FOUR
Piper looked at Phoebe, and then at the man standing behind her. He was obviously a warlock. Which meant her freezing power would work on him.
"Think again," said the man, as if knowing what she was thinking. "I know what you're planning. You'll just freeze me. Well, that won't work on me. If you don't believe me, go ahead and try. Of course, when it doesn't work, I'll just take sissy here and leave. Your White Lighter won't be able to save her."
"What do you want?" demanded Piper.
"Not a whole lot, really," said the man.
He reached down with the dagger and made a cut on Phoebe's arm.
"Hey, that hurt," said Phoebe.
"Put your napkin on it," ordered the man.
"What?" questioned Phoebe.
"Just do it," snapped the man.
Phoebe did as he said and the man stood looking at the others for several moments. Then he reached down and pulled the napkin from her arm. He smiled, seeing the blood that had soaked into it.
"That'll do," he said. "Sorry I disturbed your dinner. Please, finish."
Without another word the man simply vanished from the kitchen.
* * *
"I'll bet his name isn't either Smith or Jones," said Phoebe, after Piper and Paige had told the others how they had met him. "But what was he after?"
"He seemed to want your blood," said Leo.
"He got mine, too," said Paige. "The handkerchief he used to stop my bleeding finger? He took it with him when he left. I didn't give it much thought at the time."
"He did the same thing with me," said Piper. "I hardly noticed what he had done."
"Why would he want our blood?" asked Paige.
"Remember Dr. Williamson?" Piper asked Phoebe.
"Who's Dr. Williamson?" asked Paige.
Piper and Phoebe told Paige of the incident where Piper had contracted Arroyo Fever. After her miraculous cure, Dr. Williamson had accidentally injected himself with their blood. It had given him their powers. And driving him mad, since he was a mortal and unprepared for the powers.
"You think that's what this Smith or Jones wants?" asked Leo.
"It makes sense," said Phoebe. "He's not the first warlock to come after our powers. First there was Jeremy. Then there was Michael Tate. Warlocks do steal witches powers, after all."
"And he's done it with a minimum of fuss or danger to himself," said Piper. "Paige and I practically handed ours to him. And just now we simply let him take Phoebes' blood."
"You can't blame yourself for that," said Leo. "You couldn't risk Phoebe's life."
"You think he'll be back?" asked Paige.
"I'd bet on it," said Piper. "When word gets out how easily he got our blood, he won't want any other warlock trying to duplicate it. He'll have to get rid of us to prevent that."
"If he can duplicate your powers," said Leo, "he might also be able to devise a protection against them. Without your powers, you'll be completely helpless against him."
"Does that include my White Lighter powers?" asked Paige.
"Yes," said Leo. "Your powers as a White Lighter can be passed on through your blood just as your witch powers can."
"This isn't good," said Piper.
"Guess the wedding is on hold for the moment," said Phoebe. "It won't be much of a wedding if the bride is dead."
"I'll check with the Elders to see if they know anything," said Leo.
"I'll check the Book of Shadows," said Paige. "There might be an entry in there on this warlock."
"Phoebe," said Piper, "you and I can get started on some potions. If he can devise a protection against our powers, they may be our only chance."
Piper looked at Phoebe, and then at the man standing behind her. He was obviously a warlock. Which meant her freezing power would work on him.
"Think again," said the man, as if knowing what she was thinking. "I know what you're planning. You'll just freeze me. Well, that won't work on me. If you don't believe me, go ahead and try. Of course, when it doesn't work, I'll just take sissy here and leave. Your White Lighter won't be able to save her."
"What do you want?" demanded Piper.
"Not a whole lot, really," said the man.
He reached down with the dagger and made a cut on Phoebe's arm.
"Hey, that hurt," said Phoebe.
"Put your napkin on it," ordered the man.
"What?" questioned Phoebe.
"Just do it," snapped the man.
Phoebe did as he said and the man stood looking at the others for several moments. Then he reached down and pulled the napkin from her arm. He smiled, seeing the blood that had soaked into it.
"That'll do," he said. "Sorry I disturbed your dinner. Please, finish."
Without another word the man simply vanished from the kitchen.
* * *
"I'll bet his name isn't either Smith or Jones," said Phoebe, after Piper and Paige had told the others how they had met him. "But what was he after?"
"He seemed to want your blood," said Leo.
"He got mine, too," said Paige. "The handkerchief he used to stop my bleeding finger? He took it with him when he left. I didn't give it much thought at the time."
"He did the same thing with me," said Piper. "I hardly noticed what he had done."
"Why would he want our blood?" asked Paige.
"Remember Dr. Williamson?" Piper asked Phoebe.
"Who's Dr. Williamson?" asked Paige.
Piper and Phoebe told Paige of the incident where Piper had contracted Arroyo Fever. After her miraculous cure, Dr. Williamson had accidentally injected himself with their blood. It had given him their powers. And driving him mad, since he was a mortal and unprepared for the powers.
"You think that's what this Smith or Jones wants?" asked Leo.
"It makes sense," said Phoebe. "He's not the first warlock to come after our powers. First there was Jeremy. Then there was Michael Tate. Warlocks do steal witches powers, after all."
"And he's done it with a minimum of fuss or danger to himself," said Piper. "Paige and I practically handed ours to him. And just now we simply let him take Phoebes' blood."
"You can't blame yourself for that," said Leo. "You couldn't risk Phoebe's life."
"You think he'll be back?" asked Paige.
"I'd bet on it," said Piper. "When word gets out how easily he got our blood, he won't want any other warlock trying to duplicate it. He'll have to get rid of us to prevent that."
"If he can duplicate your powers," said Leo, "he might also be able to devise a protection against them. Without your powers, you'll be completely helpless against him."
"Does that include my White Lighter powers?" asked Paige.
"Yes," said Leo. "Your powers as a White Lighter can be passed on through your blood just as your witch powers can."
"This isn't good," said Piper.
"Guess the wedding is on hold for the moment," said Phoebe. "It won't be much of a wedding if the bride is dead."
"I'll check with the Elders to see if they know anything," said Leo.
"I'll check the Book of Shadows," said Paige. "There might be an entry in there on this warlock."
"Phoebe," said Piper, "you and I can get started on some potions. If he can devise a protection against our powers, they may be our only chance."