Chapter Twenty-Six: The Link

"The Nexus," Piper repeated. "This is insane."

"Hang on," Billie interrupted. "Why would she need that page? Didn't you guys like banish that thing for good a year ago?"

"The one under our basement, yes," Phoebe explained.

"But there are more," Piper went on.

"Still, what would she need them for?" Taylor was way past overwhelmed.

"Except give the spread of evil a good boost?" Piper asked rhetorically. "That entry listed all the hotspots, for safety measure."

Billie, Amos and Taylor stared.

Paige clasped her hands together. "OK, guesswork doesn't help. Ava," she turned to her, "I'm sorry to push you, but we really need to know what happened during that week you disappeared."

Ava nodded. She knew she was the key to this mystery. She closed her eyes but everything she remembered was a blur. She bent forward and hid her face in her hands. "I'm sorry, I can't."

Piper patted her knee reassuringly. "It's OK, sweetie." She turned to Phoebe and her tone was a bit sterner, "Can't you see anything yourself? And you?" – this was addressed to Taylor – "what's the use of having you made a witch if you can't help?"

"Piper!" Phoebe chided her.

None of them saw Ava's eyes pop open at Piper's last words. The blurriness was gone; now she remembered. "Witches," she murmured.

Everyone heard her and six sets of questioning eyes bore into the Gypsy. Ava straightened up, dropping her hands. A new light shone her eyes, the gleam of knowledge and determination. "Witches!" she repeated with more strength. Her own gaze pierced each of the present people's, who were beginning to feel a bit offended by the apostrophe. Ava's eyes lingered on Taylor as she spoke, "You were not born a witch, were you?"

Taylor's eyes widened and she shook her head for an answer. Ava nodded, turning to the others again while she explained, "This demon, a brunette with black eyes –"

"Christy," Billie somberly interrupted, casting an 'I-told-you-so' look at Phoebe.

"Well, this Christy, she had me do experiments."

They all frowned. Piper was the one to ask, "Experiments? On what?"

"Witch genes."

The frowns deepened; she had lost them.

"She wanted me to isolate the gene that made witches exactly what they were. Try to see how it was active in certain people, and not in others. The she had me design a way to awaken what I called the 'lazy w-gene'."

"Madge's breath!" Amos cussed. He was ahead of the conversation, having followed Ava's train of thoughts through her very mind before she spoke any of it. "Tha' crazy girl wan's ter turn people inter witches! Turn everyone!" he explained at the staring audience.

There stares lingered. Taylor squeaked, becoming the center of attention of the six others. "Imagine a world full of witches – all turned evil by the Nexuses."