Disclaimer: I own nothing. All belongs to Cassandra Clare and The Infernal Devices.

Graven in Metal

Tessa-

Silent Brothers, Tessa saw with a frozen shock, bled as red as any mortal man did.

She heard Charlotte shout out orders, and then Henry was tearing down the stairs, racing for the first carriage. He yanked the door open, and Jessamine tumbled out into his arms. Her body was limp, her eyes half-closed. She wore the ragged white dress Tessa had seen her in when she had visited her in the Silent City, and her lovely blond hair was shorn close to her skull like a fever patient's. "Henry," she sobbed audibly, clutching as his lapels. "Help me, Henry. Get me inside the Institute, please—"

Henry rose, turning, with Jessamine in his arms, just as the doors of the second carriage burst open and automatons poured out, joining the first one. They seemed to be unfolding themselves as they stepped out, like children's paper toys—one, two, three, and then Tessa lost count as the Shadowhunters around her seized weapons from their belts. She saw the flash of the metal that shot from the tip of Jem's sword-cane, heard the murmur of Latin as seraph blades blazed up around her like a circle of holy fire.

And the automatons charged. One of them raced toward Henry and Jessamine, while the others darted for the steps. She heard Jem call her name, and realized she had no weapon. She had not planned to train today. She looked around wildly, for anything, for a heavy rock, or even a stick. Inside the entryway there were weapons hung on the walls—as adornment, but a weapon was a weapon. She dashed inside and seized a sword from its peg on the wall before spinning about and racing back outside.

The scene that met her eyes was chaos. Jessamine was on the ground, crouched against a wheel of her carriage, her arms up over her face. Henry stood before her, a seraph blade slashing back and forth in his hands as he fended off the automaton trying to get by him, its spiked hands reaching for Jessamine. The rest of the clockwork creatures had spread out across the steps and were locked in combat with individual Shadowhunters.

As Tessa lifted the sword in her hands, her eyes darted about the courtyard. These automatons were different from those she had seen before. They moved more swiftly, with less jerking to their steps, their copper joints folding and unfolding smoothly.

On the lowest step both Gideon and Gabriel were battling furiously with a ten-foot mechanical monster, its spiked hands swinging down at them like maces. Gabriel already had a wide slash across his shoulder that was pouring blood, but he and his brother were harrying the creature, one from the front, one from the back. Jem rose from a crouch to drive his sword-cane through the head of another automaton. Its arms spasmed and it tried to jerk back, but the sword was buried in its metal skull. Jem tugged his blade free, and when the automaton came at him again, he sliced at its legs, taking one out from under the creature. It lurched to the side, toppling to the cobblestones.

Closer to Tessa, Charlotte's whip flashed through the air like lightening, slicing the crossbow arm from the first automaton. It did not even slow the creature down. As it reached for her with its second, spatulate and taloned arm, Tessa darted between them and swung her sword the way Gideon had taught her to, using her whole body to drive the force and striking from above to add the power of gravity to her strike.

The blade fell, shearing away the creature's second arm. This time blackish fluid jetted from the wound. The automaton kept its course, bending to butt at Charlotte with the crown of its head, from which a short, sharp blade protruded. She cried out as it struck her upper arm. Then she flashed forth with her whip, the silver-gold electrum winding about the creature's throat and pulling tight. Charlotte yanked her wrist back, and the head, sheared away, fell to the side; finally the creature toppled, dark fluid pulsing sluggishly from the gashes in its metal chassis.

Tessa gasped and tossed her head back; sweat was sticking her hair to her forehead and temples, but she needed both hands for the heavy sword and couldn't push it away. Through stinging eyes she saw that Gabriel and Gideon had their automaton on the ground and were hacking at it; behind them Henry ducked just in time to miss a swing from the creature that had him cornered against the carriage. Its club-like hand punched through the carriage window, and glassed rained down on Jessamine, who screamed and covered her head. Henry drove his seraph blade up, burying it in the automaton's torso. Tessa was used to seeing seraph blades burn through demons, reducing them to nothing, but the automaton only staggered back and then came on again, the blade buried in its chest burning like a torch.

With a cry Charlotte began to dart down the stairs toward her husband. Tessa glanced around—and did not see Jem. Her heart luched. I have to find him, she thought, knowing she would feel a little better if he was at least in her sights during the battle. She took a step forward—

And a dark figure rose up in front of her, robed all in black. Black gloves covered its hands and black boots its feet. Tessa could see nothing but a snow-white face surrounded by the folds of a black hood, as familiar and horrible as a recurring nightmare.

"Hello, Miss Gray," said Mrs. Black.

"But you're dead," Tessa gasped, backing up a step. "I saw you die—"

She broke off with a shriek as long metal arms snaked around from behind her like bands, jerking her off her feet. Her sword clattered to the ground as an automaton's grip tightened about her, and Mrs. Black smiled her terrible cold smile.

"Now, now, Miss Gray. Aren't you at least a little glad to see me? After all, I was the first to welcome you to England. Though you've made yourself quite at home since, I daresay."

"Let me go!" Tessa kicked out hard, but the automaton only slammed its head into hers, making her bite down hard on her lip. She choked and spit: saliva and blood spattered Mrs. Black's still white face. "I'd rather die than go with you—"

The Dark Sister wiped away the fluid with a glove and a scowl of distaste. "Unfortunately, that cannot be arranged. Mortmain wants you alive." She snapped her fingers at the automaton. "Take her to the carriage."

The automaton took a step forward, Tessa in its arms—and collapsed forward. Tessa barely had time to throw her arms out to break her fall as they hit the ground, the clockwork creature on top of her. Agony shot through her right wrist, but she pushed against it anyway, a scream ripping free of her throat as she tore herself sideways and slid down several steps, Mrs. Black's shriek of frustration echoing in her ears.

She looked up dizzily. Mrs. Black was gone. The automaton that had been holding Tessa listed sideways on the steps, part of its metal body sheared away. Tessa caught a quick glimpse of what was inside it as it turned: gears and mechanisms and clear tubes pumping brackish fluid. Jem stood behind and above it, breathing hard, splattered with the automaton's oily black blood. His face was white and set. He glanced at her quickly, a swift check to assess that she was all right, and sprang down the stairs, slicing again at the automaton, severing one of its legs from its torso. It spasmed like a dying snake, and its remaining arm shot out and seized Jem by the ankle and yanked hard.

Jem's feet went out from under him, and he clattered to the ground, rolling over and over down the steps, clutched in an awful embrace with the metal monster. Jem! The noise as the automaton skidded down, of metal being dragged along stone, was awful. As they hit the ground together, the force of the fall knocked them apart. Tessa stared in horror as Jem staggered dizzily to his feet, his own red blood mixing with the black fluid staining his clothes. His sword-cane was gone—lying on one of the stone steps where he had dropped it as he'd fallen.

"Jem," she whispered, and hauled herself to her knees. She tried to crawl forward, but her wrist gave way; she dropped to her elbows and reached for the cane—I have to get to him, she thought.

Just as arms came around her, jerking her upright, and she heard Mrs. Black's hissing voice in her ear. "Don't struggle, Miss Gray, or it'll go very badly for you, very badly indeed." Tessa tried to twist away, but something soft came down over her mouth and nose. She smelled a sickly sweet stench, and then blackness came down over her vision and carried her away into unconsciousness.

Jem—

The shock of seeing the Silent Brother hit by the arrow lasted only a moment. Jem knew he had to push it aside for the time being, he needed to concentrate on the problem at hand. There would be time to mourn the Silent Brother later. He knew it seemed harsh, but such was the life of Shadowhunters. Charlotte began shouting out orders, and Henry raced to the carriage to get to Jessamine.

The doors of the second carriage burst open and automatons poured out, joining the first one. There are so many! Jem thought in alarm. And he didn't know where Tessa was! Please let her be inside and safe! Jem prayed to the Angel. The other Shadowhunters around him seized weapons from their belts. There was a flash of metal from the tip of his sword-cane, the murmur of Latin as seraph blades blazed up all around him.

The battle began, and Jem knew this would be different from all the other instances he'd fought automatons. These automatons were more sophisticated, moved easier, which translated into that they were far deadlier than their predecessors. Dread shot throughout his body, Jem prepared himself and entered the fierce battle raging in the Institute's courtyard.

Jem crouched down as an automaton took a swing at him. He rose to drive his sword-cane through the head of the automaton. Its arms spasmed and it tried to jerk back, but the sword was buried in its metal skull. Jem tugged his blade free, and when the automaton came at him again, he sliced at its legs, taking one out from under the creature. It lurched to the side, toppling to the cobblestones.

Jem had just dispatched another automaton when a scream caught his attention. Tessa was in the grip of an automaton on the steps, yelling to be let go of. Quicker than he thought possible with so little yin fen in his system, Jem was there behind the automaton. He sliced his sword through the air, shearing away part of its metal body. It collapsed forward, falling on top of Tessa. Tessa! He was unable to catch her before she tore away from the automaton and she slid down several steps.

The automaton listed sideways from the damage of Jem's sword. Jem stood behind and above it, breathing hard, splattered with the automaton's oily black blood. Needing to know Tessa was safe, he glanced at her quickly, a swift check to asses that she was all right, and sprang down the stairs, slicing again at the automaton, severing one of its legs from its torso. It spasmed like a dying snake, and its remaining arm shot out and seized him by the ankle and yanked hard. It was too fast for him to do anything about it.

Jem's feet went out from under him, and he clattered to the ground, rolling over and over down the steps, clutched in an awful embrace with the metal monster. As they hit the ground together, to force of the fall knocked them apart. By the Angel, Jem thought as he staggered dizzily to his feet, his own red blood mixing with the black fluid staining his clothes. His sword-cane was gone—lying on one of the stone steps where he had dropped it as he'd fallen.

The Institute gates were open, and through them a black carriage pounded, hurtling away from the Institute at top speed. Jem was at the foot of the stairs. He was pale as paper but upright, he was backing away as an automaton advanced on him. It was staggering, almost drunkenly, half its side and an arm sheared away, but Jem was unarmed. He looked up, saw Will and reached out a hand.

Will leapt down four steps and skidded sideways, seized up Jem's sword-cane and threw it. Jem caught it out of the air just as the automaton lunged for him, and he carved it cleanly in two. The top half fell away, though the legs and lower torso, now pumping an excess of disgusting black and greenish fluids, continued lurching toward him. Jem whirled to the side and swung his sword again, cutting the thing off at the knees. It fell finally, its disparate bits still twitching.

Jem turned his head and looked up at Will. Their eyes met for a moment, and Will offered a smile—but Jem did not smile back, he couldn't. He was as white as salt, and his eyes unreadle. Will began to move down the stairs toward him—but before Will could go more than a few steps, Jem whirled around and ran for the gates. He disappeared through them, vanishing into the streets of London beyond. His only thought was, I have to get to Tessa! By the Angel, I have to get to her!

Jem ran, and ran. Jem knew that even if he'd had a large dose of yin fen in his system he would still not be able to catch the carriage quickly taking Tessa away from him. The automaton horses were too fast, but he couldn't give up. The girl he loved was being taken away from him, so swiftly he could barely see the carriage anymore. Involuntarily, Jem's body began slowing down, he simply couldn't run any longer. Accepting defeat, Jem turned around and made his way back to the Institute, in shock, his body numb.

There was a clang—the sound of the Institute gates slamming shut. The gates had just closed behind him, and he was walking toward the occupants of the Institute. He was moving slowly, as if drunk or injured. He was covered in blood. The coal-black blood of the automatons, but a great deal of red blood as well—on his shirt, streaking his face and hands, and in his hair.

He neared them, and stopped dead. He couldn't feel anything. To Will, Jem looked the way Thomas had looked when Will had found him on the steps of the Institute, bleeding out and nearly dead.

"James?" Will said.

There was a world of questions in that one word.

"She's gone," Jem said in a flat, uninflected voice. "I ran after the carriage—but it was gaining speed and I could not run fast enough. I lost them near Temple Bar." His eyes flicked toward Jessamine, but he did not even see her body, or Will holding her, or anything at all. He could only think of Tessa and how she'd been taken away from him. "If I could have run faster—," he said, and then he doubled up as if he had been struck, a cough ripping through him. He hit the ground on his knees and elbows, blood spattering the ground at his feet. His fingers clawed at the stone. Then he rolled on his back and was still.