Deep in the Underworld, in a large dark, gray rock-walled cavern...
A woman with long, black curly hair stood in the middle of a large circle of demons; all ferocious-looking demons with exposed skins of different colors. Their bodies were better built than most humans and they lacked any hair on their heads or elsewhere. Some demons had two short horns on their heads. The demons didn't wear clothes, not feeling the need for such things.
The woman, who was actually a warlock, was clearly in charge, as she addressed the group. She spoke loudly and confidently, not needing to look at any demons as she spoke. They all respected her, because they were scared of what she would do if they disobeyed.
The woman in charge was Ella Gaines, the warlock who had once been friends with Chris Larabee; but her plan to turn him evil had been revealed before it was complete; then he'd stopped liking her and she had fled to the Underworld.
"The Source has formulated a new plan to rid the world of the Potter witches. We will capture the blond one who is the biggest threat to us. They will come to rescue him, confident that they are powerful enough to be successful. But we will be ready, and I will destroy them all. There is no doubt that they will all come to rescue him, because they have the strongest faith in success when they work together against demons." Ella gave a demonstration of what would happen to the Potters' by pointing her long wooden staff at one side of the circle of demons. Several of the demons burst into flames and disappeared. "I am not afraid to kill any one of you if you do not obey my commands."
The remaining demons all looked very nervous, and remained quiet, not wishing to be destroyed by their direct boss.
"I will be the one to destroy the Potters', so no-one is to cause any serious pain to them, understand?"
The demons all nodded - even the ones that Ella wasn't facing. Even in her guise as a young human, she commanded great respect due to her ruthlessness and her long history of favouritism from the Source. The staff she held could kill anyone, so no-one dared to upset her while she had control of it.
"I have already devised a plan which will successfully capture the half-demon, whom I need for my masterplan to work," said Ella with an evil smile. "Too many bounty-hunters have failed to bring him to the Underworld, and my plan will show just how ineffective their methods are. I need a demon that can create vortexes from the human world to the Underworld for this task. The boy will not expect to fall down a hole and end up here."
A large, red scale-covered demon stepped forward. "That is one of my powers, so I shall undertake the task."
"Good," said Ella, smiling evily and not even bothering to look at the demon who'd spoken. "There is no time like the present so I have heard, so you must go now and bring him to me."
The red demon blinked out of the cavern to carry out his mission.
"When he is here, I shall make a deal with the boy. He will use his relationship with his brother to bring him here."
"What if he won't help you?" asked a dark blue demon with short black horns on his head.
"I can be VERY persuasive," purred Ella, "I have a few tricks up my sleeve to make him obey me."
Ella didn't say that the meeting was over; she just shimmered out. She didn't have very many manners and didn't need to be polite to low-level demons to gain respect from them.
"What are WE supposed to do?" asked a black and red striped demon named Turner. "What is the reason for calling a meeting of us all without giving us any part in her plan?"
"She only assembled us so that we wouldn't interfere with the Potters while her plan is underway," explained a dark green demon angrily. His name was Wickes and he didn't like or trust Ella Gaines, nor did he like any women. He thought she was only so friendly with the Source so that she had his complete trust before she killed him and took his place as the new Source. Demons weren't all friends and many of them would like more than anything to rule the Underworld as the Source, killing anyone who got in their way.
"You never liked Ella, did you?" asked a mid-blue demon with long sharp claws on his hands. His name was Fowler and he was almost as important in the Underworld as Ella.
"I never had a reason to like her. Neither side is safe when she is near; she has killed too many demons without reason. The balance between good and evil will be unbalanced by her if she remains in the Underworld much longer."
"You're just jealous that you aren't as popular with the Source as Ella. It is common knowledge that she is closer to the Source than a male demon could ever be."
A demon in human form, with short dark-brown hair, laughed then spoke loudly; a southern American state's accent was evident in his voice, as he'd lived above ground in the state of Georgia for a while. "I believe that Miss Gaines is only so close to the Source so that she may take his place if fate takes his life before hers, and that in all honesty, she has no respect for him. The Underworld does not need a female Source - there has never been one before."
"The great Devlin knows all about women, doesn't he?" said Fowler, partly mocking the demon. "You have come a long way since your redemption, but remember your place - it is not your place to form opinions about higher ranking beings than you." Many beings in the Underworld and elsewhere had a low opinion of the demon - they thought that Devlin couldn't be a proper demon to have been turned good by a witch's spell. Even the Source seemed to dislike him.
Devlin was the only demon who had ever been turned good by a witch's spell, then had fallen in love with a witch, gotten her pregnant and married her. Demons had eventually caught him and brought him back to the Underworld, and a special demon had brainwashed him so that he was completely evil again.
"We do not all approve of the woman and I think we should cast her out before she causes trouble," said Turner bravely, siding with Devlin, whom he liked.
Wickes looked at his friend in agreement. "All those who are against the woman being of such high rank should unite to bring her down. We cannot have her interfering with our work for her own plans."
Several demons cheered in agreement and walked toward Wickes and Turner to show their support.
"You are all making a TERRIBLE mistake," snarled Fowler, before he blinked away from the cavern.
"Or you are," muttered Devlin, before blinking out of the cavern to take care of some business he had to take care of.
Wickes turned and faced the demons who had just become his followers. "We won't let HER kill all the witches. If she succeeded in killing all of the Potters' she would definitely be next in line to the Source's throne - then she could kill him and take his place. That is the only reason she wants to kill them herself. If we can prevent her from doing so, we may be able to trick her into confessing the truth. Then the Source will want her dead, as her plan violates several of the Underworld's rules."
Turner smiled, showing his large and sharp white teeth. "I take it you've already got a plan?"
"Of course. Unlike Gaines, I will give tasks out. I don't want all the glory to myself."
"We are ready for your instructions," said one of the youngest demons named Corcoran, who had green skin, and had lost his brother, who had never returned from meeting with the Source. Corcoran was scared of Ella, so was very hopeful that they could get rid of her so he wouldn't have to fear the female warlock killing him at any moment.
Wickes began to tell the other demons his plan. He had already had one part carried out when he had previously asked another demon to distract her so that she wouldn't spy on the meeting, which he had planned to hold after she had disappeared from the meeting she had called.
To be continued…