EIGHT

"What does that mean?" Phoebe asked looking at the picture again.

"I don't know," said Prue. "But that's definitely Grams. And that knife she's holding looks like the athame Leo has. The one that's enchanted to kill witches."

"That's not possible," said Leo. "An enchantment like that is very powerful. It's like the poison from a Darklighter's bolt. Even touching it would have had some very unfortunate affects."

"So when you showed up here with that bolt in you," said Piper. "It wasn't that you were just shot with it? Those things are poisoned?"

"Yes," said Leo. "It's a very unique type of poison. It only affects Whitelighters. On humans it's not even dangerous. But a Whitelighter can't even touch the bolt without being affected by the poison. It's the same with that athame. If Penny had even touched it it would have killed her. That can't be the same athame."

"So what was she doing in Washington State in 1995?" Prue asked. "I remember that. She said she had to go out of town on business but she wouldn't say what kind of business. She just said she'd be gone a few days and then she'd be back."

"I remember that, too," said Piper. "She was gone about four days. When she got back she wouldn't talk about where she'd been or what she had done."

"I don't recall that," said Phoebe.

"That's not so surprising," said Prue. "In those days you were more interested in partying than anything else. Most of the time you just went to your room when you did come home. You may not even have noticed that Grams was gone."

"And Grams did spend a lot of time in the attic in those days," said Piper. "I remember she kept the door locked constantly and kept the only key with her all the time. I tried to get in there once but couldn't get the door open."

"More than likely," said Leo, "she had put a charm on the door to keep you out."

"So what is she doing holding an athame that's supposed to be deadly to witches?" Prue asked.

"Wait a minute," said Piper. "I picked that athame up. Doesn't that mean I've been poisoned or whatever?"

"Not necessarily," said Leo. "You don't seem to be any the worse for having touched it. My guess is that whomever enchanted it is dead now. So their enchantment would have been cancelled. Otherwise you'd be feeling the affects of the enchantment by now."

"Okay," said Phoebe, "maybe that's what happened with Grams. Maybe whoever enchanted it was all ready dead when she picked it up. Maybe she vanquished them and then took the athame so it wouldn't fall into the wrong hands. That would explain how she could be holding it in the picture."

"So why is the warlock after it?" Prue asked.

"We aren't even sure it's the same athame," said Leo.

"Look at the picture," said Prue, holding the photograph up. "Look how the handle guard curves backward toward the wielders' wrist. That's to protect them from accidentally cutting themselves when they use it. And the handle itself looks like two snakes intertwined around each other. I haven't seen anything like that anywhere in the manor. Is it likely there are two such daggers sitting around here?"

"No, not very likely," said Leo. "As I said, these athames are very rare."

"So," said Prue. "We have someone apparently killing the descendents of the Salem witch trials. Our prime suspect is still alive but the enchantment on the athame doesn't seem to be there any more indicating whoever enchanted it is dead. Why would the warlock be so gung ho about getting this athame back if the enchantment is gone? If the person who enchanted it is dead, he can't go back to them."

"Maybe he knows someone else who can enchant it for him," suggested Piper. "Only, I don't know why he doesn't just enchant it himself."

"Maybe it's a special enchantment," suggested Leo. "Maybe it takes a special warlock or a more powerful one to cast the enchantment."

"And he doesn't have the power to do it himself," said Prue.

"Exactly," said Leo. "It would also explain why there haven't been any more deaths since Penny died. She had the athame here so he couldn't use it. And even if he did have it, the enchantment is gone so it won't do what he wants it to any more."

"We still seem to have more questions than answers," said Phoebe. "So, what are we going to do about it?"

"Maybe I should take the athame to Jessica so she can get rid of it," said Leo. "It doesn't seem to hurt your girls but there's no sense in taking any chances. She can make sure the enchantment is completely gone so that it can't be used against another witch."

"No," said Prue. "Let's keep it here. I think it might be a bit more helpful here at the manor for the time being."

"What are you talking about?" Piper asked. "If this thing is enchanted to kill witches it could be dangerous to us. If the warlock comes back and gets hold of it he might try to use it against us."

"Well," said Prue, "we have a lot of questions and he seems to have the answers. So I say we get the answers from him."

"And just how do you propose to do that?" Piper asked.

"By giving him what he wants," said Prue.