A Guardian's Possession

She wanted to cry but knew better, because if she did give in to the fear… she might never stop crying. Checking her body for injury to keep her mind off her fears, she realized she was unharmed and instantly felt better. If Hyakuhei were going to kill her… he would have already done so… right? She shivered at the lingering question.

Looking all around, Kyoko felt better seeing that she was alone. If she were going to try to escape, now would be the time. She just hoped she had the energy it would take to flee the cave without Hyakuhei knowing.

Crawling up on her hands and knees she steadied herself. It took all of her strength just to push herself into a standing position. She fought the wave of dizziness that swept over her. What had he done to her? Or was it the shattering of the crystal that had stolen her stamina. She felt like she was lost in a dream and only hoped it was true.

She didn’t mean to be a baby but she would give anything right now for one of the guardians to come and save her. After being in a world full of demons as long as she had been… nothing much scared her, but right now… she was silently terrified.

Kyoko turned her attention to the opening of the cave. While it was light within the cave, it looked awfully dark on the other side of the opening. She made her way closer to the exit almost scared of what she would find on the other side.

She could feel the temperature difference as she reached the opening. She could even feel the cold trying to enter the warm room and it almost made her want the warmth of the black pelt she had been lying on. Glancing back over her shoulder, she contemplated returning to the warmth but quickly banished the thought.

‘No,’ Kyoko thought stubbornly as she rubbed her arms to keep them warm. She had made it this far, she wasn’t about to turn around and go back for it. Besides… it was Hyakuhei’s and needing it seemed wrong. He was the enemy.

She took another step, which brought her within the shadowy doorway, and she had been right. It was so dark. Kyoko raised her eyes to find a small stream of light coming from way above. From what she could tell, she was quite a ways from the surface. Staring at the light to avoid looking back at the darkness, she noted the fact that it must be morning now.

With a quiet sigh, she wondered how long she had been out of it. She bit her bottom lip hoping that she hadn’t slept for days or something like that. The thought of being alone a mile under the earth was creeping her out and the thought of Hyakuhei being with her down here was more than just creepy.

She nodded to herself thinking, ‘It’s definitely time to scram before the devil shows up to throw me in the fire.’ Inhaling deeply, she steadied her fright knowing she didn’t have an alternative… but how was she supposed to get back to the top?

Kyoko took another step into the darkness, hoping to get a better view but what happened next took her breath away. She couldn’t even scream. There was no floor for her foot to touch. She instantly lost her balance and was falling. She wordlessly watched the small shaft of light above her getting farther away.

Closing her eyes, Kyoko reached for the light as she waited on the impact. Out of the darkness warm arms came around her to slow her fall. She didn’t care who it was as long as she wasn’t falling any more. Her muffled cry echoed off the stone walls as she clung tightly to the muscular shoulders, her fear set in realizing she could have died.

She could feel the warmth coming off the person whose strong arms held her safely against a broad chest. She could hear something that sounded like soft wings as they rose upward toward the entrance to the room she had just fallen from. Fighting the urge to press closer to the body that had saved her, she started concentrating on how much lighter the walls appeared.

As the light came closer, Kyoko was almost too scared to look up, knowing already who had her, but morbid curiosity brought her emerald eyes to the face attached to her lifeline. Her fears where renewed. His perfect face turned toward her as his long dark hair hovered around them in waves. If evil had a name… that name would be seduction.

"Hyakuhei," her voice was laced with alarm and gratitude at the same time. It was his fault she was here but also… he didn’t have to save her when she fell. Why had he done that? How could she fight such an enigma? A small breeze hit her back and she realized they were close to the small cave she had originally awoken in. Had she really fallen that far?

She didn’t say a word as his feet landed on the floor without a sound and he carried her bridal style back to the fur pelt and sat her down. He then lowered his body to sit in front of her. Kyoko’s nerves were in a knot by the time he was settled. It wasn’t helping that he just stared at her as if he were deep in thought. She bit her bottom lip knowing it would be useless to run.

She gazed right back at him as if sizing him up. If she didn’t already know how evil he was, she would have thought of him just as strikingly beautiful as Kyou… except where Kyou had light coloring, Hyakuhei had dark coloring. Both men were powerful and very dangerous with looks that could kill but she knew better than to get taken in by seductive beauty.

She also knew not to show this traitorous guardian fear. So steadying her nerves, Kyoko raised her chin a notch and looked at him defiantly. "I don’t have the crystal so why did you bring me here?" She was glad her voice sounded stronger than she felt and drew courage from it.

Hyakuhei ignored the priestess's question while he stared at her for a moment. This girl intrigued him on many levels. He knew she had great power but he also knew she had no idea how powerful she really was. She didn’t even realize her fall had slowed down before he had caught her in his arms. If he had let her fall, no doubt she would have landed softly on her feet.

His power had grown since the last time they had come face to face. This time finding the Guardian Heart Crystal would be easier because she would help him locate the shattered fragments. His mistake before had been his obsession with only the crystal. This time he wanted both… her and the crystal.

“Why do you fear me so?” Hyakuhei whispered softly as he brought his hand up to touch her cheek and was surprised when she barely flinched. She was showing him that she was not scared of him, not realizing he could smell her fear rise when he reached out to touch her. She was right to be frightened but he would make her forget such fears.

With the skin contact and her wide eyes staring into his, he entered her mind, giving her the feeling of comfort and safety. He had put spells on her before but she had always broken them. This time it would be a spell that left her feeling no danger and she would have no cause to break free of it even though she probably could if she tried hard enough. This was the thrall of a vampire demon he had recently taken into his soul.

The corners of his sensual lips turned up in a hint of a smile as she curiously watched him and her scent of fear receded.

Kyoko should have known better than to let him touch her but she was trying her best to show no fear. As her heart pounded in her ears she began to feel strange. He had yet to try to hurt her and for some reason… she understood that was not his intentions at all. She felt safe with him and she also felt sleepy. She turned her cheek into the palm of his hand and lowered her lashes.

“Hyakuhei,” She whispered, glad she was no longer alone within the cave.

He felt her tire and crawled closer to gently lay her back on the soft midnight fur. Hovering above her he straddled her body and stared down at the vision he now had caged under him.

“It is I whom you will love Kyoko… my touch, my voice… my kiss.” He lowered his lips to hers as she fell asleep… Tonight he would let her body and mind sleep and he would keep contact with her to strengthen the bond of the thrall. He would make her want him to the point of physical pain so she would have no choice but to seek him out and feed the craving.

He lay down beside her, drawing her body within his arms, inhaling her scent. He smiled to himself knowing she was such an innocent… just a woman-child really. He had no desire to change that tonight. His body tightened around her possessively. She was pure and oblivious to the fact that she was now under his control while asleep within a dream. She was his!

Several miles away Hyakuhei tossed and turned as he dreamed the same dream as Kyoko… the dream demon now had them both within its clutches and they didn’t even know it. The demon laughed silently at the chaos it had created. Oh, it was undoubtedly under Hyakuhei’s control but its mind remained untouched. For how long was still an unknown and it sought to strike back at its jailer while it could.

The sliver of crystal within the dream masters spirit gave him the power to look deep within Hyakuhei… so deep he could see through The Heart of Time and into another reality. Past or future world… it didn’t matter for it was the truth and he would use it against the dark one that had chained him.

He would feed the memories into both Hyakuhei and the priestess so they would know defeat not once… but twice. This was the land of demons and the demons should always win.

*****

Kyou carefully held Kyoko in his arms even though she was asleep. He had put some distance between Hyakuhei and the priestess but somehow… it was as if Hyakuhei was still within touching distance of her. His guardian blood roared in response to these thoughts while he held her a bit tighter to himself.

Lifting a hand to cup her cheek, he felt foreign warmth start to spread through him when she turned her face slightly into his palm. His golden eyes hardened when she whispered a name in her sleep. She had said the enemy’s name so tenderly.

With an angry growl, Kyou tried to peer into her mind to see what she was dreaming about but found a barrier keeping him from the dream. His gaze narrowed… a dream demon’s barrier? How dare Hyakuhei construct a bond with Kyoko using a lowly sleep demon? His lips thinned with the knowledge of how much power the dream demon had within its enchantment.

Stopping in midair, Kyou sent a banishing wave of psychic power directly into the barrier and smiled icily when he heard the faint scream of the dream master as it left her mind. He could sense the taint of Hyakuhei leave her as her dream came to an abrupt end. He could only hope Hyakuhei was now wide-awake, in a cold sweat… and in pain.

Kyou shifted her up closer to his face so he could watch her as he flew to the veiled barrier that hid his castle from all. Others would only see a dreary forest covered in mangled strangling vines and the rain, but he knew the illusion.

Closing his eyes, he whispered secret words and the morbid landscape shifted as a hole in the hidden barrier opened… allowing him to enter. The illusion closed behind him. The enchantment had once again sealed his home from the restless world of demons.

The barrier itself was a stroke of genius created by his father Tadamichi to keep unwanted enemies from attacking. In the end however, Kyou discovered the true purpose of the barrier… to prevent Hyakuhei from returning home. It was a fitting punishment so long ago, Kyou had witnessed his uncle standing just outside, staring in and wanting… no… needing to reach past it and grasp the power Tadamichi had left behind.

He flew over the lush grounds that surrounded his palace, entering an open window on one of the upper floors his feet silently landed on the marble floor inside. With grace, his steps made no sound as he walked to the side of the room that held a pillow large enough for a dozen people to sleep on.

Bending down, Kyou laid her gently on the soft pillow only to stare hard at her. Why had he taken her? He knew why… `because he wanted her'. That had been enough.

He knew when Kyoko awoke that she would hate him. Kyou did not want her to hate him. Again he wondered why he cared so much about what she thought of him. Since when had he wanted something that did not already belong to him?

He growled softly, getting annoyed with his own tangled thoughts. How could he get her to agree to stay here, with him, without having to fight her every step of the way? This was a new obstacle to the lord of the demon realm.

If it had been someone else causing these thoughts to haunt him, he would just destroy them and go on with his existence. But… she was their priestess… he was her guardian. He didn't want to kill her. He didn't want to hurt her at all. He wanted only to keep her. This notion surprised him.

He would make a deal with her. Yes, she would show him what he wanted to know. Only then would he let her go… If she still wanted to go and he would make sure she did not. The fact that Hyakuhei had slipped into her dreams only a few moments ago heightened his need to keep her close.

His only concern at this point was the power of the dream master… was it strong enough to breach the barrier that surrounded his home? Would the ancient magic be enough to protect her? She had no idea how much danger she was really in. Kyou's golden eyes shifted to her face as he sensed her pulse speed up. She was waking up.

He sat down on the pillow beside her and waited. First, he would try to calm her fears. Then and only then would he be able to move on to the next step… keeping her beside him regardless of the cost.

Kyoko felt like she was on a cloud and it confused her. Her hand moved across something very soft and she wondered if she was dreaming again… Hyakuhei had kissed her so softly. Why had he kissed her? Her eyes fluttered open only to widen when the first thing she saw was Kyou sitting beside her, looking like a frozen angel that had lost its wings.

Emotionless golden eyes were pinning her to the spot where she was lying. The similarities between her dream and her reality were disheartening to say the least.

She quickly looked around her noticing the black marble floor and stone walls. Her first thought was that this was just like the cave only nicer. It looked like what she always imagined the inside of a castle would look like. Large tapestries covered parts of the walls giving it a warmer touch along with the gold and black pillow she was laying on.