witchcraft2

The man turned to Dawn. "It is a pleasure to see you again, Miss Summers." It was the man who had helped her in the casino this afternoon. He had changed into a black silk shirt and leather pants, and his long hair was pulled back tightly into a braid.

"This is your hotel?" she asked him. She watched him, hyperaware of his masculine presence.

He looked down at her with a shadowed expression. "Yes, it most certainly is." He handed her a small golden key. "Your winnings are in box 717. Here is the key."

"Thanks," she said as she stared into his eyes.

He leaned closer to her, never breaking her gaze, and then abruptly turned to face Tara. "So, Miss..."

"M-m-Maclay," stammered Tara. She blushed. "You can call me Tara."

"You need sage, correct? Well, I just happen to have some in my apartment." He led them down the hallway, and turned down several corridors. He scanned a security badge on several doors. They entered a small elevator and descended. The door opened into a large stone foyer. Niches in the walls held ceramic masks, and there were vases of fresh flowers placed on columns. They followed him through an archway and into a dining room that was filled with low tables and couches, a large fresco on the wall of a seascape. They entered a sparkling kitchen. The cabinets and fixtures were made of a brushed metal. Aurelius swung open a pantry door to reveal a large collection of herbs in heavy glass jars.

"Is there anything else you need for your spell?" asked the man.

"Wow, you could open your own magic shop," gaped Dawn.

"How did you know it was for a spell?" asked Tara curiously.

"Well, either that or you're going to have a very interesting night with your lover. The honey and roses sound like fun, but the salt and needle sounds a little painful," he said seriously.

She laughed. "Well, actually, if you have some sandalwood incense and a mortar and pestle, that would be great."

He pulled a bag of ground incense from a drawer along with charcoal tablets and a small metal cauldron. He gave her a box of long fireplace matches. After he searched through a few cabinets, he came up with a small marble mortar and pestle.

"So what kind of spell are you doing?" asked Dawn.

"I need to undo a love spell," said Tara.

Willow and Xander sat stiffly in their seats, faced away from each other. Buffy stared at her watch, while Spike tossed back a glass of red wine. Anya attempted to build a tower out of sugar packets.

"This is a really lovely restaurant," said Giles as he attempted to break the awkward silence. The d�cor was Art Deco, in shades of silver and blue. They were seated near the stage, and they had a good view of the band, who were dressed in forties style in white dinner jackets and black pants.

Buffy stood up and pushed back her chair. "I'm going to go get Dawn. It shouldn't take this long just to change her clothes."

"I'm sure she's just checking on Tara. You know the bit, she loses all track of time," said Spike as he took her hand in his. The band broke into a slow standard. A woman in a blue satin gown stepped up to the microphone and began to sing. "Come dance with me," he said, as he led her to the dance floor.

Giles stood up and extended his hand to Anya. "Would you do me the honor?" he asked formally. She smiled and followed him.

Xander and Willow looked at each other. He leaned over to whisper in her ear. "I can't. There is no way that I can hold you in my arms and not show everyone exactly how I feel about you."

"They'll think it's weird if we don't dance," she whispered back.

"They'll think it's even weirder if I make love to you on the dance floor," he whispered.

Dawn and Aurelius walked down the hall to her room. "It was really nice of you to get those things for Tara," she said. They walked very close together, and the spicy scent that he wore made Dawn breathless. Her fingers accidentally brushed his thigh, and she saw a muscle jump in his jaw.

"It was my pleasure to help your friend," he said softly as he stared at her.