FOUR

Phoebe came awake from the blood-curdling scream that pierced the air. She had been sitting in a chair in the living room reading a book and apparently had dozed off. She looked around but didn't see Jerome anywhere in the living room. Just then there was another scream. This time she could tell it came from the attic.

She rushed upstairs to find Prue and Piper just coming out of their rooms. As she reached them another scream pierced the air. Without hesitation all three headed for the attic. The door was closed and as they approached it Prue threw it open with her telekinetic power.

They rushed into the attic to find Jerome hiding behind a table. His left arm was covered in blood and there was an athame lying in the middle of the attic floor. And there was blood on the blade of the athame. The girls rushed into the attic expecting to find a demon but it was nowhere to be seen.

"Thank God," exclaimed Jerome, coming out from behind the table. "I got up to get a glass of water and that demon attacked again. It chased me up here and tried to kill me with that knife. I thought I was going to die when I heard you running up the stairs. Then it just dropped the knife and disappeared."

"Well, it just looks like any ordinary athame," said Piper, walking over with the athame I her hand. "Nothing significant about it."

"What happened?" Prue demanded of Phoebe. "You were supposed to be watching him."

"I don't know," said Phoebe apologetically. "I guess I dozed off for a minute. The next thing I know I hear him screaming."

"Phoebe, you were supposed to be watching," Prue chided her sister.

"I know, I'm sorry," said Phoebe. "I was reading and I must have dozed off. It was an accident."

"Those kinds of accidents could get Jerome killed," snapped Prue.

"I'm sorry, okay?" questioned Phoebe. "I didn't mean to."

"I know," said Prue, her anger subsiding. "I'm sorry I snapped like that. It's just that this is the second time this thing has attacked in the manor and we still aren't any closer to identifying which demon it is or what it wants. It's just getting frustrating."

"Come on," said Piper, wrapping and old shirt around Jerome's arm, "let's get down to the kitchen and take care of this. It doesn't look too bad. But we need to get it taken care of."

The girls and Jerome headed downstairs. As they reached the entryway Leo suddenly orbed in.

"Is everything okay?" he asked. "I suddenly sensed the three of you in a near panic."

"It was hardly a panic," said Prue. "The demon attacked again. And it nearly got Jerome this time. We were just going to fix his arm."

"Here, let me," said Leo.

He held his hand over Jerome's arm and a soft yellow glow covered the cut. Within moments the cut and the blood were completely gone.

"That's such a neat trick I never get tired of watching it," said Phoebe. "I wish I could do that."

"I wish I didn't have to use it as much as I do," said Leo. "Besides, it's a lot more effective than what you could have done for him."

"You sure that's okay?" Piper asked. "You have told us that you White Lighters have rules to follow."

"Yes, it's allowed," said Leo. "That's what my healing power is for. To heal damage done by demons. So in this case it's not bending the rules."

"I'm sorry," said Jerome. "I didn't mean to upset anyone. I just wanted something to drink, that's all."

"It's not your fault," said Prue. She glanced over at Phoebe who was looking guilty. "I guess it's not really your fault either. It is nearly five thirty in the morning. And it has been a long night. Leo, have you been able to find out anything about this demon?"

"No," said Leo, "and even the Elders don't understand it. You haven't mentioned the demon looking any differently and no one can seem to find out anything about this one. It's like it just popped up out of thin air."

"Well, that's kind of what it does," said Jerome. "One minutes there's nothing there and the next minute it is."

"I think he meant that it just suddenly appeared," said Prue. "Most demons are known to the Elders. Even if we haven't heard of them before they have. It doesn't make sense that this would be something the Elders haven't heard of which is why we think it's a demon that's shape shifted."

"Oh, okay," said Jerome.

"I couldn't find out anything about that staff, either," said Leo. "There's nothing like it anywhere."

"What about Jerome?" asked Phoebe "Did the Elders tell you anything about him?"

"They don't really know that much about him," said Leo. "No offense, Jerome, but you just aren't significant enough for the Elders to have noticed you. That's what's so confusing. If there was something about him that would make a demon want to kill him it should have raised a flag with the Elders. But there doesn't seem to be anything unusual or significant about him. Nothing that should draw the attention of a demon."

"Could he be a future White Lighter?" Prue asked. "Like Maggie Murphy? You remember her. A Dark Lighter was trying to get her to commit suicide so she couldn't become a White Lighter. Could this be something like that?"

"I don't think so," said Leo. "In the first place there's no indication that Jerome is going to become a White Lighter. In the second, killing him wouldn't prevent that. He would only be disqualified if he committed suicide. I think it's pretty clear this demon is trying to kill him."

"It's just frustrating," said Prue. "We can't find out anything about this demon and we can't even find out why it wants Jerome dead. I don't think I've ever felt so helpless."

"Well, we aren't exactly helpless now," said Piper, holding up the athame she had taken off the floor of the attic. "We have this now. Which means I should be able to scry for the demon using it and find out where it's at. Then we can attack it for a change."

"Oh, that's a good idea," said Phoebe. "I doubt it would be expecting that."

"Get started right away," said Prue. "I want to get rid of this demon right away. Jerome needs to go back to his life and he can't do that as long as this demon is after him."

"On my way," said Piper, heading for the attic to get the map of San Francisco and the scrying crystal.

"I just don't get it," said Piper. "We've been scrying for over an hour and the only thing we keep getting is the manor. But we've searched the manor completely three times and there's no demon here. I just don't understand why the scrying keeps pointing to the manor."

"You said this demon was a shape shifter," said Jerome. "Is it possible it's shape shifted into something we aren't recognizing? Like a lamp or a book or something like that?"

"We thought of that," said Prue. "But so far everything in the manor appears to be exactly what it's supposed to be."

"Well, we've all tried scrying for the demon and we've all gotten the same results," said Phoebe. "The crystal keeps showing that the demon is here in the manor. Leo, do you know why it would do that?"

"Not off hand," said Leo. "The only thing that I can think of is that something must be misdirecting it or something. It's possible this demon has figured out a way to direct the scrying back here instead of where it actually is."

"Well, we aren't doing any good this way," said Piper. "I might as well get breakfast started."

"I'll keep scrying for the demon," said Phoebe. "Maybe I'll get lucky."

"Come on, Jerome," said Prue. "We'll wait in the living room. It doesn't look like this demon attacks while one of us is around and Piper doesn't like anyone in the kitchen when she's cooking. So we'll just have to entertain ourselves until breakfast is ready."