Title: Of Courts and Consequences
Author: Ravynsword
Date: March 22, 2004
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: see Chapter One
Notes: Xander is a half-Elf, his cousin has become something that scares even demons, and Spike and Angel have a connection other than vampiric. Other than that, read on.
****
Chapter Five
The Scooby Gang reconvened at the Watcher's apartment shortly after sunset. Buffy had spent the day wondering what had happened at the mansion. Dawn was eager to see the Elves again. Willow and Xander had spent the day getting to know his father and brother. Anya had been contacting some of the demons she had known during her time as a vengeance demon. Most of them told everything they could once she mentioned there was a Death Maiden in Sunnydale. News of it spread through the demon population of Sunnydale like wildfire, resulting in a mass exodus of most of the less powerful demons in town. They all looked up when the remaining members of the previous day's events appeared.
"An…Rhiannon," greeted Giles. He was still getting over the shock of finding out that the girl he had been quite taken with as a youth was the heir to Elven monarchs, and now had become something even the Watchers' Council had considered just a myth.
"You can still call me Annie, Rupert," she answered softly. "I think I'd miss it if you didn't." The Elven lady smiled quietly at him and went to sit at the table with Angel and Spike.
"You two seem awfully friendly," said Xander. The young man had been watching the vampires as they entered the apartment behind Rhiannon and headed to sit at the table, one empty seat between them. Somehow he knew that the space wasn't due to their usual dislike for one another. Buffy got irritated when Rhi sat between them and they shifted their chairs closer to her sides.
"What is this? Some sort of fanged snuggle-fest? I thought there was a demon that needed killing?" When she went to force some space between Angel and Rhiannon, she was stopped by Xander and Lavandel.
"No, Buffy. You have to let your jealousy go," the half-Elf told her gently. "Van explained it to me. It's like they're tied together. Hurting one just hurts the others. They didn't ask for it, but it may be the best thing for all concerned. He says she's one of the strongest magic users they've ever seen. The increase in her powers that the change causes could make her very dangerous. Being linked to Angel and Spike is giving her more control than she might otherwise have. Their link to her is also making it easier for them to control their demons. If there's a fight coming, we need everyone to be as strong and as stable as we can get." The blonde Slayer looked as if she would argue the point with him. After looking at the trio at the table again, she just nodded her head once and sat down near Dawn. That was when Willow noticed something.
"Hey, how come they're not dust?" she asked, pointing out the window at the sun hanging low in the sky. Sunset was near, but it was still light out.
"The bond," answered Seamus. "It allows them to go anywhere she wills, and she wills them to be able to walk in the sunlight. Really was amusing, the looks on their faces when they stepped outside and didn't turn into cinders." The others chuckled as the two vampires ducked their heads sheepishly. The chuckles ended at Rhiannon's news.
"Aurora, Uriel, and Kitsuke were not the only victims." Those who hadn't spent the night at the mansion stilled.
"Apparently the demon that killed them, also killed Kieran," she said, her voice cold and even. "I am now the only heir to the Courts of Faerie. Until the demon and its master are stopped, both of them will consider me as the best possibility for the villain in this piece. What has anyone heard, if anything." As she told the group of Kieran's death, Spike laid a gentle hand on her shoulder in comfort. She leaned slightly into the touch as Angel subtly shifted to place himself further between them and the rest of the people in the small apartment.
"Well," said Anya. "This one Domkeerus demon I talked to said that someone of the shadowed side of Underhill was trying to make a bid for power. The only thing he thought would be a problem was the heirs. If they banded together, the guy was toast. That must have been why it went after them separately." The ex-vengeance demon sat down next to her boyfriend. She had thought about it the night before and decided that if Xander could handle dating an ex-demon when he thought he was just human, she could deal with the longer ears and stay with him now that she knew he was a Halfling, even if he was Seelie blood.
"Where is this Domkeerus?" asked Rhiannon.
"He lives down in the abandoned warehouse district. Runs a video arcade. Loves the entranced state it sticks the kids in. Domkeerus demons feed off of alpha brain waves. It doesn't hurt the kids, and this makes it easier to get his meal without actively having to entrance them himself."
Rhiannon nodded and stood up. Immediately, Angel and Spike stood with her.
"Liam, you and Ashe stay here and help with any planning that is done. William and Seamus will accompany me to speak with this Domkeerus." When Angel and Ashe looked like they would argue, she explained that she could relay information through her link to the knight and it would make planning easier if they could work on two fronts. Angel nodded and resumed his seat at the table, joined by Ashe, Lavandel, and Giles. Slowly, the others joined them and began the tedious job of research.
***
"So, how's the bond coming along?" Seamus asked Spike as they walked down a side street in the warehouse district.
"It's strange. I asked Angel about it earlier, compared notes so to speak. It's different. He can feel the connection to her, and to me, but it isn't this overpowering feeling that I have. It's almost like I want to crawl under her skin. Scary in a way, mate." Any reply the Phuka might have made was cut off by their arrival at the Domkeerus' video arcade.
"Welcome, may I help…you?" asked the demon. In the dim light of the arcade, he didn't look much different than a human. The glow from the video games around him effectively camouflaged the green and purple skin colors natural to his race. He looked around for an escape when he saw the red eyes of the Death Maiden and the glyph on the throat of the vampire behind her.
"If you have somewhere…quieter…to speak? I wish to ask you a few questions, not disturb your place of business." The demon nodded and led the three back to his office. In his office, he offered them drinks before sitting behind his desk, nervously waiting to see what she would do.
Rhiannon took the seat directly in front of the demon's desk. Spike sat in the other chair, and Seamus took to standing guard near the office door. Once the demon had settled himself in his seat, she spoke.
"I have no quarrel with you at this time, demon," she began. The demon and Seamus both shivered slightly at the hollow, almost echoing quality of her voice. "I merely wish information and will leave your establishment in peace if I can. Last night, a demon with black and tan skin like scales and violet eyes killed three of the Fae in an alley in Sunnydale. I have been told that you may have some idea as to who the demon follows." She then leaned back in the seat with a deceptively lazy gaze turned on the Domkeerus. Silence was an effective means of making someone talk, she knew. Now she would just use it to her advantage.
The Domkeerus, on the other hand, was having a hard time believing that she would just leave his arcade with no problems. Death Maidens were not often known for being choosy in which demons they destroyed. He looked at the other two in the room with them. The blonde vampire, he knew. Spike stopped by often enough because he liked the video games. They had struck up an easy acquaintance. Even when Spike started helping the Slayer, he kept the arcade out of the fray. Standing by the door was someone he didn't recognize. There was no marking on him to signify a Death Knight, not like the vampire, but he appeared to have the Maiden's total trust. After a couple of silent minutes that stretched on, the Domkeerus decided to take the chance and give the Maiden the information she sought. He had seen the results of past Maidens, and this one didn't seem as indiscriminate as others.
"I heard from a third cousin of mine that some Unseelie lordling had decided he wants Oberon's throne. There's no way he can take it with there being four heirs in line before him. To have even a chance at the throne, Aurora, Kieran, Rhiannon, and Kitsuke would all have to be dead. Then he has to challenge. It's impossible. No one is crazy enough to try to kill all of the heirs and then challenge the king."
"Three of the four are dead as of yesterday," responded Spike with a level voice. The Domkeerus looked at him in shock. The blonde vampire continued, "John, a demon killed Kieran in Underhill and tore Aurora, Uriel, and Kitsuke limb from limb in an alley over by the old theater. The Death Maiden in front of you is the only one of the heirs left. If you know the name of the one who controls the demon, tell her. She's telling you the truth when she says she'll leave the arcade standing. She can't lie to me." As he finished speaking, Spike reflexively touched to mark at his throat. The Domkeerus, who used the name John Karas in Sunnydale, turned back to Rhiannon.
"Lady Rhiannon, my sincerest condolences regarding your loss. I had met your younger sister while at court one time. She was a beautiful young woman. According to my cousin, the one you want is named Tomaisin. His brother, Koghan, was executed years ago for making an attempt on Aurora's life when she was a child. He's wanted to get even ever since. That's all I know, I swear." The demon sat quietly while he waited to see what she would do. After a few minutes, she nodded her head.
"I've seen Tomaisin. Never trusted him. If you're information turns out to be correct, you will never have problems from the Fae with your business. If it turns out to be false…" she let the implication remain unsaid. The demon knew what the consequences were if he had lied. It was the main reason he told her the truth. She rose from her seat and led the others out of the arcade.
***
Back at Rupert Giles' apartment, they expanded Scooby Gang was doing research to find out anything they could about the demon that had killed Rhiannon's family. At one point, Angel cocked his head to one side and got a far-away look in his eyes. A couple of minutes passed and he seemed to return to the present. Turning to Ashe, he relayed the information he had just received from the Maiden.
"Rhiannon spoke with the demon. He says that it's someone named Tomaisin that's ordering the demon. The guy is looking for a way to get even for his brother getting executed a long time ago."
"That makes sense," said Anya. When the others looked at her, the ex-vengeance demon shrugged. "It was a couple of hundred years ago. Koghan, Tomaisin's brother, tried to kill Oberon's daughter, Aurora. Her guards managed to stop it from happening, and the king ordered his death. Tomaisin tried to get a vengeance demon to take out Oberon, but D'Hoffryn told us to keep out of it. Oberon had already been making friends with Uriel's mother in the Elementaarios court and didn't want to risk her turning Death Maiden over the issue. It was rumored that Oberon would have wedded her if he hadn't already had a child by Titania. The Fae are really picky about things like that. You get someone pregnant, and that's usually the last person you get to sleep with. Casual sex is fine, but prove you're a fertile couple, and it becomes adultery to sleep with anyone else. It's why everyone was so shocked that Titania and Oberon allowed Lavellan and Kagami to split. I mean, she may have been fostered in the Japanese born Unseelie Court, but they still had a kid. Everyone thinks it was in order to try to get them to take mates within their own courts."
"I found it!" yelled Xander. Lavellan and Lavandel had been amused at the way he tugged on his eartips while he was researching. It was going to take a while for the youngest member of their family to get used to the change.
"Found what, Lavelle?" asked the bard. He couldn't bring himself to refer to the boy by the name his human step-father had used.
"The demon, I found the demon in some really bizarre book. I can't read any of it, but that's what we saw." Xander handed to book over to his father and sat next to him. The young man was still trying to get used to the changes that had occurred over the last couple of days. He went from being a nobody, Spike referred to him as the Zeppo, to being the younger son of an Elven bard, long ears and all.
"It says here that it is a Mordantus demon. I thought they were all dead. The two courts exterminated them after the last great Elven war. It was decided that any creature that could naturally kill members of either court was too dangerous to allow to live. Very few have the knowledge to be able to find one, let alone control one." Lavellan frowned while looking at the book.
"Father," began Lavandel, "Tomaisin's father was the mage that called them up in the last war, wasn't he? Could he have taught his sons how to do the same?"
"Yes, he was. If he taught them, it would make him a very dangerous adversary. The Mordantus are not easy to kill. They must be struck in three different organs at one time. However, the creature is a being of magic and uses it both offensively and defensively, as well as being extremely strong with an outer hide that very few weapons are able to penetrate, especially the silver-based ones of the Fae."
"It is a good thing, then, that I am not wholly Seelie or Unseelie, and that my Knights are none at all."
The others in the room turned toward the trio that had just entered the apartment. Xander and his brother both left the table to make room for Rhiannon and Spike to sit near Angel. Buffy was still shooting glares at the Elven woman, but didn't make any move to stop them. Angel, who had been fidgeting slightly the entire time the other two were away, returned to the calm they had seen before Rhiannon and Spike had headed out to the arcade. As she sat down, Rhiannon placed a hand lightly on Angel's arm and nodded to him, Spike placed a hand on the back of Angel's neck before moving to take the seat on her other side. Giles noticed the interaction between the three and wondered exactly how close the three had become, and how much closer they would become.
After settling in with her two knights, Rhiannon turned towards the others who had been researching in her absence.
"So, it is a Mordantus? I had heard of them. They are very difficult to kill and will require more than the forces we have on hand. I spoke briefly with the ruling monarchs of the courts and they will agree to send what help they can. If we have plans ready, then we can draw the enemy out and destroy him. I believe the best time to attack is at twilight tomorrow, if possible. The combination of it being neither day nor night and a full moon will mean the creature is not at its full strength. We will have a better chance to defeat it if we can 'stack the deck', as the humans say." The others each agreed to help wherever they could, and the planning began in earnest. When it was nearly dawn, Giles called a halt to the research, declaring that they would need some rest if they were to fight the next evening. Slowly, everyone wandered out. Xander's family would be staying with Willow again, and Rhiannon's group headed off for the mansion.
Author: Ravynsword
Date: March 22, 2004
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: see Chapter One
Notes: Xander is a half-Elf, his cousin has become something that scares even demons, and Spike and Angel have a connection other than vampiric. Other than that, read on.
****
Chapter Five
The Scooby Gang reconvened at the Watcher's apartment shortly after sunset. Buffy had spent the day wondering what had happened at the mansion. Dawn was eager to see the Elves again. Willow and Xander had spent the day getting to know his father and brother. Anya had been contacting some of the demons she had known during her time as a vengeance demon. Most of them told everything they could once she mentioned there was a Death Maiden in Sunnydale. News of it spread through the demon population of Sunnydale like wildfire, resulting in a mass exodus of most of the less powerful demons in town. They all looked up when the remaining members of the previous day's events appeared.
"An…Rhiannon," greeted Giles. He was still getting over the shock of finding out that the girl he had been quite taken with as a youth was the heir to Elven monarchs, and now had become something even the Watchers' Council had considered just a myth.
"You can still call me Annie, Rupert," she answered softly. "I think I'd miss it if you didn't." The Elven lady smiled quietly at him and went to sit at the table with Angel and Spike.
"You two seem awfully friendly," said Xander. The young man had been watching the vampires as they entered the apartment behind Rhiannon and headed to sit at the table, one empty seat between them. Somehow he knew that the space wasn't due to their usual dislike for one another. Buffy got irritated when Rhi sat between them and they shifted their chairs closer to her sides.
"What is this? Some sort of fanged snuggle-fest? I thought there was a demon that needed killing?" When she went to force some space between Angel and Rhiannon, she was stopped by Xander and Lavandel.
"No, Buffy. You have to let your jealousy go," the half-Elf told her gently. "Van explained it to me. It's like they're tied together. Hurting one just hurts the others. They didn't ask for it, but it may be the best thing for all concerned. He says she's one of the strongest magic users they've ever seen. The increase in her powers that the change causes could make her very dangerous. Being linked to Angel and Spike is giving her more control than she might otherwise have. Their link to her is also making it easier for them to control their demons. If there's a fight coming, we need everyone to be as strong and as stable as we can get." The blonde Slayer looked as if she would argue the point with him. After looking at the trio at the table again, she just nodded her head once and sat down near Dawn. That was when Willow noticed something.
"Hey, how come they're not dust?" she asked, pointing out the window at the sun hanging low in the sky. Sunset was near, but it was still light out.
"The bond," answered Seamus. "It allows them to go anywhere she wills, and she wills them to be able to walk in the sunlight. Really was amusing, the looks on their faces when they stepped outside and didn't turn into cinders." The others chuckled as the two vampires ducked their heads sheepishly. The chuckles ended at Rhiannon's news.
"Aurora, Uriel, and Kitsuke were not the only victims." Those who hadn't spent the night at the mansion stilled.
"Apparently the demon that killed them, also killed Kieran," she said, her voice cold and even. "I am now the only heir to the Courts of Faerie. Until the demon and its master are stopped, both of them will consider me as the best possibility for the villain in this piece. What has anyone heard, if anything." As she told the group of Kieran's death, Spike laid a gentle hand on her shoulder in comfort. She leaned slightly into the touch as Angel subtly shifted to place himself further between them and the rest of the people in the small apartment.
"Well," said Anya. "This one Domkeerus demon I talked to said that someone of the shadowed side of Underhill was trying to make a bid for power. The only thing he thought would be a problem was the heirs. If they banded together, the guy was toast. That must have been why it went after them separately." The ex-vengeance demon sat down next to her boyfriend. She had thought about it the night before and decided that if Xander could handle dating an ex-demon when he thought he was just human, she could deal with the longer ears and stay with him now that she knew he was a Halfling, even if he was Seelie blood.
"Where is this Domkeerus?" asked Rhiannon.
"He lives down in the abandoned warehouse district. Runs a video arcade. Loves the entranced state it sticks the kids in. Domkeerus demons feed off of alpha brain waves. It doesn't hurt the kids, and this makes it easier to get his meal without actively having to entrance them himself."
Rhiannon nodded and stood up. Immediately, Angel and Spike stood with her.
"Liam, you and Ashe stay here and help with any planning that is done. William and Seamus will accompany me to speak with this Domkeerus." When Angel and Ashe looked like they would argue, she explained that she could relay information through her link to the knight and it would make planning easier if they could work on two fronts. Angel nodded and resumed his seat at the table, joined by Ashe, Lavandel, and Giles. Slowly, the others joined them and began the tedious job of research.
***
"So, how's the bond coming along?" Seamus asked Spike as they walked down a side street in the warehouse district.
"It's strange. I asked Angel about it earlier, compared notes so to speak. It's different. He can feel the connection to her, and to me, but it isn't this overpowering feeling that I have. It's almost like I want to crawl under her skin. Scary in a way, mate." Any reply the Phuka might have made was cut off by their arrival at the Domkeerus' video arcade.
"Welcome, may I help…you?" asked the demon. In the dim light of the arcade, he didn't look much different than a human. The glow from the video games around him effectively camouflaged the green and purple skin colors natural to his race. He looked around for an escape when he saw the red eyes of the Death Maiden and the glyph on the throat of the vampire behind her.
"If you have somewhere…quieter…to speak? I wish to ask you a few questions, not disturb your place of business." The demon nodded and led the three back to his office. In his office, he offered them drinks before sitting behind his desk, nervously waiting to see what she would do.
Rhiannon took the seat directly in front of the demon's desk. Spike sat in the other chair, and Seamus took to standing guard near the office door. Once the demon had settled himself in his seat, she spoke.
"I have no quarrel with you at this time, demon," she began. The demon and Seamus both shivered slightly at the hollow, almost echoing quality of her voice. "I merely wish information and will leave your establishment in peace if I can. Last night, a demon with black and tan skin like scales and violet eyes killed three of the Fae in an alley in Sunnydale. I have been told that you may have some idea as to who the demon follows." She then leaned back in the seat with a deceptively lazy gaze turned on the Domkeerus. Silence was an effective means of making someone talk, she knew. Now she would just use it to her advantage.
The Domkeerus, on the other hand, was having a hard time believing that she would just leave his arcade with no problems. Death Maidens were not often known for being choosy in which demons they destroyed. He looked at the other two in the room with them. The blonde vampire, he knew. Spike stopped by often enough because he liked the video games. They had struck up an easy acquaintance. Even when Spike started helping the Slayer, he kept the arcade out of the fray. Standing by the door was someone he didn't recognize. There was no marking on him to signify a Death Knight, not like the vampire, but he appeared to have the Maiden's total trust. After a couple of silent minutes that stretched on, the Domkeerus decided to take the chance and give the Maiden the information she sought. He had seen the results of past Maidens, and this one didn't seem as indiscriminate as others.
"I heard from a third cousin of mine that some Unseelie lordling had decided he wants Oberon's throne. There's no way he can take it with there being four heirs in line before him. To have even a chance at the throne, Aurora, Kieran, Rhiannon, and Kitsuke would all have to be dead. Then he has to challenge. It's impossible. No one is crazy enough to try to kill all of the heirs and then challenge the king."
"Three of the four are dead as of yesterday," responded Spike with a level voice. The Domkeerus looked at him in shock. The blonde vampire continued, "John, a demon killed Kieran in Underhill and tore Aurora, Uriel, and Kitsuke limb from limb in an alley over by the old theater. The Death Maiden in front of you is the only one of the heirs left. If you know the name of the one who controls the demon, tell her. She's telling you the truth when she says she'll leave the arcade standing. She can't lie to me." As he finished speaking, Spike reflexively touched to mark at his throat. The Domkeerus, who used the name John Karas in Sunnydale, turned back to Rhiannon.
"Lady Rhiannon, my sincerest condolences regarding your loss. I had met your younger sister while at court one time. She was a beautiful young woman. According to my cousin, the one you want is named Tomaisin. His brother, Koghan, was executed years ago for making an attempt on Aurora's life when she was a child. He's wanted to get even ever since. That's all I know, I swear." The demon sat quietly while he waited to see what she would do. After a few minutes, she nodded her head.
"I've seen Tomaisin. Never trusted him. If you're information turns out to be correct, you will never have problems from the Fae with your business. If it turns out to be false…" she let the implication remain unsaid. The demon knew what the consequences were if he had lied. It was the main reason he told her the truth. She rose from her seat and led the others out of the arcade.
***
Back at Rupert Giles' apartment, they expanded Scooby Gang was doing research to find out anything they could about the demon that had killed Rhiannon's family. At one point, Angel cocked his head to one side and got a far-away look in his eyes. A couple of minutes passed and he seemed to return to the present. Turning to Ashe, he relayed the information he had just received from the Maiden.
"Rhiannon spoke with the demon. He says that it's someone named Tomaisin that's ordering the demon. The guy is looking for a way to get even for his brother getting executed a long time ago."
"That makes sense," said Anya. When the others looked at her, the ex-vengeance demon shrugged. "It was a couple of hundred years ago. Koghan, Tomaisin's brother, tried to kill Oberon's daughter, Aurora. Her guards managed to stop it from happening, and the king ordered his death. Tomaisin tried to get a vengeance demon to take out Oberon, but D'Hoffryn told us to keep out of it. Oberon had already been making friends with Uriel's mother in the Elementaarios court and didn't want to risk her turning Death Maiden over the issue. It was rumored that Oberon would have wedded her if he hadn't already had a child by Titania. The Fae are really picky about things like that. You get someone pregnant, and that's usually the last person you get to sleep with. Casual sex is fine, but prove you're a fertile couple, and it becomes adultery to sleep with anyone else. It's why everyone was so shocked that Titania and Oberon allowed Lavellan and Kagami to split. I mean, she may have been fostered in the Japanese born Unseelie Court, but they still had a kid. Everyone thinks it was in order to try to get them to take mates within their own courts."
"I found it!" yelled Xander. Lavellan and Lavandel had been amused at the way he tugged on his eartips while he was researching. It was going to take a while for the youngest member of their family to get used to the change.
"Found what, Lavelle?" asked the bard. He couldn't bring himself to refer to the boy by the name his human step-father had used.
"The demon, I found the demon in some really bizarre book. I can't read any of it, but that's what we saw." Xander handed to book over to his father and sat next to him. The young man was still trying to get used to the changes that had occurred over the last couple of days. He went from being a nobody, Spike referred to him as the Zeppo, to being the younger son of an Elven bard, long ears and all.
"It says here that it is a Mordantus demon. I thought they were all dead. The two courts exterminated them after the last great Elven war. It was decided that any creature that could naturally kill members of either court was too dangerous to allow to live. Very few have the knowledge to be able to find one, let alone control one." Lavellan frowned while looking at the book.
"Father," began Lavandel, "Tomaisin's father was the mage that called them up in the last war, wasn't he? Could he have taught his sons how to do the same?"
"Yes, he was. If he taught them, it would make him a very dangerous adversary. The Mordantus are not easy to kill. They must be struck in three different organs at one time. However, the creature is a being of magic and uses it both offensively and defensively, as well as being extremely strong with an outer hide that very few weapons are able to penetrate, especially the silver-based ones of the Fae."
"It is a good thing, then, that I am not wholly Seelie or Unseelie, and that my Knights are none at all."
The others in the room turned toward the trio that had just entered the apartment. Xander and his brother both left the table to make room for Rhiannon and Spike to sit near Angel. Buffy was still shooting glares at the Elven woman, but didn't make any move to stop them. Angel, who had been fidgeting slightly the entire time the other two were away, returned to the calm they had seen before Rhiannon and Spike had headed out to the arcade. As she sat down, Rhiannon placed a hand lightly on Angel's arm and nodded to him, Spike placed a hand on the back of Angel's neck before moving to take the seat on her other side. Giles noticed the interaction between the three and wondered exactly how close the three had become, and how much closer they would become.
After settling in with her two knights, Rhiannon turned towards the others who had been researching in her absence.
"So, it is a Mordantus? I had heard of them. They are very difficult to kill and will require more than the forces we have on hand. I spoke briefly with the ruling monarchs of the courts and they will agree to send what help they can. If we have plans ready, then we can draw the enemy out and destroy him. I believe the best time to attack is at twilight tomorrow, if possible. The combination of it being neither day nor night and a full moon will mean the creature is not at its full strength. We will have a better chance to defeat it if we can 'stack the deck', as the humans say." The others each agreed to help wherever they could, and the planning began in earnest. When it was nearly dawn, Giles called a halt to the research, declaring that they would need some rest if they were to fight the next evening. Slowly, everyone wandered out. Xander's family would be staying with Willow again, and Rhiannon's group headed off for the mansion.
