London Nocturne (Part 4)
Sandra
It was none of his business, he told himself. The last thing he needed was
to get caught up in some sort of power struggle among the Watchers, not to
mention running afoul of Master Tao.
Spike groaned, and dropped his head into his hands. Bloody hell, he
thought, I've been too long away...I don't belong in London anymore.
Yet...she was alone, surrounded by that nest of vipers. The Watchers liked
to pretend they were some new Round Table who fought for the forces of
good; but Spike knew better. They were every bit as ruthless, in their
way, as Master Tao and his vampire clan.
"So what?" he said aloud. "If anyone can take care of herself, it's that
little bitch! She's wriggled out of sticky situations plenty of times."
But that had been on her home ground. Here, except for Giles, she was
completely isolated. Except for Giles....
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"Spike!" Giles blocked the doorway to his hotel room, staring at the
vampire in open-mouthed shock.
"Aren't you going to invite me in?" Spike sneered. "Or do I make you
nervous, Watcher?"
Giles stood aside. "You don't need an invitation in a hotel," he said
mildly. "And- I am no longer a Watcher."
"I know that," Spike said impatiently. "That's why I've come. I want to
play 'Let's Make a Deal' again!"
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Master Tao reached up toward the trellis and plucked one of the pale pink
roses.
"These have the sweetest scent," he said softly. "They're not hybrids,
you see...they are real. I will have no hybrids in my garden."
Spike watched impassively, giving no indication that his stomach was
clenched in knots.
Master Tao sat on one of the stone benches beneath the rose arbor. "I'm
proud of my garden; but roses are seen best in the light of day...did you
know? They love the sun."
He turned to the blond vampire and nodded. "Play out the game, Spike.
But...remember what I told you... if there is trouble, I will kill you
myself."
As the minion led him away, Spike looked back at Master Tao, sitting among
his roses. And for the first time in a long while, he felt afraid.
Blodwen was waiting on the steps of his hotel.
For an instant Spike felt furious; then realized Master Tao would have
been informed- and had already given him permission to play out the game.
"I need your help," Blodwen told him urgently.
"Why should I help a Watcher?" Spike asked nonchalently.
"Because of what I can do for you." She cast a swift glance around, "We
can't talk here."
Spike allowed her to draw him into the shadows of the aptly named Green
Park...at this time of night it was no longer green, but black and full of
shadows, almost empty of the crowds that roamed through during the day, and
picnicked on the lawns.
What would it be like, he wondered, to lie on a blanket in the
grass...holding a girl?
He closed his eyes, trying to conjure up Dru; but instead he saw the
Slayer stretched out under those trees, her golden hair spread out around
her. She would be laughing up at him, and then she would hold out her
arms...
He drew in a breath sharply; and the image, so disturbingly vivid,
dissolved.
Blodwen's words seemed to come from a great distance. "They're going to
kill the Slayer."
"Won't happen." Spike shook his head. "Gi...uh, I was told that they
don't put renegade Slayers to death anymore. They'll lock Faith away,
until..."
She clutched at his arm. "Not THAT Slayer...the other one! They plan to
kill Buffy!"
to be continued
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