Eating Souls, Act One: The Beginning

40: On the operating table : Bacchus attacks Xander?

Rivin put Paisley on her shoulders and skipped out into the town. Xander followed along behind them with his hands in his pockets. The sun was drooling and yawning.

"Yeah, I'm not ready to be awake, either." Xander muttered in sympathy. But Rivin and Paisley were ready, and excited, for the day. "Don't forget your soul-protect!"

"Whatever! I'll wear it I guess!"

"You have to practice." He sighed and smiled grudgingly at the two younger Witches. They were chattering animatedly about what kinds of cake they should have for breakfast. Rivin wanted red velvet, and Paisley wanted an 'egg cake' with 'big sparkles'. He had no idea what she was talking about, but she was too happy to question.

They stopped in front of the display windows of Open Casket Sweets, a newly popular date locale, to ogle the fancy looking cakes. Xander mentally tallied what he had in his spending account. After paying rent, there wasn't as much left from their job as he would have liked, but he also hadn't given Rivin her share of the spending money.

"Yo, crazy." He grinned at her exasperated expression. "Hey, if you get to call me names, I get to do it, too. That's how the whole thing works."

"Don't be a jerk." Rivin rolled her eyes. "What do you even want?"

"You have a total of one hundred bucks until we go on another mission." Xander explained calmly. Despite her harsh words, she didn't actually seem to mind him being there. "Don't spend it all today."

"Or!" Her eyes lit up. She jumped over to him, almost dislodging Paisley in the process. Rivin danced with excitement, hardly able to control her excitable wavelength. "Or! I could spend it all on breakfast and we can try again? Like, you're kind of rude but also we killed a Witch and Cassi and Andra are super cute! Do you think they want to have cake, too?"

He patted the air with both hands, unable to stop grinning. "Whoa, hold up there, kid. That's a lot to unpack. What are you gonna do if there aren't any good missions?"

"Um, then you get to pay for me~!" She flashed him a bright smile.

"Yeah!" Paisley agred, throwing her hands in the air. "And me too! Because I'm super cute!"

"You're adorable." Xander laughed. "Alright, alright. Since we're plannin' on doin' another mission again today, why don't we go invite some. Friends?"

Rivin nodded enthusiastically, but before she could make a suggestion, both older Witches froze. The voice made Rivin shiver and turned her stomach to mush. It made all the hairs on the back of Xander's neck stand on end as his mouth twisted into an angry snarl.

"What about family?" The body was different yet again, and younger than usual, but the theme was the same. Tan skin, lean, toned build, dark wavy hair combed and parted neatly, and dark blue eyes. He wore a letterman jacket instead of a suit, but carried himself upright and straight, with a condescending smile permanently etched on his face.

Rivin turned mechanically to face him, taking half a step back at the same time.

Xander put his hand on her shoulder and took Paisley into his own arms. "What do you want, Bacchus?"

Rivin's eyes darted to his face, then back to the Old Witch. She couldn't see his soul at all, only the Meister's that he was possessing.

"Why, I want to have breakfast with my dear nephew and Little Luc-"

"Don't." Xander snapped. His fingers tensed on Rivin's shoulder. "I disowned you a long time ago, Shadow. You're no family of mine."

"Pity." Bacchus quirked an eyebrow. "You see, we have a rule; we don't kill family. But if you're not... Family..."