FIVE
"Wait a minute," said Santerra. "Let me see if I understand
you. You're willing to let me drain off some of your immortality to
keep myself young. Now why would you do something like that?"
"For Prue and Paige," said Piper. "You give Prue and Paige back
to us, and Leo let's you draw off some of his immortality. That's the
deal."
"Cassandra," said Santerra, "the one you call Prue, wouldn't
benefit from it. She was already dead. If I release her soul, she'll
return to where she was. You won't have her back."
"She can rest in peace," said Phoebe. "That's what's we're
concerned with. But Paige will be returned to us. And we want her
back."
"I can't think of any reason I should take this deal," said
Santerra. "Why should I give up the power your sisters give me? Or
forget about the power you would give me? The four of you are worth
much more than even a hundred 'normal' souls."
"Because," said Leo, "the souls you take could all be used to
increase your power. Even without these four, that would be quite an
increase. And you'll never get these two. I'll orb them to a place
where you can never reach them. You'll never be able to get their
souls."
"Okay," said Santerra. "Assuming I take you up on this deal.
How much immortality would you be willing to part with?"
"Let's say about a hundred years worth to begin with," said Leo.
"Just think about it. One hundred years of never having to worry
about preserving your age."
"And when that one hundred years is up," said Santerra, "what
then? I have to go back to getting souls to stay young. Seems like I
would simply being delaying the inevitable."
"Not if I come back and let you take more," said Leo. "That's
part of the deal. You let Prue and Paige go free, and I'll let you
take immortality from me as long as you live. Remember, I don't age
either. Which means I'll still be around when you need to be
reinfused with it."
"That's tempting," said Santerra. "How do I know you'll keep
your part of the deal? How do I know you won't just orb away and I
won't ever see you again?"
"You have my word," said Leo. "As long as you're alive, I'll
let you drain a portion of my immortality to stay young. As a White
Lighter, you should know that I have to keep my word."
"So I understand," said Santerra. "And how do you know I'll
keep my end of the bargain? What's to keep me from draining some of
your immortality, then coming after the sisters later?"
"That's the other part of the deal," said Piper. "In exchange
for Leo's immortality, you leave us alone. If you don't, Leo is under
no obligation to return when you need him again."
"And I'll make sure they'll be where you can't get to them,"
said Leo.
Santerra looked at Leo. They could all tell she was intrigued
by the idea. Her own personal fountain of youth. And the ability to
use all of each soul she took to increase her power.
"Very well," Santerra said finally. "As soon as you allow me to
drain off the immortality, I'll release the sisters."
"I don't think so," said Piper. "First, you release Paige and
Prue. Then you get the immortality. That's the deal."
Santerra thought for a moment, then just smiled. She turned and
put her hand on Prue's chest, then on Paige's chest. Almost
instantly, the zombies of the two sisters collapsed on the floor.
Phoebe quickly checked and found Paige alive but unconscious. Leo
concentrated for a moment, and then confirmed that Paige was again
back in her body.
"Now for your part of the deal," said Santerra, extending her
hand. "Just take my hand and this will all be over in a couple of
minutes."
Leo hesitantly extended his hand. After a moment, he firmly
grasped Santerra's hand. A soft green glow encompassed both of their
hands, then both of their bodies.
"Fools," said Santerra. "Now that I have started the draining
process, he can't orb away. I'll just drain him completely. Once I
am immortal, I will then retake the two souls I returned and get the
other two in the bargain. I'll have it all. Immortality and the
ability to use all of each soul to increase my power."
She just smiled as she drained Leo. He didn't appear concerned.
He didn't even try to pull away. He simply stood in front of Santerra
as she continued to drain his immortality away.
The smile on Santerra's face faded as she suddenly realized that
neither Piper nor Phoebe was raising a hand to stop her. And they
weren't attempting to get away, either. That didn't make sense. Once
she was finished draining Leo, they must know that she'd turn on them.
Suddenly, the draining sensation changed. It was no longer the
invigorating sensation of unimaginable power it had originally been.
Instead, it felt more like the feeling someone has after eating far
too much. The sensation of being so bloated that it was actually
physically uncomfortable. The discomfort quickly changed to pain.
Searing, unbearable pain.
"No," screamed Santerra as she tried to break the connection.
But she couldn't turn Leo's hand loose. He made no effort to
stop her, but their hands were inextricably linked by the tremendous
power that surged through them. The pain increased and soon every
fiber of her being screamed out in agony. Within minutes she
collapsed on the floor, her hand literally being ripped from Leo's.
As the three stood and watched, her body exploded into flames and was
instantly consumed. All that remained was the philosopher's stone,
which she had worn around her neck.
"Come on," said Leo, picking up the stone and putting it in his
pocket. "I don't know how long they'll remain unconscious. I'll get
you guys home, then I'll make sure the others wake up somewhere
besides here."
Phoebe picked Paige up and Piper gingerly picked up Prue's
lifeless body. Leo took each of their elbows and quietly orbed them
out of the house. Outside, the zombies that had been controlled by
Santerra lay scattered around the grounds, unconscious but alive.
After Leo orbed the sisters back to the manor, he returned and
orbed Cole back to the manor. Then he returned for the unconscious
victims of Santerra who were scattered around the yard.
"Wait a minute," said Santerra. "Let me see if I understand
you. You're willing to let me drain off some of your immortality to
keep myself young. Now why would you do something like that?"
"For Prue and Paige," said Piper. "You give Prue and Paige back
to us, and Leo let's you draw off some of his immortality. That's the
deal."
"Cassandra," said Santerra, "the one you call Prue, wouldn't
benefit from it. She was already dead. If I release her soul, she'll
return to where she was. You won't have her back."
"She can rest in peace," said Phoebe. "That's what's we're
concerned with. But Paige will be returned to us. And we want her
back."
"I can't think of any reason I should take this deal," said
Santerra. "Why should I give up the power your sisters give me? Or
forget about the power you would give me? The four of you are worth
much more than even a hundred 'normal' souls."
"Because," said Leo, "the souls you take could all be used to
increase your power. Even without these four, that would be quite an
increase. And you'll never get these two. I'll orb them to a place
where you can never reach them. You'll never be able to get their
souls."
"Okay," said Santerra. "Assuming I take you up on this deal.
How much immortality would you be willing to part with?"
"Let's say about a hundred years worth to begin with," said Leo.
"Just think about it. One hundred years of never having to worry
about preserving your age."
"And when that one hundred years is up," said Santerra, "what
then? I have to go back to getting souls to stay young. Seems like I
would simply being delaying the inevitable."
"Not if I come back and let you take more," said Leo. "That's
part of the deal. You let Prue and Paige go free, and I'll let you
take immortality from me as long as you live. Remember, I don't age
either. Which means I'll still be around when you need to be
reinfused with it."
"That's tempting," said Santerra. "How do I know you'll keep
your part of the deal? How do I know you won't just orb away and I
won't ever see you again?"
"You have my word," said Leo. "As long as you're alive, I'll
let you drain a portion of my immortality to stay young. As a White
Lighter, you should know that I have to keep my word."
"So I understand," said Santerra. "And how do you know I'll
keep my end of the bargain? What's to keep me from draining some of
your immortality, then coming after the sisters later?"
"That's the other part of the deal," said Piper. "In exchange
for Leo's immortality, you leave us alone. If you don't, Leo is under
no obligation to return when you need him again."
"And I'll make sure they'll be where you can't get to them,"
said Leo.
Santerra looked at Leo. They could all tell she was intrigued
by the idea. Her own personal fountain of youth. And the ability to
use all of each soul she took to increase her power.
"Very well," Santerra said finally. "As soon as you allow me to
drain off the immortality, I'll release the sisters."
"I don't think so," said Piper. "First, you release Paige and
Prue. Then you get the immortality. That's the deal."
Santerra thought for a moment, then just smiled. She turned and
put her hand on Prue's chest, then on Paige's chest. Almost
instantly, the zombies of the two sisters collapsed on the floor.
Phoebe quickly checked and found Paige alive but unconscious. Leo
concentrated for a moment, and then confirmed that Paige was again
back in her body.
"Now for your part of the deal," said Santerra, extending her
hand. "Just take my hand and this will all be over in a couple of
minutes."
Leo hesitantly extended his hand. After a moment, he firmly
grasped Santerra's hand. A soft green glow encompassed both of their
hands, then both of their bodies.
"Fools," said Santerra. "Now that I have started the draining
process, he can't orb away. I'll just drain him completely. Once I
am immortal, I will then retake the two souls I returned and get the
other two in the bargain. I'll have it all. Immortality and the
ability to use all of each soul to increase my power."
She just smiled as she drained Leo. He didn't appear concerned.
He didn't even try to pull away. He simply stood in front of Santerra
as she continued to drain his immortality away.
The smile on Santerra's face faded as she suddenly realized that
neither Piper nor Phoebe was raising a hand to stop her. And they
weren't attempting to get away, either. That didn't make sense. Once
she was finished draining Leo, they must know that she'd turn on them.
Suddenly, the draining sensation changed. It was no longer the
invigorating sensation of unimaginable power it had originally been.
Instead, it felt more like the feeling someone has after eating far
too much. The sensation of being so bloated that it was actually
physically uncomfortable. The discomfort quickly changed to pain.
Searing, unbearable pain.
"No," screamed Santerra as she tried to break the connection.
But she couldn't turn Leo's hand loose. He made no effort to
stop her, but their hands were inextricably linked by the tremendous
power that surged through them. The pain increased and soon every
fiber of her being screamed out in agony. Within minutes she
collapsed on the floor, her hand literally being ripped from Leo's.
As the three stood and watched, her body exploded into flames and was
instantly consumed. All that remained was the philosopher's stone,
which she had worn around her neck.
"Come on," said Leo, picking up the stone and putting it in his
pocket. "I don't know how long they'll remain unconscious. I'll get
you guys home, then I'll make sure the others wake up somewhere
besides here."
Phoebe picked Paige up and Piper gingerly picked up Prue's
lifeless body. Leo took each of their elbows and quietly orbed them
out of the house. Outside, the zombies that had been controlled by
Santerra lay scattered around the grounds, unconscious but alive.
After Leo orbed the sisters back to the manor, he returned and
orbed Cole back to the manor. Then he returned for the unconscious
victims of Santerra who were scattered around the yard.