Hey guys! Sorry for not updating. I know it's been a long time, but as a treat, I added some new stuff to the previous chapter that I believe helps the story tie into itself more. I totally appreciate every one of your comments and wish that I could respond to every single one of you. Thanks again for all your support!
"I'll have some chicken fingers and a side order of fries. But make sure to add lots of ketchup. I like ketchup." Max handed his menu to the waitress and took a sip from his orange soda.
" And for you miss?" the waitress turned her icy blue eyes to Clary, flipping her white blonde hair that was so straight, it looked like icicles had been permanently melted onto her head. Or maybe they were icicles…
"I'll have the pasta marinara and our usual to-go order please." Clary handed her the menu. She took it and walked off; leaving the air cooler than it was before she arrived to their booth. Yep. Definitely an ice faerie. She thought and took a sip of her Coke. She looked across the table at Max, who had his head bent over the shiny new cover of a comic book. "Are we planning to start a conversation here or are you just going to keep your head bent over that thing all day?"Clary asked him.
The boy's head snapped up. "Huh? Oh…sorry." He closed the book and slipped it back into the bag. He glanced over at the click of silverware on ceramic and the bustling of waiters around dining room of Taki's to make sure no one was listening. "Hey Clary, can I tell you something? And you promise you won't say anything to anyone else?"
"Sure Max, what's up?" She replied, pulling her green cap from her red curls and sticking it into the pocket of her coat next to her.
Max leaned across the table to whisper in her ear. She met him halfway.
"Since I'm turning ten, my dad said I could start my training soon."
Clary smiled. "That's great! You must be excited."
"Not really." Max's face drooped into a sad grimace. He slumped in his seat so fast the booth jerked to the side a little.
"What do you mean? Every time I come over here for training, I see you running down the halls, pretending you're fighting demons. I see you watch Jace in the training room. I know you've been waiting for your chance to train for a long time. And now all of the sudden you act like your parents are forcing you to eat a bowl of Isabelle's beef stew? I mean, no offense to her, but the special ingredients she put into it don't exactly make it cutting edge-"
"Clary, this is what I'm trying to tell you. I can't train because I'm not a Shadowhunter."He confessed. At first, Clary wasn't sure that she had heard him correctly, but when she saw the look on his face, she leaned back in her seat and sighed.
"Max, that's ridiculous. Of course you're a Shadowhunter." she said.
"No. I'm not." He retorted.
"Yes. You are."
"No." He crossed his arms angrily.
"Yes." Clary crossed her arms as well.
"Clary, I'm not a Shadowhunter!" Max shouted. A couple of nixies glanced at their table, but quickly turned away, too absorbed in their own problems to notice.
"Max," Clary said in a more hushed tone. "Your parents are Shadowhunters, Isabelle is a Shadowhunter. Alec is a Shadowhunter. You, by blood and by definition, are a Shadowhunter, and you know that. What is this all about anyway?"
Max huffed. This was a moment where Clary would raise one of her eyebrows at him sarcastically like Jace always did to her, but of course she still had not yet mastered the coveted technique. Instead, she sufficed for a simple, "Go on."
Max uncrossed his arms and placed them on the table. "My dad told me once that there is more to being a Shadowhunter than just having Nephilium blood. He said you had to be brave, strong, and a quick thinker. He said you have to be able to make life or death decisions in a pinch, and not let emotions get in the way of what you have to do."
"Your father is a smart man." Clary said.
"I know, and he's right. But what if I can't do any of those things? What if I am not able to make the right choices at the right moments? I'm not like Alec or Isabelle or Jace. Or even you. What happens if I make the wrong decision and something goes south? I could risk getting someone hurt, or worse!"
Clary looked into his deep blue eyes that were so like his Mayrse's. She hadn't known Max on such a personal level like this before. They had talked sometimes, like when Clary would stay for dinner after her daily training practices or when Max needed help reading anime, but they had never really held a very strong conversation before. This was uncharted territory to her. Still, she had to say something.
" Max," She began. "You're scared that once you get out in the field and actually start fighting demons for real, you'll mess up. I get that. I can't tell you how many times I've second guessed going out on demon raids with your brothers and sister. Fighting demons is dangerous, and at any moment, one slip up could cause one or more of them to get hurt."
"Your point?"
"My point, and I do have one, is that having these fears are completely natural, and every Shadowhunter goes through them at your age. Well, except me. Recognizing them doesn't make you any less of what you are. And you are a Shadowhunter Max. It's in your blood. What you've got to do is train your body and mind to focus on the task at hand, and not let fear or emotions cloud your choices. Just like your dad told you. Eventually, you will mess up, and you will make the wrong choice, but that's how you learn. It all comes with training, and sooner or later worrying about those fears will seem less of a problem."
"Will they ever go away?"
Clary looked over to see Max's toy soldier sitting on the table. She thought of Jace. "No. They won't."
Then the ice faerie came back with their orders, and Clary refrained from saying any more.
