CHAPTER FOUR
Phoebe opened her eyes slowly. Her vision was blurry for a moment, but when it cleared she noticed she was in a cabin. She sat up and looked around.
There was a fireplace, and a fire was already roaring in it. There was just one chair and the bed she was laying on in the room. She saw a doorway and wondered if Cole was in there.
She didn't like this at all.
'It figures the one man I enjoy spending time with would kidnap me.' Phoebe thought.
Cole walked into the room and just looked at her. Phoebe crossed her arms and looked away from him.
"I'm sorry." He said and took a few steps closer. Phoebe glanced at him and noticed he had a bowl of soup.
"I demand you take me back to my home at once so you can be arrested for kidnapping a princess."
"Sorry, but I can't." He said. "I've got orders."
"Orders? From who?" Phoebe asked.
"I can't tell you." Cole said. "I'm just supposed to keep you here until tomorrow night."
"Why? What's going to happen?" Phoebe asked.
"I can't say anything." Cole said and handed her the soup. "I'm leaving you now."
"Fine! I don't want to look at you anyway!" Phoebe said.
Cole left and shut the door, Phoebe heard it lock as well.
"You are going to wish you released me when my sisters are through with you!" She screamed.
* * *
Andy sighed as Count Lawrence returned from the door of the latest house.
"Nothing?"
"Nothing." Lawrence answered and got back on his horse.
"Where would she go?" He asked himself quietly.
"If I may suggest," Lawrence said. "That we look upon this situation as if she were captured."
"Captured? You mean taken? Kidnapped? If so, by whom?" Andy asked.
"Rivals!" One of the men in the back shouted. Andy turned to them.
"But who?" He asked. None of the men had an answer.
"Torathia?" Lawrence suggested.
* * *
Piper had called for Leo one last time, then she sat on the floor, defeated.
"She's going to die." Piper said quietly.
"No, she isn't." Prue said. "I'm going to find her."
"How?" Piper asked. "Leo could locate her in an instant, we don't have that power."
"I'm going to astral project to her." Prue said.
"You can do that?" Piper asked and pulled herself up from the floor.
"I don't know for sure, but I have to try." Prue said, then she concentrated on Phoebe and astralled out.
* * *
Phoebe put her empty soup bowl on the mantle of the fireplace, then sat on the floor in front of the fire. She tried to think of a way to escape, but nothing seemed like a good idea.
She heard the door unlocking and moved so her back was facing the door. She heard it creek open, then she heard footsteps and Cole sat next to her.
"I'm sorry." He said again.
"The Princess does not accept your apology." Phoebe said coldly.
"Is that how you're going to be?" Cole asked. "I thought you liked me."
"That was before you kidnapped me." Phoebe said.
"I told you, I'm only doing this because I have orders." Cole said.
"Why did you do it, though?" Phoebe asked. "Riches?"
"Well, I am getting a hefty payment, but I'm not doing it for that." Cole said. "I just needed an opportunity."
"An opportunity?" Phoebe asked. "At the fountain, I was ready to take you back inside and tell all those other men to go home. That would have been an opportunity, but instead you chose to throw it away for jail."
"Jail?"
"Yes, jail." Phoebe said. "Do you think you will get out of this unpunished? Let me just say, if my oldest sister doesn't kill you on sight, I would be quite surprised."
* * *
Prue looked around. Phoebe was no where in sight, but she must have been close.
"I wouldn't have ended up here if she wasn't." Prue said quietly to herself then looked around some more.
Then she realized she was at the entrance of the Dead Forest. She took a deep breath, then walked in. But she didn't get far. As soon as she stepped in, a great force pushed her back out, knocking her down.
Prue stood back up and looked around again, but more closely. It was now that she noticed the talismans guarding the forest. She cursed under her breath and astralled back.
Phoebe opened her eyes slowly. Her vision was blurry for a moment, but when it cleared she noticed she was in a cabin. She sat up and looked around.
There was a fireplace, and a fire was already roaring in it. There was just one chair and the bed she was laying on in the room. She saw a doorway and wondered if Cole was in there.
She didn't like this at all.
'It figures the one man I enjoy spending time with would kidnap me.' Phoebe thought.
Cole walked into the room and just looked at her. Phoebe crossed her arms and looked away from him.
"I'm sorry." He said and took a few steps closer. Phoebe glanced at him and noticed he had a bowl of soup.
"I demand you take me back to my home at once so you can be arrested for kidnapping a princess."
"Sorry, but I can't." He said. "I've got orders."
"Orders? From who?" Phoebe asked.
"I can't tell you." Cole said. "I'm just supposed to keep you here until tomorrow night."
"Why? What's going to happen?" Phoebe asked.
"I can't say anything." Cole said and handed her the soup. "I'm leaving you now."
"Fine! I don't want to look at you anyway!" Phoebe said.
Cole left and shut the door, Phoebe heard it lock as well.
"You are going to wish you released me when my sisters are through with you!" She screamed.
* * *
Andy sighed as Count Lawrence returned from the door of the latest house.
"Nothing?"
"Nothing." Lawrence answered and got back on his horse.
"Where would she go?" He asked himself quietly.
"If I may suggest," Lawrence said. "That we look upon this situation as if she were captured."
"Captured? You mean taken? Kidnapped? If so, by whom?" Andy asked.
"Rivals!" One of the men in the back shouted. Andy turned to them.
"But who?" He asked. None of the men had an answer.
"Torathia?" Lawrence suggested.
* * *
Piper had called for Leo one last time, then she sat on the floor, defeated.
"She's going to die." Piper said quietly.
"No, she isn't." Prue said. "I'm going to find her."
"How?" Piper asked. "Leo could locate her in an instant, we don't have that power."
"I'm going to astral project to her." Prue said.
"You can do that?" Piper asked and pulled herself up from the floor.
"I don't know for sure, but I have to try." Prue said, then she concentrated on Phoebe and astralled out.
* * *
Phoebe put her empty soup bowl on the mantle of the fireplace, then sat on the floor in front of the fire. She tried to think of a way to escape, but nothing seemed like a good idea.
She heard the door unlocking and moved so her back was facing the door. She heard it creek open, then she heard footsteps and Cole sat next to her.
"I'm sorry." He said again.
"The Princess does not accept your apology." Phoebe said coldly.
"Is that how you're going to be?" Cole asked. "I thought you liked me."
"That was before you kidnapped me." Phoebe said.
"I told you, I'm only doing this because I have orders." Cole said.
"Why did you do it, though?" Phoebe asked. "Riches?"
"Well, I am getting a hefty payment, but I'm not doing it for that." Cole said. "I just needed an opportunity."
"An opportunity?" Phoebe asked. "At the fountain, I was ready to take you back inside and tell all those other men to go home. That would have been an opportunity, but instead you chose to throw it away for jail."
"Jail?"
"Yes, jail." Phoebe said. "Do you think you will get out of this unpunished? Let me just say, if my oldest sister doesn't kill you on sight, I would be quite surprised."
* * *
Prue looked around. Phoebe was no where in sight, but she must have been close.
"I wouldn't have ended up here if she wasn't." Prue said quietly to herself then looked around some more.
Then she realized she was at the entrance of the Dead Forest. She took a deep breath, then walked in. But she didn't get far. As soon as she stepped in, a great force pushed her back out, knocking her down.
Prue stood back up and looked around again, but more closely. It was now that she noticed the talismans guarding the forest. She cursed under her breath and astralled back.