Chapter Two: A Bit of a Problem
"In eternity there is no time,
only an instant long enough for a joke."
― Hermann Hesse, Steppenwolf
Izzy! Herald! "We have a bit of a problem" yelled Mana as we entered the institute. The institute was very plain when you took a glance at it. The walls were all a plain white color. And the curtains and tapestries were all purple in color. But, when you glance at the institute you also get a feeling of mystery and hidden secrets. Bound by age, intertwining hallways, and over two hundred rooms for shadow hunters and those in need of protection can stay.
After a few minutes, they could hear someone running down the stairs followed by a loud crashing noise and then a few seconds of questionable silence.
"I'm okay" yelled Herald as he emerged from the bottom of the steps. Herald Lightwood is tall and lanky. His short wavy black hair and his five o'clock after shadow makes his bright green eyes stand out even more. Herald's steps always had a soft clank to every other step he makes because of his leg brace that was invented by the famous shadowhunter inventor Henry B. Sometimes after recalibrating it, the brace will malfunction causing Herald to fall.
"So I see you were recalibrating it again" said Nick.
"Yeah" smiled Herald "so what's the problem and who's that you're holding Nick?"
"The problem is him and he's Cadell" stated Mana promptly.
"He collapsed after saying he needs something to drink" finished Nick. After looking around another question popped in his head "where is Elizabeth" he asked. "Oh, Izzy was called to Idris and will not be back for a while" stated Herald.
"So I guess we'll just have to deal with this ourselves" said Mana.
"Let's start off by placing him in a room then, we can figure out what to do next" said Herald as he turned to start to walk away. Before he could do so Cadell flailed in pain causing Nick to drop him. Cadell was now on the ground screaming in agony.
Cadell felt as though his bones were burning and splintering inside of him slicing through and shredding all of his organs and flesh. He could not help but, tear and screech in pain as a tried to gasp for air. He could hear voices that sounded as if they were from a distance but, felt as if they were near.
"Cadell what's wrong" cried Mana. But, he gave no response. Herald and Nick stood in shock before going over to Cadell to see what was wrong, everything went silent as Cadell passed out in pain feeling the icy shards sweep him in and out of conscience.
Nick went to pick up and carry Cadell to the room when his hand wrapped around his back and felt something warm and sticky. He pulled it back to find blood on his hand.
"Herald! He's bleeding" panicked Nick.
"Get him to the room we will have to treat him there" said Herald. Oh how he wished Izzy was here she was better at handling these kinds of situations. "Take him now and I will go call the silent brothers." Because this boy was certainly did not have the feeling of being a mundane.
After a bit of waiting one of the brothers appeared. "Brother Zachariah" said Herald " I thought it would be Brother Enoch." He is busy in Idris echoed in the back of his mind as Brother Zachariah gave his response.
"Well, I will lead you to the room" said Herald. Brother Zachariah followed him silently like a ghost making no sound as they came across the room. Herald slowly opened the door and came to a shocked stand still as Cadell came into view. Brother Zachariah seemed to hold no reaction to whatever was happening.
Both Mana and Nick were holding Cadell faced down as he withered in pain. There were two things that looked like bone and bloody feathers protruding from Cadell's back. Cadell screamed in anguish as the things extended farther out of his back.
Mana looked up and saw the hooded figure step in. His face could not be clearly distinguished from under his hood. But, from what she could tell he had black hair and hollow features.
"What do we do" stammered Herald. After a few moments Brother Zachariah pulled out his steal. "We can't use that he'll turn into a forsaken" screamed Mana "he's not a shadowhunter."
"This one has more angel blood running through his veins than you think" Brother Zachariah whispered in her head. He thoughtfully placed the steal on the center of Cadell back and drew a rune that swept Cadell into sleep. Then, he drew an iratze on him for healing. The runes burned on Cadell's back before settling and easy his pain as he was pushed into sleep.
After Brother Zachariah finished he faced Herald. And Nick could tell he was talking to him at that moment because of the face Herald made. "Herald in this boy runs the blood of two shadowhunters but, there is also something darker at play for he is both a vampire and shadowhunter a halfling at birth but, he is not a warlock. He holds the same symptoms as one of his ancestors and it is only luck that the runes work on him" Brother Zachariah explained. Then he whispered into everyone's head that he will get the 'daylighter' to bring something over for Cadell.
"Please, take care of him there are only a few Herondale left in this world." after stating that Brother Zachariah silently left.
Mana went back to Cadell who was now still and sleeping peacefully. Whatever was protruding from his back was gone leaving a weird silver pattern on his back where they once were. She gingerly picked up a rag and started wiping the blood and sweat off his back. While wiping off his back she started to notice scars of torture. Is this what Denis meant by some fun? Where exactly did this boy get those scars that looked like a mixture of bite marks, claw marks, whip marks, and stab wounds. Some of the wounds seemed recent just as recent as the claw mark on his arm that has now started to heal due to the iratze. She shivered at the thought of it being her who was living through torture every day forced to be on a leash everyday. No wonder he doesn't like to be touched. No wonder he was scared of Denis Clamornox. No wonder he was scared of them. Who boar similar wounds over their bodies too. Wounds they gained from slaying demons.
Cadell stirred lightly in his sleep. Rolling over to his side making himself a more comfortable position than laying on his stomach. His breathing was now even and Mana could see he was relaxed. Looking closer she could see that he was very beautiful indeed. He had long eyelashes that curled up a bit. A heart shaped face held together by a slender frame. His body was well toned and his muscles did not seem out of place when you looked at him. He looked like a picture you would see in a art museum. The picture would be of a sad lonely boy standing in the dark woods for all eternity.
"Well, he's pretty enough, do you think he could be my parabaiti" she asked Nick.
"You can't base a parabaiti on looks Mana"
"I was just joking. I know you can't do that"
Nick glanced at Cadell who looked to be peacefully sleeping when just a few minutes ago he was thrashing in pain. So he's a shadowhunter too he thought to himself and he certainly is pretty enough not that he really cared. At least there will be more company in this empty institute. The only people who live here are Izzy, Herald, Mana, and himself. Then, they have the servants who come and go they have Nina the maid, Justin the cook, and Blake the butler. With another person to talk to in the institute it could breath some life into it.
"Okay it's time to leave the room and let Cadell sleep peacefully" said Herald. "Oh, and Mana go tell Nina to prepare a room for the 'daylighter'."
"Who's the 'daylighter'" inquired Nick.
"He's a vampire who can walk in the day without getting burned" stated Herald.
"WAIT you're letting a downworlder stay here a filthy downworlder" screeched Mana.
"He's not just any downworlder he is a vampire who has held the grace of the Clave since birth and friend to the famous shadowhunter Jace Wayland. You will show him respect when he arrives." said Herald "Now go on and tell Nina, Mana."
Mana and Nick scurried out of the room followed by Herald who shut the door lightly.
Simon having earned the good graces of the Clave often stays at the institute in New York. He didn't want to leave although, he had to watch his friends and loved ones age and die. Leaving him behind to watch over their children and their children and so on.
"Hey Simon" she exclaimed as she ran down the hall toward him. He could see her running from the other end of the hallway. Clara Wayland was named after her grandmother who was his best friend when he was still a mundane and when he first turned into a vampire. Those were hard times during the war of The Mortal Instruments. It seemed like centuries ago and only seconds ago to him.
Clara had the same red hair as her and the gold flickering eye's that her husband and his friend adorne. Reminding Simon of horrible times and happy times leaving him with a bad aftertaste of melancholy. "So what's up is the 'sexy vampire mojo' finally attracting you to me. Because if so I should tell you I'm not looking to be in a relationship rate now."
"Sexy vampire mojo doesn't exist" frowned Clara.
"But, you're attracted to me anyways" Simon smirked.
"No..., and Brother Zachariah wants you to bring some supplies to the New Jersey Institute. "
Simon was old enough two centuries old enough to know what 'supplies' meant when someone asked for it. They used the word "supplies" as a code in front of humans and shadowhunters alike to be polite because you know, when you mention blood at the dinner table and everyone loses their appetite but, the vampires. I'm two centuries old he thought to himself again, I wonder if that means I am two in vampire years he wondered curiously. Did it even work like dog years? Oh, well.
"Okay I'm heading out."
"Hey can I go with you" asked Clara.
"No, but there is no way to stop you from coming anyways is there?"
Clara giggled "You got me."
"You are just like your grandmother in that aspect" sighed simon.
"Okay go get ready to leave I'm going to get some 'supplies' from my room."
"Yay, see you in five minutes at the portal"
Simon and Clara arrived at the institute through the portal. With three people waiting on the other side of it.
"Hello, I'm Herald the institute head these two are Nick and Mana" said Herald.
Simon glanced at Nick "aren't you a little short for a stormtrooper?"
"No!" screamed Nick as he blushed a furious red. His height was one of the few things that bothered and irritated him so much. All of his brothers were always tall like his father. But, Nick was short like his mother.
"And who is that" Herald asked as he looked over Simon's shoulder "I was only expecting one guest."
"Oh, I'm sorry about that this is Clara Wayland she wanted to come and she's forceful just like her grandmother when it comes to what she wants" said Simon.
"Yeah, and this is Simon a vampire who acts more like a shadowhunter. I don't know if he even understands how to act like a vampire" Clara put in.
"Hey" exclaimed Simon "don't forget to mention I'm a geek you know that's a crucial part of it."
"You're also a filthy downworlder" whispered Mana. Though she knew the vampire heard it as he glanced in her direction with a frown on his face. She could see he had fairly long dark brown hair which he had pushed out of the way of his eye's which were pitch black and held a deep feeling to them. Clearly they are the eye's of a vampire. But, for some reason he was wearing glasses which she knew he did not need.
"Nick take Simon to Cadell then,show him to his room when he's finished" said Herald.
"Mana have Nina take Clara to a room."
Simon walked into Cadell's room and told Nick to wait outside while he met with Cadell. When Simon saw Cadell he could sense that he was not an ordinary shadowhunter. Not to mention the part where he is a shadowhunter and a vampire at the same time. Normally being a vampire would deprive the shadowhunter of any of the Nephilim capabilities. Plus his presence felt as though he was somewhere between Jace Wayland and Sebastian Morgenstern as he liked to call him.
Cadell dreamt of his hometown where the sky is the color of Mana's eye's. He dreamt of his mother whose hair was brown covered in dirt and matted down with crusted red. She always looked so sickly and he doesn't remember her any other way. He remembered the stories she always told him. Stories of his father he never saw, his mother said he always managed to make her laugh even in the worst of times. Stories of his older brother who has his father's blonde hair and his mother's grey eye's. His brother was always getting into mischief but, he was considered dependable by those who knew him. Cadell woke up to see a person he's never seen before.
Cadell looked up to face a pale figure who oddly had no scent. He was almost void of any presence other than the fact that he felt human in nature in some odd way. His big dark eyes seemed to see everything even though they were hidden behind a pair of odd glasses.
"Hello, Cadell I'm Simon and I brought the 'supplies' that you need"
"The what?" blinked Cadell.
"Okay I don't get the feeling you know what you are."
"The force is strong with this one" sighed Simon.
:I brought the blood you need to not bite the others." He handed a bottle over to Cadell.
Cadell hesitated for a second. He didn't want to drink blood but, he knew it was what he needed because it smelled familiar though there seemed to be a small difference in scent. What would it matter he thought to himself I shouldn't feel sickened now since I've been drinking it all along even without knowing it's still the same. He grabbed the bottle and drank it quickly. He felt immediately refreshed with a flow of electric energy that soothed him and gave him the strength to keep himself in shape.
"Thanks" said Cadell as he suddenly became aware of his surroundings "so where exactly am I?"
As he looked around he noticed the room was uniquely bland. The walls were an of white and there was a single window in the middle of the wall presumably located on the front of the building. It had dark purple curtains hanging on either side of the window the only color in this room other than the brown cabinet and a few chairs.
"Your at the New Jersey institute" said Simon.
"The New Jersey what?"
"It's a places where shadowhunters or Nephilim if you will, go to if they do not have a place to stay each has over two hundred rooms. Though most of them are fairly empty I must say. Never seen or hear of an institute where more than seven people were staying at."
"Oookay" blinked Cadell.
Simon took this as a gesture that showed Cadell was not listening or did not understand a single word he had said. He sighed as he listened to the door knob twitching.
Nick who was always running low on patients swung the door open catching Cadell off gard causing him to seemingly flinch. While the vampire seemed to notice he was going to come in before he even decided to open the door.
"Nick, I was right the force is strong with this one" Simon smirked.
"Huh? Star Wars again" Nick said confused.
Simon mused "your one of the rare shadowhunters that understands what I'm saying."
Now bewildered Nick asked Cadell to come along as he showed Simon where his room is.
