ELEANORA'S POV
I roll and scoop up the device. I hop to my feet, and see Will staring at me in amazement and shock.
"Will!" I shout.
"No!" Nate screams, scrambling off Tessa.
I grin at him, then throw the device to Will, just as he crashes into me, sending me to the ground, my side slamming into the hard ground.
I growl, kicking at him and rolling away from Nate.
"One minute you're with them and the next you aren't," Nate growls. I glance at Tessa's who's scrambling to her feet.
I look back at Nate. "You're in for pain, Nate."
"What—"
Suddenly Tessa is in front of me, having changed to Nate. She looks up at the automaton.
"Seize him!" she shouts at the automaton, pointing at Nate. "Catch him and hold him!"
"Tessa, you're a fool," Nate hisses. "This cannot work. The creature is obedient only to—"
"I am Nathaniel Gray!" Tessa shouts up at the metal giant. "And I order you in the name of the Magister to seize this man and hold him!"
Nate whirls on her. "Enough of your games, you stupid little—"
His words are cut off suddenly as the automaton bends down and seizes him in its pincered grasp. It lifts him up, up, level with its slash of a mouth clicking and whirring inquisitively. Nate begins to scream, and keeps screaming, witlessly, his arms flailing as Will, finished with whatever he was doing, drops to the ground in a crouch. He shouts something at us, his blue eyes wide and wild, but it's impossible to hear him over Tessa's brother's screams.
I run. Away from Will and Tessa, knowing that Will will protect Tessa. I run to Jem. I shield him with my back as metal falls, pulling out my stele as I feel some sink into my back.
It's bearable. It always is.
Jem watches me with wide eyes as I draw an iratze on his leg. Then I arch my back as metal sinks in. It's not a lot. I breath in deeply as Jem scrambles to his knees.
Jem takes me, also on my knees, and hugs me to him. Then the raining metal stops. I cling to Jem still, pain flaring in my back.
"Jem," I whisper. "Go to Will."
"Ella—"
"I'm fine. That's what you will tell Charlotte and Henry. You tell them that I'm fine."
Jem hesitates, and then stands, helping me up.
"How will you get back?" Jem asks.
"Don't bother. They're already coming," I say, half smiling. "I'll be fine."
Then I pull together my strength and walk. I walk out, all the while feeling blood trickle down my back. I want to go to Will. To help him.
But I don't.
~
"So how did this happen?" Magnus asks as Caspian carefully draws a blood replacement rune on me.
"They were trying to capture Nathaniel Gray, I think. Use him for information," I say. "He brought this big thing. An automaton. We used Henry's device to blow it to pieces. Did the job, but I got hurt. So did Will."
"How? You should have been smart enough to run," Magnus says.
I shrug. "Jem was injured. I had to help him."
"It could have waited," Magnus says.
I hesitate. "Anything could have happened."
"I see," Magnus nods slowly.
Caspian steps back. "All done. Can't say the same for Will, though. You've only got five shards. I heard that he has a lot."
I wince. "We should get back to the Institute."
"They'll kill us," Caspian says. "They think I'm still recovering from the injury. But dad didn't plunge the knife in all the way. I'm fine now."
"You seem slightly weak," I say.
"That's beside the point. We betrayed them, remember? It was what dad told you to do," Caspian says sourly.
"He has no leverage over us," I say. "We got our life source back."
"Our rings were taken away, by the way," Caspian adds. "And if dad wanted something, he'd invent a more creative way to get us to do it."
I scowl. "Well, I am going back. Will is there, and he is injured. Caspian, you stay here with Magnus until you are fully healed."
Then I head out the door, not open for further discussion on the matter, and walk to the Institute.
~
I enter the Institute and no one stops me. I walk in and up, heading to Will's room.
"Miss Ella!" Sophie exclaims upon seeing me. She has a cloth drenched in blood in her hands. Will's blood, no doubt.
I wince at the sight of it. "Where's Will?"
"The second room down the corridor, to the left," Sophie says, then forces on a small smile.
I nod, thanking her, and head to the room.
I knock lightly before opening the door. The first thing I see is Tessa on a bed, and beside her, Will on a separate bed, with a blanket till his waist, his back exposed.
Jem is at his side, on a chair, head in his hands. He looks up as I shut the door behind me.
"Is he awake?" I ask.
Jem shakes his head. "No."
"You seem tired, Jem," I say. "Go and sleep. I'll stay with him."
Jem hesitates, then nods and stands, the chair making a scraping sound as he does.
He walks up to me and kisses me on my temple, then heads out with a last glance at Tessa.
The door shuts with a click and I walk up to Will. I sit on the chair Jem had occupied.
"Liam?" I say softly.
Will's eyes flutter open slowly, half open.
"Nora," He manages to say.
I manage a tight smile, taking his hand, lacing his fingers with mine. "Liam. How are you feeling?"
"You're awake," Will says, not answering me. "Are you hurt? Are you okay?"
I nod. "I was injured. Caspian helped me, though."
Will nods and brings my hand to his lips. He lays a light kiss on it, all the while looking at me, watching my expression.
I'm shocked, but I don't let it show. Instead I smile. It's a tired smile.
"Will you stay with me, Nora?" Will asks, looking directly at me. "They still have to pull some shards out of me. Please stay."
I nod. "Of course, Will. Of course I'll stay."