• This is the second book of The Collected series •
"Those who bring pain are here to save, and those who bring hope will bring death. A great evil rests on the horizon, eating away at each setting sun. Nothing is as it seems while you beg for salva...
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"Estelle?" I knocked lightly at her door, hoping she would answer today.
"Come in!" I heard her call, it was a surprise to hear her voice these days, so it was a good start. I entered with a smile, but not a big one, I'd learned she didn't like that.
"Here to explain why you were all up in the middle of the night, planning something without me?" She was standing in the middle of the room, arms crossed.
"If it makes you feel better, Max just showed up, he wasn't invited." I raised my eyebrows, closing the door behind me.
"Wow, that makes me feel so much better." She rolled her eyes, but I didn't miss the small smile. "So, what were you doing?"
"Well Cate, your brother and I went outside. Max just showed up after we got back, he found a prophecy we think might be important." I mindlessly played with the necklace I always wore, Nicholas's. Comforted by the feeling of metal between my fingertips.
"You guys went outside?" Estelle's jaw dropped, "and you didn't even get caught? I'm honestly shocked."
"Me too." I chuckled, "but Torryn and Cate are working on the mysteries of this place, we have a different job."
"And what's that?" Bits of excitement cracked through Estelle's mask of sadness.
"The prophecy. A new one." I nodded towards the door, opening it, "we're heading to the library and can grab some food on the way. Does that sound good?"
"What's this new prophecy?" Estelle asked, stuffing her hands into her pockets and walking out of the room. I recited it to her, word for word, as I had already committed it to memory.
Giving Estelle a mission, a puzzle to solve, was the best idea I had yet. She was sprouting with ideas for what everything could mean. Rarely staring sadly into the distance, wishing for someone else to be here. Something I continuously caught myself doing.
"We need someone to come with us, we're going out," I announced to a guard at the front doors, ignoring the annoyed look she gave me.
"A human and the kid want to go out." The guard spoke into a device on her wrist, her voice sharper then the knife I hid in my boot. I just hopped Estelle wouldn't comment on them calling her a kid. "Someone will be here soon, you-"
"Can wait on the couches, yes we know." I sighed, bringing Estelle over to one of the plush couches. They looked like no one had ever sat on them, pearl white without a spec of dust. I wasn't even sure that dust existed on this planet.
"We escaped the Collectors, shouldn't we be able to 'protect' ourselves against any attacks that are not going to happen?" Estelle groaned as she tried to sit down without being on top of her wings.
"In their eyes, Zillah got us out. We're just useless humans with no way of protecting ourselves." I shrugged, leaning back.
"But you have abilities, and I'm not a human," Estelle argued, finally finding a semi-comfortable way to sit.
