Stone stood up and brushed the dirt off her jeans. She was trying to figure out what the hell she was doing in the middle of the woods and what all the candles and crap on the ground around her were for when she noticed Giles standing at the very edge of the clearing.
"Are you all right?" he called. "What did he do?"
Stone answered him without a second thought, "I think so. I don't know." She mentally chided herself for being so forthcoming. For all she knew this man was responsible for her present predicament.
Giles approached her but stopped just outside the spell's circle so as not to disturb any evidence. Stone began to approach him.
"Wait," he said, "We don't know if anything's going to happen to you if you leave there." He started to walk the perimeter of the circle noting the things within it.
Stone was frustrated with herself for listening to Giles. "Ah, Mr..."
"Giles."
"Mr. Giles," she said, "I really do think I'll be leaving and finding my sword and stabbing something if it's all the same to you." She approached the edge and as she reached it her head felt as though it would split and her breath refused to be drawn. She fell to her knees.
Giles rushed to her side within the circle and mistakenly stepped upon the sphere of kin that lay in the grass beside her. He helped her to her feet. "Shit," he said as he lifted his foot and saw the crystalline pieces. He stooped and gathered a few in his palm.
"What is it?" asked Stone.
"Well, if it is what it appears to be and my guess is correct, we're in a bit of trouble. I believe it was the sphere of kin. That means this was a spell to bind you to your mother or father's will."
Stone pinched the bridge of her nose as she tried to process all the information that was assailing her.
"Where is he then?" she asked.
"Ethan's long gone by now, I'm sure," muttered Giles deep in his own thought.
"I'd better hurry then if I'm going to beat the snot out of him before sundown," said Stone as she headed for the path at the edge of the clearing.
"Wait," said Giles.
Stone continued for only a second before she fell again.
"Oh, I'm sorry! I understand now, I believe," said Giles as he once again helped her to her feet. He paused for a moment staring into the distance thinking.
Stone grew impatient, "Enlighten me, please."
"Ethan's spell worked, but not the way he wished it to. When your mother and I were younger we were together for a time. It is possible, and this seems proof enough, that I am you father." Giles was stunned by his own revelation. This was his daughter. He had a daughter.
"W-why wouldn't she have told me?" Stone's voice wavered; this was all a bit too much.
"Stone, this is a lot for me also-"
"I don't believe you!" Stone choked back the tears that were stinging the back of her throat. "This magic stuff is bullshit."
Giles was surprised by the girl's disbelief. "Surely you must believe in such powers. Marian raised you. She didn't instruct you in it?"
"She told me about demons and slayers and such but none of your sodding mumbo jumbo. You aren't my father anyway, she would have told me."
"It's quite possible she didn't know, things were... different back then." Giles laid a hand on her arm. "This is a bit much for me too, believe me. I understand you must be confused. Perhaps we should get out of here and go somewhere where we can sit down and talk about this. There's got to be some way to reverse the spell."
Stone stalked away from him, "Damn it, old man, I told you I don't believe in your spells! Why should I believe a word you say?"
Giles pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes dreading and anticipating her reaction to what he was about to do. "Stop," he said.
Stone didn't fall this time but the distress was enough to stop her in her tracks. She swallowed hard and turned to face him.
"I'm very sorry," he said. "Shall we leave together than and figure all this out?"
Stone had to concede that there was something making her obey Giles. "Promise me you can fix this."
"I'll try," said Giles as they set off down the path.
"There's something I need to get," said Stone.
"What's that?"
"My mother's sword."
"Are you all right?" he called. "What did he do?"
Stone answered him without a second thought, "I think so. I don't know." She mentally chided herself for being so forthcoming. For all she knew this man was responsible for her present predicament.
Giles approached her but stopped just outside the spell's circle so as not to disturb any evidence. Stone began to approach him.
"Wait," he said, "We don't know if anything's going to happen to you if you leave there." He started to walk the perimeter of the circle noting the things within it.
Stone was frustrated with herself for listening to Giles. "Ah, Mr..."
"Giles."
"Mr. Giles," she said, "I really do think I'll be leaving and finding my sword and stabbing something if it's all the same to you." She approached the edge and as she reached it her head felt as though it would split and her breath refused to be drawn. She fell to her knees.
Giles rushed to her side within the circle and mistakenly stepped upon the sphere of kin that lay in the grass beside her. He helped her to her feet. "Shit," he said as he lifted his foot and saw the crystalline pieces. He stooped and gathered a few in his palm.
"What is it?" asked Stone.
"Well, if it is what it appears to be and my guess is correct, we're in a bit of trouble. I believe it was the sphere of kin. That means this was a spell to bind you to your mother or father's will."
Stone pinched the bridge of her nose as she tried to process all the information that was assailing her.
"Where is he then?" she asked.
"Ethan's long gone by now, I'm sure," muttered Giles deep in his own thought.
"I'd better hurry then if I'm going to beat the snot out of him before sundown," said Stone as she headed for the path at the edge of the clearing.
"Wait," said Giles.
Stone continued for only a second before she fell again.
"Oh, I'm sorry! I understand now, I believe," said Giles as he once again helped her to her feet. He paused for a moment staring into the distance thinking.
Stone grew impatient, "Enlighten me, please."
"Ethan's spell worked, but not the way he wished it to. When your mother and I were younger we were together for a time. It is possible, and this seems proof enough, that I am you father." Giles was stunned by his own revelation. This was his daughter. He had a daughter.
"W-why wouldn't she have told me?" Stone's voice wavered; this was all a bit too much.
"Stone, this is a lot for me also-"
"I don't believe you!" Stone choked back the tears that were stinging the back of her throat. "This magic stuff is bullshit."
Giles was surprised by the girl's disbelief. "Surely you must believe in such powers. Marian raised you. She didn't instruct you in it?"
"She told me about demons and slayers and such but none of your sodding mumbo jumbo. You aren't my father anyway, she would have told me."
"It's quite possible she didn't know, things were... different back then." Giles laid a hand on her arm. "This is a bit much for me too, believe me. I understand you must be confused. Perhaps we should get out of here and go somewhere where we can sit down and talk about this. There's got to be some way to reverse the spell."
Stone stalked away from him, "Damn it, old man, I told you I don't believe in your spells! Why should I believe a word you say?"
Giles pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes dreading and anticipating her reaction to what he was about to do. "Stop," he said.
Stone didn't fall this time but the distress was enough to stop her in her tracks. She swallowed hard and turned to face him.
"I'm very sorry," he said. "Shall we leave together than and figure all this out?"
Stone had to concede that there was something making her obey Giles. "Promise me you can fix this."
"I'll try," said Giles as they set off down the path.
"There's something I need to get," said Stone.
"What's that?"
"My mother's sword."