Chapter 6
“Well, that was a fat waste of time.” Buffy exited the last cave, scowling.
Willow wiped her sweaty face with the bottom of her tee shirt and agreed with the Slayer’s exasperation. It had taken the group hours to search every cave along the ridge and they’d come up with a big fat goose egg. No sign of missing scientists, soldiers or icons, or even a vamp to dust that would make the complaining Slayer happier.
“Buffy, do you want to set up camp around here?”
“Might as well.” She called to Anderson, the leader of the Council minions as she thought of the soldiers. “Go ahead and set up camp inside that last cave.”
As the men carried their supplies inside, Buffy pulled Willow away from the entrance. “Empress found something in that last cave; I think a vamp or something else spent some time in there. We must have just missed it. She and I are going to follow the trail while it’s fresh, try to get a bead on where it’s headed.”
Willow glanced in the cave and lowered her voice. “Are you sure you don’t want them to go along with?”
“I’m positive. Those guys are about as quiet as a Fourth of July parade. They’ll scare off whatever it is before I can get a good look at it.” Buffy shifted. “Besides, Will, I think you’d be safer if they stayed behind. I won’t be gone too long.” She grinned. “And while I’m gone, they’re your minions. Treat ‘em nice, but not too nice. I’m thinking they should do food detail.” She lifted her sword and looked down at the Grundy. “Let’s go, Empress.”
The Grundy lifted her head, sniffing before starting down the ridge. Willow watched the Slayer follow the little demon and called out, “Be careful.” Buffy raised a hand in farewell. Willow shook her head and muttered, “Only going to follow it, huh? Uh huh. Neither one of them can wait to kill something.”
*****
“Professor, it’s not important that I understand what led you to test the box or even what tests you performed.” Lydia shot a look of exasperation at Giles before tapping impatiently on the report she’d placed in front of the rambling man nearly fifteen minutes ago. “All I’m asking for are your conclusions. Is the box leaving this dimension, or not?”
The professor nodded emphatically. “Oh yes, and as I’ve explained, it is doing so at a measurably steady rate.”
“How is that possible?” Giles asked, frowning. It was unheard of for an inanimate object to move through dimensions independently without either going through a portal or something else triggering the movement, such as an incantation. And even more audacious was the idea that it could bleed through slowly, molecule by molecule.
Professor Simms shrugged. “This is unusual. I’ve never heard of anything like this before.” He stood up. “Here, let me show you.”
They watched as he spun the combination on a large, oddly colored box covered in sigils. “This is the magical equivalent of a faraday cage. When an object is placed inside, it is no longer in contact with anything from any dimension. I placed the box inside when I first discovered disparities in the tests. It was the only way the object could be stabilized.”
Giles watched the professor pull out the familiar wooden box, placing it in his outstretched hands. He turned it over. The box appeared much lighter in color, washed out, as though it had been bleached. He also remembered it being much heavier. Now it felt almost as if he was holding nothing at all. Buffy would say it had gone all ghosty.
“Remarkable,” he murmured and passed it over to Lydia.
The Professor nodded. “Isn’t it? Notice how the integrity of its shape has still been retained so far. It’s most amazing.”
Lydia ran a finger across the top. It felt smooth now, the glyphs having faded away. “Professor, have you come up with any theories yet on what could cause this? I realize it is unprecedented, but I’ll like to hear any ideas you’ve entertained, no matter how unusual.”
He shook his head, placing the box back inside and spinning the combination. “I’m sorry, but I have absolutely no idea. I’d love to run more tests, but to do so I would have to remove the box from its safe haven. It’s a paradox. I can tell you that left alone the box would disappear completely in less than three hours.”
Lydia stood up. “Thank you for your time, Professor. If you come up with anything, please let me know.”
Following Lydia into the hall, Giles closed the professor’s office door firmly before turning to her. “What do you think? Do you believe him?”
“Yes, I believe him. After all, we both saw the box.” She glanced around the empty hall and lowered her voice. “I think its time to hear the rest of the story concerning the first trip.”
“What do you have in mind?”
She headed for the elevator. “I think it’s time we talked to Adams ourselves. There must be something he hasn’t said.”
Giles laid a hand on her shoulder. “Lydia, do you really expect Adams to tell you anything that Travers has ordered him to keep secret?”
“He’ll tell me anything I want to know.” She pushed the elevator button. “You can trust me on that.”
****
Spike took another step forward. One more and he’d be at the crest of the hill again and in full view of the guards below. He started to pick up his foot when a voice spoke behind him.
“There’s a back way in, you know. You don’t have to serve yourself up like a side of Daggon on a platter.” The inflection was wry, the timbre low but obviously female.
“Maybe we should allow him to march down there. It would be amusing, and after all he is one of them.” A second scornful female voice added. Spike decided he liked the first voice a whole lot more. Curious, he started to turn around.
“No, stay right like you are.” The second voice spoke again, this time more forcefully and accompanied by the familiar sound of at least one arrow, possibly more, nocked within a bow.
“But why would he pose as a captive?” The first voice sounded intrigued. “I do not believe he is with them.”
“However I am still not convinced. Perhaps we should destroy him just in case.”
What the hell? “Now wait a minute! I’m not with them! ” Spike decided right then and there that he needed– no, very much wanted– to face any voices about to plug him with arrows. Despite the second voice’s admonishment not to move he wheeled around and his mouth dropped.
Somehow several dozen men and women– all armed – had managed to sneak up behind him. They’re certainly very, very, good. Grudgingly he realized he’d have to play this a whole lot smarter than he’d first thought, so he unclenched his fists and slipped out of game face.
Several of the warriors gasped, gripping their weapons tighter.
Confused at why an armed group living in close quarters to vampires would be shocked at seeing his face change, Spike pushed aside the question momentarily and grimly turned his attention to a much more pressing problem–the two voices and their distinct lack of interest in his ongoing health.
Standing in the forefront of the warrior group and only a couple of feet from him, two Xena wannabes stared at him suspiciously. The women– one tall blonde and one short brunette– wore chain mail and held bows loaded with wooden arrows aimed straight at his heart. Noting their stance and the deference accorded them by the others, Spike pegged them as the group’s leaders. He needed to win them both over or he was dust.
Intently watching the women for any sign they planned to loose the arrows, he slowly lowered his hands, palms open.
Both sets of eyes narrowed.
He cleared his throat. “I think we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot. I’m not plannin’ on hurtin’ anyone here, only tryin’ to get a look see inside the wankers’ fortress. Name’s Spike.” He paused briefly before adding, “Didn’t I hear one of you lovely ladies mention another, more private way inside or do I need to clean the bloody sand out of my ears?”
Ignoring his question, the two women continued to stare at him for one very long moment before the brunette shifted and announced, “He doesn’t sound like them either.”
Spike recognized her as voice number one. That meant the owner of the second voice was the blonde with the cold eyes….
Tightening her hold on the bow, the blonde shook her head, still unconvinced. “Possibly a trick. He definitely had a God’s visage. We all saw it.”
The brunette stared thoughtfully at Spike. “So, are you a God?”
“Women have on occasion been known to call me that, but no, just a run of the mill vampire here,” He drawled, lips curving upward.
The brunette shot him a slow, approving grin and lowered her weapon.
Obviously not overly impressed, the blonde tightened her finger on the trigger. Spike hurriedly added, “And I’m definitely against the other blokes.”
“See Cris, I told you he wasn’t one of them. He’s something called a vampire.”
The blonde– Cris?–continued to star at him while Spike gave her his best and brightest smile. She conceded grudgingly. “He could possibly be some sort of half breed. Perhaps the Gods mated with a human.”
She lowered her bow and the rest of the group followed suit. “I will not kill you for the moment.”
“Much appreciated,” he muttered.
“I’m Lyre.” A curious note sounded in the brunette’s voice. “So what exactly is a vampire? And why were you going to the God’s domain in the guise of a prisoner?”
“I don’t mind explainin’, but do you mind if we do this somewhere besides on top of this hill? It’s nearly mornin’ and the sun and I don’t get along all that well.”
The blonde snorted.
Lyre nodded. “We know of a place.”
Spike walked past Cris while she pointed at two of her men. Glancing at Spike, she purposely spoke loud enough for him to hear. “Follow behind this vampire and keep him within range at all times.”
She and the brunette started back down the hill and Spike fell in step behind them with the two warriors close behind him. They were definitely a suspicious lot, although he understood their feelings. He didn’t get all that prattle about Gods but he was a vampire and they were right to be cautious. He’d play twenty questions and maybe the brunette would show him a less obvious way inside the castle. In the meantime, he’d try very hard not to upset the blonde. She reminded him way too much of Darla.
The sun was already peeking over the horizon, so he hoped where ever they were headed it was close. Before he could ask about their destination, the group stopped at a sand dune a few yards past the hill. One of the warriors bent down and swept the piled sand away, uncovering a small wooden trap door. Pulling it open, the brunette grinned at Spike, motioning him inside.
Ten minutes later he was lighting a cigarette inside a large underground cavern that had several connecting tunnels. Lyre assured him the Gods in the castle knew nothing about their current location and Spike was impressed. Not only had the group caught him completely unaware on the hill, they evidently walked around right under the vampires’ very noses.
“So you lot think those blighters in the castle are Gods?” Spike would have been amused if it wasn’t so deadly serious. “They’re vampires, same as me. Can’t go out in the sun, wooden stake through the heart destroys them, no reflection in mirrors, yada yada.” He watched the blonde stand up straighter and hastened to add, “except that I don’t kill people and they do.”
Lyre shook her head. “They are not as you are. They can be seen within mirrors and have no human visage, although the rest of what you have said is true of them. But isn’t it also true that Gods are always stronger than mortal man and also eternal?”
Taking a pull on his cigarette, Spike remembered Buffy mentioning something about the vamps here having a reflection and pondered the situation. If the comment was correct about their true faces, then either they were all very, very old, or in this dimension the vampires were even more different than anyone realized. These were all things he needed to suss out for the Slayer as soon as possible.
Shaking off his impatience, he spoke calmly. “I suppose this hideout has another exit that comes out somewhere near the castle.”
Cris stiffened. Gritting her teeth, she could barely choke out the words. “We are not hiding when we are down here. We are the onlyones who will fight.”
Spike winced. She definitely had a chip on her shoulder the size of Texas. “Sorry, pet, bad choice of words. Every resistance movement needs a hidden base. Actually, I’m very impressed.”
She glared at Spike. “Only your death would impress me.”
Lyre laid a placating hand on Cris’ arm and gazed squarely at Spike. “All of us here have left our villages and our families because we are the only ones who believe the Gods are evil. We seek a way to destroy them.”
“Then we have something in common, pet. I need to get inside that castle. If you’ll show me how, I’ll be able to supply you with information about their defenses.”
“What do you really want inside the castle, vampire?”
Pulling on his cigarette again, Spike debated briefly whether he should mention the icons and decided it would only make the blonde even more suspicious. He exhaled and shrugged. “Same as you. Them, all dead.”
“Cris, he could be helpful to us. We have not been able to walk through the stone structure undetected. They hear our hearts beat and easily locate us. He would have no such problem.”
He listened to the appeal. Lyre was undoubtedly second in command, and unfortunately the blonde ranked above her.
Cris gazed sourly at Spike. “It appears we have no choice.”
She turned back to Lyre. “You have made the decision to trust him, so I accede to your request and will allow this. Show him the hidden entrance.”
Lyre nodded and motioned to Spike. As he moved to follow her down the tunnel, Cris laid a restraining hand on his arm.
Scanning his face, her expression hardened again. “Vampire, you have only a few short hours before night will arrive again. Lyre must be back here when it does, or it will mean her death. If she dies, I will make certain that you do, also.”
[Reviews - 3]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story | 
Chapter or Story
Has been viewed 1626 times
- Text Size +
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story | Chapter or Story - Text Size +
Author's Chapter Notes:
thank you to my beta EnigmaticBlues