Buffy managed to swivel her eyeballs left, straining to see Spike frozen beside her, Xander just behind him equally immobile. She forced her unresponsive eyes frontward again desperately ordering her body to move, to surge forward and help her friend.
Willow’s fragile body slammed hard against the rock wall of the temple as another bolt of powerful magic struck her square in the chest, Buffy wanted to call out to her friend but her jaw was as paralysed as the rest of her, held prisoner in the cloying magic of this deceptively ordinary looking man, like a mosquito trapped in solidifying amber.
Willow dragged herself to her feet with excruciating slowness her breathing coming in harsh shallow gasps, she hadn’t been prepared for this, hadn’t thought to focus on combat magic, never in a million years could she have anticipated the brutal power of Marcus’ shaman.
“Ministro tutamentum” she raised her hand deflecting the next bolt up into the caverns roof, shards of stone and dirt rained down on her but she ignored it letting the magic itself guide her. “Debello” her own charge of magical destruction hurtling towards the shaman.
He laughed, pathetic mortal, how could a human, even one as powerful as this witch, presume to challenge him. Catching her shot between his outstretched hands he smiled cruelly at her while he turned it over casually before flinging her own magic back to send her flying again.
Willow groaned, the gentle healing and peaceful idealism of the earth magic she had practiced since Sunnydale where no match for the shaman’s dark power. For a moment she resisted the thought, weighed the risks and decided the price was too high, then she saw him turn towards her static comrades one hand raised as he gathered his power, he could kill them all, there was no doubt in her mind that he could reduce her friends to ashes with a single phrase.
The decision was made for her, she had no choice but to call on the long dormant well of black magic held prisoner at her very core, she turned her consciousness inwards picturing herself unlocking a heavy iron.
It cried for joy at it’s renewed freedom, swirling and rushing through her body until power crackled in her ebony hair and sparked across her fingertips.
“Stop” she commanded, no need now to court the power with pretty Latin. She was the power, pure, savage and blacker than the darkest midnight.
She spun the shaman’s body like a fly in the web of her magic, silken and deceptively beautiful, deadly and unbreakable. A cruel tinkling laugh bubbled from her, “Arrogant fool” she hissed her voice gravely “do you know who I am?”
She gave him no chance to answer, spinning his suspended body faster and faster, she laughed manically as the sheer velocity began to break the shaman’s body. His eyes bulged until they burst in their sockets blood pouring down his face and splattering on the temple walls like a grotesque parody of a contemporary artist at work.
Buffy swivelled her eyes to read the twin looks of horror in Spike and Xander’s as they watched, mesmerised by the gruesome spectacle. Looking back she surmised that the shaman was dead long before his arms and legs detached themselves from his body and his skull caved in.
Willow raised a hand to toss the ruined form aside with negligent casualness as she advanced on the group. “Release” she commanded with a nasty grin, “it’s no fun if they don’t try and fight back”
…………………
Faith ducked low, sheltering behind the massive bulk of a fallen Melick demon, out of sight of Marcus and his personal guard, but close enough that if she had to, she could make a move. She squirmed further beneath the stinking carcass pressing the small button on her wrist watch, the digital display was suddenly illuminated proudly displaying the time as eleven fifty one, God almost time, one way or another it’d be over soon. As she crouched low listening to sounds of battle, the clashing of swords, the cries and screams of pain, the low pitiful moans of the dieing, she could barely bring herself to care which way it went, she was just glad it would soon be over.
……………..
“Willow” Buffy tried to break through the shroud of darkness that had engulfed her oldest friend, “please Willow, it’s me Buffy”
“I know who you are, Slayer” God was that even Willow’s voice it sounded so deep and hoarse so distorted by hatred and evil.
“Will” Xander moved cautiously towards the witch, arms outstretched as if in welcome, “Wills listen…”
“Silence” she commanded with a wave of her hand, “you helped her once with your pathetic sentimental words” another wave of her hand and his lips began to merge and seal shut, she smirked as if infinitely amused by the sight, “I wont let you do it again”
“She’s in there” Buffy latched on to the admission, “Willow listen you have to fight it, we need you, you have to fight it. I know you can do it Willow, fight it.”
With an angry snarl the witch discharged a searing bolt of magic from her fingertips smashing the Slayer hard in the side of the head and crumpling her, stunned, to her knees. “I said silence!” she hissed.
“Willow” Giles’ took his turn, “Willow, you can do it, use the white magic, it’ll help you”
Willow fought, trapped inside the caverns of her mind she struggled against the darkness running through her being she called on the gentle goddess of the earth, summoning the light of her healing power.
“Fight it Red” she heard Spike mumble from his place crouched next to the kneeling slayer”
“Willow” Giles was trying again, desperately trying to reach her, “Willow use the magic”
She was trying, trying so hard to fight the all consuming power of her dark magic, fighting back against it’s control with every fibre of her being, damn it she was Willow Rosenberg and she would not go down that easily, “Back” she commanded in her mind cracking a surge of powerful white magic like a whip, to beat back the darkness. “Back to your place, and cower there until I call for you” another crack of the whip and she felt it begin to retreat like a whimpering dog, tail between its legs towards it’s prison deep in the dungeons of her exceptional mind. “Back” one last powerful command that had it finally locked away.
Willow collapsed forwards into Xander’s waiting arms. Her hair once again the colour of autumn leaves, “Are you okay?” he asked, moving his mouth experimentally side to side, popping his jaw.
“I’m okay, I’m sorry” she felt tears of shame prick her eyes, she had nearly killed them all, again.
“Nonsense my dear” Giles patted her comfortingly on the back, “you did quite well”
“No Giles” the tears where flowing freely now, “I totally lost it, I was gonna kill you all. Oh Xander, I’m so sorry I didn’t mean…”
“Er, I hate to break up your pity party” Spike’s rich voice cut her off, “but is that supposed to be happening”
They turned as one to follow the direction of his outstretched arm, behind them the still bleeding body of a teenage boy lay naked on a low stone slab, around the corpse where magical amulets and herbs in a sand circle. Towering over the slab was a stone effigy of the demon god Velmorick and around it’s neck an amber amulet glowing very faintly at its centre”
“It’s starting” Buffy took command, “Giles, Willow, quickly we have to do this now” she stepped back giving the pair room to work as they drew their own circle in golden sand alongside the large red one that surrounded the body, the circles touching to form a lopsided figure of eight. Willow sat cross-legged in its centre, “Spike” she called and the vampire to join her as she ran a blade between her palms.
Spike kneeled opposite her taking the proffered blade and slicing his own palms. They joined hands, the blood flowing between their clasped fingers to drip onto the stone floor, as Willow began to chant softly.
“Buffy” Giles whispered urgently, drawing the slayers attention away from the scene, “I’m afraid the fight will have taken too much out of her” he told her sadly, “I don’t think she’ll be able to pull it off”
“We don’t have a plan B Giles” the slayer told him with a slight shake of her head, “She has to pull it off”
………………..
Seconds ticked by excruciatingly slowly as the witch and vampire sat motionless save for the slight movement of her pink lips. Looking up Buffy could make out a very high above them in the centre of the temple’s domed ceiling, through it she could make out a small section on the night sky, in which three bright stars shone in and almost perfect line, “the alignment” she whispered to Giles indicating to the ceiling with her head.
“Come on Will” Xander encouraged softly to her left, “come on”
Willow could feel the power of Dawn’s blood, pouring from the vampires veins, ancient and serene humbling and empowering her all at once, they where close, she could feel the stars shifting high above them, it was almost time. Just a little more…
A loud thunder crack heralded the midnight hour, as three bright stars formed a perfect line directly above the temples centre.
…………………
The amulet burned around his neck searing the skin with delicious white-hot agony. He thought he heard his own voice cry out in pain, but he might have been mistaken, his mind processed nothing but the power flowing through the amulet, through his body, through his mind.
This was it his destiny, his vision come to life. He felt the infinite well of Velmorick’s power open to him, felt it bending to his will as it flowed through the amulet. “These creatures are mine” he declared “Give them strength and make them ever obedient to me”
He could feel the amulet gathering its power to work his will, feel it preparing, shifting, to obey him. It was coming, it was coming.
………………
Willow drew deeply on the power in Spikes blood as she felt the channel to Marcus’ amulet begin to form, pulling at the edge of the conduit, trying to dislodge it from effigy and make it her own. She felt herself falter, felt her own power draining from her weakened body. She tried to rob a little of the Key’s power but it was already swirling in a impenetrable vortex of contained destruction she willed her self to continue to dig deep into the resources of her mind and body, but it wasn’t enough, she needed more.
Buffy watched Willow slump slightly forward, her lips stilling and her dark eyes flickering shut. Damn Giles was right, Willow didn’t have enough juice left to complete the ritual. Suddenly she heard Spike’s voice in her head, words from earlier that day, words she barely registered at the time. “Like Slayer blood, but older…” of course, Dawn wasn’t the only one with power in her blood. Maybe, it might just work.
She grasped the discarded knife and quickly slashed both her palms, before stepping into the circle.
“Buffy no” Giles cried from behind her, too late she had already broken the magical boundary and paid the price as scorching pain burned her skin, she ignored it, dropping to her knees besides the witch and the vampire she broke one of their joined pairs of hands apart and took one hand in each of hers forming a circle.
Willows eyes shot open and her back straightened as she felt a new surge of power flow through her. She felt the fierce power of the Slayer bolstering her weakened body, lending its fathomless depth to her flattering resources. She felt Buffy, her dearest friend strengthening her mind with love and faith, “You can do it Will” she heard Buffy’s voice in her mind, “Take what you need from me, you can do it”
Willow let her head fall back as she absorbed the Slayers power, pouring it into the words of her ceaseless chanting.
…………………..
Faith saw the blinding light emanating from the medallion around Marcus’ neck and knew Buffy had failed. She had to destroy the amulet before Marcus could use it to create his super army. She surged forward with an enraged battle cry charging towards him.
Romelek felt power surge through his body, sharpening his fangs and claws, fortifying his scaly hide. He had never known such a feeling of strength and he praised his master’s name for it. He saw the dark haired slayer charging towards them, her flat out run looking slow and ponderous in his new eyes. He raised an arm with casual disinterest and brushed her aside as if she where a buzzing insect.
He gave a triumphant roar, she was an insect, they where all nothing more than insects now that Marcus had elevated him. “Hail Marcus” he cried, his voice booming over the field.
“Hail!” came the unanimous reply as every demon left standing in Marcus’ army felt his gift, “Hail”
…………………..
Willow felt the edges of the conduit give and redoubled her efforts, around her she could feel Buffy’s power supporting her and the older vastly stronger energy of the key hovering within the vampire’s body waiting for it’s moment to be release.
One more pull and the conduit broke away from the effigy, she could see it now a swirling magical pipe waiting to deliver her poison arrow right into Marcus’ force.
She gripped Spike’ hand harder, calling the power out of him and directing it down the conduit, one final command sending it on it’s way, “Destroy them all”
………………….
Faith landed hard on the ground, all the air escaping her lungs in a painful whoosh as her back slammed against the earth. She struggled to her feet turning back to look at Marcus and almost wept, she had been thrown a good sixty or seventy feet, no way in hell could she get back to him now. She was too late anyway she realised as she listened to the victory chant of the Demon army. Her legs gave way and she fell to her knees, her hands going to her face as she sobbed out her failure and her grief, for her girls and for the world.
………………..
Marcus felt the change in the power flowing through him immediately, felt it’s intent and tried desperately to repel it. “No” he commanded, one hand going to rip the amulet from around his neck, but it had it’s own purpose now and it resisted.
Another bright flash of light, followed by a simultaneous howl of pain from Marcus and all his army as the keys timeless energy worked Willow Rosenberg’s will within their bodies, burning and melting them from the inside out.
……………………
It was done, Buffy knew it, she could feel Willow’s relief, feel the redhead preparing to release them from the circle. She wanted to resist, she didn’t want to let go, not yet. She had never felt such connection, such oneness in her life as she had felt here one hand holding Willows firmly, the other buried in Spike’s gentle grip.
She had felt Willow’s power, her confidence, her desire to do good and it had made her want to cry with affection for her friend. She had felt Dawn too, through Spike, gentle and wiser than she could ever truly fathom and she had felt Spike. Boy had she felt him, his love complete and unconditional welcoming her into the circle, promising her his protection, his loyalty, his life and most of all his heart. He offered himself to her, hers to do with as she pleased, hers to destroy, hers to rebuild as she saw fit but always hers.
Willow released her hand and she felt the connection slipping, felt herself returning to the isolation of her own mind and whimpered in protest. Spike followed the witch’s lead and tried to let go of her hand, “No” she heard herself whisper, clutching desperately at his hand, her eyes closed against the reality of separation.
“It’s okay pet” he was reassured her gently, his free hand stroking her face, “we did it pet, you can let go now”
“No” she protested weakly her eyes opening to meet his, there it was again, that connection, that same welcome, that same offer made again through his eyes. Tears filled her own eyes as she realised it had always been this way, that he had always been there, giving himself to her, hers, always hers.
“Buffy” Angel turned her around by the shoulder, breaking the connection, “Come on Buffy we have to go”
………………..
Faith watched with grim satisfaction as the Slayers moved among the agonised demons methodically destroying every one of them. “Sir” Lady Jane’s cultured voice broke through her thoughts. “Mr Howard and his team have just left with the seriously injured. Ms Roberts and the others are collecting the rest of the wounded”
“Good” Faith took a deep breath and tried to steady herself, even so her voice came out choked “and the dead?”
Lady Jane let out a shaky sigh, “Vi and some of Rona’s girls are helping Mr Ward collect the bodies. We’ll take them home”
Faith nodded unsure of her voice, before squeezing her eyes shut and whispering, “how many?”
“We’re not sure” Lady Jane’s voice had taken on the aloof business like tone that Faith recognised instantly as a defence mechanism, “Best guess would be between two hundred and two hundred and fifty. I’m terribly sorry sir”
Faith nodded again, and turned away indicating that the conversation was over, two hundred and fifty, of the nine hundred and eighty four girls that had come to Brakers Field two hundred and fifty where going back in body bags. She looked down at the broken amulet, lying in the dust beneath her feet and let the tears come, single tracks of watery regret flowing unhindered down her cheeks, two hundred and fifty girls.
……………….
“You spoiled my party” a shrill feminine voice accused from off too their left as Buffy and the others made their way out of Marcus’ lair.
“Beatrice” Spike whispered in Buffy’s ear.
“Beatrice” Buffy greeted jovially, stepping forward, she really wanted to kill something.
“Ahh” the seer screeched covering her eyes melodramatically, “You, you burn my eyes”
“Oh yeah” Buffy shifted her weight onto one hip as she pulled a stake from the pocket of Spike duster. “I also dust your ass, ain’t that a coincidence?”
With that she launched herself at the vampire falling effortlessly into the rhythm of the dance, she was so hyped she could of fought another ten vampires, a single loony wasn’t the challenge she wanted, still it could still be fun.
Angel moved to help her when Beatrice landed a heavy blow on the vampire slayers jaw sending her stumbling back against the wall. Spike’s arm shot out across his path, pressing against the taller man’s chest. “She don’t need no help mate,” Spike told him, “just enjoy the show”
Angel narrowed his eyes at the younger vampire but stepped back and focused on the slayer. Spike was right about one thing, it was a hell of a show.
Spike couldn’t help but smile as he watched her fight, his duster billowing and twirling around her as she fought, lending a balletic quality to her movements, not that she wasn’t always poetry in motion in his opinion. She ducked a sloppy swing from the vampire twirled in and came up behind, her fist slamming down in a hammer blow on the back of the vampires neck another flurry of kicks and punches, one quick thrust of her stake and the vampire was dust.
He couldn’t resist it, he brought his hands together in a slow clap that made her turn to him with an amused smirk, “Nice work, luv” he complimented in a lazy drawl.
She rolled her eyes as she walked over to him and clipped him lightly on the back of the head. Angel watched the easy playful affection of the act and frowned, did Buffy even know how intimate they where together, was she really aware of how obvious it was to everyone else. Probably not, affection for a soulless killer was not something Buffy Summers was likely to advertise.
…………………….
A/N Hey Cali I love it when that happens when i'm reading a story, it's like getting an extra chapter for free. Thank you for your review's your comments alway make me happy, I'm so very glad I've had you as a reader all the way through this story, won't be long now though, the end's in sight
xxxxxx
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