Confused, Xander opened his eyes and looked around. The last thing he remembered was waving goodbye to Willow but now he was somewhere else. Had he been knocked out and kidnapped?. His body ached as though he had just been beaten up. Everything was out of focus, but it felt like he was tied down on some hard surface, and there were dark shapes looming over him, mumbling unintelligibly.
Something wet landed on Xander's chest, on his bare skin. For a brief moment the droplets burned him, then the pain vanished.
"And the dark shall have no dominion," someone said.
Xander blinked, and everything came into focus. He was in the library, with Giles dripping water on him while Buffy and Willow watched anxiously. At the sight of their faces he relaxed.
"Um, guys, what's going on?" Xander asked. Buffy must have had a good reason for tying him to the table, but he couldn't guess what it might be.
Willow looked at Giles. "Is it really him?" she asked, sounding close to tears.
Giles dropped a little more water on Xander. When he didn't flinch Giles nodded.
Smiling broadly, Willow dived onto the table and wrapped Xander in a smothering hug, babbling incoherently into his ear.
Xander gently nudged her away. "Why am I tied up?"
Buffy bent down and began untying him. Willow looked at Xander, blushed, and stood up.
"What's the last thing you remember?" Willow asked.
"I waved good bye to you, and then," Xander tried to remember more, "Then I decided to spy on Amy, see if she was doing anything witchy, and then …"
"No! Don't think about it," Giles said sharply.
Despite Giles's warning images flashed through Xander's mind; green fog, chocolate cake, Amy's face, each of them suffused with an aura of terror. Xander shuddered, not wanting to remember any more.
"Why?" Willow asked. "It'll do Xander good to talk."
"No," Giles said. "It's not safe. Remembering what she did to you could put you back under her spell. Remembering doing what she made you do could impair your sanity. Some things are best forgotten."
"But what happened?" Xander persisted, wanting to know why Willow had been so upset.
"Can't we say anything?" Willow added. "Xander can't remember what not to remember without maybe remembering more than is good, which isn't good, so shouldn't we tell him enough for him to be able to know what he mustn't remember without actually remembering it?"
Giles smiled and began polishing his glasses. "A dry recitation of the facts shouldn't hurt, as long as Xander remembers not to remember yesterday."
Giles turned to face Xander. "You must remain emotionally detached from those events. Think of them as if they happened to someone else."
"Yesterday? What day is it?" Xander asked worriedly. He hoped he hadn't lost too long.
"It's ten to nine on Wednesday, the twentieth of March. Amy caught you yesterday," Giles said offhandedly, looking thoughtful.
Buffy stood up. "That's your arms free."
Xander sat up. There was still one rope fastening his legs to the table and a second tying his ankles together, but at least he wasn't stuck staring at the ceiling. Buffy started untying the first rope.
"Amy seized control of your mind," Giles explained.
"She hypnotised me?" Xander echoed. That explained everything.
Giles sighed. "Rather more than that. Normal hypnotism has definite limits. It can not compel people to hurt themselves, or to do wrong. In essence, hypnotism can not touch the soul, can not deprive you of a conscience. At most, it can play tricks with your memory. To do more takes magic. Amy did more, much more. With her dark magics she split your mind and soul, imprisoning your soul inside your heart. That left you without a conscience, but with a void in your mind. Amy filled that void with her desires, warping your mind to suit her purpose. You became her puppet and, unlike hypnotism, it would never have worn off."
"She hypnotised me," Xander repeated. The details weren't important.
Willow shuddered. "It was horrible. You kept laughing and you had this knife, but Giles knew what to do. He did some magic and washed the pentagram away with holy water."
"Well, at least we know who the witch is, for certain," Xander said, trying to sound positive.
"We would have found that out anyway, this afternoon, when we did the test. Six hours, that's all you gained us. Do you think it was worth it?" Cordelia said, sounding annoyed, as she stepped out of Giles's office.
"Well, Amy has inadvertently made it straightforward for us to force her out of her stolen body without needing to acquire her spellbook. Because of the way she touched your soul she …"
Shocked by the sight of Cordelia, Xander stopped listening to Giles. What had happened to her? She had sticking plasters all over her arms, covering long cuts, and her top had been slashed in several places.
"You should be sitting down," Willow said, pulling out a chair for Cordelia.
"You would have done that anyway," Cordelia told Giles.
"I would have needed her spellbook," Giles said.
"Which is probably guarded by dozens of those demon wolves," Willow added, defending Xander.
Xander recovered from his shock enough to speak. "Cordelia, what happened to you? Are you OK? Who hurt you? I'll …"
As Cordelia silently glared at Xander, an awful realisation slowly dawned on him.
"I did," Xander said quietly, answering his own question. He remembered the knife, how he had …
"Xander!" Giles snapped. "Don't think about it."
Xander shuddered. "I don't want to."
"Good," Giles smiled reassuringly. "We have gained from your misjudgement. Never forget that, but remember the price. Spying on Amy by yourself was foolish. You should always consult me before doing any slaying-related activity."
"What were you thinking?" Buffy asked, as she pulled the rope away from his knees. "Anything could have happened. She could have turned you into a frog, or killed you. It's not safe for you to do that kind of thing when I'm not there. Look what happened to Cordelia."
Willow nodded, looking concerned.
Xander smiled weakly. "Me and Willow have an arrangement. She does all our thinking; I do all the heavy lifting," he joked, trying to lighten the mood.
Willow smiled, but Cordelia didn't seem to like the joke.
"What will you do when you haven't got Willow?" she asked, her voice sad, as she walked towards the table.
"Never happen," Xander said. "Are you sure you're OK? Shouldn't you go to the nurse, or something?"
Cordelia smiled. "Trying to get rid of me again? They're only shallow cuts. Giles soon patched them up. It took me longer to get my hair combed. You really messed it up."
Xander didn't know what to say. Either Cordelia was incredibly shallow, which didn't match her recent behaviour, or she was accustomed to being attacked by knife-wielding madmen, but Xander was almost certain he would have noticed if she had regularly come to school covered in plasters. He just didn't understand her.
Buffy stopped untying the rope and looked at Cordelia. "You almost died, and you worry about your hair?"
"Appearances are important," Cordelia said simply. "You don't let slaying spoil your looks, most of the time."
"Yes," Buffy conceded, "but I'm used to it, and none of my friends have ever tried to kill me, not while they were alive."
Cordelia shrugged, looking amused. "You're on the hellmouth now. These things happen. I know some people don't want me here, but I want to help, and if that means I have to put up with stuff like this," Cordelia looked regretfully at her arms, "I will."
Buffy turned and glared meaningfully at Xander.
Cordelia looked directly at Xander. "But this should never have happened."
Xander knew Cordelia was only trying to guilt-trip him, but she was still right. He didn't like Cordelia but killing her was going much too far. She had been hurt, and it was his fault. He had been too eager to impress Buffy. He supposed she deserved some kind of apology, repugnant though the notion was, and Buffy clearly expected one. If Buffy thought he should apologise she must be right.
He swung his legs off the table and stood up, facing Cordelia.
"Cordelia," Xander began hesitantly, then stopped. That sounded too formal. Xander knew he could never like her, but she was on his side. Buffy had been right, he should at least try and be friendly to her. According to Giles and his prophecies, they needed her and, if half what she'd said about herself on Sunday had been true, she needed help. She was trying to be a good person, but she needed his support. He had never let down anyone who needed him, and he wasn't about to start now. However much he disliked her, he had to help her. He just hoped her secrets wouldn't cause a problem.
Xander began to take a tentative step towards Cordelia, then realised his ankles were still tied together. He fell forwards, managing to land on his knees, at her feet. She looked down at him and smiled, clearly amused.
Inwardly, Xander sighed. He couldn't really stand up until someone untied his ankles and he liked the approving way Buffy was smiling.
"Cordy," Xander began, "I never meant to hurt you. It was all my fault. I'm …"
The library doors swung open.
"What!" Harmony gasped. She was standing in the doorway, looking shocked. "What happened to your arms? What's going on? Aura said she saw you sneaking in here yesterday, but I didn't really believe her."
Giles hurriedly closed the library doors.
Harmony smiled, looking pleased with herself. "Well, wait until I tell her about this. You, in the library, with a geek, a psycho, and Xander, topless! It will make her day."
Xander had forgotten about that, worried by more important things, but he really didn't want to argue with Harmony while only half-dressed. It was too embarrassing. He looked frantically round the room and spotted a tattered shirt under the table. It must have been ripped off so Giles could do his magic.
He groaned and tried to stand up but the rope round his ankles tripped him. Buffy caught him and helped him upright.
"And why is Xander tied up?" Harmony demanded.
There had to be an innocent explanation, but Xander couldn't think of one. He looked hopefully at Willow.
"Isn't it obvious?" Cordelia asked scornfully, "We're rehearsing for the annual talent show."
"Already?" Harmony said. "That's not for ages yet."
"Xander needs the practice," Cordelia explained, as if stating the obvious.
"But why Xander, and why all these other wierdos?"
"Mr Giles suggested us," Buffy said nervously. "He thought we looked the part."
"He's only a librarian," Harmony sneered.
Giles smiled. "I was a brilliant actor at university, but books are my vocation."
Harmony looked doubtful.
"I found them some spare clothes. What's she doing here?" Marcie said.
Xander turned to look. Marcie had just stepped into the library, carrying his gym shirt and a long sleeved top for Cordelia.
Harmony turned to see what Cordelia was looking at and shrieked.
"What's up now?" Cordelia asked with fake sympathy.
"Clothes can't fly. I didn't see that," Harmony told herself firmly. "If you're only rehearsing, why are you all cut up?"
"Method acting," Willow answered. "Perhaps you've heard of it."
Cordelia smiled at Willow as Harmony twitched.
"And what weird play is this?" Harmony asked sceptically.
"Boadiccea," Buffy said. "It's one of the classics."
"We're doing the scene after the Romans punished her for defying them," Giles explained. "She's telling her son her plans."
"The 'I am only a woman, but I have the heart of England in my hands' speech," Cordelia said, making Giles wince.
"So cry havoc and let loose the dogs of war, because this is a finer thing we do than ever afore," Xander helpfully added, hoping Harmony wouldn't ask about the rope.
"And all men hiding in my bed will wish they'd fought under me instead," Buffy finished, waving her arms dramatically.
Willow winced.
"Whatever," Harmony said. "I'm sure your act will be really funny. I was looking for you, but obviously you are too busy."
Harmony turned and walked out of the library, muttering under her breath.
Buffy looked at Giles. "Do you think she believed us?"
"This everything?" Buffy asked, five minutes later, putting a camera in her bag.
Giles nodded. "Is everyone ready?"
Xander nodded nervously. He didn't like the plan but it was the only one they had. At least he would have a key role.
"You can't think of anything safer?" Cordelia asked, looking concerned. "She's better at magic than you are."
"She's stronger," Giles admitted. "She stole Xander's soul. Even if she drugged him first, that still shows enormous strength. But this is the largest occult library west of the Mississippi. Raw power is no match for superior wisdom."
He paused. "The witch could decide to attack us at any moment. It's the most sensible thing for her to do now that she knows we're hunting her. We'd be forced to fight on her terms. We haven't got time to create a perfect plan but this will work."
That was the third time Giles had said that, but Cordelia seemed reluctant to believe the witch would act that way. She wanted Buffy to steal Amy's spellbook despite the risks, saying that was the way things should work.
"You can always stay here and polish your nails," Marcie said, scowling at Cordelia. "I'm going to help, whatever the risk."
Cordelia glared at Marcie. "It's easy for you to say that, Miss I'm-so-invisible-magic-can't-see-me, some of us could get hurt doing this."
Xander smiled. Marcie had been hesitantly willing to help even before Giles had told her about that, but the moment Giles had said how hard it was to do magic on invisible people Marcie had become much more eager.
Giles nodded. "Cordelia is right to be cautious. This will be risky but it is our only choice."
Buffy raced into the science lab. "She's right behind me."
Hidden behind the benches, Xander looked at Willow and smiled. Stage one of Giles's plan had worked. Buffy had lured the witch into an ambush. Next Marcie would do her thing, then it would be his turn.
Xander swallowed nervously and peered through a crack at Buffy. She looked so beautiful, a delicate flower half hidden behind the teacher's desk.
"I see you," Amy laughed in the doorway. Xander shuddered at the sight of her, memories racing through his brain, memories of what he had done to Cordelia, memories of what Amy had done with him. He looked down at the floor, trying to calm himself. This wasn't good. He had to be able to look Amy in the eye, or their plan would fail, but he could hardly bear to look in her direction.
Then Xander heard the door close.
"You are trapped," Amy gloated.
Xander shivered. The memories her voice woke were nightmarish but not half so terrifying as the urge he felt to crawl at her feet. She looked perfectly normal, yet there was something about the sound of her voice, the sight of her pretty face, that made him want to purr.
He shook his head, and tried to gather his thoughts. Giles had warned him that the spell would have some lingering side effects, but he hadn't expected them to be so strong. he hurriedly put his hands over his ears. He was sure he would be able to resist Amy's magnetism, with the help of his friends, but he didn't need to start that fight yet.
Willow rubbed his shoulder reassuringly, looking nervous.
"Muscle is useless against magic," Amy said confidently, her sweet voice muffled by Xander's hands, "and Giles is still in the library."
Xander smiled. They'd let Amy see them all in the library, then sneaked out through the stacks while Buffy lured Amy here, an empty classroom where she would never expect to be ambushed.
"Hermes Trismegistus, this room I ask you to seal. Let nothing escape, however small, not even a squeal," Amy chanted, then casually said, "Now you have only two choices. You can become my slave, like Xander is, or you can die."
"Tough choice," Buffy sarcastically replied. "I pick number three. You lose."
"You dare!" Amy screamed, then Xander heard a body hit the ground. What was happening? Was Buffy OK? He had to know what was happening, but he didn't want to forget which side he was on. Xander hesitated, then looked up nervously. Buffy was fighting for him; the least he could do was watch. He just had to remember not to look too closely at Amy.
Buffy was wrestling Amy, while Marcie scurried round their feet. Amy was trying to push Buffy away, but Buffy had a firm grip on Amy's left arm and every time Amy began a spell, Buffy punched her, just like Giles had told her to. As long as she didn't get a chance to complete any spells Amy was mostly harmless, or so Giles had said.
Amy wrenched her right arm free and pointed at the teacher's chair. Before Buffy could react, the chair sprang off the floor and hurled towards Buffy, hitting her on back of her head. Xander gulped. That wasn't part of the plan.
Before Buffy could recover from the surprise impact, Amy pulled completely free and, with a wave of her hand, hurled Buffy against the door. Buffy looked dazed, but struggled to her feet.
Amy began to chant, her voice musical.
Marcie drew the final chalk line near Amy's feet.
Amy stopped her spell and cursed as the chalk diagram Marcie had drawn began to glow a bright blue.
"It worked," Marcie squealed excitedly.
"Of course," Giles said as he stood up, closely followed by Willow and Cordelia. "The seal of Solomon is an age-hallowed symbol of great power. It doesn't need magical talent to make it work."
Xander decided to stay hidden. He wasn't scared, Buffy wouldn't let Amy hurt him, but Amy didn't seem to know her spell had been broken. Surprising her might make things easier, and it would give him more time to prepare himself for the confrontation.
Amy smiled, showing her perfect teeth. "Nice trick, getting the invisible girl to do your dirty work, but you forgot one thing. This seal only confines hostile magic and some demons. I can just step out of - Aargh!"
Xander smiled. The moment Amy had tried to step out of the diagram a wall of blue flame had appeared in front of her, singeing her foot.
Amy hopped backwards, holding her injured foot, and glared indignantly at Giles.
"I'm human!" Amy screamed. "This shouldn't work. You're cheating."
Giles looked surprised. "You didn't know?" he said scornfully. "You removed Xander's soul, made him into your puppet, and you didn't expect consequences? You broke every ethic of magic ever written, laws older than the slayer, and you thought you wouldn't have to pay? Body-theft is bad enough, but at least Amy still has her free will. What you did to Xander was worse, an offence against all that is holy. By that act you defiled your own soul. You are unclean, vulnerable to the seal of Solomon, and other measures."
Amy looked shocked, but quickly recovered her composure. "OK, watcher, so I'm just a self-taught small town girl, not some know-it-all with a really big magic library, but there is one, um, no," Amy paused and counted on her fingers. "Three things I'm certain of; you won't kill this body, you can't reverse the spell without reading my spellbook, and you can't leave this room unless I undo my Hermetic seal. Then Amy smiled. "Either we spend the next few days starving to death, or you let me go and I'll promise not to kill you. Deal?"
Giles shook his head. "No. You're right on every point, but we planned for this."
That was news to Xander. Giles had explained how they were going to get Amy her body back, but he hadn't said anything about being magically locked in the room afterwards.
"We don't have to reverse your spell," Giles explained. "We can just exorcise your unclean soul."
"Never," Amy replied sharply. "You're no witch. You may know more, but exorcism is a battle of wills. You don't have the strength to face me, mind to mind."
"True," Giles conceded. "But I know a man who can, Xander."
"He is mine," Amy scoffed. "And he'll -"
Xander swallowed nervously and stood up, interrupting Amy.
"No," Xander said firmly, careful not to look directly at Amy.
Leaning nonchalantly against the door, Buffy smiled encouragingly at Xander. Willow looked tense, but Cordelia looked relaxed and slightly bored, as if she'd been confronting witches, and worse, every week for a year.
Giles walked behind the teacher's desk and began pulling things out of his bag. He tossed the camera to Buffy, then lit the red candle and passed it to Xander.
"We easily broke your spell," Giles said.
Xander smiled slightly as Amy shuffled her dainty feet. Giles had said he would try to keep Amy unbalanced with shock revelations, to weaken her resistance. It seemed to be working.
"But you still owe Xander an enormous karmic debt," Giles continued. "That gives him the authority to command you, once. Your greater strength will be useless in the face of his moral authority."
Giles passed Xander a notepad and quietly said. "Just read the words, then blow out the candle. Remember, for this all you need are pure intentions. The words are just to give your will focus, so put your heart into it. You are her judge, passing sentence. Look at her, resist her allure, and sound confident. We're here to back you up. You can do it. Um, are you ready?"
Xander stepped forwards and stared confidently at Amy's left ear. It was pretty, but not as cute as her nose, so it wouldn't distract him from his speech. Amy tried to turn and face him, but Xander kept moving, avoiding her gaze.
Xander began reading. "You are an abomination in the eyes of the holy; an offence to all that men hold sacred. You have defiled me, heart, mind, and soul, but I offer forgiveness."
Xander hesitated. Did Giles really mean that? Some things could never be forgiven.
Amy hurried to fill the silence. "See. Giles is weak. He is bound to lose. Forget about him and remember last night. Imagine what fun it will be when Buffy is mine too."
Xander shook himself free of Amy's beguiling tones, horrified by the thought of Buffy subject to Amy's whims.
"Surrender your stolen flesh of your own free will," he read, "and be forgiven, or stay and suffer justice. Which shall it be?"
Amy laughed. "I'm not going anywhere. You need me. I've seen the new future, and I have a plan."
"And we should trust you why?" Cordelia interrupted scornfully. "Hurry up, Xander. Don't let her get to you."
Feeling grateful for Cordelia's support, Xander looked back at the notepad, trying to find his place. "You owe me a debt beyond all price, restitution for the damage done. By that debt I command you. Let justice be done. Go now, or be forever cursed. Anata, um anna-"
Xander stumbled over the unfamiliar words.
Amy began to croon, her voice lyrical. "You are the leaf. I am the tree."
"There is no magic in her words now, only memories," Giles said firmly. "Ignore her."
"Anathema you shall be," Xander read. "Go now or no roof shall shelter you, no hand feed you, no man know you. Your name shall be forgotten; your deeds stricken from the memory of man. On rotten meat and foul water you shall dine, and the light of day shall be denied you."
Amy abruptly jerked her head round, catching Xander's gaze.
"You are the pebble. I am the mountain," Amy sang, her voice as beautiful as the sunset.
Amy licked her lips with a suggestive leer, and Xander's mouth went dry. She was so attractive. Did they really have to hurt her?
"Xander," Willow interrupted, looking worried.
Xander glanced at Willow and frowned. He'd let Amy get to him again. He had to resist, but it was so hard.
Xander began reading again, hoping the words would start to work soon. "Go now, or the gates of magic shall be closed to you, and the tools of men serve you not. The comb in your hair, the fork in your hand, the road beneath your feet; all the works of human hand shall spurn your touch. Naked you shall wander the world, like a loathsome beast, and in the wild places you shall sleep, forever alone."
Xander couldn't help but wonder who wrote these curses; probably lonely old men who spent all their time inside dry books. If someone as beautiful as Amy was cursed like that, she would never be alone. Amy had done wrong, but could he really put her through that?
"You are a raindrop," Amy began.
"But you are a grain of salt," Willow sang, interrupting Amy. "Um, did that work?"
"Ego much?" Cordelia added. "I wouldn't compare myself to a mountain if I had your hips."
Amy whirled to face Cordelia.
While the two girls bickered, Xander quickly thought. He was reading from a list of traditional curses, all of which the witch would suffer if she didn't hurry up and get out of her daughter's body. There were dozens of paragraphs left, with the nastiest curses at the end, but so far the witch didn't seem worried. Xander could skip ahead, but Giles had said the worst curses should be saved for a last resort, or there would be side effects.
The thing was, he had to put his heart into the curses, but they just weren't his style. He had to find better words. Xander summoned all his fury at what the witch had done to him and, his voice contemptuous, named her worst fear.
"Catherine Madison," he said. "You will never cheerlead again. Go to hell, witch."
The witch span back to face Xander, looking terrified.
Xander blew out the candle.
The witch threw her head back and screamed.
Green mist oozed out of her eyes and mouth.
Amy fell to the floor, unconscious. Her left hand shimmered and vanished.
The green mist floated up towards the ceiling, bobbed around uncertainly, then hurtled back towards Amy.
"Say cheese," Buffy raised the camera, pointed it at the mist, and clicked.
An inch from Amy's head, the mist stopped, struggled briefly, and was sucked into the camera.
"So cameras really can steal your soul," Willow said, looking interested.
"Only naked souls," Giles corrected. "Most souls are wrapped in flesh, or other protections."
Giles bent down and quickly drew a large chalk circle round Amy, mumbling under his breath.
Cordelia clapped Xander on the shoulder. "That was brave, but couldn't you have been faster?"
Xander smiled. "It's your turn now Cordy. Think you'll manage?"
Cordelia smiled back. "Of course," she said, a slight tremor in her voice. "Ready, Willow?"
Giles took some herbs out of his bag and began mixing them in a beaker.
Buffy put the camera down and turned the door handle. It immediately began to glow bright red. She quickly pulled her hand away, and blew on her fingers. "Um, Giles, how will we get out of here with this seal thing?"
Giles looked up. "Oh, that's not a problem. If the caster leaves the room the seal is broken, so all we have to do is throw the camera through the window. First though, we have to get Amy's soul back in her body, before something else claims it."
Cordelia pulled a rope out of Giles's bag while Willow looked at a compass. They quickly took up their positions, standing opposite each other on the north side of the circle, with the rope held taut between them.
Giles checked Amy's birthdate, written on a scrap of paper, then added a final pinch of herbs to his potion and put it over a lit Bunsen burner. The potion glowed a dull orange and gave off a pleasant smell; halfway between bacon and newly mown grass.
"Are you both ready?" Giles asked.
Both girls nodded. Willow looked nervous, but also eager.
"Remember," Giles said, "don't let anything in the circle until you are sure it's the real Amy. I'd rather not do another exorcism so soon."
Giles began chanting, summoning Amy's soul. His tone was commanding, but Xander couldn't understand a word.
The air at the north of the circle began to glow. At first it was just a blur, but then a multitude of faces snapped into focus, most of them seemingly human. One of them even looked like Cordelia. The faces moved forward, towards the circle, but Willow and Cordelia barred their way, keeping them out.
"What!" Buffy exclaimed.
Xander turned around. Buffy was looking at the camera that held the witch's soul, a camera that was melting. As Xander watched, the camera seeped through Buffy's hands. Xander looked hopefully at Giles, but he just stared amazed at the camera as it oozed through the floor, then shrugged helplessly without ever interrupting his chanting.
Willow and Cordelia looked at each other, then nodded and lifted the rope. A single spirit entered the circle.
Amy's eyes opened. "What? Where am I? That's my real voice!"
Amy sat upright and looked down at her hand. "I'm back in my real body!"
Giles smiled briefly then spoke, his voice sombre. "We still have a significant problem."
Marcie looked annoyed. "But you said the camera would hold her. You drew runes on it, and everything."
"Not runes; cuneiform, an Akkadian prayer but it should have worked. The hellmouth must have given her the strength to escape. She will be heading for her original body, and when she reaches it she will come for us."
"But what if her body is already possessed?" Willow asked. "You said we would need to exorcise it too."
"It is her rightful body," Giles said, "and she is a witch. Nothing can keep her out of that body, not even death. We can pray she decides to hide, but if she doesn't she could be here in fifteen minutes, faster if she is reckless with her magic."
"Um, Amy. What happened to your hand?" Cordelia said, looking puzzled. "That definitely isn't right."
"My mother cut it off," Amy said bitterly, "just because she had some nightmares. She went and swapped it for these horrible giant green wolves."
Cordelia looked understandably upset, and slightly guilty. Why? Cordelia had never been nasty enough to give a witch nightmares.
"But we could see two hands," Cordelia said slowly, her voice thoughtful. "Was she using some sort of illusion?"
Amy nodded. "But why does-"
Cordelia interrupted. "Then you could do the same thing. It might take a few days to learn the trick, but people would soon forget you had ever had only one hand, right, Giles?" Cordelia smiled, clearly pleased with her idea, then frowned.
Giles nodded. "People are good at denial, but that doesn't matter right now. There's a powerful witch out there," Giles gestured at the window, "who could be heading for us right now, and we are completely defenceless."
"Way to inspire the troops," Xander said sarcastically. Couldn't Giles be more positive?
"Marcie's safe though," Willow said, looking nervous. "Can't you just, um, reverse the polarity of that spell we did, and make us all invisible."
Giles shook his head. "This is magic, not engineering. Invisibility would take weeks of research to achieve, if it's even possible."
"Marcie?" Amy said. "That's the invisible girl, right? Is she here?" Amy started looking round the room.
"Didn't you hear her?" Buffy asked.
Giles sighed. "I explained that. Can we focus on the witch?"
Willow glanced at the window, then gasped. "I think she's being reckless."
Xander quickly looked outside. A small cloud of green fog had appeared, no more than twenty feet away. It started to glow, filling the classroom with a sickly green light. There were sparks crackling across its surface and it seemed to be growing.
"Amazing!" Giles said. "I think she's teleporting, very foolish. One slip and she'll be jam."
A flurry of small lightning bolts erupted out of the cloud, going in all directions. One shattered the windows and set the teacher's desk on fire.
Six demon wolves jumped out of the cloud. Three of them sailed straight through the window, one carrying the witch on its back.
The others missed, hitting the outside wall with loud thumps.
"Do you want to know how much exorcism hurts?" the witch asked calmly, then giggled. "When my lovely little pets eat you alive, then you will suffer only the smallest fraction of my —"
Buffy jumped onto a desk, then leaped towards the witch, interrupting her speech and knocking her off her wolf.
Cordelia yanked Xander into the closet where Dr Gregory kept the lab coats, then tried to close the door.
"You can't do anything out there," she said, her mouth near Xander's ear. "All we can do is hide while Buffy fights. She's bound to win."
Xander didn't like the idea of hiding, and the closet was a poor choice anyway. It was too small. Cordelia hadn't been able to close the door completely, and he was uncomfortably aware of how closely she was pressed up against him. It was a nice feeling, not like anything he'd ever done before, but being so close to Cordelia just felt wrong, even if she didn't seem to mind.
Xander peered out of the closet, trying to ignore Cordelia. Amy and Willow were crouched in a corner behind Giles, who was building a barricade out of the desks. Marcie was in the middle of the room, dodging the wolves and the witch, who was staggering around with Buffy on her back. Buffy had one hand over the witch's mouth, stopping her from doing any magic, and kept punching her with the other hand, but the witch was managing to stay upright. She had to be using magic; there was no way a normal human could take that kind of punishment. The green sparks crackling over her skin were a big clue too.
One of the wolves tried to paw open the closet door but Xander stamped hard on its foot. It pulled back and growled.
Another of the wolves sank its teeth into Buffy's leg, pulled her off the witch's back, and hurled her against the wall.
"Why doesn't anyone come in?" Xander asked. "Surely they can hear the fighting."
"They don't want to," Cordelia said impatiently. "They're in denial, not idiots. Nobody will show up until the fighting's over."
As a wolf pinned Buffy against the wall, the witch began chanting.
Buffy plunged both hands inside the wolf, her arms sinking deep into the fog, and twisted, breaking its neck.
As the skull dropped to the ground Buffy caught it and hurled it at the witch, interrupting her spell.
Large gashes appeared in the closet door as a wolf clawed at it.
"Great hiding place you picked," Xander said, wondering what he could do now.
The wolf yelped as a bottle broke on its nose.
Xander leaned out of the closet, trying to see who had thrown the bottle.
Cordelia pulled him back in. "Don't," she snapped, sounding worried, then asked, "What's going on?"
"Marcie's throwing the chemical supplies at it," Xander explained.
The wolf wandered off, looking for the bottle-thrower.
The witch pointed at Buffy and, with a look of intense effort, levitated her. Smiling triumphantly, the witch flicked her finger, hurling Buffy out of the window.
"No!" Xander gasped.
"Don't worry," Cordelia said confidently. "She's the slayer. She can walk away from a fall like that."
"Giles," the witch said as she turned to face him. "You dared used magic against me, the most powerful witch in town. You never had a chance."
The witch began ripping apart Giles's barricade with her levitation trick.
Amy looked at her mother pleadingly. "Do you have to kill us now? You want sacrifices. Why not use us?"
"Playing for time?" the witch said with a smile, then paused. Looking thoughtful the witch continued, "I could give you ten years to escape, and you still wouldn't stand a chance. I'll do it your way."
Xander smiled, confident that while the witch was gloating Buffy would burst in and kill her.
Her voice trembling, Marcie asked, "There's no chance you'll cure me, is there?"
The witch glanced around the room. "Marcie? You still here? You drew the seal that trapped me. I would never cure you. Never."
Marcie looked terrified, but then she smiled and said, "But you can't magic what you can't see."
Marcie began circling the witch, spiralling in on her.
"Doesn't matter," the witch said. "I can see chalk. The moment it moves …"
The witch pointed at the smouldering remnants of the teacher's desk and made a squeezing gesture. The desk crumpled, collapsing into a pile of ash and splinters.
Marcie ducked under one of the remaining demon wolves and picked up a shard of glass.
"No," Giles shouted. "Run."
"No," Marcie said firmly as she moved behind the witch. "I want to be cured and I won't let a cheerleader stop me, even if I have to kill her."
"Lords of the mist, upon you I now call. Let those who threaten me die, one and all," the witch chanted, then held her left hand out, palm upward. A pillar of green mist erupted from that hand, forming a cloud near the ceiling.
Marcie paused, looking as surprised as Xander felt.
Beams of green light stabbed silently down from the green cloud, blindly searching for Marcie.
Marcie winced as a near miss made the floor smoulder, then smiled grimly and leaped forwards. She wrapped one arm around the witch's neck, yanking her backwards, then slashed at her face with the glass shard, drawing blood.
"No!" the witch screamed, looking terrified, then the light engulfed them both.
Marcie evaporated, before she could even blink. The witch screamed and fell backwards as flames engulfed her.
Xander looked away. The witch deserved to die, but not like that.
The two demon wolves looked at each other, then jumped back out of the window.
"It's over," Giles said softly.
It should have been a time for cheering but Xander couldn't, not when he had just seen Marcie die.
Amy walked over to her mother's corpse, looking sad. "I'll miss her; not the diets or the arguments, or the magic, her. She cared for me, in a really sick twisted way." Amy hesitated. "Are you sure she's completely dead, Mr Giles? I don't want her ghost nagging me."
Giles smiled. "Quite sure. That's why witches were burned at the stake. It stops them coming back."
"Um, Giles," Willow said tentatively. "How are going to explain this?"
Xander looked round the room noting the damage; the broken windows; the jumbled piles of desks, the smouldering patches in the floor, and the unrecognisable corpse. It would take some explaining.
"Simple," Cordelia said, smiling.
"So you said Marcie broke into the science lab to smoke, and accidentally blew herself up?" Buffy asked, looking sceptical. "Didn't they wonder who she was?"
Xander looked at Buffy and smiled, still glad she hadn't been seriously hurt. She had fractured both ankles in the fall, but they had healed within a day.
"Death breaks most curses," Giles explained. "They remembered her, with a little prompting."
"At least she got what she wanted," Cordelia added, "but she shouldn't have died. If only I'd waited, um, wasted more time, not found her so fast, she would still be alive."
"Don't blame yourself," Buffy said hurriedly. "It wasn't your fault."
Xander nodded. "You didn't do anything wrong."
"We couldn't win without Marcie," Willow said reassuringly, making Cordelia smile. "Everything worked out very neatly, but not because you planned it that way. Nobody could have planned what happened, not unless they knew the future, which no one does, now all the old prophecies are destroyed, so you couldn't and didn't; not that you would even if you could."
"You really should drink less coffee," Buffy said, smiling, while Giles looked thoughtful.
"Don't worry, Cordy," Xander said smiling. "Next time we'll do better."
After all, they couldn't do much worse. They'd almost died. Still, with practice they'd get better, and it looked like they'd be getting plenty of practice. Soon Xander would be killing monsters in his sleep, and dating Buffy. Then his life would be almost perfect.