A/N: Okay, to keep the story from dragging, I've opted to skip Will's process of recovering. Sorry if you wanted it, but to be honest, I'm not really up to writing it. Maybe once this story's done, I'll put it in as an extra scene or something.
Upload date: 11/6/11
Disclaimer: Cassandra Clare owns The Infernal Devices.
Tessa barreled past the Pelmith and landed in the dirt. She spit dust out of her mouth and scuffed the heel of her boot in the ground in frustration. "Close," the Pelmith said. "I felt the wind that time."
"Spare me your encouragement," Tessa scoffed. "If I don't perfect this, Master will surely get rid of me. Save it until I hand in the body."
The Pelmith was surprised with Tessa's new attitude. It was more brutal and more macabre than his had been when he morphed into his new body. Of course, this was part of the transformation, but the Pelmith wasn't expecting her to be even more morbid than he had been. Countless times, Crawford had mentioned how ghastly his personality was, laughing at others' misery.
Tessa on the other hand…
Tessa reveled in the thought of others' pain. She wanted to rip them apart, annihilate them, destroy them completely. She gloated whenever news of a murder in downtown London was read from Crawford's newspaper, and openly stated she wished she could have been there to see the young woman's face before she was stabbed in the heart.
Part of Tessa's bloodthirstiness scared the Pelmith. For now, she was obedient, and besides her violent thoughts, was docile and didn't ever disobey either his or Crawford's orders. This was normal, since she had finished the metamorphosis several days ago. However, she was the first Eidolon to be transformed, and nobody knew what the end result would be. Was this the furthest it would go, or was she hiding an even more horrific side, one that could threaten himself and Crawford?
Caught off guard, the Pelmith winced as he felt a score of claws down his side. Tessa flipped over him agilely, across the grass and up a tree. Quick as a whip, she spun around and threw herself back at him, arms extended. The Pelmith dodged just in time, but was still grazed.
Tessa righted herself and grinned. "Yes!" she crowed. "I'm going to get you, just wait."
"If I may interrupt," Crawford said, stepping out from behind the house and strolling towards them, "that'll be it. No more training, Miss Gray. I see that you know exactly what you're doing. At least, enough to fulfill my wishes. We'll come inside now."
Tessa stood up straight. "Yes, Master."
Crawford took them to his library. "Miss Gray, I believe that you are now ready to proceed and receive the last, final chore I have for you," he said once they had arrived and were seated and comfortable. He got up and took a file from his desk. He leafed through the pages and took out a small photograph. Returning to Tessa, he held out it for her. She took it and looked at it.
"Remember that person," Crawford instructed her. He let Tessa study the picture for a minute and then took it back. "What does the woman look like?" he questioned.
"She has light hair and dark eyes," Tessa began immediately. "Her face is round, she has small hands and a thin waist. She is of average height and has very pale skin. She looks very youthful, perhaps twenty-four or twenty-five. A pretty woman."
Crawford had been nodding the entire time Tessa spoke. "Good, good. This woman is named Anna. She lives at this address." Crawford gave her another piece of paper. "Now…my last favor is this. I want you to find this woman and kill her. Don't come back until the job is done. And don't take all year doing it, either. I want this done quick. Understand?"
"Yes, Master."
"Wait until midnight. Then go."
"Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go."
Oscar Wilde
Everyone was gathered into the library. Will had regained his mobility and most of his reading ability, but still had trouble at times. Nonetheless, he was glad to be able to participate in meetings again. Jem, Jessamine, and Gabriel had unearthed a considerable amount of new information, with the assistance of Jack.
"This is the basic structure of Crawford's brain," Jem said, drawing a circle on a piece of paper. He marked off a tiny portion of the picture and labeled it Sanity. The other, much larger part of the drawing, was titled Insanity. "Remember how Jack told us that Crawford really hated going to Conley Bridge? How it was his older sister that made him attend? The breakdown of Crawford's motivation is that. He just hated that school, and he hated his sister for forcing him into it."
"So he's going to kill her?" Will asked. "Just because he had to go to school? That's a bit extreme."
"We're not sure what he's going to do," Jessamine said, "but it has to do with her."
"Jack found a location in his things yesterday," Gabriel said. "Crawford must have given it to him when they were in school, when they were first planning this," he added at Will's suspicious look.
"We're going to find her and tell her to leave London," Jem said.
"When?"
"We settled on today," Jem said. "We got the information yesterday; honestly, we should have done it then. Each day we wait, the more time Crawford has to make a move. Whoever his sister is, she doesn't deserve death."
"We're going, then," Will said. "This instant?"
"This instant," Jem repeated. "It's already evening; it make take a while to find her. Charlotte and Henry have already given us permission."
The four went out and found that Jack was waiting by the carriage, with Xanthos and Balios already harnessed to it. When he was close enough, Will patted each horse on their velvety soft noses and rubbed their necks. Jack handed him the reins and he climbed into the driver's seat with Jem following. Jessamine and Gabriel stowed away under cover in the carriage.
"I hope you find her," Jack said, watching them prepare.
"As do I," Jem said. Will clicked his tongue and the horses started into a trot.
After an hour, Jem said, "Stop!"
Will pulled back on the reins, slowing the horses down. "What is it? Are we there?" Gabriel and Jessamine's heads appeared from the windows of the carriage, looking up the street.
Jem checked his notes. "Not yet. We're close, though. Go on, but slowly. I need to check the building numbers." Xanthos and Balios went on again. They turned down another street and Jem's head went from his paper to the house numbers. At the end of the road, he cleared his throat.
"This is the place."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. 985A Miller Street."
They all got down and looked at the building. "Stay here, Xanthos, Balios," Jem instructed their animals. At the door, they looked at each other, then nodded. Jem knocked once, twice, three times. They waited with apprehension.
Then they heard footsteps and the door opened. A woman with blonde hair and brown eyes was standing in front of them. She was quite pale, Will took note, almost as pale as Jem was when he was ill. It wasn't a sickly sort of paleness, though, just a little unnerving.
"Can I help you?" the woman said. She looked at them half hidden behind the door, which was open only a foot.
"Are you Anna Crawford?"
"I am."
"May we come in?" Jem spoke gently.
"Who are you?"
"Friends," Jem assure her, still in the gentle tone. He could tell that she knew Crawford was seeking revenge against her, and he didn't want to scare her. "I swear it, ma'am. You have to trust us." Behind him, Jessamine locked eyes with her and nodded slightly.
For some reason, that encouraged her. "All right," she relented, and let them in, taking them to the parlor. She invited them to sit, and rang for tea. A girl came in and set a tray down. Jem took his cup and sipped some of the drink.
"Shall we get to the point, then?"
Anna started as if she were about to speak, then caught herself.
Jem hesitated. "Yes?"
She lowered her eyes. "It is nothing. I'm sorry."
Jem looked at the others, confused. Will raised his eyebrows.
"Your brother, Alexander, is after you. We don't exactly know why, but he is. You need to flee. Take your valuables and leave the country. Crawford won't stop until he's gotten his revenge—and an ugly one at that."
"That's—that's ridiculous," Anna said, still not looking at any of them. "I know Alex has never liked me much, but he wouldn't go that far."
"Ma'am, he would. Whoever you remember your brother as isn't your brother anymore. He—he isn't right in the head. I don't know what happened between you two to make him act this way, but he won't forget it anytime soon."
Anna dipped her head and twisted her hands together in her lap. The Shadowhunters waited in silence for her answer.
"I'm sorry," she said, "but I won't let my own family force me out of my home."
Will slammed his hand on the table, making everyone jump violently. "Look, we're not going on about some petty little grudge your brother is bearing against you! He's serious. He will kill you. Do you want to die? His demons are on the way, possibly right now. If you don't leave soon, you're going to end up dead. Is that what you want? Is it?" He stared at Anna with his dark eyes, burning and intense.
"Will." He heard Jem's voice, low and placating.
Will sat back, crossing his arms and glaring at the tea.
Jem sighed. "Ma'am, my comrade—no matter what he may come across to you as—means well for you. And there is truth behind his words. I know it might seem as an act of cowardice, but if you want to live, you can't stay here any longer."
Anna stayed noiseless, still.
"If it is any consolation, you may not have to leave forever. Once we take care of your brother, you'll be able to come back," Jem said.
Anna considered this. Then for the first time, she raised her head completely and looked at them all full on. "Very well. However, if I am truly in danger, as you say I am, I—I do not wish to be alone during this. Have you any other people who might be able to come with me as I move into my new lodgings?"
Jem looked across the couch. "Jessamine?"
"I'll do it," the blonde-haired girl agreed.
"Excellent. I'm glad we've reached a consensus. Jessamine, follow Ms. Crawford and help her pack her belongings..."
Will stood suddenly, facing the door. He whipped out a seraph blade held it up in an offensive position.
Jem turned around, alarmed at the action. "Will? What is it?"
Will kept his eyes on the door, his reply short and terse.
"Something's out there."
A/N: Unrelated-My cello teacher gave me a scale I need to play for an audition into a better orchestra at school. Let me tell you: IT'S IMPOSSIBLE. I don't get tenor clef. I'm just glad I also have a piano so I can figure out the notes.