Ember - POV
Tears rolled down her face, making damp stains across her cheeks and nose.
She could still remember that night. The dark, red liquid that floor and seeped into her shoes. The slack expressions her parents faces wore. The malicious grin that spread across his face. Valentine's.
She wiped away another tear. Not here, not now, she thought. She knew that this was not the time to remember. She knew she would have a breakdown if she did. So she smoothed her white gown, wiped her cheeks, and walked over to talk to Hodge.
Hodge was a man with a greying face. In fact, he seemed to be all grey, except for the white ensemble he was wearing for the funeral.
He liked her, Ember. She was strong, truly a skilled Shadowhunter. But he knew the kids wouldn't like her. They were already annoyed that the environment was was changing to adapt her into it. Except for Alec, who seemed delighted to see a new face around the Institute.
He talked to Ember for a little while about arrangements, but she then drifted off to talk to other guests.
But not before he noticed the mourning mark on her left thigh. Poor kid, Hodge thought.
Ember found herself wandering back to the grave of her parents. Fresh stone, cut just today or the day before. Their names were engraved in cursive on the stone.
She traced them with the tip of her finger. She stood there for a moment, in her own world. The noise around her evaporated into silence. It could have been seconds, minutes, hours before the silence broke.
There was someone behind her, and he was saying hello. She turned around, her thick, red hair going all over her face. She pushed it away.
The person greeting her was a tall boy with dark hair. His eyes were brown and his smile was kind. He was decent.
"Hello," she replied breathily. He smiled wider.
"I'm Alec, what's your name?" he said, eyes wandering. She started to tremble. He asked for my name!, she thought. She was now smiling to.
"I'm Ember, nice to meet you." she replied, holding out her hand. He shook it gladly.
"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Ember." he said.
She liked the way her name sounded in his voice. He just made it sound...better, she thought, smiling to herself.
They talked for awhile, and they became friends almost instantly. She learned that he lived at the Institute.
Good we can spend more time together, she thought. She hoped he liked her, because she really liked him.
A scream seemed to erupt from the crowd.
Alec whipped around, his mid-throat hair following.
He grabbed Ember's forearm, dragging her away from the grave that stood before them. She saw blood spatter across the stone. They ran towards a group of people, a tall, slender, brunette, a boy with golden locks, and the dirty blond who had been giving her dirty looks throughout the funeral. Hodge followed closely behind them.
She struggled to get away from Alec, who was still gripping her forearm tightly. Eventually, she ripped away from his iron grip and ran off.
She got into her Mini Cooper, the car she had gotten for her 16th birthday, and drove away from the building. A tear rolled down her cheek once more, falling onto her white gown.
Emily - POV
Just because the Lightwood parents,Maryse and Robert, mayde Emily May go to the funeral, didn't mean she had to be sad.
Mr and Mrs Grove were killed the previous night thanks to Valentine.
Ember... the Grove's eldest and only daughter was standing up at the front next to their headstone. While Alec,Isabelle,Jace and Emily were standing in the back, talking.
Emily had been an orphan since the age of 1½. She remembers that night vividly, her mom setting her down in the crib, plopping a kiss on her forehead, then walking out of the room with Valentine at her heels and knife pointed at her back.
Emily was certain Hodge was going to invite Ember to come stay at the institute. The institute might be able to house more than 5 people. But it wouldn't be home with her around.
It was just like Hodge, his gray eyebrows moving as he talked to Ember. Emily had no idea what young Hodge looked like, everything on him now is gray.
Ember's red hair stood out when Emily looked from Hodge to Ember. Her eyes...that violet colour,stands out among any other, beating her eyes by millions.
Hers were drab, boring brown eyes doing nothing to compliment her brown hair.
No colour could compare to the colour of Jace's hair. Those golden curly locks were about mid jaw length.
Alec and Isabelle's dark brown hair was fine. Nice thin and elegant. Its the type of hair that was easy to work with, and could do up into any type of style. Izzy loved it and took advantage of it, Alec always wore it down which hit his mid throat.
Emily wished she had Izzy's hair,soft... easy to work with, not like her own scraggly hair that was usually pulled back into a pony, but was now fighting to escape.
"Its going to be weird having a 6th person at the institute after all this time!" Emily remarked glancing over at Hodge and Ember
"Well, It was bound to happen someday," Alec chuckled
"And it'll be nice having someone else around to paint nails with!" Isabelle said in a sing-song voice holding out her hand to let them see her nail job."See!" Izzy giggled
"Why don't we just go over and say hello?" Alec said looking over at Ember, catching her eye and quickly looking away.
"Jace, your really quiet, what's wrong?" Em commented seeing the dazed look in his eyes.
"No,Its just...those people over there don't look like normal Shadow Hunters." Jace replied pointing to a small group of Shadow Hunters, who looked like they were weeping under their over-sized rain jackets.
It was foggy, drizzly weather but not bad enough for those type of jackets, Emily thought.
As Emily turned away she saw the gleam of a knife and a shadow-hunter crumple to the ground.
She heard a scream, her hands were already gripped around Tahariel unsheathing him from his scabbard. She held it forward standing next to Jace who was holding Michael, and Isabelle with her silver whip.
It seemed that Alec had disappeared in the scream rang out and they could see Alec,Hodge... and...EMBER running their way.
"Its not safe..." Hodge said.
"We know" Jace said interrupting.
"Get to the coach" Hodge replied urgently.
Emily, her hair now free, fluttering behind her, followed by Jace,Isabelle,Alec and Hodge taking up the rear, headed to the coach. Leaving the now blooded spattered grave behind.