chapter sixteen

"𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔡𝔢𝔞𝔡 𝔞𝔯𝔢 𝔰𝔩𝔢𝔢𝔭𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔦𝔫 𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔦𝔯 𝔰𝔢𝔭𝔲𝔩𝔠𝔥𝔢𝔯𝔰:

𝔄𝔫𝔡, 𝔪𝔬𝔲𝔩𝔡𝔢𝔯𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔞𝔰 𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔶 𝔰𝔩𝔢𝔢𝔭, 𝔞 𝔱𝔥𝔯𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔰𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔡,

ℌ𝔞𝔩𝔣 𝔰𝔢𝔫𝔰𝔢, 𝔥𝔞𝔩𝔣 𝔱𝔥𝔬𝔲𝔤𝔥𝔱, 𝔞𝔪𝔬𝔫𝔤 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔡𝔞𝔯𝔨𝔫𝔢𝔰𝔰 𝔰𝔱𝔦𝔯𝔰,

𝔅𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔡 𝔣𝔯𝔬𝔪 𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔦𝔯 𝔴𝔬𝔯𝔪𝔶 𝔟𝔢𝔡𝔰 𝔞𝔩𝔩 𝔩𝔦𝔳𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔰 𝔞𝔯𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔡,

𝔄𝔫𝔡, 𝔪𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔩𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔴𝔦𝔱𝔥 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔰𝔱𝔦𝔩𝔩 𝔫𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔪𝔲𝔱𝔢 𝔰𝔨𝔶,

ℑ𝔱𝔰 𝔞𝔴𝔣𝔲𝔩 𝔥𝔲𝔰𝔥 𝔦𝔰 𝔣𝔢𝔩𝔱 𝔦𝔫𝔞𝔲𝔡𝔦𝔟𝔩𝔶"

~ Percy Bysshe Shelley, "A Summer Evening Churchyard, Lechlade, Gloucestershire"

---

Estelle dragged herself the remaining distance to her brother and brought his head onto her lap, tears of anguish and pain dripping down her cheeks. "No. No. No. No. No. No. No."

She kept repeating that word.

No.

She heard muffled voices around her, but she couldn't comprehend it. She herself was in pain. Her brother was in pain. Her parabatai. He was dying. James dropped down beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

She looked up and saw Charles was here. Charles Fairchild. And Alastair Carstairs. Matthew was yelling and Charles was yelling. Alastair's lips were moving but Estelle couldn't hear.

She turned back to her brother.

"Kit, Kit, you have to wake up. Kit, open your eyes. Come on, little brother! Show me your beautiful eyes! KIT! CHRISTOPHER!" She was getting hysterical.

His blood dripped onto the cobblestone, staining them red. A pool of it surrounded them and Estelle's hands were soaked in it. Christopher's chest was slashed and he was motionless. She felt James' hand leave her shoulder as him and Alastair lifted Christopher but she didn't move.

She couldn't move.

It was almost like she was frozen in time. Frozen in place.

Then, Matthew appeared. He knelt down beside her and brought his hands to her face. It was a sudden rush of warmth that brought her back. Her eyes instantly welled up and tears began rushing down her cheeks.

The golden haired boy lifted her off her feet and brought her into a hug. Her bloody hands left stains on his waistcoat but he didn't seem to care. The pain in her chest was still there. And it wouldn't disappear. Either Christopher lived, or he died. That was when the pain would disappear, when he was either cured, or dead.

She barely reacted when James came back and helped Matthew get her into a carriage. They went to the Devil Tavern, stopping to get Lucie on the way. Matthew spoke to her, knowing she wasn't even paying attention, but nonetheless, he talked and talked.

Estelle gazed out of the window, one of her hands held in Matthews and the other one held the hat that had fallen off of Christopher's head. James found it and handed it to her. She almost burst into tears at the sight of it, but composed herself and kept a tight hold on it ever since.

James and Lucie shared worried looks as they arrived at the Tavern. Estelle was helped up into their rooms and sat on the couch. Lucie gave her some spare gear she had and the Lightwood girl changed into it, before immediately collapsing onto the couch, the hat still in her hand. James wrapped a blanket around her shoulders and Lucie pressed a small flask into her hand. She knew what was in it, but she only took a sip or two.

They sat there in silence. Lucie in an armchair, Matthew beside her on the couch and James leaned against the wall. The silence didn't last, because soon the door burst open and Cordelia appeared. "What happened?" She sounded breathless. "I – what can I do?"

"We were at my house, using my father's laboratory." Matthew said. His voice was hoarse and he reached for the flask in Estelle's hand. She snapped out of her stupor long enough to close it and tuck it away, shaking her head at him. He sighed. "They – the Khora demons – were waiting for us when we left."

"We ought to have been prepared. We should have remembered. We were hurrying for the carriage – they attacked us in front of the house. One of them tore a gash across Christopher's chest."

Estelle inhaled sharply at the memory. "I am so – I am so sorry. Is he ill? What can we do?" Cordelia asked.

"He was already feverish when they took him to the Silent City." Matthew said. "We summoned you as soon as we could, and – "

Then, the door burst open once more and Thomas came in, dressed in gear with a long coat over it. "Sorry. I was patrolling with Anna – didn't get your message until we returned to Uncle Gabriel's house. They all wanted to go to the Silent City, of course, but Brother Enoch came by – said it was impossible – "

He sank down beside Estelle and nudged her shoulder gently. "Everyone's frantic. Anna went to ask Magnus for help in putting up extra wards around the house. Aunt Cecily nearly lost her mind at the thought of letting her go, but she went."

"Are Mum and Dad alright?" Estelle spoke for the first time, her voice was light. "And Anna and Alexander?"

"They're fine, Estelle. They're worried about you. Uncle Will and Aunt Tessa came, of course, but I couldn't bear to be there too, bothering them all, intruding on them in their fear – "

"You're not an intrusion, Thomas." Matthew said firmly.

"You're family." Estelle whispered. "There and here."

The door opened slowly and Polly, the werewolf bartender from downstairs came in with a bottle and some glasses. She set them on the table and then left. Matthew almost stood to take some, but he stayed sitting, his grip on Estelle's hand tightening.

Thomas filled a cup and downed it quickly. James sat down on one of the chairs. "Tom. We need to make the antidote to the Mandikhor poison. I think you can do it."

Thomas choked and began coughing and spluttering. "I can't. Not without Christopher."

"Yes, you can." James insisted. "You've been in the laboratory with him every moment since Barbara died. You know how to do this."

Thomas was silent for a while, but James didn't move. He kept his gaze on the tall boy. "Perhaps. But we're still missing an ingredient. Without it, the antidote won't work, and Kit said it was impossible to find – "

"Malos root." Matthew said. "We know where it is, and where to get it. All we need to do is go to Chiswick House. To the greenhouse."

"My grandfather's house?" Thomas ran his fingers through his hair.

"Finally Benedict Lightwood will be responsible for something useful. If we leave now, we can be there in half hour." Matthew said.

But Thomas stood just then. "Wait. James, I'd nearly forgotten. Neddy gave me this."

He handed James a folded piece of paper. James unfolded it and stood so quickly, he almost knocked the chair over.

"What is it?" Cordelia asked. "James?"

He handed her the note, then it was passed to Lucie as James paced, hands in his pockets. Eventually the note came to Matthew, Estelle and Thomas.

Come to the Silent City. I shall meet you in the infirmary. Do not reveal yourself to the other Brothers. I will explain when you arrive.

Please hurry,

– Jem

"If Jem says I must go, then I must. The rest of you go to Chiswick – "

"No." Matthew said, voice light, but Estelle could feel his hands shaking. "Whither thou goest, I will go, James. Even unto the tedious suburb of Highgate."

"I will also go. I must see Jem. Unless – if you'd rather I go with you to Chiswick – " She said to Lucie.

"Nonsense." Lucie said. "All we're doing is fetching a plant, and I'm familiar with the house and the grounds – " she stopped before adding hastily, " – not because I've lurked about or spied on that property at all, because of course I haven't."

"Elle?" Matthew asked the girl softly.

She lifted her beautiful eyes up, looking at her concerned friends and took a slow deep breath. "I don't know what to do."

"You can come with us, yeah?" Matthew suggested and she nodded. "You and Thomas can take my carriage." He says to Lucie. "It is downstairs."

"And the rest of us can take a hansom cab." Cordelia said. "Where is the nearest entrance to the Silent City?"

"In Highgate Cemetery." James said as everyone began gearing up. Estelle winced as she stood, the ache still present in her chest. "It's a good distance. We'll have to hurry – there's no time to waste." Estelle strapped her Scimitar to her sheath and added a seraph blade and two daggers.

The driver of their cab dropped them off in front of a pub on Salisbury Road and James told them to wait while he looked for the entrance. It moved around, and it had several locations.

Matthew helped Estelle out of the carriage and Cordelia wrapped her arm around the older girl's arm to help steady her. "Turn again, Whittington, thrice Lord Mayor of London Town." Matthew said, dramatically gesturing. "This is where it's meant to have happened – him hearing the Bow Bells, I mean."

Cordelia nodded.

"Did you know Dick Whittington's cat might have never existed? Scandalous fiction, apparently." Matthew asked.

"Does it matter if he had a cat or not?"

"The truth always matters."

"Not when it comes to stories. The point of stories is not that they are objectively true, but that the soul of the story is truer than reality. Those who mock fiction do so because they fear the truth."

"James is my parabatai." Matthew's voice was hoarse and Estelle's eyes widened in alarm. She gently eased her arm out of Cordelia's and instead walked a few steps to the side so she stood in front of Matthew. He smiled at her weakly. "And I love him. The only thing I have never understood about him is his feelings for Grace Blackthorn. I have wished for a long time for him to place his affections somewhere else, and yet, when I saw him with you in the Whispering Room, I was not happy."

And Estelle understood then. "What do you mean?" Cordelia asked.

"We question if he knows what he feels. He might hurt you." Estelle explained when Matthew hesitated.

"He is your parabatai, and your cousin. Why should you care if he hurts me?"

"Because you are our friend, Cordelia. And that warrants us to care if even James hurts you."

"Don't worry. Alastair gave me the same warning about James just yesterday. I have been well told."

Matthew tensed. "I always said that the day I would be in charity with Alastair would be the day I burn in Hell."

"Was he really so horrible to James at school?" Cordelia sounded wildly innocent.

"It was more than that – " Matthew began, a look of pure fury on his face. Estelle placed her hand gently on his shoulder, trying to calm him down.

Then, James appeared. "I've found the entrance. We ought to go quickly."

They followed behind him, and Estelle made sure to walk beside Matthew, sensing his fury slowly dissipating. They walked through the tall gates and under dark cypress trees, their leaves blocking the last of the evening light.

There were great mausoleums and Egyptian obelisks towering over broken granite columns, and headstones were carved hourglasses with wings, Greek urns, and beautiful woman with streaming hair. And of course, there were angels everywhere.

Chubby and sentimental-looking, sweet-faced as children. It always amazed Estelle how little mundanes really knew about angels, and how false their interpretations of them are. James turned off one of the avenues and they were in an open space.

In the center of this clearing was a massive statue of an angel, but it was not like the others they had seen. It was marble and there was scaled armor all over his body. He held a sword in one hand, and his head thrown back. The words 'quis ut deus' were carves onto the sword.

James stepped forward and raised one hand. The hand with his Herondale ring. "Quis ut Deus. "Who is like God?" The angel asks. The answer is "No one. No one is like God.""

The angels eyes opened, and they were black, then it slid aside and revealed an empty pit in the earth with stairs leading down. James led the way with his witchlight. At the bottom, James grabbed Cordelia's arm and swung her into an archway below the steps. Matthew helped Estelle after them and James closed his hand over the witchlight. They stood in silence as a group of Silent Brothers walked past them.

"Jem said not to reveal ourselves to the other Brothers. The infirmary is on the far side of the Speaking Stars. We must move quickly and quietly."

They nodded and then they passed into a massive room with keyhole-shaped stone archways rising overhead. Semiprecious stones alternated with marble, tiger's-eye, jade, malachite. Under the arches there were mausoleums, many of them with family names on them.

Then, they reached a massive square whose floor was inlaid with tiles printed in a pattern of shimmering stars. On one of the walls was a massive silver sword. The Mortal Sword. Then, they passed through it and into a large space with rough flagstones.

A pair of wooden doors led one way and the other side was a great square arch. The door had runes of death, peace and silence. "Get back!" Matthew whispered, pushing everyone back with his arm as a Silent Brother walked by and went up a set of stairs nearby.

They ducked under the archway and into another massive room with a stone ceiling. The walls were bare and there were beds along the sides of the room, each with someone in them. There were maybe thirty people, young and old, male and female. They all lay motionless, and soundless.

Estelle's eyes wandered until she saw her brother. She rushed over without a second thought, hearing Matthew comment on it behind her. Estelle dropped to her knees beside him and her hand trembled as she reached out to stroke his dark hair.

"Kit." She choked out, eyes swimming with tears. He had been stripped of his shirt and white bandages encircled his chest, blood soaking through some of them. His glasses were gone and his eyes sunk into his skull. But they were still the beautiful purple she always remembered.

"Estelle." He whispered hoarsely.

"I'm here, little brother. I'm here." She ran her fingers through his dark locks. His own hand reached out and clasped the hem of her shirt, closing his fist around it tightly.

"Christopher." Matthew whispered, coming to stand beside Estelle. James stood opposite them.

"Matthew. Jamie." Came the sick boys response. "Tell Thomas, he can finish the antidote without me. He only needs the root. Tell him."

"Tom knows, Kit. He knows. He'll finish it. Don't you worry. You've done such a good job, little brother. You did amazing." Estelle smiled, tears slipping down her cheeks and landing on his hand.

"Why- why are you crying?"

"Because you're in pain." Estelle laughed shakily. "Because you're hurt. I'm your parabatai, and your older sister. It's my job to watch over you, and make sure you don't get hurt."

"It's not- not your fault." Christopher stuttered out. He looked distressed to be causing her to feel like this and she noticed.

"I know, Kit. I know." She assured him.

"Jem. Has Jem been in here, Christopher?" Cordelia asked, her voice coming out as a whisper.

The boy smiled sweetly. "James Carstairs. Jem."

"Yes. James Carstairs. My cousin."

"James."

"James." Piers from the next bed said. And then it was repeated once more from the next bed.

"What's going on?" Matthew stood. Estelle went to draw her hand back from Christopher in concern but he grabbed her hand and his grip on James' wrist tightened and he jerked him forward.

"Get out of here – you have to get out of here." Christopher hissed. "You have to leave. James, you don't understand. It's about you. it's always been about you."

"What does that mean?" Matthew asked.

"James. James. James." The chants grew louder.

Matthew drew James back from Christopher who let go of him, but Estelle refused to back away. "Kit- Kit, what's going on?"

Cordelia placed her hand on Cortana's hilt. "Christopher – "

All the sick people were sitting up, looking like they were being dragged up, heads lolling and arms sagging. Their eyes wide open, white and shining. The whites of them were veined in black. Matthew grabbed Estelle by the waist and pulled her away. She felt a pinch in her palm as he did.

She resisted weakly. "Kit – "

"James Herondale." Ariadne's voice. She was sat on the edge of her bed, her voice void of any emotion. "James Herondale, you have been summoned."

"By who?" Matthew shouted, refusing to let go of Estelle still. "Who's summoning him?"

"The Prince." Ariadne clarified. "The Lord of Thieves. Only he can stop the dying. Only he can call off the Mandikhor, the poison bringer. You carry the taint now, Herondale. Your blood can open the gateway. You have no other choice."

James took a step forward. "What gateway? Ariadne – "

"That is not Ariadne." Cordelia stopped him.

"What is going on here?" It was Jem. He just entered, face still and his staff in his hand. "What are you four doing here?"

"I got your message. You told me to come." James looked confused.

Matthew's grip on Estelle loosened slightly, but he still had his arms around her, stopping her from rushing to her brother. "I sent no message."

"Yes, you did." Cordelia insisted. "We all saw it."

"Our master sent the message." Ariadne said. "He waits in the shadows. Still, he controls all."

Jem shook his head, his hood falling back. "There is foulness at work here." He lifted the staff in his hands. All the sick were chanting James' name. Jem brought his staff down and the chanting stopped. "Some evil has brought you here. Get out. I fear you are in danger." He said to the group.

And so, they did.

James went first, witchlight in hand, and they all followed. They eventually reached the last staircase, but just then, Matthew gasped and fell back against the wall. Estelle's eyes widened and quickly caught him. "Matthew, what is it?"

"James." His face was pale. "There's something very wrong with James."

Estelle kept her arm around his arm and helped him stand. Cordelia looked up. "Matthew, he's fine – he's out of the city."

Matthew pulled his arm from Estelle and ran up the stairs, Estelle and Cordelia behind him. They burst out and were in the clearing once more. Matthew looked around, no James. His hand immediately went to Estelle's and he yanked her with him.

"He's this way." He pulled her through a path between the trees. Cordelia was following behind. They appeared in a shadowy grove with tombs, and the sky above them a dark blue. James was stood there, still. He took his jacket off, but it was cold out.

He didn't look at any of them. He looked at something in the distance, and he looked ill. "James!" Matthew called, letting go of Estelle. James turned and dropped his jacket on the ground.

"James. What's wrong?" Cordelia said as she approached James slowly. Matthew cursed behind Estelle. James' eyes were restless, and his cheeks flushed. He rolled up the sleeve of his shirt and just on the back of his wrist were four small, bloody crescent marks surrounded by darkening veins.

"Christopher." James smiled weakly. Estelle's eyes widened and her hand went to her palm where she felt a pinch earlier. She was too afraid to look. "I know he didn't mean to. No one tell him. He'd be so upset."

She looked down at her palm and closed her eyes when she saw it. the same marks on James' wrist, right there. She untied her mourning band from her upper arm and wrapped it around the marks to cover them, then stepped forward to stand beside Matthew.

"We have to go back to the Silent City. We have to get you to Jem – �� Matthews voice was shaky.

"No." Cordelia whispered. "It isn't safe for James there. If we went to the Institute – or brought Jem there – "

"Absolutely not." James said calmly. "I'm not going anywhere. Not anywhere in London, at least."

"Bloody hell. He's hallucinating." Matthew threw his head back.

"Jamie, what is it?" Estelle stepped closer so she stood beside Cordelia.

James pointed. "There. Between those two tress."

It was an archway between two cedar trees, made of dark light and curved with Gothic flourishes, as though part of the cemetery. But it wasn't.

"A gateway." Matthew realised.

"Like Ariadne said." Estelle nodded.

"James – your blood – " Cordelia shook her head. "Don't. don't do it, whatever it is. Everything about this feels wrong."

But James turned and headed towards the archway, stretching his arm out and making a fist. The muscles of his arm swelled and blood ran from the marks Christopher made on his wrist. The view through the archway solidified.

"James." Matthew closed the space between him and his parabatai. "Stop."

"I have to do this." James lowered his arm. "Math – you shouldn't touch me. It's not safe."

Matthew stopped and flung his arms open wide. "James – "

"Is that why you're going? Because you think you're going to die? Thomas and Lucie are getting the malos root right now. We could have an antidote in a day. In hours." Cordelia asked.

"It's not that." James shook his head. "Whether I'd been infected or not, I'd have to go, and you would have to let me."

"But why, Jamie?" Estelle called out.

"Because Christopher was right." James sighed. "And so was Ariadne. Only my going through the gateway can stop all this. It's about me. It's always been about me. I have no other choice."