Direct rays of brilliant sunlight pierced the pale grey clouds, streaking across the patches of blue sky and towards the horizon at a slight angle. Hel was seldom granted the pleasure of such a lovely view, as she hardly had occasion to be awake in the morning.
She stood, albeit a little clumsily, and headed inside. Her alcohol-induced high had long since faded, leaving her hollow. On her way through the kitchen, she set her empty glass bottle carefully down on the island countertop. She padded into the dining room and plopped onto the chair nearest to her with a relieved sigh.
Dawn sat perpendicular to her, engrossed by the task of conducting research on Willow's laptop.
Seated at the far end of the table, Willow lifted her head. She took one look at Hel and frowned with concern. "You look terrible."
Hel's eyebrows shot up. "Gee, thanks. A bit early for compliments, don't you think?"
Anya entered, adding another candle to the gathering that was already set up in front of Willow. Willow struck a match and lit each wick, one at a time.
Buffy and Xander watched from the opening that led to the front foyer.
"How's it going?" Xander inquired.
"Dawn's trying to find out anything she can about the Seal of Danthazar. Will's about to do a locator spell, see if we can find the First." Buffy replied, yawning.
"Why don't you go get some rest?" He suggested. "You haven't slept for like, two days. We'll call you if we find anything."
"Nah. I-I couldn't sleep. Too much going on."
"It'll be okay, Buff. We've faced this kind of stuff before."
Hel observed Willow pouring a sandy mixture onto the table top, fascinated by the ritual. The spells Hel was most familiar with didn't involve ceremonial objects, talismans, rites, candles, or the like.
"You didn't see the First." Buffy stated. "I did. I felt it. It was like—"
A sudden explosion threw Anya into the corner and flipped Hel's chair backward onto the floor.
Hel hit the floor with a thud and an "Oof!", winded by the force of the impact. Propping herself up onto her elbows, her eyes went wide. "Damn." She cursed under her breath. In all honestly, she was impressed. She had no idea a woman as meek as Willow could wield such immense power.
The bowl in front of Willow was glowing bright red, emitting an enchanted light that clung to Willow. It entered her body through her nostrils, and she threw her head back.
Dawn shrieked in outright terror and leapt away from the table, crawling away to hide.
An enormous, horned apparition, with blazing scarlet eyes and wicked-sharp talons for fingers, was expelled from between Willow's parted lips, lunging towards Buffy.
"Will!" Buffy shouted.
The demonic manifestation slithered back inside Willow's body and she stood. Red lightning bolts erupted from her mouth, knocking Buffy onto her back. She was sent skidding across the floor and into the foyer.
"You only make me stronger!" Willow roared, in a deep, booming voice that did not belong to her.
Making a split-second decision, Xander lurched forward to grab the bowl. He hurled it at the wall and it shatter upon impact. The red light vanished. Willow collapsed, crying and twitching.
Xander went to Anya's side, looking her over for any injuries.
Buffy hastened to Willow. "Will!"
"It's still in me. I feel it!" Willow said hopelessly, her eyes welling up.
"No, it's not. It's gone. You're okay." Buffy reassured her.
"I don't want to hurt anybody. Please, Buffy, don't let it make me. Oh, God!" Willow whimpered, appearing on the verge of an emotional breakdown.
"We won't. I promise. Okay? I promise." Buffy spoke gently, attempting to soothe Willow. "We won't use magic to fight this thing until we know what we're doing."
"I can't." Willow murmured brokenly. "I can't. I'm sorry."
Heaving herself to her feet, Hel bent over to grasp onto the back of her chair and lift it off the floor. Once it had been set upright, she folded her arms across her chest. "Well, that was entertaining."
Buffy shot her a cold glare.
Hel smiled, genuinely amused. "True, it didn't end the way we expected, but at least nobody important died."
"Hel, do us all a favour and stop talking." Xander remarked sternly, assisting Anya as she carefully stood.
Hel shrugged, unaffected by his harsh tone. "Suit yourselves."
Turning her back on the room, she strolled into the kitchen and poured herself a tall glass of cold water. She guzzled it down in a matter of seconds, and set it down in the stainless steel sink. She leaned against the countertop's edge, briefly closing her eyes.
Hearing snippets of conversation from the direction of the front door, Hel returned to the foyer.
Buffy was rendered speechless and immobile by shock, one hand gripping the edge of the door. Low and behold, the reason for her disbelief stood on the porch, large as life.
"Buffy." Rupert Giles greeted, familiar, slate-grey eyes gazing at her warmly from behind his spectacles.
"Giles." Buffy took a step forward, struck by the sudden urge to hug him, but was prevented from doing so by three strange girls walking straight through the gap between them.
"Nice place." Remarked the first one to enter, speaking with a distinct Cockney accent. "Bit of a mess."
The girl following immediately behind her smiled shyly, but said nothing.
The third glanced at Hel very briefly, before sizing Buffy up curiously. "This is a slayer?" Sighing, she continued on into the house.
Bewildered by the unexpected encounter, Buffy shifted her confused stare over to Giles.
"Sorry to barge in." He apologised politely. "We have a slight apocalypse."
YOU ARE READING
Gods And Monsters
Fanfiction"Everyone else I've met here is dull as a table lamp. Not that I blame them, of course. It's in their nature. They're just too... Human." "What am I then?" He inquired, his eyes searching hers intently. She smiled. "You're a riddle. I like riddles...
