Sweetener ▹ The Infernal Devices

CHAPTER FOUR

The door slammed open, and Will came in with his hair still damp from his bath, shirt not even tucked into his trousers. Evangeline peered at him through her lashes, then squeaked in alarm when Will saw Jem sitting up, grinned, and then took a running start toward the bed. He crashed on top of both of them, his elbow hitting Evangeline's hip. Both her and Jem groaned in pain, shoving at his shoulders to make him move, though he didn't budge. He curled his arms around both of them and planted his face against Jem's chest, beside where Evangeline rested on his shoulder. Jem grumbled like he hated it, but Evangeline and Will both knew how he enjoyed being held.

"Are you aware of how heavy you are?" Jem grumbled, even as his fingers sank into Will's hair. Evangeline watched as Will turned his face toward Evangeline, as he closed his eyes and sank into the touch, his cheek squished against Jem's chest. Evangeline smiled at the sight, her hand coming up to push Will's fringe out of his eyes. They flickered open at her touch, and he smiled at her, one of those rare sweet and bright smiles that made her chest ache. She shifted forward just enough to press a kiss against his forehead, then she stretched to kiss Jem's cheek. When she landed back on Jem's shoulder, she felt far better than she had earlier. The comfort the two of them gave her never ceased to amaze her, and she was never going to take it for granted.

"Flora is being rather sweet, isn't she?" Will muttered to Jem. Evangeline grumbled under her breath, making them both laugh.

"Evie is always sweet," Jem pointed out.

"To you," Will argued.

"To everyone," Jem argued back, sounding even more amused. "Teasing you does not make her mean, William."

"We shall ask the Downworlder girl when she wakes, then," Will said with a sniff. "We need an unbiased opinion—"

"Downworlder girl?" Evangeline cut in, raising her head so fast that both Jem and Will jumped. They must've thought she was on her way to falling asleep. She squinted at Will, wondering if he was making a joke, but he seemed fairly serious. Rising up on her elbows, she studied him some more, then she sent herself up into a sitting position. "I thought Tessa was a mundane?"

"Turns out she's a warlock," Will corrected, and then he grimaced. "Well, we think. I stopped by the Sanctuary before coming here to talk to Charlotte, and caught her and Brother Enoch theorizing about what Tessa could be. He thinks her father was a demon, but she has no warlock mark, and she doesn't seem to have warlock magic. But we did find notes in the Dark Sisters's house, and they wrote down that she can shapeshift."

"She's a new kind of warlock, then?" Evangeline asked, already incredibly intrigued. "How fascinating. I must befriend her, then, after she has recovered, of course. It would be lovely to go shopping with someone other than Jessamine for once." She sighed dreamily and sprawled herself dramatically over Will's back. Will huffed, while Jem groaned from the added weight. "I think Tessa would look absolutely darling in yellow."

"I daresay she is trying to replace us," Will whispered to Jem.

"I daresay she will find it incredibly hard to do so," Jem whispered back.

Evangeline's laughter was floating through the room a moment later, causing identical smiles to spread across Jem and Will's faces.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Later that night, Evangeline was running late for supper, having indeed fallen asleep against Jem and Will. Sophie had found them all, so used to the sight that she didn't even blush like she used to. She just hurriedly stomped into the room and pulled Evangeline out of the bed half-asleep, throwing an apology over her shoulder at Jem, who was too busy laughing at Evangeline's startled expression to respond. Will was running late, too—Jem was bound to his room, unfortunately, under Charlotte's strict orders—but he would probably get to the dining room before Evangeline, since he didn't need to dress in large skirts or corsets. Evangeline grumbled under her breath and shimmied out of her simple white dress she'd been wearing all day once she was in her room, letting it fall to the floor unceremoniously. She didn't change into a new under petticoat, just let Sophie lace her quickly into a corset, which she'd opted not to put on that morning. She always found them uncomfortable.