So here's chapter three! enjoy! Little Sparrow xoxo P.s This chapter contains huge spoilers from all the books both TMI and ID so pelase finish them first, I dont want to ruin anything! Thankyou
Chapter 3
"I don't understand why we couldn't have dealt with it ourselves."
"You know as well as I do, Will, that we have to inform the shadowhunter's of the New York institute before we do anything." Jam spoke calmly as the two walked briskly towards the abandoned looking cathedral. To Jem however, it was beautiful, once the glamor was gone from his mind.
Behind him Will muttered, "Then the New York shadowhunters should do their job."
Jem laughed. "That's why we are here; to tell them there is an issue." He looked over his shoulder at Will, "You're just annoyed because you won't get to take credit for saving those poor antlered children."
Will shock his head. "Now, now Jem," he spoke very seriously, "Antlered children are nothing to joke about." He pushed past Jem and up to the Institute doors. "Right, shall we knock or let ourselves in?"
Before Will could open his mouth to say the words that would grant him access into the cathedral, Jem pressed the bell.
"You're no fun sometimes." Will said to Jem, but not without affection.
Jem simply ignored him, a tactic that seemed to work best on Will, and waited for the door to open. After five minutes of Will's impatient tapping Jem gave in.
"Perhaps they're not home?" Will offered unhelpfully.
"Fine. You open it." Jem used his hand to indicate at the door. Will grinned a fox-like smile at him.
He shrugged, "We could have saved five-"
"Open the door Will," Jem sighed.
"Fine." Will walked up to the door and placed his hand on the wood, "I, William Herondale, brother to the Niphlim, ask permission to enter-" The door clicked once before it gave out under Will's hand.
Together the two boys made their way into the foyer of the institute. There were dusty pews running all the way up in rows. At the far side of the room was a metal grate.
"Looks like we're going up." Will strode forward and pressed the button to call the elevator down. Not long after the sound of metal grinding against metal signalled the arrival of the elevator. Jem pulled open the grate and both boys stepped inside.
"How long do you think she'll take?" Will asked. His eyes shone the way they only did when he was worried about Tessa. Jem smiled; she was the only one who could bring out that side of Will. Despite their previous relationship Will was remarkably happy with Jem and Tessa being together. When Jem had asked him if it bothered him at all, Will had smiled and said that he had had his time with her and that there was no one other than Jem who he would allow to be with his Tess.
"She needs to deal with her past. It must be painful for her to come home to nothing." Jem said. Tessa had left them once they arrived in America. She said she wanted to visit her Aunt's grave and sort out her feelings. Jem understood her longing for closure and had not pushed her on the matter. Will hadn't either though Jem knew he was worried about her.
"I hope she's ok." Will's voice was soft and gentle.
"As do I." Jem replied.
There was a moment of silence before the elevator came to a halt with a clang. Will pulled the grate away to reveal a long corridor. Expensive carpets lined the floor and the whole place seemed efficient but nice. It was clear the owners had made this their home the same way the London institute had.
Will looked at Jem, "Shall we?"
Will and Jem made their way down the hall in silence, neither one wanting to call out and disrupt anyone. It was clear from Will's expression that he had no clue where they were meant to go. Jem was about to call for assistance when something brushed his leg.
He flinched at the contact and turned around to see a mound of mattered grey fur. Warmth filled Jem at seeing his old friend again. As he bent down the cat lifted his head and the two made eye contact.
"Hello Church." Jem laughed with affection and happiness as the cat purred and snuggled into him farther.
"Oh no," Jem heard Will groan, "I thought Magnus got rid of that cat." Unlike Will Jem was over joyed to see the cat and even more pleased that he remembered him. "Of cause," Will said, coming to some conclusion, "Magnus took it New York didn't he?" Will sighed.
"Can you take us to the head of the Institute Church?" Jem asked the cat who looked back at him with intelligent eyes before pulling away from Jem. He walked past Will flicking his tail towards him and distaste before turning a corner at the end of the passage.
The boys shared a brief look before they harried after him.
Church led them to a door that looked much like all the other doors and sat looking up at Jem. He gave a small but annoyed 'meow' when Will went for the door knob. Jem laughed and bent down to pat the cat.
"Thankyou Church." Jem said. Will huffed and knocked on the door loudly. Jem rose from the ground as it swung open.
A middle aged woman looked at them with surprise. Her hair was black and pulled back into a tight bun that sat in the middle of her head. Her surprise was gone after a few seconds and was replaced by a small frown.
"How may I help you gentlemen?" She looked them both over, "And if I may ask how did you get here?"
"The Institute is a place where any shawdowhunter is welcome-"
"My name is James Carstairs," Jem interrupted Will before he could offend her, "This is my parabatai Will. We are shadowhunters of the London Institute." Her expression softened slightly as she offered her hand.
"Maryse Lightwood, head of the New York Institute." They both flinched with surprise at her name.
"Lightwood?" Will inquired. Maryse shifted her attention to him with distaste in her eyes.
"If you have come to confront me about my past wrong doings I would appreciate it if you left."
Jem registered hurt and confusion in Will's eyes before he spoke, "Ms Lightwood-"
"Maryse," She corrected, her tone crisp, "Please, come in." Jem paused and nodded in thanks. Once seated in what Jem assumed to be the library, he continued.
"Maryse, we're here to inform you of a crime against the accords." Jem looked to Will who had decided not to sit and instead was standing next to Jem. Both boys were placed across from a large desk that was held up by carved angels. It was a truly tragic sight, Jem thought, to see an angel on their knees.
"And what would that be?" Maryse was seated behind the desk, her face tense and eyes cold.
"A faerie, well, pixie to be exact," said Will, "Was in central park giving children flowers to eat."
Maryse sighed. It was a heavy almost sad sigh. "Why must they always break the law?" She asked to herself. But Jem answered anyway.
"It is their nature. Though I do not condone their behaviour I can understand why they do it." Jem looked the elder women in the eyes, "It is not our place to judge as harshly as we do. As shadowhunters we should be able to respect what they are."
Maryse eyed the young boy before with new-founded respect. "I agree with you." She said surprising Jem, "But as shadowhunters we must not allow this to slip for the possibility that it could escalate."
"So what now?" Will asked.
"I will send two shadowhunters to deal with it." Maryse stood and pressed her palms against the desk. "I thank you for reporting this. Trust that it will be dealt with."
Will looked desperately at Jem. It was clear that he wanted to deal with this. It was also clear that, surprisingly, Maryse liked Jem more than Will.
"If we may, could Will and I accompany your shadowhunters? We could show them where it was happening and ensure it is dealt with accordingly." Maryse smiled at Jem. It was the kind of smile a mother admiring her child's attempt to persuade her would give.
"If you must." She led them to the door, "However I must warn you one of them is rather difficult to work with." A ghost of a smile played on her lips.
Jem inclined his head in way of thanks and gave her a polite smile. "That is quite alright. I am used to dealing with 'difficult' shadowhunters." Jem spared a glance at Will who scowled at him.
"I am not difficult." Will stated, "I simply find teamwork a waste of others efforts. Why involve numerous people when I could have the task done in minutes?" Jem almost laughed. Had they not been in company he would have.
Maryse, however, looked at Will as if what he'd said shocked her. She blinked once before shaking her head as if to clear it of a haze and shut the library door behind her.
Once out in the hallway Church paced up to Jem and resumed his purring and nudging. Maryse stood looking down at the cat in confusion, then up at Jem.
"I…," She swallowed, "You can wait down stairs. I'm sure Church can show you out. The others will be down in a moment."
"Thankyou." Jem smiled as he bent to pick the cat up. Church's purrs grew louder.