The Mortal Instruments - City of Illumination (Set after City of Heavenly Fire) (Book Seven)

Chapter Two - Eros

Entreat me not to leave thee,

Or return from following after thee—

For whither thou goest, I will go,

And where thou lodgest, I will lodge.

Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.

Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried.

The Angel do so to me, and more also,

If aught but death part thee and me.

Emma paced the training room awaiting the arrival of Julian. The Los Angeles Institute had been her home for most of her life, but after returning from Idris to resume her stay with the Blackthorn family it felt unfamiliar and she wondered if she had become Parabatai for all the wrong reasons. This was it, this was the life ahead of her. This was training with Julian and soon they would fight together. To be parabatai was to be stronger, the bond of the third ring and their unity as a pairing creating an inseverable bond, however Emma Carstairs had never felt weaker. She knew that it was rare to find Parabatai and It was not that she did not feel a bond with her parabatai Julian. It was that perhaps this bond was not one like what she saw between the iconic Jace Herondale and Alec Lightwood. She tried to think as Julian touched his stele against her neck tracing the Parabatai rune, that it was close to the many times they had traced messages onto each others arms and backs with their fingertips, the stele was supposed to be an extension of the hand. She knew that this bond must be kept to the bond of warriors and not allow it to transform to the earthly bond known as Eros. Emma tried to push this thought aside however, as her finger traced the rune on her neck the thought pressed on, but what if it had always been Eros?

Julian must have sneaked in while she was lost in her endless trail of thoughts, because she jumped across the room drawing Cortana from it's sheath. Anyone else would have been frightened, but Julian just smiled his reassuring smile. 'Ready for training I see' his voice projected across the room to her. She then noticed Ty hunched over in the corner of the training room pulling at his sleeves, how long had he been there? she thought to herself. Julian crossed the room and leaned against the old window pane eye level with Emma, 'Is everything okay? you've been kind of-' she cut him off with a stern expression 'Everything's fine okay just where's Arthur?' Arthur Blackthorn, Julian's uncle had taken to looking after the orphans at the institute including with the newly paired parabatai Emma. She suddenly felt a familiar fire within her, cortana struggling within the confines of her sheath. 'Emma' Julian's soft facials turned attentive his eyes searching for hers. Emma wondered why Julian hadn't acknowledged Ty's presence in the room. She realised that Julian was still accepting his father's death, to save a brother, to lose a father. She turned away from his blue-green eyes 'How about a warm up?' she made a sharp turn and thrust her forearm at Julian's chest, but to her surprise he caught it firmly in front of him. 'I'm your parabatai. We're with each other not against each other, I know you're moves before you make them' Emma felt heated with this comment, she was not apart of a fighter, she was strong and independent and then she fell into his warm and familiar arms sighing. 'Well most of them' he smiled down at the exhausted Emma. Julian's eyes directed to the window 't-h-i-n-k-i-n-g-?' she traced on his shoulder. He shook his head, and although she knew he was lying and keeping his calm and collected appearance she replied 'L-u-c-k-y'.

Training had turned out to be Latin studies from a concrete block of a book from the Institute's library. Emma had once asked Ty if he'd wanted to join as he sat alone in the corner, but she got only the slightest shake of the head in reply, soon Livvy was in to take Ty for lunch and Emma and Jules decided they needed a break too. 'What do you think Jace and Clary are doing right now? Probably not studying latin' she huffed as they resumed their usual seat in the Institute's conservatory. She plucked petals from a flower which broke through the planks of the stolen park bench. Julian reached for her hand and pried it away from the suffering flower. 'Amor enim non perdere' Love not destroy he said, stroking his thumb over the side of her hand the way he always had, it was so calming but she couldn't help this itching that she needed to be out there fighting the world of Demons, the tingling of Cortana against her back. She couldn't let herself be comfortable with Jules, it was painful to know she could never feel that way, or at least he could never know. 'Amoris est ad perdendum' she muttered, to love is to destroy. She was sure he hadn't heard her under her breath, but a part of her wished he had. Emma squeezed Julian's seemingly larger hand and then released bringing herself to her feet. She knew that if she told him her plan to sneak out, he would insist on going with her and then if they got caught Jules being Jules would take the blame as he always had during their childhood mischief. This wasn't childhood mischief anymore, Jules had matured in a way Emma noticed gradually like a boy becoming a man, the angles and corners of his face sharper, the lines of his muscles evident and the glimmer of experiences, of memories he hadn't had before. Emma knew she herself had changed too, but not like Julian, this wasn't a change she wanted to welcome. When she separated from Julian he called out after her with a concerned expression his hand pressed to his parabatai rune 'Emma?' his voice made her want to turn back, to tell him where she was going, to tell him about the change she felt coming, the fire in her soul, but instead she subconsciously faked a smile and said 'Just tired, going to take a nap, have some me time and all that mundane nonsense' her eyes glimmered momentarily and she turned into one of the Institute's many rooms.

She pulled on her pair of boots and a fitted leather jacket around her training gear, then scaled the window for a climb down the dumpster onto the fading sunset lit street. Two figures flashed the corner of her eye, Aline? and Arthur? she ducked and pressed her back as she slid down the side of the dumpster her knees buried in a silty puddle. Her hands felt clammy as she wiped them on her thighs then slowly peeked her head over the rim of the dumpster. Aline, now standing by herself had a look of concern on her face, Emma couldn't help but burst out from her cover and stand to face Aline in the alley. Emma had a sisterly bond with Helen, Aline's girlfriend, ever since the Blackthorns had taken Emma in and Helen had cared for her from the point of informing Emma of her parents deaths. This bond had passed to Aline, who was despite not being Helen, someone Emma could trust and since the Dark War Emma cherished these relationships. 'Emma?' Aline had always been hesitant and shy as a person and she knew Emma was not the type to hug, but as Aline approached her eyes embraced Emma in a familiar and comfortable way. Emma broke away from the gaze and returned to the reality, what was Aline doing in Los Angeles? Was it something to do with Helen? 'Is Helen okay?' Emma's eyes widened, but Aline's expression stayed calm to suggest that was not the reason for her visit. 'Helen is fine.' Aline raised an eyebrow 'And how are you Miss Carstairs?' Emma was struck for words for some unknown reason and she let out a half-hearted response 'I'm okay I guess, yeah'. Aline bobbed her head 'It was nice to see you' and she turned swiftly on her feet, the mark of a shadow hunter and faded into the lights of L.A. streets.