Responses to Reviews:

laurenathalasa: Yay! Haha I'm so bad at dancing. I'm glad you love Jem too. :)

thedarkwhiteangel:I'm happy you're glad Jem is still alive. Thank you for your kind comments. :)

LS009: Thank you for your review, I'm so glad you think it's original, since that's what I was hoping for when I started out. That means a lot. :D

IC3D T3A: I love dystopian/fantasy stories as well, as you can probably tell. ;) You're right it's more human nature than instinct, that was definitely the word I was looking for. I'll go change it now. And as for your other point, it's a good one as well, but Jem's power is more unusual and unknown since he's the only one alive with his 'gift' that they know of. So it is a bit more of a mysterious power. But it's really a bit of both I suppose. It is more to do with him being a threat though, like you said.

MortalShadowhunter:Wow, I can't believe you read my story and liked it! Yay, I'm so happy! :) Thank you for the lovely review. I'm glad I've kept the time period well, and also that the romance isn't too fluffy, because well, we both know how bad it can be reading something overly fluffy. Haha ;)

FirePheonix77: That's an interesting question, but I'm afraid you'll have to wait and see for an answer in regards to that.

JemIsDaBest: Aww thank you. More stories or more chapters? Hope you enjoy this chapter too. :)

Tessa decided that seeing such joy and life back in Jem's eyes was worth all her worldly possessions. Jem grinned with a childish glee at her as they approached the markets and dismounted, leaving their horse, Chester, in good hands. Of course Jem had picked him to ride after the bond they'd shared over the previous journey.

It had been weeks since Jem had woken up, and his cheeks were back to a healthy colour and his eyes a light silver. Now that he'd recovered, he had insisted on taking her for a tour of Airedale, which was the closest town after the village Baskerville to the Clave's mansion. Or more precisely, he had wanted to show her the special trade fair which occurred to mark the start of every season. Winter was fast approaching, and there was a celebration to mark the occasion. Travellers and merchants from all around the kingdom would come to Airedale to view or sell their wares.

When Jem had asked Will if he wanted to accompany them, Will had declined, since he had been studiously avoiding Tessa after he had told her to stay away from him. While she had been disappointed at this, she was still looking forward to spending the day with Jem.

Looking around the bustling crowd, and above the sea of heads, Tessa noted the bright colours and strained to listen to the sweet notes of music, which grew louder the closer they walked. Merchants had set up their stalls so they were sprawled over the streets, and it was impossible to tell where they ended. The town itself had grown around a river - since such a water supply was vital for a large town - and between the houses, she could get a glimpse of the water.

She was swept away in the exuberant atmosphere, the joy of the people around her enough to bring a genuine smile to her face. Blending into the group, Jem took her hand so they wouldn't get separated, and they followed the current of the crowd to the start of the markets.

Her heart rate picked up and her palms grew clammy as they reached the entrance. The King's guards had set up a checkpoint and were checking the identification of the visitors. She glanced worriedly at Jem, but he surprisingly looked unconcerned. He reached into his bag and pulled out straw hats for both of them, which the peasants or farmers usually wore. Tessa put on the one he offered her, grateful for the wide brim which hid her face, and she tucked her hair underneath it, in an attempt to provide a disguise.

Jem nodded in approval and leaned in close, his breath hot against her cheek. "Let me handle this," he whispered.

As they approached the pair of guards, Tessa noted how tired and bored they appeared. Their shoulders were slouched, and the younger of the two kept casting longing looks at the celebrations. She supposed even the King's men wished they could join in the festive events.

The older guard took the papers Jem offered, and exchanged a few words with him. He glanced over at her only briefly, before waving them through. Tessa dared to smile over at Jem as they walked together through the checkpoint. The fake papers must have worked. The kingdom had never been so restrictive in the past, but Mortmain had introduced the measures recently, in an attempt to control the movements of his people. As a result, Tessa had always been careful to avoid busy places where they were likely to be.

Pushing such thoughts of the past out of her mind, she fell into step with Jem, and they walked down the street, their eyes flitting between the stalls on both sides. The merchants had set them up with wooden frames, which could easily be folded up for transporting around towns, and a canvas cover, in case of rain.

At the tantalising smells, Tessa's stomach rumbled, and she put a hand over it in embarrassment. However, Jem laughed in amusement and pulled her towards a stall that displayed a variety of food. He paid for two large chewets, a baked meat pie which he told her were common at such fairs. Thanking him, she bit into hers and closed her eyes in delight at the rich flavours. They demolished the chewets in no time, although she took a little longer, as she struggled to eat it without making a mess, which was quite a feat.

Continuing down the streets, she found the stalls consisted of a large array of goods, from cheese, eggs and salt to pots and pans, tools, weapons, jewellery, shoes, cloth, silks and perfume. Tessa stopped to examine a particularly pretty necklace, which featured a small wooden bird, poised in mid-flight, and was crafted with an amazing likeness to the real creature. However, when Jem offered to buy it for her, she declined, deciding she only needed one necklace, and she wasn't ever planning on taking off her angel necklace.

As they passed a merchant polishing his weapons on display, she paused, watching the light glimmer on the blades. While it was true that she didn't want to have to fight, it certainly wouldn't hurt to be prepared for such an eventuality. Jem noticed her interest, and seemed to understand without her even having to open her mouth. There was an impressive range of weapons, from knives, to bows and arrows, and maces. A dagger with an unusual jewelled hilt caught her eye, and she picked it up, testing the weight. It seemed to fit her palm perfectly, and was nice and lightweight. The jewels were a ruby colour, inset into the hilt so that it was smooth on her hand. She showed it to Jem, in order to get his opinion.

He tested it, and agreed with her thoughts. "Its looks are deceiving. It appears to be just a pretty ornament, but it's a good weight, and the actual blade is sharp."

Turning to the merchant, he asked the price. Tessa's eyes widened at the figure, but Jem seemed unruffled. He offered a much smaller amount, at which the merchant rolled his eyes. "That's basically giving it away," he muttered. "The jewels alone are worth more than that."

Jem and the merchant continued to exchange prices, until they settled on one they were both happy with. The merchant even ended up throwing in a case to store it in as part of the deal. Once they had decided, Jem counted out the agreed upon amount of coins, and the merchant double checked, before nodding towards the dagger. Tessa picked it up in awe, gently running her fingers over the jewels, before sliding it into the case, and then into the pocket of her coat.

"Thank you, Jem." Tessa smiled over at him in gratitude. He insisted on paying for everything, and she couldn't refuse when she hardly had any money left. Most likely in an effort to make her feel less guilty, he had explained how he had inherited some money from his parents, as well as receiving a healthy salary for his job as a healer.

Jem's eyes lit up and he flushed at her thanks. "It's better to be safe than sorry. It may come in handy one day."

When they finished inspecting the stalls, they moved on to the forms of entertainment. They saw acrobats, jugglers and dancing bears. The jugglers put on quite a show, causing the crowd surrounding the show to chuckle in appreciation of the humour. A man and a boy, possibly father and son, carried out the act. The man ran around in small circles, rapidly juggling with three knives, showcasing great skill. The boy, whip in hand, would at times, in jest, chastise the man whenever he fumbled. The man then moved onto walking on his hands and juggling balls at the same time. Eventually, they concluded their act and collected some coins, folding their bags, and calmly walking away to disappear into the mob before the applause had even ended.

Tessa watched them go in admiration, before turning to watch the singers enter with their music scrolls in hand. Musicians also joined in on pipes, drums and other assorted instruments. They brought with them a trained bear to dance and tumble to the music of the pipe, and the crowd watched in rapture, before couples started to join in the dancing.

Jem turned to her with a twinkle in his eyes, offering her his hand. "I believe I promised you a dance," he stated, his tone light.

Tessa took his hand, her smile widening, and she let him draw her closer to him. "Then we shall have to fulfil that promise," she agreed teasingly.

Unsurprisingly, Jem was greatly attuned to the music, and he led her with ease, not following one particular dance, but making his own, gracefully gliding along with the tune. She flew along with him, laughing aloud and tipping her head back to watch the sky spin above her as she twirled.

At one point, Jem was so close, and she angled her head up towards him, her lips slightly apart. As he leaned closer, she closed her eyes in anticipation of the kiss she was sure was coming, before opening them in disappointment when she felt him pull away slightly. She saw him glancing around at the other dancers, and she blushed, realising they likely would have caused a scene. When he turned back to her, his eyes seemed to hold a promise for the future, begging her to wait. She inclined her head, and was content to just be in his arms, letting the music wash over her.

Too soon the music ended, and Tessa glanced around in confusion at the rapidly dispersing crowd, before she remembered the curfew the King had put in place. While on one hand it was another demonstration of his control, on the other, the streets were quite dangerous at night, and there would be no light to guide their way, besides the moon. She and Jem reluctantly pulled apart, and started heading back to where they had left Chester.

She saw Jem turning the Carstairs' ring around on his finger, realising with a slight smile that it had been her habit as well. It seemed he was about to ask something, before he thought the better of it.

So she decided to strike up the conversation instead. "I've had such a great time today, Jem. Thank you so much for taking me," Tessa said in earnest, her emotions clouding with disappointment at the thought of the day being over. She had been looking forward to it ever since Jem had suggested it.

Jem smiled and gently squeezed her hand. "I have too, and it's been my pleasure to take you. We should come again to the next fair."

Nodding eagerly in agreement, Tessa was surprised when Jem pulled her to a stop. She felt a sense of foreboding at his tense stance, and her hand reached to grasp the hilt of her dagger after she saw Jem do the same.

The streets were now eerily deserted, and she felt the hairs raise on the back of her arm at the silence. Two guards then suddenly appeared in front of them, coming from a side street.

"Stop, in the name of the King. You're under arrest," one of the guards growled menacingly, his voice echoing down the street.

Jem's eyes darted between the two of them, assessing the brutes. Sheer size seemed to be on their side, not to mention, the fact that they were far more skilled than Tessa. Jem stepped in front of Tessa and whipped out his dagger, adopting a defensive stance. He engaged in combat with the first guard, and their strikes were too fast for her eyes to follow. Taking out her dagger a little less gracefully, Tessa eyed the other guard. She stepped out from behind Jem, despite his exclamation of alarm.

Cursing at the fact she wouldn't have time to Change, she struck out, aiming at his stomach. Quick as a snake, the guard grabbed her hand and bent it at a strange angle, causing her to cry out in pain and drop her dagger. He then promptly pulled her arm behind her back and held a knife to her throat.

Calling out a warning, the guard attracted Jem's attention, and his eyes widened at Tessa's predicament. Despite her protest - since she knew they couldn't hurt her too badly, because of the King's wishes - he dropped his dagger and held up his hands, obviously not wanting her to get hurt further.

The guard closest to him then hit him on the head with the pommel of his sword, and Jem dropped to the ground, unmoving. Letting out a scream, Tessa fought against her captor's hold, but found she couldn't break free. She cursed and cried out, struggling with all her might, before they put a hand over her mouth to quiet her screams. Trying a new tactic, she starting Changing – into who, she wasn't sure. Before she could finish however, she felt a pain behind her eyes, and she too blacked out, feeling her captor's hands catch her and gently place her down on the ground before she lost consciousness.

Thank you once again to all my amazing reviewers/followers/people who favourited this. Sorry about the cliffhanger! I'm really looking forward to where this is going and can't wait to write it.

~ SilverJem5