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Angels and Demons by TalesofSpike
 
Chapter 2.02
 
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Note: Thanks to my beta t_geyer for her unending patience, perseverance and support.

SECTION 2 - TUBULAR BELLS (The theme from 'The Exorcist')

Instrumental

(Mike Oldfield - Album - Tubular Bells)




Chapter 2.02
Monday, May 27th, 2002


The Wiccans, Fred, and the watchers formed a slightly staggered double circle, so that those in the outer ring kneeled immediately behind the gap between the shoulders of those nearest them in the inner circle. Willow stood at the centre of the group and Cordelia kneeled before her. Anya, Xander and Buffy were positioned outside the circle, each with a stack of cue cards from which the spell casters were required to read. Wes, Dawn and the vampires looked on from the far end of the room, while Quentin watched from beside the door into the main shop.

En masse the spell casters lit the incense sticks positioned before them and vowed for the duration of the working to put their power at Willow's disposal. Then, one by one, Willow accepted their gifts, starting with the Wiccan who had been directly opposite her and moving on clockwise around the circle. As she did so a link was formed between her and the donor, a flickering cord of electricity that connected her upper torso to that of the other person, the first few dazzling threads passing over Cordelia's head. Each was different, some of the Wiccans' and, more surprisingly, one or two of the watchers', including Lydia's, were pure white. Some were tinged with green or blue or violet or gold. Some of the watchers' were angry red or turbulent orange. For some the connection was thin almost like a shimmering piece of string, and for others it was as thick as their arm.

By the time she was linked with a quarter of those in the circle, streams of magical energy flowing toward her as if she were a thaumaturgical maypole, Willow's face and extremities had a pale incandescence. Buffy tried to convince herself that the witch was not ageing before her eyes, but she knew that her one-time friend was drunk on the power she was receiving. The slayer's eyes sought out those of her fiancé, not entirely surprised to find his attention was already on her rather than the proceedings. He gave her a gentle smile and tried to offer her reassurance from across the room.

Suddenly, the atmosphere brightened by a factor of four. Buffy shielded her eyes to see what had brought about the change. Giles' whole upper body was doused in a brilliant luminescence. Instead of one magical thread coming from his body it was as if there was a vast crackling, pastel, multi-hued rope, woven from innumerable strands. The watcher carried with him the power of the whole Devon coven, each woman having willed to him such energy as she could.

For half a minute Willow seemed to ride an euphoric high, her entire body trembling, before she moved on to the next person in the circle. This time, Buffy was almost certain that Willow looked older beneath the golden glow that now illuminated her whole body. It wasn't something the slayer often did, being more accustomed to self-reliance, and it seemed almost inappropriate, surrounded as she was by the trappings of witchcraft, but Buffy found herself silently praying that somehow they could all get through this without losing anyone.








Xander couldn't take his eyes from Willow's face. He had so many memories, Willow teasing him, Willow kissing him, Willow crying because their fourth grade teacher gave her a B and she didn't want to give her mom her report card, Willow trying to make him feel better after his eighth birthday party, Willow in footie pyjamas... Every one of those memories seemed to overlie the scene before them, but the innocence that had shone from those eyes was gone.

For the first time he realised that the changes in Willow over the last year weren't just some surface veneer over the same familiar beloved woman, but they went through to her very core.

For the first time he saw her magic as a barrier between them. He had always thought that regardless of what came to pass he would be there for her, protecting her as if she were his little sister. As he watched her swallow the power from those around her, exulting in the rush, he knew she would never need him again. The one thing he had never protected her from, that which until now he'd been unable to either see or acknowledge, the darker side of her own nature.

For the first time he realised that the girl he had grown up loving wasn't just more intelligent or from a better area of town. She might as well belong on a separate evolutionary scale. He found himself wondering if she even recognised any of them, if she was aware of them as people, or if all she knew was the rush of power.

For the first time he understood why Buffy had wanted Willow out of her home, how she could be afraid of her. He watched her long after everyone else shielded their eyes from the glare, the image of her face burned into his retinas.

Still he wished that he could just take her into his arms like he always had and hold her until the nightmare was over and his Willow came back.








Even as she completed the circle Willow was dimly aware of the thickening of her body and limbs, but buoyed in a sea of borrowed power she couldn't bring herself to care. The rollercoaster high she was experiencing beat any of Rack's merry go round rides hands down, and she'd had a few of those this last week. Magic wasn't meant to be hoarded and used only in dribs and drabs to further some greater good. Magic was a force, a magnificent lover which made every inch of your skin tingle and which exulted in its freedom.

She savoured the essence of every person in the circle. Giles was so sweet, the magic he brought as refreshing as cool spring water and rooted in the ancient traditions of mother earth. The old guy was so proper he would probably have a heart attack if he had realised that she'd come at the unexpected rush when she 'touched' him. Her whole body was a blaze of blinding light. All this, and she had yet to syphon any power through the bonds she had created...

She reached out a hand toward Cordelia. This time she leeched energy from all those surrounding her and forced it out into the other woman. Energy flowed out from her palm to Cordelia's head. Riding the wave of power to search out the presence which she wished to dispel, she had about a second before the other, as she thought of it, became aware of her. Her magic burned and damaged it before it could react, but when it did, Willow suddenly realised that this was not going to be the funfair ride she had anticipated.

An entity, worshipped as a god before humans walked the earth, stirred and brought its wrath to bear on the witch who dared try to harm it. Pain seared through Willow's every nerve ending and she was forced to draw more energy from those around her so she could try to push back the other before it claimed her as well as Cordelia. There was part of her which instinctively wanted to simply sever the link between herself and Cordelia but her pride wouldn't let her. To concede defeat in front of everyone she knew, to confirm Giles' assesment of her abilities, was unthinkable. Instead, she drew ever more power from the circle of spell casters until the other was forced back to the confines of Cordelia's body. She drew in the mages' energy until she felt that her very soul would be scorched by its intensity.

It was almost a stalemate. The emerald glow of the other's magic flowed up the bond between Willow and Cordelia, meeting the pale orange gold of the casters' combined energy. Neither was winning and neither showed any obvious signs of tiring, but Willow knew that the curse was taking its toll, punishing her for her arrogance and pride. If she didn't do something soon it would exact the ultimate price.

Willow's other hand reached out, and Spike threw himself into the path between her and her intended target. He showed the witch his back even as he enfolded Dawn in his arms. The energy that flowed from the vampire surprised the witch with its purity until she realised it wasn't his own energy but that of the orbs protecting him that she drew upon. With a further burst of will, her magic linked the vampire and the key, drawing Dawn's beautiful green energy through Spike to twine with the violet of that from the orbs.

From the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of movement that told her Buffy was moving to aid her sister and the vampire, though why she wasn't too dazzled to see what was happening the witch had no idea. With a negligent flick of a finger, she thickened the air around the slayer until it was like tar and then did likewise with the air around Wes and the other Scoobies. She was willing to bet that Angel was more interested in getting Cordelia back than in how it was done and if he did look like he was going to interfere she could contain him just as easily.

The stolen power burned both the witch and the other with its purity, one literally, the other with condemnation of what she had become.

For the first time Willow gained the upper hand, forcing the other to recoil. It seemed to shrink away shrivelling in on itself and, though Willow bore the guilt of the rape she had perpetrated on the key and her demon guardian, she knew in time the battle would be won.








Neither the girl nor the vampire had made the vow to give over their power and both spasmed as the energy passed through them, Spike's eyes turning to demon gold. His hand twitched uncontrollably and every movement was made with gritted teeth as he forced himself to overcome the magically induced fit. He drew his hand away from Dawn's back. Reaching between them, he used a taloned finger to slice through first one loop on the pouch holding the orbs, and then the other, pulling it from his belt and pushing it into Dawn's hand before he realised that in the minutes he had taken to complete his actions the girl had fallen unconscious and was unable to take them from him. His eyes looked the girl up and down, taking in her skin-tight jeans and long-sleeved t-shirt with fresh distaste. He pushed his hand upward until he could tuck the pouch with the orbs inside the neckline of Dawn's top.

In a last desperate move before the protection of the orbs was lost to him, he thrust the girl away from him, hoping to break the magical tie between them, but as Dawn's body, robbed of his support, fell to the floor, the roiling energy continued to pass from her through him to the witch. Nevertheless, the vampire noted with satisfaction before he, too, lost consciousness that the link between them now sparked with violet energy rather than green.








Just as the battle was won, the vampire handed her defeat from the jaws of victory. The energy of the key, which had done so much to weaken the other was replaced by the darkly supernatural energy of the vampire himself.

The witch hesitated. With the hostile presence inside Cordelia already weakened, one massive surge of power should be enough to drive it out and disperse it. Otherwise, even with the energy she drew from the orbs it would grow again.

She knew she couldn't walk away, and this time it wasn't to do with pride or proving herself or anything similar. This time she did it to safeguard, not just Cordelia, but everyone from the evil she had sensed inside the other as they had fought. It occurred to her that perhaps this wasn't quite her decision, that somehow the energy from the key or from the orbs had to some extent overridden her own will, but she welcomed it. It was as if the troubles and responsibilities of the last year fell away and she was free to indulge once more in a naïve innocence. With an effort of will she drew the magic into herself until she felt her skin burn and her insides begin to cook and then she directed the power in one overwhelming wave toward the presence inside Cordelia, smashing it into nothingness.
 
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