Leo and Cole looked at each other, as if silently asking the other if they were talking about the same thing. A sharp look from Cole and a solemn nod from Leo was all the answer they needed. The girls were at a loss as to what could have happened to change the tone of their afternoon so quickly. Things in the Halliwell house never stayed the same for very long, that's for sure. There was an uneasy silence as if drinking in the last few moments of calm before their world was turned upside down. It was Piper who spoke first.
"Leo, if it's about what we talked about last night, we're sorting it out," she assured him.
"It's not," said Leo, moving to sit on the arm of the lounge that the Charmed Ones were perched on as Cole settled himself into an armchair opposite. "The Elders think your lives are in danger."
"Leo, I hate to break it to you, but our lives are always in danger!" Phoebe joked in an attempt to pretend things weren't much more serious.
"Not like this. The Elders suspect it may be an inside job. They think someone from our side is providing the Underworld with information on you." Leo said gravely. The weight of his words hit the Charmed Ones hard. Piper grabbed Leo's arm instinctively. Paige shivered as a rush of cold extended along her spine. Phoebe shifted to get closer to Paige and wrapped her arms around her tight. There was a mole in the Charmed One's midst? They were used to battling evil, but never had they expected their next attack to come from the same side they fought on.
"He's right. The Underworld is planning yet again to take down the famed Charmed Ones, and this time they might just succeed. Rumour has it they're working with a source of good to gain inside information. We can't trust anyone," confirmed Cole.
"We? You're not the one who is under attack here, Cole" Paige challenged, not sure she believed Cole was entirely on their side. Could he perhaps be part of the Underworld's plan to bring them down? She stood and began to pace the room.
"No, but my girlfriend's sister is. And I'm going to do everything in my power to keep her safe. They're coming for you first, Paige – they think you'll be the easiest to kill." Cole said, speaking to Paige but looking reassuringly at Phoebe. Phoebe looked back at him with worry.
"But why Paige?" She asked seriously. "They should come after me. My powers are much less useful than hers in combat."
"And I've been having trouble with my powers since we lost Prue. Wouldn't that make me the weakest right now?" Piper added.
"Look girls, I know you'd trade places with Paige in an instant if it would help, but it won't. You can't sacrifice yourselves to the Underworld and expect this to stop. They won't rest until all three of you are gone, and evil can rule on Earth," Leo explained. His eyes were fixed on the foyer, as if waiting for danger to come bursting through the front door at any moment. The sun was beginning to set and dark shadows crossed over his face. The girls could tell he was worried; more worried than they had ever seen him.
"So, what do I have to do?" asked Paige, sounding more confident than she felt. This question was obviously directed at Leo, but it was Cole who answered.
"You're new to magic. They seem to think you don't have enough knowledge or control of your powers to fight them off. And it's true. Even Phoebe and Piper's experience wouldn't be enough to survive if one of these demons attacks. Not separately and I'm not even sure if the power of three would be strong enough. If she were to go into hiding I could protect her. I've been hiding from the Underworld for months now."
Leo shook his head rather forcefully. "No, we can't break the power of three. If there's an attack, they'll all be needed to have any chance of defeating the demon. Besides, you don't think that if they can't find Paige, these demons aren't going to just move on to Piper or Phoebe as their next target?" Frankly, the sisters agreed. The one thing that had been drilled into them for all their magical lives was to stick together.
"Well what have your people done to protect them?" Cole questioned. By 'your people' he meant the Elders.
"There's been a Whitelighter lock down. All Whitelighters have been ordered to return to the Heavens. I'm the only one who can still orb in and out. Then a few Elders are positioned down here to watch over everyone's charges. "
"Has it ever occurred to you," began Cole defiantly, "that one of the Elders may be behind all this?" He looked intently at Leo, almost challenging him with his eyes. It wasn't because he was half-demon that he mistrusted the Elders, but logically, they were in the perfect position for betrayal. The Elders knew all about the Charmed Ones, and were trusted above anyone else to keep evil at bay; nobody dared to ever question that they were fully on the side of good. It would be only too easy to blindside everyone and make a pact with a demon. The tension in the air was so thick it could be cut with a knife. Leo fumed at this suggestion – the Elders represented all he worked for and believed in. He literally owed them his life. He remained silent for the longest time, deciding whether to be mad at Cole, or to just let it go. Feeling it was the best option to keep the peace at the Manor, he chose the latter. Calmly he denied that there was even the slightest possibility of an Elder having betrayed their position of power, though there was a definite trace of bitterness in his voice.
They talked in circles for hours in an attempt to come up with a plan of defence. It was decided that Paige would not go into hiding, she was very adamant about that. She couldn't abandon her duty as a Charmed One; under attack from demons or not, there would always be innocents to save. That was the Halliwell spirit in her. It was also decided that any detouring from their normal routine would alert the Underworld that they knew of the impending attack so it was best they keep their lives as normal as possible. Cole would be Paige's personal body guard wherever she went, while Leo was to keep a stronger eye on the other two girls, just in case. The sisters made a pact of constant vigilance and vowed to discover whoever it was that betrayed them and put an end to it.
With a kiss from Piper, Leo orbed back up to the Elders in the hope they might have any new information. Cole rose from his chair and insisted he was going to the Underworld to see what he could uncover about the rumours himself. Phoebe objected strongly to this and grabbed him around the waist so he couldn't shimmer away.
"Baby, there are demons that want you dead for deserting them, and you want to enter the Underworld? You're risking enough just coming out of hiding to watch over Paige but to actually go back to the Underworld? I just couldn't take it if I lost you. We need you. I need you," she let her body relax into her sturdy boyfriend's arms and felt the comforting, steady beat of his heart. If she could just stay here she was sure she'd be safe forever.
"Don't worry about me," Cole assured her, "I love you." He kissed her passionately, stood back and shimmered away. Phoebe was left clutching at the air where he'd been seconds ago. The Charmed Ones were alone in the Manor and without a word, as if by habit, headed upstairs to check the Book of Shadows.