CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Paige nodded. "But you should've seen Prue! That darklighter kept shooting at me, and she pulled out the most coolest sword you've ever seen and used it to deflect several darklighter arrows."

"Cool!"

"Yeah. Then I called for the crossbow and shot the darklighter with his very own bolt, and he finally dark-orbed out for good."

"Good," I sighed, much relieved. "But what about Chris?"

She nodded. "We both ran for him, but while we did, she told me that my power is definitely cool and I told her so was her sword."

"Well, I know your calling power is; I wish I could've seen her use her sword!"

She grinned. "She's really good with that thing. It must be part of being a Valkyrie."

Then I blushed. "Oh, God! I was so wrapped up in Prue's sword that I forgot all about Chris! What happened to him?"

"That's OK, Phoebs. You already know he's OK, and he was lying on the floor right in front of us."

"So what happened?" I demanded.

"Well, I ran to kneel down beside him and started to grab for the crossbow bolt."

"NO!" I screamed, knowing that she must not have, because she was sitting right next to me, but I was still scared for her anyway. "You can't touch that thing! You're part-whitelighter, too."

She grinned. "Yep, that's exactly what Chris said. So Prue waved her hand, probably thinking that that arrow would zip right out of him!"

I smiled. "Cool. Prue didn't know that she was doing for the son what she once did for his father."

"Huh?"

"Leo got hit by a darklighter bolt shortly after we found out he was a whitelighter, and that's how Prue got the arrow out of him."

"Cool. But, Phoebe, Prue didn't do for Chris what she did for Leo."

"What do you mean? Of course she did! You said she waved her hand!"

"Yeah, but Prue is a Valkyrie. She's no longer a Charmed One."

"OMIGOD! She no longer has her powers!" and Paige nodded. "So how did you guys get that arrow out of him?"

Paige smiled. "Chris saw what Prue tried to do, managed a pained smile at her and weakly waved his own hand, screaming when that arrow flew out of him. You should've seen the look Prue gave him--I think it finally really hit her that he now has the power she so recently lost—she thought it was kinda cool when he used it to close the living room door, but this, when she couldn't use it to save him, when she realized that she wouldn't be able to use it to save innocents anymore, well, it really hit her hard. I was really wishing that we could tell her who Chris really is--let her know that her power has been passed down to her nephew."

I nodded. "Yeah, I wish we could tell Leo and Piper who he really is He's their son! They should know they have another son!"

"But that's Chris' call, not ours," she warned me.

I sighed in frustration. "I know. But I remember from Leo's experience that just getting that arrow out didn't save him. Piper had to switch powers with him. So did you go get Leo to heal him?"

"Well, I was going to, but Chris begged me not to."

"What?" I asked, confused. "Does that crazy kid have a death-wish now?"

"That's what we said, too. But, Phoebe, think about it! Remember what Leo and Piper were in the midst of doing!"

My eyes grew wide as I slapped my mouth. "Omigod!"