It wasn't so much annoying that she had another meeting with the Gnostic Council about the Alchemist and the Wendigo situation that bothered Vera, it was the fact that for the second time she was now backed into a corner and forced to defend her child from the needless fear the council had built up around her child. Had they made this big of a fuss about Coventry having Maddox? Of course not, wolf or not Theo was still a baby, she wasn't a threat to them now and she wouldn't be given the opportunity to be a threat to them in the future either. She sat in the antechamber sipping a glass of bourbon while Theo sat on her lap and untied her black scarf again. Alejandro as usual was the first one to get here, being the newest member of the Gnostic Council he always felt he had something to prove and his unwavering loyalty to Vera was never missed.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure they leave her alone, again. The reality of it is Theodora is the first hide created in centuries, she's nothing short of a miracle and absolutely needed in this day and age when the loyalty of the wolves is wavering."

"I wouldn't say wavering." She liked to think so long as Hamish had their respect and loyalty that he could keep them in line with the Order and so long as Hamish was alive, well, she had nothing to worry about. He'd never betray her or cross her for very obvious reasons. It wasn't even a matter of he wouldn't at this point, he physically was incapable of doing anything that would hurt her. "I'd say I have unwavering loyalty from Mr. Duke, Ms. Dupree, and Mr. Morton, Ms. Bathery and Mr. Carpio are the only two with wavering loyalty."

"After you let Alyssa Drake back into the Order they are questioning just how loyal a lot of your disciples are. Those who seem to back you tend to change their legance on a whim and the rest, well they think you are too soft to be Grand Magus and now you have what the Council feels is very much your own private weapon. You have to admit Vera, your daughter isn't going to be loyal to the Order, she's going to be loyal to her mother."

Vera let out a sigh and smiled down at Theo as she tugged at her scarf and put the silk fabric in her mouth. "She's a baby, not a fiery sword or enchanted crossbow."

"Right now but Vera you do realise she won't stay this little forever. Eventually she's going to be over 600lb's of magic, claws, and teeth the size of daggers able to rip through grown men like tissue paper." He paused seeing her expression change a little, it hurt to hear the truth but Theo was just as much a murder spell as she was a baby. "I'm not saying she's a mindless monster because we both know she's not, however that's for the council to decide in the end."

Theo whined reaching up at Vera, her big blue eyes shimmering with tears, poor thing, it was far past her nap time but it was hard for her to fall asleep in a strange place. "I'm more concerned with the Alchemist if I'm honest with you. I think that should be what we focus on here, he needs to be dealt with and quickly and I can't do that without their support."

"Are you going to send the wolves after him?" Alejandro asked.

"The wolves could hardly handle his pet, Hamish didn't even scratch him when he attacked. He controls magic with thought alone and his mask seems to absorb spells. I really don't know who to turn to for help in dealing with him. Whoever that is they aren't here."

"Yes they are Vera, I'm here, if it means one more set of eyes or one more powerful practitioner equal to your wolves then it means something."

"Are you offering to help me?"

He smiled at her, "To help you? I couldn't dream of a better way to spend my time."

It made her a little uncomfortable, more than just a little. She was aware how Alejandro felt about her. He was also aware that his chances with her were beyond zero, more so now because she had a child with Hamish but he still never stopped trying. "Just don't, don't start anything with Hamish again or next time I'll let him hurt you."

He looked at the wolf as inexperienced and incapable of handling the situation he found himself in with the Grand Magus. She was a powerful practitioner in her own right, sometimes to a limit that the Gnostic Council had great concern over her abilities and it gave them even more concern because she'd had a child with a werewolf and that child already born from a powerhouse like Vera now had a hide. It wasn't even just her powers that made her formidable, it was everything about Vera. She was an unstoppable force of nature and a 'pup' thought he could stand beside her and keep up let alone call himself her equal. "I can't make any promises but if it would make you happy to not have me torment the mongrel then I'll do it to make you happy."

"Thank you." She paused a moment looking down. "And, that mongrel as you so kindly put it is Theo's father, just in case I have to remind you." She paused a moment shrugging her shoulders. "I've been accused of pulling off some very impressive feats but making Theo alone is not one of them." Vera turned her attention towards the doors as they swung open and the rest of the council started to file in, chatting like a bunch of students over the daily gossip. Standing up she handed Theo over to Alejandro making him a bit uncomfortable to take the child. "Oh for god sakes, she's a baby not leprechaun." He still fumbled with her awkwardly, even more so now that she was more active then the last time he'd had to look after her.

"Can I get anyone a drink?" Vera asked, stepping to the bar and grabbing a bottle of bourbon.

Delilah, one of the newer members of the gnostic council replacing Bennet stepped up towards Alejandro with a gasp. "Oh my goodness, is that the little wolf?" Alejandro was more than happy to push the baby into her arms and abandon it.

"Yes, actually her name is Theodora and she's…" Vera didn't even get the chance to finish talking before Theo realized a stranger had grabbed her and she started to cry. Maybe it was good that everyone could see that Theo really was just a baby. Not some big scary monster, none of the wolves were big scary monsters. Vera stepped back over to Delilah and took Theo from her quickly calming the baby down.

"She's so precious." Delilah spoke up.

"Isn't she just." Vera sounded a bit sarcastic, mostly because this meeting that was supposed to be about the Alchemist and wendigo's had Theo forced right on top of it and the question if this child should be allowed in the world. Such an unfortunate conclusion because she was kind of already here, it was far too late for Vera to take her back now. "Now if you don't mind I'd like to get this whole meeting over with quickly because she actually should really take a nap."

"We still have one more person we are waiting on."

Vera looked around the room and furrowed her brow, every member of the council was already here. "Umm…"

"Sorry to keep you waiting." The voice came from behind them as they all turned to see the dark haired necromancer.

"Ms. Marand." This was a very unexpected surprise, one Vera didn't need to deal with today. "Why are you here?"

"I'm here about a werewolf problem." She looked at Theo seeming less than impressed. "Is this supposed to be the wolf everyone is so worked up about? You don't look that dangerous." In fact she could kill that child without ever really trying, it amazed her that her new friend was doing everything in his power to avoid her, maybe he didn't realize just how pathetic this creature was right now. "Here I thought when I saw you destroy the Order that you were going to be even a little impressive."

"Excuse me?" Vera furrowed her brow and cocked her head to the side. Ms. Marand was not insinuating what she thought she was, was she? Did she say Theo, her Theo was going to destroy the Order, HER Order? "You saw Theo destroy the Order? Are you certain it wasn't another wolf? Alpha perhaps, he's been against the Order for, oh I don't know, well over 50 years."

"Have I ever been wrong Vera? Remember what I said about Coventry?" She glanced around the room and smirked. "I don't exactly see him here running things anymore which means clearly he didn't listen to my sister and went ahead with his plans and it destroyed him in the end. Are you going to make the same mistakes Vera? Selfish mistakes?"

"Werewolves fates aren't written in stone Ms. Marand, they change, they shift, didn't you say that yourself to Mr. Morton when you were trying to kill him." Vera glared at her, don't think she didn't know about the wolves after living with one for a year. She and Hamish talked about everything together, Marand would have to be stupid to think Vera wasn't standing here as a voice of experience on those damned wolves.

"That is true." Marand responded turning on her heels and looking at the rest of the council. "But ours don't, not as greatly as the wolves anyways and wouldn't you like to know what I saw from your father Vera?"

Vera paused a moment looking at Marand as those words sunk in. "Or didn't you find out by now?" She turned to look at Vera, the expression on her face. "Oops, I guess the cat is out of the bag then Vera, this Alchemist you are hunting down is so much closer than you think. Too close." She paused pulling out her knife and making Vera rock forward on her toes ready to take her down if she was forced to. "This isn't a fight you can win Grand Magus, you are out of your league and as soon as he's got your wolf, your little Obsidian messiah then this Order and you, all your wax figures are over." She smirked. "You know it's almost a grand irony don't you think?"

"Would you care to enlighten us on what she's talking about Grand Magus?" One of the council members asked looking over to her.

"The wendigo's are the cause of a man called the Alchemist, he's a surviving member of the Obsidian Rose." She held Theo close to her. "He's called the Alchemist."

"Well, that's impossible, he's dead." Delilah commented.

"Hmmm, not dead, dead is a simple term to use for someone of his skill, I'd say more, on a break." Marand added.

"And you seem to know so much about him, how can we trust your word for it? How can we be sure this isn't a trap, trying to turn us on each other to break us down so we are easier to bring down." Alejandro had a good point and thank god for him because right now Vera just wanted to take Marand out.

"All he wants is what's best for this organization as well, he wants the pup dead. You can keep the hide, in fact it would be best to lock that hide away for good and never let it find another champion." Vera looked like she was about to fuck a bitch up and this was the last step she was taking. Theo be damned with her stranger danger, Vera handed the baby over to Delilah making Marand glance at her. "Don't. You shouldn't shoot the messenger Vera, that's so beneath you."

"Yes, kill the first werewolf created under the control of the Order in over 100 years, born the child of the Grand Magus, sounds more like to me this Alchemist is afraid of that wolf and her hide. Sounds like he's trying to take out the best inevitable defense against him."

"Even if that were true do you think that wolf could protect you from him now?" She looked at Theo. "Look at it, not exactly a grand guardian of the blue rose is she."

"Correct me if I'm wrong but Vera said this was the Alchemist, a surviving remnant of a dead society and dead for good reason, they were corrupt with power, a messy bunch who went against natural laws to obtain unlimited power. Power like that dissipates eventually doesn't it, especially when you cast a binding sigil through all your generations it fades down into well, making you no better than any common practitioner. Did you happen to say something about the Grand Magnus's father?" Alejandro paused. "Wasn't he one of the original members? Vera, if that man, that thing made you then that's one generation away from the source, Theo is second generation and she's got a hide." He smirked at Marand. "That pup's already stronger than he is then and I bet all those years of just resting up for a big show really wore him down."

"Fair play." Marand smirked. "But, that still doesn't help you, do you expect that baby to be able to use magic against a master?"

Vera paused a moment before looking over at Theo. Actually, she could. "Does it matter, if he sent you then he's desperate enough and that proves it." He could come and go as he pleased, he proved that when he attacked her, but then again, could he? She looked back at Theo, could he? She looked back at Marand with a little smile. "That will be all Ms. Marand, you can go now." She raised a finger when the woman moved to speak. "That wasn't a suggestion, that was an order. You have until the count of ten to get out of this temple before I send wolves after you and we both know that isn't a practitioner you can handle."

Marand smiled at her, taking a step back. "Well, happy I could help, maybe you'll make the right choice."

"Oh, I'm sure we will." Vera taunted back. "The choice that doesn't involve murdering a helpless child at the whim of a madman."

"I see, well then, good luck with that choice."