Kagome breathed a sigh of relief as her feet touched solid earth once more. Hanging suspended in a ball of strange, wormy demons as she traversed the boundaries of the mortal realm hadn’t been anything less that gut-wrenching. But the danger had passed. She was back now, at last. As the Shinidamachu slithered away with

In a brilliant arc, Kagome’s arrows streaked toward the inuyoukai pair. Bracing themselves for a seeking strike, they leapt away and whirled. Their plan was to swat down the arrows with spear and whip as they changed course. It was a good plan. But the demons’ instinctive, well-timed slashes met only with open air— Kagome’s

Untouched by Sesshoumaru’s corrosion, the flooring at Kagome’s feet gleamed, a little island of beauty in the desolation that surrounded her. More than half of the tower had been melted away. What remained was a pitiful, broken shell. But Kagome could only feel concern for herself. Sinking to her hands and knees, she hacked up

“Don’t be a fool,” Sesshoumaru said, his eyes bleeding red. “This is the last chance I will give you: abandon this madness.” The dark winds of his spiritual energy churned in a maelstrom, stripping all warmth from the air and eroding the room around them. The fine walls and ceiling cracked and crumbled into a

Sesshoumaru’s words slammed into her like a physical blow. Kagome went rigid, all the color draining from her face. “Kagome,” he started to say again, against her the corner of her lips, “I—” “Don’t!” she cried out, struggling fiercely. Sesshoumaru bit back a snarl as she broke violently from his hold and scrambled up, backing

So this was how it felt, Kagome realized— To be wanted. Not by a hormone-addled teenager, or one whose heart was forever torn. But this—this absolute, consuming desire. She had only ever felt this in her darkest dreams, yet she recognized it instantly. Sesshoumaru’s kiss staggered her, even before he deepened it. It stole her

Through the breezeway, they entered the tower’s inner courtyard. Silvery trees with long trailing branches loosely ringed a circular pool at the center, above which shimmered a thin layer of glittering steam. Pinnacles of white stone rose from the pool, in no particular pattern, but there was something artful to the arrangement nevertheless. “You’d really