Once standing, Kellie stepped away from and towards the rest of the group. Spike and Faith glanced at each other after watching Kellie walk unsure of her surroundings, but with a predatory air about her.
"Rachel, are you okay?" Kellie asked, when she reached Rachel, "I'm Kellie. I run Crossing Into Dawn. We got concerned when you missed your meeting with us and found no one had seen you for a couple days, including at school."
"Ridiculous ex-boyfriend wanted another chance," Rachel said, "I agreed to meet him and he brought me here from that club. I can't believe I was so stupid."
"Hey, you're going to be fine," Kellie said, "I think you do need a hospital though."
"Do you know who those guys were?" Rachel asked.
"Some weird cult," Kellie replied, "To be honest I'm not entirely sure of anything I've seen here either. Cordelia, Gunn, long time no see."
Gunn nodded in acknowledgement.
"I have so many things I would love to say to you," Cordelia said, "But given the current situation I guess that will have to wait."
"Could you see that Rachel gets to a hospital?" Kellie said, "I'm guessing you'll know how to explain it better than I would. I'll call my uncle to meet you there and see that she gets home."
"We can do that," Gunn said as he, Cordelia, and Angel began to suspect Kellie may not have come out of the ritual unscathed.
Cordelia exchanged the necessary phone numbers with Kellie and left with Gunn and Rachel. Kellie sent Lorenzo a text that she'd found Rachel and which hospital to meet her, Charles and Cordelia at.
"Kellie, what's going on?" Angel asked.
"I don't know," Kellie said, "All my senses, they're... everything's just more intense right now and it's a lot. I know I should need a hospital too, but they slit my wrist and there's barely even a scar."
"We noticed," Angel said, noticing shades of purple flicker more increasingly across Kellie's eyes."
"Your eyes are supposed to be blue right?" Spike asked.
"Yeah," Kellie replied, "Why?"
"They're changing to purple," Angel said reluctantly while glaring at Spike.
"Not like she wouldn't notice when she looks in a mirror," Spike said and then sniffed the air.
"You shouldn't go home right now," Angel said, "Not until we can figure out if this an effect from the ritual that will just wear off or….."
"Something more permanent and how dangerous it is, I could be," Kellie said, "I can hole up in a safe house."
"More like you should come with us," Angel said, "Wesley and Fred can do their book thing on this Lilith resurrection spell. Same place you stayed at before."
"I don't want to be any trouble," Kelle said.
"Far as I can tell, you'd be more trouble holed up on your own," Spike said, "If you go to your safehouse, I assume this uncle of yours or your husband will find you. I don't think you want that. I take it they aren't exactly equipped for this type of situation."
Kellie sighed in resignation.
"I'll go with you. But I'm not painting my nails this time," Kellie replied, "And I will reserve the right to utilize the safehouse option."
"Fair enough," Spike said as Kellie's attention was caught by the crown, Faith had picked back up while they were talking.
"What is that?" Kellie asked, reaching out to touch it. The crown shimmered with grey light when Kellie touched it. Spike yanked Kellie back away from the crown which stopped shimmering, once contact was broken.
Kellie roundhouse kicked Spike, sending him flying across the room. Kellie looked horrified at the force and distance with which she kicked Spike.
"That is really not right," Kellie said.
"The sooner we get you out of here the better and no touching the crown, Kellie, not until we know more," Angel said, then turned to Faith, "I'll take the crown. Faith, you mind walking with Kellie here. Spike and I will be right behind you."
Faith handed Angel the crown.
"Come on," Faith said to Kellie as they walked away, "We'll leave the Vampire Boys to do whatever it is they do. How many weapons do you carry on regular basis?"
"Bloody hell," Spike said, annoyed heading back towards Angel, "That hurt as much as Illyria or the one of the slayers taking a go at me."
"At least she didn't shoot you again?" Angel said.
"Sure make a joke of my pain and suffering tonight," Spike said, then lowering his voice and making sure Faith and Kellie were out of earshot, "Never mind, we obviously didn't stop the ritual in time. You catch the smell on Pistol since the vampire church put its whammy on her."
"Not entirely human anymore," Angel said.
"With something that's vampire, but not mixed in," Spike said.
"Maybe this is as far is it goes," Angel said, "And we figure out how to undo what was done? Lilith, sounds familiar."
"There's a few yarns about Lilith being the first wife of Adam before Eve," Spike said, "A few legends of her being a demon, a genie, a vampire, maybe even queen of the vampires and demons. Nothing specific comes to mind."
"Given that it's vampires attempting to resurrect her," Angel said, "Pretty sure I can guess which of those are true."