SEVEN
Cole stood in the darkness outside the manor watching the group gathered inside. It had been a long time since he'd been back here. He remembered how he has once been welcome in that house. Now he was dead to them. Concealed in the shadows as he was he could safely keep an eye on them without giving himself away.
"It's risky being here," said a voice behind him.
He turned to see Mellock standing only a few feet away.
"Just keeping an eye on Buffy," said Cole, turning back to the window. "That is what I'm supposed to be doing, isn't it?"
"Of course," said Mellock, glancing in the window. "Just want to make sure you're not entertaining ideas of getting Phoebe back. She's never going to accept you, you know? She's past you."
"I know that," said Cole. "And, no, I have no intentions of trying to get back with her. As I said, I'm simply keeping an eye on Buffy."
"Good," said Mellock. "Lucan asked me to let you know that the Sycophant may try to attempt to take the child soon. They'll need to be ready for it."
"How do they do that?" asked Cole, turning to the Avatar. "Sycophants can't be affected by magic in their spirit form. And once it takes possession of Wyatt, it will be too late to do anything about it. What can they do to be ready for it?"
"There are a few moments when the Sycophant makes the attempt," said Mellock. "In those few moments, it will be corporeal. But it won't have yet taken control of the baby's body. That will be the window of opportunity for them. If they can get to it while it's in that corporeal state, they may be able to vanquish it."
"I didn't know that," said Cole. "How do you know this?"
"We've spent a long time studying demons," said Mellock. "Since we strive to maintain a balance between good and evil, it's not always necessary for us to prevent a possession. But we have learned a few things.
"Most Sycophant attacks take place when no one else is around. So there's nobody to pass on any relevant information. Besides, not even you know everything there is to know about demons. I'm sure you have information about demons we lack and vice versa. When this is all over we'll have to correct that oversight."
"Yes," said Cole, eyeing Mellock. "But right now I have to keep an eye on Buffy. If they're going to be ready for the Sycophant, I'll need to be ready to pass on the information as soon as she's alone."
"Good thinking," said Mellock. "Let us know when you've done it."
"I will," said Cole.
Mellock simply vanished from the yard next to Cole. Cole thought about what Mellock had said. It was strange that he wouldn't know that little bit of information. He had been the Source of all Evil. The coronation had not only passed on the powers of the former Sources, it had also passed on their knowledge. And in all the centuries of recorded history not even a single Source had learned that tidbit of information.
Cole turned back to the manor as he listened in on what the group was talking about. With his Avatar powers it was a simple matter to hear their conversations. And what he was hearing was telling him a lot. Enough to let him know that this was no mere Sycophant after Wyatt. As he had told Lucan and Mellock, a Sycophant would not have been able to possess Wyatt no matter how vulnerable he was.
Things were beginning to come together for Cole. There were still a few missing pieces. But he was confident those would be revealed very soon. When they were, he'd have all the information he needed. And he had been honest with Mellock, at least to a degree. He did have information to pass on to Buffy. Only it wasn't the information his fellow Avatars thought it was going to be. Cole settled in to listen to what the group was talking about now.
Cole stood in the darkness outside the manor watching the group gathered inside. It had been a long time since he'd been back here. He remembered how he has once been welcome in that house. Now he was dead to them. Concealed in the shadows as he was he could safely keep an eye on them without giving himself away.
"It's risky being here," said a voice behind him.
He turned to see Mellock standing only a few feet away.
"Just keeping an eye on Buffy," said Cole, turning back to the window. "That is what I'm supposed to be doing, isn't it?"
"Of course," said Mellock, glancing in the window. "Just want to make sure you're not entertaining ideas of getting Phoebe back. She's never going to accept you, you know? She's past you."
"I know that," said Cole. "And, no, I have no intentions of trying to get back with her. As I said, I'm simply keeping an eye on Buffy."
"Good," said Mellock. "Lucan asked me to let you know that the Sycophant may try to attempt to take the child soon. They'll need to be ready for it."
"How do they do that?" asked Cole, turning to the Avatar. "Sycophants can't be affected by magic in their spirit form. And once it takes possession of Wyatt, it will be too late to do anything about it. What can they do to be ready for it?"
"There are a few moments when the Sycophant makes the attempt," said Mellock. "In those few moments, it will be corporeal. But it won't have yet taken control of the baby's body. That will be the window of opportunity for them. If they can get to it while it's in that corporeal state, they may be able to vanquish it."
"I didn't know that," said Cole. "How do you know this?"
"We've spent a long time studying demons," said Mellock. "Since we strive to maintain a balance between good and evil, it's not always necessary for us to prevent a possession. But we have learned a few things.
"Most Sycophant attacks take place when no one else is around. So there's nobody to pass on any relevant information. Besides, not even you know everything there is to know about demons. I'm sure you have information about demons we lack and vice versa. When this is all over we'll have to correct that oversight."
"Yes," said Cole, eyeing Mellock. "But right now I have to keep an eye on Buffy. If they're going to be ready for the Sycophant, I'll need to be ready to pass on the information as soon as she's alone."
"Good thinking," said Mellock. "Let us know when you've done it."
"I will," said Cole.
Mellock simply vanished from the yard next to Cole. Cole thought about what Mellock had said. It was strange that he wouldn't know that little bit of information. He had been the Source of all Evil. The coronation had not only passed on the powers of the former Sources, it had also passed on their knowledge. And in all the centuries of recorded history not even a single Source had learned that tidbit of information.
Cole turned back to the manor as he listened in on what the group was talking about. With his Avatar powers it was a simple matter to hear their conversations. And what he was hearing was telling him a lot. Enough to let him know that this was no mere Sycophant after Wyatt. As he had told Lucan and Mellock, a Sycophant would not have been able to possess Wyatt no matter how vulnerable he was.
Things were beginning to come together for Cole. There were still a few missing pieces. But he was confident those would be revealed very soon. When they were, he'd have all the information he needed. And he had been honest with Mellock, at least to a degree. He did have information to pass on to Buffy. Only it wasn't the information his fellow Avatars thought it was going to be. Cole settled in to listen to what the group was talking about now.