Not Quite What it Seems

Chapter 1: Revelations

 "Necromancy?" Tessa repeated, stunned, then her voice began to tremble. "Your body was burned, your ashes turned to a brick, and placed in the City of Bones. The silent brothers assured us that no matter what sort of magic was implemented toward those bricks nothing would happen." She had started pacing in the dark room. Then suddenly, as if someone had called for her, she turned and left the room leaving James standing in the dark, looking after her in bewilderment. After a few stunned seconds he took off after his mother, following her up the stairs into the main house.

"Mother? I know that it might be a bit jarring to see me here, but please I need your help, I need Uncle Jem's help." He said, his voice, taking on a pleading tone. He stopped right behind her. She had yet to look at him since seeing him in Uncle Jem's study. She abruptly turned around and faced him, tears already staining her cheeks. She reached for him, holding her arms out to hug him. He accepted the embrace, and when his arms wrapped around her shoulders she broke into sobs.

"My baby, my boy. You're home, you're here!" Tessa wailed, resting her forehead on his shoulder. His hand slid up and down her back, comforting her as best he could with the death grip his mother had him in. At that moment, the sound of gravel crunching could be heard from outside. A few moments later the sound of the door opening and voices filling the entryway. James only recognized one of the three, it was Uncle Jem.

"Who are you, and what did you do to my mom?" An angry, and slightly defensive voice came from the doorway leading in from the foyer. When Jamie looked up he saw it came from a boy who looked no older than 18, with blonde hair and eyes that were blue and as hard as ice, who was standing just inside the room. Before James could even think of a response Uncle Jem appeared in the doorway right behind the enraged teenager.

"J-Jamie? James Morgan Henry Herondale?" The man stuttered, starting in a whisper then gradually getting louder as he continued. "Why are you here? You're supposed to be dead. I was the one who lit your pyre! How Are You Here!?" Jem was shouting now. He stalked across the room towards James with a look of disbelief on his face. He stopped short just a few feet from where his wife and her son stood, then said, "James, I am not angry, but you need to explain this to me as best you can. Are there others? Are you here alone? Do you kno-" He was cut off when the raven haired man raised a silencing hand.

"Help me get my mother into a seat, and I'll answer all your questions to the best of my abilities." Jamie said in a low voice, eyeing the menacing blonde in the doorway, who is now holding a little girl. He and his uncle got Tessa to sit down on the sofa, whilst still holding onto her son. She was still sobbing into his shirt, practically inconsolable.

"Kit, come in and sit with us, and we will explain who this man is and he will explain how he got here." Jem said, reaching his hands out for his daughter. Kit handed over his little sister to her father and sat next to them on the small loveseat across the room for the sofa.

"Okay, so who is this? You called him James Herondale. But, I thought he was dead. Like, He died a long time ago." Kit said, eyeing the newcomer with suspicion.

"I did. I died in the 1960s. It seems that someone didn't like that development in my life, so here I am." Jamie said, with a slight sarcastic tone,with a quirk of his lips. Jem rolled his eyes and Tessa let out a small giggle.

"You sounded just like your father, there for a second." She said, pulling back from his chest and wiping her eyes. "I believe that was enough tears." She sighed, then continued. "So, what do you know, Jamie?" James' eyes scanned the room, looking for something to help him find the words he needed. He finally looked at his mother and answered.