Eva was thrilled when Raphael called her to go out for the night. He was still being called into endless meetings with Maryse and the Inquisitor, missing many episodes of his telenovelas and neglecting to see her as a result. He picked her up as soon as the sun went down and they settled in their fancy hotel suite to watch his telenovelas.
"So Ricardo is the pirate?" Eva pointed at the screen. When Raphael nodded, she scoffed, "Camila needs to stay with him! I like him!"
"But Santiago's in love with her," Raphael said. "He was supposed to marry her, remember?"
"I like the pirate."
"You just think he's handsome."
"I like the bad boys," Eva teased as she poked his chest for emphasis. "Particularly ones that wear leather and have really bad attitudes."
"I'm not like that," Raphael scoffed playfully.
Eva's phone began to buzz on the nightstand table. She untangled herself from Raphael and reached for it. It was Jace.
"Hey, Jace," Eva answered as she jumped out of the bed to walk to the screen doors leading out to the suite's balcony. Raphael's eyes followed her for a brief moment before returning to the screen. "Is everything alright?"
"I'm at Luke Garroway's house," he explained. "Magnus had to come over because Maia was attacked by a Drevak demon and then Luke was attacked by a Raum demon."
"My god! Are they alright?"
"Yeah, Magnus is taking care of them," he said and trailed off. Eva waited patiently, knowing he was paving the road for what the call was really about. "Is He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named there with you?"
"You mean Raphael?" Eva asked purposefully. Raphael didn't turn his head, but she knew his ears perked at the sound of his name. "Yeah, he's here. Why?"
"I need to borrow his motorcycle."
"As I recall, you stole one already," she laughed. "He's not too happy about that."
"Yeah, but I can't get to it right now, doofus—I have a warlock babysitter, remember?" Jace scoffed. "Listen, I really need it."
Eva ran a finger over the glass of the sliding doors, tracing one of the buildings in the distance. "Do you want to tell me why?"
"No."
"Jace."
"I don't want to implicate you."
Eva frowned. "What are you planning?"
"Please—"
"Tell me what you're planning."
There was a pause from his end so silent, Eva almost thought he hung up. When he finally spoke, it was a whisper, "I'm going to see my father."
Eva's heart rate must've shot up so suddenly, Raphael whipped his head around to look in her direction. Eva whispered as well, though she knew it wasn't necessary, "Jace, you shouldn't—"
"I know I shouldn't, but I have to," he said. "Don't tell anyone, Eva. I'll be in deep—"
"More than you already are?" Eva laughed breathlessly. "You're normally stupid, but this is a new level of stupid."
"I like to overachieve in all areas."
"He'll kill you, Jace."
"He won't. I know him."
Eva took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I hope you know what you're doing."
The moment she hung up, Raphael materialized at her side like a shadow. "What does that idiot want?"
"To borrow your motorcycle." Eva tried to avoid his eyes, but there was no lying to him. With his keen ability to sense her heart rate, he was like a walking lie detecting machine. "Don't make me tell you what he wants to do."
Raphael eyed her pointedly for a few seconds. "Is it that important?"
"To him it is."
"I suppose I owe all of you," Raphael shrugged. Eva watched him walk to the bed to grab the remote control and turn off the TV. She opened her mouth to speak, but he did so before she could, "It's my fault that mundane was Turned."
"Rapha—"
"Don't." Raphael held out a hand. "And there better be a TV where we're going. I've missed too much of Pasión as it is."
When they arrived at Luke Garroway's house, Jace was waiting for them outside. Before Jace could rev the bike, Raphael placed a heavy hand on his shoulder. "I owe you for the mundane, but don't think I've forgotten about what you did at the Dumort."
"They say elephants never forget," Jace said with a crude grin. "I didn't think that applied to vamps too."
"Bring my bike back in one piece, Shadowhunter," Raphael said. As Jace revved the demonic motorbike and flew off into the night sky, Eva slipped her hand into her boyfriend's.
What was that about?
Raphael frowned. "I told you to quit it with that."
Answer me.
"He left you behind at the Dumort, remember?" Raphael raised a curious brow. "Has he asked for your forgiveness?"
He hadn't, but he didn't have to. Eva told him so, but Raphael shook his head. "He left you in danger, and I won't forgive him for it."
"Rapha," Eva sighed softly and squeezed his hand. I don't need saving, but Clary and Simon did. He… she hesitated. He did it for Clary. He loves her.
Raphael's face contorted in disgust at the mere thought. Eva continued, I don't know if either of them know it, but they're so in love. I feel it every time they're around each other. It's becoming too much—all emotions are. I can't handle them anymore.
Raphael looked at her, the moonlight tracing her features beautifully for him. She could feel his adoration and his love for her, amplified through their touch and their proximity. She took a deep breath, trying to keep a firm grip on reality, until he drew her into a kiss. It made her head spin.
Everyone was asleep when they entered the house, and Eva felt a bit awkward breaking into a stranger's home unannounced, especially when he was sleeping right on the couch. The poor man was out cold, sleeping off the last of the poison in him. Eva and Raphael settled down on the loveseat adjacent to the couch Luke slept on and Raphael turned on the TV with the volume so low, Eva could only hear the buzz from the static. He heard it just fine though. She fell asleep on his shoulder.
When Eva woke up, she was laying on the loveseat with Raphael's jacket thrown over her. Sunlight was already beaming through the windows and the burnt sugar smell of magic hung in the air pleasantly.
"Good morning, cupcake." It was Magnus, standing there with his arms crossed over his chest, his hair an absolute mess and looking sleep deprived. "I woke up about two hours ago to check on my patients and find you here sleeping on the couch. That's Raphael's jacket, which means he was here, too, and Jace is nowhere to be found. Care to tell me what's going on?"
Eva was forced to tell him, but left out the part where Jace wanted Raphael's motorcycle to find Valentine. He simply wanted to ride around New York for some air, she said, and Raphael agreed simply because he felt he owed them for what happened to Simon. Eva was fairly impressed with her talent for telling faerie truths.
"So much for those unbreakable Shadowhunter vows!" Magnus threw his arms up in the air. "I'm very upset with you, and with Raphael! You knew Jace was under my supervision!"
"I'm sorry, Magnus." Eva had nothing else to say and simply looked down. Whether Magnus grew frustrated with the conversation, or simply accepted her weak excuse for an apology, she didn't know. The warlock simply sauntered into the hallway leading further into the house and Eva faintly heard him complain about women taking long in bathrooms.
Eva's stomach flopped in anxiousness. Did Jace manage to find Valentine, wherever he is? If he did, what did they talk about? Did Valentine offer him a chance to return to him? Her mind was whirling with questions and worries and thoughts, so much so, she barely felt her fingernails clawing into her palm and her teeth biting just a little too hard on her lip. He must've come back before sunrise and Raphael, probably not wanting to wake her, left her behind. Eva frowned in annoyance; he left because he knew Magnus was going to yell at them both!
"Eva?" Clary walked into the living room, surprised to see her. "What are you doing here? I heard Magnus yelling—"
"Yeah, that was for me," she laughed softly. "And for Rapha, but he was smart enough to leave before sunrise. We kind of let Jace borrow the motorcycle and go for a joy ride."
Clary's mood completely shifted at the mention of Jace's name, and the emotions Eva felt clawing at her were too suffocating. She quickly excused herself and went into the kitchen, breathing heavily. It was too strong. Does this have something to do with her newfound ability to speak telepathically? It can't be the same ability the Silent Brothers have—she can only do it via touch.
"I'm making coffee," Clary said suddenly. Eva jumped, suddenly self-conscious. How long had Clary been standing there, watching her come to her senses? Clary seemed to come out of nowhere. The girl seemed to notice Eva's fright and spoke softly, "Do you want some?"
"Sure." Eva nodded, but Clary didn't move. She was holding a spiral-bound notebook in her small hands, her fingernail picking at one of the metal bindings. Her cheeks were flushed, and Eva felt another wave of emotion starting to overwhelm her. This time, it was a bit of embarrassment and...surprise?
"I dreamed of you last night," she admitted. "I didn't know you were here, so it was even weirder when I saw you in the living room."
"What was I doing in the dream? Did I ride off on an inflatable pony?"
"You were an angel." Clary held out the sketchbook to her. "I sketched what I saw in my dream before I got out of bed—it was so vivid; I couldn't help it."
When Eva took the notebook from her, she saw a beautiful sketch of herself standing in a halo of bright gold and red, like scorching fire. She wore white lightweight armor trimmed in gold while golden thread cinched the sleeves around her wrists. Her eyes were pupiless and all gold, her hair still dark and curly and big as always. Extending behind her were feathered wings, the span of them longer than the boundaries of the page. It was eerie to see herself sketched in such a way; it made her pulse knock on the side of her neck.
"It's beautiful, Clary," Eva said, handing the sketchbook back to her. "I'm flattered you made me look so angelic. Did I do anything in the dream?"
"You were singing, but it wasn't with words," Clary looked up in thought. "It's a bit hard to explain. And you were tracing a rune in the sky, but I don't remember..."
"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?"
Magnus' voice shrilled through the house, making Clary and Eva jump. The redhead was first to speak, "Looks like Jace finally showed up."
"This is the last time I cover for him," Eva laughed weakly. "Remember this, Clary: any idea Jace has is a stupid one."
After Magnus questioned Jace to his liking, scolded Eva once more, and vowed to give Raphael an earful in the middle of the day when he'd be sleeping, everyone dug in to eat the donuts Alec brought. The sugar and coffee seemed to revitalize Luke enough to realize Raum demons do not just run away. Clary admitted it might've been the unknown rune on her arm, which no one recognized.
They recalled their visit to Faerie where the Seelie Queen told them she and Jace were Valentine's experiments. Coming to the conclusion that Clary's gift for drawing unknown runes could be a result of that, Clary took hold of her sketchbook and—Eva noted she was careful to skip over the drawing of her as an angel—began to tap her pencil against a blank page.
The angel drawing Clary made unnerved Eva immensely. Perhaps it was Clary's talent for making things look like they could walk off the page. Perhaps it was just her Shadowhunter blood reacting to anything angelic. Would that be considered hubris? To imagine yourself as an angel with wings surrounded by heavenly fire?
"There!"
Clary's voice again brought Eva out of her reverie. She was strangely distracted today and a headache was starting to knock at her temple. Too many emotions were swirling around in the room, especially when Jace began to draw the Fearless rune on Alec's arm. There was a slight twinge of anxiousness from Alec and then...it was gone.
"Well?" Jace asked. "Do you feel any different?"
Alec shrugged his shoulders and Eva was splashed with a wave of disappointment from Clary. Eva's headache was getting worse.
The doorbell rang throughout the house and following it came the familiar angry voice of Maryse Lightwood and the foreboding figure of Inquisitor Herondale. Robert Lightwood strolled in behind them, quiet and brooding and intimidating as usual. Isabelle was with them and upon seeing Eva, went to her immediately.
"What are you doing here?" she asked. "You didn't come home; I thought you were with—"
Izzy was cut off when Alec suddenly stepped forward. "Mother, father. I have something to tell you." He smiled widely, making his eyes sparkle. "I'm seeing someone."
Eva thought her head would explode when she felt Magnus' sudden dread, everyone's surprise, Maryse and Robert's exasperation, Inquisitor Herondale's annoyance. Eva leaned against Izzy, suddenly out of breath. Her parabatai stiffened and unknowingly suffocated Eva with her sudden worry, "Eva? You okay?"
By the time Eva nodded quickly, Alec had hit the floor like a chopped tree. He immediately came to; however, questioning what had just occurred and looking very confused. Magnus insisted it was demon toxins, explaining quickly that there'd been a demon attack last night which is why he was present in the house. He was everyone's nursing maid.
"How convenient. Everyone's apparently delirious or unconscious." Inquisitor Herondale's voice sliced through the room, making it go quiet like a dungeon. "A house filled with Downworlders, and the children of that traitor Valentine Morgenstern—what are you raising your children around?"
Maryse and Robert turned their heads, clearly embarrassed by the Inquisitor's insult but having no power to refute her. The woman's cold eyes scanned the room, stopping upon Eva. A shiver ran up Eva's spine as if the temperature had dropped fifty degrees.
"And of course we have the look-alike," the woman continued. "Tell me, is everyone here related in some way to Valentine and his lackeys? Everyone other than the warlock?"
She clearly made that comment to draw reactions—alarm from Robert and Maryse, confusion from everyone else. The Inquisitor's eyes sparkled with morbid amusement when Eva's face contorted in curiosity.
"Oh, you poor orphan," Inquisitor Herondale cooed, though there was no drop of sincerity in her words. "You chose the name Starkwood upon your 18th birthday—I should know, I approved it. I thought it was rather amusing you chose a name to represent the people who've kept secrets from you."
"Inquisitor," Robert said in a firm voice. "We've kept nothing from her. It's merely a cruel coincidence that he himself said was not worth mentioning."
"Coincidence?" Eva finally found her voice. "What is? And who's he?"
Maryse and Robert looked visibly uncomfortable, but the Inquisitor looked to be enjoying herself. Her tone was uncharacteristically chipper.
"I agree, Robert. The Angel does seem to have a cruel sense of humor—Heaven no doubt intervened for their amusement when I chose your exile to be in the New York Institute." The Inquisitor looked straight at Eva. Her smirk was sinister; she clearly reveled at the thought of knowing things others didn't. "You were trained and tutored by that traitor Hodge Starkweather, and no one cared to mention you look exactly like his late wife."
