Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ My Naga Knight ❯ Chapter 20

Author's Notes: Holy Lord, people, I am so sorry. X_X I promise I didn't die. I just got addicted to WoW again. You know how I go—I go in and out of it depending on my moods. I will try to get back in a steady roll with my stories to get these finished before I am 30. LOL Enjoy

 

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Lily waited nervous back inside of the house near the porch, listening for anything or anybody recognizable heading in her direction. Eventually the sound of armor could be heard clanking within the distance, only to get louder the closer the knight got to the home's front porch. “Thane, is that you?” Lily inquired eagerly, her hand on her chest where her heart was beating rapidly in worry. “Are you okay? What happened to the snake demon?”

 

“He will hopefully not be coming back after this moment, if the creature has any brains at all,” Thane remarked irritably as he made it past Lily only to be grabbed by her hands quickly before he could make it to the front door. He hadn't forgotten what Lily thought and said about the snake demons before, making him gaze down at her blind sight with his mouth twisted to the side in wonder of what she may say to him.

 

“You didn't kill him, did you?”

 

Thane paused for a moment, almost curling his lip in disgust at having her sound so worried for the beast. “I didn't kill him,” he eventually answered as he moved one of his hands upon the doorknob to open it for himself. “He is still alive out there somewhere, but I told him to never return or I would kill him.”

 

Lily closed her eyes tightly as she began to cry heavily mostly in relief Jin made it out okay, releasing Thane so he could enter inside of the house. “Thank the Goddess you're okay, Jin,” Lily whispered to herself upon hearing the door close behind her. “I don't know what I would do right now if I lost you.”

 

Silver remained hidden within the forest surrounding the farmland, trembling from the pain the wind would cause to her open wounds. Her nails dug into the ground with a hiss as the blood continued to ooze from her opened injuries. “Jin, where are you…?” The bushes rustling caught her unstable attention from where she was lying out of sight. She looked nervously about her, praying that it wasn't the knight coming back to kill her. Her weary eyes shined with tears of anxiety with the situation she was in, Silver eventually relaxed when the bushes parted and led way for Jin. “Oh, Jin…thank goodness it is you…”

 

The way she spoke sounded winded and as if she was dying. When he saw her about to lie her head down and close her eyes again in his company, Jin quickly dropped the Paluu Tree leaves on the ground he was going to wrap her wounds up in. “Hey, Silver, don't sleep just yet,” he insisted. Resting his hand upon her back, he lifted himself up slightly to come closer to her face. “Come on; it'll be alright. Just hold out for a bit longer, okay?” said Jin with a shake to her blooded form.

 

“I am just so tired…,” Silver whispered against the ground her cheek was resting against.

 

“I need to get you wrapped up and back to the nest,” said the wind serpent hastily as he grabbed the Paluu Tree leaves to start doing so. “You're losing too much blood.”

 

“Take me to Kurama,” she pleaded at that moment as he was working on her body. Her eyes blinked wildly as if to fight to keep them open. “He can heal me…” With that said, Silver's head collapsed to the ground, her eyes closing.

 

“Silver, don't fall asleep!” He begged again, shaking her harshly once more only to get no response. Jin could hear her breathing at the very least, relieved to find she was alive still. With most of her grave wounds wrapped up, he picked her up within his arms and let her serpent body rest about his as he was eager to get her back to the nest.

 

Lily eventually came back inside of the farm house once she had managed to recollect her emotions. Her hand upon her rapidly beating heart, with her apron still halfway to her face to indicate she was wiping her tears from her face. The blind woman could hear the knight about the kitchen as he was removing some of his armor to be free from it as he was tired from work and the chase after the serpent demon. She could also feel the knight's eyes on her, making Lily look away from him with a shaky inhale of breath.

 

Thane merely sighed to himself and looked down at his iron shoes he was removing from his sweaty form next. “So today is something special? I saw you came back from the market place with quite a few things in your possession.” Hearing a meowing sound, the knight looked over at the chair across from the sofa he was sitting upon to see Tabby there. “And a cat too.”

 

“That's my cat,” Lily responded as she cleared her sinuses with a sniffle. “His name is Tabby, and today is Neda's birthday. I went to the market to buy some things for her and to retrieve some of my belongings.” Her hands feeling around the cabinets, she pulled the pots and pans she needed for making breakfast that morning.

 

“So today is her birthday,” said Thane as he slipped into something more comfortable for rest in dealing with a simple shirt, colored in off-white and a wide neck and blue like pants that reached his ankles. “I guess I'll get her a late gift before I get off of work tonight at my shift. I am too tired to go now.”

 

Lily smiled to herself, closing her eyes to remind herself Thane was just doing what he was trained to, and he wasn't a bad man. “I am sure she'll appreciate the gesture.” Hearing the floorboards creak behind her, Lily gazed over her shoulder towards the staircase. “It is good to hear you up and about Blythe.”

 

The young Cormac girl stood there a bit confused before pointing at herself. “How did you know it was me? I didn't even speak.”

 

“I know that Neda won't get up until she is moved or has the energy to,” Lily announced while heating up the clay oven. The wooden logs burning, Lily got to her feet to dust off her apron. “How is she feeling today? It is her birthday today after all, so I am curious if she feels like coming down later to have a celebration.”

 

Remembering that it was her sister's birthday, Blythe slightly inhaled from the shock of it before looking up the dark staircase where their bedroom was located. “I am not sure,” sighed Blythe as she made it to the dinning room table to sit down. “I would hope so. She was so looking forward to her birthday before mom and dad passed away. Now I am sure she doesn't even realize what day it is or even care.”

 

Thane listened in on the conversation from where he was sitting around the corner against the wall on the sofa. Smiling to himself, he got to his feet and appeared before the young farm girl to show he was there if she wasn't aware already. “Well, if your sister doesn't want to celebrate it down here, we'll just move it up to her bedroom then.”

 

She didn't expect the knight to be back so soon, so Blythe jumped slightly at his voice, startled a bit. Hearing his comments, the young girl smiled with a nod. “I am sure she would like that.” Turning her attention back to the items on the table, Blythe began to nosily shift through them to find some of Lily's belongings. Her fingers rolling across the music box caused the item to gently hum a tune briefly. The sound caught Lily's attention from where she was cooking breakfast.

 

“Such a curious one you are to go through my things,” she chuckled lightly.

 

“What is this?” Blythe wondered curiously as she tipped the box just slightly to look at it from all angles. “I have never seen one of these before.”

 

Cracking one of the eggs upon the countertop, Lily opened it carefully into the pan she had before looking over her shoulder slightly to look in Blythe's direction as if she could see. “I was told it is called a music box. A friend of the family picked it out for Neda as a birthday gift, so try to keep that hidden from her.”

 

Blythe put the music box back where she found it, covering it up with the other belongings Lily brought with her in the carrying sack. “I just hope she'll come down to eat breakfast today. She hasn't been too eager on joining us at all.”

 

Lily was silent a moment as was Thane. They both felt rather bad about it, wishing there was something they could do to lighten her spirits. Smiling to herself, Lily closed her misty covered eyes. “Then we will do as Thane suggested earlier dealing with her birthday and just take the breakfast up to her bedroom then. If she feels more comfortable eating alone, then we shall allow it. Whatever it takes to get her to eat, right?”

 

A rush of relief came over Blythe realizing that she was in good hands no matter what and so was her sister. Looking down at her hands, which were resting upon her lap, she nodded. “Thank you—thank you both for helping us.”

 

Beldon was up early that morning as soon as he felt the sun set upon his scales he had intertwined about his mate's. The other nests were steadily awakening around him as he set out to check on Jin and his daughter. As he was making his way through the forestland surrounding the desolate, human graveyard, he heard several twigs and dry leaves cracking in the distance. He was a bit nervous and on guard at the hurried sounds coming in his direction. In case it was a regular human, he lowered down to the ground and hissed a warning to make sure they would leave, but the sounds didn't cease. When the figures soon came into view, he was surprised at the sight before him to see an injured Silver in Jin's blooded arms. “Silver! Jin!” He panicked as he hurried towards the two. “What happened!”

 

“I tried to help her,” Jin insisted with labored breaths. “A knight attacked her and hurt her badly…”

 

The alpha grabbed onto his daughter, not caring about Jin at that moment. “I need to get her to Kurama,” he mostly muttered to himself as his eyes gazed over her deep, sword wounds. “Go get the alpha of the earth nest! Hurry!” Beldon demanded almost angrily at Jin when it came to his carelessness of his daughter.

 

Jin did quickly as he was told and hurried to find the alpha of the earth nest. In his rushed behavior, he blew past Touya and didn't even pass a glance at him. The winter naga brought his hands up to his face to block the aggressive wind currents Jin's attitude projected about the area before bringing them down to see it was indeed his friend making his way by. “Jin? What is wrong?” He asked himself as he didn't want to bother the wind demon at the moment.

 

Kurama was resting still within his nest when he heard the commotion Jin was carrying. His arms overlapped underneath his chin, he opened one of his closed eyes to peer down at the new serpent to the nest. The redhead opened the other when he realized who it was with his head soon flying straight up to attention. “Jin?” He wondered as he remembered his name quite well from hearing it about the aligning nesting sites. “What is the matter?”

 

“You have to come quickly!” Jin responded in labored breaths as he watched the alpha male crawl down the slightly mountainous terrain in the area where his nesting place was. “Silver was attacked by one of the knights and is badly hurt!”

 

Those in the nest near Kurama gazed up at him, wondering what he was going to do. He pushed himself up on his serpent half before making it down before Jin. “Show me where she is,” he demanded in demonic.

 

Dustin had heard the commotion going on causing him to surface with Aland and Finlay behind him. His mouth slightly parted in wonder of what was causing the ruckus, he raised a brow slightly to try and see over the majority of wind serpents that had gathered in a protective circle. Tilting his head to the side in wonder, he heard Aland ask, “What is going on?”

 

“I smell blood,” Finlay remarked with a slight hiss at the scent, recoiling his serpent half. “Somebody is hurt.” His black, white, and gray scales rubbed against one another as he watched from a comfortable distance as the other demon serpents were new to him still.

 

“Move! Get out of the way!” one of the serpent demons from the wind nest demanded as he saw Kurama coming into view. “Let him through!”

 

Kurama got quickly through the crowd to find Silver lying there breathing heavily in her pain she was enduring. Bringing his hands down slowly to her body, he rested them upon her side that was soaked in a bit of blood and dirt that had clung to her in Jin's attempt to drag her back to the nesting site. He felt her tense under his hands. “Shhh, I am not going to harm you, small one.” Closing his eyes and creasing his brow into concentration, he began to gather the energy he had to focus on healing her wounds she had been given.

 

Touya came into view to see what was going on behind Dustin and the others. His narrow eyes squinting to see better, he noticed that a good bit of energy was resonating from the earth about them causing some of the plants and the land about the demon to renew. A green life force seemed to pull from the greenery that had been transformed to dance and weave about the female, lying there in pain. Her hectic breathing of agony seemed to steadily come down the more it continued. The ice demon's eyes widened at seeing the wounds magically disappear and the skin to repair itself. He has powers of his own too.

 

Opening his eyes, Kurama pulled his hands back to try and recollect himself. “She should really rest,” he advised to Beldon, eyeing the alpha with his piercing green eyes. “She will be better in no time. Do not worry about her now.” Kurama felt the eyes of the wind master upon him, prompting him to look over at the slightly surprised wind demon at seeing the other redhead's powers.

 

Jin's elfin ears moved slightly forwards as if to catch the whispers he could hear hissing about dealing with him and Silver. It was at that moment he felt as though he were in trouble, causing him to recoil back as if to protect himself. “I am sorry,” he whimpered slightly, not expecting this to happen.

 

“YOU!” Beldon growled angrily, slithering quickly towards him with is fists clenched at his sides. “It is because of you taking her into human territory she nearly died!”

 

Dustin's face broke into panic as he saw the alpha male heading for someone from his nest. Hurrying towards Jin, he managed to get in front of the redhead before Beldon could make it to his charge. “Don't touch him! He's not part of your nest!” He growled angrily with a hiss.

 

“Get out of my way!” Beldon demanded in return with a snap at Dustin's neck. “That careless creature nearly got my daughter killed when I entrusted her to him!”

 

“Stop it!” Kurama growled from where he stood. “I know Jin wouldn't do this intentionally as he got injured himself trying to just feed her!” He shook his head at the two senselessly fighting over something that could have ended much worse. “He didn't mean for it to happen. Knowing him, he probably did what he could to save her.”

 

“Beldon, I am sorry!” Jin intruded during Kurama's speech to save him. “I didn't mean for her to get hurt! I even advised that she not come after me last night, but she insisted. I am sorry!”

 

Dustin looked over his shoulder briefly at Jin before turning his focus back at the defensive Beldon. He was waiting to see what the wind nest alpha would do as he was fearful that Jin wouldn't be able to defend himself against any attack laid on him considering his injury he sustained from the knights as well. “Did you ever think that your daughter was so taken to him that she would even follow him into human territory? Jin did nothing wrong!” He hissed in the wind master's stand.

 

Beldon snorted through his nostrils, crossing his arms over his bare chest. “All I can say is if anything happens to my daughter, I am holding him responsible for it.” With that said, he turned around to check on his daughter once more with his nest.

 

Kurama stayed to protect Jin as well, knowing the younger demon meant no harm. Turning to Dustin and Jin, he smiled sweetly to the two in hopes of relaxing them both as he witnessed Dustin tense up a bit in case he was going to do anything. “Do not worry about Beldon. He is just very protective of his daughters as most can be, and with Silver being his youngest, he is most protective of her.”

 

“I sympathize for him,” Dustin explained as Jin remained behind him, “but it wasn't Jin's fault Silver wanted to follow him. Even I've learned by now not to follow the airhead around, or I'll get skinned with him!”

 

Puffing out his cheeks at that comment, Jin growled a bit in his throat.

 

Kurama chuckled lightly to himself at that notion. “I guess then the fool is the one who follows him around, right?” Looking over his shoulder at that thought to see Silver lying there to recover, he lidded his eyes in thought. “Of course, Silver was a love-sick fool. However,” Kurama began as he turned back towards the two, “you must be careful as to where you go, Jin. I understand that you have many dedications to many different people, but you cannot fulfill them if you yourself get killed.”

 

Jin was a bit caught off guard by what the other redhead had to say to him. The way he expressed his words was almost as if he was insinuating he knew something. “What…?”

 

The earth demon turned his head to the side, allowing some of his hair to fall into his face though he gazed at Jin out of the corner of his green eyes with a bit of a smirk. “The earth tells me many things. Just be cautious. You could be endangering more than you know.”

 

Finlay raised a brow to that as well, curious as to what the stranger meant by that as the earth serpent slithered back towards his nesting area. “What was that all about? What did he mean by that?”

 

Jin didn't want to overanalyze it himself as he looked up at Dustin when he slithered nervously to his alpha's side. “Thanks, Dustin.”

 

Dustin's face broke into annoyance as he reared the closest hand to Jin back to whack him on the back of the head. The shock of it caused Jin to fall forwards as he wasn't expecting to get hit by his alpha. “The only reason I did that was so I could spare Beldon from hitting some sense into you, and I could do it!” He growled angrily, showing off his fangs. “What is wrong with you!”

 

Rubbing the back of his head, Jin grumbled a bit with a hiss at the pain he was being put through. “Dustin, I am sorry! I didn't expect that knight to come around when he did!” He apologized, bringing his hands up to his head to prevent from being hit again.

 

He grabbed onto Jin's neck as if to keep him pinned down. “I want to know what is going on, and I want to know now! What have you been doing! Tell me!”

 

“Dustin!” Touya panicked, watching the two tussle a bit.

 

Jin swallowed hard against Dustin's threats and what he would think about what he may say. “D-Dustin…please!” He pleaded, wrapping his hands about the alpha's wrist. Sighing through his nostrils, he lowered his ears and closed his eyes to show he knew he was going to regret what he was about to say. “I'll tell you if you let me tell you without Finlay, Touya, or Aland nearby.”

 

The leader of the small clan raised his brow at Jin wondering what he was about to say. “Finlay, get Aland and Touya out of here so I can talk to Jin.” Finlay was always trusted as Dustin's second in command as he was old enough and reliable as well. When he didn't feel Finlay was acting fast enough, he turned his head and snapped at him angrily. “NOW!”

 

Finlay turned to the other demons in the group, nudging them away from the two. “Come on. Let's leave them be.” Aland didn't have problems doing as he was told, but Touya didn't want anything to happen to his friend. Witnessing Touya's resistance, Finlay frowned as he raised up on his serpent half to try and intimidate the smaller demon. “Touya,” he hissed irritably with a slip of his forked tongue.

 

Touya backed down at Finlay's taller and bigger form, forced to scoot away as the second in command urged him to. He managed to catch a glance into Jin's eyes over Finlay's muscular shoulders. Shaking his head eagerly, he tried to express in his stance then and there not to tell Dustin anything dealing with the human children he was taking care of. Don't do it! He practically urged mentally to himself.

 

Jin caught Touya's movements for a second before looking away with a heavy sigh. He knew he couldn't keep hiding what he was doing from his alpha much longer. The serpent demon felt he was lying to his leader, and he couldn't take the thought of doing that any longer. “Dustin…I am sorry….but….” Jin paused a moment as he brought his fingers in close to a fist. “When I was in that barn fire back at the farm…I held onto the human mother and watched her die in my arms. During that time, she asked me to watch over her two daughters…and I have…”

 

Dustin's heart nearly stopped beating at that moment. “So, you've been running back and forth…over some HUMAN woman's promise!” His nails seemed to dig a bit more into Jin's neck, piercing his skin and causing him to weaken a bit. Dustin listened as Jin released a shaky cry of dismay—it phased him very little to hear it. “How could you do this to me, Jin, and behind my back no less!” Baring his fangs angrily and hissing still to show he may bite or attack Jin soon, he stopped for a second upon hearing the sobbing the redhead was doing.

 

“Dustin, please! I am sorry!” Jin sobbed as he covered his eyes with his arms crossing over his face. “I am so, so sorry…! I didn't mean for this to happen!”

 

Narrowing his eyes at Jin's apology, Dustin used the rest of his nails to pierce the skin of Jin's neck. The numbing poison overwhelmed the younger serpent demon's body, Jin soon passed out from the alpha overpowering him. When Dustin felt Jin no longer resisting him, he released his grasp on the demon. Picking him up in his arms, Dustin gazed down at the paralyzed serpent demon. “You're not going anywhere for awhile. You're staying in my care, whether you like it or not.”

 

 

 

 

Thane moved to the room he was allowed to be in to change to remove his shirt to get to his wounds that Silver had inflicted upon him earlier. Sitting on the side of the bed in nothing but his pants, he raised his right arm a bit to look at his injured side. “That beast sure did put up a fight,” he grunted at the pain his side was giving him. “But that sure was odd—I don't know many female snake demons to expose themselves like that in the presence of a knight.”

 

After finishing her morning chores, Blythe made her way up the stairs with Neda's lunch in her hands. She happened to glance over at the light coming from her parent's old bedroom. Twisting her mouth to the side to think, she looked off towards Neda's and her room as well. He was injured a bit, Blythe thought as she took one step towards her parent's bedroom. I guess I can give this to Neda later. It isn't like she will be going anywhere any time soon.

 

Walking up to the door Thane was on the opposite side of, Blythe hesitantly knocked on it to introduce herself. “Thane, it is me, Blythe.” When the knight didn't say anything, she tapped her fingers a bit nervously on the tray in her hands. “I noticed you were bleeding a bit when I came down this morning. Are you okay?”

 

The knight was listening to what Blythe was saying to him, but he didn't want to open the door and worry her. Lowering his arm, he placed it upon his thigh to gaze up at the door. “Come in. the door is open.”

 

Opening the door as Thane asked, Blythe stepped inside to find the young knight in nothing but his woolen pants. She had never seen a man shirtless causing her to blush a bright red. “Umm-oh-I-I am sorry,” Blythe apologized as she averted her attention off to the side.

 

Looking up at her, his dusty blond hair waved slightly as he smiled at Blythe with his blue eyes. “I am sorry. I forget that you may not have seen this most of me exposed before, but I promise my chest won't bite you.” He saw the tray in Blythe's hands before she placed it on the open space on the floor near the door. “For Neda, I imagine?”

 

Blythe nodded at his observation. “Yeah, she did eat a little of her breakfast, but she does need to eat her lunch too.” She nervously made it over to Thane to see some of the scrapes and blooded areas he had covered up in private though some were still uncovered. “I never got to ask you who or what did that to you this morning.”

 

Thane got more of the bandages he usually carried around with him out of the sack he had with him. Cutting off some of it, he began to wrap up his side to conceal the wound there. “It was just some serpent demon that was trying to get the hens earlier this morning when I was coming here.” Thane grunted a bit when he hit a tender area just by wrapping himself. “It was a female, but her companion showed up and stopped me from killing her.” He raised his brows slightly upon finishing dressing his wounds. “I guess I felt pity and let them go even if I nearly had the female.”

 

Joining Thane on the end of the bed, Blythe sidewise smiled briefly at his comment. “I guess an eye for an eye wouldn't help things, would it?”

 

The knight chuckled at Blythe's words. “Well, I know it wouldn't do anybody any good.” He stared straight ahead at the mirror as if just to stare past his reflection. Sniffling a bit to clear his sinuses, he shifted his sight down at the ground. “I know killing either of them won't return either of our parents to us, and killing one would only get more demons around here. I guess it was a good thing I was stopped.”

 

Blythe finally had the ability to look at him without much of a blush this time. However she was a bit nervous when it came to touching his muscular arm, which was closest to her. She watched as he turned his head to look down upon her, prompting her to shyly gaze away for a second. Thane seemed to edge closer to her with his face before nuzzling tenderly into her forehead with the slope of his nose. Blythe closed her eyes with a smile before wrapping her arms about his shoulders cautiously as he was injured about the area.

 

Thane smiled in return though grunted as well at having his injuries accidentally brushed by her. He reached up to hold onto her wrists to pull them away from where they were, but brought them to his lips to kiss the back of her hands. “I think Neda might want that lunch now,” he whispered with a brief chuckle. “Besides, I wouldn't want to introduce you into this so soon; especially with me injured.”

 

“You're right,” the young farm girl said in return. “Besides, we should celebrate her birthday at the very least too, right? Are you awake and okay enough to celebrate it for a moment or two?”

 

“I have enough energy in me for that,” Thane chuckled as he reached for another shirt he wore on his off times that was short-sleeved tunic in forest green colors but with some brown embroidery. “Come, let's get Lily and say happy birthday to Neda.”

 

Neda was resting on her side while watching the sun shine through her window she was close to. She had little desire to even look over her shoulder when she heard the door open. Knowing it could be any of the three to come badger her, Neda just sighed a bit through her nostrils but tried to make it evident enough that they wouldn't bother her.

 

Lily looked over towards where Thane and Blythe were standing to extend her hand a bit in hopes the elder sister could guide her through the room. When she felt Blythe's hand about hers, she followed behind her to Neda's bedside to kneel down beside it. “Neda, we have something to give to you,” Lily insisted with a smile, shaking her gently.

 

Wondering what they could possibly want, the younger sister turned around to see the three standing in her room and Thane coming over with the birthday cake Lily had made earlier in the morning before lying down to nap for a moment or two. “What-what is this?” She wondered, sitting upright in bed with her hair slightly messy from not combing it at all that day.

 

Keeping her gifts on the floorboards, Lily pushed herself up and onto the bed to sit near Neda. “I am sure you haven't forgotten your own birthday,” she said with a smile, staring off slightly past Neda. “We wanted to wish you a happy birthday, sweetheart.”

 

Thane made his way over towards the young girl with the cake in his hands still. “You don't have to eat much, but I think Lily would be offended if you didn't have at least a small bite.”

 

Shaking her head at the knight, Lily smiled as she playfully knocked the back of her hand against his chest once she found it. “Don't mind him. I won't be offended in the least. By the way—,” Lily raised her finger to tell her to wait a moment as she bent over the bed to grab the gift Jin had chosen for her. “This was a gift from one of the guardians your mother and father asked to watch over you two.”

 

Neda looked at the strange box handed to her, curious as to what it was. Finding the latch on it, she unlatched it to open it up and find the phoenix spinning about to a melody that nobody knew the lyrics to. “What is this?” She wondered with hidden excitement. “It is pretty.”

 

“The woman called it a music box,” Lily answered as the song filled her ears. “He found it at a local seller last night in the market place and thought you may enjoy it.”

 

Watching the phoenix continue to dance, Neda eventually closed the box before placing it on her nightstand. “It's-very pretty,” she admitted.

 

“He told me to tell you happy birthday and that he will continue to make sure you and your sister have a wonderful life here,” Lily continued with a slight nod. “He is sorry that you cannot really see him, but he does come in to check on you both when you're sleeping; especially you, Neda.”

 

Neda blinked a bit with a bewildered look upon her face. “Why me…?”

 

Lily carefully reached out into the darkness to search for Neda's cheeks to rest her hands there. “It is because he knows what trouble you are in, and he is very, very sorry it happened.” She was hoping the way she stressed `very' wouldn't cause anybody to raise a brow as to why. “Just know that he's watching over the both of you and trying everything he can to make sure you're both okay and safe from harm.”

 

Biting her lower lip to prevent it from trembling, Neda looked up at Lily with a shrug as tears rimmed her eyes. “I really miss my parents,” she admitted somberly. Spontaneously, Neda reached for Lily and hugged her tightly.

 

Blinking with confusion at Neda's sudden desire to be hugged by her, Lily held the upset Neda in return. “I know you do, young one. Do not worry, things will get better. I promise you that.” Resting her chin upon Neda's head, she closes her eyes for a moment to help settle the Cormac girl. “Your parents will always be there with you whether you can see them or not. Just know that they love you too much to walk this path alone and will be there for you when you need them.” Feeling the sun on her skin, Lily shifted her cloudy eyes over at the window for a second. I wish there was an easier way for Jin to be here to comfort her. If only he wasn't a demon…

 

Back at the forest lands where the serpents were resting, Jin was still out cold no thanks to Dustin's dose into his body. His fingers finally twitching a bit to show he was getting some response back into them, his eyes blinking open next. Moaning softly from the slight stiffness he was feeling, he only moved an inch off of the ground to have weight come down on top of him to keep him where he was on the ground.

 

Dustin was sitting upon his serpent half with his arms crossed upon his chest with an irritable glare. “You're not going anywhere while I am here with you,” he insisted angrily. His lower serpent half was weighing down upon Jin's back to keep him where he was. “I am not going to let your recklessness get yourself or anybody else killed!”

 

Jin looked up sadly at Dustin and almost pleadingly. “Dustin…don't do this to me, please! I promised her! I promised Pearl I would watch over her kids no matter what!”

 

A growl rumbled in Dustin's throat at Jin's words. “Do you want me to bite you or numb you again?” The words didn't seem to sink in as he felt Jin's body flexing under him as if to try and rise up again. Lowering his head, Dustin bit at the exposed, scaly skin of the naga beneath him. “Stop it!”

 

Flinching from the bite, Jin trembled a bit in a submissive way with his ears faltered. “But, I need to get up to check on Silver too! You wouldn't deny me that, would you?”

 

Twisting his mouth to the side, Dustin grumbled a bit at the truth behind that. “Fine. I'll let you go see her, but if I find out you've detoured from your path, I'll punish you by sending you back to your brother!” As soon as he said that, he felt Jin's arms wrap about his body. Looking down at the younger charge of his, he saw Jin holding onto him for dear life as if begging not to be turned away.

 

Jin nuzzled his forehead, careful of his horn, against Dustin's abdomen. “Please, please, please don't do that…! I am trying so hard to please everyone at one time, and it has gotten me into trouble!” His eyes running over in tears, he had not the courage to look into Dustin's eyes, so Jin just embraced him tighter. “If you would just let me tie up some loose ends here, I won't bother with the human girls again unless they travel into our territory. Can you not allow me to do this one thing?”

 

“Jin, you've done many things I am not proud of,” Dustin admitted, looking away from the sobbing demon. “But talking to and protecting humans after you know what they did to my old clan is more than heartbreaking for me!” His eyes soon glaring down at Jin, he huffed through his nostrils. “But, fine—I will give you this one day to get everything in order and then I never, ever want to hear you've been around anymore humans!”

 

Feeling a bit of pressure lifted from that notion, Jin held onto Dustin still as a thank you. “Let me just meet with the blind woman, and I promise I won't be near the farm again!”

 

Grabbing onto the side of his neck that was still sensitive from being bit, Dustin put a bit of pressure on it. “You better, or I will make you pay for it.”

 

 

 

 

Later in the night Thane went back to his post at Kalrune while Lily woke up to keep a watch out for Jin in case he stopped by. She found herself sitting outside on the porch to wait this time rather eagerly. After what happened in the morning, Lily was a bit fearful that Jin might not come back or was probably injured again in some way that she would have to help him back to the market place to be checked out once more. Hearing some of the bushes rustle and the horses sleeping outside without the barn being finished getting a bit uneasy, Lily turned her head slightly wondering who was out there. “Hello? Who is out there?” She wondered pushing herself up from the chair out front.

 

Pushing the bushes out of his way, Jin made his way towards the porch where he saw Lily sitting alone. “Lily, it is me,” he whispered as he slithered cautiously forward while low to the ground. “Are you alone?”

 

“Yes, but what about you?” Lily wondered as she made her way carefully down the stairs to meet Jin halfway. “Are you okay?” Her hands graced the scaly cheeks of the serpent demon to feel that it was indeed him. “I heard what happened when it came to Thane. He didn't strike you any, did he?”

 

Jin grabbed onto her curious hands to hold them for a moment. “I am fine, Lily. Silver was not so lucky and got badly hurt….and that is why I am here.” He could tell she wasn't looking as though she wanted to hear the news, but Jin knew there was no better way to do this. “My alpha has threatened to disown me and throw me back at my uncaring brother if he catches me here again.” Jin sighed through his nostrils, holding onto her hands a bit tighter. “I cannot stop by anymore than I already have. If I get thrown out of the nest I am in…I could easily die alone.”

 

Lily sighed sorrowfully at the news. “I am sorry about this, Jin. I didn't mean for you to get into trouble.”

 

Thinking about Pearl and her husband, Jin moved away from Lily and towards the gravestone markers. He allowed the blind woman to hold onto his shoulder to follow him as he did so. Spying them soon enough, Jin stood there with his head lowered. “I am so sorry, Pearl,” he whispered mostly to himself even though Lily too could hear him.

 

“Jin,” Lily began with a tender smile, her fingers flexing slightly on his shoulder. “You did everything you could for them, and look what happened—Thane and myself are here now to help them both. It isn't like you failed. You found the help they needed.” Holding onto Jin's scaly shoulders, she brought herself closer to his ear she could feel soon. “I am sure Pearl is happy now that her daughters have the proper help. Besides, it isn't like you can't continue to help them. If they happen to wander lost into the woods, you can always be their guardian there.”

 

The snake demon managed a smile himself at the peace that thought brought to him. Looking at Lily, he reached up carefully to her cheek to stroke it with the side of his finger so as not to prick her skin and poison her body. “I am afraid I won't be around as much anymore. I hope things go well for you, Lily.”

 

Her hands still on his shoulders, Lily moved in to embrace the demon. She slid her fingers down his back to hold onto him there. “I'll miss you, Jin,” she whispered against the side of his neck. “I hope things go well for you too. Let me know if you ever need anything.”

 

Jin pulled back from the embrace to kiss Lily upon the cheek. “Take care of things here for me. That is all I need for now.” He knew that if he didn't get going soon enough, Jin would get in trouble by Dustin once more. Hesitantly he pulled away from the human woman till his fingers slipped from hers upon his hands sliding down her arm and to her palm. “I have to go. Goodbye, Lily.”

 

Once his hand was gone from hers, Lily brought it back to her chest to just stare off into the darkness she could see. Backtracking to the house, she went up the stairs with her heart feeling quite heavy at having to say goodbye to the snake demon she had felt close to.