Bound by Corruption by BelovedStranger

Renewed Purpose

Prompt: 'Give neither salt or council till you are asked for it.'

The awkwardness Kagome had felt not seconds ago, vanished in the echo of Sesshomaru’s unexpected words. Hope, a fickle thing, filled her chocolate brown eyes, spreading across her whole expression in seconds.

“You know where she is?” whispered Kagome in a hoarse voice, gazing up at him with longing, not realizing that she did so. 

Kikyo.

If she could just find her, fall into her maternal embrace, and confide in her the horrors she had seen, then everything would be alright. She didn’t have to face this corrupt world alone, not with her strong sister by her side to help guide her. She wouldn’t have to fear anymore, because Kikyo would be there to take care of her, teach her how to survive in this strange place she had found herself in.

Sesshomaru didn’t look away from the naked expression in the girl’s eyes, saw far more than she probably realized. She had always been an open scroll to him, her face—especially her eyes—giving away her thoughts at any given moment.

Sometimes, he could not understand them, for a human could feel so much more than a demon such as he, but the longing in her gaze could not be mistaken.

He felt cheated by that expression, angered that another could cause such need in the girl, for he found he wished she would gift only him with this degree of stark want. That she desired another’s company so greatly, someone other than himself, rankled.

She was his now for as long as the contract was in effect. She had no business looking to another for anything while he was around.

He was very possessive, territorial of that which was his, and she undoubtedly was.

Sesshomaru ignored the newfound feelings she inspired in him and attributed his rising jealousy to the fact that now—while they shared a binding contract—she was his until he released her. Only his.

Perhaps it was not such a good idea to find the missing mortal, for wouldn’t Kagome’s loyalties waver when under the influence of her elder sister? Was Kikyo not a priestess, also? A powerful one, he recalled. No match for him certainly; however, would Kagome wish to try to escape their blood vow through the help of her sister?

Uncertainty filled his mind.

The blood rite was weak, incomplete. She was unaware of this fact, but he was not.

The girl took a small step towards him, her hands clasped over her chest, while a beseeching expression crossed her face. “Please, Sesshomaru. Do you know where my sister is? You must take me to her. She—she’s all I have left.”

Sesshomaru watched—unfeeling—as a tear fell from the corner of her right eye, sliding down her cheek.

Another tear.

Again she wept.

She had never wept for him.

Cold calculation filled his mind.

“I do not.”

Brown eyes went dim.

Face fallen.

Hope dashed.

This Kikyo obviously means the world to her, thought Sesshomaru. Then perhaps I can use this to my advantage.

Sesshomaru had to force himself not to grin at the thought, a scheme forming inside his insidious mind. It was obvious his miko believed her elder sister could do no wrong, could conquer any disaster. What if he corrupted that image?

But how?

No matter. He had time to contemplate such a scheme. Kikyo was not yet found.

Sesshomaru took a step towards the girl. Her head was downcast, so she did not see him approach until he was inches from her. She lifted her gaze to his face, but his arms were already folding around her slight built, drawing her close to the heat of his body.

She stiffened instantly, probably remembering what they had recently shared in the hot spring.

“Sesshomaru, what—“

Interrupting her before she could struggle against him again, he said, “But I can find her for you.”

Her hands pressed against his chest as she tipped her head back so she could look into his eyes, hope sparking to life in her gaze again.

“Can you? How? The bandits—“ she stumbled across the words, obviously remembering their demise at his hands. “Onigumo…he—he said…” turmoil was evident in her expression, for she was recalling how he, too, had died, by fire.

He was patient with her, didn’t interrupt again, or prompt her, didn’t make it easier for her. However, he held her close, offering the comfort of his presence, of his warm body pressed so close to hers in a semblance of an embrace.

She swallowed, forced herself to forge on. “Kikyo wasn’t at the neighboring village. They were our only means to find her. Without them…”

“We do not need their aid,” murmured Sesshomaru. “All you have to do is rely on me, Kagome.”

Kagome shook her head in despair. It was hopeless. Speaking her thoughts aloud more than to him, she said, “We can’t just move about the country side, searching every village near our own. Most are probably destroyed, the people fled or killed. How can we find her in all this chaos?”

He lifted her face with a curled finger under her chin, gently forcing her to look at him.

“That will not be necessary. I had already planned another means in finding your sister should Onigumo fail to locate her for us. All is not lost.”

Her eyes widened and she clutched his haori in her small fists. “You did? What? Tell me?!”

“We will return to your ruined village,” he began, noting instantly that she did not like this idea, didn’t want to see the charred remains of all she had lost again, but he continued. “There, I will be able to cast a spell, a very powerful one, that will assist us in locating her.”

“Why didn’t we do that before?” wailed Kagome, wanting to shake him in frustration. “We could have found her a long time ago, but days have already gone by. Anything could have happened to her during that time. What if she’s hurt? What if she’s in danger?”

Kagome was working herself towards anger during her tirade, her expression no longer lost or hopeful, but filled with wrath directed towards him.

“She would have been found by now if it hadn’t been for your insistence to teach me revenge. Obviously, that didn’t work out the way you planned,” she sneered.

At that moment, Kagome recalled everything, that she had the devil’s contract with Sesshomaru—no, this Inugami—and that he cared nothing for her. She was less than dirt beneath his boot.

Sesshomaru could see the hatred in her eyes as she shoved away from him, and he let her. He had been silent all through her enraged speech without defending himself. Strangely, he was reassured by her hatred, for didn’t that mean she was as corruptible as any other human? Surely, she was not so special.

Again she wished to spar with him verbally? Had she not learned in the past that he could twist anything she flung at him with half-truths and flat out lies?

Child’s play.

“Before you condemn me beyond possibility of redemption, there are two facts you are under the wrong impression of.”

The girl glared at him, obviously not wanting to hear what he had to say in her anger, but she did not storm off and allow her emotions to rule her actions. She was slowly learning not to allow her feelings to rule over logic, he mused. A small improvement but not much of one, he thought wryly.

“And what’s that?”

Kagome hesitated, recalling her inner reflections she had had when she had lain awake, alone in her room in that rundown shack she had shared with Onigumo. She remembered that she had accused Sesshomaru unfairly in the past, had vowed never to do so again, and if she was given another chance to be with the Inugami, she would prove to him that not all humans were bad. Was she doing it again? Guilt slowly worked its way inside her breast as she waited for his answer.

Sesshomaru noticed the slight change in her expression, her body language, as both changed, shifted, and became less aggressive, more uncertain.

He could have smiled.

She was learning even if she was being deceived by a master.

“First off, you continue to blame me for abiding by my end of the contract you agreed to.” He saw her stiffen at the reminder. “You may be young in years compared to me, but you are old enough to make your own decisions. You chose, of your own free will, to agree to the pact I stipulated. Despite how our contract came about, you had given your word, and yet you continuously blame me for a choice that was yours to make. I did not have to save you from those bandits. It was not I you were calling to for aid. Nothing, nothing in this world is free, and yet you complain.”

“Alright all ready. I get it,” she almost shouted gruffly, emotion clogging her throat.

He was right. Everything he said was true. And yet she blamed him. It hadn’t been his fault that she had been threatened by bandits. He didn’t know her; she wasn’t his responsibility. And yet, for whatever reason, he had saved her. She didn’t lie to herself. If he hadn’t been there, horrible things would have happened to her before she was murdered.

“I know you’re right, Sesshomaru,” she admitted. She shook her head, not at him, but at herself. Then she flung her head back, her hair flying behind her as she met his gaze, this time without anger but sorrow. “I realized, finally understood, that I had been acting like a spoiled child who wasn’t getting her way. I told myself I would do better, be better, but it seems I have fallen into a bad habit. But I’ll do better,” she quickly reassured, and he couldn’t help but believe her after seeing the conviction in her eyes. “Be patient with me, if you can. I am learning. So…I’m sorry, truly I am, for treating you so unfairly.”

So innocent, so naive, so very easy to manipulate, thought Sesshomaru, pleased to see that returning to her good graces was much easier than he had previously thought.

“You are young, impulsive,” he dismissed good naturedly.

Kagome was surprised about his nonchalance. Wasn’t he angry that she had treated him unfairly again?

Not sure what to say in the face of his easy acceptance of her faults, she asked, “Ahh…what—what was the second thing you wanted to inform me about?”

Kagome felt…disheartened. She had failed, already. Barely in his presence for five minutes and she was already proving herself no better than any other human Sesshomaru thought them all to be. How was she to show him differently if she was already messing up?

Failure sat heavily on her and he had only given the one out of two reasons he had not found Kikyo by now. Why did it hurt so much? Why did she care to this extent?

“Yes, secondly, the spell is draining,” Sesshomaru informed her. “It is powerful magic most creatures are unable to perform. But, I can,” he stated proudly. “However, if I could avoid expending such unnecessary energy for doing you a favor, which I get nothing out of,” he reminded her, making her feel smaller, “then I will exhaust any other possible means first.”

“And I thank you for doing this favor for me,” she quickly interjected, lest he believe otherwise, considering her less than mature behavior recently.

He nodded his head in acknowledgment to her gratitude.

“So…” Kagome began hesitantly, floundering under his intense gaze, wishing desperately to know what it was that he was thinking, fearing that she had—once again—lowered his opinion of her. “What is this spell you were referring to? Is it dangerous?”

He lifted his brow as if silently challenging her, daring her to doubt his ability in performing such a task.

Eyes wide, she quickly added, “I mean, you said it was powerful magic, right? I don’t doubt you can do it, but I wasn’t sure if it was dangerous and might…hurt you?”

He gave her that sexy smile of his that always did strange things to her heartbeat. “Worried about me, aijin?”

Ignoring that nickname she despised, not wanting to fight with him again, not when he was willing to do her a huge favor, she simply said, “Yes,” and blushed.

He walked towards her with a look in his eyes that made her heart trip in her chest, but she didn’t retreat, but stood her ground.

He grinned when she stiffened her spine and lifted her chin when he halted inches before her. She knew he was silently laughing at her show of backbone, however, his mocking manner comforted her. It was so familiar. She had missed him when he was gone.

He tenderly cupped her cheek, but she knew he felt no real affection for her. She wasn’t naïve, but right now, that didn’t seem to matter, because he was here. However, she gave him a look that clearly stated she knew what he was doing and she wasn’t about to fall for it.

Amusement danced in his inhuman eyes as he correctly read her silent message. He leaned down but stopped a hair’s breadth away from kissing her.

She waited, refusing to breach that small gap between them, though her body screamed at her to do just that, remembering how it felt to have his mouth on hers.

Untamed passion.

Uncontrollable desire.

She would be consumed by him if she allowed it. Part of her wanted to, but she forced herself to remain firm. She was not a faceless conquest. She had duties that came before her wants, and he would not distract her from her goals. To find Kikyo and to prove to him that not all humans were sick and twisted.

“Why do you deny the passion between us, aijin?” he murmured, his breath lightly brushing her lips with warm, moist air. “There is nothing wrong with taking pleasure where one can find it.”

Swallowing hard under the force of his sexuality, of her answering response, she whispered, “This discussion is not up for debate.”

She licked her lips, tasting his breath.

His eyes locked on her tongue’s movements, her lower body tightening in need.

“Is that so?”

“When I want your advice, I’ll ask for it.”

Then she purposefully stepped away from him.

“Now, if you don’t mind, what was this spell you mentioned? Shouldn’t we get started?”

He chuckled. Run while you can, little mortal. But soon, make no doubt, I will catch you.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Looks like our favorite couple are slowly having feelings for the other, yet both fight their pulling attraction. What evil schemes does Sesshomaru have in store for the missin Kikyo? Will Kagome be able to convince Sesshomaru there was good inside humans? Or will she, too, become corrupt or possibly go mad from a world full of evil men?