Specularis (The Order - Vermish)

2: scared that it's too easy

I guess I hoped for the best too hard that nothing that was happening seemed remotely real nor realistic.

It's impossible not to think so when all of a sudden things went from thinking of ways to stop The Order from killing all of us to being in a party to celebrate an (undeserved ) promotion. It made me extremely uncomfortable; the raising of glasses, the smiles? An alternate dimension would explain this peculiar event.

To say the least, this was not what I anticipated would happen. Frankly, I didn't know what I should have expected, but this was not one of my many predictions.

"Dude, maybe you wished too hard?" Randall nudged my side with his elbow to which I responded to with a quick shake of my head. I had no words for this night.

"Or Vera could be planning something big." Gabrielle raised an eyebrow in suggestion and resumed drinking the celebratory champagne.

"What kind of big do you think that is?" He whipped his head around to face her. "The bad kind or the good kind?"

I squinted my eyes at him. "You do realize how weird that sentence was, right?"

"Whatever. So? What do you guys think?"

"You're asking me too? Hamish should tell us. He probably knows her better." She smirked. Yes, she was right. But that's probably exactly why I have no idea what she's trying to achieve.

"Hey, guys." Nicole popped from nowhere.

"Nicole! Um- um what's up? Where's Lilith?" Randall needed to work on his acting skills because his version of "act normal" was about as normal as... something that's abnormal.

"About that."

"What do you mean she's missing? Dude, I told you, we're fucked! And we're down two people since one is acting weird in a demonic kind of way while the other is still out there "burying" his dead ex-girlfriend for almost a week!"

"Okay, Randall, that's an exaggeration. It's only been two days!" I chided.

"Does accuracy really matter at this point?" was his retort.

A defeated sigh escaped my lips. "Let's deal with one problem at a time. Where's Lilith?" I turned to Nicole.

"She was missing. But I tracked her. I know where she is-"

"Please don't say she's back in the demon realm. Is she?" Randall interrupts.

"No, fortunately, she's still at her apartment after running away from mine. " She trailed off.

"So? I don't get it- what's the problem?"

"Probably... that she's-"

Randall cuts her off again. "Opening a portal to get back. Not again." Again? Well, that was a surprise.

"Yes, but I stopped her. She's currently tied-"

"You tied her up-"

"So what are you doing here?" I interjected.

"Getting back-up?"

"We'll go get her." Randall motioned to himself and Gabrielle. "You should probably stay and... celebrate."

"Sure, yeah. Call me if anything goes wrong."

Gabrielle spun around. "Too late for that."

"She's not wrong." I heard Randall from a distance agreeing.

Nicole congratulated me before she went to leave with the two.

"Vera," I called out from behind her door.

"Come in." If Vera was upset yesterday, well, she definitely isn't anymore. There was something about her that exuded such usual Vera vibes. But I had no time to analyze that. As soon as I was inside the room, I was hurling my words at her.

"Vera, what's going on? When did you even make up your mind? And why didn't you tell me beforehand? Out of nowhere, you just called everyone to the Temple and gave an announcement with the champagne and food already prepared. I thought we had a deal. You need to-"

"Think about it, yes. And I already have. Thus the announcement and the celebration." If she had done something terrible, she wouldn't have been able to meet my gaze, but she did. She even beamed.

I had to take a few seconds of a breather to pump the breaks on the overload of turmoil growing inside of me. "This is not an insult to your authority or your intellect, but why?" I paced the room.

"There's no need to worry about anything, that I can guarantee. And I mean that for all of you." Uneasiness crept into me more and more as she sat there as if we weren't all so fucked.

"How come you're so certain?" I whispered in fear that if I didn't keep it in, I might just scream.

"Remember what you told me three months ago? That we won't ever have to worry about each other?"

"So? I know I don't have to, but the situation- before is not the same as today. You're facing far greater danger than you ever have-"

"And why is that? Because of my magic?"

"Perhaps. Yes. I don't mean to belittle your strength, but you are literally vulnerable, and it seems like you're deliberately putting yourself face-to-face with danger. And for what?"

"Look, I don't mean to be contradictory, but we should not be worth risking your whole life for. If we have to, we could always run away, but Vera, this is a life-or-death situation!" She stood up after I finished my ranting and moved fast towards me.

"Hamish," she cupped my cheek. "Hamish, I have this all under control."

"How? What about the Council?" Vera averted her eyes away from mine. Oh.

"What did you do?"

"I told them something. A dozen of somethings." She revealed reluctantly.

"About Kepler?"

"Yes, I told them Praxis launched an attack and that they targetted Kepler for her position."

"And they believed you?" She simply smiled weakly in response. "I can't believe it."

"We have defeated the enemy. They had no reason to question me." As if that was enough justification to merely accept a serious claim. They were The Order-- for crying out loud and that was The Council. It was appalling how so easily they were fooled by one person. Granted, Vera was acting-Grand Magus, but still.

"And Randall?"

"What about Mr. Carpio?" A laugh escaped me, it sounded worried and freaked out.

"What about your magic?"

"There was nothing for me to tell."

I scoffed in disbelief. I knew Vera was powerful, but it was that right there that surpassed my limits. It was like she was invincible, and I was frightened of how deep her lows go when she does fall. I could only hope that she never has to.

She has done it this time. She has escaped the inescapable, yet something still bugged me. "This isn't a solution." The way I said them was monotonous, but it enunciated like a question. "Your plan... The real one, what is it?"

"I'm still looking into it."

"That's not an answer."

"Well, it's not one I can give just yet."

"And yet, you're already keeping it from me." I circle my arms around her, leaning my head to hers and burying myself in her hair. "Vera, you're scaring me."

"There's no reason to be. Trust me."

We'll just have to see about that.