Chapter 6 “Deadly Escape”

Chapter 6 “Deadly Escape”

Kyoko awoke with a start just as the memories of what had happened came rushing back to her like a confused tidal wave. She could almost swear that she could hear the echo of Hyakuhei’s angry roar as she slipped away from the dream and it gave her cold chills. It was his scream still ringing in her ears leaving her eyes wide with shock.

The dream had found her again and somehow she knew it was waiting for her to close her eyes once more. Her fingers trailed up to softly touch her lips and something within her wondered if she fell asleep again… if the dream would start out with that same kiss. She wrapped her arms around herself, strangely missing the heat.

Wondering how long she had been sleeping, she glanced toward the window. From the height of the moon and all the stars she could see it was still the middle of the night but getting closer to dawn with every heartbeat. It was no wonder her mind was trying to make Hyakuhei her savior when her real savior was becoming so dangerous. This was all Kyou’s fault.

So much had happened in such a short amount of time that she wasn’t surprised she’d cried herself to sleep. Her mind and body wouldn’t let her sleep but only a few minutes at a time till she found a way out of this mess. It was already getting hard to decipher what was reality and what lay only within her own mind.

‘Just who the hell did Kyou think he was?’ Kyoko mentally lashed out as she rose up on her elbows. She needed to get away from this place and him as soon as possible.

Looking around for something to wear, Kyoko spotted a white silk robe lying on a low table by the large pillow. Her gaze roamed the rest of the room hoping to find something more to wear. She knew the silk of the robe wouldn’t provide her much covering and this was the north for heaven’s sake… She would freeze.

Blowing her bangs upward in disappointment, she climbed across the pillow and stood reaching for the robe. Slipping it on, she marveled at the silky softness of it against her skin. It was so light it felt as if she hadn’t put anything on. If she hadn’t been a captive here… she might have actually liked this place.

Tying the silk around her, Kyoko snuck to the window and looked out already planning her escape. The moonlight provided enough light to see by but enough darkness to maybe try to get away.

Leaning out the window, she looked down the three-story drop in denial. Seeing the deep crevices in the outer rock wall, her lips quirked in a childish smile. She knew after being with Toya for so long that she would be able to climb down. “Hopefully without falling,” she contradicted herself in a whisper.

She had to run as far away from Kyou as possible before he took something from her that she was not offering.

Kyoko sighed inwardly as she made a silent wish. ‘Toya… I need you.’ The words seemed to echo within her and somehow she felt maybe… just maybe Toya had heard her. Memories untold seeped through her mind… Toya would never let her fall. Her lips parted in wonder for a moment before she shook the feeling off as imagination.

She gripped the windowsill to steady her nerves. Straightening her shoulders and finding her courage, she decided she wasn’t holding out for a savior because even she knew Kyou was a force to reckon with. She really didn’t want Toya putting himself in that kind of danger. She also knew the longer she waited, the more of a chance Toya would try to rescue her.

Kyoko climbed up on the ledge and threw her legs over. Turning around, she slowly felt for footing in the wall. She grimaced when the stone felt like it was cutting into her bare feet, but she would go through anything just to escape.

As carefully as she could, she made her way down the side of the castle. What took only a few fleeting moments felt like hours. She spent the whole climb fearing being caught, but when her feet finally touched the ground all other thoughts fled except getting as far away as possible.

Looking up at the window, she backed away from the wall half expecting to see Kyou appear and snatch her up again. She couldn’t go through another one of his ‘punishments’ as he called it.

That thought spurred her into action. Kyoko turned and ran like Hyakuhei’s demons were after her through the surrounding maze of gardens and statues. Without stopping her headlong rush for freedom, her eyes took everything in, marveling at the surreal beauty of it even within the darkness.

Only the fear of being found by Kyou kept her going when her lungs started burning and her legs cramped. She was startled when she made it to the end of the grounds only to find a very potent barrier shimmering with a luminous blue hue. She knew it would take all her priestess powers to break through something Kyou himself had made.

Once more she looked over her shoulder at the imposing structure Kyou called home. There was no doubt in her mind he would know what she was doing if the barrier was brought down. She only needed to make an opening just big enough to let her through.

Biting her bottom lip, she reached out one shaky hand and touched the surface of the barrier to test its strength and was rewarded with a slight shock wave that passed warningly through her body. It didn’t hurt her… instead; it felt like the barrier was trying to tell her that there was unknown danger on the other side and for her to stay inside where it was safe.

She smiled in surprise realizing the shield was more for protection than to cause bodily harm… at least from the inside of the barrier. She had no doubt that if someone or something tried to get in from the outside without permission … that’s where the pain would be.

She gave pause as the dream came back to her… the barrier Hyakuhei had placed around her for protection from the dragon he had fought… it also was only to keep her safe and she had felt safe… strange that she would think so softly toward the enemy.

“I mean no harm… please,” Kyoko whispered as she again touched the barrier. To her amazement, an opening appeared and she quickly stepped through the milky-blue mist just as the shield closed behind her. It had given her exactly what she needed.

Turning around to see if the barrier had really closed behind her to erase the fact that she had escaped, Kyoko was startled to only find a desolate overgrown forest and no lush grounds or castle anywhere in site. It looked as if gloom and sadness had descended to silence all living within its tangled web of limbs.

Would Kyou know if someone breached the barrier he had placed around his home? Would some kind of alarm go off to alert him? She felt fear slither across her at the very thought of what he would do when he found her missing after warning her not to leave. Kyoko cocked a shaky eyebrow knowing she wasn’t going to be stupid enough to wait around to find out if the ice prince had a sense of humor or not.

From there, she ran as fast as she could over the unstable ground and toward the unknown. Kyoko could feel the undergrowth of the forest tearing at her robe and skin. She ignored the branches as one scraped her cheek and others caught her hair and legs as her headlong flight continued.

Her feet were screaming at her to stop as she continuously stepped on small pebbles and thorns. She could feel trickles of liquid running down her arms and legs but didn’t look to see if it was sweat or blood. If she stopped he would catch her!

Looking back over her shoulder to make sure she wasn’t being pursued, Kyoko realized in the darkness of the forest… he could have been right behind her and she would never have seen him. The thought was chilling and made her move faster.

She didn’t really know where she was, but on instinct, she stayed straight and prayed she was getting farther from the castle and from the possessive guardian that Kyou had become. Her foot caught on something stiff and the ground came up hard and fast. The impact made her disoriented for a few seconds, her breathing fast and shallow.

Staying on hands and knees, Kyoko tried to catch her breath and slow her pounding heartbeat. Her body ached and she knew there were more wounds on her knees… they stung as only skinned knees can. She listened to the sounds around her and noticed the sounds had stopped… that frightened her.

Kyoko looked down at herself and saw that the white robe she had on was glowing in the moonlight. She gritted her teeth realizing that from a distance she would look like a light in the heart of darkness.

Swiftly, with shaking hands, she discarded the shimmering white material knowing she would have no covering but also that she would have a better chance at not being detected and recaptured. Kyoko tossed the silky robe away and took off again through the darkness of the forest, praying that the reason the forest was quiet wasn’t because Kyou had followed her.

More limbs cut into her bare skin as she ran but she paid no heed. Turning her head while she was running, Kyoko looked over her shoulder feeling like something was closing in on her. She didn’t see the ledge where the ground disappeared… coming back into view several hundred feet below.

Turning her head back just in time to see herself take the fatal step, the next thing Kyoko knew, she was falling. She didn’t even scream as she fell… it would do her no good. The same feeling she had during the dream came back… she had fallen inside the dark cave but Hyakuhei had saved her.

“Hyakuhei,” she closed her eyes wishing he was there.

Then she felt it, the arm coming around her from behind. She could tell by the touch that it wasn’t Hyakuhei and she screamed in panic. Thinking it was Kyou; she clawed at the arm not noticing the shirtsleeve was the wrong color.

“Let me go, let me go!” She screamed frantically.

"Kyoko. It’s me Kyoko. I’ve got you," Toya said as loudly as he dared right in her ear. Now that he had her safely in his arms, the last thing he needed was her scream reaching all the demons that had invaded the area.

He’d been searching for her for the last couple of hours with no luck. Her scent had completely disappeared as if she’d vanished into thin air. He had driven himself insane with worry and his only clue was he knew Kyou stayed in this area of their lands though he could never remember where to find it.

Toya had felt her calling to him so he’d refused to give up. When he’d smelled her scent suddenly reappear as if she had been there the whole time, Toya’s instincts went into overdrive sensing irrational fear coming from her. That fear was so intense… she hadn’t even seen the ravine in front of her until it was too late.

The blood almost froze within his veins when he saw her go over the edge… she didn’t even scream. Before he’d even thought about what he was doing, she was within his protective arms.

Toya held her tightly against him… thankful he’d gotten to her before she fell to her death. “I’ve got you,” He repeated in a voice that was breathless and strained. Finally she calmed against him, her breath coming in sobbing heaves.

His irises changed from the molten silver they had unknowingly become, back to liquid gold as he gazed down at her cradled in his arms. His long hair fanned around her to cover the side of her breast that she now had pressed against his chest as she hid her face. His lips parted as his gaze traveled across her in wonder. The bare hip that was also exposed due to the fact that he had his arm under her knees and now held her bridle style from where he’d caught her lent to the overwhelming knowledge that… his Kyoko was … completely naked.

Toya’s silver wings stroked downward as he lifted them from the canyon she had almost met her death in. He quickly landed on the hard packed dirt of the ledge and released her legs so she could stand. His wings shimmered and vanished as his long midnight hair caught in the slight breeze leaving the silver highlights to reflect the same color as the feathers that slowly floated to the ground disappearing before they reached their target.

“Kyoko?” his voice was softer than normal when she didn’t let go.

Kyoko heard Toya’s voice and started crying softly, still clinging to him, not wanting to let go even for a second. "Toya, thank god it’s you." She kept her face buried in his neck and her arms wrapped around him. “Get me out of here… please! Don’t let him punish me,” she cried, still within the panic that had started her flight to freedom.

"Kyoko, what has he done to you?” Toya took off his red shirt and wrapped it around her as best he could, given the fact that she wouldn’t let go of him. That and the fact that the material was ripped in more than one place from his fight with the demons didn’t really help that much either. "It’s alright. Just hold on, I’ll get us as far away as I can.”

"Hurry Toya, don’t let your brother catch us. There is no telling what he’ll do now that I’ve escaped." She held on to him as he made his way through the same darkness that had almost ended her mortal life. Calming down enough to glance up at Toya’s quiet face, Kyoko smiled softly… even though he was not looking to see it. He’d saved her… just as he had always done.

Her lips parted as she remembered what Toya had witnessed the last time he’d seen her… when Kyou had taken her. She studied his face a little closer. His lips were pressed tight and the muscles in his jaw clenched, giving away his true inner thoughts. Kyoko lowered her eyes wondering if anything would ever be the same.

She felt like hiding, and then the thought hit her. The one place where she knew she’d be safe from everything that had happened. "Toya, please take me to the maiden shrine." Her voice held a quivering note but she wouldn’t cry… not now that Toya was with her.

Toya looked down at Kyoko not slowing his pace. He didn’t say anything. He knew she wanted to go home so that Kyou couldn’t get to her. ‘Damn it Kyou! Why didn’t you just leave her to me?’ He held her even tighter. ‘What did you do to make her so afraid of you?’

"Kyoko, if that’s where you want to go, that’s where I’ll take you,” His voice turned inward as he silently growled, ‘Then… I will deal with my brother.’

It didn’t take long before Kyoko fell into an exhausted sleep so Toya stopped his silent running now that she couldn’t see him. His luminous silver wings once again appeared behind him. It was his secret to keep. He smiled to himself thinking she’d often compared his speed to flying. In her eyes… he had always flown.

He took to the air and turned over on his back so she could lie atop him as he kept his arms safely around her. He didn’t need eyes to see as he soared above the trees in the direction of The Heart of Time.

Toya became lost in his own musings as he traveled. Kyou, something didn’t seem right with him. When he had caught Kyoko as she fell from the ledge, she’d been naked… but still… he could smell her purity. What was Kyou planning? Why hadn’t he taken her… unless, the thought shot through him, unless he wanted her as a life mate.

She would have to love Kyou in return or it would not work. Kyoko could never love someone who imprisoned her free spirit like that. He pressed his cheek to the top of her head feeling the silkiness of her hair against his skin. He would never allow Kyoko to fall in love with Kyou… or anyone else, if he could stop it.

Was that what his brother was up to? Did he want to keep Kyoko forever? That had to be it… but Kyou? It didn’t make sense. Kyou hated humans… Kyou hated everyone. Why would he pick Kyoko and why had he scared her like this? She’d been so frightened that she had risked death just to flee him. Was she running from more than just his brother? Toya closed his eyes tight. All this was making his head hurt.

He huffed, thinking to himself sarcastically that his brother knew nothing about humans. You didn’t have to control them to love them and he would not let Kyou get his hands on their priestess again. He would have to come up with a plan to keep Kyoko safe, but first he would take her home.

He secretly thanked the guardian heart crystal for the power to jump between his world and Kyoko’s. Maybe the crystal had only given him that ability because it had known Kyoko would need him above all others. He smiled at that jealous thought. Maybe it knew Kyou would… turn on her like this.

The first streaks of daylight could be seen when he landed in front of the maiden shrine still holding the sleeping Kyoko. His wings stretched outward in one fluent motion before evaporating in a silver rain of feathers. Golden eyes blinked as one of the silvery feathers landed in the maidens palm… only to vanish on impact.

Toya looked up into the stone face of the priestess whose hands were outstretched as if asking him for something. He gazed down at the precious bundle he held on to so tightly and knew what the maiden was truly asking for. It wanted to take her back home… away from the guardians and into the safety of her native land.

“Not without me,” Toya whispered as he nodded to the statue then stepped forward, touching her hands. The blue light that instantly surrounded them was warm, heating his skin before it died away leaving him standing within Kyoko’s era.

He slowly made his way to the huge tree outside Kyoko’s bedroom… deciding to enter his usual way. He wasn’t in the mood to answer a lot of questions from her family just yet. Toya looked at her longingly, knowing he would have to force himself to release her. Heaving a sigh no one would ever hear, he gently laid her in her bed.

When he tried to rise back up, Toya noticed she still had a death grip on him even in her sleep. He smiled thinking that maybe… maybe she secretly had the same feelings he did. Wanting to do anything to comfort her, he slid into the bed beside her and curled his body around hers protectively.

“I’ll stay for a little while,” He whispered in the shell of her ear wondering if he didn’t crave the same comfort… comfort only she was capable of making him feel.

As he lay there, he ran his fingers through her auburn hair and kissed the top of her head, staring into the darkened room. "It's alright Kyoko. I’ll think of something. Just sleep for now." Toya closed his golden eyes trying to relax his tortured mind. They were in her world now and nothing could get to her here… not even his brother.

Little did Toya know that within the realm of dreams, time and distance could not protect her from the dream master. Hyakuhei’s lips hinted in a most tainted smile as he felt the dreams coming to life. For a few minutes… he would not be alone.

Kyoko’s mind was tormented even within her dreams. The dreams were so real that within them… she wasn’t sure if they weren’t simply memories of another time that had once again found her. “No,” she whispered in her sleep knowing what was coming… but she didn’t have the power to stop it.

She stood in the darkness of the gardens that surrounded The Heart of Time. It was dark everywhere except for the maiden statue. Stepping from the shadows, she walked toward the light that seemed to beam down from the heavens on The Heart of Time portal… the maiden’s hands.

“Is it you giving me these dreams?” Kyoko asked the statue in wonder.

She stumbled backwards just as the maiden’s eyes became alive. No longer the color of stone… but icy green crystals. Kyoko reached out for the maiden’s hands but just as she was about to touch them she fell backwards into another dream. She heard a faint voice answer her question. “No,” She could still see the stone hands reaching for her before darkness closed in around them.

As one demented dream came to a close, another one would open and she found herself wondering who the enemy really was when she opened her eyes to find herself within Hyakuhei’s arms once again. He looked larger than life and so hauntingly perfect as his eyes locked with hers. He would save her from the nightmares plaguing her.

As if he had heard her silent question, Hyakuhei leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss across her lips. Just as he began to taste her sweetness, he felt someone invading their privacy and he pulled back from the one thing he had wanted more than air.

Kyoko looked around her curiously and wondered if they had just fought a battle of some kind. Her gaze landed on the shadow demon and she remembered. They had been searching for the missing crystals. Her eyes returned to him and she smiled but immediately felt panic on the outside trying to break into her cocoon of warmth. Her lips parted as she noticed the anger enter Hyakuhei’s expression.

“Something’s wrong,” She whispered as she fisted her hand in his shirt.

“He thinks he can take you from me… I won’t allow it.” Hyakuhei’s eyes darkened as he looked toward the surrounding trees.

Kyoko could feel a familiar life force coming closer at a fast rate of speed. She glanced up at Hyakuhei as he slid his arm around her waist and a shield appeared around them like an electric blue storm. She looked through the shield at the demon that Hyakuhei had just killed then back at Hyakuhei.

"What’s going on Hyakuhei? Who’s coming?" her voice sounded so strange and calm.

Then something clicked inside her. She knew this presence rushing toward them. She knew who was coming. She saw a flash of white silk as he landed beside the lifeless demon. His head tilted to the side… his eyes locking with hers through the barrier.

Kyou had sensed blood, death, and the sweet scent of Kyoko and it had driven him to this clearing. He landed, seeing the destruction of the demon but sensed a barrier to his right. Turning his gaze, he growled knowing Hyakuhei was hiding behind it. Using his guardian power, the barrier came into focus and his gaze locked with Kyoko’s.

She inhaled sharply as Kyou turned and looked directly into hers. She tore her eyes away from the golden ones and looked up at Hyakuhei in fear. That look in Hyakuhei’s eyes was deadly. The image stunned her… reminding her Hyakuhei himself was deadly.

"No. What have I done?" She wasn’t supposed to be with Hyakuhei. He was the enemy. This was wrong… so wrong! She started to struggle against him but he wouldn’t loosen his grip. She had been finding the missing fragments of the guardian heart crystal for him! Why?

"Let me go!" Tears sprang to her eyes as she tried to gain her freedom but his grip only tightened. He had been so nice to her… she had trusted him. Why? Why would she do that when he was the true enemy and always had been? “You lied!”

Kyou could see confusion in her eyes replaced by panic as she started to fight Hyakuhei for her release. His guardian blood surfaced as he drew his destruction sword. Growling out an incantation, he swiped at the barrier, making it crack and vanish.

Hyakuhei and Kyoko both looked at Kyou in fright. In his anger… his eyes were the color of freshly spilt blood and his silver hair flowed around him as if alive. The sight of him like that and being so close sent a warning chill up Kyoko’s spine.

She started to turn toward the one holding her, in fear of the one trying to save her. “Hyakuhei?”

Kyoko shivered remembering Kyou could be merciless when it came to killing evil. If he knew what she had been doing, helping the enemy, then would he kill her without thinking twice? Had Hyakuhei really become her hero?

In a rage from seeing Hyakuhei’s arm around Kyoko, Kyou reached out and grabbed Kyoko’s wrist. At the same time with his other hand, he extended his claws and sliced Hyakuhei’s arm away from his body to gain her release from him. Tears of fury ran from the corners of Kyou’s crimson eyes as he screamed in vengeance.

It had all happened before Hyakuhei could even react. When he felt the pain of his severed arm, he knew it was time to leave her for now and he shifted backwards. His and Kyoko’s gaze locked for a moment in time just as she reached out to him but it was too late. A void appeared and enveloped him, closing in on him all within the blink of an eye.

Kyoko couldn’t quit screaming. Kyou looked mad enough to kill her and Hyakuhei’s arm was still attached to hers. It was all too much to take. Why had she been helping Hyakuhei like that? And why was Kyou here? Was he going to kill her? Where was Toya?

***** Hyakuhei came from the dream the same way he had escaped through the portal within the dream… confusing him until he noticed he still had both arms. The rock walls around him vibrated with a small earthquake as the dream demon’s laughter echoed throughout the cavern mixing with its victim’s angry roar.

***** Kyoko woke up flinging herself forward in the bed, only to find she was alone. Trying to catch her breath, she stayed still waiting on the left over panic from the dream to leave her. What was really creeping her out was the fact that every time the dream started… it was continuing from the last dream she’d had.

Kyou… Hyakuhei… both her dreams and her reality seemed similar somehow. Her eyes widened remembering Toya catching her and saying he would take her back to the time portal.

Looking around herself quickly, she noticed she was safe in her own bedroom. “Toya brought me all the way home and I don’t even remember it.” Kyoko sighed knowing he must have even tucked her into bed. She noticed the indention on the mattress beside her and touched it feeling his warmth. Toya had stayed for a while and she knew he hadn’t been gone long.

Kyoko glanced around the dimly lit room suddenly liking the solitude. She didn’t want to get up just yet. As far as she knew, no one was even aware that she was home and she wanted to keep it that way for a while. She reclined back in the bed wondering what she was going to do now.

One thing for sure… She didn’t want to run into Kyou again, 'ever'… In real life or in a dream. She shivered at the memory of both. Thinking about the dream a little more clearly… picturing it within her mind again and seeing Kyou’s rage, she realized it was directed solely at Hyakuhei… not her. Kyou was only saving her, but within the dream she hadn’t understood that.

Removing the cover Toya must have placed over her, she saw that she was still naked and her cheeks turned ten shades of red. When had he taken his shirt back from her? She instantly deleted any remaining thoughts about her lack of clothing as her eyes widened at all the cuts and scratches she had gotten last night.

She tried to sit up but immediately regretted it when her body protested. Thinning her lips she sat up anyway and reaching down she cringed. The bottom of her feet hurt when she just barely touched them. Kyoko blew her wayward bangs out of her eyes. Now she really had no choice but to stay in bed for a while. She didn’t think she could even place her feet on the floor without crying.

***** On the other side of The Heart of Time, Toya didn’t know what had happened to Kyoko but he knew the only person that could tell him was Kyou. He stood on the border of Kyou’s lands and waited; suddenly calmer than he had been since all of this had started. His brother would soon come in search of their priestess.

***** Kyou was in a fine rage when he returned to the castle only to discover Kyoko was missing from his private chambers. He’d been out making sure his lands were safe when he’d come across a multitude of Hyakuhei’s spawn and it had taken longer than he had thought to rid his land of the demons and their body’s after he’d killed them.

He hadn’t wanted the stench of Hyakuhei lingering on his land or anywhere near Kyoko. Another village in his lands had been attacked as well. Upon his arrival however, he found only a barren stretch with a few wayward humans wandering around. The residual power was incredible and Kyou recognized it almost immediately… Toya. Upon this discovery, he promptly returned home with a foreboding feeling pulsing within his veins.

Now he tore through his castle scaring the hell out of everyone, servants, and all. When he saw the twins smiling at him… no matter how mad he was he stopped, walking over to them.

"Why do you smile?" His tone of voice was cold as he stared down at the twins.

Hiroki’s smile grew even more as he spun around in a circle with his hands spread out by his sides. "You miss the pretty girl," he sighed in his sweet voice while Hiraru nodded, agreeing with his brother. Then without another thought, they both skipped off in the other direction.

Kyou just stood there staring after them. 'I miss Kyoko?' The words echoed in his mind. They were the simple words of a child. Kyou raised his eyes to gaze out one of the upper windows. Children were wiser than most took them for. He wondered if Kyoko had been that way as a child. Kyoko had probably been just like these two, for Kyoko and the twins seemed to share the same kind soul.

His rage now completely gone, Kyou rose up into the air and took off through the same window he’d just been looking out. He didn’t even have to glance down at the trail she’d left in her wake to track her. Using only his senses, he followed the same path she had taken in her flight from the castle and his protection.

In her lingering scent along the trail Kyoko had taken, Kyou could smell the taint of sheer terror. She had not been that scared since he’d taken her. Why had escaping him brought on such terror? He had felt the same terror for an instant when he’d found that she was gone but it had quickly been replaced with his anger.

As he followed her trail, his mood swiftly began to change. He smelled her blood. She had been injured somehow… but he didn’t smell any other demons mingling with her scent. He growled deep within his throat as his eyes narrowed. She had hurt herself in her flight from him. His pace began to speed up as his fury grew.

Seeing a glimpse of something white catching the morning sunlight, Kyou descended and found the robe that had been the only garment in the room he’d left Kyoko in. His eyes bled red.

To his surprise, he wasn’t mad about her taking it off, though he knew she hadn’t been wearing anything else. What angered him was the fact that he was now seeing the blood he had smelled. He clenched the robe in his fist, rising back into the air.

Kyou had panicked when Kyoko's scent disappeared over the edge of a cliff but before he had time to start destroying everything in sight, he picked up on Toya's scent. Without anyone there to witness it… Kyou smiled.

Toya had rescued her before she hit the jagged rocks below. There was only one place he would have taken Kyoko and Kyou was determined to follow. Kyoko was his and Toya would not stand in his way. Magnificent wings curled around him for a brief moment before pushing him up into the sky.

***** Toya sat against the base of a tree waiting. He could feel Kyou drawing closer but he didn’t bother to get up. He knew his brother would come to him and that was what he wanted him to do. He also knew his brother wouldn’t hurt him although he often acted like he would.

Right now though, Toya’s mission was to protect Kyoko. The way she reacted to Kyou still bothered him. She’d never been afraid of him before, but now Toya was convinced he could say Kyou’s name and the priestess would go into another panic attack.

Kyou landed a couple feet in front of Toya, staring at him until Toya finally raised his eyes. He could smell Kyoko’s blood on him and had to stifle the growl that tried to surface.

"You saved her from falling," Kyou stated in a chilly voice.

Toya shook his head, standing up to face Kyou who was as still as a statue. The only thing moving on his body was his silver hair as it lifted in the slight wind. If the problem weren’t so serious, he would have smirked at Kyou’s words. Kyou should have been mad that he helped her escape, but instead he mentioned the fact that he’d caught her when she fell? Yes, Kyou cared for Kyoko… even if he wouldn’t say it out loud.

"If it hadn’t been for you, she would never have fallen in the first place,” Toya narrowed his eyes at his older brother. "What the hell did you do to her to scare her bad enough that it would make her risk death just to get away from you?"

Kyou, being the most powerful guardian lord knew he could make even the strongest demons tremble in fear with his cold gaze, yet his emotionless golden eyes snapped up at Toya.

Toya knew he had hit a nerve. Gold clashed against gold for several heartbeats… they knew each other too well.

"If you value your tongue, dear brother, then you will hold it," Kyou growled, hoping to intimidate. Right now, he wasn’t in the mood for Toya's smart mouth or all too knowing gaze. “Would you rather it had been Hyakuhei who had taken her? You would’ve lost her either way.”

"I’m not the one she ran away from," Toya blurted angrily. "You know nothing about how to make her want to stay with you or how to make a human happy. She doesn’t want you! Why would you even try?"

"The human twins are happy and do not try to run away and I know Kyoko does not fear me as much as you think she does,” Kyou spat back, losing his icy appearance for only a moment before it returned tenfold. He couldn’t help the reaction his younger brothers words had pulled from him.

Toya finally dared a smirk. "Then I assume you didn’t treat her like you do the human twins. You most likely don’t punish them to the point that they run or scream at the mere mention of your name.” Toya kept the questions about the twins to himself though he did raise a dark eyebrow. “Kyoko's greatest fear is losing her freedom and you were stupid enough to take it from her. It’s no wonder she ran from you."

"If you do not wish for death then silence yourself," came the cold reply. Kyou knew what Toya said had struck a nerve within him, for he had treated her nothing like he treated the twins. Still, she’d known better than to leave him. She had been warned and he would find her and teach her… her place. She would not defy him again.

‘So, Kyoko's true fear was captivity.’ His brother was if nothing else… informative.

Toya didn’t like Kyou's attitude and he knew Kyoko needed a protector not a keeper. One who would give her freedom… not a restrictive hand. She had too much spirit for that and he didn’t want to see Kyou or anyone else break that spirit. He’d take care of her and protect her. That’s what she needed… him not Kyou.

Toya’s eyes became untamed as silver leapt into his golden orbs. The memory of Kyou touching his Kyoko in such a way came back to haunt him. Now was not the time to play games with his brother. "Stay away from Kyoko. We have taken care of her up till now without your help. She doesn’t like you and does not want to be your prisoner.”

He then added with an angry smirk, “So she has gone beyond your reach."

Kyou's eyes flashed dangerously. "Where have you taken her? For there is no place I will not find her." He tried to stay calm. He didn’t want to hurt his brother but he did not like the truth that rang in Toya’s conceited voice about Kyoko being out of his reach. He was not ready to give her up and he would not put up with this feeling of emptiness inside him now that she was gone.

"She’s far out of your reach and if she thinks you are trying to find her then she’ll never come back," Toya yelled becoming irate because he didn’t like the fact that he was telling the truth. “It’s bad enough that she had to hide from the enemy all that time but now she has to hide from you too! You’re a guardian damn it! She shouldn’t be terrified of you at all.”

As long as Kyou was after her, Kyoko wouldn’t come back to this world and he needed her… not only to help look for the talismans but also because she was his… friend. He loved her more than he loved anyone and was suddenly glad he was the only guardian who had the powers to cross between their worlds.

Toya’s eyes hardened on Kyou with determination. He had the power to keep Kyoko… no matter what world she chose to live in. There had to be meaning behind that… she was meant to be his and only his. Even The Heart of Time agreed with him.

“Who do you think you are … falling in love with her? She thinks you’re scary and dangerous. She could never want you!” Toya bared his teeth and felt his fingernails sharpen into weapons as he felt Kyou’s mood shift.

Kyou had heard enough and with the next breath, he had his brother slammed up against the tree he’d been sitting under a moment before. His eyes were now glowing blood red in anger as he hissed in Toya's face, "If you won’t tell me where she has run to… then I’ll find out on my own dear brother.” It was a promise… not a threat. It frustrated him.

Toya wasn’t aware of the fact that Hyakuhei had his claws in Kyoko if she slept and he wasn’t going to share the information with his sibling. In his opinion, Toya and the priestess where already too closely bonded as it was.

Before Toya knew what Kyou had planned or even had a chance to twist out of his grasp, Kyou had his hand on Toya’s forehead while his other hand was around his throat. Toya stilled… losing all motion control while his brother probed his mind… taking the memories he was unwilling to share. Then with a scowl, Kyou released him, tossing him sideways like a rag doll.

As Toya hit the ground, he let out a stream of curses and took off trying to beat Kyou back to the maiden shrine, knowing his brother had pulled the information from him. Shit, he didn’t even know Kyou could do that.

Kyou stood there unmoving, barely breathing. Within only a few seconds of looking into Toya’s memories and thoughts, he’d gained more information than he had intended on learning. Kyoko seemed to be in love with Toya…. Toya was in love with Kyoko, though the silver guardian may not be totally aware of the depth of that feeling. He turned his head in the direction Toya had taken off… toward The Heart of Time.

Kyou did not chase after his brother, for now he had a better understanding. Kyoko loved Toya because he was always saving her and protecting her even if they did disagree a lot. So, if this was what it would take to win her, he would not chase her, nor would he bind her… he wouldn’t have to.

He would not be Toya, but he wouldn’t imprison her again and he would inform her of that. Toya had been right on one account. He had not treated her as he did the twins Hiroki and Hiraru. He would never treat the twins the same way he treated Kyoko because he did not want them in the same way. Kyoko would be his life mate… one-way or the other.

She didn’t like chains… so he would use invisible ones this time. The corners of his perfect lips curved up into a slight smile. This may be even more fun then he’d first thought.