The Equal Shadowhunter : A Rainheart Tale The Infernal Devices Fanfiction [PG]

Chapter 7 : The Challenge

*Tessa PoV*

"I cannot believe you got through to her," I said, breaking the deafening silence. Jem looked up from the pages of his partiture, a smile instantly forming on his face.

"We have something in common," Jem answered, simple. Too simple.

"Like what ?" Tessa couldn't help her curiosity. If Aunt Harriet was here, she surely would scold her about her inquiry. It was most unladylike.

"I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you," Jem joked lightly, his eyes glinting a hint of secret. I wanted to dig, but restrained myself.

"She did have a catch, though. I wanted to talk to you about this," Jem finally said what he's been holding to himself all day yesterday.

"Talk," Tessa said, almost in an asking tone.

"It's not so much her request as mine... Well,put it this way. It's both our requests, we mean nothing by this,..." Jem stammered.

"Jem. Just spit it out. And since when did you become a plural ?" Tessa asked, feeling strange.

"Huh?" Jem didn't understand.

"You said 'we' more than twice," Tessa assessed.

"Yes. I'm sorry. I meant nothing by that. So Lulu wanted an audience with the Fair Folk, to inquire about my illness," Jem said. He says it matter-of-factly, but I can't help feeling he's not being entirely truthful with me.

"The Fair Folk ? What do they know that we don't already ?" Tessa asked.

"That's what she's hoping to find out," Jem gave her a solemn smile, which Tessa returned.

Then a knock came to their hearings, and someone opened the library door. Will came to sight.

"Jem ?" He called out. Jem and Tessa could see him, but his view of them was blocked by a rack of books.

"In here," Jem said. Will approached him quickly. There was a halt in his steps when he saw Tessa was also there, but he resumed with a poker face.

"Did you get her to stay ?" Will asked straight to the point.

"I did," answer Jem. Will opened his mouth, like he was expecting Jem's failure, halfway to saying an 'I Told You So' speech. But when he heard what Jem said, he closed it immediately. I can tell he's at a loss for words.

"Great," he stated. Then he gave me a quick glance and turned on his heel, and went out the library as swiftly as he came. It was like he was never here.

*Will PoV*

I knocked on Lulu's simple wooden door. She was moved here from the infirmary this morning because of her far improved health.

"Come in," her voice called out, soft enough you could mistake it as a wind chime, but I heard her anyway.

I pushed the door in, which revealed a sight of her sitting half lying on the bed, plush pillows stuffed behind her back. She's squeezing water out of her hair, the strands a high contrast but a match to her tanned complexion. I walked over and sat on the chair beside.

"You look well," I said.

"Yes. I am far better from yesterday. That's why I don't need two weeks. I heal considerably quick," she had said.

"But nonetheless, you have agreed to stay in for two weeks, right ?" I made sure. She got quiet, like she was thinking.

"Technically, yes," she finally said. My gut feels strange, like I'm not looped in on something.