Title :: The Road to Hell

[avamclean]

Title :: The Road to Hell

Rating :: FR15

Fandom :: SPN/BtVS

Characters :: Dawn, Willow, Crossroads Demon

Disclaimer :: I do not own these characters and no profit is being made from them.

 

Note :: The final story in the Sinkin’ Down series. (Written for Team:Hellfire. We're still a team dammit!)

 

Synopsis :: She deals in half truths and sin.

 

The Road to Hell

 

The gravel scraped against her jeans pushing into her knees as Dawn leaned forward, caught the small pile of dirt in her hands and pulled it, tumbled it down into the hole Willow had dug. The few rocks mixed in with the sediment knocked against the wooden box and the sound seemed louder than it should, almost echoing. She repeated the movement, covering the shine of the mahogany with reddish brown clay that stuck between the creases in her hands, stained them.

 

Blue eyes rose to study the tall grass surrounding the nameless crossroads Dawn found herself kneeling in and she shoulders dipped, hunching together as she patted down the last layer of dirt. A hand settled on the back of her neck and she straightened, looked up to meet Willow’s concerned stare and rose. Wiping her hands down her jean covered thighs, left behind wide streaks of wine colored dirt and her lips thinned as she felt Willow’s comforting touch slip away and the witch stepped back from their offering, turned to meet the night. 

 

Crickets sprang to life a few feet away, the high sound of their vibrating wings filled the silence with an eerie symphony as the wind brought the grass alive to accompany them. High arched brows slopped down and she stepped further from the center of the crossroads and Dawn turn in a circle, gaze trained on the dark as she waited for the creature that held her world hostage. “Where is she?”

 

“She’ll come.” Willow turned with her, “She has to once she’s summoned.”

 

“I do, do I?” The pair spun in unison, Willow stepping slightly before Dawn, nearly blocking her from sight as the demon strolled forward, out of the dark. Glossed lips spread into a pleased smile as brown eyes flared amber and orange. “Well aren’t you two just the cutest little lambs.”

 

Willow’s back stiffened and Dawn turned from her study of the demon to her friend and she watched, eyes widening as a slow wind picked up around the redhead. Lifting and spreading her hair and Dawn’s brows rose as Willow began to levitate but before she could speak, utter a single spell the demon lifted a hand and twisted it. Closing it into a fist and Willow collapsed, body sagging against the ground as her breath came in harsh pants.

 

“Hard to cast spells without a properly working larynx,” the demon’s head cocked, eyes narrowing, “I’m assuming it’s also a little hard to concentrate. What with you’re inability to breathe properly.” Dawn tore her gaze from Willow’s wheezing form and back to the demon that was staring down at her friend. “You really think someone like you is a match against something like me?”

 

“We need to talk.”

 

The demon stepped around Willow and toward Dawn, who swallowed past her suddenly dry throat. “What? The assassination attempt fails so you want to play lets make a deal?”

 

“Yeah.” Dawn caught the demon’s gaze and shrugged. “Pretty much.”

 

“You’re cute,” her head inclined and her voice took on an almost regretful tone, “But you lack the commodity I deal in.”

 

Confusion spilled across Dawn’s features. “What?”

 

“A soul,” the demon’s lips quirked, “You don’t have one and hers,” she glanced down at Willow, “Is already damned.”

 

The world narrowed until only the demon remained and Willow’s frantic breaths faded away as Dawn shook her head from side to side. “No-no, I have a soul.”

 

“No, no, you don’t.” The demon quirked a brow. “Only gods can give something a soul during its creation and you, my dear, weren’t created by a god. You were created by monks. Nothing godlike there.”

 

“Shut up.”

 

The coughing that accompanied Willow’s growled words made the obvious threat in them less than impressive as the demon stepped away from Dawn and squatted beside the redhead. “Make me, Glenda.”

 

“We’ll exorcise you.”

 

Her gaze rose, flaring red as she watched Dawn through narrowed eyes. “Please do.” She stood, stepped around the reviving witch and into Dawn’s personal space. “It’ll give me a chance to rip into your sister’s tender psyche myself.” She snorted and sidestepped the teenager and began to walk away, tossing over her shoulder, “The next time you girls think about making a deal be sure to bring something I want.”

 

Dawn took a step to follow her and stopped, stomach knotting as the demon moved farther away before she shouted. “Wait!”

 

“Dawn, no.”

 

She ignored Willow’s hoarse cry and followed the demon, caught up to her and grabbed her arm. “What do you want?”

 

The demon turned back to her, glanced down at the hand wrapped around the bend of her elbow and Dawn felt a licking flame spark beneath the skin of her hand. It rose up her arm to strike her chest, tightening it before bringing a rush of heat to her cheeks as that molten gaze met Dawn’s and the demon smiled.

 

The End.

 

 

Note :: There will be a sequel to this series that deals with the after effects of Buffy’s deal and her second resurrection.