The War on Witches (17 page)

“Well, Melinda was burned,” Piper said. “We know that much.”

“I think the rest were mostly hung. Or hanged.” Phoebe replied. “And there were some men too.”

Paige held up her finger again when she saw the couple trying to take a step toward the exit. “Ah, ah, ah. We're not done with you yet.”

The woman crossed her arms. “If you must know, most of the suspected witches were hanged. One was pressed. Melinda Warren was an outlier. And, yes, there were men involved as well.”

“Yeah,” Phoebe said. “We know our history. Don't need a lesson from you. We were actually doing a comedy bit. It usually breaks the tension.”

Piper took another step forward, which they countered. “While we might not need a lesson on the witch trials, you two definitely have to learn a few things about witches.”

“Is this where you try to convince us witches are kind and good and only help protect the innocent?” the woman asked snidely. “You're almost as bad as Charlene with her witch propaganda. I've had to live down the ridicule of what my great-times-seven-grandfather did my entire life because the less enlightened were foolish enough to believe that witches aren't real. You're not going to convince me that witches aren't evil now that I know for certain that he convicted at least one real witch.”

“That's some messed-up logic there,” Paige said. “And, really? People are still making fun of you for something that happened centuries ago? And the message you take from that is to double down?”

The man grabbed his partner's arm. “Emily, don't argue with the witches.”

Her face went wide with anger and fear. “Don't tell them my name! Jacob!”

“Can it!” Piper said. “We don't care about your names. Without these books you're not much of a threat to us. We're more interested in the demon you're working with.”

Emily scoffed. “Demon! As if we would make covenant with the devil.
You
are the ones that couple with demons.”

“Who
is
this woman?” Phoebe asked. “Is she stuck in some kind of language time warp?”

Jacob shook his head in resignation. “I know. She's a bit . . . dramatic. But we're not working with demons. We are trying to rid the world of your type of darkness.”

“There they go again, lumping us all together,” Phoebe said.

“What are your thoughts on fairies?” Paige asked. “Because those little troublemakers I could understand not liking.”

“And leprechauns,” Piper added.

“True,” Paige agreed.

“Fairies are real?” Jacob asked. “And leprechauns?”

“You guys really didn't do your research before you started attacking witches, did you?” Piper asked. “Yes. Fairies are real. And witches can be good. But you are most definitely working for a demon.”

Emily sucked in enough air to suffocate the room. “How
dare
you suggest—”

“Knock it off, sister!” Phoebe said. “We've got evidence.”

Paige took out her phone and started to move toward Emily and Jacob. They countered each step she took with one in the opposite direction.

She stopped. They stopped.

She took a step. They took a step.

“We're not going to get anywhere this way,” Paige said. “Piper?”

Piper threw out her hands and froze them again so Paige could close the distance. Once she was beside Emily and Jacob, Piper gave a wave of one hand, only unfreezing their heads so they couldn't go running off.

Emily screamed. “What did you . . . ? Witch!”

“Yeah, we established that.” Paige held up her phone. “We're witches. And here's some video evidence that you're working for a demon. We downloaded it from the phone of a witness at a gallery where your leader attacked. Recognize him?”

The pair watched the video roll for a moment. Jacob seemed more receptive to the video, but there was still skepticism in his eyes. “You expect us to tell anything from that blurry video? That red blob looks nothing like Isaac.”

“Isaac?” Paige asked. “That's nice. His real name is Izax. He's a demon.”

“We do not know that . . .
thing,
” Emily insisted.

Paige continued to hold up the phone. “Give it a second. You might recognize his—”

Emily's eyes went wide. “Austin!”

“Yep. There it is.”

“Austin's a demon?” Jacob asked.

“We're pretty sure he's a warlock,” Phoebe said. “And maybe being used like you two.”

“We are
not
being used,” Emily insisted.

Paige shook her head. “Piper?”

Her sister put up her hands and Emily's head froze again, along with her body.

“Much better,” Paige said as she leaned against the frozen Emily so she could speak with Jacob. “Look, Jacob, I know this is shocking. You thought you were in this to attack some witches—maybe do a little good—only to find out you're on the side of evil. It happens more often than you might think. You would not be the first person in the world tricked into joining the dark side.”

“He wouldn't be the first person
in this room,
” Piper added.

“Hey!” Phoebe said. “I'm not the one that was corrupted by Excalibur, of all things.”

“Focus, girls,” Paige said to her sisters before turning her attention back to Jacob. “The point is, whether you intended to or not, you became a pawn of evil. Like, a really bad evil. And you helped him collect powers from witches so that now he can be even more powerful. It was an accident. We get it. But now you have to ask yourself if you want to help undo the damage that you did. Because I assure you, once Izax collects enough magic to do whatever it is he's going to do, he's going to come after everyone. And you're going to need a witch or three to protect you. So the question is—do you trust that the enemy of your enemy could be your whatever?”

Jacob closed his eyes to think. They were pretty much the only body parts he had any control over. Paige hoped he would come to the right decision.

Phoebe stirred the potion in a counterclockwise direction as a Book of Light orbed onto the kitchen counter beside her. “We got another one!” she called out.

“How many is that?” Piper asked as she returned from the attic with the emergency potion bottles. That was one of the most telling signs that Piper wasn't spending enough time at home. She usually kept her kitchen fully stocked with everything she would need for cooking and potion making. The fact that she had to run up to the attic and dig around for spare bottles was a concern. To say nothing of the husband and children that had clearly been missing her in spite of the family breakfast they'd had that morning.

“An even dozen,” Leo said as he stacked the newest book on top of the pile on the kitchen table. Now that he no longer possessed magic, Leo was the most logical one to handle the books that carried warlock blood. It was unlikely that any of the tomes could drain the natural abilities of witches without anyone reading the spells, but no one at the Manor was about to risk it. Piper had Paige orb the kids and Henry over to hang out with Coop for the evening as an extra precaution. The goodbyes took up some precious time, as Wyatt, Chris, and Melinda didn't want to leave their mother after missing her for most of the week.

Phoebe changed the direction of her stirring. The potion she was making was very specific about the preparation. Since they had very little information on Izax, they'd cobbled it together from potions they'd used in the past. They needed it to be powerful enough to take out the demon, but not so strong it blew back on them in the process. Piecemeal spells like that had to be extra precise. As she counted an even dozen clockwise stirs, she watched as Leo wrapped his wife in yet another hug.

“Now I know how Prue felt all those times I kept hugging her,” Piper said.

“Just getting in what I can while you're still here,” Leo replied, keeping her wrapped in his arms.

The conversation was lighthearted, but Phoebe could sense the underlying tension. Piper had been gone a lot lately, but Leo couldn't exactly complain about it, considering his history of being called away from his family by any number of otherworldly entities over the years.

“I'll go straighten up the living room while you and Phoebe finish the potion,” Leo said. “Don't want you to think I can't handle the kids on my own, but their toys are
everywhere.
”

“I noticed,” Piper said with a smile. “But you can stay while we work on the potion. That stuff can wait.”

“Think it might be hard for you to get anything done when I refuse to let you go,” Leo said, finally releasing her from the hug. He gave her a quick peck on the cheek as he left the kitchen.

“I know,” Piper said to Phoebe as they watched him go. “It's time for me to come home.”

“I'll visit Prue more,” Phoebe offered. “And Paige. We'll pick up the slack.”

Piper joined her at the stove. “Are you sure? With Cole there—”

“It'll be fine,” Phoebe said quickly.

And it would be. Phoebe had spent so much time worrying about spending time with Cole that the reality of being in his presence was nothing compared to the fear she'd had. She
had
moved on. She'd always love Cole to some degree, but it couldn't compare to the bond she felt with Coop. Both men had a special place in her heart, but only one of them was her future. She didn't need a premonition to see that.

Piper peeked in the pot. “Looks done.”

“Smells done,” Phoebe agreed. “And it feels done. I think I'm getting a little woozy here.”

Piper placed a funnel into the empty bottle. “These potions should come with warning labels.”

Phoebe scooped a heaping ladleful of potion and carefully poured it into the funnel. “May cause drowsiness, nausea, or sudden bursting into flame.”

“Do not take if operating heavy machinery or planning to do evil,” Piper added.

Once the first bottle was full, Piper placed a stopper in it and put another empty one in its place. Phoebe filled two more bottles with the blue liquid, leaving more in the pot should they fail in their initial attack. She considered stocking up with more, but they were out of anything to hold the potion in, unless they were going to use a sippy cup.

While they finished preparing the bottles, another three Books of Light orbed into the kitchen. “Exactly how many of these did Izax create?” Piper asked.

“And how many warlocks did he kill to make them?” Phoebe said. “Paige better get here soon or we'll have to add one more warlock to the count.”

“Can't say the world won't be a better place with fewer warlocks in it,” Piper said.

“Yeah, but Alysha thinks this particular warlock can be saved,” Phoebe said. “If his powers just went active, he could choose a different path. He's within the forty-eight-hour window, just like Paige was.”

“Is that true for warlocks?” Piper asked. “Or is it just witches?”

“I have to hope for the best,” Phoebe said. “He wouldn't be the first good warlock that we've come across. Or good demon. Questionable seer . . .”

“We do meet the most interesting people,” Piper said.

One more Book of Light orbed into the kitchen, followed quickly by Paige. “I think that's all of them,” Paige said. “If we can trust Jacob.”

“And the other followers?” Piper asked. “Did they give you any trouble?”

“Just the first one,” Paige took a seat and slipped off her boot, rubbing her ankle as she spoke. “He was spooked when Jacob showed up with a witch. Started screaming about betrayal and all that. After that one, I let Jacob take the lead and collect the books for me.”

“What happened to your ankle?” Piper asked.

“Like I said, the first guy gave us trouble,” Paige replied. “He kicked me in the shin.”

“He
kicked
you?” Piper asked.

“He was a little wisp of a guy,” Paige replied. “Probably the only time he ever did anything like that. I orbed him to the roof of the building we were on and that was it.”

Phoebe grabbed a set of tongs and used them to carry the last book to the kitchen table. “And we trust that Jacob gave you
all
the books that were left?”

Paige shrugged. “No, but it's not like we have a choice. He hasn't experienced a sudden change of heart about witches or anything like that. He's just smart enough to realize there was a bigger enemy to fight.”

“Unlike that Emily person,” Phoebe said.

“She's going to continue to be a problem for witches,” Paige said. “At least, she will once she gets back from Timbuktu.”

“You didn't!” Piper said.

“I'll orb her back in the morning.” Paige slipped her boot back on and stood, testing her ankle. “Come on. We've got a demon to vanquish.”

Piper handed her a potion bottle. “This
should
take care of him for us.”

Paige placed a hand on each of her sisters. “Next stop: an old, abandoned church.”

“Not creepy at all,” Phoebe said as they disappeared in orbs, only to appear at their destination seconds later. They were in a small, weed-covered courtyard. “Yep,” she whispered. “
Creeeepy.
”

Paige had orbed them behind the building. Even in the moonlight, it was clear that the church had seen better days. The wood was rotted, with several slats missing, but it seemed sturdy enough for the coming battle. Though fairly battered itself, the building had fought the elements for centuries and was still standing.

“Jacob said there was a door in back,” Paige whispered. “Leads into the rectory. Izax is using it as a private office, so if we start there we could take him by surprise.”

“You wouldn't rather go through the church?” Piper asked.

“Too risky,” Paige replied. “Jacob said he wouldn't put it past the demon to have set a trap for us there.”

“This whole thing feels like a trap,” Phoebe noted.

“Can't argue with that,” Paige said as she led them to the back door.

Phoebe walked up the three steps and slowly turned the knob. It wasn't locked. That didn't make her feel any better. While she held on to the cool metal, she reached out to see if she could get some kind of premonition to tell her if it was safe to enter. She didn't receive any insight into the situation.

Phoebe shrugged and waited while Piper got into place. Better to lead with the sister that could blow up demons. Izax didn't seem to be all powerful yet, so there was a chance Piper's magic would work on him. She'd been known to even take out a few upper-level demons with it in her time. Even if it weren't that simple—and they assumed it wouldn't be—she could slow him down while they got into place to use the potion.

Piper raised her hands and gave a nod. Phoebe whipped the door open, spilling a dim light into the courtyard as she braced for an explosion or fireball. Nothing came.

Phoebe peeked around the open door. The room was empty.

“Let's go,” Piper whispered as she led the way, hands at the ready to activate her power.

Paige followed next, prepared to orb them out of danger, should the need arise. And Phoebe brought up the rear. Her powers had grown in the past couple of years, but she still wasn't the most active threat of the three. Her levitation had evolved to the point where she could leap tall demons in a single bound—and on one rare occasion she flew. But the most useful skill was also the most dangerous to herself.

Phoebe now could channel people's emotions back at them and use that ability to kill as she had once seen herself do in that same alternate future in which she was burned at the stake for practicing witchcraft. Where Piper and Paige could trigger their abilities to work on a demon from a distance, Phoebe needed to be in close contact and make an emotional connection as well as a physical one. It was dangerous and painful to her, and she promised herself that she'd only use it when absolutely necessary. As she entered the church, she hoped that this wouldn't be one of those times.

“The room looks clear,” Piper whispered.

Phoebe didn't sense any immediate danger, but she did feel a presence. Someone in anguish. “We're not alone.”

“In the church?” Paige asked.

“No,” she said. “Closer.”

Her eyes scanned the room as she reached out for the emotions she sensed. She tried to shut down her mind so her thoughts didn't interfere, but she couldn't stop thinking. Sometimes thoughts conflicted with her empathic abilities.

Phoebe had to distract herself, and the best way to do it was by talking out what cluttered her mind. “It's interesting how we're trying to stop a modern-day witch hunt at roughly the same time in history we were supposed to be in the midst of a modern-day witch hunt. I thought we'd stopped this ten years ago. We've been keeping tabs on that prosecutor back home. He's not obsessed with witches.
The
Real World
isn't being filmed on the moon. Why does it seem like we're destined to experience this thing?”

“The future's not always easy to change,” Piper said. “We know that better than most.”

Paige nodded. “Ain't that the—”

“Got him!” Phoebe pointed in the direction from which the emotions were hitting her: rows of empty bookshelves set back into the wall. All three of them moved in that direction.

Paige ran a hand along one of the empty shelves. When she lifted it, there wasn't any dust on her fingers. “I'm guessing this is where Izax kept the Books of Light while he continued to make more of them. Think you're feeling some residual power?”

Phoebe shook her head. “This is too intense to be residual anything. It's worse the closer I get.”

“What's that?” Piper pointed to a seam in the center of the wall behind the bookshelves. “A secret room?”

Phoebe pushed at the wall. It didn't budge. “Look for something to open it.”

Paige grabbed her sisters and began to orb. “Why waste time?”

The full emotional impact of the suffering hit Phoebe before the orb was complete and she had the chance to focus her eyes on their new location. When she did see what was before her, she wanted to look away.

The young warlock was chained to a wall, hanging by his arms because his legs had obviously given out long before. He was attached to some kind of medieval torture device of metal and gears. But the true horror was the tube attached to his right arm. His blood dripped slowly down that tube, which ran along the machine and continued on to yet another Book of Light. A mechanical pen was at the end of the tube, dancing across the blank page of the book, writing unfamiliar words and symbols in a mixture containing warlock blood.

“Austin!” Phoebe was first to reach him. His head lolled back at the sound of his name, eyes flittering, struggling to open. His skin was cold and pale. “Help me get him out of this.”

“Hold on!” Piper warned. “We don't know what kind of magic is involved here. Disconnecting him might do more harm than good.”

“We don't have time.” Phoebe pulled the belt out of her pants and wrapped it around Austin's arm, pulling it tight before she removed the tube. Once he was disconnected the slow drip changed to a trickle, but it wasn't as bad as it could have been. She motioned for Piper to get on the other side and they both grabbed him. “Paige!”

Paige held out her hands. “Chains!”

Austin fell forward as the metal chains keeping him on the wall orbed into Paige's hands. Piper and Phoebe had to hold tight to stop him from falling and taking them down with him. Once they had Austin securely in their arms, they gently lowered him to the floor.

“Austin? Can you hear me?” Phoebe received only a soft moan in return.

“I should orb him to the hospital,” Paige said.

“And tell them what?” Phoebe asked. “He was attacked by a vampire?”