SIX
"Cole, have you seen Phoebe?" Piper asked him.
"What?" Cole asked. "Oh, uh, no, not for a while. She said something
about running an errand. I'm sure she'll be home soon."
"Funny," said Paige, "she didn't mention anything to me about any errands.
In fact, she said something about you and her going somewhere today."
"Oh, yeah," said Cole, "we are later. Nothing fancy, just going to get
out of the house for a while."
"Well," said Leo, "she should be okay. She hasn't called for me so she
must not be in any danger."
"I guess so," said Piper. "It's just not like her to disappear without
any word whatsoever."
"I'm sure she'll be fine," said Cole, picking up a book that Paige had
lying on the kitchen table. "What's this?"
"Oh, just doing some research," said Paige. "I have a case at work that
involves multiple jurisdictions. I'm just trying to figure out which
jurisdiction has priority."
"Don't you have lawyers there to figure that out?" Cole asked.
"Yeah," said Paige, "but they're so overworked as it is. I just thought
I'd see if I could sort this mess out. Or at least give the lawyers some more
to go on before I ask them about it."
"Okay," said Cole, putting down the book, "but if you need any help, just
ask me. I am a lawyer, too, you know? I may specialize in criminal law but
most lawyers know something about various types of law. I might be able to
help."
"Okay," said Paige. "So far it's not it hasn't been that hard. But if I
need any help I'll be sure to ask."
"Great," said Cole. "By the way, chapter seven in that book might be of
some use to you. It covers sorting out multiple jurisdictions into categories.
That might give you the answer you're looking for."
"Thanks," said Paige, smiling.
"Piper, can I speak to you for a minute?" Cole asked. "Privately? It's
kind of important.
"Sure, Cole," said Piper.
Cole led Piper out of the kitchen. When they were in the living room he
looked back to make sure Leo and Paige were still in the kitchen. He removed
the photograph of Phoebe from his pocket and handed it to Piper.
"Don't talk, just listen," said Cole. "There's an ancient warlock holding
Phoebe. He's said he won't hurt her if you come. If you try to warn anyone
else he says he'll kill her. There's nothing I could do because I don't have my
powers. He says you have to come now, alone, or you'll never see Phoebe again."
"But," began Piper.
"No," said Cole, "no questions. You just have to go. Phoebe's life is at
stake. This warlock is very dangerous. I have no doubt he'll kill Phoebe
without hesitation. If we're going to get her out of this alive, we have to go
now."
Piper just nodded once. Phoebe was in danger and if she could help she
knew she had to. She also knew she could call for Leo and he'd come as soon as
she did. And he'd bring Paige with him when he realized she was calling him
from outside the manor.
Cole took Piper's hand and pulled the rock Craggen had given him out of
his pocket. He closed his eyes and concentrated for several seconds on the
house where Craggen, Corlin, and Phoebe were. Suddenly, the two faded from the
living room.
"Very nicely done," said Craggen as Cole and Piper appeared in the
basement of the house.
Phoebe was chained to one of the walls with her hands tied behind her
back. She still had the gag over her mouth. Piper looked around and saw
Craggen standing near a small table on which lay a crystal and the paper with
the spell on it.
"Miss Halliwell," said Craggen, "I must warn you about calling for your
White Lighter. I have no wish to harm you or your sister but if you call for
you will force me to do something unpleasant."
"Okay," said Piper, glancing at Cole. "Let her go and maybe I won't kill
you."
"Brave words, witch," said Corlin. "Master Craggen is more than a match
for you. You'll be dead long before he is."
"Unlike you," said Piper. "You're like most warlocks. Cowardly and
despicable. What's the matter? Afraid of a fair fight?"
"Oh, this is no fight," said Craggen, picking up the spell from the table.
"A simple negotiation. You give me something and I give you something. It's as
simple as that."
"Let me guess," said Piper. "I give you my powers and you give me my
sister, is that the deal?"
"You're very bright," said Craggen.
"Not going to happen," said Piper.
Piper brought up her hands intent on freezing Craggen. She wasn't worried
about Corlin. As soon as his master was out of action he would desert Craggen
like a rat from a sinking ship. Cole had no powers and wasn't a threat to her.
And Phoebe, of course, couldn't' be affected by her freezing power.
"I'm afraid not," said Craggen, bringing his hand up as Piper activated
her power. He absorbed her attack easily. "I wasn't the most powerful of my
kind by underestimating my opponents. And I learned a great deal from your
ancestor, Melinda Warren. She had the same power. Needless to say I've learned
to protect against it since she first used it on me."
"Let Phoebe go," said Piper. "That's not the only power I have. I want
my sister back and there isn't going to be any deal. Just give me my sister and
you and your lackey can leave here."
"Oh, I'm afraid I can't do that," said Craggen. "You see, you have
something I need. And I'm afraid I simply cannot let you leave until I have
what I came for."
"Cole," Piper said, looking at Cole, "why are you helping this scum? He's
a warlock. You know he's going to kill Phoebe and me. Hell, he's probably
going to kill you, too. After all that we've done for you how can you turn on
us like this?"
"Piper, it's not what you think," said Cole. "He's not going to hurt
anyone. Just do what he says and everything will be okay. I promise you."
"You actually have no choice," said Craggen, looking at the spell in his
hand. "Your powers are useless against me. And if you attempt to leave here or
help your sister, I will simply kill her. If you attempt to summon your White
Lighter, I will simply kill her. I can do so before you have taken even a
single step. So, unless you care nothing for your sisters' life, I would
suggest you cease resisting me. My patience is wearing thin."
"Piper, just do what he wants," said Cole. "I promise everything will
work out fine. I'll explain everything when this is finished."
"When this is over," said Piper, looking deliberately at Cole, "humor or
not I'm going to vanquish you. You can't just betray us and expect to get away
with it."
"Piper," began Cole.
"Enough," said Craggen. "I have waited far too long for this. I will
have what I came for."
"Fine," said Piper, not taking her eyes off Cole. "Let's get this over
with. But don't think it ends here. I'm going to vanquish you if it's the last
thing I ever do."
Craggen just smiled. He looked at Corlin. Then he turned back to Piper.
He looked at her for a moment, and then began to read the spell in his hand. It
was written in Latin and it was obvious he had practiced reading the spell. He
had no trouble pronouncing the words of the spell. As he finished reading the
spell, the crystal on the table began to glow.
"Cole, have you seen Phoebe?" Piper asked him.
"What?" Cole asked. "Oh, uh, no, not for a while. She said something
about running an errand. I'm sure she'll be home soon."
"Funny," said Paige, "she didn't mention anything to me about any errands.
In fact, she said something about you and her going somewhere today."
"Oh, yeah," said Cole, "we are later. Nothing fancy, just going to get
out of the house for a while."
"Well," said Leo, "she should be okay. She hasn't called for me so she
must not be in any danger."
"I guess so," said Piper. "It's just not like her to disappear without
any word whatsoever."
"I'm sure she'll be fine," said Cole, picking up a book that Paige had
lying on the kitchen table. "What's this?"
"Oh, just doing some research," said Paige. "I have a case at work that
involves multiple jurisdictions. I'm just trying to figure out which
jurisdiction has priority."
"Don't you have lawyers there to figure that out?" Cole asked.
"Yeah," said Paige, "but they're so overworked as it is. I just thought
I'd see if I could sort this mess out. Or at least give the lawyers some more
to go on before I ask them about it."
"Okay," said Cole, putting down the book, "but if you need any help, just
ask me. I am a lawyer, too, you know? I may specialize in criminal law but
most lawyers know something about various types of law. I might be able to
help."
"Okay," said Paige. "So far it's not it hasn't been that hard. But if I
need any help I'll be sure to ask."
"Great," said Cole. "By the way, chapter seven in that book might be of
some use to you. It covers sorting out multiple jurisdictions into categories.
That might give you the answer you're looking for."
"Thanks," said Paige, smiling.
"Piper, can I speak to you for a minute?" Cole asked. "Privately? It's
kind of important.
"Sure, Cole," said Piper.
Cole led Piper out of the kitchen. When they were in the living room he
looked back to make sure Leo and Paige were still in the kitchen. He removed
the photograph of Phoebe from his pocket and handed it to Piper.
"Don't talk, just listen," said Cole. "There's an ancient warlock holding
Phoebe. He's said he won't hurt her if you come. If you try to warn anyone
else he says he'll kill her. There's nothing I could do because I don't have my
powers. He says you have to come now, alone, or you'll never see Phoebe again."
"But," began Piper.
"No," said Cole, "no questions. You just have to go. Phoebe's life is at
stake. This warlock is very dangerous. I have no doubt he'll kill Phoebe
without hesitation. If we're going to get her out of this alive, we have to go
now."
Piper just nodded once. Phoebe was in danger and if she could help she
knew she had to. She also knew she could call for Leo and he'd come as soon as
she did. And he'd bring Paige with him when he realized she was calling him
from outside the manor.
Cole took Piper's hand and pulled the rock Craggen had given him out of
his pocket. He closed his eyes and concentrated for several seconds on the
house where Craggen, Corlin, and Phoebe were. Suddenly, the two faded from the
living room.
"Very nicely done," said Craggen as Cole and Piper appeared in the
basement of the house.
Phoebe was chained to one of the walls with her hands tied behind her
back. She still had the gag over her mouth. Piper looked around and saw
Craggen standing near a small table on which lay a crystal and the paper with
the spell on it.
"Miss Halliwell," said Craggen, "I must warn you about calling for your
White Lighter. I have no wish to harm you or your sister but if you call for
you will force me to do something unpleasant."
"Okay," said Piper, glancing at Cole. "Let her go and maybe I won't kill
you."
"Brave words, witch," said Corlin. "Master Craggen is more than a match
for you. You'll be dead long before he is."
"Unlike you," said Piper. "You're like most warlocks. Cowardly and
despicable. What's the matter? Afraid of a fair fight?"
"Oh, this is no fight," said Craggen, picking up the spell from the table.
"A simple negotiation. You give me something and I give you something. It's as
simple as that."
"Let me guess," said Piper. "I give you my powers and you give me my
sister, is that the deal?"
"You're very bright," said Craggen.
"Not going to happen," said Piper.
Piper brought up her hands intent on freezing Craggen. She wasn't worried
about Corlin. As soon as his master was out of action he would desert Craggen
like a rat from a sinking ship. Cole had no powers and wasn't a threat to her.
And Phoebe, of course, couldn't' be affected by her freezing power.
"I'm afraid not," said Craggen, bringing his hand up as Piper activated
her power. He absorbed her attack easily. "I wasn't the most powerful of my
kind by underestimating my opponents. And I learned a great deal from your
ancestor, Melinda Warren. She had the same power. Needless to say I've learned
to protect against it since she first used it on me."
"Let Phoebe go," said Piper. "That's not the only power I have. I want
my sister back and there isn't going to be any deal. Just give me my sister and
you and your lackey can leave here."
"Oh, I'm afraid I can't do that," said Craggen. "You see, you have
something I need. And I'm afraid I simply cannot let you leave until I have
what I came for."
"Cole," Piper said, looking at Cole, "why are you helping this scum? He's
a warlock. You know he's going to kill Phoebe and me. Hell, he's probably
going to kill you, too. After all that we've done for you how can you turn on
us like this?"
"Piper, it's not what you think," said Cole. "He's not going to hurt
anyone. Just do what he says and everything will be okay. I promise you."
"You actually have no choice," said Craggen, looking at the spell in his
hand. "Your powers are useless against me. And if you attempt to leave here or
help your sister, I will simply kill her. If you attempt to summon your White
Lighter, I will simply kill her. I can do so before you have taken even a
single step. So, unless you care nothing for your sisters' life, I would
suggest you cease resisting me. My patience is wearing thin."
"Piper, just do what he wants," said Cole. "I promise everything will
work out fine. I'll explain everything when this is finished."
"When this is over," said Piper, looking deliberately at Cole, "humor or
not I'm going to vanquish you. You can't just betray us and expect to get away
with it."
"Piper," began Cole.
"Enough," said Craggen. "I have waited far too long for this. I will
have what I came for."
"Fine," said Piper, not taking her eyes off Cole. "Let's get this over
with. But don't think it ends here. I'm going to vanquish you if it's the last
thing I ever do."
Craggen just smiled. He looked at Corlin. Then he turned back to Piper.
He looked at her for a moment, and then began to read the spell in his hand. It
was written in Latin and it was obvious he had practiced reading the spell. He
had no trouble pronouncing the words of the spell. As he finished reading the
spell, the crystal on the table began to glow.