"It's very simple," said Wolf. "We send underlings to attack the Charmed Ones while Turner is in the manor. Only it won't be the Charmed Ones they're going after. With Turner present they'll attack him as well. The underlings are not powerful enough to harm Turner. Not as long as he has the Sources' powers. But he'll have to defend himself."
"And he'll expose himself to the Charmed Ones," said Tennack. "Then they won't have a choice but to vanquish him. Or he'll kill them."
"Precisely," said Wolf.
"And when that's over," said Keltock, "we shimmer in and finish off whomever is left standing. With the aid of a few other subordinates, of course."
"Of course," said Wolf. "If Turner survives he'll be too depleted to protect himself. If the sisters survive they will be in shock from learning that Turner has betrayed them. Plus, they won't be expecting another attack so soon. Either way Turner will be out of the way and with the deaths of the Charmed Ones I will be proclaimed the new Source without challenge."
"A bold plan," said a voice from the shadows of the chamber.
The Three demons turned to see who had spoken. The Seer walked out of the shadows, her hands folded neatly inside the sleeves of her robes as was customary for her.
"And one worthy of even a high level demon," said the Seer. "Simple, direct, and effective. I dare say it might possibly just work."
"It will work," snarled Wolf. "And you won't be able to stop it. You knew the Source had possessed Turner. Yet you said nothing."
"Knew it?" the Seer asked. "I arranged it. With ancient magic I had located for the Source. But not even he knew what I could do. The only way to finally defeat the Charmed Ones was to make them think their worst adversary had been vanquished. Then he would be able to destroy them from the inside.
"It was I who suggested that the Source use the Hollow against the witches. Even with that great magic I knew he'd fail. I had foreseen his destruction. So I used ancient magic to transport the Source's spirit into Turner when he was vanquished. Knowing that the Source would eventually take over Turner.
"Now that the Source has been reborn in Turner, he will finally do away with those accursed witches. Soon the Source will become so strong that even Turner's love for Phoebe will begin to fade. And he will dispose of her when he tires of her."
"And what do you get out of it?" Keltock asked. "You're still an underling. A lowly female with no real standing in the demonic hierarchy. If not for your protection by the Source you'd be serving some lower level demon. Or you would have been vanquished long ago for your impudence."
"What do I get out of it?" the Seer asked. "Only the first female to ever rule as the Source. Once Turner impregnates Phoebe, I will take her baby for my own. As the heir to the Source I will rule in his stead until he is old enough to rule himself. And I will rule through him. Eventually I will take my rightful place as the sole ruler of the underworld."
"Aren't you forgetting something?" asked Tennack. "The child may be the heir to the Source but Turner will still rule as the Source."
"Only until I can dispose of him," said the Seer. "I have planned a long time for this event. Longer than any of you could possibly imagine. And you're quite wrong, Wolf. I can stop you. I can't have you exposing the Source when we are so close to success. It would simply upset my plans too much."
"And just how will you stop us?" Wolf asked, smiling confidently. "Not even you can stand up to all three of us. Separately, you could easily defeat us. But all three of us together? You're not that powerful."
"I don't have to be," said the Seer. "And it won't be I who stops you."
"Then who?" demanded Keltock.
The Seer waved her hand. Suddenly six demons shimmered into the chamber. Wolf, Tennack, and Keltock recognized the demons instantly. They had worked with all of them at one time or another in the past.
"The Brotherhood," Wolf gasped.
Without saying a word the six Brotherhood demons cast fireballs at the three lesser demons. It took only an instant for the three conspirators to be vanquished in a conflagration. The Seer simply smiled as she looked at the three charred spots where Wolf, Tennack, and Keltock had once stood.
"It's not wise to underestimate me," said the Seer. She turned to one of the Brotherhood demons. "Baldasor. I thank you for your assistance. If not for you these three may have exposed Belthazor and allowed him to be vanquished."
"Belthazor is a brother in the Brotherhood of the Thorn," said Baldasor. "And he will be the new Source. When he is we will take our place at the pinnacle of the demonic hierarchy. We shall rule the underworld and no one shall stand in our way."
"Gather the others," said the Seer. "Tell them that I shall present the new Source tomorrow. When Belthazor has taken his place as the Source we will finish the Charmed Ones and humanity will once again fear the very mention of our names."
The six Brotherhood demons shimmered and vanished from the chamber. The Seer smiled to herself. Her plans were progressing quite nicely. She will reveal the Source to the demonic hierarchy. Malevant will confirm that Turner was the Source. If any in the hierarchy should prove to be a problem the Brotherhood will be there to take care of them. As the personal bodyguard of the new Source.
It was so easy to manipulate demons. Especially with her precognitive power. Simply tell them she had a "vision" and tell them what they wanted to hear. If the Brotherhood knew of her real plans they wouldn't hesitate to vanquish her as they had Wolf and the others. Their loyalty to their order was unusually strong for demons.
She still had plans to make. Once Turner ascended as the Source, the Brotherhood would have to be dealt with. They would protect him at almost any cost simply because he was one of them. She would have to remove them before she moved against Turner. That was the tricky part. They were a powerful order. And it wouldn't be the first time someone had tried to destroy them.
But things were progressing nicely. The Source had possessed Turner. Turner's personality would soon be completely submerged. The only real challenge to him had just been eliminated. Phoebe and Turner would soon be married. Once Phoebe was pregnant she could put the rest of her plan into action. And become the first female Source in the history of the underworld.