Chapter 8

Caan smiled, she was a powerful white witch but her power was nothing compared to his power. Rising he moved out of the bar intending to wait and follow them home so he could make his move and take her to hell. Drifting back into the darkness he was surprised to feel someone behind him. "I really would not do what you think you are going to do."

Shifting he spun and caught air. It had to be the woman from earlier. She had disappeared. Frowning he wondered what she was that she could move through time and dimensions like a hot knife through butter. "Um here tall dark and brooding."

He spun back around and she stood just out of grabbing distance from him. "That woman you have your eye set on is my mother. I am not about to allow you to change the balance of nature."

Caan smiled, and it was a chilling deadly smile. He had narrowed his ebony colored eyes, "You cannot be that woman's child. You are both the same age."

She liked his voice but could not be distracted by his incredibly dark rabid good looks or his voice. She thought a moment and shrugged, "Still I am her daughter and she is important to this timeline."

That nailed it for him; she was a 'Timefolder.' More than likely she was probably from the future and she was here now fighting demons and protecting her mother.

His cynicism was grating when he spoke, "Oh how sweet the little girl wants to protect her mommy. Well that is too bad for you, she is going with me before this night is over."

Josette sighed, "You big dumb types never learn do you? I said you are not going to take or bother my mother."

He laughed, "And what do you propose to do about it?"

Josette smiled and it was a delightfully impish smile, "Just this." She moved forward and he expected her to make an aggressive or combative move on him, all she did was place a button like silver disc on his jacket and then pressed a button on her cell phone. "Now."

Caan was unexpectedly transported back to the gates of nine hells. "What the . . ." He looked around and he was once again in his brother's throne room. Baal was unexpectedly surprised to see his brother standing center stage.

"Caan? Where is the mortal female?" Baal stood and moved towards the edge of his throne's dais.

Caan looked as puzzled at his appearance as Baal. "Who is this female?" Caan demanded from Baal.

Baal cocked his head and spoke with as much authority as he brother had used. "A mortal female that is the desire and interest of my new son. Why is she not here?"

Caan moved with force around the room and reasoned, "Because she is more than a mortal woman Baal, she is a white witch under the protection of a Timefolder, now maybe its time we had a talk with your newest son."

Baal looked pleasantly surprised as he heard this new information. "Have you seen the woman?"

Caan nodded, "Yes, she is very lovely, very pure and a very powerful white witch and she had a guardian. Which said guardian claims to be her daughter from the future."

Baal was entranced, "Really, perhaps she is worthy of our note. Do you know to whom she owes her powers?"

Caan blustered with his anger, "Brother, what difference does it make, she is not attainable at this time."

Baal frowned, "Everything is attainable if the right pressure is mounted, you brother have not completed my request. Return to the mortal realm and see what you can learn."

From the darkness another voice spoke, "I know who she is Baal and she is protected by Michael the arch-outrider of the all knowing and being that which is all that is just and right."

Baal turned and narrowed his gaze as he looked upon minus Deus, Deo autem mortis, his under god and devil that was allowed to use his name on the other world as Diablos.

"Step forward Diablos, miscreant of darkness and tell us what you know."

The red skinned demon sporting the beginnings of horns in his forehead moved into view.

"I sought to take her one night while she was under the power of Vlad Tepes, he thought she was his dead wife reborn in the body of Victoria Winters."

Baal nodded, "Show us this woman's image."

Diablos moved forward and commanded, "Bring forth the pool of seeing."

Small younglings of the underworld that bore only the barest resemblance to hairy human monkeys scurried to do the bidding and wheeled large round water filled black onyx tub into the room before Baal. "Show the one he seeks."

Diablos ordered of the water and waved his hand over the surface. The water surface began to ripple and then settled and from the water surface the water fed image of a woman of incomparable beauty appeared in three-dimensional form. The image took on color and form of Vicki's head, waving his hand again, the second image almost identical with only subtle differences formed. There you see they do resemble."

"She is very lovely, what makes her so special." Baal thought as far as women were concerned she was lovely a delicate beauty.

Diablos ordered, "Show her essence." Again, the water rippled and then reformed. Vicki's animated image in full form appeared as she stood on the top of widows hill, her body bathed in the glow of the soft light, her long dark hair trailed over her body and she was dressed in a soft white gown of diaphones material.

She was breath-taking bathed as she was in the soft moonlight, then her image shifted and she stood at the water's edge and was joined by the elements four and they laughed and danced in the moonlight and waves. Fair and fey looking he studied her image with those of the elements.

The glow of her purity shared by her sisters as she ran in the surf, laughed and allowed the elements to dance with her. Baal found her to be an epic beauty and astonished that she was bound by all four elements in shared harmony, "She is bonded to the sisters four, how is this possible?"

Diablos frowned, "Because she carries a greater gift in her womb, she is the mother of the hell mouth's guardian of the earth world. She bested one of my strongest witches with her powers. Michael guards her and protects her."

Baal studied the female and she fascinated him, "She would make a worthy addition to my house."

Caan was growing bored with all this posturing between the god and the demi god. "I thought you desired her for your son."

Baal shrugged, when I grow bored he can have her, right now he pleasures himself with the best of my house. They treat him with the same favor as they would me. They also care for his continued comfort. I want this woman Caan, you will bring her to me."

Caan looked at Baal, "if you want her brother why not go seek her for yourself."

Baal was growing annoyed by his brother's attitude. "Are you not capable of bringing her to me?"

Caan sighed, "I did not say that brother I said, she is unattainable at this time."

Baal moved to sit on his throne he angled his body bracing it with his obsidian staff he commanded, "Then you must bend the time to bring her here. What of her husband?"

Baal looked at his under god for an explanation, "He was at one time a vampire, he was cured of his affliction and now walks in daylight and no longer fears it."

Baal frowned, "He has escaped his affliction by being cured? How is this possible?"

Baal appeared unimpressed by such a statement. Diablos observing his master in a amenable mood offered, "A lady doctor who is a scientist cured him by means of medical manipulations of blood cells."

Baal contemplated this and found it ironic and muttered, "An inferior species that should have been sent to extinction a long time ago."

While Baal considered the imperfections of the vampire species, Diablos took the time to try and seek favor of his master, "My benevolent master I wish this one small dispensation for one of my own."

Baal recognized groveling when he saw it, "Go on." His words were soft and measured as he waited to see what his request would reveal.

He was not disappointed as he saw the sly smile of one of his underlings, " You see my Lord, if you please, only allow me to see this injustice of Barnabas Collins, righted, that is if not for me then for one of my faithful followers that still struggles to escape the fifth hell."

Baal stood his contempt for this lowly being starting to edge his anger. It had been his favorite's mistake that had created the situation she now found was her punishment and now Diablos wanted him to risk the balance of hells?

To ask him to bring war between the hells, he would seek to usurp what had stood for eons. Caan saw how the anger of such a request was building in his brother and he was no longer attentive to him. He watched somewhat amused his brother dealt with his underling, a demi god that had been so much like his newest son. "You dare to ask me to undo what was done for the sake of an underling? Not just an underling but a female underling?" Diablos knew he had gone too far with is request.

Angelique was special. "Sire, I ask only for what is right and fair to one that had followed us faithfully for three hundred years!"

Baal felt the arrogance of Diablos had gone way to far this time and wanted to teach him a lesson. With a voice that bordered on providence, he spoke with deliberate calculated ease "You want your follower brought out, then you can go fetch her." Diablos looked hopeful waiting for his request to be granted. He would have gladly gone to the fifth hell to retrieve her.

Baal's next words dealt the blow he had not expected; "However to make sure you are worthy of my future attention, you will do it as you were!"

Diablos knew this form was as he used to be and that was in near human form with only the rudimentary skills he had possessed. The skills he used when he first conquered the other hells before reaching this level.

Realizing his imminent danger he turned to plead. "My Lord I meant no disrespect, I only wanted to reward the loyalty of my minion Angelique Bouchard."

Baal was not in the mood to be coddled or appeased his demi god. He had thoughtless failed to recognize he had risked the existence of hell by his superficial request. Now he had to be shown he needed to learn humility to his Lord. Such stupidity for one of his chosen was unacceptable.

Baal shook his head and smiled, "No Diablos you will learn your proper respect, if this woman is worth your note, and then she surely would be worth your efforts or your life to help her leave the fifth hell and brought here to stand before my hydra."

Again, it was too late Diablos had sealed his fate and his anger boiled to the surface to spew forth leaving Baal no doubt that Diablos had become far to arrogant to share a spot with him in his ninth hell.

Charging the throne, Diablos shouted, "YOU! YOU ARE TOO ARROGANT AND STUPID TO SIT AT THE THRONE OF ALL HELLS. YOU SHOULD JOIN ME IN MY HELL QUEST!"

Baal seeing his advanced stood faced him and shouted, 'THEN, YOU WILL NOT MIND REMEMBERING FROM WHERE YOU COME!" Baal's eyes glowed with a red intensity taking his obsidian staff of power and tamped it on the ground once. With the tap Diablos was gone.

Baal was furious and Caan knew he would turn that fury on him, so to avoid any further confrontation with his brother, Caan slipped back into his darkness, and was once again on the surface holding the silver like button disk that she, the one who called herself the daughter, had placed on him sending him back to hell.

Glancing down at the disk he smiled, "So, little one you want to play with the big boys. So be it." Putting the disk in is suit pocket, he moved through the town in ethereal form watching and waiting for he knew that as long as he was around she would show herself again trying to best his skill level and this time he would be prepared.

Having searched the area for his mysterious beauty, he decided it was time to direct his attentions back to his primary target, Victoria Winters Collins and her husband Barnabas Collins. Drifting in his vaporous form, he found the house on the hill.

Pressing forward in his non-corporal state he drifted through the concrete walls into the house. He could smell her here, the one called Vicki. Drifting along to the three strongest areas of her essence he went first to an empty bedroom.

It was typical of what he termed a human female would enjoy. To wrap herself in the softness of the canopy bed, the subtle scent of perfume, she was not here so perhaps she was down the hall.

Passing through the time worn walls of the house, he stopped in a room. There in a twin bed lay a young boy. Frowning he looked the room over, her scent was not as strong here so she must have been here on several occasions with this human boy.

Looking upon the face of the child, he was surprised when the child sat up and looked at him. "Hello."

Caan floated over to the other side of the room and the boy's gaze followed his movement. "You can see me?"

David looked at him with open curiosity, "Yes." He had stated it with a sureness that left no doubt the child was gifted with a supernatural ability. "Who are you?"

David sat watching the strange man. "No one you know, I was looking for someone."

David brightened, "Josette? Sarah?" Those names held no interest to Caan, "No, are they friends of yours?"

He nodded, "They are missing and I was wondering if you know where they were?" Caan thought he would as a favor to this child; use his abilities to find his friends. He was feeling benevolent towards this unusual and lonely child. Caan searched the cosmos and not finding them then shifted his talent to the void, there he found two forms drifting in despair.

With a shift of his own innate proclivity he shifted them to the present and they appeared in the room by David's bed. The reunion would have been heart warming were it not for the fact that Caan prided himself on his ability to feel nothing for another being.

Shifting his form once more, he moved towards the location that held less of her essence, there he found a man and woman. The woman held the strongest contact though the man had a minor touch. So, this must have been her mother and father.

"Vicki looked pale tonight don't you think?" George had been sitting in front of the fireplace reading the paper while his wife went through her nightly beauty routine.

"I thought she looked a little wan. I think she had been grieving in Barnabas' absence, she loves him completely."

George had stood and moved to place a kiss on his wife's forehead. "As I love you my dear." Caan noted the older woman had blushed at such an endearment. They were no help, so he drifted from their room and back to David's room.

The two spirits were gone so Caan hovered over David's bed. He smiled in his innocence, "Hello again, thank you for finding my friends."

Caan nodded, no emotion in his transparent form. "You can thank me by telling me where I can find Victoria Winters Collins." He watched the child's face light up with love at the thought of the woman.

"Vicki? She lives at the old house with my cousin Barnabas." Caan smiled giving the impression he was thankful for the child's help. What poor David had not realized was he had given Caan exactly what he had needed.

"Thank you." Caan whispered as he disappeared. David feeling happy with having his friends returned, rolled on his side, pulled his blankets up and smiled. He was happy, he had his friends back and all was right with his narrow world of contentment. So, David fell asleep with the visions of happiness in his mind.

Caan drifted over the grounds and through the woods to a larger structure he knew was there and the closer he got the stronger the scent of her essence. The house seemed quiet so they all must be asleep.

Moving through the walls, he followed the scent to a large bedroom and entered. Again, it held the softness that was woman. This room was empty, drifting over the room, he could smell her essence but this was not her room.

Over the mantle he saw a portrait of a woman. It was the spirit he had released from the void. "You are here for Victoria are you not?" He held his position in his vaporous form not acknowledging or denying. Josette solidified her form and walked to the bed that she had once claimed as her own.

"She deserves some happiness, you should not interfere with her life."

Caan was amused, a spirit defending a mere mortal woman he remained silent allowing her to continue with her plea. "I am grateful you have restored us to this ether. I would be as grateful if not more, if you just allowed Vicki and her husband their happiness."

Caan cocked his head, "You died very young." Was all he could think to say?

She nodded, "The evil witch Angelique had cursed me and my love for Barnabas so she destroyed him by going after those that loved him."

Caan smiled and Josette knew it was a triumphant smile, not one of pleasure. "Please don't . . ." Caan had disappeared from sight and she turned frustrated. She knew to warn Vicki would just give him recourse to banish her and Sarah to the void to drift in loneliness and despair for the rest of eternity.