"Why weren't you born just one day earlier?" I heard a sigh next to me.
I opened my eyes and looked at my best friend Levi, whose blue eyes were dark as the sky above our heads as he stared at me like I had had some influence in picking the day of my birth.
The sun had already fallen down, but it was the middle of summer, so it was warm enough to sit outside in fresh air. We sat on the balcony of his house, with a beautiful view on the city in front of us. I had always been a bit jealous of Levi in that matter because his house had better view than mine. When I closed my eyes, it wasn't hard to imagine that we were in the Hawaii or somewhere like that, sitting barefoot on the chairs and our legs leant on the hedge of the balcony. The wind tickled my feet, but I didn't mind it, actually I enjoyed it. But, the reason I was there today wasn't the amazing sight of Idris or releasing imagination about other beautiful places in the world. Today was my best friend's birthday and there was no place that I would rather be than here.
I laughed at him.
"So I would have to share my birthday with you? No way." my voice sounded arrogant, but Levi knew I didn't really think that. I loved to tease people, especially the ones that meant a lot to me, and he knew it was the way I showed that I care. And he loved to tease me back.
"Yeah, you're right. I wouldn't like to share attention on my birthday with such a poor Shadowhunter as you." arrogance in his voice was also too extremely pointed out to be honest.
I knew he was joking, but he joked about the wrong thing. My skills as Shadowhunter were not to be questioned, not even as a joke.
"This poor Shadowhunter can kick your ass any time she thinks of it." I threatened him. My forefinger pushed his forearm as a warning.
He waved his hand nonchalantly.
"But, I have a parabatai now. Not even you could beat two Shadowhunters at once." he tried to keep his voice amused, but he couldn't hide his bitterness from me. Even though he was three years older than me, we had been best friend since I had started to talk and we knew each other better than our parents knew us. I thought of him as of a brother I had never had.
I could see the brilliance in his eyes died after he had said the word parabatai. That word scared me as well.
"One day I'll be able to do that." I said, full of self-confidence. "And I'll prove to the Clave we don't need this parabatai thing. A good Shadowhunter can look after himself and those he cares the most even without this." I pointed at his left palm.
There was a small rune, looking like it wasn't drawn completely. The other half of the rune was drawn on the palm of some other Shadowhunter that today had become Levi's parabatai, someone closer than a brother, who would look after Levi's life as well as after his own in a fight.
By the law, every Shadowhunter in the world had to have a parabatai. A parabatai had to be found between sixteenth and nineteenth birthday. Every Shadowhunter had three years to find someone he or she would trust his or hers own life with. Some found it sooner, some later, so they could come to the Clave whenever they were sure they had found the person that fit the description. But, Shadowhunters' nineteenth birthday was the deadline when one had to have a parabatai. If one broke that rule, one would be judged by the Clave and sometimes even banished from Idris and from the world of Shadowhunters. Having a parabatai had to be done, according the Clave, for our own safety.
But, I didn't agree with the Clave. If I had no one I could trust enough, why should I have a parabatai? Why should I be separated from the shadowhunting what was my entire life just because I couldn't find someone that I trust enough? Above all, why there had to be a deadline for finding a parabatai?
"It just isn't fair." I said with a bit of anger in my voice. "If they want us to have a parabatai so badly, there should be no deadlines. The Clave shouldn't care whether my parabatai is one hundred years older than me."
Levi grinned at me.
"By the Angel, Sam, you could never endure having an old man as a parabatai. I can imagine you now yelling at him: 'Move that butt of yours or I'll run my Seraph blade into it!'."
We both laughed at the idea. It wouldn't be really far from the reality, if such reality could be possible. But, it wasn't, and I had three years and one day from now to find someone to be my parabatai. If my birthday was today, Levi would be my parabatai. He was nineteen today and he had to choose someone by today midnight. But, that was too early for me, because my sixteenth birthday was not until tomorrow. So, I lost the chance to have my best friend as parabatai, someone I trusted no matter what and who trusted me back. That was the reason I was so angry with the Clave. If there wasn't for their deadline, I would accept the parabatai law without any complaint.
"Nooo." I said with naivety in my voice. "I would never be so cruel to a poor old man."
"Yeah, right." Levi laughed. "And you would rather always stay at home and knit than slay demons as well."
"Of course." my voice raised as I was imitating some girl obsessed with clothes and make-up. "Haven't you seen the latest skirt I've made?"
"No, I haven't." Levi accepted the joke immediately. "Would you show it to me?"
"I can't right now." I sighed theatrically. "It's a surprise for tomorrow. I'll tell you only that it's pink."
Levi couldn't talk for a few second, choked in laugh.
"I can't wait to see it on you." he finally caught his breath.
"Over my dead body." I said, grinning.
"Okay, now I'm relieved." Levi took a deep breath. "I almost thought you were serious."
"By the Angel, you are crazy." I laughed and kicked him lightly on the shoulder. "Did that rune on your hand mess with your mind? Because then I'm absolutely sure I'll never have a parabatai."
His face suddenly became serious. He gaze captivated mine, not letting me escape.
"Really, Sam, who will be your parabatai? I mean, Eric has been my good friend for a long time, so it wasn't so difficult for me to agree with him about that. But you..." he stopped at that point and his gaze didn't meet mine anymore.
"I'm not as sociable as you, so you think I'll have a problem." I finished the sentence for him.
He nodded.
"Probably you're right." I shrugged my shoulders, looking at the stars that started to appear on the sky. "You're the only one I would accept as a parabatai. I trust nobody like I trust you."
"I'm honoured then." he smiled.
But, I didn't. His words were true.
"I mean it, Levi. And I can't imagine I'll trust someone like I trust you. If I ever find someone like that, I'll accept him or her like I would accept you. But, if that doesn't happen, I know what I'll do."
"You won't leave Idris, won't you?" Levi interrupted me with worry in his voice.
"Of course not." I smiled, trying to calm him down. "But, I intend to become the best Shadowhunter in Idris. And I'll accept nothing less as a parabatai. My parabatai will have to match me in a fight; otherwise I won't be able to trust him or her with my life."
"Match you?" Levi stared at me in surprise. "Most Shadowhunters of our age can't match you even now. After three more years of training, where will you find such a person?"
I shrugged my shoulders again.
"I must be sure he or she is good enough because my place in a fight against demons is in the front row. And my parabatai can't be someone who will hide behind my back. He or she must be as strong as I am. I'll accept only the best."
"If you say so, Sam." Levi nodded. "I can't see how it will happen, but I trust you."
I closed my eyes again and put my hands behind my head, enjoying the mild breeze.
"It will, don't worry. I have a lot of time. Someone as good as me will come to Idris. Every Shadowhunter comes here at least once. So will my parabatai."