Fic: The First 3/?
Series: The Prophecy of 6
Author: DarkChilde
Email: princess220@alltel.net
Rating: Overall for series is a hard R
Summary: A prophecy takes the Scoobies to New York City where their lives will be changed forever.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Buffy the Vampire Slayer characters. Joss and others own it all. No profit is made. I do own several original characters in this story. They are from my, as yet unpublished, trilogy, Eternal.
Spoiler Warnings: Anything through the season 6 episode, with Xander's wedding is fair game. I don't think I have any blatant spoilers, but you never know what might pop up. This is actually set in what would be season 8.
Distribution: List archives can have it. If anyone else wants it just let me know. I haven't turned anyone down yet.
Feedback: Yes please. I live for it.
Author's Notes: Okay first of all I have to thank my faithful beta Heather. Not that she'll ever see that, but oh well. Next, there are some things that you should probably know about this story. If this works out it will be the
first part in a 6 part series. It's a cross-over with a trilogy of novels that I have written, but haven't found a publisher for yet. Given that no one on these lists is likely to have read them, I have tried to make everything very clear, but here are some basics. Alexei, a 300+ vampire controls the city of New York. He also has a human consort, Katharine. The vampires here are quite similar to Buffy vampires, but with a whole different culture. If anyone wants to know more about the novels, I'm always
happy to talk about them. Spike knows Alexei, because he was master in New York when Spike and Drusilla were there in the 70's. Everything else should be explained in the fic.
"Well, I dare say, we've managed to find out much more in the last several hours than I had expected." Wesley commented on the pile of paper that represented their research into Alexei and his people. It was noon and they
had been working for hours now.
"We have discovered quite a bit about the people surrounding Alexei Nikolaev. Very little about him, though." Giles was a bit disappointed that they hadn't learned more about the enigmatic vampire that ran this city.
"Okay sure, we still don't know when, where, or by whom Alexei was turned, but we've got quite a bit of information, even on him. We know that he arrived in Athens in the late part of the 17th century and was taken in by the Master there. We know that about a century later he came to New York and established himself as master of the city, bringing a handful of vampires with him and that he's held the city for more than 200 years now. I'd say that's pretty good." Cordelia tried to put things into perspective.
"It is, quite good actually. I really should provide the council with this information. We have an astounding amount of information on his companions Nicholas and Marie. I find it rather miraculous that Alexei can hold two vampires who are 200+ years old at his side. Marie is weak, I can understand her staying, but Nicholas is nearly as powerful as Alexei. His attachment to his sire is unusual." Giles marveled over the information they were able to find.
"Okay can we go over that part again just to make sure I have the timelines down right for Nicholas and Marie?" Cordelia was putting all of the information they had discovered into a usable format.
Xander chuckled, "I never though I would see the day when you were actually asking for more of this stuff." His tone was light, teasing.
"Yeah well, I bet you never thought you'd see the day when I could kick Angel's ass with a sword either, but if we get a chance to train, I'll show you." Cordy answered in similar fashion. "Now is someone going to go through the timelines again or not."
"Sure Cordy, I'll do it. Nicholas first. He was Alexei's first childe, turned in the mid-18th century. He had been the illegitimate son of a very rich local man. When the man died mother and son were thrown into the streets. His mother had been a servant and was foreign. No one would take them in, and Nicholas had no marketable skills. He had been educated as a gentleman by his father. His sexual preferences were also a hurdle in finding work. He was given a job in Alexei's master's home and was turned a few years later after his mother's death. No one is quite sure why he lost the coloration in his hair and eyes, but it happens sometimes. He's been loyal to Alexei ever since, following him to New York and remaining his second in command. He's a genius, and an artist. He's very powerful but has no particularly special skills for the kind of vampire he is. Got it now." Angel answered Cordelia, delivering the information in a clear crisp format.
"That was perfect, now what about the woman, Marie." Cordelia thanked Angel.
"Marie was Alexei's second childe, turned approximately 20 years after Nicholas. She has never been as powerful and likely never will be, but she does have talents that make her perfect for his inner circle. She was the wife of a rich merchant. She contracted some disease, we're not sure of what, Alexei turned her to stop the progression of the disease. She's an empath, she was in life and it carried over when she changed. She can pretty accurately sense emotions even at some distance, and is a very powerful
touch empath. Her services would be invaluable to Alexei when he was negotiating with others." Wesley was intrigued by Marie and it showed. In many ways she was utterly unremarkable, but she still had managed to reach the inner circle of the most powerful group of vampires that he had ever even heard of.
"Thanks Wes." Cordelia was about to say more but there was a knock at the door. She stood and went to it. "Who is it?"
"My name is Martin, I'm the assistant manager. I have a message for you." A young man called. Cordelia warily opened the door, to find a well-dressed young man standing in the hall. "I was asked to personally deliver this to the suite."
Cordelia took the small envelope that the young man held out. "Thank you, Martin was it?"
"Yes, ma'am. If there's nothing I can do for you, I'll return to the front desk." The words were spoken as a question. Cordelia had missed having hotel managers and other workers use this voice to speak to her in. She thought
that opportunity had gone along with her father's money.
"That's quite alright, Martin." She dismissed the man, and went back into the room. The envelope was plain and white but of a very high quality paper. It was addressed with only their room number and gave no indication of who it was from. "Hey guys, something was just delivered to the room. I'm
betting it's from Alexei. Can I open it?"
Giles looked up, "Why yes, I suppose so."
Cordelia carefully opened the envelop not wanting to rip this perfect paper. She remembered days when she would have just ripped right into it without a second thought. Inside there was a single sheet of stationery made from the same high quality paper and imprinted with some kind of seal. She'd have to look at it closer later. There was also a small card, about the size of a business card. She pulled both out, unfolding the stationery to read the note. It was handwritten with an old-fashioned and delicate script.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My friends
I would like to make this dinner a rather formal affair. I find it highly unlikely that you brought along formal wear to fight great evil. I am therefore enclosing a card that when presented at any of the shops listed on the back will allow you to buy anything you wish and have it charged to my
account. Feel free to buy anything you like, and it will be my gift to you. I owe you a gift for the rude treatment you received at the hands of my childe. I would be most displeased to find that my gift was not accepted. I expect to find you all appropriately dressed tonight.
Sincerely
Alexei Nikolaev
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She looked at the card that was enclosed. On one side was merely the same embossed symbol that she had noticed on the stationery and his name printed in a silver ink. On the backside of the card several upscale boutiques that Cordelia had heard of, but never been lucky enough to actually shop at were listed in the same delicate script of the note.
"Umm, guys. He wants to buy us clothes. He wants to buy us really nice clothes." Awe and desire were warring for command of her voice. It had been so long since she had owned a true designer dress, or shoes for that matter.
"Let me see that." Spike took the note from her and quickly read through it. "I guess he does. Actually he is practically demanding to be allowed to buy us clothes and unless you all brought some designer labels I wasn't aware
of, we had better do it. I hate formal wear." Spike wasn't happy about this prospect. Especially as he knew that to do this in the time they had would mean that the others would have to buy for angel and himself.
"I can't believe you don't like nice clothes. There won't be time for you and Angel to go tonight. I'll have to get some measurements and pick some things out for you." Excitement was mounting in Cordelia's voice. This would be the first real shopping trip she'd had since Daddy had lost his money.
"This may actually be the only fun thing we get to do while we're here. I haven't bought designer clothes in years." Buffy sounded nearly as excited as Cordelia. Even Willow and Tara looked inordinately pleased at being able to spend exorbitant amounts of money on clothes they probably wouldn't wear more than once.
"Xander does not get to choose his own clothes. I won't allow it. On second thought I think we should be in charge of all of the guys wardrobes for tonight what do you think Buffy?" Cordelia sounded even more pleased at the thought of being able to dress her friends.
Buffy laughed, "Absolutely. We're going to dress them right. Come on lets get some measurements on Angel and Spike and get out of here." She was impatient. She wanted to shop now.
"Oh dear god, I don't know what sin I have committed that makes it necessary for me to endure a shopping trip with them." Despite the severity of his words, Giles' tone was amused.
"Me neither, let's get it over with." Xander sounded less amused and more resigned.
*************************************************
Across town another smaller group was holding a very similar discussion on the meeting they had the night before and the people involved. "Marie, give me your opinions of the group. I'm rather intrigued by them myself. The Slayer seems to break all of the rules, and I'm rather glad of that." Alexei
spoke much less formally now as he sat with his two closest confidants.
"They are indeed a rather remarkable group. Do you realize that they felt no fear of you. A couple of the girls were a bit wary, but there was no real fear for the most part. They were confident, strong. I think they all feel as though they've faced down scarier things than the three of us and lived to tell the tale. That's not too unusual for the slayer, Angelus and William, or even for the watchers. For the others to have that same confidence and lack of fear is utterly amazing. Ms. Shea is the only mortal I've ever known to have no fear of any of us." Marie was obviously impressed
by the group.
"Yes, Katharine has always been a rather remarkable example of human bravery. From what I've found about these young people, they may have reason to feel their confidence. As William told us, at least two of them have survived living on the hellmouth and being an acquaintance of the slayer
since they were very young. This slayer has faced more than most, and yet she lives. Can you tell me anything specific about any of them?" There was a certain amount of respect in Alexei's voice. That was unusual enough to make Marie choose her next words carefully.
"They are, for the most part, a very strongly united group. It is rather difficult to pick out specific emotions from one to the next. There were a few that stood out though. First, the Slayer was angry. It seemed very directionless. I'm not sure what her problem is, but I'd say that she is
worth closely watching. Rupert Giles, the watcher, is blocking something. I don't believe it was for our benefit, but rather a part of his daily life. It's as though he has buried some part of his past in hopes that it will not
touch his present. I'd be interested in finding out what that is, but I don't know that it's relevant. Then there was, of course, the incident with the boy."
"Yes, what about that." Alexei was curious to know how much Marie had been able to pick up from that situation.
"When Nicholas approached the boy there was a moment of pure, stark terror. That is certainly not unexpected. It's what happened next that is. Even before, William began to move, it was as if the boy was dropping some kind of shields into place. It wasn't just that the fear melted away, but that everything else did as well. I've only known a couple of types of people that could do this, and even they usually can't move from such raw emotion to the blank slate. Professional killers learn to block out every bit of emotion and the very best of gamblers can do it as well. I don't believe this boy to be either. There had to have been some visual confirmation of this blankness though, because I felt a flash of fear from Nicholas. I know that he's not afraid of William, so the boy must have scared him. What I got from William was an overwhelming protectiveness. He would have challenged you over this boy. He would have challenged just for the touching. It would have been foolish, he knows he can't win a fight with Nicholas, but he would have done it. I think the same would have been true had it been one of the others, but I don't know that." Marie glanced about, she was a little concerned about how Nicholas would take her words. His expression remained carefully neutral.
"We shall have to watch this boy, see if we can learn what he is. Nicholas, do you have any observations to share." Alexei turned his attention to the other man in the room.
"William is much as I remember him. He's arrogant and rash, but completely devoted to his family group. I do find it rather surprising that family group now includes a number of regular humans and a slayer. Still he has not changed that much. I am actually rather surprised. After his initial call, I expected him to be very different. The chip itself would have destroyed most vampires, even most of us. That he has survived it more or less intact speaks to his resiliency. Angelus was much as I expected him. I'm much more interested in finding information on his seer. I suspect she is more than she seems." Nicholas delivered his observations with a cold indifference that both Alexei and Marie recognized as being false.
"Thank you. Marie you should be going. Nicholas I would like to speak with you for a moment longer." Alexei dismissed Marie. She left quietly, Nicholas waited for his master's words. "Your breach of etiquette was inexcusable. I recommend that such a thing does not occur again. I let you get away with a great deal, Nicholas. You are my first and favorite childe and I realize that I have trapped you in a life which will never be what you wish it to be, but I will only allow so much. You will treat our guests with respect,
you do not want to test me on this."
There was anger at the surface of Alexei's words. This was rare enough that it caused Nicholas to flinch away. "I am sorry, master. It will not happen again." The words were submissive with none of Nicholas' usual sarcasm or disdain.
Alexei was silent for a moment, just as Nicholas began to fear his reaction he laughed. The sound was pure joy. "I rather doubt that. But perhaps you will remain well-behaved for the duration of their visit at least. Now, you should be calling your mate if you expect him to be here for dinner. Please tell him that it is formal dress tonight. I trust that he has something appropriate from the many occasions where he has accompanied Katharine to events."
"Of course, Alexei. Timothy will be dressed appropriately. I will leave you to your own preparations." Nicholas left swiftly and quietly.
*********************************************
Hours later, the human members of the LA and Sunnydale contingents were returning to their suite. While they held many bags, the clothes they had bought would be delivered within the hour. The girls were still chattering animatedly about their shopping trip as they walked in the main room. Giles and Xander immediately dropped into chairs exhausted. Wesley, having more recently endured shopping trips with Cordelia, was not quite as effected but was still tired and worn from the trip.
"We picked out the best clothes for you guys." Buffy gushed, having given herself over to the pleasure of shopping.
You guys are going to look fabulous." Cordelia added. "Clothes will be here in less than an hour. We had things delivered so they wouldn't get crushed or wrinkled. We went ahead and brought back the accessories, shoes, make-up,
that sort of thing." The girls were already going through bags and sorting a seemingly endless array of jewelry, bags, shoes, make-up, and styling products into piles for each of them.
Exactly 38 minutes later the phone rang, it was the manager who had spoken with them earlier. "There are several people in the lobby here, with packages for your suite. Should I send them up?" He sounded a bit flustered. He was unused to having guests that demanded this much attention.
"Of course. Thank you again Martin." Cordelia pulled the man's name from memory, thoroughly enjoying her chance to play at being rich and important.
"Yes Ma'am."
A moment later there was a knock at the door. When Willow opened it several well-dressed young men walked in and began to find appropriate places to lay or hang the clothing they brought with them. Several of the men spoke briefly with Cordelia, mostly expressing the regret of their employers at
not being able to do a full fitting in the allotted time. Cordelia was gracious with all of them and dealt with the matter quickly.
"Okay guys, there are now less than 3 hours until we are to show up for this dinner. I think we need to get started." Cordelia was in her element and taking charge.
*************************************************
They were precisely on time for their appointment. It had been decided, much to Buffy's dismay, that they would proceed in much the same way as they had the night before. Spike would continue to act as the leader of their small
group. He would however make it clear to Alexei tonight that he did not do all of the decision making, that task was shared.
The building that housed Alexei's apartment was huge and modern, all steel and glass. They walked into the lobby where an armed guard was on duty and a diminutive woman sat at a reception desk. Spike crossed the black marble floor to the desk and announced himself, "William and Angelus of the Order of Aurelius with our companions to see Mr. Nikolaev."
The woman opened a drawer and removed a small key ring before standing and addressing the group before her. "Of course, Mr. Nikolaev is expecting you. If you will follow me, I'll get you upstairs to his residence. His housekeeper Madeleine will meet you at the elevator." She walked as she
spoke and the group followed along behind her, stepping into a large elevator. The woman inserted a key and pressed a code into a number pad on the elevator before quickly stepping out. The ride up seemed interminable. Several long minutes later they were stepping out into a spacious entry room of pure white marble, decorated only with statuary. Giles was shocked looking about to recognize that most of this was original Greek and roman statuary some of it literally thousands of years old.
A small woman who looked to be about fifty was waiting for them. She was dressed in a dark conservative suit and her greying hair was pulled back into a severe bun. There was not an ounce of humor about the woman. "My name is Madeleine, I see to Mr. Nikolaev's household. If you'll follow me, I'll show you to the drawing room. Mr. Nikolaev will join you there shortly." Her voice, likewise was humorless. The group followed along behind her. They were shown into a large room with parquet wood floors, rich red walls and furniture in the same red and gold placed about the room. They found places to sit and waited for their host to arrive.
Their wait was not long. A few minutes had passed when the door to the room opened and Alexei Nikolaev walked in with a stunning redhead on his arm. Alexei looked very much as he had the evening before. An elegant suit cut in the same trim style and obviously silk hung on his thin frame. This time
everything was black, there was not a touch of color anywhere, until your eyes wandered the short distance to his companion. The woman was tiny compared to Alexei, possibly as small as Willow. Her hair was a shade of red that none of them had ever seen before, it looked like Molten copper, as if it would burn to touch. It fell in riotous curls halfway down her back. Her complexion was pale and smooth and her features utterly delicate. Spike thought she looked like one of Dru's dolls. Her eyes were a rich jade green and her simple silk sheath matched the color perfectly. She wore very little makeup and only a single strand of pearls for ornamentation. Alexei spoke as he entered the room, "My friends, I see that you have put my gift to fine use. This is my bondmate and my love, Katharine Shea."
Just as Alexei finished his statement, four more people entered the room. Marie stepped forward, she looked stunning in a rich gold silk dress. The style was very simple and just slightly Asian in feel. Her hair was held back from her face with diamond clips. At her side was a lovely young man,
actually a vampire. He was Marie's height exactly. He was slender and had a relaxed boneless quality to his movements. His features were very delicate without crossing the line into being feminine and his hair was a fine pale blonde, long enough to reach his cheekbones. His eyes were a soft grey color. His suit was simple and of a wheat colored linen, the shirt beneath was of a slightly paler color. Alexei continued his introductions, "You remember Marie, and this is her mate Karl Davis."
Nicholas stepped up to Alexei's right. He looked completely different from the night before. Tonight he was elegant, polished. His long silvery hair had been pulled back into a tight braid and he wore a suit with a similar classic cut to Alexei's. It was also of a fine black silk, but his shirt and tie were a liquid silver color. There was still a faint smudge of eyeliner on his upper lids, but the heavy make-up of the night before was gone. A man who looked to be in his mid-thirties was at his side. He was possibly the most ordinary person in the room. At 5'10" he was significantly taller than Nicholas but still shorter than most of the men in the room. He was thin with relatively ordinary features and short light brown hair. Only his eyes, a stormy blue that held intelligence, kindness, and a certain fierceness
showed him as anything but utterly pedestrian. He seemed uncomfortable in his tailored suit of a rich seal brown color. The careless cut of his hair further suggested that he did not normally dress this way. The two men did not look as though they belonged in the same room together, let alone bonded to each other. "And of course you have met Nicholas. I have his solemn promise that he will behave himself tonight. This is his bondmate Timothy Jordan. If you would be so kind as to remind us of your names, William." Alexei turned the floor over to Spike.
While Timothy appeared uncomfortable it was quite possible that Spike was actually the most uncomfortable person in the room. It had been more than a century since he had dressed for a formal or even semi-formal occasion. The girls had picked a suit for him that he suspected came from the same
designer that made Alexei's. The cut was the same and the fabric was silk. It was a deep blue color that Willow kept insisting made his eyes sparkle. He wasn't really sure why one would want their eyes to sparkle, but who was he to argue with the combined force of Cordelia, Buffy, and Willow. Tara had also informed him it looked rather nice, though she was unused to such things herself. He didn't let any of his uncertainty come through in his voice or stance however, as he answered Alexei. "Yes, of course. I am William, though I have been known as Spike for more than a century. This is my grandsire. He was called Angelus until just over a hundred years ago, a gypsy clan cursed him with his soul. He is now called Angel and is a champion for the Powers that Be." Spike gestured to Angel who looked much
more at ease in his clothes than Spike felt. His suit of a much different, but still elegant cut, was a deep chocolate brown. Cordelia had said she wouldn't hear of him wearing black in clothes she chose. He stepped briefly forward and nodded at the group and then back to his place at Spike's side.
"His companions are Cordelia Chase, she is his seer, and Wesley Windham-Pryce a one-time member of the Watcher's Council." They likewise stepped forward. Cordelia had her hair swept up and held in place with clips. Angel had been afraid to ask if the stones in them were real. If they were, as he suspected, the stones were clear bright rubies. They matched the shade of her lipstick and her dress perfectly. The dress, like so much of their clothing tonight, was silk. It reached nearly to the floor had a long slit up one side. The material hugged her every curve, while somehow managing to leave quite a bit to the imagination. She looked stunning and utterly at ease. It appeared as if Wesley also had some experience in dressing to impress, because he wore his clothes with a similar ease and grace. Apparently Cordelia's prohibition against black extended only to Angel. Wesley's suit and tie were black while the shirt was grey with just a
hint of blue to it. Their moment of introduction passed and they stepped back.
Spike continued, now re-introducing his own friends. "These are my companions. This is Buffy Summers, the slayer and her long-time watcher Rupert Giles. Buffy and Giles stepped forward as the others had done. Buffy's dress was sleeveless with a full skirt that reached the floor. It was made of raw silk, in a lavender shade, and was richly adorned with glass
beads arranged in a large floral design against the bodice. Her hair was held in place with silver, beaded clips. Her make-up was soft and just barely there. A small silver-filigree locket hung around her neck. It looked like an antique. Giles had surprised the girls by announcing that he
was choosing his own clothes for the evening and selecting a suit that perfectly matched their own choice. It was cut in a classic line and was a charcoal grey. The suit was wool and the matching shirt was silk. While he seemed a bit more formal, less relaxed, than Wesley or Cordelia had, he looked as though he belonged in these clothes.
As they stepped back, Spike continued, "This is Willow, she has been with the slayer since she was 15. She has a great deal of power, but refrains from using it. Tara is her girlfriend and a powerful witch in her own right." Willow and Tara were holding hands as they stepped forward. Willow's hair and make-up were understated, allowing the gorgeous sweep of emerald green silk to take center stage. Her dress seemed to flow as if it were a living breathing entity itself. The dress was vintage, from the thirties and
spoke to the glamorous ideals of that time. Her only ornamentation was a small simple band of gold that Tara had given to her nearly a year ago. Tara's dress was velvet. The skirt was long and voluminous without being full. The bodice was very simple with thin straps holding it in place. The color was a stormy blue shade. She wore her hair down , but pulled back with silver clips. She wore pearls at her throat and a ring that was the twin of Willow's.
"And this is Xander, he has also been with the slayer since he was 15." Spike introduced the last member of his entourage. Despite all of his complaining beforehand, Xander had been quite easy to deal with on the shopping excursion. He actually seemed to enjoy himself, though he would never admit to that fact. His suit was a brown so dark it was nearly black. The silk tie and shirt were a rich deep shade of burgundy. He wore the clothes with an easy confidence that no one would have suspected. If a complete stranger were to see him, they might think that he dressed like this every day of his life.
Introductions made, Spike tried to turn the conversation to business. "Now, I would like to discuss the terms of our remaining in the city."
Alexei smiled, "And we shall, but first we will eat. I am rather certain that your companions as well as my own Katharine and Timothy will be hungry. After dinner we shall retire to the library and discuss your future in New York." Alexei's tone would brook no argument, while still managing to sound like a concerned host.
Dinner was fabulous. Though it seemed odd that a vampire would employ an expert chef, Alexei assured them that the man had been brought from France to work for him. Conversation was mostly kept light and inconsequential.
Each side tried some gentle probing with their questions but neither got very far.
They spoke of careers and lives, or at least the public more normal parts of their lives. Katharine shared a bit about her job as the art expert for a special FBI unit designed to recover stolen art. She related the story of her meeting Alexei. She had actually been investigating him. They had been together for just over a year now. Timothy and Tara found a connection when they found that he was a professor of World History at NYU. This was Tara's field of study as well. Neither Timothy nor Nicholas were willing to discuss
their relationship, though. Their interaction held a certain intimacy that was only present between people who were or had been lovers, but it was also clear that love was not a part of their relationship. There was pain and anger from both of them softened by a gentleness and compassion that seemed at odds with the other emotions. Timothy did share that he and Katharine had known each other for years and that she was his best friend. Karl Davis was a young vampire and Marie's only childe. He had yet to see his 50th birthday. In life he had been an artist, a painter. He and Marie had been married for more than twenty years now, making them the longest lasting couple at the table.
Alexei hadn't really been expecting to hear any grand revelations at the dinner table, so it was probably a little irrational for him to be disappointed when he was proven right. He had learned little more than the girls majors, Cordelia's desire to be an actress, and the endless stream of jobs that Xander had worked at before finding a place in construction. He learned virtually nothing of the watchers. They carefully skirted questions about their lives and backgrounds. The vampires too were guarded in their responses. Marie had one asked about Drusilla, but the question was brushed aside. Hopefully Marie had been able to pick up something from the emotions at the table that he had missed in the actual conversation.
"If everyone is finished here I suggest we retire to the library and discuss business." Alexei paused looking for confirmation that they were indeed finished. When he saw that they were he stood and led them to his personal library. The room was huge, at least as much floor space as the Magic Box. It held two levels. The lower level held floor to ceiling shelving all along the walls and was filled with comfortable furniture, reading lamps, and tables. There was a small iron staircase at one end which led to a second
level. "The rest of my collection is upstairs. If you would like, I could perhaps arrange for you to see it." The words were addressed to Wesley who was looking around as if he had just found a corner of his own personal heaven.
"There's more. Of course, the prophecy is what brought us here and I can't focus on anything else at the moment, but after, if there is time I would like to see." There was an almost childlike joy in his voice.
"Ah yes, the prophecy. I know of the Prophecy of Six. I believe I may be of some assistance to you in this. Sit, friends and we will discuss such matters." Alexei's voice still held the graciousness of a good host, but was also touched with command now. They sat, waiting to hear what the vampire had to say.
Series: The Prophecy of 6
Author: DarkChilde
Email: princess220@alltel.net
Rating: Overall for series is a hard R
Summary: A prophecy takes the Scoobies to New York City where their lives will be changed forever.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Buffy the Vampire Slayer characters. Joss and others own it all. No profit is made. I do own several original characters in this story. They are from my, as yet unpublished, trilogy, Eternal.
Spoiler Warnings: Anything through the season 6 episode, with Xander's wedding is fair game. I don't think I have any blatant spoilers, but you never know what might pop up. This is actually set in what would be season 8.
Distribution: List archives can have it. If anyone else wants it just let me know. I haven't turned anyone down yet.
Feedback: Yes please. I live for it.
Author's Notes: Okay first of all I have to thank my faithful beta Heather. Not that she'll ever see that, but oh well. Next, there are some things that you should probably know about this story. If this works out it will be the
first part in a 6 part series. It's a cross-over with a trilogy of novels that I have written, but haven't found a publisher for yet. Given that no one on these lists is likely to have read them, I have tried to make everything very clear, but here are some basics. Alexei, a 300+ vampire controls the city of New York. He also has a human consort, Katharine. The vampires here are quite similar to Buffy vampires, but with a whole different culture. If anyone wants to know more about the novels, I'm always
happy to talk about them. Spike knows Alexei, because he was master in New York when Spike and Drusilla were there in the 70's. Everything else should be explained in the fic.
"Well, I dare say, we've managed to find out much more in the last several hours than I had expected." Wesley commented on the pile of paper that represented their research into Alexei and his people. It was noon and they
had been working for hours now.
"We have discovered quite a bit about the people surrounding Alexei Nikolaev. Very little about him, though." Giles was a bit disappointed that they hadn't learned more about the enigmatic vampire that ran this city.
"Okay sure, we still don't know when, where, or by whom Alexei was turned, but we've got quite a bit of information, even on him. We know that he arrived in Athens in the late part of the 17th century and was taken in by the Master there. We know that about a century later he came to New York and established himself as master of the city, bringing a handful of vampires with him and that he's held the city for more than 200 years now. I'd say that's pretty good." Cordelia tried to put things into perspective.
"It is, quite good actually. I really should provide the council with this information. We have an astounding amount of information on his companions Nicholas and Marie. I find it rather miraculous that Alexei can hold two vampires who are 200+ years old at his side. Marie is weak, I can understand her staying, but Nicholas is nearly as powerful as Alexei. His attachment to his sire is unusual." Giles marveled over the information they were able to find.
"Okay can we go over that part again just to make sure I have the timelines down right for Nicholas and Marie?" Cordelia was putting all of the information they had discovered into a usable format.
Xander chuckled, "I never though I would see the day when you were actually asking for more of this stuff." His tone was light, teasing.
"Yeah well, I bet you never thought you'd see the day when I could kick Angel's ass with a sword either, but if we get a chance to train, I'll show you." Cordy answered in similar fashion. "Now is someone going to go through the timelines again or not."
"Sure Cordy, I'll do it. Nicholas first. He was Alexei's first childe, turned in the mid-18th century. He had been the illegitimate son of a very rich local man. When the man died mother and son were thrown into the streets. His mother had been a servant and was foreign. No one would take them in, and Nicholas had no marketable skills. He had been educated as a gentleman by his father. His sexual preferences were also a hurdle in finding work. He was given a job in Alexei's master's home and was turned a few years later after his mother's death. No one is quite sure why he lost the coloration in his hair and eyes, but it happens sometimes. He's been loyal to Alexei ever since, following him to New York and remaining his second in command. He's a genius, and an artist. He's very powerful but has no particularly special skills for the kind of vampire he is. Got it now." Angel answered Cordelia, delivering the information in a clear crisp format.
"That was perfect, now what about the woman, Marie." Cordelia thanked Angel.
"Marie was Alexei's second childe, turned approximately 20 years after Nicholas. She has never been as powerful and likely never will be, but she does have talents that make her perfect for his inner circle. She was the wife of a rich merchant. She contracted some disease, we're not sure of what, Alexei turned her to stop the progression of the disease. She's an empath, she was in life and it carried over when she changed. She can pretty accurately sense emotions even at some distance, and is a very powerful
touch empath. Her services would be invaluable to Alexei when he was negotiating with others." Wesley was intrigued by Marie and it showed. In many ways she was utterly unremarkable, but she still had managed to reach the inner circle of the most powerful group of vampires that he had ever even heard of.
"Thanks Wes." Cordelia was about to say more but there was a knock at the door. She stood and went to it. "Who is it?"
"My name is Martin, I'm the assistant manager. I have a message for you." A young man called. Cordelia warily opened the door, to find a well-dressed young man standing in the hall. "I was asked to personally deliver this to the suite."
Cordelia took the small envelope that the young man held out. "Thank you, Martin was it?"
"Yes, ma'am. If there's nothing I can do for you, I'll return to the front desk." The words were spoken as a question. Cordelia had missed having hotel managers and other workers use this voice to speak to her in. She thought
that opportunity had gone along with her father's money.
"That's quite alright, Martin." She dismissed the man, and went back into the room. The envelope was plain and white but of a very high quality paper. It was addressed with only their room number and gave no indication of who it was from. "Hey guys, something was just delivered to the room. I'm
betting it's from Alexei. Can I open it?"
Giles looked up, "Why yes, I suppose so."
Cordelia carefully opened the envelop not wanting to rip this perfect paper. She remembered days when she would have just ripped right into it without a second thought. Inside there was a single sheet of stationery made from the same high quality paper and imprinted with some kind of seal. She'd have to look at it closer later. There was also a small card, about the size of a business card. She pulled both out, unfolding the stationery to read the note. It was handwritten with an old-fashioned and delicate script.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My friends
I would like to make this dinner a rather formal affair. I find it highly unlikely that you brought along formal wear to fight great evil. I am therefore enclosing a card that when presented at any of the shops listed on the back will allow you to buy anything you wish and have it charged to my
account. Feel free to buy anything you like, and it will be my gift to you. I owe you a gift for the rude treatment you received at the hands of my childe. I would be most displeased to find that my gift was not accepted. I expect to find you all appropriately dressed tonight.
Sincerely
Alexei Nikolaev
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She looked at the card that was enclosed. On one side was merely the same embossed symbol that she had noticed on the stationery and his name printed in a silver ink. On the backside of the card several upscale boutiques that Cordelia had heard of, but never been lucky enough to actually shop at were listed in the same delicate script of the note.
"Umm, guys. He wants to buy us clothes. He wants to buy us really nice clothes." Awe and desire were warring for command of her voice. It had been so long since she had owned a true designer dress, or shoes for that matter.
"Let me see that." Spike took the note from her and quickly read through it. "I guess he does. Actually he is practically demanding to be allowed to buy us clothes and unless you all brought some designer labels I wasn't aware
of, we had better do it. I hate formal wear." Spike wasn't happy about this prospect. Especially as he knew that to do this in the time they had would mean that the others would have to buy for angel and himself.
"I can't believe you don't like nice clothes. There won't be time for you and Angel to go tonight. I'll have to get some measurements and pick some things out for you." Excitement was mounting in Cordelia's voice. This would be the first real shopping trip she'd had since Daddy had lost his money.
"This may actually be the only fun thing we get to do while we're here. I haven't bought designer clothes in years." Buffy sounded nearly as excited as Cordelia. Even Willow and Tara looked inordinately pleased at being able to spend exorbitant amounts of money on clothes they probably wouldn't wear more than once.
"Xander does not get to choose his own clothes. I won't allow it. On second thought I think we should be in charge of all of the guys wardrobes for tonight what do you think Buffy?" Cordelia sounded even more pleased at the thought of being able to dress her friends.
Buffy laughed, "Absolutely. We're going to dress them right. Come on lets get some measurements on Angel and Spike and get out of here." She was impatient. She wanted to shop now.
"Oh dear god, I don't know what sin I have committed that makes it necessary for me to endure a shopping trip with them." Despite the severity of his words, Giles' tone was amused.
"Me neither, let's get it over with." Xander sounded less amused and more resigned.
*************************************************
Across town another smaller group was holding a very similar discussion on the meeting they had the night before and the people involved. "Marie, give me your opinions of the group. I'm rather intrigued by them myself. The Slayer seems to break all of the rules, and I'm rather glad of that." Alexei
spoke much less formally now as he sat with his two closest confidants.
"They are indeed a rather remarkable group. Do you realize that they felt no fear of you. A couple of the girls were a bit wary, but there was no real fear for the most part. They were confident, strong. I think they all feel as though they've faced down scarier things than the three of us and lived to tell the tale. That's not too unusual for the slayer, Angelus and William, or even for the watchers. For the others to have that same confidence and lack of fear is utterly amazing. Ms. Shea is the only mortal I've ever known to have no fear of any of us." Marie was obviously impressed
by the group.
"Yes, Katharine has always been a rather remarkable example of human bravery. From what I've found about these young people, they may have reason to feel their confidence. As William told us, at least two of them have survived living on the hellmouth and being an acquaintance of the slayer
since they were very young. This slayer has faced more than most, and yet she lives. Can you tell me anything specific about any of them?" There was a certain amount of respect in Alexei's voice. That was unusual enough to make Marie choose her next words carefully.
"They are, for the most part, a very strongly united group. It is rather difficult to pick out specific emotions from one to the next. There were a few that stood out though. First, the Slayer was angry. It seemed very directionless. I'm not sure what her problem is, but I'd say that she is
worth closely watching. Rupert Giles, the watcher, is blocking something. I don't believe it was for our benefit, but rather a part of his daily life. It's as though he has buried some part of his past in hopes that it will not
touch his present. I'd be interested in finding out what that is, but I don't know that it's relevant. Then there was, of course, the incident with the boy."
"Yes, what about that." Alexei was curious to know how much Marie had been able to pick up from that situation.
"When Nicholas approached the boy there was a moment of pure, stark terror. That is certainly not unexpected. It's what happened next that is. Even before, William began to move, it was as if the boy was dropping some kind of shields into place. It wasn't just that the fear melted away, but that everything else did as well. I've only known a couple of types of people that could do this, and even they usually can't move from such raw emotion to the blank slate. Professional killers learn to block out every bit of emotion and the very best of gamblers can do it as well. I don't believe this boy to be either. There had to have been some visual confirmation of this blankness though, because I felt a flash of fear from Nicholas. I know that he's not afraid of William, so the boy must have scared him. What I got from William was an overwhelming protectiveness. He would have challenged you over this boy. He would have challenged just for the touching. It would have been foolish, he knows he can't win a fight with Nicholas, but he would have done it. I think the same would have been true had it been one of the others, but I don't know that." Marie glanced about, she was a little concerned about how Nicholas would take her words. His expression remained carefully neutral.
"We shall have to watch this boy, see if we can learn what he is. Nicholas, do you have any observations to share." Alexei turned his attention to the other man in the room.
"William is much as I remember him. He's arrogant and rash, but completely devoted to his family group. I do find it rather surprising that family group now includes a number of regular humans and a slayer. Still he has not changed that much. I am actually rather surprised. After his initial call, I expected him to be very different. The chip itself would have destroyed most vampires, even most of us. That he has survived it more or less intact speaks to his resiliency. Angelus was much as I expected him. I'm much more interested in finding information on his seer. I suspect she is more than she seems." Nicholas delivered his observations with a cold indifference that both Alexei and Marie recognized as being false.
"Thank you. Marie you should be going. Nicholas I would like to speak with you for a moment longer." Alexei dismissed Marie. She left quietly, Nicholas waited for his master's words. "Your breach of etiquette was inexcusable. I recommend that such a thing does not occur again. I let you get away with a great deal, Nicholas. You are my first and favorite childe and I realize that I have trapped you in a life which will never be what you wish it to be, but I will only allow so much. You will treat our guests with respect,
you do not want to test me on this."
There was anger at the surface of Alexei's words. This was rare enough that it caused Nicholas to flinch away. "I am sorry, master. It will not happen again." The words were submissive with none of Nicholas' usual sarcasm or disdain.
Alexei was silent for a moment, just as Nicholas began to fear his reaction he laughed. The sound was pure joy. "I rather doubt that. But perhaps you will remain well-behaved for the duration of their visit at least. Now, you should be calling your mate if you expect him to be here for dinner. Please tell him that it is formal dress tonight. I trust that he has something appropriate from the many occasions where he has accompanied Katharine to events."
"Of course, Alexei. Timothy will be dressed appropriately. I will leave you to your own preparations." Nicholas left swiftly and quietly.
*********************************************
Hours later, the human members of the LA and Sunnydale contingents were returning to their suite. While they held many bags, the clothes they had bought would be delivered within the hour. The girls were still chattering animatedly about their shopping trip as they walked in the main room. Giles and Xander immediately dropped into chairs exhausted. Wesley, having more recently endured shopping trips with Cordelia, was not quite as effected but was still tired and worn from the trip.
"We picked out the best clothes for you guys." Buffy gushed, having given herself over to the pleasure of shopping.
You guys are going to look fabulous." Cordelia added. "Clothes will be here in less than an hour. We had things delivered so they wouldn't get crushed or wrinkled. We went ahead and brought back the accessories, shoes, make-up,
that sort of thing." The girls were already going through bags and sorting a seemingly endless array of jewelry, bags, shoes, make-up, and styling products into piles for each of them.
Exactly 38 minutes later the phone rang, it was the manager who had spoken with them earlier. "There are several people in the lobby here, with packages for your suite. Should I send them up?" He sounded a bit flustered. He was unused to having guests that demanded this much attention.
"Of course. Thank you again Martin." Cordelia pulled the man's name from memory, thoroughly enjoying her chance to play at being rich and important.
"Yes Ma'am."
A moment later there was a knock at the door. When Willow opened it several well-dressed young men walked in and began to find appropriate places to lay or hang the clothing they brought with them. Several of the men spoke briefly with Cordelia, mostly expressing the regret of their employers at
not being able to do a full fitting in the allotted time. Cordelia was gracious with all of them and dealt with the matter quickly.
"Okay guys, there are now less than 3 hours until we are to show up for this dinner. I think we need to get started." Cordelia was in her element and taking charge.
*************************************************
They were precisely on time for their appointment. It had been decided, much to Buffy's dismay, that they would proceed in much the same way as they had the night before. Spike would continue to act as the leader of their small
group. He would however make it clear to Alexei tonight that he did not do all of the decision making, that task was shared.
The building that housed Alexei's apartment was huge and modern, all steel and glass. They walked into the lobby where an armed guard was on duty and a diminutive woman sat at a reception desk. Spike crossed the black marble floor to the desk and announced himself, "William and Angelus of the Order of Aurelius with our companions to see Mr. Nikolaev."
The woman opened a drawer and removed a small key ring before standing and addressing the group before her. "Of course, Mr. Nikolaev is expecting you. If you will follow me, I'll get you upstairs to his residence. His housekeeper Madeleine will meet you at the elevator." She walked as she
spoke and the group followed along behind her, stepping into a large elevator. The woman inserted a key and pressed a code into a number pad on the elevator before quickly stepping out. The ride up seemed interminable. Several long minutes later they were stepping out into a spacious entry room of pure white marble, decorated only with statuary. Giles was shocked looking about to recognize that most of this was original Greek and roman statuary some of it literally thousands of years old.
A small woman who looked to be about fifty was waiting for them. She was dressed in a dark conservative suit and her greying hair was pulled back into a severe bun. There was not an ounce of humor about the woman. "My name is Madeleine, I see to Mr. Nikolaev's household. If you'll follow me, I'll show you to the drawing room. Mr. Nikolaev will join you there shortly." Her voice, likewise was humorless. The group followed along behind her. They were shown into a large room with parquet wood floors, rich red walls and furniture in the same red and gold placed about the room. They found places to sit and waited for their host to arrive.
Their wait was not long. A few minutes had passed when the door to the room opened and Alexei Nikolaev walked in with a stunning redhead on his arm. Alexei looked very much as he had the evening before. An elegant suit cut in the same trim style and obviously silk hung on his thin frame. This time
everything was black, there was not a touch of color anywhere, until your eyes wandered the short distance to his companion. The woman was tiny compared to Alexei, possibly as small as Willow. Her hair was a shade of red that none of them had ever seen before, it looked like Molten copper, as if it would burn to touch. It fell in riotous curls halfway down her back. Her complexion was pale and smooth and her features utterly delicate. Spike thought she looked like one of Dru's dolls. Her eyes were a rich jade green and her simple silk sheath matched the color perfectly. She wore very little makeup and only a single strand of pearls for ornamentation. Alexei spoke as he entered the room, "My friends, I see that you have put my gift to fine use. This is my bondmate and my love, Katharine Shea."
Just as Alexei finished his statement, four more people entered the room. Marie stepped forward, she looked stunning in a rich gold silk dress. The style was very simple and just slightly Asian in feel. Her hair was held back from her face with diamond clips. At her side was a lovely young man,
actually a vampire. He was Marie's height exactly. He was slender and had a relaxed boneless quality to his movements. His features were very delicate without crossing the line into being feminine and his hair was a fine pale blonde, long enough to reach his cheekbones. His eyes were a soft grey color. His suit was simple and of a wheat colored linen, the shirt beneath was of a slightly paler color. Alexei continued his introductions, "You remember Marie, and this is her mate Karl Davis."
Nicholas stepped up to Alexei's right. He looked completely different from the night before. Tonight he was elegant, polished. His long silvery hair had been pulled back into a tight braid and he wore a suit with a similar classic cut to Alexei's. It was also of a fine black silk, but his shirt and tie were a liquid silver color. There was still a faint smudge of eyeliner on his upper lids, but the heavy make-up of the night before was gone. A man who looked to be in his mid-thirties was at his side. He was possibly the most ordinary person in the room. At 5'10" he was significantly taller than Nicholas but still shorter than most of the men in the room. He was thin with relatively ordinary features and short light brown hair. Only his eyes, a stormy blue that held intelligence, kindness, and a certain fierceness
showed him as anything but utterly pedestrian. He seemed uncomfortable in his tailored suit of a rich seal brown color. The careless cut of his hair further suggested that he did not normally dress this way. The two men did not look as though they belonged in the same room together, let alone bonded to each other. "And of course you have met Nicholas. I have his solemn promise that he will behave himself tonight. This is his bondmate Timothy Jordan. If you would be so kind as to remind us of your names, William." Alexei turned the floor over to Spike.
While Timothy appeared uncomfortable it was quite possible that Spike was actually the most uncomfortable person in the room. It had been more than a century since he had dressed for a formal or even semi-formal occasion. The girls had picked a suit for him that he suspected came from the same
designer that made Alexei's. The cut was the same and the fabric was silk. It was a deep blue color that Willow kept insisting made his eyes sparkle. He wasn't really sure why one would want their eyes to sparkle, but who was he to argue with the combined force of Cordelia, Buffy, and Willow. Tara had also informed him it looked rather nice, though she was unused to such things herself. He didn't let any of his uncertainty come through in his voice or stance however, as he answered Alexei. "Yes, of course. I am William, though I have been known as Spike for more than a century. This is my grandsire. He was called Angelus until just over a hundred years ago, a gypsy clan cursed him with his soul. He is now called Angel and is a champion for the Powers that Be." Spike gestured to Angel who looked much
more at ease in his clothes than Spike felt. His suit of a much different, but still elegant cut, was a deep chocolate brown. Cordelia had said she wouldn't hear of him wearing black in clothes she chose. He stepped briefly forward and nodded at the group and then back to his place at Spike's side.
"His companions are Cordelia Chase, she is his seer, and Wesley Windham-Pryce a one-time member of the Watcher's Council." They likewise stepped forward. Cordelia had her hair swept up and held in place with clips. Angel had been afraid to ask if the stones in them were real. If they were, as he suspected, the stones were clear bright rubies. They matched the shade of her lipstick and her dress perfectly. The dress, like so much of their clothing tonight, was silk. It reached nearly to the floor had a long slit up one side. The material hugged her every curve, while somehow managing to leave quite a bit to the imagination. She looked stunning and utterly at ease. It appeared as if Wesley also had some experience in dressing to impress, because he wore his clothes with a similar ease and grace. Apparently Cordelia's prohibition against black extended only to Angel. Wesley's suit and tie were black while the shirt was grey with just a
hint of blue to it. Their moment of introduction passed and they stepped back.
Spike continued, now re-introducing his own friends. "These are my companions. This is Buffy Summers, the slayer and her long-time watcher Rupert Giles. Buffy and Giles stepped forward as the others had done. Buffy's dress was sleeveless with a full skirt that reached the floor. It was made of raw silk, in a lavender shade, and was richly adorned with glass
beads arranged in a large floral design against the bodice. Her hair was held in place with silver, beaded clips. Her make-up was soft and just barely there. A small silver-filigree locket hung around her neck. It looked like an antique. Giles had surprised the girls by announcing that he
was choosing his own clothes for the evening and selecting a suit that perfectly matched their own choice. It was cut in a classic line and was a charcoal grey. The suit was wool and the matching shirt was silk. While he seemed a bit more formal, less relaxed, than Wesley or Cordelia had, he looked as though he belonged in these clothes.
As they stepped back, Spike continued, "This is Willow, she has been with the slayer since she was 15. She has a great deal of power, but refrains from using it. Tara is her girlfriend and a powerful witch in her own right." Willow and Tara were holding hands as they stepped forward. Willow's hair and make-up were understated, allowing the gorgeous sweep of emerald green silk to take center stage. Her dress seemed to flow as if it were a living breathing entity itself. The dress was vintage, from the thirties and
spoke to the glamorous ideals of that time. Her only ornamentation was a small simple band of gold that Tara had given to her nearly a year ago. Tara's dress was velvet. The skirt was long and voluminous without being full. The bodice was very simple with thin straps holding it in place. The color was a stormy blue shade. She wore her hair down , but pulled back with silver clips. She wore pearls at her throat and a ring that was the twin of Willow's.
"And this is Xander, he has also been with the slayer since he was 15." Spike introduced the last member of his entourage. Despite all of his complaining beforehand, Xander had been quite easy to deal with on the shopping excursion. He actually seemed to enjoy himself, though he would never admit to that fact. His suit was a brown so dark it was nearly black. The silk tie and shirt were a rich deep shade of burgundy. He wore the clothes with an easy confidence that no one would have suspected. If a complete stranger were to see him, they might think that he dressed like this every day of his life.
Introductions made, Spike tried to turn the conversation to business. "Now, I would like to discuss the terms of our remaining in the city."
Alexei smiled, "And we shall, but first we will eat. I am rather certain that your companions as well as my own Katharine and Timothy will be hungry. After dinner we shall retire to the library and discuss your future in New York." Alexei's tone would brook no argument, while still managing to sound like a concerned host.
Dinner was fabulous. Though it seemed odd that a vampire would employ an expert chef, Alexei assured them that the man had been brought from France to work for him. Conversation was mostly kept light and inconsequential.
Each side tried some gentle probing with their questions but neither got very far.
They spoke of careers and lives, or at least the public more normal parts of their lives. Katharine shared a bit about her job as the art expert for a special FBI unit designed to recover stolen art. She related the story of her meeting Alexei. She had actually been investigating him. They had been together for just over a year now. Timothy and Tara found a connection when they found that he was a professor of World History at NYU. This was Tara's field of study as well. Neither Timothy nor Nicholas were willing to discuss
their relationship, though. Their interaction held a certain intimacy that was only present between people who were or had been lovers, but it was also clear that love was not a part of their relationship. There was pain and anger from both of them softened by a gentleness and compassion that seemed at odds with the other emotions. Timothy did share that he and Katharine had known each other for years and that she was his best friend. Karl Davis was a young vampire and Marie's only childe. He had yet to see his 50th birthday. In life he had been an artist, a painter. He and Marie had been married for more than twenty years now, making them the longest lasting couple at the table.
Alexei hadn't really been expecting to hear any grand revelations at the dinner table, so it was probably a little irrational for him to be disappointed when he was proven right. He had learned little more than the girls majors, Cordelia's desire to be an actress, and the endless stream of jobs that Xander had worked at before finding a place in construction. He learned virtually nothing of the watchers. They carefully skirted questions about their lives and backgrounds. The vampires too were guarded in their responses. Marie had one asked about Drusilla, but the question was brushed aside. Hopefully Marie had been able to pick up something from the emotions at the table that he had missed in the actual conversation.
"If everyone is finished here I suggest we retire to the library and discuss business." Alexei paused looking for confirmation that they were indeed finished. When he saw that they were he stood and led them to his personal library. The room was huge, at least as much floor space as the Magic Box. It held two levels. The lower level held floor to ceiling shelving all along the walls and was filled with comfortable furniture, reading lamps, and tables. There was a small iron staircase at one end which led to a second
level. "The rest of my collection is upstairs. If you would like, I could perhaps arrange for you to see it." The words were addressed to Wesley who was looking around as if he had just found a corner of his own personal heaven.
"There's more. Of course, the prophecy is what brought us here and I can't focus on anything else at the moment, but after, if there is time I would like to see." There was an almost childlike joy in his voice.
"Ah yes, the prophecy. I know of the Prophecy of Six. I believe I may be of some assistance to you in this. Sit, friends and we will discuss such matters." Alexei's voice still held the graciousness of a good host, but was also touched with command now. They sat, waiting to hear what the vampire had to say.