Knights v Hunters: The Choice

“Father, how are we going to deal with Noah?” Matthew and Eden asked Gabe after their debriefing the next morning. They had received the Hunters’ debriefing report earlier in the morning and after their enquiry, were told that Becca was on the mend, although she would carry a scar on her neck. Although Eden and Matthew were relieved, they still each carried the remnants of guilt.

“My thought is that we present our case to the Council. Your mother and I have been working on building this case since you’ve been away. We’ll complete it in the next hour, now that we have more information from the debriefing.”

“What if more members from the Council are involved in all of this?” Josh asked, highlighting their current distrust in the leadership that had ruled the Knights for centuries.

“What if Seth is involved? The Hunters’ report did not exclude Seth from colluding with the Untouchables,” Eden verbalised the fears of her family. “In fact, they strongly suspect that he might actually be the Knight who’s co-ordinating the activities of the Untouchables from within Knight town.”

Gabe worriedly ran his hands through his almost white hair, reminding Eden for an instant, of Rafe. “We suspect that more Knights are involved and given the duration of this fraud, they are more than likely older Knights, some of whom could be sitting on the Council. I wouldn’t put it past them to have recruited younger Knights as well, but it seems less likely. As for Seth,” Gabe sighed, “your mother believes wholeheartedly in his innocence.”

“And you, Father?” Eden asked. “What do you believe?”

“If he is involved, then he is the craftiest Knight I’ve ever met, because I would never have suspected him. Noah, on the other hand, was always explicit enough in his disapproval of my leadership, but I’ve never had to question his loyalty to the Knights. Even now, I’m struggling to believe that he could be so duplicitous,” Gabe confessed.

“Seth has also challenged your authority, Father,” Kyra reminded Gabe. “There were times when you mentioned that Seth was keen to have the Council replace you with Noah as leader of the Knights.”

Gabe remembered, but he knew that those challenges had been valid and generally in good faith. Seth had never put forth a vote of “no confidence” in his leadership. He found it hard to believe that the Knight who had been a father-figure in his life could be devious enough to destroy everything for which their society stood.

“So when do we approach the Council?” Matthew asked, breaking the silence. He could sense that his father was distraught, but they had to approach the Council as soon as possible.

“I’ve called a meeting for later today. The Council have agreed to meet in their entirety, including Noah. Your mother and I will go to the Council. I want you all to stay at home. We’ll let you know how it turns out.” Gabe knew that his children were disappointed, that they wanted to be there at the Council with their parents, showing their support and commitment. Gabe wanted them close, but away from danger if the Council rejected his case.

“We understand,” Matthew answered for himself and his siblings. “I think I’m curious as to why the Untouchables, Gentry and McCall, who actually retained their abilities, didn’t attempt to block us when we were tracking them?” He turned to Eden. “We could easily track their movements, which doesn’t make sense.”

“We were with the Hunters, who were “hiding” us in a sense, from the Untouchables. Since the Untouchables couldn’t track us, they couldn’t block us either. Also, they wanted us to find them initially, so there was no need to block,” Eden rationalised. It made sense to Matthew. The presence of the Hunters had allowed them to use their own abilities to the fullest and to avoid falling into the trap that the Untouchables had set up for them.

“Father, has Noah shown any strange behaviour as this mission unfolded? Did he speak to you at all about feedback? He must know that we failed to execute the mission the way he expected,” Matthew asked.

“Actually, my feedback to the Council has been very limited. I provided feedback directly to Noah on several occasions as he didn’t believe that McCall or Gentry were part of the Untouchables and he still disputes that. But he hasn’t displayed any strange behaviour yet. He’s attended all our sessions, asked the right questions, offered his support and has been very visible around town. In fact, the same old Noah,” Gabe responded. “Today, we’ll debrief the Council on the mission, present our case of fraudulent behaviour and see what happens.”

“You really think that the Council might focus more on us working with the Hunters rather than the inaccuracy of the information we received which placed us in immense danger?” Matthew asked.

“Yes, I believe that they will.”

“Why do they hate the Hunters so much? I’ve never understood it and no one speaks about it. I thought Knights and Hunters had worked together very closely centuries ago,” Kyra inquired.

“I don’t think they hate the Hunters so much as they fear them. I would prefer not to talk about this much more right now, but let’s just say they don’t support us working together. It goes against the grain. Until now, our paths haven’t crossed this closely for a long time. The Council would like to keep it that way,” Gabe pronounced mysteriously.

As Gabe walked away, he knew that his children’s curiosity had peaked when they had met the Hunters. Something about the Hunters had appealed to them, as it had with him, when he and Grace were younger, but these were dangerous times for them all and they had to consolidate within their own society.

Gabe stood confidently in front of the Council of Elders, Grace by his side, as always.

“Thank you for agreeing to meet at such short notice,” Gabe started off by saying, clearing his throat in the process. “The purpose of this gathering is two-fold. Firstly, I feel the need to debrief the Council on the mission that the Council assigned to Matthew and Eden and this will lead into my second item, which is to brief the Council on a great fraud which seems to have been going on for years!”

Grace noted the murmurs amongst the Council members. Sam, Noah, Seth all looked perplexed, but Grace caught the quick exchange between Noah and Seth. Please don’t be involved in this Seth, she silently begged.

“Go on, Gabe,” Seth said.

“A short while ago ago, as you know, you approached me to ask that Eden and Matthew be assigned to a mission to ensure that two Normals who had greatly assisted the Knights in the past, be offered salvation. We discovered that the reasons provided to justify this offer were falsified. These Normals were actually part of the Untouchables and were involved in the deaths of eight former Knights and the daughter of one of them, who was a Seer,” Gabe began.

Noah interrupted. “I must interject at this point,” he said, turning to Seth who was chairing the gathering. “I find it disturbing that these accusations of false intelligence are being made by our Leader. I think that it is imperative that we discover the source. For centuries we have used the same system to gather our information. We have hardly been wrong before!”

Seth looked from Noah to Gabe. “With the greatest of respect Noah, we hear you, but I’d like Gabe to continue with this debriefing and I’ll take questions at the end. Gabe.”

Gabe hesitated a second before he continued. “Members, just to respond to Noah, this is the second time that we have been asked to offer salvation to a condemned Normal who turned out to be an Untouchable. On the previous occasion, my daughter almost lost her life.” There were gasps around the room.

“Why wasn’t this reported?” Noah asked.

“You may answer,” Seth directed Gabe.

“I had a suspicion which needed to be confirmed. Now we have evidence to support my suspicion that we have been receiving false intelligence and I’m not sure how long this has been going on. To get back to the debriefing,” Gabe said, looking pointedly at Noah, “this time around proved no different. On this last mission, Matthew and Eden discovered that the eight former Knights who were killed by the Untouchables, had all retained their abilities when they left Knight town, as did the Untouchables themselves!”

There was a general outcry in the room. Seth strained to be heard in the chaos, but eventually he managed to bring the gathering to order. “Gabe, I think that you should start from the beginning. Who were these former Knights and condemned Untouchables?”

Grace walked to the front of the room and placed the photos of the former Knights and Gentry and McCall on the white board. Looks of recognition flashed across many faces.

“Whoever was assigned to clean their abilities and their memories, did not do so for some reason,” Gabe said. “We know that at the time that these former Knights chose to live among the Normals, Cleaners were randomly assigned to remove their abilities and not even the Council knew the identity of the Cleaners. However, we do have records on file, all of which are confidential and which I’ve managed to read these past few weeks. The Untouchables Gentry and McCall were attempting to recruit the former Knights to join their mission and when the former Knights refused, they killed them or people they loved. We haven’t as yet found out what their mission is, but let me tell you, many have lost their lives already.”

“I’ll take questions now. One at a time please” Seth instructed.

Who were the Cleaners assigned to erase the abilities of these former Knights?

How did the team on the mission go undetected by the Untouchables? Surely they could have been killed?

Who was organising the Untouchables?

If you say that fraud has been committed, how far-reaching is it? How many years has this been going on?

Who do you suspect is responsible for this fraud? What is their purpose?

Gabe didn’t know where to start, so he decided to go with the most contentious part of the debriefing. “The Knights on the team ran into Hunters who were after the same condemned. This raised some suspicion and when we verified our information, we realised that the Hunters’ intelligence was correct, that Gentry and McCall were indeed part of the Untouchables, that their victims were in fact former Knights and more worryingly, they had all retained their abilities when they left Knight town.”

“Are you saying that the Knights were working with the Hunters?” Noah exclaimed, horrified.

Before Gabe could answer, Seth interjected. “I don’t think that should be the focus of this discussion, Noah. The fact that the Hunters were there, shows that we got our intelligence wrong, because they sure never do!”

Grace looked at Gabe, encouraging him to continue. “Well, as Seth mentioned, the presence of the Hunters forced us to re-examine what we were told, but the revelations have been startling. These Untouchables were recorded committing the murders, so there’s no dispute about that. We first suspected that there might be an issue with our intelligence when Eden was asked to rescue a condemned Normal who turned out to be an Untouchable. He attacked her, almost as if he had expected her. The Hunters were there as well and they saved her life.”

“Who was the Untouchable in that case?” Seth asked.

Gabe hesitated and looked towards Grace, discomfit settling in. This was awkward, but it had to be done. Grace nodded, providing encouragement for her husband.

“His Normal name was Harry Tyler,” Gabe announced. There was no change in Seth’s expression. “When he was a Knight, he was called Lucas. He was your son, Seth.” Gabe watched Seth’s face crumble. This was still too painful for him, Grace realised.

“Lucas?” Seth whispered almost in disbelief.

“Yes. Lucas. He had killed his Normal family. Unfortunately, he was also eliminated by the Hunters during the mission after he stabbed Eden,” Gabe confirmed.

Seth stood up. “Can we recess for five minutes please?” Without waiting for a reply, he left the room, which was now filled with uncomfortable silence. Gabe sat down, rubbing his face. Grace placed her hand on her husband’s shoulder. This had been difficult for all of them, but they had to work through it. Someone was threatening the Knights, which meant that none of them would be safe in the future.

Exactly five minutes later, Seth returned to the room, an expression of calm clearly plastered on his face. None of the Council members had exited the room during the recess; all choosing to quietly absorb what had just been said.

“You may continue, Gabe,” Seth said, looking directly at Gabe.

“We have reason to believe that Harry Tyler was also part of the team that Gentry and McCall had formed. Our suspicions of incorrect intelligence from Knight town was confirmed when the Hunters turned up on the last mission. The fact that these former Knights and the Untouchables still retained their abilities also came to light. We would like to also inform the Council that our research into the records revealed the names of the Cleaners who were assigned to erase the memories of these affected former Knights and Untouchables.”

“Who were the Cleaners?” Seth asked. Gabe noticed that Noah shifted in his seat.

Gabe looked Seth in the eyes. “The Cleaners in most of the cases were either Noah or yourself. There are still some names that we cannot retrieve though.” There were grumbles around the room and Noah turned red, anger spilling out of him.

“This is preposterous!” he shouted. “Are you accusing us of not executing our vital roles as Cleaners? I don’t even remember the names that you put forth. Why do you assume that the records are correct?”

“We have no reason to believe that those records are incorrect unless you are suggesting that someone did falsify that information as well?” Gabe answered.

“Our records are generally accurate,” Seth responded. “However, Noah may have a point. I, for one, was assigned to erase the memories of those Knights who had chosen to live among the Normals. However, I declined to participate, due to my own personal circumstances. Lucas had just been banished and to be honest, I felt ashamed. So some of you might remember that I took a leave of absence from the Council and put on hold all my duties, including that of Cleaner. This would mean that another Cleaner would have been given my assignments. It seems as if our records do not reflect that!”

Gabe was stunned. Yes, he should have remembered that time. Seth and Dina had both withdrawn from interaction with Knight society for a long while. They had not attended the Council meetings or any social gatherings in the town. Even though he and Grace had reached out to the couple, they were in deep mourning for the loss of their only child and wanted to be isolated for a while. Seth had handed over all his duties at that time. Noah had been much younger then and not a member of the Council, but his abilities as a Cleaner were highly valued and he had picked up the slack during Seth’s absence, which had prompted the older man to recommend him as a future member.

“That is true,” Gabe admitted. “Although, I do recall that Noah did take on some of your duties as Cleaner as well.”

Noah was outraged. “Am I being punished for doing more than my duty during that time? Is my loyalty being questioned?”

Seth brought calm to the room. “Hang on a minute there, Noah. Gabe is just reciting facts. Is it possible that you could have missed a few former Knights when you were performing your duties? There is no doubt that you were overloaded at that time. We didn’t have an abundance of Cleaners within the town.”

Noah was adamant. “No, I did not! I carried out my duties, as I was assigned. I did not assist in breaking any covenants of the Knights! The former Knights and Untouchables were escorted from Knight town with new identities and no memories of their lives as Knights. I can swear to that!”

“Then why did Gage McCall know you and believe that you would send other Untouchables to rescue him from prison?” Gabe was interrupted by further cries of disbelief in the room.

“We shall have order here,” Seth shouted. As the room quietened, he looked at Noah and asked. “Noah, a very serious accusation has just been levelled against you. What is your response?”

Noah spoke calmly, addressing each and every member of the Council, but refusing to look directly at Gabe. “Honourable members, I can assure you that these accusations are baseless. I never knew this Untouchable called McCall and since he is no longer with us, I cannot look him in the eye and face my accuser. You all know that I have tirelessly worked to carry out my duties as a Knight. I have stepped in to help when others could not. I have led several missions, very successfully I might add, and some side by side with Gabe, our esteemed leader. However, it is no secret that I also covet the leadership role in the Knights and my only challenge to tradition is to have asked why, for centuries, the leadership role is conferred to the eldest in the same family. Surely, other Knights should also qualify for this prized role? There are no rules which prohibit that, and so, that has been my only challenge. Gabe is aware that I also believe that I could be leader of the Knights someday. I wonder if that is not the reason that some supposed mistakes in our intelligence has been blown out of proportion and wrapped into a fairy tale of fraud and deception!”

“I wonder how it’s going at the gathering?” Eden said aloud. She and her siblings had gathered around their parents’ kitchen, coffee and tea in hand, eagerly awaiting news on the debriefing.

“Not well, I guess,” Josh said. “I’m sure some harsh words are being exchanged. Our entire claim can be refuted. In the end, it depends on who the Council trusts more: Father or Noah.”

“You really think that?” Kyra asked. “There’s plenty of evidence to suggest that something is not right in Knight town and it all leads to Noah. Of course he may not be the only one involved, but he sure is leading it!”

Matthew was silent, thinking about the past few days and what it could all mean. His father could be stripped off the Knight leadership if it came to bear that the Council viewed his association with the Hunters as a betrayal or if they failed to believe his view that Noah was breaking Knight covenants. If this did happen, then he, Matthew, would not assume the leadership role from his father, because all his siblings had been involved in this last mission, which would mean that for the first time in centuries, the leadership of the Knights would fall outside his family! Don’t go there yet, he admonished.

Eden on the other hand, had faith that the Council would do the right thing and sequester Noah until the whole mystery was cleared up. She had communicated with Rafe a few hours before and he had informed her that the Hunters would also continue looking into Gentry and McCall’s mission. Sitting in the kitchen, cradling a cup of tea, Eden realised that she missed Rafe. She missed looking at him, missed seeing the light in his blue eyes, missed his smile and his “serious, focussed” look when he was on a mission. Most of all, she missed being in his arms, feeling his heartbeat, hearing him whisper against her ear. She missed being with him, in whatever capacity, missed the person she became when she was with him. With Rafe, she’d never felt more alive, more powerful, more sure of her place in the world, which was right beside him. He pushed her to be better, he helped her with her training and yet he was gentle to a fault. Eden had often wondered, sitting with Rafe at the Hunters’ compound, whether the abandoned wishing well still had any powers. If so, what would she wish for?

It was late evening when Gabe and Grace returned to their home. Their children had prepared dinner and were waiting for them, eager to hear the outcome of the gathering.

Both Grace and Gabe were emotionally exhausted. The Council had debated for hours and at one time, had asked Noah, Grace and Gabe to leave the room. Sitting outside the meeting room, Gabe eventually realised that he had conceded too much power to the Council over the years and had not rightfully exercised the powers of his leadership role. He should have been inside that room, reviewing the arguments and taking charge of his leadership team, yet here he was, sitting outside like he was an ordinary Knight. Not again, he vowed. Gabe, Grace and Noah were eventually allowed to return, but the debate had seemingly not concluded. After two further hours, the Council agreed on a way forward.

“It was not easy for the Council to accept what we were saying, but they were alarmed enough not to dismiss us so quickly,” Grace began, whilst helping herself to mashed potatoes. “Fortunately, they didn’t focus too long on our interaction with the Hunters, although Noah tried to make it a point of contention. The fact that we were fed false intelligence on at least two known occasions, which had endangered Knights, really turned the tide in the discussions.”

“Yes,” Gabe continued. “The Council was alarmed to discover that some Knights who chose to live with the Normals still retained their abilities. That the same windfall was awarded to the Untouchables, made them more than distraught because it implied that we were also endangering Normals, which violates the reason for our existence. So, the decision is to review the work of the Cleaners for the past three decades and to track down all former Knights and Untouchables from this period to ascertain whether any had slipped through the cracks.”

“And then what?” Matthew asked. “Will the Council sanction that we enter the world of the Normals and utilise our Cleaning abilities? Apart from the fact that it could expose us, we would be destroying the lives of those former Knights and Untouchables, which is surely against our covenants.”

“There could also be hundreds of former Knights and Untouchables from this time period. It would take ages to track all of them down,” Josh reasoned.

“All true,” Gabe admitted, “but it’s the best plan we have for the time being. It’s going to be a busy few months ahead.”

“What about Noah? And Seth,” Kyra asked.

Grace smiled. “The good news is that Seth was never involved. He had been assigned cleaning assignments during that time, as recorded, but he took a leave of absence which resulted in those assignments being reassigned, in most instances, to Noah.”

“Busted!” Josh exclaimed.

“Well, theoretically, no. The Council still feels that if the records were incorrect about Seth’s assignments, they could also be wrong with regards to Noah, which is valid. However, Seth was instrumental in directing the Council to make a more radical decision. They decided to remove Noah from the Council with immediate effect and to sequester him until we solve the issue of the failure to execute the cleaning orders.”

“Wow, that’s big,” Eden commented. “How did he take it?”

“Better than I thought he would,” Grace admitted. “He agreed that it would be in the best interests of the leadership to sequester him, but that he felt aggrieved that he was initially presumed guilty. However, he was calm and accepting and feels certain that his good name will be cleared.”

“What would the sequester entail?” Matthew asked. To his knowledge, a sequester hadn’t been executed in Knight town in decades.

“He’ll be confined to his premises until otherwise notified. He can receive visitors, but can’t make any visits and he will also be suspended from all his duties as a Knight until then. Also, two Guardians will be posted outside his premises during this time. The Council will monitor all his communications. Pretty harsh, I think, but necessary of course,” Gabe said.

Eden couldn’t believe that Noah had taken the news so calmly. He had always been a fiery character, seemingly fiercely loyal to the Council and this must have been a blow to him. He was either not involved in any of this or he had another ace up his sleeve, which would allow him to walk away. Either way, he seemed supremely confident that he would be found not guilty. This reaction was similar to that of both Gentry and McCall, the latter had been confident that Gentry would rescue him. He was not that far off. Was Noah planning something similar? How would he get out of Knight town though?

“Over the next few days, we have to double up on our investigations. The Council will also assign other Knights to assist. This will be our top priority, which means I also need all of you close by. None of you can leave Knight town over this period unless mandated to do so. In other words, you’ll only be allowed to leave to track the former Knights and the Untouchables. We will be tracking all our current Knights during this time,” Gabe informed his family.

Eden cringed. That meant that she wouldn’t be able to see Rafe for a while, just as she was looking forward to his company this evening. She’d have to tell him soon, since he was expecting her tonight.

“Father, a week ago, would you have believed Noah capable of such betrayal?” Josh suddenly asked.

Gabe was silent for a moment. “Actually, no. I know he’s arrogant and has openly challenged my leadership at times, but I always thought that his allegiance was to the Knights. This is disturbing.”

“I would never have believed that he would have stooped to this level either,” Grace added. “He’s always had the best interests of the Knights at heart, even when he was challenging Gabe.”

This brought about a wave of silence in the kitchen as Gabe’s family quietly ate their dinner. This silence is new, Gabe thought. His children spoke a lot, usually all at once but Grace always managed to restore order to their conversations. He looked around the table. Eden was miles away, that much he could see. He worried about his youngest child. His greatest fear was losing her and over the next couple of weeks, she would make a life changing decision. Would their kitchen ever be the same again?

Similar thoughts played in Grace’s mind. She knew what was troubling her husband and yet nothing she said could appease his worries. Her Gabe, usually so strong and fearless, had become stressed and anxious over these past few months, ever since Eden had been injured. She needed to ensure that he became that confident leader of the Knights once again. Grace knew that it was time to speak to her lifelong friend again. She always provided the best advice.

Later that evening, Rafe communicated with Eden. He was waiting at their meeting place and was worried when she didn’t turn up. Eden had tried unsuccessfully to reach out to him and was scared that her ability was waning. Rafe managed to convince her that if she was stressed, she was less likely to harness that ability. She told him what had happened with the Council and the surprising turn of events with Noah. Rafe seemed equally surprised by Noah’s equanimity.

“What if Noah isn’t the one involved?” Rafe asked. “What if he’s being set up?”

“The thought did cross our minds, but the evidence is stacked up against him and until we find anything new, he’s it!” Eden said.

“Well, we’re continuing to pursue this as well. Ethan and my dad have been having confidential meetings, which tells me that they are working through possibilities on their own first. If I hear anything relevant, I’ll let you know.”

“Thank you. I’ll do the same. By the way, every single Knight will be closely tracked over the next few days, which means that I won’t be able to meet you until that rule is lifted,” Eden confessed tearfully.

Rafe had known that this would happen and yet he was disappointed. He read Eden’s mind and knew that she was devastated, wondering when next she would see him. He laughed to ease the tension.

“I had hoped to tell you this face to face,” he said instead. “Given the circumstances though, there couldn’t be a better time to tell you.” He gave himself a moment to breathe, feeling that Eden herself was listening in with bated breath. “I care about you a great deal. I think, no, I know, that I’m in love with you,” Rafe paused and waited for Eden’s response. Would she tell him that he was crazy?

Eden was silent for so long that Rafe thought he had lost communication with her. He couldn’t even read her mind, but eventually she said, in a very wobbly voice, “It’s good to hear that, because I’m crazy about you too, Rafe the Hunter!”

“Are you okay?” Rafe asked, although a weight seemed to have lifted from his chest now that Eden had confirmed that she returned his feelings.

“Yes! Yes, despite everything that is going on with my family and in Knight town, I’ve never been happier! Is that weird? I love you Rafe, since the day I met you, I knew that you would occupy a special place in my life, in my heart. No matter what happens, that will never change,” Eden confessed.

“What’s strange, is that I feel like I’ve known you my entire life. How is that possible? And now, I know that I would wait a few lifetimes for you, to be with you. So even though I won’t see you for a while, I know that you won’t be too far away and we can talk whenever you need,” Rafe said.

“Thank you for understanding, Rafe. There won’t be a day that goes by that I won’t want to talk with you, but it’s probably easier to do that early in the morning or late at night. I like discussing my day with you.”

Rafe could sense that Eden was distracted. She was thinking that someone was at her bedroom door. “You have to go?” he asked.

“Yes, Kyra is knocking. I love you Rafe, always.”

“You too, Knight. Caleb sends his regards. I’ll speak to you sooner than you think,” Rafe said, ending their conversation.

Eden moved to open her bedroom door. Her sister was outside, looking far from sleepy. “What’s going on, Kyra?”

“I couldn’t sleep. None of us can. The boys are downstairs and monopoly is on the cards. Interested?” Eden laughed, such joy emanating from her that it confused Kyra. “Hey, it’s just monopoly.”

A few days later, Ava met her eldest son, his head buried in his books, but his mind so far away. Rafe had always been the quieter of her two boys, more introspective, very restless, less likely to engage in meaningless conversation, much older for his age. Yet recently, he had ventured out of his shell, sitting for hours on end with Becca, Caleb and Ella, chatting about stories only they shared, smiling when he thought no one was looking. It looked like something had settled within him, his restlessness a thing of the past.

“Can you take a break?” she asked, bringing him a cup of tea. Rafe looked up and smiled at his mother. Ava was a welcome break from the thoughts currently occupying his mind.

“I always have time for mothers bearing tea,” he joked, gratefully accepting the hot drink.

“How is it going with your studies? Are you ready for your exams?” Ava asked.

“Yes, I’ve caught up and now I’m just reading for pleasure although I have to admit, my mind has been drifting a bit in the last hour,” Rafe said.

Ava didn’t believe in dipping her toes into the pool, she normally just plunged in, as she did right now. “Is it drifting towards Eden?” she asked, throwing caution to the wind.

Rafe looked at his mother, without a look of surprise crossing his face. He is good, Ava thought.

Rafe could never openly lie to his parents. “Yes, especially towards her,” he admitted.

Ava smiled. She always knew this Rafe existed. “Well, she is hard to forget.”

“Mom, you’ll think that I’m crazy, but when I first met her, I was so certain that I knew her. She seemed familiar, you know, which is odd, because I wouldn’t have forgotten her if I’d met her before,” he confided.

Ava knew how to choose her moments and this was it. “I’m going to tell you something which you are never to repeat. Not even to your father. Do I have your word?”

Rafe was intrigued and leaned closer to his mother. “You have my word provided that what you are going to tell me now doesn’t involve you getting down and dirty with someone other than my father!”

Ava playfully punched her son. “You’ve been hanging around with your brother too much!” Then she turned all serious on him, which was so unlike Ava. “You do know Eden. You met her when you were about three years old. She was barely a year old then and the sweetest little girl. She made me want one of my own,” Ava sighed in remembrance.

This time, Rafe couldn’t hide his surprise. “What? How is that possible? I thought that we never socialised with Knights!”

“Oh, we don’t. But I did then, unbeknownst to your father. Eden’s mother and I met during a mission when we were very young. We became the best of friends, still are to this day. I couldn’t go to Knight town because of the Guardians, but Grace could come here and she did, several times, often bringing Eden with her. We met away from the main compound, and I always took you with me. Caleb came along sometimes, but he was too rowdy. Nothing much has changed now!”

Rafe could hardly believe what his mother was sharing with him. “Dad never knew?”

Ava frowned. “Well, I never told him, but over the years I’ve suspected that he knows. Your father knows just about everything that happens here, but he’s never asked. Anyway, Grace and I were so young then and we had met on a mission when we were barely kids ourselves. We kept in touch over the years, through our marriages, having children, being the wives of the leaders of opposing societies. We have lots in common, you know. You and Eden just clicked as children and you should have seen the smile that lit up her face when she saw you. You were the same. I guess nothing much has changed since then either.”

“Why don’t I remember her from then?” Rafe asked.

“Your memory might be legendary, Rafe, but still, you were only three then! You and Eden used to spend hours chatting away in a language only you two understood. I stopped taking you to our meetings when I knew that you remembered more than most children your age. I didn’t want to have to ask you to keep a secret at that age. By the time you were five, you stopped asking about Eden. She, however, always looked out for you. After a while, it wasn’t safe for Grace and I to meet so regularly and when we did, Eden was usually at home with her siblings.”

So Ava had secrets! Rafe would never have guessed. His mother was usually an open book. “Do you still meet with Grace?”

Ava smiled mysteriously. “Yes, I have to admit that we do. It’s not so easy nowadays with all the turmoil in Knight town, but ever so often, we meet. That’s how Grace knew that Eden was here, when Harry Tyler injured her. No matter what goes on between the Knights and the Hunters, Grace and I have always trusted one another. That has never changed over the years.”

“Does Eden know about you and her mother?” Rafe asked.

“No, I know Grace has not told anyone. Let’s just say that the Knights are not as relaxed about these things as we are. I would ask that you not share this with Eden though.”

“You have my word, Mom, since you helped me to understand why I have always thought that I knew Eden.” Rafe stood up, hands in his pocket. “They have a lot going on at home right now. I wish we could help them. Our resources are so much better.” A thought occurred to Rafe. “Mom, did you and Grace meet at the old abandoned well?”

Ava laughed. “Yes, only we called it the old wishing well. Don’t tell me that’s where you and Eden meet?”

Rafe was embarrassed for a moment. It was one thing telling his mother that he spent quite a bit of time thinking about a Knight, and another to admit that he was breaking protocol and meeting her within their compound. Instead, he just looked guilty.

“I’m hardly the one to judge here,” Ava said, noting her son’s embarrassment. “All that I ask is that you be careful. The Normals around our town never intrude into the compound so we don’t monitor our perimeters like the Knights do, but that might not always be so, given what is happening with them.”

Rafe agreed to be careful but told his mother that he wouldn’t be seeing Eden for a while, given that all Knights were currently being tracked.

“Yes, I’ve heard. Messy business all around. I’m sure that Gabe will find out what’s going on, though, and before you know it, you can speak to Eden again,” Ava said.

Rafe wondered whether he should tell his mother about his ability to communicate with Eden. He considered, but realised that since he had already shared so much with her, this little bit couldn’t hurt.

“I still speak to her every day. For some reason, I have the ability to communicate with her and vice versa.”

Ava looked shocked. “What do you mean? You can communicate with her the same way you do with Caleb?”

“Not exactly like that, since she can’t read my mind like Caleb can. I reached out to her and she heard me and she has been able to do the same,” Rafe confided.

“That’s interesting. Usually, that ability only exists within the Hunters, but ah, it makes sense now,” Ava said mysteriously.

“Why?” Rafe asked, now very curious.

“Never mind that,” Ava laughed. “I’ve already told you too much.” Ava stood up, hugging her oldest son, realising that he was growing into a man she would always be proud of. “You just remember what I told you about being careful. And be careful with that heart of yours, my son. It’s much too gentle,” she warned.

For a long while after Ava left, Rafe pondered over his mother’s words. He had never given his heart to someone before. Was that what his mother was referring to? Was she warning him against Eden? No, he thought. That couldn’t be it. Ava obviously cared for Grace and her family. She wouldn’t warn him against them. Would she?