Chapter 7 “Toya’s Blood”

Chapter 7 “Toya’s Blood”

Toya flew back to the maiden statue at top speed, jumping into the time portal with a mere touch of the maiden’s fingertips, never once looking behind him in fear of what he might see. If Kyou had wanted to, he could have beaten him to the shrine. But Toya didn’t stop to think about that until he was safely on the other side and out of Kyou’s reach.

Daring to finally look over his shoulder, he sighed at seeing only the maiden statue within the wooden walls of Kyoko’s time.

He could see daylight shining through the cracks of the shrine house. When Toya peered out of the shrine walls, he could see Kyoko’s grandfather sweeping the walkway in front of the small structure. Pressing his back against the side of the maiden statue, he slid down into a sitting position to wait till it was safe before leaving the shrine.

That was the only thing he hated about Kyoko's world. The fact that he didn’t appear normal, he had to at least try to hide some of his unique looks in order to go out in the daylight. Right now, coming out of a well-known shrine, while anyone could see him, would not be a good idea… even if his wings were invisible.

The unusual color of his eyes and hair alone were enough to make him stand out among humans. He had run into her grandfather before and it had always rattled him. The odd looks the old man would give him set him on edge.

Well at least this would give him some time to think about what he would tell Kyoko, because right now, he didn’t have a clue. They couldn’t just let the talismans of the guardian heart crystal end up in Hyakuhei’s hands… so she had no choice but to come back with him. Toya’s shoulders slumped. He didn’t want to push her to come back into his world until she felt safer… or at least safe from her own guardians.

"Damn it Kyou. Why did you have to pick Kyoko?" He hissed low enough to where his voice would stay within the darkened shrine house.

He knew Kyoko would be in trouble no matter how long she waited to come back with him because of the fact that Kyou was just as powerful as Tadamichi had been… just as stubborn too. It would be very hard to get him to change his mind about picking Kyoko as a life mate. Again, the thought had him cursing. "Damn it!"

Toya looked back through the crack in the wood to see the old man walking away at a rapid pace and he knew he’d heard him. He tried not to smirk as the man hurriedly pulled the broom across the ground and toward the other side of the house.

Toya heard him whisper, “Haunted shrine.”

"Finally,” Toya stood up stretching the stiffness away, then came out of the shrine house in a blur and was in the tree outside Kyoko's window in a flash. Looking in, he fought the urge to close his eyes, hearing nothing but the breeze as it caressed the back of his neck, and the sound of his own steady heartbeat.

He could see her sitting on the side of the bed looking miserable so he reached out and slid the glass window upward.

Kyoko heard the window open and her gaze flew to it. She relaxed seeing it was Toya. She should have known. Who else would NOT use the front door? She gave him a bright smile, happy to see him after being so lonely all morning.

"I’m glad you didn’t use the door Toya because so far no one even knows I’m home." She slowly crawled back onto the bed and reclined back under the covers. She hadn’t told him yet of the treatment she’d received at Kyou’s hands. Her mind was still in a jumble over her reaction to him. The mere remembrance of it made her shiver with longing and fear at the same time.

She suddenly wasn’t so sure just what she’d run from last night… Kyou or herself or the dream she had of Hyakuhei. The answer was probably all three.

Toya saw her slow awkward movements and frowned. "How badly hurt are you Kyoko?" He came and sat on the side of the bed, jerking the cover off her without asking.

Kyoko stared wide-eyed at him. Well… he was never known for being subtle and at least this time she wasn’t naked. "It’s not as bad as it looks." She tensed when Toya reached for her foot. As soon as he touched the bottom, she pressed the back of her hand over her mouth and cried out, trying to muffle the sound.

Toya instantly dropped the foot back to the mattress, jerking back a little as his eyes narrowed. "When did you start lying to me Kyoko?" he couldn’t help when the feeling of betrayal sounded loud and clear in his voice making him cringe inwardly.

Kyoko arched an eyebrow at him. "Well okay, my feet are the worst of it though." She hadn’t expected him to go straight for them or she would have tried to stop him. "I’m not used to running through the woods in the dead of night barefooted. Okay?"

Toya could see the scratches and bruises from last night’s run. Humans are so fragile but seeing the marks on Kyoko made him wish he could make it all better. “This is all Kyou’s fault.” He flipped the cover back and jumped up on the bed beside her, leaning against the headboard as she was now doing.

"I went to see him you know." He stilled himself waiting on her reaction.

Kyoko’s gaze shot to his. "You what?" Her voice raised a notch and she quickly cupped her hand over her mouth again trying to remember to keep her voice down unless she wanted someone in her family to hear her and come to her room. Right now, she just simply didn’t want to be bothered with trying to explain how one of her guardians had gone psycho on her.

Toya tried to relax the tenseness of his muscles and sighed when it didn’t work. "I need to ask you some questions Kyoko and I need the truth this time." He wanted to know what had gone on when Kyou had her. He forced himself to stay calm as he felt the needles of dread… suddenly not so sure if he really wanted to know the truth.

Kyoko gulped. ‘Well this doesn’t sound fun,’ she thought as she eyed him wearily. “What… do you want to know?"

Toya didn’t even look at her when he asked the first question. He just stared straight ahead feeling his pulse thumping hard in his ears. "Did he hurt you in any way?"

Kyoko bit her bottom lip shaking her head no.

Toya tilted his head, inspecting her from head to toe without her realizing it. Her eyes were averted, her fingers twisting nervously, and one bare knee was slightly bent. She looked sheepish and shy and… She was lying! Toya blinked in disbelief. He didn't know how he knew, but she was lying.

Banging his head back against the headboard he asked again, “Did he hurt you?”

Kyoko gulped. What did he mean? Was he asking if Kyou beat her or… raped her? Kyoko made a face and crossed her arms, looking away from him and toward the wall to hide her blush. "He didn’t get that far… if that’s what you are asking."

Toya smiled inwardly. He already knew that she was still innocent. He could smell the purity within her but wouldn’t let her know. Her blood bond had not been broken. Toya softened his voice trying to ease her anxiety, "All the scratches and bruises.” He nodded at her legs. “Did he cause any of them?" This was what he’d wanted to know.

Kyoko frowned fidgeting. Kyou hadn’t physically hurt her so turning back to Toya she gave him a crooked smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. "No, that was me, running away."

Feeling inexplicably odd, Toya prodded further, "Good. Now I need to know exactly what did happen while you were with him." He tried to sound stern to get the truth from her.

Kyoko instantly faced the wall again, not wanting to answer that question.

Toya growled low and leaned forward. "Kyoko, do you want me to help you or not?"

Kyoko’s brain shut down… but not because of the question. Her eyes snapped back to his angrily. “I’m fine,” she squeaked feeling the heat rise in her cheeks.

He inhaled seeing the redness all over her cheeks and he slammed himself back against the headboard again knowing her blush spoke volumes. Toya quickly looked away. He just knew he was wrong. Because he was. Because he had to be. And when he turned back around, sure enough, the look was gone. Now she just looked scared.

Kyoko thought to turn the conversation away from that question by asking one of her own. "You said you went to see him. What did he say?" She was almost afraid to hear the answer but Toya was not wounded so it must have gone a little better than she thought.

Toya grunted. "That’s the problem isn’t it? Kyou is acting strange, even for him. If he were acting normal then he would try to kill me thinking I took you from him. Instead of being mad that I helped you escape, he was more thankful that I saved you from falling. Kyoko… he honestly didn’t want you to be hurt."

Kyoko's lips parted as her temper spiked. "He is strange alright. He was constantly threatening to punish me if I disobeyed."

Toya turned to look at her. "Punish you how, Kyoko?" The mere thought of spanking Kyoko was just… odd? He grunted again when her emerald eyes widened and she turned her face away from him. This made him lift an eyebrow. The hounds of hell couldn’t have stopped the next question that slipped into the space between them. "Kyoko, was his punishment the same as… as when he took you from me?"

He had his answer when he heard her whimper and he growled softly. "It’s alright. You don’t have to answer that."

Kyoko was mortified. She knew Toya could tell what she was thinking even if she didn’t answer the question so she said almost too softly to hear but she knew he could hear every word. “When I ran... I was so scared he would catch me. Every shadow and noise I heard… I kept seeing him everywhere. When I fell over the edge of that ravine…"

They were quiet for a few minutes until Toya broke the silence. "Kyoko, did he give you a reason for taking you in the first place? Did he even tell you why he did it?"

Kyoko straightened her shoulders, again feeling a little stronger. "He did try to tell me, but I don’t know if he was telling the truth."

Toya felt like rolling his eyes but refrained from doing it. "Kyou would never stoop so low as to lie Kyoko, he’d consider that beneath him. But he would keep the whole truth from you if he wanted to."

Kyoko didn’t understand what Toya was getting at. She felt like he was talking in circles. "If you know what’s going on, would you please tell me?” She leaned against him, laying her head in the crook of his shoulder. “Because I’m tired of trying to figure it out. I trust you, so please tell me what is going on."

Toya knew telling her would be better than not telling her but he dreaded doing it. “Kyou was saving you… just like a guardian is born to do. It’s in his blood to protect you, same as mine.” His expression grew cold for a moment knowing the ways they saved her were completely different. “Only a moment after he left with you… Hyakuhei showed up. That’s proof that at least part of his abduction of you was only to get you out of harm’s way.”

He glared at Kyoko with the next sentence, “you should have told me before coming back in the middle of the night by yourself. I would have been there waiting… I could have protected you… from Hyakuhei and Kyou.”

Kyoko glared up at him in return. “And just how in the world could I have told you that I was coming back before actually doing it? What did you want me to do, come back and tell you then go back through the portal then return again? It’s not like I can call you on the phone.” She shook her head in frustration. “I know you could have protected me, and if Kyou hadn’t chased me all over the place and away from the village, you would have heard me scream,” She finished with a frown.

“I did hear you scream.” He noticed Kyoko’s frown and shrugged, “now Kyou thinks I can’t protect you well enough to suit him. He’s wrong you know.”

Taking a deep breath and laying his head over on hers, Toya spoke in an annoyed voice. "My brother knows nothing about humans and is quite upset. He’s found himself in love with one…” those words tasted bad. “…and he doesn’t have the faintest idea how to handle it." He stilled himself for her reaction, not knowing how she would take that news.

She thought she heard Toya add the word, "Unfortunately," under his breath, but… Kyoko's brain deleted it and went into overdrive. She opened her mouth then snapped it shut again. No way was Kyou in love with her. There was absolutely no way.

Kyoko kept her mouth shut for a moment and turned her thoughts inward. But then… why did he kidnap her… to save her? Why did he not hurt her? Why oh why did he keep touching her like that?

A pounding ache deep within her chest reminded her of how odd she was behaving. What was wrong with her? Still, no way was Kyou in love with her. Kyoko raised her head up from Toya's shoulder. "You’re wrong, you know. There is no way he is in love with me." The thought made her giggle with a nervous kind of denial. That was almost as sick as the dreams she’d been having about her and Hyakuhei.

Toya turned to look at her when he heard the small giggle. As if trying to explain something to a child, he spoke slowly, emphasizing each word. "Kyoko, he is in love with you… not that that’s a good thing.” Toya shrugged. "Besides, have I ever lied to you?"

The smile slid from her lips and kept sliding until she was frowning. She slowly turned a sidelong, nervous glance at Toya. "Why may I ask are you under the delusion that Kyou is in love with me?"

Toya faced away from her grunting then sighing. "Well he didn't hurt you and,” his voice got a little quieter, "he keeps touching you." He held his hand up when she opened her mouth to interrupt.

"And here is the big one. When I went to see him, he wasn't mad at me for helping you escape because he knew I saved you when you fell last night off that cliff. But when I told him you were now out of his reach, he hmm… kind of went ballistic," He rambled, then stopped… letting that sink in before telling her the rest.

Kyoko was shocked to say the least because that did all kind of point to him having strange feelings for her but that was as far as she would go with it. No way was being in love with her an option.

Toya cleared his throat… he had to tell her the rest. "But there is more Kyoko. When I wouldn't tell him where you were, I thought he was going to kill me. But instead, he grabbed me and did that mind thing." He made a disgusted face at her.

Kyoko frowned. "What kind of ‘mind thing’ Toya?" She definitely didn't like the sound of that.

”He read my mind.” Toya left out how Kyou had read it. “Now he knows where you are and there is no telling what else he knows." Toya suppressed a shiver still feeling like he’d been violated by his own brother. “Damn it!”

Kyoko sat straight up forgetting about how sore she was. "No! Oh no, Toya. He knows I’m back in my world? What am I supposed to do now?" She didn't like this one bit. "I can’t ever go back," She cried. “I can’t just pop through the portal. He knows where it is and might be there waiting to kidnap me again.”

She shook her head in adamant denial. “I can’t let that happen. He’ll lock me away and never let me out.”

Toya instantly turned toward her and placed a hand on each of her shoulders so she would look at only him. "Kyoko, you have to come back with me. Do you know what will happen if we don't find all the small fragments of the crystal?"

He relaxed his grip seeing her reluctant nod. "Besides… we can think of something. We have time. You can’t go back until you can walk again anyway." It was almost his undoing when her bottom lip went all pouty.

Kyoko understood she was their only hope in finding the rest of the guardian heart crystal. She couldn't just abandon the other world when the shattered crystal was her responsibility. If she ignored it, then there would soon be demons within her own world. "Okay Toya, what can we do to make sure Kyou doesn't try anything like that again?"

She glanced at him noticing he looked like he was sulking.

"First things first. I have to tell your family that you’re home and to get you better. Then, I’m going to go talk to Sennin." Before she could stop him, Toya sprung from the bed and took off out of her bedroom door making enough racket to wake the dead.

Kyoko huffed, blowing her bangs up into the air. "Oh well, I guess at least now I can bathe and eat." She looked up just as her mother entered the room.

"Kyoko, let me see your feet. Toya said you were hurt while running away from a monster." Her mother tenderly lifted one foot up to inspect it then the other. She glanced at Kyoko with a startled expression. "I’m going to go get the first aid kit and some food. I’ll be right back."

Before her mother left the room, Kyoko asked. "Mom, where did Toya go?"

Without turning around, her mother answered, "He said don't worry. He will be back soon."

Kyoko lifted her eyebrows thinking, ‘well… at least Toya didn't tell her mother just who that monster was’.

***** Hyakuhei sat comfortably on the mountain of furs piled on the stone floor of the cavern. He was leaning back against a large pillow with one leg extended while the other was bent, his right arm resting on his knee. In his right hand were the few talismans of the crystal he had been able to obtain, rolling across his palm like dice.

At first appearance he seemed relaxed, but the tightness around his eyes and the hard thin line of his mouth gave his true mood away.

His mind whirled with the outcome of the last dream he’d shared with Kyoko. Upon awakening from it, he physically felt the pain in his arm where Kyou had severed it. So intense was the sensation, it had taken him a while to fully comprehend that his arm was still there and not lying on the forest floor.

How had Kyou appeared in the dream? That bothered him more as time passed. The enchantment had been cast for him and Kyoko alone, her protectors were not supposed to be there. It angered him to know he was not in control of his own strategy.

Even now, in the back of his mind, he could hear the dream master chuckling darkly. Though it had made no other attempts to escape the absorption, he could feel its defiance and rage… along with its trickery. Not even the additional power granted by the talismans could keep it at bay. That was because the dream demon still had one of the talismans within its own grip… a slightly larger portion of the guardian heart crystal to use.

The other demons he held captive inside of him constantly fought against the power the dream demon possessed. How could it still have the fire he had originally encountered? Was he so inadequate that the mere influence of a dream could bring everything he worked for crumbling around him because of one solitary creature?

“Dreams are the inner working of the subconscious my master. You are under the impression that you are making it up as you go along. You cannot change what has already come to pass so long ago. Even on the other side of time… you will lose her,” the dream demon whispered, the sarcasm very evident.

Its voice was the sound of deception, “You cannot fight yourself when the dreams are as true as you and I. I did not place Kyou within your dream… he was there all along.”

Hyakuhei glared into the fire against the wall. The flames sputtered before turning from bright red to a dark purple, almost black to match his mood.

“Oh, I see,” The demon continued. “You are evil, so dreams are nothing more than nightmares… right? Just a taste of what you could not hold on to.”

“Silence,” Hyakuhei growled at the room’s walls.

“You are not a god,” The demon cackled. “I have only shown you the truth and you know it. While I may be a servant to you in this state, I will forever spit your name with blasphemy by continuing to taunt you with something you will never have… that same thing you have had many times. How does it feel to constantly lose her?”

Hyakuhei’s eyes began to glow a bright red and the demon inwardly screamed in agony. Looking down at the talismans in his hand, he separated one from the rest, holding it between his thumb and index finger. The talisman began to glimmer darkly and Hyakuhei absorbed the darkness within it, adding its power to his own.

The scream from the dream master twisted into a knowing laugh then immediately died away and all was silent again.

“Your ability is still useful to me,” Hyakuhei whispered. “If you were as strong as you believe yourself to be, you would not have been defeated. I am not a slave to your induced dreams… your power is a slave to my own. Once you have fulfilled your purpose… I will destroy you.”

He felt the demon flinch back from him as it slithered in behind the other demons. For now all was silent, giving the dark guardian an opportunity to rest his mind. Taking out the small mirror he always carried with him, he stared into it… giving the silent command to see Kyoko.

The mirror fogged and flashed before showing him a blurry image of the priestess. A frown marred his perfect features. Why was the mirror having such difficulties?

The surroundings of the priestess, what little he could see, were foreign. Was she in her world now? It mattered not… he would use the power of the now subdued dream demon to his advantage. His fingers brushed against the mirror’s surface almost lovingly.

“There will be no escaping me… in spite of where you go or the years that separate us.”

***** Toya sat in Sennin’s dwelling telling him about everything that had happen within the last few days, although, the old man was already aware of most of the details due to the fact that he was Suki’s father. Shinbe and Kamui sat on each side of him while Suki sat next to her father letting Toya explain it all.

"Kyoko doesn't want to come back only to be taken by Kyou again. So, I am asking you old man, do you know anything that can be done so she will be safe?" To Toya’s annoyance, he felt himself flushing from guilt, after all… he felt like this was his fault for not keeping an eye on her.

Shinbe shook his head, muttering under his breath. He'd been right. Perhaps procuring a spell strong enough to work on Kyou would be a much more difficult task than they had previously anticipated. Kyou had always been a loner and suddenly Shinbe wished he had stayed that way.

They’d been just fine before Kyou started appearing and that had been right around the same time Kyoko had come through the time portal. Before that, he and his brothers often made jokes about the recluse guardian and what he did in his free time. Shinbe had been convinced up until now that Kyou was simply in love with himself. This tore that theory to shreds. Now they had to protect Kyoko from one of their own… this wasn’t good.

“Is it hopeless?” Shinbe asked suddenly, staring the old man down with a determined scowl.

After a few minutes of silence while Sennin was deep in thought, Toya lost patience and stood up in a huff. "I should have known you wouldn't be able to help. You’re only a human after all." He turned to leave angrily; only for Shinbe and Kamui to stand up and block the doorway… barring him from giving up so quickly.

Toya growled.

Sennin grunted then shrugged noncommittally. "Fine, if you don't want to know how to help her… I can sit here and remain silent while you run around like an idiot." He narrowed his eyes at the agitated guardian as Toya turned back around curiously. "Good, now sit."

Toya plopped back down to see if the old man was finally going to say something he could use. Tapping his claws on the hard floor he continued to growl in frustration as the other guardians returned to their previous seats.

"There are several alternatives to think about here," Sennin’s old voice droned before he cleared his throat. "I'm not exactly positive, but..." he paused with a thoughtful frown. “I would appreciate it if you’d please stop tapping your claws Toya. It’s very annoying and distracting.”

"Heh, then get on with it old man.” Toya had waited long enough and if something didn’t pan out soon… he was to the point of challenging Kyou. He scoffed humorlessly at his own thoughts. “And I’ll tap my claws if I damn well want to.”

Toya abruptly pulled back when a short dagger appeared in the floor between his fingers. He hadn’t even seen the old man move… no wonder Suki was so good in battle. Her father had trained her.

"First thing to think about is that Kyou could not mate with the priestess if she was already mated to someone else.” Sennin turned to tend to the fire so Toya could not see the quick smirk he was trying to hide from him.

Suki opened her mouth… then snapped it shut when she noticed the mischievous look cross her father’s face. She looked at him, furrowing her eyebrows worriedly. What in the world was he thinking? She glanced around at the three guardians and noticed they were all glaring at him. ‘Oh hell.’

Sighing she placed one hand over her face not wanting to see the death of her own father. Unable to resist the temptation, she opened up two of her fingers and peeked when she didn’t hear anything that sounded like murder.

Dazed, Shinbe narrowed his eyes at the old man. Was he methodically trying to get Toya to hurt him? Then his thoughts turned and he quirked an eyebrow. Briefly, he entertained the possibility… ‘If Kyoko needed a mate… he would be happy to…’

Shinbe shook the thought away knowing without a doubt… between Kyou and Toya… one would surely slaughter him. In his mind, he playfully watched the vision of him laughing like an insane person while holding Kyoko flush against him and sucking Toya and Kyou up in his cursed void.

His eyes glazed over again... liking his little dream world he had just created. Ah the possibilities of such an endeavor. It made his heart beat a bit faster at the thought of defying Kyou and Toya by claiming Kyoko. He became lost in his dream once more… not seeing the expression of anger on Suki’s face.

Kamui also got a dreamy look in his eyes and immediately offered his help but was cut off mid-sentence when Toya’s fist landed on the top of his head making his eyes almost cross. A small, melancholic sigh escaped Kamui's lips.

How unfortunate Kyoko hadn't fallen in love with him… Kamui scooted farther away from Toya hoping his thought wasn’t heard. He ran his hands through his tussled hair already feeling a knot forming where he had been hit. He loved Kyoko as much as the others, if not more. His love however, was silent and unknown. The love she had for Toya was sometimes frustrating for everyone to watch… they were both clueless.

Shinbe used his telepathic powers to send a message only Kamui could hear, “if I can’t have her then neither can you!” He gave Kamui a pointed stare when the younger guardian slowly turned to look at him.

Toya observed Sennin for a moment, frowning, then dismissed whatever disturbingly nice thought he'd been pondering. He fidgeted nervously before quickly recovering his train of thought.

"Okay, what else?" Toya asked praying he’d hear a good alternative. He didn't like the thought of Kyoko mating with anyone at all. To tell the truth… he didn’t like the idea of having to share her… she was his damn it.

Sennin sat back from the fire having the odd feeling he had just shortened his life span. If he didn’t know any better… he could have sworn he had just seen jealous intentions cross three sets of guardian eyes.

Hoping to erase the death glares, Sennin quickly added, "There also may be a spell I can make that Kyoko can use on Kyou to keep him at arm’s length if he gets out of control. Ordinarily, I would need a bit of his blood in order to perform it but seeing as how he isn't here…”

Sennin locked his gaze on the silver guardian. “I would have to use your blood Toya… making the spell also useable on you too.” He mentally readied himself for flight if the guardian decided to lunge at him with intent to kill.

Hearing several quick intakes of breath, but seeing no threatening movements toward him, Sennin explained quickly. “I can keep it from affecting Shinbe and Kamui quite easily, but as it is your blood I’m using there will be no saving you from the spell. Also… it would only help control Kyou some, considering one of his abilities is power over the mind." He coughed into his hand to cover the laugh at the blank look on Toya's face.

“I just need a small amount,” was all the old man said, thrusting his wrinkled hand out handing him a bowl.

Toya had a horrified look cross his face. It was bad enough that Kyoko could ‘tame’ him any time she wanted, but to have a spell that would keep him away from her would be even worse.

"What kind of spell is it?" Toya asked miserably as he sliced the palm of his hand and let some of his guardian blood drip into the small bowl. His eyes clouded over with sparkling silver as the wound almost instantly healed. He silently handed it back to Sennin fighting the urge to snatch the bowl back and burn it. He had to be losing his mind to allow such a spell but…

Bemused, Kamui addressed the old man, who was smiling oddly at the bowl, “you can really make a spell that would work on Kyou?” His glittery eyes got huge as he thought of the possibilities… then a sick look crossed his face as he thought of the possibility of Kyou finding out he was in on it.

“I hope I’m there the first time it’s performed on him. I’d give anything to see the look of shock on his face.” Kamui stopped and frowned a bit. “You know, I wonder if shock even fits into his vocabulary of expressions.”

Sennin grinned this time. "I will need five days to make the spell and while I’m doing that, I will think of the simplest way to activate it. So, let Kyoko know to stay at home and out of this realm for five days. Then you come and get me and we will meet her at the maiden shrine together." Sennin looked back at Toya, his eyes dancing in humor as he added, "Unless she can find a mate before then."

Eh? "He’s joking right?" Shinbe asked bewilderedly as he stood beside Toya. “How can I possibly mate with Kyoko if she can’t come back?” he inquired, ducking just in time to miss Toya’s fist but wasn’t fast enough to miss Suki’s.

Toya glared down at Shinbe who was now sprawled out on the floor while ignoring Kamui’s laughter. He didn't know whether to hug or hit the old man so he just huffed and left the hut, making his way back to the maiden shrine and to Kyoko.

“Um… you don’t think he’s going to make Kyoko mate with him to avoid Kyou do you?” Kamui asked not liking the expression Toya had on his face when he left.

“I think Toya has a bit more self-control than that,” Shinbe stated after sitting up and rubbing the side of his head.

They all paused and looked between each other before lowering their heads and sighing in unison.

“He’s dead,” Suki muttered.

“What kind of flowers do you think he likes on his grave?” Kamui asked.

“Black-eyed-Susans,” Sennin answered causing everyone to snort with laughter.

As Toya neared the shrine gardens, he sensed Kyou’s presence and stopped, waiting to see if the wayward guardian would show himself. Toya wasn't denied as he heard his brother’s voice coming from behind him.

"So, the priestess has yet to come back?" Kyou’s voice was still cold as if he didn't care to even ask the question… but Toya knew better.

"What would you do if she didn't come back at all? What if you being the bastard you are made her not want to ever come back to this world?” Toya spat at him. Kyou's eyes became illuminated as he stared at Toya, making Toya's hackles rise.

"Give her a message from me," came the chilling voice. Toya narrowed his eyes, waiting as Kyou continued. "Tell her I will not take her again unless she wishes to go with me. However, this is only on one condition. That she agrees to meet with me and teach me what I asked of her."

"Do what?” Toya sputtered but it was no use because Kyou had already gone. "What was it again that she was supposed to teach him?" He asked himself before going the rest of the way to the maiden statue.

In the back of his mind, he knew Kyou would not do anything that he said he wouldn't do. If he said he wouldn’t kidnap her… then he wouldn’t, so in a way this was good news. Kyou said he would not take Kyoko but… what did she have to do in return? That was what worried him. He didn’t want to let her go with Kyou again regardless. That was why he was going back to Kyoko’s house so soon.

She needed to be mated to another and permanently out of Kyou’s reach.

Kyoko was sitting at her desk when Toya slid the window open. The first thing he noticed was Kyou's scent was gone from her. She must have had a bath. Secretly… he was glad. He hadn’t liked his brother’s scent clinging to her skin… it didn’t belong there. He could see a tray laden with food sitting on the table beside her desk and her feet where wrapped in soft white bandages.

Kyoko eyed Toya strangely as he came into her room. "Did you and Sennin think of anything that would help?" She watched as he jumped up on her bed Indian style and folded his hands up into his sleeves, as was his habit when he had something on his mind. She stood up and carefully made her way to the bed then sat down beside him.

"Please tell me you guys came up with something." She gave him a pleading look.

Toya turned his head the other way making his long hair fly out around him. "Heh, I bled for you didn't I?" He smiled inwardly when he heard her sharp intake of breath.

"Bled for me? What do you mean bled for me?” Kyoko cried out in dismay.

Toya slowly turned his head back around to her watching all the emotions run across her face… her worry for him somehow made it all feel better.

He watched her eyes quickly scan his body for injury and almost smiled. Instead, he shrugged saying, "Sennin has good news and bad news. He is going to make a spell that will work on Kyou to keep him from taking you, but the problem is… he had to use my blood to do it. So, now it will work on me as well." He pouted.

Kyoko raised an eyebrow. She bit her bottom lip wondering at the wisdom of that, but surely Sennin knew what he was doing. “Do you know how the spell will work?"

He shook his head. "In five days we’ll meet Sennin in The Heart of Time gardens and he will let us know how it works. Then, if Kyou tries to get you… maybe you can ‘tame’ him or something." His lips lifted into a wide grin. Then he remembered what Kyou had said.

He leaned down almost nose-to-nose with Kyoko. "Just what did Kyou mean when he said he wants you to teach him something?" he watched her eyes widen and his narrowed.

Kyoko leaned back and started squirming under his intense gaze. "You talked to him again?" She leaned so far back that she finally fell backward on the bed only to have Toya crawl up and over her… still staring her down, nose to nose.

"Kyoko, what are you hiding? Just what did he want you to teach him?" Toya growled softly, not liking the way she was looking all guilty.

Kyoko could feel the heat spread across her face and also the annoying heat that had started the minute he was on top of her… making her even more uncomfortable.

"Ahmm Toya, could you please get off of me?" Kyoko whispered though it sounded more like a whimper. She blamed this on Kyou. He toyed with her so many times that now all her senses were on high voltage and Toya wasn't helping.

Toya frowned down at her. "No, I’m not getting off! Not until you tell me what I want to know." He then did the unthinkable and lowered the bottom half of his body to hers as if intending to prove the point of him not moving.

"Now." He wiggled as if to settle into place causing Kyoko to groan. "What does Kyou want you to teach him?" He gave her a stubborn look.

Kyoko's mind almost went blank when she felt his thigh settle in between her legs but figured he didn't know what kind of torture he was causing. She swallowed hard trying to relax. "He wanted me to teach him human emotions… I think." She gripped the cover under her with one hand and brought the other hand up to rub her temple in silent misery.

"Which emotions, Kyoko?" He raised the top part of himself up a little only making the lower half become heavier and Kyoko groaned, pushing at the clueless idiot. "Will you please move."

Toya rose up on his knees looking down at her a little strangely.

Kyoko had had about enough. Now his knee was pressed right between her legs and she was almost throbbing… nay… she WAS throbbing and it felt good! She sat up and quickly moved back, trying to get away from the offending knee. Without realizing she had done it, she even glared at the bad knee before returning her heated gaze to his face.

Toya watched her reactions. It dawned on him what was wrong with her right as he felt the heat radiating at his knee. Then she moved away from him and he turned away from her as his eyes widened. He shook his head as if to shake the dirty thoughts out of a nice clean mind… then gave up.

Without turning back around he continued, "Kyou told me to give you a message."

Kyoko closed her eyes wondering if she even wanted to hear this. "What was it?" She asked in a sinking voice.

Silver flecks appeared within his golden irises as Toya smelled the scent of her arousal. Damn… it smelled delicious. Focusing as hard as he could on what he was saying, he ground out. "He wants to make a deal with you. He says he will not take you again unless you want to go with him if…” He held up his hand again to stall her. “If you will still agree to meet and teach him what he wanted to know.”

Kyoko huffed not wanting to trust Kyou after what he’d done. "He’s lying."

Toya eyed her curiously. "No Kyoko. He would not stoop low enough to lie to anyone. He has too much pride to bother. So, ‘fess up. What emotions did he want you to teach him?"

Kyoko rolled her eyes. This was getting her nowhere. "All of them, I’m guessing." Toya leaned too close to her curiously, making her nervous again.

"So, one of the emotions he wants to learn from you is love… right?” Toya sniffed again as her scent hit him full in the face, making the silver try to override the golden hue of his eyes as his guardian blood pounded hard within his veins. It hit him like a ton of bricks. Kyoko was very aroused.

His eyes narrowed suspiciously. Since when did she start getting… that aroused? His lips parted realizing Kyou had been trying to awaken her passion all along.

"That bastard," He growled as he backed up but then felt Kyoko's hand on his arm.

"If Sennin gets the spell ready and I also agree to at least try to teach Kyou what he wants to know, then it would be safe for me to go back… right? Toya, it seems like that's the only way." Kyoko bit her bottom lip knowing she had no choice but to go back after the missing talisman before it was too late.

They’d already wasted enough time. What if more demons where finding the talisman and using the slivers of power to heighten their own? It was bad enough the dreams were making her have mixed feelings for the enemy. Lost within her worried frame of mind, Kyoko didn’t notice the strangeness of Toya’s eyes.

Toya couldn't resist the temptation, no matter how he tried too. His guardian blood knew whom it was he loved most in the world and he could not stop what he did next. He crawled back up and over her, now having proof that he could inflame her desire.

"Yes Kyoko," he whispered as he inhaled again… savoring the knowledge.

As she leaned back, again he followed as if stalking his prey, sliding his knee back into the same place, feeling her heat that once again radiated from her core. "But… there is one more way."

"What… way?" She whispered with a pained expression as she tried to wiggle away, only to find the movement sent shivers through her.

"You could mate with someone else before going back through The Heart of Time.” Toya hovered above her, his midnight hair creating a curtain around them shimmering with silver highlights, his lips just an inch away from being able to claim hers.

Kyoko stared into his eyes almost feeling hypnotized by the silver tint of them… soft silver, not the same as when in battle. He was beautiful. Her gaze drifted to his full lips, she could feel her heartbeat speed up as it pulsated just under her skin. To kiss him… would be magic…

They both jumped when a knock sounded at the door and Kyoko's mother came in smiling, bringing fresh food. By the time she turned to look at them, Kyoko and Toya were clear across the bed from each other. Both were looking guilty… like they’d just been caught stealing cookies or something.

"Toya, are you staying for dinner? We would love to have you." Her mother smiled brightly as if not noticing anything out of the ordinary.

Toya frowned as the silver receded from his eyes and his blood cooled. "I’ve got to get back," He answered in a distant whisper. Then without even looking at Kyoko, he said in a choked voice. "I’ll be back in five days, so be ready."

Kyoko watched him disappear through the open window, releasing the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. She blew her bangs out of her eyes in exasperation.

She’d been so close to kissing him but for some reason… she felt guilty about it. The image of Kyou popped into her mind and it was quickly followed by the memory of kissing Hyakuhei though she was still crossing her fingers that it had been a dream. She wrapped her arms around herself feeling so crowded and alone at the same time. It was disturbing in many ways. Her imagination went into overdrive and her eyes widened.

Getting out of bed, she rushed over to the window as fast as her injured feet could carry her but she knew she was too late. She felt the portal open to allow Toya back into his world. If Kyou was there waiting on him and Toya showed up with her scent all over him like that… there was sure to be a bloodbath.

She didn’t want to think about who would be the victor.