Chapter 11 I See Dead People
The prince had arrived at his room. He had been to visit Anne and her condition was not improving. He worried that if they didn't find a cure soon, she would die.
He removed his vest and threw it over the chair. Today had surely been an interesting day. As much as he hated to admit it, he was enjoying his mystery guests. Especially Buffy. She was certainly beautiful and for some reason he was drawn to her. He was sure if she wasn't married that he would court her. Title didn't matter these days. It was happening all over the country now. Commoners married royalty all the time.
Her husband was surely a different kind of fellow. His being stricken with this illness was also peculiar, but perhaps that is why he was drawn to Buffy. Her compassion for her husband was evident.
He was pacing the room and stopped in front of an elaborate dressing mirror in the corner of his room. The mirror was very large and intricate with detail. As the prince stared into the mirror his reflection suddenly changed into a hideous dragon looking creature. The creature then spoke to him.
"You have done well. It will only be a matter of time until she is mine again and I am free." The prince continued to stare into the mirror and then suddenly came out of his trance. His reflection was normal again. He shook his head and tried to come out of the sudden fog he was feeling in his head. He was tired. He could have sworn that someone was talking to him.
He changed into his night clothes and got into bed. His head hit the pillow and his last thoughts were of Buffy before he drifted off to sleep.
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The halls were cold and dimly lit. It was very quiet and Buffy thought to herself that this place was much creepier at night. You could see that the storm outside was still in full force by the lightning flashes that would occasionally light up the hallways. The thunder was still as loud as before and it wasn't helping their search any.
"You know slayer, this castle is very big. I don't think we can possibly search every room tonight." They had been searching for about a half hour and the only thing they had found so far were empty bedrooms and some storage areas. Nothing to help them.
"I know we can't possibly cover everything tonight, but we have to try to find out something. We may be forced to leave tomorrow if this storm lets up. I don't know how I can keep us here otherwise. Unless you become ill of course." She knew he wouldn't like that last part.
"Listen, the invalid Spike routine is gett'in old. Let's go downstairs and check out the door you were talking about."
They proceeded down to the main floor and found the door with the dragon head. The knocker was beautiful yet scary. The intricate design seemed familiar. The dragon head was large with the knocker as a ring through its nose. There were strange symbols in a circle all around it.
"This seems so familiar to me Spike. Like I have seen it before. I haven't visited any castles lately so it has to be from something back in Sunnydale. I wish I could remember." Buffy was getting anxious now. This was the first clue they had to what was going on and she needed to remember.
"Well love, it seems to me that maybe it could have been in one of those research books that you and the Scooby gang are always consult'in. You people always have your head buried in a bloody book when you should just be out look'in."
That was it. "A book Spike. That's where I have seen this before. It was on the cover of the book back at the library. The Keeper of the Dead. That's where I remember it from." It had suddenly dawned on Buffy that the dragon and the symbols were on the front of the book.
"Ok, that's a start then. That goes with what you were tell'in me back in the meadow when we first got here. What happened to us must be what happened to those missing girls. But why? Why would someone or something want to bring us here?" He was remembering what Buffy had told him about the mission and what she had found out at the library from the desk clerk.
"I don't know. All I know is we have three missing girls back in Sunnydale and now we are missing as well. Whether by mistake or on purpose we are here. We need to find out more. Let's keep looking around." They continued around a long corridor and there was another stairwell leading to a lower level.
"This looks interest'in. My lengthy time at be'in dead tells me that underground means demon bad guys. I say we take a look see at what is down there." Spike wasn't crazy about going down in a dark damp looking dungeon, but he knew the slayer would want to investigate so he figured it would make him look good if he suggested it first.
At the bottom of the stairwell was another door. It had the same looking dragon head on it. Buffy tried the door. It was locked. That wasn't a surprise. Whatever was down here either needed to be locked in, or it was meant to keep intruders out. Either way, they weren't getting in there tonight. They didn't have a key and the door was solid metal. No way were they breaking it down.
Just then Spike crashed into the door with full force using his left shoulder. The sudden movement had caught Buffy off guard and she fell backward against the wall. Spike bounced off the door and hit the cement floor.
"Bloody hell." He was cursing now and holding his injured shoulder.
"Will you be quiet. You are going to wake the dead. Are you trying to get us caught?" Buffy was furious now and she had her hands on her hips.
"Look, I was just try'in to help. I thought maybe I could knock it down with a little effort." Spike was looking embarrassed and slowly picked himself up off the floor, holding his shoulder.
"Are you alright?" Buffy suddenly changed her tone when she could see that Spike had injured his arm and shoulder.
"I'm fine. It's just a scratch……and maybe a few broken bones. I'll mend fine. No worries slayer." Was that concern for him he was detecting? It was unlike Buffy to ask about his injuries. After a fight he just usually limped back to his crypt to recuperate.
"It's late and now you are injured. We should get back to our room and get some rest so you can heal up before tomorrow. We can't get this door open and I don't want to have to explain to Julian why your arm is broken." Just then Spikes face changed and he was giving Buffy that grin that she had seen so often before.
"Can't say as I wouldn't love explain'in to the prince how I got this broken arm on our wedding night." He was smirking now and she hated it.
Just then they both heard footsteps and voices. Two of the servant girls could be heard at the top of the stairway. They strained to try to hear what they were talking about.
They hadn't realized how close they were to each other as they were trying to make sure they wouldn't be caught by the voices at the top of the stairs. Buffy could feel Spikes breath on her neck and it was making her crazy. She tried to remain still.
The voices were low, but she managed to catch a few words. One was asking the other if Miss Anne had been taken care of for the evening. Julian's sister. Buffy had almost forgotten about her. Her quarters should be around nearby.
The voices drifted off as the women continued on their way. Buffy was almost afraid to move.
"I think they are gone now love." He was talking directly into her ear now with that throaty voice that she hated. Yes, she decided just this minute that she was going to hate that voice. She wasn't going to let him get to her.
She pulled away and began to ascend the stairway. "Where are you go'in love. It was just start'in to get interest'in." He was being smug again.
Buffy turned to Spike and talked in a serious tone. "This is no time for games Spike. I overheard them talking about Anne. I want to try and find her room."
Just then a ghostlike young woman appeared in front of Buffy. She didn't look threatening but she caught Buffy off guard and she was startled.
"Please, will you help me?" It spoke directly to Buffy and then it disappeared as quickly as it appeared.
"Great. The castle is haunted as well." Spike was coming up the stairway behind Buffy now. "We're being visited by bloody dead people now. What's next? Clanging chains and a lecture about the true spirit of Christmas?" Spike was making jokes but this was no joke. Someone or something was asking for their help.
"Let's go back to our room Spike. I think we've had enough excitement for tonight. We'll get up early tomorrow before time to meet Julian for breakfast and see if we can find Anne's room. Something tells me that she is the key to what's going on here."
Spike followed Buffy back up the stairs and toward their bedroom. He smiled to himself as they walked the long hallways thinking that if he had his way, the excitement had just begun for tonight.