It was as though the room itself was holding its breath. Dust hung suspended in the air, the groaning floorboards became silent, and the grand clock ceased to tick off the hours. Not a single chest rose or fell, and the only possible way for an onlooker to tell anyone there was actually alive-in the strange, literal sense, at least-was the darting of feverish eyes.
They swept from their leader, seated in the ghost of a grand chair, to the girl, standing in the front of the crowd. She was flanked on either side by men twice her size, but everyone in the room knew she could easily match them in strength. They were there only for the pretense of control.
Though she had much to be worried about, not a line of concern creased her face. She held her head high, watching the boy with an even, bored, expression. She held the composure of someone conducting a trail, not the victim of one. And though the boy faked the same air, she could see the gears churning in his mind. All it took was that first spark in his eyes when she had been escorted in, and she knew she would not be killed. Right away, anyways.
After all, it wasn't as if they were strangers to one another.
"Nos encontramos de nuevo." The boy finally drawled, his face a mask of casualty. "You look well, Hermosa."
"As do you, Raphael." She politely replied.
"For what do we owe the pleasure of your company?"
She glanced at the guards on either side of her. "I don't recall ever treating company like a common criminal here."
"Times have changed." He rested his head on his hand, leaning back in the chair. "The question remains. Why have you come?"
"Come back, you mean?" She raised an eyebrow, matching his composure. "I have my reasons."
"Spy!" A female in back hissed, earning murmurs of agreement from those around her.
Raphael put a hand up, silencing his coven. "Tell me why I shouldn't kill you right now, Hermosa."
"This is where I was created, Santiago. You know as well as I do that there is little a vampire can do to keep away from that."
"She's a treacherous snake!" One of the men in the front said, spitting at the girls feet. "She deserted our coven for Skander's!"
Another spoke out. "She cannot be trusted! She's only here to glean information for Houston's pack!"
Laughter bubbled up the girls throat, echoing throughout the room. "I see you have all become paranoid since I last saw you."
"Kill her!" The man at the front said, taking a strained step forward.
The girl glanced up at Raphael from under dark eyelashes. "Now why would you want to do that?"
Raphael couldn't help but notice the way the room threw dark shadows across her cheekbones, her beauty startling him. Seeing her again, after all this time-he had almost forgotten just how beautiful she was.
He felt her smoldering brown eyes melting the remains of his arrogance, as they had done long ago. "I think it would be wise if our guest underwent interrogation. We will find her motives, and administer punishment accordingly." He motioned for the guards on either side of her to let her go. "I will take it from here, gentlemen." He offered her an outstretched arm. "Ven comigo, Ashley."
"Tell me why again we have to fly across half the world before we can talk?" Ashley shouted over the engine of Raphael's bike.
"The rest of the coven may look foolish, but they're sensible enough to eavesdrop on our conversation."
"I don't know why it's any of their business." Ashley muttered, resting her head against his back.
"It isn't. Which is exactly why one must be careful." He steered the bike under the Brooklyn bridge, coming to a stop at a little dock overlooking the ocean. "Aqui."
When they got off the bike he led them to the edge of the dock. Ashley sat beside him, hanging her feet off the edge. "Well… this is romantic..."
He stared out at the water, his face void of any emotion. "Al igual que en los viejos tiempos."
"Yeah." She glanced out at the city before them, the lights twinkling like stars. "I forgot how much I love this city. It's so… alive. It almost makes me feel human again."
"Still dwelling on the past, I see." He observed.
She bit back a quick remark, knowing that as much as she hated it, he was right. "We all have things that haunt us. Experiences, memories,-."
"People." He finished, his eyes darting over to her. "But what's done is done. Si, Hermosa?"
She looked away from him, staring off into the distance. "I-."
"Let us skip to the point." He interrupted, his voice brisk and business like. "You are back because…?"
"I heard about your little pact with the shadowhunters."
"And?"
"It's wrong, Raphael." She turned to face him head on, demanding his attention. "Those manipulating wannabe angels-."
"Seek to unite all us under one accord. An impossible feat, perhaps, but noble in it's thought."
"Noble?" Her voice rose, fists clenching. "They are quite the opposite of noble! Thinking they are better then everyone else, they disgust me! How dare they act as though we are charity-."
"Hermosa." Raphael reached over and took her fisted hands, smoothing them out on his lap. "One cannot judge, lest they have all the background information, si?"
Ashley didn't move to pull her hands away. "Last we spoke you hated them with all the fiery passion in hell. What changed?"
"They have…attachments…to one of our newest affiliates. I assume you've heard of the daylighter?"
"Along with every coven in America, yes. Quite the hot commodity, I hear."
Raphael gave a dry laugh, shaking his head. "Se podria pensar. However as it turns out he has done nothing but trouble us. Like you, he has a hard time accepting his fate. He is not nearly as good at hiding his conflictions, though. One of his oldest friends is a Shadowhunter, so…"
"He can't pick a team." Ashley finished, listening closely.
"Baila una linea muy fina." Raphael murmured, mindlessly tracing patterns into Ashley's delicate hands. "As do you, Hermosa."
She sighed, allowing herself to lean into him. "I know."
Silence fell upon them, both captivated by each other's presence. The water trickled past them, horns and sirens blaring in the distance. The lights flickered on the water, and Raphael couldn't help but wonder how things would be different if Ashley had never left. Would they have had more moments like this? Free of bitter memories?
He watched his hand lace through hers as though he had no control over it. Affection with her was instinctive-lingering reflexes after knowing each other for decades. And apparently, the distance did little to deter them. "Que hay en tu mente, Hermosa? I sense the daylighter is not the sole reason you've visited…"
She smiled into his shoulder. "You're the only person I know who can speak Spanish without sounding…cheesy." He waited for her to answer his question, watching as she picked at the end of her cotton dress with her free hand. "We're drawn to where we were created, but Texas is home. New York may be the… the trunk of my life. But Texas is my roots."
"And you are the only person I know who can pull of such a horrible metaphor." He squeezed her hand. "But, I understand. Is this to say you will not be staying long?"
She shook her head, squeezing her eyes closed and drawing away from him. "I don't know."
He didn't fight to hang on to her, giving her space. "Yo veo."
"It's like…my soul misses Texas. But when I'm there, my mind is always drawn back here."
"And your heart?" Raphael asked, watching her closely. "What does your heart want?"
She looked up at him then, and he was suddenly acutely aware of how close they were. He could make out every feature of her face-the tousled brown hair, dark almond eyes, southern smile, and pale skin. He had always thought that even as a human, she would have been this beautiful. With those full, red lips…
Before either of them could put their emotions in check they were wrapped in each other's arms. His hand laced through her hair, the other pulling her waist tightly against his as his lips brushed over hers. She gave a small gasp of surprise, then grabbed onto the sides of his jacket and kissed him back.
His hand rested at the small of her back, shaking ever so slightly. With her body pressed against his, he felt warmth. For the first time since he was human, he felt heat coursing through his veins like he was being shocked with lightning.
Her lips parted under his pressure, her mind spinning in a thousand directions. A million images flooded past her closed eyes, memories of them together, dreams of their future. Everything became crystal clear, while at the same time becoming more confusing then it was to begin with.
They pulled away, tangled in each other's arms. She felt an invisible blush stain her cheeks, her eyes slowly opening. After a moment, she replied. "You. My heart wants you."
"Then stay." He pleaded, needlessly breathless. "Stay here, in New York. With me. Please, stay."
"Raphael…"
"Estancia, Hermosa." He cupped her face in his hands, holding up her trembling frame. "Estancia. Estancia. Estancia."
She shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes. "We both know that's impossible."
"But-."
"Your coven hates me, Raphael." She gulped back her pointless tears, willing herself not to look away. "They think I'm a traitor. I'm as good as dead to them… They would despise you if you allowed me back…"
"They will have no choice but to allow it." He replied. "I am their leader, and they must-."
"We both know that's not true. And it's not just that…the politics you're involved in…" She leaned her forehead against his. "I fit in in Texas. Skander is a good leader, just as you are. And the others accept me, they're my friends now. Here… they think I deserted them. They don't understand…"
"I could make them-." He began desperately.
"But then it would never be real, would it?"
He sighed, his anger simmering. "I wish you would stay, Hermosa."
"I wish I could." She watched him gather his thoughts and slowly accept the situation. After a long moment he gave her a resigned look, his eyes full of reluctant understanding. She kissed him once more, a quick peck on the lips. "Perhaps in another century…"
A smile tugged at his lips. "And what if I moved to Texas?"
She smiled back. "New York would be missing it's finest leader of the millennium."
"Another century, then." He brushed a loose strand of her hair away. "Promesa?"
She hooked her pinky finger through his. "Si!"
He winded his hand through hers once again, kissing her knuckles softly. "May I have the honor of escorting you to the state line, then?"
She nodded, allowing him to help her to her feet. As they walked back to the bike he tried to imprint the moment into his memory-the city lights on the water, the intricate shadows created by the Brooklyn bridge, Ashley's hand in his, the sparkle in her eyes when he leaned down and kissed her cheek.
She got on behind him, wrapping her arms around him and resting her head against his back again. He revved the engine, taking off over the water and then zig-zagging through the wires of the bridge. She laughed with delight, feelings his muscles tightening under her grasp as he shot them straight up to the moon.
He was glad she had come, despite the ache it put in his heart. He could tell it had given her the closure she needed, and he was thankful that she could be at peace. It had also given him hope where there was once emptiness, brokenness.
One day. One Century. If fate deemed it so, they would once again stand side by side. And with this hope, and her kiss still hanging off his lips, he could allow himself to move forward, and be happy. For both of them.
Ashley reached out and let her hands skim across the clouds that floated beneath them, feeling as though she could reach up and hold the stars in her hands. Raphael leaned over his shoulder, his curly hair flying in the wind as he pointed below them. "Look."
She held onto him tighter, braving a look down. They were on top of the world. "It's beautiful!" She breathed.
"Si." Raphael agreed, glancing down at the arms around him. "Si, Hermosa."