The Infernal Devices Rewritten

Chapter 17 - Only Noble to Be Good

Chapter 17

Only Noble to Be Good

My Dear, Mrs. Branwell,

An informant whose name you cannot at this time disclose? I would venture a guess that there is no informant, and that this is all your own invention, a ploy to convince me of your rightness.

Pray you cease your impression of a parrot witlessly repeating "March upon Cadair Idris at once" at all hours of the day, and show me instead that you are performing your duties as leader of the London Institute. Otherwise I must fear that you are unfit to do so, and will be forced to relieve you of them.

As a token of your compliance, I must ask that you cease speaking of this matter entirely, and implore no member of the Enclave to join you in your fruitless quest. If I hear that you have brought this matter before any other Nephilim, I shall consider it the greatest disobedience and act accordingly.

Josiah Wayland, Consul of the Clave

"How dare he write you like that," Henry spat, his face red. "How dare he address you in that manner, dismiss your concerns -"

"Perhaps he is correct." Charlotte said in an uncharacteristically small voice. "Perhaps he is mad. Perhaps we all are."

"We are not!" Cecily said fiercely, her blue eyes blazing. Will didn't need to read the letter again - he spend the night reading Clockwork Princess, hoping to catch the precise time of everything so that, for instance, Henry might not become paralyzed. He was furious the first time he'd read it. But now, seeing just how small he'd made Charlotte feel, a fresh wave of fury rolled off of him. Jem was tight and alert beside him. "The Magister is in Cadair Idris. I am sure of it."

With the argument ensuing, Will ignored it, instead going back on what he'd promised Evan would be a last resort. And as much as he hated to push Gideon's proposal to the side - wait, Will bit his tongue; they deserved happiness. Will took a deep breath and forced himself to relax as Gideon made an absolute fool of himself; " - and besides, how else can we be married?"

"What?" Gabriel and Jem chorused. Gabriel accidently flipped a plate onto the floor where it shattered.

"Married?" Henry repeated, perplexed. "You're marrying your father's friends on the Council? Which of them?"

Cecily stood up and said in a slightly ridiculous voice. "All right. Everyone out of the room." Jem hastily dashed from the room, clearly not wanting to find himself facing Cecily's wrath. Charlotte Henry and Gideon rose, too. "Not you, Gideon Lightwood. Honestly! But you -" She grabbed Gabriel's jacket and practically dragged him out of the room, the others - Will included, after shooting Gideon an encouraging smile - trooped after her, "- do stop staring. And come along."

As soon as they were in the hall, Charlotte and Henry moved to the drawing room but Will quickly stopped them. "Charlotte, Henry!" Will called, his voice trembling slightly. The adults turned quickly. "There is something I need to tell you both." Jem looked at him sideways.

Charlotte suddenly looked sick again. "Will, pease do not tell me that the Consul recruited you as well -"

"No!" Will said, his voice gruff. "No." He cleared his throat. "It has to do with how Cecily and I know Mortmain is in Cadair Idris."

Charlotte flipped through the trilogy Will had unearthed. She wasn't sure if she should have been upset that they hadn't come to her sooner or not. No, Charlotte decided, had they shown me, I would have had to report it. She sighed and rubbed her face. Will looked like a child being scolded, his eyes trained on the floor and his hands behind his back. Henry stood over her, studying them closely, too.

"She was very wise," Charlotte said, "To not have shown them to me."

Will looked up at her and his lips quirked up at the mention of her. "Yes, I thought so too. You would have had to report it. Or do you still?"

Charlotte gestured to the letter beside her. "Whether I do or not, the Consul will not hear it. But now we know of the details. This is..."

"Strange?" Will ventured. "Even more so, it is not so accurate." Charlotte rose her eyebrow at him. "It depicted that both Jem and I were to fall in love with Tessa - and Evan never existed in it."

"Oh," Charlotte flicked through the novel again.

"Do you suppose this author had captured the overall... let's say... plot?" Henry said. "Our personal lives might be ascue in these books, but with Mortmain - well, it seems that that all is correct."

Will nodded, "That is what we found."

"How long have you known, Will?" Charlotte asked.

"I found the books in her room the day before our confrontation with Nathaniel Gray." Will said, his voice more stiff.

"The day before you discovered your curse was fake." Charlotte confirmed. Will nodded. "There is nothing about the magic for the Portal?"

"No details," Will said, flipping a few pages from where Charlotte had been. "Cecily is aware of her what she must do when the Portal is ready. Magnus has been researching magic to do with the Portal ever since we included him in this -"

"Magnus is aware of all of this?" Charlotte asked a little too sharply.

Will almost flinched. "Magnus was the only constant within within all of the books - Evan trusts him. She sent him a letter through Scott - whom she also trusts -"

"Evan seems more of a sneak than we thought." Henry mused.

Will's lips twitched. "Not as sneaky as she'd like to think. She sent a letter to Cecily through Magnus as well. Of course, Cecily was planning to come anyway but Evan's letter pushed her into coming sooner."

Charlotte flipped through Clockwork Princess, skimming through the pages. "I suppose I should write to the Silent Brothers then?"