Author's Notes: I just want to say right now I'm really excited in where this fic is going...my muse continues to surprise me and I promise you guys, that through all the drama, the angst and everything in between, it'll be worth it in the end *fingers crossed*
Chapter Three
The roof had always been her escape, another world when all she needed was to be alone to clear her head of the hundreds of thoughts that plagued her. Consumed her. The voices faded when she was up there, faded just to a faint whisper, but it was better than hearing them screaming at her every single second.
The sun had yet to rise, but she could almost feel it like she used to be able to. It was coming, the start of a new day, but already the days were blurred together for her and it didn't matter if she slept or not. Everything felt heavier than normal and the burden she'd always had lying on her shoulders was still very much there. It didn't matter if she was a slayer or not, whether she had that power cursing through her veins, she still thought like a slayer and she still wanted to go out there and fight, like a slayer.
Faith knew that she had to stay calm, keep her inner cool and not lose herself completely to the weak and helplessness that filled her. She couldn't lose herself, she had done that once before and even now she didn't want to think of the consequences that had followed. That was in the past, a part of her life she kept away, but had learned from and grown into a better person because she had accepted her mistakes and moved on.
"You can surely run, but you will never be able to hide."
She heard his voice over the others in her head over and over again, that line specifically. He had threatened her. Challenged her. He wanted her to run, but why? Just so he could hunt her down and kill her? It was all just a sick game to him, but Faith knew that whether she went on the run or stayed, he would find her and put an end to her life, snuffing her out like she was nothing more than just flame on the wick of a candle.
It had only been an entire day since she'd been stripped of her slayer essence, but to her it felt like it had been longer. In the days leading up to that moment, she hadn't been feeling like herself. Headaches came and went, the body aches and pains that were always there, getting worse as the days had progressed. Faith hadn't thought much about any of it while it had been happening, she just blamed it on lack of sleep and the entire lack of activity when she was out on patrol. But now that she looked back on it, it all just lead up to the other night and the unfortunate incident between her and that vampire she should've been able to fight with ease.
"Hey," Angel said from where he lingered in the doorway. "Thought I'd find you up here."
"Sun is about to come up and-"
"I know," he cut her off. "I was just worried about you."
"I needed to be alone for a little while."
Angel nodded, understanding more than what she had just said. They were a lot alike, they'd both found that out in those weeks after Giles' death, those weeks where he had been on the brink of losing his sanity, those weeks that she was there for him when nobody else was. The time they'd spent together in London, fighting the good fight there, it had given them time to bond and that bond ran deep and it hadn't been severed in the year that had passed between them.
Faith loved Angel like a brother, a father, a friend. That was what he was to her and she knew that he loved her too. And now she was questioning whether she had made the right choice in leaving London to come to Cleveland. Would any of this had happened if she had stayed in London with Angel? She knew she couldn't think that. This would've happened to her no matter where she had chosen to call home. Nothing would've stopped Azri'el from finding her, from stripping her of her slayer essence just as he had been doing to all the others all around the world.
"Did you talk to her yet?" Faith asked him, knowing that he had been trying to get in touch with Buffy earlier. Angel nodded his head slowly. "What'd she say?"
"Not too much. She listened mostly."
"And she's okay?"
"For now."
Faith nodded and followed Angel inside. They walked the flight down to the top floor and headed for the elevator. She hadn't thought too much about Buffy, about whether she'd been stripped of her slayer essence as well. She knew she hadn't been though, from the visions that Azri'el had shown her. She had been the one who told Angel that calling her was a bad idea, but Willow had stepped in, telling her that despite that Buffy was off doing her own thing, living her own life in San Francisco, she still needed to know what was happening to the slayers around the world.
It was then that Faith had escaped to the roof and she had tried hard not to let those thoughts invade her mind along with all the rest of them. The last time she had seen Buffy was at the reading of Giles' will and then afterwards when they were in Giles' apartment and she had given the book to her that he had left her-the only thing that he had left her. They exchanged a few words and the bitterness that Buffy felt was clear as day to Faith. And she was pissed, she didn't even have to say it, but she was pissed that Faith got everything and all she got was a stupid book.
Shaking those unwelcome memories from her mind, Faith led the way back into the apartment and found Willow sitting on the couch, a dozen books open on the coffee table in front of her, her laptop sitting on the couch beside her and a cup of her herbal tea in her hands. She hadn't slept all night, none of them had and she looked every bit as exhausted as she probably felt.
It took some convincing from Angel to get Faith to give up on staying awake and head to bed. She trudged to her bedroom and peeled off her clothes. She was still sore from that fight with that vampire and her neck had bruises where Azri'el had grabbed her. She barely managed to make it to her bed before she collapsed, succumbing to the pull of sleep before her head even hit the pillow.
Faith slept most of the day and by now her entire sleeping pattern had been completely thrown off. For two days she's slept throughout the day and was awake all night-like she was some kind of a vampire. She grabbed her robe off the back of her door, slipping it on before she walked out and headed straight for the bathroom to shower. She ignored Angel and Willow's greetings, not in any mood just yet to deal with them, or anyone for that matter.
The water was hot which meant it was perfect for her. She let the bathroom steam up before she stepped under the hot spray of water. It made her skin red almost instantly, but it relaxed her. After standing under the hot water for a minute or two, she turned the tap on the cold water and made the temperature milder. It was the same ritual she'd been doing since after she escaped from prison to help Angel. She never thought about it, thought about why she put herself through the torture of such hot water, even if just for a minute.
After a long shower, she headed back to her room and got dressed, taking her time and drowning out the sound of Willow and Angel's voice in the living room by cranking the radio right up. It didn't take Willow very long to come into her room and shut the radio off abruptly, her resolve face firmly in place when Faith spun around to face her.
"What?" Faith muttered and she pulled on her favorite pair of boots.
"Is that really necessary?"
"What?"
"Your attitude, Faith."
Faith rolled her eyes and walked past Willow out of her bedroom. Angel was sitting at the kitchen table, sipping his dinner from an old mug. He nodded at her as she went straight for the fridge and pulled out the jug of orange juice. Skipping the glass, she drank straight from the jug and stopped when Willow walked in, her resolve face still firmly in place. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she put the jug back in the fridge and crossed her arms over her chest.
"What's the what? You guys find anything out while I was sawing logs or are we still where we were before Angel made me go to bed like I'm five fucking years old?"
"Cranky this evening, Faith?" Angel asked, his voice dripping with mild amusement.
"I don't think cranky begins to describe it," Willow said softly. "Faith, are you okay?"
"Jesus, all anyone has been doing for the last couple of days is asking me if I'm okay? Are you okay, Faith? Are you fine, Faith? How are you feeling, Faith?" Faith yelled, her frustration already having been tipped over the boiling point. "I'm god damn pissed off is what I'm feeling, if it ain't fucking obvious!"
"Faith-"
"Leave me alone, Wil!" She snapped, pushing Willow away from her when she tried to reach out for her.
She took a few deep breaths, trying to shake the anger bubbling inside of her. Willow and Angel didn't deserve having her go off on them like that. Didn't matter what she was feeling or the fact that all the frustration and anger was beginning to surface. They didn't deserve that.
Without saying a word, Faith grabbed her keys and stormed out of the apartment. The building had a work-out room in the basement and she spent a lot of time down there since she had moved in. It was one of the reasons she had chosen the building, the convenience of having a space to work out, train without having to find a gym and pay membership fees.
As usual, the room was empty and she grabbed the tape and gloves out of her locker. She meticulously wrapped her hands with the tape and slipped the gloves on before moving to the heavy bag-the only one in the small room. She tapped the bag a few times, lightly. It barely budged. She threw a few hits at it, feeling the impact in her hands and arms. She found a rhythm after a couple of minutes and released her anger and frustration out on the bag, quickly working up a sweat as she focused her energy on the timing of her hits.
In the six months since Willow had moved in with her, Willow had become one of those people who knew her probably better than she knew herself, just like Angel did. At the end of the day, Willow had become more than just her roommate, she'd become one of her best friends and for her to have blown up at her like that, at both of them, it was uncalled for and she felt guilty. She'd have to apologize once she cooled down, got her anger in check, and she'd have to make it up to Willow somehow, maybe go with her to that club she had been begging Faith to go with her to for the last couple of months.
"Hey," Angel said as he walked into the room. Faith cast a quick glance over at him before turning back to the bag. "I can see why you picked this place."
"Works for me. Might not be much, but the place is usually empty."
"How's it feel?" Angel asked and she stopped throwing punches at the bag. "Hitting it without-"
"I feel it more," she replied, knowing what he was asking her. "First couple of hits were kind of painful, jarring. Used to it now."
Faith pulled off the gloves but kept the tape on and she sat down on the wooden bench by the row of lockers. Angel walked around the room, checking out some of the equipment before he sat down next to Faith.
"I'm sorry," she mumbled under her breath.
"For what?"
"Blowing up like that."
"Faith, neither of us can understand what you're feeling right now. It's only natural that your frustration would reach the tipping point eventually."
"How long you sticking around for?"
"For however long I need to be."
Faith sighed heavily. She knew that Angel hadn't just come there to check in on her, he was there to protect her, fight for her because she couldn't protect herself. She could feel that anger bubbling up again, but she didn't let it throttle her the way it normally did. This was Angel and she knew if he was planning to stay there to protect her, that it meant she had a better chance at surviving if anything attacked her.
"You know I'm only here because I'm worried about you."
"Why, cos I'm all weak and helpless now?" Faith replied with a roll of her eyes. "I know you are, Angel. Appreciate you flying over here to protect my fine, sexy ass."
"I told you before you left that I'll always be there for you when you need me, even if it's not you calling for help," he smiled at her and she bumped her shoulder into his. "Are you going to stay down here for a while?"
"Yeah, still got some frustration to work out."
Angel nodded and left her down there alone. She pulled the gloves back on and headed back to the bag, quickly picking up the rhythm she had down before Angel had came in. But she felt different, better, the anger gone almost completely and the frustration flowing out of her easily now that she had that little talk with Angel. He was always good at that, bringing her back down the way he did. It made her remember those times he came to visit her in prison, especially in those first few months and the talks that they had that helped her get her shit together, so to speak. Sometimes he didn't even need to say anything, just being there was enough.
Faith was glad he was back, indefinitely at that. At least she could feel a little safer with him there in case things got worse. Angel was the only one any of them had that would give them a chance to survive any kind of an attack, that is if he didn't get himself dusted in the process, but Faith couldn't think of things like that.
Finishing up her work-out, she headed back up to the apartment and went straight for the fridge to grab a cold bottle of water. Willow wasn't there, but Angel was and he was going through some old texts at the desk. Faith picked up a few pieces of paper with Willow's handwriting on them, but she could barely read the rushed scrawl Willow wrote in when she was in a hurry to get things written down.
"Hey, where'd Wil go?" Faith asked Angel as she leaned against the edge of the desk.
"To pick up a few things from Wood's place. She should be back soon."
"You let her go alone?"
"I insisted to let her escort me, but she told me she was a big girl and that she could handle herself," Angel replied and he peered up at her over the rim of his unnecessary reading glasses. "I have to say, your influence has really rubbed off on her."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"She was always strong, always fearless in a way, but her confidence has risen. I didn't think I'd see her get that back after she lost her own power."
"Right," Faith nodded and then it hit her. She was being such an ass to Willow for absolutely no reason. If anyone other than a slayer would understand what it was like to suddenly feel powerless, it was Willow. "Man, I'm such an asshole."
"Just figured it out?"
"Shut up, Angel," Faith replied, chuckling softly. "A lot has happened in the past couple of days and I-I didn't even think about that."
Angel reached out and patted her on the arm. "She'll forgive you, you know that. She's been working tirelessly trying to find some answers, trying to find solutions."
"Still coming up with nada?"
"Unfortunately. Like the First, it wasn't easy to come by any kind of information and it's proving to be the same when it comes to Azri'el."
"You know," Faith sighed and she took a healthy sip of her water. "He told me I can run, but that I could never hide. What's your take on that, Angel?"
Angel scratched his head and removed his reading glasses slowly. "I think you should stay put for the time being, Faith. We don't know what it is we're up against and if you go on the run, things could get very bad very quickly."
"The funny thing?"
"There's a funny thing?"
"Before any of this happened, we thought we were finally winning the good fight," Faith laughed bitterly. "Guess we started counting our chickens before they hatched."
"You're wrong," Angel said as he rose to his feet. "You were winning, you still are. The numbers are low, lower than it's ever been in almost three thousand years, Faith. In the last year alone-"
"But it doesn't matter now, does it? Slayers are being ripped of their essence everywhere and that gives them the advantage, the freedom to recreate their kind again. With no slayers to fight them, to kill them, who is going to keep things under control? Huh? You?"
Angel stayed silent and it enraged Faith. She'd just gotten her anger under control and now it was back with a vengeance. Faith shook her head and laughed bitterly as she headed out to the small balcony just off the kitchen. She gripped the railing hard until her knuckles went white and she stared out at the city around her.
The main thought on her mind was wondering just who was going to slay the vampires if they started showing up in the dozens and more. She knew she could still fight, but she'd be putting her life at risk if she happened upon more than one vampire, especially one that is much stronger and quicker than her. She knew a lot of the girls out there could still fight, slayer or not. She'd seen it before in the potentials back in Sunnydale, and although they lacked the strength and agility a slayer naturally had, they were good fighters.
Faith knew she had to figure out a game plan for the time being. None of them were safe, sitting around the way they were. It wasn't even safe for her or any of them to be out there walking in the streets at all hours of the day. Azri'el was a demon, not a vampire, and it meant he could walk through the day and the night without a damn care in the world. And as was proven to her, he could change his appearance and for all she knew, this demon could look like anyone it wanted to and it could've already changed into looking like someone else.
Faith looked back inside the apartment and watched as Angel paced around in the kitchen while he warmed up a mug of pigs blood. The thought that Azri'el could've changed into someone she trusted and knew and loved was a possibility, but had he taken on Angel's appearance, passing himself off as him just to get in her home and get under her skin?
"That's ridiculous," she laughed to herself. She would've known long before now if it really wasn't Angel inside her apartment. Slayer or not, there was just a way to Angel, a way to him that she could sense deep down. The way he spoke to her, even the subtle little ways he'd just stare at her that were unique to him and no demon, not even Azri'el could ever be able to pull off such a flawless performance like that.
Faith stayed out there for close to an hour until Willow returned home. Faith and Angel made several trips with her down to her car to bring up boxes full of books that she had retrieved from the library in Wood's house. For Faith, it seemed like she had brought every last book he owned, most of which had once belonged to Giles. By the third trip, Faith was completely exhausted and she collapsed on the couch while Angel went down for the last box.
"Wouldn't it have been easier if you just borrowed a few at a time, Wil?" Faith asked, panting a little as she tried to catch her breath.
"Uh that's the thing," Willow replied and she moved a box off the couch beside Faith and sat down. "Robin thought the girls needed to go somewhere safe for a little while. They packed up most of the house earlier today and left the books for me out in the garage. He's selling the house, convinced that staying in Cleveland even after this is over isn't safe for any of them."
"Where's he taking them? To the lake house?" Faith asked, too tired to argue that she should've known this was happening long before now.
"Yeah, to the lake house."
"You think that's wise?"
"Azri'el didn't threaten them, Faith, he threatened you. Robin is just taking an extra step to protect these girls."
"What's going on?" Angel asked as he kicked the door shut and placed the last box of books on the floor.
"Wood packed up the girls and took off," Faith replied tightly. Upon the unfazed look on Angel's face, she scoffed. "You already knew, didn't you? Is this the way it's gonna be now? I'm gonna be the last one to know anything around here?"
"I was going to tell you, but you woke up on the cranky side of the bed earlier," Willow replied calmly and offered a small little smile as she mouthed 'sorry'. "Faith, I know we said that it wasn't a good idea to run, but Robin is just taking precaution right now in doing all he can to protect the girls. They're distraught after Amelia's death and of course what had happened to them last night. They think that any one of them is going to be the next. It's the only thing that is going to protect them, even to give them a sense of security."
Faith knew that Wood was only looking out for the girls and this was the only way he could make sure they were safe. It wasn't like he could fight Azri'el or vampires-well, vampires and maybe one demon he could handle, but he had always had the slayers there to back him up whenever he found himself in a situation. Faith remembered how good of a fighter he had been back in Sunnydale, but after being stabbed with multiple of other injuries, he could just barely hold his own in a fight anymore.
She couldn't help but wonder how Giles would be dealing with this situation, probably a hell of a lot better than they were, that's for sure. He'd want the girls to be safe and would take certain measures to ensure that they are safe and not to be too easily found. But what about when it came to her? Faith wasn't sure what Giles would do, but she had a feeling he'd want her to get to Buffy before Azri'el did.
Faith knew that Buffy was already aware of the situation and she had been left untouched by it so far. There was no telling if Azri'el was still in Cleveland or if he was making his way across the country to hunt her down in San Francisco right at that very moment. And Faith knew they couldn't sit there all night researching, Willow could handle that job while she and Angel headed out to the streets to find out whatever they could about Azri'el from some of their otherworldly contacts that had all but disappeared in the last handful of months.
"Here's the thing, guys," Faith said as she rose to her feet. "We need some answers and we all know we're not going to find them just in those books," she said, waving to the dozens of boxes all around the living room. "Angel, you and I are going to hit the streets and Wil, you're going to hit the books, see if you can find even a mention of Azri'el in any of them."
"Faith-"
"No, Wil, we can't just sit here all night going through books with our thumbs stuck up our asses. Angel and I will go out tonight and believe me when I say you do not have to worry about me. You got my back, don't ya, big guy?"
"I do," he nodded his head a little. "And you're right."
"Come again?"
"I said you're right," Angel replied with a slight smirk. "Have you spoken to any of your underground contacts recently?"
"Not for a while. When things started dying down around here, they pretty much disappeared."
"We'll find them, or at least one of them," Angel replied and he turned to Willow who sat on the couch with her mouth slightly open. "Willow, you have my number. Call if you find anything you think is even remotely important and linked to Azri'el or what kind of magic he could've used that could've stripped the slayers of their essence. We'll check in every couple of hours as well."
Faith finally felt like the day was turning around for her. Slayer or not, she was still in charge there. She was just tired of sitting around doing nothing but let her anger and a multitude of other emotions and thoughts consume her like a trail of gasoline lit on fire.
"Should I, uh, get in touch with Buffy, check in on her?" Willow asked while Faith and Angel gathered a few weapons they could easily conceal under their jackets.
"If you feel that's something you need to do, then do it," Faith replied briskly. "You ready, Angel?"
"Lead the way."
Faith led the way into the fifth dive bar they'd gone into in the last hour, one that used to be owned by a half-breed demon named Kraal. Faith hadn't seen him since May, but she knew he still owned the joint and she knew the guy running it for him had to know where he'd been hiding for the last six months. Faith walked right up to the small wood bar and sat down on one of the five stools along the counter.
"What can I get you?" The old man behind the counter asked her tiredly. "All we have on tap is a local brew, one I'm sure won't appeal to the likes of you."
"Oh yeah, why's that?"
"You a vamp?"
"He is," Faith motioned to Angel. "But we ain't here for a drink, man. We're here cos we're looking for Kraal. You seen him?"
"No, I-"
Faith grabbed his faded black t-shirt that was two sizes too small and pulled him towards her. He reeked of whiskey and gin and his eyes were bloodshot.
"Don't fucking test me, man."
"No-nobody has seen Kraal since before the summer," he stammered and she let go of his t-shirt and wiped her hands on her jeans. "He asked me to watch the place. Said he had places to go, other business to deal with. What you looking for him for anyway?"
"That's not any of your business," Faith scowled and she turned to Angel. "Come on, this place is a bust. Let's hit the next one, it ain't too far from here."
"He's lying," Angel whispered just loud enough for her to hear him as they headed for the door.
"I know. Luckily for me," she chuckled as they stepped out on to the street and she pulled out an old cell phone. "Swiped his phone when I grabbed him."
"Fast hands."
"Didn't always need to be a slayer to have fast hands," Faith replied and they headed down the street a little ways before she flipped the phone open and scrolled through the contacts list. She saw a list of names, mostly half-breed demons like Kraal listed and a few names she didn't recognize. "You think this dude was smart enough not to list him in his contacts as the obvious? Wonder who we'll get if we give 'Karl' a call?"
"And if it's just a guy named Karl?"
"Let the master work," Faith chuckled and she hit dial and sat down on the bench at the bus stop. The line rang twice before it was picked up. "Hello?"
"Who is this?"
"Kraal, long time no see, technically speaking," Faith replied, recognizing the half-breed's voice on the other end of the line. "Is it Kraal or Karl now?"
"Faith?"
"The one and only."
"How did you get this number?"
"Swiped your go to boy's phone when he wouldn't give you up. So, what's up old buddy? Let's skip the small talk, yeah? You in town?"
"Might be."
"Good. Meet me at the pier-"
"Which one."
"Fuck, Kraal, you know which one I'm talking about," Faith snapped. "One hour."
She turned off the phone and ditched it in the trash can beside the bench. They were too far to walk to the pier she told Kraal to meet them at and after telling Angel the plan quickly, they headed back to the apartment to get her truck. After grabbing a few more weapons, heavier artillery like a few axe's and swords, she put them in the box in the bed of the truck and climbed in. They had less than half an hour to get to the pier and she had to hope to hell Kraal showed up.
There wasn't much of a story behind Kraal. He was just another half-breed demon who owned a bar and he had knowledge of the comings and goings of many of the vampires and demons who came through the city. He had proven to be a reliable informant for a while before he up and disappeared. Faith was gonna get some answers from him tonight whether he liked it or not. She had to find out why he had disappeared first before anything. Was he hiding from someone or something?
Faith pulled the truck to a stop by an old pier just outside the city. It was quiet and deserted, as it usually was no matter the time of day. It was in the part of the outskirts that was once littered with hundreds of vampires and demons who used the caves nearby to hide out during the day. She hadn't been there in a few months, Wood's girls usually made it their stop a few times a week during patrol and it had been in the all clear since the end of summer.
"What changed?" Angel asked as they sat in the truck together, waiting for any sign that Kraal had shown up.
"Huh?"
"What changed, Faith? One minute you're angry, scared, the next you're back to being, well, you and taking control, coming up with a plan to get out here and find some answers. What changed?"
"I got thinking," Faith replied. "After Willow told me that Wood had taken the girls out of the city, I started thinking about a lot of things. About Giles, what he would've done if he was still here, about Buffy and whether or not Azri'el was making his way across the country to her or not. Realized we can't just sit around for another day. We gotta get on top of this situation."
"Even without being the slayer, you're still thinking like one," Angel smiled at her. "I'm kind of proud, actually."
"Getting all sappy on me?" Faith chuckled and she playfully slugged him in the shoulder, groaning as her hand throbbed painfully. "Man, I think I'll leave hitting vamps to you, Angel. Can't even just punch you in the shoulder without it hurting."
Angel chuckled and he turned his attention to the man walking towards the pier from the other end of the small parking lot. "Is that our guy?"
"Looks like. Let me do the talking," Faith said and she opened the door slowly. "Kraal doesn't do well with strangers."
Angel nodded and followed her lead. Kraal stood at the end of the pier, his back to them as they approached him slowly. Faith took a deep breath before moving to stand beside him and she leaned on the railing, looking out over the water. Kraal was nervous, she could just hear it in the way he was breathing heavily and shakily.
"Long time no see," Faith said and he turned to look at her. "Where you been?"
"Around."
"Be more specific."
"Look, Slayer, I got a couple of death threats hanging over my head already. Best that nobody knows where I've been staying."
"Pretty much fell off the radar, Kraal."
"Had no choice. Death threats, hello, did you lose your hearing, Slayer?" Kraal asked and he turned to look back at Angel. "Who is the vamp? Friend of yours?" He sneered and Faith nodded.
"Who threatened to kill you, Kraal?"
"Couple of nasty Kungai demons, summoned to kill us half-breeds. Before you ask, no I don't know who summoned those guys, but I've had some luck in avoiding being found by them," Kraal replied. "Look, Slayer, there's rumblings there's something big happening, not just around these parts, but everywhere."
"Definitely right about that one, Kraal. What do you know about Azri'el?"
Kraal backed away from her, terrified and he tried to run, but Angel grabbed him by the shoulders and forced him to stay. "No, let me go," he yelled at Angel, trying to writhe out of his strong, tight grip. "Let me go, you nasty vampire!"
"Kraal," Faith drawled out as she stood face to face with him. "I'm thinking you know something about this demon if just hearing his name has you scared out of your mind. We're kind of in the dark here, so why don't you tell us what you know about Azri'el and we'll let you go."
"Evil. Nasty evil," Kraal said under his breath. "Broke past the walls that separate the other dimension from this one. Been here since the early spring. Had myself a little encounter, didn't end well."
"You know more, don't you?"
"He uses magic, the trace of what was left behind. He's after the slayers. Doesn't take a genius to figure out why. No slayers means the demon race can overcome the human race, making way for a world that the First Evil had envisioned when It had tried to emerge in Sunnydale, California. Hey, you were there, weren't you?"
"Yeah," Faith snapped. "Get on with it, Kraal. What else do you know?"
"Azri'el has hundreds of vamps working for him, couple hundred demons too. Did you think the sudden drop was because you were finally wining?" Kraal asked, a sadistic smile curling over his thin lips. "No, it was because of him. They all work for him, obey his orders, attack only when he allows them to. The only other thing I know, he moves from place to place, but he has been here the longest as the Hellmouth here is the only one left in the world with a little bit of power rumbling beneath it."
"How much power does he have?" Angel asked and Kraal squirmed, trying once again to get out of his hold. "How much power does Azri'el have?"
"Some, not a lot. Takes days to recharge after he does the extraction spell. Now let me go."
"No," Faith said with a shake of her head and she grabbed the front of his jacket, forcing him to look right at her. "What do you know about this spell and don't spew me your same old bullshit that you don't know. You know too much about everything, Kraal. You admitted that before. You hear and see everything and like to lie and weasel you way out of any situation that makes you spill what you know. You ain't gonna do it this time. What spell is he using?"
"An extraction spell, I don't know exactly. Strips the slayers of what makes them a slayer," Kraal replied and he groaned as Faith raised a fist, ready to strike. "The-there's a book, an old one," he said and Faith swung at him, punching him several times in the face. "Wait, wait, please, I know where the book is. I can get it for you. One more punch and I'll change and you know I hate looking like my other self, Faith."
"It's no uglier than the face ya got now."
"When can you get us this book?" Angel asked and he turned Kraal to face him. "Can you get it to us tonight?"
"Well..." Kraal trailed off and flinched when Angel raised his fist, ready to strike. "Yes, yes! I can get it for you tonight. I have it hidden, somewhere safe, somewhere-hey, hey, what do you think you're doing? Stop manhandling me!"
Faith started checking the pockets of his jacket and pulled out a small, well-worn leather book that had half the cover missing. "Somewhere safe?" Faith chuckled and Angel let go of the half-breed demon roughly. "You're really stupid sometimes, you know that, Kraal?"
"Don't remind me. In fact, now that you got what you wanted out of me, appreciate it if you don't find me again. Already in more trouble than I can stand."
"Call Willow," Faith said as she started to walk back to the truck with Angel. "Tell her what we have and that we'll be back soon."
"Soon?"
"There's just one more stop we have to make."