Kuro Kishi : Akuma no Joō - Dark Knight: Dark Queen (A Fruits Basket x Kuroshitsuji Crossover)

Chapter Twenty-Four: Time's Running Out

Tessa woke from her meditative trance with a start. She wasn't entirely sure what it was that had broken into her awareness, but something was off. Were her security wards still in place? Yes. They didn't seem to have been breached, but she still couldn't help but feel that something was wrong with them.

She traced a mental finger down the intricate web of magic she'd infused around her den, a spider web design that fanned out several blocks worth of space. Such a large field would give her more time to plan any counter assault, not that she exactly expected trouble, but she also couldn't be too careful. After all, she'd sensed the energies of a demon in the general area, not to mention that strange thread of energy she'd found at the Sohma's house.

There it was again, like the faintest of breezes brushing against spider silk, not actually touching it, but causing it to vibrate ever so slightly despite that non-contact. Where was it coming from? She closed her eyes to hone in more closely to the source of the vibration. What was causing it? Could it be a human with a bit more spiritual energy than the usual? Always a possibility. Or was it something much more pressing on her plans?

She couldn't leave it to chance. There was too much at stake. After all, she had all but won over this strange cat boy's soul. A couple more hours would see the deed irreparably done and his life tied to hers until she chose to cut him off like dead wood. The only loose ends, as far as she could see, were cutting out those who would remember him, those who would know something was amiss by his absence. She either had to alter their minds to forget him, or get rid of them.

The invisible threads thrummed again and she smiled a bit in triumph. She'd pinpointed the location, near one of the further warehouses. She could sense several souls in the area. Some were walking in twos, probably early morning joggers. There were also a few solo individuals, but they didn't seem to be anything more than a few street thugs like she'd encounters when she'd first chosen this location. That kind was easy to get rid of, easy to feed on, with no one to really wonder what had happened to them, though they had been staying more clear of the area as of late.

Tessa's smile turned to a frown. She couldn't discern any souls that could have caused the alarm. And none of those she had sensed were quite close enough to set the thread vibrating. Something was definitely wrong.

She strode towards the storage room she'd stashed her little pet, throwing the door open with a spell. "Get up."

Kyo's eyes were instantly open, his body moving to stand, waiting for the next order.

She was tempted to take another little nibble of his energies, but refrained. She needed to concentrate. "Your eyes are my eyes," she said. "I have sensed something out of place and you will investigate. Let this be a test of your abilities to see if I'm right about you."

Kyo didn't so much as make a sign that he acknowledged her orders, his glazed over eyes staring blankly. She had not yet issued the order, though, deep down, where his consciousness still struggled to not be snuffed out, he balked, not sure if he should try to exert hold over his own body or not. It was more than maddening to realize that he had no control over his body.

She pointed a finger towards the open door. "Go. Observe. But don't be seen. I want to know what is going on out there without tipping our hand."

He marched forward, crouching down low as he passed under the doorframe, and then bounded out like a jungle cat after its prey.

Tessa closed here eyes, melding her sight with his, watching his dizzying progress into the night. Perhaps now would be a good time to delve a bit deeper into his memories, to see what else she could learn.