“Ah, what?” Jessamine demanded, looking from Wil to Jem in a vexed manner. “I declare, the way you two seem to read each other’s minds gives me the shudders.”
“Ah,” said Wil . “Jem was just thinking, and I would tend to agree, that Mortmain’s life story is, quite simply, balderdash. Some lies, some truth, but very likely there isn’t anything in here that wil help us. These are just stories he made up to give the newspapers something to print about him.
Besides, we don’t care how many ships he owns; we want to know where he learned dark magic, and from whom.”
“And why he hates Shadowhunters,” said Tessa.
Wil ’s blue eyes slid lazily toward her. “Is it hatred?” he said. “I assumed it was a simple greed for domination. With us out of the way, and a clockwork army on his side, he could take power as he liked.”
Tessa shook her head. “No, it is more than that. It is difficult to explain, but—he hates the Nephilim. It is something very personal for him. And it has something to do with that watch. It’s—it’s as if he desires recompense for some wrong or hurt they’ve done him.”
“Reparations,” said Jem very suddenly, setting down the pen he was holding.
Wil looked at him in puzzlement. “Is this a game? We just blurt out whatever word comes next to mind? In that case mine’s ‘genuphobia.’ It means an unreasonable fear of knees.”
“What’s the word for a perfectly reasonable fear of annoying idiots?” inquired Jessamine.
“The Reparations section of the archives,” said Jem, ignoring them both. “The Consul mentioned it yesterday, and it’s been in my head since. We haven’t looked there.”
“Reparations?” asked Tessa.
“When a Downworlder, or a mundane, al eges that a Shadowhunter has broken the Law in their dealings with them, the Downworlder lodges a complaint through Reparations. There wil be a trial, and the Downworlder wil be accorded some sort of payment, based on whether they can prove their case.”
“Wel , it seems a bit sil y, looking there,” said Wil . “It’s not like Mortmain’s going to lodge a complaint against the Shadowhunters through official channels. ‘Very upset Shadowhunters refused to al die when I wanted them to. Demand recompense. Please mail cheque to A. Mortmain, 18
Kensington Road—’”
“Enough persiflage,” said Jem. “Maybe he hasn’t always hated Shadowhunters. Maybe there was a time when he did attempt to gain compensation through the official system and it failed him. What’s the harm in asking? The worst thing that could happen is that we turn up nothing, which is exactly what we’re turning up right now.” He rose to his feet, pushing his silvery hair back. “I’m off to catch Charlotte before Brother Enoch leaves and ask her to have the Silent Brothers check the archives.”
Tessa rose to her feet. She did not relish the idea of being left alone in the library with Wil and Jessamine, who were bound to bicker. Of course Henry was there, but he seemed to be taking a gentle nap on a pile of books, and was not much of a buffer in the best of cases. Being around Wil was uncomfortable in most circumstances; only with Jem there was it bearable. Somehow Jem was able to whittle down Wil ’s sharp edges and make him nearly human. “I’l go with you, Jem,” she said. “There’s—there was something I wished to speak to Charlotte about anyway.”
Jem seemed surprised but pleased; Wil looked from one of them to the other and pushed his chair back. “We’ve been among these moldering old books for days now,” he announced. “Mine beautiful eyes are weary, and I have paper cuts. See?” He spread his fingers wide. “I’m going for a walk.”
Tessa couldn’t help herself. “Perhaps you could use an iratze to take care of them.”
He glared at her. His eyes were beautiful. “Ever and always helpful, Tessa.”
She matched his glare. “My only desire is to be of service.”
Jem put his hand on her shoulder, his voice concerned. “Tessa, Wil . I don’t think—”
But Wil was gone, snatching up his coat and banging his way out of the library, with enough force to make the door frame vibrate.
Jessamine sat back in her chair, narrowing her brown eyes. “How interesting.”
Tessa’s hands shook as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. She hated that Wil had this effect on her. Hated it. She knew better. She knew what he thought of her. That she was nothing, worth nothing. And stil a look from him could make her tremble with mingled hatred and longing. It was like a poison in her blood, to which Jem was the only antidote. Only with him did she feel on steady ground.
“Come.” Jem took her arm lightly. A gentleman would not normal y touch a lady in public, but here in the Institute the Shadowhunters were more familiar with one another than were the mundanes outside. When she turned to look at him, he smiled at her. Jem put the ful force of himself into each smile, so that he seemed to be smiling with his eyes, his heart, his whole being. “We’l find Charlotte.”