Grabbing the frozen shaft of the freeze ray, and with it the slayer’s hand, Demon-Mike from Best Pressed plucked her out of the safety of her portal. The portal instantly closed, cutting the freeze ray’s extension cord in half. Braced against Mike’s arm, the girl backflipped, her heel striking him hard in the open mouth. Rearing back, he let go of her. The slayer bashed him in the face with the green gem, sending his manager’s visor flying across the club. The end of the dowsing rod stabbed into the chest of the cowboy vampire in the black Stetson, dusting him.

The second cowboy vampire howled in despair. He reached out and caught the end of the dowsing rod before the slayer could stab him as well. The two of them tussled for control of the staff, the slayer holding on to the green gem with one hand and the crook of her ice-covered arm. Planting a foot on the vampire cowboy’s hip, the slayer gave the gem one last mighty heave and staggered backward. The gem in her arms. The staff with the vampire.

“She can’t control it without the staff,” Anya said. “If she portals away, there won’t be anything to bring her back here!”

“That’s great!” Andrew said. “It means she can’t end the world!”

“It means no more vengeance demons, ever,” Anya said, breathing hard. “If she leaves with that gem, none of us will ever get our powers back!”

Anya took off running. Jonathan called after her, but the vengeance demon didn’t look back. Hair streaming behind her, she dove into the crowd, inexpertly lashing out with her ax to get the demons out of her way. Seeing her coming, Angelus took a knee and ducked his head. Anya ran up his spine and jumped off, screaming “For Arashmaharr!” as she tackled the slayer to the ground. The force knocked the ax out of her hand, but she grabbed hold of the Marnoxon gem.

A churning purple portal opened beneath them and sucked them through the dance floor. Taking Anya and the slayer. . .who knew where?

THEY FALL STRAIGHT down, skydiving through endless space.

Without the dowsing rod to guide it, the green gem opens portals indiscriminately. The Slayer grips the top half of the gem until her knuckles ache. The girl who tackled her—Anya, one of the humans from the showdown at the Church of the Eternal Night—holds on to the bottom and watches the worlds blow by. How she manages to look at the fuzzy shapes whipping around them without getting carsick is beyond the Slayer. Her own insides revolt every time a new portal opens under them and they start falling anew.

“Where, exactly, did you want to go?” Anya asks over the noise of rushing air. Her voice is unnervingly calm, if a bit acerbic.