Playing with Fire

Prologue

There weren't many things that could make Sesshomaru, Lord of the West, show any emotion besides boredom and perhaps cold indifference, but at the moment, Rin found that her protector was fighting very hard to keep the anger from showing on his pale face.

Having been with him for nine years now, and with her eighteenth birthday just around the corner, she could read him better than she could read herself, and judging by the ever-so-slight curling of his lip, he was holding back a snarl that would probably frighten everyone in the room.

Slowly, she reached over and placed a gentle hand on his own, glancing up at him. If he noticed the gesture, there was only one indication; the cool skin underneath her hand relaxed across his knuckles, and his clawed fingers moved just a little.

"And the Council has agreed on this?"

"Yes, my lord. It was a unanimous decision."

There was silence.

Rin looked around, watching as the facial expressions of each council member shifted from nervousness to fear, each demon at the table eyeing the stoic inu seated at the end. As she looked back to Sesshomaru, he cut her a glance, a subtle message in his eyes. She nodded, then stood.

"My lords and ladies, the West shall contact the Council with our decision. Thank you."

By the time she was finished, Lord Sesshomaru had already stood and moved toward the balcony. Rin bowed again, then went to join him, settling by his side as his customary cloud formed beneath their feet. His mokomoko twined around her waist, holding her steady as they lifted off, his face breaking from it's mask for a brief second.

The anger displayed on his beautiful face sent a shiver up Rin's spine, but she knew that she was not afraid for herself, but for the demoness of the East, his new mate-to-be.

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Author's Note - Concerning Rin's age, I thought that she was maybe eight in the anime, so I counted forward nine years, putting her at seventeen.
Anywho, I hope you enjoyed!