"THIS IS THE LAST STRAW EMMA!" Her father bellowed, his wild eyes honing in on her dark, brown ones.
"You see, I'm not too sure exactly as to what you're referring to-" Emma began. But there was no getting out of this one.
"I AM REFERRING TO THE EXPLICIT DISOBEYING OF THE CLAVE'S ORDER TO NEVER ASSIST THE FEY PEOPLE! WHICH YOU HAVE DONE NOW, SEVERAL TIMES!" John yelled, his voice growing louder and louder with each word to emphasize his anger.
"Oh, yes." Emma squeaked. "That."
"You're done, Emma." he deadpanned. "You're freedom here in the Institute is clearly something that you can't handle. It's over. You're coming back to Idris with me to attend the Shadowhunter Academy where I can keep you under several watchful eyes."
"No!" Emma begged. "No Dad, please no! The Academy is practically Shadowhunter suicide! Everyone knows that they have absolutely zero experience and it's practically a prison there!"
The Shadowhunter Academy had once been one of the finest places to send a young Shadowhunter to train for their adult lives as actual Shadowhunters. It had closed down, however, long ago and reopened after the Dark War—which had been five years ago. Ever since it had reopened, it's facilities had been redone to the extreme, but, being out in Idris, its students never got the chance to fight actual demons out in the real world, something Emma and Julian had been doing for years living out in Los Angeles. The real-world experience was of vital importance—Emma's father had even said so once.
"You can't do this to me! Please, Dad, I'll do anything." she said, her hands clasping in front of her, her eyes wide with real fear (something not often found in the eyes of Emma Carstairs.)
"It's done, Emma." John Carstairs said with finality. "You'll be leaving tomorrow, giving you and Julian both the night to pack up your things."
Emma's heart sank. She knew that if anything could make this transition bearable, it would be for Jules to accompany her, but not like this. Not when Julian hadn't done anything wrong. This was all her fault.
"Dad don't put Jules through this," she pleaded. "He didn't do anything wrong, Dad, it was all me."
"Oh I am sure it was, Emma." Her father said unkindly as he rolled the cuffs of his sleeves to their proper creases. "But Julian will be there to keep an eye on you. You will not go without him."
Knowing Julian and the rest of the Blackthorns were listening intently behind the doors of the kitchen, Emma asked the question she knew they would want to know.
"But who's gonna take care of the Blackthorns, Dad? You can't leave them here alone, they need Jules!" Emma's voice broke, "They're just kids, Dad."
"Diana will be coming to live here full time now to watch over them. The arrangements have already been made." He said.
Emma and her father John stared at each other intently in the large foyer of the Los Angeles Institute. Her father had been one of her best friends—second to Julian of course. He almost always was on Emma's side. This time however was different.
Emma filled the room's silence. "Diana loves her house though. She would hate living here, how can you ask her to do that?" she accused.
"I wouldn't have had to if it weren't for your foolish actions, Emma. Diana's moving to the Institute is no one's fault but your own."
As if on cue, the front doors of the Institute opened to reveal Diana carrying two, rather large suitcases. Sensing that she had interrupted, she bowed her head in John's direction, as if to apologize for her intrusion.
"Emma." she said softly, giving her a small smile as she passed by Emma, walking briskly up the large stairs.
Sighing deeply, John took a step toward his daughter. "This is for the best, Em. You have plenty of experience out here. You'll be five steps ahead of all of the other students—you and Julian both will. And it's only a few months until you graduate and you're on your own anyway. It'll be good for you to make some connections."
Emma did not cry, but oh how she wanted to.
"This isn't fair."
"Let's not talk about fair right now, Em. You need some discipline, and it isn't just me who thinks so." he said. Her dad was referring to the Clave's disgruntled attitude regarding her private missions to get Mark Blackthorn back—things she knew she shouldn't have been getting into.
No longer able to keep eye contact with her father, Emma lowered her eyes to her feet. "Okay." she said, almost a whisper.
"Pack tonight," he said. "We'll all three portal to Alicante in the morning." Kissing her softly on the forehead, John made his exit, ascending the stairs in order to retire to one of the spare rooms for the night.
Unable to bear the shame of being responsible for taking Julian from the Blackthorns, Emma ran out the front doors, down the drive and to the beach before they could emerge from the kitchen.
She ran for miles that night, only stopping when it became too dark for her to continue. Emma then turned around and began to run back to the Institute to pack her things. Maybe Jules might still be up so she could apologize. Everything was always her fault.