✓ | Hushed Whispers ⋆ Will Herondale [2]

CHAPTER SIX: UNCOVERED

"It had to be something that she couldn't find an answer to here in the Institute," Jem suggested. "Something that none of us knew."

"Or perhaps something that we did know, but wouldn't give away," Will repeated. "Is there such a thing, Charlotte?"

Charlotte sighed, standing up from her chair. "I don't know, Will. I have no idea what she might be searching for."

"Is it a person? What if she went after that man? The Magister?" Benedict questioned.

"No," Will shook his head, refusing to believe that Marie would do such a reckless thing. She always thinks things through. "She might be impulsive at times, but she is not stupid. She wouldn't go after him alone. More importantly, she wouldn't drag an innocent person into this."

"Is there anybody else?" Charlotte's gaze collided with Will and Jem's, her eyes were desperate and pleading for more suggestions.

"What about her mother?" Tessa furrowed her eyebrows as she uttered her suggestion.

She had not expected those words to come out of her mouth, but her mind had somehow wandered back to the fight Nephilim shared with the vampires. An image of snarling de Quincey had appeared in her mind; he was threatening her because she had mentioned one particular name.

Eveline Wayland.

"It makes perfect sense," Tessa proceeded, glancing at the Institute's residents. "You were too busy fighting off the vampires to pay attention, but in one particular moment - de Quincey had attacked me. Of course, Marie was there to interfere with his plans of killing me. As I was taking form of Camille, I was able to touch her mind. I didn't ask for it, but the name just fell off my lips. Eveline Wayland."

"By the Angel," Charlotte took a sharp breath in, closing her eyes.

"Is she right, Charlotte?" Jem was quick in confirming Tessa's theory.

The brunette woman shook her head, laughing miserably. "God, how could I have been so stupid? You might be entirely right, Tessa."

"Care to elaborate?" Will lifted his eyebrows.

"Marie had heard the name of her mother at least a dozen times in the past few weeks. We had Eveline's name slipping off of our tongues so carelessly. The girl had never truly known anything about her mother, just bits and pieces of what I've told her. Her father had made sure to hide everything from her; the Institute's books barely have any information on Eveline. And yet, she managed to not remain hidden. De Quincey, Camille, other vampires. Everyone had suggested to Marie that Eveline was somehow connected to Alexei and we all know that Marie is a curious one. She wouldn't pass on the perfect opportunity to get to know her roots."

"You are telling me that Marie dragged my son into an unknown direction just so she could satisfy her curiosity?" Benedict interrupted. "Do I really need to remind you that the girl's mother is dead? Why would she go after a dead woman?"

"She wants answers," Will's voice rose before anyone could stop him. "Are you truly incapable of understanding that, Mr Lightwood? She wants to know the truth. I don't know about you, but if I were in her place, I'd want my answers too."

"Will," Charlotte shot him a warning glance, but the boy only shrugged his shoulders in response.

"Is there anything else we should know?"

"There might be," Will said, his mind debating on whether or not he should share the information.

The Mark on Marie's back.

It was a secret he had been set on keeping as long as Marie and himself didn't find more details about it. However, these times were dark, and even though Will didn't want to believe it, Marie might have been in danger. So, sharing this secret just might end up saving her life.