Kagome froze. In that bitter, breathless moment, she thought she might just die after all.

Then the moment passed. She thawed from her frozen shock. Balling her hands into fists in her sleeves, Kagome clenched her jaw and glanced aside.

“Well,” she muttered, low and fierce, “good for him.”

Head cocked to one side, Hirokin regarded her. The shadow of a smile played about his lips.

“I will be sure to convey your warm sentiments to him.”

Kagome wanted to blast that infuriating smirk right off of his face. Then just as fleetingly as it appeared, the smirk vanished. His expression sobered almost gravely.

“Kagome-sama,” he said in perfect seriousness, or so it seemed, “may I offer you some helpful advice?”

Kagome scowled. “When has your advice ever been helpful?”

“If ever you would heed it, it would be,” Hirokin haughtily replied. “You are a proud, stubborn woman. Your pride makes you more stubborn, and your stubbornness makes you more proud.”

Kagome went red in the face. “How the hell is that advice?!”

“I am coming to it,” Hirokin said, holding up his pearly-nailed hand for emphasis. “That was merely a preamble. My advice to you is to resist your disastrous inclinations. You are your own worst enemy, and left to your own devices, you will only continue to dig yourself into a deeper hole.”

Kagome glared. She didn’t appreciate the Modern Era colloquialisms he’d picked up from her over the years being weaponized against her. It felt particularly patronizing and insulting.

“It’s pretty rich for you to stand there and call me proud,” Kagome shot back. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve taken my foot off the gas quite a bit recently. I could see things were headed in a bad direction. Anytime I act out of fear, my perception becomes warped. Things seem to spiral hard and fast from there.” Kagome grimaced. “Myself included. It’s like a chain reaction goes off, spreading out and infecting everyone and everything around me. I saw it happening again, and so I drew back.”

Hirokin tapped a glinting fingertip to his jaw. “Perhaps you are not so headstrong after all.”

Kagome’s shoulders sank as she glowered at him. “Gee, thanks.”

Hirokin smiled. “But your heels are dug in deeper than you know.”

“What makes you say that?”

“The fact that you are still here, in this place, pretending to be what you are not.”

Kagome’s eyes narrowed. “And where would you have me go? What would you have me be?”

“My Lady, of course.” Hirokin’s slit-pupiled gaze held hers. “Come away with me now,” he said, extending his hand to her. “Come with me to the immortal realm, and be what you ought.”

Kagome turned her face away. “Always the same old line with you. Give it up, already. Just because I’m the only woman who can make you hard doesn’t mean we’re meant for each other.”

“And as always,” Hirokin sighed, lowering his hand, “you choose to walk through the fire when the way has been made smooth and clear before you. A pity.”

“Do you nag Sesshoumaru this much?” Kagome growled. “If so, it’s a wonder he hasn’t murdered you by now.”

Hirokin laughed, sibilant and soft. “Truly, I have become fond of you, Kagome-sama, frustrating though you are. Against all expectations, I’ve found you interesting, and that is a rare and precious thing.”

“Why are you talking like this?” Kagome shook her head, unsettled by his choice of tense. “It’s strange.”

Hirokin peered beyond her. His look was distant. Fey and inscrutable.

“So that you might remember it one day, and think better of me.” Before Kagome could ask him what he meant by that, his gaze slanted back to her. “Your blood-oath has been called in, my lady. This is what I came here to tell you. Some years past, there was a priestess who slew several clan members in a fit of rage. A strong barrier protects the temple where she dwells. It has prevented the survivors from exacting their revenge. Your task is to kill this priestess in their stead.”

Kagome paled, her stomach sinking like an iron weight. “And if I refuse?”

“Your lifeblood is in their hands. If you refuse, you will die.”

Nostrils flared, Kagome heavily breathed. The beads around her wrists glowed red-hot with the simmer of her suppressed reiki. She knew the price of dealing with demons would be terrible, but even so, she hadn’t expected something as vile as this…

Balefully, she looked to Hirokin. “This priestess,” she demanded, “where can I find her?”

Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi