Please read the Disclaimer before continuing to remain in the site or reading the stories. These stories contain adult material with scenes of women loving women. Consider this story to have an R rating. If this is illegal in your state or you are underage, please go to a more appropriate site now.

Disclaimer: I don't own any Buffy the Vampire Slayer characters. No copyright infringement is intended. Original characters are mine.

Pairing: W/T... eventually

Angst Rating: Highest rating... buy stock in Kleenex

Rating: PG 13 – R for adult themes and eventual W/T goodness.

lcountry@quiknet.com

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Tara walked slowly down the cavern. There was a slight incline and the ground bit into her bare feet. She paused, willing her pulse to slow as she leaned against the cool rock of the wall. It was quiet. The only noise was sound of Tara’s breathing reverberating off the carved rock walls. She moved forward. Her hands were sweating so she wiped them on her white robe.

"White?" Tara asked no one in particular. "Who chooses white?" She looked down at the hem of the garment. It was already stained from the grass and from dragging over the rocky soil inside the caverns. "This thing’s filthy." She took a deep breath and continued on her journey. She felt the change in the air before she reached the first hollowed out cathedral in the complex system of caves. The air cooled, and before Tara rounded the corner, she knew she had reached the first part of the challenge.

The guardians stood around the circle in the center of the huge cave. They were all facing Tara, and their swords were drawn. Each member of the Imbolc Guard looked as if she’d been crying, but there was no mistaking the deadly resolve on each face.

Tara kept her back to the wall as she moved around the edge of the vast cave. She studied the circle and the guardians protecting it. It appeared to be a standard sized sacred circle drawn using a centerline that was 13 feet long. Tara had seen many. It was the size used for large festivals and it accommodated many people. It was created by holding the end of rope that was 13 feet long while another person circled you marking the boundaries. It created a circle 26 feet across. ‘Guess there’s plenty of room for fighting, too,’ she thought as she bit her lip.

"My Lady," Brent said as she dipped her head in greeting. "Each guardian protects a different segment of the circle." She nodded to the spokes carved in the granite floor. Each Guardian stood inside a pie-shaped segment.

Tara nodded.

"We will not leave the confines of the circle," Brent explained. "And we will only attack when you try to desecrate our sacred space." She gripped her sword as she spoke. "You may enter anywhere and in any way."

"Okay…" Tara walked closer, stopping ten feet from the circle. She rubbed her jaw wondering what the best approach would be.

"My Lady, how will you enter?" Brent asked formally.

"Slowly," Tara said grouchily. "And after I think about it for a while." She paced, looking over each guardian as she went around the entire circle. When she reached Bre, she could see the young teen silently saying some mantra. Tara stared at Bre’s lips, and her heart broke when she realized the teen was whispering, ‘don’t pick me, don’t pick me,’ over and over.

Tara wandered back to the front of the circle where Brent stood guard. She inhaled and tried to think of the best plan. She had Buffy’s strength. She could feel it coursing through her veins, but she knew brute strength wasn’t the answer. "How long do I have?" Tara asked.

"When the sun sets, the guardians will exit the circle and … remove you from the caves. You will have failed the challenge and we must…" Brent was glad that Tara wasn’t rushing into the circle. "Kill you," she finished in a whisper.

"Great, just great," Tara whispered as she paced. "Take all day, then we kill you." She went over everything she knew about the challenge. ‘No one has ever fought the 19 and lived. That’s bad,’ she thought to herself. ‘They won’t attack unless I desecrated the circle. That’s good. I need the robe and the sword … inside the circle. That’s bad.’ Tara growled and stared at the altar at the center of the circle. A green robe and a beautiful sword sat waiting for her.

The guardians stood watch silently. Not one of them so much as flinched.

‘I have Buffy’s power,’ Tara thought as she tried to think of the best way to disarm 19 armed warriors. ‘They don’t know I have her powers. What would Buffy do?’ She furrowed her brow. ‘Buffy would do a back-flip over the guardians and then beat the crap out of them. That’s not my style, and I’d get airsick doing the back-flip and probably break my ankle on the landing. Anya would go for distraction. She’d slice open a few of them and make a run for it.’ She shivered. ‘No, I can’t slice open these innocent women,’ she thought as her mind babbled. ‘Willow would just babble until they fell asleep.’ Tara sighed. None of those ideas would work for her, and Giles had said to fight her way. ‘I don’t fight,’ she thought grouchily. ‘I hide. I lurk. I flee.’

The scribe standing in the corner watched Tara with eager eyes. She scribbled on a pad as Tara paced and went through every idea possible.

"Stupid challenge," Tara grumbled. She hated that her love of Wicca was being destroyed. Tara had spent her life loving the calm safety of the sacred circle. She’d always entered with love, never with the intent to murder her friends… Tara’s eyes widened. She laughed and covered her mouth with both hands. ‘Could it be that simple?’ she wondered. She marched up to Brent and stopped just outside the circle and raised an eyebrow at the guardian.

"My Lady," Brent said patiently. "How will you enter?"

The blonde witch smiled. ‘How will I enter?’ Tara thought with a smirk. ‘Not "where will I enter?" Not "which guardian will you kill first?" No, she didn’t ask any of those. She asked, "How will you enter?"’ Tara had been answering Brent’s question her entire life. There was only one way to enter a sacred circle; any other way was a desecration. Tara looked down at her soiled white robe. She hoped she was right. She cleared her throat as she peeled the robe off and tossed it aside. She shivered as the cool air of the cavern hit her naked skin.

"I enter the sacred circle in perfect love and perfect trust," Tara said as she stepped over the etched line in the stone and knelt in front of Brent. She lowered her head, trusting the goddess to deliver her.

Nineteen sighs of shocked relief broke the silence.

"Rise, my Lady," Brent said with tears filling her eyes. "You have passed the first challenge." She sniffled and drew her sword.

All of the guardians rushed forward and lifted their blades so that Tara had to walk under them to reach the small round altar in the center of the circle.

"Thank you, mama," Tara whispered. Her mother had taught her to never carry doubt or malice into a sacred place. Her hands shook as she slipped on the robe. She lifted the sword, not quite knowing if she should bother to take the heavy leather belt to hold it at her side. She let out a deep breath and hooked it around her waist. It was a perfect fit.

"My Lady," Brent whispered. "No other challenger has thought to lead with love. All have tried to use the Imbolc’s skill with the blade to defeat the 19. Praise Brigit," she whispered.

Tara nodded. Her nerves were frazzled and she was not looking forward to the next part of the challenge.

Bre wasn’t either. The young guardian was as pale as chalk and her forehead was beaded with sweat.

‘Goddess help us both,’ Tara thought as she tried to steady her hands.

*****

A runner sprinted from the front of the cave and ran to a bell hanging from an oak arch. She grabbed the ringer and clanged the bell once.

"It’s over," a woman standing next to Willow whispered.

"What?" Willow spun and faced her. She recognized her from the night before. She was the chef. "Leala, what’s over?"

"The first challenge," Leala said gently.

The runner cleared her throat. "The first challenge is over. None of our guardians were injured."

Willow’s legs buckled. Buffy tried to catch her, but the Slayer was weak after giving her strength to Tara. Both women dropped to the ground.

"Our Lady has passed the first challenge," the runner announced.

"Passed?" Willow’s eyes lit up and she climbed to her feet. "She passed without hurting anyone?"

"Tell us," Leala said as she pulled the runner to her side.

"Our Lady did not fight," the runner said proudly. "She removed her robe and entered the circle in love and trust."

"Removed her robe?" Willow asked.

"Oh, good distraction," Anya complimented. "Tara’s breasts must have blinded them while she ran to get her stuff." She nodded her head. "Good thinking. Naked breasts are much better than evisceration. We are distracting lesbians here."

"Goddess, it’s so simple," Diana said. "You can only enter a sacred circle with love and trust. Anything else is sacrilege."

"This is great," Anya said. "She faced 19 warriors and didn’t get a scratch. All she has to do now is kill two women … and she only has to fight them one at a time."

"Bre?" Diana asked in a whisper. "She has to fight Bre now, right? She’s the youngest, and Tara has to kill her."

"Yeah," Buffy said with a sigh. She glared at Diana. "Who comes up with these challenges?"

"Why are you looking at me?" Diana whined.

"You’re the big Wicca," Buffy said grouchily.

Willow slumped to the ground, ignoring the rocks that poked her flesh. "She has your power, Buffy," Willow said as tears rolled down her cheeks. "She can kill her, but she’s not a Slayer." She covered her face with both hands.

"Hey, this is good." Buffy dropped to one knee next to her friend. "She can do this."

"Physically," Willow said with a sniffle. "But Buffy, she’ll be fighting to the death. Any distraction, no matter how strong she is … could get her killed."

"Then she won’t get distracted," Buffy said forcefully.

"Killing Dawnie’s little friend is a pretty big distraction." Willow took in a shuddering breath. She looked across the clearing to where Dawn waited with Giles and Xander.

"Come here." Buffy held out her arms. "Oof," Buffy gasped as Willow hit her chest in a desperate bear hug. "Easy, Will, I got ya’." Buffy held her weeping friend.

Cassie leaned her face against Diana’s shoulder. "There’s no way Tara can murder that child," she whispered. "And goddess help her if she manages to do it somehow."

Diana twisted and pulled her lover into her arms. She sighed and let her own tears fall. "It’ll break her heart," Diana whispered. She swallowed and tried to make her stomach stop doing flips.

*****

"Now this is more like it," Amy said as she walked around a small office. She held out her arms, admiring the fit and the feel of her black silk blouse. "Could use a splash of color, but I can deal with it." She spun in a circle and laughed. She went to her computer and placed her hand over the keypad. The screen sprang to life as she mentally bounced through screens. "Hmm, interesting." She sat and moved through another screen. "Well, well." She picked up her black phone and paused. The last thing she wanted to do was to piss off Miss Duas by interrupting her needlessly. She bit her lip and then pushed the red button.

"Yes?" Miss Duas asked immediately. Her voice echoed from the speakerphone, making Amy sit up straight and break into a cold sweat.

"Miss Duas, I found something you might want to see, ma’am," Amy said as calmly as she could.

There was no answer.

Amy stared at the speaker, not daring to speak again for fear of angering her frightening benefactor.

The door to Amy’s office burst open and Miss Duas sauntered inside. She closed the door and faced Amy. "Yes, Miss Madison?"

"You told me to snoop around," Amy said as she pointed at the screen.

Miss Duas leaned closer and her eyes narrowed. "Well, well." She actually growled. "So, Miss Nove had a file on me."

Amy nodded.

"What made you choose to snoop about me?" Miss Duas asked.

"Well, you saved me," Amy said logically. "I figure I better head off any … stuff rolling your way because, well … it does roll down hill…"

Miss Duas laughed and patted Amy’s shoulder. "You figured you’d avoid getting buried in shit by saving my ass."

Amy shrugged. "Well, I am lower than you … and gravity has no friends."

"Very good, Miss Madison." She smiled and reached into her jacket and pulled out a small crystal. "Let me show you something." She held the crystal in one hand and put the other hand over the keyboard. "Do you know how to delete a file?" she asked.

"Sure," Amy said. She put her hand next to the older woman’s. The screen changed and she looked at a file directory. "Just delete it." Amy shrugged.

"Ah, but with this crystal, you can eradicate every duplicate file on the entire system at the same time. Even computers not physically linked." Miss Duas inhaled as she sent the command to delete Miss Nove’s files. "There." She smiled. "Don’t you just love magic?" She put the crystal on the desk. "Find every one of her other files on me and correct them."

Amy nodded. Corrected obviously meant destroy.

"Good girl." Miss Duas went to the door and paused. "I’m pleased, Miss Madison." She lifted both eyebrows high onto her forehead. "That doesn’t happen often." She left the room without waiting for Amy to respond.

"She’s pleased." Amy smiled and spun in a circle. She sat at her desk and sighed. She went to work looking for the files as ordered, but her dark eyes darted around the room suspiciously. She knew Miss Duas was probably watching every move she took. She wondered just how much leeway she had in her file ‘corrections.’ She pulled up another file and frowned. It was Miss Nove’s detailed description of Tara and Willow. It did have a negative comment about Miss Duas, Amy noticed. She picked up the crystal and purged the file from every computer in the entire Witches’ Committee system. ‘Guess I’ll find out if she’s watching,’ she thought. She glanced at the door and did a quick search on Willow Rosenberg and then deleted every file that came up.

*****

Tara walked down the dimly lit cavern. She held her sword in one hand, clutching it nervously, even though she knew no one would confront her until she reached the next chamber. Once there, Bre wouldn’t actually confront her so much as battle her to the death. Tara shivered as she thought about what would happen. She racked her brain, praying for a way around killing the young girl. She’d figured out the secret of the first challenge, but she doubted there would be a happy ending after the second.

"My Lady," Brent said when Tara reached the next chamber.

Tara took in a deep breath and slowly blew it out. She swallowed and licked her lips.

"Would you like a drink, my Lady?" Brent asked.

"Yeah," Tara said without even thinking.

Brent walked over to the doorway. "Water for our Lady," she whispered.

Tara watched as Bre scooped a ladle of water from the stream running through the room. She poured it into a marble chalice and handed it to Brent.

"My Lady." Brent handed Tara the chilled container.

Tara drank greedily. Her nervousness made her sweat profusely, and her mouth felt like she’s been eating sand. "Thank you." Tara finished the water and handed the chalice back to Brent.

"I have to say goodbye here," Brent said. "If you pass this challenge, the guardians will show you to the chamber of the sacred flame. I’ll be waiting."

"And I can’t talk you into just stepping aside?" Tara smiled charmingly.

"I serve Brigit," Brent said. "I don’t want to kill you, Tara." She sighed. "I must stop you from reaching the bath. Protecting it is second only to our role as keepers of the flame … and guarding the Imbolc mage."

"Kind of a conflict of interest there," Tara said wryly. She was stalling. She didn’t want to fight Bre. She knew she could easily defeat the teen by using Buffy’s powers, and that terrified her. She felt like a bully. She had superpowers and she was going to use them to murder a child.

"No conflict," Brent said sadly. "So long as you carry the mantle, we serve you above all other earthly things. Only Brigit outranks you."

"Until I called for the challenge," Tara said. She looked into the chamber and watched as Bre nervously fidgeted with her sword.

"Yes, my Lady." Brent cleared her throat. "Now we must stop you from entering the bath."

"And if I do?" Tara asked. She tilted her head to one side. "What happens to this sanctuary?"

"It’s never happened before," Brent admitted. "No one ever passed the first challenge until you."

"Will you be dishonored?" Tara asked.

"I think it would be seen as Lady Brigit’s will," Brent said optimistically. "Well, I should go." Brent went to the chamber door and dragged her sword across the ground. "Brigit’s will be done," she whispered. She turned to Tara. "The spell is cast. Once you enter, the fire will ignite."

Tara took a deep breath and stood in front of the threshold.

"Don’t touch the flame," Brent warned as she walked down the corridor. "One touch and it will incinerate you."

"Oh, thanks," Tara murmured. She took a deep breath and held it as she jumped into the room. She didn’t know how quickly the flame would ignite, and she didn’t want to get her butt scorched off while she calmly waltzed into the chamber.

Bre held her sword in front of her and stared at Tara. The bubbling teenager was gone; the Bre who faced Tara was a trained warrior, no matter how young she looked.

"Okay, let’s talk about this before we—" Tara jumped out of the way when the teen tried to run her through with her sword. "Geez!" Tara deflected the next blow easily, but with her extra strength, she knocked Bre to the ground.

The teen jumped to her feet and charged Tara again.

"Damn it," Tara said as she blocked a vicious thrust. "Bre, can we talk about this?" Tara shoved her across the cave.

"I have to do my duty," Bre said through clenched teeth. She ran at Tara again, swinging her blade wildly.

Tara backed away. She blocked each attack, but she had to concentrate on not hurting the other woman. "I’m trying to think," Tara said as she smashed her sword against Bre’s with a loud clang. She slammed a forearm into Bre’s chest, sending her flying across the cave into the wall.

Bre gasped as she tried to catch her breath. She stood shakily as the doorways at each end of the room burst into walls of white flame.

"Guess it didn’t activate until we moved toward it." Tara sighed and backed away from her opponent. "Bre, Let’s talk through this. Maybe we can both get out of this alive, okay?"

"My duty is to Brigit," Bre said as her voice cracked. "I can’t offer mercy," she said regretfully. She charged, and her attack was heated and full of fury.

Tara focused on deflecting the blows, and that was her undoing. She tripped on a rock and fell at the edge of the creek.

Bre stabbed with all her strength.

Tara pivoted, but the blade sliced along her ribcage. The pain reminded Tara that this was not a game. Someone had to die. Tara wasn’t going to abandon Willow. She rolled sideways, knocking Bre’s feet out from under her. Tara jumped up and she slapped her sword against Bre’s again and again as the teen struggled to her knees.

"I’m so sorry," Tara said as she continued pounding.

Each strike vibrated down Bre’s slender arms. She backed to the wall of the cavern and her arms shook with the effort of deflecting the Slayer-enhanced blows. The teen dove to the side and rolled to her feet and thrust wildly.

Tara swung her blade as she spun. Her sword caught the edge of Bre’s and deflected what would have been a fatal blow. Tara knew she couldn’t continue trying to keep them both alive. She wasn’t going to get to be the fantasy hero. Tara stumbled to a stop as she thought about her night in the pool with Willow. The distraction almost cost her dearly.

Bre saw the opening and stabbed her blade at Tara’s belly. The blonde mage turned so the blade passed her by and then Tara sliced the young girl’s arm. Bre didn’t even slow down.

"Forgive me," Bre said as she took her sword in both hands and swung the blade like a bat.

Tara blocked the blow, but the impact knocked her several feet. She staggered to a stop next to the stream and panted as she waited for the teen’s next move. She didn’t have to wait long.

Bre charged, with her sword drawn back.

Tara deflected the blow with all of the strength she’d borrowed from Buffy. The impact stopped Bre in her tracks. Tara swung her fist out and caught the teen in jaw.

Bre staggered, dazed. She swung blindly but Tara caught her wrist and squeezed with bone crushing strength.

"Agh!" Bre cried as her wrist snapped and her blade clattered to the cave floor.

Tara tossed her own sword aside and picked up the teen and tossed her into the stream. She landed on top of her, pinning Bre’s face under the icy water. She had a brief flash of her own body in the creek at the meadow, but she shoved that thought aside.

The young guardian splashed wildly, but Tara was kneeling on her back, out of Bre’s reach. Bre scratched and clawed the creek bed, trying to get the leverage to move Tara’s body, but it was hopeless. The lithe guardian was too small, and Tara’s advantage was too insurmountable.

Tara shifted her knee into the middle of Bre’s back. She yanked Bre’s broken wrist behind her body and pinned her in place. Tara’s arms shook as she forcefully held the young girl down. Tears rolled down Tara’s face and she sobbed as the guardian, who was more child than woman, flailed ineffectively.

"Goddess, forgive me," Tara sobbed as the teen’s struggles finally slowed to fitful, spasmodic kicks. She closed her eyes and continued crying as Bre stopped moving at all. Tara looked over at the doorway. The white-hot flame sputtered as Bre’s heart held on for a few final desperate beats. The body under Tara went limp and the fire blocking the door went out with a tiny whoosh.

Just like that a life ended. Tara had killed her. She’d murdered a child to selfishly save her own life.

"No," Tara whispered. She used the last of her borrowed Slayer strength to awkwardly grab her sword and lift Bre into her arms and carry her lifeless body into the next corridor. As soon as she passed the enchanted door she dropped to her knees. Bre’s pale body rolled out of her grip onto the cold rock floor and Tara tossed her sword aside.

"You don’t get to die," Tara said angrily. She flattened the teen out on the ground and tilted her head back. "Live, damn you." Tara blew four quick breaths into Bre’s mouth. The young girl’s lips were cold, but Tara didn’t dwell on that. She sat up and positioned her hands on Bre’s chest and began CPR. She counted off the compressions and then blew two strong breaths into the dead teen.

"Breathe, damn it." Tara was crying as she continued fighting to bring the young guardian back. She gave two more breaths and went back to compressions.

"My Lady?" Ceridwen approached Tara from the far end of the corridor. She saw Bre’s lifeless body and closed her eyes. "She’s gone, my Lady," Ceri said as she edged closer. "You’ve passed the second challenge."

"She’s not gone until I say so." Tara continued working. She blew two more breaths and went back to the teen’s chest. "Come on, come on," she whispered with each compression. "Come on." She continued, and with each compression, Tara’s eyes bled more tears. "Come on," she yelled. She didn’t want her happiness with Willow to be at the cost of a beautiful young girl. "Come on," she pleaded.

Ceri wiped her eyes as she watched Tara fight to bring Bre back. She couldn’t see any fatal injury on the youngest guardian, and she watched, mystified that the blonde mage would fight so hard to bring back a life she had taken. Even though Tara had refused the mantle, the blonde was obviously blessed by Brigit’s hand.

Almost as if some deity had heard Ceri’s thoughts, Tara’s frantic, futile struggles suddenly bore fruit.

Bre coughed and her chest shook.

"Thank the goddess." Tara gently rolled the teen to her side and cradled Bre as she coughed up mouthfuls of water. "Easy," Tara whispered. She blinked rapidly as tears of joy washed over the tracks left by her salty pain. "Just breathe," she said as she rubbed Bre’s back soothingly.

"You are blessed by Brigit," Ceri whispered as she knelt next to the shaken teen.

Tara shook her head. She put a hand on Ceri’s arm and squeezed gently. "Can you get her to the infirmary?"

"Of course, my Lady." Ceri stared down at Bre. Only minutes before, there had been no spark of life, and now Bre’s eyes sparkled.

"Did I fail Brigit?" Bre asked hoarsely.

"No, sweetie," Tara assured her. "You bravely fought to the death." She smiled. "The goddess just wasn’t ready to keep you yet." She cupped Bre’s cheek. "She’s got plans for you."

Bre closed her eyes and smiled. She coughed weakly.

"Were you supposed to guard me?" Tara asked Ceri.

"No, I was acting as a runner," Ceri said. She wiped Bre’s wet bangs away from her face and then smiled at Tara. "I was supposed to announce the outcome."

"Get her to Doctor Diana," Tara ordered. "She needs to be checked for damage from the oxygen deprivation."

Ceri raised both eyebrows.

"Lifesaving class … freshman year." Tara smiled, remembering telling Willow the same words the night before.

"My Lady?" Ceri asked as she lifted Bre into her arms.

"Yes?" Tara helped Ceri get Bre settled into her grasp. Tara cringed as she felt her ribs ache.

"I pray it is Brigit’s will for you to succeed," Ceri said emotionally. It was as close to wishing Tara good luck as she could say without breaking her vows.

"Thank you." Tara kissed Ceri’s cheek. "Tell Willow I’m keeping my promise." She pressed her hand to her throbbing side. She could feel the sticky warmth of her blood coating the inside of the robe. Bre’s attack had left a searing cut over the top of her ribs.

"Down the corridor." Ceri nodded into the darkness. "Just keep going." She cringed as the stitches in her back protested Bre’s weight. "I’ll get her to safety, my Lady." She hurried away with her heart full of concern. "And deliver your words."

Ceri hurried, and her mind wandered as she trotted through the winding corridors. Despite Brent’s age, she was a skilled fighter, and the elder had something more dangerous than flashy moves or strength; Brent had more experience with a blade than any member of the Imbolc Guard. Brent had also fought in three battles to the death. She fought hard and dirty and she fought to win. She also had the conviction that she fought only for Brigit’s glory. Skill, experience, wisdom, and trickery all wrapped in a package snugly tied together with sincere conviction. She knew Brent would not show mercy; unfortunately, the young girl Ceri was cradling in her arms was living proof that Tara showed nothing but mercy.

*****

"A runner!" Leala yelled when she heard someone coming out of the cave.

Willow hurried closer. "Oh, god…" She saw Ceri coming out of the darkness with Bre’s limp body in her arms. "Oh, Tara," she whispered, knowing her lover’s heart must be breaking. She sat on a stone bench and wrapped her arms around her belly to calm the rumblings within.

"She’s killed her. Yay Tara!" Anya yelled "Way to kick guardian ass!" She waved at Xander, who was across a small clearing waiting with Giles. "One down, one to go!"

"I need help," Ceri yelled as she dropped to the ground. "Diana?" she called out.

Bre coughed as Ceri settled her onto the hard ground.

"She’s alive…" Diana rushed forward.

"Tara…" Willow panicked. If Bre was alive and out of the cave, that meant… Willow covered her mouth as she felt bile rising in her throat. Her body was rejecting the thought of losing Tara, and that meant rejecting what little there was in her stomach.

Ceri went to the bell and clanged it twice. "Our Lady has completed the second challenge successfully," she announced.

Willow leaned forward onto her knees. She felt lightheaded and she swayed to one side.

"What happened?" Diana asked as she checked Bre. "Oh, that’s broken," she said when the teen flinched. "We’ll have to set that." She studied Bre’s swollen, misshapen wrist.

"Our Lady drowned Bre," Ceri said with a bit of a shiver. "And then brought her back with CPR," she added proudly.

"Blessed be!" the other guardians cheered.

"Brigit works using our Lady’s hands," Leala said as she wiped away a tear.

Willow’s vision blurred the voices around her sounded muffled. Everything seemed far away and fuzzy. She stared at the ground and it looked miles away. It was like she was looking through a long tunnel, and then the ground was rushing toward her.

"Whoa!" Buffy leaped forward and caught Willow as she fainted. She lowered the redhead to the ground and looked over at Diana. The doctor was busy with Bre.

"She only fainted," Cassie said as she rested a hand on Buffy’s shoulder and knelt next to Willow. "I think she’s been holding her breath the entire time."

Buffy brushed Willow’s hair out of her eyes. "She looks so relaxed," the Slayer whispered, and it was true.

The worry lines that had marred Willow’s forehead were gone. The petite witch was relaxed and her mouth was loose, half-smiling, no longer just a tight, angry line.

"Good thing you caught her," Cassie said as she rolled Willow to one side so her arm wasn’t twisted.

"It’s what I do." Buffy shrugged. She had caught, lifted, and scooped her friends out of harm’s way many times. It was second nature to the Slayer. "Oh, god…" Buffy’s face paled. "I caught her," she said in a panic.

"I saw," Cassie said, not understanding.

"I caught her," Buffy said again. "I snatched her body as she fell, like she was as light as a feather."

"Well, she is thin," Anya commented as she walked up behind Buffy.

"I used Slayer strength," Buffy explained.

"Well, crap. That blows chunks," Anya said, capturing Buffy’s mood perfectly.

"And if you have your powers back…" Cassie looked at the cave. "Tara doesn’t have them anymore."

"What am I gonna’ tell Willow?" Buffy asked, her voice tiny.

"Well, you’ve got your powers back," Anya said cheerfully. "Smack her. You can keep her unconscious all day." She made a fist a slugged the air. "Go, Slayer power."

Buffy glared at the former demon, but before she could make a snide comeback, Willow stirred.

"Mmm, Tara?" Willow smacked her lips.

"Hey, there." Buffy rested her hand on Willow’s shoulder.

"Mmm, you wore me out again, baby." Willow smiled without opening her eyes and pulled Buffy’s hand over her breast. "Talented Tongued Tara." Willow snickered.

"You know," Anya said wistfully. "Sometimes, I think I picked the wrong Scooby."

Buffy gave Anya a deadly glare as she yanked her hand off Willow’s breast.

"What?" Anya asked. "I’m just saying … Xander is great. I love him, but he has no magical powers, and obviously Tara has … skills. She sends Willow into unconscious-land during sex. That takes some serious orgasms. Notice I added an ‘S,’ meaning plural, many orgasms of the multiple variety."

"She must be a hoot at family gatherings," Cassie said with a giggle as she nodded toward Anya.

"Tara?" Willow mumbled. She was tugging Buffy’s hand, trying to get it back to her breast. "Do the thing with your thumb…"

Buffy cleared her throat loudly. "Willow?" she said as she gently shook the redhead. "Willow, wake up. It’s Buffy," she practically yelled the last word, stressing her name.

"Buffy?" Willow frowned and her eyes fluttered open. "Wh—"

"Tell us about the thing Tara does with her thumb," Anya said as she leaned down closer. "And about her Talented Tara Tongue."

Buffy glared again.

"What?" Anya asked grumpily. "It’s a pleasant distraction from the battle to the death." She frowned. "I used to love a good battle to the death." She sighed and suddenly looked pensive.

"Oh, god." Willow sat up and rubbed the back of her neck. "It’s really happening." She looked toward Bre. "How is she?"

"I think she’ll be fine," Cassie said. "Tara saved her life by drowning her. She couldn’t have brought her back if she’d used her sword."

"Yes, it’s very hard to un-stab someone," Anya agreed. "Can’t believe Tara brought her back. Who knew Tara was all big with the death defying skills."

Willow sighed, but she didn’t say anything. ‘I did,’ she thought as she remembered the previous night.

"Lady Willow…" Ceri stood behind Buffy, hesitant to approach. She wasn’t sure if Willow would be angry for the role of the Imbolc Guard in Tara’s challenge.

"Ceri, I’m glad you’re okay," Willow said as she looked up at the guardian.

"I have a message, from our Lady," Ceri knelt next to Willow and blushed.

"What is it?" Willow asked. She was thrilled to get any word from her lover, and yet part of her feared it would be the dreaded ‘goodbye.’

"Our Lady said to tell you she’s keeping her promise." Ceri met Willow’s eyes.

Willow smiled and leaned against the bench. ‘I’ll be waiting right here, baby,’ Willow sent with her thoughts.

*****

The air felt thicker as Tara approached the final cavern. The low ceiling in the tunnels was coated with a layer of soot from a century of torches burning, and the temperature was several degrees hotter. She wondered if the air circulated all the way into the mountain.

"My Lady," Brigh said as she stepped forward from her position near a high archway. Her eyes shined with tears she was fighting to contain. She remembered how proud Bre had been to be chosen the night before.

"Bre’s alive," Tara said with a gentle smile.

"But … how?" Brigh cleared her throat and straightened her stance. "I’m sorry. My questions are out of line." She sighed. "Mistress Brent awaits you."

"She drowned," Tara said as she rested hand on the guardian’s shoulder. "I was able to bring her back with CPR."

"Praise Brigit," Brigh whispered. She dropped to one knee and bowed her head. "My Lady, it has been a supreme honor to serve you," she said, offering one last show of respect.

"Thank you." Tara’s throat was thick with emotion. The guardians had treated her with love and devotion, and she knew the challenge had been as hard on them as it was on her. "Are you the scribe for this challenge?" Tara asked.

"Yes, my Lady." Bright stood and her face paled

"Whatever happens, I know you’ll report it well." Tara took a deep breath and looked at the arched doorway.

Brigh nodded, but she didn’t believe the outcome could be recorded well. She dreaded writing the words, making it real. She knew Brent would not shirk her duty to Brigit. The headmistress would rather die than fail her goddess.

Tara paused and wiped each hand on her robe. Her palms were sweating and she was feeling the effects of the hot, thick air. She picked up her sword and walked through the final archway.

"Mistress Brent," Tara said quietly.

Brent’s back was to Tara. The older woman was carefully stoking the fire of Brigit. There was a round hearth in the center of the room with a single iron bar crossing it. From the bar hung a flattened iron bowl that looked like a wok two feet across. She placed lengths of hand-cut oak across the flat bowl that held the flame. "My Lady, I did not expect you so soon."

"Bre is alive," Tara said. She knew Brent would be thinking of the young teen.

The elder smiled as she took a handful of herbs and tossed them into the bed of coals beneath the steady, powerful flames. She took several rocks of resin incense and dropped them on the lip of the bowl. The resin slid down the heated metal and began smoking before they ever reached the red coals.

"Frankincense," Tara said as she inhaled the sweet fragrance. "My mother used to burn it on Imbolc." She took a deeper breath and smiled. "And Dragon’s blood. It used to make me sneeze, so mama would only use a tiny bit."

"You loved her very much." Brent turned and looked at Tara.

"Oh, yes." Tara smiled warmly, lost in the memory. "Sandalwood was my favorite. Mama would always have it burning during ritual. She even bought sandalwood soap so I could enjoy it without papa getting angry. He never knew it reminded me of magic."

"That’s a wonderful memory," Brent said. She started to reach for her sword, but then pause and reached for a small wooden box instead. She lifted the lid and took out a stick of incense. She carefully dipped the tip into the sacred flame and ignited it, and then brought it to her lips and blew on the end. The tip glowed orange and smoked as Brent placed the incense in a tiny holder on the edge of the hearth.

Tara recognized the familiar scent. "Sandalwood. It’s very nice," she said a bit sadly. Tara looked across the large room. She would have to go around the huge hearth to get to the small doorway on the far wall. The fire pit in the center of the room created two bottlenecks, bottlenecks Brent could easily defend.

"You know this task pains me, my Lady," Brent said as she drew her sword and faced Tara.

"I know." Tara nodded and held her blade in front of her. She could tell that Brent wasn’t going to make the first move. The elder was going to wait until Tara committed to one side of the hearth. "So, um, I don’t suppose I could just hang out here until you get sleepy?"

"No, my Lady." Brent had her weight balanced as she shifted from foot to foot.

Tara looked longingly at the doorway she had to reach. She shifted her weight as if rushing for the left side of the hearth and then changed direction and bolted for the right.

Brent anticipated the action and blocked Tara’s path. She thrust her sword at the blonde, but Tara deflected the blow.

They clashed swords with resounding clangs. Both women fought hard, but neither was going for the kill. Each woman would only take blows meant to disable, so the fight dragged on for half an hour.

Tara spun away from Brent and moved for the other side of the hearth. She almost got past Brent, but the guardian thrust her blade in front of the young blonde. Tara let out a squeak as the blade sliced through the front of her robe. She backed up, keeping her sword in front of her as she used her left hand to check her belly.

"You’re better than I expected." Brent wiped her brow and advanced on Tara.

"So are you." Tara found a tiny scratch on her belly. She jumped out of the way when Brent swung at her. She parried a thrust and then swung at the elder. As she extended her arm, she could feel the cut on her ribs tear open again. She backed further away and pressed a hand to the angry wound.

"We can do this all day," Brent said moved in front of the hearth and faced Tara.

Tara knew that was wrong. She could feel the warm sticky blood running down her side and she knew she was losing strength. Already her robe felt like lead. The water from her struggles with Bre weighed down the heavy fabric and she could feel each drop of blood adding to her burden. She sprinted for the side of the hearth, using one of the moves Buffy had taught her, but Brent was too experienced.

"I’m sorry, my Lady," Brent said as she punched Tara in the jagged cut under her robe. She’s seen Tara favoring the side and had to take every advantage possible in her service of Brigit.

Tara screamed as burning pain washed through her. She managed to keep her sword in her hand and deflect the thrust of Brent’s blade, but the guardian was relentless. She kept slamming her blade down, forcing Tara to lift her arms high to block the attacks. Each time Tara lifted her arms, she felt the cut on her side open wider. She scrambled backwards, barely managing to parry each thrust. She felt the cold rock of the wall against her back and she gritted her teeth and shoved her blade against Brent’s.

"I can’t let you stop me," Tara said. She stabbed and swung her blade wildly. She would not break Willow’s heart by dying. Her blade connected with Brent’s arm, opening a deep gash just below the elbow. Blood gushed from the cut, but Tara couldn’t press her advantage. She watched Brent back away and the elder tried to stem the blood flow with her other hand.

"You’ll have to kill me, my Lady," Brent said. She was breathing heavily. "I must keep you from the sacred bath, as is my divine charge."

Tara nodded. She was exhausted.

Brent stabbed her sword into the sand floor and tore a bit of her robe loose and tied it around her arm. Her eyes never left Tara, and she was ready to grab the weapon if the blonde took even a step toward the bath.

Tara rested the tip of her blade on the sandy soil and let her aching arms rest. She stared at the door to the bath. It seemed miles away. She looked at the flame. Its hearth made her struggle more difficult. The flame, sacred above all else to Brent and the guardians, flickered and danced throughout their battle. Tara supposed the flame would burn long after they were each dead and buried. The guardians would see to that. That flame would never go out. Tara’s eyes narrowed and she stood tall.

Brent saw the sudden change and she wondered what caused the shift. She yanked her makeshift bandage tight and pulled her sword out of the ground to face Tara.

Tara backed up until she had as much distance from Brent as possible. She took her sword and tucked it inside her robe and split the garment down the front. She kept her eyes on Brent, ready for any attack.

"My Lady?" Brent tilted her head to one side as confusion covered her face.

Tara shrugged out of the robe and held it in one arm. She swung it round and round her arm, twirling it into a fabric ball. She stood naked, with a sword in one hand and the wadded up robe around the other.

"A shield will not help you, and you cannot ask to enter here as you did before," Brent said slowly. She thought the blonde was going to make one last charge with the wet, matted robe acting as a shield for her arm.

"I know," Tara said calmly. She shook her hand, rolling the matted robe down her arm and dropping it to the ground. She switched the sword to her left hand and picked up the heavy mass of fabric.

"It’s worse than I realized." Brent stared at the vicious wound along Tara’s ribcage. Blood was running down Tara’s leg and dripping on the floor.

The naked witch moved forward, pushing Brent back with a few well-placed thrusts. She paused and then stood tall.

Brent raised an eyebrow, not understanding why Tara wasn’t using the fabric shield.

"Forgive me." Tara held the soaked robe and sent a small prayer, that for one time in her life she could have a tiny measure of athletic skill. She hoisted the makeshift ball and hurled it over Brent’s head. It landed on top of the sacred fire with a loud hiss as the water from the fabric choked the flame.

"No!" Brent spun and ran for the dying fire. Keeping the flame of Brigit alive was her most sacred task above all others. She tried to pull the ruined robe from the hearth with one hand while still waving her blade to keep Tara at bay, but doing both was impossible. She’d have to choose.

Tara ran past Brent. Once she was on the opposite side of the hearth she slammed her sword down on the iron pole holding the flame over the stone hearth. The rod cracked and with one more brutal strike it broke loose spilling the sacred fire across the cave floor as the shallow bowl crashed to the ground and wobbled to a stop face down. Tara spun and sprinted for the archway that led to the bath.

Brent groveled on the ground. She grabbed the steaming robe and hurled it aside. "Sweet Brigit, don’t let our flame die." She picked up the white-hot bowl and turned it over. She could smell her skin charring but that did not matter. She grabbed a piece of sputtering, barely burning oak and tossed it into the bowl. She blew on it, nursing the flame back to health.

Tara ran through the archway and saw the small pool of water almost twenty feet away. She sprinted wildly, not looking back. She dropped her sword as she focused on the pool. If Brent came for her, she’d have no defense, but without the heavy blade she could reach the safety of the water a few precious seconds sooner.

She didn’t pause when she reached the edge; she leapt into the shallow pool and felt the chilled water cover her skin. She dipped her face under the water, wondering what she was supposed to do. She waded to the far side of the pool and saw a silver chalice on the rim of the pool next to an opening in the rock.

"I hope I’m doing this right." Tara picked up the chalice. It had the symbol of Brigit’s wheel etched on the side, but it was empty. Tara furrowed her brow. She looked at the small opening in the rock. The wheel of Brigit was carved over it as well. Tara placed the chalice under the opening and water flowed out of the stone. As soon as the chalice filled, Tara pulled it away, but the water did not stop. Tara lifted the chalice and drained the contents.

"Okay…" She stared at the empty container. "I thought that was it for sure." She sighed and then she felt her belly tighten. She dropped the chalice; it splashed and then disappeared beneath the water. "Agh!" Tara grabbed her belly. It felt like molten lead was boiling inside her stomach, being drawn out of her through her skin. She grabbed the side of the pool and screamed.

Tara’s primal, anguished screams echoed in the small chamber and she wondered how she could still be alive with the pain she was feeling. The mantle was being torn from her and it felt like it was taking her flesh with it. She clung to the side of the rocks. The rough surface dug into her bare skin, but she knew if she let go she’d sink under the water like the chalice and she also knew she’s stay at the bottom of the pool with the silver container, because she’d drown for sure.

*****

"Why is it taking so long?" Willow asked. "It’s been forever!" She was pacing and wringing her hands together.

"We’ll hear something soon," Diana said as she paced a few feet away.

"Yeah, Brent’s old. Tara should kill her quick," Anya said happily. "I mean, she kicked Dawn’s little friend’s ass."

"Bre is young," Ceri said grimly. "Brent has been fighting with a sword longer than Tara’s been alive."

"Hello? Not helping!" Willow yelled.

Buffy was over with Xander. She heard Willow yelling and looked over at her friend.

"Go," Xander said. "I’ll see if I can get the G-man to talk." He looked at the Watcher and frowned. "He’s being even more British than usual."

Buffy trotted over to Willow and cleared her throat. "Hey, any word?"

"No," Willow said grumpily. "But there should be, right? You think we should have heard something?"

"Um, actually I heard you yelling and thought…" Buffy bit her lip and let her words fade.

"Oh, yeah, the yelling." Willow scowled. "I do that when I’m going insane," she said in a growl. "Why haven’t we heard anything?"

"We will." Buffy rested her hand on Willow’s shoulder.

"Oh, god." Willow grabbed her belly.

"Hey, we’ll hear something," Buffy said.

"No," Willow said as she cringed. "Ouch." She inhaled sharply and fell to her knees and let out an anguished scream. She fell to her side and her body arched.

"Diana!" Buffy yelled as she dropped to the ground next to Willow.

The doctor ran to the fallen witch. She dropped to the ground and tried to roll Willow over, but the redhead was groaning as her entire body shuttered. "Cass!" Diana yelled. She looked up and saw that her lover was already running toward her.

"What is it?" Buffy asked. She looked up and saw that several of the guardians were gathered around. They looked as confused as Buffy felt.

"Maybe she’s having a seizure," Diana said as she pressed her hand to Willow’s sweat soaked forehead.

Willow groaned and squeezed her eyes tightly shut.

"It’s not a seizure," Cassie said. She was staring at Willow. "She’s being stripped of her Imbolc power."

"What?" Buffy and Diana yelled.

"She has no Imbolc power," Ceri said with absolute certainty.

"I don’t know how or why, but Tara’s aura only looked like the Imbolc mage when Willow was touching her." Cassie watched as some of Willow’s golden light was ripped out of her chest along with some of the grey. "For some reason, Willow shouldered the darkness of the mantle."

Willow moaned and then grunted as another wave of pain hit.

"That’s not possible," Ceri insisted. She knelt and studied Willow’s alabaster skin and her sweat-covered face. "Is she okay? Can I do anything?"

"Bring Tara to her?" Buffy suggested.

"I would if I could," Ceri said honestly.

"Well, go get her," Anya pointed at the cave. "March your guardian ass in there and bring Tara out here. She can kiss Willow and make her feel better and then go finish the damn challenge."

"What, now Willow is Sleeping Beauty?" Buffy asked.

"Hey, if the Talented Tara Tongue can make Willow pass out, a kiss will sure as hell wake her up." Anya edged closer to Willow. "What’s her aura doing?"

"I’m not unconscious," Willow hissed between her teeth. She groaned and pulled her knees to her chest and clung to her legs. She panted as she tried to pry her jaw open. Every muscle felt like it was clenched. "What’s happening to me?" she asked shakily.

"Something is leaving you," Cassie said. "Power. A lot of it."

Willow groaned and took in a shaky breath. "It’s stopping, isn’t it?" she said as the pain began to decrease.

"Yes." Cassie rested a hand on Diana’s shoulder and studied Willow’s reshaped aura.

"Someone took my power?" Willow asked sluggishly.

"I don’t think it was your power," Cassie said.

"Oh, so it was more of a repossession?" Anya asked. "A forced retaking of goods for non-payment," she clarified. "Not being possessed by a ghost again. I don’t think she’s ever been possessed for the first time, so there would be no ‘re’ for the re-possession."

Buffy glared at the former demon.

"Wait, that hitchhiker who came back with dead Buffy possessed her…" Anya scowled.

"Anya!" Buffy growled.

"I’m trying to help," Anya whined.

"If it wasn’t my power, whose was it?" Willow asked. She sat up and rubbed her forehead. "Tara’s?"

"Tara’s power can’t pass to anyone who isn’t in her direct bloodline," Diana said, remembering her studies from the night before.

"Oh my god!" Anya’s jaw dropped. "I figured it out. You and Tara are related. It’s one of those Jerry Springer hillbilly-long-lost-sister-lover tragedies!"

"We are not!" Willow yelled. "Ouch." She rubbed her aching belly.

"What do you mean?" Willow asked Diana.

"Oh! I know this," Buffy said excitedly. "The Imbolc mage can pass some of her power to a woman in her direct blood line." She smiled proudly. "Maybe your spells made you get all connected?"

Willow’s face went a few shaded paler. That was saying a great deal because she had already been the color of bleached flour. She struggled to get up.

"You should rest," Diana warned.

"Help me up," Willow ordered.

Buffy pulled her friend up and steadied her when she swayed. "Easy," she whispered.

"Lady Willow?" Ceri stepped closer.

Brigh ran from the cave and went to the bell. She clanged the bell three times.

"Tara…" Willow turned toward the sound of the chime.

"Lady Tara has completed the final challenge successfully," Brigh announced. It was the first time any guardian had used Tara’s first name in formal speech. She had always been called ‘our Lady.’ The change in title signaled that she no longer carried the mantle, but the continued use of the title ‘Lady’ proved how dear Tara was to the guardians.

The gathered guardians cheered. Across the clearing, Xander and Giles exchanged manly handshakes, then grabbed each other and hugged.

Willow dropped her face on Buffy’s shoulder and let out a relieved breath.

"She killed the old battle-axe?" Anya asked.

"Mistress Brent was injured," Brigh said as she went to Ceri and took her hand. She smiled at her lover.

"Where is she?" Willow asked.

"Two guardians are bringing Mistress Brent out as we speak." Brigh was smiling, thrilled that none of the guardians had been lost.

"Where’s Tara?" Willow clarified angrily. She wanted to personally inspect her lover to make sure she was really okay. She also needed to talk to her lover. Willow had a horrible sense of dread based on the pain she’d suffered while Tara was losing the mantle.

"Lady Tara must still exit the pool chamber," Brigh said with a gulp.

"Okay, how hard is that?" Buffy asked.

Ceri and Brigh both looked at the ground.

"How … hard … is … that?" Willow asked. Her tone was dangerous and her eyes flashed with fury.

"The room has certain …properties," Ceri explained.

"And?" Willow demanded.

"As soon as the sacred pool is used to drain a vast power, those unique properties are activated." Brigh wouldn’t look at Willow.

"I’m going in there," Willow said. She pulled away from Buffy and marched toward the cave.

"Lady Willow, you cannot," Ceri said in a panic.

"I can and I am." Willow stomped across the uneven ground.

"No, you’re not," Brent said as she came out of the cave with a guardian supporting each arm. Her hands were blistered and her robe was scorched. "If anyone can do this, it’s Lady Tara."

"Oh, goddess," Diana saw the burns and rushed forward. "We need to get you to the infirmary. We have to clean these burns and start you on antibiotics." She leaned closer and cringed. "Those ones will need to be debrided."

"I’m going after her," Willow told Brent.

"Lady Willow, you can’t reach her. No one can." Brent sighed and looked at Willow with complete compassion. "She must come back to you on her own."

"What the hell does that mean?" Anya asked. "That’s crap. She did the freaking challenge. We want her out here right now. Don’t make me call my old boss. You don’t even want to go there."

"And don’t make me call my boss," Brent warned. "Brigit doesn’t make many house calls, but when she does, it’s not pretty."

Anya spun and ran across the clearing. "Xander! The mean lesbian is sicking her big scary goddess on me!"

"Now then…" Brent gave Willow a stern glare. "No one is going into the caverns."

"I gave up powers, I should get to go inside," Willow said firmly.

Brent’s brow furrowed. "Excuse me?" She was concerned enough by Willow’s words that she briefly stopped thinking about the painful burns covering her hands.

"Willow had part of her mystic energy yanked loose," Buffy said. "Cassie saw her aura get all sucked."

"Brigh, go to the great hall and get every text on the Imbolc mage and take them to my office." Brent studied Willow. "We need to talk."

"No, I need to go get Tara." Willow pushed toward the cave.

"Lady Willow, Tara’s fate is sealed," Brent said bluntly. "I’m trying to figure out whether or not your is."

"Whoa, what’s with the sealed? I don’t like sealed." Buffy shook her head.

"Neither do I," Brent said honestly.

*****

Tara was sprawled over the side of the pool. Every pore of her body felt like it had been ripped open and lit on fire … and then smashed.

"Goddess…" She lifted her head with some effort and only then realized that her hand couldn’t move. She groaned as she shifted her weight and looked over the side of the rock enclosure she was floating inside. Her hand was tied to the side of the pool with a thin braid made of gold cotton. "Brent," Tara whispered. She recognized the braid as the sash the elder guardian wore around her waist. She reached over and untied the binding. Her wrist ached, but she knew if she hadn’t been secured with her face out of the water, she would have drowned. The fact that she was alive told Tara that she had completed the challenge successfully.

She inhaled, letting her body relax into the cool water. It felt good, but she wanted to find Willow. She noticed the water that was still pouring from the opening in the rock where she had filled the chalice. She shook her head and carefully climbed out of the pool and looked toward the room with the flame of Brigit. The open archway was gone.

"Oh, come on!" Tara yelled. She went to the wall and ran her hands over the smooth stone that had been rolled into place blocking the passageway. She spun and looked around the room. "Fine!" she said as she walked shakily toward the other end of the small room. She found another doorway, also blocked by a smooth stone. "Is this a joke?" She sighed and looked for any clue and then went back to the pool and sat on the rock wall. She narrowed her eyes. "You couldn’t have given me clothes?" she yelled. "I cannot believe this," she whined. "This can’t get any worse. It just can’t."

She heard a scraping sound and turned to see a rock moving on the wall ten feet over the pool. It revealed a round hole about a foot across. Another rock moved, and then another, and another until the openings appeared around the entire room.

‘There’s no way I’m fitting through any of those,’ she thought glumly. Water came rushing out of the holes with a loud rumble. It quickly filled the pool to overflowing and began covering the floor.

"Oh, no…" Tara stood and scanned the room. The room appeared to be airtight, and if it wasn’t, it was at least watertight. She watched as the water on the floor covered her feet to her ankles. The rushing water didn’t appear to be slowing. Tara realized the small room would be filled in a matter of minutes.

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

"Okay, let’s see what’s in here about me," Amy whispered as she scrolled through the files. "Madison, Amy…" Her eyes widened. "Madison, Catherine? My mother?" She opened the file and scanned the contents. Catherine Madison had applied for the committee of witches just after she graduated high school and had been denied. Amy shook her head as she read the reason: ‘Catherine Madison’s dark magic is untamable. She consorts with lesser demons and practices magics that could easily summon forces beyond her control.’

"Well, duh," Amy said with a snicker. She opened her own file and read it out loud. "Amy Madison has potential, though her addiction to outside dark magics makes her unreliable without intervention. She has strong magical ability that can be nurtured and harnessed. Possibly as a magical courtesan, or administrative assistant." Amy’s faced reddened with rage. "What?" Her hands shook. ‘Courtesan?’ she thought angrily. ‘She thinks I ‘d be a good whore or an administrative assistant. Exactly how are those two related?’ she wondered. She scanned the file and found her answer. "Oh really?" she said in the quiet room and then read the comments. "Miss Madison has an innate ability to please and engender trust. Blood tests should be conducted to rule out the possibility that she has Sucubus lineage. Katherine Madison was known to consort with Incubi and other lesser demons." Amy inhaled deeply. "Gee, thanks, mom," she said sarcastically.

She scanned the page for what she feared most. She wanted to know if Miss Duas was considering using the inhibitor on her. She let out a relieved sigh when she couldn’t find any mention of the procedure. ‘Of course, I doubt she’d put that in my file,’ Amy thought grimly. She put her hand over the keypad and raced through the files. She found the medical database and scanned for any planned inhibitor procedures in the near future. ‘Ah ha,’ she thought when she found one planned for the following week. She opened the file and read the requisition. ‘Inhibitor needed at the earliest possible date. Have specialists on hand pending return of blood work. Subject may reveal possible incubus or sucubus lineage.’ Amy’s hands shook. ‘That bitch!’ she thought angrily.

She focused on the screen and went back to her files, then grabbed the crystal and purged her data from the entire system. She smiled as an idea formed. She sent out a list of orders. ‘Here’s your innate ability to please,’ she thought as she sent an order for a team to escort her to Sunnydale for an onsite inspection of Rack’s lair. She added a note that she was acting as Miss Duas’ executive assistant, knowing that would give the order more weight.

*****

Tara sloshed through the water. It was now over her knees. "Is this because I drowned your guardian?" she yelled at the high domed ceiling. She had to shout to hear her own voice over the sound of the rushing water. "I saved her," she whined. She pressed her palm to the cut across her ribs. "After she went after me with her Ginsu, I might add!"

She waded to the door to the room with the sacred flame. "Okay, so I’m guessing there is something I need to do, right?" She ran her hands over the smooth stone. "Open Sesame?" she asked timidly. She grumbled when nothing happened.

She turned and looked around the room. The water was falling from the openings spaced every two feet. Two box lanterns provided the only light. There was one at each end of the room hanging from an elaborate sconce. Tara furrowed her brow. Every other source of light in the caverns had been a torch. ‘Maybe one of these is a key,’ Tara thought. ‘Like in Scooby Doo. I lift it and the door opens.’ She looked up at the lantern and frowned. It was at least ten feet from the floor. She stood on the tips of her toes and was still a few feet below the base of the tarnished brass lantern.

"Not funny!" she yelled over the pounding water. She shivered and hugged her arms to her bare chest and paced in the water that now covered her upper thighs. She realized that the icy water from the underwater river system brought dangers beyond drowning. There was a good chance she’d get hypothermia before the room filled. She looked up at the rounded ceiling. The dome was at least twenty feet high at its lowest point.

"Okay, I need to stay dry," Tara said and then laughed and rolled her eyes. She waded over to the pool. The edge of the sacred pool was now under a few inches of water. She grabbed the cotton rope that was floating on the water and then climbed on top of the rock shelf that surrounded the pool. "That’s better," she said water rolled down her skin. She wrapped the rope around her waist and tied it. It was the only thing in the room, and she figured she might need it as the water rose. "No clothes, no tools … you’re giving me nothing to work with here," she complained.

She jumped back into the water and went to the closest door. It was the one she had come through. She looked up at the lantern and searched for any clue. There was a something etched under the sconce, but it was in the shadow of the lantern. She let out a sigh and went back to the side of the pool and climbed out of the water as much as she could.

"Fine, I’ll wait," she said quietly. The water was now more than a foot over the top of the pool ledge. "Won’t be long," she said. She’d wait for the water to rise enough for her to swim over and lift the lantern down so she could read the etched symbol. She sighed. "I hate waiting," she said as she rubbed her arms. She thought of Willow and hoped her lover was somewhere warm and dry.

*****

Willow was frantic. She wanted to go into the caverns and fetch Tara, but everyone was against her.

"Willow, you can’t go in there," Buffy said. She had her arms around the thin redhead, and she had to hold her best friend off the ground to keep her from running into the cavern. "Guardians …with swords? On a holy mission to keep people out of the caves?" Buffy asked. "Any of this ringing a bell?"

"What am I supposed to do?" Willow asked as she arched her back and tried to break Buffy’s grip.

"Gee, maybe give me a rest?" Buffy suggested. She’d been physically restraining the redhead since Diana took Brent to the infirmary ten minutes earlier.

"I told you to hit her," Anya said from the stone bench where she was sitting. "If she was unconscious, you wouldn’t have to hold her back and she wouldn’t have to worry."

Willow elbowed Buffy in the jaw and almost squirmed out of the Slayer’s grip.

"Okay, Anya is starting to make sense," Buffy said as she pulled Willow back into her arms. She draped her arm around the redhead and pinned her in a headlock.

Willow relaxed her body and went limp in Buffy’s arms. Her legs buckled and the Slayer was left holding her weight.

"I waited during the challenge," Willow said defeatedly. "You can’t expect me to keep waiting forever."

"This is just another part of the challenge," Buffy said. "She’s supposed to do it alone."

"I’m connected to her," Willow whispered. "I’m supposed to be part of this. Why do you think I went through that blinding pain?"

"Jerry-Springer-lesbians-kissing-cousins," Anya piped up. "That’s my theory and I’m sticking to it. You two are cousins … or maybe sisters. You could be adopted!"

Willow ignored the comment and then stood up and pulled away from Buffy. She turned slowly and faced the Slayer. "Buffy, it’s my right to be there. She’s the other half of my soul."

"I know that, and you know that, but I don’t think the guardians are gonna’ take that into account when they decide whether or not to defile their sacred space," Buffy said gently.

"Willow’s right," Brent said as she walked up the path. "She has a right to be there."

Willow and Buffy spun and saw the injured guardian coming up the path accompanied by two of the Imbolc guard. Diana was with her, and the doctor did not look pleased.

Brent’s hands were covered with white gauze and she looked a little pale. Bre was at her side carrying an ancient leather text.

"I told you I belong there." Willow crossed her arms over her chest. She looked over at Brent, her mind made up. "Now take me to her."

"Not to be looking a gift guardian in the mouth..." Buffy nodded toward Brent’s bandaged hands. "But I don’t think you belong anywhere other than a hospital."

"I couldn’t agree with you more," Diana said. "Unfortunately, she’s more stubborn than Willow."

"I find that hard to believe," Anya said.

"Can you take me to her?" Willow asked. She edged toward the caverns.

"I can’t take you to her," Brent said gently. "But I can take you to where her challenge will end."

"Her challenge was supposed to end when she completed the three tasks!" Willow yelled angrily. She took a deep breath to calm herself. "I’m not thrilled with you guys for throwing in an extra."

"Tara has handled giving up the mantle with more grace and dignity than anyone in recorded history," Brent said. "The task she completes now will free her."

"They said that about the first three tasks," Anya said angrily. "Is she gonna’ have another one after she finishes this one? Are you guys gonna’ just keep sending her tasks until she gets killed? Because death, that’s pretty freeing."

"No death," Willow said emphatically. "No discussion of death, no mention of death, let’s just forget that death is even a possibility. It’s not. It’s not a possibility."

"Not that I’m complaining," Buffy said slowly as she looked at Brent. "But why the sudden change of heart? Why is Willow allowed to go in there now?"

"Because she is a part of this," Brent explained. She nodded at the cave and walked toward the entrance without another word.

"Cryptic much?" Buffy asked as she followed the elder guardian.

*****

Amy walked down the hallway and paused briefly before entering the executive bathroom. She smiled. There were certain things she liked about the witches’ committee, like the fact that as Miss Duas’ executive secretary she had access to an incredible bathroom. She didn’t even need a silly key to open the door. She wasn’t sure if the technology was electronic or magical; either would have been possible with committee’s vast resources. The door could recognize Amy’s fingerprints, or her DNA, or it just might be a magical charm that recognized her as someone who belonged. The young witch smiled and walked into the elaborate bathroom.

"Very nice," she said as she walked past a row of alabaster Italian marble sinks. She went to one of the huge stalls and opened the door. She stepped inside and started to unzip her pants, then paused. "No way in hell is anyone watching me take the pee," she said quietly. She cast a tiny spell that cloaked her in a protective black barrier and then went about her business. She sat quietly and reached inside the jacket of her Italian silk suit and smiled. She could feel an extra button sewn into the liner, provided in case she were to tear one off and might need a replacement. She loved fine things.

*****

Amy tapped gently on the door and waited until she heard Miss Duas gruffly reply, "come in." The dark haired witch opened the door and waited politely until the older woman looked up.

"Yes, Miss Madison?" Miss Duas asked.

"I just wanted to let you know what was going on," Amy said as she approached the desk. She stood with her hands behind her back and nodded respectfully.

"And?" Miss Duas raised one eyebrow.

"Well, ma’am, I went into the database and snooped around," Amy said.

"And?" Miss Duas asked again.

"Well, I decided that I didn’t like having all that information about me being available to anybody in the committee," Amy said bluntly. "I deleted every file with my name in it."

"I see," Miss Duas said as she leaned back in her chair and steepled her fingers together. She was surprised that Amy had admitted as much. Miss Duas had been monitoring Amy’s activities through a series of computer taps and hidden cameras in the young witch’s office.

"Well, I don’t think they need to know that. You know it, and well, you do have a photographic memory..." Amy cleared her throat and had the urge to tug her collar.

"And you knew this how?" Miss Duas asked with a smirk.

"Well, I checked your file," Amy said.

Miss Duas nodded. "Continue."

"And, well, you know everything there is to know about me, and so well, I don’t think anyone else needs to ... and I wasn’t really too thrilled with some of the stuff that I found in there." Amy bit the inside of her lip nervously.

Miss Duas nodded. She was impressed that Amy had been honest. "Anything else?" she asked. She wondered if Amy would admit everything that she had done.

"I also deleted Willow’s files," Amy said. Sweat began to bead on her upper lip. She wasn’t sure how the older witch would take such an admission.

"And why would you do that, Miss Madison?" Miss Duas waited patiently.

"I believe Willow is quite powerful," Amy said. "And that knowledge doesn’t need to be for public consumption..." Amy hesitated.

"And you decided this because?" Miss Duas asked coldly.

"Well, knowledge is power," Amy said slowly. "And, if you have that power, that’s all the better for me."

"Continue." Miss Duas cracked a tiny smile.

"Well, if you’re the only one who knows anything about Willow, you’ll be the only one who can use her to control the Imbolc mage." Amy leaned forward, waiting to hear the other woman’s response.

"That was good thinking, Miss Madison. Anything else?" The older woman tilted her head to one side.

"Actually, yes." Amy cleared her throat and looked around from side to side. "I noticed that you have a certain procedure planned."

"Yes?" Miss Duas waited.

"I canceled it," Amy said bluntly. "I don’t like the idea of anybody sticking things in my head, controlling what I can and can’t do."

Miss Duas smirked. "Taking some liberties there, aren’t you, Miss Madison?"

"Well, I am going to be your assistant, am I not?" Amy shifted her weight from foot to foot. "And if I am, then I would think that you’d want me to be as powerful as possible."

Miss Duas nodded for Amy to continue.

"I don’t like the idea of some outside force regulating what I can and cannot do with my magic," Amy explained.

"You’re an addict," Miss Duas said bluntly. "What makes you think that you won’t give in to the withdrawals that are sure to come?"

Amy smiled. "Well, that’s where you’re wrong, ma’am." Amy took a step back when she saw the older witch lean forward. "I mean, I was an addict," she said quickly. "But not any more."

"And how exactly did you manage that feat?" Miss Duas asked politely.

"Tara did it," Amy explained. "When she destroyed Rack, she gave him a taste of his own medicine."

"I’m intrigued," Miss Duas said. "Continue."

"Before she killed him, she gave him all of the withdrawals and addiction that he had caused all of his victims." Amy cleared her throat. "So in effect, she took the withdrawals that I would have went through and gave them to him, combined with everything else his other victims would have gone through after his death. She gave it to him all the once."

"I’d imagine that was quite painful," the older witch commented.

"Well, it does have a certain Karmic symmetry," Amy said with a cruel smile. She liked the idea of Rack writhing in the horrible pain of withdrawal before his eminent death.

"So you no longer have cravings?" Miss Duas asked.

"Well ... actually, psychologically I do still have cravings, but there’s nothing physical about it," Amy said honestly.

"Can you control it?" Miss Duas asked.

"Well, if I’m tempted, all I have to do is think about that metal rod being shoved into the base of my skull." Amy crossed her arms over her chest.

"Good point." Miss Duas shifted in her chair and gave Amy a long hard look. Amy had surprised the older witch with her honesty, but she hadn’t admitted everything just yet.

"One more thing," Amy said as if reading the other witch’s mind. "I scheduled a trip for myself to Sunnydale."

"And you did this without my permission?" Miss Duas frowned.

"Ma’am, I needed to get it scheduled now, and I did use your name when I requisitioned it, but I figured I could cancel it if you didn’t approve," Amy said in a rush.

"Why would you go to Sunnydale?"

"I need to examine some of the debris at Rack’s lair. I had time to think about a few things while I was sitting in the interrogation room." Amy shivered at the memory.

"And what might that be?" Miss Duas asked. She was genuinely curious.

"Well, there should be lots of little remnants of Willow’s power in the rubble, and Tara’s too. If I can lock onto Tara’s power, her power of the Imbolc mage, I’m sure I can track her," Amy said confidently.

"Really? Have you always had the ability to track?" Miss Duas leaned even further forward.

"Only people I’ve done magic with," Amy said honestly. "But Willow and I were connected, and I think that connection will give me a line to Tara’s energy."

"And I’m supposed to just let you leave?" Miss Duas asked. "Let you walk out of here? Trust that you won’t run or stab me in the back?" Miss Duas smiled and shook her head. "Not likely."

"Well, I did request that a team go with me," Amy said. "I mean, I can’t expect you to trust me without me proving myself, right?" Amy edged a bit closer. "And, well, it’s not like I can overpower a bunch of strong witch’s committee goons, right? And you all talk to each other all the time on your cell phones and gadgets. You’re like James Bond. There’s no way in hell I can get away. Heck, I was going through the files and saw electronic tracers. Stick one of those on me," Amy offered.

Miss Duas nodded. "That’s a good idea, Miss Madison, one I had quite a while ago. You already have one."

"Oh..." Amy said slowly. "Well, then I can go, I mean, if it’s okay with you, ma’am."

Miss Duas sat quietly for a moment studying Amy. The young witch was an enigma. Miss Duas’ first thought had been that Amy was a typical junkie, but that certainly wasn’t the case. Amy had shown some signs of loyalty to Willow, and that was good, but she had also been willing to betray Willow to protect herself. That was also good. Miss Duas needed that. The problem was, if Amy would betray Willow, her lifelong friend, the young witch would certainly have no problem betray anyone else. But Miss Duas was impressed with Amy’s ingenuity. She could use it, especially if she could control the young witch through other means.

"All right, Miss Madison, I’ll let you go," Miss Duas said. "Oh, one other thing, I’ll need my crystal back."

"Oh," Amy said. Her expression revealed her disappointment. "What if I need to use it?"

"Then you can ask me once you return," Miss Duas said.

"Oh, okay." Amy reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out the crystal. She handed it to the other woman.

Miss Duas smiled and put the stone into her own pocket. All of the files that had been deleted using the stone were stored inside the crystal. Whatever information Amy had deleted from the files was now in the sole possession of Miss Duas.

"Don’t keep your team waiting, Miss Madison." The older witch reached into her desk and pulled out a cell phone. "Keep me informed." She handed the phone to Amy.

"Yes, ma’am," Amy said enthusiastically. She turned to leave and then paused and slowly turned back toward the other woman. "So, umm, about working for the committee? Do we get paid? Do we have a benefits package?"

"I’ll have the personnel office call you," Miss Duas said with a smirk. She had to admit that the young witch had style. "But you won’t get your 401K matching funds until you’ve been here six months."

"Well that bites," Amy said. "You’d think that a mystical organization like this would give you benefits right away."

"Well, I think there’s still some stock in Enron they’d be willing to give you," Miss Duas said with a slight grin.

"Cool, I’ll take it," Amy said. She held her hand up and wiggled her fingers. Tiny sparks danced over her fingertips. "You never know when a company’s gonna’ have a turnaround."

Miss Duas laughed. It was a sincere laugh, and it was one of the first times in weeks that she had done so. "Miss Madison, I do believe tampering with the stock market would be frowned upon ... that is, unless you shared the information."

"I guess there’s no insider trading when it comes to magic?" Amy asked impishly.

"No," Miss Duas said. "And by the way, it’s an excellent idea. Go on, you need to get back to Sunnydale."

Amy nodded and left. As soon as the door closed, Miss Duas picked up the phone. She waved hand over it, and magically dialed. "Yes, Daniel? I’d like you to buy all the stock in Enron you can find. Trust me, I have a feeling." She chuckled as she hung up the phone.

*****

"I’m so not impressed," Tara said as her teeth chattered. The water was now almost to her neck, even while she was standing on top of the wall that surrounded the sacred pool. She looked over at the door and could see that the sconce holding the lantern was most likely still out of the reach.

"I’m tired, I’m wet, I’m bleeding, and I’m really, really not in the mood for this," she said with sigh. "This has not been my day."

She swam across the small cavern and then treaded water under the lantern. She used a swift kick to raise her body out of the water and then grabbed the sconce above the lantern. She dangled by one hand as she used her other hand to lift the lantern down, and then held it so she could see what was etched on the wall. It was Brigit’s wheel perfectly carved into the stone.

"Well, that helps ... not!" Tara said grouchily. "Thank you so much." She looked a little closer and realized that it wasn’t just etched onto stone. The stone actually had a deep cut. She leaned closer and could see that the perfectly round circle went deep into the granite. She hung the lantern back up, still dangling by the opposite arm, and used her free hand to press the center of the circle, thinking that perhaps the jigsaw cutout would press into the wall and open the door. Nothing happened. The stone didn’t move, and the water continued pouring into the room.

"Well, this is really great. It would be nice if you left me a key or something. I mean, the only freaking thing in this room besides me and my naked butt is that stupid rope." Tara paused for a second, and then her eyes went wide. "Son of a bitch," she said as she began swimming back toward the sacred pool. She remembered the silver chalice she had used to drink from the tiny spigot of water. The same chalice she had dropped to the bottom of the pool. The chalice that was now at least eight feet underwater, in the pitch black beneath the surface, the surface the lanterns couldn’t penetrate.

She grumbled and mumbled a few more colorful phrases before she reached the water above the pool. She treaded water with her arms and one leg, as she carefully reached out with the other leg poking her toe to find the edge of the pool. Once she found the stone lip of the sacred pool, she realized the water was now so deep that she couldn’t stand on the side of the pool and still keep her face out of the water. She took a few fast shallow breaths, hyperventilating to increase the amount of oxygen in her lungs, and then took a deep breath and dove under the icy water.

It was pitch black. The light from the lanterns couldn’t reach beneath the water. She could make out the lanterns above her, each appearing like a tiny spec, like a star in the night, but the deeper she dove, the dimmer they became.

Her fingers met the bottom of the pool, and she moved to one edge of the pool before she began her search. She carefully made her way through the darkness, her hands moving methodically across the rocky surface. She didn’t want to miss the chalice by frantically searching in a random haphazard fashion. She was almost all the way across the pool, and almost out of breath, when her hand touched something. She knew she’d found it. She grabbed the silver chalice and then pushed off the bottom of the pool with both feet.

She rushed toward the surface. Her lungs were aching already; she’d been holding her breath too long, and she felt like she’d soon pass out. As her face broke the surface of the water, she took in a gasp of air, so deep that it made her cough. That didn’t matter. She had the chalice. She knew that it must fit the strange carving on the wall.

She continued coughing even at she kicked over toward the door. She knew she didn’t have much time. The water was now only a few inches below the bottom of the lantern. When she reached the wall, she paused. She didn’t want to drop the chalice because if she lost it in the open room, she’d never find it again. She held the chalice in one hand as she carefully untied the rope from her waist with the other. Then it was just a matter of tying one end of the rope around her chalice and the other around her wrist. Once that was finished, she focused on the new task at hand.

She was now eye level with the bottom of the lantern. She carefully felt for the round opening and realized that it was the perfect size for the mouth of the chalice. Obviously, the container was the key to open the room. She started reaching toward the etched circle, and then paused. The door opened into the room that held the sacred flame. Tara couldn’t imagine anyone designing a challenge that would fill a room with water and then open the door so the water would go pouring into the sacred flame room. There was no way the sacred flame could escape the flood without being extinguished.

Tara looked across the room to where the other lantern hung. "Oh, crap," Tara said. She lifted the lantern off the wall and began swimming across the room. She wasn’t quite sure what made her bring the lantern, but in a matter of seconds, she was glad that she had.

The water reached the bottom of the other lantern. A few more seconds and the icy water reached the heated glass and shattered it. The lantern went out with a hiss. If Tara had left the other lantern in place, both lanterns would now be extinguished. She shivered as she imagined trying to escape while in complete darkness.

"You know, I am really not enjoining this," Tara said as she kicked toward the opposite side of the room. She reached the sconce with the broken lantern and treaded water as she reached down and picked up the chalice. She was relying on her strong legs to keep her face out of the water. She was grateful for her lifesaving classes. Treading water without using her arms had been required in the class, and Tara remembered thinking it was a pointless skill. She decided should send that instructor a bouquet of flowers.

She held the lantern high with one arm, so she could see what she was doing, and held the chalice up with the other. She carefully fitted the lip of the chalice over the carved stone. It appeared to be a perfect fit.

"I really hope this works," she said. The lip of the chalice disappeared into the carved stone. She pushed it further inside the granite and was rewarded when the entire centerpiece slid into the wall. "Cool," she said as she continued pushing the chalice into the wall. She heard a muted scraping and realized the wall was moving. She put her hand on the rock, thinking that she might need to anchor herself. If the water went pouring out through the wall, she didn’t want to get sucked out and thrown against something on the other side. The door only lifted a few feet.

"Don’t tell me this damn thing is defective," she whined. She now had a dilemma. The water in the room was still rising. The door had lifted, but only a few feet. She couldn’t hang her lantern back on the sconce without it getting wet and going out like the other. Worst of all, there was no telling how long the slight opening in the door would remain.

*****

Willow was as nervous as a clawless cat at a Rottweiler lunch counter. She wanted to be wherever it was that Brent was taking her, but the older woman walked calmly through the caverns as if she were taking a Sunday stroll.

The tunnel opened up into a huge cathedral-like cavern. Willow knew what it was as soon as she saw the giant circle carved into the floor. "This is where the first challenge was, isn’t it?" Willow asked.

"Yes," Brent responded

The soiled white robe was on the ground a few feet away. Willow went over and picked it up. She smiled and held it to her chest. "So did she really have to enter naked?" Willow asked.

"Yes, Lady Willow, she did. To do otherwise would have been a desecration. We would have been forced to attack her." The elder guardian smirked.

"What?" Willow asked.

"Nothing," Brent said quickly.

"You smirked," Willow pointed out. "There was definite smirkage."

"I assure you, I did not smirk," Brent insisted. "We should be going." She nodded down the corridor.

"I saw smirking," Buffy said quietly. "Definitely smirking."

"Well, of course she was smirking," Anya said as she let out a sigh and rolled her eyes. "She saw Tara naked. You’d be smirking too."

Brent cleared her throat and continued down the tunnel. She wasn’t about to comment on Anya’s statement. Although she had noticed quite a few of the guardians talking and giggling in the meadow outside the caverns and she was almost certain the topic of the conversation was the abundance of Tara’s many attributes.

They continued down into the mountain, slowly, through the darkened corridors, until finally they came to an opening.

"Is that where the second challenge was?" Buffy asked.

"Yes," Brent said.

"I want to see it." Willow folded her arms over her chest, daring Brent to deny her request.

"As you wish, Lady Willow." Brent nodded for the redhead to enter. When Buffy moved to follow, the elder shook her head. "I’m sorry, Buffy, you’re not allowed to follow."

"Well, how come Willow is?" Anya demanded.

"Lady Willow’s pained reaction outside proves that she is a part of this challenge." Brent stared at Anya and then Buffy. "However, you two have no connection to Brigit. You may not enter.

Willow walked into the small room and walked along the creek that crossed the center of the floor. There was a section where it deepened, and she imagined that it was the place where Tara had drowned Bre. Willow shivered at the thought. Her eyes caught something dark shining on the rock surface. At first she thought it was water, but then she realized it wasn’t. She bent down and dipped her fingers into it and then lifted her hand. She was surprised to see her fingertips coated with thick red blood. She spun and looked around the floor. Vast amounts of the same sticky substance covered the rock. A dripped trail led to a door on the far side of the room. She started to follow it.

"That way is not for you, Lady Willow," Brent said gently.

"That’s the way Tara went," Willow insisted. She’d follow her lover to the ends of time if it meant holding Tara again.

"Yes, Lady Willow, it is, but we’re going to a different location." Brent pointed to the door where they had entered.

"I’m going wherever Tara went." Willow followed the bloody trail. She knew Bre hadn’t been cut badly, certainly not enough to supply the amount of blood on the floor, so that meant Tara was hurt. She had to find her.

"No, you’re not." Gandu stepped out of the next room. Another guardian moved to her side from the shadows. They had sharp swords, which they held in front of them as they glared at Willow with deadly intent.

"Okay then," Willow said as she backed up. She wasn’t foolish enough to take on two warriors. "Now where was it that we’re going?"

Once she and Brent went back to the corridor, they continued along the tunnel. Anya and Buffy stayed to the back, and for once, they were silent.

"Why couldn’t we go that way?" Willow asked.

"That tunnel leads to the sacred flame room," Brent explained. "There is only one entrance to that room."

"Isn’t that where Tara had her last challenge?" Buffy asked.

The elder nodded.

"That’s not counting the extra one they sprung on her," Anya reminded Buffy.

"Well, then she had to come back through that room," Willow said.

"The room that holds the sacred flame has but one entrance," Brent said cryptically. "But it has two exits."

"Well, that makes no sense," Anya said. "Wait ... is this one of those riddles? I’m good at these. Wait a minute ... let me think ... a room as one entrance, but two exits. Wait, I’ll get it." Anya furrowed her brow as she continued following the others. "Oh! I have it," she exclaimed. "Death! Death is an exit. You can leave by dying."

Willow spun and glared at Anya. "You are not helping," she said dangerously.

"Fine, why don’t you just tell me to shut up, like Xander does." The former demon folded her arms over her chest and walked in silence.

They continued along the smooth stone path. The trail was slanted downward, as it had been since they entered the complex maze of tunnels. After another few minutes, they went into one of the side tunnels and the path angled upwards.

"We’re almost there," Brent said. She paused and nodded up a staircase carved into the granite.

They climbed up several sets of stairs that angled upwards like the squared flights of a bell tower. They finally came up into a vast room with a small underground lake. The water continued as far as the eye could see, but that was only half of the chamber’s charm.

Crystals covered the ceiling reflecting every bit of light in the room, and there was a great deal of light. Torches were positioned on the walls every two feet, and candles were arranged on tall candelabras around the room. The tiny flames merged and their combined strength reflected off the crystals overhead. The flickering flames were magnified so that the room looked as if the noon sun lit it.

Anya was the first to comment. Her eyes opened wide and she stared up at the ceiling. "Oh, are those diamonds?" she asked. She looked like she was ready to break out her rappelling gear and climb the walls with a pick ax to fetch a few souvenirs.

"No, just quartz crystals," Brent said with a smile.

"Oh…" Anya said. Her eyes darted from side to side as she calculated the value of the amount of quartz on the ceiling. "Have you ever considered selling those? You wouldn’t believe how much I get for a simple quartz crystal in the magic shop."

Brent looked at Anya as if the former demon had just offered to urinate on the sacred flame of Brigit.

"What’s with the Jacuzzi?" Buffy pointed across the underground lake. There was a smaller, second body of water. Bubbles were rising out of it in a circular pattern. It looked as if the water was boiling. The water churned as the air bubbles broke the surface.

"That’s the water level equalizing in one of the other areas," Brent explained. She didn’t expand on the information to point out that the water was being dumped from the icy holding pool into the room where Tara was currently trapped.

"That seems strange," Willow said as she wandered along the edge of the pool in front of her. The closest pool was calm, almost serene. She stood on her tiptoes trying to get a look at the bubbling pool. It was on a slightly higher level, and she could see where the sides of the pool were wet, indicating how far the water had already receded. "Why did it have to be equalized?" She tilted her head to one side. "It can’t be filling this pool." She frowned, using the puzzle as a distraction. "This pool would flood if they were connected; it’s lower."

"It looks all clean and sparkly," Buffy commented. "Is it heated?" She eyed it as if it were a community spa and then walked to the edged of the pool. "It looks warm." She reached for the water.

"Buffy, no!" Brent yelled.

The Slayer froze in place with her hand a few inches from the water.

"It’s acid, isn’t?" Anya asked. "I bet it’ll melt her skin right off. Very ingenious," she complimented.

Buffy yanked her hand away and backed up.

Willow’s eyes widened and she backed up as well. "Tell me that’s not acid," she said shakily. She couldn’t imagine the horrible challenges that Tara might face involving a pool of acid.

"No. It’s water." Brent moved closer. "But it is divine."

"Then why no guards?" Buffy asked.

"We revere it," Brent explained. "But it isn’t sacred."

"Geez, could you have any more rules?" Buffy asked with a sigh.

*****

Tara had to make a decision. She could continue treading water until she drowned, or until the door closed … and she drowned. She took a deep breath and tossed the lantern aside. She heard the splash, and then the pop as the glass fractured, and a hiss as the flame hit the water, and then there was only darkness. She took a deep breath and dove under the water. She had never experienced anything as dark as this water. It was cold, and darkness seemed to press onto her like a soaked, chilled, velvet blanket. She continued deeper, keeping one hand on the wall so she didn’t lose her sense of direction. She knew it was easy to become disorientated when you were underwater and couldn’t see the surface. One move in the wrong direction, and you could end up swimming away from the surface without knowing it.

She felt the lip of the door and used the stone edge to pull herself deeper, and then pulled herself through the opening. Unfortunately, as soon as she moved through the door and tried to head up toward the surface, she realized there was a very good reason the door only opened a few feet. There was no cavern in the next room. It was apparently a narrow tunnel, a tunnel that was completely flooded. Tara decided that she’d already committed herself to using the tunnel to escape. She kept her hands on the sides of the close walls and used them to pull herself along. The only sound was the tinny clang of the silver chalice dragging along the bottom of the tunnel between her legs. It was cramped, and she had to grab the chalice and move it to her side.

Tara wondered if there’d be another lock at the end of the tunnel. She hoped not, because her lungs already felt like someone was squeezing them with an oversized vice. Her hands were shaking from the cold and the lack of oxygen and she doubted she could work the chalice into the keyhole, even if she could find the etched circle in the pitch blackness.

She continued kicking, trying to gauge the distance. She had learned how to judge distance underwater in her lifesaving class. She would count every time her right leg completed a kick. It was supposed to be used for underwater recovery as a way to search small grids. Now she was tracking how far she had swam.

On her 17th stroke, she decided to continue on until the 25th stroke before turning back. She wondered if that would be too far, if she could hold her breath on the long trip back. When she reached her 23^rd stroke, she noticed a source of light ahead of her. She wondered if it was her imagination. Already her eyes ached from trying to see something in darkness. The cold freshwater stung her eyes as if someone was rubbing handfuls of sand into them.

She let her mind wander as the pain continued. She had to keep her eyes open so she wouldn’t miss any clues. She thought about her stinging eyes. People were often afraid to open their eyes in the ocean, afraid the salt in the seawater would sting, but that was a myth. In fact, just the opposite was true. The saline content of ocean water was almost exactly the same as the human tear. What caused pain in the ocean was the cold temperature or tiny bits of sand or grit floating in the water. Opening your eyes in freshwater, even if it was crystal clear like the water in the caverns, would hurt. Besides being icy cold, a shock to her delicate eyes, the water had no salt in it whatsoever. As soon as the freshwater hit Tara’s eyes, it stung. The human eye needed salt, and the water felt like it was leaching the precious substance out of Tara’s body. It was a painful experience, but Tara kept moving. She had to make her way back to Willow.

She kicked harder, heading toward the apparent light source in front of her. She abandoned the cavern she’d come from. When she was on her 29th stroke, she knew she was well past the distance she could safely return. She was committed. No matter what happened now, she couldn’t go back. The five more sets of kicks and her lungs felt like they were imploding. The light up ahead seemed to be getting brighter, but the sound of the chalice scraping along the rock seemed to be getting further away. Tara knew she was having oxygen deprivation.

Her legs protested every kick. The muscles needed oxygen, and every single movement felt like it was turning her sinewy muscle to stone. The ache in her chest was worse now, as if her lungs were turning inside out, but still she kicked. She forced herself forward, knowing that if she didn’t, she would soon pass out. She would die at the bottom of a cavern, and she would never see Willow again, and that was not an option.

The icy water in the cavern began to warm. Tara held one hand out in front of her to she continued through the cramped tunnel. The light was getting brighter now. She managed a few more lethargic kicks. Her hand touched something smooth, made of glass, and she focused on it. The surface was angled, catching the light from above. It was a mirror she realized. She had reached a 90-degree bend in the tunnel, and the mirror was reflecting light from the surface directly above her.

Tara looked up and saw the circular area of greenish light. There was some source of light above her, and she hoped there was air as well. She put her feet on the rocky bottom and shoved off as firmly as her exhausted legs could manage. She fought, pulling with her hands as she continued kicking. It didn’t feel like she was moving, yet her body felt light. She knew that was not a good sign. She forced her body upward despite the feeling that her head was turning to cotton. The light seemed to be getting closer, and in Tara’s confused and giddy state, she wondered if she had already drowned and was climbing toward the light of eternity. Then she felt it, the familiar presence she knew as well as she knew her own heartbeat.

‘Willow,’ Tara thought as her heart filled. She redoubled her efforts. She kicked harder than she thought possible, needing to follow the sensation. She knew her lover was near.

Willow felt warmth fill her chest; it was so intense she gasped.

"Will?" Buffy rushed closer.

"Goddess…" Willow spun and went to the edge of the water. Her eyes narrowed and she scanned the glassy surface, then she saw a few sporadic bubbles send out circular ripples.

A hand broke the water’s surface, quickly followed by a face. Tara blew out her stale breath and sucked in a gasp of air and a bit of water. Her throat tightened as she began choking. She briefly considered how ironic it was. She had survived the tunnel only to choke on a tablespoon of water. She’d read about that. It only took a tablespoon. The water could be sucked down just the wrong way, and your throat would constrict, cutting off oxygen until you passed out. She kicked wildly, in a panic, even though she knew better. Her eyes were closed tightly against the sting of the air. They were sore and raw from being exposed to the water.

Willow saw the pale hand break the surface and then a blonde head. Willow was leaping into the water before anyone else even realized that Tara had appeared.

Tara heard a loud splash followed by many smaller, but frantic splashes. She hoped it wasn’t one of the guardians coming to challenge her to one final task. At the moment, she couldn’t even see where the other person was coming from, and she certainly didn’t feel like having another battle. Then arms went around her from behind, arms she knew, arms that held her every night, and Tara knew she was safe.

"Willow?" Tara rasped as she coughed and tried to suck air into her starved lungs.

"I’ve got you, baby," Willow said as she struggled to pull her lover to safety. She tried to mimic the method Tara had used on her when they had played in the pool the night before. ‘Was that only last night?’ she wondered. It seemed like a lifetime ago.

Tara whimpered and her body went limp. She trusted her beloved soulmate to carry her to safety.

"I’m here." Willow had to double her effort to keep the exhausted blonde afloat.

"Oh my god, they’re swimming in the acid!" Anya yelled in a horrified tone.

"It’s not acid," Buffy said as she went to the edge of the water so she could help Willow pull Tara out.

"Praise Brigit." Brent dropped to one knee and dipped her head. She silently thanked the goddess for allowing Tara to survive.

"Water … trapped … naked…" Tara’s head rolled back and thumped against Willow’s chest. "Stupid test…" She closed her eyes and concentrated on breathing. She could feel the scorching heat of Willow’s skin against her chilled back. She let out a tiny whimper of pleasure. After spending too long in the freezing water, her lover’s warm body felt like heaven.

"You’re safe," Willow whispered, misinterpreting the sound. "I’ve got you," she promised.

Tara managed a weak nod.

"Here, let me help," Buffy said as she reached over the side of the pool.

Willow stood in the shallow water and tried to help Tara stand; unfortunately, the blonde’s legs were too weak.

Anya raised an eyebrow. "So, did she have to do the entire challenge naked?"

"No," Brent said. "Lady Tara is quite inventive. She removed her wet robe and threw it onto the sacred fire. I had no choice but to rescue the flame, which allowed her to pass."

Willow sat on the edge of the pool and pulled Tara onto lap. The blonde clung to her, craving her touch as well as her warmth.

"Anya?" Brent nodded toward a small opening in the rockface. "Could you get a robe for Tara?" She clumsily untied the rope from Tara’s hand, placing the chalice on the ground and tying the rope around her waist were it belonged. It was difficult with her hands bandaged.

The former demon nodded and hurried over and retrieved a thick, lush green robe. She went to Willow’s side and wrapped the heavy material around Tara.

"You know, getting naked never occurred to me," Buffy said with a playful smirk. "I never knew that was a fighting technique." She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Actually, it sounds like it’s your favorite technique."

Tara didn’t reply, but she did smile as she snuggled a bit closer to Willow.

"So, is she done now?" Anya asked. "Or is there some other death defying feat she still has to do before we can leave?"

"The mantle has been lifted, and Lady Tara has been reborn. She is no longer the Imbolc mage," Brent explained.

"Reborn?" Tara asked hoarsely. "Is that what you call that? It was cold and dark and you left me to drown." She turned her face slightly, still resting the weight of her head against Willow’s shoulder. "You leave me naked and flood the room and I have to figure out how to claw my way out, and that’s being reborn?"

"Naked, wet, clawing your way out?" Anya nodded her head. "Sounds like birth to me." She frowned. "But you know it wouldn’t really be complete unless you had a big dark scary channel to crawl out of. Now that would be a rebirth."

Tara lifted her head. She turned completely around and glared at the former demon.

"Oh, so there was a big scary channel." Anya smiled, pleased that she had figured out the final challenge. "So was it all squishy and gooey?"

Willow squeezed Tara closer. She couldn’t comment at the moment without completely losing her temper. Just the thought of Tara being locked in a dark, cold room waiting to drown was going to give her nightmares. She knew Tara hated being cold. She took a deep breath and rubbed her hands up and down Tara’s back to warm her. She paused, remembering that Tara had been injured.

"Where are you hurt?" Willow asked in a panic.

"My side," Tara said. "Bre stabbed me in the ribs." She sat up with a confused expression. Her side didn’t hurt. She wondered if the cold water had numbed her skin. She carefully lifted the robe so Willow could examine her injury, but she kept the green fabric around her body to maintain what little dignity she had left.

"Where?" Willow asked. "I don’t see anything." She ran her fingers over Tara’s rubs frantically, looking for any mark or wound.

Tara reached for her side, but she couldn’t find the deep rip that had been there earlier.

"I did say you’d been reborn," Brent explained. "When the sacred bath chamber is sealed, the water that floods the room is enchanted. As soon as you broke the seal and escaped, your injuries were healed. The ritual was designed that way to protect the challengers. Fighting the Imbolc Guard almost guarantees devastating injures. It wouldn’t be fair to have a challenger survive all of the tasks only to succumb to her injuries later."

"Yeah, well, how about drowning her? How fair is that?" Tara asked harshly. She sat up and pulled the robe snugly to her chest. "I am so not impressed with that little surprise task."

"You managed," Brent pointed out.

"I had a promise to keep," Tara replied. She took Willow’s hand and held it tightly.

The redhead released a tiny sob and pulled Tara back into her embrace.

"I’m fine," Tara swore. She kissed Willow’s cheek on one side and caressed the other side with the palm of her hand.

Willow nodded and tried to stop her tears.

Tara turned toward Brent. "What would have happened if I had used the chalice on the wrong door?" Tara asked.

"The exit would have sealed permanently," Brent said. "Well, not permanently, just for 24 hours, and then the water would recede so we could recover your body."

"And if I treaded water for the entire 24 hours?" Tara asked.

"The chamber would have completely filled. There’s no space for air pockets." Brent looked down at the ground.

Willow shivered and pulled Tara into another tight embrace. "Can we just get out of here now?" she asked. She wanted away from the caverns, away from anything that could remind her that she had almost lost her soulmate.

"Yes, please," Tara agreed. She was feeling stronger so she tried to stand. She was still weak, but she was able to hold her own weight.

"You okay, baby?" Willow asked as she wrapped an arm around Tara’s waist to steady her.

"Yeah," Tara said in a frail whisper. She was wearing the green robe like an oversized towel. She looked at the others and cleared her throat. "Could you guys turn around?" she asked shyly.

Brent and Buffy turned around without comment.

Anya turned, but she had a typical remark. "You know, we just saw everything you have to offer," she said with a sigh. "And Brent here has seen it … how many times now?"

"Shut up, Anya," Buffy whispered under her breath.

"Okay," Tara said as soon as she had the robe in place. It was slightly too large for her, but it was a wonderful improvement over treading water naked.

As they walked out of the caverns, Tara’s skin finally began to warm again. She kept one arm loosely draped around Willow’s waist. She no longer need her lover’s help to steady herself, but she liked feeling Willow’s presence. It soothed her soul in a way that she couldn’t explain. It was more powerful than when she had drained Buffy’s Slayer strength, and unlike the magical transference, this connection went both ways. Tara stole a glance at Willow. The redhead seemed to feel her eyes and looked over and they shared a loving smile as they each gave the other a squeeze around the waist. The transfer of love definitely went both ways.

"Lady Tara, you’re welcome to stay as long as you like," Brent offered. "It might be best until we figure things out with the witches’ committee."

Willow and Tara sighed in unison. They had completely forgotten about the organization that wanted to control Tara like some new weapon of mass destruction.

"Why don’t you just call them and tell them that she’s no longer the Imbolc mage?" Buffy asked logically.

"Even if they believed me, it’s doubtful they’d just let Tara go," Brent said sadly.

"So now they’re still after her and she’s completely defenseless?" Anya asked angrily. "Whose brilliant idea was this?" She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "At least if you had the damn mantle you could fry their asses."

Willow looked over at her lover and could see that she was near tears. "You know what, baby? You’re tired. Why don’t we take you back to the house and let you get some sleep, okay?"

Tara nodded. A nap sounded like the most wonderful thing she’d ever heard.

Unfortunately, there was one other thing that Willow needed to take care of before she and Tara could do anything. Willow looked over at the elder guardian. "Brent, can you come with us? I think we need to talk."

Brent nodded. "I’ll meet you at the Imbolc house after I pick up a few things," she said. She smiled a bit awkwardly and looked down at her bandaged hands. "Or rather, after I have one of the guardians pick up a few things."

"I’m so sorry about that," Tara said sincerely.

"By doing what you did, you saved a life," Brent said with absolute certainty. "If we had been forced to continue battling with the swords, one of us would have been killed. Your intelligence and ingenuity amaze me, Lady Tara. You completed each segment of the challenge without taking a life. You truly are incredible."

"I just did what I had to," Tara said quietly. "I couldn’t live with myself if I’d done anything else."

Brent nodded, accepting Tara’s response, and then her eyes twinkled. "As I said, incredible."

Tara blushed and looked down at the ground.

Willow squeezed the blonde’s waist and when their eyes met, Willow nodded and mouthed, ‘Incredible.’

"I’ll meet you at the house after I collect my things," Brent said as they exited the caves.

"And we’ll find Xander and Giles," Buffy said.

"They’ll be at the dining hall," Anya said certainly. "Xander will be with the food."

"Dawn too," Buffy said with a smile.

Brent went to her office to retrieve her books. Once there, Diana caught her and insisted on checking her bandages again. By the time the elder got back to the Imbolc house to talk to Willow and Tara, almost an hour had passed. When she reached the door, Ceri was waiting.

"Mistress Brent, how are you feeling?" Ceri asked.

"I’ll live, Ceridwen," Brent said with a smile.

Ceri opened the door and held a finger to her lips. "Lady Tara is resting," she whispered as she led Brent into the living room where Willow was sitting on the couch.

Tara was sprawled across Willow’s lap, sound asleep.

Willow looked up and smiled at Brent, but her hand never stopped combing through Tara’s blonde hair.

"I can come back later," Brent offered quietly.

Willow shook her head. She knew that they had to deal with the issue now. She gently caressed Tara’s cheek and leaned over her. "Baby, you need to wake up," she whispered.

The exhausted blonde groaned and turned her head slightly, trying to bury her face in Willow’s lap.

"Tara," Willow said a bit louder. "Come on, honey, we need to talk."

"Don’t wanna’," Tara grumbled, but she did open her eyes. She yawned as she sat up and nodded at Brent.

"Leave us," Brent told Ceri. As soon as the young guardian left the room, Brent sat in the chair across from the two witches. The elder could tell by the fear in Tara’s eyes that the blonde witch had some of the information figured out already. "Lady Willow told you about her pain?" she asked.

"Yes," Tara said shakily. "I think it was probably the same time I was experiencing my pain after I climbed into the sacred bath."

"I’m certain it was," Brent said.

"How is that possible?" Tara asked. "I didn’t think that a mage could give her power away."

"The Imbolc mage can transfer some of her power, but only to a direct blood relative," Brent said quietly.

"I never was the Imbolc mage, was I?" Tara asked.

Willow reached over and took her lover’s hand.

"No, Lady Tara, I don’t believe you were." Brent looked down at the carpet.

"So Willow and I both got powers of the Imbloc mage from the same person." Tara swallowed hard and tightly gripped Willow’s hand.

Brent nodded.

"Our daughter was the Imbolc mage," Willow said quietly.

"Yes, Lady Willow." Brent looked at the two strong young women sitting across from her. "An Imbolc mage’s power only comes to fruition when her life is threatened. Usually that takes place when she’s in her mid-thirties, after she’s had a lifetime to learn her craft and control her magic."

"But?" Willow asked.

"There have been cases of younger mages," Brent admitted. "One was only eight-years-old. Her powers were too much for her, so her mother took on part of the mantle."

"But Brianna wasn’t even born yet," Willow said. She didn’t want to believe it was true. She didn’t want her daughter to have a destiny. She had seen how much Buffy had suffered under the heavy burden of being the Slayer.

"Brianna?" Brent smiled. "I hadn’t known our Lady’s true name," she said wistfully. "It’s a beautiful name befitting a follower of Brigit. I wish that we had known before all this began. Perhaps we could have saved her," she added sadly.

"Will she carry the mantle again when she’s reborn?" Tara asked. She leaned closer to Willow, needing to feel more of her touch than their linked hands provided.

"I don’t know if the mantle follows a mage into her next life," Brent said honestly. "I’d never considered it. Perhaps the mages are the same soul reborn."

"No, that’s not what we mean." Willow shook her head. "When Brianna is reborn."

Brent gave them both a blank stare.

"I performed the refero," Tara said shakily.

"Sweet Brigit!" Brent’s face went pale. "That explains it," she exclaimed. "That explains why the mantle did not pass when Brianna died."

"What do you mean?" Willow asked.

"Had the mantle passed with Brianna’s death, you or Tara may have been killed, and that would mean that our Lady couldn’t have been born again." Brent’s eyes sparkled with unrestrained joy.

"So she will have the mantle again when she’s born?" Tara leaned back into the couch and shook her head.

"This is good news," Brent said as she leaned forward. "Why do you look so upset?"

Tara laughed bitterly. "Why do I look so upset? How can you even ask me that?" She sighed and pulled Willow’s hand onto her lap and gripped it. "Why would I want my daughter to be born into a life of ‘serving the greater good?’ Having no life of her own? Having the power to kill people with a thought?" Tears slid down Tara’s cheeks. "My goddess, how can we even consider conceiving her knowing what she’ll face?"

Willow’s cheeks were stained with tears as well.

"You were not born to bear the mantle," Brent said gently. "Of course it was a burden. You have no darkness in you, Lady Tara. Darkness is necessary to wield Brigit’s mantle. Willow brings that darkness to your child, and with that darkness, Brianna will be able to handle her destiny."

"You can keep your destiny," Willow said as her voice cracked. "We don’t want it for our daughter."

"That isn’t your decision," Brent said compassionately. "Obviously she was meant to be the Imbolc mage, otherwise, none of this would have happened."

Tara slowly shook her head from side to side. She was horrified that her child would have to deal with the deadly power of Brigit’s mantle. She stared down at her hands holding Willow’s.

"Lady Tara, you have a unique opportunity to help your daughter." Brent waited for Tara to look up. "You have experienced the power the mantle entails. You know what it feels like. You have some idea how to control it." She smiled and leaned her elbows onto her knees, carefully avoiding the burns. "No other Imbolc mage has had that kind of assistance."

"What difference will it make?" Tara asked quietly.

"Having already experienced the mantle, you can help her come into her powers safely," Brent explained.

"Is she going to be born with her powers activated?" Willow asked. She couldn’t imagine the horror of trying to raise an infant that had the power to kill with a thought.

"Of course not," Brent said. "As soon as Brianna died, she lost the mantle. Whether or not she ever regains it is up to fate."

"Wait a minute," Tara interrupted. "What are you talking about?"

"Her life must be in grave danger, danger that is so perilous, that only the power of the mantle could save her," Brent explained. She sighed. "As much as I hate to intrude on your lives, I believe it would be best if the Imbolc guard continued protecting you both."

Both young witches glared at the guardian.

"Okay," Brent said with a deep sigh. She could see that the two wouldn’t go for that. "Perhaps when you begin the pregnancy?" she suggested. She was willing to concede that the two headstrong women might not want to be shadowed by the Imbolc guard.

Willow and Tara looked at each other. After the horror of losing Brianna the first time, having armed guardians whose sole purpose was to keep Tara and the unborn child safe sounded like a very good thing indeed.

"Okay," they said in unison, then Willow continued. "When Tara gets pregnant, the guardians can watch over her."

"Wonderful!" Brent stood and paced the room. She would have rubbed her hands together gleefully, but the bandages and the deep burns made that impossible. "We can make one of the spare bedrooms into a nursery," she said excitedly. She looked across the room at the pool that filled a good portion of the area and shook her head. "That will have to go. We can’t have a baby around a pool." She scowled at the dangerous body of water. "We’ll have it torn out," she said forcefully. "I’ll call the architect immediately."

"Um, Brent?" Willow said slowly. "We’re not planning on Tara getting pregnant again any time soon."

"Well, we have to get it ready," Brent insisted as she spun around. "It has to be perfect."

"We’re just saying, it doesn’t have to be done tomorrow," Tara said with a tolerant smile. She rather liked seeing Brent acting like a nervous grandmother. Perhaps, in some small way, the elder guardian could be a stand-in for Tara’s lost mother, giving Brianna a grandmother grounded in Wicca.

"And baby clothes! We’ll need sacred baby clothes," Brent babbled. "We can’t have our Lady wearing common rags."

"Okay, hold it right there," Willow said as she stood. She still had Tara’s hand, so she couldn’t actually storm over to the elder’s side. "There’ll be no calling our daughter ‘our Lady.’ Is that understood?"

Tara stood next to her lover, nodding her head. "We don’t want her growing up thinking s-she some kind of f-freak."

"But Lady Tara, what would you have us call her?" Brent looked mortified.

"Brianna?" Tara suggested with a smirk.

The expression on Brent’s face could not have been more horrified if Tara has suggested calling the future Imbolc mage shithead. The elder took a few deep breaths. "What if we call her Lady Brianna," she suggested, though the idea didn’t exactly appeal to her. No Imbolc mage had ever been called by their first name.

Willow and Tara both frowned and scrunched their faces up distastefully.

"You can’t call a baby ‘lady.’ It’s just weird," Willow explained.

"How about, ‘Miss Brianna?’" Tara suggested.

Brent let out a defeated sigh. "Well, since it won’t be happening for some time, I suppose I’ll have time to clear it with the rest of the guardian’s council." She shivered. "In the meantime, we can begin the remodeling."

"What about the witches’ committee?" Willow asked. She felt Tara’s grip tighten and she looked over at her lover. "It’ll be okay," she promised. "I won’t let anything happen to you. I swear."

Tara smiled. "We always keep our promises to each other, don’t we?"

Willow nodded and her eyes lit up. "Yes, we do." She leaned over and kissed Tara’s cheek, then moved her lips to Tara’s ear and nuzzled the soft blonde hair. "Thank you for making it back to me, Tara."

"I’ve contacted the rest of the guardians council about our troubles with the Witches’ Committee," Brent said. She looked away as the two young lovers lost themselves in each other. "I’m expecting an email soon about their decision."

"Email?" Willow spun and stared slack-jawed at the elder. "Wait, Giles told me that you guys were all technologically backwards and that only the Witches’ Committee did the computer thing. You have email?"

"Of course," Brent said with a snicker. "We don’t live in the dark ages. Our practices are founded in the ancient techniques. All of our rituals have remained unchanged for tens of thousands of years, but you don’t expect us to keep cooking over an open flame or wash our clothes at the river by beating them on rocks do you?"

"Well, no," Willow said sheepishly.

Tara giggled.

"Well, if we can have a microwave and a Maytag, we should be able to surf the web, right?" Brent asked.

"So you can get us an Internet connection here?" Willow looked around the room.

Tara lifted Willow’s hand and kissed her slender knuckles. She could see the wheels turning behind her redheaded lover’s eyes.

"I mean, you said we could use this place, right?" Willow sized up the beautiful house. "So we could come up to like vacation and stuff … get to know you all better, what with you going to be so involved in our daughter’s life." Her eyes green eyes sparkled. "And well, an Internet hook up would make it easier for everyone. I could email Buffy, and check homework, and see what was going on in Sunnydale, do research…"

Brent’s tolerant smile widened as she watched the redhead babbling. "Lady Willow, there is a T2 connection in the master bedroom, behind the desk. Didn’t you see it?"

"A T2?" Willow exclaimed. She started to sprint to the other room, but then realized she was in the middle of an important conversation. "I mean, a T2, how lovely. Isn’t that nice." She was bouncing on her toes with glee.

"We don’t have a database anything like the Witches’ Committee," Brent explained. "Though our historians and librarians are trying to catch up." She frowned. "Unfortunately, they have quite an advantage."

"Are they ever going to leave me alone?" Tara asked.

"We’ll see to it," Brent promised.

*****

Amy smiled as the black limousine pulled past the ‘Welcome to Sunnydale’ sign. She liked luxury, she decided as she reached over to the wet bar and poured herself a diet soda.

"So, Mister Rune, that’s quite a suit you’ve got there," Amy said to the large, muscular male witch sitting across from her. "Is that custom made?"

He turned his head slightly toward her and studied her.

"I mean, you’re a big guy." She waved a hand at him. "Look at you. Do you work out?"

His glare hardened.

"You’re like Arnold Schwarzenegger on steroids." She ran her hand down his arm. "Yep. Wow. Big muscles."

"We’re almost there," he said. "Are you sure Miss Duas approved this?"

Amy nodded and smiled. She sipped her soda and then let out a sigh. She looked out the darkened window and wiped her lip with one finger, carefully licking her fingertip. She turned back toward Mister Rune and took his hand.

"Look, we have to work together, and I really don’t want this to be uncomfortable." She kept her hand on his and met his eyes. "We work together. We can trust each other, right?" Her tone was sincere and her eyes full of caring.

He furrowed his brow and looked into her brown eyes. "Okay," he said slowly.

"Great." Amy patted his hand and then sat back into the seat. ‘Well, I guess I do have a little sucubi blood in me,’ she thought with a smirk. She knew a sububus could enchant others with her saliva. Apparently she could engender trust just as Miss Duas’ report had claimed.

The car stopped and Amy climbed out of the limousine without waiting for the driver to open her door. She had a laptop, and shifted it in her arms and opened it. She magically booted it and logged onto the system.

"Miss Madison?" Mister Rune asked.

"Take the car, and go to Rack’s lair. I’ll meet you there," Amy said with a sweet smile.

The lumbering man nodded and closed the door and told the confused driver to leave.

"I hope this works." Amy took a deep breath and wondered if she was doing the right thing. She watched the car drive away and then looked over her shoulder. "Okay, out of the frying pan and into the fire," she whispered.

*****

Willow was beside Tara on the large bed. Her blonde lover was sleeping fitfully, with images of her challenge plaguing her dreams.

"I’m here," Willow whispered and she spooned Tara from behind. Her words quieted Tara’s whimpers.

"Willow…" Tara sighed and scooted back so her body could fully press against the redhead.

"Yes, love. I’m here." She nuzzled Tara’s neck and tried to send all of her love into her touch. She had one arm around Tara and her hand was cupping the blonde’s belly. It was a habit she’d picked up while Tara had been pregnant, and now her fingers sought out the soft curve of her lover’s belly.

A quiet tapping at the door made Willow’s entire body stiffen. She’d told Ceri not to let anyone disturb them unless it was an emergency. Willow was sick and tired of emergencies.

"Lady Willow?" Ceri moved stealthily into the room and paused.

Willow didn’t untangle from her lover. She eyed Ceri wearily and raised both eyebrows instead of asking the guardian to explain her presence.

"There is a problem," Ceri said as she knelt next to the bed. Her voice was low so she wouldn’t wake Tara.

Willow took a deep breath and closed her eyes. ‘Can’t I just hold the woman I love without some evil force interrupting?’ she wondered. She opened her green eyes and glared at Ceri. "What is it?" she whispered.

"The guardians at the outer perimeter captured someone trying to enter the grounds." Ceri stared at Willow’s delicate hand. It was still cupping Tara’s belly and the redhead’s smaller hand looked as if it couldn’t possibly belong anywhere else.

"Who?" There was fear mingled with irritation in Willow’s hushed tone.

"We believe she’s with the Witches’ committee, but she says she’s here to see you." Ceri paused as she watched Willow’s beautiful features darken as the redhead’s protective emotions took over her lithe frame.

"And?" Willow asked.

"She says she’s a friend, Amy Madison," Ceri explained quietly. "Do you want to see her?"

Before Willow could answer, Tara’s eyes opened. The gentle blonde’s blue eyes were full of vindictive rage.

"Bring her inside the sanctuary," Tara said. She sat up, dragging Willow with her.

"You’re awake?" Willow asked. She could feel Tara’s muscles hardened.

"I want to see her alone," Tara said. "We have unfinished business."

"No," Willow said as she jumped from the bed. "No more you taking on the world, damn it!" She shook her head. "You don’t have the Imbolc powers anymore. Amy could hurt you. Tara, please. No, baby."

Tara ignored her lover’s frantic pleas. She gave Ceri a stern stare. "Do you still serve me?"

"Always, Lady Tara." She nodded toward Willow. "And my oath to protect Lady Willow is still my life’s pledge."

Tara nodded. "Then keep Willow here while I deal with the rat." She climbed from the bed and headed for the door.

"Tara!" Willow was livid. "You can’t do this."

"Lady Willow…" Ceri grabbed Willow and restrained her.

"Oh, god, no." Willow couldn’t handle waiting while Tara faced an unknown danger, not again. "Please, goddess, not again." She fought to break Ceri’s grip but the guardian was strong.

Tara paused and the door and turned to her shocked lover. "Willow, I need to keep you safe." She frowned and her eyes revealed her sadness. "I’m sorry." She spun and hurried out the door.

Back to Willow and Tara Page

On to Part Twenty- chapters 39-40

Back to Part Eighteen- chapters 35-36