FIVE
The potion Piper was preparing would be ready soon. It had to simmer for thirty minutes before she could add the final ingredient. Until then, she could only wait. Leo had returned. The Elders didn't know any more than they did. There was no indication who this warlock was. Paige also had no luck with the Book of Shadows. No entry on any warlock seemed to fit this one. And they were all sure they weren't dealing with a demon.
"We just don't know enough about him," said Leo. "If there was just some indication who he might be, we might know what he's after. Besides your powers, of course."
"The potion will be ready in about fifteen minutes," said Piper. "Then it won't matter what he wants. When he shows up again, we'll vanquish him and this will all be over."
"That's not going to happen, I'm afraid."
They all turned to see the warlock standing in the entryway. Piper immediately raised her hands to explode him. But the power passed harmlessly around him.
"I told you your powers won't work on me," said the warlock, holding up his hand to show a ring he was wearing. "None of your powers will be of any use against me."
"Come back to kill us?" asked Phoebe.
"I don't want you dead," said the warlock. "If I did, I've had ample opportunity for that."
"Then what do you want?" asked Piper.
The warlock reached into his pocket and pulled something out. He then tossed it onto the coffee table. It was a gold locket on a gold chain.
"I simply want you to open this," said the warlock. "That's all."
"Piper," said Phoebe, "that's Melinda's locked."
"Melinda Warren?" questioned Leo.
"Yes," said Piper. "And it has a warlock named Michael Tate trapped inside it. There's no way we're going to open that."
The warlock pulled a photograph out of his pocket and threw it on the table. It showed a teenage girl, bound and gagged, in a chair. On her lap sat a newspaper with today's date on it.
"It's very simple," said the warlock. "Open the locket and she goes free. If not, well."
"Why don't you open it yourself?" asked Paige.
"I can't," said the warlock. "No one can except one of you. The enchantment allows only someone in Melinda Warren's line to open it. Which means any of you can open it for me. That's all I want from you. Just open the locket.
"Michael Tate can duplicate any power used against him," Piper explained to Paige. "We barely defeated him. And we were able to strip away the powers he had stolen. If we release him, he'll become a threat against all witches."
"Actually," said the warlock, "Melinda Warren defeated him. Twice. She's the one who cast the spell that stripped his powers and trapped him in the locket. But her spell didn't strip the powers the second time. She could only strip the powers he'd stolen from her. Since he got those powers from you the second time, she couldn't take them away."
"Piper," said Phoebe, "we all used our powers against him. If that's true, he'll still have them when he's released."
"Oh, it's quite true," said the warlock. "There's no reason for me to lie to you. That's why I want him released."
"Like I said," said Piper, "that's not going to happen."
"And what of the poor innocent?" asked the warlock, picking up the photograph of the girl. "Does she have to pay for your obstinacy? My, my, I wonder what your precious Elders will say about that? Causing the death of a innocent when you were able to prevent it?"
"He's right, Piper," said Leo. "You can't let the girl die if you can prevent it."
Piper looked at Leo and then at the warlock. She knew they were both right. The Charmed Ones had to protect the innocent, no matter what the risk to themselves. It was the price of being a Charmed One. She picked up the locket and looked at it. Then she looked at Phoebe. Phoebe just nodded. Piper looked at Paige.
"We'll find another way to stop him," said Paige.
Piper looked at the warlock one last time. Then she pressed the button and the locket popped open. Magic swirled out of the locket and began to coalesce. When it finished, Michael Tate stood in the living room. He looked at the sisters and Leo, and then he noticed the warlock standing there. For a minute, he didn't seem to recognize the warlock. Suddenly his expression changed.
"Morgan?" questioned Tate.
"Hello, brother," said the warlock, smiling.
The potion Piper was preparing would be ready soon. It had to simmer for thirty minutes before she could add the final ingredient. Until then, she could only wait. Leo had returned. The Elders didn't know any more than they did. There was no indication who this warlock was. Paige also had no luck with the Book of Shadows. No entry on any warlock seemed to fit this one. And they were all sure they weren't dealing with a demon.
"We just don't know enough about him," said Leo. "If there was just some indication who he might be, we might know what he's after. Besides your powers, of course."
"The potion will be ready in about fifteen minutes," said Piper. "Then it won't matter what he wants. When he shows up again, we'll vanquish him and this will all be over."
"That's not going to happen, I'm afraid."
They all turned to see the warlock standing in the entryway. Piper immediately raised her hands to explode him. But the power passed harmlessly around him.
"I told you your powers won't work on me," said the warlock, holding up his hand to show a ring he was wearing. "None of your powers will be of any use against me."
"Come back to kill us?" asked Phoebe.
"I don't want you dead," said the warlock. "If I did, I've had ample opportunity for that."
"Then what do you want?" asked Piper.
The warlock reached into his pocket and pulled something out. He then tossed it onto the coffee table. It was a gold locket on a gold chain.
"I simply want you to open this," said the warlock. "That's all."
"Piper," said Phoebe, "that's Melinda's locked."
"Melinda Warren?" questioned Leo.
"Yes," said Piper. "And it has a warlock named Michael Tate trapped inside it. There's no way we're going to open that."
The warlock pulled a photograph out of his pocket and threw it on the table. It showed a teenage girl, bound and gagged, in a chair. On her lap sat a newspaper with today's date on it.
"It's very simple," said the warlock. "Open the locket and she goes free. If not, well."
"Why don't you open it yourself?" asked Paige.
"I can't," said the warlock. "No one can except one of you. The enchantment allows only someone in Melinda Warren's line to open it. Which means any of you can open it for me. That's all I want from you. Just open the locket.
"Michael Tate can duplicate any power used against him," Piper explained to Paige. "We barely defeated him. And we were able to strip away the powers he had stolen. If we release him, he'll become a threat against all witches."
"Actually," said the warlock, "Melinda Warren defeated him. Twice. She's the one who cast the spell that stripped his powers and trapped him in the locket. But her spell didn't strip the powers the second time. She could only strip the powers he'd stolen from her. Since he got those powers from you the second time, she couldn't take them away."
"Piper," said Phoebe, "we all used our powers against him. If that's true, he'll still have them when he's released."
"Oh, it's quite true," said the warlock. "There's no reason for me to lie to you. That's why I want him released."
"Like I said," said Piper, "that's not going to happen."
"And what of the poor innocent?" asked the warlock, picking up the photograph of the girl. "Does she have to pay for your obstinacy? My, my, I wonder what your precious Elders will say about that? Causing the death of a innocent when you were able to prevent it?"
"He's right, Piper," said Leo. "You can't let the girl die if you can prevent it."
Piper looked at Leo and then at the warlock. She knew they were both right. The Charmed Ones had to protect the innocent, no matter what the risk to themselves. It was the price of being a Charmed One. She picked up the locket and looked at it. Then she looked at Phoebe. Phoebe just nodded. Piper looked at Paige.
"We'll find another way to stop him," said Paige.
Piper looked at the warlock one last time. Then she pressed the button and the locket popped open. Magic swirled out of the locket and began to coalesce. When it finished, Michael Tate stood in the living room. He looked at the sisters and Leo, and then he noticed the warlock standing there. For a minute, he didn't seem to recognize the warlock. Suddenly his expression changed.
"Morgan?" questioned Tate.
"Hello, brother," said the warlock, smiling.