At one point in the night Sue was short of looking up how to get into the dark net – just to not miss the opportunity to get the information she needed. Apparently, Nephilim and any other life form have not been using the internet for storing all this wisdom of their kind, in contrary to the mundis and their never-ending cat videos. Her eyes burned from looking to long at the display of her old laptop. It was completely dark in her apartment, except of the light the screen admitted. She wasn't used to this anymore.
What she did find out was a lot of bible folklore. Nephilim are the daughters and sons of an angel doing it with a mundi. So far so clear. But there are different types of angels. The Nephilim of today are the ones coming from archangels, which are the closest to god. No other angels did love the mundis that much as to get in bed with them. Tales of the Nephilim are as old as the bible and older. Sometimes, they are described as massive and tall beings. Sue has had a good laugh about this, imagining Jace as a three-meter-tall guy, who is clumsily running through the world. Maybe it has been like that. Maybe the old Nephilim just watered down their bloodline with more mundis, changing their appearance more and more to look like Mundis. She had learned about the history of Nephilim when she was younger. For them, the angels had given them their blood – which was just a kid-friendly term of fucking in her opinion. Well, whatever suits someone. She didn't see any difference to creationists and how the bible tells you that two people knew each other.
Suddenly, there was a sound coming from her window. She sucked in her breath and ducked behind her chair. There was a black silhouette standing in front of her window on the fire escape. It was a human, male silhouette, she recognized, and she felt more confident. She could handle a man. She was just relieved that is wasn't another Ravener demon. Again, a soft tap on her window. Slowly she made her way over, always anxious to stay outside of the viewing point. On her way, she took the baseball bat beside her bed, that was always ready for her. She had bought it after her neighbour told her there have been several break-ins in the last weeks in her street. When she had reached the side of the window, she lifted the bat high over her head and just waited. Once she would be finished with him, this thief would think twice to break into her apartment again.
The window opened from the outside. She had been so sure that she had locked it before. Gracefully, the intruder first put his two legs through the window and then his head. He was definitely a man. Sue lunged at his head and –
"Sue? Are you awake?"
Too late she recognized his voice. Jace. She couldn't stop anymore. She let out a short scream and in the next moment, she tumbled down to the floor, the intruder under her. Her face was on top of his chest and she could feel an arm around her hip. Immediately his scent was in her head again, switching off her ability to think logically.
"Jace? Are you alright?", she said in panic and tried to get up to find a light switch.
"If you mean, that my head is still on my shoulders, then yes.", he murmured, but didn't let go of her hip. Frustrated, she wiggled free from his grip and made her way to the light switch. Warm, dimmed light flooded the room. Nevertheless, they both had to squint for a moment. When she could see again, she saw Jace still laying on the floor. One of his hands clutched the baseball bat. He had intercepted it with his hand. She should have known, him having the reflexes of a shadowhunter. In this moment he stood up and straightened his clothes. He was wearing all black. Black shirt, black jeans and a black leather jacket. Damn. She wanted to take the baseball bat from him, but he held it over her head.
"You think I will give this back to you after you wanted to kill me with it?", he said with feigned indignation.
"Said the man, who just broke into my apartment!", she countered.
"I was worried. I thought something might have happened to you.", he added and looked at her. She quickly looked to the ground.
"This, or I am just sleeping. Which can be pretty tough, too.", she said with a smile. He sighed and gave her the bat.
"I'm sorry. The reason I'm here is, I have news and I really wanted to give them to you personally."
She looked up again into his eyes. He smiled at her. Good news it was then.
"Ok, come in, make yourself comfortable. Can you close the window? I'll get us something to drink.", she said and made her way to the kitchen, while discreetly stowing away the bat at its place. She set up some water in the kettle and searched for some tea.
"Any preference on tea?", she called.
"Anything with herbs", he answered, and his breath tickled her neck. Surprised, she turned around and there he was, standing right behind her, grinning. Oh, he knew exactly what he was doing. This would have been extremely creepy if she hadn't had goosebumps just by looking at him. She could only nod and made herself busy again. When she had finished the tea, she saw that he had taken a place at her kitchen table. She placed a steaming cup of herb tea – her favourite as well – before him.
"Good news… I hope.", she supposed, as she sat on the other side of him.
"Yes. Alec just called me after my shift and told me he got the book from mom. Apparently, she was eager to know why he wanted the book. I am to tell you that Alec gets a free drink, because his mom thinks Magnus and himself want to adopt."
Sue snorted in her tea and couldn't help herself but giggle. Jace smiled with her.
"If it's just a drink he wants and not my firstborn son, I am ok with this.", she laughed. The next moment Jace laid a big book in front of her.
"I drove to Magnus' place and got the book. I thought you wanted to have it right away.", he said and looked at her expectantly. He wasn't disappointed. Her eyes grew wide and without thinking she took his hand and squeezed it tightly.
"Thank you so much, Jace.", she managed to say before she opened the book impatiently. Slowly and carefully, she browsed through the book. It was almost identical to the one she got from the cottage. Almost.
"Did you have a look?", she asked and suddenly stopped browsing. There was another picture.
"Yes.", he simply said.
"Did you see this?", she said excited and looked closer, her head almost touching the page. There was the same guy on this page as on the first page. But this time in another pose. And most importantly: There was another rune embedded on his chest. A shiver ran over her as she stroked over it. She looked up at Jace. He nodded.
"You have your stele with you? I want to try it immediately.", she exclaimed and looked at the picture of the man again.
"Sue…", Jace started and fell silent after looking at her. He tried again.
"Please be careful. I know it was working the last time. But you are in no pain right now and I'm worried that this will end badly. I've talked to Alec and Magnus about this and Magnus offered that you can try it in his supervision. If anything's gonna happen – maybe he can help."
She sensed that it took a lot for him to say these words. And even as it felt unfamiliar to be cared for so deeply from someone else than Magnus, it felt good as well. This feeling inside her stirred again. She sighed.
"You are probably right… - even if this is so damn hard.", she added and smiled at him. He returned a broad smile and touched her hand again. She could feel how relieved he was. She felt bad that he had seemed to have concerns telling her his thoughts. She must have been too stubborn last night. It was always the same with her.
"There is more.", he started, and she came back from her thoughts. He browsed through the book until the last page laid open before Sue. There was a small sentence at the end of the book.
"This is a reprint of an excerpt of the Chronicles of Tyre."
"What does this mean?", she asked, her heart racing again.
"I think it means, that this is not the whole tale. That there is another book with the whole story in it."
"This makes sense! Why would there be a picture of a man or angel, who isn't featured in the story?"
"Exactly."
She felt a rush of blood in her head. They got even closer to her secret. She wanted to jump up immediately and go searching for the book. She almost couldn't hold herself. Jace seemed to sense her feelings.
"I already searched the library in the institute. There is nothing in the New York institute."
"You say it like you know more.", she chuckled. She noticed already how her stiff shoulders relaxed.
"The biggest library known to Nephilim is with the Silent Brothers…"
Sue went pale. She always has been afraid of the Silent Brothers. They had searched her head more than one time, but never did they find anything about her past.
"This first edition of the book seems to be very valuable. That's why it is stored with them."
Her hopes to see this book vanished and she lowered her gaze. Jace squeezed her hand again.
"Don't be upset. We will find a way. After all, we know where to search for the book. And maybe I already have an idea."
She looked up into his eyes. He had? Jace sighed.
"Well, not me, but Magnus. He didn't tell me what kind of idea, but he said, we will talk about it as soon as we meet up."
"That sounds promising. And you are right. I have another rune to try. I should be glad – and I am."
Jace smiled at her and suddenly she realized how close they were, holding hands.
"Thank you so much for coming by, but I really need to try and get some sleep. My boss trusts me to work tomorrow."
She got up abruptly and let go of his hand. He got up as well, but instead of walking to the door or even the window, he came over to her.
"I have been thinking.", he started, and she froze.
"The wild boar in Idris… that wasn't normal. I have been deceived so many times in my life, that I am now pretty sure that there is someone or something that wishes to hurt you – or even wishes you dead."
"Oh…", was all she could say. She hadn't thought about this before. But now she felt afraid. Why would someone want her dead? Jace made another step towards her.
"What I wanted to say is, that… I think I should stay here for the night. I will keep an eye on you."
Before she could say no, he continued.
"I will take your sofa. I am used to it. When the institute is too much, I always crash at Magnus' and Alec's place."
She just nodded. She knew, he would judge her hesitation as an indication that she didn't want him to be here, but she needed to be honest to herself. She was relieved about his offer. She was afraid that she wouldn't stay strong in her decision on her feelings, but she was more afraid of demons or anything else coming into her apartment.
"I will go and get you a blanket and a pillow. Do you need anything else?"
"Don't bother about it. I will stay awake anyhow."
"Don't be ridiculous. Even you need to sleep at some point. I think I have an oversized t-shirt left, which may fit you. Just let me check."
She made her way to her bedroom. When she passed Jace, she laid a hand on his arm, but didn't look up at him. She felt his gaze on her head.
"Thanks, Jace. I really mean it. Alec and you… you made me change my mind about members of the clave."
She finally looked up and there was his half smile again. But this time, she allowed herself to appreciate it.
After finding this shirt and a pillow and a blanket for him, he made himself comfy on her sofa. In the meantime, she went brushing her teeth and getting into her pyjamas. When she went back into her living room, she saw him in his boxershorts laying on the sofa. Of course, he didn't have the shirt on yet. As if she hadn't seen his bare chest already. His muscular chest had been very comfy last night. She took a deep breath.
"Goodnight, Jace. I hope you can get a little sleep."
"Goodnight, Sue.", he simply said as he put on the shirt. She headed off to her bedroom and extinguished the lights to finally get some sleep. But it was hard at first. Him being so close and all the pictures in her head about last night. Magnus had been so right. The kisses, the feeling of him inside her. It was all in her head. And this was just last night. All the thoughts in her head about what she was. What she could be. After overthinking for she didn't know how long, she finally fell asleep out of pure exhaustion.
