Eternal Flame
part 13
"So, tell me...how would he feel about his wife becoming nothing short of a few scattered pieces? Do you think it might wake him up? I mean, maybe it goes without saying, really...doesn't it, Miss Halliwell?" Phoebe struggled against the tight grip Xavier had secured around her neck, as he placed his knife to her throat with his free hand, a cruel smile playing over his blue lips. "On second thought, maybe I could also just have my way with you. I don't suppose jealousy is one of his better qualities, do you?"
"Go ahead. Kill me," Phoebe taunted. "You'll never find out where Chloe is, and your boss will still try and take your life. Not the best proposition in the world, is it? Of course...you're not exactly the smartest man in the world either, are you?"
"See, that's when I'll target your sister," he explained, sending a brief gaze Paige's way. "Oh. And then the little girls. Such innocent little children...can you imagine? I'm sure both of them would go for a pretty penny in these parts."
"Mmm, no...sorry. But what I can imagine, is my fist lodged in your face again," she softly quipped.
"Phoebe, I don't think you're helping the situ-"
"Paige, stay out of this."
"See, this is exactly what I'm getting at. Everything I try and do you a favor, you strike out at me like that."
"I'm not- look, will you please just-"
"Yes, you are," her sister insisted.
"Go. Please. For your own safety. I'll be-"
"And by any other means, I would. But we're about to be another sister short, and seeing you die a horrible death just isn't on my list of things to do lately."
"Find Cole," she urged. "Get to him, and tell him what-"
"I really don't think that will be necessary. As soon as I'm done with you, I'll seek him out anyway," Xavier murmured.
"You're a bastard," Phoebe hissed.
"Oh, but some bastards can be so terribly influential."
"Paige, you have your powers. Go."
"What was that about being chicken in orbing from place to place again?"
"What the hell are you talking about?" Phoebe breathed. "What's wrong with you?"
"You're always looking to get rid of me so you can play the big witch...be the big star. Hard to believe I ever felt included before, you know?"
"Paige, you'd prove a lot more effective if you get off your butt and move. Now."
"No. It's me he wants, isn't it?" a voice offered to her right, the slender arms drawn tightly at her sides, a single foot placed directly in front of the other. Chloe Franklin narrowed her eyes, as she parted her lips. "You're a demon, right? And from what Nick told me, I'm supposed to fight demons."
"Oh, don't waste your breath," Xavier drawled, as he chuckled slightly to himself. "Celia doesn't wish to-"
"No, but she'll take me away from their side, won't she?"
"It's destined to be that way. Once you have joined our cause, you'll be entirely free to accept our terms."
"I think I kind of like where I am now, if you don't mind."
"Did you follow us?" Phoebe hissed.
Chloe shrugged. "More or less. I mean, I had to see what I was up against, didn't I?"
"You also sent out a warrant for you own death," she mused, rolling her eyes. "Way to go."
"Does arguing run in the family?" Chloe snapped back. "Because I've sure heard you doing an awful lot of it since I met you."
"And in all honesty, blonde just isn't your color."
"I cam to fight him, not you."
"Kick his ass, Miss Franklin," a small voice pressed, as Catrina offered her a short wave.
"I think the little one has a terribly big mouth," Xavier pressed, sending a grimace the little girl's way.
Phoebe smiled. "She knows how to deal with these guys, doesn't she?"
"Smooth," he offered, nodding.
"So let's go," Chloe countered. "You and me. You set her free, and I may even willingly go with you."
"And you really expect me to take your word as fact?"
"It'll have to do. Because as of now, it's all you've got."
"Um...Chloe, maybe there's something you should-" Paige started.
"There's no time," the teacher interrupted. "This was the same guy who pursued Cole earlier. He's bad news."
"Yeah, we already figured that out. That's exactly why you shouldn't be putting any amateur skills to the test."
"Amatuer?"
"Look, there's something Cole hasn't told you," Phoebe pleaded. "Trust me. You don't want to do this."
"And what is it with everyone? You tell me I have this secret destiny, and now I'm not allowed to test it? You need my help, don't you? I mean, otherwise I wouldn't have been brought here, right? So why do you keep feeling my head with all of this-"
"You were brought here for Celia's use," Xavier explained. "She wishes you to join her in our quest."
"Quest?"
"Either way, you will be forced to kill your friends much later into the game. Why must you hesitate now?"
"I'm not going to kill anyone," she protested rather defiantely. She then paused a moment, as she realized what she'd just said. "Except maybe you."
"Maybe? Oh, this is just rich," Xavier chuckled. "I don't believe you're actually quite sure of yourself yet, are you, Miss Franklin?"
"And nothing Cole did is ever going to make me lose my faith in what he is, and how he'll help us out of here. So don't even-"
"Are you entirely sure about that?" Paige interjected.
"I was scared of him before, and I'm not going to bail again. You have my solemn promise on that."
Paige threw her a brief smirk. "Chloe, you're inexperienced. There's no other way around it. You have to practice to- leave this kind of stuff to us, alright?"
"I came here to help you guys! Is that so bad?"
"You barely know him."
"And yet you still have the hots for him," Melinda interrupted, raising an eyebrow. "I...I mean, Catrina said so."
"Did not," the other girl objected.
"Did too!"
"I'm sorry?"
"Look, we're just afraid you're letting all of those warm and fuzzy feelings get in the way of doing what's right," Paige continued. "It's nothing personal."
"Nothing personal?"
"Can I please just break her neck now?" Xavier questioned, as he once again regained his hold, his strong arms threatening to cut off Phoebe's air supply, as she fought to dig her nails into his skin, her struggle starting to cease. "I'm actually starting to become rather bored with all of this mindless babbling. Truth be told, it's giving me a damn splitting headache."
"No, actually, I think play time has long been over for today, Xavier, don't you think? Recess is over, everybody go home, right?" Before he could release his captor, a bolt of lightening hit him point blank in the chest, as cried out out in a fit full of rage, his eyes blazing with fury. Phoebe hit the ground rather hard, as he flung her roughly aside, attempting to escape with the injury, his right hand frantically placing itself over the fresh wound, as a deep green liquid began to seep through the slice of skin that had been taken clean off. "Took me forever to figure you out. I mean, why the hell would you be here, in a place like this, around people like this, when you seriously despised making any kind of a deal before? Hmm?"
"Belthazor," he sneered.
"Yeah, I get that a lot," Cole added sarcastically, as he tossed another his opponent's way, cleanly crossing his arms over his broad chest, as the second blast scored yet another perfect target. "You tell your boss that I'm tired of waiting for her to find us. I'm getting awfully pissed now, and this child's play is for a damn novice."
"You're going to pay," Xavier whispered, as he held himself upright, his composure threatening to collapse to the ground, as his breathing became rather meek, his feet nearly failing him.
"Just be glad you didn't hurt my wife, or else I'd be doing a lot worse than that. Then again, she probably shouldn't have even come out here in the first place....all by herself." He threw Phoebe a small grin, flashing her a calmly stubbled profile. "You. Me. We'll talk later, alright?"
Phoebe frowned. "And right now, I have nothing to do say to you. You ruined my chances at a shot at victory, Cole. Are you out of your mind?"
"I thought you didn't have anything to say?"
"Well, I'm saying it now, aren't I?!"
"That's besides the point. One, I am never going to tell Nick to watch my daughter again, because it gave me the creeps just thinking about it, and two, your sis-"
"Alex?"
"She's been with me this whole time. He's been back at the cave...tomb...whatever. I never made that choice. And...well...there's probably something else you should know abou-"
"And when I don't feel like crap, maybe we can have a heart to heart."
"You're mad, aren't you?"
"Oh, nooo, not whatever gave you that idea?"
"Turner, we're destined to be friends, you know," Xavier spoke up. "As much as that could prove to be as far from the truth as you may desire it, it's already written in stone."
"Xavier, many things are written in stone. Matter of fact, before I stopped by for a little visit, I just received first hand knowledge on what exactly Celia is trying to pull off. Tell you what. She's already going to have to work damn hard to try."
"What are you talking about?"
"I've got a source that extends beyond the grave," he replied simply, shrugging. "Oh, and just so we're clear, you're going to that grave. Whether it's now or a couple of days from now, I'm going to put you there myself."
"Have you forgotten your past?"
"The memories get all the more vivid everyday, thanks for asking."
"Then you'll know I'm going to personally see to it that I bury that family of yours to the ground."
"And you're going to have to get through me to try."
"Oh, stop this incessant nonsense, Turner. You're better than that. Much better. We don't have to do this. All I want is my shot at the woman for the boss, and then-"
"And I can take you," Chloe breathed. "Count on it."
"Don't you understand? She wants to challenge me, Cole. Did you hear that? She wants me to take her...she wants to be evil."
"Nobody chooses it. Even you know that," he whispered. "And you should also know that I don't make trades."
"Of course not. Why, you're so much above our level now, aren't you?"
"Level?"
"Sure. You still feel that what you did to this young woman proves you fully capable of immediate redemption."
"He hasn't hurt me," Chloe added. "He's good."
"Oh, is that what we're still calling it? Good? Mr. Turner, does she have absolutely no memory of what you did? Because that would honestly be priceless, would it not?"
"Wosret isn't going to surface, and I think you already know that."
"Wosret is going to kill Celia anyway, so why should I presume to care?"
"You're deliberately remaining neutral, aren't you?"
"In a manner of speaking," Xavier confessed.
"Mmm...it's just too bad those wounds are healing. Because I'm about to give you five seconds to make a mad dash for it, before I go and finish the job."
"You're bluffing, Turner. You couldn't even hurt a fly."
"Are you doubting my intentions?"
"I'll get the message to her."
"Good. So that must actually mean you really do want to live, doesn't it?"
"Who wouldn't, if you're going to witness the end of the world?"
"You can try, can't you? I...I mean, in a manner of speaking, right?" Cole quipped, as the demon finally blinked out of sight. Taking a deep breath, he knelt down near his wife, a concerned expression suddenly crossing his gorgeous countenance, as he slowly placed a hesitant hand to her face, its touch grazing over her features rather gingerly. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine," she whispered. "And just for the record, I wouldn't have let him kill me, so stop acting all-"
"When I found out you guys had run off, I didn't know what to-"
"So what did you do?" Chloe asked him, her hands set across her slender hips, as she moved in closer to them, her heart beating rapidly in her chest.
"Do?"
"He said you did something to me. Something awful...by the sound of it. What was it?"
"Chloe-"
"I want to know," she pressed. "I want to know now."
"Do you trust us?"
"Um...shouldn't you be asking her if she trusts you?" Paige volunteered. "I mean, afterall, it was you who did it, wasn't it? I'm sure as hell not going down with the blame."
"She needs to know I'm not the bad guy."
"And we discussed this," Chloe threw out. "I get it. I really do. Why is that so hard for even you to contemplate? What the hell is going on? For God's sake, I'm sick to death of being kept in the dark all the time. I get that you all have a little secret coven thing going for you, I really do. But now that I'm here..."
"I really think there's something more important at stake here," Cole offered, motioning to Phoebe, as he winced rather briefly.
"What? Why? Did you get yourself in more trouble?" his wife asked him, her brow narrowing slightly out of suspicion.
"No, but the Elders did," he mused carefully.
"Elders? What do you mean?"
"Who are the Elders?" Chloe inquired, her curiousity suddenly peaked with a renewed interest.
"No one," Paige added. "Figure of speech."
"Paige," Phoebe hissed.
"Well, they are. Since when have they ever lived up to their name?"
"Bringing me back might be a start," a familiar voice cut in.
"Did you get him, Daddy?" another voice added.
"As I was saying...." Cole told Phoebe, his voice slowly trailing off.
**********
"We must not hesitant for a moment. He must die. His treason is long overdue."
"He is beyond treason now. We must execute our plan according to hers, or else we risk ending up right back where we started. Do you really want for that to happen? Now that we are so very close again?"
"Close? He is not even within reach."
"But he shall be. Very soon."
"The Elders wish to help them," a third voice chimed in. "That is the very thing that could ultimately destroy us. She never informed us of their influence in the matter."
"And I refuse to simply standby and not allow him to suffer our means of revenge."
"You jest," the second one added. "All three of us are needed in order to secure a most powerful death."
"He is void of Belthazor," the first continued. "Perhaps it will be much easier than we originally expected, yes?"
"And if we continue to meet like this, she will certainly believe us suspicious. The Source is not within our capability anymore. We must apply our alternatives," the second complained.
"But Wosret's spirit may just turn him to our beliefs, just as Celia indicated," the third countered. "That is what we wish, is it not? To have him back to our side, to rise them all up among us?"
"And his daughter is most powerful now as well. She grows in strength by the day."
"But not nearly strong enough to defeat us."
"You wish for combat through the dark magicks. That is what Celia can provide."
"But not nearly good enough."
"We are under her command."
"Oh, boys, are you all fighting over me again? Tsk tsk. You should all know better than that. Afterall, we're all adults here, are we not?" a cheerful voice proclaimed, as the figure slowly entered the room, her long dress trailing softly behind her.
"We grow tired of waiting. We wish it to be done now," the first stated plainly. "We want him now."
"But you are not to harm him. Have I not made myself-"
"Oh, we are well aware of that."
"Well, good. Perhaps you will be much better than the last minions I sought out, yes?"
"Minions, Your Grace?" the second threw in.
"Why, what did you expect? You work for me, you do as I say, I don't see how there's anymore to it. Do you? Now...where on earth do you suppose that sneaky little Xavier stormed off to? I miss him terribly."