All that suffering, all that nobly trying to spare her, and for what? James thought, as he walked out the door of the Academy. He had saved her only a month or two of pain. He hoped that did not mean he was a failure: He hoped Uncle Jem would still think it was worthwhile.
He saw Matthew standing in the courtyard, hands in his pockets, and brightened up. Matthew had come to say good-bye, after all. It did feel worthwhile to have stayed, after all, to have made a friend like this.
“Are you expelled?” Matthew asked, which James thought was slightly obtuse.
“Yes?” he said, indicating his father and his trunk.
“I thought you were,” said Matthew, nodding vigorously so his much-brushed hair went tumbling every which way. “So I had to act. But I wanted to make absolutely certain. You see, James, the thing is—”
“Isn’t that Alastair Carstairs?” asked Father, perking up.
Alastair did not meet James’s eyes as he slunk toward him. He definitely did not respond to Father’s beaming smile. He seemed very interested in the flagstones of the courtyard.
“I just wanted to say . . . sorry for everything,” he mumbled. “Good luck.”
“Oh,” said James. “Thanks.”
“No hard feelings, old sport,” said Matthew. “As a bit of a jolly prank, I put all your belongings in the south wing. I don’t know why I did that! Boyish high spirits, I suppose.”
“You did what?” Alastair gave Matthew a harried look, and departed at speed.
Matthew turned to James’s father and dramatically clasped his hand.
“Oh, Mr. Herondale!” he said. “Please take me with you!”
“It’s Matthew, isn’t it?” Father asked. He tried to disengage his hand. Matthew clung to it with extreme determination.
James smiled. He could have told Father about Matthew’s determination.
“You see,” Matthew proceeded, “I am also expelled from Shadowhunter Academy.”
“You got expelled?” James asked. “When? Why?”
“In about four minutes,” Matthew said. “Because I broke my solemn word, and exploded the south wing of the Academy.”
James and his father both looked at the south wing. It stood, looking as if it would stand for another century.
“I hoped it would not come to this, but it has. I gave Christopher certain materials that I knew he could turn into explosives. I measured them very carefully, I made sure they were slow acting, and I made Thomas swear to bring Christopher away. I have left a note explaining that it was all my fault, but I do not wish to explain this to Mother. Please take me with you to the London Institute, so I can be taught how to be a Shadowhunter with James!”
“Charlotte will cut off my head,” said Father.
He sounded tempted, though. Matthew was sparkling wickedly up at him, and Father enjoyed wickedness. Besides which, he was no more immune to The Smile than anyone else.
“Father, please,” James said in a quiet voice.
“Mr. Herondale, please!” said Matthew. “We cannot be parted.” James braced himself for the explanation about truth and beauty, but instead Matthew said, with devastating simplicity: “We are going to be parabatai.”
James stared.
Father said: “Oh, I see.”
Matthew nodded encouragingly, and smiled encouragingly.
“Then nobody should come between you,” said Father.
“Nobody.” Matthew shook his head as he said “nobody,” then nodded again. He looked seraphic. “Exactly.”
“Very well,” said Father. “Everybody get into the carriage.”
“Father, you did not steal Uncle Gabriel’s carriage again,” said James.
“This is your time of trouble. He would want me to have it, and he would have given it to me if I asked him, which as it happens I did not,” said Father.
He helped Matthew up, then heaved Matthew’s trunk into place and tied it securely. He gave it a puzzled look as he did so. James imagined Matthew’s trunk was significantly heavier than James’s.
Then he helped James up beside Matthew, and then swung himself up to sit on James’s other side. He grasped the reins and they were off.
“When the south wing collapses, there could be flying debris,” Father remarked. “Any one of us could be injured.” He sounded very cheerful about this. “Best to stop on our way home and see the Silent Brothers.”
“That seems excessi—” Matthew began, but James elbowed him. Matthew would learn how Father was about the Silent Brothers soon enough.
Anyway, James did not feel Matthew had a right to characterize anyone else’s behavior as excessive, now that he had blown up the Academy.
“I was thinking we could split our training time between the London Institute and my house,” Matthew went on. “The Consul’s house. Where people cannot insult you, and can get used to seeing you.”
Matthew had really meant it about being trained together, James thought. He had worked it all out. And if James was in Idris more often, he could perhaps see Grace more often, too.
“I’d like that,” said James. “I know you’d like to see more of your father.”