Paige's temperature was one hundred four and still climbing. Nothing that Piper or Phoebe did seemed to counter the affects of her spell. Even the spell Phoebe wrote had no affect.
"She's gained too many powers," said Leo. "No ordinary spell will stop it now. Only a Power of Three spell has any chance of countering it."
Leo tried several more times to heal Paige, all without success. They tried using Pipers' binding potion. It had no affect, either. Finally, as a last desperate attempt to save their sister, Piper and Phoebe made a power-stripping potion. It was as ineffective as all their other attempts.
"We have to do something," said Phoebe. "Paige is going to die if we don't figure out how to stop this thing."
"We've done everything we can think of," said Leo. Her power level is so high now, she's immune to just about everything."
"What about the Hollow?" Piper asked. "It stole her powers before. Maybe we can use it to drain off all the excess magic in her."
"It's too dangerous," said Leo. "Besides, you saw how the Hollow works. It only steals the magic used against it. Paige can't do that. She's unconscious."
"There has to be something we haven't tried," said Phoebe. "Magic started this, magic has to be able to fix it."
"Maybe not," said Leo. "It's getting out of hand. If we had known earlier what she had done maybe we could have done something. Now, with all the magic she's gaining, there may not be anything powerful enough to stop it."
"What's going to happen?" Piper asked. "What will happen to Paige if we can't stop it?"
She'll remain in a coma," said Leo. "Her temperature will continue to rise. When she has more magic than her physical form can withstand, she won't be able to contain it any longer. All the magic will be released like a dam bursting. More than likely, her physical form will be completely consumed by that magic."
"At least she's unconscious," said Piper dejectedly. "She won't suffer."
"At the rate the magic is increasing," said Leo, "I'm surprised she's still alive. Her Whitelighter half must be allowing her to withstand the magic more than someone who's fully human."
"What did you just say?" Phoebe asked.
"I said her Whitelighter half is allowing her to withstand the strain of the magic more than if she was fully human," said Leo.
"That's it," exclaimed Phoebe, kissing Leo on the cheek. "Leo, you're a genius."
Without another word Phoebe ran out of the kitchen and headed for the stairs.
"What was that all about?" asked Leo.
"I have no idea," said Piper.
Several moments later Phoebe came back into the kitchen with the Book of Shadows. She sat the book on the table and opened it.
"Leo, how much magic can a Whitelighter withstand?" she asked.
"I don't know," said Leo. "I don't think it's ever been tested."
"More than a human, right?" asked Phoebe.
"Of course," said Leo. "Whitelighters are beings of magic, after all."
"What are you thinking?" asked Piper.
"This," said Phoebe, pointing to the book.
Piper and Leo looked at the entry Phoebe was pointing at. It was a Transference spell.
"This spell transfers the affects of a spell from one person to another," said Phoebe. "We can use it to transfer the affects of the spell from Paige to Leo."
"Then Leo will die," protested Piper.
"Not if we can get Paige conscious," said Phoebe. "We transfer the affects of the spell from Paige to Leo, then we use a Power of Three spell to cancel the original spell."
"It might work," said Leo. "I know I can handle a lot more power than Paige can. I am immortal, after all."
"But not indestructible," said Piper. "If this doesn't work, you could die."
It wouldn't be the first time," said Leo. "Besides, my job is to help and protect you. This is the only chance we have. If we don't at least try, Paige is going to die."
"I don't like it," said Piper.
"It's our only chance," said Phoebe. "I know it's going to work. At the very least it will buy us some time."
"Okay," said Piper finally. "I guess we don't' have a choice. But we will find a way to stop this. I'm not going to loose my sister or my husband."
Phoebe stepped up to the Book of Shadows and began to read the Transference spell. When she finished, they all waited impatiently to see what the affects would be. Silently, Piper prayed that Leo would be able to withstand the affects of the magic better than Paige was. She feared she might have just traded her husbands' life for her sisters'.
