Chapter 7- The Half-Blood Witch
Teaserline: Can opposites attract?
September 6, 2006
Though he hadn't called for her, Paige orbed into the apartment of her latest charge. Whitelighters always knew when their charges were in trouble, and Paige was no different; she had distinctly felt Alex was in danger and knew not to ignore it. She also knew she was supposed to be meeting with the Elders, but both she and they knew the rule that an endangered charge took precedence over a summoning.
She scanned Alex's living room and didn't see him. All she noticed was how dingy the apartment was, but she understood why. She walked through the hall and saw a puddle of water on the floor. "Not good," she murmured.
The first known witch in his family, Alex Prince could astral project as well as conjure and manipulate water. When he first came into his astral projection talent, it was a complete shock. The power not only took him by surprise, his mother and father soon learned of it, as it caused Alex to astral project unexpectedly. Scared witless by a son who could leave his body, Alex's parents threw him out of the house, forcing him to move into an apartment. His plight had caught the Elders' attention and they had assigned Paige to him as his Whitelighter.
Under Paige's guidance, Alex had learned how to control his talent so he could keep his job and his residence. In truth, they had worked on astral projection together; Paige and her sisters only learned the skill because Leo had introduced them to it based on his knowledge of Prue's way to tap into her power, all to help the Charmed Ones defeat the demon Zankou over a year ago. After that battle, Paige had realized that she wanted to learn how to advance her astral projection, but she hadn't found the time to do so until she had been assigned to Alex.
The Witchlighter followed the trail of water to find her charge, clad in a faded black shirt and torn blue jeans, cornered in the room by a demon. Alex's assailant sported a green Mohawk and a gray shirt with the sleeves ripped off. He was smeared from head to foot with dirt and dry paint, and Paige surmised that Mr. Mohawk was currently living above ground, probably with a gang of killer mortals or with others of his kind.
The demon slashed at Alex with a particularly nasty-looking athamae and sliced the young man's body… which instantly vanished in a crimson glow.
The demon was confused. "What happened?" he snarled, looking about. "Where did you go, witch?"
A concerned Paige knew exactly what happened, as Alex rematerialized beside her in the same crimson glow. "Why are you astralling around?" she asked. "Where's your physical body?"
Alex nodded his blond head at his attacker. "I vanquished that guy's partner, but the blast knocked me out. I'm still unconscious." He eyed the demon tensely. "I was able to trick him into thinking my astral self is the physical one, until now. You have to heal me so I can defeat him. I don't have my powers in this mode."
"So you were knocked out," Paige realized. "Must've been why I knew you were in trouble."
An ugly growl reached their ears, and Paige and Alex saw that the demon had spotted them. "Where's your body, Alex?" she hissed as the demon began stalking toward them.
"It's in my bedroom."
Paige gave a curt nod. "Let's go!"
Alex bolted from the living room, with Paige right behind him. As she dashed through the door, a fireball crashed into the wall directly across from the living room entrance, missing her head by mere inches. Alex and Paige raced into his bedroom, locking the door behind them. The room was an even bigger mess than the rest of the apartment. The pointed tips of springs poked through the top of the mattress, paper plates containing stale food were scattered around the room… and the motionless body of Alex lay on the floor.
The young witch's astral self pointed at it. "There! Hurry!"
Paige quickly knelt beside the inert form and held her hands over it, her palms emitting their familiar golden glow as the healing light bathed Alex's physical self and roused him back to consciousness. He gasped and his body jerked as his astral self reentered it. His eyes then flashed open and he leaped to his feet.
"Thanks," he sighed with relief.
"How did you kill that demon's buddy?" asked Paige.
"I slipped behind him and got him with a butcher knife. I was lucky I had one lying around."
She gazed at the mess. "I think you can credit that to not being Mr. Clean," she remarked wryly.
Suddenly, Alex's assailant came crashing through the bedroom door and into the room, brandishing his athamae. "I'll handle this," Paige said tersely.
Mr. Mohawk hurled the blade at her. With a swift wave of her hand, she orbed it back at him, but he dodged it by dropping to the floor. The athamae bounced harmlessly off the wall behind him and landed beside his feet. He snatched it up, but thought better of using it and launched a fireball at Paige.
Alex shot out his hand, releasing a ball of concentrated water that doused the fireball on impact.
The Witchlighter grinned. "Nice one," she said approvingly. She spotted a rusty kitchen knife on a nearby bureau. "Do you want me to take care of him or do you think you can handle it?"
As if in answer to her question, Alex flashed out both hands and shot water jets out of his palms like a fire hose, pinning his attacker against the wall. Mr. Mohawk gasped and struggled against the water. Paige noticed the large puddle forming under his feet and got an idea.
She looked around quickly and spotted an old television with loose wires protruding out of the opening where the on/off button would have been. "Stop," she said. "We're ending this now." Alex obeyed.
Paige orbed the wires out of the set and into the puddle at the demon's feet. As the wiring touched the water, the television exploded and electric sparks blasted through the screen and into the puddle. The demon screamed in agony as sparks enveloped his body, turning it into a fireball. He exploded on the spot.
"Well, I'd say that demon is well done," Paige said. She looked at Alex apologetically. "Sorry about your television set, though."
Alex sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "That was one of the best things going for me… Until my cable service got cut a couple days ago."
"You can't keep living like this; this place is a pig-sty, to say the least. And you really need to get a better job. You had a great education, so I don't know why you haven't yet gotten any internships," Paige commented.
"Nobody wants to hire a dirt-poor student, Paige." He shoved his hands into his pockets. "Reality really sucks."
Paige thought for a moment and brightened. "Let me call my old workplace. I'll see if I can hook you up with something; Social Services occasionally need people to run errands." She gave a little snort of laughter. "Hell, I should know, being the boss's former assistant. But if that doesn't work out, I'll ask my husband if there are any internships at the probation department." She smiled at Alex. "I'll be in touch."
"I hope that means you'll orb over with any updates," Alex said. He blushed. "My phone got disconnected."
Paige almost wanted to laugh at how embarrassed he was, but she refrained from doing so. Alex was a sensitive young man.
"I'll do my best," she said and vanished in a flurry of blue-white lights.
(X)
Paige would have liked to have avoided all the cool glances the Whitelighters gave her whenever she orbed into the Heavens, looks that, after all this time, still said she didn't belong there. But she chose to ignore them and walked on through the misty hallway, enjoying the cool swirl of it around her feet as she went up to the large stone doors to the Elders' Council Room. As she was about to knock by pulling on the stone handle, a Whitelighter suddenly stepped in front of her.
"They're not to be disturbed," he snapped. "You should leave."
"Gee, and here I thought Whitelighters were noble and generous," Paige retorted, "instead of jerks with sticks up their robes. But then you do tend to have cranky bosses, don't you?" She tossed her dark hair back, tilting her chin. "Bosses who, by the way, asked to see me."
The Whitelighter snorted. "Huh, what's so important that they need to see you? I've been a Whitelighter long before you were born; I've helped scores of charges."
"Lucky them," Paige shot back. She banged the handle twice against the door. "I like to think the Elders actually give me missions to help me with my destiny. Maybe they feel I can reach out to this person."
"You've been getting all the special charges lately," the Whitelighter grumbled. "It's not fair." He looked at the stone door. "I pride myself in helping my charges, but I want to be known as something more than just an ordinary Whitelighter. I'd like to guide someone of greater importance for a change!"
Paige stared at him in disbelief. "What do you mean, 'greater importance'? All of our charges are important, and yet you want to guide somebody 'special'!" She shook her head disgustedly. "I can't believe this. I've actually met a Whitelighter who discriminates against certain charges. I hope there aren't any others up here like you!"
The large stone doors swung inward. The female Elder Sandra, self-composed and clad in her usual white robe with a brilliant gold one underneath, emerged. "Hello, Paige. How are you?" she said with a smile as the doors closed behind her.
Sandra turned to the Whitelighter who had been so rude to Paige. "Please leave us. We have matters to discuss."
The Whitelighter bowed, shot Paige a sullen look, and walked away. Sandra watched his retreat before turning to Paige with an arched eyebrow.
Paige decided not to bring up the subject of Mr. Rudeness in White. "I'm okay," she said, smiling at Sandra. "So, what do you need?"
"We have a new charge for you--" Sandra began.
"Naturally," Paige quipped. She then reprimanded herself; Sandra was one of the few Elders she liked and respected. "Just joking. What's the story behind this charge?"
"We're concerned that she may turn to Evil. If she does, she'll be a deadly weapon that can be used against Good. We believe there's still hope for her, if only because of the witch blood in her. If her other side becomes dominant, she may have little use for her witch side."
"What's this bad side that's threatening to take her over? Is she half-demon or something?"
"Yes, she is. Her witch mother, Carmen, was…" Sandra paused, searching to find the right words, "sexually attacked by a demon and became pregnant. Following Rose's birth, her mother cherished her nonetheless, but the child's power was activated at the wrong moment and it killed Carmen. Rose had to be placed into a foster home."
"I see," Paige said soberly. "This girl and I have much in common; we're both hybrids who had to be put into foster homes." She sighed. "I'll do my best, but how will she react to meeting another witch? Has she had any experience with demons? Can you tell me?"
"Paige, you know it's best to get such information from your charges personally. Having us give you all the answers ahead of time isn't going to help you form the proper connection with them." Sandra opened her hand and showed Paige a simple silver ring. "This was Carmen's. Her Whitelighter brought it to us after she died."
Paige eyed the ring curiously. "Why would Whitelighters bring you their dead charges' personal belongings?"
"We store them here in the Heavens. If the deceased charge has any surviving family members, personal items such as this ring can be used as tools to search for them." The Elder handed Paige the ring. "And you're a witch; you can use this to scry for Rose's location."
"But what if her mother had wanted her to have it?" asked Paige, looking uneasily at the ring in her hand. "It is a family heirloom, after all."
"Carmen's Whitelighter retrieved it after Rose was put in foster care," Sandra said. "Whitelighters never purposely take dead charges' valuables. We only use them as resource." She smiled. "I must go now, so I suggest you get started. Be well, Paige."
Sandra didn't wait for the doors to open; she changed into a glowing vortex and orbed back inside the Council Room.
Paige looked about the misty hallway. She didn't see the sullen Whitelighter who had been so envious of her. Smirking, she flipped the silver ring into the air and deftly caught it in her hand. Guess what, Mr. Rude? she thought triumphantly. I have a new charge to look after!
She vanished in a column of orbs, still wearing a smirk.
(X)
Paige materialized into her altar room and went immediately over to a table where she kept her map of San Francisco as well as her amethyst. She opened the map, spread it out, and then sat down. Holding the ring in one hand, she picked up the amethyst and held it over the map. The violet crystal, dangling from the end of its silver chain, circled over the map with a soft whoosh and continued doing so after several minutes, making Paige wonder if this was all she was going to get.
As Paige concentrated on the map and the crystal, Billie entered the room, holding her laptop against her hip. A white band pulled her blonde hair back into a ponytail as a green half-shirt revealed her lean, flat stomach; blue jeans hugged her waist. She grinned when she caught sight of Paige.
"There you are," Billie said as she rubbed one black leather boot off the other. "What are you scrying for?"
Paige sighed in frustration, her back to Billie. "It's not a what, it's a who."
"Okay," Billie said, "who are you scrying for?"
"My new charge, a girl named Rose. And I can't seem to find her."
Billie placed her now-opened laptop onto the table. "You know, I'm sure you'd be able to loosen up with the scrying if you had a larger map. Just use my laptop with the amethyst. My system is effective and all the cool kids are using it."
The young witch's grin quickly faded as Paige's unamused look said the joke had landed on the floor with a leaden thump.
"There's nothing wrong with my method. Centuries of witches support what I have to say on the matter," the Witchlighter replied. She stood up after a minute and sighed again. "Damn, I still can't find her." She ran a hand through her hair. "Maybe I do need a bigger map. Sandra didn't actually say Rose lived in San Francisco."
"Can I help?" Billie asked.
Paige gave her the silver ring. "Use this with your laptop, I guess, and the amethyst to scry for her. I have to speak with Henry." Billie nodded and sat down at the table. She switched on her laptop and reached for the amethyst.
Paige left and headed for the bedroom. She entered to find Henry lounging on the brown comforter on the bed. Clad in a white t-shirt and black boxers, he was typing rapidly on his own laptop, unaware of his wife's presence.
"Henry," Paige said.
"Yes?" he replied amicably, not taking his eyes off the screen.
"I need a favor. Can you see if there's an internship open at your workplace?"
Henry turned and looked at her. "Why?"
"One of my charges has a job that barely pays him enough to make ends meet. His apartment is in such a horrible state that I almost brought him home with me."
"Is this the guy that shoots water out of his hands?"
Paige nodded.
Henry closed his laptop, his dark eyes meeting her honey-brown ones. "Honey, your charges aren't abandoned puppies or kittens; they tend to have roofs over their heads. And this one does, too."
"I know," Paige sighed, "but he could use a better roof… And some cable TV."
Henry chuckled, but Paige shot him a disapproving look. "It's not funny, Henry! Alex was a great student in school, and he's also a great person." Her face softened and she sat down next to her spouse. "Can we possibly work on this together? I can see to it that he makes the right decisions while you put in a good word for him. I'll also try to find something for him at Social Services, but I think he may be better suited to dealing with criminals, especially since there are a lot of demons who call San Francisco home. Are you in?"
"How can I argue with that?" he replied after a moment's thought. "As long as Alex knows he can't go around giving public waterworks displays, I'll ask my boss if he knows what programs we have at the moment." He paused and grinned. "But if word gets back that your charge is being a human garden hose, I might lose my job."
Paige leaned over and kissed him. "Thank you so much," she said happily. "I'll orb over to his apartment a little later with the good news." She stood up. "Meanwhile, I have to go see to a brand new charge. Will you be okay here by yourself?"
"Yeah, sure, why do you ask?"
"I might have to take Billie with me on this one. One of the Elders said this newest charge might be trouble… She's half demon."
"I see," Henry said as he placed the laptop onto the bed and stood up. "Are you also taking a vanquishing spell or something to protect you?"
"Henry, I can't vanquish a charge, no matter who they are," replied Paige. "I'll need a cover, and I can do that by posing as a social worker. Billie can be my assistant."
"Isn't that a bit underhanded? Why not just tell her the truth if you already know she's magical?" the mortal suggested.
"You can't always be blunt with a charge, especially one who's half-witch and half-demon and was raised in a foster home, like I was. I have to gain Rose's trust in a way that won't make her think I want to help only because she has powers, and for that I need a cover." She looked over her shoulder in the direction of the altar room. "I let Billie scry for Rose, so I should see if she's found anything." She wrapped her arms around Henry's waist and rested her head against his chest. "I love you."
Henry grinned and embraced her. "Be safe, Paige. Call me on my cell if you need any help. And remember: Don't think I can't help because I don't have powers. You got that?"
"I got it," she replied, smiling. They gave each other a simple kiss on the lips.
Paige returned to the altar room, where she saw Billie in front of an open cupboard, putting potions inside a one-strapped black pouch.
"Billie, we're just going to meet Rose, not vanquish her," Paige said, placing her hands on her hips.
"I'm going to Magic School," said the blonde witch as she stuffed another potion into the pouch. "Somebody has to save it before the demons claim it for good. I know I can't do it alone, but at least I can make a sizable dent in their plans."
"Then wait for me and my sisters," Paige said, though she knew what Billie's answer would be.
"No. You guys keep putting it off," Billie replied without turning around. "The school can't be saved that way, only by action. That place is a second home to me and I want to save it. Besides, the Magical Community still thinks I'm a traitor; I want to prove to them that I truly am good."
"I wish you'd wait until we're ready," Paige sighed as Billie tossed yet another potion into her pouch, "but do what you feel you have to do. Did you find Rose by any chance?"
"Yeah, I got your girl," Billie answered, closing the cupboard door. She turned to face Paige. "She's in New York. Can you orb to the other side of the country?"
Paige couldn't resist smiling. "Yes I can, and I certainly wouldn't mind." She thought for a moment. "Hmm, New York…You think I'll need a jacket? It tends to get cool there at this time of year."
"Beats me," Billie said, shrugging. She grabbed a teleportation potion and was about to throw it onto the floor when she stopped and slapped her forehead. "Damn, I almost forgot my athamaes." She left the altar room and strode down the hall to her bedroom. Paige went with her and they entered.
"Please be extra careful," she said with unmasked concern for her protégé. "I'm going to be busy with Rose in New York, so if you call out for me, it might be delayed or so."
"I'll keep that in mind," Billie said as she opened a drawer and removed three double-edged steel blades with black handles. She tucked one in the back of her jeans, another over her shirt, and gently slid the third blade down her left boot. She then stood upright, the potions pouch slung over her right shoulder and the teleportation potion in her hand. She gave Paige a smile. "Wish me luck."
Paige returned the smile and nodded. "I do."
Billie dropped the vial onto the floor between her feet. It shattered, releasing its contents. A gray cloud of smoke engulfed the young witch and dispersed seconds later, leaving an empty spot save for tiny shards of glass.
Paige went to the table and picked up the ring that lay beside the open laptop. She closed her fist around it and studied the location revealed on the screen.
(X)
Usually, the Great Hall of Magic School would have been a hub of activity, with students and teachers either rushing to class or standing in pairs or groups talking. But these days the Hall was witness to dark assemblies like the one now occupying it: A group of a dozen black-garbed demons led by one who was half Darklighter. He stood with the others, watching his gray-robed telepathic stand perfectly still, his eyes closed in concentration, his arms raised with his sleeves swaying in the icy wind that moaned through the empty halls of the School. In contrast, the demonic half-breed wore his usual black waistcoat and black boots. The only change in his appearance was that he was now clean-shaven, which made the black tribal markings on the left side of his face stand out more boldly.
Even though his eyes were shut, the telepath felt the stare of the entire group, and especially that of the leader, weigh heavily upon him. Another silent moment passed, and then he stood straighter. "I see her, Avo."
"Good work, Vilo," the half-breed said, grinning. "What is the witch's location?"
"New York City," answered Vilo. He lowered his arms to his side, opened his eyes, and looked at his leader. "Why is she so important? She's just another of the Witchlighter's charges."
Avo gave a dark chuckle. "Oh, she's much more than that, my friend. She's what we need to gain the upper hand."
"How is that?" asked Vilo, raising an eyebrow quizzically.
"That tale is for another time. Right now, just know she's someone vital to me. Her powers have lain dormant for many years, but we can activate them and use them to unlock her potential."
"You mean, use them against the Witchlighter," Vilo hazarded, and Avo nodded. "Why are we building a team to fight her, anyway?"
"There's a war coming; Light and Dark will battle for the very ground we stand on. This place will be my palace when I'm the new Source of All Evil. I'll bring it down to the Underworld, where its knowledge and power will be used to destroy Good."
One demon stepped forward and sneered, "The same old boast; 'I'm going to take over the Underworld and become the new Source.' You'll fail like all the others, because no one can kill a Charmed One! What makes you think you can kill one who's half Whitelighter?"
Avo stared icily at his mocker. "A Charmed One was killed: Prue, the eldest, by Shax and Magic School isn't my goal; it's merely a perk. It's the Witchlighter's death I want, but not by being foolish enough to think I can kill her with an arrow. The Magic School war will spill her blood and that of others." Avo suddenly raised his hand, conjuring a thermal fireball, his face twisting into a sneer of its own. "Pity you won't be alive to glory in it." He hurled the violet fireball into the demon, who screamed as the violet flames consumed him and vanquished him a moment later.
Silence fell over the room, broken only by the moaning wind and the occasional distant bang of a door against a wall. Avo turned to the nine remaining minions. "Does anyone else have an opinion?" he asked them ominously.
The minions vigorously shook their heads, not daring to further provoke the half-breed. Avo smiled in satisfaction. "Good. See that you don't." He turned to his colleague and nodded contemptuously at the minions. "I must go now, Vilo, so I'll leave you in charge of this rabble. Use the resources here to learn about Valen."
A vortex of black orbs materialized around the half-breed, and he vanished.
Vilo turned to the minions. "I'll be in the main library," he said to them, "so don't leave the school. I'll return shortly." The telepath shimmered away.
The minions looked at one another. "This is just great," one of them snorted. "What do we do while he's off doing research?"
"Well, you can have some extra tutoring, but something tells me you guys aren't here for that."
The demons whirled around at the voice that had suddenly announced its presence. Billie stood in the Great Hall's doorway, her hands on her hips, smiling confidently. Angered by her mocking tone, one of the demons raised his hand, conjuring a crackling energy ball. "Kill her!" he snarled. "She's a witch!"
"Leave while you can, girl," barked another demon as he and his brethren also conjured energy balls. "You're outnumbered."
"I'm shaking in my boots," Billie taunted, "so I think I'll take them off." She bent over as if to remove her footwear, yanked out the athamae, and hurled it at the closest demon in one swift blur of motion. The blade plunged point-first into the minion's chest, vanquishing both him and his energy ball on impact.
"Bring it on, boys," Billie challenged the remaining eight. "Now you have something to do."
(X)
Paige had arrived in the Big Apple moments earlier. Paige stood outside the front of a school Rose attended. She was amazed by the vast numbers of people crowding the streets; some walked while others stood under address signs on street corners, flailing their arms to flag down taxis. Her amazement changed to delight as she caught sight of a Macy's department store several blocks away.
"Wow," she said to herself, "Gotta come back here to shop." She then sighed, remembering why she was in New York City to begin with. But duty before pleasure.
She spun on her heel and faced the school. She read its name and her jaw dropped. "New York University,"she read with a jolt. "Looks like I'm working with one smart girl."
Paige now knew her social worker disguise would fail and that she had to change into a student if she was to get anywhere with Rose. Trouble was, a glamour couldn't always be sustained for long periods of time, and she didn't know how long she'd be undercover. She decided a spell was a safer bet. All she needed was privacy in which to perform it.
Tightening her white jacket around her, Paige loosened her ponytail, allowing her long hair to fall against her neck to keep it warm. She then entered the school, passing students as she did. She walked down the hallway, taking note of plaques and class portraits lining the walls. Paige pulled out the ring, hoping it would help her sense Rose.
She continued on, admiring the plaques, when she felt a sudden pull and stopped. Rose. She's nearby, Paige thought. She saw her reflection in one of the plaques and knew she had been so busy reading them that she had forgotten to glamour.
"Damn," she cursed to herself and looked around. "Ladies room, ladies room.." To her relief, she spotted one a few steps away and went quickly to it. As she entered, a dark-eyed young woman with olive skin and flowing black hair walked past her… And Paige halted dead in her tracks as she felt a powerful connection being forged between her and the girl who had just left. She whirled around, staring at the restroom door.
"Rose..." she realized.
Making sure she was alone in the restroom, Paige ran to a nearby stall, checked to see if it was empty, and went inside. She placed the ring back into her pocket and pulled out a paper. She unfolded it and spoke as quietly as possible in case someone came in:
Passing time, passing age,
Powers above, give me aid.
Turn youth's clock back unto me.
Give me a schoolgirl's identity.
Swirls of glistening orbs enveloped her. She felt her height go down about an inch and her cheekbones become slightly bigger. After a few more moments, when she felt the spell had done its work, she stepped out of the stall and looked into the restroom mirror.
"Oh my God!" she gasped as she felt her new cheekbones. The spell had made her eight years younger. Her dark brown hair had changed to a reddish-gold color; her honey-brown eyes were now light gray. But Paige was none too crazy about her attire: She now sported an orange tee-shirt with a red-lips design across the front, and her black casual pants had become a pair of hip-hugging, low-rider jeans. The only piece of clothing unaffected by her spell was her white jacket.
"Well, either magic is a man..." she muttered wryly, turning around to check out her behind, "or girls these days are a little too comfortable with their bodies"
Seeing her jacket didn't go with the rest of her outfit, Paige took it off, folded it, and placed it over her right arm. With her free hand, she slipped the spell into the back pocket of her jeans and exited the restroom.
The moment she was in the hallway, Paige realized she no longer needed the ring; her bond with Rose was now strong enough for her to sense the girl. She made her way down the hall, weaving in and out between clusters of students. She noted some busy copying assignments. Others were furiously running their fingers down the pages of their open textbooks, a trick Paige recognized as cramming for a test that would be held in five minutes. She smiled to herself. Does this make be glad to be out of school or what? she thought amusedly.
A ringing bell told the students that their current class was over and that they had ten minutes to be at the next one if they didn't want to miss any of the session. As Paige moved with the flow of humanity, following the pull toward Rose, she was hit by a wave of tension that was not her own and a quick stretching of the psychic tether between them. Something's after her, she thought, she's starting to run. Her impression was verified by the sight of a male student knocked to the floor a short distance away, his books flying into the air. Paige looked around for the cause of her charge's flight. Two black-clad men and a woman in a blue top raced past her, leaving an unmistakable trace of evil in their wake. Paige darted after them, knowing these were the ones Rose was fleeing from.
The Witchlighter ignored groups of staring students as she bolted past them and out the school's front door with a bang. She raced through the open campus, following Rose's pull into an alley several blocks away. She was not surprised by the location or by the sight of her charge being cornered by her pursuers at the end of the alley. But Rose's behavior was a surprise; instead of cowering with fear, the young woman stood tall and defiant, staring down the evil trio. She raised her hands -- and sapphire flames erupted in her palms, forming the shape of balls.
"You warlocks want my power?" Rose challenged them. "Come and get it!"
Only too happy to oblige, the trio charged at her. The girl calmly released her two fireballs; one scored a direct hit into one male warlock, instantly burning him to ashes. The female and the remaining male dodged the second by blinking out of its way.
Paige slipped behind a trash-can at her end of the alley, not wanting to reveal herself to either Rose or the warlocks. Impressed by her charge's courage, she decided it was the perfect time to observe how the young woman fared against her attackers.
And Rose didn't disappoint. As the female warlock blinked in behind her, the girl immediately sensed it and viciously elbowed her assailant's abdomen, causing her to double over in pain. Rose grabbed the warlock by the hair and rammed her knee into her attacker's nose.
Suddenly, Rose heard a crackling noise behind her. She turned to see the male warlock moving in on her, an energy ball burning in his hand, which he must've obtained from another demon or witch. She threw the groaning female to the ground as he hurled the ball. Paige gasped as Rose evaded the oncoming energy with an impressive cartwheel; the lethal ball crashed harmlessly into a steel trash-can. The girl landed upright in full fighting stance and retaliated with a radiant stream of blue fire from her fingertips. It seared through the warlock's shirt and into his chest. Engulfed in a sheet of flame, he dropped to his knees with an agonized scream. He exploded a few seconds later, a wisp of smoke rising from his ashes.
As her cohort went up in flames, the female warlock struggled to her feet, her blazing eyes fixed on Rose's back. As if she had foreseen this, the girl spun and sent her attacker sprawling back onto the ground with a roundhouse kick. She stared at her fallen enemy and raised her eyes to the air between them. To Paige's shock, a ball of blue fire appeared and grew until it was the size of four fireballs combined. Rose gave a cool nod of her head -- and the giant ball shot towards the female warlock. Its flames devoured her before she could even scream.
Paige ducked back down behind the trash-can as Rose gazed about the alleyway. Satisfied that no one was present, the young woman flamed away.
The Witchlighter emerged from her hiding place. She walked to the end of the alley and stood staring at three piles of warlock ash on the ground, mulling over what she had just seen. And the conclusion she came to made her uneasy:
"I haven't seen a power display like this since Christy," Paige muttered to herself. "Not good."
(X)
The sole remaining Jenkins sister dived into an empty classroom, dodging a flurry of demonic energy balls, and landed on her stomach. She leapt to her feet, locked the door, and looked around for a place to hide. The Charmed Ones had been right when they warned her that reclaiming Magic School wasn't a one-witch job. And she had underestimated the demons she now faced; they worked so well in numbers that they were more than she had bargained for.
Spotting a nearby teacher's desk, Billie took cover behind it. Peering over the top, she noted a green chalkboard with the twelve signs of the Zodiac drawn on it in different colors. Posted on the wall were charts of the aurora borealis as well as of stars and the constellations they formed. This must have been an astronomy class, she reasoned.
She had no more time to ponder that. The classroom door blew off its hinges; it crashed through the window and landed outside in the school garden. A pair of demons entered, casting their gaze about for their prey. Moving quickly, Billie stood and flashed her hands out, telekinetically flinging them into the chalkboard. The demons cracked the board on impact, their bodies erasing the zodiac signs as they slid to the floor. Billie yanked a potion from her pouch and hurled it into the floor space between the demons. It exploded, creating a fire wave that consumed the pair.
"Three down, six to go," Billie commented grimly. She rose from behind the desk, went to the entrance, and peered out into the hall. There were no demons. She left the room, keeping her pace slow. She was now glad she wasn't wearing her heeled boots; the sound of heels clicking on the hardwood floor would have stacked the odds against her even more than they were now.
But the odds were against her enough. As she went by another empty classroom, a demon leaped out and tackled her. She screamed as she hit the floor. Her attacker pinned her shoulders with his knees, punched her, and raked one side of her face with a clawed hand. Billie tried to shove him away with her arm, but she could only move her wrist.
Projection power, she thought, I need my projection power!
She shut her eyes against the rain of blows and summoned her gift of projection, mentally picturing the desired weapon. An athamae appeared beside her in a glow of light. She flicked her wrist, telekinetically sending the blade into the demon's temple as he was about to land another punch on her face. Billie then found the strength to move her arm out from under his knee and telekinetically threw him off as he exploded along with the athamae, leaving scorch marks on the wall.
Billie sat up and leaned against the wall, gasping for breath, her head aching from the attack. She felt warm rivulets run down the side of her face and knew they were from the gashes made by her assailant. She touched the area and winced in pain. "Damn it," she muttered, seeing blood on her fingers.
Suddenly, she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Billie turned to see four demons coming down the hall towards her. One by one, they each conjured neon blue energy balls from their palms. Tuning out her pain, the young witch bounced to her feet and assumed a fighting stance, her blue eyes narrowing.
"Here we go," she said tensely, bracing herself. "Round two."
(X)
Paige walked back across the campus, school pamphlet in hand, and entered the main building. Minutes later, her sensing power lured her into a classroom big enough for sixty students. One side was crowded while a few others were scattered around the other side. Paige instantly recognized Rose as one of those few students, sitting alone in a corner at the far end of the room. With one ear cocked toward the professor who was giving his lecture, she approached the young woman and calmly took a seat next to her. "What's this guy is going on about?" she casually asked.
Rose turned and stared at her. "He's 'going on about' mythology." She looked Paige over with a scornful expression. "And since you don't have a notebook, it's probably why you don't know."
Paige felt herself grow warm with embarrassment as she realized the girl was right; in her rush to glamour, she had forgotten to obtain a binder, that timeless symbol of student life. She gave an innocent laugh. "I left it back in my dorm." She added a dismissive shrug. "I hardly ever take notes, anyway." Seeing two binders on Rose's desk, she said with a grin, "I see you like taking notes."
"Yes, considering this is the only class I care about," said Rose, shooting an irritated glance in Paige's direction. "I've always studied mythology. Now, since you like ranting, I'd appreciate it if you would either shut up or go away. I'm busy."
Paige's eyebrows went up. Ranting? I hardly said anything!
One of the girl's books accidentally fell from her desk onto the floor. As Rose bent over to retrieve it, Paige spotted a tattoo on the back of the girl's neck. The Witchlighter's eyes widened as she looked at its design: A black rose with two green vines holding tiny sparks of blue fire on each end.
"Stop staring at me," Rose hissed with her back still turned to Paige, picking up her book.
Taken by surprise, Paige looked around for any reflection that would have alerted Rose, but she found none. "You're psychic as well?" she couldn't keep from asking.
Rose's head shot up at the question. "Who the hell are you?" she demanded in a whisper.
"I can answer that if we go somewhere private," the Witchlighter answered softly. She was ashamed at blowing her cover so early, making this student facade useless.
Rose thought for a moment and scanned the classroom quickly. When she saw that no one was looking their way, she took Paige by the shoulder and they flamed out together.
(X)
The two women materialized on a pebbled roof top in a pillar of roaring blue flames. Before Paige could open her mouth, Rose suddenly threw her down onto the surface of the roof and aimed an open hand at her, a sapphire-blue fireball emerging from her palm.
"What are you doing?" the startled Witchlighter said.
"Shut up! I'll ask the questions," snarled Rose. "Now, who are you? A shape-shifter? A demon? Another warlock?"
Paige began to rise. "Look, I'm not evil --"
"Stay down!" the girl shouted, her fireball becoming brighter as she held it aloft, ready to hurl it at Paige if she made a wrong move.
"Oh?" another voice calmly asked. "Not evil?"
The women turned to see Avo in a black suit and violet necktie, standing a short distance away. He put his hands in his pockets and smirked at Paige. "If you're not evil, then why are you disguised as a student?"
"Who are you?" Paige demanded.
Rose looked from Paige to the man in confusion. Avo smiled gently at her.
"Don't worry, Rose, I'll be up front with you. I'm a Darklighter, but I'm not here for you." He pointed at Paige. "I was tracking her. She's a Whitelighter. Didn't she tell you that?"
The girl stared at Paige. "You're a Whitelighter?" she exclaimed, her fireball burning in her palm.
Paige stood up. "Yes, I am," she confessed. She moved her hand across her face; lights danced around her as she returned to her true form. "I didn't want you to think I would guide you just because you're magical."
"Then why deceive her?" Avo asked smoothly. "I didn't. I must be the more trustworthy one."
"Trustworthy?" Paige sneered. "You have no business with Rose. You're just a Darklighter."
"Just a Darklighter is such an understatement. I want to show her that Whitelighters aren't exactly truthful. Evil may be flawed, but we're honest, believe it or not," Avo commented.
"I don't!" the Witchlighter snapped. She turned to Rose. "You shouldn't believe him, either."
"Rose, she wants to suppress your demonic side so you'll be a weak half-witch," Avo said.
"I'm half witch," Paige argued, trying to counter his ploy. "And I'm not weak!"
"Cut the crap, both of you!" Rose shouted, her fireball growing in size and ready to burst in streams.
"Rose, I'm telling you the truth and I can prove it," Paige said. She dug into her jacket pocket and fished out the ring Sandra had given her. "The Elders gave this to me so I could find you. It belonged to your mother Carmen. She was pure, wasn't she?"
"Yeah, until a demon had his way with her!" Rose snapped. The fire began to run up her arm as she stared at the ring. "How did you get that? Did you steal it?"
I knew I should have trusted my instincts when I said the ring was a bad idea Paige thought. "The Elders gave it to me so I could track you."
"Well, it seems the Elders are worse than Whitelighters," commented Avo. "They're common thieves who take valuables from dead charges."
"No! He's twisting my words!" Paige said, glaring at him. "Rose, they took it after you were placed in foster care because of how your mother died."
The young woman glared murderously at Paige, the fire encircling her arm now blazing. "It's my mother's ring!" she screamed.
Before Paige could speak again, the ring suddenly vanished in a cloud of dark orbs. Horrified, she turned to see it materialize in the palm of Avo's extended hand. "And it's now rightfully yours, Rose," he said. "Do you want it?"
Her face alight with hope, Rose began walking toward Avo. Paige ran after her. "No, Rose, don't!"
The girl whirled around. "Get away from me!" she shouted. She flashed her blazing arm at the Witchlighter, shooting a deadly stream of blue fire. Paige instantly orbed out before the flames could incinerate her. She orbed back in to see Rose with Avo, Carmen's ring in her hand.
The demonic hybrid placed a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder. "Join me. I won't lessen your powers; I'll strengthen them."
"No, don't do it!" Paige shouted. "He just wants your powers, Rose! You don't have to surrender yourself to the likes of him. I just want to help you."
"No. If I'm going to be bound to choose a side, I'd rather have my powers close by me!" the young woman shot back. "They're all I have going for me and you're not taking them. If you come after me, I'll use them to kill you."
Rose placed her hand on Avo's. Together they turned into in a column of black orbs that trailed off into the sky and vanished.
Paige's eyes followed them, her face crumpling as she realized what had happened.
She had lost a charge to Evil.
(X)
In the Great Hall, Billie was down to three demons. The largest of them swung at her; she quickly rolled under his arm and dodged the blow. She rose, pulling the athamae from the back of her belt, and knifed her attacker in the back. He exploded in a fiery blast, but the shockwave slammed into Billie's chest and flung her into the air. She crashed to the marble floor, rolling into a table. She moaned in pain, too stunned to move as the remaining snarling pair of demons hurled their energy balls straight at her. She braced herself for the inevitable -- and the deadly energy was suddenly orbed back into its senders. Flames raced through their bodies, exploding them. The fires vanished, and in their place stood a familiar Witchlighter.
"Paige!" Billie breathed in relief.
"Sorry, but I won't lose two charges in one day," she remarked as she approached. "It would make too big a dent in my credibility."
Billie began to stand up, holding her smarting ribcage. "What happened?" she grunted.
"I'll tell you when we get home," Paige said, taking hold of the girl. "After I heal you, I have to do some research, and I hope a certain book of mine has the information I need."
Seconds after the women had vanished, Vilo, holding a large brown tome, cautiously rose from behind a brown oak table where he had hidden during the fight. To his vast relief, a stream of black orbs slithered into the Hall, materializing into Avo and Rose.
"My lord," Vilo cried.
Avo looked around him. "Where are the others?"
"The witch charge of the Witchlighters killed nearly all of them!" spluttered Vilo. "Then the Witchlighter showed up and killed the rest!" The telepath shook with fury. "That blonde thinks she's so bold because she was once half of the Ultimate Power!"
"You have your facts wrong," Avo said. "She is an Ultimate Power. Don't underestimate her; she too has a great role before her and it's one she'll arrive at soon. Billie may be a witch who's just above ordinary now, but one day she'll kill demons by merely blinking at them." He turned to Rose. "It's why Good can't be trusted with such powers, especially powers that can spiral out of control, such as physical projection."
Vilo looked at Rose excitedly. "Is this the witch I sensed in New York?"
"She is," Avo said, smiling at the girl. "This is Rose, someone who's a match for Billie. With the proper training, she'll be the perfect weapon."
Rose put her hands on her hips and smirked at Avo. "Look, if I'm to do this gig, I need to know what you expect of me, since you had a motive for saving me from that Whitelighter."
Avo took the tome from Vilo and telekinetically flipped through its pages. "I'm trying to unite all Evil under one roof to prove I'm worthy of the Source's throne. The demonic factions think that since I'm half Darklighter, I can't be trusted with that power."
"Half Darklighter?" said Rose, arching an eyebrow. "What else are you?"
"Let's just say we're the same," Avo answered. "I believe your powers can help us, and trust me when I say that if I gain the Source's throne, those who stand beside me will be rewarded."
"And your plans for me?" Rose asked, now very interested in her new companion.
"They start right here," Avo said, coming to a page.
Rose read its title. "Valen?" she said curiously. "Who's that?"
"A very powerful woman that has been trapped by enchantments. You're the key to her freedom; you can use your powers to release her from her prison."
"She's stronger than you? That means she'll claim the throne for herself."
"I disagree," Avo said, grinning darkly. "I know of a way to tame her."
(X)
Paige flipped through her Book of Shadows while Billie rested on near-by chair.
"Man," she sighed heavily, "those guys put up one damn good fight." She looked at Paige. "How is it I was almost fully healed after we came out of orb?"
"Leo taught me how to do it," Paige answered as she continued to go through her tome. "He explained the whole process and I had it down after several tries. Phoebe and I have actually conversed while orbing, but how long we can talk depends on the length of the trip."
Now feeling rested, Billie got up and walked over to Paige. "Who are you searching for?" she asked as she stood beside her.
"A Darklighter who convinced my charge that Evil has more to offer," Paige said. "I have to save her."
"You think you still have a chance?"
"Well, you came to your senses, didn't you?"
Billie smiled wryly. "Yeah, but that was due to a nagging feeling that killing you was wrong." She gave Paige a concerned look. "Can you say you formed such a connection to this girl in the past few hours that you'd be safe from her?"
The Witchlighter sighed and shook her dark head. "No, I can't," she admitted. "It's just that failure doesn't sit well with me. I wasn't quick enough to defend the good Whitelighters are capable of and..."
She stopped and continued flipping through the pages of her Book until she came to one containing the image of a black-clad Darklighter with tribal markings on his face. "And here he is," she said. "His name is Avo."
"What's the demonic skinny on him?" Billie asked, looking over Paige's shoulder at the entry.
Paige proceeded to read: "Avo is…" Her eyes went wide at the following information. "Avo is half demon and half Darklighter, the first ever of his kind. He is an extremely powerful being but has envied those who possess the dark magic of the Underworld. He is known to the Demonic Council and all Darklighters. Some say his demonic powers have been weakened by his Darklighter blood, and this is why he has always been denied the throne of the Source. As an alternative, the Demonic Council promoted Avo to the rank of Head Darklighter."
Paige abruptly stopped and stepped away from the Book in disbelief. "A Darklighter half-breed. Who would've ever thought?"
Billie took up reading the rest of the entry: "Avo is known to have a vast array of powers, among them dark orbing, telekinesis, psionic fireballs; thermal balls. His skill as an archer is without peer." She scanned the page further and came upon the final sentence. She read it and slowly turned to Paige in dismay. "There's no vanquishing spell or potion."
"I figured as much," said Paige, pacing back and forth in agitation. "Now that I think of it, he must have been the one who sent that demon-Darklighter duo after me the day I learned of my new destiny." She shook her head. "That son of a bitch must be trying to prove he's powerful enough to rule the Underworld."
"By killing you," a grim Billie added. "How do we get him?"
"That's just it. I have no idea," Paige said. She sighed heavily. "I'm in for one hell of a fight."
She flashed on Rose. For the first time since becoming a Witchlighter, Paige had a charge who seemed to be a lost cause. She wasn't sure if she was going to attempt a rescue, but she had certainly begun to prepare herself for Avo.
End of Chapter
Authors Note: Do you feel it ended a little early or happened a little fast? Much will be answered in the next chapter "Darklighter Infection" so please review.
Credit goes to (Cnet's) Melissa for helping me with the glamour spell. Also, the charges Alex and Rose were created from little entries from Aby and Temporal Death, in that respective order, in my Create a Charge Applications. If you're interested in taking part of this story, message me and I'll give you the details. I'm the only one that plans the storylines, I just use the charges as extra help for subplots, though Rose will become a more than official character.
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