CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

“SOREL TOLD ME there were things I didn’t know about him.” Stefan told Damian. “Do you suppose this was what he meant. That he somehow knew of a way to keep his spirit here even though his body had been destroyed, preventing himself from descending to Hell where he belongs.”

“I wouldn’t know.” Damian sighed. “All I know is I want my demon. It would be in your best interest to help me get what I want.” He added. “I’m sure the last thing you want is to be continued to be bothered by Sorel Especially after all the trouble you went through to kill him.”

“It looks like I’m going to have to learn more about Sorel than I ever wanted to know.” Stefan replied. “So I can figure out just how he pulled off this little trick of his so I can undo it and send him down to hell where he belongs.” He added. “Not to mention figure out just where he is right now.”

HELENA POURED NED a glass of wine when he arrived at the yacht for his first lesson as her apprentice. Little did he know before she taught him any of the tricks of the trade, she had a little test for him to pass. A test to prove to her that he could be trusted. Actually, it wasn’t so little. But it would enable Ned to prove himself to her beyond a shadow of a doubt. And if he refused to do it she would consider it as proof that he had been trying to put one over on her and she would make sure he suffered the consequences. In other words, if he had been trying to play her for whatever reason, she would return the favor by killing him.

“You’re early.” She said as she handed him the glass of wine. “I like that. I don’t like to be kept waiting. Good first impressions are always the best way to start out on the right foot.”

“So what will my first lesson be?” Ned asked eagerly. The sooner they started, the sooner they could finish. He didn’t have much time. He had to learn everything Helena had to teach him before his and Alexis’ baby was born, then he could use it against her. “I can’t wait to find out.”

“Actually, before I start teaching you anything,” Helena took a sip of her wine. “I need you to prove you can be trusted. After the way your father turned on me, I can’t be too careful. So I’ve thought of a little test you’ll have to past to prove yourself to me.”

“Just what is this test?” Ned asked, immediately on his guard. Whatever it was, he knew he wasn’t going to like it.

“Your father.” Helena began. “That’s Faison, not that fop Larry Ashton, is hatching some new plot with your mother to thwart me. I can’t allow them to succeed. I need you to help me stop them.”

“Just what are they planning to do?” Ned knew there was more to this than Helena had revealed. A whole lot more.

“Faison has a contact down in Hell.” She explained. “This demon also works for me. He told me what Faison is planning on doing next in his play for power against. He’s planning on liberating the demons that Damian sentenced to the Pit so he can raise them up into an army to use against me and all who oppose him.” She added. “Your mother has agreed to help him. She’s as power hungry and greedy as he is. That‘s where you come in. I want you to stop them from succeeding in their plan.”

“And how am I supposed to do that?” Ned wanted to know.

“It’s simple really.” Helena smiled before lowering the boom. “I want you to find a way to trap your mother and father down in the pit with the rest of the demons. To rescue the demons, Faison and Tracy will have to travel down to the Pit. I want you to make sure when they go down there, they never find their way back out again.”

SONNY AND CARLY approached the Lighthouse in a seaside town hundreds of miles away from Port Charles. It was one of the many safe houses belonging to the Brotherhood. It would be their new home for the time being. It was isolated so if anyone came snooping around they’d know it right away.

“How long are you going to stay made at me?” Carly asked. Ever since they awoke in the catacombs together, Sonny had been freezing her out.

“I told you I won’t let anyone control me.” He replied in a clipped tone. “Not even you.”

“You’re acting like a spoiled brat.” She declared.

“What did you call me?” He said each word with a cutting edge to his voice.

“Sonny,” Carly sighed. “We don’t know just who might be after us. We know there’s the demons. And when the witches learn we’re gone they make try to hunt us down, as well.” She added. “You and I are all we’ve got. All we have is each other from now on. For you to try to erect a wall between us because you’re in a snit that I seduced you to keep you safe is stupid. If the situation was reversed, you would have done the same thing to protect me.” She declared. “You are acting like a spoiled rotten brat.” She headed inside the lighthouse. “When you want to stop acting like a petulant child whose pouting because he can’t get his own way, you’ll know where to find me.”

“SO, how did things go with Helena?” Alexis asked as Ned entered their private suite in the Quartermaine mansion. “What was your first lesson. Mine was learning to pop in and out with drama. Edward said I did very good and that I’m a quick learner.”

“Helena didn’t teach me anything.“ Ned laid down next to Alexis on the bed and sighed. “Before Helena teaches me anything.” Ned said. “She has a test for me to prove my loyalty.”

“I’m almost afraid to ask just what it is.” Alexis replied.

“It seems my mother and Faison are planning on breaking all the demons who are rotting in the Pit in hell out.” Ned revealed. “Helena knows if they succeed, they’ll be able to raise an army of demons up against her, so my test of loyalty is to stop them by finding a way to trap them down in the Pit with the demons they seek to rescue.”

“Could you actually do that to your own parents?” Alexis asked.

“In a heartbeat.” Ned replied. “Tracy and Faison will be just as big as a threat to our child as Helena and Edward.” He added. “I can’t help thinking that Helena has just given us the solution to how to deal with her and Edward, as well.”

“You mean trap them down in the Pit?” Alexis was shocked at just how ruthless Ned could be.

“Do you know of a better place for the both of them.” Ned retorted. “Hell is where Helena and Edward belong, as well as Tracy and Faison.” He added. “But I’ll need your help to send them there.”

“I think we’re getting a little ahead of ourselves, here.” Alexis countered. “First things first. You’ve got to pass Helena’s loyalty test by trapping your parents down in the Pit. Any ideas on how you’re going to do that.”

“The simplest way will be to wait until Tracy and Faison make there move to liberate the demons from the Pit.” Ned answered. “They’ll have to go down into the Pit to rescue the demons, and that’s when I’ll have to find a way to trap them down there.” He paused. “But I’m going to need your help.”

“Just name it.” Alexis replied. “You know I’ll do anything for you.”

“For starters.” Ned answered. “I need you to keep an eye on Tracy for me while I’m trying to keep Helena at bay. Maybe Tracy will even be able to lead us to where Faison is staying, then I can have Faison watched so I’ll know when Mother and Faison make their move and be ready for them.”

STEFAN ENTERED KELLY’S DINER. From his investigations so far of Sorel, he’d learned that Tammy Carson was Sorel’s long-time lover and would be the likely person to know how Sorel pulled off his little trick and how to find out just where he was at the moment. Stefan looked around the diner, uncomfortably as he took a seat at the counter. He so loathed having to rub shoulders with the lower classes. “Hello, Ms. Carson.” Stefan addressed her. “If you have a moment to spare, I’d like to talk to you about Sorel.”

“Talk to somebody else.” She retorted. “I’m grateful to you for freeing me from Sorel’s enslavement, but word on the street is you only succeeded in destroying his physical body and that his spirit is still here.” She added. “If that’s true, I don’t want to risk him coming down on me for talking to you. “

“Ms. Carson, all I want to know is if you knew of a way Sorel could have accomplished what you just described.” Stefan persisted. “A way his spirit could have remained on this plain of existence even though his body was no more.”

“I don’t know.” Tammy shrugged. “He was always saying crazy stuff to me. Stuff like even if he died, he wouldn’t really die. That he would come back just like Houdini said he would do but never succeeded at. That he knew the secret. That as long as he found a new body to infest, he could go on living.”

That didn‘t tell Stefan anything. “Did he have any hobbies.”

“The supernatural.” She replied. “He was really interested in traveling outside of his body. He claimed his spirit could travel outside of his body and roam around at will.” She looked around nervously. “Look, I’ve said to much, already. I want you to leave. I want you to just leave me alone.”

He mulled over what he’d just learned as he left the diner. So Sorel was interested in traveling out of his body and claimed to Tammy Carson that he could do it. Was that how he managed it? Stefan didn’t know much about out-of-body experience. He was a witch with immense powers so he didn’t need to know. It looked like he was going to have to find out more on the topic if he had any hopes of tracking Sorel down.

SOREL WAS NOT adjusting to life as Bobbie Spencer very well. He didn’t mind being in the body of a woman. With his lascivious nature he sort of enjoyed it. But he absolutely detested being trapped in the body of a mortal. He couldn’t stand not having some sort of power. At the moment he was throwing things around as he gave vent to his temper. Somehow he had to attain himself some power, but how?

Trying to get a vampire to enslave him would be of no use. He would be under a vampire’s control and would have no power himself. Just how did mortal’s attain themselves some power in the mortal world? Then it came to him. Money. In the mortal world money was power. So how could he get himself a lot of money? He supposed the way all mortal woman had gotten it throughout the centuries. He’d have to marry a rich man. But who? Then a deliciously evil idea came to his mind. What if he got Stefan Cassadine to marry him? Then once he was Mrs. Cassadine he could dispose of Cassadine and have all that wealth for himself. He looked around the Brownstone in disdain. If he had anything to say about it he wouldn’t be stuck in this dump for much longer.

The ringing of the doorbell brought his thoughts back to the present. He went to open it with a decidedly masculine stride to his gait. Tony Jones was standing there. He’d called earlier and said he wanted to drop by to speak to her. Sorel hadn’t liked his tone of voice one little bit. Dr. Jones had better not annoy him, because he wasn’t in a good mood at the moment and it would take very little for him to take his bad mood out on Jones. In fact, he’d take great pleasure in doing just that.

“So, you’re finally back.” Tony said in a condescending tone as he entered the Brownstone that made Sorel’s hackles rise. “It was about time you got back. We‘re you off on another romp with that thug, Roy DiLucca.”

“Considering it was less than an hour ago that you called me to make sure I was back.” Sorel retorted. “You’re comment is completely unnecessary.” He plopped down in a chair in a very unladylike position.

Tony looked Bobbie up and down and looked scathingly upon the low-cut nightgown she was wearing. “Isn’t it a little early for you to be dressed like that.” He complained. “At least put on a robe. I can see right through it.”

“Does it give you a cheap thrill, doc?” Sorel sneered. “Look, this is my house. If I feel like running around naked, what’s it to you.”

“My son lives here.” Tony reminded her. “That gives me every right to dictate to you on how you’re dressed. Bobbie, what’s wrong with you. You disappear for days without a word to me or Lucas.” He motions to the way she’s dressed. “And now this? If you don’t clean up your act, I’m going to have to take you to court and sue you for full custody of Lucas.”

“Are you threatening me?” Sorel asked. “Do you have any idea just who you’re messing with? Just who the hell do you think you are?”

“Look,” Tony replied not taking notice of Bobbie‘s bizarre behavior. “I said what I came to say. Now the ball’s in your court. What I do next is totally up to you.”

“Just where do you think you’re going?” Sorel jumped in front of Tony and blocked his path to the door. “I’m not through with you, yet. This conversation ends when I say it ends and not before then, you pompous arrogant windbag.”

“I’m not going to stand here and argue with you.” He walked around Bobbie and headed for the door.

“Nobody walks away from me and gets away with it.” Sorel snarled as he grabbed up a lamp and brought it down on Tony’s head.