Fragile Hearts (TID - Will Herondale fanfic)

Chapter 13: Mizpah

ELEANORA'S POV
I almost growl in frustration when Tessa shows up.

Will and I both turn to look at her in exasperation.

"Tessa," He says. "Couldn't keep your nose out, could you?" He turns back to Mortmain. "This is Miss Gray, of course. Nathaniel Gray's Sister."

Mortmain looks shocked. "Oh, good God. I should have realised. You look like him. Miss Gray—"

"I don't think she does, actually," Will says, and I nod in agreement.

"Mundanes," I mutter, and Will grins at me.

I tune out their conversation as I feel another stab of wrongness. It's all wrong.

"That is all very well," Will says—after Mortmain finishes babbling about all the things we already know—a hint of impatience in his voice, "but you are not telling us anything we do not already know."

"Did you also know," Mortmain says, "that he paid a pair of warlocks called the Dark Sisters to create a binding spell that would animate these creatures not with mechanics but with demonic energies?"

"We did," says Jem. "Though I believe there is only one Dark Sister remaining. Will destroyed the other one."

"But her sister brought her back via a necromantic charm," says Mortmain, a hint of triumph in his tone, as if he was relieved to at last have a piece of information that we did not. "Even now the two of them are ensconced in a mansion in Highgate—it used to belong to a warlock, until de Quincey had him killed—working on the binding spell. If my sources are correct, the Dark Sisters will attempt to implement the spell tonight."

Will's blue eyes were dark and thoughtful. "Thank you for the information," he says, "but de Quincey will soon be no more of a threat to us, or his mechanical monsters, either."

Mortmain's eyes widen. "Is the Clave to move against the Magister? Tonight?"

"Goodness," says Will. "You really do know all the terms, don't you. It's very disconcerting in a mundane." He smiled pleasantly.

"You mean you're not going to tell me," says Mortmain ruefully. "I suppose you wouldn't. But you should know that de Quincey has at his disposal hundreds of those clockwork creatures. An army. The moment the Dark Sisters work their spell, the army will rise and join with de Quincey. If the Enclave is to defeat him, it would be wise to ensure that that army does not rise, or they will be nearly impossible to defeat."

"Are you aware of the Dark Sisters' location, beyond the fact that it is in Highgate?" asks Jem.

Mortmain nods. "Most certainly," he said, and rattled off a street name and house number.

Will nods. "Well, we'll certainly take all this under advisement. Thank you."

"Indeed," Jem says. "Good evening, Mr. Mortmain."

"But—" Mortmain looks taken aback. "Are you going to do something about what I've told you, or not?"

"I said we'd take it under advisement," Will says. "As for you, Mr. Mortmain, you look like a man with somewhere to be."

"What?" Mortmain glances down at his evening dress, and chuckles. "I suppose so. It's just—if the Magister finds out that I've told you all this, my life could be in danger."

"Then perhaps it is time for a holiday," Jem suggests. "I've heard Italy is very pleasant this time of year."

When Mortmain finally leaves—into his carriage and off to someplace—Tessa turns to us.