Chapter 4: Darklighter's Arrow
"Paige!" Piper called up the stairs.
"What?" she yelled back.
"Will you come down here, please?" She heard footsteps coming down the stairs and returned to the living room. A minute later, she saw Paige entering.
"What's wrong?" Paige asked.
"We need to stick together," Piper said. "It's too dangerous for us to be alone, even for a minute. Leo found that out the hard way."
"Is he okay?" Paige asked, worried.
"Yes," Piper said. "He and the boys are at magic school now."
"And Phoebe?" Paige asked.
"I don't know about her," Piper answered. "She says she'll be safe, so I believe her." Paige suddenly got the look that Leo always got. The look that meant that she was needed. "You can't leave now. It's not safe."
"Darlene's in trouble. I've got to help her." Piper looked at her for a moment.
"Fine," she said. "But I'm going with you." Paige held onto her as they orbed to Darlene's house. She was backing away from a tall man when they orbed in behind her.
"Paige!" she was yelling. "Paige, help!"
"It's okay, I'm here," Paige said. Piper tried to blow Mixxel up. He flew back into a wall.
"Let's go," Piper said. "We can't kill him without the vanquishing potion." Paige grabbed them both and orbed back to the manor. "What happened? Did you throw the potion at him?"
"Yeah," Darlene answered. "But he blinked out of the way of it. Like he knew I was ready for him or something."
"He must be in contact with a seer," Paige said.
"That, or he is in connections with the very demon that's after us," Piper said.
"What do you mean?" Paige asked.
"Think about it," Piper said. "There has been multiple demon and warlock attacks lately and all of them have been stronger than average. They must be being supplied by some higher demon. I think this warlock was sent as another attempt at us, not just Darlene."
"Smart witch," Rindo said. "Too smart." He turned to face his minions.
"Now what?" a demon asked. "They're on to you. They'll figure you out anytime now."
"That's why I need to keep them distracted," Rindo yelled. "And you seem like the perfect demon for that."
"No," the demon begged. "Not me, please."
"I don't like begging," Rindo said. He waved his arm. The demon shimmered away against his will.
"What do you want me to do?" Mixxel asked.
"Attack the young witch when she's alone. With her dead, it will make Paige more vulnerable."
"Go to the attic!" Piper yelled. A demon had just shimmered in. It was throwing energy balls one after another. Piper froze him. "Go!" They got out of their ducked hiding spots to run for the stairs. Another demon shimmered in on the staircase. Piper used her powers, which pushed the demon over the side, breaking the stairwell rail.
"We'll have to get that fixed," Paige said. Eventually, they reached the attic and the Book.
"This is all my fault," Darlene said.
"What is?" Piper asked. "Nothing's your fault."
"Well, if I had an actual power, then I wouldn't have to rely on you guys all the time and I could fend for myself without calling for Paige all the time."
"You'll get an active power when you're ready," Paige said. "That or your power you have now will advance."
"How can aura viewing advance?" Darlene asked.
"I didn't think my freezing could advance either," Piper said. "But it advanced into a whole new power."
"Can we discus this later?" Paige asked. The two demons had shimmered into the attic. "Any spells or potions we got?" Piper was looking through the Book for a vanquishing spell.
"I'm not seeing anything," she yelled back. A demon threw an energy ball at them.
"Energy ball!" Paige yelled, orbing it back at the demon. He erupted into flames. "I found a way to kill them." The other demon, not wanting to die like his colleague, decided to fight Paige with his hands. "Piper, I could use a spell," she said as she dodged a punch. Darlene watched as her whitelighter fought a demon.
Power I summon from witches to me,
I give the strength to vanquish thee
The spell vanquished the demon right before it killed Paige. Paige stood up and walked over to Darlene.
"Thanks a lot," she said. "You saved my life."
"Keep that spell in mind," Piper said. "Hopefully we can use it on all the demons we meet."
"Could you finish these for me, Cole?" Phoebe asked. "I'm going to run and get some more ink for my printer."
"I can't let you go by yourself," Cole said. Phoebe groaned.
"Fine, come with me," she said. They walked down to her car. He got into the passenger seat and she got in the driver's.
"Why do you hate me?" Cole asked.
"What?" Phoebe asked. Cole repeated himself. "Why would you even ask that? You tried to kill me how many times."
"Can we start over?" Cole asked. "I've changed. I'm not a demon anymore. Piper was married to an Avatar. Can't you at least date one?"
"Not when it's you, Cole," Phoebe said. "I've been through too many heartbreaks with you. I don't want to go through it again."
"You won't have to," Cole said. "I won't hurt you ever again."
"I'm sorry, Cole. Things will never be the way they used to be. You just have to live with it and continue on with your life, without me."
"We have a darklighter ready," a demon told Rindo. "He's ready on your command."
"Good," Rindo said. "I'll need him soon."
"Okay," the demon said, about to leave.
"Just wait," Rindo said. "I need you to injure one of them so that their whitelighter will come. Then I can send in the darklighter."
"How do you expect me to injure them? One can freeze, the other can orb my energy balls away."
"I'll arm you with more than just energy balls," Rindo said. "Use it quick, before the witch can freeze. Take out Piper so she can't freeze the darklighter."
"I think it's time we get Phoebe home," Piper said.
"I'll go get her," Paige said. She orbed to Phoebe's office.
"Maybe you should get out of here, Darlene," Piper said. "You're in more danger here than anywhere."
"Okay," Darlene said. "Can I use your phone to call a taxi?"
"Yeah, sure." Piper continued looking through the Book to find out who was behind all of it. Suddenly, a demon shimmered in. She held her hands up to freeze it, but he had already sent out an electrical shock. She flew back into the wall and grasped her stomach. The demon quickly shimmered away. "Andy!"
"What?" Andy asked, orbing in. "Piper!" He ran over to her and examined her wound. He put his hands over her to heal her.
"Look out!" Piper yelled. A darklighter had orbed in behind him. As Andy healed her, he was hit with a dark lighter's arrow. He gasped and fell to the floor. Pleased with his work, the darklighter orbed away, leaving Andy to die.