Chapter 57

Winter break, it was supposed to be a happy time but the Halliwell sisters were all on edge. The elder three were at least. Paige was more annoyed than worried. She kept telling her sisters she wasn't going to chase any demons, least of all darklighters. They still watched, Phoebe sticking by her side, haunted by the memory of the other week.

One evening Phoebe chatted on about her classes while Paige was zoned out. She wasn't listening. She rarely did right now. The only thing that caught her attention were demons, potions, powers, anything to do with magic. Prue knew this and was scared Paige would become consumed with being a witch.

She interrupted Phoebe in the middle of a sentence.

"I think you need to go back to school," she said.

"It's closed right now," Paige said confused.

"Baker, I mean, back home," Prue said.

"I like Magic School," Paige said, "Besides, it helps me become a better witch."

"You don't need to be a better witch! You don't even need to be a witch! Paige, you are going to get yourself killed! Your life is being consumed by magic!" Prue yelled. Paige stood up.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore," she sighed, "I'm going to my room." She orbed out of the dining room. Piper and Phoebe both looked at Prue.

"I didn't mean for it to come out like that. I just..."

"We know," Piper said but Phoebe was quiet. She hadn't really told her sisters the extent of what had happened to Paige. She told them she was unconscious, no blood, no darklighter arrow, no low pulse. She finally spoke up stating she was going to go to her room. She heard Paige talking to someone in fervent whispers.

"She's wrong! I'm not going to die! My life isn't going to be solely based on magic."

"Some witches become... corrupt Paige. They can't live without magic and they can't control their powers," a voice of a young man said.

"I won't become corrupt Marx," she said, "I'm a Halliwell and a Charmed One."

"It doesn't matter. Powerful witches can become corrupt. You have to be careful how you practice your magic," he said back.

"I'm always careful," she said, "It's what happens when you have Prue Halliwell as a sister. Let's just get out of here. My sisters won't know I'm gone." But before she had the chance to orb out Phoebe knocked on the door.

"Hold on," Paige said shooing Simon out. He orbed out as she opened the door. Phoebe then asked if Paige was talking to someone. Paige held up a phone and said it was on 'speaker phone'. She then sighed.

"What do you want?"

"I wanted to talk," she said, "About the other day."

"You mean when you pushed me out of the Manor?" Paige asked cooly.

"I did it for your own good Paige," Phoebe said. She didn't want to tell Paige what she saw, not now. She wanted Paige to be calm first.

"I'm pretty sure I'll be hearing that a lot more," Paige said, "Go. I want to be alone."

"No," Phoebe said and she entered Paige's room.

"Fine, I'll leave on my own." Paige orbed out unknown to Phoebe, she only went to the attic. She spent the rest of the evening flipping through the Book of Shadows. She heard her sisters start to come up the attic stairs. They were tired of calling for her and waiting for her to return home. She orbed to her room. She pulled out a textbook and started flipping through it.

"Make me unseen from others eye. Keep me hidden from their sight. Hide me with the night." Paige hoped the invisibility spell worked. She heard her sisters run down the attic stairs and call her name. They were saying that she was supposed to be in here. Paige uncloaked herself.

"I'm right here," she said, "What's going on?"

"Phoebe said you orbed off," Piper said.

"I've been here since dinner. I couldn't hear your calls or anything because of the spell I cast. I wanted to be alone and read," Paige lied.

"You were talking to someone. I heard you talking to someone. Plus, I saw you afterward and talked to you."

"Phoebe that never happened," Paige said confused, "I've been alone for hours. Are you sure you didn't just have a premonition?"

"Cut the crap Paige," Phoebe snapped. Paige had a shocked expression on her face.

"What are you talking about?" she asked. Phoebe groaned.

"You're lying or you hit your head," she said, "What was the last thing you remember?"

"Prue said something about my life becoming 'consumed by magic'," she said coldly.

"And that it can corrupt you," Phoebe said.

"Corrupt?" Paige asked.

"Yes, I heard you talking to someone named, Marx about it," Phoebe said.

"Simon Marx," Prue said, "The guy you're going on a date with?" She looked to Paige who sat there with her mouth open unsure how to answer.

She didn't need to because like her sisters she fell to the ground. Then she was in a park. She spun around looking for her sisters. Someone grabbed her by her shoulders.

"Marx," she said, "Marx, what happened?"

"A demon, a really bad demon just emerged from the Underworld."

"Then why the Hell am I here?" she asked.

"I orbed you out."

"What?" she yelled, "Where are they? Where are my sisters?"

"They're gone," someone said in a deep voice. Paige and Marx turned around.

"I suggest you come with me Miss Halliwell," he said.

"Yeah right," Paige snapped, "Where are my sisters?"

"I'll show you," he held his hand out.

"No," Marx said and he began to orb them out. Paige heard one last thing before they completely disappeared.

"Happy Holidays Charmed One."

The three older sisters paced around the small cave. They didn't know where Paige was, hoping she had orbed out after the blast. Leo wouldn't respond to their calls, they didn't risk trying to find Paige. Where ever she was they had to hope she was safe.

The demon returned of course telling them that their youngest sister had been rescued by her 'knight in shining armor'. She wouldn't elude him forever he told them. She would die, just like they would. He wouldn't answer their questions like who he was or who he worked for. All he kept saying is that the greatest force of good would never really be known to the magical world.

Prue, Piper, and Phoebe worked on coming up with a plan while the demon was gone. They didn't have their Book of Shadows, potions, or spells. Phoebe mentioned reading something about creating your own spell. Phoebe came up with a spell but not knowing how strong the demon was didn't help.

Every time the demon came back he hid in the shadows until one early hour Phoebe saw his face. She nearly gasped, when he left again, she told her sisters who he was.

"He's the demon who attacked us. He's going to kill her," she said not needing to clarify who 'her' was.

A/N: That's it for this chapter! I meant to upload yesterday but I was really busy this weekend. Please review with your thoughts! I'll be uploading a new chapter on Sunday! Charmed Always- K