Once more Prue brought up her hands intent on throwing Damonculous back. But he was ready for her this time. He simply brought up his hand scattering her telekinetic ability.
"Not this time, witch," said Damonculous.
With Damonculous momentarily distracted by Prue, Piper raised only her hands. The movement was so minimal it was hardly noticed by Damonculous. As before he instantly froze in place from Pipers' ability.
"Stripping potion," said Piper.
The sisters each pulled out a vial and cast them simultaneously at Damonculous. They all struck him at the same time shattering on impact, covering the Gray Council member in the potion. Flames erupted around Damonculous breaking Pipers' freeze. As before, the flames threatened to consume him but just as quickly suddenly vanished.
"Do you think this will save you?" Damonculous asked. "Your potions and elixirs will have but a momentary affect on me. My power will be restored in a matter of moments."
"Maybe so," said Prue, "but at least it gives me the chance to do this."
She turned toward the fireplace and once again called on her telekinetic power. The poker suddenly rose from its resting place and flew at Damonculous, impaling him in the shoulder. Damonculous cried out in pain, but simply reached up and pulled the offending weapon out. The wound did not heal automatically as before, but instead blood began to run down his arm.
"This will not save you, either," said Damonculous. "I am immortal. You cannot kill me. When my powers have been restored it will be as if this never happened. And you will run out of your potions soon enough."
Suddenly the wound in his shoulder healed over as if of its own accord. The power stripping potions the girls had used on him had worn off. Percy was right. Damonculous was the most powerful creature they had ever faced. And no matter what they did, he seemed to suffer no permanent damage. Once again he began to advance on the sisters, raising his hands for the attack.
Suddenly a fireball struck Damonculous from the side pushing him toward the front door. Damonculous collided with the banister on the stairs and fell to the floor. Almost instantly he was on his feet again as Cole came walking out of the kitchen.
"I see you were able to get your powers back," Cole said to the sisters. "Now, I think it's time we put an end to him once and for all."
"Any suggestions would be helpful," said Prue, realizing that even with Cole's added power Damonculous may not be able to be defeated.
He had withstood the Power of Three. They needed an advantage and they needed it now. They were fast running out of options and it was clear that this time Damonculous wasn't about to leave without claiming his prize. A prize that meant the deaths of everyone in the room. Suddenly Angelique walked out of the kitchen behind Cole. She just smiled at the sisters and stepped up next to Cole facing Damonculous.
"Will I do for a suggestion?" Angelique asked.
"You?" questioned Damonculous. "You have no power of any consequence. You meddle in affairs that do not concern you. Your insolence will be your death. I shall destroy you as I will destroy them."
"It's true I'm not all that powerful," said Angelique. "But I do have one thing that they don't have."
"What would that be?" questioned Damonculous.
"This," said Angelique, raising her hand.
Suddenly a loaded crossbow appeared in her hand. Without hesitation she fired the weapon at Damonculous. The bolt from the crossbow struck Damonculous in the shoulder. As if by magic the crossbow reloaded itself.
"An arrow?" questioned Damonculous, pulling the weapon from his shoulder. "You think an arrow is of any consequence to me?"
"Actually," said Angelique, "it's called a bolt. A lot of people make that mistake. They are very similar. But the bolts from this crossbow have one advantage that mortal crossbows don't have."
"Advantage?" questioned Damonculous. "What advantage?"
"Their the only thing that can kill a Whitelighter," said Angelique firing the crossbow again striking Damonculous in the other shoulder. "Or an Elder."
"I am no Elder," said Damonculous. "I am a member of the Gray..."
His voice suddenly trailed off as his head began to swim. Pain began to run through his body. His vision was beginning to cloud and he was finding it hard to think clearly. Three more bolts struck him in the torso as he fell to the floor unable to rise. As Damonculous tried to summon all of his power another Elder suddenly orbed into the manor. Damonculous realized that his blocking of good magic had failed. As he started to loose consciousness, Cole stepped up to him.
"Say goodnight, Gracie," said Cole as he cast a fireball at Damonculous.
The fireball struck Damonculous engulfing him in flames. They burned for several moments and then suddenly Damonculous vanished from the manor. Cole turned to the sisters and smiled.
"Honey, I'm home," he said, smiling. "I've brought an old friend by for dinner. I hope it's not too much of an inconvenience."
Everyone just stared at Cole and Angelique in shock. A Darklighter had done what not even the Charmed Ones had been able to do. Vanquish a member of the Gray Council.