"CHARMED"
"LIMITATIONS"
by J. B. Tilton
ONE
"Phoebe," screamed Prue Halliwell from her room, "did you use my lipstick
again?"
"Yes," Phoebe shouted back. "I couldn't find mine."
"I wish you would keep track of your stuff," said Prue angrily. "You're always
using my things."
"Sorry," said Phoebe, apologetically. "I didn't think you'd mind."
Prue didn't respond. Instead she picked up her purse and stormed out of the
room to the kitchen where Piper sat drinking coffee.
"Calm down, Prue," said Piper. "It's just a lipstick."
"She's always using my things," said Prue. "I wish she wouldn't do it. She never
puts them back where she gets them."
Piper was the calming force between her two sisters. More level headed than
Prue and not as flighty as Phoebe, she was usually able to calm any brewing storms
between the two. And it seemed that she had endless opportunity to calm those
brewing storms.
Not that there was usually anything serious. Usually it was the normal type of
sibling squabble between sisters as close as these three. Their special bond often got
them through tough times that might rip other families apart.
Suddenly Leo orbed in. Piper looked up and saw him.
"Hey, sweetie," she said. "What's up?"
"Not much," said Leo. "Where's Phoebe?"
"She's getting ready for school," said Prue. "You need to see her?"
"No," said Leo, "I was just curious."
"So you're not here on business?" asked Piper.
"No, not really," said Leo. "I just wanted to check in on my favorite charges. It's
been pretty quiet lately."
"Yes, it has," said Piper. "Thank God for small favors."
"Well, I for one won't question our good fortune," said Phoebe, coming into the
room. "Hey, Leo. How's it going?"
"Hi, Phoebe," said Leo.
"What are your plans for today?" asked Piper.
"Not much," said Leo. "Thought I'd hang out here for a while."
"Well," said Piper, "maybe we could have lunch."
"Sounds good," said Leo. "I'll need to check in on a couple of my other charges,
but I should be able to get away for lunch."
"Anything interesting going on with your other charges?" asked Phoebe
innocently.
"Now, Phoebe," said Leo, "you know I can't talk about that. You wouldn't want
me talking to others about you, would you?"
"No, I guess not," said Phoebe. "Well, I have to get to class. See you all later."
"Get some lipstick while you're out," said Prue, sarcastically.
"Very funny," said Phoebe.
"I mean it," said Prue. "I don't want you using my lipstick again."
"Okay, okay," said Phoebe. "I'll get some this afternoon. Sheesh, don't have a
cow."
Phoebe picked up her books and left for school. Piper and Leo were busy
chatting and Prue decided it was time to head out to work. She said her goodbyes and
went out to her car.
As she left the house, she saw Phoebe picking up papers scattered across the
front yard. As a good sister, she went over and helped her, handing the papers to
Phoebe.
"Thanks," said Phoebe. "I dropped my notebook at the top of the steps and the
papers went everywhere."
"Don't mention it," said Prue.
"Prue," said Phoebe, "I really am sorry about the lipstick. I couldn't find mine this
morning. I didn't think you'd mind."
"Well, I guess I don't, really," said Prue. "You just never put things back when
you use them. Sometimes it gets very annoying."
"I promise to do better in the future," said Phoebe.
"All I ask if that you try," said Prue, smiling.
Blowups between the two weren't unusual. As the youngest and the eldest,
there was a special rivalry that neither had with Piper. But the blowups rarely lasted
long. They always made up and things went on as they should.
"Well, I need to get to work," said Prue. "I have a meeting this morning I just
can't miss. Can I give you a ride to school?"
"No, thanks," said Phoebe. "It's such a pretty day, I'll think I'll walk. Thanks
anyway."
Without another word, Phoebe and Prue left the house. As they did they
casually scanned the street around them. Neither of them noticed a man in a dress and
blue jeans with short black hair standing across the street, half obscured by a tree,
watching them. Next to the man sat a black and brown German Shepherd dog.
"Well, girl," said the man, "looks like we found what we were looking for. Now all
we have to do is wait until the time is right. It wouldn't do to give ourselves away too
soon. We'd better find a reason to hang around without looking suspicious."
Silently the man turned watched as Phoebe walked down the street, then turn at
the next corner. He glanced back to see Prue driving away in the opposite direction.
Then, silently, he crossed the street and moved around to the back of the house next to
the Halliwell manor.
TWO
For a change, the three sisters were all home for dinner that evening. It was rare
that all three could sit down and have a quiet meal together. Phoebe was usually
studying and Piper had P3 to run. Prue often worked late and each would grab
something to eat when they got the chance.
But this night was different. Piper had decided to take a break from the club.
Phoebe had finished studying early. Prue had finished work earlier than usual and, as
usual, hadn't made any plans for the evening. As they ate and chatted, Leo suddenly
orbed in.
"Well, look what the cat dragged in," commented Phoebe. "Pull up a chair. I'm
sure there's enough for one more."
"I can't," said Leo. He seemed preoccupied. And disturbed. "We have to talk."
"Can it wait until after dinner?" asked Piper. "It's so rare that we get a chance
like this."
"I'm afraid not," said Leo. "Something serious has come up. Something that
concerns the three of you."
"Okay," said Prue. "I'm about finished anyway. Let's go into the living room."
The four people went into the living room and took a seat. Piper knew Leo better
than her two sisters and could tell that he was unusually upset. Whatever he had to tell
them was very serious.
"Okay, soon to be brother in law," said Prue, "what's so important that you had to
interrupt our dinner?"
"The three of you are in danger," said Leo. "The Council told us today that
there's a demon stalking witches on the west coast. Three witches have been killed
already. And it appears that the demon is heading this direction."
"What's the big deal?" asked Phoebe. "We've dealt with demons before. Even
ones who were stalking us. Just let us know what type of demon this is and I'll research
a spell or potion to vanquish it."
"It's not that simple," said Leo. "This is no ordinary demon. It's a Pentacle
Demon. They're very rare. And they specialize in hunting down witches."
"What's so unusual about them?" asked Piper.
"Well," said Leo, "they aren't true demons, in the ordinary sense of the word.
Pentacle Demons were once human. They were once warlocks. They weren't satisfied
with the powers they had, so they've made a deal with a powerful demon to get even
greater power."
"Which means they'll have their warlock powers in addition to their demon
powers," interjected Prue.
"That's right," responded Leo. "But there's more than that. Because they were
once warlocks, they're immune to the powers of other witches. And in becoming a
Pentacle Demon, they become immune even to potions and spells created by a witch."
"Which means," said Piper, "that our powers will be useless in protecting us."
"Yes," said Leo. "Phoebes' martial arts won't be affected, but your witches'
powers will be."
"What about the Power of Three?" asked Phoebe. "Will that be affected as
well?"
"Yes," said Leo. "The Power of Three is extremely powerful, but it's still a
witches' power. Not even that will be enough to stand up against a Pentacle Demon."
"Great," said Prue. "What do we do without our powers? How do we fight this
Pentacle Demon?"
"Maybe the Book of Shadows can help," suggested Piper.
"I'm afraid it won't give you any more information than I already have," said Leo.
"Very little is know about Pentacle Demons because they are so rare. And because
most witches who encounter them die. The last known occurance of a Pentacle Demon
was sometime in the 1600s, I think."
"What makes you think this demon is heading here for us?" asked Piper.
"The last witch he killed," said Leo, "was able to scrawl a message in the floor in
her own blood. The message simply said P3. That's all we have."
"That's pretty flimsy evidence," said Piper. "P3 could mean anything."
"Maybe," said Leo, "but we can't take any chances. The three witches he's
already killed were all north of here and they're in a straight line for here. I don't think
we can afford to take any chances."
"Right," said Piper. "We're going to need help with this one. Without our
powers, we're practically defenseless. Prue, why don't you call Darryl and let him know
what's going on. Maybe he can help."
"That's a good idea," said Leo. "In the mean time, I'm going to check with some
other sources I have. See if I can discover the identity of this demon. Until then, be
very wary of any strangers you meet. A Pentacle Demon looks just like anyone else,
except for a pentagram in the palm of their right hand. Unfortunately, you can't see the
pentagram until they attack."
"I noticed a strange man working in the yard next door this afternoon," said Piper.
"Mr. Miller is away on vacation and this man was fixing up the yard. I just thought Mr.
Miller had hired him to do that, but now I'm not so sure."
"Okay," said Leo. "I'll check him out. Keep an eye on him in the mean time.
Pentacle Demons usually watch their victims for a while so they can discover their
normal routines. If he is the demon, he might be doing just that."
"I'd better call Darryl," said Prue.
"Watch yourselves," said Leo. "Until we find out who this demon is, you're all in
a great deal of danger." He orbed out as Prue began to dial Detective _________'s
number.
"I'm going to check the Book of Shadows all the same," said Phoebe. "There
might be something in there that Leo didn't mention."
"That's not likely, but I think it's a good idea," said Piper. "I'm going to see if our
friend is still next door."
The three sisters were apprehensive, but didn't let it show to each other. The
next few days were going to be stressful.
THREE
Piper stood at the kitchen window watching the stranger next door trim the
bushes in Mr. Millers' yard. Nothing had happened the night before and Leo had been
unable to discover anything more about the demon. Phoebe reported that the Book of
Shadows didn't contain anything more than Leo had already told them.
Darryl was understandably concerned with the news. He often commented that
the sisters didn't have enough security at the manor. Even though they were witches,
there were many unsavory elements in the city that would prey on them given the
chance. He promised to have a patrol car pass by the house every couple of hours as
a security precaution.
There wasn't much for the sisters to do but go about their normal routines and
wait. Leo said they should be safe enough as long as there were other people around.
Pentacle Demons did not enjoy spectators when they killed their prey. So as long as
there were other people around, he was confidant they would be safe. But at night in
the house was a different matter.
As Piper watched out the window, Leo orbed into the yard between the two
houses. A tree obscured him from the vision of the stranger trimming the hedges and
from the street beyond. Leo looked around to make sure no one was nearby, then
walked into the yard next door.
The German Shepherd with the man looked up from where it was sleeping. It
looked at Leo for several seconds, then apparently deciding Leo was no threat, went
back to dozing in the morning sun.
"Hi," said Leo, approaching the stranger, trying to appear nonchalant.
"Hello," said the man, laying the shears on the top of the bushes and wiping the
sweat from his forehead.
The man appeared to be about forty years old. He was dressed in work clothes
and wore gloves that covered his hands completely. As Leo approached the man, he
sensed no evil from the man. From all outward appearances, he appeared to be as
human as most of the other denizens of the city.
"My name is Leo and I live up the street," said Leo, extending his hand. "I
noticed that you were working in Mr. Millers' yard and thought I'd stop by and say hi."
"Kiethran Tannish," said the man, shaking Leos' hand firmly. Leo glanced down
but saw no pentagram in the mans' palm. But then, he hadn't expected to. "Yes, he
hired me to fix it up for him while he's out of town. He said he'd let it go for too long and
wanted to know if I could get it into shape for him."
"I see," said Leo, glancing over at the dog. "You do this type of work for a
living?"
"Sort of," said Tannish. "I run a nursery, so I have a lot of knowledge about
plants and such."
"Nice dog," said Leo.
"Her name is Panthax," said Tannish, reaching down to pet the Shepherd. "I sort
of inherited her from someone a while back."
"So, a lot of work to do here?" asked Leo.
"Some," said Tannish. "I figure it will take me several days. But when I'm done
the place won't look the same."
"Okay," said Leo. "Well, like I said, I just stopped by to say hi. Maybe we'll see
each other again sometime."
"I'm sure we will," said Tannish. "It was nice meeting you."
"Same here," said Leo.
As Leo walked out of the yard, Tannish looked down at the dog for several
seconds. As if trying to discern something about the animal.
"A White Lighter?" asked Tannish. "Are you sure?"
The dog just stared up at Tannish. It didn't make a sound. Tannish looked up
from the dog toward where Leo had left the yard.
"Well, now, that makes things a bit different," said Tannish. "If he's a White
Lighter, it means that the three sisters would be his charges. He probably came over to
check me out. To make sure I wasn't a threat to them. We'll have to be extra careful.
If he discovers who I am, it could complicate matters. Keep an eye on him."
Tannish went back to trimming the bushes.
While Leo was visiting with Tannish, the doorbell rang. Piper cautiously
answered the door and found a postal worker standing outside holding a letter.
"I have a registered letter for a Prue Halliwell," said the woman, holding the
letter out to Piper. "I'll need a signature."
Piper took the pad and pen and signed for the letter, glancing around the street.
The postal truck sat out front, but otherwise the street was deserted. After signing for
the letter, Piper handed the pad back to the woman.
"When is Carl due back?" she asked.
"In about a week," said the woman, putting the pad away. "I'll be sorry when he
gets back. The last three weeks have been pretty good. I wish my normal route was in
such a lovely neighborhood."
"Maybe you'll get a promotion," said Piper smiling. "Then you might get a better
route."
"Maybe," said the woman, smiling back. "Well, gotta get going. See you
tomorrow."
"Okay," said Piper closing the door. She laid the letter on the entryway table for
Prue to find, then went back into the living room just as Leo orbed in.
"What did you find out?" asked Piper.
"He said his name is Kiethran Tannish," said Leo. "And he said that Mr. Miller
hired him to get the yard in shape while he's gone."
"Well, it sure can use it," said Piper. "Mr. Miller is a quiet neighbor, but he
doesn't spend enough time in his yard. Sometimes the grass gets pretty high."
"All the same," said Leo, "I think Darryl should check out this Tannish. I didn't
sense any evil from him, but that doesn't mean anything. We should know as much
about him as we can. Who was at the door?"
"Oh, just the mail woman," said Piper. "There was a registered letter for Prue
and I signed for it."
"That wasn't very smart," said Leo, his brow furrowing.
"Relax," said Piper. "She's not new. She's been delivering the mail here for
three weeks. The regular guy had to take emergency leave because his father died."
"All the same," said Leo, "you shouldn't be answering the door if you're in the
house alone. It's not safe."
"Okay," said Piper. "I'll call Darryl now and see what he can find out about this
Tannish."
Piper picked up the phone while Leo walked over to the window and stood
watching Tannish. There was something about Tannish but Leo couldn't put his finger
on it. Still, unless he knew for sure that Tannish was the demon they were looking for,
there wasn't much he could do except watch and wait.
FOUR
The next two days were uneventful. Leo spent more time at the manor than
usual. He constantly watched Tannish who did nothing more than work on the yard.
He appeared to have no interest in the manor or the sisters.
A moving van pulled up in front of an empty house about a block down the road.
It began to unload furniture. The new tenant was outside directing the movers which
rooms the crates and furniture were to be placed in. He occasionally looked around the
neighborhood, but appeared to be simply interested in his surroundings.
Leo and the three sisters were acutely aware of any strangers in the
neighborhood. It amazed them all how many people were on the street at any given
time that none of them knew. And each was a potential threat. Leo had no luck finding
out any more information about the Pentacle Demon or who might have sent him after
the Charmed Ones.
Darryl had a bit more luck with his check of Tannish.
"He appears to have lived in Chicago for most of his life," Darryl reported to the
sisters. "A cop I know out there said that this Tannish was homeless. He spent many
nights drying out in one of the local precincts.
"Then, about five years ago, he apparently moved to Los Angeles. He seems to
have inherited a house there. And about three and a half years ago he opened a
nursery out there. It seems to be doing pretty good. He also is the foster parent to a
fourteen year old girl whose mother seems to have died under somewhat mysterious
circumstances."
"Mysterious?" questioned Prue. "How?"
"I couldn't find out exactly," said Darryl. "That's unusual in itself. The death
certificate lists the cause of death as natural causes, but nothing else. Tannish seems
to have some pretty influential political friends. I can't find anything about him that
might suggest he's supernatural."
"But why would someone who owns a nursery be all the way up here cleaning
someones' yard?" asked Piper. "There are plenty of people around here who could do
that type of work."
"Maybe he's friends with Mr. Miller," suggested Phoebe. "It could be that he's
doing it as a favor for a friend."
"I don't think so," said Leo. "He told me that Mr. Miller had hired him to do the
work. And he neglected to mention that he was from Los Angeles. I can't put my finger
on it, but I sense something unusual about Tannish. Nothing evil, but I think there's
more to him than he's telling."
"I never thought I'd hear myself say this," said Prue, "but it's too bad Cole isn't
here. He might actually be of some help this time."
"I've been trying to contact him," said Phoebe, "but I'm not having much luck. He
must still be moving between dimensions hiding from the source."
"Well," said Darryl, "unless this Tannish does something to break the law, there's
not much I can do about it. I still have the patrol cars coming by every couple of hours,
but I don't know how much longer I can keep it up. My Captain is beginning to ask
questions that, frankly, I just don't have the answer for."
"We understand and we do appreciate it," said Prue. "Maybe nothing will
happen. Maybe this Pentacle Demon will move on to somewhere else."
"I don't like this waiting," said Piper. "We have to do something. We can't just sit
here and wait to be attacked."
"What would you suggest?" asked Phoebe. "We've checked the Book of
Shadows several times with no success. And scrying hasn't helped. I don't know what
else we could do."
"I know," said Piper. "I don't know what else we could do, either. It's just so
frustrating, that's all."
"Well," said Leo, "I don't think there's much else we can do. The spell you cast
should let us know if he enters the property."
"Which reminds me," said Piper, "I need to reinforce the spell. So it doesn't
loose it's potency during the night."
"I thought you said spells wouldn't work against this thing," said Darryl.
"Well, they won't cause any harm to the Pentacle Demon," said Leo. "But the
spell that Prue cast simply let's the girls know if anyone or anything enters the property.
Anything larger than a bird or a squirrel, anyway."
"I see," said Darryl. "Well, I'm only a phone call away if you need me. If this guy
tries to break in, call 911. A car can be here in less than five minutes."
"A lot can happen in five minutes," commented Piper.
"It's the best I can do," said Darryl, looking at his watch. "I need to get going.
Call me if you find out anything else."
Phoebe escorted Darryl to the door, then locked it behind him. As she close the
door, she noticed Tannishs' German shepherd sitting across the street. The dog was
looking at the house as if she were watching it. Phoebe went back to the living room
where Prue and Leo still sat. Piper had gone into the kitchen to reinforce the spell
around the house.
"That dog of Tannishs' is sitting across the street watching the house," Phoebe
said to Leo and Prue.
"I'm sure you're just imagining it," said Leo. "It's just a dog. She's probably just
watching a cat or something."
"I don't know," said Phoebe. "I could swear she was watching the house."
Leo walked over to the window and looked out. The lamps along the street lit the
both sides of the street. There was no dog anywhere in sight.
"She's gone now," said Leo, returning to the sofa. "Like I said, she was just
watching a cat or something."
"Well," said Piper, coming back from the kitchen, "I've reinforced the spell. It
should last for several more hours."
"Good," said Leo, "Well, it's only seven thirty. Too early to go to bed just yet.
Anyone have any ideas what to do?"
"What about Bridge?" asked Piper. "We haven't played Bridge in a long time. I'll
get the cards."
Suddenly the three sister stiffened and looked around the room. Leo noticed it
and looked around. He knew what their actions meant. The spell that Piper had cast
had activated. Which meant that someone or something had entered the grounds of
the manor.
Suddenly, the doorbell to the front door rang.
"A demon ringing the doorbell?" questioned Phoebe. "That's a new one."
Leo moved over to the front window and parted the curtains slightly.
"It looks like your postal lady," he said. "And she's holding a package."
"Great," said Piper. "I just had the life scared out of me by the mailman."
Piper opened the door. The postal lady stood there smiling, holding a package
in one hand.
"Hi, Piper," she said. "This fell into the back of my truck and I didn't notice it until
I was closing out for the day. It looks important, so I thought I'd drop it by on my way
home."
"That's very thoughtful of you," said Piper, taking the package.
"You have to sign for it," said the lady, holding out a clipboard. She reached into
her pocket, but came out empty handed. "Darn. I seem to have lost my pen. Would
you have one? I'd hate to have to come all the way back here just for a signature."
"Sure," said Piper, "come on in."
Piper laid the package on the entryway table, then went back into living room to
get a pen. The postal lady followed Piper into entryway and closed the door behind her.
She glanced around the manor, noticing the three sisters and Leo in the living room.
"I need to sign for a package," said Piper. "I'll. . .reset the alarm in a minute."
"Oh, I'm afraid I can't let you do that," said the postal lady, walking into the living
room. "I don't think I'll get a better chance than this. I have to take advantage of every
opportunity."
"What is that supposed to mean?" asked Piper, turning to face the woman.
Suddenly the woman raised her right hand, sending Leo flying into the opposite
wall. He slammed into the wall and slid unconscious to the floor. The three sisters
were on their feet in an instant ready to defend themselves.
"Now that the White Lighter is out of the way," said the woman, squaring off
against the sisters, "we can conclude our business."
The Charmed Ones stood looking at the woman whose right hand was still
extended with the palm facing them. Clearly visible on the palm was the distinct form of
a pentagram.
FIVE
"Great," said Phoebe. "We've been looking for a man and all the time it turns out
to be the post lady."
"Yes," said the woman. "Most of my kind are men. It gives me a distinct
advantage over them. While everyone is busily watching out for any male strangers
they might come across, it allows me to slip in unnoticed."
"But why are you after us?" asked Prue.
"Let's just say that you're an obstacle to some very good friends of mine," said
the woman. "They've asked me to remove that obstacle. In return, I get even more
power than I already have. I'll be the most power of my kind that ever existed."
She raised her hand again and Phoebe was cast back against the wall. She
didn't strike the wall as hard as Leo had, and she slumped to the floor dazed. Piper
tried to freeze the woman, but the power simply passed around the woman as if she
wasn't there.
"Fool," said the woman, smiling, "I was a warlock. You should know that your
power won't affect me. None of your powers will. The only problem would have been
your sisters' martial arts skill. But even that is not much of a problem for me."
Suddenly the front window exploded inward as Panthax came flying through it.
The German Shepherd landed on the floor and took up a defensive position between
the demon the sisters. She laid her ears back, bared her teeth, and stood facing the
demon growling.
"A dog?" said the demon, laughing. "You expect a dog to frighten me? I didn't
know you had a dog. I thought witches had cats as a familiar."
"They do," said a voice from the entryway. "The dog is a friend of mine.
Although, you should know, she's no ordinary dog."
The four women turned and saw Tannish standing in the entryway. He wasn't
wearing the normal work clothes they had seen him wearing the past few days. He was
dressed in slacks and a shirt like any other man. He was facing the woman in a stance
that suggested he was waiting for an attack.
"Who are you?" demanded the woman. "This has nothing to do with you. Get
out of here while you still can."
"Can't do that," said the man. "You see, I'm not real crazy about demons.
Especially when they prey on people who don't have the ability to defend themselves.
That's not playing fair."
The woman replied by casting an energy blast at Tannish. Tannish didn't move.
Just as the blast struck him, his body glowed slightly. The energy in the blast
dissipated harmlessly away. The woman stared at Tannish in disbelief.
Tannish raised his hand and the woman was cast against the back wall. She fell
to the floor, but was on her feet in an instant. Too late she noticed Phoebe move from
her left. Phoebe jumped in the air and kicked the demon alongside her head. The
demon went reeling against an opposing wall.
Tannish didn't hesitate. He raised his hand again and the demon raised into the
air, then slammed into the floor. She was dazed but raised herself and again cast an
energy blast. This time, however, she cast the power at Phoebe. None of the other
people in the room was close enough to move to her aid.
Before the energy blast connected with Phoebe, Panthax flew across the room,
knocking Phoebe to the floor. The blast passed over Phoebes' head and exploded on
the wall behind her.
With the demon distracted, Tannish moved in. With martial arts skill nearly as
good as Phoebes', he attacked the woman, forcing her to go on the defensive. She
defended against the attacks and was steadily being forced into the entryway, away
from the three sisters.
The demon suddenly turned and cast an energy blast at Tannish. Instead of
absorbing the blast as before, he raised his right hand. It glowed a light blue and the
energy blast suddenly veered off and exploded on the wall to his left. Without missing a
beat, Tannish raised his left hand and cast a ball of fire at the demon. It exploded
around her, causing her to scream in agony.
Without warning, Cole suddenly shimmered into the living room. He moved over
to Phoebe instinctively shielding her with his body. Prue and Piper had backed away
from Tannish and the demon. Leo had regained consciousness and stood up watching
the two attack each other.
Cole didn't know what was going on. He had never seen Tannish before, nor
had he seen the other demon. But he did recognize her kind. In his one hundred
twenty plus years he had encountered many other demons. He knew that this
particular type of demon was especially dangerous for a witch because it was immune
to a witches powers.
Tannish and the demon had not let up their attacks. They continued to cast
fireballs and energy blasts at each other. The demon was obviously on the loosing end
of the battle. None of her attacks were affecting Tannish. She was able to avoid some
of his attacks, but many of them were finding their mark.
Suddenly Tannish cast another fireball, but the demon was able to step aside,
making the attack explode on the wall behind her instead. Cole didn't hesitate. He
reached out and cast an energy blast of his own which enveloped the demon from
behind. In an agonizing wall of flame the demon dissolved and vanished before their
eyes.
Tannish turned to see Cole standing, his hand still extended from the attack he
had made. Panthax turned and faced Cole, taking the same stance she had with the
Pentacle Demon. Tannish realized that her stance meant that Cole was a demon. He
was somewhat confused, knowing that Cole had just helped to save the Charmed
Ones. But he had dealt with demons before. He stood ready to fight this demon as
hard as he had fought the Pentacle Demon.
"No," screamed Phoebe, stepping between Panthax and Cole. "He's not a
threat."
"Panthax, down girl," said Tannish. Panthax looked at Tannish then at Cole.
Obediently, she sat back on her hind legs. But she sat ready to spring to the attack if it
became necessary.
"I don't understand," said Tannish. "He's a demon. Why would he be protecting
you?"
Cole looked at Tannishs' right hand and noticed the ring Tannish was wearing. It
bore the emblem of five interlocking circles inlaid in a black onyx setting. A look of
recognition came across his face.
"You're Kiethran Tannish," said Cole deliberately. "You replaced Mykaa when he
died."
"Mykaa?" questioned Leo. "I knew he'd been replaced but I didn't know by
whom."
"What is going on?" demanded Piper. "A few minutes ago you were ready to
protect us against him and now you act like he's a good friend of yours."
"A few minutes ago," said Leo, "I didn't know who he really is. If I had known that
earlier, I wouldn't have been so worried."
"I couldn't let my identity be known until the demon attacked," said Tannish. "If
my identity had become known too soon, it might have chased the Pentacle Demon
off."
"Who is this guy?" demanded Prue. "And how come he was able to fight the
Pentacle Demon when our powers were useless against her? Isn't he a witch, too?"
"Not exactly," said Tannish. "I'm not a witch. I'm a Druid."
SIX
"A Druid?" asked Phoebe. They had moved into the kitchen for coffee and a few
explanations. "You mean like Stonehenge, nature worshipers, that sort of thing?"
"Not really," said Tannish. "True Druids are much like the three of you. We are
born with powers and abilities. The traditional idea of a Druid comes from individuals
who weren't born with those powers but wanted to be a Druid anyway. In part, that's
where the Druid religion came from. What I'd like to know is why a demon is protecting
the Charmed Ones?"
"I'm only half demon," said Cole. "My name is Belthazar. And recently I've had a
change of heart. I'm trying to be good, not evil."
"Belthazar?" asked Tannish. "I'd heard that you changed sides. I guess what
I've heard is true."
"I knew Mykaa," said Cole. "We fought once. He was very powerful. You must
be equally powerful if you've succeeded him."
"I knew Mykaa, too," said Leo. "It saddened me when he died. He was a good
friend."
"He died protecting an innocent," said Tannish. "I don't think he regretted it. He
died the way he would have wanted."
"How did you know we needed your help?" asked Prue. "Even Leo didn't know
about the Pentacle Demon until she had been here for several days."
"I was down south visiting some friends," said Tannish. "When I stopped here to
fill up my car, Panthax alerted me to the fact that there was a demon nearby. When I
learned it was a Pentacle Demon, I knew her target was a witch.
"Then, I learned that the three of you lived here. It didn't take me long to figure
out that the demon was after the Charmed Ones. But I didn't know who the Pentacle
Demon was. The only thing I could do was wait until she made her move. Otherwise I
would have taken her out before she could have done any damage."
"So Mr. Miller didn't hire you to take care of his yard for him?" asked Piper.
"No," said Tannish. "I learned he was away from one of the neighbors. I needed
a reason to hang around without arousing suspicion. I noticed his yard was a little run
down and I figured it was a good enough cover. That way I could be around when the
demon made her move."
"And to think we thought you might be the Pentacle Demon," said Prue. "I'm
glad we didn't do anything about it. I would have felt terrible if we had harmed you after
you risked your life to protect us."
"That wouldn't have been a problem," said Leo, smiling.
"What do you mean?" asked Piper.
"Your powers wouldn't have been any more effective against him than they
would have been against the demon," interjected Cole. "Druids are immune to the
powers of a witch. Just as a Pentacle Demon is."
"Great," said Piper. "So there's two groups of people we have to worry about
now. Druids and Pentacle Demons."
"I wouldn't worry too much about it," said Tannish. "Like witches, all Druids are
good. Evil Druids are called sorcerers. They're just as vulnerable to you as anyone
else. And since Druids and witches are both fighting on the same side, it's very unlikely
that you'll ever have to fight one."
"And Pentacle Demons are extremely rare," said Cole. "I doubt that whomever
hired that one will send another against you."
"I don't understand," said Prue. "Why didn't you use a potion or a spell on the
Pentacle Demon? Why did you rely on you powers?"
"Druids don't use spells or potions," said Tannish. "As I understand it, witches
use potions and spells but they have only one or two abilities. Since we do not use
spells and potions, we have a number of abilities. No two Druids have exactly the same
abilities, but many can have similar abilities."
"Now, that would be handy," said Phoebe. "It would be nice have more than one
or two abilities to rely on."
"Yes," said Tannish, "but then again, if my abilities prove to be inadequate to the
task, it would be nice if I could fall back on a potion or spell."
"Hello, Panthax," said Leo, petting the German Shepherd who was lying at
Tannishs' feet. "It's been a long time, girl. Sorry I didn't recognize you."
"You're forgiven," said Tannish after a moment of thought. "After all, she is
supposed to look just like a regular German Shepherd."
"She's not?" questioned Prue.
"Not exactly," said Tannish. "She's what you might call a familiar, although, she's
much more than that. We have a sort of telepathic bond between us. She understands
everything anyone says and I, in turn, can understand her. Plus, she can sense
demons. It's a very handy ability to have in our line of work."
"I wish we had something like that," said Piper. "It might make our job a lot
easier."
"Oh, by the way," said Tannish, "I intend to pay for the window. And I'll help out
with the other damage to your house. It's really a beautiful home. It's quite similar to
my own in Los Angeles."
"Oh, it's not the first time it's happened," said Piper. "After a while, you sort of
get used to it."
"Nevertheless," said Tannish, "I'd like to help out. After all, I was partially
responsible for the damage. I know a good carpenter here who can help with the
repairs. And, since he's familiar with Druids, witches, and demons, explaining the
damage won't be much of problem. I'll give him a call tomorrow before I leave for Los
Angeles."
"Your leaving?" asked Phoebe. "I thought you might stay around a couple of
days. We've never met a Druid before. It might be interesting to learn a little bit about
them."
"I wish I could," said Tannish, "but I've been gone too long already. Maybe Leo
can orb you in to my place some time. We could talk then."
"That's not a bad idea," said Phoebe.
"Besides," said Tannish, "I'd like to stay in touch with the three of you. You never
know. You might need my help again some time. Or I might have need of you. Even
being a Druid has its' limitations."
"Fair enough," said Piper.
"So," said Prue, "do you fight evil and protect the innocent in Los Angeles like we
do here?"
"Yes," said Tannish, "but in some ways, my enemy is more overt. Most of the
demons I have to fight belong to an organization called Casmarat Endeavors,
Incorporated. They're a not for profit conglomerate that does everything it can to
spread evil. My primary concern is to stop then whenever I can. And they keep me
very busy."
"Maybe we could help with that," offered Phoebe.
"Casmarat has been around in one form or another for a very long time," said
Cole. "And I'm not sure even the Charmed Ones could stand up to all of their power."
"He's right," said Tannish. "You have your work here and I have mine in Los
Angeles. I think it's best if we just stick to our own turf, so to speak."
"Okay," said Phoebe. "But if you ever need our help, you know where to find us."
"And I'll give you my address before I leave," said Tannish. "So you can contact
me if you ever need my help. For now, I think I'd better get some rest. Fighting that
Pentacle Demon took quite a bit out of me."
"Well, Mr. Tannish," said Prue, "it was a genuine pleasure to meet you. I hope
we'll see you again under mor pleasant circumstances."
"Please, call me Kiethran," he said. "And you can count on it. Los Angeles isn't
that far away. One of my abilities is teleportation. It's similar to Leos' orb ability or
Coles' shimmering. I'm sure I can find time to drop by from time to time."
"Good," said Prue, biting her lower lip slightly. Piper and Phoebe knew that little
nervous habit of Prues'. It meant that she was not only impressed with Kiethran, but
also at least a little bit interested.
* * *
"He was nice," said Prue, after Kiethran had left.
"Yes, he was," said Leo. "And if he replaced Mykaa, he would have to be pretty
powerful, too. Mykaa was the most powerful Druid in the world when he was alive. His
replacement would have to nearly as powerful."
"Maybe I'll take a trip to Los Angeles soon," said Prue, looking at the paper
where Kiethran had written down his address and telephone number. "To thank him
again for helping us."
Piper and Phoebe just looked at each other.
"Well," said Piper, as Prue went up to her room, "at least he knows she's a witch.
She won't have to come up with any kind of excuse if an innocent gets into trouble while
she's there."
"Yeah," said Phoebe. "And maybe he can teach her to take it easier from now
on. She works too hard."
Leo and Cole just shook their heads and went into the living room to talk. They
had both learned long ago not to interfere when Piper and Phoebe were playing match
makers for Prue.
The End
"LIMITATIONS"
by J. B. Tilton
ONE
"Phoebe," screamed Prue Halliwell from her room, "did you use my lipstick
again?"
"Yes," Phoebe shouted back. "I couldn't find mine."
"I wish you would keep track of your stuff," said Prue angrily. "You're always
using my things."
"Sorry," said Phoebe, apologetically. "I didn't think you'd mind."
Prue didn't respond. Instead she picked up her purse and stormed out of the
room to the kitchen where Piper sat drinking coffee.
"Calm down, Prue," said Piper. "It's just a lipstick."
"She's always using my things," said Prue. "I wish she wouldn't do it. She never
puts them back where she gets them."
Piper was the calming force between her two sisters. More level headed than
Prue and not as flighty as Phoebe, she was usually able to calm any brewing storms
between the two. And it seemed that she had endless opportunity to calm those
brewing storms.
Not that there was usually anything serious. Usually it was the normal type of
sibling squabble between sisters as close as these three. Their special bond often got
them through tough times that might rip other families apart.
Suddenly Leo orbed in. Piper looked up and saw him.
"Hey, sweetie," she said. "What's up?"
"Not much," said Leo. "Where's Phoebe?"
"She's getting ready for school," said Prue. "You need to see her?"
"No," said Leo, "I was just curious."
"So you're not here on business?" asked Piper.
"No, not really," said Leo. "I just wanted to check in on my favorite charges. It's
been pretty quiet lately."
"Yes, it has," said Piper. "Thank God for small favors."
"Well, I for one won't question our good fortune," said Phoebe, coming into the
room. "Hey, Leo. How's it going?"
"Hi, Phoebe," said Leo.
"What are your plans for today?" asked Piper.
"Not much," said Leo. "Thought I'd hang out here for a while."
"Well," said Piper, "maybe we could have lunch."
"Sounds good," said Leo. "I'll need to check in on a couple of my other charges,
but I should be able to get away for lunch."
"Anything interesting going on with your other charges?" asked Phoebe
innocently.
"Now, Phoebe," said Leo, "you know I can't talk about that. You wouldn't want
me talking to others about you, would you?"
"No, I guess not," said Phoebe. "Well, I have to get to class. See you all later."
"Get some lipstick while you're out," said Prue, sarcastically.
"Very funny," said Phoebe.
"I mean it," said Prue. "I don't want you using my lipstick again."
"Okay, okay," said Phoebe. "I'll get some this afternoon. Sheesh, don't have a
cow."
Phoebe picked up her books and left for school. Piper and Leo were busy
chatting and Prue decided it was time to head out to work. She said her goodbyes and
went out to her car.
As she left the house, she saw Phoebe picking up papers scattered across the
front yard. As a good sister, she went over and helped her, handing the papers to
Phoebe.
"Thanks," said Phoebe. "I dropped my notebook at the top of the steps and the
papers went everywhere."
"Don't mention it," said Prue.
"Prue," said Phoebe, "I really am sorry about the lipstick. I couldn't find mine this
morning. I didn't think you'd mind."
"Well, I guess I don't, really," said Prue. "You just never put things back when
you use them. Sometimes it gets very annoying."
"I promise to do better in the future," said Phoebe.
"All I ask if that you try," said Prue, smiling.
Blowups between the two weren't unusual. As the youngest and the eldest,
there was a special rivalry that neither had with Piper. But the blowups rarely lasted
long. They always made up and things went on as they should.
"Well, I need to get to work," said Prue. "I have a meeting this morning I just
can't miss. Can I give you a ride to school?"
"No, thanks," said Phoebe. "It's such a pretty day, I'll think I'll walk. Thanks
anyway."
Without another word, Phoebe and Prue left the house. As they did they
casually scanned the street around them. Neither of them noticed a man in a dress and
blue jeans with short black hair standing across the street, half obscured by a tree,
watching them. Next to the man sat a black and brown German Shepherd dog.
"Well, girl," said the man, "looks like we found what we were looking for. Now all
we have to do is wait until the time is right. It wouldn't do to give ourselves away too
soon. We'd better find a reason to hang around without looking suspicious."
Silently the man turned watched as Phoebe walked down the street, then turn at
the next corner. He glanced back to see Prue driving away in the opposite direction.
Then, silently, he crossed the street and moved around to the back of the house next to
the Halliwell manor.
TWO
For a change, the three sisters were all home for dinner that evening. It was rare
that all three could sit down and have a quiet meal together. Phoebe was usually
studying and Piper had P3 to run. Prue often worked late and each would grab
something to eat when they got the chance.
But this night was different. Piper had decided to take a break from the club.
Phoebe had finished studying early. Prue had finished work earlier than usual and, as
usual, hadn't made any plans for the evening. As they ate and chatted, Leo suddenly
orbed in.
"Well, look what the cat dragged in," commented Phoebe. "Pull up a chair. I'm
sure there's enough for one more."
"I can't," said Leo. He seemed preoccupied. And disturbed. "We have to talk."
"Can it wait until after dinner?" asked Piper. "It's so rare that we get a chance
like this."
"I'm afraid not," said Leo. "Something serious has come up. Something that
concerns the three of you."
"Okay," said Prue. "I'm about finished anyway. Let's go into the living room."
The four people went into the living room and took a seat. Piper knew Leo better
than her two sisters and could tell that he was unusually upset. Whatever he had to tell
them was very serious.
"Okay, soon to be brother in law," said Prue, "what's so important that you had to
interrupt our dinner?"
"The three of you are in danger," said Leo. "The Council told us today that
there's a demon stalking witches on the west coast. Three witches have been killed
already. And it appears that the demon is heading this direction."
"What's the big deal?" asked Phoebe. "We've dealt with demons before. Even
ones who were stalking us. Just let us know what type of demon this is and I'll research
a spell or potion to vanquish it."
"It's not that simple," said Leo. "This is no ordinary demon. It's a Pentacle
Demon. They're very rare. And they specialize in hunting down witches."
"What's so unusual about them?" asked Piper.
"Well," said Leo, "they aren't true demons, in the ordinary sense of the word.
Pentacle Demons were once human. They were once warlocks. They weren't satisfied
with the powers they had, so they've made a deal with a powerful demon to get even
greater power."
"Which means they'll have their warlock powers in addition to their demon
powers," interjected Prue.
"That's right," responded Leo. "But there's more than that. Because they were
once warlocks, they're immune to the powers of other witches. And in becoming a
Pentacle Demon, they become immune even to potions and spells created by a witch."
"Which means," said Piper, "that our powers will be useless in protecting us."
"Yes," said Leo. "Phoebes' martial arts won't be affected, but your witches'
powers will be."
"What about the Power of Three?" asked Phoebe. "Will that be affected as
well?"
"Yes," said Leo. "The Power of Three is extremely powerful, but it's still a
witches' power. Not even that will be enough to stand up against a Pentacle Demon."
"Great," said Prue. "What do we do without our powers? How do we fight this
Pentacle Demon?"
"Maybe the Book of Shadows can help," suggested Piper.
"I'm afraid it won't give you any more information than I already have," said Leo.
"Very little is know about Pentacle Demons because they are so rare. And because
most witches who encounter them die. The last known occurance of a Pentacle Demon
was sometime in the 1600s, I think."
"What makes you think this demon is heading here for us?" asked Piper.
"The last witch he killed," said Leo, "was able to scrawl a message in the floor in
her own blood. The message simply said P3. That's all we have."
"That's pretty flimsy evidence," said Piper. "P3 could mean anything."
"Maybe," said Leo, "but we can't take any chances. The three witches he's
already killed were all north of here and they're in a straight line for here. I don't think
we can afford to take any chances."
"Right," said Piper. "We're going to need help with this one. Without our
powers, we're practically defenseless. Prue, why don't you call Darryl and let him know
what's going on. Maybe he can help."
"That's a good idea," said Leo. "In the mean time, I'm going to check with some
other sources I have. See if I can discover the identity of this demon. Until then, be
very wary of any strangers you meet. A Pentacle Demon looks just like anyone else,
except for a pentagram in the palm of their right hand. Unfortunately, you can't see the
pentagram until they attack."
"I noticed a strange man working in the yard next door this afternoon," said Piper.
"Mr. Miller is away on vacation and this man was fixing up the yard. I just thought Mr.
Miller had hired him to do that, but now I'm not so sure."
"Okay," said Leo. "I'll check him out. Keep an eye on him in the mean time.
Pentacle Demons usually watch their victims for a while so they can discover their
normal routines. If he is the demon, he might be doing just that."
"I'd better call Darryl," said Prue.
"Watch yourselves," said Leo. "Until we find out who this demon is, you're all in
a great deal of danger." He orbed out as Prue began to dial Detective _________'s
number.
"I'm going to check the Book of Shadows all the same," said Phoebe. "There
might be something in there that Leo didn't mention."
"That's not likely, but I think it's a good idea," said Piper. "I'm going to see if our
friend is still next door."
The three sisters were apprehensive, but didn't let it show to each other. The
next few days were going to be stressful.
THREE
Piper stood at the kitchen window watching the stranger next door trim the
bushes in Mr. Millers' yard. Nothing had happened the night before and Leo had been
unable to discover anything more about the demon. Phoebe reported that the Book of
Shadows didn't contain anything more than Leo had already told them.
Darryl was understandably concerned with the news. He often commented that
the sisters didn't have enough security at the manor. Even though they were witches,
there were many unsavory elements in the city that would prey on them given the
chance. He promised to have a patrol car pass by the house every couple of hours as
a security precaution.
There wasn't much for the sisters to do but go about their normal routines and
wait. Leo said they should be safe enough as long as there were other people around.
Pentacle Demons did not enjoy spectators when they killed their prey. So as long as
there were other people around, he was confidant they would be safe. But at night in
the house was a different matter.
As Piper watched out the window, Leo orbed into the yard between the two
houses. A tree obscured him from the vision of the stranger trimming the hedges and
from the street beyond. Leo looked around to make sure no one was nearby, then
walked into the yard next door.
The German Shepherd with the man looked up from where it was sleeping. It
looked at Leo for several seconds, then apparently deciding Leo was no threat, went
back to dozing in the morning sun.
"Hi," said Leo, approaching the stranger, trying to appear nonchalant.
"Hello," said the man, laying the shears on the top of the bushes and wiping the
sweat from his forehead.
The man appeared to be about forty years old. He was dressed in work clothes
and wore gloves that covered his hands completely. As Leo approached the man, he
sensed no evil from the man. From all outward appearances, he appeared to be as
human as most of the other denizens of the city.
"My name is Leo and I live up the street," said Leo, extending his hand. "I
noticed that you were working in Mr. Millers' yard and thought I'd stop by and say hi."
"Kiethran Tannish," said the man, shaking Leos' hand firmly. Leo glanced down
but saw no pentagram in the mans' palm. But then, he hadn't expected to. "Yes, he
hired me to fix it up for him while he's out of town. He said he'd let it go for too long and
wanted to know if I could get it into shape for him."
"I see," said Leo, glancing over at the dog. "You do this type of work for a
living?"
"Sort of," said Tannish. "I run a nursery, so I have a lot of knowledge about
plants and such."
"Nice dog," said Leo.
"Her name is Panthax," said Tannish, reaching down to pet the Shepherd. "I sort
of inherited her from someone a while back."
"So, a lot of work to do here?" asked Leo.
"Some," said Tannish. "I figure it will take me several days. But when I'm done
the place won't look the same."
"Okay," said Leo. "Well, like I said, I just stopped by to say hi. Maybe we'll see
each other again sometime."
"I'm sure we will," said Tannish. "It was nice meeting you."
"Same here," said Leo.
As Leo walked out of the yard, Tannish looked down at the dog for several
seconds. As if trying to discern something about the animal.
"A White Lighter?" asked Tannish. "Are you sure?"
The dog just stared up at Tannish. It didn't make a sound. Tannish looked up
from the dog toward where Leo had left the yard.
"Well, now, that makes things a bit different," said Tannish. "If he's a White
Lighter, it means that the three sisters would be his charges. He probably came over to
check me out. To make sure I wasn't a threat to them. We'll have to be extra careful.
If he discovers who I am, it could complicate matters. Keep an eye on him."
Tannish went back to trimming the bushes.
While Leo was visiting with Tannish, the doorbell rang. Piper cautiously
answered the door and found a postal worker standing outside holding a letter.
"I have a registered letter for a Prue Halliwell," said the woman, holding the
letter out to Piper. "I'll need a signature."
Piper took the pad and pen and signed for the letter, glancing around the street.
The postal truck sat out front, but otherwise the street was deserted. After signing for
the letter, Piper handed the pad back to the woman.
"When is Carl due back?" she asked.
"In about a week," said the woman, putting the pad away. "I'll be sorry when he
gets back. The last three weeks have been pretty good. I wish my normal route was in
such a lovely neighborhood."
"Maybe you'll get a promotion," said Piper smiling. "Then you might get a better
route."
"Maybe," said the woman, smiling back. "Well, gotta get going. See you
tomorrow."
"Okay," said Piper closing the door. She laid the letter on the entryway table for
Prue to find, then went back into the living room just as Leo orbed in.
"What did you find out?" asked Piper.
"He said his name is Kiethran Tannish," said Leo. "And he said that Mr. Miller
hired him to get the yard in shape while he's gone."
"Well, it sure can use it," said Piper. "Mr. Miller is a quiet neighbor, but he
doesn't spend enough time in his yard. Sometimes the grass gets pretty high."
"All the same," said Leo, "I think Darryl should check out this Tannish. I didn't
sense any evil from him, but that doesn't mean anything. We should know as much
about him as we can. Who was at the door?"
"Oh, just the mail woman," said Piper. "There was a registered letter for Prue
and I signed for it."
"That wasn't very smart," said Leo, his brow furrowing.
"Relax," said Piper. "She's not new. She's been delivering the mail here for
three weeks. The regular guy had to take emergency leave because his father died."
"All the same," said Leo, "you shouldn't be answering the door if you're in the
house alone. It's not safe."
"Okay," said Piper. "I'll call Darryl now and see what he can find out about this
Tannish."
Piper picked up the phone while Leo walked over to the window and stood
watching Tannish. There was something about Tannish but Leo couldn't put his finger
on it. Still, unless he knew for sure that Tannish was the demon they were looking for,
there wasn't much he could do except watch and wait.
FOUR
The next two days were uneventful. Leo spent more time at the manor than
usual. He constantly watched Tannish who did nothing more than work on the yard.
He appeared to have no interest in the manor or the sisters.
A moving van pulled up in front of an empty house about a block down the road.
It began to unload furniture. The new tenant was outside directing the movers which
rooms the crates and furniture were to be placed in. He occasionally looked around the
neighborhood, but appeared to be simply interested in his surroundings.
Leo and the three sisters were acutely aware of any strangers in the
neighborhood. It amazed them all how many people were on the street at any given
time that none of them knew. And each was a potential threat. Leo had no luck finding
out any more information about the Pentacle Demon or who might have sent him after
the Charmed Ones.
Darryl had a bit more luck with his check of Tannish.
"He appears to have lived in Chicago for most of his life," Darryl reported to the
sisters. "A cop I know out there said that this Tannish was homeless. He spent many
nights drying out in one of the local precincts.
"Then, about five years ago, he apparently moved to Los Angeles. He seems to
have inherited a house there. And about three and a half years ago he opened a
nursery out there. It seems to be doing pretty good. He also is the foster parent to a
fourteen year old girl whose mother seems to have died under somewhat mysterious
circumstances."
"Mysterious?" questioned Prue. "How?"
"I couldn't find out exactly," said Darryl. "That's unusual in itself. The death
certificate lists the cause of death as natural causes, but nothing else. Tannish seems
to have some pretty influential political friends. I can't find anything about him that
might suggest he's supernatural."
"But why would someone who owns a nursery be all the way up here cleaning
someones' yard?" asked Piper. "There are plenty of people around here who could do
that type of work."
"Maybe he's friends with Mr. Miller," suggested Phoebe. "It could be that he's
doing it as a favor for a friend."
"I don't think so," said Leo. "He told me that Mr. Miller had hired him to do the
work. And he neglected to mention that he was from Los Angeles. I can't put my finger
on it, but I sense something unusual about Tannish. Nothing evil, but I think there's
more to him than he's telling."
"I never thought I'd hear myself say this," said Prue, "but it's too bad Cole isn't
here. He might actually be of some help this time."
"I've been trying to contact him," said Phoebe, "but I'm not having much luck. He
must still be moving between dimensions hiding from the source."
"Well," said Darryl, "unless this Tannish does something to break the law, there's
not much I can do about it. I still have the patrol cars coming by every couple of hours,
but I don't know how much longer I can keep it up. My Captain is beginning to ask
questions that, frankly, I just don't have the answer for."
"We understand and we do appreciate it," said Prue. "Maybe nothing will
happen. Maybe this Pentacle Demon will move on to somewhere else."
"I don't like this waiting," said Piper. "We have to do something. We can't just sit
here and wait to be attacked."
"What would you suggest?" asked Phoebe. "We've checked the Book of
Shadows several times with no success. And scrying hasn't helped. I don't know what
else we could do."
"I know," said Piper. "I don't know what else we could do, either. It's just so
frustrating, that's all."
"Well," said Leo, "I don't think there's much else we can do. The spell you cast
should let us know if he enters the property."
"Which reminds me," said Piper, "I need to reinforce the spell. So it doesn't
loose it's potency during the night."
"I thought you said spells wouldn't work against this thing," said Darryl.
"Well, they won't cause any harm to the Pentacle Demon," said Leo. "But the
spell that Prue cast simply let's the girls know if anyone or anything enters the property.
Anything larger than a bird or a squirrel, anyway."
"I see," said Darryl. "Well, I'm only a phone call away if you need me. If this guy
tries to break in, call 911. A car can be here in less than five minutes."
"A lot can happen in five minutes," commented Piper.
"It's the best I can do," said Darryl, looking at his watch. "I need to get going.
Call me if you find out anything else."
Phoebe escorted Darryl to the door, then locked it behind him. As she close the
door, she noticed Tannishs' German shepherd sitting across the street. The dog was
looking at the house as if she were watching it. Phoebe went back to the living room
where Prue and Leo still sat. Piper had gone into the kitchen to reinforce the spell
around the house.
"That dog of Tannishs' is sitting across the street watching the house," Phoebe
said to Leo and Prue.
"I'm sure you're just imagining it," said Leo. "It's just a dog. She's probably just
watching a cat or something."
"I don't know," said Phoebe. "I could swear she was watching the house."
Leo walked over to the window and looked out. The lamps along the street lit the
both sides of the street. There was no dog anywhere in sight.
"She's gone now," said Leo, returning to the sofa. "Like I said, she was just
watching a cat or something."
"Well," said Piper, coming back from the kitchen, "I've reinforced the spell. It
should last for several more hours."
"Good," said Leo, "Well, it's only seven thirty. Too early to go to bed just yet.
Anyone have any ideas what to do?"
"What about Bridge?" asked Piper. "We haven't played Bridge in a long time. I'll
get the cards."
Suddenly the three sister stiffened and looked around the room. Leo noticed it
and looked around. He knew what their actions meant. The spell that Piper had cast
had activated. Which meant that someone or something had entered the grounds of
the manor.
Suddenly, the doorbell to the front door rang.
"A demon ringing the doorbell?" questioned Phoebe. "That's a new one."
Leo moved over to the front window and parted the curtains slightly.
"It looks like your postal lady," he said. "And she's holding a package."
"Great," said Piper. "I just had the life scared out of me by the mailman."
Piper opened the door. The postal lady stood there smiling, holding a package
in one hand.
"Hi, Piper," she said. "This fell into the back of my truck and I didn't notice it until
I was closing out for the day. It looks important, so I thought I'd drop it by on my way
home."
"That's very thoughtful of you," said Piper, taking the package.
"You have to sign for it," said the lady, holding out a clipboard. She reached into
her pocket, but came out empty handed. "Darn. I seem to have lost my pen. Would
you have one? I'd hate to have to come all the way back here just for a signature."
"Sure," said Piper, "come on in."
Piper laid the package on the entryway table, then went back into living room to
get a pen. The postal lady followed Piper into entryway and closed the door behind her.
She glanced around the manor, noticing the three sisters and Leo in the living room.
"I need to sign for a package," said Piper. "I'll. . .reset the alarm in a minute."
"Oh, I'm afraid I can't let you do that," said the postal lady, walking into the living
room. "I don't think I'll get a better chance than this. I have to take advantage of every
opportunity."
"What is that supposed to mean?" asked Piper, turning to face the woman.
Suddenly the woman raised her right hand, sending Leo flying into the opposite
wall. He slammed into the wall and slid unconscious to the floor. The three sisters
were on their feet in an instant ready to defend themselves.
"Now that the White Lighter is out of the way," said the woman, squaring off
against the sisters, "we can conclude our business."
The Charmed Ones stood looking at the woman whose right hand was still
extended with the palm facing them. Clearly visible on the palm was the distinct form of
a pentagram.
FIVE
"Great," said Phoebe. "We've been looking for a man and all the time it turns out
to be the post lady."
"Yes," said the woman. "Most of my kind are men. It gives me a distinct
advantage over them. While everyone is busily watching out for any male strangers
they might come across, it allows me to slip in unnoticed."
"But why are you after us?" asked Prue.
"Let's just say that you're an obstacle to some very good friends of mine," said
the woman. "They've asked me to remove that obstacle. In return, I get even more
power than I already have. I'll be the most power of my kind that ever existed."
She raised her hand again and Phoebe was cast back against the wall. She
didn't strike the wall as hard as Leo had, and she slumped to the floor dazed. Piper
tried to freeze the woman, but the power simply passed around the woman as if she
wasn't there.
"Fool," said the woman, smiling, "I was a warlock. You should know that your
power won't affect me. None of your powers will. The only problem would have been
your sisters' martial arts skill. But even that is not much of a problem for me."
Suddenly the front window exploded inward as Panthax came flying through it.
The German Shepherd landed on the floor and took up a defensive position between
the demon the sisters. She laid her ears back, bared her teeth, and stood facing the
demon growling.
"A dog?" said the demon, laughing. "You expect a dog to frighten me? I didn't
know you had a dog. I thought witches had cats as a familiar."
"They do," said a voice from the entryway. "The dog is a friend of mine.
Although, you should know, she's no ordinary dog."
The four women turned and saw Tannish standing in the entryway. He wasn't
wearing the normal work clothes they had seen him wearing the past few days. He was
dressed in slacks and a shirt like any other man. He was facing the woman in a stance
that suggested he was waiting for an attack.
"Who are you?" demanded the woman. "This has nothing to do with you. Get
out of here while you still can."
"Can't do that," said the man. "You see, I'm not real crazy about demons.
Especially when they prey on people who don't have the ability to defend themselves.
That's not playing fair."
The woman replied by casting an energy blast at Tannish. Tannish didn't move.
Just as the blast struck him, his body glowed slightly. The energy in the blast
dissipated harmlessly away. The woman stared at Tannish in disbelief.
Tannish raised his hand and the woman was cast against the back wall. She fell
to the floor, but was on her feet in an instant. Too late she noticed Phoebe move from
her left. Phoebe jumped in the air and kicked the demon alongside her head. The
demon went reeling against an opposing wall.
Tannish didn't hesitate. He raised his hand again and the demon raised into the
air, then slammed into the floor. She was dazed but raised herself and again cast an
energy blast. This time, however, she cast the power at Phoebe. None of the other
people in the room was close enough to move to her aid.
Before the energy blast connected with Phoebe, Panthax flew across the room,
knocking Phoebe to the floor. The blast passed over Phoebes' head and exploded on
the wall behind her.
With the demon distracted, Tannish moved in. With martial arts skill nearly as
good as Phoebes', he attacked the woman, forcing her to go on the defensive. She
defended against the attacks and was steadily being forced into the entryway, away
from the three sisters.
The demon suddenly turned and cast an energy blast at Tannish. Instead of
absorbing the blast as before, he raised his right hand. It glowed a light blue and the
energy blast suddenly veered off and exploded on the wall to his left. Without missing a
beat, Tannish raised his left hand and cast a ball of fire at the demon. It exploded
around her, causing her to scream in agony.
Without warning, Cole suddenly shimmered into the living room. He moved over
to Phoebe instinctively shielding her with his body. Prue and Piper had backed away
from Tannish and the demon. Leo had regained consciousness and stood up watching
the two attack each other.
Cole didn't know what was going on. He had never seen Tannish before, nor
had he seen the other demon. But he did recognize her kind. In his one hundred
twenty plus years he had encountered many other demons. He knew that this
particular type of demon was especially dangerous for a witch because it was immune
to a witches powers.
Tannish and the demon had not let up their attacks. They continued to cast
fireballs and energy blasts at each other. The demon was obviously on the loosing end
of the battle. None of her attacks were affecting Tannish. She was able to avoid some
of his attacks, but many of them were finding their mark.
Suddenly Tannish cast another fireball, but the demon was able to step aside,
making the attack explode on the wall behind her instead. Cole didn't hesitate. He
reached out and cast an energy blast of his own which enveloped the demon from
behind. In an agonizing wall of flame the demon dissolved and vanished before their
eyes.
Tannish turned to see Cole standing, his hand still extended from the attack he
had made. Panthax turned and faced Cole, taking the same stance she had with the
Pentacle Demon. Tannish realized that her stance meant that Cole was a demon. He
was somewhat confused, knowing that Cole had just helped to save the Charmed
Ones. But he had dealt with demons before. He stood ready to fight this demon as
hard as he had fought the Pentacle Demon.
"No," screamed Phoebe, stepping between Panthax and Cole. "He's not a
threat."
"Panthax, down girl," said Tannish. Panthax looked at Tannish then at Cole.
Obediently, she sat back on her hind legs. But she sat ready to spring to the attack if it
became necessary.
"I don't understand," said Tannish. "He's a demon. Why would he be protecting
you?"
Cole looked at Tannishs' right hand and noticed the ring Tannish was wearing. It
bore the emblem of five interlocking circles inlaid in a black onyx setting. A look of
recognition came across his face.
"You're Kiethran Tannish," said Cole deliberately. "You replaced Mykaa when he
died."
"Mykaa?" questioned Leo. "I knew he'd been replaced but I didn't know by
whom."
"What is going on?" demanded Piper. "A few minutes ago you were ready to
protect us against him and now you act like he's a good friend of yours."
"A few minutes ago," said Leo, "I didn't know who he really is. If I had known that
earlier, I wouldn't have been so worried."
"I couldn't let my identity be known until the demon attacked," said Tannish. "If
my identity had become known too soon, it might have chased the Pentacle Demon
off."
"Who is this guy?" demanded Prue. "And how come he was able to fight the
Pentacle Demon when our powers were useless against her? Isn't he a witch, too?"
"Not exactly," said Tannish. "I'm not a witch. I'm a Druid."
SIX
"A Druid?" asked Phoebe. They had moved into the kitchen for coffee and a few
explanations. "You mean like Stonehenge, nature worshipers, that sort of thing?"
"Not really," said Tannish. "True Druids are much like the three of you. We are
born with powers and abilities. The traditional idea of a Druid comes from individuals
who weren't born with those powers but wanted to be a Druid anyway. In part, that's
where the Druid religion came from. What I'd like to know is why a demon is protecting
the Charmed Ones?"
"I'm only half demon," said Cole. "My name is Belthazar. And recently I've had a
change of heart. I'm trying to be good, not evil."
"Belthazar?" asked Tannish. "I'd heard that you changed sides. I guess what
I've heard is true."
"I knew Mykaa," said Cole. "We fought once. He was very powerful. You must
be equally powerful if you've succeeded him."
"I knew Mykaa, too," said Leo. "It saddened me when he died. He was a good
friend."
"He died protecting an innocent," said Tannish. "I don't think he regretted it. He
died the way he would have wanted."
"How did you know we needed your help?" asked Prue. "Even Leo didn't know
about the Pentacle Demon until she had been here for several days."
"I was down south visiting some friends," said Tannish. "When I stopped here to
fill up my car, Panthax alerted me to the fact that there was a demon nearby. When I
learned it was a Pentacle Demon, I knew her target was a witch.
"Then, I learned that the three of you lived here. It didn't take me long to figure
out that the demon was after the Charmed Ones. But I didn't know who the Pentacle
Demon was. The only thing I could do was wait until she made her move. Otherwise I
would have taken her out before she could have done any damage."
"So Mr. Miller didn't hire you to take care of his yard for him?" asked Piper.
"No," said Tannish. "I learned he was away from one of the neighbors. I needed
a reason to hang around without arousing suspicion. I noticed his yard was a little run
down and I figured it was a good enough cover. That way I could be around when the
demon made her move."
"And to think we thought you might be the Pentacle Demon," said Prue. "I'm
glad we didn't do anything about it. I would have felt terrible if we had harmed you after
you risked your life to protect us."
"That wouldn't have been a problem," said Leo, smiling.
"What do you mean?" asked Piper.
"Your powers wouldn't have been any more effective against him than they
would have been against the demon," interjected Cole. "Druids are immune to the
powers of a witch. Just as a Pentacle Demon is."
"Great," said Piper. "So there's two groups of people we have to worry about
now. Druids and Pentacle Demons."
"I wouldn't worry too much about it," said Tannish. "Like witches, all Druids are
good. Evil Druids are called sorcerers. They're just as vulnerable to you as anyone
else. And since Druids and witches are both fighting on the same side, it's very unlikely
that you'll ever have to fight one."
"And Pentacle Demons are extremely rare," said Cole. "I doubt that whomever
hired that one will send another against you."
"I don't understand," said Prue. "Why didn't you use a potion or a spell on the
Pentacle Demon? Why did you rely on you powers?"
"Druids don't use spells or potions," said Tannish. "As I understand it, witches
use potions and spells but they have only one or two abilities. Since we do not use
spells and potions, we have a number of abilities. No two Druids have exactly the same
abilities, but many can have similar abilities."
"Now, that would be handy," said Phoebe. "It would be nice have more than one
or two abilities to rely on."
"Yes," said Tannish, "but then again, if my abilities prove to be inadequate to the
task, it would be nice if I could fall back on a potion or spell."
"Hello, Panthax," said Leo, petting the German Shepherd who was lying at
Tannishs' feet. "It's been a long time, girl. Sorry I didn't recognize you."
"You're forgiven," said Tannish after a moment of thought. "After all, she is
supposed to look just like a regular German Shepherd."
"She's not?" questioned Prue.
"Not exactly," said Tannish. "She's what you might call a familiar, although, she's
much more than that. We have a sort of telepathic bond between us. She understands
everything anyone says and I, in turn, can understand her. Plus, she can sense
demons. It's a very handy ability to have in our line of work."
"I wish we had something like that," said Piper. "It might make our job a lot
easier."
"Oh, by the way," said Tannish, "I intend to pay for the window. And I'll help out
with the other damage to your house. It's really a beautiful home. It's quite similar to
my own in Los Angeles."
"Oh, it's not the first time it's happened," said Piper. "After a while, you sort of
get used to it."
"Nevertheless," said Tannish, "I'd like to help out. After all, I was partially
responsible for the damage. I know a good carpenter here who can help with the
repairs. And, since he's familiar with Druids, witches, and demons, explaining the
damage won't be much of problem. I'll give him a call tomorrow before I leave for Los
Angeles."
"Your leaving?" asked Phoebe. "I thought you might stay around a couple of
days. We've never met a Druid before. It might be interesting to learn a little bit about
them."
"I wish I could," said Tannish, "but I've been gone too long already. Maybe Leo
can orb you in to my place some time. We could talk then."
"That's not a bad idea," said Phoebe.
"Besides," said Tannish, "I'd like to stay in touch with the three of you. You never
know. You might need my help again some time. Or I might have need of you. Even
being a Druid has its' limitations."
"Fair enough," said Piper.
"So," said Prue, "do you fight evil and protect the innocent in Los Angeles like we
do here?"
"Yes," said Tannish, "but in some ways, my enemy is more overt. Most of the
demons I have to fight belong to an organization called Casmarat Endeavors,
Incorporated. They're a not for profit conglomerate that does everything it can to
spread evil. My primary concern is to stop then whenever I can. And they keep me
very busy."
"Maybe we could help with that," offered Phoebe.
"Casmarat has been around in one form or another for a very long time," said
Cole. "And I'm not sure even the Charmed Ones could stand up to all of their power."
"He's right," said Tannish. "You have your work here and I have mine in Los
Angeles. I think it's best if we just stick to our own turf, so to speak."
"Okay," said Phoebe. "But if you ever need our help, you know where to find us."
"And I'll give you my address before I leave," said Tannish. "So you can contact
me if you ever need my help. For now, I think I'd better get some rest. Fighting that
Pentacle Demon took quite a bit out of me."
"Well, Mr. Tannish," said Prue, "it was a genuine pleasure to meet you. I hope
we'll see you again under mor pleasant circumstances."
"Please, call me Kiethran," he said. "And you can count on it. Los Angeles isn't
that far away. One of my abilities is teleportation. It's similar to Leos' orb ability or
Coles' shimmering. I'm sure I can find time to drop by from time to time."
"Good," said Prue, biting her lower lip slightly. Piper and Phoebe knew that little
nervous habit of Prues'. It meant that she was not only impressed with Kiethran, but
also at least a little bit interested.
* * *
"He was nice," said Prue, after Kiethran had left.
"Yes, he was," said Leo. "And if he replaced Mykaa, he would have to be pretty
powerful, too. Mykaa was the most powerful Druid in the world when he was alive. His
replacement would have to nearly as powerful."
"Maybe I'll take a trip to Los Angeles soon," said Prue, looking at the paper
where Kiethran had written down his address and telephone number. "To thank him
again for helping us."
Piper and Phoebe just looked at each other.
"Well," said Piper, as Prue went up to her room, "at least he knows she's a witch.
She won't have to come up with any kind of excuse if an innocent gets into trouble while
she's there."
"Yeah," said Phoebe. "And maybe he can teach her to take it easier from now
on. She works too hard."
Leo and Cole just shook their heads and went into the living room to talk. They
had both learned long ago not to interfere when Piper and Phoebe were playing match
makers for Prue.
The End