"Let's all calm down," said Piper. "Cole is not a threat to anyone."
"Well now," said Cletus, "I reckon that ain't exactly true. Granny's right. That there diamond only glows when they be a demon nearby. So lesson one of you's is a demon, I reckon granny is right. This here young feller must be a demon."
"Granny," said Phoebe fearfully, "please, put the elixir down. Piper's right. Cole isn't a threat to you. Please, just give us a chance to explain. I guess we have one more secret we need to tell you."
"Well," said granny, pulling the amulet close to her, "I reckon we kin listen. But I'm warning you, young feller. You try getting this here amulet and I'll send you right back to hell where you belong."
"I have no intentions of trying to get the amulet," said Cole.
"Okay, first of all," said Phoebe, "it is true that Cole used to be a demon. Well, half demon, anyway. His mother was a demon but his father was human."
"I ain't never heered of that afore," said Maribelle. "Can they be such a thing?"
"My granny tole me they be some," said granny. "Only it been a long time since one was seed."
"It's true," said Cole. "My mother was a demon. And I worked directly for the Source of all Evil. I was sent to kill the sisters."
"Ain't that curious," said Cletus. "Apparently you didn't . What happened?"
"I did," said Phoebe. "Cole and I fell in love. And that love changed him to good. And a few weeks ago we stripped his demonic half from him. He's just another innocent now. Just like the four of you."
"That cain't be," said granny. "If'n you was to destroy his demon half, this here amulet wouldn't have glowed like it does. It only does that when they's a demon around, just like I telled you."
"Well," offered Cole, "I suppose technically I still have demonic genes in me. It's part of who I am. But like they told you, I'm trying to be good now. I vanquished the Triad because I couldn't kill Phoebe. They've been helping me change. Honestly, I'm not a threat."
"Genes?" questioned Angus Todd. "I learned about them in school. We's all made up of these here genes. They's what makes us what we are. I cain't say I understand it all but I knowed what he's talking about."
"That's right," said Piper. "Our genes determine a lot about us. The color of our eyes, the color of our hair, whether we're male or female, a whole lot of stuff. But we choose to be good or evil. Cole's chosen to be good. And he's been a big help in out fight against the demons. Granny, as a witch you know I would never side with a demon. But Cole's changed. He's not the evil he once was. Please, just give us the chance to prove it to you."
"Well," said granny, lowering the elixir, "I reckon if'n you be vouching for him they must be something to what you be saying. But I don't want him near this here amulet. It's a might too powerful to be trusting even to a former demon. You just keep your distant."
"I will," promised Cole. "Besides, it won't do me any good. It has to be freely given if the demon is to use its power. If I take it by force or steal it, I wouldn't even be able to access its power. And I have no wish to see what it might do to me if I could. Controlling my demonic half is hard enough without the added power that thing would give me."
"You're a right smart young feller," said Cletus. "Granny, I reckon les'n he tries something we kin take their word on it. Like I said, they is kin. And witches."
"Well," said granny, "I reckon that do count fer something. I ain't sayin' I trust you, mind you. But Cletus is right. Their word's got to mean something. I ain't never heered of a witch what sided with a demon. So I reckon we can give you the benefit of the doubt fer now."
"Thank you," said Cole. "You'll see. I'm not the demon I used to be."
Suddenly Leo orbed into the kitchen.
"The Elders still won't say anything," said Leo. "But they insist you still have to help them any way you can. I don't understand the secrecy."
"We do now," said Paige. "It seems they're the guardians for a pretty powerful demonic artifact."
Granny held up the amulet and showed it to Leo.
"Is that what I think it is?" he questioned.
"It sure is," said Cole. "Which explains why that Korbash demon attacked. And why the amulet has never been found in all these millennia. No one would expect someone like granny and her family to be holding the most powerful demonic artifact in the underworld."
"Now we gots a problem, though," said granny. "Without the pertecshun of the charms and spells on the farm most demons is going to know where it is. They's be coming fer it shore enough."
"That may take a while," said Cole. "I realize it's a powerful artifact but as long as it's in the manor the girls' magic will mask it some. So will the power of the nexus. Lower level demons aren't going to be able to recognize the change in the level of magic added by the amulet.
"But granny is right. Higher level demons are eventually going to notice the power level here has increased. And some of them are eventually going to figure out why that level has increased. Then this place is going to be swamped with high level demons bent on getting the amulet so they can replace the Source."
"Oh, that's just great," said Piper. "As if we didn't have enough problems with demons as it is. Now we have to expect even more demon attacks because of that thing."
"What about a Power of Three spell to mask the magic?" Phoebe questioned. "Maybe that would hide it from the demons."
"Only for a while," said Leo. "And the most powerful demons would still be able to sense its power. Which means we have a serious problem. If enough high level demons attack all at the same time not even the three of you will be able to fight them off for long. And that means that not only is there the danger that the demons might get hold of that amulet, one or more of you could die trying to protect it. Which means that would end the Power of Three forever."
Piper, Phoebe, and Paige just looked at each other wondering what they could do about the situation.