The Door in the Hedge
Chapter 8 - High Moon
"Ouch," Wesley said, dancing uncomfortably in place for a moment.
"Quietly," Ann said. "I hope they haven't seen us yet."
"A good spot," Angel said. They were in a small hollow, mostly level on the bottom, with a steep slope behind and a pile of large rocks to the left, leaving down hill and west around the mountain open.
"A hill behind and rocks to the side. The rocks are on the wrong side, according to Sun Tzu," Ann whispered. "But it was here and it was useable, so I used it."
"Where are they?" Angel asked softly.
"Down and to the left," Ann said. "Wait to start the spell until we get back," she told the girls.
Angel, Ivo, Filis and Ann slipped down and peered over the rocks.
There were a lot of demons down there, fully the thirty Angel had estimated and maybe half again as many. Concentric circles of demons watching what was obviously the ritual Angel had brought his friends and allies to stop.
It was an interesting performance, the costuming colorful, the dancers well rehearsed, and the props convincing. At the moment, all it lacked was a sound track.
There were four demons in a loose group in the center, three of them tall and well built. One held a knife, the second an animal of some kind, and the last two held smoking censers on long chains. All were dressed in long, black, heavy skirts, and over them, black aprons charged with strange symbols in yellow. The one with the knife cut the head of the strange animal and sprinkled its blood over the two with the censers. Handing knife and corpse to the second demon, the first raised his
arms and chanted.
The second demon, much shorter than the first, and skinny, put the body and the knife on a low table behind him, took up a sword resting there, and handed it to the first demon as he finished chanting.
With the sword, the first demon, who seem to be the chief actor, slashed the air in the four directions and stabbed straight up, then cut a four-armed compass cross in the earth and thrust the sword down in the center of it.
The two censer bearers arranged themselves around the sword. They faced each other across the east-west line of the cross, each with a foot on either side of the north-south line. They began to swing their censers in large, matching circles. A fire sprang up around the sword, then extended along the four arms of the compass cross. The swingers each took a step back and the smoke from their censers turned to a circle of flame.
First Ann, then Ivo and Filis, and last, Angel, slipped down the rocks and back to the others.
"They're well coordinated, for demons," Ann said.
"Or they've practiced a lot," Angel said.
"A new Olympic sport?" Filis giggled.
"Coordinated censer swinging?" Angel asked.
"Spend enough money, I bet it could be done," Ivo said.
"Quiet down, you three. Did any one else sense anything wrong with what we just saw?" Ann asked.
"Other than everything?" Ivo asked.
Ann shrugged. She still seemed unsatisfied, but she did not delay any further. "Go," she told the girls.
Tara opened the cloth she was carrying by the four corners, revealing a brazier with a bed of coals, in the center of a painted circle. She started dropping herbs onto the charcoal as Willow gathered up a handful of dust. Tara waved a square of white cloth in the smoke and held it out to Willow, who dropped the dust into the center.
"I like your Darth Maul outfit," Angel told Ann
"They're traditional," Ann said, equally dry. She seemed as calm as she had been looking over his library.
Tara and Willow held the dust in the smoke for a moment, then folded the cloth over it. Tara held it and whispered briefly to it.
Down below, the magician demon paused in his reading, glancing around. His assistant looked about, too. There had been something.
"Wesley, we're ready for the numbers as soon as I'm done," Tara said, then started reading from a list Willow held up for her.
The magician below halted again and stared up at the rocks. He looked irritated. The assistant moved closer to him.
"We're about to be noticed," Ann said. "Move back from those rocks."
"How do you know?" Angel asked.
"Magicians know magic," she replied. "He can tell something is going on up here and I can sense when he bends his attention this way. I wish I could figure out what's so strange about him."
Below, the magician gestured and lightning struck at the rocks. It bounced off them into the audience of demons. Startled, the magician tried it again. The second lightning strike also hit among the waiting demons.
"Ann, what's happening?" Angel asked.
"He's throwing lightning at Tara. I can push it off and into his army. Like that." The magician had tried a third bolt.
Below, it no longer looked like a play. Nearly a fourth of the demons were down and still, some of the ones remaining standing were on fire, some of the ones on fire were running around in circles, and the scrub oaks were burning. The magician put out the burning demons, but left the oaks alone. The fires illuminated the area and cast darker shadows around the edges. He turned back to the rocks.
"That was clever," Ann said, as the rocks disappeared.
"Not an attack on Tara?" Angel guessed.
"Right."
"Is that your geas?"
"Yes. I am severely and strictly limited. Frequently, the conditions and the duties are in direct conflict; as they are here. I must protect Tara from any attack, physical or magical, but I can't simply blast that magician right now, even though if I did, we could all go home."
"Can you do anything?" Ivo asked.
"Not just yet. Wait. You were quite right about him. He's arrogant and impatient. I'm betting he'll do it for me. Calm down, Ivo."
"You seem to have done this before," Angel said.
"Oh, yes, but not for a while. It must have been, oh, 13 August 1944 since I've waited like this."
"August 1944?" Ivo asked.
"Which was also the month I blew up my last railway line," Ann said, smiling at him.
"Where were you?"
"France; the Falaise Gap."
"What were you doing there?" Ivo asked, fascinated.
"Blowing up railway lines," Ann said, with a hint of impatience.
"No, I meant..."
She laughed. "I know. We were working for the Allies."
"There," the magician pointed. "There. Stop them." The nearest demons started up the hill.
Reluctantly, Angel put that "we" aside, and stepped forward with the war axe; Ann came up beside him and rested her sword upright in front of her, her hands reaching down for the crossguards. The sword lengthened slightly, Angel saw, and her hands assumed a more comfortable angle. Why not? She could shape-shift her person, her clothes and her wine, so why not her sword.? The weapons glittered in the firelight and made any verbal challenge unnecessary.
"Not the fighters, idiots!" roared the magician. "Get the witches!"
"That's it," Ann said. "I can now kill anybody on his side, unless he's running away."
"You were right," Angel said. He could hear Wesley reading out numbers, then Willow reciting names in a variety of languages. He glanced at Ann as she walked over to Filis. The two women moved off a little to the east and waited silently. He noticed Ann didn't seem to be bothered by being barefoot, then forgot her as a demon tried to walk past him towards Willow.
He killed it with an overhand blow into its skull. The battle axe wedged in the bone and was pulled from his hand as the demon collapsed. A second demon jumped him and he knocked it down the hill. He bent to wrench the axe free and Ivo yelled:
"Stay down, Angel."
Angel heard a grunt from beside him. He freed the axe and rolled away and to his feet as a demon fell, first to its knees, then flat on its face on the spot he had been standing before he bent down. He checked on Ann and Filis: they had a small pile of corpses in front of them, some with arrows in them and some with no heads, but both women seemed unhurt.
Down hill, the magician resumed his ritual: the assistant demon was holding a large book in front of him and he was reading, following the lines with one hand and gesturing with the other.
Uphill, Wesley put down the GPS and took up the stun rod and smaller stun gun. Cordelia had hers already and Tara and Willow were alternately adding herbs to the brazier and chanting.
After that, there were more demons in front of him and he didn't get a clear sight of the others until he looked around when Filis screamed.
A large purple-striped demon had her by the hair and was dragging her away. She had lost her bow and quiver. Ann couldn't reach her; there were two demons between them. Ann swung her sword in a horizontal arc, from left to right, beheading the first demon, the one on the left. She turned to her right, catching up with
the sword and bringing it up over her shoulder. Her left hand rose to the hilt and she disarmed the second demon by cutting off its right arm at the shoulder. The sword shifted shape again then, the blade shrinking and the hilt elongating as it became a spear, which Ann, walking forward and changing her grip as the sword shifted, thrust into the throat of the demon holding Filis. She grabbed Filis by her shirt and pulled her back beside the witches.
Ann dropped to one knee by Filis and touched the Alv's face, her throat, and then her arm. Filis nodded, stood and drew her dagger, remaining by the girls.
Angel lost sight of Filis as another demon lunged at him, and he returned his attention to fighting.
Behind him, Angel heard Tara and Willow chanting with increasing volume, then stop abruptly. Just as abruptly, there was an explosion from the brazier. Looking quickly, he saw something rise above the mountain and explode again. A shower of bright particles began to fall over all the mountain.
Below Angel came a scream of rage from the magician as his fire also exploded, killing the two censer swingers. He threw down the book, pulled a sword from the air and started up the hill.
Ann was engaged with four, three now, demons by herself. Angel moved to intercept the demon coming up on his side towards the girls. The magician was faster than he looked and very quick with his sword. Angel dodged out of the way of a downward slice, only to receive a kick in the chest. He fell, rolled and came after
the demon again. The magician was moving directly towards Willow.
Angel saw Wesley jab at the magician with the stun rod. The magician didn't halt although the rod sparked and crackled. He did slow down to backhand Wesley out of his was, which gave Angel enough time to cut off his down-hill leg.
It didn't slow him any more that the stun rod had. He continued to walk up the hill as if he had two legs. Angel cut off the demon's sword arm. The arm fell away, but it released the sword, which rose to the demon's side as if the hand still carried it.
Angel caught a flash of red and black by his side as Ann ran up. She came to a skidding halt, yelled something to Tara, then brought her sword down on the magician's blade, snapping it off short. Ann turned and ran down the hill.
"What is this thing?" Angel asked Ivo.
"No idea," the Alv said.
Angel hacked at the remaining leg. The sword thrust at him, unable to hit him; it was too short to reach.
"It's a golem manifestation!" Tara yelled, pulling Willow back. "You can't kill that."
"Can you petrify it?" Willow asked.
"You need to kill the originator," Tara said. She stooped down to pick up her brazier, then flung the ash and glowing coals into the magician's face, blinding him at least temporarily.
The magician slowed and brushed the ash out of his eyes. Angel cut off his left arm. The dust on his face kept on falling away from his eyes. On one bleeding leg, the torso continued up the hill.
Ann killed any demon in her way as she hurried down to the site of the magician's ritual. Around and in front of her, the remaining demons backed away. Ah, there. The assistant, small, ugly even for the demons they were fighting and not physically strong. He ignored her.
Above her, the torso and sword turned fully toward Tara. Angel stepped in front of her, pushing her back and raising the axe. The magician struck at Tara and hit Angel, the broken sword scrapping along Angel's ribs, cutting a flap of skin and flesh loose and wedging itself in the bone.
Ann took the originator's head off. Angel fell forward as the sword stopped pushing him back. He twisted, falling on his side. Ivo shoved the torso down the hill as it started to crumple.
Any demons left alive faded back and down the mountain. Ann walked up to Angel and Willow and Tara.
"Ah, that's annoying," Angel said. "Give me a hand with this, Ivo. It's stuck."
"Lie back down," Ivo said.
"I don't need to lie down. Except for this sword stuck in my ribs, I'm fine."
"I need leverage," Ivo said. He had Angel lie down with his head uphill. Standing on Angel's left, he leaned over, grabbed the hilt, put a foot on Angel's chest, and pulled. The sword came free and Ivo sat down hard, facing west, toward the Alvar gate. "Well, hell," he said. "Filis, we have trouble."
"Now what?" Angel asked, getting up.
"Can you see that circle of blue-green light, over there? Sort of flickering?"
"Yes."
"Maybe vampires have witch sight. How about you two mortals? Wesley, Cordelia?"
Ann was kneeling by Wesley, holding his hand and touching his face. He sat up and looked where Ivo indicated.
"That circle? Certainly."
The gate was noticeably brighter and steadier. "Well," Ivo said. "Mortals are not supposed to be able to see it."
"It's glowing," Cordelia said. "How can I not notice? And I can see through it."
"It seems to be functional again, though," Filis said.
"Get through it," Angel said. "Get through and shut it down."
"Interesting," Willow said. "They may not need to do anything. I think the firmest reality for this nexus does not include a world gate, at least not at the moment. If you don't go now, you may be stuck here until you can travel to an alternate gate."
Ivo and Filis glanced at each other, then turned and ran through the gate.
"Darn," Cordelia said. "I liked him, and he seemed to like me, and considering some of the boys down here, he was pretty normal. His credit rating was wonderful, too."
"Oh, Cordelia," Tara said. "Think of the age difference. He's older than Angel."
"How do you know?" Willow asked.
"Their cousin is married to a boy whose sister married somebody I know. They came to the wedding. I recognized them right away, once I saw them in person."
"Angel, are you hurt?" Ann asked.
"You are," Angel said, seeing that some of the red in her fighting clothes was fresh blood.
"I was, and I heal fast, although I may need to sleep for a day after this. Hold still." She opened his shirt and pressed the torn flesh back in position.
Her hand was warm and firm against his skin. She held his other hand, and focused on him for a moment, then she frowned. "You are the hardest man to heal I've ever met."
"I am not a man," Angel said.
"Your specs are human; the vampire is just an adaptation, although it certainly complicates this. Also, that reality spell is bouncing all around you. You should leave
this area soon. Hold still."
She kissed him, gently and thoroughly. After a moment, he relaxed, feeling safe with her. She wasn't trying to get anything from him, even a reaction. A little longer and she raised her head and gave him an intent inspection:
"Well, that will do, but take it easy a while. You've got a cracked rib," she told him. "It's patched, not healed. Don't strain yourself and tell Claire about it in the morning. Pick up your gear, and I'll send you back to your car. And then we'll go home," she said, turning to Tara and Willow, "and tomorrow, after I've rested, I'll bring everyone back from Seattle."
"Ann? If you're tired, we could take us home." Tara said.
"I am not that tired," Ann said firmly, "But if you want to be helpful, please put out the fire."
"Oh. Sure." Tara and Willow moved apart.
"Actually," Angel told Ann, "it's all your gear."
"Keep it," Ann said. "I think you'll put it to good use." She took a cloth out of her sash and began grooming her sword.
"Thanks."
"We did OK," Cordelia said.
"Not really," Wesley said.
"How so?"
"The clients wanted us to stop the demons from wrecking their gate."
"Yes! And we stopped them," Cordelia insisted.
"Right," Angel said. "We wrecked the gate ourselves."
"We all helped," Ann said, "even Ivo and Filis and the wardens of their gate."
"We saved Rodeo Drive," Cordelia said. "That's something."
Willow raised her arms and chanted briefly. The fires winked out. The two witches rejoined Angel.
"Everyone ready?" Ann asked.
"I think we should go," Angel said. "I can hear sirens. And these guys don't dust when they die--we'll have all these bodies to explain if we stay."
"You three first," Ann said, and Angel, Cordelia and Wesley were standing by the convertible.
"I hope they get home OK," Cordelia said. "I'll drive."
"Why?" Angel asked.
"You have a cracked rib and shouldn't drive. Wesley has no shoes and it's against the law to drive barefoot. That leaves me."
"The keys are in it," Angel said, and settled carefully into the passenger seat.\
THE END (for now)
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