Chapter 13
By dawn’s early light Prue was fading fast.
Perdita had felt Prue’s agony and pain when she had been captured and put into the hourglass by Sabroh. She knew, with the aid of her telepathic powers, that Prue was out of her body and was in two separate, spiritual planes.
Perdita could sense her image was flickering in and out, whilst the other sisters wondered what could be done. Phoebe recalled there was nothing in the Book of Shadows which provided an explanation for this sort of behaviour. It was just as Prue had thought to herself, now they didn’t know how long Prue could contain herself in astral projection without there being serious repercussions.
However Phoebe knew Sabroh was going to pay big time for this. Deep within her heart she hoped her vision of Prue didn’t mean this. They had been estranged for so long with Prue thinking Phoebe was hopeless. After Phoebe returned to San Francisco they had grown much closer, as sisters should be. The most dreaded thoughts entered her mind again. Then horror filled her heart once more, Aghast she screamed at herself over and over again.
“This does not signal Prue’s demise!!”
She shuddered as a chill entered her bones. She couldn’t lose her big sister now, after finding her again after all this time. In the midst of agony she despaired. Scolding herself.
Perhaps she should have told Piper and Prue of her vision of foreboding. Maybe then she could have prevented Prue from leaving her side and going out on her own. But realizing her own stupidity or irresponsibility wouldn’t really have altered her vision.
In the past she could have prevented and did prevent innocents from meeting their destinies and changing their lives, saving them even. But now. Could she have stopped Prue? She was in two minds. Since when did big sister not speak her mind and act out her own will. Feeling guilty at an inopportune moment wouldn’t help Prue now. She had to think of some alternative action before it was too late.
Piper was horrified and shocked at Phoebe’s confession.
“If you had seen our sister’s impending future doom why didn’t you tell us, her?”
“Because I wasn’t sure of what I saw and anyway it was just a brief flash. I didn't know what it meant at the time!”
Besides wasn’t there something about not using their powers for personal gain? How would that be interpreted in this scenario anyway?
Repentant, hating herself at this minute, Phoebe said,
“All I saw was Prue surrounded by flashing blues and greens, lights and reflections, like a glitterball. She looked like she was in some sort of glassy, aqueous liquid. Like a turquoise sea.”
“Fishtank! You mean.” Piper said tersely. “Oh great! Now there are two of her and we don’t know where either one is or whether she can get back into her own body or not? Especially if she’s trapped in some glass structure and can’t get out.”
“Which means we have to get to this Sabroh demon or dijinn or whatever he is and vanquish him. Sabroh steals lost or wandering souls, so Prue being in her astral state would have been wandering. It would give him ample opportunity to capture her.” Replied Phoebe. A look of anger, then worry passed over her face.
“But what does he do with the body?” Enquired Piper.
“They’re enslaved. Without a soul their body just becomes a hollow shell pandering to his every demand.” Phoebe answered.
They had to find some sort of spell to vanquish Sabroh. Only unbeknown to them Sabroh couldn’t be vanquished in the normal sense of the word.
This was easier said than done considering the Book of Shadows was at home. They couldn’t have bought it with them. It would have been funny trying to explain it to British Customs, or they’d probably have to smuggle it through. That would have been a task in itself but not really that difficult to pull off. Piper could have frozen time and everyone surrounding them. Then Prue could have wafted it through the green “Nothing to declare” zone.
“Phoeb can you think of some sort of tracking spell to locate Prue?” Piper asked.
“You think I haven’t tried that already! My mind’s come up with so many alternatives. Nothing works. Something must be interfering. A mystical force field or untapped energy. Either that or our conventional spells don’t seem to be working on this continent.
“You don’t need a spell.” Perdita cut in. “I know where they may be – but we’ve got a lot of territory to cover, especially since we have to do a lot of legwork.”
“We haven’t got the Book of Shadows with us which is a darn shame.” Phoebe protested.
“Perhaps you don’t need it. I have something you could use, but it’s not very big. It doesn’t contain many spells or anything. Just bits and pieces handed down to me over the years and other stuff I’ve come across myself. Spells I’ve made up on my own.” Pointed out Perdita.
“You know I haven’t had to fight demons, or help reunite lost people or vanquish either; because I don’t really have the Power of Three do I?” Grinned Perdita. “Here it is.”
Perdita pulled out a little black book the size of a notebook with gilt and silver edges. Laydees Spelles and Other Portente Potions, was written on the cover.
“Gosh you English really tend to do everything civilized don’t you?” Remarked Piper. “Look at the funny spelling.”
“It’s written in Medieval English – most of it dated back to the time of the Crusades and there’s some more modern stuff too.”
Phoebe flicked through the yellow stained pages.
“Here’s something – a piece on vanquishing the body of one who is brought back to walk the earth.” Phoebe mumbled to herself.
“Hmm, sounds a bit suspect to me.” Phoebe was puzzled. Piper snatched the book from Phoebe’s hand.
“I don’t know what that means?” Piper quipped.
Phoebe snatched it back.
“Do you mind Piper.”
Perdita continued with her explanation of Sabroh’s intentions.
“He’s planning to win mankind, take their souls and turn them to the dark side because of the Knights Templars.”
Knights Templars were the secret hood of knights that gave pilgrims returning to and from Jerusalem, safe passage. Hence the Middle Temple, and Inner Temple Inns of Court in legal London.
Perdita was a part of that tradition too, in a way. Being a barrister she had to join an Inn of Court. A sort of a society which helped students and qualified barristers alike and gave them support during their student year and after qualifying; and facilities to use, such as libraries. Where Perdita did most of her research. She’d wile away the hours until day and would sometimes be found by her friends sprawled out over her books. They put it down to simple dedication.
“So I suppose he blames me too somehow.” Perdita added.
“Here’s a spell containing a poultice of wheaten breadcrumbs and egg white for removing ‘worms of the face’. This would work wonders for your circles Piper!”
“Very funny. Can you quit with the jokes Phoebe and find something fast. What are worms of the face anyway?” Piper naively questioned.
“Blackheads, in those times.”
“Ugh! Phoebe that’s disgusting.” Piper replied with a sullen look.
“This definitely dates from medieval times. Look at the ingredients in some of these: boiled lizards and distilled young ravens. Yuck! This isn’t so much a book of spells, as it is of cosmetic improvements. Improve you looks without resorting to facelifts and nips and tucks. Here's something. Join hands in a circle and chant the following:
"Once, twice, thrice..which probably means we’ll have to repeat it three times. But it’s got be done in the wane of the moon and we’ll need distilled water of elderberry leaves to throw around him.”
“I don’t know what that will achieve?” Piper looked even more confused.
Now all they had to do was find Prue’s body and their foes and put an end to this whole fiasco. Neither of them knew where to start looking as Piper and Phoebe’s trip to Madame Tussaud’s had proved unfruitful. Although they did chance upon a wax figure that exhibited an uncanny resemblance to Kane.
However Phoebe had been on the right track with her theory of body snatchers.
After putting their heads together, pondering and deliberating over the clues they had in their possession, like Sabroh needing bodies to carry out his deeds, the place where Perdita had been pursued by Sabroh and the clues on body snatchers. Phoebe and Perdita finally had a flashing brainwave at the same time. Something about great minds thinking alike.
“Craven Street!” They both shouted simultaneously.
“Craven Street?” Piper asked with a puzzled expression.
In the eighteenth century, Craven Street was a district full of lawyers; as there seemed a clean, professional air about the place. What perfect a location to hide out and carry out mass illegal dissections and experiments than right under the snooty noses of lawyers.
Perhaps a most gruesome thought would be that many bodies snatched were probably those of lawyers themselves. Poetic justice? Or perhaps legal justice?
“It’s history lesson time again Piper.” Phoebe laughed. “Remember the Founding Fathers? Ben Franklin, the most famous one of all?” Phoebe replied sharply.
“The guy who flew his kite in a thunder storm and discovered electricity. Yeah what about him?
“Well apparently it’s rumoured he lives around here. Craven Street. Round about the eighteenth century some doctor used to live in his house and conducted medical experiments. You know, the pioneering days of medicine.” Phoebe told her.
“No,” answered Perdita softly. “It’s not a rumour. It’s a documented fact, he did live here, but it was more of an office than a home and he did rent it out to a doctor. But you might like to know Franklin did visit The Hellfire Club on many occasions.”
“Ah the notorious band of womanizing, drunken Satanists.” Phoebe joked. Then glanced at Piper’s sour expression. ”Oops sorry!” Too many jokes weren't called for at this time.
“Yeah. So?” Piper looked confused again. Her question was vacant and the know-it-all attitude of the two was agitating her.
“So, so get your thinking cap on Pipe. So they needed bodies didn’t they; and where did they get those bodies from?” Phoebe ogled her.
Piper tersely replied, “Twenty questions or are you going to give me a clue?”
“From grave diggers of course. Body snatchers. London is riddled with history. Only they were called resurrection men.”
“They got bodies from anywhere they could.” Perdita commented.
“So what’s the significance?”
“We’ve been over this already Piper.” Phoebe observed.
“Kane – he’s a modern-day Burke and Hare. Two of the most famous body snatchers of London. He’s a reincarnation most probably, or he’s been resurrected himself by Sabroh. I should have realized. His touch was petulant. Ice-cold. He was too good to be true; and a good man is 'oh so hard to find'. All those other cliches spring to mind too.” Perdita looked sad.
“Yeah. No man can be that gorgeous and be one hundred per cent good. There’s always some catch isn’t there?” Agreed Piper.
“Catch here is, he’s evil and there aren’t any ifs or buts about it and he’s got Prue!” Phoebe gave them a quick, harsh lesson in reality.
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