Most people are probably thinking: What? Another story?

Yes, but I'm not abandoning my other one! Much like how The Infernal Devices was a prequel to The Mortal Instruments, this has all of the ancestors of my other characters in it. Obviously, I think it's quite easy to see who Sara's ancestors are. Cosette's future children will be a bit harder to spot.

This all takes place from Cosette's POV.

c: Sorry for any grammar/spelling mistakes, and thank you for taking the time to read and review!

Free As a Bird

Chapter One - Cosette

With a drink in my hands, I flipped the page of the book I was reading. It was the one my mother had read right before I was born, therefore my name. I hadn't gotten too far into it, but I could tell immediately why my mother had loved it. Books were normally things to enthrall me, but for some reason ever since I started reading it, I haven't been able to get my nose out from it.

"I never thought I'd find you reading so intently," someone murmured from behind me.

Not bothering to turn my head, I nodded mutely. My fingers toyed with the edge of the page before flipping it again. I had immersed myself in the world; what good would it do to be torn from it so quickly?

Tearing it from my hands, Josephine Clearview blinked at it before slipping my bookmark between the pages and slamming it shut. My fingers twitched and I looked up at her, my eyes wide and my mouth dropping slightly open. "But I had just gotten to Enjolras! Why would you do this to me?"

Josie rolled her eyes slightly and placed the book behind her. "Not the time to whine, Cosette."

"Why?" I pouted anyways, crossing my arms. It was childish, and I knew that - but I hated to be ripped away from anything, especially not things I liked. Pressing my lips together, I placed my drink down and got up from my chair, the wood making a noise on the floor. "If it's something silly, Josie, I swear-"

"Don't shoot the messenger," Josie said quickly, pointing at me.

Raising my eyebrows, I smoothed out the creases in my dress. Normally I wasn't really ever needed much around her. I went out a few times and such for Shadowhunter things, and occasionally if Josie wanted me to come to the city with her, but I normally kept to myself. "Am I needed?"

"Just to come to dinner," Josie replied, placing her hands on my shoulders to turn and steer me from the room. "You haven't been seen by anyone in a few hours, and we're all worried you've gotten yourself in a mess."

"Really?"

"No. But still, you need to eat." She turned and closed the doors behind us, probably figuring I'd try and sneak away as soon as her attention was diverted. And she'd be right to think so. "So, come on. But, wait, tell me - do I look alright?"

I turned to study her face. Her hair was pulled up into an elegant bun, tendrils falling down to frame her face. Her cheeks were red, and her brown eyes seemed to sparkle at me. Her lips were turned upwards in a smile. Josephine had always been pretty; not Jessamine pretty, but a unique kind of pretty that I didn't quite understand.

Waving my hand at her, I continued down the hallway. "You look fine. What's the occasion?"

"Nothing," Josie answered hastily, picking up her dress so she could scurry after me. "I just want to look good for dinner. Is that too much to ask?"

A laugh escaped my lips. "He's coming, isn't is?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Josie stuck her chin up and blinked at the ceiling innocently. "Can't a girl get all dressed up for dinner? I don't see why not."

"Is he coming to talk with Charlotte? Or Henry?"

Despite trying to act clueless, a smirk found its way onto Josie's lips. "Henry. Apparently Henry left a prototype sheet at his place, and he's coming to return it. Not like I know that, of course."

"Alright."

By the time we made it downstairs, Ellis Daleheart was already here. I could see why Josie liked him so much - with brown hair, blue eyes, and his dashing overcoat, it all made sense why she was enamored with him. It was hard to tell if he held the same affections towards her. He was speaking with Henry, and when we came into the room he had his head thrown back in a laugh.

Josie turned red, and I nudged her gently with my elbow.

Turning my attention towards the table, I saw without any surprise that the only people there were Charlotte, Jessamine, and Jem. Will was like me, in some respects. I wouldn't have been here had I had a choice. Charlotte was watching Henry with amusement, and Jessamine looked as if she could care less about everything. Jem smiled gently at me when he met my eyes, and it was my turn to go red.

Josie nudged me this time, and I pushed her away.

It was no secret to anyone that I held some sort of affections for Jem. If I didn't make it obvious enough, Josie definitely did - retribution for my own actions towards Ellis when he was around. Somewhere in the depths of my mind, though, I knew nothing would ever come of my silly feelings.

"Nice to see you, Cosette," Charlotte said when she saw me, smiling.

"I was reading when someone interrupted me," I told her, pulling out a chair. "But it was for a good cause."

"A very good cause," Josie said, and then cast her eyes upwards towards Ellis, as if she had just noticed him. "Mr Daleheart! I didn't know you were here. How have you been?" She fluttered her eyelashes and I barely contained my eye roll. At least I wasn't that obvious around Jem.

Ellis smiled politely at her. "I've told you, Josephine. Call me Ellis. I'm not that much older than you."

"Then call me Josie!"

"I will."

Curling my fingers around my fork, I took a small bite of the food in front of me. I wasn't all that hungry, but I told myself I needed to at least eat something before I went back to bury myself in that book.

Next to me, Jem leaned closer. "What book are you reading?"

"Les Misérables," I answered, tearing my eyes from Josie as she laughed just a little too loud. "It's what I'm named after. I guess my mother finished it right before I was born, and she fell in love with the name. Have you read it before?"

"I have not. Is it good?"

"It is!" There was another reason I liked Jem, and it wasn't just because I found him attractive. It was because he listened to me when I went off on talking about my favorite books. Josie would listen, but it was obvious her heart wasn't in it. Charlotte would listen, at first, but then she looked busy and I didn't want to burden her with my stories. I couldn't even get a word in to Jessamine before she left, annoyed with me. "And then Josie came and got me right as Enjolras made an appearance..."

He laughed at my disappointed face. "He is your favorite character?"

"Besides Cosette, yes," I admitted, a smile of my own on my face. "Can you tell?"

"Only if I look really hard," he joked with me.

Josie took the seat next to me finally, her hands clasped neatly on the table. She leaned closer to me. "Isn't he wonderful?" she whispered in my ear, her eyes firmly glued to Ellis, who was finishing up his conversation. "Did you hear what he said to me? Did you?"

Before I could retort, Ellis turned to us and held a hand up. "Goodbye, everyone."

"Do we still have plans for Thursday?" Josie asked, giddy.

"Of course." He smiled at her one last time before leaving.

Josie let out a breath and turned to me, practically melting. "Absolutely wonderful."

Her fingers danced elegantly over the keys, and her eyes were narrowed in concentration. Her tongue poked out from between her lips. The music sounded lovely, and it made me wonder if anything could ever sound that good again. When she finished, she flipped her hair off her shoulder and gestured towards me.

"Now, you try it."

"You make it sound so simple, Josie," I murmured. "You're so good at this."

She grinned. "I'm good at everything, aren't I?"

"Piano is the only thing you have going for you," I muttered, pulling up the sleeves of my dress. I flexed my fingers a few times before placing my fingers gently on the keys. They were cold against my skin, and I breathed a sigh. Mentally, I recounted the steps Josie had taught me beforehand, going over each note over and over until I could repeat them backwards.

My music sounded choppy to my own ears, and paled in comparison to Josie's. She watched with bright eyes, the smile still on her lips, her hands tucked under her legs. She nodded at me to continue, and despite knowing I was doing horribly, I kept pressing the keys, trying to make sure I was on time and hitting the right notes.

I finished with a loud slam on a key by accident.

Josie jumped and pulled my hands from the keys, scowling. "Be careful with my baby!" she scolded.

"Sorry," I told her. "I don't think piano is my thing..."

"Keep trying." She got up from the bench and smoothed her dress before giving me a pat on the shoulder. "I'm going to get ready. Ellis and I are going to the city." She smiled to herself before going on. "When I come back in, I want to hear what you've been doing!"

"I'll try," I promised slowly.

As soon as she left I turned back to the keys. Surely, with enough practice, it couldn't be that hard to play a simple song? Placing my hands on the key, I started again from the beginning. I worked better if I spoke aloud the notes, and it didn't sound as awkward now that Josie was listening in.

When I finished, it still sounded bad to my ears. "That was horrid," I whispered.

"I thought it sounded nice. Pretty, even."

Turning around, I tried to keep my face from going white at embarrassment. Jem stood in the doorway, leaning against the wall. "Jem!" I said, startled. "You didn't have to listen in on all that. You could have just got my attention. That must have been torture on your ears."

He shook his head at me. "No, it was fine. Besides a few notes, it sounded just like Josephine's part."

"She is a million times better," I stated simply. I turned myself around on the bench, my hands falling in my lap. "But is there something I can do for you?"

"I just came to return this to you." He moved forward into the room, taking a small knife out of his pocket. He handed it to me, and I took it, moving my thumb over the handle. "You left it in the training room when you ran out of there."

I chuckled softly. "It wasn't you I was running from."

"You don't like Will very much, do you?"

"It is not that I don't like him," I answered thoughtfully, turning the blade over in my hands carefully. "It is just that we don't particularly get along. And he doesn't seem to take well to me being in the training room at the same time, so I was just avoiding an argument."

"He means well," Jem said instantly.

Smiling softly, I shrugged. "I seem to be telling you the same thing about Josie, don't I?"

Jem laughed. "At least Will isn't spilling paint on your things and then finding ways to blame Henry, now is he?"

I laughed with him, remembering the incident very well. I wiped away the tears that sprang to the corners of my eyes and nodded. "At least she finally confessed to it. After Charlotte gave her a talking to."

Once we were done laughing, he placed his hand on my shoulder. "And you are welcome to train with us, you know."

"Noted."

He leaned around me suddenly, and my face flushed, despite the fact I tried to keep it from doing so. "And, you might want to do this," he played a few notes on the piano, "instead of this." He played the mistake I had been doing the past few times.

I whirled around on the bench, trying to copy his pattern. "Like this?"

He moved one of my fingers. "Like this." I nearly turned red from the contact, but as soon as he pulled away I attempted to copy him.

Once I hit the notes almost perfectly, I turned to him, beaming. "Oh, Jem! Thank you so much."

"It's nothing." He returned my smile, and stepped back, heading back towards the doors. "I should probably get back before Josephine returns. Wouldn't want her spilling paint on me, would I?"

Shrugging my shoulders, I replied, "She means well."

Without knocking on my door, Josie barged in to my room, her hair up again and her face pale. She held her dress in her hands and by the way she was breathing just slightly off I could tell she had ran. "Cosette!" she said, nodding at my hands and the book I held. "Put that thing away. You should come with me."

I didn't. "What's the matter?"

"You... You know that girl that Will found? Tessa... White- er, Gray?"

Racking my brain for a moment, I pressed my lips together. Vaguely, I remembered a conversation that had taken place yesterday. "Oh, yes. She's here, right?"

"Yes, but... but her powers!" Josie's eyes were wide. "Have you seen or heard of them?"

"No... What are they?" Interested, though, I placed my bookmark inside the pages and closed the book. "They sound interesting, judging by the way your eyes are nearly popping from your own head."

Josie raked her fingers through her hair to pull it away from her face, and she bobbed her head enthusiastically while doing so. "Yes, yes! You have to see it to believe it, I believe! Come on, come on-" She reached for my hand but I brushed her away, gesturing to my hair and face.

My hair was down, curling along my back. "I need to get my hair done first."

"You look fine, Ettie. You need to come see this-"

"I'll be right along." I waved her off with my hand as I turned towards my room, trying to see where I placed my hairpin.

Josie huffed. "Alright, but be quick."

Getting my hair up relatively easy, I fixed the strands coming down along my face and then gave my book one last, longing look before turning and shutting the door behind me. I was halfway down the hallway when I heard music coming from another hallway. I wanted to meet this girl - but stopping by Jem's room wouldn't hurt, would it? He hadn't minded me listening in before.

I knocked once on the door and the music stopped. "Sorry for interrupting you," I said quickly, smiling at him. "I know it's very late at night, but Josie got me up because she wanted me to meet someone. That girl...?"

Jem took the violin from his shoulder. "Ah, yes. The shapeshifter girl-"

"That's her ability?" I couldn't keep my mouth from dropping open. "When Josie said she had an amazing power, I thought... I thought perhaps maybe she was really talented with fighting. It certainly wouldn't be the first time Josie's made something bigger than it actually was."

Jem laughed at my startled face. "You weren't at dinner?"

"I've gotten to the part at the barricade," I whispered, my fingers lightly tapping on the door frame. "I couldn't bear to stop reading. It was like being on a really fast train, and I couldn't jump off... But you were playing music, and you shouldn't stop."

"No, that's alright," he said quickly, going as if to put the instrument away. "You're here. We can talk, instead-"

"You got to hear me play the other day," I pointed out, a smile playing on my lips. "And besides, I love listening to you play. Go on, then."

He contemplated what I was saying before placing the violin back on his shoulder. I took a seat on the chair nearby, crossing my ankles and resting my hands on my lap. The music he was playing was absolutely beautiful - much more so than my pitiful attempt on the piano.

I smiled gently, completely forgetting about the girl I was supposed to be seeing until she opened the door, dressed in her nightgown. Her eyes locked with mine, and she started, taking a step until I stopped her by holding up my hand.

Jem stopped too, turning towards the girl as well.

Her cheeks turned red from embarrassment. "I'm so sorry," she said quickly, "I didn't mind to just come right in. My room is right across the hall, and I happened to hear it."

"Are you Tessa Gray?" I asked with curiosity, tilting my head to the side. "The... shapeshifter?"

"Will told me about you," Jem added.

Tessa's didn't seem all that thrilled. She shrugged her shoulders. "Oh."

"Oh?" Jem questioned. "You don't sound like you want me knowing about you."

Tessa shrugged. "I think Will's angry with me. Whatever he said to you, it probably wasn't true..."

I grinned at her, laughing. "When is Will not angry with someone? He's angry with me all the time."

A laugh escaped Tessa then, and she shared a small smile with me.

Realizing I hadn't introduced myself, I cleared my throat and rose from my seat, fixing my dress. "I'm Cosette Lintley. It's nice to meet you."

"Cosette?" Tessa asked, her eyes lighting up. "Possibly referring to Les Mis?"

"Yes," I breathed, my own eyes going wide. "Have you read it?"

"Of course - it's quite a good book." Tessa's smile nearly mirrored my own. "I daresay your mother has a good taste in names."

I laughed. "I would love to talk with you so more on the topic, but I think that I've overstayed my welcome. We should talk again soon, Tessa. Goodnight, Jem."

"You know you're welcome to stay as long as you like, Cosette," Jem told me simply. "But goodnight."

My cheeks turned bright red and I ducked out of the room before I could stay and make a fool of myself.

The next morning at breakfast, I picked at my porridge slightly, my book slid in between my fingertips. After I had assured Josie last night that I had met Tessa, I had gone back to my room to read. I was almost near the end now, and I felt accomplished - this was a huge book, and I had nearly read it all.

On my other side, Jessamine and Will were discussing what to do with Tessa.

As they were talking, said girl walked in, glancing around at all of us as we ate. "Tessa," Jessamine said as Tessa took the seat in front of me. "We were just talking about you."

Tessa blinked. "What about?" She picked up a piece of toast.

"About what to do with you," Will chimed in from his end. "I say we should sell you to the Gypsies."

Charlotte glanced up momentarily. "That's ridiculous, Will."

He sighed. "You're right. We've already tried to sell Josephine, and obviously they wouldn't take her. But then again, who would?"

Josie scoffed. "You're one to talk, Herondale. Without Jem, we probably would have sold you in a heartbeat."

The two exchanged half-hearted glares and went back to eating.

"If my word is worth anything," I spoke up, "I think Tessa should stay. After all, shouldn't we wait until her brother is found? And you were saying something about that... that Panda-something Club?"

"Exactly my thoughts," Charlotte replied, nodding at me. "I was also thinking that the four of you-" she nodded at Josie, Will, and I, "and Jem should go check out the Dark Sisters' house. It's worth a search."

I scowled. "But I'm no use to them out there."

"I second that," Will added, looking annoyed. "Jem and I can do just fine."

"I'd still go anyways," Josie retorted, sticking her chin up. "I haven't been out in a long time, and I'd like to see this place."

"I think Cosette should come." Jem had appeared, entering the dining room. He nodded at me. "I think you should get out as well. And your skills aren't as bad as you seem to think they are."

"They are," I mumbled quietly, ducking my head.

Charlotte shrugged. "You can decide who's going later, but I think you all should go."

They started chattering about something else.

Tessa's eyes found the book in my hand that I was flipping the pages of again. "Oh, you're almost done. Has it made you sad yet?"

I laughed. "Like you wouldn't believe. Enjolras," I whined, recounting what had happened to my favorite character a few pages back. "I say, though, in every book I've ever read, my favorite character always dies."

"I can relate," she told me. "What other books have you read?"

"Not a lot," I told her honestly. "I would like to read more, I really would, but it's really hard to capture my attention. With books, and with people..."

She snuck a glance at Jem, who was at the other end of the table talking with Will. "I think I know someone who's captured your attention quite well."

"Tessa!" I yelped, feeling my face heat up.

"Oh, don't worry about a thing," she said quickly, patting my hand on the table as she giggled. "I won't tell anyone, but I think it's adorable."

I rubbed the back of my neck. "I don't know about that."

Josie's hand fell on my shoulder, and she shook me impatiently. "Come on, Ettie! We have to get ready if we're going to go to that house."

I nodded, marking my place, and nodding at Tessa. "You think you'll survive a day with Jessie?" I asked her, referring to the plans she had made earlier about going into town with Jessamine to pick up dresses.

She swallowed, shrugging. "I hope so."

"She's not so bad," I told her, giving her a wave before leaving the room with Josie.

"This is the place?" Josie asked, placing a hand on her hip and glancing up at the building in front of us. "Are we quite sure?"

"I think I'm sure," Will retorted.

"I don't trust you half the time," Josie replied back, rolling her eyes.

After bickering a few more times, we finally moved inside. Opting to split up, Josie and I took the upstairs, and Jem and Will went into the cellar. Most times, Josie and I stand next to each other, but with all these doors, we decided we'd each take a certain number and yell to each other if we saw something.

The first few rooms I searched were empty, nothing in them.

Josie shouted from her section, and my heart pounded in my chest. I darted from the room I was in and raced towards her voice, skidding inside. Josie had her hand pressed to her open mouth, and she bent down, trying to look at the young girl in front of her.

She was resting in a chair, her eyes open and blank.

"Is she... Is she dead?" I asked, keeping my space.

Josie nodded, and gestured for me to come up next to her. "She's definitely dead, I think. She looks it, doesn't she? She can't hurt if she's dead, Ettie. Get up here."

Swallowing my fear, I took the spot next to my friend and bent forward. "I wonder who she is."

"Hmmm..." Josie moved around the back of the chair, tapping her chin. "See if you can find some form of identification on her. A necklace with her initials, maybe. A ring?"

Thankful I had gloves on, I stepped forward and reached lightly for the girl's dress, trying to see if anything had fallen into it. Suddenly, she jerked upwards. I let out a cry and fell backwards, hitting the ground with a thump.

The girl screamed one word loud and clear at me: Beware.