I knew in my heart that I needed to go after him, but I just couldn't do it.

I've been lied to by too many people and for way too long. I'm so sick and tired of being deceived by the people I care about, and Derrek should have known that.

Walking into the house was more awkward than I would have previously anticipated. All the drama with Derrek had momentarily distracted me from the fact that my birth father had showed up. I haven't even had time to process it really. I walked into the house to see Charles and Wes standing uncomfortably in the hallway, waiting for us.

As we moved toward them I noticed Charles's eyes drop down to mine and Garrett's interlocked hands.

Cue even more awkwardness.

This just keeps getting better the more I think about it. Charles probably thinks I am some kind of crazy homewrecker. A few days ago Garrett was pretty much engaged to Carrianne, and now he is holding hands with Charles's other daughter. I hastily let go of Garrett's hand even though it was obviously too late to not be seen.

Garrett walked passed me and up the hall to meet Wes at the door of the study, but Charles hung back waiting for me.

When I got close he surprised me by stepping into the middle of the hall, preventing me from passing by him. "I, um..." He said as he looked down on me. I noticed for the first time how incredibly tall he was. He must at the least be 6'3. "I thought we should, I guess, formally meet." He muttered awkwardly, then extended his hand to me. "I'm Charles Montclair, Carrianne's father...Your father."

"Yeah, I know." I replied shaking his large warm hand once then dropping it.

I stared up into his eyes. I was struck by how similar they were to my own. Charles was a very handsome man. Tall, broad shouldered, kind eyes, and a perfect white smile. I thought to myself again how it was so easy to picture him with my mother. Mr. Perfect.

"I had a feeling you might have." He chuckled lightly. "I just wanted to say something of it." He glanced at the floor, what I am beginning to notice is his nervous habit, then he looked back to my eyes. "It's very nice to finally meet you Cadence. I've waited a long time for this moment, however, I did picture it under different circumstances. You look so much like your mother, it's uncanny."

I smiled. "Yeah, I've heard that a bunch."

"I'm sure you have." He said, returning the grin. "Shall we join the others?" He stepped aside so that we could both walk down to the study together.

I joined Garrett on the couch, and Charles took the chair by the desk, where Wes was sitting leaning back in his own chair. "Pleasure to see you again, Wesley." Charles said nodding his head in Wes's direction.

"Ah, yes." Wes replied. "You as well."

Garrett put his arm around my shoulders and rubbed my back soothingly while the two men caught up with each other. Wes explained how he had become involved with me and why he had advised me against reaching out. I had been afraid that Charles might get angry about that, but he said he completely understood and that he was grateful to Wes for everything he had done so far to try and help me. They carried on a little small talk for a while longer, and then Wes put his work face back on. "So, I do believe there are some things that I am sure Cadence would love to know." Wes prompted Charles.

Charles smiled and nodded to Wes and then turned his head to look at me. "What would you like to know first?" He asked.

Garrett squeezed my shoulder reassuringly and I chewed my lip while trying to sort out the thousands of questions in my head. "I guess the obvious question." I told him. "How long have you known about me?"

He didn't even take a second to think before he answered. "Always."

"Oh." I said hanging my head. "Then you know about..."

"Stephen?" He filled in my question. "Of course I do. He was named after my grandfather even."

"If you knew about us, then why didn't you ever come see us? And how did we end up with our adoptive parents?"

Charles sighed and rubbed his chin, thinking hard now about how to phrase his words. "There were so many things that led to that." He muttered. "I know Wes told you about how your mother and I were having an affair. We were very young, but I loved that woman. We wanted to just run away to be together, but then she got pregnant. There was no way the two of us, still teens at that, were going to be able to raise a baby on our own. We were getting pressure from both of our families to just break it off, marry our pairs, and keep the infidelity a secret." He took a long pause. "Your grandparent's thought they had it all worked out. They took Marrsala away to another state, where she was supposed to have the baby, then return here. He parents were going to hide the baby until Marrsala and her pair were graduated and married, then they could move away and keep the baby." Charles furrowed his brows and popped his jaw. "Annabeth just couldn't let it go, though. It wasn't enough that I had agreed to just marry her and that Marrsala was out of the picture. Annabeth and her parents are disgusting people, and I know they are the ones who went to The Order. I don't know how they found out that your mother was carrying twins. The only people who had seen the ultrasound were your grandparents, your mother, and me. Somehow though, the word got out, and The Order felt threatened. I'm sure Annabeth's family traded the information about the twins in exchange for the promise of your mother's death. It wouldn't have been the first time that The Order was behind a murder."

"So you knew Annabeth killed my mom?"

Charles didn't make eye contact with me, but he nodded his head grimly. "I know it will be hard for you to understand, but the rules for Potentes simply just aren't broken. You spend your whole life being taught one thing is right, and even if you disagree with it, it is so hard to fight against. I was already being pressured so hard by my own family, and then by The Order too. They threatened my family if I didn't follow through with my engagement. So I did."

I had a hard time trying to put myself in his position, but I was really trying to understand him. "So what about me and Stephen? How were we saved?"

"I honest to god, don't know." He answered. "After I found out about your mom's death, I was totally wrecked. Completely devastated. But no one knew what had happened to the babies. So few people knew of the truth in the first place, but then for the two of you to both juts vanish a day after your birth was unbelievable. I assumed you were both dead like your mother. I was even going to take my own life until I got a strange phone call. The person said they had the babies and that they were putting you with a family and to say nothing to anyone for your protection." He told us. "I followed up on it to be sure that it was true, and sure enough there the both of you were, leaving a hospital with a happy looking young couple."

"So you just left us with those strangers?" I asked him, more sadness in my voice than I had wanted.

"What would you have had me do?" He asked. "Your mother had been killed, and I knew that if anyone knew about the birth of twin Potentes that you'd be in even more danger. The best looking option seemed to be for you to disappear with a family." He explained to me. "I always kept track of you both though. Always."

"Who killed Stephen?"

"It was someone in The Order."

"But aren't you in The Order?" Garrett asked.

"Yes, I am the leader actually." Charles responded. "I don't know who specifically is responsible, but I do know that whoever it was is a part of The Order. For obvious reasons they are all being very sneaky, or they think they are, about not letting me find out that they are secretly trying to hunt down and kill my kids." He had clear anger in his voice. "I will find out who, and when I do I will kill them." His tone was making this a promise. "I began hearing whispers about the two of you a few years back. People were careful not to talk about it around me, but I picked up on it anyway. You were both about 13 years old. I came to see Stephen."

"You what?"

"I met Stephen. I told him everything, I explained it all and made sure that he knew he needed to protect you."

"You're saying Stephen knew about us?"

"Yes." He replied. "Stephen was a special young man. He may not have ever had a powerful ability, but he did have a fierce protectiveness over you. That was his role in all of this. He was supposed to protect you, keep you safe until you came into your power, then he was supposed to help you understand what was happening, and get you to me." He looked to the floor. "He didn't get to finish his part though. Whoever the person was that saved you and your brother from The Order and got you to your adoptive parents must have told them what the two of you were. Your adoptive father tipped off The Order about you both in exchange for money. That's how they found you and killed Stephen. Then your father moved you out here, right to The Order's front door." His eyes flashed with anger. "That worthless piece of flesh. How he could just sell out you and your brother after having raised the both of you is beyond my comprehension."

My mouth was dry at the thought of it. That man was responsible for the death of my brother, and he tried to set up my death as well. I was totally with Charles in not understanding how he could do this to us. "I don't even know what to say." I told him. "What does Annabeth know?"

He rolled his eyes at the very mention of her name. "She doesn't know who you are." He assured me. "She doesn't have a reason to be in the loop with The Order's business anymore. Since we were married and she knew Marrsala was dead, she hasn't bothered to care anything else about it. She'd rather pretend none of it happened."

"And Carrianne?" Wes asked.

"She knows none of this. Not of her mother, not of my past, and certainly not about you." He answered. "Carrianne will have to learn the truth now. There is no way or sense in hiding it anymore."

"I don't think she'll take it well." I said with a laugh. "She is not a fan of mine."

"That's an understatement." He chuckled. "Anyway, it is getting late. I'm sure we are all tired and need to get some sleep." He said standing from his chair.

Just the mention of sleep made me yawn. "Will I see you soon?" I asked him as I stood from the couch and stretched my arms over my head.

"Actually, I was going to ask if you'd like to come home with me."

"With you? To the house you share with Annabeth and Carrianne?"

"Annabeth is on a retreat for a few more days, and you're going to have to face Carrianne eventually. I really would love to get to spend some more time with you, and we have a very nice guest room. I'd feel better knowing you're safe."

"You don't think I'm safe here?" I asked.

Wes chimed in. "It is only a matter of time before they think to look me up." He said. "My name being changed and living outside of town will make it take longer, but eventually they will check here. You are more than welcomed to stay if you'd like though, dear, I would never turn you away."

I gave Wes a quick hug then turned back to Charles. "You think your house is safe?"

He laughed. "They are trying to keep this entire hunt a secret from me, the last place they will look for you is with me."

"I don't know." I said uncertain. The prospect of going home to share a house with Carrianne did not sound to appealing right now.

"Please?" Charles asked kindly. "If you aren't comfortable with it yet I will understand, but I do wish you would."

I decided to stop trying to overthink it. "Ok." I said quickly, before I changed my mind.

Charles smiled and said his goodbyes to Wes and Garrett and then went out to wait for me in his car.

I said goodnight to Wes and he retired to his room, leaving Garrett and I alone in the study.

Garrett turned to me quickly and grabbed my face with both hands, planting a huge kiss on me. "I have been waiting to do that again for hours." He laughed then kissed me again. That same spark was evident. "I can't believe you are going to his house." He said.

I wrapped my arms around his waist and rested my head on his chest. "I know." I groaned. "I feel like I need to though."

"I agree." He said kissing the top of my head. "I will see you tomorrow?"

"Yes, of course." I replied then looked up into his eyes seriously. "That is, unless Carrianne burns me to death in my sleep tonight." I laughed then kissed him one more quick time before running out to meet Charles in the car.

"Here we go." He said happily.

"Here we go." I repeated much less enthusiastically.

Into the dragon's cave.