Clarissa Fray stood on the third step from the massive cathedral that cast its shadow through her fiery red hair. The Institute. She thought. With her green paisley duffel bag over her shoulder, she climbed the last three steps to face the giant and elegantly carved doors to slide her key into the lock. The door clicked and she steped inside.
Walking swiftly down the center aisle of pews, she made her way to the elevator, opened the gate, and closed it behind her with a bang. She went to press the button, but it was blocked with a hastily scribbled note taped to it. She recognized the handwriting immediately as she plucked the message off the button and pressed. On the bumpy way up, she read:
Clary,
Ravener demon attack in TriBeCa.
Chinese in the fridge. Be home soon.
-J
"Alone again." she sighed as the elevator came to a stop. While she pulled open the ever-sticky gate, she had very conflicting emotions about the fact that he hadn't bothered to tell her there was an attack. She felt almost excluded, but as soon as she remembered the fact that she had only been in Shadowhunter training for a year and had read that it was a Ravener…well, she was just happy she didn't have to deal with one of those again.
Passing through the large living room, she walked down the silent corridor to her bedroom. Technically, it wasn't really her room, but since she often came to the Institute for training with Jace, she kept some of her things here just in case (clothes, bathing products, art supplies, books, etc.). Even though the Institute could house over two hundred Shadowhunters, she was very glad that Maryse and Robert didn't mind. She had picked this room for two reasons: One was the fact that when you looked out the window, you could see the sun rise over the East river. Her mother always told her that a window with a view was perfect inspiration for any painting. The second was the fact that Jace's room was only a couple of doors down. But if her mother figured that out, she would be in a "heap of Jocelyn trouble" as Luke would say it.
She really didn't even want me to stay here. She thought as Clary recalled the last argument they had had together. Jocelyn and Luke had been recently called to Idris for a formal council meeting and had to leave New York for a week to discuss details on the new way things were "run" in the Shadoworld. Clary had arraigned to stay at Simon's place, but his cousin's bar mitzvah was this weekend, and his family had to travel to Pennsylvania for the week. Since Clary really didn't have any other friends or relatives in the city, the only option was the Institute. The two main reasons why Jocelyn had fought Clary about staying at the Institute was 1: Maryse and Robert Lightwood would also have to travel to Idris as well, and they wouldn't be home, and 2: She wasn't exactly keen on the idea that her daughter would be sleeping in the same house as her boyfriend. However, after much debating, Jocelyn gave in.
Throwing her bag on the bed, Clary started folding clothes and placing them in the dresser. She had just kicked off her shoes when she heard a voice.
She froze, listening. She heard it again. It was faint and small, but she could tell it belonged to a male.
A young male.
Clary felt her body unfreeze as she heard it again. She was supposed to be alone. Everyone was either in Idris or out slaying demons. Nobody could get into the Institute unless they had permission from the Shadowhunters in residence, and of course the Shadowhunters themselves. Could they? She slowly pulled the seraph blade Jace always wanted her to have, just in case, from her bag.
"Dabriel" She spoke under her breath and the blade grew in length, pulsing with a blue light. She crept out of her bedroom and down the hall with the soundless placidity that Jace had showed her in one of her training sessions.
There was a door that was sitting slightly ajar a couple of rooms down from her. Dabriel in hand, she jumped to pose at the edge of the door sill. She would do it. If it was a demon, she would slay it in three…two…
"One!" She cried as she jumped into the room with the blade pointed directly at the being's heart. She looked down the blade's shaft to see the creature's face.
It was a boy, a young boy with jet black hair and glasses around his electric blue eyes.
"Ahh! What are you doing? Are you crazy?" The boy jumped from his spot on the floor where he was playing with small, wooden red and blue toy soldiers, scattering them everywhere.
Clary immediately lowered the blade. "Max? Why are you here? Shouldn't you be in Idris with your parents?"
"Clary? What are you doing with a seraph blade pointed at me?" Max retorted, one soldier still in his hand.
"Touché. Sorry." Heart still pumping wildly, she set Dabriel on the floor, watching as it shrunk and its blue light dimmed.
The youngest Lightwood cautiously sat back down next to his toys and proceeded to remake his wooden battle scene. "I'm here because my parents weren't allowed to bring me to Idris and the others wouldn't let me come demon hunting with them, both because I'm to young. Again. You?" He said without a glance towards her.
"My parents are in Idris too. I have to where else to go." Clary looked down to see a soldier at her foot. She picked it up and sat down next to Max, placing the little man at his foot.
"Thanks, but why aren't you out kicking demon butt like the others?"
Clary smiled. "They didn't tell me. I guess they were in a rush or something. It was a Ravener, so I'm not sure if I wanted to be there. I'm not a big fan of those."
Max returned the smile. "No one is, but are you sure you were not sent here to babysit me?" He set a couple of soldiers in red coats on the front line and began placing blue coats on the opposing line.
"Actually, no one told me you were going to be here."
"That doesn't surprise me." His face was solemn, but lightly angered.
"What? How come?" she said.
"I guess I'm used to it by now. While you and the others go off and have awesome adventures, I'm stuck here. I'm used to being alone too. That's why I didn't hear the elevator when you came in."
"That seems like a lonely way to live."
"I don't blame you guys. How can you take a little kid whose never been trained in Shadowhunting? I would just get in the way. Plus, it gives me more time to play with these." With his small hands, he held up a toy soldier. "This one is the head of the army. Jace gave him to me. He's at the head because he is just as brave as Jace is, which is a lot." He set the toy on the front line. It was different from the others in the fact that it was older, more weathered, and it was clothed in what Clary could see was a painted-on replica of the black gear Shadowhunters usually wore.
Clary watched as the boy admired his adoptive brother. He was right. Jace was impeccably brave. Though sometimes Clary thought his bravery would get himself killed sometimes. "Max, I've only been training for a year now. I'm just as able to kill demons as you are." Clary said.
"Yea, but you've got like super cool rune powers with extra Angel blood in you. Plus you're a lot older. That doesn't count."
"Oh come on. That hardly counts. And you can't be that much younger than Alec. How old are you?" Clary asked.
"Actually, I'm turning ten today." Max said.
"Wait, WHAT? Your birthday is today? I don't believe you." Clary said, flabbergasted.
"It's true." He nodded towards a Star Wars calendar in the opposite wall. There was a red circle around the 16th of January, today's date.
Suddenly, Clary had an idea.
"So, you're just planning to stay in your room all day and play with toy soldiers?" She asked.
"Yep. That's my plan." Max replied.
"Ooookay then." Clary said. She grabbed the seraph blade and slowly started down the hall. "I completely understand if you don't want to go out with me. I was planning to take you to that really cool comic book store you're always talking about, but I guess I could skip that over!" She called mockingly behind her, letting innocence drip all over her tone.
"Wait! Clary, wait!" She heard Max cry as he began struggling with the sleeves of his coat. Clary walked back to him, knelt down, and buttoned it up.
"You're sure you want to come?" Clary asked, finishing up the last button.
"Yes!" He said with excitement as he shoved the soldier Jace had given him into his pocket.
"Alright. Meet me by the elevator. I just have to grab my keys."
"Okay!" She watched as the little boy sprinted down the hall. She turned back into her room and grabbed her coat and car keys and jammed them into her bag. She shoved her stele into its usual place in the cuff of her boot. Then she looked down at the seraph blade in her hand.
"Just in case." She whispered to herself as she put Dabriel in her bag and walked out the door.