A Guardian's Possession. Amy Blankenship

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СКАЧАТЬ of Hyakuhei leave her as her dream came to an abrupt end. He could only hope Hyakuhei was now wide-awake, in a cold sweat… and in pain.

      Kyou shifted her up closer to his face so he could watch her as he flew to the veiled barrier that hid his castle from all. Others would only see a dreary forest covered in mangled strangling vines and the rain, but he knew the illusion.

      Closing his eyes, he whispered secret words and the morbid landscape shifted as a hole in the hidden barrier opened… allowing him to enter. The illusion closed behind him. The enchantment had once again sealed his home from the restless world of demons.

      The barrier itself was a stroke of genius created by his father Tadamichi to keep unwanted enemies from attacking. In the end however, Kyou discovered the true purpose of the barrier… to prevent Hyakuhei from returning home. It was a fitting punishment so long ago, Kyou had witnessed his uncle standing just outside, staring in and wanting… no… needing to reach past it and grasp the power Tadamichi had left behind.

      He flew over the lush grounds that surrounded his palace, entering an open window on one of the upper floors his feet silently landed on the marble floor inside. With grace, his steps made no sound as he walked to the side of the room that held a pillow large enough for a dozen people to sleep on.

      Bending down, Kyou laid her gently on the soft pillow only to stare hard at her. Why had he taken her? He knew why… `because he wanted her'. That had been enough.

      He knew when Kyoko awoke that she would hate him. Kyou did not want her to hate him. Again he wondered why he cared so much about what she thought of him. Since when had he wanted something that did not already belong to him?

      He growled softly, getting annoyed with his own tangled thoughts. How could he get her to agree to stay here, with him, without having to fight her every step of the way? This was a new obstacle to the lord of the demon realm.

      If it had been someone else causing these thoughts to haunt him, he would just destroy them and go on with his existence. But… she was their priestess… he was her guardian. He didn't want to kill her. He didn't want to hurt her at all. He wanted only to keep her. This notion surprised him.

      He would make a deal with her. Yes, she would show him what he wanted to know. Only then would he let her go… If she still wanted to go and he would make sure she did not. The fact that Hyakuhei had slipped into her dreams only a few moments ago heightened his need to keep her close.

      His only concern at this point was the power of the dream master… was it strong enough to breach the barrier that surrounded his home? Would the ancient magic be enough to protect her? She had no idea how much danger she was really in. Kyou's golden eyes shifted to her face as he sensed her pulse speed up. She was waking up.

      He sat down on the pillow beside her and waited. First, he would try to calm her fears. Then and only then would he be able to move on to the next step… keeping her beside him regardless of the cost.

      Kyoko felt like she was on a cloud and it confused her. Her hand moved across something very soft and she wondered if she was dreaming again… Hyakuhei had kissed her so softly. Why had he kissed her? Her eyes fluttered open only to widen when the first thing she saw was Kyou sitting beside her, looking like a frozen angel that had lost its wings.

      Emotionless golden eyes were pinning her to the spot where she was lying. The similarities between her dream and her reality were disheartening to say the least.

      She quickly looked around her noticing the black marble floor and stone walls. Her first thought was that this was just like the cave only nicer. It looked like what she always imagined the inside of a castle would look like. Large tapestries covered parts of the walls giving it a warmer touch along with the gold and black pillow she was laying on.

      Her attention returned to Kyou noticing he had not moved a muscle. Again the remembrance of her earlier thought came back to haunt her… ‘He’s just as dangerous as Hyakuhei. How could someone so beautiful be so evil?’ The darkness of the room made his aura seem to glow disturbingly brighter as if mocking her thoughts.

      Again, the same feeling of knots in her stomach returned just like in the dream. Closing her eyes tightly, she fisted her hands on the pillow and prayed this was just another dream… that she would wake up back at the maiden statue and Toya would be standing over her yelling about her stupidity for coming back in the middle of the night. When her eyes slid open she swallowed fearfully, comprehending that this was very real.

      When he actually spoke, it startled her so much that she flinched at the melancholy voice. Her emerald eyes widened at the reaction knowing she’d just messed up again by showing him fear… this was not good.

      "I will not hurt you… if you behave." Kyou stared blankly into her eyes waiting for her reaction to his words. He then smirked inwardly when she glared at him. `Good.' He thought to himself. She was not going to scream in fear of him… not at least while she was still so angry.

      Kyoko glared daggers at him as she remembered what he had done… and right there in front of Toya of all people. How could he have done such a thing? Lifting her chin Kyoko hissed, "And what makes you think I would ever behave myself?"

      Kyou nearly lost himself when the demand flew from her pink lips. By the gods, she was determined to defy him to the very end. Despite his initial dislike of her, she had to know it was not his desire to end her existence. If that were the case, she would have died at his hands upon their first meeting. Her defiance was heating his blood again… forcing him to make a physical effort to concentrate on the task at hand.

      Kyoko’s eyes suddenly dropped from his. She couldn't compete with the intensity of his gaze. Not at that moment. Not with her heart beating so hard. The strange look in his golden orbs scared her more than fighting Hyakuhei himself.

      "You will behave if you want to go back to Toya and the other guardians," He said confidently as if stating a fact. He narrowed his gaze as her eyes snapped back up to his. So… she thought she was going to argue did she? He certainly hoped so. If he had anything to do with it… she would never set eyes on Toya again.

      â€œWho do you think you are?” she demanded rising to her knees in front of him. “You put your hands on me… touched me in ways that I didn’t want. I don’t care what you want or have to say, take me back to Toya you… you perverted letch!”

      Kyou suddenly leaned forward making Kyoko fall back into her original position and he savored the mixed scent of her fear and excitement.

      "You will stay here with me until I deem otherwise. If your so called Guardians cannot be there to protect you, then they do not deserve the responsibility." Kyou’s temper blazed as he remembered how close she had come to death from the demons he had destroyed before taking her. This was for her own good. If he had not found her in time, she would be with Hyakuhei right now instead of under his protection.

      Kyoko's lips parted in confusion, "Why do you want me to stay here with you?" It was then she realized just how close he was while leaning over her. She watched the way he was breathing and she blinked… for a moment, it looked like his shirt went nearly transparent in the light. Mentally shaking her head, she met his gaze waiting for an answer to her question.

      Before Kyou could answer, the door to the room opened and two small children ran in smiling and giggling. They looked to be around six years old. The boys had untamed blonde hair that stopped just past their shoulders. They were identical twins.

      Kyou СКАЧАТЬ