To Overthrow the Guardians

Chapter 31: The Truth

Matt just stared at Whisper, but there was no amusement in her face or any other sign of joking, not that Whisper was one to joke.

"You're serious?" he still said.

"Yes. Well, I don't think she's a full Prophecy Person, but she must have some of it in her blood," Whisper answered. "When I first came up with the idea, I thought that it was just me being desperate for another Prophecy Person to still be alive. I ignored it for the most part, refused to think about it.

"But the evidence just adds up. Her 'doomed souls' dream was her receiving her Prophecy- some Prophecies are more specific like hers, and some are vaguer like mine was- and somehow, the recent darkness must have triggered a power. And her being a Prophecy Person has to be why she doesn't have a Power-Inducer ability; I bet that I wouldn't have one either." As a Prophecy Person, she hadn't seen a reason to have another ability. Sure, she had lost one, but she could do just fine without an artificial power. "Her red nails probably have to do with it as well, as if they were part of what she'd look like if she was a full Prophecy Person. I don't know where she got the name from, though; perhaps it was just the corruption messing with her. Prophecy People don't choose their own names- they receive them once they get their powers at the age of two. She must be related to the Prophecy Person who went bad. He must have come to Earth after being banished; that must be why humans here recognize Latin as a language. He must have brought it here."

"But that doesn't mean Haven's corrupt, right?" Matt asked. "Aside from the darkness inside of her?"

"Right. Just because her distant relative was evil doesn't mean she is as well." Whisper looked up at Haven's tank and shook her head before looking back at Matt. "I don't know about this whole darkness inside her, though. If this indeed has to do with her Prophecy that she and Mallory are doomed, I cannot be sure that she will ever be cured. Perhaps it means that they are only doomed for a little while, though. We can have hope." Whisper's eyes glistened with tears. "It's so rare that a Prophecy Person ever has a Prophecy about him or herself."

Matt took a slow breath in and out, trying to process all of this information, but he still said, "It's time we get back to the meeting. We can search for the other children later." "Come on," he said to Angelia, Duran, Fiona, and Beth. His mind refused to focus on anything but Haven, but hopefully, the others would have some ideas. Hopefully. He doubted they actually would.

They all filed into his and Haven's office: he, Angelia, Duran, Whisper, and Fiona. He even invited Beth along; maybe she would have something. Then he shut the door.

"I think I've finally figured out what's happened to Mallory," Fiona said, ignoring formalities even though Beth was there. Maybe it was just about time to drop them. "After what he said...I think the Fearlings and Nightmares are having a civil war among each other. Pitch has had enough chance to kill the Guardians, and yet he hasn't been able. Some of the Fearlings and Nightmares must want to try someone new, and I guess they've chosen Mallory for his drive. There are probably spies and such for each side, so some of the spies were in Pitch and possessed Mallory when Pitch got him those years ago. Some of the spies might be staying just far away enough that no one can sense them.

"And Whisper...I don't think you've ever been eligible for the corruption that's taken over Haven and the children. Tell me: do you remember who cured you?"

Whisper shook her head, her eyebrows raised. Matt knew that this wasn't the conversation they were supposed to be having, but he was willing to procrastinate more.

"The first memory I have is showing up at the workshop," Whisper said. "I thought that since Haven said she had been disoriented when first being cured, it was normal that I couldn't remember my actual curing."