The court had been in uproar and mourning for the past few days, ever since the news that the Slayer had killed Luke had broken. Demands were being made that the Master send out the Prime Guard and kill her as an example of their power. Although Angelus didn't really care about the Slayer, Will did and he had promises to keep. So he found himself speaking out at the court in order to get control back.
"Master, Sire, let me take my Childe and his and we will kill the Slayer. We will make her pay for my brother." It never ceased to amaze him at how much of a simpering whore his Sire could become when she was around the Master. He would vomit if he were physically able. He swallowed his disgust and started to smooth things over.
"Darla my love, I don't think that would be a good idea. With all due respect my lords and ladies, the Slayer has no idea of what we are doing here. She may know who we are but that doesn't mean that she knows we are all here. If we go after her and lose, or are forced to retreat, then she may begin to start investigating. To take out a vampire as great as Luke, she has to be strong and skilled. We have the advantage of numbers and knowledge. Why not stick to our plan. We kill her on our timetable. Of course, it will be the Master who takes her blood – a small repayment for the loss of his Childe."
He could see them all ponder the validity of his words. The small amount of suggestion that he put behind his words appeared to work, at least enough for the Master to agree to the idea and change his plans.
"Angelus is right. At the moment we have the advantage. I have no desire to lose that. Nor do I want my vengeance on her to be rushed and fumbled. She will die a slow and painful death that will bring to us more power than we can imagine. However, in light of recent events, I think that we should act sooner rather than later. We have enough sacrifices to perform the ritual. I believe that in a week we will be ready to act. We will open the Hellmouth, and the Underworld will rise."
Angelus felt that the manic cackle at the end was just too prosaic. He really shouldn't have to teach a demon how to be evil and not Austin Powers evil. He had work to do though and a little girl to see.
Willow sat at her computer. Ever since they had faced Catherine Madison last year she had become obsessed with the idea of witch craft. She spent every spare moment that she had on the internet trying to find more. Giles had told her that it was too dangerous for her to begin 'fooling' with the occult without the proper supervision. He said that he didn't have the skill to help her and the next day, all the books on witch craft had been removed from the library. She really wanted to learn, but her fear of upsetting Giles meant that she hadn't done anything. She hadn't even dared to go into the Magic Box, the magic store in town.
She was finding everything stressful at the moment. Buffy was becoming intolerable as she constantly went on about Spike and how they belonged together. She was refusing to accept the idea that Spike had loved Angelus before their grandparents had been born. She was adamant that demons couldn't love and that Spike wasn't gay, she didn't listen to Giles when he told her that vampires were creatures driven by lust. That they didn't care who they slept with really, as long as they actually got some. He also emphasised the fact that the actual demon itself had no gender, it was asexual, it was just the shell they inhabited that had the gender. Buffy refused to acknowledge this; she had just stormed out of the library to kill something.
There was a soft tap at her French windows. Knowing that her friends would have called she picked up a stake before going to open the doors. There on her balcony, silhouetted against the moon was Angel. He was wearing leather pants again and that in itself set Willow's heart racing. He had softened the look this time with a black cashmere sweater. He was beautiful.
"Angel? What are you doing here?" She made sure that she stayed within the threshold of her home. He couldn't enter then or get her. As long as she didn't invite him in she was safe. For his part he made no effort to come closer to her.
"I've been thinking… Rosenburg… its Jewish right? When did your family come over from Europe?" His tone was casual but the fact that he had her surname worried her more than if he was brandishing a carving knife and threatening to tattoo his name on her flesh.
"Before the Nazis took over Germany… why? How do you know my name?"
He smiled at her. "I know your name Red Witch, because I knew you were coming. Your family are blood relatives to some old friends of mine, you have their power. Now we need to use it."
Her mind fastened on the fact that he called her a witch and that he had said that she had power. Did he know that she wanted to be a witch? Was he just tempting her with pretty words and shiny baubles? Or was Spike right and Angelus was actually telling the truth?
"Don't worry Malushka, I mean you no harm. I just need for you to write something down for me. Its part of a spell and I need a witch of their blood to complete the circle. Do you think that you can do it?"
He could see the indecision in her eyes. This girl was brimming with untapped power and the watcher had failed to see it. He was also worried. Dru would eventually feel this girl's power and she'd send them all after her. He needed her alive and under no vampiric influence for when the spell kicked in. She was watching him warily. He sat down on the floor and tossed her a stake. His pose was totally open; she would see him move before he could.
"What do you want me to do?" She took a hesitant step towards him and out of the barrier.
"Well, first we need some matches." She looked at him and saw that he was reaching for a black bag. He began to pull candles and magical paraphernalia out of it. As he set them up she went to retrieve some matches and a jumper.
When she returned he was still in the same place. In front of him was a small brass chalice. He motioned for her to sit down opposite him. He took the matches from her hand and lit the candle. Sensing her unease, he looked at her and smiled.
"You'll be fine, I promise. All I need you to do at the moment is clear your mind of everything. Focus only on the candles flame and keep your mind open."
She stared into the candle as Angel began his ritual.
Penn was concerned about his Sire, the older vampire had just returned from hunting and seemed… tired. Angelus was never tired after a hunt; he was always on a high from the blood, more so than any other vampire. What Penn had never worked out was that Angelus' high was nothing to do with humans. He hunted and drained vampires. Naturally, being more potent, a vampire's blood had a greater effect on his Sire.
Angelus actually had a very good reason for breaking one the most sacred elements of Vampire Lore. He refused to hunt humans, he had after all given his word and he had no intention of breaking that promise. But he did need to eat something. Now a vampire can survive on any type of blood, but human blood is the best thing for them because it was once a part of their bodies. Blood is the place in which the 'virus' that was vampirism dwelt. The creation of the first vampire as it was known was actually incorrect. Whilst it is true that one of the last demons to leave this dimension fed on a human, their blood did not mix. Instead, he merely mixed his saliva with that of the man. The demon left the injured man with a bloody and infected wound. Had it not been for other humans the man would have gone on to recover.
The humans at that time were not the moronic cave-dwelling apes that people believed. Naturally, some were, but on the whole they were as smart and cunning as humans today are. The real difference came in the fact that the primal humans were infected with the magic that was abundant in the air, a product of the many open dimensional portals. Humans were used to the magic and wielded it as naturally as they used a knife and fork today. Magic was as prevalent and abundant as oxygen. Yet no matter how much of the magic they gathered and wielded they were unable to close the portals or destroy the demons.
It was the earth's natural inclination to be in this state. It wasn't a paradise nor was it a hell; it was a curious hybrid that fluctuated between the two. So, naturally the world wasn't prepared to relinquish its natural form or function. Worlds are alive, they fight for their survival just as anything that can die does. So the world fought. When they closed a portal, another opened. When a demon race was wiped out, another rose to take its place. The world needed balance. If the scales of good and evil tipped significantly in one direction, the world was doomed. It is odd that Newton was so spot on with his Third Law – to each and every action there is an equal but opposite reaction. This is the basic law of the universe as it is. Magic requires balance; good and evil both have to exist otherwise the universe would destroy itself. For every paradise, there was a hell and somewhere in the middle were worlds that were an amalgamation of the two.
Eventually the humans realised this and so began to change their tactics. Rather than close portals they merely put a band aid over them, dampening the effects of the portal. They did this to both good and evil portals, thus preserving the balance. The demons were a different matter. The injured man provided the answer. They created a hybrid, a creature that reflected the nature of the world. The first vampire was in fact the father of all demons that are indigenous to this plane. They used the salvia and blood as a catalyst and allowed their magic to activate the saliva and create the hybrid. The creature was neither good nor evil, it was a harmony. However, when it went on to create more of its kind they never came out the same. Some were almost totally evil and others almost saintly in their virtue. Vampires were at the evil end of the spectrum.
The magic that was used so long ago still flows in the blood of demons. It was that magic that Angelus actually wanted. The gift that he had been given was powerful. However, it wasn't his gift and therefore had to be supplemented. Angelus himself gained very little from the power of the vampire blood he ingested, all it did was preserve the powers that he had acquired. It fed them and stopped them from feeding on him. For Angelus to survive, vampire or demon blood was vital.
Penn was not the only one to notice the melancholic mood of his Sire. Darla knew her boy well and she was worried that he was up to something. It was about time that she confronted him on it.
"Angelus, my dear, what is wrong. You have been distracted for days. It is most unbecoming and I will not have you embarrass me at court. Not now." The question that had began as softly spoken words ended in a hiss that promised violence.
Angelus hadn't survived a quarter of millennia on just his good looks. Being raised by Darla made him as cunning and quick thinking as any demon he knew. Knowing that the Master was also listening he gave them the most plausible story. He could play the pouting child better than anyone; after all he had learnt it from Darla.
"Nothing is wrong Sire, its just… I am bored. We made a pact not to bring any unwanted attention to ourselves, and not wanting to displease the Order, I have limited my… activities to hunting. I had hoped that this being a Hellmouth, the people would at least have some wiles. I thought that I would be hunting prey that knew the dangers and prepared for them. But I find that these are most pathetic prey there is. Nuns have more fight. At least there, there is the added excitement of a hidden rosary."
Pouting always worked with his Sire. Immediately she had her arms around her dark demon. He was not meant to be caged. He was a hurricane, an act of God. Nothing stood in his path. Yet here he was, denying his natural inclinations for the Order. No parent could be more proud. She turned to her Sire. The look on his face told her that he was thinking the same thing. Not only that but he had to be grateful. He could destroy the Childe easily but the damage that Angelus could do before that would probably destroy all of his plans. He needed to ensure that Angelus remained agreeable. After all, the Master wanted him to eventually replace Luke…
"You have my gratitude Childe. I know that this must seem like torture for you but your efforts have not gone unnoticed. Come to me." Angelus' suspicions immediately flared and he put up his most powerful walls around the thoughts he couldn't afford the Master to see. He approached and the Master looked at him carefully. Then he turned Angelus to face the court.
"Acknowledge the new heir to the Order of Aurelius!" Sharp fangs ripped into the smooth skin and very quickly drained the blood. Then fire hit his throat as ancient powerful blood flowed into his mouth. He was being re-sired. Wasn't that a bitch? The last thought before he passed out from the pain and pleasure of the experience was, 'Well that's not part of the plan… but it'll do…"