The Golden Grimoire Teen

[Angie]

This was a bit hairy, trying to get past this obstacle. Thankfully Cole helped them out. I'm picturing Cole and Paige together somehow since she seemed to be sympathetic to his being hurt. I like Cole and Piper, but after reading this chapter, I could see Cole and Paige, at least as good friends...Good update, Jerry!

[NoAzMale]

FOURTEEN

The passage seemed to continue on forever. As before, there were no openings or passages branching off and there was only one way for them to go. They walked in silence hoping that the final leg of their journey would end quickly and they could return home soon. Finally they came to an open passage that appeared to lead into a larger, very dark chamber. After testing to see if the passage was safe they stood outside the chamber.

“Well, this doesn’t look good,” said Paige. “There’s no way of knowing how large that chamber is or what’s waiting inside for us.”

“Maybe there is,” said Cole. He raised his hand and a ball of light formed in the palm. “It’s not dangerous but it should illuminate at least part of the room.”

He stood in front of the passage and tossed the ball of light into the room. Just as the light ball passed the opening into the room it was immediately extinguished.

“Okay, I don’t like this,” said Piper. “It appears that magic doesn’t work in this chamber. That can’t be good.”

“So what do we do?” Phoebe asked. “There could be anything waiting in there for us. And we can’t just stand out here waiting forever.”

“Maybe Leo should go in first,” Cole suggested.

“Are you crazy?” Piper asked. “For all we know there’s some horrible beast waiting in the darkness that would tear him apart the second he steps in the room.”

“He also is incapable of being permanently harmed,” said Cole.

“Your invulnerability isn’t working here,” said Piper. “What makes you think his would work any better?”

“Because my invulnerability is because of the powers I acquired in the Wasteland,” said Cole. “Leo is a White Lighter. It’s part of who he is. His orbing may not be working because that’s an external power. He’s immortal. Not even the magic of the Ancients is enough to strip that from him. Not without killing him.”

“It’s a crazy idea,” said Phoebe.

“No, it actually makes sense,” said Leo. “My White Lighter abilities have obviously been affected in here. But my immortality isn’t an ability it’s part of the makeup of all White Lighters. And Cole’s right. It can’t be circumvented short of killing me. I’m the most logical choice to see what’s in that room.”

“And if something happens to you in there?” Piper asked. “You can’t orb out. And we may not be able to come in after you.”

“We all knew this was dangerous when we came in here,” said Leo. “Just as Phoebe said, we can’t wait out here forever. We don’t have a choice.”

“Just be careful,” said Piper, kissing him. “At the first sign of danger I want you to get out of that room.”

“I will,” Leo promised.

He stepped up to the opening and peered into the darkness. The light from the corridor penetrated only about a foot into the room. He hesitated for a moment and then stepped into the room. Nothing happened. Tentatively he took another step in the room.

Suddenly the entire chamber lit up. The chamber was twenty feet wide and nearly sixty feet long. The ceiling rose nearly fifteen feet over the floor. In the back of the room stood a stone pedestal about four feet high and a large book sat on the pedestal. About six feet into the room was a man facing the pedestal but he seemed to be sunk in stone floor up to his knees.

“Who’s there?” asked the man trying to turn to see who they were. He was unable to turn around completely and was unable to see who they were. “Whoever you are I’d appreciate a little help here.”

“Who do we have here?” Piper asked peering into the room.

“I think that’s Lawrence,” said Cole. “It seems he sprung the trap in this chamber.”

“I know that voice,” said the man. “Cole? Cole Turner? Long time no see, old buddy. You think you might give me a hand out of here? For old times sake?”

“Hello, Lawrence,” said Chase. “Imagine my surprise when I learned that you had betrayed me. I thought we were friends.”

“Chase?” questioned Greggson. “Well, it’s good to see you, so to speak. Sorry. I really couldn’t tell you what I was up to without a whole lot of explanations I was pretty sure you wouldn’t believe anyway.”

“Leo, don’t move,” said Cole. “You’re safe for the moment but there’s no telling how much more of the room is trapped.”

“What kind of trap?” Phoebe asked.

“Quickstone,” said Cole. “It’s kind of like quicksand. You can’t tell the difference between it and regular stone until you step on it. Then it begins to suck you under just like quicksand. When it’s finished you’re completely encased in stone.”

“Is that what I’m seeing on the floor?” Phoebe asked.

“What do you mean?” Cole asked.

“The floor,” said Phoebe. “I can see dark spots. They seem to be randomly scattered throughout the room. And Greggson seems stuck in one of them.”

“Maybe her precognitive ability is letting her see the spots of quickstone,” said Piper. “Which means we should be able to get the book without risking getting caught in any more of it.”

“That would make sense,” said Cole. “The magic here might be enhancing her special sight allowing her to see things that no one else can.”

“So, why didn’t it do that with the mirror trap?” Paige asked.

“Uh, Cole, buddy, you think we could save the explanations until after I get rid of the cement shoes? I’m still sinking and I figure I have about a minute before I become a permanent part of the floor.”

“We should leave him there,” said Paige. “If it wasn’t for him we wouldn’t even be in this mess.”

“It’s tempting,” said Piper. “I’m kind of curious to see just what actually happens when the floor completely swallows him up.”

“Aw, come on guys,” said Greggson. “You can’t just leave me here like this. It would be inhuman.”

“He’s right,” said Phoebe. “He really hasn’t done anything to deserve this. Cole, is there any way to get him out of there?”

“Sure,” said Cole. “Leo and I should be able to pull him out easy enough. The section he’s in has all ready been activated so we don’t have to worry about getting caught in the trap. Until he’s all the way under Leo and I should be able to pull him out as easily as we would from quicksand.”

“Well, I guess we don’t have a choice,” said Piper. “Listen to me, Greggson. Once we get you out don’t try anything funny. Just because we’re saving your butt doesn’t mean we won’t hesitate to vanquish you if try something.”

“Don’t worry about that,” said Greggson. “I’m not stupid enough to go against Cole and you. As I’m sure he’s all ready told you, I’m not much of a match for him, let alone all of you. I don’t have a death wish.”

“You seem to have mellowed in your old age,” said Cole stepping into the chamber.

Except that he never entered the chamber. As he tried to enter an impenetrable forced blocking the entire entrance into the chamber suddenly stopped him.

“Looks like you’ll have to handle this one yourself, Leo,” said Cole. “It appears it’s not going to let the rest of us into the chamber.”

“If we can’t get into the room, how are the rest of us supposed to get out of here?” Phoebe asked.

“My guess is that once we get the book the trap will be deactivated,” said Cole. “Minus, of course, the one Lawrence seems to be trapped in right now.”

“Leo, get the book first,” said Piper. “No sense taking any chances with our friend Greggson.”

“Aw, you don’t trust me,” said Greggson. “I’m hurt.”

“Actually it’s a good idea,” said Cole. “Let’s face it, Lawrence, your track record with the truth isn’t exactly untarnished.”

“Yeah, I guess so,” said Greggson. “But I’m turning over a new leaf, believe me. Just as soon as I get out of here I’m going straight, I promise.”

“Not likely,” said Cole. “Leo, get the book. Once the trap is deactivated we should all be able to enter the room and I can help you get him out of the quickstone. That way we don’t have to worry about him trying anything funny.”

“I can lead you around the quickstone spots,” said Phoebe. “Just don’t take a step until I tell you where the nearest one is.”

Leo turned to head for the pedestal. Before Phoebe could tell him where the nearest spot of quickstone was Greggson said, “uh oh”.

“What is it?” Piper asked.

“I’m sinking faster,” said Greggson as they all watched him start to slide down into the stone.

“The book,” Chase cried out. “It’s sinking, too.”

They all looked up and saw the podium with the book on it sinking into the section of floor it was sitting on. It was obvious that the podium and the book would be sucked into the quickstone within a matter of seconds. It was just as obvious that Greggson would be sucked into the quickstone just as quickly as the book would be.

“The book,” Chase called out. “We need that book. Get it before we loose it.”

“You can’t abandon me,” Greggson cried out. “I’ll die.”

Leo only had seconds to act. If he got the book Greggson would be sucked into the quickstone and die. If he helped Greggson they would loose the Grand Grimoire forever.

[NoAzMale]

FIFTEEN

“There’s no time left,” Chase cried out. “We must have that book. Leo, get the book before it’s too late.”

“You can’t leave me here,” Greggson cried out. “Help me.”

“Leo, save Greggson,” Piper said. “We have two of the books. Even if we don’t get the Grand Grimoire no one will be able to summon the Vestige again. But Greggson is at least partially human. We can’t just let him die.”

Leo didn’t hesitate. He immediately turned and grabbed Greggson under the arms. With all his strength he pulled Greggson up, freeing him from the quickstone he was trapped in. Just as Greggson cleared the stone floor the book in the back of the room vanished into the stone it was sitting on.

“Thank you,” said Greggson to Leo. “You have proved your worthiness for the power you seek.”

Suddenly Greggson just vanished from the room. At nearly the same instance the podium at the back of the room upon which the Grand Grimoire had sat rose from the floor into its previous position, the book resting squarely on it.

“Okay, what just happened?” Paige asked. “Where did Greggson go?”

“He was never here,” said Cole. “It was a test. To see if we’d choose Lawrence or the book.”

“To see what we valued more,” said Leo. “Power or human life. Just before he vanished Greggson said we had proved our worthiness for the power we seek.”

“Well it seems we passed his test,” said Phoebe. “I’m not seeing the section of quickstone that were here before.”

“As I said,” said Cole, “once we get the book the trap would be deactivated. I suggest we get the book and find a way out of here.”

“How?” Piper asked. “There’s the invisible barrier keeping us out of the chamber.”

Cole simply passed through the entrance to the chamber and stood next to Leo.

“It was part of the test,” said Cole. “To allow only one person into the chamber so we’d have to decide which to get, Greggson or the book. Now that we’ve passed the test there’s nothing to keep us from simply walking up and taking the book.”

They all entered the chamber and walked up to the podium that held the Grand Grimoire. It looked nearly identical to the two previous book except that it was black in color. In addition, the words “amplitudo libri” were etched into the front cover.

“The Grand Grimoire,” said Cole. “According to legend this is one of the most powerful books in history. Maybe even more powerful than the Book of Shadows. And with it we can summon Shushaun.”

“Let’s just get it and get out of here,” said Piper. “Now that we have all three books we don’t have to worry about Greggson getting his hands on them.”

Cole reached up and pulled the book off of the podium. As he did the podium began to recede into the floor and eventually disappeared all together. At the same moment a secret door behind the podium opened revealing a passage beyond.

As before, Chase looked the book over and announced that it was remarkably similar to the first two. Cole looked through it and also announced that it was protected by the same magic protecting the first two as well as the Voynich Manuscript. He placed the book in the backpack with the others.

“Had it over,” Piper said, holding here hand out. “Now that we have all three books there’s no way you’re holding onto them.”

“It’s probably best if I held onto them,” said Cole.

“Hand them over,” said Phoebe. “Without your invulnerability you can be vanquished just like any other demon. And I’m with Piper. You don’t get the books.”

“Be my guest,” said Cole, sitting the backpack on the floor.

Piper reached down and grabbed the straps of the backpack to lift it. But she barely got it off the floor. She let the backpack drop to the floor.

“Boy that’s heavy,” she said. “Leo, maybe you’d better carry it.”

“Be glad to,” said Leo.

He reached down and grabbed the straps but lifted it only several inches higher than Piper had before letting it drop back to the floor.

“There’s no way I’m carrying that,” said Leo. “I can barely lift it. There’s no way I could carry it very far.”

“That’s why I was carrying it,” said Cole, lifting the backpack easily with one hand. “As I suspected, the magic altering the writing in the books is also increasing their weight. An added safeguard against their being stolen. Look, I’m not interested in the books. I don’t need their power any more. But I’m about the only one capable of carrying the books out of here.”

“Okay,” said Piper. “But the second we’re out of this place you turn the books back over to us.”

“That’s the plan,” said Cole.

“Well, we have all three books,” said Paige. “I guess that’s the way out of here.”

“Then let’s get going,” said Piper. “We have what we came for. There’s no reason to stay here any longer than we have to.”

Together the group turned and headed into the passage beyond. As the last of them enter the passage the opening to the chamber behind them vanished. They began to travel down the passage wondering how long it would be before they reached the exit. Suddenly, without warning, they found themselves standing in the middle of a very large chamber.

“Okay, what just happened?” Piper asked. “One second we’re walking down a corridor the next we’re standing in here, wherever here is.”

“It must be the magic of the Juncture,” said Cole. “It’s brought us here. This must be the way out.”

“So where is it?” Phoebe asked, looking around. “There’s nothing here. This chamber is completely empty.”

They stood in what looked like a huge chamber. It was forty foot square and the ceiling disappeared into the darkness overhead. It was made the same blocks cemented together as the chamber with the firetrap had been. But other than the six of them, there was nothing at all in the room. Nor were there any passages leading out of the room. Essentially, they were trapped in the room.

“Looks like we have to find another secret panel,” said Paige.

“Not likely,” said Chase. “Cole said the Ancients didn’t use the same trick twice. So I doubt there are any secret panels in this room.”

“Chase is right,” said Cole. “This is probably something different. But there are no symbols or writings to indicate what that might be.”

“Well, it’s a big room,” said Leo. “Maybe we should search and see if we can find anything.”

“Okay, everyone, spread out,” said Piper. “Let’s see what we can find in this room.”

They all spread out and began to look around the room. After only a few moments Phoebe called out to the others. They looked over and saw her looking at the floor.

“I found something,” she said. “It looks like a triangle with a line through it.”

The others walked over and looked at the floor where she was staring. Engraved in the floor was a symbol exactly as she had described.

“Okay, but what does it mean?” Paige asked. “Does it mean anything?”

“It could mean any number of things,” said Chase. “It could be the letter of an ancient alphabet or maybe a pictograph indicating a word or phrase. Many ancient cultures used symbols to specify not only words but entire phrases.”

“What’s your best guess?” Cole asked. “You are the linguistics expert.”

“Well,” said Chase, “the first thing that comes to mind is earth. Some ancient cultures used the symbol to describe earth. But without anything else to put it into context that’s only a guess.”

“Look where it’s placed,” said Leo, looking around the room. “It seems to be equally spaced from these two walls in this part of the room.”

“You’re right,” said Piper. “Maybe there are other symbols in the other parts of the room that will help figure out what this one means.”

They fanned out and began to search the rest of the room. It didn’t take them long to locate other symbols. Paige found one that looked like two straight lines, one over the other. Leo found one that looked like two half circles joined to resemble the letter “M”. Cole found another one that was comprised of three wavy lines, one above the other. The four symbols appeared to be the only things in the room. They seemed to be even spaced around the room equal distance from each other.

“This is interesting,” said Chase. “The symbol Phoebe found looks like the symbol for earth. The one Paige found – the one that looks like two straight lines – was often used to represent air. The rounded ‘M’ has been used to represent fire. And the wavy lines Cole found were often used to mean water.”

“Earth, air, fire, and water,” said Piper. “The four elements.”

“Exactly,” said Chase. “The four basic elements. But what do they mean?”

“That’s a good question,” said Cole. “There aren’t any other engravings or markings to tell us what they’re here for. Or what, if anything, they’re supposed to do.”

“They must mean something,” said Leo. “I doubt the Ancients would have gone to the trouble to engrave them in the floor purely for aesthetic reasons.”

“They probably wouldn’t have,” said Cole. “Leo, you know as well as I do that the Ancients had reasons for everything they did. Especially with something as important as the Golden Grimoire.”

“So what do we do with them?” Paige asked.

“I wish I knew,” said Cole. “Without some kind of instructions it could take weeks or even months to figure out what we need to do. Or never.”

“Why the four elements?” Paige asked. “Why inscribe those in the floor? What do they mean, anyway?”

“Well,” said Chase, “they’re the four basic elements of the universe. Virtually everything can be categorized in one of the elements in some way or another. For example, plants are grown in the dirt and when they decay they break down and convert back to the basic elements. So does the human body.”

“So the Ancients would have considered them very important,” said Piper. “Sort of the building blocks of everything.”

“Well, I’m not sure I’d classify them that way,” said Chase. “But most civilizations have considered them important. Even today we recognize them as important. The question is why did these Ancients feel it important enough to inscribe them here?”

“Maybe they describe what we’re supposed to do,” suggested Paige. “Maybe we’re supposed to use them in some way.”

“But what way?” Piper asked. “There isn’t anything in here to use them on. Besides, how would we use them anyway?”

“I don’t know,” said Paige. “I’m just guessing here.”

“Paige might be right,” said Leo. “Maybe there is some way to use the elements.”

“How?” Leo asked. “And on what?”

“That’s the question, isn’t it?” Cole questioned. “As Paige said, there’s nothing in here to use them on anyway.”

“Maybe there is,” said Chase.

“What do you mean?” Phoebe asked.

“The symbols are engraved in the floor,” said Chase. “They’ve been cut into stone floor, not inscribed in some other manner. From what Leo and Cole have told us these Ancients must have had the ability to make the markings without having to cut them into the stone floor.”

“Yes, they did,” said Leo. “With their magic they could have inscribed them in any number of ways that would still be apparent today.”

“Then why go to the trouble to cut them into the floor?” Chase asked.

“Containers, of sorts,” said Cole. “The grooves used to make the symbols are used to contain the element they represent.”

“That’s as good a guess as any,” said Chase. “Ancient alchemists often used the basic elements in their rituals and experiments.”

“Yes, they did,” said Cole, eyeing Chase. “That’s pretty good thinking.”

“Okay,” said Piper, “so the grooves are supposed to hold the elements. So, where do we get the elements we need?”

“That’s the easy part,” said Chase.

He bent down and scooped up a pile of dust off the floor. He then walked over to the triangle with a line through it and poured the handful of dust into the grooves of the symbol. As soon as he did the block of stone that the symbol was engraved in began to rise. Within seconds a small pillar had risen to a height of five feet.

“If we do that with the rest of them I think the same thing will happen,” said Chase.

“I can help there,” said Cole.

He walked over to the “M”, the symbol for fire, and held out his hand. A fireball formed in his hand. Carefully he laid the fireball on the grooves of the symbol. Within seconds a pillar similar to the first one had risen.

“That’s two,” said Phoebe. “All we have left is air and water. Anyone have a bottle of water on them?”

“Not exactly water,” said Paige, “but it should work.”

She walked over to the symbol with the three wavy lines and spit into the symbol. The stone with the symbol in it began to rise but only rose for about three inches.

“Oh, that’s disgusting,” said Piper.

“But it seems to be working,” said Leo. “Saliva is comprised of mostly water from the body. Disgusting or not it seems to be our only choice.”

Paige spit into the symbol again. Again the stone rose several inches. They each took turns spitting into the symbol and slowly the pillar rose. Eventually it had risen the five feet as the first two had.

“Okay, that’s three,” said Piper. “One left. Wind. In a sealed room like this I can’t see how we’re going to get a wind to blow in here.”

“Not a wind, necessarily,” said Phoebe. “Enough like a wind to maybe do the trick, though.”

She bent down and knelt on the floor over the two lines carved into the floor. Gently she began to blow on the symbols. Unsteadily the stone block with the lines carved in it began to rise. But it was only rising an inch or two.

“It’s not enough,” Phoebe said. “I need some help.”

Piper and Paige knelt down next to her and also began to blow on the stone. With the three of them blowing on the stone it began to rise just as the first three had. Within moments it had risen to the five feet of the others.

“Well, looks like we got it to do what it was supposed to do,” said Piper. “Now what?”

“I don’t know,” said Cole. “We were lucky to have figured out this much. I’m not sure what we do next. Chase, any suggestions?”

“Not really,” said Chase. “I’m not sure what the purpose of the pillars are for.”

Suddenly they all heard a scraping sound coming from above them. They looked up to see the ceiling of the room slowly descending toward them. They were trapped in the room with no way out.

[NoAzMale]

SIXTEEN

“Oh, this isn’t good,” said Paige.

“Any ideas would be real helpful right about now,” said Piper.

“I can’t orb,” said Leo. “If I couldn’t orb before I won’t be able to orb now.”

“Well, we’d better think of something fast,” said Phoebe. “I figure we have about thirty seconds before we all get smashed flat.”

Suddenly the ceiling stopped about ten feet above them. All but the sections directly above the four pillars in the room. The group continued to watch as the four sections of ceiling descended and then came to rest on the pillars forming four complete pillars from floor to ceiling.

“Well that’s a relief,” said Paige. “I wasn’t sure what we were going to do.”

“Now what?” Chase asked.

“I wish I knew,” said Cole. “We still don’t have the vaguest idea . . . .”

His sentence went unfinished as they all saw a figure suddenly appear in the center of the room, between the pillars. The figure was about as tall as Leo and was wearing a dark gray robe. He appeared to be a human male. He had shoulder-length black hair.

“My name is Shavak Sier,” said the figure. “If you have come to this chamber you can be after only one thing. The Golden Grimoire. The combined power of my people. To gain this power it has been necessary that you acquire three tomes of great power. The Grand Grimoire, the Grimoire Arcanarum, and the Necronomicon. Each of these tomes is a powerful magic in and of themselves.

“By entering this chamber you have all ready proven you have the courage and intelligence necessary to acquire the Golden Grimoire. You have all ready acquired the three tomes needed to summon Shushaun, the vestige with whom I entrusted the Grand Grimoire. You have passed the test required to acquire the power of my people.

“You have demonstrated that you have the faith needed to use such great magic. You have proven you have the intelligence to use the power wisely, a necessary precaution with power of this magnitude. You have proven you can work together for the common good. And you have demonstrated that, above all, you consider life more important than power.

“But know this. The tomes you have collected are but illusions of the real things. They have no more substance than a shadow on a summers day. It is a final precaution necessary to insure that only those most worthy and capable of such power gain it.

“The three tomes you seek have been placed in the care of the caretaker of this place. He has instructions not to give the tomes to anyone but the persons capable of proving their worth for such great power. If you can return to the place of the beginning, the caretaker has instructions to give you that which you seek.

“Good luck. And may you have the courage to use the power of the Golden Grimoire wisely for your people.”

Suddenly the man vanished from the chamber.

“Wait a minute,” said Paige. “After all we went through and we don’t even have the books?”

“Apparently not,” said Cole, opening the backpack he was carrying. They all watched as he pulled back the top of the backpack exposing an empty pack. “They’re gone. As if they were never here.”

“Okay, so now what?” Piper asked. “That vision or whatever it was said if would could return to the place of the beginning we’d get the books. Does that mean we have to get back to that chasm we encountered when we first got here?”

“That would be my guess,” said Cole. “Shavak Sier said that the caretaker would give us the books if we could prove our worth for such great power. I’m thinking there’s probably one more test we’ll have to go through to get the books. Assuming we can figure out how to get back to that chasm.”

“How do we do that?” Leo asked. “There’s nothing else in here to indicate how to do that.”

“There must be something,” said Chase. “So far every test or trap we’ve been through has had some indication of how to get through it and a way to circumvent it. There must be something in here that indicates what we’re supposed to do.”

“Let’s finish searching the chamber,” suggested Phoebe. “Maybe there’s something else in here we haven’t found yet.”

The group fanned out and began to search the chamber again. It appeared that, other than the four pillars in the room, there was nothing else to be found. Finally, Leo called out to the group. He had been searching near one of the pillars and was currently examining the floor at the base of the pillar.

“I think I found something,” he said. “It appears to be a groove or something cut into the stone at the base.”

“It looks like the pillar turns,” said Chase as they all gathered around the pillar and knelt on the floor to get a better look at what Leo was talking about..

Cole stood up and grasped the pillar. He twisted the pillar clockwise and it rotated a quarter turn then seemed to lock into place. As soon as it was turned a panel on the side of the pillar facing the center of the room slid open and a diamond-like object slid out of a secret compartment.

“Check the rest of the pillars,” said Piper. “I’ll bet they all turn like this one.”

One by one they found the same grooves on the floor at the bases of the other three pillars. With very little effort they were able to turn the pillars so that they all faced toward the center of the room. As with the first pillar, a secret panel slid open and a diamond-like object slid out of a secret compartment.

When the last pillar had been turned, a light like a laser beam shot out of the four diamonds. They intersected in the center of the room between the four pillars. Seconds later the floor where the beams had intersected opened up and a triangular-shaped section of the floor began to rise. It rose to a height of four feet in the center of the room forming a sort of pedestal. On top of the triangular stone pedestal were three impressions that resembled hand imprints. They all appeared to be the engraving of a right hand.

“Well, that’s something at least,” said Paige. “I guess someone is supposed to put their hands in there and it does what? Open a secret door or something?”

“I don’t know,” said Cole. “Maybe.”

“Hey,” said Chase, “there’s some writing on the side of this pedestal or whatever it is.”

On one side of the triangular pillar were symbols engraved into the side. They appeared to be similar to the symbols that had been engraved on the three books they had found.

“It’s the same demonic language that the Voynich Manuscript is written in,” said Cole. “Only there doesn’t seem to be any magic altering them.”

“What does it say?” Chase asked.

“Let’s see,” said Cole. “It says ‘the quest complete, it now takes the Power of Three to return to what was before’.”

“Whoa,” said Paige. “Are you saying that the Ancients knew we’d be coming here?”

“That’s very possible,” said Leo. “It’s very possible that one of them had the ability to see into the future. He or she may have foreseen everything we’ve just gone through.”

“But that was thousands of years ago,” said Phoebe. “Is it possible to see that far into the future?”

“As powerful as the Ancients were I wouldn’t have put it past them,” said Cole. “It’s also possible that Shavak Sier used his magic to see who would be coming to get the Golden Grimoire. It’s also possible that the magic of this place has just conformed to whomever passed the tests. There’s just no way to know for sure.”

“Well,” said Piper, “it appears that this is our way out. Not too soon for me, either. So what do we do? Put our hands in those impressions?”

“Looks like it,” said Leo. “It’s probably designed to interact with your inherent magic and will open some kind of portal.”

“Then let’s do it,” said Phoebe. “I’m with Piper. I want to get out of here.”

The sisters each placed their hands on the impressions cut into the pedestal. As soon as he did magic began to swirl around the entire group. It enveloped them and within moments they vanished from the chamber.

[NoAzMale]

SEVENTEEN

“Well, we’re back where we started from,” said Piper, looking over the chasm where they had begun their journey. “So what now?”

“Welcome back.”

They all turned to see the caretaker standing several feet from them. He was smiling at them.

“We finished your tests,” said Chase. “We jumped through your hoops for you. Now give us what we came here for.”

“I have given you no tests,” said the caretaker. “There have been no hoops. Only what you expected to find.”

“What are you talking about?” Phoebe said.

“When you began your journey I told you that you would find exactly what you expected to find,” said the caretaker. “You theorized that you would find some kinds of tests to prove your worth. That you might have to fight your way through or be tested for your intelligence or ingenuity. That is exactly what you found.”

“We said we expected to find all three grimoires,” said Cole.

“Which is exactly what you found,” said the caretaker. “Or at least the way to get them.”

“So all the tests?” Paige asked. “Everything we went through . . . “

“Was your own doing,” finished the caretaker. “It is what you expected to find. The magic of this place simply gave you what you expected.”

“That vision of Shavak Sier said you would give us the tomes,” said Chase.

“Yes,” said the caretaker. “He also said that I was not to give the tomes to someone who could not prove their worth.”

“So that’s what the tests were for?” Piper asked. “To test our worth to get the tomes?”

“No,” said the caretaker. “As I said, the tests you were made to endure were of your own devising.”

“So how do we prove our worth?” Leo asked. “If those tests had nothing to do with it what do we do to prove we’re worthy to have the tomes?”

“You cannot,” said the caretaker, turning to the three sisters. “It is they who were required to prove they are worthy of such great magic.”

“Okay,” said Piper, “how can we prove we’re worthy of this great magic?”

“You have no need to,” said the caretaker. “For more than four years you have battle the forces of evil and protected the innocent. You have endured hardships that would cause lesser beings to falter. You have used your great magic to fight for good and have resisted the temptation to use your magic for personal gain. You caused a great evil,” he looked at Cole, “to turn from his evil ways and embrace good. You have proven time and again to be the true champions of good. You have nothing to prove.”

“So how do we get the tomes?” questioned Paige.

“You have but to ask,” said the caretaker. “My instructions were that those who could prove their worth were the rightful possessors of the book. As I have all ready explained, you have proven your worth. The books are yours for the asking.”

“That’s it?” Paige asked. “You mean we could have gotten the grimoires simply by asking for them?”

“As it should be,” said the caretaker.

“So they didn’t have to go through everything they went through?” Leo asked.

“I suppose that would depend on your perspective,” said the caretaker. “In their minds they felt it necessary to test themselves. Their grandmother instilled in them that nothing worthwhile is free. That if something is gained too easily it holds little value.”

“Grams did used to say that,” said Piper. “She always made us work for the things we wanted. She would say if we had to work for what we got we’d appreciate it more.”

“And I rarely listened to her,” said Phoebe. “Things might have been a lot easier on if I had listened to her a little more.”

“No doubt,” said the caretaker.

“Okay, so give us the grimoires,” said Chase.

“The tomes are theirs for the asking,” said the caretaker, pointing to the sisters. “They can be given to no others.”

“Then let us have them,” said Piper. “It’s what we came here for. And after everything we’ve been through I think we’ve earned them.”

The caretaker pointed to the wall behind him and three panels slid open. Inside each panel was a single tome. The group could see that each of the tomes looked like the ones they had supposed collected during their trials. The sisters moved over and removed the tomes. Cole held up the backpack and the girls put them inside.

“Strange,” said Cole, “the real ones don’t feel as heavy as the ones we supposed collected. Somehow I don’t think you’ll have any trouble carrying them.”

“If we can ever find a way out of this place,” said Phoebe.

“Your way is before you,” said the caretaker.

They all looked where he was pointing and in the wall where they had entered once again had a passage in it.

“That will lead to back to your world,” said the caretaker.

“Come on,” said Piper. “Let’s get going. I’ve had enough of this place to last me a lifetime.”

They turned and walked through the passage. Almost as soon as they had passed through the passage they found themselves standing at the foot of the Bay Bridge where they had entered it. A full moon still shone overhead.

“Even after all the time it seemed like we spent in there,” said Paige, “and it doesn’t look like any time has passed out here.”

“It’s possible it hasn’t,” said Cole. “Time has a different meaning on different planes. One day on one plane could be a hundred years on another. The place we went to may even be outside of time so it would have had no meaning while we were in there.”

“Well, thanks for the help,” said Phoebe. “We couldn’t have done it without your help.”

“My pleasure,” said Cole. “I guess that’s my cue. If you need my help for anything else, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“I wouldn’t hold my breath,” said Piper.

Cole just smiled and then vanished.

“Well, I guess we should be getting home,” said Piper. “Now that we have the tomes we can make sure that neither Greggson nor anyone else ca get them.”

They all held hands and Leo orbed them back to the manor. Once there the sisters pulled out the grimoires from the backpack. Just as they suspected, each one was virtually identical to one of the ones they had collected. Other than being very large and obviously extremely old they didn’t look all that impressive.

“Well, Chase,” said Phoebe, “you were a big help. As I told Cole, without you it wouldn’t have been possible to get these books. Now we can make sure no one ever finds them again.”

“Anything I can do to help,” said Chase. “What do you plan to do with them now?”

“I’m sure the Elders can find some place to put them,” said Leo. “Although they may have been a lot safer where we found them.”

“Yeah, and there would always be the risk of someone else being able to get them,” said Piper. “At least with the Elders they can make sure each one is properly protected. And we’d know if someone tried to get to them.”

“I guess,” said Leo. “I guess I should get these to the Elders so they can find a place to put them.”

“I’m afraid I can’t allow that,” said Chase. “I didn’t go through all this trouble just to have you hide the books where I couldn’t get at them. Now if you’ll just hand over the books I won’t have to kill you.”

“What are you talking about?” Phoebe asked.

“I’m talking about the Golden Grimoire,” said Chase. “I’ve spent a great deal of time and effort looking for it. Now, when I’m this close to actually getting it, I’m not about to let some witches stop me. I don’t care if you are the Charmed Ones. I needed you to get it out of that place. But now that we have it I’m going to have what I’ve spent all these years working for.”

“Not likely,” said Piper. “In case you haven’t been paying attention the last few days, we’re the most powerful witches in history. And you’re just a mortal with no powers. You’re chances of leaving here with those books are slim to none.”

“Yes, that’s right,” said Chase. “A mere mortal with no powers.” He held his right hand to his chest and closed his eyes. He concentrated for several moments and suddenly six demons shimmered in around the room. “But I do have one thing in my favor. The command of as many demons as I need to get the books. Now, as I said. Give me the books and I won’t have to kill you.”

Even with their power, the sisters knew that against six demons their chances of surviving were not good.

[NoAzMale]

EIGHTEEN

“We should kill them anyway,” said one of the demons. “They are a threat to the underworld. We should eliminate that threat while we have the chance.”

“There’s no need for them to die today, Lorne,” said Chase. “Once I have the Golden Grimoire they won’t be a threat any longer.” He turned back to the girls. “As you can see they aren’t very fond of you. If you don’t give me the tomes I’m afraid I’ll have to let them have their way with you.”

“Since when do demons listen to a mortal?” Paige asked.

“Since I have this,” said Chase, pulling a medallion out of his shirt. The medallion appeared to be made of gold and was shaped like a six-pointed star. It had four different gems inset in it. “I found it in an old chest several years ago. It took me a while to figure out what it was and even longer how to use it. But as you can see it’s been quite helpful to me.”

“A medallion?” questioned Phoebe.

“Not just a medallion,” said Leo. “If that’s what I think it is then it’s very powerful.”

“And just what would you think it is?” Chase asked.

“The Seal of Solomon,” said Leo.

“You know a great deal about antiquities,” said Chase. “Yes, it’s the Seal of Solomon. I acquired it from a shipment of artifacts that were found in Egypt several decades ago. Most of them had been shipped to the United States but had lain forgotten in a warehouse until the university acquired them through an estate donation. No one had any idea what it was.”

“The Seal of Solomon?” questioned Phoebe. “Chase mentioned that before. He said something about it being a myth or legend. What is it?”

“It’s a mythical amulet,” said Leo. “According to Legend, it was created by King Solomon of Israel. It purportedly gives the possessor control over demonic creatures. As long as he wears it the demons have to do whatever he commands. Over the centuries it was lost and no one knows what happened to it.”

“Just like the Ark of the Covenant,” said Chase. “I would imagine it was probably stolen by an enemy of Israel during a war or something but they probably thought it was just some form of jewelry. Eventually it was forgotten about and some archeologist found it in a tomb somewhere or something.”

“Enough,” said Lorne. “We’ve waited long enough. Give him the books or we will destroy you.”

“They’re quite impatient, as you can see,” said Chase. “I’ve promised them control of the Underworld so they’re very impatient to take over. We’ve wasted enough time. Give me the tomes or they will destroy you.”

Everyone tensed. If they didn’t give Chase the tomes they had no doubt he would order the demons to attack. They also knew that no matter happened they couldn’t allow Chase to get the tomes.

“The Seal of Solomon. So that’s how you did it. I knew it had to be something.”

They all turned to see Cole standing at the top of the stairs leaning against the railing. He was smiling at them as if he had no cares in the world.

“It does explain a lot,” said Cole. He turned and began to descend the stairs. “I knew you must have had something I just didn’t know what it was. Now I know.”

“What are you doing here?” Chase asked.

“I’ve been waiting for you to make your move,” said Cole. “You never did in the Juncture so I figured you were waiting until we got back.” Cole turned to Lorne. “Hello, Lorne. It’s been a long time. And here I find you helping him. That’s not going to look good on your resume. Working for a human.”

“He has the seal,” said Lorne. “As you are aware, we have no choice. You also know that I would not do so otherwise.”

“Of course,” said Cole. “I’m afraid I don’t know you friends. All high level no doubt. And since I’ve been dethroned, so to speak, I would imagine that each of them has delusions of grandeur about becoming the next Source.”

“Who are you?” demanded another of the demons.

“The name’s Cole Turner,” said Cole. “Oh, you may have heard about me under my pseudonym, Belthazor. But I haven’t gone by that name for months.”

“The Source,” gasped another demon.

“Formerly,” said Cole. He turned back to Chase. “Now, why don’t you just hand over the Seal of Solomon and we can forget all about this foolishness. You’re not getting the grimoires so you might as well forget about them.”

“Never,” said Chase. “I’ll have those tomes now. Demons. Destroy them all.”

All of the demons formed fireballs and stood facing the group. It was obvious they were all struggling. The power of the amulet was forcing them to obey Chase. But their natural fear of Cole, who they perceived as the Source of All Evil, was diametrically opposed to Chase’s orders. Suddenly Lorne launched his fireball at Piper.

“Fireball,” Paige called, redirecting the weapon back toward the demon. It struck the demon but dissipated harmlessly away. “Oh, oh, that’s not good.”

“It’s the power of the amulet,” said Leo. “As long as Chase has it its power will protect the demons even from their own power.”

“That’s right,” said Cole, turning to face Chase. “I had forgotten that. So it looks like I need that amulet, if you don’t mind.”

“That’s not going to happen,” said Chase, holding the amulet and smiling. “As long as I have it you can’t hurt me. It not only allows me to control demons but it protects me from demons. And as I recall you were the demon, Belthazor. Which means you have no power over me. And there’s nothing you can do about it.”

“Yeah, well there’s one very minor flaw in your theory there, Chase,” said Cole, forming a fireball. “I’m no longer a demon. That part of me was stripped a long time ago. Which means you’re just as vulnerable to me as anyone else.”

“No,” said Chase, fear showing in his eyes. “That’s not possible.”

“Isn’t it?” questioned Cole. “That amulet controls demons. All demons. Its power is irresistible. These six are proof of that. And yet it has no power over me. I’d think very carefully about my next move if I were you.”

Chase just stared at Cole, anger evident. He gripped the amulet even tighter.

“Kill them all,” he commanded.

The demons turned on the sisters and Leo. Before any of them could move, Cole cast the fireball he was holding and it engulfed Chase. Chase fell to the floor screaming in agony. At the same moment all six demons grabbed their heads and began to scream in agony. Cole stepped over and grabbed the Seal of Solomon, yanking it from around Chase’s neck. A moment later the flames of the fireball vanished and Chase lay on the floor unharmed.

“Here,” said Cole, handing the amulet to Phoebe, “I think it will be in better hands if you hang onto it for right now.”

“What happened?” Piper asked.

“The power of the amulet works both ways,” said Cole. “Not only does it protect the demons but it also protects the wearer. It’s kind of like a conduit channeling the power. I figured that since it was channeling the power and the protection it would also channel my attack.”

“But Chase is still alive,” said Paige. “The fireball didn’t hurt him.”

“It was very low power,” said Cole. “Not enough to cause any harm but I’m sure it hurt like hell. Long enough for me to get the amulet. Fortunately the amulet doesn’t have the same protection as the Voynich Manuscript. It can be taken away. And I didn’t think it was necessary to kill Chase to get the amulet from him.”

“So what now?” asked Phoebe, looking at the demons gathered around them.

“Well,” said Cole turning to face the demons, “I suppose it is conceivable that they could get one or two of you, ending the Power of Three forever. But then again most of them won’t get out alive. And the ones that do will have to contend with me coming after them once they’ve escaped. And I would be coming after them, they can bet on that. So I guess the next move is theirs.”

The demons all looked around and then looked at Lorne. By this time they had all extinguished the fireballs they had been holding. Lorne was obviously the leader of the demons and they were all waiting to see what he would do.

“We only participated because of the amulet,” Lorne said finally. “We wouldn’t be foolish enough to confront the Charmed Ones otherwise. And I’m certainly not stupid enough to antagonize the only demon who has ever returned from the Wasteland. So, if we’re free to go . . . .”

Cole just nodded to Lorne. The demons all shimmered and vanished from the living room. Cole turned back to Chase.

“Well, Mr. Parker,” he said, “it would seem you’re out of options. If I were you I’d go back to Connecticut and forget about the Golden Grimoire. There’s no way you’re ever going to get your hands on it.”

Chase looked at Cole in disgust. He reached down and picked up his briefcase that held the Voynich Manuscript and turned and headed for the front door. Just before he left the manor, Cole spoke again.

“Oh, and just one more thing. You try something like this again and I’m not going to be very happy. So just remember that six high level demons left here in fear of me before you try anything like this in the future.”

Chase glared at Cole one more time and then left the manor leaving the front door open. Cole just chuckled and then turned back to Leo and the sisters.

“Okay,” said Piper, “care to explain how you knew Chase was after the Golden Grimoire?”

“I wasn’t a hundred percent sure that’s what he was after,” said Cole. “But I knew he was up to something. Practically from the moment he walked into the manor. It’s one of the reasons I insisted he come with us. I needed to keep an eye on him until I was sure what he was after.”

“What made you suspicious?” Leo asked. “I began to grow suspicious when he became extremely insistent that we get the Golden Grimoire. But that wasn’t until we were most of the way through the Juncture. Why were you suspicious when he walked into the manor?”

“Because he told me,” said Cole, smiling at the group.

[NoAzMale]

NINETEEN

“Wait a minute,” said Piper. “He told you? Are you saying you were working with him from the beginning?”

“Oh, no, nothing like that,” said Cole. “And to be honest, saying he told me might have been a bit strong. But the story he told didn’t sound right to me.”

“What didn’t sound right?” Phoebe asked. “It sounded perfectly plausible to me. He was a linguistics student trying to decipher and translate an old manuscript. That sounds perfectly legitimate to me.”

“Oh, that part sounded reasonable enough,” said Cole. “What struck me as odd was that he was looking for Prue to help him authenticate it.”

“So?” Piper asked. “She was an expert in antiques. It seems logical that he’d want her to help him with it. Especially after what Roger apparently told him about her.”

“Except that books aren’t usually authenticated by antique experts,” said Cole. “Oh, most other antiques can be authenticated by any competent antique dealer. But books are usually in a separate class by themselves. Usually it takes a book expert to authenticate a book. Someone with Parker’s training and experience would have known that. And it occurred to me that Yale University would have some of the best authenticators in the world. It seemed strange he would come all the way across the country to do something that could have been easily accomplished in Connecticut.”

“Well, when you explain it that way,” said Piper, “I suppose it does sound a bit suspicious. So that made you think he was up to something?”

“Not exactly,” said Cole. “I also considered he might be less than competent. But it was suspicious. He also mentioned that Lawrence was trying to help authenticate its origins. And yet he implied that it was several weeks at least before he found Lawrence in his office reading it.”

“What’s so suspicious about that?” Phoebe asked.

“In order to authenticate it,” said Cole, “he would have had to look at it initially. If he had he would have immediately recognized it as I did. So I’m sure he wouldn’t have waited several weeks before attempting to learn its secrets. I found that very odd. Not to mention that I’m sure Lawrence would have killed Chase as soon as Chase found him reading the manuscript. Lawrence would not have wanted to leave any witnesses around who could have told what he was up to. Remember, I told you Lawrence was unusually sadistic. He would have enjoyed killing Chase.”

“Well, we didn’t know Greggson,” said Leo. “There’s no way for us to know he’d react like that.”

“I know,” said Cole. “Apparently Chase didn’t know him that well, either. At least not as well as I did. Anyway it got me to thinking. It seemed that Chase knew more than he was telling us. It wouldn’t have done any good to ask him about it. He would just have lied and we had no way of knowing what he was lying about.”

“Is that all?” Phoebe asked.

“Oh, not by a long shot,” said Cole. “When we entered the Juncture, Chase didn’t hesitate when he had to step into the pylon of the Bay Bridge. Even if he believed everything we told him, he would have been at least a bit hesitant about stepping into a pylon.

“And when we had to cross that chasm he was one of the first to cross over. He had absolutely no doubt he could cross the chasm without any problem. That’s just not normal for a mortal. Not knowing what magic is really capable of he should have been at least a little doubtful about walking across an open pit.

“There were other things, of course. The farther we went along the more I became convinced he was up to something. He was also the first one to point out that the first trap replenished itself. There’s no way he should have been able to know that. And remember when I asked him to authenticate the first grimoire we found? He was able to determine some specific things about it. Something he supposedly came to have Prue do. If he was capable of doing that he shouldn’t have been able to authenticate is any more than any of us would have been able to.”

“That’s right,” said Paige. “He did claim he needed Prue to authenticate it for him. It never dawned on me that he was able to do exactly what he claimed he needed someone else to do for him.”

“Well, you were all concentrating on getting the grimoire,” said Cole. “And I was all ready suspicious of him. So I was able to see his actions in a different light.”

“I guess there were a whole lot of things about Chase Parker we failed to see,” said Piper. “If not for you we might have lost the three grimoires and Chase could have gotten his hands on the Golden Grimoire.”

“Oh, I wasn’t about to let that happen,” said Cole. “As I said, with my increased power I don’t have need of the Golden Grimoire. But I wasn’t about to let anyone else get their hands on it either. Least of all a mortal who had no idea the damage he could do with magic without realizing it.”

“We never did find Greggson,” said Phoebe. “You think Chase even knew him.?”

“They probably met at one time,” said Cole. “He knew too many specifics about Lawrence. And using the Seal of Solomon and his control over demons he could have learned everything else he needed to now to set up his plan.”

“So what happened to him?” Paige asked. “Greggson, I mean.”

“That’s hard to say,” said Cole. “As I told you I haven’t even seen him in decades. I do know that Lorne was more powerful than Lawrence was. Presumably so were the other five demons with him. It is possible that Chase got rid of him when he was finished with him. We may never know.”

“One thing I don’t understand,” said Phoebe. “If Chase had the manuscript and was able to control demons who presumably could read it for him, why come to us? Why not just take the demons he was controlling and go get the Golden Grimoire himself?”

“The demons probably told him how dangerous it was to go into the Juncture,” said Leo. “They probably also told him that you were the only ones who stood a chance of getting through it. Almost every demon must know by now how resourceful you are and the magic that protects you. They would most likely have told him that he would need that magic to make it safely through the Juncture.”

“And he couldn’t just come here and tell you the truth,” said Cole. “He’d have to explain how and why demons would be giving him information and helping him which means he’d have to tell you about the Seal of Solomon. Plus, if you knew about the grimoires he knew you’d want to keep them out of everyone else’s hands. So he invented that little fiction about Lawrence and gave you just enough information to figure out that you needed to stop him.”

“And he knew you’d have to take him with you because you would need the manuscript,” said Piper.

“Exactly,” said Cole. “It was very well orchestrated. He just made a few minor errors that didn’t add up.”

“So,” said Piper, picking up one of the grimoires, “what do we do with these?”

“Not to mention this,” said Phoebe, holding up the Seal of Solomon. “This can be extremely dangerous in the wrong hands. From the looks of it this thing can control demons even better than the Source used to.”

“It can,” said Leo. “The legends say that the magic it contains is irresistible to all demons. Even the Source could be controlled by it. Whoever has that amulet has complete mastery of the Underworld.”

“Well, that’s not good,” said Paige. “Maybe we should just destroy it.”

“It can’t be destroyed,” said Cole. “It’s probably best if Leo takes it with the grimoires and has the Elders safeguard it. Something like that should never fall in the hands of mortals.”

“I agree,” said Leo, gathering up the grimoires and taking the amulet from Phoebe. “The Elders can lock all of these away where no one can ever get at them again.”

“Do you think they’ll use the grimoires to get the Golden Grimoire?” Piper asked.

“I doubt it,” said Leo. “One of the reasons the Ancients hid the Golden Grimoire was because they felt its magic was too powerful for anyone to have. The reason they chose the Juncture was because they felt no one would ever be able to get to it there.”

“I guess they were wrong,” said Phoebe.

“Yes, but it took the most powerful witches in history to do it,” said Cole. “Anyone else would probably have been killed by one of the traps in there.”

“With your help,” said Phoebe. “Thanks again, Cole. We couldn’t have done it without your help.”

“You’re welcome,” said Cole. “I guess I should be going now. It seems my work is finished here. I think I’ll drop in on Lorne and make sure he and his friends aren’t planning to come back for a visit. The amulet may have controlled him but it might have given him some ideas. It’s probably a good idea if I discouraged those ideas.”

Cole shimmered out of the manor. Although the powers he had allowed him to travel in several different ways, he always preferred to shimmer with the girls. It was something they were used to and it just felt more comfortable around them. After he had left the manor, Leo orbed to the Elders with the grimoires and the amulet.

“I’m glad that’s finally over,” said Piper. “But at least we were able to stop Greggson and keep the Golden Grimoire out of the hands of demons. All in all I’d say it was a pretty good days’ work.”

“I’d agree with you, big sister,” said Phoebe. “And for a change we didn’t seem to have any trouble with Cole. That was a real big relief.”

“I could use a bath,” said Paige. “No time may have passed here but it still seems like we were in that place for hours. Think I’ll go get cleaned up.”

“And I think we could all use a night out,” said Piper. “I don’t really feel like cooking to night so I think we should go out to a nice restaurant and just relax.”

“Good idea,” said Phoebe. “I’ve been trying to think of a reason to wear that new dress I bought last week. Seems like as good a time as any.”

“Great,” said Piper. “As soon as Leo gets back we’ll decide where we’re going.”

* * *

“So, what did the Elders decide to do with the grimoires and the amulet?” Phoebe asked as they ate dinner.

“I can’t tell you,” said Leo.

“Can’t tell us?” Paige asked. “After everything we went through to get them and you can’t tell us? That doesn’t seem at all fair.”

“I can’t tell you because I don’t know,” said Leo. “Each item was given to a different Elder who was to pick an undisclosed White Lighter who was supposed to hide the item in an undisclosed location. The White Lighters were ordered to never reveal the place where they hid the items even to the Elders who gave them the items. The Elders felt that was the best way to keep them safe. Since no one person knows who hid them or where they were it was very unlikely anyone would be able to find them.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” said Piper. “From what you and Cole told us about those items it’s probably best if they were never found again.”

“And I’m sure you filled them in on what happens in the Juncture,” said Paige. “Just in case someone else has any reason to go in there again.”

“Well, I did tell them what we went through,” said Leo. “But I doubt that would help anyone in the future. As Cole explained to you the magic of the Juncture conforms to whomever enters it. It’s very unlikely that anyone else who enters there would experience the same thing we did.”

“Well at least they have something to go on,” said Phoebe. “That’s better than nothing.”

“The Elders also wanted me to thank you for what you did,” said Leo. “They would never have located the Golden Grimoire without you. Plus they also located the Seal of Solomon. I can tell you that’s been a source of concern for them for centuries. They were also worried that someone might find it and unite the Underworld in a way the Source was never able to do. Now they can rest a little easier.”

“Glad we could help,” said Piper, partially sarcastically. “But I say we just forget about it and have a nice quiet evening. This is one of the best restaurants in San Francisco and it’s been a long time since we were able to just sit down and enjoy a meal without worrying about demon attacks. Since no demons are likely to attack in a public place like this, I think we can forget about demons and the Underworld and all of that at least for a while.”

“Hear, hear,” said Phoebe. “And afterwards we can go to P3 and enjoy whatever band you have booked for tonight.”

“It’s some group called Bucking Broncos,” said Piper. “I’ve never heard them before but Justin, my head bartender, raves about them.”

“Bucking Broncos?” questioned Paige. “Sounds like a Country and Western band. Doesn’t sound like something the crowd at P3 would normally be interested in.”

“Well, all I can tell you is Justin usually listens to some kind of techno type music and he says they’re the best local group he’s ever heard,” said Piper.

“Techno music?” questioned Phoebe. “Not exactly my cup of tea but you never know.”

“I’m sure they’re fine,” said Leo. “Let’s just finish our dinner and then we can go hear them for ourselves.”

“Good idea, brother-in-law,” said Paige.

The rest of the evening was uneventful. They enjoyed a nice dinner and the band turned out to be better than Phoebe had imagined. By the time they got home late that evening, they were all quite ready for bed.

The End

[Angie]

Great finish to the story, Jerry!

[Angie]

Have you considered a sequel to this? I thought the story itself was wonderful and I'd like to see what might happen after the fact? Just wondering!

[NoAzMale]

Hey, Angie. Sorry it took so long to get back to you. I'm kind of involved in this novel writing "contest" and it runs the entire month of November so I'm a little busy. Anyway, in answer to your question, I really haven't considered a sequel per se. Not sure where I'd go with it. But I did introduce a couple of characters that I might expand on in a future story. Especially since one involves Cole's past. Something that was sorely lacking in the show. Anyway, you never know. We'll just have to see what the future holds I guess.

Jerry

[Angie]

That's cool, I just wondered! I like the idea of you branching into Cole's past though, I think that could be interesting... Looking forward to whatever you might do!