The girl's huddled together as one of them was ripped from the cage. They watched in horror as the master entered the large room. He glared at the girl before him. "You're time has ended young one," he revealed to the trembling girl before him. He gently traced his finger up her neck. He watched as she shuddered under his touch. The master so enjoyed these last few moments of every slayer's life. "Darla my childe I believe this one's yours," he stated simply as he walked away from the frightened girl. Darla snarled and turned quickly to game face. She licked her lips then slid her tongue across her sharpened teeth. Darla loved to toy with her victims and she would make no deviation from her normal behavior. She slowly licked the whimpering girl along her neck. Finally she bit in and drained the girl until all that was left was a lifeless body. The girl in the cage cried out for their fallen friend then began to back away knowing one of them would be chosen next.

As soon as the slayer was dead the next one would be called. Willow only had a few moments to work her dark magic to reveal the next chosen. She quickly chanted feeling the dark power flow through her. The black smoke curled up and wafted over to the cage. Twelve girls cringed in their virginal white gowns backing away from each other. The smoke snaked around several girls causing them to whimper. Finally it seemed to make its decision as it lingered over a petite blonde who stood tall in one corner of the cage. "She has been chosen," Willow stated darkly pointing at the small blonde. Normally the girl would scream and cry knowing that in one month and one days time she would be dead, but not this girl. She breathed a sigh of relief thinking finally her death would come. She would no longer have to watch the debauchery of her friends being murdered every month upon the full moon. "Tomorrow night my dear," the master sneered as he walked past the cage.

Angelus walked to the cage to see which girl had been chosen. If she did not set the master free then he would have the pleasure of draining her lithe body. Angelus wondered briefly what would happen if she did set the master free. He quickly shook the thought from his head knowing they had performed this same ritual over a 12 hundred times and not once had he even been close to released. Angelus loved to toy with his girl even before the ritual. He strode over to her and looked through the bars. "Remember you must only be pure for tomorrow night," he sneered. Buffy eyes only showed the panic for a brief second before she stomped it down. She knew that when she didn't set the master free tomorrow night she would be sent to Angelus' chamber for the month. He always kept his girls until the night of their death. What he did to them she could only guess.

Soon the vampires had all left and the girls were alone. "Buffy," one of the girls started to say, but Buffy didn't want any consoling. "Just be glad it wasn't you Cordy," Buffy said blatantly as she walked over to her floor mat and laid down atop it. The other girls did the same as Buffy and laid on their prospective mats. The girls lay in silent darkness until sobs began to ebb out. They knew it was Buffy, but they did not know it was for other reasons then her being chosen. Faith thought she understood completely. Her and Buffy had become close in the last few months since they'd been brought here. Faith stood and made her way to her friend. "B you just have to believe she's in a better place," Faith remarked whispering to her friend. Buffy sat up and wiped the tears from her face. "What do you think he will do to me?," she asked showing weakness for the first time that night. "You know B drink from you then you die in 30 days just like the rest," Faith said rather harshly, but as kindly as she could. Buffy shook her head, "I know that, but I'm Angelus' slayer" Faith's eyes widened at her words. "I don't know B," Faith said her voice filled with sorrow.

--

As tradition after the ceremony of the chosen the master vampires went in search of the next potential. Willow performed another dark ritual that caused more bellowing charcoal smoke to travel through the sky. The master vampires ran through the streets following the smoke until entered a window. The only reason why the let the Wicca live was because she did not need permission to enter a residence. Normally they would have turned her into a vampire so as to preserve her powerful gift for their clan. Willow took her cue and began to elevate until she was hovering outside the girl's window. With a wave of the hand the window silently slid open. Willow flew inside and hovered above the girl chanting the familiar spell. The girl immediately fell unconscious and hovered freely behind the powerful Wicca. Slowly the girl lowered into Angelus' arms and they flew back to their layer with their precious cargo in hand.

Angelus silently opened the slayer cage and gently deposited the girl on the newly emptied mat. He then stowed over to his little blonde's mat and hovered above her. How odd he had never felt such a bond with a slayer as he did with this one. He was glad he would have 30 days to introduce her to the carnal pleasure he could offer. His slayers were the luckiest of all, at least in his opinion. Whilst Darla and Spike just tortured their girls he pleasured his. He kept his fed, bathed, and naked in his bed. In the end every one of his girls begged for him to take them and run away. He always laughed at this and told them they were nothing, but a lay to him. Angelus found himself wondering what would become of a slayer turned into the very thing she was meant to destroy? Perhaps if she pleased him he would approach the master with this idea. Angelus quickly shook the thoughts from his head and fled the cage.

The girls began to stir as their breakfast was served. More like bowls of oatmeal were thrust into the cage and expected to be eaten. The girls absolutely detested the meal that was devoid of sugar and milk, but ate it anyways. Buffy just picked at hers not really having much of an appetite. She really wasn't worried about the ritual tonight. She doubted the master would gain freedom, but for a fleeting moment she wondered what would happen if he did. "Eat B. you need your strength," Faith prodded her friend. Buffy snorted at that, "For what? I'm gonna die Faith." Faith's eyes immediately looked down at her bowl of oatmeal and began to stir it loosing her appetite.

Buffy was pulled from the cage and brought to the master. Buffy shuddered at the knowledge that this thing was going to bite her and take enough blood to cause her to pass out. She'd seen it done many times. She just wondered where she would wake up. The Master gently traced his long fingernail up and down her neck causing her hairs to stand on end. The Master sniffed the air, "Such fear little one." Then The Master bit down and began to suck voraciously at the petite blondes neck. Buffy felt the blood being pulled from her wondered briefly if she would get to die now. She wondered if this what they all felt. She felt her pulse begin to slow and her eyelids became heavily. Finally she just let go and collapsed. Angelus immediately swept up his property and held her close to him. Angelus was ready for this ritual to be over so he could take his prize back to his chambers. The Master slowly walked toward the exit of the cave. All the watching vampires sucked in an unneeded breathe a waited to see what would happened. The slayers in the cage wondered if Buffy's blood had been the key to end the suffering of their kind.

TBC…