Author's note: I tackled the majority of my course work, so here's an update just for you, you sweet cupcakes! :D

Beta'd by the ever helpful and talented ladies dawnofme and Mabel Marsters.


Chapter 9


Smoothing down her skirt, Sallie Bennett stared at the mantle clock with a giddy feeling zinging along her nerves. Hermes would be here any moment, and then she’d be granted another year of immortality. And if a child had to die to help her cheat nature, then that was a small price to pay. The petty voice called conscience had stopped bothering her decades ago.


The tell-tale rumbling alerted her to the newcomer, and Sallie turned on her heel to bestow him with a calculating smile.


“Are you ready to take him… or her?” she asked.


“Hello to you too, Miss Bennett,” said the creature, once again transforming himself into a handsome man right before her eyes. How many times had she told him not to scatter the brimstone on her beige carpet? She’d just had it steam cleaned.


“Let’s skip the niceties. So who are you taking this time?”


“William Pratt, I believe is his name.”


Sallie struggled to recall the face to go along with the name. Then she remembered and arched a brow. “Why him if I may ask? You had said you wanted him specifically, so it makes me wonder.”


“He’s quite a threat to us, you know.”


Chilling laugh escaped her mouth, one that would make a lesser hell servant tremble. “William Pratt? A threat? Are you sure we’re talking about the same boy?”


Hermes shook his head and clasped his hands in front of him. “You’re forgetting something. He’s the only student not bound within the school’s barrier. His mother didn’t have the chance to sign the contract before she passed away.”


“I am well aware of that. But believe me, he would never even attempt to leave the school’s premises, so I don’t see--”


“Well, we want to tie up all the loose ends, don’t we? I left the symbol in front of his door, so the minions should be able to locate him with no trouble at all. They’re probably retrieving him as we speak.”


“Are you sure you don’t want to take Miss Lehane with you?” she asked.


“And why would I do that when I know how much trouble she is to you?”


The door swung open in that moment, and two disfigured creatures dragged in William’s unconscious body, followed by another two. Blood trickled down William’s face from a fresh cut in his eyebrow, threatening to make even more damage to her carpet. Sallie curled her lip in disdain at the sight and the minions’ disagreeable appearance. Their skin was covered with rough scabs and their spines protruded through it as they breathed harshly through their fang-filled jaws.


“Would you take it elsewhere now? You have what you came here for and my contract is therefore extended, right?” she asked.


“Of course. Till next year, Miss Bennett.” Hermes bowed with a mocking grin and gestured to the minions. “After me, boys.”


********


The first thing she noticed was that her head hurt. A lot. With a groan, Buffy sat up and furrowed her brows as she tried to think through the pounding headache. Someone-- no, something-- had hit her over the head before she could as much as scream, right before…


'God, William!'


The reality rushed into her aching brain with blinding clarity, and ignoring the strangely rapidly disappearing headache, Buffy sprang to her shaking legs and rushed out of the room. She had to do something, had to find him. What were those things? And why did they take him? What if they hurt him? What if…


'This is no good. Stop focusing on the what ifs. I got to find him. God, just let him be alright.'


Running down the stairs, she didn’t pause to think of what to do. There was no time to call for help that wouldn’t come. No time to scream and act the part of a helpless little girl. A force of fear and anger rose up deep inside, fueling her determination to tear apart anyone who dared to hurt William. It didn’t matter how small she was, how seemingly fragile. Right now, Buffy felt as if she could rip their heads off with her bare hands without much effort.


Stopping in the atrium, her breath echoing loudly in her ears, Buffy glanced around in panic, trying to look for any clues. She had no idea what she’d do if something bad happened to William, if she was too late to save him. He was already a part of her. The only person she’d ever felt close to.


Crossing the hall, Buffy decided to follow her gut’s feeling when she heard it. A slight noise; a shuffle of feet and a whisper of inhuman breaths. Ducking behind a statue, an unlikely group rounded the nearby corner, coming from the direction of the headmistress’ office and made their way towards the back exit of the school. There they were, the creatures out of horror movies, two of them dragging William as if he were anything but a human being.


Not thinking, Buffy darted out from behind the statue as fearless anger flashed through her veins, and she sneaked at them from behind. Before she could take a swing, one of the demons whipped around with a snarl, alerting her presence to the others. As she aimed a punch at the demon’s face, it caught her hand and threw her backwards. She landed on the floor with a wince.


“Let him go… now,” she said with what she hoped was confidence and a threat in her voice. She had to get herself and William out of this mess.


The man at the front turned around with an amused smile and leveled her with his cold gaze. “Is he a sweetheart of yours, little girl?” Hermes shrugged. “You know, you really shouldn’t be out and about at this hour. All kinds of… creatures lurk around. But as long as you’re here… get her.”


Before she could get to her feet, a demon launched itself at her with a hiss. Following her instincts, Buffy kicked it in the gut and felt her leg reverberate under the force of impact with the inhuman flesh. She watched with amazement as the demon flew several feet away.


'What the…'


The man’s face twisted into an ugly mask of anger as he snarled, “Get the boy out of here.” He nodded at one of his servants and gestured at the remaining three, leering as he did. “Restrain the Slayer and… make her watch.”


With that, he turned on his heel. Buffy helplessly watched as they dragged William through the door and into the gardens. Then her vision was swallowed by the three demons as they surrounded her with hungry growls, their claws flashing menacingly in the darkened hallway. Turning her attention to the demons, Buffy braced herself to at least attempt fighting them as they drew near. Her fingers trembled as she took in their faces. This all had to be a dream. Just like the one she’d had before waking to the alien force slinking through her veins. Demons didn’t exist. None of this was real.


The closest demon lunged at her. Buffy reacted before she could think of what she was doing. Her arm blocked his attack as she ducked to avoid the other one trying to tackle her from behind. Standing up, she twirled behind the first attacker and used his moment of distraction to kick him in the back. The demon crashed head first into the other one and they lay sprawled on the floor. Buffy kicked the third one in the head before jumping over the momentarily incapacitated creatures and rushing with a pounding heart to the backdoor exit.


Just as she was about to leap through the threshold, she was bounced back as the invisible force slammed into her, separating her from William.


'No!'

Springing back to her feet, Buffy slammed her fists against the barrier as she watched the world unravel before her vision. The sound of the demons behind her drew closer, but it didn’t matter. Maybe if she just beat the force long enough, she’d be able to go through.


She’d save him.


The demons caught up to her in a matter of a few seconds, and she felt her hands restrained in two iron grips as she was forced to her knees. Hermes stared at her. “What do you think? Shall I kill him or take him to Hell with me?”


Outside, William began to stir, and her panicked eyes met his for a second that seemed to last an eternity. She could see his confusion, the fear, but her struggles were futile in her position. Even if she could break free of the demons’ grasp, she could never get to William. The man’s lips parted to reveal a wicked grin as he bent down to William, whose wrists were tied above his head and held by the last hell minion.


The man drew out a sharp dagger as he muttered words Buffy couldn’t understand. Then he lifted it above his head and time seemed to stretch beyond reason and logic. All she could see was the slow descent of the knife, its sleek surface reflecting the gleam of the full moon as it swung down and sank into William’s gut.


It seemed so effortless. The ease with which William’s tender flesh gave under the sharp edge. The way his life started to pour out of his body. The blood rose on the surface, thick and red as it saturated the white t-shirt he’d worn to bed. The t-shirt her hands had wandered under just a few hours ago.


A scream tore out of William’s throat. It was all she could hear. All she could feel. Her arms fell slack at her sides as her world crumbled under the weight of helpless grief. William’s eyes fluttered open for a second as he stared into hers, and she whispered his name. She could barely hear the man’s laughter as he ordered his minions to kill her. William struggled for a futile second, the blood flowing from the tear in his gut as he struggled to get to her. To save her. He was dying and still, it was her life that mattered more to him.


The demons tore her away from the threshold. William’s ashen face, as the life drained away from him, would be the last thing she saw of him.


********


“Hurry, Grandma. The party is about to begin and my Prince is waiting for me,” Drusilla said, as she glided across the lawn towards the old building overgrown with vines.


“I told you to stop calling me that.” Darla rolled her eyes, but followed Drusilla anyway. It was no use to reason with her when she was so hell bent on something. And a little mayhem just might be something to tide over the boredom for a while.


The scent of blood hit Darla’s nostrils a few seconds before she spotted the scene. A young boy was curled up on the ground, bleeding to death. Some demons performing a sacrificial ritual. It looked like fun. They came to a stop, and Drusilla clapped her hands and giggled. One of these days, Darla would cut her hands off if she kept doing that. One could only take so much clapping.


“Well, look at that,” Darla said slyly and swayed her way over to the tall, handsome man. “Mind if we join the party?”


The man’s black eyes raked all over her. “Why not. He’s almost dead anyway.”


“Can I have him? Please?” Drusilla asked.


“Sorry, sugar. This one is mine… you know how hell sacrifices go. Got a contract to fulfill. But you can watch,” Hermes said.


Drusilla started to wail and tear at her hair, stomping her foot like a petulant child. As much as she could annoy Darla, there was no way she’d let Dru rip out her hair. Going hunting with a bald woman would tarnish her image. Not to mention they’d never seduce their prey that way. Catching Drusilla’s hands, she fixed the man with her coyest gaze. “Are you sure we can’t persuade you?”


“Well… what do you have in mind?”


“I want him,” Dru said. “Can we turn him? Then he could have tea and cake with us every day.”


“Well, you need his essence, right?” Darla smiled as the man nodded. “See, if we turn him, he is pretty much damned, and he’d go to hell once he’s dusted… which is probably just a matter of time. Either way, you’ll get him. What do you say?”


Hermes mulled it over and finally shrugged. “Sure. Why not. Have at him.”


Drusilla squealed and rushed over to kneel next to the fallen boy. He was maybe a minute away from dying. Darla watched the man and his minions step through a portal until they blinked out of this plane of existence. It had been too long since they had a man within their circle since Angelus had gone and gotten himself cursed with a soul of all the ridiculous things. This one didn’t look like much. Kind of nerdy. Well, they could always dust him if he turned out to be a disappointment.


“He has such pretty insides.” Dru circled the wound in the boy’s belly before tearing her wrist open. Darla followed suit and together they forced their blood down his throat. Then his heart let out a last struggling beat.


TBC


Author's note: So, what do you think??? *is anxious*