The Infernal Devices Rewritten

Clockwork Princess - A Dreadful Row

"I need my brother," Gabriel said, looking at her without seeing. "I need to talk to my brother. Where's Gideon?"

Evan studied him and said "Mr. Lightwood, what happened - are you hurt -?"

"For the Angel's sake," Gabriel snapped, sounding like his old self. "Call me Gabriel."

"Fine, Gabriel," Evan said evenly, "Are you hurt?"

"Not my blood -" Gabriel was cut off with Charlotte and Henry appearing.

"- Gabriel!"

Gideon was down minutes later, "Theirs? Who are they?" Behind him was Henry, Jem, Will and Cecily. "Is Father hurt?" Gideon said, stopping to assess his brother, "Are you?"

"Father...," Gabriel began. "Father is a worm."

Will, with his place next to Evan, snorted a laugh. He was in his gear as well, weapons hung from his belt like ornaments. "It's good to see you've come round to our view of things, Gabriel, but this is an unusual way of announcing it." Evan shot him a warning look - however amusing, this was not the time.

Gideon sent Will a look before turning back to Gabriel. "What do you mean, Gabriel? What did Father do?"

"He's a worm." Gabriel said tonelessly.

Before Gideon could further misunderstand his brother, Evan said "Wait, do you mean literally or metaphorically."

"He's a worm. A worm. A bloody great serpent-like thing. Since Mortmain stopped sending the medicine, he's been getting worse. Changing. Those sores upon his arms, they started to cover him. His hands, his neck, h-his face..." Gabriel sneered, turning to stare at Will somewhat desperately. "It was the pox, wasn't it? You know all about it, don't you? Aren't you some sort of expert?"

"Well, you needn't act as if I invented it," Will said, not too unkindly. "Just because I believed it existed. There are accounts of it - old stories in the library -"

"Demon pox?" Cecily said lowly to Evan, her face screwed up in confusion. "Evan what is he talking about?"

"It's an STD spread by demons," Evan said simply, too lowly for anyone but Cecily and Will to hear.

"An STD?" Cecily repeated, still confused.

"Sexually transmitted disease." Evan said simply. "It turns people into demons."

"Oh," Cecily said, a faint blush forming on her high cheekbones. "Terrific, thank you Evan."

"Anytime, Cecy," Evan said, louder this time - causing Gabriel to look over at them... and stare at Cecily.

"Is Father dead?" Gideon demanded, earning Gabriel's attention once more. "Has the demon pox killed him?"

"Not killed. Changed. It has changed him. Some weeks ago he moved our household to Chiswick He would not say why. Then a few days ago, he locked himself in his study. He wouldn't come out, not even to eat. This morning I went to the study to try to rouse him. The door had been torn off its hinges. There was a... a trail of some slimy stuff into the gardens. He has become a worm. That is what I'm telling you."

Breaking the silence, Henry said the one thing that always left Evan breathless from laughing whenever she read it. "I don't suppose it would be possible to, er, step on him?" It wasn't too funny now, however.

"I searched around the gardens. I found some of the servants. And when I say 'I found' some of them, I mean exactly what I say. They had been torn into - into pieces. I heard a sound - a high-pitched howling noise. I turned and saw it coming towards me. A great blind worm like a dragon out of a legend. It's mouth was open wide, lined with dagger teeth. I turned and ran for the stables. It slithered after me, but I leaped upon the carriage and dove it out through the gates. The creature - Father - did not follow. I think it fears to be seen by the general populace."

"Ah," Henry started.

"Too big to be stepped on." Evan summed up weakly.

"I shouldn't have run." Gabriel said tightly. "I should have stayed and fought the creature. Maybe it could have been reasoned with. Maybe Father is in there somewhere."

"And maybe it would have bitten you in half." Will frowned with a slight look of sympathy in his face. "What you are describing, the transformation into a demon, is the last stage of the pox."

"Will!" Charlotte threw her hands up. "Why didn't you say so?"

"You know, the books on demon pox are in the library." Will said, sounding offended. "I wasn't preventing anyone from reading them."

From there, an argument started and Evan sat back to just observe. Soon all the Shadowhunters were gearing up, Jem and Will were Marking each other until Cecily, ever the brilliant friend, announced "Evan and I are, too, conveniently already in gear." Behind their backs, Evan and Cecily fistbumped. A small thing Evan taught her.

Will's head jerked up to them, making Jem make a noise in protest. "Cecily, Evan, absolutely not."

"You have no right to tell us what yes or no." Cecily said. "We are going."

Henry shot Will an apologetic look. "They do have the right. Cecily's been training for nearly two months and Evan almost three -"

"She's a little girl!" Will said pointing to Cecily. "And Evan is a mundane!"

"You were doing the same at fifteen." Jem said.

"Tessa will be wanting to come next."

"Of course I am coming!" Tessa said. "I may not be a Shadowhunter but I too have trained. Jem is not going without me."

"You are in your wedding dress." Will groaned.

"Well, now that you've all seen it, I can't possibly wear it to be married in," Tessa said casually. "Bad luck, you know."

Will groaned something in Welsh before turning to Evan, "You can't be coming," He almost pleaded as the other geared up. Cecily ran off to the training room with a promise to Evan to grab her choice weapons.

Evan smiled sympathetically, "Yeah, I am."

"And if you have a -" Evan's look cut Will off. "I just don't want you hurt, Evan."

"I know," Evan said. "I'll be fine." Then a strange look crossed her face. "I'll be right back." And she took off after his sister.