The Most Beautiful Girl in the World
by cathy nort
chapter 9
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Saturday morning Buffy found herself across from a handsome woman in the living room of her Brownstone home.
"Now, Miss Summers, why don't you start from the beginning. When Giles called he said I would be very intrigued by your yarn. He wouldn't go further than that so now I'm doubly intrigued. And just relax. You can call me Elsye by the way so as not be too formal." she added.
The woman sitting across from Buffy was not what she expected although Buffy hadn't really expected anything in particular. Elyse was an attractive, grey haired woman in her late fifties, Buffy guessed. That she hadn't bothered to dye her hair suggested that over vanity was not one of her vices. Her eyes were clear and steady........and intense. Buffy would learn they were a window to what she was thinking.
Buffy sat back and began starting with the Commons's incident and finishing with the breakup of her friendship with Willow. The more she told the story, and the more she went over it in her mind, the more painful it became. The more she spoke, she noticed, the further Elyse leaned forward in her chair. When she finished Elyse asked her again repeat the whole story so Buffy patiently went through it once again.
Once it was over the woman sat silently, not speaking, her eyes closed. Buffy thought she had fallen asleep for a second but when she opened her eyes they revealed a troubled, or was it frightened, woman? "This girl you say your friend is seeing a lot of, she looks much like the girl your friend saw in the Commons. The naked girl."
"I'm not sure," Buffy said. "She is so beautiful. And she does have white blond hair like the girl Willow believes she saw but to say it's could be the same one doesn't appear likely. Willow was having........she was seeing things wasn't she?"
Elsye sighed deeply then gazed steadily at Buffy, her seriousness alarming the Slayer. "Your friend....... Willow, is that her name? You're in love with her are you not?"
Buffy flushed at the directness of the question. Does it show so much that even strangers can read it? What else could she do but admit she was totally, and completely in love with Willow. "With all my heart."
Elyse reached over and gave Buffy's hand a squeeze, then sat back. "And Willow's a witch isn't she?"
That stunned Buffy who in recounting her story had never said that. Or even hinted at it. How could she know? "Did Giles.........?"
"No. Giles told me nothing other than you were coming to see me with so don't be alarmed. Nothing you want to keep secret has been revealed by Giles. He's quite loyal to you." Elyse cleared her throat then, "Now I have to tell you how I know. What Willow saw in the Commoms that day was not a figment of her imagination. It was quite real. What your friend saw was what is called a 'revealing'. It is what one witch does to expose, to find, a second witch. She 'Reveals' herself by transporting herself in a way that only another witch has the power to see her. Naturally, she can't do it with her attire so that is why she appeared to Willow naked. It wasn't an erotic gesture but purely a practical one."
"Then she knew Willow was also a witch?" Buffy asked.
"Not necessarily. What she did know, or sensed at least, that there was another witch at your school. Witches sense each others presence in a crowd but unless they 'reveal' they won't know exactly who the other one is." Elyse replied.
"Why didn't Willow sense her?" Buffy was confused because she knew Willow had no idea that there was another girl with her powers present.
Elyse could only shake her head. "I can't answer that with any certainty. My guess would be that your friend does not fully know the powers she has nor how to take full advantage of them. Or that she is so sweet and naive that she doesn't perceive the outside force of another of her kind."
It was sure true that Willow was a sweet, gentle person who hadn't a aggressive bone in her body, Buffy thought. "And my History teacher. Angela? What explains their behavior?"
"Spells," Elyse replied quite simply. "The witch Willow saw, it is my belief, cast them under her spell. She directed their actions once she had them in her power. Do you agree they both acted out of character?"
"For sure." Buffy said. If what Elyse was saying was true then it explained everything, at least just about everything. "Okay. Then Sasha is a witch."
"A very powerful witch to be exact. I've been involved with the study of witchcraft, and the witches themselves, for over thirty years. Most people aren't even aware, or take the notion seriously that they exist. They, witches, are not numerous, but I assure you they are among us." Elyse rose and left the room. When she returned she was carrying a huge leather bound book. She went over to her desk and placed the book on it. Then she opened a for searched through it. She seemed to find what she was looking for and waved for Buffy. Buffy went over and stood beside her. Looking down Buffy saw the book was opened to a series of drawing's and old photos. Two of them had the pictures of people Buffy recognized immediately.
"Good Lord. That's Sasha. How can that be. This woman looks older but........"
"No, it's not Sasha. But it is, I believe, one of her ancestors." Elyse sat down on the swivel chair behind the desk and let out a deep groan. "I feared this. When you told me that the girl in school possessed great beauty. And that she had white blond hair I think I knew who's family she belonged to. She's a Gutenborgan Witch. Their family dates back centuries. They are originally from a small town in the German Alps."
Buffy kept peering down at the pictures before her. Without a doubt Sasha's ancestry came from those she was looking at. "What possibly could they want with Willow?"
Elyse became grim. When she spoke her voice sounded it's concern. "Your friend, Buffy, is in great danger. These are not a kind breed of witches as Willow seems to be. They are dangerous. And brutal. I can only hope your friend can be saved before it is too late."