The Infernal Devices Reimagined

Guardian Angel

Tessa restlessly paced the length of the room. Both Miranda and the Dark Sisters had given her cryptic answers for whom this "Magister" person was. Miranda insisted that he was "a great man", but a person who the Dark Sisters deemed a great man was not a person Tessa wanted to meet with. But what could she do? She was trapped inside the house and forced to do their bidding. Unless she somehow escaped...

Tessa eyes found their way to the boarded up window. The nails weren't fastened that securely. It had either been a rushed job or they hadn't expected anyone to try escape out the window.

Tessa surveyed her fingernails. They had grown long during her time in the Dark House. It might be a bit painful, but she could definitely remove the nails with them.

A floorboard creaked outside her bedroom.

Tessa whipped her head around with such speed that her dark brown hair flew in the air for a split second. She had to leave now. No one could interrupt her escape.

In an instant Tessa's steely gray eyes shot open, alert. She stealthily crept over to the armoire and seized a jug of water, prepared to knock out whoever walked through that door.

The intruder stepped into the room and Tessa hurled the jug at him. Stopping in his tracks, the intruder turned to glare at her with this remarkable blue eyes. They were the color of deep blue velvet, the kind aristocratic women's dresses were made of. His noble face was framed by his illustrious black hair, though damp from the jug Tessa had thrown at him. He had broad shoulders and was powerfully built, and there was a strange black mark peaking out from under his shirt. He appeared to be about seventeen or eighteen years of age, much like Tessa.

"My gravest apologies for entering your home without permission miss, but was it imperative for you to lob a jug at my face?"

"Oh, no-no it wasn't," Tessa sputtered, "I was just-May I ask who you are and why you are here?"

"I am William Herondale," William Herondale bowed. "And I am here to save you, of course."

"Save me?"

"But of course! A respectable young lady such as yourself would not reside in such a dilapidated place willingly?" Mr. Herondale gestured around the room as he spoke. What he said was true; despite them having a maid, the Dark Sister's home was was in dire disrepair. It gave off the aura of an abandoned factory, not a home.

"How perceptive of you, Mr. Herondale. These women have taken my brother, Nathaniel Gray hostage and have trapped me here to do their bidding. Everyday they force me to use this strange gift I posses and "Change". Today I managed to transform into another woman entirely, and they want me to meet some person called "The Magister" because of it."

"You're a shapeshifter? How intriguing. Well you Ms...?"

"Gray. Theresa Gray."

"Well Ms. Theresa Gray, you find yourself in quite the predicament. Please allow me to help you. I am a shadowhunter, after all."

Tessa wasn't sure what a "shadowhunter" was meant to be, but that question could wait for later.

"Then please help me as shadowhunters do and save me."

"Are you certain? You may receive some of your brother's fingers in the mail for doing so."

"Irrelevant. A few fingers are nothing compared to a life of imprisonment."

"Very well, Ms. Gray, you have made your decision. Please follow me out and step on only the places that I do. The floorboards are awfully creaky, and we wouldn't want anyone to know of your escape."

As she followed Mr. Herondale to the stairs, Tessa noticed that he had a metal scabbard slung over his back with the glistening handle of a sword poking out. In addition, he wore a belt with knives stuck in places where he could reach for them in the heat of battle. "Shadowhunters" clearly weren't very peaceful helpers.

The small figure of Miranda appeared before Mr. Herondale and Tessa, blocking their path. "You cannot leave," She stated.

"Oh, Miranda. Please, let us pass." Tessa begged the younger girl. She must have understood her plight.

"You cannot leave," Miranda repeated.

"Miranda, please, listen to me!"

"You cannot leave." Miranda began purposefully marching towards Tessa.

"Miranda, I have no wish to fight you. Just let us pass, please!"

The girl of barely fifteen grabbed Tessa and threw her against the wall, hard. Disorientated, Tessa tried to straighten herself. Miranda once again reach for Tessa but made it no closer as Mr. Herondale had sprung into action. He drew his sword and swung it in a swift motion, slashing at Miranda's neck. Tessa gasped as her head fell to the ground and began leaking not blood but some other, darker liquid. 'Oil,' Tessa thought.

One would assume that severing the head from a foe would stop said foe, but the now headless parlor maid did not relent in her attack. Now with oil pouring out of her neck, Miranda turned her attention to Mr. Herondale.

Mr. Herondale swung again, this time aiming for her stomach. Miranda grabbed the sword on its way to her with her hands and cleanly snapped it into two halves.

Tessa gasped. The sword had sanded away the layers of skin on Miranda's hands, revealing an endoskeleton of metal.

Unperturbed by the lost of his weapon, Mr. Herondale reached for one of the daggers on his belt and shouted the name "Ramiel".

"She's an automaton! Aim for her chest and try to damage her circuitry!" Tessa cried.

Mr. Herondale grimaced and took a few steps back, trying to create some distance between him and Miranda, but Miranda was no longer interest in him. She had heard Tessa's voice, and was now charging for her.

Tessa made to run but it was unnecessary. Miranda may have been strong, but she was slow and her movements were clunky. Mr. Herondale quickly caught up with her and plunged his dagger into her back, dragging it around her chest to try and damage her circuitry as much as he could.

The automaton girl finally fell to the ground, her body leaking gallons of oil into the floorboards.

"I see that stealth is no longer an option. Let's leave before more reinforcements arrive." said Mr. Herondale

As they were leaving, Tessa noticed a strange marking on Miranda's back. It resembled two snakes intertwined. 'A double ouroboros,' Tessa thought, 'What could this mean?'

Tessa and Mr. Herondale flew down the stairs and made for the entrance when suddenly a figure tackled Mr. Herondale to the ground.

Tessa raced over to see that it was Mrs. Black on the ground wrestling with Mr. Herondale. Her hands, free of their gloves, looked like the talons of a predatory bird.

Tessa grasped a nearby coat hanger stand and swung it wildly at Mrs. Black in a panicked attempt at helping Mr. Herondale, her body invigorated by adrenaline. Tessa's improvised weapon found its mark and Mrs. Black recoiled away from Mr. Herondale.

Freed from the hold of Mrs. Black, Mr. Herondale fired off some sort of signal and drew one of his daggers, this time shouting the name 'Cassiel'. The knife lite up and Mr. Herondale lunged at Mrs. Black. The woman had regained enough strength to roll away and was at once back on her feet, ready to attack. No sooner had Mrs. Black recovered, two other men tore through the door and struck her.

Mrs. Black shot forward and collided with Tessa, sending her flying backward. Tessa was conscious for just long enough to see one of the two men who had just appeared slice Mrs. Black's head off.