Thank you very much for your reviews. They do help me write and keep my
muse active. Anyway here is the next chapter. I tried to fit in a bit more
of Cole and Nicole being together and also to give him a hobby, which was
suggested in one of the reviews. So thanks Lunatigre for the idea. Hope
you'll like it. Let me know.
Chapter 8
When Cole and Nicole finished blurring their bodies were wrapped into a tight embrace. They looked at each other, their eyes sparkling with emotion and kissed long and passionately. They pulled apart almost gaping for breath and Nicole buried her face in his chest.
"I am so happy to see you," she whispered.
"I know," he answered softly and sighed, "Oh, God, I know..." He lifted her face and saw tears in her eyes, which she unsuccessfully tried to hold. He brushed them away. "Please don't cry," his eyes looked at her pleadingly. "We are together. Everything is fine. And I promise I never will let you risk like that again."
Nicole tried to smile but all the emotions of the day overwhelmed her and she started to sob lowering her head so he could not see her tears, "I thought I would never see you again," she whispered, "I was so scared." Cole did not know what to do. It broke his heart to see her cry, knowing what she went through and that he could not prevent it. All he could do now was to hold her close, stroke her hair and let her cry on his shoulder. When her sobs died down he picked her up and carried into the bathroom. The tub was already filled with warm water full of bubbles. Cole helped Nicole to get into the tub and sat next to the bath holding her hand in his. He could see she was tired, all her muscles were tensed and her face looked pale as she rested her head on the pillow. But slowly the warmth or water and a tender aroma of oils had their effect, Nicole's body relaxed and she drifted into sleep. Her hand was still gripping his and he did not try to pull it away. Being next to her had a calming influence on him and Cole could feel the tension of the last twelve hours leaving his body and mind. When the water cooled down he scooped Nicole into a large towel, carried her into the bedroom and covered with warm blankets. But the moment he straightened up and wanted to move away Nicole's eyes flew open and she clutched his hand in panic. "Don't go," she whispered, "you can't leave me alone, not tonight."
"I was not planning on that," he whispered slipping out of his clothes. Next moment she was cuddled up in his arms and Cole planted a small kiss on her forehead. But it was not enough for her she lifted her head so that her lips touched his. Cole fully intended not to let things go too far but Nicole's lips were so soft and she tasted so amazing that he just could not stop kissing her. Her hands wrapped around his neck and he gently rolled on top of her. Before the last bit of self control left him Cole tried to pull away, "You need to rest," he whispered hoarsely.
Her eyes just glimmered seductively, "And even more I need to feel alive," she whispered back capturing his mouth. All reason left Cole. His whole body longed for the feel of her body next to him. It was a proof that he did not lose her and that this incredible woman was again where she belonged, in his arms. Now losing himself in her kisses he swore that he would never let her leave him.
Nicole was not thinking. She wanted to forget everything she went through today: the feeling of coldness and emptiness she had while gliding through the Oris, the fear of remaining a fleshless ghost forever and even stronger fear of never seeing Cole again. Now when she was lying in his arms, his lips and hands exploring her body, Nicole was savouring every moment. She responded to his touch wildly soft moans escaping her mouth. And soon he was not able to hold himself any longer. Her body arched towards him and his body responded to this invitation. They moved in complete unison, shared passion washing away all fears, worries and pain.
Nicole woke up when the sun was already high. She found herself alone in bed which had all the obvious signs of a wild night. She could hear the faint noise of the shower coming from the en suite bathroom and was about to get up when she realised that the room she was in was not the Penthouse bedroom. She looked around taking in the luxury interior when Cole came out of the shower.
"Morning, sleepyhead," he greeted in a light tone. His hair was glistering wet and when he bent down to give her a kiss, she could smell his aftershave. The kiss deepened and Nicole's almost forgot all her questions, but at the last moment her curiosity took over and she pulled away.
"You are not going to get away from answers this way, not again," she smiled back.
Cole's face expressed sincere disappointment and slight confusion. "I am not trying to get away from any answers," he said straightening up.
"Then how will you explain that I have no idea where we are?"
The half demon smiled, "Oh, I was too preoccupied last night to tell you," his eyes swept around her appreciatively, taking in the beautifully messy hair and brightly red lips. Nicole blushed and Cole sighed and turned his gaze away. Never in his life he had more desire for a woman. He cleared his throat, "Anyway," he said deciding that talking was a safer option, "this is my place in the Underworld."
Nicole looked around curiously, "The one your mother was talking about?"
He shook his head, "Not exactly. That apartment is in the centre. This is more like a summer home."
"Summer home?" Nicole repeated, "Why do demons need summer homes?"
"The same reason as the mortals," he set next to her on the bed. "To get away from everything. Like yesterday I did not want to go back to the Penthouse, because anybody could show up there, my mother, Leo, the Charmed Ones. And if we went to Schwarzlight Manor, than I bet you that Celina would have woken us up at seven in the morning worrying if you were okay and offering us biscuits or something. The same happens in the Underworld. This place is different. Even if somebody knew we were here they would never disturb us unless it was life or death situation."
"And when did you get this place?" she asked looking at the luxurious fitting of the bedroom.
Cole hesitated for a moment, "Well, I kind of inherited it. It's a summer residence of the Belthor Clan."
Nicole stared at him with big eyes, "What?"
Cole looked at her a small smile appearing on his face, "What so strange about it? My mother is not the first upper level demon in her family. All of them were very powerful and therefore rich. This place was in the family for generations and I think it was my great grandfather who rebuilt it. So when my mother "died" thirty years ago I inherited it. When she came back I offered it to her, but she did not want it back."
Nicole listened to him with acute interest. It was fascinating to learn about the history of his family. From her exchange of memories with Cole she remembered a few images of a gorgeous house and was now curious if this was it.
"So will you give me a tour?" she asked looking at him teasingly.
The half demon laughed, "Of course, as soon as you are ready." He did not have to repeat twice. Nicole was out of bed in a flash and ten minutes later she was already dressed anxious to explore Cole Turner's Underworld home.
He started the promised tour from the top floor and Nicole was impressed by how beautiful the place was. It was definitely Cole's. Very tasteful, very expensive and very smart. The house combined the character of past generations and comfort of modern technology. And there was no question that the owner himself felt at great ease in this place. Their excursion finished in a massive living room with a beautiful grand piano in the middle and a large fireplace.
"Do you play?" she asked pointing at the piano.
"Yeah," he said, "My mother is very good and she taught me to play though since I joined the Brotherhood I did not really practice much."
Nicole opened the piano her finger touching the keys. "You know," she said thoughtfully, "It's really strange to know that you had this whole life for almost a hundred years, about which I don't really know much. Hey I was not even born yet."
Cole took a few steps closer pulling her into a hug, "You know about me more than anybody else in this world."
She smiled, "Yeah, because I was too impatient to practice my powers. But it's not the same. This telepathic exchange was like a whole bunch of facts, they were not really emotionally coloured. It's completely different when you tell me yourself."
"Well, you'll have plenty of time to learn, I'll bore you with my stories," he joked planting a light kiss on her nose.
Nicole giggled, "Can't wait." She looked around the room and her gaze stopped on the beautiful tapestry hanging on one of the walls. The young woman had a strange feeling in her stomach, "Is there anything behind this tapestry?" she asked.
"Just the wall," Cole answered quickly. He pulled away from her, "What do you think about having some breakfast? In all honesty yesterday evening I was not in the mood for food as my stomach keeps reminding me."
She smiled at him warmly, "Breakfast will be great."
"Then I suggest you go to the garden," he pointed to the large French doors opening into the beautiful loan with trees and flowers growing on the sides, "and I'll be back in a few minutes."
Nicole nodded and headed towards the doors but the moment she heard the door closing behind Cole, she turned around and came straight to the tapestry. It was very old and looked vaguely familiar and Nicole even tried to remember if she saw something similar in the British Museum. The tapestry was an image of the ancient castle the name of which was weaved at the top. But with time the letters became very vague. Nicole levitated and tried to read the name. With her fingers she touched several letters and suddenly the tapestry disappeared and opened a spiral staircase. From a total shock Nicole almost fell down to the floor. She hesitated for a moment, vague images flickering in her mind and then stepped on the first step. The staircase immediately started to move upwards and soon Nicole found herself in a beautiful light studio built completely from wood with a front wall consisting from one massive window. The room was a mixture of a library, museum and a chapel. One side was occupied by a large altar, side walls were covered with bookshelves with beautiful paintings hanging between them. In the middle there was a comfortable chair, a couch and a large table. The young woman frowned slightly vague images coming back to her. She scanned the room again looking at the paintings and books. She had a feeling that she's been in this room before. It was like walking into an old dream. Following some inner intuition she touched the panel under the table. The hidden draw opened and she saw a big folder buried under different pieces of parchment. She pulled it out and opened. It was full with charcoal drawings. They were absolutely beautiful, made with filigree skill. And suddenly the vague images became more vivid and Nicole saw Cole sitting in the chair, his hand moving over the piece of carton.
"What are you doing here?"
The cold voice made Nicole jump. She turned around and saw Cole standing in the doorway his blue eyes regarding her with cool annoyance.
"I..." she hesitated for a moment. "I was trying to read the name of the castle on the tapestry and the staircase just opened."
"And you considered it as an invitation," he shot sarcastically.
Nicole blushed but then glared at him, "Well, you lied to me."
Now it was Cole's turn to feel guilty. He was still deciding what to say when Nicole closed the folder and said in an angry voice, "OK, I am sorry I wondered in without an invitation. I just thought that we did not have to keep secrets from each other. I apologise, I was wrong. If you value your privacy so high, that's fine by me." She turned to the door.
No," Cole caught her arm. "I...It's just that nobody knows about this place. It's completely shielded by magic protection. I created it myself. Even if somebody found out about it they would not be able to open it. The entrance is protected not by magic but by code. The letters on the tapestry have to be touched in precise order, otherwise the entrance would not open. And if you try to shimmer on the staircase you would be thrown into a different dimension. It's amazing that you managed to walk in. It must be because of our telepathic accident. It was probably imprinted in your subconscious." He sighed and continued, "I am sorry I did not tell you about this place. It's old habits."
Slight resentment was still lingering in Nicole and if the memories of last night were less fresh she probably would have let it out. But after coming so close to losing Cole she did not want to waste time fighting with him so she suppressed her feeling of hurt and asked, "Is this your hiding place?"
"Among other things," he answered, "The whole house is safe. Nobody if they don't carry Belthor clan blood will be able to get in unless one of the family members brings him or her over. Even if we get married you won't be able to come in unless we have a child together. But when my mother "died" it's somehow did not seem enough. So I created this place. It's completely invisible to others. So I could use it if something went wrong."
Nicole's attention returned to the folder with drawings. "These are yours?" she pointed at it half stating the fact half asking for confirmation.
"Yeah," he answered looking uncomfortably.
The images flashing in Nicole's conscious were replaced by a wave of feelings. She suddenly realised how lonely must have Cole Turner been in the past thirty years hiding his humanity deep down. "They are beautiful," she said quietly. "You have a real talent."
Cole shrugged his shoulders, "Well, it's not something I ever going to advertise or even admit doing."
She smiled at him and wrapped her hands around his shoulders. "Will you make one for me?" she asked shyly looking him into the face.
The pair of blue eyes stared at her intensely and a small smile playing in the corners of his mouth. "I can't say no to you, you know that."
"But do you want to?" she murmured teasingly.
"God forbid," he answered mockingly, "I am not suicidal to answer that." And before she could burn him into ashes with her glare continued, "You are the model any artist would dream about," he pause and added quietly, "and a fiancé any man would die for."
All morning Leo was pretending to be asleep so that Piper and her sisters would leave him alone. In the meantime he was feverishly thinking about what he could do to stop them from going after Cole. By eleven o'clock the whitelighter was out of ideas, pissed off with the whole world and convinced that without the help from Cole and Nicole he would not be able to send the Charmed Once off track. So he got up and after quick breakfast announced that he was going to go and see the Elders. He orbed out but instead of the Elders realm he materialized in the Penthouse. To his disappointment it was empty. Next stop was Schwarzlight Manor but after banging on the door for ten minutes he had to resign to the fact that they were not there as well. After that he sneaked back into the Manor and searched through Piper's address book knowing full well that it would still contain Cole's cell phone number. Then he orbed back to the Penthouse and used the phone to call Cole. But his cell was off. Leo cursed, where were these two? He checked the answering machine and figure out that the half demon was not home for the last thirty six hours. There was only one more place where Leo could search for them and the whitelighter did not really cherish the idea of going to the Underworld. He sighed and looked around the Penthouse. He never liked the place. It was too posh for his taste and looked too lifeless. But he had to admit that since Nicole Berg moved in the Penthouse became much more homey. Leo shook his head. He did not have time to think about interior of Cole Turner's apartment. He knew his charges well enough to know that if he was not fast they would go after Cole without waiting for the Elder's approval. Leo sighed and orbed into the Underworld chamber he was last night. It was completely empty and the whitelighter cursed again. Where was he supposed to look?
"What the hell are you doing here?" he heard a female voice behind him.
He swirled around and saw the dark haired woman who last night pushed him towards the altar. "I am looking for Cole Turner and Nicole Berg," he answered curtly. "Do you know where they are?"
The woman regarded him coolly, a strange expression on her face. "You are the Charmed One's whitelighter," she asked but Leo was convinced that she did not need his answer.
"I am," he confirmed and not able to contain his curiosity and also resentment of her arrogant attitude asked, "and who are you?"
The woman smiled mischievously, "My name is Belthora or if you prefer Elizabeth Turner. Belthazor is my son."
The whitelighter was stunned and stared at the demoness opened mouthed. His mind all over sudden becoming clear. This dark hair, these sarcastic smile and arrogant attitude- they were indeed mother and son. He must have been blind not to notice their resemblance earlier.
The demoness fully enjoyed the effect of her words and when Leo stopped gapping at her she knew that he was ready to answer her questions.
"Belthazor and Nicole are not here," she said. "What do you want from them?"
Leo hesitated, "I can't tell you," he finally said.
Elizabeth rolled her eyes, "Well, then I can't help you."
"You don't understand," he cried out. "It's important. I need to see them as soon as possible."
The demoness fixed him with a hard stare. "What's going on?" she demanded and before Leo could say anything added, "And don't say you can't tell me. I am involved in the whole thing as much as you if not more. And I also don't trust you for a minute so unless you tell me I won't help you to find them."
Leo sighed, "The witches know that Cole has retrieved the Grimoire and they think that he wants to become the Source. They are going after Cole. I need to speak to him and Nicole to find a way to divert their attention."
Elizabeth eyes became incredibly alert and when she spoke up her voice reminded Leo a steel knife, "And by the witches you mean the Charmed Ones?"
The whitelighter nodded and immediately regretted it. The demoness' eyes flashed with anger and she hissed through clenched teeth, "What they have nothing better to do in their miserable lives than to go after my son?"
"Hey," Leo exclaimed offended. "They are witches, fighting evil is their job."
A bitter sarcastic smile twisted Elizabeth' mouth, "Don't tell me about evil. They killed a defenceless mortal after leaving him at the mercy of the Source." She was about to add something else but restrained herself.
"Go to the Penthouse and wait for me there," she ordered, "I'll find Belthazor." With these words she shimmered out.
Cole and Nicole were enjoying their very late breakfast when they heard a knock on the door. The half demon immediately became alert.
"Belthazor, it's me," they heard the voice of his mother. "I am sorry to disturb you but I have to talk to you. It's important."
Cole and Nicole exchanged unhappy glances and shuffled to the door. Elizabeth stood on the porch. "Sorry," she said quickly, "I know you hoped for some peace and quiet. But Wyatt is looking for you. The Charmed Ones know that you retrieved the Grimoire and they are going after you thinking you want to become the next Source. Wyatte is absolutely lost at what to do. He came looking for you to the Underworld. I told him to wait for you in the Penthouse."
"Damn," Nicole cursed. "How the hell did they find out? I thought we were shielding our activities."
"We were," Cole ran his hand through his hair. "But Phoebe must have gotten a premonition of me retrieving the Grimoire. The book is too powerful evil to be concealed."
"We should go and speak to Wyatt," Elizabeth suggested. "See what exactly happened and decide what to do."
The young Lugels nodded in agreement and the three of them shimmered out.
Leo was pacing the living for the opteens time when he heard the sound of the shimmer. "Finally," he cried out. "I thought you would never come." He stopped midsentence when he saw the grumpy look the two Lugels gave him.
Cole decided to cut to the chase, "Did Phoebe get the premonition of me retrieving the Grimoire?" he asked.
Leo nodded, "Yeah, but just of this moment. Nothing else."
"And she thinks that I did it to become the Source?" Cole asked sarcastically.
"Well, it's very close to the truth," Leo retorted. "Anyway," he added quickly. "I convinced them to wait until I have spoken to the Elders. That's where they think I am at the moment. And you know yourself that if I'll take too long they would just go ahead."
Cole's lips twisted into a wry smile, "Of course. The jury has already spoken. The all knowing Charmed Ones will proceed with the sentence."
"What do you worry so much? You are invincible anyway. So they can't harm you," Leo snarled.
Cole was about to retort, but Nicole stepped between the two of them preventing the argument from going any further, "Enough," she said. "We are not here to discuss the Charmed Ones. They might not be able to harm Cole, but they certainly can make our task much more difficult and this includes you, Leo. We need to somehow divert their attention to something else."
"Good luck with that," Cole muttered. "If the Halliwells set their minds on something they would not stop until they finish their job. Trust me, I am speaking from experience here. It's easier to divert a train in the tunnel than make a Halliwell change her mind."
Leo did not particularly like his ex brother-in-law words but he had to admit that he was right. Elizabeth who stayed silent so far raised her voice, "Then we have two options here, first to make the Charmed Ones powerless and second to create a diversion."
"What do you mean by powerless?" Leo asked suspiciously.
The demoness rolled her eyes, "Come down, I don't mean to kill them," she said ironically, "all I am suggesting, if we keep them busy for a while, mix their powers or strip them or something along these lines, then they will be too busy to do anything."
"I don't think it's such a great idea," Leo protested. "They attract a lot of demonic attention and have to be able to defend themselves plus if something goes wrong with their powers the Elders would definitely find out and I don't want them on my back."
"Well, then we have to come out with the diversion," Elizabeth added, "though I have not idea what it could be."
She gave the rest of the group a questioning look, and noticed a spark in Nicole's eyes. The latter smiled wickedly, "I think we can do much better," she said and when everybody looked at her continued, "What is the best way to win than to convince the other party that you've lost."
Confused looks were the answer to her suggestion. "What I mean," she explained, "if we convince the Charmed Ones that they've destroyed the Grimoire and this way messed up Cole's plans, then they would think that they had won and leave us alone."
"But how do you want to do that?" Leo asked, "you told me yourself that the Grimoire cannot be destroyed."
"But the copy of it could be," she answered, her eyes glimmering. "We create the copy of the book, you tell the Charmed Ones that the Elders deem the Grimoire to be the primary threat and want it destroyed. We let the Halliwells steal the book. And everything will return to normal. And you," she turned to Leo, "will look good to your charges and your bosses for helping prevent such a threat."
Leo thought about it for a moment. It was indeed a good idea. It kept the Charmed Ones save and also made them think that they've prevented the new Source coming to power. "Where will you get the copy of the Grimoire?" he asked.
"We'll just make it," Nicole answered, "don't worry it will look real."
She suddenly cocked her head, which reminded Leo of himself when the Elders were calling for him.
"I have to go," she announced exchanging looks with Cole. "And you Leo should go to the Elders first. Get them behind the plan and then talk to your charges."
With these words she shimmered out followed by Cole and Elizabeth.
Henry Karenian and Phillip des Noures arrived together to the house, which was occupied by Nicole Berg. When they knocked it took a few minutes before the young woman opened the door. Her face expressed slight surprise, "Father? Uncle Henry? What are you two doing here, together?"
The French warlock squirmed uncomfortably. "We came to talk to you, Nicole. It's very important."
She motioned them inside. When they all set down in the living room, Henry Karenian cleared his throat and started.
"Nicole, I am sure you know more than us about the prophecy you mother was talking about."
The young woman nodded her face becoming very sober.
"Well, it looks like that this prophecy is about to come true," Henry continued. "We've been approached by the demonic fraction of the Underworld. They offered us a deal, if we support their candidate then one of the members of our coven can marry her son and therefore secure that the next Source will be half warlock. It sounds very similar to the prophecy Eliza was talking about. And since you are the offspring of the two most powerful covens it makes you a perfect candidate to become the Princess of the Underworld."
The green eyes regarded him coolly and the warlock fell silent. Phillip des Noures took his turn to continue, "Look, Nicole, we would not pressurize you to accept this proposition. But your mother was talking about it and we wanted you to know about it. I will tell you that it would be a great chance for warlocks. Though we are the largest fraction of the Underworld, we are not the most powerful and even if we get a warlock to be the next Source he would have a tough time keeping his throne. So this offer has its pluses. Beside this marriage will bring you to the top of the Underworld hierarchy, I am not saying it's going to be easy because demons always consider us warlocks a lower class of magic. But being married to a demon will give you a perfect opportunity to infiltrate the demonic fractions and also bring your child faithful to our covens."
He was ready to go on but Nicole interrupted him, "You don't have to convince me. My mother talked about this prophecy a lot. I know all the pros and cons. And I will do it."
Both warlocks looked at her wide eyed. "You will do it?" Karenian repeated.
"Yeah," Nicole confirmed, "Look, for you this prophecy is all new, but my mother was talking about it for the last two years. And I believe her, she's never lied to me. I knew this prophecy would come true, maybe it's a bit earlier than I thought but it does not matter. I spent too much of my life being nobody. Now I have a great chance to change it. So I will take it. You can tell your demons that you accept the offer."
Chapter 8
When Cole and Nicole finished blurring their bodies were wrapped into a tight embrace. They looked at each other, their eyes sparkling with emotion and kissed long and passionately. They pulled apart almost gaping for breath and Nicole buried her face in his chest.
"I am so happy to see you," she whispered.
"I know," he answered softly and sighed, "Oh, God, I know..." He lifted her face and saw tears in her eyes, which she unsuccessfully tried to hold. He brushed them away. "Please don't cry," his eyes looked at her pleadingly. "We are together. Everything is fine. And I promise I never will let you risk like that again."
Nicole tried to smile but all the emotions of the day overwhelmed her and she started to sob lowering her head so he could not see her tears, "I thought I would never see you again," she whispered, "I was so scared." Cole did not know what to do. It broke his heart to see her cry, knowing what she went through and that he could not prevent it. All he could do now was to hold her close, stroke her hair and let her cry on his shoulder. When her sobs died down he picked her up and carried into the bathroom. The tub was already filled with warm water full of bubbles. Cole helped Nicole to get into the tub and sat next to the bath holding her hand in his. He could see she was tired, all her muscles were tensed and her face looked pale as she rested her head on the pillow. But slowly the warmth or water and a tender aroma of oils had their effect, Nicole's body relaxed and she drifted into sleep. Her hand was still gripping his and he did not try to pull it away. Being next to her had a calming influence on him and Cole could feel the tension of the last twelve hours leaving his body and mind. When the water cooled down he scooped Nicole into a large towel, carried her into the bedroom and covered with warm blankets. But the moment he straightened up and wanted to move away Nicole's eyes flew open and she clutched his hand in panic. "Don't go," she whispered, "you can't leave me alone, not tonight."
"I was not planning on that," he whispered slipping out of his clothes. Next moment she was cuddled up in his arms and Cole planted a small kiss on her forehead. But it was not enough for her she lifted her head so that her lips touched his. Cole fully intended not to let things go too far but Nicole's lips were so soft and she tasted so amazing that he just could not stop kissing her. Her hands wrapped around his neck and he gently rolled on top of her. Before the last bit of self control left him Cole tried to pull away, "You need to rest," he whispered hoarsely.
Her eyes just glimmered seductively, "And even more I need to feel alive," she whispered back capturing his mouth. All reason left Cole. His whole body longed for the feel of her body next to him. It was a proof that he did not lose her and that this incredible woman was again where she belonged, in his arms. Now losing himself in her kisses he swore that he would never let her leave him.
Nicole was not thinking. She wanted to forget everything she went through today: the feeling of coldness and emptiness she had while gliding through the Oris, the fear of remaining a fleshless ghost forever and even stronger fear of never seeing Cole again. Now when she was lying in his arms, his lips and hands exploring her body, Nicole was savouring every moment. She responded to his touch wildly soft moans escaping her mouth. And soon he was not able to hold himself any longer. Her body arched towards him and his body responded to this invitation. They moved in complete unison, shared passion washing away all fears, worries and pain.
Nicole woke up when the sun was already high. She found herself alone in bed which had all the obvious signs of a wild night. She could hear the faint noise of the shower coming from the en suite bathroom and was about to get up when she realised that the room she was in was not the Penthouse bedroom. She looked around taking in the luxury interior when Cole came out of the shower.
"Morning, sleepyhead," he greeted in a light tone. His hair was glistering wet and when he bent down to give her a kiss, she could smell his aftershave. The kiss deepened and Nicole's almost forgot all her questions, but at the last moment her curiosity took over and she pulled away.
"You are not going to get away from answers this way, not again," she smiled back.
Cole's face expressed sincere disappointment and slight confusion. "I am not trying to get away from any answers," he said straightening up.
"Then how will you explain that I have no idea where we are?"
The half demon smiled, "Oh, I was too preoccupied last night to tell you," his eyes swept around her appreciatively, taking in the beautifully messy hair and brightly red lips. Nicole blushed and Cole sighed and turned his gaze away. Never in his life he had more desire for a woman. He cleared his throat, "Anyway," he said deciding that talking was a safer option, "this is my place in the Underworld."
Nicole looked around curiously, "The one your mother was talking about?"
He shook his head, "Not exactly. That apartment is in the centre. This is more like a summer home."
"Summer home?" Nicole repeated, "Why do demons need summer homes?"
"The same reason as the mortals," he set next to her on the bed. "To get away from everything. Like yesterday I did not want to go back to the Penthouse, because anybody could show up there, my mother, Leo, the Charmed Ones. And if we went to Schwarzlight Manor, than I bet you that Celina would have woken us up at seven in the morning worrying if you were okay and offering us biscuits or something. The same happens in the Underworld. This place is different. Even if somebody knew we were here they would never disturb us unless it was life or death situation."
"And when did you get this place?" she asked looking at the luxurious fitting of the bedroom.
Cole hesitated for a moment, "Well, I kind of inherited it. It's a summer residence of the Belthor Clan."
Nicole stared at him with big eyes, "What?"
Cole looked at her a small smile appearing on his face, "What so strange about it? My mother is not the first upper level demon in her family. All of them were very powerful and therefore rich. This place was in the family for generations and I think it was my great grandfather who rebuilt it. So when my mother "died" thirty years ago I inherited it. When she came back I offered it to her, but she did not want it back."
Nicole listened to him with acute interest. It was fascinating to learn about the history of his family. From her exchange of memories with Cole she remembered a few images of a gorgeous house and was now curious if this was it.
"So will you give me a tour?" she asked looking at him teasingly.
The half demon laughed, "Of course, as soon as you are ready." He did not have to repeat twice. Nicole was out of bed in a flash and ten minutes later she was already dressed anxious to explore Cole Turner's Underworld home.
He started the promised tour from the top floor and Nicole was impressed by how beautiful the place was. It was definitely Cole's. Very tasteful, very expensive and very smart. The house combined the character of past generations and comfort of modern technology. And there was no question that the owner himself felt at great ease in this place. Their excursion finished in a massive living room with a beautiful grand piano in the middle and a large fireplace.
"Do you play?" she asked pointing at the piano.
"Yeah," he said, "My mother is very good and she taught me to play though since I joined the Brotherhood I did not really practice much."
Nicole opened the piano her finger touching the keys. "You know," she said thoughtfully, "It's really strange to know that you had this whole life for almost a hundred years, about which I don't really know much. Hey I was not even born yet."
Cole took a few steps closer pulling her into a hug, "You know about me more than anybody else in this world."
She smiled, "Yeah, because I was too impatient to practice my powers. But it's not the same. This telepathic exchange was like a whole bunch of facts, they were not really emotionally coloured. It's completely different when you tell me yourself."
"Well, you'll have plenty of time to learn, I'll bore you with my stories," he joked planting a light kiss on her nose.
Nicole giggled, "Can't wait." She looked around the room and her gaze stopped on the beautiful tapestry hanging on one of the walls. The young woman had a strange feeling in her stomach, "Is there anything behind this tapestry?" she asked.
"Just the wall," Cole answered quickly. He pulled away from her, "What do you think about having some breakfast? In all honesty yesterday evening I was not in the mood for food as my stomach keeps reminding me."
She smiled at him warmly, "Breakfast will be great."
"Then I suggest you go to the garden," he pointed to the large French doors opening into the beautiful loan with trees and flowers growing on the sides, "and I'll be back in a few minutes."
Nicole nodded and headed towards the doors but the moment she heard the door closing behind Cole, she turned around and came straight to the tapestry. It was very old and looked vaguely familiar and Nicole even tried to remember if she saw something similar in the British Museum. The tapestry was an image of the ancient castle the name of which was weaved at the top. But with time the letters became very vague. Nicole levitated and tried to read the name. With her fingers she touched several letters and suddenly the tapestry disappeared and opened a spiral staircase. From a total shock Nicole almost fell down to the floor. She hesitated for a moment, vague images flickering in her mind and then stepped on the first step. The staircase immediately started to move upwards and soon Nicole found herself in a beautiful light studio built completely from wood with a front wall consisting from one massive window. The room was a mixture of a library, museum and a chapel. One side was occupied by a large altar, side walls were covered with bookshelves with beautiful paintings hanging between them. In the middle there was a comfortable chair, a couch and a large table. The young woman frowned slightly vague images coming back to her. She scanned the room again looking at the paintings and books. She had a feeling that she's been in this room before. It was like walking into an old dream. Following some inner intuition she touched the panel under the table. The hidden draw opened and she saw a big folder buried under different pieces of parchment. She pulled it out and opened. It was full with charcoal drawings. They were absolutely beautiful, made with filigree skill. And suddenly the vague images became more vivid and Nicole saw Cole sitting in the chair, his hand moving over the piece of carton.
"What are you doing here?"
The cold voice made Nicole jump. She turned around and saw Cole standing in the doorway his blue eyes regarding her with cool annoyance.
"I..." she hesitated for a moment. "I was trying to read the name of the castle on the tapestry and the staircase just opened."
"And you considered it as an invitation," he shot sarcastically.
Nicole blushed but then glared at him, "Well, you lied to me."
Now it was Cole's turn to feel guilty. He was still deciding what to say when Nicole closed the folder and said in an angry voice, "OK, I am sorry I wondered in without an invitation. I just thought that we did not have to keep secrets from each other. I apologise, I was wrong. If you value your privacy so high, that's fine by me." She turned to the door.
No," Cole caught her arm. "I...It's just that nobody knows about this place. It's completely shielded by magic protection. I created it myself. Even if somebody found out about it they would not be able to open it. The entrance is protected not by magic but by code. The letters on the tapestry have to be touched in precise order, otherwise the entrance would not open. And if you try to shimmer on the staircase you would be thrown into a different dimension. It's amazing that you managed to walk in. It must be because of our telepathic accident. It was probably imprinted in your subconscious." He sighed and continued, "I am sorry I did not tell you about this place. It's old habits."
Slight resentment was still lingering in Nicole and if the memories of last night were less fresh she probably would have let it out. But after coming so close to losing Cole she did not want to waste time fighting with him so she suppressed her feeling of hurt and asked, "Is this your hiding place?"
"Among other things," he answered, "The whole house is safe. Nobody if they don't carry Belthor clan blood will be able to get in unless one of the family members brings him or her over. Even if we get married you won't be able to come in unless we have a child together. But when my mother "died" it's somehow did not seem enough. So I created this place. It's completely invisible to others. So I could use it if something went wrong."
Nicole's attention returned to the folder with drawings. "These are yours?" she pointed at it half stating the fact half asking for confirmation.
"Yeah," he answered looking uncomfortably.
The images flashing in Nicole's conscious were replaced by a wave of feelings. She suddenly realised how lonely must have Cole Turner been in the past thirty years hiding his humanity deep down. "They are beautiful," she said quietly. "You have a real talent."
Cole shrugged his shoulders, "Well, it's not something I ever going to advertise or even admit doing."
She smiled at him and wrapped her hands around his shoulders. "Will you make one for me?" she asked shyly looking him into the face.
The pair of blue eyes stared at her intensely and a small smile playing in the corners of his mouth. "I can't say no to you, you know that."
"But do you want to?" she murmured teasingly.
"God forbid," he answered mockingly, "I am not suicidal to answer that." And before she could burn him into ashes with her glare continued, "You are the model any artist would dream about," he pause and added quietly, "and a fiancé any man would die for."
All morning Leo was pretending to be asleep so that Piper and her sisters would leave him alone. In the meantime he was feverishly thinking about what he could do to stop them from going after Cole. By eleven o'clock the whitelighter was out of ideas, pissed off with the whole world and convinced that without the help from Cole and Nicole he would not be able to send the Charmed Once off track. So he got up and after quick breakfast announced that he was going to go and see the Elders. He orbed out but instead of the Elders realm he materialized in the Penthouse. To his disappointment it was empty. Next stop was Schwarzlight Manor but after banging on the door for ten minutes he had to resign to the fact that they were not there as well. After that he sneaked back into the Manor and searched through Piper's address book knowing full well that it would still contain Cole's cell phone number. Then he orbed back to the Penthouse and used the phone to call Cole. But his cell was off. Leo cursed, where were these two? He checked the answering machine and figure out that the half demon was not home for the last thirty six hours. There was only one more place where Leo could search for them and the whitelighter did not really cherish the idea of going to the Underworld. He sighed and looked around the Penthouse. He never liked the place. It was too posh for his taste and looked too lifeless. But he had to admit that since Nicole Berg moved in the Penthouse became much more homey. Leo shook his head. He did not have time to think about interior of Cole Turner's apartment. He knew his charges well enough to know that if he was not fast they would go after Cole without waiting for the Elder's approval. Leo sighed and orbed into the Underworld chamber he was last night. It was completely empty and the whitelighter cursed again. Where was he supposed to look?
"What the hell are you doing here?" he heard a female voice behind him.
He swirled around and saw the dark haired woman who last night pushed him towards the altar. "I am looking for Cole Turner and Nicole Berg," he answered curtly. "Do you know where they are?"
The woman regarded him coolly, a strange expression on her face. "You are the Charmed One's whitelighter," she asked but Leo was convinced that she did not need his answer.
"I am," he confirmed and not able to contain his curiosity and also resentment of her arrogant attitude asked, "and who are you?"
The woman smiled mischievously, "My name is Belthora or if you prefer Elizabeth Turner. Belthazor is my son."
The whitelighter was stunned and stared at the demoness opened mouthed. His mind all over sudden becoming clear. This dark hair, these sarcastic smile and arrogant attitude- they were indeed mother and son. He must have been blind not to notice their resemblance earlier.
The demoness fully enjoyed the effect of her words and when Leo stopped gapping at her she knew that he was ready to answer her questions.
"Belthazor and Nicole are not here," she said. "What do you want from them?"
Leo hesitated, "I can't tell you," he finally said.
Elizabeth rolled her eyes, "Well, then I can't help you."
"You don't understand," he cried out. "It's important. I need to see them as soon as possible."
The demoness fixed him with a hard stare. "What's going on?" she demanded and before Leo could say anything added, "And don't say you can't tell me. I am involved in the whole thing as much as you if not more. And I also don't trust you for a minute so unless you tell me I won't help you to find them."
Leo sighed, "The witches know that Cole has retrieved the Grimoire and they think that he wants to become the Source. They are going after Cole. I need to speak to him and Nicole to find a way to divert their attention."
Elizabeth eyes became incredibly alert and when she spoke up her voice reminded Leo a steel knife, "And by the witches you mean the Charmed Ones?"
The whitelighter nodded and immediately regretted it. The demoness' eyes flashed with anger and she hissed through clenched teeth, "What they have nothing better to do in their miserable lives than to go after my son?"
"Hey," Leo exclaimed offended. "They are witches, fighting evil is their job."
A bitter sarcastic smile twisted Elizabeth' mouth, "Don't tell me about evil. They killed a defenceless mortal after leaving him at the mercy of the Source." She was about to add something else but restrained herself.
"Go to the Penthouse and wait for me there," she ordered, "I'll find Belthazor." With these words she shimmered out.
Cole and Nicole were enjoying their very late breakfast when they heard a knock on the door. The half demon immediately became alert.
"Belthazor, it's me," they heard the voice of his mother. "I am sorry to disturb you but I have to talk to you. It's important."
Cole and Nicole exchanged unhappy glances and shuffled to the door. Elizabeth stood on the porch. "Sorry," she said quickly, "I know you hoped for some peace and quiet. But Wyatt is looking for you. The Charmed Ones know that you retrieved the Grimoire and they are going after you thinking you want to become the next Source. Wyatte is absolutely lost at what to do. He came looking for you to the Underworld. I told him to wait for you in the Penthouse."
"Damn," Nicole cursed. "How the hell did they find out? I thought we were shielding our activities."
"We were," Cole ran his hand through his hair. "But Phoebe must have gotten a premonition of me retrieving the Grimoire. The book is too powerful evil to be concealed."
"We should go and speak to Wyatt," Elizabeth suggested. "See what exactly happened and decide what to do."
The young Lugels nodded in agreement and the three of them shimmered out.
Leo was pacing the living for the opteens time when he heard the sound of the shimmer. "Finally," he cried out. "I thought you would never come." He stopped midsentence when he saw the grumpy look the two Lugels gave him.
Cole decided to cut to the chase, "Did Phoebe get the premonition of me retrieving the Grimoire?" he asked.
Leo nodded, "Yeah, but just of this moment. Nothing else."
"And she thinks that I did it to become the Source?" Cole asked sarcastically.
"Well, it's very close to the truth," Leo retorted. "Anyway," he added quickly. "I convinced them to wait until I have spoken to the Elders. That's where they think I am at the moment. And you know yourself that if I'll take too long they would just go ahead."
Cole's lips twisted into a wry smile, "Of course. The jury has already spoken. The all knowing Charmed Ones will proceed with the sentence."
"What do you worry so much? You are invincible anyway. So they can't harm you," Leo snarled.
Cole was about to retort, but Nicole stepped between the two of them preventing the argument from going any further, "Enough," she said. "We are not here to discuss the Charmed Ones. They might not be able to harm Cole, but they certainly can make our task much more difficult and this includes you, Leo. We need to somehow divert their attention to something else."
"Good luck with that," Cole muttered. "If the Halliwells set their minds on something they would not stop until they finish their job. Trust me, I am speaking from experience here. It's easier to divert a train in the tunnel than make a Halliwell change her mind."
Leo did not particularly like his ex brother-in-law words but he had to admit that he was right. Elizabeth who stayed silent so far raised her voice, "Then we have two options here, first to make the Charmed Ones powerless and second to create a diversion."
"What do you mean by powerless?" Leo asked suspiciously.
The demoness rolled her eyes, "Come down, I don't mean to kill them," she said ironically, "all I am suggesting, if we keep them busy for a while, mix their powers or strip them or something along these lines, then they will be too busy to do anything."
"I don't think it's such a great idea," Leo protested. "They attract a lot of demonic attention and have to be able to defend themselves plus if something goes wrong with their powers the Elders would definitely find out and I don't want them on my back."
"Well, then we have to come out with the diversion," Elizabeth added, "though I have not idea what it could be."
She gave the rest of the group a questioning look, and noticed a spark in Nicole's eyes. The latter smiled wickedly, "I think we can do much better," she said and when everybody looked at her continued, "What is the best way to win than to convince the other party that you've lost."
Confused looks were the answer to her suggestion. "What I mean," she explained, "if we convince the Charmed Ones that they've destroyed the Grimoire and this way messed up Cole's plans, then they would think that they had won and leave us alone."
"But how do you want to do that?" Leo asked, "you told me yourself that the Grimoire cannot be destroyed."
"But the copy of it could be," she answered, her eyes glimmering. "We create the copy of the book, you tell the Charmed Ones that the Elders deem the Grimoire to be the primary threat and want it destroyed. We let the Halliwells steal the book. And everything will return to normal. And you," she turned to Leo, "will look good to your charges and your bosses for helping prevent such a threat."
Leo thought about it for a moment. It was indeed a good idea. It kept the Charmed Ones save and also made them think that they've prevented the new Source coming to power. "Where will you get the copy of the Grimoire?" he asked.
"We'll just make it," Nicole answered, "don't worry it will look real."
She suddenly cocked her head, which reminded Leo of himself when the Elders were calling for him.
"I have to go," she announced exchanging looks with Cole. "And you Leo should go to the Elders first. Get them behind the plan and then talk to your charges."
With these words she shimmered out followed by Cole and Elizabeth.
Henry Karenian and Phillip des Noures arrived together to the house, which was occupied by Nicole Berg. When they knocked it took a few minutes before the young woman opened the door. Her face expressed slight surprise, "Father? Uncle Henry? What are you two doing here, together?"
The French warlock squirmed uncomfortably. "We came to talk to you, Nicole. It's very important."
She motioned them inside. When they all set down in the living room, Henry Karenian cleared his throat and started.
"Nicole, I am sure you know more than us about the prophecy you mother was talking about."
The young woman nodded her face becoming very sober.
"Well, it looks like that this prophecy is about to come true," Henry continued. "We've been approached by the demonic fraction of the Underworld. They offered us a deal, if we support their candidate then one of the members of our coven can marry her son and therefore secure that the next Source will be half warlock. It sounds very similar to the prophecy Eliza was talking about. And since you are the offspring of the two most powerful covens it makes you a perfect candidate to become the Princess of the Underworld."
The green eyes regarded him coolly and the warlock fell silent. Phillip des Noures took his turn to continue, "Look, Nicole, we would not pressurize you to accept this proposition. But your mother was talking about it and we wanted you to know about it. I will tell you that it would be a great chance for warlocks. Though we are the largest fraction of the Underworld, we are not the most powerful and even if we get a warlock to be the next Source he would have a tough time keeping his throne. So this offer has its pluses. Beside this marriage will bring you to the top of the Underworld hierarchy, I am not saying it's going to be easy because demons always consider us warlocks a lower class of magic. But being married to a demon will give you a perfect opportunity to infiltrate the demonic fractions and also bring your child faithful to our covens."
He was ready to go on but Nicole interrupted him, "You don't have to convince me. My mother talked about this prophecy a lot. I know all the pros and cons. And I will do it."
Both warlocks looked at her wide eyed. "You will do it?" Karenian repeated.
"Yeah," Nicole confirmed, "Look, for you this prophecy is all new, but my mother was talking about it for the last two years. And I believe her, she's never lied to me. I knew this prophecy would come true, maybe it's a bit earlier than I thought but it does not matter. I spent too much of my life being nobody. Now I have a great chance to change it. So I will take it. You can tell your demons that you accept the offer."