The Mortal Cup
STELLA
"Where the shit is it?" I cursed traipsing up and down the halls. I was starving and I'd gotten myself lost in my search for the kitchen. I sighed and decided I'd go and ask Isabelle. I made my way to the end of the hall and tried to remember which way her room was. I huffed and turned left only to trip over a large cat. I looked down and raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know they had a cat" I mumbled to myself as I knelt down in front of the fur ball. "Do you know where the kitchen is?" I asked in a baby-voice as I scratched the cat's head. It blinked at me and let out a small meow before trotting off in the opposite direction. It turned around as though expecting me to follow before disappearing around the corner.
"As if the cat knows what I was talking about" I muttered deciding to follow it. To my complete surprise the cat led me straight to the kitchen and I could see Isabelle inside the room. "Thanks kitty" I said scratching behind its ear.
"His name is Church" Isabelle said coming to the door, ladle in hand.
"Is he yours?" I asked standing up.
"No, he belongs to the Institute if he belongs to anyone" Isabelle smiled and retreated back into the kitchen. "Are you hungry?" she asked over he shoulder.
"A bit, yeah" I replied seating myself at the counter "what are you making?"
"Porridge surprise" Isabelle turned around with a bowl of steaming goo and placed it in front of me.
"Smells good" I said picking up a spoonful. The taste wasn't what I expected but it wasn't unpleasant. "What's the surprise?" I asked once I'd finished eating.
"It's a secret" Isabelle replied with a wink "can't tell you or you might get rich off my amazing idea".
"Oh, okay" I shrugged and pushed the bowl away. "Thanks for breakfast, I've got to go and do my homework now but I've forgotten the way to the library, could you show me?"
Isabelle's eyebrows rose "did Alec give you homework?"
"Yeah, I need to research the runes in the Gray Book" I registered the surprise on Isabelle's face. "Is that odd?"
"A bit" Isabelle replied "I think Alec actually likes you, because he told me he would rather cut his hand off than have anything to do with Clary's training".
"Wow, okay then" I knew Alec like me better than Clary anyway after last night but I didn't realise he felt that strongly about it.
Isabelle smiled "library is this way". She led me along a short corridor and up one level in the elevator before stopping outside a familiar door. "Here we are, study hard now or Alec will make training hell" Isabelle smiled and disappeared.
I scanned the shelves for the book I needed and once I found it, I carefully laid it on a table. I dug around in a drawer for a pen and searched the room for paper. I found a pile in another drawer and then knuckled down to learn about runes.
...
"Stella?" Jace's voice snapped me out of my zone.
"Yeah?" I replied looking up from my half finished sketch of the iratze I was drawing. I saw Jace walking towards me with his weapons strapped to his back.
"Clary discovered the location of the Mortal Cup and we're going to retrieve it now" Jace said stopping at the edge of the table. He looked down at the paper strewn around and raised an eyebrow. "What's all this?"
"My homework for Alec" I replied finishing my sketch. "He wanted me to learn about runes and show him tonight at training".
"Hmm" Jace half smiled "we anticipate contact with demons so you're going to need your weapons and gear".
"Okay, I'll be ready in a few minutes" I replied packing my notes and sketches away in a pile before picking them up. "Where should I meet you guys?"
"The front door" Jace replied. "Oh it might be useful if you put an Unseen rune on your weapons, we don't need any dramas with Mundanes".
Once Jace left I dashed upstairs to my room and threw on my gear. I pulled on a pair of gloves that hid the runes on my wrists and pulled out my stele. I dug through my notes until I found the Unseen rune and then I carefully drew it on my naginata and seraph blades. I could still see them but it was though I was looking through water. They seemed to shimmer so I assumed the rune had worked. I made a point of memorizing the Visible rune as well. I checked myself in the mirror and saw a faint mark where the iratze was. I rubbed the spot with a small smile and armed myself. Once I had double checked my weapons I went downstairs to join the others.
…
Clary
Looking at Stella dressed in gear with weapons on her back made me feel a little left out. As we made our way down my street I couldn't help but realise she was more accepted than I was. Alec clearly didn't like me, Isabelle seemed indifferent and Jace…I felt a blush creep up my face when I thought about Jace. A figure suddenly stepped into my view and I had to stop.
"Hey" Eric said.
"Hi" I replied shooting a glance at Stella.
"Clary, Stella, like wow" Eric seemed speechless. "You look different".
"Yeah, it's just something we borrowed" I said conscious of the invisible Shadowhunters behind us.
"I mean, nice outfits" Eric stuttered. "They're good" he smiled.
"Yeah…we can't talk now" I said moving past him. "Sorry".
I quickly looked behind me and saw Isabelle purposely nudge Eric as she walked past. I hid a smile at the confused look on Eric's face.
I led the way into my apartment block and stopped outside Madame Dorothea's door. Jace indicated to the others to go upstairs and Stella led Alec and Isabelle up the stairs. I raised my hand to knock on the door when it opened suddenly.
"Clary" Dorothea said smiling benignly.
"I came for the Tarot cards" I said.
"Why?" Dorothea asked.
"I need them. You know the ones my mum painted" I replied. "I just need to look at them really quickly and I'll give them back".
STELLA
I still couldn't believe the amount of damage the demon had done to Clary's apartment. I stepped cautiously around the debris strewn everywhere as I led Alec and Isabelle into the apartment.
"Incredible" Isabelle whispered, looking around.
Alec bent down and poured a pile of dust on the floor, before pulling out a blade.
"What's that?" I asked drawing a Visible rune on one of my seraph blades.
"It tracks the presence of demons" Alec replied as the dust started moving across the floor.
We cautiously followed it as it headed for the kitchen. It stopped and came back towards us.
"Does that mean the demon is invisible?" I asked when the dust started to change shape.
"No, that means the demon is downstairs!" Alec replied as a crash sounded from underneath us.
"Clary!" I squeaked running for the stairs.
Alec tried to open Madame Dorothea's door but it got slammed back in his face. He gave it a decent kick and the door flew inwards and the scene we were greeted with made my stomach curl.
Jace was slumped against the wall on one side of the room and Clary was struggling with what used to be Dorothea.
I gripped my seraph blade and tried to remember one of the Angel names I glossed over in a book I'd found in the library, called the Codex or something.
The demon threw Clary against the wall and she fell unmoving to the floor. "NO!" I yelled leaping in front of my friend. I raised my blade "Cassiel!" I yelled. The blade was suddenly glowing brightly and I turned my attention to the demon in front of me. I charged forwards and swung the blade at the demon's stomach. It was too quick for me and my attack sailed past. I felt a blow to the back of my shoulder and I careened into a low table and fell backwards over it.
I struggled to my feet and found I'd somehow deactivated my seraph blade. I remembered what Alec had said about the blades being strong in their own right so I resolved to try again. I was aware of Isabelle and Alec wielding their different weapons on opposite sides of the demon. I was also aware of Clary peeking out from behind a chair. The demon also appeared to have noticed her because it dodged around Alec and charged for Clary. Alec snarled and jumped onto it's back, wrapping his arms as tight as he could around the demon's shoulders.
"Clary, get out!" he yelled.
Clary stayed where she was as though frozen in fear.
"Clary! Run" I yelled moving forwards. My eyes flicked to Alec and my stomach dropped when I saw one of the demon's tentacles hovering behind Alec.
"Alec, no!" I yelled as the tentacle pierced the back of Alec's neck. He dropped heavily to the ground and the demon lashed out at Isabelle and I causing us to fly backwards into furniture. I groggily raised my head to see the demon pulling the piano in front of the broken door.
Jace had got to his feet and staggered in Alec's direction.
"I'll take care of him" Isabelle said hauling herself next to her brother. She placed his head in her lap and Jace came over to me.
"Are you okay?" he asked helping me to my feet.
I nodded and looked around for Clary. I found her banging on the window and yelling out.
"Simon! It's not really her!" Clary was shouting. "She's got the Cup!"
There was an almighty crash from the other side of the door and Clary turned to Jace in a panicked state.
"Simon!" she said, pointing to the door.
Jace heaved the piano out of the doorway and scrabbled for a seraph blade.
While he was dealing with the demon I moved over to Isabelle and Alec.
"Is he okay?" I asked holding my shoulder.
"No" Isabelle replied looking up at me with tears standing in her eyes. "Jace!" she called pulling Alec's collar down so I could see the red bite on the back of his neck.
Jace flew back in the room and knelt down next to Isabelle. "What's wrong?" he asked in a shaky voice.
"The runes aren't working".
-x-
A/N: Here is the third last chapter, after this there is only two more and I should warn you there will be coarse language.
Until next week.
May the Angel watch over you.
