Nephilim
Chapter One
The Mortal Cup
I could feel Clary's nervousness as we walked up the stairs to the Brooklyn Academy of Art. She was there for an interview, I was just there to support my twin. Sure we both were artsy, she just wanted to make a career out of it.
"You'll do great, Clary" I told her with a smile, "Now go knock 'em dead" I added before giving her a hug.
Now for the wait. It didn't take long for me to tire of standing and slid to the floor. I'm not very patient. So to keep myself occupied, I pulled my journal out of my bag and flipped through the pages.
For the past few days I've been having the same dream. Clary and I were eight years old, and our mom took us to see a man. I would have said it was just a memory from our childhood, except for the fact that this man's eyes looked like a cats and his fingers sparkled with this...energy. It was strange.
It felt so real.
"Lil." My sister's voice broke me out of my reverie.
"Soooo..." I trailed off, pushing myself to my feet.
"I got in!" Clary squealed, and I couldn't help but squeal in return. This was big for her.
"Come on, we gotta meet Simon at Java Jones" I laughed once I let her go. "You're not telling him right away, right?" I asked. It was always fun trying to pull on over on the best friend.
"Of course."
Both Clary and I wore looks of sadness as we walked into the coffee shop were SImon was waiting for us. I couldn't help but wonder How long we could keep this up.
"Give me the professor's names, and I...I will end them." Simon told Clary, causing us both to look at him in slight shock. "You know with a scathing email to the dean."
"Don't bother" I scoffed as Clary and I sat down at the table, Clary just tossed her acceptance letter in front of our best friend.
"What?" Simon smiled as he saw the bold 'CONGRATULATIONS' on the top of the page. "Sad face? Really?" he asked, looking between the two of us, his eyes shining as he looked at my twin.
"Had to do it, man" I shrugged, as my sister and I shared a smile.
"Well played, well played" Simon nodded as he and Clary did their little fist bump secret handshake thing.
"Thank you" Clary smiled. "You know it's weird they kind of liked my assigned work, but they flipped out over the drawings for our graphic novel" she added, looking at me now.
Clary was good at drawing, painting stuff like that. She took after our mom. I was better at the written word, no clue where I got that from.
So naturally, Clary and I put our talents together and started a graphic novel filled with magic and demons.
"You're welcome" I shrugged, smirking over the rim of my coffee cup.
"This day will go down in history as the greatest birthday we've ever had." Well she wasn't wrong there.
"Which is why we are celebrating tonight" Simon said as the hipster waitress brought us more coffee.
"Maureen gunna be there?" I asked, sliding my biscotti's over to Clary.
"Yes with Maureen" Simon said, still keeping his eyes on my sister.
"Absolutely" Clary and I said together, agreeing to the best friends plans. "Sooo..." Clary trailed off. "What's the deal with you and Maureen?"
"What deal?" Simon asked. "No deal. We sing together."
"Dude, you do realize she's been crushing on you for forever, right?" I asked.
"What? No. No" Simon denied.
"Simon, how can someone as smart and perceptive as you not realize that the person sitting right there is in love with you?" Clary asked.
It took everything in me not to snort into my coffee. I could say the same about her. SImon has been in love with her since middle school. Maybe elementary.
"I guarantee you I'm not the only smart, perceptive person to make that mistake" Simon shot back. I subtly nodded. My sister wasn't all that observant, apparently.
"That's a latte" I pointed out when I saw Clary looking in front of her confusedly.
"Did you take my biscotti?" she asked me.
"Um, no, I gave you mine remember?" I scoffed.
"Maybe you ate it really fast and didn't notice. Happens to me all the time" Simon suggested. "When I'm happy. When I'm sad...but I will replace your mythical biscotti with an actual one."
Our stay at the coffee shop didn't last too much longer before we said our goodbyes and started to head home. My nerves were singing from all of the coffee and I started to run at the birthmark on my wrist, something I always did when I had too much caffeine. Or when I was nervous...
Just like any other set of twins, Clary and I had our differences. We weren't Identical, for one, but we did have our moms fiery red hair. But unlike me, Clary and Mom didn't have the strange birthmark. One that looked like fairy wings.
"Hey Dot" Clary and I spoke in unison as we entered our moms shop. As usual, our mothers friend and employee was sitting behind the counter, playing with her tarot cards. "How's your future looking?" Clary asked, placing her portfolio at her feet.
"Not as good as yours" Dot replied "the tarot cards tell me you got into the advanced program."
"And by 'tarot cards' you mean Simon's twitter account, right?" I chuckled, leaning against the counter and looking at the hand painted cards.
"Okay I follow him" Dot relented with a slight chickle of her own. "Turns out turns out predicting the future with tarot cards is very complicated" she added as she flipped over a card with a beautifully painted chalice. "But I do see birthday presents in your future."
"Dot!" My sister and I said as Dot put two bags on the counter, we told her not to get us anything this year. Of course the woman didn't listen. So when she told us to open the bags, we obliged.
"Wow, this is great, Dot, thank you!" I smiled when I pulled out a grey, cropped sweater with black heart like leopard spots. It was awesome.
"Yea you might want to keep those on the DL" Dot informed us when Clary pulled out fishnet top. "Cuz your mom's my boss and I don't want her to flip out." My top wasn't as revealing as Clary's, but mom would still wig out anyways.
"That's how we know it's cool" Clary told her. "You know" my twin continued. "You're way better at gift giving than magically predicting the future."
"Nothing magical about it" Dot shrugged "I just get you girls the things I would wear." She paused for a moment and smiled at the both of us. "Happy birthday" she said to us, hugging my first then Clary. But as she pulled away, Dot got a strange look in her eyes in she stood stock still.
"Hey, you okay Dot?" I asked, seemingly snapping the woman out of the...trance or whatever it was.
"Yea. Yea" Dot nodded, waving off the question. "Happy birthday, go up and see your mom."
Nodding, Clary and I grabbed out bags and went up the apartment above our mothers antique shop.
"Mom!" Clary called out as soon as we walked through the door.
"You did it yay!" our mother cheered.
"You also follow Simon?" Clary asked, causing me to snicker.
"He only has 93 followers, he needs the retweets" came moms reply as she hugged us. "Congratulations" she added.
"Thank you" Clary smiled.
"Hashtag stalker mom" I joked as mom let go of Clary and hugged me. When she pulled away, mom grabbed two wooden boxes from the coffee table.
"Happy birthday, girls" she said, handing us each one. Inside of Calgary's box was a silver...stick thing, wrapped with more silver and tipped with a small, clear crystal. It was pretty. Mine was similar to Clary's. Only it was embellished with fairy wings, and the crystal was a pretty rose color.
"It's called a stele" Mom told us as my sister and I looked over the objects in our hands.
"What is it, like some kind of paperweight?" Clary asked.
"It's too small for that" I told her as I turned the metal stick over in my hand.
"It's much more than that" Mom added. "They're very ancient, and I want the two of you to have them. They're family heirlooms."
"We Fray's have heirlooms?" Clary asked. I couldn't blame her for asking, Mom never mentions anything about our family. Especially not her life before we were born.
"A few" Mom nodded.
"You know, it's weird" Clary said, running her hands over a mark on the stele. "I doodled something like this, this morning."
"You must have seen it around the house or something" I shrugged. Looking down at the stele in my own hands, there was an identical marking.
"Girls, I need to tell..." but Clary's cell beeped with a new text.
"It's Simon" she told me "He's on his way. We need to get ready." Nodding I grabbed my bag and stood.
"But we need to talk. The three of us..." Mom said. She had this weird, worried look in her eye.
"We can't right now, we gotta change"
"We're seeing Champagne Enema tonight" I added.
"What?" Mom asked, confused at the term.
"Yea I know" I agreed. It was a stupid name. "It's the new band name."
"And Simon and Maureen are taking us out after" Clary added.
"But it's...it's your 18th birthday and, uh, everythings going to change for you girls now." Mom inhaled. Honestly, if we didn't already have plans, then I would have forced Clary to stay in. I was getting this really weird vibe from mom.
"Mom, we've had the talk. We're good" Clary smiled and the two of us turned to walk towards our room.
"We need to have a different and much more important talk" Mom said, grabbing both of our hands to stop us from walking away.
"Clary maybe we should..." But Clary cut me off before I could say anything more.
"And we will, but can it be over breakfast?" she asked.
"Love you mom" I added as Clary and I kissed both of mom's cheeks before walking to our room.
It didn't take long for my twin and I to change clothes. Although Clary just changed her shirt, I changed my entire outfit. Switching out my tank top for the shirt Dot had given me, and a pair of black skinny jeans. After grabbing a black leather jacket, I looked at the stele thing mom gave me.
I don't know what drove me to do it, but a moment later, the metal stick was in my pocket.
"You ready to go?" Clary asked as she pulled on a green hoodie. Covering up the fishnet top that Dot had given her.
A second later we were walking back downstairs. Where apparently Luke was waiting for us with our mom. I wonder if Clary knows how in love those two are. Probably not, she doesn't even know that Simon's in love with her.
"Hey Luke!" we spoke in unison, walking over to the counter they were standing at.
"Hey!" Luke greeted. "Incredible drawings" He said to Clary as he motioned towards my sisters portfolio.
"Thanks" Clary smiled.
"And I got you these" Luke added, placing two six packs of paints front of us. "Spray paints."
"Oh, they're perfect" Clary smiled as she looked at the cans of paint. Even though Clary was the one who was all about drawing, I knew my way around a painting too. I just don't draw all that much, so I'm not as good as my twin.
"If I catch any of that paint on city walls, I will arrest you" he continued, looking more at me than Clary. As a cop, Luke was dead serious. Although I don't think he would actually try to put us behind bars or anything.
"The paint is for Simons van" Clary told him matter of factly.
"Clary and I are insisting that they rename the band" I added, looking to mom, since she was the only one other than us who knew Simons stupid band name.
"Oh, yes, please" Mom nodded. Even she thought the name was stupid.
"Did your mom talk to you about those?' Luke interrupted, motioning to the stele's that were stick out of my and Clary's pockets.
"The heirloom," Clary smiled "Yea it's beautiful.
"Clary, Lily, you two are 18 now and..." Luke started.
"We're turning 18," Clary began.
"But it's not like we're going on some crazy epic journey or anything" I finished.
"But you are!" came the best friends voice. "See, we are going to Lombardi's to celebrate after the gig." Simon said as he came over and tickled my sisters side. He knew better than to try that with me, I couldn't control my arms and legs when tickled. That usually ended up with Simon breaking something.
"You should come back here after" Mom suggested. "Th-the city's not that safe right now" she added, motioning to Luke for back up.
"Don't worry mom, we'll be okay" I smiled, grabbing one of the spray paint six packs.
"Yea, we'll take a rain check" SImon added as Clary grabbed hers and the three of us walked out the door. "What!" Simon stopped and turned around. "Do I smell chicken cacciatore?" he asked.
"Simon, your gig." Clary reminded.
"You're singing?" Luke asked.
"Yea," Simon nodded. "Big gig, and by 'big gig' I mean 'not so'"
After a minute of trying to get mom to let go of us, and swearing that we would be home to talk over breakfast, we were finally on our way to see Simon and Maureen perform.
"Our mom has been crazy over protective lately" Clary said. We had some time to kill before 'Champagne Enema' hit the stage, so the four of us spent those minutes sitting on top of Simon's van.
After Clary and I finished tagging 'Champagne Enema' on the side paneling of course. Stupid name.
"So you remember how in 'Aliens' the alien queen was defending her eggs from Ripley?" Simon asked.
"In this scenario is our mom Ripley or the alien?" Clary asked from in between Simon and I.
"Both" SImon shrugged. "Yea, a mother defending her young."
"Defending us from what?" I asked.
"I spend all day in an art studio and Lilly is a black belt who teaches little kids karate" Clary added. "Our lives couldn't be anymore...mundane."
"Besides, we don't really know much about when she was young"I told Maureen and Simon.
"Just do what I do and get all the dirt from the relatives." Maureen suggested.
"We could, but, she doesn't have any" Clary told her. "And our dad died before we were born."
"So you have no one" Maureen stated. "No uncles, no aunts, no third cousins twice removed?"
"It's always just been the three of us" I shrugged.
"That's why the Lewis clans has added four chairs to ever seder since preschool." Simon informed. "One for Clary, One for Lilly, One for Jocelyn and one for Elijah."
Then Clary and Simon did a little back and forth. The sort of thing they had always done. I don't think they noticed the little green glint show up in Maureen's gaze. She has been in love with Simon since forever. Almost as long as Simon's been in love with my sister.
"You guys don't think that's a little bit suspicious?" Maureen asked. "You not knowing anything about your family? Your mom could be hiding some deep dark secret" she added, causing me and my sister too laugh.
"Impossible" Clary shook her head.
"Inconceivable" I joked.
"Our mom is is physically unable to conceal anything from us" Clary added.
I couldn't help but feel like Maureen was grasping at straws. As if she was trying to find a way to blacken Clary Fray's name in Simon's mind. Good luck with that lady.
I don't know why Clary talked me into this. Oh yea, Simon was our best friend, that's why. And no matter how much I do not like the music Simon and Maureen play, it's always good to support the best friend.
Clary and I sat together on one of the couches. Directly in front of the 'stage', if you could call it that. So of course I had the perfect view of Maureen given Simon lovey eyes, while Simon was sending them directly to Clary. It was all incredibly awkward.
Their set ended with 'Forever Young' and we exited the stuffy coffee shop directly after that.
"Thanks for being our roadie" Maureen stated, as if she was trying to remind my sister of her place. I liked Maureen, I really did. But she needed to cool it.
"Yea, and thanks for being our artist in residence" SImon added as he started to change into a different shirt.
"Of course," "No problem" Clary and I said at the same time.
"So you went on stage tonight as Champagne Enema" Clary said. Seeing where she was going, I grabbed a can of black spray paint.
"What were we thinking?" Maureen and SImon shared a laugh. She had a point, what were they thinking. Seriously, Champagne Enema?
"But now..." Simon started "We're Rock Solid Panda."
Well...it was better than Champagne Enema.
"Yea we are!"
"Rock Solid Panda, coming up" I chuckled.
"I'm feeling inspired." Clary added, grabbing a can for herself before we went to the side of the van and got to work.
It was only when Simon spoke fifteen minutes later that Clary and I stepped back from the van.
Below the first two band tags was the new name, Rock Solid Panda. But dead center was a symbol that looked sort of like the astrological symbol for Taurus. But more... I don't know, pointy?
It was also eerily familiar. I didn't remember tagging it, and apparently neither did Clary. Weirder and weirder.
"You know they have confirmed cases of people waking up in the morning speaking french and they never even studied the language."
I know that Maureen meant well, and was more than likely trying to be helpful. But I just keep on thinking that she is trying to get between what could possibly happen between my sister and our best friend.
"Do you think thats some kind of language?" Clary asked.
"Sanskrit maybe?" Maureen suggested with a shrug.
It was then that a rediculously hot blonde guy walked in between Clary and I. Bumping out shoulders in the process.
"Hey, can you watch where you're going?' Clary suggested, turning to face the guy.
"You can see me?"
Apparently, Simon and Maureen couldn't see the inked out, hot as hell blonde guy. So Clary and I shared our outer layers, grabbed our wallets and the two of walked into the club near where Simon had performed. Pandemonium.
Inside the club was...strange. People with glowing eyes, long clawed fingers and pointed ears. It was like there was a crazy cosplay rave going on. I don't think Clary was seeing the same thing I was, because when I turned to ask, she didn't seem to notice anything other than ordinary people.
Simon and Maureen didn't noticed anything either. So either I was going crazy, or something really weird was going on. I didn't even acknowledge Simon and Maureen leaving our side to go to the bar.
As we followed Hot-Blonde-Guy, we watched as he went behind a privacy curtain with two other people. People who had the same tattoos he does. Strange.
While Clary latched herself onto a guys with eyes that were literally glowing, I just walked through the curtain.
From the corner my sister and I stowed ourselves away in, we watched as the blonde came up behind a leggy brunette with a short purple dress. The two were talking about something. What, I couldn't begin to say. But it was barely a minute later and they guy was pulling a...was that a freaking sword! Oh holy hell.
"What out!" My sister screamed as she ran towards the trampy looking chick and pushed her away from the blonde. Only for her get pushed back into me.
"What the hell is that!" I said, looking at the other woman, whose mouth had split in a way a normal mouth shouldn't.
Everything that happened next was a blur. I watched on as person after person, if you could call them that, evaporated.
I couldn't help but let out a shriek when I was gripped up by one of those...things. After a moment of shock, I began to fight back. I started taking karate for a reason, after all. When the guy wouldn't stay down, I did the only thing I could think of. I grab the stele my mom had given me and jammed it into the things neck. Holding it there as he sizzled and, well, vanished.
But there was another one coming my way. Apparently Clary had gotten her hands on one of those cool glowing sword things. While she was terrified and trying to defend herself, I was getting backed into a corner. Or at least I would have been in a corner, if I didn't end up back to back with a girl around my age wielding a nifty glowing sword.
"There's another seraph blade in my jacket" she shouted at me, nodding towards her discarded jacket nearby. Without saying a word, I kicked a monster guy away from me and slid towards the jacket.
I could feel the hilt of the blade in the pocket. The instant I grabbed it, it lit up. On instinct, I thrust the blade up, and eviscerated the monster guy I had just kicked.
Pure instinct took over and I fought against the onslaught. It was only when I saw Clary running from the room that I dropped the blade and ran after her.
Understandable my sister was absolutely freaking out.
"...Tentacles came out of the body-builders face and...and then the guy just...vaporized" Clary explained to our mom when we got home a few minutes later.
"We had to have been drugged, right?" I asked, biting my lip. I mean yea, fighting those things felt good, felt right. But there was no way it could be real.
"What did the markings look like, on the blonde boy you were talking about?" Mom asked., obviously missing the point of the story.
"Who cares, mom, okay? Are you even listening to me?" Clary was frantic. "I think I killed a guy."
"I killed, like, five. Not that it's a contest, but...yea a bunch of people were killed." I don't know why I wasn't freaking out like my twin.
"Girls!" Mom exclaimed to get our attention. It worked. As soon as our eyes were on her, mom pulled a stele of her own and ran it down her arm. Revealing a very familiar mark."Did they look like this?" she asked.
"Mom, what the..." Clary's eyes were wide with shock. I couldn't even speak.
"Everything you girls saw tonight has a meaning" Mom told us as she stood "and an explanation and I've regretted having this conversation since the day you two were born."
"What's going on, mom?" I asked as she walked over to us. "Are we going insane?" I stammered. I really hope that isn't the case.
"No, you're not" Mom reassured. "But the protections are wearing off. You two are 18 now and you need to know the truth."
"Protections?" I asked.
"What does that even mean? Mom, you're scaring the hell out of me."
"I know, and that's why I've put this off until the last possible minute." But before mom could continue, Dot came running into the room.
"Jocelyn, look out the window" She said as she caught her breath. "Magnus called to warn us. They found you." As Dot spoke, mom ran over to the window.
"Dot, it's time" she called before running back over to us. "Okay, listen to me." Mom started as she walked back over to Clary and I. "You two cannot be near me."
"What's happening?" Clary asked. I was just as confused as my twin.
"I've gotten a very powerful person angry."
"What did you do?" I asked as we watched mom rummage through one of her decorative boxes.
"I took something from him" Mom said, walking back to us with a large chunk of purple crystal. "And his followers."
"Followers?" Clary and I questioned at the same time. And then of course Clary suggested calling the cops. Mom's rebuttal, of course, was to call Luke. Right before she clasped the necklace around Clary's next.
"Mom this is not the time for a birthday gift, what the hell is happening?" Clary asked, finally raising her voice. But instead, mom handed me an object similar to the seraph blade I had used earlier at Pandemonium. Only the hilt was adorned with pink and purple jewels and fairy wings.
"Only if you need it" Dot told my mom as she handed over a an orb of glowing green liquid.
"Trust your instincts" Mom told us, " You're more powerful than you know."
Mom had told us to find Luke. That he would protect us. But as Clary and I ran out of the police station and into the rain, that was absolutely not the case.
We had over heard Luke, the man we trusted with our lives, tell some random creeps that our mom meant nothing. That our family meant less than nothing to him. The only thing he cared about some some Cup, and that he didn't care if we lived or died.
After our deserved moment of shock, Clary and I ran out into the rain. All the way back to the antique shop and our apartment.
"They...They took Jocelyn. " It was Dot. Mom was gone, and all that was left behind was Dot and an empty apartment.
Instantly, I activated my seraph blade. It looked like Dot, I knew it had to be her. But while my sister was letting her guard down, I was putting mine up. Mom had told me to trust my instincts, and that's exactly what I was doing.
"Who took her?" Clary asked.
"Rogue Shadowhunters looking for the Mortal Cup."
"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked as Dot crept forward, my seraph blade hidden behind my back.
"Think, girls" Dot continued, ignoring my question. "Did your mother ever talk to you about a cup? A very important cup. I-It's gold almost like a chalice."
"No! No we don't know anything about a cup, Dot" Clary told her. "One of the antiques downstairs?" she asked with a stammer.
"No, no, not those" Dot shook her head. "Think, girls. This could save Jocelyn."
"Do you really think we could focus on something like that when someone kidnapped our mother!?" I asked, raising my voice.
"You know more than you think you do, Clary Fray" Dot growled, lunging at my sister with eh same face as the monsters at the club. Before I could react and bring the sword out from behind my back, Clary was shoving her stele through the creature's abdomen.
That just seemed to piss the thing off. As it lay on the floor, then body of Dot twitched and it growled as it morphed into something grotesque. Before Clary and I could react, it lunged. I could feel one of it's claws nick my exposed shoulder as it shoved me out of the way. And everything faded away before black took over my vision.
What seemed like forever later, there was a flash of blonde telling me that we would be alright.
"Oh good, you're awake" I heard a voice speak as I finally opened my eyes. Turning my head I saw that my sister had also been asleep. Sitting at the foot of my bed was the brunette from Pandemonium. "I've never seen Jace so curious about a mundane. Let alone two" she said, looking between me and my sister. "Or distracted," the girl continued. "Like you saw earlier, distractions are dangerous in our line of work."
"I have no idea what you're talking about" Clary said, looking over to my bed. "You okay, Lily?" she asked me.
"Yea" I groaned as I sat up. "Who're you?" I asked the brunette.
"Isabelle" she said.
"Lily" I nodded in greeting. "Who's Jace?" I asked.
"You two really don't know much, do you?" Clary just shook her head.
"All I know is some...psycho's took our mom and now you've taken me" My sister responded.
"And by 'taken' I assume you mean 'saved your life." Isabelle chuckled.
"Mundane shouldn't even be here" came a deep male voice. Turning I saw two males, both had also been at Pandemonium with Isabelle.
"Where is here, exactly?" Clary asked.
"They're not mundanes, Alec" the blonde said. I think he even rolled his eyes.
"who do you know?" the one I'm assuming was called 'Alec' asked.
"Cuz they both have used seraph blades."the blonde defended. "Look, Isabelle, can you..."he motioned for Isabelle to move from her spot on my bed. Even though he could have easily sat on Clary's. "I'm Jace Wayland."
"I'm Li..." but he cut me off.
"Lily and Clary Fray, we know who you two are" Jace finished.
"Am I the only one who finds this unusual?' Alec asked.
"You find everything unusual, Alec" Jace responded.
"I have to report this to the Clave."
"Why don't you dial it down a notch"Jace suggested.
"My brother doesn't have a dial" Isabelle commented with a smile. "I love you, Alec, but you have a switch that's always on."
Isabelle and Alec left a while later, probably so that they could talk to the Clave. Whatever the hell that was.
"Your wounds have healed" Jace pointed out. Instantly I looked at the spot that the monster had slashed me. There was nothing. Not even a scar.
"How is that even possible?" I asked.
"What we're miraculously healed and all of you...stunning people have magical powers?" Clary asked.
"No" Jace laughed. "Don't confuse me for a warlock."
"A what?" Clary asked, I could help but let out a snort of laughter. Sometimes my sister was really dense.
"A warlock...it's one of the Downworlders" Jace explained.
"So warlocks are magic, you guys are not. But you can do stuff that normal people can't got it" I nodded, causing Jace to smirk slightly.. But Clary still didn't really understand.
"You two aren't making any sense" my sister shook her head.
"Warlocks, vampire's, seelies..."
"I think my sister's brain might explode" I commented, pulling my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around them.
"Jeez, alright" Jace sighed. "I'll keep it simple for you...all the legends are true. We're Shadowhunters" he explained. There's that word again. I've heard it twice now and I still have no clue what it means. "We protect the demon world from the human world. So those people you saw murdered at the Pandemonium...they weren't people at all. They were shape shifting demons."
"I'm not interested in being a part of your supernatural fight club" Clary shot back. "I just wanna find our mom. The rest of it, whatever it is, all I care about is finding our mother."
"Can you help us find her?" I asked, pulling my knees closer to my body.
"I'm the best chance you've got."
Suddenly, Clary's phone rang, interrupting the silence. It was Simon, of course it was Simon. From what I could hear through the speaker, Clary and I had been out for a few days. And apparently he was being a stalker and used the 'Find My Friend' app to track us down. Well, Clary more than me.
So of course the best friend was right outside.
"Um, what, uh...what happened to our clothes?" Clary asked when she finally realized we were broth wearing nothing more than large t-shirts.
"Demon venom. Remember?" Jace answered. Well, that was obvious. "Isabelle left you these."he added, pointing the two sets of clothes. Clary was almost appalled by the lack of coverage our new ensembles provided. Jace mentioned that Isabelle was very comfortable with her body.
It only took a minute to change. Isabelle apparently thought it would be funny for Clary and I two have matching outfits. Only she provided me with jewelry.
"So, how's this...mark get on my neck?" I asked Jace. I knew it was there before I looked in the mirror. But I didn't bring it up till now. Since Clary had been freaking out too much to notice.
"I drew that" He said. Clary, obviously and rightfully had a problem with it. "Duly noted" Jace told her when she all but scolded him "I guess next time I'll just let you and your sister die. And it's not a tattoo" he added, standing from the bed and walking over to us. "It's a rune, and they have enormous power. Good for Shadowhunters, Lethal for humans. But you already know all about runes, don't you?" he asked my sister, picking up her notepad.
But Clary, of course, had no clue what he was talking about. Neither of us did. We just thought that the symbols Clary was drawing was just random nonsense for the graphic novel. We didn't even imagine that they were something real.
A minute later we were walking through what Jace called 'The Institute'. And it was amazing. Honestly I couldn't wait to explore the place, if I ever got the chance.
"You're not going to kill Simon, are you?" Clary asked Jace as we walked.
"Protect the humans, kill the demons. You'll get it eventually" was Jace's answer. Seemed simple enough.
"So, why can't Simon see you?" Clary asked as we walked down the stairs of the old church.
"This is a glamour, a rune that makes me invisible to mundanes" Jace explained, lifting the hem of his shirt to show us his run. Located on his pelvic bone. I wonder if he knew how much of a tease he was. "Which is a shame," he continued. "Cuz, well, denying them all this."
Yea, he knew. Jerk.
"What do you have on, Clary?" Simon asked, taking off his sweatshirt and wrapping it around my sisters shoulders. "Let me take you two home."
"I don't think we have one anymore" Clary told him. I just bit my lip and shifted awkwardly from behind my sister. She wasn't wrong, mom was gone, Dot was replaced by some kind of demon and our apartment was a burnt out shell.
Basically Clary and I were homeless.
"Why?" Simon asked. "What do you mean?"
"Well..." Clary started to explain, but she was interrupted by someone shouting our names.
"Clary and Lily Fairchild!"
And then we watched as Jace fought the man. I wanted to help, but then Simon would just think my sister and I were more crazy than we already seemed. Considering he couldn't see Jace or the guy he was fighting.
I'll have to have Jace show me the glamour rune again. Purely for Shadowhunting purposes. Not because of where his is located. Not at all.
And then of course when Jace finally killed the guy, Clary ran over and started talking to thin air. Or at least that's what Simon saw. Until a dead body randomly appeared at her feet.
"Jace can you de-glamourize so that the best friend doesn't think Clary and I are completely bat shit?" I asked, rubbing my forehead.
"Um...what is happening?" Simon asked when Jace appeared out of nowhere.
"We don't have the luxury right now, kid. Everyone back inside" Jace ordered, while Clary stayed still I fell in line with Jace. He was the veteran when it came to this stuff. Seemed better to listen to him.
"Who is this guy, Clary, your meth dealer?" Simon asked.
"Dude, you seriously think Clary and I are on drugs?" I asked, turning to look at my best friend.
"Well..." he trailed off, looking at the matching leather outfits we were wearing.
"What, because we're dressed differently than normal?" I all but scoffed. I was cranky.
"We've seen him before" Clary interrupted, pointing to the body at her feet. "At the police station."
"He's a member of the Circle" Jace told her "Clary, he's here for you and your sister."
"He's with the people who took our mother" Clary responded.
"Right" Jace agreed. "Your little best friend here led him right to you. he's here to capture or kill you."
"There's a dead body there, we have to call Luke" Simon told us.
"We can't trust Luke, Simon" I scoffed.
Then there was a weird tug of war for my twin. Like what the hell guys, I'm here too. So, with a roll of my eyes, I turned and strutted back into the Institute.
AN: So this is my attempt at a Shadowhunters fanfic. Honestly I don't know how this is gunna go, so just bare with me, lol.
Sooooo what did you think? I feel like Lily's personality kind of bounces around between a bitch and happy/playful. I'm still kinda figuring out the character, and Clary kind of aggravates me, lol.
My biggest hurdles will be Jace/Clary and then the sibling-ness. That's gunna be difficult. Since I've read the books (almost all of them) I know what happens buuuuut it's just getting there thats gunna be a project lol.
Anyways, yea tell me what you think. I'd also like to hear any ideas for things you all might like to see happen in this story!
As Always, Leave Love
)0( Iris RainbowWolf )0(
