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Chapter 5: Severed Blood
"All whitelighters have been grounded, but our charges are still being killed!" The Elder's anxious eyes held a glimmer of panic, "Something has to e done!"
'Something has to be done.' Leo repeated the words in his head, 'Not, we have to do something, but, something has to be done. We Elder's never change.'
"Maybe I should talk to him." Leo mused, the fear of such a meeting cutting into him. Wyatt had been lost to them a long time ago. Leo knew there was nothing Wyatt would not do anymore.
"He would kill you immediately!" protested the Elder, "Or, if not, capture you and gain important information. No, we must stay up here and stay safe. That way we can guide and protect as best we can."
"It feels like we're just leaving them to die." whispered Leo, pain coursing through him at the death of another witch.
"Leo, focus!" another Elder approached them, "You must block out their deaths. There is nothing we can do, except survive and hope we can right this wrong."
"I know, you're right." agreed Leo, "I just hope they can forgive us."
A harsh, cold sneer cut through the Elders conversation, "That's the least of your problems."
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"Wyatt?" Darryl's voice sounded incredulous even over the buzzing static of the phone, "Wait, Wyatt is responsible for all this, all the deaths?"
"Yes, Chris just found it out," Sheila lowered her voice and glanced back at Chris, who was sitting rigidly on the sofa, his eyes fixated on the wall in front of him, "He's taking it pretty badly."
"Right, Ok…" Darryl said slowly, taking it all in, "Is there anything I can do?"
"Just keep on doing what you're doing, honey." replied Sheila, "I was just bringing you up to speed and you're needed at the station."
"Not a lot I can do though," sighed Darryl, "It's impossible to prevent the murders because we don't know where the next one will take place. We're catching nobody, although that's not surprising considering that they're demons, and questions are being asked. Very shrewd questions. If you ask me, someone, somewhere, has a very perceptive insight into this."
"You think Wyatt has someone in the police force?" gasped Sheila.
"I don't know what to think, but it's possible." answered Darryl grimly. "It sounds like someone high up is either talking too much or is trying to expose magic and witchcraft. And I know which I would bet on."
"Well, I'll warn Chris about this. See what he can find out." said Sheila.
Darryl nodded tiredly, a useless gesture at the other end of the phone, "How's Prue?" he asked.
Sheila looked toward the kitchen where Prue was making tea for them all, "Trying to cope." she replied.
"Okay, I'd better go now. Take care, all of you."
"We'll try." Sheila promised. "Bye."
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The officer banged on the door, her knocks getting more and more frantic at the screams from inside.
"Stand back." her partner warned, aiming a sharp kick to the locked door.
The door crashed open, splintering around the lock. Both officers drew their guns and approached the source of the screaming hurriedly but stealthily.
They paused outside the living room door, positioning themselves either side of the door.
"Okay, on my count." one of the officer's whispered, his voice sounding hoarse, "One, two, three…"
They burst through the door, guns levelled, and froze in shock as the brute demon unleashed an energy ball at the terrified witch cowering behind a chair.
The witch gave a shriek of pain as she burned into a few ashes, floating down to the carpet.
The first officer squeezed his gun twice rapidly. Both bullets hit their mark, the brute demons chest, but instead of collapsing on the floor, the demon growled and advanced on the now petrified officer.
His partner advanced on the demon from behind. "Freeze!" she shouted shrilly.
The demons slowly turned round, contempt clearly visible on his face. He regarded the officer for a moment before spinning round and grabbing the first officer by the shirt.
The officer felt his legs leave the ground and his throat constricted as the demon lifted him up, his shirt tearing. The demon let out a roar and threw the officer hard against the wall. He smashed into the wall and collapsed in a gasping heap on the floor.
His partner fired a shot at the demon as he turned round to attend to her. Her face was a mask of fear as he advanced, a taunting grin on his face. He powered up another energy ball as she fired another shot, the echoes deafening in the small space.
The first officer managed to pull himself to his feet at the energy ball was let fly. His partner's dying screams ripped though his brain and he stumbled towards the exit.
The hallway seemed never-ending as he tried to run, grabbing onto the wall for support. He could hear footsteps behind as he reached the door. His numb fingers fumbled to pull the splintered door open as the demon snarled in anger, seeing his prey about to escape.
The officer burst out of the house and made his weaving way down to the car sitting outside the gate. The demon stood framed in the doorway, obviously unwilling to go outside.
The car engine started and the officer shot away, one thought in his mind; to get to his superior and tell him everything. He only hoped that Morris would believe him.
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The clinking of the cup roused Chris from his dismal thoughts.
"Here." Prue gestured to the cup of tea in front of him.
Chris nodded his thanks and took a sip, the tea burning his dry throat.
Prue perched on the edge of the sofa, "What do we do?" she asked.
Chris shrugged listlessly.
"Oi!"
Chris jumped. Prue was looking annoyed. "What?" he protested.
"Snap out of it." Prue instructed him firmly, "We have to do something. Okay, Wyatt is behind this, but that doesn't mean that we should just sit here looking miserable. We have to stop him."
"I don't know if we can." whispered Chris, staring into his tea.
"Well we have to try." snapped Prue, "Or at least I am. Are you with me?"
Chris lifted his gaze and met Prue's fiery eyes. He sighed. "Of course I'm with you, it's just…" he raked his hands through his hair, "it's just that this is Wyatt. It's not some demon who we've never met and never cared about."
Prue gave him a sympathetic look, "I know, he's my family too, but we have to stop these killings. I was thinking, what do you reckon about a binding spell or potion?"
Chris brightened at the thought, "Yeah, that might work. It wouldn't hurt him and it would stop him so we can try to talk to him, reason with him."
Prue paused, "Sure." she agreed finally.
"What?"
Prue sighed, "I don't want to hurt Wyatt, I mean, even if we could, I still wouldn't want to, but…well, he's changed Chris. We both know it. I just don't know if he'll turn back."
"He will." Chris stated determinedly, "Even if I have to kill all the demons in the underworld I will save him."
"I know you will." said Prue, "I only hope he's willing to be saved."
"I'll make him see that there's still good and evil in this world," Chris insisted, "whether he want to see it or not."
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"If I were you," continued Wyatt conversationally; "I'd be more worried about my safety than the forgiveness of a few paltry witches."
"Wyatt." hissed an Elder.
"Indeed. " Wyatt turned to face Leo, "No welcoming words from a long absent father?"
"How could you have done this?" demanded Leo, "How could you disregard everything we've done for you, everything you've taught you?"
Wyatt seemed amused. "I'm quite old enough to think for myself, thank you." he replied, "And I don't quite see what you told me to anymore."
"How do you mean?" asked another Elder harshly.
Wyatt snorted in disbelief, "You've even tricked yourselves into believing it haven't you?" he sneered derisively, "believing all your lectures about good and evil. When you get to the top of anything there's always a power struggle, and you're no different. You just refuse to see it."
"Blasphemy." snarled the Elder.
"You consider yourselves gods now?" retorted Wyatt, "You seek to rule, just like me. Only I have the most power so therefore I will win, and you all will serve me or die."
"If you're the most powerful why are you here now?" asked Leo quietly, "If you're winning why aren't you overseeing your attack? All I hear are arrogant words. If we weren't important you wouldn't be here now."
Wyatt glared at Leo, an ugly expression on his face, "How many attacks have you managed to stop." he snarled, "How many Whitelighters have you lost?" he pointed an accusatory finger at Leo, "You dare accuse me of arrogance! You, who sit her, dictating who should live and who should die? Trying to rule over everything. You disgust me. Even more so the fact that you're my father."
Leo drew himself up "We serve the greater good." he informed Wyatt, "Just as you serve the greater evil."
Wyatt laughed, "I serve no one." he boasted, "I am the wielder of Excalibur, the Twice-Blessed. The whole of magic bows down before me. And my legacy will assure my complete ruling."
Leo closed his eyes and raised his face to the light above, "How can this monster be my child?" he whispered.
"I think I can relieve you of your pain." Wyatt's voice was mocking.
Leo opened his eyes and found himself staring into the compelling blue of an energy ball.