"So, will the guy come looking for you when he finds the book missing?
Because I'm sure he'll put two and two together and come up with you
as the
prime suspect," Willow asked nervously, her eyes darting around in
the
darkness as they crept back to Angel's car.
"Probably, but I can take him. If he's alone," Angel added after a moment,
frowning.
"We'll help if he's not," Sydney nodded, a determined look on her face.
They reached Angel's car, and Angel took one last cursory look around
for
any stray guards or demons before ushering them all into the vehicle.
As they were driving away, Spike said flatly, "That was too easy."
Willow looked at him in surprise, "_That_ was easy?"
"Yeah, much too easy. I say the guy knew you were gonna try for the
book
and he made it easy for us." Spike argued.
Angel glanced at Spike beside him, "Why? Why would he make it easy when
he
wouldn't loan me the book in the first place?"
Spike thought for a moment, "Maybe he wanted it to look like he wouldn't
let you have the book to fool someone. Maybe he wanted to give you
the
book, but someone was holding him back, so he let us take the book
seemingly without his consent."
Sydney cut in, "That makes sense, Angel. How did he look when he refused
you the book?"
"He looked...shifty. But that's normal for him so I didn't think anything
of it. If you guys are right, then maybe it's the demon you two are
supposed to fight who's watching him closely."
Willow shivered. It'd never seemed more real than it was at that moment.
"So we're really going to have to fight for the world?"
Spike nodded grimly, glancing at the two white-faced girls in the backseat.
"It's very real."
They were all silent the rest of the way back to Angel's home, each
lost in
their own thoughts.
*****
"Where did you say the reference to the prophecy was? I can't find it
in
here. What's it called again?" Willow called from her seat at the kitchen
table.
Angel poked his head in the doorway, a toothbrush sticking out of his
mouth. He pulled it out for a second, "It's called 'Prophecy of The
Two',
it should be in the back somewhere. That's where it was when my friend
showed me." He slipped his head back through the doorway and Willow
heard
the soft padding of footsteps down the hall and into the bathroom.
Willow continued to search every page for a few mintues until she reached
a
dog-eared one. Looking it over carefully she gave a little yell to
signify
that she'd found it.
Hurried footsteps came down the hall and Spike and Sydney entered the
kitchen. Angel followed a minute later, wearing only a towel.
Willow saw Angel's scarce attire and swallowed hard. Forcing her eyes
back
to the page she read,
"It takes the power of The Two,
to rise to Evil's challenge,
and triumph for the greater good,
to win for The Powers That Be.
Together they will fight,
But one shall fall,
Together they will win,
One shall remain."
Sydney's face reflected her shock, "One shall remain? One of us will
die
fighting Evil?"
Willow's chest constricted, "Who is the 'Evil' they refer to?"
Angel's gaze fell, through the lump in his throat he whispered, "Lucifer.
The ruler of Hell. He...he adds to Hell's dimension by taking over
realms
and pulling them into it."
Willow went completely white, "We're fighting against Evil himself?
Oh
Goddess...."
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