The world is not as safe as it seems. That is the lesson Rosalie Gray learned after crossing the sea with her sister, Tessa. The world is also full of dark, mysterious secrets.
With her world turned upside down, Rosalie Gray feels as if she has now...
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The streets of London were lively as Rosalie walked along, peering through the windows of shops as she passed. The weather, as per usual, was gloomy; the sky was lined with clouds, blocking out all rays of sun that attempted to shine through. It was no wonder her color was already fading so quickly; it seemed like the sun never shone here, it was only ever cloudy. It was dreadful. "Tessa," Rosalie glanced at her sister, who had her gaze fixed straight ahead. "Are you sure you should go to de Quincy's party? It could be dangerous..." "I know that, Rose." Tessa nodded, "But I have no choice. If there's even the slightest chance that Nate is there-" "I know." Rosalie cut her sister off with a sigh. "I suppose I'm just not overly fond of the idea of putting you in danger." she went on while placing her hand on her sister's shoulder and squeezing it lightly. "I worry about you, Tessie. More now than ever before." "We should probably turn back." Tessa said, ignoring her sister's concern. Rosalie was always worried about her. It seemed to be her job. Tessa appreciated it, of course, but she knew what she was doing. She had been practicing with Will and Jem, and she felt confident enough in her ability to portray Camille. "I suppose you're right." Rosalie frowned. She wasn't ready to go back yet, it felt as if she could walk the length of the city and never grow tired. There were so many things to see, and she hardly had the opportunity to explore them. Together, the two spun on their feet and began the walk back to the Institute. Will and Jem were several feet ahead of them, as they had promised when Rosalie said they would be going out. Will had insisted on accompanying the girls for their own safety; with word of Tessa's ability spreading, they couldn't take any risks. "It's about time." Will muttered under his breath when the girls had caught up. "You're the one who insisted on coming along, Mr. Herondale." Rosalie reminded him calmly, although there was a glimmer of annoyance in her eyes. "And you dragged poor Jem along with you." "I wasn't expecting you to take such a bloody long walk." Will said, the corner of his mouth twitching. She had been feigning indifference toward him ever since that day in the courtyard when he had insulted her. But he could see right through her little act. Will was inclined to think that she secretly enjoyed having him around- he added excitement to her otherwise boring life. "Well," her eyes narrowed, "perhaps next time you'll think twice before inviting yourself on our outings." "Rose." Tessa interjected. "You ought to be kinder to Will." "What?!" Rosalie scoffed and quickened her pace, leaving the others to walk behind her. What a joke! Will is the one constantly nagging and being rude! To both of them! Why would she be kind to someone as annoying and pessimistic as Will Herondale? What in the world could have possessed Tessa to say that? She's supposed to be on Rosalie's side, yet she defended Will over her own sister. A faint smirk curled at the edges of Will's mouth as he watched Rosalie glide gracefully ahead; her long, dark hair cascading down her back in a series of tight curls. She was quite beautiful, even when she was yelling at him to let her alone. And she grew even more beautiful as the days passed and her bruises and cuts slowly began to heal. It wasn't hard to picture how angelic she would look when she was fully healed, and he longed for that day. It was hard to see her so broken and damaged, and he knew that she, too, was struggling with it. Her step always quickened when she neared a mirror, and she avoided looking at herself whenever possible. Will had struggled on multiple occasions to stop himself from attempting to console her; she could not know that there was a nice person inside of him. But she certainly made it hard not to show that side of himself. This one mundane girl threatened to disintegrate five years' worth of pushing people away. That just meant he had to work harder at keeping her at an arm's length, despite the fact that he did not wish to keep her so far away. As they neared the Institute, Will hastened his stride to pass by Rosalie and open the gates that led into the courtyard. Rosalie glared at him as she walked through the iron gates, her cheeks tinted red. Was it the wind that brought such color to her face? Or was she blushing? Rosalie didn't blush as often now when she looked at him; it was a rare occurrence now. Will found it to be rather annoying, he relished in the feeling of knowing exactly how she felt about him. But he knew it was a good thing. Her feelings for him had faded.
