** I am deeply apologize for the long update! I was concentrating on other stories..as you can see. Well, I am so glad to be out of this mess now! I hope this reaches to your appeal like each chapter! Please R & R!**
Tessa
Where did everyone go? I thought as I desperately waited for Will, Jem, and Nathaniel to return. I sat in the parlor, my feet tapping without my notice, so I continued to hum a song that I randomly made up in my mind. Jessamine sat across the room, playing chess with some sort of being that wasn't there, so I ignored it. Chess pieces floated by themselves and Jessamine would often scream at it, so I knew something was there, since Jessamine would never yell at herself. Some unknown was in the room with us, so I tried not to think about it.
Moments later, Charlotte and Henry burst into the room, arguing no doubt. I ignored the conversation, knowing it had something to do with one of Henry's contraptions. But, the moment Jem entered the room, I found myself fascinated.
"Another Shadowhunter? From Idris of course!" Charlotte exclaimed so furiously that Jessamine jumped up to fan her.
"We have to give him some help, Lottie," Henry soothed, using the nickname he rarely used on her.
"Charlotte, he was injured in a fight with a demon itself. Then, a vampire appeared. He is pretty bent out of shape. Let's help him, for Will's sake," Jem pleaded.
My ears were listening intently, surprised that Will needed some sake. Was something wrong? What was happening?
Just in time, a tall man in his thirties with sapphire eyes and dark black appeared into the room, with Will following him, asking him to stop. When the man turned in my direction, actually trying to face Charlotte and Henry, I saw the most horrid thing. He was wearing a patch of his eye, and a long scar ran from the upper left of his forehead to bottom side of his lip. It was horrible, knowing he had to go through some agony to have that scar. It pained my heart so.
"Jessamine, Tessa," Charlotte began, introducing. "This is Robert Herondale."
My eyes grew wide with such force. Herondale? Was this Will's father?
"Very nice to meet you. I am Will's older brother. I have been in the demon hunting life since I was Will's age. That's been almost two decades, God, I didn't realize how quickly time flew by," Robbie stated.
Will's older brother? Wow, this was a surprise. I didn't see this coming, at all. Robbie Herondale was quite handsome just like Will, but something about Robbie made him more strong, older, wiser. I couldn't put the pieces together, but that scar definitely showed he was a fighter like Will. I couldn't help but suppress a smile. They were much more alike than either of them realized.
Robbie turned to Charlotte, easily swooning her. "Will you mind if I take a rest in one of your rooms?"
"Yes, of course," Charlotte held out her toward the door.
"Thank you."
Robbie exited the room and I felt a pain of regret, for whatever reason, I didn't know. Everyone's eyes turned to Will, who stared back at us, shrugging his shoulders.
"How did he get that scar?" Jessamine asked, greedily curious.
"He was fighting a werewolf when he was my age," Will answered.
"Why was he fighting a werewolf?" Charlotte was almost appalled, since she found of werewolves.
"The werewolf was changing because of something about that he recognized my brother. He said my brother did something terrible to him in the past, but my brother could not remember, so the werewolf slashed him across the face to pester him. My brother fought him, and, unfortunately, killed him. He's not very welcome with the Downworlders."
"Neither are you," Jessamine huffed.
Jem and I snickered a laugh behind our hands, and I could tell Henry was trying to stop himself from chuckling.
Will, though, did not look too happy. "For your information, he's considered a hero to most Shadowhunters. Did you ever hear of the Shadowhunter that killed every demon that were festering around in Idris?"
Charlotte and Henry nodded. Jem and Jessamine didn't understand because they probably weren't here yet.
"That was my brother. He killed most of them with his bare hands. There were almost two hundred of them that night. Everyone didn't know about them, but luckily, my brother was wandering through the halls. He's the top Shadowhunter for sensing demons."
Jessamine stifled a laugh. "Good for him."
"Also, he has a normal wife, Jessamine."
Jessamine glared at Will with pure envy. Everyone knew how much she wanted to be a normal girl, so of course, Will found this information easy to irritate her.
Charlotte, on the other hand, gasped in shock. "He married a mundane?"
"Well," Will considered. "They have been engaged since I can remember. I wouldn't be surprised if they were married by now."
My eyes flickered toward Jem, whom was standing there, uncomfortably. Within the next few minutes, my hearing flashed out of Will's conversation, Jem bowed his head slightly and waltzed out of the room. I got up to follow him out, some source pushing me along after him, but someone caught my arm.
My eyes flew up to see Will glaring down at me. "Oh no you don't. This is usually his peaceful time with himself."
I jerked my arm from Will's grasp and glared back at him. "I don't care. I can do anything I want to, Will. If Jem wants his peaceful time, then he can tell me so."
As I scurried out of the room, I felt Will's eyes bore into my back, and a tiny twinge of pain shot through my heart.
I knocked on Jem's door, expecting to get no reply. But, sure enough, he answered the door just as I was about to walk away. A smile spread across his face once he saw me. The light illuminated from his face made me melt. What was this strength in my heart? What was he trying to make me do?
Jem escorted me into the room, allowing me to sit on his bed that rested on the floor, not a board. Jem sat in the chair, moving it across from me. I could tell by the look in his eyes, he was expecting something. But what?
"Jem, for some reason, a little part is tingling inside of me. It's telling me to tell you everything," I sighed.
Jem's eyebrows furrowed. "Go on."
"It's just that…that…" I couldn't hold it in any longer, but for some reason, but tongue held it back.
Jem leaned closer to me, the attraction giving me a little tug toward him as well. "Just say it."
"I love you."
The words spilled from both of our mouths in the same breath. We both stared at each in surprise, but sparks were pulling us together. I wanted to jump back from surprise, but my heart kept me moving forward. Jem's hand slid along the side of cheek, moving down my neck as he tugged me forward. Before I could think anything, our lips met, kissing uncontrollably. I was in utter happiness, blissful happiness. I was in love with James Carstairs, and he was in love with me. Fate brought us together the night when I first stumbled into his room when I heard the beautiful violin playing. The archangel Michael planned for us to meet, knowing we were meant to be together.
When we stopped kissing, questions ran though my mind. Are we going to tell everybody? What will they think? Does this mean we are together? Wait until Nate hears about this!
I stopped, horrified. Nathaniel!
"Where's Nate?" I screeched, not meaning to at least.
"I haven't seen him at all, at least, not since before the séance."
A scream echoed through the halls. I didn't know whether I was more worried about the scream, or where Nathaniel disappeared. We ran out of the room, following Charlotte, Henry, Jessamine, and Will on their heels. We all entered the front room of the entrance of the Institute, finding Sophie screaming and pointing at the floor. We all crowded around and saw Nathaniel on his knees, grabbing onto something invisible around his neck. I could see that he was choking, since he was turning purple and only little rasps of breath came through. My body started to shake in hysteria, but the comfort of Jem's hand moving to my back helped me at ease. None of us could help Nate, especially since we didn't know what was happening.
"It must be Mortmain," Henry said, breathless.
"Or the demon inside him," Charlotte stated, furious.
Will turned to me with sorrowful eyes, but then he caught a glance of Jem's hand on my back. Will's eyes trailed along the way we were standing so close, our touches sending sparks everywhere. I looked up at Jem to see if he saw, but Jem's eyes were focused on Nate, a powerful, uncontrollable horror in their light. I gazed back over at Will, and then I saw it. Every sparkle in his eyes, the lasting light he had left, gone. Gone. I swear, I watched his sparkly blue eyes go to a dark, navy blue. They were darker. I didn't know what I was more afraid of: Will's darkness or Nathaniel's invisible attacker.
I flickered my eyes back over to Nathaniel as a response.
Nathaniel's hands dropped from near his neck, but his body still raged and his head flipped in ways that they shouldn't. Suddenly, a deep voice erupted from his mouth.
"It feels so strange…to be human," the deep voice said, his words almost snake-like.
I felt Jem tense up, but I couldn't ask him why. I had a feeling that I shouldn't ask, but look for it. I studied Nathaniel's new stance and personality. This was a demon for sure, since Nathaniel was floating off the ground just a little. As I trailed over his body, I found it.
Silver eyes.
"You are not so human like if you are floating," Charlotte nodded toward his ability to float.
"You know what I mean, you silly Shadowhunter."
I felt Jem's grip loosen from me and his hand slipped over my body as he strutted away from me, toward Nathaniel. No! No! No! I wanted to scream, but I couldn't find the words. I knew this was a fight Jem wanted.
Jem stepped past the crowd, closing in Nathaniel. Nathaniel cocked his head, knowing that this Shadowhunter was dangerously brave. Jem's hands flexed into fists, his muscles tensing.
"Yanluo," Jem growled.
Everyone gasped around me, including me. This was the demon that killed his parents. This is the demon that tortured him as a child, giving him his silver coloring. This is the demon that caused his slow death.
Nathaniel cackled. "Ah, James Carstairs! My, haven't you blossomed into a wonderful silver flower."
Jem's eyes grew dark.
"Wish your parents could have seen you. Though, you wouldn't have the silver coloring if it wasn't for me killing your parents, huh?"
Jem screamed in both frustration and sorrow, plunging toward Nathaniel. Unfortunately, Nathaniel turned into a million particles, but as Jem passed through him, he returned to his normal state, chuckling greatly. Jem skidded to the floor, but as he began to push off the floor with his knees, Henry and Will appeared by his sides, holding him down.
Jem was screaming, crying even. This was pure torture. "God! I swear, I will kill you one day! I swear on it!"
Nathaniel slumped to the floor, waking up again, holding his head in a daze. "What happened?"
"Henry, take Nathaniel away. Test him or whatever you think is best. We have to get this demon out of him soon. Tessa, Jessamine to your rooms. Will, take Jem to his room and go straight back to your room. I am going to report this to Idris."
We all did as we were ordered, not matter how much I wanted to help Jem. Will gave me another dark glare right before I left. I was haunted by many things now.
I gathered myself, getting ready to go to bed. I slipped into my nightgown, falling onto my bed to think for a few brief moments of what had just happened. It was pure fun for Yanluo, but it was torturing Jem desperately. I have never seen him in so much despair. I would see him as soon as the crack of dawn approached. I loved him and hated to see him in so much pain.
I was just drifting into sleep, keeping a burning candle in case of anything, when I felt someone shake my shoulder lightly. I shot up in fear, afraid that it was Nathaniel as Yanluo. But, when I turned my head, Jem was towering over me, smiling.
"Is it okay if I sleep with you tonight?"
I grinned. "Absolutely."
Jem climbed into my bed, snuggling close next to me, keeping his arm over my waist.
Again. Utter, blissful happiness.
**What do you think about Jem and Tessa. Wow! I really do LOVE writing this fanfic! Tell me what you think! Thanks**