Cole shimmered into the Manor, clutching Frejack by the arm. He shoved him
into the Crystal cage, jumping slightly at the jolt he got. Phoebe trotted
up to him, grinning. "Got him. Now, let's begin the interrogation." She
sauntered over to the side of the cage, where a spare crystal was situated.
She nudged into contact with the barrier, and Frejack screamed in pain.
"Where are the three sorcerers, and do they have my sisters and our
Whitelighter?" Frejack kept his lip buttoned. She touched the crystal to
the barrier five times before he spoke. ".They've got your.Whitelighter
and.one of you..don't know which.the other is missing." He was shuddering
violently. Phoebe felt no pity, only worry. "Who is the one that's
missing?" she asked him anxiously. He didn't speak. Cole reached for the
crystal and the green demon threw up his hands. "No! Don't! It was the one
who is a wife. That's all I know. Really!" He said hurriedly as Cole picked
up the crystal. "The Wife must be Piper." muttered Cole to Phoebe. She
nodded mutely. Her eyes widened suddenly, and she turned to the demon
Frejack. "What was Pi- the Wife turned into?" Frejack's eyes narrowed. Cole
knew what was in his mind. He was going to blackmail her for the
information. He shoved the crystal into the barrier. Frejack roared with
pain. Cole kept the crystal there for ten seconds; then pulled it out.
Freajck lay on the floor of the attic, gasping for breath. "Now, answer the
lady's question." Frejack glared at him; then spoke reluctantly. "She was
turned into a harpy first; they can store large amounts of power in their
bodies, just like sphinxes and centaurs can. Then one of the sorcerers
drained her power, turning her into a hawk. She got away from them.
Scratched the face to the bone-" He stopped when Phoebe moaned. "No.
Piper." Cole stared as tears ran down Phoebes cheeks. "What?"
"It's Piper. I had a premonition of an owl swooping towards a sleeping
hawk. The hawk was Piper. It has to be. The Owl got her."
"Not necessarily. Why don't you use a calling spell from the book, or ask
your Grams? If she is dead, Grams would know about it. Though I doubt she
is" Phoebe looked at him, hope in her eyes.
"You really think so?"
"Yeah, I do. You look up the spells; I'll find the place where the
sorcerers are." They both lumped as a huge flash of lightning came from
outside, followed by the rolling boom of thunder. Cole held up the crystal
while Phoebe knocked the book to the floor, then began to flip through it.
* * * Piper woke when the tree she was on appeared to burst into flames. She fell from the tree, wings flapping, before righting herself and fluttering up. It was very windy, and rain came down as hard as bullets. She could barely keep herself upright as the wind battered her to and fro. She wobbled, trying to keep airborne. A strange, echoing voice seemed to float past her ".Blood to Blood, return to me." She instantly knew which direction the Manor was in. She headed off, twisting and turning in the violent storm air.
* * * Leo woke up in the cavern, head aching. He winced as he felt the huge bump on the back of his head. He tried to heal himself. He couldn't. They must've contained his powers again. He sighed as he took his hand back and looked at his surroundings. The three sorcerers were gathered around the central fire, talking softly amongst themselves. He looked around for Paige. There were several horses in cages, but only two looked to be about the right colour. He stared intently at first one, then the other. One stood calmly in the cage, just like all the other creatures. The second one paced, every now and then kicking at the lock to the cage. He guessed that was probably Paige. He rubbed his head, and thought about the strange dreams he had had while he had been unconscious. There had been Phoebe sleeping in the attic in the body of a sphinx; there had been Cole jumping on a large green demon in the underworld; Paige watching as the sorcerer named John called up a mighty storm. And strangely enough, he had seen an owl swooping towards a piper who was a hawk. He had yelled at her to wake up. And she did. It could have been a fluke. He shook his head, trying to clear it. This caught the attention of the sorcerers. "The Whitelighter is awake." He heard Yvonne say. He was confused as how she knew, as she had her back to him. They turned and glided towards him.
* * * Frejack told Cole where to find the sorcerers after about ten minutes of pain. He and Phoebe had concocted several exploding potions, hoping it might stun the sorcerers long enough for them to get out Leo and Paige. Cole grabbed Frejack. "If this is the wrong place, were gonna blame you, you know" he warned him. Frejack was about to speak when Phoebe stopped dead. Her eyes narrowed, she seemed to be listening to something. Unexpectedly, a rock smashed threw the attic windows which had previously been locked to keep out the storm. It rolled to Coles feet. "What the.?!" He ducked as a very soggy bird tumbled though the window and soared over his head into a wall. Phoebe raced over to the stunned hawk. "Piper!? Is that you?" The bird crawled to its feet and gave an unmistakable nod. Phoebe laughed with relief. "We thought you were dead. I had a premonition of a big owl about to kill you. Did that actually happen?" Piper nodded again, and mimed being chased. "It chased you?" Piper nodded again. "Can we stop the charades and hurry up already?" Cole grumbled impatiently. Phoebe hopped up to his right shoulder, and Piper roosted on his left. "Don't dig your talons in, okay?" he told her as they shimmered out.
* * * Piper woke when the tree she was on appeared to burst into flames. She fell from the tree, wings flapping, before righting herself and fluttering up. It was very windy, and rain came down as hard as bullets. She could barely keep herself upright as the wind battered her to and fro. She wobbled, trying to keep airborne. A strange, echoing voice seemed to float past her ".Blood to Blood, return to me." She instantly knew which direction the Manor was in. She headed off, twisting and turning in the violent storm air.
* * * Leo woke up in the cavern, head aching. He winced as he felt the huge bump on the back of his head. He tried to heal himself. He couldn't. They must've contained his powers again. He sighed as he took his hand back and looked at his surroundings. The three sorcerers were gathered around the central fire, talking softly amongst themselves. He looked around for Paige. There were several horses in cages, but only two looked to be about the right colour. He stared intently at first one, then the other. One stood calmly in the cage, just like all the other creatures. The second one paced, every now and then kicking at the lock to the cage. He guessed that was probably Paige. He rubbed his head, and thought about the strange dreams he had had while he had been unconscious. There had been Phoebe sleeping in the attic in the body of a sphinx; there had been Cole jumping on a large green demon in the underworld; Paige watching as the sorcerer named John called up a mighty storm. And strangely enough, he had seen an owl swooping towards a piper who was a hawk. He had yelled at her to wake up. And she did. It could have been a fluke. He shook his head, trying to clear it. This caught the attention of the sorcerers. "The Whitelighter is awake." He heard Yvonne say. He was confused as how she knew, as she had her back to him. They turned and glided towards him.
* * * Frejack told Cole where to find the sorcerers after about ten minutes of pain. He and Phoebe had concocted several exploding potions, hoping it might stun the sorcerers long enough for them to get out Leo and Paige. Cole grabbed Frejack. "If this is the wrong place, were gonna blame you, you know" he warned him. Frejack was about to speak when Phoebe stopped dead. Her eyes narrowed, she seemed to be listening to something. Unexpectedly, a rock smashed threw the attic windows which had previously been locked to keep out the storm. It rolled to Coles feet. "What the.?!" He ducked as a very soggy bird tumbled though the window and soared over his head into a wall. Phoebe raced over to the stunned hawk. "Piper!? Is that you?" The bird crawled to its feet and gave an unmistakable nod. Phoebe laughed with relief. "We thought you were dead. I had a premonition of a big owl about to kill you. Did that actually happen?" Piper nodded again, and mimed being chased. "It chased you?" Piper nodded again. "Can we stop the charades and hurry up already?" Cole grumbled impatiently. Phoebe hopped up to his right shoulder, and Piper roosted on his left. "Don't dig your talons in, okay?" he told her as they shimmered out.