Chapter 15--Delirium
The dream images were persistent. Even on awakening, the excitement of his dreams endured, lingering like the tangerine bright taste of someone else's blood on his lips. His sleep had been uneven, and the dreams vivid. Paris in the Monmartre, the cafes and delicate limbs of the peirreuses, long lingering kisses in the darkened alleyways and rendezvous in Pierre-Lachaix. All of the images tainted with the harsh visage of his dreaded and beloved sire, Angelus.
The dry sewers leading into the far deeps of the subterranean world were riddled with dead-end passages like the one he'd nested in for the day. Steam from geothermal vents far below the metal gratings warmed the winter air, and water trickled from a broken pipe into a concrete pool. He doused his face and hair in the chilly stream, as though he could wash away the dreams. He stared into the pool's surface, but saw only the reflection of the steel ladders leading to the suface above.
A whisper of sound alerted him to another's presence in the dim tunnel. He uncoiled like a snake, tensed and readied himself to strike.
Come on out where I can see you. You're not going to spook me.
Never could hide from you, could I, William?
Spike tool a step backward and his eyes flickered along the shadowy walls and he huffed a dry laugh.
Now that's a good one. What's this then? You playin' at bein' a ghostie, eh?
No joke, William. Just me. A figure wrapped in a long black trenchcoat stepped from the deeper shadows into the silver light filtering down through the metal bars leading to the surface. The faint luminosity outlined the face of his sire.
Y're dead, mate. Dead and gone.
Shhh, Will, you know it's me. Angelus stepped closer and the musky scent of dark nights and wild hunts overpowered him. Angleus stepped closer, his cool breath ruffling the other's pale blonde hair as he spoke, In the too, too solid flesh. Spike straightened and stared hard at the creature confronting him and smiled.
Now boy, who am I? Angelus asked, grasping the younger vampire's throat with an iron hand. Do you know me?
Satisfied, Angleus turned and began moving toward the passageway. He turned his head and stared behind him at the unmoving Spike. Well, boy? You going to stand around here all night?
But... how? You're...
Angelus laughed, a low malign sound, Funny story. Remind me to tell you all about it sometime. Right now, I've got places to be and people to kill. Don't tell me you've gone all soft along with the rest of demon kind? Don't you remember what times we had, you and I?
God, yes, he remembered. The rush of red life, hot and sharp as broken glass pouring in fountains from the breasts of men. He craved it every day. He couldn't lie to Angelus. He never could.
Oh yes, dear boy, I know. How they smelled when they first realized what we were. Spike smiled then, a deadly smile full of sharp teeth and the promise of bloody death. You loved it then, didn't you, boy? Just like me.
he answered in a faint voice, meeting his sires's chocolate eyes with his own, a powerful surge of desire rippling through them both. A lust for pain and death and gouts of blood. Yes, I did.
There's my boy. Angelus pulled him into a bear hug, long arms wrapping him tightly as he snapped tiger's teeth in the other's face. I knew I wasn't wrong about you. Forget about the Slayer. We'll be together, the three of us, like we should have been all along.
Their ridged foreheads touched, rubbing like cats, both of them straining in some unpoken need.
Oh William, you've just forgotten how lovely it was. The last soft gasp, the electric jolt of some sweet young thing as she begs to die just before you drain her blood. He paused and showed his demon's face. Young ones, like the Slayer's little Dawnie.
Spike's eyes were everywhere, uncertainty making his movements hesitant.
What is it? Don't tell me--it's the Slayer? Spike's eyes flew wide and blazed with anger, but he held his tongue.
I've got a few more surprises for the Slayer just yet. He examined Spike carefully, the brilliant chocolate eyes flickering over the tensed figure as he chose his words deliberately. Tell me, boy. Just how long did she wait before she crawled into your cozy little crypt? Reckon the girl has a thing for monsters, eh?
It wasn't like that, Angelus. Not at all. She... He recalled how angry he'd been at the thought of the Slayer causing Angel's death, but now? He wanted...he wanted...to kill Angelus himself. Grind his bones to dust. A cruel yellow glow of demon eyes and a crackle of shifting bone as they showed their true faces.
You can't beat me, boy. I made you.
Spike didn't answer, rather leapt and struck at the other like a viper. Angelus was on him instantly,slamming Spike against the metal ledge. The larger, heavier vampire bore down on him, grinding his back into the sharp steel with enough force to slice through flesh. Should have killed me yourself, boyo. Spared us all a world of pain. You tried often enough, didn't ya?
Angelus, I swear, I didn't mean for anything to happen. Not like that.
So it wasn't you who took me to Drucilla?
Spike twisted away, leaping across the grating onto the ladder rungs that led to the upper tunnels. Angelus looked up and huffed out a sneering laugh. I meant to thank you for that, William. Opened some doors for me, dying, being brought back to unlife. I prefer it this way, y'know, without that pesky soul in the mix.
The soul? The curse is gone?
Gone away, he snorted, Gone for good. Now it's just me, just like I always was. The way you wanted me all along. But maybe now, you don't want me back again? Not since you've managed to take everything that was mine. With a wild leap, Angelus had Spike by the collar of his leather coat, twisting and yanking him down onto the center level until they were face to face again.
Angelus, I swear...
Don't bother to deny it. She didn't.
The battle was short and the outcome certain from the beginning. The heavier, older Angelus easily overpowered the younger demon, forcing him, head down, over the edge of the steaming pit. And now, my boy, we begin the last of the surprises for our beautiful slayer. His fist fell again, rolling Spike's limp body in an boneless sprawl against the cold metal wall. Angelus stood and smoothed his hair back, Oh, Dru...
Music: Nine Inch Nails, The Art of Self Destruction, Part 1