Chapter 13: A Growing Curiosity
Willow was making her way to the library, slightly nervous at the prospect of what Mr. Constantine had asked her to do. The way Mr. Constantine put it she was to give some 'youthful perspective' to Giles. In any other circumstances, she'd be thrilled, but his instructions were at best, vague. When it came to magic, she always trusted Giles. In fairness, he was the only one out of all them who had any practical experience with magic. Unless she counted Ms. Calendar, which she couldn't because she was dead. She'd have to remember not to ramble on to Giles.
At least, not the part about Ms. Calendar.
But her insecurities were founded. I mean sure she'd been able to restore Angel's soul, but this was different. She had a clear and concise goal, then. Now, it basically 'do magic-y stuff to investigate a murder and don't screw up'.
Facing the doors of the library, she took a deep breath to calm herself down. She tried to remember that she was working with Giles, Mr. Rupert Giles. He had a good knowledge of magic. And she trusted him.
Plus Mr. Constantine said to provide him with a different perspective. I might not even have to do any magic at all.
She pulled open the door to the library, to find Giles on the phone. He hadn't noticed her walk in, and despite doing her best not eavesdrop, she heard the conversation anyway. Or at least part of it.
"Yes, this is Mr. Rupert Giles. I'm calling to inquire about a patient whom I checked into your facility a few years ago. A Mr. John Constantine."
Willow's eyes widened slightly. Checked in? Patient?
"Yes, I'd just like to inquire about the treatment he received. I'm calling on behalf of his family."
She was more curious than ever now. Willow knew that Giles's past was marred with all manner of secrets. Demon-worshipping cults, traitorous friends, and the sort. She wasn't surprised that there was more to his relationship with Mr. Constantine than was let on. What had happened between them?
Giles turned around and was caught in surprise at the sight of Willow. He instantly ended his call. "Willow, there you are."
She blushed slightly at having been caught eavesdropping. "Yup, here I am. Ready to go and investigate."
Oh, very convincing Willow. Maybe you should go ahead and just write 'I was obviously eavesdropping' on my forehead in bright red paint. Although, I'm not sure there'd be enough room…
Thankfully, for her sake as much as his, Giles seemed to continue right along. Whether or not he knew she was listening seemed unimportant, given that they had to find out more about whatever was hunting the good folk of Sunnydale.
"Yes, well…uh, w-we should be on our way. I've scheduled an appointment with the coroner." He stuttered out, as he put on his jacket and grabbed his briefcase.
"Alright. Sounds good." She more or less managed to squeak out in response.
She could tell that he was trying to hide something. The need to know more was there, but she felt as if it was something private. And she felt as if she would not only be interfering in Giles's past but in Mr. Constantine's as well.
They both walked out of the library, both trying to focus on the fact that there was a murderous new species of vampire, and both trying to avoid the awkwardness that was slowly starting to creep in.
Sunnydale was by no means just a small town. However, it wasn't that large of a town either. And despite this, the fact that it had its own coroner's office was surely something that newcomers and passersby found extremely odd, if they ever found out. But then the fact that the whole town was situated on a supernatural portal to Hell, was something that few knew. It would justify the need for the town to have its own coroner's office. It would also justify the need for twelve cemeteries.
"I'm here for an appointment with Dr. Webster." Giles said, to the front clerk.
"One moment." He said.
Giles and Willow had arrived to the medical examiner's office to see what information they could garner from the city's medical examiner. It was new for them. Their usual method was to break in at night and get whatever information they needed. But with the increase in the killings, they were unable to break in every night to get the information needed.
"Not that I don't enjoy your company or being near cadavers, but what exactly am I here for?"
"Well, you have been experimenting with magics yourself. And I need two people for the ritual that I'm going to perform."
"Ritual?" She squeaked out.
"Yes. It's Aramaic in origin. I managed to get form a grimoire that I bought in London."
She nodded, slightly, having calmed down upon receiving some sense of purpose revealed to her. Until she realized something was off. It wasn't as if Giles was above using magic, but she noticed the way he fidgeted at the word 'Aramaic'.
"It's not the type of magic that I'm used to, which is why your assistance is something that is quite necessary as much as I'm uncomfortable with the fact."
Willow tried to hide the disappointment that was starting to crawl onto her face. I should've guessed that Giles didn't want me here.
Seeing her crestfallen expression, he immediately tried to clarify,
"No, Willow, it's not that I don't enjoy your presence nor that I think you're an unnecessary part of our group. It's just that…" He seemed hesitant to continue his point. Taking a breath, he carried on, "Practice of the dark arts is not something to be taken lightly. Magic always comes with a cost. I learned that the hard way with Eyghon. And John… well, I just don't want you to make the same mistakes that he and I made."
Willow nodded trying to grasp the full of what he told her. She was starting to delve deeper and deeper in the mystic arts. But she did it from a place of care. When Giles told her that there was no spell that could bind Angel's demonic half, she scoured Giles's manifold texts on the occult. Sure, she had to spend long nights in the school library, but she was determined. She even tried finding something on the internet, her lessons with Ms. Calendar coming through, trying to find a soul-binding spell. But thus far, nothing.
And now Giles was telling her to be wary of the world she was stepping into. Fair enough, I suppose. But wait, Giles said "the same mistakes he and I made". I know that Giles really went naughty with the whole 'worshipping a demon' thing, but what did Mr. Constantine do? Did it have to do with checking him into that place he was calling? He said something about a facility too. Was it like, a mental hospital? Are we working with a former mental patient? Not that there's any problems working with a former mental patient, but when said-implied-mental-patient is a practicing occultist, then there are problems.
"Mr. Giles" the clerk said, "Dr. Webster will see you now."
Her thoughts suspended, she and Giles got up and walked toward the morgue.
The atmosphere between the librarian and the medical examiner was, at best, tense. Given how much convincing it had took the medical examiner to provide the autopsy reports, Giles knew that this was going to be a bit of a long shot. Thankfully, Dr. Webster had something of an open mind, so to speak. His father used to work as a medical operative for the Watcher's Council.
"Mr. Giles, I'm guessing you're here for our recently deceased."
"That would be correct, Dr. Webster. Emmeline Arcane, what information do you have on her?"
Instead of answering, the doctor merely laughed.
"So, twenty-seven autopsy reports weren't enough for you, eh? Gotta make it twenty-eight?"
"Call me an interested party." Giles responded coolly. "Dr. Webster, you know that what's occurring here is more than the average run of the mill vampire. And besides, you don't have to worry about sneaking off another report. We're not here for that."
Willow instantly turned to Giles in confusion. We're not? Then why are we here?
"Oh? Then what do you want then?" Dr. Webster inquired, his eyebrow raising in defiance.
"Five minutes alone with the body."
Silence from the doctor. Confusion from Willow. Defiance from Giles. It all made for an awkward situation. The doctor stared Giles down, as if he was trying to peer into his mind to see what the Watcher had in store. After what felt like hours, but was really half a minute, he spoke up.
"You're not going to steal it, are you?"
"No, nor are we going to do anything illegal. The body will stay right here."
After considering this, the doctor gave a nod of approval.
"Five minutes. That's all."
"Thank you, Dr. Webster."
He stepped out of the room, leaving Willow and Giles in the autopsy room, before pointing over to the body of the latest victim which had been laid out on the slab, wrapped in a body bag.
"Um… Giles? What exactly are we doing here if we're not here for the autopsy report? Or are we going to do the Aramaic ritual? If we are, what exactly is this ritual going to –"
"This ritual," he interrupted her nervous stuttering, "is a way to communicate with the dead."
"Communicate with the dead? We're going to be talking to the woman's spirit?"
"Not exactly." Giles said, as he opened up his briefcase and stuck out a shriveled, old, severed hand that seemed to just be in the beginning stages of decay, right in front of her face.
"Giles… what is that?"
"A Hand of Glory. You take the left hand of a man that's been hanged, pickle it in amniotic fluid for seven years, say the right incantation, and the dead will rise for as long as the candles burn."
He removed a large vial of what appeared to be blood and handed it to Willow, "Here. Empty this on the floor."
As she scattered the blood in a circle on the floor, around the body. As she poured the blood, Giles unzipped the body from the body bag, petite young woman with silver-dyed hair, pale and still, two small puncture wounds in her neck. He brought out a book and turned the pages, searching for the right spell. Once Willow had finished, he handed the book toward her and pointed to a spell.
"I want you to say this exactly, alright?"
"Alright." She said, both nervous and willing.
Lighting the candles on the hand's fingers, Giles started his incantation.
Hear me, most Unnamable of Devourers
Shmaynee la geree la geray ohkleen
he who guardeth the Eternal Gateway, who natair yat aboola dahba.
Evray metah b'pee mehabbaqaq!
Having held the hand out over the girl's dead body, he nodded to Willow, signaling her to start reading out the spell. Taking a deep breath, she started.
Here us, most Unnamable of Devourers,
He who guardeth the Golden Gateway,
We seek an audience with one in your embrace.
Giles continued to whisper the Aramaic chant, as Willow looked up to see if the spell had worked. The room was filled with silence, save for Giles's continuous chanting. Nothing seemed to be happening, as the body remained still, eyes closed.
She quickly began to wonder what had gone wrong. Did it work? Did I mess up or something? Because if this spell is supposed to bring the dead back to life, then-
Willow gasped in shock and surprise, as the body on the floor instantly shot up to a sitting position, eyes opened with a grayish hue to the pupils. But not only did the one body of Emmeline shoot up to life, but all the other bodies as well. Hearing the screams and moans from the bodies inside their bags and the body cooler, Giles immediately refocused himself.
"Emmeline! Emmeline! Can you hear me? My name is Mr. Giles."
"Cold. So cold"
"What did this to you?"
"The man. He was so beautiful."
"Who? Who are you talking about?"
Two of the candles were starting to burn out.
"He had green eyes. He said… he was a visitor."
"Can you give us more?"
"He drank my blood. I miss him… so."
"How about a name? Can you give us a name?"
Almost all the candles had burned out, save for one.
"D… Da… Darius."
The last candle gave a tiny flicker before it burnt out.
The cacophony of screams, moans, and thuds had subsided as the last candle burnt out and Emmeline Arcane's body once again lay down on the table.
Willow, still in shock over the potency of the spell, instantly began to wonder about this new foe that they were facing. They had his identification, someone called Darius. At least now they were making some real progress. Relief began to wash over her, as she looked toward Giles. He had something that she could only describe as a "thousand-yard stare".
Was there something wrong? I mean, we at least have a name now.
Any skepticism that Giles had over the information that Constantine had revealed to him, was now eradicated. His confirmation had been given to him from the mouth of one of the victims. He knew that this would certainly be a daunting challenge, not just for Buffy, but for all of them.
He couldn't deny the facts any longer.
So, John was right after all. We're dealing with the King himself.
I'm back! Thanks for being patient with me. I was hoping to get this up by the time of Buffy's 20th anniversary, but alas. Oh, well.
But anyway, Happy 20th Anniversary to Buffy the Vampire Slayer! Twenty years already. Makes you feel old, doesn't it? Unless you're not old. But still, I turn 20 in a couple of months, so I can relate. Also, as an apology for missing the anniversary, another chapter will be up within the week. It's pretty much more John/Faith interactions, so pay attention for that.
Also, props to anieljesu. gonzalez for guessing correctly at last chapter's teaser. Sort of. For those not in the know, Constantine has a lot of magically involved ancestors, and Angel may have had a run in, or two, with one of them. As to which one, you'll have to wait and see.
Please review! Reviews are always welcome, so long as they're not rude.