Chapter 32- All I've Got:
"The illustrious Cassandra Mihalov... It's a pleasure to meet you." Barnabus smiled.
I gave him a shy smile and hoped my racing heart would be mistaken for nerves.
"Mr. Richter, you are too kind. I'm undeserving of such praise from you and your sister." I said.
I held out my hand and he took it in his own, leaning over and kissing it like a perfect gentleman. Though really, he was the perfect fraud. He stood back up, but he did not release my hand. He pulled it around his arm as if to escort me somewhere.
"Come, Victoria speaks so highly of you... We must get better acquainted. I'd love to give you a private tour of the gardens. They are quite magnificent." He said.
I turned towards Donovan, but he and Victoria were gone. My eyes searched the room quickly and found them on the dance floor in the middle of a waltz.
"Your husband seems to be occupied, I'm sure he wouldn't mind a friend stealing you away for a bit." Barnabus said.
I smiled and nodded as he grinned and started to lead me away. The line of people waiting to greet Barnabus dispersed with a casual wave of his hand as we walked past them. My eyes went back to Donovan and watched him dance with Victoria like he hadn't a care in the world. It was like he was in a dream. I'd certainly never seen that look on his face before. I wouldn't have thought it possible for him to look so content. Not once did he even look for me, making it impossible for me to send him any sort of signal. But Victoria looked right at me and offering a smile, she winked.
"Victoria is quite smitten with you. Is that one of her creations you're wearing?" He asked pleasantly.
"Oh yes, she is very talented. I'm quite honored for her company." I said.
"She usually only designs for royalty, but it seems that you have made quite the impression on her. But Victoria does love to be entertained. Our lifestyle can become quite boring after the first 100 years." He said.
Servants opened the back doors to the garden for us, bowing as we passed. Barnabus waved his hand and they shut the doors, blocking them from inside. And I assumed we were now outside and alone, and that signal was to guarantee it stayed that way.
We walked further into the garden and behind large hedges that were meticulously trimmed at 8 ft. tall. Perfectly able to hide us from view of the house, I realized. Though the garden really was beautiful, filled with fountains and sparkling ferry lights, I was so nervous I couldn't really appreciate it. Magical plants were fascinating, but my hands kept wanting to inch towards my daggers and Barnabus still had my arm wrapped around his, making it difficult. I wondered when Donovan would realize that I was even missing. We went around another hedge, far from the house at this point, and then he acted.
Before I could even realize he was attacking, he had slammed me against a tree so hard he knocked the air out of me so that I was left breathless and pinned with his hand squeezing my neck. His whole upper body was pinning mine against the tree so that I couldn't move my arms or legs. I couldn't reach for my daggers or my hair piece disguised wand.
"Who are you?" He asked, his face an inch from my own.
I was coughing and gagging from lack of oxygen so he loosened his grip minimally, enough that I could gasp out that my name was Cassandra. He pulled my throat towards him and slammed my head back against the tree. My vision momentarily blurred from the impact and I could feel the bark of the tree digging into my bare back. I groaned.
"The real Cassandra is dead. So I'll ask you one more time, who are you?" He said angrily.
Dead? What is he talking about? Cassandra is an alias we made up. How could he think I'm dead? But now I couldn't breathe. I was getting dizzy from lack of oxygen. And suddenly he let go of my throat and stepped away so that I dropped to the ground coughing and trying to suck oxygen through my bruised and almost crushed windpipe. He crouched down next to me.
"You're playing a dangerous game... Did you imperious Donovan?" He said.
I shook my head.
"I haven't imperioused anyone." I gasped out.
He grabbed my hair and yanked me up to his face.
"I know Cassandra is dead, I'm the one who killed her. So stop playing games with me." He said cruelly.
I slid my hand behind my back and grabbed a dagger. In one swift movement, I stabbed it into his side. He fell over with the force of the stab and I got up and ran, using his momentary surprise of my counter attack to my advantage. Except these high heeled shoes weren't making it easy, I broke a heel and kicked them off.
I'd made it 50ft before I was tackled to the ground, my face slammed onto the gravel path. I spit blood from my busted lip and rolled over and punched Barnabus in the nose. But it didn't deter him. He grabbed my arm stopping me from hitting him. He was straddling me, so I pulled myself forward and slammed my head into his face, using my momentum to throw him back. Now that I was on top I slammed my knee into his crotch, hearing my dress rip. But that was the least of my problems. My hair was hanging down from Barnabus grabbing it earlier, which meant my sparkly hair piece disguised wand was gone. It could be anywhere on the dark ground.
I made to get up again but Barnabus caught me around the waist and pulled me back to the ground. He slammed me down and pinned me.
"Who are you working for?" He said.
I struggled to get out from underneath him, but he was making it impossible.
"Get off of me!" I spit.
He slammed my head on the ground again. I groaned from the pain, my head was killing me. He keeps hitting me in the head and I'm likely to black out. It's all I can do to stay conscious.
"I know you're not really a Death Eater. Who are you and who are you working for?" He said.
I spit at him and focusing on what I wanted to happen, I screamed,
"Rictusempra!"
And like the night of my parents' Easter ball, my attacker was blasted backwards by an invisible force. I scrambled to my feet when one of the servants that had been guarding the garden doors came running at me. I grabbed another dagger and threw it straight, impaling his heart. He fell to the ground.
I looked around for my wand.
"Lumos!" I screamed.
It lit up beside the tree. I ran for it. As soon as I grabbed it though, I was yanked back by my hair into a hard chest. My own dagger held against my throat.
"Drop it." Barnabus said.
I dropped my wand to the ground, its light extinguishing as it left my hand.
"I won't hesitate to kill you. So tell me now, did you imperious Donovan?" He asked.
The sharp dagger was cutting into my throat slightly, I could feel the sting from the cut.
"No." I said.
"So he's in on it then." He said.
I said nothing.
He pulled me close and leaned down to my ear.
"I saw you crying, that day you tested those potions on those werewolf bastards. Death Eaters don't cry when they torture and kill people. So who are you really working for?" He said.
"Maybe it was the wretched smell making my eyes water. It was disgusting." I spat.
Everything we did that day was disgusting.
Barnabus laughed.
"You're loyal to someone, I'll give you that. But I know you're still lying. Death Eaters revel in torturing others. You couldn't even stand to watch though, could you? You were biting those beautiful lips so hard to stop from calling out and stopping it, weren't you? I could smell that small drop of your blood all the way across the room. And your heart was racing then, just like it is now. I know you're not a Death Eater... And that's why I'm not going to kill you." He said.
He dropped his hold on me and in my shock, I fell to the ground. He stooped down and picked up my wand. I looked up at him, standing over me holding my wand.
"You're going to help me." He said.
"Are you fucking mental?" I asked, spitting more blood from my mouth.
He chuckled.
"Victoria was right about you, you have a fire." He said.
He crouched down in front of me so that we were eye level.
"I'm no Death Eater. I know you saw me there that day, but I think we were both there for similar reasons. Voldemort seeks to control the dark creatures for his army. He's here in Germany for more reasons than that, though. I'm the leader of the clans here, and it hasn't escaped my ears that vampire clans in Britain have joined him. I believe he's here to recruit us. Even one vampire sympathetic to his plight is enough to start an uprising against me, because I have no interests in joining Voldemort. He cannot offer me anything I do not already have. And I have no time or patience to deal with an uprising. Nor do I need to be on guard for constant assassination attempts. I want Voldemort's efforts in Germany stopped. So I've been spying on the Death Eaters, with a particular interest in the potions you're working on. I've been following that Snape fellow as much as I can but it's difficult because he's living in an unplottable location. If you manage to find a way to create such an abomination of a potion, it's only a matter of time before he'll have you make one for my clans. " He said.
Well that would explain that tracking scroll Donovan found. But wait a second-
"You're the clan leader? Then why would Donovan say you're some sort of lofty vampire lord that drifts around the different clans? He's been trying to find the clan leader." I said.
"I don't announce that fact to everyone. Posing as a drifter suits me. It allows me to move about so that I may collect intelligence on the goings on in my territory. Besides, only vampires know that I am clan leader and they can never reveal my identity to an outsider. Only I can do that. Donovan doesn't need to know who I really am, and that's how it will stay." He said.
So why was he telling me?
"How wonderful for you. Your only concern is that some of the vampires may actually want to join Voldemort and stray from you? Selfish bastard. You sound like a Death Eater to me." I said.
"My personality flaws aren't really your concern. What is, though, is your little secret I can expose. Like I said, I killed the real Cassandra. But you must have something to offer, otherwise Donovan would not bother with you. I also know that though you've proven yourself as a potions mistress, you're being kept at a need to know basis. It's how Donovan operates. You want a way around that? I can help you. You don't remain a clan leader for as long as I have unless you have my talents." He said.
"Why do you keep insisting on saying Cassandra is dead? It's an alias for crying out loud." I said.
I was pretty sure this night was going to end with one of us dying anyways. Might as well tell him so he knows he's a crazy fool.
"Alias? Donovan hasn't told you?" He asked.
"Told me what?" I asked.
"Cassandra was a real person." He said.
"What? No, that's, that's impossible." I said.
"Is it? Donovan tells you everything, does he? Then he told you where he was a few nights ago?" He asked.
I said nothing. Donovan barely tells me anything, actually.
"I thought so. Well, I'll tell you whatever you want to know. And you're going to be telling me about the potions. Like I said, I want Voldemort gone and you're going to help me do it." He said.
"So what, you want me to waltz up to Voldemort and ask him to leave your little clan alone? What's the matter, afraid to do it yourself?" I taunted.
What if he was lying? Just baiting me to think there was more going on with Donovan than there really is. Only, I have no way to know the truth. And Barnabus has to have more of a reason for wanting to stop Voldemort, why else would he go through so much trouble? And if he is the clan leader then he probably could kill me in seconds. And then, what is Donovan's role in all of this? If Barbabus knows Donovan is trying to discover the clan leader why is he keeping it from him? Unless he suspects Donovan would betray that information. But that would mean he suspects Donovan is a true Death Eater. Yet he knows I'm not and am working with Donovan? This isn't adding up. Something more is going on here and maybe Barnabus is the key to finding it out. Donovan sure isn't telling me much.
I looked up to see Barnabus studying me. He stared directly at me for a moment before he reached forward slowly and wiped the blood from my lip with his thumb. Then he stared at his thumb before slowly lifting it to his mouth and sucking my blood from it.
He closed his eyes and sighed.
"You're exactly what I need... Lily." He said.
I gasped. He was staring at me with interest.
"I told you, I have talents. I was once a powerful wizard before I became a vampire. Though magic rejects us now, there are still things I can do that the other vampires cannot. I know you do not trust me, but you will. I can promise you that." He said.
"That your way of trying to gain someone's trust? Beating the shit out of them?" I asked.
He laughed again.
"I needed to make sure you were worth keeping alive. Can't have you spilling my secrets under pain of death. But I will regress, I only meant to strangle you until you faltered. I never expected you to put up so much of a fight." He said.
"Oh, you only wanted to strangle me? You vampires have a funny way of trying to make friends." I said.
Like calling me delicious all the time. I'm not a dessert for Merlin's sake.
He smiled.
"I do apologize. I'm afraid this conversation couldn't be had under any pleasant circumstances. You did stab me though, if it's any consolation to you." He said.
"Oh, it is. How's the nose, by the way?" I asked.
I started inching for my other dagger. But he noticed, and in a flash he was holding my arm in place, his face an inch from mine.
"Enough. I said I'm not going to kill you. You have no reason to attack me now. If you try to go for those daggers you have hidden back there again, I will kill you. And that would be a shame." He said.
"Right, because you're under the delusion you're going to use me and that I'm going to be ok with it. Let go of me." I said.
I spit more blood on the ground, it was pooling in my mouth and the taste was disgusting.
He looked away from my eyes, back down to my busted lip. Still gripping my arms, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine. I tried to push him away, but he sucked my lower lip into his mouth and I couldn't move. Literally. His hands dropped my arms and he cradled my head with one hand, the other hand brushed down the side of my neck. His tongue ran across the broken skin of my lip and then he leaned back.
It was like a haze lifted and I blinked into focus. He was looking into my eyes.
"What a brilliant green." He whispered.
I punched him in his broken nose.
He fell backwards in surprise.
"Don't kiss me." I said.
"I healed your lip. I wasn't kissing you." He said as he pushed his nose back into place with a crack.
I touched my lip and felt it was completely healed. And how did he immobilize me? Some sort of vampire thing? That would explain the dazed look on Donovan's face earlier when he was dancing.
"I do apologize for injuring you before, but I was trying to help just now. Vampires can release coagulants, to heal our puncture wounds after we feed." He said.
"How do you know my eyes are green?" I asked.
"Because I can see them." He reached out and touched my hair but I smacked his hand away.
"Just as I can see your red hair. Vampires have excellent night vision." He said.
"Shit!" I murmured.
Had something happened to my disguise? That spell was supposed to last until Dumbledore removed it or died. Or if I told someone my true identity..
"How did you know my name?" I remembered.
"Because I tasted your blood. I can read your memories through your blood. Another one of my talents." He said.
"You read my memories?!" I asked.
"Not with that small an amount. I just wanted to know who you really were, so I got your real name. You changed immediately after." He said.
"But you shouldn't be able to see me. I didn't tell you, the spell.. That's not how it works.." I was panicking.
Was there a fault in the spell? Could other people see me now? The real me? Unless it was because of my blood... I know there are really powerful spells from blood magic. Maybe my blood was just as good as me telling him my identity?
Barnabus looked over his shoulder.
"Someone's coming, probably just one of my servants. Here, fix your appearance. You look as though you've just been attacked. Your dress is a mess." He said.
"That's because you attacked me!" I shrieked.
My head throbbed violently at my shriek and I squinted my eyes in pain. That was a bad idea.
He shoved my wand in my hand. Was he so confident I wouldn't wipe his memory and run? He had gotten up to stop whoever was coming our way, but seemed to realize exactly what I'd been thinking and he eyed my wand.
"Don't do anything foolish."
And he turned his back on me and walked off.
I quickly stood up, muttering repairing charms and cleaning charms to my dress. Then my hair and makeup, accio'd my broken shoes and fixed them. I was going as fast as I could and then Barnabus returned alone.
"You look just as you did, except you don't look like Cassandra anymore." He said.
I nodded.
"I suppose it was my blood. The spell breaks if I divulge my true identity." I said straightening the front of my dress.
He watched me and smirked.
"So we have an understanding then?" He asked.
"Well, you know who I am. I can either obliviate you, or you can make me your best offer. Exactly what can you do for me? And why should I do anything for you? I'm not going to be another one of your servants." I said, crossing my arms.
I was trying to do my best Donovan impression.
Barnabus cocked his head to the side, smirk still on his face.
"Do you really have no fear of me? I could kill you where you stand before you even realized I'd moved. How about you do what I say or I kill you?" He said.
I couldn't let him intimidate me, even though I was pretty sure he wasn't bluffing.
"How about you do what I say or I kill you?" I said.
He laughed.
"I'll be in contact with you. And just so we are clear, you will not tell anyone anything that happened here tonight or anything I've told you. And you will not contact me, I'll contact you." He offered his arm and I narrowed my eyes, partly with distrust and partly because I was getting dizzier by the second.
My head was pounding harder now.
I walked past him and over to the servant I'd thrown my dagger at. He was alive, but immobile as long as his heart was impaled. That much I did know about vampires. How to kill them or take them down. I looked into it after Donovan had thrust me into a building full of them.
I leaned down and yanked out my dagger. The vampire moaned and started squirming. I pulled out my wand and obliviated him, then cleaned my dagger and slid it back into place under my dress.
"That one actually was useful, now you've gone and ruined his memory. He'll be nothing but a nuance now." Barnabus said.
I turned back to him.
"I didn't erase his whole memory. I only erased what I didn't want him to know. I'm quite good with memory modification. One of my many talents." I said.
I walked up to him and held out my hand. He returned my dagger that I'd stabbed him with. Too bad I couldn't have gotten it in his heart.
As soon as I'd put it away he reached out and pressed his hand on the back of my head where I vaguely realized I'd been bleeding from. He pressed into it and pain shot through me so intensely that my vision blacked out and the last thing I remember was my knees giving out as his arms went around me and me slumping into him before I completely blacked out.
"James, we need to talk." I said.
"What do you want Charlie?" James said as he walked away from the front door, allowing me in.
"Haven't you and Sirius been spending all of your time together these days? I'm surprised he's not with you." He said bitterly.
We'd walked to the Potter's kitchen and James was pouring himself coffee, not the usual tea. Very much like Lily, I thought.
"I'm not here about your fight with Sirius. This is something more important." I said.
James turned around quickly.
"Is it Lily? Is she ok? Have you found her?" He asked quickly.
I shook my head.
"No. It's, well, you know my partner Alice Prewitt? Her best friend works in the Ministry, in the legislation records.. Anyways, they've passed a new law. All werewolves, vampires, and half breeds are required to be registered."
"Shit." James said.
"Exactly. It's coming into effect by the end of the week. Remus- I thought you should be the one to tell him. Tell him before it comes out." I said.
James shook his head.
"This is ridiculous. Who proposed it?" He asked.
"I don't know. The details are vague, they're keeping it quiet so that those effected don't try to go into hiding before it's law." I said.
"I can't believe the Minister signed off on this. This is bullshit!" James raged.
"That's not the worse part. The way they're wanting to register them, it isn't just on paper. They want to brand them with a trace, so that they know where they are at all times and so they can always be easily identifiable to everyone." I said.
"What?! That's against human rights!" James started.
"They don't see them as humans. That's the problem. We think the Minister is afraid they'll join You Know Who. That's why he wants to trace them." I said.
James shook his head.
"We've got to tell Moony. This will destroy him." He said.
"He can't get the trace, James. The Death Eater spies in the Ministry will know exactly where he is. This whole registration will fuel prejudices about them and people will be afraid. Some might even go as far as trying to kill them. I think You Know Who is behind this so that he can find them and make them join him. What do they have to lose now? It's not like they can have jobs or go to school after this. Remus has to go into hiding, now." I said.
"Shit, he's at academy. He's dreamed of being a healer for as long as I've known him." James said.
He punched the wall in his frustration.
"Staying alive is more important now. Listen, I've got to get back. I have patrols, and Moody will have my arse if I'm late. I'll come by when I'm done in the morning and I'll go with you to get Remus. Try to figure out where he can go into hiding at, and it's gotta be somewhere nobody can find him." I said.
James nodded.
"I'll wake up my parents, see what we can come up with." He said.
"Lily? Wake up."
I opened my eyes to see Donovan standing over me. I looked around quickly and noticed I was in my bedroom in his house. How did I get here? Last I remembered I was in the gardens talking to Barnabus. Was that a dream?
"What happened?" I asked sitting up, acutely aware of my pounding headache.
"That's what I'd like you to tell me. Last night two of Barnabus' servants came and got me and when I got outside Barnabus was holding you and claiming you slipped and fell backwards hitting your head on a stone bench? He said it knocked you out." Donovan said.
"Oh. Yeah, my head is killing me." I rubbed the back tenderly.
Donovan looked as if he didn't believe me.
"And what were you two doing out there in the first place?" He asked.
"He was showing me the gardens." I said.
"What did you talk about? Why did he take you out there to begin with?" He asked.
I sighed and rubbed my temples.
"Can you not drill me with questions right now? I have a terrible headache. Besides, you're the one who introduced us then waltzed off with Victoria." I said.
"Do you know how stupid it was of you to go outside with him? Alone." He asked.
"I thought he was your precious vampire contact. Why else would you go to that stupid ball?" I asked.
He shook his head.
"He is my contact, but he's not someone you mess with. He's a vampire lord. They're dangerous. Get on their bad side and you'll be dead before you know it. Besides, there were a lot of prominent Death Eaters there. If I want to be in the inner circle I have to actually be apart of what they do." He said.
Oh, that's right.. Donovan said there would be Death Eaters there when we got the invitation. But if Barnabus knows that Voldemort is trying to recruit the vampires, why would he have invited Death Eaters? Surely he knew who they were. Or was this one of those, 'keep your enemies close' things?
"Still doesn't explain why you wanted me to meet him." I said.
"I didn't. He's dangerous. But he wanted to meet you. Because of Victoria, I suppose." He said.
"And why exactly did you push me on Victoria?" I asked.
He sighed.
"Do I need to explain everything I do, to you? You know I'm trying to find the vampires leader. You saw how I got beaten for it. They don't want me poking around. So I figured you seemed innocent enough to them. And if Victoria liked you, you'd be around a lot. Which gives me a reason to." He said.
"And why do you need to find the leader?" I asked.
"It's not a simple answer." Was all he would say.
I sighed. More secrets from Donovan.
"I need you to tell me, was Barnabus asking questions about me? Did he ask where we live or what I've been doing or anything hinting to that?" He said.
"No. Not at all." I said.
Donovan frowned but asked me nothing else, and thankfully left me in peace.
I still wasn't sure how I felt about Barnabus and Donovan, but now I had even more to worry about. I saw into Charlie's mind again. And I'm almost 100% positive that Charlie is right. Voldemort is behind the registration law. But why try so hard for the werewolves and the vampires? It's one thing to recruit for your army, but to put so much effort into it? Why does Voldemort want the dark creatures so badly? Werewolves can be vicious I suppose. But why the Vampires? What do they have that he wants? The only thing that's ever been appealing to anybody about becoming a vampire is...
Immortality. Shit.
"Here again?" Snape asked.
I turned around and pretended I hadn't heard him walking down the stairs.
"Hello." I said over my shoulder.
I turned back to my parchment, feeling him step closer and looking over my shoulder.
"What are you doing, exactly?" He asked.
"Taking a completely different approach. It was your idea originally to use a poison, but how about a plant with healing effects? Go the complete opposite direction." I said as I scribbled down notes.
"Possibly. I suppose it is worth a try." He said offhandedly.
But I knew he was actually interested by the way he lingered behind me. He was obviously reading all of my notes over my shoulder.
"If you'll be staying here, I'm actually required elsewhere..." He said.
"Oh? Well I do hope you stay safe." I said turning to look at him.
He gave me a puzzled look before apparating away. Of course I realize he's going to meet his supplier (Sirius) and now I have no idea where.. But I figured maybe I could snoop around upstairs where Snape stays. See if I find anything. And I'm going to make an effort to talk to him more so he actually might trust me to bring me along next time. He can be very quiet and rather droll, but there's gotta be some way for him to trust me. I don't want to rely on Barnabus for anything if I don't have to. And right now, he's all I've got.