Finding Will Herondale (TID fanfiction)

XIX

-*-*-*-*- Will -*-*-*-*-

Mortmain's automatons charged, drawing their weapons in a motion so fluid they could have been mistaken for actual humans. Will drew his sword, sheering the first one in half while Charlotte quickly threw various blades to the other Shadowhunters. Jem caught a seraph blade from the air, shouting its name before returning to Will's side.

"Please don't tell me you asked for Mortmain's help," Jem muttered to him, stabbing another metal monster who's axe was going for his head.

"Technically it was him who went to us," Will said breathlessly, ducking another blade. "But long story short, yes we agreed."

"I go missing for a few days and you immediately consort with the enemy?!" Jem yelled, slicing the head off the next automaton who was about to stab Will. "What the hell were you thinking?!" Will knew Jem was right, but he also knew that he would have never of found this place on his own, and so he only winked at his parabatai.

Behind them, Charlotte and Henry were fending off the faerie soldiers that were pouring out of the tunnel, trying to take the Shadowhunters from behind. Cecily and Gideon were next, taking out the automatons that Jem and Will missed. Will had no idea where Magnus was, but he could see the blue sparks flying in the air and the occasional screech of metal that meant another automaton had perished.

Out of the corner of his eye, Will was keeping an eye on Tessa who was crouched next to a still unconscious Gabriel, leaning against the wall. She looked unharmed for now but Will still worried. What if an automaton got through and grabbed her? His oath to Mortmain had already been fulfilled but that didn't mean he couldn't still take her.

"Will!" Jem cried. "Watch out!" Will had been so distracted that he hadn't noticed the faerie warrior creep up behind him. He spun, just in time to knock the faerie's demon metal sword from his hand before kicking him away. The soldier crumpled and collapsed.

"Thanks for the warning," he said, turning to his parabatai. Jem only nodded but his face was pale and grave. He wasn't well, and Will knew his energy wouldn't last much longer. They had to get out of here soon.

The battle around them was fierce and bloody. Soon, even Will had cuts all over him where blades had caught him. Despite the bodies, both fae and automaton alike, that were littered around them, the Shadowhunters were being pushed closer and closer together. They were fighting on two fronts, nearly impossible to with only nine of them.

As Will and Jem were pushed back into the tunnel, Will could hear the Unseelie King chanting, reading from the Black Volume. He was completing a spell. As to what it did, Will could hardly guess, but he knew that it wasn't going to be good. The King's voice grew louder and louder, the tunnel amplifying the sound. It was almost as if the entire place was shaking with anticipation for the end of the spell.

But then Will had an idea.

"Jem!" Will yelled, drawing his parabatai's attention. Jem called back through the melee, fighting his way towards Will again.

"What is it?" he asked, ducking a blade before finishing its owner off.

"Do you remember-" he asked  breathlessly, stabbing a faerie then kicking him backwards to take out three automatons. "When we were reading in the library that time and the assignment was about the Roman military?"

"You mean the one that we never completed because our tutor was too busy telling you off for doodling rude pictures in the books?" Jem asked with a ghost of a smile.

"He was telling us off," Will emphasised. "If I remember correctly, it was you drawing in the books as well." Jem huffed as he stabbed at a faerie.