"William Herondale"

Jace grinned; he couldn't help it. He loved it when people admitted that he (or his ancestors) were attractive. He was naturally cocky and proud of it. Tessa grinned too. "Now don't go getting any ideas, he was a complete jerk to me. A charming jerk, a loveable jerk, but a jerk nonetheless.

"See, he wasn't raised as a shadowhunter. Edmund Herondale, his father, had his marks removed after he fell in love with a mundane woman who refused to ascend. All he took from the shadow world was a pixis containing the first demon he had ever caught. When he was twelve, Will and his older sister Ella opened the Pixis for fun, and the demon came out and cursed him, saying that anybody who looked on him would love him would die. The next day Ella was dead."

"To love is to destroy." Breathed Jace. Tessa eyed him curiously, "Exactly. What had actually happened was that the demon had pricked Ella, and poisoned her. The curse was actually fake. But Will didn't know that. He fled to the London Institute and set about making sure that no one would ever love him again."

Jace felt suddenly connected to his ancestor in a way that he never had before. He knew what it was like to feel as though you need to push everyone in the world away. "Did he hurt you?" He asked Tessa. She smiled sadly, "He told me that there was no future for a Shadowhunter who dallies with warlocks." Jace's eyes widened, "Shit."

"Shit is right." Said Tessa, "It was one of the worst things that anyone had ever said to me. Especially since at the time I was already half in love with him… But he was just doing what he thought was right. As soon as he said that to me he went straight to Magnus and asked him for help with breaking the curse. Magnus agreed, but it still took them a while to figure out that the curse wasn't real, in the mean time me and Will drifted apart, and I started to fall in love with his Parabatai."

"Jem." Said Jace. To him this was actually one of the weirdest pieces of news yet. He couldn't imagine how it would be to fall in love the same person his Parabatai was in love with (granted, his Parabatai was gay, and in love with a sparkly warlock), it would be so awkward and tense. But Jem hadn't seemed bitter about anything concerning Will or Tessa.

"Jem and Will were closer than any Parabatai I have ever met." Said Tessa, "Their souls were… Intertwined. Will had left home, and pushed everyone away. Jem was the only person who he was nice too, because he already had a terminal illness. And Jem had watched his parents be murdered, he spent all of his teenaged years dying. Will was the only one who didn't pity him, who didn't make him feel weak.

"The two of them were so reliant on each other that it was really impossible to fall in love with one of them and not the other." She smiled wistfully. "Oh, and if you're wondering about Magnus, he and Will were actually really good friends. Before Alec, Will was the shadowhunter who Magnus had been closest too in his life. Unless you count me. But when Stephen joined the circle, Magnus sort of lost faith in the Herondale family." Jace nodded. "Anyways, Magnus eventually figured out that the curse wasn't real. Unfortunately, he found out on the same day that Jem and I became engaged. Which made things very awkward for Will and me. Not as awkward as thinking that he was my brother would have been," She glanced at Jace with a spark of amusement in her eyes, "but very awkward nonetheless."

"So what happened with Mortmain?" Asked Jace. "The day before my wedding he kidnapped me." Tessa said, "Jem became to sick to follow me, so he got Will to go instead. He became a silent brother that night; it was the only way for him to survive." Jace nodded, that's what Jem had told him. "Mortmain forced me to change into his father and give him the formula, I didn't want to, but I had no choice. Then he locked me in a room. He wanted to marry me and breed a new all-powerful race."

"You can give birth, because you're not a full warlock?" Clarified Jace. "Yes, I also don't have a warlock's mark, which is useful." She replied.

"Now, the head of the London Institute, where we all lived at the time, was one of the greatest shadowhunters who I have ever met; Charlotte Fairchild, who later became the first female consul ever and your girlfriend's ancestor. Charlotte discovered where Mortmain was hiding, but the consul at the time was a misogynistic pig who didn't want to be overshadowed by a woman, so he forbid the council from doing with the information she found."

"So they didn't do anything?"

"Actually, they held a meeting where they all got together and got ambushed by automatons."

"That sounds like something that the consul would do. Did they survive that?"

"Half of them died. But luckily, at the same time, Charlotte led a group of five shadowhunters, three silent brothers (including the new brother Zachariah), three trained mundanes, and Magnus through the first ever portal, to join me and Will at Mortmain's lair. They helped free me and we started fighting the automatons, but we were totally outnumbered and runed blades didn't affect them."

"How did you win?" Asked Jace. Tessa grinned proudly, "I killed him, and all the automatons died, even the ones that were attacking the council, that's how half of them survived.

"Since Jem had become a Silent Brother we had to terminate our engagement, but me and Will were eventually married and we had two children. James and Lucie. You are James's descendent." Tessa finished her story and sat back, but Jace wanted more, "How did you kill him?" He asked. "Who?"

"Mortmain."

"Oh. When my mom was pregnant, Mortmain wanted to make extra sure that I survived. He harnessed the soul of the angel Ithuriel and put it inside a clockwork necklace, which he gave to her. That necklace protected me my whole life. But his plan backfired. Big time. Because that necklace had the angel's soul inside of it, and I can change into anyone, if I can touch their soul." Jace found himself gaping yet again as he realised the full implications of what she was implying, "You… Changed into Ithuriel?"

"Yes I did, and the Angel was not happy with Mortmain, I can tell you that. I crushed him with one hand."

"That's amazing." Said Jace. Tessa blushed, "I did what I had to, she said. It isn't easy, being different, but I'm grateful for it because I got to save so many lives. I can never turn into Ithuriel again, it's too dangerous and unpredictable, but that one time it was worth it."

There was a moment of silence.

Jace looked at her hard, he wanted to trust her, he didn't know why, but he did, however he still had so many unanswered questions. One in particular, "Why did you leave?" He asked.

"The shadowhuters?"

"Yes. Why did you leave our family?" Tessa's eyes were downcast, "There were a few reasons. One of them was them was that I made the clave uncomfortable. They're not exactly an open minded organisation, the only reason they put up with me was my husband. I loved Will, I still do, and I love my children, and my grandchildren… I love them all. But after Will died, something inside me broke. My children were all grown up; they didn't need me any more, and I didn't want to- I couldn't watch them die as well. So I went to live with Magnus and become a warlock permanently."

Tessa clenched her hand and stared at them intently, "I regret it sometimes… Sometimes I think that if I had been more involved, your father wouldn't have joined Valentine. That's why I wanted to meet you." She looked up, into Jace's eyes, "I wanted you to know the truth about your heritage. I also wanted to tell you that your ancestors were great men, that your father was just an exception to the rule. People have often said that the Herondale family contains both the best and the worst of the race of Nephilim. From what I've heard, you are part of the former group." She smiled proudly at him, but her expression became unsure when he smile back.

"I know it's a lot to take in, and I'm not trying to replace the Lightwoods, or anything; they will always be your real family, but I just wanted you to know I'm here… for you."

Jace's mind was racing at a hundred miles per hour. He didn't know what to say or think. He opened his mouth to respond, but just as he was about to speak, the bedroom door opened and Clary flew out.

"Jace!" She called, "Alec's awake!"