A/N: Meanwhile, back at the ranch,

And as always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Go back and read the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before this one.

CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN B: REVELATIONS PART B

An hour later Orion stood outside the cave's entrance, thinking over Katlin's words as he took his turn at watch.

Was it possible that Heudros didn't know what he had brought into being, and by that, Becca was also totally ignorant of her own true nature?

From the woman's actions, she seemed more than a little naive. In fact, 'naive' didn't even begin to describe her. It was apparent to him that Heudros kept Becca more than a little in the dark about some of his more unseemly activities. But the woman had to be totally blind or as dense as a post not to see part of it. Enough, at least, to make her question her kind and benevolent master.

Or maybe she was just so twisted around by Heudros, she didn't want to see anything more than he told her. 'Safe and secure'. It was what a lot of people dealt with most effectively. They knew the way they wanted to see the world and please don't confuse them with little details like 'the truth'. That would just upset their well-constructed little fantasy and they wanted no part of it.

As he stood in the entrance mulling over his thoughts, a small flash of light instantly caught his attention.

'Here we go again.' Orion thought. But this time he had actually been hoping for another encounter with Heudros' enigmatic servant, and had a plan firmly laid out.

"My master has been more than patient with you." Becca stated as she appeared before the Unspeakable. "Why do you persist on remaining here?"

Orion leaned back against the outside wall of the cave. "We are not currently 'persisting' in anything, Becca." He replied. "Right now we are trying to avoid your master's followers, who are highly motivated to killing us. And aside from that, we can't leave without all of our group."

Becca turned momentarily to the cave, then back to Orion. "All your members are accounted for. I will send you home."

But as she raised her arm, Orion raised his own to cut her off. "We are not 'all accounted for'." He stated firmly. "My boggart is missing. And I can promise you I am not leaving without him."

Becca didn't even pause to consider his words. "Leave now and you will all return home safely. I swear it. As well I will return your companion to you."

Orion didn't miss a beat catching her meaning. "Bo! You have Bo?!"

Becca gave little reaction to the Unspeakable's question, her expression unchanged. "Agree to return home now and I will return him to you."

Orion's own expression fell flat. "You haven't confirmed yet that you have him. And as far as I'm concerned, your track record for the truth hasn't been that great."

If Becca was growing impatient with the verbal exchange, her only expression of it was a slight pursing of her lips before she spoke again. "If you agree to leave here, I will return him to you."

"Prove you have him." Orion stated. "You prove that to me, Becca, bring him here, and we'll agree to leave. Plain and simple, all right?"

Becca considered the offer a moment. "Your 'track record' with the truth is not so great either, Mr. Black. I will hold the boggart as collateral. When you have been returned to your home, I will release him."

"No deal." Orion stated bluntly. "I want proof you have him."

Without so much as a gesture on her part, Orion suddenly found himself standing in a small room that looked very much like one back in the castle. But what caught his attention foremost was the figure sitting in the far corner of the room.

"Bo!"

Orion ran across the room as the boggart looked up at the sound of his name. A soft, whimpered trill came from underneath the hood as the boggart acknowledged his Channeler's presence.

Crouching down next to him, Orion wrapped a hand over one of the boggart's cloaked shoulders while he caressed the over down the back of his head. "How are you, buddy?" He ask quickly. "You OK? Have they treated you OK? Are you hurt?"

The boggart simply gave the same whimpering trill again as he laid his head forward until it rested against Orion's chest.

"I'm so sorry, Bo." Orion murmured to him as he continued to stroke the hooded head. "I never meant for you to get hurt. I swear it. I'm so very, very sorry."

Behind them Becca stood for several minutes watching the two, her eyes wide with interest. "He's fine." She suddenly stated with impatience. "Nothing is wrong with him."

"He isn't fine." Orion stated in a tone to match her own. "He's far from it." Orion quickly turned his attention back to Bo. "OK, Buddy." He stated gently. "I need to ask you a few questions, OK. So you pay attention."

The boggart gave the slightest nod as Orion let go of his head.

Orion began speaking to the boggart, asking him a series of questions that could easily be answered with a nod or shake of his head. But as he spoke, Orion also was gesturing with his hands. Small, curt movements that to the general observer may have looked like nothing more than Orion emphasizing what he was saying with words with his hands.

But all the while he talked, Bo never once took the direction of his stare off Orion's hands. He nodded every so often, or shook his head. His answers looking like nothing more than his answering Orion's worded questions with the slight exception he wasn't quite on cue with the questions. Instead, to the more observant watcher, he seemed to be listening to a whole different conversation, taking part in that one as opposed to the one his channeler was verbally having with him.

"Why are you so concerned?" Becca ask, her voice curtish despite her interest in the interaction between the two. "He's just your servant, and one that has failed you at that. He should be punished, not coddled like some sick child."

Orion turned to the woman. "Look, Becca," he stated in a quiet, controlled voice, "I can't help how Heudros treats you, but Bo is my boggart, and he is not my servant, he's my friend."

Becca seemed intrigued by the idea. "Friend?" She stated. "What do you mean, 'your friend'. He serves you. You control him."

Orion actual laughed at her last statement. Turning to her, he fixed his stare on her. "First off, Bo does not serve me, he helps me. As for controlling him, I beg to differ."

"You told him to attack us in the forest and he obeyed. Despite the obvious danger such an act entailed, he still did as he was told."

Orion sighed to himself. "Bo was told to 'protect', not 'attack'. I doubt one of your people suffered much at his hands. And he didn't 'do as he was told', he did what he knew needed to be done despite the danger because we were in danger. Katlin was injured and Bo knew we needed time to help her without worrying about Heudros' people. Bo did what he did out of concern for us. Not because I told him to, and not for any great pleasure he got out of attacking anyone. He did it to protect his friends."

Becca seemed to consider the information quite seriously as a frown knitted across her brow.

Orion did nothing to distract her. He had gotten what he wanted out of the situation. He knew that for the time being, Bo wasn't in any great danger, and he was alone with Becca.

Without her master to redirect her thoughts, Orion wondered just how far he could go to reaching her.

But after a few moments she raised her head again. "He fears his consequences." She stated empirically, as though she had been given a difficult puzzle to solve and had just arrived at the answer she was sure was right.

Orion gave her a puzzled look in return. "What consequences?"

Becca didn't hesitate in her answer this time. "Whatever you have laid them out to be. He has been with you for some time, that is obvious, so surely he knows what they are."

Orion considered her answer carefully and the wealth of information it held for the Unspeakable. So Heudros exercised his control with threatened punishment. What intrigued him most was what Heudros felt was pertinent enough to Becca that it allowed him complete control over her, balanced against her fear of it.

Well, if she felt Bo knew what his 'consequences' were, maybe she knew her own as well.

"Is that what Heudros has given you? Consequences if you disobey him?"

Becca stared back at the Unspeakable for a few moments. "If I disobey, I am punished." She replied in a very route sounding voice. "That is his right as my master. It is his right over all of his followers."

"And what did Heudros say he would do to you if you disobey him?" Orion pressed on gently.

Becca stood stock still for several seconds, as if weighing the value of the information. But apparently she didn't see anything of great significance in the answer. "He said that he will take my magic away from me." She stated plainly.

For several moments Orion stood staring at the woman with a dumbfounded expression. But all at once he suddenly burst out laughing, causing Becca's solemn expression to shift to one of utter surprise.

"I fail to see what you find amusing about that, Mr. Black."

Orion seriously worked to regain control of himself before answering her. "Becca, he's lying." He stated.

Orion expected denial from the woman. Defense of her master and his honorable nature. But instead she cocked her head slightly to the side as she studied the man in front of her. "Lying?" She ask.

Well, if nothing else, this conversation was turning into an eye opener of how Heudros controlled his servant.

Orion nodded, still working to bring himself back to a more serious frame of mind. "Becca, we need to have a very serious talk about you and your master."

The woman straightened her back even more rigidly. "Is this to be more of your maligning my master? Because I have heard quite enough of that from you, Mr. Black." She warned him seriously.

"No, Becca." Orion replied solemnly. "But I am going to tell you something, and I need you to listen to me. It's very important you hear what I have to say. It's important to you."

Orion doubted very much the woman would believe one word of what he was going to tell her. But all he really needed was for her to hear it. Sometimes just planting a seed of doubt was all that was necessary to grow a tremendous amount of instability in someone's beliefs.

Becca stared back at him, never agreeing to hear him out, but, Orion noted, also not leaving, or sending him away.

"Becca, I'm going to make you a promise. One I swear to you is the truth, and one that I can prove, all right?"

Becca made no more answer than to incline her head slightly.

"Becca, this threat Heudros has made to you, these 'consequences' he has warned you about if you disobey him?"

The woman nodded slightly to show she was still listening.

"Becca, they are lies. Heudros can't take your magic from you because you are his magic."

Again Orion expected the usual stanch defense of her master from the woman. But again she surprised him by simply staring back at him. She appeared to be considering the information, then shook her head. "No. You are wrong. Heudros gave me my magic." She stated factually.

Orion read the hesitancy in her face. Currently it was all he had to work with, but it could also turn out to be all he needed.

"Becca, he's lying to you." He reiterated once more. "Heudros can no more take your magic away from you than I can. Because you are his magic. Becca, you are magic."

If Orion hoped to see any recognition to what he was saying, he was dismally disappointed as the woman only continued to stare back at him.

"But he can." Becca countered. "Heudros gave my magic to me. Before I was...I wasn't even a witch. I was...I was just a regular person." She finished in a quiet whisper. "A muggle."

"What?!" Orion stated in utter surprise. This conversation really was turning into an eye opener. In more ways than one.

Becca pulled herself up again, as though steeling herself to face some ridicule she was certain was coming. "A muggle." She repeated in a bit stronger voice. "When Heudros first came to me, I was nothing more than a muggle. But he said he could do things for me. Wonderful, magical things. He promised me a life beyond anything I knew before. And he kept that promise, Mr. Black. You have yet to keep yours."

Orion worked hard to recover his train of thought from the blow dealt to it by Becca's declaration.

So Heudros had not only had found the perfect lie to control Becca, he had somehow managed to back it up with some groundwork. His task now was to find out exactly what that was and just how carefully Heudros had laid the foundation of his glass house.

If anything in all of this was spurring him on, it was the sole desire he had to see this man's influence over the poor woman brought to an end. She deserved at least that much after all the years she had suffered under his tyrannical rule of her life. And she deserved a real life. Not one based on the series of lies Heudros had constructed.

"Becca. You were never a muggle." He stated carefully.

The woman gave a small laugh. "Of course I was."

Orion only shook his head at her.

"Then what was I?" She ask defiantly.

Orion again shook his head sadly. What had Heudros done to this poor woman? She didn't even appear to know what she was. Maybe Katlin had been right in her assumption of the situation after all. "You weren't anything, Becca. You didn't even exist."

Becca stared back at him, her expression hinting at nothing behind her eyes. "What do you mean I didn't exist?" She ask plainly with just the smallest touch of annoyance in her tone.

"Just that." Orion replied. "You didn't exist, Becca. Before you 'met' Heudros, you were nothing more than...than a force of magic. You had no corporeal form. You weren't even a sentient being. Heudros created you. You had no life before him."

"Now I see your lie." She suddenly stated clearly. "I had a life before Heudros. I remember it."

"You remember what Heudros told you, Becca. You didn't even exist before you 'met' Heudros."

"You are lying." Becca stated again. "And I am a fool for listening to you."

Orion clearly sensed he was losing her, and with her, his opportunity to break Heudros' hold on her. "Becca," he stated quickly, "I told you I can prove what I'm saying."

Becca stared back at him. "How?"

From the speculation in her features, Orion knew he had an up hill battle on this one. But if the final result was that Becca gained freedom from Heudros, it would be worth it.

"Simple paper work." Orion stated. "Try tracing your past. My guess is you won't find one. As compliant as you've been to his lies, I doubt Heudros ever thought he would need to lay down a solid backing for his tales."

"You're wrong." Becca replied firmly.

"Everyone has a past, Becca."

"Not orphans, Mr. Black."

Now it was his turn to be surprised again. "Orphans?"

Becca gave him a sadly triumphant smile. "Yes. I have no family anymore. My parents are both dead."

Orion studied her expression for any sign of a lie. But she was staring at him in that maddening way of her's again. With an expression that didn't give him a clue as to what she was thinking. The only other person he had ever known to be able to do such a thing was Katl...

Orion stood staring silently at her for a very long time. Suddenly pieces were rapidly falling into place. The problem was, he didn't particularly like the picture they were forming.

"Becca, how did your parents die?" Orion ask solemnly.

"Heudros said it was a fire. At our house. They both died, but I survived because I wasn't at the house at the time."

"Where were you?"

"I don't remember."

"You don't remember?"

"I don't remember much about the fire or my life from before it, Mr. Black. Heudros said it was from the trauma of the event and I wasn't to worry about it. Someday I may remember it. But if I don't, where is the harm?"

Orion shook his head. "Lady, you have no idea the harm." He said in a low tone. More pieces of the puzzle fell into place. "Heudros must have recognized Katlin when she dropped the spell that hides her appearance." He said, speaking more to himself and giving a small laugh as he worked the details out for himself. "Great magic, that must have given him a shock. He probably thought she died in that fire as well. Suddenly he's got a loose end he thought was gone and done with staring him in the face. So he arranges for her to fight in that arena, hoping that would solve his problem, and when that didn't work, he tried to poison her. All of this to try and kill my wife because of what she doesn't even know she knows about him."

Becca gave him an impatient stare. "What are you talking about, Mr. Black?"

"Lies." Orion answered, turning back to her. "Think back, Becca. What is your first clear memory? Something you know for a fact undeniably happened."

The woman thought over the question. "I was..." But she stopped suddenly as a look of concentration crossed her face. "I remember Heudros. He was calling me."

Orion frowned. "Calling you? From where?"

Becca thought, then shook her head. "I must have been asleep. Yes! I was sleeping. And I heard his voice calling my name."

Orion's interest raised immediately at the information. Was that what it was like for Bo when his family created him? Just a voice in the blackness calling to him? Summoning him into being.

"Becca, tell me something. If you were a muggle, did Heudros ever tell you 'why' he wanted you? Why not pick someone who was a witch already? Why chose a muggle?"

"He said I was special." Becca answered with all the simplicity of a well trained answer, but without one trace of pride in it. "Heudros said he had been watching me and he said he knew I would serve him well. So you see," she added, as if proving her case, "if Heudros had been watching me, I must have been there before he called me."

"All right," Orion conceded. "then surely you remember where you were when Heudros called you. That had to have been a pretty significant event for you. A man shows up suddenly, calling your name, telling you he's a wizard and he's going to give you magical powers as well. I would sure as heck remember that."

Becca frowned at him. "Of course I remember." She stated firmly. "I was..." But again her words faltered. "I was...I was probably at the orphanage. Where Heudros said he took me from" She finished finally.

"Where Heudros said he took you from? You don't remember?"

"It was very soon after the fire, Mr. Black. I remember very little of that time."

Orion knew he had to slow down a little. He didn't want to scare her or make her too defensive. And she was starting to show signs of the stress of what he was telling her. Believe him or not, she was listening. But she was becoming aggravated with him, mostly apparent in that her usual calm, clear voice had risen a few degrees in tone. Most people probably wouldn't even notice the change, but to Orion it was a distinct as though she had suddenly flown off into full blown hysterics.

He had to step more carefully. But he also had to stay on track with her.

"You've been with Heudros for some time, yes?" Orion ask, seeming to suddenly switch the subject.

"I have served him for years." Becca agreed.

"So you couldn't have been very old when Heudros first 'called' you. How old were you when the fire happened?"

"Fifteen."

Orion winced slightly. The man missed nothing in constructing this lie. It wouldn't be easy to get around.

"You must remember something about your parents, Becca. At least you should remember their names."

"What?" The tone of her voice shifted a little bit more.

"What were your parents names?" Orion tried again, trying to keep his voice level and reasonable sounding. "Every child knows their parents names, Becca. Even a last name. What is your last name?"

The woman frowned in thought. "I...I must have forgotten it. Heudros never used it. He has always only called me 'Becca'. And I already told you, I don't remember anything from before the fire."

"You said you were away from home when the fire happened. Where were you?"

Becca thought. "I don't remember. I suppose at a friend's house." Becca took a step back from him. "You are trying to confuse me." She stated in an even slightly higher pitched tone than her last one.

Orion held his hands up. Time to redirect. "No, I'm not." He stated. "I told you I had something to tell you that was important, Becca. But before I do, you have to understand the lie you've been living. That whatever Heudros told you about your past, it was a lie."

"Why then?" She ask firmly, but in the same higher pitched tone. "Why would he lie about all this? For what reason?"

"To keep the truth from you." Orion stated. "So that you would never question anything too deeply. That was something Heudros simply could never allow." He paused for a brief moment before continuing. "Becca, I told you I would tell you the truth," he finally went on, "and that I could prove what I say. But in order for me to do that, I need you to do something for me."

The woman regarded him cautiously. "What?"

"I need you to bring Katlin here."

PLEASE SEE PART C.