By Alex
Author’s
Note – This wouldn't be here if not
for my beta, Ralf, the miracle worker, thanks bunches. Also a big thanks to all
of you that continue to send feedback, it keeps the motor running. ~A~
Dedication
– Dedication: To Diana my source of inspiration, Miss your wit, miss your
wisdom, miss you. Hope you are better
and back soon.
<>thoughts<>
*****flashbacks****
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Countess Hela sat on her makeshift throne, idly tormenting
the nearly dead young woman suspended from the ceiling in front of her. She
hated waiting.
Ten large vampires lounged around the room, awaiting her orders
to proceed with the mission the Countess had assigned them earlier in the
evening.
The large Latino servant Max entered the room and hurried to his
beloved mistress’ side.
“Your grace.” Max said as he bowed reverently and kissed the
exotically beautiful demoness’ offered hand. “There is news of your Slayer and
her Witch.”
She smiled at her pet psychotic and signaled her pleasure at his
worship.
<>Soon they will all bow to me as my Max does.<>
Hela told herself. “Tell me my dearest Max,” she purred. “What are my little
future pets up to?”
“Your scouts have reported that they are out and alone,” her
favorite and only willing human servant reported. “According to reports the two
are heading toward the old cemetery just as you predicted, your grace. The
scout stayed with them long enough to be sure of their destination then it came
straight here.”
“Very good, my precious Max,” she cooed as she lightly ran her
talons across his massive muscular chest rewarding him with her touch. “It will
soon be time to leave. Once we have them we will be going home to the jungle
house. I grow tired of this place.”
“Anything for you, your grace.” Max moaned trembling in the
ecstasy of her attentions. “I await your commands.”
“Of course,” the Countess sighed, smiling benevolently at the
enraptured man. Then she rose from her throne. She reached up and released the
girl’s body letting it fall to the cold stone floor.
Max looked down on the broken yet still living anonymous female
on the floor. He smirked as he remembered how arrogant and aloof she was when
she’d first arrived.
She had looked down her nose at him like he was a lowly peasant.
He smiled coldly as he thought about how she’d bragged about being chosen by
the Countess.
<>My how the mighty have fallen.<> Max thought with
a smirk. <>From top of the world to pet food in 24 hours.<>
As the psychotic butler followed his beloved mistress toward the
awaiting vampires, the first of the small demon-spawn creatures came out of the
shadows and began sniffing the immobile object. It was soon joined by its’
siblings.
Sensing no threat they began feasting on the helpless quivering,
screaming girl.
Max walked away laughing as the girl’s screams soon died down to
a gurgle. His mistress came to her cadre of vampires that was awaiting her
orders. They snapped to attention at her approach.
Their fear of both her and her human assistant, was almost
palpable in the air as they watched her glowing red eyes inspecting them.
“Alright my children,” the Countess Hela purred in her deep
rasping voice. “It is time for you to prove your worthiness to serve me.
Remember, the Slayer and her witch-kit are to be taken with a minimum of
damage. Also my dear Kresis is fair game. In fact I do not want him to live
through the night. Follow my orders and your rewards will be great, fail me and
your short lives will be exquisitely painful. Now go, I will join you shortly.”
The vampires rushed out determined to follow the Countess’
orders to the letter, even those that hadn’t been in her service long had seen
enough to have no doubt that she was quite capable of carrying out her every
threat.
“Stay with me Max. I want you safe and unharmed my pet.” Hela
purred while she absent-mindedly stroked the madman's shiny black hair. “We
will pick up the personal guards and go, so we can be there in case those fools
ruin my plans.”
“As you wish, your grace,” the psychotic Latino answered
breathlessly at his beloved mistress concern. “I am your to command always.”
“Of course you are, precious.” Hela laughed and signalled two
huge hulking, red skinned demons to follow as she left the room.
The Countess and her entourage left the house and headed to the
ambush point in the old cemetery. As the group walked through the streets Hela
confided her plans to Max.
“On the way back to the jungle house I think I will contact that
nice chaos demon in L.A.” she said speculativly. “I will have him gather up a
few playmates for us to take with us. What do you think Max?”
“As you wish your grace,” he answered then added
enthusiastically. “May I request one or two red heads this time? They are ever
so much fun and they scream so prettily.”
She looked at her favorite pet and was amused by his child like
manner when he made his request.
“Oh alright.” Hela said as if indulging a favorite child. “Just
remember, you are not allowed to break them without permission and only after
you have finished your duties. Is that understood?”
“Of course your grace,” he answered overwhelmed by her
generosity.
Hela chuckled at her pet’s excitement as they stepped into the
shadows of the night.
==============
Time moved like a snail on the edge of a razor blade for the
impatient Count Kresis. He knew he'd been played for a fool by his ex-mate
Hela. That she’d almost caused him to violate an edict from the master of
Tarsus, his home world.
No one, demon or not, aristocrat or commoner, would dare violate
one of his edicts.
Fortunately for Kresis he was able to discover the plot his ex
had hatched and now he had compiled evidence that she was completely insane.
It had taken him a while to figure out her entire plan. At first
he thought she was just trying to destroy him.
It was perfect, either the Slayer and her witch would do the job
or he would do away with one or both of them, then he would be hunted down and destroyed
by his own kind for violating one of the dark master’s orders.
That plan in and of itself was devious, vicious, and very nearly
perfect. But now after studying the reports of his scouts and infiltrators
along with Hela’s recent acts he had finally understood the real depths and
pure audacity of her plans, and the completeness of her insanity.
Kresis head spun at the unbelievability of what his ancient
nemesis was trying. Not only did Hela mean to destroy him, but she apparently
intended to use him to wear down the Slayer and her witch-kit until she was
able to take them, and after breaking them to her will that bitch was going to
use them as a weapon against the Council and quite possibly the Dark master
himself.
Kresis had to laugh at the irony of it all. Hela was always
talking about how he was so stupidly chauvinistic that he inevitably
underestimated his female adversaries.
Well he’d learned his lessons many earth centuries ago when the
Countess had betrayed him into exile.
Now here she was thinking that she alone could defeat the latest
incarnation of the great Sorceress or, even more ridiculous, that she could
separate the Sorceress from her Slayer now that they’d acknowledged each other.
He couldn’t believe that after all this time Hela was falling
for her own reputation and thought that she, or any other of their race had the
strength to do that.
It was obvious to him that she hadn’t felt the steadily
increasing power of the young witch-kit, but he had.
The first time they had clashed she had barely fought off his
assault. However this last time he had attacked her on several different planes
at once and although she had collapsed with exhaustion, Kresis had barely
survived the backlash caused by her power.
It struck him that Hela had no idea that every time the
Sorceress was pushed to her limits by a metaphysical attack, her powers
increased three-fold. He hadn’t known himself until he’d done some in depth
research, and the math.
This meant that Kresis had more working knowledge on the
situation than Hela.
“For the first time I’ve gotten a step ahead of my precious ex.”
Kresis told himself out loud, attracting the attention of his three remaining
retainers. Noticing this he turned to them. “Well I hope you are better at fighting
your own kind than you have been against the Slayer and her friends, because if
we fail tonight none of us will see tomorrow’s sunset.”
The Count spun with a flourish and left the room followed by his
retainers, all realizing they were headed for the battle of their un-lives.
This time they faced a far worse enemy then ever, not the Slayer
and the Sorceress, but a Countess of the First Circle and her small army of
their own kind. It was a toss as to which would kill them first.
The cemetery
was lit only by the soft eerie light of the crescent moon. The tombstones,
mausoleums, and surrounding trees cast strange shadows that were able to hide a
multitude of evils.
The tall dark
figure watched the two young women as they made their way across the grounds. A
patchy ground fog hid their feet to the ankles. A smile crossed his lips as he
watched the two make their way cautiously from shadow to shadow.
The figure had
watched with interest as the pair encountered young but determened vampires,
three encounters, three dusted vampires. It was clear to him that the petite
blonde and her red haired companion hadn’t lost anything since he’d last seen
them. They had taken out their opponents with impressive speed and efficiency of
motion.
He was
beginning to wonder what had prompted Giles’ frantic call for help. The
ex-watcher was not known to panic unnecessarily and the tall figure knew the
deceptively mild mannered man would not risk the inevitable temper fest if the
Slayer found out he was here, unless absolutely necessary.
After all
Buffy had made it quite clear his presence was no longer needed when she’d told
him of her new relationship with Willow. Granted he had not reacted well but
considering she'd just sprung it on him with no warning what so ever. What had
she expected?
The real
trouble was that by the time he’d had enough time to sort out how he really
felt about her newly discovered lifestyle, they’d already had a devastating
fight, complete with the usual vicious comments recriminations and nasty name
calling. He was sure that the young, sensitive girl wasn’t about to forgive
him.
Of course, in
her defense, she never would have been so enraged at him if he’d confined his
venomous verbal remarks to her. But when he’d verbally attacked Willow he
realized, too late, that he’d crossed the line.
Buffy had gone
ballistic, and in a flurry of punches and kicks she’d driven him from Giles’
home demanding that he never come near her or her friends again. He was told to
keep his bigoted, small-minded opinions away from them.
The next
evening he’d packed what he wanted of his belongings and left Sunnydale and not
returned until tonight.
Oh sure he’d
tried to apologize for his stupidity, but his one time love had coldly rebuked
each attempt without hearing them. At home he had a small mountain of returned
unopened letters, packages, flowers and candy as evidence of his heart felt
regret for hurting Buffy and her beloved witch, Willow.
<>If I’d
only kept it between us and left the love of her life out of it.<> the
brooding vampire speculated. <>All that would probably be behind us by
now and I wouldn’t have to hide to help her.<>
He sighed
deeply when he thought of how much he missed the easy camaraderie they’d shared
for years. How the sound of her laugh had been able to lift his soul from the
deepest abyss.
<>Well I
guess that’s all over now.<> he thought, as the almost constant
depression slipped back over him. <>There’s no way old Angel would be
welcome back in Sunnydale as far as Buffy Summers is concerned. Gods I miss
her, even just as a friend.<>
Angel’s
thoughts were interrupted when sudden movements appeared in the shadows that
the two girls were coming close to.
Buffy and
Willow walked through the cemetery as if this was any other night, but no
matter how casual they appeared on the surface, underneath they were both tensed
and on guard with every sense alert, scanning the depths of each shadow for
signs of the expected ambush.
As they went
along on their regular patrol, they tested and learned the limits of their
newly acquired mental link.
So far they’d
figured out that they shared thoughts and emotions but it wasn’t like they were
talking to each other. It was more like they instantly knew what the other was
thinking and feeling. They’d also figured out how to block each other out so
they each could have a certain amount of privacy.
When Willow
sensed a presence watching them earlier, she let Buffy have access to her
thoughts so she was warned.
To her
frustration the witch was unable penetrate the barriers the entity had erected
around itself and wasn’t able to identify it as friend or foe.
“Damn!” Willow
muttered under her breath. “I still can’t figure out who that is out there.”
“No prob
Wills.” Buffy said softly to reassure her friend. “If they weren't friendly...”
“...they would
have attacked by now.” Willow finished with a smirk. “I realize that but not
knowing makes me...”
“...nervous.”
Buffy finished, smiling back at her companion. “Relax Wills, I’ve got a feeling
I know...”
“Angel?”
Willow asked surprised at her lover’s thoughts.
"Yeah, I
think he’s trying to make amends for what he said,” the Slayer whispered. “I
know he’s sorry, but after 246 years you'd think he’d know better.”
Willow blurted
out a laugh at Buffy’s comment.
“How long ya’
gonna make him suffer?” Willow asked trying to hide her nervousness.
“Oh, I don’t
know,” Buffy said smiling secretly to her lover. “He looks so good when he
mopes, I'd hate to be the one to spoil his fun.”
Their levity
was interrupted when Buffy’s “Slayer sense” went off, alerting her to the
nearness of her favorite kind of opponents. Willow could feel her mate’s sudden
tension and immediately knew its’ cause.
Buffy stepped
back, placing herself between her beloved Willow and the shadows and assumed
her combat stance.
Three large extremely
mean looking vampires glided from the shadows.
“Hello
Slayer,” one of the creatures purred menacingly. “I can’t tell you how truly
delighted we are to see you.”
“Is that so?”
Buffy said, trying to buy time for her allies to get into position. She could
hear Willow chanting under her breath. “Do you really have that much of a death
wish, vamp?”
She used that
particular nickname for the undead because she knew how much they hated it.
“Ah that
remains to be seen, my tiny Slayer,” the spokesman said scoring a hit of his
own.
She looked at
the still handsome face of the lead vampire, and wondered if she’d ever met him
before he was turned, he looked familiar. She was going to ask but decided it
didn’t matter now and shrugged it off.
“No love, you’ve
never met him before.” Willow giggled into the Slayer’s ear. “He’s from out of
town. I think it’s time.”
Buffy turned
slightly and nodded her head to let her partner know she understood.
“So are we
here to fight or are you trying to bore me to death?” Buffy asked
sarcastically, contempt dripping from her voice. “Don’t any of you know
anything new?”
The lead
vampire snarled at the small blonde’s insult and losing control he launched
himself at the Slayer. She met his attack with a flurry of spinning kicks and
back fists that not only stopped the undead assailant, but began to drive him
back toward a big ornate tombstone.
One of his
allies snuck around behind Buffy in an attempt to blind side her.
“Buffy! Behind
you!” Willow shouted to warn her mate.
Thanks to
Willow’s warning Buffy caught the vamp’s movement and ducking under his punch,
she launched a side snap kick into his chest, jumping up as her second attacker
flew backwards to slam into a tombstone.
As he straightened
back up Buffy threw her arm forward releasing a long sharply pointed wooden
stake that blurred through the air to penetrate the vamp’s chest piercing his
heart.
Pain and
surprise registered on his face just in time for him to explode in a cloud of
dust.
The Slayer
turned her attention back to her original opponent.
Unobserved by
Buffy the third vampire launched a more cautious attack on the Slayer’s red
haired companion.
Surprised by
the attack Willow fell back using her staff to fend off the vampire’s assault.
When Buffy's
opponent suddenly turned and ran, she took off after him unaware that her
Willow wasn’t right behind her.
“Come on
Wills.” Buffy shouted enthusiastically over her shoulder. “I think this is it!”
Buffy ran at
full speed disappearing over a slight rise that placed her out of sight,
unaware that her single minded concentration had cut her off from her lover’s
thoughts.
Willow was too
busy holding back the third vampire that was slowly forcing her back toward an
old vine covered mausoleum.
The harder he
pressed, the harder she tried to concentrate. Finally her extra training and
natural defenses took over and the mystical eerie neon green glow of her
metaphysical powers began to rise. The brighter the glow the stronger her
counterattack became. The tide of battle slowly turned in Willow’s favor and as
she began pushing the vampire back she forgot to guard her own back.
A vampire that
neither Buffy nor Willow had detected earlier slipped out of the shadow of the
mausoleum and stealthily approached the witch from behind.
Knowing that
his mistress wanted this slender girl alive with a minimum of damage the vamp
was preparing to strike her from behind.
Anticipating
his rewards the vampire failed to check for any other possible opponents, an
error he didn’t live long enough to repeat.
“Willow,
down!” a familiar voice shouted from behind the vampire she was facing.
Without
thinking Willow dropped to her knees, a blur flew over her head and a stake
appeared in the chest of the vampire that was sneaking up behind her, and as he
disappeared in a swirling cloud of dust a dark figure appeared behind the
vampire facing her.
An arm wrapped
around his throat and the vampire was bent backwards over a tombstone and an
arm came down hard driving a sharp wooden stake into his heart.
As that one
joined his comrade in a dust cloud Willow rose to her feet and looked into the
dark eyes of her rescuer.
“Thank you
Angel.” Willow said gratefully and smiling at him shyly. “We were wondering
when you were going to join us, we missed you.”
“It was no big
deal, Willow.” Angel said embarrassed by the girl’s gratitude. “I’m just glad I
was here for you.”
“Me too.” the
witch answered awkwardly, remembering why he’d been gone so long. “Does this
mean you forgive Buffy and I for being in love?”
He nodded his
head looking down in shame over his rude comments, that he’d made about both
girls. He started to say something but stopped when he saw the shy smile
disappear from her lips.
Angel could
tell something was wrong.
Willow was
suddenly overcome with feelings of fear, revulsion, and rage that swept over
her. The sudden change in the girl’s expression concerned Angel.
“Willow?” he
inquired worried “What is it? What’s wrong?”
The witch’s
green glowing eyes locked on the souled vampire’s dark gaze, a look of pure
horror came over her face and she whispered the one word that conveyed her
feelings of hopeless soul shattering terror.
“BUFFY!”
It wasn’t the
toughest slayage Buffy had ever faced, but it was tough enough that she was
getting to vent some of her pent up hostility and anger.
Every kick,
every punch carried with it a little piece of the insults and harassment she’d
been forced to put up with over the last few months. Every time someone had
said some hurtful remark toward her and her Willow that she couldn't retaliate
against was stored in her and every chance she got she released the beast
within her.
The Slayer
used all stored up negative energy to add strength to her fighting abilities.
This was something Merrick had taught her and she was grateful to him for it,
among all the other lessons he given her.
When the first
vampire attacked, she could feel his bones breaking under each punch and kick.
Buffy even ignored early opportunities to stake him in order to prolong the
fight itself.
Though she
knew the Scoobies (especially Willow) wouldn’t approve of her enjoying slaying,
but deep down Buffy felt her little “inner slayer” jumping up and down for joy,
cheering her on. Buffy was concentrating on beating the vamp she was currently
facing to a bloody pulp, and was probably too focused on it too much.
It felt good,
with every punch every kick Buffy could feel the adrenaline coursing through
her veins. It was like some drug sending her to new heights of pleasure. It was
times like these that Buffy understood Faith, it was almost better than sex,
almost.
She’d beaten
the vampire back to where he was almost trapped against a large garish
tombstone when she heard Willow's warning and caught movement out of the corner
of her eye.
The Slayer
ducked just in time as the vampire sneaking up behind her swung a punch at the
back of her head. The fist cut through empty air where Buffy’s head had been,
missing her completely.
From her
crouch the Slayer launched a vicious side-kick that connected with the second
vampire’s chest and knocked him backwards about four yards into the air, only
stopping when his body collided with a waist high tombstone.
Pulling a
second stake from behind her belt Buffy threw it at the second vamp. Thanks to her Slayer abilities the stake hit
him in the center of his chest, sinking all the way through his cold undead
heart.
Before that
one turned into a cloud of dust Buffy turned to face her first adversary, only
to find that he’d used the opportunity to duck around the tombstone and was
running toward a low rise.
From
experience the Slayer knew that on the other side of the rise was a small bowl
shaped valley just perfect for an ambush.
With that in mind she took off after him knowing full well that she was
more than likely running head-long into an ambush. In her excitement the third vampire and Willow slipped her mind
momentarily, recalling that she wasn’t alone but with full confidence that her
friend could handle a single vampire.
“I’m going on
after this one, Wills,” the Slayer shouted over her shoulder as she took off in
pursuit of the escaping vampire. “I think this is it.” As an after thought she
added, “Come on when you’re done. I’ll hold them off till you get there.”
Buffy
continued running, grinning at her own arrogant over-confidence and knowing
she’d hear about it later from her lover.
Buffy went on
ahead over the rise and down into the bowl shaped valley of tombstones and an
old granite and marble mausoleum that was crumbling slightly with age.
She came to a
sliding stop toward the center of the valley as she found herself suddenly
surrounded by ten or fifteen very large vampires. All of which looked to be
highly capable veterans, not at all like the inexperienced newbies she and
Willow normally faced.
With a hard loud
gulp Buffy began to realize that she could be in serious trouble.
<>Oh
shit.<> she thought, cursing herself for not waiting for Willow.
<>This is definitely not the smartest thing I’ve ever done. I hope Giles’
plan works, cause if doesn’t my sweet little Slayer butt is dead, or
worse.<>
Buffy began to
really worry when she realized that she was no longer linked to Willow. In fact
now that she thought about it she hadn’t been since the fighting started.
Looking around
Buffy realized she was totally alone and Willow was nowhere in sight, and
without the link Buffy felt more alone than she’d ever felt before.
Something else
was beginning to bother the Slayer, although the vamps had her out numbered and
surrounded none of them had made a move of any kind.
They just
stood there in a circle, eerily quiet as if they were just holding her there
for someone else. They hadn’t even slipped into game-face. It was obvious that
this was a well organized and disciplined force, not the usual collection of
self-serving individuals she was used to.
Deep in her
heart Buffy felt fear and doubt for the first time in a long time. She wasn’t
sure that she and her friends would be enough to stop this new and different
threat.
Summoning up
what courage she could the Slayer took a deep breath and addressed the group.
“Uh...hey
guys.” Buffy said, trying to hide her nervousness behind bravado. “What’s up?
Who’s hosting this little shindig?”
As if in
answer to her question the vampires in front of Buffy stepped aside to form an
isle that was soon filled by a bizarrely beautiful woman, being closely
followed by a big muscular man of obviously Latin extraction and flanked by two
huge hulking red skinned demons.
As the group
drew closer she could see that the woman, while beautiful, had some noticeable
differences that marked her as not quite human, most notable were her glowing
red eyes that captured and held the Slayer’s vision.
“Greetings
Slayer,” the woman said, her deep rasping voice sending tingles along Buffy’s nerves
straight to her core. “I’m so glad you could join us. We were waiting for you
but it seems you have misplaced your little witch-kit. I do hope she hasn’t
gotten herself into more trouble than she can handle, and that she too will
join us soon.”
The woman
laughed lightly filling the air between them with the musical sound. Buffy
found she was unable to speak and found the woman’s deep throaty rasping voice
strangely compelling.
It was as if a
curtain had fallen over her mind that kept Buffy from thinking of anything
except her attraction for this woman. She found herself drawn to the exotic
beauty to the exclusion of everything else.
All thoughts
of Giles, Xander, Cordelia, the Abbot, even her soulmate Willow were wiped from
her conscious mind, and her entire being was centered on the vision of darkly
inhuman beauty that was facing her.
“I am the
Countess Hela,” the woman announced. “And you, my sweet Slayer, belong to me, as
does your beloved little witch-kit. I have decided it is time to collect my
property.”
Buffy tried to
fight against the pull of the voice, but it seemed to penetrate deep into her
psyche crowding all other thoughts and impulses back into the dark recesses of
her mind.
This was the
voice of her dreams, the voice that held the promise of salvation, the voice
that gave forgiveness. It could not be ignored it would not be denied. Buffy’s
deepest, most primal self answered its siren's call.
“Come to me my
Slayer.” Hela commanded, softly and gently. “Come to your mistress and
surrender your will to me, submit to my dominance obey my commands. Come to
me.”
Buffy tried to
fight the compulsion to follow the Countess’ orders, a chill ran up her spine.
Fear, revulsion and anger joined submission and lust in the Slayer’s mind in a
confusing vortex of emotions.
She was unable
to resist Hela’s commands. She took a tentative step toward the Countess and
her small entourage. Buffy tried with all her strength to fight the compulsion,
but it was too strong, too deep. It was as if her legs were following Hela’s
orders of their own accord.
“Come along my
child.” Hela coaxed, like she was encouraging a toddler to walk for the first
time. “Come to your mistress come on, that’s a good girl.”
A shiver of
both revulsion and joy swept through Buffy’s body at Hela’s words of praise.
Buffy closed her eyes and clenched her fists in a futile attempt to escape the
fiendishly subtle female’s spell, but her body was no longer hers to command
and it continued to follow Hela’s
instructions.
<>Oh
Gods Wills!<> Buffy's mind cried out in desperation. <>Please come
save me my love or I’m lost forever.<>
Buffy walked
stiffly like some giant puppet, answering the woman’s beckoning call. As she
reached the woman, the two demons stepped up and seized the Slayer’s arms.
At a signal
from the Countess they turned their captive around to face the direction from
which she’d come. The vampires formed battle lines between the Slayer and the far
side of the bowl shaped valley. Buffy felt the woman come up behind her. Hate,
anger and fear joined disgust and nausea as Hela’s inhumanly large hands began
roaming Buffy’s body, over her clothes.
She closed her
eyes tightly as she felt an unnaturally long tongue sweep over her ear and neck
as the woman’s abnormally hot breath washed over her sensitive flesh.
The Slayer was
close to the end of her strength. She could feel her knees threatening to give
out and a blackness began closing in on her mind to save her sanity that was
hanging by a slender thread.
But the
blackness quickly dissipated when the voice of hope and strength and most of
all love reached her from across the valley.
=================
Willow left Angel
standing flat-footed in stunned silence as she took off running at top speed
following the path over the rise that Buffy had taken.
She went over
the rise and down into the valley coming to a sudden halt facing the battle
line of snarling vampires. While the line of game faced vamps was enough to
stop her, what really captured Willow’s attention was the sight of her chosen
mate, best friend, and lover being held by two gigantic red skinned demons
while being groped by what appeared to be a female of one of the higher demon
races.
She could feel
Buffy’s disgust and rage at being so intimately assaulted by the female. The
situation was made worse by the big muscular Latino man that was watching the
Slayer’s humiliation and giggling insanely.
“Buffy!”
Willow called out to her lover. “Buffy, look at me.”
Buffy's eyes
flew wide open and almost instantly locked on her mate’s glowing green eyes.
“Look at me my
Slayer, my love.” Willow’s voice carried soft calm and clear across the
distance separating the soulmate’s. “Open your mind to me my darling. Link with
my thoughts. Feel my love for you. Let my power fill you. Let it enter your
soul. These others are of no consequence to us. They have no hold on us. Our
love is beyond anything they have. Feel the power of our love free you from
their grasp.”
Buffy’s eyes
grew wide as she listened to Willow's reassuring voice, and her very core was
filling with the power her beloved witch was sending her.
The powers
forced the hold the Countess had on the Slayer’s mind to slip. Hela fell back a
few steps in surprise and sudden fear when she felt the overwhelming power of
the Slayer’s witch-kit.
In a blast of
intense neon green fire the two demons holding the Slayer disappeared, the
powerful fire consuming them, completely freeing the Slayer.
As if that was
the prearranged signal several of the vampires exploded into clouds of dust as
Giles and the rest of their back up came over the rise, firing their crossbows
with deadly accuracy while Angel attacked from the flank throwing the vampire
troops into confusion.
Seeing her
opportunity to capture the two young women she’d wanted so badly slip away,
Hela decided to cut her losses and put an end to them once and for all.
“Destroy
them!” Hela shouted to her troops with an angry hiss, then she turned to her
pet and spoke in a lower voice. “Kill the witch Max, we can’t have her so no
one will, kill her.”
“Yes
mistress.” the psychotic man answered. “I will gladly do as you wish.”
Max stealthily
slipped into the shadows and began circling around the fighting, to find a good
position from which to kill the offending redhead that had ruined his mistress
plans.
At the
Countess’ orders the Vampires split into groups. Two of them attacked the
Slayer and the witch.
The few
remaining vamps tried to get at the reinforcements, to stop the deadly rain of
wooden crossbow bolts that took a devastating toll on their ranks with each
volley. Soon the sounds of close hand to hand combat could be heard all over
the depression.
The two young
women were too busy fighting for their lives to pay attention to where
everybody was, but they were overjoyed that their friends were fighting at
their side.
The fight
lasted for over half an hour. Being veteran fighters, the vampires were harder
to dust, but finally nearly all the Countess’ troops were dust bunnies. The
last two fell back to guard Hela.
As Buffy and
Willow were about to attack, a commanding voice rang out across the battle
field.
“Hela!” the
voice announced. “By order of the High Council of Tarsus, I have come to return
you to them to stand trail for treason and other high crimes.”
“HA! Kresis!”
Hela scoffed back at him. “You don’t have the power or authority to do anything
to me.”
“Once he
learned of your plans the Master of Tarsus himself broke the curse barring me
from this place,” gloated Kresis. “Thus giving me all the power I need.”
With a wave of
her hand Hela sent a bolt of reddish-yellow energy at the Count and his two
vampire bodyguards. At almost the same instant Kresis launched his own arc of
blue and black energy at her.
The two bolts
struck simultaneously, knocking both high demons back several feet and utterly
destroying the vamp bodyguards of both. They both rose shakily and faced each
other.
Both were
wounded, but neither would give in and admit defeat.
Suddenly the
tense silence was broken as shots rang out. Everyone turned and looked at
Xander standing there holding a smoking 9mm automatic in his hand.
Taking
advantage of everyone watching the confrontation between Kresis and Hela, Max
had silently approached his intended victim. Finally getting within striking
distance Max slipped out of the shadows and held his favorite knife ready to
strike out at the witch his mistress wanted dead.
Xander saw the
man come out of the shadows and move toward Willow with a big hunting knife.
Deducing his purpose and knowing there was no way he could reach the man before
he could hurt Willow, Xander acted the only way he knew how, he drew the 9mm
and aiming carefully Xander emptied the magazine into the man.
The group
looked over at the man's lifeless body lying in the short cemetery grass.
Willow looked over to Xander, worried about her lifelong friend. She looked into
his eyes and saw them filled with a mix of happiness at saving his friend’s
life and sorrow for having taken another human’s life.
“I told you I
was watching your back,” Xander explained. “He was going to kill Will and I
couldn’t let that happen.”
Willow went to
her friend and placed a hand on his arm to comfort him.
“I know
Xander,” the witch said sympathetically. “You didn’t have a choice.”
Buffy ran
across the depression and grabbed the young man in a crushing bear hug that
lifted him off the ground. There was no mistaking her feelings.
“Thank you
Xander.” the Slayer said softly, releasing him then planting a big kiss on his
cheek, her joy and gratitude clear in her eyes and voice. “I’ll never be able
to tell you how much that means to me.”
She would have
said more but was interrupted by a hissing scream from across the clearing.
“You bitch,
you killed Max!” Hela screamed in rage as she turned and ran into the shadows
before anyone could do anything to stop her escape. “You have not heard the
last of this Slayer. I will be back for you too witch-kit.”
The Slayer and
her witch companion looked at each other and sighed, each one knowing that the
Countess meant every word.