Cole's jaw clenched. "This…complicates things," he ground out. The room exploded with the sound of his fist slamming the altar. "Damn them. They always-" As if suddenly remembering he wasn't alone, he cut off the words.
"Sounding a little out of sorts there." Faith looked up. Angel slouched in the entryway, hands in the pockets of his black leather duster. "Maybe you should try relaxing. A little torture and bloodshed usually does the trick for me." His fangs gleamed in the flickering torchlight.
Cold fingers scraped over Faith's nerve endings when Dru's tinkling laughter broke out. "Daddy's home," she crooned, coming alive with no warning. "Such power now…Miss Edith is afraid." Dru clutched the doll protectively to her chest, swaying slightly.
Faith glanced at Angel. He strode toward the small group, face expressionless. "That's right, Dru. Powerful." Sidestepping her grasping fingers, he wrapped an arm around Willow. "And it's all thanks to my new lover. I'm not your ticket to the big leagues anymore."
Keeping her eyes on all the players, Faith tried to figure out what was happening. Willow and Angel…were they allies or enemies? Her eyes narrowed, a frisson of real fear creeping in. Or were they competition for Cole?
Before she could begin to decide, Pausanias tried to steer the conversation back to business. "Should I increase your personal guard, my Lord?" He stood a few feet away from Cole and his admirers, and Faith saw the way his hands gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. The General was not relaxed, despite his indolent stance.
"No," Cole answered immediately. "The sisters won't come at me directly."
Faith wondered how he could be so certain. Phoebe certainly hadn't shown any reluctance over taking out her ex. In fact, she'd occasionally seemed determined to vanquish him.
"Their target will be elsewhere. I have a bargaining chip." Cole had to mean Paige.
Faith feigned a yawn and started listening carefully. Maybe Cole would slip and tell her where the other Halliwell was.
He moved away from the altar and began to pace. "I am more concerned about the ritual."
"We could move it forward, my liege." Willow stopped nibbling at Angel's neck long enough to murmur.
Faith went on alert. Was this the break they needed?
Cole paused. "Are we ready?"
Tilting her head, Willow tapped a slender finger on her pale lips. "Yes…and no. We have all the supplies and personnel. However, moving the ceremony means missing the added power of the full moon."
"I don't care about moons!" Eyes glittering pools of darkness, Cole raised his hand. Fire blazed from his upturned palm.
Faith shuddered. The increase in Cole's power pulled at her. She fought the sudden rush of excitement.
Willow seemed unaffected by the pyrotechnics. Smirking, she mocked Cole. "You may not care now, my liege."
"I won't care, ever." Cole moved until he stood nearly pressed into Willow. The shimmering flames on his hand licked at her black hair. "Once the Coronation is complete, not even the Charmed Ones can vanquish me."
"Unfortunately, my Lord, they can vanquish you now." Willow whispered a word Faith couldn't quite catch. The fire in Cole's palm turned white hot and flared upward.
He shouted and jerked his hand away, and the fire disappeared.
The flames reformed – in Cole's eyes.
Faith yanked her sword from her sheath without realizing it. A nearby scrape of metal on metal indicated Pausanias had the same reaction.
"Remember that, my liege. You are not so powerful as you believe. Not yet." Unbelievably, Willow turned her back on a furious Cole and strolled to the large throne behind the altar. "Until the Crown sits on your head, you are merely one little player in the Game. Even I could vanquish you."
Cole's deep inhale was loud in the still chamber.
Faith ignored him. Her attention was all for Willow. That casual display of power…
Dropping onto the wide stone seat, Willow leaned back as if the throne were rightfully hers. "Ready the troops, General," she ordered. "We will begin preparing for the ritual tonight."
"The party…" Dru's voice lilted. "So many people."
Everyone watched her dance to some inner tune.
"Daddy and his Mistress." She held Miss Edith up, crooning to the doll. "The King and the General."
Pausanias shifted and the joints on his armor creaked.
The sound caught Dru's attention. Faith gripped the sword still clutched in her hand as the vampire slithered their way.
Dru stopped right in front of the gleaming tip of Faith's spatha, a slender finger caressing the steel. Blood stained the sharpened edge of the blade.
"So much blood," Dru whispered. Faith couldn't move as Dru pressed closer. Her vision dimmed and her body shook violently. Fangs raked her neck. "Another Childe. Naughty Slayer and her Bride."
Lungs burning, Faith sucked in a shallow breath. Suddenly, scenes from her past came back to her. She remembered all of it. She could smell the blood. Feel it coat her hands again. Dru's voice whispered in her mind. Promising her…power and darkness and more pleasure than she'd ever known.
Her body responded. Faith's sword slipped from her grasp; the loud clang was only a mild distraction from Dru's pull. "Yes," Faith murmured. She wanted what Dru offered. She wanted…
The Slayer roared inside. Faith blinked dazedly, and the antechamber solidified for a second.
She wanted… Faith tried to follow the thread of thought. She wanted…
A cold tongue traced a path over Faith's pulse point, and the Slayer faded into the background.
Faith hung there, Dru's lips and fangs teasing her throat. Desire coiled hot and heavy, and her eyes drifted shut. "Yes," she said again.
A sharp pain echoed the feel of Dru's fangs piercing her skin. Faith burned from the inside out, each pulse of her heart sending a new rush of fire through her veins.
The Slayer raged against the blaze. Frenzied howling battered her mind.
Dru's voice faded against the noise.
Slowly, a softer voice spoke up, and Faith's lips lifted in a smile. Phoebe. I love you, Faith. I'll be waiting when you get home, Phoebe's warm and sultry tones purred. A waft of cool breath blew against the conflagration Dru had built, and the fire burning in her blood eased.
Energy poured from the Slayer, steadying Faith. She stiffened in Dru's embrace. The fangs slipped from her neck, and Dru's caressing fingers faltered. Now that the thrall had been broken, she wanted to kill her. Right here. Right now. She couldn't. The game wasn't over. Skin crawling with revulsion, Faith let her lips lift in a smirk. "I ain't Buffy, Doll Lady. No vamp gets a ride on the Faithtrain."
With a convulsive movement, Faith shoved Dru away and into the altar. The stone vibrated from the force of her landing.
Shaking from the raw power inside, Faith struggled to focus. She'd been so close to the edge. So close to giving in. She had to pull back and complete her mission here. Phoebe needed the information about the coronation.
Faith smoothed out her uniform and met Cole's impenetrable eyes. "You finally ready for me to do my job, Boss? I can make sure the witches aren't a threat." Hooking her foot under the sword she'd dropped, Faith kicked it into the air and caught the hilt.
Cole watched her intently, seeming to gauge her actions and words. "No."
He finally looked away, and Faith sheathed her blade. Something wasn't right. She'd been hired with a little assassination in mind. Why didn't Cole want her to take Phoebe out? Her eyes sought out Angel. Had he or Willow told Cole she was working for the PtB?
Angel's eyes gave nothing away.
Needing answers, Faith stepped forward. "Why not? You hired me to do a job. Why the fuck won't you let me do it?" she demanded angrily.
Cole's head turned in her direction.
Ignoring the silent threat in his gaze, Faith pressed on. "If you ain't bright enough to see the problem, let me spell it out for you. The witches have your number. And if Red…or the freak formerly known as Red is right, you need them out of the way."
"The lieutenant is correct, my Lord." Pausanias moved to stand next to her. The powerful vampire towered over her, his presence helping to ease some of her tension. With his backing, even Cole would listen to reason.
Faith waited for her orders and her chance to get the information to Phoebe.
They didn't come. "I said no." Cole waved a hand at them. "I have other plans for the sisters."
Only Pausanias hand shoving against the small of her back kept Faith from interrogating Cole. "And the guards, my Lord?"
"Increase them if you must," Cole said indifferently. "I'm telling you there will be no problem."
Bowing stiffly, Pausanias conceded the comment. "As you wish, my Lord. Come, Lieutenant. We have work to do," the hand on her back shoved her toward the archway, "protecting our overconfident and ignorant employer," he finished in a soft growl.