Constructing the Spell (Tag Anna and Whomever)

[Wesley]

Wesley had to stop by his flat on his way back to the office. He rushed inside, much to the confusion of some poor lady waiting for a taxi, then ran back out, a cloth-wrapped package tucked beneath his arm. He stowed it safely in the seat compartment of the motorcycle, then sped off towards the Hyperion Hotel.

He couldn't spare any time. If he wanted to rid Anna of the banshee's grasp, he would have to act fast. No telling when the banshee would decide to act again.

The lobby was empty when he entered, but he didn't want to spend much time looking for anyone. Instead, he went straight to his office, laying out the two shards he had in his possession on his desk before going to the safe to pull out the third and final piece.

[Anna Kavanagh]

Anna and Lorne were walking down the stairs from Angel's room. "Okay, okay, I realize that most critics think that Geri Halliwell's cover of 'It's Raining Men' was sub-par at best, but I honestly don't think the Weather Girls version would have had the same emotional impact as Geri's version did in Bridget Jones' Diary," she rambled, continuing an argument begun somewhere near the third floor.

"Oh, looks like Wesley's back," she said, observing the light and sound of movement from his office. "See, you don't have to babysit me anymore. And I'm sure that the club is missing you terribly. Those ballads aren't gonna' belt themselves, mister."

She walked across the lobby toward the office. "Hey," she greeted, knocking lightly on the door. "Everything go alright?"

[Lorne]

"Aww totally, your very right sweetheart-" he realized he wouldn't get anywhere with her. Even thou he loved the weather girls, they were one of thee best orginal girl groups. "But nothing can beat Mrs.Franklin's chains of fools honey, that was classic!"

"Oh, looks like Wesley's back," she said, observing the light and sound of movement from his office. "See, you don't have to babysit me anymore. And I'm sure that the club is missing you terribly. Those ballads aren't gonna' belt themselves, mister."

Lorne smiled and kissed Anna's cheek. "Alright annie honey, keep high hope. if anyone can help you its Wes here." he smiled and was off, back to caritas.

[Anna Kavanagh]

"But nothing can beat Mrs.Franklin's chains of fools honey, that was classic!"

"Hey, hey, did I ever give you reason to doubt that I respected Aretha? Heaven forbid," she protested.

"Alright annie honey, keep high hope. if anyone can help you its Wes here." he smiled and was off, back to caritas.

"Bye, Lorne," she smiled in response. "And we'll continue this discussion later. Because you know that Donna Summer was the ultimate disco diva and you just need to admit it..." she called after him.

She waited in the doorway for an acknowledgement from Wesley since he seemed intensely absorbed in something. And it gave her time to figure out how to tell him about their suspicions of what had happened to Cordelia. She hated to be the bearer of hypothetically bad news.

[Wesley]

Wesley rarely had an occasion to use the safe he'd situated behind his desk. Surprising, considering the work he was in. But he hadn't felt it wise to leave the last shard of the amulet out in the open. Who knew who could burst in and take it. Whether or not they would know the true value was questionable, but he didn't care.

He heard a knock on his door as he was pulling out the shard, which he had wrapped in a handkerchief. He glanced back briefly and saw Anna standing in the doorway, looking a bit apprehensive. "Hey," she greeted, knocking lightly on the door. "Everything go alright?"

He nodded, a jerky motion. He moved to his desk, setting down the shard next to its companions. He looked down at his hands, seeing them shake despite his best efforts. He shook his head, flexing his hands as he reached for the book that lay on the other side. He flipped a few pages, one hand reaching into his pocket to pull out his glasses.

"I've managed to track down all of the pieces to this shard. And now...now I've...I've got to get the rest of the ingredients for the spell. Everything has got to be absolutely perfect," he said, emphasizing the last two words. "If I do even one thing incorrectly, the results could be disasterous." He looked at her for a long moment before turning and going to a cabinet behind the desk, kneeling down to pull out some supplies.

[Anna Kavanagh]

She nodded thoughtfully. "Disastrous?" she echoed. "I'm guessing you don't use that word lightly." She folded up the paper with the news report and kept it clutched in her hands. Best not to tell him about Cordelia while he had so many things on his mind.

"Angel is out...working on a case," she said hesitantly. "I'm sure he'll bring you up to speed when he gets back." She waited anxiously, leaning against the doorway and silently observing. Spells. Magic. It was all a little unsettling. Of course, she'd only seen it done in films or on TV, which probably weren't all that concerned with accuracy.

"This spell--how does it work? I mean, do you need anything from me?" she inquired.

[Wesley]

"Disastrous?" she echoed. "I'm guessing you don't use that word lightly."

He looked up at her, moving the items he had pulled from the cabinet to the desk. "Oh, I never do. In this business, it's all serious." He moved to the middle of the floor, pulling the chairs out of the way, and kicking the small, battered rug out of the way as well. He looked up at Anna as he pushed his desk against the wall as well.

"Angel is out...working on a case," she said hesitantly. "I'm sure he'll bring you up to speed when he gets back."

He nodded, grabbing a box of candles from the desk. "That's fine. He never does seem to feel the need to let either myself or Cordelia know when he's off. Has almost gotten him dusted a few times," he added, placing the candles on the floor, forming a perfect - or near perfect- circle. He stepped back to study his work, then reached for a bag of sand, pouring it in another circle within the candles.

This spell--how does it work? I mean, do you need anything from me?

He picked up the pieces of the shard from the desk, holding them carefully as he stepped into the circle, slowly to be sure that he didn't disturb the sand line. "I need you to get that comb your mother left you. It's your link to the banshee, so we'll need it to summon her." Unwrapping the pieces, he set them on the floor within the smaller circle, fitting the pieces together like a puzzle. Then, just as carefully, he stepped out of the circle, fumbling in his pocket for a lighter, or matches, or anything.

[Anna Kavanagh]

Anna felt a pang of guilt when he mentioned Cordelia. She did want to tell him, but it was all speculation at this point anyway and why worry him when he had so many other things on his mind? As she watched him fumbling with his pockets, she realized he must be looking for something to light the candles he'd placed on the floor.

She removed a matchbook from the pub that was in her purse and held it out toward him. "I'm a social smoker," she explained with a sheepish smile. "Don't tell anyone."

Then she went over to the box of her inherited belongings and retrieved the comb, waiting for the next order of business.

[Wesley]

"I'm a social smoker," she explained with a sheepish smile. "Don't tell anyone."

He accepted the matchbook with a small smile. "Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me. Thanks." He opened it up, counting the matches that he had. There weren't too many left, so he knew he'd have to be quite careful with them. He pulled one out, swiping it across the rough side, lighting as many candles as he could before the fire threatened to burn his fingers. He did this until the whole circle of candles was lit, a fiery wheel in the middle of his office.

He glanced at Anna a bit nervously, accepting the comb from her grasp. "I'm going to have to read an incantation. It's in an ancient language, so I don't expect you to understand it. I'm going to call upon the essence of Morrigan, a Celtic goddess. That should corporealize the banshee, and then, and only then, we can be rid of her."

He pulled a set of keys from his pocket, handing them to her. "Do me a favour and go to the cabinet behind Cordelia's desk. There are some weapons in there. I need you to grab one or two. Preferably something quite strong, but easy to handle."

[Anna Kavanagh]

He pulled a set of keys from his pocket, handing them to her. "Do me a favour and go to the cabinet behind Cordelia's desk. There are some weapons in there. I need you to grab one or two. Preferably something quite strong, but easy to handle."

She nodded, accepting the keys. "Strong, easy to handle--got it," she repeated. Going over to the cabinet and opening its doors, she was overwhelmed by all the weaponry. Not totally unexpected, given their line of work, but still...she usually only saw this kind of thing in movies. She paused in thought for a moment and grabbed a couple of things that looked like axes, bringing them back over to Wesley.

"Sorry, did you say corporealize?" she inquired. "As in, make this ancient, very angry spirit solid? And thus able to hurt us? Doesn't that seem a bit...dangerous?"

[Wesley]

He'd just located the proper page in the book when Anna returned, her hands loaded down with weapons. He gave them a cursory glance, nodding his approval. To his happy surprise, she'd grabbed his favourite axe. "Those are great. Just...eh...set them on the floor there. That's good."

"Sorry, did you say corporealize?" she inquired. "As in, make this ancient, very angry spirit solid? And thus able to hurt us? Doesn't that seem a bit...dangerous?"

"Making it solid and able to hurt us, yes. But also solid so that we're also able to hurt it. And yes, it is going to be quite dangerous." He looked up at her. "Which is why I'm going to ask that you step outside. I don't want you in harm's way for this."

[Anna Kavanagh]

After laying down the weapons, she crossed her arms with an injured look. "Outside?" she huffed. "You want me to wait outside? This thing has made my life a living hell for the past two months. I'm tired of running. So you'll excuse me if I don't feel like waiting outside," she declared.

"Of course, it's not like you might need someone who speaks Gaelic, would you? Éireoidh leis an bhfiontar i gcleithiúnas go mbeidh cách páirteach ann. The venture will succeed provided that all take part in it. But you already knew that," she explained.

[Wesley]

"You want me to wait outside? This thing has made my life a living hell for the past two months. I'm tired of running. So you'll excuse me if I don't feel like waiting outside,"

He sighed, having expected as much of a reply from her. He really didn't think she would have been content to stand outside while he performed the spell, but knew it was his job to at least offer. He studied her for a long moment, then nodded. "All right then. But...grab a weapon, at least. Once this creature has been corporealized, I'll imagine it's going to be a bit cranky." Understatement, Wesley, he told himself.

He granted her a small grin at her other comment, shrugging. "I suppose it could be most helpful. You know, in case the banshee gets chatty before it attacks us." He grew serious. "Now, what I'm going to do is read this incantation, which is going to summon the spirit of the Gaelic goddess Morrigan. The comb there should call the banshee to it, after which the spirits will force the creature to take physical form. And, as I said, she'll be a touch angry with us, so we'll need to be ready." He breathed in heavily. "The only way to destroy a banshee is to remove the head from its body. And don't let her touch you with her hands. That will be the death of you," he said gravely, his expression betraying the severity of their situation.

[Anna Kavanagh]

"Point taken," Anna said, nodding and picking up one of the weapons. Casually turning it over in her hands, she merely stood to the side trying to stay out of his way. "Cranky...angry...how do you think I feel? I didn't exactly ask for any of this. If she wanted to stay in Dublin, she should have told me," she muttered.

[Wesley]

Wesley raised a brow when Anna started complaining about the banshee, feeling a smile tug at the corner of his lips. The whole point was irrational, at least to him, but it did make sense. Yes, the banshee was going to be quite angry to have been brought to form. And yes, of course Anna was probably very tired of being haunted by the wench. Unfortunately, there was no easy answer that Wes could give, so he did the smartest thing. Kept quiet.

He reached for one of the weapons, his favourite axe, and pulled it closer to him, putting it right beside his shoes. He was going to need to reach for it very quickly if he wanted to survive this ordeal. Slipping his glasses on, he swallowed a lump in his throat before opening the book with the incantation. He shot a glance back at Anna. "Stay back," he warned, then looked back to the book, beginning the incantation.

The ancient Gaelic words seemed to echo in the room as he spoke them, making the room seem much larger than it was. The temperature in the room dropped, and Wesley had to suppress a shiver, and force himself to continue reading. A phantom scream rang in his ears, and he felt an overwhelming sense of fear set into his mind. It was the banshee, he knew, trying to keep him from finishing the spell, from bringing her to physical form. But he held fast, reading the words loud and clear.