Legacy 110: From Paris with Love

Part 7

Xxx

As the loud music hammered in her ears, Melinda looked around the crowd. Somehow, she had lost track of Laura in the chaos, while the warlock was still after them both. She stared at the people around her, afraid that Oliver could appear at any given moment. Perhaps she should try to circle back. With her hand on a potion, she turned around. Suddenly someone with glasses appeared out of nowhere. In a panic, she threw the anti-blinking potion and a flash of light erupted. The guy with glasses screamed as covered his eyes.

"Mes yeux! Je ne peux pas voir. Ca c'était quoi?" the guy called out in French and Melinda quickly realized that it was not Oliver at all.

"Sorry." Melinda quickly said.

Melinda kept running and pushed her way through the dancing people. Laura had to be around here somewhere. Or Grace perhaps? She was getting close to the exit. Once she was outside, she could try calling them. She was about to reach the door when someone grabbed her arm. She screamed and tried to hit him, though she barely had any strength.

"Mel! It is me!" A familiar voice called out as she kept hitting.

Melinda finally stopped and looked at her attacker. It was Ryan. She had never been so relieved to see him and ran into his arms.

"Where are the others?" Ryan asked. "Where is the warlock?"

"I don't know. I lost them." Melinda replied. "You came to save me. Even after I told you not to?"

"Of course." Ryan said. "I could not stand by and do nothing. Luckily, the rave was easy to find. I just had to follow a few punkers."

"I'm so glad you're here." Melinda said.

"Mel, I've been such an idiot." Ryan replied. "Whenever magic was brought up, I acted like a complete jerk. I don't want it to stand between us."

"Ryan, we can't talk about this now." Melinda said determined. "We can talk later. First we need to save my cousins. I just have no idea how to find them."

"Use your power." Ryan suggested.

"I can't, the warlock is immune." Melinda replied.

"Not on the warlock. On everything else." Ryan said. "Put it all on pause, the people, the music, everything."

"I don't think I can do that." Melinda replied hesitantly. "I'm not as strong as my mother."

"Of course you are." Ryan said. "Stop underestimating yourself. I know you can do it."

"Alright, but you have to hold on to me so you don't freeze." Melinda replied.

Ryan nodded and Melinda turned to the crowd. She felt Ryan put his hands around her waist and smiled. She felt more confident and secure with him there. After focusing on her goal completely, she flicked her hands and a ripple echoed through the hall as everything slowed down and stopped. Suddenly, they were standing in complete silence.

"Melinda!" Laura's voice sounded.

"Over there." Ryan said as he pointed.

Ryan took her hand and started guiding her through the crowd. They saw Laura standing close to the DJ booth. However, before they could reach her, all three of them were overwhelmed with a horrible pain. Melinda fell to her knees and saw Oliver stepping out from behind a crowd. It took all her concentration not to break the freeze.

"I knew you would find each other." Oliver said. "That is why I waited and followed you."

"What the hell is this?" Ryan called out in pain.

"Ah, the boyfriend." Oliver remarked. "Nice of you to show up, but you're nothing but a weak mortal. You're useless to me. All that is missing is the other twin, but I'm sure Luke has killed her by now. She was so gullible."

Melinda cried in pain and looked over to Laura, who was trying to say something. She made a flicking motion with her hand and nodded at Oliver. Melinda stared at him and saw he was standing by a large loudspeaker. She suddenly got the message.

"Now who should I kill first?" Oliver asked.

"Neither." Laura replied. "Now!"

Melinda flicked her hand and the freeze broke. Suddenly the entire rave came to life again, shattering the silence. Oliver screamed as he was deafened by the music bursting out of the loudspeaker and covered his ears. Melinda quickly got up and reached for a potion. As she threw it, Oliver blinked away and reappeared behind her.

"Too slow." Oliver whispered.

Melinda's eyes widened as she saw the athame flash in his hand, though before he could stab her, Ryan punched him in the face. The warlock stumbled back and Ryan hit him again, knocking him to the ground.

"Just a weak mortal, huh?" Ryan remarked.

"Idiot." Oliver snapped at him.

Oliver threw the athame and it hit Ryan in the shoulder. He cried out in pain and fell down as the warlock crawled up. Melinda kneeled down to help him. Oliver grabbed another blade and ran at them, though a cloud of ice appeared between them. Melinda used the distraction to freeze the crowd again before anyone got hurt or magic was exposed.

"Forgot about me, Oliver?" Laura asked. "Aren't I the one you were after to begin with?"

"Oh, I haven't forgotten." Oliver replied. "I was saving you for last but look who suddenly grew a backbone."

"I am going to make you pay for what you've done." Laura said determined.

"Can't we just kiss and make up?" Oliver remarked.

"Never." Laura replied.

Laura raised her hand and blew on her palm, releasing a large cloud of ice particles. At the same time, Melinda threw the last anti-blinking potion. Oliver screamed as he was blinded and was caught in the cloud. When it passed, he was covered in ice.

"Your little games end here, you pervert." Laura said.

With a determined look, Laura threw the vanquishing potion and hit him in the chest. Oliver screamed as smoke rose from his body and he fell apart in ashes, leaving a hollowed ice sculpture behind. For a moment, Melinda was glad it was over, but then turned to Ryan and looked at the blade in his shoulder. She was afraid to pull it out.

"Is he okay?" Laura asked as she kneeled down next to them.

"I'll be fine." Ryan said. "Just pull it out."

"No, you'll bleed to death." Melinda replied.

"We need to get him to the hospital, but first we need to find Grace." Laura said.

"I'm right here." Grace announced as she appeared from the crowd.

"Are you alright? Where is Luke?" Laura asked.

"He is gone." Grace said as she held up his athame. "You were right, he was evil all long. When he tried to stab me, I managed to set him on fire and then used the potion."

"Are you okay?" Laura asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Grace said. "He kept going on about how he wasn't evil, but I just couldn't believe him."

"Good for you." Laura said. "I knew you would do the right thing."

"Guys, I don't think we're going to make it to the hospital." Melinda said desperately.

"I might have a solution." Grace said. "But you're not going to like it. It will hurt."

"What?" Melinda asked.

"This." Grace replied as she held a small flame under the athame. "I can cauterize the wound, to stop it from bleeding. But it will hurt a lot."

"You want to burn him?" Melinda called out.

"Just do it." Ryan said determined.

"Are you sure?" Grace asked.

"No, but what other choice do we have?" Ryan replied.

"Okay, first we need to clear the wound." Laura said as she ripped open his shirt. "Melinda, once I say the word, pull the athame, and Grace, burn the wound shut. I will hold him down. Are we all ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." Grace remarked as she looked at the glowing hot blade in her hand.

"Okay, Ryan, bite down on this." Laura ordered as she rolled up the shirt she ripped. "And try to think happy thoughts."

Ryan reluctantly nodded as she put the shirt in his mouth. Laura then took a deep breath and held him to the ground. "Now!" She called out after counting to three.

Melinda did as she was told and pulled the athame out. However, she was too scared to look and quickly turned away as Grace pressed the glowing blade on the wound. Ryan screamed through the shirt in his mouth as Laura held him down. After a few moments, Grace pulled the blade away and Melinda was finally able to look. The wound was burned shut, though it still looked incredibly painful. Laura waved her hand over it to cool it down with ice.

"Okay, I am never doing that again." Grace replied with a shiver as she dropped the blade.

"Me neither." Ryan added after pulling the shirt from his mouth.

"How do you feel?" Melinda asked as she took his hand.

"Well, it's going to sting for a while, but at least I'm alive." Ryan replied. "And so are you, so it was all worth it."

"Guys, we still have one major problem to take care of." Grace said. "Bastion. Before I vanquished him, Luke told me where he is. If we don't stop him, he will go after the rest of the coven."

Xxx

Bastion stood by the window and poured himself a drink as he waited. It would be over soon. As he took a sip, he turned around and accidentally caught a glimpse of his scarred face in the mirror. Those damned witches would suffer for what they had done to him. Once the Warrens were dead, he and his new coven of warlocks would come for them.

Bastion felt someone blink and turned around. Luke was standing behind him. "Did you succeed?" he asked as he sat down.

"Not quite." Luke replied with a smug smile. "Change of plans."

"I see, so you do have feelings for the witch." Bastion noted. "And now you're going to betray me. After everything I've done for you."

"I appreciate what you've done for me, Bastion." Luke replied. "But I learned I have no need for a coven. All I want is a partner. Someone special."

"And you think the witch will join you?" Bastion asked amused. "You fool. She will never choose you over her family."

"Oh, I know she will. In time." Luke replied. "We share something. Something you and her family will never understand. She already has some darkness in her. She faked my death to buy herself more time. And I will use that time to slowly lure her to my side, so we can be together forever."

"And where do I fit in your little plan?" Bastion asked.

"You don't." Luke replied.

"Does she know you killed the second witch?" Bastion asked. "Or have you convinced her it was all Oliver? Who I assume is dead, by the way."

"He is quite dead." Luke said as he floated a few inches off the floor and moved closer. "And soon you will be too. Sorry it had to turn out like this, but I can't risk you ruining my plans."

Luke smiled and disappeared in a blink. A moment later, the door burst open with a large flame. The three Warren witches entered the apartment and Bastion slowly got up.

"So we meet at last." Bastion said.

"Save it." One of the twins said. "We know who you are and what you've done. We heard about Zoey when we dropped Ryan off at the hospital. Too bad for you, she will make a full recovery."

"Smart girl." Bastion replied with a smile. "And I take it you're Grace? Interesting."

Bastion noticed the witch looked troubled when he mentioned her name, obviously afraid he would expose her secret.

"Enough small talk." The other twin replied. "Let's just vanquish him."

"Third time is the charm." The other witch added.

"You have no idea." Bastion replied. "Do you know…"

"Shut up!" Grace called out as she threw a potion and that produced a blinding flash, preventing Bastion from blinking. "Now!"

Before Bastion could reveal the truth to them, the other two witches threw their potions. Bastion felt them hit his chest and felt a burning sensation. Smoke started to rise from his body and he screamed in horror as his body was reduced to ashes. The witches turned around and left the apartment, thinking it was finally over.

Xxx

The following morning, Melinda woke up in her hotel room. Now that the warlock crisis was over, she hoped to finally enjoy her vacation in Paris. She turned around to see if Ryan was still asleep, but he was nowhere to be found. She got out of bed, worried that things had changed again after the fight last night. At that moment, the bathroom door opened and Ryan appeared with a towel around his waist, fresh out of the shower. The burn mark on his shoulder was still there, a clear red mark that would never disappear.

"Hi." Melinda said.

"Hey." Ryan replied. "You look nervous. Did you think I left?"

"No, not really." Melinda said hesitantly. "At least, I'm not sure."

"I understand." Ryan replied as they both sat down on the bed. "I can't blame you for doubting me. I guess we still need to work some stuff out."

"I'm glad you came back for me last night." Melinda said. "Did you mean the things you said?"

"About me being an idiot and a jerk?" Ryan asked. "Yeah. I guess I was just so focused on the magic that I forget about the rest."

"I don't want it, but magic is always going to be a part of me. Of my family." Melinda said. "I realize that more than ever now."

"I know." Ryan replied.

"So have you changed your mind?" Melinda asked. "Can you live with it?"

"I don't care about magic." Ryan admitted. "All I know is that I want you in my life."

"I feel the same." Melinda replied with a smile. "Even though you can be an idiot at times. I mean, punching a warlock?"

"I was trying to save you." Ryan called out.

"Let's just agree that you stay out of the magic stuff from now on." Melinda said. "One scar is pretty sexy, but also more than enough."

"Sexy, huh?" Ryan asked suggestively as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Oh definitely." Melinda replied with a smile before kissing him. They rolled on the bed and continued to make out. Looked like they would get to enjoy their vacation at last.

Xxx

As Laura woke up, the events of last night instantly flashed through her mind. She was both angry and heartbroken over the dirty trick Oliver had pulled on her, and was glad he was gone. The thought that she considered sleeping with him made her sick now. She would not make than mistake again. She got out of bed and saw Grace was sitting on the edge of her bed, looking like she had barely slept. Laura got up and sat down next to her.

"Are you alright?" Laura asked concerned.

"Just tired." Grace replied. "Couldn't sleep."

"You did the right thing vanquishing Luke." Laura assured her. "Don't feel bad about it. He was evil."

"I know." Grace said. "I think I just need time to process."

"I understand." Laura replied. "I am going to visit Zoey in the hospital in a little while. Do you feel like coming along?"

"Sorry, no. I don't feel like it." Grace said. "But wish her well for me."

"Of course." Laura replied.

Laura got up and started to get dressed while Grace lied down in bed. As she looked at her sister trying to sleep, Laura suddenly remembered that Grace always had trouble sleeping when she felt like she did something wrong. She hesitated. Was there something she was missing? No, she could not think like that. Grace was her sister. She needed to trust her. She shook off the bad feeling and reminded herself that it was over.

After she finished getting dressed, Laura said goodbye and left the dorm room. After she left, Grace rolled around in bed and wiped away a tear. She grabbed her phone and saw she had a message from Luke, saying "I will see you soon. I love you."

Xxx

The End