SIXTEEN
Finding the room Ahken Tan was in wasn't difficult. She was in the throes of childbirth and her cries of pain were easy to follow. As the six entered the room, four demons in human form turned to engage them. Ahken Tan lay on a bed, a demonic midwife assisting in the delivery. Ahken Tan looked over at the intruders and smiled.
"You're too late," she gasped between contractions. "It is almost time. My servants will delay you long enough for the child to be born. Then there will be nothing you can do."
"Paige," said Piper, "quickly, get the necklace."
Paige held out her hand.
"Necklace," she said.
The necklace around Ahken Tans' neck orbed into Paige's' hand. Paige smiled and held it up for everyone to see.
"Fools," said Ahken Tan, "do you think I need to have physical possession of the necklace to use its' power? Its' power is available to me just as the power of your accursed Book of Shadows is to you. Nothing can prevent the transmigration."
Everyone looked around. They couldn't take the time to fight the demons that were even now protecting Ahken Tan. And they couldn't get to her. The demons stood between her and them, ready to use all their power to protect their mistress. In a few seconds, the child would be born and Ahken Tan would transmigrate her soul.
"Once the child is born," said Cole, "the midwife will shimmer away with the child. We have to stop her before she does that."
"Piper," said Paige turning to her sister. She tossed the necklace into the air. "Batter up."
Piper raised her hands and the necklace exploded. Little more than dust, it settled to the floor.
"No," screamed Ahken Tan. "What have you done? You've ruined everything. I'll destroy you all."
However, she was in no condition to carry through with her threat. Even now, the baby was being born. The demons protecting her looked at her and then at each other.
"Fellas," said Cole to the demons, his eyes flashing again, "whatever she promised you, she won't be able to keep that promise. You might want to look for employment somewhere else."
The demons realized that Ahken Tans' power was now gone. They all shimmered out, not willing to risk vanquishment for a half demon that could not deliver on her promises.
Everyone watched as the child was born. Even with a demon for a midwife, the experience was beautiful. New life coming into the world. Piper and Leo especially found it fascinating, considering they would be going through it themselves in only a few short months. Once the child was born, the midwife wrapped her in a blanket, then stood up and faced the intruders.
"It is human," said the midwife. "It has no place in the underworld."
"I'll take her," said Kiethran, stepping up and taking the child from the demon. "I have the perfect home for her."
Ahken Tan was still alive and so was the baby. Without her necklaces' magic, she couldn't transmigrate her soul into the baby's' body. The chain of transmigrations now broken, she would never again be able to kill another innocent newborn for her own evil ends.
"We have no quarrel," the midwife said to Cole. "My task here is ended."
"Go," said Cole.
The midwife shimmered and was gone. Everyone turned toward Ahken Tan who was rising from the bed.
"You fools," said Ahken Tan. "Do you think this ends it? Do you think I can't get other magics to aid me? I am Ahken Tan, and I have lived longer than any of you can imagine. This is not ended. You will pay for your interference."
"I don't think so," said Cole.
He cast a fireball and incinerated the half demon.
"Cole," screamed Phoebe.
"What?" asked Cole. "She was a demon. She should have been vanquished."
"She was also the child's mother," said Piper. "And she was half human. She wasn't a threat to us. There was no reason to vanquish her."
"She was a demon," said Cole. "Isn't that reason enough?"
"You're a demon, too," said Kiethran, handing the baby to Leo. He stepped up in front of Cole. "Maybe you should be vanquished, too."
"I thought I was doing the right thing," protested Cole. "You heard her threats. She would have made good on those threats."
"And we would have dealt with that when and if it happened," said Phoebe.
"But," Cole began to protest again.
Then, with a look of disgust on his face, Cole suddenly shimmered out.
"I'm sorry, honey," said Paige, putting her hand on Phoebe's shoulder. "I know how much you'd like to believe that he's good. I guess that's just wishful thinking."
"I knew he wasn't when we got here," said Phoebe. "Good doesn't command or control demons. The way the demons listened to him shows he's still evil. I guess he always will be."
"I guess we should be going," said Kiethran, taking the baby back from Leo. "The cost for this was too high. I understand Michael did a lot of good as a White Lighter. It's not going to be easy to replace him, I'm sure."
"Oh, I wouldn't count Michael out just yet," said Piper. "He has a habit of surprising you when you least expect it."
Unsure exactly what Piper meant, Kiethran used his teleportation power to return to the manor. Leo orbed the others back to the manor.
Finding the room Ahken Tan was in wasn't difficult. She was in the throes of childbirth and her cries of pain were easy to follow. As the six entered the room, four demons in human form turned to engage them. Ahken Tan lay on a bed, a demonic midwife assisting in the delivery. Ahken Tan looked over at the intruders and smiled.
"You're too late," she gasped between contractions. "It is almost time. My servants will delay you long enough for the child to be born. Then there will be nothing you can do."
"Paige," said Piper, "quickly, get the necklace."
Paige held out her hand.
"Necklace," she said.
The necklace around Ahken Tans' neck orbed into Paige's' hand. Paige smiled and held it up for everyone to see.
"Fools," said Ahken Tan, "do you think I need to have physical possession of the necklace to use its' power? Its' power is available to me just as the power of your accursed Book of Shadows is to you. Nothing can prevent the transmigration."
Everyone looked around. They couldn't take the time to fight the demons that were even now protecting Ahken Tan. And they couldn't get to her. The demons stood between her and them, ready to use all their power to protect their mistress. In a few seconds, the child would be born and Ahken Tan would transmigrate her soul.
"Once the child is born," said Cole, "the midwife will shimmer away with the child. We have to stop her before she does that."
"Piper," said Paige turning to her sister. She tossed the necklace into the air. "Batter up."
Piper raised her hands and the necklace exploded. Little more than dust, it settled to the floor.
"No," screamed Ahken Tan. "What have you done? You've ruined everything. I'll destroy you all."
However, she was in no condition to carry through with her threat. Even now, the baby was being born. The demons protecting her looked at her and then at each other.
"Fellas," said Cole to the demons, his eyes flashing again, "whatever she promised you, she won't be able to keep that promise. You might want to look for employment somewhere else."
The demons realized that Ahken Tans' power was now gone. They all shimmered out, not willing to risk vanquishment for a half demon that could not deliver on her promises.
Everyone watched as the child was born. Even with a demon for a midwife, the experience was beautiful. New life coming into the world. Piper and Leo especially found it fascinating, considering they would be going through it themselves in only a few short months. Once the child was born, the midwife wrapped her in a blanket, then stood up and faced the intruders.
"It is human," said the midwife. "It has no place in the underworld."
"I'll take her," said Kiethran, stepping up and taking the child from the demon. "I have the perfect home for her."
Ahken Tan was still alive and so was the baby. Without her necklaces' magic, she couldn't transmigrate her soul into the baby's' body. The chain of transmigrations now broken, she would never again be able to kill another innocent newborn for her own evil ends.
"We have no quarrel," the midwife said to Cole. "My task here is ended."
"Go," said Cole.
The midwife shimmered and was gone. Everyone turned toward Ahken Tan who was rising from the bed.
"You fools," said Ahken Tan. "Do you think this ends it? Do you think I can't get other magics to aid me? I am Ahken Tan, and I have lived longer than any of you can imagine. This is not ended. You will pay for your interference."
"I don't think so," said Cole.
He cast a fireball and incinerated the half demon.
"Cole," screamed Phoebe.
"What?" asked Cole. "She was a demon. She should have been vanquished."
"She was also the child's mother," said Piper. "And she was half human. She wasn't a threat to us. There was no reason to vanquish her."
"She was a demon," said Cole. "Isn't that reason enough?"
"You're a demon, too," said Kiethran, handing the baby to Leo. He stepped up in front of Cole. "Maybe you should be vanquished, too."
"I thought I was doing the right thing," protested Cole. "You heard her threats. She would have made good on those threats."
"And we would have dealt with that when and if it happened," said Phoebe.
"But," Cole began to protest again.
Then, with a look of disgust on his face, Cole suddenly shimmered out.
"I'm sorry, honey," said Paige, putting her hand on Phoebe's shoulder. "I know how much you'd like to believe that he's good. I guess that's just wishful thinking."
"I knew he wasn't when we got here," said Phoebe. "Good doesn't command or control demons. The way the demons listened to him shows he's still evil. I guess he always will be."
"I guess we should be going," said Kiethran, taking the baby back from Leo. "The cost for this was too high. I understand Michael did a lot of good as a White Lighter. It's not going to be easy to replace him, I'm sure."
"Oh, I wouldn't count Michael out just yet," said Piper. "He has a habit of surprising you when you least expect it."
Unsure exactly what Piper meant, Kiethran used his teleportation power to return to the manor. Leo orbed the others back to the manor.