DISCLAIMER – I don't own anything Infernal Device's wise; they all 100% belong to the brilliantness of Cassandra Claire (:
NOTES – wow, thank you's for the reviews again! Glad that i'm managing to keep up with everyone's standards (: Sorry for how long it's taken me to update, but i'm back at college and, as you can imagine, it's taken a lot of my time and energy /: But i felt i couldn't leave the story where it was, and so here's the next chapter, thankfully, it's the longest one yet so i hope that makes up for how long it's taken. Oh, and i'm sorry for the lack of teaser this time...i was only planning to do them for Christmas and new years, but if people want i can put one at the end of every chapter from now on? Vote for it ... teaser or no teaser...that is the question (;
CHAPTER NINE ~
For the entirety of the day, night and then the following day, Tessa was kept within the confides of the room. For most of the time, she sat staring at the four walls, wondering if perhaps the single sight of them might drive her mad; but no such oddness overcame her. At first, she was too upset over the outcome of her failed escape to attempt to find another way out, but as the night left her weary and daylight dawned once more, she found herself restless and eager to get out. Like a prowling tigress, she stalked the room in her ragged skirts, thinking endlessly about ways she could get out.
She's originally thought about a window. But there was none within this room, and she'd have to get out to find one, and even then she had not remembered seeing a single window within the corridor outside – so that was out of the question. Which left her where? Stuck here, that was where. She ran a hand through her tangled curls and let out a frustrated noise, perching upon the bed with resignation.
There had to be some way. Some possible way that she could get out. The only chance she had was the small window of time during which food was presented to her via a Clockwork Creature; it would open the door, put the food on the floor just inside the room, wait for her to pick it up and take a bite, and then leave. Tessa gathered it was ordered to watch her take a bite, perhaps to ensure she didn't attempt to starve herself or something, but still, that was the only time she could think that would be possible be long enough for a chance to escape.
The creatures were strong, particularly together. But they didn't arrive together to deliver food, and if she could find something heavy enough, or sharp enough, perhaps she could disable them and escape that way? She had not seen Daniel since she'd stabbed him yesterday, and usually, he would have appeared by now. Perhaps she had hurt him enough to cause him discomfort and lack of confidence in facing her again? Maybe he was recovering somewhere? She knew she had hurt him, and if he were smart he'd leave time to recover, which meant she should strike whilst the iron was hot, right? She should attempt to escape now before he was around again to drag her back.
That decided, her hungered eyes hunted for an object of such description, landing upon nothing. The room was frustratingly bare. She stood up, searching the entire wardrobe and coming out empty handed, searching beneath the bed and again finding nothing. Finally, she took to look at the bed post itself. If she could perhaps break some of it off, she would be able to wield it well enough. If only she'd retained hold of the dagger. But alas, she had not.
She could see no other way, and so, with a power that surprised her, she grabbed hold of the wooden post and pulled. It was a thin piece of wood, and already weakened by what she could only assume were other attempts upon breaking it. She heard the ominous crack and heaved further, ignoring the pain in her hands as she tugged and bent it further and further, finally breaking half of the wood and falling forward slightly.
She cradled the wood, touching the broken end and noticing how jagged and sharp it was. Perfect. She sat upon the bed, eyes glued to the door and waiting for the moment when it would open. It didn't take long. Within what felt like moments, the rattling of locks being unlocked reached Tessa, and she blinked, standing up and tensing. It seemed to take forever for every lock to be opened, but finally the door was swinging open, light pouring in around the shape of a terrible Clockwork creature.
Tessa took a step forward as the abomination placed a plate of something unrecognisable upon the floor, looked up and then paused. Tessa narrowed her eyes, unable to understand if it had paused because she had yet to touch the food, or if it's mechanical brain processed what Tessa was doing, and perhaps was attempting to work through what to do.
Tessa paused too, for a second, before suddenly lashing out with the wood and striking the creature upon it's head. The creature had not expected this action from her, perhaps because it had not been explained that she might attempt to achieve this – and it fell suddenly, crashing against the doorframe like a crumpled marionette. Tessa allowed herself no time to pause, instead she clutched the wood tightly and gathered her skirts, leaping over the fallen figure and rushing left down the hallway. She knew from her previous experience that turning right led nowhere.
She listened carefully for signs of disturbance, but it appeared nobody had noted her escape as yet. She rushed along the bland corridor, turning left again as she reached a turn in the corridor, the other hallway leading toward the room in which she changed forms. She had not been this way before, but she found a bust of excitement, heart pounding, as the corridor ended in stairs.
She descended as fast as she could, stumbling a few times and having to grip the banister firmly. The stairs wound on and on, but she did not stop to think, just took one more after one more. And finally she was reaching a dimly lit hallway, merely two steps toward a shrunken looking old wooden door which she was throwing open with desperation.
Then the fresh air hit her. The cold, wintry England air, and she had to pause to breath it in; a long, deep breath, a hint of a smile upon her drawn face. Her lids flickered close as she hovered upon the doorstep, half of her feeling as if this were forbidden, something unsure about taking the one step outside to freedom – perhaps she had been shut away for so long. But how long had it been? Years? Months? Days? She had lost time, but now, she could regain it. And finally, a noise behind her sent her flitting away from the doorway like a freed bird, a relieved, excited smile upon her face. She'd done it. She was free.
Jem stood poised within Will's empty room for several seconds, stuck within his own thoughts. But he had no time to stand there for long, Will had left, and it was only now Jem noticed that his coat happened to be gone. Perhaps Will intended upon his rescue mission now? If that were, indeed, true, Jem by no means wished to be left behind. Will was not the only one suffering from Tessa's capture, and he had to understand that.
Jem followed in Will's footsteps, shutting the door behind him and taking up his cane from its perch against the wall. He guessed his Parabati had turned toward the weapons room, and so he took a similar path, finding the door ajar and Will within it, as expected. Jem hesitated for a second, for some reason unsure. Perhaps it was the way his friends shoulders were set with finality and a surliness not unlike anger. But Jem would not skirt around his friend and the attitude he carried upon his back.
So he pushed open the door to the room and ignored him completely, instead beginning to pick out his own weapons, noticing Will stiffen and turn to stare at him.
"What are you doing?" He asked, tone icily calm. Jem raised an eyebrow slightly, having gathered his weapons quickly and already turning to leave.
"Going with you." He replied, calm and setting Will with a cool gaze. His Parabati strangely did not seem irritated anymore; more resigned. "See, i was under the impression you were leaving to retrieve information from Nate, and so, i'm accompanying you." He added, watching Will's expression darken slightly. He opened his mouth to argue by Jem spoke above him. "Don't, Will. Don't tell me i cannot, or that i will hold you back or mess something up. I am perfectly capable, and you are not the only one who wishes to get Tessa back, no matter what stands in the way."
And to give him credit, Will did not argue. Instead, he nodded tersely and returned to collect his weapons. He understood, that much was clear, and Jem was thankful.
It took little time to get ready; both of them were eager to be on the way, and there was nobody about to halt them. It seemed the others were either still resting, or hiding away in their rooms. Will and Jem met within the hall, both too tense to do little more than nod as they exited the Institute. There was no coach and two horses standing ready at the bottom of the steps, nor two horses saddled to ride. Will had been tempted – all for galloping there within seconds and storming the house, but Jem had the more strategic idea, speaking the thought that it'd be better to approach on foot. Will had agreed, but Jem knew he would find it difficult to keep up with his Parabati.
They took the steps in perfect synchronisation, already slipping into a role that occupied them during missions. They ran toward the gates, both knowing it would be best to get out of the view of the windows before someone pulled them back, and Will had his hand upon the gate when a snide voice came from their left.
"Where do you think you're going?" Jem shut his eyes for a second in resignation, and both him and Will turned to face the third person. Jem could see Will's shoulders tightening, the frustrated impatience in the way he set his jaw and his icy gaze flickered to the blonde haired figure of Gabriel.
"Out. To the tavern. Why is it anything to do with you?" Will sneered slightly, but he was not in the mood to play games for once, his taut muscles twitches impatiently as they stood. Gabriel narrowed his eyes, obviously far too irritated this evening to bother quipping back.
"Enough! Do you have to act like such an infant all the time, Herondale?" Gabriel sneered and Jem sighed, resting his hand on the gate and wishing he could simply melt through it.
"What better way to live, Lightwood, than to act childish and be irresponsible. Otherwise, someone as incredible as myself, might end up like you." There was a surprising amount of malice within Will's words, and Jem knew his patience was long gone. Jem made to step between them, reaching to push open the gates. They creaked as he swung them open, disturbing the odd silence that had descended upon the boys. Most incredulously of all, Gabriel's face remained cool, watching Will with a knowledgeable look.
"It's understandable that you would wish to save her." He smirked slightly as both Jem and Will paused, eyes – silver and blue topaz- staring at him hard. "After all, if the girl i loved had been taken ... well, i wouldn't have allowed it to begin with." There was a bearly veiled attack within his words, and Jem knew better than to open his mouth. Will however, looked fiercer than ever.
"I don't love her." He simply snapped, and strode through the gates, followed closely by Jem; who kept his face passive, not daring to delve into thoughts of Will's blatant deny at a solemn time such as this. But it appeared Gabriel was not looking for closure on the subject. He trailed after them as Will remained at a relentless speed, Jem himself, having to rely on his cane a little less in order to keep up.
"Let me help!" Gabriel called after them. Will did not hesitate, but continued on down another street, the slight narrowing of his eyes the only sign he'd heard Gabriel Lightwood at all.
"No." He simply said, seeming to revel slightly in the power that emanated from his voice at that moment. Even Gabriel appeared to sense that there was a line drawn right across this subject, and he was toeing it too tightly for Will's patience.
"You may both act as though you are invincible, but i am more tactile and just as powerful as yourself. I will be an asset to your mission." His tone was surprisingly calm, and Jem wondered if there was an ulterior motive behind his request. Will seemed to be wondering along the same lines.
"No, you will be a liability to a mission you know nothing about." He replied, finally stopping to stare at Gabriel with a hard gaze. Jem paused also, shoulders slumping somewhat in resignation. They needed to be on their way, otherwise for all they knew, someone could have tipped Nate off.
"I know more than you believe. You are after Nathaniel, yes? In the hope that he knows information on Tessa's capture or at least, whereabouts." His eyes flickered back and forth between the two Parabati with a hint of triumph. Will frowned, disliking Gabriel's knowledge.
"And what is this anything to do with you?" He curled his lip slightly, and Jem's hand twitched as he restrained himself from putting a warning hand upon his friends shoulder. Gabriel's chin rose in challenge, his usual arrogance returning as swiftly as it had gone.
"That is little to do with you. The clave has been monitoring the actions of the institute for a while now, you're lucky they have not intervened before now." Will took a step forward, seemingly temporarily forgotten that they were supposed to be going somewhere. Jem frowned lightly and made a motion to get in between them again.
"So you follow us on request of your father? As a little favour to your father?" He sneered, but there was a sense of disgust and even betrayal behind his eyes. Gabriel shook his head in equal anger.
"No. I come of my own accord. A reason of which is my wish to keep private. Now do you accept my offer of help or not?" Will's 'no' was already to his lips when he felt Jem's slender fingers crushing his forearm. He hadn't known until now that Jem had been trying to get his attention for a while, and only as the numb sensation Jem's surprisingly strong hands had caused began to tingle did Will glance toward his Parabati.
"Just let him." Jem said simply, tone implying that they had little time to stand and argue, and for all his dislike toward Gabriel, Will nodded once and spun on his heel.
"But you will keep up and do as i say." He muttered sharply, and Jem watched Gabriel nod once, pained to do so, and then the two hurried after Will fast disappearing back.
The house Will indicated to be Nate's hideout was hardly secretive. Though old vines crept along one side of the brickwork and curled along the undersides of the darkened windows, and cracks decorative the walls, weaving intricately beneath the ivy, the house was larger than you would have expected. Will's expression was dark as he drew into the shadows on the house opposite and glanced toward Jem, ignoring Gabriel completely.
"This is it. We make a forward approach, be silent but be effective. We cannot afford to have any of his bodyguards calling an alarm." Will sneered slightly at the words and Jem nodded. Nate would be a fool not to have somebody involved in protecting him, even if it only happened to be one or two people. It was possible Nathaniel already knew that they were outside, but quietly and deadly was perhaps their best offence.
Gabriel looked about to argue, but Will was already taking off across the ebony tainted street, noiseless against the backdrop of oppressive silence. Jem followed, leaving his cane behind and he heard the near silence of Gabriel's footsteps as he took up the back. They pressed themselves against the wall of Nate's hide-out, each drawing a Seraph blade and whispering it's name to illuminate the blade. Will brought out a witchlight and its vivid green sparkled from between his fingers.
There was no count to three as Will's eyes evaluated the door shortly, checking out its weakest point and suddenly cracked his shoulder against it. Darkness poured into a long musty corridor, spilling into the house three shadowed figures. There was nothing of interest within the hallway, and as the third one lightly pushed the door shut behind them, and the first raised a fist closed over a glowing stone to allow green to dapple the hallways.
There was more silence as the three paused, using well trained ears deftly to identify the smallest noise above their heads, an indication as to the direction best taken. The one with the light dashed up the stairs, pointing out the tip of a blade to slice the air in front of him, warning. Still nothing. On the second floor, the three figures grouped together, moving in clear synchronisation along the upper hallway, each pushing open the doors around them and moving apart to search the premises.
The rooms were clear, most standing empty apart from the occasional one which housed piles of junk covered in cloths. The three grouped together in the centre of the hallway, exchanging hushed exclamations of frustration. Gabriel shook his head as Will glanced around, looking for some other room they'd possibly missed whilst his Conrad whispered irritated words about this being 'a waste of time'.
"Well leave then." Will whispered back, patience snapping. Gabriel bit back a response and Will frowned, evidently wondering why Gabriel had come at all, and wishing he could have the chance to force the truth out of him. But Jem wasn't focusing on their argument, his cool eyes had flicked to a shiver of light escaping from the corner of one of the searched rooms. He did not remember it having been there before, and frowned slightly. Then he remembered the odd shape of the house and it dawned on him. Another room. That had to be where Nate was hiding.
"Stop it." He hissed at the others, and swiftly dashed into the dark room, eyes fixed on the escaping light. He heard the others following him but did not spare them a glance until he was standing infront of the seemingly bear wall. He frowned and searched his pockets, realising only then that in his hurry, he had left his Stele behind. Will frowned also, having done the same.
Gabriel sighed heavily and pushed them aside, withdrawing his own with a smug, superior look that Will felt a sudden desperation to knock from his face, and silently began to trace out a rune that was supposed to show what wasn't there. It was intricate, and Gabriel's face lined with concentration as he jerked and almost messed the end. Will snorted quietly, but finally, the rune was completed, and a door revealed itself. Jem frowned. Nate was no Shadowhunter, which meant to do this trick he'd have needed help from one.
But they could dwell later. Jem blinked and almost missed Will as he threw open the door, witchlight aloft and blade pointed outward toward a cluster of three heavily muscled men standing as an opposing wall before them. Gabriel and Jem took Will's other sides, the three facing the guards with determination and apprehension.
There was a moment of stillness, in which all it took for the guards to erupt forward, was an easy quirk of Will's lips, and the lazy manner in which he drew his dagger across the air; a clear invitation. The guards were fast and powerful, but the Shadowhunters had more skill, and it was an even match. Jem and Will danced out of the way of their attackers to avoid the full-on power of their attack, whilst Gabriel took a full-on approach and prepared himself to take it.
Jem deftly moved aside when his attacker aimed a swing toward his head, ducking under his arm and facing his back. He made the mistake of catching a glance toward Will, watching as he neatly sliced his opponents stomach and watched him collapse in a heap. Jem turned his eyes back toward his own attacker a little too late, and suddenly found himself slammed backward against the wall, right next to another door opposite the one they'd come through. Jem's hand containing the blade flailed desperately, but he couldn't get free. A heavy chunk of a forearm was crushing his windpipe, spots popped in front of his eyes.
And suddenly, air was flooding his lungs, eyes catching sight of the guard slumped upon the floor, one of Gabriel's seraph blades protruding from between his vast shoulder blades. Jem rubbed his throat with a grimace, glancing at Gabriel who had floored his own opponent and now retained a harsh grip upon him, blood trickling from a sharp cut above his eye.
"T-thanks." He coughed out, shaking his head at his own stupidity. Gabriel nodded once, making no further comment as they heard Will make a small noise in the back of his throat before forcing open the door they had yet to venture through. One guard remained on the other side, but he had not understood the going's on in the hallway, and they burst into the room, the guard falling like a marionette with cut strings as he stepped forward to face the two avenging angels, both clad in black, one with a gaze like ice, the other like silver. They stepped as one over the broken body and took a few paces away from each other, eyes darting to every crevice. A third person came a little time after them, his hair golden like the sun on it's descent, and he dragged behind him a smaller figure.
"Where is he?" Will spoke venomously into the quiet, the first to interrupt the silence beside the captured man's pathetic sniffles. His Parabati shook his head, hair catching in the light and glistening a strange silver.
"He has to be within the confides of this room somewhere..." His voice was calm, but there was a calculated irritation within it. The golden haired boy shook the trembling man in his grasp.
"Well, where is he?" His voice was almost a shout, and Will shot him a glare.
"Didn't your daddy ever teach you the meaning of silence, Gabriel!" He whispered, but it was too late. A figure was already looming from behind some sort of misshapen furniture, stepping from the shadows which parted for him like mist.
"Looking for me?" Nate asked, head tilted to one side, a cold smile upon his features.
"Yes actually, mind if we have a chat?" Will asked savagely, stepping across the room and moving to grab him. Nate smiled and something within the expression made him pause.
"You can't touch me." He said quietly, and the shadowhunter narrowed his cold eyes at the Mundane, hand clenching into a fist as if imagining it were Nathaniel's neck. His eyes hardened further, shards of blue ice as Nathaniel tilted his head to one side and smiled at him in joy.
"Why not?" Jem posed the question from behind Will, frowning and trying to understand what trickery this was. Was he joking? It was a clever plan – none of them would wish to touch him for fear that something terrible would happen, but they couldn't test the truth of his words without doing so. Will tossed the blade in his hand, neatly catching it by its handle and smirking. Without warning, he flung it the short distance toward Nate's heart.
The mundane did not move, and the three Shadowhunters watch the blade glance off his chest and clatter to the floor, a strange curling steam rising from the now stump of a blade. Will stared at it for a second, noting the way the odd force field around Nate had burned off half the blade, and that it was now useless.
"By the Angel..." Gabriel whispered in shock, and they stared at Nate with expressions ranging from shock to pure anger – on Will's part anyway. Nate looked more smug than would seemingly be possible, and Will's expression darkened again.
"Now, i'm sure you're all here to ask after my dear lost sister. Oh poor Tessa, what has she gotten herself into this time..." Nathaniel gave a mocking shake of his head and a saddened face that caused a muscle to jump in Will's clenched jaw, wishing he could hit him with at least something. Jem felt a flash of anger himself, finding that for once he felt as though he could suddenly leap at Nate and plaster him to the wall. If he could only touch him without having his appendages burned off, that was.
"Tell us what you know!" Will's shaking voice commanded, anger causing it to sound breathless. Nate gave a hint of a smirk, nodding toward the one guard not fallen who had finally finished writhing within Gabriel's grasp.
"Or what? You shall kill him? Go right ahead, he's nothing to me." Jem narrowed his eyes, cool gaze watched Nate carefully and noting that he was not bluffing. Will masked over his face with difficulty and gave a nonchalant shrug, saying nothing. Nate did not seem entirely too bothered, and volunteered information without an apparent care. "I don't know why you care so much, but you're right to be worried. The man who took her – Daniel..." Nathaniel smirked nastily, and Jem tried to keep his cool, reminding himself that Nate could easily be lying. "He'll only care about her power. She'll be kept alive, no need to worry your heads about that. But her life will be little worth living." The way in which Nathaniel shrugged casually made him appear heartless, but that small flicker in his eyes was the only indication to the bother this caused him to feel for knowing these things.
"Who is this Daniel? How will he use her powers? Where is she?" Will fired out the questions and Jem noted how Gabriel's gaze sharpened only now, as if these where the only answers he cared for – perhaps they were.
"He'll get people to pay for them of course." Nate rolled his eyes as if it were obvious. "Tell people they can know anything about someone they know...if they pay high enough...and he'll make her change into said people and so on ...As to where she is, i've no idea." Nate shook his head slightly and shrugged, moving to sit himself casually within a torn armchair, eyes flickering suddenly to Gabriel's face.
"As to your original question...maybe you should ask him who Daniel is." Nate's mouth twitched with a smug smirk and Gabriel's face paled in anger. His gaze now flickering between Will and Jem as they turned to him. Both made to step forward – after all, they could punch him to obtain information if they needed – but Gabriel let go of his capture to raise his hands in surrender.
"Okay, okay!" He said before they could even begin to press him for answers. "I know who he is ... Daniel... he's related to me...he's my uncle..."
