The next three days, I busied myself with the duties of a preistess. I tried to get the demon out of my head, but I couldn't do it. He was kind, but had a problem with his pride. I smiled to myself, and brushed my pitch black hair behind my ear.

"Lady Aurora! Lady Aurora!" My little sister's voice rang out. I turned to see my sister, her chocolate brown hair whiping behind her as she ran.

When she reached me, she grabbed my white kimono and pulled me down to her height.

"What is it, Korime?" I asked, setting my bow down. 

"A man is asking for you! I was out washing our clothes, when a man with silver hair stumbled into the clearing and saw me. He immediately asked for you!" Korime rattled off.

A deep sense of foreboding rose inside of me, as I stood up. I took her hand and dragged her behind me, my bow forgotten. 

"Show me where he is, sister," I commanded. She nodded and ran ahead of me. I lenghtened my stride to match her run. When we entered the clearing, the scent of blood assaulted my nose. I gagged and looked for Inu no Taishou. I saw him leaning up against a tree.

I ran to him and placed my hands on his shoulders. 

"Inu no Taishou!" I said, shaking him. His eyes opened and met mine. He tried to smile, but it came out as a grimace of pain.

"What the hell happened to you!?" I demanded, helping him sink to the ground. I brushed the hair from his face and slipped his arm over my shoulders. I stood up, and watched him closely.

"I'm... The same wound. I think the poison was in there," He muttered. 

I frowned in worry, and started to haul him to my village.

"Where are we going?" He asked as he tried to walk with me. 

"My village. I can help you there a lot better. Just relax and try to walk." He nodded as my voice reached him. 

When we entered the village, the people saw me and the demon and started yelling for weapons. Rage boiled beneath my skin as I saw them readying to kill the poor demon. 

I took a deep breath and summoned my command-giving voice. Even to me, that voice was super scary. It was cold, and authoritive. 

"Stop what you are doing! This demon is under my protection! Anyone caught harming him, or trying to kill him will be severly punished! Do you understand me?" My voice ran through the village, and Inu no Taishou stared at me reproachfully.

All the villagers stopped gathering weapons and glared at me. But being the preistess, I could easily let demons kill them, so they were trapped. Kill a demon, and be killed. I smiled in triumph as the lord's son walked over to me. 

"The lord wants the demon gone, Lady," He said icily. I narrowed my eyes at him. Lately, he had been asking for my hand in marrige but I had refused. I tightened my grip on the demon and brushed past the lord's son. 

"Then tell him if he kills the man, I won't protect the village, only the jewel," I tossed over my shoulder. I reached my little home and lugged him inside. I sat him down on my sleeping mat and saw him sniff a little.

"What? Do I smell that bad?" I asked lightly, as I helped him lay back. He smiled up at me and winced in pain. At the wince, all lightness faded from my face and was replaced but determination.

"Sister Aurora?" I heard.

I turned my head and saw Korime. I smiled and beckoned her over. She walked over slowly, eying Inu no Taishou with distrust. I placed my hand on his forehead, a sign to my sister that she could trust him.

"Sister Korime, I need you to get the Iris and Lily paste that I made this morning. And, to add a little training, why do I use it? And how?" I told her, pausing before I slid the cloth off of Inu no Taishou's upper body. He closed his eyes and left me wondering if he was going to sleep.

"The Lily and Iris paste is used to create a barrier around a vital organ. The heart, or brain. You spread the paste over the organ and infuse your own spiritual power in the paste, and it protects that organ for a week," Korime said, bringing me the paste. 

I nodded and dipped my fingers in the oily, slippery, and really good smelling paste and spread it over Inu no Taishou's heart. His eyes flew open and he eyed my fingers. I smiled at him, and spread some of the paste over his forehead. He growled and my fingers froze on his skin.

"What?" I demanded, shock ebbing away into anger.

"That feels..." He blushed and looked away. "Never-"

"It feels what? Cold? Oily? Icky? Nice?" I demanded, setting the bowl down, and wiping my fingers on his old shirt. I could feel his eyes on me, but I ignored it. I placed on my hands over his heart and closed my eyes.

"You better not kill me," He growled out.

I paused, trying to stifle the laughter that wanted to explode, but... Soon, I hit the floor and laughed so hard, I turned red in the face. Inu no Taishou stared at me, then seemed to realize what he said.

"I'm so sorry, I-" 

I waved my hand to exuse him. It was funnier than it was offensive. I sighed, and put my hands back over his heart.

"Now, don't talk or I will kill you," I told him, smirking. He bared his teeth playfully and relaxed. 

I focused on pushing some of my power into the paste, and around his heart. I could feel my strength ebbing, but I hissed in a deep breath and focused on finishing it. Once I was sure the heart had a barrier that couldn't be pennatrated by poison, or stuff that could kill it, I worked on the brain.

That was harder, since things had to be going in and out of the thing, but I managed it. It seemed stronger than the heart barrier. Good...

My body hit the floor, and I drew in a shuddering breath. Stupid powers draining my strength because my power was inside him... I grumbled silently. I felt him trying to sit up, but stayed down. My head hurt, and I could feel my strength coming back. Super, duper slowly. 

I felt hands grip my arms and pull me into a sitting position.

"Sister Aurora!" I heard fuzzily.

"Mmmhmmm mmm hhmmhhmm?" I mumbled. I felt shaking around me and I frowned. I punched whatever held me. "Stop shaking... I'm tired.."

I felt the shaking increase and "humphed."

"I'm sorry, Lady Aurora. It's just, you fell on the floor, and I feel a little bit better, so I helped you like you helped me. And... You sounded funny."

I sighed and leaned up against Inu no Taishou's chest and breathed deeply. His smell was odd, but oddly enticing. It was musky, spicy, and... homey. He smelled like home. I inhaled his scent and relaxed. I could feel my strength returning and opened my eyes and found my face was buried in the demon's chiseled chest. I pulled back and gave him a tentive smile.

"You should relax. I need to get a few anti poison herbs... Wait, Korime? Do you remember the herbs I showed you that fight poison?" I asked.

She nodded and eyed my position. I realized I was still in his arms, but I ignored it. 

"Go get me some, please. There should be ten of the twelve in out storage supply, but I need all twelve. Get the ones in storage and give them to me, then get the other two from the forest, got it?" I told her.

She nodded and disappeared. I pulled away from his grasp and stood up.

"I'll be right back." I looked at his wound. "I need to clean that and apply some herbs to that." I scowled at him. "You make me work harder than sick month in the village."

He chuckled and watched as I left the room. I grabbed a wooden bucket for water, and saw Korime running toward me.

I knelt down and looked into her eyes.

"Korime, I need you to crush those up and let them sit while I get water, okay?"

She nodded.

"Why are you helping the demon? And are you smitten with him?" She asked.

I froze and fell over onto my side with a loud "thump." I could feel the muscles in my face twitching. 

"No I am not smitten with him, Korime! Now go do what I just told you!" I snapped, jerking into a standing position and storming over to the river. I filled the bucket with cold water and walked back. 

Just as I entered, I heard someone fall to the ground. I hurried over as fast as possible, so I didn't spill the water. I set it down just as I entered and saw Korime looking down at Inu no Taishou. His face was twitching and his arm was twicthing too.

And then it hit me.

"You didn't ask him, did you?" I demanded, glaring at Korime. She grinned.

"Maybe."

"I'll take that as a yes," I muttered. I picked the water back up and dismissed Korime so she could get the last two herbs. I grabbed a clean cloth and started to gently clean the wound. He stared at me, his lips twitching into a smile. 

I smiled back, and set down the cloth and got the paste like substance that Korime made. I helped Inu no Taishou sat up and helped him eat the paste like stuff.

He grimaced while he ate it, but he made it through. I smiled and set the bowl down. I wiped the paste from his head and heart, knowing the barrier was strong enough to stand by itself. 

He laid down and closed his eyes. I smiled and stood up, and cleaned the room a little. I put the bucket by the door, his shirt by the bucket, and pulled my hair into a white ribbon. 

And then I heard his groan.

I spun around and saw his face was a fine, light green. I scrambled over to him and wrapped my arms around his chest.

"Inu no Taishou! Stay with me!" I yelled. I slapped his face, not knowing what was happening. I knew it had something to do with the poison, but it didn't stop me from smacking him a lot. His eyes finally flew open and he stared at me. Without thought, he pulled me into a hug andevened out his breathing. 

I sighed into his shoulder. He was okay,but I was going to need to keep an eye on him.  

"Are you okay?" I asked. 

"Yes, because of you. Thank you."

I blushed in the hug and went limp. He was okay, and he thanked me. He almost died. I hugged him to me. I was not going to let him die. I was too used to death. I felt a single tear slide down my cheek and his the skin of his shoulder.

No more death, I vowed. I will not let that happen.