My Immortal

Chapter 31

"I feel great power close by. You assured me that no other old ones had settled on the Hellmouth."

" Those that had, we've already killed. They must be new in town, shall I dispatch the minions Sire?"

"No, the signatures wrong, this time I think I'll make my introductions, power like that deserves respect. And also, I'm just a little curious"

"Yes Sire"

Buffy and Spike walked towards the bar that they felt the power eminated from. Spike held the door open for Buffy and then swung himself into the room in a blaze of smoke and black leather. Buffy rolled her eyes at his showy entrance. She glanced around the room and her eyes settled on the huge guy at the end of the bar. A smaller vamp hurried away from him and left via the rear door. Obvious minion , closing her eyes she felt the power seep into her through her pores and freeze her unbeating heart.

Kakistos looked over, the power drawing him to her. It whispered to him . Her heart held power that he had never known, never hoped to own. He got up from his chair and walked to them. His nostrils flared as he sneered.

"Heart of a Slayer, turned, your an abomination, who dared turn you?"

"Me!"

"Spike? William the Bloody? I never pegged you to be a stupid man. How could you turn this worthless whore, and what of Angelus and his bitches?"

"Angelus is around, as for his women, dust by my own hand and that of my mate"

" You staked Drusilla? What the hell possessed you? Surely not this half breed?"

Buffy felt her anger welling up inside her. He really was a ignorant male chauvinistic pig. Buffy arched a bow at Spike and then went back to checking her nails, seeming bored to Kakistos.

"Come Spike, sit and drink with me"

Kakistos pulled a young girl to him and threw her at Spike. Spike caught her and looked her over. She was unharmed for now, Spike looked over at the door and pushed the girl to it once he knew that it wasn't blocked by any of Kakistos' minions. The girl ran for her life , not looking back once.

"You turn down a meal like that? You insult me, I should snap your neck for that"

"Why don't you step up and try"

"Ahh Spike?"

Spike looked around the room, seeing minions appear from all corners of the room and stand firm before their Master.

"Times like this we could so do with a bat signal"

Spike looked down at her with a tilted head and rolled his eyes before throwing himself towards the group of minions.

"Don't jus' stand there gawping! Get with the bloody killing woman!"

Buffy raised the scythe and took out minion after minion at speed, confusing them all. She beheaded and staked her way to Kakistos, finally coming toe to toe with the powerful vamp.

"You may be a worthy opponant after all, impressive trick, tell me , how do you do that?. "

"Trade secret mate, could tell you but then we'd have to kill you... gonna do that anyways"

Spike stood at her side now, Kakistos still stood firm. Spike took Buffy's hand in an unconscious move and they both started to glow a misty white .Their eyes glazed over milky white and Buffy reached for Kakistos.

Kakistos watched in awe at the magics that now radiated from the two before him. So engrossed, he didn't see the small hand that reached for him until fingertips touched his chest. He screamed and staggered back. Growling and snarling, he took one last look and then ran out into the alley and then home.

The glow dulled until it was no more. Spike shook off the sensation and looked down at his mate. She smiled up at him and then looked towards the exit. He had somehow resisted her touch and had gotten away. Not that she knew what the effect of her touch would do to him or why she felt that she had to do had told her that was what she should so needed to talk to Giles and to warn everyone that a major Big Bad was in shook Spikes hand and lead him out of the bar. Once they were outside, they checked to make sure there weren't any of Kakistos' minions around , and then made their way back to the Mansion at speed.

Angel was sat by the fire reading a book while Faith trained with Giles. Giles looked up and took a punch to the face, falling on his ass and rubbing at his jaw to ease the ache that now resided there.

New big bad, we just had a face to face with him and boy is he an ugly one, heavy on the ug. He got away . Giles, he got away when Spike and I got a case of the mysticals. He knows about us and he said he knew Faith. We need to put our new power research on hold and get with the bookage on this guy. "

Spike coughed and then looked at Faith, who was by now intrigued. The vamp had said he knew her, and only one vamp had ever gotten away from her, Kakistos. She shuddered as her memories came flooding back.

"Kakistos"

"The Greek vampire? "

"Not Greek, just named himself it cos it meant the 'worst of the worst'. Bloody false advertising if ever I've seen it"

Buffy smirked at Spike

"Like William the Bloody huh?"

"Don' bloody go there! There's more you need to know Watcher, he smelt like magics, strong too"

Buffy sat on the edge of the went to the Slayer who appeared to be in shock. Angel watched as Spike took Buffy aside, then turned his attention to Faith.

"Faith we need to know all the information that you have on Kakistos. We realise this is distressing , but we need you on form and ready for him, should he decide to attack."

Faith looked at Giles without blinking once.

"I fought him once, he's not like other vamps, he's stronger, harder to kill . I only managed to get away cos I cut up his face. He can't revert to human form and he has some traits that make him harder to kill. I used a normal stake on him and 's so old he has this thing going on with his hands, they're like claws or like has a right hand man, Mr Trick, he does the magic that Kakistos uses. He's slippery, I tried to dust him too but he always managed to get away."

"Thank you Faith"

Giles got up and walked over to where Buffy and Spike were talking. He took a glance in Faiths direction and saw Angel take her in his arms and smooth out her hair. The girl was obviously upset , anyone would after a trauma like that and having to share it. Giles would talk with Faith once he'd sorted things out with Buffy and Spike.

"I need to send you two out as soon as possible. A vampire of Kakistos' calibre will need to feed , a lot and if he is practising magics then he will need to feed more often. "

"Well goin on wha' that glowy being said, sunlight, not a problem for us now, we can go and look for his nest and maybe catch him asleep or get one of his bloody minions, sure they'd tell us what we need to know"

"Good idea Spike. It would help if we could get as much information as we can."

Buffy picked up the scythe and spun it in her hand, Spike chose an axe and after grabbing Buffys hand, walked them out the door into daylight. Both vampires stood and closed their eyes in unison, not knowing what to expect. Spike opened his eyes slowly, wincing at the brightness that stung his eyes. Over a hundred years had passed and now his body craved the warmth . Buffy watched as his eyes looked up at the sun, his arm coming over his face to shield it from the glare. Were those tears? Spike sniffed and looked down at her, smiling before he took her hand again and walked towards town.

They found the nest without too much delay or had climbed onto the roof and was looking down through a sky light, Spike joined her. They watched as minions swanned around busying themselves and carrying out Kakistos' orders. Kakistos himself was being illusive. Spike pointed down to a cage that was to their left , inside was at least five vampires. Buffy frowned at Spike, who shrugged his puzzlement. They continued to watch as a minion opened the cage door and dragged one out. The captive vampire smarled and growled, struggling to get free of the minions grip.

"They must be starving them to keep 'em weak pet, just can' see why Kakistos would need 'em though"

"There's another sky light on the other side of the building, go there and see if you can see something, let me know if you do"

"Okay pet, don't let 'em see you"

Buffy nodded and watched as Spike moved silently over the roof to the other window. He settled and looked over the edge of the window, looking up at Buffy soon after. He beckoned her over and Buffy went to his side. What they saw made them balk.

Kakistos held the heart up and re[eated the ritual. Both Buffy and Spike shot back as the lightning bolts assaulted vampire who's heart he held , lay at his feet, yet to be dust. As the ritual came to an and and Kakistos ingested the vampires heart, the vampire crumbled to nothing but ash. Buffy sat back on her heels. The vampire in her raged at seeing the ritual. The Slayer in her knew that Kakistos had to die. They needed to get back and tell everyone about the sight that they had seen and get them researching the ritual. Buffy looked up at Spike, who now stood.

"We need to get home... now!"

They leapt from the roof and landed silently. Buffy looked around , making sure that the alley was clear before they ran out and towards Crawford 's eyes turned to the blondes as they ran into the main room. Giles stood and closed the book he had been reading. He took his glasses off and placed them on the table beside the book.

"I assume that you found something by the way you rushed in "

"Kakistos, ritual, eating vamp hearts, we need to research now!"

Giles raised his brows and turned to Angel.

"Have you ever heard or seen a ritual similar to the one that they are describing?"

"No, but Kakistos is old, an ancient, he could have access to rites and magics that were lost, it's doubtful though."

Buffy rolled her eyes , trust Angel to waffle on .

"So, research, find out about it, Willow, can you see if you can pinpoint where the power is coming from, he must be getting it from somewhere."

"I'm on it"

Willow and Tara sat at the table,rummaging through Giles' books.

"Did he speak any languages while he did the ritual?"

"No, plain old English, but he could have translated the ritual, couldn't he?"

Giles nodded

"He could have, though that would take magics as well. Sumarian is the commonest form of text to do that with, as it has the same format, nouns etc, other languages do not lend themselves to translation all that well."

"So we're looking at a Sumarian ritual?"

"Possibly Buffy"

Buffy sat down on the couch beside Faith. Looking at the Slayer, she could see fear in her eyes. Buffy patted her knee, Faith looked at her and smiled.

"Don't worry bout me B, I'll still be there, in the fro, kicking his scarred ass"

"I'll worry, not much can stop me, but we'll stop him."

"I know. Just .. please be careful. "

"Hey unkillable here"

Giles was now sat with Willow, the piles of books had grown and were scattered on the floor and table. Buffy groaned, the book that she had was huge and she was only on page fifty two. Spike was sat watching tv, his feet were up on the couch and he drank blood straight from the packet. Angel grimaced ,

"What?"

"You could at least use a mug and not make it quite so obvious to the others"

"Why? They know I'm a bloody vampire an' I'm not about to hide the fact. Jus' cos your too soddin ashamed of what you are, don't mean I have to be"

Spike smiled behind the blood pack that rested on his lips , he loved winding Angel and he got a kick out of it whenever he could. This, being one of those times.

"I just think it's in bad taste to do that in front of Willow and Tara, they're not used to being around us. "

Angel looked up as Buffy came in from the kitchen sucking on a blood bag of her own, laughing with Tara. Tara seemed at ease with Buffy drinking beside her.

"What was that you just said Peaches?"

Angel looked down at Spike and scowled. God how he hated his childe at that moment. He stormed off to his room.

"Going for another bout of self flagulation then?"

Spike called after the elder vamps back, whilst laughing.

"Give him a break Spike, not his fault he's so tense"

"Don' give me that Buffy, he's just sore that we get the super powers an' he's still got to atone for his crimes. I feel the guilt but do you see me walking around all furrowed brow and tears. Bloke just needs to get over it or get laid"

"Spike!"

"Oh c'mon pet, would it hurt the guy to give his bloody wrist the night off and actually do the deed? Might give him a happy, then he'll lay off us lot that are doing something useful and help. So far all he's down is spout off "

Buffy had to admit there was some truth to what Spike had just said.

"Angel feels redundant when it comes to the fighting, he's okay, can hold his own but with us being all superfied he feels..."

"Like a poof, which he is"

Spike smirked and curled his tongue, Buffy smiled and held back the snigger that threatened to escape. She batted Spikes chest.

"How about we all try and find a way to stop Kakistos?"

Feeling tension build in the room, Buffy stepped outside into the back patio. Spike watched her go but then got distracted by the Willow. She chatted animatedly about a way of freezing him , holding him in stasis ,giving Buffy or himself the time and opening they would need to stake him. He listened but his eyes remained on the door that Buffy had walked through ten minutes ago. He cared about Willow , but the girl could ramble on . Without seeming rude , he took her arm and tilted his head. Not liking the feeling in his gut, he ran out the door, coat billowing out behind him. The others watched with looks of confusion at Spikes erratic raised voice bellowed through the main room , Giles and Angel reached him first.

"She's gone, he's gone and bloody snatched her! I'm gonna rip his soddin head off!"

Spikes game face looked more feral and his snarls and growls made the human occupants nervous. His temper flared as they made their way back in to the Mansion to retreive their weapons. The confrontation was going to happen and now. No more time to prepare, no time for eleborate spells, just a good panic that settled between them all made for a quiet drive, all hoped that Kakistos wouldn't use Buffys heart for his next ritual.