Salem, Massachusetts

Woods: Coven's Circle

Surrounded by elderly women is rotting teeth, stringy white hair, and black cloaks. Buffy sneered at the ugly wrinkled, deformed by plague, scared faces.

With her guard held up high, Buffy knew she was standing in a circle of Witches.

"I'm Mary Sibley." The beautiful dark haired woman introduced herself. "We are the Essex Witches. We hail from—"

"—Perhaps you canst save the historical lesson for another time and tell me what I am doing here?" Buffy interrupted holding her hands on her hips with mild annoyance.

Holding her chin up high, Mary had been warned about the vampire's impatient temperament.

In recent years, not a day went by that Buffy's name wasn't uttered amongst the demons of the Underworld. Between her rising fame of a ruthless demon and her supreme relationship with her Sire, the infamous Vlad the Impaler, Voivode of Wallachia, everyone wanted to meet Quod Spiritus Sanctus (The Beautiful Demon).

"The Grand Rite is in danger." Mary stated. "It is almost complete. The blood of twelve victims soak the ground. And the full moon approaches but there is a man who is threatening to ruin what we have started and it must be completed. Salem is under siege in a mass hysteria of Witches."

"Oh!" Buffy brightened. "Is Mr Hopkins still alive then?" She chuckled at her own joke and frowned at the blank looks surrounding her. "Tough room," she rolled her eyes. Buffy looked at Mary Sibley with utter boredom. "Yes, that's all very well but what doth any of this have to do with me? As you must know, I am no witch."

Stepping out from the darkness behind the redheaded witch a thin paled faced boy with shaggy dark hair and black eyes stood beside Mary Sibley. He wrapped his small hand around hers and stared at Buffy.

Eyeing him skeptically as if she's seen the boy before, Buffy squinted her eyes at him. She could feel the pure evil radiating off of the boy. "Do I know you?" Buffy asked the child.

The Dark Lord in the guise of a child smirked at Buffy. "I am He. The Lightbringer. The Morningstar. The Angel of Death. Lucifer."

Buffy gave a slow nod, not at all taken aback by the Devil himself standing before her. "I thought you'd be taller."

Lucifer smirked, humoured by the vampiress.

"I have a proposition for you, Lady Elizabeth," Mary continued the conversation, gaining the vampire's attention.

Buffy waved her hand. "Buffy, please. If thou art going to seduce me with propositions, we might as well be comfortable with one another."

Mary continued, unfazed by the vampire's sense of humour. "You help us and in turn I have great information that would surely spark your interest."

Buffy thought for a moment then said, "You still fail to tell me what it is that you want from me."

Mary replied, "Your old acquaintance, Reverend Increase Mather." Buffy's face brightened and a smile tugged at her lips. "He is heading the witch hunt upon us. He threateneth to ruin what we've started. He needeth to be vanquished."

"Well, thou hast thy magics. Why don't you 'vanquish' the Reverend?"

"We've tried," Mary said, tilting her chin upwards to hide from the embarrassment of her failure. "Thou art the only one who has ever gotten close to enough to kill Mather. We need you to weaken him so he can be killed. Buffy," she took a step towards the blonde, "we need you to break him."

Buffy began to pace back and forth in deep thought trying to decide whether to help these Witches or not.

After a minute of thought, Buffy faced Mary and the other Essex Witches. "It is a dangerous risk to bargain with a demon." She warned.

Mary nodded. "I am well aware."

Smirking, Buffy agreed to help the witches. "I shall help you. It's been far too long since I've last seen my dearest Puritan Reverend."


Walking through the woods guided by the two witches from the coven's circle, Buffy later learns their names, Anne Hale and Seer, Tituba.

They led the way into the panicking town of Salem.

Town Square: Gallows

The entire town of Salem stood in a crowd mob in front of the gallows in the dead of night.

Standing on the platform was a blonde haired girl, no older than nineteen years old. Her hands tied tightly at her front and a noose wrapped around her throat.

"For justice, we will find every witch in Salem and bring them to their knees for He is watching and will forgive those who trespass against Him. As God's will be done!" Reverend Increase Mather shouted to the crowd, standing at the edge of the stage.

Now aged almost thirty years, his once dark hair was grey, wrinkles creased his skin, and anger filled his eyes.

Standing amongst the crowd, Buffy smiled proudly as she watched on.

Tossing his eyes around the crowd, Increase preached, "Held by Satan's grip, this witch," he pointed at the girl crying on the stool moments from meeting her dark fate, "we can no longer say, 'God must do all'! The Devil hath made a dreadful knot of witches in the country, and, by the help of witches, hath dreadfully tightened that knot. Oh, children, children, be afraid, and go not prayerless—" in the crowd, Increase' blue eyes landed on a familiar face. His heartbeat sped up in his chest. His knees weakened from terror and rage that still drove him near insanity. His eyes latched to hers, unable to think another thought.

Off to the side, Increase grown son, now twenty-six years old, Reverend Cotton Mather frowned with concern as his father rarely ever lost his trail of thought. He stepped towards him and noticed the horrific wide-eyed look of shock on his father's face.

Taunting him, Buffy felt satisfaction that her presence still provoked the infamous witch hunter speechlessness.

"Father?" Cotton continued the sermon and finished his father's train of thought, "… With justice and in God's name we only serve thee to cleanse this town of its evil." He looked over his shoulder to the black hooded executioner to pull the lever.

Increase looked back at the girl, as she dropped from the small floor drop. His eyes bounced from the girl to Cotton then he looked back to where Buffy stood, but she had already disappeared.

With haste, Increase searched the crowd but just like a thousand visions of the beast's face he'd had before, it was only in his mind.


Walking in the shadows, Buffy could smell the sun beginning to rise in a few short hours. She was told by Tituba to go to the House of the Seven Gables, Mary Sibley would be expecting her to hide during the day.

As she rounded the corner to explore the town she was magically stuck in, Buffy bumped into someone.

Feeling hungry for blood, Buffy plastered on a sweet smile and looked up at the man she had bumped into. Drawn to his welcoming blue eyes. His dark brown hair was unusually short, perhaps it was a normal hairstyle in the Colonies. He looked like a man that came wealth by his clothing. Buffy raised a curious brow sensing something demonic about the handsome man.

"You're her." The man said with surprise.

Finding his accent unusual, Buffy hid her immediate peaking interest in the man with a sly tugging half-smile. "You've heard of me?"

The man smirked. "How could I not? Your name is on everyone's lips. I travelled here to watch the Grand Rite. Excuse me, in all of my awe, I have forgotten to introduce myself." He bowed his head. "I'm Cole Turner."

"You're not human." Buffy eyed him suspiciously.

Cole's smile widened. "You are your reputation."

"And what is my reputation, Mr Turner?" Buffy flirted. A seductive half smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"You're known to be quite astute," he replied. "But you are partially correct." Buffy eyed Cole curiously. "I'm not fully human. Half demon actually…" Cole's eyes followed her as she began to move around him.

"I must be going," Buffy announced and felt an odd attraction to the half-demon. There was something about him that had her interest. "I have to ruin the man that is leading this Puritan witch hunt in three days' time. Otherwise, that Grand Rite thou hast travelled so far to come to see will not be seen."

"It should be easy then."

Buffy frowned and narrowed her gaze over him. "How can you say such a thing?"

Cole shrugged, holding his hands behind his back. "Your upbringing is Puritan, is it not?"

Eyeing the man with rising suspicion, Buffy frowned. "How do you come of that knowledge, sir?"

Cole smiled, "Everyone knows that. The irony of a devout woman of God turned into a demon, undoing all of God's good… The legend writes itself."

Spellbound by her glistening smile and the brightness of her green eyes, Cole felt a shiver shoot straight down his spine. He knew at that moment he wanted her. But she was taken by another. Dracula's reputation was well known throughout the Underworld. He was a favourite amongst the elders and the Devil himself knew his name.

Despite all of the history he knew of Quod Spiritus Sanctus (The Beautiful Demon), Cole wanted her.

"Perhaps," she softly smiled at him. "Goodnight, Mr Turner." Ignoring the strange twist of feeling in her chest, Buffy curtsied.

Cole bowed his head and watched as she began to walk away, "Goodnight, Lady E—"

"—Buffy." Buffy glanced back at him over her shoulder and smiled sweetly, "You can call me Buffy."

Smiling to himself, Cole watched the vampiress continue to walk into the night.

The House of the Seven Gables

Knocking on the front door of the warm and welcoming dark purple painted mansion, Buffy stood patiently waiting for someone to answer.

The door opened, Mary Sibley stood tall and smirked at the vampire. "Did you enjoy exploring my little town?"

"Oh, yes, I watched the hanging of an innocent girl—Are you sure you want me to intervene? Increase seems to be doing the sacrificial job for you just as well."

"I want him to be the thirteenth," Mary replied and opened the door wider for Buffy to enter.

Buffy did not move from where she stood. "I would not expect you to know because I doubt thou hast met my kind before but I need an invitation in order to enter." She explained.

Slowly nodding, Mary said, "Come in."

Buffy entered the mansion and eyed its furnishing with a judgemental eye.

She walked into the dark greenish painted parlour room and stepped up to the large fireplace. Turning away from the fireplace, Buffy eyed the needlepoint left on a small table.

Mary leaned against the wood-framed doorway and watched the vampire move around the parlour room, heading straight to the drink cart.

Buffy picked up the crystal decanter and sniffed the red wine then poured herself a glass.

Taking the glass of wine, Buffy sat down in a chair appearing as if she owned the home she was in. "What is there to do in this godforsaken place?"

"Your task, for one…" Mary said snidely.

"Yes, well, I have a slight predicament…" she pointed to the rising sun out the window then closed the curtain.

Anne Hale entered the parlour room and bowed her head, showing Buffy the utmost respect. "Lady Elizabeth—I-I mean, Quod Spiritus Sanctus (The Beautiful Demon)—I apologise, is-is that too formal?" Anne pinched her brows together frightened by the vampire, despite her Wiccan power.

Buffy turned her eyes over to Mary with an eyebrow cocked high. "Buffy is fine," she said to the young redhead.

"May I get you anything?" Anne asked with haste. "Blood perhaps?"

Eyeing the witch curiously, Buffy shook her head and sipped the wine in hand. "The wine will do."

Entering the parlour, the fallen angel wearing the guise of a child turned the room's attention. Anne immediately curtseyed to the Dark Lord. Mary eyed at a man that stood tall at six foot four. He no longer wore Mary Sibley's son's face. The man before them was dashingly-handsome wearing a permanent charismatic tugging smile. His features were dark, almost black. His eyes were sinisterly dark and penetrating. He wore fine expensive clothing, exuding confidence and power.

The Devil shifted his gaze to Buffy, sitting by the window with a look of boredom on her face. A small tugged at his lips.

"Leave us," Lucifer said with a flick of his wrist to Mary Sibley and Anne Hale.

The two witches exited the room, leaving Lucifer alone with Buffy.

Buffy turned her gaze from the window to the Lord of Hell and felt her mouth dry with attraction.

Crossing the room, Lucifer took a seat in the chair that sat across from Buffy. He then eyed the small table with a chess board on it and shifted his gaze back to Buffy. "Do you play?" Lucifer waved his hand over the board game.

"A little, sir, and very poorly," Buffy replied.

"Nonsense." He moved the table between them and began to set up his side with the chess pieces.

Buffy eyed his side of the board and mirrored the chessmen placement.

The Devil made the first move. He lifted his black eyes to Buffy's face and watched her expression shift slightly as she made her move in turn.

"I have been watching you for some time. Thou art very impressive, Lady Elizabeth," he said, as he moved one of the pawns.

Buffy narrowed her gaze over the chess game and replied, "You say that now because in all likelihood, thou wilt win this dreadful game." She moved a pawn only to have it jumped by the Devil's next move.

"I do not talk about the chess game." Lucifer smirked, eyeing her carefully. "I have been birthing demons before man walked the earth and they art far worse than thee can ever imagineth. But I must be honest, I have never been so intrigued by any of my creatures before."

Feeling a bit embarrassed by Lucifer's attention, Buffy shied away. "My Sire is far more interesting than I."

"Vlad the Impaler?" The Devil rolled his eyes with disinterest with the famous vampire. "My dear girl, thou art far more intriguing than that old gypsy. Thou art an abundance of untapped potential in thee. I have been waiting to meet you—the renowned killer."

"Renowned? Hardly…" Buffy looked away bashfully.

Lucifer reached across the chessboard and gently lifted Buffy's chin to look at him. "There is indeed something special in thee, child. Thy power is rooted in darkness—my darkness. You must feel it."

Falling into the depths of his black eyes, Buffy felt a jolt of lightning run through her dead body. "I feel it."

"How doth it make you feel?" He asked.

Buffy's lips parted slightly searching for the right words to describe what exactly she felt, "It makes me feel alive." She smiled at the irony.

The Devil slowly smiled, satisfied with her humorous reply. "'Buffy' is not a good enough name for a demon such as thyself."

Buffy scoffed and raised the slight arch of her brow. "Whereas the name 'Samael' has an ominous ring? Suitable for a menacing fallen angel." She teased.

Lucifer chuckled, "Touché. Quod Spiritus Sanctus (The Beautiful Demon) is a quality title to describe you but thy name…" he shook his head, "… does not dost thou justice for what thou art, Lady Elizabeth."

"What am I to thee?"

Without hesitation, Lucifer said, "A Queen."

Buffy stared at the Dark Lord with surprise and flattering disbelief. "A Queen? I couldn't—"

"—There can only be one royal marriage." The Devil took her hand that was wrapped around the crystal glass. The pad of his small thumb gently grazed over her knuckles.

Flattered by the offer and recognition by Lucifer himself, Buffy smiled sweetly, "My Lord, you flatter me. The offer to be thy Queen—as splendid as it is… I cannot accept. Because you see… there is far too much for me to do on earth before I even think about becoming anyone's Queen—especially thine, my Lord."

"A shame you feel that way, Lady Elizabeth." The Devil said accepting her answer. "I do understand. Thou art very young and thou hast so much to learn about thyself and about thy demon." He removed his hand from around hers and looked down at the chessboard in front of them. "Very well, but you must dine with me." He flashed her sinister smile Buffy found charming. "It would do me great honour to be in your company."

Sipping the wine, Buffy returned his smile, "That is an offer I shall not refuse."

"Check mate, Lady Elizabeth." He said and raised a high brow. "Thou art quite terrible at this game."

Buffy chuckled and enjoyed what would normally feel like long hours of the day with Lucifer.

Night

Salem Inn: Room 5

Sleeping in the bed, Increase Mather's brow wrinkled slightly as whispering voices entered his ears. He tossed and turned in the bed, trying desperately to stop the voices.

"What did you do, Increase? What did you do…?"

Restlessly, Increased rolled onto his side envisioning the faces of the women and men he's killed in his long thirty years. Feeling remorse for doing God's work gripped him. He wanted it to end.

"What did you do…? Increase, what did you do…?"

The feathered thin mattress shifted slightly.

A gentle hand touched Increase' shoulder, waking him slightly.

He turned to the person touching him. Opening his blue eyes, his heart nearly stopped beating in his chest recognising Buffy haloed by the moonlight streaming into the window.

She leaned over to him, hovering her face closely to his.

Increase cupped her cheek, watching his fingers run through her perfect yellow hair. His eyes went to her face, enthralled by her beauty, Increase lifted his head from the pillow and kissed her passionately.

His dreaming mind flashed to Buffy naked and straddling him. She slowly moved over his cock, keeping an agonising rhythmic pace. He watched his hands move from her hips, up her slender sides, and cup her small but proportionate breasts. Breathing heavily, Increase watched as she threw her head back in pleasure.

Increase' eyes snap open from the pleasurable and nightmarish dream of the vampire haunting him. He sat up in the bed, looking down at his long nightgown. He could see the outline of his erection and felt shame for thinking so sinfully for a soulless demon.

"Dreaming of me, my dearest Increase?"

Startled, Increase looked to the dark corner to see Buffy emerge from the shadows and step into the moonlight.

She smirked, quite pleased that the trick Dracula had told her about actually worked. He had instructed her of how to manipulate dreams.

"What are you doing here, demon? I know your kind. You need an invitation to be let into a home that is not yours."

"Someone did their research I see," she smiled and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Obviously not very thorough research because otherwise, my dearest Reverend, you would have known I can enter every Tavern, shop, church… and brothel disguised as an Inn whenever I please."

Buffy watched as Increase pulled the drawer of the nightstand and pulled out a wooden cross. He held it to her face and whispered a prayer in Latin.

Removing the wooden cross from his hand, Increase stared at her with wide eyes as her hand began to smoke from trouncing crucifixes and yet, she seemed unfazed by it.

Pulling the drawer open wider, Buffy examined the other 'weapons' he had against a vampire such as Holy Water and thick wooden stakes. "It is as if you knew we'd be together again."

Increase felt his hatred for the vampire roll off of his body in waves. But just as he felt pure hatred he felt utter desire. He hated himself for thinking how handsome she looked in the moonlight.

"Do not resist," her voice softened.

"I must," Increase found his voice finally. "I am a devout servant to God."

Buffy raised her hand and tenderly ran her fingers down the side of his face, touching his greying beard. "God is not with us now…" she told him, inching closer to his face. "He's never been with us…" Buffy lifted her eyes from his parting lips to meet his glazed blue eyes. "All of this time… All of these years we have been apart and yet, I am still always on your mind." She ran the backs of her fingers over his bearded cheek.

"Yes," he said, voice soaked with arousal. He raised his hand and touched her face. "Your face haunts me as I dream. I pray to God to relinquish me of this tortious agony. My sinneth are but too great. The whore of Babylon has fixed me so," his mouth hovered inches from hers. "Your face is all I see when I hang the guilty. You guide my hand as I pull the lever. I serve you, unholy demon, the mistress of Satan, Quod Spiritus Sanctus (The Beautiful Demon) disguised as my temptation."

The pad of her thumb smoothed over his bottom lip. "My dearest Increase, ever the poet with such words. The blood spilt by thy hand with the image of me in thy mind. The darkness is thy true nature."

His hands touched her long blonde hair, stimulated by its soft texture.

"The darkness inside you… Tell me that you want it," Buffy whispered.

Releasing a soft breath. "I want it," Increase croaked.

"I can feel thy hunger," her voice was hardly above a whisper as she leaned in closer and put a hand behind his neck.

Willingly, Increase turned his head slightly, exposing the column of his neck to her. The hairs on the back of his neck stood as he felt her cool breath touch his skin.

Buffy's features morphed and gently bit down into his neck.

Increase' blue eyes snapped open with a gasp, but he did not pull away. He felt the blood of his body rush out leaving him light headed and almost at his climax.

Morning

Church

Walking between the pews of the church with the Bible under his arm, Increase Mather stood tall and confidently as he tossed his eyes around the crowded room. Self-consciously, he adjusted the tall collar covering his neck. He turned and faced the church room.

"Many years ago," he began to say with a large voice for the back row to hear him, "in Marburg. The German witches, oh, far bolder than even the Essex Witches that terrorise this town. Those German witches attempted to fulfil a prophecy; the Grand Rite."

Sitting on the bench of Selectmen, Mary Sibley's eyes tossed over to Anne Hale sitting in the pew and a few other witches sitting amongst the crowd in disguise.

"Within the space of a month, a dozen children disappeared. Their bodies were found bled dry. Their innocent blood soaked the ground. And as the full moon approached, more children of God disappeared, and I knew the Grand Rite was nearing its completion. So while others searched for the children, I hunted the witch. And I found him. He had taken the appearance of a six year old girl, but I knew this was no girl. It was him. And I strangled the Devil's child with my bare handeth."

The congregation stomped their feet and held up their hands with cheer for God.

Increase continued, "And as the life left that body, the Devil reached out and snatched the body, but I held on. I was determined that he should not return to his home in Hell." He held his black leather gloved hands up for the church to see, "And my handeth were plunged into the boiling black tar." The Reverend held up his hands higher for all to see, "Hellfire. These handeth have actually touched Hell. And they burn me still. " He moved his eyes around the room, "There is only one way to stop the Grand Rite and prevent Hell on earth. One must kill every one of the witches before the moonrise."

"Kill them all!"—"Kill the Witches!" Men jumped up from the pews and shouted like a clap of thunder.

"The Witches are everywhere in Salem and they bring Demons with them! The Devil's doggeth! We must kill them all!" Increase pounded his fist on the podium and listened with satisfaction as the God-fearing townspeople roared with cheer.

"How dost thou cometh of this knowledge, sir?" A feminine voice cut through the shouting.

The church crowd silenced and all attention turned to the lispy voice of a woman sitting near the back of the church.

Increase frowned and pinched his brows together, struggling to see who dared question him. "Who questioneth I? Stand up! Who dareth question me?"

Buffy stood from the pew bench with a confident smirk slanted across her face. "I do, Reverend."

Increase felt as if his heart stopped in his chest. The room began to spin. He could feel his blood boil with hatred and his cock harden with desire. The beautiful beast that haunted him stood in a room of God and she didn't combust into a torch of flames.

"Salem hath always been a quiet town, filled with good people of honest morals and God's reverence." The congregation sitting nearest to Buffy nodded their heads with agreement. "But now because thee hath said it so, what doth we have to showeth for our zeal to rid Satan from our midst?—Twelve deaths of women thee deemed guilty of witchcraft? And now thee sayeth there are demons amongst us? And what of all this nonsense about a Grand Rite? In earnest, sir, this satanic righteousness hath gone far enough, wouldn't thee concur?"

Mary frowned at Buffy wondering where she was going with all of this.

Slowly, Mary's eyes went back to Reverend Mather standing at the podium with an expression of bewilderment and horror.

Stepping out into the aisle, standing bravely against the great Reverend, Buffy held her chin high with an appearance of innocence. She walked towards the front of the church and quickly locked eyes with Cole Turner, the handsome man she had met only the night before. He smiled at her.

"Forgive me, Reverend for speaking my mind so plain. But all of this witch panic beganeth when thee entered Salem. You sayeth that you've touched Hell itself. How art we to knoweth if thou are not one of them?"

"One of whom?" Increase challenge, feeling angered.

The corner of Buffy's mouth twitched into a small smirk. "A witch, sir," she answered.

Gasps in the church filled the thick tension of silence. The townspeople looked at one another in question slowly thinking over the idea.

"Blasphemy!" Increase felt a panic when the mood of the congregation shifted against him. "I am no witch! You! Thou art a demon!" He pointed at Buffy. "The Devil's whore, Quod Spiritus Sanctus (The Beautiful Demon) standeth before us!"

The gazes shifted to look at Buffy.

She looked at him with bemusement.

The legend of Quod Spiritus Sanctus (The Beautiful Demon) had been crossing the seas for almost thirty years, the Beautiful Demon that walks the earth and maliciously takes the lives of the innocents to appease her lover, the Devil.

Unbothered by the accusation, Buffy kept her wits about herself and cocked a high brow. "Oh, I see… I question thy Godly morality and I am accused of being a fictional character from a folktale."

"She lieth! The unholy creature is manipulating you!" Increase shouted.

Thinking for a moment, Buffy smirked suddenly and said, "But of course, as thou dost with all of the accused…" Buffy faced the congregation that was not on their feet, damning the infamous Reverend to the gallows. "Who will check this man for the Devil's mark?" Buffy asked the roaring crowd.

"I will," Cole stood from the pew bench and stepped out into the middle aisle.

Buffy smiled smugly at him, finding the half-breed demon incredibly handsome in this very moment. She licked her lips.

Cole walked past her to the front of the church.

Cotton jumped into Cole's way. Refraining from using his powers, Cole pushed him aside. Captain John Alden stood from the front seat of the pew and held Cotton by the arm in efforts to keep his friend out of harm's way. "No, Cotton, let this happen. Or they'll come after you next." Alden said into Cotton's ear.

The crowd wanted blood and they wanted revenge.

Increase shoved Cole away and tried to distance himself.

Flashing his demonic black eyes forcing Increase to stop mid-step, Cole grabbed the Reverend by the back of his neck. Increase stared up at Cole terrified after having seen a flash of the demon that was hidden underneath his handsome flesh.

Ripping off the collar, Cole turned Increase's neck and revealed the two deep puncture wounds on his neck. The crowd roared and cheered praying to the Lord to kill the witch.

Mary's dark eyes snapped to the cleverly deceitful vampiress.

Triumphantly, Buffy smiled at the supreme witch. Her plan had worked. She had successfully turned the witch-fearing Puritan town against its only saviour, world renowned witch hunter, Reverend Increase Mather into a broken man.

By morning the Essex Hive will have their thirteenth victim and complete their Grand Rite.

Hours Later

Prison Cell

Under the stage of the gallows, Cotton stood at the iron bars looking at his father standing in the corner with a look of utter bewilderment on his face, unsure just how he had gotten here.

"Father?" He held out a canteen of water. "Drink something."

"She came to me last night," he said manically and began to pace back and forth. "This was her own device. Her own perverted game."

Cotton frowned, "Who came to thee last night? Did she bewitch you?"

Falling to his knees into the dirt, Increase clenched his hands together looking up at the ceiling. "Sh-she-she poisoneth my mind with immoral sin!" Increase gripped his hair at the sides of his head threatening to pull it out. "Merciful God, forgive me. I have sinned. I've weakly fallen into the temptation, the beautiful nymph enthralled me. To touch her flesh filleth my mind with impure thoughts and leave me with her Devil's mark." He prayed.

"Father, "

"A demon," Increase got to his feet and walked over to the bars where his son stood.

Cotton's frown deepened with concern, "A demonic witch? Could there be such a thing?"

Increase released a heavy breath, "She is no witch. Don't you understand?" He shouted at Cotton in frustration. "There is evil much worse than Witches that walk the earth, doing Satan's work; Vampires. She walketh the earth in the guise of beauty, but inside—underneath all of that unblemished flesh is evil. Evil created by the Devil himself. His blood created these savage beasts which arose from the burning flames in the depths of Hell."

Frightened by the description of the demon, Cotton wiped the sweat from his brow. "If she is no witch, Father, we can convince the Selectmen to set you free and—"

"—It will not stop her. Nothing will stop her. I could not stop her when she killed your mother. Quod Spiritus Sanctus (The Beautiful Demon) is here amongst us. God help us all. This is my punishment for my weakness."

Cotton stared at his father shocked by his measly defeated state. Never in his entire life did Increase Mather appear as anything but confident, domineering, and despotic. Looking at him now, decades of hidden paranoia and trauma surfaced. Increase never spoke of Cotton's mother's death, in fact, Cotton had always assumed his mother's death was because of a childbirth complication or tragic circumstance.

All of the years of his father's killing spree of 'evil' seemed to all suddenly make sense. He may be doing God's work but it was in vain. The Reverend's goal has always been to rectify everything Quod Spiritus Sanctus (The Beautiful Demon) had done to him and his family. She had nearly broken him before and now, she had successfully shattered Increase Mather into pieces.

Stepping away from the father he could no longer recognise, Cotton softly said, "I'll pray for you, Father," as he sadly turned his back on his father.

Huddled in the corner of the dank cell, Increase muttered to himself a prayer of repentance. He clenched his hands around the wooden crucifix around his neck.

"Shh," a hand tenderly touched the top of his head. "The Lord hath a plan for all of its creatures." Buffy soothingly ran her fingers through his short grey curly hair. "The Devil himself smileth to thee," she whispered into his ear. "So noble in thy quest of righteousness… Wearing a cilice will not save you from sin. The Lord hath used you and sent me to smite you to thee." Buffy ran her fingers through the Reverends greying short curly hair.

Increase turned his head to look at her. His brows angrily hung over his blue eyes and the vein in his forehead pulsed, livid by the demon that had single-handedly destroyed his life. "Damn you, demon." He spat at her feet. "Damn you to Hell. Thy time will come. It will come swiftly and thy demise will taste like ash." Increase stood up onto his feet and walked over to the iron bars. He used a loose rock at his feet and banged onto the bars. "Help! In here!" He shouted to the town but no one turned to the clanking jails bars or screaming from inside them. "Help! The beast!—She's in here! Help!" His voice cracked as he gave up, unable to get a single person's attention.

Lingering in the background, Buffy sinisterly smiled watching her greatest achievement to date unravel before her. "Yes," she walked over to him and hung over her shoulder, mocking him, "cry out. Make a scene." She taunted with a gleaming grin.

Whirling around to grab her and silence her for once and for all, Increase felt himself further crumble into a spiral of insanity when he realised that no one else was inside the cell with him. The conversation with the vampiress had all but been a figment of his imagination.

Falling to his knees, the Reverend crossed himself and prayed for repentance and for God to help him.

The House of the Seven Gables: Parlour Room

Buffy's eyes slowly opened coming back from her astral projection experience of invading a single mind.

Spent from the power she had to use her shifted her gaze from the dancing flames of the fire to the nighttime sky. The almost full moon casted a dim light over the sleeping town. Her eyes fell from the sky to the gallows, a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

Next Morning

Town Square: Gallows

The sunlight beamed through the cloudy grey skies.

Reverend Increase Mather, closed his eyes trying to memorise the warmth of the sunlight hitting his skin. He opened his eyes to look upon the faces of the people he was sent for to protect from the evil in Salem.

They all stood silently and stared up at him on the platform with his hands roped together at his front and noose around his neck.

His blue eyes went to his son.

Cotton stood in the crowd with John Alden. A Bible was held open in his hands.

Increase could hear Cotton's muttering of a prayer.

Trailing his gaze along each face of the townspeople that had damned him for execution, Increase's mouth fell agape with shock and horrific awe. Buffy stood in the crowd. She wore a hat with a black veil over her face. She was dressed in an elegant gown of black with an accented colour of a deep red. She lifted the veil from her face, revealing herself to him.

With the use of the witches magics, Buffy stood in the daylight.

A smile danced across her heart-shaped lips.

In Increase' mind, he could feel her presence right beside him, whispering words of ghastly horrors into his ear. Blackening his heart with the prayer of refuge in the Hebrew language:

"אדון, שכוחו הוא אינסופי וחוכמתו בלתי ניתנת לטעות, סדר דברים שהם לא עלולים להפריע לי, ולא להרתיע אותי, ולא להוכיח מכשולים להתקדמות עניינך. עמד ביני לבין כל המחלוקת, כי שום רע לא יתרחש, שום חטא לא ישחית את מתנותי, הקנאות, ההישגים שלי (O lord, whose power is infinite and wisdom infallible, order things that they may neither hinder, nor discourage me, nor prove obstacles to the progress of thy cause. Stand between me and all strife, that no Evil befall, no sin corrupt my gifts, zeal, attainments."

The Reverends' blue eyes widened with terror as Buffy's lispy voice whispered into his ear, changing the language to Latin.

"... a negotio perambulante in tenebris, a contradictione linguarum et malitiae ex invidia et malevola ex Disputatio malum, et per insidias erant, quos pericula adolescens, et sanitatem corporis media vita in moumings de senectute, metu mortis (... the pestilence that walketh in darkness, the strife of tongues, the malice of ill-will, the hurt of unkind talk, the snares of company, the perils of youth, the temptations of middle life, the moumings of old age, the fear of death)."

Mather's eyes went back to Buffy standing within the crowd still wearing a smug triumphant venomous little grin.

Sneering at the vampiress with hatred, the Reverend looked to the people for one final plea to the Heavens and prayed, "Lord, you who seeth and knoweth our secret hearts must know that I am innocent."

Buffy smiled.

Increase continued, "Let the Lord add it to my already lengthy list of mortal sinneth. I must pay any price, spoil my own blood in failure to stop the Witches that plagues this earth. The demonic beauty is my executioner and I pray for thy forgiveness, for I was weak and fell into her deceitfully angelic charmeth." His bright desperate eyes lifted to the clear blue sky. "I pray that thou wilt look upon thy serving people and forgive them for their wrongful conviction of me. And that thou wilt send them a sign and guide them to thy virtuousness of Good and help them to damn these monsters of evil that wear masks of human flesh. Guide them to salvation as thou wilt guide my hand to mine. Abide in me, gracious God."

Minister Antony Crawley looked at the black masked executioner and curtly nodded his head.

The executioner pulled the long wooden lever to the drop door.

Defenceless, the legendary witch hunter of Europe, Reverend Increase Mather met his demise as he dropped to his death. But the drop did not break his neck. Instead, the ill-fated Reverend slowly suffocated. His blue and reddening eyes were glued onto Buffy's face. She happily watched the Reverend choke to death, closing the final chapter of her long tormentous saga of Reverend Increase Mather and the rectitude of the Puritans.

Night

Woods: Coven's Circle

Walking through the woods in the dead of the night, Buffy was more than ready to leave the dreadful and barbaric Colonies.

As she walked through the woods, a familiar stranger accompanied her on the journey.

They flirtatiously smiled at him at him, unsure what it was about this half-breed demon, but she was attracted to his blue eyes and dark features. There was something very odd about him as well, Buffy couldn't quite put her finger on it but she knew it wasn't his demon. There was something else about this 'Cole Turner' that mildly fascinated her and wildly attracted her.


"You killed him," Mary accusingly said, confronting the legendary vampiress.

"Yes, I did." Buffy tossed her eyes around the Hive of witches surrounding her when her gaze landed on Mary. Her brows were high up her forehead, confused why the supreme witch would sound so ungrateful. "I held up my end of the bargain. You said that you wanted him 'vanquished' but you had failed to specify how you wanted the good Reverend to be 'vanquished'."

Smirking standing off to the side, the Devil eyed the vampiress, dazzled by her immense capability as a demon along with her creative cleverness.

Taking a step forward, Buffy remained unintimidated by the powerful Essex Witch. "Now, it is time for you to hold thy end of this scandalous arrangement. What do I get in return for my great efforts?"

"Very well." Mary crossed her arms over her chest and pursed her lips together. "There's a demon hunter."

Not entirely interested in another mortal demon hunter, Buffy played along. "How do I find him?"

"Her," Mary moved closer to Buffy, wearing a smug knowing smile at her lips as she watched Buffy's interest peak. "After killing her, thy name will be known from the Heavens, Hell, and here on earth for centuries to come."

Buffy hated to admit it but she was very much intrigued.

"Into every generation, there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons, and the forceth of darkness. She's called the Slayer."

Envisioning the glory of killing the Slayer flashed in Buffy's mind. Her name would be cemented in history. She wanted to know everything there was to know about this 'Slayer'.

"What happeneth when I kill her?" Buffy asked.

"Another will be chosen and another after that… and another one after that." Mary replied.

Buffy smirked, excited to begin a new cat and mouse game but this time it would be with someone of actual power, the Slayer. "Where do I find her?"

Mary glanced back to Lucifer, who silently nodded.

Looking back at the blonde vampire, Mary answered, "That is for you to discover."

Sinisterly grinning at the exciting proposition torturing the Slayer and having her name synonymous with victory seemed all too attractive.

Snapping her fingers, Mary sent Buffy back to where she had come from.

Yorkshire, England

Yorkshire Castle: Great Hall

Buffy looked around and realised that she was back at the castle. Her frown deepened with annoyance that Mary Sibley failed to tell her just where this 'Slayer' was located. She could be anywhere. The world was a very big place after all.

Perhaps Vlad knows about the Slayer. She thought to herself and walked down the great hall in search of her Sire-lover and told him the great news.


Coming closer to the master bedroom, the sounds of moaning was evident as it echoed through the heavy wooden door reaching Buffy's ears.

A wave of raging jealousy washed over Buffy finding it unacceptable to share her sire with anyone.

Walking past the parlour room, Buffy noticed a crossbow on the ground which was left by Holtz during his untimely demise.

She entered the parlour room and picked up the crossbow. Angrily, Buffy loaded the medieval weapon with an arrow that was left on the ground.

Spinning around on the heel of her stylishly embroidered shoe, walked out of the room and headed purposefully down the hall and to the bedroom.

Master Bedroom

Kicking the door open, Buffy entered the master bedroom to see the shocked faces of three naked women in bed with her Sire. Buffy hated the spoiled and conceited, Three Sisters. The four women in Dracula's life fought for his undivided attention, Buffy always grew jealous when his eyes were away from hers.

Dracula, also naked in the bed with the three sisters in his arms, lifted his head. He tossed Buffy a smug smile able to see her rage.

The Three Sisters turned to Buffy and hissed; flashing their fangs.

Buffy fired the crossbow, staking one vampiress into the heart and she combusted into dust.

The other two sisters jumped off of Dracula and ran to attack Buffy.

Anticipating the attack, Buffy grabbed one of the sisters by her hair and slammed her attractive face into the stone wall.

She looked up to the decorative swords mounted on the wall and grabbed one of them by the hilt. Buffy then spun around just as one of the sisters attacked her. Swinging the sword, Buffy decapitated the attacking sister.

The remaining sister jumped on Buffy's back. Growling and punching the vampiress, Buffy grew increasingly frustrated by the vampire whore.

Slamming her back into the wall to knock off the sister, Buffy grabbed the sister by the hair and dragged her over to the window, closed by a blind.

Using her supernatural strength, Buffy lifted the sister to her feet and pinned her against the wall. Choking a tight hand around the sisters throat, Buffy narrowed her glaring eyes on the vampiress and asked, "You're a woman of many talents. But I wonder... can you fly?" She threw the vampire of the window and into the morning daylight.

The remaining sister of the legendary Three Sisters screamed as she fell from the castle master bedroom window. Catching on fire from the sun, the sister combusts into dust before she hits the ground.

Inside the bedroom, Buffy turned to her lover, sitting in the bed, still naked and unbothered by the display of jealousy.

"I leave you for three days and you send for those whores," she angrily glared at her Sire.

"How was I to know when you would be returning?" Dracula stood from the bed and reached for a robe hung off to the side of the bed.

Irritated with him and at herself for the unusual amount of jealousy she felt, Buffy walked over to the chain lever and pulled it down ringing for a lady's maid to help her out of this gown.

The lady's maid ran into the room and curtseyed.

Buffy held her hands on her hips, still glaring at Dracula. "Come here, girl."

The lady's maid almost leapt across the room and stood behind Buffy to unfasten the heavy gown.

"What dost thou know of the Slayer?" Buffy asked, watching him stand at the drink cart and poured himself a glass of blood.

"The Slayer?" Dracula frowned wondering just how she found out about the Slayer. He had successfully kept her in the dark about the Vampire Slayer, knowing that his Childe will want nothing more than to hunt the Slayer and put herself into danger.

The Vampire Slayer was not someone any sane vampire or demon sought out.

Taking a sip of the blood, Dracula eyed his Childe and said, "The Slayer is of no concern of thine."

Narrowing her gaze over him, Buffy let the lady's maid help her into a silk Kokomo robe. Buffy tied the rope around her waist and shooed the maid away. "What do you mean, none of my concern?"

"I mean as I say, îngerul meu frumos (my beautiful angel). Do not fill thy head of the Vampire Slayer. She is a hunter sent down by God. She will kill you and I cannot save you."

"Vlad—" Buffy began to argue.

He glared at her, exerting his power as her Sire, "—Thou wilt do as I say, Elizabeth."

Angered by his blatant dismissal of the matter of the Vampire Slayer, Buffy angrily stormed out of the master bedroom and stomped down the long hallway.

Servants employed to tend to the large castle, jumped out of the way when they saw Lady Elizabeth come down the hall in a raging state.

Scurrying out of her line of view, afraid she'll use them to take out her anger, as she has done many times before.

The mercilessness the vampiress showed towards the defenceless servants in a fit of rage would make Countess Erzsébet Báthory deathly afraid.

Rounding the corner into the library, Buffy shoved an unsuspecting servant violently into the wall, knocking the young man unconscious from the impact of the stone wall.

Buffy entered the library and slammed the heavy wooden door closed, rattling the stone walls.

Plopping down in the velvet cushioned chair placed in front of the unlit fireplace, Buffy huffed in frustration.

This was not the first time her Sire had held her back. He wanted his Childe famous and known throughout history, but her fame could not surpass his own—which if she sought out the Slayer and managed to defeat her, Dracula's legend and accomplishments could never live up to her. Buffy knew of this. He was a narcissist in love with his own celebrity.

"I thought you'd be searching for the Slayer by now."

Buffy turned her head to the right to see Cole lending on the fireplace mantle with his elbow.

"Cole," Buffy jumped up to her feet, acutely aware of the little amount of clothing she was in fact wearing. "Mr Turner, how did you come to be here? How did you know where I would be? What art thou doing here?" She asked, startled by his sudden appearance.

Smirking, happy to see her off balance, Cole shrugged, "I teleported."

Buffy frowned, unsure what he meant by 'teleport'. "Pardon?"

"It's one of my powers. I can go anywhere I want by just thinking it." Cole loosely explained without going into great detail. It seemed to have worked because Buffy slowly nodded her head, accepting his vague explanation.

"And you thought of me?" Buffy asked, suddenly feeling a strange sensation of a swarm of butterflies dancing in her belly.

His lips tugged into a wider smile. "It's hard to not think of you."

Composing herself as the noblewoman she has always been accustomed to being, Buffy stood straight and held her chin up high, "You've explained the 'how' you've come to be here. Now explain to me 'why'."

"Isn't it obvious?" Cole said, pushing himself from the fireplace mantel and crossed the small distance to her.

Towering over her, Cole found it remarkable that someone so astounding could be so petite.

"What is obvious?" Buffy's voice softened as she fell into the depths of his blue eyes. Her mouth watered for him. She could feel her entire body tingle with desire as he stood so near to her.

"When you've enjoyed the company of someone as I had, proximity is a good thing, regardless of how they may feel about you."

Buffy eyed him suspiciously. "It was a great risk for you to come here."

"I know," Cole replied with a widening grin, unbothered by Dracula down the hallway. "You think I'm threatened by Dracula?"

"I never could suggest such a thing, thou art Belthazor after all."

It was Cole's turn to look surprised. "You've heard of me?" He had quickly remembered that he had family members alive at this time. They rarely surfaced to the earth, having preferred to say in Hell.

Seductively smirking at him, Buffy walked over to the drink cart placed over by the wall bookcase. "I may have inquired about you." She took two glasses and poured brandy into them. "Now, Mr Turner, why dost thou come here so unexpectedly?"

"I want to help you." He told her plainly as he walked over to stand at her side. "I know where the Slayer is."

Buffy whirled around facing him with great interest. "Thou dost?"

"Yes," he held out his hand for her to take.

Buffy eyed his extended hand and flicked her eyes back to his face. "I cannot possibly go anywhere now. I'm not dressed—"

Cole snapped his fingers and in a flash, Buffy was dressed into an elegant dark green lace and paisley gown. She was neatly braided into a stylish bun.

Eyeing her herself, Buffy raised her brows. "Quite impressive but I'm afraid changing the Slayers attire will not kill her."

Cole chuckled, "I'll let you do the killing. Just…" he took her hand, "... come with me, Buffy."

Enchanted by the earnest of his voice and his glistening and deceivingly trusting eyes, Buffy felt herself drawn to the strange half-demon. Tightening her hand around his extended hand, Buffy watched her skin dissolve in particles of dust, teleporting out of the castle and to the new destination to search for the Vampire Slayer.