Hi guys! I was looking through my old stories and decided to edit this, so here's the new and improved versions!
Church nudged one of the doors ajar, prancing inside and settling on the couch that faced the fireplace. A flickering fire crackled happily in the hearth, casting a gentle light over the lone figure whom sat on the window seat with an open book upon her lap. Grey eyes danced over the words she already knew by heart.
It was a stormy evening, claps of thunder breaking the quiet. Tessa turned the page. Her eyes read the words, but her mind failed to comprehend them. She abhorred situations such as this, where she could not focus on the book she was reading. Her thoughts continuously strayed, flying from one matter to the next.
"Distracted?" inquired a smooth, deep voice.
Tessa started and glanced up, though she didn't need to look to know who it was. Will took a seat in one of the armchairs that faced the hearth and regarded the fire with guarded sapphire eyes. His black hair was in slight disarray, his clothes rumpled. Will Herondale did not usually look so unkempt.
"How could you tell?" Tessa asked.
His eyes slid over to her. They were very…blank, she noticed. "You were staring at the same spot on the page for about thirty seconds."
Tessa shut her book with a sigh. Will was in a mood. What kind, she did not know. All she could see was that he was not his usual unpleasant, sarcastic self.
She stared at her hands, which were now clasped in her lap. "How is Jem?"
Will was silent for a few moments. His shoulders rose and fell steadily with deep breaths as he considered the best way to respond. "The Silent Brother has determined that he might see tomorrow's dawn, but not the eve."
Tessa choked on her breath. A wave of sorrow overtook her, and the world unfocused for a moment. Jem…dead? No more stolen smiles? No more of the lovely violin music drifting from his room as the hours of the day waned? No more constant banter between him and Will? No more, calm, good-hearted, constant Jem?
Her heart wrenched again at the thought of what Will was going through. Jem had been the only person he'd confided in—the only one he'd let in when he had thought he was cursed. Jem was his other half, his brother, his dearest friend. Jem had always been there when no one else could be. Jem had kept him from dissolving into darkness.
If Will was already a shadow of his former self, what would he be when Jem was gone?
Tessa rose, smoothing her skirts as she walked over to Will and sat in the chair next to his. He had resumed his watch on the fire, lost in thought. Even though he knew that he was not actually cursed, habit had kept him from really opening up to anyone at the Institute save for Jem and occasionally Tessa. He had not changed since his discovery of the truth. Additionally, the fact that his long-lost sister was now staying with them seemed to put him more on edge than usual.
Will had always been an enigma.
"'Pulvus et umbra sumus,'" he sighed. "'We are but dust and shadows.' It was always going to happen, but that doesn't make the shock any less present."
Tessa pursed her lips, not sure how he would react to what she was about to say. "Will, I want you to promise me something."
He looked at her, the question clear in his azure eyes.
She grabbed his hand and almost started at the coolness of his skin. "Please, remain strong. Do not lose yourself when you lose him."
In a rare moment of openness, she saw his eyes widen. He opened his mouth to say something, but she cut him off.
"In everything you do, think of him. Think of what he would do or say. It will keep you from falling." She sighed. "Sorrow and grief are conduits to a lifetime of pain. Do not let them overtake you."
His gaze on hers was solemn and calculating. She could tell he was considering her request, and was probably considering the best way to snap at her.
"I don't know if I can."
She frowned. "Pardon?"
He sighed in an uncharacteristic bout of lacking confidence. "I don't know if I'll be strong enough to do what you ask."
She smiled, but it was full of melancholy. "I know you think you'll be nothing without him. But you underestimate yourself." She chuckled. "That's something I never thought I'd say to you.
"You and Jem have always been the strongest among us. You have things to look after, people to protect. Henry, Charlotte, Sophie, Gideon. They all need you. I need you."
He glanced down to his lap, where her soft hand covered his calloused and scarred one. The small white lines of old runes danced across his skin, most of them having been drawn by Jem.
"You see?" Tessa asked, able to tell where his train of thought was going. "You'll always carry a piece of him with you."
Will visibly swallowed, seeming to come to a conclusion. "Alright. I promise, Tess."
Just then, the double oak doors of the library swung open with groaning creeks. They revealed a frazzled-looking Charlotte with mussed hair, tear-stained cheeks, and flecks of dark red on the skirts of her pale dress. She hadn't said a word, but Will and Tessa were already striding toward her. She stepped aside as they passed and followed them down the corridor with the occasional sniffle. Thunder boomed, charging the atmosphere.
Sophie's quiet crying could soon be heard. Flickering light shone through Jem's open door, casted onto the hallway.
Tessa and Will slowed their approach, entering the room slowly. At first sight, Jem looked normal. But as Tessa drew closer, she could see the telltale signs of withdrawal that had been showing on him for weeks. He was terribly gaunt, his skin possessing a ghastly tint of grey. His silver hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat. His light eyes were dark, their usual brightness absent.
Will lurched forward, falling to his knees beside his friend's bedside. "James," he whispered.
"William," Jem replied with a small grin.
Tessa looked around the room, taking in their company. Sophie and Gideon stood in the corner, the former crying into a handkerchief. Will's sister, Cecily, and Gabriel watched from beside them. Charlotte and Henry stayed by the door. Even Magnus was there, leaning against the far wall and observing with sad, ageless eyes.
Will was shaking. "I'm so sorry, Jem. I failed you. If I had just put more effort toward locating a cure—"
"Will," Jem snapped, annoyance flashing through his tired gaze. "Do not berate yourself. There was nothing that could be done."
Will's blue eyes snapped up to Magnus. "Warlock, is there any way…"
Magnus shook his head.
Jem coughed, his whole body tremoring. Tessa could clearly see Will tense up. She stepped forward, making her presence known.
Jem smiled at her. "Hello, love."
Tessa moved closer. "Hello, Jem."
She kneeled next to Will, not caring that it was improper. The raven-haired Shadowhunter was radiating a slew of mixed emotions and showed no response to her presence.
She focused on Jem, unsure what to say.
Will spoke in her place. "Jem, I—"
"Do not speak, Will," Jem interrupted. "I've no wish to hear unneeded apologies from you. In fact, I would like to thank you."
The sick man took a deep breath.
"Ever since we met, I've been trying to give you what you would not allow yourself: forgiveness, hope, faith. You've dwelled in darkness far longer than any man should. But what I didn't realize was that you were giving me a dear gift in return: courage, happiness, a brother. I was always aware that my death would come earlier than what is normal, and that the cause would have nothing to do with the dangers of our occupation. But you managed to make me forget about my impending doom."
Will flinched as he said the last word. "I've done nothing to deserve such words from you."
Jem grinned ruefully. "I fear you will never understand what I am trying to tell you."
Will took a deep breath. "If there is another life after this one, let me meet you in it. For the bond between us was solidified by our oath and shall not be broken through death."
The sick man nodded, a smile still curving his lips.
Tessa observed the scene, her heart sinking with every word. Sadness choked her, making breathing a laborious task.
Jem took a deep breath, closed his eyes. He then was still.
Will was unmoving for a moment, his breathing halted. Then, as if every motion pained him, he let out a sigh and squeezed Jem's hand. "Ave atque vale, brother."
He stood and left the room in haste. Tessa made to go after him, but a hand wrapped around her arm and tugged gently. She turned to face Magnus, preparing to demand that he release her. The look on his face stopped her.
The warlock shook his head. "Leave him be. He's probably gone down to the training room to distract himself."
Tessa nodded, understanding that it probably wasn't smart to confront an emotionally-distressed Will when he was armed. She exited still, not wanting to see the Silent Brothers take Jem's body. Shadowhunter customs were a mystery to her when it came to deaths, but she knew that tomorrow would be a day of white, their mourning color.
That's when it finally sunk in. James Carstairs was dead.
Tears blurred her vision. She rushed into her room and shut the door behind her. Her back hit the wall and she slid until she was sitting on the floor. The tears that ran down her face fell into her lap as a sob escaped her.
She cried and cried. Meanwhile, dull thunks sounded on a steady beat as Will threw his daggers and slew dummies in the room below.
The newlyweds stood on a stone bridge, hands clasped as they gazed upon the glittering towers of Alicante. The Glass City did not fall short of the rumors surrounding it, but surpassed them with its beauty. Smaller villas and mansions lined the streets around the towers and the towns buzzed with life. The rolling emerald hills of Idris surrounded the city from every direction, and Lake Lyn sparkled in the distance.
Tessa Herondale looked up at her husband, smiling. He was handsome at 17, but at 23, he was indescribable. His black hair danced a little in the wind and the sun made his azure eyes all the more vibrant. Small white scars started at his neck and disappeared under his shirt, the remnants of old runes. Many of which had been drawn by Jem.
That was the reason for their visit to the land of the Shadowhunters. It was the anniversary.
They'd spent hours in the Carstairs crypt, talking about everything that had happened in the past year. Emilia, Charlotte's daughter, would turn 6 in a few weeks. Sophie and Gideon had gotten married, as had Cecily and Gabriel. Magnus was in New York, serving as the High Warlock of Brooklyn and throwing lavish parties. Charlotte had taken the role of Consul and the Clave was more than happy to have her. Everything was going alright.
But there were still moments when Will would turn around, a joke on the tip of his tongue, but Jem wouldn't be there to hear it. When Tessa would walk by Jem's old room, her footsteps slowing so she'd be able to listen in on his sweet violin, but no music would be heard. When everyone would be sitting at breakfast, waiting for the familiar thump of Jem's cane right before he would walk in, silver hair and light eyes shining, but it never came.
"What are you thinking about?"
Tessa glanced up sharply, blinking. "Hm?"
Will smiled. "You're boring holes into the river. Is something troubling you?"
She shook her head and tucked her brown hair behind her ear. "No, nothing at all. I was just…remembering."
Will's blue eyes clouded with sadness. "We are always remembering."
Tessa squeezed his hand, thankful for the strength he had. He'd kept his promise over the years, and his recklessness had dimmed a tad so it wasn't life-threatening any longer. He was still incredibly impulsive and rash, but she figured it ran in the Herondale family. She shuddered to consider what their children would be like.
With a content sigh, she tugged on his hand and began to finish crossing the bridge. "We should get back to the Institute. Charlotte said that Magnus and Miss Belcourt are coming to visit."
Will let her lead him toward Alicante. There was a portal there, made by Magnus and Henry, that would take them back to London. "Alright, but I still have to feed poultry pie to the ducks in Hyde Park."
Tessa laughed, remembering Will and Jem telling her about their discovery of "cannibal ducks."
The wind tossed her hair, its howl slightly resembling the melodious voice of a violin. But only for a fleeting moment.
Sad, I know. I love Jem, but I just had to get this story out. Thanks for reading!