FUTURE PERFECT
CHAPTER 3
After leaving Stanley Jones, Cole traveled to the south of France, where some bittersweet memories awaited him. Memories of a happier time, when Phoebe loved him and all was well. A time before everything went to hell. It took him a while before he felt in control enough to return to the underworld but at last he could no longer afford to stay away.
"Sir?" Baryor stuck his head into the doorway. "Sirvat is here. She has something she says will please you."
Cole harrumphed. "That'll be the day," he muttered. However, he waved his hand for the guard to let Sirvat in. He could do with the distraction.
"You shouldn't encourage her, Mr. Turner." Argus adjusted the hood of his robes. "You should--"
"Yes, I know what you think I should do." Cole settled himself in the oak chair on the raised platform. It was a ridiculous heirloom of one of his predecessors and uncomfortable to sit in. But it seemed to intimidate the beings of the underworld, thus he had it placed in his chamber. "She's too simple-minded to cause much trouble. What harm can it do to let her live? She merely tries to amuse me."
Argus grunted but refrained from further comment.
A moment later a young woman glided into Cole's chamber, a bright smile showing off her small, white teeth. She carried a package wrapped in a blanket in her arms. "Greetings, Milord." She genuflected and lowered her head.
Cole rolled his eyes at the honorific. He didn't like demons calling him 'Lord'; it reminded him too much of the days when the Source possessed him. But Sirvat was incorrigible. "What is it you have for me today, Sirvat?"
She moved closer, the smile widening. Cole stretched his neck when she pushed the cloth aside. "You'll like this a lot, Lord Cole."
Cole blinked. Curious blue eyes blinked back at him from a round, pink face. He sat up straight.
"A baby?" he asked, bewildered. "Why do you think giving me a baby would please me?"
"This is not any baby." Sirvat's eyes sparkled with merriment. She lowered her voice as if to convey the import of her next words. "This is a special girl baby. Look."
She dropped the girl.
"No!" Cole yelled and flung himself at the child. Even as he moved he knew he was too far away.
The baby disappeared in a flurry of tiny blue lights, and reappeared three feet lower, safe on the chamber's floor. A gurgle rose from the bundle of cloth.
Cole stopped in mid-jump, frozen in shock.
"She--orbed."
Sirvat giggled at his astonishment. "I brought you a charmed baby, Lord Cole. Her name's Melinda."
"What?" Cole exclaimed. It suddenly struck him. The girl was Piper and Leo's daughter. Sudden, jealous anger boiled in his veins and pierced his heart. They had had a baby. He and Phoebe never got that chance. And they never would.
He clamped down on the urge to lash out at the child. This baby was an innocent little girl. And she was Phoebe's niece. In his mind he heard Phoebe's voice, telling him that she was pregnant. But it was this child, Piper's daughter, who was the first of a new generation of charmed witches.
"Give me the baby," he grunted.
Argus knelt to lift the bundled child off the floor and placed her in Cole's hands before he backed away.
"Are you pleased, Lord?" Sirvat asked.
Her beaming expression faltered beneath his glower. "Let it be known that the remaining Charmed Ones, their offspring, and anyone under their protection are off limits for all time," Cole snarled.
He had been wrong. Sirvat could cause plenty of trouble. He knew he should kill her for the infraction but couldn't bring himself to do so. A childish mind lived beneath the adult features. It wasn't her fault. She only meant to make him happy; she didn't know better.
Argus nodded. "Right away, Sir."
"I'm going to take the child back."
Alarm washed over the advisor's features. "No! Mr. Turner, let someone else go. The witches will kill you."
Cole chuckled wryly. "No, they won't. They can't. They couldn't even with the Power of Three. Besides, they won't see me. I'll go in the night, when everyone's asleep."
* * *
Piper sat in the darkness. She had waited until Leo fell asleep before she snuck out of bed and came here, to Melinda's room, with the mobile of white doves and the rainbow her husband had painted on the pink walls. She clutched a small blanket to her chest. The faint odor of baby powder wafted up from it, and occasionally a wet tear dripped from her cheek onto the blanket.
How could she have let herself be lulled into believing that their lives had quieted down? That the lack of demon attacks meant they were safe? She should have known better. They were not meant to live normal, safe, tranquil lives. Paige had been right. The calm spell had been deceptive. Whoever was in charge 'down there' must have plotted this from the beginning. Lay off on the attacks until their guards were down. Then strike, when they were distracted.
She was beginning to believe that Phoebe's death had not been an accident after all. Perhaps it served as a diversion, a way to swing their attention away from the baby.
And now her baby was gone too. Snatched from its cradle, so to speak. The woman who addressed her on the street, a girl, really, had seemed so innocuous. What harm could a simple-minded girl do to a little baby? So, when she had ooh-ed and aah-ed over Melinda's stroller, Piper sensed no danger. Until the stranger snatched her daughter and blinked, leaving the stroller empty except for the blanket that Piper now clutched to her chest.
The memory brought fresh tears to her eyes, even when she believed she had done all the crying possible. Through the watery blur she thought she saw a soft, orange glow that faded as soon as it appeared. Piper blinked to clear her vision. A gasp escaped her when in the place of the glow stood a tall, dark shape. The man leaned over the cradle.
"Hey!" Piper sprung to her feet and raised her hands, ready to blow him up if the shadow made a threatening move. "Who are you? What do you--"
The words died in her throat when a soft noise came from the crib.
"Melinda?"
"I'm sorry Sirvat took her," said the man in the shadows. He stepped back from Melinda's cradle into the beam of moonlight that slashed through the window.
"Cole?" Piper asked incredulously. "How--" She had to clear her throat and Cole spoke again before she could continue.
"She shouldn't have taken your daughter," he said softly, meeting her eyes. "It was my mistake. My orders were unclear. But you don't have to worry that it will happen again. Nobody from our side will harm you or your loved ones. Not as long as I'm in charge."
"Our side?" Piper raised an eyebrow.
Cole shrugged. "Phoebe was right after all. Only one place I could go."
"Ah. I see. And Phoebe?"
The flash of pain that washed over Cole's face told her the truth before he spoke.
"An accident."
"I'm sorry," Piper said, and meant it.
"Yeah. Me too." Cole hesitated a moment, as if he was about to say something else, then he was outlined briefly in a reddish glow and was gone.
---------------
Soon to come, 'Future Perfect' - part 2. Years in the future, all magic is at risk. Cole agrees to help Leo and a new generation of witches to stop the danger. And yes, it will be a Phoebe/Cole story. But you don't expect me to give the plot away here, do you?
Thanks to those of you who have reviewed so far. It's good to know my story is being read and enjoyed. And how wonderful to find out I have fans!
CHAPTER 3
After leaving Stanley Jones, Cole traveled to the south of France, where some bittersweet memories awaited him. Memories of a happier time, when Phoebe loved him and all was well. A time before everything went to hell. It took him a while before he felt in control enough to return to the underworld but at last he could no longer afford to stay away.
"Sir?" Baryor stuck his head into the doorway. "Sirvat is here. She has something she says will please you."
Cole harrumphed. "That'll be the day," he muttered. However, he waved his hand for the guard to let Sirvat in. He could do with the distraction.
"You shouldn't encourage her, Mr. Turner." Argus adjusted the hood of his robes. "You should--"
"Yes, I know what you think I should do." Cole settled himself in the oak chair on the raised platform. It was a ridiculous heirloom of one of his predecessors and uncomfortable to sit in. But it seemed to intimidate the beings of the underworld, thus he had it placed in his chamber. "She's too simple-minded to cause much trouble. What harm can it do to let her live? She merely tries to amuse me."
Argus grunted but refrained from further comment.
A moment later a young woman glided into Cole's chamber, a bright smile showing off her small, white teeth. She carried a package wrapped in a blanket in her arms. "Greetings, Milord." She genuflected and lowered her head.
Cole rolled his eyes at the honorific. He didn't like demons calling him 'Lord'; it reminded him too much of the days when the Source possessed him. But Sirvat was incorrigible. "What is it you have for me today, Sirvat?"
She moved closer, the smile widening. Cole stretched his neck when she pushed the cloth aside. "You'll like this a lot, Lord Cole."
Cole blinked. Curious blue eyes blinked back at him from a round, pink face. He sat up straight.
"A baby?" he asked, bewildered. "Why do you think giving me a baby would please me?"
"This is not any baby." Sirvat's eyes sparkled with merriment. She lowered her voice as if to convey the import of her next words. "This is a special girl baby. Look."
She dropped the girl.
"No!" Cole yelled and flung himself at the child. Even as he moved he knew he was too far away.
The baby disappeared in a flurry of tiny blue lights, and reappeared three feet lower, safe on the chamber's floor. A gurgle rose from the bundle of cloth.
Cole stopped in mid-jump, frozen in shock.
"She--orbed."
Sirvat giggled at his astonishment. "I brought you a charmed baby, Lord Cole. Her name's Melinda."
"What?" Cole exclaimed. It suddenly struck him. The girl was Piper and Leo's daughter. Sudden, jealous anger boiled in his veins and pierced his heart. They had had a baby. He and Phoebe never got that chance. And they never would.
He clamped down on the urge to lash out at the child. This baby was an innocent little girl. And she was Phoebe's niece. In his mind he heard Phoebe's voice, telling him that she was pregnant. But it was this child, Piper's daughter, who was the first of a new generation of charmed witches.
"Give me the baby," he grunted.
Argus knelt to lift the bundled child off the floor and placed her in Cole's hands before he backed away.
"Are you pleased, Lord?" Sirvat asked.
Her beaming expression faltered beneath his glower. "Let it be known that the remaining Charmed Ones, their offspring, and anyone under their protection are off limits for all time," Cole snarled.
He had been wrong. Sirvat could cause plenty of trouble. He knew he should kill her for the infraction but couldn't bring himself to do so. A childish mind lived beneath the adult features. It wasn't her fault. She only meant to make him happy; she didn't know better.
Argus nodded. "Right away, Sir."
"I'm going to take the child back."
Alarm washed over the advisor's features. "No! Mr. Turner, let someone else go. The witches will kill you."
Cole chuckled wryly. "No, they won't. They can't. They couldn't even with the Power of Three. Besides, they won't see me. I'll go in the night, when everyone's asleep."
* * *
Piper sat in the darkness. She had waited until Leo fell asleep before she snuck out of bed and came here, to Melinda's room, with the mobile of white doves and the rainbow her husband had painted on the pink walls. She clutched a small blanket to her chest. The faint odor of baby powder wafted up from it, and occasionally a wet tear dripped from her cheek onto the blanket.
How could she have let herself be lulled into believing that their lives had quieted down? That the lack of demon attacks meant they were safe? She should have known better. They were not meant to live normal, safe, tranquil lives. Paige had been right. The calm spell had been deceptive. Whoever was in charge 'down there' must have plotted this from the beginning. Lay off on the attacks until their guards were down. Then strike, when they were distracted.
She was beginning to believe that Phoebe's death had not been an accident after all. Perhaps it served as a diversion, a way to swing their attention away from the baby.
And now her baby was gone too. Snatched from its cradle, so to speak. The woman who addressed her on the street, a girl, really, had seemed so innocuous. What harm could a simple-minded girl do to a little baby? So, when she had ooh-ed and aah-ed over Melinda's stroller, Piper sensed no danger. Until the stranger snatched her daughter and blinked, leaving the stroller empty except for the blanket that Piper now clutched to her chest.
The memory brought fresh tears to her eyes, even when she believed she had done all the crying possible. Through the watery blur she thought she saw a soft, orange glow that faded as soon as it appeared. Piper blinked to clear her vision. A gasp escaped her when in the place of the glow stood a tall, dark shape. The man leaned over the cradle.
"Hey!" Piper sprung to her feet and raised her hands, ready to blow him up if the shadow made a threatening move. "Who are you? What do you--"
The words died in her throat when a soft noise came from the crib.
"Melinda?"
"I'm sorry Sirvat took her," said the man in the shadows. He stepped back from Melinda's cradle into the beam of moonlight that slashed through the window.
"Cole?" Piper asked incredulously. "How--" She had to clear her throat and Cole spoke again before she could continue.
"She shouldn't have taken your daughter," he said softly, meeting her eyes. "It was my mistake. My orders were unclear. But you don't have to worry that it will happen again. Nobody from our side will harm you or your loved ones. Not as long as I'm in charge."
"Our side?" Piper raised an eyebrow.
Cole shrugged. "Phoebe was right after all. Only one place I could go."
"Ah. I see. And Phoebe?"
The flash of pain that washed over Cole's face told her the truth before he spoke.
"An accident."
"I'm sorry," Piper said, and meant it.
"Yeah. Me too." Cole hesitated a moment, as if he was about to say something else, then he was outlined briefly in a reddish glow and was gone.
---------------
Soon to come, 'Future Perfect' - part 2. Years in the future, all magic is at risk. Cole agrees to help Leo and a new generation of witches to stop the danger. And yes, it will be a Phoebe/Cole story. But you don't expect me to give the plot away here, do you?
Thanks to those of you who have reviewed so far. It's good to know my story is being read and enjoyed. And how wonderful to find out I have fans!