Will stormed down for breakfast the following morning, bags noticeable under his eyes. The previous night had Will frantically searching all of the London underground for any trace of yin fen. Everyone had told Will that it was all bought up weeks ago. Jem needed that drug, his life depended on it now more than ever. He hated Jem. He hated Tessa. Will sighed, knowing his anger wasn't caused by either of those people. He loved them more than anyone. Will despised Axel Mortmain with every burning fiber in his being.
Lost in thought, Will failed to notice the dining room was empty that morning. Sitting down at the table, Will looked around him for the first time to see the table empty of both plates and people. The clock chimed above the fireplace mantle. Will counted five tolls. It was only five o'clock in the morning. No wonder the dining room was empty.
Not wanting to wait around for Sophie or Bridget, he grabbed his coat in the entrance hall and stepped out into the morning air. He would probably head to a pub before he saw Jem. He was about to pull open the main gates when he saw a figure leaning against them. The sight of silver hair almost sent Will to his knees, fearing Jem had collapsed in a heap. His hands yanked the gate open and caught the body as it lost its support. Will breath caught when he saw it wasn't Jem, but a young woman no older than him. Will was relieved his parabatai was safe, but this girl looked just like Jem. Her skin reminded him of the snow that fell this time of year back in Wales while her hair looked so silver it was translucent. This complexion did not normally occur.
"It's the drug," Will whispered. He wrinkled his nose when he came to this conclusion. Some worthless addict was stealing the life of his best friend and ruining the life of his greatest love. The sight of her made him sick.
A groan escaped the trapped lips of the girl as Will harshly dropped her on the ground. He felt no pity for her. But when he saw her face, his stomach dropped. Blood dripped down from the corners of her blue lips. Her eyes sunk back into her face, making her sharp cheekbones that much more bulging. Will managed to pull his eyes from her face and looked at her body. She was dressed in a tattered nightgown that was probably white once. Now, soot, mud, and blood combined to form a dark color. There was no jacket covering her bare arms, which were quickly turning almost as purple as her feet and hands. Whoever this girl was, she needed help.
Will didn't know what to do. It could have been a coincidence that she happened to stop in front of the Institute, or she could have the Sight. She wasn't a warlock or a faerie, or so Will could see, because she lacked the physical qualities of one. A vampire wouldn't be able to come onto hallowed grounds and a werewolf would have a pack to go to. If Will could guess, she was a mundie who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Coming to a decision, Will gathered the deathly girl into his arms and raced back to the Institute. He threw the door open as best as he could before shouting for Sophie.
I had come to peace with my demise, probably much sooner than I should've. I was ready to be free from my life. So it was a great surprise when I woke up to fire coursing through me. I screamed and thrashed around, but was held down by restraints. Did Mortmain change his mind? Was I back in that dungeon? Blood pooled in my throat and I tried to sit up before my body tensed with choking coughs. I couldn't breathe and I couldn't see. Perhaps I ended up in hell.
"Help her up!" a voice yelled. It sounded so distant and empty I hardly paid attention to it. My mind was trying to tell my lungs to breathe.
I felt the restraints loosen and immediately shot up from my horizontal position. Blood spilled from my mouth as I gasped for breath. The burning in my body did not die as I regained breathing, but the pain was tolerable compared to what I experienced with Mortmain. With the coughing somewhat finished, I tried to blink away the film that covered my eyes. I tried again, but nothing happened. I was surrounded by black darkness. A whimper escaped my lips as tears swam in my useless eyes. I closed them to stop the tears.
A tender hand touched my head, causing me to flinch away from the contact. "You're alright now, dear. I promise none of us will hurt you." The voice sounded so much like Gracia it hurt to hear. This woman's voice held the same motherly presence that made me feel at peace. But I knew Gracia was dead and I was soon following.
"W-where?" It was all I could muster to whisper that one word. My throat still throbbed with pain.
"If you're asking where you are, you're at the London Institute. My name is Charlotte Branwell-"
"Mortmain," I interrupted. "S-sent… me."
Different hands, rough hands, threw me back down. I guess I was lying on a bed because my head made contact with a soft pillow. An arm held my chest down and made it hard to breathe. I started panicking, waving my arms around to find the culprit. My left hand hit a hard chest. I used that as a guide as I started slamming my arms on this man's chest.
"Will!"
"Mortmain! She's with him, she's after Tessa!" A man's voice boomed from the space above me. He was the one holding me down.
"Look at her, Will. She's dying just like-"
"Don't remind me. I saw her there. I thought it was strange how she found the Institute. But she's in league with him. We should kill her now!" His arms moved up my chest and pressed down on my throat, cutting off whatever air I had access to.
Tears were actively flowing down my face now as I panted for air. "Please…" I whispered. I shook my head back and forth. I didn't want to die. I accepted my death before, but I had failed to stop the Institute from finding me. Now I needed to live, to explain to them my purpose. I wanted to tell Charlotte and Will everything, but all the air in my lungs faded into nothing.
"At her rate, she'll die soon, but I won't have you speeding up that process!" Charlotte shrieked.
I could feel Will hesitate in his actions as he listened to the words being directed towards him. I prayed that this hesitation meant I could live a little longer. When he pulled back, I thanked whatever God had sent Charlotte Branwell into this room.
"If anything happens to either of them because of her, I'm blaming you," Will whispered darkly. I didn't know which of us he was referring to, but at that moment, I had other things to worry about.
"Please," I whispered again. I felt Will's body leave mine, so I managed to sit up by myself. "I… won't hurt you." Despite Will's attempt to kill me, the pain in my throat was subsiding which made it easier to speak.
"I know you won't, dear. Will is just being paranoid. Can you tell me your name?"
"Natalie."
"A very pretty name. Do you have a last name?"
"No."
"Well, Natalie, I'm terribly sorry about our introduction, but we have had dealings with Mortmain in the past that haven't gone so well. Can you tell me why Mortmain sent you here?"
"He said… I would be a warning… to the people at the London Institute. He took me and killed my friend. He… wanted me to bring Tessa Gray to him. I refused and he gave me… this silver powder. It burned and… it hurt so much. I just wanted to die." My voice cracked at the end.
The room remained silent for a few moments. During that time, I felt very alone and exposed, cracked open for the world to see. It made me feel very uncomfortable. I heard someone shift to my right and another take a step forward.
"Charlotte, Tessa and I went around looking for it last night, but everyone said it was bought up weeks ago. He's been buying it so Jem will die."
More silence followed. Then Charlotte said, "The powder he gave you was a drug called yin fen. It turns your body silver and eventually kills you. I'm terribly sorry about what he's done to you, but if you were sent as a warning, it means he's using it all up. Do you think you can help us find him?"
She made it sound like I had an option then, that I could choose for myself. But after hearing Will's distressed voice, I knew that whatever option I thought I had was an illusion.
"I can tell you all I know," I said, nodding my head.
"Excellent. Will, if you could help her to the library, we'll be meeting there. Sophie, if you could please let everyone know." A shuffle of footsteps and the creak of a door told me Charlotte left the room. Another pair of steps, ones much lighter than Charlotte's, followed after her. There was another person in that room and I hadn't known. That must've been Sophie.
I felt Will's arms come around me again, and I stiffened at his touch. "I won't do anything to you," he promised.
I relaxed my shoulders and shook my head. "It's not you. I just can't see you. You startled me."
His arms dropped to his sides. "Can't see as in not at all?" I nodded. He paused for a moment, then said, "I'm going to pick you up and carry you to the library, alright?" Though it sounded like a question, I suspected Will was going to carry me whether I agreed to or not.
One arm wrapped around my back and the other scooped up my legs. He lifted me with ease off the bed, though I was not surprised seeing as how I weighed practically nothing. His arms were firm with layers of muscles, like his chest. I felt protected in his arms. It was strangely comforting.
It was a relatively short walk to the library, all the while I kept thinking how cold and echoey the halls were. It must've been a grand church to have ceilings this tall. Will kept a firm grip on my arm the whole way there, but when he stopped, he loosened his hold on me to rap his knuckles on the wooden door. A moment later, it swung open to reveal many voices talking in a panicked conversation. When Will crossed the threshold, all voices died down to silence. Will continued forward until he lowered me down into a cushioned sofa. My arms immediately felt around to give me a picture as to where I was. The sofa was soft and comfortable, and my fingers found a wooden table in front of me. Apparently this was where they held meetings.
"Everyone, this is Natalie. She'll be staying at the Institute and assisting us with our search for Mortmain." Charlotte said. The voices rose together like a crash as everyone started speaking at once.
"Charlotte I don't think-"
"-mundane-"
"-isn't wise to-"
"We'll manage without-"
"-could she possibly-"
"-Jem-"
A loud bang once again silenced everyone. I jumped a little in my seat, but a hand steadied me on my shoulder. It wasn't Will, so I shrank away from it. "I don't think having a dozen voices speaking at once is going to help anyone." This voice reminded me of Charlotte's. It was male, but very soft and… almost child-like.
"Thank you Henry. I understand everyone's concern about her, but she's already agreed to help. She's recently been in contact with Mortmain, so it's a fresh lead-"
"Fresh lead or not, how do we know Mortmain didn't want her to find us?" Someone practically snarled. "She could be a downworld or one of his clockwork monsters sent to let his personal army into the Institute."
"Gabriel I know you're new here, but do you really think so low of me as to doubt my judgement?" Charlotte asked. "Sophie and I have already confirmed she's human, shadowhunter or mundane."
At the word "shadowhunter" I stiffened in my chair. "Shadowhunters, he mentioned them. Are you shadowhunters?" I asked.
"Yes we are. The Institute is like a waystation for shadowhunters, a place where they can rest safely while they travel." Charlotte answered.
"So she's a mundane," another voice stated. "The question is, was she targeted specifically or picked out at random. I wouldn't put it past him to start abducting random girls for his own gain."
"If you have a question, you could just ask me, seeing as I was there," I almost growled. They may not have trusted me, but they could've at least treated me like I was in the room. I felt insulted and angry, two feelings I've had much experience with over the months being held prisoner. "Mortmain didn't find me, Nathaniel Gray did."
A sharp gasp came from my right. "Nate?" The voice, a girl's, sounded pained and familiar with him, like she'd known him. "But, he died. How…"
There was something familiar about her voice. A picture started forming in my mind of the photograph Nate carried with him. A young girl with brown hair waiting for him in New York. But Mortmain had wanted me to bring her to him, so she must've come to London looking for Nate. Could this be Tessa? I was almost positive she was. "Are you his sister?" I asked. I had no idea where she was seated, so I just looked in the direction I knew the table to be.
"She can't see you, Tessa," Will said.
"Can't see? Is she blind?" a different girl asked.
"Well, I used to be able to see. I remember meeting N- I mean, Mr. Gray at a Inn I worked at. He carried around a picture of his sister, Tessa, who he left in New York. I'm only asking because… But you said he died. How long?" I don't know why I was asking about Nate. He betrayed me, handed me over to his boss. I wondered if he ever felt anything as I was fed the drug.
"He died last month," Tessa answered.
"I'm sorry for your loss. Well, I want to be sorry, but he's the one who handed me over to Mortmain, so…" I trailed off.
"No, it's okay. Thank you, Natalie."
There was a moment of awkward silence before a voice asked, "Are you blind because of the drug?"
I shrugged. "When he first fed it to me, it burned like fire, but my eyesight remained the same. But for months, Mortmain had this… thing feed it to me every day. Eventually it got worse. However, Mortmain came to my cell and said I was free to go, that I had a new purpose. They threw me into a carriage and dropped me off a couple streets from here. I collapsed outside the Institute because I could no longer see anything. I'm sure it's related to the powder, but I'm no doctor."
I was getting more uncomfortable under the invisible eyes of everyone in the room. My hands started fidgeting, so I balled them into fists and tried to look relaxed. It was harder than it looked.
"Do you remember where he kept you?" Gabriel asked. I was glad his voice lost some of the venom it held before.
"He drugged me when he brought me in and I was half alive when he dragged me out. I remember it being a short carriage ride from here, but I don't know where… The part I stayed in was dark and damp, most likely a basement. I didn't see anyone for long stretches."
I felt bad for not being of use to them now. The only good I've done is confirm that Mortmain had been buying up all the powder. I frowned. Why did they need the powder? Will seemed angry when he relayed his story to Charlotte before.
"Pardon me for asking, but why would Mortmain buy all of the yin fen to get back at you? Is someone here sick too?"
I wasn't expecting an answer right away from them since I knew it was a delicate topic. They didn't need to answer in the end because a few seconds later, I heard a door opening somewhere in front of me.
"There you all are, I was wondering why no one was in the dining room." It was a man's voice. He didn't sound serious like Will, but not too casual like Henry. I sighed, thinking about the number of people staying at the Institute.
"Jem, we were going to let you sleep a little longer," Charlotte said, though she sounded a little guarded.
"I'm alright now, so there's no need to worry-" he stopped short. "By the angel," he whispered.
Someone, I guessed Tessa, rose from her seat at the table and walked to Jem. I didn't hear any talking, so I assumed they were either looking at me or Jem. I wanted it to stop, for the talking to resume and for everyone to stop looking at me. I cleared my throat and said, "It's nice to meet you, though I can't see you. I'm Natalie. You're Jem, right?"
A couple footsteps and I heard, "Y-yes, that's right. It's a pleasure to meet you to, Natalie."
I could hear pain in his voice, but I assumed it was because I looked like hell. I mean, the clothes I wore were clean, very different from the tatters I came in with, but my body, on the other hand, was very disturbing and ugly. I'm sure everyone was looking at me with either revulsion or pity. And it sickened me. Since when had I become this fragile thing? I used to be of use, a person who liked to help out. But I was stuck in this useless body, having to rely on others to even move. That would be my first thing to change.
It struck me like a charging bull. My body bent forward with the force of the coughs bursting from my diaphragm. I could understand the coughing when I woke up, but this was uncalled for. Usually I would have these attacks if I tried moving a lot, but with Will's help, I haven't been doing much. I needed it. That drug was the only thing that calmed my fits down. I… needed… it.
Blood dripped from my lips as I slumped forward. Muscled arms pulled me from the chair and laid me on the floor. Pain flashed across my eyes and I moaned between the coughs.
"She needs the powder," Will roared. "We need Magnus."
"He doesn't have any Will," Tessa said frantically. "There's no more."
"Here," Jem's voice said above the others. His tone was sharp like a knife and cut through the sounds of my hacking. "It's the last."
"No, Jem. We'll find another way-"
"She's dying William. If I can help, I'll be willing to give it up." A body knelt besides Will and took my head into his hands. I felt a slender hand pour the powder into my mouth. Soon, the coughs subsided and I gasped for breath.
"Let's get her to the infirmary," Charlotte said. "She should stay in bed for the time being."
Strong arms lifted me off the floor and carried me out of that room and into the cool hallway. I was shuddering, but not because of the cold. I was crying because there was another one, just like me. Jem had the drug on him, meaning he was infected too. After living with it for months, I knew how bad it could get. I would never wish this pain on anyone.
