Love In Vein: Book Two - Chapter 44

As Buffy regained her vision, her eyes grew wide and she hurriedly glanced around the room, checking all the people present were still alive. It took her a moment to remember what had happened, she’d been speaking to Spike and the next thing she’d known was being thrown across the room, all but one of her friends suffering a similar fate to her.

She watched in horror as Willow floated up to the restricted section and knelt in front of the books, plunging her hands into them. Struggling to her feet, Buffy felt nauseated as black script began to write itself up Willow’s arms. When her friend began her descent, it was as though Buffy couldn’t recognise her.

Willow’s hair had turned as black as midnight, and in place of her eyes was a dark swirling maelstrom and it reminded her of when Xander had been possessed by the First. Buffy reached out to Willow as she came to a halt just feet from her.

Willow’s eyes narrowed on Buffy’s and a wicked smile spread across her face. “You should have listened to me when I warned you…think things are quiet? Bored? I’ll give you more demons than you can handle, sweetie.”

Buffy flinched as a bright light flashed before her eyes and she found Willow was gone.

Looking around the room, she saw everyone was struggling to their feet, nursing their injuries and looking to her for direction. She needed Spike.

“Spike!” She called out to him and waited for a response.

“You okay?” He came back and she felt the concern in his words.

“It’s Will, she’s gone all black and freaky…the First has her. It said we should have listened to it, it’s going to unleash demons. You think it’s talking about the Seal?”

A beat.

“No…it knows I’m near there, it wouldn’t send her any place I am…demons, lots of them?” Spike sounded as though he was thinking out loud.

Buffy wished he’d hurry up and think of an answer. She grabbed all the weapons she could carry and then it hit her.

“The Initiative!” Buffy said into his head and then looked at the others. “She’s going to the Initiative, I’ve got to stop her. Tara? Locator spell and make it snappy. I’m going to head to the College, it’s where we saw Riley and co heading back toward when they caught the Vahrall.”

“Spike, I’m going to college, I’ve got a feeling that’s where we’ll find the Initiative, there’s always something about educational buildings and bad guys in this town.”

She was already out of the door by the time Spike had formed a reply.

“I’ll meet you there.”


It turned out Buffy didn’t really need the information Tara had supplied her with over her phone about the location of the Initiative. All she had to do was follow the large, billowing cloud of black smoke that was pouring out of the woods next to the college campus.

Running in that direction, she panicked as she tried to figure out what she could do to stop the First from wreaking havoc upon Sunnydale and hurting her friend. She needed Willow in the upcoming fight. She needed Willow period.

She couldn’t imagine life without the bubbly little redhead that she felt she’d grown up with and she wasn’t about to start. She’d find a way to save her friend, no matter what the risk.

Spotting an open door, Buffy sprinted toward it, gripping her sword tightly and wishing she had the axe now. She tried to stop the few demons that were already escaping, but by the time she’d slain one, another three had passed her. She didn’t have time to go after them, she had to keep going forward so she would reach her friend in time.

Time.

Everywhere she looked, it was slipping through her grasp and every time she thought things were getting back on a level footing, another thing came along and swept her world out from under her.

She coughed as she entered the building, running down the sloped corridor that led into the heart of the Initiative. Battling both humans and demons as they fought against each other, Buffy struggled to get to the core through the smoke that was choking the halls.

She slashed the nearest demon to her and skewered it through the chest, pulling a face of revulsion as it melted into a puddle of slime by her feet. Lashing out at another two demons as they rushed toward her, she cut one of their heads off and slit the others stomach open. She didn’t bother checking if they melted too, she just wanted to get to her friend.

The sound of screams up ahead and manic laughter told her that’s where she would find her.

As a Polgarra raced toward her, Buffy quickly turned on the spot, catching it in the chest with her foot before punching it hard. She ducked to avoid the skewer that appeared from its wrist and barely missed being struck by it. Bringing her sword up to protect herself as the demon brought the skewer down, she sliced straight through it and then rolled to avoid the liquid that spilled from it.

Buffy got to her feet and swiftly moved around the back of the demon as it cried out in pain. She stuck the sword deep into its side and then pulled it out, her face impassive as she watched it fall to the floor.

Turning quickly, she found herself face to face with a Vahrall and she swore she saw a flicker of recognition in its eyes before it attacked her. Buffy frowned as it struck her hard across the jaw and she dropped the sword as she moved to defend herself from its next attack. She immediately went into action, catching it with a fast left hook across the cheek before punching it hard in the stomach. She made a small growling noise as she pummelled it with her fists and then kicked it hard in the knee.

As it stumbled backward, she grabbed hold of the sword again and brought it around in a swift but deadly arc at head height.

Buffy watched with satisfaction as the dead Vahrall slumped against the wall, and then looked down the corridor as another series of screams were heard and there was the sound of something exploding.

Pushing on through the smoke and the demons that flooded the corridor, she let the Initiative soldiers fight them as she burst out into a vast open room.

The smoke was thinner here, creating a haze that looked like mist as she ran down the metal stairs to the floor. The room in front of her was a sea of fire, burning vehicles and bodies littered the floor creating an obstacle course that could turn deadly if she didn’t concentrate. Buffy fought hard against everything that came at her, kicking out at them or punching them before running them through with her sword.

She froze as she neared the centre of the room and watched Willow. Her friend was hovering around twenty metres off the ground and laughing as she threw bolts of electricity at demons and humans alike.

Buffy felt sick as she brought her eyes down and saw the mess that littered the floor in this section of the Initiative, blood and slime coating everything, tattered limbs and bodies strewn everywhere. She put her hand over her mouth as she fought towards Willow, trying to think of how she was going to get her down.

Looking hurriedly at her surroundings, she searched for something she could use to get Willow’s attention. She needed her on the ground, there was no way she could do anything to stop her when she was up there.

“Willow!” She called up at her, not holding out much hope that her friend would respond but willing to try anything at this point.

Grabbing a tiny piece of rubble that was no bigger than a pebble, she threw it with Slayer accuracy at her friend and saw her turn to look down at her.

“Nice of you to join me.” Willow looked calmly at her and rubbed her fingers together.

“Think, Buffy, think.” Buffy muttered to herself as she watched the little sparks of electricity crackling on Willow’s hands and bit her lip. It was a long shot, but it was worth a go. “Willow, fight it…you’re strong enough and I know you can hear me. Don’t let it win…fight it.”

Buffy dodged the twin bolts of electricity as they shot toward her and she panted for breath as the smoke stung her eyes and burned her lungs.

Looking up at Willow, she could see the struggle written on her face and she silently prayed that her friend was doing as she asked.

“Come on, Will, you can do it. Don’t let it get the better of you, fight for your body…” Buffy shouted up at her as she rolled forward to avoid being struck by the lightning again and narrowly avoided rolling straight into a burning body.

“Fool!” Willow shouted down at her and let another two bolts fly.

A moment of calm gave Buffy time to look up at her friend and she saw her hair growing redder and her eyes struggling to switch between black and green. “Willow?”

“Buffy?” Willow said as she found herself momentarily free of the First, she gasped as she felt the Evil rising up in her again and reached her hand out to her friend. “Help me.”

A nearby fuel container exploding threw Buffy to the ground before she had a time to react and she choked as the smoke in the room became heavy and black, filling her lungs as she struggled to stand.

Looking around she found Willow still watching her, seemingly unaffected by the blast.

Her hair was black again and the wicked smile playing on her lips told her the First was back in control.

“You know something just occurred to me, the little boy wasn’t strong enough…but this girl might have what it takes to squash you like the annoying little bug you are.” Willow smiled down at Buffy and then closed her eyes as she summoned up the magic.

Buffy’s eyes flew wide and she set off at a sprint, rolling and leaping in order to avoid the bolts of electricity that Willow was rapidly throwing at her. She could barely see where she was going and the lightning bolts illuminated the smoke, making her feel as though she was caught in a vast electrical storm. As she breathed in more and more smoke, her head felt heavy. She tried to push herself, tried to make herself keep going but the whole world felt as though it was slipping away.


Spike ran into the room in time to see Buffy through a clearing in the smoke as she fell to her knees, and he didn’t bother taking the stairs. Leaping over the edge of the railings, he landed with cat like grace at the bottom of the staircase and gave himself a moment to recover before dashing toward his fallen mate.

Buffy murmured softly as she felt strong arms wrapping around her and carrying her to safety. As she came to slightly, she struggled against him, trying to reach out over his shoulder to Willow.

She flinched as a loud noise filled her ears. Spike looked over at the hangar doors as the alarms rang, it sounded like the kind of warning you got when heavy doors were closing and he felt his fear validated when he saw that the Initiative was beginning to lock down--the blast he felt and the continual smoke must have triggered an automatic procedure within the system.

Struggling to keep hold of Buffy, he tried to move toward the exit but she kept battling against him.

“Willow.” Buffy reached out toward her friend.

Spike finally gave in and turned around.

Willow was curled up on the ground, her form small and barely noticeable in the thick smoke.

Setting Buffy down on her feet, Spike took his duster off and then removed his black shirt so he was only wearing his t-shirt. He grabbed hold of the nearest fire extinguisher and checked it was water before tearing the shirt in two and spraying it. Holding one of the wet rags to Buffy’s mouth, he placed her hand over it and checked she was okay before running over to where Willow was lying unconscious on the floor.

Wrapping the cloth around Willow’s face, he made sure it was covering her mouth and nose before placing her over his shoulder. When he turned around, he closed his eyes and felt his chest ache as he saw Buffy had slipped into unconsciousness too.

Carefully picking up his mate, Spike held her and her friend tightly as he raced for the doors, barely making it through before they shut heavily behind him with the resounding bang.

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