Legacy 206: Pardon My Past Again
Part 6
Xxx
New York, September 1776
As the restaurant burned down behind her, Phillipa walked into the night. Her heart was shattered and her mind filled with rage and pain. After all she had been through, she thought that Alvize was the man she could love, but he turned out to be a demon. She knew about demons and the suffering they brought. Her family lineage was destined to fight these evils and protect the innocent. As much as the world had hurt her and despite how much she resented the people of this city, she could not stand by and let this evil roam free.
Phillipa returned to her hotel and changed out of the dress she wore, replacing it with a coat and skirt that was more suited for fighting. She also grabbed the Book of Shadows from under her bed and cast a locator spell on it, ensuring that it would find her daughter if she did not return. As Phillipa looked as the drawing of Melinda Warren in the book, she felt saddened.
"Are we all cursed to suffer?" Phillipa whispered. "What good is all this power when all it brings us is pain?"
There was no response, of course. Phillipa did not expect it, as she had tried calling for her ancestors many times without result. Perhaps her choices had caused her family to turn her back on her. She hoped that by stopping Alvize and honoring their legacy, she would at least earn back their approval. She placed the book back under the bed and headed into the hallway, where she was confronted by Salvatore.
"The boss wants to talk." Salvatore said. "This doesn't have to end in conflict."
"It's too late for that." Phillipa replied. "Tell me where to find him."
"I won't let you destroy what we built." Salvatore hissed. "He is a fool when it comes to you, so I must protect him and the hive."
Salvatore transformed into his demonic form with the glowing red eyes and spit acid at her. Phillipa raised her hand and burned the acid away with flames. He then charged at her with super speed and pushed her against the wall. Before he could strike, Phillipa grabbed him by the throat and set him ablaze, vanquishing him instantly.
"What we built, huh?" Phillipa noted. "The mansion, of course."
Phillipa left the hotel and stole a horse and carriage from the hotel, making her way to the mansion that Alvize was building in the new part of the city. It was supposed to be their home, but it was going to be his grave. As she arrived and got off the carriage, she was confronted by several more bug-like demons. She quickly took care of them with her flames and made her way into the mansion. When she opened the doors, she found Alvize standing in the middle of the grand hall.
"I should have known you were a witch." Alvize noted. "The strength and determination you possess, it is magical."
"And I should have listened to my instincts and seen you for what you are." Phillipa replied.
"We can still be happy together." Alvize said. "Right here, we could rule this city together. Nobody will ever hurt you again."
"You are the last person that will hurt me, Alvize." Phillipa replied. "This ends here."
Phillipa raised her hand and threw a stream of fire at her lover, which he avoided through buzzing speed. Her flames hit the scaffolding and a fire erupted. Phillipa did not care about the damage she was doing, she would burn down this entire mansion to take Alvize down. He appeared behind her and grabbed her arm, forcing her to stop.
"Don't do this." Alvize whispered. "My feelings for you are real."
"You've given me no choice." Phillipa said. "I'd sooner let the flames destroy us both."
"I guess you truly are a phoenix." Alvize replied. "I had no idea how fitting that name would be, but I will not let you destroy what I have built here."
With her arm stuck in his grasp, Phillipa could not throw fire, so she instead reached into her pocket and revealed a hidden athame, which she lunged into his side. Alvize hissed as he stumbled back and fell to the floor. Phillipa stood over him as she summoned flames in both hands. Meanwhile, a sea of fire started to surround them as the mansion burned.
"I'm sorry, my love." Phillipa said.
"Do what you must then." Alvize replied as he resumed his human form. "This will not end here."
"What do you mean?" Phillipa asked.
"I am a Cicada Demon, my love." Alvize explained. "Once you destroy me, I shall be reborn in a new body in our hive. I shall start a new life cycle."
"Look around, I am burning your hive down as we speak." Phillipa said.
"Do you think I am stupid enough to build my hive here?" Alvize laughed. "The hive is hidden, somewhere you will never find it, as you will never leave here."
Alvize ripped the athame from his side, throwing at Phillipa and piercing her leg. She screamed as she fell down. She reached for her leg and pulled out the blade, but she soon realized that she could not walk anymore. As she looked around at the flames, she realized she was trapped. She crossed eyes with her lover as he rose up.
"I'm sorry it came to this." Alvize said. "You should have taken my offer."
"I will not love a demon." Phillipa said determined.
"But you were willing to love a criminal." Alvize noted. "Are they truly so different in your eyes?"
"A criminal is still human, he has the opportunity to change, to grow and to love." Phillipa replied. "A demon will never have that. Whatever you call love is not true love, it is possession."
"I will prove you wrong, my love." Alvize said. "If not in this lifetime, then perhaps in another."
"Only time will tell." Phillipa replied.
With her last remaining strength, Phillipa threw a stream of fire at Alvize, causing him to erupt in flames. He screamed as the flames consumed him and Phillipa watcher her lover turn to dust. As the fire surrounding her came closer, she knew it was over. Her leg was injured, she could not run, but part of her didn't even want to. She did not want to suffer anymore. Her only regret was that she had failed to destroy the hive permanently. As she closed her eyes, she felt no pain as flames engulfed her, unaware that her fire would spread across the entire city.
Xxx
Halliwell Manor, present.
Penny screamed as she woke up from the past life spell. Although she had not felt the flames, the thought of being burned alive was horrible. She sat up and found herself back in the manor, much to her relief. She felt saddened by everything she had experienced. Although she had her flaws, Phillipa did not deserve to suffer as much as she had. She was all alone in a world that was cruel to her, which made Penny appreciate and love her family even more.
"Penny!" Wyatt called out as he entered the living room. "I heard you scream."
"I'm fine." Penny replied. "It was just a lot to process. I experienced her death."
"Did it hurt?" Wyatt asked as he said down next to her.
"No, it was strangely calming." Penny admitted. "She was ready for it. For her, living was more painful than letting it end."
"I can't even imagine." Wyatt said. "She must have been through a lot."
"Yeah, she did." Penny replied.
"Did you learn anything useful?" Wyatt asked.
"I think I was meant to learn her story, to see what she has been through." Penny said. "She turned bitter and vengeful, which I've done as well. She taught me to do better and I owe it to her to finish what she started."
"That's good." Wyatt replied. "Though I think you've already grown a lot. You're not her, Penny."
"Thanks." Penny said. "I know I'm not her, but I still have some of the same flaws."
"We all have flaws, you know." Wyatt said.
"I guess we do. So have you heard from Julian and Henry?" Penny asked. "Or Reed?"
"I haven't heard from any of them." Watt replied. "But I have enough potions to vanquish an army by now."
"At least we'll be prepared when we hear something." Penny said. "I need some water. Even though it was just a spell, my skin feels dry as parchment."
Penny got up and headed to the kitchen for some water. Just as she had filled a glass and turned around, she was startled by the sudden flames that manifested into Julian and Henry. They were covered in dirty rags and looked defeated.
"What happened to you?" Penny asked.
"We were outplayed." Henry replied as he crossed his arms and turned to Julian. "Do you want to tell her or should I?"
"Go ahead, apparently, you know her more intimately than me." Julian countered.
"Guys, you were supposed to work together." Penny remarked. "What happened?"
"It's complicated." Julian said.
"What's complicated?" Wyatt asked as he entered the kitchen.
"Apparently, Julian is not the only Turner in town." Henry said.
"What?" Penny asked concerned. "It is Elizabeth? Is she back?"
"No, thank God." Julian said. "But Ivy isn't much better, she's Elizabeth's daughter, which means she is technically my aunt."
"And your sister." Henry noted.
"No, she's not!" Julian snapped at him. "Elizabeth was never my mother."
"Hold on, Elizabeth had another child after Cole?" Wyatt asked. "Where has she been all this time?"
"Ask Henry." Julian remarked. "Apparently he had his tongue down her throat a few months ago."
"What?!" Penny called out. "You… How?"
"In my defense, she's quite hot and looks barely over twenty." Henry noted. "We met in New York through Tess, I had no idea who she was. I only discovered she was a demon afterwards."
"This is a lot of information to process." Wyatt remarked as he sat down.
"It sure is, but all that matters at this moment is how she is involved with the Cicadas." Penny said. "They're the ones we need to focus on."
"Ivy is a black market dealer, apparently Alvize hired her to find an artifact that he needs to bring back Phillipa." Julian explained. "It's called the Soulthorn ring and once he puts it on you, Phillipa will be able to take over your body."
"Phillipa would never even take him back." Penny noted. "I saw how things ended between them, it was quite explosive."
"That doesn't mean he won't try." Julian said. "And if it doesn't work, the ring could kill you. So whatever happens, you need to stay as far away from that ring as possible."
"I'm not going to stand aside and let you deal with this." Penny said determined. "This is my fight as well. I need to be there when we destroy the hive, for Phillipa."
"We're not going to stop you." Wyatt said. "But if Julian is right, you need to be careful and don't get too close to Alvize."
"I'll deal with the rest of the hive and leave Alvize to you, I promise." Penny replied.
"I'll call Reed and tell him we're ready." Wyatt said.
Penny nodded as Wyatt grabbed his phone and left the room. She finished her water and told the others she was going to freshen up. After a quick change of clothes upstairs, she headed to the bathroom and splashed some water in her face. She looked at herself in the mirror and thought about Phillipa, Ruby and all the other people that Alvize had hurt. She was going to make sure that this life was going to be his last, for all their sakes.
Xxx
About an hour later, as the evening sky started to darken, Wyatt and the others arrived at the docks through an array of orbs and flames. They were all dressed for a fight, having their pockets and bags filled with vanquishing potions. Reed told them where to meet, so they quickly made their way there while being careful not to be spotted by demonic guards. Wyatt's stomach fluttered a little at the thought of working with Reed, but he needed to put his Wiccan duties first. His family was depending on him, so he couldn't get distracted anymore. When they reached the back on a warehouse, they stopped and waited.
"Took you long enough." Reed remarked as he appeared out of hiding.
"We needed time to prepare." Wyatt said.
"So you're the mysterious agent we're been hearing about." Henry noted.
"And you must be Henry and Julian." Reed replied as he quickly scanned them with his eyes. "I've read your dossiers."
"You have a dossier on me?" Julian asked with a frown.
"We have dossiers on everyone." Reed replied. "Don't worry, it's all confidential."
"I don't trust him." Julian said. "Are we sure we should be working with the government? They don't have a good track record when it comes to magic."
"We've learned from our mistakes." Reed replied. "The MIND program is being led by highly skilled people dedicated to protecting both mortals and magical beings."
"Seriously, do you have to argue with everyone?" Penny remarked as she nudged Julian in the shoulder. "We're all here for the same thing."
"Penny's right, we need to deal with the Cicadas." Wyatt said. "Reed, can you fill us in?"
"Of course." Reed replied. "I counted at least twenty men inside, including Russo himself. They are definitely guarding something. There are three entry points, the main entrance, a fire escape and a boarded up door that they don't use anymore. The main entrance is heavily guarded, but the other two are not. I suggest splitting up and attacking from two fronts."
"That makes sense." Wyatt said.
"There is one more thing." Reed continued. "Right before you called, Russo had a meeting with a dark-haired woman. She handed him a small package, but I couldn't see what."
"Ivy." Henry said. "That means he has the ring."
"Is that something we should be concerned about?" Reed asked.
"Whatever happens, we can't let him put that ring on Penny." Wyatt said. "We need to keep her away from Alvize."
"Has this something to do with the past life thing?" Reed asked.
"Yes, it does." Penny replied. "But I don't need any special treatment, I can take care of myself."
"Oh, I remember." Reed noted with a smile.
"We should get moving." Wyatt quickly said. "The three of us should take the fire escape while Julian and Henry orb in through the hidden door."
"Sounds good." Julian replied. "We need to stay low until we know for certain the hive is here. If it's not here and we alert them, they'll go underground and we'll never find it again."
"Agreed." Reed said. "Let's move."
The others nodded and they split up in two groups. Wyatt followed Reed and Penny to the fire escape and they quietly climbed up the stairs. As soon as they entered, they were confronted with a demon, though Penny quickly hypnotized him to be quiet and vanquished him with a potion. The warehouse was an open space with a metal balcony railings above, while the back was divided in several smaller rooms. As they carefully walked across the balcony, Wyatt noticed a large metal tube below with stairs going underground. It was guarded by several demons.
"That has to be it." Penny whispered.
"We're not getting in there without a fight." Reed replied.
"I might be able to." Wyatt said.
Wyatt moved to the stairs and the others followed. Once they were out of sight, Wyatt waved a hand over his face and magically glamoured into the demon he had just vanquished.
"Nice trick." Reed noted.
"I'll confirm the hive is down there." Wyatt said. "Wait for my signal."
"Be careful." Penny replied.
Wyatt nodded and further made his way down the stairs. He tried to adjust his walk to look more menacing and confident, acting like tough demon. When he reached the group guarding the tunnel, one of the demons gave him a funny look.
"Aren't you guarding the fire escape?" the demon asked.
"One of the others took over for a moment." Wyatt replied. "I needed to stretch my legs, so I figured I'd do a round."
"The boss is down there already." The demon replied. "He's inspecting the pods."
"The pods?" Wyatt noted. "Of course, with the witches causing trouble, we want to make sure the hive is secure, right?"
"You're very chatty today." The demon said with a suspicious frown. "What's going on?"
"Nothing much, I just needed to make sure I was in the right spot." Wyatt replied.
Wyatt quickly raised his hands and created a large force field that he pushed forward, knocking all of the demons off their feet. He resumed his own appearance as Reed and Penny joined him. As the demons got back up, Julian and Henry orbed through the wall behind them and started vanquishing them. Julian threw fireballs while Henry used potions. Wyatt and the others joined the fight and they quickly vanquished all demons in the warehouse. One tried to escape down the tunnel, but Reed shot him with an enchanted bullet, vanquishing him instantly.
"That was easy." Henry noted.
"We're not done yet." Reed replied. "The real fight is down there and we mad enough noise that they know we're coming."
"That's fine." Penny remarked. "Let's just get this over with."
"I was thinking the same thing." Someone said.
Wyatt heard a buzzing sound as something leaped out of the tunnel with super speed and circled them, knocking them to the ground. The figure stopped as he grabbed Penny, revealing himself as Alvize. Before Wyatt or the others had a chance to react, the demon charged forward with Penny and disappeared down the dark tunnel.
xxx
