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Defy Not The Heart

Год написания книги
2019
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Toya growled and turned, starting to go in and yell at her for her stupidity, but again received a numbing blow from Suki.

"Leave her alone, she just went back to sleep. And I don’t think she will be able to go anywhere today. So I suggest we leave her here to rest. We can search for the crystal talisman without her for one day."

She turned to look at Shinbe, wondering why he was acting so strange. He’d usually tried to grope her at least ten times before noon. "Shinbe, are you all right this morning?" she stepped closer and stared up into his pale face seeing his eyes were a touch overly bright.

Shinbe came back to life when he noticed Suki was close to his face. He quickly took a step back, then it dawned on him what she’d said. He gave a soft sigh, shaking his head, "Actually Suki, no, I’m not feeling too good myself." He didn’t have to fake it either, because as disturbed as he had been since last night, he really felt like he was losing his mind.

Toya scrunched up his nose at his brother, "Yeah, you really do look like crap. Maybe we should leave you here to watch after Kyoko." He then narrowed his eyes on the amethyst guardian. "But if you touch her, she’ll tell me." Knowing his warning had been heard loud and clear, Toya turned back to Suki. "Do you want to go get Kamui, or should I?" he questioned, not really wanting to feel her weapon upside his head again.

Suki shrugged, "I’ll get him. You," She shoved her finger into his chest, “Stay out here.”

Shinbe choked on his laugh trying to keep in mind he was sick. How did he ever pull this one off? As a guardian himself, Toya should know guardians do not get sick… at least he’d never known one to do so. Still… the idea of staying with Kyoko, of being alone with her all day… well, that temptation was just too much.

Shinbe watched Toya glare at Suki's back as she went to get Kamui, but he stayed outside. Within a couple of minutes, Kaen joined them, peeking in the door at Kyoko. Shinbe knew Kaen would watch after Kamui if they ran into any trouble. A guardian for a guardian, he had often teased his younger brother.

Shinbe watched the group until they were out of sight. He felt his body and mind relax for the first time all morning. With a sigh, he turned and went back into the hut where Kyoko was sleeping.

Kyoko stirred in her semi-sleep, her mind drifting to the night before. Back to the party, trying to spend what little time she had in her world with Tasuki. She really missed him because this world took up so much of her time. She’d been so focused on him that she hadn’t even realized the fruit was tainted until it was too late. She pouted, wondering if Tasuki had known the whole time.

She didn’t remember much about making it back to the maiden shrine, or back here to the hut for that matter. She did remember some of the dream she’d had though… Shinbe. Kyoko slid in and out of sleep, her thoughts continued as if they didn’t care whether she was awake or not.

She’d always liked Shinbe because out of their small little group, he was the most fun of the guardians to be around. And he could always make her laugh without even trying. He was not the type of guy who would settle on just one woman though. Obviously he had issues. But lately she had started seeing him in a different light.

Kyoko tossed in her sleep. It just wasn’t fair. She loved Toya deeply, but he seldom gave her a glimmer of feelings back. Now Shinbe, on the other hand, was a different story. When Toya would yell at her for little things, Shinbe always seemed to try to make her feel better.

It was almost as if the worse Toya acted, the sweeter Shinbe would become, but he acted as if it was nothing but friendship. Sometimes she wondered about him, and that was probably what had led to the dreams she’d started having of him. Up until last night, her dreams had stayed within the limits of sanity. Last night’s dream had gone way out of control.

She knew Toya loved her in his own way, and would probably even die for her, but he refused to show her his true feelings. She knew him getting angry so easily, and bossing her around was just his way of hiding the fact that he cared about her. Sometimes, he hid his feelings so well, that she almost believed him. Still, she found herself comparing the two men. She was always around Shinbe and Toya, and both guardians had their good and bad points.

When dreaming of Toya kissing her, it was always soft and sweet, only sometimes turning heated. With Shinbe, it was always different. Way different. She thought of herself as a woman when dreaming of Shinbe. In those dreams, he kissed her in places unimaginable, and did things to her body that she never thought could feel so good.

She sighed in her sleep. But they were only dreams… Kyoko curled up into a ball and shivered at the memory of last night’s dream. Her body trembling beneath his as he made mad passionate love to her… she whimpered at the memory. Dreaming of Shinbe like that, almost made her feel like she was cheating on Toya.

'No!’ she told her mind, 'Toya has never been my boyfriend. Therefore I do not have one, and so long as it’s in my mind, I can think anything I want… including in my dreams.'

The dream had been so stimulating that when she awoke, she felt like she would just melt. When she saw him sitting there against the wall, as if nothing had happened, that alone confirmed it being only a dream. What was going on in her head? She had to get a grip. Shinbe could never love some inexperienced, little girl like herself. He was obviously a man of the world, who had probably conquered more women in one night than she could count on both hands. She squeezed her eyes shut refusing to think anything else.

Shinbe had come back into the hut relaxed and calm… until his eyes fell on her sleeping form. His whole body stilled and he stood there, just watching her for a few minutes. He saw her shivering, lying on the thin mat. Why didn’t she still have the cover he’d placed across her last night? He glanced over to where she had shoved the cover out of the way while dealing with Toya.

He silently crept over and covered her with the thick blanket and stayed beside her as she continued her restless sleep. ‘Why did he have to feel this way?’ he sighed as he sat down, leaning against the wall, watching her. He knew the answer to that. ‘Shinbe, the guy that everyone took as a joke when it came to women, had fallen in love with a girl from another time.’

He stared at her longingly and then pressed his lips together. She was going to kill him when she realized it wasn’t a dream. Toya was going to kill him too. Could he die twice for such a crime?

Slumping his shoulders Shinbe sighed again, ‘Yeah… about Toya.’ Kyoko was in love with his hot tempered brother. He could feel the guilt creeping up his spine. ‘Why did she have to fall for the one who would never treat her right?’ He would love her with everything he had. So what if he had a little curse on himself. That shouldn’t be too weird. After all, Kyoko had told them about her grandfather and his belief in curses, and demons. ‘Damn, Toya.’

Kyoko murmured in her sleep. He glanced up to see she’d rolled over with her back to him. The blanket he had placed around her had slipped off. The skimpy skirt she wore had flipped up, exposing her most precious asset. A shiver coursed through his body. ‘So… freakin tempting.’

His hand reached out to caress the silky white material that obstructed his view further. He gritted his teeth, pulling his hand back before his fingers made contact. ‘Ah, so close. But so is death, and I’d like to live a little longer.’ he gave a snort of laughter as he tucked his hands inside his coat. He had to watch what he did from here on out, or his life could end a little sooner than he anticipated.

He would tell her the truth in a minute, if she weren’t in love with his brother. He knew he wasn’t alone in his feelings for her. She was their priestess, and they protected her with their life. All of his brothers loved her dearly, each in their own way. But Toya was different. Toya never liked anyone. Shinbe had seen it. Toya was deeply in love with Kyoko, even if he wouldn’t acknowledge it.

Shinbe closed his eyes, feeling them start to burn. He had no right to love Kyoko, or anyone else for that matter. He had the ability to save them all in battle. All he had to do was cast the spell of time, and he could create a void that sucked up everything in its path. It was his greatest power, and his worst enemy. Every time he used the dangerous spell, he could feel it getting stronger.

Everyone had warned him not to use it unless he had no other choice because one day it would become too strong for him to handle, and turn on him. The spell had been a gift from his uncle… the same uncle that was the enemy. At first he had thought it was a grand gift, but now he realized it wasn’t a gift at all. It was a curse. One he would use to destroy the very one who had given it to him… even if he lost his own life in the process.

Shinbe yawned. He had gotten almost no sleep last night, before, nor after Kyoko had come back. He’d spent most of the evening listening to Toya rant because she hadn’t come back through the heart of time before dark like she promised.

At first, Shinbe had worried that she was still mad at Toya when she hadn’t come back. She’d screamed at Toya before leaving because he’d tried to keep her from going back to her time. Toya had even stood in front of her, blocking her from the maiden shrine. In the end, she wound up putting that spell on him numerous times, more times than Shinbe was able to keep count of. But she’d promised to come back before dark the next day.

Shinbe smirked remembering how Toya had fought the spell, cursing all the while about what he was going to do to Kyoko when he was able to move again.

His gaze roamed over Kyoko’s form. This is why he found her so irresistible. She could be angry with Toya one minute, and love him the next. She held no grudge, no matter how much he hurt her.

When Toya had first met her, he’d tried to kill her. Now things had changed, everyone knew that Toya loved her to death, would even die for her. But still he pretended he couldn’t stand her and it often hurt her feelings. It was just Toya’s way of hiding his heart.

Shinbe placed his fingers over the bridge of his nose, trying to ease his mind. Honestly, he felt bad for Toya, and didn’t really intend on thinking bad things about him. It’s just that Toya had a chance with Kyoko and ignored it.

He would have died for a chance like that. He’d treat her like a queen, if only she would let him. That’s the reason he lost it last night. The truth was, last night he’d just snapped. Now, after last night... Shinbe squeezed his eyes shut. Maybe she was better off with Toya, after the way he had betrayed her innocence.

Shinbe jerked as Kyoko shifted once more in her sleep, exposing more of her thigh. He stared at her creamy skin, his hands twitching beneath his coat. ‘Why did she have to have such beautiful skin?’ He felt himself getting sleepier as he watched Kyoko's restless slumber and slowly crawled across the floor, never taking his eyes off the back of her head. He knew if he got any closer, she was going to wake up, roll over, and slap him.

So far, so good. He leaned over her still form to gaze down at her face. Shinbe grinned. She still smelled of alcohol.

‘Didn’t bother me last night,’ he smirked.

A stray auburn tress clung to her shoulder. He gently reached down and slid it to the side with a soft sigh before laying down behind her, nuzzling into her silky locks. He dared not get any closer for fear of death but while she slept, he could at least offer her comfort. He reasoned with himself.

If she were to wake up and find him there, he would just explain how tired he was, and that this was the only place to lie… while keeping an eye on her that is. He’d gladly take the slap he’d get for this. It would be worth it, just to lie beside her for a few hours and rest. He was too exhausted to worry about the consequences as his eyes drifted closed. He was right where he wanted to be and damn the consequences.

Kyoko whimpered sleepily and rolled over feeling a pocket of warmth. She pulled her hands up under her chin and nuzzled into it. When she tilted her head and it stopped against something solid she sighed deciding she was probably just dreaming again. Testing the theory, she placed one of her hands against the warmth.

Yup, very solid. She snuggled closer in her dream, and in her dream, the warmth wrapped around her waist. She smelled the scent of jasmine tea and a woody, earthy scent.

‘Why can’t I get him off my mind? He smelled so good.’

She remembered the first time he had held her in his arms. He thought he was saving her. She smiled in her sleep, he was so strong, and his concern for her welfare was truly sweet, even if his reasons were not quite legit. That was the first time she’d noticed how nice he smelled.

She shivered at the memory, and the warm object around her waist tightened. She slowly wrapped her arm around the warmth, and froze when she heard the distinct rustle of material.

‘What? Rustle of material? Did dreams rustle like robes?’

Kyoko was suddenly wide-awake. Slowly, she barely opened one eye to stare in confusion at the bluish-gray trench coat her hands were entwined with. And she… shot up like a rocket, knocking his arm away with a thud. And he, he… moaned and rolled over onto his back.

Kyoko was panic stricken, looking around from side to side. No one else was here and this most definitely was not a dream. Shinbe was sleeping on her mat. She had to think. What, what was going on? She stared at him frozen to the spot.

‘It was just a dream, right? Get a hold of yourself Kyoko.’ She thought frantically. ‘Where was Toya? Suki? Kamui? Kaen? Where had everyone gone?’

She nearly jumped out of her skin when Shinbe moaned in his sleep and tucked his hands inside his trench coat. When she’d jumped up, she had taken the blanket with her. Kyoko blinked, and then blushed guiltily. ‘He was cold.’ She was cold too now that she was standing. She remembered feeling like she was freezing off and on while trying to sleep.
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