Remembrance: 23
by Selene
Angel stared into the circle four glowing red eyes stared back at him. Angel reached downs lit a rush in the glowing embers of the corpses. He deliberately brought the rush to the inside of his left wrist, taking elaborate care he branded the glyph of Cerebrus there. At the final stroke the snarling and snapping beast bowed low and both heads touched the ground in supplication. A whine came from one of the heads.
Angel looked at the hulking two headed dog in front of him and was more than satisfied. He was... effulgent.
A grim smile ghosted across his lips. “Adgredior Cerebrus. Addere nex necis.” Both heads snapped up and he saw the they were salivating. The glowing eyes looking rabid. Angels’ foot shot out and in one sweep he cleared a pathway in the protective ring of salt that had bound the beast. Letting out a gleeful howl the beast shot out through the clearing and headed toward the manor. Angel muttered, “Sic ‘em.”
Feeling how close it was to dawn Angel flew across the grass to get back inside before the first rays of light hit him. Halfway there he saw the beast muzzle deep in Slayer. It had torn out the throat of one of the girls that was patrolling. The other head lifted up and sniffed the air to seek out the next prey. It had begun. Angel made it to the manor and went around to the wing where they had placed him in, slipping into his room unnoticed.
The utter chaos he saw when he opened his door to his room sent his inner demon into throes of pleasure. Girls were lying prone on the floor weakly calling out for help. The slayerettes were desperately trying help them but they couldn’t figure out what to do.
Angel had known that his plan would have effected the Coven to some extent, but never in his wildest dreams, had he dared to think that they would be brought so low. Their power was rooted more deeply in the sacred stones than he had guessed. Summoning Cerebrus there had been a double attack on his enemies. First freeing Cerebrus from hell AND befouling the pure and untainted well of the Coven’s magic. This had just been his day. The thought almost brought a smile to his lips until he noticed one of the girls looking strangely at him.
Feigning a look of concern he asked, “What’s going on?”
The slayer looked at him for a second wondering if she had just imagined the smile that had been on his lips a moment ago. It must have been her imagination... Things have gotten so screwed up here. “I don’t know. One minute I was sleeping and the next all hell broke loose...”
Angel tried to keep his look sympathetic. “Where’s Buffy?” He had to know where the major players were. Assuming that Buffy would drag her boy-toy around with her he asked, “And Willow?”
The girl looked at him apologetically and answered, “Buffy and... uhh... Spike went off to find Mr. Giles... and I don’t know where Willow is.”
Angel figured that is where she would run off to. The slayer was nothing if not predictable. Now the other witch of power, “What about Margaret?”
“Oh, she is sick like the other girls. I don’t know what to do with them. Do you?” She looked at him hopefully.
Angel wanted to tear into her neck and drain her right then and there. She had nothing more to tell him. The slayer blood called to him but he controlled himself. Barely. Walking over one of the stricken girls he picked her up and placed her in her room. The slayerettes took note of his actions and having no one else around to follow started to do the same thing.
He heard the eerie sound of baying. Satisfaction flowed through him.
Buffy flew down the corridor searching for Giles. Spike ran right at her side. Halfway down she stopped and turned to Spike. “I don’t like the feeling of this. I hate to ask this again but could you watch out for Dawn? Something doesn’t feel right... on a big scale...”
Almost expecting her to ask this of him Spike readily agrees. He kissed her forehead and replied, “I won’t let you down this time, pet. She’s safe with me. You be careful and get word to me when you know what is going on.”
“You are the best. I love you.” The words flew out.
He reached forward and pulled her into a powerful embrace. “You have got to stop saying that in situations like this.” He smiled and kissed her passionately on the lips. “Now go find your watcher.” He backtracked down the hall and swooped into Dawn’s room bellowing her name.
She stood there for a second with her lips still tingling. She heard him yell for Dawnie. God she loved him. Doing a quick about face she ran toward the library. God knows that’s where Giles would be.
Spike was ready to pull his hair out. If the bit had been bloody annoying as a teen she was definitely upgraded to aggravating now. Trying for the fifteenth time he growled, “Dawn... Buffy put me in charge of you.” Wrong thing to say. Immediately the fire was blazing out of Dawn’s eyes.
“I am not a child anymore! I can hold my own.” At his doubtful look she changed tactics. “What I’m suggesting isn’t that dangerous. I just want to make sure that Andrew is okay. We’ll wait in his room just to make sure that he is fine through whatever ‘this’ is...” Adding her ultimate weapon she put her most pleading look in her eyes.
Knowing that this was a losing battle he nodded his head and turned around while Dawn quickly changed out of her PJ’s into the battle gear she had worn earlier. Grabbing up an axe she walked by Spike and headed to Andrew’s room. Happy that she would look out for him at least.
Spike took out a cigarette and trailed right behind her. How the hell had he lost that battle. Just like a Summer’s girl to get him all pissed off so he couldn’t see straight. He should have made her go down to the cellar where the stone walls might be more of a protection. It would be much darker down there for his comfort. Secretly he was proud of the bit. She had fire. She stuck to it and stayed loyal to her friends. He figured that he might as well get comfortable in Andrew’s room ‘til he got word from Buffy.
Buffy found Giles and Willow gathering up ingredients for a plethora of spells. Tucking them into a small pouch that they had attached to their belts.
Buffy couldn’t resist, “My what a nice hip sack you’ve got going on there Giles. How are my two favorite tourists?”
Giles glanced up not at all surprised to find Buffy there. Not having any of the answers for this one was killing him. Stopping her from asking the question he knew was burning on her lips “Thank goodness you’re here Buffy. I haven’t the faintest notion what is going on here. All that I have been able to determine is that it is a mystical attack. Both Willow and I felt it.” At Buffy’s confused look he held up his hand. “Don’t ask. We don’t have the time. You must get the slayers ready for action. I know that everyone is tired but this is going to be major. Willow and I are going to try to place a spell of protection and warding on the manor. For some reason the wards on the house have gone sour... Be ready for anything.”
He looked down at Buffy’s two-way that was still clipped to her belt. “Does that thing still work?”
Buffy glanced down at it. There was still two bars left. She nodded.
“Good. Willow can contact you to let you know when the spell is up. Go get the girls ready.” Giles had refused to ever handle one of the two-ways muttering that they were too distracting in battle. Everyone knew that he just didn’t know how to use one.
Willow smiled at Buffy. “Yeah Buf... We’ll take care of our end. Be safe.”
At the sound of howling Faith’s head snapped back from Xander’s shoulder. Giving him a wary look she quickly rolled to her feet. Xander hopped up much less gracefully. In the entrance to the enclosed garden was four glowing red eyes glaring at the two of them. Faith sized up the situation and pushed Xander towards the veranda doors. “Get the hell out of here. Go get me back up...”
In the past Xander might have put up a fight. Insisting that he would be able to help but, with his injured eye came the realization that he was just scraping by in a fight. He was much more useful if he used his head. For what it was worth. He turned and ran towards the manor. Fear for Faith’s safety making his strides longer. The helpless feeling that was going through his head was nothing new. He was going to make a difference this time and get Faith the back up that she needed.
The demon-wolf saw its prey trying to make an escape and correctly targeted it for the weaker of the two. It couldn’t resist the sight of fleeing prey. Xander’s legs churning as fast as he could was like waving a red flag to the beast. It focused all of it’s energy toward its victim. While trying to avoid the stronger of its enemies. Cull the weak was its instinct. Bounding across the well manicured lawn the hell hound closed the gap swiftly.
Faith felt fear choke her. She was used to it being in her emotions but it had always been covered up by the sheer power of her adrenaline kicking in. She loved to fight. She liked mixing it up. The thought of herself hurt didn’t phase her. But the image that had flashed in her head of Xander down and bleeding made her terrified. She tried to turn it off. Focusing on the enemy.
She had to time this just right. She set an intercept course for Lassie. Running at top speed she zeroed in on her target. There was a blur of fur flying past her... putting every ounce of her strength behind her she leapt forward. Catching the monster by surprise she buried her hands in its fur and let her momentum carry them to the ground. Snapping jaws and tearing claws everywhere. She spared a glance in Xander’s direction to make sure that he had got away. She saw him cross the threshold and felt a wave of relief the was palpable.
Her moment of inaction had been all the monstrosity atop her needed. It’s jaws reached for her throat. Some instinct made her throw up her forearm at the last possible second. The sound of cracking bone filled the night air. Faith’s face was suddenly covered with a mixture of her blood and the molten hot saliva of the beast. Desperate to free her arm and avoid the other set of lunging fangs she reached down to the outside of her thigh where she kept her hunting knife. It was a knife like no others. Rambo would have killed for this knife. She popped it out of its sheath and brought it down repeatedly in an overhand fashion.
The demon-dog went wild. It’s hind legs tearing into Faith’s taut belly digging deep. Faith let out an agonized scream. Reversing her grip on the knife she rammed it up through the throat of the the head that had ahold of her forearm. A high pitched yelp and whine was heard from that head and it released her from its grip. Scrambling backwards the behemoth tried to shake off the wound. Blood was pouring from the maw of the gigantic head. It walked a little unstable a few feet away. Faith took that opportunity to gingerly get to her feet. The limp, broken arm clutching at the wounds in her stomach. She was afraid to look down in case she saw her insides hanging out.
The demon whirled scenting her fear and decided to take another try at her. The one head was seriously wounded and lying half unconscious on its thick neck. It coiled back on its hind legs ready to attack Faith. At that moment Xander showed up with the other slayers that he could gather. Before the girls could even try to attack he raised up a crossbow that he had grabbed and fired. Secretly praying that for once his luck would be with him. They heard a meaty thwack as it landed in the left shoulder of Cerebrus.
That was all the threat that it was going to take. It could sense the power from the slayers. It whirls and slunk through the underbrush leaving gouts of great big splashes of blood to follow. The slayers unhappy with their quarry slinking away immediately tried to set out for it. Only to be stopped by Faith.
Weaving on her feet she told them that now that this thing was injured it was going to be even more difficult to put down. Being a cornered animal always made you fight harder.
Xander saw how the corner’s of her mouth twitched up at that... He rushed over to see how she was.
Xander’s face blanched as he took it all in. He took off his sweatshirt and tried to make a compress for the wound on her stomach. Waving the others away he told them to go find Buffy and to go after that thing. Half carrying Faith inside Xander prayed that she was going to make it.
The next two hours was complete chaos. No matter what they tried Willow and Giles couldn’t help the members of the Coven. The wards had been placed back on the house and it would repel any demon threat from the outside. Faith had been healed as much as could be done for her. She just needed rest and time to let her slayer healing to take over.
Feeling as secure as they could be in leaving them Buffy headed up Group B while Vi temporarily took over for Faith’s Group A. They were going on a hunt... The girl were ready to follow the trail of blood ready to repay it for what it had done to Faith. Buffy had the scythe on the sheath on her back. Her face grim.
Spike wished he could watch this one. He was sure that it wasn’t going to take his girl long. No one pissed her off this much and got away with it. He sighed. The bloody sunlight. It was always interrupting his good time. Well I guess it’s back to babysittin’ the bit. Maybe they had some cards around here for a nice game of poker. Dawn was old enough for it now...
The mountain of change in front of Dawn had steadily grew until he was sure that she was cheating. He wasn’t sure how but when he found out it was going to have to be added to his repertoire. Dawn just sat back and smiled innocently at him. Oh that was a sure sign. He growled. Dawn giggled.
There was a loud dramatic groan from the bed.
Dawn jumped up tipping the chair back in her hurry. “Andrew? Andrew are you alright?”
One eye cracked open. Followed by the other. “Oh God... Rona...” he paused and Dawn grabbed the water jug that was on his bedside table. Tears coming to her eyes.
A note of urgency entered Andrews voice. He gripped Dawn’s arm that was holding the pitcher. “Dawn listen to me it was Angel...”
A/N: I have to end it there. My eyes are shutting of their own volition...please review!
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