Chapter Eight
Faith and Thomas rode around town in his old truck that had helped save Faith's life not so long ago. "You're the slayer, where do we go from here? Do ya think Tara will ever forgive me?" Thomas asked several questions, which indicated to Faith the man was nervous.
"One thing Thomas, don't let them see fear. The next thing is, we go to the University and find Tara. I'm betting she has some jewel on her or something too. Hattie kept you under her control with some magic crap done to that necklace."
"Faith, do you think you can see that I live long enough to at least apologize to my daughter?" Thomas asked as he pulled up to the dorm area of the campus.
"I'll do my best sir." Faith mumbled as the two got out and headed for Tara's room.
-- - - - - - - -
The Mayor stood across the room from Buffy Summers. She looked as if she'd seen better days but wasn't in to bad of shape. "There is no way I will ever make a deal with the likes of you!" Buffy hissed at the Mayor.
"You will be saving not only Faith's life, but removing a charge from you as well as doing your slayer duty and saving the world." The Mayor said in a low voice. "Come now Buffy, I am giving you a sweet offer here. I don't really have to give you any offer at all." He clapped his hands and smiled brightly. "All I have to do is turn you over to the woman who wants Faith. I'm certain any old slayer will do. You have no choice really but to agree with me and have less time in that dirty prison. Of course you could just be given to the woman who wants a little slayer blood then die!"
"How can I be certain that once you make the trade, you won't leave me to die anyhow?" Buffy questioned with a disgusted look on her face.
"Ms. Summers, you know what I've already sacrificed for Faith, she is the only reason you temporarily won the battle. It had nothing to do with that crazy magic of your little friend and you damn well know it! Now make up your mind and do it quickly because my patience has worn thin!" The mayor's brow creased in a tight worry line as he spoke.
Buffy decided her best option was to take this gamble and hope a better card turned up in her favor along the way. "Deal," was all she said then the Mayor hurried off to make some arrangements.
-- - - - - - -
"Faith," Thomas motioned to the thick bubble around the dorm. "I think that's magic. I can't see it but I can't get beyond it."
"Fuck!" Faith shouted in anger. She knew nothing about how to break through magical forces and was certain Hattie had gotten to Tara. "There's only one person who might be able to help us now, but I'll have to make a damn deal!"
Faith sprinted for the truck and climbed in the driver's seat followed by Thomas who struggled to keep up. She wheeled out at top speed with dread as to what she had to do next.
The two burst through Giles' door without knocking. "Giles I don't have time to fight nor argue. We need to make a deal and fast." Faith spat out having noticed the evil look the man gave her.
"What on earth makes you think I might help you Faith!" Giles hissed angrily.
"You either help me or I will get dead real fast and then B will be charged with my murder!" Faith shouted as Thomas shuffled his feet behind her, well prepared to use force if necessary.
Faith pulled the broken chain out of her jacket and handed it to Giles whose face went white upon recognition of the pendant that was still attached. "That's an Olifschire chain. Its powers are for mind control and magic transportation." Giles looked at the brunette slayer and knew, by the look on her face, Faith was truly desperate for help. "Testify on Buffy's behalf against the Mayor and you have yourself a deal."
"Help me or, when I die, the Mayor will have your ass! Then he will see to it that B is convicted of my murder." Faith challenged unwilling to agree to anything that could harm the Mayor in any sense. "Thomas had this chain on, we think another woman has one too and her magic is being sucked as we speak. Hattie Olin is the woman's name that is doing all this and she will need a truck load of slayer blood to complete her task, whatever that is." Faith looked to Thomas for confirmation and received it with the nod of his head.
-- - - - - -
Willow looked in horror as Tara lie limp on the floor of their dorm room. A man stood over her who appeared to be half demon and a woman was moving some sort of chain, which made a chain on Tara's own neck glow. They had ordered Willow not to move or she would surely die and she had obeyed up to now. Willow wasn't versed as well as she'd like to be in magic but knew enough to know that what was happening to Tara was bad news.
She concentrated with everything in her to move the pendant from Tara's neck before the woman noticed. Thus far, nothing had happened and the demon-man was drawing closer to Willow. "Just three more minutes Donny," Hattie instructed.
"There is a tare in the bubble master Hattie." The demon called and Willow focused her energy to help whoever was trying to breech the bubble. She wished Tara had more time to prepare her on the uses of magic because then she would be able to do more.
Willow's magic was precise enough to aid Giles and Anya's spell and Faith entered the barrier, before Hattie sealed it back up. "Dear Lord, I think Willow is inside there." Giles murmured as Xander, Anya and Thomas rejoined hands with Giles. This process was taking all their energy but it had to be done. Giles had heard of the prophecy of the pendant and warned them how serious the conditions could be if they failed.
Faith burst through the dorm room door and knocked Donny off his feet quickly. For a split second, this distracted Hattie and Willow instinctively grabbed the pendant from around Tara's neck. "Oh well, I think I have enough to stop you slayer!" Hattie hissed as she knocked Faith across the room with a strong energy wave.
"Red run!" Faith yelled as she got to her feet. Willow was none to happy to see this particular slayer but instincts told her to listen this time.
Willow raced for the door with Donny hot on her heels as Tara opened her eyes. "Faith," she said quietly. She felt something strange within her, there was no energy, no will to move or speak.
"No time T, we gotta find a way out of here." Faith said as Hattie magically lifted her in the air. She knew Tara was no longer under her control but hoped she had taken enough of her essence to stop Tara from being able to mount any form of retaliation.
Just then, Willow returned to the room with Giles and the others. Hattie laughed and sent them flying around the room in different areas. "You can't stop me!"
"Maybe not but I can," Buffy's voice boomed into the room with the mayor's smiling face at her side. "I'm the true slayer; wouldn't you rather have my blood?"
"I could have you both, you foolish girl!" Hattie hissed but noticed the Mayor seemed to be using something to protect this one. He really didn't have much in way of true protection but Hattie didn't know this. He had calculated correctly because Hattie was thinking he had restarted his ascension and she had little time left to rule the world. If Hattie had been a smarter woman, she would have joined forces with him rather than going off on her own quest to conquer and rule.
Thomas decided it was time to take some initiative and lunged at Donny. The demon knocked him backwards with ease but Xander clobbered him from behind. Thomas got to his feet quickly and pulled a blade. "You're not my son!" He shouted in a rage as he plunged the blade into Donny's chest. "He died a long time ago! Damn you Hattie Olin!"
"Oh what a mess, I do hope that blood doesn't reach my new shoes." The Mayor chuckled as he watched his slayer in a struggle to get free.
