InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Shared Blood ❯ Recovery ( Chapter 12 )

Shared Blood

Chapter Twelve

By: Lazuli

lazulidreamer@yahoo.com

Kagome forced herself to act calm as she walked slowly around the table, deftly putting out the bowls and plates to each person sitting there. What she wanted to do was call out to Miroku, but by the blank glance he was giving her, it was like he didn't even know her.

I'm going to kill him when I get the chance. The moron is acting like I'm invisible. She clenched her fists under the now empty tray, and resisted the urge to beat him over the head with it. It wouldn't get her out of here, and just might make her situation worse.

Miroku ate the food slowly, his mind going to Kagome--he *never* expected to find her here, but she was there, serving food, a faded bruise on her right cheek. She had looked at him, but he knew that he couldn't say anything to endanger Kagome. She already looked as if she was in enough trouble, and he strained his ears toward the conversation he heard behind him between two of the slaves.

"Can you believe they let that freak serve?" Miroku's eyebrow rose in surprise at the nasty tone the girl had, and he continued to listen, not caring that he was eavesdropping. Inuyasha would want to know everything that was happening to Kagome.

"I heard they're going to kill her soon. She's *such* a useless slave. She's delusional, too. Have you heard her story yet about being Inuyasha-sama's mate?" The voice was high pitched, and grated on Miroku's ears. The family around him ignored the chatter, and he wondered at how these slaves were treated.

He glared at his soup bowl as if it was because of it he was hearing this conversation. He was tempted to smack some sense into the girls behind him, but his common sense told him to stay still. They were only talking about what they knew...it wasn't common practice for a youkai to chose a human as a mate, and for the prince of their domain to do so was an unthinkable act.

Miroku shook his head inwardly. They were going to be in for a rude awakening once he got Inuyasha here to take Kagome back. He wished that he could take her himself, but...he stood up abruptly, smiling at his hosts. "I am sorry to say this, but I must be leaving now. There are urgent matters for me to attend to at home. I had not realized how late it was." Smiling charmingly at the party, he started to walk towards the door, wanting to get to his house as soon as possible.

"Miroku!" Miroku started at Kagome calling his name, and he turned around to see her eyes pleading with him. He turned away, knowing that he was going to hear it later from her later, but he hurried out the door. He paused when he saw Kagome get kicked to the ground, another youkai coming up to him.

"I'm so sorry, Miroku-sama. We'll take care of this slave for you." He shivered at the glare the youkai dealt Kagome, and practically ran out the door, not stopping to look back.

Inuyasha looked up startled as Miroku ran in the room. "What now, Miroku?" His eyes were sad as he flopped back down on the pillows. "I was trying to talk to Kagome. . . she seemed rather. . . angry about something earlier." He couldn't reach her. . . the last feeling he got from her was disbelief and anger--no words at all. He wanted to talk to her, but she was purposely blocking the link for some reason. He needed to find out *why.*

Miroku shook his head. "I found her." He said.

Inuyasha stared at Miroku, not understanding, his mind still on Kagome. "Found who?" He asked. His cousin glared at him, stalking over to the bed. Miroku dragged Inuyasha off the bed, yanking the dazed boy to his feet. "Kagome, you moron! I told you I was dining at that kitsune's house?"

Inuyasha nodded slowly, slowing seeing where Miroku was going, but he had to hear it first before he got his hopes up. With nothing from Kagome to lead him on, he wanted to make sure it was the truth.

"She's there--and Inuyasha. . . I think you should take care in the way you retrieve her." He winced. "She tried to talk to me as I left to find you, and they hit her pretty hard, Inuyasha. She looked abused from what I saw. They don't believe that she is your mate, so they treat her roughly."

Inuyasha started for the door, but Miroku gripped the back of his shirt, keeping him in place. "Why didn't you take her then, you moron? She would have been safe here with me."

Miroku shook his head. "Think about the situation, Inuyasha. Kagome is your mate, higher than any youkai or human, save your mother and father. She needs to be taken back by you, her mate. How would it feel for Kagome to be retrieved by me, as if you didn't care?"

Inuyasha growled lowly, glaring at Miroku. "How about she would be safe with me, and she would *know* that I care about her. Now she's going to be hurt. . ."

"You moron. . . you have to go there, show your status, that you are her mate. You are a prince, Inuyasha, even if you don't act like it." He smirked. "You don't dress like it, and you don't even admit that you have every right to tear the building apart to find and get Kagome."

Inuyasha grinned sadistically at the thought of tearing the place apart to get Kagome. "You think I won't rip it apart?" He asked slowly. "I promised Kagome I'd tear everything to pieces if anything harmed her."

"Inuyasha, do it with style, finesse." Miroku paused. "Don't you have something more formal tucked away? I seem to recall you going in for a fitting shortly before Kagome came to you."

Inuyasha grumbled. "Yeah, those damn formal robes of state Mother had made for us. Our whole family has them, even Sesshoumaru. I look like a moron in them."

Miroku nodded. "You'll look the part, Inuyasha. Let's hurry to your home and get that in order. The sooner we get you dressed for your part, the sooner you can save Kagome."

Inuyasha considered his cousin's statement. As much as he wanted to rip the house apart to take Kagome back--she deserved dignity. He smiled slowly. "Meet me at my house--I'll need to talk to my mother."

Shiru looked at her flushed son as he ran into the house, his eyes narrowed with the anger she could practically feel radiating off of him.

"I take it you found Kagome?" She asked calmly. He stopped dead in tracks, staring at her in confusion.

"Yeah, Miroku did..." His voice trailed off. "How did you know?" He asked. She took the wind out of his sails, and he glared, slightly put out that she ruined his information.

She pointed to the phone. "Miroku called me, and asked me to have your robes ready for your visit to the kitsune's house. He said that he would be by as soon as he changed into his robes."

Nodding slowly, Inuyasha followed his mother into her chambers, where she kept all the robes of state locked up, and carefully protected. None of the family went to formal events anymore, so the robes were never used. She was happy that she finally had a chance to see Inuyasha in them for once...accepting that he *was* prince of this domain, and was going to act like it for once.

He noticed she took out her robes as well, and he frowned. "Mother?" He questioned, eyeing the two sets of robes, one of which she handed to him.

"I will be going with you, Inuyasha. I have a feeling that my presence will be needed, if just to keep you calm." She smiled down at her son. "I am eager to have Kagome back too, and I want to be there when you have her with you again."

Her expression was serious as she smiled at him gently, and he hurried into change into the soft red and gold robes. The fire rat costume that he let Kagome wear that one day was almost a parody of the robes...except these were a richer color of red, gold thread strung through the sleeves, and the robes hanging to his feet. He swore they looked better on a girl, and he emerged out of his room a few moments later to see his mother waiting for him, already in the traditional robes.

"You sure look better in them than me, Mother." He muttered. She shook her head, smoothing out the wrinkles in the cloth. He made a face at her, and put on hand on the hilt of Testsuaiga. He wanted to get back to Kagome--the link suddenly flared open and he felt her pain, her nervousness, and he whimpered suddenly as a wave of it crashed over him, and only his mother's strong grip kept him from collapsing on the ground.

"Inuyasha?" Her voice was laced with worry, and he shook his head and stood up straight.

"It's Kagome. We have to go now, Mother. She's hurt...I can feel it..." He closed his eyes for a brief moment, trying to relocate *himself* in what Kagome had just shared with him. She laid one hand on his shoulder, and he relaxed, closing his eyes. He heard someone come in the room, and his mother gently shook him.

"Miroku is here, Inuyasha. We should go." Inuyasha nodded quickly, and focused on Miroku, who looked like an ancient monk of some sort in the layered purple and black robes.

"Lead us to her, Miroku."

Kagome winced as another foot slammed into her ribs, and she stifled her cry of pain as she felt another rib crack. They had already broken two, and she was ready to pass out from the pain alone. Apparently talking to a youkai so casually the way she did constituted for high punishment.

"How *dare* you speak to Miroku-sama? How dare you address him as your equal?" Kagome groaned in pain as she went flying into the wall. Technically, I'm higher than him, but I don't think it would be wise to bring that up...

"I told you, Miroku is Inuyasha's cousin. After I became Inuyasha's mate, he said that I was allowed to drop off the -sama." Another smack. Apparently they thought she was still making up lies...but what slave would do something like this? It wasn't going to save them. Couldn't they see she was telling the truth?

"Stop lying, you worthless bitch!" Kemuri was set to kick her again, when a pounding on the door made her pause, and glare at the door in frustration. "This had better be good." She muttered, and opened to the door to find a very flustered Tsukai on the other side.

"Kemuri! I think you better come. There's someone at the door requesting his mate back." Her eyes flickered to the bleeding and bruised Kagome on the floor. "I would suggest coming *now.*" Kemuri nodded, worry falling over her normally bitter expression. She left Kagome in the middle of the

floor, slamming the door shut behind her.

Kagome struggled to stake conscious as blackness threatened to overtake her vision. She heard Tsukai--it had to be Inuyasha. He finally found her. She slumped against the side of the well, wincing as fire shot through her side, but it helped her stay awake as she waited for Inuyasha.

Inuyasha waited inside the entryway, his mother behind him, and Miroku to the side of him. Once the slave has answered the door and saw them all standing there, her eyes widened and she flew off in search of a youkai. He smirked. This could be fun--he never acted the part of a snob before, but if it was going to make these bastards grovel and give back his mate, he would make sure that he didn't fail in his role.

A youkai came up to him at that point, glaring disdainfully at him. "I am Kemuri, head youkai over the slaves of this household. Tsukai came running to me over some type of accusation...but I can see it's unfounded. She had me worried over a damn hanyou dressed up like a fool." She said. "What a waste."

His mother chose that moment to step on the other side of him, her eyes cold. "Are you implying that my son does look the part of a prince? That his outfit is foolish?" Her robes were a copy of Inuyasha, styled more for a female, and Kemuri looked ill when she recognized who was standing there. Human or not, every youkai respected and was under the Empress--mate of Inutaiko, ruler of this domain.

"Empress Shiru-sama!" Kemuri wondered if there was way she could dig herself out of this one. "I...I did not mean to insult your son." She coughed. "What business brings you here, Empress-sama?" She bowed low, and waited.

"Why, did the girl not inform you? We are here to bring my daughter in law home. I believe her to be here. You do know Kagome, do you not?" The Empress's smile was cold, and Kemuri felt her whole body shake. It couldn't be true that Kagome had been telling the truth. That Prince Inuyasha-sama was her mate. And now she was lying almost dead in a room. She wondered how long it would take her to die if Kagome ended up losing her life.

"I..." She took a deep breath. "I know of no youkai here by the name of Kagome. We only have a slave here." She relaxed slightly. "I can do what I can though to find your mate, Inuyasha-sama."

Inuyasha growled low in his throat. "A slave?" His voice was deceptively calm. "A human?" He smiled at her, and she winced. The smile was even more chilling than his mother's and Kemuri felt herself began to sweat.

"Y...Yes. A human." A trickle of moisture ran down the back of her neck. She wasn't sure why she was so worried--Kagome couldn't be his mate. He was a prince...he hated all humans except his mother, so why would he have Kagome as his mate, as she claimed? It had to be a different Kagome.

"Bring the Kagome *you* know here to me." His voice was low, and Kemuri practically ran out of the room. She could feel his narrowed us follow her, and she tried to keep her fear under control.

Kagome heard footsteps run across the walkway, and she struggled to keep her eyes open. It sounded like someone was coming into the room again, and tears filled her eyes, unbidden. Even if she healed faster than normal, it still hurt to have her ribs broken, or to be slammed into walls over and over. She didn't want it to happen anymore.

She knew Inuyasha wasn't there, and her fears seemed to gain more substance when Kemuri stalked back in the room, her eyes focusing on the almost prone Kagome.

"Get up. I'm going to prove to you once and for all that you are a moron, then have you killed. Your *mate* is here, wanting you back. I'm going to show him what a lying bitch you are. He might just kill you himself for claiming to be his mate."

Kagome's eyes widened and she struggled to get up, knowing that Inuyasha really was here. She could finally go home to him--be away from here. She felt her body trying to heal itself, but it was still painful for her to even move, and she wondered vaguely what she looked like to cause this much pain to even breathe.

"Hurry up! I don't want to keep Inuyasha-sama waiting." Kagome looked at Kemuri in surprise. It was rare that a youkai would give another youkai the honorific -sama attached to their name, but it seemed that even Kemuri respected Inuyasha--something she didn't expect after his treatment because of his mixed blood.

I have a feeling his Mother is out there as well--I know humans and youkai alike fear *and* respect her. She's probably having the desired effect for this situation. I'm glad I'm not in Kemuri's situation, and that his mother likes me.

Inuyasha felt Kagome coming before he saw her, and he had to consciously fight back the urge to run to her. It was hard for him to be so calm acting about the whole situation. He focused on a point on the ceiling, and his mother's shocked gasped brought his eyes staring front again, and he bit back the growl rising in his throat, his anger at the point of explosion.

Kemuri had made her way out of the back rooms, half dragging a familiar figure with her, and he clenched his fists when he saw his mate, his beautiful Kagome covered in bruises, her left eye almost swelled shut.

"Inuyasha-sama, this is the slave Kagome that works in this household. As you can probably see, she isn't your mate..." She stopped in her speech as Kagome pushed her way forward, her eyes bright with happiness.

"Inuyasha!" She threw herself at him, and his arms closed around her immediately, his gaze softening as he lifted his mate into his arms, protectively embracing her. He caressed her face gently, and she relaxed completely in his arms, going limp.

His gaze switched from her to the now pale Kemuri trembling before him, the smell of her fear strong around her, her dark eyes wide with her terror. "I want to thank you for bringing my mate to me." He smiled, and was glad to see her flinch at that simple act. "This is the Kagome I chose for my mate. Now, who did this to her?" He indicated her battered body, and Kemuri grew paler.

Inuyasha shook his head. "Don't bothering answering...I can smell you all over her." He was trembling with anger, and Kagome stirred in his arms, their bond open again, and he stroked her hair gently. He wanted to get back home and put Kagome to bed, not stand around talking to this ninny. He was going to kill Kemuri once he Kagome wasn't in any danger anymore.

"We'll be leaving now, and be lucky that I am not going to end your life right now. I will be back for you, and hunt you down if you run." His voice was low with promise, and even his mother didn't stop him from threatening Kemuri.

He turned to walk out the door, when a startled voice broke into the dead silence that followed.

"Where are you going with Kagome?"

Inuyasha turned around, one eyebrow raised in inquiry at the human standing before him, hardly any fear in him at all. He was holding a small kitsune in his arms, and Inuyasha frowned. He recognized this idiot...and he carefully handed Kagome to his mother, and turned to face the boy.

"I might let Kemuri live, but you I will personally rip apart." He flexed his claws, and casually dug them into the boy's throat.

"You're the one who knocked me out, and kidnapped my mate. I don't know if it was under orders of that furball you are carting around, but Kagome told me about you."

He retracted his claws, and ignored the streaks of blood that ran down the boy's throat. "I am going to ask the masters of this household to let me take care of you."

His smile was bloodthirsty as he grinned at the now fear-filled human in front of him. He was going to pay for kidnapping his mate, almost killing him, and keeping Kagome in this household against her will when she tried to prove to him over and over that she didn't want his attentions, that she was already taken.

"You can have Hojo. We are very sorry about this, Inuyasha-sama, Shiru-sama. We were not aware of the fact that she was your mate. Hojo claimed that she was delusional." Tejina bowed low to the group before her, noting that Miroku was still silent, but knowing now why he left so abruptly.

Shiru stepped forward, Kagome held against her. "You did not think to question I or my son? We would have informed you right away that Kagome was a part of our family, and not a slave as you thought. It is partly because of this negligence that my daughter-in-law is like this."

Tejina nodded miserably. "I understand, Shiru-sama." Her eyes were downcast, and she took Shippou from Hojo, holding him tight against her.

"Shippou just let Hojo do want he wanted, Shiru-sama. He told him that if he could knock you out, then he could have Kagome. We didn't question when Kagome came into the household, and take complete responsibility."

Inuyasha growled under his breath. As much as he wanted to, he knew that he couldn't rip this family apart. It wasn't their fault--but they did give him permission to kill the one who performed the deeds.

Hojo turned a deathly white before passing out on the ground, Inuyasha's smirk etched into his brain. Miroku picked up the comatose boy easily, his own smile no less sadistic. He bowed to the family on their way out, before following Inuyasha and his mother out the door.

Inuyasha lay Kagome on the bed gently, stroking her hair out of her eyes. She looked like hell, and even with his blood mixing with hers, it would take a few days to heal, at least. She was barely conscious now, but she smiled gratefully at him, her eyes unfocused as she turned her gaze to him.

"Inuyasha...why are you wearing such a silly outfit?" Her voice was slurred with exhaustion, and he grinned at her. At least Kagome thought the robes looked idiotic, too. "You'd look much better without them on."

He blushed, and sat on the edge of the bed, stroking her hair. "I think I'd look better without them, too, but we'll have to wait, ne?" He grinned down at her and she smiled sleepily in response, her blue eyes closing as exhaustion over took her. He made sure that she was asleep before walking out of the room quietly to go to his mother's room, and change out of the robes. He had to take care of some business with that Hojo person.

Hojo's eyes widened as Inuyasha walked in the room, no longer in the formal robes, but no less intimidating. He knew that he was going to die for what he did...if he had only known that Kagome was telling the truth. If he had just believed her.

The smirk that Inuyasha gave him made his blood run cold, and he closed his eyes, waiting for death. He didn't have to wait for long.

Inuyasha sighed as Hojo lay in a crumpled heap on the floor. He didn't like killing humans--he never did. A quick strangulation took care of the job--no blood on his hands, but he squashed down the part of him that demanded he rip the boy apart--the youkai side of him that demanded blood for the crimes that this boy had committed.

He closed his eyes and walked quietly out of the room, wanting to get back to Kagome. She was back with him again, her delicate form in their room, waiting for her body to heal. Waiting for him to be beside her, watching as she slept, making sure that nothing else was going to happen to her.

Kagome woke up slowly, letting her eyes adjust to the dimness of the room, her body aching in various places. She realized that she was lying on a soft mattress, with thick blankets wrapped around her, and she smiled. She was back home--it wasn't a dream. She saw Inuyasha sleeping beside her, his expression relaxed. She pulled a hand free from the blankets, and gently stroked his cheek, laying a kiss on his nose. He twitched slightly with the contact, then opened his amber colored eyes to stare up at her.

"You're awake..." His voice was low, and she nodded. "Are you feeling better, Kagome?" He looked at her carefully, and saw the bruises were gone from her face completely, and she didn't seem to be in so much pain.

"I am, Inuyasha." She rested her head on his chest, feeling his arms move around her waist, holding her tight to him. She hadn't felt this way in so long...hadn't felt so protected. The time she spent as a slave was like a nightmare that she just woke up from.

Her hands moved up to caress his ears, and he closed his eyes, a visible shudder running through his body, and he carefully moved her hands away.

"Don't do that. You're not well enough yet." He smirked down at the confused expression on her face, then tweaked her nose. "C'mon, let's get some food into you, girl. You look too scrawny again."

She nodded against him, but didn't seem to want to move from her comfortable position. He didn't blame her, and let his breath out gently.

"Maybe it can wait." He said softly, content to just keep his arms around her, and not move. She mumbled an agreement into his chest, and he closed his eyes again, her presence lulling him into sleep once more.

Shiru smiled as she walked quietly in the room, seeing Kagome curled against Inuyasha, his arms protectively holding her close to his side, both of their expressions peaceful. They had not held in each other for so long. She put down the tray of the lunch she was carrying, and left the room as softly as she entered it, knowing Inuyasha and Kagome would appreciate the meal once they disentangled themselves from each other. For now she would leave them to be by themselves, sharing only each other's company, but she knew that the time would come to tell Inuyasha and Kagome the complete story of their destiny.

You have never had a complete chance to be together...destiny always interfering with what your hearts wanted. This time it will be different. I promise you with all my power.