LITMIR.BIZ

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he needs a reason to yell at her?” Shinbe shrugged his shoulders, as if he didn’t have a clue, all the while hoping no one could sense his guilt.

      Toya sat in a tree next to Sennin’s hut and listened to their banter as they approached. He heard Shinbe’s comment and wanted to beat him to a pulp. But after he thought about it, it was best not to tell them what he’d seen. His eyes glowed with silver sparks as he thought about the kiss. Deciding to hold it in for now, Toya leaned back in the tree and closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep.

      â€œAre ye awake, Toya?” Sennin called up to him.

      Toya continued to ignore the old man. It wasn’t like he owed him anything.

      Sennin paused wanting to make his point anyway, “Ye sure did it this time. Ye couldn’t wait until she was back for a while longer?”

      Toya leaned forward and glared at Sennin, “Shut up, you old man. You don’t even know what you’re talking about.” He jumped down and headed towards the forest.

      Shinbe sighed with relief. He was worried that Toya would tell them about the innocent kiss, and he’d have to explain. ‘Did I think innocent?’ he thought to himself feeling something heavy settle in the pit of his stomach. If it was so innocent, why did he keep thinking about how soft her lips were when they pressed against his? At that thought, he groaned and went into the hut.

      Kaen, an ally to the guardians, better described as a fire sprite, appeared before Kamui with a grin. He often helped train Kamui and was very protective of him during battle. It helped that Kaen could change from human form into a dragon… it made the training that much more intense. They practiced sparring outside the hut as Sennin and Suki glanced at each other.

      Suki shrugged her shoulders and they entered the hut. Shinbe was lying on a mat, propped up on his elbow with his back to them. They watched him, but neither said anything about his depressed mood. Suki started the cooking fire, while Sennin prepared the food for dinner, both glancing over at him as he sighed.

      *****

      Toya stayed away from the hut all day, until the sun began to sink low in the sky. He approached silently as he heard Sennin and Suki talking quietly. His enhanced guardian hearing picked up every word whispered from their lips.

      â€œDo you think he’s sick, Sennin?” Suki asked worriedly as she stared at Shinbe, who was still lying on his blanket, sound asleep.

      â€œAi, he ate not a bite,” the old man answered as he cleaned the dinner bowls.

      â€œI sure hope he’s not coming down with something. Without Kyoko’s help, we’re really going to need him tomorrow when we go looking for the missing talisman,” Suki shrugged as she unrolled her sleeping mat.

      â€œAi, I will make him some herbal tea when he awakens.” Sennin didn’t think the guardian was sick because they had such high immunity to human illnesses. Truth was… he had never known one to become ill. It had to be something much deeper than that.

      His old brown eyes sharpened as he thought of the missing talisman. Since the guardian heart crystal had been shattered, the small slivers talisman had been popping up everywhere, and usually in the wrong hands. Any weak demon that held a talisman became strong and very dangerous. Hyakuhei’s evil army seemed to be growing every day. Lately, he had felt the evil getting closer.

      Toya stood outside the hut debating whether or not to go in, when he heard his name mentioned.

      â€œI wonder what Toya was so upset about that it made Kyoko want to go home,” Suki stifled a yawn.

      Sennin nodded, “Ye would think he’d have learned his lessons by now. We need her just as much as we need the guardians.”

      Suki sat down on her mat, brushing aside some imaginary dirt, “Well it didn’t take him long to make her angry. I bet he said something about her smelling like alcohol.” She turned to glare at Kamui when she heard muffled laughter coming from him. Picking up a comb Kyoko had given her, she threw it at him, hitting him on the head, “I thought you were asleep!”

      Sennin laughed at the two as he walked to the door, “Goodnight Suki… Kamui.”

      Toya stood outside the hut. He’d forgotten about Kyoko smelling like alcohol. So, he didn’t have to tell them what really happened, although it would be nice to get Shinbe in trouble with Suki. He grinned. She’d be so angry with him she’d beat him into the next century.

      Jumping into the tree, Toya let out a laugh at the thought of Suki smacking Shinbe, knowing his brother would never lift a finger to stop her.

      Chapter 5 "Dangerous Jealousy"

      Kyoko was miserable. All she could think about was Shinbe and Toya and that stupid kiss. She lay under the soft covers wide-awake, pondering how she could possibly want to be kissed by either of them. One was Shinbe, the lecherous guardian that flirted with every woman he came in contact with. He’d probably had more women than she could count on her hands, yet just the thought of his kiss sent her swooning.

      The other was Toya, who yelled at her for little things and tried to always be the boss of every move she made. Still, sometimes he could be so sweet. They both could. She thumped her head back against the pillow and sighed. It was strange how she used to think of only Toya before she went to sleep, but for a while now, the thoughts had been slowly changing to Shinbe. Shinbe… She drifted off to sleep dreaming about him yet again.

      *****

      Shinbe awoke in the middle of the night covered in sweat, another dream. He whimpered as he stood up. Why did he have to keep thinking about her? She was driving him over the edge. He looked around making sure Suki and Kamui still slept. Slipping through the room like a ghost, he exited the hut, and took a deep breath looking up at the sky. That’s when he noticed Toya staring down at him from the lower branches of the tree right in front of the hut.

      â€œWhat?” Shinbe didn’t want another confrontation right now, but the way Toya was glaring at him was just irritating.

      Toya sniffed the air and growled, sensing Shinbe’s arousal, “What are you doing, guardian?”

      Shinbe bowed his head and placed his fingers against his temple as if he were getting a headache, though that was impossible for an immortal. “I am going for a midnight stroll, not that it is any concern of yours.”

      Toya growled again, jumping down from his perch above Sennin’s hut. He walked around Shinbe as if stalking his prey. “I’m sure you are,” Toya continued circling him.

      Shinbe watched him out of the corner of his eye, a bored expression on his face, but mentally ready for Toya to strike. “I don’t know what you are implying, Toya. But if you don’t mind, I really don’t need you to hold my hand.”

      Toya stopped his intimidating circling, and appeared directly in front of Shinbe so fast it caused a breeze. “Stay away from Kyoko, you hear me? If I think for one minute, you touched her… ” He jerked his arm down by his side and let one of the twin daggers form in his palm as he narrowed his gaze on the other guardian, “I won’t think twice about killing you, brother or not.”

      Shinbe couldn’t stand Toya’s heavy-handedness, “Yes, I understand. Now, if you don’t mind.”

      Toya moved to the side, letting Shinbe pass. ‘I don’t trust that guardian,’ Toya thought to himself.

      Shinbe walked into the forest. He didn’t care where he was going. He just wanted to get as far away as possible from Toya’s knowing eyes. Yes, he knew Toya would kill him when he found out what he did, but at least he’d die a happy man. He sighed looking up into the star filled night, “Aw, Kyoko. Why did you have to leave? Damn Toya.” He swung his staff out in front of him and

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