Chapter 58 Jem & Tessa
JEM we met her in Buenos Aires before we even knew of Kit’s existence, and she was very clear.
The words have stuck in my head: There is still a First Heir in the world.
When the First Heir rises, in all the awful glory bought by the blood of Seelie and Unseelie and Nephilim, I hope destruction comes to the Shadowhunters as well as Faerie. I hope the whole world is lost.
I cannot look at Kit stretched out on the daybed in Mina’s room, his hand fastened around one of the slats of her crib, even while he’s sleeping, and think awful glory.
He’s like any Shadowhunter boy, an unordinary sort of ordinary.
He likes movies, and spaghetti nights, and he bites his nails. He’s a person, not a destiny.
For now, very few people know of Kit’s heritage.
Emma and Julian, you and Magnus, Jace and Clary.
Even Julian’s brothers and sisters don’t know, or know only a vague shadow of the truth.
But who else might Mother Hawthorn have told?
Not the Seelie Court, surely; we are both sure the Queen would have already taken steps to get hold of Kit if she knew.
Kieran knows, of course, but we have no idea who in his Court he might have told.
(Emma says Mark and Cristina know some, but not all, of the situation.) Obviously Kieran is an ally, and his Court loyal to him.
But it’s too easy to imagine an enterprising courtier—or wild fae—might learn the story and seek to take advantage of that knowledge.
The reality, we have realized, is secrets like Kit’s come out eventually and cannot be indefinitely contained. Just among Shadowhunters, keeping it within a small circle of trusted friends still means easily a dozen people.
Which leads us to our first actual request: Would Magnus be able to visit Cirenworth soon to shore up its wards? We’re forced to recognize they are only a temporary solution, but they’re the best we can do.
Meanwhile, we feel strongly (and we’re sure you’ll agree) that we need to try to stay ahead of this threat.
We’ve asked Kieran to have his spies keep an ear out for any rumors circulating about the First Heir in Faerie.
Would you be willing to do the same through the Alliance?
We know the timing of this is terrible for you; we surely would have chosen less of a precarious political moment for the Clave to have this trouble if we could have.
Know we support you and will always stand by you.
We may have withdrawn from active Shadowhunter life, but we will always be there if you need us.
You’re so young to have taken all of this on your shoulders.
Does it not always seem that responsibility comes for us Shadowhunters too early in the morning of our lives?
I look at my dear Kit, and I know. We all know what’s ahead, like knowing sunset is approaching on a day you don’t want to end.
The long sunny day of Kit’s childhood is nearly over.
I shudder to think what he will have to face when night arrives.
With all our love,
Jem and Tessa