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"Weeks of experimentation?" Tessa echoed "When you were only eleven years old? That seeoodness--has its own sort of cruelty to it," said Je past her "There, beside you on the bedside table, is a box Can you give it to me?"

Tessa lifted the box It was made of silver, its lid inlaid with an enamel scene that depicted a sli water out of a vase into a strea the box to Jeoddess of mercy and compassion They say she hears every prayer and every cry of suffering and does what she can to answer it I thought perhaps if I kept the cause of hta little less" He flicked open the clasp on the box, and the lid slid back Inside was a thick layer of what Tessa thought at first was ash, but the color was too bright It was a layer of thick silvery powder alht silver color as Je," he said "It comes from a warlock dealer we know in Lihostly; it’s what drains the color from my eyes and hair, even nize ht, I takeless weakens e That’s why I collapsed Not because of the clockwork creatures Because of the drug Without any in , was tooon itself, and I collapsed" He shut the box with a snap, and handed it back to Tessa "Here Put it back where it was"

"You don’t need any?"

"No I’ve had enough tonight"

"You said that the drugis killing you?"

Je across his forehead

Tessa felt her heart skip a painful beat "And when you fight, you take ? Will and the others--"

"Would understand," Jem finished for her "I know they would But there isI am a Shadowhunter It is what I am, not just what I do I can’t live without it"

"You ht, would have been angry if she’d said that to him, but Jem just looked at her intently "Itime I searched for a cure, but eventually I stopped, and asked Will and the rest to stop as well I a, or its hold on me I believe that I am better than that That ht end"

"Well, I don’t want you to die," Tessa said "I don’t knohy I feel it so strongly--I’ve just met you--but I don’t want you to die"

"And I trust you," he said "I don’t knohy--I’ve justthe pillow, but lying flat and still on the tasseled surface They were thin hands, the knuckles just slightly too big for the rest of the and slender, a thick white scar running across the back of his right thumb Tessa wanted to slide her own hand over his, wanted to hold his tightly and co" It was Will, of course, having coed his bloody shirt, and he seemed to have washed up hastily His hair looked dah the crescents of his nails were still black with dirt and oil He looked from Jem to Tessa, his face carefully blank "I see that you told her"

"I did" There was nothing challenging in Je but affection, Tessa thought, noWill was "It’s done There’s no ree," said Will He gave Tessa a pointed look She re Jeave her a wistful look "Must you go? I was rather hoping you’d stay and be a o, you must"

"I’ll stay," Will said a bit crossly, and threw himself down in the arelically"

"None too convincingly And you’re not as pretty to look at as Tessa is," Jeainst the pillow

"How rude Many who have gazed uponat the radiance of the sun"

Jeives you a headache, they aren’t wrong"

"Besides," Will said, his eyes on Tessa, "it’s hardly fair to keep Tessa from her brother She hasn’t had a chance to look in on hi"

"That’s true" Jem’s eyes fluttered open for a ies, Tessa I nearly forgot"

Tessa said nothing She was too busy being horrified that Jeotten about her brother It’s all right, she wanted to say, but Jeht be asleep As she watched, Will leaned forward and drew up the blankets, covering Jem’s chest

Tessa turned around and let herself out as quietly as she could

The light in the corridors was burning low, or perhaps it had sihter in Je, before her eyes adjusted She gave a start "Sophie?"

The other girl was a series of pale sling from her hand by one of its ties

"Sophie?" Tessa said "Is soht?" Sophie de to be all right?"

Too startled to make sense of her question, Tessa said, "Who?"

Sophie stared at her, her eyes ic "Jem"