CHAPTER 21
Her actions drew loud hisses and grumbles from the crowd.
“What? You wanted the polite Slayer? B’s in
Screaming, he fell to his knees. Faith ripped the blade free, flinching only slightly at the sight of the blood-covered weapon. Faith felt her Slayer very close to the surface. Releasing the tight control she normally maintained, she gave the primal force an opening. Power and bloodlust surged. Faith threw back her head and screamed a challenge as her blade flicked out, slicing through the vampire’s neck. Seconds later, his ashes floated to the sandy floor.
She spun to face the assembled recruits and officers. Yellow eyes and fangs were in abundance.
Pausanias stepped onto the sand. “You’re here to train, not decimate the ranks of my army,” he growled. His own sword was still sheathed; however, a weathered hand gripped the hilt tightly.
Flushed and shaking from the raw energy of the Slayer, Faith grinned ferally. “I may work for your side, Soldier Boy, but I’m still a Slayer. As far as I’m concerned, the only good vamp is a dead one.”
The grizzled soldier returned her smile. “What you think or feel is irrelevant. You train; you stay. Kill another recruit, and you don’t get to come back.”
For a minute, Faith got lost in the Slayer’s need to kill. She growled, taking a quick step in Pausanias’ direction. Before she crossed the line and swung at him, an image of Phoebe drifted through her mind. She’d promised not to take any unnecessary risks. Faith ignored the Slayer’s howl of rage and dropped her weapon to her side. “Fair enough. If all the recruits are as stupid as that last one, though, I ain’t responsible for what happens.”
Nodding brusquely, Pausanias acknowledged Faith’s comment. He gestured to three of the soldiers. “Slayer, these are some of my lieutenants. They’ll work with you.” His yellow eyes gleamed. “Perhaps we’ll have a chance to step into the arena together when our work here is completed.”
Faith’s skin chilled at his look. Pausanias was far beyond the run of the mill vampires she normally faced. “Count on it.” She gave the Slayer more freedom, and Pausanias’ eyes widened. Knowing her own eyes showed the orange glow of her ancestors, Faith held his gaze. “No need to wait for the end. You never know what might happen along the way. Any time you want some schooling, give me a call.”
***
Phoebe tossed her keys on the table by the door. “Anybody home?” she called out.
“We’re in the attic,” Piper’s faint voice replied.
Still jittery from her encounter with Faith, Phoebe sprinted up the stairs. She rocketed through the doorway, and stopped abruptly. “Whoa! Who turned out the lights?” Heavy blankets covered every inch of glass in the large, open room. Without the sunlight, it looked like a cave.
“Sunlight plus Angel equals a big pile of dust,”
Phoebe wandered over and dropped to the floor. “Sorry.” She glanced at the vampire and shrugged. “I forgot about that.” Fingertips tapping an impatient rhythm against her thigh, she glanced at the other three people in the room. “Any luck?”
“Yes and no.” Phoebe glared at Piper, not happy with the vague response. “Well, it’s true,” Piper continued, throwing her hands in the air at the look she received. “We have a few ideas about the Dark Mistress. We’re tracking down any reference that looks good.”
“That covers the yes.” Phoebe grabbed the Book of Shadows from the floor and flipped through it. Yellow, blue, and green sticky notes marked several of the pages. “What’s the no part?”
It took a second for that to sink in. “Nothing?” she asked. Scrambling to her feet, Phoebe began pacing the darkened room. “How can there be nothing? I mean, it looked major. The Elders are involved. They even brought Faith in to help. We’ve got to be missing something.” The bitter taste of fear coated her tongue.
“Don’t panic yet.” Angel smiled slightly from his spot on the couch. The shadows gave his face a sinister cast, and Phoebe shivered. Faith and the Elders obviously trusted him, but they’d never had much luck allying with the Other Side.
“Good advice, but it’s my girlfriend who’s undercover and going in blind.” Phoebe clenched her fists, sucking in a deep breath. She had to calm down. This wasn’t helping. “You said you had some ideas about the Dark Mistress. Want to share?” That was better. She was thinking again, even if it was a struggle.
He frowned before nodding. “Yeah, I’ll start us off.” Leaning forward, Angel rested his elbows on his knees and started intently at the floor. “We think the Dark Mistress may be my Sire.”
“OK.” Phoebe waited impatiently for more. It didn’t come. “That’s not an explanation, Angel. That’s a sound bite,” she snapped. “What’s the rest of the story?”
“Darla’s dead.” He looked up, meeting Phoebe’s angry eyes.
Crossing her arms over her chest, Phoebe considered that. “Wait a minute. If Darla’s a vampire, isn’t she dead by definition?” She was missing something, some key piece of information.
“True. However, Darla was dusted a few years ago.” Angel looked away, and Phoebe figured she was getting only a portion of the truth. “She’s gone. We’re trying to see if she’s been resurrected or if, somehow, she wasn’t actually killed in the first place.”
“Have you found anything?” Phoebe directed her question to
“And the she’s not dead theory?” Phoebe reminded herself to
stay calm. Screaming at
“We’re…still working on that,”
Piper must have realized how close Phoebe was to snapping. She closed her book with a thud and sprang to her feet. “I do have info on Pausanias, though.” She smiled brightly at the room. “Anyone want to hear it?”
“Sure.”
“Um,” now in the spotlight, Piper hesitated over her meager facts, “he was a Spartan general in the fifth century.” She tapped her fingers on the cover of the book in front of her. “Very impressive with the fighting and did some time as a politician, too.”
Angel sat back, rubbing his face with both hands. “Fifth century? He’s probably part of the original Phalanx that got Turned.”
“Is that good or bad?” Phoebe asked. She watched Angel intently, muscles tight and heart pounding. They desperately needed some good news.
“Probably bad.” Angel shrugged. “He’s a twenty-five hundred year old military man in charge of an army of vamps. I can’t see how any of that is good.
***
Faith tossed the sword in the air, watching it tumble end over end, before snatching it by the hilt. Smirking at the three vampires groaning on the sand, she spun around slowly. Over the last few hours, the recruits had been replaced by more experienced soldiers. It had been hard to count while sparring. Still, Faith’s mental tally ran over three hundred. It was time to gather some information.
“Thanks for the workout, boys. Hope you’re back on your feet and ready the next time I’m in town.” She kept the short sword as she walked toward Pausanias. The Recruiter stood on a raised platform to one side of the arena. His yellowed eyes watched the training intently. Faith approached the dais with sweating palms. The fighting had been fabulous. She was far less certain about the sleuthing.
Before Faith reached the platform, Pausanias turned in her direction and jumped onto the arena floor. He smiled slightly. “Slayer, a nice display of talent.”
In spite of her knowledge that this demon was an enemy, Faith preened at the praise. “Thanks. I do my best.” She flashed her dimples. “The new kids were a lot better than that first group.” Riding a wave of self confidence from his admiration, Faith ignored the fear souring her stomach and pressed, “What’s the deal? It looks like you’ve already got, what, two or three hundred decent soldiers. Why waste your time training more?”
Pausanias grimaced at the question. “Normally, we keep a training facility and work with the recruits outside of our current contract. This is a unique situation.”
Faith grunted, her mind racing. There were more of them at a separate location? “Must be. Can’t be often you work with a Slayer.” She winked at Pausanias. Hoping she wasn’t pushing too hard, she let her eyes roam over the activity in the arena. “I’m gonna be looking for a daily workout. This place is a little too visible for me. Would your other place be better?”
“Our winter quarters are in
“Yeah, got me some courting to do.” Faith rocked on her heels, resisting the urge to wipe her sweating palms on her pants. “Too bad. I’ll just have to be careful sneaking in here. When’s the best time for me to stop in?”
Pausanias moved so they were facing each other. “You are very skilled at individual combat, Slayer.”
Faith smirked. “Thanks. I like what I do, ya know?”
“Indeed. Warriors are a breed apart.” Pausanias paused, yellow eyes examining her closely. “If you are willing, perhaps we might exchange knowledge. The Army has never been about self, only about comrades. We fight as a unit. As you have noticed, we do poorly when not part of a square or shield line.”
“I don’t know what the hell a square is, Soldier Boy, but I’d be glad to do a little sharing.” Faith grinned, fear replaced by excitement. Hell, yeah, she’d be happy to learn new ways to fight. “Just tell me the when and the where.”
Extending his arm, Pausanias placed his forearm against Faith’s and clasped his hand around her arm just below the elbow. “Excellent, Slayer. Consider yourself promoted to lieutenant. We’ll introduce you to army life tomorrow. Be here at sunrise.”
CHAPTER 22
Glancing at their interlocked arms, Faith swallowed hard.
She had to remember Pausanias was not a friend, not a mentor. He was the
enemy. The internal conflict made her voice ragged when she joked, “
Pausanias snorted at her humor. Releasing her arm, he stepped back. “You will find my men have little patience for mockery, Slayer. They are a very focused unit.”
“Guess I’ll be teaching them more than the latest moves, then.” Faith winked. Her heart pounded violently in her chest. This was it – the way in. Hoping Pausanias couldn’t sense the terror under her elation. Faith worked to stay in character. She could feel sweat trickling down her back. “I didn’t see any of your boys upstairs in the bar. There some private entrance you use to get down here? Or are you into a little bondage and keep ‘em locked up when they aren’t practicing?”
Heads turned when Pausanias laughed. “Ah, Slayer, you are sure to shake things up.” He gestured toward the far end of the arena. “Our entrance is here.”
Faith peered into the shadowy recesses of the large space. “You walk through walls?” The black rock looked seamless.
“Come. Let me show you.” He strode away and Faith scrambled to catch up. She felt awkward, still clutching her sword and trotting after the vampire. Once they cleared the throng of soldiers, Pausanias extended his right arm. A narrow copper band on his wrist glowed red.
Biting back a curse, Faith watched a section of the rock shimmer and disappear. Pausanias led them into the now-visible hallway. More black rock formed the walls and ceiling. As they walked, Faith counted more than a dozen archways. Some opened into offices or supply rooms. Others to hallways. It was vast, and Faith shivered. How did the PTB expect her and the sisters to take on such a large army?
The journey ended in a tiny office at the end of the current hallway. An ancient figure behind a battered desk sprang to his feet, fist thudding to his chest in salute. Pausanias waved a hand, and the vampire dropped back into his seat. “Teleclus, this is Faith.” An ironic smile crossed his face. “A Slayer. She’ll be joining us for daily training.”
Faith suspected the little gnome of a man was too well-trained to show his shock. She caught the slight widening of his eyes, though, and smirked. “Yes, General. Standard kit?”
General? Faith hoped she was as good as Teleclus at hiding emotions. She’d thought the vamp at her side was some middle level officer. While her thought zoomed around trying to deal with the new information, Pausanias calmly answered the question. “I think not, old friend. Can you see young Faith in tunic and cuirass?” The two chuckled while Faith tried to decide whether or not to be insulted.
Stuffing her hands in her pockets, Faith glowered. “Hey, enough with the laughing. I got things to do today. What do I need to get back here in the morning?”
“Be easy, Slayer.” Pausanias actually smiled at her. The sight had Faith fighting a shudder. The expression really didn’t suit the cold eyes. “You are not our usual type of recruit. It will take some work on all our parts to get used to the change in tradition.” He clapped her on the shoulder. “I will leave you in Teleclus’ capable hands. Until tomorrow, Lieutenant.”
Fleetingly, Faith wondered if she should salute. Mentally rolling her eyes at that thought, she raised her hand in a lazy wave. “I’ll be here, soldier boy.” She shook her head at Pausanias’ chuckle as he left the room.
“Would you care to have a seat, Lieutenant?” Teleclus asked, nodding at a couple of chairs pressed into the front of his desk.
It was the last thing Faith wanted to do. The earlier workout, combined with nerves, had her wired. “Sure thing.” Trying to look casual, she dropped into a chair and propped her boots on the scarred wooden desk. “Kinda a tiny place. Think I’d go crazy cooped up in here.”
“You get used to it after a few millennia.” Teleclus eyed her boots, but refrained from comment. Faith hid a smirk. Rank had some perks, it seemed. “Let me just take care of some paperwork, Lieutenant, and we’ll grab your supplies.” He unrolled a scroll and scribbled on it for several minutes with a quill.
Faith dropped her feet to the ground. Her right leg immediately began bouncing. “You mind if I ask you some questions while you work, Pops?”
“Of course not, Lieutenant.” Faith thought she heard his teeth grind together at the nickname. Discipline held, though, and Teleclus was nothing other than polite on the surface.
“Cool.” She surreptitiously wiped her palms on her thighs. Faith had to be careful. Information was key; just not at the expense of safety. “I…ah…I guess I’m a little confused. You guys have been around a long time. Why stick with the old ways? Times change. Guns, computers,” she clarified. “Why short swords and armour?”
The scrape of the quill tip on the parchment stilled. Teleclus met her eyes. “We are merely part of a larger force, Lieutenant. Some have moved away from tradition. We, however,” Faith could tell the old man was proud of his heritage, “have chosen to remain true to the foundations of Spartan greatness.” He hesitated, frowning fiercely. “However, it is not my place to tell you our mission. The General will tell you what he thinks you should know.”
Faith shrugged and slumped back in the chair. “Whatever. Just trying to be friendly.” She glowered at her knees, impatient to be gone. Energy crackled through her. Faith felt like she’d stuck her finger in a light socket. She needed to move. Soon.
“Alright-“ Teleclus began. Faith cut him off when she sprang erect.
“You ready?” She was already at the entryway. When he didn’t reply, she spun, rocking on her heels.
Teleclus rolled up his scroll and tucked it beneath his arm. “Forgive me, Lieutenant.” Faith was getting tired of the way the old man slurred the word. His tone was respectful. It was just…something in the way he took a little too long before saying it. It set Faith’s teeth on edge. Her hands clenched into fists, wanting to dust Teleclus.
They finally left his office. Faith managed to get a decent idea of the layout of the hidden passageways as Teleclus led them through the maze of corridors. Faith’s eyes widened when they reached their destination. She gazed at perhaps the largest army surplus store in existence. “Holy shit. How long you been piling this stuff up?”
Teleclus laughed at her reaction.
“Lieutenant, we outfit all of the soldiers in the
Faith thought she actually blushed at the derision in his voice. “Never thought about it. Makes sense, I guess. All my stuff comes from Wolfram and Hart.” She silently congratulated herself for remembering to add the detail. This was getting complicated. She needed to pay more attention to what she said and did. Pausanias and Cole thought she was far more experienced than she actually was. Sounding like a kid in Toy ‘R Us for the first time wasn’t part of her image.
“The General said no uniform.” The old man sounded disappointed. “That means you get your choice of weapon and the key to the portals.”
“Portals?” Faith bit back a curse. Damn it. She’d sounded too eager. Teleclus was going to give her the information. She didn’t need to pry it out of him.
Teleclus apparently missed her mistake. He tossed her an armband like the one Pausanias wore. “Portals. There are a series of magical gates that let us come and go without using the bar upstairs.” He grabbed a scroll from a shelf by his head. “This will show you the location of the ones in town. If the General decides to deploy you with other units, come see me for the larger version.”
The rest of Teleclus’ speech
blended into the buzzing in Faith’s head. A map. A map with the location of
portals across the state? The country? If Pausanias wasn’t kidding about the
quarters in
“It looks like you have a weapon, Lieutenant. Is there anything else you need?” Teleclus asked once she focused on him.
Thinking quickly, Faith nodded. “Yeah. I know the General said no funny clothes, but, well, I’m supposed to be learning how you guys fight. Maybe it’d help if I fit in.” Faith held her breath. He needed to buy her explanation. Those clothes might come in handy if she needed to do a little snooping.
For the first time, Teleclus looked approving. A faint smile appeared on his face, and there was no hesitation when he used her title. “Lieutenant, give me just a minute. I’ll get you everything you need.” He hurried off into the rows of shelving.
Faith didn’t dare wander around. Instead, she opened the map and studied the portals marked on the parchment.
***
“This is pointless.” Phoebe’s head snapped up at
Angel rubbed his jaw and closed the book he had been
reading. “We haven’t found the reference yet,
They all stared at
“I don’t know, Piper.”
Phoebe felt physically sick. They had to figure this out. If they didn’t Faith and Paige might not make it home. And, if Cole managed to complete the ritual she’d glimpsed, there was no telling the amount of power and influence he’d have. In desperation, she asked a question that had been at the back of her mind since the research had begun, “What if we’re looking at this the wrong way?”
“What do you mean, Phoebe?” Angel leaned forward, elbows braced on his knees.
Going slowly, sorting through the jumbled thoughts in her head, Phoebe explained, “We’ve been looking for a woman connected to your past. What if that connection isn’t a vampire?”
CHAPTER 23
Angel appeared to think about that statement. “Well,” he finally said, “that simplifies things, I guess.”
Phoebe leaned forward intently. “You have an idea who it might be?” she asked excitedly. Perfect. Maybe Faith wouldn’t be undercover much longer.
“No.” He shook his head. “I said it simplifies things.” Phoebe scowled, not liking the reinterpretation. “Most of the humans in my past are dead. Long dead. A few are still around as my Childer, but, if we aren’t looking for a vampire…There aren’t a lot of options to choose from.”
“I’m all for making a list.” Piper held up a pad and a pencil. “Where do we start?”
“I don’t…” he grimaced, hands twitching on his knees. “Sunnydale, I suppose. Before then, I wasn’t in any condition to make connections with anyone.” A pained smile twisted his pale lips. “Unless you want to try making a list of female rats.”
“Eww!” It sprang from Phoebe’s lips. “Gross. Why would we do that?” She stood up, stretching tired back muscles. “Never mind. I’m sure it’s another long and involved story. Let’s just concentrate on figuring out who Angel knows that might be this Dark Mistress person.”
She started picking up the massive pile of books and papers
on the attic floor as Angel and
Phoebe moved over toward the window, dropping the books on top of an old storage chest. One of the tomes teetered, falling to the floor with a bang. “Sorry,” she announced waving at the suddenly silent trio across the room. “My bad.” She picked up the book again and gasped.
The world flattened, turning black and white. Phoebe looked up.
Faith stood next to a tall man with short hair. She
grinned, and Phoebe felt her own lips twitch in response. She tried to call
out, get Faith’s attention. Her voice didn’t work, however. Phoebe looked down.
Where was she? Panic swept through her. This wasn’t real. It was another vision
– different from the first. Different from them all.
The scene shifted. She stared down at a sheet of paper.
Letters – words? – in a strange language moved and shimmered against the pages
of a large book. Phoebe strained, wanting to get a better glimpse at the book.
Was it the one in the attic?
No matter how much she worked, though, all she managed to
see were the black characters dancing across the page. Finally, they were gone.
The pages were blank.
With a sickening lurch, Phoebe realized she was seeing
yet another image. Liquid spread under her hands. It poured from some unseen
source, staining her fingers, dripping onto the ground by her feet. Rage,
grief, disbelief…Phoebe shuddered from emotions as nausea cramped her stomach.
It hurt to breathe. Gasping, she tried to back away. Her feet wouldn’t move.
Her throated burned with the screams trapped inside.
Faith again. Phoebe reeled from all the different images.
Now Cole and three other people were there. This was important. Unease and a
driving sense of urgency flooded through Phoebe. One of the people turned. Angel! With fangs.
Her heart pounded. Phoebe watched as Cole laughed and gestured to Faith. She
had turned away. When she spun back around, Phoebe watched her eyes widen,
horror replacing her usual smirk.
From her reaction, Faith must have known Angel’s
companion. Phoebe couldn’t see the woman’s
face, though. Dark clothes, shorter than Angel, dark hair.
Tinkling laughter from the woman on Cole’s arm pierced
her mind. It was like a soundtrack on repeat. The grating sound went on and on
as Phoebe tried to see, to glimpse the woman who had to be the Dark Mistress.
The book thudded to the floor a second time. Hand to her head, Phoebe swayed. “Goddess, that was horrible.”
“Phoebe, what’s wrong?” Piper’s voice barely penetrated the pounding in Phoebe’s head. She felt her sister’s arms supporting her, steering her to the couch.
“Another vision.” Phoebe leaned against the backrest, eyes closed. The vision was still so clear in her mind, not fading like the others. “I’ve got a few more clues. And a lot more questions.” She described the images she’d seen.
When she was finished, silence filled the attic. “Phoebe?”
“Yeah?” Phoebe forced her eyes open. The other woman didn’t sound normal.
“You didn’t see the Dark Mistress’ face?”
Shaking her head, Phoebe pushed forward, leaning her elbows on her knees, her head in her hands. “No. I just saw her from the back. I did see Angel clearly. And Faith, Cole, and a couple of others.” Sighing tiredly, Phoebe mumbled, “I don’t get to control what I see. I tried. I did!” Her voice rose, frustration getting the better of her.
“Don’t worry about it.”
“What!” Piper moved closer. “Who is she?” she demanded.
Angel’s expression never changed as he interrupted. Phoebe noticed
he moved closer to
The redhead stood slowly. “Angel and I need to talk about
this.”
“But she’ll do it, right?” Piper asked the question uppermost in Phoebe’s mind.
A reluctant nod answered her. “She’ll do it.”
***
Teleclus finally came back from his trip into the storeroom. Faith closed the map and stood straight. She’d need to do some exploring, but it looked like she could get all over the city using the portal.
“Here you are, Lieutenant.” The old man set a pile of clothing down on the counter. “I got you two sets.” A tiny smile twisted his lips. “Should I show you how they go together?”
Faith smirked, playing along. “Isn’t it a little out of the ordinary for you to play show and tell with the recruits, Pops?” She winked, reaching for the collar of her shirt.
Bingo. Direct hit. Yellow eyes widened. Faith was sure if there was blood flowing through Teleclus’ veins, he’d be blushing. “That wasn’t…Of course not, Lieutenant!”
Chuckling, Faith relaxed, slumping against the counter. “Just teasing, Teleclus. I swear. Don’t get all uptight.” He scowled at her and she winked back. “Remember, I’m here to teach the troops. Might manage to teach you a few things as well.”
“Perhaps, Lieutenant.” Teleclus’ voice was stiff. So was his posture. Damn. They’d been bonding, too.
Faith picked up the pile on the counter. “I need to run, Pops. Need to plan a big date with my girl tonight.” The copper bracelet for the portal was already on her wrist. “How do I control which portal I get on the trip?”
He unbent enough to explain. Taking out another copy of the portal map, he gestured to markings next to each location. “These are portal codes.”
“I only speak American. How do I tell the bracelet where to go?” Faith bounced impatiently on her toes. Damn. This was complicated.
He nodded. “Most of the new recruits don’t read Doric Greek, either. The portals have push buttons like an elevator. Just key in the code you see on the map. You’ll end up where you want to go.”
“Good enough.” Faith started for the door. “Come and check out the new me in the morning, Pops. I promise to have all my buckles fastened or whatever.” She heard him chuckle as she exited the storeroom.
***
Phoebe was about to demand more information when shimmering light announced Leo’s arrival.
“Hi,” he said, smiling sheepishly.
Piper seemed to forget the big news they’d just uncovered. She stormed across the attic and smacked her husband on the arm. Hands planted on her hips, she glared at him. “Now you come back? Now? After we’ve already figured this out?”
Leo glanced around the room. “The Elders wanted to make sure Faith,” he hesitated, “and a few others found the answers on their own.”
“Others?” Phoebe keyed in on Leo’s use of the word. “What others?” she demanded. Her head still throbbed from the weird vision. Phoebe was out of patience with Leo and the Elders. Voice rising, she asked, “What the hell is going on?”
“I can’t tell you.” Leo gave his standard reply, and Phoebe took a threatening step forward. Raising his hands, Leo tried again. “I can’t, Phoebe. The Elders still aren’t telling me everything. I’ve been up there trying to get information and get back here since they summoned me.”
“Yeah.” Leo didn’t offer any other information.
“Thanks.”
They headed for the attic door, and then
Phoebe saw Leo frown. “I…I guess so. Let me check.” He went still, eyes unfocused. “Yes. The energy field is gone.”
“Great.” Oddly,
“That sounds like you aren’t planning on coming back,” Piper commented into the suddenly stifling silence in the attic.
“What just happened?” Phoebe was confused, tired, frustrated. It showed in her clipped tones and the frantic speed of her pacing. “I thought they were here to help and now they’re gone. Gone!” she repeated, throwing her hands in the air.
“Let it go, Phoebe.” Her head snapped up. Leo had never sounded so serious. He met her eyes, face strained. “There’s a lot at stake here. I can’t say anything, or the Elders will keep me out of this until the very end. Just…take my word on the fact that Faith’s friends aren’t abandoning you.”
CHAPTER 24
Phoebe stared intently at Leo. She really didn’t want to let this go. Frustration raged through her. Nearly shaking from the intensity of her feelings, she spun away. “Fine,” she snapped. “Just fine. I am so fucking tired of the Elders and their games.”
Stifling silence pressed at her from behind. She could feel Leo’s own frustration at the situation.
After completing several quick circuits of the attic, Phoebe was able to regain a little control. The cold knot in her stomach was still there, but she wasn’t quite at the point of needing to scream and beat on something. “I need to get out of here,” she muttered, voice sharp. “I’ll be back later.”
“Phoebe, wait!” She ignored Piper’s shout, stopping off in her room long enough to grab her purse. The WV was parked outside. Phoebe ran down the front steps, car keys in hand. Peeling out of the driveway, she headed toward downtown.
It took effort not to floor the accelerator. Phoebe felt the
energy in her body like a living thing, poking and prodding at her, urging
action. Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do. Research had gained them
information. Information
A horn blast jerked her back to the here and now. Phoebe’s eyes widened, her hands clenching on the wheel. She was already downtown with no memory of the drive. The horn was attached to the very large SUV in the next lane. The SUV she’d nearly sideswiped in her agitated state.
Waving a hand at the irate driver glaring at her from his lofty height, Phoebe zipped across two lanes of traffic, earning more vehicular fanfare, and parked. Driving was a bad idea. Slumping over the steering wheel, she sucked in a series of deep breaths. She had to get control. Slowly, the crackling energy backed off. Mind clearing slightly, Phoebe reached for her cell phone. Mental fingers crossed, she punched in Faith’s number.
Damn. Voice mail. “Hey, it’s me.” Phoebe remembered the line might be bugged. “Um, Phoebe,” she added, pretending to be unsure Faith would remember her. “I’m downtown, uh, running some errands. You want to get together? See a movie and grab a bite? Give me a call on my cell. Bye.”
***
Faith stepped out of the portal, arms full of clothes. Damn. She could get used to this. The drop off point was less than two blocks from the apartment. She hurried down the sidewalk, eager to get rid of her load and call Phoebe.
“Ms. Lehane?” Faith spun, dropping the uniforms and reaching for the knife tucked into her boot.
The blade blurred in the air as it sped toward its target. Faith pulled the blow at the last second, a thin line of red staining the bright steel where it pressed against the young girl’s throat. “Who the fuck are you?” Her senses already told her the answer.
“D-Debra Clark. I’m a Slayer.” Wide blue eyes stared at Faith pleadingly.
Faith didn’t relax. In fact, the confirmation of her Slayer senses made her angry. “Are you fucking stupid? Do you realize how close you came to being dead?” She stepped closer to the shaking girl. “I’m Faith. The Dark Slayer. I eat little girls like you for breakfast.”
No verbal response. Just more shaking. Faith growled, stepping back and wiping her blade on her pants. “What do you want?”
It took two tries for the baby Slayer to get the words out. “My Watcher said to tell you one of us will be watching you and Ms. Halliwell at all times.”
Faith froze. Were they watching because they were protecting her? Or because they were protecting Phoebe from her? The Slayer uncoiled, rage simmering just below the surface of her control. “Why?”
“I…I’m supposed to make sure no one follows you.” Debra took a half step back, eyes darting around looking for an escape route.
Dear God. Faith sighed, the anger draining away. “Kid, I’m a Slayer. Like you – only a hell of a lot better. Unless it’s a human following me, I’m gonna know. I can sense it.” She smirked. “You can’t even protect yourself from me. I’m supposed to believe you’re going to hold off anything stronger than a first grader?”
The crimson blush and the tears in Debra’s eyes let her know she’d made her point. Faith ran a hand through her hair. The verbal attack was brutal, and Faith struggled to keep her Dark persona in place. This kid might hate her for the delivery, but she’d be thanking her later when she was still alive in the morning. No one else was getting hurt or killed because of her.
“Go away,” she said coldly. “Don’t follow me. I don’t need
or want your protection.” Faith bent to pick up her things, dismissing Debra.
When she straightened, the girl was gone. Slayer senses were clear.
The apartment was empty. Faith sighed. She’d half expected - been hoping - Phoebe would meet her at the door. The cuirass and tunic clattered onto the table by the door. Faith started for the shower. She had sand in strange places after the sparring. A blinking light on the answering machine stopped her. Pressing the button, Faith listened to Phoebe’s warm voice asking her out on a date, a slow smile crossing her face. Not waiting for the message to end, she returned Phoebe’s call.
“Hello?” Traffic sounds distorted Phoebe’s voice, and Faith pressed the receiver closer to her ear.
“It’s Faith.” Now that they were talking, Faith was nervous. Her palm slid on the plastic handset of the phone, and her voice cracked like she was experiencing male puberty.
Laughter rumbled against her ear. “Really? It’s not some crazed fan stalking me?”
Grinning, Faith relaxed a little. She understood teasing. “Well, I am a big fan of Phoebe. But…I’ll only stalk you if you tell me the dinner invite is gone.” The expected answer didn’t come right away, and Faith’s grin disappeared. “Phoebe? It…it is still open, right?”
“What?” Phoebe’s voice faded then came back loud and clear. “I’m sorry, Faith. Yeah, it’s still open. I was trying to think of where to take you. I mean, it’s our first official date. I want it to be memorable.”
Without thinking, Faith said what was foremost in her mind. “I’ve never been on a date.”
“Then I’ll have to make is even more spectacular,” Phoebe purred. Faith shivered, nipples hardening at the sensual promise brushing her ear. “Give me your address. I’ll pick you up in an hour. Wear something sexy, but comfortable. We’ll be walking a lot.”
Barely remembering Phoebe didn’t ‘officially’ know where she lived, Faith rattled off the address before hanging up. An hour. Only an hour. Tossing the phone on the couch, she sprinted down the hall to the bedroom.
***
The food was excellent. Faith fiddled with the chopsticks, struggling to keep them aligned right. She ignored the snickering from across the table, frowning intently until she managed to lift some rice from the plate to her mouth without spilling the tiny grains. “See, nothing to it,” she boasted.
“Right. Simple.” Phoebe smirked, eyes picking out the bits of food littering the table and Faith’s shirt.
Mock growling, Faith tossed down the chopsticks and leaned across the table, kissing Phoebe. “Bitch,” she muttered, winking. Her face hurt from smiling. The lingering tension from her trip to the Underworld totally absent.
“No, sweetie, it’s witch. Not bitch. That’s Piper.” They shared a laugh then Phoebe sobered. “I have some news.”
Not even business was enough to eclipse Faith’s happiness. “Shoot, Moonbeam.” When Phoebe looked surprised at her jocular tone, Faith settled down. Smile absent, she focused on Phoebe. “Sorry. Got carried away. What did you guys find?”
“We didn’t find anything.
Faith grinned again. Red had that effect on people. All that ‘being right all the time’ crap got old, fast. “Don’t worry. Red’s the best. That’s why B’s the oldest living Slayer ever.”
“Well, I don’t think much of her reporting system,” Phoebe griped. She fiddled with her wine glass. “She wouldn’t tell us what she’d found.”
All of Faith’s contentment went out the window. Sitting forward, she asked, “What do you mean?”
“I mean, I had a vision. Whatever I saw let
“Fuck.”
Phoebe touched her hand gently. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?” The feel of those fingers stroking her knuckles calmed her. The tightness in her chest eased. Faith sat back, a smile returning to her lips.
“For not making
She reached across the table, tilting Phoebe’s chin up with a couple of fingers. “Moonbeam, don’t.” Faith looked into the witch’s brown eyes. “Forget it. I’ll know soon enough. I’m going back Underneath in the morning. Maybe I’ll meet Red’s friend then.” She caressed Phoebe’s face. “At lunch, we agreed to make our meetings non-work, remember?” Phoebe nodded. “Then let’s get back to enjoying my very first date.”
***
Phoebe nestled her head on Faith’s arm, looking at their intertwined fingers. She ran her thumb over the back of Faith’s hand. “Having a good time?” she asked quietly. Faith hadn’t said much since they’d left the restaurant.
“Yeah.” The smile Phoebe glimpsed in the glow of the streetlights made her breath catch. Unguarded, young, and carefree.
A little dazed by that smile, and Faith’s glowing orange eyes, Phoebe searched for words. “Um, I just, you know, wondered. You’ve been really quiet. I thought, maybe…” Maybe you were bored. Or you didn’t like the movie. A hundred other maybes ran through her mind.
Warm lips banished the worries. “Moonbeam, I’ve never been this happy.” Phoebe grinned, almost skipping next to Faith at the words. “Kinda freaky. I mean, here we are facing another apocalypse, and I want to buy flowers and listen to sappy love songs.” Weapons-callused fingers played with her own. “I want this to last, Phoebe, and I’ve never wanted that before.”
Blinking back tears, Phoebe pulled Faith to a stop, going up on her toes to kiss Faith softly. When she pulled away, they were both breathing hard. “It will last, Faith. To hell with the Elders and their games. We’ll find a way to keep you safe and get Paige back.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Moonbeam.” Faith’s smile was bittersweet. “I’ll take whatever piece of happy I find. I don’t look ahead.”
Phoebe digested that. “From now on, you do look ahead. I’m your future, Faith.” Determined to get Faith to realize the truth, she ordered, “Take me to your place, Faith.”
CHAPTER 25
Phoebe looked up into Faith’s eyes as they rode the elevator to Faith’s apartment. The Slayer stared back at her. “Just so you know,” she said firmly, “you aren’t going to be in charge this time.”
“Huh?” Faith mumbled, callused hands already reaching for the hem of Phoebe’s shirt, fingers teasing the skin of her stomach.
“Stop that.” Smacking at the tanned hands, Phoebe stepped back. “The last time we did this, I was all for slow and gentle, remember?” Faith nodded. “Then your orange-eyed friend showed up and my plans went out the window. I’m telling you – not this time.”
Faith’s answering whine was cute. “Why not? We don’t have a lot of time. I gotta be back with the Army early in the morning.”
“Time’s wasting while you argue.” Staying firm, Phoebe crossed her arms over her chest and tapped a foot in pretend impatience.
“But-“ Faith wasn’t ready to give in.
Regretfully shaking her head, Phoebe sighed dramatically. “Fine. I’ll see you safely to the door and head home.”
A growl filled the elevator just before the doors slid open. Phoebe stepped into the carpeted hallway, Faith right behind her. “Moonbeam, come on. I’ve been thinking about you all day. How about we let the Slayer play now, and do the slow bit later?”
Hiding a smile, Phoebe solemnly shook her head again. “Sorry, Faith. What if there isn’t time for a later?”
“At least I wouldn’t be ready to freaking explode!” The husky voice teemed with frustration. Faith stalked around Phoebe, jamming the key in the lock and opening the door.
Following Faith inside, Phoebe shut the door and watched Faith pace in front of the large windows. She didn’t want this to be a power struggle. However, giving in again set a precedent. The Slayer couldn’t always control their lovemaking. Rough and fast had its place. Phoebe wanted to make sure gentle didn’t get lost in the shuffle.
“How about a compromise?” she asked, gliding across the room. Eyes raking the muscled form silhouetted by the gleaming lights of the city, Phoebe held out her hand. “Come on. It won’t be so bad.” She smirked. “I promise.”
Faith’s fingers entwined with hers as the Slayer allowed Phoebe to lead her into the bedroom. “What kind of compromise are we talking about, Moonbeam?”
“This kind.” Taking a deep breath, Phoebe steadied herself before angling her right leg against Faith’s hip. With a quick rotation, she flipped Faith over her leg and onto the floor.
“Oh, hell no.” Faith tried to get up and Phoebe straddled her, using her own body weight to hold the Faith down.
It wasn’t enough. They both knew Faith could get up any time she wanted. Slayer strength trumped Phoebe’s martial arts training any day. “This isn’t up for a vote, Faith.” Phoebe stuck to the plan. “We do this my way – or not at all.” She didn’t wait for an answer. Grinding onto Faith’s stomach, she bent down, nipping with increasing roughness over Faith’s neck.
The body under hers bucked. “Fuck!”
“That’s what I’m trying to do, yeah,” Phoebe breathed into Faith’s neck. “You have to help me out, though. I’m not up to really forcing you if you don’t want to play along.” She began working the buttons of Faith’s shirt open.
“I’ll play.” Faith’s voice was tight, hoarse. Phoebe glanced up. Face flushed, eyes a bright, intense orange, Faith stared hungrily at her.
The time for talk was over. Tangling her fingers in Faith’s shirt, Phoebe wrenched it open, popping the last remaining buttons. Warm, tanned skin came into view. Phoebe raked her nails down the smooth skin. Not hard enough to cut; welts sprang up, though, red and hot.
At the bottom of the path, Phoebe unfastened Faith’s jeans. “Lift up.” She shoved the heavy fabric down when Faith did as requested. Her target was available, but Phoebe ignored it for the moment. She wanted to build Faith’s desire. Not the slow and gentle stoking she’d had in mind when they left the pier. Still, she knew she could drive Faith into a frenzy.
Faint bruises marked Faith’s skin where she’d nipped earlier. Phoebe added a few more marks, filling in the gaps before turning her attention to the hard nipples. Lashing the tips with her tongue, she alternated licks with pinches. Faith gasped and moaned under her. The orange hue in her eyes was now mostly copper.
Not yet. Phoebe had a goal in mind. Using a single finger, she brushed Faith’s clit. Gently at first then increasing the pressure, rolling the bundle of nerves in tight circles.
Faith writhed at the new sensation. Phoebe waited. Almost there. She stopped the circles, flicking Faith’s clit with a nail. “Fuck. Phoebe…” Faith gasped out. “More. Please.” Her head tossed back and forth.
“Tease Time” ended. Phoebe responded to the plea. Two fingers slid into Faith, curled to brush her g-spot. Internal muscles clamped down. It wouldn’t be long now.
***
Stroking a gentle hand through Phoebe’s tousled hair, Faith glanced at the clock. Five thirty. Less than two hours before she needed to be in the Underworld. Faith kissed Phoebe’s temple. “Moonbeam, time to get up.”
Her soft words netted a moan and a pat from Phoebe’s hand.
Faith grinned. Phoebe was adorable. Still… “Moonbeam.” The single word was louder.
Sleep-fogged brown eyes glared at her. “Too early, Faith. Go back to sleep.”
“Sorry, Phoebe. I have an early meeting, remember?” Faith rolled away slightly, shivering at the chill where Phoebe’s skin had pressed. “I’ve got some information to pass on, and …uh…” She hesitated. “I have this thing I have to wear. Maybe you could help me get dressed.”
“A thing?” Phoebe mocked gently. Faith wiggled, face heating. “What kind of thing?”
Wishing she’d kept her mouth shut, Faith mumbled, “A uniform.” Phoebe started laughing. “Yeah, yeah, yuk it up.” Climbing out of bed, Faith directed, “It’s on the table by the door. I’ll be out of the shower in a few minutes.”
***
True to her word, Faith didn’t dawdle in the shower. Rubbing a towel over her hair, she returned to the bedroom. Phoebe perched on the end of the bed, the armor laid out next to her.
“You’re really part of the Army, aren’t you?” she asked. Faith frowned at the flat tone.
Bunching the towel in her hands, Faith relied quietly, “Yeah. You knew that, Phoebe. It’s part of the whole undercover gig. Make ‘em believe I’m one of them so I can get information.” She watched Phoebe closely, stomach churning. “Phoebe? I can’t back out. Not now. I’m in. I’m starting to hear things, get stuff we can maybe use to get your sister back.”
“I know.” Phoebe looked up, brown eyes glassy with tears. “I guess it wasn’t real until I saw this.” She stroked the hardened leather of the breastplate. “I hate this. I hate it so much,” she said, voice choked.
Faith hurried to the bed, sitting and pulling Phoebe into her arms. “I know, Moonbeam.” Damn it. She needed to get ready. She needed to make sure Phoebe was going to be OK with this. “Look, we’re almost finished, baby. We just need Red’s friend to get here, and all the major players are in place. Just a little longer then we can take some time off, just be together. I’m sure Fang will let us use this place – or one somewhere else – for a while.” Faith didn’t remind Phoebe about the vision. The knowledge that she might not be around for a vacation soured her stomach.
A soft kiss brushed Faith’s neck. “You’re right.” Although the words were the right ones for the situation, Phoebe’s tone was still shaky. She moved out of Faith’s arms and stood. “Come on, oh great warrior. Let’s get you dressed for your meeting.
It took both of them to sort out the pieces and get Faith dressed. Standing in front of the mirror, Faith grimaced. She felt wrong. The outfit was so not her. Giving one last futile tug on the leather skirting, she turned to Phoebe. “I need to go, Moonbeam.”
Phoebe nodded, biting her lip. “I know.” She picked up the heavy red cloak that completed Faith’s outfit. “Promise me you’ll be careful.”
“You know it, baby. I have you to come home to now.” Faith was too busy fighting the burn in her throat and eyes to wonder at that. The Dark Slayer with a girlfriend and a home. She donned the cloak, covering the long white tunic and leather armor. “Before I go – tell Fang or your sister. The Army’s got about three hundred vamps in it. This is just a little piece of the pie, Moonbeam. They got this magic portal thing – like Star Trek. You know, ‘Beam me up, Scotty,’ all over the world. The guys here, they’re old school. No technology and proud of it.”
Phoebe reached out and straightened the cloak, stroking Faith’s neck. “Got it. I’ll see if anyone can figure out why they’re here.” She stood on tiptoes and kissed Faith softly. “Go. You can’t be late. I-“ she broke off and stepped back. “I’ll be here waiting when you’re finished.”
***
Faith stepped out of the portal. Uniformed vampires strode through the torch-lit corridor. Fists clenched against the need to pull on the skirting again, Faith joined the others heading to the arena.
She noticed the soldiers glancing at her. What was that about? Faith caught one vamp’s eyes. “See something you like?” Winking, she ran a hand over her breastplate. “’Cause this really doesn’t do me justice.”
As she watched, the vampire lost his human visage. Fangs protruding, he lisped, “Your kind doesn’t belong here.” His yellow eyes slid down her body. “Defaming our uniform.”
Holding back a confused, “Huh,” Faith grabbed his arm. “My kind? What? Slayers? Humans?” Her captive didn’t answer. “Brunettes? I want an answer, damn it.” She swung him against the stone wall.
They were drawing a crowd. The vampires moving through the corridor stopped to watch the show.
The combined weight of her screaming Slayer senses and their eyes pushed Faith close to the edge of control. One of her hands latched onto his crotch, fingers digging into the cold flesh. “I still don’t hear an explanation.”
“Women,” he choked out. “We don’t have women in the Army.”
“See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” Faith released him. Luckily, she’d expected him to respond to her interrogation technique. Ducking under his wild swing, she slammed a hand into the area she’d cupped so roughly seconds earlier. The vamp dropped, hands held protectively over his groin. “Can’t say much for your brains, pal. Me, Slayer. You, vamp. I win every time.”
Ignoring the cold glares of the other soldiers, she completed her journey to the arena. Pausanias was already there. Stripped down to just a tunic, he swung a practice blade at one of the pells. Faith took a minute to watch. The general’s body was solid muscle. They rippled and flexed with each swing. He’d be a fierce opponent.
She started across the sand. “I can’t believe I’m up this early. Can’t remember the last time I saw the sun come up.”
Pausanias swing one last time before turning. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of her in armor. “Slayer. I didn’t expect you in proper gear. Didn’t I tell Teleclus to give you a sword and a portal map?”
“Yeah. I figured it might help your guys learn something if I didn’t look all sexy in my leather.” Faith winked and he chuckled. “What do you have for me this morning?”
“A change in plans, I’m afraid.” Pausanias led them to the dais at the side of the arena and pulled on his own armor. Faith watched closely, knowing she and Phoebe had struggled to get all the pieces in the right place. “We’ve been summoned by the Source.”
“Well, hell.” Faith’s heart rate sped up at the news. “I was looking forward to a little action with your boys.”
Pausanias grunted. “I’m a soldier, Slayer. An old, tired one.” The words, the implied camaraderie, shocked Faith. “I’ve been on the battlefield since I was a boy. It’s what I know.” He jumped off the platform onto the sand. They walked side by side through the gathering crowd of soldiers. “This job, it requires too much politics. I did that many years ago.” He snorted and Faith grinned.
“Not your thing?” she asked, glancing at him as they entered the hallway at the front of the arena.
“Hardly.” His yellow eyes gleamed as he met gaze. “This has been a morning full of surprises, Slayer. A meeting with our employer and you in uniform. It’s a wonder the caverns have not begun to crumble around us.”
Throwing back her head, Faith laughed. “Listen, Soldier Boy, I look good. Admit it.” Of course, her hands dropped down to pull at the leather. “Just…it’s a bit short. I like to play around, but I don’t usually give away the goods for free.”
She would have gone on, but Cole’s voice interrupted their banter. “Nice of you two to join us.”
Still grinning, Faith looked to her left toward the voice – and staggered back a step. Cold chills raced up and down her body. Sweat soaked her tunic. Swallowing hard against sudden nausea, Faith met solid black eyes. “Red?”