When we arrived at Evan's house it was only to face a dark and brooding silence. The house was eerily quiet and dark, sending shivers my spine as Evan led us around. Enormous, the mansion held many secrets as we walked through hallways of locked doors, each step bringing the panicky feeling in my stomach to grow and grow. I knew it was a bad idea, and yet I'd gone through with it.

Everything in my body was on high alert, my eyes scanning my surroundings at lightning speed. Even the air seemed to scream danger, and deep regret quickly filled my senses. This was payback, this was my punishment for lying and going through with this idiotic plan for most of the school year. This was my doom, the revenge on me for pretending to be someone else, for breaking Avery's heart, for leaving Sirius unanswered.

Karma was a bloody bitch.

No sooner had I begun thinking of a way to get out of the situation did Evan pause in front of one of the doorways, a smile stretching across his face. His hand paused on the doorknob, hovering as he hesitated. Uncertainly, Evan turned around to face us, and I could clearly see the nerves written all across his face. He was all talk, we all were. None of us were truly ready, nor would we ever be. But it was something that had to be done, something we all knew that we had to do.

So we were going through with it, the bloody idiots that we were.

"You lot ready? The Dark Lord awaits us inside." Evan cleared his throat softly, wringing his hands in front of him nervously. "There's no turning back once you enter that room."

"We know." I held my head high. This was the moment when my acting skills had to be real, the moment when I needed to clear my thoughts, conceal myself from the Dark Lord. He couldn't know what I was doing, he would kill me. I had no intention of dying.

"Ladies first." Mulciber swept his arm out, smiling almost evilly at me. Evan opened the door, and we stepped inside.

There was nothing out of the ordinary about the room. A large armchair rested in front of a fireplace, and a few sofas stood in front of the walls. A large canvas that appeared to be a family tree rested in the corner, and Evan cleared his throat once again, letting our presence be known.

"Evan." The woman who must have been Evan's mother said softly, her hands resting in her lap as she sat with perfect posture, appearing to be very uncomfortable in her position next to the one and only Bellatrix Black, Sirius's infamous crazed cousin.

"Mother." Evan nodded his head, before turning to face the armchair and dropping down onto his knees. The rest of our group followed his example, bowing our heads. "My lord."

"Rise." Voldemort said, his voice barely a hissed whisper. "My dear friends, let us all welcome these newcomers."

The death eaters in the room broke into applause, and the arm chair swiveled around to reveal the Dark Lord, absentmindedly stroking the head of a large snake. "Now." He said, smiling. "Let us begin."

I went first, cursing the cowardly boys that I'd come with. It was then that I found myself before the Dark Lord. I was kneeling in front him, my palms sweaty with nerves.

"Do you promise to remain forever loyal to me, Cascade Elise?" The Dark Lord's voice was cold and eerie, sending shivers down my spine. Our hands were intertwined in an unbreakable vow, and I gritted my teeth, knowing that I couldn't back out of this one. The room was crowded and filled with Death Eaters, all of them willing to draw their wands and attack me at the first sign of possible betrayal.

"I-I do." I said timidly, meanwhile screaming 'not' over and over and over again inside my head. I mouthed the word as well, catching the Dark Lord's eye.

"Anything you'd like to say before we continue, Miss Elise?" The man asked, his s sounding like the hiss of a snake. My blood ran cold. He was a legilimens, he could read my mind, he would find out that I was a spy. In a paranoid fear, I snapped.

"I'm nervous, okay?" I snapped at Voldemort. Everyone in the room seemed taken aback by the fact that I'd worked up the courage to talk back to the Dark Lord.

"You dare speak to the Dark Lord like that-" Bellatrix Lestrange began, a crazed look in her dark eyes.

"Calm yourself, Bellatrix." The Dark Lord regarded me with interest, a creepily genuine smile plastered on his face. "I'm sure we'd all like to hear what Miss Elise has to say. Why are you nervous, my dear?"

I had absolutely no filter. "Because I'm holding hands with probably the most powerful wizard in existence, isn't it obvious!"

The Dark Lord laughed, and his loyal Death Eaters jittered nervously. The Dark Lord didn't laugh. "Why, one would think you would have been in Gryffindor, Miss Elise, your fiery temper is well known. Except for the fact that you are a 'coward.' You fear me, Miss Elise." His last few words were harsh and cold, his eyes narrowing.

"In order to be brave, one must be afraid." I told him, trying and failing to keep my voice steady. "And yes, I am afraid right now. But that in no way makes me a coward. My lord, I will be your most loyal servant, I pledge myself to you. I am yours to command, I will help you bring peace to the wizarding world." My voice was but a growl, and the Dark Lord laughed again. He let go of my hand, the vow disappearing into air.

"Give me your arm, Miss Elise. You will be most useful."

I let out the breath I'd been holding in. I had succeeded. I was a Death Eater. Pressing his wand into my arm, the Dark Lord whispered something I couldn't understand, and then my arm was on fire. I was fighting to keep back screams, the pain was unbearable.

Then it was over.

And the Dark Mark was branded on my arm.