"Jessamine," she said. "I brought you something. "
Jessamine very slowly raised her face. "Is it from Nate?"
"No," Tessa answered gently. "Its something of yours. " She reached into her pocket and drew it out, extending her hand toward Jessamine. In her palm lay a tiny baby dol that she had taken from its crib inside Jessamines dol s house. "Baby Jessie. "
Jessamine made an "oh" sound low in her throat, and plucked the dol from Tessas grasp. She held it tightly, against her chest. Her eyes spilled over, her tears making tracks in the grime on her face. She really was a most pitiful sight, Tessa thought. If only . . .
"Jessamine," Tessa said again. She felt as if Jessamine were an animal in need of gentling, and that repeating her name in a kind tone might somehow help. "We need your help. "
"In betraying Nate," Jessamine snapped. "But I dont know anything. I dont even know why Im here. "
"Yes, you do. " It was Jem, coming into the cell. He was flushed and a little out of breath, as if he had been hurrying. He shot Tessa a conspiratorial glance and closed the door behind him. "You know exactly why youre here, Jessie-"
"Because I fell in love!" Jessamine snapped. "You ought to know what thats like. I see how you look at Tessa. " She shot Tessa a poisonous look as Tessas cheeks flamed. "At least Nate is human. "
Jem didnt lose his composure. "I havent betrayed the Institute for Tessa,"
he said. "I havent lied to and endangered those who have cared for me since I was orphaned. "
"If you wouldnt," said Jessamine, "you dont really love her. "
"If she asked me to," said Jem, "I would know she did not really love me. "
Jessamine sucked in a breath and turned away from him, as if he had slapped her face. "You," she said in a muffled voice. "I always thought you were the nicest one. But youre horrible. Youre all horrible. Charlotte tortured me with that Mortal Sword until I told everything. What more could you possibly want from me? Youve already forced me to betray the man I love. "
At the very corner of Tessas vision, she saw Jem rol his eyes. There was a certain theatricality to Jessamines despair, as there was to everything she did, but under it-under the role of wronged woman Jessamine had cast herself in-Tessa felt she was genuinely afraid.
"I know you love Nate," Tessa said. "And I know that I Will not be able to convince you that he does not return your sentiment. "
"Youre jealous-"
"Jessamine, Nate cannot love you. There is something wrong with him- some piece missing from his heart. God knows my aunt and I tried to ignore it, to tell each other it was boyish high-jinks and thoughtlessness. But he murdered our aunt-did he tell you that?-murdered the woman who brought him up, and laughed to me about it later. He has no empathy, no capacity for gratitude. If you shield him now, it Will win you nothing in his eyes. "
"Nor is it likely you Will ever see him again," said Jem. "If you do not help us, the Clave Will never let you go. It Will be you and the dead down here for eternity, if you are not punished with a curse. "
"Nate said you would try to frighten me," said Jessamine in a sliver of a voice.
"Nate also said the Clave and Charlotte would do nothing to you because they were weak," said Tessa. "That has not proven true. He said to you only what he had to say, to get you to do what he wanted you to. He is my brother, and I tell you, he is a cheat and a liar. "
"We need you to write a letter to him," said Jem. "Tel ing him you have knowledge of a secret Shadowhunter plot against Mortmain, and to meet you tonight-"
Jessamine shook her head, plucking at the rough blanket. "I Will not betray him. "
"Jessie. " Jems voice was soft; Tessa did not know how Jessamine could hold out against him. "Please. We are only asking you to save yourself. Send this message; tell us your usual meeting place. That is all we ask. "
Jessamine shook her head. "Mortmain," she said. "Mortmain Will yet win out over you. Then the Silent Brothers Will be defeated and Nate Will come to claim me. "
"Very well," said Tessa. "Imagine that does happen. You say Nate loves you. Then, he would forgive you anything, wouldnt he? Because when a man loves a woman, he understands that she is weak. That she cannot hold out against, for instance, torture, in the manner in which he could. "
Jessamine made a whimpering sound.
"He understands that she is frail and delicate and easily led," Tessa went on, and gently touched Jessamines arm. "Jessie, you see your choice. If you do not help us, the Clave Will know it, and they Will not be lenient with you. If you do help us, Nate Will understand. If he loves you . . . he has no choice. For love means forgiveness. "
"I . . . " Jessamine looked from one of them to the other, like a frightened rabbit. "Would you forgive Tessa, if it were her?"
"I would forgive Tessa anything," Jem said gravely.
Tessa could not see his expression, she was facing Jessamine, but she felt her heart skip a beat. She could not look at Jem, too afraid her expression would betray her feelings.
"Jessie, please," she said instead.
Jessamine was silent for a long time. When she spoke, final y, her voice was as thin as a thread. "You Will be meeting him, I suppose, disguised as me. "
Tessa nodded.
"You must wear boys clothes," she said. "When I meet him at night, I am always dressed as a boy. It is safer for me to traverse the streets alone like that. He Will expect it. " She looked up, pushing her matted hair out of her face. "Have you a pen and paper?" she added. "I Will write the note. "
She took the proffered items from Jem and began to scribble. "I ought to get something in return for this," she said. "If they Will not let me out-"
"They Will not," said Jem, "until it is determined that your information is good. "
"Then they ought to at least give me better food. Its dreadful here. Just gruel and hard bread. " Having finished scribbling the note, she handed it to Tessa. "The boys clothes I wear are behind the dol s house in my room.
Take care moving it," she added, and for a moment again she was Jessamine, her brown eyes haughty. "And if you must borrow some of my clothes, do. Youve been wearing the same four dresses I bought you in June over and over. That yel ow one is practical y ancient. And if you dont want anyone to know youve been kissing in carriages, you should refrain from wearing a hat with easily crushed flowers on it. People arent blind, you know. "
"So it seems," said Jem with great gravity, and when Tessa looked over at him, he smiled, just at her.
Chapter 15: Thousands More
There is something horrible about a flower;
This, broken in my hand, is one of those
He threw it in just now; it will not live another hour;
There are thousands more; you do not miss a rose.