Disclaimer: I do not own the existing characters that we know and love from The Mortal Instruments, although I do take ownership over the new characters
A/N: Will the group find this so-called Golden Eye?
Chapter 07
Flynn rocked on his feet, silenced by the demand that Eric had given him. Rather than answer, he stormed out the office into the familiar corridors of the Institute. They were quiet and unusually empty for the early hours of the evening. Coming from the opposite end of the building was a quiet hum of caterwauling and squeaks, signalling a training session.
"Feeding time at the zoo," Flynn muttered with a wry smile. "This I have to see."
The Wolfcrest teen wasn't the only one who wanted to sneak a peek at the newest Shadowhunter's training, which explained the apparent emptiness. A small group of older men and women were watching Natalie hold a Seraph blade in her hand. Towards the front of the crowd, Flynn spotted Ruby.
"How is she doing?" he asked, squeezing into the space beside the girl.
"Better," Ruby replied automatically before registering who was standing beside her. "Oh, it's you- so are you admitting you do care about little Nattie then?"
"I just knew I couldn't miss this."
They turned their attention back to Natalie and Tristan. The young Herondale was uncomfortable by the numerous eyes that watched her every move. Analyzing her with hawk-eye observation. The blade in her hand moved swift and agilely, clashing against the one in Tristan's hand.
"Defend!" barked Tristan loudly.
The slashes delivered back to Natalie were much harder to block. There was more strength behind them than usual. She struggled to keep her footing. Behind her, Natalie could hear the amused murmurs and instantly made a quick decision. As Tristan prepared to swing, Natalie flailed like a banshee. Their weapons sang in a unified harmony as Tristan tried to deflect the oncoming and unplanned attacks. One swing slipped his notice and the Seraph blade nicked Tristan's shoulder, slicing the sleeve of his t-shirt like a tissue. Caught off guard by the fact Natalie landed a blood-stealing cut, Tristan dropped his sword.
Natalie gasped, dropping her own blade. "Tristan! I'm so sorry." She rushed towards him.
Tristan held out a defensive hand, keeping her at bay. Splayed long fingers He shook his head, swishing his short blonde curls. The locks skimmed just past his adorably small ears, grazing his neck. Occasionally held back in a thin brown band to make sure he was focused on the fight. Or because he was a little vain and was keen to always look his best. His eyes were open and wide, full of many unspoken secrets and stories that he wanted to confide in someone about. For a moment, he only saw Natalie in the room, admiring her caring nature although he saw it as a weakness he would have to iron out.
His face jerked around to the crowd. "Alright everyone. Back to work, business as usual. Show's over."
The crowd thinned out to just Ruby and Flynn. Each one with a different expression on their face.
Blood oozed from the shallow wound on Tristan's shoulder. Instead of doing anything about it, he put the training sword back in the empty slot on the weapons shelf.
"Aren't you going to do anything about the cut?" Natalie whimpered nervously, guilty for the damage she had done. "Can't the Iratze rune do something about it?"
Ruby approached her. "Tristan chooses not to have the Iratze rune. We have the choice of which runes to mark ourselves with." She squeezed the spot on her body where her own Iratze rune was. "His family-"
The conversation was not exactly a private one and because Tristan was a more secretive individual, he took over the explanation.
"We Moonhearts wear our wounds with pride, letting the body heal naturally. As it should." Tristan peeled his top from his body, pulling sharply down on the vest he had on underneath. "You know, I actually liked this top, Natalie- you can owe me a new one as replacement."
Natalie found herself looking at the cut she had forged, her gaze lingering on his biceps in admiration of his muscles. "Sure- sure, sure…" she mumbled sedately, receiving a sharp prod to her side from Ruby's elbow. "Oh! And I completely understand if you don't want to train me anymore. What with everyone watching, and me being unpredictable and unable to control my emotions."
Tristan started to laugh, picking up the discarded Seraph blade. "You might be a challenge at times, but I haven't had one of them in a long time. Same time, same place,
Once Tristan was gone, Ruby snorted loudly. Natalie looked over with a confused and startled expression slapped across her face. Part of her assumed the laughter was at her expense but chose to look past that.
"Stop it!" Natalie exclaimed feebly.
Ruby dabbed at her eyes, eager to stem the tears that might smudge her makeup. "Come on, little cousin. You need to dial down the- um, how shall I put it? Blatant doe eyes. I'm not normally one to stoop to fluttering eyelashes, but you have that down to a tee. I'm surprised he hasn't noticed!"
Flynn rolled his eyes as the two girls flapped about, squealing about the apparently hot mentor. "You know," he started loudly, detracting their attention from Tristan for a moment. "Have you been thinking about the golden eye that the queen of the Seelies told you to find?"
The three of them started to throw ideas around about the identity of this golden eye. At first, they suggested it might be Magnus, because of the amber-gold colour his eyes go without the glamour, but Ruby shut down the idea because 'Maggie' wouldn't hide things like that from them. There were no scriptures of ancient texts that spoke of the golden eye. Golden fleece, yes. Golden eye? No.
Natalie stared at the screen showing the rune that looked like an eye. "What if it's not a 'who', but a what?" She knew Flynn was rolling his eyes yet again, which only fuelled her determination. Her fingers scrabbled over the keyboard, watching the search bar fill with 'The Golden Eye'.
Flynn was there, over her shoulder trying not to breathe down her neck. "You've got to be kidding me. There's no way it would be that simple."
The façade and fake voice Flynn was putting on did not fool Ruby. "Flynn knows where it is and he can get us in there tonight. Right, Flynn? You don't fool me, because you wanted to swoop in and tell us what we want to know."
"I don't think so." The Wolfcrest folded his arms, standing up straight despite being only a few inches taller than Ruby. "If you think I'm going to sneak you into a place that took me months to get into myself, then you are seriously deluded." He walked away quickly before either of the girls could protest. "Pandemonium is nothing in comparison to that place."
Ruby sighed dramatically directing her conversation at Natalie, "That guy just loves the sound of his own voice and being able to lord it over people that he knows something we don't. But. We don't need him. He's not the only person with insider knowledge and people he can take advantage of."
"What are you talking about, Ruby?" Natalie asked naively. "Who is it that you know?"
"Someone who works there- I don't know why I didn't make the assumption before. It's so obvious when you know the answer. Meet me at the corner of Sixth Avenue and Grand. And dress to impress." Ruby winked at Natalie, giddy at the thought of getting one up on Flynn Wolfcrest. "You do know how to do that, right?" She winked playfully before sauntering out the training room.
-o-
Being told to 'dress to impress' didn't come naturally to Natalie who had spent the best part of an hour sifting through the wardrobe of her new bedroom and relying on Ivy to give her opinion on the best outfit. Ivy typically felt that the best pick with a glittery playsuit that had a rainbow palette to it, whilst Natalie hated how it rode up her back, occasionally making her underwear peek out of the bottom. 'Just go without!' Ivy had said in the most belligerent tone. Like it was no big deal. After saying no to the short red minidress, the black bandage dress, Ivy groaned loudly and admitted that she would have to just give her honest opinion. That was exactly what Natalie loved about Ivy. Her honesty.
Ivy proceeded to tell Natalie that she should wear blue – it was always a great colour on her. A bright blue, royal blue. Natalie had tried to offer up a blue skater dress, but Ivy believed it wasn't right. Something was off about it.
Then Natalie recalled an off the shoulder cobalt blue bodycon dress that clung to her slim body. Ivy squealed so loudly, that Natalie worried her mother might have heard.
After deciding on this dress, Natalie picked out a velvet choker and had to dodge the questions as Ivy tried to interrogate Natalie. Ivy wanted to know who the lucky guy was, asking question after question.
It wasn't cold waiting for Ruby on the corner, but it wasn't a pleasant experience either for Natalie. Standing out in the open, it felt wrong. Especially when there was a looming feeling that Glen Castleford could be hiding nearby, watching her.
The hotels down the street were busy, the revolving doors didn't stop spinning the whole time. A lone beggar woman watched from across the street. Her hair was straggly and thin. Her hands seemed frail and weak as she shook a styrofoam cup of loose change at people passing by, but they all refused to see her.
"Natalie? Earth to Natalie." Ruby waved a hand in front of the girl's face, breaking the trance. "Come on. We don't have much time if this is to work." She was wearing a dark red tight-fitting dress that just skimmed past her thighs, teamed with some tasselled black heels. "I know, 'do I own any clothes that aren't red, black or white?' and the answer would be no. Come on."
Ruby sauntered down the road, linking arms with Natalie, turning right down what appeared to be a dark and gloomy alleyway. A strange dog barked in the distance as they left the street behind. Natalie tried to focus on her other senses. There was a dull buzzing coming from the building beside them, music. If it was this loud outside, it would have been deafening inside.
"But what are we even supposed to do once we're inside?" Natalie asked, allowing herself to be led around the back of the building that was the club in question. "How would the Seelie queen know about this place?"
"You ask way too many questions for a Nephilim," Ruby mumbled, knocking a specific rhythm on a metal door that was partially hidden by a large blue dumpster.
Nephilim? That's a new word... Natalie thought, tilting her head to one side.
"And yes, I know. This is illegal. No underage drinking, but we have to do this to get information. I don't want to hear you complaining, so smile and live a little!"
The door opened, allowing the upbeat buzz of bass to fill their ears. A stocky older man ushered Ruby and Natalie inside onto a brightly lit corridor. Ruby engaged in a hush and hurried conversation as they strode towards the main club area. The luminous white light showed up every loose cable and steamy pipe. The pumping of the music grew louder and louder, feeling its way through the building before dropping. Elated screams of the clubbers made the adrenaline build up in Natalie.
"Enjoy ladies…" The man pushed them into the club, slamming the door shut to avoid any slither of light disturbing those inside the club.
Ruby threaded her way through the club, squeezing past some enthusiastic dancers whilst clamping her hand tightly over Natalie's. The Herondale teen couldn't shake the awkwardness of the environment not being her scene, but it was hard not to get caught up in the exhilaration of the atmosphere. The word 'illegal' was all Natalie could focus on. It was a new experience that was shadowed by this, along with the fear of being caught.
Ruby slipped herself into place between the bar and the VIP area, glancing over her shoulder to investigate who was sat there. The smile that had crept its way onto her face melted into a scowl.
Sitting at the table was Flynn. One arm over a stranger and the other hand fist bumping a man-child who looked like he spent a minimum of an hour every morning just staring at his reflection in the mirror, flexing and relaxing. Seated in between the two guys was a young woman wearing a feathered dress that was the unflattering colour of a dull lemon. Flynn caught wind of the two girls near the bar staring at him and whispered something to the man next to him. He confidently stood up and made his way over to them.
"I. Can't. Believe. Him," Ruby muttered, cursing under her breath before adopting the chirpy, preppy act that she must have perfected over the years. "Oh my god- Flynn! Why didn't you say you'd be here?" She pulled him into a crushingly tight embrace, hissing into his ear, "What the hell are you playing at?"
"Trying to get in with them so we can see talk privately to the golden eye, alright? Just play along..." Flynn delivered the tongue lashing before turning back to the entourage at the curved booth. "Can the ladies join us? This one can't help but pursue me. I've told her no countless times, but she still keeps coming back for more."
Outraged, Ruby subtly pressed her the toe of her heels into Flynn's shoes. "What can I say? I prefer some who I can tell what to do. Am I right ladies?" Ruby was welcomed into the pride of ladies who screamed at the hilarity of the cheeky comment.
Natalie stood, frozen to the spot. "I'm not so sure-"
Flynn pressed a finger to her lips, laughing as he snaked an arm around her waist and encouraged her to sit down beside him. His hand stayed there, protectively. The Herondale was suddenly alert to the fact that Flynn was technically an eligible boyfriend, but his cocky arrogance towards her was such a turnoff that she quickly turned off that thought. Instead, she focused no the desire to get information.
The conversation flowed naturally, with Flynn working around the topic of the golden eye. In this case, the gold-coloured 'I' was relating to the pronoun. The golden eye was the lady in the feathered dress.
Flynn tilted his head towards Natalie, whispering in her ear that he was about to set up a meeting with this golden eye away from the club.
For a moment, Natalie didn't hear the words, she was more focused on the out of character familiarity he was showing. Flynn had done nothing but belittle her since she walked into the Institute. Natalie rose quickly, claiming that she needed a drink. The ladies - excluding the silent one, misheard and dragged her to the dance floor. Ruby watched from the table as Natalie was twirled around, paraded about like she was some sort of tribute. Trying to back away from the loud ladies, Natalie lost her footing, bumping into a tall man behind her that was knocking back a shot.
Natalie went to apologize and found herself stuttering uncontrollably, tripping over her words like they were an assault course. Then she realized who she was standing in front of. "Tristan..."
"What are you doing here, Nat?" he shouted above the roar of the music, sounding slightly pleased to see her. "I didn't think you were old enough to be somewhere like here!"
"It wasn't my idea!" Natalia yelled, gesturing with her hands.
Tristan swayed, pulling at the collar of his shirt and nearly bumping into Natalie. "I was thinking- maybe me being your mentor isn't appropriate… Maybe we-"
Then the music cut out and plunged the club into silence with an underlying murmur of confusion. Eventually they started to boo, annoyed that their dancing had been cut short.
Screams followed, piercing their ears. Not elated screams; screams of panic and fear before dying down unexpectedly.
The crowd dispersed, paving the way for a tall, pale and thin man to wander through. Heading straight for the VIP table. He had a fitted suit on that allowed his majesty and eminence to be exuded into the space around him. His eyes were dark like his hair but filled with vengeance. There was clearly a dispute that needed settling.
The suspected 'golden eye' stood up surely. Tristan pulled Natalie back, further into the safety of the crowd.
"Vampires," he whispered calmly into her ear, nearly enveloping her as he craned his neck to bend down to tell her. "We need to get you out of here."
"But what about Flynn and Ruby?"
"That pair are here too? ... Of course they are." Tristan inhaled sharply, using a tall clubber in front of him to shield his face from the nearby vampires.
"Cece Lillyweed. It has been far too long." The vampire's voice echoed in the club over the minimal hubbub of people trying to get out through the blocked doors.
Through a small gap between two women wearing the tiniest dresses, Natalie could see the vampire push the mirror-loving man down to his seat and gently cup the silent woman's chin in his hand, forcing her to look at him and shaking the feathers of her dress. Natalie brought her hands to her mouth in shock, trying to silence herself before it was too late.
"We had a deal, Cece, and you have broken that deal," the vampire growled angrily.
Cece slapped his hand away. "Riddick… I can't say I'm surprised. I was wondering when you would grace us with your presence, but before we can talk, I must ask that you allow my customers to leave this place."
Riddick snapped his head around to look at the clubbers who flinched in shock. "I suppose they're fair game, aren't they?" He smirked, chuckling to himself.
Over his shoulder, a few vampire younglings were poking their noses into the club, smelling the fresh blood. The drug-like scent they craved from dusk until dawn. With licked lips and bared teeth, the vampires started to pick their next meal out of the crowd.
"No!" Cece screeched, halting the young vampires in their tracks. "I said leave. Or else I shall rescind-"
"Don't you dare withdraw your open invitation! That would be a low blow, Cece- an old trick," Riddick shouted, clicking his fingers and signalling his followers to leave. "Go home, my children… Don't worry, I will return."
One of the scruffy-looking vampires passed by close to where Natalie stood and stopped in his tracks. His nostrils inflated as he sensed something unusual. Something pure. Before the downworlder could make any hasty moves, Tristan sidled his way in front of Natalie. She stiffened, immediately aware her mentor was in her personal space, barely an inch away from her face. It made her heart race. Blood pumping in her ears make her grateful that Tristan was there to protect her.
A bark from the runt's master sent the scruff swiftly on his way.
With the vampires gone, this allowed for the mundanes and Nephilim to flow out of the club like a raft down a rapid. Tristan gripped Natalie's wrist tightly, dragging her away and ignoring the pitiful protests that slipped by her lips. She glanced back over her shoulder at Flynn and Ruby – who had been forced to remain in attendance by Riddick.
"We have to stay and help…" Natalie snapped, pulling back sharply, knowing she wasn't strong enough to break free but could help to make it hard. "Please Tristan. I can't leave them."
Tristan yanked Natalie hard, grabbing her arms and giving her assurance she didn't want. "Flynn and Ruby are capable of handling this on their own. You, are not."
"But I need to talk to Cece. The Seelie queen told me the golden eye had the answers," Natalie pleaded weakly, feeling people pushing past her and Tristan until she was stripped from his grip and thrown to the floor. She craned her neck, trying hard to see Tristan. She caught a glimpse of him getting dragged away in the crowd, leaving her alone and in a state of panic. In terror, Natalie curled up like a ball and felt the people darting around and over her.
"Come now, Cece!" Riddick bellowed angrily. "You know how I don't like to be misled. You're a treasure to this world and I'm sure you understand the consequences of your gift."
Cece straightened out her dress, unaffected by the subliminal threats from the vampire standing in front of her. "If you don't leave here now, you will meet your end sooner than you expect to. Heed my warning, Riddick, Belial is looking for a way to destroy the rocks of Duduael. If he succeeds in doing so, then there will be an even darker dawn not even vampires will survive."
Riddick's fangs protruded from their incisor counterpart, glinting in the light. He took one step forwards and that was all it took for Ruby and Flynn to block his way. Their hands hovering over their concealed weapons. For Ruby, her belt. For Flynn, two daggers hidden by a glamour.
"Oh- I see we have new pets." Riddick made an amused noise, wondering what the two teens could possibly do to protect her. "Your visions won't protect you forever, Cece. If you aren't careful, you're likely to fall victim to them yourself."
Cece looked past Riddick and her eyes suddenly widened at the sight of Natalie standing unsteadily on her feet. Without warning, Cece's eyes glossed over and a cloudy whiteness took over her pupils. A vision was flashing through her mind, causing her to twist and jerk. "The girl. The girl will die at the hands of a friend."
Riddick focused on choice words, focusing on 'the girl will die' and vaulted through the air. He slammed down beside Natalie, slamming her to the ground. "Time to die!"
Ruby released the catch on her 'belt', releasing the staff into her hands in preparation to throw it like a javelin.
"Stop child." Cece put a hand on Ruby's shoulder, stopping the teen. "Not like this, Riddick!" Cece snapped, pushing past Flynn. "This is not how it happens. She does not die here."
"But if I kill her now, we won't have to see it your way. None of us will play a part in your visions."
"Then you are sentencing yourself to death if you do. The child is a Shadowhunter, and descended from a strong line. She's both a Herondale and a Fairchild. If they find out you were the one to kill her, then the chances are you'll be the next one to take their final breath."
Riddick's sharp fangs were within piercing distance of Natalie's throat, ignoring her feeble attempts to stop him. The fidgeting loosened the silver chain around her neck, causing it to slide about. The pendant caught Riddick's chin, singeing the skin sharply. Steam rose in thin wisps and he threw himself away from Natalie.
"Natalie!" Ruby exclaimed, pulling her cousin away.
"I'm fine," the Herondale rasped, rubbing her neck.
Riddick was already darting out the door, disappearing into the labyrinth of streets and avenues, fleeing to whatever dilapidated building his clan called home. The club seemed eerie without music playing or people being present.
"You should not have come here," Cece said, turning towards Natalie. "The fact your presence is now known to the downworlders implies that the wheels are set in motion. There is no changing the events that are about to take place. You will fall."
The words pricked Natalie's heart like silver darts. It felt like the clock had already started the countdown and the seconds were diminishing in front of everyone.
"But the Seelie queen, she- I need to know, why me?"
Cece shook her head and walked away. "Seers don't like to be used for their gifts, Herondale. Remember that next time."
Ruby clicked the button on the end of her staff, making it slide into itself. "By the way, Tristan's going to kill you when he sees you again. But for now, let's get you home." She guided Natalie out of the club, eager to get away. "We're fine Flynn. You can report back to my dad that you saved the day yet again."
Flynn wanted to help, but Ruby's defensive and feisty nature was not helping the situation at all. He pivoted around and marched away, taking a ride on one of the late subways to home.
As for Natalie, she spent the remainder of the evening playing Cece's words over and over again in her head. 'She will die at the hands of a friend.' It made her sceptical of those she already knew, fearing that it could have been any one of the people she had befriended or acquainted with in the last few weeks. Ruby, Harvey, Flynn? Even though Ruby and Flynn had overheard the premonition, it didn't help to settle Natalie's nerves. Especially not that night when a different dream plagued her mind.
-o-
Unlike most Shadowhunters, Flynn lived away from the institute. The Wolfcrest penthouse home was cold and empty, absent of any parental presence. He tossed his keys into the glass bowl and walked along the corridor, stepping over the growing pile of letters, catalogues and bills he had brought up from the mailbox down in the lobby. The table was full of pizza boxes and empty takeaway cartons from the Chinese around the corner Flynn had ordered in as dinner for the last week when he returned home late from demon patrol.
"Flynn, Flynn, Flynn...? Did you really think you could get rid of me by splashing some holy water on the doorstep and in the elevator?" Glenn got out from the armchair in the corner. "Surprise. I escaped your prison, or have I? And no, let's not grab the dirty knife from the table- that wouldn't be a good idea."
The teen's eyes lingered on the dirty knife, debating whether to ignore the advice. "You're not welcome here," he said trying to emanate confidence.
"That sort of behaviour does not make you a good host, Flynn."
"Leave and give me back my family!" Flynn shouted shakily. "If you've done anything to hurt them-"
"Oh- where's that tough boy persona gone now? If you want to see them, you'll have to do as I say."
Thoughts from AspiringWriterGirl = There had to be something being hidden from the team? What's happened to the Wolfcrest family?