Chapter 5: Fruits of Deception
The full moon cast elongated shadows among the ruined buildings within the
warehouse district. Long fallen into decay, the broken brick facades cried out
for renovators to remake them into upscale loft apartments.
But this was
Sunnydale. Instead of baby boomers returned from restaurants or the theatre, the
ramshackle buildings were refuge for the vampire nests and powerful demon clans
that called the Hellmouth home.
Buffy and Spike crept slowly along the
main road, hugging the shadows.
“This is where we saw Ethan last.” she
whispered under her breath. “Anything?”
Spike concentrated on the
surrounding area. “No.”
“He probably continued on after we stopped.”
She silently slid forward, twitching her shoulders. Her tinglies had gone off
countless times since leaving the Desoto.
They had reached the fence
that encircled an old junkyard when Spike abruptly stopped. “Here.”
He
put his mouth close to Buffy’s ear. “I can hear and smell at least a half dozen
demons and one other human besides Rayne in there.”
She nodded and
motioned toward the back of the debris filled yard. The couple silently leaped
the warped fence and circled widely toward the building.
Buffy slid to
the edge of a shed and peeked around the corner. She hissed in Spike’s ear.
“Sentries. Two Vorrine.”
He raised an eyebrow.
Buffy took his
hand in hers and touched the glamour and the couple charm. The same tingling
electrical charge as before radiated from her wrist.
Spike winced.
“That’s bloody uncomfortable.”
Leaving the security of the shadows,
they walked boldly toward the front entrance and the two horned demons that
stood guard.
Slipping around a mound of ancient cars, Spike whispered “So
Slayer, what’s the plan?”
“Plan? No plan.”
“Not again. I told you
before that you need a bloody plan.”
“I thought we’d just grab Rayne and
kill anything that gets in the way.”
Spike grinned. “That actually sounds
like a great plan.”
Buffy didn’t understand the mechanics of the
bracelet, but she knew it worked when neither guard indicated that they’d
noticed anything unusual as the couple slipped past.
Walking across
the threshold with Spike at her heels, her wrist suddenly tingled. Uh
oh.
The demons inside immediately turned and raised their weapons.
The largest snarled and advanced.
“For some reason the bracelet stopped
working.”
“I noticed.” Spike lifted his sword. “Did I mention that I
hate bloody magicks?”
“Wait.” Ethan Rayne, standing in the midst of the
demons, held up his hand forestalling the demon attack. “Slayer. I’m certainly
surprised to see you here, but I can’t say that it’s really a
pleasure.”
“Rayne.” Buffy stood legs wide apart, her sword at her side.
“I need to talk with you.”
Ethan looked pointedly at her sword. “It
doesn’t look like talk was your original intent.”
“If you’ll answer some
questions, this won’t become a bloodbath.”
Ethan waved at the room full
of demons. “Why Ms. Summers, I believe it would be you taking the bath, not me.
As much as that does sound entertaining, I’m just too busy tonight.”
The
wizard snapped his fingers and Buffy’s feet felt fifty pounds heavier. Trying to
lift them, she discovered they were somehow glued solidly to the floor. It felt
like she was mired in thick tar. An elementary school trip to the La Brea tar
pits flashed through her mind. I've become a stegosaurus.
Hearing
the muttered “bloody hell,” behind her, she had a feeling Spike was a
Stegosaurus, too.
On second thought, he can be the stego, I'm going to
be a Tyrannosaurus Rex.
“Ethan, what are you doing?” The feminine
voice rang with authority. “Release Ms. Summers and the vampire
immediately.”
Ethan shrugged and nonchalantly snapped his fingers again.
Spike’s feet, free once more, carried him swiftly across the floor to
stand eye to eye with Ethan. “You ever do that again and I’ll see that your
liver gets pulled out through your nose.”
The curtain parted and Buffy’s
mouth dropped open. “I know you; at least I think you’re you.”
Hearing
the Slayer’s surprise, Spike turned and confusion colored his face. “Who is
she?”
“Spike, this is-“
The woman interrupted, holding out her
hand. “I’m Margot Chaplaine.” She moved closer. “And you’re the Slayer that
lives here on the Hellmouth, Buffy Summers.”
She looked at the vampire.
“And just who might you be?”
Spike drawled, “Well, pet, I thought I was part of your rescue party.”
“This is Spike.” Buffy gripped
her sword. “We’re both here to save you.”
Margot lifted her hand to ward
off the sword. “Oh, that won’t be necessary, Ms. Summers.” She turned to Ethan.
“Ethan, why don’t you send the Vorrine back to their lair while I explain to the
Slayer- she tipped her head toward Spike- “and her partner what’s really going
on here.”
Ethan nodded and spoke what sounded like gibberish to Buffy,
but evidently the demons understood the nonsense syllables. The room emptied
quickly.
Margot gestured to the curtained doorway. “Come in here, we’ll
be more comfortable.”
The back room of the building housed a scarred
wooden table and several chairs. “Please, Ms. Summers, Spike, have a
seat.”
Spike turned one of the chairs around and straddled it. Buffy
slid into the one next to him and cautiously laid her sword across her lap.
Margot sat across from the couple. Nodding at the sword, she said, “You
won’t need it. Anyway, I can assure you this building is warded, you wouldn’t be
able to use it in here.”
So that’s why the bracelet stopped working at
the door. Buffy stared at the older woman.
“Okay, I get that you don’t
need rescuing. So why haven’t you called Kyle or your dad?”
At the
mention of Kyle’s name, Margot’s face fell. “I miss them so much. Tell me, is
Kyle alright?”
Spike shifted in the chair. “He misses his
mum.”
Margot clasped her hands together and looked over at the wizard
leaning against the wall. “Ethan, isn’t it about time you checked the
perimeter?”
Taking her cue, he disappeared through the curtain. When
Buffy heard the door close she placed her palms flat on the table and asked,
“So, Ms. Chaplaine, what exactly is going on here?”
“Call me Margot.” She
pushed her bangs away from her eyes. “I guess I should start at the
beginning.”
“That’s as good a place as any, pet.”
“How well do
you know Ethan?”
Buffy grimaced. “I’d say pretty well.” She searched
Margot’s face. “I’d also say if you’re working with Ethan Rayne, than we’re
probably not going to get along.”
“I don’t work with Ethan. Ethan
works for me, as an interpreter. He happens to be fluent in several demon
languages. You can see that I’m not being kidnapped; no one is holding me
against my will.” She sighed. “To make a long story short, actually I’m
bait.”
“Bait?” Buffy echoed. “Bait for what?”
“Three months ago
someone approached me with a message from the Gashi Clan.” Her lips quirked. “It
seems I’m an unknown quantity, so possibly open to being convinced to look the
other way about certain activities.”
“Who are the Gashi?”
“One
of the worst demon clans in the area. The Chieftain of the Gashi makes Angelus
look like an altar boy.” Spike lifted an eyebrow. “What did you
say?”
“That I was definitely open to the idea of course.” She placed her
left hand, balled into a tight fist, on the table. “But they wanted a
concession, something to prove I could be trusted.”
“What
concession?”
“Me. I had to take a blood oath the day I arrived here at
the Hellmouth.” Turning her hand she opened the palm to reveal a deep
triangular cut.
“You can’t do that. Your father, who sent us looking for
you by the way, said if you didn’t take your position at the right time, the
Hellmouth would go all freaky.”
Margot suddenly stood up and paced.
“That’s true and I will attend my installation. I’ve been working to
become Imperial Wizard since I was six. I have to be installed to honor any
agreements, so they won’t stop me.
And if I don’t honor my side of the
bargain, a High Wizard would be infinitely more valuable to them. I had to
disappear. My father had begun to sense something was going on.”
Spike
leaned back in the chair. “So, I’m assumin’ that the Gashi are never going to
get their hands on you, blood oath not withstandin’.”
“You’re quick,
vampire.”
“I’ve planned a few double crosses over the years.”
“That’s where Ethan comes in. He’s about to carry a message to the
Thesa
Clan offering them the Gashi Chieftain. The terms of the deal are being
hammered out tomorrow morning. But the deal will never come to pass because I’m
going to destroy them myself once they take down the Gashi.”
Spike
lifted an eyebrow. “The Thesa are bitter rivals of the Gashi so I can see them
salivating at the chance to take them down. You’re going to double cross both
Clans? I’ve gotta say, wizard, you definitely have some brass testies.” He
smirked. “So to speak.”
“Let’s just say I’d like to start my time in
office with a bang, not a whimper.”
Buffy concentrated on all the
information presented. “Okay, let me see if I understand. You’ve got your demon
Sharks and your demon Jets. The Sharks want a piece of your power and you’ve
offered to give it to them or they get you. The Jets want the Sharks and you’re
going to offer that, too. Only nobody gets what they want, everyone is double
crossed.”
“Essentially, yes.”
“How are you going to keep the
demons from double crossing you? After all, demons.”
Margot
shrugged. “I don’t see much possibility of that, neither Clan speaks to the
other and if this works, both Clans will be weakened for a very long
time.”
“Okay, but I see one very large hole in your plan.”
Margot
chuckled. “Only one? What’s that?”
“That you actually believe you can
trust Ethan Rayne. Aren’t you aware of his reputation?”
“It was his
reputation that I needed in this case.”
Buffy thought out loud. “You
needed someone that would make the demons believe you’re telling the truth.”
“Exactly. If I’m working with Ethan, then I’m probably not so lily white
after all.”
“But how will you keep Rayne from double crossin’ you?”
“He won’t. I have something he wants very much and as long as he plays
straight with me, he’ll get it.” Margot’s eye’s narrowed briefly as her gaze
settled on Buffy. “You can’t tell my father or Kyle any of this. I’ve let it be
known that I’m working on my own and they’re not involved. It’s the only way I
can protect my son.”
“So you’re asking me to pretend that I’m still
trying to find you for the next few days?”
“Yes, that would be best.”
Buffy nodded slowly. How far can I really trust her? “I’ll do
what you want on two conditions.”
“And they would be?”
“That I
can keep an eye on Rayne.” And you.
“I don’t think it’s really
necessary, but I can’t see the harm as long as no one catches on to what you’re
really doing. And the second condition?”
“That I’m in on the takedown.
Deal?”
“I can always use a Slayer on my side. Deal.”
“I love a
good double cross. I’m joinin’ up, too.”
Margot stood against the wall,
relieved. “Okay then. Welcome to my own personal Shakespearean play. I’m
thinking Caesar, myself.”
Spike shook his head. “He got stabbed in the
back. Go for Brutus.”
Margot looked at the gorgeous vampire in front of
her and pretended to pout. “But then I have to be ridden with self doubt and
guilt. Do I look ridden enough to you?” She casually thrust her chest forward.
Spike, amused, looked the woman up and down and drawled. “No, and I
think that could be a real problem, luv. You don’t appear to be ridden enough at
all.” He grinned. “Maybe I can help with that in some small way.”
“I’m
not interested in small help. I like my help on the larger side.”
Spike
raised an eyebrow. “I’ve never had any complaints.”
Margot licked her
lips and glanced at Buffy. “I’m looking forward to working very closely with
your cute vampire.”
Buffy watched Margot and Spike flirt and felt a
rising irritation. She’s old enough to be my mother. A small voice in her
head reminded that Spike was a lot older than he looked. But she is a
mom and one that won’t even send a message to her worried son. Buffy
suddenly realized she didn’t like her very much at all.
Hearing her name
repeated, she gave herself a mental shake- Why do you care so much anyway?
It’s just Spike- and replied hotly, “He’s not my vampire. He isn’t anyone’s
vampire and shouldn’t be. I mean, Spike and I just work together.”
Margot
raised an eyebrow quizzically. Turning back she noticed Spike, dumbstruck,
openly staring at the Slayer. Annoyed, she dismissed them both with a wave of
her hand. “I’ll consider the help.”
Trying to ascertain what was going on
in the Slayer’s head-Did Buffy just sound jealous?- Spike replied
distractedly, “Then I’ll see you around, pet.”
“We’ll both be back
tomorrow evening.” Buffy added as they turned to leave.
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enigmaticblues . J-I
just don't know where you find the time to edit my little attempts while putting
out the spectacular fare you grace us with every day. Thank you.