Part 12 - The Spell is Done

Buffy watched anxiously as Wesley stepped forward quickly, beckoning to Cordelia. She sighed and walked over to stand behind Faith's chair. Wesley lowered one of the stones over Faith's head, indicating to Cordelia to lift up her hair, making sure the it nestled against her. She growled wordlessly deep in her throat and struggled uselessly against the chains. Angel and Wesley had done their work well though, and there was no slack, no space to move within her bonds. He looked for a moment at the blood welling from the cut and then traced a symbol on the smooth surface of the stone. In response, something flickered deep inside, swiftly growing to a pale white glow sparkling with different colours. Mist, curling and thick, began to drift from the it, colours flashing at its edges. It gradually flowed down over Faith, bathing her body in light. Bathing Buffy's body in light……

He turned to Buffy, looking at the trembling hands, the eyes fixed upon Faith opposite her, dark and wide with fear. She looked up as he approached, the second stone held loosely in his hand.

"You'll be alright soon," he said, reassuringly. "I promise it. And I'm never wrong. Well, not often, anway...." he finished awkwardly. He lowered the stone over her head, Cordy assisting, and drew another symbol – different from the one he'd traced on Faith's. Cordy returned to stand by Angel's side, stepping backwards, looking at him. He smiled soothingly, and stepped away from the two young women in front of him. Faith was struggling against the bonds again – he could hear the chair lifting, thumping back as she fought to free herself, moans of anger coming from her.

Taking the book which Angel held out to him, he traced the ancient words with an uncut finger, took a deep breath and began to speak.

The mist grew thicker, wavering, now covering both girls completely. There was no sound. Cordy almost dared not breath as she watched Wesley point towards the bound figures, emphasising different words, stabbing his finger towards them and the cloud flowing over them. Flashing, sparkling colours whirled within its depths, spinning ever more quickly, ever more brightly in response to Wesley's words. It darkened now, glowing pale gold, deeper and deeper, tendrils drifting to the floor, flowing towards one another. Glowing more and more brightly, till it hurt to look at it, the glaring light of it almost blinding. Joining, shrouding the two Slayers in light. Faith – it had to be Faith – let out a long howl of despair and rage as the words and the golden light washed over them both. Cordy shut her eyes against the light, ducking her head down to Angel's arm, listening to Wesley shout the final words of the spell against Faith's shriek.

Abruptly Faith's howl was cut short. With a booming noise, the mist abruptly vanished. Cordelia raised a hand to her face, warily opened one eye, looking through her fingers, relieved to see that the light had gone, slowly raising her head from Angel's shoulder. Angel moved forwards slightly, stopping as Wesley waved him to remain still. He glanced anxiously at them, absently mopping the sweat that beaded on his forehead, turning to look at Buffy and Faith. Both were slumped forward on the chairs; Wesley suspected they might have fallen if not for the chains which held them. Faith's eyes were closed, head down, hair falling forward to conceal her face in a dark curtain. Buffy's head lolled to one side, her eyes closed, lips parted slightly. Silence enfolded the room.