Clockwork City (The Mortal Instruments / Infernal Devices Fanfiction)

Chapter Five : Ghostly Advice

A week later and Tessa woke up in a tangle of sheets and Jem in the new day’s sunlight. She rolled over and got out of bed, picking up her dressing gown off the hook by the door as she made her way to the restroom. She turned on the shower and climbed in, relaxing in the warmth of the water. She stood for a moment in the water before reaching for the shampoo to wash her hair. The shampoo ran down her face and into her eye and she closed it as it stung. After rinsing her hands in the shower water, she tried to clean the suds from her eyes. However, every time she tried to open them to clean it, the shampoo dug deeper into her eye and her body reaction took over and closed them. Instead, she climbed out of the shower and wrapped a towel around herself with her eye clamped shut. She walked over to the sink and splashed cold water on her face. That seemed to work. She opened her eye and blinked to clear her vison before reaching out to clear the mirror. She dragged her hand across the steamy surface and screamed. In the reflection behind her stood Will; he looked like he had when she first met him, young and beautiful, dark hair messy on his head and blue eyes shining out at her. She turned around as the door flew open and Jem burst in, seraph blade glowing in his right hand. He looked like he was in the process of getting dressed but had abandoned the effort halfway through putting his jeans on.

“What happened?” Jem asked, looking around for an intruder. Tessa was still staring at the place Will had stood; he had seemed so real and so angry.

“I got shampoo in my eye,” Tessa said, but to her own ears her voice sounded a million miles away.

“And you screamed because?” Jem’s hand fell to his side and the blade stopped glowing.

“It hurt,” Tessa said, pulling the towel around her, “a lot.” She added when Jem’s face looked unconvinced. “Why do you have a seraph blade?”

“I keep it under the bed.” He said, “Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?” Jem asked as she pushed past him into the room and headed for the set of drawers they shared.

She didn’t answer him but got dressed in silence and when they were both presentable, Jem lead the way to the kitchen.

*

When they arrived, they found that Alec and Jace had begun a pancake flipping contest whilst Magnus sat at the table muttering something to Clary who was drawing on a piece of paper. When they came in, everyone froze.

“I wanted to say I’m sorry,” Tessa said into the silence, she looked around the room and saw the boy she had almost killed the previous day “especially to you--” She stopped when she realised she didn’t know the boy’s name.

“Simon.” The boy said, walking towards her with a smile on his face and his hand out in greeting. “Simon Lewis.”

“I’m sorry Simon.” She said again, and meant it. Jem walked past her towards the table where Magnus and Clary sat.

“Nah,” he said, waving his hand. “Don’t worry about it.”

“You do remember don’t you? I tried to kill you.” Tessa said confused as to why Simon wasn’t angry at her.

“Yeah, I remember.” He said, shrugging, “I also remember how I felt when I almost killed a mundane.”

“What are you?” Tessa said, not meaning it to come out so harshly. She clapped a hand to her mouth.

“A vampire,” Simon said, opening his mouth and lowering his fangs.  Tessa lowered her hands. “I’m a daylighter, to be precise.”

“How are you in here?” She asked, leaning against the wall. Simon slumped a little and leaned on the counter behind him.