I come to, and find myself in Cole's penthouse. He standing in front of me. I must be inside Phoebe's body now. At least, I'm pretty sure that's her voice I'm hearing when my - her - mouth moves.
"Are you okay?" she asks, and I can feel worry for him coursing through her body.
He deflects her question with two of his own. "What happened? What did you do?"
"I vanquished him," she replies, and I can feel her tensing up in anticipation of his reaction. I tense up, too, or at least whatever part of me is in her does. I want to know who they're talking about, and when and why I'm here.
"Oh, but he was our last chance," Cole says, but Phoebe shakes her head.
"No," she counters, "It wasn't." She doesn't elaborate, as Paige, Leo, and I orb in.
"Oh, thank God we found you," Paige says, and I suddenly remember what's happening. This is it, the moment Phoebe chose Cole over us, her own sisters. But why would the spell bring me back here? It's true, I still don't understand how she could have betrayed us, but now that she's back and Cole is gone, does it really matter?
I can feel Phoebe's regret as she says, "It's too late." She looks at us, and a part of her wants to go back, but her love for Cole and the pull of the evil inside her is just too much.
"What do you mean?" Leo asks, confused. "What are you talking about?"
Phoebe picks up the Grimoir, and the evil in her starts to stir. I've never felt anything like this before, and I'm only getting it second hand. It's strong, and it's... bad, but at the same time, it's enticing. I start to think about how much strength it would take to fight something like that, when I realize that Phoebe isn't even trying. She's not exactly embracing it, but she's making no effort to rid herself of it and return to the side of good. The thought breaks my heart.
"Hey, I thought only evil could touch that book," Paige points out. I don't need to be inside her head to know that she's as confused and hurt as I was.
"That's right," Phoebe says. She feels a pang at the looks on our faces, but it's quickly replaced by anger and defiance. She's actually wondering where we get off telling her which side to choose!
Just when I think I can't take anymore, I hear myself ask, "Phoebe, what's going on?"
"I'm embracing my new destiny," she replies, and then she flames out with Cole. As much as I hate what's happening, I still have to admit that this power feels amazing. Phoebe thinks so, too. It's evil, and it excites her. Oh, Phoebe.
They appear in a dark, large room. It looks like some kind of ceremony is about to begin. By concentrating on Phoebe's thoughts, I pick up that it's the coronation of the Source and his Queen. Cole and Phoebe. I still can't quite reconcile that these are the same two people who'd been part of my family for so long. Phoebe's my sister, and no matter what I'll always love her. On some level, I sense that she feels the same way about me. It's not as comforting as I thought it would be.
"Are you sure about this?" Cole asks. "You're giving up your life."
I can feel Phoebe's love for him emanating throughout her body. It surprises me, how strong that feeling is. "My life is with you and our baby. We'll be strong together. After all, we're family," she says. If only she knew that it isn't even their baby. It's the Source inside of her, evil incarnate. I wish I could believe that this baby is what's making her choose evil over good, but as Phoebe and Cole kiss, I feel her passion for him, and realize that she choose this of her own free will. This, apparantly, is what the spell wanted me to learn, because when they pull apart, everything starts to go black again...
"Are you okay?" she asks, and I can feel worry for him coursing through her body.
He deflects her question with two of his own. "What happened? What did you do?"
"I vanquished him," she replies, and I can feel her tensing up in anticipation of his reaction. I tense up, too, or at least whatever part of me is in her does. I want to know who they're talking about, and when and why I'm here.
"Oh, but he was our last chance," Cole says, but Phoebe shakes her head.
"No," she counters, "It wasn't." She doesn't elaborate, as Paige, Leo, and I orb in.
"Oh, thank God we found you," Paige says, and I suddenly remember what's happening. This is it, the moment Phoebe chose Cole over us, her own sisters. But why would the spell bring me back here? It's true, I still don't understand how she could have betrayed us, but now that she's back and Cole is gone, does it really matter?
I can feel Phoebe's regret as she says, "It's too late." She looks at us, and a part of her wants to go back, but her love for Cole and the pull of the evil inside her is just too much.
"What do you mean?" Leo asks, confused. "What are you talking about?"
Phoebe picks up the Grimoir, and the evil in her starts to stir. I've never felt anything like this before, and I'm only getting it second hand. It's strong, and it's... bad, but at the same time, it's enticing. I start to think about how much strength it would take to fight something like that, when I realize that Phoebe isn't even trying. She's not exactly embracing it, but she's making no effort to rid herself of it and return to the side of good. The thought breaks my heart.
"Hey, I thought only evil could touch that book," Paige points out. I don't need to be inside her head to know that she's as confused and hurt as I was.
"That's right," Phoebe says. She feels a pang at the looks on our faces, but it's quickly replaced by anger and defiance. She's actually wondering where we get off telling her which side to choose!
Just when I think I can't take anymore, I hear myself ask, "Phoebe, what's going on?"
"I'm embracing my new destiny," she replies, and then she flames out with Cole. As much as I hate what's happening, I still have to admit that this power feels amazing. Phoebe thinks so, too. It's evil, and it excites her. Oh, Phoebe.
They appear in a dark, large room. It looks like some kind of ceremony is about to begin. By concentrating on Phoebe's thoughts, I pick up that it's the coronation of the Source and his Queen. Cole and Phoebe. I still can't quite reconcile that these are the same two people who'd been part of my family for so long. Phoebe's my sister, and no matter what I'll always love her. On some level, I sense that she feels the same way about me. It's not as comforting as I thought it would be.
"Are you sure about this?" Cole asks. "You're giving up your life."
I can feel Phoebe's love for him emanating throughout her body. It surprises me, how strong that feeling is. "My life is with you and our baby. We'll be strong together. After all, we're family," she says. If only she knew that it isn't even their baby. It's the Source inside of her, evil incarnate. I wish I could believe that this baby is what's making her choose evil over good, but as Phoebe and Cole kiss, I feel her passion for him, and realize that she choose this of her own free will. This, apparantly, is what the spell wanted me to learn, because when they pull apart, everything starts to go black again...