FOUR
Phoebe opened her eyes and looked around. She was tied to a chair, sitting in some sort of cave. A stone ledge protruded from one wall. The athame sat on the ledge. A single opening was in one wall across from her that led to an adjoining cavern. She tried to get free of the ropes that bound her. But she was too securely tied. The ropes cut into her wrists and ankles.
"Leo," she called out. "Leo, I need you right now."
"I'm afraid your White Lighter can't hear you, dear," said Marie, coming into the cave. "Not down here."
"Marie?" questioned Phoebe. "What's going on?"
"Really," said Marie, "I had heard you were much more intuitive than that. But then I expected it to be much more difficult to capture a Charmed One. You made it almost too easy."
"What do you want?" asked Phoebe.
"What do I want?" repeated Marie, anger in her words. "What do I want? I want you to pay for what you did. I want you to suffer as I've suffered. I want you to beg for death.
"Too bad you don't have Paige's orbing power. Or Piper's explosive ability. That would make things a lot easier for you. But all you have is your precognitive ability. And your levitation ability. Not very handy in this situation, are they?"
"Who are you?" asked Phoebe.
"I told you," said Marie. "My name is Marie." Suddenly Marie changed form. "But that's my human name. I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to pronounce my given name."
Marie was a demon. Her skin was a deep shade of red. Although her eyes appeared to be normal in most respects, their dull yellow color belied that. His hair was coal black and hung to her waist. Her teeth were sharp, jagged things that looked to be razor sharp.
"Demon," gasped Phoebe.
"What did you expect," asked Marie, "Mary Poppins? We never had the opportunity to meet before. When I was banished to the outer realms of the underworld, I didn't think we ever would. Then the Source removed my dishonor and humiliation. He returned me to where I belong."
"So that's what this is about," said Phoebe. "You're out to destroy the Charmed Ones, like all demons."
"I must admit that is a very beneficial side affect," said Marie. "But I actually have no interest in your sisters. I am a female. We have nothing to do with the plans of the leaders."
"So, if you're not after us," said Phoebe, "what am I doing here?"
"I told you," said Marie, picking up the athame, "I want you to suffer. Did you really think you could do whatever you wanted and there would be no repercussions? Everyone must pay for their sins."
"What sins?" asked Phoebe. "What is it you think I've done?"
"You're a murderer," said Marie. "Did you honestly think you could just kill whomever you wished? Did you think no one would care?"
"Murderer?" questioned Phoebe. "I haven't murdered anyone. If you're talking about the demons my sisters and I have vanquished, they were trying to kill us. That's not murder. It's self-defense."
"Not all of them were," said Marie. "He loved you. He would have done anything for you. He made you queen of the underworld. And how did you repay him? With betrayal and murder."
"Cole?" questioned Phoebe. "Is that what this is all about? You want to avenge Cole? Cole was evil. He tried to murder my sisters. I had to vanquish him to protect them."
"So you claim," said Marie. "But we both know the truth. You murdered him in cold blood. And now you're going to pay for that murder."
"Listen," said Phoebe. "I understand how you might still feel loyalty to your master, but . . ."
"Master?" questioned Marie. "You still don't understand. No demon has such loyalty for a dead master. He wasn't my master. Oh, no. We had a much closer bond than that. One you couldn't possibly understand. He wasn't my master."
Marie paused for a moment and looked directly at Phoebe.
"Belthazor was my son."
Phoebe opened her eyes and looked around. She was tied to a chair, sitting in some sort of cave. A stone ledge protruded from one wall. The athame sat on the ledge. A single opening was in one wall across from her that led to an adjoining cavern. She tried to get free of the ropes that bound her. But she was too securely tied. The ropes cut into her wrists and ankles.
"Leo," she called out. "Leo, I need you right now."
"I'm afraid your White Lighter can't hear you, dear," said Marie, coming into the cave. "Not down here."
"Marie?" questioned Phoebe. "What's going on?"
"Really," said Marie, "I had heard you were much more intuitive than that. But then I expected it to be much more difficult to capture a Charmed One. You made it almost too easy."
"What do you want?" asked Phoebe.
"What do I want?" repeated Marie, anger in her words. "What do I want? I want you to pay for what you did. I want you to suffer as I've suffered. I want you to beg for death.
"Too bad you don't have Paige's orbing power. Or Piper's explosive ability. That would make things a lot easier for you. But all you have is your precognitive ability. And your levitation ability. Not very handy in this situation, are they?"
"Who are you?" asked Phoebe.
"I told you," said Marie. "My name is Marie." Suddenly Marie changed form. "But that's my human name. I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to pronounce my given name."
Marie was a demon. Her skin was a deep shade of red. Although her eyes appeared to be normal in most respects, their dull yellow color belied that. His hair was coal black and hung to her waist. Her teeth were sharp, jagged things that looked to be razor sharp.
"Demon," gasped Phoebe.
"What did you expect," asked Marie, "Mary Poppins? We never had the opportunity to meet before. When I was banished to the outer realms of the underworld, I didn't think we ever would. Then the Source removed my dishonor and humiliation. He returned me to where I belong."
"So that's what this is about," said Phoebe. "You're out to destroy the Charmed Ones, like all demons."
"I must admit that is a very beneficial side affect," said Marie. "But I actually have no interest in your sisters. I am a female. We have nothing to do with the plans of the leaders."
"So, if you're not after us," said Phoebe, "what am I doing here?"
"I told you," said Marie, picking up the athame, "I want you to suffer. Did you really think you could do whatever you wanted and there would be no repercussions? Everyone must pay for their sins."
"What sins?" asked Phoebe. "What is it you think I've done?"
"You're a murderer," said Marie. "Did you honestly think you could just kill whomever you wished? Did you think no one would care?"
"Murderer?" questioned Phoebe. "I haven't murdered anyone. If you're talking about the demons my sisters and I have vanquished, they were trying to kill us. That's not murder. It's self-defense."
"Not all of them were," said Marie. "He loved you. He would have done anything for you. He made you queen of the underworld. And how did you repay him? With betrayal and murder."
"Cole?" questioned Phoebe. "Is that what this is all about? You want to avenge Cole? Cole was evil. He tried to murder my sisters. I had to vanquish him to protect them."
"So you claim," said Marie. "But we both know the truth. You murdered him in cold blood. And now you're going to pay for that murder."
"Listen," said Phoebe. "I understand how you might still feel loyalty to your master, but . . ."
"Master?" questioned Marie. "You still don't understand. No demon has such loyalty for a dead master. He wasn't my master. Oh, no. We had a much closer bond than that. One you couldn't possibly understand. He wasn't my master."
Marie paused for a moment and looked directly at Phoebe.
"Belthazor was my son."