SIX
"I think this is the part where I'm supposed to say this isn't going to hurt a bit," said Marie, as she moved toward Phoebe. "But that would be a lie. This is going to be extremely painful."
"I don't think so," said a man standing at the entrance to the cavern. "Did you really believe you could capture a Charmed One and bring her to the underworld and keep it a secret?"
"Who are you?" demanded Marie.
"Peter?" questioned Phoebe.
"Who I am is not important," said Peter Coleson. "The fact that I am a male is. You're a female. It is not your place to exact vengeance unless told to do so by your master."
"She murdered my son," said Marie. "I have the right of vengeance as any mother."
"That is a human concept," said Peter. "But she is a Charmed One. It's her job to vanquish demons. You should understand that."
"Peter," said Phoebe," she's referring to Cole. She's his mother."
"His mother?" questioned Peter. "I see. It changes nothing. Her place is not to take vengeance. That would fall to the oldest living male of Belthazors' family."
"His father was human," said Marie. "He died many years ago."
"It is still not your place," said Peter. "You will not harm her."
"No," screamed Marie. "She murdered my son. She will pay for that."
She turned on Phoebe and raised the athame. She wouldn't be able to torture Phoebe as she had planned. But Phoebe could still die for what she had done to Cole. Before Marie could strike with the athame, Peter raised his hand. The demoness was cast across the cavern by Peter's telekinetic power. He moved up and stood between Phoebe and Marie. Marie stood up and brandished the dagger at Peter.
"Are you such a fool that you would challenge the word of a male?" demanded Peter.
"I will have my revenge," said Marie. "Belthazor's father is dead. He cannot seek vengeance for the murder."
"In which case," said Peter, "the claim falls to the eldest son. Or in this case, the only son."
"Son?" questioned Marie. "Son?"
"Yes, grandmother," said Peter. "Belthazor was my father."
"You're my grandson?" questioned Marie. "How can you protect her? Protect the woman who murdered your father?"
"She vanquished a demon," said Peter. "That is what she does. It wasn't murder. She was protecting herself and her sisters."
"She is a Charmed One," said Marie.
"Yes," said Peter, beginning to untie Phoebe. "And it is not your place to dictate what is to be done with her. You're a female. It is not your decision. It's mine."
"No," screamed Marie. "I will have my revenge."
Suddenly Peter changed form. Belthazor faced Marie, towering over the demoness. Anger flashed in his eyes.
"You will submit to my decision," snapped Belthazor. "I am not only the son of Belthazor. I am the son of the Source. You are nothing but a female. You will not challenge my authority again. You may be my grandmother, but you are only a female. If you challenge my word again, I will vanquish you where you stand."
Marie suddenly became subservient. She bowed in front of Belthazor, letting the athame fall to the floor.
"Forgive me," she cried. "The pain of loosing my son has clouded my judgment."
Peter returned to his human form and picked up the athame.
"Remember my words," he said to her. "Phoebe is under my protection. If you try anything like this again, I promise you will regret it."
He walked over and took Phoebe's hand.
"Ready to go home?" he asked.
"Y . . . yes," stammered Phoebe.
Peter smiled and then shimmered both of them out of the cavern.
"I think this is the part where I'm supposed to say this isn't going to hurt a bit," said Marie, as she moved toward Phoebe. "But that would be a lie. This is going to be extremely painful."
"I don't think so," said a man standing at the entrance to the cavern. "Did you really believe you could capture a Charmed One and bring her to the underworld and keep it a secret?"
"Who are you?" demanded Marie.
"Peter?" questioned Phoebe.
"Who I am is not important," said Peter Coleson. "The fact that I am a male is. You're a female. It is not your place to exact vengeance unless told to do so by your master."
"She murdered my son," said Marie. "I have the right of vengeance as any mother."
"That is a human concept," said Peter. "But she is a Charmed One. It's her job to vanquish demons. You should understand that."
"Peter," said Phoebe," she's referring to Cole. She's his mother."
"His mother?" questioned Peter. "I see. It changes nothing. Her place is not to take vengeance. That would fall to the oldest living male of Belthazors' family."
"His father was human," said Marie. "He died many years ago."
"It is still not your place," said Peter. "You will not harm her."
"No," screamed Marie. "She murdered my son. She will pay for that."
She turned on Phoebe and raised the athame. She wouldn't be able to torture Phoebe as she had planned. But Phoebe could still die for what she had done to Cole. Before Marie could strike with the athame, Peter raised his hand. The demoness was cast across the cavern by Peter's telekinetic power. He moved up and stood between Phoebe and Marie. Marie stood up and brandished the dagger at Peter.
"Are you such a fool that you would challenge the word of a male?" demanded Peter.
"I will have my revenge," said Marie. "Belthazor's father is dead. He cannot seek vengeance for the murder."
"In which case," said Peter, "the claim falls to the eldest son. Or in this case, the only son."
"Son?" questioned Marie. "Son?"
"Yes, grandmother," said Peter. "Belthazor was my father."
"You're my grandson?" questioned Marie. "How can you protect her? Protect the woman who murdered your father?"
"She vanquished a demon," said Peter. "That is what she does. It wasn't murder. She was protecting herself and her sisters."
"She is a Charmed One," said Marie.
"Yes," said Peter, beginning to untie Phoebe. "And it is not your place to dictate what is to be done with her. You're a female. It is not your decision. It's mine."
"No," screamed Marie. "I will have my revenge."
Suddenly Peter changed form. Belthazor faced Marie, towering over the demoness. Anger flashed in his eyes.
"You will submit to my decision," snapped Belthazor. "I am not only the son of Belthazor. I am the son of the Source. You are nothing but a female. You will not challenge my authority again. You may be my grandmother, but you are only a female. If you challenge my word again, I will vanquish you where you stand."
Marie suddenly became subservient. She bowed in front of Belthazor, letting the athame fall to the floor.
"Forgive me," she cried. "The pain of loosing my son has clouded my judgment."
Peter returned to his human form and picked up the athame.
"Remember my words," he said to her. "Phoebe is under my protection. If you try anything like this again, I promise you will regret it."
He walked over and took Phoebe's hand.
"Ready to go home?" he asked.
"Y . . . yes," stammered Phoebe.
Peter smiled and then shimmered both of them out of the cavern.