Getting up, Jem and Will walked out of the dining room and went toward the Sanctuary-catching up with Tessa almost immediately, flanking her on either side.
"You didn't really think we weren't going to come along, did you?" Will asked her, lighting the corridor with witchlight.
Looking straight ahead but addressing Will, Tessa said, "I know you can't leave anything well enough alone, but I thought better of Jem."
"Where Will goes, I go," Jem said, liking that Tessa thought so kindly of him, "And besides, I'm as curious as he is."
"That hardly seems a subject for boasting. Where are we going? Have we turned the wrong way?"
"Patience is a virtue, Miss Gray," said Will, and Jem noticed that he seemed on edge. The words came out sharply to Tessa, and Jem wished that Will might try a little harder to be kind to the girl.
Charlotte spoke up, "This corridor leads to our Sanctuary. It is the only part of the Institute that is not on hallowed ground. It is where we meet with those who, for whatever reason, cannot enter hallowed ground: those who are cursed, vampires, and the like. It is also often a place we choose to shelter Downworlders who are in danger from demons or other denizens of the Shadow World. For that reason, there are many protections placed on the doors, and it is difficult to enter or exit the room without possessing either a stele or the key."
Charlotte's mini-lecture was for Tessa's benefit, and the information was not lost on Tessa, "Is it a curse? Being a vampire?" Tessa asked Charlotte, and Jem let his mind wander a little until he heard Tessa's voice, "Being a vampire isn't a curse. It's a disease," Tessa filled in. "But they still can't enter hallowed ground, then? Does that mean they're damned?"
"That depends on what you believe," said Jem. "And whether you even believe in damnation at all."
Tessa sounded incredulous, "But you hunt demons. You must believe in damnation!"
"I believe in good and evil," said Jem, "And I believe the soul is eternal. But I don't believe in the fiery pit, the pitchforks, or endless torment. I do not believe you can threaten people into goodness."
Tessa took that in and looked at Will. "What about you? What do you believe?"
"Pulvis et umbra sumus," said Will, still on edge and not looking at Tessa, "I believe we are dust and shadows. What else is there?"
Charlotte looked reproachfully at Will, "Whatever you believe, please don't suggest to Lady Belcourt that you think she's damned. She has very kindly offered to help us, and there's no purpose in offering her such insults. That applies to you especially, Will. If you can't be polite, I'll send you out of the Sanctuary. Jem, I trust you to be your charming self. Tessa…Try not to be frightened."
Jem found that comment odd, as Tessa seemed more curious than anything, she hardly ever seemed frightened, even by Jessamine's nastiness.
When they got into the Sanctuary, Camille was waiting. "Douse your witchlight, Will," Charlotte said before walking ahead of them, "So good of you to wait for us, Baroness. I trust you have found the Sanctuary comfortable enough for your tastes?"
"As always, Charlotte." Lady Belcourt said, polite as always.
"Lady Belcourt. Please let me introduce you to Miss Theresa Gray." Charlotte said, gesturing at Tessa, "Beside her is Mr. James Carstairs, one of our young Shadowhunters, and with him is—"
"William Herondale," Camille said, and Jem looked sideways at his parabatai, "Fancy you coming to greet me."
"You know each other?" Charlotte tried to stay calm, but Jem saw the anxiety at what Will might have done.
Jem listened as Camille told them that Will had won money from her, and Will interjected that he was pretending to be a foolish mundane. Charlotte asked where the money had gone, as it was the Clave's property.
"I spent it on gin." Will said the lie effortlessly, and Jem felt a twinge of curiosity.
"Will." Charlotte hid her mortification poorly.
"The spoils of vice are a burdensome responsibility." Will's response seemed flat, as if his heart wasn't in it.
"Yet one you seem strangely able to bear," said Jem, before Charlotte spoke again. "I will deal with you later, William," she said, "Lady Belcourt, am I to understand that you also are a member of the Pandemonium Club?"
"Certainly not." Lady Becourt went on about the organization, and Charlotte listened intently. "De Quincey is a member," said Charlotte, "I have been told he is the head of the organization, in fact. Did you know that?"
Lady Belcourt shook her head before going on about De Quincy, "And most of all, he hates the Nephilim."
Jem leaned over and whispered to Will, "Now, why on Earth would De Quincy hate us?"
"Indeed," Will said. "How could anyone despise us when we are so charming?"
Charlotte and Camille continued to discuss De Quincy, "And you know nothing of his involvement with two women called the Dark Sisters? Nothing of his interest in automatons—mechanical creatures?" Charlotte asked, and Tessa's eyes lit up.
"Ugh, the Dark Sisters." Lady Belcourt shuddered. "Such ugly, unpleasant creatures. Warlocks, I believe. I avoided them. They were known to provide for the members of the club who might have less … savory interests. Demon drugs, Downworld prostitutes, that sort of thing."
"And the automatons?" Charlotte pressed.
"If de Quincey has some fascination with watch parts, I know nothing of it. In fact, when you first contacted me about de Quincey, Charlotte, I had no intention of coming forward with any information at all. It is one thing to share a few Downworld secrets with the Clave, another thing entirely to betray the most powerful vampire in London. That was, until I heard about your little shape-shifter. I can see the family resemblance."
"The resemblance to whom?" For the first time, Tessa looked unnerved.
"Why, to Nathaniel, of course. To your brother."
"You've seen my brother?" Tessa said, her tone was one that Jem hadn't heard her use before. As Camille and Tessa spoke, Jem watched how Tessa was not scared, she was just determined to find her brother. Their relationship intrigued Jem, who had no siblings, and would not have expected the younger sibling to be so protective of the eldest.
They began to plan how to get into De Quincey's party, with Tessa disguised as Camille, and Will with her as a subjugate, "Because the rest of us all are hideous, are we?" Jem asked, "Is that why I can't do it?"
"No," Will said, his dark blue gaze locking on Jem's face, "You know why it can't be you." Jem held the gaze for a moment before letting it go.
When it was decided, Camille gave Tessa her ruby pendant to Change with, and Tessa took it and Changed.
"Tessa?" Jem said, sinking down onto his heels beside the chair, taking one of her hands. Tessa took a sobbing breath, and Jem wondered what she was thinking.
"Oh, God," she said in a soft whisper to Jem. "I—my heart's not beating. I feel as if I've died. Jem—" He stroked her hand, carefully, soothingly, and looked up at her with his silver eyes. The expression in them had not changed with the change in her; he looked at her as he had before, as if she were still Tessa Gray. "You're alive," he said, in a voice so soft only she could hear it. "You're wearing a different skin, but you're Tessa, and you're alive. Do you know how I know that?" She shook her head. "Because you said the word 'God' just now to me. No vampire could say that." He squeezed her hand. "Your soul is still the same." She closed her eyes and sat still for a moment, concentrating on the pressure of his hand on hers, his warm skin against hers that was icy cold. Slowly the trembling that shook her body began to fade; she opened her eyes, and gave Jem a faint, shaky smile.
"Tessa," said Charlotte. "Are you— Is everything all right?" Tessa drew her eyes away from Jem's face and looked at Charlotte, who was watching her with an anxious gaze. Will, beside Charlotte, wore an unreadable expression. Camille gave her comments, and then Tessa let go of the Change.
Camille asked for the necklace back, and Jem took the ruby pendant from Tessa to bring it to the vampire, ready to be done with this visit. But there was still things to discuss, such as how Tessa and Will would find their way around De Quincey's house: "Magnus Bane." Camille said.
"The warlock?" Charlotte's eyebrows rose. Jem listened as Camille told them that Bane was her lover, at which Tessa looked quite shocked that a lady would say something like that. And then, Charlotte asked Will and Jem to escort Lady Belcourt out, Jem complied, of course, but he really wanted to talk to Tessa, to see if she was really all right. And he wished to see why Will was acting the way he was around Tessa-what he possibly had against the girl, when she had done him no wrong.