City of Glass
Her feet dangled lazily over the end of the couch. Every so often, little pinpricks found themselves against her toes, accompanied by the high sound of a bell dingle. She leaned over, watching the little fluff of a kitten swipe at her feet.
She smiled softly. Chairman Meow always found a way to entertain himself. "Silly thing." She mused.
The door to Magnus' apartment swung open and then slammed shut. The High Warlock of Brooklyn looked like a force to be reckoned with. His hair was spiked dangerously high, purple glitter shimmering on his face. He had fashioned himself in a white lace see-through top and black skinny jeans, with purple platform shoes.
"Lazy Shadowhunter." He rolled his eyes. The kitten hopped up on the couch, curling himself on Eliza's stomach. "Shouldn't you be packing for your trip?"
She ran her fingers through Chairman Meow's soft fur. He purred at the affection. "Already done. I'm relaxing." Magnus mentioned that he had never heard of a Shadowhunter relaxing before. "Perhaps because we don't often get the time." She replied. She sat up, picking the kitten up and cradling him against her chest. "I'll miss you so much, sweet cat. Please be this small and cute when I come back home." Magnus reminded her that she would only be gone a few days. She looked up at him, her fingers still playing with Chairman Meow. He nipped her finger playfully. "So much can change in a few days." She said quietly.
It had only been a week since Valentine had escaped again. With the Mortal Instruments in his possession. She tried her best not to think about where he was or what he was doing. During the day, it worked. She could distract herself with training or hunting or anything. At night, though, she was vulnerable. She fell asleep and reality drifted, and that was when her nightmares came to her.
She never remembered them when she woke. She was only filled with the enormous sense of dread and the vivid picture of her father, holding the Angel's Sword above her.
The one distractor of everything wrong in her life was the trip. They were going to Idris. She was going home. Granted, Idris was home to all Shadowhunters, but she was one of the few who had been raised there. The first seventeen years of her life had been spent there.
This time, Idris would be different. It would be better. She was free to roam and breathe the air, even roll in the grass if she so pleased. She would see Alicante, the City of Glass. It was the most beautiful place in the world. The unknown eighth wonder.
Even though she knew she wasn't going to be free. She was going because she had to. The Clave had called a Council meeting, one of the biggest in history, to deal with the threat of Valentine. Any Shadowhunter who could be spared had to attend. Her attendance was mandatory, more so than anyone else's, because she was his daughter. One of the last people to see him on the ship. She had information others didn't and she was more than willing to share it.
"You look just like him." The woman sounded in complete disbelief. The two of them shared the same white hair and Eliza hoped there was no relation. She had told Eliza several times in just a short period how much she resembled Valentine.
"Yes. I know." Eliza tried to manage the annoyance in her tone but it was becoming difficult. "It's almost like I'm his daughter or something."
She knew that the woman was friends with Jocelyn. Her mother, she corrected. But she still found her annoying.
The woman, Madeleine Bellefleur had approached Clary at the hospital and told her that she knew how to wake Jocelyn up. That had gotten Clary all riled up about saving her mother and insisting to go to Idris. She had immediately gone to Eliza and Jace and convinced Maryse to let her go to Idris.
After that conversation had bloomed a secret one between Eliza and Jace. One where it was decided that Clary was not going to Idris. Jace said he would handle it and she decided to let him. He would fill her in when he had figured it out. And he did.
Eliza adjusted her gear belt, looking up as Maryse said something to Magnus. She spotted Simon walking towards them. In the midday sun. He was the only vampire who could walk in the sun and none of them knew the reason why.
She nudged Jace, nodding her head towards Simon. Jace said they would be right back and the two of them walked over to Simon. Jace grabbed Simon's arm and pulled him around to the side of the Institute where the others couldn't see.
"Good. You got my message." Jace said.
Both Eliza and Simon looked at him in disbelief. "You asked me to come here?" Simon asked. The two of them weren't exactly best friends. Sure, Jace had saved his life by letting Simon drink his blood last week, but that was where the niceties ended.
Jace said yes. "I asked you to come for a reason. We all have something really important in common, fangs."
Simon didn't flinch at the new nickname but he didn't seem warmed up to it either. He asked what that was. "Clary." Eliza told him. "We all care about her a lot. She's your best friend and she's our little sister. We all want to protect her."
Simon nodded warily. "Simon, this is important." Jace spoke again. "How far would you go to protect her?"
Simon remained silent. Eliza took a step towards him. "Would you lie for Clary? To protect her."
Simon's dark eyes widened. He looked between them and then past them at the group of Shadowhunters and the warlock. Magnus, Alec, Isabelle, Max, Maryse, and Madeleine. He looked back at them. "You're leaving. Right now. You're going to Idris." He stated. They said yes. "Clary thinks that you're leaving tonight." He reminded them.
"We know." Jace told him. "That's why I asked you here."
Eliza crossed her arms over her chest. "We need you to tell the others that Clary changed her mind. That she isn't coming. They'll believe you more than us. She's your best friend."
Simon's brow furrowed as he took in what they were asking him to do. "You're a better liar than me." He told Eliza. "Both of you, probably."
Eliza nodded thoughtfully. She knew that. "I'm the best liar I know. Well, besides my father but he taught me." The air tensed. "That isn't the point, Simon. I could spin a web of lies so fantastic but it wouldn't matter. They won't believe that Clary changed her mind if it's coming from Jace or myself." She explained.
"They know we don't want her to go. It has to be from you." Jace added. Simon said no sharply. He told them that it wasn't to protect Clary at all, it was for themselves.
He turned to walk away and Eliza grabbed him by the elbow, turning him back to face them. She had that dangerous look in her eyes as they darkened. The two of them stared at each other. "We are doing this for Clary, whether you want to believe it or not." There was a darkness in her voice that she couldn't place. Simon said they needed to tell him why Clary couldn't go with them. He said she was excited to see the Shadowhunter home country. She wanted to save their mother, emphasis on the fact that they had the same mother. "You've seen what she can do." Eliza reminded him. "We all have. What she did on that ship…to that ship, no other Shadowhunter can do that." She released his arm.
"She saved us. Everyone." Simon said. Jace shushed him, glancing back at the group. "Who all knows?" Simon asked.
Eliza said not very many people. "The three of us. Luke and Magnus." She said. "A total of six people, including Clary."
"Then what do all the other Shadowhunters think happened?" Simon inquired. "Surely they don't think that his ship just spontaneously combusted."
Jace chuckled, shaking his head. "No. We told them that the Ritual went wrong."
Simon asked how they managed to lie to the Clave like that. Eliza shrugged. "I told you, Simon, I'm the best liar I know. I made everyone think I was an entirely different person for several months, a simple lie to the Clave isn't difficult to get away with."
"Look, Alec and Izzy know that Clary has an ability to create new runes, too. We won't be able to keep it a secret from the Clave for long. But they can't know that she can make our regular runes much stronger." Jace continued. "They'll try to weaponize her, use her as a fighter. And we all know Clary."
Eliza reminded Simon that Clary wasn't brought up to be one of them, definitely not one of their fighters. She told him that being a weapon was what she and Jace were trained for. If it was possible, Simon seemed to pale more.
"Why don't you want what's best for all Shadowhunters?" He asked them. "For the Clave?"
Eliza groaned. Why was he so thick-headed? She leaned her back against the oak tree. "Because they'll put her at the very front of every Shadowhunter force. She'll be right in front of Valentine and we know what he does to threats." She said quietly. "She's my sister, Simon. My little sister. I made a promise that I would protect her and that's what I'm doing."
Simon was about to respond when a high shriek cut through the air. The three of them stared at each other. "What the hell?" Jace whipped around to look behind them.
Eliza's eyes followed his. Several people were shouting out and the sound of metal against metal echoed through the air. Jace took off running, back towards the front of the Institute. Eliza glanced back at Simon. "Stay here." She ordered before running after Jace.
The garden of the Institute was covered by a hazy white mist. A acrid smell burned her nose. She could make out shadows dancing in the mist. She spotted Isabelle's dark braids swinging through the air and heard the sound of her whip cracking.
She saw what Isabelle was fighting. At first, she thought it was a demon, but realized it was sunlight. They couldn't exist in the sun. The attacker looked human enough, at first. But then she saw that it wasn't really human anymore. It swung a wooden plank at Isabelle.
"Forsaken." Eliza mumbled. Jace said there had to be at least a dozen. They were severely outnumbered.
Jace looked behind them and she realized Simon had not stayed put and had followed them. Jace told him to stay back with a ferocity only someone who cared would have.
She delved into the mist first. Something large and hulking came at her and she ducked, pulling her sword from its sheath. The Forsaken towered over her. It reached down and she plunged the sword into its mouth. She pulled it out, dark blood spraying her face. "Gross." She muttered.
She couldn't see anyone else. Only dark shadows. Another Forsaken came for her and she jumped in the air. She landed on its shoulders and it looked up. She shoved the sword down through its skull. It crumbled, falling to the ground and she jumped back to the ground.
"Liz!" She heard Jace shout. She tried to find him through the mist but couldn't make out which figure belonged to him.
And then the mist began to clear. Magnus was standing by the wall of the Institute, hands in the air. Sparks of blue lightening crackled between his hands and the Portal was opening beside him. "Go through now!" He was shouting. "Go!"
She saw Maryse, Max in her arms, dart through the Portal and vanish. Alec had Isabelle in his grasp, dragging her towards the Portal. A Forsaken was tumbling after them, neither of them seeing it. Eliza shouted for Alec and she heard Simon shout for Isabelle. Simon ran after them and fell. Eliza realized in horror what had tripped him.
Madeleine. Or rather, her dead body. Her throat was slit, blood in her white hair.
"Eliza!" Magnus shouted at her. "Now!" She felt herself yanked forward towards the Portal.
"Simon!" She heard Jace shout. Before stepping through, she looked back. Jace was running towards Simon, two seraph blades in his hands. There was a Forsaken standing over Simon, the one that had been behind Alec and Izzy.
She slipped a knife from her brace and let it fly. It hit the Forsaken in the eye just as it stabbed Simon. Jace attacked, slicing his seraph blades through it. She ran to them. The Forsaken fell. "We've got to take him with us." She told Jace. He didn't object. He put his blades away, lifting Simon from the ground. She yanked her knife from the Forsaken's eye and put it back in the brace.
She helped Jace with Simon, putting one of the vampire's arms around her arm. They hauled him towards the Portal. Magnus was giving her the go-ahead, his green cat-eyes somber.
Go, little dove. Back to your home country. I will see you soon. Reassurance flooded her mind.
Be careful, she told him. I love you.
And I you, little dove. Now go.
Together, Simon over their shoulders, she and Jace stepped through the Portal to Idris.
She refused to leave Simon's bedside. There was a very limited number a people that he knew in Idris and she was one of them. He had been asleep since they arrived. For once, he seemed big, taking up most of the small wooden bed in the room of the house they were staying in.
She had drawn the dark curtains over the window to keep most of the light out. Even though Simon wasn't able to be harmed by the sunlight, she didn't think he would want to be viciously awoken by the harsh light of the Idris sun. It tended to shine a little brighter in Shadowhunter home country. The pale blue walls of the room were soft, giving it a cozy and homely feel.
Isabelle had been very insistent on being around when Simon woke up. She had fallen asleep in the armchair next to the bed, leaving Eliza no choice but to sit on the floor.
"Eliza?" Simon's voice was raspy. She jumped to her feet and hurried to the side of the bed. He sat up, looking over at Isabelle. Her dark hair fell over her shoulders in soft waves.
"Hey there." Eliza smiled softly. She sat down on the side of the bed. "How're you feeling?" She asked.
"Like death." He responded dryly. She appreciated the humor.
She reached over, thwacking Isabelle on the leg with her hand. The younger girl's eyes shot open. When she saw Simon was awake, she leaned forward, pushing her hair off her shoulders. "Thank God!" She exclaimed. "Jace will be so glad, we all thought you were going to die."
Simon glanced at Eliza and she gave him a shrug in response. Simon looked around the room. "Where are we?" He asked.
Did he not remember what happened at the Institute? Before she could ask, Isabelle did. Simon said no. "We were attacked by Forsaken when we were getting ready to leave the Institute." Isabelle reminded him. "They were using hellmist to throw us off and we were outnumbered. Magnus opened the Portal to help us escape. There was a Forsaken behind you and Jace tried to get to you in time but the Forsaken stab-." Isabelle's voice broke off. She looked down at the chair, her fingers fiddling with the crochet trim on the upholstery.
"The Forsaken stabbed you." Eliza finished Izzy's sentence. She heard Isabelle cough quietly. "I got it in the eye with a knife and Jace killed it. You were bleeding, a lot. We got you through the Portal."
Isabelle looked back up at them. "The Consul wasn't at all happy when Jace and Eliza brought a bleeding vampire through the Portal." She added.
Simon's dark eyes were wide as he took in what they were saying. "Wait. Hold on. I was stabbed?" He asked.
Both of the girls nodded. Isabelle said she would show him. Eliza raised her eyes but said nothing. She stood up as Isabelle got up from her chair and moved to Simon's bedside. She leaned over him, pulling up the hem of his t-shirt. There was a thin harsh red line on Simon's stomach, quickly healing. "Does it hurt?" Izzy asked him.
Simon shook his head, saying no quietly. "Well, my eyes hurt." Jace's voice carried musically through the room. He had come in slyly, even managing to shut the door without anyone noticing his presence. Isabelle quickly yanked Simon's shirt back in place. "Isabelle, I think molesting the injured vampire violates one of the Accords." He mused with a wry smile.
Isabelle cut her eyes at him, telling him that she was only showing Simon where he was stabbed by the Forsaken. "Any update on the chaos downstairs?" She asked, sitting back in her chair.
He shook his head, his smile fading quickly. "Malachi decided it would be better if the situation was explained in person. And since the Clave is in session, Maryse and Patrick went to the Gard." Jace told them. Simon asked what they had to go explain. Jace turned to Simon. "You." He said. "They had to explain why we broke the Law by bringing a vampire into Alicante."
Simon gasped in pain, doubling over on himself in the bed. "Simon, are you okay?" Isabelle asked. Simon shooed her, asking her to get away. He looked at Jace and Eliza, telling them to get Isabelle out of the room.
Neither of them had to say anything. Isabelle stood up quickly and stormed from the room, her dark hair flying behind her. She slammed the door shut on her way out.
Jace gave Eliza a tired look. She returned the look. She hadn't slept since they arrived in the city, too worried about Simon. "You should be healing." Jace told Simon. "What's wrong with you?"
He started towards Simon but he flung his hand up to keep him away. "I have to replace the blood I lost. I'm hungry. Or thirsty. Whatever you want to call it." Jace nodded in understanding. His amber eyes were bright with interest, concern no longer on his face. "You know what, Wayland? Screw you." Simon growled through his teeth.
"Wayland, huh? Haven't heard that one in a while." Jace laughed. He started unzipping his jacket.
"Hell no. I am not drinking your blood again." Simon told him sternly. "I'd rather die of hunger." Eliza leaned against the wall, crossing her arms over her chest.
Jace rolled his eyes. From the inside of his jacket, he pulled a flask. She could see that it was half filled with a dark liquid. "It's juice from the meat in the kitchen. All we've got on tap at the moment."
He handed Simon the flask. She watched with keen interest as Jace unscrewed the flask for Simon, whose hands were shaking so badly with hunger. Simon brought the flask to his lips and turned it up. He grimaced as he took a few sips. "Dead blood." Simon groaned. Jace said all blood was dead. "No. The animal it came from is dead. The longer the animal is dead, the worse the blood tastes. Fresh blood is the best blood."
Jace raised his eyebrows. "Have you ever had fresh blood? Besides mine, of course. Which I know was delicious." Simon said Jace had something wrong in his brain.
Eliza pushed off the wall. She shrugged off her jacket, tossing it on the armchair. She took off the knife brace around her right wrist and pulled out one of the knives. "Here." She sliced through the delicate skin of her wrist, offering it to Simon.
"I can't." He whispered.
She nodded. The blood was running slowly down her wrist. Her nose wrinkled at the smell. "Yes, you can. I'm offering."
Simon gently took her wrist and brought it to his lips. She winced as she felt his teeth sink in. He was much easier with her than Raphael had been. Then again, Raphael had been trying to kill her.
Jace watched, his amber eyes hooded. His arms were crossed over his chest, chin pointed down. Simon choked, pushing her away. She stumbled back, catching herself on the chair before she could fall down. Simon coughed, blood going everywhere.
She looked at him, a worried expression on her face. "What's wrong?" Jace asked.
Simon had blood on his chin and his hands. "Disgusting." He groaned. His gaze met Eliza's. "Why does your blood taste like that?" He asked her. Jace asked what he meant. "Sour. It's sour. Like dead blood."
Eliza swallowed. "Sorry. Just trying to help." She muttered. He tried to apologize but she told him not to worry about it. She took out her stele and drew an iratze to heal the cut. She waited a few minutes, sitting in the armchair. Once it healed, she put her brace back on, hiding the slight white scar. She wiped the knife on her pants and put it back in the brace.
Simon adjusted himself in the bed. "Idris, huh?" He questioned. "That's neat."
Jace corrected him, saying they were in Alicante. He moved to the window, pulling back the curtains to let the sunlight in. "The Penhallows thought that sun would bother you. They didn't relieve believe us when we said you were immune to the sun." He laughed.
Simon got up from the bed and joined Jace at the window. Jace looked back at Eliza and she shook her head. She looked down at her hands, flexing her fingers. Offering Simon blood hadn't been her smartest decision, she had just wanted to help and she knew Jace wasn't going to offer any up.
For just a little while, she had forgotten about the fact that Lucifer's blood was in her. She had forgotten that her blood was no good. The only solace that brought her was that she would never be drained by a vampire. They wouldn't be able to finish her of without choking.
"The demon towers. They make sure that no demons can get into the city." She heard Jace tell Simon.
A burst of cold air came through the window. Eliza relished how clean the air was. There was no pollution in it, no smoke or dirt. Nothing. She breathed in, closing her eyes.
"You guys better tell me that me being here is all accidental. You'd better tell me that this wasn't part of the plan to keep Clary from coming here."
She expected a quick and witty retort from Jace, but he said nothing. He just stared out the window. "Are you trying to accuse us of creating those Forsaken and having them attack us?" Eliza asked darkly. "We all almost died, Simon. Madeleine, who was the only one who knew how to wake up our mother, is dead."
"No, fangs, bringing you to Alicante was not part of the plan." Jace finally spoke. "If we would have left you behind, you would have died." Simon said that Jace and Eliza could have stayed behind with him. "Then we would all be dead. We don't know how many there were, we were too outnumbered. Liz and I are the best Shadowhunters of our age and even we couldn't fight off that many Forsaken." Simon said that he knew it hurt Jace to admit that he wasn't indestructible. "Asshole." Jace hissed. "I've saved your life twice and I've broken the Law for you. Show some damn gratitude."
"Gratitude? Are you serious?" Simon laughed. "I wouldn't be here and you wouldn't have to worry about breaking the Law if you hadn't made me come to the Institute and sneak behind Clary's back in the first place."
Eliza rose from the chair. She wedged herself between them, looking out the window. The demon towers were magnificent. High spires made of reflective silver. She had never seen them so close before, only from the far-off distance of the cottage. "Enough." She said wearily. "It doesn't matter who did what anymore. We're here now and Clary isn't. That's what matters. Besides, Simon, you said you'd do anything to protect Clary." She reminded him. "Being here, that's anything. Whether you like it or not." She turned, leaving the window.
There was a knock on the door. She walked over and opened it. Isabelle was standing on the other side. Izzy stepped into the room, sparing only a slight glance at Simon. She had changed into a silver skirt made of several tiers of material and a corseted top made of ivory material. Her runes were proudly showcased wherever the skin was bare. Her arms, shoulders, back, anywhere.
"Alec's going to the Gard." She told them. "He needs the two of you to come downstairs and talk to everyone about Simon."
Eliza motioned for her jacket. Jace picked it up as he walked by and tossed it to her. "Stay here." Jace told Simon.
"I think if you're going to be talking about me, I should be there." Simon countered.
Jace suppressed a groan and looked at Eliza, asking what she thought. "It wouldn't hurt." She said softly.
Jace put on a tight smile, directing it towards Simon. "Let's go, fangs. Looks like you're meeting the whole family today."
The Penhallows had a very beautiful house. They had made it a home. Which, granted, she thought most houses felt like home because hers never had. Mrs. Penhallow had decorated the house with things she had brought back with her from the Beijing Institute. Shoji screens, Chinese flower vases, and silkscreen prints showcasing Shadowhunter history.
"They have money." Isabelle told Simon. "A lot of it."
The four of them took the stairs down. The stairs ended at the large entertaining room. She could see the canal through the large glass window. Somewhere, music was playing softly. The sad notes of the piano reminded her of Jace.
In front of the fireplace were several couches. Alec was by the fireplace, playing with his gloves. One of the couches was occupied by two Shadowhunters their age. She couldn't see the boy's face, but she didn't like the uneasy feeling she had just looking at the back of his head. He was turned to the window.
Aline Penhallow had the worst kind of pretty, Eliza hated to admit. Lustrous dark hair and a troublesome expression. She had a small and narrow chin. She reminded Eliza of one of the Fair Folk she had seen in the Seelie Court.
The boy next to her turned. Sharp cheekbones, elegantly sharp features and impossibly dark eyes. Her breath caught in her throat. It couldn't be…
"This is him? The vampire?" Aline asked. Eliza watched her eyes scan over Simon. A mischievous smile planted itself on Aline's lips. "He's pretty cute. You know, for a vampire."
The boy stood up. "Please forgive my cousin. She is about as pleasant as a Moloch demon, though she wears the guise of an angel." He held his hand out for Simon to shake. "Sebastian Verlac. Cousin to Aline and the Penhallows."
"Sebastian, you can't shake hands with a Downworlder." Aline told him. "Especially vampires. They don't have souls. That's why they don't have reflections and can't stand in the sun." Aline continued.
The warm smile that the boy wore vanished at her words. "Aline, that isn't nice." Simon pushed past Eliza and moved in front of the window. The sunlight streamed in, washing him in it. Aline gasped softly. "When the Lightwoods told us, I didn't-." His eyes sparked.
"What?" Jace was the one who spoke. "You didn't think they were actually telling the truth?" His words were sharp, just like one of her knives. "Simon's unique. We wouldn't lie about him."
Isabelle quipped that she and Simon had once kissed. Eliza's eyes slid over to her, an incredulous look on her face. Why was that relevant? Apparently, it was to Aline. "Wow, they really let you do whatever in New York." She tried to mask the jealousy in her voice with disgust, but it was thinly done. "Izzy, the last time we saw each other you never would have gone near a Downworlder like that."
Eliza thought about bringing Meliorn up, but quickly decided against that. She figured that was a sore subject for Izzy. "She was eight the last time we were all together." Alec told Aline. "People change."
"Yes, they do." Sebastian said. When she looked at him, he was looking directly at her. She looked away, turning to Alec.
Alec made an annoyed face. "Mom had to leave quickly. Someone needs to take her records and notes up to the Gard. But, I'm the only one who's eighteen so I'm the only person who can actually go in while the Clave is in session." He explained.
Isabelle sat down on one of the couches. "For the fifth time, we know." She sighed.
Alec ignored her, turning his attention to Jace. He had a confident look to his face, one she didn't see Alec wear very often. "Jace, you brought the vampire here, which means you're responsible for him. That means not letting him go outside."
Jace's mouth twitched. "Eliza helped, need I remind you?" Alec said no, he didn't have to be reminded. "Is that all you needed us for?" He asked. "To tell us not to let Simon outside, something we wouldn't have done anyways."
Jace took a spot on the couch next to Aline. "I knew Eliza wouldn't, she actually uses her brain. You, however, a different story." Alec said.
Eliza smirked at Jace. "Alec likes me better." She taunted him.
Jace cut his eyes at her before giving Alec his attention again. "You should go." He said dully. "I can only imagine the kind of nonsense we'll get into with you gone, considering I don't use my brain."
Alec didn't seem to sense the dry sarcasm in Jace's voice. His blue eyes glinted. "I'll be back in thirty minutes." He turned to leave the room, headed through a high archway. He put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Try not to kill him, Liz." He whispered, a small smile on his face.
She managed to smile back. He passed by her and a few minutes later, she heard the door click. "Jace, you know not to bait him. He's the oldest and that means he's in charge." Isabelle told Jace.
Sebastian was staring at her, his dark eyes perplexing. She swallowed, looking away quickly. Aline was sitting annoyingly close to Jace, her shoulders brushing against his. There was a whole empty seat on the couch, plenty of room for her to not be that close.
"I think that Alec was a cat lady in a past life." Jace spoke. "At least ninety cats, probably. Not to mention he was probably always yelling at poor neighborhood kids to stay off his lawn." Aline giggled at his joke. "Why should it matter that he's the only one who can get into the Gard?" Jace's hand had moved. It laid on top of Aline's hand, resting on her thigh.
Eliza narrowed her eyes, looking out the window. Simon asked what the Gard was. Eliza's eyes slid back over to Simon. Jace asked why they were still standing. She ignored him. She sat down on the couch next to Isabelle. Simon sat down in the armchair.
"The Gard is where the Clave meets." Sebastian told Simon. "There, they make the Law and it's where the Consul and Inquisitor reside. They only let adult Shadowhunters in when the Clave is in session." He explained to Simon.
"Are they in session because of me?" Simon asked.
Eliza said no, an amused smile on her face. "The Clave is meeting because of," she was overly aware of Sebastian's eyes on her, "Valentine and his possession of the Mortal Instruments. They're trying to figure out what he'll do next."
Just the mention of his name made the air stale. "Won't he go after the Mirror?" Simon asked. "It's the third Mortal Instrument."
Isabelle confirmed that it was the last of the Mortal Instruments. "But, no one knows where it is or even what it is." She said. Simon said it was a mirror, they all knew what a mirror was.
Sebastian said not exactly. "We aren't exactly sure of anything concerning the Mirror. It's mentioned several times throughout our histories but not of its whereabouts, a description of any kind, or even what it does."
Eliza shifted in her seat. She wasn't exactly thrilled about the detour of the conversation. She knew she'd have to talk about her father eventually, she just didn't expect it to be in the entertaining room of the Penhallow's home. "My father got lucky with the Cup and the Sword. He doesn't have that chance with the Mirror because no one alive knows where it is." She stared back at Sebastian. The Silent Brothers could have possibly located it but he murdered them."
Simon coughed. "Wait. He killed all of the Silent Brothers? I thought he just got the ones in New York?"
Isabelle said no. "It's kind of like how we got into the Seelie Court, Simon. There's an entrance there, but it doesn't necessarily mean that the Bone City is in New York. There are a lot of-." Aline shushed her, cutting her off.
Eliza's nostrils flared. Aline, Sebastian, and Jace all had the same expressions on. They'd been telling Simon, a Downworlder, Shadowhunter secrets. She honestly didn't see the big deal. It was Simon.
Aline stared Simon down, asking him what it was like to be a vampire. Isabelle let out a haughty breath. "You can't just ask someone that, Aline!" Her dark eyes were wide.
Aline rolled her eyes. "You haven't been a vampire that long, right? That means you remember things from when you were human." She ignored Isabelle, keeping her dark gaze fixed on Simon. "What does blood taste like? Does it taste like juice or some other drink to you or does it still just taste like blood?" Questions shot from her like rapid fire bullets from a gun.
"Chicken." Simon said dully. "It tastes like chicken."
Her eyes widened. "Does it really?"
Eliza couldn't help but laugh. Aline's eyes narrowed at her. "Aline, he is making fun of you." Sebastian informed his cousin. "I'm sorry, Simon. I've realized that us Shadowhunters who grew up outside of Idris are more familiar with Downworlders."
Eliza looked at Sebastian. What did he know about growing up outside of Idris? Isabelle asked that very question. "Sebastian, I thought you and your parents lived here?"
His expression turned very dark. She wondered what he was going to say. "I was brought up by my aunt at the Paris Institute after my parents were killed by a demon near Calais."
Isabelle's face softened in sympathy. "Paris? Oh, that means you speak French." She let out a heavy sigh. "Our old tutor Hodge didn't think we needed to know any other languages besides Ancient Greek and Latin. I wish I could have learned something else."
Sebastian nodded humbly, an earnest smile on his face. "I speak Russian and Italian as well. And just a little bit of Romanian. Perhaps I could teach you some French while you are here?"
Jace didn't give Isabelle the chance to answer. "Not a lot of people speak Romanian." He noted. Sebastian asked if Jace spoke it. "No. Only a few very limited phrases." Jace's smile, however, suggested otherwise.
Sebastian looked at Eliza. "Do you speak any other languages?" He asked her politely.
"A few." She said curtly. He asked which ones. "Russian, Chinese, and French, as well as Ancient Greek, Latin, Arabic, Hebrew, and Hindi. I know a little Spanish and some Romanian as well."
He smiled back at her. "Conversations with you must be very entertaining."
"Only a little." She smiled back uneasily.
Jace looked between the two of them, his mouth drawn tightly together. "Yes, Liz is very entertaining." He interjected the conversation. He had that tone of voice, the annoyed one. But his hand was still on Aline Penhallow's thigh, their fingers curled together.
Sebastian no longer wore a smile. His face was pensive, calm and collected. Eliza knew something lingered underneath that face. Something bad. Wrong. "It's good to be back, isn't it?" He asked Jace.
Jace's hand stilled. "I don't know what you mean."
"We make homes in places that aren't Idris, but there is no place else like our home country. Is there?"
Jace's jaw locked. "I don't understand why you're asking me this question." He said through gritted teeth.
Sebastian gave a non-committal shrug in response. "I thought that you lived here in Idris as a child. How long has it been since you've been here?" The room was silent, save for the melancholy music playing. "Am I wrong?"
Eliza fiddled with one of her knives. "You're right." Isabelle's voice cut through the silence. "Jace likes to play a game where he pretends no one is talking about him even though he knows they are."
Jace was glaring at Sebastian, his amber eyes dark. "Everyone is talking about you these days, Jace." Sebastian noted, his voice even. "Well, your family, to be more specific I suppose. The Mortal Instruments, your father and your sisters." Sebastian spared another look to Eliza.
Aline looked at Eliza as well. "Wasn't Clarissa supposed to accompany you? I was so looking forward to meeting her." She simpered.
"I'm sure." Eliza drawled, her voice much more hostile than she had meant for it to be. Aline's face shifted and she leaned back on the couch. Jace had snatched his hand away, curling it into a fist on his own thigh. "Our mother is ill right now, in the hospital. She and Clary are very close, so Clary decided it was best to stay in New York with her." The lie rolled so easily off her tongue.
"I thought she actually wanted to come." Isabelle said quietly.
Simon leaned forward. "Well, she did, but-."
Jace got to his feet swiftly. "Simon, I need to talk to you. Privately." Jace glanced down at the double doors across the room. His gaze went to Eliza. "Liz, come on."
She moved to get up, but then Sebastian spoke. "Actually, Jace, I was wondering if I could borrow your sister for just a short while." He had a jovial expression on his face. She looked between them. "I was going to walk around the city. Would you care to join me?" When Sebastian looked at Eliza, he didn't have the same light smile. It was tighter, his eyes glinting with something darker than joy.
She couldn't say no. She knew the possibilities of what would happen if she refused him. Besides, he couldn't hurt her. He would have to bring her back. She didn't mind the added bonus of pissing Jace off. If he wanted to flirt with Aline Penhallow, she would let him. He didn't know who Sebastian really was. He could think whatever of the time they spent together.
"Yes. A walk would be nice." She said, the words barely leaving her mouth. A rude noise escaped Jace's throat. He grabbed Simon, pulling him from the room.
"Shall we?" Sebastian gestured towards the hallway that led to the front door.
They had walked through the city in silence. She found an odd comfort in it because she knew what would come once he started speaking. She realized where they were going once they had left the city.
"Why are you here?" She asked quietly as they walked. The cobblestone roads faded into green grass.
"I think you know." His voice was no longer pleasant. It became the hard and biting tone she remembered so well.
"Are you going to hurt him?"
He stopped, looking at her as if she had just asked the most stupid question in the world. "No. Not unless I have to." She asked if he was going to hurt her, or anyone for that matter. "I'm not allowed to hurt you. Not yet, anyways. And as for the others, your friends, I will if you don't comply."
She thought of Alec and Izzy and little Max. Simon, poor Simon. He was so capable of defending himself but he just didn't know how. Alec and Izzy were strong, they were excellent fighters but against the boy standing beside her, she wasn't sure they would fare very well.
Rolling hills of bright green grass surrounded them. Just below them, nestled away between two large hills and far enough from the busyness of the city was a small cottage. Vines grew up the side of the house, a large willow tree hanging over it.
She had spent seventeen years locked away in that cottage, Alicante only a few miles away. She had spent almost her entire life in that cottage. Training in the basement for hours every day, her nose buried in complex books, sharing a small room with her twin brother. For fifteen years, that cottage had been her entire world.
She looked over at the boy next to her, with his black dyed hair and his cruel face. In that moment, he was no longer Sebastian. He was who he had always been.
"Welcome home, little sister." Jonathan.