Chapter Seven;
Darius walked into Source's chambers grimly. He'd failed to gain his sister and her children. He'd been lax in his attempts on her emotional state. He knew that she was ripe for the taking, but something inside of him didn't want to bring out the monster he knew his sister was. Temperance was by far the stronger of the two of them. Dare wasn't willing to put himself on the chopping block yet.
He had one great idea. Hit his sister where it hurt the most. Her sons were in emotional discord at the moment. Cretien lorded it over Apollo that he was strongest. Apollo was the jealous type, just like his father.
"Darius, you're disappointing," the Source's voice echoed within the stone cavern. "I send you to retrieve your sister and her children, and you've yet to do this simple task."
"I've been set back, my liege," Dare replied. "A simple miscalculation of how strong my sister's bond with Balthazar is."
"Balthazar, a former fellow brother of yours," the Source mused. "A former member of the Brotherhood. What of his involvement with your sister?"
"He is father to Cretien and Apollodorus," Dare replied. "He keeps them safe by keeping their mother safe."
"Is there anything we can use against Balthazar?" the Source asked.
Dare smiled, his mind falling back on his earlier musings. "My sister's children are full of potential. I believe that the way to achieving my sister as a prize and destroying Balthazar is through the boys."
"Disruption in the ranks?" the Source questioned.
"The question my sister and I are constantly fighting about: who is stronger?" Dare smiled evilly. "I believe that is the key to getting my sister. Proving that one of her children has the potential to be evil."
The Source smiled at Dare. "I'll leave you to your plans then," he said. "I expect a full account of its happenings."
"Of course, my liege," Dare answered. "I'll send you every last detail."
"Good. Be gone. I've work to attend to." Dare bowed and left the stone chamber, his smile not once leaving his face. There was a way to his sister, and he knew exactly how to bring her to him; just like a moth to a flame.
"You're not stronger because you take after me in the power department, Cretien. In fact, I don't think that you're stronger at all," Cole told his son, obviously exasperated. "You're using more force than necessary against your brother because of petty jealousy."
"Gee, Dr. Phil, that was deep," Temperance smirked as she walked into the training room. "Cole, you're not going to get anywhere with him. You've been at this for three weeks, and at least a dozen demons, and still, Cre and Apollo are neck and neck. Their both equal. Same as Dare and I."
Apollo stood off to the side of the room, nursing a bleeding cut on the side of his face. Cole looked at Temperance. "Go look to the boy," he snarled. "I'm taking Cretien here for a little recon job. We're going to see what he can do."
"You're not taking him into the Underworld!" Temperance exclaimed, staring at Cole in wide eyed fear. "He's far too young."
"Because you were too young when you were taken there?" Cre turned to look at his mother. "I don't need to be protected, mom, I need to fight. I need to find out what is going on so that we can fight and I can get back to Dawnie."
"Your precious Dawnie, Cre. That's all you care about?" Apollo snapped. "Mom could die, and you want to get back to Dawn? You're low. You're not fit to be my brother."
"Apollo!" Cole and Temperance yelled at the same time.
"Don't you tell me that you're the patron saint of purity, Apollo. Did you tell mom that you shimmered to Cole yesterday? Did you? After she told you that you were grounded?" Cre yelled back. Apollo formed fireball in his hand.
"You're not perfect either, Cre! Did you tell mom that you called Dawn? Did you tell her that you shimmered her to the mall in LA the other day?" Apollo snarled. Temperance set her hand on the boy's shoulder, stopping him from throwing the fireball at his brother.
"Put it out, Apollodorus," she snapped angrily and looked at Cre.
"Both of you stop it!" Cole yelled. "Apollo, you're grounded for lying to me. Cretien, you're grounded to disobeying punishment. Both of you are to go to separate ends of the house. I'll have a new punishment for you both when I deem you've calmed down."
"Wait a minute boys," Temperance said, barely containing her anger at them. "You are both to write one hundred times 'I will not hurt my brother' in black ink on white paper. Any arguments and it'll be five hundred. Any questions?" The boys shook their heads no. "Good. Get to it."
Cole watched as the boys left the room sullenly. Temperance sighed. "We need to get them to stop. If they're arguing like this, Dare will use it against us," Temperance looked at Cole. "We can't let him do that. The boys still have the potential to become evil. The window of opportunity is longer in demonic children, Cole."
"I know," Cole replied. "Why do you think that I push them so hard? They don't understand and I want them to be good. I thought about the Brotherhood."
"You can't send them to the Brotherhood. Dare went through that. You won't send them to the Brotherhood," Temperance told Cole. "You can't possibly think that it will solve our problem. It represents the very thing we don't want them to be."
"I don't, Temperance, but it may be the only way to turn the odds in our favor. Apollo is ripe for the picking, Darius knows that, but he'll go for Cre. He's waiting for the perfect moment. Cre will take anything to get at Apollo. Cretien is the wild card."
"Cole, please, don't send them away. They're not ready yet," Temperance pleaded. Cole looked into her eyes and saw the raw need written in the silvery depths. She couldn't lose the two ties that held them together.
"Do you have another suggestion?" Cole asked. "I'm open for all sorts of ideas."
"I think I might. I need a first class plane ticket to LA," Temperance smiled. "I'm going for Angel and his gang. I might even call in Buffy and hers. It won't do much to help us at the moment, but it's going to tip the scales in our favor."
"You're sure you can do this?" Cole asked. "Angel will come to San Francisco?"
"He owes me one for re-cursing him. I'm going to call in that favor. He'll understand," Temperance explained. "Besides, if he risks not taking this chance, Wolfram & Hart could use it against him, thus tipping the odds in favor of evil and the Source."
"Wolfram and Hart? The demonic law firm? They're connected to the Source?" Cole looked confused.
"Cole, everything is connected to the Source in some way, shape or form. Ever heard of the Circle of the Black Thorn?" Cole nodded his head no. "The Brotherhood of the Thorn is directly connected. In fact, I'm surprised that Raynor never told you. The Brotherhood is on loan to the Source for a thousand years."
"Raynor wasn't the best of mentors," Cole told Temperance. "It still doesn't explain why you're bringing in Angel and Buffy."
"Cole, you'll just have to trust me and take a leap of faith," Temperance replied. "I'd never knowingly put you or Phoebe in any danger, if that's what you're thinking. That's not my intent."
"I know. I won't doubt your intents ever again. We know how well that went the last time," Cole smirked, the memory running through his mind. "I ended up digging bullets out of my flesh for days."
"That was not my fault, Cole," Temperance replied. "You were the one who jumped in front of the firing squad."
"I would have done anything for you," Cole commented.
"I know," Temperance replied, staring at the fire in the fireplace, away from Cole. "Why do you think that I came to you for help? I trust you, Cole, no matter our past."
Three hours later, Cole had convinced Temperance not to fly to LA, but to shimmer. Temperance had. She appeared outside the Hyperion Hotel with a genuine smile on her face and a familiar feeling of security in her breast.
The Hyperion Hotel was old; dating back to the 1920's, when Temperance and Angel had lived there together for a few years and had some trouble with a paranoia demon. There was a garden preceding the front door. Temperance smelled the jasmine sure as day; tripled by her demonic sense of smell. Walking through the garden, Temperance smiled as she opened the front doors and walked in.
"Get down!" someone yelled at her, and Temperance ducked, looking for the thing that was attacking her friends. Upon seeing the demon; a slimy scaly creature with four legs, Temperance sprang into action. She shimmered behind the demon right in front of the weapons cabinet and drew a sword.
"Temperance!" Wes called out as she stabbed the creature in the back.
"To the Wastelands with you, and don't come back the way I know demons are fond of doing," Temperance snarled as she formed a fireball in her hands and thrust it at the demon. "Everyone down! He's gonna blow!" She shimmered behind the desk and smiled when she heard the demon blow up.
"Wow! That was a neat trick," Fred smiled as she looked up from her hiding place behind a pillar.
"I'm a demon, I get to do things like that, no trick," Temperance replied. "You must be Winifred Burkle. I'm Temperance St. Waryk," Temperance introduced herself as she walked out from behind the desk. Fred was a petite young woman with long dark hair and expressive hazel eyes; while Wes was tall with dark hair and chocolate brown eyes.
"Nice to meet you," Fred replied. "So, you're a good demon, right?"
"From San Fran and a few friends there. I just left Sunnydale not too long ago," Temperance replied with a nod of her head and a smile on her lips. "I'm sure Buffy has the First under control, and we'll all be able to rest easy."
"You were always a horrible liar," a voice came from behind her. Temperance turned and found herself face to face with Wesley Wyndam-Pryce. "It's good to see you here, Temperance, but I have to ask; why?"
"Got a problem to talk over with the big man, so to speak. I need his help, if he's available. Cole Turner and my boys would appreciate it as well," Temperance explained. "But, there's something that you're not telling me, Pryce. What is it?"
"Well, Angel has gone missing, and he's not cursed," Wes explained. "You and Willow are the only two living that we know have re-cursed him."
"I see," Temperance sighed. "You want me to hunt the infamous Angelus down."
"Yes, if you wouldn't mind. It would make things a little easier on us," Wes smiled sheepishly.
"Fine. I need to use the phone. I'm gonna call the best demon tracker I know. We'll have Angelus soon enough," Temperance gave Wes a smile. "You've never met the infamous Balthazar, have you?"
"No I can't say that I've had the pleasure," Wes replied. Temperance's smile grew into a wide grin.
"Would you like too?" she asked.
"He's your demon tracker?" Wes asked.
"The very best. And besides, if anyone stands a chance of bringing Angelus in alive, it's Balthazar. I can't bring him in," Temperance said.
"Why?" Fred asked.
"It will lead The Brotherhood of the Thorn directly to me, which I can't have. I would be in the Underworld forever if that happened," Temperance answered.
"You're on the run!" Wes looked horrified.
"Not at the moment, no, but if I do use any type of the magic it would require to bring Angelus in, I would be. It requires my demon sensing his demon, and I can't do that without the Source catching on," Temperance explained. "Wes, I'm meant to become Queen of the Underworld. I am supposed to join in the demonic hierarchy. I want to and plan to avoid that."
"And you're going to call in Balthazar? Won't that lead them to you?" Wes asked, confused.
"The safest place I know is with Balthazar," Temperance smiled. "Believe me when I say that I am safe for the time being."
"Good," Wes and Fred sighed heavily.
"Let's get this show on the road," Temperance changed the subject. "The sooner we get Angelus, the sooner we can re-curse him and the sooner you can all come to San Fran with me to help me save my family."
"You're not going back to San Fran, Tempest," a voice called out. "At least, not in a good vs. evil sort of way, unless it's evil."
Temperance turned around and came face to face with Angelus and a wicked smile came to her face.