Ok, so I probably shouldn't be starting another story, but...I couldn't help it sooo, here it is! This first chapter is going to be kind of slow, like an introductory chapter that sets everything up. It will get better in chapter 2 I promise! Enjoy!
Kagome Higurashi stood stiffly next to her father’s silver Mercedes; her arms crossed, foot tapping and a mildly primal scowl marring her pretty features.
She was not happy.
“Sweetie, I only want what’s best for you!”
“What’s best for me?!” Uncrossing her arms long enough to throw them up in disbelief, she sent a fierce glare in his direction before folding them back against her chest.
“Forcing me to do something that goes completely against what I believe in is what’s best for me? I don’t care what you say! I’m not going in there!”
Her father sighed and shrugged his shoulders.
“Kags, we’re already here….why not just go in and have a look around? No harm in that, is there?”
Her previous scowl evolved into a look of full-blown rage as she jabbed a thin finger at his chest.
“The only reason we’re here is because you lied to me! You said we were going antique shopping! I don’t want to go in there! I don’t want to ‘have a look around’ and I sure as hell don’t want to buy anything in this God-forsaken place!”
She knew her outburst was childish, but what he was asking her to do was something she had promised herself she would never do in her adult life.
“I’m not buying a demon, daddy. I refuse.”
Cautiously reaching out to place a comforting hand on her shoulder, he gave it a small squeeze.
“I understand, honey, but I refuse to let you live in that giant house without some kind of protection. Besides, you’re not paying for anything, I am.”
She shrugged his hand from her shoulder, her small frame turning so her back was to him before she responded.
“I’m not getting one. Your money or not, I’d rather get a home security system or something. It’s just as effective and I don’t have to have a guilty conscience.”
“You can go in here and choose a demon, like I have asked you to, or I will sell that house and you can move back into your room at ours. Make your choice.”
Well, that didn’t leave her much of a choice; go against everything she believed in and become a demon owner or refuse and end up spending the next ten years working a minimum wage job to save up money to get her own place.
“I hate you so much right now,” she hissed as she stomped away from him.
“You’ll thank me in the long run, when you feel safe at night, knowing that nothing can hurt you,” he called as he attempted to catch up to her quickly retreating figure.
“No, you’ll feel better knowing I have one around. I’ll just have a constantly guilty conscience knowing I’m the owner of someone else.”
Not bothering to wait for him, she gave the front door a violent yank and disappeared into the dimness beyond.
“Hello and welcome to Ameia Demonica! My name is Totosai, how may I help you today?”
Kagome eyed the hunched, old man grinning at her from behind the counter and resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Of course the first person she came in contact with in here had to be overjoyed about their job.
“Uh, yeah……I’m interested in purchasing a guardian demon.”
The old man waddled out from behind the short counter, flashing another wide grin at her that revealed he was missing quite a few of his teeth.
“Are you interested in a demon that is strictly a guardian or perhaps one with multiple skills?”
Startling slightly when she felt a large hand land on her shoulder, Kagome turned to see her father smiling at her.
“What skills do you offer with the guardians?”
“Well, our guardians offer a variety of combinations. They range from showmanship and pleasure training to housework and medical training. Some of our guardians have even been trained in all the fields we offer.”
Her father looked thoughtful for a moment and Kagome resisted the urge to cringe. That is just what she needed; a demon running around, making a show of trying to clean the house and attempting to screw her brains out at the same time.
“We also have a sale going on right now, if you’re interested? If you purchase two demons today of any class or training, you may choose a third one from our pre-selected list for free.”
Her father smiled. “That sounds like a great deal, we’ll do that!”
“Dad, we only came here for one demon! I refuse to take three of them home!”
“There’s no harm in looking, honey. Besides, you might find a few you like! You know I’ll buy you anything you want.”
She could tell he was picking on her, trying to rile her up on purpose, but she refused to take the bait. With her luck, she’d sass him and he’d drag her by her collar, all the way back to her empty room.
Oblivious to the silent battle between father and daughter, the old man clapped his hands together and smiled.
“Well now that it’s been decided, I’ll take you to one of our viewing rooms. Please, follow me.”
Shooting her father a dirty look, she crossed her arms and followed the overly chipper old man down the hall.
“Have a seat wherever you’d like,” Totosai said once they had entered the room she would be ‘viewing’ the demons in. “I’ll go and get you some file books to look through and find out which demon is being showcased in this room.”
Watching him disappear through a nearby door, Kagome sighed and took note of the ‘unfriendly’ atmosphere the room projected. It was a small room, sparsely furnished with two steel tables and four folding metal chairs, all facing a reinforced glass wall that revealed a larger brightly lit room on the other side.
“Mmm, this is cozy, dad. I really feel comfortable here, it’s so nice.”
Choosing to ignore her sarcastic tone, he settled his large frame into one of the metal chairs, his fingers lacing together on top of the table.
“You are just like your mother, you know that, right? Sweet as pie, but stubborn like a mule.”
“And proud of it,” she said as she plopped down on the chair next to him.
“Boy, are you guys in for a treat!” Re-entering with an armload of binders, Totosai smacked them down on the table in front of Kagome and pulled a single manila folder from in between them. “Our best guardian demon is being showcased in this room today. Isn’t that such a silly coincidence?”
Handing the folder to her father, she watched him open it, his eyebrows drawing together as he read and then disappearing into his hairline.
“They should be releasing him into the showroom here in a moment. He is impressive, if I do say so myself. He excelled in every training program we put him through, was always at the top of his class and is extremely obedient.”
“Well, I must say, he is very impressive, his file is full of good points and talents, but I see here he’s been returned four times. Why is that?”
The old man cleared his throat nervously. “Ah, well….you see, there were some complaints that…..Oh look, there he is now!”
Dragging her attention away from the old man, she directed her gaze to the glass wall and felt her heart stop. Standing there, on the other side of the glass, was the single most beautiful being Kagome had ever seen.
Long, thick silver locks spilled over his shoulders and down his back, the ends curling inward, toward his legs as they came to a stop just behind his knees. His upper body was blessedly bare, pale skin stretched taut over deliciously honed muscles that were tense and alert, ready for battle. Maroon stripes arched up from the waistband of his pants, two on each side, to curve toward the thin trail of silver hair just below his bellybutton. He sported a matching pair on each wrist and across his cheekbones, a vibrant, indigo crescent moon standing out from under his feathery bangs.
Kagome had to force herself to breathe as she tore her gaze from him and focused on her father.
“What is his name?”
Her father glanced back down at the file. “Um…let’s see…”
“Sesshomaru,” the old man supplied
“Sesshomaru…”
His name glided from her lips, sibilant and soft, like red wine and dark chocolate. The Killing Perfection….that’s what his name meant and the predatory posture he portrayed made her believe he could live up to a name like that.
Bringing herself from her thoughts, she came to realize a set of cold, citrine eyes were centered on her, as if he had heard her breathless utterance of his name. They were beautiful , even from this distance, they pierced right down to her soul and made her feel exposed completely.
“How much?”
“What?” her father questioned, his tone a mix of shock and confusion.
“I want him, how much?”
“$128,000, he’s kinda pricey, but well worth the money. He’s been trained as a guardian, in several medical and botany classes and excelled in the pleasure field.”
A grin broke out over the old man’s face at the sight of Kagome shooting a quick glance through the glass, her eyes quickly darting back to the table as her face turned a nice shade of crimson.
“Um…well….that’s uh…”
“She really just needs him to guard her property, but the medical aspect is nice too.”
The old man coughed nervously.
“Of course it is. We’ll have him prepared and take you to him in a moment. I’ll go let the guard know he is to be taken to preparation room for commands and disciplines.”
Watching the squat, little man leave the room again, she sighed and let her gaze wander back to the demon she had so readily purchased.
At some point, while she had been listening to the old man brag, they had released another demon into the tiny space with Sesshomaru. He was thin and weak looking, with short green hair and brown eyes. He looked terrified.
Looking between the two of them for a moment, a very startling realization dawned on her. That demon was put in there for Sesshomaru to kill. Jumping from her seat, she raced for the glass, her hands pounding on it heavily to get the silver haired demon’s attention.
“No,” she shouted. “No, please don’t do it!”
“Kags, what’s wrong?”
“They put another demon in there for him to kill!”
Locking gazes with seemingly stoic youkai, she begged with her eyes for him to stay where he was.
He didn’t listen.
Watching the scene unfold in front of her, she had a split second to turn away before the dull, whip-like sound of a thick substance slinging through the air and colliding with the glass in front of her caused her to cringe.
Some morbid part of her made her look up to confirm what she already knew, her stomach heaving at the sight that greeted her. The glass had become opaque; its surface stained a dark red with small chunks of bone and brain matter slipping lethargically down through the mess.
She stood there, shock overriding her senses as her brain tried to process the gruesome scene she had just been witness to. He had looked right at her, no emotion, no warning and without a second thought, had slaughtered the demon in front of him. Without a doubt, she realized she had been right. The Killing Perfection….he would live up to his name.
Her internal struggle was brought to halt when she felt her father’s large hand settle on her should in a comforting gesture.
“Honey, are you alright?”
She nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine, but…..is it possible for us to go wait in the hall for that old guy? I really don’t want to be in here anymore.”
Her father wrapped an arm around her shoulder and turned to lead her out into the hall.
“You just wait out here, sweetheart, and I’ll stay in here until he gets back. I think it would be best to let him know we’ve changed our mind about that demon.”
She thought about agreeing with him for a moment, but something about Sesshomaru called out to her. He made her feel strange and, for some reason, she couldn’t shake it. She had to know what it was.
“No, daddy, I still want him. It was just a bit of a shock to see something like that. He only did it because that’s what they trained him to do. It wasn’t his fault. “
She felt a stab of guilt for talking about him like he was incapable of thought, like a dog, but she did not want her father to decide that Sesshomaru was unsuitable for her and choose the demons she took home.
“Well, alright, if you say so. I wouldn’t want you to feel uncomfortable with taking him home.”
She shook her head. “No, I want him. He’s absolutely perfect!”
Her father looked hesitant for a moment, his eyes showing a slight bit of confusion as well.
“Well, if you’re sure….I’ll let him know we want a new viewing room.”
Watching her father disappear back through the door, she fell back against the wall with a sigh and closed her eyes.
What was she getting herself into? Maybe she should have just let her father tell the old man they didn’t want him. She really hadn’t come in here expecting to actually buy something, so why was she so determined to have that silver haired beauty? Her mind conjured the image of his eyes and the intense way he had gazed at her when she’d uttered his name. Even now she felt as if he was poking at her soul with those smoldering, golden eyes.
“Whew, I need to get out more. I think I’m losing my mind!”
Moments later the door next to her swung open, startling her, once again, out of her thoughts. Her father strode through with the little old man following shortly after, his head bowed.
“I’m terribly sorry about what happened, ma’am. I was unaware that they were going to release another demon into the room so soon. I hope this little incident hasn’t changed your mind about Sesshomaru?”
He was most certainly not sorry about what happened. The obvious loss of a big sale was what he was really worried about.
“No,” she said, her tone icy. “I still want him.”
Kagome wasn’t surprised to see a look of barely concealed relief cross his wrinkled features.
“Oh good, I’m glad. He really is an excellent specimen of his species.”
Kagome decided to keep her rude comments to herself and crossed her arms.
“So, when will I be able to meet him?”
“Whenever you’d like! I can take you to see him now or you can look through the file books and choose two more, that way you can meet them all at once. It’s up to you.”
“Couldn’t I look through the file books and meet him at the same time? Is it possible for me to do that? Because, frankly, I’m tired of being here already and I would like to go home as soon as possible.”
She felt her father’s hand land on her shoulder in a firm grip; a gesture meant to warn her to not be rude.
“Of course,” the old man replied, unfazed by her impatient attitude. “I’ll take you to him right away.”
Turning on his heel, he quickly began waddling down the hall.
“What an odd little old man,” her father murmured as he gave Kagome a small nudge forward.
“He’s right in here,” Totosai stated, as he came to a stop in front of a windowless door. “Please feel free to go in and get acquainted. A specialist will be in shortly to go over everything and set up his disciplinary commands with you. I’ll be back in a bit with more file books in a bit.”
Before Kagome could even respond, he was down the hall and out of sight.
‘Man, he’s quick for an old guy,’ she thought before turning to face her father.
“If you don’t mind, dad, I’d like to go in by myself. I mean, I think it would be easier for me if I met him on my own.”
Her father nodded. “If that’s what you want to do, honey.”
Nodding, she gave him a weak smile and reached for the doorknob, her hand halting half way there.
Why was she so nervous? She didn’t have any reason to be. An image of intense golden eyes flashed through her mind, making her lower belly tingle warmly.
There was just something about him….
“Is everything alright, dear?”
Kagome shook her head to try and clear it before giving her father a reassuring grin.
“Yeah, dad, I’m fine. You can come in when that old guy gets back.”
Steeling her nerves, she reached for the doorknob again; pleased when she managed to turn it and step inside without hesitating.
The second the heavy steel door clicked shut behind her; she was overwhelmed by the demon’s suffocating aura. He was sitting against the far wall; a knee raised and his arm resting casually over it, his head tilted downward in a fashion that made his beautiful silver hair fall about him like a curtain and pool on the floor around his form. He looked like he was sleeping.
“Um…hi.”
What was she supposed to say to him? ‘Hi there, my name is Kagome! I don’t believe in owning demons, but you’re really pretty and you make me feel funny inside, so I’m taking you home with me!’ Kagome blushed. ‘No, that was probably not a good thing to tell him at this point.’
“I’m Kagome. It’s nice to meet you, Sesshomaru.”
His head snapped up at the sound of his name leaving her lips; his golden gaze locking with hers and stunning her speechless.
He really was beautiful. No other word could do justice to the otherworldly being studying her from across the room. His skin looked paler in this light; almost translucent in color, his sliver hair giving it a shimmery quality. She found her eyes were drawn to the broad expanse of his shoulders, eyeing them with a feminine appreciation before burning a path down to the hand dangling just past his knee. It was just as beautiful as the rest of him. Long elegant fingers, tipped with dangerous looking claws, flexed restlessly as he continued to stare at her with those soul-piercing eyes.
“Um….anyway, I….uh…”
God, was he distracting. She felt like an awkward high school girl trying to talk to her crush; sputtering like a moron while a nervous sweat broke out on the back of her neck.
Thankfully, before she could make a bigger ass of herself, there was a knock at the door and an older woman entered.
“Hello, my name is Dr. Takei, but you may call me Kaede.”
“Hello doctor, my name is Kagome.”
“I’m here to go over Sesshomaru’s file with ye and set up his disciplinary commands, Kagome.”
Kagome nodded.
“Alright let’s get started. Sesshomaru, please stand.”
Making her way over to stand near the other occupants of the room, she immediately whipped back around, hands slapping over her eyes when Sesshomaru was instructed to disrobe.
“What are you doing?!”
“This is procedure. We do a visual examination in front of the potential buyer to point out any scars or skin flaws. We also do it to show any birth markings that signify a strong bloodline. With male demons, we are also required to show the size and response time of the genitalia.”
Kagome felt her face begin burning at the casual way the older woman spoke about the male anatomy; like it was just a fine piece of art to be critiqued.
“That….uh…that won’t be necessary. I can take the time to do that once I get home…”
Deciding that had come out completely wrong and she now sounded like a complete pervert; she gave up on her face ever being a normal color again. Clearing her throat, she attempted to correct her error.
“Uh…what I meant was….I’m going to buy him regardless of any flaws or features, so there’s really no need to do that. Let’s just move on to whatever is next, if you don’t mind, please.”
“If that is what ye wish. We will move onto disciplinary commands and ye can glance over his file once ye are home.”
After hearing the light rustling of clothing, she turned to face them once again, her blush still burning her cheeks.
Kaede had turned her back to them to rifle through the file she had carried in, but Kagome found her attention immediately directed back to the citrine eyes narrowed at her intently.
Kagome was convinced that if continued to look at her like that, her face was going to melt off.
“Now I’m sure ye are familiar with disciplinary commands. Sesshomaru’s are at the default setting right now, so ye will have to choose two words or phrases ye want to use to discipline him.”
Kagome knew all to well about that subject. Her mother was notorious for screaming them at the demons in the house over every little thing; the word associated with whichever demon she was displeased with sending the poor creature to the floor to writhe in pain.
“Do I have to? I don’t think I’m really going to need to use them.”
“The collar has to be customized to your voice so it will only respond to you. If you don’t program it to do that, then anyone could submit him and I’m sure you realize that would not be a good thing.”
Kagome nodded, her mind already searching for words that she wouldn’t normally say.
“Alright, I’ve got two words. What do I do next?”
Kaede turned to Sesshomaru and opened a panel on the collar around his neck; her fingers dancing over the buttons inside.
“The first word or phrase ye say will be the one that shocks him into submission and the second will knock him unconscious for a brief period of time. Whenever ye are ready, press the small red button and speak directly into the small microphone in the panel.”
Nodding, she took a deep breath and stepped forward.
‘Uh…crap.’
Eyeing the distance between her face and the collar, she attempted to figure out how she was supposed to get anywhere near it. She had noticed his immense height earlier, but now, standing directly next to him, she realized she was eye level with his solar plexus.
“I….um…I can’t…I can’t reach it. You’re too tall.”
She watched a small spark of amusement dance through his gaze before he leaned toward her.
Looking at him from a distance had been mesmerizing enough on its own, but up close he was downright suffocating.
‘Don’t look him in the eye!’
Raising her hand toward the small button, she chanted that small mantra in her head.
‘Don’t you dare look him in the eye!’
Kagome quickly realized that peripheral vision was a complete and total bitch. Spotting the subtle shift in his gaze from the corner of her eye, her own betrayed her and glided over to lock with his.
Suddenly, she couldn’t remember how to breathe or why it was important to do so. His eyes were startling from this distance; varying shades of gold making up the molten pools she rapidly found herself drowning in.
“Ma’am, are ye alright?”
The sound of the aging doctor’s voice broke the trance he’d lured her into; a tiny shiver tickling her spine when he shifted again, causing his silky hair to slide forward and brush against her bare arms.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I push this button here?”
“Yes.”
Pressing the small button and holding it in, she leaned closer and spoke.
“Down boy.”
The collar beeped its acceptance and she backed away.
“Good. Now let me set it up for the second command and then we will be almost done.”
Reaching forward to press another series of buttons, she backed away and instructed Kagome to state her second command.
“Park it, mister.”
She heard Kaede chuckle. “Now we will be moving on to our last step and then ye will be finished.”
Kagome looked confused. “What else is there?”
“Demons with a powerful bloodline always possess two forms; A humanoid form, which you are looking at right now, and their true beast form. Sesshomaru was what you would call a daiyoukai before having a collar placed on him.”
“Daiyoukai?”
“A daiyoukai is a demon that has ascended to the highest level of power they can possess. A king of sorts. He was at the top of the demon race many years ago.”
‘Well that explains quite a bit.’
“Come with me.”
Following the older woman through a nearby door, she found herself standing at the edge of what looked to be a massive gymnasium.
“Uh…how big does he get exactly?”
Kaede smiled. “Just watch.”
Motioning Sesshomaru out into the middle of the room, Kagome instantly felt the heavy pressure of his aura press down on her as his eyes bled red and his handsome form expanded into a colossal white dog.
“Oh…oh wow! I’ve never seen a demon that big before!”
Kaede nodded, a smile tugging at her aging features as he shifted back down to his humanoid form. “Yes, he is a beautiful example of his kind; perfectly honed and battle ready. It is a shame that his true power is held back by the collar.”
Kagome silently agreed with her as she watched Sesshomaru approach.
“Well, we are finished here. Are ye just here to purchase one demon?”
Kagome sighed. “No, my father decided to take advantage of that special you guys are having right now.”
“Then I will be seeing ye again shortly.”
As the three of them filed back into the exam room, Kaede hesitated; her eyes shifting to Sesshomaru before traveling to Kagome.
“If I may, I would like to suggest a demon to ye.”
“By all means, please do. Anything that will save me from having to spend more time here than necessary is fine by me.”
Pulling a pen from her breast pocket, she wrote something down along the top of Sesshomaru’s folder and handed it to her.
“Request to see the phoenix demon, Sasha. I wrote his registration number and file location down on there. I think ye would enjoy him greatly.”
Kagome smiled. “Thank you very much, Kaede.”
“Ye are welcome. I will return shortly.”
The sound of the door clicking shut reminded Kagome that she was, once again, alone with the silent demon.
‘Great, now what do I do? Stand here like an idiot and stare at the door?’
“So, you’re a dog demon….”
Steeling her nerves, she turned to find him leaning against the far wall; his eyes studying her again.
“That’s cool. You’re the biggest demon I’ve ever seen when you transform. It was really amazing.”
He continued to stare at her silently, his eyes narrowing slightly at her declaration.
“Um….you don’t talk much do you?”
Not expecting a response, the three words that floated across the room made her breath hitch.
“Only when necessary.”
His voice was deep and sultry; thick like syrup and she quickly found herself struggling not to drown in it.
“O…oh, well, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bother you. I just wanted to be nice and get to know you….I’ll leave you alone now.”
“If that is what you wish.”
She didn’t understand it, but, for some reason, her face flamed in embarrassment and she quickly turned her back to him.
“You are uncomfortable. Why?”
Forcing herself to try and come up with an excuse, she breathed a sigh of relief when there was a knock at the door.
“I’m back,” the old man stated as he entered. “Here are the file books. What do you think of him?”
Kagome watched him toss the stack of binders down on a nearby table before glancing over at Sesshomaru.
“I think he’s perfect.”
The old man grinned. “That’s great. I’m glad that you’re pleased with him. Feel free to take your time and look through the file books for your second choice. The blue one contains all of the pre-selected demons for your third choice. I’d recommend looking at that one last.”
Remembering Kaede’s recommendation, she looked down at the numbers written on Sesshomaru’s folder and held it up to the old man.
“I want to see the phoenix demon, Sasha.”
The old man looked startled for a moment. “Are you sure? You don’t want to look through the books first?”
She shook her head. “No, I want to see him.”
Totosai grinned. “Well, I must say Miss Kagome, you have excellent taste. Sasha is our finest performance demon.”
“Sorry honey,” her father said as he entered the room. “Your mother called to see how things were going and you know how much your mother loves to talk on the phone.”
Kagome grinned. “Yes, I do. No big deal, dad, I was just requesting to see my second choice.”
Her dad’s eyebrows arched in surprise. “You chose a second one already?”
“Yes, she is requesting to see our top performance demon, Sasha.”
“Has he been trained in anything other than performance?”
Kagome sighed. Leave it up to her father to take a quick process and turn it into a long endeavor.
“Of course he has. Sasha is a very rare breed of demon; a phoenix. This obviously means he has control over the fire element. He’s been trained as a guardian quite successfully, a pleasure partner and has proven to be a wonderful cook.”
“May I see him now, please? Here’s his registration number and file location.”
Taking the file from her, he walked over to a small intercom on the wall, by the door and pressed the only button on its surface.
“I need demon number 24851, name Sasha to exam room 34 please. His file is located in the pleasure section of the logging room. Bring it along as well.”
Moments later, a young male voice came back through the speaker to confirm his request.
“Right away, sir.”
Totosai turned back around and smiled. “It’ll just be a few minutes. They have to go and retrieve him from his holding cell.”
Kagome resisted the urge to inform the old man that he worked for a twisted company and that she wanted to set him on fire for it.
“You keep them in cells? Like…jail cells?”
“Sort of, their cells are much larger than jail cells. Their mostly put in them to keep them segregated. We wouldn’t want demons with superior bloodlines mingling with the low level ones.”
“No, of course not,” she replied, barely suppressed disdain staining her tone.
A few awkward minutes of silence later, there was a knock at the door; Kaede re-entering with a beautiful demon in tow.
Apparently there was no such thing as an ugly demon because the being that stood in front of Kagome was just as breathtaking as Sesshomaru.
Walking in like he owned the place, he sashayed over to the center of the room and did a small turn before locking gazes with her. Sasha was tall. Not freakishly tall, but he was definitely competing with Sesshomaru for tallest male in the room. His hair, which made him appear even taller, was a fiery red; about seven or eight inches in length from his hairline to the crown of his head and distinctly resembled ruffled feathers. The rest of it was pin straight and hanged in a red curtain down his back, coming to a stop just below his behind.
His eyes were the most vibrant shade of green; glittering like emeralds at her from under thick, red tinted lashes.
He had facial markings as well; purple stripes that stretched from each temple and stopped just under his eyes. They were wide in the area by his temples, thinning out until they met a diamond shape just below those mischief-filled orbs.
He was beautiful, to say the least, and when she finally focused back on his eyes, she felt a light blush dust her cheeks; her eyes dropping to the floor shyly.
“Hello again, Kagome. I assume ye would like me to skip the first step again and move right on to the disciplinary commands?”
“Yes, please.”
“A features and flaws examination is required doctor. Please proceed with it.”
Kagome felt her anger boil up and, without a second thought, turned toward the elderly male; her finger digging painfully into his bony chest.
“Now listen here you old fart….”
“Kagome.”
She shot her father an evil look.
“I am the client here and, unless customer service has changed in the last 24 hours, I should always be considered correct. I said the exam was not necessary and if you continue to push the subject, I will leave without making a purchase. Is that clear?”
Stepping away in fear, he nodded.
“Good, now…..”
Her sentence was halted by the sudden sound of a struggle in the hall.
“Restrain him! Do it now!”
Trailing behind Totosai as he went to investigate, she found herself disgusted by the scene she walked out to discover.
“What is going on here?”
“I’m sorry, sir. We were taking him back to his cell and he freaked out. We tried to subdue him and he attacked us.”
Totosai ran a hand over his face in a show of frustration. “Well then, if you imbeciles can’t do your job and put everyone else here in danger, then do what must be done. Take him to the gas chambers and exterminate him.”
“No!”
Throwing herself in the guards path, she raised her arms in a protective manner and set a venomous stare on them.
“I’ll buy him! Take him into the room. He can be my third choice.”
She looked down at the demon lying prone on the floor and felt her heart go out to him.
His dirty periwinkle hair was fanned out over his bare back; knotted and in desperate need of a brushing. His skin was a light cream color and stretched tautly over decently defined muscles. He looked so young and when he raised his head, she found herself staring into confused honey pools.
“Kikyou?”
‘Kikyou? They must have knocked him silly before I got out here.’
“Ma’am, he’s a hanyou….”
“I said I want him! Take him in there now!”
Startling everyone with her loud demand, the guards hauled him to his feet and did as she asked.
“Dr. Kaede, if you would, these are the demons I have chosen. I’d like to leave as soon as possible; this place makes me sick.”
~_~_~_~_~_~_~
“I swear, if you ever put me through something like that again, I will gut you in the middle of the street and leave you for the damn birds!”
Her father chuckled. “I’ll admit, it could have gone smoother, but look at it this way; you’ve got three great demons and I feel completely comfortable letting you live on your own now.”
Kagome sighed. “Well I’m glad you feel good about this. I feel like shit.”
“Why? You haven’t done anything wrong.”
She sighed again. “I just feel guilty. You know how much I hate the idea of owning demons. It’s like…like…oh I don’t know. It just feels wrong to have ownership of someone like this. Did you see how beautiful they were, dad? They’re phenomenal beings and no one should have the rite to take their freedom. I feel like a monster.”
It was her father’s turn to sigh. “I know, Kagome, but this is how it is. It’s been this way for hundreds of years. Demons are subservient to us. You’re one person, honey; one of the very few that disagree with it. It’s not going to change just because a few people are offended.”
Kagome crossed her arms and looked out the car window. “It still doesn’t mean I have to conform to it. This is bullshit! These demons shouldn’t have to do what I say! They should have the freedom to choose what they want to do and say what they want to say; they should be able to choose whether they want to be around me or not, to be my friend and for God’s sake fall in love with someone of their own choice. They shouldn’t have to be a sex slave for some self righteous bitch who wants to be a whore without the consequences. It makes me sick!”
“Look, Kags… saying things like that can get you into a lot of trouble. I understand that’s what you believe, but be careful who you say it to. I’ve seen a lot of people disappear for saying less.”
Kagome snuggled deeper into the seat and fell silent.
“Look boys, we’re here. Welcome to your new home.”
Kagome looked down her driveway and felt a ball of dread form in her stomach.
‘We’re home.’