Jem looked over at Tessa who was sound asleep with her hand on her cheek, she looked so peaceful. He carefully climbed off the bed and pulled his clothes back on. He bent and kissed her on the cheek before leaving their room. He saw a shadow moving in Clary's room, he moved quietly across the hall. As he reached the doorway he realized it was Jace.
"Alec?" Jace asked turning around.
"No, it's Jem." He said stepping forward. A memory stirred in the back of his mind, of Will in another time and place.
"Jem?" Jace said. "What are you doing up, it's late."
"I know," Jem answered. "How is Clary?"
"She's doing much better," Jace said. "Thanks to you."
"I only did what someone should have done for my friend." Jem said nodding to the bed. "She did the rest."
"Jem," Jace asked hesitantly. "Is our baby…is the baby going to be all right?"
"I don't know," Jem answered with a sigh. "Not enough is known about Yin Fen to give a definitive answer."
"You were a Silent Brother once," Jace said. "If there is something wrong, some remnant of the drug in the baby's system…will you be able to help?"
"We can only hope. Your children have more of the angel's blood in them, just as you and Clary do. Look at the special skills you possess, my hope is that the angel's blood burns away the drug from your child, but I promise you this Jace Herondale. I will be here to help you whatever you need, whatever your family needs."
Jace looked at Jem, he didn't understand why this stranger was so dedicated to his family. He strode up to him and caught him by the arm pulling him into the hallway.
Jem looked at him in startled confusion. "Have I said something to upset you?"
Jace stared at him silently, his fists opening and closing at his sides. "Who are you Jem?"
"I am formerly Brother Zachariah…" He began.
"I know that." Jace said flatly stopping Jem's words. "Who are you really and what is your connection with my family? Why are you so interested in us, because believe me when I say this. If you intend to bring harm to my family, I don't care how old and respected you are I will kill you where you stand."
"Jace," a voice said quietly behind him.
He turned to see Tessa in the doorway of her room dressed in a nightgown with a bathrobe over it. "Tessa, I'm sorry I woke you."
"Jace, I think we need to talk. You, Jem, and I." She said.
Jace glanced past Jem into his room then nodded. She ushered him into her room closing the door behind her.
"Please, sit." She said indicating one of the chairs by the fire. The room was dimly lit, she raised her hand and the witchlights blazed up.
Jace blinked at the sudden brightness, but did as Tessa asked. He looked at her thoughtfully. "What do we need to talk about?"
"You, me, your history." She said smiling at him and sitting down on the love seat across from him. Jem sat down beside her. "You know me as Tessa Gray, but in a former life I was Tessa Herondale."
"Herondale, but I thought I was the only one?" Jace said.
"You are, but now there is Salene and Clary and your little one coming." She answered. "You forget that I am over a hundred and fifty years old, as is Jem."
Jace eyed Jem, "So who are you really."
"Before I was Brother Zachariah, I was James Carstairs." He answered quietly.
"Carstairs, like Emma?" Jace asked.
Jem nodded. "Yes, the same."
"You said you had a parabatai once, who was it?" Jace asked.
Jem looked at him sadly, "My parabatai was Will Herondale."
"and Will Herondale was my husband." Tessa added.
Jace looked between them. "So Tessa married your parabatai, then she married his parabatai?"
"It…is complicated." Jem said. "Tessa and I were engaged, just before I…turned."
"Why would you do that?" Jace asked, "I mean you had a woman you loved."
"Because, if I did not. Then I would have died." Jem said. "You see, it was not my friend who was addicted to the Yin Fen…it was me."
"The tonic the Silent Brothers have been using is made with Jem's blood."Tessa explained. "When you healed him with the Heavenly Fire it gave Jem a natural immunity to the drug, so the brothers made an antidote by extracting the immunity from his blood."
"This antidote," Jace asked. "Could it work for the baby…"
Tessa looked at Jem, "I believe it would."
"Tessa, forgive me for saying this." Jace began, "You're a warlock, I thought they could not have children with Shadowhunters. That it wasn't possible."
Jem smiled, "Tessa is part Shadowhunter, her mother was a Shadow Hunter who was seduced by an Eiodolon demon. Her mother did not know that she was a Shadowhunter, she was stolen when she was a child by the Fae. She was a member of the Starkweather family, however because she did not know she was a Shadowhunter she never received her marks and thus Tessa was born as a warlock. Her son James also showed the gifts of a warlock."
"Could that be why Salene…" Jace began.
Tessa raised her hand. "No, her gifts are from the Angel. They are because of the high concentration of angel blood in her system."
"I worry about her," Jace admitted. "Salene is so young, she should not be burdened with gifts like this not at this age."
"Salene is a very lucky child." Jem said quietly. "She has many people who love her, and who will help her especially when her gifts become a burden."
"Have you considered the possibility of forgoing theVoycance rune until she is older. She can receive another rune, the angelic power rune possibly." Tessa suggested.
"I've been thinking about that," Jace said. "for her sake."
"Jace, you and Alec were in the city tonight. What were you looking for?" Jem asked.
"There was news of demons being seen entering the lake in Central Park," Jace explained. "When we got there we didn't find anything so we did a few circuits of the park and still found nothing."
"And your sister, how is she doing?" Tessa asked.
"Isabelle…" Jace murmured. "She's angry, angrier than I've ever seen her. She wants revenge. Alec sent her to Idris to go through their father's files looking for any information on the Unseelie Court after the Dark War. He did it just to keep her out of Manhattan, she's been out of control and we're afraid the Clave may step in and strip her of her marks."
"Grief does terrible things to people." Jem said sadly.
"We're hoping the distance gives her clarity on the situation, and time to cool off. I don't think it will help."
"Did Simon go with her? I have not seen him." Tessa asked.
"He's going tomorrow. He wanted to make sure that Clary would be all right." Jace answered.
"Are they parabatai?" Jem asked raising an eyebrow.
"No," Jace said. "But their bond is one in the same." He looked at Tessa, "So you are my Great Great something Grandmother."
"Yes, but Tessa will do." She chuckled.
He stood up suddenly and hugged her.
"Jace?" Jem asked.
"I-I'm sorry, I've been alone for so long…just to know, that I have someone who shares my blood. After all that's gone before, it's overwhelming." Jace choked.
Tessa smiled. "Jace, you are an extraordinary person and I think that your father and all the Herondales before would have been proud of you."
"Thank you." Jace whispered into her hair.