FUTURE PERFECT part 2
CHAPTER 4
"Reverend Elders, you won't believe what happened!" Breathless, a young, female whitelighter blurted out the words before she fully recovered from her orb.
"Calm down, child." A blond-haired man with a kind face leaned forward in his chair and gestured for her to take a seat. "Tell us what happened."
She remained standing and smoothed her robe. "Simone is one of my charges. She knows a lot about potions and herbs and making medicine. Sick people come to see her all the time, people that regular doctors won't help because they are poor. Tonight, after the last visitor was gone, we were talking about a little girl that she had helped feel better, when a man came in. He was tall, dark. I thought he was quite handsome." Her cheeks colored a slight pink.
"Go on."
"Simone asked what she could do for him. I knew she was suspicious. He was dressed well, like he had money."
Ania started pacing. It wasn't something young whitelighters were wont to do in the Council chamber but none of the Elders lifted an eyebrow. They hung on her every word. "He said he wanted Simone to give him her power. Then he reached up and lightning struck the room. That's when I realized he was a demon." Her eyes were distant, as if she were reliving the experience. "Simone screamed and I thought she was hurt. I raced over to her. But she was all right. Except when she pointed her finger at the man to freeze him. That's Simone's power, cryokinesis. Making ice, you know." Her hands fluttered in agitation.
The blond Elder smiled. "Yes, Ania, we know."
"Oh. Of course you do." Ania flushed. "It didn't work. Her power. I thought we were both dead for sure. I mean, really dead in my case. But the demon just thanked her and disappeared."
"You mean, he walked out of the door?" asked a female Elder.
"No, no," Ania said. "One moment he was there, the next he was gone. In the blink of an eye."
A murmur rose from the Council of Elders. "Must've been a warlock, then."
The blond Elder gestured for silence. "And your charge's power?"
"Gone too. Simone tried to freeze a flowerpot. Nothing. Not so much as a snowflake. It was as if he had absorbed her power and taken it from her."
"I see." The Elder sat back and pondered her report. His gaze traveled around the room, meeting the eyes of the other Council members. "This is the ninth of our witches who lost their power in a similar way." He paused for a moment; his tone was grave when he continued. "The Hollow is loose; it's the only explanation that makes any sense. Someone managed to get past its guardians and opened the box. Whoever this handsome-looking demon is, he has released the Hollow."
The Council of Elders nodded in assent, their expressions grim. They had all been thinking the same thing, horrible as it was, since the whitelighters' reports came flooding in. Every report mentioned a good-looking man attacking and another magical power being lost when he was gone. So far he had not killed anyone, for which they were grateful. Unfortunately, it could only mean one thing: this demon was so sure of himself and his might, he didn't need to kill his opponents. After all, once he stole their powers, the witches were virtually defenseless against his magic.
"What should we do about it?" asked one Elder.
"We have to find the Hollow, and lock it back in its box," said another, wringing her hands.
"Obviously. Unfortunately, we don't have the power to do so ourselves. It needs both good and evil magic," objected a third.
"It does," the blond Elder agreed. "And I've taken the initiative to look into the matter. I was afraid it would come to this, when the first report came in. I know who can help."
"Who?"
"Cole Turner."
"Cole Turner? Surely you don't mean the Cole Turner who was once known as the demon Belthazor? I don't think I need to remind you how much trouble that man has given us in the past. He's led the underworld with an iron fist for the last three hundred years. He owns half the stock markets, for heaven's sake! I would hope, Elder Wyatt, that you are only making a bad joke?" The speaker, a pudgy man with gray hair and ruddy cheeks, leaned forward and fixed the other with a scowl. "Who's to say Turner isn't the one who released the Hollow? It's not unheard of for evil overlords to use such dangerous means to achieve their objectives."
Leo offered his colleague a smile, not in the least fazed by the man's rudeness. "Very true, Elder Price. But I don't think that's the case. Cole Turner has seen what the Hollow can do. He wouldn't unleash it upon the world. He knows that the Hollow devours all magic, good and evil. That it cannot be controlled." He twined his fingers and rested his chin upon his folded hands. "The underworld must be experiencing this theft of their powers just like we are. I think Cole will be amenable to talk. Unless someone has a better suggestion?" His intent gaze moved over the gathered faces. Nobody spoke.
"We are agreed then. I'll go pay him a visit."
* * *
"Mr. Turner?"
Cole glanced up from the pile of ash on the floor. Five seconds ago the pile had been a darklighter who had failed to blink in the face of his master's wrath. He wasn't the first of Cole's underlings that returned to confess botching up his assignment and the inexplicable loss of his power. Cole felt no remorse for killing a defenseless being. Without magic darklighters and demons were less than one step above bugs to be crushed beneath his boots, as far as their usefulness was concerned.
"Yes?"
"There's someone here to see you, Sir." The guard lowered his voice and added in a confidential whisper: "It's one of them Elders. He says he knows you from a long time ago."
"Does he, now?" Cole's curiosity was awakened. He couldn't recall ever meeting a member of the Council of Elders. "Send him in."
The guard nodded and disappeared from the door opening.
"Argus?" Cole gestured at his long-time clerk and second-hand man to come forward.
"Yes, Sir?"
"We need to fix this cash flow problem if we are to expand our influence in north-west section of the Greater United States. Bay City Financial is taxing my patience. Send someone new to ensure they will agree to our terms. I don't care what they have to do, if they discredit them, kill their CEO, or threaten their stockholders. Just get the job done. Make sure, though, that whoever you send this time is a little more capable than that idiot." Cole pointed at the stain. "And get someone in here to scrub my floor."
"Yes, Mr. Turner, I'll get on it right away." Argus turned on his heels and hurried from the chamber. At the entrance he had to step aside to allow Cole's visitor, a white-robed man, to enter.
The visitor waited until they were alone before he pushed back his hood, revealing his features.
Cole's eyes widened. He recognized the Elder instantly; his was a face Cole remembered well from the past. Perhaps the hairline had receded a little, and a few more wrinkles had appeared around the eyes, but time had been kind to the whitelighter.
"Leo! Long time no see." He grinned and clasped a hand on Leo's shoulder. "So they made you an Elder? Well done, my friend, well done."
Leo gave a curt nod. "A lot has happened since we last saw each other. I've been an Elder for nearly three centuries. They promoted me, shortly after Piper passed away." He shrugged. "I guess they attributed it to my guidance that she died of old age in her bed, unlike most witches of her stature. But I didn't come to talk about old times. I came to ask for your assistance."
"What do you need? Stock tips? A loan?" Cole laughed. "Be serious, Leo. What could you possibly want my help with? I expected you wanted nothing to do with me, ever again."
"I never thanked you for returning Melinda to us. I'm sorry, I should have."
Cole lifted a dismissive shoulder. He was no longer comfortable with gratitude or apologies. In the demon realm as well as the business world those were considered a weakness which would draw enemies like sharks scenting blood.
Leo's face held on to its serious expression while he looked Cole up and down as if sizing him up. After a moment he said, "Haven't you noticed a decline in magic? Demons losing their powers, darklighters failing to carry out their missions?"
"I have." Cole's mouth tightened. "What do you know about it? Is it your doing?"
"No." Leo shook his head to reinforce his words. "I wish it were. But we've been experiencing the same problem. I believe it's the Hollow. Someone released it and it is swallowing up all magic, good and evil. I hoped you might know who would do such a thing."
"I see." Cole turned away, considering. What Leo said made sense. He should have figured it out himself, from the dispatches that his agents sent from all across the globe. He ran down a mental list of possible opponents, of demons who might try to topple him and take over his reign. Who could have released the Hollow in an attempt to further their cause?
Cole dismissed one name after another, coming up empty. At last he looked back at Leo. "I'm sorry, I have no idea who it could be. I doubt it's anyone on my side. They wouldn't dare."
Leo sighed. "That's what I thought. It doesn't really matter, anyway. We need to put the Hollow back where it belongs, that's most important. We'll have to work together to get it done."
Cole recalled the days --it seemed eons ago-- when the Source released the Hollow in his quest to defeat the Charmed Ones. Phoebe still loved him, then, still believed in him. It had been a better time.
It occurred to him that it had also been a time when the other side, Leo's side, had command of one of the most powerful forces to exist in the world of magic. A time when the Power of Three was whole.
"Even if I wanted to help, you don't have anyone powerful enough to work with me," Cole said after pondering the matter for a while.
"We plan to reinstate the Power of Three."
Cole let out a dry laugh. "Leo, the Power of Three is lost forever."
"Desperate times call for desperate measures," Leo said. "The Power of Three can be restored. We have mature witches from two different bloodlines. We will bring Phoebe back to complete the trinity."
TBC
CHAPTER 4
"Reverend Elders, you won't believe what happened!" Breathless, a young, female whitelighter blurted out the words before she fully recovered from her orb.
"Calm down, child." A blond-haired man with a kind face leaned forward in his chair and gestured for her to take a seat. "Tell us what happened."
She remained standing and smoothed her robe. "Simone is one of my charges. She knows a lot about potions and herbs and making medicine. Sick people come to see her all the time, people that regular doctors won't help because they are poor. Tonight, after the last visitor was gone, we were talking about a little girl that she had helped feel better, when a man came in. He was tall, dark. I thought he was quite handsome." Her cheeks colored a slight pink.
"Go on."
"Simone asked what she could do for him. I knew she was suspicious. He was dressed well, like he had money."
Ania started pacing. It wasn't something young whitelighters were wont to do in the Council chamber but none of the Elders lifted an eyebrow. They hung on her every word. "He said he wanted Simone to give him her power. Then he reached up and lightning struck the room. That's when I realized he was a demon." Her eyes were distant, as if she were reliving the experience. "Simone screamed and I thought she was hurt. I raced over to her. But she was all right. Except when she pointed her finger at the man to freeze him. That's Simone's power, cryokinesis. Making ice, you know." Her hands fluttered in agitation.
The blond Elder smiled. "Yes, Ania, we know."
"Oh. Of course you do." Ania flushed. "It didn't work. Her power. I thought we were both dead for sure. I mean, really dead in my case. But the demon just thanked her and disappeared."
"You mean, he walked out of the door?" asked a female Elder.
"No, no," Ania said. "One moment he was there, the next he was gone. In the blink of an eye."
A murmur rose from the Council of Elders. "Must've been a warlock, then."
The blond Elder gestured for silence. "And your charge's power?"
"Gone too. Simone tried to freeze a flowerpot. Nothing. Not so much as a snowflake. It was as if he had absorbed her power and taken it from her."
"I see." The Elder sat back and pondered her report. His gaze traveled around the room, meeting the eyes of the other Council members. "This is the ninth of our witches who lost their power in a similar way." He paused for a moment; his tone was grave when he continued. "The Hollow is loose; it's the only explanation that makes any sense. Someone managed to get past its guardians and opened the box. Whoever this handsome-looking demon is, he has released the Hollow."
The Council of Elders nodded in assent, their expressions grim. They had all been thinking the same thing, horrible as it was, since the whitelighters' reports came flooding in. Every report mentioned a good-looking man attacking and another magical power being lost when he was gone. So far he had not killed anyone, for which they were grateful. Unfortunately, it could only mean one thing: this demon was so sure of himself and his might, he didn't need to kill his opponents. After all, once he stole their powers, the witches were virtually defenseless against his magic.
"What should we do about it?" asked one Elder.
"We have to find the Hollow, and lock it back in its box," said another, wringing her hands.
"Obviously. Unfortunately, we don't have the power to do so ourselves. It needs both good and evil magic," objected a third.
"It does," the blond Elder agreed. "And I've taken the initiative to look into the matter. I was afraid it would come to this, when the first report came in. I know who can help."
"Who?"
"Cole Turner."
"Cole Turner? Surely you don't mean the Cole Turner who was once known as the demon Belthazor? I don't think I need to remind you how much trouble that man has given us in the past. He's led the underworld with an iron fist for the last three hundred years. He owns half the stock markets, for heaven's sake! I would hope, Elder Wyatt, that you are only making a bad joke?" The speaker, a pudgy man with gray hair and ruddy cheeks, leaned forward and fixed the other with a scowl. "Who's to say Turner isn't the one who released the Hollow? It's not unheard of for evil overlords to use such dangerous means to achieve their objectives."
Leo offered his colleague a smile, not in the least fazed by the man's rudeness. "Very true, Elder Price. But I don't think that's the case. Cole Turner has seen what the Hollow can do. He wouldn't unleash it upon the world. He knows that the Hollow devours all magic, good and evil. That it cannot be controlled." He twined his fingers and rested his chin upon his folded hands. "The underworld must be experiencing this theft of their powers just like we are. I think Cole will be amenable to talk. Unless someone has a better suggestion?" His intent gaze moved over the gathered faces. Nobody spoke.
"We are agreed then. I'll go pay him a visit."
* * *
"Mr. Turner?"
Cole glanced up from the pile of ash on the floor. Five seconds ago the pile had been a darklighter who had failed to blink in the face of his master's wrath. He wasn't the first of Cole's underlings that returned to confess botching up his assignment and the inexplicable loss of his power. Cole felt no remorse for killing a defenseless being. Without magic darklighters and demons were less than one step above bugs to be crushed beneath his boots, as far as their usefulness was concerned.
"Yes?"
"There's someone here to see you, Sir." The guard lowered his voice and added in a confidential whisper: "It's one of them Elders. He says he knows you from a long time ago."
"Does he, now?" Cole's curiosity was awakened. He couldn't recall ever meeting a member of the Council of Elders. "Send him in."
The guard nodded and disappeared from the door opening.
"Argus?" Cole gestured at his long-time clerk and second-hand man to come forward.
"Yes, Sir?"
"We need to fix this cash flow problem if we are to expand our influence in north-west section of the Greater United States. Bay City Financial is taxing my patience. Send someone new to ensure they will agree to our terms. I don't care what they have to do, if they discredit them, kill their CEO, or threaten their stockholders. Just get the job done. Make sure, though, that whoever you send this time is a little more capable than that idiot." Cole pointed at the stain. "And get someone in here to scrub my floor."
"Yes, Mr. Turner, I'll get on it right away." Argus turned on his heels and hurried from the chamber. At the entrance he had to step aside to allow Cole's visitor, a white-robed man, to enter.
The visitor waited until they were alone before he pushed back his hood, revealing his features.
Cole's eyes widened. He recognized the Elder instantly; his was a face Cole remembered well from the past. Perhaps the hairline had receded a little, and a few more wrinkles had appeared around the eyes, but time had been kind to the whitelighter.
"Leo! Long time no see." He grinned and clasped a hand on Leo's shoulder. "So they made you an Elder? Well done, my friend, well done."
Leo gave a curt nod. "A lot has happened since we last saw each other. I've been an Elder for nearly three centuries. They promoted me, shortly after Piper passed away." He shrugged. "I guess they attributed it to my guidance that she died of old age in her bed, unlike most witches of her stature. But I didn't come to talk about old times. I came to ask for your assistance."
"What do you need? Stock tips? A loan?" Cole laughed. "Be serious, Leo. What could you possibly want my help with? I expected you wanted nothing to do with me, ever again."
"I never thanked you for returning Melinda to us. I'm sorry, I should have."
Cole lifted a dismissive shoulder. He was no longer comfortable with gratitude or apologies. In the demon realm as well as the business world those were considered a weakness which would draw enemies like sharks scenting blood.
Leo's face held on to its serious expression while he looked Cole up and down as if sizing him up. After a moment he said, "Haven't you noticed a decline in magic? Demons losing their powers, darklighters failing to carry out their missions?"
"I have." Cole's mouth tightened. "What do you know about it? Is it your doing?"
"No." Leo shook his head to reinforce his words. "I wish it were. But we've been experiencing the same problem. I believe it's the Hollow. Someone released it and it is swallowing up all magic, good and evil. I hoped you might know who would do such a thing."
"I see." Cole turned away, considering. What Leo said made sense. He should have figured it out himself, from the dispatches that his agents sent from all across the globe. He ran down a mental list of possible opponents, of demons who might try to topple him and take over his reign. Who could have released the Hollow in an attempt to further their cause?
Cole dismissed one name after another, coming up empty. At last he looked back at Leo. "I'm sorry, I have no idea who it could be. I doubt it's anyone on my side. They wouldn't dare."
Leo sighed. "That's what I thought. It doesn't really matter, anyway. We need to put the Hollow back where it belongs, that's most important. We'll have to work together to get it done."
Cole recalled the days --it seemed eons ago-- when the Source released the Hollow in his quest to defeat the Charmed Ones. Phoebe still loved him, then, still believed in him. It had been a better time.
It occurred to him that it had also been a time when the other side, Leo's side, had command of one of the most powerful forces to exist in the world of magic. A time when the Power of Three was whole.
"Even if I wanted to help, you don't have anyone powerful enough to work with me," Cole said after pondering the matter for a while.
"We plan to reinstate the Power of Three."
Cole let out a dry laugh. "Leo, the Power of Three is lost forever."
"Desperate times call for desperate measures," Leo said. "The Power of Three can be restored. We have mature witches from two different bloodlines. We will bring Phoebe back to complete the trinity."
TBC