Red light scorched behind her shuttered eyes.

Kagome groaned, shifting in the softness that enveloped her. As her stiff limbs wakened, she curled her hands into the fine texture beneath her, something strange and alien in it startling her to full wakefulness.

Her breath stilted, her fingers clenching. Exhaling forcefully, she pushed herself upright, coils of soft fur slipping down her form. Kagome’s eyes widened, then narrowed. Staring at the ivory pelt pooled in her lap, she tensed, her gaze darting toward the figure perched nearby, on a ledge of rock overlooking the mountain stream.

The look Sesshoumaru returned to her was reproving. “I told you to stay near.”

Kagome scowled, shoving the lush fur the rest of the way off of her. “What did you expect?—for me to wait around on you in that smoking crater? I needed to soak my feet.”

“You should have come with me then,” he replied, the smoothness of his tone setting her teeth that much more on edge.

“Get real,” she bit out, flushing irritably. Spitefully, she blurted, “I met one of your vassals last night—some guy named Hirokin.”

Sesshoumaru’s glance chilled, sliding darkly toward the water’s edge. Kagome swallowed, immediately regretting her impetuous remark.

“Don’t kill him,” she said.

The daiyoukai’s eyes cut sharply to her.

“It’s just that you looked like you wanted to kill him,” she explained quickly, her voice lowering to an anxious mutter. “Actually, you still look like you want to kill him…”

Sesshoumaru’s expression was hard. “Do not trust him.”

“I wasn’t planning on it,” Kagome said hotly, crossing her arms over her chest. “Not that you’re one to lecture me on the subject.”

Sesshoumaru said nothing to this. Recalling his fur to him, he turned toward the stream again. His claws flashed briefly beneath the surface, hauling out a thrashing silver fish. Its scales shimmered blindingly in the morning light.

Kagome blinked, wincing at the stark crack of its spine breaking. Ribbons of bloody innards spilled from its belly as Sesshoumaru gutted it with ruthless efficiency and plunged it into the stream again. After a few scorching swipes along its sides, he handed it to her by a hooked claw in its gill.

“Eat,” he said. “Your is stomach growling.”

Making a face, Kagome reached for the smoking carcass with reiki-infused palms. Once the fish was purified, she picked at the folds of filleted white flesh—trying not to think too hard about what they resembled. The acid-fried meat was chewy and tasteless, but she choked it down nonetheless. It was still better than the sorry excuse for tea he had made for her in the past—or gods forbid, the rice.

Glaring at him, she spit out a singed bone. “So, you’ve got demon lords throwing their beautiful daughters at you, and you’re still messing around with humans.”

Folding his hands into his sleeves, Sesshoumaru fixed her with a level stare. “Who is being ‘thrown’ at me?”

Kagome glowered. “Hirokin said that his dad offered you both of his sisters.”

The corner of his mouth lifted slightly. “And did he tell you that I refused?”

Tossing the remains of the fish aside, Kagome stood. Her hands planted on her hips as she stared him down.

“Just so you know, no demon brat of yours will ever inherit Tessaiga. It belonged to Inuyasha, and now it belongs to me. So keep that in mind whether you continue to ‘refuse’ these offers or not.”

“You worry for nothing,” Sesshoumaru said, his golden eyes flicking coolly aside. “Such an arrangement is of no interest to me.”

“What,” Kagome scoffed, “being respectably married?”

Swiftly, Sesshoumaru rose, looming above her. Holding her ground, Kagome looked up at him warily, her toes curling into the moss for purchase.

“Yes,” he said, the glint of his eyes piercing through her as he leaned in, the very ends of his fur brushing against the swell of her breast.  “…Sweet sister.”

Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi