✓ | Hushed Whispers ⋆ Will Herondale [2]

CHAPTER THIRTY SIX: CHASING

◤It's blood. She ought to be thrilled.◢

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CHAPTER THIRTY SIX: CHASING

"COULDN'T stay away from her, Herondale, could you?"

A satisfied smirk rested on Gabriel Lightwood's lips as he glanced at the pair over Magnus Bane's shoulder. Tessa stood next to the warlock, her hand resting over her mouth to hide her surprise.

With flushed cheeks and rapidly-beating hearts, the pair slowly drifted apart. Their hands, however, remained joined as their gazes rested on Magnus Bane who held a cigar in between his fingers. A self-satisfied smile decorated his lips.

"Let me guess," the warlock uttered, bringing the cigar to his lips and inhaling deeply. "You had the lemonade."

Marie and Will glanced at each other, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. Neither of them recollected drinking anything that night; Will was too busy watching over Tessa, while Marie didn't spend more than a few minutes inside the manor. 

"No," Will shook his head at the warlock. "We didn't drink any lemonade."

A somehow-stunned smirk appeared on Magnus' face as he tilted his head and looked over his shoulder and onto Gabriel. The Shadowhunter mirrored his expression as he folded his arms over his chest. "Well, that certainly makes things much more interesting, doesn't it, Magnus?"

"Certainly, my boy," Magnus grinned at the pair in front of him. Both Marie and Will looked equally confused as to what Magnus and Gabriel were speaking about.

"What are the two of you talking about?" Marie questioned, her eyes skipping in between the male pair.

Magnus inhaled another smoke, releasing it in the form of a large circle. "Would you like to explain, Gabriel?"

"Why, of course-"

"It has some sort of warlock powder mixed into it," Tessa blurted out before either of the two could. She was growing tired of their constant exchange of teasing words.

Ever since the two had recognized her in the middle of the ballroom of the Lightwood manor, they've made it their mission to join forces and save her from the hands of her brother. As if she needed their help.

Gabriel was the first one to approach her, seizing her upper arm as if she gave him the permission to do so. He showered her with angry words, questioning how she entered the manor in the first place. He might have mentioned something along the lines that she was insane for engaging with Nathaniel, but Tessa didn't give him the satisfaction of dwelling over her. In fact, she responded rather fiercely, calling him out for not paying enough attention to Marie.

Then, the Lightwood boy had taken to quickly summarizing what happened. He told Tessa how he and Marie had succeeded in becoming parabatai and how she had needed some fresh air.

After that, Magnus Bane himself had shown up, dressed in his elegant dark suit, guiding them out of the crowd and to where they were now. He might have mentioned something along the lines of distracting Nathaniel and how foolish it was of Tessa to taste the lemonade he had offered her, but Tessa couldn't quite recall his exact words. She felt too dizzy.

"What?" Marie questioned, eyes scanning Tessa.

"Don't ask me," she responded. "Magnus claimed he and Gabriel saved me from disaster. Apparently, it has the power to lower your inhibitions and make you do unspeakable things."