We gave them up when we gave up Sunnydale. I was the one that brought them.” “This fight is too big now for personal vendettas Xander.

Whoever, whatever he is, he’s mine.” “They’re here to learn from you Xander, not for you to cut them out and hunt alone,” Giles chastised and Xander’s head snapped up, the complete blackness of his glasses capturing all light around them and practically radiating darkness. “You’re not going to include them in the hunt? That is why they are here,” Giles stated and Xander ignored him slamming another book closed. “No, and I don’t intend to,” he replied, slapping another book shut. “You still haven’t told them,” Giles announced as the girls left and Xander shot him a look. “Ok well wait outside I’ll be with you in a moment,” he instructed of his young charges, who looked slightly disappointed that that was all Xander had to say on the number of vampires they had killed in a single night. “Cassie got four, I got five and Jess only got one,” the oldest of the trio, Hazel, announced and Xander nodded. “How did it go?” Xander asked as the girls came to a stop by the table, quiet in the presence of Giles, who they held in awe. There are some things that seventeen year old girls shouldn’t have to think about, even teenage Slayers. Xander swiped up the photos of the crime scenes and tucked them into the inside pocket of the leather jacket he was wearing. What do these cities have in common? Why did it travel all over the country to pick five seemingly random children?” The silence settled over them again but was broken this time by the chatter of three teenage girls entering through the old wooden doors at the far end of the library. “Cleveland, Tampa, Portland, Charlotte, Washington. “Then why is there blood on the pavement outside, and down the street?” There is silence in the library as both men puzzle over the conundrum. “Ok so, he’s a big demon and he gobbles up the kid in the house and that’s why no one finds a body, cause she’s just gone?” Xander confirms and Giles removes his glasses and nods. A Clander demon or any other of the baby eating variety would take her back to their lair alive and kill her there.” “Maybe we’re dealing with something bigger then a Clander demon, something big enough to…” Giles trailed off because he didn’t want the thought to linger in his head. So?” “So, if it’s just about killing, like a chaos demon or your garden variety psycho why take the body when you’ve made no effort to hide the crime?” “I hate to say it Xander but there are many species of demon that indulge on specific body parts, like hearts for instance.” “Ok, then why kill her in the home? He’s come all the way out to a Naval base to take her, why kill her in the home? She’s five years old she’s not going to be too much to keep quiet. “The kid is dead right? No one can lose that much blood and survive.” “Ok, the child is dead. “ “I’m sorry Xander I’m not following,” Giles apologized and Xander nodded. “No it doesn’t, because that cancels out a whole bunch of usual suspects and leaves us with an even bigger list of the unusual suspects. “Yeah, like what?” “Ok if this is about blood, then why would he waste it all? There’s too much blood at the crime scene for this to be a vampire or any other blood drinking species.” “Well that makes sense,” Giles reassured Xander, who immediately shook his head.

“Nothing that makes any sense,” Xander complained, flicking the ancient book he was reading shut. “You find anything?” Giles asked, referring to the piles of open books that created a miniature fort around Xander’s work station.

“I couldn’t sleep even if I tried,” Xander sighed, accepting one mug gratefully and allowing the steam to wash over his face for a moment before taking a sip. “You should go home and get some rest,” Giles suggested, emerging from the small kitchen attached to the vast library carrying two steaming mugs of hot tea. Photos were scattered over the long oak table in front of him and despite the early hour of the morning and the dim light in the huge library he sat in, he had no trouble seeing through the specially made glasses. He managed to make the action look normal, like a tired man rubbing, tired eyes. * Xander's first chapter,* Xander itched at the scar tissue where his eye had once lived, pushing the dark glasses, he wore instead of a patch, up slightly so that the itch could be scratched. Standard Disclaimer Applies Big Thanks to Demona my brand spanking shiny new beta reader.

Bloodhunt closed beta