Legacy 209: Along Came a Phoenix
Part 5
Xxx
A chilling wind blew over the rooftop, but Bianca wasn't about to show any weakness in the situation she was in. She had gotten what she wanted, a meeting the matriarch of the Phoenix herself, her aunt Lucia. She was dressed in a long black raincoat and was accompanied by Beatrice, who looked ready to lunge at her. However, they both knew nothing would happen unless the matriarch allowed it. Chris stood next to Bianca and seemed nervous, though he was trying and failing to hide it. They had shared a moment, a kiss that triggered a feeling that Bianca had not felt in years. As much as she hated to admit it, she was starting to feel something for Chris that was more than just physical.
"Well?" Lucia asked impatiently. "Why did you ask for this meeting? And why are we having it with an outsider present? This is a family matter."
"He's with me, but he's not relevant to this conversation." Bianca replied. "We need to talk about what happened with Renata. I never intended to kill her, but she left me no choice."
Bianca looked at Chris and hoped that he would stay quiet, as him getting involved could only make things worse. Her aunt was not the type of person to listen to an outsider, especially not a man. Luckily, he seemed to understand the hint to stay quiet.
"What happened between you and my daughter?" Lucia asked.
"She challenged me and I defeated her." Bianca said. "I bested her and offered her a way out. To walk away, but she refused."
"That is not our way." Lucia said. "When a challenge is issued, the Phoenix fight to the death. I'm glad at least Renata seems to understand that. She died with honor."
"I didn't want to kill my own cousin!" Bianca snapped at her.
"And yet you did." Lucia replied bitterly. "You killed my daughter and for what? Why did Renata challenge you?"
"My last contract got complicated." Bianca said. "I had to get creative, but Renata didn't like how I ended it. She shouldn't have been there in the first place."
"I sent her to keep an eye on you." Lucia replied. "Are you implying its my fault?"
"No, of course not." Bianca said. "But she has always been jealous of me. She misinterpreted my actions as a result that jealously."
"So it was her own fault?" Lucia asked.
"It is the fault of the code." Bianca replied. "We were raised to follow it, kill whoever we are sent after. It's all black and white, but things are more complicated than that."
"Out family code is sacred." Beatice hissed. "The fact that you question it is a sign of weakness."
"Enough." Lucia said as she raised her hand. "You were not given permission to speak."
"That is exactly the problem, isn't it?" Bianca noted. "We are nothing but weapons to you, not being allowed to think for ourselves."
"We follow the code for a reason." Lucia said. "We don't decide who lives and dies, our contractors do. When we start doubting whether or not someone deserves to die, we hesitate and get hurt. The code was put in place to protect the family."
"What if there is another way?" Bianca replied.
"There isn't." Lucia said determinedly. "The Phoenix are born with the mark of Salem. We honor our ancestors and their vengeance, we live and die as assassins. Nobody turns their back on the family."
"No, that's not what I want." Bianca admitted, surprising herself with her honesty. "I want more out of life than just one contract after the other."
"And what is it you want, Bianca?" Lucia asked as she glared at Chris. "Love? Is that what this entire thing is about? Is he the reason my daughter died?"
Lucia raised her hand and formed an Energy Ball, while Beatrice pulled out her athame. Bianca could see the anger and resentment in her aunt's eyes, already blaming Chris for what happened. He backed up and raised his hand defensively, but Bianca stepped in and lowered his hand, positioning herself between him and her family. Her aunt allowed the Energy Ball to evaporate and Bianca could tell she was truly disappointed in her.
"So it's true." Lucia said. "You fell in love with this boy, didn't you? Renata found out and challenged you, which got her killed."
"This has nothing to do with Chris." Bianca replied. "I would never throw my entire life away or betray my family for something so silly as love. I never wanted to be an assassin in the first place. I've hating killing since I was a child."
"You sound like your mother." Lucia said. "She was weak as well. I had higher hopes for you, but I guess I was wrong."
"My mother?" Bianca asked. "What does she have to do with this?"
"None of that matters right now." Lucia replied. "You betrayed the family, betrayed our code. As matriarch, I cannot look past these facts. And as a mother, I can never forgive you."
"I don't want to fight." Bianca said.
"Then face with death with dignity." Lucia replied.
Lucia formed another Energy Ball and threw it at Bianca, though she was tackled to the ground by Chris before it could hit. He flung his arm and telekinetically threw back her aunt and Beatrice, though both landed and their feet and prepared for their next attack.
"I figured it was time I interfered." Chris noted.
"Thanks." Bianca replied. "I have to try to…"
"Bianca, no." Chris interrupted her. "You tried, but they won't listen. There's nothing left here for you."
Bianca knew he was right. As much as she wanted it to be different, she knew she could not change her aunt's mind. She valued their family code more than anything and she was grieving for her daughter. There was nothing she could do, but there was one more thing that troubled her. Lucia had mentioned her mother and she needed to know why.
Lucia threw another Energy Ball, while Beatrice disappeared in a shimmer. Chris deflected the Energy Ball and Bianca grabbed her athame, trying to predict where the other assassin would appear. She appeared behind them and threw her athame at Chris, though Bianca managed to hit it with her own blade so it missed. She knew they were outmatched, so she did the smart thing and grabbed Chris before shimmering away. They reappeared on another roof not far from the warehouse.
"Are you okay?" Chris asked.
"Not now." Bianca replied quickly. "They will be able to track that shimmer. We need to orb and shimmer at the same time to lose them. They won't be able to track two trails."
"And meet where?" Chris asked.
"There is a monument near the Golden Gate Bridge." Bianca replied. "My mom used to take me there."
"The palace." Chris noted. "I know it."
"Good, meet me there." Bianca said before they both disappeared from the rooftop.
Xxx
On the rooftop of the warehouse, Lucia picked up the athame that belonged to her niece. Bianca was just as weak as her mother, falling victim to her emotions. She could deny it all she wanted, but Lucia knew that boy had found his way into her heart. The Phoenix trained their entirely lives to snuff out feelings such as love and compassion, as they made women weak and allowed men to take advantage of them. Her ancestor had made that mistake once, and it led to the deaths of her sisters and set her on the path to becoming the first Phoenix. If Lucia was not careful, Bianca's mistake could lead to the death of their entire family. As assassin defecting because of love would be seen as weakness by their enemies.
Beatrice appeared in a shimmer and took a bow. "I lost them." she admitted. "They teleported separately to lose their trail."
"I trained her well." Lucia noted. "What a waste of talent."
"Bianca is not the only skilled assassin, ma'am." Beatrice said. "Give me another chance and I will best her. I will prove myself."
"You shall have that chance." Lucia replied.
"How?" Beatrice asked. "Finding her won't be easy."
"No, but I suspect she'll come to us." Lucia noted.
"Why would she do that?" Beatrice asked.
"I planted a seed." Lucia replied. "She'll come looking for answers."
"And we'll be ready." Beatrice said determined.
"You will have one last chance to prove you're a better assassin than Bianca." Lucia said. "And perhaps even a worthy heir to my title."
"Thank you, matriarch." Beatrice replied. "I won't fail you again."
Beatrice disappeared in a shimmer, leaving Lucia alone with her thoughts. She was convinced that Bianca would come for answers. She had planted the seed of doubt about her mother's death for exactly that purpose. She would get the truth, after which she would be reunited with her mother in the afterlife. Bianca would not come alone, but Lucia had plans for the boy as well. He would pay the price for turning a Phoenix against her own family.
Xxx
In San Francisco, Melinda was driving home with Faye in the passenger seat. Both were still freaked out after the weeping woman attack and had barely spoken a word. Melinda wondered why the spirit had appeared out of nowhere like that. Perhaps it felt threatened by her presence and wanted to get rid of her. Whatever the reason, it was clear they were dealing with an aggressive spirit that wasn't giving up without a fight. She needed to find a way to stop it. Her mom had told her that only a mother's love could defeat it, but what did that mean? When they arrived at the apartment, Melinda parked the car and turned to Faye.
"Are you okay?" Melinda asked.
"How can you ask me a question like that?" Faye retorted. "I found out magic is real; my baby is a witch and I just got attacked by a ghost. Of course I'm not okay."
"I know it's a lot to handle." Melinda replied. "More than anyone should handle in your position. Most people would shut down, but you're holding on."
"It's not like I have a choice." Faye said. "I have to fight to protect my son."
"We'll find a way to stop her, I promise." Melinda said. "Come on, let's go inside."
Melinda and Faye got out of the car and went inside. When she opened the door, Melinda was surprised to hear a noise coming from the living room. She walked in and found Ryan watching TV. While she would normally be glad to see him in a situation like this, him being here was bad for multiple reasons. The spirit would only get more dangerous with a man present, and she wanted to keep Faye hidden a little while longer until she could decide what to tell Wyatt.
"Ryan, what are you doing here?" Melinda asked. "Why aren't you at the restaurant?"
"I got Lindsey to cover for me." Ryan said. "I thought we could have dinner together."
"Now is not a good time." Melinda said.
"What's wrong? You look nervous." Ryan asked as he got up, at which point he saw Faye in the hallway. "Oh, hi, I didn't know we had company."
"Don't mind me." Faye replied.
"Wait, didn't you used to work at P3?" Ryan asked. "You're Penny's friend, right?"
"I'm Faye." Faye replied.
"You're pregnant too?" Ryan asked surprised when he saw her belly. "Congratulations."
"Ryan, now is not really a good time." Melinda quickly said before he asked more questions. "I'm helping Faye deal with something."
"What's going on?" Ryan asked before reducing his voice to a whisper. "Is it something magical?"
"Yes, and you don't need to whisper." Melinda replied. "Faye knows I'm a witch. She is being haunted by an evil spirit that's after her baby."
"What?" Ryan asked shocked. "Mel, if that's the case, should you really be the one helping her? Why don't you call your brothers or your cousins?"
"I can't." Melinda replied. "It has to be me. This spirit can only be defeated by a mother."
"But our baby…" Ryan said.
"Our baby will be fine." Melinda promised. "I won't let anything bad happen to our family. You have to trust me."
"Of course I trust you." Ryan admitted. "But you wanted to get away from all of this."
"I know, but I can't turn by back on another mom." Melinda said. "I have to do this, and you can't be here when the spirit comes."
"Why not?" Ryan asked. "I can help."
"The spirit is vengeful toward men, especially fathers." Melinda explained. "You being here will only make her angrier and more dangerous."
"Okay, I understand." Ryan replied. "But I still think you should call your family. What about Penny? She knows Faye."
"She won't be able to help." Melinda said. "Please, nobody can know about this. I will explain everything later, but please don't tell the family."
"Alright." Ryan said reluctantly. "I won't tell, but don't take unnecessary risks. When things go wrong, promise me you'll call them right away."
"I promise." Melinda said.
Ryan nodded and hugged her tightly. Melinda could tell he was scared about losing her and the baby, but she needed to do this. She needed to protect Faye and her unborn nephew. She would explain everything when the time was right, but for this to work, Ryan couldn't be here.
"Please go." Melinda said. "I'll call you when it's over. I love you."
"I love you too." Ryan said.
Ryan gave her a kiss and then grabbed his jacket, walking out of the apartment. Faye entered the living room and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Thank you." Faye asked. "I know I put you in an impossible position."
"It's not your fault." Melinda replied. "You didn't ask for any of this. You're just a mom trying to protect your baby. I think all moms… Wait, that's it."
"What?" Faye asked.
"Mothers would do anything to protect their kids." Melinda said. "The weeping woman was a mother as well. Maybe that's why only a mother's love can defeat her."
"You're not making sense." Faye replied.
"What if we're not supposed to fight her?" Melinda explained. "What if we're meant to help her with her grief and end her suffering?"
"That's a pretty big what if." Faye said nervously. "I'm not saying I don't feel bad for her, but she is trying to take my son."
"We won't let that happen." Melinda replied. "We will try to communicate with her and if that fails, we will vanquish her."
"Alright." Faye said. "Let's try."
Melinda nodded and walked over to the cabinet in the living room to get some candles. She hoped her instincts about this were right, as they were taking a big risk. The weeping woman was a grieving mother, so hopefully they could help her find peace and move on.
Xxx
Chris appeared in the gardens of the Palace of Fine Arts in a column of orbs. Although it was nighttime, the lights surrounding the building were on, illuminating the gardens and the large pond. It was a beautiful sight, so he understood why Bianca loved coming here. She should have been there already, so Chris was starting to worry. Had something gone wrong? Or had she decided to go her separate way after all? The meeting was tense and emotional. Bianca had tried to find a peaceful solution, but the matriarch had made her intentions clear. He could not even imagine being treated like that by your own family.
"Bianca?" Chris called out.
"Over here." A voice sounded.
Chris followed the voice and found Bianca sitting on a bench underneath a stone arch, overlooking a fountain.
"I couldn't find you." Chris said. "I thought you might have left."
"I considered it." Bianca admitted. "But then, I don't have anywhere else to go."
"What happened on the rooftop was difficult." Chris said as he sat down next to her. "But you tried to do the right thing."
"Tell that to my aunt." Bianca remarked. "The Phoenix only know how to deal with problems one way. We kill anyone that wrongs us."
"You're not like your family." Chris said. "Your aunt might think love and forgiveness make you weak, but they're a sign of strength."
"My mother believed that as well." Bianca replied as she stared at the water. "And I think it's what got her killed."
"What do you mean?" Chris asked.
"My aunt mentioned I sounded like her." Bianca explained. "When I was a girl, I asked my mother was it was like to kill and she told me the truth. A few weeks later, she was killed while on a job and my aunt wasted no time to start my training."
"Do you think your aunt had something do with it?" Chris asked.
"I've always felt like something was wrong." Bianca said. "But I refused to believe my aunt would hurt her own sister. But what if my mom tried to get me away from the family?"
"Your aunt would consider it a betrayal." Chris noted.
"Exactly." Bianca replied. "I have to confront my aunt. Not just to end this, but to learn the truth about my mother's death."
"You won't be alone." Chris said determined.
Bianca looked at him and he could see tears in her eyes. She leaned in and kissed him. Although it felt wonderful, Chris didn't want to take advantage of the situation. She was emotional and feeling alone. As much as he wanted this kiss and more, it didn't feel right.
"Wait, should we be doing this?" Chris asked. "You're hurting."
"Chris, I'm a grown woman." Bianca said as she got up from the bench. "I know what I feel and what I need. So either leave or shut up and give me what I want."
Chris didn't hesitate or think. They both wanted the same thing, so he rose to his feet and gave in. Kissing passionately, they stumbled against one of the pillars of the archway. Bianca lifted his shirt over his head as he stripped off her jacket. He kissed her neck and took off her shirt while she unzipped his jeans. They turned around and fell into the grass, fully giving into their desires.
xxx