Post by StoryGirl83 on Jun 21, 2010 9:44:41 GMT -5
Chapter Ten – Divide and Protect
Paige hung up the room and headed up the stairs to her girls’ room. Janice was flopped on her bed with a school book in front of her. Alanna was sitting at her computer working on a report. Both girls looked up at the sound of the door opening.
“Don’t you know how to knock?” Alanna asked, slightly annoyed.
“Watch that tone, young lady,” Paige warned. “A demon has been taking magical children and I need your help.”
Alanna looked at her interested. “How’s that?”
“We appear to be dividing our resources,” Paige informed her. “Piper and her boys are at the manor and Prue’s in Chicago with an old friend who’s asked for help. I’m going to join Piper, but I want you two and your brother to join Prue in Chicago. Will you do that?”
“But what use would we be?” Janice asked. “We basically know our powers, but we don’t have much practice in fighting demons.”
“And you’ll never get it if you don’t fight them,” Paige returned. “Besides, this demon is taking magical children. I am not leaving my three magical children here alone, especially when they don’t have a lot of practice fighting demons.”
“Why would someone bother us?” Alanna wanted to know. “Don’t they know you’ll come after them?”
“You think that would ever stop them?” Paige shook her head. “No, the demon already has two of your cousins. I’m not letting it get you, too.”
“Who?!” Janice asked, startled. “Who does the demon have?”
“Ladybug and Cilly,” Paige replied. “Now, come on, we need to go get your brother and tell him what’s going on. Is he in his room?”
Both girls shook their head. “Downstairs,” Janice volunteered. “He’s in the magic room. Said he wanted to try some things.”
Hank flipped the page of the book he was looking at. As he read the words on the paper he drew an arrow between two of the lines. He struck through one word with a line.
At the sound of footsteps he looked up. His mom stood in the doorway. “Hey, Mom. Is something wrong?”
Paige nodded. “A demon has been kidnapping magical children. I need you and your sisters to go to Chicago and meet up with my sister.”
Hank frowned. “Which sister? Aunt Piper and Aunt Phoebe live in San Francisco and Prue is in Boston.”
“Prue went to Chicago to help an old friend who’s working the case there,” Paige told him.
Case? “Well, where will you be?”
“The manor. Piper’s working on it there.”
Hank frowned. “I don’t understand . Why can’t we go with you?”
“You can,” Paige admitted, “but I’d like you to go to Chicago to show our support to Darryl.”
Hank blinked in surprise. “Darryl? As in Darryl Morris?”
Paige nodded. “The very same. Will you help?”
“But why aren’t you going there, too?”
“Because Tyler specifically wants my help,” Paige informed him. “When he was a boy, a little younger than you, I found him trying to hide from some demonic bounty hunters. I need to go there.”
Hank nodded. “All right, Mom. I’ll bring Lanna and Jani to see Darryl. I’m curious to meet him anyway.”
“Thank you, Hank.”
Hank shut the book he was reading, a book of nonmagical spells. He tucked it under his arm as he stood and headed for the door.