Chapter Eight: Clash of the Demons
"What did you do to them?!" Cody cried as he gazed at the fallen forms of the sisters.
"Don't worry." The Heir sneered. "They're still alive --- barely." He grinned his unnatural angular smile as he pressed a heavy booted foot on Phoebe's chest, causing her to cough.
"Get away from her!" Zack threatened, struggling against Helen's grip. The demons laughed at his futile efforts as Helen pulled his head back, gripping his straw-colored hair. Cody's anger surged as she ran her scarlet nails precariously along his brother's throat. He narrowed his eyes at her, and before anyone knew what was happening, Helen was thrown off of Zack against the wall.
Zack retaliated quickly, sending two fireballs at Rupert with deadly accuracy into his shoulders. With both twins free, the suite was soon aglow with a flurry of fireballs and flying demons. Unfortunately, Zack and Cody failed to realize that these were swarm demons, and that every time they destroyed one, two more appeared in their place. But they were too caught up in the throng of battle to notice. Their blood was pumping and their anger was fierce as they moved to the center to protect their fallen allies. In fact they were so caught up, they didn't notice the brute demon grab shimmer behind them and grab them both by the collar.
"One false move," he said in his low grating voice, "And you'll both fly out that window." Suddenly their fury was replaced by terror at the sound of clapping. The Heir was applauding them from the corner of the room where he had stayed clear of the conflict.
"Bravo, bravo. Such power for two so young." He stepped toward them with theatrical grace. "But did you really think that would save you? You obviously don't know who I am." All at once, his demeanor darkened as he lashed out his arm. A dark beam shot from his hand and into the chest of one of his cohorts, vanquishing him instantly. No others appeared to take his place. All that remained was a pile of ash.
"Rotten little brats!" Rupert snarled as he stood up and brushed himself off. "I'll rip their jaws out!"
"Now, now brother, they're only babies." Helen jeered as she too gathered herself up and strode to the now helpless boys. She ran her blood red fingernail across Zack's cheek, and he gasped as she drew blood.
The twins closed their eyes trying to figure a way out of their predicament. Through his fear, and the pain of Helen's scratching Zack remembered something. The words from the note Max had given him flashed into his mind.
"Max." he whispered so no one else could here. There was a sudden BANGagainst the door of their suite.
"I thought you shielded the door." The Heir rounded on Helen.
"We did!" Helen's eyes darted back and forth from her furious master to the door which sounded again with a resounding BANG! This time a shaft of purple lightning streaked under the door as another BANGsounded.
With the demons distracted, Zack was able to take a closer look at their captor. Along the arm of the brute demon that held him, there were scorch marks. Fairly recent, and appeared tender. As another crash sounded outside the door, Zack grasped the brute's arm, letting his hands grow to their most dangerous heat. The giant demon roared in agony and clutched his wound. He dropped the twins just in time as another crash sounded outside the door, this time blowing it off its hinges.
The door flew directly into the brute, snapping cleanly in half, and sending him to collide into the wall with The Heir. Zack and Cody risked a peek at the newcomer. Natalia, clad once again in her black trench-coat and boots was standing in the doorway. She looked angrier than either twin had ever seen her with wind swirling around her long raven hair and violet lightning writhing in her hands. While her appearance was frightening, that wasn't the reason that Cody's jaw was hanging open. Moving in front of the sorceress was a chocolate-eyed girl with twin braids, an athame in her hand.
"Max?!"
The young whitelighter's focus snapped when Cody called her name. One of the swarm demons took advantage of her distraction and lunged. Max soon found herself shoved to the side as Natalia grabbed the attacker's wrist, twisting it until it snapped. The demon recoiled only to be struck in the chest by the angry sorceress' lightning. He crumbled to dust without a sound. Much like The Heir's attack, this one didn't multiply. Four others lunged and found themselves out-maneuvered just as easily and vanquished with little difficulty.
On the opposite side of the room, The Heir shoved the brute demon off of his slender form with force that was surprising from his gaunt frame. "Get off me you OAF!" Back on his feet he met the newcomers with a venomous stare. "Natalia, I should've known. These boys aren't clever enough to mask their presence, and the Charmed Ones are far too vain. I take it that you're the one who mobilized the warlocks as well were you?"
The sorceress' voice remained level, but there was enough poison in her words to bring a bull elephant to its knees. "You didn't really think I wasn't going to stand idly by while you tried to take power again did you?" Without warning enormous charges of purple lightning shot from both of Natalia's outstretched hands, snaking their way along the ranks of swarm demons that lined the walls. In moments they were gone. She looked to the remaining enemies as if daring them to attack.
The Heir looked first to the Stryker twins, then to the brute before nodding curtly. Helen and Rupert both orbed out, followed by the brute demon's shimmering. He looked back at Natalia and pulled his dark bangs behind his ears to hang with his long braid. His grey eyes were made even more startling sitting in the middle of the intricate markings on his face. He tossed his cloak over his shoulders, exposing an elegant black silk tunic with form-fitting leggings and steel-toed boots that looked more like they belonged on a teenager than a demon.
Natalia whispered to Max, never taking her eyes off her opponent. "Get to the others, and get them out of here. Don't forget the book." She took carefully planted steps further into the suite as she and The Heir began to circle each other.
The Heir smiled at her through narrow eyes, grey staring into violet. "Shall we dance?"
"Careful." Natalia warned. "The last time we clashed, I took half your face."
In moments the suite once again reeled with the roar of battle. The twins were barely able to get to the edge of the room, dragging Phoebe with them before the two demons closed the distance between them and went claw-to-claw. The Heir and the sorceress were matching each other blow for blow. Wild punches and powerful kicks were whirling between them. Violet lightning and dark energy were being thrown at random, shattering windows and ripping through furniture. Both boys clapped their hands to their ears and buried their faces as the suite began to take on the weight of the struggle.
For a moment, Natalia gained the upper hand and plunged a lightning-charged fist into The Heir's stomach. He was knocked off his feet, and landed hard on the coffee-table, splintering it into two. In seconds he was back on his feet. Natalia was in a fighting stance ready to go again. But instead of going hand-to-hand again, The Heir shot a beam of dark energy from his hand. With incredible reflexes, Natalia met it head-on with one of her lightning blasts. The whites of her eyes turned back as she focused her assault. The two magical attacks collided in the air, breaking off at them middle in all directions. Debris began to fall from the ceiling, and the walls started to crumble.
Cody clung tightly to his brother, both their eyes still screwed shut. Just when it seemed the world itself would implode, the boys felt themselves engulfed in a white glow. When they dared to open their eyes again, Natalia and The Heir were nowhere to be seen, and they found themselves in a spacious living room. It wasn't very decadent, but it wasn't very simple either. In any case it wasn't the suite.
"Piper!" The twins jumped when they heard Leo rushing down the stairs with a blond toddler on his hip that could only be Wyatt. "What happened?!"
"They'll be fine." Came Max's voice as Cody realized that she was hanging onto his shoulder. "Help Paige first. She got hit by a darklighter." The boys got to their feet to help Leo move Paige onto the couch. Max hefted the Book of Shadows onto the coffee table. Thankfully she had managed to grab it in all the confusion.
Leo began coaching the boys. "Guys, I need one of you to pull the arrow out of her."
"What?!" They exclaimed in unison.
"Me & Max can't touch it. Its poison is designed to kill whitelighters, but you guys are safe. Relax, Piper's done this with me tons of times."
"So you're a whitelighter." Cody glowered at Max.
With his brother indisposed, Zack carefully took hold of the arrow. He had tried to be gentle, but Paige groaned in pain anyway. Leo took hold of her hand and she squeezed tightly.
"Okay Zack, be careful." He warned. "Pull it out fast, but as straight as you can. You don't want a piece of it to break off."
Zack nodded and swallowed hard. He looked at Paige whose eyes were now open. Her face was glistening with sweat like a fever victim. She nodded. "Do it." She moaned in a hoarse whisper. Zack closed his eyes tightly, and grasped the arrow both hands before yanking it out.
"AAAAHHH!!!"
"It's okay Paige." Leo consoled her. "It's out. Max, help me with this."
Cody got on his knees by Phoebe and Piper, and watched transfixed as Leo and Max placed their hands over Paige's wound. Their hands began to glow with a soft golden light, and Paige's wound closed completely, leaving only a tear in her blouse.
"Ugh," Phoebe groaned, rising to a sitting position. "What happened?"
Piper was stirring as well. "We're back in the manor? How did that happen?"
Cody helped her up. "Nat saved us, and my whitelighter orbed us here." He shot Max an accusing glare --- yet another betrayal of trust. She just stared at the floor, unable to meet his gaze.
"Well where's Nat now?" Phoebe asked, getting to her feet.
Before anyone could say anything there was a flash of violet lightning, and Natalia crash-landed into the opposite wall as if thrown backwards. She landed in a heap, smoking out of her nose and mouth and charges of purple electricity sparking from her slender form. She coughed, and spoke in anguish. "A little help please?"