Tara?
Willow, listen to me. Are you all right?
Tara! You’re alive! You’re okay!
Of course I am. Why, what happened?
He, he killed you…right in front of me…
Well, I haven’t seen you since you disappeared, so it must have been another illusion. Kellan’s not that strong. Most of his magicks are glamours and illusions.
So he doesn’t have any real power? This could cinch it. If Kellan had no power…
Yes, he does. But it’s not as strong as he’s trying to make you think it is.
Oh. Well, that’s not too bad. Thanks, Tara. I love you.
I love you too, Will. Be strong. I have to go. We’re not strong enough to keep this up for long.
I understand. Love you. And Tara’s voice in her mind was gone.
“So, Witch?” Kellan said, impatient. “Have you made your decision yet?”
“Yes, I have,” Willow replied, no emotion in her voice.
*~*~*
Tara swooned, and was caught by strong arms. She looked up at Buffy gratefully, then looked around at the others in the cave.
“Did it work?” Gunn asked from his corner.
“Yeah. I told her. About the illusions,” Tara said, a little weak from the exertion.
“Good. Then it’s up to her to get out of the, er, forcefield.” Giles said, polishing his glasses.
“Is she okay?” Dawn asked.
“She’s okay, Dawnie. A little bit freaked out, but I think she’s calmer now. Kellan…showed her an illusion of me dying at his hand.” Rage flashed in the normally gentle woman’s eyes.
“Bastard,” Cordy muttered under her breath. She looked over at Spike and Faith, who were still sitting on the ground, Spike gently running a hand through Faith’s hair. She stopped for a moment, looking around in confusion.
“Um…is everything all right, Cordelia?” Wesley asked her, stepping forward.
“There…remember, just before Tara went all suffocation-girl on us…”
“Of course. We were about to be attacked by vampires. They were coming from everywhere,” Gunn piped up.
“And no one noticed the vampires disappear? Where did they go?” Buffy said skeptically.
“Buffy?” Dawn suddenly asked. “Did you get cramps when they showed up before?”
“What?” Buffy cried, flushing.
“I think she means your, uh, Spidey-sense,” Xander said helpfully.
“Oh. Right. That’s strange. No, I didn’t. You’d think, with a huge group of vampires, I’d feel them, or something.”
“Another illusion,” Giles said. “He must have had to end it to show Willow the image of Tara, er, dying.”
“Right. Then…if we could distract him, he’d have to stop messing with Red?” Spike said form the ground, still stroking Faith’s head. She pushed herself up woozily.
“So how do we distract him?” she asked.
“Amy,” Anya said simply. Everyone turned to stare at her. “You know. Amy Madison. Former rat? Willow’s latest transmogrify?”
“That’s…perfect,” Tara said, slight awe in her voice.
“Wait…Willow de-ratted Amy?” Cordelia said incredulously.
“Yeah…couple weeks ago,” Spike said. “Anyone got a cell phone so’s we can call her?”
Angel pulled his out of his duster and held it up. Tara took it and dialed the number by memory.
“Amy? Listen…we need your help. It’s Willow…and it’s serious. Can you come to the old caves out of town? Okay, great. Hurry. It’s really important. I’ll send someone out to meet you.” Tara hung up the phone and handed it back to Angel. “Xander?” she said, turning on the dark-haired young man.
“I’ll go,” he said, heading out of the cave.