"REQUIEM FOR MAGIC"
Part II
Christopher Halliwell aka Perry usually did not mind assuming whitelighter duties. The work appealed to his desire for continuous action. He believed that it not only helped contribute to what he believed would be the eventual destruction of evil, it would also enable him to save his brother from such a path. But there was one aspect of being a whitelighter that he disliked – namely dealing with the Elders Council.
He did not actively dislike the Elders – save for one who had put the job before family. But there were times Chris found them too critical and self-righteous. Worse, they seemed to harbor a belief that the magical world had to answer to them. This attitude certainly seemed apparent in their concern over Cole and Olivia Turner's deaths. Chris could not even understand why they would concern themselves with the matter. But the Elders seemed to have plenty of information on the situation – thanks to his father.
"I am curious, Mr. Perry," Elder Odin said. "When you had first informed us that Olivia McNeill's marriage to Belthazor would not spell any future trouble, why did you fail to add that they would soon be dead?"
Chris sighed. "Because they weren't dead. At least not in my future." Murmurs of concern filled the Council room. "Something . . . something must have went wrong."
Another Elder, whom Chris recognized as the Magic School's headmaster, exclaimed, "You mean to say there is a demon roaming about with Belthazor's powers? A demon who may have just altered the future?"
Demon? Chris wondered. At first, he had assumed that a demon was responsible for the Turners' deaths. But certain facts did not make sense. "I'm not so sure that their killer was a demon," he finally said.
Elder Gideon gave Chris a pointed stare. "Meaning?"
"Meaning . . . someone had to get pretty close to Cole in order to kill him in his own home. And I doubt any demon could have done it without being caught. Cole . . . well, he was pretty good at sniffing out other demons. I think he would have detected one right away."
A frown stamped on his florid face, Leo added, "I'm afraid that Chris is right. But who could have killed Cole?"
Chris sighed. "Probably a mortal. A mortal who practices magic."
A fair-haired man, who looked like a mortal in his mid-forties, retorted, "There is no such thing as a mortal who practices magic, Mr. Perry." Chris felt a surge of annoyance.
"Of course there is!" a female's voice shot back. The Russian accent and contemptuous tone informed Chris that Elder Natalia Stepanova had come to his aid. She had befriended the Turners during the upheaval within the Whitelighters Realm, last summer. "The mortals in questions are witches, warlocks, sorcerers, sorceresses and the occasional wizard. Please do not tell me that you believe that nonsense about witches not being mortals."
From the corner of his eye, Chris saw his father's face turn red. A slight sense of satisfaction surged through him. How many times had he witnessed Dad's use of the argument that witches were not mortals, whenever Grandfather Victor insisted his daughters and later, grandsons try to maintain a life outside of magic?
Chris continued, "There are other reasons why I don't think a demon had killed Olivia and Cole. One, Olivia had been shot. And two, the killer also took her staff."
Elder Sandra's pale and slender face frowned slightly. "Staff?"
"The Staff of Aingeal," Leo replied. "It had been originally created for a McNeill wizard."
Elder Natalia added, "An incubus named Aoidh had created the staff for his son, an adamatti or wizard named Niallghas, who passed it to his son, Duncan McNeill. Only Duncan McNeill's descendants – those with a pyrokinetic ability like Olivia can wield the staff." She paused, as if a thought came to her. "Good heavens! Is it possible that a McNeill had killed the Turners?"
When he had first learned about the Aingeal Staff's theft from Piper, Chris considered a similar possibility. He meant to speak with Bruce McNeill about it, but the Council had summoned him. Chris replied, "It's possible. Like you said, only a McNeill can wield the staff. I'll talk to Olivia's family."
"Elder Leo can do it," Elder Odin said. "He is more familiar with them."
Chris forced himself to refrain from expressing his annoyance. "Well, considering the McNeills' . . . uh, conflict with Elder Leo right now, I don't think that would be a good idea."
Leo's eyes became slits. The other Elders eventually agreed, much to Chris' relief. The last thing he needed . . . or wanted was his father interfering in his investigation of the Turners' deaths.
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As many of her visions have done so in the past, Phoebe Halliwell's latest one appeared in her mind before she knew what had hit her. And it all began with a touch.
The Charmed One's recent crying jag had led her to fall asleep a lot sooner than she normally did. And this is why Phoebe found herself wide awake at two-twenty-five in the morning. She leaned over to switch on the lamp that sat on her nightstand. As she swung over the bed's edge, her foot struck a cardboard box situated next to her bed. The box, she recalled contained some objects she had collected during her relationship with Cole. She had discovered it earlier this afternoon. Phoebe had meant to examine its contents, but she never got around to doing it. It was simply too painful.
Before she could rise from her bed, Phoebe's eyes caught sight of a red pullover sweater that once belonged to Cole. She recognized it as the same sweater he had worn on that day he and Prue had transported to that Old West town in the past. The day she had finally decided to give their relationship a chance. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes. Minutes passed before Phoebe finally wiped away her tears. Then she bent down to pick up the sweater. The moment she touched it, the visions hit.
Phoebe saw an image of Cole and Olivia cuddling on the sofa, inside their penthouse living room. She saw Cole sharing a table with Janet Hui and Holly McMillan inside a courtroom. She saw the half-demon having a discussion with a handsome, middle-aged man with chestnut hair. Then an image of Cole and a very pregnant Olivia immediately followed. Phoebe saw herself sharing a booth with Cole, Olivia and a handsome dark-haired man inside the Golden Gate restaurant. The series of visions ended with Cole hugging a red-haired young woman that bore a strong resemblance to Olivia.
A gasp escaped from Phoebe's mouth. She nearly fell forward before she caught herself in time. She remained bent over for several seconds, as she struggled to abate her dizziness. Then she thought about her visions. Holly McMillan on trial, a pregnant Olivia and Cole hugging a strange young woman that bore a slight resemblance to Olivia and Gweneth McNeill? It occurred to the Charmed One that she may have seen the future. Cole's future. Which had to be impossible, considering he was dead.
Once her dizziness ended, Phoebe rose to her feet and quickly made her way to her older sister's room. She burst inside with a cry on her lips. "Piper! Piper, wake up!" She switched on the bedroom's lights.
"Huh?" Piper replied groggily. "Who's that? Phoebe?" Then she promptly fell back to sleep.
A determined Phoebe strode over to the bed and shook the older woman's shoulder. "Piper! C'mon! Wake up!"
Something resembling a growl escaped from Piper's mouth. Then she heaved a sigh, before struggling to a sitting position. She glared at the younger Charmed One. "This had better be good. It's . . ." She glanced at her small clock on the nightstand. ". . . almost three in the morning?" Her voice rang with outrage. "Phoebe!"
"Piper, I'm sorry that I woke you up, but something important has happened." Phoebe paused dramatically. "I've had a premonition."
Piper looked suddenly alert. "What? A demonic attack?"
Phoebe shook her head. "No, it's about Cole."
The older sister heaved an exasperated sigh. "Oh for God's sake, Pheebs! You woke me up about a dream?"
"Not a dream. A premonition," Phoebe insisted. "I've been awake for the past hour or so." She proceeded to tell Piper about her visions. "Olivia was pregnant in one of them, Piper. Pregnant. And Cole was hugging this redhead that looked a lot like Olivia and her mother. I think that was Cole and Olivia's daughter." She refrained from telling Piper about the dark-haired man with the Turners and herself.
Looking slightly annoyed, Piper coolly retorted, "So what are you saying, Pheebs? That Olivia and Cole are still alive?"
"Or they will be . . . in the future." Phoebe noticed the dubious expression on her sister's face. "What? You act as if that's impossible. We're witches, Piper. We've been dealing with magic for at least five-and-a-half years. Heck, Cole once came back from Wasteland . . . after he had been dead for at least four months."
Piper sighed. "Yes Phoebe, I know. But Cole had a reason for coming back. You. Now . . ." She shook her head. "What reason would he have? Olivia? She's also dead. Which means that she also doesn't have a reason for coming back. Maybe you were drea . . ."
"Piper, I was wide awake when I had my premonitions," Phoebe said in a hard voice. Her sister's doubts, along with Piper's comments about Cole's changed feelings toward her had irked the middle Charmed One. "I wasn't imagining things."
Similar dark eyes stared at Phoebe. "You really are serious, aren't you?"
At last! "Yes," Phoebe answered firmly. "And if I'm having these visions, it could only mean one thing. Cole and Olivia were never meant to die."
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The funeral service for the Turners turned out to be as depressing as she had imagined it would be. And the burial service did nothing to alleviate the gloom. Cecile Dubois Morrell had never wanted to come here. If she had her way, she would have remained in New Orleans. But her husband and her mother eventually convinced her into coming to San Francisco.
The robed, middle-aged Wiccan priestess that stood behind the two coffins, continued her sermon. Cecile recognized her as a witch from Gweneth McNeill's coven. Cecile had assumed that the Wiccan priest who had co-officiated Olivia and Cole's wedding, would offer a sermon at the funeral. But according to Bruce, Arthur McMannus was suffering from ill health.
"That which belongs to fellowship and love. That which belongs to the circle, remains with us. The wheel turns. As life is a day, so our sister and her mate have passed into night. Nothing is final, and we who remain behind know that one day, we will once again share the bread and wine with them. O' blessed spirit, we bid you farewell, for you await a new destiny," the priestess continued.
Cecile wiped the tears from her eyes. She seemed to have been doing nothing else, ever since she had learned of the Turners' deaths nearly a week ago. In fact, she found it difficult to believe that someone had the nerve, let alone the brains, to pull off the double murder of a powerful witch and her even more powerful half-demonic husband.
Finally, the sermon ended. Because Olivia happened to be a police officer, an honor guard compromising of uniformed policemen took a step toward her coffin. They raised their rifles in unison and fired. Three times. More police officers carefully removed the flag from Olivia's coffin, folded it several times and presented it to a weeping Gweneth McNeill. More tears flowed from Cecile's eyes.
One by one, people stepped forward to place flowers or other objects upon the couple's coffins. Cecile saw Cole's uncle Marbus placed what looked like a signet ring upon the half-daemon's coffin. Sheila Morris had flowers for the couple. Darryl merely closed his eyes for a brief second, shook his head in despair and followed his wife. Like the Morrises, both Piper Halliwell and Paige Matthews had flowers for the couple. Cecile was surprised to see Leo Wyatt, of all people, at the service. He placed what looked like a necklace on Olivia's coffin. The Morrells finally stepped forward. Andre murmured, "For you, man." He placed a small, leather-bound grimoire on Cole's coffin.
Clutching a silver necklace that featured a carving of the sisterhood symbol, Cecile took a deep breath. She leaned forward and placed the necklace on Olivia's coffin. As she drew back, a wave of visions hit her. They happened to be the same visions she had experienced when she first met Cole – a long marriage with Olivia that included children. The moment the visions ended, dizziness struck the Vodoun priestess. She gasped out loud, as she began to sway.
"Cecile?" A strong hand belonging to Andre gripped her arm. Cecile inhaled sharply and walked away from the two coffins with her husband. She saw both the Morrises and Phoebe Halliwell staring at her. "What's wrong?" Andre hissed.
Cecile took several deep breaths. "Get me back to the house. Please."
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Once the service ended, the cars conveying the mourners finally left the cemetery and returned to the McNeill home. Cecile and Andre marched straight toward the nearest room – the well-furnished library. Cecile immediately sat down on the leather sofa. "So what the hell happened out there?" Andre demanded. "You've been hyperventilating since we left the cemetery."
Before Cecile could reply, Bruce McNeill and his parents entered the library. "Is there something wrong?" the oldest McNeill sibling asked. He wore an anxious expression on his face. "We saw what happened at the cemetery."
"It was a vision," Cecile replied in a hoarse voice. "Or more like visions. They were the same ones I had when I first met Cole."
Pain briefly flashed in Jack McNeill's blue-gray eyes. "I'm sorry to hear that," he murmured. "It's been painful for every . . ."
Cecile shook her head. "No, you don't understand."
At that moment, Phoebe Halliwell and Darryl Morris burst into the library. The Charmed One hesitated before she sat next to Cecile. "Oh my God! Are you okay?" she asked apprehensively.
"Yeah, Phoebe, Sheila and I saw you faint at the cemetery," Darryl added. "You looked as if you were about to faint."
Bruce replied, "It's okay, guys. Cecile had a vision. Apparently, a very powerful one."
Phoebe's next words took everyone – including Cecile – by surprise. "You had a premonition, didn't you? About Cole and Olivia."
Everyone stared at Phoebe. Cecile demanded in a harsh tone, "You too? It's weird. I never had a vision like that before. Especially about someone who was already dead."
"It happened to me, early this morning," Phoebe said. "I couldn't sleep."
An exasperated Mr. McNeill interrupted sharply. "Could someone please tell me what the hell you two are talking about? The rest of us don't speak 'Seer'."
Cecile took a deep breath. "I had some visions of Olivia and Cole. Visions of their future."
"So did I," Phoebe quickly added.
Mrs. McNeill regarded the two seers with disbelief. "That's impossible!" she cried. "They're both . . . both dead. How could you . . .?"
"I don't know," Cecile replied. "Maybe . . . perhaps it means they were never meant to be killed. Maybe someone changed the future or something."
Andre added, "That makes sense." Cecile stared at him. "Well, I always thought there was something strange about their deaths."
"Getting shot . . ." Bruce hesitated, as he took a deep breath. "Olivia had been shot in the line of duty. I just don't see anything odd about it."
Darryl spoke up, taking everyone by surprise. "I do." His comment drew stares from Olivia and the others. "Didn't any of you find it odd about how they were killed? Especially Cole? Someone had to be close enough to get to him. No ordinary demon could have done it, no matter how powerful. Cole would have sensed one of them in an instant."
"Perhaps it was a warlock or some sorcerer," Mr. McNeill suggested. "Or sorceress. Phoebe did have a vision of a female killing Cole. Remember that warlock, Gary Wheeler? He could have hired someone to get to them."
Darryl firmly reminded everyone that the killer had taken Olivia's staff. "A staff that would be no good to anyone, except for a McNeill witch. Why would Gary Wheeler be interested in that? One would think he was more interested in that amulet that Cecile now has. The one he had used on Cole before his and Olivia's wedding. And even if the killer was mortal, he or she would have to be in disguise. And wouldn't that take a lot of magic?"
Phoebe heaved a small sigh. "What's your point?"
It was Cecile who answered. "Cole could sense a warlock or sorcerer or any other mortal if he or she was using magic."
"She's right," Andre added. He turned to Darryl. "So, who do you think killed them?"
The police lieutenant took a deep breath. At that moment, Cecile managed to pick up on his thoughts without meaning to. What she had sensed shocked her. "You can't be serious!" she softly exclaimed.
Andre shot a quick glance at her. "What are you talking about?"
But Cecile ignored him. "Are you serious? You actually think that Olivia had killed Cole?"
Everyone stared at Olivia's partner. "Darryl, what the hell are you getting at?" Mr. McNeill demanded.
Darryl nodded grimly. "As Cecile had pointed out . . ." The Vodoun priestess felt a warm flush of embarrassment for her faux pas. ". . . I think that Olivia had killed Cole. Another Olivia. You know, she once told me about alternate dimensions and universes, where other versions of ourselves exist." He turned to Mr. McNeill. "What would happen if the only McNeill capable of using that fire staff turned out to be . . . well, evil or something like that?"
Olivia's father gave Darryl a long, hard stare. "The staff would remained hidden by the family," he finally said. "If other McNeill fire starters proved incapable of wielding the staff, and the last one remaining happened to be a warlock or something in that line . . ." He paused, as his blue-gray eyes flew opened. "Good God! Of course!"
Gweneth McNeill frowned at her husband. "Jack, what is it?"
"I see what Darryl is driving at," the McNeill patriarch continued. "If this other Olivia was evil, she probably was denied possession of the Aingeal Staff. Or denied any testing to see if she could wield it. This means . . ."
Darryl finished, ". . . that another Olivia would have to go to an alternate dimension to get her hands on a staff. Like here. And that would explain why Cole's killer had been able to get so close to him. That's why Olivia's keys, cell phone and wedding ring ended up at the penthouse."
Cecile added, "And that would explain Olivia's last words to you, right? When you had asked her to name her killer." Darryl glanced sharply at her. "Your thoughts are broadcasting all over the place. It's not that hard for me to pick up on what you're thinking."
With a heavy sigh, Darryl said, "Yeah, well Olivia kept saying 'me' over again, until she fell unconscious."
"So, Livy . . ." Gweneth McNeill closed her eyes for a brief moment. "She was killed by a double from an alternate world? A double who wanted her staff?"
A grim Cecile replied, "I think it's possible, Mrs. McNeill."
A heavy silence filled the room. Then Phoebe said, "How do we get it back?"
Everyone stared at the Charmed One. Bruce frowned. "What?"
"How do we get back the staff? And what about my premonitions? And Cecile's?"
Bruce sighed before he replied, "One step at a time, Pheebs. One step at a time."
END OF Part II
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