"Am I late?" Leo asked as he orbed into the backroom.
" No," Piper said as she grabbed a plate. " We're just sitting down." She and Leo walked to a large table in the corner. Cole sat between Phoebe and Grace, helping her cut up her food. Melinda and Prue were discussing the power of exploding, the teen's new power. Piper set down a chicken dish and sat at the table with Leo. " Hey, Dad," Melinda greeted him.
" Hi everybody," he said. Cole turned to Phoebe. "Did you read the paper today?"
" A little. Why?"
" They had an article about this woman, uh, Paige Matthews?"
" That sounds familiar," Phoebe said. "She was murdered in her
apartment."
" That's what they believe what happened," Prue joined in the conversation. " Her body was gone. The police found scorch marks on the floor, like from fireballs."
Phoebe and Piper exchanged a look, and Piper knew what they both were thinking: what would a demon want with Paige?
A gust of wind blew through, perplexing the Halliwell family and the other customers. Two warlocks shimmered in, followed by a Darklighter and a figure in a black cloak.
As the other customers ran out, Prue, Piper, and Phoebe stood up. " Who the hell are you?" Prue asked. Cole hurried Grace into the backroom. Melinda and Leo also got up.
" Oh, you don't know?" a deep womanly voice asked from beneath the cloak. The Darklighter shot out his poisonous arrow, hitting Leo in the chest. He crumbled to the ground. Melinda dropped beside her father, attempting to heal him.
Prue tried to fling the cloaked woman into the wall, but she didn't move. Piper attempted to blow her up, but couldn't. " You can't kill me," the woman said as the warlocks began to throw energy balls at the Charmed Ones. " You know why?"
Phoebe's blood ran cold. " Because you're our sister," she whispered. Paige lowered her hood, revealing pale skin and perfectly white eyes.
Prue stared at Paige. " How can you be our sister?"
" Mother had an affair with her Whitelighter," Paige explained, " and had me." Fire collected in her palm and Paige hurled it at Prue. Prue screamed as she fell. Her sisters ran to her.
" Stop it, Paige," ordered Phoebe. Paige scowled. " How do you know my name?"
" Not the point. How do you even know about magic?" Phoebe demanded to know.
" Two days ago I was attacked by a demon and nearly died. Luckily a demon named the Seer brought me back to life as long as I swore I'd become a demon and I'd kill the Charmed Ones. Little did I know I'd be killing my own sisters."
The Seer? thought Phoebe. The witch who helped put the Hollow away?
The warlocks began to hurl fireballs at the witches. Piper blew them up. Leo sat up from Melinda's long but adequate healing and tried to heal Prue.
" She's dead," Leo told the remaining Charmed Ones.
" You killed her!" Piper cried. " You killed her!"
" Just like I'll kill you," Paige snarled as she flung fire at her sisters. Both sisters fell to the ground. Piper felt her life slip away so slowly…
***********************
Paige gasped for breath as her vision went black. She could feel Prue hold her, try to stop the blood pouring from her. But she knew that it was her time to die. Instead of a sick fear she always thought she'd feel, she felt calm. Peaceful.
" I'm sorry," Prue said, tears sliding down her face. " I'm so sorry."
" Don't…be," Paige struggled to speak. " It is my…time to die." Paige gave her sister a smile. " I want to die properly…like you did." Prue sobbed even harder.
" No, Paige!" she cried. " Leo! Leo! Get your ass down here and save my sister!"
***********************
Leo gazed at his wife, lying serenely on a bed of clouds. He felt her pain. Something in the future was going horribly wrong and he couldn't stop her pain.
There was other pain inside him, though. It felt like he was dying. Leo realized he'd been so lost in thought he hadn't been listening to calls from Paige or Prue…
" I think Paige is dying," he blurted out to the Elders as he orbed to the manor. Prue sat on the kitchen floor, cradling an unmoving Paige. Leo knelt beside her.
" What happened?" he asked.
"Warlock," Prue said between tears. " Heal her, Leo, heal her!"
The Whitelighter put his hands over Paige, trying to mend her wounds. Her heartbeat was so weak, so delicate he was afraid to heal her. He could kill her.
Nevertheless, he had to try. He gathered his magic and let it flow into Paige, trying to save her. Leo bit his lip slightly. He didn't want Prue to know he was worried.
" No," Piper said as she grabbed a plate. " We're just sitting down." She and Leo walked to a large table in the corner. Cole sat between Phoebe and Grace, helping her cut up her food. Melinda and Prue were discussing the power of exploding, the teen's new power. Piper set down a chicken dish and sat at the table with Leo. " Hey, Dad," Melinda greeted him.
" Hi everybody," he said. Cole turned to Phoebe. "Did you read the paper today?"
" A little. Why?"
" They had an article about this woman, uh, Paige Matthews?"
" That sounds familiar," Phoebe said. "She was murdered in her
apartment."
" That's what they believe what happened," Prue joined in the conversation. " Her body was gone. The police found scorch marks on the floor, like from fireballs."
Phoebe and Piper exchanged a look, and Piper knew what they both were thinking: what would a demon want with Paige?
A gust of wind blew through, perplexing the Halliwell family and the other customers. Two warlocks shimmered in, followed by a Darklighter and a figure in a black cloak.
As the other customers ran out, Prue, Piper, and Phoebe stood up. " Who the hell are you?" Prue asked. Cole hurried Grace into the backroom. Melinda and Leo also got up.
" Oh, you don't know?" a deep womanly voice asked from beneath the cloak. The Darklighter shot out his poisonous arrow, hitting Leo in the chest. He crumbled to the ground. Melinda dropped beside her father, attempting to heal him.
Prue tried to fling the cloaked woman into the wall, but she didn't move. Piper attempted to blow her up, but couldn't. " You can't kill me," the woman said as the warlocks began to throw energy balls at the Charmed Ones. " You know why?"
Phoebe's blood ran cold. " Because you're our sister," she whispered. Paige lowered her hood, revealing pale skin and perfectly white eyes.
Prue stared at Paige. " How can you be our sister?"
" Mother had an affair with her Whitelighter," Paige explained, " and had me." Fire collected in her palm and Paige hurled it at Prue. Prue screamed as she fell. Her sisters ran to her.
" Stop it, Paige," ordered Phoebe. Paige scowled. " How do you know my name?"
" Not the point. How do you even know about magic?" Phoebe demanded to know.
" Two days ago I was attacked by a demon and nearly died. Luckily a demon named the Seer brought me back to life as long as I swore I'd become a demon and I'd kill the Charmed Ones. Little did I know I'd be killing my own sisters."
The Seer? thought Phoebe. The witch who helped put the Hollow away?
The warlocks began to hurl fireballs at the witches. Piper blew them up. Leo sat up from Melinda's long but adequate healing and tried to heal Prue.
" She's dead," Leo told the remaining Charmed Ones.
" You killed her!" Piper cried. " You killed her!"
" Just like I'll kill you," Paige snarled as she flung fire at her sisters. Both sisters fell to the ground. Piper felt her life slip away so slowly…
***********************
Paige gasped for breath as her vision went black. She could feel Prue hold her, try to stop the blood pouring from her. But she knew that it was her time to die. Instead of a sick fear she always thought she'd feel, she felt calm. Peaceful.
" I'm sorry," Prue said, tears sliding down her face. " I'm so sorry."
" Don't…be," Paige struggled to speak. " It is my…time to die." Paige gave her sister a smile. " I want to die properly…like you did." Prue sobbed even harder.
" No, Paige!" she cried. " Leo! Leo! Get your ass down here and save my sister!"
***********************
Leo gazed at his wife, lying serenely on a bed of clouds. He felt her pain. Something in the future was going horribly wrong and he couldn't stop her pain.
There was other pain inside him, though. It felt like he was dying. Leo realized he'd been so lost in thought he hadn't been listening to calls from Paige or Prue…
" I think Paige is dying," he blurted out to the Elders as he orbed to the manor. Prue sat on the kitchen floor, cradling an unmoving Paige. Leo knelt beside her.
" What happened?" he asked.
"Warlock," Prue said between tears. " Heal her, Leo, heal her!"
The Whitelighter put his hands over Paige, trying to mend her wounds. Her heartbeat was so weak, so delicate he was afraid to heal her. He could kill her.
Nevertheless, he had to try. He gathered his magic and let it flow into Paige, trying to save her. Leo bit his lip slightly. He didn't want Prue to know he was worried.