The Infernal Devices Reimagined

A Terrible Fate

Lunch began the same way dinner had the previous day except with Mr. Herondale present.

"How lovely that you've decided to join us this fine afternoon," Ms. Lovelace spoke in a deceitfully sweet voice. Mr. Herondale simply grinned.

"I could not bear to stay for away any longer, my dear Jessie. My heart aches for you," Mr. Herondale replied in a mocking tone accompanied by exaggerated gestures. Ms. Lovelace rolled her eyes and scowled at Tessa as if to say 'This is because of you'. Tessa held back a laugh.

"If the children are done bickering, we can get on to more pressing matters," chided Mrs. Branwell. "Henry and I have spoken with Mr. Mortmain and he says that young Nathaniel Gray was involved in gambling and owed money to some rather unsavory individuals, who we can assume were the Pandemonium Club. In addition, William and James discovered that the sisters' coachman was, like the maid, an automaton, a machine wrapped in human skin. Both of them had double ouroboros engraved on their backs."

"So Mr. Gray ends up losing a lot of money to the Pandemonium Club, and they take Ms. Gray as hostage to punish him for it," Ms. Lovelace surmised.

"That's not entirely correct, they wanted Ms. Gray too for her shapeshifter powers, so they were both being held hostage," Mr. Carstairs added.

"Alright then, so perhaps the Pandemonium Club had engineered the situation so that Mr. Gray would wind up owing money to them. This way, they would have a reason that made sense to him for taking his sister hostage. The Pandemonium Club probably didn't want the truth of Ms. Gray's abilities leaking to someone it didn't need to," Mr. Herondale suggested.

"That leaves us with a what but not a who," Mrs. Branwell murmured, reclining in her chair.

"Well, Mrs. Black and Mrs. Dark were Downworlders, so the people in the Pandemonium Club are probably also Downworlders," Tessa said meekly. It wasn't much to go off.

"Then I suppose I'll have to call for a meeting with every Downworld leader in London," Mrs. Branwell stood up and suddenly looked very tired, "Dismissed,"

For the rest of the day, the rest of the residents of the Institute were left up to their own devices. Tessa had been absentmindedly strolling through the building when the sound of music filled the hall. It definitely wasn't a violin, it sounded more like a piano. Curious, Tessa followed the sound to the Institute's grand ballroom.

There in the center of the room stood a grand piano, shining in the late afternoon light. Tessa was shocked to find Ms. Lovelace tickling the ivories of the piano, perspiration trickling down her furrowed brow. She stopped playing only when she finished the piece.

"Ms. Gray, I didn't see you walk in. Are you looking for someone?"

"Oh no, I just heard you playing. You're very good."

"Thank you. I learnt when I was still in the mundane schooling system. I usually play for the dancers here during the Christmas partyIt's the only time of the year that I'm useful, according to some."

"Why doesn't Mr. Carstairs play during the Christmas party? I'm sure you two would sound very wonderful together."

"James is very private about his music, he doesn't like others hearing it. He goes as far as only playing outside at night," Ms. Lovelace shrugged, "I can't imagine why."

Ms. Lovelace started playing again, and Tessa understood that she was done talking to her.

Once again at loss of what to do with herself, Tessa found herself ambling out of the Institute and back towards Blackfriars Bridge. At Blackfriars Bridge, Tessa spotted a familiar head of silver hair.