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PART 2: WILLOW'S STORY: REVELATIONS
Oh my gosh! Vampire bones. A resurrection ritual. That's the only reason someone would need the bones of a vampire. The look on Buffy's face was even more terrifying than thinking about the Master. Anything that could frighten her that much had to be ten times worse than anything I could handle. Willy looked even more uncomfortable now. I don't think he meant to upset her this much. Feeling sorry for him, I slipped ten dollars out of my purse and pushed it into his hand. It wasn't much, but it was more than he should have been expecting. Thanking him quickly, I put my arm around Buffy and lead her to a more private part of the club.
What a turn of events. First, she's practically glowing after getting all hot and heavy with Gabriel and then we hear about the Master and she gets totally somber. That's never good for a person. I looked at her drawn, expressionless face and wondered what she was thinking. It must have been horrible. Two years ago, the Master had killed her and the trauma had left some serious marks on her psyche. She had a bit of a therapy session with a sledgehammer the first time someone had tried to resurrect him, but I always wondered if that had been enough. Seeing her now, I doubted it.
"Don't worry," I suggested, trying to console her with a pat on the back, "Resurrection rituals almost never work. I mean, there isn't a single successful one on record."
I should never have said almost. Her frown deepened and she hugged herself tightly. Okay, it looked like I wasn't going to be able to fix this one by myself. Fortunately, I had other resources to draw on.
"Let's talk to Gabriel." I took her by the arm, "He'll make you feel better."
To my surprise, she pulled away from me and shook her head softly. Why would she want to keep this from Gabriel? The possibility of dealing with the Master again definitely had her spooked.
"He's with his brother." She muttered sullenly, "I-I don't want to bother him."
Brother? "His brother is here?" I asked, a little jazzed at the idea. Being an only child sometimes makes you want to experience the joy of siblings vicariously through your friends. Except most of my friends were only children, too.
"Yeah, his name's Rafael. They're over there." Buffy indicated, totally non-plussed. She was obviously not sharing in my sentiment. Oh, yeah, she was definitely having some issues over this Master thing.
I peeked through the crowd and saw Gabriel laughing and smiling with an older guy with short, wavy, jet black hair and nice, dark blue eyes. I had seen him when he had come in, but never imagined he was a relative of Gabriel's. One of the two girls I had seen with him earlier, the blonde that had been pawing at Gabriel, was gone and the other was practically glued to Rafael's side. Well, that was one less thing for Buffy to have to deal with.
"Come on," I urged, tugging on her arm again, "Gabriel will take you home. I'll head back to the dorm and see what I can dig up on resurrection rituals and call you in the morning. No one's going to find the bones before we do." For safety's sake, Buffy had buried the shattered skeleton herself so no one else would have any idea where to look. If I knew her, I'd bet that they were down pretty deep.
"Maybe you're right." She relented, allowing me to lead her toward Gabriel, "I should probably try and get some sleep."
The initial shock must have been wearing off. Weariness was setting in. I think a human's natural defense against negative emotions is sleep. I like sleep. My favorite time of day is first thing in the morning when it's all warm under the covers and there's still ten minutes before my alarm goes off. The best thing about sleep is the comfort that comes with it. And Buffy definitely needed some comforting.
"Look, I'll call you tomorrow morning. First thing." I hugged her again and she seemed to appreciate the support, "Promise."
"Thanks Will." She smiled for the first time since Willy had dropped the bomb, "I'll try to keep myself from going all to pieces until you call, okay?"
I watched as she cut through the crowd and approached Gabriel. He was caught up in conversation with his brother and hardly noticed when she tapped him on the shoulder. Hmm, odd for him, since he almost always seemed to know where she was, like he had a sixth sense or something. Oh, right, I forgot, he did have a sixth sense. He leaned down and they spoke to one another for a moment. He didn't seem thrilled with the idea of leaving, but I knew he wouldn't let her down. Just as I predicted, Gabriel gave his brother a hug goodbye and headed for the door, holding Buffy's hand. I hoped she would be all right.
I waited an appropriate amount of time before following them out. I doubted they'd be smooching or anything, but she probably wanted to be alone with him. I paused to consider whether I should tell Xander about the Master or not. He was sitting at the table and Anya was leaning across the table all dreamy eyed. No way, not with Evil-girl breathing down his neck. I'd make a point to call him tomorrow and fill him in when she wasn't around.
I went out the front door and turned down the main street toward home. It wasn't the most direct route, but it was definitely the safest and best-lit option. How did that saying go? An ounce of prevention . . .? Just call me Prevention Girl. Especially when getting killed is the thing being prevented.
I was almost halfway back to the dorm when I got this strange, scary feeling, like I was being watched. Oh, why did Oz have to go on that road trip with the Dingoes? This is what I got for being nice and letting Buffy and Gabriel walk home alone together. Which, through process of elimination, left no one to walk home with me. The feeling crept up on me again and I looked back over my shoulder. Nothing. Maybe I was just imagining things. Just in case I wasn't, I picked up the pace and withdrew my cross pendant from inside my sweater and let hang exposed on my chest. When it came to vampires, I liked to advertise my knowledge of their weaknesses.
I reached the walkway to the dorm and practically ran for the door. It opened on the first try. Thank God the security guard had left it unlocked. Relaxing now that I was in the relative safety of the dorm, I went upstairs to my room. My roommate was out for once and the perpetual party that seemed to always be going on appeared to have gone with her. My computer was still on; I had e-mailed Oz before going to the Bronze and forgotten about it.
Sinking down into my chair, I turned on the monitor and double-clicked my mailbox. A cute, cheery tune informed me that it was empty. Hmm, well, he had said that he wasn't even sure if he was going to be anywhere where he could get access to e-mail. Maybe he hadn't even received my message yet. It was less than a day since he left. He'd probably call me tomorrow night.
Okay, with my social responsibilities taken care of, I was ready to start researching the resurrection ritual. I went to a few of the usual websites, The Wiccan Circle, Abernathy's Archives, and a place aptly named The Crypt, but none of them had anything. I wasn't really expecting to hit paydirt on the first few tries anyway. The ritual was pretty obscure. The only reason I even knew about it was the previous brush we'd had with it two years ago.
Time to get down to business. I spent hours digging through loads of digitized information. Some of it might have been useful on other occasions, but most of it was junk. My eyes started to burn and sag shut. No, I had to keep trying. Buffy needed me. But I was getting so tired. I would just rest my eyes for a second and then I would throw myself back into it. Just for a second . . .
Birds were chirping outside and I could hear the wind rustling the leaves of the trees on campus. I opened my eyes and found myself under the covers of my bed, still dressed in my clothes from last night. Bright sunlight was streaming through the window. Darn it! I fell asleep! But how did I get in bed? The last thing I remembered was sitting at my computer.
My door opened up and the roommate from Hell bopped in to the beat of a blaring walkman. I don't care how much Buffy had been complaining. There's no way she was going to win in a who-has-the-worst-roommate contest.
"HEY, YOU'RE AWAKE!" my roommate shouted cheerfully, "YOU WERE SO ZONKED LAST NIGHT, YOU DIDN'T EVEN BUDGE WHEN I CAME IN! SORRY I HAD TO MOVE YOU!"
Well, that was one mystery solved. I squinted at her and made a motion for her to remove her headphones.
"WHAT?!" she hollered, then realized what I meant, "Oh. Hey a bunch of us are going down to this guy's place for jello shooters. Wanna come?"
"What time is it?" My head felt all foggy. I hadn't even considered looking at my clock, but it seemed way too early for jello shooters. Like three years too early.
"Ten after two." She answered with a shrug.
"Oh my gosh!" I jumped out of bed and went for the door. No, shower, I needed a shower. And clothes. Clothes would be a good idea.
"A Buffy . . . Summers called for you." She continued, "She's been calling all morning but I figured you needed to sleep it off, so I told her you'd call her later."
Oh, darn it! I had promised Buffy I would call her this morning. Why did I have to sleep in? I grabbed a clean sweater and a pair of jeans, piling them in my arms.
"You coming or what?" my roommate asked as I added underwear and a pair of socks to the pile.
"No, I don't think so. I'm still worn out from last night." I answered absently as I searched for a clean towel. Everything on my side of the room had been so neat and organized before she had brought her friends over. Now I would be lucky if I could find a bus in all the mess.
"You sure?" she attempted to coax me, having no idea how not-tempting her offer was, "You know what they say, little hair of the dog that bit you?"
"Um, right." I quirked my eyebrows and tugged my last clean towel out from under a pile of spilled books. Did this girl even know anyone who slept in for reasons other than being embarrassingly drunk?, "I'll pass."
"Suit yourself." My roommate shrugged and left the room to my utter relief.
It only took me fifteen minutes to get clean and ready, a personal best, I think. In another fifteen minutes, I was outside Buffy's door. She greeted me with a big hug and ushered me inside her room. Her roommate was nowhere to be seen. Good, this way we could talk privately. Buffy didn't look very good, but I didn't want to say that. It looked like she hadn't slept all night.
"I'm sorry I wasn't over earlier, but I slept in by accident." I offered by way of an apology, "How are you feeling?"
She sighed heavily and pushed her hair up out of her face in agitation, "I've been better. How did it go last night? Did you find anything?"
I wished I had some good news for her, but I didn't. I shrugged slightly and hoped I could find a silver lining somewhere on this dirty cloud. Buffy took this as a resounding no and her face fell a bit.
"What about Gabriel?" I asked, aiming to cheer her up if I could, "He's been around this kind of thing since he was a baby. Did he know anything?"
"I didn't tell him." Buffy walked quickly across the room and stared out the window.
Okay, now I was getting wigged. The two of them had been inseparable for months now and, all of a sudden, she's keeping secrets.
"Why not?" I asked.
"I don't want to get him tangled up in my problem" I noted a distinct tone in her voice that meant she wasn't entirely telling the truth, but I let it pass.
"First of all, it's not YOUR problem." I reminded her, "We're all here to help you, including Gabriel. Let him decide whether he wants to get involved or not."
Buffy had this habit of trying to protect everyone and sometimes it left her feeling alone. Gabriel wouldn't stand for that. One of the best things about him was that he would do anything for his friends and even more for Buffy if he could. I doubted there would be a force on earth that could keep him from getting involved in this once he found out.
"It doesn't really matter." She sighed, "He's not home. I've been calling him all day."
"Then why don't we go over there." I suggested, "You have your key, right?" I wanted to get her and Gabriel together for a little while, so they could talk this over. If anything could get her spirits up again, it would be him.
"I don't know, Will." She hedged, nervously. I could tell she wanted to go, but was uncertain about something, "He only gave it to me last night. I don't want to start spending all my time there."
Again, she was avoiding him. It was getting to be very frustrating, "What's bothering you, Buffy? Why don't you want to tell him about this?"
"It's not that." She shook her head, "Trust me, there's nothing I would love more than having Gabriel put his arms around me and tell me everything's going to be all right. But what if its not? What if the Master comes back?"
"He won't." I assured her, "No one knows where his bones are except you. Once you and Gabriel get together on this, it'll be over in no time." I took her hand and looked seriously at her, "That is, as soon as you tell him."
"I will. I will." She agreed with a deep sigh, "Just not when HE'S around."
So THAT was what this was all about. Her problem wasn't with Gabriel, it was with Rafael.
"Rafael?" I frowned, "He seemed nice enough to me."
"I don't know." She caught the edge of her lip between her teeth in troubled thought, "Something about him is wrong, Will. I don't know what it is, but he freaks me. Big time. But you should have heard Gabriel talking about him on the way home last night. He practically worships the guy. I hated his father. How am I supposed to tell him I hate his brother, too?"
"Maybe you're jumping the gun a little here. You did only meet him last night. Gabriel's whole family isn't bad. You like Giles, right?" I took her arm and lead her to the door, "So let's go over to his place and wait for him to get back. Then we can all figure out what to do about the Master."
She slipped on her jacket and smiled at me, "Thanks, Will. This thing with the Master really threw me for a loop. I'm sorry if I'm not acting like my usually stable self."
"Totally understandable." I assured her, following her out the door.
We had been waiting at Gabriel's apartment for almost three hours and Buffy was getting very agitated. I watched her pacing back and forth across the floor from my seat on the couch. I had a feeling I knew what was going through her mind. She would have to go out on patrol soon. Gabriel was supposed to be her safety net on this one and, as darkness approached, it was looking more and more like she was going to have to go it alone.
"Maybe I should just go ahead on my own." She suggested with a frown, echoing my thoughts.
"Wait a few more minutes," I cautioned her, "It's not quite dark, yet. Give him a few more minutes."
She didn't seem happy about it, but she took my advice and plopped down in a plush chair. Less than a minute later, I heard the door open and two people came in. Buffy catapulted herself out of the chair and met Gabriel under the room's entrance archway.
"Oh, hey, you're here." Gabriel put his arms around her and gave her an affectionate squeeze. The calming effect it had on her was almost instantaneous. Until she saw Rafael. I could see the tension crawl back up her spine as soon as she laid eyes on him.
Gabriel was smiling from ear to ear, while his brother hung back a little. Shy? No, guys like him didn't get shy.
"Hey, Willow," Gabriel waved to me, "This is my brother, Rafael."
Rafael crossed the room and shook my hand, a warm smile on his face and in his deep blue eyes.
"Hi." I said awkwardly, feeling a little tinge of pink rising to my cheeks. I didn't know what Buffy had been talking about. He seemed pretty cool to me.
Gabriel ran his fingers through Buffy's hair and turned her head up to look at him, "Would you mind taking patrol on your own for a bit tonight? Rafael wants to go to the Cineplex and catch a movie. I can catch up with you later."
She shot an uncertain glance in Rafael's direction, weighing her own fear against Gabriel's short-term happiness. I really hoped she wasn't going to try and do this alone.
"What's wrong?" Gabriel finally noted her discomfort, "Something big going on? If you need me, I'm there."
I was glad to see that, again, Gabriel had lived up to my expectations and flown to her side.
She hesitated then took hold of his hand, seeming to draw strength from the contact, "I'll explain it on the way."
Gabriel looked to his brother apologetically, "Sorry, duty calls. I'll make it up to you tomorrow, I promise."
Rafael nodded congenially, but said nothing. I started to get up, but Gabriel raised a staying hand.
"Feel free to hang out here if you want." He offered, "We might be back before you know it. You can help yourself to whatever's in the fridge. See ya."
I settled back into my seat as he and Buffy went for the door, hand in hand. I could tell by her sharp, exaggerated movements that she was still very tense about the whole Master situation. Rafael watched them, too. I stole a quick glimpse at his profile and wasn't dissatisfied with what I saw. No one could ever take me away from Oz, of course, but Rafael was interesting to look at, even from a detached point of view. The more I looked at him, the more his similarity to Gabriel seemed to pronounce itself. It was odd to think that there were seven of them. Thanksgiving must be crazy at his place. He sat down at the opposite end of the couch from me and sighed deeply, apparently absorbed in thought. The silence was more than a little uncomfortable.
"S-so are you from Scotland, too?" I asked in a weak attempt to break the ice.
He smiled at the question and turned toward me. The direct attention made me feel very self-conscious.
"No." he shook his head with a rare male grace, "When Gabriel went to Edinburgh to train under Uncle Gerritt, I went to Cairo to study sorcery. I haven't had the time to get very good, but I'm learning."
Sorcery? Cool! I would never have guessed from looking at him. He was a little too . . . buff.
"I'm into that type of thing, too." I revealed happily, "But more old school wicca, actually, than modern sorcery."
"Really. Tell me about it." He leaned over, appearing to be genuinely impressed, "Have you ever conjured up anything serious?"
This was new. Guys like him are never impressed by me. I mean, I'm Willow Wallflower, the girl who everyone refers to as 'nice' because they don't know what else to say. And here was this GUY hanging on my every word. I couldn't help but embellish a little.
"I've called up fire demons." I sniffed, like it was something I did every day. Actually, the one time I had tried it, I nearly burned down my Mom's backyard. And all I got to show for it was a pair of living flames so small that together they wouldn't have topped a birthday candle. But he didn't need to know that.
He reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and handed me a folded up page of loose leaf.
"What do you make of this?" he asked with a bright smile. I had seen Gabriel smile at Buffy that way. Rafael didn't actually . . .? No. The laws of human interaction forbade cross pollination of the classes. At the dawn of time, some all-powerful force had divided the world into two groups, the cheerleaders and jocks on one side and the geeks and nerds on the other. Raphael was closer to being one of the former while I was most definitely one of the latter.
I took the page from him and coughed accidentally as his fingertips brushed mine, in a move that I was almost certain was intentional. I couldn't believe this. I would never cheat on Oz in a million years. One mistake was more than enough, but I couldn't help but be curious. The cough got worse as I attempted to stifle it, the air pulsing out of my nostrils in short bursts. Oh God, what if I got a booger?
Clamping my hand over my mouth and nose, I sat back quickly, away from him and looked at the page. The text had been meticulously copied by a skilled and careful hand, definitely someone who was familiar with the Art. The words were unfamiliar to me, not Latin like I was expecting, but something just as mysterious. Arabic? Of course, Rafael had learned his craft in Cairo. My limited knowledge of the language told me it was some sort of location spell but prevented me from reading the rest of the spell. Fortunately, the words didn't have to be understood for the spell to work, just pronounced correctly. It might make a good addition to my collection if I could convince him to let me copy it.
"It's a spell to locate a someone's heart's desire." Rafael told me, "But one of the stipulations is that it can't be cast by the person who wants to use it."
I nodded in understanding. Some spells were like that, intended to encourage casters to use their powers for the good of others instead of in pursuit of selfish ends. Magic by proxy, I think they called it. At least now I understood why he seemed so interested in me. I knew there had to be an explanation. Still, it was a little disappointing.
"You want me to cast this for you?" I deduced, feeling a smidgen uneasy. I had learned the hard way not to cast spells I really didn't know anything about but, at the same time, I was excited over the prospect of new magic.
"I know it's a selfish thing to ask," he apologized, "but it's the only way I can do this. Of the seven of us, I am Gabriel's only full-blood brother. When I found out that our father was dead, I started looking for someone, a person who was very important to both of us."
He stood up and looked at me with a strange vulnerable seriousness, "Willow, I want to find our mother."
I was taken aback by that. To my knowledge, Gabriel had never talked about his mother. I didn't even know he knew her. From what Giles had told me, Gabriel's father had been a real playboy, always running around with some new girl. I guess he would have had to be to have fathered seven sons by the time he was seventeen. Gabriel never really seemed the same after his father was killed, I wondered how he would react if he met his mother. It would be so exciting.
"Sure, I'll help." I offered, "Do you have all the ingredients we'll need?"
"Right here." He grinned broadly and patted his jacket pocket.
Sitting down on the floor, Rafael took out a small jar filled with a clear, oily liquid and carefully popped the top off. Next he produced an unlit matchstick and dropped it in so that it floated parallel to the surface. I could already follow how the spell was supposed to work. The match would act as a pointer, like a compass, only linked to the target of the spell instead of magnetic north. Squatting down across from him, I stretched out my arms.
I laid my hands across his and reached out with my mind in search of the communion of souls that would be required for the spell. I started thinking about that stupid game, 'Blind Man's Bluff' where the blindfolded kid gropes about in the darkness searching for the other players. I felt like that kid now. I stretched out with my mind, expecting to find something and there was nothing. I probed around until I found his inner self. Surprisingly, the energy within him was very small. And cold. It was like he didn't have a soul at all. No soul . . .
I pulled back wildly in a panic the instant the connection began to assert itself. An instant was all it took for me to get a glimpse into who Rafael really was. Dead. Rafael was dead. Undead, actually, certainly not alive. And he was evil, as pure an evil as I had ever touched with my mind. But how? We had all seen him standing out in broad daylight. He should have burst into flames, but he hadn't. I could sense that some foreign power was guarding him from most of the restrictions of vampirism, something he had to keep close to his body, but I had no time to find out what it was.
I also saw the heart's desire he sought. He wasn't searching for his mother. In fact, he knew almost nothing about her. Her face was buried so deep in his memory that even he couldn't reach it. He was after the Master's bones. Just like Buffy had thought. His mind was consumed with it, to the exclusion of almost all else.
Only one other thing occupied his thoughts. Gabriel. His baby brother. And how he was going to kill anyone who got between them. Oh God, Buffy . . .
I pulled away from him, my mind reeling from the startling contact, and stared at him in shock. He blinked in confusion and raised his eyebrows at me.
"Is something wrong?" he asked reaching over to steady my shaking hands.
I stood up quickly and folded my arms, pasting the most convincingly unconcerned expression I could on my face.
"N-no, no, everything's fine." I lied, attempting to seem casual. Oh God, what if he knew that I knew? What if he killed me right here?
"Come on then," he urged with a gentle smile, "Let's cast the spell."
His smile did nothing to comfort me. I knew what was behind it now. No wonder he gave Buffy the wig. I had to get out, go somewhere safe. Fighting down a wave of panic, I scooped up my jacket and inched toward the door. At least he didn't seem aware that I knew what he was. All I had to do was keep up the farce for another minute or two.
"What's the matter?" he frowned, rising and following me with slow, predatory steps. Oh gosh, predatory steps. . . he was getting suspicious!
"I, uh, didn't realize how late it was getting." Backing into the entrance alcove, I grasped at the only straw I had, "Lots of studying to do. Yup, big midterm coming up."
"It's September." He narrowed his eyes shrewdly. Oh, no, he was definitely on to me now. But panic forced me to react.
"I have a reputation for being boring. Ask anyone." I blurted, my back bumping against the solid door, "You can never start studying too early, that's what I always say. Guess I'm just a boring girl."
"Really." His eyes went hard and cold, without a trace of his earlier friendliness. There was a dark tone to his voice that sent a jolt of terror rushing through me.
"I have to get back to my dorm now!" I didn't wait for him to respond or even to see if he had heard me. I yanked the door open and bolted down the stairs, nearly falling headlong in my haste. He didn't appear to follow me, but I didn't stop running until I was back on campus.
Panting from the exertion, I slowed to a brisk walk. Almost home now. I wondered if it might be a good idea for the 'Take Back the Night' program to start up a vampire division. Of course, I guess that would be Buffy. And Gabriel.
Oh, Gabriel. His brother was dead and he had no idea. What a terrible thing to have to find out. Buffy would know what to do. I hoped. I change directions sharply and ran up the steps to Stevenson Hall. I had only been to Buffy's room a few times since we started college, but I knew where it was. As I approached the door, it opened and a chipper, short-haired girl rushed out, almost colliding with me.
"Oh, hey," she beamed, "You're Buffy's friend. Willow, right?"
"Yeah, i-is Buffy home yet?" I tried to keep my voice from trembling. Shielding civilians from the truth of what lurked in the Sunnydale nights often saved a lot of explaining.
"No," the girl shook her head, "she usually stays out pretty late. I have to head down to the library but you're welcome to wait for her here if you want."
Gee, what a great thing to do. I would never leave one of my roommate's friends to stay in our room alone. Not that I really had any choice. Why couldn't I have a nice roommate like Buffy did?
"Thanks." I smiled as she let me into the room.
"There's a pad and a pen by the phone." The girl poked her head in through the door, "If you could just log any phone calls you make . . .? Bye." She disappeared down the hallway.
Log phone calls? What a great idea! I would have to remember that and mention it to MY roommate. Flopping down on Buffy's bed, I started to relax a little. I found a book on her nightstand and started flipping through it. Nothing to do now but wait.
Two hours later, a key rattled in the lock and the door opened. As I sat up to greet her, Buffy sprang across the room and grabbed me by the throat. I froze in terror, but when she saw it was me, she calmed immediately and let me go.
"Sorry, Will." She pulled her hands away and put them behind her back guiltily, "I've been pretty jumpy lately."
I nodded in understanding, rubbing my throat, "No luck on patrol?"
Buffy shook her head softly and sighed harshly, dropping into her chair. She was looking worse than ever. I think the stress was really getting to her.
"I told Gabriel what was going on." She seemed to relax a small bit when she mentioned this, "He offered to let me stay at his place until we take care of this, but I can't, not with Rafael there. The guy just creeps me."
A cold sickness gripped my insides as I remembered what I had to tell her. Reaching out, I took hold of her wrist and gave her a reassuring squeeze.
"Buffy, it's worse than you think." I slowly drew in a deep breath and held it for a moment, gathering my resolve.
"Willow, what is it?" she looked at me, deeply concerned. She knew I had something big to tell her.
"It's about Rafael." I whispered, my throat feeling like it would close over, "He's the one who's looking for the Master. He's a vampire."