Breathlessly, Buffy burst into the storage room. Her frantic eyes scanned the walls, the corners, the puddles of liquor, the shards of broken glass . . .

To her dismay, Angel wasn't there.

"Angel . . ." she murmured.

Kendra came in behind her, moving slowly about the area, carefully inspecting the floor.

"No ashes," Kendra announced.

Buffy looked up at her. "What?"

"When a vampire combusts, he leaves ashes."

"Yeah, I know the drill," Buffy returned dryly.

"So I did not kill him."

Buffy got right into Kendra's face. Her voice was cold. "And I don't have to kill you."

Once again, the two of them glared at each other. They didn't notice Willy as he stepped quietly into the room.

"Whoa," Willy greeted them. "There's a lot of tension in this room."

Before he could utter another word, Kendra charged him. She slammed him to the floor and drew back her fist for a mighty blow.

Buffy caught her hand midstrike. Exasperated, she asked, "Doesn't anyone just say 'hello' where you come from?"

"This one is dirty," Kendra replied, maintaining a merciless grip. "I can feel it."

"That's nice for you, percepto girl. But we're not going to get anything out of him if he's oh, say, unconscious."

She grabbed Willy away from Kendra. She helped him up, then she slammed him into the wall.Hard.

"Where's Angel?" she demanded.

Willy's voice was strident. "My bud Angel? You think I'd let him fry? I saved him in the nick. He was about five minutes away from being a crispy critter."

Buffy shot Kendra a vicious look.

"Where'd he go? Home?" She tightened her hold on Willy, and he squirmed nervously "Uh, he said he was gonna stay underground," Willy told her. "You know, recuperate."

"Are you telling me the truth?"

"I swear!" Willy could feel sweat trickling down his brow. "I swear on my mother's grave . . . should something fatal happen to her, God forbid."

"Then he is all right," Kendra assured Buffy. "We can return to your Watcher for our orders."

"Orders?" Buffy looked at Kendra as though she'd lost her mind. "I don't take orders. I do things my way."

"No wonder you died," Kendra said.

"Let'sgo."

As they started out, Willy ran an appreciative gaze over their strong, slender figures. And then he had an idea.

"I have to ask if either of you girls has considered modeling," he called out to them. They stopped abruptly, and he added, "I got a friend with a camera, strictly high class nude work-art photographs, but naked."

The look of disgust they gave him was the first thing they'd ever shared.

Willy backed off. "You don't have to answer right away . . ."

But the girls had gone.

CHAPTER 15.

Drusilla was wasting away.

Spike could see it each time he looked at her-at her hollow eyes and gaunt face, at her pale, white skeleton hands.

He looked at her now as he sat down quietly on the edge of her bed. Very gently he stroked her brow, her ice-cold skin, coaxing her awake.

"Ah." Drusilla's voice was hazy. She tried to focus on Spike's face. "I was dreaming-"

"Of what, pet?"

"Beautiful," she murmured. "We were in Paris. You had a branding iron . . ."

Spike smiled. "I brought you something."

Drusilla nodded, but there was no comprehension in her eyes. She stared at the place where Spike had been, not realizing he'd stepped out of the room.

"And there were worms in my baguette," she whispered to herself.

She looked up, frowning, as Spike suddenly reappeared. This time he had someone with him-a tall, broad-shouldered figure who was bound and tightly gagged.

Spike smiled a slow, triumphant smile. "Your sire, my sweet."

"Angel?" Drusilla's expression brightened. She watched as Spike threw Angel roughly into a corner.

"The one and only," Spike assured her. "Now all we need is the new moon tonight. Then he will die, and you will be fully restored."

He moved eagerly back to her bed. He helped her up and held her against him.

"My black goddess," Spike murmured, reverently kissing her hand. His lips trailed slowly up her arm.

"My ripe, wicked plum. It's been-"

"Forever," Drusilla whispered.

She smiled now, pressing him closer. Their lips locked in a ravenous kiss.

Angel couldn't watch. Turning his head, he felt a turmoil of emotions raging inside him-the shame and disgust of what he'd done to Drusilla, the loathing of what she, and he himself, had become. The helplessness of his present situation. The fear and terrible resignation now of what his fate would surely be.

At last Spike and Drusilla drew apart. Drusilla fixed him with a coquettish stare.

"Let me have him," Drusilla said. "Until the moon."

Spike glanced immediately at Angel, his jaw tightening in annoyance. Angel and Dru had a past. While it was distant, during its height they'd set the Old World on fire. This wasn't something he liked at all, yet he couldn't deny Drusilla anything.

"All right then," Spike finally agreed. "You can play. But don't kill him. He mustn't die until the ritual."

"Bring him to me."

Spike obligingly yanked Angel off the floor. He grabbed him by the neck and thrust him at Drusilla, who fixed Angel with a slow, cunning smile.

Gently she touched Angel's face. While Spike stood behind her, fully enjoying Angel's misery, she ran her fingertips deliberately down Angel's cheeks. Angel refused to look at her, but Drusilla grabbed his chin and snapped his head around, forcing him to make eye contact.

Drusilla frowned, purring softly. "You've been a very bad daddy."

And she gave him a vicious slap.

Buffy could think only of Angel.

Desperately worried, she wondered how badly he'd been hurt by the sunlight, how long he'd choose to hide himself underground. She wondered if he thought of her, if he needed her. And she was still angry with Kendra.

All of this is Kendra's fault,Buffy found herself thinking.If Kendra hadn't come here, Angel would befine, none of this would have happened .

She struggled to bring her thoughts back to the present moment. They were in the school colonnade, she and Willow, Kendra and Giles-and Giles was going on about something or other like he always did.

Buffy tried harder to pay attention.

"Kendra," Giles said, "I've conferred with your Watcher, Mr. Zabuto. He and I agree that until this matter with Spike and Drusilla is resolved, you two should work together."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Oh, that'll be a treat."

"So you believe that Spike is attempting to revive this Drusilla to health?" Kendra asked solemnly.

Giles had removed his glasses. He cleaned them off with his handkerchief, then stuffed the handkerchief into his pocket.

"Yes," he answered. "That would be the dark power your Watcher referred to. Drusilla is not just evil.

She's also quite mad."

He took his handkerchief out again. He wiped his glasses. He put his glasses back on.

"Restored to her full health," Giles persisted, "there is absolutely no telling what she might do."

"Then we will stop Spike," Kendra decided.

"Good plan!" Buffy cheered falsely. "Let's go! Charge!"

Giles gave a tolerant sigh. "Buffy-"

"It's a little more complicated than that, okay, John Wayne?" Buffy chided Kendra, and this time Giles agreed.

"Yes, I'm afraid it is. Spike has called out the Order of Taraka to keep Buffy out of the way."

"The assassins?" Kendra stiffened. "I read of them in the writings of Dramius."

The look Giles gave her was slightly incredulous. 'Really? Which volume?"

'I believe it was six, sir."

'How do you know that stuff?" Buffy asked her impatiently.

"From my studies," Kendra replied.

Buffy nodded. "So, you have a lot of free time."

"I study because it is required. The Slayer Handbook insists on it."

"There's a Slayer Handbook?" Willow chimed in now, while Buffy looked completely puzzled.

"Handbook? What handbook? How come I didn't get a handbook?"

"Is there a T-shirt, too?" Willow asked eagerly. "'Cause, that would be cool."

Giles was attempting to hide a smile. "After meeting you, Buffy, I was quite sure the handbook would be of no use in your case."

"What do you mean, 'it would be of no use in my case'?" Buffy argued. "What's wrong with my case?"

Giles didn't seem to hear her. He'd turned his full attention back to Kendra.

"Kendra, perhaps you could show me the bit in Dramius six abut the Order of Taraka," he said delightedly. "I must admit, I could never get through that book."

"Yes, it was difficult," Kendra agreed. "All those footnotes!"

The two of them actually laughed. Buffy looked sideways at Willow.

"Hello and welcome to planet pocket protector," she grumbled.

Kendra and Giles moved off, but Giles suddenly stopped, turning back to Buffy.