This story was mildly inspired by Cassandrajp's art, hopefully you know which I'm talking about and if not here's the webpage

post/51001095004/so-i-got-it-in-my-head-this-morni ng-to-draw-this

The first choice

Sorry my computer is being stupid

Parents are cruel people. Improving their children to their image. Doing everything they can to make things the way they want even if that means taking away freewill. Valentine Morgenstern was the poster boy for this. The members of his Circle knew this, and so many idolized him for it. Some even followed in his confident footsteps, until they were convicted and arrested.

It was during the first snow fall of winter when the raid on the Nightshade house happened. Demons were found housing there and a lab filled with disturbing notes written and vials of obscene liquids with horrible odors was discovered. It was in the basement where Samuel and Lily Nightshade were found with a dead warlock next to them, their faces were masks of victorious humor as they were arrested. What the Council and Clave didn't know was that the warlock had summoned a portal before being killed, and with the portal was transported a child.

"Father!" Called a small boy. He was standing outside with throwing knifes in his hands, a wooden target sat several yards away, and standing nearby in the green yard was a man attending to a large raven on his shoulder. The man looked towards his son to see him pointing in the direction of a hill, a top of which was a figure falling into the meadow where they lived.

The man skimmed over the paper again before sending the raven on it's way. "Come along Jonathan." He said calmly to his son as he took off towards the falling figure. The pale blond child hurried after him keeping the throwing knives in hand as they went.

When they had reached the small figure it had stopped rolling and laid in a crop of tall grass and flowers. The boy made a face as he hovered over the other child.

"What is she doing here?" Jonathan asked his father.

Valentine smirked at the boy before bending over and lifting the girl into his arms. Her face was hidden by the tangle mess that was her black hair. Valentine noted that she didn't look a thing like her parents, and that only made his smirk grow more. "She's just like you Jonathan. A monster."

Jonathan's shoulders tightened. He knew what this meant. He knew better than anyone. "So she's staying here?"

Valentine started back for the cottage saying, "Do you have a problem with that?"

Jonathan paused hearing the dark tone his father had taken. "No father." He answered trotting down the hill.

The sun was falling below the horizon when screaming emanated from the sitting room of the cottage. Valentine strolled in taking in the scene of the girl springing towards Jonathan who barely dodged. The girl looked infuriated, her dark eyes boiling with rage as she charged at his son again. She was screaming hateful words in German as she continued her weak little attacks.

Valentine stepped between the children, grabbing hold of the girl's arms and pinning them with ease at her sides. Jonathan glared at her with hate. "Sprechen Sie Englisch?" Valentine asked the girl.

Her nearly black eyes looked at his face for a moment then flickered to Jonathan and back again. She was panting and very pale with sweat dampening the hair at her temples. Her first experience with a portal left her nauseous and exhausted, Valentine noticed as one of her hands went around her stomach.

"Ja, uh yes." She answered slowly.

"Good." Valentine said releasing her arms. She fidgeted where she stood. "Now listen closely, I hate repeating myself. This is your home now, your parents are gone and you will obey my rules. Do you understand?" He stared down at her with serious dark eyes.

The girl was quiet for a moment as she adsorbed what he said. To his surprise the girl giggled devilishly. She was no older than Jonathan who was already five, and yet she responded like a woman who had years of dealing with men. "They're gone?" She asked. "My parents?" She didn't look sad in the slightest.

"Yes." Valentine nodded.

"Are they dead?" She asked tilting her head to the side.

"I do not know."

She shrugged looking around the cottage's room. "My name is Sylvia, and I look forward to living here." She said before heading off to explore the house.

Valentine and Jonathan stared after her like she was crazy. Jonathan wanted to rip her head off while Valentine's mind became a dark and calculating place.

After that firs encounter days at the cottage changed. It was no longer quiet with Jonathan's training, but loud and full of constant arguing as he and Sylvia battled and fought. The times when Valentine returned he was surprised at how similar the two of them were, and how different they were from his angel boy. They were like little demons fighting until one was bleeding or couldn't continue. Valentine had had reports from the Nightshades that their daughter was unlike anything they had planned, but what he saw was a child with a lust for blood and her lack of concern for her parents made that even more pronounce.

A month past with Sylvia at the cottage and Valentine was away leaving Jonathan and her to continue their studies together. That never ended nicely.

"Aren't girls suppose to cry?" Jonathan was complaining as they sat at the kitchen table with books spread out in front of them. "And hate dirt and be annoying? You're just annoying."

Sylvia looked up from her book to stare at him with a bored expression. "I'm just a kid." She flatly replied before turning her attention back to her work. Sylvia didn't know what Jonathan expected her to say to his obvious statement. Kids were meant to be annoying, and how did he know she didn't cry? There were somethings Sylvia would never show him, like her weak side. That's what she told herself every day.

They returned to studying for only a moment before Jonathan began tossing folded bits of paper across the table at her. She attempted to ignore his childish actions, but she had a short temper. In the end Sylvia propelled herself across the table knocking the pale blond boy to the ground where they wrestled until a maid pulled them apart sending them to different parts of the cottage.

That night Valentine returned to a depressing maid report about the children. He had lectured them both until he was red in the face, and if they tried to talk back he gave them a firm smack across the face. When he was finished both of them looked humiliated and angry. Valentine sent them to bed without dinner as a final punishment, wondering if the girl could play into his plan like Jonathan and his angel boy. The Nightshades had done to Sylvia the same as he had done to Jonathan but continued to administer the demon blood even after birth with the help of a warlock. They had been right, it made Sylvia stronger and sharper than any other child her age, but like Jonathan there was something off about her. They lacked traditional human emotions, like pity and compassion. Valentine liked that. To care made a Shadowhunter weak, and he would not allow weakness into his army.

Thunder crashed off in the distance echoing through the valley. A bright streak of lightning flashed by the cottage window of Sylvia's room, and she wrapped her blanket around her head trying to ignore the storm outside. It didn't work and with the clash of thunder she yelped seeing the evil faces close in around her in the dark. She jumped to her feet and without thinking hurried into the room next to hers, blanket still wrapped around her shoulders.

"Who's there?" Groaned a sleepy Jonathan.

Another flash of light shown through his window and Sylvia dove on top of his bed.

"Get lost." He hissed pushing her away, but she clung to his sheets.

"Shut up, idiot." She spat in a shaky voice. "Just go to sleep."

"Not with you in my bed." He stated kicking at her.

"Shut up. I'm not leaving." She squeaked out as a rumble of thunder shook the cottage. She pressed herself against the wall wrapping her blanket around her like she was determined to be an immovable rock.

Jonathan stared at her with the blur of sleep still in his eyes, debating whether or not to drop her on her face by pulling the bed away from the wall. But sleep called and he decided it wasn't worth his energy, so rolling over with his back to her he went back to sleep not at all understanding why she was even in his room acting like a baby.

When morning finally came Sylvia was no longer pressed against the wall, now she was laying across Jonathan's stomach like a human pillow with her one arm tossed over his face. The blankets had been kicked aside and they seemed to be tangled together on his bed. A maid came to wake them and they both startled awake. Jonathan kneeing Sylvia in the side of the head, and Sylvia giving Jonathan a black eye with her fist. The rude awakening sent them off on a brawl across his messy floor until Valentine's booming voice ordered them apart. They spent the rest of the day glaring at one another and getting in secret jabs when they thought Valentine wasn't looking.

Sylvia was more upset with herself for being so weak and turning to Jonathan for help, but he didn't seem to figure out she hated lightning. The painful electricity that was untamed and just struck wherever it may. The jolting pain that sang through one's muscles with inhuman heat causing spasms and illusions that gave nightmares a new meaning. Her parents were gone and she was sure the shocking experiments were done for good never to hurt her again, but Valentine was a suspicious character, and she didn't trust him. Hell could still come back.

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