LES DÉSCENDANTS

Chapter 4: Et Parfois Nous Trouvons un Paradis (And Sometimes We Find a Heaven)

A/N - Artist off of Pinterest. Have some awesome plots coming up; finally breaking my writer's block. It's not my best writing but you'll enjoy the plot :)

In an hour's time, we heard the banging begin - the National Guard were swarming, and several workers were boarding up the Musain at the end of the street.

Enjolras immediately started packing as I peered out the window, counting the men. "There's a good legion...twenty of them out there...I trust Madame got out safely."

Into my satchel went Enjolras's maps, a compass, the two artifacts (the A and the E) and my brother's book. Into Enjolras's went two pistols, several rounds of grape shot, and many papers - his many speeches. The rest he hid under floorboards and in-between book pages. 

We left out the back window, dropping down into the courtyard and sneaking out through the side gate. 

We were nomads now.

Vaillante had the Unnamed staying in the hospital with Gavroche, but no doubt the Guard would be asking questions and knocking on doors. They could not arrest children who were hospital patients, but they could certainly cause much harm, especially to Vaillante and Courfeyrac, who were overseeing the operation.

We had our lives, but for how much longer?

Enjolras wanted to stay in the city, so we ended up at Combeferre's apartment a bit further north of the Latin Quarter. 

We tried to sleep, but every carriage clatter over a hole in the paving-stones was grape-shot against flesh, and every time Enjolras's eyes flashed to mine, I feared they would hold that same coldness as when he was under the control of Marseilles officials.

His tears fell on mine, and we couldn't let go of each other, praying for safety.

For three days we stayed there, until finally everything changed. We had both been asleep out of sheer exhaustion for the first time since the night in the hospital, and the Guards were patrolling every street in the Latin Quarter, as reported by Combeferre.

We couldn't leave, but that didn't stop others from entering.

That night, I was awoken by a shifting in the air - something that felt so different that I left a sleeping Enjolras in bed and peered out Combeferre's window toward the back courtyard.

"You won't find the Guards in your friend's little apple tree out there, if that is what you are looking for."

A silky voice from inside the apartment made my head snap up and peer into the darkest corners of the room. "Are you in Combeferre's closet, Montparnasse?"

"For someone who claims to hate the bourgeoisie, the quality of these shoes say otherwise..." 

A half-eaten apple came flying at my face, and I caught it immediately. "Cut it out. I'm mourning; you should be too. You shouldn't be here." I saw a shadow slink from the closet and join me by sitting on the windowsill.

"Temper, temper. Clearly Jehan's last wishes are not being fulfilled; I am simply doing my duty."

I was mortified to find tears threatening at the corners of my eyes. "None of us could have expected this; how dare you claim to-"

"The wish being: to see his sister happy."

He caught me off guard. A sob erupted from my throat.

"Have you even tried to make contact? Through wishes or thoughts or...anything?" he pressed.

"It's been four days, Monty, I haven't...he's not even my real biological brother."

"We both know you have been thinking of him every minute that goes by. Why don't you try, o mournful sister, you have the power!"