𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭 // 𝐧𝐢𝐤𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐢 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬𝐨𝐯

𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞. 𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

CHAPTER THREE

Illumination

     "And you're sure we can trust her? Doesn't seem very trustworthy to me."

"I can assure you, she is more trustworthy than you will ever know."

"And why is that? Tell us, Sturmhond, how are we expected to put our lives in the hands of this stranger who just passed out for no reason?"

Estelle cleared her dry throat, opening her eyes slightly. She was in what used to be the healer's quarters of Sturmhond's ship, which was now used as a room for Tamar. Surrounding her in the cramped space were the privateer himself, the twins, Ana, Alina, and Mal.

"You can trust me," she promised Mal, whose face was an array of anger and cynicism.

"What, and we're supposed to trust you when you say to trust you?" he scoffed. "This is ridiculous, we should leave, Alina. Go back to the Southern Colonies, away from all of this."

Estelle's head was pounding, but she managed to sit up in the cot she was on. "You can trust me because I hate the Darkling just as much as you do. I'm just like you, Alina."

The girl frowned. "What do you mean? You're...a Sun Summoner?"

"Close, but no." Estelle glanced at Sturmhond, who shrugged as if to say, Your secret to tell, not mine. "I'm like you because I'm a one of a kind Summoner. I'm a Star Summoner."

The silence inside the cabin was suffocating. Estelle held her throbbing head with her hand and it came back slick with just a little bit of blood. She must've hit her head when she fell.

The blood reminded her of the Darkling. His cruel eyes, the sinister smirk that was so different from the one she craved. She was never going to escape him. Her fate had been sealed the moment she took his hand and climbed into his dark coach all those years ago.

"Excuse me, what?" said Alina, bringing Estelle out of her thoughts. The look on her face was incredulous. "You're joking."

"I'm afraid not," Estelle replied, sighing. "I was pulled in by the Darkling, the very same way he pulled you in. We were only pawns in his game. That's why you can trust me. Because I would rather die than help him."

Alina glanced at Mal. They were the only two in the cabin who didn't know her secret. The others had only found out by fate, an accident that had saved their lives.

"Can you prove it?" Alina asked. "Not your trustworthiness. That you are what you say. A Star Summoner."

Estelle gulped down her fear. She knew that she'd need proof, and for that to happen, she needed to use her powers. The only thing was, she hadn't used them in months.