CHAPTER FIVE
Andy didn't know what to do. Phoebe was nowhere. He sighed then turned to the men.
"Everyone, I think we should split up into teams of two. Instead of searching for her, gather everyone who was in the ballroom last night and meet me in front of the castle."
The men went off, leaving Andy and Lawrence.
"Is there something you need, Lawrence?" Andy asked.
"Yes, and it is something you can help me with." Lawrence said and dismounted. "But you'll need to be off the horse."
Andy dismounted and walked over to Lawrence.
"What is it?"
Lawrence pulled a small bottle from his pocket and took the top off it, then hid it behind his back. Then he bent low and Andy did as well, then he pointed straight ahead.
"See? Over there. Look."
"I don't see anything." Andy said.
"My mistake." Lawrence said and pulled the bottle next to Andy's head. "I must be seeing things."
"Well-"
Before Andy could say anything, Lawrence waved the bottle under Andy's nose and waited. Andy stood and tried to walk, but he just staggered, then his eyes shut and he fell to the ground, asleep.
Lawrence got back on his horse and rode off in the direction of the Dead Forest.
* * *
Cole sighed and looked at Phoebe. She was still ignoring him.
"Please, just at least look at me."
"I won't." Phoebe said and turned away from Cole even more.
"Look, I've been thinking about all of this and I realize now that the stuff you said about soulmates earlier makes sense."
"Oh, so something penetrated that thick skull of yours?"
"Hey!"
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry." Phoebe said and turned to Cole with a genuinely apologetic expression, then it turned to anger. "I'm sorry that I hurt the feelings of my kidnapper!"
Phoebe turned again and Cole began to think about the whole situation.
* * *
Once Prue had astralled back, Piper jumped up from her seat.
"Anything?"
"No sign of Phoebe," Prue said. "But something quite odd did happen to me."
"What happened?" Piper asked.
"Well, I tried astralling to Phoebe, but I ended up at the edge of the Dead Forest."
"The Dead Forest? Oh, Prue, you don't think..."
"I don't know what to think." Prue said. "I mean, someone is definitely keeping good magic out of there. There's talismans all around, I took one step in and I was thrown right back out."
"I wish we knew what was going on." Piper said quietly.
* * *
Cole sighed. He had made his decision. He was going to tell Phoebe everything. He had no other choice.
"I want to tell you something."
"That's nice." Phoebe said coldly.
"I'm going to tell you who hired me, his plan, and what I'm supposed to do, so I really think you want to pay attention."
Phoebe turned and looked at Cole. It was obvious that she wasn't sure if he was really going to tell her.
"Ask me anything you want to know." Cole said.
"Just tell me the story." Phoebe said. Cole took a deep breath and began.
"Count Lawrence approached me, I'm not going to tell you where, but he did. He knew that I was...sort of in the business and he asked me to do this job. He told me everything about the big ballroom thing and he told me to wait. I was just about to go in when I found you. My instructions were clear, get you here and keep you here." Cole said and paused, but Phoebe had no questions so he continued.
"He told me first he would get Andy out of the way, he said something about him being too loyal and would probably get back to the castle and warn Prue. I had no idea who they were, but he really hated them; I could tell. Then he told me once Andy was taken care of, he would go to the castle and claim that the people of Torathia had kidnapped you, then he said Prue would probably wage a big war, then Lawrence would come back here, kill you, pay me, then he'd go back to the castle with your body and act as a valiant hero and he believed that Prue would give him control of Torathia."
Phoebe sat, stunned. She had to get out. She had to warn Andy, had to warn Prue, had to Piper, had to beat the Count to a bloody pulp, then...well, she didn't quite know yet, but she'd figure it out.
"Why - why did you tell me that?" Phoebe finally asked.
"I want to get you out of here."
* * *
Lawrence stopped his horse at the edge of the Dead Forest and smiled to himself. Andy had been taken care of for now and he could see his last loose ends running toward him, and holding hands at that.
Lawrence dismounted and pulled out a dagger, then he took a few steps in front of his horse and waited.
When Cole and Phoebe reached the edge of the forest and saw him, they both stopped dead in their tracks. And Lawrence wanted that in the most literal sense.
"What're you - you-" Cole stuttered. He couldn't believe it.
"Cole, hush." Lawrence said. "I knew something like this would happen. You're much too human for your own good. Being holed up with someone like her, I knew you'd crack."
"Cole, what's he talking about?" Phoebe asked. Lawrence smiled at Cole.
"Don't."
"As you wish." Lawrence said. "Or maybe I will say something, seeing as you've betrayed me."
Cole couldn't let him say anything. He dove forward and punched Lawrence, but Lawrence grabbed him by the neck and pulled him down, then stabbed him.
Lawrence pulled the dagger out and watched with a satisfied smile as Cole fell to his knees.
"Now, you're putting me terribly behind schedule." Lawrence said, then before Phoebe could run, grabbed her by the wrist. "I'm not going to kill you yet."
Lawrence took another small bottle from his pocket, took the top off, then waved it under Phoebe's nose. Once she was asleep, Lawrence put her on his horse and got on himself.
"I leave you to die now." Lawrence said then rode off.
* * *
Prue astralled back to the Dead Forest and noticed something new about the scenery. All the talismans were laying on the ground and so was a man. Prue rushed over to him and kneeled next to him.
"What happened?" She asked.
"Count Lawrence stabbed me...he's got Phoebe." Cole said as best he could, but he lost a lot of blood and his vision was starting to blur.
"He has my sister?" Prue asked.
"Are you Prue or Piper?"
"I'm Prue. What happened?"
"I will explain everything later, but the Count is going to kill Phoebe. It's part of his plan to rule Torathia." Cole told her. "He's going to kill her soon...before he reaches the castle."
"I'll send some people here for you, but I must find my sister." Prue said.
"Go." Cole whispered.
She didn't have to be told twice. Prue took a few steps away from him then astralled back to the castle.
* * *
Lawrence dismounted, then pulled his bloody dagger from its sheath. He lifted Phoebe off the horse and threw her over his shoulder. Now all he needed was the perfect spot.
He hummed as he looked around. He was going to have show them exactly where he found the body, so the blood had to be where the body was supposedly found.
He decided the brush would be a good place, so he walked through it, ignoring the tiny little scratches he was getting from the rough surroundings.
Once he reached a half decent spot, he put Phoebe down and looked at his dagger. He would need to clean it after he was done. He looked behind him for a possible water source, and that's when Phoebe woke up.
* * *
Prue explained everything to Piper and they already had half the castle mobilized. After they had gotten everyone going, they went to the stables to get their horses; they were going to do some searching on their own.
Once they got to the front of the castle, they were shocked. Every man from the ballroom last night was there, along with what must have been half of the nearest town, and the army.
Prue and Piper just sat on their horses, stunned.
Andy didn't know what to do. Phoebe was nowhere. He sighed then turned to the men.
"Everyone, I think we should split up into teams of two. Instead of searching for her, gather everyone who was in the ballroom last night and meet me in front of the castle."
The men went off, leaving Andy and Lawrence.
"Is there something you need, Lawrence?" Andy asked.
"Yes, and it is something you can help me with." Lawrence said and dismounted. "But you'll need to be off the horse."
Andy dismounted and walked over to Lawrence.
"What is it?"
Lawrence pulled a small bottle from his pocket and took the top off it, then hid it behind his back. Then he bent low and Andy did as well, then he pointed straight ahead.
"See? Over there. Look."
"I don't see anything." Andy said.
"My mistake." Lawrence said and pulled the bottle next to Andy's head. "I must be seeing things."
"Well-"
Before Andy could say anything, Lawrence waved the bottle under Andy's nose and waited. Andy stood and tried to walk, but he just staggered, then his eyes shut and he fell to the ground, asleep.
Lawrence got back on his horse and rode off in the direction of the Dead Forest.
* * *
Cole sighed and looked at Phoebe. She was still ignoring him.
"Please, just at least look at me."
"I won't." Phoebe said and turned away from Cole even more.
"Look, I've been thinking about all of this and I realize now that the stuff you said about soulmates earlier makes sense."
"Oh, so something penetrated that thick skull of yours?"
"Hey!"
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry." Phoebe said and turned to Cole with a genuinely apologetic expression, then it turned to anger. "I'm sorry that I hurt the feelings of my kidnapper!"
Phoebe turned again and Cole began to think about the whole situation.
* * *
Once Prue had astralled back, Piper jumped up from her seat.
"Anything?"
"No sign of Phoebe," Prue said. "But something quite odd did happen to me."
"What happened?" Piper asked.
"Well, I tried astralling to Phoebe, but I ended up at the edge of the Dead Forest."
"The Dead Forest? Oh, Prue, you don't think..."
"I don't know what to think." Prue said. "I mean, someone is definitely keeping good magic out of there. There's talismans all around, I took one step in and I was thrown right back out."
"I wish we knew what was going on." Piper said quietly.
* * *
Cole sighed. He had made his decision. He was going to tell Phoebe everything. He had no other choice.
"I want to tell you something."
"That's nice." Phoebe said coldly.
"I'm going to tell you who hired me, his plan, and what I'm supposed to do, so I really think you want to pay attention."
Phoebe turned and looked at Cole. It was obvious that she wasn't sure if he was really going to tell her.
"Ask me anything you want to know." Cole said.
"Just tell me the story." Phoebe said. Cole took a deep breath and began.
"Count Lawrence approached me, I'm not going to tell you where, but he did. He knew that I was...sort of in the business and he asked me to do this job. He told me everything about the big ballroom thing and he told me to wait. I was just about to go in when I found you. My instructions were clear, get you here and keep you here." Cole said and paused, but Phoebe had no questions so he continued.
"He told me first he would get Andy out of the way, he said something about him being too loyal and would probably get back to the castle and warn Prue. I had no idea who they were, but he really hated them; I could tell. Then he told me once Andy was taken care of, he would go to the castle and claim that the people of Torathia had kidnapped you, then he said Prue would probably wage a big war, then Lawrence would come back here, kill you, pay me, then he'd go back to the castle with your body and act as a valiant hero and he believed that Prue would give him control of Torathia."
Phoebe sat, stunned. She had to get out. She had to warn Andy, had to warn Prue, had to Piper, had to beat the Count to a bloody pulp, then...well, she didn't quite know yet, but she'd figure it out.
"Why - why did you tell me that?" Phoebe finally asked.
"I want to get you out of here."
* * *
Lawrence stopped his horse at the edge of the Dead Forest and smiled to himself. Andy had been taken care of for now and he could see his last loose ends running toward him, and holding hands at that.
Lawrence dismounted and pulled out a dagger, then he took a few steps in front of his horse and waited.
When Cole and Phoebe reached the edge of the forest and saw him, they both stopped dead in their tracks. And Lawrence wanted that in the most literal sense.
"What're you - you-" Cole stuttered. He couldn't believe it.
"Cole, hush." Lawrence said. "I knew something like this would happen. You're much too human for your own good. Being holed up with someone like her, I knew you'd crack."
"Cole, what's he talking about?" Phoebe asked. Lawrence smiled at Cole.
"Don't."
"As you wish." Lawrence said. "Or maybe I will say something, seeing as you've betrayed me."
Cole couldn't let him say anything. He dove forward and punched Lawrence, but Lawrence grabbed him by the neck and pulled him down, then stabbed him.
Lawrence pulled the dagger out and watched with a satisfied smile as Cole fell to his knees.
"Now, you're putting me terribly behind schedule." Lawrence said, then before Phoebe could run, grabbed her by the wrist. "I'm not going to kill you yet."
Lawrence took another small bottle from his pocket, took the top off, then waved it under Phoebe's nose. Once she was asleep, Lawrence put her on his horse and got on himself.
"I leave you to die now." Lawrence said then rode off.
* * *
Prue astralled back to the Dead Forest and noticed something new about the scenery. All the talismans were laying on the ground and so was a man. Prue rushed over to him and kneeled next to him.
"What happened?" She asked.
"Count Lawrence stabbed me...he's got Phoebe." Cole said as best he could, but he lost a lot of blood and his vision was starting to blur.
"He has my sister?" Prue asked.
"Are you Prue or Piper?"
"I'm Prue. What happened?"
"I will explain everything later, but the Count is going to kill Phoebe. It's part of his plan to rule Torathia." Cole told her. "He's going to kill her soon...before he reaches the castle."
"I'll send some people here for you, but I must find my sister." Prue said.
"Go." Cole whispered.
She didn't have to be told twice. Prue took a few steps away from him then astralled back to the castle.
* * *
Lawrence dismounted, then pulled his bloody dagger from its sheath. He lifted Phoebe off the horse and threw her over his shoulder. Now all he needed was the perfect spot.
He hummed as he looked around. He was going to have show them exactly where he found the body, so the blood had to be where the body was supposedly found.
He decided the brush would be a good place, so he walked through it, ignoring the tiny little scratches he was getting from the rough surroundings.
Once he reached a half decent spot, he put Phoebe down and looked at his dagger. He would need to clean it after he was done. He looked behind him for a possible water source, and that's when Phoebe woke up.
* * *
Prue explained everything to Piper and they already had half the castle mobilized. After they had gotten everyone going, they went to the stables to get their horses; they were going to do some searching on their own.
Once they got to the front of the castle, they were shocked. Every man from the ballroom last night was there, along with what must have been half of the nearest town, and the army.
Prue and Piper just sat on their horses, stunned.