Chapter seven

Willow had felt her skin burning during the spell. She had been breathless for some seconds, then had closed her eyes and let the spell work.

She had expected to fall out of the blue and landing on the ground, instead when she had opened her eyes she had found herself...in a graveyard. It was dimly lit both by some street lamps and by the full moon.

She opened her mouth to speak aloud, but soon found out she couldn't utter a sound.

<Great...just great...wherever you are, Eric...thank you! >

She thought shaking her head. She looked around, shivering at the cold night.

<Well? What did you expect? It's London, Willow...it's probably winter...and you're only wearing a shirt and a pair of jeans...>

She took some steps taking from the back pocket of her jeans a cross. She looked around, she had to go out from that graveyard and look for Spike

< William...you've got to remember that...now if only I don't meet any vampires everything it's going to be perfect>

She rolled her eyes, realizing she had just jinxed herself.

<When are you gonna learn to keep your mouth shut? Hell even mute you are such a ...>

She gasped when she heard a low growl coming from behind her shoulders. She sighed and quickened her pace, looking around for ways of escape

< Don't let him smell your fear...don't let him smell your fear...>

She kept repeating to herself. The creature grabbed her shoulders; she felt her bones dangerously close to cracking.

<Ouch! Too late! >

The creature turned her around. She was face to face with him. Four years of experience on the Hellmouth told her two things.

That vampire was newly risen...and was hungry as hell...

She steeled herself, and pressed the cross she had been holding in her hand over the vampire's stomach.

He let go of her shoulders, hissing in pain. Willow fell on her back and quickly scrambled on her feet, her shoulders hurt but she didn't even seem to care, she started to run, trying not to let the panic swallowing her.

One thing was running for her life in Sunnydale's graveyards, with Buffy or Spike...or even Xander, in the twenty-first century, in graveyards she had gotten to known as her own palms...another matter altogether was running for her life in a graveyard in the Victorian England, alone

<Duh! And you're supposed to save Spike's unlife, how? >

She could hear the vampire running after her, he was closer, she turned to a curve on her right only to find a huge mausoleum which obstructed the passage.

< Great...just bloody great! >

She silently swore. The vampire was behind her. She sighed, taking in deep breaths.

"I say" the vampire spoke for the first time, half growling, "this is where you stop..."

Willow swallowed, taking some steps back.

<Oh crap...oh, CRAP! >

*~~*~~*~~*~~*

Giles looked at Eric, he was very pale, it looked like he could barely stand on his legs, he turned toward Xander saying, "Take some blood from the fridge...Eric needs it"

Xander nodded, but Eric stopped him saying, "William needs it more..."

"*You* will need it more...especially if you don't tell me why the hell did you cast that spell on Willow!" Giles hissed taking a step toward him.

"I really don't have time for this, Rupert" Eric said in a low voice. He should have expected the former Watcher would have recognized the spell.

"Interestingly enough, I don't care about it..." Giles replied, his voice pure Ripper

"Uh-oh...why don't I like the sound of this?" Buffy asked, stepping between the two of them

"She can't talk, can she?" Anya asked. Eric turned toward the former demon arching an eyebrow at her; Anya shrugged and continued, "I recognized the words..."

"She asked me to help her..." Eric said.

"How thoughtful of you using that spell...have you any idea how difficult it is to undo it?" Giles said.

Eric nodded and said, "She was willing to take the risk..." he paused then swore under his non existent breath, "oh, bugger it!"

In the same moment Spike wide opened his eyes and turned to look at Eric, gone was his weakness, replaced by a look of pure anger, he all but snarled when he said, "Someone is attacking her, you bastard!"

*~~*~~*~~*~~*

"Can you hear that noise?" William Appleton asked in a low voice, turning to look at Eric.

The vampire just cocked an eyebrow at him; William shook his head, half smiling at his question. They had been patrolling together. William couldn't remember when last time he had been with him during his nightly patrol had been.

The fact that the vampire was patrolling with him, meant he was being tested...William knew he was going to be activated soon, very soon.

He was glad Eric was with him, though. The graveyards could be very boring, he preferred following vampires around, to find out their hiding places.

"A newly risen vampire..." Eric murmured.

William lightly leant forward, they had been hiding behind some bushes, he blinked when he saw, a young red-headed woman, being grabbed by her shoulder, by the vampire. The vampire turned her around, so that they were face to face.

He saw the red-head, stiffen for a second then pressing her hand against the vampire's stomach. He could clearly hear the vampire hissing and some smoke coming from his stomach. The vampire let go of the young woman, who quickly rose on her feet and began running.

"He will catch her..." William said in a low voice. That wasn't the first time he saw such a thing. He was curios though, the red-head, didn't seem scared, although pain was clearly etched on her face, she kept running, he barely resisted the urge to scream at her that she was turning to the wrong direction. He shook his head and got up from behind the bush.

"William..." Eric said in a low voice, grabbing his arm, forcing him to turn and look at him.

"Eric...it'll drain her..." William hissed.

"This does not concern us..." Eric hissed back.

William looked down at his gheraious. He cared about him, he really did. Eric was his mentor, his friend...but at times he hated his cynicism. How could he kept claiming he wanted to help saving the world when he didn't move a muscle while seeing innocent people being drained by vampires? Was he going to become like that once he was activated?

Eric seemed to sense his feelings because shaking his head said, "You cannot risk being seen...I shall take care of that..."

He rose on his feet already in game face, his yellow eyes sparkling in the night and William couldn't help the little shiver that ran through his body. He had seen him fighting, and his bones, still hurt for the tortures he had put him through during their training

"May I suggest you to come with me, William?" Eric hissed.

"I *can* take care of myself, Eric..." William hissed.

The dark-haired vampire nodded but smiling said, "Methinks the boy doth protest too much..."

Eric tilted his head up, sniffing for a second the air then said, "We'd better hurry...he is too close to her."

*~~*~~*~~*~~*