The door to her prison opened again and her father stepped in. Ming looked up and was scared out of her wits. She jumped from the couch and backed away into the far away corner of the room. Her father wasn't alone this time.
A big dark blue creature followed him. It was at least 3 heads taller than her father and had pitch black eyes without any pupils. Two horns stood out from his forehead and two very long curved teeth stick out at both sides of his mouth. Its very muscular naked upper body was marked with ornamental black markings. A thick mane of unruly black hair, much like a horse's mane - run from his head down his spine. The creature sneered in her direction, revealing more sharp teeth.
"Ming, it is time", her father announced approaching her. The creature stayed at the door leering at her. Ming pressed herself against the cold stone wall, shaking.
"You don't have to be afraid", Wu Wei told her soothingly, "He is just here in case the demon shows up."
"B..b. But this is a demon!" Ming chocked out. This creature looked like she would have imagined a demon. Much more than Mr. Turner did. She wouldn't go near it out of free will.
Her father grabbed her arm forcefully. "We don't have time for your convenience Ming." He said strictly and pulled her with him.
When they reached the demon Wu Wei pushed Ming into the demon. She wanted to get away, but a very big strong hand with sharp claws held her waist like steel. The demon smelled from brimstone and gall and Ming had to choke.
"You take her to the ceremonial room, but don't hurt or touch her! I'll be with you in a moment." Wu Wei instructed his lackey.
The demon bowed his head and lifted Ming from her feet like she had no weight at all. He clamped her under one arm and marched off. Ming struggled and tried to kick him but the demon just laughed with a deep unpleasant voice at her attempts.
"You are a fractious little witch. I will enjoy breaking you".
Ming stopped struggling immediately. What did the demon mean by that? Her father had promised that she could go after the ritual. She started to doubt her father's words. Was everything a lie he had told her?
They reached another chamber and the demon sat her down on a stone thing reminding Ming of an altar. She wanted to jump off it immediately but the demon held her shoulder with his claw, shaking his head.
Ming reverted to wait for her father. She couldn't do anything against this thing. She didn't need to wait long. Her father came back in a dark red robe with hood, hold up by a belt. As he walked nearer to her, she meant to see a little sadness and pity in his eyes. But she wasn't sure of it.
"So what do you need me to do?" she asked. She sooner this sinister ritual was over the better.
"Ming, just relax. The less you fight it, the less it will hurt", Wu Wei told her as he nodded to the demon.
"Hurt me?" Ming asked perplexed.
He hadn't said anything about hurting before. "What are you going to do to me father? You are scaring me", Ming piped at her father. "I promise I don't run away again," she tried to appease him for whatever he thought he had to punish her for.
Obeying the sign of his master the demon pressed her backside down on the altar, holding each of her shoulders with one of his claws. Her legs where still dangling freely. Ming struggled to sit up again but it was to no avail. She looked up and had to look direct into the demon's soulless eyes and his spiteful grin. It made her shiver. Quickly she averted her eyes and glanced at her father. He stood next to her at the altar now and looked down at her. Slowly he stroked her cheek like he had done in the afternoon.
"My little butterfly", he whispered with sadness in his voice, "you won't run away again. And until recently you have been a good daughter." It sounded like he was saying goodbye.
"Father, what is going on? I did agree to help you – you don't need to force me," she pleaded, trying to wriggle out of the demons grip again, but it was futile.
It just made his claws cut into her skin and draw blood. Ming accepted that is was pointless to fight the creature. The voice of her father drew her attention back to him.
"I guess I owe to tell you", he said, "Since you are the key to it. I will achieve one of the oldest dreams of mankind today. I will become immortal and you will help me with it."
"But that's not possible", Ming whispered, "I'm nothing special. I'm not powerful." Her father made a crazy impression on her, his eyes glowing with an unholy light.
"My little Ming, you are very special. There are many things between heaven and earth you don't know anything about", her father told her almost tenderly.
"I found a prophecy some years ago that said that the 23rd daughter of the House of Huo would be the one to bring immortality to her lover. You my dear are this 23rd daughter, the 23 generation after the great witch Ana. But you can give immortality only once, to the man who deflowers you. And as much I despise to do this, I have to in order to gain immortality." He sounded as if he was sorry for it.
Ming couldn't catch a clear thought. Her father wanted to rape her! She started crying for help and fought against the demon and her father with tooth and nail. She managed to hit her father with her legs several times.
But Wu Wei was untouched by her resistance and positioned himself between her spread legs, reached for her waist and pulled her body closer to him. He started unbuttoning the fastener of her robe.
"Stop struggling", he commanded angrily, "If you don't fight me, you won't suffer unnecessarily." He hadn't counted on so much resistance from her. She had always been a submissive child.
"How can you do that", she spat at him, "I'm your daughter!"
She didn't give up her struggle and he slapped her hard in the face. Ming stopped struggling and licked unbelievingly over her split lip. Her father had never raised the hand against her before.
"Ming this is just an unhappy coincidence. I didn't know this when I married your mother. I only discovered it some years ago. Unfortunately she saw through my game and I had to get rid of her." Wu Wei confessed as he pulled at her sleeves.
Ming froze. She tried to process what her father just told her. It sounded like he had killed her mother. Her father had killed her mother. Her father had killed her mother! This one sentence kept repeating in her head, immobilizing her totally. It was like her mind had shut down, unwilling to process the information.
"That's better," Wu Wei praised uncovering her body, "Don't fight me and I make it as fast and painless as possible". Ming was naked under the robe except for her slip.
The eyes of the demon slid over Ming's exposed body. Anticipatory he licked his bulging lips. The sorcerer had promised him the witch after he was done with her. As a demon he wasn't interested in immortality. He had it already.
But a witch for a little fun and torturing and then a soul – it was a good bargain. His job had been to get her and now restrain her and fight off any intruders. Watching the sorcerer rape the witch would only add to his arousal. He would have the witch soon afterwards.
Wu Wei took his Athame from the belt and cut off Ming's slip. He didn't bother pulling it off. Ming was lying very still. The revelation about the death of her mother had sent her into a shock. Her breath was coming in fits and starts.
Wu Wei looked at his watch. It was almost time. Midnight of the day of the first spring full moon. It was the spring celebration of the new born power of nature. He needed this magical night to empower Ming's magic and guarantee that immortality was passed onto him.
He reached into his trousers and started stroking himself. He wasn't aroused enough yet. Ming was his daughter. He didn't get hot looking at her naked and displayed body, unlike the salivating demon opposite from him. Wu Wei had to assist his manhood a little. The demon watched him doing it and sneered. It looked like the sorcerer had problems with his stamina.
Ming broke out of her torpidity with a jump when someone touched her pubic bone. It was Wu Wei. Her father touching her at this part of her body was abhorrent. She looked fearsome up at him. With closed eyes he was chanting some strange words she didn't understand. Her glance trailed towards his hand, and she discovered that he had slipped off his trousers. She could see his erected penis in his hand.
"No, please don't, father, don't", she repeated again like a mantra.
But her father had no ear for her pleas, he reached for her and was about to enter her body, when Ming finally cried out desperately, "I'm no virgin anymore!"
Wu Wei stopped dead in his movement. "You are lying", he hissed, "But it won't help you."
"I slept with the demon", Ming disclosed quickly, rattling out the words, "I wanted to get rid of the magic. I thought you would love me again, if I had no powers. Everything would be like before."
She had been quite naïve she realized. She held her breath afraid of how her father was going to react. But then a thought hit her. The demon. Mr. Turner. Ming had been too distracted to think of him before. He was the only one who could help her now.
Ming clasped the ring on her thumb with her fingers and thought of him with all her might and fear. She knew there was almost no possibility that it worked. But it was her only chance. Her great aunt still had forebodings. Maybe there was a reverberation of her powers too.
Wu Wei looked daggers at her and the demon grunted disgusted. The witch had no dignity, pleading with the sorcerer like that. Wu Wei eyed his daughter in utter disbelief and howled hopping mad. "You stupid good-for-nothing girl!"
Shaking from anger he reached for his Athame. Ming was going to pay for that she had scattered his life's dream.
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Cole was lurking around the underworld for hours now. It had been to no avail. There was no hint about anything to do with a Chinese girl and a sorcerer.
Suddenly a wave of desperation and fear hit him. It could only be Ming. Finally she was calling to him. He shimmered out of the underworld immediately. He had to be above ground to be able to locate her.
Without a warning Cole appeared in the living room again. In case Ming was hurt, he had to get Wyatt. Jason jumped up startled while Grace and Wyatt raised a concerned glance at Cole. Zin was hiding her face in her hands but looked up when her husband gasped. Grace was about to say something but Cole didn't give her a chance.
"Ming is calling me", he barked, "Follow me".
And he was gone again. Without hesitation Wyatt grabbed Grace and orbed after Cole's shimmer. There was an urgency in Mr. Turner voice that made Zin feel very bad. She clasped her cold fingers together and prayed to the gods for the millionth time to bring back her niece safe and sound.
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Wyatt orbed in next to Cole. They needed only a second to understand what was going on in the dark cave. Grace gasped disgusted. A girl was forced to an altar by a big ugly demon. She was totally naked and cried. Between her spread legs stood a man, his trousers at his ankles. The Athame in his fist pointed at her chest and he was screaming at her.
The demon sensed their arrival immediately. His head shot up and he let go of the girl's shoulders and threw a fireball in their direction. Wu Wei hurried around startled.
"You", he cried in outrage. He recognized Cole. The other two didn't interest him. He pulled on his trousers hastily.
Ming turned her head to the side to see what had chased away the demon. She was endlessly relieved to see Mr. Turner. He was here. He had heard her call.
Wyatt's shield unfolded around the family and the fireball bounced of it harmlessly. Cole hurled an energy ball of his own towards the demon. But despite his big and clumsy appearance the demon was really fast, he sidestepped the energy ball easily and sneered, baring his teeth.
"I take the demon", Wyatt informed and with a flick of his wrist slammed the demon into a nearby wall.
Cole had already conjured a further energy ball. This one he aimed at Wu Wei. Wu Wei dodged the attack and jumped backwards, his Athame raised threateningly. Cole was about to charge at him but Grace interjected.
"Dad, get the girl, she looks really frightened and doesn't know us. I take him." Without waiting for his approval she attacked Wu Wei.
Grace had been taught martial arts since the cradle. Cole and Phoebe had both shown to it. Cole hesitated a moment. He wasn't comfortable with Grace fighting ever. She would always be is little girl. But he knew she could take care of herself, and another girl needed him more right now.
He was next to Ming with a few big strides. She starred at him but didn't say a word or move a muscle.
"You are save", he told Ming softly while he scanned her body for any severe wounds. There were only some scratches on her shoulders. "Can you sit up?" he asked and cautiously covered her body with her robe, since she made no move to do so herself.
She nodded and Cole helped her into a sitting position. Ming started buttoning up her robe slowly. All the while Cole didn't leave neither Wyatt nor Grace from his field of vision. The demon had burst into flames shortly before but Wu Wei was still dwarfing Grace's attempt to disarm him.
In this moment Grace stopped fighting and starred at him concentrated. Wu Wei saw his chance coming and quickly raised his Athame to throw it at her. But he didn't get this far.
Grace didn't like the use of her power of mind manipulation much, but she was tired of this man. With the power of her mind she forced him to let go of his Athame. It fell to the ground with a metallic sound.
Wu Wei looked at her slightly dazed and bewildered. Grace kept him under tight control. He couldn't move a single muscle. He stood at his place like a statue, only his eyes were moving. Full of hate he fixed his glance on the people at the altar.
"Does she need healing?" Wyatt stepped next to Cole. "I'm Wyatt". He smiled openly at the girl. She was cute, even in her battered state.
"She has some minor scratches at her shoulders", Cole informed him.
Ming watched the young man next to Cole. He held his hands over her shoulders and a bright golden light appeared. It was the same Mr. Wyatt had done to her great uncle. Her shoulders stopped throbbing immediately. She sent him a thankful glance and a small smile. He was probably an angel too. In fact she didn't care what he was. As long as Mr. Turner was here, she wouldn't be afraid of any creature.
"What do we do with him now?" Grace asked her family, motioning at Wu Wei.
Simultaneously she took a first closer look at their innocent. The girl was younger than her, probably in her early twenties. She looked run down and shivered in her thin robe. Surprisingly one of her hands clutched at Cole's arm tightly.
"Hi, I'm Grace", she introduced herself and Ming handed her a clammy hand.
But not the one with which held on to Cole. Cole himself was standing very close to Ming like trying to make her feel save. Grace couldn't remember any time her father had taken such a personal interest in a charge. It was odd to see him familiar with another woman than her mother.
"I say vanquish him", Cole broke her musing. "He caused enough damage. Furthermore I already warned him twice not to go near them again. He just doesn't listen. He won't listen this time either".
That statement got him a reprimanding glare from his daughter, a reproachful one from Wyatt and a disbelieving one from Ming, but she didn't let go of his arm.
"No. That is not an option". Grace looked at Wyatt for help. Her father really took this case much too personally.
"We could strip his powers", Wyatt suggested, "and then use some more of the memory dust. He won't remember who he was."
"Sounds good to me", Grace said contentedly, "I'll do the power stripping potion with Aunt Piper. Wyatt can you orb me home?"
"And what do we do with him in the meantime, Grace?" Cole asked unnerved, "any suggestions?" From time to time Cole was under the impression that Grace had somehow inherited more from Prue's personality than from Phoebe's.
"One of you has to watch him", she shrugged her shoulders.
"I'll do it", Wyatt hurried to throw in. He didn't want to come between a full blown fight between Grace and Cole. They were both equally hot-blooded and stubborn.
Wyatt orbed Grace home to prepare the potion. In the meantime Cole had to watch Wu Wei, an energy ball ready in his hand. He wouldn't hesitate a second to vanquish the man, if he gave him any reason.
When Grace left the room, Wu Wei could move again, but Cole ordered him against it. Wu Wei stayed at his place but starred at Cole and Ming hostile.
"You sleazy slut", Wu Wei spat at her, "Shagging up with a demon. You are a disgrace to our family."
Ming just looked away. She couldn't think of him as her father anymore, his words did hurt her tough. She had slept with a man she didn't love out of necessity, but did this make her a slut?
"You better bite your tongue", Cole warned bouncing the energy ball in his hand threateningly and shooting him a dark look, "Or I have to tell my daughter that you tried to attack us. Understood?"
Wu Wei was smart enough to not try Cole's patience. They remained silent until Wyatt orbed in some minutes later. He grabbed an unresisting Wu Wei and looked at Cole.
"Let's take you home", Cole said to Ming and shimmered out with her, Wyatt on his heels.
tbc
I hope to get some reviews on this one, cause it was really hard to write the scene between Ming and her father