FOUR
"Cole," whispered Phoebe at Belthazor's appearance.
"I don't know you," said the demon. "We've never met. How
could you know who I am?"
"Leave them alone, demon," said Matilda, stepping up next to
Phoebe. She put her hand on Phoebe's shoulder. "These three are not
a danger to you and your kind."
"White Lighter," said Belthazor. "Well, I was only sent to kill
the one sister. But it looks like I'll get a bonus. Three sisters
and a White Lighter."
"What?" questioned Piper. Paige was moving slowly toward the
fireplace. "Why would you be sent to kill one of us?"
"The middle one," said Belthazor. "She's been interfering where
she doesn't belong. It's made my employers uncomfortable. So, I'm
afraid she'll have to be dealt with. And since you three are here,
you'll have to be dealt with as well. Nothing personal, you
understand. Just business."
Belthazor raised his hand and cast the fireball directly at
Phoebe. But Matilda was ready. The moment the demon moved, she
orbed. Taking Phoebe with her. The fireball exploded harmlessly on
the far wall without injuring any of the women.
"Deal with this, slime ball," said Paige.
She picked up the poker from the fireplace and threw it with all
her might at Belthazor. The demon turned to defend against the attack
but Paige was just a bit faster. The poker struck him in the
shoulder, tearing a deep gash. He grabbed his shoulder and howled in
pain.
"She may have gotten away," said Belthazor, "but you won't fare
so well."
Again, he raised his hand and formed a fireball. He was about
to cast the fireball when he was suddenly flung violently into the
living room, striking the wall where his first fireball had struck
only moments before. The fireball he had just formed evaporated in
his hand as he fell to the floor.
"Care to take on someone who's a little more of a match for
you?" asked a female voice from the entryway.
Piper and Paige looked into the entryway and saw Patrice
standing there. As Belthazor rose, he again began to form a fireball.
Patrice didn't hesitate. She raised her arm and Belthazor was
violently cast once again against the wall. Almost immediately, Leo
orbed in with two women holding his arms.
"Hey there, puss face," said one of the women. "Looks like you
have more to deal with than some defenseless humans."
The woman who had spoken raised her hands and Belthazor exploded
into a thousand fragments. They flew out into all directions for a
second, and then changed direction and he reconstituted himself.
Seeing that he was outmatched, Belthazor snarled at the women, and
then shimmered away. Just then, Matilda and Phoebe orbed back in.
"Well," said Matilda to the woman with Leo who hadn't spoken,
"it seems you were right. We got here just in time."
Patrice excused herself, and then just vanished from the room.
Several seconds later she came in through the front door.
"Okay," said Piper, "what the hell is going on here? Why is
Belthazor trying to kill Phoebe? And how did you know he was here?"
"You know who that was?" asked Patrice.
"Of course," said Piper. "He's been living in the manor for
several months now."
"Wait a minute," said the woman who had tried to explode the
demon. "Why would he be living here?"
"We need to talk," said Paige, looking at Patrice. "I'm
assuming these are your other sisters."
"Yes," said Patrice. "This is Patty," indicating the one with
the explosive power, " and Paula. And I think you're right. We need
to have a serious talk."
They moved to the kitchen where Piper put on some coffee.
"You didn't seemed surprised at what Belthazor was," said Patty.
"Do you know about demons?"
"Oh, you could say we've learned a thing or two about them,"
said Phoebe.
"You called him Cole," said Patrice. "Why did you call him
that?"
"He's only half demon," said Phoebe. "He's also half human. His
human persona is Cole Turner."
"The assistant district attorney?" questioned Paula. "That
might explain a few things. But how do you know about him? And why
was he trying to kill you?"
"I know about him," said Phoebe hesitantly, "because I was
married to him."
Patrice and her sisters just stared at Phoebe in disbelief.
"Okay," said Piper. "It's time for some explanations. First,
how did you know we were in danger?"
"Paula must have had a premonition," offered Paige.
"Yes, how did you know that?" asked Paula.
"Patrice used the telekinetic ability," said Paige. "And she
obviously astral projected. Patty tried to explode Belthazor, which
means that Paula must have the precognitive ability."
"Okay, this is getting spooky," said Paula. "How do you know so
much about us?"
"That's one of the explanations we mentioned," said Piper. "We
know so much about you because . . . we used to be you."
"Wait a minute," said Patty. "What do you man you used to be
us?"
"This is going to take a bit of explaining," said Piper. "It
all started about four years ago. When Phoebe found the Book of
Shadows in the attic and read an incantation from it."
"Cole," whispered Phoebe at Belthazor's appearance.
"I don't know you," said the demon. "We've never met. How
could you know who I am?"
"Leave them alone, demon," said Matilda, stepping up next to
Phoebe. She put her hand on Phoebe's shoulder. "These three are not
a danger to you and your kind."
"White Lighter," said Belthazor. "Well, I was only sent to kill
the one sister. But it looks like I'll get a bonus. Three sisters
and a White Lighter."
"What?" questioned Piper. Paige was moving slowly toward the
fireplace. "Why would you be sent to kill one of us?"
"The middle one," said Belthazor. "She's been interfering where
she doesn't belong. It's made my employers uncomfortable. So, I'm
afraid she'll have to be dealt with. And since you three are here,
you'll have to be dealt with as well. Nothing personal, you
understand. Just business."
Belthazor raised his hand and cast the fireball directly at
Phoebe. But Matilda was ready. The moment the demon moved, she
orbed. Taking Phoebe with her. The fireball exploded harmlessly on
the far wall without injuring any of the women.
"Deal with this, slime ball," said Paige.
She picked up the poker from the fireplace and threw it with all
her might at Belthazor. The demon turned to defend against the attack
but Paige was just a bit faster. The poker struck him in the
shoulder, tearing a deep gash. He grabbed his shoulder and howled in
pain.
"She may have gotten away," said Belthazor, "but you won't fare
so well."
Again, he raised his hand and formed a fireball. He was about
to cast the fireball when he was suddenly flung violently into the
living room, striking the wall where his first fireball had struck
only moments before. The fireball he had just formed evaporated in
his hand as he fell to the floor.
"Care to take on someone who's a little more of a match for
you?" asked a female voice from the entryway.
Piper and Paige looked into the entryway and saw Patrice
standing there. As Belthazor rose, he again began to form a fireball.
Patrice didn't hesitate. She raised her arm and Belthazor was
violently cast once again against the wall. Almost immediately, Leo
orbed in with two women holding his arms.
"Hey there, puss face," said one of the women. "Looks like you
have more to deal with than some defenseless humans."
The woman who had spoken raised her hands and Belthazor exploded
into a thousand fragments. They flew out into all directions for a
second, and then changed direction and he reconstituted himself.
Seeing that he was outmatched, Belthazor snarled at the women, and
then shimmered away. Just then, Matilda and Phoebe orbed back in.
"Well," said Matilda to the woman with Leo who hadn't spoken,
"it seems you were right. We got here just in time."
Patrice excused herself, and then just vanished from the room.
Several seconds later she came in through the front door.
"Okay," said Piper, "what the hell is going on here? Why is
Belthazor trying to kill Phoebe? And how did you know he was here?"
"You know who that was?" asked Patrice.
"Of course," said Piper. "He's been living in the manor for
several months now."
"Wait a minute," said the woman who had tried to explode the
demon. "Why would he be living here?"
"We need to talk," said Paige, looking at Patrice. "I'm
assuming these are your other sisters."
"Yes," said Patrice. "This is Patty," indicating the one with
the explosive power, " and Paula. And I think you're right. We need
to have a serious talk."
They moved to the kitchen where Piper put on some coffee.
"You didn't seemed surprised at what Belthazor was," said Patty.
"Do you know about demons?"
"Oh, you could say we've learned a thing or two about them,"
said Phoebe.
"You called him Cole," said Patrice. "Why did you call him
that?"
"He's only half demon," said Phoebe. "He's also half human. His
human persona is Cole Turner."
"The assistant district attorney?" questioned Paula. "That
might explain a few things. But how do you know about him? And why
was he trying to kill you?"
"I know about him," said Phoebe hesitantly, "because I was
married to him."
Patrice and her sisters just stared at Phoebe in disbelief.
"Okay," said Piper. "It's time for some explanations. First,
how did you know we were in danger?"
"Paula must have had a premonition," offered Paige.
"Yes, how did you know that?" asked Paula.
"Patrice used the telekinetic ability," said Paige. "And she
obviously astral projected. Patty tried to explode Belthazor, which
means that Paula must have the precognitive ability."
"Okay, this is getting spooky," said Paula. "How do you know so
much about us?"
"That's one of the explanations we mentioned," said Piper. "We
know so much about you because . . . we used to be you."
"Wait a minute," said Patty. "What do you man you used to be
us?"
"This is going to take a bit of explaining," said Piper. "It
all started about four years ago. When Phoebe found the Book of
Shadows in the attic and read an incantation from it."