The Heart Of Time. Amy Blankenship

As she watched those eyes she could have sworn… she could see glitter of every color appear within his irises.

      Toya now stood behind Kyoko. Seeing her sudden stop, he noted she was staring at Kamui. ‘So she can detect immortals now,’ Toya thought to himself. Reaching down, he grabbed her arm, "Come on, I’ll introduce you.”

      Toya had found a soft spot for Kamui as soon as he had met the boy. All he really knew about him was that he had no parents and had grown up in foster care till Kyou had offered him a place here.

      Kyoko let herself be half pulled and half dragged by Toya toward the stranger. She could tell he was also immortal, but could also sense an awesome kindness. She let her senses explore his aura and found warmth there and… a hidden innocence belonging only to a child.

      "Hiya Toya, who you got here?" Kamui’s glittering eyes were watching her in fascination. He felt like he had been waiting for her for so long… even though he had no idea who she was. It was as if he had missed her terribly. It felt like he could suddenly breathe again and he even inhaled to prove that fact, but when he did he caught her scent and found it also seemed so familiar.

      Looking at Toya, he asked, “What did you do… go capture yourself a girlfriend?” Kamui smirked as his eyes lit up with humor.

      â€œHell no,” Toya growled. “She’s not my type at all.”

      â€œHow would you know? You've never had a girlfriend.” Kamui laughed out loud at his own joke.

      Kyoko tried hard not to giggle but seeing the mirth in Kamui’s eyes coupled with the dark expression on Toya’s face made it impossible.

      "This is Kyoko," Toya turned to her, releasing her arm as if he just remembered he was touching her. "Kyoko, this is Kamui. He is also here on scholarship, and will be in the same classes that you are in."

      â€œYeah, I’m one of the freeloaders here,” Kamui said with a straight face, causing Kyoko to lose the ability to hold in the laughter she had barely contained in the first place.

      She turned to Kamui and stuck out her hand. With a very friendly smile, keeping her secret inside that if he was here on scholarship, then she knew that he was her friend in the past, "Hi Kamui, it’s nice to meet you. How long have you been here at the academy?"

      Kamui already liked this friendly girl. "About two years. So what’s hothead doing? Showing you around?" he looked at Toya smirking, then back at her, softening his smile. The mischievous side of his personality came forth and he took Kyoko’s hand in his own. Bowing down slightly, he brought her soft hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles.

      Kamui almost laughed at the heated glare he was receiving from Toya. Only an idiot wouldn’t be able to see the obvious attraction the other man had for the lovely Kyoko.

      Kyoko blushed slightly and giggled at the term ‘hothead’. Seeing Toya glare at Kamui, she grinned. "Actually we are trying to find Shinbe and Suki right now. Have you seen them any…"

      Before Kyoko had even finished, someone grabbed her arm, pulling her from between Kamui and Toya. With a quick glance, Kyoko found herself looking into the worried face of Suki.

      "Did everything go okay Kyoko? You are staying, aren’t you?" Suki sounded almost pleading.

      Kyoko nodded suddenly hearing Kyou’s soft voice whispering for her to stay. "I’m not going anywhere." She nodded over Suki's shoulder at Shinbe seeing he seemed just as satisfied as Suki at her answer.

      Toya lifted an eyebrow at Kyoko's words. He wondered exactly what Kyou said to her to make her so determined to stay. Now she was acting so different, she looked almost happy. Usually when Kyou talked to people alone… they would walk away unnerved for hours. The guy even had the ability to give him the creeps every once in a while.

      Kyoko took Suki's arm and started for the stairs, “You have got to help me find something to wear tonight, if we are going dancing." The two girls huddled, talking as they walked. They acted like they had known each other forever.

      Shinbe, Kamui and Toya watched the two girls disappear up the stairs. Shinbe asked Toya in a worried voice, "Does she know about what’s really going on here?"

      Toya watched Kyoko’s lips moving as she talked to Suki, "Yeah, I think she does." Then turning back to them, he changed the subject, "Kamui, are you coming with us tonight?"

      Shinbe did a double take. "Toya? Are you really going to come dancing?" his voice sounded shocked. 'That doesn’t sound like Toya,' he thought to himself.

      "Hey, I was told to watch her like a hawk, so I guess I have no choice, now do I?" Toya acted annoyed so they would think he was doing this against his will. But in truth, he suddenly didn’t want to lose sight of her.

      His pulse thumped under his skin, as if to tell him to protect her at all costs, no matter if he had been told to do so or not. It wasn’t helping that he now had a mental picture of Kyoko moving around suggestively to a thumping beat on a crowded dance floor. It made his protective instincts surface and he suddenly would rather she not go.

      A soft growl made its way from Toya’s throat and he shook his head trying to rid himself of the thought of too many eyes on her… eyes that did not belong.

      "Yeah, sounds like fun. I’m going too,” Kamui chimed in. "We have to do something on the weekends to take our minds off this place." He felt almost lightheaded with relief knowing Kyoko would be around from now on. “Plus we need to find a girlfriend for Toya,” he chimed in innocently.

      â€œWho says I need a girlfriend, you little twerp,” Toya growled as he popped Kamui on the top of his head. “You wouldn’t know what a girlfriend was if she bit you on the ass.”

      Shinbe grinned, “I think I’m the only one here who knows what a girlfriend is, but I can show you two virgins if you want the experience.” He took a quick step back when they both turned and gave him murderous looks.

      Quickly changing the subject, Shinbe nodded then slid a little closer to Toya. "Kyou ordered you to watch after Kyoko?" his gaze drifted in the direction she’d gone. "You know… lately I have felt a shift in the balance around here, like something is getting ready to happen. Evil is getting closer. I wonder if she has something to do with it." Shinbe's instincts were almost always right and it worried him.

      Toya had felt it too, and he wanted answers. "Well, no time like the present. Why don’t I just go upstairs and ask frosty for the truth?" He knew Kyou was hiding something and he was going to find out what it was.

      Before Shinbe could stop him, Toya had already taken off for the stairs. Shinbe cringed, "I hate it when they are in the same room. I’ve seen it, and it’s not pretty. They act like brothers or something.” His amethyst eyes trailed the stairs, watching Toya take them two at a time.

      Kamui nodded, knowing Kyou scared the hell out of him sometimes. "Better him than me. I’ll see you tonight." he took off, leaving Shinbe standing there by himself, still watching the stairs.

      Deep within Shinbe’s mind where his guardian powers reflected within his mirror self, he wondered at the familiar feeling he had for the priestess who had just ascended them. He searched deep inside his soul for the truth as he closed his eyes.

      Once his amethyst eyes opened again, they glittered with secrets that were only his to know.

      *****

      Kyou was lost in thought about how to handle Kyoko, now that he had her where he wanted her. He was abruptly interrupted, hearing pounding on the door. Blinking a couple of times, he suppressed the urge to roll his golden eyes, knowing that it could only be Toya. Kyou gave the door a glare, just as it opened without invitation.

      Toya walked straight in, instantly seeking out his target, and spotted Kyou reclining on the sofa. "What the hell is going on with Kyoko?"