A Shadowed Romance

Chapter 8: A Chance of Heaven

Theo:

I wake to a searing pain where my bond with Chelsea is on my shoulder near my heart. Vanessa races in along with Sasha and Olivia. I clutch my runed shoulder blade in pain.

"Theodore." I try to focus on Sasha's worried voice instead of the pain near my shoulder. "You're burning up."

"I'll get some water and rags." Olivia says I hear her footsteps retreating.

"Chelsea left a note Theodore." Sasha says, "May I read it to you?" I nod as she laces her fingers with mine,

Dear Teddy,
I'm sorry that I left before you woke, the brothers are taking me to the citadel now to try to cleanse the yin-fen from my blood. I've been warned of the pain and difficulties, a brother will be at the institute to help you soon, hopefully. I'm sorry you'll be going through this with me. Please stay strong for me, so that I can see you when I wake. Please do not worry about me, I am with the sisters, and Brother Shadrach will be with you soon. Again, I am so sorry Teddy that I am going to be putting you through this. I love you, big brother. Ave atque vale until I see you again on this side or the other.

Your parabatai and sister,
Chelsea Celine Carstairs.

"My stele." I tell them. My stele is placed into my hand and I begin trying to draw a rune on my wrist. Sasha places her hand over mine and helps me, almost reading my mind and we draw the rune together.

~.~.~

Chelsea:

I try not to think of the pain searing through my body, or the chance that I may not survive. I focus on Theodore and making it through so that he doesn't suffer longer than he has to. This causes him as much pain as it does me. The pain makes me want to cry. I can't move, I can't do anything except lie helplessly as the sisters' work tirelessly to burn the yin-fen out of my body without killing me.

"You're going to be just fine." Sister Wayland says to me.

"How is she sister?"

"Sister Cleophas," Sister Wayland greets. "If we only knew the extent of the Yin-fen in her blood, we might know."

"Send for Brother Zachariah." Sister Cleophas says.

"But he's no longer-" Another sister says.

"I said send for him."

I hear shuffling and eventually fall back into oblivion.

~.~.~

A month and a half later:

"Hello Chelsea." A man, not much older than myself stands at the foot of the bed. "I'm Jem Carstairs, previously known as Brother Zachariah."

"Carstairs?"

"Carstairs." He confirms. I knew there was a girl in California, but someone else?

"How?"

"When I was 12, I had yin-fen injected into me by a demon, I was addicted to it. The brotherhood kept me alive, but during The Mortal war when Jace Herondale fell he had adamas surging through his body I went to his aid and had been burned by the adamas, which burned out the demonic substance remaining from my blood, and released me from the brotherhood."

"So, it is possible?"

"It's over, the last of its gone."

"How did it stay dormant for so long, if it's been in my system for so long?" I ask him.

"I don't know Miss Carstairs." He tells me.

"Thank you for explaining it to me." I tell him, "What you could anyway."