***
Willow and Cordelia ran like the devil we’re after them, which if they stopped to think about was not far from the truth. “Do you think they’ll be able to track us”? Asked Willow already knowing what the answer would be but hoping that Cordelia could deliver a really convincing lie to comfort her.
“Er, Willow vampire- pretty much the worlds best stalkers so let’s not stop to ask questions Okay”.
“Oh Okay” They carried on running down the street, dodging down alleys and trying to find their way back towards the more human populated areas before going back underground. No sense dropping in on more of the night crawlers. Exhausted and out of breath Willow stopped and hung onto the doorway of what used to be the towns herbalist before they strung him up and drained him, or so they’d heard.
“What about St Joseph’s? That’s not far maybe they won’t wanna go inside”. Willow puffed out between dragging breaths. Cordelia could feel her own legs shake with exhaustion and wanted nothing more than to slide down to the floor and rest. She didn’t dare if she did, she’d never get up again so she bent over and placed her hands on her knees, trying to get some strength back.
Feeling stupid but suffering from a mental fog she asked “didn’t they burn that to the ground months ago”? Standing up straight again she gestured for them to get moving again, saying in a resigned tone “besides this isn’t an Anne Rice novel; knowing our luck they’d be having a picnic in there”. In fact with their luck it’d be a vamp barbecue complete with dancing, ribbons and streamers.
“True – especially with a name like Angel”. Willow pushed herself away from the support of the door and tried to keep up with Cordelia’s longer strides, wishing she’d been more athletic in school and less of a science geek.
“Let’s not get into that now Willow. Save your breath for … ahhhh”. She gave an instinctive screech of alarm and cart wheeled desperately to stop the headlong flight forward. She skidded to a halt and with Willow behind her, retreated from the looming shadow that even in the full dark of night she recognised as his.
“Well, well who’s been bad girls then”? The taunt was mockingly drawn out from behind them. They both whirled around to find the blonde one- human faced now and looking at that them quizzically. He cocked his head towards Angel and pursed his lips. “Now you’ve gone’n’ done it. Pissed him off ‘aven’t you. Tsk- tsk not clever, not clever at all”.
Angel stepped further into the light shed by a streetlight that had miraculously missed being destroyed before now. His forcibly distant expression belied by the predatory stillness of his body. Seeing it and recognising the threat on a purely instinctive level Cordy and Willow both retreated closer to the blonde one. He seemed less threatening somehow.
They were caught between the two vampires and the buildings on either side. Cordelia felt Willow grab her hand in a death grip. “What shall we do”? The redhead whispered, thinking she was much better at theories than fieldwork and wishing she was back home safe with her books.
“Now there’s a question worth putting some real thought to”, said Spike acting as if Willow had spoken to him. He looked at the other vampire with an arrested expression. “What are we going to do with them, Angel- me old mate”? Now that he thought about it he’d not seen soul-boy this would up over anything in a very long time. Interesting.
“Oh I don’t know- I guess I’ll just have to think of something”. Replied Angel and his voice alone caused shivers to race up and down Cordelia’s spine in a not very nice way. She was still reeling in disbelief at their stinking rotten luck. Why is this happening to me, am I such a bad person?
Most vamps in her experience would rather give up and go after easier prey. But not these two- oh no that would be too easy. Urghh- trust me to bump into a pair of vamps with obsessive compulsive personalities.
The two girls huddled closer together and backed up until they were almost on top of a pile of garbage. They’d barely done more than nudge the pile, when suddenly it exploded outward; spraying rotten pieces of cardboard and other unidentifiable lumps of crap all around the girls and littering the cobbled pathway of the alley.
Angel and Spike both lunged forward but were too late. A round bulb shaped creature with dozens of spindly legs and a hissing beak launched itself out from its hiding place. Sensing prey it latched onto the nearest target, which happened to be the unlucky brunette. Still frozen with shock Cordelia could do nothing to avoid the thing landing on her. She screamed loudly when a piercing pain shot out from her arm and then went abruptly silent as everything went black.
***
THE MASTER
The face, already horrific was made even worse by the screaming grimace it gave the instant before disintegrating into dust, revealing the even uglier visage of the Master. A vampire rumoured to be so old and powerful that he’d overcome the hated human features that plagued lesser vampires.
The ridges that deformed the forehead and eyes of other vampires covered his grey face from forehead down to his chin and his lips were a mere slash under wide nostrils. They praised his demonicness like it was a blessing, at least in his presence anyway almost without exception- bar one. But he hadn’t reached the age he had by fooling himself or letting his minions fool him.
He knew they thought his features were the true curse, preferring the ability to blend in with their prey. But he liked to think of himself as a philosophical demon and rarely let it bother him. Of course if you pressed him and he was in the right mood he might admit to a feeling a fierce pleasure in killing them occasionally, but only occasionally.
“Therenow that didn’t hurt a bit did it,” he asked chirpily.
The crowd he’d summoned to witness the hasty execution answered his question with a uneasy silence punctuated only by the shuffling of feet on the hardwood floor. That was until they saw the gathering storm of his displeasure, and not wanting to invoke his unpredictable temper; promptly erupted into mass applause and frantic catcalling, making him smile in benign appreciation of their fearful adoration.
“Thank you my Brethren. It is indeed good that you appreciate the need for such- discipline”. He paused delicately, standing high above them on the lighted stage of the Bronze. “You do understand don’t you” he queried in a soft voice that still carried to the back of the club and beyond.
The deafening response came swiftly this time, anything to keep him happy and safeguard their unbeating hearts from a similar fate to the four now dust on the scuffed stage floor. The Master soaked it up for a moment or two and then nodded to one of his closest henchmen who then roared for silence.
In seconds you could have heard a pin drop. “Now that the pleasantries are out of the way let’s get down to business”. He deliberately walked over the dust of his kills, kicking it up under his slippered feet. “Now I find myself in need of more volunteers to replace these unfortunates. Willulf will handle the details”.
He gestured with long fingered and clawed hand for his henchman to join him. “Willulf I’m trusting your judgement on this- don’t fail me again or you’ll join them. Do I make myself clear”? He didn’t wait for an answer but simply turned to leave. Every single one of the vampires gathered on the dance floor sighed in relief when he finally disappeared from view.
As he’d known he would, the Master found Darla on the rooftop with her blonde hair dancing in the breeze and a half smile lighting her face as she watched the fun and games in the street below. Ahh – His Queen surveying her demon domain from on high- how poetic.
Darla knew the instant he stepped onto the roof of what was once the only nightclub in Sunnydale. She didn’t turn around or acknowledge him in anyway, just continued to watch the goings on below her. It was a game- his game and she played it like he expected her too. His arms passed around her waist from behind and pressed her back to his gnarled frame.
Her bright gold hair lifted slightly as he breathed her in, his flat wide nostrils more powerful without the human bone to restrict them. Just on cue she turned in his arms with a bright smile curving her full lips, her blue eyes coyly admiring as she gazed upon his fierceness.
“Master” she breathed out, her voice a seductive mixture of feminine huskiness and little girl sweetness. “Did you enjoy yourself tonight” she asked him archly.
“I always enjoy myself my childe. I see to it personally” he told her in a chiding tone, just another part of their game. Darla kept the smile in place even as he kissed her and rubbed her smooth cheek against his dry one. But her eyes were distant as she employed her usual trick and imagined it was another vampire kissing the curve of her neck with such avid affection.
He stilled abruptly but didn’t lift his head from her neck. “You’re thinking of him aren’t you,” he asked coldly. He lifted his head to stare into her blue eyes. “Be very careful my dear- I could tire of you, you know”
Darla froze while her mind spun at the less than subtle threat. “You know I adore you” she defended herself huskily, deepening her voice to an even huskier purr and leaning in to kiss his lipless mouth lingeringly.
She was his most favoured childe so he let her appease him for a few moments before he turned the screw a little more. “You’re continuing obsession with the abomination is distressing indeed, Darla”. It was another warning, his every world a veiled threat.
Her smile faded and she let a wounded expression cross her beautiful face. The Master relented as she’d known he would. His clawed hands came up to cup her cold soft cheeks. “I do understand, My Dear- but trust me sometimes it is necessary to let go”.
She nodded, smiled mistily and then allowed him to lead her back inside. On the outside her face was serene but inside her mind echoed with defiance. Never will I let him go- He is mine and always will be. My own dear boy.
***
THE MANSION
The car squealed to a rubber-destroying stop just outside the mansion and underneath a gloweringly overhanging Weeping Willow tree. The encompassing leafy strands of which were thick and low enough to prevent even the tiniest trickle of sunlight from piercing the gloom even at the height of day.
Angel stepped carefully out from the passenger door. The unconscious brunette securely held in his arms. Willow followed on his heels, yapping non-stop about what needed to be done to care for her friend and apparently not even sparing a thought for her own possible escape.
Angel shouldered open the door and strode inside, his boots ringing hollowly on the stone floor of the entranceway and reception room. He carried on through to his own bedroom at the back and carefully deposited his burden on the bed. He stepped back and was immediately pushed to one side by the anxious redhead. Raising his brows at her total lack of fear, he decided to leave her to it and sat down in the corner chair to watch.
Willow was impossibly aware of the vampire’s intense scrutiny as she tugged Cordelia’s arm free from one jacket sleeve so that she could assess the wound left by the demons bite. She just simply decided to ignore him until later, and then try to figure out the puzzle that he was revealing himself to be.
Easier said than done though when she felt his arm brush hers. She hadn’t heard or even sensed him move and was so startled she couldn’t prevent a loud yelp from escaping her lips. He frowned at her and stepped away a little bit but instead of returning to the chair he craned his neck to look past Willow, trying to see the wounds marring the smooth skin of Cordy’s upper arm for himself.
Now Willow was nervous. He was way to close for comfort and as she had work to do- she simply wasn’t willing to put up with it. She raised an hand and pointed a slightly trembling finger towards the chair he’d vacated.
“Go and sit down please, I need room to work”. Her voice quavered a little with fear but was still firm enough to get the message across.
Dark eyes narrowed at her and his face went smoothly expressionless but before she could embarrass herself with a stammered apology he shocked the hell out of her by doing as he was told and folding his tall muscular frame back into the chair. Sullenly but- he did it.
She puffed out a relieved breath and thankfully focussed her attention back on the still unconscious Cordelia.
Angel watched the small birdlike woman/child care for the feisty brunette who’d managed in a single hour to fight, bite and outwit him – which was far more than most humans or demons could lay claim to. He sat there utterly confused by the working of his own mind. Bemusedly he wondered what the hell he thought he was doing bringing them here to his home.
It was a bad, bad idea and he knew it. Plus it was a sure thing that Spike would have a few things to say about it once he realised what Angel had in mind. Angel winced at the prospect of the trouble that was gathering, getting ready to unleash itself in his home. But it wasn’t Spike’s reaction that worried him the most- no that honour was reserved for the fact that despite knowing the storm it would cause he would not change his mind. They were staying and that was final.