The next morning was as peaceful as Clary could have hoped for. She awoke early to find Isabelle missing, the distant sound of seraph blades clashing in the distance indicating she might have woken early to get in some practice. She took a shower, dried her hair and dressed in a pair of blue jeans accompanied by a purple woollen sweater that hugged her curves and warmed her upper body nicely. She surmised it would take a while to adjust to the cool, unnaturally heavy air in Idris but in a way, it was a nice change to the often pollution dominated air that surrounded New York. The air in Idris felt crisp and cleansed her lungs as she breathed.
For a moment she considered stopping by the square panelled window with her art supplies and recreating the beautiful scenery surrounding her but she knew it would not be fair to Simon. He had left for the couch rather early with Jace and Alec, leading Clary to believe he was feeling homesick, possibly missing a certain dark-haired cross-wearing vampire.
"Hey Dracula, how's it going?" Clary asked, finding him tucked away in one of the plush cream armchairs that looked on at a large bay window, in the lounge on the bottom floor. He was wearing the same large hoodie, blue jeans and converse sneakers he had been the day before though they looked as pristine as they had, the only feature out of place on the forlorn looking vampire was his immensely tousled hair. It appeared he had been anxiously running his hands through it and bunches of thick, brown locks now stuck out in every direction atop his head. His brown eyes settled on her for a moment before he regarded her with a smile, scooting over to the far side of the large armchair to allow her space to sit down.
"It's going, how are you liking Idris? It's a lot weirder than I imagined if I'm honest. It's almost like being plucked from reality and placed in one of those fairytale bed-time stories Jocelyn used to tell us." He cast his eyes out over the surrounding houses and down the long street, his expression softening at the fondness of the memory. It struck Clary that in all the time she spent mourning her mother, she never really stopped to think about how her death might have affected Simon. The two had been thick as thieves the majority of their lives and in all of that time Jocelyn had treated Simon as an extension of their family, Simon's mother and sister had acted similarly.
"She'd be proud of you, you know. You've taken everything so well and you've always stuck by me just like you promised. I know you need to get home though, I can tell you feel out of place here." Clary offered Simon a small smile, her green eyes locking with his brown ones in an understanding exchange.
"Yeah, Alec will be coming in to get me any minute anyway. Jace and Sebastian got into a little bit of a fight, so Isabelle and Aline suggested a training session before lunch." His face fell, his eyes searching for something to lock onto in an effort to avoid her gaze.
"What's wrong, Simon?" Clary frowned, throwing an arm lazily around the vampires stiff shoulders. She felt him tense for a split second before leaning back into the friendly embrace.
"I just have a bad feeling, y'know? Like that day in sixth grade where I had this horrible feeling all day and then Sam beat me up?" Clary almost laughed at the recollection of Simon running away from their friendly neighbourhood bully, who was in actual fact a blonde seventh grader who towered over them. "I see you hiding that laugh Clary! Not funny." He pouted dramatically, crossing his arms over his chest in a huff.
"I'm sorry, it's just you do remember how she burst out crying when your nose started bleeding right?" He paused for a moment then let out a small chuckle at the thought.
"Still, it's the same terrifying feeling Clary. Something is gonna go wrong, I can feel it." He took to examining the mud splattered white shoelace's on his sneakers, a concerning expression plastered over his features. It wasn't unlike Simon to feel anxious under certain circumstances and Clary could see why he might be concerned, he was after all in the Nephilim holy city, of sorts and it was incredibly clear his kind had no place here in the eyes of Alicante's citizens.
"Well, Inquisitor Aldertree said you'll be ported back home right? I'm sure it will be fine-" Clary paused, hearing the front door open and multiple sets of footsteps trailing through the house. "Anyway, he seems okay I'm sure you'll be back before you know it."
"If you're talking about Aldertree he definitely does not seem okay, at the same time though I doubt they want you hanging around," Jace commented as he stepped through the doorway. He was wearing a black t-shirt and boot-cut black jeans, the hems of which were ragged from dragging along the ground where they were too long. He stopped to wipe some sweat from his forehead, his golden eyes surveying Simon and a thoughtful expression poised on his features.
"I'm sure you're right." Simon stood up from the chair they sat on leaving Clary's leg feeling cold. She let her arm drop to her side and watched as the two boys exchanged an awkward yet brotherly hug. It was nice to see the tension gone from between them, it had been evident for a time that Jace found Simon a threat and vice-versa but now the air was clear between them a new friendship appeared to be blossoming between them.
"Come on Simon, we should start heading up to the Gard. Inquisitor Aldertree will expect us to be promptly on time and I wouldn't like to keep him waiting." Alec noted from the doorway. Now that Magnus wasn't around to pick out his clothes he looked a lot more ragged than he usually would. He wore a much-loved grey sweater, with holes from moths dotted around the sleeves and body. On his bottom half, he wore a pair of faded blue jeans and black boots one might see a workman wearing. He leaned against the dark wood of the doorway, his shoulder pressed against the frame in an effort to appear casual. It was apparent however when Clary looked into his clear blue eyes that his emotions were unsettled.
Shaking her head to break herself from her reverie, Clary stepped towards Simon and enveloped him in a warm hug, squeezing as tightly as she could. He returned the embrace with far more care than he would have in his human days, the effort he was making to withhold his strength apparent in the minor shaking in his arms. It made Clary sad to think that he could never again hug her with all of his force but just knowing that he was still alive was enough for her.
"I'll see you when we get back Simon. I promise I'll call right away."
"You better, night or day!" He grinned, his eyes lingering on hers for a moment before he pulled her in for one last hug.
When they finished saying their goodbyes Simon made his way to the door to accompany Alec, receiving a clap on the shoulder from Jace in passing as a soundless goodbye. Clary watched them walk up the street idly from the window, aware of Jace's loitering behind her.
"You don't trust Aldertree at all do you?" Clary asked finally when Simon and Alec finally disappeared out of sight. She turned away from the window to face him again, one hand placed on her hip as she waited for his response.
"No, not really. He already knows about Simon being a daylighter. Then there's the fact that every Inquisitor the Clave has ever had has been corrupt, to date anyway." His eyes levelled with hers and she could see the concern and years of loyalty to the Clave conflicting in his golden orbs.
"Look, we'll know if Simon gets back safe because Magnus will know and send a fire message. It Simon doesn't come back I'm sure Magnus will be concerned and also send a fire message, we'll know either way okay?" Isabelle stated, bounding into the room and over to Clary with an overwhelming aura of energy surrounding her. Clary couldn't help but smile at her brunette girlfriend. She wore a tight fitting pair of black leather trousers paired with a deep red low cut top that accentuated her cleavage. Clary felt the blood rise to her cheeks as her eyes lingered on the aforementioned area, only snapping back to the rest of the room when a certain dark-haired boy coughed awkwardly, announcing his presence.
"I take it you openly gape at Isabelle's chest in public often?" Sebastian asked, regaining his composure. His green eyes shone as he surveyed Clary, a hint of amusement swirling within leafy iris's.
"Christ Sebastian, leave Clary alone you'll make her face explode!" Jace ribbed, seemingly finding the blush spreading down Clary's neck highly amusing.
"Come on guys, at least Clary actually has a girlfriend." Aline pointed out, rolling her eyes at the two chortling boys.
"What's up with you two anyway, one minute you're playing joker with each other the next you're at each other's throats. I swear you never used to act like this." Isabelle said dryly, her face scrunching up as her brain worked in over-time to recall the memories. The two boys shrugged, eyeing each other with a momentary look of distaste before waving away the question. For two boys who hadn't seen each other in years, Clary couldn't help but think they acted quite similarly at times.
"Anyway, I have this platter of sandwiches. Mom and Dad are up at the Accords Hall so Maryse made them for us." Aline explained, moving over to the semi-circle of couches that surrounded the fireplace on the far wall. She placed the large oval platter down on a low-rising oak coffee table, the surface of which bore the telltale marks of years of use, it was supported by thick squared legs at each corner with a border two inches thick with ornate flowers carved into it that ran around the edge.
Clary allowed herself to be guided over to one of the two-seat beige couches that formed the semi-circle by Isabelle. They sat side by side, allowing Aline and the boys to take what food they wanted before Isabelle pulled the platter across the table towards them. The sandwiches were made with a home-made white bread and cut into triangles. They had several different fillings including meats and fruit spreads, some of which Clary could not identify. She didn't discriminate, however, and opted to take one of each kind, ending up with two and a half full sandwiches. They ate in relative silence, only exchanging comments about fighting techniques and how the training session they had outside had went. Clary found that she enjoyed all of the different flavours the sandwiches provided and by the end of her meal she felt sufficiently sated on the hunger front.
"So Clary, what's it like growing up mundane?" Aline asked, her dark eyes full of questions. She sat with her left leg crossed over the other, her elbow resting against her knee so that her chin could rest delicately on the heel of her palm. She was sitting next to Jace on the largest of the couches, though there was barely any space between them. Across from Clary, Sebastian sat on the last remaining couch, preferring to sit alone. His eyes watched over the closeness between Aline and Jace, a dark distaste swirling in his striking green eyes.
"It was pretty uninteresting for the most part, I had a best friend, high school classes and art classes outside of school. My mom worked painting for several enthusiastic buyers within New York so we always had everything we needed." Clary replied, though with every passing day she spent as a shadowhunter she felt as though she lost parts of her mundane self. She remembered plenty of memories that wasn't the problem, the more she discovered about herself and her abilities the more she felt detached from her previous self. Like they were entirely separate entities.
"That sounds wonderful, I always wanted a quiet life." Sebastian mused, a far-off look taking over his green irises.
"Boring, I think you mean. Clary is kickass at kicking demon ass anyway the world was just missing out." Jace joked, shooting a wide grin at the red-haired girl in question. Clary smiled in response, her fingers creeping along the suede fabric of the couch to play with Isabelle's.
From behind them, a loud bang resounded as Alec came traipsing back into the room, his expression largely confused. He plopped promptly onto the couch on Jace's free side, grumbling to himself as he dug into the remaining sandwiches. A silence fell over the room as they waited for Alec to finish his light meal. He didn't give anything away, rather ate his fill and sated his hunger before filling them in on what happened.
"Inquisitor Aldertree met me outside the Gard. It was strange he was acting to happy-go-lucky and extra bouncy. I followed him inside a ways but Malachi was waiting, they wouldn't let me go in any further than the main hall so I don't know if Simon made it to the portal safely or not." Alec sighed, throwing his shoulders and back against the soft cushion of the couch in irritation. His ocean blue eyes flashed as he mulled the events over in his head, his brow furrowed as he became lost in thought.
"I told you so." Jace remarked simply, his golden eyes passing over the form of his parabatai, concern showing in their honey depths.
"We need to wait for Magnus to contact us before we suspect anything." Isabelle reminded them, the worry seeping into her cheerful features.
"Exactly, just because they wouldn't let you see him off doesn't mean he didn't get home," Sebastian added, regarding them with a guarded look.
"It doesn't mean he did either though." Clary murmured, she wondered briefly if she should have listened to Simon and devised a plan with Jace to protect him but she knew they would have only been implicated in some crime if they had. The best option they had going forward was to wait for Magnus to message. "We should talk to Luke," Clary added as an afterthought.
"I already did, I met him on the way down from the Gard. He said he'll check back in with us later." Alec stood and made his way to the door before turning back to look at them. "You guys could sit in here all day but I think I'm going to go get some more training in. Are you game, Jace?"
"Hell yeah let's go!" Jace replied excitedly, racing to catch up with his parabatai.
Seeing Jace leave, Aline hastily made to follow after him though she stopped to regard Isabelle with a friendly smile before leaving. "Isabelle you should come and train some more with me, I'm sure Clary won't mind. It's been so long since we've been able to spar properly!"
"Would that be okay Clary? I didn't get to see you much this morning so it's okay if it's not." Isabelle asked, her thumb gently caressing the back of Clary's thumb. In truth Clary really wanted to say no, to have the gorgeous brunette to herself just for a little while but she knew it would be selfish. It appeared that Aline and Isabelle had been good friends for a good many years and Clary felt it wasn't really her place to get in the way of their relationship.
"Oh it's fine Izzy, you could spend time with me later or tomorrow to make up for it. Besides, Sebastian did offer to show me Fairchild manor so if that offer is still open I'll probably do that." Clary gave Isabelle a heartfelt kiss, lingering to rest her forehead against Isabelle's before allowing her space to leave.
"You're so good to me, Clary," Isabelle said with a fetching half smile that made Clary's heart flutter in her chest. A moment later, she disappeared through the doorway in search of Aline and her brothers.
"So, just you and me then Clary," Sebastian observed, an almost nervous smile playing at his lips. It was a very familiar smile that Clary almost couldn't place but when she really thought about it the image cleared in her mind. It was like wiping a glamour from a hazy memory and when the fog cleared she saw herself. Or more specifically, several of the pictures Simon had taken of her on the night her first pieces of art were displayed at their high school. She remembered seeing pictures of herself, her forest green eyes and tight nervous smile. The memory and her current reality matched almost perfectly and for a moment Clary felt overwhelmingly oppressed by the uneasy feeling that swept over her.
"Yeah just me and you." She forced out, swallowing around the ball of unease that nestled in her throat. There was no way Sebastian was her lost brother, surely someone would know? It was just an uncanny resemblance and Clary's mind working on overdrive because of Simon's predicament. She took a moment to calm herself and steady her breathing before looking up to meet his eyes with a small smile. "So, you wanted to show me Fairchild manor?"