Ethan checked the position of the candles, salt, and sand one more time before cursing under his breath. Everything was just as it should be, but the spell hadn't worked. There'd been no moment of connection that should have completed the ritual. It had all gone flat.
Stone stirred within the circle and he realized he'd soon have a highly trained and most likely highly pissed off girl to deal with entirely too soon. Ethan came to the conclusion that there were better ways to spend his day than getting the snot beat out of him. One of them being getting the hell out of dodge. She was of no use to him if he couldn't control her and he didn't much see himself as the fatherly type. He figured he'd about pushed the limits of his luck in Sunnydale and set off down the trail at a quick pace.
On his way out he spotted Giles, who was just coming around.
"Good morning, Ripper," said Ethan. He took notice of Giles as he shook his head and winced in pain.
"Sod off, Ethan."
"That's not such a very nice thing to say to the man who apparently just did you a huge favor."
Giles stood up, "You've got about three bloody seconds to explain that before I beat the snot out of you."
'Damn,' thought Ethan, 'can't seem to avoid that scenario.'
"Tell you what, Ripper," he said stepping back and preparing to make a break for his car, "you go play the knight in shining armor down that trail there and I'll take a rain check on that."
Head still reeling, Giles didn't have a chance at catching Ethan so he let him flee and started down the trail cautiously. A little voice in the back of his head kept telling him to turn around and go get Buffy, there was no telling what Ethan could have just done. Of course that voice was utterly drowned out by his brain still screaming at him for standing up to fast and insisting he sit down. Neither prevailed.
Stone stirred within the circle and he realized he'd soon have a highly trained and most likely highly pissed off girl to deal with entirely too soon. Ethan came to the conclusion that there were better ways to spend his day than getting the snot beat out of him. One of them being getting the hell out of dodge. She was of no use to him if he couldn't control her and he didn't much see himself as the fatherly type. He figured he'd about pushed the limits of his luck in Sunnydale and set off down the trail at a quick pace.
On his way out he spotted Giles, who was just coming around.
"Good morning, Ripper," said Ethan. He took notice of Giles as he shook his head and winced in pain.
"Sod off, Ethan."
"That's not such a very nice thing to say to the man who apparently just did you a huge favor."
Giles stood up, "You've got about three bloody seconds to explain that before I beat the snot out of you."
'Damn,' thought Ethan, 'can't seem to avoid that scenario.'
"Tell you what, Ripper," he said stepping back and preparing to make a break for his car, "you go play the knight in shining armor down that trail there and I'll take a rain check on that."
Head still reeling, Giles didn't have a chance at catching Ethan so he let him flee and started down the trail cautiously. A little voice in the back of his head kept telling him to turn around and go get Buffy, there was no telling what Ethan could have just done. Of course that voice was utterly drowned out by his brain still screaming at him for standing up to fast and insisting he sit down. Neither prevailed.