Next chapter! I hope you like it, please let me know! I changed many important details from the main story. Unfortunately, this chapter very much resembles the one in the book (though every paragraph has at least two new things). I promise that will change with the next one!

The song to this is 'Arcade' by Duncan Laurence.

I don't own the characters or places!


"Lightwood." Alastair said with a nod to Christopher. They'd met in the Institute's library to find out more about paladins. His eyes wandered to Thomas. After a short hesitation, Alastair greeted him with his first name. Thomas' heart started to beat furiously at this, but he tried not to let it show. Unfortunately, the way Alastair's eyes narrowed told him that maybe, he wasn't successful. "Alastair." He said quietly and was glad when Christopher started a conversation about the book Alastair was currently reading.

In the end, Thomas had an idea. Maybe Cordelia's bond to Lilith could be weakened if she started to do lots of good deeds.

"Cordelia already only does good and kind things." Alastair said, as if anything else was out of question. "Well, the last week excluded, I suppose."

When they both looked at him in alarm, Alastair scoffed. "Oh, what? Are we all supposed to pretend that Cordelia didn't run off to Paris with Matthew because James made her miserable, always gazing after that vacuous Grace Blackthorn? And now they're all back, and they all look miserable. What an appalling mess."

Thomas always admired how protective Alastair was of his sister. However, he also couldn't tolerate him talking badly about James. "It's not James' fault." He argued quickly. "He and Cordelia had an agreement, she knew -"

"I don't need to listen to this." Alastair declared, stood up and walked through the library with one of the books. Thomas watched him leave, feeling torn between the urge to have a huge fight with him and understanding Alastair's point. If it was his sister who was in Cordelia's situation, Thomas would also be furious.

He exchanged a long look with Christopher. "I suppose he has a point." Christopher said in the end. "It is a mess."

"Did you learn anything from talking to James the other night?" Thomas wanted to know. "About Grace, or..."

"Grace." An odd look appeared on Christopher's face. "If James loved her once, he doesn't now. He loves Cordelia, and I think for him, not being with her is like it would be for me if I had to give up science and learning new things. What did you find out from Matthew?"

Thomas sighed. "He also loves Cordelia, unfortunately." He explained. "And he is also miserable, just like James. In part he is miserable because of James. He misses him, and he feels like he has wronged him, and at the same time he feels wronged, he feels like if James had ever told him that he loved Cordelia, he would never have let himself fall in love with her. And now it's too late."

"We can't control whom we love." Christopher said to his surprise, his voice quiet and thoughtful. "I wonder, do you think Matthew really loves Cordelia?"

"First, I thought that for him, Cordelia is a sort of absolution. If she loved him, he imagines it would fix everything broken in his life." He hesitated. "Now, I'm not so sure anymore." He remembered the look on Matthew's face, filled with so much heartbreak and sorrow. He wasn't sure if anyone else noticed, but during their meeting at the Devil Tavern the previous day, Matthew kept watching Cordelia closely, just like she kept glancing at him at times. "I fear he's really in love with her, just like James." Truly, what a big mess they'd gotten themselves into.

Christopher kept talking about Grace some more, making Thomas wondering how he knew so much about her. When he fled in the end, he felt more confused than ever. When did Christopher see Grace Blackthorn? And why was he thinking about her so much?

He decided that it wouldn't be of any use to keep guessing about it now. Instead, he began to look for Alastair, who'd vanished between some shelves.

"I'm sorry." He said when he sat down next to him and it became obvious that Alastair wouldn't talk first. "The business between James and Cordelia, I shouldn't have said my opinion to it. James has been my friend for a long time, but I've never understood his interest in Grace. None of us have."

Alastair turned to look at him then. Since he came to London, his hair had grown longer, now it fell over his eyes. Thomas felt the strong urge to touch it, touch him, but he held himself back, clenching his fists. "I'm sure they would say the same about you and me, if they knew." Alastair said thoughtfully.

Thomas stared at him. "You... and me?"

"Grace is a mystery to the Merry Thieves, it seems, but I am known and disliked. I am only saying they would no doubt find it just as puzzling that you and I had -" That's when Thomas couldn't hold back any longer. He grabbed Alastair's shirt and pulled him closer for a kiss. Alastair had clearly not been expecting it. The book he'd been holding fell to the ground and he placed one of his hands on Thomas' arm, steadying himself.

He wasn't sure how long they kissed, but Thomas didn't care. All that mattered was the feeling of Alastair's lips on his, the way he whispered soft words in Persian, things Thomas didn't understand. Thomas wanted to pull him even closer, but their position didn't allow it and maybe, they also weren't in the right place.

It was over just as abruptly as it had started. Alastair pulled back, one hand still on Thomas' arm, his face flushed. "Thomas, this isn't something I can do." He breathed, the words enough to make him feel sick.

"Why not?" He asked, ignoring how breathless he still sounded from their kiss.

"The situation hasn't changed." Alastair said in a low voice. "Your friends hate me. And they are right to do so -"

"I told Matthew." Thomas blurted out, making Alastair's eyes widen.

"You did what?"

"I told Matthew." He repeated. "About me. And that I... that we... that I cared about you. He knew about you and Charles already." For a brief moment, he wondered if he'd really been about to say that I love you in front of Alastair, but he pushed those thoughts aside.

"Well, Charles is his brother." Alastair muttered, his voice showing no emotions at all. "And Matthew himself is... different. But your other friends..."

"Christopher won't care." Thomas interrupted him. "As for James, he's married to your sister. Alastair, you are already part of us, part of our group, whether you like it or not. You can't use my friends as an excuse."

"It's not an excuse." Alastair emphasized.

"What are you so scared of, then?" He knew that his voice sounded pleading, but he didn't care. He couldn't let Alastair walk away from him, not again.

"I learned with Charles that things can't be all stolen moments. But neither can we hurt others by blindly pursuing what we want -" There was so much hurt in Alastair's voice, Thomas would have loved to comfort him. But one part in particular caught his attention.

"So you do want me." He said, feeling bitter and relieved at the same time.

Alastair looked at him with dark eyes. "How can you even ask -"

Thomas was already leaning towards him again, or Alastair was moving closer, he wasn't so sure. He also didn't care. However, just before their lips could touch again, there was a loud bang, making them both flinch and look up, just to see Christopher carrying many books, of which one had fallen to the ground. He seemed delighted to see them. "Enough shilly-shallying, you two." He exclaimed. "I've had an idea. We must go immediately to Limehouse." He didn't wait for a reply and just kept walking with his books.

For a few moments, both Thomas and Alastair didn't move. In the end, he cleared his throat. "Well... we should get going, shouldn't we?"

Alastair nodded slowly, not looking happy at all. "We should."

If Alastair kept a little closer than usual to Thomas on their way to Limehouse, no one mentioned it.


When Cordelia arrived at Chiswick House the next day, she noticed that all her other friends were already there. Anna and Ariadne were waiting by the steps and waved at her when she got out of the carriage. James, Jesse and Lucie were nowhere to be seen, but after looking around, Cordelia noticed them in the gardens. Lucie turned around and waved at her with a wide smile and Cordelia waved back, feeling relieved that things between her and Lucie seemed to be alright again after their conversation the previous night.

"I believe we're complete now." Anna noted, looking from Cordelia to the others, who'd joined them in front of the house, and back. Lucie beamed at Cordelia, while next to her, Jesse looked a little sick, but he smiled at her as well. Cordelia smiled back at him.

"What about Matthew?" Cordelia wanted to know and from the corner of her eyes, she saw James looking away from her quickly.

"He hasn't come." Ariadne explained. "He's doing a favour for me today, I'm afraid." Cordelia was surprised by this and wondered what Matthew would do for Ariadne, of all people. She also felt a pang of disappointment because he wasn't there. But maybe it was better like this. It wasn't as if they could talk now anyway.

"I think six of us should be more than enough." James threw in, apparently not sad about Matthew's absence. "I would suggest we divide into two equal groups."

Lucie already opened her mouth, probably to ask Cordelia to join her and Jesse, but Anna was faster. "Cordelia, would you be kind enough to join Ariadne and me?" Since she couldn't say no to that, Cordelia looked apologetically at Lucie and accepted Anna's offer. Jesse gave them some more information about the house and then, the two groups began to search both inside and in the gardens.


"Anna, is Matthew really doing an errand for Ariadne?" Cordelia asked later, when they were searching the ballroom and Ariadne was distracted.

"Indeed he is." Anna confirmed, walking towards one of the windows. "Why do you ask?"

Cordelia felt her cheeks heat up. "I suppose I was worried. And there's no one else I can ask. Is he alright?"

Anna looked troubled. "My dear, his state of mind is that he loves you. He loves you and he mourns that love as impossible. He fears that you despise him, that everyone does. That is his state of mind, and it is a difficult one indeed."

Cordelia felt like her heart was breaking. "I do not hate Matthew. I can't even say that I regret going to Paris." She cleared her throat. "I don't regret it. He held out a hand to me when I was desperate. He took me out of my despair. I could never, ever despise him." How could Matthew even think such a thing? Because you did that to him, a voice inside her head said. To him and James. She tried to swallow down the guilt.

"He needs help now." Anna said, mostly to herself. "The sort I'm afraid I can't give him, because he will refuse it. I worry -" She interrupted herself, shaking her head. "Cordelia, what happened in Paris?"

"It was lovely at first. We went to museums, dressmakers, the theatre. It was a sort of game of pretend, as children play. We pretended we were other people, without troubles, people who could do as they liked." She immediately regretted her words, sounding as if the time with Matthew meant nothing to her. "We kissed." She continued, not sure why she even told Anna that. "It's all that happened between us. James showed up in the middle of it, and saw everything."

"A very romantic gesture, his rushing to Paris." Anna noted. "But his timing leaves something to be desired."

"Except that James has been in love with Grace for years, before I ever came to London. He was in love with Grace through all of our marriage. He was very plain about it." She tried not to let it sound bitter.

"People's feelings change." Anna said, and the way she looked at Cordelia made it clear that she wasn't talking about James anymore.

"Do they?" Cordelia asked weakly, not sure if she wanted to know the answer. She never got one, because in that moment, Ariadne cried out at the other end of the room. "Demon! Look out!"


After James run away for no obvious reason, Lucie and Jesse kept searching the gardens. When they arrived at the shed where the coffin still stood, she glanced at Jesse. "Is it hard to be here?" She wanted to know.

Jesse looked around in silence for some time. "I was never even aware of being here, really. So what it reminds me is how much work you did, to bring me back." He turned to Lucie then, his eyes looking at her with an intensity that made her shiver.

"Grade helped." She said reluctantly, the name feeling bitter in her mouth. She thought of Cordelia's story, how her best friend had cried in her arms. In front of her, Jesse's expression also hardened. He turned away to look at the coffin and Lucie followed him slowly. Jesse began to run his hands over the black velvet inside it slowly. Ever since he came back from the Silent City in the morning, he was quiet and more closed off than usual. "Jesse." She said softly. "Something happened when you went to see Grace in the Silent City, didn't it?"

He hesitated. "Yes. She told me something that... that I didn't want to hear, or know."

"What was it?" She asked, feeling angry at Grace for upsetting Jesse as well.

"I..." Jesse looked up from the coffin. "I will not lie to you, Lucie. But the whole of what I can tell you is that it is not my secret to tell." His expression turned thoughtful. "Just like you didn't tell me everything that Cordelia said last night." There was no judgement in his voice.

She looked down. "I'm sorry, Jesse. But Cordelia..."

"I don't want you to tell me all her secrets." Jesse replied softly. "Even if I can assume I already know what it was about."

She stared at him then. Did Grade also say something about James and Cordelia to him? "Jesse..." She started, but he'd already turned his attention back to the coffin and a few moments later, he pulled a small wooden box from it. "Aha! I knew it." He said with a faint smile. "There's a false bottom in the coffin under the lining. Where else would my mother hide something than with her most previous possession?"

Lucie was so offended at his words, she forgot about Grace for the moment. "You were not her possession. You never belonged to her." She said fiercely.

"That's not what she believed." Jesse muttered and frowned as he opened the box. Inside was a mirror.

"What is it? Do you recognize it?"

"Yes." Jesse nodded. "It's the only remaining mirror in Chiswick. And I believe I know where else we ought to be searching."


A demon attack, an uncomfortable conversation with James and more searching later, they were all standing around Jesse, who was holding Tatiana's notes they'd found hidden in the chimney. They also had a mirror, which had been hidden in Jesse's coffin. Cordelia shivered at that thought. The mirror was made by Belial, both James and Lucie could confirm it.

Since they had no reason to stay at Chiswick House much longer, they decided that it would be best to return home. Which meant the Institute for James, Lucie and Jesse. Cordelia exclaimed that she would return to Cornwall Gardens, but secretly, she had some other plans.

"Are you alright?" Lucie asked when they were on their way to the carriages. "The demon -"

"Didn't hurt me." Cordelia threw in quickly. "It was nothing, just a small incident."

"I don't feel well, knowing that you can't defend yourself, Daisy." Her best friend said quietly. They were standing in front of Cordelia's carriage, leaving some distance to the others. However, Cordelia could feel both James' and Jesse's eyes on them.

"I'll be fine." She said, hoping that it sounded confident. "Don't worry."

"I'm always worried these days." After hugging Lucie tightly, they all said goodbye.

Once she was alone, Cordelia took a deep breath. She knew what she had to do. Tonight, she would visit the Hell Ruelle to see Matthew.