Gray ↠ Gabriel Lightwood [1]

NINE

it's time. . .the meeting has arrived. enjoy

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T H E   E N C L A V E

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"Try it again," Will suggested. "Simply walk from one end of the room to the other. We'll tell you if you look convincing."

Elise watched her sister sigh and instantly felt the corners of her lips tugging down in a small frown. She could tell her sister was growing more and more tired by the second, exhaustion setting in after all the time they had spent teaching her how to pretend to be a vampire. It had been two days since Lady Belcourt's visit, and Tessa had spent almost every moment since then attempting to convincingly transform herself into the vampire woman, without enormous success. Tessa had described to her sister the frustration she was feeling, how it were as if she were sliding around on the surface of Camille's mind, unable to reach through and grasp hold of thoughts or personality. It made it difficult for Tessa to know how to walk, how to talk, and what sort of expressions she ought to be wearing when she met the vampires at de Quincey's party—whom, no doubt, Camille knew very well, and whom Tessa would be expected to know too.

The blonde felt an immense wave of sympathy for her sister and, as she had suggested every time she saw her sister growing weary over the past couple of days, said, "Maybe we should take a small break? Give Tessa a moment to clear her head before trying again."

"Miss Gray, how do you expect your sister to succeed if you are always trying to stop her training? She does not need a break every time you see her look at you funny," Will insisted, the blonde throwing a dirty look his way which he merely ignored.

The two hadn't spoken about what had happened the night before — the nightmares, the kind gift Will had given her, the witchlight he had given to help her sleep. It was as if it had never happened. Elise wasn't sure she ever wanted to admit that it did or that the witchlight had been the only thing able to help her make it through the night. The kind words they had spoken to each other had been nothing but a fluke, and both were just glad to be back to their normal — fighting with one another.

Elise opened her mouth to snap a remark at the boy, but Jem was quick to step in, placing a hand upon his parabatai's shoulder and saying, "I think what Will meant to say was that we already have so little time. We do not have much time for the breaks you and I wish your sister could have. We should continue." His eyes flickered over to Tessa who was watching the whole exchange with a blank look upon her face. "Unless you feel as if you need a break, Tessa. I know you've been working hard the past few days."