Chapter 39.

ANTHEA ESTATES,

SAUSALITO, CALIFORNIA

(MICK ST. JOHN' S P.O.V.)

For a few seconds, we just stood there in silence. A silence that was finally broken (oddly enough) by Oz.

"Heh!" he snorted (in complete disbelief): "Yeah, right. And, I'm Larry Talbot!"

"He's not joking, Oz," replied Angel: "That really is Dracula."

Sonny looked at him, his eyes fairly bulging: "Are you shittin' me?"

Angel shook his head: "I met him at the Hollywood premiere of the Universal film adaptation, in 1931! I was afraid he might get unduly offended by Bela Lugosi's portrayal of him, and try to suck him dry."

"Not that you could have prevented it, Angelus," declared the real Dracula: "Even before your ensoulment! But, fortunately, for all concerned, Mr. Lugosi's depiction of me was as superb on screen as it had been in the original stage play."

"That still doesn't explain what he's doing here," observed Oz: "Or, why's he working with Ethan. Or, how Ethan even became a frigging vampire in the first place!"

I looked at the one called Drusilla.

"You Embraced him. Didn't you?"

Her only response was to grin and give Rayne a peck on the cheek. With the latter bragging how she had foreseen the two of them getting together!

"The chaos-demon she dumped Spike for is an old friend of mine. And, when I heard the two of them were in Brazil (where I was temporarily hiding out after my Halloween reunion with good old Ripper, almost two years ago), I decided to look them up and offer my congratulations!"

"It's when I shook his hand," added Drusilla: ". . .that I saw what Fate had in store for us, Daddy."

Kristin Adams shook her head, incredulously.

"Is such a feat even possible?"

"Oh, yes!" Brother Demetrius nodded: "Provided one is willing to use. . .the augmentation spell."

Kristin gasped. "Are you serious? Surely, you know the side-effect of that better than I do!"

"That side-effect can be avoided," he countered: ". . .if the mystical energy generated is evenly distributed through multiple spellcasters. My brethren and I were at work on just that thing. In fact, we would have accomplished it, in another three or four months! But, the She-Beast caught us unprepared. So, now, I am obliged to enact the contingency plan."

MICK ST. JOHN'S P.O.V.

"And, what might that be, Dru?" Angel demanded: "What does Fate have in store for you?"

"I don't think she was only referring to herself and these two," I said: "I think she was speaking of the world as a whole! Humans and vampires, alike."

"That is correct, Mr. St. John," replied Dracula: "When Drusilla shook hands with Mr. Rayne, she foresaw the return of the She-Beast, Glorificus. And, the destruction of the world, at her hands, if she gets hold of the Key! That is why she vampiricized him. His mystical prowess (which has now been enhanced) will be extremely vital to thwarting her in the very near-future."

"If that's the case," snapped Angel: ". . .why did he kidnap Cordie? And, why's he been running all over Frisco, causing all kinds of trouble, posing as a Kiasyd?"

Dracula explained how he knew Rupert Giles and his friends would never believe Rayne's story about wishing to help stop Glory. Not unless someone could verify it. Someone like Dracula, himself, who still lived by his own peculiar code of honor. Including not telling lies while holding on to a holy relic (even if that relic could and did burn his hand)!

"Thus, Drusilla brought him to me. And, upon confirming her story through tasting a portion of her vitae, I gave a portion of my own vitae to him. So, he could better combine his own magical powers with my Tzimicean thaumaturgy. And, thereby, better instigate the blood hunt against you that would bring you to San Francisco. Where he could more successfully draw your attention and ultimately lure you here!"

"A tad Machiavellian, don't you think?"

"Perhaps. Yet, necessary."

"And, why's that?" I now asked.

"There is a Celestial Chorister en route to San Francisco, even as we speak," said Dracula: "With him are two sheets of very old vellum. On one is the incantation for creating an artificial hive mind known as the enjoining. On the other is an incantation for altering reality. . .known as an augmentation spell."

I couldn't decide whether or not to believe what Dracula was saying. From the expression on his face, though, Angel most likely did. And, Dracula must have spotted it, too. Because, he grinned as he continued: "And, as your Sunnydale paramour will be serving this man, as bodyguard, I will need your help to steal them from him!"

"What contingency plan?" asked the blonde Bostonian.

"In the event we proved unable to read either the enjoining spell or the augmentation spell," replied Brother Demetrius: ". . .my brethren decided that a smaller group of white magic practioners should cast them for us. Practioners who could compensate for their lack of quantity with a strong source of power. Namely; the Dagon-sphere."

Once more, Kristin gasped: "You mean. . .?"

The Greek monk nodded: "I do not have the sphere with me. My brethren gave it to an old ally for safe-keeping. You may have heard of him; the Green Lama?"

"The Green Lama?" echoed Kristin: "Of course, I've heard of him. But, nobody in the Legacy's heard _from_ him since the Fifties!"

"He is still quite active within the Akashic Brotherhood, I assure you. And, if he senses anything happening to me, he will see to it that the Dagon-sphere gets into the proper hands."

tbc