Legacy 207: The Perks of Being a Warlock
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Paris, one year ago.
Grace was awakened by a gentle breeze and sunlight on her face. Opening her eyes, she found herself lying in a hotel room with a view of the Eiffel Tower. She smiled contently as she turned around to face the man she loved, only to find her bed empty. She quickly sat up, growing nervous that something had happened. Had he left her? Or had their scheme finally been revealed and did someone take him away from her? Grace wrapped the sheet of the bed around her as she got up and looked around. His clothes were gone. She sat back down on the bed and looked at herself in the mirror, tears forming in her eyes. Maybe she had made a terrible mistake, but her feelings were real and she truly believed that he had felt the same about her.
Grabbing her phone, Grace was about to call her sister and confess to everything when the hotel door opened. Luke entered the room, holding two coffees and a bag filled with fruit and croissants. Grace jumped up and threw herself around him.
"Don't ever do that to me again!" She said both relieved and angry.
"What?" Luke asked. "Get you breakfast in bed?"
"No, leaving like that without saying a word." Grace replied. "I was afraid that something had happened to you."
"I was just trying to surprise you." Luke said. "I'm sorry."
"That's sweet." Grace replied as she sat back down on the bed. "All this sneaking around and keeping secrets is making me nervous. I hate having to lie to my family."
"I know." Luke said. "But you know they wouldn't understand. I'm a warlock and you're a witch. We come from completely different worlds."
"Are we making a mistake?" Grace asked.
"No, I don't think so." Luke replied. "Grace, I never felt anything like this before in my life. All I've ever known was loneliness and anger. You changed that."
"I've never felt like this before either." Grace admitted. "I just wish we didn't have to hide."
"There is a way." Luke noted. "A way we could be together forever."
"Don't go there." Grace replied. "I could never do that and I don't want to."
"You're right, I'm sorry." Luke said. "I would not wish this upon you anyway. Warlocks are hated and despised by both good and evil."
"Why is that?" Grace asked.
"It's how it has always been." Luke noted. "I don't know why or when it started, but somehow our kind became the outcast of both sides."
"Maybe that will change someday." Grace noted. "Maybe we can change everyone's mind."
"I hope you are right, my love." Luke said. "Now let's not waste time discussing the world and let's focus on us instead. I brought us breakfast in bed, after all."
"Then let's enjoy it." Grace replied with a smile. "Get those clothes off and get back into bed with me."
Grace lied back down on the bed and watched as Luke quickly stripped off his clothes to reveal his gorgeous, muscular body. She laughed as he jumped on the bed with her and wrapped his arms around her before passionately kissing her. She smiled at him seductively as she dug her nails into his back. Their breakfast would have to wait a little longer, as she was hungry for something else.
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Present day,
Grace woke up with a gasp, looking around at a dark and empty room. Overwhelmed with a sense of loneliness and pain, she closed her eyes again and desperately tried to get back to her dream. Except it wasn't a dream, it was a memory of a time when she had been happy. A memory that was already starting to fade again. All of that had been ripped away from her, leaving her alone. She wondered if this was how Luke felt all those years before they met. The life of a warlock was harsh and cruel without someone there to love. She was alone and moments like this hurt the most. All she could do was put on a brave face and keep going.
Grace got out of bed and headed to the shower, trying to clear her mind of her stupid emotions. She didn't need anyone, she was strong and free. She could explore the world and take whatever she wanted without looking back. After finishing her shower and drying off, she opened her closet and had her pick of expensive clothes. She chose a red jacket and leather pants, along with some killer designer boots she had picked up in Milan last week.
She opened the curtains of her hotel room and stared at the skyline of Seattle. She never stayed in one place for long, as she had always wanted to see everything. Grabbing her purse, she blinked out of her room and onto the street. She needed a coffee. As she crossed the street, she bumped into a young man in a suit. He looked like a businessman, though he seemed terrified and sweaty.
"Hey, watch it." Grace snapped at him.
"Sorry." The man quickly said. "He's after me."
"Who is after you?" Grace asked.
The businessman looked over his shoulder and Grace noticed a tall man in a dark suit coming toward them. Whether it was her former witchy intuition or just evil recognizing evil, Grace could instantly tell he was a demon.
"Oh great." Grace remarked. "Can't a girl get a cup of coffee in peace?"
"Please, you have to help me." The businessman said.
"Look, whatever mess you've gotten yourself into, it's not my problem." Grace said. "I bet you made some kind of deal to get rich quick, right?"
"How did you know?" The businessman asked.
"It doesn't matter." Grace replied. "You made your choice, now deal with the consequences."
The businessman nervously looked back and saw the demon had almost reached them. He tried to cross the street, but was blocked by a taxi, so instead he ran down an alley. The demon passed Grace and nodded at her before heading down the alley. Grace rolled her eyes and tried to walk away, but stopped when she heard the businessman scream. She reminded herself that this wasn't her fight, she wasn't a witch anymore. Warlocks didn't save innocents and the guy deserved what he got for making such a deal. Yet somehow she couldn't just abandon him.
"Why am I doing this?" Grace asked herself.
Grace ran down the alley and found the demon pinning the businessman against the wall with super strength. She flung her arm and telekinetically sent the demon flying against the wall. The businessman fell to the ground and hid behind a dumpster.
"What the hell?" The demon called out as he leaped up. "Stay out of my business, warlock."
"I wish I could." Grace admitted.
"You'll regret this." The demon snarled.
The demon jumped back up and fired a beam of red energy from his hand that knocked Grace off her feet. She quickly blinked and appeared behind the demon, forming a stream of fire in her hand. Before she could hit him, however, the demon spun around and hit her with another energy beam. This time, he kept going, trapping her against the wall with his powerful beam. Grace struggled to form a new flame in her hand, but she was determined not to lose to some random demon over nothing. She was about to throw her flame when the demon was suddenly impaled with a dart of pure white light. He stumbled back and exploded, releasing Grace from his beam.
"Are you okay?" Someone asked.
Grace looked up to see a teenaged girl standing in front of her. She had long brown hair, big brown eyes and olive skin, dressed in a denim jacket and a plaid skirt.
"I'm fine." Grace said. "I could have handled him."
"Of course." The girl replied. "Seems like we were tracking the same demon."
"No, I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time." Grace noted. "I'm not into the saving innocents business."
"So it's true." The girl said with a frown. "You're a warlock after all. I thought the demon made a mistake calling you that."
"Look, I'm not looking for trouble." Grace replied. "Let's just go our separate ways and forget we ever saw each other."
"No, wait." The girl said. "Please. I've been wanting to talk to a warlock for a long time. Most of them don't really want to talk to me."
"What could you possibly want from a warlock?" Grace asked.
"Well, I am one." The girl admitted. "At least, part of me is. I'm a witch but I have warlock blood as well. Please, my name is Izzy."
"I'm not an expert on warlocks." Grace replied. "All I know is that we kill witches for their powers, so you probably shouldn't seek them out."
"I can tell that you're different." Izzy said. "You went after a demon to save an innocent and you don't seem like you're after my powers either."
"What do you want exactly?" Grace asked.
"I want to know more about this dark part of me." Izzy replied. "I'm adopted and my parents won't talk about it, but it feels like something is missing."
"Maybe you should listen to your parents and let it go." Grace said. "Whatever you're looking for, I can tell you it's not worth it."
"I should have known." Izzy replied with a frown.
Izzy turned around and walked over to take care of her innocent. Grace could understand her desire to know herself and discover where she came from, but some things were better left alone. She was about to blink away when another demon appeared through a shimmer. Before Izzy had a chance to react, the demon grabbed her by the throat. As she struggled for air, the girl locked eyes with Grace, begging for her help. Despite her desire to stay out of it, Grace ran forward and telekinetically separated the two, after which she incinerated the demon with a powerful stream of fire.
"Thanks." Izzy said as she gasped for air.
"Don't mention it." Grace replied. "We're even now."
"Oh my God." The businessman said as he came out of his hiding spot. "I can't believe it, they would have killed me. Thank you both."
"You're involved in some very dangerous stuff, sir." Izzy said. "What happened?"
"They came out of nowhere when I was in a tight spot." The businessman replied. "I have debts, I was about to lose everything, my job, my house. I couldn't do that to my wife and son, so I made a deal."
"What kind of deal?" Grace asked.
"They needed names. People that nobody would miss." The businessman said. "My company supports a rehab clinic downtown. I gave them what they wanted."
"You sold out innocent people to save yourself." Izzy replied angrily.
"I'm not proud of what I did." The businessman admitted. "But I'd rather see some junkies disappear than see my son become homeless."
"You always have to take care of yourself first." Grace noted.
"Of course you would say that." Izzy said. "What else can you tell us about the demons?"
"Not much." The businessman replied. "But they gave me this card."
The man reached into his pocket and revealed a business card. Izzy accepted the card and held it up so they could both see it. It was a simple black card with the name Wulfric in silver letters. Grace knew the name. He was a power broker that owned a nightclub. Many warlocks visited the club to trade powers they had obtained for money or other things of value. It also explained why the demons were seeking people nobody would miss, as they were likely being used as human vessels to store magical powers.
"It doesn't say where the club is." Izzy noted.
"It is magically hidden." Grace replied. "You can only find it when you're invited or have been there before."
"We need to stop this demon." Izzy said.
"We?" Grace asked. "We don't have to do anything. I'm not getting involved."
"Fine, I don't need you." Izzy replied. "I'm sure there are other warlocks in the club that can tell me what I need to know after I vanquished Wulfric."
"Don't be an idiot." Grace snapped at her as she grabbed her arm. "You can't take on a demon like Wulfric on your own. You'll get yourself killed."
"Why do you care?" Izzy retorted. "I thought you only cared about yourself?"
"I do." Grace replied hesitantly as she released the young witch. "Fine, suit yourself."
"Guess I'm not the only one who is struggling with her identity." Izzy noted before turning her attention back to the businessman. "Come on, I'll take you somewhere safe."
Izzy rolled her eyes at Grace before leaving the alley. Grace clenched her fist and flames erupted from it. That little witch had a lot of nerve to talk to her like that. She had no idea what Grace had been through or what was going on in her life. If Izzy wanted to risk her life to save a corrupt businessman, that was her problem. Grace was glad that she was no longer caught up in the struggle between good and evil. She turned around and headed back to the street for her coffee, cursing herself for ever even getting involved in the first place.
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In an undisclosed location, Wulfric appeared in his nightclub through a swirl of black and purple smoke. The tall and blond demon was dressed in a black suit with an unbuttoned red shirt underneath. While he enjoyed fine clothing, he resented looking too formal. Most power brokers were known for their boring suits, so Wulfric always added a little flair. As he reached the bar, he was greeted by the bartender, who handed him his signature martini.
"Any news?" Wulfric asked.
"We've got two demons missing." The bartender said. "They were sent after that businessman in Seattle."
"And the target?" Wulfric asked as he took a sip.
"Untraceable." The bartender replied. "We suspect witches are involved."
"That's not good." Wulfric noted. "Can you handle it or do I have to call in our big guns?"
"I'll take care of it, Wulfric." The bartender said.
"You'd better." Wulfric replied. "Because I really do enjoy your martinis, so I'd hate to have to replace you. Now, do I have any appointments?"
"No official appointments, but there is a warlock here that has been begging for a chance to speak to you." The bartender said. "He is pretty persistent."
"Fine, let him in." Wulfric remarked. "It's not like I have anything else planned."
The bartender nodded and headed to the door. Wulfric finished his drink and walked to his private room on the first floor of the club, which had a balcony overlooking the dancefloor. He sat down behind his black desk and waited patiently. A few moments later, a young warlock with wavy brown hair and blue eyes entered. He was dressed in a dirty jacket and torn jeans, which instantly displeased Wulfric, as he maintained a strict dress code for his club. The warlock was lucky they were closed at the moment.
"You requested a meeting?" Wulfric asked.
"Yes sir." The demon said. "Thank you for agreeing to see me. My name is Asher."
"So what can I do for you?" Wulfric asked.
"I was actually hoping that I could do something for you." Asher said. "I was hoping to work for you. I'm the best when it comes to tracking and collecting rare powers."
"I have demons for that." Wulfric replied. "I have no interest in working with a lowly warlock."
"With all due respect, I'm no lowly." Asher said. "I come from a long, proud line of warlocks. Our name used to mean something in the Underworld. I want to reclaim that status."
"I see." Wulfric noted as he finally recognized the young man. "Your family has indeed fallen far. There was a time when your name was respected, despite being warlocks."
"There is no need for demons and warlocks to fight." Asher said. "We all want the same thing. I believe we can help each other."
"Alright, you have piqued my interest." Wulfric replied. "I'll give you a chance to prove yourself. A businessman escaped my demons with the help of witches. Bring him to me, along with the powers of those witches, and then we'll talk."
"Thank you, sir." Asher said. "I won't let you down."
"First things first." Wulfric replied. "I can't have to being associated with my club looking like that. Talk to the bartender and he'll get you cleaned up."
"You won't regret this." Asher said.
Asher left the office and Wulfric put his feet on the desk. He had no real interest in officially hiring the warlock, but his family was once a real threat. He could not let a warlock like that rise to power and threaten his business, so part of him hoped that the witches would vanquish the warlock before he became a problem. If he did somehow manage to defeat the witches and bring back the businessman, Wulfric could always take care of the warlock himself.
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