Infernal Devices 1 - Clockwork Angel by Clare Cassandra

Author:Clare, Cassandra [Clare, Cassandra]
Language: eng
Format: MOBI, epub, pdf
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Published: 2013-03-21T01:02:34.494000+00:00

Infernal Devices 1 - Clockwork Angel

11

FEW ARE ANGELS

We all are men,

In our own natures frail, and capable

Of our flesh; few are angels

--Shakespeare, King Henry VIII

Tessa screamed.

Not a human scream but a vampire scream. She barely recognized the sound that came from her own throat--it sounded like shattering glass. Only later did she even realize that she was screaming words. She would have thought she'd cry her brother's name, but she didn't.

“Will!” she screamed. “Will, now! Do it now!”

A gasp ran through the room. Dozens of white faces swung toward Tessa. Her scream had broken through their bloodlust. De Quincey was motionless on the stage; even Nathaniel was looking at her, dazed and staring, as if wondering if her screams were a dream born out of his agony.

Will, his finger on the button of the Phosphor, hesitated. His eyes met Tessa's across the room. It was only for a split second, but de Quincey saw their glance. As if he could read it, the look on his face changed, and he swung his hand up to point directly at Will.

“The boy,” he spat. “Stop him!”

Will tore his gaze from Tessa's. The vampires were already rising to their feet, moving toward him, their eyes glittering with rage and hunger. Will looked past them, at de Quincey, who was staring at Will with fury. There was no fear on Will's face as his gaze met the vampire's--no hesitation, and no surprise.

“I am not a boy,” he said. “I am Nephilim.”

And he pressed the button.

Tessa braced herself for a flare of white witchlight. Instead there was a great whoosh of sound as the flames of the candelabras shot toward the ceiling. Sparks flew, scattering the floor with glowing embers, catching in the curtains, in the skirts of women's dresses. Suddenly the room was full of billowing black smoke and screams--high-​pitched and horrible.

Tessa could no longer see Will. She tried to dart forward, but Magnus--she had nearly forgotten he was there--caught her firmly by the wrist. “Miss Gray, no,” he said, and when she responded by pulling away harder, he added, “Miss Gray! You're a vampire now! If you catch fire, you'll go up like kindling wood--”

As if to illustrate his point, at that moment a stray spark landed atop Lady Delilah's white wig. It burst into flames. With a cry she tried to rip it from her head, but as her hands came in contact with the flames, they, too, caught fire as if they were made of paper instead of skin. In less than a second both her arms were burning like torches. Howling, she raced toward the door, but the fire was faster than she was. Within seconds a bonfire raged where she had stood. Tessa could just see the outline of a blackened screaming creature writhing inside it.

“Do you see what I mean?” Magnus shouted in Tessa's ear, struggling to make himself heard over the howls of the vampires, who were diving this way and that, trying to avoid the flames.

“Let me go!” Tessa shrieked.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.