Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices #1)(44)
Author: Cassandra Clare

“Yes,” said Charlotte reluctantly, “but if we had been able to attend one of the parties—”

Camille let out a short laugh. “De Quincey would never let that happen! At the first sight of a Shadowhunter, he would have locked the place up tightly. You would never have been permitted to enter.”

“But you could,” Charlotte said. “You could have brought one of us with you—”

The plume on Camille’s hat trembled as she tossed her head. “And risk my own life?”

“Well, you’re not precisely alive, are you?” said Will.

“I value my existence as much as you do, Shadowhunter,” said Lady Belcourt, narrowing her eyes. “A lesson you would do well to learn. It could hardly hurt the Nephilim to cease thinking that all those who do not live exactly as they do must therefore not truly live at all.”

It was Jem who spoke then, for what seemed like the first time since they had entered the room. “Lady Belcourt—if you’ll pardon my asking—what is it exactly that you want from Tessa?”

Camille looked directly at Tessa then, her green eyes as brilliant as jewels. “You can disguise yourself as anyone, is that correct? A perfect disguise—appearance, voice, and manner? That’s what I have heard.” Her lip curled. “I have my sources.”

“Yes,” Tessa said hesitantly. “That is, I have been told the disguise is identical.”

Camille looked at her narrowly. “It would have to be perfect. If you were to disguise yourself as me—”

“As you?” Charlotte said. “Lady Belcourt, I don’t see—”

“I see,” said Will immediately. “If Tessa were disguised as Lady Belcourt, she could make her way into one of de Quincey’s parties. She could observe him breaking the Law. Then the Clave could attack, without shattering the Accords.”

“Quite the little strategist, you are.” Camille smiled, revealing her white teeth once again.

“And it would also provide a perfect opportunity to search de Quincey’s residence,” said Jem. “See what we can discover about his interest in these automatons. If he really has been murdering mundanes, there’s no reason to think that it wasn’t for more purposes than mere sport.” He gave Charlotte a meaningful look, and Tessa knew that he was thinking, as she was, of the bodies in the cellar of the Dark House.

“We would have to figure out some way to signal the Clave from inside de Quincey’s,” Will mused, his blue eyes already alight. “Perhaps Henry could devise something. It would be invaluable to have a blueprint of the house’s construction—”

“Will,” Tessa protested. “I don’t—”

“And of course you wouldn’t be going alone,” Will said impatiently. “I would go with you. I wouldn’t let anything happen to you.”

“Will, no,” Charlotte said. “You and Tessa alone, in a house full of vampires? I forbid it.”

“Then who would you send in with her, if not me?” Will demanded. “You know I can protect her, and you know I’m the right choice—”

“I could go. Or Henry—”

Camille, who had been watching all this with a look of mixed boredom and amusement, said, “I’m afraid I agree with William. The only individuals admitted to these parties are de Quincey’s close friends, vampires, and the human subjugates of vampires. De Quincey has seen Will before, passing as a mundane fascinated by the occult; he won’t be surprised to find that he’s graduated to vampiric servitude.”

Human subjugate. Tessa had read of them in the Codex: Subjugates, or darklings, were mundanes who had sworn themselves to the service of a vampire. For the vampire, they provided companionship and food, and in return received small transfusions of vampire blood at intervals. This blood kept them bound to their vampire master, and also ensured that when they died, they would become vampires as well.

“But Will is only seventeen,” Charlotte protested.

“Most human subjugates are young,” said Will. “Vampires like to acquire their subjugates when they’re youthful—prettier to look at, and less chance of diseased blood. And they’ll live a bit longer, though not much.” He looked pleased with himself. “Most of the rest of the Enclave wouldn’t be able to pass convincingly as a handsome young human subjugate—”

“Because the rest of us all are hideous, are we?” Jem inquired, looking amused. “Is that why I can’t do it?”

“No,” Will said. “You know why it can’t be you.” He said it without any inflection, and Jem, after looking at him for a moment, shrugged and looked away.

“I’m truly not sure about this,” Charlotte said. “When is the next of these events set to happen, Camille?”

“Saturday night.”

Charlotte took a deep breath. “I’ll have to speak to the Enclave, before I can agree. And Tessa would have to agree as well.”

Everyone looked at Tessa.

She licked her dry lips nervously. “You believe,” she said to Lady Belcourt, “that there’s a chance my brother might be there?”

“I cannot promise he will be there. He might. But someone there will likely know what has happened to him. The Dark Sisters were regulars at de Quincey’s parties; doubtless they or their cohorts, if captured and interrogated, will yield you some answers.”

Tessa’s stomach churned. “I’ll do it,” she said. “But I want to be promised that if Nate is there, we’ll get him out, and if he isn’t, we’ll find out where he is. I want to make sure it’s not all about catching de Quincey. It must be about saving Nate, too.”

“Of course,” Charlotte said. “But I don’t know, Tessa. It will be very dangerous—”

“Have you ever Changed yourself into a Downworlder?” Will inquired. “Do you even know if it’s something that would be possible?”

Tessa shook her head. “I’ve never done anything like that. But … I could try.” She turned to Lady Belcourt. “Could I have something of yours? A ring, or a handkerchief perhaps.”

Camille reached her hands behind her head, brushing aside the thick coils of silver-blond hair that lay against her neck, and unclasped her necklace. Letting it dangle from her slender fingers, she held it out to Tessa. “Here. Take this.”