Day 18: 11/18

Hey everyone! Before I give my quote, I would like to give a special applause for Tsiishch'ii, R.C.L., and K.V. Campanella. Thanks for supporting our blog so much! Without you, I don't know how motivated we would be to update this blog :D

Anyways, for today's quote, it's Jem's turn to shine. This is one of my most favorite quotes, or should I say passages, but it's a tad bit long. Here it is!

Will slid Jem's sleeve down, covering the Marks he had made. As he returned his stele to his pocket, Jem stood looking up at him; their faces were pale smudges in the torchlight. Tessa raised her hand, then lowered it slowly. What was it he had said? Shadowhunters don't say good-bye, not before a battle. Or good luck. You must behave as if return is certain, not a matter of chance.

The boys, as if alerted by her gesture, looked up toward her. She thought she could see the blue of Will's eyes, even from where she stood. He wore a strange look as their eyes locked, the look of someone who has just woken up and wonders if what they are looking at is real or a dream.

It was Jem who broke away and ran up the stairs to her. As he reached her, she saw that he had high color in his face, and his eyes were bright and hot. She wondered how much of the drug Will had let him take, so that he would be ready to fight.

"Tessa-," he said.

"I didn't mean to say good-bye," she said quickly. "But- it seems so odd to let you leave without saying anything at all."

He looked at her curiously. He did something that surprised her then, and took her hand, turning it over. She looked down at it, at her bitten fingernails, the still-healing scratches along the backs of her fingers.

He kissed the back of it, just a light touch of his mouth, and his hair- as soft and light as silk- brushed her wrist as he lowered his head. She felt a shock go through her, strong enough to startle her, and she stood speechless as he straightened, his mouth curving into a smile.

"Mizpah," he said.

She blinked at him, a little dazed. "What?"

"A sort of good-bye without saying good-bye," he said. "It is a reference to a passage in the Bible. 'And Mizpah, for he said, the Lord watch between me and thee when we are absent one from another."

There was no chance for Tessa to say anything in response, for he had turned and run down the steps to join Will, who was as motionless as a statue, his face upturned, at the foot of the steps. His hands, sheathed in black gloves, were in fists at his sides, Tessa thought. But perhaps it was a trick of the light, for when Jem reached him and touched him on the shoulder, he turned with a laugh, and without another look at Tessa, he swung up into the driver's seat, Jem following him...

So what do you think? Sorry if it was so excruciatingly long, but I enjoy each and every word of this particular passage. I remember Cassie Clare saying that she may write this through Jem's perspective, and that would be very interesting... Although, I would love to see Will's view and his thoughts between the Jem Tessa (Jessa, Tem, whatever you want to call it) interaction. Now, to conclude, I'm going to leave you with one question that's been asked multiple times, but I sincerely want to know what you think. Team Will or Team Jem?

Love always,

The Red Queen