Responses to Reviews:
The-Finale-Hope: Glad you liked the Wessa! Jessamine may just do that…
Jillessa Heronstairs: So glad you like Will's 'gift'! I honestly didn't know what people would think of it, but I thought it was fitting. Ahh thank you! That's amazing you think it's perfect! Wow!
Haha yeah I actually didn't even think of having them kiss yet. I guess the time period I'm doing it in makes it harder to rush it as well.
Glad you're up for the love triangle! I totally agree, I'm a serious Jessa fan but love Wessa as well. It's soo hard to choose!
Midnightstone1118: So happy you like Will's 'gift'! Jessamine is pretty horrible. There will be some Jessa moments coming up, don't worry ;) I'm planning on doing the next chapter from Jem's point of view as well.
dogestiel: Thanks for reviewing, I'm so glad you like it! I was wanting to do a fresh idea, and was so happy I could come up with one. Wow, thank you so much! Don't worry, all of those supporting characters will be coming into it soon, when they get to the Clave. ;)
SmoochiePooh: That was where I got my inspiration from. I love that book, it's so good! I read it a while ago, and I was thinking about it after reading some Infernal Devices FanFics, and then I got all these ideas! Thank you for your review, and I'm so glad you like the context!
This time, Tessa awoke to a slight pressure on her shoulder. Opening her eyes, she found Will looking down at her. She couldn't help but compare it to her previous rude awakening the other morning. She definitely preferred this method.
"It's time for breakfast," he said before putting his boots on. Tessa stretched and yawned slightly, wishing she had had a better night's sleep.
She used the pitcher of water and brass basin provided for washing her hands, face and feet, and got dressed after Will left the room. She made sure that her angel necklace was tucked under her dress – she felt a strong need to protect it, since it was her only possession left from her parents.
When she emerged, Will was updating Jem on the night, and she was thankful that he left out the part about her nightmare. Jem seemed relieved that the night had gone smoothly.
"Let's go have breakfast, the sooner we eat, the sooner we can get out of here," Will said, obviously anxious to get as far away from Jessamine as possible. Tessa and Jem readily agreed.
For breakfast, they were served bread and ale. Even though it was a popular beverage, Tessa avoided drinking the ale, as she didn't like the bitter herbal flavour, and wanted to be able to think clearly. She noticed Jem avoided his as well. Will on the other hand, took a hearty swig of his own.
Curiously, Tessa couldn't see Jessamine serving anyone, and she wondered where the girl had gotten to. She could suddenly feel apprehension building in the inn, as the occupants starting whispering worriedly. Jem and Will looked around anxiously and exchanged a quick glance. Will then got up and asked a group of men at a table nearby about what was going on.
Tessa strained to hear their conversation. A burly, tall man answered Will, "The rumour is that some of the king's guards are coming, because they have been alerted that someone from a wanted poster is hiding here."
Tessa suddenly felt sick, and regretted having just eaten. What could they do? Will's gift wouldn't work on the male guards, and even if they tried to escape now, the guards would be too close, and would soon catch up to them. Jem similarly looked pale, as a furious Will returned to their table.
They all returned to Tessa and Will's room to try and find a solution, and to hide from anyone who may turn Tessa in.
"What should we do?" Tessa asked, her voice quivering with fear. Will and Jem glanced helplessly at each other, thinking desperately.
She was about to give up hope, when Jem, his eyes wide and excited, suddenly asked, "Tessa, you can shape shift into anyone, right?"
Tessa could see where this was going, and she replied, "I'm really inexperienced. I've only 'changed' a few times when I needed to escape the guards and I had no other way. It was really based on instinct. Also, I can only do it for a certain period of time."
Jem looked at her encouragingly and said gently, "Do you think you could try for us?"
Tessa bit her lip and nodded, determined to do her best. Then she remembered, "I need to hold something important belonging to the person I am changing into."
She held up her hand, looking at Jem's ring. That should do, she thought. However, Jem grabbed her arm which broke her concentration.
"As much as I'd love to see you turn into me, I think you need to be someone more inconspicuous. I stand out in a crowd, with my silver hair, so there can't really be two of me in the inn."
Tessa conceded his point and looked at Will. Will seemed uncomfortable and ill at ease. She wondered what item could be important to him.
Will then pulled a delicate silver bracelet, which was shaped like a snake, out of his bag. Tessa put it on, and it encircled her arm just above her elbow, on the same arm as Jem's ring. In explanation, Will merely said it was his sister's. Her thoughts instantly caught on the 'was'. Could this have been who Will lost? However, his stony face forced her to forgo her question.
"I'll also need to change into some of your clothes, as when I grow into your figure my clothes won't fit me anymore," she said shyly.
Will pulled out a pair of spare riding boots, and a black tunic and breeches. She thanked him, and they left the room while she got changed once again. His large clothes hung off her smaller frame. Before she called them back, she closed her eyes and straightened her shoulders, mentally preparing herself.
She then opened the door and said self-consciously, "You don't have to watch if you don't want to."
Jem said in excitement, "I'm actually quite curious to see how it works," and Will quickly agreed.
So Tessa found herself standing in the middle of the room, with two young men staring intently at her. This was certainly not a position she ever expected to find herself in.
Touching the snake bracelet on her wrist, she concentrated on thoughts of Will. What he looked like, how he talked, and how he acted. The room fell away, and all she was left with was the bracelet and her thoughts of Will. Her skin and mouth began to tingle, and her vision went blurry as her eyes changed. Then she felt an uncomfortable tug as her arms and legs grew longer. Her angel necklace seemed to beat in rhythm with her fast, beating heart.
Just when she thought she couldn't take it any longer, her features settled, and she blinked dizzily. The world spun around her and she tried to adjust to her new skin. It wasn't the first time she had 'changed' into a man; she had had to once before to escape the guards. It was a strange sensation at first, but she learned to ignore it.
Looking down at her hands, she marvelled at how much larger they were then her own usual slim hands, and at how muscular her body was. She could feel a power deep inside her, but she didn't have time to ponder it.
She heard gasps and turned to see Jem and Will gaping at her.
"Well, I never truly appreciated how handsome I looked until now," Will said jokingly.
Tessa pulled a face, and Jem and Will laughed.
"I'm glad you find this so amusing," Tessa replied.
Jem's grin faded a bit, and he said in awe, "You really are the splitting image of Will."
She felt herself blushing, happy that he found her 'gift' amazing rather than disgusting.
"Although, I certainly don't see Will blush that often," Jem said teasingly, which of course made her blush even more.
They were reminded of the time constraints, when the noise downstairs suddenly grew louder.
"Will, you stay up here, and pretend you're sleeping, while Tessa and I will sit downstairs at a table. If you're split up they're less likely to realise there are two of you," Jem said, laying out their plan.
They all consented, and Tessa and Jem rushed down the stairs and sat down at the bar. They then both ordered an ale, to try and look inconspicuous. Tessa saw Jessamine give them a strange look, so she concentrated on being as "Will" as possible. She even tried to copy his scowl, but she was unsure how successful she was.
"You're doing a great job," Jem said encouragingly, "the guards will be gone in no time."
Tessa smiled back briefly, but then as if summoned by Jem's words, a group of five guards burst into the room, slamming open the doors. The inn broke into a mass of confusion, as people hurried out of the guard's way. Their eyes swept the room, peering into everyone's faces, intent on finding their prey. Tessa was relieved when their gazes swept past her.
Then, to Tessa's horror, Jessamine walked over to one of the guards, and said, "Her companions are down here, so she must be upstairs hiding." She then handed the man a key to their room and directed them to it.
Tessa looked over at Jem, and saw hurt and betrayal cross his face, as he struggled to come to terms with their situation. She wanted desperately to comfort him, but she knew she was now Will, and had to stay in character, lest Jessamine suspect something. So she turned her expression to one of outrage, and tried to stare at Jessamine murderously.
The guards stormed upstairs, and she heard them kicking open all the doors in the corridor, and throwing things around the rooms in their search for her. The innkeeper angrily protested at the abuse of his inn, but the guards swatted him away like an annoying bee.
After an anxious wait, the guards returned looking far from happy. One man grabbed Jessamine's arm, shaking her, and practically yelled, "She's not here."
Jessamine looked lost and confused, and said, "There must be a misunderstanding. I just saw her this morning, where could she be?"
"Obviously she got away. Now don't waste anymore of our precious time," he said, before following his comrades out the door.
Jem and Tessa watched as the innkeeper berated Jessamine angrily, and cast her out of the inn, claiming that she had ruined their customer's privacy. Tessa could understand why he had to fire her, after all, an inn must keep its guests happy, and the innkeeper certainly wouldn't like the idea of a worker revealing details about his guests to the guards.
The real Will emerged, carrying their bags and wearing a cape pulled over his head to hide his face. He went over to say farewell to the innkeeper's wife, who had taken such good care of them, and Tessa saw him pay her a tip. Jem then waved him over, and the three of them grabbed their bags and left the inn.
They found an unpleasant surprise in the form of Jessamine sitting on the steps to the entrance. When she saw them, she firstly looked confused, probably because she was seeing double. However, she then worked it out, and her expression turned teary once again.
She threw herself at their feet weeping and apologising, realising now how wrong she had been, as the enormity of her actions suddenly hit her. Tessa guessed she must have turned her in for the substantial reward being offered for her capture.
"I feel so ashamed. I can't believe what I've done. Will you ever find it in your heart to forgive me?" Jessamine sobbed.
Tessa felt slightly sympathetic seeing how upset the girl looked, she really did look regretful, and she saw Jem starting to nod out of the corner of her eye – of course he could forgive her.
However, there was little warning, maybe a change in Will's stance perhaps, before he leapt towards Jessamine and closed his hands around her slender neck.
A/N: Please let me know what you think! Out of interest, could any of you forgive Jessamine, if she truly was sorry? Is it possible that Will could kill Jessamine?
~ SilverJem5