There was a gleam in her eyes. Tessa blinked as she gazed at the silent brother who was conversing with Consul Charlotte Fairchild before the Clave. She blinked again but the gleam did not leave the parchment robes. She looked up at the sunlight streaming in from the windows up above. That was it, she thought, It must be the sun. But she still couldn't shake the cold feeling on the back of her neck. She shrugged it off as Will turned towards her.

"Are you sure they're alright? The children, I mean." Will asked her worriedly. Tessa smiled at him. It was Tessa's first outing after Lucy was born and she was desperate for serious adult company.

"Bridget said Chrissy was completely competent and they would be perfectly fine," Tessa assured him, "I am confident that they will not be baked into a pie or pushed into a fire." Chrissy was the maid Charlotte had hired to replace Sophie after her Ascension. Will gave her a horrified look before muttering, "Seems like something Bridget would do, though, doesn't it?" They chuckled quietly together.

"Shh!" Someone whispered from down the aisle. Cecily glared at her brother before turning back to the front. Tessa and Will exchanged smirks and cast their attention back on Charlotte.

She and the Silent Brother were turning to face the crowd. Again, Tessa saw a haze on the silent brothers cloak. She narrowed her eyes and looked closer. There was a light rainbow-ish cast all over the robed figure. She paused as her breath caught in her throat. She recognized that aura. She had seen it on herself, or other warlocks.

She jumped up on her seat and threw herself into the stage, whipping a dagger out from under her dress. She managed to push Charlotte away as she stabbed the Silent Brother in the chest.

"Tessa!" Charlotte exclaimed, confused and surprised, as were the many gasps from the Clave members. But Tessa payed no attention to her and wrenched her blade back. The silent brother looked at her, his face contorting, his sewn lips stretching and snapping, his face melting to nothing to show a great, blue dragon's head. The entire room was frozen, hands halfway to their weapons, staring at the Silent Brother with the demon head.

Suddenly, the rest of it changed, as if it were a chameleon adapting to its surroundings. The paper like robes turned to hard azure scales. A row of spikes appeared on its back. It reared back, baring it's fangs at Tessa. She pulled back her blade to strike again. It moved to block her hit, but Tessa was faster. The demon roared as her blade punctured its underbelly. It reared it's head and quickly brought it back forward. Tessa, pulling her dagger free, had no defence.

It's jaws bit into her side, and swift, crippling pain accompanied. Tessa only whimpered, but she heard a voice yell "Tess!" behind her. She grit her teeth determinedly and cleaved the demon's head in two. Her victory was brief for she only had a moment to look over at Charlotte's astonished face before darkness closed in around her.

"Tess!" Will shouted as he ran up behind her. He saw as the creature's fangs rip through Tessa's dress and into her skin. He saw her tremble slightly before cutting the demon's head in half. He saw her fall to the ground before he was there to catch her. She collapsed in a growing pool of ichor and blood. He dropped to his knees and drew her torso into his arms and pressed a hand into her side, attempting to staunch the flow of blood.

"Tess," he whispered "Tess. Please, hold on. Please."

She gasped and shook, her eyes glazing over. Her once-cream coloured dress was bubbling with acidic ichor, slowly staining a dark red.

"Will," Will glanced behind him to see Cecily and Charlotte. Cecy kneeled next to him, pulling out her stele. She grabbed Tessa's arm and began drawing runes: healing, blood replacement. The wound began to close over, but still Tessa shook and cried out, looking at something they could not see.

"What's wrong?" He asked Cecily. She looked at him with wide eyes that held no answers.

Poison.

The word filled his mind from another voice. He looked up to see the other Silent Brothers in a panic to reach the Silent City. He saw Jem's silver eyes staring at him like a beacon as he was swept up in the crowd. They were full of fear.

Will closed his own eyes for a moment, attempting to calm his breathing. He then stood and picked up his wife. Gabriel was with them now, he and Cecily pulling at Will's arm.

"Will-"

"Will, we have to go-"

"The Infirmary-"

"Gwilyam."

He glanced up at Charlotte who gave him a desperate look.

"Take her to the Institute, Will," she said. "Take her home."