The Mighty Belthazor

The Source grunted in pain as he used his telekinesis to pull the pull the bullets from his back, flinging them across the chamber. The wounds from the gun and being crushed by the dumpster weren't fatal by a long shot, but he'd have to summon a healer to treat them.

He'd failed. And he'd been exposed. He couldn't return to the school not, not in this form. But he wasn't finished there yet.

The Seer rayed into his chamber. "I'm beginning to wonder if you can handle your new mantle of power," she said.

"Are you questioning my leadership?" the Source snapped.

"No," the Seer said smoothly. "You inherited the world's evil, I'll follow that anywhere."

"But?"

"Belthazor. He's still alive inside you and he loves the witch," the Seer pointed out. "And his feelings for the vampire affected your judgment tonight."

"I know," he snapped. "I can feel it."

"When you were a demon," the Seer persisted, "his feelings ruined more than one good plan."

"It's different now," the Source said. "Belthazor's voice used to scream inside my head. Now it's just a whisper."

The Seer nodded. "As soon as the Wiccan Festival of Lights has passed and the moon is waning, the time will be right for your coronation. Upon completion of the oath, you will be given the full powers of the underworld."

"And then nothing will stop me from taking what I want," the Source said, finally smiling for the first time in hours.

The Seer gave the Source a concerned look, but nodded obediently.

A muffled thud woke Bel in the middle of the night. Phoebe refused to wake up and investigate, despite how hard he willed her to do so, so Bel climbed from the bed and wandered out of the bedroom to see what the cats had done. In the near darkness he could make out Valkyrie and Seraphim sitting on the couch, looking up at him innocently despite the lamp that was knocked over on to the floor.

"Bad cats," Bel grumbled, picking up the lamp and setting it on the table where it belonged. He began to head back to the bedroom, eager to return to softness, warmth, and girlfriend. ( He didn't make it. )