"You're letting your guard down again."

Will adjusted his stance with a sigh and leveled his seraph blade. "It's called baiting the enemy, Jem."

"The enemy is myself, Will, and I cannot be baited." Jem said with an exasperated smile. Tessa smiled too. She was seated on a bench that ran along the far wall of the training room, a mélange of weapons suspended behind her on fixed wooden racks. The two boys had casually invited her to sit in on one of their training sessions, and she had obliged, although she suspected that Will just wanted to show off. Still, she had to admit there was something captivating about watching the two boys duel. Will and Jem moved towards each other again, testing the air with the thin edge of their blades.

Will was the first to advance, as he had been the last three rounds. His long legs brought him forward in one stride, and his blade shot out through the air. Tessa couldn't help but hold her breath as the metal edge gleamed just inches away from Jem's chest. Then there was the shear of metal striking metal and Jem deflected his thrust with a precise, powerful stroke. On and on this went, the two boys laying into each other with savage, blindingly fast swings. Tessa watched the way sweat shined on Will's brow and Jem's silver hair was constantly falling into his eyes. She didn't realize she was staring until Will's blue eyes lit on hers, burning with the adrenaline that was flooding his veins.

Tessa flushed and quickly seized up the book she had brought with her, burying her face and her thoughts between the pages. She succeeded in distracting herself in the plight of the novel's young duchess with a potentially murderous husband for quite some time, until a resounding clang made her look sharply tip of Will's blade hovered centimeters away from the hollow of Jem's throat. The other blade was still spinning across the floor from Will's disarming blow.

"That it should come to this!" Will declared, grinning down at his friend. Jem chuckled, throwing his hands up in the air.

"I don't think that quote is entirely accurate in this setting." Tessa murmured, her eyes not leaving the pages. Will turned on her, his blade flashing towards her.

"Fie upon thee, slanderer!" he boomed, and was about to say something further when the doors to the training room suddenly opened. Charlotte stood in the doorway, her thin lips turned down into a frown. Will sheathed the blade at his hip, watching as Jem stooped to retrieve his own weapon and dust it off on his shirt sleeve.

"What's happened?" Jem asked calmly, taking in Charlotte's expression.

"It's not – well, someone's here to see you, James." she said carefully. There was nothing in her tone to hint that there was a problem, but Charlotte had used his full name, and that was generally reserved for troublesome events.

"Anyone we know?" Will asked, clearly already bored with the whole situation.

"No-one I've ever seen, but he is a Shadowhunter. He came right up and knocked on the door." Her face was very calm, but Tessa noticed she had her hands firmly clasped in front of her. Will must have noticed this as well, because his eyes narrowed very slightly.

"I don't have any acquaintances in London outside of the Institute…" Jem observed. Though Tessa knew it to be true, it struck her as a rather sad thing to admit. Charlotte was silent for a moment, and when she spoke her voice caught slightly.

"I don't think he is from London."

Will and Tessa both turned to watch Jem, sensing that there was some layer to this conversation they were not meant to understand. Jem was watching Charlotte's face, brows pressed in confusion. Then, slowly, his eyes widened. His gaze grew distant, his jaw rigid.

"He's still outside?" Jem asked, his voice low.

"Sophie brought him into the foyer. He's a Shadowhunter, we have no right to keep him out."

Jem slipped from the room without a word, brushing past Charlotte, who suddenly looked very resigned. Will and Tessa exchanged surprised glances.

"Who is it?" Will yelled after him, marching toward the hallway with Tessa close behind.

"Jem?" Tessa murmured.

Jem made his way down from the attic and through the winding corridors to the foyer. His mind was spinning; he was startled to discover that in his distraction he had taken a wrong turn and become temporarily lost. He felt a pang of guilt for fleeing the training room wordlessly, but the prospect of who the visitor might be was so troubling that his mind was soon elsewhere. I do not know … and yet I hope… he thought disjointedly. By the time he reached the doors that opened into the foyer his nerves were alight with anticipation, yet his hand hovered on the doorknob. A voice drifted through the oak panels, terrifyingly familiar.

"…such a beautiful church, too. Our own Institute is based out of an old Buddhist temple. It's just as grand, but this Gothic architecture is a thing all its own…"

Memories flashed through Jem's mind, sparked by the lilt of the man's voice and the dance of his vowels. The summer sun shining, and a young boy laughing at his side. Behind him he could hear footsteps fast approaching, no doubt Will and Tessa hot on his heels. He seized the knob with slender fingers and opened the door tentatively.

Two figures stood in the foyer, just before the fire that sizzled warmly in the grate. As the door let out a gentle protest they both turned. One was Sophie, smiling a bit nervously. The other was a man the likes of which the London Institute had never seen.

Author's Note

Hey all! Thanks for reading the first chapter! I know what you're thinking: "Please, God, don't let it be an OC." Let me tell you right now... it is. BUT I hate OC's as much as the next person so never fear, his purpose is only to carry the plot forward, not to create some kind of author's fantasy ;P Please review, I love any and all help/ feedback/ hateful criticism! Next chapter will be up in a jiffy just giving it a final glance over for errors :3