Alumni Reunion

[noazmale]

CHARMED
“Alumni Reunion”
By J. B. Tilton (a.k.a. NoAzMale) and Teri Thibeault (a.k.a. Tessalynne)
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Rating: K+

Disclaimer: “Charmed” and all related characters and events are the property of the WB television network, except for those characters specifically created for this story. This is a work of fan fiction and no infringement of copyright is intended.

* * *

(Authors note: This story takes place between season 3 episodes “Exit Strategy” and “Look Who’s Barking”.)

* * *

After retrieving his father’s soul and vanquishing Raynor, Cole goes to release the soul and winds up facing vengeance from his past.

* * *

ONE

Cole shimmered into what appeared to be a toilet stall of a public restroom. He was carrying a small metal case with him. He paused for a moment and listened. There was no sound in the room. Cautiously he opened the door to the stall and looked out. The room was empty.

That was good. Shimmering into public was always risky even if he had chosen a secluded location. Walking out of a supposedly empty room could present problems of its own. It was the reason he had chosen this particular room.

He left the stall and walked to the door and opened it, peering out into the area beyond. The area beyond was bustling with activity. Mostly people in their late teens or early twenties moved hurriedly through the hallway beyond. They were all carrying either books or book bags and there was a low roar as everyone seemed to talk at the same time.

Cole stepped out of the restroom and blended in with the moving throng. Well, blended in was probably not exactly the right term. He was obviously older than most of the people he was passing. But he wasn’t the only one. Moving sporadically through the crowd were some men and women who were much older than most of the other people.

He moved a door to the outside and looked around. By all accounts this appeared to be a university. Students moved across the ground heading for their classes. Intermingled with the dozens of students were older people, probably professors and a few older students.

It was obviously a university. And from the looks of the buildings it was a very old university. Most of the buildings were decades old, none of the prefab, modernistic buildings that a lot of the universities had. Only this was no ordinary university, not to Cole. It was Chasington University, Cole’s alma mater.

He hadn’t been here in many years. In fact, he had never returned since he had graduated in 1952. Class reunions had never been high on his list of priorities. He had only attended the university to get a degree and blend in better with human society. After World War II he had attended college here, gotten his degree, and then moved on to get a law degree. And in the 51 years since he hadn’t given the university a second thought.

Now he was back on an errand of mercy. Raynor had destroyed Phoebe’s love for him and had paid for it with his life. His life with her was over and he couldn’t change that. But at least he had been able to pay Raynor back for his treachery. He wasn’t sure how the rest of the Brotherhood would react to Raynor’s vanquishing. One member of the Brotherhood had never vanquished another before.

But he couldn’t worry about that now. There was one task he had to complete before he could consider any other course of action. He glanced down at the case he was carrying. Once he had completed this particular task he would never have to worry about anyone using his father’s soul to control him again.

He looked around at the students and staff moving across the grounds. His father’s soul had to be released to move on to its final reward. Ordinarily all he had to do was break the orb the soul was in to release it. That was the easy part. But releasing it so it could actually move on – without being intercepted again – that was the tricky part. He had to make sure that it moved on before another demon could capture it and use it against him as Raynor had.

He had spent a great deal of time and effort to make sure that never happened. Tracking some magical beings was easy. Others were much more difficult. Tracking this one particular type of magical being was practically impossible.

Practically, but not completely. It had been difficult to locate the one magical being he needed. But the time and effort had been worth it. The magical being he was looking for was located somewhere on this campus. Now all he had to do was find it and his task would be completed.

If his information was right, finding the being he was searching for should be easy. Normally, that being could only be seen by certain individuals. But as long as Cole had his father’s soul, he would be able to identify that being among the thousands that were on the campus.

He could feel the being nearby. It was like the draw of a magnet. The being was very nearby. Cole would have to hurry if he wanted to complete his task before the being moved on. As he moved through the throng of people he could feel himself moving closer to the being.

Suddenly he stopped and looked around. The being he was looking for was very near. Near enough that Cole reasoned he should be able to see it. As he scanned the crowd around him his gaze came to rest on a young woman standing near a tree looking around. She didn’t appear any different from the other students passing by her but Cole could tell she was the being he was searching for.

Nonchalantly Cole moved across the campus toward the tree where the young woman stood. She apparently didn’t notice him as she continued to scan the students passing by. Cole moved up to the tree and stood next to the woman who continued to ignore him. Cole set the case he was carrying down on the ground between them.

[noazmale]

TWO

“I have something for you,” said Cole without looking at the woman.

She looked at him for a moment and then went back to scanning the people.

“It’s in the case,” said Cole. “It wasn’t easy to find you. But now that I have you can take this off my hands. It’s in the case.”

“You can see me?” questioned the woman.

“Yes. As I said I have something for you.”

“Who are you?”

“My name is Cole Turner.”

The woman held out her hand and a piece of parchment simply appeared. She scanned the parchment for a moment.

“Your name is not on my list. How is it you can see me?”

“As I said,” said Cole, turning to look at her, “I have something for you. Something that I believe belongs to you. I told you, it’s in the case.”

“If you can see me then you must know who I am,” said the woman, glancing at the case. “And you must also know that whatever is in that case holds no interest for me.”

“Look,” said Cole, “about a hundred years ago you took the soul of a man. Only somehow, and I don’t know exactly how, that soul was stolen from you. I would imagine you’d be interested in getting it back.”

“Benjamin Turner,” responded the woman. “It was one of my first assignments. I had taken the soul when a demon suddenly appeared. Before I knew what was happening the demon had taken the soul and disappeared. I have been unable to locate it since then.”

“It’s in the case,” said Cole. “What I don’t understand is why loosing his soul didn’t upset the balance. I always understood that if you didn’t take a soul when it’s time came it would upset the entire balance.”

“Technically, I did take the soul,” said the woman. “So the balance was maintained. The soul was taken from me before I could transport it to its final reward. You said your name is Cole Turner. You are a relative of his?”

“He’s my father. And I went through hell to get this for you. Now, I need you to do what you do. Take it to the other side where it will be safe for all eternity.”

“You’re a demon. Why would you care about the soul of a human?”

“Because I’m half human. And this is the soul of my father. But I can’t just release it. There’s too much of a risk that another demon may be able to capture it before it moves on. That’s why I need you. To make sure it gets to where it’s supposed to go before that can happen.”

“That is why you have sought out a Death. To insure that the soul completes its journey.”

“Yes,” said Cole. “It’s also how I’m able to see you. As long as I have my father’s soul it allows me to see you. And once you’ve taken his soul I can rest easy that it can never again be used against me.”

Death reached down and picked up the case. She glanced at Cole.

“You have done me a service,” said Death. “You have helped me correct a mistake I made decades ago. I am indebted to you.”

“Just make sure his soul gets to where it’s going. Do that and everything will be set right.”

“I have some time. My appointment is not for a while yet. I can migrate the soul and still have time to return for my appointment.”

“Then do it,” said Cole. “Only this time make sure that a demon doesn’t take it from you. I don’t want to have to go through again what I had to go through to get it back.”

Death nodded once and then simply vanished from the campus. Cole felt better. He knew she would complete her task. His father’s soul was now safe from demons forever. Never again could it be used to force him to do anything against his will.

Cole looked around the campus at the students passing by. Most of what had happened when he had attended here was a blur. There were some points that stood out but most were like a dream that had long since faded from memory. Only bits and pieces of disconnected and disjointed events that made little sense to him.

But then it had been more than half a century since he had been here last. And a lot of things had happened in that half century. He decided that he would be able to take some time and look around. Rekindle old memories and see how the school had changed in the five decades since he had graduated.

It wouldn’t be hard to look around. He would just be another face in the crowd. There would be no one here who would know who he really was. Even his old law professor, Wilhelm Strauss, would have moved on to something else. Wilhelm was a demon who helped train other demons to blend into human society. It was partially because him that Cole had finally been initiated into the Brotherhood of the Thorn.

But as a demon, Wilhelm didn’t age. He would stay at the university for several years and then move on before his true nature could be discovered. So as far as anyone was concerned he would just be another person on campus. Maybe someone visiting a child who was attending here or visiting another professor or perhaps even a visiting professor himself. He could look around comfortably knowing that he would be nothing more than another human on campus.

As Cole moved across the campus one of the school’s custodians stood in a doorway watching him. The man appeared to be in his 70s. He stared intently as Cole moved through the crowd of students. He watched until Cole disappeared around the corner of a building.

The custodian thought for a moment. Then he turned and headed for the main administration building. His work would have to wait for the moment. He had a message to deliver. A message that simply couldn’t wait. And he knew the person he was delivering the message to would be intently interested in that message.

[noazmale]

THREE

Cole stood in a hallway looking at a row of photographs on the wall. The photographs represented the various chancellors of the university since its inception. It had been founded by the Right Reverend Colesworth Sterling Chasington in 1789. Each of the pictures he was looking at was of a descendent of Chasington. According to the charter for the university, a Chasington would always sit as the chancellor, if one was available.

In all the years the private university had exited there had never been a time when a Chasington had not sat as chancellor. Even when Cole had attended here the chancellor had been Colesworth Sterling Chasington III. And it was always assumed that his son, Colesworth Sterling Chasington IV would one day take his place as the next chancellor.

But that had never happened. A hazing with one of the fraternities had ended with the death of an initiate. The fraternity had been disgraced and its charter had been revoked. The president of that fraternity had been Chasington IV and shortly after the event, he had committed suicide. Cole was currently looking at the picture of the current chancellor, Eugenia Elizabeth Chasington-Hollingsworth. The first female chancellor in the entire history of the university.

“It’s a long and distinguished legacy. With one notable exception.”

Cole turned to see the current chancellor standing only a few feet from him. She seemed familiar but Cole couldn’t quite place her. She was in her late 60s or early 70s and was immaculately dressed. That was to be expected considering the money her family represented.

“You don’t look like one of our students.”

“Oh, I’m not,” said Cole. “My, uh, grandfather attended here. I had business in the area and I thought I’d stop by and have a look at the university. He used to tell me stories about it. I just thought I’d have a look around while I was here.”

“Yes, of course,” said the woman. “I’m Eugenia Chasington-Hollingsworth, the chancellor. But then you all ready know that, don’t you? You are looking at my picture on the wall.”

“Yes,” said Cole. “My name is Cole Turner.”

“I used to know a Cole Turner,” said the woman. “He and I went to school here. Would that be the grandfather you mentioned?”

“Oh, uh, yes, it is. I don’t remember him mentioning a Eugenia Chasington, though.”

“Not so surprising,” said the woman, her eyes narrowing slightly. “We weren’t exactly what you would call close friends. Perhaps he mentioned my brother, Colesworth Chasington IV? They . . . belonged to the same fraternity. For a while.”

Cole definitely remembered Colesworth. As part of his human cover, Cole had pledged the Kai Alpha Phi fraternity, the most prestigious fraternity on campus. Then the hazing had occurred and the fraternity had lost its charter. Cole had been forced to pledge another fraternity.

“Yes, he did mention your brother. Only a couple of times though. He, uh, never really talked much about his fraternity days, I’m afraid.”

“They were such . . . interesting times. How is your grandfather doing these days? I haven’t seen him since we graduated.”

“Oh, uh, I’m afraid he passed away some time back.”

“What a pity. Perhaps I could help fill you in on some of the things he didn’t. You do look like your grandfather. Even after all these years I still remember him. Perhaps you would be so kind as to have dinner with me tonight. I rarely have guests. And it would be so nice to find out what he did with his life.”

“I don’t know,” said Cole nervously. “I have to be leaving soon. I’m not sure I really have the time.”

“Oh, please, it would mean so much to me. And we may not have another opportunity like this. Only for a couple of hours, please. It is so rare that I get the chance to catch up with old friends, as it were.”

“Well,” said Cole hesitantly, “I suppose one night couldn’t hurt.”

“Splendid,” said Chasington. “I’ll expect you about 7:00 then. I’ll tell the cook to expect one more for dinner then. Until tonight, Mr. Turner.”

As Chasington walked away Cole considered the dinner. He didn’t really want to go. He vaguely remembered her from his college days. And, to be honest, rehashing “old times” was not high on his list of priorities right now.

But perhaps it was exactly what he needed right now. Since his breakup with Phoebe he had known he would return to the Underworld. Which meant he would return to his old life as a demonic mercenary. Which also meant he would need to continue his human identity. Reconnecting with “old friends” was one way of completing that.

[noazmale]

FOUR

Cole arrived at the chancellors residence precisely at 7:00 that night. It was just as he remembered it from this college days. A very large, very old, very elaborate house. It sat on a small rise that overlooked the rest of the university. As a student he had never had the occasion to visit here. But it was exactly as he imagined it.

Chasington met him at the door. As he also expected, she was dressed casually but not too casually. She came from “old money” and presenting the right appearance was everything to her, even when entertaining the grandson of an old friend.

“Right on time,” said Chasington. “As I recall, your grandfather was very much the same way.”

“Yes, I suppose he was. It’s a lovely home.”

“It was built when the university was first built. My ancestors have lived here ever since.”

“And I assume one of your children will live here when they become chancellor.”

“Oh, I never had any children,” said Chasington, just a slight note of bitterness in her voice. “My husband – Theodore Hollingsworth – and I never had any children unfortunately.”

“Sorry to hear that. Where is you husband?”

“He died of a stroke some years ago. I never remarried. The university takes up all of my time. But it’s a rewarding life.”

“I’m sure,” said Cole. “This is big house for one person.”

“I make do. I thought we might have a drink before dinner. Do you like cognac?”

“Very much. Whatever you’re preparing smells great.”

“A very . . . old family recipe. Passed down from generation to generation. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it a great deal.”

“I’m sure I will,” said Cole, as she led him into the library.

As they entered the library, Cole saw a man standing near the window. The man was the same custodian that had been watching him earlier. He turned to look at Cole as the two entered the room.

“I told you,” said the man. “He looks exactly like his grandfather.”

“I didn’t realize anyone else would be here,” said Cole.

“Oh, I guess I forgot to mention that,” said Chasington. “This is Gayland Carrington. He was also an old classmate of you grandfather.”

“Yes, I remember,” Cole started. “That is, I remember my grandfather mentioning him. They pledged the same fraternity as I recall.”

“Indeed we did,” said Carrington, handing Cole a glass of cognac. “When I saw you on campus earlier today I immediately told Eugenia you were here. I knew she would be very interested in seeing you.”

“This is very good,” said Cole, sipping his cognac.

“It’s very old,” said Chasington. “I only save it for special occasions. Gayland and I have dinner together a couple of nights a week. He’s our head custodian and he’s been here since 1949.”

“I thought you said you and my grandfather attended the university together?” questioned Cole.

“Oh, we did,” said Gayland. “Unfortunately I was forced to drop out. Once our fraternity had its charter revoked all of the officers of the fraternity were expelled. I was one of the officers. With the expulsion on my record I couldn’t get into another college. Thankfully, Eugenia’s father was kind enough to give me a job as a custodian here. I suppose he felt somewhat responsible for what happened.”

“Why should he feel responsible?” questioned Cole. “As I remember, that is, as my grandfather told me he had nothing to do with it.”

“No, but my brother was the president of the fraternity,” said Eugenia. “My father felt responsible for what happened. It was the first time a Chasington had ever disgraced themselves.”

“I’m sorry,” said Cole. “I didn’t mean to bring up any bad memories.”

“Ancient history,” said Chasington. “But you did say that your grandfather never talked about his fraternity days. Perhaps you’d like to hear some stories about it.”

“Well, it’s not like he never spoke about it,” lied Cole. “He did mention some things. Not in much detail. Just that an initiation went wrong and someone was injured.”

“Actually,” said Gayland, “someone died. One of our initiates. We were having what would be called today a hazing. Oh, in those days it was perfectly accepted. Something like that could never happen today. But as I said, in those days it was common practice.”

“There was an old house on campus,” said Chasington. “It had been here since the turn of the 18th century. Only this one was old and run down. It had been condemned for a few years and there were always plans to tear it down. While it was standing it was used as an initiation ritual for the pledges to the fraternities.”

“Yes,” said Gayland. “Oh, it wasn’t supposed to be dangerous. We just used it to test the courage of initiates. We had set it up to scare the initiates and see how long they would stay inside before they ran screaming from house. It was rumored to be haunted and we played up to that.”

“I remember reading about things like that,” said Cole. “And you’re right. Something like that couldn’t happen today. But they were routine in those days.”

“Yes, they were,” said Chasington. “But as we said, this time something went wrong. One of the initiates was on the top floor when the floor gave way under his weight. He fell to his death. Just after the police had arrived from receiving a tip that something was going on in the house. You see, no one was supposed to be there because it was condemned. But someone called the police and turned the fraternity in to them. It took me a while but I finally discovered that your grandfather was the one who made that call.”

Cole just stared at Chasington. She was right, of course. He had made that call. He had deliberately set out to destroy the fraternity and he had succeeded in that endeavor as efficiently as he had any of the jobs he had been hired to do. Although in this case it was personal and nothing he had been hired to do.

“I’m sure you’re mistake,” lied Cole.

“No, she isn’t,” said Gayland. “Your grandfather turned us into the police. And in doing that ruined both of our lives and caused the death of her brother. He betrayed the fraternity and his brothers.”

Suddenly Cole remembered both Eugenia and Gayland. And he did remember the event they were talking about. An event he had precipitated out of spite and revenge in true demon fashion. A mission that was worthy of the upper level demon Belthazor.

[noazmale]

FIVE

Cole Turner stood in the cold night air with the other four pledges to the Kai Alpha Phi fraternity. Pledging a fraternity wasn’t exactly what he wanted to do. But in order to effectively blend in with the college crowd it was expected that he pledge a fraternity. And as the newest member of the Brotherhood of the Thorn, he naturally had pledged the best fraternity on campus.

Since he had been officially initiated into the Brotherhood, it had been decided that his decision to pursue a law degree would prove very beneficial to both the Brotherhood and the Source. As a fully recognized member of human society, he could help insinuate other demons into human society.

There were a lot of universities he could have gone to. But he had chosen Chasington during his initiation into the Brotherhood. It had been necessary to complete his assignment and gain admittance to the Brotherhood. After the initiation he could have applied to any university. Yale, Harvard, Princeton, just about any top level university. And he was pretty sure he would be accepted wherever he applied.

But he had chosen Chasington for the simple fact that it wasn’t the top university in the country. It was an Ivy League university but was only about 6th on the list. If he had attended one of the top universities he would have been much too visible for a demon. As it was, the university was sufficiently impressive but still afforded him the necessary anonymity required for many of his demonic missions.

And naturally attending an Ivy League university necessitated joining a fraternity. The Kai Alpha Phi was one of the top fraternities in the country. It consistently produced company CEO’s, Senators, Representatives, and even a couple of Presidents. As a member of the Brotherhood it was expected that he pledge – and succeed – in joining the fraternity. That wouldn’t be a problem. Most of the “initiations” these fraternities put their pledges through were child’s play compared to the things he had gone through to join the Brotherhood.

Now he and his four fellow pledges stood in front of the fame “haunted” house of Chasington University. It had been built just a couple of years after the university had been established. Only now it had been abandoned for several years. It was run down and the county had condemned it a couple of years earlier. There were plans to demolish it but as long as it stood the fraternities used it to initiate their pledges.

“Okay, you all know why we’re here,” said Colesworth Sterling Chasington IV, president of the Kai Alpha Phi fraternity. “As you all know, this house is supposed to be haunted. Your task is simple. Stay as long as you can in the house. Anyone who stays in there long enough will then move on to the next stage of the initiation.”

“How long do we have to stay in there?” asked one of the pledges.

“What was that, pledge?” shouted the treasurer of the fraternity, Gayland Carrington.

“Forgive me, sir,” the pledge shouted back. “I forgot myself for a moment, sir. Sir, may I ask a questions, sir?”

“You all ready did, pledge,” said Chasington. “And in answer to your question you have to stay at least five hours. It’s eight hours until dawn. Everyone has to stay at least five hours to pass the initiation. If you come out even one minute before the five hours are up then you fail the initiation.”

“Sir, thank you for the clarification, sir,” said the pledge.

The pledge asking the question was Ronald Moore. Cole didn’t hold out much hope for him completing the initiation. He had barely made it this far and Cole knew that before pledge week was over he would wash out.

“Sir,” said Jeffrey Timbers, another of the pledges, “may I ask a questions, sir?”

“Ask pledge,” responded Chasington.

“Sir, what if we spend the entire night, sir?”

“Well,” said Chasington, glancing furtively at the other fraternity officers, “if you spend the entire night and not come out before the sun comes up then your final task will be easier than the task for the others. That goes for all of you. Anyone who stays until sunup will find their final task that much easier.”

“Sir, thanks you for the clarification, sir,” responded Timbers.

“Pledge Turner,” said Chasington, “front and center.”

Cole stepped out of the line and followed Chasington off to one side. The other fraternity officers followed and gathered around Cole as he stood at attention waiting for Chasington to speak. Like the good little pledge that he was.

He found this whole initiation process laughable. He knew pretty much what to expect in the house. The officers of the fraternity had rigged the house to scare anyone who spent the night inside. He knew at least two of the pledges wouldn’t make it to the five hour mark, let alone the entire night. The other two he didn’t know about. But he knew one thing. There was nothing in that house that could scare him. He would be able to stay until sunup without breaking a sweat.

As the fraternity officers gathered around him Chasington smiled at him. Cole knew that kind of smile. He had seen it on countless demons. He had even seen it during the war when he worked as a spy for the Office of Strategic Services. It meant that Chasington had something special planned for him. Cole just wasn’t sure what that “something” was.

[noazmale]

SIX

“So, Turner,” said Chasington, looking around at the other fraternity officers, “I had a chat with my little sister the other day. She was upset. Really upset. Any guesses why she was upset?”

“Sir, I’m sure I don’t know why, sir,” responded Cole.

“Well,” said Chasington, “it seems she asked you out on a date. And you turned her down. In fact, she tells me she’s asked you three times and each time you’ve turned her down.”

“Sir, yes, sir,” said Cole. “I didn’t feel it was proper to date the sister of the fraternity president as long as I was a pledge, sir.”

“I see,” said Chasington. “You think you’re better than she is, is that it? That she’s not as good as you are?”

“Sir, no, sir,” said Cole. “As I said, sir, I didn’t feel it was appropriate for me to be dating your sister, sir. At least not until the initiation was finished, sir.”

“Yeah, right,” said Chasington. “I don’t like it when my little sister isn’t happy. She’s quite taken with you, although I can’t see why. You’re a nobody. A nothing. I don’t think you’re every going to amount to anything. But still, she’s my little sister. What she wants, she gets. And apparently she wants you.”

Cole listened to Chasington’s words and thought how it had not been that long ago that most demons in the Underworld had thought the same thing about him. That because he was half human he would never rise to any significant position in the hierarchy. Now, he was a member of the most elite demonic order in the Underworld. He had shown the Underworld, he would show these pathetic humans as well. He knew how to play the game.

“Sir, it was not my intention to insult either her or you, sir,” said Cole. “I did not feel it appropriate that a pledge be dating the sister of the fraternity president as I said, sir.”

“Yeah, well, normally we’d agree with you,” said Carrington. “But she belongs to our sister sorority. And she’s the secretary of the sorority. Which means when you turned her down you insulted all of us. It’s not your place to think, pledge. You’re just supposed to do what you’re told.”

“Sir, yes, sir,” said Cole.

“I’ve had to listen to my little sister cry herself to sleep for several days,” said Chasington. “I don’t like it. I don’t like it one bit. All because of you.”

“Sir, I’m sorry, sir,” said Cole. “That was not my intention, sir.”

“I don’t give a damn about your intentions,” said Chasington. “No one treats my little sister that way and gets away with it. No one. I don’t like you, Turner. And you don’t have any business being in the Kai Alpha Phi fraternity. We only take the best. And you are definitely not the best. So I think you should just bow out gracefully.”

Cole just glared at Chasington. He had never backed away from a challenge in his entire life. When everyone told him he would never be a “true” demon he had proven then wrong. He hadn’t come this far only to be bullied by some human.

“Sir, permission to speak freely, sir,” Cole said.

“Go ahead,” said Chasington, smiling contently. “You have something you want to say to us?”

“Just you,” said Cole. “I’ve put up with everything you’ve thrown at me. And I’ve completed every task you’ve given me. I didn’t mean to upset Lizbeth but to be honest, that’s not why I came to this university. No offense, but I’m just not interested. And if you think I’m going to drop out you are sorely mistaken. I can complete any task you give me and I’m going to do just that. And you’d be well advised not to piss me off. You really have no idea the type of problems I can cause for you.”

“Is that so?” questioned Chasington, looking around at the other officers. “Well, now let me tell you something. I can’t just kick you out. Not without a good reason. But I can guarantee you one thing. You aren’t going to finish the initiation. Trust me on that. It’s up to us, the officers of the fraternity, to determine if you do well enough to earn induction into the fraternity. And we’ve all ready talked it over. We all agree that no matter how well you do you just won’t measure up to Kai Alpha Phi standards. So you might as well just accept the fact that you are never going to belong to the fraternity.”

Cole glared at Chasington again. Failing to join the fraternity was not an option for him. Joining the Kai Alpha Phi was considered a very minor task by the Brotherhood. It was, after all, only a human male organization. Hardly worth considering. But it was also considered very important by human standards. And it was necessary in establishing a well-rounded human identity. He couldn’t not join the fraternity despite what Chasington said.

“We’ll see,” Cole finally said glaring at Chasington.

“Get back in line,” Chasington ordered.

Cole took his place back in the line with the other pledges. He had to consider his options carefully. Despite what Chasington said, he had to join the fraternity. Even pledging another fraternity at this point was not an option. The pledging phase had all ready ended. If he dropped out now he would have to wait a full year before he could pledge another fraternity. And he clearly couldn’t drop out. That would be seen as a failure by not only the humans but also by the demonic hierarchy. He had never failed in an assignment. And he wasn’t about to begin now.

“Okay,” said Chasington. “The house has five floors. Each of you will take a different floor. There are certain tasks you must complete in order to pass this part of the initiation. You’ll find complete instructions once you get inside. Fail to stay the necessary five hours or fail to complete even one of the tasks assigned to you, and you fail the initiation.

“Also remember that you must complete your tasks alone. No one is allowed to leave the floor they are on. If you do – if you leave your floor for any reason other than to leave the house at the end of the five hours – and you fail the initiation. And there won’t be any excuses. Kai Alpha Phi doesn’t make excuses.

“Now, everyone knows what floor you’re supposed to be on. You’ll go in one at a time and go straight to the floor you’re supposed to be on. We’ll be out here waiting to see who does, and who doesn’t, pass their initiation.” He glanced once at Cole. “Good luck to all of you.”

One by one they entered the house and moved to the floor they had been assigned to. Cole was the third one to enter the building and headed for the third floor. As he did he contemplated his next moves.

[noazmale]

SEVEN

Cole looked around the third floor of the supposed “haunted” house. The house was literally falling apart. What furniture was left in the house was broken and worm eaten. Dust covered everything. There were the faint impressions of footprints covering the dust on the floor. Obviously the prints left by the officers of the fraternity setting up the surprises they had in store for the pledges.

Lying on a table in the corner of the room was a large envelope with his name printed on it. This would be the list of tasks he was supposed to complete before leaving the house. He opened it and read the list. He only had to chuckle at what he read.

The list was ridiculous. The first thing on the list was for him to pry open the center window facing the front of the house and open it fully. He looked the window over and found that it had been painted shut. Recently. Not to mention that nails had been placed in the tracks just above it to prevent it from opening. Obviously they had meant to make sure he couldn’t get the window open thereby causing him to fail the initiation. Little did they know that with his demonic strength even those obstacles presented him with little problems.

The second item on the list was that he was to clean all the dust off the floor. It said there was a broom and dustpan in the closet that he could use for this task. An inspection of the closet showed a broom that appeared to be a hundred years old. As he picked it up several of the bristles fell out of the broom. It was quite evident the broom would not last long enough to sweep the entire room.

He didn’t read any further. There appeared to be ten items on the list that he was expected to complete before he left the house. It was also equally evident that the items had been specifically designed to be unable to be complete. With his demonic abilities it would be a simple matter for him to complete the tasks. But that was the last thing on his mind.

Chasington and the others had all ready told him that, regardless of what he did or how well he performed his tasks, they would still vote him out of the fraternity. His options were limited. He could drop out which really wasn’t an option. He could reason with them. He dismissed that idea almost as soon as he thought of it. Chasington was from old money. Which meant that he considered himself better than most of the people he knew. He had all ready expressed his opinion that Cole was beneath him. Attempting to reason with him would be considered a sign of weakness by Chasington.

Discussing it with the other officers was out of the question. They did whatever Chasington told them to do. Not only was Chasington from old money, not only was he president of the fraternity, but his father was the chancellor of the university. And it was no secret that when the elder Chasington retired, his son would take his place as the new chancellor. It was part of the original charter for the university.

As Cole saw it he had only one option. He had to join the fraternity or be considered a failure which was not an option for him. There was only one way out of this predicament. The only way to prevent being kicked out of the fraternity was if there was no fraternity to join. Which meant he had to put an end to the fraternity.

The question was the best way to do that. He could report the officers. But that would take time and there was no guarantee it would have the desired affect. What he needed was something that would cause so much trouble for the fraternity that they would forget about him. There was only one way to do that.

Cole looked out the window and saw the officers of the fraternity lounging around their cars, drinking beer. They weren’t going to be interfering with the pledges. Which meant that Cole would be alone to complete his task. Quietly he shimmered out of the house.

He appeared in one of the professor’s office on campus. This time of night the building would be almost completely deserted. Only the janitors would be around cleaning the building for the next day. He checked to make sure he was alone and then picked up the phone.

He called the police department and reported the students at the house. He knew they would send a car to investigate. Because the house was condemned the public was not allowed in the house. It was common knowledge that college students routinely went to the house and so for safety reasons the police kept a fairly close watch on it. Of course, the students all knew when the police patrolled the area so catching anyone there was a rare occurrence.

Cole hung up the phone and shimmered out of the office. He reappeared back in the house on the third floor. He would have to wait a bit now. It would take a while for the police car to get there. As soon as it appeared, Cole smiled to himself, and then shimmered to the top floor.

He appeared near the window. Jeffrey Timbers was on the other side of the room carefully sweeping the floor. Apparently the list for each of the pledges was similar if not identical. Cole noticed the center window in the room was completely open. Timbers suddenly turned and saw Cole standing near the window.

“What are you doing here?” Timbers demanded. “You heard the rules. You want to get us kicked out of the fraternity? If they catch you up here they’ll kick us both out.”

“Oh, I don’t think that’s going to be a problem,” said Cole. “It seems they have problems of their own.”

“What do you mean?”

“Come here.”

Timbers walked over to the window and looked out. The police car had pulled up to the officers of the fraternity and two policemen were standing next to the car talking to them. Chasington seemed to be doing the most talking. As the son of the chancellor he had the best chance of talking them out any trouble with the police.

“What do you think is going on?” Timbers asked.

“Off hand,” said Cole, “I’d say they’re here about the accident.”

“What accident?”

Without another word Cole grabbed Timbers by the collar of his shirt. Before Timbers could even speak, Cole pushed him out the open window. Everyone on the ground involuntarily looked up as Timbers let out a blood curdling scream as he fell five stories to the pavement below. Cole knew Timbers would be dead the second he hit the pavement. He suddenly shimmered and returned to the third floor.

He knew that everyone would be checking to see what the scream was about. As Cole and the other three pledges came out of the house, one of the policemen was busy checking Timber’s lifeless body while the other policeman was on the radio.

“What happened?” Ronald Moore asked.

“It looks like Jeff fell out of the house,” said Cole. “Is he okay?”

“He’s dead,” said the policeman who was checking the body. He looked up at the window where Timbers had fallen from. “He must have fallen out that upper window. What are you people all doing here?”

“I told you,” said Chasington. “We were out for a drive and noticed movement in the house. We thought we’d stop and tell these guys they shouldn’t be messing around that house. It’s dangerous.”

“Is that true?” the policeman asked the pledges.

They all looked at each other. The code of the fraternity was that fraternity brothers stuck together. It was similar to the code Cole observed with the Brotherhood of the Thorn. The Brotherhood came first even above the life of each individual member. But this was not the Brotherhood of the Thorn.

“Well?” questioned the policeman. “Okay, look people. This young man is dead. We know this was probably a fraternity prank. This goes far beyond protecting each other over a bad grade or a term paper. This is a very serious matter. And if you don’t want any more trouble than you all ready have you’ll tell me the truth.”

“No sir, it’s not true,” said Cole, glancing at Chasington. “It was an initiation. We’re pledges to the Kai Alpha Phi fraternity and this was part of our initiation to get into the fraternity.”

“Turner,” snapped Chasington, glaring at Cole.

“Jeff is dead,” said Cole. “It was an accident. I’m sure the authorities will understand that. But I’m not going to jail for you or anyone else. I’m pre-law and I’ve learned enough to know that lying to the police is one of the worst things you can do.” He looked at the other pledges. “The rest of you can do whatever you want. I’m not going to risk going to jail and ruining my life.”

“Okay, everyone stay here,” said the policeman. “We’re going to need statements from all of you. And Mr. Chasington. We’re going to have to call your father. Everyone get out some identification. It’s going to be a long night.”

Cole reached for his wallet knowing that the authorities weren’t going to understand. The fraternity would be lucky if they kept their charter and the officers would be lucky if they didn’t go to prison. And as pledges it was unlikely that any of them would be held accountable for Timber’s death.

[~B@MeLiSsA30@B~]

Awesome story so far. Update soon! ;D

[noazmale]

EIGHT

“I’m sure my grandfather only did what he felt was the right thing to do,” Cole said to Eugenia Chasington and Gayland Carrington. “I know he was never charged with a crime so the authorities must not have felt he was responsible for the pledge’s death. As I recall, my grandfather said that none of the pledges were charged in the pledge’s death.”

“No they weren’t,” said Chasington, more than a hint of anger in her voice. “Every one of them betrayed their brothers in the fraternity. To save themselves. The officers of the fraternity were expelled from Chasington. Father had little choice in the matter. Many of the alumni were threatening to withdraw their donations and he couldn’t risk that. So he expelled them all, even his own son.

“But my brother was held criminally responsible for the pledge’s death. He was charged with voluntary manslaughter. He knew he would be convicted. The four pledges who were there were being called as witnesses by the prosecution. He knew there was no way for him to beat the charges. So, rather than disgrace his family any further he took his own life before he could be tried.”

“That wasn’t my grandfather’s fault,” said Cole. “Your brother should have known how dangerous it was. He didn’t have to put them through the hazing. I’m a lawyer, like my grandfather was. I’m sorry about what happened but you can’t hold him responsible for what your brother did. He chose his own path.”

“It was because of your grandfather that my brother took his own life,” said Chasington. “And that Carrington was forced out of the university in disgrace. We both swore that one day he would pay for his betrayal. Unfortunately now that he’s dead that’s one vow we can never keep.”

“At least,” said Carrington interjected, “not in the way we initially envisioned. But there is a way to avenge ourselves on him. We may not be able to punish him for what he did but you’ll do just as well. Blood for blood. Seems like a fair trade to me.”

“You can’t be serious,” said Cole. “That was sixty years ago. Ancient history. You can’t undo what’s been done. Besides, killing me won’t bring your brother back. It will just make you a murderer. And I seriously doubt if either of you are capable of carrying out that threat.”

“Oh, we are more than capable,” said Carrington. “You see, we drugged your cognac. It should be taking affect very shortly. Don’t worry. It’s not poison. You won’t die. It’s simply a sedative to incapacitate you. Poisoning you would be much too easy for you. We have something a bit more poetic in store for you.”

Cole’s head began to swim. He tried to shimmer away but the drug was making it hard to concentrate. He didn’t know what they meant about “poetic” but he didn’t like the sound of it. As he fell to the floor and began to loose consciousness he heard the door open and saw several figures move into the room. As he slipped away into darkness he felt several pairs of hand grab him and lift him off the floor.

* * *

Cole opened his eyes and looked around. He was tied to a chair in what looked like a basement. It was a small room, probably a utility room, and the only door to the room was open. In the room beyond he could see several figures moving about. He could also see that the room was elaborately decorated.

He had seen decorations like that before. It had been a while but the decorations were very similar to some ancient rituals his mother had taught him about. Rituals that involved black magic and demon summoning.

Cole chuckled to himself. In ancient times, summoning a demon usually involved a human sacrifice. Only most of those so-called “rituals” were little more than smoke and mirrors. Created by people who knew nothing or next to nothing about real demons. They came from a time when superstition ran rampid and people believed that crosses and chants would protect them.

In many instances it was in a demon’s best interest to play along and pretend those items actually worked. But in reality most of those “ancient” protections did little more than put people’s minds at ease. They afforded very little real protection against a true demon like him.

Although he couldn’t be sure about the specifics, Cole knew what Carrington had meant when he said “poetic”. Somehow, they had learned about one of these ancient rituals and planned to use it to summon a demon, presumably to set right what Cole had done. And he would be the human sacrifice for that ritual. They would be in for a great surprise when they came for him and he wasn’t there.

Before he could shimmer out of the room, Chasington and Carrington, followed by several other people, entered the room. It would be a simple matter for him to shimmer out of the room. And with his demonic abilities not even so many humans would be much of a match for him. But his curiosity was piqued. He wanted to see just exactly what they had in mind.

“Good, you’re awake,” said Chasington. “I wouldn’t want to start the festivities without you being awake.”

“And just what festivities might those be?” Cole questioned.

“A very old ritual,” said Carrington. “One that’s several hundred years old. It was one of the few things I was able to salvage before Eugenia’s father expelled me.”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand,” said Cole.

“It’s very simple,” said Carrington. “You see, I was more than just a student and officer of the Kai Alpha Phi fraternity. You may not believe me but I used to be a warlock. Oh, not the kind you see in the movies. I was a real warlock. I had powers. And I was going to college here to help establish myself in the mortal world.

“But your grandfather ruined all that. When he turned on the fraternity and got me expelled, my master was very displeased with me. Instead of killing me he stripped me of my powers. Left me a pathetic mortal. I’ve had to live with that for the last sixty years.”

“What does this have to do with this ritual you mentioned?” Cole asked.

“It took a while for Gayland to convince me he used to be a warlock,” said Chasington. “But he eventually did. And when he did he told me of this ancient ritual. A ritual that can restore everything your grandfather took from us.”

“You’re deluded,” said Cole. “Those rituals are nothing but folklore and superstition. They aren’t real. If you used to be a warlock you would know that.”

“Oh, I was a warlock all right,” said Carrington. “And I wouldn’t expect you to believe the ritual is real. Most humans don’t believe in such things any more. But it’s real, I can assure you of that.”

“So what’s your plan?” Cole asked. “You’re going to summon a demon and offer me up to him? It won’t do you any good. Your brother will still be dead and you’ll still be disgraced. You won’t accomplish anything.”

“Oh, but we will,” said Chasington. “Gayland tells me that this particular ritual will summon a very specific demon. Some demon called Tempus. According to Gayland this Tempus can manipulate time. Once we summon him we offer you to him. In return, he changes what happened. The pledge will never die and my brother won’t commit suicide for what your grandfather did.”

Tempus. The only one either good or evil who had the ability to manipulate time. But Cole wasn’t sure that even Tempus could reverse time sixty years. Cole had met Tempus on several occasions. According to him, it took a great deal of power to reverse time. And the further it was reversed the greater the power that was needed. If Tempus was right, no demon had enough power to reverse time that far back.

“I don’t think your plan will work,” said Cole. “From what I understand, Tempus isn’t interested in human sacrifices.”

“Of course he is,” said Chasington. “All demons are interested in human sacrifices. Besides, what would you know about any of it?”

“You might say it’s a hobby of mine,” said Cole. “And I can tell you from what I’ve learned, your little ritual isn’t going to do you any good.”

“We’ll see about that,” said Carrington. “I say we get started. Don’t worry, Turner. You won’t have to wait long. Everything is ready. All we have to do is recite the incantation and summon Tempus. Then you’ll be all his and we’ll have everything restored the way it should be.”

Chasington, Carrington, and the others left the room and closed the door. Alone in the room Cole thought about what he would do next. The ritual most likely wouldn’t work. Which means Tempus would never respond to it. Besides, Phoebe and her sisters had vanquished Tempus years ago. Even if it could work Tempus was no longer around to respond to it. But maybe he could do something about that. As he heard the group in the outer room begin to chant the incantation he quietly shimmered out of his bonds.

[Astral Echo]

I've read up to chapter six and may I compliment you on such a fantastic story, you've both done a great job. I love how you've captured that side of Cole, one that is evil but still has quite a conscience - plus it's nice to see another female death flying round.

Keep it up Noazmale - oh will we ever know your real name?

[*Sammi!*]

Wow! Anything with Cole at the centre has gotta be good! I really like it Noazmale! Youre an extremely talented writer.
I must say that I dont like that Chasington very much, he's a bit of a tool!
Your Cole is a little bit more of a weaker one I have noticed, he wouldnt have let anyone talk to him like that normally. I like him sticking up for his family though!

A big round of applause needed! Please update soon!

[noazmale]

dantay said:

I've read up to chapter six and may I compliment you on such a fantastic story, you've both done a great job. I love how you've captured that side of Cole, one that is evil but still has quite a conscience - plus it's nice to see another female death flying round.

Keep it up Noazmale - oh will we ever know your real name?

Thanks, Vengeance. It's nice to know that people appreciate the work. Oh, and the name is Jerry, by the way.

[noazmale]

sammie said:

Wow! Anything with Cole at the centre has gotta be good! I really like it Noazmale! Youre an extremely talented writer.
I must say that I dont like that Chasington very much, he's a bit of a tool!
Your Cole is a little bit more of a weaker one I have noticed, he wouldnt have let anyone talk to him like that normally. I like him sticking up for his family though!

A big round of applause needed! Please update soon!

Actually, Sammi, Cole let's them talk to him like that because he's pledging the fraternity. Since he's trying to get in and they have the say so on whether he does or not, he has to put up with stuff he normally wouldn't put up with. But thanks for the review. It is really appreciated.

Jerry

[noazmale]

NINE

“Tempus, demon of time,” chanted the group, “hear us. We summon you into our presence. We command you to appear before us and do our bidding. Hear the call of the ancient ritual and grant our supplication in exchange for the blood of the innocent. Tempus, demon of time, hear our summons and appear before us now.”

Each time they chanted the incantation Chasington threw something into a flaming brazier she was standing next to. It produced a small explosion and smoke rose from the brazier. They chanted the incantation over and over again intent on summoning Tempus.

Suddenly a figure shimmered into the room inside the protective circle that had been inscribed on the floor. The figure was some seven feet tall with red skin and black tribal markings. It stood looking around at the group who simply stared back, most in shocked disbelief that the summoning had actually worked.

“Tempus, demon of time,” said Chasington. “We have summoned you to do our bidding. We have a sacrifice prepared for you. Grant our supplication in exchange for the innocent blood we grant you.”

“Stupid human. I am not Tempus. I am Belthazor and I have been sent in response to your summoning.”

“Belthazor,” gasped Carrington. “I’ve heard of him. He’s very high level. The ritual worked.”

“You are a bigger fool than the female,” roared Belthazor. “Your childish ritual holds no more power than the prattlings of a child. Did you really believe you could summon a demon such as Tempus with this ancient drivel?”

“But it worked,” said Carrington. “You’re trapped inside the circle of protection. Do our bidding or we will never release you. In exchange, we offer the blood of an innocent.”

Belthazor just smiled, and then stepped beyond the circle of power. Everyone in the room backed away from him in fear. Several of the others turned and began to run up the stairs out of the room. Belthazor ignored them, turning instead to Chasington and Carrington.

“You offer what is not yours to give. You displeased your master and were punished for it. Now you seek to undo that punishment. Do you know the penalty for a warlock attempting to control a demon? The penalty is death. You are as stupid as you are foolish.”

“You said this would work,” Chasington said to Carrington. “You guaranteed me this ritual would summon Tempus and that he would put things right again.”

“Demons do not answer to the whims of humans,” said Belthazor. “Or of warlocks. You are less than insignificant to us. I should kill you for even attempting such a thing.”

“Please,” pleaded Carrington, “we only meant to correct an injustice done to us years ago. We have an innocent for you. You may do with him as you please.”

“I care nothing for your innocent,” said Belthazor, forming an energy ball. “What you seek is not possible. Like so many humans you seek to escape the consequences of your actions. I will not aid you in this endeavor. You must live with your mistakes. As must all creatures.”

Without warning Belthazor turned and cast the energy ball at an open book lying on a table nearby. The energy ball struck the book vaporizing it where it lay. Carrington screamed, “no”, as they all watched the book vanish.

“Now you can summon no more demons,” said Belthazor. “And should you attempt to do so again by some other means, I may not be so accommodating in the future.”

Belthazor suddenly shimmered and vanished from the room. Dejectedly, Carrington pulled out an athame and headed for the room where they had tied Cole. Even though his plan had failed he was still bent on killing Cole. He pushed the door open and simply stared at the empty chair where Cole had been held prisoner.

* * *

“I don’t understand what went wrong,” said Carrington as he and Chasington entered the chancellor’s residents. “Al the research I did. It should have worked. I’m just not sure what we did wrong.”

“It went wrong when you put your faith in rituals that have no basis in fact,” said Cole as they entered the library. Cole stood against the fireplace smiling at them. “I told you those rituals weren’t real. But you just wouldn’t listen to me. You had to learn the hard way.”

“I can still punish you for what our grandfather did,” said Carrington, pulling out the athame and moving toward Cole. “I don’t know how you got out of that room but you won’t get out of here. Not alive anyway.”

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” said Cole forming a fireball. “Or Belthazor might keep his promise to you.”

“You?” questioned Carrington. “You’re Belthazor? But Belthazor is a demon.”

“And he’s half human,” said Cole. “Not that that knowledge will do you much good. Neither of you are any match for me. You never were. And you’ve spent your entire lives seeking a vengeance you can never have. You can’t change the past. Believe me, I’ve tried. It’s just never going to happen.”

“You ruined our lives,” said Chasington. “Because of you I married a man my father wanted me to marry. A man old enough to be my father himself. And a man who believed the best way to get his way was with the back of his fist. I went through hell because of you.”

“No,” said Cole. “You went through hell because of your choices. I was responsible for your brother’s disgrace. I’ll admit that. I might even share in the responsibility for his suicide. That was a result of the disgrace I brought on him and the entire fraternity.

“But no one forced you to harbor the hatred inside you. You chose to do that. I had nothing to do with it. That was all your doing. Take my advice. Give it up. Living in the past won’t do anyone any good. In the end all it can do is destroy you.”

“We’ll have our revenge yet,” said Chasington. “Now that we know who you are we won’t rest until we’ve hunted you down and made you pay for what you’ve done.”

“Not in your lifetime,” said Cole, extinguishing the fireball. “You can’t even get to me where I’m going. And trust me. Even if you do succeed in summoning a demon they aren’t going to be as forgiving as I am. Just be thankful I’m in a generous mood right now.”

Cole shimmered out of the house leaving the two alone with their anger and hatred. He had accomplished what he had come here for. His father’s soul was safe forever. Not he needed to return to the Underworld and begin the arduous task of getting on with his life without Phoebe. Something he hadn’t dreamed he would ever have to do.

The End

If you’ve enjoyed this story, you can find more “Charmed” stories at my website, “Creative Passions”, listed in my bio. You can also post your own “Charmed” stories or other stories if you like to write fan fiction.