Seeking the Truth (Rebecca and Simon, OPEN In Between)

[Ashla Marr]

Once Kira had loaded their suite cases in to the back of the Expedition she went over them to make sure everything was set. What the others didn't know was that Kira had smuggled out everything else so she and Rebecca didn't have to return, if they choose not to. Kira understood why Rebecca didn't feel safe in the house anymore. All her life, Kira had been taught that a person just doesn't casts spells on another members of your Cabal like how Richard had been doing. She didn't find it funny and knew that Rebecca didn't either. Kira turned around and looked out over the lake as she leaned back against the truck. For a moment she allowed her mind to wonder and wished she could tell them way Rebecca reacted so badly to those mind spells. But that was Rebecca's secret and Kira was not about to let it slip.

Then there was this whole meeting with the Vampires that had Kira worried. Kira's gut was telling her that they shouldn't go speak to the vampires. She knew that they couldn't be trusted any more than her own Cabal could. Rebecca was no where near her peak and while Kira knew she would defend Rebecca she doubted Richard or Simon would lift a finger to help. It also bothered her that no one else in the Cabal had noticed the toll that the past two days had taken on Rebecca. Instead, Simon and Richard had only added more stress to Rebecca's life. Kira didn't even know where to start explaining the fact that she and Rebecca were being sued because of Simon and Richard's mistake. Kira had also heard the way Simon yelled at Rebecca over the phone when Rebecca was just trying to help in keeping the enemies of the Cabal limited. Instead, Simon only wanted to hear what he wanted to hear.

While she wasn't very sure of Mr. Black either. He seemed, at the moment, reliable even after Simon's accident. He was willing to help them secure a safe place to live and to help them get away from the other members of their Cabal. In thinking about the Cabal, Kira's eyes shifted back to the house and wondered something about the house. There are five mana available each morning, but only four members of the Cabal. Four equal rooms, bathrooms, book shelves. It was if the house was tailored just for them. Could the house reconfigure itself to accommodate her Cabal of four. She then thought back to her vision of the clouds and the images within it. She wondered for a moment if there was another empty room in their house somewhere hidden by a space spell. 'Was our Cabal suppose to have five' she thought as she looked at the house. There were ten Arcana, Five Watch Towers. Five images within that cloud. A lump filled Kira's throat as she started to realize why there was five images in that cloud.

Kira knew that the images in the cloud were another Cabal out there going to oppose her own Cabal. This was the conflict that she was foreseeing. A conflict between two Cabals. Kira suspected that if she was able to see three members of that other Cabal, then it was safe for her to assume that the other Cabal could see them as well. With her and Rebecca's highly public profile, it wouldn't be long before they became targets from that other Cabal. She knew in her heart that she and Rebecca needed Simon and Richard. She also knew that Simon and Richard needed her and Rebecca in turn. From her dreams, Kira knew that the red side of the cloud had some kind of energy coming from it. Could it be a first strike heading their way? Kira just wasn't sure. Events were already in motion and no one in her own Cabal seemed to care about these events unfolding before them.

Instead, her Cabal was deeply divided. This division was due to its own stubbornness. She couldn't help but place blame on Rebecca, Richard and Simon. Each in their own way has caused and is continuing to fuel this division. Going back to the very beginning, Kira knew why Rebecca had wanted to take those pictures. Nether of them had ever really seen a Magic Duel before and both were excited over it. Rebecca simply was acting more like a tourist than a mage. But instead of just talking to her, Simon and Richard both just freaked out. This didn't give Richard the right to cast a spell on Rebecca to stop her. Then again, Rebecca didn't have to go out of her way to try to get even with Richard either. Then Simon got involved in defense of his brother. Kira didn't fault Simon for that, but he didn't have to push Rebecca's buttons with that off the wall bible quote about women serving men. "Or what ever it was that he had said," Kira said not really remembering the entire quote but knowing that it cast Simon in a bad light in Rebecca's eyes. Kira realized that there was so much blame to go around, that not one of them were free from it.

With a heavily sigh, Kira knew that her thoughts on this could easily go on. There were so many examples of how each of them continued to play this stupid game. Instead of that, Kira thought about how the Cabal needed to come back together. Till this day, Rebecca's and her careers seemed insulted from the division within the Cabal. Kira knew how important the show was to both of them. The show was a labor of love between them. Kira had her reservations about involving Simon and his brother in the show. But trusted Rebecca when the suggestion was made. This caused her thoughts to shift to the law suite that was pending against her and Rebecca.

Kira wondered how it was going to play in to what was going in within their Cabal. She suspected that Richard nor Simon would do anything to fix it. 'Why shouldn't they fix it' Kira wondered. After all, it was their mistake. Their use of magic in public. Their rash action that created it. But if they do nothing to fix it, that would mean that she and Rebecca would have to come up with something. Kira reflected on how easily Richard had tossed them under the bus when the video of what he and Simon had done on the street surfaced. He may have kicked the can down the street. But in doing so, placed the entire thing in her and Rebecca's lap. Kira knew in her heart that Rebecca's sense of justice would never allow her to forgive them for that. In that moment, Kira knew that the accident with Rebecca's truck would hover over the Cabal for a long time, if not spell the end of it.

The bitterness of their betrayal will only continue to fester under the surface. Unless Simon and Richard take responsibility for this, how could she expect Rebecca to let go of her own anger linked to it. Kira shook her head softly as she stood up and turned to double check the suite cases once more. 'If only Simon never stoled Rebecca's keys' Kira thought about the events that unfolded during the attack. She continued to consider that one action, 'nothing else would change. Just the direct link to the show via Rebecca's car and what happened on the street.' She went through her mind looking at each and every event linked to what had happened.

She knew that Rebecca had been bothered by what was going on, but Rebecca was still willing to work with the Cabal. Kira was even trying to help guide Rebecca back before the blow out two days ago. If Simon had not taken the truck and caused that event on the Street, Kira was sure that she could convince Rebecca to calm down. Once Rebecca started to move closer to center again she knew that Richard would do the same. Richard was a very prideful man and wouldn't allow a challenge slip through his fingers like that. If Rebecca moved to put that division past them, she was sure that Richard would do the same. Kira smiled and found it funny how similar Rebecca and Richard were in personality. "Their names even started with the same letter" Kira said with a hint of laughter.

As she looked at the luggage once more, she thought of what they were about to do. Once more she let out a long sigh as her smile faded. She didn't mind Mr. Black at the moment. He seemed to be reliable even after Simon's accident. She felt unsettle and now unsure about Rebecca's plan to go meet with the vampire council. Kira felt that once more, Rebecca was being rash and foolish. She knew Rebecca well and knew that Rebecca would have done the same thing in Simon's place. In fact, Kira padded her purse and felt the large can of hair spray as she suspected she too would have done the same thing if attacked by Vampires. Simon had a right to defend himself when attacked. Everyone has that right, and Rebecca only needed to be reminded of this.

However Kira knew that Rebecca was right also, that the Cabal didn't need more enemies. Not right now at least. Worse yet, they didn't need to hand deliver allies gift wrapped over to this opposing Cabal. She had heard stories of how her father and the silver ladder had allied with vampires. They could be very powerful allies, but they weren't to be trusted. This added a mix to the situation that could be an issue for her Cabal. Kira was starting to hate Rebecca's plan to speak on Simon's behalf. 'Why couldn't Simon speak on his own behalf to the Vampires' Kira questioned.

In that moment, she noticed Rebecca walking through the house. She reached up and closed the Expedition and locked it. She secured the keys in her front jean's pocket for safe keeping. Knowing what laid before them now, Kira had to talk Rebecca out of this foolish plan. More importantly, Kira had to find away to bring her Cabal back together before it was too late.