✓ | Hushed Whispers ⋆ Will Herondale [2]

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO: FAMILIAR

◤Also, James. Thank you for not having my back. You're setting an example of what a parabatai shouldn't do. I always knew you were a disloyal bastard.◢

⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO: FAMILIAR

"WHAT about Jessamine?" Will suggested as his leather boots met the muddy ground. His hand had been extended, offering support for Marie to climb out of Aloysius' carriage.

After the most unpleasant breakfast one could wish upon, the four friends embarked on their journey to Ravenscar Manor. Like the day before, Will had been playing with his food and Jem kept on guessing the various shapes his parabatai had been forming with the served food.

Marie, who had dark bags underneath her eyes, kept on begging the boys to stop ruining her meal, but the two pretended not to hear her. So, left without a choice, Marie turned her full attention to Tessa, trying to examine the girl's condition.

After that, old Starkweather arrived, prying them out of his home and onto the mission, implying that Gottshall couldn't wait much longer on them.

"What about Jessamine?" Marie repeated Will's words, feeling Tessa and Jem's gazes lingering on the pair.

"Honestly, Will," Jem inspected his parabatai. "What's with all the names? You haven't stopped uttering them since this morning."

"Would you believe me if I told you that last night Marie and myself met old Starkweather's prisoner and he told us the solution to Marie's Mark is getting her a parabatai?" Will casually asked Jem, shrugging his shoulders.

Jem blinked, averting his gaze to the brunette girl who had stood next to Will. "Is he serious?"

"I wish I could tell you that he is not," Marie tilted her head to the side, securing her bow and arrows on her back. "But it is the truth."

"And you never once thought of telling us this?" Tessa questioned, resting her hands on her hips.

"Honestly, not really," Marie said. "Especially since I will not participate in it."

"Why not?" Tessa asked quickly.

"Because I am not going to tie another life to mine for nothing," the brunette answered. "The parabatai ritual is a very unique ritual. It is made to connect two people who love and respect each other and make them warrior partners. Although that is considered a blessing, I am not going to ruin someone's life by tying them to the darkness inside of me. There are at least a thousand things that could go wrong. Besides, I haven't gotten anyone who is close enough to me to be willing to become my parabatai."

"Oh," Will eyed the girl. "Aren't you being a little dramatic now? I bet that if we made a petition for your parabatai, you'd have Shadowhunters falling at your feet. You're the Consul's daughter. Use your status for once."

"Do you even hear yourself?" Marie turned her head to the black haired boy. Her voice was flat, stressing out the words that Will failed to recognize. "Or myself for that matter? I am not doing it."

"Marie is right," Jem said sadly. "You should at least be close to the person to whom you're tied to. But, wait, Aloysius is holding prisoners?"

"We'll take care of that once we finish saving Charlotte and dealing with Mortmain," Will explained. "Also, James. Thank you for not having my back. You're setting an example of what a parabatai shouldn't do. I always knew you were a disloyal bastard."