A/N: Hey everyone. Sorry for the delay. My family had a scare yesterday with the Boston Marathon terror attack. My brother's fiancée was in the race, and we didn't hear from her for a while. Thank goodness, though, she was able to contact us relatively quickly, and she's okay!
My thoughts and prayers go out to any of you who had a loved one in the race – or who have a friend who knew someone in the race - and I pray everyone is safe and sound.
RandyOrtonxWifexx: Big Shout Out to you! You'll see why soon :)
Guest... CharmedOpal(?): Eeep! No! No handbags! You LOVE my cliffhangers! They are awesome!
wiccawhitewitchcharmedfan: Thanks! Glad you enjoyed! I've actually written 36 chapters now, so you can read at your leisure. I hope you continue to enjoy!
Semper Fi Witchlighter: You'll see, you'll see! I tried for both! Sorry it didn't work! I'm a ninja?! Woot! I just find it less confusing if they use first names, rather than saying mom this and mom that.
Lizardmomma: Thanks! Glad you're enjoying!
GirlOnFire33: You'll find out soon!
Enjoy, guys!
...
Corrine quickly shoved Melinda and Katelyn behind her, backing them towards the Book slowly, almost cautiously. But Katelyn broke out from behind her older cousin and, almost unconsciously, sent a fireball hurtling forward.
Cole easily ducked out of the way, grinning proudly at his daughter.
"I didn't think you had any active demonic powers," he said, shaking his head in disbelief. "That was awesome!"
"What the hell are you doing here?" Katelyn snarled, eyes narrowed in rage. She hadn't yet registered the fireball she had thrown, or realized what it meant – or could possibly mean.
Corrine and Melinda, however, were staring at their younger cousin in... Shock? Fear? Worry? All these emotions seemed to cross their faces in just a matter of seconds.
"Didn't our mothers vanquish your sorry ass?" Melinda questioned, as the shock of seeing Katelyn throw a fireball began to wear off.
Cole shrugged, still grinning casually, as if he hadn't almost been killed by his own daughter. "Three times, I think. Or is it four now?"
Corrine had to grab Katelyn around both arms in order to stop her from rushing Cole and attacking him again.
"So how are you back? Again?" Corrine demanded to know, struggling to hold Katelyn back. Melinda moved forward and helped Corrine, gripping one of Katelyn's arms tightly and stepping slightly in front of her.
Cole shrugged, pacing the attic and staring around, once in awhile pausing to admire or touch something. He frowned towards the attic door, then glanced back at the cousins.
"Does it matter?" he asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets and moving his weight from one foot to another. "I always come back; you should know that by now." He looked to Katelyn, who had stopped trying to pull free of her cousins. "I missed you."
Katelyn swallowed hard, gritting her teeth to keep from snarling at him. His comment almost felt sincere, but she knew better than to fall for that kind of trick. Phoebe had fallen for it one too many times, and Katelyn refused to let that happen to her.
Cole frowned at her, as if reading her thoughts. For a moment, he looked annoyed and hurt. But the look quickly left his face, and he scowled. "I'm back because you four have done nothing but royally screw up. You need someone to bail you out, and I'm your man."
Corrine and Melinda exchanged disbelieving looks. Katelyn yanked her arms free from them, placing one hand on her hip and using the other to point at Cole.
"You? Help us? How could you possibly help us?" She scoffed. "And, seriously? We've screwed up royally? Are you seriously the pot calling the kettle black right now?"
Cole gritted his teeth. "Well, I've certainly screwed up enough times, too. I admit that." He paused, making a face. "But that also means I'm the perfect person to help you fix this. Besides," he added, grinning wickedly at them, "What other options do you have?"
Katelyn sneered at him. "We have potions and spells, and we're perfectly capable of handling this all on our own, Cole," she snapped, emphasizing her use of his name, rather than calling him 'dad'.
Something flashed in Cole's eyes – again, it almost looked like hurt – but quickly faded away. He became poker-faced once more.
"Potions and flimsy spells are not enough against Carsaeus," he said, "especially right now, while you're weakened and don't have the Power of Four. You'll be like lambs to the slaughter."
"You know Carsaeus?" Corrine asked quickly, pursuing the lead before Katelyn could attack him again, and potentially ruin this for them.
"In a matter of speaking," Cole said with a shrug, but didn't elaborate. "You'll never beat him, not until you have Rebecca back and the Power of Four reunited."
Corrine opened her mouth to speak again, a million questions on the tip of her tongue. Melinda frowned, pinching Corrine before she could say anything. Corrine scowled at her, but waited to speak.
"How do you even know about Rebecca and the Power of Four?" Melinda questioned. "Why aren't you asking for Phoebe or the Power of Three? You've been vanquished for quite a while now... How did you get caught up so quickly?"
Cole grinned. "Very perceptive. Annoyingly so." He ran a hand through his hair. "I know everything that has happened since I've been gone. How I know these things doesn't matter."
"It matters to us," Katelyn snapped. "We don't do anything, say anything, or answer anything until you tell us."
"I can't tell you what you want to know," Cole finally said, after a few minutes of silence. "I was sent to help you because I'm the most... familiar with Carsaeus. But if you don't want my help, fine. Go get yourselves killed," he said, throwing his hands up like he didn't care one way or another.
Corrine frowned in thought, staring at him for a long time but saying nothing.
"We don't want your help, thanks very much," Melinda snapped, grabbing Katelyn's hand in a show of solidarity.
Cole shrugged. "Fine."
"Wait."
Melinda, and Katelyn stared at Corrine as if she had lost her mind.
Corrine shifted uncomfortably.
"Corrine?" Melinda questioned, frowning.
Katelyn shook her head at her cousin. "Cor, you can't be serious?"
"Hold that thought," Corrine said to Cole, dragging Melinda and Katelyn to the farthest corner of the attic. She stared at Cole until he put his hands up in surrender and moved away from them, turning his back on them.
"Cor!" Katelyn whisper-cried. "What is going through that head of yours? He's a demon! We can't trust him."
"Someone sent him," Corrine argued. "We don't know who, but someone sent him. There has to be a reason."
"How do we know someone sent him?" Melinda asked. "Seriously, maybe he just pulled a Wasteland and got himself un-vanquished or something."
"Even so," Corrine shrugged, "what if he can honestly help us defeat Carsaeus and get Rebecca back? Could you live with yourself if he had that ability and we let him slip through our fingers?"
"He's evil," Katelyn reminded her, like she could have possibly forgotten.
Corrine frowned. "He's a demon, but that doesn't mean he's evil. You're part demon, and so is Rebecca." She waved away Katelyn's hurt protests. "Look... it's different, I get that. I'm sorry, bad comparison. But seriously, Kat... I know we can't trust him. That's obvious. But he might be able to help."
Melinda and Katelyn exchanged uncertain glances.
"I don't have all day, you know," Cole called over his shoulder, admiring an old-fashioned typewriter sitting on an antique table in the opposite corner of the attic.
"Shut up," Katelyn growled, before glancing back at her cousins. "I don't trust him and I never will. I'm telling you now, I object to this and if he backstabs us, I reserve the right to say 'I told you so'."
Melinda gaped at her. "Katelyn... Seriously?"
Katelyn shrugged helplessly, playing with her hair. "I don't know what other option we have, Mel. You know I don't like it. But if Rebecca dies because we didn't accept Cole's offer of help..."
Melinda sighed, but nodded.
Together, they turned to face Cole, who was already staring at them with a grin on his face, as if he had heard every word of their conversation.
"We have to establish some ground rules," Corrine informed him. "This is gonna go done our way, or not at all."
Cole smirked. "Of course. Whatever you say."