Chapter one
Demons in a wedding
"Dying is the easier part. It's living that's the hardest."
The sound of screaming pierced, 19 years old, Marissa Johnson's ears as she felt herself twitch. Her head was throbbing in pain. Everything hurt, and felt cramped up. She felt disorientated and confused. Why was she lying on the ground?
Blinking, she saw someone lying on the floor a few feet away from her covered in blood. A pool of it surrounding the body. There was food and cake all on the floor. Some on her hands. Confused, she rolled over seeing a starry sky, and lanterns floating in the breeze. Music was playing in the background, muffled and choppy, drowned out by screaming.
"Stop it." Marissa choked out, pushing herself up into a sitting position. She couldn't remember fainting or any reason she'd be on the ground. It was strange. She looked down to see the dress she was wearing covered in cake, and blood. Panicking, Marissa touched her face to find fresh blood on her hand. Somewhat, relieved she pushed herself to stand up, staring at the body that was on the ground.
The body was faced away from her, obscuring her view. But she knew it was a guy, since he was wearing a tuxedo. A fancy one it looked like, from where she was standing. But who was this man? And what had happened?
"Robert?" Marissa breathed, looking around but her fiancé didn't reply. No one did. But someone was still screaming. She had no idea who though, and it was starting to annoy her. It was distracting. 'Where is he?!' she thought angrily, as she got closer to the body. Why wasn't anyone at this party? Who had destroyed it? Why was all the tables turned over?
"Robert!" she called out again, this time more clearer. Still no reply. She was starting to really get impatient now. When she reached the body, she bent down to poke the body. It didn't move. Looking around, she inched around to see his face, and felt herself scream. Or maybe she was already screaming. The screaming she had heard was louder now. Defining. It was herself. The body was Robert. Lifeless, his hazel eyes, staring unseeingly into the starry sky. Holding what looked like a decorated knife.
"Robert!" Marissa screamed, shaking him now. Her mind was racing. What was happening!? Why was he lying on the floor? What-
And as if a wall had collapsed in her mind a rush of images rushed through her mind. Robert helping her set up for their wedding, for their midnight ceremony, before guests were soon to arrive. Them talking, kissing, swaying to 'at long last'. Robert saying he loved her, and happy he was going to spend the rest of his life with her. The look on Robert's face, as he stared behind her, with a look of fear and confusion. Him pushing her into the table with the wedding cake. Falling down, seeing Robert pull out, what looked like, knives from his tuxedo. Seeing dark tattooed looking lines appear on his hands. Him shouting about a key...the creature of something Marissa had never seen before. It reeked of death, and looked like a horrible mutated creature. It talking in a language she didn't understand. It lunging for Robert. Seeing more appear. The look Robert gave her, as if he was saying goodbye, and he loved her. The way one of the creatures pierced Robert from behind, from his chest. The image of him crumbling. Her fainting...
"No, no, no!" Marissa cried, holding onto Robert's body. She didn't know what to do or say. Robert's body was cold and the tattooed looking lines she had seen, were gone. He was gone.
"Hey. He's dead. Come on." Marissa could hear someone saying. Confused she gazed up to see a guy with short brown hair, and electric blue eyes. Standing above her, his face pale, and filled with anguish. She didn't know who he was.
"No. Leave me alone!" Marissa sobbed holding Robert to her chest. The guy put his hand on her arm. She noticed he also had tattooed looking scars on his hands, and up his neck.
"He's gone. There's nothing you can do for Robert." the guy told her, pulling her up, "they might come back." Marissa was still sobbing, but allowed the guy to pull her away from Robert's body. She felt horrified, and somewhat in denial. This couldn't be happening to her.
That day was suppose to be their wedding day. The day she'd be married to Robert and spend the rest of her life with. Why had that suddenly changed? What exactly happened?
"I can't leave his body here!" Marissa managed to choke out, staring back at Robert's body as the guy pulled her to the door that led to the roof.
"We have to. He'll have to stay there. I can get someone to remove him." the guy answered as he pulled her down the stairs, rushing out of the building. Marissa had managed to wipe her face and think a lot clearer.
What she had just witnessed was nothing she had ever seen before. Robert and the sudden appearance of tattoo looking marks on his skin. The monsters that killed him. Seeing someone she loved get killed before her eyes... Marissa felt the rise of vomit in her mouth and forced herself to hold it together. She couldn't throw up now. The guy who was leading down the stairs was pulling her so hard, she felt her arm beginning to hurt.
"You're hurting my arm." Marissa said wrenching her arm away from his grasp. The guy gave her an indifferent look that seemed to say, 'fine suit yourself'. When they reached the bottom of the stairs he pushed open the door and stepped back. Marissa collided with him, almost falling on the ground.
"Crap." the guy muttered, as Marissa rubbed her arm.
"What's going on? What were those-" she tried to ask, but stopped, as the guy pulled out what looked like a decorated knife. It seemed to be pulsing blue light. Marissa stepped back alarmed. It looked just like the knife that was in Robert's hand.
"Demons. They came back." Marissa was about to tell him he wasn't funny, when he grabbed her hand pulling her into the lobby of the building. She didn't know what a demon looked like but she was pretty sure the creatures she was seeing were close. If not them.
The sudden stench of death, filled her nose as soon as the guy pulled her into the lobby. The small hotel lobby was virtually deserted. But there were three horrible looking creatures, standing in front of the front door, their horrible bottomless pit eyes focused on them. The creatures were the color of dirty sewage. They had rows of poisonous looking teeth. Large winged bodies, that looked oddly deformed and bony. The skin seemed to be stretched over the bones, making them to look skeletal.
"D-demons?!" Marissa asked as they stopped several feet away from the creatures.
"Give us the girl." the biggest creature in the middle of the lobby door hissed. Marissa felt herself choke. What did they want her for? She didn't have anything. She didn't know anything. 'At least nothing important!' She thought, feeling sick all over again.
"You'll have to take her from me, you filthy parasite." The guy growled, pushing Marissa to stand behind him. Marissa looked over his shoulder to see the creatures laugh. Or what sounded like a laugh. It sounded as if someone had ran their nails on a chalkboard. It was ear piercing.
"Do not make us do the same to you as we did the other shadowhunter." The one left to the biggest one hissed amused, clinching it's long skinny claws. The nails looked poisonous too.
"Robert wasn't prepared. But I am." The guy said twirling the knife in his hand. His body shifted to a tense stance. Waiting for the creatures to make a move.
"The shadowhunter was foolish to think he could destroy us. Do not make the same mistake." The one to the right, and smallest hissed, as the others stirred.
"Whatever you do. Don't let go of my hand." The guy muttered to Marissa his eyes still on the creatures. Marissa didn't respond, but had just shifted.
Without warning the guy threw something at the creatures, that caused them to roar in anger. The closest two lunged for them, moving so quick that Marissa found it hard to follow their movements. But the guy seemed just as fast, moving stealthily. The guy had ran between them, pulling Marissa, seeming to be equally fast, slashing the one on his left with his knife. The creature roared as the guy spun around digging his knife in the one on his right. The door was closer to them, but was blocked by the last creature.
The guy threw his knife in the face of the creature, who screamed and began to fold into itself disappearing. The guy pulled out the knife as they ran by, bursting into the street. The air was cold, and felt relieving against Marissa's sweaty skin. There were cars passing by, and some people walking down the street. It was all so normal that Marissa couldn't believe what had just happened.
"Did you see that last move?" The guy asked Marissa in a excited tone, putting his knife away. His pale face was flushed in excitement. Marissa moved away from him to breathe. Her mind and heart were racing.
"This-Robert...he-" 'lied.' Marissa thought bitterly. It surprised her to feel suddenly enraged and bitter toward Robert. But she couldn't help it. He hadn't ever told her that demons were after her. Or that he was a 'shadowhunter', whatever that meant. The guy gave her a sideways glance.
"Robert was only trying to-"
"Don't tell me he was trying to protect me." Marissa snapped before the guy could say anything. She didn't feel like having some stranger, she didn't even know, try to talk about Robert. The guy didn't respond, his face turning slack. "I just want the truth. What happened back there- she didn't finish and felt her eyes tear up. Everything felt overwhelming. "Who are you?" she demanded aggravated.
"Eric Rydner." he replied still staring at her, "We should leave." Eric told her after a moment. Marissa nodded, wiping her face.
"Marissa!" confused, Marissa looked around to see, Robert's best friend and best man, Nathaniel, standing there in a tuxedo, present in hand. Marissa frowned, but forced herself to smile. Even though she knew she looked horrible, covered in her own and Robert's blood, cake, and sweat. Her hair and dress in a mess. She hoped he wouldn't notice.
"Nathaniel." She glanced at Eric, who was watching Nathaniel with a suspicious and weary look.
"What the-what happened to your dress?" Nathaniel asked looking at her with alarm. Marissa shrugged, not knowing what to say.
"I-"
"Is that-blood?" Nathaniel demanded cutting her off, his brown skin turning pale. Marissa knew she couldn't lie. She was a terrible liar, and she liked Nathaniel. But she knew he wouldn't believe her. No one would.
"No it's nothing really-"
"You're crying." he added, coming closer to her frowning, "Did something happen with Robert?" she shook her head, since her throat became dry at Robert's name.
"No. I just had an accident is all." she assured rather hastily. Eric was still standing behind her, quietly. Marissa wondered why he wasn't talking. Or why Nathaniel didn't seem to notice him. Was Nathaniel purposely ignoring Eric?
"Well, I came early to help Robert out with some best man business. You know, fulfill my duties as best friend and man." Nathaniel grinned, looking handsome, his dark skin looking golden under the street lights. Eric shifted, causing Marissa to glance at him. Eric was wearing a betrayed and guilty look.
"Right." Marissa didn't have the heart to tell him Robert was dead. She didn't have the heart to realize he was dead...how could she tell his best friend that?
"Make him leave. Don't let him go in there. He can't find Robert." Eric told her in her ear. Marissa's mind whirled, but she found herself stopping Nathaniel from walking away.
"The wedding. It's canceled. I came out here to tell everyone it's over. There is no wedding." Nathaniel gave her a disbelieving look. But Marissa didn't care, as long as Nathaniel didn't find Robert's body it was fine. She told herself to lie.
"What? But you just said-"
"It's off. Robert's not even there. No one is. We couldn't go through with it." Nathaniel continued to gasp at her.
"Robert would have called me." he said, shaking his head.
"He left. I don't think he wants to talk to anyone." she muttered, not looking at him. She wasn't sure if he would believe her, but the next thing she knew it he was pulling out his keys.
"Where did he go?" Nathaniel sighed, seeming worried. Marissa shrugged.
"He said something about a diner." Marissa lied, knowing Nathaniel would know which one. Nathaniel had loved this diner in the valley. She suspected it'd take Nathaniel about twenty minutes to get there. Five minutes to realize Marissa lied. And twenty minutes to come back. By then, she knew she would be gone.
"Man. I'll see you later." Nathaniel told her running past her to his car. He brushed by Eric, but didn't seem to notice. As she watched him walk away, she felt as if she was falling into a hole she would never be able to climb out of. Eric walked over to a dark sports car, holding the door open for her. With one last look at the top of the building, she walked to the car falling into the passenger seat. Marissa stared at the roof, not taking notice of what Eric was doing. She just stared until Eric pulled away, leaving the building behind.