The three girls rushed through the front door of the manor as fast as three eight month pregnant women could. The commotion startled Leo who was busy refinishing the stairwell.
"What's wrong?" Leo asked standing up from the first landing.
"Phoebe had a premonition." Piper said as they moved past Leo on their way to the attic.
"What? Where?" He asked running up the stairs behind the sisters.
"At lunch. We were being attacked down there." Phoebe answered pointing down the stairs to the main level of the manor. Piper threw the door to the attic open as she and the sisters climbed the last few stairs.
"Ok remind that I am 40 years old and 8 months pregnant the next time we decide to sprint up the stairs." Piper said out of breath. She placed her hands on her knees and took a couple deep breaths.
"Here sit down Piper." Leo said as he wrapped his arm around her and tried to guide her to a chair.
"No Leo we don't have time. The demons weren't after us they were going to kill the baby." She pushed Leo aside, stood up and grabbed her belly again. Paige was already at the book and Phoebe was pacing the length of the room.
"What how? Our baby or all of them?"
"All." Phoebe answered finally getting her breath back.
"What did they look like Phoebe?" Leo moved to Paige's side at the book.
"Like Demons Leo. They were in purple robes and all were bald. Oh the guy in the middle was in a black robe and held a staff. There were six or seven surrounding us in a circle but three more were holding us and had a blade at our stomachs ready to stab the babies. The one in the middle was talking but I couldn't make out what he was saying." Phoebe rambled on.
"Anything else Phoebe?" Paige asked flipping through the book.
"No sorry. I couldn't focus on their looks I was trying to hear what they were saying." It had been quite some time since they had had to do this kind of searching.
"Okay well I have more books downstairs, if we can't find anything in the Book of Shadows."
"Well let's just take this downstairs." Paige said grabbing the book off of its stand. "That way you two can look in Piper's books while I keep checking this one." The girls headed for the stairs leaving Leo to wonder if that was such a good idea. He also knew that once they made their minds up there was no stopping them.
Once downstairs Piper and Phoebe relaxed into one of the couches each with a book and Paige sat with the Book of Shadows at the table.
"What about them?" Piper asked showing Phoebe the picture.
"No they were taller and the eyes buggier." Phoebe went back to her book. A few minutes past before Phoebe called out. "Here this is them." Paige joined them on the couch.
"Okay you know what, with the three of us pregnant like this we just do not fit on one couch anymore." Phoebe said trying to pull herself up.
"Phoebe!" Piper said. "Who are they?"
"They're a group called The Reckoning. They are a group of demons that's soul purpose is to find new threats to evil and prevent that threat from being released. They are lead by Croitus, the keeper of the Syate Text." Phoebe paused and looked in Leo's direction for an explanation.
"They are a set of evil texts that foresee the future. The only thing we really know about them is that they keep changing." Leo sat down in one of the chairs.
"Changing?" Piper questioned.
"Yes, once they translate the next part of the text it changes on them until the event actually happens. Nothing in the future is ever set in stone, even for demons. The texts are written in an ancient demonic language that hasn't been in use for thousands of years, so it is a very stressful job."
"So if their only job is translating this text what makes them evil?"
"Because Phoebe, they are still demons. After they translate the text any possible future threats must be eradicated and apparently these infants must be a threat." Leo said pointing to the three bellies squished onto the couch.
"So what do we do now?" Paige asked.
"Now we send Leo Up There to find out once and for all what is going on with these children. And this time don't you come home until you have convinced them to tell you." Piper directed.
"Okay I will be back as soon as I can." Leo stood up and kissed Piper's forehead before orbing out.
