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"Much obliged, Ja his eyes off Gabriel "I appreciate the testaed "It is the truth"

Gabriel shot Jelare "Stay out of this, Carstairs This doesn’t concern you"

Je perfectly still,Gabriel’s cold stare with one of his own The hairs on the back of Tessa’s neck had begun to prickle "If it concerns Will, it concerns me," Jem said

Gabriel shook his head "You’re a decent Shadowhunter, Jaentleman You have your--disability, but no one bla a finger in Will’s direction "This filth will only drag you down Find someone else to be your parabatai No one expects Will Herondale to live past nineteen, and no one will be sorry to see hio, either--"

That was too nantly, "What a thing to say!"

Gabriel, interrupted midrant, looked as shocked as if one of the tapestries had suddenly started talking "Pardonsomeone you wouldn’t be sorry if they died! It’s inexcusable!" She took hold of Will by the sleeve "Co, Will This--this person--obviously isn’t worth wasting your tiely entertained "So true"

"You--you--" Gabriel, stahtly, looked at Tessa in an alars he’s done--"

"And I don’t care, either You’re all Nephilim, aren’t you? Well, aren’t you? You’re supposed to be on the same side" Tessa frowned at Gabriel "I think you owe Will an apology"

"I," said Gabriel, "would rather have my entrails yanked out and tied in a knot in front of ize to such a worm"

"Gracious," said Je a worm part, of course The bit about the entrails That sounds dreadful"

"I doto his subject "I would rather be dropped into a vat of Malphas venom and left to dissolve slowly until only my bones were left"

"Really," said Will "Because I happen to know a chap who could sell us a vat of--"

The door of the library opened Mr Lightwood stood on the threshold "Gabriel," he said in a freezing tone "Do you plan to attend the , if I must remind you--or would you rather play out here in the corridor with the rest of the children?"

No one looked particularly pleased by that comment, especially Gabriel, ed hard, nodded, shot one last glare at Will, and followed his father back into the library, sla the door shut behind them

"Well," said Jem after the door had closed behind Gabriel "That was about as bad as I had expected it would be Is this the first time you’ve seen hi the question to Will

"Yes," said Will "Do you think I should have told him I missed him?"

"No," said Jem

"Is he always like that?" Tessa asked "So awful?"

"You should see his older brother," said Jeerbread Hates Will even more than Gabriel, too, if that’s possible"

Will grinned at that, then turned and beganas he went After afor Tessa to follow

"Why would Gabriel Lightwood hate you, Will?" Tessa asked as they went "What did you do to hi I did to hi at a rapid pace "It was so I did to his sister"

Tessa looked sideways at Jeed "Where there’s our Will, there’s a half-dozen angry girls clai he’s compromised their virtue"

"Did you?" Tessa asked, hurrying to keep up with the boys There was simply only so fast you could walk in heavy skirts that swished around your ankles as you went The delivery of dresses from Bond Street had coet used to wearing such expensive stuff She reirl, when she’d been able to run up to her brother, kick hi able to catch her She wondered briefly ould happen if she tried to do that to Will She doubted it would work out to her advantage, though the thought had a certain appeal "Compromise her virtue, I mean"

"You have a lot of questions," Will said, veering sharply to the left and up a set of narrow stairs "Don’t you?"