Disclaimer: all characters and main story line belong to the amazing Cassandra Clare. I only own my own characters and story plot.
Set after Clockwork Prince but before Clockwork Princess.
-*-*-*-*- Jem -*-*-*-*-
Jem sat in the dining room, his head resting on one hand and his eyes closed. Tessa was further away on the window seat, her hands clasped together firmly. They were both silent, exhaustion and worry crashing down on them both. Jem hadn't slept properly in weeks, and even when he had he was plagued by nightmares. He was surprised that he hadn't been ill yet, but he was also grateful. The Institute didn't need another person to worry about.
"It's been a month, Jem," Tessa said quietly. "A month since we last saw him. I...I am beginning to fear the worst, and so is Cecily." Will's younger sister had only been at the Institute for a week before Will went missing. She was already blaming herself for his sudden disappearance.
"He is not dead," Jem said, but not unkindly. He then lowered his voice, almost speaking to himself. "I would know if he were dead."
"But what if he is seriously hurt?" Tessa asked. "Or worse, in the hands of the Magister? Jem, if he has him, you know he will ask for me in return for Will. I-I don't think I could deny him."
"Will would not want that," Jem said, standing and walking to the window. He gazed over the grey London sky. "He would never forgive you if you gave yourself in, or me for letting you for that matter." Tessa reached out and brushed his fingers, holding them lightly.
"He would never forgive you either if you let yourself get ill," she said softly. "Jem, you look exhausted. Have you taken your medicine today?" He nodded but did not look at her. As much as he loved her, he hated it when she fussed over him like this, especially when there was more at stake.
"Maybe we should go and get some fresh air," he said, changing the subject. "How about a walk in the park?" Tessa smiled faintly and nodded, gathering her skirts and standing.
"It may do us both some good," she said. Jem called for Cyril to ready the carriage as Tessa went and fetched her hat. They met by the front doors and climbed in the carriage together for a silent journey.
When they got to Hyde Park, Jem told Cyril that they should be back in a couple of hours, then, taking Tessa's elbow, he turned and led them down a path.
The weather was cold, but at least there was no rain. Jem felt more calm than he had in weeks with Tessa next to him. But there was always that feeling in his stomach, the sharp pain as if he had been stabbed every time he remembered that Will was not there. They stopped by the pond to feed the ducks some bread that he had brought along but they soon stopped, remembering that Will always hated ducks.
"Never trust a duck," Tessa said under her breath.
"The last time I was here with Will," Jem said, walking on, "Was when he convinced me to feed them poultry pie. Then the time after that, I came here alone but Will followed me, claiming he was afraid the ducks may abduct me."
"Maybe they abducted him," Tessa murmured.
"It may be the only theory we have," Jem sighed. "If only my tracking rune would work. I'd be able to find him straight away and bring him home."
"You've tried hundreds of times, Jem," Tessa said gently. "We have looked everywhere. There's nothing more you can do."
"I know," Jem said. He kissed Tessa's forehead. "I just wish I didn't feel so helpless." They walked for another half an hour or so in silence, just savouring each others company. Then suddenly, Jem felt a stab from his parabatai rune. It was so painful that he took a sharp intake of breath and fell to his knees, his cane clattering to the floor and rolling away.
"Jem!" Tessa gasped, crouching next to him with her arms around his shoulders. "Jem, what is it? Are you ill?" But Jem could hardly hear her. He held tight onto her hand as a blood curdling cry of agony shot through his mind like a bullet. He was fairly certain that only he could hear it, but he couldn't be sure. There was one thing he was certain about though.
The scream was Will's.
"Will," he choked.
"Will?" Tessa asked. "Jem, what's happening? Should I get Cyril?" Jem managed to shake his head as the pain subsided. He sat back against a tree near the path, Tessa kneeling in front of him.
"Jem? Please, you're scaring me," she said, her voice full of worry.
"I-I heard Will," he stammered. "I heard Will screaming."
"Is he-"
"No, he's not dead," Jem said quickly. "But- But he's in pain. I could feel it. I can't explain how, but something bad is happening to him, Tessa. He-" Jem broke off as another wave of pain hit him. But this was different. It felt...closer.
"He's here," Jem whispered, struggling to his feet. "Tessa, he's here." He grabbed her hand and pulled her along, running down the path. Jem felt something tugging at him, guiding him through the trees and bushes towards a destination. Finally, they emerged in a clearing and the tugging stopped.
Tessa tensed beside him, gripping his hand. "Jem," she said. "Jem, look." She pointed to the middle of the clearing where a body lay on its back. His face was bloodied and bruised, a deep gash glistened scarlet on the side of his head.
The black Shadowhunter gear was ripped to shreds, the weapons belt empty. Deep slashes covered his body, and one arm and leg looked twisted at an impossible angle.
But the windswept black hair was so familiar and recognisable.
"By the angel, Will..." Jem whispered. He then rushed forward, collapsing to his knees by Will's side. Tessa wasn't far behind him, cradling Will's head on her lap, tears in her eyes.
"Oh Will," she sobbed. "Jem, what happened to him? What do we do?" Jem didn't know. He quickly brought out his stele, drawing iratze after iratze on Will's feverish skin. But they did nothing, just faded into his skin.
"We have to get him back to the Institute and call the Silent Brothers," Jem said. "My iratzes aren't working and the amount of blood he's losing... We have to hurry." Jem pulled Will's arm over his shoulders, Tessa on the other side. It was hard work, but they somehow managed to drag him back to the carriage where Cyril jumped down in shock.
"Is that Master Will?" he asked in disbelief. "Bloody hell- begging you pardon Miss- what happened to him?" Jem shook his head in reply and helped Cyril get Will into the carriage. Tessa held him once again on her lap as Cyril set the carriage into motion, driving as fast of the horses could run. Will groaned and mumbled each time there was a bump, obviously in considerable pain even unconscious. He muttered and moaned in his sleep some incomprehensible words, only some of which Jem could make out:
"...I don't know where it is ...evil creature...don't hurt them, please...not James...get out of my head... don't trust anyone...demon...leave Tessa alone..."
All these mumblings hardly made sense at all to Jem, but they worried him. Despite finding Will, he still had an extremely bad feeling that something else was going on. Jem placed a hand on Will's burning forehead, hoping his touch may calm him.
"Jem," Tessa choked out, her eyes puffy from crying. "This looks awfully like..."
"Torture?" Jem whispered. "I was thinking the same thing. This was no demon attack. Someone took him and...and did this to him for some reason..." He met Tessa's eyes and a single word passed between them.
Mortmain.
They finally arrived at the Institute. Cyril jumped down, helping Jem with Will who groaned louder.
"The angel's opponent...I don't know what you want...bronze wolf...I'll never tell you...fire...metal monster," he moaned.
Cyril glanced at Jem but didn't say anything. As soon as the doors were open, Jem shouted as loud as he could for Charlotte before they carried Will to the infirmary. Tessa was running behind them, her hair coming out of her chignon.
She rushed to open the door then Jem and Cyril laid Will down on a bed as carefully as they could. Will thrashed as much as he could with his injuries, his black hair a stark contrast against the white pillows. Jem shuddered, thinking of the last time he was here with Will. It had taken hours to pick out each shard of metal from Will's back.
"Jem! What is it?" Charlotte cried, rushing into the infirmary. She froze when she saw the condition Will was in. "Oh my goodness, is that Will? What happened? Who would do such a thing?"
"I don't know," Jem said, standing by the side of Will's bed opposite Tessa. "We think it could be Mortmain."
"Really?" Charlotte asked. "But it has been a month. If Mortmain had captured Will...well, the kind of man he is, he would have gloated about it to our faces."
"But who else?" Tessa whispered.
"Charlotte, you have to call the Silent Brothers," Jem said. Charlotte nodded.
"Yes, of course, I will," she said then rushed off again.
Jem turned back to Will who was tossing and turning. His hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat and he was still mumbling what sounded like strange riddles.
"What is he talking about?" Tessa asked. "Metal monsters? Well, that sounds like Mortmain's automatons. But 'the angel's opponent'? 'Bronze wolf'? He sounds like he's living a memory, like he's talking to someone else about leaving us alone."
"There is something seriously wrong here," Jem said quietly. "This is not just some act of punishment or rage. It seems...planned almost."
"You think whoever did this meant for this to happen?" Tessa said. "It's a dark theory, Jem."
"Tessa, look at him," Jem said. "Will is one of the strongest people I know and yet...he's..." Jem covered his face with his hands. "We've been through a lot, Tessa," his voice muffled. "I've seen Will in the worst of situations. He's seen me clinging to life. You wouldn't know how bad it got sometimes... But this...I've never seen him like this."
"He will get better, Jem," Tessa said. "We found him. We'll be here to help him get through whatever happened to him." She stood from her chair.
"I shall talk to Cecily. She needs to know we've found him." Jem nodded and watched as she walked out.
Jem faced Will, laying a hand in his parabatai's shoulder. "Wake up, Will," he said softly. "You have to wake up." Will whimpered and tossed on the pillow. As he shifted on the bed, his sleeves rode up and Jem noticed the raw flesh circling his wrists, almost like a burn or brand seared into his skin. With a jolt, Jem realised that Will had been shackled, perhaps for many days. But no normal shackles could leave marks like that, could they?
Knowing it was hopeless, Jem tried another iratze on Will's skin to try and fix his broken arm. Once again, the healing rune just sank into his skin, having no effect on his injuries.
"That is interesting," Brother Enoch suddenly said from the door. Jem whipped around abruptly. Brother Enoch entered the room, Charlotte just behind him. "I see you have found your missing parabatai. Let me see how I can help him." Jem stepped aside.
"Whatever you can do," Jem said, "Do it." Charlotte left the room but Jem stayed with Will as Brother Enoch worked on his injuries, mending broken bones and healing gashes with runes more powerful than Jem would ever understand.
When he was finally done, Will looked a lot better with all broken bones healed and gashes healed up, leaving thick, white scars in their place. But the brands braceleting his wrists still remained.
"These are strange wounds," Brother Enoch said, examining Will's wrists, turning them over in his hands. "Runes do not seem to affect them. And as for his mental state..."
"What do you mean, his mental state?" Jem asked. "Brother Enoch, what is wrong with him?" The Silent Brother lay a hand on Will's feverish forehead. Will flinched and whimpered, and Brother Enoch pull his hand away.
"I cannot sense his thoughts," he said. "I cannot not see where he has been in the past month, or who he met during that period. I cannot see anything."
"How is that possible?" Jem asked. "A block in his mind, perhaps?"
"No," Brother Enoch said. "I could sense a block. But I can sense nothing. It is almost as if something is fighting me." The Silent Brother stood for a moment, thinking to himself. "I shall research this. Call for me as soon as he wakes. He shall need my attention again."
Brother Enoch glided towards the door then paused. "You need to be prepared for the worst, James, when your parabatai wakes. I fear he was been through something that may have changed him. He may not be the person you remember."
And with that, the Silent Brother left.
Jem collapsed back into the chair by the bed. Will might have changed? It didn't seem possible. God, Jem could only imagine what had happened to him. But Will would get through it, wouldn't he? He was Will. He always did.
But the sick feeling returned to Jem's stomach.
What if Will was damaged beyond repair?
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Hello you lovely lot! And welcome to my second Infernal Devices fanfic (because I love Cassandra Clare so much!) here on Wattpad! Yay!
This story has been in my head for a while so I hope you enjoy it! Don't forget to vote and comment along the way! I always love to hear you advice on how I can improve and what you liked about each chapter!
Updates will be as frequent as possible but a little slow for the moment so bear with me!
So, thank you for reading so far! Hopefully I'll hear from you soon!
Love y'all
CricketCat