Chapter 4: Spells
Buffy and Willow sat in silence neither looking at the other. Clearing her throat, Willow was hurt when Buffy didn’t even look up; it was clear that she was hurt at the moment and held Willow responsible for her hurt. Standing up Willow went to sit next to Buffy.
“Look Buffy, I’m sorry. I don’t know how many more times I can say that; this spell will work and everything will be good again.”
“Willow, I know what you are trying to do, but at the moment I can’t.” Turning away from her friend, Buffy fixed her eyes on the fireplace, just staring at it. “Willow you don’t get how hard this is. What it is like to feel like this every time I wake up. To know that I am awake, that I am still in this world. You think the worst part was waking up in the coffin. Will, you haven’t a clue. The worst part is being here, and now the worst part is knowing that I’m probably going to suffer a worse death than I already have. Now Will, please can we not talk about this right now? Spike will be back soon and you can do your spell.” Buffy let her voice trail off; she refused to tell Willow that just the sight of her was making her so angry.
As the silence settled between them again Willow took it as sign that Buffy was done talking. Sliding off the settee, she sat Indian style in the center of the floor, gathering all her ingredients around her; placing them so that they were all within reachable distance.
Picking up her jar of granulated cobalt powder, she outlined a protective circle around herself. Then she started to recite the protection incantation. All she would have to do now was wait for Spike to return.
***
Meanwhile however Spike was having more trouble than he thought he would trying to get hold of the x-nar blood. He had first been to a friend of a friend, who was known to supply the rarer ingredients needed for Dark spells and incantations. However that had proved fruitless. All he had got for his efforts was a bust lip, as he had been thrown out of the place for being a vampire.
Deciding to go and try Willy, Spike picked himself up off the floor and headed across town towards Willy’s place.
The bar was surprisingly quiet for a Tuesday night. There were, though, the usual demons sat in their usual places. As Spike entered the bar most of the demons tried to shrink back so that he wouldn’t see them, they had heard of his reputation and didn’t want to anger William the Bloody. Others in the bar had heard of his more recent reputation, and where just itching for a fight with the vampire that killed his own kind and helped the slayer instead of killing her.
Spike ignored all of them and walked over to the bar. Sitting on the barstool he leaned over so he was a few inches from Willy, making the nervous bartender sweat profusely.
“Hey Spike,” A nervous laugh broke free, “Usual is it?”
Spike grabbed his grubby lapels and dragged him close, “I think you can tell I am not in the mood for the small talk tonight Willy. I need information and I need it now.”
“I’m not in the business of giving information anymore. Got out of that when the going was good. My clients don’t like me gabbing off. Tell you wha’ I could, umm, give you a shot of blood, on the house of course.”
Switching to demon guise, Spike growled at Willy. “Look Willy, I’m through being sodding nice. Either you tell me what I want to know or you won’t live long enough to regret it. X-nar demon. Where will I find them?”
“X-nar, you say? Don’t get a lot of call for them. Can’t say I have seen any around here. Can’t help you.”
As Spike reared his fist back to punch him, Willy suddenly panicked and tried to worm his way out of his grasp.
Ok, ok.” Waving his hand, he sighed when Spike placed his fist down. “X-nar you want, those are the guys you need to talk to.” Spike followed to where he was pointing. Over in the far corner was a table of six polgara demons playing poker. Giving Willy a quick punch on the nose before turning his back on him, Spike ignored the twinge of pain that went rocketing to his brain from harming a human and walked menacingly over to the table of demons. Willy’s hands quickly flew to his nose to stop the blood flow.
“Ok then, which one of you can help me find an x-nar demon?” Suddenly all the demons dropped cards and stood up sending their chairs crashing to the ground. Slowly they circled Spike. “Ok guess you aren’t in the talkative mood either—lot of that going around.”
Before anyone had time to think, Spike spun grabbing the stake out of his waistband and plunged it into the nearest demon’s neck. Silently he dropped to the floor with a thud, “Ok who’s next boys?”
Watching the first one die seemed to anger the rest of the clan, suddenly they all rushed at Spike at once.
Spike worked in a flurry of motion, moving at breakneck speed. Soon all that was left was Spike and one Polgara demon, who Spike assumed must be the ringleader as he had been the one ordering the rest.
Holding him in a vice grip, Spike spoke with malice, “Now you are going to tell me what I want to know. Where. Will. I. Find. An. X-nar. Demon?” Spike pronounced each word slowly and clearly.
The demon struggled in Spike’s grasp, but there was no way he could escape. Uttering a few grunts and what sounded to Spikes ears like gibberish, he shook his head.
“Now, now mate don’t be going shy on me, wouldn’t want you to lose that tongue of yours, now would we?”
Shaking his head again the demon realized what was best for him. Stuttering he spoke in broken English, struggling with a lot of the sounds. “x-nar is find on cav’ in breaker’ wood,” he said.
Although hard to make out what he was saying Spike got the gist, “See that wasn’t so hard.” Before the demon could say another thing, Spike snapped his neck with a loud crunching noise. The demon dropped down onto the pile of its fellow demons. Dead before he even hit the ground.
Willy came up behind Spike and handed him a towel, “Did you have to kill them? I have to clean them all up now.” Spike used the towel to mop off the blood that was coming from numerous wounds on his face. Turning to look at Willy he gave him an icy stare, causing Willy to start stuttering again. “Ok, guess you did. Word of warning. I’d get out of here while you still can. Most of these have been itching to have a go at you since you walked in, now they are just getting warmed up.”
Spike threw the bloodied towel down onto the pile of bodies. “Oh and Spike?” Turning back Spike glanced at the sniffling bartender. “Tell the slayer I hope she gets better soon.”
Spike stared at him, “How’d you…?”
“Word travels fast, especially regarding a slayer. You should know that.”
Walking threateningly up to him, Spike stopped a hairs breath away. “If you so much as breathe a word, I will come looking for you.”
“Relax I won’t tell a soul, or an unsoul.”
Turning away from him, Spike left the bar and set of towards the caves.
***
Buffy stared at the clock for the fifteenth time. Spike had been gone an hour and 10 minutes and still there had been no word from him. He had promised that he would be back within an hour but he wasn’t. It was just another person who had lied to her.
Standing up from the settee she went into the kitchen to make herself a cup of hot cocoa. She walked right past Willow without even looking at her.
In the kitchen she started at the kettle as the water began to boil and steam poured out the top. She needed to keep going, at the moment she felt dead inside. She had to try to keep doing things to know that this was all real. Placing her hand under the boiling steam, to see if she could still feel, she pulled it away quickly as the heat seared her skin. Holding her hand close she watched as it began to blister.
Remembering what her mom had once said, she ran it under the cold tap until she could no longer feel it. Her mom. As the thoughts invaded her mind, Buffy remembered her warm smile and gentle voice. As she stood in the silent kitchen, all Buffy could wonder was if her Mom had felt the same as she felt now. Had she too felt the overwhelming fear that gripped Buffy now?
***
Spike stared up at the entrance to the cave, hearing an inhuman squeal that he knew came only from an X-nar demon, Spike knew he had the right place.
Getting a tighter grip on the sword he had taken from his crypt on the way to the caves, Spike walked into the all-encompassing darkness searching out the demon.
Switching to demon guise so that he could see more clearly, Spike looked round at the cave. Bones seemed to be scattered around the edges.
As he got closer to where he had heard the sound coming from, he saw a small fire and could smell burning flesh. Sat around the fire were three X-nar’s. They were sat on rocks and were hunched over eating their meal. At least this gave Spike the element of surprise.
Even hunched over the demons where five feet tall, meaning they would be at least seven feet possibly eight when they stood up. Spike had been hoping that he might come across offspring, that way he had more chance of surviving, but no just his luck to find, fully grown, recently fed X-nars.
Spike knew he had to watch their backs, as the sharp reptilian spines could be lethal. He also knew to watch out for the claws on their arm. However he did have several things on his side: although large and powerful, they where slow moving and had a very poor sense of hearing.
Sword raised, Spike crept up to the one closest to him. Tightening his grip on the sword he brought it down hard on the demons thick skinned neck severing it from his body.
One down, two to go.
However the demons were now well aware of his presence. The one on his right grabbed Spikes arm, painfully dislocating his shoulder. As he continued to squeeze Spike could feel the bones in his arm creaking, ready to break. As he was held immobilized the other demon started to approach, ready to administer the death blow.
With only one hand useable now, Spike gripped the sword tightly in his left hand. Twirling round gracefully, he swung the blade in an arch, cutting though the arm that held him trapped, narrowly missing his own shoulder.
The demon that has just lost his arm howled in pain. Spike used the distraction to finish him. As the demon fell to his knees Spike plunged his sword straight through the center of its skull. The demon died before he could make another sound.
Spike’s arm hung at his side, he was now weaponless as the sword was still wedged in the demon that now lay on the floor, blood pooling from him onto Spike’s Doc Martens. As the remaining demon started to circle him, Spike thought about his options. He didn’t have much going for him, the only advantage he had over the idiot in front of him was speed.
Using his advantaged, he darted past him and stood behind him. As the demon tried to turn, Spike darted past him again. Hearing something snap beneath his foot, Spike looked down to see a pile of bones. Picking up a sharp lethal looking one Spike hid it behind his back.
“Hey mate, over here,”
As the demon turned to the sound of Spike’s raised voice and started to walk towards him, Spike darted forward and plunged the sharp bone into the demon’s heart.
The demon made a gurgling noise and coughed out a mouthful of blood over Spikes face. Raising his claw he made a gouge alone Spike’s forehead just above his eye, before his eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed onto the ground dead.
Slipping out of demon face, Spike placed his hands in his pockets of his duster and brought a cigarette to his mouth. Using his Zippo he lit it, taking in a lungful of smoke. Slowly breathing out he looked at the recently dead demon.
“Not quite a stake, but it’ll do.”
Crushing the cigarette under his foot, Spike went and retrieved the sword out of the other demons head, dropping to his knees he went about gathering the blood.
***
Almost two and a half hours after he had left and there was still no sign of Spike. Looking at the clock Buffy heaved a sigh and placed her cup down on the coffee table. She placed it down with such force the contents spilled over the top and onto the table.
Ignoring the sticky mess, Buffy walked over to Willow. “You might as well pack your things away. Spike isn’t coming back.”
Willow looked up into Buffy’s drawn face. “Oh Buffy, don’t think li…”
Just at that moment the door burst open and a rough looking Spike walked in. His t-shirt was torn and he was covered in blood and his right arm hung limply at his side. Clutched in his left hand was what appeared to be some form of sack.
Walking over he handed it to Willow before collapsing exhaustedly to the floor.
“Told you I would be here. Now get on with the spell Red. Let’s get this over with.”
Willow studied the sack in her hand. It appeared it be made out of thick demon skin and was filled with blood.
“Ewww.” Gently placing the bag down so that she didn’t spell any of the contents, Willow wiped her hands on an available tissue, wiping away the blood that had been on the outside of the bag.
Buffy walked over to Spike, taking his arm she gently helped him up.
“Will, you get on with the spell; I am going to get Spike cleaned up in the kitchen.”
Willow watched as Buffy and Spike walked off towards the kitchen leaving her alone in the living room. She could tell something was definitely going one with her friend and the vampire, but it wasn’t her place to say anything anymore.
Pouring some of the blood into the sacred dish, she mixed the required herbs into it. She then placed her hands into it; the little bit that had been on her hand didn’t seem quite as relevant now she had her hands in it completely.
Making sure the incense was lit; Willow closed her eyes and started to chant, taking up the flow of energy into her body.
“Dal vento ed il mare,
Ed il potere scorrendo attraverso me,
Sradica questa malattia dalla mia vista,
La comando con tutta la potenza.”
***
Taking down the first aid kit from the top of the cupboard, Buffy placed it on the counter before running a bowl of warm water. Tuning out Willow’s chanting she turned to look at Spike.
“So tell me, what happened?”
“I got in a fight.”
Buffy giggled, a sound Spike hadn’t heard in a long time. “I can see that Einstein. What I meant was why?”
“Never break a promise to a lady.” Buffy looked up from the wound was currently tending to on his hand, to see his eyes staring into hers. The two just stared at each other, neither saying a word but their eyes speaking volumes.
“Sradicare!” The shout from Willow broke them out of their trance; Buffy knew the spell had ended.
Suddenly there was a bright flash and Willow screamed. Abandoning the medical care, both Buffy and Spike ran to where Willow was. Before them was a scene of chaos. Willow laying unconscious on the floor, while a portal that seemed to have been open was pouring out demons in a steady stream.
The noise in the room was deafening; above the sound of the heavy demons trampling feet could be heard a steady chant coming from each one.
“To eradicate the disease we must eradicate the holder. To eradicate the disease we must eradicate the holder.”
Seeing the bowl of blood on the floor, Spike lifted his foot up and brought it down hard on top of it. Suddenly the portal closed, however 30 to 40 demons had already escaped through it and were marching through Buffy’s front door and out into the night.
One of the demons turned towards where Spike and Buffy stood. Raising his sword he pointed towards Buffy, “A holder.” He started to advance towards Buffy.
However Spike was quicker to the punch than he was. Despite his injuries Spike jumped into battle. Tackling the sword off the demon, he threw it to Buffy. Who landed a roundhouse kick on the demon, sending him sprawling before plunging the pointy sword straight through his chest. Standing up, Buffy turned to look at Spike.
“Spike, what was that?”
Spike looked at Willow unconscious on the floor, “I have a feeling Red’s perfect little spell went wrong. You go wake Tara. I’ll wake Red.”
As Buffy started walking up the stairs, Spike could see the worried look on her face. “Buffy?” As she turned to look at him Spike gave her a warm look. “Don’t worry, we will sort this thing.”
Giving him a sad smile Buffy continued up the stairs to go get Tara.
***
10 minutes later everyone was downstairs. Willow was curled up on the settee with an ice pack clutched to her head.
“I don’t understand how this happened, Buffy. The spell I used shouldn’t have done this.”
Spike could barely contain his temper. “Then clearly you have done something wrong.”
Tara who was sat at the opposite end of the room from Willow, with a hurt look on her face refusing to look at her girlfriend, spoke up. “Willow, what exactly did the spell say?”
“Umm the words where ‘Dal vento ed il mare, Ed il potere scorrendo attraverso me, Sradica questa malattia dalla mia vista, La comando con tutta la potenza’.”
Spike heaved a sigh. “ ‘Eradicate this disease from my sight, I command you with all my might.’ In other words Red, these demons are going to kill every person who has cancer. They are only doing what they are told; they are eradicating the disease. And you are controlling them. I told you magics shouldn’t be messed with. Look what you have done.”
“I’m sorry Spike! I had to try making it better!”
“Guys!” Buffy spoke up for the first time since everyone had come downstairs, her voice stopped Willow and Spike from shouting at each other as each turned to look at her. “First off we need to stop the demons, then we can lay blame afterwards.”
Spike nodded his head, Buffy was right. “Tara, you and Red work out how to send them back. I’ll go out and stop them hurting anyone.”
Buffy pulled the sword out of the dead demon and went and stood by the door.
“What do you think you are doing?”
“What does it look like? You really think I am going to let you go out there alone in the state you are in? I’m coming with you.”
“No you are sodding well not. Buffy, I can’t keep you safe.”
“Spike, you don’t have to keep me safe, I can do that all by myself. Now are you coming or not?”
Heaving a sigh, Spike and Buffy left the house.
***
It didn’t take them long to find the demons. Heading towards the hospital, they found them all while they were halfway there.
Submerging themselves into the centre of the horde, Buffy and Spike started to fight back the overwhelming crowd facing them.
***
Willow and Tara collected all the ingredients that they would need ready to send the demons back. Creating a protective circle, both girls sat themselves down in it, facing each other.
Willow looked up into Tara’s stony eyes. “Baby, I am sorry. I messed up. I know that. I just wanted to fix it.”
“Will you can’t fix everything with spells. You know that. Can we not talk about this now?”
Willow looked down hearted, “Ok.”
Sprinkling the powder into Willow hand, Tara started to recite the undoing charm.
***
Buffy and Spike were exhausted; they had killed over 20 of the demons but they were still coming at them at a frightening speed. The more they killed the more that seemed to take their place.
They were both bloody and sore, and were fast losing their energy to fight anymore.
Spike kept glancing across at Buffy, he knew she felt weak at the moment; all the demons kept trying to get to her. They could sense she held the thing that needed to be killed. He held a sword in each hand, and was swinging them with deathly accuracy. The demons around him fell.
Suddenly there was a bright flash, Buffy and Spike both had to protect their eyes. When they opened them again they were stood amongst the ruins of the demons.
Closing her eyes, Buffy let the tears fall. Finally letting the exhaustion of the last few days and from the fight overcome her, as her knees gave way she slumped to the ground.
Spike watched the moment Buffy gave up. Rushing to her side he crouched down beside her, carefully holding her chin and turned her teary face to him.
“I give in Spike.”
“No Love, we will find something, there’s this shaman in…”
“No! Spike there is no cure. This is the way it has to be. I’m ready Spike. I’m ready.”
Closing her eyes she repeated “I’m ready” to herself quietly under her breath, as though it was a little mantra.
Spike had seen in her eyes that Buffy had accepted she was going to die and was ready to die the way she was destined to; there was nothing he could do now. Picking her up, he carried the crying slayer back to the house. Dawn was fast approaching; tomorrow they would face what this new development would bring. Now was time for rest.
TBC….
The spell is in italian, if anyone wants the full translation let me know!
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Yes this is the same chapter that was posted before, but am posting it again! Please if you left a review please leave it again, it would mean the world to me!!