These characters do not belong to me

Choosing a Partner

Chapter 19

By Kenzie Kennedy

The leaves rustled outside even though there was no wind. Something glinted.

Two clawed hands sank into the window’s frame. It pulled the window up by brute strength snapping off the lock. Fitting its body inside, it turned toward its prey.

***

Inuyasha’s nose twitched and his eyes sprang open. He took a couple more sniffs and grabbed the sword beside his bed. He walked on silent feet to the door. It came open without a squeak to betray him and he walked down the hall. He paused at Kagome’s door. Yes… This was where it came from.

He slid his hand around the doorknob and twisted it gently. The door slid open without a sound.

A low thrum came from the beast’s throat as he leaned over Kagome’s bed. Soon…

Inuyasha lowered his foot in a stomp to the floor. The creature turned. The sword Inuyasha had been carrying swung with deadly precision.

Kagome stirred. She took a deep breath that signifies waking up and opened her eyes. The first thing that her eyes sent her was the fact that there was a severed head beside her.

The first thing her mouth did was let out a long bloodcurdling scream.

The hallway was filled with footsteps in a few seconds. Sango burst into the room in her short nightgown. "Kagome!" she said anxiously. "Are you all-"

She caught sight of the head. "AHHHHHH!!!!!!" she screamed and took a step backward.

Right into Miroku’s arms. "Fear not, gentle Sango. I will protect you," Miroku swore.

Sango slapped him and ran the few steps to Kagome. She snatched the covers back so hard the head flew off the bed to land at the bottom of the bedstead. Sango grabbed Kagome’s hand and hauled her away from the thing.

"Kagome!" Rimiko called worriedly from just outside the doorway. "Are you two girls all right?" She ran into the room.

Kagome shivered. Sango pointed a trembling finger at the head. Rimiko blanched.

"Cool!" Sota and Kohaku said. They had just shown up and were peeking around Rimiko.

"What happened?" Rimiko demanded.

Kagome shook her head. "I don’t know. I woke up with that thing in bed with me."

"If you haven’t noticed, you’re standing in its blood," Inuyasha pointed out helpfully.

Kagome glanced down and her eyes rolled up into her head. Sango kept her upright and told her sternly not to faint.

"Sango, take Kagome to the bathroom and clean her up. Get her some fresh pajamas, too." Rimiko ordered. "The rest of us are going to go downstairs and I’m going to get some answers."

***

Downstairs, Rimiko looked pointedly at Inuyasha. "What happened?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "I went into her room and killed something that was leaning over her."

Rimiko rolled her eyes. "That thing was a beast sent to kill my daughter, wasn’t it?" Inuyasha nodded. Rimiko got up and went to the phone. She dialed a number and waited. When the other end picked up, she said, "Kaede? Kagome was attacked again."

"Now?" Kaede said immediately alert.

"Somehow one of them got into her bedroom. Inuyasha killed it. Why didn’t the shields on the house keep them out?"

Kaede gritted her teeth. "The first shield on the house was to keep Kagome’s power in and serve as a warning to most beasts. The second shield I put up was a stronger version meant as a deterrent. Most lower and middle levels can’t go through. Some of the higher middle level beasts can."

"Why can’t you put a shield up that will keep them all out?" Rimiko asked.

"I can’t. Kagome has to since it is her home. Her power would object to mine even though I am her teacher. I added a small footnote in the shields prohibiting Kikyo from entering. She can send some middle and higher level beasts after Kagome."

"What do we do?"

Kaede sighed. "They will only be after her. They can only be sent after one person at a time and that will be Kagome."

"How do you know for sure?" Rimiko pressed.

"She has angered a woman called Kikyo as I told you."

"Why wouldn’t this Kikyo send a beast after myself or someone else in this house?"

Kaede shook her head knowing that Rimiko couldn’t see it. "Do you not remember the spells I laid on that house? They will keep anything from you. A beast could possibly get within three feet of either you, Sango, Kohaku, Sota, Inuyasha, or Miroku and they would be burnt to dust."

"Why not Kagome?" Rimiko asked almost crying.

"Kagome will not allow any shields on her. I can stop things from getting out, but not from getting in. The house shield was designed to keep most things out. Kikyo has found a way around it, it seems."

"Then come and protect her," Rimiko asked.

"I cannot. If I was there, Kikyo would double her efforts. I would not be able to do anything but defend Kagome if I was awake. It is better to keep Kagome inside or with Inuyasha. I am sorry, Rimiko. Kagome’s power will not be chained or protected only contained."

Rimiko could feel the sadness in Kaede’s voice. "I know."

"There is something you could do."

Rimiko perked up. "What?"

"Have Inuyasha sleep in the same room with Kagome. His presence will act as a deterrent. Kikyo will sense him there and perhaps be more cautious. We only have to wait until Kagome can defend herself."

"How long, though?" Rimiko asked.

Kaede sighed. "I don’t know. I have seen students at this point struggle for years. I have seen them go from this point to the next in minutes. It varies."

"All right," Rimiko said reluctantly. "I’ll do as you say."

"Don’t fear for her, Rimiko. Kagome will protect herself." Kaede assured her.

"I hope so," Rimiko said. "Goodbye." She hung up the phone and stared at Inuyasha.

"What?" he growled.

"You’re sleeping with Kagome," she said sternly.

"NO!"

Rimiko turned to look at Kagome who was coming down the stairs. "You are and that’s it." Rimiko told her.

"Mom!"

"I’m not sleeping with her!" Inuyasha said hotly.

Rimiko closed her eyes for a few seconds and then reopened them. "Kaede says that everyone besides Kagome isn’t in any danger. Kagome is, though, and that is why I’m taking an extra precaution. If Inuyasha and Kagome are in the same room, Kaede says that might scare the beasts off."

"I don’t want to sleep with him in the same room," Kagome said softly. "I won’t be able to sleep."

"You might be tired, but you’ll be alive," Rimiko said loudly. "Inuyasha, get a few blankets and the spare futon. You’re sleeping on Kagome’s floor for the rest of the night."

Kagome sighed. She knew when her mother had made up her mind that was it.

Inuyasha didn’t. "I’m not doing it." He folded his arms over his chest.

"Why not?" Rimiko asked. "You promised to protect her, didn’t you?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "I guess so. But I’m still not-"

"You’ll sleep in the same room and protect her, Inuyasha. That is final." Rimiko stared at him.

"But I’m free! I don’t have to." Inuyasha protested.

Rimiko looked at him with an ‘I can’t believe you just said that’ expression on her face. "Inuyasha, in a family you protect each other. Do you want Kagome dead?"

"No," he mumbled.

"Then go get a blanket and a pillow," Rimiko said quietly. Inuyasha started up the stairs. "The rest of you, go to bed. Morning will come sooner than you think."

***

Kagome waited in her bed for Inuyasha to come. She had waited outside the room while her mom had gone in to clean up the mess. There hadn’t been any. Amazingly, the beast had vanished. There was no scent and no evidence it had been there at all. If Kagome had been thinking clearly, she would have realized that most of those kind of beasts evaporated when they were killed. The really nasty ones didn’t and had to be gotten rid of by a miko.

"Where did the body go?" Rimiko wondered aloud once she was out in the hall with her daughter.

Inuyasha poked his head out of his room. "It scuttled under the bed." Kagome yelped. Inuyasha gave her a look. "It evaporated, didn’t it? What’re you scared of?" Kagome had fled inside her room and Rimiko had sighed and gone downstairs.

Inuyasha grumbled as he came into the room. He threw down the futon and pillow. He glared at her. "Go to sleep."

Kagome shook her head. "Can’t."

"Try," Inuyasha growled. Kagome rolled over to face the wall. She listened to the rustling sounds of a futon being unrolled and blankets being settled down over it. All was quiet in a few minutes.

Kagome stared at the wall. Something had tried to kill her. Again! She had woken up with a head in her bed. An unattached head. She shivered.

A wave of exhaustion swept over her and took her blessedly into sleep.

Inuyasha sighed with relief once Kagome went to sleep. It was only one in the morning. Time he got some sleep himself. He stretched out and sank into unconsciousness.

***********************

Victoria Wolf: No, the inspectors don't come any more. They're married, not slaves.

Kinboshi: What review record? The all-time review record or just my review record? Which one have I broken?

Slio9: Personally, I don't know what Miroku does all day. Gets into mischief probably.

Angie: Kagome's dad died. I'm not going to elaborate because the story really doesn't have anything to do with him.

Chibi Neko-chan: Sesshoumaru was at least 17 if not older when Inuyasha's mom died.