by Paul Ruditis
“I suggest we exit, stage right,” Paige said as she and her sisters took off running.
Piper, Phoebe, and Paige hurried down the corridors between the trailers with the clowns hot on their trail.
It seemed unlikely that they would go to the trouble of an actual search just to continue playing games with their victims. However, Piper knew if she was in that situation and had come across three women with the ability to disappear so quickly, she would have wanted to find the women, if only to see if they could do it again.
The Charmed Ones turned a corner and were surprised to find that the clowns had apparently split up. Another contingent was heading straight for them from the opposite direction.
“Follow me!” Piper yelled as she quickly ducked between two trailers.
Once she saw that her sisters were with her, she turned to Paige. “Orb us to the media trailer.”
She knew they were taking a risk—the media trailer might not be empty—but it was the first place she had thought of. Thankfully, when they rematerialized, they found that they were alone in the small room. Piper and her sisters each breathed a sigh of relief.
“Let’s wait a few minutes to let the clowns settle down,” Piper said. “They have to go back in the arena soon. I can’t imagine they’re done performing.”
She peeked out a small window along the trailer’s south wall. She didn’t see any clowns outside, but she knew they were out there.
I can’t believe we’re being hunted by circus clowns, she thought.
“We should be out searching for the Bestiari Demon,” Paige said, venting her frustration. The three of them were well aware that he had the upper hand at the moment. “We—and Tasha—are running out of time.”
“Wait a minute,” Phoebe said. “The demon doesn’t have much time either.”
“Where are you going with this?” Paige asked. Phoebe was clearly trying to figure something out.
“We’ve been going about this the wrong way,” Phoebe finally said. “Tasha’s still alive, right? So, the demon is going to have to go back and finish the job. And he can’t fully absorb her essence until she’s dead. All we have to do is wait with Tasha, and the demon will come to us.”
Piper thought back to her list of things she was supposed to do today. Babysitting a dying elephant was not on it. She always found it amazing how her plans for a day could totally spiral out of control.
“This is definitely not how I had intended to spend my afternoon.”
Chapter 19
“Wouldn’t it be funny if Tasha was really Puck in disguise, and all this was just an incredibly well-orchestrated prank?” Paige wondered aloud as they walked back to Tasha’s tent. “You know, like he’s filming us for some otherworldly reality show.”
Her sisters just glared at her.
“Okay, well, not funny ha-ha, but…never mind,” Paige mumbled.
The Charmed Ones had waited almost ten minutes in the media trailer for the clowns to disperse. They were thankful that Reed hadn’t come into the trailer while they were hiding. It would have been hard to explain that they were hiding from a gang of rogue clowns. Once they determined that enough time had passed, the Charmed Ones eventually left the trailer.
Phoebe led the way as they hurried back to Tasha’s tent. After they had worked their way to the edge of the mobile units, they stopped behind the last trailer in the row. Someone had finally gotten around to posting a guard outside Tasha’s tent to enforce the quarantine. Phoebe suspected that Lane had given someone hell for abandoning his post earlier. The bald-headed guard had his back to the tent and was keeping a well-trained eye out for any trespassers.
Piper raised her hands, freezing time.
“Well, that was easy,” Paige said, sounding a little disappointed.
Unfortunately, her disappointment was premature. As soon as the Charmed Ones stepped out from behind the trailer, Phoebe noticed something unexpected. “Um…the guard is not frozen,” she said.
She was right. The guard continued to scan the area intently. It only took a second for him to spot the Charmed Ones.
They tried unsuccessfully to look nonchalant.
“Either my power’s on the fritz,” Piper said, nodding to the unfrozen guard, “or that’s an Upper-Level Demon too.”
“I guess now would be a good time to mention the Bestiari is an Upper-Level Demon?” Paige asked meekly.
“Yeah,” Piper said. “Actually, it would have been better to know that a little bit earlier. What’s with you? That’s an amateur mistake.”
“Sorry,” Paige said weakly.
“Phoebe, I thought you said this guy was always in his clown makeup,” Piper said.
“That’s what I was told,” Phoebe replied.
Not surprisingly, the demon looked much more threatening when his head wasn’t painted red and white. His muscular body—hidden under the baggy clown clothes—was now bursting out of the security uniform, which was a few sizes too small. He seemed far more imposing now than when he was in the clown suit.
It was a standoff.
“We’re too late,” Paige said. “He must have finished Tasha off by now.”
“Then why would he stick around?” Piper asked.
“Tasha’s still alive,” Phoebe said. “He’s using her as bait, just like we were planning to do.”
“That’s ironic,” Paige said.
“Maybe he doesn’t know that we know it’s him,” Piper said. Though she doubted that it really mattered since they had been staring at him for so long.
The Bestiari Demon’s lip curled into a snarl as he kept a close watch on the Charmed Ones.
“He knows,” Piper said.
Without warning, the Bestiari charged toward them like a racing stallion.
The demon slammed into Paige, knocking her ten feet backward. She crashed into the wall of the veterinarian’s trailer.
Phoebe planted a roundhouse kick at the demon’s jaw. He barely faltered. Instead, he lashed out at Piper, sending her sprawling to the ground.
The demon then turned toward Phoebe. His eyes burned red with hunger. Paige hadn’t mentioned anything about the demon draining the life-essence from humans—or witches—but it looked like he was ready to try something new.
Phoebe, however, was not up for the experiment, and she did the first thing that came to mind.
She ran.
Phoebe knew from experience that she did not have the strength to take on a demon with the power of a horse, a tiger, and countless other animals. All she could do was try to outrun the Bestiari for the time being while her sisters worked on a plan of attack. She only hoped that the demon would follow her.
He didn’t let her down.
Phoebe could hear the demon behind her, closing the distance quickly. She felt his hand brush against her hair.
Phoebe immediately dropped to the ground, rolling under the trailer and popping up on the other side. The move must have caught the demon off-guard, because he didn’t immediately follow. Phoebe used the distraction to her advantage, and put as many mobile units between herself and the demon as possible.
She quickly dashed behind the nearest row of trailers, hiding between a pair of double-wides that must have served as the main offices. She frantically looked around for a place to hide.
She ran up to the door to one of the offices, but found that it was locked. She considered banging on it, but she didn’t want anyone who might be inside to be hurt by the demon. Phoebe could hear her pursuer’s footsteps as he approached. He was almost on top of her.
She ran down the small staircase, hoping to make a silent escape when she realized she had literally backed herself into a corner. The two double-wides intersected with a third trailer, ending the corridor in a U. With nowhere to turn, the only place she could go was up.
Phoebe concentrated on the extreme feeling of duress she was under and used it to fuel her power of levitation just in time. She watched from above as the demon came around the cor
ner and stopped only a few inches below her feet. Phoebe held her breath, not wanting to alert the demon to her presence above him.
The ruse worked. Unaware that Phoebe was hovering above his head, the demon turned and went back through the maze of trailers to search for her.
Phoebe managed to pull herself over to the roof of the double-wide. She watched as the demon headed away from her in his security uniform. Paige wondered what had happened to the real security guard, and suspected that the demon had already taken one human victim today. She feared that she and her sisters might be next.
She turned to see if she could find Tasha’s tent from her position. It wasn’t hard to spot. She also saw that both her sisters had gotten back to their feet. They looked shaken, but otherwise fine. Phoebe waved her hands above her head, trying to get their attention.
Even from a distance, Phoebe could see the relief on Piper’s and Paige’s faces when they saw that she was all right. Since it was safer to travel by rooftop, Phoebe hurried back to Tasha’s tent, jumping from trailer to trailer to avoid being seen by the demon. Conveniently, the trailers were laid out in such a way that she didn’t have to touch the ground once en route to the tent.
Phoebe spotted the Bestiari Demon again before she reached her destination. He was still heading in the wrong direction, so there would be plenty of time for the Charmed Ones to regroup.
It didn’t take long for Phoebe to reach Tasha’s tent. On the way there she had seen her sisters go inside, so she knew that they were waiting for her.
She checked the area to make sure it was demon- and clown-free before she climbed down from the final trailer. As she descended, she noticed that it was the veterinarian’s trailer.
Breathless, she hurried into the tent. She could tell that they didn’t have much time. Phoebe wasn’t an expert in animal medicine, but it was clear that Tasha was suffering even worse than when they had last seen her. The demon had started his final drain, and the elephant looked like she was in the last stages of life. All it would take was a single touch from the Bestiari Demon and Tasha would be gone.
“We are going to make this demon pay,” Paige said angrily as Phoebe joined her sisters beside Tasha. It was heartbreaking to see such a strong creature look so weak. Phoebe could totally understand Paige’s rage. She felt the same way.
They knew that the Bestiari Demon would be back soon. He needed to finish the job in order to tap into Tasha’s power. Phoebe, Piper, and Paige had no intention of allowing that to happen.
The Charmed Ones moved into position, placing themselves between Tasha and the door. At the same time, Phoebe kept looking back at the tear in the tent the Bestiari had made earlier. They did not want to be caught by surprise.
As they waited, Paige told them the spell she had come up with earlier.
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Piper said upon hearing the words. They had certainly heard worse spells over the years, but this one definitely wasn’t going to win any awards for creative writing.
“Hey, give a girl a break,” Paige said. “I haven’t been doing this as long as you two.”
“It’s not that bad,” Phoebe said. “Just…you know…the ‘strong and hairy’ part? That could use a polish.”
“I’ll get right on it after we save Tasha’s life,” Paige said.
The three sisters lined up side by side, with Paige in the center, Piper on her left, and Phoebe on her right. All they had to do was wait for the Bestiari Demon to arrive.
They didn’t have to wait long.
The Bestiari came bursting into the entrance. He paused for a moment when he saw the Charmed Ones, then continued, crossing the distance between them in a flash.
Piper threw her hands up, attempting to blow up the demon. None of them expected the move to work, but it was somewhat successful. The Bestiari was knocked backward for a moment, which gave them the opportunity they needed.
The Charmed Ones clasped hands and chanted the spell:
To save the creatures in this realm,
From powers that can overwhelm.
For all animals strong and hairy,
Rid us of this Bestiari.
Phoebe felt Paige’s hand tighten around her own. An odd sensation passed between the two sisters as the spell took effect. It was unlike anything Phoebe had ever felt before while casting a Power of Three spell. It was like her magic was being drained out of her body.
The Bestiari stumbled backward, but did not go down.
Phoebe felt her power continue to drain. It was almost as if the Bestiari Demon was feeding off them, but that couldn’t be possible. It seemed like he wasn’t capable of anything at the moment but struggling to stay alive.
The demon let out an earsplitting scream. It was a horrible noise, like the roar of a tiger, the braying of a horse, and dozens of other growls, screeches, and howls sounding all at once.
But the demon still did not go down.
Phoebe felt her magic being pulled out of her body. Pain shot through her entire being. She wanted to let go of Paige’s hand, fall to the ground, and give up.
“What’s happening?” she yelled, straining to be heard over the demon’s wails.
“I don’t know!” Piper yelled back.
Paige remained silent. She was focused on the demon.
Phoebe held fast to her sister. She knew she could not give up. She was beginning to see that the spell was working.
“Tommy, can you hear us?” Paige asked with a smirk.
Phoebe wondered how her sister had the energy to banter.
The demon’s howls grew quieter. There was no strength left in his voice. He fell to his knees, but he still managed to stay upright. Phoebe saw him struggling as she felt the last of her energy draining from her body.
Finally, the demon toppled to the ground. His body burst into flames.
Phoebe and Piper immediately fell over as well, completely exhausted.
Paige had managed to stay on her feet, but she looked worn out as well.
It was the most intense Power of Three spell they had ever chanted.
As the smoke cleared, Phoebe heard the soft sound of a trumpet and she knew that it had been a success. Tasha would be fine.
“Whoa,” Paige said as she teetered on her feet. “That was powerful.”
“You can say that again,” Phoebe agreed.
“I didn’t know the spell was going to take so much energy,” Piper said as she stood up. “It was like all my magic was draining from my body.”
“Yeah,” Paige agreed. “That part wasn’t in the Book of Shadows. I’m starting to think it’s not exactly the most informative reference guide available.”
Phoebe couldn’t argue. Aside from the fact that she agreed with the sentiment, she would have been too tired to say anything if she hadn’t.
After about a minute, Phoebe managed to get back to her feet. She could feel her strength and her energy coming back to her slowly. It had been one hell of a fight.
As the Charmed Ones took stock of their health, they noticed a large shadow falling over them. Turning, they saw that Tasha was back on her feet, already looking one hundred percent better.
The elephant let out a deafening trumpet sound that was clearly her way of saying, “thank you.”
Chapter 20
“Leo?” Piper called out softly as the Charmed Ones orbed into the living room of Halliwell Manor. She didn’t want to wake her son if he was napping.
There was no response. Piper picked up the baby monitor, but she didn’t hear anything.
“Maybe he’s upstairs with Wyatt?” Phoebe suggested.
“They could both be napping,” Paige added. “Maybe you should let them sleep. Spending a morning with the Elders is probably exhausting. Imagine how much work it is to keep from being bored to death. Oh wait, technically, they’re already dead.”
“It’s no more exhausting than what we’ve just been through,” Piper said.
After they had dealt with the demon and reg
ained enough strength to get back on their feet, she, Phoebe, and Paige had quickly left Tasha’s tent through the tear in the back wall. They had figured it wouldn’t be long before someone came to investigate the trumpet noise that Tasha had made. It was pure luck that no one had come to investigate while the Bestiari was howling his life away. Then again, no one in their right mind would want to see what could make a sound so hideous, Piper thought.
Before they had orbed home, the three sisters had gone back to Reed’s trailer to pick up the press release that Reed had promised earlier. Reed seemed more impressed than intimidated that Phoebe had two assistants, and after sitting through some more innocent flirtation between Phoebe and Reed, they all celebrated when the veterinarian came bursting into the trailer to report that Tasha was back on her feet and looking much better.
Reed had happily torn up his latest press release while Phoebe put on a show, lamenting the fact that she had lost her story. Piper couldn’t help but think that her sister wasn’t entirely acting. It was possible that Phoebe had caught the journalism bug. Although it was more likely that it was just a passing fancy. Piper knew Phoebe loved writing her advice column, and she doubted that anything would take the place of that job anytime soon.
“Now that we’re done at the circus, Leo can go back to his retreat with the Elders,” Piper said as she moved toward the stairs. “Maybe if he goes back, they’ll be less upset with him for cutting out in the first place.”
“The Elders are a rather sensitive lot, aren’t they?” Paige said.
Piper looked back at her sister. A rather sensitive lot?
Paige had made several odd comments throughout the day. Piper had attributed them to the stress of the situation, but now she wasn’t so sure. Paige had also been relying on inappropriately timed humor way more than usual.
Piper pushed her suspicions out of her mind as they reached the nursery. Wyatt was lying in his crib. He was awake and giggling, but his father was nowhere to be found.
“Hey honey,” she said as she reached out to rub his soft hair. “Someone’s in a good mood. Where’s Daddy?”