Recap: Marius and Cosette shared a kiss. A seer has made a prophecy saying that a child of the Demon King will one day sit on the throne; Cosette is his biological daughter, and he has put a bounty on her and anyone who is protecting her. To try and find out the exact wording of the prophecy, Éponine and Combeferre have instructed Gavroche to try and find the seer, named Favourite. He finds her living in Germany, and as they go to see her they are attacked by demons from the Court, forcing them to flee with Favourite.

Thirteen

A Prophecy

Cosette and Marius (+ Enjolras)

Cosette decided that there was nothing cuter than Marius feeling awkward.

He stood in the doorway to her room, cheeks glowing faintly, one of his hands rubbing at the back of his neck, his feet shifting from side to side.

"I was wondering," he began, now pinching his lower lip between his thumb and forefinger, "If you wanted to...um, go out, sometime."

"Go out?" Cosette raised her eyebrows, and closed the battered paperback she had been trying to read before he arrived. "We can't leave the compound, can we?"

Marius closed his eyes, squeezing them tightly shut, as that sank in. "No. No, of course not. I don't know how I forgot that. I just wanted, to, you know – maybe ask you to do something. With me. Alone."

Cosette pushed the paperback away from her, and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. "Like what?"

"I haven't quite got that far," Marius admitted in a quiet voice. "Hence the whole, you know, forgetting we can't leave the compound for a second."

"I'd love to," Cosette said. "When you actually think of something. Or, we could think of something together, if you want?"

Marius looked relieved for a moment, his hands finally stilling and sliding into the pockets of his jeans. "That would be very helpful," he admitted. "I'm not really the best at this kind of thing, you know, I don't have a lot of..." He cleared his throat. "Experience."

"Well." Cosette tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You could make me dinner."

He frowned. "I've never actually cooked before," he said.

"Or I could make you dinner," she said. "We could ask Bahorel for permission, maybe do it after the group dinner," she continued, warming to her own idea. "I'm sure everyone would understand us wanting the kitchen to ourselves for a bit. Was that the sort of thing you had in mind?"

"Kind of," Marius said. "Although, in my head it was me doing the organising, not you." His cheeks began to glow a little more, and the shifting of his feet began again.

"You can cook, if you want to," Cosette said. "Like, it's not a big deal."

"I really wouldn't know where to start..."

"Bahorel would definitely help," Cosette said. "And I can pretend he had no involvement, if you like."

Marius beamed. The glowing increased again, but was slightly warmer in tone. "That would be great," he said. "Tonight?"

"Why not?" Cosette beamed at him. "Do you want to pick a particular dress code?" She was already mentally sorting through the clothes that Feuilly had made for her, all pretty and nice, wondering if there was any in particular Marius hadn't seen.

"Dress code?" Marius' face was bewildered again, with happiness still around the edges.

"Never mind," she said. "You go and speak to Bahorel, and –"

Enjolras appeared behind Marius, causing both Marius and Cosette to jump.

"I've just had a call from Combeferre," Enjolras said. "They're on their way back to the compound."

Enjolras whole body looked tense, his shoulders held stiffly and his mouth set in a thin line. Marius stepped to one side.

"Is everything all right?" Cosette asked, frowning in concern.

"There was a bit of trouble getting her and bringing her back," Enjolras said. He scrubbed a hand over his face. "I should have sent more people with them..." he murmured, absently, almost as if he had forgotten that Marius and Cosette were stood there. Then he shook his head, like he was clearing his ears of water, and said, "I'm here to tell you that they should be back within the next ten minutes, so I'm calling an emergency meeting."

"We'll be there right now," Marius promised.

Enjolras just nodded and set off down the corridor, muttering under his breath.

"Shall we go?" Marius suggested.

"Yes," Cosette said, wondering privately whether they'd be able to have their meal tonight or not.

Everyone

Combeferre and Éponine returned about five minutes after everyone had collected in the kitchen. Combeferre looked ruffled, his hair sticking up in every direction, but appeared otherwise unharmed; Éponine looked pale and grey, had a bloodied and slightly wonky nose, and was limping.

They were carrying who Cosette assumed was the the Seer between them. The Seer had a gash across her forehead, that had bled down over her face. Her blood was green, this time, which Cosette was torn between feeling horrified and fascinated about. Everyone immediately began to clear the large table.

"We were attacked when we arrived at her apartment," Combeferre said, brisk and to the point. "We managed to get away, but when we got back into the Demon Court –"

"Mabeuf said he'd try and help us on our way back, but he wasn't there," Éponine said, her voice thick and nasal. Together, she and Combeferre hefted Favourite onto the table's surface, and Joly began to examine her head. "I don't know if that means anything –"

"The Guard where everywhere," Combeferre interrupted. He took his glasses off his face and wiped them on the dark green sweater he was wearing. "They saw us."

"Well." Éponine dropped her voice so it was lower. "Favourite saw the Guards and freaked out, so they saw us. If she hadn't –"

"We don't know that," Combeferre said with a sigh. "We might still have been spotted. They know our faces, Éponine, especially yours, and..."

"So anyway." Annoyance flitted over Éponine's face. "We were seen, we had to fight our way out, but luckily they didn't pursue us once we managed to get out of the Court –"

"But Favourite was knocked out," Combeferre finished. "We're not sure what happened there."

"It's quite a clean cut," Joly murmured. "Might need stitches. I'll need to wake her up. Could we get her to the infirmary?"

"We need to hear the prophecy," Enjolras frowned. "Couldn't you wake her up and then –?"

"Enjolras." Joly sounded exasperated. "We'll take her to the infirmary, then see how she is when she wakes up. Also, Éponine needs looking at as well..."

"I'm fine, someone else can heal me," Éponine assured them.

"You took the brunt of the attack, you need seeing to," Combeferre said. "Also, Éponine knocked Favourite out when we were attacked in her apartment, so, she might not be very clear-headed."

Joly made a clucking sound. "Why did you knock her out?"

"She was hysterical and we didn't have much time," Éponine said, unrepentant. "She'll be fine, I'm sure."

"Well, we'll see," Joly said.

Combeferre, Enjolras, Favourite, and Joly (+Cosette)

Favourite was woken not long after, but was deemed unfit to talk to anyone by Joly until the following day.

When they came to see her, she was sat up in bed, wearing a pale grey T-shirt that swamped her skinny frame. There were dark smudges beneath her eyes, and a white bandage over the cut on her forehead. None of that worried Enjolras: what worried him was the sullen set to her jaw as she refused to look at them, instead staring up at the ceiling.

Joly had arranged some chairs beside the bed. He gestured at them and then busied himself at his workstation in the corner, writing on labels and sticking them on various vials and beakers.

Enjolras and Combeferre sat down. He watched as Favourite swallowed and turned her head to one side, as if she was scared she might look at them if she didn't turn her head.

"Favourite," Enjolras said. "I'm Enj –"

"I know who you are," she bit out, not looking at them still. "I've heard about you. Had I known that it was you they worked for, I would not have let them in."

"You knew we were rebels," Combeferre said.

"Yes, but I didn't know you were –" She swallowed again, and when she spoke she lowered her voice as if she was scared that the Demon King himself would come jumping out from behind Joly's workstation. "I didn't know you were the most wanted."

"Does it matter?" Enjolras said. "If the Demon King wants you dead, he wants you dead. His wanted list is merely a formality."

"I'm already in danger. I can't...I can't help you," Favourite said.

"If you're already in danger, then what have you got to lose?" Enjolras leaned towards her, linking his hands together. "We can protect you. This compound is..."

"Not impervious to attack. I know you were attacked not too long ago, you survived it by the skin of your teeth." There was bitterness and contempt heavy in her voice. "You can't protect me."

"We can try," Combeferre said, gently.

"You made a prophecy," Enjolras said. "About the Demon King."

"I did," Favourite agreed.

"We would like to know the exact wording of the prophecy, if you can remember it," Enjolras said.

"How will that help you?"

"The King has a daughter," Combeferre said. "We're trying to help her."

"I've heard about the girl," Favourite said. "She is with you?"

Combeferre nodded.

"I will tell her," Favourite said. "It is about her. She is the only one who needs to know."

Enjolras frowned. "But –"

She looked at them at last, her gaze piercing. "I don't think it would be right of you to hear it before her. It is not your future it concerns, just her."

Combeferre placed a hand on his arm. "I'll go and get her," he promised, and then left the room.

It was about fifteen minutes later when he returned with Cosette in tow.

"Favourite, this is Cosette," Combeferre said. "Cosette, this is Favourite. Favourite was about to tell us the prophecy, but she thinks you should hear it first."

Joly wheeled over his chair from his workstation. "There you go," he said, with a smile at Cosette. She sank into the chair, one hand in her hair, winding a strand of hair around her finger.

Favourite stared at Cosette as if she was committing her face to memory; her eyes roved over her, as if there was not one inch she didn't want to remember. Her head suddenly dropped forwards, hanging limply as if her neck had been broken, and then raised again with a jerk. Enjolras flinched. Her eyes were glowing blue. Her mouth hung open wide and a strange, unearthly moan came out of her mouth, almost a growl, heavy and throaty.

When she spoke, her voice sounded strange, like it had an echo.

"When the lark flies back to the nest, the wicked heart shall stop the best; a fire shall be lit in the heart of the pure, and then the survivor who has endured so much will cut out his wicked heart, and from this realm he shall depart; and in his place shall be the child of evil and of purity. She shall sit upon his cursed throne, but as one of ten and not alone. The pain of his reign shall be undone, once the war of revenge is done."

She blinked once, and then her eyes stopped glowing, and fluttered shut. She collapsed backwards, her head lolling to one side. Joly leaped forwards, his hands on her shoulders and easing her so she was lying down properly. His hand brushed over her head and felt her neck.

"What just happened?" Cosette asked.

"That was a prophecy," Joly said, absently. He stood back from Favourite. "She should come to in a few minutes. It can exhaust them..."

"That was the prophecy?" Cosette said.

"No." Combeferre shook his head and let out a small sigh. "It wasn't the prophecy, it was another prophecy. Something about you has obviously triggered her..."

"Another prophecy? A different one?" Cosette's brow furrowed, and she ran a shaking hand through her hair. "Can that happen?"

"Prophecies change all the time," Comebferre said. "Nothing is ever set in stone, that's not how it works. It could be completely different, or..."

"No," Favourite mumbled, her head turning into the pillow for a moment before she began to sit up. She pushed Joly's hands away when he tried to help her and put the heel of her hand against her forehead. She cleared her throat. "It wasn't completely different. It just became...clearer, to me, for a moment."

She was blinking a lot, and she kept on shaking her head.

"Do you still need to know the original prophecy?" she asked. "Because I can tell you now, it won't bring you much help. The one I gave just now will mean more to you."

"Could you write it down for us?" Combeferre asked.

She nodded, with a small flap of one hand. Joly rooted at his workstation and produced a rather battered looking notepad and a pencil.

There was quiet as Favourite wrote down the prophecy. She tore it out of the notebook and handed the paper to Combeferre. He stared down at it with a small frown on his face.

"Thank you," he said.

But Favourite wasn't listening. She was staring at Cosette.

"You look like him," Favourite said. "The Demon King. Even if I hadn't been told who you were, I would have known you were his daughter."

Enjolras looked at Cosette, and saw that the colour had gone from her cheeks.

"I..." She cleared her throat, and stood, the chair wheeling backwards an inch or so. "I have to go."

She turned on her heel and ran out of the room.

A/N: I can't apologise enough for how long it took me to update this. University has made things pretty hectic and I've generally been a bit of a mess but I'm going to try and update a little more often in future. I also apologise for the fact that this chapter is shorter than usual, but I really wanted to update this.