"You had some trouble sleeping last night?"
Khalan joined Vesper in the greenhouse after searching for her all over the mansion.
"No… I slept very well Khalan. You?"
"I was only a bit too excited but I did sleep well. I startled you a bit with my loud voice did I not?" Khalan asked with concern.
"It is fine Khalan, I just did not know you were awake yet". Vesper was actually a bit startled by her question, only because she was not expecting anyone to find her in the greenhouse.
Honestly, she barely slept. Thoughts of how Saskia was fairing kept bothering her but she knew that no matter how impatient she was, she had to wait till morning as Nathan had promised her. However, not only thoughts of Saskia bothered her, the thoughts of demons being in Argan too. Also, the discomfort and restlessness she had been feeling lately too contributed a lot to her inability to sleep. She had no idea what the reason was but she was sure that all was not well with her. She presumed it must be because Saskia was missing and maybe she was worrying too much. That was part of the reasons why she rose at first light and toured round the mansion till she found the greenhouse and decided to stay there and await word from Nathan.
"I have been in this place for weeks and not for once have I thought to visit this greenhouse" Khalan remarked, looking round the greenhouse and admiring how beautiful it looked. She had no idea Nathan liked plants this much or even had the time to own and care for a full greenhouse but with the look of how kept and organized every plant there looked, he sure did have the time. Back at the hut, the little garden there was all hers and Nathan never showed this much enthusiasm about the plants there.
"I was awe too when I first got here" Vesper added, noticing how invested she was in admiring the place. "He is doing a very good job actually putting this whole place together".
"I agree" Khalan nodded. "The patio set over there proves he has been spending quite some time here too and I have never noticed, not even for once" she chuckled at her own insensitivity. She found it amusing actually that Vesper who just came to the mansion yesterday was the one to actually make her visit the greenhouse. It has never been something fascinating to her so she always passed it by and barely even noticed how much time and attention Nathan had put into it all these while.
"Come on Ves" she took her hand, pulling her gently as she walked towards the patio set. "Let us sit here".
They sat directly opposite to each other and then she began to speak again.
"I know you are very worried about Saskia but I need you to trust Nathan. I believe…" she was still speaking before Vesper interrupted her.
"Wait Khalan" she held out her palm as a sign for her to stop talking as she seemed to have heard something.
"She is here!" She exclaimed with a bright smile.
"She is here?" Khalan was a bit confused.
"Saskia!" Vesper paid her no attention but rather rushed for the exit of the greenhouse, making her way to the main entrance of the mansion.
"Wait for me Ves!" Khalan yelled after her. "Where are you even going? What is going on?"
Vesper ran as fast as her legs could carry but she believed she was still unbearably slow as by now she should have gotten to the entrance already. Being a tortise really made being slow a natural default for her. However, with the strength drawn from her eagerness, she finally made it to the main entrance. Still trying to catch her breath, her eyes darted around till it fell on the particular person she wanted to see.
"Saskia?" She gasped a bit, awaiting her response to be sure she was not actually hallucinating.
"Vesper!" Saskia rushed to give her a rib cracking hug, which helped to prove to her that this was actually reality.
"Oh Saskia!" Vesper cried, hugging her back tightly. "How have you been? Where have you been? Are you hurt anywhere?" She finally let her go so she could gain some air and answer her question.
"Relax Vesper" Saskia chuckled a bit at her worry. "I am totally fine" she assured her.
"I was so scared Saskia" Vesper continued crying. "I do not know what I would do to myself if anything had happened to you".
"No no no Vesper" Saskia hugged her again, trying to calm her down. "None of this is your fault. You hear me?"
Vesper nodded admist her sobs, still holding tight unto the hug.
"You did nothing wrong okay? So stop punishing yourself unnecessarily" Saskia finally let go to help her wipe her tears.
"She has been worried sick about you since yesterday we met" Khalan just arrived at the main entrance of the mansion, after the long run of chasing after Vesper. "You must be Saskia" she continued, stretching forth her hand for shake towards Saskia. "I am Khalan".
"The pleasure is mine Khalan" Saskia took her hand gently.
"You see, there was really no need for you to worry so much, Saskia is alright" Khalan turned to Vesper while she spoke.
"As you can see, I am not hurt. I was in good hands" Saskia added in agreement and then turn her head to where Hal stood, right beside his lord and smiled a bit to him.
"Good hands?" Vesper scoffed, following her eyes to Hal. "Him again?!" She had had enough of this demon. 'Why was Saskia looking at him with a sense of gratitude?!'
"Was he not the one who kidnapped you?" Vesper asked, waiting to hear the word 'yes' or anything similar to it in positive response to her question.
"It is not like that Vesper" Saskia tried to calm her down. "He did not harm me at all".
"But he took you away!" Vesper was already visibly angry and was ready to launch an attack on Hal at anytime but he still stood there, calm and waiting to see what happens next. He was not planning to hurt her back or anything, of course she had every right to be angry. But if she does not cool off as soon as possible, he might have to do something she would not be so pleased with.
"Remain calm" Lucifer whispered to him, after hearing his thoughts and acknowledging that he was definitely up to no good.
He simply nodded, there was no way he could go against he lord but honestly hoped Vesper would not force him to.
"Yes" Saskia agreed. "He took me away to get help, no in the sense of kidnapping me".
"If he really meant good, why did he not let me come along then?" Vesper's breathes were unsteady and her heart wretched of anger.
"Why do you so angry?" Saskia looked at her seeming unsure of what emotions she was actually feeling. Was she sad because she had gone missing or was she just mad at Hal? She had every reason to not feel okay but seeing her this angry was something new. "What is really going on with you Vesper?"
"Do not try to change the subject Saskia" Vesper fired back. Saskia's question seemed to heighten her anger. "Answer me right now!"
"Calm down Ves" Khalan tried to cut in, taking a hold of Vesper's right hand but she forcefully shook her off, making her gasp in panic.
"Ves?" Her voice echoed with concern. She had only known Vesper for less than a day, yet she knew something was going on with her but could not tell.
"Come here Khalan" Nathan called to her from the side where he stood with Hal and she went to meet him right away, knowing that staying by Vesper's side was not a good choice right now.
"Stay out of this Khalan" she warned then returned her attention to Saskia. "Are you really sure he meant no harm or maybe you just do not know if he did?" She asked, waiting eager on her answer as she already summoned her bow, getting ready to summon her arrow too, depending on the answer Saskia gives.
"He… he…" Saskia was desperately searching for the right words to say but did not seem to have any idea. "he did nothing to hurt me".
"Uncertain!" Vesper declared and immediately summoned her arrow, drawing her bow and aiming at Hal.
"No Vesper!" Saskia tried to stop her by pushing her down but she summoned her shell and it immediately blocked her from Saskia's sight.
After getting her aim right, exactly at his heart believing he already accepted defeat as he just stood there unmoving, she decided to let go immediately hoping he would be gone for good this time. However, before she got the chance to shoot, something unexpected happened. She suddenly began to cry out in pain.
"It burns! It burns! It burns!" She cried, falling to the floor and rolling all over making her shell, bow and arrow disappear as she already lost focus.
"Ves!" Khalan immediately rushed to help her and so did Saskia.
"Oh my. What is going on?" Saskia looked so scared, she had no idea what was happening but Vesper did seem to be in a a lot of pain.
"Something is wrong with her true form" Nathan joined them, and so did Hal. "She seems to have something within her that she can no longer keep" he stated calmly, watching her scream and cry, thinking if they were other ways to help her.
Honestly, he and Hal could not careless about her but for the fact that the two most important people in their lives (their mates) were already crying out of concern for her, they knew they had to find a way to assist her.
"Where burns Vesper?" Saskia cried, looking so confused.
"Everywhere!" She screamed, still rolling and crying while Khalan tried to help her stay calm.
"Help her Nathan!" Khalan cried.
"Okay" he breathed and then went straight to knock Vesper out.
"What did you just do?!" Saskia's eyes widened.
"There is really no other solution, so I had to knock her out to stop her from feeling pain at the moment" he answered calmly.
"This is just a temporary solution Nathan, what happens when she wakes up?!" Khalan still had tears rolling down her cheeks. She was indeed showing way too much care for someone who had just known Vesper for barely a day. What could she say, she was the second person she was bonding with all her life. Second to Nathan so she was a great deal to her.
"Before then, I would have found out what the problem really is. Take her inside to rest first, and you both get some rest too, I will have people serve breakfast soon".
His words were calm but still held this authority in them that made them obey as he spoke. Even the stubborn Sheba could only nod and act as he said. However, one thing came out weird to her, 'he would have people serve breakfast?' Since when did people serve them breakfast, what did he mean?…