The moon cast long shadows across the desert floor. The only thing moving was the odd night creature or the sound of a coyote in the distance.
But even the coyotes watched as the small train of horses rode in the cover of darkness. They knew well what was happening. They had seen it before many times. To them it was now free food. They knew that the train would stop but not all would return to the city they had come from. So out of instinct and the smell of food, they followed along side but in the distance.
"Even the coyotes can smell the blood that has not shed."
"Silence."
He hung his head, "I am sorry your majesty."
They rode in silence; the only sound heard to them was the sound of the horse's feet over the desert sand and rocks.
He stood in his strip-ups and waited till his servant brought down his next victim.
Pulling her off the horse he released her bonds and pulled off the hood that covered her head. "Well witch. Yet another of you feels you can defeat me. Have none of you ever learned. After all these centuries no witch is strong enough to defeat me."
"There are those that will defeat you one day."
He glared at her, "They are but a myth my dear. Stories of legends that will never be."
"You are wrong." She spit back at him
He just looked down at her, "Well. Then in that case, I look forward to the meeting I shall one day have with them, but until then, you will have to do." He brought his head back and let out a piercing cry across the night sky.
She turned away from him, as the howl seemed to echo inside her.
"Release her binds." He ordered to his servant.
Stepping up to her, she drew back from his fowl breath. "Now you're gonna die witch. Now your gonna die."
"Silence fool." He snapped.
He hung his head, "Sorry sire." He apologized as he stepped back from him
She stood and watched the two of them interact. They had no idea that their time was almost near. She had heard that the Charmed Ones did exist. But how would she let them know what was going on here in the desert? How would she tell them of their greatest threat? She closed her eyes and sent her power through the air. Praying that it would find the ones she sought.
"Are you trying to figure how to defeat me witch?" he cried out from the top of his horse.
But as she opened her eyes she saw the fire in his, the flame so bright, yet so evil.
He shot out a flame of fire towards her hitting her in the upper shoulder. Her scream drowned into the desert air. "No one can hear you witch." he laughed as she cried out for help.
Knowing she was beat she pulled her knees under her and clasped her hands together. Chanting something he had never heard.
"You are making this way to easy witch. But I will take your power at your death. And then I shall wait for the next witch to try and defeat me." He pulled his sword from its sheath and made his way towards her. Stopping three feet in front of her he held his sword high above him. Casting a long shadow into the moon. "Your power and your soul forever to be mine to control!" he bellowed as he brought the sword down across her neck. Feeling her power leaving her body and enter into his as her head rolled across the desert sand. He could hear the howling of the coyotes in the distance. "Come and feed my friends. Until the next time anyway." He called out to the animals in the darkness.
Getting back on his horse they made their way quickly back into the city. A city that he controlled. A city that was full of evil and sin. A city he could easily hide in amongst the people that came and went. But it was city that attract to him the most powerful of innocents; Ones that were willing to give almost anything away.
Fear. Dread. Horror. Panic. She felt them all inside her. She felt the dark evil that was present. The coldness of the heart that was there, if it was a heart at all. But as she screamed out at the sight in her mind, she screamed out loud. Sitting up, she pulled her legs around her to shut out the cold. Her hand out of instinct was at her neck, rubbing the spot that seemed to be the hidden join to the body. Though she panicked more when she felt the stickiness of her own blood in her hand.
Scrambling out of bed she ran for her door towards the bathroom. "Prue! Piper!" she fumbled with her door handle before she saw it open from the other side.
--- ----
The first thing Prue heard was the scream. Then her sister was calling her name in a panic. She threw off her covers and rushed from her own room. She saw and heard Pipers door open as her middle sister rushed down the hallway.
They both threw open the door to see Phoebe on the other side holding her hand to her neck. The blood seeping through her fingers.
"Phoebe? What the hell?" Prue asked in a paniced mode, but her mind took control over her heart and helped her sister sit down as she ran to the bathroom to get anything she would need.
Piper pulled Phoebe close to her as her sister cried in pain.
Prue grabbed everything she could as she rushed back to her sister in the hallway. Ripping open one of the gauze packages she applied it to Phoebes neck.
Phoebe pulled back slightly but then just rested her head on Pipers shoulder. Letting Prue tend to her neck.
"Leo?" Piper called out hoping that their whitelighter could help Phoebe better then either Prue or she could.
The familiar sparkle of the blue and white lights didn't distract them from their task. But they knew when he had arrived.
"Leo hurry." Piper ordered, as he made his away to the three huddled on the floor. His hand making its healing glow as it approached Phoebes neck.
She didn't move. She felt the magic working around her but she remained still. She was scared as she looked back on the nightmare or vision she had gotten. But somehow she knew it was a premonition. Only a vision that powerful could make her feel what was happen around her.
"Phoebe you ok?" Prue asked with concern.
Phoebe didn't move from her spot on Pipers shoulder. "It was him again. But I felt her power coming to me." She said quietly.
Piper brushed back the piece of hair that had fallen in front of Phoebes face, "Honey what happen?"
She hesitated that split second she needed. "I only felt the evilness around her. He is killing innocents and the witches that try and stop him. But I don't know who it is." She tried to explain.
Prue and Piper locked eyes in worry. A demon that was killing witches was not something that they looked forward to. "Leo?" they both seem to ask at teh same time.
"I can check, but I haven't heard anything yet." He said before standing ready to orb out, "You guys just look out for Phoebe." He finished before he orbed out, casting a concerned look at the youngest Halliwell
Prue looked over at her youngest sister. She looked as pale as last time she received a premonition. Standing up she placed an arm around her sister, "Come on sweetie. We can re-look this in the morning." She suggested as she guided her sister back to her bed.
Piper watched her oldest sister help the youngest back to bed. Watching as Prue laid in behind Phoebe with her arms wrapped around her tight, Piper soon joined them. All of them wondering, what was happening and what they needed to expect next.