HISTORY - The Order - Vera Stone

Preparations and Acceptance

"Will you accept now? Xander!"

Jumping in his seat, he turned his head looking around at where he was for a moment, realizing that he was in the order's headquarters. 

"Are you okay Xander?"

He was lost, his eyes were unfocused, almost like he had trouble finding where he was. 

"I don't know, after that night, all I know is that I did this and she's ready for war. I remember that much, she wants you to fear her, to fear to utter her name, to be the one to destroy the order."

Xander looked at Vera and found her calm, still in the face of an enemy she remained calm in the face of an unknown element. Him in this case, he never felt anything like last night, his mind had been destroyed and still, he did not know if it was even back together yet...it was bits and pieces. 

"Well, we've dealt with our fair share of Rogue Witches, from this day on Xander, you will be a guest of the order. We do not wish for you to fall into her hands again, it is clear that you are not...alright from your moment with her."

Giving her a look that could only be described as fear, Xander nodded as he closed his eyes and all he could do was clench his hands and his face was contorting in pain. 

"She did something to you, I can see it, let me help you, Xander, please. Not all of us are like this, I wish to make sure that you can trust us."

Looking at her, Xander saw that same vulnerability she had shown when discussing Lana Ramirez, his mind was plagued with her, the way Melissa felt, the rage, it's potency, it was maddening and he felt like he was going to lose it. 

"I know what happened, I know what she wishes for. She has stated it well enough, at first, I thought she was trying to punish me, no, she was showing me her mother, what it felt like. The rage, burning her memories into my mind, all she has done to prepare for this moment."

Releasing a shaky breath, Xander caught Vera's eyes and they stopped for a moment, taking the silence as a small comfort. 

"She is ready to die Vera, and I've learned that I can do nothing to stop that. She is going to be ready to kill you especially, she knows you had a hand in what happened, especially someone known as Edward Coventry..."

Vera narrowed her eyes then if this rogue witch had a way of going after the grand magus, she would make sure to bring her down before anything like that could even occur.

"I taught her how to understand her history, to make her history, to write it as it is and to make sure she is remembered. She...twisted my words and yet I wanted to save her, all I wanted to do was save someone!"

And Xander's eyes grew wider as he realized, she had made sure he understood that there would be no saving her. It would be death or victory, once more his eyes met Vera's. 

"How long am I to remain here?"

Vera raised her eyebrow, looking at him with curiosity, all of a sudden he had grown confident. This was very weird for her, it was not all the time when a professor had grown strength in knowing that witches existed, most grew shocked before having their memories erased. 

"However long it takes to remove Melissa Ramirez as a threat, she is going against the entire Belgrave Order, you will be under the care of Alyssa Drake and Lilith Bathory."

He narrowed his eyes at her, recalling Alyssa and Lilith, his eyes had closed for another second.

"Your protege, Alyssa Drake, you have a trust in her that you would allow a medicum to take the position of your second in this little war. Lilith, she's another that you watch but for different reasons. As I understand, she has some similarities with Ramirez, this is a test for her..."

Vera leaned forward, her lips curving up in a sly smirk but her eyes shone with nervousness, she was not so ready to be easily read by this...history professor of all people. 

"How do you know all of that Xander?"

Blinking for another second, his eyes widened as if coming out of his state of confidence and suddenly jerking back into that fearful form of his. It was quick, it was almost unreadable but something had just happened. 

"I....do not know."

Vera looked at Xander, wondering what the professor had gone through. His eyes, tone of voice, it had all changed when he mentioned Alyssa and Lilith, it was almost like he had gone elsewhere, replaced with a serious, altogether version of himself that meant business. 

She nodded uneasily but maintained her image of being in charge as she swung the doors open, allowing Lilith and Alyssa to enter, both of them smiling towards the professor. 

"They're to be your protectors Xander, they're being transferred to your classes starting next week and you will be shadowed each time. We will not be letting her get to you Xander, I promise."

Alyssa and Lilith watched the Temple Magus, she'd never been this passionate regarding a human and especially one that knew their secret. They watched her as she smiled, promising that he would be protected and for a second, they wondered if the famous Vera Stone was interested in the History Professor. 

-

"We'll have to tell him eventually, he needs to know what happened...what he did, what he has done, it puts us in a better position."

Cassie, Randall, and Hamish all sat around, they were fine, they healed but when they heard that yell, scream, screech, whatever it was, and their minds too had been set on fire with what they had seen. It was almost like they had been pulled in. 

Xander Grey was....he was something and he was powerful, the way his very being seemed to pull them in, how he had effortlessly made himself comfortable with them and seemingly read them with effective ease. 

"No, he does not. From the looks of things, he will not be finding us anytime soon, The Order has eyes on him and Veronica Crane. This is going to be....interesting, we will have to pick a side Hamish but I won't be siding with the witches, I'll side with the history professor."

Hamish nodded towards Randall, understanding that he did not wish to be placed in the crossfire but they were pulled in, that witch had wished to make Xander see something and with what they had seen, he had seen it vividly. 

"Then we table it, get the beer and I'll be ready to make a decision on where we land with this."

Randall nodded with the same easygoing smile but they could all tell, it was forced, he was putting on a front, he was worried and rightfully so. Melissa Ramirez had brought them all down, they would need to start training again. 

"Do not worry Hamish, I'm here for you my love, and I promise, The Knights will come out of this stronger than ever."

Sealing her promise with a kiss, Cassie felt her resolve grow stronger, they would be prepared for the next witch attack. They all would, she would never bring them to those depths again, ever.