The Mysterious Carstairs Boy

Chapter Three: The Wonderful Tessa Gray

Oliver's Point of View:

He'd thought his task would be easy, but even just a few minutes with Will and Charlotte had made him realise maybe he really didn't have the courage to do what needed to be done. The Seelie Queen had been clear with her orders, and despite his initial protests, eventually they'd had to reach an agreement. Not that anyone could really go against the Seelie Queen's wishes.

'Will the room be alright for you, Oliver?' Charlotte asked, her voice kind, with a bittersweet lilt to it as she added, 'Jem's room is just down the hall, I thought it might be nice to have your rooms close by, even though he isn't- '. Her voice broke off. The sentence didn't need to be completed. Even though he isn't here anymore. Oliver hadn't met Jem yet, but knew the Jem he did meet wouldn't be the same one everyone at the London Institute knew. And he feared his reaction, considering Jem had only ever known himself as an only child.

'The room's perfect, thank you,' Oliver said after much too long a pause. Placing the brown, leather messenger bag he'd had slung over his shoulder at the foot of the bed, inside it the few belongings he'd been allowed to take with him from Faerie.

'I'll go and check Will's okay, this will have all been rather a shock for him I daresay. Would you be fine getting back to the library of your own accord?' Charlotte raised a light brown, angular eyebrow, smiling up at him.

'Of course,' Oliver smiled in return, then added, teasing with a laugh, 'although I must say, if all you London Shadowhunters faint so easily I despair for the Clave!'

Charlotte's eyes sparkled, 'we'd best not let Will hear you say that – his ego might not be able to take it.' It was clear she was also joking, and on that note, with bow of her head she left the room and he stood alone.

The room was almost as nice as his chambers in Faerie had been, though much smaller. A four-poster bed presided over most of the floor, deep scarlet coloured sheets were covered with lighter, cream pillows. A vanity table had been placed strategically by the window for optimum lighting and on it he could see some of the standard staples guests tended to be given: a clean bar of soap, a hand mirror, a rough looking towel. His fingers itched to pull out the papers of notes he'd taken in Faerie about his task, but there would be time for that later. He needed to put on an unsuspecting face and go to greet the rest of the household. The plans would have to wait a little, and anyway, time passed differently in Faerie so what was a few days for him could be only minutes for them. He took off his travelling hat, then checked himself once in the mirror; his almost black hair stuck up in a few places it wasn't meant to where the hat had pulled, but it would do.

'Oliver?' The voice startled him and he jumped. That was another thing, he knew the demons who'd killed his parents would be after him eventually now that he was back in the mundane world. As a result, he'd become a lot jumpier since leaving the relative safety of the Fae. Demons couldn't enter the Institute though. He knew this. It hadn't stop the fear though. 'Oliver?' The voice called again – Will – and his impatience showed as loud, hollow knocks started to echo through the room.

'Come in, is everything alright?' He posed the question, double checking his bag was shut and nothing suspicious would be falling out of it. Everyone at the London Institute appeared to adore Jem. That would help things when it came down to it. No one would be wary of him.

'Everything is great! But you must come and meet Tessa immediately. As soon as I told her what had happened she said she couldn't wait a second longer to see you. Her wish, as always, is my command,' Will said, not stopping for a breath as he spoke. His words rolled into each other, and the London accent with the what sounded like Welsh intonations made Oliver struggle to keep up.

'Ah, the famous Tessa Gray?'

'You've heard of her?' Will's blue eyes intensified in colour, his cheeks blushing pinker at the thought of Tessa.

'Enough to know she's a lady I'd be honoured to meet.'

'Now, don't be getting any ideas. Noble Carstairs or not I'm not losing her again,' his tone was jovial but Oliver sensed a hint of hurt behind the words, though he was unsure why. From all he'd been told in Faerie, whilst Tessa had held a brief romance with Jem, apparently Will had taken it very well. Also, they'd informed him her time with Jem had only been fleeting. A passing fancy. Something which hadn't hurt Will's feelings in any lasting way.

'I'll try my best,' Oliver smirked, but his smile didn't reach his eyes as it usually did. His mission wouldn't be easy. Jem's brother or not, knowing what he had to do, he felt like a fraud.