Back to Sunnydale

It was a long, hard drive to Sunnydale. I took Erynne to the Watcher first.

We had two more cases of anti-venom in the car, and I figured that he might do something to earn them. There's been an air of real power around the two witches when they'd helped call Erynne and me from another dimension.

I'd cast the mojo, and when they sang I'd known they weren't even aware of deepbonding, yet. They had the promise of real power at the magic level though, and I thought that if they cast wards to shield Erynne from Old Snaky, the serpent might well be held away from her.

Giles turned us away, claiming that he was sheltering another werewolf that night! I've seen Erynne in a territory fight. I'd not risk it, least of all now she's weakened by blood loss, and I turned the car to drive to the William Tallisker House.

Erynne stopped me from leaving right then and had me give one box of anti-venom to Giles. As far I was I was concerned he could have whistled for it - or sung about it, but I didn't want her to get upset again.

Battle for the mind, opening shots

We got to William Tallisker House, and that's where things took a turn for the better. The proprietor was the right Grant Douglas, I knew this one years back, when he was wilder.

Erynne was exhausted after the drive. I'd have carried her in, but I didn't want to spend any more energy than I could help. I knew there was likely to be more to do.

I hadn't been able to keep the telempathic link open properly while I was driving - too much risk of an accident. It was different once we were in the suite, though. I opened the link, stayed close and waited - and Old Snakey tried for Erynne again.

I wouldn't know how to explain what happened next - not in English, anyway. It isn't easy to fight an intruder in the mind of someone who you don't want to hurt.

I knew in the first seconds that Old Snakey probably wouldn't burn - no real chance to get her mad enough - but it was worth a try. I remembered that she was probably claustrophobic, and sent the illusion of pitch, solid-looking darkness, in a small place, with the echoes suggesting that the walls were closing in. Then the illusion wrapped her tightly, crushingly, in fabric, rolls of it, leaving no room for breath - for a second Old Snaky's mind was full of screaming, but then she was gone - totally gone!

For a moment I was caught in it myself, and as the link broke I was afraid for Erynne, but she sighed and turned toward me, with the strained expression that had been on her face finally relaxing into true sleep. I waited for over an hour, with the tranquilising gun across my lap, before I called Grant.