Ch.26

When Xander regained his full faculties I told him to continue building on his mental defenses to prevent what occurred from happening again. From there I made sure to check Faith and Buffy as well for signs of a deeper compulsion.

Faith had no outward visible signs and Buffy was found to have a vampire bite mark on her throat. I hadn't even had the chance to claw my way into her head before finding it. From there things got rather serious.

We'd found out that Joyce had let Dracula into her house yesterday night some time before he'd revealed himself to us. For a day nearly everything was fine afterwards while Riley, Giles and I went on a vampire hunt looking for the count's magical castle.

It wasn't overly hard as we'd pried the information out of Spike and Willy the bar keep. When we arrived at the former mansion, now castle, we headed inside to confront the count. We separated to search for Dracula ending up in separate parts of the castle.

I simply do a scrying spell and filled it into a dining room where Buffy was facing off against the count. After she managed to dust him again I clapped my hands in applause. "Good job, though I doubt you'd have tried his blood if you saw what he really looked like under the powerful glamour."

She grimaced. "That was disgusting. Eww."

I smirked as Giles, Riley, Anya and Faith joined us followed by Xander and Willow. Xander asked Anya if she was still under Dracula's thrall and I chuckled. "He got both of you? Damn he's good."

They both looked embarrassed while we headed out. Buffy slipped back and I heard her stake him again saying she'd seen his movies and knew he always came back.

We left and the next day the castle was no longer there. It was now back to the original mansion. Both Buffy and Faith went to Giles to learn more about where their power comes from while revealing that they'd both been hunting each night since the spell the scoobies used to help defeat Adam.

Thus began their training in with a passion. Giles informed me he'd decided to stay while relegating Bob, Mr.Bogerty, to night manager. They'd split the duties until one or both quit or decided to move on to another job instead.

That night I after dropping Buffy off at her house I felt an extremely powerful reality distorting spell take hold and force new memories into myself and the girls. While they were left unaware of the changes I was acutely aware of what changed.

Dawn, Buffy's sister and the mystical key to dimensions, was forced into our memories. I was apparently seeing her as a kid sister if the false memories are to be believed. I shifted in my seat as I drove us home after dropping everyone off. Alice wasn't yet aware of the changes as my memories reflected hers.

I kept quiet as talking about it could unravel the spell and I didn't feel like fighting a pissed off hell goddess on a whim. Besides, Dawn was an innocent, no matter how you viewed it. She doesn't deserve what's about to happen or what's coming her way.

The next few days were rather routine until one evening we found the magic shop night manager injured. Bob, Mr.Bogerty, had been attacked on his way out of the store while locking up the night before. When he came to he told me he'd been jumped by vampires and had barely made it inside the shops barriers alive.

He apologized and quit, saying it wasn't worth his life. Needless to say I was pissed, not about him quitting as that was understandable, but that someone was dumb enough to attack my people. My eyes were glowing bright enough to light up the darkened shop.

Waving a hand to the now retired sorcerer I healed his injuries with a simple spell before telling Giles. "Give him his severance pay and some extra for pain and suffering. I have some vampires to hunt down and show my...displeasure."

Dawn chose that time to ask. "Oh? Can I come too?"

I didn't even glance her way. "Not this time darlin, I'm going to do some gratuities violence and I doubt your mother or sister will want you seeing what I'm going to do to them."

I grabbed a town map off the tourist stand and laid it out. I grabbed a few herbs and ingredients and began mixing them. Anya spoke up. "You'd better pay-"

I shut her up with a look and continued mixing them before tossing them on the maps chanting. "Thespia, we walk in shadow, walk in blindness. You are the protector of the night. Thespia, goddess, ruler of all darkness - we implore you - open a window to the world of the underbeing. With your knowledge, may we go in safety. With your grace, may we speak of your benevolence. Show me my prey!"

The map lit up showing all the demons within town maps limits. The map burst into flames leaving a small gathering of glowing lights in a non-burnt circle. Buffy, who just finished telling Dawn she couldn't come, asked. "Need backup?"

I merely looked at her and she stopped with that line of questioning. She just asked. "Can I come then, I've some issues I need to work out."

I nodded slowly before saying. "It's Tuesday so Dawn will have to stay within the shops spell protections. Keep her out of the back, the last thing we need is for her to play around with magic objects."

Buffy told Giles. "I'll be back in a bit, make sure to keep her away from the magic stuff but within the shop. Good? Thanks!"

I hopped in the car and she wasn't but a moment behind me. I gunned it to the outskirts of town near the over pass construction site. After I parked I didn't wait for her to grab weapons, I just grew my own claws out. I walked directly into the cave not caring if it was a trap.

I was a man on a mission and Buffy was right behind me. My eyes hadn't changed except to glow brighter once we entered the cave. Buffy commented. "I don't even need a flashlight with you around."

I ignored her and headed into the depths of the cave. There I found four male vampires talking about betraying their leader. I was on them in seconds, not giving them time to react as I strung them up with vines. Then I set into making examples out of them.

I clawed out the first ones eyes, with his grunge look he clearly didn't need them. While he was screaming I clawed out the bottom jaw of the mama's boy looking one. His screams turned to gurgles. While I set in on the third and smallest one, ripping off his ears.

He screamed like a woman, or I heard a woman's scream, either way he was a bloody wreck when I was done with him. I turned to the biggest one and just shoved my fist through his chest and into his heart, dusting him as I ripped it out. I turned to see Buffy staring at the vampires in what looked to be pity.

I sighed and told her. "If it helps Tara was supposed to watch Dawn at the shop last night with Willow. Willow canceled that as she had a paper she needed to work on. Bob could've just as easily been Dawn or worse."

That snapped her out of it and got her attacking them. I simply watched as she beat them half to death after I'd finished my examples. I stopped her from staking the last one, the mama's boy. "I'm setting an example here so that the demons know the magic shop is off limits."

I picked the vampire up and made him face me. His bottom jaw was gone, ripped off by my actions earlier. It turned to dust when it was no longer connected to him. I grabbed his arms and ripped them off before cauterizing his wounds with a low flame spell. I carved the simple words.

(The magic shop is off limits to those dumb enough to attack it. Do so at your own peril.) into his body. I ripped his shirt off so that there was no hiding it and took several stakes and nailed his ass to the cave wall.

With that I turned to Buffy and asked. "Now, how long do you think it'll take for the demons and vampires get the message. I wanted to make it clear and unmistakable."

She looked over the vampire nailed to the wall with wooden stakes in all but his heart. She sighed. "You certainly got your point across. Come on, let's head back home."

I shrugged and grabbed a picture of my art before leaving. I didn't know it at the time, but news of my torture victim and what would happen to you if you repeated his sins would spread to all corners of the demon world. His body would remain there for as long as the town itself remained and the magic shop became none as a holy place of sorts.

Word of my deeds traveled and became exaggerated to the point that no demon not already suicidal would ever think about causing trouble in my shop. Demons would fight over that cave just to keep the 'art work' for themselves until the day the hellmouth collapsed dusting said vampire in the process.

I drove us back to the magic shop and cleaned myself up before heading inside. As soon as we were through the door Dawn asked. "So? What did you do? Are they all dead? Can you teach me magic? Can you please, please, please?"

I shook my head. "I'm not telling, no, I let one live and that's all I'll say about it. As for magic, it's not a toy to be played around with. If you still wish to know after you've graduated high school and with both your mother and Buffy's permission, I'll teach you the basics, until someone more qualified is found to teach you the rest."

At that moment Giles came over so I chuckled. "Oh look, it's someone more qualified."

Dawn frowned and Buffy laughed herself into a fit of giggles. Giles looked at the two sisters and I told him. "Think nothing of it. Buffy's laughing time let out the scream she's been holding back. She witnessed one of my more creative art works being done."

Giles looked at Buffy in pity for a moment then offered. "There's a bottle of scotch in relief office, I'll go fetch it."

I nodded and Dawn said. "Well that's no fair, Buffy gets to drink after seeing you paint-"

Buffy paled and I sighed. "Dawn, I guess it's time to tell you. We use 'art work' to describe what I do to the demons when we talk around you. I'm a brutal bastard when it comes to vengeance on those that hurt my people and friends."

Rubbing my head I continued. "Bob was a really good employee and has been a valued customer here since I bought the place a couple years ago. As a matter of fact he was the original owner I bought it from and he'd helped me on several occasions when I was looking for books on magic and demons."

Buffy was really pale now so I waved her off with Giles. "Go, have a drink and try to remember I'm not the bad guy, I'm just not the good guy either."

Faith, Tara and Willow came over with grim faces. Willow went with Buffy and Faith to have a drink while Tara talked to Dawn about the dangers of owning a shop in this town and what I do to keep my employees, who happen to be mostly made up of our friends, safe during working hours.

I sighed and joined Alice in the back for a pint of blood and some comforting hugs. I'd done similar things to keep our family safe years ago and actually not long after we'd met them. I was mostly nice and straightforward but when it came to protecting those I cared about, I had no limits. There wasn't anything I wouldn't do to keep them safe.

Out of our entire group only Giles truly understood that part of me. We'd had several night caps and talked about the things we did to protect the ones we loved. Alice knee every detail and still loved me despite or for it I'm not entirely sure.

After nearly an hour Giles came into the back room to help rearrange the space they used for Buffy's slayer training. Alice went to hang out with Dawn and Tara as Dawn wasn't aloud in the back room. I helped Giles rearrange the heavier items.

Sighing he told me. "You shouldn't take her on anymore of those kinds of trips for now. She's found herself attracted to the violence of it but fears that same attraction. She's clearly at odds with her slayer nature verses the young woman she's become."

I nodded solemnly. "I didn't exactly plan this one out. I was to caught up in my anger that I hadn't even thought of what she'd think. I honestly did mean to bring anyone. Goddess Giles, do you know what almost happened? Willow and Tara were supposed to close up with Dawn last night. If-If they'd gotten ahold of them-"

I lost my voice as my eyes glowed green again and I closed them to his pitying stare. He knew all to well what could've happened and understood my need to make an example to prevent it from possibly happening again.

Sighing I opened my now clear eyes saying. "Anyway, I'll try to avoid taking anyone with me if and when there's a need to do so again. None of them need to see it whether they're slayers or not. That part of me needn't be witnessed by anyone."

I got back to moving weights and benches around while he told me what he suspected they were after. He'd gotten ahold of copies of historical slayer books and suspected they might've been after them.

Nodding I told him. "I'll be sure to go out on patrols with the girls for the next few nights to ensure they're not being targeted. If need be I'll cast an invisibility spell on myself and follow in stealth to lure them out."

He agreed and called Buffy and Faith in for training. They were doing balancing exercises and finding their inner peace. The point of it all was to try tapping into the slayer essence naturally and getting used to it. I used a similar method for my magic control training but seeing as how I've yet to consume my guest-prisoners, I don't have a complete godly essence to tap into like the slayer line.

Sure there was the nature magic like plants and other such things but it wasn't nearly as complete as the slayer essence was and it only had a small connection to the vaster nature of the earth. There was no real way for me to go further until I strengthened my own body and essence or spirit to handle more. I'd even come to a crawl in my magic strengthening training.

The well now sat at eight hundred feet deep even. The barrier past that was so solid it was nearly tangible in real life. It would take more power and control than I currently have to break through. As for my defenses and offensive mental strength I'd been working on, I could nearly summon the creatures I'd made into being outside my mind with how solid and tangible they were.

Not that I could use them in any way to actually help with my other problem. They were each just avatars of my will and mental fortitude mixed with highly concentrated magic. It would be like tossing a block of solid salt at the well and watching it sink in. Sure if it's full enough it'll overflow a little bit until the salt dissolved it wouldn't do much of anything.

When it did though I'd probably end up breaking the well and crippling my magic for good. Like adding napalm to a cigarette just before lighting it. Anyway, there I was watching two tipsy slayers try doing hand stands and finding their inner self.

As amusing as it was to watch I left them to it and went to read up on the latest order of books Giles had bought on my behalf. The first few books were mostly on the spirit, like astral projection and possession. A rather interesting read with the spells and details to accomplish it all.

While the last book was by far the most interesting. It dealt with necromancy and raising the dead. Not just zombies and puppet creatures but actually bringing someone back from the other side.

It was clearly a dark arts book as it dealt with sacrifices and extremely dangerous magic's. Calling on Osiris, the god of the underworld and channeling his power to bring back a loved one. It was clear on it's implications though. The person brought back had to have been killed a supernatural way and even then their coming back could have severe consequences like pain and misery.

There were dire warnings all over the pages about the cost and what could happen if it went wrong. The last few pages were the ingredients and the instructions on how to prepare for and carry out the ritual.

After I read through it I wrapped it in a special binding cloth that would seal its oppressive energies. When I was done I set it in my duffle bag with the rest of the books I'd gotten and picked up the one that I was most interested in, Flight and Teleportation the Difference Between Powerful Witches and Common Sorcerers.

With a title like that I had to know what it was hiding between its pages. Dawn came over with Tara and read over my shoulder until I closed the book catching them. Tara I didn't mind learning it, she knew better than to attempt flying without preparation and safety.

Dawn was a different story and the one I had to worry about. I told her. "It's rude to read over someone's shoulder like that Dawnie."

She stuck her tongue out at me before crossing her arms. "You're not saying anything to Tara?"

I nodded lightly. "You're right. Tara, you should've stopped her from trying to read such advanced magic books before she's ready."

Tara looked thoroughly scolded before saying. "You're right, I'm s-sorry."

Dawn pouted. "That's not the same at all-"

I chuckled. "You're right, she knows better than to try these magic's out on a whim without a powerful healer there to help her. You on the other hand would try jumping out a window trying to do said spell and end up in the hospital with broken bones. Not the same at all."

She scowled. "So it's what you're reading that you have a problem with me seeing? Not the fact that I'm reading it over your shoulder?"

I chuckled. "Now you're catching on. Imagine if it was Xander's shoulder you were reading over."

She blushed and stomped away. Tara slapped my shoulder saying. "That was mean."

I shrugged. "But accurate. Just be glad I hadn't been on the pages with the spells listed. She'd be seriously injured if not dead from something this advanced. Heck, I'm not even sure I'm ready to begin trying it yet. I have the power for it sure, but the concentration and control required is enormous."

Tara asked. "But it's p-possible? To fly I mean?"

I nodded. "And teleport. Both require immense power and concentration by mortal standards. Out of all of us only myself, Alice and Willow have the power required to attempt it and far as I understand it none of us even approach the concentration and sheer control to fly yet."

Sighing I told her. "Willow is the farthest off when it comes to control but in power she's already beginning to surpass Alice. I fear she'll be caught up to me soon and with her dismal control that's not a good thing."

Tara frowned. "How can you tell?"

I chuckled. "Look at me, what does my aura resemble?"

She looked me over. "A calm river"

I nodded. "And Willow?"

She looked over to Willow who was playing with tarot cards with Dawn now. She muttered. "A stormy sea."

I sighed. "That's the difference in control we have. I've rained my power in to this point with extreme concentration and control and keep it that way at all times. My power actually surpasses hers for now so you can tell the difference easily now."

I took a deep breath. "Something like flying would need concentration to about the size of a steady stream like a faucet. And teleportation requires absolute control otherwise you could end up leaving body parts behind or end up in a wall."

My words made her more and more worried. "What's the worst that c-can happen with so much power and so little control?"

I shook my head. "Nothing good. Odds are she'd become addicted to using magic and delve into the darker stuff on a whim. At the rate she's going she'd be a danger to not only us but the world if she took in the darker stuff. She needs control Tara, and since you're the closest one to her that practices magic, you need to be the one to give it to her."

I put the book away in my bag and stood up. "Tell her my words if you need to, but get her to practice control exercises as soon as possible. Power is only useful if you can control it to a desired effect. She's talented, maybe more so than even I am, but even the weakest of magic users would be more useful than an uncontrollable super witch."

Tara nodded and went to speak with her on the subject while I went to Giles's office and poured me a glass of scotch. By the time I'd finished the bottle he came in with the now tired slayers. I pulled his backup bottle out of the bottom draw of the desk and poured him a glass.

Faith sat on my lap and grabbed the bottle while Buffy scowled and sat in one of the spare chairs. After taking a swig Giles spoke. "They're improving immensely these past few days. We simply don't have the resources to keep up with their training."

I raised an eyebrow and Faith said. "He means we need more space, something for training only."

I nodded. "Well the apartment next door is ours as well. I didn't say anything before because it's where I stored all the stuff Bob left when he owned this place there. It's a storage area now but if you want to take the time and toss out the old junk be my guest. It has plenty of room to build a gym in."

Faith kissed me before laying back into my chest and cradling the bottle. "That'll work perfectly. We can even get some training dummies and sparing mats. No offense but the hard wood floors hurt like hell when I get tossed on my ass."

Giles took off his glasses and cleaned them while asking. "Is there any occult books in it?"

I shook my head. "Just some old demon summoning talismans and a couple playboys if you're into that sort of thing. The rest is furniture and clothes he left from when he was living there. I'm sure he'd appreciate it if you threw them away. They remind me of Xander's wardrobe."

Giles nodded absentmindedly. "I'll see what I can do."

I chuckled. "You do that, just keep Dawn away from the demon talismans. The last thing we need is her summoning something that we can't easily kill. Demon contracts are a pain in the ass and summoning one usually initiates one."

He nodded far more sternly now while Faith replied. "Yeah, plus the porn mags and all. Probably best if she's not here when we clean it out."

Buffy sighed. "That reminds me, I've got to go grocery shopping some time today."

I sniffed the air saying. "Grab a shower in the back before you do, you smell like sweat and is that mold?"

She shook her head. "Vampire dust. I got some on me when we left earlier."

I sighed. "Grab a shower, Alice can take you shopping when you're done. I've got to do some stock exchanges that'll take half the day to go through. Tell her to use the black card when she wants to get something. I'be got to pay the other one off when I'm done with the exchanges. Faith here can help watch Dawn while you're gone, she needs some quality play time that doesn't involve violence."

Faith snorted. "But that's the best kind."

I chuckled and she got up handing me the bottle of scotch after taking another swig and saluting me. "Aya aye captain, to the Dawn I go."

I sighed at her antics. She'd mellowed a lot since we'd met, much more than even I by the way she acts. The extra slayer training was doing her a load of good as well from what I can tell. Though I know from the nights I've followed her on her hunts that she's gotten even more vicious in her fighting style. One might say more deadly if they fought her like I do for spars.

Although it hurts it also helps that I can't be killed so easily as long as I'm wearing the Gem of Amara. I'm certainly glad Alice is wearing it as well because I've seen the way they spar and it makes me wince every time she's stabbed through the heart.

Buffy coughed bringing me out of my stupor and back to their attention. From the way she was looking at me she clearly thought I was ogling Faith's ass.

I shrugged not caring about that and turned to Giles. "I'll have this weeks profits divided amongst all the employees. Your cut will be as per usual but I need to let them know that last nights events won't be easily repeated and remind them why I pay a premium for the risk involved. And it is a risk, magic can only defend from so much before it to gives way. I'll be adding extra ward stones to the foundations and transferring the main house's ward stone here to keep you all safe seeing as how you plan to use the apartment next door to train in."

He nodded and I stood up. "Follow me, I need your help in adding the apartment next door to the wards."

We left Buffy there to gather her clean clothes and head to the showers in the back I'd had put in for when I shifted each full moon. I usually stayed at the house but I sometimes liked to keep an eye on the shop even in wolf form. My presence alone deterred would be demonic enemies on those occasions and when they didn't I simply waited for them outside and had a meal.

It took the rest of the morning to carve the runes and add the new gym to the wards. After that I spent the afternoon reading stocks and making investments before spending a couple hours on the phone with my bank and credit card company.

Once they were all paid off and happy I hung up the phone and returned to my magic books, one of which was now missing and I knew it wasn't Tara or Willow because they didn't even know about the dark magic book.

A bolt of fear shot through me as I listened and smelled finding Dawn's scent on the bag. I raced to where I heard her in the back room. I found her trying to bring a dead cat back to life and flipping lost my shit. For the first time in either of our real or false memories I yelled and scolded her.

My eyes were glowing the entire time as I dragged her inside the main shop area and tossed her butt onto the couch saying. "Idiot child! You could've done a lot more than raise a dead cat you imbecile! If I ever see you playing with such magic's again I'll bind the magic in you and turn you into a rat to join Amy!"

My voice carried and alerted the others to what was happening. Dawn was in tears now as I told her. "You've proven without a doubt that you cannot be trusted to stay away from dangerous magic's so I'll see to it that any time you're in my shop you'll never be left alone to wonder about."

I turned the umbrella into a snake and wrapped it around her wrist. "There, if you ever try to touch something magical in nature while inside this shop it'll stun you until one of us removes the spell."

I turned to Giles who saw what I'd done and nodded looking worried at the book in my had. I told him. "Theres a reanimated cat in the back. She sacrificed a rat unwittingly and brought the cat back. Deal with it. A simple incineration spell should work. I destroyed the magic circle and had to take in the dark magic's that were gathering. I need a purification ritual prepared when you have the time. Until then I'll be in the office trying to hold back from flaying someone alive."

I left him there as Willow and Tara came over with Faith who'd been sleeping off the booze and after training tiredness. They flinched as they saw the red and black glow of my eyes. Dark magic was a dangerous thing and taking in the corruption the spell brought on would turn a regular non magic user into a sociopathic serial killer.

It frowned out the souls ability to function and they would loose all sense of good. As it was I was beating back the call to do serious violence to everyone and everything around me. As soon as I sat down in the office I went into a deep meditation to help fight off the dark power calling to me to use it.

If I so much as lifted a feather with it, it would taint all the magic in me corrupting it at my very core. Dawn was damned lucky I was there to take it in or she'd be far worse off and in need of a serious exorcism and magic purge. That's assuming she didn't murder someone before we got to her in time.

I stamped down on my rage and focused on the problem before me. It was a matter of discipline to ignore the voices and not reach out to the magic within me. I'd worked far to hard to keep my magic clean and I wasn't about to let some small pet cemetery spell corrupt all I've worked for now.

With a force of will made of iron I shrugged away from the temptations and found my center, my rock, in the storm of dark magic's that raged in my body and mind. Some time later I came to my senses and Giles was there. He had a grim face on saying. "The purification ritual is prepared but-"

I stopped him with a look. "It needs to be done. As I shed this skin so I shall shed the dark magic's I've taken in. I'd ask Alice to do it but she's not here and I won't ask Faith to do something like that. She's seen more than enough. It's the quickest sure fire way to succeed. There is simply to much for a moon bath cleansing."

He became more and more grim sighing. "Very well, I hear the process is excruciating so be very sure-"

I cut him off. "I am. I've experienced far worse than being boiled alive. This is nothing to get rid of the taint inside me. With any luck it'll weaken my guests further as well."

He nodded weakly and handed me the holy oil. I took it and walked to the back of the shop. Willow and Faith were there while Tara was watching Dawn. I smiled lightly. "You two will stay out here. Only Giles is needed for this-"

Faith went to cut me off. "Screw that-"

I shook my head. "It needs to be done and I don't want you seeing me like that. It's not something you want to remember. For me, please?"

She stilled before sighing. "Yeah sure, whatever. I need a drink."

I smiled weakly. "I love you."

I passed her stunned expression and walked into the back room. Willow tried to talk her way in as well but Giles was there to shut her down. "We're essentially boiling him Alice in holy oil to get the dark magic's out of him thoroughly. Do you really wish to be apart of that?"

She frowned and I sighed. "Let her watch, maybe it will be a reminder to her not to play with those magic's. She's been delving deeper and deeper into the dark magic's without purifying them or herself. Perhaps some day she'll need to go through something similar if she's not careful."

The special tub was in a circle of thistle and rosemary and the fire underneath was a form of living flame used to destroy dark objects. When he let her in I stripped to Willow's surprise and got in the boiling oil.

The pain was immediate and all consuming. I turned to Giles and nodded. He grabbed the tranq gun and shot me several times. I became light headed after the sixth shot and fell to my knees into the oil after the seventh. I groaned panting. "Enough. Grab the gloves, you'll have to hold me under."

Giles nodded and set the gun down grabbing the special spelled gloves I use during forging with acid baths. He passed a stunned and quiet Willow saying. "Still think magic is cool? This is but one of many prices witches and sorcerers have to pay to keep their magic's clean and pure. Continue down your path more carefully in the future-"

I didn't hear the rest as he shoved me under. The pain returned a hundred fold as I scream under the boiling oil. It got inside my mouth and nose as the feeling of drowning encompassed me until just as I was on the edge of passing out the black oozing sickness that was the dark magic's fled my body.

The fires underneath the tub heated further when it sensed the dark magic's. I stopped struggling as my mind became clearer and the oil became darker before turning completely black. The more it boiled out the better I felt until I didn't feel any pain at all.

Soon enough even the prison cages in my mind trembled as they retreated to the backs of their cages. The planatoid they resided on grew quiet as they hid from the purifying magic's in the oil. They retreated to avoid weakening themselves further. Once the oils turned red I felt Giles's hands release me and I got up.

I stepped out of the boiling oil as it no longer effected me at all. Willow was staring at me now as I took the towel Giles offered and whispered myself down. I was never exactly shy as for most of my existence I was naked.

Giles was used to these sorts of rituals and my nudity didn't really bother him much. I did a quick cleansing spell that removed the oil from my body and grabbed my clothes, putting them on.

I spoke to the general room. "Magic always has a price. Sometimes the cost is simple energy from the user, other times it can be so much more. The Magic's Dawn tapped into were those of the darkest there is. Sacrificial and necromancy magic's. Truly a child playing with forces she couldn't hope to comprehend. The simple fact is for all my power and abilities even I am not entirely ready to touch on those forces."

I turned to look at Giles. "While you have the experience and know what to do to avoid the worst of it, you aren't ready either."

He nodded. "Definitely not."

I turned to Willow. "You may be powerful for a witch Willow, that is not something you're ready for either. You need tempering and practice. A strong foundation in other less lethal magic's and protections. You also need control over the Magic's you do have. I can feel and see the Magic's seething around you like a storm."

"You desperately need control now more than ever. The power is there clear as day and it's growing day by day. If you keep on the path you're on you'll become addicted to the rush of magic and you could end up loosing yourself to the powers beyond even yours. Take my word for it, I'm the son of an old one, I know what I'm talking about when I say those powers are not all benevolent. Learn control or they may take that control from you and use you to hurt and kill all you hold dear."

My voice was solemn and without bite or judgement only the cold hard truth rang out from them. Like a death knell across a battlefield she acted like I'd struck her as she flinched. I turned away releasing her from my gaze as I slid on my shirt and pants.

Giles tried to comfort her and promise to teach her control if she'd let him. Sighing I told him. "We have a far more urgent problem right now."

He looked at me for a moment before saying. "Dawn."

I nodded. "She's clearly powerful as she was able to perform the spell and has the talent for magic but she's far to reckless for any sort of training. Not to mention we need to do a minor cleansing on her. She must've taken some of the dark magic in when she started the spell, it's the only way it could've worked. I took the brunt of it when it backlashed so she only took in a bit. Perhaps a moon bath tonight."

I turned to Willow. "Could I convince you and Tara to help her with it? Tara should know how to perform one and since you've been practicing magic for years now I'm sure Giles has taught you a few cleansing rituals."

She frowned and turned to Giles accusingly. "You never taught me any cleansing rituals! Goddess I must be full off dark magic by now."

I frowned and raised a questioning eyebrow but seeing his embarrassment I connected the dots. "Huh."

I sighed and ignored his apologies and excuses for not teaching her cleansing rituals. I thought on what would be best for her and decided to check the damage first. "Tomorrow I'll do a deep dive inside your psyche to figure out the damage and what would be the best way to fix it all. With any luck you'll get off with a oil bath of your own and be fine."

She looked freaked out now. "I-I'm not-"

I chuckled. "Relax, it only hurts when there's dark magic's within you. After it's purged it feels like a warm bath. And it's very skin healthy, well, after it burns of a layer of skin with the dark magic's."

She seemed a lot calmer now but still rebellious. I sighed. "Tara and Alice will help you through it if it's necessary. Besides, it not like you haven't seen me naked or that I even find you remotely attractive."

She pinched my arm and I growled. "Hey, watch the skin, it's new."

She wasn't much amused but now she was at least not thinking on it too much. I turned to Giles. "The spell I put on the umbrella is tied to the magic shops wards. It was a quick fix but a necessary one. It will prevent her from touching any magical objects or books while she's here but once she leaves it will turn back into an umbrella in the stand. So you'll have to be careful, the both of you will. She's not allowed near the basement at my house so it's fine on that front anyway."