Chapter 1 _Dangerous Kisses_

Raging Hearts

The Guardian Heart Crystal Series Book Three

Amy Blankenship

Copyright © 2009 Amy Blankenship

English Edition Published by Amy Blankenship

Second Edition Published by TekTime

All rights reserved.

The Legend of the Heart of Time

The worlds may change… but true legends never fade.

Darkness and light have constantly battled since the beginning of time. Worlds are formed and crushed beneath the feet of their creators, yet the ongoing need for good and evil have never been in question. However, sometimes a new element is thrown into the mix… the one thing that both sides want but only one can have.

Paradoxical in nature, the Guardian Heart Crystal is the one constant that both sides have always striven to attain. The crystalline stone has the power to create and destroy the known universe, yet can end all suffering and strife in the same breath. Some say the crystal has a mind of its own… others say the gods are behind it all.

Each time the crystal has appeared, its guardians have always been ready to defend it from all who would use it selfishly. The identities of these guardians remain unchanged and they love with the same ferocity regardless of the world or dimension.

One girl stands in the center of these ancient guardians and is the object of their affections. She holds within her the power of the crystal itself. This is the bearer of the crystal and the source of its power. The lines often blur, and guarding the crystal slowly changes into guarding the priestess from the other guardians.

This is the wine from which the heart of darkness drinks. It is the opportunity to make the guardians of the crystal weak and susceptible to attack. The darkness craves the power of the crystal and also the girl as a man would crave a woman.

Within every one of these dimensions and realities you will find a secret garden known as the Heart of Time. There, a statue of a young human priestess kneels. She is surrounded by an age-old magic that keeps her secret treasure hidden and well preserved. The maiden’s hands are outstretched as if waiting for something precious to be placed in them.

Legend says that she is waiting for the powerful stone known as The Guardian Heart Crystal to return to her.

Only the Guardians know of the true secrets behind the statue and how it came into existence. Before the five brothers drew their first breath their ancestors, Tadamichi, and his twin brother, Hyakuhei, protected the heart of time during its darkest history. For centuries, the twins protected the seal that kept the human world from overlapping within the demon realm. This task was sacred and the lives of the humans as well as demons had to be kept safe and secret from the other.

Unexpectedly, during their reign, a small band of humans accidentally crossed over into the demon world because of the sacred crystal. During a time of turmoil, its powers caused a rip in the seal that had separated the dimensions. The leader of the human group and Tadamichi had quickly become allies, making a pact to close the rip in the seal and keep the two worlds locked away from each other forever.

But during that time, Hyakuhei and Tadamichi had both fallen in love with the daughter of the human leader.

Against Hyakuhei’s wishes, the rip had been repaired by Tadamichi and the girl’s father. The strength of the seal had been increased tenfold, separating the dangerous love triangle forever. Hyakuhei’s heart was shattered… Even his own blood brother, Tadamichi had betrayed him by making sure he and the priestess were separated by eternity.

Love can turn into the most wicked of things once it is lost. Hyakuhei’s broken heart turned to malicious anger and jealousy causing a battle between the twin brothers, ending Tadamichi’s life and splitting their immortal souls. Those slivers of immortality created five new guardians to take guardianship over the seal and protect it from Hyakuhei, who had joined the demons within the evil realm.

Imprisoned within the darkness he had become, Hyakuhei cast out all thought of protecting the heart of time… instead he turned his energy toward banishing the seal completely. His long midnight locks, reaching past his knees and a face belonging only to the most seductive, belied the true evil hidden within his angelic appearance.

As the war begins between the forces of light and dark, a blinding blue light is emitted from the sanctified statue signaling that the young priestess has been reborn and the crystal has resurfaced on the other side.

As the guardians are drawn to her and become her protectors, the battle between good and evil truly begins. Hence the entrance into another world where darkness is dominant within the world of light.

This is one of their many epic adventures…

Chapter 1 "Dangerous Kisses"

"I just need to go home for a day or two." Kyoko sighed to herself as she leaned back against the bark of a huge tree. She drew her legs up in front of her and laid her chin on her knees as she sat between the tree’s outreaching roots. To say she was miserable would have been an understatement.

She was tired, dirty and getting aggravated because they hadn't run across any talisman in the last several days. That was a fact that had Toya sulking. Their small motley group had decided to take a break for a couple of days. Kyoko cocked an eyebrow knowing it was either take a break or strangle each other. She blew her bangs out of her eyes silently agreeing.

Suki had taken off for the closest town to see an acquaintance about more slayer weapons. Shinbe had taken off after her, walking next to her with his hand coming up behind her as if to feel her butt. The smack that followed had been the highlight of Kyoko’s day. She smirked knowing Shinbe had just not wanted Suki wondering around the countryside by herself. He was only trying to protect her but instead of saying that, he simply pretended to be the letch they all knew and loved.

Looking around, she noticed Kamui must’ve taken off with Kaen again. He’d been doing that a lot lately. Kyoko smiled to herself wishing she had that same freedom. Kaen was a fire sprite and could turn from human form into a dragon at will. Kamui would then climb onto his back and they would fly all over the land, sometimes staying gone for days at a time.

Glancing over at Toya, who was leaning against the tree beside her, Kyoko noted that his head tilted down quickly when he saw her look his way. 'He’s watching me again,' Kyoko thought to herself as she felt heat rise into her cheeks. He’s been acting strange for the last couple of weeks… but then… when doesn’t Toya act strange? She grinned at her own joke.

She glanced away as her hand came up to touch the small sack attached to the long leather strap she wore around her neck. She could feel the small slivers of crystal hidden within the thin leather. Her thoughts instantly turned to Hyakuhei, their enemy. She couldn’t understand how someone so strikingly beautiful could be so cruel and unpredictable. Kyoko cocked an eyebrow reminding her self that looks could be deceiving… especially in a land overrun with demons.

As Hyakuhei collected pieces of the talisman he became stronger, even though he was extremely powerful to begin with. With the ability to take the weaker demons within himself and thrive on their power, he became more dangerous with every battle. If he ever gained all the pieces of the talisman, he’d then be able to breach the barrier between the demon and human world. If that happened, he would let the demons into her world and the humans wouldn’t stand a chance.

Toya had been leaning there, pretending he was asleep for almost an hour now, waiting to see what Kyoko would do. After all, it wasn’t like he had anything to do now that he’d been overruled on continuing the talisman hunt. His breath seized in his chest as he watched her face tilt up to the sunlight and he felt his stomach clench.

It seemed everything she did lately made him think about… keeping her. Toya silently wondered if once this was over, if she would just go back to her world and forget all about him. Sometimes he found himself wishing this war would never end and that’s another reason he’d agreed to allow this break. His golden eyes softened with a hidden longing as she stood up and her long, silky auburn hair started blowing in the breeze.

Kyoko had never been good at sitting still for too long and her nerves were already starting to fray from boredom. Needing something to take her mind off the mess she’d made in this world, she stood up and started for a nearby path.

"Toya, I'm going to go for a walk, okay?" Kyoko called over her shoulder as she took off… to where, she didn’t know. She bit her bottom lip when she didn't hear him following her. Fine… she didn't want him to come on a walk with her anyway. She cocked an eyebrow at the silent lie. They’d been walking for days so why in the world was she doing it when she didn’t have too. No wonder he hadn’t offered to keep her company.

She slowed down, sulking. Toya had been acting so odd lately. She was getting whiplash from the sudden changes in his personality and was tired of obsessing over it. Kyoko decided to just keep going until she was so tired she’d just sleep for the next couple days.

Toya stood up, wanting nothing more than to follow her. He shoved away from the tree and took a step to do just that, than stopped mid-stride. He leaned back against the tree in a huff. "Oh no, I’m staying right here… where it’s safe." He breathed through clinched teeth forcing himself not to follow her like a stalker.

It was all he could do today to keep his distance anyway. He didn’t sense any demons nearby and figured she’d be safe for a while. The silver guardian inhaled deeply as he slid down the tree and settled against it. Kyoko’s scent was still in the clearing and it was driving him crazy.

It happened every time he spent too much time alone with her. He’d start acting weird and she’d get mad, than he would say something stupid and make it worse. If he knew for sure she wouldn't reject him, then he’d reach out to her like he’d wanted to do since the first moment he had saw her. Toya glared down at his hands wondering why every time he tried, something happened to ruin it.

Kyoko walked for quite a while thinking bashing thoughts about the male population in this world and her own world. The splashing sounds of cascading water brought her attention back to her surroundings. Looking around, she saw a crystal clear pool of water with a small waterfall constantly feeding it.

“It’s amazing how in a land of monsters, some things can be so beautiful,” She whispered in awe. Her emerald eyes lit up as she took it all in. Not sensing anything in the water that might hurt her or want to fight, Kyoko started stripping, knowing they were a long way from any type of village.

She couldn't believe her luck coming across this all by herself and she wasn't about to let the opportunity pass her up. Sticking her toes in first to test the water, she nearly melted finding it naturally heated.

Kyoko waded into the water and splashed it up on herself, loving the cleansing feel of it. She’d been so spoilt in her own world, taking for granted that she could take a hot shower whenever she wanted. This world was a completely other matter. Stepping closer to the waterfall, she let it shower down on her hair and felt more tranquil then she had in a long time.

She loved having something to think about besides Toya for a little while. She was tired of being in a funk because of him and his mood swings. Lately, all he had to do was look at her and she would blush. That made her angry. He was all about finding the talisman and killing demons.

When Toya faced the demons, sometimes he could be more frightening then the evil he was fighting. Truth was, most people thought Toya hated everyone… it was just his personality. She was constantly reminding herself that he was far from human and didn’t live by their rules… none of the guardians did.

However, sometimes she would get a glimpse of the man behind the guardian. It was in those rare moments that he seemed different… softer. He would accidentally do something that proved he cared for her more then he let on. He was the only one of the five guardians that could cross the Heart of Time into her world and she wondered why. Did it mean something? Were they secretly linked together more than her and the other guardians?

Kyoko huffed to herself in disappointment because she was still thinking about Toya after deciding not to. She scrubbed her skin and hair until it shone and then laid back on the surface of the water. She wasn’t ready to abandon such a lovely place just yet. There was no telling if she’d ever see it again.

She cleared her mind as she listened to the water lapping at her ears. Closing her eyes, Kyoko relaxed and let the water cradle her.

***** Kyou had been following his brothers from a distance… often ridding the area surrounding them of the demons that stalked the girl’s every move. He’d come to the conclusion that either his brothers were growing lazy or the enemy was growing stronger. The demons that hunted them were gaining strength.

He could sense a separation within the group and growled disapprovingly. He inhaled deeply and followed the scent that called to him. Moments later he reached his target. Kyou looked down at the crystalline water’s as he hovered high in the air, turning his angelic face to the girl that lay on the water’s glittering surface.

No emotion showed in his expression as he let his gaze caress her body. His silver hair drifted in the slight wind as shimmering strands hung down his back all the way to his thighs. He could smell her sweet scent from the height he was at, where he’d come to a dead stop.

Kyou was addicted to her scent, this girl they were destined to protect. His golden orbs watched her as she laid upon the water like a naked water goddess beckoning him to her. She was the one who’d brought the Guardian Heart Crystal back to their lands, causing nothing but turmoil and danger. The shattering of the crystal had decided her fate quickly. She now belonged to the guardians though he doubted she realized that fact.

His lips parted as he watched the girl he’d tried to kill in the beginning but could never bring himself to do it. In truth, had he really wanted her dead… she would be dead. Instead, he protected her from afar while his brothers stayed closer to her. Such innocence should not be left alone without protection. His gaze narrowed at his brother’s incompetence. Maybe he should be the one protecting her so closely.

Kyou smiled, something that he almost never did. He liked the game of cat and mouse, and the priestess needed to be taught a lesson about being caught alone in such a dangerous land.

He slowly glided down to her seeing that her eyes were closed. Kyou lay stretched out above her without touching her, just hovering there in mid-air, letting his long hair create a curtain around them. The soft fan of her dark lashes across creamy cheeks gave him pause. His gaze slowly lowered to her full lips in wonder. He put his own lips to the shell of her ear and breathed his hot breath into it.

Kyoko's eyes came open in shock and she whipped her head around, causing Kyou’s lips to brush across her cheek in the process… coming to a stop right on her lips. She was looking straight into Kyou’s golden eyes. They were hypnotizing. It was like being kissed by an angel but… This was Kyou. Toya's brother was not an angel. He was the most feared and powerful guardian in the land. He was also one of her protectors, though she hardly ever laid eyes on him.

She lost all floating ability as she panicked. She began to sink into the water, but she didn't care as long as it got her away from his hypnotizing eyes. She stifled a scream when he suddenly reached out, grabbing her around the small of the back and lifted her clear out of the water until she was pressed flush against him.

Kyou could smell her fear of him and decided he didn’t want her fear. Everyone feared him… even his brothers. His golden eyes glowed as he held her tightly, ceasing her struggles. The Guardian Heart Crystal had decided long ago they were fated to be allies and he would not have the one he protected, fearing his protection. Kyou used his mind control abilities to peer into her memories and found that the priestess had never been kissed… until now. His eyes darkened attractively with that knowledge.

Kyoko was so shocked all she could do was stare into the liquid golden pools, waiting for… She didn't know what she was waiting for, but … God, he was beautiful. She thought she saw a slight smile tug at the corner of his lips. She blinked wondering if he’d just read her mind. Now she knew why she’d never been this close to the golden guardian… it was dangerous to the senses.

Feeling a pull beyond his control, Kyou slashed his lips across hers in a powerful kiss as if to seal some unknown bargain. Lasting only mere seconds but feeling like an eternity, he slowly ended the kiss, wondering what spell she’d cast on him to make him feel such alien emotions and cravings. Kyou held her closer… unwilling to release her just yet. He watched her with a strange look… almost in wonder, his golden eyes seeming to shatter from the reflection of the water.

He’d wanted to teach his priestess what could happen if she was caught alone and without protection, but somehow it became more. He should have known better then to touch her. His senses widened and he felt his brother approaching at a swift pace, making him silently growl at the intrusion. Kyou glided across the water to the bank, righting them and gently standing her on her feet.

Seeing she was still under his trance, he gently reached out and traced the pad of his thumb across her soft cheek liking the possessive heat stirring within his guardian blood. Giving into the pull one more time, he tilted her lips back to his for a last searing kiss before vanishing, leaving behind only the fluttering of a translucent golden feather that also vanished as it touched the water’s surface at her feet.

Kyoko stood there for a moment after Kyou had disappeared, trying to figure out what the hell had just happened. Then she gasped and looked down at herself. She was naked and he’d been touching her, holding her. She couldn't help it, but something started in the pit of her stomach… heat. Something, that up until now… she’d only felt on those very rare moments with Toya.

Finally getting her wits back, she grabbed her clothes and held them against her. “How dare Kyou do that!” She felt her temper start to spark for the high and mighty lord Kyou. “Just who the hell does he think he is?” her face lifted to the sky as her fingers rose to softly touch her still tingling lips.

She tensed up when she heard Toya's voice calling her name. "Great," Kyoko shook her shirt out, quickly tossing it over her head. By the time it slid into place and she was able to see, she was staring straight at Toya, not five feet in front of her. Pulling her shirt down as far as it could go, she blushed ten shades of red.

"Toya, turn around!" She demanded then whined inwardly, ‘Geez, do none of the guardians have any sense of decency?’

When Kyoko had been gone to long, Toya had raced through the forest cursing his own stubbornness for not stalking her to start out with. Following her scent, nothing had prepared him for what he’d found… she was standing there like a goddess. Her breast lifted with her arms as she pulled her shirt down over her naked body. Toya had frozen.

Sure, he heard her say, ‘Turn around,’ but that didn't mean he could do it. All his heated blood had just raced to his midsection and he couldn't move. As his gaze moved up her body very slowly, it finally came to rest on her face. Oh hell, he’d seen that look before. Knowing she was about to use her Taming spell on him, Toya spun around. He could hear her grumbling behind him, something about…Guardians with no manners.

While burning that image to memory, something caught his attention. He could smell Kyoko's scent strongly but there was another scent clinging to it. Silver flecks appeared in Toya’s golden eyes as he slowly turned around making sure she was dressed so he had freedom of movement. He walked toward her hoping he was wrong. The closer he got to Kyoko, the stronger the scent.

Kyoko stood very still, waiting on him to finish. She knew he smelled his brother on her. All the guardians had enhanced senses and after all this time she was still trying to get used to that creepy little fact. She tensed up when Toya grew closer, feeling a slight panic as he placed his cheek almost against hers and inhaled. He then grabbed her chin and turned her face to his, staring at her mouth.

Toya saw her shiver and could smell her lingering fear. "Kyoko, was Kyou here with you?" When she nodded, he gazed down at her mouth again, his eyes narrowing on her lips, "Did you bite him?"

Kyoko was so taken aback when he said that… her knees almost buckled. Then, thinking about the question and mentally seeing herself bite the most feared guardian in the land, she began to laugh.

"No, Toya, I did not bite him! I was taking a bath and floating in the water with my eyes closed. When I opened them, there he was, practically lying on top of me and…" her voice dropped down to almost a whisper as she shrugged, "he kissed me." Kyoko quit laughing when she saw the silver override the gold within Toya’s irises.

Toya grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her, needing to know exactly what happened. "Kyoko, did he do anything else? Tell me now!" He could feel the panic building within him at the thought of Kyou kissing Kyoko… what the hell was he thinking.

She was shocked at how mad Toya was all of a sudden. Kyoko shrugged and with a confused look on her face, she nodded. "Yeah, he lifted me out of the water and brought me to the bank, stood me up here, and then… disappeared.” She nervously raised a hand and ran it through her wet hair as she looked away. Secretly, she wondered where Kyou was now and if he was still watching them. Usually Kyou’s presence was felt not seen. “He never even said a word," she added as an afterthought.

"Kyoko, did he mark you anywhere?" Toya asked in a calm voice while hiding the fact that his insides were screaming in denial. He pulled her hair back to look at her neck before she could even answer. He could feel his heartbeat strong and pulsing under his skin as he searched for any hidden marks Kyou may have left behind.

Kyoko tried to smack his hand away but he would have none of that, so she yelled, "No, he didn't! Why?" This was starting to freak her out a little. What did Toya mean, ‘mark her’ anyway? She felt her skin start to crawl as she envisioned a vampire scene from some old black and white movie in her mind. Then the scene twisted into one of the newer movies where the vampire was sexy and… and she quickly deleted the thought.

Toya let go of her hair after not finding any marks but gazed at her very intensely, his heart still hammering hard in his chest. "I don't like this." He watched as she put her arms around herself as if she was cold. Toya growled softly, deep in the back of his throat as he stood in front of her, looking down into her emerald eyes.

"From now on, stay close to me." He watched her lips for a minute, not liking the fact that Kyou had kissed them when he hadn't. It was making him mad and the fact that it was making him mad, was making him madder. He inhaled her scent again; smelling his brother's disturbing presence and that wasn’t making him happy either.

“Kyoko, go take another bath,” Toya said a little harshly, stunning Kyoko and pricking her temper.

"I just took one!" Her emerald eyes shot sparks at him.

Toya smiled on the inside. He loved nothing better than to make her angry because she looked so cute when she was like that. But sniffing again, he informed her, "You stink!"

"Toya!" Kyoko yelled back as her hands fisted at her sides.

Toya felt his body get heavy and down he went. God, he hated it when she used that Taming spell against him. "Kyoko, stop that!" He glared up at her. “Damn it!”

“Well… you are rude! I do not stink!" Kyoko glared down at him wishing he were still standing so she could do it again.

Feeling the effects of the spell wearing off, Toya slowly got back up, hoping she wouldn’t use the Taming spell again. "Kyoko, listen, please, take another bath. You don't smell it, but I can, " He tried to explain but she cut him off.

"Toya!" Kyoko hissed as he once again hit the ground. He was lucky she wasn’t kicking him.

He lay there for a minute as Kyoko glared down at him. Slowly, he looked up at her and whispered, "You smell like him." Then he stood up, his molten-silver eyes hidden under his dark bangs, causing the silver highlights to glisten in the sunlight. Didn’t she understand that he couldn’t stand the fact that she was wearing Kyou’s scent and not his own?

Toya turned and walked back into the woods, away from her… leaving her standing there confused. He’d looked so sad when he had said it. Kyoko hung her head, feeling like the biggest jerk in the world, both worlds. She knew out of all of his siblings, the one he couldn’t get along with was Kyou… even if they were both on the same side. They always fought when within seeing distance of each other.

"Oh Toya, I'm sorry." She whispered into the empty air he’d left behind. Turning back to the water, she stripped and went back in to wash Kyou's scent off her.

She smiled thinking… He doesn't like Kyou’s scent. Could it be that he’s jealous? She sighed rethinking it… Or is it just because he doesn't like Kyou? Remembering what happened earlier while she was alone, Kyoko hurried up and washed, not wanting to chance any more unwelcome visitors during her bath. Getting back out quickly, she dressed and started back for camp.

Kyoko stepped into the clearing where she knew Toya would be waiting for her, and he was. She really didn’t want to be alone with him right now after the way things had went at the hot spring. She quickly scanned the area for Kamui but didn’t see him.

"Toya, where’s Kamui?” Kyoko asked nervously.

Toya had been waiting on her to get back, although he’d only made it back a couple of minutes before her because he’d been keeping an eye on her… making sure Kyou did not show back up to finish what he’d started.

He shrugged as if it didn’t matter as he answered her question, "He went to visit Sennin. He’ll be back in the morning so we can head out then.”

He had really sent Kamui to the old man to ask if he’d gotten any more information on where the talismans could be found. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Toya knew it was just an excuse to be alone with Kyoko for a while… but he wouldn’t tell her that.

Kyoko sighed as she sat down, closing her eyes and relaxing against the tree. Damn it, she was right back in the same position she’d been avoiding when she took off for her walk. Trying to distract herself, the first thing that entered her mind was Kyou, his glowing golden eyes showing a flicker of emotion. It was the first time she’d seen him show any emotion besides the expressionless face of boredom he carried or the anger of battle. And he had kissed her.

Why had he kissed her like that? And why hadn’t she tried to stop him? It was like she’d been unable to think, just able to feel. Though she was still very afraid of him, she’d felt safe at the same time. After all, he was one of her guardians. He wouldn’t hurt her… would he? It was her first kiss and one she’d never forget. She glanced over at Toya and caught him staring at her again.

Toya had been watching the emotions flickering across her face and wondered what she was thinking about. She looked like she had a secret and then he noticed the slight blush cross her cheeks and he knew he was right. She was thinking about Kyou! He could hear the growl loud within his head. When she turned to look over at him, he glared at her. He turned and faced the other way, crossing his arms in front and leaving her to stare in confusion at his back.

Kyoko frowned then yelled at him. "What’d I do?” He twitched but didn’t turn around or answer her. What was he mad about now? Suddenly, a chill went down her spine and her heart began to pound hard against her chest… Evil. Raising her face, she closed her eyes and felt darkness coming at them. It was evil all right, and it had a piece of the shattered guardian heart crystal within it.

Toya sensed Kyoko's heartbeat speed up and swung around to look at her. “Kyoko, what is it?" His voice was now fueled with concern as he instantly forgot to be mad at her.

"A talisman, very strong and darkly tainted. It’s moving fast… this way," She pointed to the left and they both jumped to their feet and started running in that direction. They hadn’t gone far when they heard something crashing through the trees, coming straight towards them.

Toya’s body was moving on its own accord, his forearms pulsing at his sides as if to draw his attention to the power that lay hidden there. With a flick of his wrist, the fire dagger slid from his flesh and he leapt in front of Kyoko, pushing her behind him with his other hand. He braced himself as the forest in front of them took on a life of its own. The trees and foliage crashed around them as a huge demon thundered towards them.

Kyoko swallowed the lump in her throat as she looked up at the demon. It was about ten times taller than either of them and very nasty looking. She could see the beautiful sky above it and wondered if she would ever get used to the fact that demons lived here. She shrank back when its hideous red eyes locked on her and Toya.

Toya sniffed the air, making a face. The thing smelt like it had been buried and left to rot for way to long before crawling out of its grave. He’d bet his life Hyakuhei was controlling this thing because he hadn’t felt this much power within a demon in a long time.

“Another one of his fucking spawns," Toya sneered then heard the mocking laughter come from deep in the chest of the demon.

It spoke in a massive deep crackling voice that grated on the nerves. "Kill Toya!" The demon grunted as it lunged forward with a rotting, clawed hand.

With inhuman speed, Toya lifted Kyoko in his arms and jumped out of the way. Landing on a nearby rock that was jutting up from the ground, he instantly wished Kyoko had stayed in the camp and out of harm’s way. His lips were right beside her ear as he asked hastily, "that ugly thing is way to big not to have a talisman. Do you see it?"

She swung her head around to peer hard at the demon but it was moving so fast all she could see was a blur. It jumped and landed right in front of them, knocking Toya to the ground with a bone-jarring thud. Kyoko screamed when it turned back and grabbed her off the rock. Its massive, fleshy hand squeezed the breath from her, stopping her scream instantly.

She put her hands down against the imprisonment, trying to push out of its grip but there was no way. A dark glowing light caught her attention. She was trapped and getting dizzy from the lack of air, so with the last bit of breath she could squeeze out, she shouted. "The talisman… Neck!"

Toya saw the demon grab Kyoko, holding her up in the air while she struggled to breathe. He pushed up off the ground feeling the adrenaline rush through his body and into the fire dagger still pulsating in his hand.

"Let her go, you bastard!" He roared, trying to get its attention back on him. "You’ll regret ever touching her," Toya growled as his eyes turned to molten silver.

He slung his other arm out to the side, now holding a dagger in each hand as he taunted the ugly beast. The demon gave a hideous laugh as it held Kyoko up as if to use her as a shield. "Damn!” Toya cursed. He couldn’t use the daggers power without hurting Kyoko in the process. The beast wasn’t as stupid as he looked. “You dirty son of a…” Toya growled feeling his blood heat to a dangerous level.

Kyoko tried to get to her crossbow, but the demon had it pinned between her and its palm. The light around her started to fade, warning her that she was passing out. She sought out Toya's form, finding him standing there, facing the demon. She could tell he was in a rage as she heard him curse. His angry silver eyes met hers, and the last thing she saw before passing out was Toya leap into the air as if to come straight at her.

Toya had had enough. How dare that nasty beast touch Kyoko. He felt his cursed demon blood surface, overriding his guardian blood as his anger grew. He leapt into the air and with a swipe of his razor sharp claws; he sliced through the demon's arm. As its arm fell to the ground, Toya boomeranged off the demon and caught Kyoko in midair as she fell from the loose fingers.

Holding her securely against him, Toya jumped out of the way as the demon swung his other hand towards them. He landed hard, taking only a second to make sure Kyoko was once again breathing even though she’d lost consciousness. He laid her on the ground then swung around. The twin daggers reemerged from his skin, sliding into his palms with ease.

“How dare you!” Toya’s voice rose to a dangerous level. In a fury, he rushed the demon, one swipe taking the head clean off. He watched with morbid satisfaction as it landed a good twenty feet from the still twitching body.

Before the dust settled, Toya turned back to Kyoko to check on her, not realizing the demon wasn’t dead yet. He hadn’t remembered to remove the talisman from its neck and he never saw the huge claws coming at him from behind. Hearing a roar, Toya felt the deadly claws slice into his back and slam him into a nearby rock, knocking the daggers from him.

Kyoko fought the darkness off. Opening her eyes, her vision cleared quickly but the sight that met her made her gasp in horror. Toya’s blood was spraying the air behind him as he was thrown through the air colliding into a giant rock. Swinging her gaze back to the demon, she watched in dismay as it grabbed its head from the dirt and placed it back where it was supposed to be. The demon turned to her, a rumbling sound came from its chest like a demented growl while baring several rows of sharp teeth.

The smell of Kyoko's fear brought Toya out of his daze and he opened his eyes in a haze of pain. Ignoring the pain, he raised himself up just in time to see the demon charging at her. He could feel his demonic blood surface… and this time… he let it take over. Toya's body began to hum with a force of its own. The only rational thought left in his mind was that no one was to touch her… if they did they died.

Kyoko was reaching for her crossbow but knew she would be too late because the beast was almost on her. So close, she could smell its nasty breath reaching her. She screamed, raising her arm to shield her face, thinking this was the end… But nothing happened. She heard a grunt and the ground shook. Kyoko opened her eyes, but couldn’t see anything for the debris flying at her from where the demon had fallen, blocking her vision.

As the debris began to clear, she saw the back of Toya as he stood in front of her facing the demon. She hissed seeing three long jagged wounds across his back. His midnight hair and silver highlights were still blowing in the wind created from the fallen demon. She glanced at the demon to see again that its head was severed and its arms were laying a good distance from its body.

She frowned as it again opened its crimson eyes, intending to use the power of the talisman to heal itself. Not wanting that to happen, Kyoko reached behind her and grabbed the small crossbow, a spirit dart quickly forming from her priestess powers. Cocking it tight against the string she whispered, "Hit," releasing the string and sending the spirit dart straight toward the talisman, knocking it from the demon’s body.

The demon slowly crumbled in on itself, turning to dust and catching in the breeze. Most of the dust drifted away, leaving only yellowed bones in its wake. Still feeling evil close by, Kyoko looked up and saw one of Hyakuhei's demonic changelings. It slithered down from the sky looking like a ghostly serpent, picking up the talisman within its pointed teeth before scurrying away so fast she couldn’t even tell which direction it had went.

She felt like groaning knowing they’d just fought the demon for nothing since the talisman was stolen. Kyoko slowly pushed against the ground to stand, stopping midway when she noticed Toya hadn’t turned around yet, his clawed hand still curled in anger at his side.

She tensed up realizing what was wrong… he was in his cursed form. A curse Hyakuhei had placed on him long before she’d ever come to this world. In this state, he was unpredictable, out of control… and very dangerous.

With an unsteady voice, Kyoko whispered, "Toya?”

She stood up the rest of the way as he turned around, his crimson eyes staring back at her. His chest was still rising and falling rapidly as he breathed heavily from the force of the attack he’d just used to kill the demon. ‘The daggers,’ Kyoko thought trying to stay calm, ‘she needed to get the blades back to him.’ She looked toward the rock he’d been thrown against and spotted one of the daggers laying there. She slowly started edging in the direction of the blade.

Toya took a step forward and growled. He felt a blinding rage for the demon he’d just killed and waited to see if there were more to kill or if the demon would get back up. Then he heard someone behind him whisper his name. Turning to the sound, he saw the girl there, slowly trying to stand up. He smelled the fear emanating from her as she slowly tried to edge away from him.

He issued a low growl of warning for her to stay and took a step toward her. She stood still for another moment staring at him as if she couldn’t decide if he was friend or foe. He could smell her fear rise and it made him angry. He growled again and she took off running.

Kyoko's heart was pounding. He’d growled at her. Was he going to kill her? The daggers, she had to reach at least one of them. They were a part of him and helped to seal away the demon blood Hyakuhei had cursed him with. Kyoko took off as fast as she’d ever run in her life.

She had to get the dagger to him. Her hair flew out behind her and she knew he was coming after her. The hair on the back of her neck stood up as if he’d already caught her. Five more feet… just about there. A blur moved in front of her, between her and what she was so desperately trying to reach.

No. She would not run from him. She was his. He stopped in front of her to halt her flight, and she crashed into him with a startled yelp. On contact, he could feel his blood calming and he gave a softer growl to let her know to stay this time. When she still tried to move past him, he crushed her to him, wanting this woman to feel that he would destroy anything that came near her.

He looked down into the wide emerald eyes staring back up at him. Toya could feel her trying to lower herself to slide out of his arms. No, he’d never let her go… the demon blood within him had already claimed her. He watched as a tear slipped from her lashes to land on her creamy cheek. He leaned forward and licked the tear with the tip of his tongue, drawing a startled gasp from the girl.

She renewed her struggle, wiggling out of his grasp and slid to the ground, throwing herself past him and grabbing at something lying there. He growled at her defiance as he turned and dropped on her, holding her to the ground. He pinned her wrist above her head and the weight of his body held the rest of her immobile. She tried to throw him off her but he wanted her to know just who she belonged to.

Lowering his mouth to hers, he growled low in his chest. The girl stilled as his lips slashed across hers in a possessive kiss. He forced her lips apart with the pressure and deepened the possession. He wanted her and she would be his. His hands slid up from her wrist to take her fingers in his when he felt his hand come in contact with the thing she’d grabbed from the ground.

He licked at the inside of her mouth wanting to taste everything that she was. He could feel his thoughts slowly coming back to him, things he should have not forgotten. He calmed, but the kiss didn’t. His mind flickered. He could feel the heat in his lower regions and he ground his hips against her in hunger. Then something clicked inside him and the red haze in his mind disappeared.

Toya became aware of everything, the soft body under him, the taste of honey and the blinding need coursing through his veins. As much as he didn’t want to, he released her lips from his and raised above her a fraction to stare down into the eyes of Kyoko. He had just been kissing her and really wanted to continue.

Kyoko couldn’t help it as fiery lightning bolts shot through her body. She stopped struggling as he deepened the kiss. The feel of his lips dominating hers with such passion was a heady sensation. Then she felt the evidence of his arousal press hard against her thigh and that shot another round of heat through her.

She felt him slowly shift and rise above her as he ended the kiss. What she saw nearly stopped her heart. His eyes were golden, all traces of the demonic bloodlust gone. She glanced toward the dagger she still clutched in her hand and noticed that he was touching it. She sighed with relief realizing Toya was back.

Toya watched Kyoko as she glanced toward the blade and his gaze followed hers. So that’s what happened. He had changed, and then he’d tried… He knew she would be mad at what he’d almost done. Even his out of control side had chosen her as its life mate.

He sat up, trying not to look at her as he rolled off her body. Only after he was completely off her did he trust himself to glance at her. The first thing that caught his attention was her kiss swollen lips. He felt a blush burn his cheeks as he remembered the kiss and the feel of her lips against his.

‘So that’s what heaven is like,’ he silently mused and rubbed his eyes with one hand for no other reason than to hide his reaction from her.

Kyoko turned her face away from him as she slowly stood up. She knew he hadn’t meant to kiss her and was probably now regretting it. She located the other blade and handed both the daggers back to him.

Toya also stood up, not saying a word. The silence around them was deafening.