The Portal

Chapter 18 – A Sticky Situation Unfolds

Naraku could hardly contain himself. He would have been furious over the audacity of this lord had he not known what turmoil of emotion was thrashing about in Sesshomaru. No matter his outward appearance, Naraku had spent enough time around Sesshomaru to know how furious he was at that moment, and he was rather curious to see the outcome.

‘He must DIE!’ His youkai screamed. The beast in his mind was ripping and shredding away at his control, and Sesshomaru was currently unsure if he could contain the bastard. He wanted this dog’s blood. He knew his eyes were shifting to crimson, and he had to get a grip on this ridiculous rage before things got out of hand. He quickly tried to assess the reasons behind his anger and could only come up with one thing.

He was jealous.

By the Gods above he was jealous over this insolent, mouthy, disrespectful miko bitch that followed Inuyasha around like a lost pup. How utterly degrading.

This new revelation helped to throw him off a bit, and he was able to grasp the last vestiges of his sanity, before he transformed and turned this place into a pile of rubble, thus destroying all hopes of returning home.

All over a silly ningen wench.

Sesshomaru finally swallowed the last of his fury, and pushed his raging beast back into his cage. He took a deep soothing breath and replied to Lord Anubis, “She is not for sale, as I have been looking forward to bedding her myself for some time. It did not seem appropriate to take such a fine specimen in the middle of a jungle. I prefer the comforts of civilization.”

If Kagome thought that she was embarrassed before, she was highly mistaken. Sesshomaru’s words washed over her like a flood, which burned crimson. She wished there was a nice hole in the floor where she could crawl and hide.

Naraku was impressed, to say the least. He was also a bit disappointed. A little bloodshed would have been somewhat entertaining, and possibly Anubis and Sesshomaru would have destroyed themselves, leaving him to claim the prize. Oh well, it was not to be this day, but he would keep in mind all those that he could later use to get what he wanted.

Anubis stepped back, regretfully releasing the tiny hand. His smile turned to a slight frown, but he accepted the taiyoukai’s refusal to depart with his possession. “Your refusal is understandable, and your restraint rather exemplary, as I am not sure that I could have such control. Her power is immense, and I must warn you to keep her in check. It would be quite a shame if we were forced to put her down.”

Anubis returned to his throne and sat down. He glanced at Kagome once more, then returned his attention to Sesshomaru, “It appears that your wait has finally ended, Lord Sesshomaru, as civilization is now upon you. I assure you that we have the finest to offer, and you will be able to bed your breeder in lavish comfort. Perhaps you would like to attend the festival this evening, before retiring to your bedchambers?”

Kagome was now really freaking out. They had just painted themselves into a corner, with no way out. Lord Anubis expected Sesshomaru to take her to his bed tonight! ‘Holy crap, what am I going to do now?’

Naraku shifted his feet as this new tidbit of information was sinking in. Kagome was supposed to be his to take, not Sesshomaru! He had waited patiently for years to kill her of take her to his bed, and now this inu bastard was going to take what should have been his. His mind then went into overdrive as he tried to figure out a way that they could leave this place with Kagome’s maidenhood still intact.

Sesshomaru nodded once to Anubis, “Your hospitality is most appreciated.”

Anubis looked to the one standing beside the taiyoukai. He was trying to discern whether or not he was a full-blooded youkai. He thought he detected a hint of ningen in his blood, but it was hard to determine with the intoxicating fragrance of the human breeder nearby. He was obviously of high standing with Lord Sesshomaru, as his clothing was not of the slave variety, and he wore no collar or markings to label him a hanyou. He decided to reserve judgement on that account, as he knew he had already angered the taiyoukai with his offer to purchase the woman. Instead he asked, “Would you introduce me to your companion?”

Sesshomaru nodded, and replied, “This is my advisor, Naraku.”

Naraku took a step forward and bowed respectfully. Deceit was his game, and he played it well. “It is an honor to stand before you Lord Anubis, and your enchanting mother, Lady Nebthet.”

Anubis nodded to Naraku, but quickly dismissed him and returned his attention to Sesshomaru. He clapped his hands twice, and the young boy who led them into the pyramid appeared. “Tai shall show you to your chambers.”

They bowed once more and followed Tai out of the main chamber and into a great hall.

It was several minutes before they stopped in front of a large open door. Tai motioned for Naraku to enter. “Should you need anything there is a bell which will bring a servant with haste.”

Tai then led Sesshomaru and Kagome down to the end of the hallway to another open door, “Your chambers, my lord. There is a bell here for your use as well.”

Sesshomaru said nothing, but walked through the doorway dragging Kagome behind him. Once the inu boy was gone, he walked around the vast room searching for anything out of the ordinary. When his search was complete he returned to Kagome, who had taken a seat on the floor... far away from the huge cushion covered bed.

Kagome was taking in her surroundings with a hazy mind as she fought off the panic that was swelling inside her. They had to share a room. First step to intimacy. ‘This is not good Kagome. This is not good at all.’ She glanced over to the huge bed with beautiful sheer material hanging all around it. The decor was strangely a mixture of Japanese and Egyptian. There were beaded strips made of shells hanging from the top of the doorways leading from one room to the other. Lovely pieces of art were located throughout. A basin full of water stood in the corner, and Kagome made her way to it. After splashing her face a couple of times she dried off with the soft cloth supplied.

Kagome stood up and turned around to face Sesshomaru, “This is not gonna work. We need to get out of here tonight.”

Sesshomaru regarded her calmly. He had been working through this whole mess since they stepped out of the main chamber, and he knew she wasn’t going to like what he had to say. He debated on whether to tell her his thoughts or just let her believe what she wanted. Either way, they were not leaving. He had four keys to find, and he would not leave this place until he had them.

After some deliberation, he decided that he did not feel like hearing her ranting mouth at the moment, so he did not tell her that they would not be leaving. She was too frightened of losing her virginity at the moment to think straight, and he had to admit that the thought of taking her virginity had him a little off balance as well. He turned away from her for a moment to gather his control. He couldn’t help the little smirk that traced his lips as he thought of her writhing beneath him in the throws of passion. He had no doubts that it would be a highly gratifying experience.

For now Sesshomaru decided that he would not crush her hopes. He would not tell her that they could not just disappear, leaving these inuyoukai to believe that they had traitorous intent. It would not only destroy their hopes of locating the keys, but also put them in grave danger. He had no doubts that Anubis would come after them, if only to find out why they fled.

“Come Kagome, let us go retrieve Naraku and enjoy the festivities. We can not leave at the moment, and I wish to discover more about these youkai. We have a mission here, do not forget that,” Sesshomaru said as he walked to the door. Maybe the festival would cheer her up and calm her spirit. If all else failed, perhaps he could just get her drunk.