Cursed (Infernal Devices Fanfiction)

Chapter 20- Stay With Me

Disclaimer: all characters (apart from Philip and Grace), settings and the main plot belong to the amazing Cassandra Clare. Only Grace, Philip and my own story plot and sub-plots belong to me. I do not own the Infernal Devices no matter how much I wish I did ;)
********************************************************************************************

'Oh, won't you stay with me?
'Cause you're all I need
This ain't love it's clear to see
But darling, stay with me.'

- Stay With Me, Sam Smith

********************************************************************************************

-*-*-*-*- Charlotte -*-*-*-*-

"Thank you for coming, Philip," Charlotte said a little wearily, opening the door wider for Philip to enter. Philip inclined his head and stepped inside, wiping his boots on the mat. He took off his hat and hung it on the hat stand. Charlotte wondered to herself if he was just being overly polite or was genuinely trying to make amends. Either way, it didn't matter what she thought. This was something that she had to do, for the good of the inhabitants of the Institute.

Charlotte led Philip up the stairs and down the hallway, walking quickly. "Thank you for summoning me, Mrs Branwell," Philip said. "I know that I'm not exactly your favourite person in the world, but it means a lot that you've trusted me enough to invite me here."

"I didn't do it for you," Charlotte snapped, trying but failing to control her temper. "In fact, I would prefer if you weren't here at all. But you might be the only one who can get through to Grace now that Jem..." She trailed off.

"She didn't know, did she?" Philip asked quietly. "She didn't know what Jem was planning to do?"

"No," Charlotte said, shaking her head. "Jem made us promise not to tell her until he had gone. He didn't want to get her hopes up because there was so little chance of success. He was so weak when they took him... We still haven't heard if they succeeded or not. But the last thing Jem wanted was for Grace to believe there was hope when were was so little."

"But she always said that she would never want her brother to become a Silent Brother," Philip said. "No matter how bad things were."

"Yes, well that was another reason Jem didn't want me to tell her," Charlotte said. "Grace can be extremely strong, but she can also be very unpredictable. We couldn't know how she would react...or how it would react. She is already under enough stress as it is, there was no need to burden her with that knowledge too soon, especially the trouble she's been having with controlling Yanluo. Jem made that quite clear to me which is why we told her once he was gone."

"So you do not know if he survived," Philip said. "Grace does not know if he survived."

"If he was successful, Jem will tell her in time," Charlotte said. "It will be difficult for the both of them but Jem was just trying to protect her."

"It seems an odd way of protection," Philip said. Charlotte stopped abruptly and turned to face him.

"Are you really one to speak of that, Mr Blackthorn?" She asked, her voice quiet but deadly. Philip looked down, his cheeks red.

"No, I suppose I'm not," he replied.

"Jem had a difficult choice to make," Charlotte said. "But he chose the path that would mean Grace wouldn't be alone to fight that awful demon. He knew that she can't do it without him. Much like how Grace sacrificed herself to give Jem some time six years ago."

"A balance," Philip said quietly. Charlotte nodded. They walked for a few more minutes in silence until they reached the door to Grace's bedroom.

"She's in there," Charlotte said. "She hasn't moved since her...since her crystal shattered. We don't know what it means exactly but...but we are fearing the worst." Philip looked towards the door a little nervously.