ELEANORA'S POV
I almost growl in frustration when Tessa shows up.
Will and I both turn to look at her in exasperation.
"Tessa," He says. "Couldn't keep your nose out, could you?" He turns back to Mortmain. "This is Miss Gray, of course. Nathaniel Gray's Sister."
Mortmain looks shocked. "Oh, good God. I should have realised. You look like him. Miss Gray—"
"I don't think she does, actually," Will says, and I nod in agreement.
"Mundanes," I mutter, and Will grins at me.
I tune out their conversation as I feel another stab of wrongness. It's all wrong.
"That is all very well," Will says—after Mortmain finishes babbling about all the things we already know—a hint of impatience in his voice, "but you are not telling us anything we do not already know."
"Did you also know," Mortmain says, "that he paid a pair of warlocks called the Dark Sisters to create a binding spell that would animate these creatures not with mechanics but with demonic energies?"
"We did," says Jem. "Though I believe there is only one Dark Sister remaining. Will destroyed the other one."
"But her sister brought her back via a necromantic charm," says Mortmain, a hint of triumph in his tone, as if he was relieved to at last have a piece of information that we did not. "Even now the two of them are ensconced in a mansion in Highgate—it used to belong to a warlock, until de Quincey had him killed—working on the binding spell. If my sources are correct, the Dark Sisters will attempt to implement the spell tonight."
Will's blue eyes were dark and thoughtful. "Thank you for the information," he says, "but de Quincey will soon be no more of a threat to us, or his mechanical monsters, either."
Mortmain's eyes widen. "Is the Clave to move against the Magister? Tonight?"
"Goodness," says Will. "You really do know all the terms, don't you. It's very disconcerting in a mundane." He smiled pleasantly.
"You mean you're not going to tell me," says Mortmain ruefully. "I suppose you wouldn't. But you should know that de Quincey has at his disposal hundreds of those clockwork creatures. An army. The moment the Dark Sisters work their spell, the army will rise and join with de Quincey. If the Enclave is to defeat him, it would be wise to ensure that that army does not rise, or they will be nearly impossible to defeat."
"Are you aware of the Dark Sisters' location, beyond the fact that it is in Highgate?" asks Jem.
Mortmain nods. "Most certainly," he said, and rattled off a street name and house number.
Will nods. "Well, we'll certainly take all this under advisement. Thank you."
"Indeed," Jem says. "Good evening, Mr. Mortmain."
"But—" Mortmain looks taken aback. "Are you going to do something about what I've told you, or not?"
"I said we'd take it under advisement," Will says. "As for you, Mr. Mortmain, you look like a man with somewhere to be."
"What?" Mortmain glances down at his evening dress, and chuckles. "I suppose so. It's just—if the Magister finds out that I've told you all this, my life could be in danger."
"Then perhaps it is time for a holiday," Jem suggests. "I've heard Italy is very pleasant this time of year."
When Mortmain finally leaves—into his carriage and off to someplace—Tessa turns to us.
"What are you going to do?" She asks. "About the Dark Sisters?"
"Go after them, of course," Will says, his eyes glittering with excitement. "Your brother said de Quincey had dozens of those creatures at his disposal; Mortmain says there are hundreds. If Mortmain's correct, we must get to the Dark Sisters before they work their spell, or the Enclave may well be walking into a slaughter."
"But—Perhaps it would be better to warn Henry and Charlotte and the others—"
"How?" Will says cuttingly. "I suppose we could send Thomas to warn the Enclave but there is no guarantee he will get there in time, and if the Dark Sisters manage to raise an army, he could simply be killed with the rest. No, we must manage the Dark Sisters on our own. I killed one of them before; Jem and I ought to be able to manage two."
"But perhaps Mortmain is wrong," Tessa says. "You have only his word; he might have faulty information."
"He might," Jem acknowledges, "but can you imagine if he doesn't? And we ignored him? The consequence to the Enclave could be utter destruction."
"Maybe I could help. I fought the Dark Sisters with you once before. If I could accompany you—"
"No," Will says. "It's out of the question. We have so little time to prepare that we must rely on our fighting experience. And you have none."
"I fought off de Quincey at the party—"
I laugh then. I laugh. When I'm done, I look at Tessa, grinning.
"Tessa, dear, you did not fight de Quincey off at the party. I doubt you fought the Dark Sisters the other time," I say. "As said before, until you learn how to fight, you are only a burden. Something else we need to worry about. At a time like this, we don't need something like that."
Tessa looks enraged. "You- you don't have the right to speak to me like that!"
I laugh again. "Tessa, I have the right to speak to anyone anyway I like."
"You really are no better than Jessamine," Tessa growls out.
I would have responded, but suddenly I feel a flash of pain. In and out. I feel suddenly a wrongness so strong. From me. And from Caspian.
I push it down.
I look at Tessa, my eyes blank. My face expressionless. "Jessie isn't a bad person. And remember your place here, Downworlder. As you said so before, this is not your fight. You are not one of us."
Tessa seems stunned to silence. Hurt flashes in her eyes.
I turn to Jem and Will, who are both gaping at me.
"Kill them," I say, snarling. "Kill both of them. Tell them that the Schlange got its revenge."
"You aren't going?" Will finally says.
"No," I say. "Someone has to defend the Institute."
I look at Jem significantly. He nods.
"Let's go, Will."
I manage a tight smile to Jem, who approaches me for a hug.
"Don't be too harsh on Tessa," Jem whispers to me. "No matter your... situation. Just go a bit more easy on her."
I hold onto Jem more tightly, smelling the yin fen on him. "Kill them for me, Jem, and I'll work on it."
Jem smiles, pulling away, and lays a light kiss on my forehead. Then he turns and goes towards the carriage that Thomas had brought out.
Will hesitates, then shows me a two finger salute, before heading to stand with Jem.
Beside me, Tessa raises a hand, then remembers what Jem had said and slowly brings it down.
The boys, having seen her, look up. My eyes cloud over as I feel pain stabbing into my chest. White hot pain. I look away, hiding it, covering the blinding flashes of black on the ring with a hand. I lean against the doorframe of the Institute's entrance to hide the pain.
Jem suddenly runs up the stairs to Tessa. I shut my eyes, leaning my head against the door frame, trying to pull the ring out.
"Tessa—" Jem starts.
"I didn't mean to say goodbye," Tessa says quickly. "But—it seems odd to let you leave without saying anything at all."
I open my eyes just in time to see Jem kiss Tessa's hand. Tessa's face is morphed into a shocked expression, and Jem smiles.
"Mizpah," Jem says, and I look to Will.
He's already looking at me, a certain painful emotion in his eyes.
Pain stabs my chest again, and I try. I try so hard to take off the ring. It doesn't work.
"'And Mizpah, for he said, the Lord watch between me and thee when we are absent one from another.'" Jem and I both say at the same time.
Jem smiles crookedly at me.
I smile in return, then look at Will again. He's still watching me. I hop down the steps and to him.
"Are you alright?" I ask.
"Are you?" Will asks, his voice strained, glancing down at my ring briefly.
"Nothing that I cannot handle," I say, then glance at Tessa who's watching us. "Are you alright?"
"Yes," Will exhales softly, his hot breath reaching my face. "Yes I am." He smiles at me crookedly. "Watch out. I have a feeling something is going to happen here."
I nod slowly, glancing at the direction Mortmain had disappeared to. "Just come back quickly."
"We will," Jem says, joining us.
Will laughs. "Let's go."
Will climbs into the carriage, Jem behind him.
Then the carriage is off.
~
I walk to the steps, where Tessa stands. She's watching me, a weird emotion which I can't place in her eyes. Is she jealous?
"I'm sorry about what I said earlier, Tessa," I say carefully, then walk into the Institute. Sophie and Agatha are waiting at the entryway for us.
Sophie is looking at Tessa with a look of... jealousy.
Tessa comes in and Agatha goes to shut the double doors. She pushes them shut, panting slightly, when the knob of the leftmost door, untouched, begins to turn.
Sophie frowns. "They can't be back so soon, can they?"
My eyes widen.
Agatha's hands are still braced against the door. I am standing next to Tessa.
Agatha steps back as the door swings open.
"Oh my Lor'—"
Agatha never finishes the sentence. The figure in the doorway moves and Agatha screams.
My whip uncurls from around my wrist.
"Dear God in Heaven," Sophie whispers. "What is that?"