✓ | Silent Shadows ⋆ Will Herondale [1]

CHAPTER TWELVE: PLAN

◤It would be monomachia for us. Just you and me, to the death.◢

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CHAPTER TWELVE: PLAN

A series of uncomfortable and most undesirable events tended to follow after a single unsolved issue. Marie and William were both aware of it.

Ever since the night Will discovered mysterious Mark on Marie's back, the two hadn't spoken a word. They hadn't even come close to each other. Both Shadowhunters preferred keeping their rightful distance, busing themselves with tasks that didn't even exist in the first place.

However, not even those excuses could be considered valid enough by Charlotte Branwell, seeing that the woman insisted on everyone taking a part in the study and research process of the next mission.

William Herondale, being his usual self who enjoyed taking pride in teasing other people, busied himself with helping Tessa Gray act like Camille. There was no denying that the boy adored throwing intentional suggestions about how Tessa should walk or the way she should keep her shoulders. He enjoyed thriving in other people's misery, his smirk proved it countless times.

Marie Wayland, on the other hand, spent every single moment since Lady Belcourt's visit in training. She concentrated hard on recalling her Shadowhunter abilities; after many hours of crying and fighting that resulted in her having her knuckles cracked - the girl was more than happy with her progress. The moves and her natural instinct returned to her, giving her the sense that they were never really gone from her in the first place; they were just hidden, waiting for her to unlock them from their cage. Even the weapons fitted perfectly in her small palm, awaking the lost confidence of the Shadowhunter girl.

The Library of the London Institute was packed with people. As the lunch ended, Charlotte made sure to usher everyone to there, ordering them to be productive with their free time.

"You point your feet out too much when you walk," Will said, his voice ringing in Marie's ears despite her being in the farthest corner of the library. "Camille walks delicately. Like a faun in the woods. Not like a duck."

"I do not walk like a duck."

"I like ducks," Jem observed Tessa's steps. Then, silver-haired boy glanced sideways at Will; both of them were sitting on the edges of the high wooden table, their legs dangling over the side. "Especially the ones in Hyde Park. Remember when you tried to convince me to feed a poultry pie to the mallards in the park to see if you could breed a race of cannibal ducks?"

"They ate it too," Will reminisced on the past memories. "Bloodthirsty little beasts. Never trust a duck."

"Do you mind?" Tessa demanded. "If you're not going to help me, you might as well both leave. I didn't let you stay here so that I could listen to you nattering on about ducks."

"Your impatience," said Will, "is most unladylike. Perhaps Camille's vampire nature is asserting itself?"

Marie observed the pair from the distance. Tessa had been biting her lip, quickly meeting the pain of the penetration of sharp vampire teeth through her fragile skin. In no time, the girl pressed the tips of her fingers to her mouth; staining them with dark red blood.

"Leave it alone," Will advised, rising to his feet. "You'll find you heal very quickly."

Tessa touched the same spot again and much to her astonishment, William Herondale's statement had proven to be a truth. "I don't understand what makes them come out like that!"