I laced my worn, leather, knee high boots up all the way to my mid thigh. I grabbed my weapons belt and slid it around my small waist, sliding my dagger, stele, and my favorite hatchet inside each loop.

I was going out hunting today, in a new town. I'd been alone for quite a while since I figured out my own dirty little secret. I was in New York, and I've heard there are very promising Shadowhunters around this area. I'd tried to find the Institute but for some reason I wasn't able to. You could say it was because of my curse. Yet, I'm still able to mark myself and use a Seraph blade, so it really doesn't make much sense to me.
I found a phone booth and went and ripped all the mapped pages out of the phone book. I needed to find hot spots. Hot spots with demons so I can slaughter the filthy creatures with a blow of my seraph blade, and watch their black blood seep from their wounds as they shrivel into nothing and disappear into their own dimension
After walking for about an hour, I realized that these maps weren't taking me anywhere I wanted to go. Finally I stepped in front of a bar looking place that I knew was a glamour. I stepped inside and the place reeked of lycanthropes. I stepped inside anyway, flinging the door open, making sure they knew what and who I was. If any of them were rogue, they should start running now.
They all turned to look at me, and I heard a few growls of disapproval. I sighed and walked over to an empty bar stool, taking a seat. The bar tender looked pretty pissed off to see me, so I raised my hands defensively in front of my face.
"Moon's Children, I come in peace. As a matter of fact, I need some help." I state. The rooms grows quiet and I get blank stares from some of the werewolves.
"You a friend of Luke's?" The bar tender asks. Luke? Who's Luke?
"No. I'm new to town. I know of no other Nephilim but myself." The room erupts with laughter, and I roll my eyes. Some Shadowhunters treat Downworlders horribly, so they have to treat the Nephilim like we're all stuck up know-it-alls. Sometimes, even though it makes them mad, they need an authoritative shove in the right direction.
"My name is Aurora Blackfire. I'm from Alicante. Can you just tell me some hot spots? Any evil things that need to be slaughtered?" I asked, my voice laced with pleading.
"I think you should talk to Luke. I can bring you to him if you want." A girl around my age, maybe younger, stands up. A fairly beautiful lycanthrope.
"Who is Luke?" I ask.
"He's kind of like one of you. My names Maia, let's go." She stands up and heads out the door and I quickly follow her. I throw my jacket over my black tank top. We walk for a little bit in silence, before Maia turns on me, she stops walking and turns to face me, backing me against a wall.
"You smell like Nephilim, but also reek of something else. What are you and what game are you playing?" I laugh at her. Did she bring me out here so she could attack me? If she's looking for a fight, I'll gladly give her one.
"I'm a Shadowhunter, I don't care what you think of my scent, okay?" Maia blinks at me, but backs off.
"You seem respectful enough. I'll believe you for now." She nods swiftly and we continue to walk in silence.
Finally we reach a police station, glamour as a Chinese place. Maia pushes the door open and calls out this Luke guys name.
"Maia, always a pleasure to see you." A guy walks out wearing a flannel shirt and a pair of jeans. He has glasses and blonde hair.
"I brought you someone." Maia says and takes a seat on a desk. The man's eyes fall on me and he gives me a curious look. I stare back at him, I can't quite seem to place him.
"You're a Shadowhunter. I can by the get-up. But it's not everyday that a random Nephilim wanders into New York. Especially such a young one. What's your name?" He pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose and studies me again.
"Aurora Blackfire."
"Blackfire? Doesn't sound familiar to me. Aurora is an old Shadowhunter name. The question is which one did you make up?"
"I didn't make up either of my names-"
"Next you'll tell me you're from Alicante."
"I was-". Luke laughs at me and walks closer.
"Did you run away from home? Came here because you heard there was a lot of demons to destroy?" He asks putting a hand on my shoulder. I look up at him and push him off.
"No. I was homeschooled at and institute in-".
"My guess would be somewhere in the Southern United States. Georgia perhaps?"
"Are you some kind of freaky scholar?" Luke laughs at this and walks over to a phone holding a finger up. I stand still and catch Maia smiling down at me. I roll my eyes and plop myself down on the cold stone ground.
"Yes Maryse I have a young lady here who I believe visiting the Institute would do her some good." Luke says on the phone. He's going to pawn me off at some Institute because he thinks I'm a runaway. If he only knew what my family had done to me. He'd either try to kill me, or sympathize with me. I didn't want either from him. He turns to me when he's off the phone.
"The Lightwood's welcome you. I'll give you a ride. Later Maia, have a lovely evening." Luke says and motions me out the door. We get into an old beat up truck, and he starts it up. I see a small pink sweater in the cab and look at it curiously. He sees what I'm looking at.
"That's my uh- daughter Clary's sweater." He says nervously.
"You sure it's not yours? If you like to play dress up, it's totally none of my business." I say business in a sharp tone and he catches my drift.
"I'm sorry I pried into your business Aurora, but you're a Shadowhunter. You should be use to it." I mentally laugh at him.
"Why don't you believe anything I say?" Luke considers this for a moment.
"You say you haven't found any demon activity yet?"
"Not recently."
"Then why do you smell of demon?" I freeze in my seat. I knew I sensed something off about Luke, but no I've placed it.
"You're a lycanthrope. But-"
"I'm a Shadowhunter too."
"Garroway. I've heard of you. Lucian."
"Yes. So you've heard of me, why haven't I heard of you?"
"I never ran with Valentine." I snap and he laughs at me. I'm glad he's amused.
"Children are always so amusing." He says as if reading my mind. We pull up in front of the church. I get out and Luke fallows me, I ask for entrance and the gates swing open. I step in and I hear a rattling, I freeze in my stop, but Luke lays a hand on my shoulder.
"It's the elevator. Maryse must've sent one of her children down here to meet us." The elevator opens, and pretty much a goddess steps off of it. She was tall, slim, and dressed in a long bright green colored gown with silver boots. She had leather gloves on her hands, and a stern glower on her beautiful face. Her black hair was pinned to her head with several clips that had gems on it. Was she really a Shadowhunter?
"Hasn't anyone ever told you that two stray children is a crowd?" She says, putting a gloved hand on her hip.
"Isabelle, I know you can be charming." Luke says. Isabelle scoffs and bids me toward her with her index finger.
"Come along, stray." She says and steps on the elevator, her boots clicking against the floor. I turn and look at Luke, he smiles and says goodbye and then goes out the door. I hope on the old, rickety elevator.
"So how old are you?" She asks and I get a close up look at her emerald green eyeshadow and dark eyeliner that matched my own.
"Seventeen."
"Closer to Alec's age. But try to get in his pants, he's not interested." She says casually. She must just be a very blunt person.
"I'm Isabelle Lightwood. And you are?" She sticks out a hand for me to shake.
"Aurora Blackfire." Say and shake her outstretched hand.
"Your name matches your face. Lucky." I drop her hand.
"And what exactly does that mean?"
"I was calling you pretty." The elevator opens and we step out.
"Welcome to the Institute. I'll take you to mother. I'm sure she'll want to speak with you, being a stray and all. It's best you not lie to any of us, especially with all that's going on." I nod at her. Of course I'll have to lie, but not about anything important. I mean I'm not a vicious Downworlder murder. And Valentine was dead, wasn't he? What was she implying was going on? We walk into a huge library and I see a woman who is a spitting image of Isabelle.
"Mother I brought you the stray." Isabelle says.
"Isabelle, what did I tell you about being rude to the guests?" The woman says, who has a very sharp voice. Isabelle sits down and I walk closer to Maryse.
"Welcome. What's your name?" She asks with a kind smile on her face.
"Aurora Blackfire." I says. Her eyes does blank.
"Never met anyone by that name, but it sounds realistic enough. How old are you?"
"Seventeen."
"And you're here on your own. Why?"
"I left home. To explore. Find something useful to do."
"You plan on going to Alicante?" She asks.
"I don't know yet. I'm figuring life out as I go. I know it may seem- stupid, if you will, but I feel it's what I have to do."
"I think that sounds suitable. Welcome to the Institiute. I love seeing new faces in here, we need all the help we can get. We just welcomed another Shadowhunter boy. His name is Damon." I nod at her and Isabelle stands up, I follow behind her and she brings me to a hallway with several doors. She opens one and I step inside.
"Thank you." I say.
"You have your own shower and bathroom in this room. There's some spare clothing, although I assume you brought some?" She comes right in and sits on the bed.
"I did. But isn't it early for bed or anything? I mean it's only like six isn't it?" Isabelle laughs and hops off the bed, grabbing me by the wrist.
"Let's meet the boys. And Clary. Clary's probably here." We step into the hallway, and Isabelle pulls my by my arm the whole way. We hear voices and I see a light coming from under a closed door.
"Wait!" Isabelle says before we step in. She turns to me and literally rips my hair out of the braid I had it in. My hair falls in streams of waves around my shoulders. She messes up my hands with her fingers.
"That's sexy hair. You're welcome." She says and opens the door, stepping in.
"Hey Izzy." A voice says.
"Hello. This is Aurora. Aurora this is my brother Alec, my brother Jace, Damon, and Clary."
"Oh, you must be Luke's daughter."I say addressing the pretty red headed girl.
"You've met Luke?"
"Yeah he actually drove me here. After that Maiya girl dragged me to him." Clary laughs and shakes my hand.
"Nice to meet you." She says.
"How long do you plan on staying?" Alec says, glaring at me with deep glass, blue eyes.
"This is an Institute right? Welcomes all Shadowhunters?" I ask.
"This first sign of trouble and I'll be sure you feel unwelcome."
"Alec, don't be rude." Isabelle says, picking up a dagger and throwing it at a target, missing.
"Hmmph throwing isn't my thing." Isabelle says and sits down on a chair.
"Well I'm going to go. See you tomorrow." Clary announced.
"I'll walk you out." Her and Jace exited the room. Alec walked out soon after, and it seemed like he purposely bumped my shoulder as he did so. Once he was at the door he called Isabelle's name and she smiled sweetly at me as she exited the room as well. Leaving me with this Damon kid. Well, not kid. He looked fairly older than me. I sighed and took a seat where Isabelle had been sitting.
"Don't worry about him. Alec, I mean. He acts that cold all the time." Damon said speaking for the first time. I looked at him, actually taking him in for the first time. He was really handsome. He had golden brown hair that hung down past his ears, curling at the ends and at the nape of his neck. Broad shoulders, fairly tall. He was wearing a tight fitting brown muscle shirt and all his muscles showed, and his chest was toned through the shirt. He walked over and sat on a couch that was across from me.
"I'm Damon." He said and we shook hands. I got a nice look at his face, he had hazel eyes, that seemed to be bigger than a normal humans. His lips were plump, and a hot pink shade. I moved uncomfortable in my seat. He was more attractive than I'd like him to be.
"I'm Aurora." I said finally after a long moment of silence.
"Where are you from?"
"Well I was born in Georgia, moved to Alicante for a while, then back to Georgia."
"Oh, so is your family here with you?" I put my head down and mutter a "No."
"Mine either. My dad dyed and my mom is all depressed over it, so I traveled until I found some people who knew the Lightwood's. They said they could really use some help, so I came down here. I've been helping ever sense."
"Helping with what?"
"It's kind of complicated. Bunch of stuff to do with Valentine's son." I'd heard something about that. Why were the Lightwood's involved with that.
"Do you always do this?" Damon looks down at me and we lock eyes.
"Do what?" He asks seeming confused.
"Tell strangers your life story. About your parents. Personal stuff?" He considers this a moment and then his stare goes a bit dark.
"Why not? It's not like it's something I want to hide." He says in a time that implies I have something to hide. Who is he to make accusations.
"It's not that it's something to hide. Just something's are no one's business." I snap and stand up.
"Nice meeting you, Damon. I think I'll retire to my room. If I can find it that is." He doesn't say anything as I step out of the room and close the door behind me. I try to remember which way Isabelle and I came from. I see a cat and it rubs against my feet, purring.
"Hello there." I say and crouch down to pet it.
"Strange, Church usually doesn't like people. People that don't belong here, that is." I turn and see that Jace kid standing down the corridor. The fire lamps illuminate his hair in the darkness, and I have to say it kind of freaked me out. It seems abnormal maybe he has a dark secret down his sleeve. Just like me.
"What did I do to you people? Are you always this rude to your own kind? Are you some kind of special Nephilim? Related directly to some angel that you have tea on the veranda with and talk about how superior you are?" I snap finally losing my cool with these people. Isabelle calling me a stray, Alec basically telling me to get the hell out, Damon saying I had something to hide, and now this Jace. And now he's laughing at me.
"I meant don't belong here, as in don't live here, stray. But good to know you have a temper. I'll make sure to keep pissing you off. Church take the outsider to her room." He turns and takes off. The cat meows and leads me down the hallway and around the corner. I open the door and see that it's my room.
"Thank you." I say and close the door, leaving the cat outside. I kind of feel bad that I don't have a treat of some kind to reward him with. I've had a rough night and decide to go to sleep.