✓ | Hushed Whispers ⋆ Will Herondale [2]

CHAPTER THIRTY: UNEXPECTED

◤Hey, Lightworm. Maybe you should give her the instructions one more time. She seems to not understand the gibberish words that come out of your mouth.◢

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CHAPTER THIRTY: UNEXPECTED

SWEET ringing of silverware spread around the dining room.

Heavy clouds of rain took over the sky, looming over the Institute and allowing droplets of water to form abstract shapes on the glass windows. Sophie, with a gentle smile on her face, ran in and out of the kitchen, bringing out richly served platters of food.

"I suppose you all know by now," Will spoke, not capable of withstanding the delicate silence, "that I went to an opium den last night."

Everyone stopped what they were doing. Sophie stopped in the middle of her walk, glancing in Jessamine's way noticing that her teacup lingered near her pink lips. Charlotte, who was nothing but exhausted, paled. Henry continued reading the newspaper, taking a large bite of fried eggs.

Marie and Tessa, who sat next to each other, kept their gazes glued to their plates, moving around the pieces of delicious food. None of them had really possessed the energy to talk, but then again - none wanted to.

Tessa had kept stealing worried glances at the brunette girl throughout the whole meal, almost wanting to utter that she did something wrong. Jem, on the other hand, was missing.

Marie just kept quiet; her mind recalled the events that took place the night before, remembering the unforgiving activities of Will. She had been mad at him; mad that he had decided to visit the very place which supplied Jem with his drug.

What's even worse, he got drunk and hadn't it been for her, Jem would have suffered greatly. There was still a possibility that he would, but Marie prayed that her encounter with the Downworlders settled the problems.

"Did you hear me?" Will said louder, somewhat disappointed. "I said I went to an opium den last night."

Charlotte sighed, her eyes separating from her toast. She adjusted the glasses that sat on top of her nose, palms supporting her chin as she looked at the Herondale boy. "No," she replied. "That undoubtedly glorious aspect of your recent activities was unknown to us, in fact."

"So is that where you've been all this time?" Jessamine's fingers reached for a sugar cube, dropping it on top of her tongue. "Are you quite a hopeless addict now? They say it takes only one or two doses."

"It wasn't really an opium den," Tessa stated calmly. "That is to say - they seemed to have more of a trade in magic powders and things like that."

"So perhaps not an opium den precisely," Will rolled his eyes, "but still a den. Of vice!"

"Oh, dear, not one of those places that's run by ifrits," sighed Charlotte. "Really, Will-"

"Exactly one of those places," Jem confirmed, coming into the room and sliding next to Charlotte. He spared a nod in Marie's way, but seemed to be avoiding meeting Tessa's eyes. "Off Whitechapel High Street."

"And how do you and Tessa know so much about it?" Jessamine raised her perfectly shaped eyebrow. She looked at the pair quizzically, then allowed her eyes to rest on the Wayland girl. "No doubt you know something too. Any question regarding that fool," the blonde pointed in Will's direction. "Can't pass without your knowledge."