The Snow Angel by SunsetMiko

The Execution

Chapter 151 - The Execution *Dirge* (Stella's Soundtrack Challenge)

The taiyoukai absorbed what he had been told. After a moment of thought, he moved closer, stopping just inches from the fool that had caused him so much pain but whose actions had brought him the gift of a lifetime, his angel. He still wanted to slaughter the fool slowly, but a small part of his mind felt something he had never experienced before: pity. In an effort to get Tsukiko's attention, Sesshoumaru summoned his poison to rise and allowed one drip to fall on the inu's chest.

His wake up call got the desired result as the traitorous concubine's eyes opened wide, searching the area in shock, trying to find the cause of this new, and sharp pain. When they focused on Sesshoumaru, he let out a sigh of relief.

"Is it over? Is it time? I've told him everything he wants to know, everything! The witch should be right where I said she is. Your mother's jewels, I sold them in a village just outside the Western border into the North. I'm sure you can get them back. I don't know what else you want from me!"

"Calm yourself," Sesshoumaru said in his usual monotonous tone. "There is nothing left to tell. This Sesshoumaru has dealt with the witch as well as with Mother. I care not about her missing jewels. Tell me, do you regret your actions? Would you still plot against me in the hopes of becoming the Western Lord?"

Tsukiko shook his head so violently his chains rattled. "Never! I would never even think to do something so stupid again. I should have known. I should have known that you would win."

The taiyoukai studied his mother's most favored concubine as he babbled, begging forgiveness and swearing his allegiance. He watched his facial expressions and breathed in his scent, examining the subtle nuances that gave away everything.

"Silence!" Sesshoumaru demanded. He was furious. He had actually felt pity for this man, and he thought to attempt to deceive him? "Even now you prove yourself a fool. You think to lie to me, as if I could be so easily tricked? You have no remorse, no regret. You still think yourself more intelligent than I, hoping to manipulate me. Have the whispers of the staff truly reached even this dark place? Indeed, I have changed, but there is a limit to everything. Not even my angel would forgive your actions."

At that moment, the taiyoukai was grateful that he had kept his senses about him. If he hadn't been paying attention, he might have allowed Tsukiko to trick him. He might have given him a quick and painless death, or he might have even pardoned the fool. No, he could not trust that everyone was innately good the way he knew Kagome did. He was and would always be surrounded by those that would seek to take what was his, and now that he had something so precious, he would have to be extra careful. He would have to protect his angel, because he could never survive if he lost her.

Thoughts of what this traitor might have done to the woman he loved if he were given the chance flooded through Sesshoumaru's mind, and he allowed them, he reveled in them, as they gave him the strength to do what he knew had to be done. Kagome need never know how the prisoner died, only that he did, because if the choice were her safety or someone else's life, her safety would always win.

The taiyoukai wrapped his hand around the now shaking prisoner's throat, allowing his claws to puncture the skin, and his poison slowly seeped into Tsukiko's bloodstream. His eyes widened in shocked pain but moments later, he began to laugh; dark, hateful laughter that sent shivers up the spines of Toumoku and Seiko, both of who had seen a great deal in their many years. Something about this man though, this traitor, was blacker than usual, and it unsettled them.

Sesshoumaru's poison made its way through Tsukiko's body, every beat of his heart spreading it further while his laughter continued. It grew raspy and was often interrupted by coughing as his organ systems began to slowly shut down. Still, he laughed until he took his last, gasping breath, the sound carrying him into the arms of death. Finally, he fell limp, hanging from his chains while the corrosive poison in his veins continued to eat through his body.

"You may want to take a few steps back," Sesshoumaru said in his usual cold tone, seeing as a growing puddle of acidic fluids began to spread across the floor. Seiko and Toumoku did so, the interrogator quickly moving his stored scrolls from one corner in the hopes of keeping them safe. The taiyoukai watched, deep in thought for a moment, before speaking once more. "Collect your things, Seiko. I believe it is time for you to have more comfortable accommodations."