The Next Herondales - Sequel to The Infernal Devices

Chapter Seven: Explanations

Lucie

A few hours later, the man from before comes back in, but this time he’s accompanied by someone else. The second guy is a lot shorter, and skinny with longish blonde hair and the same shadowhunter markings as the first guy. He looks quite young, he can't be more than twenty, making me wonder what he's doing here.  I would’ve actually said that he was friendly, if I hadn’t been locked up.

He smiles when he hands me the slice of bread, and actually asks me whether I was cold. When I replied in the affirmative, he handed me an old blanket. It was worn and threadbare, but it was better than nothing. This seriously makes me wonder why I’m being locked up in the first place, if they’re going to try to be nice to me. 

Maybe it’s a trap…maybe the food is poisoned or something… 

I sniff gingerly at my food. Seeing me do this, the short guy laughs and assures me that it’s perfectly alright to eat. “I’m sorry we had to do this to you,” he smiles apologetically, “But we didn’t have a choice. We didn’t want to lock you up, promise.” 

Yeah right, that’s a little hard to believe. “So why am I here then?” 

The tall guy shoots a warning gaze at the short guy, but the short guy just ignores him and shrugs. 

“I don’t see the harm in telling you.” he says, “It’s not like you can do anything about it.” 

“But first,” the short guy says, “let me introduce myself. It always makes me feel better when I’m on first name terms with people. You’re Lucie, right? I’m not going to tell you my real name…”

I raise my eyebrows. “But it’s not because I don’t trust you,” he adds quickly, “I just think my code name sounds better. It’s Mercury. How awesome is that?”

“You’re a terrible villain, you know that?” I know that I should be scared, but somehow I’m not. This whole situation is ludicrous. Things like this don’t happen – the bad guys don’t just talk to their captives and be nice. I’m their prisoner, not their friend.

Mercury (what kind of a name is that anyway?) grins. “I’m not sure whether to take that as a compliment or not. You’re saying I’m a terrible villain – but does that mean you think I’m one of the good guys? Don’t get me wrong – being one of the bad guys sounds pretty cool, but I’d much rather be good, wouldn’t you?” 

I stare at him incredulously. “What?” 

Tall guy clears his throat. He really doesn’t say much, does he? Mercury just laughs and punches tall guy’s shoulder. “Loosen up, relax a bit. If we’re going to work together, we might as well learn to enjoy it.”

Tall guy just grunts, and I stare at Mercury with my mouth open in shock. This whole situation is crazy. Even crazier than getting randomly kidnapped and locked up.

“So,” he grins, “Have a look at this.”

Realising what was about to happen, tall guy gasps and tries to stop Mercury, but Mercury just dodges out of the way and laughs. “Too slow!” 

Mercury comes over to me and lifts his long hair off his neck, revealing a red tattoo in the shape of two snakes biting each other’s tail, forming a perfect circle. I don’t know what it is, but I have a feeling I’ve seen it before. Maybe in the codex or something… 

I only get a glimpse of the tattoo before Mercury is tackled to the ground my tall guy. “What do you think you’re doing?” Growls tall guy, “You just compromised the whole mission! Now she knows, and everything is ruined.” So now he talks. 

“I did nothing of the sort,” says Mercury, struggling to get up. “She doesn’t even know what it is, do you?” He looks at me when he says that. 

I shake my head truthfully. “See!” He says, “No harm done.” Mercury manages to stand up, and he dusts himself down a little scornfully. “Now you’ve ruined my coat.” 

I might as well make the most of this opportunity. Mercury is certainly chattier than tall guy. “So why me, then? Why did you take me?” 

Mercury laughs again. “Don’t flatter yourself, it’s not you we want.”

“You see, we were under the impression that your disappearance would cause quite a stir. There was someone we wanted, and we thought that the easiest way to get to her…”

“Her?”

“Yes, her.” He seems to be enjoying this. “You see, the point of all this, this whole plan, was to capture consul Charlotte Branwell.”