War of the Witches: Lilith vs Columba

She watched. She waited.
She waited quite impatiently.
Waiting was not her forte, except in very special circumstances.

Lilith MacDougal eyed the structure her son and (the notion almost sickened her) daughter-in-law called home. It was by no means at all like the lavish estate of MacDougal Manor. In fact to Lilith's eyes the home was rather quaint. It had infuriated the witch when she found out her one and only son had deviated from the norms she had tried to instill and fell for a half-blood. Not only had Columba Mars whisked Lilith's 'little boy' away from her, but the younger witch forced Jericho into a lower-class style of living. Or, at least, this was how Lilith saw the world.

When the young couple were married their only saving grace was that Miss Mars was Corvus Darrow's half-sister. But now...

So much had happened since then. Jericho had his heart broken by his love when it was learned he was a rather efficient spy for Corvus. Her boy hadn't been the same for some time. And then in what Lilith deemed a moment of insanity Jericho asked Corvus if he might leave the older wizard's service. As if anyone could just up and leave the cause! Honestly, Lilith thought Jericho knew better. To her surprise Corvus seemed to simply let him go. This caused a suspicious gleam in Lilith's eyes. There had definitely been more to it than things appeared.

And more to it there was! That was why she waited, hidden beneath an invisibility cloak and disillusionment charm to boot. Columba was the reason Jericho tried to abandon both Lilith and Corvus. To Lilith's relief Corvus noticed this. Whilst the younger witch carried what would be Lilith's first grandchild, Corvus ordered Lilith to kill the woman.

However there were certain things Lilith had to adhere to. First, Columba must be allowed to have the child. Second, Jericho was to be indisposed at the time of the attack. And finally - this was the kicker for someone as gung-ho as Lilith - the family were to be granted a year's worth of peace with the child.

It had been one and one-third years since Corvus issued these orders. Lilith had waited long enough!

'Finally! Lazy boy...' Lilith muttered to herself as Jericho sped out the door. He had paused only long enough to give his wife a peck on the cheek before hustling to the apparition point. Weight was shifted from one foot to another with anticipation. Lilith knew what she was about to do would devastate her son. But it was for his own good, and the good of their cause.

Lilith waited slightly longer after Jericho had disapparated, anticipating that he might return for a forgotten item. This gave her some time to decide what she would do with the baby. Corvus had asked her to use her own discretion. She had only seen the thing once or twice due to lack of invitation to visit. On one hand it was her grandson. It was also, in some way part Corvus. The boy was her grandson and Corvus' nephew. Those were the merits not to kill it. However that child was not pure. Almost, but not quite. Those not of pure blood were beneath them, unfit for society. At best the child was a second-class citizen if one would not lend his lineage a small measure of leeway.

Seeing as Jericho had yet to return for something left behind, Lilith decided it was safe to make her move. "Alright. Come along," she hissed to the house-elf carrying a parcel at least three times its size. The witch walked briskly to the door. "Return home with that as soon as the first spell is fired. Do I make myself clear?"

"Y-Yes, Mistress," the elf squeaked, not particularly thrilled to be part of this.

Lilith climbed the few stairs to Jericho and Columba's front door and placed her hands on her hips. Were this MacDougal Manor, she would be seen inside immediately. Sighing in disdain, Lilith pushed the little button beside the door in an attempt to summon the household's remaining occupant. At first glance the visit was to appear innocent enough... a modern-day Trojan Horse if there ever was one.

Columba was happy. Her relationship with Jericho was far from perfect but he loved her and she him. They fought and boy did they fight but once everything was said and done, they made up. They never promised to stop fighting because they both got a kick out of it. He seemed to love infuriating her and she enjoyed knocking the stupid smirk off his face. The many perks of marrying your old school rival. 

But these fights weren't real. They had come a long way since Hogwarts. They would rather die than cause the other any real pain. They were in love. 

A love that would be the death of her she mused. 

She was surprised at just how easily she had fallen for his arrogant arse. He had changed, he once said to her and she willingly believed him despite several signs that pointed south and Melania Harper's adamant pleads of not trusting a snake.

When the fact the he was a spy surfaced, Columba was heartbroken and if she was to be completely honest with herself - not entirely surprised. The saying that 'love is blind' definitely applied. If she was her own sharp self with love taken out of the equation, she would have caught on a lot faster. She was an Auror and a Ravenclaw to boot. It was an embarrassment that she was in a relationship with a spy and was completely innocent of it. But she unconsciously or not turned a blind eye when something suspicious came up. She trusted him. She wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. When he had lied to her to get her trust she had believed him because she could see a spec of honesty in his eyes. She may have amplified it because it was what she wanted, but she was sure it was there. 

But once everything had come out in the open, denial was out of the question. She had to throw him out. They had to end it. She was good and he was bad, simple as that. But it was anything but simple. She felt so hurt and betrayed by him and couldn't stand look at him but she didn't want him to leave either. It was so complicated. She felt so lost and confused. She felt so angry at him too. Why did he always screw everything up? In the end she did what she had to and that was that.

But yet again, simplicity had nothing to do with it because not even a week later, she found out she was pregnant. The thought of getting rid of it didn't even occur to her. What she was debating instead was if she should in some way inform the father. She decided not to considering his  allegiance and told as little people as possible. Of course, that didn't stop him from finding out. The next thing she knew was him barging into her life once again with some sob story of how he was sorry and how he left Lord Corvus's side and how he wanted their baby to grow up with a father and every cliche in the book imaginable. She briefly entertained the idea of flat out rejecting him. He had hurt her. Her eyes were barely dry from crying nightly. But no, he was barely done apologising before she slapped him, punched him several times -as hard as she could- and then the next moment kissed him. And she couldn't be happier. 

Fast-forward to when their son was born and it seemed like everything was perfect. Jericho was a great father and she loved him more for it. They fought less now that the baby was around but they still had one or two spats here and there. But far less violent. The fear that they might lose each other again took the edge off.

After making finishes touches to dinner, Columba walked over to where little Jon was playing with a toy truck. They named him Jonathan Jericho Mars. Who's last name he would take was a topic for a rather long debate but in the end Columba won out. However, the first and second names were easily settled. When Jericho had suggested Jonathan, she was so overjoyed that she had insisted on giving him Jericho's name as well. 

She picked Jon and the little toy up. Pluto, her faithful Goberian dog, who had been keeping the baby company while she was in the kitchen stood up as well. She took the toy and put it in front of Jon. "Can you say truck?" 

Jon looked at her smiling the way babies do. "Goop!" 

Cole chuckled. "Close enough." She kissed him. "You know, I feared you might have gotten your father's brains."

As a response, Jon laughed. Cole laughed as well. "You might just have some of mine after all." 

Pluto started to bark towards the general direction of the door. Someone was there. Indeed, as a moment later, there was a ringing at the door that proved it. 

At first, she thought it might have been Jericho coming back because he had forgotten something. But no, the way Pluto was barking ended that train of though as soon as it started. Pluto and Jericho had made their peace long ago. This was someone else. Cole's heart skipped a beat. She had a very bad feeling about this. She looked at Jon, blue eyes, a replica of hers, looked back. "Don't worry, I'm sure it's nothing." She said it aloud to calm herself down more than the baby. Being an Auror gave her an instinct and it was screaming bloody murder. She put Jon back in the playpen, locked it and put several protective charms around it. 

She followed Pluto who was already at the door, barking as if it was the devil himself. She glanced at the peephole. It was Lilith, her half-brother's right hand and as a kicker her mother-in-law as well. Cole wanted to simply leave her outside and pretend that no one was home but she knew better. She was and always will be Jericho's mother. She may not like it, but she knew how important Lilith was to Jericho. That more than anything made her open the door. "Ms. MacDougal, this is a surprise." Cole was sure she wouldn't do anything to her or Jon, almost. A hand was in her pocket, grasping her wand.

Lilith stood, looking regally bored as she waited for her daughter-in-law to answer the door. She could hear the dog bark and it unnerved her slightly. Jericho had related near-horror stories about that dog prior to his marriage to the half-blood.

Finally - the door opened! But Lilith could not just go in wand raised and sparks flying. No. It would be too easy to be seen. The witch buried her first inclination hastily. "Columba, dear... what a pleasant surprise, indeed!" she said, putting as much positive enthusiasm into her voice as possible. "I just thought maybe you and Rico would like some of his old baby things for 'Little Rico' ... Heirlooms I'd meant to give Jericho a long time ago. Or at least some of them are," Lilith gestured to the elf behind her and the parcel it bore.

"Might I come in and share them with you? And Rico if he's still here..." Feigning ignorance as to Jericho's working schedule, Lilith leaned a little in an attempt to spot him through the small space the open door allowed.

Of all of the things her visit could be about, this was not what Cole was expecting. She didn't know what to think. Every fibre of Cole's being was telling her something was wrong. Lilith didn't like her, Lilith didn't approve of her, Lilith didn't want anything to do with her.To be completely honest, her opinion of Lilith was only form by heresy, rumors and whatever Jericho's offered to tell her. She virtually didn't know the woman. It really was an unfair assessment to suggest that Lilith was evil. After all, there was always good mixed in with the bad, Jericho proved that more than anything.

"Hush," Cole commanded Pluto who was vocalizing his opinion of Lilith rather loudly. At the command of his mistress, Pluto immediately stopped barking and instead opt for a more quiet form of protest, growling.

With Pluto somewhat quiet, Cole was free to think. It didn't actually help. "Erm," Wide blue eyes looked at Lilith terribly uncertain. She bit her lip. Cole wanted to slam the door in her face - inviting her inside was the last thing her heart wanted. But she was Jericho's mother. She must have some love for her son, this judgment over-ruled her instinct.

"Of course. Please come in." At this, Pluto blocked the entry way growled louder. Cole pushed Pluto out of the way and gently hushed him. He yielded but barely. He was violently glaring at Lilith. Pluto was well trained and wouldn't actually attack if not told to do so. Of course, if Cole wasn't around or if someone or something intended to harm his mistress or her son, he would without any hesitance. "You just missed him." Of course, Cole didn't say that he wouldn't be back until very late. 

She waited until with the elf and Lilith were inside before closing the door behind them and rounding on her visitors.

Lilith was almost thankful when Cole quieted her dog. Apparently this was not going to be as easy as she had hoped unless the dog went off for a nap or something. Given her experience with dogs Lilith was doubtful the thing would just go away what with the way it was carrying on now. If the dog attacked her the witch would do whatever was necessary to defend herself.

Such innocent blue eyes, Lilith noted. She wondered if this was what had caught Jericho's eye. It would be a work of terribly beautiful art to see the spark of life be drained from them. As it so happened, Lilith loved that form of artistic expression. The witch waited under the guise of patience as Cole seemed to consider the pros and cons of letting Lilith inside.

Lilith smiled wider, though inwardly the witch was grinning. "Why, thank-" she'd began, but was cut off from saying 'you' by the sudden appearance of Pluto. The dog wasn't as large as its bark but it was considerable. Lilith gasped in a sort of feigned shock that the dog would behave so aggressively. "Well, aren't we a protective little thing..." she muttered, giving Pluto a distrustful sideways glance as she strode on in. The house-elf followed dutifully.

"Pity..." Lilith shrugged. "I really wish he would have decided to take the East Wing... Just me and the house-elves in that big old Manor..." She glanced around the household. It had a cottage-y feel that Lilith wasn't accustomed to. The word 'quaint' came to her mind. "Charming..." Lilith murmured, eyeing a photograph of the couple with a form of envy. How she missed having her little Rico in her life. It was a bit late for regrets but Lilith had a few of them now. Perhaps she should have listened to Corvus's warnings and applied them afterwards when he intervened. But she couldn't. The only times Lilith saw her son these days had been the one or two visits when Jericho brought his son for Lilith to see.

"Where would be best?" Lilith asked, not entirely sure what to do with the fact that Cole and Rico's house seemed to dismiss with an entrance hall or foyer. Instead it appeared they cut right to the chase with a parlor of sorts. Needless to say Lilith felt a little disoriented.

"The dinning hall." Cole suggested and led the way keeping a careful eye at Lilith. She didn't want her any where near where Jon was, so she led Lilith in the opposite direction. Pluto apparently felt the same way and left Cole's side to tend to Jon. He kept his ears peeled though. Any sense of danger and he was ready to spring into action.

The dinning hall was humble, a medium-sized table filling up the room with several seats around it, and clearly not what Lilith was probably used to. Cole was sharp and saw the rather disapproving gaze her mother-in-law sent their home. She felt rather defensive about it. She and Jericho both worked at the house. It may not have been as luxurious as the 'MacDougal Manor' but it was theirs. Her defensiveness ebbed away as Lilith confessed how she was all alone. It may have been crazy but Cole understood a bit of what Lilith must have feeling.

However, Cole's instinct stopped her for truly feeling sympathy for the witch and kept one of her hand defy in her wand pocket. Cole couldn't take this any longer. She felt Lilith was like some sort of time-bomb, about to blow at any minute. Cole couldn't play her game. She would surely lose. She needed facts, she needed straight answers. Lilith being there in their home didn't make any sense at all. Cole lived on facts, facts were simple and straightforward. The loss of facts made her feel disoriented and confused. She didn't like to feel uncertain, especially when the safety of her son could be at stake.

"I would offer you some tea, but something tells me you are not going to accept." Cole bravely ventured. "Forgive my frankness but, these 'pleasantries' are too little, too late. I am well aware of your opinion of me. Therefore, it seems that your being here has nothing to do with the premise you've given." She nodded at the direction of the box. "I do wish you would give me more credit then you have given me so far. I would like proper answer and I do hope you can find it in your heart to concede with my request. So please can you tell me what are you doing here?"

Lilith nodded and followed Cole's lead. Not entirely sure what to expect, herself, the witch kept her hands to her sides where wand and projectile-like potions lay hidden in magically-augmented pockets. Chocolate eyes kept alert for where the dog walked off to. Vaguely she wondered why the dog would deliberately part company with its master, but decided not to dwell too much on it.

Once again the house surprised Lilith. She blinked at what had been declared the 'dining hall'. It was tiny in the aristocrat's eyes. The many seats told her that the couple clearly entertained friends - perhaps the only thing that Lilith could identify as parallel to MacDougal Manor. "It's... nice, here... if a bit small," Lilith ventured, the word 'nice' being a twinge strained. She hadn't a clue that Cole had noticed her earlier glances of disapproval.

The witch turned to Cole when she spoke. A variety of expressions crossed Lilith's falsely-innocent face: surprise, something pouty, and a slowly-surfacing irritation. What part of her ruse failed? "Please, Columba dear, don't be silly. I realize my punctuality in these matters is most untimely..." the witch lowered her eyes to the floor with an actress's poise for a small count of seconds before raising them once again the the blues of her daughter-in-law. "... But I had hoped we could get passed all of that and start with a clean slate. If you have it to spare, I would very much enjoy a cuppa tea. And this box is indeed replete with trinkets from Jericho's infancy...

"Speaking of... how is my little grandson?" she asked, a slow grin splitting Lilith's face in two. Her hand had meandered into the pocket containing her wand. One could compare this behavior to a snake coiling with every intention in the world to lash out and bite. 'Just a bit longer, now... not too much longer...' she told herself silently. All that was needed was a single moment of opportunity and Lilith could strike.

Cole flinched a little when she used her proper first name a second time. She never much liked it, and the way Lilith rolled it off her tongue made her dislike it even more. She wondered if she should correct her, somehow Cole doubted Lilith would appreciate it. Lilith struck Cole as a 'I do it my way' type and if she wanted to call Cole, Columba by Merlin she would.

Cole eyed her suspiciously. She was a good actress, Cole gave her that much. Cole was generally apt at reading people. Jericho had been an exception, but that was a very unconventional scenario. However, Lilith was a master liar and hypnotising to watch. Cole could have easily believed her if she didn't fear for her son's life. She felt a bit like what a rabbit must feel like when a snake was circling it, unable to think, unable to move - oh how she hated snakes! They were the hardest to read, Cole thought. They were cold, and calculating and they told the most believable lies. However, she managed to keep her expression in check. She managed an unreadable thoughtful gaze not unlike Corvus' and kept her face clean of the nasty little feeling in her soul.

Cole shrugged the feeling off. For all she knew, Lilith could very well be telling the truth. Cole would have liked to have some sort of agreement with Lilith, she knew it would mean a lot to Jericho. So Cole nodded and decided to see to her request. Cole was partly grateful to Lilith for asking for some tea. It gave her an excuse to draw out her wand. Cole summoned the tea tray from the kitchen. Luckily, she was just about to enjoy a cup of tea for herself and had just put some hot water in the pot. Good because she really didn't want to leave Lilith unattended. A second later a tray which had a tea pot, a couple of tea cups, some milk and some cubes of sugar appeared and Cole placed it on the table. Still using her wand, she poured some for Lilith and some for her.

She stiffened when Lilith had mentioned Jon. "He is quite well." Cole said promptly. She didn't really want Jon as a topic. 

Cole decided to see if she could catch Lilith in her bluff. She had claimed that she merely wanted to give off some of Jericho's old things and yet, something told Cole it wasn't quite right. Something was off. She squared her shoulders and straightened up. Blue eyes bore through Lilith like a metal scanner ready to find the lie. "I feel extremely uncomfortable right now, and if you were genuine with your words, you wouldn't mind an Unbreakable Vow promising my and Jon's safety, would you?"

Lilith could practically see the metaphorical wheels turning in Cole's head. She wished she knew precisely how gullible her daughter-in-law was. It almost startled Lilith to see Corvus' trademark unreadable neutrality on the face of a half-blood. The reaction under this scrutiny was immediate and largely involuntary: Lilith stood stock still, hardly daring to breathe lest the sound of breath alone give cause for disbelief.

A silent sigh of relief left Lilith at the nod from Cole. The witch had half-expected her hostess to set about making tea the muggle way. When Cole instead retrieved her wand Lilith raised her eyebrows with slight surprise. As discreetly as possible, Lilith drew her own wand... She watched as the makings for tea were hovered into the room and the tea was poured.

The cool formality with which Cole discussed Jonathan was lost on Lilith, who was used to such discourse. "Lovely. Such an angel, that boy. The both of you must be proud," she replied.

A different sort of intensity met Lilith's chocolate orbs as she locked eyes with Cole. The younger witch still didn't trust her, and was searching for any lie she could find. Lilith did her best to hide her frustration with Cole's tenacity. A surprised and confused blink met the younger woman's proposition. And then: a gasp. "The Unbreakable Vow..." Lilith whispered, as if the very mention of it was a scandal. "This is the first time I've heard of an auror willingly suggesting such a thing!"

"These are dangerous times, Columba, as I'm certain you know," Lilith ventured on, her voice back to a normal volume. "If it is not worded just right you could quite accidentally condemn me to death..." The witch feigned an expression of great internal deliberation. "Yet as a grandmother is it not my duty?"

Several more seconds of seemingly internal debate followed. "Lend me your arm, Columba..." Lilith said finally. The light tone of voice was gone and replaced with a gravity only a situation like this could provoke. Lilith didn't wait, and instead reached for Cole's arm, gripping at the precise middle between wrist and elbow. The witch looked straight into the younger woman's eyes and revealed her wand was also drawn. Lilith pointed the instrument directly at Cole...

"Flagrate!" she hissed, grinning as a burst of flame hurled itself forward.

Cole had not let her guard down since she had let Lilith into her home. She simply didn't trust the witch and her rather abnormal behaviour only amplified it. She was watching the older witch carefully as she made her proposal. Watching the curves of her face, her expression, her body language like a hawk. People don't realize how much they give away with their face. Lilith seemed to know this fact though. Cole watched as a wonderfully trained face did what it was told. From her face to her body, Lilith acted her part well. 

Cole saw Lilith seemingly face an internal debate. Cole knew the gravity of what she was asking. That's why she asked it in the first place. She was an all-or-nothing gambler, it meant terrible losses but great wins as well. Cole just couldn't stand to be in-between. Cole couldn't stand not knowing whether she could fully trust the witch in front of her or not. She wanted the truth.

As Lilith stood there and asked for her arm, Cole's mind almost imploded with shock. No, she couldn't actually consider it. However, the next moment satisfied Cole's instinct as before Cole could respond, Lilith grabbed her arm - none too gently - and cast the opening spell.

Cole knew it! She knew it! Lilith was no more a friend to her then Voldemort was to Harry Potter. She had been preparing for Lilith's attack ever since she walked through the front door. She had noticed Lilith take her wand out, and was monitoring it carefully. Even so, Cole barely managed to twist her arm around and break free from Lilith's grasp before the full force of the flame hit her arm. The flame lightly touched her bare skin, but only just. Still, it was enough to cause pain. Cole used the momentum from her entire body roll away and to get as far as possible from Lilith. Made possible really by Pluto gallantly running into the dinning hall and attacking Lilith's wand arm. 

Cole only had one thought in her mind as far as action goes. She needed to ensure Jon's safety. With the time that Pluto bought her from interfering, Cole made a quick beeline toward the living room where Jon's playpen was set up. She couldn't take him and apparate. Unfortunately, she had thought she was protecting them when she installed the Anti-apparition charm around the house. 

She should have followed her instincts and did not permit Lilith to enter their home. Her intentions of making peace with Jericho's mother was naive. She should have known better. Now she was going to pay the price - not something she would do laying down. She strengthened the protection charms around Jon and added a few more for good measure. No spells would be able to penetrate the shield she placed before him. Only someone who wasn't intending to do him any harm would be permitted to be able to open the locks.

Then, she looked over at her sightly injured arm. She healed it hastily and bandaged it with her wand. It wasn't the best but it would have to do for now.  

She stood between the entrance way and Jon, ready to protect her son in whatever way possible. Pluto was a strong dog but Cole knew he wouldn't hold Lilith off for long. 

As well as Lilith had considered her first assault to have been in theory, it wasn't as grand once put into practice. It was obvious that Cole would not just stand still and take it. However Lilith hadn't anticipated the maneuver her intended victim made to avoid the flames. A near-growl of exasperation left her lips. On the bright side: a portion of flame managed to lick its target. When Cole attempted to roll away from her Lilith made to pursue... but the younger witch's faithful dog, Pluto, decided to interfere.

The witch shrieked with pain as the dog latched onto her arm. She wanted to pull away but that would only make the damage worse. Swiftly Lilith switched hands to transfer the wand from right to left. "Imperio!" she hissed at the dog, willing it to unclench its jaws. The bite was deep, but with the help of herbs and potions it would only leave minimal scarring that could be passed off as something else. Her next order of action was to command the Imperiused Pluto to curl up and lay down.

"Good boy!" Lilith cackled, somewhat paradoxically for someone that was just bitten. There was a dark fire alight in her eyes. "Crucio!" A sadistic pleasure overcame the woman. While the dog writhed amidst the throes of the Cruciatus Curse, Lilith added a few more curses to ensure the animal would be out of commission but not dead. She honestly could care less about the dog, and despite the horror stories Jericho had come to love the mangy thing.

Before resuming the hunt for Columba, Lilith took a moment to cast healing spells on the bite marks. She sealed her work with a bandage, and mended the holes in her sleeve. The latter was likely to be forgotten about in the aftermath of the battle and she didn't want to leave tracks. Sparing no time for the ache in her arm to subside, Lilith stalked toward the next room...

While Lilith had considered the house small she was quickly learning that even a small house had its hiding places. Then again, she was pretty disoriented with the way the house was laid out. It confused her. The witch was so used to the rich lifestyle that a smaller home put her as out of her element as a fish without its aquarium.

Caution lined each step the potions mistress took. Columba could be anywhere. She could have also fled with the child, which would not be good. Lilith didn't particularly feel like a wild goose chase. But if Lilith perceived her daughter-in-law correctly the girl wasn't about to run away when she could stand and fight. In Lilith's opinion most aurors seemed to have an inherent death wish... and if thwarted Lilith was more than willing to give it to them.

Finding a new room, Lilith crouched to hide beside the nearest piece of furniture. "I've heard it said that sometimes a dog will take on characteristics of its master... Wonder if you'll howl like he did just now?" the witch taunted. She would've felt silly had the comment been delivered to an empty room, but Lilith could just make out something like that of the gate she used to keep Jericho in one place. As a mother herself, Lilith had a feeling that wherever her grandson was she would find Columba not far away. The older witch grinned malevolently upon learning she was one-hundred-percent right.

Lilith snarled another hex when Cole was once again in her sights.

Something inside Cole screamed for Pluto. He was a faithful companion and Cole loved him dearly. When Cole heard him whimper and scream from what ever terrible act Lilith was doing to him, she was tortured by the inability to do anything. She couldn't help Pluto because she couldn't leave Jon alone. All too soon and at the same time, not soon enough, the sounds that Pluto was making had stop and Cole had to assume the worst.

Cole was waiting for Lilith. She wasn't waiting idly either, she was anticipating Lilith. She had been an official Auror for approximately six years. Fresh out of Hogwarts she went straight to business. 

Her inspiration? Her father. She didn't want revenge, not really. She may have wanted it in the beginning, but as the rawness of what had happened shimmered down, she found what she actually wanted was peace. Peace for everyone. Peace of mind. Peace in knowing that what happened to her father would never happen to anyone again. It was am ambitious goal, and perhaps slightly impossible, but Cole knew every dark witch and wizard they brought to justice brought her one step closer to that goal. 

Six years taught her a lot. Six years heightened her senses and strengthened her nerve. Six years made it possible for her to deflect Lilith's curse. She ignored Lilith's attempt to make Cole angry by rubbing what she had done to Pluto in her face. In return, Cole sent a few Stunning Spells in Lilith's direction with no actual hope that they would reach their target. An accomplished witch like Lilith could not be stopped by such mundane spells. Cole knew this, she casted them to keep her busy. She didn't want to hurt Lilith, she needed to reason with her. Cole held reason in the highest regards, unfortunately, very few people do.

"Why are you doing this?" Cole demanded, letting her confusion and anger show in her voice. "I love your son, and Jericho loves me. If you destroy us, he will be destroyed." 
 
One thing she learned from six years of her career was the fact that dark witches and wizards do not love is a common misconception. In fact, hundreds of heinous acts were done in the name of love. It did not make them any less horrid, but it showed that the cold heart was able to feel. Nothing was ever black and white. And though Lilith was in fact a general of a psychopathic lunatic, Cole knew she loved her son deeply. Cole suspected her half-brother might have something to do with this, but Cole knew there was something else. Lilith would not do anything to hurt Jericho. Cole was trying to appeal to Lilith's love for her son to stop this foolish attack.

"Please, Lilith, don't."