He saw a gleam of silver before just before Kagome's hand lashed out at him with the large butcher knife. He lunged back, his mind clouding with confusion. What the hell was she doing? He didn't have time to ponder the question as she came at him again, this time stabbing the knife at him.

Sesshomaru jumped to the side out of her reach. Kagome was not to be discouraged. She quickly attacked again, her only aim seeming to be injuring him. Or even worse. Sesshomaru didn't have time to think as he dodged Kagome's attacks, trying not to hurt her in the process. Even though she was the one brandishing the knife, he had a feeling she wasn't herself.

'Oh my god! What am I doing?' She though, terrified. She seemed to be watching the events unfolding before her on a movie screen. She knew she was going after Sesshomaru with the knife, but she couldn't control herself. It was like she was being controlled.

'Please stop!' She chanted, willing herself to throw down the knife. She had the sick feeling that she wouldn't stop until Sesshomaru was dead.

"Kagome, what are you doing?" Sesshomaru gasped as she delivered a swift kick to his lower leg. He ignored the pain and lunged at her, trying to wrestle the knife from her hands. She was surprisingly strong and held onto the knife with an iron grip. He looked into her arms, again seeing the look of terror, as if she was afraid of what she was doing.

With a grunt, she shoved him back. Sesshomaru lost his balance and fell to the floor, knocking his head against the wall. His vision blurred as he looked up to see Kagome calmly approach him.

'Damnit, get up Sesshomaru!' She yelled to herself. Her heartbeat quickened as she watched helplessly. She now stood directly in front of him. He looked up at her, his eyes soft and knowing.

"It's not you, Kagome." He said softly. He struggled to his feet. "I don't know what's going on, but this isn't you."

Kagome felt a tear slip down her cheek as she raised the knife. She couldn't bear looking into those golden depths, so warm and understanding even as she stood there ready to plunge the knife she was holding deep into his heart.

With every ounce of strength she had in her, Kagome struggled to lower her arm. She concentrated on overcoming whatever force was keeping her from controlling her own body.

With a tearful sob, the knife dropped with a soft thud to the carpet. The silence that followed was deafening, disrupted only by the hard patter of rain on the roof.

"Kagome..." Sesshomaru whispered, taking a step towards her. Kagome shook her head wildly and fled from the room. Tears blurred her vision as she clumsily made her way down the stairs. She didn't know where she was going, only that she had to put distance between herself and Sesshomaru. Even though she'd been able to break whatever spell she'd been over, she wasn't sure if she could do it again.

The only thing she could think to do was go out the front door. She flung the door out wide and ran blindly down the gravel walkway, heedless of the rain pouring down. Her salty tears mixed with the cold rain as she continued her mad run. Her only though was of Sesshomaru's safety.

She gasped as hands grabbed her shoulders from behind. Sesshomaru stopped her and spun her around. She blinked up at him through the rain, her eyes clouded with confusion and fear.

"Get away from me!" She yelled at him, pushing him away from her. Sesshomaru held onto her tightly, shaking his head. "No!"

"Damn you!" She balled her hands into fists and pounded on his chest. "Don't you understand that I was going to kill you? I was going to stick that knife straight into your fucking heart!"

Sesshomaru brushed her cheek, feeling the hotness of her tears mingling with the cool rain. "No, you weren't." He said forcefully. Deep down, he knew she wasn't capable of that. "You couldn't hurt me any more than I could hurt you." He said, looking into her eyes, willing her to believe him.

Kagome sobbed. "How do you know that, Sesshomaru?" She asked weakly, her eyes sad. He placed his hands on either side of her face. "Because I know you, Kagome." He told her gently. Despite the howling wind and pounding rain, Kagome heard his words with perfect clarity. They seemed to be in their own little bubble, just the two of them.

"I know what's in here," He said, placing a hand over her rapidly beating heart. Kagome closed her eyes and threw her arms around his neck, burying her face in his chest. She sagged against him, her heart bursting with emotion for the man holding her. She needed him to know how deeply she felt for him, how she would always feel for him.

Kagome leaned back, looking into his eyes. His hair hung in wet strands, framing his face. She'd never wanted anybody more than she did at that moment standing in the driving rain.

"Kagome?" He whispered, his eyes searching her own. She brought his face down to her own and kissed him tenderly, relaying all the emotion she felt at that moment in that one kiss. She moved her lips to his ear and whispered, "I need you."

Sesshomaru needed no further words, feeling all that she felt. He scooped her into his arms, leaning his cheek against the top of her head as he carried her back into the house and up the stairs to his bedroom. He stood her up and brushed a hand through her wet hair, smoothing it from her cheeks.

"Are you sure, Kagome, because I won't be able to stop this time." He whispered, his eyes dark with desire. Kagome felt a shiver of anticipation shoot down her spine. She pressed her body close to his, feeling the heat of his body reach out to her.

She placed her hands on his chest, moving them down to wrap around his waist.

"I've never been more sure." She said huskily as her lips met with his.

a/n: now, i must warn you all that the next chap will be a lemon!! if anybody has a problem with that or is uncomfortable with that kind of material, please feel free to not read it...please do not email me with nasty comments about the lemon b/c you have been warned...i hope you all are enjoying the story thus far and will continue to enjoy it...thanks for the reviews! till next chap!