Blood of the Ancient

Chapter 1

Rupert Giles pushed the doors to the Sunnydale High library open. The self-appointed slayerettes slouched in behind him, talking and laughing together with Giles's slayer, Faith.

The contact that the Slayer had with other young people was highly unorthodox. Willow Rosenburg, Xander Harris and the others had, however proven themselves invaluable many times before. And, since being fired from the Council for refusing to allow Faith to undergo the Cruciamentum, Giles was not so determined to make sure he obeyed tradition. As far as he could see, allowing Faith to have friends had been nothing but beneficial so far.

Xander, Willow, Cordelia, Anya, Tara and Oz flopped down in seats at the library table, while Faith headed straight for the weapons case. Giles sighed and headed for the Watcher's diaries he kept in his private office.

He hoped that the demon Willow and Tara had seen was not too dangerous. He collected several of the appropriate volumes and returned to the main library. He turned then to the two wiccans and asked,

"Willow, if you could possibly describe the demon that you and Tara saw earlier."

The redhead squeezed the blonde's hand comfortingly. After exchanging glances with the blonde wicca, Willow began to try and describe the demon they had seen the night before,

"Well, it looked pretty much like an ordinary demon. But it had this gem thing on its forehead."

Giles nodded and flicked through one of the heavy tomes out on the table,

"It does sound familiar…"

Giles trailed off as he attempted to remember the demon's name.

"It was a Mohrah demon. I killed it."

Giles jumped when he heard Angel's voice. He turned to see the dark-haired vampire emerging from the shadows of the library stacks.

Giles wasn't comfortable about working with a vampire, although it was undeniable that Angel was the anomalous vampire with a soul that he claimed to be. Giles had read too much about the exploits of Angelus to ever be truly comfortable with his ensouled counterpart.

Angel had never truly explained his reasons for helping the Slayer and her friends kill his own kind. However, it was undeniable that Angel had been of great assistance to them, having saved all of the lives at least once.

Angel kept to the shadows as he crossed the library. The sun had set several hours previously, but it was obvious that the vampire preferred to keep out of the light as much as possible. Now, however, was not the appropriate time for these musings.

"Are you certain?"

Angel nodded,

"The blood of the Mohrah demon has regenerative powers, making them nearly impossible to kill."

Xander interrupted then,

"You said you'd killed it, dead-boy."

Angel scowled,

"I said that they were nearly impossible to ill. There is only one way to kill a Mohrah demon, and that is to break the jewel on its forehead."

Giles nodded, confirming Angel's explanation,

"I remember a reference to this demon, but I didn't know about the regenerative properties of the blood. Where did you learn that?"

Angel seemed slightly uncomfortable as he answered,

"I never encountered a Mohrah demon personally. However, I've heard of them, as their blood has the ability to return a vampire to life. I knew someone whose Childe had to be turned four times as they kept picking fights with a group of Mohrah demons."

"It was five times and you know it, Angelus."

If it were possible, Angel seemed to pale. It could not have been at the use of his former name, as most of the vampires and demons they encountered called Angel by that appellation. No, it could only be whoever it was who had intruded.

Giles turned to try and located the origin of the voice. He saw the youths in the room staring at the entrance to the library, so he turned his attention there.

He couldn't help but gasp slightly. The woman standing in the doorway could only be described as beautiful. Her silver-blonde hair was clipped up off her face by a priceless looking diamond-encrusted clip. She was dressed in black leather pants and a black leather bustier. She wore a black leather duster over this and a pair of black stiletto boots on her feet. Her skin was so preternaturally pale as to be luminescent in the moonlight that streamed in through the corridor.

She wore little jewellery, and elegant silver ring on her right hand, with an ornate design etched upon it. An emerald and diamond drop necklace hung down on her curving, pale neck. The stones glinted in the moonlight, reflected in her hazel-flecked green eyes.

Her face was shadowed but the glitter of liquid in her eyes was plain to see. There was a rich smell, like expensive perfume, that filled the room as one tear of blood traced a dark trail down her flawless cheek.

Giles managed to drag his gaze away from the beauty in front of him to see the effect this woman, if such a crude word could be used to describe such elegant and refined beauty, had on Angel. Abstractly, he noted that he had never seen the vampire looking gobsmacked before.

The look on Angel's face was a curious cocktail of emotions. Fear, shock, horror and dismay were clear in his tortured brown eyes, but also there were emotions that Giles did not normally associate with the dark, brooding vampire. There was delight and amazement, adoration, adulation and love. But then the vampire's face hardened and his posture straightened. When he spoke, his normally sorrowful voice was glacial.

"I don't use that name anymore, my Lady."

Giles risked another glance at the vision of beauty before him. He now realised that the woman had to be a vampire, probably an old and powerful one at that. Nonetheless, there was something magnetic about her presence. She spoke again, her voice soft and full of grief,

"Oh, thank God. I need your help."

The look on Angel's face now was one of complete and utter shock, with more than a little bit of disbelief mixed in.

"You need my help?"

The woman looked more than a little bit annoyed,

"No, I cam to this town because I actually wanted to hang around with a load of dead-beat vamps who think that unliving for a couple of centuries gives them the right to call themselves master. If I wanted you to repeat everything I saw, Angelus, I will tell you so. The same goes for being a smart-ass. So, until I say otherwise, can it."

Instead of taking offence at this tirade, Angel looked somewhat abashed and repentant, though for what Giles could not understand.

"My apologies. I was somewhat surprised at your request. Why do you require my assistance, and how may I best offer it to you?"

A look of extreme gratitude flickered on the woman's flawless, but cold face. When she spoke again, her voice was barely more than a tremulous whisper, so soft that it was barely audible, at least to Giles's mortal ears.

"I had heard that… I thought that… you're the only one that can understand… the only one who can help me…"

Angel looked honestly confused now,

"What will I understand?"

The woman shook slightly, now so delicate now that it appeared that even the slightest wind might cause her to crack.

"My soul, Christ, Angel they restored my soul."

TBC.