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“You don’t need a portrait. You are young and beautiful,” Cordelia pointed out. “Men are not beautiful. Men are handsome,” objected Matthew. “Thomas is handsome. You are beautiful,” said Cordelia,
Listen. Say what you will / but the chemistry is chemistrying
He drew a silver flask from his waistcoat pocket. Lucie shot him a sharp look before glancing away.
Matty dearest - PUT THE FLASK DOWN - We need some more functional coping strategies my guy
“There is no special protection in this world for kind people,” Matthew began, and broke off as Cordelia glared at him. He took another swig from his flask and bared his teeth. “Yes, I’m being a beast. I know that perfectly well.” “Then stop doing it,” said Cordelia. “My
Call him out honey!! Broken people are still responsible for their destructive habits!!
Megan liked this
Matthew shot her a swift, surprised look
Oh no she’s smart!
“I don’t like illness,” Matthew said shortly,
When do we get the tragic backstory - I need answers
He pushed the thought away. Matthew was like food, sleep, breathing; doing without him would not be possible.
😓
This man is so JJ from OBX coded it hurts
But the Herondales had a special ability: Will, James, and Lucie could all see ghosts that didn’t want to be seen.
but no explains WHY
Cordelia caught at Lucie’s hand with her own bandaged one. “Tell me who said that to you. I will kill them.”
Girl bfs are the best
“James isn’t here!” Matthew called, moving closer to him. “Go away!”
I love this man
It was an old nickname for Matthew, given to him by Will, after the Welsh king Math ap Mathonwy—the keeper of all wisdom and knower of all things. Will always said Matthew had been born knowing too much. There was a dark awareness in his gaze
Matty lore
“Jamie,” he whispered. “I’m sorry to have to do this.” He swallowed. “You are cursed. A child of demons. It is why you can see the shadow realm. You are seeing the place you belong.”
Best friends always know how to tear you down the most smh
Matthew, who could be cruel but never to James.
💋
He had only just been waving goodbye to Cordelia and her parents, and feeling about Cordelia in a manner that he could not possibly put into words, it was so excellent and strange and perplexing.
Weren’t the words you used “family friend”
“Yes, it is awful. She is truly to be pitied.”
Is this love or guilt
Grace smiled. “I have no secrets.”
Girl.
“No,” James said, “I expect Cordelia will want to spend all her time with Lucie—they’re to be parabatai someday. Of course, Lucie is also writing her book, so there may well be times when I really should spend time with Cordelia, as a good host. I mean, whatever she likes. Obviously, if she wanted to spend every day with me, that would be all right—” He stopped, realizing that he had become entirely crazed sometime in the past ten seconds.
Now this is love
Grace laughed lightly. “Nonsense! I know you mean well, James. You’re just in love with Cordelia.”
Wow sis can even see it
“That was amazing,” Grace said. “I imagine you’d get used to the feeling, if you practiced.”
what an odd thing to say 👀
Grace laughed. At the gate, as he departed, she reached for his arm. “Wait. James. I was thinking. If some night you find yourself unable to sleep, and you find yourself cast into shadow… Perhaps you could come here, and walk through the briars and into the house, and into Mama’s study, and dip your shadowed hand through the top of the right box, and retrieve my bracelet for me.”
THERE IT IS
“Leave me a sign, if you do it,” Grace said, “and the next night I will meet you in the forest. You would be a true friend to me if you could do this.” “I can,” said James. “I will.”
All the times he was cutting down your crusty dusty bushes wasn’t enough of a reason!?
The torchlight cast strange shadows on Grace’s countenance. “We are not alike,” she said, without any anger. “I have obligations you cannot understand.” “Obligations?” The word startled Cordelia. “You cannot mean—” James. You cannot mean James.
I know children’s lore you couldn’t even dream about baby gorl
An understanding with a man might be considered an obligation, but only if the relationship was unwanted. Since Grace had entered into hers with James secretly, without her mother’s knowledge, surely it must be what she desired?
HOT TAKE SHES USING HIM
“Just like your cousin,” she sneered. “No sense of propriety at all.” She took hold of the door. “Get off my property,” she finished, and slammed it loudly in Cordelia’s face.
DANG
“Is that the door?” he whispered. She shot him a look of surprise—how could he not know? Hadn’t he come in the same way she had?
DID HE SEE HER IN THE SHADOW REALM!?
His eyes searched hers. “I saw a light within the shadows,” he said. “I followed it. I believe it was the light of Cortana.”
OR WAS IT CORDELIA
“James used to feel pity for her,” said Lucie as the carriage started to move. “Then it seems that somehow he fell in love with her. Which is very odd, really.
TRULY
James made excuses to himself about why tonight could not be the night:
Sounds like someone doesn’t actually want to do this 👁️👁️
He had been thinking of Cordelia, not Grace, but he found himself at the wall around Blackthorn Manor nonetheless.
I’m so SIXK
Oddly, his mind turned to Cordelia, to her voice reaching through the fever, through the shadows.
This is getting ridiculous. “You are IN LOVEEE, TRUEEE LOVE”
“Would you wear it?” she asked. “As my friend. As my only real friend, truly. Then when I see you, I will be reminded of who I am.”
GIRL SHUT UP
He looked down at Grace. How had he never noticed before that her eyes were almost the precise color of silver, like the bracelet itself? He wore it through the summer, into the next year and the year after. He had, even now, still not taken it off.
Fascinating
According to Tatiana, you went to her house last night and demanded to see Grace, and when she said no, you smashed her greenhouse to pieces—”
This snitch
“Let me apologize to her,” James said; the silver bracelet felt as if it were burning on his wrist. He didn’t know if he meant Tatiana or Grace.
um WAT
Charles looked pained. “James,” he said, but James had already swept past him and out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
Classic herondale exit
“Unless you count Oscar.” Oscar Wilde was Matthew’s dog, who James had found wandering on the streets of London and presented to Matthew. The dog adored Matthew uncritically, much like the beauties of nature.
He gave him a dog 🥹 Also the dog loving Matthew, same doggo
Matthew was about to rip the Institute apart brick by brick to see if you’d fallen into the crypt when your father tracked you to Chiswick.”
My man loves him some James
He didn’t know her that well, though he felt as if he ought to.
Yeeeeeaayuuhh
“Seems dangerous to be out and about at night after those attacks,” said Matthew. “Lucie—the girls shouldn’t be taking such risks.”
I caught that matty
“I do know Grace,” said James. “And I do love her.”
🤢
“It is because you are remarkably good at dodging explosions,” said James, “and also, you can curse in Spanish.” “How does that help?” said Thomas. “It doesn’t,” said James, “but Christopher likes it.
Cute
“She had better love him back,” said Matthew. “He deserves it.”
“So what does she say?” said Matthew. “She adores your face and yearns to run her fingers through your messy raven hair?”
More like where my bracelet at
I was wondering if you were good enough for our Jamie or our Matthew.”
PERIODT
Lucie’s a delight, but she’ll never look at any of the boys as anything but brothers.”
*sighs*
“What are you doing here?” Cordelia was not sure such a rude question deserved an answer. “Having tea.”
Don’t let them talk down to you sweaty
