Amy Blankenship - Defy Not The Heart стр 8.

She once again made a mental note to never eat fruit at a party again. Then a thought struck her. Toya will pick up Shinbe’s scent on her clothes. Ahh! The last thing she wanted to do was get Shinbe in trouble when he didn’t even do anything. She stumbled away from the hut, groaning at the lingering hangover but determined to wash not only her pain away but her clothing too.

*****

Toya growled deep in the back of his throat as he surveyed the village they had come to. He gritted his teeth knowing they were too late. The village was in shambles. It seemed that no matter what they did lately, they were always one step behind Hyakuhei and his demons. He scowled, searching the village for survivors.

"There must have been a piece of the talisman hidden here for him to have bothered destroying the whole village." Toya's golden eyes grew dim with worry.

"We need to help them," Suki said softly as she walked into the village with Kamui by her side. She bent down to check on a crying child that seemed to be sitting there lost and alone.

For a moment, Toya closed his eyes to the familiar scene as his blood boiled. He knew Hyakuhei had almost every piece of the talisman in his possession and didn’t care whom he hurt to get the rest of it. After all, Hyakuhei had even killed his own brother. Now the guardians were trying to protect Kyoko from the same murderer.

If Hyakuhei succeeded in collecting all the pieces of the crystal, he would be able to break into Kyoko’s world and take many demons with him. They couldn’t let that happen. He felt a cold chill crawl up his spine and knew something was wrong.

‘Kyoko,’ the word echoed within his mind like a warning.

"You two, stay here and help. I have to go check on Kyoko, now!” Toya shouted, tearing off in the direction they’d come from. He knew something was not right… he could feel it clear down to his soul. He should have never left her without his protection, not with Hyakuhei’s demon spawns so close. He couldn’t shake the fear of losing the other half of his heart.

"I won’t let him touch you," Toya vowed in his headlong race to reach Kyoko, before danger did.

Chapter 3 "Kiss of Jealousy"

Kyoko set off in the direction of the hot spring. She was tired, sore, and couldn’t wait to just be able to relax in steamy water. She stumbled on a rock and wondered if it was going to take weeks to get her balance back after getting drunk only one time.

“Damn it… Geez, now I sound just like Toya,” she said to herself with a giggle.

Shinbe followed quietly, peeking out from behind trees ever so often. He had to stifle the laugh that threatened to escape him when he heard the comment about her sounding like Toya. It was great to find out he wasn’t the only one in the group that held complete conversations with their self. If he was crazy, then they made a great couple. He stayed back long enough to let her gain some distance between them.

Finally getting to the secluded hot spring, Kyoko rummaged through her bag. Finding what she needed, she arranged her bathing supplies by the side of the water. She quickly undressed, easing her aching body into the steaming water. “Umm, this feels so good.” She closed her eyes and rubbed her legs, trying to ease the tightness that were slow in leaving. Finally satisfied, she lay back in the water and completely relaxed.

Shinbe leaned against a tree as he watched in fascination of her daily ritual. She was graceful and pure… he suddenly felt guilty again for his actions. He turned his back to the scene and placed a hand over his heart where the pain seemed to tighten.

He shouldn’t be here… he was not a good man. She was going to hate him when she realized what he’d done to her. He frowned as the weight on his chest became that much heavier. But still, he couldn’t resist the urge to turn around and stare longingly. He sighed longingly as he watched her sink into the water.

“This is so much better than the small bathtub at home in the modern world,” Kyoko broke the silence as she glanced around. It was more like a hidden swimming pool really. This spot was so peaceful and secluded. Trees and small shrubs surrounded the hot spring, giving her absolute privacy. ‘The stone ledge on one side would be nice for sunbathing.’ she thought randomly with a smile. She hummed in contentment as she floated on top of the water.

After floating in the water for a moment, she decided she’d better get on with the cleansing part. She lathered her hair then ducked under the water to rinse, coming up with a splash, only to put more stuff on her hair and do it again. Then before getting out, she took time to scrub her clothes clean, hoping the sun would dry them quickly.

Sneaking closer, Shinbe watched intently from the security of a bush about ten feet away. He took in the curves of her body. Gods, she was beautiful… like a goddess emerging from the spring. She tied a cloth around her upper torso before wrapping one around her hair then ever so slowly she dried her body.

He’d watched her bathe in secret many times before, but never been able to stick around long enough to enjoy this part. Usually someone came looking for him before she had time to finish. He sighed as she slowly ran the cloth down her long legs. Pain found him causing him to grit his teeth as she put on those small pieces of clothing that covered her most precious places. It was all he could do not to take the few steps that would put her within reaching distance.

A crunching sound suddenly came from the opposite side of the hot springs. Shinbe heard it, and so had Kyoko because she stood frozen in place. They both listened intently for more sounds. Another twig snapped but this time it came from a bush closer to Kyoko. He watched in horror as Kyoko walked straight up to a large shrub, holding her towel in front of her like a shield, and called out.

“Okay, Shinbe! I know it’s you! Come out… so I can slap you!” Kyoko waited, eyeing the shrub wearily. Shinbe was a known peeping tom. She cocked an eyebrow in annoyance, and he was the only one around so…. The bush shook gently. “I know you’re there, and when Toya finds out your spying on me, he’s probably gonna kill you. Not to mention, I’m sure Suki won’t mind beating on you either.”

The shrub shook again and a long black pointy leg came out from behind the tangled limbs.

“What the…!” Kyoko turned to run just as a very large demonic scorpion climbed out from behind the vegetation. She ran towards her clothes where she had left her crossbow inside the pack.

“Kyoko! Get down!” Shinbe came running out of the opposite bushes with a big stick raised in his hand like a spear. He threw it at the demon. The red eyed scorpion saw it coming and swung one leg around, blocking the pointed weapon, and sent it sailing through the air. It landed at Kyoko’s feet, just as she bent down to pick up her crossbow. Her brow twitched as she realized just how close that had come to hitting her.

Shinbe ran towards her, bending down to pick up the stick. With a quirk of an eyebrow, he looked at Kyoko and grinned crookedly. “Why Kyoko, I do believe you are just a little under dressed for killing a demon.” His grin grew wider at the look on her face. Then her look turned to pure horror.

Feeling a foreboding chill race up his back, Shinbe turned around, swinging his makeshift staff wildly as the scorpion demon lunged at them. He was able to hit one hairy leg, but the other struck him in the side, throwing him away from Kyoko. Shinbe’s blood froze as the deadly scorpion stalked closer to the priestess.