Once a Shadowhunter, Always a Shadowhunter

by Ani the Fangirl

After three years, Adriana Youngblood has become a professional at one thing: avoiding her past. But one day, someone from her past comes knocking, and it's pretty clear. She must become a Shadowhunter again. Told from Adriana's POV. Alec/OC. T because I'm paranoid. Straight Alec with plenty of comic relief from our sparkly friend Magnus the Magnificent.

6. Truth

Listen to All of the Stars covered by Logan Dolenshek for perfection at the end.

Okay. Let's go through what I know.

My name is Adriana Youngblood.

My mother was Veronica Aline Nightwine.

My father was Marcus Jonathan Youngblood.

A large part of me is still in love with Alexander Gideon Lightwood.

My best friends are his sister, Isabelle Lightwood, and his parabatai, Jace Wayland.

I am a Shadowhunter.

Demons, angels, vampires, werewolves, fae, and all sorts of "mythical" creatures are real.

I kill demons using daggers made by our world's version of nuns.

I don't know my middle name. I don't know anything about my parents because they died when I was four months old. No one will tell me anything. Magnus has a letter written by my parents that he should have given me when I was sixteen. This letter will most likely answer every question I have about who I am. What I am. Why I could never go to Magnus' parties or Takis without a pixie or a group of low-court fae staring at me the entire time. Why Maryse always finds a reason to keep me from going to Central Park. The letter is why I am currently unlocking Magnus' front door and walking into his lavish apartment.

The only one home was Chairman, who jumped into my arms and wouldn't let me put him down. I found a note on his coffee table addressed to me.

Ria,

Don't hate me. Go into the bedroom. In the top drawer of the bedside table is the letter that will probably answer all your questions about who you are. But first, I want you to know that I already know everything that's in that letter. Your father loved your mother more than life itself. You were their life. I won't be home for a day or two, but when I get back, come to the party here on Saturday night. There will be some important people here that you will probably want to talk to.

Read the letter.

Magnus XOXO

P.S. There's some dramatic music on the CD in my stereo. If you want to be really epic, read the letter while listening to it.

So Magnus freaking Bane couldn't even be bothered to give the letter to me himself?

I retrieved the letter. It was in an envelope with a red wax seal. I could barely make out the raven in flight from the Youngblood crest.

I pulled one of my knives from my converse boot and carefully cut along the fold of the envelope. My hands shook the slightest bit as I gently pulled the smooth parchment from the envelope. The paper was yellowed with age but was still slightly crisp. At the top, drawn in ink, was an intricate circle of vines. Another circle made of geometric figures lay directly inside of it. Next came a circle of tiny moons, for the Nightwine crest. The last element was a lone raven perched on a branch. It was strange but beautiful. It felt familiar, as if it was something I had seen many years ago. The handwriting underneath it was an elegant script, but distinctly male. Some part of me knew it was my father's. I unfolded the letter three times until it was laying flat on the table, and I started to read.

My daughter,

You are still a babe as I write this. A mere 16 months old, you stare at me with your bright green eyes, so full of curiosity and love. My wife and your mother, Veronica, is asleep in our bed. She has the most beautiful silky brown hair and blue eyes that shine as clear as glass. Her skin has a pearlescent quality I have never seen except in her race. She is petite at five feet one inch tall and barely one-hundred pounds. I have learned over time not to tease her, as I am at least six feet tall. The way she sleeps, curled around one pillow with her hair lying across the other, reveals her delicate ears. She normally covers them with her hair, but at home, I will not allow it. I am a Shadowhunter - Angel blood is in my veins. Hers, however, flow with Fae blood. The blood of high-court fae. Your blood is unique, a mixture of Demon and Angel. It makes you even more beautiful. You with your peridot eyes and skin softly glowing and your hair a deep dark chocolate.

The Clave has never been completely at peace with Downworlders, as we call the warlocks, vampires, werewolves, fae, and other sorts. Most of them follow their old codes of honor and do not venture out from their packs or nests. They have never been a major threat to us, especially the fae. The fair folk are unique: their blood is a mixture of demon and angel. They are cunning, beautiful, honest, and sometimes vicious. Your mother is all of these things. Her vicious tendencies only appear when provoked. You will most likely inherit these characteristics. I do hope you cannot lie. Your mother can't. It's the one thing I appreciate about her fae blood. She can, however, debate with the most intelligent of the Silent Brothers and bargain with the most conniving merchants.

The Nightwine line is an old matriarchal line known to have strong connections to Fae nobility. Your blood is both a blessing and a curse. Keep your lineage a secret. Tell only your mate. When a faerie falls in love, they do not easily change their minds. Your mother agreed to marry me when she was nineteen. We took a year to plan and decide where we would reside: Youngblood Manor or Nightwine Hall. Both now belong to you as the heir to both lines. I am an only child. So is your mother. If you ever happen to visit the Seelie court, I have no doubt that your third cousin, Sir Meliorn, will recognize you. In the instance that you need assistance, do not hesitate to call upon the court, for they will answer you.

The Youngbloods are even older than the Nightwine line. I hope you will grow up knowing the comfort of our very own manor. You have your crib in our bedroom, but we have prepared a nursery for you in the adjoining room for when you are weaned. You will want for nothing here. I only hope that it lasts. My parents, Jonathan and Sarah Youngblood, passed away last year. Your grandparents would have loved you, and I know they will watch over you from the heavens. We are the atypical Shadowhunters, because Sarah was a mundane who was raised Catholic. She converted my grandfather, and the two of them are responsible for the assistance we have received from the churches all over the world.

There is a jewelry box that will be left to you. You know the one. There is a false bottom where you will find the Youngblood family ring. You will also find the Nightwine crest upon a locket. They are enchanted so that none but the wearer can remove them. You may use the Nightwine locket to enter the Hall.

So you see, your ancestry is important to know and understand. You are a Shadowhunter, Fae, and Human. The best of the three worlds. Keep all of this information to yourself, for you will be a target if it is revealed to the wrong people. Maryse Lightwood is your mother's best friend. She will give you a place to go if you find yourself in danger. I have instructed Magnus Bane, one of your grandmother Nightwine's closest allies, to give this to you on your sixteenth birthday. He will also protect you as a powerful warlock. He is a loyal and good person, despite his deviant lifestyle, and I hope you will become friends. I know in my heart that I will be dead very soon. Your mother and I hope that you are happy, that you have found a family with Robert and Maryse Lightwood in New York. We wish we could raise you, but alas, it is not meant to be. We love you more than anything in the world.

Vale, filia mia.

Marcus Jonathan Youngblood

Veronica Aline Nightwine

I stood there for a moment, re-reading the letter several times. It was so much to take in. My mother was one of the fae? Maryse never told me anything like what was in the letter. Why? I ran both hands through my hair, and then I dropped my head onto my knees. Two familiar shoes appeared at the edge of my vision. A pair of strong arms wrapped around me and let me slump into a body that smelled of leather and cologne. "Stay with me?"

"Always."

I couldn't fight it. The dam broke, and so did I. He ran his fingers through my hair, planting soft kisses across my shoulders. I clutched the back of his neck and shoulders and fell apart in his arms. Alec was here. Alive and breathing. And humming? The soft rumble from his chest turned to soft singing.

"It's just another night

And I'm staring at the moon

I saw a shooting star

And thought of you

I sang a lullaby

By the waterside and knew

If you were here,

I'd sing to you

You're on the other side

As the skyline splits in two

I'm miles away from seeing you

I can see the stars

From America

I wonder, do you see them, too?

So open your eyes and see

The way our horizons meet

And all of the lights will lead

Into the night with me

And I know these scars will bleed

But both of our hearts believe

All of these stars will guide us home

I can hear your heart

On the radio beat

They're playing 'Chasing Cars'

And I thought of us

Back to the time,

You were lying next to me

I looked across and fell in love

So I took your hand

Back through lamp lit streets I knew

Everything led back to you

So can you see the stars?

Over Amsterdam

You're the song my heart is

Beating to

So open your eyes and see

The way our horizons meet

And all of the lights will lead

Into the night with me

And I know these scars will bleed

But both of our hearts believe

All of these stars will guide us home."

It was our song, the one we danced to in the conservatory when we were seventeen and deeply in love. He took me to Amsterdam for my birthday and we spent the evening sitting by the river on a wooden bench.

Alec shifted me on his lap and pulled me legs around his hips. He caught my chin and tipped my head up and gently brushed his mouth against mine. I melted into his warm, comforting, safe body. He took my breath; every thought flew from my mind. His mouth awoke the flames deep in my body, flames that burnt only for Alexander Gideon Lightwood. He lightly nipped at my bottom lip, sucking just enough to drive me insane. His arms tightened around my body and crushed me against his chest. Alec broke the kiss, breathing heavily and still holding me in his arms.

"Let's go home."

"As long as you stay with me."

"You're mine. Forever."

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