"Percy," said Leo, looking toward the arboretum, "about Thomas. Whitelighters are supposed to be immortal. Only the poison from a Dark Lighter is supposed to be able to kill one. But Damonculous killed him. How could he do that?"
"Because Damonculous drained all of his magic," said Percy. "Whitelighters are beings of magic. While they have a human form, most of what they are comprised of is magic. Take away that magic and you have nothing but an empty shell left."
"He claimed to have blocked magic," said Paige. "Apparently at least part of that claim is true. Is he really able to do that? To block magic?"
"And much more," said Percy. "Although it seems he hasn't blocked all magic. Perhaps only good magic has been blocked. That would explain why Cole still has his powers. While he may have changed from evil to good, his powers are still demonic. If Damonculous has blocked all good magic Cole would be exempt from such blocking."
"Which means all Damonculous has to do is block all magic and we're screwed," said Prue.
"I don't think that is likely to happen," said Percy. "At least not right away. If Damonculous could have blocked all magic, he would all ready have done so. Which means he is still not fully replenished. That will give us an edge of sorts. As long as Cole still has access to his powers, we won't be completely defenseless."
"Except I didn't seem to hurt him any more than he hurt me," said Cole. "This," he pointed to his chest, "will heal quickly enough. But you've intimated that Damonculous' power may start to increase. If that happens I may not be able to protect you much longer."
"Quite true," said Percy. "Damonculous seems to be unaware of much about this time. He didn't know who the sisters were. And he was surprised to find a demon protecting witches. Belthazor's betrayal of the Source is well known among both good and evil. Which means that however he came by his knowledge of this time much of it is still lacking."
"We might be able to use that to our advantage," said Prue. "Any idea how we can remove this blocking he's created?"
"Not without the power of the Elders," said Percy. "Or the power of another member of the Gray Council. If we could contact the Founders they could help. But without my magic, I can't contact them."
"Won't they come looking when they see that good magic is no longer working?" Phoebe asked.
"They don't work that way," said Percy. "For the most part, they leave the dealings with the mortal realm to the Elders. They exist on a higher plane. They will be occupied with matters there. And as you have learned firsthand, time does not operate the same on all planes. It may be quite some time before they learn of what's going on. By then it may well be too late."
"This is just great," said Piper. "We have an unstoppable creature running around loose with more power than any of us has ever seen. He's planning on destroying the Elders and wiping out mankind and we have absolutely no powers to stop him with. Other than Cole's powers and they my not be useable much longer."
"It would seem to be a hopeless situation," said Percy.
"Not necessarily," said Cole.
"What do you mean?" Leo asked.
"Percy said that only good magic was blocked," said Cole. "As far as we can tell, demonic creatures still have full use of their magic. If we can get some of them together, we might be able to stand against Damonculous."
"Oh, sure," said Prue. "We just walk up and ask a bunch of demons to help us defeat Damonculous because we don't have any powers. Talk about a suicide mission."
"Not as much as you think," said Cole. "True, most main stream demons would probably seize the opportunity to kill you. But there's another option. Demons no longer in the good graces of their masters. I'm not the only demon who's under a death sentence. There are a fair number of them. It might be possible to persuade some of them to help. Especially when they learn that Damonculous plans to destroy them, too. Self-preservation is a very strong motivator for demons as well as humans."
"Wouldn't they just kill us?" Piper asked. "That should get them back in the good graces with their masters. If nothing else the Source might reward them for getting rid of us."
"That is a risk," said Cole. "But I do know some of these demons. Some of them have helped me hide from the Source's bounty hunters. It might be possible to persuade some of them to help us. But they're going to want something in return."
"Like what?" Prue asked.
"That will depend on the demons," said Cole. "I could check around. See if any are interested without actually telling them what's really going on."
"You can't trust demons," said Piper. "We've learned that many times."
"Normally, I'd agree with you," said Cole. "But these are hardly normal times. It can't hurt to check around. I know how to do it without exposing any of you to danger."
"Which means you wouldn't be here if Damonculous returns," said Leo. "Without you we're helpless against him."
"Maybe not," said Phoebe. "Percy, just how powerful is this blocking Damonculous has put on good magic?"
"That's difficult to say," said Percy. "As I said, it's probably using most of the power he still has. Short of his death, it would be almost impossible to break that blocking."
"Almost," said Phoebe. "Which means there might be a way, right?"
"It would take a very powerful magic to overcome such a blocking," said Percy. "As I said, only the Gray Council possesses that kind of power."
"What about the Power of Three?" Phoebe asked. "We've always been told that the Power of Three is the most powerful magic that ever existed. Is it strong enough to break this blocking, you think?"
"Perhaps," said Percy, thoughtfully. "You magic isn't gone. It's simply being blocked so you can't access it. If you combine your power in a Power of Three spell it might just be strong enough to overcome the blocking. But how to use that power is the question. I doubt even your combined power is enough to remove the blocking altogether. It would have to be concentrated at a single point. Selectively remove the blocking at a particular place."
"Such as us," said Prue. "If we could overwhelm the blocking on us, we might get access to our powers. That would put a whole new light on the situation."
"It's definitely worth a shot," said Leo. "We wouldn't be any worse off than we are now."
"I'll get started on a spell right away," said Phoebe. "Anything special I should know about this blocking?"
"Not that I can think of," said Percy. "The spell should be aimed specifically at you. To selectively remove the blocking surrounding you."
"Okay, great," said Phoebe. "I should be able to come up with something soon. I'll let you know when I'm finished."
"In the mean time," said Cole, "I'll check around. I might be able to augment our forces with a little demonic intervention. Don't worry. I won't say anything that might put you all in danger. But we need every advantage we can get at this point."
"Just make sure to check back in regularly," said Leo. "There's no telling when Damonculous is going to return. It would be a good idea if you kept up with what's going on here, just in case."
"Good idea," said Cole. "I won't be gone long."
Cole shimmered and was gone. Phoebe was busy scribbling on a pad trying to come up with a spell.
"What about a potion?" Piper asked. "We might not have out powers but we can still make potions. You think they might be any use against Damonculous?"
"I doubt a potion could cause him any serious harm," said Percy. "But a strong enough one might be able to hurt him. As least initially."
"Okay," said Piper. "Prue and I will begin working on some potions. I guess all we can do now is wait to see what Phoebe and Cole come up with. We'll be in the kitchen if you need us."
Prue and Piper headed for the kitchen leaving Leo alone with Percy. Leo felt awkward. The Elders had always been his superiors. Finding himself now as almost an equal made him nervous. He wasn't sure what to say or how to act. Leo sat down in a chair trying to think of someway to break the ice.