TESSA'S POV

I finally struggled out of the ropes that had held me captive, I looked at my wrists, they were red, raw, and bloody.

"MOM!? DAD?! NATE?!" I shrilled.

I ran out of the dank abandoned cabin and onto the cold forest floor. I saw my family running away dropping a few items from their suitcases. When your six you wouldn't realize that they were running from me, I had honestly believed thought they had forgotten me. Running out of breath, I paused for a minute before running up to claim what they had dropped. It was a pair of my mother's shoes, and a pair or pants from my dad. Nate had dropped my favorite teddy bear in a mud puddle just ahead, dropping the garments, I ran to claim it . Just as I picked it up, masked man jumped out of the bush with a weapon of some sort in his hand. I shrieked, and ran as fast as I could back to the soggy cabin,only to discover he had followed me. He smiled a devilish smile and showed me his weapon.

"You're mine Tessa."

I woke up in a cold sweat and looked around the cabin to make sure I was alone, I took a shaky breath and laid back down on my pine bough bed. I had a reoccurring dream every year on the day my family took off. Every year had one more detail added though, the man in my dream was vaguely familiar, but I wasn't completely sure of who it was.

JEM'S P.O.V

"Jem. Your training is now complete, your first mission must start immediately." I fidgeted with the sleeve of my black cotton sleeve trying to make sense of what was happening. I had trained to become a demon fighting shadowhunter since I was 12, and it had taken me almost 4 years to complete training. I had never known anything else but the training center, and now I had to hunt demons down and risk my life. Mundane's wish they could do what I do, but to tell you the truth I wish nothing more than to be normal. A boy who falls in love, marries a beautiful girl, and to have a family of my own. Unfortunately, I most likely wouldn't be able to fulfill that wish. When I was a boy, a demon had tortured me and my family by giving me Yin Fen, a sparkly drug that I now need to live because of that horrid day. My hair and eyes have gone a silver color, instead of my dark natural colors.

"Jem? Are you paying attention?" Charlotte inquired.

"Yes. I understand. when do I start Charlotte?"

"Now. Go gear up, Will is ill today so you will be going alone into the forests behind the Institute. You will go to the waterfall that is 2 miles into the woods and wait there. Gabriel will be coming to help you."

I nodded my head and dismissed myself. Why is Gabriel Lightwood coming..? I don't understand, none of us can stand any of them.. I thought to myself. I slipped into my room and changed into proper gear and drew a few protective runes on me with a stele, and headed of on my first mission.

After the long trek over the hills and through thick brush, I found myself at the waterfall at last. I sat down on a smooth rock covered in a thin layer of moss, running my hands over it I suddenly felt something connect with the back of my head, causing me to be knocked from the rock and on to the ground.

"Tsk, tsk Jem. Maybe you should be more aware of your surroundings." Gabriel snickered. He hit the back of my head again with a club made of wood, and my world went black.

TESSA'S POV

I decided it would be best if I got on with my daily routine, I ran my hands through my hair getting any unwanted tangles out and grabbed my hand made bow I had made when I was ten. Opening the creaky door I stepped out into the brisk spring air, enjoying the fact that food will be easier to catch for the next 5 months. I knew animals were going to start coming out of hibernation and migrating back here any day, so I decided to start out at the waterfall for easy pickings.

It was a quarter mile walk to the waterfall, but I knew how to be productive and still get there in little time. On my way there, I picked pine bark off of tress and stuffed them into my basket with the rest of my gatherings. When I was about 20 feet from the water, I saw a crumpled figure on the ground and red liquid oozing around it. Cautiously, I approached what I thought was a dying or dead animal only to find that it was another human.

"Oh my goodness..." I gently shook the human boy trying to rouse with awake, "C'mon wake up!" I reached into my bag and pulled out a piece of fabric from my old childhood dress and tied it around the boy's head attempting to stop the bleeding. What is he doing out in the middle of nowhere? What if he's like me..? No, I would have seen him before.. My thoughts were interrupted by the boy making a horrid groaning noise, his eyes fluttered open and met mine they were a very odd silver color, just like his hair, but indeed were they ever lovely.

"What happened.. to me.. I don't know where I am.. Who are you..?" He groaned, he reached up to touch his head, but I grabbed his arm and put it back down at his side so he couldn't agitate it more.

"I'm Tessa Gray, and you are?"

"Jem Carstairs. I was supposed to be waiting for Gabriel Lightwood.. Have you seen another boy around her?"

At the name I finally realized something.. The man in my dream, was Gabriel's father.