Chapter Four
"So how are we meant to get Piper back if we don't have the baby?" Chris said loudly and I rolled my eyes. He wasn't taking it too well.
"Listen, whitelighter boy, we were thrown across a room for the second time today and Manticores aren't exactly easy to fight. We tried, ok? We tried," I snapped and Chris looked at me with a strange mix of awe and anger.
"Ew, why can't demons bleed normal, red colours?" Paige asked as she filled a tiny pipette with yellow Manticore blood.
"Hey, I don't bleed red," I pointed out. Everyone stared at me. "That probably wasn't the best thing to say to convince you that I wasn't demonic."
"We know you're not demonic," Leo assured me. I smiled at him.
"What colour is your blood then?" Phoebe asked curiously as she took the pipette from Paige and put it in the crystal thing that would find Piper (I had no idea what it was).
"Gold," I told them casually. Chris raised his eyebrow. "I'm a Fairy, what did you expect?" I asked jokingly. He looked shocked at my lightness but seemed to shrug it off.
"Maybe green," he answered and I grimaced. Paige laughed.
"I'm assuming wood nymphs bleed green?" she asked and I made a growly noise in my throat.
"Yes, they do," I said with a scowl. I really hated wood nymphs.
"So, what's the plan without the baby?" Chris demanded and I rolled my eyes playfully at him, trying to at least get him to like me a little more.
"We're gonna try to have another get together with the Manticores, see if we can't strike some sort of deal," Paige answered airily.
"If we can join forces to kill the beast, then they can get their baby back," Phoebe added.
"And we get our sister back," Paige concluded with a shrug.
"And what if they don't want to join forces?" Leo asked as though it were obvious.
"We set Anna on them," Phoebe said jokingly. I grinned at her for both the joke and the nickname but Chris didn't seem to get the joke although he reacted differently than I expected.
"No, absolutely not. I'm not even sure Alyanna should go. It's too dangerous and, if the beast can throw off her powers, the Manticores probably can too. I think she would be a lot safer with me and Leo," he protested in a worried tone. I looked at him strangely and so did Phoebe and Paige. His eyes pierced mine with a strange intensity that sent a thrill jolting through me.
"Chris, I was joking. We have vanquishing potions that we know work. We'll use those if they don't cooperate," Phoebe placated him gently and his eyes left mine and gain a relieved look about them.
"I still think it's too risky," he protested although it seemed slightly weaker than his argument against me going. What was going on with him?
"Well, blood is thicker than water," Phoebe said as she lay the pipette aside and started waving the crystal above a map. What a strange way to find someone.
/
"This is like watching Blaise eat when she's really hungry," I whispered, grimacing in disgust as we crouched behind a rock, watching the Manticores devour . . . something. Paige and Phoebe looked at me weirdly but shrugged and turned their attention back.
"Hey," Paige called cheerily. I raised an eyebrow but smiled at the attempt. All the demons stood up and faced us angrily, almost lunging.
"Uh-uh, I wouldn't do that if I were you," Phoebe warned and we held up our potions.
"Do you think we have enough potion?" Paige said through unmoving lips. I nodded slowly but surely.
"So, who wants to go hunting with us?" Phoebe asked and the demons looked at each other and seemed to agree. We formed a plan: Paige orbs me and Phoebe in first and we throw potions at the beast, the Manticores grab Piper, get the beast, get the baby and we get out of there. It was simple in theory but putting it into practice would be different.
/
We orbed into a wrecked house and I prayed to God that it had been wrecked when Piper got here and it wasn't the result of a fight. Immediately spotting Piper and the beast, the three of us threw our potions but Piper blasted them.
"What are you doing?" Paige asked and I looked between Piper and the beast. Something was wrong but I didn't have time to register before the Manticores appeared. One smacked the beast then brought Piper to us and then the rest took after the beast. Paige orbed us out but I heard Piper protesting. The second we landed in the Manor, Piper made us orb straight back to find the beast. He was lying close to death on the floor, almost ripped to shreds. I felt a strange guilt overcome me.
"Anna, your hair is glowing," Phoebe hissed. I turned slightly to see that my hair was glowing.
"Sorry, it does that when I feel intense emotion, in this case guilt," I answered, gesturing to the beast. The guilt increased as the beast turned into a man. I looked at Phoebe and Paige and saw 'oops' written straight across their faces. "That's not what you want." We held onto Paige and she orbed us back to the Manor where Leo was summoned immediately. My eyes found Chris though and he was staring at me again. This time it was for a reasonable excuse.
"Your hair is glowing," he said and I looked at Paige for confirmation. She nodded and I sighed, trying to calm down.
"Intense emotion," I explained simply and turned to the beast, well man, and saw that he was being healed. I breathed a sigh of relief and saw my hair stop glowing. I smiled widely at my accomplishment.
"Where's the baby?" Chris asked and I groaned.
"The Manticores have him," Paige answered and I sat on the coffee table next to Leo.
"Oh, so the plan worked," Chris said in relief. I looked at him with a raised eyebrow and he looked back in confusion.
"Yeah, a little too well," Phoebe replied.
"Now we have to get the baby back," Paige said and Chris looked at me as though I was the only sane one left. I shook my head and looked at the man again.
"What?" Chris demanded.
"Paige, will you fill up some potion vials please?" Piper asked and Paige nodded, departing. "Lots of them!" Piper added as she watched the man avidly.
"Hold up, are you serious? You get rid of the demon child, now you want to get it back?" Chris asked and I nodded, smiling sadly at him.
"He's not a demon child. He's my son," the man said as he sat up, fully healed. Chris looked torn.
"How are you feeling? Are you all right?" Piper asked kindly. The man looked utterly amazed.
"I can't believe I'm human again," he said happily. I smiled at him and he stared slightly.
"I can go," I said, starting to rise.
"Sit down. We'll explain later," Phoebe added to the man.
"Aren't you glad you didn't kill me now?" Piper joked and everyone stared at her.
"Not funny. I don't think that's funny," Leo said as the man's face looked saddened.
"Agreed," I said at the same time as Chris. Trying to hide my blush, I turned my head away.
"Anna, your hair is glowing again," Phoebe said and I blushed deeper, intensifying the glow.
"Yeah, it's radioactive," I joked in an attempt to hide my embarrassment. Phoebe seemed to know exactly what I was feeling (silly empath) and the man was looking at me funny.
"So, what, are you two on the same team now?" Phoebe asked Leo and Chris and I breathed a sigh of relief, thanking her silently for the distraction. "We're gonna get your baby back, I promise," she said to the man.
"Do we not have a say in this?" Chris demanded and I laughed sarcastically.
"No. We don't. One thing you gotta learn about being their whitelighter is once they make up their minds, that's it," Leo said wisely. I grinned at Chris' disappointed expression. "Besides, I'm a father first." A look was exchanged between the man and Leo.
"So, we're going to have to separate the baby before we attack," Phoebe said hesitantly.
"Why?" the man asked.
"Because the potion vanquishes Manticores and your son is half-Manticore," Piper answered and the man looked slightly sick.
"Come on, let's do this," I said and felt eyes on me. I looked to see Chris and he looked uncharacteristically worried. And by uncharacteristic, I just mean worried about me at all. I gave him a small smile as Paige walked in and we orbed to the Manticore lair. This time they were asleep so there was no disgusting dinner show. The baby, however, was nice and awake which meant our plan could work. Paige handed out the potions and I crouched down, letting Piper get the baby out of there so we wouldn't kill the poor boy. After a long peek-a-boo, the baby shimmered out but the Manticores were awake. They charged at us and we consistently threw potion after potion at them until they were all vanquished. They had some kind of strange super speed that was equal to that of the gremlins in my world so we were completely exhausted by the time it was over and we orbed back to the house. I simply toppled onto the couch whilst Piper found the man some clothes for himself and his son. Paige helped her and Phoebe went hunting for Jason. I was almost asleep when I felt someone enter the room. I didn't have the energy to pay attention but when they cleared their throat, I opened my eyes and saw Chris. Groaning, I sat up to face him and he sat on the coffee table in front of me.
"What's up Chris?" I asked with a yawn.
"I was just wondering how you were after your first big demon encounter," he asked and I laughed.
"The other two attacks today didn't count?" I asked jokingly. He smiled slightly.
"I said big, didn't I?" I smiled at his attempt at a joking tone.
"Yeah, I'm ok. I'm obviously knackered but otherwise perfectly alright," I answered and he seemed surprised. "What?" I asked and he shrugged.
"Nothing, it doesn't matter. I guess I'm just surprised," he told me and I couldn't stop the next words out of my mouth.
"Surprised this 'thing' has feelings?" I demanded and I froze as he paled.
"Uh . . . you heard . . .?" he trailed off. I hadn't meant to say it but once I did, the anger I felt at him for hating me and being a paranoid idiot started coming out.
"Yeah, I heard you. I better leave you alone before my demonic power kills you or something," I hissed and stood up. I could feel my hair glowing as I entered the conservatory.
"Derek. My name's Derek," the man said as I entered.
"Oh thank the Lord, I was getting fed up calling you 'the man' in my head," I said laughing as I joined Paige and Piper. They looked at me worriedly.
"Honey, your hair seems kind of . . . bright," Piper said in concern. I just shrugged.
"I'll get over it. Now, come here sweetie and let me say goodbye," I said and the boy shimmered into my arms. He giggled as I tickled his tummy.
"What's his name?" Paige asked and Derek looked at the boy in my arms.
"I actually never got around to giving him one," he answered and I looked down at the child.
"I think you should name him Al, after one of his lovely rescuers," I said in a slightly joking voice. Derek grinned.
"I'll consider it," he replied honestly.
"That's all I'm asking for. Oh, I'm going to miss you, baby boy. Yes I am. Yes I am," I said, rubbing our noses together. He giggled at me again and I put him in his stroller. Piper looked at me in amazement. "What? I love kids and they're so much better here although they look weird."
"They don't look weird," Paige said and I laughed.
"I meant they look weird to me! Normal for me is blue hair and gold blood. But they're still cute!" I defended myself and they all nodded. I said goodbye to Derek and the baby once more before walking out in the corridor where I walked right by Chris who looked like he wanted to say something. I blanked him completely before walking out of the house.