-4-
Capture
Kate felt her feet gently touch the soft carpet of the manor's sitting room as Jay orbed them down again. As soon as the lights around her faded, Kate released her husband's arm and stood back to give him room. Jay crossed to the sofa with Sam in his arms and lay her carefully down. The young woman's head rolled limply to the side, a crimson stream trickling from the corner of her mouth. Kate knelt next to her sister and grasped her cold hand, coking out sobs of grief at the realization of her pale sister's predicament. Jay got to his knees beside Kate and held his strong hands over the unsightly wound on Samantha's chest. A golden glow radiated softly from his palms and over the burn, the healing power of a whitelighter. As the energy flowed into Sam's body, Kate watched with tears rolling down her face.
"Oh my God. What happened? Kate? Jay? What...Sam!" A shaky voice from the doorway caused Kate to jump.
Getting to her feet, Kate ran to her eldest sister, wrapping her arms around her waist and crying into her shoulder. "A demon attacked us when we were saving an innocent. Heather, he hit Sam with an energy ball. It was meant for me but she jumped in front of it to save me. And now..." Kate broke off, sobbing uncontrollably.
Heather Miller, the eldest of the four sisters, held Kate close to her, trying to be comforting, but feeling a rising panic in her heart. At a small, but sturdy 5 food 5 inches, Heather had long brown hair that fell, gleaming, down her back, and piercing brown eyes that radiated her strong will and determination. She was 24 years old and as the eldest Miller, felt that she had an obligation to protect her sisters no matter what the cost, which earned her the title The Responsible One from the Elders. It fit. Kate often teased Heather about "obsessing" over something, most particularly over the doings of her siblings and the cleanliness of the house, but Heather's orderly manner benefited everyone in the household. Her down-to-earth personality did not mirror her power and hatred of evil however. She was often times referred to as the most powerful of the Magicked Ones, strong and willful, determined to fight until the death. Her powers were curiously tied, coincidentally to a mortal while mysterisouly to a magical being, to Piper Halliwell's (the second-born Charmed One). Both Heather and Piper had the powers of freezing time and molecular combustion, or blowing things up. This link with the Halliwell witch was understood only by the highest ranking Elders, and it otherwise might remain baffling forever.
"Oh my God," Heather said again, holding Kate tighter to her, her voice and heart beginning to catch. A graceful hand went up automatically to her mouth as she watched her whitelighter trying to heal her sister. Seeing no progress and panicking, Heather stammered, "Jay, why isn't she healing? She's not waking up. She's not...no!"
"Hang on, Heather," Jay's soft voice restrained any further consternation out of his charge and he concentrated all his mind on the task at hand. After a few silent and tense seconds, the blood caking Sam's hair slowly vanished and the blood at the corner of her lips absorbed magically away. Jay took his hands away when Sam gasped and slowly opened her eyes, breathing sharply. She blinked once, then again, apparently trying to think of where she was, then put a hand to her head.
"Ow," She groaned. "My head hurts." Trying to sit up, she saw Jay next to her, then noticed her two older sisters standing anxiously nearby. "What-what happened?"
Jay helped her sit up and supported her as he replied. "You nearly died, that's what happened."
"Yeah, well, what else is new?" Sam mumbled, steadying herself on the couch.
"Thank God you're alive!" Kate said shakily, pulling out of Heather's hold, crossing the room, and climbing onto the couch to embrace Sam, grateful and relieved that she was alive. "Sam, I thought...I was sure you were..." But she was unable to finish her thought. Instead, she dissolved into tears and buried her head in Sam's chest, shaking with lamentation. Sam folded her arms around her shaking sister and held her tightly, rocking her back and forth, stroking her hair soothingly.
I'm ok now, Kate. We're all here alive. I'm just grateful that you're alive. Calm down, now."
"Don't you ever do that to me again, Samantha Michelle!" Kate shouted, resorting to Sam's full name, angry tears glittering in her eyes, her face shining with moisture.
Sam enfolded her sister in her arms again, laughing quietly. "Kate, you know I would give my life for you." She kissed Kate's cheek fondly.
Heather came forward and made herself comfortable next to Kate, placing a comforting hand on her trembling shoulder and gazing sternly at Sam, though she couldn't keep her own relief out of her voice. "Well, it's lucky that didn't happen today and you're both alive and home. Why didn't you get me and Lucy to go with you? You should have woken us."
Sam shot Kate an "I-told-you-so" look, but Kate, as if reading what was on Sam's mind, said defensively, "Sam, we didn't have time. I told you this morning, the attack happened before daybreak was over. Think about it. If we had gotten there a minute later, Philip would have been demon meat." Kate leaned back so that she was supported by Heather's torso. "But we did save him, even if we didn't vanquish the demon." After she said this, Kate was reminded of what the demon had said. "Heather, the demon said that it would be back for us. He mentioned something called the BrightGleam and said that we haven't seen the last of him. He also said that he would finish the rest of us off before long."
"Well, that's not going to happen," Heather declared, sitting up. "We're not going to be bait to that demonic bastard, that's for sure. We'll have to get him before he gets us."
Sam also chimed in. "I agree. But how-"
"The Book of Shadows, since we don't have anything to scry with," Kate answered Sam's question logically. "Hopefully, there will be a spell or potion or something in there to help us vanquish it."
"Vanquish what?" Inquired a sleepy voice behind them. The youngest Miller, Lucy, walked shuffily into the room, yawning, and promptly made her way to an overstuffed armchair near her sisters and curled up on it. Lucy, at 19 years of age, was still in college at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, studying Art History and nursing, while still trying to master her powers of orbing and the knowlage of spells. She was an attractive young woman, 5 feet 5 inches tall, slim and perfectly built, thanks partly to her being a member of the collegiate soccer team. She looked the oddball of the Miller girls with a head of golden blond hair that dropped (when not dishevilled and tousled from sleep) to her chest. Astonishingly blue eyes stared out at her sisters as she waited for a response from her eldest sister. Lucy was a stubborn girl but not careless in the least, though she sometimes had trouble with her powers. Lucy, while having a passion for witchcraft, also possessed a love for her sisters which was beyond anything in the world. Being the youngest had never drawn teasing or harshness from her sisters and she had never been the person whom everyone vented their feelings on, and Lucy respected them for that. In exchange, she did not want to let them down.
Heather looked over at Lucy and smiled kindly. "Good morning, sleepyhead. How was your sleep?"
Lucy grunted, then yawned hugely again. "Don't avoid the question, Heather. What happened?
"Just a little demon trouble," Heather returned, smiling disarmingly, not wanting to trouble her drowsy sister.
"Heather," Lucy growled grumpily. "I've lived with you all my life, so I know you're lying to me. You're a terrible lyer, anyway. I'm not stupid. Why else would Jay be here? Plus, you're all bunched together, which means it was bad. So, come on. Spill it."
Kate smiled slightly. "Nothing fools you, Luce. I had a premonition earlier, so me and Sam went to save the innocent." Kate filled Lucy in about the events of the morning and what the demon had said when it had departed. By the time she finished her narrative, Lucy was wide awake and listening intently. "And he said he'd be back to finish us off, so we have to get him first. So, first things first. Book of Shadows. Lucy, you go check-"
"I can't, sorry," Lucy interrupted her sister, shaking her head. "I have an important meeting with my lit professor.
Sam sighed. "Come on, Luce. Can't you skip? We might need the Power of Four. That demon's dangerous."
Lucy shrugged apologetically, but she looked truly regretful. "I'm sorry. I've skived off twice already in the past two weeks because of the other demons. I'm sure you can deal with this one. Heather's defeated many demons and she's done it by herself."
"Yes, but those weren't upper-level demons like this one sounds like, Luce," Heather said, shaking her head. "We need you."
Her youngest sister stood up. "Look, if you find anything, or get attacked, call me. I can orb, you know. So I can get here faster than driving. I have to get ready to go. I'm sorry." And with that, Lucy left the room and shuffled up the stairs to her room.
Sam watched her go, then turned back to her eldest sister. "She is a stubborn one."
Heather nodded. "Yes she is. I don't know where she gets it. Mom was never that stubborn." She too stood up, sighing resignedly. "I'll look in the Book of Shadows for anything I can find. Sam, are you sure you're up to this?" Heather asked her sister with concern etched across her smooth face. "I mean, you've been through a lot this morning."
"I'm fine. Really I am. Let's get to work." Sam replied, standing up slowly.
Jay helped her to her feet. As he did, a light sound could be heard above them, like a choir singing mixed with the tinkling of bells. Jay glanced up automatically, as if listening. "Uh, oh," he muttered, looking at his wide apologetically. "The Elders are calling. It sounds important...very important," He added.
Kate tried hard to mask the disappointment in her face. She hadn't seen Jay for a long time and she needed him right now. They all did. But what the Elders had to say had to be more important by the sound of it. It could help them defeat this demon, or at least learn of it's intentions. "You should go," she told him, straightening his shirt collar with her elegant hands. "I'll see you soon." She hugged him tightly, putting her nose against his blue shirt and inhaling the heavenly scent that floated about him. The smell of him calmed her down, but made it harder to let him go.
"Be careful," Jay whispered to her. Then, lifting her chin with his fingers, he kissed her passionately. Their lips mingled, warm and tingly, then the white lights floated around them again, tickling Kate's skin, and he felt his lips dissolve into shimmering lights as he orbed out of the house.
Kate could not help staying in the same position for a brief moment, the she lowered her head and sighed, trying not to let her sisters hear, but failing. Sam crossed over to Kate and put a comforting arm around her shoulder, squeezing Kate against her body. Heather began to walk up the stairs as Sam said gently, "Come on, Kate. He'll be ok. You shouldn't worry about him so much. He can take care of himself. Besides, he safe up there."
"I wish I could say the same for you," sneered a low, cruel voice behind them.
Kate and Sam whipped around, startled, their hearts jumping at the mere tone of the sound, and froze at the terrifying sight that met their eyes. Positioned apocalyptically in front of the beautiful carved French doors which lead to a blossoming garden, was an echelon of demons, each draped in a rotten crimson robe with a small stitched pattern on the chest that shined black. In each demonic hand was clasped a long, slender rod, shining silver with anticipating doom. Each face was shrouded in the robe's hood, shadowing every part of their faces, but not hiding the glinting, slitted eyes that glared at the girls. But the demons were not the figures that had captivated the Magicked Ones' attention. Stationed directly in front of the posse of demons was a woman. She was clad in raven-colored robes, her jet hair glistening in a severe knot at the back of her overstretched head. Her lips were painted a blood red that stood out vividly on her colorless, flaky face and matched the extremely long fingernails that protruded from talon-like fingers. Unlike her demonic cronies, the woman was not holding a rod in her claws. They rested, seemingly calm and loose, at her side. The most captivating part of this lurid demon were her eyes: bright yellow, hytpmotising and penetratingly yellow in color, staring at the sisters with hatred and evil sparking in them.
Sam backed up, pulling her sister with her, arms clinging together, both captivated and afraid, but with each step back, the woman took a step forward.
"At last," she simpered. "The Magicked Ones are at my fingertips!" Before either sister could think, the demon threw an energy ball at the,. Kate saw it hiss through the air and pushed Sam out of the way before flinging herself to the side. The energy crackled into the wall behind them, causing flakes of wood and wallpaper to fly in all directions, chips buzzing through the air. Kate pushed herself to her hands and knees and yelled for her sisters urgently.
"Heather! Lucy!" As Kate stumbled to her feet, Heather ran in after almost falling down the stairs in alarm. She took in the scene at a glance as she slid across the room to help here sisters to their feet.
The woman chuckled coldly. "Three to die at once. The more the merrier!" She barked, and flung a knife towards Heather. The young witch gasped in shock and threw up her hands, fingers extended and palms facing each other instinctively. Her freezing power halted the weapon in midair, mere feet from her heart. Next to her, Heather felt Sam and Kate each let out a small breath of relief as they realized the knife had not plunged into their sister's chest. Heather lowered her hands, releasing the knife which fell harmlessly to the floor with a clatter. Hatred etched across her face, Heather took a threatening step forward. "I'll kill you if you try to hurt me or my sisters," She spat, contemptuously.
The woman laughed cruelly and thrust her hand forward, telekinetically sending Heather flying, only to crash into the wall a few feet back. Heather fell to the floor, lying half-conscious on the floor, moaning at the pain building in her neck and head from the collision. As Sam rushed to her sister's side and fell to her knees to check her condition, Kate flung and arm at the woman, her fury sending her enemy careening backwards into a small table. The small piece of furniture toppled over,m taking the woman with it, crashing into the line of demons creating a dominoes effect of one demon falling over the one beside him.
Through the mele, Kate screamed to her sisters, "Go! Upstairs!" She stumbled over to Sam and helped heave Heather to her feet, slinging n arm around her waist and feeling Kate do the same on the opposite side. Heather could barely hold herself up. Instead, she leaned heavily on Kate as they struggled up the stairs, half-dragging, half-carrying her. Managing to make it to the attic, the two girls practically lifted Heather onto a small love-seat and lay her down on it. Their eldest sister had lost consciousness completely on the tedious journey upstairs and lay limp.
The Miller's attic was much like any other attic in the world: cluttered, dusty, full of books, boxes, bags, and mice among other things, with the odd piece of antique furniture here and there. Much of their belongings up here were their parent's; mementos, old clothes and journals, things of sentimental value to the girls. The most valuable object left behind when their parents died was an old book, bound in blue silk with a heavy leather spine. Its numerous pages were yellowed with age, but held information about nearly every demon, warlock, troll, banshee, or level that lived...or had been vanquished. Throughout their years as magical people, their parents and ancestors had recorded every advertisary they had come across, along with the way to kill it. But the Book of Shadows was not just for the tabs of demonic creatures. Good things were described; witches, angels, whitelighters, merpeople, sorceresses, unicorns. The description of anything remotely magical was hidden somewhere in the thick book, which rested on an elaborately carved podium in the center of the room.
Kate skidded to a halt in front of the podium and threw open the Book, her hands quickly rifling through the pages, parchment blurred. "There has to be something in here!" Kate gasped as she skimmed through the Book trying to find a spell to vanquish these new demons with.
Suddenly, the attic door banged open, crashing into he wall from the force. Kate and Sam jumped and Kate's hands rose, preparing to attic, but it was Lucy, who was frantically pulling a shirt over her head. Realizing who it was, the girls relaxed slightly and Kate resumed searching as Sam tried to bring Heather around by slapping her cheeks. "Heather! Come on, Heather, sweetie! Wake up! Come on, Heather!"
Lucy caught sight of Heather struggling to become conscious on the love-seat, Sam standing overhear, shaking her shoulder roughly, and Kate almost tearing the pages of their Book of Shadows to find a spell. Realizing the urgency of the situation, she breathed, "What's going on? What can I do?"
Kate barely had tie to answer, "Demons...attacking. They're coming upset-" in a breathless voice before the door was blasted off its hinges. All four girls knew what was coming. In a whirl of black, the woman and six demons stalked into the room, the woman holding her head high, haughty and arrogant after her earlier embarrassment. The girls gasped and Kate, now fairly flying through the Book, muttered, "Come on! Come on!"
"You're too late, witch!" The woman sneered, and raised her hand. The events that followed occurred almost to quickly to think. The demon's telepathic powers blasted Kate off her feet and into a bookcase. The girl fell unconscious to the floor immediately, showered by books and volumes.
Lucy saw what happened next through terror-stricken eyes. She heard Sam scream her older sister's name and saw her run across the room towards her sister, but the demon's arm shot out again, and Sam was lifted into the air and into a trunk in the corner of the room. She flipped over it and landed painfully on the other side. At the same time, a lightening type of energy shot out of one of the demon's rod and hit Heather full in the chest as she was trying to rise and knocked her out again, causing her to fall into the arms of a nearby demon. Before she had time to scream, or even to think, Lucy saw the demonic woman turn on her. Lucy's feet whipped out from under her and she felt air rushing past her before she was slammed into a wall full-on. Grunting in pain, Lucy slid to the floor limply, sprawling at the base.
Sam, half-conscious, caught sight of her youngest sister hitting the wall, then saw two demons lifting the unconscious Kate and Piper in their arms and shimmering from the room. Just before a demon approached her and cut off her view of Lucy, who was slowly curling up in agony, Samantha shouted wildly, "Lucy! Get out of here! Go find the Charm-" But a single swipe at her head from a demon's weapon silenced her.
Across the room, Lucy had no chance to think. Faintly through the buzzing in her head, she heard Sam's cry. Almost as if someone else had done it for her, she felt her body dissolving into bright, white lights.
"No! Don't let her escape!" A screechy voice whispered in her head. The demonic woman had motioned at her cronies to stop the girl from orbing. Two demons leapt froward, both brandishing their weapons. One shot the same blue electricity that was Heather's fate, the other fired red energy. The blue caught Lucy square in the chest as the red seared into her shoulder, but they were too late in attacking her, for, amid the shimmering lights, Lucy was dimly aware that her body was dissolving and lifting into the air. The lights vanished from the woman's sight as they lifted through the roof and was gone.