2026 cont.
"Bianca, what are you doing here? I thought you weren't seeing me till tomorrow," Chris said, surprised.
"C'mon," she said, seizing his hand, pulling him with her.
"What? Where are we going?"
"To stop him."
"Weren't you just there?" Halting abruptly, he pulled her back. "Bianca, what happened?"
"He knows everything. He doesn't give a damn who he hurts, he's on the warpath. He's completely lost his mind. We have to fight back. I know he's got some people over near Twin Peaks. We're going to end this now before it goes any further."
"Bianca, it's dark outside. You can't fight with no visibility. It's suicide."
"I've done it plenty of time before. I'm a Phoenix, that's my job."
"Bianca," Chris chastised. He felt her grip tighten around his hand as she yanked him towards her. "Bianca!"
Shimmering them to the edge of Corona Heights Park, Chris saw he was right. No light shone here except that of the moon, and a pale ghastly glow was what it shrouded this land with. They heard the scuffling of Quantos ahead - tall, lean demons with darkened skin who had the stern facial features of pygmies, bones running through their noses and a skeletal framed ribcage that could open to devour their victims. They were an extremely dangerous species, and Chris realised it must have taken some extraordinary talking from Wyatt to convince them to work for him considering they never thought of anyone but themselves.
"What do you think this is? Some kind of playpen?" Bianca asked, directing the question at the demons.
"The entire city's our playground," what appeared to be the leader of them answered.
"Really," Bianca said flatly. "Because I could have sworn you were meant to take orders from me or Wyatt now."
"You have instruction?" The demon looked from her to Chris as he stepped next to her. "You deceitful, spiteful witch. You've crossed!"
"And all the better for it," she said, raising her hand and throwing an energy ball towards him.
Hitting him squarely in the chest, he fell to the ground, the others of his kind stirring at the trouble she was causing. As they rushed forward, Bianca and Chris took the divide and conquer approach, splitting apart from one another to lessen the numbers. Whilst Bianca barely moved to the right before facing one of the Quantos, Chris dashed to the left.
Lifting her foot, Bianca side-kicked the Quanto nearest her. Another trying to approach her from behind while she steadied, she gathered enough force into the swing of her arm to connect her elbow with its jaw and cause a significant impact. Rushing to disarm another few, Bianca kicked forward, knocking one as a second got a shot in on her, his large foot coming down on her ankle.
Chris stopped in his tracks as Bianca yelped. Swinging his arm, he sent the foe telekinetically sailing out of the way, giving him a clear enough view of his girlfriend to see she was still standing, although hobbling slightly trying to shake the pain away. Looking for an escape as the Quantos turned their attention to him, he spied a low hanging branch on a tree nearby. Racing towards the trunk and trying to propel himself off it, his fingers caught hold of the branch and slipped. The first Quanto diving for him, Chris looked up at the branch and with all the energy he could muster jumped for it. He felt a surge of triumph as his fingers fastened tightly around the branch, the attacking Quanto sliding along the dirt underneath.
Now Chris had another problem. He'd noticed a few of these demons were carrying spears, and the next Quanto waiting to attack him was one of these armed foes. He wasn't up high enough to be out of its reach. Looking up at the branch, he strained to pull himself up, but to no avail. He didn't have the strength in his arms. His body swinging slightly, he got another idea. Trying to work up some momentum, he successfully collided with the head of the second Quanto, swinging his joined feet to the side to knock the weapon in a different direction on his return. He barely heard the cracking to his left, instead enjoying the defeat and trying to swing his way into getting on top of the branch. Again the crack sounded, louder this time, and the branch came down, Chris with it. Stumbling as he landed, his momentum having carried him away from the branch that crashed behind him, Chris did not see the Quanto in front of him until it was too late. Its ribcage was already wide open, the pinkish flesh clinging to the walls of its body like leeches. The bones protruded from the opening, a parallel row of sharp pointed weapons that served to puncture the bodies of their victims. Inside, the slimy, rope-like intestine uncoiled like a snake, reaching out like a famished tongue and twisting its way around Chris' body. He couldn't move his arms, bound by the extension which slowly reeled him back, dragging him towards his fated death. Struggling but finding no way out, Chris closed his eyes to the snarling face before him.
"Chris!" Bianca shouted, conjuring an athame and throwing it through the air. Cleanly it sliced through the intestine, severing the tie between Chris and the monster.
Chris shook off what now lay loosely around his elbows, stepping out of the deadly mess and giving it a look of disgust. Casting his gaze back to the fallen branch, he called it into his hand, grasping hold if it as it orbed from the ground to him. Spinning, he rammed it through the internal section of the now vulnerable Quanto, watching it cry out and fall back before feeling safe enough to call out to Bianca.
"We need potions for this, Bianca! We can't beat them."
"If the numbers are fewer, it'll be easier," she shouted back.
Looking dejectedly at the number that remained, Chris knew he had to do something drastic. He couldn't leave her to do this on her own, yet staying would force them to endure a highly un-winnable battle. Waving another Quanto away with his hand, employing his telekinesis ability for this, he willed his mind to think up something.
"Take this rhyme through curses black,
Save us both from this attack,
Cull these demons all the same,
Reduce the few till one remain."
Pleased with himself, Chris watched as one by one the Quantos blinked away like bright shining stars, together floating towards the one body. But his inexperience cost him skill, the combination proving to make the one Quanto left stronger and more powerful. His spell having deceived him, the one remaining happened to be directly in front of the already injured Bianca.
She felt a crack against the back of her legs as the Quanto whipped her with the bridge of the spear. Her weakened ankle unable to hold her entire weight, she fell back, her head colliding roughly with the ground as it snapped back. Wincing at the pain that ran right up the back of her body, she lifted her head to see the stick of the spear, seconds later gasping as she felt the point ram through the middle of her body.
Chris watched on in horror as the one Quanto skewered his girlfriend to the ground. This wasn't how it was meant to happen, she'd said the fewer the number, the easier it would be.
"No!" he shouted, racing towards her.
Swinging his arm at the demon, he sent the Quanto flying back towards the tree he'd earlier fallen from, what remained of the broken branch still attached to the trunk impaling the Quanto, his head dropping as it made contact with and pierced vital organs.
"Bianca," Chris said, dropping to his knees beside her. She reached for his hand, her breathing short. "I told you this would happen. I said—"
"Chris," she interrupted. "I need help."
Frowning, Chris looked her over quickly, working his hand out from her grip and slipping both beneath her, trying to lift her. The short cry of pain escaping her lips told him it wasn't a good idea. Dropping his hands back to the ground, he slid back and placed them on top of her, looking quickly over his shoulder as he heard the sounds of more demons shimmering in.
"We've got to get you out of here," he said quickly.
Orbing them both to his bedroom, he made sure that she would land on the bed wanting something soft beneath her to support her. Her body convulsing slightly as she coughed, she lowered her head back to the pillows. Lifting her hand from her midriff, she saw blood stained her fingers. Chris grabbed her hand, looking at the discolouration, his gaze turning to the source. The injury was getting worse. He shouldn't have moved her, but he knew he had to to get her out of harm's way. Lowering her hand, he put his own over the wound, closing his eyes and trying to concentrate. Opening them again he saw it hadn't worked. Shaking his hands he tried again.
"Why the hell can't I do this?" he cried in frustration. "I just told you how much I loved you, it should work! I hate being a whitelighter. There's no point if you can't use the powers."
Taking his hands, Bianca pulled them away from her body. Everything was beginning to feel like a great effort, her breath still hitching as her muscles clung tightly to the spear inside her.
"Get… get Gazu. He's… eastern quarter… the Underworld. Tell him… tell him what… happened. He knows me. He'll know… what to do."
Nodding, Chris squeezed her hand reassuringly, orbing out and leaving her alone in his apartment. Bianca stared at the roof, wondering exactly how she'd put herself in this position. It hadn't been worth it. The amount of times she'd gotten herself in trouble because she was furious with Chris, or with Wyatt, it wasn't doing her any good. And now because she'd been so blinded by her anger she might soon be dead, just the remains of some poor witch lying on her boyfriend's bed because she couldn't control her emotions. But wasn't that what being a Phoenix was all about? Being able to control yourself completely? She'd never been able to, although Michael could. Or maybe it was just the fact he didn't care about anything. That's probably why he'd found it so easy.
Her muscles seizing up completely, she erupted into another coughing fit. She didn't want to, because whenever she did she could feel blood spill onto her hands like free-flowing water. She wondered if holding her breath would do anything, but doubted she could.
Chris soon returned with the sorcerer, and yet another witch in tow. Bianca gave them a brief glance before having to close her eyes. Her head was starting to hurt immensely on top of the other pain, and she was sure it was because of her erratic breathing. She felt cool hands touch her, inspecting the wound. She didn't have to look to know who it was.
"Looks like it just missed the artery, but we've still got the puncture device to contend with," Gazu said. He nodded towards the witch on his left. "Blow her up."
"No! What? No!" Chris cried, looking frantically from Bianca to Gazu.
The witch beside Gazu lifted his fingers, a simple flick enacting the molecular combustion. There was a blast against Bianca's body and then she disappeared, nothing but remnants of black ash dispersing in every direction. The spear collapsed across the red stain marking the bed, all that had been left behind of her. Gazu made a quick grab for the weapon, the long stick vanishing in his hands as Chris charged towards him, his hands grabbing the front of the sorcerer's clothing and shaking him.
"You were supposed to save her, not kill her!" he shouted.
Gazu nodded over his shoulder, Chris turning his head as he heard the rustling noise behind him. Like a small whirlwind, the black particles were circling the bed, laying to piece bit by bit as Bianca's body reformed across the sheets. Pushing the sorcerer away, Chris let go of Gazu and dropped down next to the bed, his hands gently touching her arm, her face. She was real alright.
"Bianca?"
"I hate when that happens," she attempted to joke, the half-laugh which followed sounding tired and hollow.
"Well, the wound's closed up," Gazu said, peering at the location of the puncture. He looked proudly at the pair. "I thought that might happen. Anything else that needs tending to?"
"She hurt her ankle," Chris said quickly, pointing down to the one he remembered getting injured.
Gazu put his hands around it securely, squeezing with ever increasing tension as he looked up to Bianca, watching to see if there was any reaction on her face. She looked worn, but there was no evidence she'd done anything to it. He couldn't even feel a break.
"Any pain?" he asked.
"No."
"Probably fixed that too." He looked back to Chris. "Was she standing or lying down when she got hurt?"
"She was on the ground," Chris said.
"She fell?"
"Kinda." Chris looked at Bianca. He hadn't really seen what had happened until that imminent moment where the spear had been driven through her.
"I was knocked off balance and, yes, I fell," Bianca explained.
"Did you hit your head?" Gazu asked.
"I think so," Bianca said without conviction. She wasn't sure what exactly the pain in her head was stemming from anymore.
"Keep an eye on her," Gazu said to Chris. "Keep her awake for the next few hours just to make sure she hasn't got a concussion. After that, when you're sure she's not going to drift into some kind of coma, you can let her rest."
"I will," Chris said, brushing a hand over her hair as he took her hand with the other.
Just as he had the previous year, Gazu left quickly and silently, the witch he'd brought with him vanishing at the same time. Chris looked sympathetically back to Bianca, watching and feeling her snuggle into his hand as well as the pillow.
"Can I get you something? You want a drink?" he asked.
"Yeah, but… you're not supposed to be leaving me."
"I was going to ask you a favour first."
"What?"
"Sing for me."
"Are you insane? I can't—"
"I'm not asking you to sing an aria. I don't care what it is. You can sing a nursery rhyme if you want. Just be loud enough so I can hear you." Standing up, he walked around the bed towards the door, pausing to look at her. "Go on. Sing me 'Twinkle twinkle little star'. You know that one, right? And don't stop til I come back or I'm going to think you passed out on me."
Laughing, she pressed her hand to her stomach, the muscles still tense and tight there. Chris waited patiently until she started, first mockingly, then easing into a rhythmic recitation. Her hand idly drifting back towards the pillows, she continued singing until Chris returned, struggling at points to remember words which wouldn't come to mind.
"You skipped a verse," Chris teased as he re-entered.
"I thought it only had one."
"Well I never asked for it to be inspiring, so it doesn't matter."
He placed the glass of water on the side table, watching as she turned towards him, lifting herself slightly to take a sip then dropping onto the pillows again. Of anything he could read on her face, the most apparent expression was that of relief. It made him feel as if he'd done something right for once, something that truly mattered. She looked up at him with doe brown eyes and for the first time he could see innocence and vulnerability behind them.
"Thank you," she said softly.
"It was nothing," Chris said bashfully, his gaze drifting down to his foot as he shifted it fretfully.
"Chris," she said, her voice barely above a whisper now as she tried to regain his attention. "I love you too."
Smiling, he brushed back the hair from her forehead and kissed it, rising again as he looked down at her. He was pleased to hear her say it, knew she meant it, and now he thought it was all worth it. No matter what they went through because of Wyatt, they'd stick together.
"Thank you for telling me," he said quietly. "Just don't wait until you're dying next time to do so, okay?"
She laughed. "Don't worry, I won't. And I plan on sticking around for a while."
"Just do that reform thing," Chris said.
"Doesn't work all the time," Bianca said shaking her head as she snuggled into the pillow again. "Just on that one power. Mind you I don't think every witch is going to be so kind as to give me that kind of fight advantage."
"No," Chris agreed. "But you aren't going to be fighting again… at least not for a while. You've got to take care of yourself. Stay here and rest."
"You're asking me to fight you," Bianca said determinedly, lifting herself up slightly. The exasperation left her face as she collapsed wearily back to the bed. "But I'm too tired."
"See, that's my point."
"Okay, you win. Stop arguing with me, it's going to make it worse."
"Just behave," he said, smiling. Bianca mumbled a response. She wasn't used to having someone else look after her when she was hurt. Usually she'd just go on, but Chris was resolute that she'd rest instead. It was just one other thing she'd have to concede and learn how to do.
Chris was almost starting to believe life was beginning to settle into some kind of normalcy… almost. Days had passed and the city had fallen into some deathly quiet slumber, as if anticipating some kind of attack from Wyatt. But he, too, seemed to have disappeared off the scene. Each day Chris went to work and found himself staying there the entire time, not having to interrupt his shift to chase after some demon or dragon. At night he'd return home to find Bianca waiting for him patiently. He could see she was getting stronger again and knew it wouldn't be long before she returned to her own place; but the quietness of the world outside disturbed him, and he wasn't about to let her step into some awaiting trap.
Curious as to what his older brother was up to, he sensed for Wyatt and located him in an area he'd never visited before. Orbing outside the building, he landed in what appeared to be a carpark filled with gravel and loose rocks. He wondered if anyone was even in the large sandstone building that this remotely empty carpark belonged to. Approaching the building he saw low-hanging blue shades covered the few windows, the roof itself jutting up in flats and points like there were four churches connected and sitting side by side. The disturbance around the base of the walls made Chris think it sunk to lower levels than it appeared. Although Chris didn't know it, he was right. It was just as deceptive and hidden as its inhabitants.
Successfully sneaking his way inside, employing the stealth tactics Bianca had been teaching him, Chris found the interior to be even more boring in its attempt to requisition lack of attention to the surroundings. The walls were all bare, plastered with pale paints of either white or grey. Overhead the fluorescent lights flickered their overly powerful ambient light, bestowing a feeling of dread like awaiting a pinnacle point of terror in a horror movie.
Chris moved down the corridors, weaving this way and that, unsure of where exactly he was going. Hearing voices heading towards him, Chris looked around the open corridor he'd trapped himself in. There was nowhere to hide, no exit, but a sole door stood further ahead in the frame of the wall. It was closer to the voices but he had to chance it. Orbing from his current position to his only hope of not being discovered, he found it locked. Shaking the latch a few more times just to make sure, he thrust his palms against the door loudly in frustration.
"Dammit!" he cursed.
Glancing up the hallway, he saw two people rounding the corner. Pushing against the door again, he realised it was probably locked from the other side. Concentrating on the handle, he brushed his fingers together and heard a satisfactory click sound from within. Depressing the handle, the door opened and Chris leapt inside, closing it quickly behind him. The two voices stopped right outside the doorway, and for a moment Chris thought they would enter and catch him out, if they had not already seen him, but the pair remained oblivious.
"You know if Abe had still been around he wouldn't be so inviting as to let that witch walk right in."
"Well he was never that interested in playing cat and mouse. He was much more direct and involved when it came to kills."
Chris listened silently through the door. The name sounded oddly familiar, but he wasn't quite sure where he'd heard it before.
"I wish we could have hung around to see what he wanted."
"Yeah, and if we did that Gina would have our necks. You know she doesn't like to be late. 'Every second counts' she'd say. 'You don't take this seriously enough. Do you want to die?'" The man sighed and Chris heard them walk away.
Sliding back out the door, he turned down the corridor they'd just come from. There was a good chance this 'witch' was Wyatt, and if he could just find him…
"There you are," Chris said quietly, catching sight of his brother inside a small, gloomy looking room.
Chris pressed himself as close to the wall as he could to listen without being seen. There were only two men in there – Wyatt, who was pacing the floor with a rigid self-important stride; and another man with darker hair, a tank top which showed off his muscular figure and the tattoo on his arm, who sat back calmly in a chair, his feet on the desk, his hands clasped in his lap as he watched Wyatt with a wry smile.
"You're going to wear a hole in my floor," he observed.
"I'm thinking," Wyatt responded.
"Well think a little faster. I don't appreciate my time being wasted when I can find better things to do."
Wyatt stopped, arching an eyebrow as he looked at him. "I'm sure that's the case."
The man sighed, frustrated with Wyatt's stalling. Lowering his feet and placing his elbows in their place, he leant forward.
"What exactly is it you want?"
"Ah, more to the matter of what you want." Having lifted his finger at the man, Wyatt turned it towards himself, tapping his chin lightly in a mock imitation of thought. "I have a proposal for you."
"I'm all ears," the man said, throwing his hands in the air and sinking back into his chair.
"Good," Wyatt said agreeably, looking over to him. "First, of course, my demands, what I require. I'm sure you're a good businessman and can understand the advantages of this."
"Care to explain a little further?"
"Well, you see, it's really quite simple – I give you something and in return you give me exclusive access and use of your assassins."
"That's not how we work. If you want someone killed –"
"Ah, but this is a special case. I'm not some spiteful child looking to get even with someone else. I seek to vindicate this world of the wrongs it has committed and push us towards a new and better society."
"Are you running for president?" the other man mocked. "That's a ridiculous assumption unless you're trying to wage some kind of war."
"Wars aren't made for acceptance. They're driven by this nation for profit and power, neither of which I am seeking. Yes, power has been given to me, but I've had to bear that burden since birth. It is time that we united our abilities to bring about the downfall of those who have unjustly cheated and deceived their way to the top and abuse people's lives whilst playing their petty games as if they were God. Your coven are the most notorious assassins out there. Your witches are the pinnacle to success in this venture. I beseech you to provide me with infinite access to your resources for surely you will profit by the end of this. The bounty is your main concern, is it not?"
"I can see you've done your homework," the other man said, closely inspecting Wyatt's full form. "But there is the matter of the initial contract. What you're talking about could take months, years, even decades. I'm not prepared to let my team work for free."
"Of course not. This is why I wish to instigate a trade. It may not be in their best interests, but it will be in yours."
"I doubt it will peak my interest," the man returned. Wyatt remained quietly confidant, so much so that it would unsettle anyone who watched him. "What kind of leverage would you have for such an onerous task?"
"Bianca," Wyatt replied shortly. The other man's face remained blank. "Don't look at me as if you don't know who she is. Just because your coven tried to bury her as some dirty secret, the one that got away, think of the prestige that would befall you if I just handed her straight back into your palm. Do with her what you will; I'm sure she's long overdue for some kind of punishment. That little black mark can be wiped away forever and you won't have anything to fear from the outside world anymore. So do we have a deal?"
After some thought, the other man agreed. All Chris knew was Bianca was now in grave danger, and the sooner he got her to sever all ties with Wyatt, the better. Before he could be spotted, Chris orbed back to his apartment, calling Bianca's name.