Immortal Games

[noazmale]

TWELVE

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Leo asked as Prue scried for the demon. “How do you know you can even trust this demon?”

“We can’t,” said Prue. “But it’s our only shot at finding Gray. We’ll just have to hope that his fear of us is greater than his desire for whatever he wants from Gray.”

“I can help there,” said Cole. “Belthazor’s reputation is known to most demons, even the ones I’ve never met. If he’s not afraid of you I’m sure I can persuade him to help you.”

“We need his help, not him dead,” Piper said dryly.

“I know,” said Cole. “I probably won’t have to hurt him. Just a few well placed threats should do the trick.”

“What about your exile from the underworld?” Phoebe asked.

“That doesn’t affect my reputation about how I often dealt with subordinates,” said Cole smiling coyly. “Don’t worry. He’ll help us whether he wants to or not.”

“I just wish we knew what kind of demon it was,” said Piper. “I don’t like going after it blind like this.”

“I wish I could help,” said Cole. “But there weren’t any markings on the athame Prue had. In fact, it doesn’t look like any type of athame I ever encountered in the underworld.”

“Got him,” said Prue as the crystal she was scrying with suddenly dropped to the map. “It’s a building on Scott Street.”

“I know that neighborhood,” said Cole “It’s mostly residential. We’ll need to be careful. There could be innocents around.”

“We’ll be careful,” said Prue. “Leo, you need to orb us there. We need to take the demon by surprise before he can shimmer out.”

“Speaking of which,” said Piper, “why didn’t he shimmer out of Gray’s hotel room? He ran out the door and down the stairs.”

“Really?” said Cole. “Was anyone else around at the time?”

“No, just us,” said Phoebe.

“That’s odd,” said Cole. “There wasn’t any reason he shouldn’t have shimmered out. Strange behavior for a demon.”

“Whatever,” said Prue. “I really don’t care why he did it. I just want to find him so we can find Gray and stop him.”

“And what are you going to do with him once you find him?” Leo asked. “You can’t kill him. He’s human, no matter how evil he may be.”

“One problem at a time,” said Prue. “First we have to find him. And to do that we have to get this demon. Let’s get going.”

Leo orbed Prue and Piper out of the manor while Cole shimmered Phoebe and himself out.

* * *

“You sure it’s here?” Phoebe whispered to Prue. “This house looks like it hasn’t been occupied for years.”

“It’s where the crystal showed,” Prue whispered back. “It has to be here somewhere.”

“Maybe it’s upstairs,” suggested Piper. “It would be less likely to be discovered on the second floor.”

“Or in the basement,” said Cole, pulling a door open slightly. “If I were a demon hiding out in a house that’s where I would be. But then that begs the question. Why would a demon be hiding out in a house? There are any number of places a demon could be without hiding out in an old deserted house.”

“Who knows,” said Prue. “Nothing about this situation seems right. Let’s just find this demon so we can find Gray.”

Cautiously they crept down the stairs leading to the basement. Cole led the way, saying that if the demon attacked he was the one most likely to survive it and be able to avoid it. He glanced around furtively waiting for an attack at any moment.

“It’s too quiet,” Piper whispered. “It’s almost like it knew we were coming.”

“I don’t know how it could have known,” whispered Prue.

“Keep quiet,” whispered Cole. “We don’t want to warn it that we’re coming.”

“I’m afraid it’s too late for that,” said a voice in the darkness.

Suddenly a light came on in the basement. Standing beneath the light was the demon the girls had fought in Gray’s suite. He stood facing the five holding a short double-edged sword. There was no fear in his eyes as he stared at them.

“We’ve come here to make a deal with you,” said Prue. “We’re not after you. We’re after Van White. Or Gray. Or whatever his name really is.”

“A deal?” questioned the man. “Why should I make a deal with you? I found Gray before. I’ll find him again. I have no need to make a deal with anyone.”

“You do with us,” said Prue. “If you don’t, we’ll just vanquish you. Help us find him and we’ll let you go.”

The demon laughed.

“Vanquish me?” he questioned. “Go ahead. I wish you could. You’d save me the trouble of having to find Gray.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Phoebe asked. “Do you even know who we are? We’re the Charmed Ones. And you’re not the first demon we’ve come up against.”

“The what?” questioned the demon. “Is that name supposed to mean something to me?”

“How could he not know about us?” Piper questioned. “I thought the entire underworld knew about us.”

“There may be a few that haven’t heard about you,” said Cole. He turned to the demon. “Maybe you don’t know them but I’m sure you’ve heard of me. My name is Belthazor. And I would suggest you help them unless you want me to get involved in this.”

“I once knew a Belthazor,” said the demon. “It was a very long time ago. He was a gifted warrior. But you’re much too young to be associated with him.”

“Are you crazy?” Prue asked. “You don’t know who we are. You apparently don’t know who Cole is. What kind of demon are you anyway?”

“Demon?” questioned the man. “Is that what you think I am?” He just laughed. “Oh, that is quite funny. I haven’t had a laugh like that in decades. I’m no demon, witch. Far from it. There was a time - long ago – when I would kill demons. But I quickly tired of it.”

“Okay, now it’s my turn to be confused,” said Phoebe. “If you’re not a demon then just who are you and why are you after Gray?”

“Well, of late,” said the man, “I’ve been going by the name Art McDonald. It’s difficult coming up with new names sometimes. After a while they all begin to blur together.”

“Enough of this,” said Prue, her temper growing short. “You’d better start coming up with some answers real quick before I lose my temper. Now, I want to know who you really are and why you’re after Gray.”

“I’m after Gray so he can tell me the secret to his immortality,” said McDonald. “I know he was human once. And he was dying. Then suddenly he’s immortal. Unable to die even from what would normally be considered mortal wounds. I want to learn the secret of how a human suddenly becomes immortal.”

“Why?” Leo asked. “Why is it so important for you to learn this?”

“So I can see if there’s a way to undo it,” said McDonald. “If a mortal can be made immortal then there should be a way to reverse it. To make an immortal mortal.”

“And just why would you want to know that?” Prue asked.

“It’s something I need to know,” said McDonald. “Something you probably wouldn’t understand.”

“Look we aren’t going anywhere until we get some answers,” said Piper. “You want Gray and so do we. It stands to reason we should work together. You suggested you’ve been chasing him a long time. And he said you’ve been after him for a couple of years. You haven’t had much luck catching him. Maybe with our help we can get him.”

“And then what?” McDonald asked. “You kill him? Before I have a chance to find out what I need to know?”

“Why is it so important that you learn how to make an immortal a mortal?” Leo asked. “Are you going to use it to fight demons?”

“No,” said McDonald. “I need it for myself. To end this miserable existence of mine.”

“That’s crazy,” said Phoebe. “If you have a death wish there are easier ways to commit suicide.”

“Oh, if it were only that simple,” said McDonald, smiling. “I’ve told you I go by the name McDonald. But that isn’t my given name, as they say. The name with which I was born. A name that should have been lost in obscurity centuries ago.”

“You’re claiming to be immortal?” Leo asked. “That’s not possible. Humans aren’t immortal.”

“For the most part, you are correct,” said McDonald. “I am one of the exceptions. Although I suppose you could say that technically I’m not human. I stopped being human when my mother gave me the ‘gift’ which has since become my curse.”

“What gift?” Cole asked.

“The gift of immortality,” said McDonald. “A gift which makes me incapable of dying. I was born almost three thousand five hundred years ago. My mother named me Achilles.”

[noazmale]

THIRTEEN

“Are you saying,” Cole asked, “that you’re the Achilles from Greek mythology? The great warrior and hero of the battle of Troy?”

“Hardly a hero,” said the man. “A butcher. An arrogant fool who was so self-absorbed with himself that he cared for no one and nothing except his own pleasures. A man who could not die so he gave no thought to the lives of others.”

“That’s not possible,” said Prue. “Achilles, Troy, all of that is only legend.”

“Now, perhaps,” said McDonald, “but it was quite real once upon a time.”

“Well, according to those legends,” said Cole, “Achilles died at the battle of Troy.”

“Yes,” said McDonald. “Pierced through the heel by an arrow. The only place he could be injured since his mother held him by the heel to dip him in the River Styx which gave him his immortality. And forgot to dip his heel once she had dipped the rest of him.”

“That’s how the legend goes,” said Leo. “But it’s only legend. Like Prue said, none of it’s true.”

“Believe what you wish,” said McDonald. He put down the sword he was holding. “I don’t care what you believe. I obviously did not die at the battle of Troy. And for the last three millennia I have searched for a way to undo what my mother did to me. A way to end the hell which is my life.”

“Okay, assuming we buy what you say,” said Prue, “why would you want to undo it? Most people would give anything to be immortal.”

“That’s because they don’t know what they have,” said McDonald. “Immortality consists mostly of boredom. It is death that defines us. Defines who we are. Without death our accomplishments mean nothing. They have no meaning.”

“That’s kind of a narrow point of view,” said Phoebe.

“Really?” asked McDonald. “I’m immortal. I cannot die. Nothing can even pierce my skin. Because of that there is no urgency to my life. There’s nothing I can’t put off until tomorrow. Or next week. Or next year. Why shouldn’t I? I know I’m going to be around. I have plenty of time. All the time in the world.”

“There so much you could do with your immortality,” said Piper.

“Like what?” McDonald asked. “Go to school? I have twenty-seven Ph.D.’s. I’ve held literally thousands of jobs. I’ve been married so many times I’ve lost count. I’ve outlived everyone I ever cared about. Even my grandchildren’s grandchildren’s grandchildren are nothing more than dust.

“Do you know how many identities I’ve had? I can’t even remember most of them. Some have become famous while others have faded into obscurity. And each time I have to move on before the nature of my existence is discovered. At one time I had to move on so that I wouldn’t be accused of practicing the dark arts. More recently it has been to avoid becoming the object of some undesirable medical and scientific experiments.

“On paper immortality seems like a great gift. But in practice it is something far less. A burden one carries like a yoke that cannot be removed. After a while one begins to yearn for the release of death. Always knowing that such release is always out of your grasp.”

“I guess I never thought of it that way,” said Phoebe. “We spend our entire lives trying to become the best at something. At least one of the best. And when we accomplish that what do we do then? Move onto something else, I suppose. Find something else to become the best at.”

“And all the time knowing that eventually you’ll succeed,” said McDonald. “That no matter how long it takes you’ll eventually attain your goal. Do you ever gamble?”

“Not much,” said Prue. “We’re usually too busy fighting demons to worry about things like that.”

“Do you ever play the lottery?” asked McDonald. “Something like that?”

“Sure, sometimes,” said Piper. “I never expect to win anything but it can be fun to try.”

“Now imagine that every time you gambled, you won,” said McDonald. “That no matter what you did or how lousy you played, you couldn’t possibly lose. Would it still be as much fun?”

“I guess not,” said Piper. “Part of the thrill of it is knowing you beat the odds no matter how little you win.”

“Carry it one step further,” said McDonald. “Imagine going through this for decades, even centuries. And knowing that no matter what happens it’s never going to change.”

“I guess under those circumstances gambling wouldn’t be a whole lot of fun,” said Piper.

“Neither would immortality,” said Cole. “I’m immortal, too, but it’s possible for me to be killed. Even Leo can be killed by a Dark Lighters’ bolt. While we may live much longer than any human we both know there may come a time when we will die. So there is some urgency to what we do even if it’s not as urgent as it is for humans. I can only imagine what’s it’s like for someone who can’t die no matter what.”

“That’s why I need to find Gray,” said McDonald. “He was once human. Somehow he discovered the secret to immortality. Which means there has to be a way to undo it. If I can learn how he gained his immortality I might be able to undo the immortality I have. Then I can finally look forward to dying one day. To becoming a normal human being again.”

“Surely thee are other ways to accomplish your goal,” said Prue.

“I’ve been searching my entire life,” said McDonald. “Everything I’ve ever tried has failed miserably. Gray is the only person I’ve ever encountered who has even a remote type of the immortality that I have. Being unaffected by the passage of time and suffering no permanent damage from any injury. He’s my best chance of undoing this living hell I’m forced to live in year in and year out.”

“And he won’t help you,” said Cole.

“No, he won’t,” said McDonald. “When I first approached him he became very agitated. Then he became violent. He said he would never divulge the secret of his immortality to me.”

“Probably because he doesn’t trust you,” said Cole. “My mother would some times speak of him to me. She said he was paranoid and very distrustful of anyone. He probably thinks if you learn his secret you’ll try to use it to undo his immortality.”

“That makes sense,” said Leo. “He was willing to risk a demonic experiment to gain his immortality. He’s probably deathly afraid someone might come along to undo it some day.”

“Well, at least we can offer you a better place to rest up than an abandoned house,” said Prue. “Let’s get back to the manor. We still have to find Gray and we’re going to need your help to do that. You could probably use a good home cooked meal. And we can make preparations for taking care of Gray.”

“Not before I learn his secret,” said McDonald.

“One step at a time,” said Prue.

“How do we get there?” McDonald asked. “Your manor is on the other side of town.”

“Oh, that part is easy,” said Piper. “Leo can orb us there?”

“Orb?” questioned McDonald.

“Yeah, it’s lots of fun,” said Piper. “Come on, we’ll show you.”

[noazmale]

FOURTEEN

“You’re a very good cook,” said McDonald as they ate. “Most of my meals consist of some diner or a restaurant in the seedier parts of town. Rarely anything this good.”

“Piper’s a chef,” said Prue. “She wants to own her own restaurant one day.”

“I have no doubt it will be a fine one,” said McDonald.

“That rock you have,” Leo asked. “Is it a tracking stone?”

“Yes, it is,” said McDonald. “I came across it just before the turn of the twentieth century. The man I got it from called himself an alchemist. It’s how I’m able to track Gray wherever he goes.”

“That’s why we came to get you,” said Prue. “Gray is extremely rich. He can disappear and we’d have a hard time finding him again. We figured if we could use that stone we could find him without much trouble.”

“I see,” said McDonald. “I can’t allow you to harm him. Not before I’ve had a chance to discover how he became immortal and the possibility of reversing my immortality. I’ve searched too long to be sidetracked now.”

“We understand that,” said Piper. “Maybe we can help. You didn’t recognize the Charmed Ones. That’s what we are. Supposedly we’re the most powerful witches in history. Maybe we can help find a way to reverse your immortality for you.”

“Unlikely,” said McDonald. “I’ve consulted witches before. They all say the same thing. There’s nothing that they can do to change the way I am.”

“He’s right about that,” said Cole. “If he really was dipped in the River Styx, then it’s unlikely that even the Power of Three could reverse it.”

“There really is a River Styx?” Phoebe asked. “I thought that was only in old legends and myths?”

“Oh, it exists all right,” said McDonald. “Although the historical accuracy of it is very much in question today. So much information has changed or been corrupted over the years very little of the truth remains. In my day only a select few even knew where it was. My mother knew because an evil wizard owed her a favor. His payment to her was the knowledge of where the river was so she could dip me in it.”

“Speaking of Gray,” said Leo, “you need to decide what you’re going to do about him.”

“That’s a good question,” said Prue. “Even if he is evil, we can’t just kill him. That would be murder. But we have to figure out a way to put a stop to him.”

“Cole,” said Phoebe, “what can you tell us about how he gained his immortality?”

“Not much more than I’ve all ready told you,” said Cole. “Like I said, I was only about three at the time. I do know it included something to do with a portrait he had painted of himself.”

“In the book,” said Phoebe, “Gray was killed when he stabbed the painting. Maybe if we destroy the painting it will destroy his immortality.”

“And kill him in the process,” said Leo. “That would be the equivalent of murdering him.”

“Well we have to do something,” said Prue. “There’s no question he’s evil and conventional authorities aren’t going to be able to deal with him. Besides, I doubt if it would be as simple as destroying the painting. I doubt that even drunk Gray would reveal the secret to undoing his immortality.”

“But it does make sense,” said McDonald. “You no doubt have seen the many portraits which were painted over the centuries. Portraits of rich or famous people. Of dignitaries and heads of state.”

“Of course,” said Prue. “I used to work at a museum and I’ve seen dozens of them.”

“Paintings weren’t always just items of vanity,” said McDonald. “At one time it was believed that if a painter could accurately paint a persons’ portrait – if it was good enough – it could capture the person’s soul. A form of immortality.”

“Some primitive tribes believed that about a camera,” said Phoebe. “That if you took their picture you were stealing their soul.”

“What if there’s something to it?” McDonald asked. “What if – under the right circumstances or conditions – it is possible to actually transfer someone’s soul into a painting or photograph?”

“Soul transmigration,” said Leo. “It happens all the time. When a person dies their soul moves from the body onto the afterlife.”

“But it can happen other times, too,” said Piper. “We’ve seen it happen. In fact, isn’t that exactly what happens when Prue astral projects? Doesn’t her soul move out of her body?”

“Technically, yes, I suppose it does,” said Leo.

“So what’s to keep someone from transferring someone’s soul into a painting?” asked Phoebe. “There’s no telling what the effects would be from something like that.”

“Immortality,” said McDonald. “And the ability to recover from virtually any injury or damage. Which means if the painting is destroyed, his soul would be returned to his body where it belongs.”

“As would all the effects of the painting,” said Cole. “It would be nearly an instant death sentence.”

“But it couldn’t be called murder,” said Prue. “It would simply be restoring the natural balance.”

“I think you’re rationalizing,” said Leo.

“Maybe,” said Prue, “but it seems to be our only hope of stopping Gray.”

“Which doesn’t help me much,” said McDonald. “My soul isn’t inside a painting.”

“But you did learn what you were searching for,” said Phoebe. “The secret to Gray’s immortality.”

“I suppose so,” said McDonald.

“Look, we’ll make a deal with you,” said Prue. “You help us find Gray and stop him and we’ll do everything we can to help remove your immortality. It is possible that with a Power of Three spell we can reverse your immortality and make you fully human again.”

“And if you fail?” McDonald asked.

“We’ll do everything we can,” said Prue. “I won’t lie to you. There aren’t any guarantees. But we’ll do everything in our power to help. And since you now know what you were after, there’s no reason for you not to help us.”

“You’re right,” said McDonald. “I was looking for the secret to Gray’s immortality. Thanks to you I have that. I’m not sure what good it will do me but I have what I came for. Very well. I’ll help you locate Gray. With my tracking stone and Leo’s orbing it should be very easy to get to him. My main problem in the past is having to travel great distances to catch up with him. Since he can orb us there it won’t take nearly as long to get to him.”

“Let’s get going,” said Prue. “He’s sure to suspect we’re coming after him. The sooner we get to him the sooner we can stop him. Here.” She handed the athame to McDonald. “You might have need of this.”

Using the tracking stone the group orbed and shimmered out of the manor to confront their adversary.

[jenna]

Oh, wow, this is really good. I just loved the Achilles twist.

[noazmale]

FIFTEEN

“Interesting place to hide out,” said Phoebe as they peered out of a closet. “The manor isn’t this nice.”

“He is one of the richest men in San Francisco,” Piper reasoned. “I would imagine he’s used to living in a certain amount of luxury. I guess this is his idea of a flop house.”

They had materialized inside what looked like a renovated warehouse. It wasn’t very big but it was luxuriously decorated. They had appeared inside a small room that appeared to be some sort of janitorial closet.

“Where is he?” Phoebe asked.

McDonald held out the stone and looked at it. It still glowed slightly purplish.

“Left,” he said. “He’s very close now.”

“How do you know it’s centered on him?” Leo asked.

“Witches make it glow blue,” explained McDonald. “The stone also detects mortals with supernatural powers. That makes it glow red. Since the girls are in such close proximity the two colors mix forming this purple color. I’ve spent decades learning how to read it properly.”

“Why doesn’t it detect you?” Phoebe asked.

“Whoever is holding the stone is immune to its affects as long as they are holding it,” said McDonald. “Otherwise it would be totally useless to any magical being who tried to use it.”

“Be on your guard,” said Prue. “If he suspects us of coming for him he’s bound to have guards around. We don’t’ want to hurt anyone we don’t have to.”

“I can handle them,” said Piper. “I’ll just freeze them. That way we won’t have to hurt anyone but Gray.”

“Stay alert,” said Leo. “He still has his rings and we don’t know for sure what powers he has in them other than blinking.”

“Speaking of which,” said Phoebe, “how do we keep him from simply blinking away?”

“Maybe I could freeze his ring?” offered Piper. “With it frozen he shouldn’t be able to use its powers.”

“But that won’t last very long,” said Prue. “We need to get the rings away from him.”

“Assuming Piper can’t freeze him,” said Cole, “I can incapacitate him with an energy ball. Not enough to harm him but enough to at least stun him.”

“Just don’t kill him,” said Prue. “We don’t want a murder on our hands. We need him alive so we can undo whatever he’s had done.”

“That won’t happen,” said McDonald. “Remember, he’s immortal. Immune to permanent damage from any source, even magical ones.”

Quietly the six moved out of the closet. As they made their way through the hallways Piper froze the few guards they came across. It seemed strange that there weren’t more guards considering that Gray should be expecting them. Still they were grateful for small favors. Finally they came to a door at the end of a hallway.

“He’s inside,” McDonald whispered with a slight shrug. “Other than that I can’t tell you much.”

Leo closed his eyes and concentrated for several moments.

“He’s alone,” said Leo. “No one else is in the room with him.”

“Okay,” said Prue. “We need to take him by surprise so that he doesn’t have a chance to blink out. Piper, you freeze him as soon as the door is open. Leo, any idea where in the room he is?”

“Directly opposite the door,” said Leo.

“You can tell that?” McDonald asked.

“I can sense people in an area,” said Leo. “It helps me to know if it’s safe to orb into a room and not give away my secret.”

“I have an idea,” said Cole. “If we all go busting in there we’re going to startle him. If that happens he’s very likely to blink out before we have a chance to get him.”

“What would you suggest?” Prue asked.

“I go in alone,” said Cole. “I can distract him while you orb in behind him. By the time he sees you you can freeze him.”

“It’s very sound tactically,” said McDonald. “Our chances of success increase dramatically with a distraction.”

“I guess you would know,” said Piper.

“I did make my living as a soldier for several hundred years,” said McDonald.

“Okay,” said Prue. “You distract him while we sneak in behind him.”

“Be careful,” Phoebe cautioned, kissing Cole on the cheek.

“Not to worry,” said Cole. “I’m a demon, remember? He knows you’re out to stop him. With me he’ll be curious why I’m here to see him. Especially if he thinks I’m alone.”

“We’ll give you a few seconds to get him distracted and then I’ll orb Prue and Piper in behind him,” said Leo. “Then Phoebe and McDonald can come in the door behind Cole. That should keep Gray off balance for several seconds.”

“I didn’t know you were a tactician,” said Piper.

“I was in the army,” said Leo. “I may have been only a medic but all soldiers receive training in basic military tactics.”

“Okay,” said Cole. “You guys get out of sight. Wouldn’t do to have him see you.”

The others moved off to the side to wait half obscured in the shadows. When they were sufficiently concealed Cole nonchalantly reached out and opened the door. He pushed the door open part way and silently slipped into the room.

“You really should keep that door locked,” he said.

Gray looked up from behind a desk sitting in the back center of the room. He appeared to be putting papers into a briefcase.

“How did you get in here?” Gray asked.

“You really don’t think those security men were enough to stop me, did you?” Cole asked, moving to the side of the room. Gray turned to face him.

“What do you want?”

“I thought we might have a little chat. It occurs to me a man of your wealth and influence could be of use to me.”

“What of your friends? The witches. I would imagine they aren’t too pleased with me at the moment.”

“Oh, there was some talk of coming after you. They don’t like being lied to. They don’t understand that honesty is not always the best policy. Especially when you have your mind set on a certain goal.”

“And you do?”

“You know what I am,” said Cole glancing around. “I always have my own agenda for everything I do. And with your connections, it’s possible you could help me in ways neither of us have even thought of yet.”

“And what’s in it for me?”

“I can help you in areas where no other help is possible. I do have certain abilities that might come in useful to you from time to time.”

“You might at that,” said Gray, sitting on the edge of the desk. “In fact, I have a particular assignment at the moment you might be able to help me with.”

“Let’s chat about it,” said Cole. “I suspect it’s something right up my alley.”

Before Gray could respond Leo, Prue, and Piper orbed in behind him. Gray sensed them appear and turned to see who it was. A few moments later Phoebe and McDonald came rushing in the door. Gray turned to look at them.

“You’ve betrayed me,” he gasped.

“And it seems to have worked,” said Piper.

She brought up her hands and used her freezing power on Gray. He just laughed and held up his left hand.

“You’re a fool,” he said. “This ring protects me from your power. I’m afraid I can’t stay. I have a plane waiting and I really can’t miss it.”

Before Gray could move Cole reached out and cast an energy ball at him. The weapon struck him squarely in the chest knocking him back across the desk. As he scrambled to his feet McDonald rushed over and grabbed him dragging him up. Gray just stared at McDonald as the latter held the dagger to his throat.

“You can’t blink out without taking me with you,” said McDonald. “And this dagger may not be able to kill you but I’m willing to bet I can cause you a great deal of pain with it. So I suggest you just relax. Remember, I’m not the only one who knows about you.”

As Gray stared at McDonald, Cole moved over and grabbed Gray’s hands.

“I’ll take these if you don’t mine,” said Cole as he removed the rings.

Cole and McDonald stepped back.

“Well, Mr. Gray,” said Prue, “it seems to me you’re outnumbered. And outgunned. We aren’t going to hurt you. As long as you give us what we want.”

“And what might that be?” Gray asked.

“Your portrait,” said Cole. “The one you had your soul transferred into.”

“I see,” said Gray. “It appears you’ve discovered my little secret. Well, I’m afraid it will do you no good. First, I don’t have it with me. It’s safely locked away where no one can get to it. Secondly, it really wouldn’t be in my best interest to give it to you. And I’m afraid there’s really nothing you can do about it. The portrait is indestructible.”

“We’ll give it our best shot,” said Prue. “You’re evil and we mean to put an end to that. Now, give us the portrait and you won’t get hurt.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” said Gray, holding up the tracking stone McDonald had been using. “Besides, I got what I came for. I’ll bid you adieu now.”

Before anyone could move, Gray simply vanished from the room.

[noazmale]

SIXTEEN

“Okay, so what happened?” Prue asked as they orbed back into the manor.

“It appears,” said McDonald, “that Gray picked my pocket. He got the tracking stone. Now I have no way to trace him. Of course, now that I have the information I was after there really is no need for me to track him any longer.”

“Yeah, but we came up empty handed,” said Prue. “And we have no way to find Gray. He can hide anywhere he wants and there’s no way for us to find out where.”

“I don’t understand how he just disappeared like that,” said Phoebe. “Without his rings he shouldn’t have been able to do that. Unless transferring his soul into that portrait gave him other abilities.”

“Probably not,” said Leo. “Transferring ones soul into a portrait is very complex. It’s highly unlikely that whomever did it would complicate the process by trying to include additional powers as well.”

“I’ll tell you how he did it,” said Cole, holding up the rings he had taken from Gray. “These are fakes. They don’t have any powers in them at all. They’re just normal rings.”

“How can you tell that?” Piper asked.

“There are no inscriptions on the rings,” said Cole. “When an alchemist creates rings like the ones Gray has they inscribe the rings with special glyphs and runes. It's those glyphs and runes that give the rings their power. These have no glyphs in them. That means they don’t have any special powers.”

“But he was wearing them,” said Prue. “Why would he be wearing these rings if he had rings with powers in them?”

“To distract you,” said Cole. “He wouldn’t necessarily need to be wearing the rings to have access to their powers. He could just as easily have had them in his pocket. As long as they were physically on him he would be able to use whatever powers are in them.”

“He suckered us,” said Piper. “He knew we would be coming after him and he used the fake rings to make us thing he was powerless.”

“He did say he got what he was after,” said McDonald. “It sounds to me like he had it planned.”

“He probably did,” said Cole. “Gray has always been extremely intelligent. I’ll lay odds he arranged everything. To get you guys involved in this from the very beginning.”

“So he could get the tracking stone,” said Leo.

“Exactly,” said Cole. “McDonald has been tracking him for several years. He probably got tired of him showing up all the time. So he came up with this elaborate plan to distract everyone so he could get his hands on the stone.”

“That’s devious,” said Piper. “He gets us to believe that McDonald is a demon knowing that we’ll go after him to protect an ‘innocent’. Then when we’re all distracted he just grabs what he wanted all along. He played us.”

“All of us,” said McDonald. “I should have known he was capable of doing something like this. I’ve been following him for nearly four years. I probably know him better than any of you.”

“Don’t beat yourself up over it,” said Cole. “He obviously put a lot of thought and planning into this. And he had plenty of time cover all his bases. I don’t think any of us can be blamed for what happened. He outsmarted us, plain and simple.”

“Well, McDonald kept his end of the bargain,” said Prue. “It’s not his fault if Gray tricked us. And since he’s not a demon then I guess it’s time we try to solve his little problem. We’re going to need a Power of Three spell for this to work.”

“All ready started on it,” said Phoebe. “I should be able to finish it pretty quickly. It’s not like a regular Power of Three spell. Normally we need it to vanquish a demon not make someone mortal.”

“What about the spell we used on Inspector Todd?” Prue asked. “That internal affairs officer who came by after Andy died. He was a demon. We used a spell to make him mortal. Couldn’t we just use that one?”

“No, not really,” said Phoebe. “I don’t’ think it would work. Todd was a demon. McDonald was born human and made immortal. I don’t think it would affect him the same way it did Todd.”

“Besides,” said Leo, “Power of Three spells are specifically geared to a specific creature or situation. There’s no telling what affect it would have if you try to use one for something other than it was designed for.”

“Okay,” said Prue. “It was just a thought.”

“Well, while Phoebe finishes the spell I’ll make dinner,” said Piper. “Gray got away and I think it’s safe to say we won’t be seeing him again any time soon. Might as well get over it and move on.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” said McDonald. “I do appreciate everything you’ve done for me. And if this spell doesn’t work I want you to know that I do appreciate the attempt.”

“Well, it is what we do,” said Prue. “Now, let’s see if we can help Piper with dinner.”

[noazmale]

SEVENTEEN

“Well,” said Phoebe, “this is the best I could come up with. If it works it should remove your immortality without causing you any physical harm. Once that happens you should live a normal lifespan.”

“Whatever that is,” said McDonald. “I was just a baby when my mother bestowed my immortality on me. And in my day if you lived to be thirty you were considered old. So I wonder what a normal lifespan for me would be.”

“Well you do have to consider that in those days they didn’t have the medical advancements they have today,” said Leo. “Not to mention that a lot of people died in wars, from disease, all sorts of maladies. Many of which aren’t even a problem today. Eighty or so is not unusual these days.”

“Speaking of which,” said Prue, “if this does work you might want to see about getting a doctors’ appointment. To make sure you have all the immunities and antibodies you need. Being immortal you probably haven’t had any need for them. It wouldn’t be very productive if we cure your immortality just to have you die from the chicken pox or something.”

“That’s a good idea,” said Cole.

“I just want to say thank you again for all your help,” said McDonald. “Even if it doesn’t work at least I have some hope.”

“It will work,” said Phoebe. “I can feel it. Now, unless there’s anything else I guess we should cast the spell.”

“Sounds good to me,” said Prue.

Phoebe held out the piece of paper she had written the spell on. The girls looked it over for a moment to become familiar with it. Then they recited the spell in unison.

“Imbued with life immortal, from the waters of the River Styx.

“Return now to the underworld, this mortal’s unnatural gift.”

The magic from the spell enveloped McDonald for several moments. It swirled around him flashing different colors. After a few minutes the magic simply faded away as if it had never existed.

“How do you feel?” Prue asked.

“About the same,” said McDonald.

“Do you think it worked?” Piper asked.

“One way to find out,” said McDonald.

He reached behind him and pulled an athame out of his belt behind him. He held the athame in his right hand and extended his left hand. He looked at the girls and then drew the blade of the athame across the palm of his hand. He held up his hand. There was no blood and not even a hint of a cut.

“It didn’t work,” said McDonald. “My immortality is still intact. The blade won’t pierce my skin.”

“We’re sorry,” said Prue. “I guess there are some things that not even the Power of Three can overcome.”

“It is the most powerful magic in history,” said Leo. “But it’s not all powerful.”

“I was really hoping it would work,” said McDonald.

“Well there might be another way,” said Cole. He handed a piece of paper to McDonald. “Here’s someone who might be able to help.”

“Who is it?” asked McDonald, looking at the paper.

“He’s an alchemist,” said Cole. “He might be able to find a way undo the magic that the water from the River Styx did on you. I can’t guarantee anything but at least it’s a possibility.”

“It won’t work,” said McDonald. “I’ve consulted alchemists before. They all say the same thing. There’s no way to undo what’s been done.”

“That may be true,” said Cole. “But why not give him a chance anyway? He might just surprise you.”

“What’s so special about this particular alchemist?” McDonald asked.

“It just happens to be the same alchemist my mother made the deal with to enhance my powers,” said Cole. “The same one that my mother put in touch with Gray so he could test his experiment to make himself immortal.”

“Which means he may know of a way to undo the immortality,” said Phoebe.

“Exactly,” said Cole. “He moves around a lot. Like Gray he doesn’t want his identity to become known. But you should be able to find him easy enough. He sticks to very large cities where he can blend in. He also has a thing for old movies. The really old black and white ones. And from what I understand he still likes to dabble in alchemy using the old methods.”

“Thanks,” said McDonald. “I appreciate it. At least there’s a possibility I can still get this curse lifted.”

“Last I heard he was in Chicago,” said Cole. “That was about six years ago. It should be easy enough for someone with your experience to pick up his trail.”

“That it should,” said McDonald. He turned to the girls. “Thank you for everything. I know you did your best. It’s more than I could have asked for.”

“We’re just sorry it didn’t work,” said Piper. “But maybe this alchemist will be able to help you.”

“I’m certainly going to find out,” said McDonald. “I’d better get going. It’s a long way to Chicago from San Francisco. And the longer I wait the colder the alchemist’s trail will get.”

“Let us know what happens,” said Phoebe. “And if we come across anything that we think might help we’ll let you know. Which reminds me. How do we get hold of you?”

“I’ll call from time to time,” said McDonald. “I’m usually on the move so it’s hard to get hold of me. But I can call you every couple of weeks from wherever I am.”

“Good,” said Prue. “Good luck. I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

“Thank you,” said McDonald. “So do I.”

McDonald moved out of the living room and exited the front door. As he did he passed Victor just coming up the steps. He said a quick hello to Victor then continued on his way. Victor came up the stairs and walked in the front door.

“Who was that?” he asked.

“Just a friend,” said Prue.

“Okay,” said Victor. “Oh, I came by to let you know I have some information on Steffan Van White. Something I think you might find very interesting.”

“Way ahead of you, dad,” said Prue. “We all ready know everything we need to know about Mr. Van White. But you can fill us in anyway. It might help us track him down.”

Confused, Victor took a seat on the sofa.

The End

If you enjoyed this story you can find more “Charmed” fan fiction at my website located at www.geocities.com/killeenmale. You can also upload your “Charmed” stories if you like to write fan fiction.

[Esmeralda]

Very, very nicely done, Jerry! I like stories (any genre) when the bad guy ends up being the good guy and the good guy ends up being the bad guy! And I love when you use old legends as part of your tale--you do it a lot better than the show ever did!

But I especially love how well you do original-Charmed-Ones fic--it reminds me why I love the original set of sisters so much. Nothing against Paige, since I like her quite a bit, but plenty against Kern who never seemed to want his stories to revolve around finding and saving innocents. As you had Prue say, that's what the Charmed Ones are supposed to do and I hated how Kern had them forget that and instead simply concentrate on themselves and their families.

As always, your portayal of the Charmed Ones (and Leo, Cole & Victor) were on-the-nose perfect.

I have but one complaint. Somehow, this story seems incomplete, that somewhere or another you and your cowriter have a sequel hiding. I definitely hope you do and definitely hope you find it soon.

Somehow I still don't trust either of these immortals, whether either is truly who the Charmed Ones think he is or not, and I'd love to find out the truth and whether either does indeed become mortal without the Charmed Ones having to murder, something the original set of Charmed Ones didn't do, even if the secodn set did! (why didn't Paige just orb the gun???)

If there is one, please either post it or the link to it soon!!