Third Time Charmed

Hell Hath No Fury (Part 5)

Prue stepped forward, eyeing the empty lectern, then scanning the attic for a sign of the book, running her fingers through her hair.

"How? How? How could they take it?" Piper wailed.

"They can't. It's protected. There must be some other explanation," Prue reasoned, racking her brains for an answer. "Piper, are you sure you didn't move it?"

"It was here!"

"Oh," sighed Leo.

"'Oh,' Leo? A demon has the Book of Shadows! 'Oh' doesn't quite cover it!"

"I don't think a demon has the Book of Shadows, Piper," Leo said remorsefully.

"What does that mean? Did the Elders take it? They're playing hardball with us, is that it?" Prue asked accusingly.

"No, of course not, but I think I may know who did."

"Who?!" Prue and Piper screeched in unison.

"Well, Paige came over on her lunch break, and—"

If Leo thought this explanation would calm Piper and Prue, he was mistaken. "And you let her take the Book of Shadows out of the manor?" Piper fumed before coughing loudly.

"Unbelievable," Prue huffed. "A secret sister we've known for five minutes, and she's already taking our stuff without asking."

"I didn't let her take it," Leo protested. "In fact, I told her that it doesn't leave the house, but looking back, she left in kind of a hurry. She didn't have it with her, though, or else I'd have stopped her."

As a thought occurred to her, Prue craned her neck. "You've gotta be kidding me," she said, gesturing to the open window.

"Out of the window?!" Piper yelled incredulously. "Why would you even leave her alone with it?"

"Because the book belongs to her too, Piper. She's your sister."

Piper let out a mirthless laugh. "Not for long!" she said, storming from the attic.

***

Paige watched as Billy and Lila approached her desk. Lila was staring at his face while speaking animatedly, no doubt still discussing the miraculous things happening to them. Little did they know that this wasn't divine intervention at work; this was the work of a witch. Her work, to be precise.

"God, this day is amazing," said Lila, now in earshot. "I mean, first, you went and got cute."

"You think?" Billy asked, blushing.

"Totally. And then my car loan comes through, like, out of nowhere. And my credit is worse than Paige's!"

Paige smiled, feeling a little smug, then returned her attention to her phone call. "I am taking full responsibility for being late with the application," she said. "I'm simply asking for a deadline extension."

"Well, I can't give you a deadline extension," the unreasonable admissions clerk she was conversing with replied.

"I'm just asking that you not punish Adam O'Brien, who's already had a tough enough life, for my mistake. Sir, all I'm saying is..." Paige peered down at the Book of Shadows lying open across her lap. "These words will travel through the minds, of stubborn parties and unbind, the thoughts too rigid to be kind, a compromise they'll disentwine."

After a few tense moments, the man replied, "How does six o'clock on Friday sound?"

Paige beamed. "Six o'clock Friday is perfect. Thank you so much," she said, then hung up the phone. Turning to Lila, she declared, "Victory!"