-*-*-*-*- Tessa -*-*-*-*-
"This isn't working," Tessa sighed, throwing down the arrow head which clattered onto the stone floor. "We've been at it for hours. I'm sorry; I can't do it." Gideon nodded, his hand passing over his face.
"Right, we're going to have to try something else then," he said after a moment. Tessa watched as he glanced over to Gabriel who's head was in Cecily's lap. The poor boy's chest was heaving as he gasped for breath, his forehead shining with sweat as the fever got to him. She knew the look Gideon gave his brother. It was once a look she had given to Nate. But those times were long gone now and yet she wondered, if Tessa was in Gabriel's position, would Nate worry at all?
"There is nothing else," Cecily said quietly as she dabbed Gabriel's forehead with a torn piece of her dress. "We're out of options."
"We can't give up hope," Tessa said to her, trying to pick them up. But Gideon sat down hard on the floor, running a hand through his hair.
"All I can think of is fighting our way out the next time they come for us," he said. "But with Gabriel injured and you two barely trained, it may not go so well." Tessa bit her lip, looking around for something, anything to help them.
But in her heart of hearts, she knew that Cecily was right. There was nothing else they could do.
"Well, this looks rather pitiful," a voice said, a slight hint of humour to it. Tessa snapped her head up to see none other than Magnus Bane standing outside the cell, studying the bars with interest.
"Magnus!" she cried, running towards him, her hands gripping the bars. "By the Angel, how on Earth did you get here?" Magnus clicked his fingers, blue sparks flying. The door to the cell burst open, falling of its hinges.
"Let's just say Will remembered," he explained as he ushered the Shadowhunters from the cell. Gideon was carry Gabriel over his shoulders as he was too weak to walk. "There isn't time for the whole story now, but we've got to go and help Will."
"Will's here?" Cecily asked, her blue eyes blazing.
"He's gone to get Jem," Magnus said and Tessa nodded. Of course that's what Will would have done. "We have a plan, and for once it seems to be going right." He turned to Gideon. "But first, Mr Lightwood, I suggest you get your brother out of here. Go down the corridor and turn the first right. Charlotte and Henry will meet you there and will take you to my apartment. I will treat your brother there."
"But-"
"No arguing, Mr Lightwood," Magnus said firmly. "Go, now." Gideon looked like he wanted to argue further but Gabriel groaned in his arms which sent him into panic. He nodded to Magnus and the girls before turning and running to the exit.
"Miss Gray, Miss Herondale, I'm going to need you help," Magnus said once Gideon had gone. "We're going to help Will."
-*-*-*-*- Will -*-*-*-*-
"You are too late, Mr Herondale," Lupus' voice whispered from behind him, echoing through the cavern as Will sobbed with Jem in his arms, his weapons scattered on the floor around him. "With none of his medicine here, I'm afraid that we just couldn't save him. He was so hopeful that you'd come for him, but I suppose that he didn't come for you. The debt has been repaid."
"You did this," Will muttered, staring at Jem's pale and lifeless face.
"I'm sorry?" Lupus asked having not heard the words.
"I said, you did this!" Will roared, standing up and whirling around to face Lupus who stood outside the case. He pulled out a sword, pointing it at the evil man with the bronze wolf mask who stood in front of him.
"I did nothing, Mr Herondale," Lupus said, raising his hands in a mock surrender. "I'm afraid that it was you who did."
"You took him, you tortured him!" Will yelled, putting every drop of anger he had into his words. "This is your fault! I'll rip you apart!"
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Mr Herondale," Lupus chided. "I still have your sister and Miss Gray, not to mention the Lightwood brothers. If you kill me, then they die too. You'll have nothing. Unless you do exactly what I say."
"And what is that?" Will asked through gritted teeth. Lupus' eyes drifted to the book that lay between Jem and Will.
"The book, Mr Herondale," he said. "The thing I wanted all along. You will give me the book, and I will free your friends. But you must remain for I will have my revenge on your family." He looked so confident, so casual. It was as if he thought he already had everything he wanted right in front of him.
But Will had a card that Lupus never thought he had.
The power of parabatai.
"Are you really that stupid?" Will asked while sending waves of his strength to Jem through his parabatai rune. He had to play Lupus as long as possible. He had to delay him. "Did you really think you could deceive me again?" Lupus faltered, his demeanour and posture confused.
"What are you talking about?" he asked. "I've won. You can't escape this."
"You know, for someone who wants to destroy Shadowhunters so much, you don't know a lot about them," Will laughed.
"What?!"
"Jem isn't dead, he never was," Will elaborated, a slow grin spreading across his face as he revealed his trick. "I would know if he was because the rune would fade. But it hasn't, and so therefore Jem is still alive." From behind him, Will could hear Jem stirring from the deep magical slumber Lupus had put him under. It was working. Will's strength was giving him the ability to fight.
"And do you want to know another thing?" Will continued, trying to buy Jem time to recover. "I know who you are."
"You're lying," Lupus said, his voice becoming panicked.
"I'm not," Will retorted. "I don't know how I didn't see it before, but I do now." Jem let out a little murmur and Will knew it wasn't long now. "You have never lied to me, Lupus. You've spoken untruths, but they weren't lies, only tools. The way you speak and hold yourself has an air of royalty to it. And the magic you use is all distinctly of one nature, one of the only kinds of magic that can cause this much damage."
"This is impossible," Lupus whispered. "You're lying. You're making this up."
"I'm not, your majesty," Will smirked, pretending to bow. "The King of the Unseelie Lands is who you are, Lupus. Your game is over now." Lupus fell silent but then started laughing manically, slowly clapping.
"My, my, you have been busy, haven't you?" he chuckled, removing the mask and revealing his ugly face. He threw the bronze mask over his shoulder and it landed with a clatter. "So tell me, how did you know?"
"You forget, you undid the magic that blocked parabatai tracking, and so I saw everything that Jem saw, heard everything that he heard, and I know everything that Jem knows," Will said. "Of course I knew as soon as I tracked him to this very room." The King paused.
"Well, I must say, that is a mistake on my part," he said. "But no matter, I still have your friends, and Mr Carstairs is still under my magic. You're still under my control."
"Perhaps," Will said. "But you miscalculated again, your majesty. The power of parabatai is more than just visions and tracking. It's strength. It's each others strength. And we always have it." There was a sudden blur of movement from behind Will and Lupus yelled in pain as a cold iron knife was embedded into his shoulder.
Jem stood next to Will, his face pale and his breathing rapid. He still looked unsteady on his feet, but at least he was alive and standing.
"How did you like my theatrics?" Will asked, throwing Jem a seraph blade. "I thought sobbing over your body really did it, personally."
"Well, you always did say you could have a future on stage if you weren't a Shadowhunter," was Jem's dry reply. "What took you so long, anyway?"
"Urgh, some slight memory problems," Will said with a grimace. "Did you know there was a demon in my head? Rather annoying, pesky little thing. You should have seen it when Magnus got it out."
"That's enough!" The Unseelie King roared, savagely yanking the blade from his shoulder and throwing it to the floor. "I will destroy you, Herondale! How dare you humiliate me!"
"Sorry, your majesty," Will said with a grin. "But with that suit, you do that yourself." The King let out an almost feral growl, seizing his cane which morphed into a huge, double edged, demon metal sword. Will gulped at the sight of it, knowing what demon metal could do to a Shadowhunter.
"So what's the plan?" Jem asked. He still looked extremely ill but seemed to be holding on for now. "Please tell me you have a plan."
"Err...well..."
"Will!" Will and Jem turned to see Cecily, Tessa and Magnus charging into the cavern, skidding to a stop when they saw the Unseelie King. Magnus' expression was unreadable but he snapped his fingers, blue sparks flying around him.
"How did you escape?!" the Unseelie King roared, spit flying out of his mouth. Magnus scoffed.
"I take it you are blind if you can't see the warlock standing next to them," he replied. He walked forwards almost casually."You must be the Unseelie King or otherwise known as Lupus. Magnus Bane, at your service."
"I don't care who you are, warlock!" Lupus shouted. "This is not your fight. What have Shadowhunters ever done for you?"
"Not a lot in the past, I admit," Magnus replied with a shrug. "But these ones have." He suddenly shot blue sparks at the King, surrounding and blinding him. "Run, Will!"
Will didn't have to be told twice. He grabbed Jem by the shoulder, taking half his weight as they legged it to the exit. Tessa was next to them in an instant, helping Will with Jem as they ran. Cecily and Magnus ran behind them as they entered the corridor, the roars of the Unseelie King behind them.
Will had memorised the way and led the group through the twisting tunnels until he found the exit. "Not far now!" he said to the others, his breathing heavy. He glanced over at Jem who looked sick and pale.
They burst out into the open where they were met by Charlotte, Henry and the Lightwood brothers. "I thought I said to go back to my apartment?!" Magnus said in astonishment when he reached them. Will was about to say the same thing when he looked up and stared at what was in front of them.
A massive clockwork army stood statue still on the pavement, their metal gleaming in the sunlight. Mortmain stood at the head of the army, his face twisted in an evil smirk.
"Very well done, Mr Herondale," he said. "I didn't think you'd make it, much less with everyone safe and sound."
"You gave us your word that you'd get us out," Will snarled. "So step aside."
"Unlike you, I am not bound by the Angel's oath," Mortmain said dryly. "Although I'll admit, it was clever of you to twist your words in such a way that meant Miss Gray would not be in my possession straight away." At that, Tessa turned to Will with confusion written all over her face.
"You never intended to help, did you?" Magnus asked, his face fierce.
"Of course not, warlock," Mortmain laughed. "Why would I betray my ally?" From his pocket, he drew out something that glittered gold. Will gasped, stumbling backwards when he realised what it was. Memories flashed through his mind at such a speed that Will could barely hold onto them.
The night he was taken, he remember the faeries and the automatons working together to drag him away. He remembered the visits from Mortmain during his time in the cell. He remembered it was Mortmain who took his memories using Bates' technique which he was passed down from his parents, not stolen by Lupus.
"It was you," he said. "You who kidnapped me. You who sold me to the Unseelie King. You who made the deal with him. This entire game, this whole situation, you orchestrated it." Mortmain chuckled darkly, placing the golden wolf mask on his face.
"Yes, you are correct," he drawled. "Now, as we're all here, you will hand Miss Gray over to me and give up your weapons."
"Or what?" Charlotte snapped.
"Or my associate will have to unleash the power of the Black Volume which you so carelessly left behind with him." Will's heart stopped, his blood going cold in his veins. He was so preoccupied with Jem, he had forgotten all about the book which he had left in the cell.
As if on cue, the Unseelie King himself emerged from the passageway behind the Shadowhunters, his army of faerie warriors at his side. The book was open in his hands as he read through it, an evil glint in his eye. "You aren't the only one who can play tricks, Mr Herondale," he said.
They were surrounded.
*****************************************************************************************
Well, this isn't looking too good is it???
Anyways, some big reveals in this chapter! Who thought Will had a plan? And more importantly, who didn't trust Mortmain from the start??? I think pretty much all of you...
So, I hope you enjoyed this! There isn't long to go in this story now so let me thank you so much for the support you've given me so far! Seriously, you guys are awesome!
Don't forget to vote and comment!
Love y'all
CricketCat