CHAPTER 41

 

In the rear view mirror, Faith saw all the other cars pull in close. All the cars except one. That car swerved into the left lane and zipped by, the blue light on the hood furiously blinking.

 

“Let Liv and Munch lead,” Chelsea said before Faith had a chance to complain about the escort. “If we do happen to run into any local cops, the light – and radio communication – will keep us moving. And we’re trained in combat driving.”

 

Combat driving. A nice description of what lay ahead. Faith nodded tersely. “Got it, Chief.” Stepping back from the lead role was hard; it didn’t matter she’d never wanted the spot in the first place. The only important thing now was keeping Chelsea, and as many of the Juniors as possible, alive. Faith set her teeth and put the bumper of her rental car a few inches from the unmarked police car.

 

The remaining miles to St. Reginald disappeared as Faith’s attention remained focused on the strobing dome light in front of them. When Olivia’s car suddenly turned off the main highway, only Slayer reflexes allowed Faith to follow. The rental car fishtailed violently for a minute while she fought the wheel.

 

***

 

“Maybe I should drive.” Chelsea braced one hand against the roof of the car and used the other to catch Nicole as she slid along the back seat. She was only partly serious; all of the earlier talk had, if nothing else, shown just how determined Faith and her crew were about keeping Chelsea safe. Sitting behind the wheel with nothing more in front of her than glass wasn’t the safest place to be.

 

There was no answer. Faith appeared too busy staying on the road to talk.

 

Feeling helpless – and hating it – Chelsea settled back against the seat. The car was back in the lane, and she noticed Faith’s knuckles were no longer white as she gripped the wheel. The tension in the car hadn’t faded, though. It was a living, breathing presence. Chelsea was used to stress. She was used to the sick, twisting feeling in her stomach before a raid.

 

Somehow, it was all different now. Crazy perps with guns… Dangerous, yet normal. An army of supernatural creatures? All new and not so wonderful. Reaching inside her coat, Chelsea stroked the smooth wood of the stake in the inside pocket. What would it feel like to slam this home into a body? For an instant, a vivid image of the stake sliding through skin and muscle and bone, accompanied by the phantom impact of the killing blow, transported Chelsea out of the car.

 

The sound of Willow chanting ended Chelsea’s nightmare. Her relief was short-lived. While there was no imaginary vampire in its death throw, the air around Willow began to glow. And then turn red.

 

“I hate it when she does that,” Nicole muttered. She edged closer to Chelsea, expression uneasy. “I can feel the magic; makes brain itch.”

 

Personally, it made Chelsea’s skin crawl. Her brain insisted she should open the car door and leap out despite how fast the car was moving.

 

Willow’s voice rose until the words echoed in Chelsea’s ears in an unintelligible shout.

 

And that was when the day got weird. With each new word, the light in and around the car dimmed and wavered. The red glow grew, darkening and appearing to pulse and twist. All extraneous noise went silent. Only Willow’s voice penetrated the strange vacuum. 

 

If Chelsea could have moved, she might have cowered in the foot well. Unfortunately, all she could manage was to gasp and wiggle a scant inch backward on the seat. Her eyes burned. Her head throbbed in time with the red light.

 

Then it all went away with a soundless pop.

 

“I’ve got the signatures dampened,” Willow announced calmly. “It should last until I actually pull it off, too.”

 

Chelsea stared at her disbelief. “What the hell was that?” It was a stupid question. Chelsea didn’t have a lot of experience with magic, but Willow words and the earlier talk about spells were clues. Chelsea didn’t really need an answer. She wanted something else, an acknowledgement or reassurance that she hadn’t imagined the whole thing.

 

No one responded, though. Nicole was now kneeling backward on the seat, staring out the rear window. Faith drove with one hand on the wheel and the other gripping a dagger.

 

Willow appeared to be sleeping.

 

Enough was enough. Chelsea reached the end of her rope. “I asked you what the hell just happened!” Her question wasn’t as polite – or as quiet – with repetition. “It’s like someone turned my head inside out and you caused it,” she accused Willow.

 

“Sorry about that.” Willow’s offhand apology only drove Chelsea farther over the edge. While she sucked in an outraged breath, Willow went on. “Normally, I can ward against the overflow, but I’m working some seriously bad magic. All that power is hard to cage. If you think your head feels funny…”

 

At the last minute, Chelsea managed to regain some control. She clamped her lips shut, planted her feet firmly on the floor, and wedged herself against the doorjamb and the back seat.

 

***

 

“What about the rest, Red? You got the fireworks ready?” Faith kept a close watch on Chelsea as she followed the bumpy, winding dirt road. The detective’s calm acceptance of the situation was cracking at the worst possible moment. She didn’t have time to deal with an army of vampires, a freaking detective, and Willow fighting the yoke of Major Mojo.

 

Fleetingly, Faith longed for the old days. The days when Buffy or Giles led the charge and she’d been the occasional backup.

 

“Get us closer to the safe house, and I’ll show you what I’ve got,” Willow answered. She shifted in the front seat, one hand coming to rest on Faith’s thigh.

 

An electrical current tingled through Faith where Willow touched. Hiding her flinch, Faith nodded. “Better be good, Red. I got a bad feelin’ about this.” Actually, “bad” was a lame description for the way her Slayer senses were lit up. “Think we may need the mojo before we get to there.”

 

Her words proved prophetic.

 

Olivia and Munch’s car, still bouncing on the rutted dirt road in front of them, swerved unexpectedly.  Faith jammed on the brakes to avoid a collision as the lead car slid sideways.

 

The new view clearly showed the arrow poking into the passenger-side front tire. “The secret passage ain’t so secret,” she called out. “Red, do your thing. Nic…” The commands came out curtly as Faith steered around the now-disabled car in front of them. More missiles sailed through the air, some sporting flames at their tips. One pinged off the hood, the dull thud and accompanying screech as it skittered across the metal breaking Faith’s tunnel vision of the dirt road. “You got one job, Junior.”

 

She trusted Nicole to understand the message – and the younger Slayer didn’t let Faith down. “If they want the Detective, they go through me.”

 

One worry out of the way, Faith took her attention off the road long enough to watch two of the trail cars stop to pick up Munch and Olivia. “Willow…” The sky was highlighted by burning rain; they needed more help than Faith’s lead foot could provide.

 

Unlike Nicole, Willow didn’t waste time with comment. The orange glow from the fiery arrows mixed with the rainbow colors of magic whirling around Willow in ever-growing waves.

 

The morning sunlight brightened until Faith blinked back tears from the glare. Not even sunglasses were going to help today; Willow’s once-inconsistent sunlight spell turned the weak, washed-out winter sun into an incandescent supernova.

 

“Wicked,” Faith breathed. The arrows flying through the air lessened. Hopefully, the new pile of ashes in the nearby trees would be good for next season’s crops. Mud and snow dotted the windows as she stepped on the accelerator again. They had a date with destiny, and even Faith didn’t want to be late for that. Staying alive trumped being fashionably tardy.

 

Unfortunately, following Buffy’s old adage proved harder than Faith hoped. As Willow’s magic waned, the shade provided by the trees lining the road left too many vampires still standing. Spears joined the arrows in the air; one of them shattered Willow’s window before landing on her lap in a shower of glass.

 

Faith’s head whipped around when she saw a thin line of red glisten along the edge of the spear tip, matching the blood seeping through the narrow cut on Willow’s arm. “Will?” Those vampires were so dead. It was going to be Faith’s sole mission to dust each and every one of them.

 

“I’m fine; drive,” Willow ordered calmly. She met Faith’s eyes as she wiped the blood off her arm.  “This is all about Detective Lake, remember?”

 

Wrong, Faith longed to protest. Lake was only part of her mission. Willow was, too. Willow was part of her past, one of the only good parts. Willow was also her future, Faith realized. A future she’d never expected to have. “I remember,” she said. She’d clue Willow in to her new role as Faith’s inspiration later.

 

Right after she made those vampires regret marking Willow.

 

Needing to know Willow was really OK, she reached across the seat and touched her hand. The slender fingers immediately gripped Faith’s, the strength in the clasp reassuring. Their contact lasted mere seconds. Heartbeats that felt like a lifetime. Then reality rushed back in.

 

A line of cars appeared ahead. They reminded Faith of Angel’s vehicles, with dark-tinted windows and heavy steel frames.

 

“Well, we didn’t expect this to go as planned. That would be too easy,” Willow muttered. She scowled fiercely at the roadblock. “I can do some damage; fireballs and Levin bolts, but… If I do, I’m useless for the rest of the fight. “

 

Now it was Faith’s turn to frown. Damn it. What was she supposed to say to that? Burn yourself – and the vamps – out? The alternative, though, meant putting the Juniors, Lake, and the two clueless cops at risk. For probably the millionth time since landing in New York, Faith wished Buffy hadn’t run off. She was far better at this type of leadership. “Save the big stuff for later, Red,” she finally said. “It’s time me and the kids earned out keep, ya’ know?”

 

Stepping on the gas pedal, Faith let the car leap forward, pushing the engine to its limits. Those vampires might have the advantage of heavier vehicles; it didn’t mean Faith couldn’t create a hole for her crew to drive through. “Buckle up and keep your heads down.” She took a deep breath and checked her own safety belt with one hand.

 

Sixty. Seventy. Faith watched the speedometer needle as the frozen landscape flashed by. Weapons still filled the air; although, she was driving too fast for any of them to be effective. Eighty. The rental felt as if it might shake apart from the speed and the rough terrain. It took Slayer strength to hold the car on the road.  Ninety.

 

Faith had only a second to brace. They were on top of the cars much sooner than she’d anticipated, and the impact rocked Faith forward into the unforgiving grip of the seatbelt. Her foot automatically lifted from the accelerator, and it took conscious effort to fight that instinct. They didn’t want to slow down

 

The engine screamed in time with the sound of rending metal and a strange, airy hiss. Faith didn’t recognize the noise. “What…?”  she started to ask, right before a suffocating pillow enveloped her face.

 

CHAPTER 42

 

Damned airbags! Faith wrestled a knife out of the sheath on her belt, stabbing at the plastic crap keeping her away from the steering wheel. Air exploded out the second the blade penetrated. “Will? Chief?” If her plan had backfired…

 

“Drive.” Chelsea, at least, was fine. She leaned over the backseat and pointed. “Looks like you cleared a path.”

 

A small one. It was going to do more damage to the car to get through the tiny gap between two of the vehicles in front of them. Oh, well. Hopefully, Giles had taken out a good insurance policy on the rentals. “Hang on!” Faith pressed down on the accelerator again and prayed. For once, that worked. Metal squealed in protest as they shoved their way through while a few arrows pinged off the roof.

 

But they’d made it. A glance in the rearview mirror showed the rest of the Juniors close behind. The lull in danger gave Faith time to worry about something new, though. “Will?” she asked again. “Will?” It was a desperate plea.

 

“I am never letting you drive again, got it?” Willow moaned and Faith saw her slowly fight her way free of the passenger-side airbag. “What is it with Slayers and cars? The one time Buffy drove she took out a parked car.”

 

Relief made Faith giddy. “Always knew I was better than, B. Slayer Prime gets one car. Me? Put a fuckin’ hole in a couple.” The euphoria lasted until she realized that Nicole hadn’t joined in the banter. “Nic?” Her voice cracked and she looked over the seatback. “Chief, is she breathin’?”

 

The car slowed, nearly coming to a stop.

 

“Detective Lake… said drive.” Faith slumped in the seat when Nicole’s low mumble drifted over the seat. “I’m fine.” That was debatable from the groggy sound to her voice. “Stop acting like this is your first battle and get on with it.”

 

“Sure thing, Boss.” Grinning like an idiot, Faith stepped on the gas again. This time, she didn’t hesitate. The rental car forced its way through the final few feet of the blockade and then surged forward. They were free, but Faith wasted no time on celebrating. It was past time to get Chelsea to the safe house.

 

***

 

As the car bounced down the rutted road, Chelsea examined Nicole. Blood trickled from her nose and she was sure the younger girl winced every time she moved her arm. Unfortunately, Chelsea couldn’t risk asking if Nicole how badly she was hurt. Faith and her damned super hearing negated any chance of a private conversation.

 

It grew very quiet. Chelsea’s mind automatically tuned out the roar of the engine and the hoarse sound of her own breathing. The dirt road stretched alluringly in front of them, free from other cars or people.

 

They were going to make it.

 

Then harsh reality intruded. A pickup truck surged out of the tree line, rushing toward them. “Faith!” Chelsea said urgently.

 

“I see ‘em.” How, Chelsea didn’t know. Faith never turned her head; her attention was all on the road. “Nic, get one of the other Juniors to head it off,” she ordered. “They can meet us at the house as soon as the coast’s clear.”

 

An unspoken “if they’re still alive,” hovered on Chelsea’s lips. She kept the comment to herself. Faith knew the risks even better than Chelsea. Hoping to alleviate some of the overwhelming guilt (and needing to feel useful), Chelsea turned sideways in her seat and peered out of the window. The truck was closing the gap quickly. It was possible to see the driver and passengers now.

 

She could see them…

 

It took far too long for the importance of that to sink in. “They’re human,” Chelsea finally figured out. Human, not vampire. And they weren’t pointing weapons at the rental car. In fact…Chelsea nearly pressed her face into the window, trying to see more clearly. “The cavalry’s here!” The boom of a shotgun accompanied her words. A minute later, the truck slid sideways, taking up a flanking position just off the rear quarter panel of the rental car.

 

The small bit of good news changed the atmosphere in the car immediately. Faith smirked. “Didn’t peg you for a Western movie chick, Chief. Thought cowboys and Indians was like cats and dogs.”

 

Riding a wave of confidence, Chelsea reached over the back seat and smacked Faith on the back of the head the way Willow had done earlier. “Watch it, Pilgrim,” she drawled in her best (bad) John Wayne impersonation. “I happen to like cats just fine.”

 

There was a split second of stunned silence. Then Faith snorted. “Great. Just fucking great. We ain’t even got to the real fighting and Lake’s already lost her mind. You got something in your bag of tricks to fix that, Red?”

 

Chelsea laughed, despite the jab at her sanity.  “You can’t fix ‘lost’.” Buildings in the distance ended the light-hearted scene. Sobering, Chelsea realized the end was near. They’d made it to the new voting site. All she had to do now was pick a new War Lord – from people she’d never met. With a growing sense of unreality, she scanned storefronts and front porches as Faith drove through St. Reginald.

 

Nothing Chelsea saw explained why anyone would go to so much trouble to take over. It could have been any small town in America.

 

Any small town with an army. Chelsea spotted movement in one of the buildings just before something shattered the windshield. Smoke immediately filled the car. Blinking and coughing, she peered over the back seat at the missile. “Bomb!” Molotov cocktail, really, but Chelsea didn’t think anyone would mind her inaccuracy.

 

The car skidded as Faith jammed on the brakes, and Nicole latched onto Chelsea’s arm. Her pull yanked Chelsea across the back seat even before the car completely stopped. Despite their difference in size, Chelsea was helpless to prevent Nicole from dragging her out of the rental; stumbling, she followed the young Slayer toward the dubious protection of the sidewalk.

 

With each step, a mental countdown ticked in Chelsea’s mind. Ten. Arrows, fired with deadly intent, hit the ground near Chelsea’s feet. Nine. More rental cars joined their abandoned one in the road. Eight. Faith shouted something Chelsea didn’t understand, couldn’t understand, through the thundering of her heartbeat. Seven. Junior Slayers surrounded Chelsea and Nicole as they finally reached the sidewalk.

 

She never reached six.

 

An explosion deafened Chelsea, the concussive blast of air shoving her into Nicole’s back. They crashed into the brick front of a building as glass, plastic, and unrecognizable debris rained down. “What…” It was hard to talk. Harder to focus. Chelsea’s ears rang.

 

“Nic, the safe house ain’t going to work. Get inside of the places here and keep the Chief safe.” Faith appeared so suddenly Chelsea dimly wondered if she’d used magic. “Now! Me and Red’ll take care of this.”

 

Nicole’s hand tightened on Chelsea’s arm, the pressure enough to hurt. Glancing up in protest, Chelsea saw the way Nicole’s lips pressed together. “You heard Faith.” The words were clipped, drawl buried under determination. “Cam, Jessie, stay with Detective Lake, no matter what.”

 

Two of the Junior Slayers took up residence next to Chelsea, knives and stakes no longer hidden.

 

“Everybody else, fan out and be ready.” Nicole took the lead, shouldering open the door to shop – law office, Chelsea noted from the small sign over the entrance.

 

***

 

The arrows were getting old. Not to mention possibly deadly. Faith grabbed Willow and pulled her behind the protection of one of the undamaged rental cars. She’d told Nicole they would take care of the situation. Only now did Faith acknowledge she had no idea how to accomplish that.

 

“I’ve got an idea,” Willow said as if she’d read Faith’s mind. She didn’t explain what her thoughts were, though. Instead, she stood up – right into the path of another arrow.

 

Faith’s heart stopped even as her body lunged at Willow. As she moved, she saw Willow flick her right hand.

 

The arrow spun mid-air, zipping back toward its origin with far from normal speed.

 

It was too late for Faith to stop her leap. She hit Willow all-out and they tumbled to the ground. “Are you fucking crazy?”

 

“No!” Willow may have been wheezing from the impact with the road, but Faith was in no doubt about her anger. “I was saving both our asses from the arrows. Or did you miss the fact I just floated that one back to the shooter? I can do way more than float pencils these days, Faith.”

 

Somehow, the demonstration didn’t matter. “Don’t matter,” Faith forcefully informed Willow. “You stand up like that again and it won’t be the arrows you gotta worry about. It’ll be me.”  To make sure she got her point across, Faith gripped Willow’s chin and peered into her eyes. “You don’t put yourself on the front line, Willow. Not ever.”

 

Who knew eyes could be so stubborn? Not to mention lips and chins. Willow’s expression was not accepting. “Get off me before we get turned into pincushions.” She shoved at Faith. “Dead pincushions.”

 

Faith reluctantly climbed to her knees – ducking at the last minute as another arrow skimmed across the hood of the car.

 

“I’m not going to paint a bull’s eye on my chest, Faith,” Willow said softly. She knelt, too, sending the next missile back across the street. “I’ve been at this a long time; longer than you. I know the rules. Don’t die.” Three more arrows followed the command of Willow’s hand. “Let the stupid Slayers throw themselves at the vampires.”

 

The comment stung, even though it was exactly what Faith had been about to tell Willow that earlier. Getting a tighter grip on her stake, Faith popped up from behind the car and heaved the wood at one of the vampires peeking out from a storefront. The soundless pop and the flutter of his ashes were therapeutic. She dropped back to safety and fished another stake out of a pocket. “This stupid Slayer ain’t playin’, Will. You’re walking out of this.”

 

“So are you, Faith.” Willow wasn’t giving an inch. She met Faith’s glare with one even more determined before hopping up. Arrows bounced off something invisible in front of her and then Willow repeated the fireball she’d used on Olivia’s gun – times ten. A flaming orb flew from each fingertip, their aim accurate if the screams a few seconds later were any indication. When Willow crouched next to Faith, she was panting. “I did some damage, but I need a chance to recharge now. Inside?”

 

“In a sec.” Faith hated the fact that she couldn’t do as much damage as Willow; it didn’t keep her from standing a second time. Slayer speed and many hours of practice let her get off two stakes in quick succession. “Now we go.”

 

Willow grabbed her hand and took off. Crouching and running, they crossed the sidewalk behind and ducked into the building.

 

Steel and wood met their entrance.

 

“Next time, you might want to give us some warning before you come in.” Nicole wasn’t joking as she slowly lowered the pair of daggers she’d raised and gestured for the other Juniors to follow suit.

 

CHAPTER 43

 

Faith thought about saying something sarcastic and then reconsidered. Things were too serious. “What’s the sitch?” she asked, pulling Willow closer and scanning the room. Her impromptu headcount discovered several missing Junior Slayers – and Chelsea.

 

“I’ve got a team upstairs keeping an eye on the street and another sitting on Detective Lake.” Stuffing a dagger into her belt, Nicole pointed at an overturned table and the pair of Juniors busy ripping off the legs. “Now that you and Willow are inside – and not full of holes…” Apparently she didn’t have Faith’s restraint in the sarcasm department. “We’re boarding over the windows down here. Chelsea’s tribe is checking out the buildings next to us and calling the other groups with the change in voting site.”

 

“Good job, Nicole,” Willow said while Faith simply gaped.

 

She pulled herself together when Willow’s sharp elbow jabbed her side. “Yeah, kid. Good job.” Unlike Willow’s previous statement, Faith’s sounded clipped and she grimaced. “I’m gonna retire when this is over. Red agreed to strap on some skis and roast marshmallows with me,” she tacked on to show her sincerity.

 

Nicole’s face flushed far brighter than warranted and her mouth worked soundlessly for several seconds. “What…” Her voice cracked on what sounded like choked laughter before steadying. “What else do you want us to do?”

 

Faith really wished they had the opportunity to talk about whatever was going on with Nicole. This wasn’t really a humorous situation. She was missing something. She knew it – and hated it. “Get me whoever’s in charge of the tribe. And Chelsea. We need the 411 on this vote.” Faith turned and took a second look around the office. Nicole had the Juniors doing the best they could to keep the vampires out. Unfortunately, those measures also made it impossible for them to get out. They were well and truly trapped now. “Never thought I’d say this,” she began in a soft mumble.

 

“But you think I’m sexy?” Willow finished with a puckish grin.

 

“Well…” Faith chuckled when Willow’s tongue snuck from between her teeth. “Yeah, but that ain’t what I meant.” She shook her head and pulled her attention away from the gutter – and Willow’s lips. “I was talkin’ about wishin’ Giles was here.” She couldn’t admit how precarious their current location was with all of the Juniors in the room. Instead, she met Willow’s eyes. “Miss the way he gets all tweedy during research parties.”

 

Willow’s smile stayed in place, but her eyes were serious. “Oh, if you need big words and nifty accents, I can fill in. I mean, I did spend some time in England. All that tea drinking and walking in the rain has to count for something.”

 

If only the accent was all they needed. Swallowing her resurging lack of confidence, Faith shrugged with as much feigned disinterest as possible. “Nah. Like the way you sound, Red.” That, at least, wasn’t a lie. “Guess we don’t need Giles anyway. Ain’t no demon books in here. We’re goin’ old school: stakes and steel.”

 

“With one new addition. A vote.” Willow had to point that out. She winked at Faith’s glare.

 

The damned vote. Faith paced impatiently, waiting for Chelsea and her new family to show up. How the hell were they supposed to hold off the vampires outside until Anshu and Paula’s crew arrived? By the time she heard the sound of footsteps at the back of the room, Faith was more than ready to take her fear and bottled aggression out on someone. “What took so long? We got problems?” she snapped, almost hoping the answer would be yes. It would be par for the course – and it would give her something to do except worry.

 

Unfortunately, there was a dearth of good news. “The building is secure,” a tall, heavily-muscled man answered.

 

“Good.” What else could Faith say? She stoked the hilt of a dagger stuffed under her belt. “You ready, Chief? They fill you in on the candidates?”

 

***

 

There was something, a note in Faith’s voice. Chelsea recognized the barely buried anxiety. Fantastic. Faith was coming apart. “I know what I have to do.” She tried to sound completely calm and in control to offset the show of nerves.

 

“Yes.”  Balaji placed a hand on Chelsea’s shoulder. “We have instructed Chelsea. When the time comes, she will do honor to her family.” He hadn’t sounded so sure earlier when the five minutes of instruction had been happening. “We lack only the symbols of the Royaneh.”

 

A staff and some shells. Not even the vampires littering the streets outside helped Chelsea accept such simple items as tokens of her authority. Hoping her expression didn’t give her away, she looked at Nicole and then Faith. “Any word from Paula?” Chelsea hated to ask; hated to remind Faith of the decision she’d made.

 

“No, Detective.” Nicole’s voice was flat, and she didn’t offer more than those two words.

 

Into the vacuum her announcement created, Faith said grimly, “Find a way to vote without the shells and shit.” The bleak look in her eyes matched her tone. “Sendin’ the Juniors in was a long shot anyway.”

 

Not to mention the vampires still trying to kill them all. As if to point up their part in the coming election, they added to the scene with a bang. Several of them, in fact.

 

“Faith, I think they’re going to break through the plywood.” By this time, Chelsea recognized the Junior Slayer who spoke as Cheryl. Cheryl’s thought was proven true when another bang was followed by the sound of splintering and the tip of an axe peeking through the damaged wood covering the office windows.

 

A heartbeat later, Chelsea was nearly gang tackled. Cam – Chelsea thought it was Cam, it was hard to see bent in half – yanked her into a crouch and shoved her toward the back of the room. She tried to fight Cam off. Writhing against the firm hand on the back of her neck, Chelsea managed to stand up for an entire second before Jessie came to Cam’s aid.

 

Police training was useless against two Slayers with a mission. Chelsea was hustled behind and then under what had probably been the receptionist’s desk.  Jessie stood on one side. Cam took the other.

 

“OK, listen up, kiddies. Looks like we got some crashers comin’ to the party,” she heard Faith say. Shoes and shadows hurried past the narrow strip between the bottom of the desk and the floor. Chelsea stared at them as Faith continued. “Don’t know how many or what they’re carryin’. Got to expect bows. Once the windows ain’t covered, all they got to do is pick us off.”

 

Chelsea surged up; she needed to be out there with the Faith and her crew. Most of them were kids… All she accomplished was adding a bump to her head as she bashed it into the desk overhead and several bruises as both of her “bodyguards” ruthlessly shoved her back down.

 

As Chelsea ground her teeth in frustration, the feet in front of her shifted restlessly. “They won’t pick us off,” Willow said; Chelsea could picture her, hands on hips, glaring at Faith. “Only you Slayers would be stupid enough to stand in front of an open window and yell ‘Here I am. Shoot me!’ When the arrows start flying, I’ll take care of them. By the time I run out of energy, they’ll either be out of arrows or they’ve got an assembly line somewhere feeding them ammunition.”

 

No one responded. Chelsea grinned; Faith had to be scowling at Willow’s verbal smackdown, though.

 

The moment of mirth was her last.

 

Chelsea couldn’t see the plywood give way, but she heard it. Her world narrowed to match the strip of light under the desk. Confusion reigned. Tennis shoes and work boots dashed back and forth.  Bodies fell to the floor. Some remained intact and covered in blood. Some turned to dust.

 

***

 

There was no sign of Chelsea. Ducking under the wild knife thrust of the vamp in front of her, Faith risked a second look around the now-crowded office. Still no Chelsea; however, Cam and Jessie stood like Slayer Statues behind a huge desk. It was a good bet they’d stuffed the detective under there to keep her safe.

 

The kids were damned good. Maybe they’d actually get out of this alive.

 

She should have remembered the way the PtB worked. As soon as she had a positive thought, more vampires surged through the window and another wave of arrows darkened the sky. Willow’s voice rose over the din, the chanting an odd counterpoint to the clang of weapons and the shouts of the fighters. Heat and a light flared. Faith blinked and thrust up a hand against the glare as arrows and vampires alike drifted to the floor. Normal sunlight returned. No more vampires waited on the street.  That was it? Sure there was more, Faith didn’t relax her guard or lower her weapons.  The prophecy had claimed an army was after Chelsea. Old books and parchment could be wrong. The dull cramp of Faith’s Slayer senses, though, was always dead on.

 

There were more vampires nearby.

 

“Will?” Faith called out. Time for a quick status report.

 

A tired “Not much left in the tank,” answered her query. “I can do that maybe one more time. If I stick to just the arrows, I can keep us hole-free for a while.” Willow moved next to Faith, one hand rubbing at her neck. Her voice dropped to a whisper not even the closest Junior Slayer would be able to hear. “If I let Dark Willow out to play, I can level the town. Now that we’re here… I was right about the Hellmouth. I can feel the power.”

 

So could Faith. She’d simply pushed the awareness aside in favor of focusing on the more immediate threat. “Ain’t gonna get that far,” she said just as softly but with enough of a growl to make sure Willow understood her point. Neither one of them was turning into their Evil Twin today or any other. There might be an army of vampires in this crappy town; however, Faith had an army of her own.

 

Turning her attention away from Willow before she could start an argument, Faith snapped, “Nic!”

 

“We’ve got eight down,” Nicole answered immediately.

 

Eight? Faith couldn’t believe they’d lost that many so quickly.

 

As if anticipating that reaction, Nicole continued flatly. “Three Juniors, five tribesmen. Four…” Her composure faltered for an instant. “Four dead: Rachel, Karen,” Faith recognized the names of the youngest Junior Slayers, “Nityanand, and Tanmay. Minor injuries for the rest.”

 

It could have been worse. Yet, the low body count didn’t ease the ache in Faith’s chest. She’d hated being the tool of the Council, of fighting – and possibly dying – alone. Fighting with fellow Slayers, friends, kids who looked up to her, who died because she put them in danger, was unbelievably worse.

 

Tears spilled out and sobs clawed for release. Faith kept her back to the room and reached blindly for Willow.

 

“What about Detective Lake?” Willow’s voice wavered but her hand was warm and firm as it gripped Faith’s.

 

“I’m fine.” Chelsea answered for herself. “The Duo won’t let me out from under the damned desk!”

 

The detective’s frustration was obvious. Yesterday, that would have caused Faith to smirk and laugh. Today it did nothing to stem Faith’s grief and guilt. Where were the vampires when you needed them? Faith wanted, needed to take out the rage growing deep inside.

 

No new attack started.

 

Slowly, Faith wrestled her tears under control. She tucked her knife away and kept a tight grip on Willow’s hand. Sunlight poured into the office through the shattered window. There was little shade anywhere on the street or the sidewalk. They were safe for now.  “Nic, I need to know where Ansu and Paula are. It’s time to get this show on the road.”

 

“On it, Boss.” Nicole had recovered enough to poke Faith for a reaction.

 

Faith let the jab go, though. Movement on the street had her back on alert. She yanked her knife from her belt and dragged Willow behind her.

 

The woman on the sidewalk wasn’t skulking in shadows or wrapped in a smoking blanket. Instead, she strolled confidently through the sunlight, long dark hair blowing in the slight breeze. “I am Damini of the Flint Tribe,” she announced when she stood in front of Faith and the missing window. “I claim Royaneh rights in the absence of a true St. Reginald blood-candidate.” 

 

CHAPTER 44

 

Faith had no experience with tribes or elections. She had plenty of experience with vampires, though – and Damini wasn’t one. She wasn’t a demon, either. That left only one option. Human. “Too bad,” Faith answered bluntly. “We already got us a Head Voter. You’ll have to wait in line.”

 

“You have nothing.” Damini didn’t appear to have a sense of humor. Glaring coldly at Faith, she pointed toward the back of the room. “The St. Reginald has no true heirs left, and I will not permit that pretender hiding under a desk to choose the next Takarihoken.”

 

An explosive bang and then a heartfelt, “Damn it!” followed Damini’s pronouncement. Chelsea clearly hadn’t liked the crack about hiding.

 

Great. Just great. Nearly grinding her teeth, Faith took a step toward the woman. Almost immediately, two men appeared outside the shattered windows. Both held loaded and cocked crossbows. Faith froze and deliberately put her hands up to show how harmless she was. “Ain’t no reason to be pointin’ shit at me.” With slow, careful movements, she put herself between the bolts and Chelsea’s less-than-secret location, all the while praying Willow would move, too.

 

Her actions didn’t fool anyone and Faith’s prayers went unanswered. The crossbows remained pointed at her, and Willow moved to stand next to her rather than somewhere safer. Seconds later, Nicole sidled up. Faith was trapped between their mission to keep Chelsea safe and the need to get the younger Slayer and Willow out of the line of fire.

 

Before things had a chance to get uglier, one of Chelsea’s tribesmen spoke. “You are mistaken, Damini. The St. Reginald Tribe and its Royaneh stand ready, as they have done for many generations, to choose the next Takarihoken. No matter the number of our people you have killed, we will not allow you to interfere.”

 

Stiffening, Damini scowled over Faith’s shoulder. This was going to turn bloody…bloodier any second. “If the female heirs of a Confederate Lord’s title become extinct, the title right shall be given by the Lords of the Confederacy to the sister family,” she stated. The quotation marks were apparent. “The Flint is the only sister clan remaining among the Mohawk. We shall hold the power to elect the next Lord.”

 

***

 

Enough was enough. Chelsea wasn’t going to listen to them talk about her like she wasn’t here. Since she couldn’t overpower the Juniors pinning her under the desk, she picked another route. The desk slid noisily across the floor when Chelsea shoved it forward. When she’d cleared a few feet, she stood. The bang as the heavy furniture tipped onto its side was satisfying – and managed to make Chelsea the center of attention.

 

“Unless I’m as dead as those vampires in your army, you aren’t getting authority over anything.” It felt good to be part of the action again, even if that action put Chelsea in danger from the crossbows pointed into the room. To hell with cowering behind Faith and Friends.

 

The look Damini gave Chelsea matched the ones she’d received from her training officers her rookie year. Clearly not impressed and verging on contemptuous. “So you believe you are qualified, by blood alone, to take your place among the Royaneh?”

 

Chelsea tried for cool arrogance when she nodded her assent.

 

“Then you will not object to a test of your qualifications,” Damini said. Only then did Chelsea sense the well-laid trap, and it was too late to avoid it.

 

Making her face as expressionless as possible, Chelsea didn’t respond. She simply waited for Damini to continue or for someone in the room to save her from her stupidity.

 

No help came. Voice soft and polite, Damini asked, “Explain to us all the role of the Royaneh.”

 

Sweat gathered at the ends of Chelsea’s hair and at the small of her back. She could do this. She’d had a thirty second lesson in the Iroquois Confederacy and Mohawk tradition and family structure. “The Royaneh are the women who lead the tribe.” Pausing, Chelsea shook her head. “Well, not exactly lead. They hold political power and are the people responsible for electing a new Lord when there’s… a vacany.” A death. A murder, Chelsea didn’t say aloud. She let her eyes speak for her as she glared at Damini.

 

The other woman remained cool. Too cool. Something wasn’t right. All of Chelsea’s instincts blared a warning. With the deadly firepower and the army Damini commanded, she should have simply let her troops overrun Faith and the Junior Slayers.

 

Why was she standing here asking questions? Questions so easy even Chelsea get them right.

 

Ignoring the contemptuous curl to Damini’s lips, Chelsea shelved her confusion and rising anger and looked around. She examined the scene around her with the eyes of a trained detective.

 

Faith, Willow, and Nicole stood in a tense line to her left. They obviously wanted to step in front of Chelsea. She could see Faith’s hands open and close around a stake thrust under her belt, and Nicole chewed her lip so hard Chelsea expected to see blood soon.

 

Time seemed to slow as if paused by science fiction special effects as Chelsea peered at the rest of the room. Junior Slayers stared at Damini and at Faith. Waiting. For orders? Action? The members of her tribe stared at Chelsea. Ah, this was her first test. Maybe they had some of the same doubts about her qualifications as Damini. That thought brought Chelsea’s shoulders stiffly back and narrowed her eyes. She wasn’t going to fail. There were too many lives, including her own, on the line.

 

Completing her examination of the room, she realized Munch and Olivia were missing. They’d left with Prasad even before Chelsea had been stuffed under the desk. For a split second, Chelsea’s focus shattered. Damn it! Where were they? Chelsea looked around the room again as if her co-workers might magically appear.

 

“Perhaps I do not need to ask further questions.” Of course, Damini noticed Chelsea’s panic. “The little rabbit looks ready to bolt for safety,” she mocked and her bodyguards smirked.

 

Her statement pushed Chelsea forward a step. Self control? What control? Only a driving need to identify the cause of the unease coiling through her body kept Chelsea from settling this dispute like a schoolyard brawl. “I’m not running,” she responded tightly. Only part of her mind stayed on the conversation. Most of her attention went back to hunting for clues to Damini’s behavior.

 

If the threat wasn’t inside the room, it had to be outside. The sun had emerged over the tops of the buildings, washing the street and the abandoned rental cars in soft light. Chelsea didn’t see any deadly arrows pointing in their direction through the shattered glass of the storefronts. There were no snipers on the rooftops. From the heavy hand to hand combat earlier, and the lack of any modern weapon among Faith’s girls, this was a very medieval fight.

 

Or was it? Damini was here. In the daylight. She wasn’t a vampire and neither were the two men at her side. The Flint didn’t seem to play by the rules that Faith and Willow had explained.

 

Chelsea frantically searched the rooftops again. There! The bright flash of metal from a second-story window across the street. “Down!” she shouted and then followed her own orders.

 

She was too slow. Fiery pain blazed in her left shoulder. It spread in a wave all the way into her chest until breathing was an exercise in agony. Her view of the room splintered into psychedelic images interspersed with sound…

 

Damini’s triumphant laugh merged with Faith’s voice shouting, “Bitch!” They created a echoing feedback loop in Chelsea’s head.

 

Bright colors swirled by. Blue, black, white. T-shirts, Chelsea dimly realized. The Junior Slayers surrounding her. Then a hand seized Chelsea’s chin. “Detective?”

 

“Go away,” Chelsea wanted to say, but her lips wouldn’t move. Nothing worked on command.

 

***

 

“Bitch!” Faith barely heard her own voice over the crack of a second shot being fired. Yelling was a waste of time anyway. Laughter swirling in her wake, Damini and her bodyguards scurried away as the room behind Faith erupted into action. More reaction, really, to Chelsea dropping to the floor. Still, Faith glared at the empty street in front of the building before turning to check on Chelsea and the Juniors.

 

It was hard to tell how Chelsea was doing. A tight ring of Junior Slayers surrounded the detective, but Faith caught a glimpse of Chelsea’s boots and a flash of red hair. Willow. Good. She was safe if the sniper started up again.

 

As if she’d heard Faith thinking, Nicole took a position at the edge of the remains of the room’s front window, a loaded crossbow in her hands. She sighted and pulled the trigger. The bolt loosed with a soft click, but the glass that shattered in the upper-floor window across the street was far louder.

 

So was the pained scream of the sniper before he tumbled to the ground far below.

 

“Nice job, Nicole.” Faith regarded the younger girl with still-growing respect. Leaving Nicole to maintain a watch for more of Damini’s troops, she turned back to the circle of Juniors. “Comin’ through,” she announced, and a gap in the guard magically appeared. Faith stepped through and smiled with grim satisfaction when the ranks of Junior Slayers closed behind her. Her smile faded when she saw Willow huddled on the ground next to Chelsea’s unmoving form and spotted the pool of blood slowly spreading out beneath her. Strain marked Willow’s face; sweat dampened her hair. Her hands, clenched a few inches over Chelsea’s chest, shook. “Red?” Faith understood on an instinctive level that startling Willow at this moment was a very bad idea, but not even a circle of determined Juniors would be enough if Damini made a return.

 

Willow’s eyes opened and she turned her head slightly. Faith barely turned her unSlayer-like shriek of fear into a his. Pools of blue, eerily like a scene from a Bonnie Tyler music video, stared at her. “Not now.”

 

“Right.” Faith inched away until she brushed into Jessie’s back. “Got it.” Rubbing her hands on her jeans, she realized she could feel the power pouring from Willow, into Chelsea. Forcing herself not to pull away and hide behind Jessie, Faith let the tingle of power enter her senses a little more.

 

After the first heady rush, the energy…settled. The warm current of magic sat just outside her vision. Faith smiled. Now that she wasn’t running away from it, the magic felt like Willow: shy, sweet, and comforting. The tingle changed as she welcomed it in. It traced along Faith’s mind with a light, deft touch. A deliberate stroke. Like Willow’s hand gliding gently up her arm, across her collarbone, and over her lips.

 

“Will.” Faith breathed the name in unconscious supplication. God, she wanted more. Right now. Hew awareness of the room disappeared. Only Willow mattered. Willow was Faith’s focus.

 

The invisible hand had moved again, into Faith’s hair. It strengthened its touch. Faith imagined Willow’s fingers sifting through her sweat-tangled curls. Sifting. Soothing. And then tugging. “Ow!” Faith jerked and the link with Willow shattered.

 

Willow staggered to her feet. “You’ve got a one-track mind, you know? Get your mind out of the gutter and get back to work.” Exhaustion fogged her voice, but her lips twitched enough to take the sting out of the jibe.

 

Embarrassed and not a little aroused from their mental interaction, Faith pressed her lips together on a reply. She bent and hooked both hands under Chelsea’s arms. The detective was conscious now, and the blood pool hadn’t grown. Lifting carefully, she helped Chelsea to her feet and then let the other woman lean against her.

 

Chelsea was deadly pale and Faith set herself against her weight. “Cam, Jessie, you’re on point. Make sure we ain’t got trouble waitin’ in the back.” With the help of the St. Reginald tribe, maybe they could escape out another exit.

 

Both girls immediately dropped out of their battle guard positions and trotted away with weapons at the ready. It was fucking awesome to have them here, Faith thought – and it was the worst thing ever. She wrapped an arm around Chelsea’s waist and stared after the Juniors, willing them to stay alert and alive.

 

CHAPTER 45

 

Moving with the Juniors pressed so close was hard. Doing it while basically carrying Chelsea was damned near impossible. Impossible was the norm for a Slayer, though. Faith ignored the cramp in her back and the sweat dripping into her eyes. She put one foot in front of the other and opened her senses. Willow’s comforting presence was still there. It hovered right against the edges of Faith’s awareness.

 

It was the only good feeling in a sea of evil. Vampires, the Hellmouth… They pressed at Faith. A quick peek at the kids around her proved that they were close to breaking under the constant strain. Their collective experience with Slayer powers and fighting evil didn’t add up to one month in Sunnydale. Pre-First Sunnydale, at that.

 

They were screwed. Faith shifted Chelsea’s weight against her side and wanted to cry. Or curse. God, the Council was so arrogant. So was she. And Willow. The prophecy had warned them about an army. Despite that, they’d come to New York with a handful of kids expecting nothing more threatening than a few disorganized vampires. A normal day in the life of a Slayer. Too bad the vampires hadn’t played along.

 

Nope. Damini and her boys were obviously organized. They’d corralled Faith and her crew into a trap.

 

As the group crept into the hallway at the back of the law office, Faith looked for a way out. A narrow staircase sat to the left. Doors lined the rest of the hall all the way to a closed security door leading to the alley behind the building.

 

Up or out? Barricading themselves into an office would only make the situation worse. If they went up, at least they had the high ground and the limited access points would put the vampires at a disadvantage. Of course, those few exits also made the second floor a bad option. One flaming arrow and the whole building would go up – with them stuck inside.

 

“Head out the back,” Faith said tersely. She couldn’t see through the backs of the Juniors in front of her, but she had no doubt Nicole was in the lead. “Stay sharp. The Bitch’s probably got lookouts waitin’.”

 

“What about Agnes and Dee?” the voice emanated from the wall of Juniors, and Faith couldn’t tell which one had spoken. “They went upstairs…”

 

Upstairs. Upstairs and they hadn’t come down even when the fighting and shooting started. Faith wanted to let her darker side out so badly. She wanted to find Damini and her army and kill them all. “Keep movin,’” she ordered tightly. “If they was gonna help out, they’d be here.” Admitting that the two girls were probably dead wasn’t possible. Faith flinched from the very thought - even as her mind kept a macabre tally: Rachel and Karen in the main office, Agnes and Dee upstairs, and ten more who’d volunteered for a suicide mission. Twelve Juniors Slayers. Her responsibility.

 

If Chelsea had been able to walk on her own, Faith would have charged to the front. No more Juniors were going to die on her watch. She’d be the first one out the door, the one the vampires and Damini’s human soldiers targeted.

 

Faith stopped in the middle of the hallway as if her feet had grown roots. She was a fucking idiot. “Cam, Jessie, take over for me.” They’d been assigned bodyguard duty. What better place to be than right there, supporting Chelsea? As the two girls pulled the taller, heavier Chelsea against them, Faith pushed her way through the rest of the crowd.

 

Nicole was right where she expected, alone at the front of the pack, armed with a crossbow and dagger. What Faith hadn’t planned for was Willow. Still pale and drawn, she walked only a step behind Nicole. Oh, hell, no. “Nic, fall back. I’ve got point.” There was enough snap to Faith’s command that the younger girl jumped and spun around with weapons raised. “Red, stay with the Chief.”  She didn’t bother giving similar orders to Balaji and the two other remaining member of Chelsea’s tribe. They were Lake’s family; they knew the score.

 

Shaking her head, Willow refused. “No. I’ve got enough energy for one more sunlight spell or a couple rounds of Toss the Arrow. More if…”

 

With two quick strides, Faith overtook Willow. “Move!” She wasn’t going to argue, and she wasn’t letting Willow finish that thought.

 

Apparently, Willow didn’t feel like arguing, either. She merely stepped aside long enough for Nicole to slip passed and them moved back into place. “Can you feel anything outside? I can’t believe Damini didn’t plan for this. The whole scene out front was a distraction to get to Chelsea. She had to know if shooting her failed, we’d run for the back door.”

 

“Got a gong in my head. Can’t tell ya’ how many; just know they’re there.” And that meant Faith had one more problem. Worrying about Willow was a priority. Unfortunately, it wasn’t Faith’s first priority, damn it. She held up a hand and everyone came to attention. “Nic, take care of the Chief. Me and Red’re gonna check things out.” More like take things out. Dread coiled deep inside. This was it. Kill or be killed. Faith caught Willow’s eyes and saw them flicker. Green then blue. This was their one, final strike. “Stay here until we come get ya’.”

 

A sharp intake of breath indicated Nicole wanted to protest. Her silence proved she was too smart to do so.

 

Faith tested her grip on the stake in her left hand and pulled another out with her right. “Willow…” She’d left it too late to say more. Every dream she’d had, every desire. Faith channeled them all into that one word.

 

“I know.”  The lines of strain marring Willow’s face deepened, and Faith’s skin tingled as Willow readied her own weapons. “Stay behind me. Once I take the training wheels off the magic, things are going to get nasty.” She turned away and reached for the push-bar on the exit door. “You’ll know when it’s…safe to take over.”

 

Faith would know. Her knees didn’t want to bend and her quadriceps quivered so badly that she feared she might fall down. When the magic stopped, Willow would either be drained or dead. And at that moment, Faith vowed to share Willow’s fate – right after she made Damini and her army pay. The acknowledgement steadied Faith. Her strides grew confident and she exploded out of the doorway only inches behind Willow.

 

For years, the Scoobies had joked about beating back the Apocalypse. The recent battle with the First had fulfilled that scenario, complete with glimpses of fiery Hells and demons crawling from the depths of the Underworld. The second Faith stepped into the alley, the different nature of this fight became apparent.

 

She wasn’t in Hell. She was battling in a real-life version of “Halo”.

 

Snipers peeked over adjacent rooftops and out of nearby windows. Arrows and bullets were already in the air. Without Willow, Faith would have been dead before the door closed behind her. A wave of a slender hand sent the missiles right back to their owners. A single ringing Word and the alley burned in the wake of a mini-mushroom cloud. Before Faith or Damini’s army could recover, Willow continued.

 

She chanted and the ground trembled. Lightening crackled in the air and wind whipped with hurricane force between the buildings. Willow’s hands snapped up over her head, palms facing forward.

 

That’s when Faith fully understood. Willow had crossed the line. She’d opened herself to the magic like she had their final day in Sunnydale. Only this time, there didn’t appear to be a Deity waiting in the wings. Black, not white, inked the ends of Willow’s hair. “No!” she shouted. But the protest was futile. Even if Willow had heard her over the roar of the wind, Faith lacked the strength to force a stop to the dark magic.

 

Rage clawed deep inside. This was Faith’s fight. Her time in the prophecy limelight. Willow was a volunteer about to become a victim because Faith hadn’t done her part. Her fingers ached where they clutched her stake.

 

When Willow’s hands swept down in a vicious arc, twin beams of blue fire spurted toward the shadowed figures clustered near a doorway across the alley. Screams and the familiar smell of burning vampire filled the air.

 

A new barrage of bullets tore through the alley. Again, Willow waved a hand and kept her and Faith safe. But she must have been tiring. The bullets didn’t turn in mid-air and fly away. They simply slammed into an invisible wall and dropped to the ground, making soft pings as the metal impacted the concrete.

 

Faith saw a tremor run through Willow a heartbeat before she swayed. Surging forward, she grabbed Willow’s shoulders to keep her upright.

 

It was a mistake. Willow blazed with power, a dark power that coiled in and around Faith the second they touched. Her head buzzed from the influx and the seductive song of madness reached out to her already-simmering rage. With a howl, Faith let the darkness win.

 

She flew across the alley in three great strides. A man brandishing a gun stepped into her path and died from a fist to his throat before he could pull the trigger.

 

***

 

Chelsea watched the door slam closed behind Willow and Faith. She could feel the tension in the two Slayers holding her up. If she stopped to think about what was happening, Chelsea knew she’d been a quivering mass right along with them. There had been something so terribly final in the slamming door.

 

Unfortunately, the young girls surrounding Chelsea didn’t have the benefit of age or experience to help them. The echo of the door faded. Less than a heartbeat later, the hallway reverberated with an ear-shattering boom! Screams and shouts followed. Unseen objects drummed against the wall and doorway.

 

With each successive sound, the Juniors lost composure. Even Nicole lost her usual air of competence. She stood still as a statue at the front of the group, eyes locked on the alley exit.

 

“Nic!” Chelsea barked Faith’s chosen nickname for the young girl deliberately.

 

It worked. At least a little. Nicole’s head snapped in Chelsea’s direction but she was still panicking. Her mouth worked without sound, and beads of sweat visibly marked her pale face. That wouldn’t work. With Faith gone, someone had to pull everyone together. The Juniors needed one of their own as a leader. Balaji was a stranger. They knew Chelsea. And she might have the skills to do the job, but she was the target. Nicole was the clear second in command.

 

Playing the victim grated on Chelsea’s already battered ego. She stifled her need to simply take charge and instead turned her attention to pushing Nicole back into action. “Hey, I need to sit down.” It wasn’t a lie. Chelsea’s chest ached and burned where Willow’s magic had touched, she normally wouldn’t have admitted the problem. To lend credence to her plight, Chelsea leaned more heavily on Jessie.

 

“No, we may need to move,” Nicole responded. Her voice firmed with each word. “We don’t know what’s happening outside.” When she glanced around the hall, Chelsea was relieved to see her usual determination and intelligence in full force. “Shannon, can you make it up the stairs?” If the hallway had been wider, Chelsea thought Nicole would be pacing. She suddenly exuded restless energy. “We need to know what’s going on out there.”

 

The stocky kid who’d almost been stuck in the lead car shrugged. “If you need me up those stairs, I can make it. Just a scratch anyway.” Stepping away from the rest of the Junior Slayers, Shannon jogged to the staircase and paused at the base long enough to pull a dagger from a belt-sheath.  “I’ll call you when I have a good view.” As she took the stairs three at a time, Chelsea saw the dark red stain marring the back of her sweatshirt.

 

Just a scratch. God. If Chelsea hadn’t been leaning on her bodyguards, she might have fallen. The world seemed to spin as the reality of the last few days suddenly became too much. These kids, super powers and all, were dying. For her. They’d already lost two. Maybe more, since the groups going to the election site hadn’t checked in.

 

Chelsea’s thoughts spiraled out of control until Cam shifted and pain lanced through the healing bullet wound in Chelsea’s chest. Her gasp froze the younger girl on the spot. “I’m sorry, Detective,” Cam whispered.

 

“It’s…It’s OK.” Chelsea straightened as much as she could. Now that Nicole was back under control and taking charge, it was time for Chelsea to do the same. “Balaji, we can’t cower here forever.” Faith and Willow against an army. It was a given they would eventually fall. “We need to do the ceremony, hold the vote, now.”

 

“We cannot.” Face taut with strain, Balaji explained. “Without the staff of office, you have no authority. And Anshu must be present. It is his duty to take the wampum to the other tribes, announcing your choice of Takarihoken.”

 

Tradition be damned. “Look!” Chelsea was all out of patience and understanding for her newly-discovered family. “I don’t need a piece of wood and some shells to make me important. I’m right here. I’m supposed to be the only one who can cast this vote.” She paused, meeting Balaji’s eyes. “I’m ready to choose.” Before they all died.

 

Stiffening at her rebuke, Balaji nonetheless did not back down. “The other tribes, especially the Flint, would not accept that choice, Chelsea. They would claim that you have forsaken your heritage. Damini would be next in line to assume the title of Royaneh and would name one of their own as Takarihoken.”

 

And everything the St. Reginald and the Junior Slayers had fought and died for would be moot.

 

Chelsea swallowed her impatience. “Sorry.” She intended to say more; however, a series of thuds sounded on the stairs.

 

As one, the group turned with weapons raised. Chelsea felt their collective gasp of horror when Shannon tumbled gracelessly down from the second floor. Fletching protruded from her chest and blood sprayed the treads and trim with each successive drop. Despite that, Shannon managed to rise to her knees when she landed at the ground floor. “Run!” Her voice was a thread of sound. “Dozens. Windows…upstairs. Couldn’t stop…” Her warning stopped in time with the twang of a bowstring. A second arrow imbedded in Shannon’s chest and she fell to the ground.

 

This time, she didn’t get up.

 

Pandemonium reigned.

 

Balaji shouted a command and the rest of the St. Reginald dove in front of Chelsea and formed a line at the bottom of the staircase. They returned fire and the boom of their shotguns echoed through the hall.

 

The surge from the second floor must have been part of a planned attack. Chelsea was thrown into Jessie as Cam ducked from beneath her arm and turned. Three men charged at her from the main office where Chelsea glimpsed an ongoing battle. Smoke rose from their clothing and fangs glinted at their lips. Tossing a stake, Cam got rid of one vampire. The other two, though, were on her before she could throw again. 

 

***

 

Stepping over the body, Faith took a lightning-fast assessment of the building. Staircases left and right. Large open area with rows of metal shelving stacked with boxes and bags ahead. No light except what leaked through the alley door.

 

A scene from every Sunnydale warehouse raid. With no plan but destruction, she continued forward. Two vampires immediately emerged from the shadows – and turned to dust as Faith’s stakes found homes in their hearts. Slayer instinct demanded more; her senses screamed from the feel of so much evil nearby. She might have given in if intermittent gunfire hadn’t continued outside.

 

Gunfire meant a different threat. Humans. The vampires would have to wait…unless they got in the way. Ignoring new movement among the shelves, Faith took the stairs to her right at a dead run. Her first victim met her at the landing, the stake making a wet, sucking sound as it jabbed through muscle and bone. Blood poured around the wood and soaked Faith’s hands. A metallic, copper-laden scent clogged Faith’s nose and seemed to lodge in her throat.

 

Her momentum faltered as images of a similar scene in another alley flickered to life in her mind.

 

Faith shoved those away. This wasn’t Sunnydale. The man dying in her arms was not Deputy Mayor Finch. He was an enemy. Part of an army trying to kill Willow and the Juniors.

 

He deserved to die. They all did. Time lost meaning as Faith charged up the stairs with renewed energy and determination. She tried to reach the snipers in the upper floors of the building. If the bullets stopped, Willow and the Juniors could get Chelsea to safety. 

 

There were too many vampires and humans in her way, though. They sprang from every doorway and hid around every corner. Hands and feet in constant motion, Faith used her stakes like knives, stabbing and slashing at vulnerable eyes, throats, stomachs, hearts, and groins. Some of her opponents died. Others drifted to the floor as dust.

 

A few slipped through her defenses. It grew harder and harder to raise her left arm. Faith dropped one stake and slipped in a pool of blood. Her ankle twisted with an audible pop. Killing rage was replaced with the certainty of her coming death.

 

Faith refused to go quietly – or alone. She staggered down the stairs, back toward the alley, left arm now dangling uselessly at her side. She had to find Willow. It was time to make a final stand.

 

Her path was blocked, though. Damini and her two stooges stood at the doorway.

 

Gripping her only remaining blood-soaked stake, Faith slowed her steps and gathered the last of her strength. So much for finding Willow. The thought burned like acid, but there was no way she could take all three. Faith might be able to handle one. She would make sure that Damini wasn’t making the vote instead of Chelsea. “Ah, did ya’ come to ask more questions? ‘Cause I’m afraid I didn’t get no Mohawk lessons like the Chief.”

 

Damini laughed and the men at her side raised their crossbows. “I am done asking questions. It is finally time to put an end to the St Reginald.”

 

“Hate to break it to ya’.” The taunt was pure reaction. Faith looked at Damini, at her guards. The one on the left was distracted. His weapon was ready, but his eyes flickered to the side. His head turned just the slightest. He was the weak spot. “Ain’t no Indians here ‘cept you.” With no other warning, Faith lunged at Damini, aiming her attack at Damini’s right side.

 

The guard tried to recover. His head whipped around and he fired a bolt. Faith was too close for that to be effective, though. She crashed into Damini with more raw force than skill. They landed in the alley in a tangle of arms and legs. The bad arm and the myriad of other wounds worked to Faith’s disadvantage now. The other woman writhed and twisted like a snake. Faith couldn’t hang on to her stake and maintain her hold on Damini.

 

Actually, she couldn’t do either thing. Damini landed a brutal punch to Faith’s jaw and another right over her already-wounded arm. Screaming in pain, she fell to one side; her stake slipped from her hand. Helpless, Faith stared as Damini picked up the sharpened wood and raised it over her head for the killing blow – and then froze. Her body remained still, arm upraised, for a long moment before slumping lifelessly to the ground.

 

“Drop the weapons. Now!” Olivia and her gun peeked from behind a dumpster farther down the alley.

 

The Two Stooges didn’t listen. The one Faith had targeted decided a crossbow beat a gun. A second later, he learned the truth. He landed right next to Damini, and blood pooling beneath him.

 

Another shot rang out, and sparks flew off the dumpster. Olivia ducked out of sight as a new firefight broke out. Faith didn’t bother keeping track of who fired where. Sweeping her legs into the last of Damini’s bodyguards, she knocked him off balance. She got to her knees, retrieved her stake from Damini’s corpse, and made quick work of stabbing it into his heart.

 

Now what? Olivia was still playing peek-a-boo with the snipers upstairs. Faith scanned the alley more closely. Munch and Prasad were helping out from doorways near the law office, and… More good guys, Junior Slayers, members of the St. Reginald and what had to be the rest of Chelsea’s crew, leaned over the rooftops of other buildings.

 

The cavalry had arrived.

 

Maybe they would survive after all. Faith felt a surge of hope that was choked off when the door to the law office opened. Nicole and the last of her Juniors exited. More of Damini’s army followed.

 

Disregarding her own safety, Faith ran to help. She made it only a few steps before a lightning bolt struck the building behind her. Bricks and mortar showered Faith, knocking her to her knees. Her ears rang. Coughing and blinking from the dust, she saw Willow emerge from the destruction. Face a death-mask of black veins, blood streaming from her nose and ears, Willow stood fearlessly in the middle of the alley. “This ends now,” she called out, and the words reverberated between the buildings. “Or I destroy you all.”

 

No one moved. Faith wasn’t sure she even breathed. Then Chelsea walked unsteadily out from the cluster of Junior Slayers. Anshu stepped from behind the same dumpster as Olivia. The prophecy was nearly complete. Only one person was missing. It took several tries for Faith to stand, and all of her considerable will-power to walk across the alley to flank Chelsea.

 

Men and women crept out of the building burning behind Damini’s body. They formed an uneasy semi-circle around Chelsea, Faith, and Anshu.  Nicole, the Juniors, and the St. Reginald completed the circle. They glowered at each other with weapons half-raised.

 

“You do not have the right to name a new Lord,” one of Damini’s men finally announced. Pointing at Chelsea, he asked, “Where is the Staff of the Nations? Where is the wampum that will symbolize the commitment of the new Takarihoken?”

 

***

 

Good questions. Ones Chelsea couldn’t answer – so she didn’t even try. “I am Chelsea, Royaneh of the St. Reginald.” She began the ritual speech Balaji had hurriedly taught her what felt like weeks earlier.  Willow had been right. This had to end. “Know you, my Lords, that I have taken the deer's antlers from the brow of Rajendra, the emblem of his position and token of his greatness.”

 

“Pretender!” The man who had spoken before pointed a rifle at Chelsea.

 

She braced for the bullet, but it never came. Instead, the Flint warrior grunted and pitched forward. Four young girls, clearly wounded, limped over his prone body.

 

One of them carried a staff.

 

Another had strings of shells looped through her belt.

 

“Sorry we’re late.” A slight Midwestern twang flavored the words as the Junior Slayer in the lead continued. “Traffic was a bitch. Guess everyone wanted to be part of the party.”

 

They’d made it. Faith’s kids had come through. Tears threatened as Chelsea regarded the four who should have been ten. She would never forget their sacrifice. Holding out her hands, she accepted the Staff and the strings of wampum then swept the alley and rooftops in search of one particular clan member.

 

There. One the roof next to Fin.

 

Voice ringing with renewed strength, Chelsea told the assembled audience, “I give you Vyomesh. Behold him. He has now become a Confederate Lord. See how splendid he looks.”

 

A/N: The election ritual and speech Chelsea is used is almost entirely fiction. However, I did take a few lines directly from the Constitution of the Iroquois Nations.

 

CHAPTER 46

 

“What are you gonna’ do?” Faith’s soft question didn’t disturb Willow, who continued to sleep peacefully on the couch at the far end of the room. Turning slightly, just enough to watch Nicole without losing her direct sight-line to Willow, she continued. “Heard Giles wanted ya to stay here.”

 

A tired smile did nothing to lighten Nicole’s strained expression. In fact, it highlighted the new lines fanning out from the corners of her eyes and bisecting her forehead. “He called yesterday.” A little of her exhaustion faded as mischief flared. “From the air.”

 

Faith snorted. “Bet he’ll bitch at me about it when he gets here.” She knew he wouldn’t, though. The call had been important. And it had been even more important that the request come straight from Giles. Waiting Nicole out, Faith locked her jaw on a yawn. God, she was tired. Too tired to waste much time getting Nicole ready to make her decision.

 

Her patience stretched to the limit as Nicole’s silence dragged on.

 

Finally, Nicole shifted. Her shoulders slumped. “I told him I’d stay.”

 

“Ya don’t sound happy, kid.” That bothered Faith. Bothered her so much she’d had her own conversation with Giles as he flew across the Atlantic. “Thought you were headed back home after this trip. Sure there’s someone else that could babysit the Chief.” She’d tried to tell that to Giles – over and over – during their talk. Well, shouting match, on Faith’s side.

 

Shaking her head, Nicole denied Faith’s assertion. “Who? Crash?”

 

Of course, Nicole picked the worst Plan B. “Hard to run over anything out here,” Faith joked. Then her patience ran out. “Don’t do this unless ya wanna.” There were hundreds, hell, thousands, of Slayers across the globe now. Any one of them could come and sit on the St. Reginald Hellmouth. The Council was done putting kids in places they didn’t want to be. If Faith had to make that point herself…

 

A finger poked into Faith’s side, breaking into her dark thoughts.  “Stop plotting ways to torture Mr. Giles. I kind of like him.” Nicole sighed and stretched her arms over her head, eyes sliding away from Faith’s level stare.

 

“Don’t fuck with me, Nic.” It was a clear warning. Faith wasn’t playing anymore.

 

Still looking away, Nicole mumbled. “You said it, Faith. There are so many other Junior Slayers. Why me? I’m not… I don’t….”

 

“You think I’d let ‘em put ya here if I didn’t trust you?” Faith’s voice rose until a mumble from Willow forced her back under control. “Nic, I don’t know why I was even here for this trip. It was you that got the Chief to trust us. You understood all that prophecy crap. You kept the other kids form freaking when Red let the magic out.” Reaching out, she gripped Nicole’s shoulder. “See a pattern?” Driving the point home, she said in an intense whisper, “It’s all you, Nic.”

 

Nicole flushed and her head dropped.

 

“I thought bein’ a Slayer was the best thing ever. Super powers. Fightin’ vamps. Kicking ass.” Faith shivered and let the memories roll. Her chest tightened, an echo of the piercing pain she’d felt when Kendra died and the Slayer gift slammed through her. “I was a fuckin’ idiot. There’s more to being a Slayer than bein’ a bad ass.” Shaking Nicole slightly, Faith went on. “If Red wasn’t standin’ right behind me, I’da got us all killed. Just like I did back in Sunnydale when the First was there. You’re better than me. Hell, maybe better than B – and you just started.”

 

She felt Nicole stiffen, watched the younger girl’s shoulder go back and her head lift.  Tears glittered in her eyes. “I’m so scared, Faith.”

 

Faith moved into Nicole’s personal space and wrapped an arm around Nicole’s shoulders. “Be surprised if ya weren’t, kid. But I ain’t lettin’ Giles stick you here without help. Got a couple teams of Juniors headin’ this way. Simmins is gonna be the Head Watcher, and Amy’s backing you up. And if that ain’t enough, you let me know and I’ll let you boss me around – for a couple of days ‘till you get right again.”

 

A watery giggle answered Faith’s vow.

 

Crisis possibly averted, Faith stepped back. “So, gonna ask one last time, and you better convince me, kid. Do you want to stay?”

 

There was a new, shorter silence. Then Nicole said, “I do, Faith. And I swear I won’t let you or Mr. Giles down.”

 

“Never doubted ya, kid.” Faith relaxed slightly, one of her worries out of the way. “Now get the fuck outta here. Giles’ll be here before ya know it. Might want to grab some sleep before then. Gonna be one big meeting for you once he shows up.”

 

Nicole groaned dramatically. “Is it too late to change my mind?” She grinned before striding down the hall.

 

Her departure left Faith alone with her other problem. And that problem sat up on the coach, hair flattened on one side and clothes hopelessly rumpled from her nap. “I don’t know why you keep saying you’re a terrible leader. All Nicole needed was your stamp of approval.”

 

“Mmm.” Faith wasn’t going to debate that point. Knees a little quivery, she stepped all the way into the room and closed the door. It took two tries to turn the small push-button lock.

 

“Faith?” Willow’s voice was suddenly tight with tension.

 

Without answering, Faith walked across the thick carpet and sank to her knees next to Willow’s perch. It was now or never. Praying she didn’t blow this – or chicken out – Faith tucked a strand of Willow’s hair behind her ear with a shaking hand. “Been thinking a lot.” Even with Slayer healing, her arm had taken a while to mend. And then she’d spent days and nights watching over Willow as she detoxed from the Black Magic.

 

Eyes so wide her eye threatened to spring from her head, Willow stared at Faith.

 

“Nicole ain’t the only one scared, Red. Willow,” Faith corrected quickly. Red was someone from her past. Willow was, hopefully, her future. “What you did in the alley, that’s big shit. You can’t keep doin’ that. One of them witches from England said you shoulda died from all the black magic. She said you could’ve lost control and we’da never got you back.”

 

Willow protested immediately. “No, Faith. It wasn’t that…”

 

The hand that had tucked Willow’s hair now gently covered Willow’s lying lips. “You can’t keep doin’ this,” Faith repeated firmly. “It’s time to get out of the game.”

 

“No!” Willow managed to yank away for a second.

 

Faith was off the floor in a flash, crowding Willow into the space where the arm of the couch met the back cushions. “Yes.” She emphasized her point with a soft, brushing kiss. “I called Xander a coupla days ago. The Council got the land you wanted for that Slayer School, and he’s already got a crew working on the first building.”

 

She kissed Willow again, agonizingly soft and slow, hyper aware of even the smallest movement or protest. There weren’t any. Rather, Willow tilted her head, opened her lips, and became an active participant. The kisses went from soft to hard and fast. Almost desperate. Wrenching away, breathing harsh and loud, Faith admitted what she’d discovered with all the soul searching in the dead of night. “It’d kill me if somethin’ happened to you, Willow.” The pretty speeches she’d written as she sat at Willow’s bedside, watching her thrash and moan from magical withdrawal all disappeared. Faith was alone with feelings she didn’t understand and had no way to voice. “You gotta stay safe. Run the school. Hell, join B in where-the-fuck ever.”

 

“Only if you’re with me,” Willow stated firmly. She stroked a finger along Faith’s jaw, raising goose pimples. “I don’t go anywhere without you now.”

 

Warmth exploded in Faith’s chest at the declaration. Willow always knew just what to say. Faith wished for the same talent. “Ain’t lettin’ you go, Willow. You wanna teach school, I’ll be right there, yellin’ at the Juniors. Making sure they understand you’re off limits.” It wasn’t what she wanted to say, hadn’t come out anywhere close to right, but it was enough to make Faith’s hands slick with sweat.

 

She prayed Willow didn’t notice that as she slid her fingers beneath Willow’s T-shirt. Fuck, the now-exposed skin was so soft. So hot.

 

The flush on Willow’s cheeks expanded, flowing down her neck until it stained the pale skin over her collarbone. “Why am I off limits?” she murmured as she wiggled and writhed into a nearly prone position, lying mostly beneath Faith on the couch.

 

As if they were two pieces of a puzzle, Faith’s leg fit between Willow’s. Her thigh pressed against the zipper of Willow’s jeans. Heat blasted through the denim, scorching Faith. Lost in the moment, Faith didn’t answer. Her hands rose, pushing Willow’s shirt up and over her shoulders and head.

 

“Son of a bitch.” More pale skin, dusted with freckles. Hard nipples poked through the thin material of a bra. Faith couldn’t think. Couldn’t breathe. But she somehow managed to undo the tiny clasp between Willow’s breasts and cup the freed mounds. Pinching the nipples hardened them further and added a dash of color. Intrigued, Faith spent long moments pinching and pulling and nipping.

 

By the time she stopped, Willow undulated beneath her. Her fingers were locked around Faith’s shoulders.

 

“You’re beautiful,” Faith told Willow. It was mind boggling. She needed to see more. She needed to see all of Willow. Standing for a minute, she unfastened Willow’s jeans and pulled them completely off. Willow’s underwear followed. The white socks could wait, and Faith enjoyed the contrast of the peach bra framing Willow’s breasts. That could stay, too.

 

Returning to the couch, Faith braced herself above Willow. She kissed the concave hollow of Willow’s stomach. Ran her teeth along a cute string of freckles on Willow’s left hip. Her fingers slid easily through the wild, wet auburn curls covering Willow’s vulva.

 

A twitch of Willow’s hips and a stuttering breath announced Faith’s arrival at Willow’s clit.

 

She teased the swollen nub for a moment and then moved lower. Spreading Willow’s outer labia, Faith lightly stroked the thin inner folds. They glistened and their color deepened with each touch.

 

“Faith. Oh, Goddess.” Willow’s voice was a hoarse benediction.

 

So close to the prize, Faith hesitated. This wasn’t what she was used to. This wasn’t a stranger she’d picked up in a bar. This was Willow… As she lay frozen, Willow reached between them and twined her fingers with Faith’s. Together, they teased in and out of Willow’s core, dragging dampness up to coat her swelling clit.

 

Willow’s hand fell away as Faith woke up and concentrated her efforts there. Pushing the skin of the hood back with the fingers of one hand, she used the forefinger and second finger of the other to stroke along the sides of Willow’s swelling bundle of nerves.

 

She could tell Willow was close now. Her thighs trembled and her back had arched.

 

Gently, ever so gently, Faith slid her fingers around and around, never directly over Willow’s clit. Willow whimpered. Her muscles got impossibly stiffer until she vibrated beneath Faith.

 

Lowering her head, Faith gave Willow the final push over the edge. She lashed the tip of her tongue over the taut nub begging for her attention.

 

“Faith!” The hands that had helped Faith before now latched painfully into her hair, holding her against Willow’s clit. Willow bucked and shook, and Faith was sure she’d have bald patches. She didn’t care. It would so be worth it.

 

Finally, when Willow dropped, boneless, to the cushions, Faith raised her head. “You’re off limits ‘cause you’re mine, Will.”

 

 

The End

 

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