"Camille?" came a soft voice "Camille?" She shook her head clearing it of all thoughts of him, she had loved him, but now she was with Mangos, he was her lover, even though she still loved him, he was dead, Alexi had killed him. She grinded her teeth together I will kill him! I will get my revenge! She thought. "Camille!" someone shouted "coming!" she called back, who'd come at such a late hour? She wondered
Inhaling deeply she pulled on a sweatshirt, not because she was cold, no, her skin was smooth as marble and cold as stone. She couldn't feel hot or cold, she couldn't go out in the sunlight, her heart was still, and even though she was inhumanly beautiful, and all men marveled at her presence, it could get extremely annoying at times. It also meant she had no human friends (other then her human slaves, but they didn't count) because no one liked a friend that was too competitive.
She sighed and looked in the mirror, she really was the most beautiful, with no doubt, but she always had a burning in her throat, a craving for blood.
Sighing, she took one last glance at her perfect face and walked down the stairs. "Camille! Lady Belcourt! Whatever you want me to call you OPEN THE DOOR!" She laughed lightly and opened the door "Ah William and Jem, how can I be of your assistance?" she asked "we need to talk about" he looked around nervously as if afraid someone would be watching or listening "can we come inside?" asked Jem sounding unsure "of course!" a wide grin spread across her pale white face, suddenly replaced by a frown, Why were they so nervous? What made them so desperate that they came to her doorstep and ask to talk.
"Now" she said sitting on the chair opposite them "what did you want t talk about?" she asked. Jem sighed "De Quincy, he's going by the name 'Magister'." she raised her eyebrows "so?" Jem swallowed.
" We have a girl, from the shadow world. We're not quite sure what she is, we think, maybe a warlock, but… she has no mark." He sighed "she says she was trained by the Dark sisters, Mrs. Dark and Mrs. Black. She also said that she was supposed to marry the Magister. But, she didn't know who the Magister was.-"
"-What made you think she was a warlock?"
"She was a shape shifter"
Camille's eyes widened "A shape shifter? I thought… never mind" Jem raised his eyebrows but said nothing "anyway" said Will, breaking the tension in the room "Charlotte wants to meet you, so you can meet the girl, Tessa, and discuss… matters."
"…just please don't suggest to lady Belcourt that she may be damned" came a voice from the other side of the door. Charlotte. Camille chuckled quietly. This had happened many times to her, it didn't matter any more, she didn't care any more, he had helped her get over that as well as many other things.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity the doors opened. "Lady Belcourt, I hope you have found the sanctuary to your comfort?" asked Charlotte, "As always" Camille smiled
They talked for a while, then finally she couldn't stand it anymore. "So, Will, who's your little friend? She asked surveying a thin, pale, petite girl standing behind Will. "Theresa Gray" he said "the shape shifter." Her eyes sparkled. "To be honest with you be Charlotte, I wasn't planning on coming here at all, until I hear about your little shape shifter. I wasn't just going to let my good old… friend, Alexi, take something from me telling me it was wrong, but then de the 'wrong' deed I had done. So I'm here to help"
"Whatever do you mean?" Charlotte asked "I had a friend who was a shape shifter. He was my lover and Alexi despised, he yelled at me telling me it was wrong of me to love such a creature, a monster. But I loved him and I didn't listen. So he…killed…him." She inhaled deeply and looked at each of their faces, her gaze lingering on Tessa for a fraction of a second longer. Tessa looked taken aback. She had a look on her face like I wasn't acting proper, a small smile spread across Camille's face.
Cute, she thought, She's thinking about proper. "So" Charlotte cut in. "Lady Belcourt, you mentioned De Quincy has been having illegal parties. What makes them illegal?" Charlotte's big brown eyes widened with interest. Camille hesitated "um… the draining of humans" She smiled nervously. Charlotte's eyes widened even more. "is it possible for you to get us into one of those parties?"
"And risk my own life? I don't think so!" Camille exclaimed, "Well you aren't precisely alive are you?" asked Will, "I Value my existence just as much as you do shadowhunter" she narrowed her eyes "A lesson you would do well to learn. It could hardly hurt the Nephilim to cease thinking that all those who do not live exactly as they do must therefore not truly live at all."
It was Jem who spoke then, for what seemed like the first time since they had entered the room. "Lady Belcourt—if you'll pardon my asking—what is it exactly that you want from Tessa?"
Her eyes fixed on Tessa. "You can change into anyone you want. The perfect disguise Looks, voice and manner, correct? That's what I have heard." Her lip curled. "I have my sources."
"Yes," Tessa said hesitantly. "That is, I have been told the disguise is identical."
Camille looked at her narrowly. "It would have to be perfect. If you were to disguise yourself as me—"
"As you?" Charlotte interrupted. "Lady Belcourt, I don't see—"
"I see," said Will immediately. "If Tessa were disguised as Lady Belcourt, she could make her way into one of de Quincy's parties. She could observe him breaking the Law. Then the Clave could attack, without shattering the Accords."
"Quite the little strategist, you are." Camille smiled, revealing her white teeth once again.
"And it would also provide a perfect opportunity to search de Quincy's residence," said Jem. "See what we can discover about his interest in these automatons. If he really has been murdering mundanes, there's no reason to think that it wasn't for more purposes than mere sport." He gave Charlotte a meaningful look, and Tessa knew that he was thinking, as she was, of the bodies in the cellar of the Dark House.
"We would have to figure out some way to signal the Clave from inside de Quincy's," Will mused, his blue eyes already alight. "Perhaps Henry could devise something. It would be invaluable to have a blueprint of the house's construction—"
"Will " Tessa protested. "Don't—"
"And of course you wouldn't be going alone," Will said impatiently. "I would go with you. I wouldn't let anything happen to you."
"Will,no,"Charlottesaid."YouandTessaalone,inahousefullofvampires?Iforbidit."
"Then who would you send in with her, if not me?" Will demanded. "You know I can protect her, and you know I'm the right choice—"
"I could go. Or Henry—"
Camille, who had been watching all this with a look of mixed boredom and amusement, said, "I'm afraid I agree with William. The only individuals admitted to these parties are de Quincy's close friends, vampires, and the human subjugates of vampires. De Quincy has seen Will before, passing as a mundane fascinated by the occult; he won't be surprised to find that he's graduated to vampiric servitude." Human subjugate. Tessa had read of them in the Codex: Subjugates, or darkling's, were mundane's who had sworn themselves to the service of a vampire. For the vampire, they provided companionship and food, and in return received small transfusions of vampire blood at intervals. This blood kept them bound to their vampire master, and also
ensured that when they died, they would become vampires as well. "But Will is only seventeen," Charlotte protested. "Most human subjugates are young," said Will. "Vampires like to acquire their subjugates when they're youthful—prettier to look at, and less chance of diseased blood. And they'll live a bit longer, though not much." He looked pleased with himself. "Most of the rest of the Enclave wouldn't be able to pass convincingly as a handsome young human subjugate—"
"Because the rest of us all are hideous, are we?" Jem inquired, looking amused. "Is that why I can't do it?"
"No," Will said. "You know why it can't be you." He said it without any inflection, and Jem, after looking at him for a moment, shrugged and looked away.
"I'm truly not sure about this," Charlotte said. "When is the next of these events set to happen, Camille?"
"Saturday night."
Charlotte took a deep breath. "I'll have to speak to the Enclave, before I can agree. And Tessa would have to agree as well."
Everyone looked at Tessa. She looked lost, confused maybe. She probably had a normal life in New York and when she arrived to England, all these things were rushed onto her. The poor dear.
She licked her dry lips nervously. "You believe," she said to Camille. "That there's a chance my brother might be there?"
"I cannot promise he will be there. He might. But someone there will likely know what has happened to him. The Dark Sisters were regulars at de Quincy's parties; doubtless they or their cohorts, if captured and interrogated, will yield you some answers."
Tessa turned to face Charlotte. "I'll do it," she said. "But I want to be promised that if Nate is there, we'll get him out, and if he isn't, we'll find out where he is. I want to make sure it's not all about catching de Quincy. It must be about saving Nate, too."
"Of course," Charlotte said. "But I don't know, Tessa. It will be very dangerous—"
"Have you ever changed yourself into a Downworlder?" Will inquired. "Do you even know if it's something that would be possible?"
Tessa shook her head. "I've never done anything like that. But ... I could try." She turned to Camille. "Could I have something of yours? A ring, or a handkerchief perhaps."
Camille reached her hands behind her head, brushing aside the thick coils of silver- blond hair that lay against her neck, and unclasped her necklace. Letting it dangle from her slender fingers, she held it out to Tessa. "Here. Take this."
With a frown Jem stepped forward to take the necklace, and then held it out to Tessa. Her mouth opened with shock as she felt the weight of it. It was heavy, and the square ruby pendant the size of a bird's egg given to her by Mangos, and as cold as if it had been lying in snow. Closing her hand around it, Tessa took a sharp breath, and closed her eyes.
The transformation was very accurate, except for the posture
"My necklace?" Camille said coolly, and held out her slender hand. Jem took the ruby pendant from Tessa to bring it to the vampire; as he lifted it, Camille saw Tessa looking at the words etched on the silver frame of the pendant: AMOR VERUS NUMQUAMMORITUR.
She looked across the room at Will, she wasn't sure why, only to find that he was looking back at her. They both glanced hastily away. "Lady Belcourt," Will said, "since none of us have ever been in de Quincy's home, do you think it would be possible for you to provide a floor plan, or even a sketch of the grounds and rooms?"
"I shall provide you with something better. She" raised her arms to clasp the necklace around her throat. "Magnus Bane."
"The warlock?" Charlotte's eyebrows rose.
"Indeed," said Lady Belcourt. "He knows the town house as well as I do and is often invited to de Quincy's social events. Though, like me, he has formerly eschewed the parties at which murder is committed."
"Noble of him," muttered Will.
"He will meet you there, and guide you through the house. No one there will be surprised to see us together. Magnus Bane is my lover, you see."
"How nice," Charlotte said at last, after a pause.
"Indeed it is," Camille said, and rose to her feet. "And now, if someone will escort me out. It grows late, and I have not yet fed."
Charlotte, who was regarding Tessa with concern, said, "Will, Jem, if you'll go?"
The two boys flanked her like soldiers—which, was probably what they were—and followed her from the room. Last through the door, the vampire paused and looked back over her shoulder. Her pale blond curls brushed her cheeks as she smiled; she was beautiful and she knew it.
"If you do this," said Camille, "and you succeed—whether or not you find your brother —I can promise you, little shape-shifter, that you won't regret it."
AN:
Thnx 4 reading, its my first fic so sorry if its bad.
:)