The Heart Of Time. Amy Blankenship

smiled but only inwardly so she wouldn’t see it. Well, he could tell she still had life in her and he wasn’t disappointed in that. It only made him want to see more. "Mr. Lord, but you may call me Kyou, unless you like Lord better." He nailed her with a heated look.

      Kyoko returned that heated look, "Why… Am… I… Here?" She said the words slowly and one at a time, as if she was talking to a child. There, let’s see him glide his way out of that one. ‘Mr. Lord, my ass.’ Kyoko huffed to herself, never breaking eye contact with him.

      Having read her mind, Kyou's golden eyes glowed as they narrowed on her emerald ones. He leaned a little closer to her, knowing he would intimidate her by doing so. He could smell it.

      "Your priestess powers are weak and untrained, or you would know why I know you are a priestess," he almost hissed at her, losing his composure for only a moment before his calm facade slipped back into place. "I will teach you martial arts along with strengthening… what you lack."

      To Kyoko, the last of what he said almost sounded like an insult. Being the little hothead she was known for, she leaned in almost face to face with him, and the sarcasm was thick. "Maybe I only hide my true power, then when I find a deserving target, I release it." Anger was making her fearless, or stupid, at the moment she wasn't sure which one.

      Kyou leaned in even closer, dipping his lips close to hers so his hot breath would caress her lips. He whispered in a dark voice, "Priestess.”

      Chapter 4 "Pay Attention"

      Kyoko jerked back from him, all of a sudden feeling vibes coming off him that she wasn’t supposed to feel. Something was going on here and she felt like she was the last one to know about it.

      "I need answers," she whispered in a nervous voice, biting her bottom lip in hopes of getting rid of the tickling sensation Kyou had created. She wished briefly that she could get rid of the breathtaking shivers that decided to take the bullet train through her nervous system.

      Inhaling her scent and feeling his blood instantly heat, Kyou leaned back. He had seen the girl’s small body shiver but not in revulsion. Glancing down, he almost smirked when he saw her arms come alive with goose bumps.

      â€œWhy are you suppressing your power? You need to be aware of your surroundings before the past is repeated." The slightly arrogant voice told her.

      Kyoko gulped, "What do you mean by that?" She tensed up.

      "You are aware there are immortals here at the school, are you not?" His eyes were glittering with something Kyoko had never seen, and his voice was harsh as if he were disapproving. “Demons are closing in around us as we speak.”

      Kyoko's eyes widened then narrowed. Was he playing with her? "What would lead you to think that there are guardians and demons here?" she demanded with an indignant scoff.

      In the blink of an eye Kyou had her by the arms and jerked her up, his head bowed down within an inch of her face. He growled angrily, "Pay attention."

      Kyoko blinked, not believing what she was seeing. Standing in front of her was not who she was talking to just a moment before. She was looking into unnaturally bright, pissed off, golden eyes, and under them was the whitest small fangs, and she could feel the claws that were at that moment unknowingly digging into her arm.

      His hair had lengthened to twice the length it had been only a moment before and seemed to almost float around him as if awaiting acknowledgment. With a startled yelp, Kyoko wrenched herself free from him and took a step back quickly, only for him to take a threatening step closer.

      "You’re a guardian?" she stuttered lamely.

      "And you are the priestess that should have already known that," he hissed stalking her even as he felt his anger fade.

      She turned to make a run for the door and instantly screamed when she felt strong arms wrap around her from behind.

      Kyou’s body tightened around her as she struggled. He lifted her off the ground as her feet kicked the air in her attempt to escape him. Giving her enough time to realize trying to free herself from him was futile, he placed his lips near her ear and whispered, “You will stay until you are strong enough to free yourself from these arms priestess.”

      He then hauled her into the air, only to toss her again on the overstuffed sofa, where she landed with a slight bounce. Now that she was once again face to face with him, Kyoko gave him a furious scream and then blinked again when his appearance turned back to the man she had been talking to.

      She glared at him angrily, balling her fist up, "What the hell is going on?"

      Kyou stood calmly before her, the only difference this time was his eyes were still glowing, "You will stay here." He leaned down toward her, "You will let me train you." He placed his hands on the back of the sofa efficiently trapping her, "And this time, you will win without sacrifice." His nose was almost touching hers as he hissed the last of the statement, now showing his displeasure.

      Kyoko leaned back into the sofa as far as it would allow, returning his heated gaze, but she still didn’t sense any threat from him. Even if he wasn’t human, he had no intent to harm her. She frowned at him realizing what he had just said.

      "This time?" Her voice was soft, "What do you mean… This time?"

      Kyou inhaled deeply, "You may have forgotten, but I have not." Her scent surrounded him and he felt the familiar twinge of pain around his forgotten heart, but she had to know the truth, "We have fought together in the past priestess, and the time is drawing near that we will have to do so again."

      Kyoko's eyes softened for an instant, "Who are you?"

      "Your guardian. Kyoko, I know you have forgotten because you sacrificed your memories of us in order to bring the Guardian Heart Crystal back to this world." His gaze searched hers and his voice became a mere whisper, "You must trust me."

      Even though he’d just tried to frighten her everything within her was telling her to trust him. "I do… trust you." As soon as she whispered the words, she found herself pulled into his arms. At first she stiffened, then feeling the blanket of warmth that surrounded her, she gave in to the embrace relaxing against him in serene confusion.

      Kyou couldn’t help it. He had been carrying the worry of rejection for far too long, and hearing those words lifted the weight of the world off his tense shoulders. He crushed her to him, surrounding himself with her scent as he nuzzled his face into her hair.

      "Stay this time," He whispered in a moment of weakness.

      Kyoko could feel the tenderness in his words and in his arms but still, he had just scared the hell out of her a few minutes ago, and now he was holding her as if his very life depended on it. She was caught between fearing him and wanting to reach out and caress his smooth cheek.

      She was full of questions and mumbled into his chest, "I want to remember what you say I have forgotten. What do I need to know?"

      Kyou closed his golden eyes not wanting to return to the real world just yet… she was right where she belonged… in his arms. With a sigh, he unwillingly released her back onto the sofa and moved to sit beside her.

      Running his hand through his overly-long bangs, Kyou took a deep breath to calm his raging instincts. Stilling his desires, he focused on the wall in front of him and began to tell her what he wanted her to know. Hearing something was not the same as remembering it.

      "You will have help. All the people here that arrived the same way you did, on the scholarships, I have gathered for you. They do not remember you and you do not remember them, but they fought with you then, and they will fight with you again when the time comes," his voice was laced with a hint of memories of the past.

      Kyoko's eyes widened, "Suki and Shinbe?" She asked wondering why she believed him so readily.

      Kyou nodded, "I see you have met them. Yes, you were very close to them, as well as Toya who protected