Chapter 55 Emma
EMMA
Bruce,
I’m sure you’ve been worried about Mina, like all of us. Well, here’s the bad news: She isn’t back.
There isn’t any good news.
Let me start over. Everyone sprang into action once we found the creepy doll and the note, and we started searching the house and the grounds.
Although nobody really thought she was still here.
Maybe there’d be a sign of the faerie (or faeries) who grabbed her, but of course there was nothing we Shadowhunters would recognize.
Julian sent a fire-message to Ty to ask if the Sensor could be modified again to search for faeries instead of ghosts, and Ty had some ideas, but that only meant the Sensor was going off continuously.
Which I guess makes sense given this whole house is now jammed full of faerie craftwork.
Since we don’t think the carved window lintels took Mina… not helpful.
Tessa messaged the London Institute, who put the Enclave on high alert and sent a few Shadowhunters to the house to help, which largely has consisted of making tea and also Concerned British Noises (“oh dear, oh dear dear dear,” “I never,” and so on).
Jem went to the Shadow Market to make inquiries (which I’m told are called enquiries here), but he came back a few hours later with nothing.
He said it wasn’t even like the faeries there were refusing to talk— they seemed as honestly ba?ed as Round Tom or any of us.
I guess most of the Shadow Market faeries stay as far as possible away from Court business, and everyone agreed kidnapping a Shadowhunter must be a Court thing because random faeries wouldn’t be stupid enough to violate the Accords so brazenly.
Oh, that’s the other thing. Tessa contacting the London Enclave was an absolute last ditch move because now they know about this huge Accords violation, and nobody wants war with Faerie.
(Except maybe the kidnapper?) On the other hand, I can’t imagine Alec Lightwood of all people is about to declare war before we learn more.
But still, it ratchets up all the tension, which isn’t great.
If I ever meet Raziel, I’m going to ask him—well, okay, I guess if I ever meet Raziel I assume I will be obliterated into atoms by heavenly fire, but if I can get a question out first, it’ll be why we can’t Track children.
I understand it’s because they don’t have runes yet, but aren’t they the ones we’re most likely to need to Track?
It seems like a design flaw in the whole system.
I should talk to Clary about this; maybe she can create some kind of Baby-Finding Rune in the future. But that doesn’t help us now.
The big mystery, aside from where Mina is and who took her, is why anybody would want to?
It doesn’t make any sense. Julian wondered if someone might have a vendetta against Jem or Tessa, but they couldn’t think of anyone.
Round Tom suggested someone might be trying to frame Faerie for the kidnapping, but again, why?
Either way, we haven’t contacted Kieran or Adaon yet since we were warned against doing so.
Bruce, I feel awful. Tessa and Jem only came in the first place to help us with the curse, and now this. It makes me sick to my stomach—maybe there’s something more deeply wrong with Chiswick House than even a broken curse can fix. Or maybe I’m just feeling morbid and worried.
Julian calling, back in a sec.
* * *
Back, and with news. The kidnapper sent a note! I mean, another note. And identified herself!
Your child will be returned to you if, and only if, I am granted a private audience with the one you call Christopher Herondale.
First of all, “the one you call”—I mean, come on.
What does she call Kit, The Amazing Whizzo?
Second, it was signed “Mother Hawthorn,” which didn’t mean anything to me or Julian, but Jem and Tessa gave each other A Look, and Kit got even more miserable.
It turns out she was the nursemaid for the First Heir.
I mean the First First Heir, long ago. She’s also a wild fae, not affiliated with any faery court, and thus not under their authority.
So this is about Kit, and faerie politics, and it’s a mess.
I feel terrible for Kit, who is as pale and tense as I’ve ever seen him.
(And I don’t need to remind you, Bruce, that I’ve seen Kit pretty darn pale and tense.)
Kit immediately said yes, he’d meet with her, anything to get Mina back. Julian said it might be a trap, and Kit exploded. “Of course it’s a trap! But I can’t let Mina get hurt on my behalf.”
Round Tom pointed out Mother Hawthorn is unpredictable but even she would hesitate to break the Accords to the extent of harming Mina. Kit retorted she already broke the Accords by kidnapping her in the first place.
Jem, I think realizing Kit was going to agree to the meeting no matter what anyone said, suggested that, at the very least, we should do it on our terms, in a location we pick, with plenty of precautions in place.
Kit said, “Whatever you need. But I’m going to meet this Mother Hawthorn and get Mina back.
” And I know they’re, like, sixth cousins or something, but he really sounded like Jace.
I guess Herondale stubbornness is bred deep.
Julian was weirdly quiet after Kit yelled at him, and I thought he was hurt, but then I realized he had the look on his face that meant he had an idea but he wasn’t ready to share it yet.
Everyone was talking about anti-faerie charms and what runes to put on Kit, and Julian just sat in the back of it all, thinking—the way he thinks isn’t like the way anyone else does it. Completely consumed by thought.
I wonder what he’s got up his sleeve. I could bug him about it, but I’ve learned it’s better to let him tell me when he’s ready. Seeing that look on his face, though, gave me more hope than anything else in the conversation.
Emma