Chapter Six
"Oh, God," Laura cried as Eric held her tightly in his arms, "I thought I'd never see you again."
"Never," he promised her. "I'm never leaving you."
Piper stood to the side with Paige as they watched the couple. The rest of the warehouse remained frozen but Piper still scanned the area to make sure.
"We don't have much time," Paige told the couple as she recognized her sister's worry.
Suddenly, Leo, Cole, and Phoebe all appeared and Laura gasped. "How?"
"Pierce is down for now," Leo informed them, "but the Seeker's been sent on our trail."
"Leo," Piper nervously hurried to his side, "I thought Seekers don't let up until they've gotten their prey."
"I know," he solemnly agreed. "Do you have the potion ready?"
Piper reached into her pocket and pulled out a small bottle of amber liquid. "Where is it?"
Suddenly, the lights flickered and electric sparks appeared in all the outlets around the walls.
"I think it's here," Paige commented in a whisper.
Dark shadows suddenly surrounded them and Laura clung to Eric. "What's going on? What are those things?"
Cole picked a Seeker and began rapid-firing at it. The successive balls of electricity momentarily stunned it and it staggered to the side as it tried absorbing all the energy. But at least he'd created an opening. "Go!" he ordered.
The others quickly ran through the opening and separated as they wove their way through the stacks of crates.
Electric sparks flew from all sides and Piper asked her husband as they ducked, "How is one bottle going to stop all these Seekers?"
Cole shouted from nearby, "It will work on the one sent to kill us. Once he's gone, the others will back off."
"Are you sure?" Piper shouted back.
A spark near her head was the only answer Piper received as Leo grabbed her and orbed her behind another set of crates.
Eric grabbed Laura and ran with her down an empty aisle but, just as they were about to duck behind a stack of crates, Laura tripped and pulled him down too. He was about to jump up when she screamed. The dark creature with glowing red eyes was facing them. Electricity sparked from its long claws as it advanced on them. Eric pulled her close and she buried her face in his chest.
Phoebe inched out from her hiding place and stared transfixed at the scene before her. She was overcome with a sudden sense of déjà vu and quickly realized this was her premonition. She made a move toward the couple when she heard Cole's warning to jump. Without thinking, she jumped up and stunned herself by remaining suspended high in the air. She looked down and saw that a Seeker had been right behind her and would have struck her had she not listened to Cole. She quickly dropped, feet first, on top of the Seeker and rolled out of its dazed way. She was closer to Eric and Laura who huddled together before their own Seeker. She made a move towards them when she saw Cole appear on the opposite side of the demon. Her relief at his well-being turned to shock when two other Seekers appeared at his sides. "Cole! Watch out!"
Cole heard her warning and faded out without thinking twice. He reappeared at Phoebe's side and tried to distract Eric and Laura's Seeker by switching their position with that of the Seeker. The couple ran to safety near Cole and Phoebe while the Seeker was momentarily confused. "Now would be a good time, Piper!" he strongly urged.
"Paige," Phoebe called out, "where are you?"
"Right here," her sister answered as she orbed in next to Phoebe.
Just then, Leo orbed nearby with Piper.
Cole insisted, "Now, Piper!"
Piper quickly threw the bottle at the demon. It shattered when it hit the floor and the demon burst apart in a display of fireworks before it disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
"Are you okay?" Piper asked the young shaky couple near her.
Both nodded as Eric hugged Laura. "I've got a lot to tell you," he told her.
"I'll bet you do," she teased as she hugged him tightly, "and I want you to te--"
"Guys," Paige nervously interrupted, "we've got trouble."
She indicated to one of the Seekers that still moved towards them. A number of others followed close behind.
"What do we do now?" Piper nervously asked. "I only prepared enough potion for one Seeker. I didn't know they worked in groups."
"A spell?" Paige suggested.
"I thought you said spells didn't work against them," Phoebe commented.
"We have to try," Piper told her, "because they won't stop until we're dead."
"Actually," Cole realized, "only until Phoebe, Leo, and I are. If it's accomplished its goal or part of its goal, it'll leave you alone. If it's destroyed, the others will leave you alone. Attacking you wasn't their job."
"Are you sure?" Paige asked.
"If you orb out of here," he clarified as he sent a ball of electricity at the lead Seeker, "they won't come after you."
"What can I do to help?" Eric suddenly asked.
"Get out of here," Cole told him. He faced the others. "All of you, go. I can do this alone."
"No!" Phoebe insisted. "It's after me, too, and I'm not letting you sacrifice yourself." She stared knowingly at Cole, "I know you too even if I don't remember. You're thinking that this is the perfect opportunity."
Cole turned from her and faced Eric. "Trust me?"
Eric nodded. "I know I'm not anywhere near being a top demon but tell me what you want and I'll do it. I'll do anything to save Laura."
"Then believe in her love. Believe in your love for each other," Cole told him. "Concentrate only on your love or you will lose everything."
Eric gave a quick glance back to Laura who was stopped by Paige from going near Eric. "I do love you," he told her. He turned back to Cole. "I'm ready."
"I mean it," Cole warned him, "only think of your love for Laura and her love for you." Eric nodded and Cole told everyone else. "Go back to the manor."
"I'm not leaving without you," Phoebe insisted as the Seeker moved closer towards Cole. Leo held her back and she struggled in his grip. "Cole, don't do this."
Cole ignored her and focused only on his task. He stepped towards the Seeker. "Remember your love," Cole warned Eric as Eric stood beside him.
The Seeker stretched out its claws and fired a bolt of electricity at the two men. The bolt hit them both and expanded into a large ball of electricity that was still linked to the Seeker. Large pulses of energy flowed back to the Seeker as Cole and Eric twisted in agony before the ball suddenly exploded in a shower of sparks.
"NO!!" Laura and Phoebe screamed together.
"Look!" Piper shouted as she pointed to the Seeker that had just killed Cole and Eric.
The Seeker turned towards them but, instead of coming closer, it shrank back until it disappeared through an outlet in the wall. The other Seekers quickly did the same.
"It's over," Paige sighed in relief.
Both Phoebe and Laura pulled loose from Leo and Paige. They each grabbed the other's hand and unsteadily walked to the spot where their lovers disappeared.
Piper took a step towards her sister before Leo held her back. He shook his head and hugged her and she buried her face in his chest.
Paige looked downward and tried not to hear the soft sobs coming from her sister. She suddenly turned her head at the sounds of a nearby crash and male groans of pain.
Everyone hurried over to the spot from where the sounds originated and discovered Eric and Cole lying on the floor amidst empty shattered crates. With cries of joy, Laura and Phoebe ran to their men's sides.
"I thought I'd lost you," Laura cried in Eric's arms.
"You did," Eric replied in exhaustion. "I was in a place I'd never even heard of. Cole saved me."
Cole shook his head and weakly insisted, "Your love saved you."
"You were in the Wasteland," Phoebe realized as she helped him to a seated position. "How did you get out?"
"I had to collect some powers," Cole told her as he tried to catch his breath, "I realized the Wasteland was the only way to save him and get rid of the Seeker."
"Don't ever scare me like that again," she ordered him as she hugged him tight.
"Are you okay?" Laura anxiously asked Eric as she checked him for injury.
"I don't have my powers anymore," he answered shakily. "I didn't want them back and Cole said he could get me out without them. I'll have to live the rest of my life as a mortal."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Laura told him, "but as long as I've got you back in my arms, I really don't care." She turned to Cole. "I don't know how to thank you."
"Be happy," Cole told her as the couple got to their feet.
"Come on," Phoebe told him, "I think we'd better get you home. You look exhausted." But Cole collapsed against her as she tried to help him up and she gasped, "What is it? Are you hurt?" He didn't answer as he fell back in her arms. "Cole, what's wrong? Was it like this the last time?" Cole didn't answer and shakily brought his hand to her cheek. "Cole, you're scaring me."
"I love you," he quietly told her as he brushed away a tear that trickled from her eye.
"What went wrong?" she asked in a whisper as she hugged him closer to herself.
"Damn worm got in my way," he replied in a weak voice. "Don't think I'll end up in the Wasteland this time."
"No," she whispered fiercely, "you can't leave me. Not like this." She turned to Leo. "Do something."
Leo glanced at Piper and back at Phoebe. "I'm sorry, Phoebe," he quietly said as he shook his head.
"What?" she gasped. "I thought you were a healer."
"It's okay," Cole weakly told her.
"Paige, please," Phoebe beseeched her sister.
"I'm sorry, honey," Paige quietly told her as she moved closer to Piper and Leo.
"I don't understand," Phoebe shouted at them in anger, "he saved you. He saved all of us. How can you let him die?"
Paige sought comfort from Piper and leaned into her sister who was, herself, standing within Leo's embrace. None could look at Phoebe.
"Please," Eric requested of them, "he saved me. He gave me a chance for a new life with Laura. You have to help him."
"It's not that simple," Leo informed the young man.
"I don't understand," Laura commented as she hugged Eric tighter. She watched Phoebe bend over Cole's prone body in grief. She turned to Leo. "I thought you were the good guys. All that talk about helping people, was it all a lie or just a matter of convenience?"
Leo shook his head. "I know Cole did something good tonight. And, for that, we're grateful. But there's also a dark history here and we have our reasons."
"Screw your reasons," Phoebe bitterly shouted back.
"'Sokay," Cole weakly told her. "Better this way.Maybe both find peace"
"Don't leave me," Phoebe tearfully begged, "I love you."
"I know," Cole replied in a whisper as his eyes closed, "and I'll love you always."
Phoebe clenched his hand in hers and brought it to her heart. "Don't leave me, Cole. Don't leave me." She turned back to Leo and Paige, "Please, please, I'm begging you." When they didn't respond, she turned her attention back to Cole. She kissed his hand and brought it back to her heart even as the tears streamed down her cheeks. "I love you. I know I do. Cole, please" But Cole remained still and Phoebe panicked as she knew time was quickly running out. Suddenly, words came to her in a burst of inspiration and she bent down close to him again, kissed him urgently, and whispered,
"Heart of my heart,
Soul of my soul,
Take my love
And heal yourself whole."
Piper gasped as she watched a glowing light envelop her sister and Cole. Leo held her back and she anxiously waited as the light dimmed and everything returned to normal. "What happened?" she whispered to her husband. But Leo stayed silent as they all watched as Phoebe continued to sob.
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