Kagome opened her eyes slowly despite the screaming headache. Wherever she was had only dim light filtering through, which was a blessing to her pounding head. Still the light was too much and she closed her eyes to try to block it out. She moaned softly as she rolled onto her side and pressed herself against the warmth next to her. The source of the heat moved and she forced her eyes open once more only to find herself staring into a sea of silver. The hair, that was all she could think it would be, seemed to glow in the dim light, casting a light of its own. She ran her fingers through it, marveling at the softness of it. It was silver silk. Suddenly her brain seemed to catch up with her and just in time as the man next to her rolled over and she found herself staring at Sesshomaru.
“Sesshomaru-sama?”
“Miko.”
His voice was soft, perhaps he too had a headache. Kagome sat up slowly, her hand cradling her head. “What happened?”
Sesshomaru shifted and she felt something tug on her right hand. She looked down and managed to keep from completely freaking out, but only just. She lifted her hand and examined the manacle. Sesshomaru was glaring at it as well. The chain ran from her right wrist to his left, binding them together with only about a meter in between. Kagome was trying to keep from hyperventilating. This was not good on so many levels she wasn’t even sure how to list them. Her coping mechanisms were already being strained.
“Hn.”
That was not the answer she was hoping for. “What the fuck?”
“Indeed. I do not remember falling to sleep like this.”
“I don’t remember falling to sleep.” Suddenly panic gripped her. “Shippou-kun and Rin-chan! Where are they?”
“Be calm, I cannot smell anything that would suggest that they are in trouble.”
She tried to relax and found that his presence helped to calm her. She took a deep breath, trying to think of how to handle this particular situation. Weird things always seemed to happen to her and usually at the worst times. She just needed to treat this as another in a long string of kidnappings in her life. Of course in order to get out of here they had to figure out how they got here.
“What’s the last thing you remember?”
He cocked his head slightly, that incredible hair shimmering in the dim light. Kagome felt her fingers twitch. It had been so soft to the touch. She could spend all day running her fingers through it. Maybe if she asked really nice he would let her brush it sometime. His voice brought her back to the present.
“I was in Edo. Rin-chan wished to see Shippou-kun.”
Kagome nodded. “They were playing in the field near the river. I think…I think we were talking about Rin-chan’s lessons.”
“You wished to teach her how to read.”
Kagome nodded. “And you told me it was unnecessary.”
“It is. She will never be accepted by her own people if she is too well educated.”
Kagome sighed softly. Perhaps the argument was the source of her head. “A man who is afraid of an educated woman doesn’t deserve her.”
Sesshomaru frowned slightly at this, but did not respond. Kagome rose slowly and stretched. A sharp pain in her back caused her to cry out in shock. She reached around, her fingers slipping under her shirt as she sought the source of the pain. A small wound met her fingers.
“Lift my shirt, tell me what you see.”
Sesshomaru arched an eyebrow and she shot him a look that clearly said she was not interested in screwing around. He lifted her shirt and frowned at the small wound. His fingers ran over it and he felt her flinch. He leaned closer and sniffed. Her skin smelled sweet and clean and there was another scent coming off the fabric that wrapped around her torso. He had to sort through all of these to latch on to the sour note that lifted from the injury.
“There was poison on whatever made this wound.”
“Did they get you too?”
“If they did, it is long healed. I am not nearly as fragile as a human.”
She rolled her eyes at his arrogance and tugged her shirt back down. At least she was dressed properly in a t-shirt and jeans. She held out her left hand and concentrated her powers until it glowed. Holding it up she let the light fall on their prison. Kagome felt her heart sink. Wherever they were was underground. There was a heavy door blocking the entrance and stone walls surrounding them. The light seemed to be coming from a small air hole that was drilled into the ceiling. Sesshomaru stepped over and looked up.
“We are at least twenty meters below ground.”
She shivered. The idea of that much earth over her head made her nervous. “Can you get the chain off?”
He held up his right hand, his fingers glowing with acid and let it drip onto the chains. It rolled off without doing any damage. Kagome was not surprised.
“Well, anyone that planned well enough to knock you out would have planned for that as well.”
“Then why ask me to do it?”
“Just because we think they planned for it, doesn’t mean they did. Always assume they missed something. We’re more likely to get out here alive.”
Sesshomaru couldn’t help the lip twitch that gave away his smile. Kagome just shook her head and moved toward the door. She rested her hand against it, then her head. Her whole body was glowing softly now, but the feeling of her power did not hurt Sesshomaru and that was surprising. It should have stung or burned. In the past she had even managed to injure him with her powers, but this time it just felt pleasantly warm. She stepped back and drew a circle about three inches in diameter with her powers near the frame of the door.
“Melt that.”
“I do not take orders.”
She bit her tongue to keep from retorting in kind and rephrased her request. “If you melt here, you will destroy the latch. Can you please apply your acid?”
He stepped forward and flicked his wrist, splashing the acid onto the door. With a sizzle it melted through the metal. Her powers created a barrier that kept it from dripping down and instead, defying all the laws of gravity, it melted straight through the door. With a snap the latch disintegrated and the door swung open. He nodded his approval.
“It is good to see you are not entirely helpless.”
“You’re just Mr. Sunshine aren’t you? And don’t you think we’ve finished our discussion about Rin-chan’s education.”
“I would not dream of it.”
The corridor beyond the door was completely dark. Kagome lifted her glowing hand over her head to cast light before them as they began to move. Sesshomaru’s nose twitched on occasion and she could see his ears doing the same. He was obviously straining all his senses to find the person that had done this to them. After a few paces they came to a three-way fork. Kagome looked at Sesshomaru. The taiyoukai stepped forward, his nose sifting through the various smells. After a moment he shook his head, causing his magnificent mane to catch and scatter the light from her reiki.
“I cannot discern the correct direction.”
“Well, damn.”