Worth the Fight (BTVS fanfic, Book Three)

chapter 17 - Enemies

After dark, Faith and I were in the cemetery, patrolling.

"So, the Council finally has you back on active duty," I told her. "How does it feel?"

"Amazing," Faith answered. "Thanks for asking." I smirked. "So, where's Buffy got to be that's so much more important than patrolling?"

"On a date," I answered. "With Angel."

Faith nodded. "Mm. Gotta tell you, Z. She's doing a good job with the will power thing."

I nodded in agreement. "Yes, she is."

"But, the close but no cigar thing with Angel?" Faith asked. "I don't know if I could handle it, you know, the way she's not handling it." She looked at me. "What about you and the big bad wolf, huh? Any action outside cemeteries or the three nights a month?"

"Faith, when it comes to Oz, do me a favor," I told her, seeing a demon behind her. "Duck!"

Faith ducked.

I punched the demon in the face.

"Ow!" the demon told me. "What are you, nuts? Going around punching people?"

I pulled off its hat to reveal two horns growing out of its forehead. "People?"

"So what?" the demon asked. "I'm a demon. That makes it okay?" Faith and I readied our stakes. "Hold it, whoa! Stake me now, and you never find out what I got for you. Huh? Think about it. Demon seeks Slayers or Slayerettes, highly unusual?"

"Talk fast," Faith told him.

"How would you like to get your hands on the Books of Ascension?" the demon asked.

"Never heard of them," I told him.

"Books of Ascension," the demon told us. "Very powerful works, and I'm not talking about the prose. They deal with some, uh, dark stuff. And the Mayor would hate for somebody to get ahold before he, uh, well, you know."

"Don't know," I told him. "Before he what?"

"Hey, hey, read them and weep," the demon told us. "That's all I got to say. Tomorrow, I get the books. Meet me here. If the price is right, well, I give the books to you."

"Not really looking to trade with a demon," I told him.

"And if this were still a barter economy, that would be a problem," the demon told me. "I want cash, princess, five large for the whole set."

"So, you can buy, I'm guessing here, some skin care products?" Faith asked.

"Plane ticket," the demon answered. "Out of the Hellmouth before its adios, Slayer Loco. So, five G's. What do you say?"

"I think 'Die, Friend' sums it up, wouldn't you say?" Faith asked.

The demon jumped between us, running away.

Faith turned to follow.

I grabbed her arm to stop her. "Oh, let him go. I don't think he falls into the deadly threat to humanity category."

"A demon's a demon," Faith told me.

"I'd like to know about these Books of Ascension," I told her. "Anything that would pin the Mayor down would be great."

Faith nodded. "Yeah. It'd be great."

~~~

The next day at the school library, Buffy, Xander, Willow and I sat at the table.

Wesley stood nearby.