Balance Of Power

[noazmale]

CHARMED
"Balance Of Power"
by J. B. Tilton
email: [e-mail]
Rating: K+

Disclaimer: "Charmed" and all related characters and events are the property of the WB television network, except for those characters specifically created for this story. This is a work of fan fiction and no infringement of copyright is intended.

* * *

A special thanks to Tracie Joy (a.k.a. Majiklmoon) for her help in this story.

* * *

Authors' note: This story takes place between season 4 episodes “Charmed And Dangerous” and “The Three Faces Of Phoebe”. It is based on the premise that it took the Source several days to manifest himself inside Cole and Cole still believes himself to be only a human.

* * *

With the death of the Source, a struggle in the underworld ensues to see who will be his replacement. In order to make the selection, a contest is started. The new Source will be the demon that can kill the Charmed Ones.

* * *

ONE

The demon stood looking into the swirling mists around him. This was no ordinary demon. He stood some seven feet tall and his skin was a dark green - nearly black - with bright yellow markings. The markings were vaguely reminiscent of the late Belthazor. His eyes glowed bright red like two piercing spotlights in the dark.

No, this was no ordinary demon. Few demons enjoyed his level of power or control. While there were others of equal status, only the Source ruled above him. He had often been the Sources’ right-hand advisor. But that could all change in the next few minutes.

“Malevant,” hissed a lower level demon, stepping from the swirling mists.

The larger demon did not turn to look at this underling. He had no need to. Those who served him served him well. They obeyed without question or hesitation. And all knew the penalty for disloyalty. Or failure.

“Speak,” said Malevant.

“It is finished,” hissed the underling. “Source dead. Witches kill him.”

“What of the Hollow?” asked Malevant anxiously.

“Back in resting place,” hissed the underling. “Seer and witch read box. Magic safe again.”

Malevant smiled to himself and relaxed. The Source had been a fool thinking he could control the Hollow. For thirty five hundred years it had been sealed away, and with good cause. If left unchecked, it could have destroyed them all. Only a fool would have been desperate enough to try controlling it.

“Call the others,” said Malevant, still not turning.

“At once,” said the underling, who bowed and backed into the swirling mists until it was completely obscured.

Malevant just continued to stare into the mists. There would be a struggle now. As there was always a struggle when a position of power was left unfilled. A struggle to see who would replace the Source. It was a struggle he planned to make sure would come out the way he wanted it to.

The others would arrive soon. When they did, he would make his proposal. They would listen to it. And they would agree. He was sure of that. Then they would see who among them was best qualified to replace the Source.

[noazmale]

TWO

Four demons stood in the swirling mists waiting for Malevant. They all appeared similar, yet each was distinctively different. There was no doubt these four were very high-level demons. It was just as evident that each held no love for the others.

Malevant walked out of the mists. He stood looking at each of them. If they had already known, they might have attacked without hesitation. It was only the power of the Source that kept their rivalry and hatred of each other in check. A power that was no longer.

“Why have we been summoned?” demanded a purple demon with bright yellow markings angrily.

“I have news, LaTarrin,” said Malevant. “As you are all aware, the Source has unleashed the Hollow in his attempt to destroy the Charmed Ones.”

“That was foolish,” said an orange demon with red markings. “The Hollow cannot be controlled, we all know that. It will destroy us all.”

“No longer, Mephistan,” said Malevant. “The Source is dead, and the Hollow is once again locked away. It can no longer harm anyone.”

“Dead?” questioned a green demon with blue markings. “Killed by the Charmed Ones?”

“Yes, Talistar,” said Malevant. “Killed by the Charmed Ones. Who also helped to lock the Hollow away again so that it can no longer threaten us.”

“Then the Charmed Ones are truly unbeatable,” said Mephistan. “If they can defeat the Source and the Hollow, what can stand against them?”

“We have other matters to attend to right now,” said LaTarrin. “The selection of who will replace the Source.”

“Exactly,” said Malevant. “Now, before we all start throwing fireballs, and doing a great deal of damage to each other, I have a proposal.”

“So have we,” said LaTarrin. “We’ve all been talking. We anticipated that the Source might not prevail against the Charmed Ones. Even with the power of the Hollow at his command. We also know that the conflict that brought the Source to power did great damage to our ranks. None of us wants that to happen again.”

“We’ve decided,” interrupted Mephistan, “to select one among us to serve as the Sources’ replacement. The rest will swear loyalty to him.”

Malevants’ eyes narrowed. He looked at the fourth demon; bright yellow with black markings. His name was Beelzbor. This would be his doing. A way to replace the Source without having to bloody his hands, no doubt.

“Leadership by committee?” questioned Malevant. “What’s next? Maybe open elections by the general demonic populace? A committee to decide what constitutes a demonic leader and what doesn’t? I don’t think so.

“The Source remained in power because all were afraid to challenge him. That’s how our kind has always ruled. The stronger ruling the weaker. That is the natural order for our kind. It has always been so.”

“What would you propose?” demanded Beelzbor. “None of us can ill afford to loose great numbers of our underlings in a fight. What good is taking power if you aren’t strong enough to keep it once you have it?”

“My point exactly,” said Malevant. “I would propose a contest of sorts. We select a task. It must be a task sufficiently powerful enough to prove that whomever completes it is the one powerful enough to be the next Source.”

“A contest?” questioned Talistar. “My, Malevant, how very human of you.”

Anger flashed in Malevants’ eyes.

“You, of all demons,” said Malevant, “should know there is nothing of humanity in me. But this must be no ordinary task. It must be something which will prove undeniably that the winner is the most powerful.”

“Interesting idea,” said LaTarrin. “But other than killing the rest of us, what could possibly be enough to prove that one of us is worthy to be the new Source?”

“I already have something in mind,” said Malevant. “It will show without any doubt that whomever completes it is truly the most powerful of us.”

“Big words,” said Beelzbor. “What could possibly be so great that it would convince the rest of us of that?”

Malevant just smiled. He walked over to a freestanding stone podium about four feet in height. The podium was filled with water. He passed his hand over the water and an image appeared in the water.

The other four demons walked over and looked at the image in the water. There was no sound, only the image. Piper, Phoebe, and Paige sat around a table talking. Leo stood with his back against a sink smiling.

“Them,” said Malevant confidently.

[noazmale]

THREE

“Are you insane?” demanded Beelzbor. “They destroyed the Source and sealed the Hollow away again. You honestly think that any one of us is any match for them?”

“This is madness,” said LaTarrin. “They cannot be defeated. Their victories have proven that. All that we can do is regroup and hope we can somehow gain an upper hand. Someday.”

“That day is now,” said Malevant. “Now is the perfect time to attack. They will be depleted of power. If we seize this opportunity, it should be possible to destroy them. They will be recouping their power. If we hit them hard and fast, as the humans are fond of saying, it will be too much for even them to withstand. They will believe they are safe for the moment. They won’t be expecting an attack so soon after defeating the Source.”

“What Malevant says sounds reasonable,” said Mephistan. “They would not be expecting any of us to attack, thinking we are too weak and disorganized. Their defenses would be down.”

“So you would agree that if one of us can destroy the Charmed Ones,” said Malevant, “they would be worthy of replacing the Source?”

The four demons looked at each other. It was clear they each felt the same way. The Charmed Ones had proven to be even more powerful than any of them had first believed. If any demon could destroy the Charmed Ones, he would undoubtedly be the most logical replacement for the Source.

“I think that would be fair,” said Beelzbor. “After all, if someone can destroy the Charmed Ones after they destroyed the Source, it would have to prove that they were more powerful than even the Source.”

“I can destroy the Charmed Ones,” said Malevant. “Once I’ve destroyed the Charmed Ones, and that accursed White Lighter of theirs, you’ll have to acknowledge me as the Sources’ replacement.”

“Assuming you do destroy them,” said Talistar. “What if you don’t destroy them?”

“Then I would not be the right choice to replace the Source,” said Malevant arrogantly. “But I wouldn’t worry about that too much. I will destroy the Charmed Ones.”

“Who says you get to go first?” asked Beelzbor. “Why shouldn’t one of us get that honor?”

“Fair enough,” said Malevant. “Does anyone want to be the first to try to destroy the Charmed Ones? Just after they’ve destroyed the Source and resealed the Hollow back in its’ resting place?”

No one spoke. It was clear that none of his “colleagues” felt that confidant.

“Very well,” said Malevant. “I shall go first. And once I’ve destroyed the Charmed Ones, I become the new Source.”

“I’ll agree with those terms,” said Beelzbor.

The other three also agreed. Malevant wasn’t fooled. He knew what each of them was planning. They would wait until he had weakened the Charmed Ones, and then move in for the kill themselves. Then they would proclaim themselves the new Source, according to the rules of their agreement. That, he vowed silently, would never happen.

“I’ll summon you again when I’ve completed the task,” said Malevant.

“How will we know you’ve actually done it?” asked LaTarrin. “Surely, you don’t expect us to just take your word for it? Would you take our word for it?”

“Of course not,” said Malevant. “I’ll present their lifeless bodies to you. That should be proof enough that I’ve destroyed them.”

“Agreed,” said Talistar. “Present the dead bodies of the Charmed Ones and I will accept you as the new Source.”

“As will we all,” said Beelzbor.

The four demons shimmered out. Each, Malevant knew, would be gathering his forces in order to steal the prize. He would have to act swiftly if he was to prevent that.

[noazmale]

FOUR

“Grimlor,” Malevant said into the mists.

One of his underlings appeared almost instantly.

“Yes, Master?” said the underling.

“Send Zimlock to me,” said Malevant. “I need the girl. He’s just the demon to get her for me. And put out the word. I want the girl found. But she is not to be harmed. She’s of no use to me dead.”

“As Master wishes,” said Grimlor.

He then faded back into the mists. Malevant smiled to himself. Once he had the girl, no one could stop him. His plans would be complete. And with a little luck, he’d be able to take out some of the underlings of the others in the process. Maybe one or two of them as well.

Zimlock arrived a few moments later. He didn’t look like a demon. In fact, he didn’t look like anything. He was obviously humanoid, but his head had no features. He had two eyeholes but no eyes. And his mouth was just a small slit. Other than that, there was no resemblance between him and any other creature, mortal or immortal.

“You wished to see me,” said Zimlock.

“Yes,” said Malevant. “I need you to bring someone to me. It’s a small human girl. I have others looking for her now. When they find her, you must bring her to me immediately.”

“Why do you need me?” asked Zimlock. “Cannot those who search for her accomplish this?”

“No,” said Malevant. “This is a very special girl. I do not believe the others will find her before she finds help. A very special kind of help.”

“You speak of the Charmed Ones,” said Zimlock.

“Yes,” said Malevant. “I believe they will find the child first and will use their considerable power to protect her. That’s why I need your special talents. You’ll be able to bring her to me.”

“It will not be easy,” said Zimlock. “If they discover who this child is, they will be on their guard.”

“I know,” said Malevant. “But I have confidence in you. Only you are capable of bringing her to me once the Charmed Ones have her.”

“I shall do my best,” said Zimlock.

“One other thing,” said Malevant. “The girl must not be harmed.”

“I understand,” said Zimlock. “I shall treat her as if she were my own daughter. Were I capable of having a daughter.”

“Good,” said Malevant. “Now, go. You know where the Charmed Ones live. Wait there for the girl. If the others find her before she arrives, I will send you word.”

Zimlock bowed and walked into the mists. Malevant was pleased with himself. No one knew what he had planned. He wasn’t sure if Zimlock could deliver, but he was prepared if he couldn’t. If Zimlock could deliver, so much the better.

Malevant shimmered out of the underworld. He had more plans and preparations to make. He was going to be very busy.

[noazmale]

FIVE

Phoebe came running down the stairs of the manor. It was just getting dark out and she had decided to forget about job-hunting for the evening and go enjoy a movie. Cole was sitting on the sofa in the living room looking through the paper.

“Hey, sweetie,” said Phoebe, “what’cha doin’?”

“Looking for a job,” said Cole, annoyance in his voice.

“You still on that kick?” asked Phoebe. “I thought you had given up on that for a while? After your fiasco at Paige’s’ work place, I thought you’d decided not to worry about a job for now?”

“I have to get a job sometime,” said Cole. “I’m sure Paige and Piper don’t want me freeloading off them the rest of my life.”

“They understand,” said Phoebe, sitting on the arm of the sofa and putting her arm around him. “It’s not easy being a demon for over a hundred years then suddenly becoming human. It will take some time to adjust.”

“I suppose,” said Cole. “I just don’t want to be a burden.”

“For whom?” Piper asked, coming into the room, Leo close behind.

“For you,” said Cole. “I know it’s not easy with me being here. I just want to pull my own weight around here.”

“Cole,” said Leo, “don’t give it a second thought. You were a demon for over a hundred years. You can’t just turn around and become human over night.”

“That’s what I told him,” said Phoebe.

“Where’s Paige?” asked Cole, desperately trying to change the subject.

“Upstairs,” said Leo. “She said something about a hot date tonight.”

Suddenly the doorbell rang. Phoebe jumped up off the arm of the sofa and walked into the entryway. She opened the door expecting to see an adult standing outside. Instead, she saw a young girl about seven years old. Her blonde hair was tied into two pigtails. She was glancing around nervously.

“Hello?” said Phoebe. “Who are you?”

“I’m Jessica,” said the little girl, glancing back to the street. “I was told to come here. He told me you would help me.”

“He?” questioned Phoebe. “He who?”

The others had heard the conversation and were looking at the door from the doorway to the living room. Paige was just coming down the stairs.

“Can I come in?” asked the little girl. “There are bad men who want to hurt me. He said you would help me.”

“Sure,” said Phoebe, stepping to the side of the door. “We’ll help you.”

The little girl started to enter the manor when a demon suddenly shimmered in behind her. He grabbed the little girl by the arms. Piper didn’t hesitate. She wasn’t sure what was going on, but she knew that the demon would shimmer out with the little girl unless it was stopped.

Piper raised her hands and froze the entire doorway. She wasn’t afraid of catching Phoebe in the freeze. Phoebe was a witch. Witches weren’t affected by her freezing ability. But mortals and most demons were affected. With them both frozen, they could rescue the little girl from the demon.

The demon froze in place, his hands just barely around the little girls’ arms. Phoebe knew it would be relatively easy to pry his hands off of her. She was about to reach for the demons’ hands when the little girl suddenly wriggled free of the demons’ grasp. Then she ran into the manor and stood behind Piper and Leo, using their bodies to shield her against the demon.

“Okay, what just happened?” asked Phoebe. “Shouldn’t she be frozen?”

“Not if she’s a witch,” said Piper. “Remember, my freezing ability doesn’t work on witches.”

“I don’t think she’s a witch,” said Leo. “It doesn’t appear that any powers have manifested themselves. Which means she should be just as normal as any other mortal.”

“Okay,” said Piper, “so what is she?”

“Can we talk about that later?” asked Paige, reaching the bottom of the stairs. “Right now, there’s a demon frozen in our doorway. Shouldn’t we do something about that first?”

“Paige is right,” said Phoebe. “Cole, honey. Any idea who or what this is?”

Cole looked the demon over. The demon was about his height, but its’ skin was a dark blue. A ridge of spines ran down its back and its’ three-fingered hands ended in four inch razor sharp talons. Its’ eyes were an aquamarine color with no pupils.

“It’s a retriever demon,” said Cole. “Retrievers are normally used only by high level demons to retrieve people or objects of importance to that demon which is where they get their name.”

“So why would a high level demon be interested in a seven year old girl?” asked Piper.

“I don’t know,” said Cole. “Not without knowing what demon he works for.”

“Easy enough,” said Piper.

With a wave of her hand, the demons’ head was freed from the freeze.

“Okay, blue boy,” said Piper, “we want some answers. Who are you and what do you want with this little girl?”

“Witch,” spat out the demon. “Three witches. You are the Charmed Ones.”

“Hey, he can count,” said Phoebe. “Now answer the question. Who’s your boss and why does he want this little girl?”

“I’ll never tell you, witch,” said the demon. “You can torture me all you want, but I will never betray my master.”

“He’s more afraid of his demon master than us,” said Cole. “That can only mean he serves a select number of demons. All of them very high up. It narrows the list quite a bit.”

“For a human,” said the demon, “you know much about our kind. You’re no witch. What are you? A druid? A sorcerer?”

“Nothing so dramatic,” said Cole. “Just someone who knows quite a lot about your kind.”

“No human knows so much,” said the demon, “not even the Charmed Ones. Only one of my kind would know so much, but you are obviously no demon. Who are you, human?”

Cole just looked around at the rest of the group. He wasn’t sure what to say. The underworld was convinced that Belthazor was vanquished. If he admitted who he was, it would open a whole can of worms that could put them all in danger.

“We’re asking the questions here,” said Piper. “As for torture, how would you like to have your fingers and toes exploded one at a time? Might be kind of messy but could be a lot of fun.”

Leo just looked at Piper. He knew she wouldn’t do what she claimed. But the demon didn’t know that. He just didn’t like her making baseless threats.

“As I said,” said the demon, “there is no torture you could do to me that would be worse than what my master will do when he learns I have failed. So do your worst. At least I’ll live a bit longer.”

“Conference,” said Piper.

Everyone filed into the living room. Phoebe stood in the doorway watching the demon. They had experience with demons breaking loose from Pipers’ freeze before. If that should happen, she wanted to be ready for him.

“Okay, what do we do?” asked Piper. “I can’t keep him frozen in our doorway forever. The neighbors might start to talk.”

“We could tie him up and put him in the basement?” suggested Paige.

“It won’t do any good,” said Cole. “He’d just shimmer out.”

“He’s a demon,” said Paige. “Why not just blow him up?”

Suddenly the demon burst free of the freeze. He just smiled at the group and moved into the manor. Piper raised her hands again to refreeze him but he was unaffected. When Cole saw this, he looked stunned.

“Mephistan,” he said. “You serve Mephistan. He occasionally gives his underlings an immunity to certain witch’s powers. It’s the only thing that explains how you could withstand Pipers’ freezing ability.”

“Belthazor,” hissed the demon. “We were told you’d been vanquished. Wait until I tell the master you still live. Once I deliver the girl to him, and give him this information, I will become his most important aid. With my immunity to the witches’ powers, I have nothing to fear. Give me the girl and maybe I won’t kill you.”

“What do we do?” asked Paige.

Piper raised her hands and tried to explode the demon. The power just passed around the demon causing no harm to it. It smiled and moved in to take the girl. Leo moved to stop the demon, but it picked him up and cast him aside like a rag doll. Phoebe kicked out with her martial arts skill, but the demon just grabbed her leg and threw her aside. Cole barely caught her from falling to the floor.

The demon smiled, knowing there was no one to stop him. He pushed Piper and Paige aside and reached for the girl. As a clawed hand began to close around Jessica’s’ arm, it prepared to shimmer out.

Jessica screamed, “no,” and reached up to push the demon away. As she did, the demon stiffened, then screamed in agony. Seconds later it shattered into a million black shards that evaporated nearly instantly. Everyone stood up and looked in astonishment at Jessica.

[noazmale]

SIX

“What happened in there?” asked Piper, after they had moved to the kitchen.

Phoebe was busy getting Jessica some milk and cookies. Leo stood at the back door watching for any surprise attacks, while Cole stood in the doorway to the kitchen watching the living room. Jessica was seated between Paige and Piper.

“I think I know why Mephistan wants her,” said Cole. “Mephistan is a very high level demon. Higher than even Belthazor was. There are only about a dozen demons as high up as he is. And only about half of them with his power.”

“So what happened?” asked Phoebe, putting the cookies and milk in front of Jessica. “One minute we’re getting our asses kicked by this demon, the next thing he’s sushi.”

“She’s a vanquisher,” said Leo.

“A what?” Piper asked.

“A vanquisher,” repeated Cole. “Every so often, a mortal is born with the ability to vanquish creatures. They are very rare. And if they can be properly trained, they can be very powerful for whichever side gets them.”

“What do you mean ‘whichever side’?” asked Phoebe.

“Vanquishers are just regular mortals with an unusual power,” said Leo. “Like most mortals, they have the propensity for good or evil. If a demon were to get hold of her, he’d raise her evil. And use her power against good. Like witches.”

“Now there’s a nice thought,” said Paige. “Is that why Pipers’ freezing ability didn’t work on her?”

“Yes,” said Cole. “Her vanquishing ability nullified it. It’s one of the reasons a vanquisher is so sought after. If she’s trained to be evil, she can do a lot of damage to the forces of good.”

“Then we have to protect her,” said Piper. “Regardless of what power she might have, she’s still only a child. She’s an innocent.”

“But why did she come to us?” asked Paige. “Didn’t she say something about someone sending her here?”

“Yes,” said Jessica. “The angel sent me. He said you would protect me.”

“Angel, honey?” questioned Piper. “What angel?”

“The blue angel,” said Jessica. “After my mommy and daddy died, I thought I was all alone. Then a blue angel came to me. He said that some very bad men would come to hurt me and if I came here, you’d protect me from them. He dropped me off outside, then he went away.”

“Blue angel?” questioned Phoebe. “Could she be talking about a White Lighter? Leo, when you orb, there’s a kind of bluish effect. Could that be what she means?”

“I don’t know,” said Leo. “If it was a White Lighter, why didn’t he bring her in himself? I would imagine she’s his charge. It’s not like a White Lighter to pass off a charge without good cause.”

“Maybe I can answer that,” said a voice from the kitchen doorway.

Cole turned and saw a man standing only a couple of feet from him. The man appeared to be about Leos’ age. He had dark hair and was wearing a three-piece suit. He was smiling as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

“Whoa,” said Cole, “where did you come from? And who are you?”

“Hi, Leo,” said the man. “Hello, Jessica.”

“That’s him,” said Jessica. “That’s my angel.”

“Michael,” said Leo. He was obviously stunned. “I didn’t know you were in town.”

“Only been here a couple of days,” said Michael. He turned to Cole. “Mind if I get through? There are some things I need to discuss with the Charmed Ones.”

Cole stepped to one side and let Michael into the kitchen. The look on his face had changed. From one of astonishment to one of concern. Or maybe even fear.

“Have we met before?” asked Michael, stopping for a moment to look at Cole. “You seem familiar to me.”

“N . . . no, no, I don’t think so,” said Cole nervously. “Phoebe, can I see you upstairs for a minute?”

“Sure, Cole,” said Phoebe. “Will you guys be okay?”

“They’ll be fine,” said Leo. “Michael’s a White Lighter.”

Phoebe and Cole left the kitchen and Michael took a seat at the table.

“Actually,” said Michael, “I’m more than just a White Lighter. I’m a warrior White Lighter.”

“A what?” Paige asked. “I didn’t know there was such a thing.”

“A few,” said Leo. “Michael has more abilities than a normal White Lighter. Because of that, he is used in a different way from normal White Lighters. It explains why he brought Jessica here.”

“I fight for the side of good,” said Michael. “As the Charmed Ones, you’re expected to fight for yourselves. That’s why you have your powers. But some good people don’t have any powers. That’s where I come in. When they are faced with an opponent they can’t handle, I step in. Sort of like a champion for them.”

“Okay,” said Piper. “So why bring Jessica here? Are we supposed to protect her until she learns to use her power?”

“No,” said Michael. “Jessica’s parents were killed in a car accident a few weeks ago. When I discovered what she was, I knew she had to be gotten to some place safe. Where she can be trained to use her powers for good. I had to make arrangements for her to go to that place, but I also knew the demons would be after her. So I brought her here so you can protect her. Until the Guardians arrive.”

“The Guardians?” asked Piper.

“They’re a special group,” explained Leo. “They only take in the most powerful forces of good. They train them to fight evil. I didn’t know you could contact them, Michael. My understanding is that no one can contact them. They contact us.”

“Normally, that’s true,” said Michael. “But I have certain connections that most White Lighters don’t have. I had to inform the Guardians where the girl was so they could send someone to get her. They’ve been looking for her but didn’t know where she was.”

“So all we have to do is protect her until these Guardians show up?” asked Piper. “Then what? They whisk her away to never never land?”

“Something like that,” said Michael. “Once she’s with them, she’ll be protected from all evil. When she returns, she’ll be a powerful source of power for good. A vanquisher can actually upset the balance between good and evil if they aren’t properly trained. Jessica is the latest in a long line of vanquishers that the demons haven’t killed because they couldn’t control her. She has to be protected at all costs.”

“Michael, if you’re here then that means….” Leos’ voice trailed off.

“Malevant is close by, I’m sure,” said Michael. “If Mephistan is after Jessica, then you can bet Malevant is, too. That’s why I came back. To help protect Jessica.”

“Who’s Malevant?” asked Paige.

“A very high level demon,” said Leo. “Rumor has it he was often the right hand demon to the Source. And one of the contenders to replace the Source when he died.”

“Which means he’ll be coming after us,” said Piper, disgust in her voice.

“Word about your destroying the Source has spread quickly,” said Michael. “I would gather that Mephistan isn’t quite sure just how much you’ve recouped from your battle with the Source. Otherwise, he would have come himself rather than sending one of his retrievers to get Jessica. He’ll be even more cautious when he learns you destroyed his underling.”

“Okay,” said Piper, “so how long before these Guardians get here?”

“I can’t say,” said Michael. “They have certain preparations they need to make. When they’re finished, they’ll come for Jessica.”

“Well,” said Piper, “it’s not like we haven’t had demons in the house before. I suppose Jessica can stay in our room. Paige, would you mind bunking on the couch for a couple of nights? I hate to ask but . . ..”

“I guess it will be okay,” said Paige. “Only, let’s not make this a habit.”

“Why don’t I get Jessica up to bed?” asked Michael. “She must be tired from her ordeal. And since she hasn’t learned to use her power properly, I’m sure that drained her as well.”

“I’ll show them where it is,” said Paige. “I have to get some bedding for the sofa, anyway.”

“Honey,” said Piper, after the others had left, “why do I get the feeling that there’s some history between Michael and this Malevant?”

“There is,” said Leo, sitting down next to her. “Actually, there’s more than history. They’re brothers.”

“Brothers?” asked Piper. “One’s a demon the other’s a White Lighter? How can they be brothers?”

“Michael isn’t a White Lighter in the strictest sense of the word,” said Leo. “He’s like Paige. His mother was a White Lighter.”

“And his father was a demon?” asked Piper. “Just how does that work?”

“Over a hundred years ago,” said Leo, “a demon got an idea to create a sort of super demon. He captured a White Lighter and bound her powers so she couldn’t use them. Then he raped her. The result was Michael and Malevant. One good, one evil. They’ve been mortal enemies most of their lives. It’s why Michael has more abilities than a normal White Lighter. He inherited some of the demons’ powers but not his evil.”

“Whoa,” said Piper. “And I thought our child might have problems. When we decide to have a child. I can only imagine what kind of upbringing they must have had.”

“No one really knows,” said Leo. “The demon murdered their mother as soon as they were born. Then he gave them to a female warlock to raise as evil. When they were twelve, they ran away. Michael still won’t talk about why. No one knows more than that. Anyway, when they were about twenty-five, they both resurfaced. One was Malevant, working for demons and despising anything human. The other was Michael, a champion of good.”

“Talk about opposite sides of the same coin,” said Piper.

“He’s handled it very well,” said Leo. “Although Malevant and Michael have both sworn they’ll kill each other one day. So far, neither has been able to. I guess they’re just too evenly matched.”

“Well, I hope these Guardians get here soon,” said Piper. “The sooner Jessica is out of danger the sooner we can go back to our abnormally normal lives.”

Leo just smiled, then kissed his wife

[noazmale]

SEVEN

Upstairs, Cole grabbed a suitcase and hurriedly began to put clothes into it. Phoebe walked into the bedroom behind him, totally perplexed.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“I have to get out of here,” said Cole.

“Why?” Phoebe asked.

“Michael,” said Cole. “He knows who I am. Or at least who I used to be. He and Belthazor have met. We actually fought a couple of times, and I was lucky to escape with my life. He hasn’t recognized me yet, but when he does, he won’t hesitate to kill me first and forget about asking questions. He swore he’d kill Belthazor the first chance he got.”

“Why?” Phoebe asked.

Cole related to her Michaels’ history as Leo had related it to Piper.

“Apparently,” continued Cole, “Michael found a witch who raised him until he was twenty five. Then she died and he joined the forces of good. He blames me for his foster mothers’ death. He claims I killed her.”

“Did you?” asked Phoebe.

“I honestly don’t know,” said Cole. “That’s the worst part of it. I don’t remember doing it, but there were a lot of victims for Belthazor. He never saw me in my human form, which is why he hasn’t recognized me yet. But when he does, and I’m sure that he will, I’m dead. And without my powers, I won’t have any way to protect myself.”

“We can protect you,” said Phoebe.

“No,” said Cole, moving to her. “I don’t want to put you in harms way for something I did eighty years ago. The best thing is for me to leave until he’s gone. That way, no one is in danger.”

Phoebe walked over to her dresser and opened her purse. She pulled out a wad of money and walked back to Cole. She pressed the money into his hand.

“It’s all I have right now,” she said. “When you get to wherever it is you’re going, call me. I’ll bring more.”

“Thanks for understanding,” said Cole.

“I didn’t say I understood,” said Phoebe. “But I have to trust that you’re doing what you think is best. I’m sure he won’t be here long then things can get back to normal.”

“I hope so,” he said.

Cole took Phoebe in his arms and kissed her long and hard. Then he continued packing so that he could get out of the manor as quickly as possible.

* * *

“I suppose Leo told you all about me,” said Michael at breakfast the next morning.

“Oh, he mentioned a thing or two,” said Piper coyly.

The atmosphere seemed more relaxed than it had the night before. Jessica was eating a bowl of cereal and didn’t seem to have a care in the world. Phoebe had told everyone that Cole needed to go visit an ill friend for a couple of days. And with demons out looking for Jessica, Piper thought it best if Paige stayed around the house for the day, so she had called in sick.

“Not much of a secret,” said Michael. “Malevant and I have been enemies for a very long time. I guess he inherited our fathers’ evil while I inherited our mothers’ goodness. Actually, it kind of makes sense, in a way.”

“Yeah, I guess so,” said Phoebe. “I can’t imagine what it’s like to have a brother or sister who’s your sworn enemy. We’ve always been so close.”

“Well, not always,” said Piper, remembering how rebellious Phoebe had been in her younger days.

“It’s something I got used to a long time ago,” said Michael. “Actually, I stopped thinking of him as my brother when we were twelve.”

“Michael,” said Leo self-consciously, “you’ve never talked about that time. I was just wondering why? If it’s not prying.”

“It is prying,” said Michael, smiling, “but I’m not offended. Let’s just say that some things happened that caused a change in my brother and myself. We never were very close, but this drove us even farther apart. I don’t really like to talk about it.”

“That’s okay,” said Leo. “I didn’t mean to open any old wounds.”

“You didn’t,” said Michael. “And I do appreciate your concern. You’re not the first to ask about that and you probably won’t be the last. I just prefer to keep that part of my life private.”

“We understand,” said Phoebe. “It’s not easy having a secret you can’t tell anyone. Believe me, we know. We’re not even allowed to tell anyone we’re witches, let alone the Charmed Ones.”

“Which hasn’t seemed to stop every demon in creation from finding out,” interjected Paige.

“So,” said Piper, trying to change the mood, “any idea how long before these Guardians arrive?”

“It shouldn’t be long,” said Michael. “Probably no more than a day or two. I have to go ‘out’ for a while, but I’ll be back. I know Jessica will be perfectly safe here with the three of you. It’s why I sent her here in the first place.”

“I thought you didn’t have charges like regular White Lighters?” asked Paige.

“I don’t,” said Michael. “But there are those who need my help and protection. I like to check in on them from time to time just to be sure they’re safe. And they know they can call me whenever they need me. I just like to let them know I’m still around.”

“Are you leaving?” asked Jessica, her mouth full of cereal.

“Jessica, honey,” said Piper, “don’t talk with your mouth full. It’s not polite.”

“You’re going to make a wonderful mother, Piper,” said Michael. He then turned to Jessica. “Yes, Jessica, I have to leave for just a little bit. But Piper, Phoebe, Paige, and Leo are going to watch over you until I come back. You have nothing to worry about.”

“When will the gardons come get me?” asked Jessica.

“She knows about them?” asked Leo.

“Yes,” said Michael. “I thought it was best if she was prepared for them. Jessica, they’re coming for you soon. Don’t worry. Once you go with them, no one will ever be able to hurt you again. I promise.”

“I miss momma,” said Jessica suddenly.

“I’m sure she misses you, too, honey,” said Phoebe. “But you’ll be able to see her again some day. I promise you that.”

“Well,” said Michael, “I’d better get going. I shouldn’t be gone more than a few hours. I think you’re safe for the time being. After the incident with the retriever demon, the others will be a bit more cautious. They’ll want to gauge their advantage before they try anything else. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Michael orbed out of the kitchen. Leo moved from the sink, where he had been standing, and took a seat in the chair where Michael had been sitting.

“I hope I didn’t upset him,” said Leo.

“I don’t think you did,” said Piper. “I just think it’s too painful for him to talk about it. It is his brother, after all. I can’t even imagine how I’d feel if Phoebe or Paige was that dedicated to destroying me.”

“It isn’t just his brother Malevant wants to destroy,” said Leo. “Malevant despises anything that is even remotely connected to humanity. He has always refused to even take his human form for any reason. And even his underlings are forbidden from assuming human form in his presence. It’s even reported that he once destroyed one who forgot and appeared before him in human form.”

“That’s pretty bad,” said Paige. “Why is he so down on humanity? Despite the fact he’s a demon, I mean.”

“He just is,” said Leo. “He once said, or at least this is what I’m told, since neither of his parents was human, he has no obligation to humanity.”

“Not a nice guy, obviously,” said Phoebe.

“He is an upper level demon, Phoebe,” said Piper. “None of them are nice guys.”

“Cole is,” said Phoebe defensively.

“Cole is also no longer a demon,” offered Leo. “He’s fully human. That makes somewhat of a difference.”

“I suppose,” said Phoebe.

“Can I watch cartoons?” asked Jessica suddenly. “Momma used to let me watch cartoons in the mornings. I haven’t been able to since she and poppa left.”

“Sure, honey,” said Piper. “The television is in the living room. And the remote is on the coffee table. Do you know how to use a remote?”

“Sure,” said Jessica, trying to act grownup. “Poppa showed me. He said I was really smart.”

“Of course you are,” said Piper, taking Jessica’s hand. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll go watch some cartoons with you. Would you like that?”

“Sure, Piper,” said Jessica. “Momma used to watch with me. Well, at least some times she did.”

“Well, then,” said Piper, “let’s go see what’s on, shall we?”

Piper and Jessica went into the living room leaving Leo, Phoebe, and Paige in the kitchen alone. Leo was thinking about what Michael had said. How Piper was going to make a good mother.

“What do we do now?” asked Paige. “I took the day off to help protect Jessica. What do we do while we’re waiting for these Guardians to show up?”

“Just keep busy,” said Phoebe. “Believe me, I’m fully aware of keeping myself busy during the day. When you don’t have a job, there’s not much else to do. So all you do is hang around the house and amuse yourself.”

“Great,” said Paige. “Maybe there’s a book in the library or something. Or maybe I should go watch cartoons with Piper and Jessica.”

“Just take it easy, Paige,” said Leo. “Being a Charmed One isn’t always about fighting demons, you know. You’re primary responsibility it so protect the innocent. Sometimes that means you just sit and wait.”

“Thanks,” said Paige. “I’ll do my best.”

She left the kitchen and went upstairs. Phoebe and Leo just looked at each other and shrugged simultaneously.

[noazmale]

EIGHT

Most of the day had passed uneventfully. No demons attacked, nor did they even make an appearance. Michael hadn’t returned and the Guardians he had promised had made no appearance. After a couple of hours, Piper had her fill of cartoons. She decided Jessica would be safe enough in the living room and went into the kitchen. Leo was in the kitchen washing dishes.

“You’re washing dishes,” said Piper with total surprise. “What’s the occasion?”

“We’re married now,” said Leo.

“Yeah,” said Piper, “for a while. You’ve never washed dishes before.”

“I just thought I’d pitch in some more,” said Leo. “You know, sort of start sharing the housework and all.”

“Okay, what are you up to?” asked Piper. “I know you, Leo Wyatt. You always get extra helpful when you want something.”

“I was just thinking about what Michael said,” said Leo. “About you being a great mother. I just think we should talk about it some more. That’s all.”

“Okay,” said Piper. “It seems we have some time on our hands. And you seem to have given this some serious thought. What exactly is on your mind?”

Just as Leo was about to answer, there was a knock at the back door. Before either could move to answer it, the door opened and Michael stuck his head in.

“Hey all,” he said. “Mind if I come in?”

“Sure,” said Piper. “Why didn’t you just orb in like Leo always does?”

“I thought this would be a bit more conventional,” said Michael, walking in. “Besides, I didn’t want to startle anyone and accidentally cause an attack or anything.”

“Okay,” said Leo. “I guess I can understand that. So, any news on the Guardians yet?”

“Actually, yes,” said Michael, smiling. “They contacted me a bit ago. They’ve instructed me to take the girl to meet them. Once they have her, she’ll be safe. Then you can all go back to your lives.”

“Finally,” said Piper. “She’s in the living room. I’ll go get Paige and Phoebe. I’m sure they’ll want to say goodbye to her.”

“I sure would,” said Paige, walking into the kitchen. “She’s such a nice little girl. I hope we can see her again sometime.”

“I’m sure you can,” said Michael. “The girl is very important. The Guardians will probably want her to keep in touch with people who are close to her. To make her feel more comfortable.”

“You want me to go with you?” asked Leo. “When you take her to them?”

“No, no,” said Michael. “They want me to bring her alone. It’s how they work. You know how secretive they are.”

“Yes,” said Leo, “I do. Let’s go get her. The sooner we get her to the Guardians, the safer she’ll be.”

Leo and Piper led Michael into the living room, Paige close behind. Jessica was still sitting on the sofa watching television. She glanced up the four of them, smiled, and then went back to watching television.

“Maria,” said Paige before anyone else could say anything, “Michael’s here to take you to the Guardians.”

“Yes, Maria,” said Michael, “they want me to take you to them right away. So that you’ll be safe.”

“What are you talking about, Michael?” asked Leo. “Her name’s not Maria. You know that.”

“He would if he was Michael,” said Paige. “Obviously, he isn’t.”

Piper reacted instantly. She raised her hands and tried to freeze Michael, or whoever he was. But instead, the power just passed around him.

[noazmale]

NINE

“Witch,” said Michael. “Your power doesn’t work on me. I’ll have the girl and no one will stop me.”

He raised his hand and cast a fireball at Paige. Paige orbed out and the fireball passed harmlessly past her, then she orbed back into the same spot.

“That was rude,” she said.

Suddenly, someone orbed into the living room. When he finished orbing, it was Michael. He stood looking at the other Michael with Leo and Piper.

“Not this time, demon,” said Michael. “This child will not fall to the likes of you.”

The demon raised his hand and was preparing to cast another fireball, this time at Michael. Suddenly, Phoebe appeared behind him and jumped into the air, kicking him along the side of the head. The demon Michael went flying across the room and his fireball exploded harmlessly on the fireplace.

“Leo,” shouted Michael.

He grabbed Jessica by the arm and pushed her to Leo. Leo grabbed Jessica by the arm and orbed the two out. Piper had no idea where they were, but that was unimportant at the moment. Jessica would be safe and they had a demon to fight.

The demon regained his feet quickly and turned on the others. A cut covered his forehead above his right eye and green blood oozed from it. He turned and fired another fireball at the group.

Everyone except Michael dived for cover. Michael just raised his hand and the fireball seemed to be absorbed into it. He then drew his hand back and cast it back out. The fireball was cast from his hand and exploded on the fireplace as the demon dived for cover.

“A mimic demon,” said Michael. “It’s been a while since I faced one of your kind. Someone must be pretty desperate to send one of you into the manor. And impersonating me. I’m flattered.”

“You won’t be when Malevant destroys you,” said the demon. “I may not have the girl, but my master will finish you.”

“You tell Malevant any time,” said Michael.

The demon shuddered and was gone. Almost as quickly, two robed figures simply appeared in the entryway to the manor. They didn’t orb, as Leo and Michael did, nor did they shimmer, like demons. They just appeared. Piper turned and raised her hands, ready to destroy these new demons.

“No, don’t,” said Michael, moving to put himself between the robed figures and Piper. “These are the Guardian Messengers. They’re the ones who are to take Jessica to the Guardians.”

“Oh, okay,” said Piper, lowering her hand. “Sorry guys.”

“Leo,” said Michael into the air.

Leo and Jessica orbed back in.

“Jessica,” said Michael, “these two are called Guardian Messengers. They will take you to the Guardians like I told you. You’ll be safe with them.”

“Aren’t you coming?” asked Jessica.

“Not right now,” said Michael. “Perhaps they’ll let me visit soon. Just to see how you’re doing.”

He looked up at one of the Messengers. The Messenger didn’t say a word, but nodded once indicating he could.

“You have to go with them now,” said Michael. “There’s no reason to be afraid.”

“I’m not afraid,” said Jessica. “You’re my angel and momma always said that angels would never hurt me.”

“Good,” said Michael. “Go with them now and I’ll come visit as soon as I can.”

Jessica walked over and stood next to the two Messengers. Without a word, the three of them simply vanished.

“How did you know that wasn’t Michael?” asked Leo.

“That’s a good question,” said Michael. “Mimic demons are usually extremely difficult to detect.”

“I wasn’t sure,” said Paige. “But when he called Jessica ‘the girl’ instead of by name, I was a little suspicious. Michael seemed very fond of Jessica. It just seemed odd that he would be treating her that way.”

“I am very fond of her,” said Michael. “She’s the daughter I never had.”

“Well,” said Phoebe, “I don’t think that mimic will be bothering us again. At least not for a while.”

“Probably not again,” said Michael. “Malevant doesn’t tolerate failure. More than likely he’ll destroy that demon for failing. I think I’d better leave for a while. See if I can draw Malevant away from you. As long as I stay, you’re in danger from him.”

“That’s nothing new to us,” said Piper. “We’re sort of used to having demons pop in uninvited.”

“Michaels’ probably right,” said Leo. “No one knows Malevant as well as he does. And if Malevant is as powerful as I’ve been told, he would be a problem even for the Power of Three.”

“He’s as powerful as you’ve been told,” said Michael. “He’s as powerful as I am. It’s one of the reasons we’ve never been able to beat each other. It’s sort of like fighting yourself. There can never be a winner really. Not until one of us figures out a way to gain the upper hand.”

“If he’s as powerful as you are,” said Leo, “then he’s extremely dangerous. More dangerous than even the Source was. And with his hatred of humanity, he won’t show any compassion.”

“I’ll stop back in a couple of days,” said Michael. “Once I’ve led Malevant away so you won’t be in any undue danger.”

Michael smiled once, then orbed out.

“That was interesting,” said Piper. “Not one but two demon attacks in one day. What’s next? A demon convention in the living room?”

“We’re safe for a bit,” said Leo. “Two high level demons have lost powerful underlings today. Mimics and Retrievers are really very rare. That’s why they serve only the hierarchy. The ones who sent those two won’t want to risk any more of their most powerful underlings without regrouping.”

“I keep hearing that,” said Paige, “but they keep showing up.”

“Believe it this time,” said Leo. “Besides, both demons were here after Jessica. Now that she’s with the Guardians, they’ll have to reevaluate their priorities.”

“Okay,” said Phoebe, “that sounds good. Well, I think I’ll go out for a while. Maybe catch that movie I missed last night.”

“Well,” said Paige, “I can still get in half a days’ work. Maybe it will make up for my being late so much lately.”

“Piper, honey,” said Leo. “I think there was something we were going to talk about before Michael showed up.”

“Yes, I believe you’re right,” said Piper. “Let’s talk while we finish the dishes.”

[noazmale]

TEN

Malevant stood in the midst of the swirling mists. He waited for word on his plans to destroy the Charmed Ones. Grimlor hobbled out of the mists and stopped in front of Malevant.

Malevant looked down at the small, deformed, misshapen creature. Grimlor was not much good for anything. He was slow and his twisted body made him appear ugly and grotesque. Unlike most demons, he didn’t have any powers. Being near the lowest level, his type was normally used as fodder in the plans of those higher up.

His speech was broken and halted, almost as if he had once suffered a horrible accident, which prevented him from speaking properly. Behind Malevants’ back, other demons made fun and tormented him. Being one of his favorites they would never do so in his presence.

Despite all of his shortcomings, Grimlor was obedient. He obeyed Malevants’ orders immediately and without question or complaint. Something Malevant could not say of any of his other underlings. That above everything else was why Malevant kept Grimlor around.

“Others come,” hissed Grimlor. “Wait for you.”

“Has Zimlock returned?” asked Malevant.

“No,” replied Grimlor.

“Send him to me immediately when he does,” said Malevant. “The others can wait until he has returned.”

Grimlor didn’t say a word. He simply faded into the mists. Malevant really didn’t need to hear Zimlocks’ report. He already knew the Mimic demon had failed in its task. Even now, the girl was with the Guardians and far away from any evil that might try to seduce her.

Suddenly, Zimlock walked out of the mists. As before, he had no features, just the vague impression of a humanoid creature. Dried blood was caked over one eye and on his lip. He limped slightly, favoring his right leg. He walked up and stood behind Malevant, waiting for his masters’ voice.

“The girl,” said Malevant, not bothering to turn to face the demon.

“With the Guardians,” said Zimlock. “It wasn’t my fault, Master. The Charmed Ones found me out. And Michael was there. I was no match for them. I was lucky to escape with my life.”

“Yes,” said Malevant. “You are no match for the Charmed Ones. And with my accursed brother helping them, it is a wonder you escaped at all.”

Slowly, Malevant turned and faced Zimlock. The lower demon looked at his master nervously. He knew of the normal penalty for failure. But these had been extraordinary circumstances. And he had brought news of Michaels’ involvement. Surely that would temper Malevants’ temper.

Malevant just smiled and Zimlock relaxed noticeably. Suddenly, Malevant raised his hand and cast a fireball at Zimlock. The lower demon howled in agony as he perished in a conflagration, leaving only a pile of ash where he once stood.

“Still,” said Malevant, still smiling, “you did fail me.”

Malevant called Grimlor and instructed him to bring the others in. He would miss Zimlock. Mimic demons were rare. Still, he could brook no failure if he was to maintain control of his underlings. The other four high level demons walked in, glancing at the pile of ash that had once been Zimlock.

“We don’t appreciate being kept waiting, Malevant,” said Beelzbor. “That’s no way to foster our new found alliance.”

“It could not be helped,” said Malevant. He glanced down at the pile of ash. “I was unavoidably detained with other matters.”

“You failed,” announced Mephistan, triumphantly.

“And I have dealt with that failure,” said Malevant.

“Still,” said Mephistan, “you failed to destroy the Charmed Ones. It proves you are not the most powerful of us and should not be the new Source.”

Malevant didn’t say a word. Instead, he turned to face Mephistan. He eyed his contemporary for a moment and then removed a dagger from his robes and thrust the weapon into Mephistans’ chest up to the hilt. Then he cast a fireball at Mephistan, forcing the demon back. Then Malevant cast another fireball; and another; and another. The attack was so sudden and so vicious Mephistan had no time to defend against it. As Malevant continued to pummel Mephistan, the latter demon, like Zimlock, died in a flaming conflagration.

[noazmale]

ELEVEN

“If you had not interfered,” said Malevant to the still smoldering pile of ash, “and alerted the Charmed Ones to what the girl was, I wouldn’t have failed.”

He turned to the remaining three demons.

“Our agreement,” said Malevant, “was that I was to have my chance at the Charmed Ones. He violated that agreement. I have exacted my payment for his betrayal.”

“True,” said Beelzbor, “he did violate the agreement. I don’t think any of us would deny you your right to vengeance. Still, he did have a point. Regardless of the reason, you did fail. Just as your Mimic failed.”

“Perhaps,” said Malevant, “but my failure was because of interference. Zimlocks’ failure was due to stupidity. It’s not the same.”

“I agree,” said LaTarrin. “If not for Mephistans’ interference, Malevant may well have captured the girl. And with her power, he might have destroyed the Charmed Ones. And they would no longer be a problem for us.”

“Still,” said Talistar, “Malevant was given his chance. I believe our agreement called for each who wished to have a chance. It would be unfair to allow him a second chance before any of us have had our first.”

“Fair enough,” said Malevant. “Who would like to try next?”

None of the demons spoke. Instead, a human man walked out of the mists and stood next to Beelzbor. The man was about six feet tall and weighed close to two hundred pounds. He had sandy blonde hair and blue eyes. He had a smile on his face that belied his demonic heritage.

“How dare you?” screamed Malevant angrily. “You know I don’t allow even the human form of a demon in my presence. He will change immediately or I will destroy him where he stands.”

“Certainly,” said Beelzbor.

The man immediately changed form. In his place stood a demon that was five feet tall. The demon was uniformly black, except for the dull yellow eyes. It had no nostrils, only two small slits where the nose should have been. His hands ended, not in razor sharp talons, but instead in suction cup-like appendages.

“Trellman will succeed where Zimlock failed,” said Beelzbor.

“This is risky,” said Malevant. “Getting to one of the Charmed Ones initially might be easy enough. But if Trellman is to complete his task, he will need to be there personally. Undoubtedly, the others will have discovered what has happened to her and will be protecting her.”

“That’s my problem,” said Beelzbor. “And we only have to kill one of them to destroy the Power of Three forever.”

“True,” said LaTarrin. “If he is successful, he will have nothing to fear from the Charmed Ones.”

“Very well,” said Malevant. “Have you decided which of the sisters’ will be the target?”

“The youngest, of course,” said Beelzbor. “She will be the least experienced. And she should be the easiest to get to.”

“Sounds like a fine plan,” said Malevant. “But the rules for proven victory have not changed. I insist on seeing the girls’ body as proof of any claim that you make about being successful.”

“Certainly,” said Beelzbor. “And I shall expect each of you to keep your underlings out of my way. I do not intend to suffer failure because of an overzealous underling trying to impress one of you.”

“No one shall interfere with your plan,” said Malevant.

“See that they don’t,” said Beelzbor. “I will be as displeased with interference as Malevant was.”

“Notify us when the mission is complete,” said LaTarrin. “Whether you succeed or fail.”

“Rest assured, I will,” said Beelzbor.

The three demons turned and walked into the mists. Malevant smiled to himself. His attack on the Charmed Ones had failed, but he had been able to eliminate an opponent without suspicion. In fact, the others had practically given their blessings. Or curses, as the case may be. Each of them understood about betrayal. It was a way of life for demons, especially demons as high level as they were.

Beelzbors’ plan just might succeed. Malevant couldn’t have that. Still, they had made an agreement. He would have to abide by it and not interfere in Beelzbors’ plan.

At least not in any way that could be linked to him. He already knew what he was going to do. It’s not like he hadn’t done it before. His subterfuge had gone on for some time without any detection whatsoever. If he was careful, he could continue it for some time to come.

It had taken him a long time to put his plan into action. The death of the Source had provided the perfect opportunity to do so. And so far, his plans had worked out perfectly. He smiled to himself once more as he reviewed his plans for the immediate future.

[noazmale]

TWELVE

Paige came out of the building where she worked. It was just past five p.m. and her half-day at work had been a refreshing break from the past couple of days. They had faced a retriever demon and a mimic demon and had been able stop them both. Leo had told them they would be safe for a while. After all that excitement, her normally hectic workload had seemed almost mundane.

Almost mundane. She met so many people as a social worker (well, almost a social worker) that there really was no such thing as a “mundane” day. Even this half day had been filled with its’ challenges. Still, it was considerably different from battling demons.

It was a beautiful day out. White puffy clouds drifted lazily overhead in the sky. There was only the slightest hint of a breeze and the sunlight glinted off windows and other reflective surfaces giving the entire city an almost magical glow. Even the trash in the streets and alleyways was somehow less apparent today.

Phoebe was acting strangely. She seemed to be going to a lot of movies. Apparently that was how she occupied her time while Cole was away visiting a sick friend. Although Paige was unsure what type of friend a one hundred plus year old ex-demon would have. And how that friend could possibly get sick.

She suddenly realized she was hungry. She could wait until she got home to get something to eat, but the blue sky and puffy white clouds overhead beckoned to her to remain out just a little longer. There was a Starbucks just around the corner. She decided to stop in real quick and take advantage of the serenity of the day. She could grab a quick snack there and still be home in time for dinner. Just enough of a snack to tied her over.

She walked briskly to the coffee shop enjoying the rays of the setting sun. Her boss wasn’t upset with her for once, there were, no demons in sight, and all was right with the world. At least for a while. As she turned the corner for the coffee shop, she ran headlong into a man coming around from the opposite side.

The man was just over six feet tall and weighed close to two hundred twenty five pounds. He had light blonde hair and green eyes. He was wearing a dark blue suit and matching tie and had an armful of magazines and papers and they went flying in all directions as he and Paige collided. They both stopped dead for a moment, just looking at each other. Suddenly, Paige came to her senses and began to apologize.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, stooping down to begin gathering the flying papers. “I guess I wasn’t watching where I was going. I’m not usually so clumsy.”

“That’s okay,” said the man, smiling, as he began to collect papers himself. “You are the third person I’ve collided with today. I guess such a beautiful day makes people a bit lethargic.”

They finished collecting the papers and magazines and Paige started to hand them back to the man. As she did, she glanced down at the magazine on top of the stack she was holding. It was “The New England Journal Of Medicine”.

“Interesting reading,” she said, handing the stack to him.

“I find it interesting,” said the man. “Actually, it’s more informative than interesting. My name is Coombs. Dr. Peter Coombs.”

“Paige Matthews,” said Paige. “So, you’re a doctor. What’s your specialty?”

“General practitioner,” said Coombs. “I have an office in the suburbs. I was just in town for a conference. I’m glad it’s finally over. I learn a lot at them, but they can be pretty tedious at times.”

“I can imagine,” said Paige. “I’m a social worker. Well, sort of. I’m working up to it. Hopefully I’ll get promoted soon.”

“If you’re as charming with your clients as you’ve been with me,” said Coombs, “I’m sure you will be.”

“Thank you,” said Paige.

She found the doctor quite attractive. His charming personality and smile must make him very popular with his patients. She was beginning to wonder if he were married.

“Well,” said Coombs, “I’d better get going. I have a ton of reading to do and I should get to it.” He reached into his coat pocket and removed a card. “Here’s my card. Assuming you don’t already have a regular doctor, I’m always looking for new patients. I haven’t been in the Bay Area long and it can be pretty hard starting a new practice from scratch.”

“Doesn’t your wife help you with that?” asked Paige, hoping against hope.

“I suppose she would,” said Coombs, “if I had a wife. I’m single, however.”

Paige took a notebook out of her purse and wrote in it. Then she tore the page from the book and handed it to Coombs.

“This is my address and phone number,” she said. “Sometimes I get kind of busy. You can call me in a couple of days to remind me. If you don’t hear from me first.”

Coombs smiled at Paige. He reached out to take the paper as he handed the card to Paige. As their hands touched, a spark of static electricity shot through them both.

“Oh,” said Paige, startled. “That usually doesn’t happen unless I’m on a carpet.”

“It must be fate,” said Coombs, smiling. “My private number is on the card. If you’d care to have dinner some night. Assuming you aren’t married either. Or otherwise encumbered.”

“No, no, I’m not,” said Paige. “I very single.”

Almost immediately she felt like an idiot. She sounded like some ditsy high school girl with her first crush. She had wanted to come across as very mature to this young, very handsome, doctor.

“Great,” said Coombs. “Now, I won’t be available tonight, unfortunately. Too much reading to catch up on. But feel free to call me some other time.”

“I’ll do that,” said Paige. “I’d better be getting home. My sisters worry when I’m late.”

“I’ll look forward to your call,” said Coombs.

Paige watched as he walked to the corner and hailed a cab. After the cab had pulled away, she reconsidered that snack. She decided to head straight home, instead.

“He’s a doctor?” asked Phoebe when Paige had told her sisters what had happened.

“A doctor, gorgeous, and single,” said Paige. “And he asked me to call. Even gave me his card, with his private number on it.”

“Good for you, little sister,” said Piper.

“So, when you going to call him?” asked Phoebe.

“In a day or two,” said Paige. “He said he had a lot of reading to do tonight. I know he had a lot of papers and magazines with him.”

“Dating a doctor can be quite a challenge,” said Leo, coming in from the kitchen.

“Believe me, he knows,” said Piper. “He used to be a doctor some sixty years ago.”

“As much of a challenge as fending off demons?” asked Paige sarcastically.

“Worse in some cases,” said Leo. “Leaving at all hours, phone calls in the middle of the night, conferences that go on for days that he has to attend, that’s just part of it.”

“He’s a general practitioner and I think he has his own office,” she said.

“All the same,” said Leo, “he’s still a doctor. Just be sure you know what you’re getting into.”

“I’m sure,” said Paige. “Well, I think I’m going to take a shower before dinner.”

She jumped up and started to head for the stairs. Suddenly she stopped in the middle of the room and grabbed her head. She stood in the room for several seconds, and then shook her head as if trying to clear it.

“You okay?” asked Piper, jumping to her feet.

“Yeah,” said Paige. “I just got real dizzy for a second. I’m okay now.”

“Maybe you just stood up too fast,” said Leo. “It happens to some people occasionally. It could mean an infection with your middle ear.”

“Lucky for her she has a doctor for a new boyfriend,” said Phoebe, smiling.

“He’s not my boyfriend,” said Paige. “Not yet, anyway.”

She just smiled and continued to the steps that led to the second floor. Leo, Piper, and Phoebe just laughed.

[noazmale]

THIRTEEN

Paige woke up the next morning and just lay in bed for a while. She felt exhausted, as if she hadn’t slept at all. Slowly she sat up in bed and almost immediately her head began to swim. She lay back down waiting for her head to clear.

She couldn’t understand it. She hadn’t been working that hard. And even after the recent events, she had seemed totally recovered. She continued to practice with her orbing, trying to do more than just orb in place, but she usually recovered from that pretty quickly. Besides, she really wasn’t tired after orbing. Usually just extremely hungry. Suddenly there was a knock at her door.

“Yes,” she said.

The door opened and Piper stuck her head in.

“Hey, sleepy head,” said Piper, “time to get up. You don’t want to be late for work again.”

“I’m not sure I’m going in today,” said Paige. “I’m not feeling so hot.”

Piper walked in the room and put her hand on Paige’s’ forehead.

“You’re not warm,” she said. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m just dead tired,” said Paige. “It’s like I haven’t slept at all.”

“Okay,” said Piper, “I’ll call your boss and tell him you’re not feeling well and won’t be in today. How about some soup? That should make you feel better?”

“Soup?” questioned Paige. “For breakfast?”

“Okay then,” said Piper. “How about some oatmeal?”

“Yuck,” said Paige. “I never liked oatmeal even when I was a kid.”

Just then Leo appeared at the door to Paige’s’ room.

“What’s taking so long?” he asked.

“Paige is a bit under the weather,” said Piper. “Maybe there’s something you can do about it?”

“You know I can’t use my powers except to heal damage caused by a demon attack,” said Leo. “If she’s coming down with something, she’ll just have to suffer through it. Those are the rules.”

“Didn’t you used to be a doctor?” asked Paige.

“Actually, I was only a medic,” said Leo, “not a doctor. Say, what about your friend, Dr. what’s-his-name? Didn’t you say he told you to call him? Maybe he makes house calls.”

“Want me to call him?” asked Piper.

“No,” said Paige. “The last thing I want is for him to see me like this. Besides, isn’t there some kind of rule about a doctor dating his patients or something?”

“Usually, yes,” said Leo. “But in this case, I don’t think that would apply. You two were arranging a date first. Besides, I don’t think he’s technically your doctor yet.”

“I’ll be okay,” said Paige. “I think I’m just going to sleep some more.”

“Okay, honey,” said Piper. “Leo and I are going to P3 this morning to finish the inventory. If you need anything, just call.”

“What about Phoebe?” Paige asked. “Where’s she going to be?”

“I don’t know,” said Piper. “She said something about visiting someone. She didn’t say who, though. You get some rest. I’ll check in on you this afternoon.”

“Okay,” said Paige

Leo and Piper left the manor and Paige rolled over in her bed and tried to go back to sleep.

* * *

“All I’m saying is it’s worth discussing,” said Leo as he and Piper came into the manor. “Don’t just discount it out of hand.”

“I don’t think this is the time to be thinking about getting away,” said Piper. “You heard what Cole said. There are factions. We have to be prepared for those.”

“Piper, I don’t want to fight with you about this,” said Leo.

“We’re not fighting,” said Piper. “We’re having a difference of opinion.”

“What’s the difference?” asked Leo.

“If we were fighting, sweetie, you’d be sleeping on the couch tonight,” said Piper, giving her husband that smug “I-know-I’m-right” smile of hers.

“Okay,” said Leo, throwing up his hands. “We wouldn’t want that, now would we?”

He kissed her lightly, and then turned to walk into the kitchen.

“I’m going to make some tea,” he said. “Want some?”

“Sure,” said Piper. “I’m just going to check on Paige real quick.”

Piper went upstairs and stopped at Paige’s’ door. She listened but didn’t hear any sound from inside the room. Cautiously, she knocked on the door.

“Paige, honey,” she said, slowly opening the door, “we’re home. Just wanted to see how you’re doing.”

Piper stuck her head in the room and looked around. Paige was still in bed, apparently fast asleep. Piper smiled at her, knowing that she could use the rest. Then she stopped and looked at Paige. Something didn’t look right. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but something was out of place.

“Paige,” she said, “are you awake?”

Paige didn’t answer. Piper lightly stepped into the room and stood over Paige’s’ bed. She looked down at her younger sister trying to figure out what it was that seemed wrong. Paige’s’ breathing was slow and deep, typical of someone who was sleeping. As Piper continued to look at Paige, she suddenly realized what it was that was bothering her.

Paige had the beginnings of gray in the hair along her temples.

“Paige, sweetie, you okay?” asked Piper.

Paige didn’t respond. Piper reached down and started to shake Paige. As she touched her, she felt how warm Paige was. She quickly put her hand on Paige’s’ forehead. Paige was extremely warm. Piper shook her vigorously, calling to her. Paige didn’t respond; she continued to sleep.

“Leo,” screamed Piper, still shaking Paige to wake her up.

Leo was in the kitchen putting water in the teapot. When he heard Piper call for him, he heard the desperation in her voice. Concerned, he dropped the pot into the sink, not bothering to turn off the water. He didn’t waste time taking the stairs, but immediately orbed to Paige’s’ room.

“What is it?” he asked, seeing Piper shaking Paige.

“She won’t wake up,” cried Piper frantically. “And she’s burning up. Her forehead’s as hot as an oven.”

Leo reached over and felt her forehead.

“She definitely has a fever,” he said.

“Do something,” cried Piper. “She’s your charge. You’re supposed to protect her.”

Leo placed his hands on Paige’s’ chest and concentrated. Suddenly a soft yellow glow covered her chest as Leo used his healing ability on her. Paige didn’t stir. And Leo looked concerned.

“It’s not working,” he said. “She’s not being healed.”

“What do you mean she’s not being healed?” asked Piper, nearly frantic. “You’re a White Lighter. You’re supposed to be able to heal her.”

“I should be able to,” said Leo, “but it’s not working. I don’t understand it.”

“Do something,” cried Piper, nearly in tears. “She could die if we don’t help her.”

“Michael,” said Leo. “He said he’d be in town for a few days. He might know what’s going on. I’ll be right back.”

Leo orbed out. Piper continued to shake Paige, calling to her, hoping against hope that Paige would wake up. Paige just continued to sleep.

Suddenly, Leo and Michael orbed back in. Michael went immediately to Paige’s’ side and felt her forehead. Then he placed his hands on her chest and tried to heal her. He had as little success as Leo had.

“Leo,” he said, “come give me a hand. Whatever this is, it can’t withstand the healing powers of two White Lighters.”

Leo and Michael both placed their hands on Paige and tried to heal her. They were met with failure. Michael just stood looking at Paige, confusion on his face.

“This doesn’t make any sense,” he said. “No disease, no matter how virulent or intrusive, can stand up against the healing power of a White Lighter. And certainly not the combined power of two White Lighters. Something else is going on here.”

“What’s that?” asked Leo, noticing the gray on Paige’s’ temples.

“That’s why I became concerned,” said Piper. “That wasn’t there this morning. It’s almost as if she’s aging very fast.”

“No,” said Michael, “not aging. Being drained. I think I know what’s going on. And why Leo and I can’t heal her. She’s under attack.”

“What do you mean she’s under attack?” demanded Piper.

“By a syphon demon,” said Michael. “They drain off a persons’ life energy. The effects are similar to aging, but much more accelerated. And as long as he’s draining her, we won’t be able to heal her.”

“What do we do?” asked Leo.

“Piper,” said Michael, “she’s not in any immediate danger. Go check the Book of Shadows and see what you can find out about syphon demons. Leo, you need to find Phoebe right away. I’ll stay here with Paige until you get back.”

“But she’s dying,” cried Piper. “I’ve already lost one sister. I won’t loose another. We have to do something.”

“We are,” said Michael. “Believe me, she’s not going to die. Not just yet, anyway. But we need to know everything we can about syphon demons. I’ve never encountered one personally, so I’m not sure how much of what I know is true. The Book of Shadows will help. Now go find out what you can.”

Piper hesitated for a moment. Then she turned and hurried to the attic to check the Book of Shadows. Leo orbed out to get Phoebe. Michael pulled a chair over to Paige’s’ bed and sat down holding her hand in his.

Leo orbed into a motel room where Cole and Phoebe sat talking. As he appeared in the room, he looked surprised at Cole.

“I thought you were visiting a sick friend?” he said.

“It’s a long story,” said Cole. “What are you doing here?”

“Phoebe needs to return to the manor immediately,” said Leo. “Paige is under attack by a syphon demon. Michael says she needs to be there. Maybe you should come, too, Cole. We could use your knowledge of demons at this point.”

“I can’t,” said Cole. “It’s complicated.”

“I’ll explain later,” said Phoebe. “Right now, let’s get home.”

“Listen,” said Cole before Leo and Phoebe orbed out, “if it is a syphon demon, Paige isn’t in any danger of dying until the demon returns. He has to make physical contact with her to completely drain her. As long as someone stays with her, she’ll be safe. From dying, anyway.”

“Thanks, Cole,” said Leo.

He orbed out with Phoebe on his arm and returned to the manor. Back in Paige’s’ room, Phoebe went immediately to her sisters’ side. She looked at Michael with concern in her eyes.

“She’s safe for now,” said Michael, “if my information on syphon demons is correct.”

“Got it,” said Piper, coming back into the room. She looked at Phoebe, and then moved to Leos’ side. “According to the Book of Shadows, a syphon demon sets up a psychic link with its’ victims. It then uses that link to drain their life force. But in order to completely drain her, it has to make physical contact with her again. Which means it will have to come here.”

“That’s what Cole said,” said Leo.

“Cole?” questioned Piper. “You saw Cole? Why didn’t you bring him here? We could use his help.”

“It’s a long story,” said Phoebe. “I’ll explain it all later. Right now we have to help Paige.”

“How does he set up this psychic link?” asked Leo.

“If I remember correctly,” said Michael, “all it had to do was touch her. Even the briefest contact allows it to set up the link. Then it can drain its’ victims from anywhere. But to completely drain someone, it has to make physical contact again.”

“He’s right,” said Piper. “That’s what the Book said.”

“How do we stop it from draining her?” asked Phoebe.

“There’s only one way,” said Michael. “The demon has to be vanquished. But the problem is, we have no way of knowing when it initially began the attack. It could have touched her at any time and anywhere. We need to know who it is if we’re to stop it.”

“What about a potion or spell to vanquish it?” asked Phoebe.

“Got both,” said Piper. “Thankfully it doesn’t require the Power of Three to vanquish this sucker. I’m going to start on the potion immediately. Phoebe, you start on a spell.”

“In the meantime,” said Michael, “Paige can’t be left alone for even a minute. Someone has to be with her at all times in case the demon comes back.”

Piper went immediately to the kitchen to begin working on the potion that would vanquish the syphon demon. Phoebe went to check the Book of Shadows to see how to create the spell that would do the same thing. Leo and Michael sat in the room with Paige.

“It’s interesting that Cole should know about a syphon demon,” commented Michael. “He obviously knows about the Charmed Ones. And I’m assuming he knows you’re a White Lighter. How does he know so much about demons?”

“Well,” said Leo, trying to think of something to satisfy Michaels’ curiosity without giving away Cols’ secret, “I think he studies the occult. He and Phoebe are engaged. That’s why he knows about us.”

“I see,” said Michael thoughtfully. “Still, I’m not aware that syphon demons are very well known to mortals. I wonder where he might have learned about them?”

“How is she doing?” asked Leo, trying to change the subject.

“The draining is increasing,” said Michael. “It will continue until just before she dies, then remain there. The demon will have to come for her soon to finish it. As I said, it has to make physical contact to complete the draining. Who do you think might have sent the demon after her?”

“Probably one of the factions who wants to replace the Source,” said Leo.

“That would make sense,” said Michael. “I’m betting whoever sent the demon won’t wait long to finish this. Once she’s dead, the Power of Three will be broken and the rest of you will be at risk. I hope they finish the potion and spell quickly.”

“They will,” said Leo. “You’d be surprised how quickly they can work when they have to.”

“Good,” said Michael. “In the meantime, one of us should be around at all times. Here in the room with Paige. If necessary, we can orb her out to keep her away from the demon. That should give Piper and Phoebe the extra time they need to vanquish it.”

“Good idea,” said Leo. “I think I’ll go see how Piper is coming on the potion.”

[noazmale]

FOURTEEN

As Leo had predicted, both Piper and Phoebe created what they needed in record time. Phoebe handed a piece of paper to Piper. Piper read over the spell then looked at her sister.

“This is it?” she asked. “This is a vanquishing spell?”

“Hey, it’ll work,” said Phoebe. “It’s not like I had a whole lot of time to come up with one.”

“I know, I know,” said Piper. “I’m sorry. I’m just worried about Paige, that’s all.”

“You’re forgiven,” said Phoebe. “Now, what do we do about finding this syphon demon? We don’t have a piece of it so we can’t scry for it. And I don’t think it’s going to be waiting outside for us to come out and vanquish it.”

“That’s not a problem,” said Michael. “Syphon demons like to work fast. It will drain Paige as quickly as it can, then come here to finish the job.”

“Surely it knows we’ll be ready for him,” said Piper. “We’ll vanquish it the minute it shimmers into the house.”

“It will be much more clever than that,” said Michael. “It will find some legitimate way into the house. Something you wouldn’t normally expect. We have to be on our toes. And as I said, Paige mustn’t be left alone for a minute. It’s her life at stake. And the Power of Three.”

“Okay,” said Piper. “I guess all we can do now is wait. Wait for another demon to attack us.”

“But this time we have an advantage,” said Leo. “We’re expecting it. We know what it is and why it’s coming. And we’re ready for it.”

The group settled in to wait for the syphon demon to make an appearance. With any luck, it would appear soon and Paige would be safe.

Four hours went by and nothing happened. Piper was beginning to get worried. Paige seemed to have stabilized, but not being a medical person, she couldn’t be sure. She was afraid Paige might die before the demon made an appearance, regardless of what Michael had said.

They took turns staying with Paige and made sure that at least one of them was in the room all the time. Leo and Michael kept an ear open for a call when they weren’t in the room with Paige. They wanted to be sure to orb in instantly when the demon made its’ appearance. Currently, Piper was in the living room with Michael while Phoebe was upstairs watching Paige. Leo was in the kitchen making another pot of tea.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Piper stiffened and looked at Michael.

“I doubt if a demon would be knocking to announce its’ entrance,” said Michael confidently.

“Didn’t you say it would try something unexpected?” asked Piper.

“Yes, I did,” said Michael. “Better be safe, just to make sure. You answer the door. I’ll go upstairs with Phoebe and Paige.”

“Leo,” called Piper over her shoulder as she walked to the front door.

Leo came out of the kitchen and looked at her.

“Company,” she said.

Leo stepped out of the kitchen and stood in the door to the living room. The doorbell rang again and Piper opened it. She was greeted by a man who just over six feet tall and weighed close to two hundred twenty five pounds. He had light blonde hair and green eyes. He was wearing slacks and a sports shirt. In his right hand he carried a typical doctors bag. In his left hand, he held a piece of paper.

“Can I help you?” asked Piper.

“I hope so,” said the man smiling. “I’m looking for a Paige Matthews. She gave me this address. Is this the right place?”

“She does live here,” said Piper, looking back at Leo.

“Great,” said the man. “My name is Dr. Peter Coombs. Paige and I sort of bumped into each other yesterday. I had to make a visit to one of my patients nearby and I thought as long as I was in the area, I’d stop by and say hi. Is she at home right now?”

“Well,” said Piper nervously, “not exactly. She’s sort of tied up at the moment.”

“I see,” said Coombs. “I’m sorry to have bothered you. Will you tell her I was by and I hope she calls me, please?”

“Sure,” said Piper. “I’ll be glad to give her the message.”

Suddenly there was a beeping noise coming from the doctor’s waist. He pulled a pager from his belt and looked at it.

“Oh dear,” he said. “Could I impose on you and ask to borrow your phone for a minute? I forgot to put my cell phone on recharge and I’m afraid it’s dead right now.”

“Sure,” said Piper, not completely sure what to do. “It’s in the living room. Right in there.”

“What are you doing?” whispered Leo while Coombs was making his call. “That could be the demon. And you invited him into our house?”

“What was I supposed to do?” shot Piper back. “What if he’s not the demon? I don’t want to be rude. Especially since Paige would find out once she’s recovered.”

Before they could say anything else, Michael orbed into the living room between Leo and Piper and Coombs. Coombs had just finished his phone call and was putting the receiver back on the hook as he watched Michael orb in.

“I heard the door close,” he said. “I guess it wasn’t the demon we were expecting. Paige seems stabilized, but she’s not improving.”

He looked around behind him, seeing Piper making a pointing motion. He looked at Coombs who simply stood in the middle of the room staring at Michael.

“Okay,” said Coombs, “how did you do that?”

“Oh,” said Leo, “uh, Michael is a professional magician. He’s just practicing one of his new routines. Pretty effective, isn’t it?”

“Magician?” questioned Coombs. “Do demons have anything to do with this routine? And what did he mean ‘Paige is stabilized’? Is she ill?”

“No, no, not at all,” said Michael, trying desperately to change the subject. “You must have misunderstood me, that’s all.”

“That’s not likely,” said Coombs. “What’s going on here? Where is Paige? I assume you’re one of the sisters she mentioned.”

“Yes,” said Piper, “yes, I am. As I said, she’s kind of tied up right now.”

“With what?” Coombs asked suspiciously. “Something isn’t right here. Is she in some kind of danger? Is this some sort of devil worshiping cult like you hear about on Hard Copy or Inside Edition?”

Leo was looking at Piper, and then at Michael, trying to decide what to do. Piper just threw up her hands and let out a sigh. She looked at Coombs, then at Michael, then at Leo.

“Well,” she said, taking a small vial out of her pocket, “if this doesn’t work, I’m sorry doctor.”

She removed the cap from the vial and threw a greenish liquid on the front of Coombs’ shirt. He looked at her then at the stain on his shirt.

“What the hell was that for?” he demanded.

“Why did you do that?” asked Leo.

“Listen,” said Paige. “Paige may be dying and there’s nothing either of you can do about it. Dr. Coombs is still standing here, so he’s obviously not the syphon demon, or the potion would have vanquished him. Since you guys can’t do anything about Paige, maybe he can.”

“What’s wrong with Paige?” asked Coombs. “She is ill, isn’t she? You say she might be dying? For Gods’ sake, I’m a doctor. Maybe I can help.”

“Okay,” said Piper, “there’s not a whole lot of time to explain. Paige was attacked by what’s called a syphon demon. He’s draining her life force and it’s going to kill her if we can’t stop it. She’s upstairs with Phoebe, our other sister. Michael, will you show Dr. Coombs where she is?”

“Sure,” said Michael. “No harm now. Maybe he can do something.”

“Are you out of your mind?” asked Leo after Michael and Coombs had gone upstairs. “Even if he’s not the demon, he’s an innocent. You may have just put his life at risk. Not to mention you’ve exposed yourself to being found out. What if he talks about this to someone?”

“Leo,” said Piper, “honey, right now I’m not concerned with any of that. All I’m concerned with is saving Paige’s’ life. We lost Prue fighting the Source. I’m not going to loose Paige fighting some low life demon who wants to be the new Source. Right now my only concern is getting Paige better.”

Leo looked at his wife. There were tears in her eyes. Prues’ death still affected her deeply, even if she had come to accept it. It was still too fresh in her mind. He could only imagine what she must be going through, worried that yet another sister would be taken by the evil they fought every day. He put his arms around her.

“Okay,” he said softly. “Maybe Coombs can do something.”

Together they went upstairs to see how Paige was doing.

[noazmale]

FIFTEEN

“She’s catatonic,” announced Coombs. “Her vitals are dangerously low. If they were any lower, she’d be dead. We have to get her to a hospital right away. If we don’t, there’s not much I can do for her.”

“We can’t do that,” said Leo. “Trust me doctor, the hospital is the worst possible place for her right now. We have to be around her all the time. It’s the only way she’ll survive.”

“She needs medical attention,” demanded Coombs. “Your presence in the room is not going to make that much of a difference. I need to run some tests to find out exactly what’s wrong with her.”

“I can tell you what’s wrong with her,” said Michael. “She’s being attacked by a demon that has set up a psychic link to her mind and is slowly draining her life force. In order to complete the process, the demon must make physical contact. And we’re the only ones who can protect her once the demon returns.”

“You’re insane,” said Coombs. “Demons? In the twenty first century? No one believes in demons any more.”

“Which is one of the reasons they are so powerful,” said Leo. “Dr. Coombs, please believe us. Everything Michael has said is the truth. If we take her to a hospital, she’ll be vulnerable.”

Coombs looked at Michael then at Leo. He wasn’t convinced these people were for real, but he did know that Paige needed medical treatment now. Suddenly, he thought of a compromise.

“Okay,” said Coombs. “She can’t stay here. We can take her to my office. You can stay with her and I’ll be able to treat her better there. Then when this demon comes for her, assuming it does, you’ll be able to fight it off or do whatever it is you do. And I can give her the treatment she needs.”

“Okay,” said Piper. “But one of us stays with her all the time.”

“Deal,” said Coombs. “Somebody go call 9-1-1 and have them send an ambulance for her. Once they get here, I’ll instruct them to take her to my office. One of you can ride with her in the ambulance.”

“I can orb her there,” said Leo. “It’s faster and safer.”

“No,” said Coombs. “I don’t know what this orbing is, but if I’m going to treat her, you call for an ambulance. Otherwise, I’m going to call the police and report the lot of you.”

Piper looked at Phoebe, who simply nodded her head yes. Piper turned and left the room to make the phone call.

“Wrap her up in the blankets,” said Coombs. “She seems to be in shock. We need to keep her as warm as possible. Who’s going to ride with her in the ambulance?”

“I will,” offered Michael. “If the demon attacks her there, I’m the best armed to deal with it.”

“Okay,” said Phoebe. “Where is your office?”

Coombs gave them the address.

“It should take the ambulance about fifteen minutes to get there from here,” said Coombs. The rest of you can follow us in your car.”

“I can get them there quicker,” said Leo. “We’ll be waiting for you when you arrive. Is there anything you need to have set up before Paige arrives?”

“It would take too long to explain,” said Coombs.

“I have some, uh, medical training,” said Leo. “I’m pretty sure I can understand whatever you need.”

“Okay,” said Coombs. “I’ll tell you what I need. If I’m convinced you understand, I’ll let you set things up. I need to call my office and have them close it down for the day.”

“You can use the phone downstairs,” said Phoebe.

Leo and Coombs left the room and Coombs was already beginning to explain what he needed Leo to do. As they entered the living room, Piper was just putting the phone receiver back on the cradle.

“The ambulance will be here in five minutes,” she said.

“Good,” said Coombs. “Well, Leo, is it? Leo, you seem to know exactly what I need to have set up. You know the address. The sooner you can get it set up, the better. And you . . ..”

“Piper,” offered Piper.

“Piper,” said Coombs. “You might want to pack some clothes for Paige. Even after the crisis is over, she’s probably going to need some recuperation time. Also, any personal items she might need. Brush, mirror, that sort of thing.”

“Right,” said Piper. “Be right back.”

Coombs called his office and had his secretary to cancel his appointments for the rest of the day. He then told her to close the office and go home.

“We appreciate your doing this for us,” said Leo.

“Well,” said Coombs, “right now my primary concern is my patient. Once I’ve dealt with her, I’ll be expecting some answers to some questions I have. A whole lot of questions.”

“No doubt,” said Leo. “I just hope you’re ready for the answers.”

Piper was back in the living room when the ambulance arrived. The two attendants hurried to the house with a gurney and their equipment. Coombs met them at the door.

“I’m Dr. Peter Coombs,” said Coombs. “I have a female patient upstairs who’s comatose but appears to be stable for the moment. Administer a standard IV and transport her to this address as quickly as possible.”

“You don’t want her taken to the hospital?” asked one of the attendants.

“No,” said Coombs. “She needs to be taken to my office instead. Don’t worry. I’ll take full responsibility. I’ll call your supervisor and explain the whole thing later. Right now, I need you to get her to my office as quickly as you can.”

“Yes, Doctor,” said one of the men, a tall man with sandy blonde hair and blue eyes. He stood about six feet tall, just a little shorter than the doctor.

“I’ll show them where she is,” said Piper, heading for the stairs.

“No need,” said the tall blonde man, “I think we can find her.”

“Just be careful with her,” said Piper.

“Don’t worry, ma’am,” said the man reassuringly, “you sister is in good hands with us. We haven’t lost one yet.”

The two men carried the gurney up the stairs while Leo and Piper continued to talk to Coombs. He was busy explaining what treatment he had in mind for Paige. Suddenly, Piper cocked her head to one side.

“What is it, honey?” asked Leo.

“Are you okay?” asked Coombs.

“I was just wondering something,” said Piper. “How did that attendant know Paige was my sister?”

“Maybe he just assumed?” said Coombs.

“Without even seeing her?” asked Piper. “I could have been her daughter or her mother. Or even a concerned neighbor for all he knew. All you told him was there was a female patient upstairs. How did he know we were sisters?”

[noazmale]

SIXTEEN

Leo didn’t wait for an answer. He orbed immediately to the Paige’s’ bedroom. Piper turned and ran for the stairs as quickly as she could. Coombs, having no idea what was going on, followed close behind.

When Piper got to Paige’s’ room, Michael was fighting with the blonde attendant. Phoebe lay in one corner of the room, apparently dazed. The second attendant turned to engage Leo as he orbed in.

Michael was doing his best to keep himself between the demon and Paige. The blonde man was trying his best to get to Paige, but had to contend with Michaels’ attacks. The demon on Leo didn’t seem concerned with getting to Paige. He seemed only concerned with striking out at Leo.

Piper raised her hands and the demon fighting Leo exploded into a thousand shards that evaporated immediately. The demon fighting Michael feigned an attack to the left, and then quickly changed direction. Michael was caught off guard and the demon shoved him, sending him flying through the window to the ground below. He then turned for Paige.

Piper raised her hands and started to explode that demon as she had the first. The demon saw her and raised his hand. An invisible force grabbed Piper and flung her into the hallway, slamming her into the wall. She started to rise, dazed from the impact. Leo started to reach for Paige, but the demon simply grabbed his hand and cast him aside. Nothing stood between him and his prize as he changed into his true form. His demon form was five feet tall. It was uniformly black, except for the dull yellow eyes. It had no nostrils, only two small slits where the nose should have been. Its’ hands ended, not in razor sharp talons, but instead in suction cup-like appendages. The demon smiled as it reached out for Paige.

“Hey, ugly,” shouted Coombs, “catch.”

Coombs pulled something out of his pocket and tossed it lightly to the demon. Instinctively, the demon reached out and grabbed it with both hands. It stared down at the object in its’ hands.

It was a cell phone. Angrily, the demon threw the item aside, and turned once again for Paige. Suddenly, Phoebe stood up in the corner of the room and removed a piece of paper from her pocket. The demon stood transfixed as she incanted the vanquishing spell.

“Sisters three or sister one, evil shall become undone, break the link which holds its’ sway, and send the demon far away.”

The demon howled in agony as flames erupted around it. It tried to reach for Paige, but the flames prevented it from making contact. Within seconds, the flames vanished, taking the demon with it forever.

* * *

“Okay,” said Coombs, sipping his coffee, “so you three are witches. And Leo and Michael are White Lighters, kind of a type of angel. And those two…. things upstairs were demons that had come to murder Paige. Is it that about the size of it?”

“Yes,” said Piper. “And we’re not just witches. We’re called the Charmed Ones. We can vanquish more powerful demons than most witches because of our power.”

“And witches can be male or female, but their always good,” said Coombs. “Evil witches are called warlocks, who can also be male or female.”

“I think he’s getting it,” said Michael smiling. “When that demon shoved me out the window, I just orbed out to keep from being injured by the fall. When I orbed back in, everything was over.”

“We have Dr. Coombs to thank for that,” said Leo. “He tossed the syphon demon his cell phone. It delayed the demon long enough to allow Phoebe to vanquish it.”

“I had to do something,” said Coombs. “But it was clear I was no match for that thing. I decided the best thing I could do was to distract it and hope one of you could get back into the fight.”

“You see now why we insisted you couldn’t take Paige to the hospital?” asked Piper.

“Now I do, yes,” said Coombs. “Of course, if you had tried to explain all this to me before, I would probably have called a padded truck to haul all of you away. I mean, demons and angels and witches? In the twenty first century? There couldn’t possibly be such things. But after what I witnessed upstairs, there can’t be another explanation. This is a lot to take in.”

“So much for a first date,” said Paige.

After the syphon demon had been vanquished, she had suddenly awakened. The life force it had taken from her was slowly rebuilding and even the gray in her hair was fading. Michael had said that she should be back to normal within a few days.

“I’ve had worse first dates,” said Coombs smiling. “I’ll tell you what. After you’ve recuperated fully, why don’t we try it again? Only this time, I think a nice quiet dinner would be preferable to a demon fight. I know I’d prefer it.”

“You still want to go out with me?” asked Paige. “Even after learning I’m a witch and almost getting killed by a demon?”

“Well,” said Coombs, somewhat self-consciously, “from what they’ve told me, I was never in any real danger. That demon was after you, not me. As for being a witch, that might take some getting used to. But I’d like to see if I could. That is, if you still want to.”

“Sure,” said Paige, starting to rise from the table. She sat down again almost immediately as her head started swimming.

“I said, after you’ve recovered fully,” said Coombs. “You’ll need to come by my office in a few days for a complete physical. Just to make sure you’re recovering properly. In the mean time, I’ll write you a prescription for any pain you might have.”

“Thanks,” said Paige, smiling triumphantly at Piper and Phoebe.

“Well,” said Michael, “I guess I’d better be going. I still have charges to check up on. Phoebe? Tell Cole I hope I get the chance to meet him again before I have to leave. He seems like a nice guy.”

“I…. I will,” stammered Phoebe.

Michael just smiled, then orbed out. Paige carefully stood up from her chair and escorted Coombs to the front door, while Leo and Piper looked over at Phoebe.

“Okay, missy,” said Piper. “Now that the excitement is all over, care to explain what you and Cole were doing in a motel room? And why the story about him visiting a sick friend?”

“That’s going to take some time,” said Phoebe sheepishly.

“It looks like we have the time,” said Leo. “Now, why doesn’t Cole want to stay in the manor while Michael is here?”

Phoebe sipped her coffee, trying to figure out the best way to start. Piper and Leo simply sat looking at her. She knew she wasn’t going to get out of that room until she had told them everything.

[noazmale]

SEVENTEEN

Malevant walked through the swirling mists of the underworld he called home. Trellman had been vanquished and the youngest Charmed One was even now recovering from the attack. In a few days her powers would be fully restored and they would have lost their chance to destroy the Charmed Ones.

As always, Grimlor stood by silently waiting for any orders its’ master might give. Grimlor was small and had no power. He knew that if left to himself, other demons would quickly destroy him just for the sheer pleasure of it.

But no one crossed Malevant. Those that did never survived to regret it. His master had smiled on Grimlor, for what reason, the small demon could only guess. Still, it did not matter. Malevant protected him and as long as he did, Grimlor would be a faithful servant.

“Grimlor,” said Malevant. “The syphon demon has failed. I knew it would. It was foolish to think that it could stand against the Charmed Ones and my brother.”

“Yes, Master,” said Grimlor. “Much foolish.”

“Always faithful Grimlor,” said Malevant, smiling down on the smaller demon.

He reached down and petted the malformed creature on its’ head. Grimlor liked that. It showed the demon that its’ master was pleased with him. And the more pleased his master was, the more he would protect Grimlor.

“It is clear to me that our strategy is not sufficient to destroy the Charmed Ones,” said Malevant. “No single demon is powerful enough to do that. Their power is too great. Wouldn’t you agree, my little friend?”

“Master always right,” said Grimlor. “Master smartest. Master always protect Grimlor. Grimlor always faithful.”

“Yes,” said Malevant, “I do always protect you. And you are always faithful. I have a task for you, my little pet. Summon the others. Tell them to come immediately. We must finally conclude this quest. And end the Charmed Ones forever. Go, my little friend. Bring the others to me immediately.”

“Yes, master,” said Grimlor.

The little demon hurried out into the mists to obey its’ masters’ wishes. The other would arrive soon enough. They would all be aware of Trellmans’ failure by now. Especially Beelzbor. Beelzbor wouldn’t be happy with that failure. Unfortunately, he would have no one to take his anger out on since Trellman was vanquished.

Malevant walked through the mists until he came to a door. As if of its’ own accord, the door opened. Malevant passed through and stood in a large room. Several demons of various size and description stood in the room. Just a few of the minions who served him.

“Peltak,” said Malevant.

A demon with four arms walked over to Malevant and bowed. It had no eyes and oversized ears. Its’ large nostrils continued to sniff the air as if it was trying to decide what or who was around it.

“I am here, Master,” said the demon.

“Peltak,” said Malevant, “bring me the manacles. I will have need of them. And gather the holders for me. I shall have need of them as well. Have them wait for me here. I will return when I have finished with the others.”

“As you wish, Master,” responded Peltak.

Malevant didn’t wait for the demon to begin obeying. He knew it would. As with all of his other minions, they always obeyed. They obeyed out of fear. The only true power that held a demons loyalty.

Malevant returned to his normal area in his home. To an unobservant visitor, it appeared this area was no different from any other area of this underworld. But it was much more than that. Demons of all sizes and descriptions waited just out of sight for orders from him. He was complete master of this domain.

Suddenly, a small figure hobbled out of the mists. Grimlor moved over to its’ master and looked up. Black ichor covered its’ lower lip and one of its’ eyes was partially closed.

“What happened?” asked Malevant.

“Yellow master displeased,” said Grimlor. “Yellow master hurt Grimlor. Grimlor hurt.”

“I see,” said Malevant. “I will see that the yellow master does not hurt Grimlor again.”

“Grimlor thank Master,” said Grimlor. “Other masters come. Grimlor leave.”

[noazmale]

EIGHTEEN

The three high level demons walked out of the mists as Grimlor scurried away in the opposite direction. The demons walked up to Malevant and stood before him.

“Your little toad said you wanted to see us,” said Beelzbor. “I assume you have some news for us.”

“In a matter of speaking,” said Malevant. “But before that, I have something I wish to say.”

Beelzbor smiled at Malevant. He appeared to be very pleased with himself. Suddenly, Malevant cast a fireball, which engulfed Beelzbors’ head. The latter demon howled in pain until the flames stopped.

“You bastard,” howled Beelzbor, preparing to launch his own attack. “Are you trying to start the war you so fervently told us you were trying to avoid?”

“No,” said Malevant, “but Grimlor is mine. If he is to be punished, I shall punish him. I’ll not have you, or any of you, taking your anger out on him. If you must take your anger out on someone, use your own underlings. Not mine.”

Beelzbor looked at Malevant, seething with anger. He had so enjoyed attacking the little misshapen creature. It had helped him get over his frustration at Trellmans’ failure. Now, it seemed that he would have to fight Malevant for that little pleasure.

“Enough,” said LaTarrin. “Malevant is right. You had no right to mistreat his underling, Beelzbor. You have your own underlings. If you want to take your frustration out on someone, use one of them.”

“I agree,” said Talistar. “I would not appreciate your attacking one of my underlings. Malevant was justified in his attack on you. Now, we have more important matters to discuss.”

“Very well,” said Beelzbor. “I apologize for attacking your underling. The matter is closed.”

“Now,” said Malevant, “it has become clear to me that we have been going about this in the wrong way. None of us is powerful enough alone to crush the Charmed Ones. Their power is just too great. And with my brother aiding them, their power is even greater.”

“Agreed,” said Beelzbor. “You, Mephistan, and I have all lost powerful underlings to the Charmed Ones. But what can we do about it? Every demon we send against them is vanquished. With their accursed power, we do not stand a chance against them.”

“Which is exactly what I’ve been considering,” said Malevant. “Alone, none of us has the power to destroy the Charmed Ones. But together, we would be invincible. Not even the Charmed Ones with the help of my brother could stand against us.”

“Wait a minute,” said LaTarrin. “You said before that only the one capable of destroying the Charmed Ones deserved to be the new Source. Now you are saying we must work together. How does that prove which of us is the rightful successor for the Source?”

“You are right,” said Malevant. “I did say only the most powerful deserves to be the new Source. But since no one of us can defeat the Charmed Ones, it makes little difference who becomes the Source. They will continue to defeat us no matter who is the Source.”

“What do you propose?” asked Beelzbor.

“We combine our forces,” said Malevant, “to put an end to the Charmed Ones once and for all. Once they are out of the way, we can decide on a method of selecting a new Source. Let’s face it. If the Charmed Ones defeated the Source once, they will do it again. So we must make sure that doesn’t happen. Before a new Source is chosen, the Charmed Ones must be removed.”

“It makes sense,” said Talistar. “With our combined forces, not even the Charmed Ones will be able to resist us. The question is, how do we put an end to the Charmed Ones?”

“I have an idea,” said Malevant. “The key is their combined power. As long as they are together, their power is unbeatable. So we must separate them. Once they are separated, they will be easy to defeat.”

“I like it,” said LaTarrin. “It is a brilliant idea. We attack them simultaneously in different locations. They won’t be able to come to each other’s aid. And even if your brother helps them, he can only help one at a time. All it takes is the death of one to end their power forever.”

“Precisely,” said Malevant. “We destroy one of them and the other two will be easy prey.”

“I assume you already have a plan for this,” said Beelzbor. “That would be your reason for summoning us.”

“Indeed I do,” said Malevant. “Currently, one of the sisters is still recovering from the syphon demon attack. Her powers have not yet fully returned to her. The other two watch over her while she recuperates.”

“So we attack this weakened one?” asked Talistar.

“No,” said Malevant. “We go after one of the other sisters and their White Lighter.”

“I don’t understand,” said LaTarrin.

“I will take the White Lighter captive,” said Malevant. “One of you will take one of the other sisters captive. I would suggest the middle sister. Her power is the weakest of the three. She will be the easiest to manipulate.”

“So you kill the White Lighter,” said Beelzbor, “and one of us kills the middle sister.”

“No,” said Malevant. “That’s the beauty of my plan. You simply take the sister captive. This will draw out the older sister who will surely try to rescue her. Then, when she attempts to free either the White Lighter or her sister, we destroy her first. This will strip the Charmed Ones of their powers. The other two will be easy to dispatch.”

[noazmale]

NINETEEN

“Why not just destroy the captive sister and end their power?” asked Talistar. “That will be much easier.”

“Yes,” said Malevant, “and that will give them time to summon others to their aid. And there is another reason for my plan. To destroy the Charmed Ones, they must all be destroyed, not just one of them. This will prevent another sister from appearing in the future, as the youngest did.”

“Another sister?” questioned Beelzbor. “I find that extremely unlikely.”

“We also thought it unlikely of a fourth sister,” said Malevant. “Yet, she appeared almost at the instant of the eldests’ death. Do you wish to risk that happening again?”

“He has a point,” said LaTarrin. “However remote, there is the possibility of another sister. Malevant is right. If we are to destroy the Charmed Ones, they must all be destroyed. Not even one must survive.”

“Agreed,” said Talistar. “So, Malevant will capture their White Lighter. How do you propose to do that? Once you try, he will simply orb away.”

“Peltak,” said Malevant.

The lower demon walked out of the mists, holding a pair of manacles. It handed them to Malevant, then stood next to its’ master.

“With these,” said Malevant. “My father used these to capture my mother. They are enchanted to bind the powers of a White Lighter. It was how he was able to keep her captive long enough to give birth to my brother and me. Once these are on his wrists, he won’t be able to orb.”

“How will you get them on his wrists?” asked Beelzbor. “It’s unlikely he’s going to simply stand there and let you put them on him.”

“That will be my problem,” said Malevant. “Once I do, I’ll hold him. One of you must capture the middle sister.”

“I’ll do that,” said Beelzbor. “I’ve seen her. She’s actually quite attractive. For a human.”

“Fine,” said Malevant. “But she must not be harmed. She must be used as bait for the oldest one.”

“Then what?” Talistar asked.

“Then,” said Malevant, “we give the witch a choice. She can either save her White Lighter or her sister. Whomever she chooses, that will be our cue. If she chooses her sister, Talistar and LaTarrin will go to Beelzbor and help destroy her. Once they destroy her, you can then destroy the middle sister at your leisure.”

“You’re assuming she’ll be coming after the sister,” said Beelzbor. “What if she goes after the White Lighter?”

“I don’t think that will happen,” said Malevant. “My brother will be helping her. When he learns that I’m holding another White Lighter, I know he will insist on trying to save him. When he does, I’ll be able to destroy my brother completely. When my brother comes to save the White Lighter, I will simply move to the underworld. My brother will follow. In my domain, he will stand no chance.”

“So,” said Beelzbor, “we not only rid ourselves of the Charmed Ones, but your brother and another White Lighter as well. I must admit it is an excellent plan.”

“Of course it is,” said Malevant. “Now, you need to devise some plan to take the middle sister captive. But remember; she must not be harmed. She must be alive and well if she is to be used to lure the oldest sister to you.”

“I shall treat her with the greatest of care,” said Beelzbor. “Until it is time to put an end to her.”

“Excellent,” said Malevant. “Once the two sisters and the White Lighters are dead, I will finish the final sister. She will be an easy target once the others are finished.”

“Then it will finally be finished,” said LaTarrin. “It is perfect. Where do you plan to keep the White Lighter and the sister captive? The witches cannot orb or shimmer. They cannot be brought down here.”

“Select a location of your choosing,” said Malevant. “Let me know where it is and I will select a location that is on the other side of the city from it. Then, we will both let the older sister know we plan to kill our captives. At the same time. She will have to choose which to save. I am confident she will choose her sister. Then, when she arrives to save her, the three of you destroy her.”

“This cannot fail,” said Beelzbor. “Amazing we did not think of this before. It is so simple.”

“Yes, it is,” said Malevant. “Now, go make your preparations. The White Lighter and the middle sister must be taken at the same time to avoid arousing suspicion. Let me know when you have chosen a spot. Then we can put my plan into action.”

The three demons didn’t say a word. They simply turned and walked back into the mists.

“Peltak,” said Malevant handing the manacles to the lower demon, “tell the others I want to speak with them. They are to capture the White Lighter, but he is not to be harmed. Not even a hair out of place. If he is harmed, they will answer to me personally. I will give them further instructions when they arrive.”

“Yes, Master,” said Peltak.

The demon faded back into the mists to gather the others. Malevant smiled to himself. Everything was progressing perfectly. In a few hours, his greatest rivals would be gone forever. The Source could not have chosen a better time to foolishly try to control the Hollow. He turned and confidently walked into the swirling mists to instruct his minions in capturing the White Lighter.

[noazmale]

TWENTY

“Well, Miss Matthews,” said Dr. Coombs, “you seem to be recovering nicely. Your electrolytes are a bit off, but I’m not concerned, considering it’s only been three days since you nearly died. You should be completely back to normal in a few days.”

“Miss Matthews?” questioned Paige. “Why so formal all of a sudden?”

“I never mix my personal life with my professional life,” said Coombs. “Something my father taught me. I’ve found it works quite well most of the time.”

“Well,” said Paige, “as for being back to normal, that’s relative. What we went through three days ago is normal for us.”

“It’s still all just a bit much to take in,” said Coombs. “Witches, demons, White Lighters. It still seems like some dream or something.”

“You think it feels like a dream?” asked Paige. “How do you think I feel? Not only do I learn they actually exist, but I find out I’m one of them in the same day. Talk about a lot to take in.”

“I see your point,” said Coombs, smiling. “Well, I’ve called your boss and told him you had an allergic reaction to something. You’ll need a few more days off to recuperate. He said it wasn’t a problem and that you should take all the time you need.”

“I appreciate it,” said Paige. “It seems like all I do is sleep. I can’t orb and look at this.”

She held up her hand and called for the pen in Coombs’ pocket. It glowed blue slightly, but didn’t move.

“I can’t even move objects any more,” she said.

“I wouldn’t worry,” said Coombs. “You had your life force sucked out of you. It will take some time to recover it. Pretty soon you’ll be back to your old self, I promise.”

“I hope so,” said Paige. “I hate feeling powerless.”

“You will,” said Coombs. “Now, go home and get some rest. Remember, we have a dinner engagement when you’ve recovered. I’m not letting you out of that.”

“Okay,” said Paige, smiling. “When do you want to see me again?”

“Make an appointment for three days,” said Coombs. “I imagine you should be almost fully recovered by then. I just want to make sure.”

“Okay,” said Paige. “I’ll see you then.”

Paige stopped at the receptionist’s desk and made the appointment. She left the office building and hailed a cab. As it drove her home, a young man watched her. As the car pulled away, the man looked around to make sure he wasn’t be observed, and then shimmered away.