Chapter 2



Buffy stared up at the bland ceiling of the hotel room the agency had given her for the night. Across the room, the blinds had been drawn tightly across the windows to block out the sun’s lethal rays, the edges stuck down with thick tape till only a small slither had managed work its way through to shine in a small patch against the wall. She didn’t need to squint to see the dust particles floating through the air, even from the distance she was laying. It made her curious about what else had changed.

She held up her hand and looked at it. Her skin still clutched to the remains of her summer tan but she knew it wouldn’t take long for it to dissipate completely. Listening to her body, it seemed too quiet—too lifeless—like she should be able to hear the sound of her heart beating although she never had been able to previously.

Buffy consciously stopped her habitual breathing and waited. She could lie so still. So still and quiet like the corpse that her body should be. She quickly rose from the bed and started pacing around the room. She was dead, yes, but she refused to act that way.

She wondered whether that was something all vampires felt, or if it was just her. Perhaps something that had been passed on from her sire.

After sitting silently while she had been poked and prodded for nearly the entire morning—or night rather—as samples of her blood and photos of her in and out of her vampire guise for identification and teeth moulds of both her human and vampiric teeth had been taken, she then ended up back in Mr. Giles’ tiny office so she could look through an album that contained mug shots of repeat vampire offenders in an attempt to find her sire.

She had gone through almost the whole book before she finally found his face. She had stared at it unseeingly for what seemed like hours, days perhaps. His name was Penn, childe of Angelus, grandchilde of Darla and great grandchilde of the Master, who was currently the oldest living vampire of the Aurelius line and head of the clan.

It had been explained to her that she was his sixth unwilling victim to be illegally turned, and that because of that he would have to be dusted. She was shocked to find that somewhere within her—deep within her, but still there—her demon had rebelled at the thought.

“He’s nothing but a monster,” she said out loud as she flopped back down onto the bed. She had known vampires in the past, not all were bad like Penn had been. “I don’t care, I’m not like him. I will not be a monster.”

She startled violently as a harsh knock at her front door pulled her attention away from her inner musings.

She slowly sat up and drew still, instinctively halting her unneeded breathing as she listened for a heartbeat.

“Miss Summers?” The friendly voice of Giles broke the instinctive tension that had come over her body. She didn’t bother answering before walking over and unbolting the door to let him in.

He gave her a smile as he crossed over the threshold before handing her a letter. She looked down at it curiously, unable to withhold the sceptical tilt of her head. It was written on thick parchment that looked old and yellowed. The paper was folded into thirds and sealed with a small blob of red wax that had some sort of crest pressed into it.

“What’s this?” she asked as she looked down at the letter in her hands and back up at Giles.

“It’s a letter from your clan, asking that you be brought before their council. It is tradition as a newly sired member of their lineage. When Penn sired you as a childe, he made you eligible to be brought into their familial fold and you therefore need to be taken before the council to be judged as worthy. If you had been made a minion, they would have likely dusted you outright.” Buffy looked at him carefully as he spoke, the tone of his voice making it sound like she had been given a privilege in being made a childe.

“Are you saying they still might?” Buffy queried, without a hint of inflection in her voice that might indicate one way or another on how she felt.

“Unfortunately, there is the possibility that you will be dusted, as the line only accepts vampires of the top most quality into the fold. You see, when one creates a childe, Miss Summers, it is usually done with the intentions of strengthening the power of the family by the siring of a childe with the highest possible calibre so that they may one day rise to the status of a Master Vampire and continue the ancient line. Therefore, unlike a minion whose knowledge and control over their demon after turning is innate, albeit limited, a childe must be taught so that they may understand the ways of the family and be moulded into the type of vampire for which their clan is renowned.”

And Penn was the type of vampire their clan was renowned for? A drunk who is uncaring of rules that have been put in place to ensure the survival of his species? Although bitter, Buffy knew that her thoughts did not really reflect the truth. The Aurelius clan had long been known as one of the most prominent vampire clans in existence.

“You said that my sire will be dusted?” she said instead. Giles nodded. “Then who’s expected teach me what I need to know? It sounds like I’ll just be going there to be dusted as well.”

“No, part of the reason behind this meeting is to also appoint you a new sire. You will be attending with a young girl named Melanie. She was turned just last week and is set to go before the council with you.”

“When is it?” Giles gestured towards the folded parchment in her hands. Looking down, she opened it quickly and flipped it over. “Tonight! Are you kidding me?”

“It must be done before Penn is dusted and there is a ritual involved so that his rights as a sire can be passed on, one that requires his presence.”

“You said I am the sixth to be sired illegally. What happens to the other five?”

Giles grew silent as he looked at the young vampiress before him. “Four have already gone before the council and consequentially been dusted. Tonight both you and Melanie will go before the council and your fates decided. Both of you may very well be passed on into the care of another vampire.”

Buffy didn’t need to be a genius to hear what wasn’t said in that comment. Both of you may very well be passed on… however, it is more than likely one, or both of you, will not. Regardless, it seemed she had no choice but to attend.

“Has someone been sent out to see my family yet?” Buffy asked as she let her gaze travel once more to the small patch of light on the wall.

“Someone from the agency was sent over this morning. They are likely still with them now.”

Buffy nodded, her eyes still averted from his. There was a moment of silence as neither of them spoke. She could hear Giles shuffling uncomfortably as he grasped for something else to say.

“You should cover up that patch of light,” he said finally, his tone not unkind but rather uncomfortable. “It could be dangerous should the sun shift position later in the day.”

Buffy turned slowly to face Giles. “When the day comes that you are denied the pleasure of the sun, remind me to tell you to cover up what little of it you have left.”

Giles gave her an uneasy smile and walked to the door. “A car will be here to pick you as soon as night falls, to take you to the Aurelius mansion. You should get some sleep Miss Summers,” he said before leaving her room.

Buffy turned to the door after she heard it shut and stared at it for a few moments. For now she was trapped until the sun went down, till she was due at a trial for something over which she had had no control. She had not asked to be vamped—and had she been given the choice, she would never have accepted it.

Her eyes strayed back to the patch of sunlight and the dust particles that danced in its warmth. This had not been what she wanted, yet it was something she would have to learn to live with.


*****


Buffy looked across at the girl sitting opposite her. She looked slightly older than Buffy—maybe 22—and taller, but the basics of her appearance were the same: bright green eyes like her own and long flowing blonde hair. She too still held the remnants of a summer tan yet to fade.

They sat in silence as the limousine that had been sent to collect them drew them closer and closer to the fate that awaited them upon arrival at the mansion that was home to the clan.

It was clear also that unlike herself, the other girl, Melanie, had—on some level—come to terms with her turning. Buffy watched out of the corner of her eye as the other girl drank easily from the blood that had been supplied in the limousine and thought back to how she had gagged when she had attempted to drink what the Agency had supplied her with. How would that ever make her worthy over the vampire before her?

The car rolled to a stop and she peered out the tinted windows up at the mansion before them. She felt something which she was sure was the equivalent of a racing pulse rise within her and a pit of butterflies burst loose in her stomach. It was huge—beautiful too, in its own gothic way.

The wrought iron gates squeaked open and the car continued up and around the circular driveway, drawing them closer to the building that had her stomach in knots. She would never be able to belong in a place like this.

Buffy tore her gaze away from the mansion as the door to the limousine was opened from the outside and Melanie began to crawl out. Buffy shimmed her way along the seat quickly also and stepped out onto the gravel path.

“Miss Summers? This way please.” She followed the vampire who had opened the door up the stone step of the house.

She looked across at Melanie and the strained look the stony girl had on her face. Buffy found comfort in the fact that that Melanie was nervous as well, though her outward appearance remained calm.

They were led through the hallways of the house at a brisk pace before finally coming to a stop outside a large set of double doors and told to wait on a seat outside the room until they were called in.

“You must remain in your demon visage while in front of the Master’s council. It is a sign of disrespect to show them your human countenance,” the nameless vampire said before leaving them there. She heard the bones of the other girl’s face creak as she shifted into “game face” quickly, and Buffy followed suit.

“Are you nervous?” Melanie asked.

It was the first time she had said anything or appeared less than calm since getting in the limousine. Buffy turned to her and offered her a small smile.

“Deathly nervous, I’m barely a day old vampire-wise.” Buffy watched as Melanie seemed to find some comfort in those words and felt her own nerves increase.

“I’ve been a vampire for a little over six days. But I’ve only been living off what the Human Demon relations people have supplied me, nothing like what I drank in the car on the way here.” Buffy gave her a shaky smile.

I just don’t want to go forever without saying goodbye to mom and Dawn she thought to herself.

Any further conversation was cut short as the doors before them were opened and a beautiful woman with long flowing brown hair floated out. She gave them a cheeky smile as she drifted across to them.

“My great granddaddy will see you now, my darlings.”

Both Buffy and Melanie rose from their seats and stepped forward. The woman fell into step behind them as they walked towards the doors and into the larger room.