Mon Étoile

Chapter Thirteen

I turned to leave for our planning, but Marius caught my arm, countering, "Had you a heart, you might know how it feels to be struck to the bone in a moment of breathless delight." Hercule had moved to get Marius to let me go, but I waved him off, too pissed to allow someone else the pleasure. I scoffed, beginning to turn again and trying to get my anger under control. "Had you a soul you might also have known how your world may be changed in just one burst of light and what was right seems wrong, and what was wrong seems right."

"I don't have to experience love, I already know," I growled. My voice rising to a shout, I added, "But just because you fall in love doesn't mean you become an entirely different person." My voice lowering, I threatened, "Now let me go before I kill you myself."

"Red," Grantaire called, quickly pulling Marius away from me and breaking the ferocious glares being shot in both directions.

"I feel my soul on fire," Marius called back, still glaring at me harshly.

"Black."

"My world if she's not there," Marius said. Hercule shared an irritated look with me as they went on.

"Red."

"The color of desire."

"Black."

"The color of dispair," Marius finished, smirking at my pissed expression.

"Marius," Hercule sighed, "can't you see that this is so much more important than falling in love?"

"So then if you have to chose between fighting for the cause and this, this-" Marius broke off at a warning look from Joly. "Would you chose this?" Marius countered. The room went dead silent. Hercule looked at me as if he wasn't sure what his answer would be. I knew exactly what I wanted it to be.

Taking a deep breath, he admitted, "I don't know, but I certainly would if I had only just met her. Regardless, this is different. She is my fiancé. We are soon to be one flesh bounded by marriage. This is just some girl you saw on the street. Have you even spoken to her?"

"What does that-" Marius began.

"What's her name?" I snapped, raising my eyebrows. He had no answer.

"Mon chéri," Hercule said warned, pulling me back to him and away from whatever shouting match might have started between Marius and me. Turning to Marius, he said, "Marius, you are no longer a child. I do not doubt you mean it well, but now there is a higher call."

"Who cares about your lonely soul," I scoffed. "We strive towards a larger goal."

"Our little lives don't count at all," Hercule finished, still giving me a small reproachful look. "Red."

"The blood of angry men," everyone apart from Marius chanted.

"Black."

"The dark of ages past."

"Red."

"A world about to dawn."

"Black."

Finally, Marius joined with, "The night that ends at last." Courfeyrac rushed over to Gavroche.

"Listen everybody!" he called, catching everyone's attention.

"General Lamarque is dead," Gavroche said. I breathed out a sigh, turning to face the window.

I could feel Hercule's gaze on me as he said, "Lamarque, his death is the hour of fate. The people's man. His death is the sign we await." I lifted my head to stare out at the stars as he resumed passionately, "On his funeral day, they will honor his name, with the light of rebellion ablaze in their eyes. From the candles of grief, we will kindle our flame. On the tomb of Lamarque shall our barricade rise. The time is here. Let us welcome it gladly with courage and cheer."

"Let us take to the streets with no doubt in our hearts!" I whispered, my heart sinking.

"With a jubilant shout!" Courfeyrac added.

"They will come one and all," another man shouted.

"They will come when we call!" I did not move until most everyone had gone down to get some drinks.

"Nicolette?" Hercule said, coming to stand beside me. "What's wrong?" I sighed.

"Aside from my ever-mounting anger reserved ever so fondly for Marius...Something is going to go wrong, Hercule. I can feel it," I said quietly, allowing my anger to ebb away. "This won't end well. I see-" I broke off, not wanting to put to words the raging pit in my stomach.

"What, Nico?"

"Death," I whispered. "All I see is death beyond the barricade."

"Nico," Hercule sighed.

"No, it's fine," I said quickly, seeing that the others were coming back. "Let's just continue with the meeting."

Looking across the room to Hercule, I whispered to myself, "One more day before we're gone. One more day beside each other. What a life we might have known, but we never had the chance."

"One more day before the storm," Hercule called, "At the barricades of freedom."

"Shall we be parted then?" I breathed.

"When our ranks begin to form," Hercule said, walking through the men to get to the stairs where I was standing.

"Will we live or will we die?" I said quietly.

Hercule added, "Will you take your place with me?"

"The time is now!" everyone shouted. "The day is here!"

"One day more," I said, turning to Hercule. He met my eyes as I added, "One more day to revolution. They will fight with all they've got. They'll be ready for the fire. The streets will run with blood." Hercule's brows furrowed.

"One day to a new beginning," half the men called.

"Raise the flag of freedom high!" the other half called back. "Every man will be a king!"

Coming up the stairs, Marius called, "My place is here. I fight with you!"

Smiling proudly, Hercule approached him as I whispered to myself, "One day more. One more day as we know. What a life we might have known. They'll be ready for the fire. Tomorrow we'll discover what our God in heaven has in store. One more dawn. One more day. One day more."