In the drab mint-green hospital room, a sullen Xan and injured Pru sat on
matching mint-green chairs as their bedridden aunt offered a look of mixed
sympathy and hope.
"Don't worry," Paige said softly, "we'll get your brother back. I've gone through this before."
Her nephew and niece looked back at her solemnly with doubt in their faces just as the door swung open to reveal Julia, who gave her siblings a small smile to show that she was okay. Following the demon break-in, Xan and Pru were able to revive their younger sister. Though she seemed to be fine, they had opted to have her checked by a doctor anyway, since they were headed to the hospital to have Pru's ankle treated and to ask their aunt for help. Thinking that their aunt would need the Book of Shadows, they apprehensively lugged it along with them.
"Are you all right?" Pru asked, standing up and limping to guide her sister to her seat.
"Yes. Don't worry 'bout me," assured Julia as she sat on the cushioned wooden bench, a can of soda in her hands. She leaned her head discreetly on the wall behind her; actually she was still a little woozy from the incident, though she'd rather not have her family make a fuss. She took a sip of her drink before saying, "We should worry about Drew."
"Good thing you brought the book. Haven't seen it in ages," remarked Paige. She began to struggle in her bed and she called out to her visitors, "Hey, can you help me with this thing? I swear when I get out of here I won't lie down on a bed for a week."
The three Madisons helped their aunt Paige up, bringing their chairs around her and laying the book on her lap. Paige brought the book up to her nose with both hands, taking a lungful of its musty fragrance before settling it back on her lap. "Haven't touched it in ages," she whispered to herself.
Paige flipped through the pages of the old tome, fully knowing what she was looking for. "I have to tell you the truth though," she explained, biting her lip in hesitation, "I don't really know how we beat the power brokers, you know, me being the victim and all."
She finally stopped on a page with only beautiful calligraphy and colorful art adorning the ancient paper. Pru craned her neck, sneaking a glance at the title of the spell Paige had found.
"A power switching spell?" Pru asked, letting her eyes run over the incantation.
"See, there's no way for you to get to hell or wherever power brokers live. Unless we find a demon who can take us there, then we'd have to make a crystal cage, go through the question-and-torture process... That'd be messy. *So*, I'll switch powers with one of you, and then you could use my orbing to get to Drew."
"And we don't need ingredients or anything. Cool," Julia remarked.
Paige nodded and continued, "You bring him back, we take care of the broker, somehow, back here."
"Okay then, let's go," Xan said eagerly.
At that note, Paige looked among the faces of her family before asking, "Who should I switch powers with?"
"Me," Pru exclaimed, raising her hand up willingly. "I have the useless power."
"Don't say that," chided her aunt. "You have an amazing power. Here, give me your hand."
Pru sighed as she offered her hand to Paige, who began to recite the spell.
"What's mine is yours, what's yours is mine
Let our powers cross the line
I offer up my gift to share
Switch our powers through the air."
"Don't worry," Paige said softly, "we'll get your brother back. I've gone through this before."
Her nephew and niece looked back at her solemnly with doubt in their faces just as the door swung open to reveal Julia, who gave her siblings a small smile to show that she was okay. Following the demon break-in, Xan and Pru were able to revive their younger sister. Though she seemed to be fine, they had opted to have her checked by a doctor anyway, since they were headed to the hospital to have Pru's ankle treated and to ask their aunt for help. Thinking that their aunt would need the Book of Shadows, they apprehensively lugged it along with them.
"Are you all right?" Pru asked, standing up and limping to guide her sister to her seat.
"Yes. Don't worry 'bout me," assured Julia as she sat on the cushioned wooden bench, a can of soda in her hands. She leaned her head discreetly on the wall behind her; actually she was still a little woozy from the incident, though she'd rather not have her family make a fuss. She took a sip of her drink before saying, "We should worry about Drew."
"Good thing you brought the book. Haven't seen it in ages," remarked Paige. She began to struggle in her bed and she called out to her visitors, "Hey, can you help me with this thing? I swear when I get out of here I won't lie down on a bed for a week."
The three Madisons helped their aunt Paige up, bringing their chairs around her and laying the book on her lap. Paige brought the book up to her nose with both hands, taking a lungful of its musty fragrance before settling it back on her lap. "Haven't touched it in ages," she whispered to herself.
Paige flipped through the pages of the old tome, fully knowing what she was looking for. "I have to tell you the truth though," she explained, biting her lip in hesitation, "I don't really know how we beat the power brokers, you know, me being the victim and all."
She finally stopped on a page with only beautiful calligraphy and colorful art adorning the ancient paper. Pru craned her neck, sneaking a glance at the title of the spell Paige had found.
"A power switching spell?" Pru asked, letting her eyes run over the incantation.
"See, there's no way for you to get to hell or wherever power brokers live. Unless we find a demon who can take us there, then we'd have to make a crystal cage, go through the question-and-torture process... That'd be messy. *So*, I'll switch powers with one of you, and then you could use my orbing to get to Drew."
"And we don't need ingredients or anything. Cool," Julia remarked.
Paige nodded and continued, "You bring him back, we take care of the broker, somehow, back here."
"Okay then, let's go," Xan said eagerly.
At that note, Paige looked among the faces of her family before asking, "Who should I switch powers with?"
"Me," Pru exclaimed, raising her hand up willingly. "I have the useless power."
"Don't say that," chided her aunt. "You have an amazing power. Here, give me your hand."
Pru sighed as she offered her hand to Paige, who began to recite the spell.
"What's mine is yours, what's yours is mine
Let our powers cross the line
I offer up my gift to share
Switch our powers through the air."
