Third Time Charmed

A Fight to Remember (Part 7)

The arid air of the Underworld hung thick with sulfur. Lava oozed in veins along the rocky walls, pulsing like blood through a living thing, casting the narrow catacombs in a dim glow. Cole paced along the path where he and Leo had paused, furtively glancing over his shoulder as the walls echoed with the distant growls of creatures better left unseen. They were exposed here. "Leo?" he pressed impatiently.

"She's hurt," Leo said, his eyes shut tight in concentration, seemingly oblivious to the precariousness of their situation.

"Where is she?" Cole whispered, a mix of concern and irritation threading his tone.

Leo shook his head, frustration pulling at the corners of his mouth, "I don't know, I can't get an exact reading."

Suddenly, the light of an Energy Ball bathed the nearby walls in a blue sheen. Cole ducked instinctively, then peered around the jagged outcrop and returned fire. The underworld never stayed quiet for long. "Try harder," he urged.

"I can't," Leo hissed. "The Source must have taken precautions. He's blocking Piper's signal."

Another ball of electrical energy whizzed past, close enough to singe. Cole's jaw tensed. "Well, then, we have to find the Source."

Out of ideas, Leo questioned, "How are we gonna do that?"

Cole turned to face him with grim resolve. "There's only one way," he said, stepping out into the open.

"Cole!" Leo's protest barely left his mouth before the man was promptly struck by an enemy projectile. His body coursed with electricity, then arced backward and crumpled to the ground. As the sharp scent of scorched flesh filled the air, Leo steeled himself and took cover. He watched as the two hunters on their trail emerged from the shadows and dragged their bounty away.

Once Leo understood Cole's reckless decision, he found himself grateful beyond words. He couldn't find Piper with his Sensing power, but the Bounty Hunters would take Cole right to the Source, and he was accustomed enough to the man by now to track him. While he had exhibited reluctance when it came to lending Cole his Healing Touch, Cole hadn't hesitated to make a sacrifice that might save his wife. He would remember that.

***

The Oracle tapped her forearm impatiently as she watched her master working on the witch. His plan may have been progressing, but it was taking too long, too much magic. With her crystal ball showing only clouds while attempting to divine an outcome, she was starting to feel very uneasy. When a pair of bounty hunters entered the cavern, dragging a body between them, her worries were compounded.

She sashayed toward them, her eyes gleaming dangerously. "What are you doing here?" she hissed. "Leave now!"

"I don't think so," said one of the bounty hunters.

"Tell the Source we've captured Belthazor," his partner announced proudly.

With twin thuds, they let Cole's body fall at the Oracle's feet, eliciting a groan from him. Her lips curled into a predatory smile when she glimpsed the elusive traitor's face, surely a good omen. "Leave him. I'll make sure you get the credit."

"We're not going without our bounty," one of them asserted bravely, unaware that the man across the cavern who resembled Alaster was their ruler.

She arched an eyebrow, already turning away. "Then you'll wait," she instructed, returning to her master's side, her silken skirt trailing behind like liquid gold. Using her seeing eyes, she tried to glimpse the illusion playing out in the witch's mind.

"I have a surprise for you, Piper," the Source murmured, a grin of malevolent delight tugging at his lips. She was almost ready.

***