SEVEN
The fireball impacted with its target incinerating it instantly. But the
weapon had not struck Cole. Instead, Raynor had turned just before casting the
fireball and thrown it directly at Blatell. At nearly the same instant, the
Brotherhood demons standing next to Piper and Paige pulled out athames and drove
them into the Order demons, vanquishing them. The Brotherhood demon standing
next to Phoebe reached up and grasped the head of the Order demon next to it and
gave a quick snap, killing the demon instantly. While this was happening,
Baldasor grabbed Cole's arm and shimmered away.
The sisters and Leo looked around confused. The demons that had belonged
to the Order of Tallock had been vanquished in an instant leaving only the four
demons from the Brotherhood of the Thorn standing in the manor. Raynor simply
smiled a half smile indicating his satisfaction with a job well done.
"Okay, what the hell is going on?" screamed Piper turning to face Raynor,
her hands ready to explode him.
Suddenly, Baldasor and Cole shimmered into manor where they had stood only
moments before. Cole appeared unharmed. Baldasor looked around and seeing the
Order demons gone just smiled.
"As I said," said Raynor, "it is done."
"What just happened here?" asked Phoebe looking at Cole. "These demons
just vanquished the other demons. I am totally confused."
"Well, I wasn't sure what Raynor had in mind," said Cole, moving over to
stand next to Phoebe. "But I knew he wasn't going to kill me. I could see it
in his eyes when we spoke. And when he said 'the Brotherhood must be
preserved'. I knew he had something else in mind. I just didn't know it was
this."
"Care to make an explanation?" Paige asked. "Since when do demons go
around vanquishing each other?"
"That's a good question," said Leo. "I thought you were all operating on
the orders of the Source."
"We were," said Raynor. "But the Source has been acting very strangely of
late. He's making major changes in the hierarchy of the underworld. He's
planning something very big but no one knows what it is. Not even the advisor.
He refuses to trust anyone; even those of us who have sworn to serve him. We
believe the Source may be insane. If he is, he is a danger to all, witch and
demon alike."
"So that's why you vanquished Blatell and the others," said Cole.
"Yes," said Baldasor. "We in the Brotherhood have discussed it at great
length. While we have sworn an allegiance to the Source, our allegiance to the
Brotherhood is greater than even that. No Source has ever ordered the
Brotherhood to vanquish one of its own. Most of us did not agree with this
decision."
"Once a brother, always a brother," Raynor repeated. "Belthazor, you lied
to us when you said the Triad was about to betray the Source. You vanquished
them because of her." He looked over at Phoebe. "Your human half has made you
weak. And that weakness caused your betrayal to the Source."
"Yes," said Cole guiltily. "I'm sorry about that. I never wanted to lie
to you, Raynor. But I couldn't kill Phoebe or her sisters. I love her. I know
that's not something you are capable of understanding."
"I need not understand it," said Raynor. "I only have to know that you
did it out of loyalty to her. Loyalty I understand. Loyalty is the binding
force of the Brotherhood, you know that. The Source was wrong to order us to
destroy you, even for your betrayal. Brother does not kill brother. And the
force that binds the Brotherhood is stronger than any in the underworld."
"Demons with a sense of honor?" questioned Piper. "That's a new one."
"Not all demons are like the Source," said Baldasor. "We have fundamental
differences in how we perceive the nature of things. But that does not mean that
all demons have no honor. Any more than all humans do.
"And do not mistake us, witch. This does not make us friends. Under other
circumstances I would destroy you where you stand. But I will not vanquish another
of the Brotherhood be he my true brother or not. Our war is against those who
fight for good not against ourselves."
"Baldasor speaks true," said Raynor. "No member of the Brotherhood has
ever raised a hand against another. I shall not be the one to be the first to
do so."
"Thank you," said Cole. "The Source isn't going to be pleased when he
learns what you've done. He's going to interpret this as a betrayal by the
entire Brotherhood."
"Then we have something in common," said Raynor. "Besides, the Source is
busy with his current plans, whatever they may be. By the time he learns of it
we shall be where he cannot get to us. Be warned, Belthazor. The Source plans
harm to you and your witches."
"What else is new?" Paige asked sarcastically.
"What about Blatell?" Leo asked. "Wasn't he the leader of the Order of
Tallock? They aren't going to be happy that you've vanquished four of their
members."
"Very soon," said Baldasor, smiling, "the Order of Tallock will be a
threat to no one."
"A demonic war?" questioned Cole.
"Call it a skirmish," said Raynor. "It will not last long. And the Order
will pay for the centuries of treachery and duplicity. This has been coming for
a very long time, you know that, Belthazor. It is time it was finished."
"What will you do then?" Cole asked. "Not all of the demon leadership is
going to agree with you. Most will side with the Source."
"We will spend a time in the Emigre," said Raynor. "Perhaps in a few
decades or centuries, we will be able to emerge again. Until then, there are other
demonic leaders who can use our services."
Raynor turned to face the sisters.
"Hear me, witches," he said. "The truce of this day will no longer bind
us. In the future, if we meet it will be as enemies. And do not confuse what
we have done here this day as weakness. What we did we did to preserve the
Brotherhood of the Thorn."
"We understand," said Piper.
"Farewell, brother," said Baldasor. "I shall give mother you best."
"Thanks, Baldasor," said Cole. "I appreciate everything you and the
Brotherhood have done."
Without another word the demons shimmered and were gone. The sisters and
Leo simply looked at each other not sure exactly what had happened.
The fireball impacted with its target incinerating it instantly. But the
weapon had not struck Cole. Instead, Raynor had turned just before casting the
fireball and thrown it directly at Blatell. At nearly the same instant, the
Brotherhood demons standing next to Piper and Paige pulled out athames and drove
them into the Order demons, vanquishing them. The Brotherhood demon standing
next to Phoebe reached up and grasped the head of the Order demon next to it and
gave a quick snap, killing the demon instantly. While this was happening,
Baldasor grabbed Cole's arm and shimmered away.
The sisters and Leo looked around confused. The demons that had belonged
to the Order of Tallock had been vanquished in an instant leaving only the four
demons from the Brotherhood of the Thorn standing in the manor. Raynor simply
smiled a half smile indicating his satisfaction with a job well done.
"Okay, what the hell is going on?" screamed Piper turning to face Raynor,
her hands ready to explode him.
Suddenly, Baldasor and Cole shimmered into manor where they had stood only
moments before. Cole appeared unharmed. Baldasor looked around and seeing the
Order demons gone just smiled.
"As I said," said Raynor, "it is done."
"What just happened here?" asked Phoebe looking at Cole. "These demons
just vanquished the other demons. I am totally confused."
"Well, I wasn't sure what Raynor had in mind," said Cole, moving over to
stand next to Phoebe. "But I knew he wasn't going to kill me. I could see it
in his eyes when we spoke. And when he said 'the Brotherhood must be
preserved'. I knew he had something else in mind. I just didn't know it was
this."
"Care to make an explanation?" Paige asked. "Since when do demons go
around vanquishing each other?"
"That's a good question," said Leo. "I thought you were all operating on
the orders of the Source."
"We were," said Raynor. "But the Source has been acting very strangely of
late. He's making major changes in the hierarchy of the underworld. He's
planning something very big but no one knows what it is. Not even the advisor.
He refuses to trust anyone; even those of us who have sworn to serve him. We
believe the Source may be insane. If he is, he is a danger to all, witch and
demon alike."
"So that's why you vanquished Blatell and the others," said Cole.
"Yes," said Baldasor. "We in the Brotherhood have discussed it at great
length. While we have sworn an allegiance to the Source, our allegiance to the
Brotherhood is greater than even that. No Source has ever ordered the
Brotherhood to vanquish one of its own. Most of us did not agree with this
decision."
"Once a brother, always a brother," Raynor repeated. "Belthazor, you lied
to us when you said the Triad was about to betray the Source. You vanquished
them because of her." He looked over at Phoebe. "Your human half has made you
weak. And that weakness caused your betrayal to the Source."
"Yes," said Cole guiltily. "I'm sorry about that. I never wanted to lie
to you, Raynor. But I couldn't kill Phoebe or her sisters. I love her. I know
that's not something you are capable of understanding."
"I need not understand it," said Raynor. "I only have to know that you
did it out of loyalty to her. Loyalty I understand. Loyalty is the binding
force of the Brotherhood, you know that. The Source was wrong to order us to
destroy you, even for your betrayal. Brother does not kill brother. And the
force that binds the Brotherhood is stronger than any in the underworld."
"Demons with a sense of honor?" questioned Piper. "That's a new one."
"Not all demons are like the Source," said Baldasor. "We have fundamental
differences in how we perceive the nature of things. But that does not mean that
all demons have no honor. Any more than all humans do.
"And do not mistake us, witch. This does not make us friends. Under other
circumstances I would destroy you where you stand. But I will not vanquish another
of the Brotherhood be he my true brother or not. Our war is against those who
fight for good not against ourselves."
"Baldasor speaks true," said Raynor. "No member of the Brotherhood has
ever raised a hand against another. I shall not be the one to be the first to
do so."
"Thank you," said Cole. "The Source isn't going to be pleased when he
learns what you've done. He's going to interpret this as a betrayal by the
entire Brotherhood."
"Then we have something in common," said Raynor. "Besides, the Source is
busy with his current plans, whatever they may be. By the time he learns of it
we shall be where he cannot get to us. Be warned, Belthazor. The Source plans
harm to you and your witches."
"What else is new?" Paige asked sarcastically.
"What about Blatell?" Leo asked. "Wasn't he the leader of the Order of
Tallock? They aren't going to be happy that you've vanquished four of their
members."
"Very soon," said Baldasor, smiling, "the Order of Tallock will be a
threat to no one."
"A demonic war?" questioned Cole.
"Call it a skirmish," said Raynor. "It will not last long. And the Order
will pay for the centuries of treachery and duplicity. This has been coming for
a very long time, you know that, Belthazor. It is time it was finished."
"What will you do then?" Cole asked. "Not all of the demon leadership is
going to agree with you. Most will side with the Source."
"We will spend a time in the Emigre," said Raynor. "Perhaps in a few
decades or centuries, we will be able to emerge again. Until then, there are other
demonic leaders who can use our services."
Raynor turned to face the sisters.
"Hear me, witches," he said. "The truce of this day will no longer bind
us. In the future, if we meet it will be as enemies. And do not confuse what
we have done here this day as weakness. What we did we did to preserve the
Brotherhood of the Thorn."
"We understand," said Piper.
"Farewell, brother," said Baldasor. "I shall give mother you best."
"Thanks, Baldasor," said Cole. "I appreciate everything you and the
Brotherhood have done."
Without another word the demons shimmered and were gone. The sisters and
Leo simply looked at each other not sure exactly what had happened.