Legacy 210: Now You Seer Me

Xxx

As light rain fell from the skies, Ivy Turner appeared on the doorstep of the Turner Mansion in a shimmer. She was dressed in a green raincoat with a black top and checkered skirt underneath, holding a small wooden box in her hands. She opened the door of the mansion and hurried inside to get out of the rain before it ruined her shoes. The moment she set foot in the hallway, she sensed she was not alone. She took off her coat and put away the box she was carrying before walking into the study to face her guest.

"This is starting to feel like Deja vu." Ivy noted. "Can I offer you a drink?"

"How kind of you." Her guest replied.

Ivy walked to the bar and poured a strong drink for her guest and herself. As she turned around, she found Selene sitting in the same chair as last time, though this time she was wearing a sleek black dress and leather stiletto boots. Ivy walked over and handed her the drink before sitting down.

"You know why I'm here." Selene said.

"Of course." Ivy replied. "You hired me to find an artifact, but I'm afraid it's taking longer than expected. The thing you want is quite unique."

"I'm well aware." Selene said. "That's why I came to you."

"Well, I can do magic, but not miracles." Ivy admitted. "I was able to track its location to the current owner but getting it from him won't be easy."

"I understand." Selene replied as she took a sip of her drink. "I'm a patient woman, Ivy. After all, I've been imprisoned for millennia. However, my patience is not without limits."

"I'm doing my best. I've done business with the owner before." Ivy explained. "He's quite the collector and doesn't part with his artifacts easily."

"Convince him." Selene demanded calmly. "You wouldn't want to disappoint me, right?"

"Of course not." Ivy said nervously. "May I ask why you want it?"

"No, you may not." Selene replied. "Do whatever you need to get it, you have two more days. And just as a reminder, this little conversation needs to remain private."

"Of course." Ivy said. "I'll get it."

"Good girl." Selene replied as she finished her drink. "With what's coming, you'd do well to remain in my good graces."

Selene put her glass down and disappeared through pale grey orbs. Ivy sighed in relief and finished her own drink to calm her nerves. She needed to get that artifact, as her very life depended on it. However, the current owner was a renown and powerful demon named Forcas. He was an obsessive collector of artifacts and while Ivy had sold him a few things over the years, she had never heard him ever selling something once it was in his collection.

The only silver lining was that Forcas was not just obsessive about his artifacts, he also liked to flaunt them. He was known for hosting extravagant balls to show his collection. As fortune would have it, he was throwing one of his famous balls tomorrow. Ivy returned to the hallway and picked up the wooden box she had brought home. She opened it and looked at the priceless crystals inside. They would be enough to get her a private meeting with Forcas.

Ivy hoped he would be willing to sell the artifact, but if he refused, the ball would be the perfect opportunity to steal it. The only problem was that she could not pull off a heist like that on her own. Luckily, she knew just the right person to help her.

Xxx

Julian stepped out of the elevator and onto a rooftop terrace where a party was being held. The air was warm and humid and many people were dancing to the mind-numbing beat. He hated loud music, but he was there for a reason. He just didn't know what that reason was. He looked at himself in the reflection of the window and saw he was wearing a black tank top with an open dress shirt and dark jeans. Why couldn't he remember where he was or why he was there?

"You came." A voice said.

Julian turned around and saw a young woman walking in his direction, seemingly recognizing him. She had long wavy black hair and was of Asian descent, wearing a seductive little blue dress. He noticed her arm and saw many colorful and intricate tattoos covering it. She was a gorgeous sight to behold and Julian sensed that he knew her, though he couldn't remember her name.

"You invited me, didn't you?" Julian replied.

"Of course." The woman noted. "But I wasn't sure you were coming."

The woman wrapped her hands around his neck and kissed him. Julian was stunned it happened, but he returned her kiss and ran his hand down her back. Memories flashed in his mind of an earlier time, the same woman in a dark bar. She came to talk to him and shard a drink. The next memory was them entering the bathroom while passionately making out and her pulling him into a stall. Strange that he had been so intimate with her and still didn't know her name. The flashes ended as she stopped kissing him.

"We should get a drink." The woman said.

"Sure, what are we having?" Julian replied.

The woman smiled as pulled him into the crowd. Time lapsed in a blur and Julian found himself sitting in a longue seat in the corner. The same woman was next to him and was leaning against him with her head on his chest. They had danced earlier, though he couldn't remember it.

"You want me to tell me your fortune?" The woman asked.

"I'd rather not think about the future." Julian remarked. "Or the past for that matter."

"What are you hiding from?" The woman asked. "Why did you come to Bangkok?"

"You tell me." Julian replied.

The woman smiled as she sat up. She took his hand and opened it on her lap, tracing the lines in his palm with her delicate fingers.

"You've been hurt before." The woman said. "You lost someone and are running from that pain. You were forced to make an impossible choice."

"How do you know?" Julian asked. "You didn't find me by accident, did you? Do know who I am?"

"I have no idea." The woman replied. "But my path led me to that bar, to you. My visions always happen for a reason and I follow them."

"Who and what are you?" Julian asked. "A psychic or a witch?"

"I have no magic other than my sight." The woman replied. "I'm not like you."

"I'm dangerous to be around." Julian said. "I have enemies."

"You are dangerous, but not for the reason you think." The woman said. She suddenly tightened her grip on his arm and her eyes turned pitch black, while her voice deepened. "There is darkness inside of you, Julian. You can't run from it."

Shocked by the sudden change, Julian pushed her off him and got up. As she stared at him with hollow, black eyes, he noticed that the music had disappeared. He looked around and everyone on the rooftop was staring at him. A whispering voice sounded and everything turned dark. The whispering grew louder as he screamed and fell to his knees, closing his eyes and trying to block out the noise.

When Julian opened his eyes, he knew something was wrong. He looked at his hands and saw they were covered in blood. There were several dead bodies around him, including the young woman he had been with. He still couldn't remember her name. Despite not remembering what happened, he knew he was responsible. He had killed them all.

Something grabbed Julian by the shoulder and he was ripped away from the rooftop. He suddenly found himself standing in a dark, endless voice. The same whispering voice returned, guttural and demonic. Julian turned around and saw a creature standing behind him. A large demon with red skin with black lines, with pitch black eyes. The demon roared and charged Julian. Before it could get to him, Julian was pulled out of the darkness.

Xxx

When Julian opened his eyes with a gasp, he realized he was lying on a bunch of pillows in the attic. Henry was standing over him with a concerned look in his eyes. Knowing he was back in reality, Julian sat up and took off the Soulthorn Ring. He had used the ring to travel into his subconscious to find out what happened in Bangkok and how to control his inner demon. This was the first time he had come face to face with it and it scared him more than he was willing to admit. He didn't want to be that creature.

"I had to pull you out, you were screaming." Henry said. "What happened?"

"You did the right thing." Julian replied. "If I had stayed any longer, I would have lost control."

"Okay, this is getting dangerous." Henry said. "I know you want answers, but maybe this isn't the way. We've been at it for weeks."

"What other way is there?" Juliana asked. "I need to know to control the demon before he takes over again. I know I'm getting closer."

"Did you finally learn the woman's name?" Henry asked.

"No, but I remember more about her." Julian said. "I think she was a psychic."

"Well, I guess you have a type." Henry remarked as he rolled his eyes. "Mommy issues."

"Shut up, twerp." Julian replied with a glare. "The woman is an important piece of the puzzle. We didn't meet by accident, she found me in that bar."

"Do you think she had something to do with it?" Henry asked.

"I don't know, the memories are blurred." Julian said. "I keep missing pieces. Not just when I killed those people, but before that as well."

"You were blacking out before the demon took over?" Henry asked.

"Or maybe its just my mind playing tricks on me." Julian said.

"Either way, we need to find out who this woman was." Henry replied. "I think you're right, she has to be involved somehow. Could she have somehow brought out the demon?"

"She said she had no magic other than her visions." Julian said.

"Well, she could be lying." Henry noted. "If she's responsible, she'd want to keep that hidden."

"She's not responsible, Henry." Julian said. "Whatever happened, demon nor not, I'm still the one who killed those people."

"Yes, you did." Henry admitted. "But if you were being manipulated or tricked somehow, wouldn't that change things, even a little?"

"I'm not looking for excuses, I just want the truth." Julian said determined.

"Then we'll find it." Henry replied.

"You just said it was getting too dangerous." Julian said.

"Well, maybe I was wrong." Henry replied. "Besides, we still have this."

Henry kicked his foot against one of the crystals lying on the floor, disabling the crystal cage that surrounded Julian the entire time. It was a necessary precaution they had agreed upon, but Julian wasn't fully convinced it would be enough when the demon took over again.

"Alight, am I done babysitting?" Henry asked.

"Yeah, I'll clean up." Julian replied. "I'll write down what I've learned this time."

"Great, I'm going to order pizza." Henry said. "Are you joining me?"

"Sure." Julian replied. "Just no mushrooms."

"I guess I'm ordering two pizzas then." Henry remarked.

Henry left the attic and Julian got up from the pillows on the floor. He grabbed the notebook he had been describing his experiences in and wrote down everything he could remember. He also tried to sketch the woman he had been with, but just like always, her details started to fade instantly. He zoned out for a while as he tried to visualize her. When he looked at the sketch, he saw he had drawn Talia instead. It happened every time. She was still on his mind, as much as he tried to forget her. He tore up the paper and wanted to start over, but he knew it was pointless.

Julian put the notebook away and headed downstairs. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, Henry came walking out of the kitchen.

"Pizza is on its way." Henry said.

"Good, I'm starving." Julian replied. "Is Wyatt joining us?"

"No, he got assigned a new charge, a future Whitelighter." Henry said. "Darklighter activity is up big time, so all Whitelighters are working overtime."

"The Trinity is starting to make moves." Julian noted.

"Yeah, it's…" Henry started to say, but he was distracted by the doorbell. "Huh, the pizza guy is fast tonight."

"Too fast." Julian replied.

Sensing trouble was incoming, Julian and Henry slowly walked to the front door. They opened the door and were surprised to see Ivy standing on the front porch. She smiled as she saw them and Julian instantly knew his senses were correct. Ivy Turner was definitely trouble.

Xxx

In downtown San Francisco, Payton and Penny left a movie theater and walked down the street to one of Payton's favorite coffee places. It was raining, so both sisters huddled under an umbrella. They had gone to see a romantic comedy about a shy high school girl falling in love with the popular jock, only for her to realize she had loved her geeky friend all along. It was predictable but romantic, the main characters even reminded Payton a little of Liam and herself.

"Next time I'm picking the movie." Penny remarked. "That was too sickeningly sweet."

"I thought it was cute." Payton said.

"Of course you'd like it." Penny noted. "It's like it was written for you. Meanwhile, the character I identify with most is portrayed as a villain."

"The rebellious older sister who just causes chaos?" Payton replied. "Yeah, sounds like you."

"Very funny." Penny said. "She had no redeeming qualities; she was just the bad girl. I'd like to think I'm bit more layered than that."

"Of course you are, especially now." Payton replied. "But you were that girl back in high school. I heard the stories."

"Oh, I doubt you heard all the stories." Penny said with a smirk.

"I think I'd like to keep it that way." Payton replied.

"That's probably for the best." Penny said with a shrug. "But while we're on the subject of high school love, how are things going between you and Harry Potter?"

"His name is Liam." Payton said with a frown. "Things are going great."

"Have you guys… done stuff?" Penny asked carefully.

"I don't want to talk about that kind of stuff." Payton replied. "That's personal."

"Come on, we're sisters." Penny said. "We should be able to talk about these things. It's just the two of us now, you know."

"Like I could ever forget." Payton replied. "Alright, if you really want to know, we haven't done anything besides kissing."

"Really?" Penny asked. "You're not a virgin anymore, right? Not after Sean."

"Penny!" Payton called out embarrassed, looking around to make sure nobody heard them. "No, I'm not, but that doesn't mean we're ready for that step."

"Oh, so he is the virgin." Penny concluded. "That makes sense, he looks like the shy type."

"Can we please stop talking about this?" Payton replied. "For your information, we really like each other, and we're taking things slow until we're both ready."

"But you want to." Penny noted.

"I really like him." Payton said hesitantly. "So yeah, I guess so. But I don't want to push it."

"Alright, I was just poking fun at you before, but I understand." Penny replied. "If you really like him, you should take things slow. You're not like me."

"You say that like being you is a bad thing." Payton said.

"Well, I didn't always make the best decisions." Penny admitted. "Maybe I still don't. All I know is that I'm not exactly lucky in love, which is pretty ironic since I'm supposed to be half Cupid."

"What about DJ?" Payton asked. "Have you talked to him after Halloween?"

"What's there to talk about?" Penny replied. "He doesn't remember what happened that night."

"But you do." Payton said. "You shared true love's kiss."

"Payton, there is no such thing." Penny countered somewhat annoyed. "We were stuck in a world of fairy tales, true love doesn't exist in the real world."

"I believe it does." Payton replied. "Maybe not like in the fairy tales, but some version of it. You have to believe that at least."

"Of course I believe in love." Penny said. "However, you also have be compatible in other stuff. Even if I liked DJ like that, you saw how he reacted to us being witches."

"Maybe it will be different when he finds out the right way." Payton noted. "That night was crazy, even by our standards."

"Maybe." Penny said hesitantly. "I've been avoiding him."

"You like him, don't you?" Payton asked. "Remember, we're sisters, so we should be able to talk about these things."

"Fine." Penny replied as she rolled her eyes. "I guess I like him a little bit. What's not to like? He's passionate, determined and also incredibly hot. I just don't know if I can trust him."

"There's only one way to find out." Payton said.

Penny shrugged and Payton knew her sister well enough to know the subject was closed for discussion. She wasn't going to talk about it anymore. They arrived at the coffee place and Penny closed the umbrella while Payton opened the door. Just as Payton was about to walk in, a woman in a hooded trench coat left the coffee place and bumped into her. The moment they touched, Payton was sucked into a powerful premonition that knocked her off her feet.

Payton saw flashes of a beach town and a sign saying the Floral Heart. A woman was running away from something, her long brown hair obscuring her face. A demon with beady glowing eyes appeared behind her, but then Julian showed up out of nowhere and threw a bolt of lightning. Payton gasped as the premonition ended. She found herself lying on the wet street with Penny kneeling beside her. She quickly looked around, but the woman was gone.

"What happened?" Penny asked. "What did you see?"

"Where did she go?" Payton replied. "The woman in the trench coat."

"I don't know." Penny said. "I was more concerned with you. Since when do premonitions have that kind of kick?"

"I don't know." Payton admitted. "I've never had one like this."

The sisters realized they were causing a scene in front of the coffee place, so Penny quickly helped Payton to her feet. Their coffee would have to wait, as while the premonition was a little strange, one thing was perfectly clear. Whatever was going on, it involved Julian.

xxx