Well, what did she expect, Kagome berated herself. That he would go on loving her, after the way she’d so viciously spurned him?
No, but he had loved her once. Saved her once, because of it. But that time had passed.
Things were different now. Her mortal coil was burning away, and he was marrying another.
“Does she make you happy,” she asked, striving to keep her voice steady, “this fiancée of yours?”
The slightest wrinkle formed between Sesshoumaru’s brows, as if he had no idea what she was talking about. Then just as briefly and subtly as she saw it appear, the wrinkle smoothed and vanished. His eyes glinted, edged with some strange, wicked light.
“Not particularly,” he replied, with a shadow of smile. “But what does that matter?”
Oddly enough, this answer appeased her. The thought of him living happily ever after would’ve rankled her. Maybe like her, he didn’t think he deserved to be happy.
Or maybe he didn’t put much stock in happiness to begin with.
But this thought she pushed aside. She felt entitled, in this moment, to think what she liked. Between them was a knife that pierced at both ends. Ruefully, she gazed up at him, and twisted for the last.
“Tenseiga,” she said, “it doesn’t heal everything.”
Sesshoumaru gazed down at her, saying nothing. But he knew it too. That the trauma of her death had warped her mind. But next to that of others, her suffering was as nothing. Kagome thought of Nazumi—the one he must have resurrected with Tenseiga as well, after he’d attacked her and she’d died in the course of it.
The only one of his victims he’d brought back.
The first.
“You saw that it was no good, didn’t you? To try to bring back the girls you’d savaged to death. After Nazumi, you saw. Her mind was shattered beyond repair.”
“I saw,” he replied, the dark gravity in his tone sounding almost like shame.
And Kagome knew then with a shudder what she still wished in vain to deny—
“I sought only to protect you.”
“You wanted me,” she whispered, faltering. “But since you’d resurrected me before, you couldn’t risk it. And so instead of me, you—you…”
“I had no claim on you,” he said, stepping toward her through the trees. “You wanted to marry Inuyasha, so I stood by. I thought I could bear it,” he murmured, the cast of the flames tinting his golden eyes red. “But when I scented your virgin blood, I lost myself.”
Kagome recoiled from him, in mounting despair. So it was true—
“O-on my wedding night,” she stammered out, choking on her own welling blood. “That was when it began. A-all those girls. All of them…they died because of me…”
Through the red haze of her vision, a stricken, haunted look contorted his features. She drew back from him, into the seething flames. Brambles sliced her hands, and her reiki blazed to heal them.
“Each time, I thought that I could bear it,” he said, the charred ground crunching beneath his bootsteps. “Each time, I strove to resist. But the danger was too great.”
“Inuyasha,” she said, the name tearing from her like a sob. “He felt it. He knew.”
Sesshoumaru stopped. “He sought to protect you as well.”
Kagome’s eyes welled, but not with blood. The flames of her reiki spread across the woods, the land. Igniting all they touched. But around him, the ground was cool and dark.
“I killed him,” she said bleakly, her voice cracked and hoarse with pain.
“It was not your fault,” Sesshoumaru said. “You were exhausted beyond reason. You didn’t even realize what you’d done.”
“But I killed him,” she whimpered, “my own husband. I’m a monster.”
“Kagome—”
“Kill me,” she said, gazing up at him through the glare of the blood and the flames. “I won’t resist.”
Darkly, Sesshoumaru smiled.
“Kill you?” he said. “What nonsense.”
Kagome stared at him, paling. Dread froze her briefly to stone.
“Isn’t that why you’re here?” she said in a breathless rush. “To put me down?”
“Yes, Kagome.” Cold darkness spread before him as he advanced upon her again. “I am here to put you down.”
Primal terror gripped her. Rising abruptly, Kagome grimaced as the world spun before her. Staggering back, she kept her wary glare trained upon him.
“Don’t come any closer to me,” she said lowly. But when he continued to back her into the trees, she snapped, “Down!”
Sesshoumaru didn’t so much as pause. Panicked, she issued the subjugation command again. Though the rosary blazed at his chest, scorching like beads of fire through the pale silk of his collar, he continued stalking toward her.
“It is time to make an end of this.” Sesshoumaru’s slitted eyes glowed greenly, charged with feral heat, as he took hold of the rosary necklace and broke it clean off. “This courtship has gone on long enough.”
Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi
I have to stop reading updates at work. Someone is going to hear me one day “EEEEEEEEE!!!!!” and think I’ve lost my mind.
Hahaha! I know the feeling XD , and I’m so flattered to have inspired it!
Thanks so much for sharing, W!! <3
AHHHHHHHHH! I can’t believe it’s finally here. Even with the cliff hangers you spoil us rotten Char!
Aww thank you, Mi!! I try not to be toooo dirty with the cliffhangers lol but sometimes I just can’t help it XD
<3
Why the breads why they dont work?
Is because she is dying.
They probably never worked.
Great question, Mari! Thanks for sharing <3
I think this cliffhanger is even more steep than last week’s 🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲 I am on the edge of my seat here 😭😭😭😭
Thank you for this update!!
Haha thanks, Rien!! Sorry to leave you hangin’ XD Promise it won’t be for too long 😉
<3
Char!!!!!!!! IS IT ABOUT TO HAPPEN??? 🗣🗣🗣 Is the D about to belong to Kagome? 😂🤣😂
XDDD 😉 We shall see!
Thanks so much for sharing, Blackberry! <3
I kind of hope she kills him, though I know she won’t. I’d hate to see him get out of this unscathed!
Lol yeah he certainly deserves some reckoning XD
Thanks for sharing, mim! <3
Ahh I totally forgot about the « fiancé » Hirokin claimed Sesshoumaru had. It seems I’m not the only one 😂. I wonder what was the point of that subterfuge—it didn’t seem to go anywhere? Or did Sesshoumaru actually announce to his subjects that he intended to wed the Shikon Miko? This was a glorious, action packed chapter—I am curious to see how it will fit into the longer chapter format. Can’t wait to see what will happen next!!
I am a bit confused about what is happening at the end. She offers her life, but then recoils from him. Does she think he will rape her again? Does he intend to? And why wasn’t the roast working? Because of her diminished powers? But if that is the case, how could she survive a sexual encounter with the beast? 😥
“This was a glorious, action packed chapter—I am curious to see how it will fit into the longer chapter format. ” – thanks so much, Alex! So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂 I’m also curious how it’ll work in the longer format haha…might have to do a bit of tweaking to get it to flow. I really do think the blog series format works so well for this story! Makes for a more suspenseful, dynamic read imo
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts & hope you enjoy the rest of the tale! <3
Holy f&@%!!!!! Finally!!!! I can’t wait. Was it rape? Were they seeing each other? What happened?!??!?! What will he do to save her? (Waiting in suspense).
Thanks so much, Britt!! So glad you’re stoked for the final episodes!! <3
Hi Char, I don’t understand why the subjugation beads don’t work anymore
It is because her power is frying her inside since she in a transcendant or because she is loosing control over them?
Or because he allowed the necklace to work in the past?
Maybe he was being patient with her when he loved her… and now he doesn’t …. now he will only take…
Thank you
All I can say is that those are both intriguing theories!! 🙂
Hope you enjoy how things play out, Mari <3
So, the only reason the subjugation beads worked was because he allowed them too. Gotta love someone who’s a sub for the sake of control.
😉
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, GothRiotGrrl!! <3
I just had to comment again and let you know I’ve read over this passage a good 10 times since you’ve updated. Every sliver of detail! I just can’t get enough of your writing!
Ahh, Mi, you’re too kind!! 😊 So thrilled you enjoyed this scene <3
Thanks so much!!
No more good doggy act? Hope that he won’t have her so easy, he still deserves to have his lordly ass a bit fried cause you don’t go missing for so long and step right at dessert.
Haha I would agree – he certainly deserves it XD
Thanks for sharing, Elle! Hope you enjoy the next part <3
Whoa.
I like how this builds up to the fact that Sesshomaru grew strong enough while he was absent (glad to see he was doing SOMETHING) to resist the beads and reiki scorching, as well as Kagome’s new ability to involuntary heal herself when in reiki overdrive. So excited to see where this goes!
Thanks so much, Siouxsie!! So glad you’re enjoying these recent developments for Sess & Kags 🙂
Hope you enjoy the rest of the story…! <3