Disclaimer: I don't own BTR or Charmed.
Ch52: Bride and Gloom Part 2.
Carlos' Pov.
I'm surprised that the wedding planners aren't at the manor anymore. I guess I just got stood up and the last thing I wanna deal with is Jo and Camille's wedding fantasies. When I get in the living room I quickly spot Kendall standing at the dinning table folding out a map. He froze for a second when he saw me.
"You're back." Kendall finally said, his shoulders slumping in relief.
Before I can ask why me being back is such a great thing Kendall yelled "James you can stop searching the Book of Shadows now! Carlos is back!"
Yeah...
Something must have happened to get them worried. "What's going on?"
"Melanie called." James answers my question walking into the living room carrying the Book of Shadows. "She said you never picked her up for your date."
That can't be true. "She texted me to meet her at the restaurant and... Well I did meet her at the restaurant." But Melanie had been a whole lot more fun those thirty minutes than she had been on our previous dates.
"We know she texted you about the plans." Kendall said with a small nod. "That's why we assumed you went to meet up with a shapeshifting demon of some kind. But now you're here so maybe... Not?"
End Carlos' Pov.
"Maybe yes." Carlos answered grimacing. How could he have been so stupid?! Logan at least would have waited for him. "We went to bring Logan some papers at the hospital and I left to buy us some corndogs. When I came back Melanie, well not-Melanie and Logan were gone."
Kendall and James exchanged worried looks. James had called Logan when they first assumed Carlos to be in danger, but when Logan hadn't answered he had just assumed that this time Logan was the one avoiding him.
After all Logan was still mad about the whole Muffy thing... James figured he might as well not talk to Logan so he wouldn't accidentally blurt out 'oh not only is she alive, she's back and still madly in love with me, not that she's to blame'
Now it seemed that Logan had been in real trouble and James was too focused on the argument to have actually considered Logan needing help.
Right then- as if to prevent James inner guilt party from getting bigger- Jo orbed. Her face lit up when she saw Carlos. "You're ba-"
"Already had this part honey." Kendall cut her off. "Turns out Logan might be the one in trouble. Can you sense him?"
Lips forming a tight line, Jo closed her eyes and focused on finding her charge. After a moment she opened her eyes, worry shining in them. "Nothing."
"We're screwed." James muttered.
Kendall briefly glared at James before looking back at his fiancé. "What did the Elders say?"
"Well, the Elders support your shape-shifting demon theory," Jo slowly answered knowing Kendall wasn't going to like the next part. "but they can't get a clear read on the situation." Yeah, those bushy eyebrows lowered into a frown. "Logan's not dead." She quickly said before Kendall could start. "There's no way evil can block me from sensing that."
Well that's very helpful. NOT. Carlos made face, not even having the considered the possibility of Logan being dead. "What are we up against?"
"Someone powerful," James answered opening the Book of Shadows and placing it on the diner table before starting to flip through the large magic book. "someone who wants Logan alive."
Kendall, Carlos and Jo also sat down. "Not for his powers." Kendall answered resting his chin in his hands. "Logan doesn't need to be alive if the warlock wants his powers unless-"
"It wants all our powers." Jo finished for him.
Leaning back in his chair Carlos could not help his small smile. "I like it when you do the 'finish each other's sentences thing. Very cute." He praised. And just like he intended, his words lightened up the tension in the room, just a little bit to make the situation not seem as dire as it was.
"Too bad you vanquished that demonic bounty hunter," Jo said looking at James whose hazel eyes widened with realization. "he could have really helped right now."
"Right." James said abruptly getting up. Who knows more about demonic beings than a demonic half-breed? "I have a hunch, don't wait up for me." He said before quickly leaving.
Big-Time-Charmed.
In Lady Dantalian's chambers in the underworld Logan, now dressed in a black suit with fish net around the sleeves, lay unconscious on the altar. Besides him on the altar lay Zalia, wearing a simple hip-hugging black wedding dress and a black veil over her face.
"I'm ready." Zalia said looking up at the dark priestess that stood over the altar.
The Asian high priest smirked. "I should hope so." She said, her voice hushed. She started the wedding the ceremony in the same tone. "In the beginning, we were damned, and through damnation, we found freedom, power, and purpose. As I unite you today, I remind you of those gifts." Using a black ribbon Dantalian ties Logan and Zalia's right hands together- a demonic version of handfasting. "And in your union, may these gifts increase so your powers may grow in the service of evil." She smiled. "So be it."
Zalia grinned her eyes traveling upwards to meet the priestess'. "How long before his transformation is complete?" She asked her voice sounding high-pitched thanks to her excitement.
"Sundown." Dantalian answers. "I hope you can wait that long."
Smiling a big lovesci- power hungry smile, Zalia looked at Logan. "For the power of the Charmed Ones?" she giggled. "I can wait a few hours."
Lady Dantalian chuckled. "Let me bet the first to congratulate you." The dark priestess bent down and pressed her black tinted lips against Zalia's bright red ones.
The warlock leant into the kiss, moaning it's warm... lustful. With the taste of tequila- or like green apple cocktail!
Zalia froze, not that she had a choice- the paralying potion. "W-why?" She choked out eyes fixed on the priestess.
"Because I'm tired of bestowing great power on others." Dantalian answers seductively running her long fingers through Zalia's hair. "The Warren Book of Shadows is the key to unbelievable power for me. Evil will spread from this brother to the other three, from them to the Book, and once the Book is evil, it'll be mine, and I will be unstoppable. But know this." She whispered gently shutting Zalia's eyes. "I will enjoy killing all of you."
Big-Time-Charmed.
"Muffy!" James called out when he closed the heavy mausoleum doors behind him. "Come one, Muffy." He muttered under his breath. "I know you're in here."
He doesn't have to wait long for his demonic ex to appear, her body shimmering in and out of existence before materializing completely. There's already a smile on her face. "James! I was beginning to think I'd never see you again!" She moved to hug him, but James took a step back before she even got close enough.
"I'm not here because of us." James told her, his voice firm. "I need you to help me and if you do, it doesn't change anything between us. You have to know that."
Muffy nodded. "I'm listening." Because there isn't a thing she isn't willing to try to get her 'Sweets' to trust her again.
"Logan's taken. By a warlock."
"Do you know which one?"
James nods. "We think she's a shape-shifter, but the weird thing is, is nobody from our side could get a read on where she's hiding him."
"Well, that doesn't make sense." Muffy frowned. "Warlocks don't have that kind of power. Who ever is behind this must be working with somebody that does. Certain dignitaries have the power to shield their activities. Demonic judges, dark priests, anyone who needs privacy for rituals.
"Rituals?" James echoes. Unless it's grams saying it then rituals needing priests can not be good. "Rituals for what?"
"Hard to say... Could be anything." The half demon/mortal hybrid shrugged. "They may want your Book. We all want your Book."
James smirked. "Oh really-" 'No! No flirting with the demonic ex!'
"I wanted your book at first." Muffy quietly replied suddenly finding her shoes very interesting.
Ignoring how guilty she looked right now James urged her on. "How do we figure out who wants it now?"
Her shoulders slumped at James' indifference. "I could check around, but I'd risk demons finding out I was still alive. I'm sure there's still a huge bounty on my head." Muffy replied calmly.
James' answer would likely decide her faith.
"I want my brother back."
"At what cost."
Not even a second of hesitation.
"I want my brother back."
So be it. Muffy nodded taking a step back. "I'm doing this for you." She's about to shimmer away- when she suddenly found herself in James' arms and he's kissing her deeply, passionately.
Just as sudden as it started he pulls away again.
It takes Muffy a moment to catch her breath. "Oh.."
James nodded still panting. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."
"Um... Yeah." Muffy gave a curt nod. "Listen, if you don't hear back from me.. I got caught." She said before shimmering away.
Big-Time-Charmed.
Jo walked back into the living room to find Kendall and Carlos sitting on the smaller couch, both looking at the Book of Shadows on Kendall's lap. "Hey," She said moving to sit on Kendall's other side. "I thought you guys said there's nothing in the Book of Shadows."
"Well, now there's just a whole bunch of weirdness in it." Carlos said not taking his eyes of the page. "Look."
Getting a closer look of the page the boys were looking at, Jo to frowned deeply. "Hemlock killing spell?" A killing spell that required earth's deadliest plant... That would kill mortals. "That doesn't belong in here."
Kendall nodded rubbing his chin. "Yeah, but it does provide possibilities-"
"Kendall!" Jo protested, Carlos just looked intruged by the new spells in the Book of Shadows.
"Sorry," Kendall said shaking his head. "I don't know where that came from-" The rest of his sentence got lost when he blinked away.
"Kendall?" Carlos finally looked away from the book.
"In here!" Kendall's voice came from the kitchen. "Somehow."
Jo and Carlos quickly made their way to the kitchen where they found Kendall calmly sitting at the kitchen table.
"Dude" Carlos bit on his fist to keep from cheering out loud. "you blinked!"
"No I didn't." Kendall quickly denied. "Only warlocks blink."
"You definitely blinked." Jo deadpanned.
Just then the back door opened and James walked in. "What's going on?" He asked upon seeing Carlos and Jo staring at Kendall.
"Kendall's blinking." Jo replied crossing her arms and leaning her back against the yellow wall.
"What?"
"How did you do it?" Carlos asked eager to know.
Considering his answer a smile crept on Kendall's face. "It was kinda fun." He admitted, now fully grinning. "I was, I was in there and I was thinking about the kitchen and then suddenly, boom! Here I was. This might actually come in handy later."
"It's a warlock power!" Jo cried out shocked how the guys are handling this.
"Relax Jo," Kendall said rolling his eyes at his fiancé attitude. Jeez, Logan's gone and now they still had a worrywart to deal with. Figures. "They always try to take our powers, it's about time we get one of them." He then looked at his brothers. "Try it."
"So think?" James asked.
"And blink." Kendall nodded.
Picturing his room in his head before closing his eyes James disappeared from the kitchen. Seconds later his voice could be heard coming from upstairs. "This is so awesome!"
Glad to not be the only one of the family with a transportation power Carlos went back to the living room, grabbed the Book of Shadow and lay down on the couch. All these new and powerful spells.. Carlos can't wait to get started.
James and Kendall disappeared and re-appeared all over the manor, at one point they both blinked into the living room. That's when Jo finally left the kitchen, the angel chewing on her inner cheek.
"Do you realise how serious this is?" She insisted her voice channeling her worry... and something else. "You're blinking," she waved her hand at Carlos who for once is quietly reading. The firestarter didn't even look up. "the Book is changing!"
Rolling his eyes Kendall did his best to show interest seeing it worried Jo so much. "Maybe we're blinking because of the Book."
"The Book is changing because of you." This is bad, if they didn't see reason soon then she can't help them anymore. Not ever. "It is an extension of you."
Jo's words seem to have an effect on Kendall, for a moment he looks confused, un till he shrugs and then he seemd to lost all interest all over again. "I should care about that, but I don't." And just like James, Kendall let himself fall onto the couch.
"This is what I was afraid of." The whitelighter whispers fighting of the urge to just slap some sense back into them. "Whoever's got Logan is somehow reaching you too."
This time it's James who reacts, but just like Kendall and Carlos, he doesn't take her seriously at all. "Okay, Jo, I can tell this really upsets you," he's using that tone he usses to rejects girls, the tone that doesn't make them upset at all. Too understanding. "but I gotta tell you, I really like this whole think-it-and-it-happens deal. I mean, think of the time we could save not chanting."
Naturally Jo is immune to James' smooth talk. "Guys, you have to fight this."
Right after the words leave Jo's lips the door bell rings.
And that, unlike their whitelighter, does get the boys' attention.
"Or we could answer the door." Carlos said getting up and heading to the door followed by his older brothers. The short man opened the door his face falling when he saw the two wedding planners.
Claire, again in a purple business suit smiled upon seeing Kendall. "So glad you're home. We have some new floral sketches we'd like you to see."
"Now's not really a good time." Jo said a forced smile on her face. Floral sketches... She wanted to look, but now seemed very insignificant.
Kendall just stepped aside. "They're welcome to come in, Jo." He said letting the two wedding planners step into the foyer.
It was the twilight zone with Kendall wanting the wedding planners and Jo not.
Craig walked looked at Jo, a little pleased smile on his face. "I revisited the dinner menu, Jo, and you are going to be thrilled. I have some dynamic choices that I-"
"I want pigs in blankets."
Kendall's interruption made both planners laugh, both blissfully unaware to the blond's harsh tone.
"You don't get it," Kendall cut off their laughter. "I want pigs in blankets." He hissed, green eyes dark as he glared at the male wedding planner who transformed into a squealing pig.
Gazing at her co-worker- a pig! The color drained from Claire's face as she started screaming at the top of her lungs.
James snorted at the high-pitched sound coming from the woman. "Claire seems very scared." He dryly observed.
Kendall shrugged, in all honesty he had expected the woman to faint. "I always had her pegged as an ice queen."
"Oh!" Carlos perked up at that. The witch held out his hands to Claire, still staring at the pig and screeching in fear. He flexed his fingers- and unlike usual flames did not form on his fingertips. Instead a ray of frost shot out of his palm freezing Claire where she stood.
Letting out a sigh James rolled his eyes. "Should have expected the cyrokinesis forming, with the cooling temperature thing you've started."
Carlos opened his mouth to reply, saying that he apparently needed this freedom to feel what he needed to feel to channel cyrokinesis, but Jo started yelling before he could say anything.
"Have you guys lost your minds?!"
"Come on, Jo, get on board." James drawled. "Whatever it is, this is it's great. You can't imagine the freedom, the power. "
"James, that is evil talking. You have to fight it."
The cupid who didn't feel like a cupid at all looked at his oldest brother. "What did you ever see in her?"
To Jo's horror Kendall actually considered the question. "I don't know." He finally answered.
She doesn't know why, but unconsciously Jo takes a step backwards. She shouldn't be afraid. This is Kendall... He wouldn't hurt her.
"She is kind of a stick in the mud, isn't she?"
Kendall flicked his hands at their whitelighter, transforming her in a long thin stick stuck in a bucket of mud.
"Oh." Carlos grinned. "Look at all the fun we've been missing."
Kendall grinned, large and wicked. Oh he was going to enjoy this. "And this is only the beginning." He chuckled darkly.
Big-Time-Charmed-
At the altar Lady Dantalian lustful stroked Logan's pale cheeks. "Just the beginning." She whispers.
Big-Time-Charmed.
Still in the foyer the James and Carlos are kneeled down besides Craig, still a pig. James is toying with a butcher knife while Carlos' enjoys making the pig squeal by holding a flame close to its' head.
"You know," James said, for the first time since he grabbed the knife he looked up from it so he could glance over at Kendall who's leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.. "it's your wedding. Shouldn't the first kill be yours?"
Kendall held his hand up and shook his head side to side. "This is too easy." He can transform the pig into a fly and pull it's wings out before stepping on it and that's child's play. "It's boring. I want to do something bigger."
"Count me in." Carlos said getting up, finally bored with making the pig squeal in fright.
Smirking when James also got up and looked at him, Kendall started explaining his plan. "You know, if what's happening to us is happening to Logan, then the power of four can be truly unstoppable. We have to find him."
James nodded. "But first you need to clean up the house."
Carlos looked at the still frozen Claire focussing his attention on her and unfroze her. At the same time Kendall lazily flicked his hand at the pig transforming him back to normal.
For a moment Craig just looks around, a lost expression on his face. "I'm sorry," he snorts. "what were you saying?"
Kendall smiled, looking at the two wedding planners, his held tilted to the side looking at them with pity, like they were nothing- which in reality they are. Mortals... Never aware of how may times the world would have ended. Oblivious to the dangers that lurked outside.
"You're fired."
Somehow his words held so much power, that the doors opened and harsh unforgiving wind blew through the foyer taking Claire and Craig with it. The doors closed when they landed on the pavement
"What are we gonna do with the stick in the mud?" Carlos asked looking at Jo still a stick in a bucket of mud.
"I think we can have some fun with it." Kendall answers transforming Jo back to normal.
The whitelighter looked around blinking owlishly. "Where are Craig and Claire?" She asked. They are alive- there's no way the guys killed them... Right?
"Oh, they flew right outta here." Carlos laughed. "We scared the hell out of them."
Kendall looked at Jo, his green eyes hard. "Jo, we need to find Logan."
Shoulders slumped as Jo relaxed. "Good, focus on that. It'll help you resist the evil."
Exhaling for the dramatic effect James got closer to Jo, their bodies just touching. "The only thing we're resisting is the desire to rip you to pieces and have you for lunch." The no-longer cupid said gently patting the whitelighter's cheek.
"But if you help us find Logan," Kendall said, not in the least bothered with how intimately his brother was touching his fiancé. "we'll leave you alone."
"For the moment." Carlos playfully added.
They all heard the jingle like sound come from above.
Kendall groaned. "Ignore them." He ordered Jo- actually ordered her. "What do they know? They're backing a losing team."
Expression solemn Jo stepped away. "They're revoking my assignment."
"What?" And for a moment Kendall seems actually afraid, worried. "They can't do that. You haven't done anything wrong..."
"You did." Jo said giving Kendall a sad look. "You gave into evil. You've relinquished your right to a Whitelighter. I'm sorry." She said before orbing away.
"Well." James said, he can't sense Kendall's love and doesn't care.
James and Carlos await Kendall's reaction. Finally their leader turns to them a large manic grin on his face. "No more obeying the rules! Considering the consequences! None of that crap!"
"Time to find Logan and go for broke." Carlos declared throwing his fist in the air.
"Big Time." Kendall and James nodded.
James turned around and headed to the stairs.
"Where are you going?" Carlos asked frowning.
"Can't kill people looking like this." James answered a silent 'duh' in his voice.
Big-Time-Charmed.
In his room James closed the door behind him and went to the closet. He didn't notice Muffy shimmer into the room un till he turned around. "You're back." He said smiling, not exactly relieved... Well in a way he is. Muffy's good looks being lost would be... a great waste.
"Yeah," Muffy nods, the collar of her blouse is sinned. "barely."
"Any demons spot you?" James asked closing his closet doors. He'll need to change clothes later.
"Just one." Muffy answered. "But don't worry. See, he won't be telling anybody anything."
James smirked, there's no way that could have sounded any more badass. "The big bad Beatrix strikes again." He murmured exhaling loudly through his nose.
"Not anything I'm proud of." Muffy muttered looking away.
"Why not?" James asked pressing his body close to his... Muffy. "You should be." He whispered before he began placing hot kisses from her collar bone to her neck.
The half human half demon shuddered leaning closer before abruptly pulling back. "James, if what I found out is true, Logan is in serious trouble." This had priority. "He's been forced to marry a warlock."
James briefly pulled his head back, recognition in his hazel eyes- it disappeared soon enough. "Figures that asshole would steal Kendall and Jo's thunder."
"No, you don't understand. A high level priestess named Dantalian is rumoured to have married them- and-" And James's taking his shirt off... How much had she missed seeing those abs. "And she's got the power to turn Logan evil and turn you evil too." Muffy slowly continued. "That's what's happening here."
"So? Isn't that the way you want me?" James didn't give her time to answer, he just planted his lips on her and kissed Muffy passionatly-hotly.
"Mmm," Muffy closed her eyes and- "no." She said pulling back. "That is not how I want you to be. It's not how I want us to be." She said more that just a little out of breath. "Our only chance is if we're both good."
James looked at her as if she just grew another head. "Love is love."
"There's no such thing as evil love. It's just gratification, lust." That she, the half human, half human needed to explain that to James the half witch half cupid spoke volumes of how far gone James was.
Not that her explanation had any effect at all.
"You know what, Muffy?" James said pulling back. "Your human half is kind of preachy. I think I want Beatrix back."
"She's not coming back."
James sneered but closer to her. "Oh, no?" he kneed her in the stomach which caused her to double over in pain"I!" the pretty boy delivered another kick to his ex who now lay on the floor. "Want!" another kick. "Beatrix!" A finale kick and Muffy turned into her demonic form, bright red skin and growing at least a foot taller.
James smirked. "That's more like it."
To James' dismay Carlos chose that moment to knock on the bedroom door. "James? What are you doing?"
Beatrix narrowed her black eyes at James. "Dantalian's coming for your book. You'd better be ready." She said before shimmering away seconds before Carlos walked into the room.
"What's going on in here?"
James grunted crossing his arms. "Nothing, unfortunately."
"I heard voices." Carlos said looking around the room with a frown on his face.
"Um, I had a premonition." James answered smiling casually. "Must have gotten pretty loud." He said getting up from his bed. "We gotta go. The high priestess that has Logan, supposedly she's coming here."
Carlos watched James get out of the room, something is up but- "High prie- Must have been a hell of a premonition."
Big-Time-Charmed.
At her altar Dantalian looked at her candle which was as good as gone. "It's time." She said before blinking away. She re-appeared at the attic right in front of the Book of Shadows.
Slowly the high-priestess reached for the ancient book and- grabbed it.
Surprised Dantalian looked down at the book in her hands. "That was easy."
"Too easy."
James kicked Dantalian from behind pushing her to the floor. Kendall and Carlos walked over Kendall now holding the butcher knife. Piper and Phoebe walk over to her. "Where's our brother?"
There's no guilt in his eyes, no worry and no fear.
Dantalian can not help but fear for her life. "I can help you." is the first thing she can think of to say. "I can teach you evil. You're new at it. You don't know how to realise its full potential."
"I don't know," Carlos replied. "I think we're getting the hang of it." He said before freezing over Dantalian's left hand rolling his eyes when the woman screamed in pain. "Where's Logan?"
"Kill me and you'll never see him again!" She screeched.
"Hmm," Kendall's eyes lit up as if he just though of something. "so maybe we should just torture you instead." With that said the oldest of the Charmed Ones stomped on Dantalian's frozen hand shattering it into multiple pieces of frozen frostbitten skin and red blood.
Dantalian's scream comes a second after she processed the fact that she actually lost her left hand.
"Now the really weird thing is," Kendall spoke in a hushed tone. "we could do that to the other hand and then go down to your feet."
"Actually," Carlos added an eager grin on his face. "we could work up, piece by piece all the way to her head."
"Where is Logan?" James asked, examine his nails.
This is the moment Jo chose to orb into the attic. "I just couldn't leave like that, Kendall."
The guys' moment of distraction is enough for Lady Dantalian to gran the book with her right hand- her only hand and to blink away.
Jo stared at the frozen pieces of Dantalian's hand on the floor. "What's going on?"
"Well, you just helped her escape, that's what's going on." Carlos muttered getting to his feet. Jo's eyes widen when Carlos shot a ray of frost at her freezing her completly- unlike frosting over Claire like he did earlier.
Kendall jerked his head in James' direction. "Smash her." He ordered from their own material arts expert.
Sighing James got up and levitated into the air, he took a leap and kicked the frozen Jo, shattering her like the block of ice she was.
Big-Time-Charmed.
Again standing at the altar, Dantalian furiously searched through the Book of Shadows. "Death alone will not suffice, mr groom." She muttered glancing at Logan's unconscious form. "Not anymore, not after this." The priestess glared at the stub that was that's left from her left hand.
Big-Time-Charmed.
Carlos followed Kendall and James down the stairs. "So what are we supposed to do now?"
"I don't know." Kendall shrugged. "Kill innocents?" For some reason that thought annoys him. It seemed like such a waste of those years fighting evil.
That didn't stop his lust for power though.
"No, I mean about Logan." Carlos corrected. "How are we supposed to find him without the Book?"
James looked at Kendall. Something's missing right? Shaking his head the witch smirked. "Shouldn't you be mourning the loss of your beloved Jo?"
This set the three of them in a large laughing-fit.
"Okay, but seriously." Kendall said with a small chuckle. "That was one pissed off priestess. And if she kills Logan, she takes the evil power of four along with him, and we won't stand a chance."
James grimaced not liking the idea of losing their new freedom. "Good point. We have to find Logan and-" He paused. "Wait a minute, we're warlocks, right? We should be able to blink wherever we want."
"But we don't know where to blink to." Carlos pointed out.
"We don't have to know where, just to who." James replied immensely pleased with himself. "To Logan. I mean, isn't that how Jo's orbing power worked?"
Kendall nodded. "Yeah, but her power was jammed. She couldn't find him."
"That's because she was good," James reminded them. "and we're evil."
Big-Time-Charmed.
"Through this book," Dantalian read from the Book of Shadows, chanting louder than the Charmed Ones, but she wasn't them and the Book was now hers. And soon the Charmed Ones would be no more. "weave this spell, create the pain of heaven to hell; may he suffer-" She stopped when suddenly Kendall, James and Carlos appeared in her lair.
"Whoa." Carlos took a moment to look around their new location, he had to say, the Underworld isn't that impressive. He then spotted Logan laying unconscious on lady Dantalian's large altar. "Logan." He whispered taking a step closer to the altar stopping when the priestess spoke up.
"Too late. I've got the book."
Kendall snorted, as if just having the Book of Shadows changed the amount of power one possessed. "Yeah, well, you know, it takes a while to learn how to use it. Trust us."
"How about in the meantime, I freeze your head and shatter it?" Carlos suggested grinning all to eager to brutally end her life.
Dantalian glared at them. "I may not be powerful enough to fight you yet, but they are." She said waving her hand over Logan and Zalia who both slowly woke up and sat up, moving in sinc with each other.
"Whoa, Logan, hey, hi. You don't look so good." James commented on the blank stare on his older brother's face. "but that's a great outfit bro." He said with a smile.
"Zalia, Logan." Dantalian smiled. "Eliminate them."
"Logan, ignore her." Kendall commanded. "Come on, come with us. We're your brothers." No way was Logan going to ignore his leadership.
Logan wasn't impressed by Kendall's words, he just looks a Zalia with a large smile on his face. "I'm her husband." He said before bringing his attention to Kendall. "Not your brother." Logan waved his arm at them using telekinesis to push them away. Like his brothers he to was a lot more powerful now that he no longer held back.
The three went sliding a couple of feet away. "Alright," Carlos said sitting up. "I think that means no."
James shot him an unimpressed look. "We have to figure out a way to get Logan on our side and fast." He said getting up.
Nodding Kendall looked over at Carlos. "How about we get him a divorce?"
At that a grin formed on Carlos' face and he snapped his fingers forming a flame on each finger balling his fist he formed a large fireball, he's about to throw it at Zalia when she shapeshifted into an exact lookalike to Logan.
She and the real Logan then blinked away re-appearing in different places of the lair.
Lady Dantalian laughed loudly at the shocked looks on the Charmed Ones' faces. "Don't want to kill the wrong brother, now do you?" She mocked. "Face it, compared to me you three don't-" She's cut of when Carlos shot a blast of ice at her and froze her.
No need for extra yelling when one of the Logans had a dagger.
One of the two Logans looked at the other, a look of pure adoration on his face. "I love you."
"You too." The other Logan replied.
"Welcome to Planet Narcissus." Kendall muttered, not even James told himself that he... loved himself.
"Wait a minute." James suddenly perked up, it's not the power of empathy that's helping him now. "Muffy said that evil can't love."
Kendall and Carlos whipped their heads around to look at him. "Muffy?!"
"Uh, never mind." James hurriedly waved his hand to direct their attention away from that subject. "The point is that the other Logan didn't say 'I love you too'." James cried pointing to the Logan. "Carlos freeze that one!"
Carlos's did, he send a blast of frost at the Logan.
"Well, shatter him." Kendall cried. "Hurry!"
"No!" The unfrozen Logan cried when James levitated in to the air. "Zalia!"
In the air James smirk kicking the frozen Logan shattering it in a dozen of pieces. James landed clumsily. Oh... He winced.
Logan looked around more than a little disoriented. "What's going on?"
"I think we're back." Kendall answered. "All of us."
Walking over to the altar Carlos' looked at the Book of Shadows flipping through a few pages. No more murderous spells. "The book is back too."
"Let's go do something good with it." Logan said aware of what's going on thanks to a vague dream he had. A dream involving him ruling the world at that priestess' side.
He, James and Kendall walked over to the altar and looked over Carlos' shoulder watching him search for the right vanquishing spell.
It didn't take long for them to find the right page.
"Powers of light, magic of right, cast this blight into forever's night."
Lady Dantalian unfroze and started screaming at the top of her lungs before she burst into flames, in a matter of seconds there was nothing left of the evil high-priestess.
Logan chuckled. "Well, that was a wedding from hell." He said with a small laugh, he looked down at his wedding suit. "Looks like I'm the first to get married of us huh-..." He awkwardly trailed of when the others tensed up in reaction to his words.
James was clutching his chest as if in pain, Carlos had gone pale and Kendall- Kendall looked about ready to pass out.
"J-Jo." Kendall choked out, breath coming out in small gasps.
"What?" Logan asked starting to get worried.
"We killed her." Carlos whispered.
Big-Time-Charmed.
Carlos flamed them all back to the attic, where Kendall collapsed to his knees in front of a pile of pieces of frozen- frozen whitelighter...
"I'm sorry" Kendall gasped out, tears starting to roll down his cheeks. "Oh god I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" It's not true... I-it can't be! But it is! He'd given the command himself...
And now s-she's gone.
"I'm so sorry." Kendall sobbed.
The ice cubes started to disappear becoming little orbs which floated up forming Jo's silhouette. immediately after materializing Jo threw herself at Kendall, "You're you again! Oh thank good you're back!" She whispered hugging Kendall as hard as she could, Kendall who was looking at her not sure if she's really there.
Finally he returned the hug. "Oh, thank god you're okay." He murmured hugging her hard, afraid she'd be gone again if he let go.
"Actually, it had more to do with what you guys did." Jo quietly replied looking over Kendall's shoulder to look at Carlos and James. "Vanquishing Zalia broke the bond and reversed all the evil you had done."
Logan raised an eyebrow at that. "All the evil you had done?" He repeated looking away from the couple on the ground to send Carlos and James an amused look.
"Carlitos has ice powers when he's not worried about holding back?" James said in an attempt to get Logan to not engage the subject, to Logan the idea of them creating havoc my seem funny, but that's only because he doesn't know how horrible they had been and James would rather forget the whole fiasco, no matter how free he felt without the boundaries of having to hide their powers.
"Good thing the wedding planners won't believe what really happened." Jo murmured.
Kendall tightened the hug. "But you will."
"Oh, yeah, Jo," Carlos said grimacing. "Sorry we killed you." James nodded rapidly.
Jo smiled at them. "It's okay, guys, it wasn't the real you." She pulled away from Kendall, just a little bit. "It wasn't your fault either, Kendall."
"Wasn't it?" Logan asked frowning deeply. "I mean, on some level it was me. I felt it. They didn't just plant evil inside of me, or us," He murmured thinking back to his dream and what he had felt. "There had to be something there for them to turn to begin with."
"But that doesn't make you evil, Logan." Jo replied. "You have to choose to be evil voluntarily."
"Well, I gotta admit it, it was kind of fun." Carlos said grinning, the freedom, the control he suddenly had over his powers...
"Carlos..." Kendall, Logan and James warned.
"Well, it was fun for a while." Carlos continued. "I mean, to be able to do whatever we wanted whenever we wanted with no consequences."
Kendall shot his youngest brother a dirty look. "My fiancé being shattered into a gazillion pieces is kind of a consequence."
Jo nodded letting Kendall help her to her feet. "Thank you."
They all walked out of the attic. "Still," Logan said "I kinda get it. The whole enjoying evil thing, I mean."
"You do?" Carlos and Kendall asked in perfect sync.
James looked at Logan, studying his older brother's look before smiling. "Am I detecting a thaw in our rift?"
"All I'm saying is if evil weren't enticing, why would there be any?" Logan replied sounding like he knew exactly what he was talking about which made his brothers and Jo wonder exactly how this experience had been to him. "I mean, you know, to pretend that we're never attracted to it, it's like pretending that it just doesn't exist."
James' face fell. "Something tells me Muffy's name is about to be brought up."
Logan sighed but nodded. "Look, I definitely do not like the fact that you lied to us about vanquishing her," He told James. "but I have to admit, after taking a trip down the dark side, I sort of understand it a little better."
Raising a hand Carlos nodded. "It made me realise Melanie is just so boring."
At that Kendall snorted, apparently they needed to turn evil for Carlos' to realize he didn't like a girl. The lived with a fricken cupid for god's sake. "Well, scratch one name off of the wedding guest list."
"Actually," Jo sighed making a tired motion with her hands. "scratch them all. I cave. Our lives are just way too bizarre to have any sort of normal wedding. I don't know what I was thinking."
All somewhat relieved they started to make their way down the stairs, James and Carlos at the back."By the way, James," Carlos said looking at his brother. "you never mentioned where you got that premonition from."
"What premonition?" James asked frowning in confusion.
"The one that told us about Dantalian." Carlos answered "The one that saved our butts."
Hazel eyes widened. "Right." James grimaced awkwardly rubbing his neck. He kinda hoped that was just some sick thing he dreamt up. "Um, you know, something tells me that you wouldn't believe me if I told you anyway." He said forcing a smile. "So let's just say I got in touch with my evil side. Something that I will never do again." He patted Carlos' shoulder. "I think I'm going to bed early tonight. Good night buddy." He said stopping at the second floor.
Carlos looked at James before shrugging. He actually felt like going to bed and forgetting about today as soon as possible to. "Good night bro."
Big-Time-Charmed.
The next morning James, before going to class, went to the mausoleum. Muffy was already there waiting for him.
"How'd it go?" Over the night she'd gotten herself fresh new clothes from a store. She left money to pay for it there of course. She'd be good, robbing clothing stores would not help her in suppressing her demonic half.
"Everything's back to normal again." James answered.
Muffy nodded, face blank. She knew what's about to come. "Good."
"Yeah." James said... and the entire atmosphere had turned weird. "Good."
"It's not enough, is it?" Muffy asked unable to keep the hurt from her voice. "What I did doesn't change your mind about us, does it?"
James sadly shook his head. "No."
"Why not?"
James sighed, he knew the question had been coming- knew it since last night, he had been thinking about it the entire way from the manor to the mausoleum- the mausoleum that was slowly becoming their mausoleum. He still didn't have an answer. "It's too complicated."
She had every right not to accept that. "Oh, don't give me that." Muffy snapped. "If nothing else, let's at least be honest with each other. We owe that."
Then it's honesty she's gonna get. "I love you and I will always love you." James said looking her right in the eyes, his voice isn't soft. It's casual. Like he's saying the sky is blue and I love you. "Nothing can change that."
James exhaled loudly true his nose to calm himself- stop himself from saying what he's not supposed to say. "It's just the temptation, it's too much. And I can't take that risk, for me or the guys."
"James," Muffy pleads "I'm telling you, I'm not evil anymore.2
James nodded. "Maybe not on the surface and maybe not even in your heart." There's emotion in his voice again, and if he wasn't saying the exact opposite from what she wanted to hear then Muffy would have cried. "But somewhere inside of you, you'll always be. And you can't ever change that." He took a step backwards. "Goodbye." He said turning around and leaving.
Muffy watched him go. "I'm not giving up, Sweets." She whispered, a determined look on her face. "I'm not going away."
