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Will's day had been going well. Perfectly, actually, before Cecily accidently burst out with those words.

He and Cecily had been stretched out before the fireplace, catching up on all that had happened while Will had been away. The flames crackled in the background, the warmth provided tinting their cheeks a feverish crimson colour. Cecily was sharing some stories, and Will nodded along, laughing every so often at a joke.

He'd suddenly snapped to attention when he'd heard 'Gabriel' and 'courting' in the same sentence. Cecily suddenly became very interested in the dancing flames, and he'd glared at her, watching her expression closely.

"Is that Lightworm courting you?" he practically shouted, mockingly twisting Gabriel's last name like he always did.

Her usual stubbornness returned, as Cecily glowered at him. "I'm perfectly old enough to-"

Before she could finish that ridiculous statement, he nimbly jumped up and interrupted her. "Old enough? Are you kidding me?"

He stormed out of the room, determined to hunt Gabriel down. Hearing footsteps behind him, he knew Cecily was following him, even before she called out his name. He ignored her, and picked up his pace. How could he have missed it? The way they'd talked at the feast, his glimpse of them at the dance, and, even worse, the traitorous ring on her finger which he'd only just noticed today.

"LIGHTWORM!" Will yelled at the top of his lungs, not caring who heard or who he disturbed. All he could think of was the anger coursing through his veins, and the worry for his sister tugging at his insides.

Gabriel appeared, the usual smirk gracing his face. "If you wanted me that bad, Herondale, you should have told me earlier," Gabriel started, before Will grabbed hold of his tunic, and threw him up against the wall. Will felt a brief feeling of satisfaction when Gabriel's breath was knocked from him, and his eyes widened, as both surprise and fear crossed his face in quick succession.

"How dare you court my sister!" Will exclaimed, his arms pinning Gabriel fast to the wall.

Gabriel struggled in his grip, like an insect caught in a spider web. "Cecily can make her own decisions."

Will's expression darkened further. "She is only fifteen! She is much too young!"

Gabriel merely laughed at him. "Look around Will. We die young, we marry early. It's nothing new. I've seen girls as young as twelve getting married. We're only betrothed, it's not like we're getting married yet. Anyway, your parents already agreed to our union."

However, Will's mind immediately caught on the "married," part. He slammed Gabriel against the wall again. How had his parents agreed to this? Was it because Gabriel's family was wealthy?

"Will, stop it!" Cecily shouted. When Will looked over at her, he took in her rigid posture with her hands on her hips and her horrified expression.

Putting all his persuasion 'gift' behind his words, he ordered, "Cecily, go to your room. You are not to see Gabriel again."

He watched, feeling both guilt and relief at the same time as she obeyed without question. His 'gift' was strong enough to break even her will of iron.

Gabriel watched this exchange, his eyes burning with anger as they drilled into Will's. "You used your 'gift' on your own sister? I think you are the monster here, not me. I don't need a 'gift' to ensnare women."

Will recoiled, his self-loathing returning at the truth of Gabriel's words.

"Stay away from my sister," he warned, releasing Gabriel with a jerk and striding off to find somewhere he could be alone.

Gabriel's words repeated in his head as Will drifted aimlessly throughout the halls like a ghost. He'd used his 'gift' on his sister. He really was a 'monster,' just like Gabriel had so flippantly labelled him.

Will's thoughts suddenly ground to a halt when he entered the library, and he saw Tessa looking up at a row of books.

"Trying to find something in particular?" he called out, by way of a greeting.

She turned around hurriedly, looking surprised to see him. "Yes, I am actually. How do you find anything in here?"

Will strode over to the desk, and picked up the catalogue, a book with a peculiar long and narrow shape. He went over to Tessa to show her. Opening it up, he pointed to the two columns, which were handwritten in a neat hand, and he explained how it worked. Like the libraries in the churches, the books were positioned on both sides of a lectern.

"One column lists the books on the left-hand side of the lectern, and the other is for the books on the right-hand side. The columns are also divided into two halves; the top half lists books placed on the upper shelf of the lectern, and the lower half those on the lower shelf."

Tessa nodded in thanks, taking the catalogue from Will. "How handy," she muttered under her breath. She looked up at Will, her eyes filled with wonder and delight. "I've never seen so many books before."

Will found himself smiling at her expression, almost forgetting the events earlier in the day. "You should see the church libraries. This is miniscule in comparison. Most manor houses don't normally have a private library, but the King allowed Henry to have one for his research."

Tessa nodded, but he could see her eyes skimming over the book titles in the catalogue, and could tell she wasn't really listening anymore.

"This one is always a delightful read," Will said with a laugh, picking up his most hated book, originally written by Frederick James Furnivall, called Early English Meals and Manners. Of course, most of the books were hand written, laboriously transcribed from the originals. That was costly enough, without owning the original copy.

Opening it to a random page, he picked a line to read, deciphering the elegant handwriting. "Don't cram your cheeks out with food like an ape, for if anyone should speak to you, you can't answer, but must wait."

Tessa giggled, looking over to see what book he was reading from.

Picking another line, he continued. "Don't tell lies, or squirt with your mouth, gape, pout, or put your tongue in a dish to pick dust out."

Tessa laughed harder, clutching her stomach. "Please stop! It's too horrid!"

Will obliged with a grin, placing it back on the shelf. "As you can see, we have a wide range of books."

They spent the rest of the afternoon discussing all sorts of books. Will had read many more than Tessa, seeing as books were so hard to come by, so she seemed very interested in his opinions. He was surprised she could read, being a woman, and not from a wealthy family, but when he asked her about it, she said her father had taught her.

Once Tessa had selected a few books, they sat down on the two oak stools, which rested against the wall, to read. Will, however, couldn't concentrate on his book, his thoughts too overwhelming. Tessa seemed to notice this, and put her book down, looking over at him.

"What's wrong, Will?" she asked, a hint of worry in her tone.

He shook his head. "You wouldn't understand."

Tessa watched him with a stubborn expression. "Try me."

Will sighed, feeling too exhausted to argue. "I just found out Cecily and Gabriel are betrothed. I was so angry that I-" Will paused, trying to gather the courage to continue. "I used my 'gift' on her." His tone was so full of disgust and self-loathing that Tessa leaned towards him, laying a hand on his shoulder.

"I know you were just trying to protect her. You didn't mean to, so don't be too hard on yourself," Tessa said, and Will hated the sympathy in her voice and eyes. He didn't deserve it.

Will looked down, his eyes on the carpet. "Sometimes I use it without thinking. It's just so easy and the temptation is always there."

"You can beat it, Will. I believe in you," Tessa responded, her voice raw and honest. "You can stop yourself from using it."

"Do you know why I called you a distraction?" Will asked her, abruptly changing the topic of conversation.

Tessa shook her head, and a few strands of her hair fell over her shoulder. His hands itched to fix them.

"My life is focused on one goal. It's all I really care about." He took a deep breath, before making his confession. "Avenging my sister's death."

Tessa exhaled sharply. "You had another sister?"

Will ran a hand through his hair. "Yes, her name was Ella. Our family was quite well off, my father's blacksmith business booming, until my father fell out of favour with the King, when I was twelve, and he couldn't earn enough money. The King's tax collector came to the door, along with Lord Marbas." Will's voice hitched on the dreaded name of one of the King's most highly prized generals, but he managed to continue. "My father didn't have enough money to pay the tax, so they were going to take me instead, to train as a soldier. Ella stood up for me, and they killed her instead, to send a message against resistance to the village."

He looked over at Tessa, his face blank, and his voice expressionless. "My goal in life is to kill Marbas. Once I achieve that, then I will go after the King."

Tessa nodded, seeming to understand. "I'm so sorry, Will. I see now why you joined the Clave." Her expression was determined, as she said, "I promise to do all I can to help you take down the King."

Will inclined his head in thanks, and they just sat there in silence, Tessa digesting the information, and Will counting all the reasons why Tessa was a distraction in his head. However, in that moment, he just didn't care. All he could think about was her.

"Tessa, kiss me." Will's voice was wrapped with passion and longing. He couldn't help it, he'd wanted this for so long.

She obliged, leaning forward and kissing him. Will moaned, drawing her closer, and deepening the kiss. He wrapped his hands in her soft, brown hair, breathing in her enticing lavender scent, and wishing they were even closer. Everything else seemed so distant, like a scene in a painting. There was no King, no past to worry about, just the present. Nothing else mattered.

Eventually, they broke apart, and just like that, the spell was broken. Her eyes widened in understanding and horror. "You used your 'gift' on me!"

"Tessa, no, I didn't mean to!" Will exclaimed, his hair dishevelled and his eyes wild and desperate. He realised he must have done it by accident, without even thinking when he asked her to kiss him.

However, she didn't listen, her expression and posture cold and distant as she stood up. "Don't take something before I give it."

Will rambled on, wanting, no, needing her to understand. "I couldn't help it, I-"

Her look silenced him. "This is why people with your 'gift' are so notorious. Eventually you don't know when you're using it and when you're not. Your life becomes a twisted game."

With that, she stormed off, slamming the door behind her. Will curled up against the wall, finally letting out the sobs that raked his body. The words 'monster' and 'twisted' echoed in his mind, as he pressed his hands over his ears in a desperate attempt to block them out.

A/N: So hope you enjoyed the chapter and the Wessa. Till next time.

~ SilverJem5