Chapter Seven:
We entered into a room that had a swinging chair. There were candles and inscents everywhere, I noticed in a corner stacks of Clary's mom's paintings but I didn't mention them she would find them eventually and at the moment seeing them gave me the feeling that we could trust Bane.
"Where's your mother?" Bane asked as we were finally alone. For the moment his attention was solely on Clary and if that meant finding her mom I was alright with that.
"She's missing." Clary answered.
"That explains it." Bane said walking further into the room and taking a swig from some drink. "Every year she brought you here, she never missed an appointment." I leaned up against a wall near the door so that I could still see the others while listening to Bane. "Not every spell turns out as perfect as the one I did on you." He stated pointing at Clary. "As soon as you started drawing the Angelic Rune it was a sign, a sign that your memories were surfacing. I built it into your mind so that she knew when to bring you back. What you saw of the shadow world you would forget." Bane continued to explain. "As you grew older you needed my treatment more frequently, she knew she had to tell you one day but until she knew you were ready she wanted to keep the block on your mind. It was exactly how she wanted it." Bane finished taking a seat on the swinging chair. "It will wear off over time, it's already starting to otherwise you wouldn't be here."
"I need to remember, my mom doesn't have time. Please there must be something you can do?" Clary was practically begging. Bane looked like he was trying to think of a way but he ended up shaking his head no. That was when she noticed her mom's paintings. "You're the one who's been buying all my mom's paintings? Why did you buy all of them?"
"I knew she needed the money." He answered standing to look at the paintings with Clary.
"You even have the one of my dad." Clary said admiring the painting.
"That's not your dad…" Bane went on to explain how Clary hadn't even knew the guy but ended up using him as a cover. Upset Clary started to walk away towards me, probably so that we could leave. "Everything she did, she did it to protect you." Bane insisted as he came to a stop in front of both of us. Clary was obviously down with the conversation.
"What about Riley? Why did you call her in here?" Clary asked changing the topic. Bane look stunned for a moment before walking back over to the swing.
"What are you doing here Riley?" Bane asked confusing me senseless.
"What do you mean? You told me to follow you." Before I get out my next question Bane interrupted.
"Not here as in this room, here as with the Shadowhunters? As far as I know you shouldn't have knowledge of the shadow world." If I wasn't confused earlier I was now.
"What do you mean?" I demanded moving to stand in front of the warlock.
"You mean the clave hasn't told you?" Bane asked intrigued.
"Told me what? All of you people are making no sense." I wanted to scream I was so frustrated. "That my parents weren't my parents?"
"Your so called parents were supposed to protect you, keep you hidden. It was there mission, but somehow demons had found out. They were able to leave you with a trusted friend before they were killed." Bane stated, I stepped back. Alaric wasn't my Uncle.
"Do you know who my real parents were?" I asked as a tear slid down my face.
"One was a Mundane, the other I'm not sure but your real mother died giving birth to you. Your father was killed, demons want you badly Riley. It's why the Shadowhunters risked so much to keep you safe." Bane answered.
"If they were Mundane's how can I see what I see?" I asked choking back tears forcing myself to be strong.
"You are of Shadowhunter blood that is for sure." Bane answered as Jace ran in exclaiming Simon was taken by vampires. Clary and I rushed to follow Jace. But Bane stopped us. "Just remember Clary it was Shadowhunters your mother was hiding from." He then turned to me, "Come back once you save your friend maybe I can tell you more."
As we rushed from Bane's home back to the busy streets on New York, I tried to keep up with Shadowhunters. Jace and Alec were arguing about something but my mind was still reeling with the information that Bane had just given me. I vaguely noticed we had made our way to the closest church.
"Jace we can't break into a vampire's lair, we never learned." Alec stated as Jace climbed a few steps to reach the door of the church.
"Don't start again." Jace warned.
"Jace! You know the rules." Alec explained more sternly.
"Guys what are we doing here?" I asked looking around hoping no one noticed we were breaking into a church.
"We need to find Simon!" Clary added. I noticed that Jace placed his stele into a slot on the door. It fit perfectly as if it was meant to go there like a key.
"We know where he is, we just need to pick up a few things." Alec stated as Jace opened the heavy wooden church door. The three hunters rushed to the alter looking around on the floor for something as Clary and I tried to keep up.
"What is this some kind of deal you have with the church?" I asked as Clary looked around what seemed to be just a normal church.
Jace started to explain that demons were all over the world and that no particular religion was free of them so they made a pact and underneath every alter of any religious building of worship housed a weapon store. Which as soon as he finished explaining found a slot in the floor that just like the front door perfectly fit his stele. Jace smirked as he opened the ancient looking wooden chest that lay under a hidden door. Jace and Isabelle pulled out the first layer of weapons as Clary stared on in disbelief.
"So what do you believe in?" she asked as the three grabbed multiple weapons to place in various holsters on their persons.
"I believe in myself, I know it is my job to kill demons I don't have to believe in anything else." Jace answered passing certain weapons to Isabelle and taking one from Alec.
"What about the angel Raziel?" I asked feeling drawn to the particular angel.
"Make's for a nice story doesn't it." Alec snorted as he placed another weapon on his person. He really did have an attitude problem. I noticed at the bottom of the chest a bow and a quiver of arrows I quickly reached for it. If I was going to march into horde of vampires I wanted a weapon and one I knew how to use. "What do you think you are doing?" Alec asked grabbing at my wrist.
"What does it look like I am doing? I'm arming myself." I all but growled yanking my wrist out of his grasp.
"Do you even know how to use it?" he asked, "Or do you just want pretend you are Katniss in some stupid little girl fantasy?" did Alec really just compare me to Katniss? In my opinion she was the worst female archer idol a person could have, also don't tell me Alec has read the Hunger Games. I coldly glared at Alec before stringing the bow.
"Why don't we find out?" I threatened reaching for an arrow. Clary put a gentle hand on my wrist stopping me from knocking an arrow.
"I would trust her on this one, she's ranked high on our school's archery team." Clary explained diffusing the situation. I stood and place the quiver on my back making sure it sat right for me to reach the arrows. To calm my temper I decided to ignore Alec who I noticed would cast side glances at me every once in a while.
Silently I watched as Alec handed Jace some sort of gun, he took it before handing it to Clary and showing her how to use it. I had to admit it was kind of cool. Once the three hunters were equipped with what they thought were enough weapons they replaced the chest and alter to the way it had been before we had arrived. We quickly made our way back to the streets at a run. How Clary and Isabel were able to run in those heeled boots was beyond me.
We made it to an old abandon hotel, where Isabelle made quick work of prying open an old side entrance. Clary was looking at something before she spoke, "Hotel Death?"
"You can't say they don't have a sense of humor." Jace with a smirk. Isabelle was the first to run in followed by Clary and I. I was vaguely aware that Alec had stopped Jace at the door and faintly heard Alec ask Jace a not so surprising question.
"What is it about her?" I didn't stop to hear Jace's answer I continued to follow the two girls ahead of me. A few moments later and the boys had caught up.
This place was disgusting pipes having rusted out with age and misuse were leaking everywhere, mold and decay could be smelt with every step we took. I had hoped we could find Simon quickly and get out of this nightmare. Horrible sounds were heard from above and I swear I heard scurrying from the ceilings. I had to dare myself not to look up. Along our path ascending the stairs we found fresh blood on the floor and Simon's shirt. I swallowed the lump on fear in my throat as I drew an arrow and pulled it to the ready.
Clary attempted to head further up the stairs first but Jace stopped her, her gasp to me she was on edge. We all were but when it came to the hunters their training seem to steal away and notion that they were at unease. With Jace leading the way we continued on our way, every sound making my skin crawl with anticipation. I noticed Alec was placing glowing stones every so many steps lighting a trail for us to use when the time came to flee.
Suddenly we heard a strangled sound and rattling of chains. I couldn't help but hold my breath as Jace peered through a hole in a wall. "He's up here." He informed us as Clary rushed to see for herself.
"We should hurry." I stated rushing further upstairs. The sight that greeting me was a horrible one. Simon was hanging from chains, one wrong move getting him down and he would fall multiple floors to his death, if he wasn't dead already. "Be careful a lot of the floor has rotted away." I warned as I relaxed my bow to put away the arrow, sliding the bow over my shoulder so that I had both hands to help with freeing Simon.
"Give me a hand." Alec indicated to Jace as they picked up a wider than average piece of plywood to place under Simon so we could get to him. Before anyone could stop her Clary was walking across the wood to get to Simon. With every creak I thought for sure the wood would snap and I would lose both of my best friends.
"He's alive!" I heard Clary exclaim and a new hope bloomed in my chest. She untangle the chain from around his neck and his head shot up as he cough, he had brought too much oxygen back to his lungs too quickly.
"They don't want me, they want you. They want the cup." Simon's ragged voice gasped out as they were able to get him free from the chains. Once he was back on what was left of the solid ground we were alert to movement above us as rapid scurrying caused minor debris to fall from the holes in the ceiling.
Jace pulled Simon up to his feet and supported him as Clary rushed to put those damn boots back on, but I couldn't blame her. This was one place I did not want to bare foot in.
Rushing back down the stairs Jace eventually passed Simon off to Clary so that he could draw him weapon. I took that as a sign that confrontation was inevitable. Following the glowing stones on the floor I drew my arrow again and held it ready, I would prove I was capable of this. A few steps further and we were forced to stop as multiple vampires blocked our exit. Clary let out a slight scream as two new vampire landed in front of us. We turned to run back the way we had come but more vampires blocked our path.
