Chapter 11 Widow's Weeds

I parked the DeSoto on the sandy curve in front of Oz's beach front house. It was a huge old Victorian, painted pale green, with plenty of fancy gingerbread trim and wide porches overlooking a snow white expanse of sandy beach. It'd never occurred to me before to wonder how they afforded such a place on the money we didn't make. I guess I knew now. I needed to talk to her again. Tell her what we'd found out. She was the only one I knew with the power to help us fight the evil that was threatening humanity.

There was light showing around the edges of the white curtains and I could hear soft piano music playing. I knew she was a night owl from past experience. I knocked on the glass-fronted door and tried to put my thoughts together rationally. How was I going to tell her about all Oz's little secrets? It was going to hurt her, no matter how I told it.

Willow opened the door quickly with a welcoming smile that slowly drifted away when she got a good look at me. She was dressed to stay in. A roomful of candles caught the shimmer of her black silk peignoir and the air was thick with the scent of patchouli and roses.
Xander? I thought you were....

Yeah, baby, I got away early. You going to let me in? I grinned at her and reached for her hand. She pulled back slightly and stared into the darkness over my shoulder at the silent figure in black leather.

Who's your friend?

Look, Willow sweetheart, please. I need to talk to you about some stuff I took her hands in mine and this time she didn't pull away. Important stuff. Can we come in?

She flung back her blaze of hair and stepped to one side, inviting the two of us in. We trailed her over to the white brocade couch. Two glasses and a chilled bottle of Bollinger in a silver ice bucket were waiting on the polished table in front of it. Spike helped himself to a cigarette out of a carved ivory box and sprawled bonelessly on her couch.

Nice place you got here, love. He looked her over from her black satin mules to the diamonds in her ears and seemed to like what he saw.

I'd offer you a drink, but you don't drink wine, do you? she sneered. She didn't seem to like what she saw.

He gave her a quirk of a smile in return, then got up to prowl around the room.
Smart witch you got here, Harris, he said, looking out through the open french doors to the waves crashing on the beach below. You gonna tell her or shall I?

I choked up on the truth. I hated to hurt her more than she'd already been hurt, but she had to know. I sat close to her and looked into her eyes, Will, it's about Oz. I've found out... some things. I know who killed him and why.
She focused on me and her big eyes filled with tears. Oh, Xander, she sighed, How many other people know?

I stumbled, then went on blithely, He was in trouble...

Xander, I already know. Did you think I was stupid? I knew it all along, about his women in L.A--- just like I knew about Her. Anyanka. she spat, Her and every other bitch in heat in this damned town.

Willow...

She kept talking right over me, her voice like ice, How else do you think Giles was able....

My heart stuttered to a stop with a sharp, deep pain. I think Spike had figured it out already. He was checking the exits. Not that running would do any good.

I didn't mention any names, I said softly.

Her full lips thinned to a hard scarlet line, No, Xander, you didn't.

Will, I thought we were friends... that after all these years... I thought...

That I really loved you? That I was in love with you? That's a laugh.
Black flashes of power crackled in her eyes and sparkled along her fingertips. Now, get out while I'm feeling generous. Get out and don't come back, Xander.

Willow was a damned powerful sorceress, the best I'd ever heard of. Beautiful and dangerous. I knew she'd been expecting someone this evening and it sure hadn't been me. I think I must have known all along exactly who it was. Power attracts power.

We backed out the door while she stood and watched us with a little smile on her ruby lips. That smile frightened me more than any of the horrors I'd seen before. I felt like I'd been ripped from stem to stern. Sure, I wasn't in love with WIllow, but I thought we'd had something special. A human bond.

Spike looked at me after we were in the car and rolling up the coast highway, She's got the manuscript. I saw it back there on the desk where she'd been translating it. If she's working with Giles.... it's gonna be bad. Even with my boys, the two of us can't expect to go up against the two of them and survive. And I for one plan to survive. I like my un-life.

It was going to be war. The end of the world and nothing between it and Armageddon except a broken down P.I. and a lovesick vampire. I feared for the world.

tbc