A/N: So how cute is the picture above?!?! I don't actually know when Heronstairs day is, but I will find out! Sorry for the late update. I've been bombarded with snow so I haven't had power or Wi-Fi consistently at all this week. But I'm back! And I'm trying to get this up as soon as possible before I lose Wi-Fi again.
And for this chapter...well, brace yourselves. Please, brace yourselves. Things are going to spice up a bit...
Enjoy!
-*-*-*-*- Gabriel -*-*-*-*-
"What do you mean my brother is missing?!" Gabriel roared, leaping from his chair and glaring at everyone in the Institute. Charlotte had summoned him here an hour ago and, as she was the Head of the Institute, Gabriel couldn't decline, as much as he wanted to. He wasn't sure of the reasons for his summoning. He had thought it was probably some attempt by Charlotte to appeal to his heart and bring him to the Institute only to weaken his father.
But he never expected to hear that Gideon had disappeared.
"He never returned from meeting you," Charlotte said gently.
"But that was yesterday!" Gabriel cried. "You mean he's been missing for twenty-four hours and you think only now to tell me!" He ran his hands through his hair, his breathing harsh and rapid.
God, this was all his fault. He should have been nicer to Gideon and not pushed him away. He should have made sure that he got home safely. He should have known that something like this was going to happen.
"Mr Lightwood, please calm down," Miss Herondale said to him from her chair. If it were any other day, Gabriel would have been fascinated by her midnight blue eyes, but right then his mind was on other things. "We are going to find your brother, just like how we found Will. We are going to save him."
"Yes, but Will lost his memory and had been tortured by the time we found him..." Henry pointed out. Everyone including Gabriel glared at him. He opened his mouth to say something again but one stern look from Charlotte made him fall silent.
"So, what are you going to do?" Gabriel asked Charlotte. She looked up at him, an eyebrow raised.
"I think the more appropriate question is: what are we going to do?" she said. "He is your brother. I assume you are going to help the search." Gabriel looked at her angrily.
"Of course I'm going to help," he retorted. "But my brother was under your care in the Institute. His disappearance is your responsibility. And you wonder why my father thinks you are a terrible Head of the London Institute."
"Mr Lightwood!" Miss Gray gasped but Gabriel wasn't listening. He stood from his seat, glaring at them all one last time before marching from the room and into the corridor.
He couldn't believe that Gideon was just gone. His brother was one of the strongest Shadowhunters he knew, much stronger than Herondale. He wouldn't have been taken easily. So who took him and why? Where was his brother now? What were they doing to him?
He reached the Great Doors and he stormed outside into the courtyard. This was ridiculous, stupid even. He was getting himself all worked up when he should be out there looking for Gideon. Where was he going to start? The park, yes. That was where Gideon was last seen so that would be where he'd look for clues-
Thunk!
Gabriel cried out, clutching his arm with the black arrow protruding from it. It sizzled and burned his flesh like fire. Falling to his knees, he snapped the shaft of the arrow with a scream, throwing it into the road. The actual arrow head was still buried in his flesh but he couldn't pull it out without tearing out more of his arm.
Where the hell did it come from?
He looked down the road and blanched in fear. There, just standing calmly at the end of the road, was a group of five men all wearing iron wolf masks. Gabriel scrambled to his feet, reaching with his good arm for the seraph blade that hung from his belt. But before he could say an angel's name, the men had surrounded him, their arrows aiming right for his heart.
"Gabriel Lightwood," one said, his voice monotone. "We are to take you to our master."
"I'm not going anywhere with you!" Gabriel shouted, trying to ignore the searing pain in his arm. He had never been in this much pain before. "Did you take my brother? Where is he?"
"Come with us willingly or face the consequences," a second man said.
"What consequences?" he asked. "Who are you? Who is your master?" But they didn't answer him. Instead, all five of them reached out and grabbed Gabriel. Before he could even yell for help, they dissolved into black smoke, taking him with them.
-*-*-*-*- Cecily -*-*-*-*-
"Well, that couldn't have gone worse," Cecily said. "So what do we do now?" Charlotte looked up at her from her hands.
"We search for Gideon," she said. "I'll set up patrol schedules but no one is to leave the Institute alone. It is clear now that Will isn't the only Shadowhunter that this person is willing to kidnap. Do you all understand me?" Cecily nodded.
The last couple of days had already been hard enough with Will not speaking to her. She knew that it was her own fault. She had made him feel uncomfortable that night at dinner but she couldn't help herself. The boy in front of her looked so much like her brother; she just couldn't believe that he didn't remember her.
She knew her mistake now.
"Perhaps someone should go after Gabriel?" Tessa said suddenly. "He shouldn't be alone, especially with another kidnapping."
"I'll go," Cecily volunteered, eager to help so she may be forgiven for her mistake earlier. "He doesn't know me or have any reason to hate me. Perhaps it is best that I do it." Charlotte nodded.
"I'll come with you," Tessa said. "You may need some support." Cecily nodded gratefully and the two girls took their leave. They were quiet as they travelled down the corridors of the Institute. Cecily knew that Tessa was still a little cold with her about Will. To be honest, she didn't blame her.
"I just wanted to apologise for my conduct the other night," she said, breaking the silence. "I was wrong to force Will to try and remember. You warned me, but I didn't listen." Tessa smiled softly.
"That is quite all right, Cecily," she said. "He is your brother so I know it must be hard. But perhaps you should speak to Will about this when he returns from Magnus'. I think he would want to speak to you." Cecily smiled and nodded. She felt as if part of the weight on her chest had been lifted. She'd just have to make it up to Will now.
They reached the Great Doors and they pushed them open, walking down the steps and into the courtyard.
"It seems that he has already left," Tessa sighed. "I do hope he is alright." But Cecily wasn't listening. She strode to the gates, crouching down on the cobblestones. Reaching out, she brushed her fingers over the splatter of blood on the path, scrunching up her eyebrows in concentration.
"Is that blood?" Tessa asked from over her shoulder.
"Yes," Cecily said. "And it's fresh." She turned to look at Tessa who had the look of fear on her face. She brought her hand to her mouth.
"Gabriel," she whispered. "We have to get inside. We have to get back inside now!" Cecily straightened up but a hand suddenly clamped down on her shoulder. She opened her mouth to scream but a cloth her pressed out her mouth.
The last thing she saw was Tessa struggling to fight off a man with a iron wolf mask before she blacked out.
-*-*-*-*- Jem -*-*-*-*-
When Jem woke up, Will was still asleep on the table in front of him. He looked mostly peaceful for the moment, but Jem had seen what had happened to him. He knew that Will wasn't calm. Jem took a deep breath then stood from the chair, massaging the crick in his neck.
Magnus didn't seem to be there at the moment. Perhaps he was trying to figure out how Lupus got hold of demon metal. Jem didn't know a lot about it, but he had heard stories, rumours that were whispered throughout the Shadowhunter world.
Nephilm could fall to any weapon, but demon metal was what they feared the most. From what Jem knew, it literally burned Shadowhunter's just by touching their skin. A wound from demon metal didn't heal easily and there would always be scars.
Going over to Will, Jem checked over him before heading to the door. A note was pinned to it and he tore it off, reading Magnus' neat writing.
Jem,
Gone to get some ingredients. Should be back by five o'clock. Watch over Will until I get back.
Magnus.
Jem folded the note and put it in his pocket, running his hand through his hair. He still didn't feel that well, perhaps because Will wasn't well either. Jem could literally feel his pain pulsing through his parabatai rune. In fact, his head was swimming too.
He opened the door and slowly made his way down the corridor to the front door. Opening it, he stepped outside and took a deep breath of the fresh air. Will was right; the air did help clear your head.
"James Carstairs," a voice suddenly said. Jem looked up sharply to see a group of five men dressed in black, just standing in front of him. They held bows and arrows in their hands and all wore iron wolf masks.
"Who are you?" Jem asked. "What do you want?"
"You," the first one said. "Our master wants you." Jem took an involuntary step back but two of the men dissolved into black smoke, appearing again behind him. They had now surrounded him.
"Your parabatai has something our master wants," a second man said. "And you will be our way of convincing him." Jem gasped but before he could move, the wolf men grabbed him and they dissolved into smoke.
*******************************************************************************************
So...yeah...that just happened...I am currently bracing myself...
So what did you think of this one? Let me know in the comments!
Love y'all!
CricketCat