A/N. Thank you for the reviews. I'll let you read on and hopefully you can tell me what you think!
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Chapter 13Phoebe burst into the attic and Paige looked up from the map grimly.
"Any luck?" Phoebe panted, having sprinted the whole way up a flight of stairs. She could already guess the answer from the look on her baby sister's face.
"No. How about you?"
Paige's words confirmed Phoebe's suspicions. "I got a vision." Phoebe crossed the attic in a few large strides and flipped the Book Of Shadows open.
"And?" Paige prompted, abandoning her task and joining her sister.
"And I know what the demon looks like." Phoebe continued to flap frantically as she spoke.
Paige gently placed her hands over Phoebe's trembling ones. "Let me." Paige removed her hands and held them out. "Demon, who took Piper," she commanded. The Book Of Shadows dissolved into blue and white lights and orbed into Paige's hands. The youngest Charmed One gazed down expectantly, expecting to find the perpetrator. It was closed tightly shut.
Phoebe peered over the witch-lighter's shoulders. "It's closed."
"Way to state the obvious," Paige said sarcastically.
Phoebe plucked the book from Paige's hands and settled it back on the podium. "So, something wrong with your powers, or the demon who took her isn't in here?"
"I'd opt for the last option, seeing as I could orb the book."
The two sisters looked at each other, each experiencing the same thoughts. "Leo!" They yelled in unison.
The whitelighter orbed in from the heavens, where he had been consulting with the Elders. His face was hopeful and it broke both the sisters' hearts to break the news to him. "Anything?"
"No," Phoebe said sadly.
Leo's face fell and he sat down heavily on the old sofa. The Charmed Ones perched next to him, one on either side, trying to comfort their brother-in-law. How ever hard this was for them, it must have been ten times worse for Leo.
"Did the Elders know anything?" Paige asked.
"No." Leo almost spat the word out, his tone full of spite. How could the Elders have let him down at a point where he needed them most?
"What are we going to do now?" Phoebe asked, voicing the question on everyone's lips.
"I say we go down there, save Piper and kick a little demon ass while we're there," Paige replied with a smirk.
"But we don't know where 'there' is," Phoebe reminded her. "A normal person could've taken Piper. Al this time we've been assuming it was a demon."
"That's because it isn't very likely a mortal could've sneaked into the house, abducted Piper and left the house without being noticed," Leo said. "I agree with Paige. We should go down to the Underworld. Maybe I'll be able to sense Piper from down there."
Phoebe sighed, knowing she was out voted. They had to do something, she knew, but she didn't like the idea of going down to Demonville without extra ammo. "Fine. But we're taking precautions."
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Leo, Phoebe and Paige orbed into the Underworld, all hoping they had arrived somewhere deserted and not in the middle of a demon meeting. Thankfully, the corridor they were in was apparently empty. It stretched on for what seemed like miles and miles to the right and left of them. The walls were black and jagged; the floor was bumpy and uneven. It stank of the musty stench of stale urine.
"Don't demon's have any idea how to use a toilet," Phoebe joked lightly as she gagged.
Neither one of her companions were in the mood to answer.
Paige shivered involuntarily, a shard of icy chill sliding down her spine. They were definitely near some pretty powerful evil. She slipped her hand into the pocket of her beige trousers and clutched at the smooth, cool glass that was a potion vial. Before leaving Phoebe had insisted they bring as many potions as they could carry with them. Paige had pointed out that you couldn't make an all-purpose vanquishing potion, but now she was here, she was glad of the back up.
"I've got a reading on Piper," Leo announced.
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Piper cringed as the fireball came hurtling towards her. She felt a jolt of dread surge through her, like nothing she'd ever felt before. She was going to die, and with her her precious baby. Her body tingled all over and bright lights danced before her eyes. The fireball flew straight through the cluster of orbs that had only a millisecond ago been Piper. When Piper orbed back in she was standing and smiling. 'Good baby,' she praised silently.
The demon gave a scream of outrage, that made the walls of his lair shake violently and a few dust clouds tumbled from the ceiling.
"Hey, over here," Piper called tauntingly.
"How dare you mock Eef!" the captor yelled. He whipped around to face Piper and she almost shrank back in shock. Eef's eyes were no longer an aquamarine blue but a blood red.
Before Piper or Eef could strike, two swirls of orbs deposited Leo and Phoebe and Paige into the gloomy cave/dungeon.
"Nice of you to drop in," Piper greeted, flashing a sarcastic grin at her family. Inside she was thanking her lucky stars they had arrived when they had. She didn't know a thing about this demon, and she didn't know if he was immune to her powers. But with the Power Of Three they had a much better chance.
"Sorry, we were busy," Paige shot back with an equally sarcastic smile.
Leo rushed to his wife's side and embraced her. Phoebe, who was closest to Eef, launched herself into the air and stuck her foot out, intending to strike the demon with a powerful kick. But Eef had other plans. He grabbed hold of Phoebe and with an almighty shove, sent her flying. She crashed into the side of the room with a dull thud and fell to the floor, unconscious.
"Rock!" Paige swept her arm and a huge boulder orbed into Eef. He stumbled backwards, but it barely had an effect, only to anger him.
"You'll pay for that," Eef snarled. He conjured an athame into his open palm and threw it at Paige.
Piper positioned one hand at Paige and another towards Eef. She flicked both her wrists. The athame froze inches from Paige's chest and Eef was blasted backwards due to Piper's exploding power.
Taking advantage of the demon's currently confused state; Leo grabbed Piper's arm and orbed them home. Paige disappeared in her own lights. The orbs floated over to Phoebe, and without reforming into Paige, scooped up the middle Charmed One and took them back to the Manor.
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Outside the old Victorian, along the horizon, the sun was just trying to lift itself up into the sky, casting deep red streaks of light that broke up the otherwise pitch-black night. A few weak, silvery stars sparkled in a backdrop of jet black and offered more relief from the endless dark. The trees swayed gently in the breeze, creating a soft ruffling sound. Everything was still and calm. But if you looked closely, you would see it was quite the opposite.
A family of early riser birds twittered cheerily, happy to be the only ones awake so they could catch the best worms. Down below them a lone grey rabbit hopped about, desperately in search of its burrow so he could slip in un-noticed before any humans awoke and disturbed him. Unknown to him, a fox slunk close by, watching and waiting for her chance to pounce and feed her hungry litter. Too late. The rabbit had suddenly hopped out of sight and the fox scurried off, furious with herself for not getting her prey.
Of course, no human was awake in this early hour in Precott Street to see these sights, except one. But this human was far too occupied to notice the goings on of the local wildlife.
Piper Halliwell was hunched over the infamous Halliwell Book Of Shadows, in her attic, searching for answers to a very pressing problem. Her weary eyes struggled to read the old and faded words on the yellow page in front of her, and she edged the book closer to her only source of light; a flickering and rapidly dimming candle.
She flicked the brittle page over irritably. She had not discovered anything. She needed answers, but the Book Of Shadows was not providing them. Piper scrunched up her hands in frustration and her nails bit into her fleshy palm.
The attic door creaked open and Piper tore her eyes away sharply. Her husband was making his way over to her, his fluffy slippers shuffling on the wooden floor.
"Honey, what are you doing?" Leo asked.
Now he was closer to the candle light, Piper could see his face was creased with worry and dark circles hung underneath his eyes.
"Looking for Eef," Piper replied, going back to her search.
"Sweetie, you can do that tomorrow." Leo lowered himself to a chair next to his wife and held back her arms.
Piper wrenched them away, never once letting her eyes wonder form the page in front of her. "I want to do it now," she responded sharply.
"You need your rest."
"No, Leo. I need to find the bastard in here so I can vanquish him." Finally her eyes met Leo's, and they screamed out for understanding. "He wants our baby Leo."
"I know honey, but wearing yourself out isn't going to help matters."
Piper sighed in frustration to stop herself replying with a hurtful remark. "What if he attacks again tonight?"
"I doubt he will. You wounded him pretty badly."
"I didn't vanquish him though." Piper turned the page violently, and a tear ripped near the seam. "Dammit!" Piper shouted. "There's nothing in this damn book!" She slammed the page closed and pushed it away from her in disgust.
"Maybe if you get a few hours sleep, there'll be something." Leo suggested. " You know how it changes."
Piper took in a great slug of air and let it out slowly. "You're right." Piper blew out the candle and traipsed out after Leo.
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Eef woke with a groan and a moan and tenderly lifted his head from the floor. His whole body throbbed and his sweater was drenched in blood. He gently prodded at his stomach and winced in pain. The witch had wounded him! No other witch had ever done that before. Where were the witches?
He pushed himself up off the dusty floor and another groan escaped his lips. His arm was broken from the way he had landed and hung at an awkward angle. Blood dribbled from his nose and using his able arm he wiped it away with a growl of fury.
He got to his feet and staggered slightly, not expecting the head rush that flooded over him. He glanced around him. His dungeon was empty.
Eef swept his good arm wildly at an open space, and a man appeared in a burst of red light.
"Yes master," the demon minion snivelled, his hook-nose almost touching the ground. His dirty blonde hair was smeared with dirt and blood and looked as if it hadn't been washed in decades.
"The attempts to capture the Blessed One failed, Orchrist, what do you think happened?" Eef snapped.
Wisely, Orchrist stayed silent and kept his black eyes on his master's feet.
"Rise, you fool!" Eef shouted.
Orchrist gave and little yelp of fright and jumped to his feet, but still kept his back bent in respect and fear for the terrifying demon before him.
Eef wondered away from his servant, lost in thoughts of his spoiled plans. A few moments passed like this; the master staring vacantly into space and the minion crouched low.
"You summoned me master?" Orchrist prompted, his back aching from the postion he was in.
Eef spun around, his coal black cape swinging as he did so, apparently having forgotten his minion was there. Orchrist flinched, expecting some punishment worse than death.
"I did, didn't I," Eef said. "Fetch me the healer, I have unfortunately acquired some injuries."
Orchrist visibly relaxed and disappeared in a red flash. Despite his misfortunes, clearly Eef had something up his sleeve.
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A/N. You didn't think I'd let Piper or the baby be harmed did you?
I was actually really unhappy with that chapter, as it didn't go the way I wanted at all. So if you thought it sucked I'm sorry.
I'm planning on writing a sequel for this story, so could you please let me know if you would be interested in reading it? Thanks.