Part 10
Graham watched disinterestedly as blood seeped from the demon's lips where he had just hit him.
"Where is Tawalda?" Willow asked in a bored voice. They had been at this for a half hour in the bar's back room. The demon was obviously more afraid of what Tawalda would do than what they would do. But that was about to change.
The demon remained stubbornly quiet. Willow looked over at her partner, "I don't think he's gonna tell us anything and I'm getting bored. How 'bout you put your knife skills to work and for every question he doesn't answer you cut off a body part."
The demon just whimpered and closed its eyes.
"Say, you don't think he's one of those rejuvenating demons do you? He doesn't seem particularly scared at the fact you might cut his arm off." Willow asked Graham.
"Well, I could always start with his head. I hear a rejuvenating demon can't grow a head back."
"Okay!" the demon shouted. "I'll tell you."
Willow smiled brightly at the demon, "I knew you just needed the right incentive to talk."
"Y-you have to give me protection. Tawalda will kill me."
Graham looked at the demon, "I promise that if you tell us where he is Tawalda won't be able to get to you to kill you."
The demon stared at Willow and Graham before slowly relaxing. Despite their reputation Red Death and Hunter were also known for keeping their word once given.
"O-okay. Tawalda has been meeting with his followers at the old warehouse on the docks of the Ohio River. You know the one at the end of Pier 25."
Willow leaned in to whisper, "This wouldn't be a trap now would it? Hunter and I go to the warehouse and Tawalda is there waiting for us? Maybe you should go with us just to make sure."
The demon gulped nervously, "I swear it's not a trap. Tawalda is meeting with his top advisors this morning. They're supposed to meet him around two."
Willow cocked her head to look at Graham, "What do you think? Is he lying?" The warehouse had been one of the places Tawalda was suspected of using but they had no confirmation.
Graham just looked into the demon's eyes before he grudgingly nodded. "I think he upheld his end of the bargain."
Willow nodded as she bent down to untie the demon. "Then I think it's time we upheld ours."
Before the demon could react Graham swung his knife and sliced its neck open. It took two more passes before Graham was able to decapitate the demon. "See, Tawalda can't kill you now."
Another piece of Willow's pain was stomped down and hidden to deal with later. She was getting better at stomping down her emotions and showing as empty a mask as she could.
Graham pulled Willow into his embrace. If anyone were watching they would think that Red Death and Hunter got off on the killing. But in reality Graham tried to comfort Willow as best he could. He knew this part of their roles was the most difficult for her. He tried to shield her as much as he could especially when it was just the two of them involved.
Willow gave Graham a quick squeeze to let him know she appreciated it and that she was okay. She schooled her features before stepping back. They had no doubts that their actions were being viewed even when not in the Nazul's compound.
"That was fun. Should we take him with us or leave him here with a warning?"
"Warning, I think."
Willow smiled and thought about it before flicking her wrist. Across the wall just above the dead demon words glowed in blood red, 'Zelana was here'.
"Mmm, short and to the point. Of course when we kill Tawalda that should drive the point home that you're either with Zelana or you're dead."
~~~~
Willow glanced over at Graham as they approached the warehouse. They had come up with a plan on the way over to the docks but she wasn't comfortable with it. Thoughts of Buffy kept running through her mind. She was sure it was because she had seen Clem earlier but for the first time in a long time she wished Buffy were there with her to kick some demon ass.
Zelana believed that besides Tawalda there were eleven demons as his top advisors. That made it a total of twelve that she and Graham had to take out.
Graham slightly shook his head as he slammed open the warehouse door, "Well, well, looks like someone's having a party and they didn't invite us. I think I'm hurt." Graham turned to Willow, "Are you hurt, Red?"
Willow looked around at the demons who were turning to face them. "I'd have to say yep I'm hurt. You know how much Hunter and I love a good party." Willow turned wide eyes to Tawalda, "I bet our invitation got lost in the mail. I'm sure Zelana would have wanted to know about this get together." She sighed before continuing, "He'll be so sorry that he missed this."
Tawalda never took his eyes off of Willow or Graham, "Oh I don't know. I think you're dead bodies on his doorstep would make a nice parting gift."
"You'd think that but I think he'd like your head in a basket better." Graham replied before turning to the demon that was approaching his left. Pulling the shotgun that he had strapped to his back Graham blew a hole in the demon's chest.
"Inlucesco" Willow yelled as she raised her hands.
The warehouse was flooded with daylight causing the three vampires to explode in a cloud of dust. Graham looked over at her and smiled, "That's my girl."
Without taking his eyes off Willow, Graham pulled the pin from the grenade and tossed it to the demon approaching, "Catch."
The demon's reflex caused him to hold out his claw and the grenade landed with a quiet plop. Before the demon's brain could register what it was Graham flung himself and Willow to the ground and behind a crate.
The grenade caused a small explosion and demon parts rained down around the area where the demon had once stood. "I've got to start wearing old clothes when we do a clean up for Zelana." Willow frowned as she looked down at herself.
Willow called a small ball of flame into her palm. While Willow began to chant the ball grew larger, "Hmm, how many do you think I can get with just one?"
"Last time you took out three demons, if you make it four this time I'll give you a reward."
A slow smile spread across Willow's face, "You're on." Willow throws the ball into the air, "Fly my pretty, fly."
Graham snorted, "You watch the Wizard of Oz too much."
The sphere of fire floated to the ceiling and made its way to where the demons were hastily backing away. Tawalda was yelling at them to hold their ground but they weren't paying any attention to him. They had their eye on the ball of fire.
Graham kept his sights on Tawalda not trusting him to either flee while the others were occupied or to try to kill him and Willow while they were preoccupied.
The ball flew just over a demon's head who sagged with relief as it missed him. Before he could turn to gloat at the others the ball bounced off the wall and engulfed him in flames.
The other demons scrambled out of his way as the ball reformed and continued on its path. Horror filled their faces as they watched the ball split into three and make a dive into the group of demons.
They all dove for cover but only two made it out as three were also engulfed in flames. The sphere slowly rose before it spiraled down into a trail of smoke before disintegrating into the floor.
Willow smiled over to where Tawalda was standing in stunned horror. He had severely underestimated these two humans and Zelana. But he wasn't going down without a fight.
"That's four, baby. Do you want Tawalda or the other two that are cowering in the corner?"
Graham's eyes remained locked on Tawalda's face. "I promised Zelana Tawalda's head so I'll take him."
"Okay." Willow turned her attention to the remaining two demons.
Graham raised his shotgun and Tawalda laughed, "Do you really think bullets can harm me?"
"Maybe not but I bet a nice big hole through your forehead could slow you down."
She stomped down on her sympathy for the remaining two demons and with a flick of her wrist caused the hooks and chains that were suspended from the ceiling to come swinging toward the demons.
Willow closed her ears to their cry of pain and the gurgle of blood as it dripped from the side of their mouths as the hooks embedded themselves in their chests. The momentum of the swinging chains pulled the demons from their feet and like a grotesque pendulum kept rhythm with the frantic beating of Willow's heart. That was a scene that would follow her until the day she died. Even when she briefly closed her eyes the image was burned onto the backs of her eyelids.
The sound of a shotgun blast caused Willow to spin on her heels to see how Graham was doing. Her eyes widened when she saw that the bullet hit Tawalda and then fall harmlessly to the ground.
FUCK! If he could withstand shotgun blasts they were in deep shit.
Graham grabbed a grenade and tossed it at the demon who merely grinned and caught it before turning to his left and heaving it toward a stunned Willow.
Willow shook her head to clear it before diving behind a stack of boxes.
Graham watched in horror as Willow's body was flung against the far wall with the explosion.
A dead coldness seeped into his body. All emotions fled as Graham turned his attention back to Tawalda.
Tawalda took an involuntary step back at the look in Graham's eyes. He knew without a doubt that he was looking Death in the eye.
Graham reached his hand in his pocket and kept it there. Tawalda looked at him in confusion waiting for Graham to attack. Why was he just standing there casually with his hand in his pocket?
Graham carefully counted down from when he had to toss the grenade. He was taking no chances with this one. With a feral cry Graham pulled the grenade from his pocket and threw it at the feet of the demon.
The demon didn't have time to react as soon as the grenade hit the ground it exploded. Graham made note of where the head went so he could collect it later but his attention was focused on getting to Willow.
His heart had dropped to his stomach when he saw her body slump to the ground after hitting the wall. She had looked like a little rag doll lying on the ground forgotten by a child.
Graham knelt down and softly cradled Willow's head on his lap. His fingers shakily searched for a pulse and he nearly sobbed with relief when he found it beating strong in her neck.
His head and his heart clicked as one as he stroked Willow's hair. When had he fallen in love with Rosenberg? When had their role-playing become real? Was it the first time he held her shaking body after their confrontation with Zelana? Was it later while at the compound when they had to pretend twenty-four seven? All he knew was that she had quietly wormed her way into his heart in the months they've been together.
"Willow? Come on Baby, wake up?"
Willow felt Graham's soft caress and his anxious voice calling to her. If she could just open her eyes but they felt so heavy.
Graham watched anxiously as Willow's eyelids fluttered, "That's it come on wake up, Willow."
Willow pried her eyelids open and saw Graham's concerned face looking down at her.
Graham watched her pupils shrink back to normal as she became accustomed to the light and gave a sigh of relief. Probably no concussion.
Willow winced in pain as she struggled to a sitting position. Graham kept a hand on her waist; he couldn't seem to make himself break contact.
Willow took a deep breath and was relieved there wasn't any pain. "Well that's good, I don't feel any broken bones."
Graham reached a shaky hand and wiped the blood from a cut on her forehead. "How many fingers am I holding up?"
Willow grinned, "Very funny. You're not holding up your hand at all."
"Well you passed that test."
Willow looked up into Graham's eyes and softly gasped at the intense look reflected there. She raised a hand to his cheek, "You okay?"
Graham gave a shaky laugh and leaned his forehead against hers, "Apart from seeing my partner fly into a wall I'm fine."
Graham slowly pulled back and took a breath to calm himself. "I thought I'd lost you."
Willow began to pull her hand away from Graham's cheek when he raised his other one to hold it there. Her pulse began to skip at the look on Graham's face.
Slowly he lowered his head giving time for Willow to pull back if she wanted. A smile crossed his face as Willow raised her lips to meet his. Graham slid his hand that had been holding Willow's on his cheek up her arm and cupped the back of her head.
Willow tensed in pain and Graham immediately pulled back, "Oh god, Willow I'm sorry."
Willow shook her head and caressed his lips with her thumb, "Rain check for when there's no more Willow owies?"
Graham kissed her thumb and then gently nipped on it, "Count on it." He stood and held out a hand to help Willow up, "Let's go collect the head and then we'll stop by Doc's to get you checked out."