Chapter 1

It had been four dreadful years since Tessa Gray had fled the London Institute, had fled everything she had ever known in London. Tessa was now twenty years old, and living in despair at her friend (if you do say so) Magnus Bane's house in New York.

Magnus Bane was a warlock who knew the Shadowhunters' of the London Institute distantly well, and had discovered Tessa with them. He had helped William Herondale discover that the curse that was put on him at a young age; All who love you shall die, was in fact, fake. Not a curse at all. He'd helped both Will and Tessa encounter De Quincey at that horrific event in which she saw her brother, and had done many other helpful things to them that would be next to impossible to repay.

And the night that he had told Will that the curse was not real, he had stopped for only a moment at the Institute to say that he was travelling away from London, and may very well be never coming back. He moved to the city of New York in the United States of America, for a new life, a better place. And because he was immortal, what was there to lose?

Then, there had been the day after that when Jem had proposed to Tessa. She still remembered every word he said that morning. 'You speak of sacrifice, but it is not my sacrifice I offer. It is yours I ask of you. I can offer you my life, but it is a short life; I can offer you my heart, though I have no idea how many more beats it shall sustain.' And she still, after all these years, had the jade pendant he had given her – his mother's. She had never taken it off from the place is sat around her neck. And not long after that, Will had taken her into the drawing room, and told her his feelings for her; how it has been that way all along, how he loved her, how he had built a wall around himself for the past five years, so no harm could be done to others around him. And then, that it was all for nothing.

But yet, but yet, she had not said three simple words 'I love you,' back. Instead, she did the hardest thing she had ever mastered in her life, did the thing that seemed to tear her soul into a million pieces and never put it back together again. She had sent Will away. The damaged boy, who looked as if he could never be put back together again.

And then, it was all too much for her.

How could you love two people at once and still be happy? It seemed impossible. She didn't know, and that was the reason why she put everything that had happened in the past few weeks behind her, and left the Institute. Left Will. And Jem.

That wasn't the only reason she left, though. Tessa knew that Jem would reach his tragic death soon, from the cause of the horrible yin fen. She – none of the shadowhunters knew when, but they all (even Jem) could sense it coming, although they dared not to speak of it. And of course, Tessa couldn't bear that to happen, and so she had packed her things, and left the Institute for good. Off to New York, where she knew Magnus was.

She never said a word to any of them again.

Because she wouldn't dare too. It would only make things worse for her, and for everyone else. They would make her stay, and oh god, she wouldn't even be able to bear to think of the look on Jem and Will's face. Even though she knew that her disappearance would tear both boys apart, she knew that it was for the best.

And maybe, someday, she would see them again.

When Tessa had reached New York, she had found out information as to where Magnus was living. She arrived there; a complete and utter mess. She spilled out everything to Magnus, while continuously sobbing into a cushion. He promised that she could stay with him, and every single night since then had she been yelling out from nightmares that seemed to tear herself apart, Magnus comforting her.

Only two days before Tessa had left, she began to vomit regularly in the mornings, and develop intense cravings for food. Of course, she never told anybody of this, and soon snuck out in the middle of the night to go to the Silent City. There, she discovered, that she was pregnant.

Of course, nobody had ever known what had happened that night but her and Will. Tessa had never had sex with any living soul – except Will. It was a cold, rainy night (as per usual in London), and the storm crashing in the background, when Tessa woke from a nightmare, screaming. But she had soon calmed down as Will was right next to her in an instant, sitting on the bed. He began to comfort her, and even though this was after that night on the roof, she had felt a sudden desire to just kiss him. Taste him. Get everything of him. She wanted him, wanted to feel every part of him, and so did he. And of course, they had completely forgotten about protection, and it just happened.

Tessa didn't know what to think. As soon as she found out that there was a small soul living inside her stomach, the brothers' said that she would need help, but had sworn not to tell anybody, as it was her request. And of course, she had never told Will. She didn't even know what he would think of her when that happened. He would probably be angry. And Jem. Oh, Jem. Nobody knew but her.

Tessa had done well to stay out of the Shadowhunter's way for the past four years. But she didn't know that soon, all of that was going to change.

A small, childish voice broke her from her thoughts.

"Mommy?" her son, James Herondale asked.

She silently sighed. Maybe, if it weren't for James, Tessa would be dead. Even though her life had been lived in misery for the past four years, James was always there to make her smile. He was the reason she was still alive, and he was the reason that she knew she had to get through this, and be strong, until the day would come when she would eventually forget the Charlotte, Henry, Jem, Will, Sophie, Jessamine, and the others.

She had thought that that day would come sooner. But yet, still after four years she had never forgot them less than she had the day before. Will had probably forgotten her, though. And Jem. Probably Charlotte and the rest, too. Jem and Will had most likely moved on, and maybe were married to other girls.

The thought put a piercing, sharp pain through her heart. She knew it was selfish to think that way, but she still loved both boys. And she would never stop loving them as equally as she had always.

"Yes, darling?" Tessa replied, looking down at her son and offering a small smile.

"Who's my daddy?"

She immediately gasped, a shock going through her that it was almost painful. She was startled, as James had never asked this before, or any other question like it. Tessa had come to think that he would never ask such a question.

She was lost for words. He was not ready to hear the truth yet.

"He was – is, a very good man. Perhaps – perhaps, you will s-see him someday," she managed to stutter out, though she doubted they would ever see him again.

James resembled Will, mostly. He had Will's long eyelashes, his deep blue eyes like glass, and his curly dark hair. The only thing he really had from Tessa, was the height. Tessa was tall, and so was James.

"Okay," said James, cheerfully, and he seemed to leave it at that, for he ran off to go play with his toys like little kids did.

Magnus was out, as he said he had to 'run an errand'. Tessa didn't exactly appear to know what he meant, but she just went along with it. He had said that he would be home within an hour, and –

Magnus burst through the door of his apartment as fast as lightning, causing the side table to almost clatter to the ground. His cat-like eyes were wild (she had always found his eyes particularly interesting, and a bit creepy at the same time), his hair wild. He appeared to be gasping for breath. Tessa and James both looked up.

"Magnus?" Tessa asked, curiously. "Magnus, what on earth is the matter?"

"I have just received a message from a dear friend of mine," he said. "The Shadowhunters' of the London Institute are facing a great danger."