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“Xander, you have to eat something…” Anya weakly said, sitting
next to Xander on Giles’ couch.
The man shook his head and managed to smile at her before saying,
“No, thank you…I’m not hungry….”
“Xander…you are pale, and hurt…you haven’t slept since Willow and
Giles have been taken…please, just a twinkie?”
Xander shook his head no, but didn’t say anything. He took another
book from the coffee table and opened it.
Three days,
Three days had passed since Willow and Giles had been taken.
Two days since Buffy and Spike had gone to look for them.
Forty Eight hours.
Never had he been so worried and scared in his life. He wished he
could do something, anything to help his friends. He had been
researching since Buffy and Spike had gone away. Oddly it had been
Ethan who had helped him, before going away; he had suggested some
references he could use to start on his research.
The only thing he had discovered was that whatever had taken
Willow and Giles was going for the slow kill. They were being
probably mentally tortured.
Ethan had mentioned a code, before going away.
Heta7tanatos.
He had said that was what Buffy and Spike were going to fight.
Anya hadn’t known what the code was about; she had just identified
some of the demons portrayed in the books. Some of the demons
Buffy and Spike were probably fighting wherever they were in that
moment.
Xander had never been that scared in his life, he closed his eyes
and let out a sigh, tilting his head on a side trying to ease the
tension in his muscles.
His hand hurt, he hadn’t taken pain killers to ease the pain, and
was beginning to feel the weight of the past two days.
He opened his eyes when he heard knocking at the door. He
exchanged a glance with Anya then she slowly went to the door, he
lightly nodded at her before she grabbed the doorknob.
She opened the door and lightly blinked.
“Anya, who is it?” Xander asked getting up from the couch, he
stood next to her and frowned, standing on the porch of Giles’
apartment there was a young man. He was of medium height, with
short black hair, dressed in black jeans and t-shirt; he was
wearing boots and a black leather jacket, which contrasted with
his pale complexion. It was his brown, almond-eyed eyes and the
look in them though, that caught both Xander and Anya’s attention,
it was very deep, extremely intelligent and soulful.
The man, who didn’t look much older than Xander himself, spoke in
a deep, particular voice, saying, “I take you are Xander Harris
and Anya Emerson?”
Xander and Anya looked at each other for a second, then Xander
turning toward the man said, “And you would be?”
“My name is Eric, and I am here to help.”
“We don’t need any help, thank you.”
“I think you do. Do you know a vampire known as Spike”
“I don’t know what are you talking about” Xander hissed.
The man smiled at him, and lightly arched an eyebrow, before
saying, “too bad because I’m a friend of Spike…he asked for my
help…before going facing heta7tanatos.”
Xander opened his mouth to speak, but the man interrupted him
saying, “We don’t have much time….Spike can’t win this alone…and
neither can the Slayer…”
“Who the hell are you?”
The man’s smile faded, replaced by a serious look, “I’m…an Eletti”
“A….what?” Xander blankly asked.
“Wasn’t the Eletti’s existence a rumor?” Anya asked, puzzled.
Xander looked at Anya who shrugged at him, and returned his
attention to Eric; the man smiled and said, “Why don’t we talk
about this, inside? Oh, you’ll have to invite me in, I’m a
vampire…”
“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t stake you now” Xander asked,
crossing his arms over his chest.
Anya placed a hand on his shoulder and said, “If what he’s saying
it’s true…if he’s really an Eletti we have nothing to fear…”
“And what if it’s a lie?” Xander asked looking at her.
“I’m afraid you just have one way to find it out, but I’d suggest
you quickly decided….the watcher and your young friend don’t have
much time…and neither do William and the Slayer…”
Perhaps it was that man use of Spike’s first name, or perhaps it
was the look in his eyes, but Xander took a step back and
whispered, “Come in…but remember…I have a stake and I know how to
use it…”
The vampire nodded and said while entering Giles’ apartment,
“William said you are a very brave young man….”
Xander closed the door and said, “Cut the crap about William, just
tell me how to help my friends….”
“He said you are quite reckless, as well…” the vampire said
looking around. He took some steps and approached the coffee
table, noticing the demonology books, Xander had been researching
on. He turned toward Xander and said, “I’m afraid that
recklessness isn’t going to be of any help to your friends….what
did you find out in those books?”
“You are the one sent to help them, you tell me…what the hell
Heta…whatever is?”
“Heta7tanatos…is a code, it means one of the Eletti has blown his
cover and that humans and demons have gotten together to end the
world…”
“Who the hell are you? How is Spike linked to all of this?” Xander
asked.
“As I already told you, I’m one of the Eletti, we aid the Slayer
in her job, William asked for our help, and I've been sent here.
He always say you’re people who can be trusted, that’s why”
“Are you implying that Spike is one of the Eletti?” Anya asked.
She was all but blinking.
“He’s one of the best among us…he has already faced a
heta7tanatos, I’m afraid, though…that this time things are going
to be more difficult for him….”
“Why is that?” Xander asked.
“Because to end the world this time they need their bloods…the
Slayer and the Eletti’s…and because he is emotionally involved…”
Xander chose to ignore his last statement; he narrowed his eyes
and asked, “How can we stop this? How can we help them?”
“They are playing dirty…messing with their heads…they are opening
channels…using very powerful magic…this doesn’t mean we can’t do
the same here…”
“News Flash: our resident wicca and magician have been kidnapped ”
Eric smile’s grew wider, “News Flash: I know how to use magic…so,
are you up to it?”
“Are we gonna end up dreaming of the first Eletti beating the crap
out of us?” Xander asked, recalling how the spell which had helped
Buffy defeating Adam had ended.
Eric laughed at his words and said, “Don’t worry if someone is
going to have the crap beat it’s not us…”
Xander smiled at the vampire and patted him on the shoulder
saying, “You know? I will probably regret it later, but I quite
like you…now just tell us what to do”
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