DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha. Surprised? So am I.

In the blood

Ch. 5

By: Lara Winner

………………………

Patchouli.

A single scent that defined such things like darkness, mystery, and lust. It brought to mind an image of satin sheets and sweaty skin. The muggy air after heavy rain. Stone crypts in the ebony cloak of a cemetery at midnight…

The musky incense permeated the air in an invisible fog, thick and intoxicating.

Naraku studiously ignored the impact the fragrance had on his senses and suppressed a sigh. It was not often he ventured to the small occult shop owned by Tsubaki. After his arrival in Laundith the previous morning he had attended to the political purpose of his journey which now left him free to consult the spellcaster on the more pressing matter of mikos and subjugation tools.

Approaching the counter that ran along the far wall, Naraku couldn't stop the sardonic chuckle as he was greeted by a young girl in gothic apparel with the most horrible and unnatural shade of blue hair he'd ever had the misfortune to see. It took effort on his part but he managed to give the young woman before him a charming smile.

A pierced brow arched in question. "Can I help you?"

"I have an appointment with Tsubaki. She's expecting me." he replied with polite etiquette that was lost on the girl.

Dark lined eyes that resembled Egyptian artistry gave him a brazen once over. They were the color of deep red wine, and effect achieved by contacts since the impudent bitch was only human. There was no fear in the young girl's gaze, just appreciation and curiosity.

Her black painted lips curved up into a wicked grin. "She's in her office. It's up the stairs to your left."

Unwilling to waste another second with the pathetic human, he climbed the set of stairs indicated and stepped through the beaded curtain that separated Tsubaki's private office from the small occult shop. It was not a typical office by any means. Unlike most that consisted of a desk, file cabinets, bookshelves and proper lighting, Tsubaki's domain was exceedingly different.

In the center of the large room was a table covered with black cotton cloth. Instead of stacks of papers there were two decks of cards, and twin maroon velvet pouches. Along the walls were shelves of glass jars. The shapes, sizes and color of the glass differed but it was obvious they contained herbs, roots, animal appendages and questionable liquids. On a makeshift display were a collection of crystal balls on ornate stands, the colors and opacity varying. Just above the display was a wroth-iron wall mount equipped with hooks from which hung amulets, talismans and pendulums.

The incense was thick and candlelight flickered as the only source of lighting. There was a change in atmosphere inside the room. Unseen energy swirled about along with vibrations that only his hanyou senses could discern. Perhaps the spellcaster's taste in style was a bit cliché but it obviously got the job done.

The peacefulness that surrounded him could not soften Tsubaki's edge as the she snapped, "You've finally decided to grace me with your presence."

"Did I keep you waiting?" he asked snidely, taking a seat with out waiting for her invitation.

"Hardly."

Watching Tsubaki from across the table it was then that Naraku realized she had yet to open her eyes. For the most part she appeared to be deep in concentration with her wild white hair falling over the shoulders of her black robe. He wasn't sure he liked her dismissive composure.

"Come now. I do not have all day." He pressed. "Do you have the materials I need or must I find someone with more competence?"

Tsubaki merely smiled.

"Don not play games with me…" he warned.

The spellcaster's eyes opened slowly reflecting the candlelight with an ominous glow. Lifting her hand she uncurled her fingers revealing an odd jewel lying in the center of her palm. It was large and polished in a perfect round circle. It color was hard to define. If he did not know better he would assume it was rose quarts or amethyst. He leaned closer to get a better look at the stone in the dim lighting.

"What form of precious gem is it?" he inquired.

"This is not an ordinary jewel Naraku. It was formed by the blood of a miko named Midoriko. It absorbs, constantly withdrawing energy from any living thing it touches." She brought it closer. "Would you like to hold it?"

Naraku leaned back. "No thank you."

"First lesson is to never fear. Negativity will hinder the magic you wish to employ."

Tsubaki's implied insinuation hit its mark and Naraku held out his hand to accept the jewel. The moment the cool stone rolled onto his palm a vague pulling sensation tingled his flesh. Then abruptly it grew stronger going from strange to extremely uncomfortable and before he could think to react the stone began to glow brightly.

Alarmed, he tried to drop the jewel only to have it remain suffused to his skin, drawing off his youki. In the center of the stone the pale purple light began to shimmer with shadow. He watched in horrified amazement as more and more of the stone's inner brilliance faded until finally the light was as if it had never been and the once rosy violet jewel as black and opaque as obsidian.

As abruptly as it began the osmosis ceased and the jewel fell from Naraku's open palm hitting the table with a dull thunk and rolling a few inches. His anger simmered and the spider youkai in his blood made its power known as his ruby eyes threatened to bleed scarlet.

"What the fuck just happened Tsubaki?"

Ignoring his rage, she lifted the jewel and inspected it closely. Then her head dipped in an approving nod. "You have binded an impression your own youki in this jewel. It will heed your command."

"You did not warm me it would do that!"

Tsubaki laughed. "You wanted a spell correct? I have given you one. All you must do is get your little miko to hold the jewel and it will absorb her energy. Once that is done the jewel will contain the extent of her miko power and by a simple manipulation of the youki inside, you will have total control of how that energy is released."

Naraku sneered. "I do not appreciate being toyed with. You should have asked permission to withdraw my youki."

"Quit complaining. You have the tool you desired. What more do you want?"

Heated glares clashed across the table. Slowly her words began to seep into his rage. He had what he wanted now. He was in possession of just the thing he needed. Now the Onigu would rise and become the ruling tribe over the Southern Province. He would crush the Inutaki and the Tadema like useless flies.

To see the defeat in Sesshomaru Hamada's eyes when I strip his lands, position and pride from him in a public display of power…

The looming victory was so sweet he could almost taste it.

"Naraku…" Tsubaki warned, interrupting his growling elation, "there are a few minor conditions."

Eh?

His eyes narrowed. "What do you mean 'conditions'?"

"You only have one opportunity to take the girl's power. Should the transfer of energy become disrupted the jewel will only be as powerful as the amount of energy you have taken. The spell is designed to extract her life force meaning the girl will not survive the transfer. Should the disruption happen before this crucial point then the child will have joint control over the jewel. Do you understand?"

"There is no need to worry. I will take every precaution to assure that the transfer of power will proceed unhindered." He insisted.

"And you should. The girl is more dangerous than you realize. If the spell is not completed then you will not have access to her energy without her physical presence." Tsubaki's malicious smile widened. "Since this jewel was created from a miko I'm not entirely sure what the girl's reaction will be when having contact with it. There is the possibility that it could cause a surge in her natural bio-rhythm causing her own energy to spike uncontrollably."

Naraku frowned. "What can I do to prevent this?"

"Cross your fingers ans hope that it doesn't happen."

"Tsubaki…"

The soft menacing tone of Naraku voice was fair warning that his patience was gone and further toying would only shorten the spellcaster's life span more than necessary. While not being the type of person to follow orders like an obedient servant, a slight pout set Tsubaki's lips as she got directly to the point.

"I tried to explain this to you over the phone Naraku. There is no spell that can control a miko's powers directly. For the duration of the transfer you will be powerless to tame her energy level. This is exactly why I suggested we spend a sufficient amount of time discussing all possible outcomes."

"I can not spare more time than I already have." Naraku insisted. "I have a press conference to attend in Avendall tomorrow morning and then I must return to Cathice by tomorrow afternoon. I want to deal with the girl as soon as I return. If you tell me all I need to know now I will double the ridiculous amount that I am paying you."

Tsubaki relented, "I can give you a warding spell that will contain all magical working to the designated space you've set aside for it but that is all. As I said, there is nothing I can do to insure the jewel's effectiveness."

Sensing that there was more crucial information the spellcaster was withholding Naraku asked, "And if her powers go awry what happens then?"

Tsubaki smiled nastily. "If you are lucky enough to survive the full brunt of her purifying energy then count your blessings. That would be a miracle in itself. Assuming that her powers do not fluctuate but the spell is disrupted none the less, then just as you control her energy she will control your youki."

"That is far from reassuring."

Tsubaki took pleasure in the uneasy expression on her companion's face. "This is merely 'what if'. The spell may proceed smoothly. It is impossible to tell until it is performed."

Silence fell between the pair and Naraku's eyes followed Tsubaki as she lifted the first maroon pouch beside her. She gave it one good shake then pulled the silk draw ribbon and emptied its contents onto the table. Multicolored stones engraved with odd gold lettering tumbled into the flat surface. She studied each piece carefully, her face remaining bank.

After another moment she smiled. "The runes offer a bit of advice. Prepare for upheaval and reconstruction. Search for what is lost but act not without forethought and careful silence. The wind carries betrayal."

Naraku brushed away her cryptic words with a confident wave of his hand. "Save your riddles. I've already got what I came for."

For a moment Tsubaki looked as if she would press the matter further. Then her gaze dropped to the assortment of stones and she shrugged, replying with a wry smile. "Of course Naraku."

………………………….

After only three days Kagome's choice of dinner companionship was becoming habitual.

Acquiring food from the kitchens had become a breeze as of yesterday when the high strung chef's assistant, Jakotsu, had been more than kind and offered to find her something for supper. After chatting with the vivacious boy Kagome had left the encounter with an armful of food, his brief life story and a happy smile on her face.

The same had occurred today. The moment Jakotsu spotted Kagome in the doorway he beamed and began putting together enough food for three. She didn't tell him that she was sharing her food with anyone in particular but the boy's knowing smile said that he knew something she didn't.

Luck seemed to be on Kagome's side and she managed to get past the guards without drawing unwanted attention to herself. In the back of her mind a part of her questioned why she took such risks when it changed nothing. If she were caught feeding Inuyasha it would only serve to cause trouble for both of them. But her doubt was short lived when she approached Inuyasha's cage and his entire expression seemed to brighten. It melted her heart.

"Hi Inuyasha."

The hanyou grunted in response, his limbs unfolding from their lounged position as he moved toward her.

Kagome knew she could get used to this. It was the caretaker in her nature that felt it's most satisfied when she had something to care for. It was wrong and there were many reason why she shouldn't get attached to Inuyasha, but she couldn't find it in her heart to turn her back on the boy.

And it wasn't as if Inuyasha minded. He seemed to like the attention she gave him well enough.

Smiling, Kagome took her seat just outside the thick bars. Inuyasha came to her siting as close as he dared to the crackling wards all the while staring at the food with a ravenous glint in his eyes. When he began licking his lips in anticipation Kagome giggled.

"Somebody sure is hungry." She teased.

Inuyasha shifted impatiently. "Oi, hand it over already."

Kagome opened the first container. It looked like left over meat loaf. She wrinkled her nose and reached through the bars handing it to Inuyasha. He gave it an experimental sniff and then dug in fingers first.

It was safe to say the hanyou's table manners were non existent. He ate with his fingers and shoveled the food into his mouth at an ungodly pace. It was strange to see that kind of behavior coming from someone her age and yet it stood as a grim reminder of the kind of life Inuyasha led. It wasn't much of a life at all.

Kagome pushed the disturbing thought away as she divided the rest of the food. Moments later Inuyasha's portion was gone and a very content hanyou leaned back against the stone wall watching his female companion through the corner of his eye. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence that fell over the pair but Kagome felt compelled to say something.

"How is your hand Inuyasha?"

He lifted the indicated appendage and held it up for her inspection. Blisters marred the flesh of his hand from his palm all the way past his wrist. The red angry wounds were just beginning to scab over.

When she winced he shrugged. "Been worse."

It was hard to imagine worse than ward burns that his demon blood could not heal but Kagome knew without a doubt that he was being honest. She'd noticed the burns the previous evening and asked how he got them. He told her the guards made him put his hand through the bars to reach his clothing. When he relayed the tale he said it so casually, as if being left naked and prone in a humiliating position was normal. It boggled her mind that he didn't appear phased in the least.

"I wish I had something to put on it for you." she offered.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "I'm not a pussy. It'll heal."

Once again they fell silent and Kagome picked at her food until what little appetite she had diminished. Handing the rest of her share over to the hanyou she tried to start a conversation instead.

"I was talking to Jakotsu a little while ago. He said that Mr. Modegi is at his house in Laundith and that he's supposed to return tomorrow. I figured this wasn't Mr. Modegi's only house but I didn't know he has six throughout the southern province. I don't get it. What would one person need six different houses for? Its not like you can live in them all at one time."

Inuyasha blinked.

"That guy must have a lot of money." she sighed wistfully. "Jakotsu said that this mansion is the smallest one. He said they never have guests here so I must be special."

Inuyasha blinked again.

Kagome shook her head, "But I'm not special, just really lucky to be in the right place at the right time. Mr. Modegi is letting me stay here for a while and that's good because I have nowhere else to go…"

Kagome continued rambling. Inuyasha cocked his head to the side, his dark brows drawing together in a curious frown. "How do you do that?" he asked, cutting her off mid sentence.

"Do what?"

"Talking on an on about nothing."

Kagome blushed to the roots of her hair as a wave of embarrassment crashed over her. "I… I'm sorry."

The hanyou's tone took on a disgruntled edge. "Whatcha sorry for?

"Well you just said that I talk too much so I was apologizing."

"Feh." He snorted, glaring. "If I had a problem with you running your mouth I woulda told you to shut up by now, silly bitch."

Bitch?

Kagome tried not to take it personally but the insult stung. She was only trying to be nice to him. He did he have to be nasty about it. If he didn't want her company then all he had to do was say so. If he didn't want her hanging around she wouldn't force him to put up with her. She wasn't starving for human interaction that badly.

On the heels of self-pity came a spark of anger. Considering everything she was doing for Inuyasha, he thought it was okay to act like an ungrateful jerk? Well he had better think again. Just because she was a softhearted person didn't mean that she put up with being treated like a doormat. Kagome had a backbone and when the need arose she was going to stand her ground.

The young miko met the hanyou's stare head on as her embarrassed blush quickly turned into an angry flush. "You know you don't have to be so mean. I don't call you rude names, do I?"

Once again Inuyasha blinked, dumbfounded. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You called me a bitch Inuyasha!" Kagome hissed trying to keep her exasperation under wraps.

"Oi, of course I did." He leaned closer sniffing the air and then smirked. "You're a girl. What else am I supposed to call you?"

Kagome was a bright child but it still took her a moment to piece together Inuyasha's logic. Then it hit her. He was calling her a bitch because she was female. It wasn't an insult. He was referring to her as if she were a female inu-youkai.

She wasn't quite sure what to make of that realization. In a way it was nice to think that he was beginning to accept her but in another way it made her wonder just how much Inuyasha knew of the outside world. It wasn't likely that anyone bothered to explain things to him. She wasn't an inu-youkai and to call her a bitch would be considered rude.

Still, it was an innocent misunderstanding and Kagome began to chuckle, her anger forgotten.

"What's so funny?" the hanyou snapped.

"Well you see Inuyasha, where I come from when you call a person a bitch it's an insult and you don't say that unless you're purposely being cruel." She explained.

He thought about what she said, staring off into the deep shadows that lined his cell. It was almost as if she could see the wheels in his head turning as he tucked away this new bit of information. But Kagome was surprised when suddenly his ears drooped and his shoulder slumped as a completely dejected look crossed his handsome face.

"I understand what you mean." He said softly. "Being a dog is always a bad thing."

"Inuyasha…"

Kagome's smile faded as she reached through the bars and placed her hand on his arm. Slowly his gaze lifted until his amber eyes locked with her own. His indifferent mask was crumbling and from behind the crude, apathetic shield Kagome found herself looking into the soul of frightened little boy. It was truly heartbreaking to see the toll years of physical and verbal abuse had taken on him.

Rubbing her thumb in soothing circles over the white cotton sleeve that separated their skin, Kagome searched for something to say. She had to do something, anything to take away the broken look on his face. She wasn't sure if it would help but she felt she had to let him know that she'd felt the same isolation too and she knew how much it hurt.

"I don't know about you but I happen to like dogs." When the hanyou's ears perked she continued with a small smile, "Besides, what do they know? They say we're freaks and that we don't belong but in the end they're only saying words. We're the ones that let those words get to us. I don't know, maybe I'm too optimistic but I believe that when you can't find a place to fit in then you make one."

Inuyasha looked away, his defenses beginning to rise once again as he huffed, "We? Like you have to worry about that fucked up shit. You're human, not a dog."

For a split second Kagome wondered if she should correct him. He didn't need to know. He wouldn't understand. But before she could stop herself she confessed, "I'm not human."

…………………………..

"Not human my ass!"

A soft growl of annoyance rumbled in Inuyasha throat as he got the last of his vulnerability under control. Pinning the girl with a hard glare, he sniffed the air taking in her scent and mentally dissecting it layer by layer.

It was then the he realized why her scent was so intriguing.

The girl was right, she wasn't human. He was a little concerned that he had failed to pick it up before but there was an unmistakable tang to her smell that he'd never come across before. Humans had one thick odor. Demons too. Hanyous were a little different but you could still detect an influx of both. But this girl was completely different. There was the faintest scent of humanity along with a trace of demon origin but she was not a hanyou. Neither scent was the dominant in her. Her base scent was something else all together.

"If you're not human then what are you?"

The girl looked down and swallowed hard. "A miko. Ever heard of it?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "Nope."

"Well it's hard to explain. Its kind of like being in the body of a human but I have energy levels that can be a strong as a demon's."

Her explanation didn't help and Inuyasha had the feeling that she didn't know much else. Still curious he asked. "Is that why you do that weird shit with your aura?"

This time she blushed. "Uh.. well… sometimes it slips out. I don't mean for it to because it usually hurts people but sometimes I can't control it."

Inuyasha lit up with avid interest. "You can kill people with it?"

Now they were getting to the good stuff. Maybe this was something she could teach him to do. Then he could go around blasting everybody that pissed him off. No more getting his claws dirty. He could just look at them and… kaboom! It would be so fun.

The girl nodded but she seemed less enthusiastic about her ability for some reason. "Yeah. Demons have the worst reaction but it's strong enough to harm humans too. At least that's what I was told." She replied carefully and he could tell she was hiding something.

He made a mental note to wheedle it out of her later. Right now there were more important things to hound her about like… "Can you show me how to do it?"

The girl laughed at his childish eagerness and the sound echoed off the stone walls sending a funny little tingle down in the region of Inuyasha's stomach. He shifted uncomfortably and finally noticed that she was still resting her hand on his arm. It was weird. He didn't mind her touch. If he was really honest he didn't even mind the things she was making his body do, like the tingles and the shivers and…

Inuyasha blushed realizing that he wasn't paying a bit of attention to what she was saying.

"…understand why it happens or how it works. Its always there and when I don't pay attention it just comes naturally. I don't think I can teach you that. I think you have to have it."

"Feh. I could learn if I wanted." He bragged confidently.

The girl patted his arm in placatingly. "I'm sure you could."

"You don't believe me. You're just saying that to shut me up." he accused.

"Inuyasha, you wouldn't be the first person to try." She countered. "In case you're wondering, no it didn't work."

As Inuyasha watched his companion closely, her clear gray eyes clouded over and he wondered what it was she was thinking. Her soft features seemed sad when her eyes got all misty like that. He wasn't all that in-tune with people's feelings but he'd have to be a moron not to realize that something he said upset her.

What a fucking wuss.

She was too nice. Someone like her wouldn't last two seconds in his world of hatred and death. She came from the outside and she should have stayed there. He couldn't imagine why anyone would want to come to this hellhole. She could leave. She wasn't kept behind bars and chained up away from whatever was out there. He didn't understand why she kept coming back.

I sure as hell wouldn't.

If he were given the chance to be free he'd run. Run as far and as fast as his legs could carry him. He could imagine the wind in his hair. He could taste the wild scent of the forest. He'd dreamed about it so many times. Basking in the elation of freedom, he'd give into the instinctive urge and run until he couldn't bring himself to lift his feet another step. It would feel so good and so damn invigorating…

But the part that excited Inuyasha the most was facing the unknown. His extent of the "outside" was what little he could see from inside a fighting ring. His knowledge was minimal and possibilities were infinite. Half the thrill was not knowing what he would find once he stopped running.

Curiosity. That was another inu-youkai trait that he inherited. It was never good enough to know the basics. He liked explanations. He loved details. It was easy to catch on to how things worked if he asked the right questions. Or had the right person to ask.

The girl would know. She came from the outside.

"Hey." Inuyasha waved a clawed hand as close as he could to the girl's face to get her to snap out of her trance.

She started for a moment, then smiled. "Hmm?"

"Keh. Can I ask you somethin' without you laughing at me?"

She nodded causing a lock of her raven hair to fall over her shoulder. The strange urge to touch the fine strands and see if they were as soft as they looked came over the hanyou. Why, he didn't know. She was making him go weird. He was pretty certain it didn't help that her hand was still resting on his arm and her thumb was rubbing little circles again.

Inuyasha almost forgot what he was going to ask. Annoyed, he growled. "Where you're from… what's it like?

"You mean Laundith?"

He shrugged. "I guess."

"Well, I uh… don't know here to begin." Her expression turned sheepish. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything." He grinned.

She obliged his request and it wasn't long before Inuyasha was caught up in the sound of her voice and the fascinating city she described. The conversation lasted long into the night but in the back of his mind Inuyasha could help notice that her hand remained on his arm the whole time.

……………………………

A.N. – Enjoy the tiny bit of sweetness because… Nope, I'm not saying anything.

A two quick side notes:

I know that Naraku is composed of many youkai but in this fic he is a spider hanyou. I'm simplifying for no particular reason, just because I felt like it and this is an AU fic so I can.

Also, there are four prominent tribes in the Southern Province. The Inutaki, Tadema, Onigu and Atreyu. They will all come into play so keep that in mind.

So… I hope you liked this chapter. I'll try to have six done a.s.a.p. Until next time, adieu!