Tessa watched as Magnus sipped away at his beverage, unbeknown to the worry the three of them were going through. He was perhaps their only chance of returning home, the fact that their last chance was Magnus, scared her a little. Simon now sat agitated opposite her, Clary looking at him, and Jace looking at her. Occasionally she spotted him sneaking a glance at Will, who was being bombarded with questions from Magnus. Jem had hold of her hand reassuringly, he was very warm, Tessa realised. His face was flushed against his pale complexion and a wave of worry passed over her. She wanted to reach out, to touch his flushed cheeks with her finger tips, to reassure him, he needed it more. But she settled on squeezing his hand hard, until it began to hurt.
"So, do you think you can get us home safely Magnus?" Jem asked, resting his head in his free hand. Tessa heard Alec mumble something under his breath, so far, she wasn't too keen on the eldest Lightwood sibling, and she wondered what Magnus saw in him but quickly assumed she was jumping to conclusions. He must be perfectly lovely; I just need to get to know him though I hope I don't. She thought to herself, returning to the conversation at hand.
"I can help you." He said, pushing his dark hair back with his fingers, red and gold glitter cascading onto his shoulders. "But it might take me a while."
"It might take you a while." Will repeated in a demanding tone, "Magnus, we need to get back. Cecily-"
Magnus raised his hands, as he did so she noticed Alec at the side of him, looking slightly more at ease, she sighed.
"I know, I know. Will, you have to give me some time, I have only ever seen this happen once in my lifetime and it wasn't me who fixed it. Eight hundred years is a long time for something to only happen once." He said, "But maybe, if I fail-"
"You shall not fail, Magnus, we trust you completely." Tessa added quickly, it suddenly occurred to her how far into the future they were. Magnus had aged at least another century and still didn't look a day over adolescence. She found herself sat in shock and wonder. Magnus grumbled something, but smiled a wry smile.
"I was going to say, there is another option, Clary you could help."
Clary, how could she help? Tessa wondered, she was just a shadowhunter and according to the codex, they couldn't use magic like warlocks could, she remembered.
"Me." Clary frowned, but her face turned to an expression of sudden realisation, "A rune."
"But we know how this works; she can't just do this on demand." Simon said, taking a small gulp from a mug, looking around self consciously as he did so. A trickle of red ran down his chin, he wiped it up hastily and pressing his lips into a thin line. He was drinking blood, she knew, she felt sick now and turned away looking over her shoulder to the rest of the restaurant. A young girl walked past, with blue skin, almost transparent and a wicked smile, holding a tray of raw meat. She whipped her head back round rapidly, Will raising his eyebrows at her. New York was not how she remembered it, but maybe it was just herself that had changed.
"Wait, how could Clary possibly help us?" Will asked, pulling his hair back from his eyes.
"Clary and Jace are well, erm-"Isabelle said, struggling to find the right word. "Special."
"I prefer the word exceptional or unique." Jace said, leaning back. "Or you know, just better than every other shadowhunter."
"I very much doubt that." Will said.
"I can create new runes, I can't do it on demand but sometimes they just come to me. Most of them are completely safe, and they always work." She said, her gaze fell to Tessa, "Jace is stronger and more how do I put it? Well, he jumped from the top of the institute and landed on his feet without killing himself."
"You can create new runes?" Jem asked, "So maybe a time travel rune may be in order."
"Potentially, but as she said she can't do it on demand, we both need time."
"Clary, is that okay with you?" Tessa asked, looking towards the fiery haired girl whose bright green eyes flicked their gaze across Tessa's face, she suddenly felt very aware of herself and readjusted her skirts underneath her.
"Yes, I can't guarantee anything but I'll try my best." She said nervously. Tessa took her word for it. There was something familiar and warm about Clary that led her to believe she was trustworthy and Tessa had an incline that it might be Clary who saved them. Jem coughed again, startling her, pulling her away from her thoughts.
He wretched slightly, his face turning pale and his eyes, that resembled silver coins were closed. Will was raised out of his seat and Magnus pulled him back down by his shoulder with such a force that the cutlery on the table rattled. Tessa turned to Jem, who was regaining his breath; there were small spots of blood on his sleeve. He tried to wipe his mouth discreetly.
"Is there a place I can clean myself up?" Jem whispered so quietly to Jace that no one turned a head to answer.
"Restrooms are that way." Simon said, pointing towards a rickety old door that stood beside the brightly lit bar. She watched as Isabelle hit him lightly on the shoulder, her expression fierce. He pointed to his ear.
"I can't help it." He muttered, Tessa knew vampires had strengthened hearing, as she had experienced herself when she had changed into one once. She felt an ache in her stomach, which was only made stronger by the Lightwoods leaning over the table to speak to each other. To have blood relations, had become an almost distant memory.
"Yin fen," Magnus said, in a foreign accent, "since you're here for a while I might have to make a trip."
"That's my job. I will fetch it for him." Will said. The others sat in confusion, refraining from asking questions. Tessa admired their will power to stay quiet, something that she found near impossible, but today she was trying her best.
"It's looking like you might be here for a while, you may as well make yourself at home. Do you want to stay at my place?" Magnus offered, Tessa heard Alec mutter something to Magnus.
"You can stay at the institute. It would be more suited, and we have much more space." Alec said to Tessa's disclosure, his chirpy voice, took her by surprise, his blue eyes that alarmingly resembled Will's set on her.
"That sound like a fine plan." Will said, "But the Lightwoods run the institute am I correct?"
"Yes, but don't worry your pretty little brain, Benedict is long gone." Magnus said, dropping a glittery wink at Tessa.
"Perhaps Magnus, you could stay as well, there's more space for you to work." Alec said, quickly. His hasty voice shaking slightly. Magnus raised his eyebrows at him, a small smirk dancing at the corner of his lips.
"By the angel." Jace said, shaking his head so his golden curls swayed around his chin. He did look remarkably angelic, Tessa thought, but he knew it.
"Okay, but let's eat first I'm starving." Magnus said summoning the blue-skinned waitress from a table of werewolves.
Thank you for reading and reviewing! The time-travel rune was inspired by a review, so thanks for that. I hope you enjoyed reading it.