Oceans Away

"What do you mean he's missing?" Rosalie whirled on Jessamine with narrowed eyes. Fury boiled inside of her as she stared at the girl who insisted on being Nate's personal watchdog. "How could you possibly have lost him?"
"I-I" Jessamine stammered, and her red-rimmed eyes widened. "I only fell asleep for a short while-"
"Yes," Rosalie said coldly. "And in that short while you have managed to lose track of my brother!"
"Rose!" Tessa interjected softly, placing a hand on her sister's tensed shoulder. "Yelling at Jessamine won't do any good."
"No, but it certainly makes me feel better." she huffed out angrily.
Tessa ignored her sister and turned to address Jessamine. "We are going to look for Nate. You can stay here if you'd like."
"I would like." Jessamine replied indignantly before spinning around, her blonde curls fanning out behind her, and returning to her chair beside Nate's bed.
Rosalie stared after her, positively seething. She had the audacity to lose Nate and now she can't be bothered to look for him? She was responsible for him for a few measly hours! It's not that hard to watch someone sleep; she should know, she had been watching their brother sleep for days now! Maybe she'll take it as a sign that Nate isn't interested in her. The last thing Nate needs right now is a girl pining after him at all hours of the day. His focus needs to be on his recovery.
"Poor Nate," Tessa sighed solemnly. "He must be so scared."
"We're going to find him." Rosalie assured her as they rounded yet another corner.
"But this place is such a maze, how can we possibly hope to find him? I barely know my way around the Institute-"
"I will search every room if I have to." she cut Tessa off and forced herself to smile. "Besides, I'm sure Charlotte has the others searching as well."
As if on cue, Thomas appeared in the hallway, moving quickly toward them. There was a look of relief in his eyes when he spotted them; and Rosalie knew that he had found their brother. "I've found him." he said, looking from one sister to the other.
"Oh, thank goodness!" Tessa smiled faintly. It was clear that she was still worried about Nate, despite the fact that he had been found safe and sound. "Where is he?"
"He's found himself a bit of a hideout in the drawing room." Thomas explained as he turned on his heels to take the girls to the drawing room. "I think I may have frightened him." he went on, sounding ashamed. "He's hidden himself behind the curtains."
"It's not your fault, Thomas." Rosalie assured him kindly. "Our brother is still in shock, and likely delirious." she added. The most important thing is that he was found quickly, who knows what kind of trouble he could have gotten himself into. Especially if he had managed to get out of the Institute. The thought sent a shiver along her spine. She had thought of the Institute as an impenetrable fortress, yet she now knew just how wrong she had been. Not even the Institute felt safe anymore; the Magister had seen to that.
"I think it would be best if just Rosalie and I went inside." Tessa said suddenly as they drew to a halt in front of the doors leading into the drawing room. "Nate would benefit more from seeing familiar faces."
Thomas did not object, in fact, he looked almost thankful that he was not needed inside the drawing room. Surely it was strange for him to see Nate behaving this way; he was used to dealing with fearless Shadowhunters. And Nate was anything but that. Especially now.
Rosalie murmured her thanks as Thomas opened the door for them. He shut it behind them; and both girls blinked suddenly, trying to adjust to the dim lighting. The witchlight lamps were off, the only light came from the dreary gray sky outside the window. Tessa sucked in a breath when she spotted Nate sitting near the fire with his head in his hands. He had found his bloodstained clothes and put them on. If Rosalie hadn't known any better, she would have thought she was looking at a ghost.
"Nate?" Tessa called out softly. Her body was as rigid as a statue as she stood near the door- as if she were afraid that Nate wouldn't know her.
His head shot up immediately at the sound of her voice, and he sprang from his seat. "Tessie!" a glorious smile covered his face when the youngest of the Gray siblings ran toward him, tears streaking happily down her face. Rosalie watched from her place by the door as Tessa flung herself into Nate's arms and hugged him as if her life depended on it. It was best to let them have their moment; she could catch up with her brother later. He needed Tessa more than he needed her right now. Nate pulled back- holding Tessa at an arm's length. "You look different." he breathed out softly.
"What?"
"Older." he amended with another smile. "When I saw you last, you were a round-faced girl. Or is that just how I remember you?"
"I'm still the same girl you remember." Tessa said, her eyes softening. Her hand reached out to him, delicately touching a purplish bruise on his face. He was littered in bruises and cuts. Much like Rosalie had been when she arrived at the Institute.
"It's not as bad as it looks." he promised while pulling her hand from his face. It was then that his eyes drifted toward the door and landed on Rosalie. "Are you planning on standing there all day, Rose?"
"Of course not." she shook her head with a grin. "I was just letting you two have your moment." she said while crossing the room in quick strides. Nate's arms engulfed her in a tight hug, instantly filling Rosalie with a feeling of peace. Being reunited with Nate made her happier than she could have ever imagined. Nothing could ruin this day for her. Not even Will. The smell of old blood surrounded her, and she tried not to cringe away from him. We'll need to get him a change of clothes, he can't keep wearing those ones. "What were you thinking Nate?" she sighed when she finally forced herself away from him. "Why would you take off like that?"
"I was looking for Tessa." he indicated toward their sister, who stood silently watching them. "I remembered seeing her before that bald bastard got at me."
"Brother Enoch?" Tessa frowned slightly.
"Yes." Nate nodded. "I figured they had imprisoned you... so I was going to try and get us out."
"We're not prisoners, Nate." Tessa said. "We're safe here."
Rosalie held her tongue as best she could. After the attack on Jem and Tessa, she no longer felt safe here. Nor did she think her sister was safe. "Without the help of the Nephilim, we never would have found you." she said instead, her eyes gazing steadily at the floor.
Nate's eyes traveled away from his younger sisters to look around the room. "de Quincey told me about them." he began, his voice cracking. "He said they keep the damned souls of men imprisoned in some kind of strange box-"
"You mean the Pyxis?" Tessa interjected with raised eyebrows.
"What in the world is a Pyxis?" Rosalie asked.
"It holds bits of demon souls." Tessa explained quickly. "It's completely harmless, though." she added, upon seeing her sister's horrified expression. "I can show it to you both later; it's in the weapons room."