Chapter Nine
Three Days Later
Phoebe sat at her desk and skimmed through several letters. All asked for her advice on broken relationships. If they knew about my own screwed up life, I'd be out of a job,' she thought ironically. She sighed and swiveled her chair towards her computer and began typing. She was interrupted by a knock on her door and she swiveled back to find Cole standing in her doorway.
"We need to talk," he said as he stepped inside her office.
"Interesting since you've been ignoring all my calls," she glared, "for three days."
"I told you I had a trial," he glared back in return, "and I needed time to do some research. Now, court's in recess until two. Do you want to waste that time arguing or do you want to call your sisters and tell them to wait for us in the attic?"
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"Who is it?" Paige demanded as soon as Cole appeared in the attic with Phoebe. She and Piper stood near the Book of Shadows and she added, "And how do we vanquish it?"
"Straight to the point," Cole commented as he stood on the opposite side of the attic. "Good, it'll mean you'll listen instead of argue. Where's Leo?"
"He'll be here," Piper answered. "Why'd we have to meet in the attic?" As she finished speaking, Leo orbed into the attic and went to her side.
"I needed to talk to you in a secure place and didn't think you'd be willing to drop by the penthouse," he responded.
"Secure from who?" Phoebe asked in a worried tone.
"Not yet," he told her. Cole waved a hand and recited some phrases in an ancient Latin and an orange aura surrounded all the windows and the door. It vanished after a few seconds and he told them, "Okay, it's clear now."
"What the hell was that?" Piper asked with a nervous glance towards Paige and Leo.
"A protective shield," Phoebe realized. "We're trapped in here."
"Actually," Cole corrected, "we can leave any time. This is only to prevent anyone or anything from entering."
"Why the precaution?" Leo wondered. "We've never had a problem before."
"You're kidding, right?" Cole sarcastically quipped. He noticed the blank looks and added, "With all the demons that have managed to drop by unannounced over the years? This house is one of the least secure witch homes I've ever been in. And I can't risk anyone discovering what we're about to discuss, so deal with it."
Paige glanced from Piper to Phoebe and asked Cole, "This isn't good, is it?"
"His name is Hasoaf and if we're not careful," Cole warned, "he will destroy us all."
Piper looked up to the ceiling and called out, "A little help, please." After a moment, the pages of the Book of Shadows began to quickly flip until they stopped on a page near the end of the book. "Thank you," she called out again as Paige moved in closer to read the inscription.
"All it says is that he absorbs the energy and powers of his victims by draining them but it doesn't say how," Paige summarized in disappointment, "and there's no vanquishing spell or potion."
"Because there isn't one," Cole stated.
"I don't understand," Piper commented with worry. "If he's that unstoppable, why haven't we heard of him before?"
"Probably because he's been imprisoned for centuries," Cole supposed. "Most demons aren't even aware of his existence."
"How could he have been imprisoned?" Paige wondered. "And who released him now?"
"I don't know," Cole shrugged. "I still don't have any idea where he is. Or where he was even imprisoned. The scrolls didn't say and I didn't want to alert him if he's out there watching our every move."
"Scrolls?" Leo asked.
"Very few demons remain that would be aware of Hasoaf's existence," Cole explained. "I had to do research in the libraries. And it wasn't easy finding the right scrolls without raising any suspicions."
"You've got libraries down there?" Leo asked in surprise.
"Don't you up there?" Cole countered. "Not all demons are as unintelligent as you would like to believe. One can learn much from history and from research."
"How'd you know about him?" Phoebe interrupted in a non-accusatory manner. "Or that he'd even be mentioned in some old scrolls?"
"The Source," Cole reluctantly admitted. "You know I was in high standing when I worked down there. I was privy to a lot of information. The Source would occasionally brag of his conquests and one of his stories was about this great adversary of his when he made his move to become the Source."
"The one where he got that scarring on his face?" Phoebe asked with interest.
Cole nodded and continued, "Hasoaf was his chief rival and they waged a magical battle the likes of which the Underworld had never seen."
"How'd he lose if he's invincible?" Paige questioned.
"According to the scrolls," he answered, "Hasoaf had no following. All that power was useless if no one was willing to have him lead. What would he do, kill everyone and be left alone with no one to rule over? The Source, however, while not as naturally powerful, had many allies who were quite satisfied with promises of the great rewards they would receive if they lent their power to him in his bid to take control."
"So the Source only won because of strength in numbers," Phoebe murmured. "So even if he gained vast powers when he became the Source, how'd he manage to imprison Hasoaf? Never mind," she suddenly muttered, "the Seer. We know she had the power to do it."
"The scrolls didn't say," he told her. "But it's likely that she had a hand in it," he agreed. "Maybe her death weakened his prison and allowed him to escape," he considered.
"The Source never said?" Piper questioned.
Cole laughed, "He was too paranoid that some enemy would track down Hasoaf in an attempt to bring him down. He never went into detail about Hasoaf's imprisonment."
"What about when you were, you know" Paige asked.
"It not like I absorbed his memories along with his powers," Cole muttered. "All I knew about Hasoaf was what the Source had bragged."
"How did you make the connection from Phoebe's premonition to him?" Leo inquired.
"From what Phoebe saw and your description of the way the witches were killed," Cole answered. He noticed Leo's raised eyebrow and answered, "I told you I did research. I went to the crime scenes and checked out the reports. Each of the victims had the same slash marks to their chests. They had to have all been killed by the same person. In this case, demon. Hasoaf."
"How do you know that?" Piper asked in frustration.
"What'd he look like in the Book?" Cole asked in return.
"Just a headshot," Paige replied. "And no pentagrams around the eyes like Phoebe saw."
"Must've been an old entry," Cole considered. "Hasoaf had a human appearance in all ways except for one. Instead of five fingers on his left hand, he had three sharp talons that he used to slash his victims to weaken them in order to drain their powers. No, I don't know how he did that. After he was through with them, he would leave his mark on them."
"A pentagram," Leo realized. "All the witches had them carved into their stomachs below the slashes," he confirmed.
"I still don't see how you made the connection," Piper shrugged. "For all you knew, Hasoaf was still imprisoned."
"Phoebe mentioned the pentagrams around his eyes," Cole explained. "That was the Source's doing. The Source bragged that, when he imprisoned his rival, he left a mark of his own. He couldn't resist the chance to further humiliate such a powerful adversary. It could only have been Hasoaf."
"And now he's free," Phoebe whispered as her legs suddenly buckled.
From the corner of his eye, Cole noticed Phoebe's distress and quickly supported her. He led her to the sofa and sat her down. "Are you okay?"
"That's why he comes after us," she whispered. Suddenly, she grabbed Cole's hand and he knelt before her in concern. "He saw," she whispered. "He saw," she repeated in an almost panicked tone.
"The baby," Cole realized in his own low tone. "He saw what the Seer had predicted, a powerful magical child."
"And he wants the baby," she continued as she began to tremble, "or at least, he wants the baby's powers."
"Glass of water," Paige commanded. A glass orbed into her hand and she quickly crossed the room to hand it to Phoebe. As Phoebe sipped the water, Paige turned to Cole and asked, "Why should we believe you?"
"Why would I lie?" Cole snapped as he tore his gaze from Phoebe and glared at Paige.
Piper followed her youngest sister's train of thought and, as she joined Paige by Phoebe, she asked Cole, "How do we know you didn't just make all this up as part of some sick plot to get Phoebe back? Given your recent state of mind, I wouldn't put it past you."
Phoebe watched as Cole suddenly stood and his face darkened with anger and she quietly defended him, "He wouldn't do thatEspecially not if our baby's involved."
Surprised, Cole glanced gratefully at her before he confirmed in a calm tone, "There's that and the fact that I'm not that powerful that I can send her a premonition. And then there's this" He suddenly disappeared from his spot and reappeared by the Book of Shadows.
"The Book!" Piper exclaimed in fear as Cole grabbed it from its stand.
"Book of Shadows!" Paige immediately shouted as it orbed from his hands into hers.
Cole merely waved his hand and sent the Book flying out of her hands and back into his.
Phoebe gasped as her sisters stepped back close together but she kept her eyes on Cole. She stood and, in spite of her shaky legs, she walked towards him where he waited expectantly.
"Believe me now?" he quietly asked her.
"Drop the Book!" Piper ordered as she raised her hands to attack. "Put it down now!"
"Piper" Leo cautioned.
"He has the Book, Leo!" Piper exclaimed in frustration. "Phoebe, get back."
"Exactly," Leo calmly commented, "he has the Book."
"You're not evil," Phoebe whispered to Cole.
"At least not according to the Book," he stated as he replaced the Book on its stand.
"Cole, I --" she began.
Cole shook his head and interrupted, "Now's not the time. I have to get back to court. Do you want me to bring you back to your office?"
"But --" Phoebe began in a dazed tone.
"Later," he promised. "I'll come by later and we'll talk after I help you put up some protective shields."
"No," Piper suddenly announced. Both Phoebe and Cole turned to her and she shook her head. "Not here. Maybe we could be wrong about you but we can't simply wipe away everything you've done." She glanced at Paige and continued, "We have a few ground rules."
"What?" Phoebe asked in surprise.
At the same time, Cole warily responded, "I'm listening."
"We accept whatever help you can give us to prepare for Hasoaf," she told Cole, "but, we don't want you in the house unless all three of us are here."
"What?" Phoebe uttered in shock.
"No popping in unannounced either," Paige added.
"And, Phoebe," Piper indicated to her, "if you want to work things out with him, you can't do it here. At least, not yet. We're not ready to have him hanging around here."
"You want to work things out?" Cole asked Phoebe in a pleasantly surprised tone.
"I thought you didn't have time to talk," she retorted. She then turned to her sisters and sadly asked, "When do you want me to move out?"
Piper quickly shook her head, "We're not asking you to move out. Especially not now."
"We just don't want him here unless he has to be," Paige clarified. "If you need to spend time with him, we'd rather you did it elsewhere."
"Public place if possible," Piper warned. "You should still be careful about being alone with him."
"Do we have a deal?" Paige asked Cole.
"I've got a few ground rules of my own," he countered.
"We're listening," Paige smirked.
"I've proven I'm not evil so I --" he began.
"According to the Book," Piper quickly reminded him.
Cole rolled his eyes before he spoke seriously, "I want your word that you'll listen when I instruct you. Believe me, there is a great deal of magic you can learn from me. This isn't a game and I don't have the time to put up with your pettiness. Not when Phoebe's life and the life of my child are at stake." He saw they were all listening and he continued, "I'll do everything within my power to save all of your lives but that means you'll have to accept my leadership in certain areas. The minute you start up is the minute I take Phoebe away from here and leave you to fend for yourselves."
"Anything else?" Paige grumbled.
"Keep your nose out of my business," he demanded. "I've finally gotten things back on track at work and am starting a new life for myself and I don't want your interference, especially when you get the wrong impression about something I've supposedly done."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Paige snapped, "did we get the wrong impression of you murdering that girl?"
"Paige" Phoebe quietly warned as she carefully watched Cole's face for any signs of trouble.
Piper put a calming hand on Paige's arm and sighed, "Is that it?"
"For now," he tersely replied. "Are we in agreement?" Piper and Paige looked at each other before they turned to him and nodded. He then asked Phoebe, "Read to go?"
She shook her head. "I've got a few rules of my own. Well, one, anyway." To her sisters, she said, "I won't bring him home unless it's a matter of our safety or some concern about Hasoaf until you tell me you're ready." To Cole, she added, "And I won't stick my nose in any of your affairs.But," she warned, "I won't be caught in the middle anymore." She stepped back and turned away from them all, "It nearly tore me apart before and I won't subject myself, or my child, to it again. I refuse to take sides in your bickering and I won't allow myself to be swayed by one side or the other. The minute either of you deliberately put me in the middle is the minute I take my baby and walk out of your lives forever."
"Phoebe" Piper began as she exchanged a worried glance with Paige. She quickly came up behind Phoebe and placed her hands on Phoebe's shoulders.
"I mean it, Piper," she quietly said. "I can't go through it again. It's too draining and the only one who'll end up hurt will be me."
"We won't do that to you," Piper told her as she gently turned her sister around. "I promise." She glanced at a somber Cole and asked, "Don't we?"
"I promise," he agreed.
Phoebe nodded but told him, "I think I'm gonna stay here for a little while longer." She saw his disappointment and explained in a shaky voice, "It's justthere's a lot to absorb and I need a little time get it together before I go back to work."
This time, Cole nodded in understanding, "Call me later." With a glance to everyone else, he faded from the room.
Paige looked at her sister. "You okay?"
Phoebe shrugged, "I don't know." She looked at Leo and commented, "You were pretty quiet. What's your take on all this?"
"As your Whitelighter or your brother-in-law?" he asked.
"Both, I guess," she responded.
"All the information Cole gave us seems to fit," he quietly told her, "but I'll check with the Elders anyway. Maybe they'll have some ideas about this Hasoaf. As for you and Cole, I think you're walking a fine line. A line you've walked before and have been burned on before."
"Maybe it'll be different this time," Phoebe quietly suggested.
Leo glanced at his wife and told Phoebe, "I hope so. For your sake, I hope so."
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