CHAPTER 3
Leo glanced up, and turned to Piper, who was feeding Wyatt his mashed vegetables, and trying to avoid wearing them at the same time. "I'm going to see what I can find out," he said to her, "I'll be back soon." And he disappeared in a mist of blue and white orbs.
Wyatt put out his hands to try and catch one, laughing with glee, he thought his Daddy's trick just wonderful. Piper wiped his mouth again, smiling at her son's exuberance.
"Oh yes, Daddy's clever," she crooned to him. Paige wandered into the kitchen, picking an apple from the fruit bowl, and perched on the table, next to her sister.
"Was that Leo leaving?" she enquired, taking a large bite of the apple.
"Yes, and Wyatt is very exited by the whole orbing process," said Piper "He tries to catch the orbs. It's really cute."
"Look baby, Aunty Paige can do it too," said Paige, and she orbed out, then back again.
Wyatt giggled in glee, little arms waving madly in the air.
"Don't show off" said Piper, trying to spoon more vegetables into the baby's mouth.
"You're just jealous cause you can't do it," said Paige cheekily, grabbing one of Wyatt's chubby little fists, and kissing it. "And let's face it, Wyatt isn't nearly so impressed by your ability to make something stay perfectly still or blow it up."
"Paige," said Piper "Why don't you see if Phoebe is ready for tea, then start serving our meal, while I clean up Wyatt?"
"O.K. but changing the subject is a lousy way to win an argument," Paige retorted as she skipped out of the room.
"I wasn't aware that we were arguing," called Piper, smiling to herself as she picked Wyatt out of his high chair, and sat him on her lap.
Leo returned just as they were about to sit down for tea. The three girls looked up at him, and Piper indicated he should sit, and went and got his meal from the microwave.
"What's up?" asked Paige, "Did they know anything this time?"
"Well, they wanted to let me know that a very powerful demon has just turned up on their radar. They are not sure who he is yet. But they say there is a familiar feel about him, like – almost like you have vanquished him before, but now he's back."
"Oh please," said Paige, "Doesn't anyone stay dead anymore?"
Phoebe looked up at the others, a glow igniting in her beautiful dark eyes. "It's Cole – it has to be Cole," she said, unable to keep the emotion out of her voice, but Leo frowned slightly, and shook his head.
"I don't believe that the Elders' think it's Cole," he said slowly. "They know him, they would know the feel of his presence. This is something different – something even more powerful, yet still familiar."
Phoebe dropped her eyes back to her dinner, losing interest in the conversation.
Piper, Paige and Leo exchanged glances above her dark brown head, and Piper got up and came around the table, to sit next to her sister, just to put her arm around her and give her a slight hug.
"Could it be the Source?" asked Paige, "I mean, he was the most powerful, wasn't he?"
Leo shook his head. "The Source would also be easily identified by the Elders, for the same reason. He was their enemy for 500 years. However, you vanquished any number of very powerful demons, and it could be any one of them."
"How could it be?" demanded Paige, "If we vanquished them – how can they come back? That is so not fair!"
"Sometimes the veil between this world and the world of the dead thins," said Leo thoughtfully, "And those who know how, can pass through. Not many have the chance, or the knowledge, but obviously, those who do, can."
"Again – not fair," said Paige, "Why don't we have that ability?"
"Well, actually, we do come back also," said Phoebe slowly, "Not in the physical, but in spirit. Look at Grams and Mom - and hopefully soon, Prue!"
"Still no fair," grumbled Paige, and picked up her dish, and started clearing the table.
Phoebe joined her at the sink, rinsing dishes and loading the dishwasher. She turned around to look at Leo suddenly –
"Could it have been that demon that was here yesterday? Could she be the one the Elders' are sensing?"
"Yes, I suppose so," replied Leo, considering. "It's possible, though the Elders' didn't know who she was. They will keep me posted if there are any more attacks, on any other witches."
"And I have put a force field around the house," said Paige. "Just like a magic doorbell, no one can orb or shimmer or blink in and out with ringing it first! It was all I could do – anything stronger could hurt someone."
"I hope that I won't set it off all the time," said Leo, "Or you,"
"No," replied Paige, "I allowed for us. I just want some warning from now on, if we are going to be attacked."
Piper and Phoebe exchanged glances, both remembering the time Prue had booby-trapped the attic, and caught Cole.
Phoebe sighed, then smiled at Paige, "You have certainly learned heaps and heaps lately," she said admiringly to her younger sister. "You are becoming the Super Witch. Piper and I better keep on our toes."
Paige smiled – "Piper and you are way ahead of me," she said. "But I have studied a lot since I gave up work and I just want us to be safe."
*************************************
Jael dropped Cole's hand quickly, and sank to his knees, trying to catch his breath. "Man that is a rush," he said, "Where the hell did you pick up that ability?"
"Last time in the Wasteland," replied Cole, looking around to make sure they were not seen. "It looks like these rooms are not being used by anyone yet, but we can't stay here long, we might get caught. Let me rest here for a while, then we will have to go somewhere else. Do you know of any place?" and he sank down on the bed in the corner.
Jael shook his head. "I was stationed at the Learning Centre – the library, I have been there for over 30 years – I was a scholar for heaven's sake. I'm not into all this trying to take over the world thing or invading the other Realm – you know I was never any good at physical stuff – hell you came to my rescue heaps of times when we were studying together! The Learning Centre is now being run by the Brotherhood – or should I say Zaytak – he controls them now! That's how I was 'reassigned' – once he knew I was a half breed, and I knew you – my fate was sealed!" he looked over and saw the expression on Cole's face and added "Don't blame yourself Belthazor, I don't. I am very pissed at Zaytak though. I mean, you just saved me from the Wasteland, so I guess we can call it quits!"
"We can't stay here though," repeated Cole "And please stop calling me Belthazor – that part of me is dead or buried so deep he will never come out again – my human name is Cole. Have you got any powers left at all?"
Jael looked at him, in sudden fear. "What do you mean, any powers left?"
"Well usually going through the barrier into the Wasteland burns them all away or does something to them – I don't know what, but I figured out that's why no one else has come back before. It was only luck that I got more while I was there – but I don't think you did."
Jael closed his eyes for a moment; then opened them again, looking around in horror at the rocky walls. "I can't shimmer," he said in panic "Oh Lucifer – what on earth am I going to do?"
"Try and stay calm," said Cole – "There may be a way of restoring your powers – surely you would have come across something in one of your many manuscripts in the Library. Maybe I can do ,,, – " he stopped talking as they heard footsteps coming along the corridor outside the room, and they both pressed back into the darkness.
A large black demon, with blue tribal markings entered the cavern, looking around intently, and turned to speak to a similarly marked demon entering behind him, "I am sure I heard something," the first one growled, "There is someone here, or someone has been here, very recently. – Go and get the tracker – if anyone has been hiding in here without permission – they will be questioned."
The second demon shimmered off, and Cole stepped out of the shadows.
Leo glanced up, and turned to Piper, who was feeding Wyatt his mashed vegetables, and trying to avoid wearing them at the same time. "I'm going to see what I can find out," he said to her, "I'll be back soon." And he disappeared in a mist of blue and white orbs.
Wyatt put out his hands to try and catch one, laughing with glee, he thought his Daddy's trick just wonderful. Piper wiped his mouth again, smiling at her son's exuberance.
"Oh yes, Daddy's clever," she crooned to him. Paige wandered into the kitchen, picking an apple from the fruit bowl, and perched on the table, next to her sister.
"Was that Leo leaving?" she enquired, taking a large bite of the apple.
"Yes, and Wyatt is very exited by the whole orbing process," said Piper "He tries to catch the orbs. It's really cute."
"Look baby, Aunty Paige can do it too," said Paige, and she orbed out, then back again.
Wyatt giggled in glee, little arms waving madly in the air.
"Don't show off" said Piper, trying to spoon more vegetables into the baby's mouth.
"You're just jealous cause you can't do it," said Paige cheekily, grabbing one of Wyatt's chubby little fists, and kissing it. "And let's face it, Wyatt isn't nearly so impressed by your ability to make something stay perfectly still or blow it up."
"Paige," said Piper "Why don't you see if Phoebe is ready for tea, then start serving our meal, while I clean up Wyatt?"
"O.K. but changing the subject is a lousy way to win an argument," Paige retorted as she skipped out of the room.
"I wasn't aware that we were arguing," called Piper, smiling to herself as she picked Wyatt out of his high chair, and sat him on her lap.
Leo returned just as they were about to sit down for tea. The three girls looked up at him, and Piper indicated he should sit, and went and got his meal from the microwave.
"What's up?" asked Paige, "Did they know anything this time?"
"Well, they wanted to let me know that a very powerful demon has just turned up on their radar. They are not sure who he is yet. But they say there is a familiar feel about him, like – almost like you have vanquished him before, but now he's back."
"Oh please," said Paige, "Doesn't anyone stay dead anymore?"
Phoebe looked up at the others, a glow igniting in her beautiful dark eyes. "It's Cole – it has to be Cole," she said, unable to keep the emotion out of her voice, but Leo frowned slightly, and shook his head.
"I don't believe that the Elders' think it's Cole," he said slowly. "They know him, they would know the feel of his presence. This is something different – something even more powerful, yet still familiar."
Phoebe dropped her eyes back to her dinner, losing interest in the conversation.
Piper, Paige and Leo exchanged glances above her dark brown head, and Piper got up and came around the table, to sit next to her sister, just to put her arm around her and give her a slight hug.
"Could it be the Source?" asked Paige, "I mean, he was the most powerful, wasn't he?"
Leo shook his head. "The Source would also be easily identified by the Elders, for the same reason. He was their enemy for 500 years. However, you vanquished any number of very powerful demons, and it could be any one of them."
"How could it be?" demanded Paige, "If we vanquished them – how can they come back? That is so not fair!"
"Sometimes the veil between this world and the world of the dead thins," said Leo thoughtfully, "And those who know how, can pass through. Not many have the chance, or the knowledge, but obviously, those who do, can."
"Again – not fair," said Paige, "Why don't we have that ability?"
"Well, actually, we do come back also," said Phoebe slowly, "Not in the physical, but in spirit. Look at Grams and Mom - and hopefully soon, Prue!"
"Still no fair," grumbled Paige, and picked up her dish, and started clearing the table.
Phoebe joined her at the sink, rinsing dishes and loading the dishwasher. She turned around to look at Leo suddenly –
"Could it have been that demon that was here yesterday? Could she be the one the Elders' are sensing?"
"Yes, I suppose so," replied Leo, considering. "It's possible, though the Elders' didn't know who she was. They will keep me posted if there are any more attacks, on any other witches."
"And I have put a force field around the house," said Paige. "Just like a magic doorbell, no one can orb or shimmer or blink in and out with ringing it first! It was all I could do – anything stronger could hurt someone."
"I hope that I won't set it off all the time," said Leo, "Or you,"
"No," replied Paige, "I allowed for us. I just want some warning from now on, if we are going to be attacked."
Piper and Phoebe exchanged glances, both remembering the time Prue had booby-trapped the attic, and caught Cole.
Phoebe sighed, then smiled at Paige, "You have certainly learned heaps and heaps lately," she said admiringly to her younger sister. "You are becoming the Super Witch. Piper and I better keep on our toes."
Paige smiled – "Piper and you are way ahead of me," she said. "But I have studied a lot since I gave up work and I just want us to be safe."
*************************************
Jael dropped Cole's hand quickly, and sank to his knees, trying to catch his breath. "Man that is a rush," he said, "Where the hell did you pick up that ability?"
"Last time in the Wasteland," replied Cole, looking around to make sure they were not seen. "It looks like these rooms are not being used by anyone yet, but we can't stay here long, we might get caught. Let me rest here for a while, then we will have to go somewhere else. Do you know of any place?" and he sank down on the bed in the corner.
Jael shook his head. "I was stationed at the Learning Centre – the library, I have been there for over 30 years – I was a scholar for heaven's sake. I'm not into all this trying to take over the world thing or invading the other Realm – you know I was never any good at physical stuff – hell you came to my rescue heaps of times when we were studying together! The Learning Centre is now being run by the Brotherhood – or should I say Zaytak – he controls them now! That's how I was 'reassigned' – once he knew I was a half breed, and I knew you – my fate was sealed!" he looked over and saw the expression on Cole's face and added "Don't blame yourself Belthazor, I don't. I am very pissed at Zaytak though. I mean, you just saved me from the Wasteland, so I guess we can call it quits!"
"We can't stay here though," repeated Cole "And please stop calling me Belthazor – that part of me is dead or buried so deep he will never come out again – my human name is Cole. Have you got any powers left at all?"
Jael looked at him, in sudden fear. "What do you mean, any powers left?"
"Well usually going through the barrier into the Wasteland burns them all away or does something to them – I don't know what, but I figured out that's why no one else has come back before. It was only luck that I got more while I was there – but I don't think you did."
Jael closed his eyes for a moment; then opened them again, looking around in horror at the rocky walls. "I can't shimmer," he said in panic "Oh Lucifer – what on earth am I going to do?"
"Try and stay calm," said Cole – "There may be a way of restoring your powers – surely you would have come across something in one of your many manuscripts in the Library. Maybe I can do ,,, – " he stopped talking as they heard footsteps coming along the corridor outside the room, and they both pressed back into the darkness.
A large black demon, with blue tribal markings entered the cavern, looking around intently, and turned to speak to a similarly marked demon entering behind him, "I am sure I heard something," the first one growled, "There is someone here, or someone has been here, very recently. – Go and get the tracker – if anyone has been hiding in here without permission – they will be questioned."
The second demon shimmered off, and Cole stepped out of the shadows.