Chapter 6

Groaning, Piper tried to put a hand to her aching head and found that she couldn't. Mainly because her hands were tied behind her back. "Oh, bugger it!" she muttered, and groaned again as she tried to lift her head to get a look at her surroundings.

When the colorful spots had stopped dancing in front of her eyes, she could see that she was lying on a thick fur skin, surrounded by ice that glowed dully with a greenish light, just enough to let her discern the opposite wall.

The wall had a door.

The door was opening.

Piper squinted at the light brightening considerably as a tall, slim woman, in a snug-fitting gown, glided inside. Not stepped, Piper noted; glided, and came to a halt a couple of feet from her, studying her closely.

"Oh, good, you're awake," the woman said in a melodious voice that tinkled like silver bells. "How's that bump on your head, Ms. Halliwell?"

"Throbbing."

"I'm sorry about that."

"Not half as sorry as I am." Struggling to sit up, she looked around. "Where am I? This place doesn't look like the Underworld."

"The Underworld?" The Queen let go a scornful laugh. "I would hope not! I'm the Winter Queen and you're a guest in my castle of eternal winter here at the North Pole."

"North Pole, huh?" Piper tugged at her bonds. "Do you keep all your guests tied up?"

"Usually, I just freeze them, but I need you alive to perform a small service for me."

"Yeah? Well, I'm on vacation from witchcraft, so forget it! Besides, my sisters will come to save me any minute now."

"You mean this sister?"

The Winter Queen moved aside and Piper gasped in shock as Paige was pushed inside to stumble and fall onto her knees beside her. "Paige! Why aren't you in New York?"

Sobbing quietly, Paige remained on her knees, head hanging. "I'm sorry, Piper," she whispered. "They tricked me."

Furious, Piper glared at the Queen. "I don't know who you are, lady. But the moment I get my hands free, I will blow you to kingdom come."

"Which is why I've made sure you are properly tied up." The Winter Queen smiled pleasantly. "The part about 'Kingdom come' is not too inaccurate, though. But I will leave you two girls alone and we can talk some more later, when your third sister arrives." The door closed and the light grew dimmer again.

Making an effort, Piper managed to wriggle closer to her sister. "Are you okay, Paige? Did they hurt you? Is Billie alright?"

"Billie's fine. I hope." Sniffling, Paige tried to find a more comfortable position. "She never came to meet me. There was this nice cab driver who said she had sent him, and then I think I fell asleep. I don't remember."

"You fell asleep in a cab in New York? Paige! What were you thinking?"

"Don't yell at me! I wasn't planning to fall asleep. It just happened. You're here too, aren't you?"

Piper sighed. "Yeah, they fooled me good too. The whole reservation of P3 for that party was just a set-up… and apparently so was Phoebe's invitation. I hope she…" She stopped and inhaled sharply. "Oh, my god, Paige," she hissed. "Leo! Do you think the cabin in Aspen was a trick too? What if that bitch has gone after him and the boys?"

"Actually," Paige said slowly. "She hasn't – yet. Now that we know where they are, it will be so much easier."

"What?" Eyes widening, Piper stared at Paige, who had stopped sniffling and thrown back her hair to grin maliciously. "Paige?"

"Sorry, no. My name is Henbane, but you know me better as…" Paige's lithe form shifted and grew, and in her stead, a man with silver gray hair grinned at Piper.

"Mr. Cherrytree!"

"Yes. Thank you for the information. Your sister refused to say anything, so I really didn't expect it to be this quick and easy." Shedding the ropes as easily as if they never had been there, the Shape-shifter brushed off his knees and walked back to the door. "Milady!"

The door opened immediately and the Winter Queen appeared in the opening again. "That was quick. I'm impressed, Henbane."

The Shape-shifter bowed. "I told you, I'm a professional."

"You scheming, lying son of a bitch," Piper yelled. "You tricked me!"

"Yes, I did." He smirked. "Again."

"That's enough." The Queen shoved the warlock out and stepped inside. "Listen carefully, Piper Halliwell, Charmed One. I need the Power of Three, and you are going to supply me with it."

"Forget it!"

The Winter Queen seemed unperturbed. "Then you can forget about the rest of your family."

"Well, I don't see them here. Besides, it's the Power of Three, not the Power of One."

"That is being arranged even as we speak, my dear. Actually," She glanced over her shoulder. "Your youngest sister is right here, and the other is on her way." Stepping aside, she let Henbane carry Paige inside and dump her unceremoniously on the furs. "As for your husband and two lovely little boys… Well, that's entirely up to you." With a final smile, she swirled around and glided out through the door almost soundlessly, leaving Piper to steam.

"Oh, God… Where am I?" Paige groaned.

"Let me put it this way; Hell has frozen over, some cold bitch queen with a huge Narnia complex is in charge, and I just screwed everything up."

"What are you talking about?" Paige squinted at her.

"Never mind." Piper sank back against the wall. "When I get my hands on her, I'll shove that North Pole up somewhere where the sun definitely never shines!"

After some indecisive wavering, Cole chose to follow the warlock with the elf. Apparently, the girls weren't in any immediate danger of their lives, but the elf just might be, so he wanted to get to him before the Queen did.

While he waited to be able to follow the warlock without revealing himself, Cole left the upper gallery to venture close to the bier-like stand. On top of the many furs a man in dark green, fur-brimmed robes, was laid out as if on lit de parade, his eyes half-open, and with frost covering his face.

Out of curiosity, Cole stepped up to it. The man was at least as tall as he was, with a gray-streaked, full beard, and something majestic to his person.

The Holly King, I presume.

If shimmering away with him was all it took, things would have been so easily solved, but things were never that easy. It would take something more – some kind of sacrifice, or perhaps a Power of Three spell.

Maybe that's why the Queen wants the Charmed Ones; so they can't interfere.

Cole regarded the frozen man silently, wondering, when the half-open eyes suddenly focused on him and a cold hand grabbed his wrist in a surprisingly strong grip. Startled, he snatched back, but the hand held on to his wrist.

"Help...me!" the frozen spirit wheezed between barely moving lips.

Worried someone might hear, Cole looked around, but the hall was empty. "Let go and I will fetch someone who can," he gritted out as quietly as he could. He was prying at the fingers, but they dug into his arm, pulling him closer, making him wince.

"No... You!" The pale blue eyes stared up at his, then all light seemed to go out of them and the hand relaxed and fell away.

Rubbing his wrist, Cole straightened up.

Sorry, but I stopped believing in Christmas miracles four years ago.

Disturbed by the unexpected hold-up, he hurried through the door and down the stairs, to catch up.

Cole fell back into the shadows around the corner, as the warlock stopped outside one of many doors in the long corridor. Pushing it open, he heaved the elf inside, closed the door carefully and walked off the other way.

As soon as the warlock was out of earshot, Cole walked up to the door. It was made of ice, just like everything else in here, and vaguely translucent. It was also properly locked, but no door had ever been able stop him. A shimmer later, he stood in a rectangular space with absolutely nothing in the way of furnishing, in it. Snow and ice was all that there was.

The elf was curled up on the cold, white floor, his breath wheezing in and out of his lungs. His clothes were torn in several places and Cole scowled at the welts and bruises that could be seen beneath them. "Erin?"

As he crouched down and placed a careful hand on his shoulder, the elf tried to snatch away, opening his eyes a little, fearfully searching out who had come to harass him further. The bloodshot eyes came to rest on his face, and a hand grabbed feeble hold of his sheepskin-lined leather jacket.

"Oh, it's you," Erin grumbled, not sounding particularly pleased, and pulled himself up to sit. "What are you doing here? You're disrupting my plan."

Excuse me?

"What plan? Get beaten to death?"

Suddenly looking a lot less in pain, the elf pushed to his feet. "Don't get smart with me, young man. I wished to get inside – I got inside."

"I see… And what did you plan to do…" he glanced around "...in here?"

Erin sniffed. "Minor setback. I was on my way out when you interrupted me." With little to no regard for Cole, he pushed past him.

"Well, excuse me for attempting to help." Resenting the treatment, Cole stood back up and made to leave when a strong hand grabbed his jacket again.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"To rescue someone who actually needs it? Granted they will be about as ungrateful as you, but…" He shrugged.

"No," Erin said. "They must stay. But since you're here, you can be of some help."

"What? Look, I am not…"

"They are coming. We should be going."

Cole started to object, but something in the elf's eyes stopped him. "Any special place in mind?"

The elf grinned at his scowl. "I think the next empty cell will do just fine."

"You are completely useless!" the Winter Queen hissed at the warlock. "You left an elf alone?"

"But…but…he was half unconscious," the warlock defended himself, backing away.

"Idiot!" The ring on her hand left a red line on his cheek as she backhanded him into the wall. "It's Christmas! He will recuperate from any wound in minutes."

"I'll start a search for the elf, immediately, Milady," Henbane cut in.

"Never mind that!" the Winter Queen snapped. "I will deal with the elf. My wolves will find him in no time. Find the witch's sons and husband instead, and intensify the search for the third sister!"

"Yes, Milady."

"Now, Henbane!" In cold fury, she swept off down the corridor, leaving the two warlocks to simmer.

"Damn!" Ruiz spat, wiping blood from his stinging cheek. "I am so going to enjoy killing that bitch when the time has come."

"You idiot!" Henbane hissed, giving Ruiz a second backhand. "The Queen has ears everywhere, and you shoot your mouth off about our plans."

"I don't think she…"

"Are you willing to bet your life on that? Hm? I thought not." Turning away, Henbane started to pace the cell. "I will go after the family. You go see why Enrico hasn't checked in yet with the third witch."

"I bet he's just having a bit of… fun with her."

Henbane's gray eyes flashed, rapidly burning away Ruiz's lewd grin. "I told him he could have his fun after we were done with them."

"I know. I'm on it."

"Make it swift, Ruiz! We can't do a thing until we have all three of them here. We need the Charmed Ones to do their magic as much as she does." Making a grimace, somewhere between a grin and a scowl, the warlock blinked out.

Ruiz remained behind a few seconds, staring in vexed confusion at the empty cell. Then he shook his head and blinked out as well.

In the cell next door, Cole felt his jaws clench. It would only be a matter of time before the warlock went to San Francisco to look for Phoebe. "I have to go," he said. "Are you coming or staying?"

"To do what?"

"I'm getting Piper and Paige out of here; home to Phoebe. Together they can figure out some Power of Three spell to…"

"You can't take the witches."

"Watch me!"

"No!" Erin grabbed his jacket with both hands. "Listen to me, Cole Turner! If you take them out, they will never go back in. They will, in fact, be much safer here."

"Safe? They are just waiting for them to say that spell."

"Exactly, but nothing will happen to them because they need all three together first, alive. You need to concentrate on keeping Phoebe safe and…"

"Away from here." Cole nodded to himself. That made sense.

"No…" Erin's voice softened a little. "You need to break the Winter Queen's spell on her, and bring her here. Preferably without anyone knowing."

"I need to…what?" Cole blinked. "I thought that thick cap of yours would protect against blows to the head. If I don't bring her, they can't say the spell, and the Queen and the warlocks will lose."

"True, but so will Christmas. You see, we need them to say a spell too. It's the only way to save the Spirit of Christmas."

Cole gave the elf a dubious look. "And you know this because…?"

"I'm an elf."

"I thought so. Look, there's still a big problem with this. Even if I can sneak Phoebe back in without attracting the Winter Queen's attention, there is no guarantee she will agree to come with me in the first place."

"She will come. Once you've helped her break the spell, she'll be more inclined to save her sisters."

"Provided she will listen to me long enough to hear they need saving. Even if she does, she will probably refuse to trust me anyway. Not that I blame her; we didn't part on the… eh, best of terms. " Shoving his hands into his pockets, Cole shrugged his shoulders. "So unless you have another wish there for me; don't expect us back very soon."

"You've had your wish. The rest is up to you." Erin grinned inside his thick beard. "Now, go! I can take care of myself – and a couple of other things that need taking care of." Digging into his pocket, he scooped out a handful of snowflakes that he tossed into the air. "Merry Christmas, Cole Turner!"

"Wait! How do I break the spell on Phoebe?"

"In the spirit of the season?" Erin winked at his confused frown, and disappeared in a cloud of snow.

Cole stared at the empty spot. A few, remaining snowflakes drifted through the air to settle on the snowy white floor. Not at all pleased with the way things had developed, he kicked at the ground and scowled. Suddenly, he was in for all the headaches he had tried to avoid by coming here.

Great…This Christmas is getting merrier by the minute.