"If you believe that Tullius tracked Haiden to the house after you brought her here, then you're assuming that Tullius is a contracted assassin hoping to collect on this note," I whispered darkly as I stood up from my chair. I placed the note he handed me on the tabletop. He picked it up and looked at it for a few moments.
"Yes," he whispered. "I'm not sure if she is the only one after Haiden, or if many people are."
"You don't know where Haiden is now?"
"No," he shook his head. "She comes and goes as she pleases."
"And you trust her?"
"I believe that she is a victim, not an enemy and I told you I owe this to her. My mother took her life away."
"That doesn't mean that you're responsible for her well being, Benjamin," I replied soundly.
"What would you do, Cadence, if it was your mother who had taken someone's life away from them?"
I paused for a moment as I stared at Benjamin. "My father has taken many people's lives, but I don't hold myself personally responsible for the consequences of his evil. Nor do I feel that it is my responsibility to clean up his mess."
"Then what are you doing for the Order or for the Ministry?"
"You're making it sound so simple," I shook my head. "I fight because I don't want to die. I want to vanquish this evil from our world. It goes beyond my heritage—it's a matter of right and wrong. I don't feel guilty or responsible for my father's actions. I do feel responsible for serving my family and my country, that is why I'm working for the Order and for the Ministry."
Benjamin shrugged. "If that's how you feel."
"It is," I said firmly to end the conversation.
Despite the disagreement, Benjamin and I spent the rest of the evening brainstorming the connection between Haiden, Tullius, Carrigan and the Chaste. We had established that someone was obviously after Haiden, which wasn't a surprise given how she left Voldemort, and that the Chaste was already a stronger player for the Dark Lord than I anticipated. If she was sending out orders for Haiden's capture then she had to be a high ranking Death Eater—she couldn't be Carrigan. As Tullius appeared to be responding to the notice, rather then giving out the order to capture Haiden, we felt that she was not the Chaste either. But, I wasn't sure how I was going to tell Gabriel that his long lost adult daughter was a contract killer who was hunting my niece and working for Voldemort, even if she didn't have a Dark Mark.
"How much validity do you put in these prophecies?" I asked Benjamin as I placed a cup of hot tea in front of him at the kitchen table. The hour was late, we had been at work for too long, soon we were going to need a break, but neither of us wanted to stop working.
"Well," Benjamin hesitated. "I am a Guardian. If I believe in that, shouldn't I believe in prophecies? The Ministry certainly believes in them."
"It's unnerving to me. The idea that our future is foretold suggest that there isn't any choice to our fate…free will is an illusion of our reality."
"Haiden has always explained that when she foresees things they are not set in stone," Benjamin shrugged. "She says we have the option to change our fate…the smallest behavior, action or decision can change the outcome of our fate and something she foresaw can drastically change because of it."
"So, there is a chance that Gabriel and I won't die in the near future?" I asked quietly.
Benjamin nodded. "Yes. And you know this. Persephone has foreseen Gabriel's death before."
"You're right," I whispered.
Benjamin gave me a weak smile before turning back to the table to look at the paper work and notes he had been taking. "I will find out more about the Chaste tomorrow. I've made arrangements to meet a contact already."
"A contact?"
Benjamin nodded in reply. I stared at him curiously, as he started to pack up his papers. He was a secretive young man; with his safe houses and private contacts. I frowned slightly wondering how much I could trust him. Had Sirius and Harry been right when they questioned Benjamin's loyalties?
"What's the matter, Cadence?"
I blinked before turning my head back to face Benjamin. I bit my bottom lip before answering him, debating if I should be honest. Counting on the fact that Benjamin could spot my lie, I decided to tell the truth. "Why are you so secretive?"
Benjamin pivoted in his chair to face me directly. He had a small smirk on his face. "You know that in this time its best to keep things secret. Anonymity is key to survival."
"But from me? From the Order?"
"Dumbledore is aware of my secrets," Benjamin replied.
I rolled my eyes as I crossed my arms over my chest and turned away with mild frustration. "The Order is not an old-boy's club, Benjamin. You should be able to share your secrets with all of us. Or at least me and Gabriel."
"I'll share my secrets with whoever I want, Cadence," his tone was defensive. "I just recently shared my safe houses with Dumbledore so that the Order can use them to protect people on the run from your father. And to be honest, he is not aware of all of them. Some secrets are better left as such. If everyone knows about the safe houses, then they're locations can be tortured out of everyone."
I nodded my head carefully, understanding his perspective, but not fully agreeing with it. People could still be tortured, even if they didn't know secrets. They could still be killed for them too. "Fine," I said. "So, I can paint your room because you're no longer living here?"
"What color would you paint it?"
"Honestly, I haven't given it much thought. Been distracted with Voldemort's return, then Sirius' death and Carrigan's kidnapping and now trying to repair any sort of shards of my shattered relationship with her. Not to mention that my husband has a long lost daughter coming out of the woodwork and my godson suspects that Draco Malfoy is a Death Eater."
"I get it. Your personal life is in shambles."
"To say the least," I snipped.
"Why does Harry think Malfoy is a Death Eater?"
I shrugged. "He mentioned it vaguely in his last letter…he was wise in his code, but did not give specifics to his train of thought."
"It's a reasonable idea," Benjamin nodded.
"Draco is just a boy."
"Who's father failed Voldemort," Benjamin said. "I don't think anything he does should surprise us—including making a teenager part of his circle. He gave Carrigan his mark, and she is younger than Draco Malfoy."
"Perhaps…" I whispered, though I wasn't considering it seriously. I glanced at the clock, it was well after ten. Gabriel was supposed to be home by then.
"I'm thinking of going to Hogwarts to see Carrigan," he said softly. There was a touch of hesitation to his voice which drew my attention.
"That seems like a good idea."
"You think so?" he looked at me with an uneasy expression. "She is still reserved towards me and doesn't appreciate my relationship with Haiden, even after our conversation."
"I think if you want to see her, you should go see her," I said. "Worst that will happen is she'll cause a scene and send you away."
"Thanks, Cadence. That's very encouraging."
I smiled as I patted his shoulder. "I do try."
As the words left my mouth the doorbell rang from the front of the farm house. I frowned slightly. Gabriel wouldn't have rung the bell. Who would be calling this late? Benjamin and I made eye contact for a brief moment before I stepped away from him. I pulled my wand from my boot and carefully made my way to the front of the house. I could hear Benjamin following me with his own wand drawn.
I gripped the door handle in my free hand, twisting it slightly, ready to open it.
"Who is it?" I asked loudly.
"Haiden Drake," came the calm voice of my niece through the door. I stood up straight and looked at Benjamin who stepped forward.
"Haiden, what was the last Muggle film we watched together?"
I raised my eyebrows in surprise when Benjamin asked the question.
"Benjamin?"
"Yes."
"We watched Charade with Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn," she replied. "Two nights ago. Benjamin, where did you find me at the beginning of the summer?"
"Dixon's Mental Institution," he replied instantly with a nod of his head to me. I opened the front door quickly to Haiden Drake.
Her mismatch eyes were piercing in the cold darkness of the October evening. I shivered slightly as I opened the door wide enough for her to enter my home. She was wearing a heavy looking knit sweater and tight jeans with chunky black boots. Once she entered the foyer of the house, she removed her leather gloves, scarf and knit cap.
"No coat?" I asked
"No," she shrugged. "These were warm enough."
She placed the warm accessories on the stairs before giving me a nervous smile. "Thank you for letting me in. I was looking for Benjamin."
"We were just discussing our theories about who is chasing you," Benjamin said as he motioned to me.
"Voldemort," Haiden shrugged. "There, that was an easy mystery to solve."
Benjamin rolled his eyes. "Your help is greatly appreciated, Haiden."
He moved past us into the kitchen. I crossed my arms while giving her a harsh look. She sighed.
"I see his sense of humor is completely wasted."
"He's been working all day trying to help me figure out who is chasing you down."
Haiden was surprised by this comment. "Why are you looking for who is after me?"
I sighed. "Well, I'm trying to figure other things out, honestly…it just so happens that those other things intertwine with whoever is after you."
Haiden nodded. "May I take a look at your work?"
I hesitated for a moment. I still wasn't sure if I could trust Haiden. "I suppose so." I had a feeling that Benjamin had told Haiden most of his findings before today. She seemed aware that he was investigating whoever was hunting for her.
Haiden made her way down the hall into the kitchen after Benjamin. By the time I caught up to them, Haiden was already bent over the table looking at our notes and the note that Benjamin had found. She stood up straight, staring at the note for a moment.
"Benjamin," she whispered his name. "You didn't say the Chaste ordered the kill on me."
"You know who it is?" I asked stepping forward with my arms crossed over my chest. Benjamin moved to the edge of his chair, looking at Haiden with surprise.
"I just found out," he said. He was lying. I studied him for a few moments. Why hadn't he told Haiden who was after her?
"Haiden?"
She blinked and looked at me with terrified eyes.
"I know of her," she replied. "Despite all of my time with Voldemort, I never had the pleasure of meeting her. I'm told she is an outstanding witch."
"Let's remember that this witch is a Death Eater before we praise her with compliments."
"Even if she is evil, you cannot deny her abilities," Haiden scoffed at me as she set down the letter. "Honestly, she is so impressive that I believed her to be a lie Voldemort cooked up to keep people in check."
"He doesn't need to make up enforcers," Benjamin said. "He enforces enough fear on his own."
Haiden shrugged with no retort.
"You have no idea who she could be?"
"Off the top of my head, I would guess she is someone we know very well," she said. "Someone we know to be close to him."
"Remus said she is a new strength to Voldemort's side…and she iss young."
"She's just becoming more publicly active. Now that Voldemort is advancing his time table to take the Ministry and country, she has no reason to stay hidden. She's operating in the open. As for her being young, perhaps that is just a rumor. From my understanding, the Chaste has been with Voldemort since the beginning."
I frowned deeply. This was terrible news. Everything about this character was based on rumors. I hoped that Benjamin's contact would pull through tomorrow and provide solid evidence about the Chaste.
"Cadence!" called a male voice from the front of the house. I recognized it instantly as Gabriel. I sighed with relief. I was beginning to worry about him.
"Gabriel, why are you shouting?" I asked coming forward into the hall. My wand was drawn, squeezed tightly in my hand, just in case this was actually an intruder.
"Just happy to be home," Gabriel beamed when he saw me. "What tattoo is on my rib cage?"
"The word 'rhythm'," I said easily. "Alis volat propris."
"She flies with her own wings."
I smiled and nodded my head. His response was correct to my statement.
"You're later than I expected."
"Just caught up at the office," he said as he approached me.
He caught me in his arms quickly, pulling me tight against his muscular chest and stared down at me with deep, loving purple eyes. I smiled up at him. I loved when his eyes were that deep velvety shade of purple.
"I got home as fast as I could," he added. "So that we can make hot passionate make-up—"
"Hi Gabriel," Benjamin shouted from the kitchen to announce that Gabriel and I were not alone. I laughed warmly as Gabriel's face fell slightly. He pinched my cheek with affection.
"Alright," he whispered as he stole a kiss from my smiling lips. "I'll save the dirty talk for later."
"Please do," I beamed. Gabriel returned my smile as he released me. He moved past me easily, letting his fingers brush against my shoulders as he passed, teasing my senses. I lingered in the hallway for a moment to catch my breath. Gabriel had the incredible way of making me weak in the knees with a mere touch or glance. No other man created such sexual urges within me, not even Sirius when we were at the high point of our relationship.
"What are you two doing here?" Gabriel asked Haiden and Benjamin as I followed into the kitchen.
"Cadence and I are working on a case," Benjamin said as he began to pack up his things. "Just going over our notes."
"Which case?" Gabriel asked, sounding more like Benjamin's boss than his mentor and friend.
Benjamin hesitated, allowing Haiden enough time to answer with her blatant honesty. "They're investigating who is hunting me. It looks like they have a web of connected characters so far…but no leads on a culprit."
"Voldemort," Gabriel answered quickly with a tone of annoyance. "There. Case solved. Now you two can get to work on actually cases that are piling up on your desk."
"This is an actual case, Gabriel," Benjamin insisted.
"Remus brought some of it to my attention," I whispered. "I'm not sure where it all goes yet…but this also has to do with the Order…"
Gabriel looked at me soundly. "Does Dumbledore know you're working on it?"
"Not yet. We wanted to have physical evidence and facts before we went to him."
"What are the connections you've drawn up so far?"
No one answered right away. We all knew that Gabriel would not like seeing his newly found daughter's name on our flow chart of connections. Finally, after a long silence, Benjamin pulled the note ordering the hit on Haiden out of his folder.
"We know that this woman, the Chaste, has set a hit on Haiden," Benjamin said as he handed the note to Gabriel. "We were just discussing who she could possibly be."
Gabriel looked at the note in his hand for a moment before looking up at Benjamin with recognition in his eyes. I stepped forward, touching his arm.
"What is it?"
"She's dead," Gabriel said slowly.
"What?"
"The Chaste was a name on a list found in Mitchell's desk after his death," Gabriel said, mostly to me because only I knew who Mitchell was. He was my partner for a short time. He died just over a year ago, in an explosion at the Leaky Caldron, while he was investigating his twin sister—Penelope Talon.
"A list of names? Names for what?" I asked.
"Known aliases of Mary Scott," he replied very delicately.
My stomach plummeted downwards. That couldn't be right. Mary Scott was Penelope Talon's birth name. First of all, she was dead. I killed her. I saw her bleed out and dragged away by Peter Pettigrew. She was dead. There was no way she had survived. She couldn't have ordered a hit on Haiden. Secondly, Mary Scott was not a virgin, and Benjamin was proof of that as she was his mother. The Chaste was a virgin who protected the dark arts and would sacrifice herself for them.
"Who is Mary Scott?" Benjamin asked.
Silence fell in the kitchen again. Gabriel and I looked at each other awkwardly for a few moments.
"Mary Scott was your mother's birth name," Haiden said before either of us could. I glanced at her before I looked back at Benjamin. All color had left his cheeks.
"She's dead," he said quickly with a chilling tone as he looked between all of us. "She cannot be the Chaste. She couldn't have sent this note. Mitchell's list was wrong."
Benjamin didn't know that Mitchell was his uncle, who had died trying to solve his mother's murder.
"Is it possible that his list was potential identities?" I asked Gabriel.
"Anything is possible," he replied. "With Mitchell gone now we have no idea what thought went into that list. I deduced that it was a list of her aliases because of the other names listed."
"Everyone who could verify the theory that she was the Chaste is dead or a Death Eater," I said.
"What is there to verify?" Benjamin questioned sharply. "She's dead!"
Gabriel frowned deeply for a moment. "Perhaps the Chaste is simply a title that a new person takes over when the previous person has moved on from the position."
"In which case we're back to square one," I said, even though I knew the theory was wrong. The Chaste was prophesized to sacrifice herself to save the Dark Arts. If that was the case, it would be a specific person, not a title passed around.
"I think that is an unlikely theory," Haiden said with her arms crossed over her chest tightly. "Voldemort wouldn't allow just anyone by his side. The Chaste is supposed to be very powerful."
Gabriel nodded his head, acknowledging that it was a fair point. He leaned over the table to put down the note, but paused for a moment. He set down the paper in his hand and picked up another that was sticking out of Benjamin's work folders. I frowned suddenly. It was the sheet of paper that outlined a connection between Haiden, Carrigan and the Chaste. 'Tullius' was scrawled next to the 'Chaste' as a note.
"Why is Juniper's name on this?" Gabriel asked very carefully.
"Gabriel," I sighed. "We know nothing about her—"
"She showed up on the property shortly after I brought Haiden here after she was attacked," Benjamin said quickly. "That's not a coincidence."
"She also said she was looking for her father," Gabriel retorted defensively. "But, you are right. We know nothing about her and her appearance does look awkwardly suspicious."
"I think our next step is to find Tullius," said Benjamin. "I have a meeting tomorrow with a contact that will hopefully shed more light on the Chaste. But, after that we should look for your daughter."
Gabriel frowned, but nodded his head. "Is this work related at all? I can put other Aurors on it tonight. Ones that we trust," he added at my apprehensive look.
"I think we should keep this to ourselves," Benjamin shook his head. "Haiden filed a report that she was attacked with the Ministry, but this relates more to the Order and directly to Voldemort. I don't think we should risk ass-hat bureaucrats getting involved."
"Too late for that," Gabriel said as he was now one of the bureaucrats that Benjamin was describing. Benjamin rolled his eyes, but did not apologize.
"I'm heading out," he said looking to Haiden. "Are you staying here?"
"No," she said slowly. "I'll come home with you."
"I didn't say I was going home," he said. "But you can come."
Haiden nodded slowly. "Alright," she said to his vague comment. Benjamin collected his things and moved passed me without another word. He didn't even say good bye. He was obviously upset about the Chaste possibly being his mother. Haiden followed closely, muttering a good bye to Gabriel and me.
Once they were gone, I looked at Gabriel with apologetic eyes. He turned to the refrigerator and began to pull out produce to make a late dinner. I moved to the counter, leaned against it and watched him for a few moments. He didn't make eye contact with me as he began to cook.
"What do you plan to do, now that you know she is your daughter?"
Gabriel shrugged. "I don't know. I think she knows exactly who I am. Her excuse 'looking for her father,' was exactly that. You saw the way she looked at me when she said it. It's been bothering me for the last two weeks….I don't know what I should do." He stopped what he was doing and turned to me with sad dark eyes. "This isn't just something that affects me either. What I decide to do has a direct effect on us…on Carrigan. This affects our family. And now with Benjamin's theory….I don't know…"
I nodded my head. I appreciated that he was thinking of us, but ultimately this was about his family—his daughter. Gabriel was not a man of indifference or indecisiveness. I had never seen him like this; confused, anxious. I stood up straight from my place by the counter and went to him. I wrapped my arms around his center, leaning my head on his back between his shoulder blades. He reached down and held my arms around him, squeezing my hands with comfort.
"Whatever you decide, I will be here," I whispered. "But we can't deny her suspicious appearance."
"I know," he replied. "I know."
"Carrigan said that the Chaste is a virgin who will sacrifice herself to save the Dark Lord. The man who trained her when she was held captive by Voldemort told her all of this. Apparently there is an ancient prophecy about it."
I released Gabriel and stood back as he turned around to face me. "I have never heard of it, and I was within Voldemort's deepest circle."
"Maybe you weren't as deep as you thought," I shrugged. "Perhaps this is something he only shares with those who are part of the prophecy."
"Why does Carrigan know about it then?"
I sighed heavily. "The Chaste will be killed while trying to save the Dark Lord. She will sacrifice herself…she'll be killed by someone called the Variant who is trying to kill the Dark Lord."
Gabriel frowned as he studied my green eyes. "Carrigan believes she is the Variant?"
"No," I replied. "She does not truly believe in this prophecy. But, she knows that Voldemort believes in it. The survivor of the Twelfth Blood Ceremony is the Variant. That's why he gathered those girls…he was looking for the one who would kill the Chaste."
"If Carrigan is the Variant, why would the Chaste send out someone to kill Haiden? Why not send out someone to kill Carrigan?"
It was a good question. One that I had not thought of. "Perhaps because the prophecy ensures Voldemort's survival. Why would he want to kill the Variant when she really isn't a threat because the Chaste will protect him?"
"There are a number of reasons," Gabriel shrugged. "To save the Chaste, but that suggest he cares about her well being; simply to be proactive, like he was with Harry….or tried to be. Your father's deepest desire is to be immortal, we know that. He doesn't want to take the chance that someone, even this Variant, will be successful and kill him.
"You think that Tullius may be the Chaste?"
I looked at Gabriel seriously. "I think it is more likely that she is a contracted assassin. The Chaste sent out that hit, Tullius appears to have been attempting to fulfill it. But, finding her may help us answer a lot of questions."
Gabriel nodded in agreement.
"If we try to hunt her down that may spook her into hiding," he whispered as he pulled his grilled chicken and sautéed veggies off the stove top. "We might want to wait for her to come to us…if she was serious about looking for me, then she'll come back."
"But you don't think she was serious."
Gabriel frowned. "No. I just hope she was."
