Circle of Souls

~*~

Kuronue walked quietly down the corridor, stopping at the double doors at the end of the hall. He entered the room and walked over to a luxurious bed and gently placed Kagome on it. He bent down and whispered that he would be back shortly, unsure if she was awake enough to hear him. He stood and walked out of the room to be met by his long time friend and partner. He could tell by the kitsune’s expression that he was burning with curiosity. He decided to remain silent about her for a few minutes, letting Youko fret for a while.

Raising one silver eyebrow at his partner in a silent question, Youko waited. He knew what Kuronue was doing; the bat knew how to get under his skin all to easily. Kuronue just smirked and shook his head before walking by him to go and get bandages for Kagome's arm.

Finally he could resist no longer and had to ask. “Well?” Youko fell in step beside his partner walking down the hall “Who is she?” He smirked “And why is she in your bed? Or do I need to ask?”

Kuronue just shook his head and sighed. “It’s not like that Youko. Unless she wants it anyway, although the feeling I get from her is that she wouldn’t tolerate a one-night stand. She wants a commitment. I suspect that’s the driving reason behind how I found her.” That was not quite the answer that the kitsune had been expecting although he didn’t show any surprise. He had smelled the blood on the girl but had not seen the extent of her injuries. When he noted where they were going he knew then that it had to be fairly serious.

“How was she wounded?” Youko inquired, helping to pull out the dressings that they would need to treat her before making the return trip to Kuronue’s room where she currently was sleeping. He knew that Kuronue was never one to hurt a female unless she had done something incredible stupid like attempt to kill him. And that was obviously not the case in this instance.

“She was attempting to slit her wrist.” he replied “She’s lost quite a bit of blood.” He paused before continuing, “I’ve offered to allow her to stay here temporarily to get over the reason why she was attempting to take her own life.” He knew that Youko wouldn’t have a problem with it, though he was likely to give him hell over it for a while. It was just too good of an opportunity to torment him for the kitsune to pass up.

Youko glanced over at his friend surprised. He had never seen Kuronue take so much interest in a female. “Huh.. Why so much interest in this one human girl?”

Kuronue looked sheepish, he had known that question was coming and he still did not have an answer that would satisfy either of them. “Honestly I have no idea. Something in her calls to me for some reason. I have a feeling she is quite the little puzzle. One begging to be solved”

“A puzzle eh? Now you have my attention” Youko looked towards the room the girl was in with interest. If there was one thing he loved it was a good puzzle.

Kuronue just laughed as he stepped through the bedroom door. “I knew that would happen. You’re entirely too predictable Youko.” He snickered at the look of indignation that was on his friends face. Had anyone else made that comment they would have been fed to a particularly nasty plant.

They stopped at the bed and Kuronue immedietly started to unwrap the wound. The fabric had begun to stick to the wound making Kagome whimper in pain as he pulled on it. Kuronue hesitated. He knew it had to be done but at the same time he did not wish to bring her more pain than she was already in. “Here, let me do this.” Youko said taking over, with the way Kuronue was handling the girl one would have thought she was made of glass and would break in an instant. Working quickly he removed all the bandaging and began to explore the extent of the damage. One thing had been for certain; she had been serious in her attempt. If Kuronue had not come upon her she would have died. “This is deep, it’s going to take a while to heal.” He said infusing a bit of his magic into the dressing he was about to put on her arm to give it a boost in healing. “What happened that would make her want to take her own life?”

“I don’t have much information on what happened honestly” Kuronue replied. “Tell me, how would it be possible for someone to still be alive after their soul has left them?” The question had been plaguing him since she had made mention of it and he was no closer to an answer. If Youko did not know then they would have to wait until the girl woke.

Youko’s eyebrows took residence up in his hairline temporarily. Kuronue had asked some strange questions over the years but this was probably one of the oddest ones to date. “Living after your soul has left?” he thought about it for a moment. “Technically it shouldn’t happen unless…”

“Unless?”

“Unless the body was somehow reanimated after death. But the corpse would still need a soul somehow. Either by stealing someone else's or part of their old soul.” For some reason this sounded familiar to him, just as the girl looked familiar to him. He couldn’t place her quite yet but he knew it was only a matter of time. Few humans left an impression on him, but he knew that he had seen her before. The question was where.

“Hmmmm” Kuronue said thoughtfully “That might explain part of what she said while I was observing her.”

“Well? Are you going to spit it out or not?” Youko asked getting rather frustrated at not having more information. If Kuronue expected him to help then he was going to have to spill what he knew sooner or later. Youko however was not one for patience and was ready to drag the information out of the bat by any means necessary.

Kuronue sat down in one of the chairs in the room and looked thoughtfully at the sleeping Kagome. Even in sleep the pain did not fade from the girls aura. If anything it grew even more tormented as her memories plagued her dreams.“ Do you know someone by the name of Inuyasha?

Youko stared at his friend wondering what the hanyou had to do with this entire situation. A small thought began to form that clued him in on who this girl most likely was and why she looked familiar. If he was correct in his assumption there would be hell to pay. “I’ve met the mutt on a couple of occasions, why?”

“Tell me about him.” Kuronue could feel the anger beginning to radiate off of his friend and wondered about it. It was obviously a sore spot to the kitsune.

“Let’s see… He is the half-brother of the Taiyoukai of the West, Lord Sesshoumaru.” Kuronue raised an eyebrow at this. “No love loss there though. They hate each other. The impression he has left on me each time has been one of rash arrogance. One would never believe that he was the son of the Great Lord Inutashio by the way he acts. No manners really to speak of, tends to act before he thinks of the consequences.” Youko stared long and hard at Kagome, the final piece snapping into place when she cried out in her sleep. He had heard that voice before. “Now I know why she seems familiar. She’s been part of his group for the past 5 years while they searched for the shards of the shikon jewel.”

Kuronue looked surprised at this. He had heard the tales that had been spread about the group. It was rumored that the Miko of the group was a time traveler though he had dismissed it when he heard it. Now he was not so certain, her clothing was strange enough. “Really you say? I would have never have expected that from her. She looks so… delicate.”

Youko slowly nodded “I’m sure of it. Come to think of it, I believe that her and that arrogant puppy are in some sort of relationship. Though I couldn’t tell you what sort it is. I saw her about three years ago and he had been berating her about how stupid she was. I actually felt bad for her, she had placed herself in danger to protect the Kitsune child that travels with them.”

Youko was getting quite worked up by the time he had finished, not that Kuronue blamed him. To a Kitsune such as Youko was family was everything. You don’t mess with a kitsune's family. Not if you want to live anyway. And for a human girl to willingly place herself in danger trying to protect a youkai child said wonders about her character. Combined that with the fact that she was a miko and you had a rare creature. Most humans, Miko or not would do anything to kill a Youkai, it would not matter if it was only a child.

Youko was trying to calm himself down after remembering how injured Kagome had gotten in that fight. Then for Inuyasha to start badgering her over protecting the kit had seriously disturbed him. The bear youkai they had been fighting would have killed the kit for certain if she had not thrown herself over the kit and erected a barrier. As it was she had almost been killed, the claws of the beast had already started tearing into her flesh when the barrier forced itself outwards blowing the demon back. Inuyasha had so seriously worked himself up over that one it had seemed his temper was going to snap and he had actually looked as if he was contemplating striking the girl. Youko had been on the verge of stepping in when Kagome had screamed SIT! Sending the Hanyou plummeting to the ground. The monk and the demon exterminator had taken charge of the girl and went to tend to her injuries. The little Kitsune kit had turned to follow but stopped and looked back. He met Youko's eyes momentarily before nodding his head as if he knew who Youko was and why he was there before following the others back to camp. Youko had kept an eye over the group for a few more days before he decided to head back to the lair. His dislike for the hanyou had grown as he watched how they all interacted together.

Another question snapped him out of his memories. “Who is Kikyo?” Kuroune asked, he had saw his friends eyes start to turn pink as he got worked up over his memories of the girl. They immedietly faded back to the clear gold they normally were as he thought over the new question. He didn’t have a chance to respond though as Kagome had begun to wake up.


Kagome had slowly awoken to the sound to two people talking quietly in the room she was in. At first she dismissed it, her head felt extremely fuzzy and there was an intense pain in her arm. She wished she could go back to sleep but the darkness she so desired eluded her. Her thoughts turned back to the voices she was hearing. She thought she recognized one of them, it sounded so familiar. Her mind cleared long enough to supply the answer to her. Kuroune. The youkai who had found her by the lakeside. The demon who had strangely enough saved her life and brought her here. Here they didn’t know who she was, they didn’t see her as Kikyo, and they weren’t her friends because they wanted the jewel. They were helping her because they wanted to, and it was a comforting thought.

“Feeling any better?” Kuronue asked her, moving to her side once he saw that she had awoken. It was a stupid question he knew, humans could not endure pain like demons could. It was likely she was going to need some sort of painkillers and for that they would have to rely on Youko’s expertise.

“Yes, very much so.” She said as he propped her up in the bed with a couple of pillows so she could sit comfortably. She was not about to admit how much it did indeed hurt, not wanting to appear any weaker than she already did. She took the opportunity to look at her saviour who she had only caught brief glimpses of since he had been covered in shadows.

The demon before her was handsome. He was around 6’4” and had a lean but muscular build. His long black hair tied up in a high ponytail cascaded down his back like a waterfall. She could just imagine her hands running through it. His eyes were a dark shade of blue, sharp but elegant features and he had large glossy black wings. Combine all of that with his smooth sensual voice that could melt you like butter and you had heaven on earth. Here he was in front of her, like a dark fallen angel.

Kuronue sat silently, watching her admire him. He was inwardly pleased at the small smile that crossed her features. Smiling suit her, and was a welcome change from the aura of sadness that clung to her. He glanced back to Youko who was watching all of this with a smirk. Kuronue tended to have that effect on woman, though he did not believe that this girl was one who would throw herself at his partner. In his time of watching the girl interact with the group he knew she had purity about her that few could ever hope to match and the innocence that went along with it.

Kagome watched Kuronue glance back to the other side of the room and followed his gaze. Who she saw there was enough to make her heart stop. If there was anyone on earth that could rival Lord Sesshoumaru in his beauty surely this new demon had to be him. He was the perfect opposite of Kuronue, a silver angel.

He was considerably taller than Kuronue. Perhaps around 7 foot with an extremely athletic build. He had silky silver hair that reached down to the middle of his back. She wondered what it would feel like to run her fingers through it. He was dressed in white, which only accentuated his bronzed skin. Atop of his head was a gorgeous set of ears that just begged her to rub them. He had an exotic quality to him, set off by his startling golden eyes. His hands are caught her attention, so deadly yet so delicate looking. His claws glinted in the light; she knew the damage that could be inflicted from them yet she wanted to trace his fingers with her own, mesmerized by their deadly beauty.

Kuronue chuckled at her reaction and leaned forward to whisper in her ear. “You like what you see, eh?” Both of them were used to such reactions but it still pleased them both to no end to know that she was attracted to them.

Kagome shut her mouth with an audible snap and looked away blushing furiously, which earned a chuckle from both guys. Her embarrassment was endearing.

Youko walked up to the bed and took a seat on the side before saying “Welcome to our home Lady Kagome, I am Youko Kurama. Feel free to stay as long as you need to” he paused “if we may ask though, how did Kuronue come to find you?” He addressed her formally because she had earned his respect over the time that he had watched over her. He waited for her answer, not wanting to push her any harder than necessary. He knew talking about it was gong to bring her pain.

Kagome stopped to consider how to answer his question and sighed. She knew she couldn’t get out of talking about it but that did not mean she was looking forward to it. “It’s rather embarrassing.” she said as she reflected on what had happened between her and Inuyasha. A tear dropped before she angrily wiped it away. She would not cry!

Youko nodded in understanding and decided to back off. They could talk about it later; he knew she had to be tired. Morning was already upon them and no doubt her companions were already looking for her. He would not allow them to come into his home until she was at the least feeling better. “We can discuss this another time when you feel better about it. For now, you need to get some rest.” He stood to leave the room. “Goodnight Lady Kagome. Kuronue are you coming?”

Kuroune thought about it for a moment before shaking his head. He had a feeling Kagome needed him here. Even if it wasn’t to talk, he could see her fragile walls crumbling and she would need someone strong to lean on. Protectiveness once more welled up inside him and he was not going to fight it. “I’ll make up a spare room later on. For now, I’ll watch over her until she goes to sleep.” He said softly.

“Good night Youko.” Her voice was barely above a whisper, her thoughts conflicted. Half of her wished they would both leave so she could cry in private. She did not want either of them to bear witness to how pathetic she truly was. The other half of her was grateful that Kuronue was willing to stay with her even if she hadn’t asked. She couldn’t explain it but she felt safe with him. She felt safe with Youko as well but he seemed to be a bit more standoffish, as if he did not want to get too close to her. He had been acting as a perfect gentleman but she couldn’t help the feeling that she got about him. It seemed as if he was uncomfortable in her presence.

Youko just nodded his head. He could understand Kuronue’s need to be there. Truth be told he wanted to stay as well. The girl had a pull to her that called out to him that he couldn’t explain anymore than Kuronue had been able to and it made him unsure. He had an idea as to what his attraction to her was; the fact that he knew Kuronue was feeling the same way surprised him. It was some thing he needed to look into to see if his suspicions were correct. If they were, and lets face it, Youko is rarely wrong about these things then it was bound to become interesting very soon. He knew that Inuyasha was more than likely at the bottom of all this girls’ pain and while to him they looked nothing alike he knew there was a slight resemblance that might upset the girl further which was another reason why he decided to leave for the moment. There would be time enough later to find out more about her while she stayed here. Silently he left the room and quietly closed the door. He shook his head, she had been here less than a day and already she was affecting both of them. As he lay in his own bed unable to sleep for a few hours he became more certain as to what that pull was. It was the call of one soul to another. The bond of soul mates, he had been away from her for a short time and already he could feel the ache of emptiness. Ironically it was between the three of them, which happened but not that often. He needed to discuss this with Kuronue later after he did some research. Time would tell how this all played out, in the meantime, he dressed and went to the library to investigate how this latest turn of events was going to affect them all.

After Youko had left the room Kagome’s defenses shattered and she rolled over onto her side to cry silently. She had fought the tears off as long as she could and had finally lost the battle. She had already shown how weak she was already and didn’t want to seem any more pathetic then she already had. Kuronue seeing this lay down upon the bed next to her not caring about how appropriate it was and carefully pulled her up against his chest. He did not think she would object and he was right.

“I’m sorry for being so weak.” she whispered brokenly “It just hurts so much and Youko looks so much like him.”

“Shhh.” he replied, “It’s quite alright. Sleep now, I’ll watch over you.”

Kagome was lying there quietly thinking trying to sleep but her mind was scattered in so many different directions. She went from a proclamation of love to heartbreak to lying in the arms of a demon she barely knew. She sighed. We’ll if nothing else she was in the arms of a handsome demon she consoled herself. Even if she would never be anything more to this one than a passing interest. Or so she thought.

“Can I ask you for one last favor Kuronue?” she whispered.

“Hmmmm? What would that be my lady?” he replied.

“Stay with me tonight?” she blushed “I’m not used to sleeping alone… and.. You make me feel safe.” She wasn’t sure how he would take such a request; she prayed he would not take offense.

“Of course I’ll stay.” He inhaled her sweet scent and she relaxed against him. Seeming to melt right into him. Her request had surprised him, though inwardly he was pleased. It felt so right to have her against his body. In more ways than one. Sure she was attractive and smelled nice. But here was more to this feeling than just the physical attraction. With her there in his arms he felt complete. His mind made up he decided he wasn’t going to try to fight it. He didn’t want to let her go. And he was going to do his damndest to win her love. He would make her forget the heartache that came from the hanyou he silently promised her. And God help the half-breed if he ever thought about causing her pain again. He’d send him straight to hell first.

Sunlight filtered in through the window dancing across the bed through the curtains alerting him to the fact that it was now late afternoon. There was warmth cuddled up against his chest and he half opened his eyes to look at her. She was laying against him, truly at peace. No emotion except contentment on her face. She had one hand in his hair, running her fingers in it in her sleep. Just a few more minutes he thought. A few more minutes and then he’d worry about what the rest of the day brought.

~*~