1. Unexpected Sight
" Camiel." Jocelynn Fairchild murmured and a second later, the sword she was holding lit up. It glowed as bright as the sun but was cool to the touch. She leaped forward to attack the Ravener Demon coming toward her.
She, moving as fast as only a Shadowhunter can, moved Camiel into the demon's grotesque torso and immediately jumped back as the pus shot out of the creature's wound.
" Ugh," she exclaimed as the other remains of the demon disappeared. She moved away to get cleaned up but suddenly stopped as she felt someone was watching her.
She wondered if the Glamor wasn't working but quickly dismissed the thought. It had to be someone from the Shadoworld. She turned, checking to see if anyone was around her. Jocelynn had barely completed one quarter of the turn before she spotted him.
Valentine Morgenstern. He was standing about ten yards away, eyes fixed on Jocelynn. He was standing so still that it was no surprise she hadn't seen him before.
" Valentine, what are you doing here? I thought you returned to Alicante." Jocelynn exclaims, walking towards him, in utter shock.
He shakes his head. " I took a little detour to come see you." when he finishes talking, he flashes a breathtaking smile-almost a bright as the seraph blade.
" But, why?" she asks, flattered, her cheeks becoming rosy.
" I'm very intrigued by you Jocelynn. I heard you would be here another week, so I decided to stop by before I left." he said, without hesitation. Stating it like it was nothing other than fact.
Stopping before she blushed further, she said, " And was there a specific thing you would like to ask or say to me?"
Valentine, again, shakes his head. " I just wanted to see you and wanted to makes sure you were okay."
" Well, I'm fine." she frowns. " So, what's the real reason?"
" Well..." he takes three more steps so he was only a few inches from Jocelynn.
Trying to keep her composure, she could only afford a breathless whisper. " Just spit it out, Valentine."
Suddenly, he leaned down and kissed her on the corner of her mouth and only for a moment. They were both silent for a moment that stretched for eternity.
Jocelynn was the first to break the silence. " Valentine?"
" I had to do that." he murmurs, as if lost in thought.
" You couldn't wait a week?" she says, smiling.
He shakes his head, regaining the charm that had been absent since he kissed her. " I thought I would explode."
" Well, that would have been interesting to see." she says, smiling wider in response.
Valentine shrugs, " Maybe," he says. Suddenly changing the subject. " May I ask you a question?"
" Well, you just did , but I'll give you another chance out of the kindness in my heart." Jocelynn replies smartly, the smile never leaving her face.
Valentine returns with another smile. " Well, thanks so much for that. Now, why did you want to stay another week?"
Her smile falters for a moment, but quickly recovers. " No reason.: she murmurs quickly, stepping back from him.
Valentine did not miss the pause. " It was to wait for him, wasn't it?"
She opens her mouth to make a smart reply but realizing he was right, she closed it.
The silence continues for a long time until Jocelynn has had enough and turns to walk away. " Good-bye, Valentine." she calls behind her.
Moving fast enough to catch her, Valentine grabs her wrist to pull her back. " You didn't properly answer my question."
" Let me go." she nearly growls at him.
" Please. Just answer me. You stayed to wait for Lucian, right?" he says, almost begging her to stay.
" Fine. Yes, I stayed for Lucian. He is my best friend." she says, fixing her gaze on her feet.
He nods. He knew the answer before he had asked. " I guess I kinda knew that. Anyways, I must be on my way. As you mentioned, I did what I came to do. Good-bye Jocelynn." he turns to leave, but this time it is her turn to grab his wrist.
" Valentine." she sighs, letting the name roll off her tongue.
" Yes?" he replies.
" Remember the day we met?" she asks, thinking back to that day...
I know this is the building, she thinks. Jocelynn Fairchild is looking a the building she knows is the New York Institute.
" Of course. I can make it flicker in and out of focus." she says not realizing she was speaking out loud.
" Fun thing to do, huh? Let your Sight flicker." she hears a young male voice from behind her and immediately recognizes it.
She turns and a smile breaks out on her face. " Lucian!"
He smiles also and walks forward to gather her into a hug. They don't separate for a long time but they do eventually. Stepping back, Jocelynn begins to walk towards the Institute. " Let's go." she says back to Lucian.
Lucian falls into a step behind her. " Did you portal here, or fly?" asked Lucian to break the the silence.
" I flew. My mother told me she sent my bags ahead in a Portal. I hope they are already here." Jocelynn replies easily.
" Oh. I Portaled here. But my mom sent my bags ahead a few days ago. I was kinda annoyed because I only had old clothes of mine that barely fit me. I nearly died when she suggested that I should wear Amatis's clothes." he says. They both burst into laughter until the reached the Institute doors.
The laughing died almost instantly when they realized how quiet it was there.
" I'm nervous, Lucian." Jocelynn whispers as if someone inside could hear her.
" Me too, but let's go." is all he replies.
They ring the doorbell and soon hears the clanging behind it. The door opens to reveal a young woman, only about twenty-four years of age.
" Oh, hello! You must be the last two. Jocelynn Fairchild and Lucian Greymark." she says enthusiastically. They both nod at their names and the woman continues. " Oh, perfect. Well, I'm Kassandra, Keeper of this Institute. I'll escort you to your rooms and we are about to have our mid-day meal." she says moving quickly through the big room the front door entered into.
They enter the elevator in the back room and experience a short bumpy ride into the next floor up. When they exit the elevator Jocelynn and Lucian freeze in surprise. They faced a long hallway with at least twenty doors set in regular intervals.
Kassandra laughs. " I know, a little surprising, no? Most of the others froze in about the same way. Well, come on. Both of your bags are already here. I'm sorry you will both be walking a deal. Your rooms are down this hall, second left and third one down is yours and the fifth door down is yours." she says gesturing to Jocelynn then Lucian.
" Will you not be taking be taking us to our rooms?" Jocelynn asks.
Kassandra shakes her head. " I regret to say I must go finish some preparations for our first meal altogether." As she finishes, she moves away from them, turning at a different corner than she told them.
Jocelynn sighs. " Well, let's go Lucian."
Lucian nods slightly and follows her. " Okay. So, second left." he says, turning when they reach that point. What they see is a smaller hall with few doors on either side.
Jocelynn pushes Lucian forward slightly. " Well, go on." she tells him with a joking smile. He smiles back and walks down the hall. He stops at the fifth doors.
" Which one is it?" he asks.
Jocelynn shrugs, " Choose!" she says, faking enthusiasm.
He smiles and randomly chooses the left door. He steps in and a few seconds later, his head pokes out. " My things are here! Choose yours!" he says.
Jocelynn smiles back and also chooses the left and steps in. the first thing to register in her mind is that she made a mistake. There is someone on the bed. He looks up as she walks in, an amused smile on his face.
" Hello. I'm Valentine Morgenstern. Who are you?" the boy asks.
" Jocelynn Fairchild. I'm sorry to intrude. I was looking for my room." she says, beginning to back out of the room.
" No, no. It's no intrusion. But it's nice to meet you." he holds out his hand.
" You too." she says hesitantly taking his offered hand. As she stares a the eleven-year-old Valentine, she comes back to the present day Valentine.
" Of course I do." he says, breaking her out of her half trance. " It was one of the best days of my life."
She looks up and smiles at him. " That's nice. I'm sorry." she says, releasing his wrist. " I must go. Dinner with Lucian. You may come or I guess I can go by myself."
He smiles, almost immediately catching on. " Well, a respectable gentleman does not let a lady waalk alone at night." He smirks.
" And you consider yourself a gentleman?" she asks him. When he nods, she continues. " Well then you must walk me to meet Lucian."
Valentine nods in response. " I can do that."
" Hm. Well, then when we arrive, a respectable lady does not just send a gentlemen away after he has helped her. You will have to eat with us." she says, another smile playing on her face.
" Well then, let's go." he says.
Jocelynn hooks her arm on Valentine's and they begin to walk in the direction of Lucian's current residency - the way Jocelynn directs.
" So what have you been doing these past couple of days if you haven't been in Idris?" she asks.
" I was..." but Jocelynn didn't get to know what he was doing because he was suddenly pushed forward out of her arm.
Jocelynn turned quickly around to see about two dozen Drevak Demons coming towards them. " Crap" she murmurs.