InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Unexpected Circumstances ❯ Bitterness ( Chapter 23 )

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CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: BITTERNESS

 

 

Kagome was awake before everyone else that morning, something that never used to happen while she was traveling with them. The schedule that she'd been on since starting her training had now become routine, so she didn't think twice about it. A warm body pressed next to her made her look down and smile.

 

Shippou had missed curling up next to her at night and it didn't take long for him to fall asleep nuzzled close to her. His bright red bushy tail was tickling her cheek as it wagged happily while he slept. She longed to stay there and go back to sleep again, but her duties called to her, so she carefully maneuvered her way out from under the covers so that she did not wake him.

 

As quietly as she could, Kagome grabbed a set of clothes and her bow and arrows, and tip-toed around her sleeping friends, taking note that Inuyasha and Kikyo were no where to be found. Strangely enough, that thought did not upset her as much as she expected it would. She also took into account that Sesshoumaru was not inside the small hut, but then again after she had tended to the wounds, which Sesshoumaru grumpily insisted would heal just fine on their own, he had taken his leave of the small abode.

 

Kagome frowned at that memory. It had become so customary for Sesshoumaru to sleep in the hut with her that it felt…unnatural for him to not. His presence was something that she had come to expect every night and she didn't quite feel complete without it. Kagome shook her head and tucked that feeling away to examine it at a later time, preferably when she wasn't trying to rush to get to her lessons.

 

Just outside of the hut, Kagome grabbed the two water pails that she had been filling since day one of her training and headed for the small creek to gather the water. Her steady pace slowed when she neared the water's edge as she caught sight of the focus of her thoughts staring out over the creek. With a sigh, Kagome walked up and stood next to him and even though he did nothing to acknowledge her presence, Kagome knew that he'd sensed her approach long before she arrived.

 

“Sesshoumaru…um, about last night; I-”

 

“Your apology is neither wanted nor needed, priestess,” he bit out curtly.

 

Kagome had a snappy come-back in mind but cast it aside when she recognized a small amount of hurt in his voice. Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at her when he saw her posture slump in defeat.

 

“It may not be wanted or needed, but I'm going to give you one anyway,” Kagome said quietly. “I'm sorry Sesshoumaru. I was so caught up with worrying about being replaced that I…you must think that I don't care at all.”

 

Kagome kept her face down so she missed Sesshoumaru straightening his back to stand up even taller. So the girl had feelings for him? On some level he already knew this; he spent a lot of time with her and didn't miss the looks she sent his way from time to time. That and the fact that they had enjoyed each other's affections on more than one occasion was a very good indicator that she held some feelings for him anyway.

 

When Sesshoumaru didn't say anything, Kagome looked up at him to see that he was now staring at her, as if willing her to continue. “What?”

 

Sesshoumaru reached up and flicked a strand of hair that had fallen over his shoulder back into place. Kagome smiled at the gesture; she loved it when he did that. His hair was always something she would be envious of and obviously he took great pride in his long, silver locks. Her eyes were diverted to his mouth when she saw the ends of a light smirk playing on his lips. Her eyes narrowed at him and she crossed her arms impatiently.

 

“Your apology is accepted priestess,” Sesshoumaru said casually as he closed his eyes to bask in the warmth of the rising sun.

 

A hand on his arm made him open his eyes and he looked down just as Kagome stood on her tip-toes and gently pressed her lips to his. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly to him as he deepened the kiss. Kagome took the initiative and parted her lips so that he could slip his tongue into her mouth and they both delighted in the feel of being so close.

 

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body closer to his. She could easily feel the effect she was having on him and it made her shudder delightfully. He broke away from her warm mouth to slowly kiss his way down her neck, pausing to suck gently on her pulse point. Kagome leaned her head to the side to give him better access and his chest rumbled with a pleased growl as he continued his sensual assault on her neck.

 

His hands moved to caress her far-too-clothed body as grabbed onto his hair tightly. Sesshoumaru's hands worked their way under her shirt and his warm fingers came into contact with her cool skin. Her breathing hitched as she wantonly waited for his hands to make their ascent. His splayed fingers ghosted over her breasts and Kagome moaned lightly giving him the incentive to continue his perusal of her body. He gently squeezed her mounds and kissed his way to the other side of her neck while she ground her hips into his.

 

Kagome felt wonderful. His body close to hers was an incredibly heady feeling and she longed for it to continue. She felt bold in his presence, felt like she could ignore anything and everything as long as he kept his warm body next to hers. She felt his arousal pressed firmly against her and it made her want to feel even more of him. Unfortunately, time was not on their side.

 

Sesshoumaru lifted his head reluctantly from his perusal of her neck when he caught the distinct sound of the village's priestess. He flinched slightly when he heard her call out for Kagome again and then gently pushed himself away from Kagome's willing grasp. She made a sound of protest and his male ego swelled with pride.

 

“The old priestess is calling for you; I assume you do not want her to find you in this position?”

 

Kagome blushed lightly and nodded her head in agreement before stepping back to fix her clothing. Just as she was finishing tucking her shirt it—more for looks than anything—Megumi could be seen over the small hill leading down towards the creek side.

 

“Girl! You are late for your studies; get those pails full and get moving. I do not tolerate tardiness!” the old priestess yelled at her.

 

“Sorry Megumi,” Kagome said half-heartedly while she bent over to fill the buckets. She leveled a playful glare at Sesshoumaru and said quietly, “This is all your fault you know. You just can't keep your hands off me.”

 

Sesshoumaru snorted lightly. “If memory serves correctly, it was you who could not control yourself around this Sesshoumaru,” he said, not once looking her way. The small curve of his lips was the only indication he was highly amused by the entire thing.

 

Kagome shook her head and stood up from filling the buckets. She was about to pass him when she heard him add, “You were late for your training with the priestess; however, you will not be late for sparring. Understood?”

 

She lifted an eyebrow at him and then bowed. “Of course sensei; this grasshopper has much to learn.” Without another word, Kagome left him to follow quickly after Megumi. Sesshoumaru remained standing where he was, staring out over the creek.

 

`Grasshopper?'

 

 

*-*-*-*

 

 

Naraku lay weak in the corner of his room after having detached his four latest incarnations. It took great effort to make one person with four distinctly different personalities into four completely separate beings. However, he had done it, and he had done it successfully.

 

There was Hukio of course, his elemental demon who looked as if he rose from the depths of hell itself. He was an immaculate creature with long hair that was both blue and red. He had a strong build that many demons wished for, and his beauty matched his fierceness. His pale skin contrasted greatly with his nearly all black eyes and his overall appearance would lead anyone who saw him believe he was a vicious killer.

 

In addition, after Hukio was a mimic known as Ikkaku. Ikkaku was a sly demon with dark skin and flat white hair, much like that of Kanna. His eyes were red like many of Naraku's incarnations, but other than that, he lacked any striking physical traits. He was short and slender and deceivingly frail looking. However, he was not to be trifled with for his abilities were that of his opponents. With one attack he could copy exactly his enemy's abilities as well as strength. No, he was not to be cast aside.

 

There then came Hiagi, the only female in the group. She had beauty to rival any demoness in Japan, but she held an evil obsession with playing people like puppets. All she needed was a single drop of blood from her target to make them move under her will. Her light, pale purple hair matched the color of her eyes and her tall, thin form was indeed a thing of beauty. She was an intelligent demon who closely studied her prey before striking, but one glance at her was enough to convince anyone that she was anything but demure.

 

The last incarnation to be born of Naraku was Ruki. Unlike his brothers and sister, Ruki was not a killing machine; in fact he was just the opposite. He was a healer, but he did not freely give his abilities to just anyone. No, his gift was reserved for his siblings and only his siblings. Broken bones could be mended, wounds could be sealed with only a drag of his clawed finger, and there was enough energy in him to bring one of his siblings back to life if need be. When in battle he could easily be mistaken as non-threatening, but he could be the proverbial thorn in your side.

 

Naraku grinned evilly as he watched his incarnations from his window as they tested their abilities on some of the lower level demons around the stronghold. His plans were finally coming together after so long in hiding that he was finding himself impatient to get things underway. Hukio had been informed of Naraku's intentions so that he could relay them to his siblings; they would be needed greatly to make his plans all come together.

 

Naraku had made certain his latest henchman, Takahiro, was going to be fully under his control by placing a tainted shard in the back of his neck. It was a tricky thing to do, getting the shard to be virtually undetectable, but so far it seemed to be working.

 

Balancing as much as he could of the energies within that one single shard, so that the dark portion of it was just barely larger than the pure, Naraku managed to make it seem as if it was nothing. However, his little spell would not last forever as the energies inside fought for control. It would only be a matter of time before one of them took control, and Naraku would make sure it was the dark side that would overcome. The banquet that Takahiro kept thinking so much about would be the perfect time to add one last bit of malice to the shard. The young priestess would not know what hit her.

 

There was only one more crucial part to his plan that had yet to be taken care of. Naraku allowed his eyes to linger on the eldest of his newest incarnations, Hukio. Naraku was not a fool; he did not make it as far as he was today by being naïve and easily mislead. Hukio held nothing in the way of respect for him and he knew it, and he planned on using that piece of information to his utmost advantage. As is was, Naraku was in no way, shape, or form ready to confront the ragtag group of shard hunters, so he would have to wear them down and then strike when they least expected it.

 

He smirked and clutched his portion of the tainted Shikon Jewel close to his body. His hackles instinctively rose when he felt his incarnation approaching where he sat in the dark confines of his room. The door slowly slid open to reveal the elemental demon and Naraku sat up straighter.

 

“What is it Hukio?” Naraku asked quietly.

 

Hukio walked closer to his master and held out his hand, palm up. “You have served your purpose and are no longer needed,” he said as a bright ball of fire lit from the center of his palm.

 

“Is that so? Pray tell…what is it that you are trying to accomplish?”

 

Hukio stood impassively over the seated form of Naraku and blinked once slowly. “Your end,” he said as the ball of fire towards Naraku where it embedded itself in him.

 

For a moment the room was still, but as the seconds passed, Naraku's face turned into one of pure agony and he screamed as the flames shot through his veins and ripped him apart from the inside out. In a brilliant flash, Naraku had disappeared and the Shikon Jewel clinked as it hit the floor before rolling to a stop near Hukio's feet.

 

The elemental demon flicked a piece of dust from his shoulder and then bent to retrieve the portion of the jewel. He sneered at the pile of ash at his feet and waved his hand, which sent a light breeze upon the pile, scattering it and lifting it into the air and out the window of the castle. “He was weak. Already I have outgrown him in many ways. Master indeed.”

 

Without looking back to the now empty room, Hukio set out towards his siblings. It was time for his clan to take what he believed was rightfully theirs: the rest of the Shikon Jewel, and then…Japan.

 

 

*-*-*-*

 

 

Kagome hissed as the slight sting of the blade as it met her arm. Sesshoumaru proved to be an unrelenting sparring partner and did not go easy on her because she was human. However, her one reprieve was that he did not use his superior speed to catch her off guard and for that she was extremely grateful.

 

“You are faltering,” Sesshoumaru pointed out. “Allowing your weariness to show will only give your enemy the advantage.”

 

Kagome propped her hands on her knees as she bent over trying to catch her breath. She felt miserably out of shape when she was sparring with Sesshoumaru and it looked as though he hadn't even broken a sweat. She groaned, `He broke more of a sweat when he was sparring with himself.' Seeing his bored look, Kagome rose to her full height and returned to her ready position, this time with her face free of emotion.

 

Sesshoumaru studied her intently as they fought, giving her helpful advice as they went so that she would be well prepared when they faced Naraku. He had an uneasy feeling whenever he thought about the impending battle; whether it was from his newly formed opinion of Kagome or the fact that Naraku possessed a nearly complete jewel he could not say. What he did know was that when the time came to face off against the vile half-demon, he wanted Kagome to be ready.

 

He watched her footing and wanted to sigh. With the small amount of pleasure that came with besting any opponent, Sesshoumaru used the blunt side of the sword and swept Kagome's feet out from under her. He pointed the tip down at her and she frowned at her own mishap.

 

“What did you do wrong?” he questioned her.

 

Kagome sighed, closed her eyes, and answered from her position on the ground. “I crossed my feet while trying to attack and it threw me off balance.”

 

“Hn.” Kagome took that as an approval of her answer. He made no move to help her up so Kagome gave him a half-hearted glare and stood on tired legs.

 

“Is that all for today sensei?” Kagome asked playfully. Feeling spunky, she sauntered up to him with a wicked smirk. He looked impassively at her, but raised an eyebrow in question at her actions. She, for one, wanted to pick up where they had left off that morning near the creek side. Just as she was raising herself to her tip-toes, an all too familiar voice echoed through the trees. She sighed and closed her eyes at Inuyasha's less than impeccable timing.

 

“I see he has made his way back to the others,” Sesshoumaru remarked offhandedly. For some reason he wanted to fill the silence that had made Kagome seem so disappointed. In order to salvage the progress that they made this morning, Sesshoumaru reached down and lifted her face up to him by catching her chin between his fingers. He lowered his lips to hers and initiated a slow, deep kiss.

 

Kagome moaned longingly and wrapped her arms around his neck. He pulled away reluctantly and wanted to burst with male pride at his handy work. Her face held a light flush and her eyes were hooded as she struggled to keep him close to her. Her lips were a deeper pink then they had been before their kiss and he could not resist planting one last chaste kiss on her lips.

 

“Come,” he said as he began walking away towards the village. Kagome followed closely, eventually speeding up her gait to walk beside him. Sesshoumaru looked at her from the corner of his eye, but did not say anything. She had earned the right to stand next to him in more ways than one.

 

The two made their way back to the hut in silence, each finding a little bit of strength in the other's presence. Kagome could now see Inuyasha pacing outside the hut and she steeled herself for his onslaught; Inuyasha could get pretty reckless when he was angry and Kagome didn't want him ruining all the hard work that she put into that hut to make it a home away from home.

 

“He will not be destructive; I will see to it,” Sesshoumaru said darkly. Kagome glanced up at him a little surprised, but then smiled at his intuition.

 

“Thank you Sesshoumaru.” A nod of his head was all she received before they stepped out of the surrounding trees.

 

“Kagome what the fuck took you so long?!” was the first thing out of Inuyasha's mouth.

 

“Sit boy!” A satisfying crash allowed Kagome to gather her bearings before she dealt with more of Inuyasha's callousness. Sesshoumaru watched the scene unfolding before him with amusement. No matter how many times he saw the small priestess subdue the half-breed, it never failed to tickle his twisted funny bone.

 

Inuyasha grumbled as Kikyo helped him out of his crater. He gently shrugged her off when he was able to stand and leveled a glare at Kagome. “Are you ready to explain?” he asked her with bitterness etched in his voice.

 

Kagome pursed her lips. “There's nothing to explain Inuyasha. Sess-”

 

“Like hell there's nothing to explain. Just what the fuck did you think you were doing out there?! Did you just throw yourself at him?”

 

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed on Inuyasha dangerously. “Hold your tongue whelp.”

 

Inuyasha turned furious eyes onto the demon lord. “I wasn't talkin' to you.” Inuyasha looked to Kagome and saw that her face was impassive. He shuddered a little at the familiarity of that look that he had seen so many times on Sesshoumaru. “Can we talk?”

 

Kagome seemed a bit surprised at the soft request and instantly her posture relaxed. “Sure Inuyasha, we can talk.” He nodded his head when she pointed to the hut and then walked inside. Kagome turned towards Sesshoumaru and smiled at him, knowing that a public display of affection wouldn't sit well with him at the moment. Hell, she didn't exactly feel that comfortable yet with him.

 

His eyes followed her as she entered the hut and he turned towards the monk and the demon slayer who had arrived to watch the fray some time ago. Now was as good a chance as any to study those that the priestess had traveled with. He had done so on a few occasions when he interacted with the group, but never went out of his way. However, now he didn't have anything better to do, so why not?

 

Sesshoumaru studied Kagome's companions one at a time. The monk was busy sending up a prayer, or so it looked. However, Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes as he saw the monk's hand twitch and then slowly lower to the demon slayer's backside. With an imperceptible shake of his head he witnessed as the demon slayer pummeled the monk on the head with her fist. The small fox kit laughed heartily at the scene while Sesshoumaru huffed silently at the ridiculousness of it.

 

His eyes strayed to the undead priestess and he did not bother to hide his perusal of her. By simply looking at her one could tell that she was not the same as the rest of the group she traveled with. Her eyes were blank and her skin held an unhealthy pallor. She hardly showed emotion, though when she did it was usually that of hate and bitterness. Sesshoumaru curled his lip in disgust; one such as her should not be walking the earth. She belonged back in the ground, buried with the soil and clay her body was formed with.

 

Sesshoumaru looked back towards the hut where Kagome and Inuyasha had disappeared to. He did not like the fact that they were in there alone, but he knew that it was a necessity to have the whelp cease his temper tantrums. Hopefully once Kagome got through with him he would sulk in his corner and leave him alone. The demon lord could only wish.

 

 

*-*-*-*

 

 

Takahiro sat quietly next to the fire that was warming his hut. For the past few nights he had been unable to get a sufficient amount of sleep; every time he would start to fall under the spell of exhaustion, the voice would startle him back awake. The voice laughed at him and mocked him for being unable to kill a simple human girl. At first Takahiro could ignore it, thinking it merely a figment of his frayed imagination, but as it became more persistent, he became more afraid.

 

He looked over at his wife, his darling wife that Naraku had given back to him. Naraku. His name made Takahiro shiver in fear and the voice started up again.

 

`Takahiro…” it would call. `Do you not tire of this empty existence? I can give you more.'

 

“More,” he repeated absently.

 

`Yessss…more. You only have to kill the girl.'

 

Takahiro's head whipped to his left, where it sounded like the source of the voice was. Instead of finding Naraku there staring at him with his cold red eyes, he instead saw his wife. Feeling his eyes on her, she turned and gave him a warm smile. Takahiro smiled back, but it soon turned into a look of terror as his wife's face changed. Her skin seemed to melt off her bones and her eyes became lifeless orbs. He let loose a pathetic scream and cowered away from her, smashing himself against the wall.

 

“Takahiro?” his wife called to him sweetly, a bit concerned. “Takahiro, can you hear me?”

 

He gave no answer as the voice in his head continued to fill his ears. `That is the future Takahiro. It is your future if you fail me again.'

 

“H-how? How do I kill her? She has so many around her,” he whispered quietly, knowing that the voice could hear him perfectly. A sinister laugh echoed through his mind and Takahiro clenched his eyes shut and clutched the sides of his head to try and block out the awful noise, but it was impossible. How does one escape from a voice inside your own mind?

 

`I am giving you this last chance to prove your worth. Take this dagger and cut her once with it. It is a weak poison that will render her unconscious; from there, you decide what her fate shall be.' Takahiro opened his eyes and looked down in his lap where a small dagger had materialized. He carefully picked it up and turned it over in his hands a few times to examine it before he tucked it away in his belt.

 

“Last chance…” he whispered as he looked back to his wife. She had returned to cooking over the fire while humming a small tune as if nothing strange had happened. Takahiro felt a sharp pain on the back of his neck and whimpered, but it soon faded to a dull throb.

 

Thanking anything that would listen that the voice in his head had quieted, Takahiro stood on shaky legs and ambled his way out of the door. He would remind the young priestess and her friends of the banquet tomorrow so that he could make his attempt there. While there were so many people walking and talking, he could easily lead her away while no one was paying attention and carry out his plan.

 

“I can do this,” he spoke quietly to himself as he walked through the small village towards Kagome's hut. He didn't notice the curious glances that were thrown his way by passing villagers who had heard his small rambling; he only had one thing on his mind. “Last chance, I will not fail.”

 

 

*-*-*-*

 

 

Sesshoumaru felt like banging his head on the nearest, hardest surface he could find. Kagome had been talking to his half-brother for quite some time, and although he kept a sharp ear tuned into the conversation, he still wasn't satisfied. He would have preferred to follow her into the hut rather than be left behind with her companions.

 

Gods he was becoming too attached. It was better when he hadn't seen her every day; at least then he had time to forget about her and think on other things…more important things. She had said she only had a few more lessons with the village priestess and she was becoming quite skilled with her sword.

 

Soon they would go their separate ways and he would return to his own entourage. Inuyasha knew the Kagome's place now so he didn't have to worry about him staking any claim and if he ever decided that he wanted to see her again, all he would have to do is go to her. That was that.

 

A crash was heard from the inside of the hut and Sesshoumaru quickly—but not too quickly—made his way over to determine the source. However, before he made it to the doorway, Inuyasha flung the mat to the side and stepped out, being closely followed by Kagome. She was rubbing her eyes with her thumb and forefinger in a clear show of exhaustion. Inuyasha stomped over to Kikyo with his arms crossed and sat down next to her.

 

Sesshoumaru gave Kagome a questioning glance, but she shook her head. They would speak on it later. The demon lord was mildly surprised that Inuyasha hadn't said anything…

 

“This village sucks!” the half-demon bellowed. Sesshoumaru had apparently thought too soon.

 

Everyone glanced at Inuyasha who had a frown marring his features. When he saw that all eyes were on him, he pinned his ears to his head. “What? It does suck.”

 

Kagome rolled her eyes and shook her head. She turned to go back inside her hut when she saw Takahiro walking towards them. She shot a quick glance at Sesshoumaru who had his eyes locked on the approaching man. His hand slipped discretely to the hilt of his sword and Kagome smirked at his protectiveness.

 

Takahiro seemed nervous, but Kagome couldn't blame him for feeling so; there were a lot of new people and demons around her. She waited until he reached her to ask what he needed.

 

“Hi Takahiro. Can I help you with something?”

 

The man's eyes darted around the small group, but then settled back onto Kagome. “I…first I want to apologize for my behavior the other day, I-I shouldn't have snapped at you.”

 

“Oh, well it's okay, I know-”

 

“I, um…also wanted to re-remind you about the banquet that's going to be held in your and the demon…lord's honor tomorrow night.” His eyes darted to Inuyasha for a moment when he voiced his opinion of a banquet, or anything for that matter, being held in Sesshoumaru's honor. Takahiro ignored him and waited for Kagome to say something.

 

“Oh! Yes, thank you; I almost forgot about that, sorry,” she said quickly.

 

“You'll be there then?” Takahiro asked.

 

“Of course. My friends-”

 

“They can come too. As long as you're there, and the demon lord of course.” At Kagome's nod, Takahiro turned tail and all but ran away from them. He stumbled a few times and Kagome shook her head.

 

“People in this village are weird,” Inuyasha supplied. “I don't know how you put up with them. There's probably nothin' to even do around here.”

 

Kagome narrowed her eyes, but chose to ignore his complaining. “Are any of you hungry? I can go get some fish for dinner.” At the collective nod she continued, “all right, you can all make yourselves comfortable in the hut if you'd like and I'll-”

 

“The hut's too cramped to fit all of us. It would be uncomfortable,” Inuyasha interrupted her.

 

`What is up with people interrupting me?' Kagome thought bitterly. “I'm sure you'll be fine,” she ground out through clenched teeth.

 

Sango, Miroku, and Shippou took a couple of steps back from Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at his oblivious half-brother, but it went unnoticed.

 

“Keh! It's not even a hut, is it? How do ya live in that thing, it's ugly as sin. I bet we all can't even sleep in there; I mean, shit, the fire pit takes up most of the room…”

 

“Inuyasha,” Miroku warned quietly when he saw the foretelling tick of Kagome's eye. His advice went unheeded and Inuyasha continued his ranting.

 

“…and it only has one window and you've got those stupid lookin' curtains blockin' the view…”

 

“Inuyasha,” Shippou tried, waving his arms and shaking his head rapidly to get the half-demon's attention without success.

 

“…and another thing, it fuckin' reeks of that bastard in there! Just what the fuck have you two been-”

 

“Sit!” The rest of the group cringed and shook their heads as Kikyo and Sesshoumaru looked on impassively with completely different emotions running through their heads. That command had enough force to knock Inuyasha out cold and Kagome's cheeks heated with embarrassment and anger.

 

“I'm going to get dinner,” she said with unveiled frustration.

 

Miroku stepped towards Inuyasha to drag him into the hut when he was stopped by Sesshoumaru's voice.

 

“Leave him; the whelp has earned his punishment.” A quick sneer in Inuyasha's direction and Sesshoumaru was gone and following after Kagome to offer his assistance.

 

Those that remained stared after him and then shrugged. “Well,” Sango piped up, “I guess we should go make ourselves comfortable.”

 

Kikyo once again stayed behind with Inuyasha while he recovered. She hadn't felt the need to interfere with Inuyasha's rampage, but was disgusted with the power Kagome held over Inuyasha. She looked down at the prayer beads and inspected them delicately.

 

Kikyo's bitterness towards her reincarnation grew each time she had to witness the beads in action. Soon Inuyasha would not be the only one who had to suffer subjugation, of that she would make sure. The young priestess held far too much power over the half-demon, but that would change.