Before City Of Heavenly Fire

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

After an hour of tossing and turning Tessa gave up on going back to sleep and got out of bed. She quietly got dressed and got out of the her apartment that now seemed way to small. She made her way through the crowds of people blocking the roads and walked to the only part of London that had stayed the same over the 140 years that she had lived there. Finally she reached Blackfrairs Bridge and sat down in her usual bench. She remembered the first time that she had come to this place, such a long time ago, with a boy.

She smiled at the happy memory. But no, now was not the time to think about the past she needed to get her thoughts straight about the Herondale boy. She wanted to know more about him.She had heard whispers about Valentine being back but Shadowhunter politics had never really interested her and she hadn't bothered to find out more. She hadn't known that Valentine had tried to get his son back, she hadn't even known that his son was still alive. Tessa sighed she knew what she would have to do if she ever wanted to stop thinking about the boy. She'd have to visit him, talk to him and maybe she could help him. If what Magnus had said was true, that they were in trouble, they may need her help. Mind made up Tessa got up and made her way back to the apartment.

As she came in she could hear Magnus pottering around the kitchen.

"Good Morning Magnus!" She called as she took her coat off. A muffled reply came from the kitchen. Tessa's sighed she knew him well enough to know when he was in a bad mood. She went to her room took out her duffle bag and packed her tooth brush, tooth paste, some randomly selected clothes and a book. Then she walked into the kitchen where Magnus was still trying to cook himself some breakfast. He looked up as she came in and seemed confused at the sight of the duffel bad.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"I've decided to go and visit Jace Herondale."

"And why exactly would you want to do that?"

"Because he's my family."

"But Tessa you haven't contacted your family since Will died! Why do you suddenly care?" There was a note of frustration in his voice.

"I don't know. I guess I'm just curious."

Magnus sighed and rolled his eyes at me.

"Stubborn Tessa." He muttered under his breath. "And I guess you need me to create a portal so that you can be reunited with your family in New York?"

"Well it would save me a lot of trouble if you just agreed to do it."

He put down the saucepan he was carrying and walked out of the kitchen muttering spells to create a portal. As he reached the living rooms widest wall he started drawing runes and chanting louder. About five minutes later he had finished and now stood in front of a portal showing a busy street of New York.

"Okay, well now that that's done I'm going back to bed." And with that he turned and strode to his room slamming the door after him. He really had changed a lot, Tessa never remembered him being so moody and touchy the only explanation that she could find was that he really was devastated with his breakup.

After a quick look around her small and tidy living room she stepped into the portal and was transported to New York. She stepped onto the unfamiliar pavement and started walking towards the institute. She had forgotten how much she hated New York, she remembered it as a beautiful city with horse drawn carriages and great Victorian houses but now those things had been replaced with yellow cabs and sky scrapers. She turned a corner and came face to face with the institute. She felt her heart break a little as she saw the similarities between this institute and the on in London. She felt a rush of old memories wash over her but hastily pushed them down and climbed the steps leading to the oak door. Taking a deep breath she rung the door bell and waited. She waited for a few minutes and then the door was swung open and an annoyed looking boy stood there staring at her.

She couldn't stop staring the boy had the same dark blue eyes and black hair as Will.

"How can I help you?" He asked he was looking at her suspiciously now. He must know that she wasn't a shadowhunter she thought.

"Um hi I'm here to see Jace Herondale."

"Who are you?"

"Oh I'm Tessa Herondale."

"You can't be, he has no family. He's the last Herondale."

I sighed I didn't want to have to explain everything to this boy, who was really starting to bug me.

"I haven't been in contact with my family for years and most people think I'm dead." I told him giving him the version that I always told people who didn't know me. He looked at me again and finally decided that I wasn't much of a threat.

"I guess you'd better come in then. Though the Silent Brothers probably won't let you see him."

He kept on looking at her suspiciously as they walked down the hall towards an old fashioned elevator. He seemed to be inspecting her trying to figure out what she was. He probably knew that she wasn't a shadowhunter since she didn't have any marks, he also knew that she wasn't a vampire as she could enter the institute. He also couldn't see a warlock mark so he would no she wasn't one. After a while she couldn't stand the awkward silence and asked. "I'm guessing that your Alec Lightwood?"

He stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her.

"How did you know?" His voice was heavy with suspicion. Tessa guessed that he was just a really suspicious person.

"Magnus told me. I'm pretty sure that you know him too." Alec started walking again and Tessa had to run to catch up with him.

"Yes I know him. Is he your boyfriend?" He asked suddenly a cold look in his eyes.

"What! Magnus! God no he's just a very good friend of mine. I've known him for years."

The rest of the trip was spent in silence and Tessa couldn't help feeling happy. Alec made her feel nervous he seemed to be so suspicious and in a really bad mood. It didn't help that he looked so much like Will with his blue eyes and jet black hair.

Finally they turned a corner and reached the infirmary. Standing by the entrance was a Silent Brother.

"Brother Zachariah! I hadn't expected to see you here!" Exclaimed Tessa in delight as she saw the Silent Brother. She so badly wanted to fling her arms around him but knew better than to try, it had been a year since she had last seen him and she missed him so badly.

"You know each other?" Alec asked looking slightly confused.

"Yes, we are old friends Tessa and I. I guess you are here to see Jace." Brother Zachariah asked as he turned his robed head towards Tessa.

"Yes I am."

"Very well then. I always knew you would come." Brother Zachariah stood silently for a moment and suddenly added. "He looks like him doesn't he. With his blue eyes and black hair."

"He does."Replied Tessa staring at Alec. Alec looked from one person to another and finally getting fed up with being stared at stomped of without another word.

"Well I guess you had better come in and see him."