Chapter 8 “Rooftop Seduction”

Chapter 8 “Rooftop Seduction”

Tadamichi jerked up in his bed and swept his gaze around the darkened room. Waving his hand through the air, every candle in the chamber came to life, casting a soft illumination throughout the entire room. The shadowed corners remained, hiding their secrets.

His lips parted seeing Hyakuhei standing only a couple feet away grasping one of the candles by its ornate holder over him like Psyche had done to Eros in the ancient myths. However, Hyakuhei did not desire to see his face as the foolish woman in the story had done. His brother was here for another purpose and Tadamichi knew this without asking.

The stone silence stretched between them but Tadamichi didn’t mind as he watched Hyakuhei with dark eyes… he already knew the reason for the visit. He was searching for a way to tame the priestess. Lying back against his white silk covered pillows, he had only to wait… Hyakuhei did not disappoint.

“Shall we continue our previous conversation?” Hyakuhei’s voice was emotionless and dead. This was the closest he would ever come to asking his brother for help. He knew Tadamichi would lord it over his head but he would dissolve that notion later… after he had his answers. “Tell me what you know of this… of her.”

“Am I to presume you have only come to see me because of the girl?” Tadamichi responded with a coy smile. He stretched his arms over his head in a very lazy fashion, groaning slightly with the smile still in place. What would his brother think if he knew Tadamichi had touched her first?

Hyakuhei’s grip on the candleholder tightened nearly to the point of breaking it when Tadamichi bent a leg at the knee and the sheet slid off revealing the soft skin of his thigh and calf. Tadamichi’s sexuality held no interest for him but it did not stop his twin from attempting it from time to time.

“Answer the question!” Hyakuhei thundered as the carved porcelain holding the candle shattered and he threw it against the wall. The other candleholders began to crack and the various glass and other breakable objects in the room started to tremble.

Tadamichi wondered briefly if Hyakuhei’s anger was enough to shatter the statues… he did not wish to find out.

“Temper, temper dear brother,” Tadamichi admonished. “Such display of anger does not suit your stature. I have already told you everything you need to know,” his smile vanished leaving something darker behind. “She is not yours… you will have no choice but to let her go.” He could feel his brother’s wrath growing along with that of the statues that remained hidden within the darkened corners of the room.

Hyakuhei quickly spun in a full circle, having also felt the rage filling up the room and wanted to know its cause. Growling low in his chest, he lifted a hand and the flickering candles grew brighter… chasing away the shadows and revealing the secrets Tadamichi kept hidden within them.

Five statues emerged on the outer edges of the cave-like room, four of which appeared to be engaged in furious battle. The fifth however, was merely standing there with what appeared to be tears on his cheeks.

Hyakuhei’s gaze was drawn to the last one… the one that wept. He appeared to be the youngest of the five and something about him screamed to Hyakuhei. This one’s rage was the least powerful but the tears held more power than anyone could contain.

He took a step forward… reaching out as if to wipe the tear away from a hurt child when hands gripped him from behind at the shoulder and hip, pulling him away from the tempting sight. Tadamichi was pressed flush against his back and a soft growl reverberated in his ear. The candlelight dimmed once more… hiding the statues like a dirty secret.

Hyakuhei let his hand fall back to his side, “Who are they?”

“They, dear brother, used to be hers,” Tadamichi whispered, knowing he had to at least tell part of the truth or his brother would know he was lying. He watched as Hyakuhei fisted his hands at his sides. There was still an odd vibration in the room and it wasn’t coming from Hyakuhei.

“They know you are here and what you have done. We have no right to be jealous, although it is beyond our power to withhold it. Like I said before,” Tadamichi continued and stepped away from his brother as if the matter was closed. “… she is not yours.”

“Because you say so... because they say so?” Hyakuhei demanded, knowing his brother was hiding more than just the statues from him. “No one, least of all you or five pieces of immortal stone has the right to dictate my actions.”

“Because she says so,” Tadamichi hissed feeling the life within the room getting stronger. “You are her enemy and it is not meant to be… forget her!” he exclaimed. His lips pressed together in a thin line as the killing intent became so thick it was difficult to breathe. He had to remove his brother from the room and his silent rage… away from the guardians for both their sakes.

Hyakuhei took a step forward… ready to meet his brother half way. He could already envision their hands around each other’s throats if that was what it would take to get his answers.

Quicker than expected… Tadamichi was on him, pushing him backwards with furious force. Just as he had imagined… their hands were about each other’s throats as they swirled back toward the doorway and out of the room. Their bodies hit the opposite wall and Tadamichi pushed Hyakuhei away from him.

Hyakuhei could feel his own blood trickling from a wound on his arm where it had caught on a jagged piece of rock… it would heal. Stepping away from the wall, Tadamichi once more entered his chamber. Hyakuhei stormed after him determined to get the answers he sought.

“The next time you come to see me little brother… do not bring the anger with you!” Tadamichi thundered and turned blood red eyes on Hyakuhei. Psychic energy rose around him and flung Hyakuhei away from him… further into the cavern's darkness. He strode back within his bedchamber and the doorway burst into flames, barring Hyakuhei's re-entrance.

“Coward,” Hyakuhei hissed smelling his brother’s fear.

He turned away, no longer interested in his brother’s foretelling of the future. It did not matter to him if even the gods stood in his way… he would have her. He followed the tunnels back up to the lobby of the Grand Hotel and calmly exited the elevator. Taking a deep breath… he paused as her scent washed over him like liquid satin.

He would not have to go to her… she was coming to him.

***** Tasuki reached over and laid his hand on Kyoko’s as he drove. She’d been quiet since leaving the club and he could understand why. He could still see some of the marks on her soft skin and knew there were more but the dress covered them. He opened his mouth to start questioning her when Kyoko cut him off with a question of her own.

“Where are you taking me?” Kyoko asked trying once again to distract him. “It feels good to be in your car again instead of the dirty cabs they have around here.” They had been friends for so long that she’d known the moment that he would start asking questions that she really didn’t want to answer just yet.

Tasuki smiled with pride, glad he had made her happy for the moment… that was all he wanted. “I am taking you somewhere that I hope will spoil you for a little while.” He pulled into the curved drive and right up to the entrance. “Something tells me you’ve been working so hard on the bad side of town that you have forgotten to visit the good side of it.”

Kyoko glanced up only for her breath to rush into her lungs and stall there as if confused. The Grand… he had taken her to the one place she had never wanted to see again. Her wide eyes darted to his wondering if he somehow knew what she’d done. Would he take her to the elevator and press the button for the top floor? Or worse, would they pass him within its crowded lobby?

She sank down in her seat wishing she could just disappear.

“Are you all right?” Tasuki asked seeing the color drain so quickly from her cheeks.

At a loss for words, Kyoko simply nodded. Seeing his smile return, she glanced back at the hotel knowing he had brought her here because it was the best. Even the hotel restaurant was reportedly the best in town according to the food critics. She hadn’t eaten anything from here the one time she had been inside and knew it should have been a treat, but the hotel brought back too many sensations for her to manage all at once.

Her door was suddenly pulled open, making her jump as a hand appeared in front of her. She took it without thinking and relaxed a bit when Tasuki wrapped her hand around his arm and escorted her inside.

For the first time, she took notice of the interior and fought the urge to gawk like a tourist. With all the crystal and glass… she wasn’t surprised that the floors were spotless. Her vision went hazy for a moment as she pictured all that crystal lying shattered on the floor… chandeliers broken and glass everywhere. Frowning, she pushed the weird image away.

Kyoko was once again stunned when they were taken straight to a table instead of waiting in line. She didn’t fail to notice that the wait would have been quite a while, which meant only one thing. Tasuki had made reservations before even asking her if she would come with him.

Her gaze searched the faces that they passed suspiciously for any hint of a set-up.

This was starting to get ridiculous. Tasuki obviously didn’t know what she’d done… he was completely innocent. She was the one that had done something wrong. And it wouldn’t have been wrong if she had only waited a couple more days. She glanced up at him wishing he’d come sooner or not at all. No, that was a lie. She watched his eyes flash amethyst and she gave his arm a squeeze.

“I’m glad you found me,” she whispered, unable to deny the truth.

Tasuki smiled as if she had just confessed her deep undying love for him, then got her seated and quickly settled himself in the chair next to hers. The silence between them was actually comfortable and Kyoko couldn’t help but smile at his happy expression.

Unfortunately, that happiness didn’t last long when the waiter came by to take their drink order.

Kyoko looked up at him and froze when she recognized the room service attendant that had been in the hall the morning she ran half naked out of the penthouse suite. The waiter’s eyes widened and opened his mouth to say something when Kyoko faintly shook her head to let him know that was a bad idea.

The waiter took a deep breath and wrote down what Tasuki wanted before turning back to Kyoko. The first thing that came out of her mouth was…

“Long Island Ice Tea,” she said softly then cringed inwardly wondering what the hell had gotten into her.

Hyakuhei stepped into the main dining room and sat down at the bar, which gave him a perfect view of Kyoko and the man she was with. So… she had not returned to him but had instead brought a date. He cocked an eyebrow but there was no humor in his dark expression.

When the bartender asked what he would like to drink, Hyakuhei ironically told him Long Island Ice Tea. The drink was set down in front of him and he took a sip from the crystal glass not wanting to admit that he wished to remember her taste from the other night.

He held back a jealous growl when the man took Kyoko’s hand in his and leaned forward talking to her. He could see the infatuation in the boy’s eyes from even this distance, making him clench his teeth.

Tasuki leaned back in his chair watching her nervously look around. He’d never seen her this jumpy. Reaching across the table, he took her hand in his to gain her attention as he leaned forward to block her view.

“Kyoko, you can’t hide it from me… so you might as well give. Tell me everything that’s happened since you came here.” He caressed the still healing scratch that was across her wrist looking much like a suicide attempt.

Kyoko cringed as she turned to look at the friend she had missed so much. If she were going to tell anyone… it might as well be him. He was one of the only people in the world she trusted with her life, so why couldn’t she trust him with this?

Amni’s face flashed in her mind and she realized in many ways she had replaced Tasuki’s friendship with Amni’s.

She bit her bottom lip knowing she could never tell Tasuki all of the truth… it would break his heart. “I sleep days and hunt at night… just like at home. The only difference is… it’s a lot more crowded here.”

“That’s not the only difference,” Tasuki corrected her as his amethyst eyes bored into hers… searching for the truth she wasn’t telling him.

“How did you know where to find me?” she asked softly knowing he couldn’t have found out on his own.

Tasuki pulled the piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to her. “I found this in my mailbox.”

The waiter brought their drinks and Kyoko picked hers up. She was taking the first drink just as she turned the paper to read it. She nearly choked on the strong concoction when she recognized her grandpa’s scribbling.

“That traitor,” she said a little too loudly then cringed at the hurt look Tasuki gave her. “No… I’m glad you’re here Tasuki. Honestly, I am. It’s just that grandpa should have never given this to you. It’s too dangerous… you shouldn’t be here.”

Tasuki cocked an eyebrow at her, “Your grandpa? That's the last person I would have thought. That old geezer hates me.” He frowned as the implications hit him full force. For her grandpa to give him this information… the old man must have known she needed him. Now all he had to do was get Kyoko to admit it.

“You need someone here that you can count on Kyoko.” Tasuki’s amethyst eyes started to glow. He’d known it would come to this and he had no intentions of letting her win this time. He wrapped both of his hands around hers and leaned closer as though to kiss her. “You need me…”

“But you don’t know…” Kyoko snapped her lips shut and turned her head away to look down at the table. She took another drink of her beverage wondering when she had become such an alcoholic… and a coward. She jumped slightly when she felt Tasuki’s hand slip under her dress and start caressing her thigh right above the knee.

“I don’t need to know anything Kyoko,” Tasuki whispered wanting her to forget whatever it was that was keeping them apart. “I know that I’m here now and you need me whether you admit it or not.”

She blushed and looked away again feeling even guiltier.

He gently gripped her chin with his other hand and turned her face back to his. “I know that I’ve needed you… missed you…” he moved closer again, his lips almost brushing over hers. “...dreamed of loving you since I was a child.” His amethyst eyes sparkled with desire. “Will you let me do that Kyoko? Will you let me love you?”

Kyoko turned her head away again only to gasp as Tasuki’s lips nibbled on her earlobe. Before she lost all coherent thought, she moved her entire body away and gently removed his hand that had started a slow trek up her thigh.

“You’re making this harder for me Tasuki,” she whispered feeling like she deserved it. He had every right to make her suffer for what she had done but that didn’t mean… she frowned in confusion. This was all happening too fast. Everything that’d happened within the last couple days was turning her world upside down.

Hyakuhei tightened his hold on the glass and set it down while continuing to glare at the couple on the other end of the room. The man was trying to kiss her… damn near having sex with her on the dinner table. That would not do at all. His only satisfaction from the scene was the girl’s rejection and lack of passion toward the boy.

He spied a waiter walking by them with a tray full of wine glasses and let a small vindictive smile appear on his face.

Tasuki was about to respond to Kyoko’s statement just as a waiter walked by. The glasses on his tray clinked and rattled before they abruptly shattered. Both Tasuki and Kyoko jumped… making him let go of her hand and lean further back in his chair.

Kyoko instantly set her drink down not wanting to wear it if it should decide to join the wine glasses. She started looking around the restaurant, trying to find a familiar face with dark eyes sitting at one of the tables. She so did not need this tonight.

Tasuki watched as she became distracted again. It was almost as if she was waiting on someone to jump out at them and say ‘BOO!’ “At least tell me what happened to make you leave home so suddenly,” he pressed the issue wanting his answers.

“A pack of vampires attacked me then one of them followed me home,” Kyoko responded as she worriedly watched the waiter beside them picking up the broken glass. “I left to protect everyone.”

“I thought maybe something like that had happened because when I went by your house…” He watched her drum her fingers on the table as if she were typing and realized she wasn’t paying him any attention while she continued to search the room. “Everyone and everything was gone. Your house burnt down the following week… then your yard fell into a black hole and vanished…”

Kyoko nodded as the waiter walked off with the last of the glass before turning her attention back to Tasuki. The look on his face told her she was in trouble.

“What?” she fidgeted but was saved when another waiter came to the table carrying a very expensive bottle of wine and two wineglasses.

“I didn’t order this,” Tasuki looked confused and Kyoko started to shrink in her chair and glance around the room once more.

“It is an anonymous gift for the pretty lady,” the waiter smiled and nodded to Kyoko as he poured her glass first. Kyoko held her breath until he moved to Tasuki. She smiled in relief thinking she had been wrong… but that’s when all hell broke loose.

Tasuki jumped up, flipping the chair over as the bottle burst, sending a spray of glass and red wine all over him. His gaze flew to Kyoko suddenly wondering just who she was looking for and if that was who was screwing with them.

Kyoko knew without a doubt that was no accident. “Tasuki… I have to go… now!” Hearing the panic in her own voice lent even more reason for her flight.

“Oh no you don’t!” Tasuki reached out and grabbed her by the arm as she turned to run. He felt her trying to pull away from him so he tightened his grip. “What’s going on here Kyoko? Who is doing this to you?”

There was a tinkling sound above them that made a few of the restaurant patrons look up nervously but no one moved.

“You don’t understand Tasuki,” Kyoko searched her friend’s face as if putting it to memory. She had been right in never letting him come here… he was the last person in the world she would ever want to get hurt because of her. She tried once again to jerk away from him and was surprised by his strength.

Tasuki’s grip tightened as he gritted his teeth. “That’s the second time you’ve said that. What don’t I understand Kyoko?”

The tinkling got louder and some of the guests slowly started to stand.

“Please Tasuki,” she whimpered, wishing he would just let her run away.

There was a loud crash and Kyoko yelped in surprise when one of the overhead chandeliers fell just inches from Tasuki’s standing position. If he had been standing where he was sitting just moments before…

“Don’t you understand? I have to go to save you,” she exclaimed and pulled free of his hold, running out of the restaurant and into the night.

Tasuki started to follow but backed up when the light bulbs on the chandelier started to blow… sending tiny fragments of glass everywhere. He had to turn his head away to protect his face and eyes. When he believed it was safe to look again, he nearly growled in frustration to find himself blocked in by an overturned table, the chandelier and three waiters trying to get him away from the danger all at once.

Pulling away from their supposedly calm voices, Tasuki leapt on top of the closest table and scanned the crowd for the familiar head of auburn hair.

Hopping down away from the busted chandelier, he ducked when the crystal behind him shattered, sending the spray all around him. Glasses on the tables in his immediate area started exploding, making Tasuki run for the main entrance of the restaurant. No sooner had he made it did tinkling from above catch his attention and he looked up with a sense of foreboding. His eyes widened when he saw the lobby chandeliers start to shiver.

“Oh… you have got to be kidding me!” he cried out in frustration.

Rushing out the front door of the Grand, Tasuki handed his ticket to the valet and paced back and forth as he waited for them to retrieve his car. His gaze darted everywhere looking for Kyoko but he still saw no sign of her. Finally, he turned back to the valet station and froze in place. A man with long flowing ebony hair was staring at him with so much hostility… it made his blood run cold.

He shivered and exhaled, shocked to see his breath form white clouds. When had it gotten this cold?

The man was dressed casually with a black shirt and pants and a floor length leather duster over it. His hands were tucked in his pockets almost carelessly but Tasuki could see the killing intent in his ebony eyes. At that moment the glass of the other cars parked nearby began to explode and Tasuki took cover along with the other restaurant guests that had made it outside.

When the rain of glass finally settled, Tasuki rose up from his crouched, protective position to find the other man gone without a trace.

“Kyoko… just what have you gotten yourself into?” Tasuki’s voice contained every emotion known to man.

***** Kyoko stopped to lean against a wall and catch her breath. She hated leaving Tasuki behind like that and knew she would have a lot of explaining to do… but she couldn’t stay and put his life in danger. When she had run out, the only thing on her mind was getting as far away from him as possible. So, she’d run in the opposite direction of the apartments.

It had been tempting to wait out by the car… but again, she would’ve ended up leaving with Tasuki and putting his life in even more danger. She had a mental vision of Tasuki's perfect car with every window and mirror on it shattered. That wouldn’t have been fair to him.

Tasuki wasn’t the only thing she was running from however. The last thing she wanted to do tonight was face her stalker who just didn’t know what the word ‘NO’ meant. She briefly wondered if she should invest in a dictionary and give it to him, making sure to highlight the word along with the page number it was on.

With a frustrated sigh, she realized it probably wouldn’t work and for a moment she mentally pictured him sniffing the dictionary just to get her scent off of it. Even in the vision, his eyes rose to hers as if he could see her.

Feeling an unnatural fear well up in her, Kyoko took off running again, this time in another direction… even further away from the club. Her mind started working as she moved, wondering what her grandpa had been thinking by sending Tasuki here.

Oh yeah… that’s right… he had been thinking about getting his granddaughter laid. Tama was right… Grandpa Hogo really needed to get a life.

Finally unable to run any further, Kyoko slipped into the mouth of an alley and bent over to take off her shoes. This was the last time she would ever wear heels whether on or off duty. Her legs were going to be giving her hell in the morning. Taking the shoes in hand, she leaned against the wall behind her and sighed.

“You wait till I get my hands on my phone,” she glared at the brick wall across from her, picturing her grandpa. “Scratch that… wait till I get my hands on you.” She stomped her foot but quickly ran out of steam. “Oh Grandpa… what have you done?”

Running a hand through her windblown hair, she peeked out of the edge of the alley. She stepped out onto the sidewalk once she made sure it was safe… in other words, to make sure she didn’t see Tasuki’s car. The streets were still crowded enough this time of night for her to hopefully blend in. But then again, it was probably a bit unusual to see a woman wearing a luxurious purple dress and carrying a pair of high-heeled shoes in her hand.

Taking a good look around, she noticed that she was only a couple of blocks from where the incident had happened the night before. A ray of hope entered her bubble. She was now one step closer to finding her cell phone and giving hell to her grandpa. Slipping her shoes back on, she walked determinedly in that direction, hoping against hope that whatever deity was watching took pity on her. Lord knows it had ignored her for the last few days.

The closer she got to the alley, the more nervous she became, and that simply pissed her off. Her palms started sweating and she nearly growled at herself when her steps started to drag the pavement a little bit. So what if she was in her favorite dress… so what if she wasn’t completely healed yet… so what if they had almost killed her.

She started noticing that all the people, cars included, had turned off before hitting this area. The Slums was no place to be found alone on a dark night but normally Kyoko thrived on places like this… just not tonight. She found the alley and stopped at the mouth of it, looking into the darkness.

She fisted her hand and the soft blue light of the spirit dart appeared. She felt a bit of her courage return as it lit up the area around her like a treasured nightlight. Kyoko squared her shoulders and entered the alley. The pavement crunched under her feet and she looked down seeing slivers of glass everywhere. One of her eyebrows rose up into her bangs thankful she had been smart enough to put her shoes back on.

“Does he do this everywhere he goes?” Her head snapped up when she heard something from the far end of the alley that almost made her smile. Her phone… she could hear it. That was the tune it played when her grandfather was calling her. The happy sound quickly turned sinister as it echoed within the darkness.

Kyoko had to fight the sudden urge to flee. She took a deep breath and raised her chin a notch in defiance before she entered the darkness.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when a rodent scurried in front of her, running over the top of her foot. She stumbled back even further when a black cat shot across the alley giving it chase. At least it was going to eat tonight.

It was a deadly reminder of what had happened here the night before. For the vampires… it had been an easy game of cat and mouse. They had been the cat and she the mouse. If her stalker hadn’t shown up… she swallowed at the implications. She would have breathed her last breath and no one would have known for days… if not weeks.

Shaking her head, Kyoko tried to push that thought from her mind. Amni… yeah, someone would have come looking for her. Hell, maybe even Yohji would have made the half-hearted effort but she wasn’t going to hold her breath on that one.

Her courage and steps began to falter, slowing down as she grew closer to the ring tone… only for it to abruptly stop. She suddenly wanted to cry in frustration and felt a cold chill race up her spine and spread through the top of her shoulders. The end of the alley was pitch black and foreboding.

For a moment Kyoko thought she saw shadows moving within the darkness and wondered if the gang of vampires wasn’t just standing there within it… waiting on her to take the final steps that would bring her within their reach.

She shivered again and almost took a step backwards but stopped herself. If the demons were there… a show of fear would be her last and final mistake. The silence was deafening as she took another step forward into the darkness praying her grandpa would call back.

Kyoko spun around and nearly stumbled over her own feet when her cell phone did ring… but this time from behind her. She made a tiny sound of surprise and quickly righted herself before looking back toward the mouth of the alley that now seemed miles away even though she knew it was only a couple dozen feet.

She blinked when she saw her stalker standing there… looking for all the world like everything was right in it.

His long hair and duster ruffled slightly in the soft breeze coming from the street and his hands were in his pockets. He seemed much too relaxed for Kyoko’s tastes. His face, as beautiful as it was the last time she saw him, showed no emotion but his dark eyes were glowing in what she thought could have been amusement.

Kyoko was caught between the feeling of safety knowing he was there instead of the gang, and the fear of knowing he was stalking her. Without even looking… she knew the spirit dart had vanished. Un-fisting her hand, she walked toward him with what she hoped was a sign of fearlessness… what a liar she had become.

“May I have my phone back?” She held out her hand for the device and waited patiently. She had meant for her voice to be hard but it came out sounding breathless.

Hyakuhei looked at her for a moment before glancing down at the phone in his hand. Instead of handing it back to her as she asked, he turned it off and slipped it back into his pocket. “You may… after we talk.”

Kyoko folded her arms over her chest… suddenly feeling vulnerable but trying to act like she was just bored. “I can always just get a new phone.”

Hyakuhei glared, “With the money you took from me I suppose. I can take the next phone as well… I am not asking. You have no choice, so make this easier and agree.” His voice was calm and furious at the same time.

Storm clouds began to build in her eyes and Kyoko felt her anger return. For a moment, she’d been feeling guilty about taking his cash, but now she was half tempted to take it and blow every penny. Looking around, she made a face, wanting to attack his obviously over inflated ego.

“Talk? Okay. Nice place you have here. I can only imagine how you handle it when company comes to call.” she continued with a death glare, “Now… Give me my phone.” She heard something in the alley behind her and flinched when she felt cold chills sweep across the nape of her neck.

Her defiance only made his blood run hotter. The memory of that same defiance as they had made love shot through him like an obsession. As cold as she was acting right now… he knew he could make her burn. “If you fear this place so much… then we could go somewhere else.”

Kyoko scowled wondering if he was a bit touched, “Why would I go anywhere with you?”

Hyakuhei frowned at her less-than-flattering attitude and vanished… only to reappear behind her. Taking hold of her upper arms, he pulled her back against him, their bodies flush and radiating heat where they touched. He leaned down and inhaled the arch of her neck as she tilted her face up toward him, allowing their cheeks to brush each other.

His eyes hardened when he caught the scent of her returning desire the same time she flinched away from him… she was lying.

“I have attempted it your way… now we will attempt it mine,” he growled trying to ignore the way his body responded to her closeness.

Kyoko squeaked softly when she suddenly found herself airborne and would have panicked if not for the feel of his hands still gripping her upper arms. She felt herself jar several times and realized he was taking a series of quick jumps against the buildings and heading upward. Blinking at the sudden change in scenery, she found herself on the roof of a building looking down into the alley.

The tiniest whimper escaped her throat and she closed her eyes in defeat… she was trapped. Now she had no choice but to talk to him.

Hyakuhei smirked when he heard the defeated whimper and loosened his hold on her just a bit. She had nowhere to run anyway so he could now take his time without fear of losing her again.

“I told you to leave me alone!” Kyoko exclaimed, jerking away from him. She stumbled for the second time that night when he surprisingly let her go. Walking over to the edge of the roof, she found herself looking down into the alley. She could now see into the once frightening shadows and sighed gratefully seeing it was and had been empty all along.

He watched her every movement, searching for a way to get closer to her since he couldn’t control her. His eyes darkened attractively as he called to the power of the thrall in one last effort to get what he wanted without a fight. Seeing no change in her as proof that he could not control her only made him want to claim her that much more.

The ends of her auburn hair lifted in the breeze as her emerald eyes searched the alley below and he could feel the fear she’d been trying to hide slowly fading. He was pleased she was comfortable enough in his presence to forget her fear… even if it only lasted a short while.

Stepping very close behind her but not touching her, he looked down seeing what she was seeing. “The scum you encountered last night have been punished… quite severely.” Hyakuhei answered her silent question. “They will no longer prey on the humans in this city.”

Kyoko frowned refusing to face him. Looking back now at what had happened… remembering the way he was facing the other vampires instead of facing her. She realized he’d saved her last night and she had tried to kill him for it. She bit her bottom lip knowing this wasn’t allowed… whatever this was between them shouldn’t be there.

“Why would you do something like that? Why would you kill your own kind?” She hadn’t meant to ask the questions out loud but now that she had… she was curious at what his answer would be.

“Because no one touches what is mine,” he informed her in a stern voice but his words softened as he added, “As for my kind… they are not even in the same league. A true vampire does not feed for the pleasure of killing.”

“Like Amni,” she whispered, knowing he wasn’t lying about that… she would feel it if he was a killer of humans. Looking back into the alley one more time, she knew she owed him at least this much. “Thank you for saving me,” she kept her voice soft but quickly added for her own safety, “but I can take care of myself now so you don’t have to keep following me.”

Hyakuhei could already feel the invisible bonds between them and he wouldn’t let her dismiss them so easily. He was tired of pressing forward in time, only to watch everything fly by him… leaving him numb. He’d found a reason for time to stand still and even the hounds of hell couldn’t take that from him… he wouldn’t allow it.

In what started out as a one-night stand for her… had now turned into a reason for him to exist.

Turning around to look at him, she met his gaze for a moment before quickly looking away knowing he wasn’t going to let her off that easily. She’d felt it when he attempted to capture her in his thrall just a moment ago. Her power canceled it out but it was strong enough for her to have felt the tugging. He had no power over her, or at least she kept telling herself that.

Seeing an air conditioning unit only a couple of steps away as opposed to how close he was standing to her, she went over and sat down hoping the distance from him would help her think more clearly.

“Fine… we can talk, but it won’t change anything.” She stared down at the tiny gravel spread across the roof, still feeling a little angry with herself. She wanted to be nice to him… she knew without a doubt that would be a mistake for the both of them. The only word she could think of that fit what she felt for him was… ‘Forbidden ’.

Trying to shake any and all feeling for him away, she asked, “What do you want to talk about? Our differences in dining habits?”

Hyakuhei couldn’t help the small tilt of his lips as the smile threatened. She’d completely ignored his implication of her belonging to him. Either that or she had not yet processed his words. It did not matter to him now that he was finally alone with her.

“You do not hate all vampires,” he used one of her secrets against her.

Kyoko glanced up at him and was stunned at the softness of his expression. “How do you know that?” When his eyes locked with hers, she couldn’t help but look away again. He was making it hard to breathe and the longer she was near him… the more she remembered about the other night.

“I think at this point… I know you better than anyone else,” Hyakuhei’s voice bordered on seduction.

Kyoko shook her head. “No you don’t. You don’t know anything about me. I didn’t know what you were or I never would have…” She couldn’t finish that sentence so she started again. “I left the Underground with someone else that night… not you. I was drinking and you tricked me somehow,” she accused wanting to find a reason to stop this… this car crash… before someone got hurt.

“The only thing you know about me is where my birthmark is located,” she nodded as if that solved global warming.

Hyakuhei knelt down in front of her, jealously attempting to block out the world around them. He knew what she wanted… needed from him. If it were the truth she was seeking… then she would hear all of it. “I was there Kyoko… I was watching you when you left the bar with a vampire, not a human. Yes… you were drunk and he would not have given you what you wanted. All he was offering you was a body bag. I killed him to save you.”

“And then you used your thrall on me,” she retorted still wanting to be angry with him and feeling guilty because if what he said was true, then he had saved her not once… but twice.

“I didn’t have to,” his tone darkened.

Kyoko sighed in frustration, “I was so drunk that night, how in the hell would I know for sure? My inebriation plus the thrall was more than enough to mess up my thought process and weaken me enough for you to put me under. That’s probably why I can’t remember anything.” It was a lie because she could remember bits and pieces… she had not fought him at all.

When she tried to look away from him, he reached forward, placing his hands over her ears and holding her in a firm grip so she could not look away or run from his words. She had wanted the truth. “One kiss was all it took. You can lie to yourself all you want… but you wanted me and I gave you what you were asking for.”

“We shouldn’t have done that,” Kyoko’s voice trembled wanting him to hear the truth. “It was wrong.”

“This is not wrong,” Hyakuhei leaned forward… closing the distance between their lips… wanting to show her.

Just before they touched, Kyoko turned her face sideways and closed her eyes cringing as her cheeks began to heat up. He knew her name and she didn’t know his… and that was the least of her worries.

“The vampire’s thrall…” she insisted weakly. “You used it on me that night… but it won’t work now.” She swallowed knowing she’d never been susceptible to it before, but… she had been drinking, so it was an option. Unfortunately, even to her ears, it was starting to just sound like a really lame excuse for wanting to make love to him… a vampire.

She felt her wrist being grasped and she was jerked upward then pulled flush against him. Her gaze traveled up his chest to his face. At first she thought he was furious, but the look in his eyes as they turned a soft brown confused her.

He had enough of her denial. He was not her enemy and somewhere deep down… she had to know that. “Being under the thrall and following your heart are two different things, Kyoko. I don’t think a virgin as passionate as you would have known the difference. But I can show you the difference.”

“No I…” Before she could voice the rest of her rejection, his lips slammed down on hers hot and heavy. Kyoko felt her world tilt on its axis as more memories of the other night swept through her mind and relit her body, making her gasp. The remembrance came in the form of her body remembering his touch… his presence… his everything. The feeling had left behind something out of control… craving.

Hyakuhei took the breath into him… stealing it from her and keeping it as he deepened the kiss… tasting everything he had tasted last night and the night before. Her hands were once again fisted in his shirt in her effort to hold on and he could hear her heartbeat take flight.

Wanting to teach her a lesson about denying what she was feeling, he wrapped his arms around her thighs, picking her up. Still not letting up on the kiss, he set her back down on the edge of the air conditioning unit. Sliding between her legs, he pressed himself against her… straining upwards as he leaned her backwards. Feeling the heat coming from her, he slid his hand down her ribs, then hip, as he pulled the side of her skirt up.

“The only person you are fighting is yourself,” he breathed against her lips.

Trailing his palm across her inner thigh, he wanted that flame to burn so she would remember it was real… that he was real. Just as his fingers brushed over her silk covered core, his lips left hers to trail across her cheek to her ear. “What is it that you want Kyoko?” He used his thumb to brush across the bundle of nerves that was hidden there as he pressed against her with his fingers in a motion that was heating not only her… but him as well.

Her breathing was already growing erratic and she cried out as she felt his middle finger press up against her entrance, making her remember him inside her… making her want him inside of her again. As if he read her mind, his fingers pushed the material of her panties aside, then pressed deep inside her warm, wet opening.

“Oh god,” she breathed as she fought against him… or was she straining closer? His finger moved slowly deeper, making her respond in a way that would have made her blush clear to her ankles otherwise. What if she let him just one more time? No one would know.

Tasuki’s face flashed in her mind, followed by her family, grandpa, and even Amni… none of them would understand.

“Stop fighting your inner war Kyoko,” Hyakuhei whispered as he withdrew his finger from her, leaving her wanting more. “Forget your inhibitions and embrace this.”

Hyakuhei reclaimed her lips, feeling her surrender, then jerked back when she bit his lip. A growl formed deep in his chest as she shoved against him and he reached out grabbing her wrist in a tight hold.

Kyoko was mortified at what she had almost done. She could still feel her heartbeat thumping between her legs and wanted to scream. She had to find a way to keep herself from wanting him. “I can’t… do this...” she squeezed her eyes shut refusing to look at him.

“Yes you can and already have. Just like I have been inside you… you are now crawling around inside of me.” He pulled her forward and off the unit she was laying on. “The damage has already been done.”

“I’m with someone else!” she blurted as a last defense. “He loves me and I can’t do this to him. I can’t do this for so many more reasons.”

With a jerk, Hyakuhei released her wrist and took a step back… his brown eyes now bottomless pits of ebony. “You lie. I am the only one who has touched you. I am the only one who makes you feel.”

Kyoko rubbed her wrist as she desperately searched for more reasons to throw at him… anything to just make him go away so she could think.

“The only reason I was ever with you was to get rid of my virginity. I didn’t care who took it… do you understand? I just wanted it gone!” she yelled, wanting him to think less of her. “That’s why I was drinking… I didn’t want to remember!”

“I am not something to forget!” Hyakuhei thundered and the sound of several windows shattering came from below them.

The sound of shattering glass reminded Kyoko of many things but the fact he had almost hurt Tasuki reared its head making her hands curl into fists. “We would only rip each other apart,” she whispered as if voicing her thoughts. “You tried to hurt Tasuki.” Her lips thinned as her anger surfaced to beat back the lingering desire. “He hasn’t done anything to deserve what you did.”

“You don’t belong with him,” Hyakuhei shot forward only to stop an inch from her… looming over her as she looked up at him. “If you wanted him… then it is he who would have broken your blood bond.”

She closed her eyes again, trying to block out the mental picture that came with his words. “Stop it! I told you I don’t want to remember you.” She watched as he started to lean toward her again. “I told you to leave me alone!”

Kyoko raised her hand and hit him hard across the face to make her point.

Hyakuhei’s face jerked to the side and his lips thinned as he swung it back around with a glare.

Flattening his palm, he backhanded her with it, feeling satisfaction when she spun around and grabbed the air conditioner unit to keep from falling. “You can’t win.” he growled as she steadied herself. “Just as my thrall does not work on you… your magic has no power over me!”

Kyoko almost smiled… this she could work with. “What makes you think I can’t kill you?” She used the unit as leverage and kicked him in the ribs, sending him crashing across the roof. “What makes you think that if you don’t stop getting in my way, that I won’t just find a way around you?” She walked over and straddled his body as he lay on the rooftop. “Stay down!”

Hyakuhei smirked as he slowly turned onto his back and looked up at her. “Only if you will stay down.” Before she could move, his arms shot out to slide her legs apart and she fell… sitting across his hips. He didn’t know which hurt worse… beating each other or touching each other.

Suddenly very angry… he grabbed her shoulders and pressed her downward as he ground himself upwards, wanting her to remember the feeling of what lay beneath her.

***** Tadamichi’s solitude within his chambers was a place of many secrets as he fisted his hand in the sheets of his bed and watched like a voyeur as his brother tried to once again seduce the priestess.

Unknown to the two would-be lovers on the roof, Yuuhi was hidden from their view… watching everything. Tadamichi had used his bond with the boy to see through the underling’s eyes. It was a strange power that had risen in the hauntingly beautiful child at birth… only to grow stronger when he had been turned.

Now ruling over that power, Tadamichi felt a thrill shoot down his spine when the woman struck his brother… but to witness Hyakuhei strike back was surprising. He was caught between the urge to kill his brother for daring to hurt her, and the knowledge that this was what he had wanted… for them to rip each other apart.

He was tempted to leave them to their own devices. Seeing his brother so passionate about the priestess was like looking back in time. He tried to block the cruel memories of loving her and it caused numbness to invade his mind. He waved a hand, erasing the image from his view… he had seen enough.

Feeling the melancholy engulf him, he decided it was time to leave his rooms and stalk the city in search for his next child. Rising gracefully to his feet, something glistened in the candlelight from a dark corner of the room… catching his attention.

Tadamichi drew closer, the dim light from the candles brightening. His eyes widened, witnessing something that shook him to his very core. Kamui’s tears… Tadamichi reached out and touched one only to flinch and draw back his finger with the wet drop still attached.

Yuuhi’s sight came back to him and he saw Hyakuhei on his back, this time with the priestess straddling him. The look on her face was both heaven and hell and Tadamichi was not sure if they were still fighting, or if it had somehow crossed the line back into seduction.

His eyes flashed open hearing a crack. A fracture had appeared just under Kamui’s right eye, reaching across his cheek… allowing more tears to escape.

Tadamichi backed away knowing he would have to put a stop to his brother’s infatuation with the priestess before he unleashed the guardians' wrath down upon him. Even now, he could hear the echoes of the battle from the past as they contained the demons on their side of the time portal… leaving him stranded on this side without her.

They had not killed him in battle… their ultimate weapon had been letting him love her. He’d seen her tears as she had thrown herself against Kamui's chest… she hadn’t wanted the separation. Kamui had been watching him over her shoulder as the heart of time slowly closed. The guardian wept because he knew what they were doing was wrong… he’d known the truth.

Spinning on his heel, Tadamichi stalked through the caverns of his subterranean home toward the surface. He would have to take matters into his own hands before his brother damned them all to the same fate.

***** Kyoko’s cheeks turned hot and pink as she groaned. What was he doing… fighting or trying to seduce her? She felt the hard bulge beneath her and strained down against him once more… she couldn’t help it. Finally unable to take any more, she lowered her head so she could look down at him and felt tears of frustration building on her lashes.

She inhaled through her teeth, seeing his eyes were once again soft brown as he stared up at her longingly. The proof was there in his gaze… the difference between angels and demons was only a fine line and seeing that difference was her undoing.

Hyakuhei slid one hand around to the back of her neck and started to pull her down when the wind shifted… bringing with it the scent of his brother and numerous underlings. His will to protect her surged forward to override his passion. Once more, he would have to release her to take care of other pressing matters.

Amazed that she was no longer fighting him, he couldn’t help but give in to the temptation of one unhindered kiss as he lifted them both from the floor of the roof. While so deeply connected, he had a gift for her… the memories she was trying so hard to repress. He unlocked her mind so she would remember every detail.

Kyoko’s eyes were closed as he made love to her mouth then whimpered as his lips left her only to hear him whisper in the shell of her ear, “This is why we are not finished.” His hand slid down her body to dip between her thighs as he added, “And I am not something for you to forget.”

Feeling the wind suddenly touching her hot skin where it hadn’t before, Kyoko’s emerald eyes blinked open to find she was now alone. She sank to her knees as she was engulfed in the memory of two nights ago. Feeling something in her hand, she was in shock to find it was her cell phone… he’d given it back to her as promised.

“What have I done?” Kyoko’s heart thudded as her gaze flew to the door on the other end of the rooftop. Stumbling to her feet, she took off in that direction, praying she had a way out.