Authoress Notes: Chapter Three with new material. I had to re-edit this a few times but it was worth it.
Disclaimer: I Don't Own Anything except my OC Selene.
"Oh thank God you're all safe! Father, Mother, Jonathan, the girls, and I were worried about you!" Tessa's gray eyes were filled with happiness and mostly relief, as she swam towards her siblings, hugging them tightly. Tessa was the oldest sister of Luke and Jocelyn's. And she was the most beautiful. The girl's long dark brown hair reached all the down to her waist, and she had beige skin like their form was slender. She wore a multi-colored halter top with shiny colored stones which showed off her petite waist and accented a light blue tail flecked with light and golden scales.
The mermaid moved elegantly through the grand hall which led into the throne room. The dark blue, golden color of the walls and coral made her scales shimmer. As did the few rays of light peeking through the tall skylight windows upon the soaring ceiling. Tessa let a smile form upon her face when she met Clary, Simon and Magnus, placing both hands on their backs and escorting them to the throne room. She didn't utter a word to either of them, because the look on her face was rather self-explanatory. There was no use in denying the storm of a lecture which, would inevitably follow upon meeting their father.
After a few minutes of silent swimming the trio finally at last arrived in the throne room. Clary's greenish eyes squinted, having the strongest urge to caress them. This one room in particular of the palace was so shiny, bright, and pleasant with its mother of pearl flooring and the golden-colored walls. On the contrary, she wasn't overly enthusiastic nor a fan of it. The relentless glint and glare caused her a headache when she had to stay there for long, extended periods of time. But the building itself was an ancient and historical one of Atlantis, they weren't allowed to redesign it.
Adele floated in a corner, her green eyes reading over a thick parchment scroll, untied at the ends. Jocelyn sat beside her mother with a paintbrush in hand. Her brows furrowed together as she tried to work on the details of a flower garden. She glanced briefly at her daughter who was with her most beloved friends. In that manner, she moved her head towards him, uttering them both a knowing raise of her eyebrows. Clary knew all too well why.
Luke sat on the throne, his eyes closed while his head remained bowed in a regal way. If someone did not know or associate with him well enough, it would seem and seem he was asleep. But the mere agitated swishing of his tail indicated the princess and her best friend otherwise. He seemed to be waiting for them to approach him. Clary shared a minor glance with Simon and Magnus and they both saw the same uneasy grim anticipation in their eyes that she felt. Jonathan and Sebastian, her father's advisor were there as well. Her brother had a sympathetic expression on his face, while Sebastian's was hard and cold.
She placed her hands on her hips, arching a single eyebrow at them, furthermore; this indicated her refusal to go forward. Simon as a result crossed his arms over his chest narrowing his brown eyes in a similary annoyed way. He made it clear that he wasn't going to take the brunt of the verbal onslaught either. After all, she was the one whom suggested they'd sneak out and go to the graveyard first. Magnus decided to stay out of it.
Clary sighed, as she levelled her eyes and held out her hand. Comprehending what she was proposing, Simon clenched his teeth before holding out his hand too, and a game of rock, paper, scissors ensued. Clary was the loser. A beaming grin stretched across the princess's best friend's face, he tried to stifle a laugh. Magnus couldn't help but crack a smile as well, as Clary shot them each a look which glared daggers and she slowly swam towards the throne. The pit of her stomach immediately dropped, knowing she was in big trouble. Simon stood by her side, not uttering a word, but he held her hand tightly.
"Daddy?" she at length spoke, as the king gradually opened his eyes.
Luke's gaze leisurely wandered to his daughter, those piercing irises of blue sending a chill through her. She always felt as if her father could see through her pale, ivory flesh right down to the very core of her soul. Clary gave a sheepish smile form on her face, mostly in trying to lighten the mood, but her father did not return the expression. Instead, the sea king's eyes narrowed into slits and Clary let a sigh escape her lips as she hung her head in defeat.
"How many times have I told you?" Luke began, his voice rising mostly from outrage..." the graveyard of ships is perhaps and is the most dangerous place in the entire kingdom. You three and your sisters are forbidden from ever going there. Yet you have deliberately defied me! I honestly just don't know what to do with you Clarissa and those best friends of yours."
"Daddy, I'm sorry. If you'll please allow me to explain. In all honesty, I forgot. It wasn't their fault" she started to explain, but her Father waved a hand, effectively silencing her.
Luke glared at his most adolescent daughter and her best friend just a mere moment later, before letting out a sigh and running a hand over his forehead. "As a result of your careless and reckless behavior, not to mention the embarrassment you caused to your older brother and perhaps this entire kingdom. The whole entire celebration was" he said, as Sebastian spoke, "It's ruined. No more like completely destroyed. This concert was to represent the pinnacle of your brother's long, distinguished career. No thanks to you, he's the laughing-stock of the entire kingdom! "he yelled right into her face.
"More like they caused, you to look bad," Jonathan said, as he rolled his eyes. "Dad, the girls and I we practiced for weeks for this concert and I know it was to be an incredible, grand celebration of the kingdom because of the many years of peace we've had. But we all make mistakes and forget, so can't you just let my sister and Simon off the hook this one time? After all, they did get chased by a shark and were nearly harmed. But if it hadn't been for Magnus and Camille they wouldn't be alive now," he said, placing an arm around her shoulders, and winked.
"Is that true Magnus?" Luke asked, looking at him.
Magnus nodded in response, placing his free arm on Clary's shoulder as well, "Yes it is your majesty. It was a very large and quite nasty looking down at that. The thing appeared out of the shadows without any of us knowing and proceeded to stalk us as its prey and almost nearly hurt us."
Sebastian looked at them all as if he'd gone mad or perhaps deranged. He swam towards the throne and bowed in a civil way. "Your majesty, if you would allow me to speak. The celebration was planned weeks in advance and the princess was very well aware of it, especially dearest Clarissa here" he proceeded to explain before Simon interrupted him.
"It wasn't all her fault Sebastian. Luke as Magnus said, we got chased by a large, hideous, hostile looking shark and barely escaped with our lives. It nearly almost knocked me out, but Clary, Magnus, and Camille helped me to regain consciousness and we all made sure to work together to trap it," Simon said. He'd hung back and watched with a melancholy expression, hopelessly as his most loyal friends being yelled at and berated before finally summoning the courage to look the king in the eye and tell him the truth.
"And Clary is what I'm hearing the truth?" Luke repeated on his daughter.
She nodded, "Yes, Daddy, it is all true."
Sebastian has rolled his eyes yet again in annoyance.
"To allow her to get away with these types of things is unacceptable and unfit to be a proper princess. Or a ruler. I clearly suggest she be punished for her actions. And I consider the best possible solution: Two days in the sea dungeons out to straighten"
"Enough Sebastian," Luke said, glaring at his children and their friends for a moment longer before sighing and running a hand over his forehead. "I recognize you three are hungry for adventure and that you all want something other than a dull, mundane life around the palace...But you cannot risk your lives on a whim. You have your futures as the rulers of Atlantis to think about. You can't risk your lives by foolishly playing in those horrible, dangerous places. And those shadowed areas of Atlantis as perilous as the barbaric humans which whom we share this world with."
That very statement alone made Clary's jaw clench in anger. What did her father claim to know about the human world? She absolutely hated the prejudice against humans, the beings she found so wonderfully fascinating. In spite of that, there was no use in bringing up that argument. She'd tried many times before to reason with him and it was like debating with a solid stone wall.
"Anyway," Luke was saying, "I will not drag this out any further. Today is your birthday after all Clary. You're all dismissed. Go and get cleaned up so that you'll be presentable for the party in a few hours."
Clary, Simon, and Magnus inclined their heads briefly out of respect, before swimming back to the hallway in which led out of the throne room. She pumped her emerald tail fast, quite eager to get out of that room. Undoubtedly its oppressive and negative feelings caused her to feel almost nearly always unwelcome. Her father repeatedly reminding her and Jonathan of their significant responsibilities as royalty. One day they would take the throne, co-ruling his place. Inside deep down, in fact she wanted none of it. Neither did her best friends.
In fact at the same time, Simon desired to be free just as she was, to experience his life. To have freedom, happiness, and adventure, away from the desolate life of the palace. He longed to see the various kingdoms beyond Atlantis. He wanted to study music and history, to learn more about the world above as much as he could too. And perhaps find love and a soul mate as well. He had heard many tales of the human world from his mother, sister, and various other people.
Magnus, who'd been alive for hundreds of years, had seen and traveled to many places throughout his lifetime. He was the luckiest one of them all to have visited the oceans of Paris, London, Indonesia, and New York. Observing the humans from afar and seeing them up close and personal as well. He studied their strange but interesting ways of life and behaviors, writing down all the information he needed to add to the notes of his previous trips. Even though he gathered and utilized all of it he still wanted to meet a human to get more answers to the many questions he had. He also wanted to find love too.
They knew her true feelings about ultimately becoming queen and it wasn't something she wanted in her future. All her life, Clary had been fascinated with the human world and it's many mysteries and treasures. She longed to learn and know more about the world above the waves in which she'd been born in. She yearned to see the wonderful and beautiful world just through the crystal waters, she wanted to obtain freedom, a life of her own, where she could go anyplace in the world she chose. Freedom away from this boring, royal life.
Simon's chestnut hair got in his face, as he struggled to keep with his hurrying best friend. Magnus's black tresses remained neat and tidy, not a solitary hair out of place, while he too tried to catch up to Clary as well. Simon caught up to her first. "That wasn't so terrible..." he said, trying to cheer her up. He knew she hated being lectured and yelled, constantly being assaulted with duty and lifelong commitments.
"It could've been a lot worse," he continued. "At least we don't have to listen to him anymore until the celebration tonight," Magnus said with a grin.
She laughed at his words and smiled. "I know. I positively detest him constantly yelling at me for just trying to live my own life."
"I can't believe your eighteen all ready, that means you can go visit the surface just like your sisters and everyone else can."
His words were true, when a member of the royal family or one of their citizens turned eighteen, they were able to visit the Realm above for the first time in their lifetime. After that, they were able to come and go as they pleased, visiting again and again. Anytime their hearts desired.
"I bet it's going to be awesome up there," Simon said.
Clary's eyes instantly lit up. "I've practically have been dying to witness it. Would you both please go with me?"
"Count me in.I asked my mom if I could tag along with you. She said it would be fine, as long as we stay together and don't cause any trouble."
She smirked at Simon, "Trouble is my middle name. Will you come two Magnus?"
He grinned. "Of course, Biscuit. I wouldn't miss it for the world. Come on, let's prepare ourselves ready for the party tonight. I must permit us absolutely looking our very best."
They swam down the hallway which led to the private quarters of royal family and down the opposite hall were the rooms for the palace staff and guests. Each room had a unique design etched into the stone so that someone could tell them all apart. Magnus's room was on the left. He opened the door allowing his friends to enter first before shutting it behind them.
Magnus's room was modest. There was a separate bed in the corner while a large mirror/vanity sat in the remote corner. The counter was covered with a broad variety and assortment of make-up, hair products, brushes, and hair accessories. Clary followed him and sat down, while Simon took a seat on the bench next to her. "I promise I won't do anything too crazy," Magnus said.
Clary raised her eyebrows in a quizzical manner before sharing a glance with Simon. She had to give him that credit because for her thirteenth birthday, he'd tried adding a special potion to her hair made of coconut oil and witch hazel, that was supposed to enhance her fiery red tresses. But he'd left the mix into too long and it's yellow color absorbed itself into her hair, turning it a hideous bright orange. Magnus had been barred by her parents from playing hair stylist for the next year until he could prove himself again.
The warlock grabbed a bottle from the vanity and squeezed it until translucent purple gel that was heavy enough to hold itself together in the water oozed into his open palm. He massaged it into both hands before setting to work on his "clients" hair. He dove into her hair with a brush, gently combing the stuff into her unruly tresses, carefully fashioning them with his capable, talented fingers into bouncy, wavy ringlets nodding when he was satisfied with their finished look.
He swam a bit back admiring his work while Simon worked on his own hair, using just a small amount of hair gel to comb through his messy dark brown hair. He quickly scrubbed off his skin using a yellow sponge which was still covered in dirt and grime. Magnus helped Clary as well to get rid of the grime and dust scrubbing her scales and she completed the rest. He also styled his hair and skin, putting on a cucumber face mask which would soften his skin.
"You two have crud all over you," he muttered, narrowing his dark brown eyes in concentration. "Just because we fought a battle with those sharks which nearly could've slaughtered us doesn't mean you have to look like a wreck on your birthday." Clary smirked while Simon just shrugged his shoulders, letting Magnus continue to aid them. He also did her make-up and his own as green eyes continued to wander around the room. The walls of Magnus's room she noticed were made of some turquoise stone substance which was heavily textured.
The massive clams like the one's she and Simon were sitting on were made primarily for undersea makeovers. It wasn't like she wasn't looking forward to the party, she just was longing to see the human world so badly. Tonight would be life changing for all of them. She could feel it.
"All done you two can take a look," Magnus said, swiftly rotating them both around to face to the mirror. Clary's eyes widened as she looked into the glass. She almost nearly didn't recognize herself. Her green eyes stared out from long lashes which almost looked fake. A strong black eyeliner lined the top and bottom of her eyes, which was carefully drawn into a winged shape. Making them look almost cat-like and mysterious. The conditioning serum made her red hair shine brightly. She added a pair of pearl earrings to complete the look.
Simon blinked to make sure he wasn't just seeing things. His once messy brown hair had been combed and smoothed back very orderly and neatly with some of the natural curls still showing. The hair gel Magnus used made his hair shine as well, bringing out the natural brown tones. He also wore a couple of bracelets and a ring on his finger. He wasn't extremely key on jewelry.
Magnus went for one of his more extravagant looks; his eyes were lined with a black and blue liner, he also added some shimmer to his eyelids for a more dramatic effect. His hair remained its usual messy style; he'd painted his fingernails a dark blue adding a touch of silver which glittered like metallic ice and a lot of jewelry.
"Thank you so much for your help Magnus," Clary and Simon both said, giving him a warm hug. He smiled and hugged them back, "You're very welcome, it's my pleasure, now let's go we have a party to attend." They swam out of the room.
The celebration lasted for a couple of a few hours, until evening had finally at last arrived, where it came time for Clary to travel to the human realm above with Simon, Magnus, Selene, and Jonathan. Luke, Jocelyn, and Adele were waiting outside of the palace for them. They wished them good luck on their memorable trip.
"I'll miss you while you three are up there, have fun and be careful," Adele said giving them warm hugs. Clary nodded, "We will Grandma," she replied with as smile.
Luke and Jocelyn each placed a hand upon their daughter's shoulder.
"Happy Birthday sweetheart.I'll miss you while you're up there. Just remember to be safe and careful like your grandmother said, but be sure to have fun and explore as much as you like. I love you," Jocelyn said, hugging her daughter.
Clary hugged her back, "I love you too Mom," she replied before turning her father.
"Clary, since you've now come of age, you are now a woman and your family, friends and the entire kingdom welcome you as one. You are permitted to come and go as you please. I'm entrusting you as a Fairchild that you will be safe and responsible and still adhere to the rules of not talking to any humans or allowing them to know we exist. Do you all understand?" he asked.
"Yes Dad, I do."
"I love you Clary."
"I love you too Dad."
"Clary, Simon, Magnus, Jonathan, and Selene, see that no harm befalls any of you."
"Agreed sir, you can count on us," Simon said, saluting Luke.
"Of course your majesty," Magnus added. This made him smile. They said their goodbyes to their friends and family, before swimming away from the palace. All five of them stopped for just a moment, as Clary turned to her friends and siblings, "You guys ready to do this?" she asked.
"Ready when you are Clary," Simon replied, his brown eyes glowing with excitement.
Magnus nodded in agreement, "I haven't been up there in ages to be honest with you but I'm very looking forward to seeing everything again," he said. "Hell yeah, let's do this," Selene shouted. "Yeah come on!" Jonathan said.
Clary laughed, "All right let's go," she said, as they began swimming towards the dark crystal surface. It only took them a few moments to reach the water's edge, just where it sat peacefully, smooth and calm as if it was rising into the heavens. Clary knew it was finally her turn to see the world she'd always wanted to.
"Why is it so dark up here?" Clary wondered aloud. "That's because it's almost sunset, wait till you see everything in the day time, it's so much more prettier and exciting," Magnus said. Each of them burst through the water's surface, Clary and Simon's lungs taking in the fresh, cool air of the human world for the first time. The sun was just beginning to set over the dawning horizon, as orange and pink streaks filled the blue cloudless sky. There were trees and sandy beaches that aligned the shorelines as the waves crashed back and forth into the dark rocks that stood in the shallow water.
"It's absolutely beautiful up here, and the air is so fresh and warm," Clary said as a warm late summer breeze caressed her bare skin. Her green eyes took in the wonderful sight before her, as did Simon, his brown eyes wide at the sky and the scenery around them, while her's were at the beach and the rocks in the distance.
"It's like a dream come true to see all of this," she said. Simon smiled, "It certainly is. Everything is amazing." Magnus grinned, "Wait till you see when the seasons change into fall, winter, and spring, it's truly magical." Selene smiled, "I know it's amazing to watch it all in person, and it's so wonderful," she said. "I agree, it's definitely spectacular," Jonathan added.
They heard dolphins and other creatures splashing around in the distance, the sky turned darker and a few stars twinkled above their heads. Clary faced the sun as it sank behind the clouds building on the sparkling horizon.
It was all so overwhelmingly beautiful, and Clary didn't know where to look. The stars began vanishing into darkness mostly caused by the thickening clouds. It proved disappointing, as they had hoped to spend more time gazing at them. Little did they know that those clouds would signal the moment their lives changed.
They all swam around for a while, playing and splashing in the dark waters. Clary floated gently among the crystal waves, it was all just like her mother had described it down to every single detail. She had the gorgeous dark blue-ocean waters below her and the light of the orange, red, and gold streaked sky above her head. The little puffy white clouds floated along, not bothering to block out any of the twinkling stars. She took some of the ocean water into her palms and laughed when she felt it tickling his skin. It felt like caressing fingers against smooth living marble.
Clary dove back into the water, her green tail slapping against the surface, as she leapt into the air, her ocean eyes caught every inch and detail of the lands surrounding them before she resurfaced a moment later. The lush green forests surrounding the large castle in the distance, hearing animals and creatures that she never knew existed. She saw vast green hills covered with beautiful vines; palaces and castles lined the shore, adding a nice touch to the landscape. Dolphins's jumped joyous out of the crystal waves, and the whales spouted water from their spouts, like a hundred fountains were playing all at once.
All of a sudden, a loud boom echoed from somewhere in the sky causing all of them to jump. "What in the Angel was that?" Simon asked, his heart was pounding like a jackhammer. Magnus's dark eyes began to look around sounded like a loud unnatural screech, as another loud noise replaced it. Bright red and yellow lights clustered together into the shape of a flower opening its petals for the first time in the few moments of spring.
"It appears to be fireworks. Human's use them for celebrations and special occasions," Magnus replied. Clary and Simon smiled at each other, these things their friend called fireworks were quite amazing to look at. It was then something caught Simon's attention. "Hey, what's that?" he said pointing into the distance. The three of them turned to see a large ship floating in the crystal waters. It was a big as the waves themselves and didn't appear to be moving.
"If I'm not mistaken, that's a ship, and where there's a ship, humans are bound to be onboard," Magnus said.
Clary's eyes lit up, "Humans? We've got to get a closer look," she said. "Definitely I've never seen humans this close before," Simon said, his best friend's eyes locked on the enormous vessel. "You coming Magnus?" she asked."You betcha!" he yelled. Clary slowly raised her arm's above her head, and dove into the crystal waters with a huge splash and vanished from sight. She resurfaced a moment later and waved to her best friends as they slowly made their way towards the giant ship.
As the friends drew closer, they heard laughter and music coming from the upper part of the deck. They noticed a few ropes hanging off the starboard's side. They looked pretty safe and sturdy. "Come on let's climb these ropes," the red head suggested. "I want to get a closer look at them and see if they're as hideous and ugly as Father described," Jonathan said. Selene rolled her eyes, "I highly doubt they're ugly," she retorted. "Those look like fun," Simon said, as he took one of the loose ropes into his hand. Each of them carefully pulled themselves up and out of the water, scaling the vessel like a large mountain. Music and laughter were coming from the upper part of the deck where a small platform was that they could sit on.
"Clary," Simon gasped, as they drew closer, "All I can say at the moment is wow. No wonder this ship is so big," he said. It was right at this moment that Clary and Selene came up on the side where the platform was and lifted their heads. "Whew what a climb," she panted, as her ocean eyes widened.
"This ship is packed," Magnus said.
Soon Jonathan came to join his siblings on the platform as well. "Hey, you guys check this out!" Simon said.
"I don't believe this. I had no idea a ship of this size was capable of holding so many humans at once. From my calculations it would be impossible," Jonathan said.
"You guys have to see this," Selene whispered. The five of them gazed into the small hole on the side of the ship. Clary gasped in surprise at what she saw. There right on the deck was a group of humans both men and women, young and old. Wonderfully sounding music played from a group of musicians. A large banquet table was set up displaying a huge feast, with many different kinds of foods which sat neatly arranged together with drinks. The guests were dressed in all sorts of bright colors dancing and playing games.
"Would you look at this? I've never seen so many humans, this close before," Clary whispered, as she looked around at the guests, as well as the beautiful decorations and all the different things. Simon grinned, "I know pretty amazing isn't it?" he said. Magnus nodded in agreement as well,"I must say they are very interesting creatures. Plus I might add they have fabulous taste in decor and definitely know how to throw a party," he said.
Jonathan nodded, "I have to say you're right Magnus and the music is wonderful. I can tell it's played with alot of passion, and love," as his tail swayed back and forth to the music.
"Yeah and the atmosphere is really festive, it has to be someone's birthday. The fireworks are going to be starting again soon. Anyone want to go check them out?" Selene asked.
"Yeah, that's an awesome idea, and we can get a better view from the other side, you guys want to come?" Jonathan said.
"No, I'm good, I want to watch the humans dance,"Magnus said.
"Clary, Simon would you like to come with us?" her brother asked.
"No thank you, I just want to stay here for a while," she replied.
"I'm good," Simon added.
"You don't mind do you?" Selene asked.
"No not all," Clary replied.
"Okay," he said, before moving down. "Be careful," as they scaled to the opposite side of the ship.
A large gray looking sheepdog danced around with many of the humans on board, whom were enjoying the party. The dog suddenly stopped for a moment, from running back and forth to sniff at the night air. He caught the scent of something very interesting and began sniffing around the various areas to find out what exactly the scent belonged to. His nose led him towards the ships opening.
The dog seemed to catch their scent, as he approached the area where the three teens were hiding from the humans view. They all gasped, immediately jumping out of the creature's line of sight and the small opening. Clary bit her lip for a moment pressing her back against the wooden frame before she turned around to look and see if the scary creature was gone. The sheepdog of course was still there, he gave her, Simon, and Magnus each a slobbery kiss against their cheek before someone called it's name and it took off running back into the crowd of humans.
"Ew, now I'm covered in dog slobber," Clary moaned, while Simon looked the guests curiously.
"Why do they cover themselves in such bright colors?" Simon asked, but neither of them knew the answer. It was common in the merkingdom. To them there were no shame and nothing to hide. But the two leggers wore garments which covered their entire frames except for their faces and hands.
Selene was about to pinpoint another spot to see the fireworks better when she caught the sight of something on the upper part of the deck.
"Huh, that's unusual," she said.
"What's strange Sel?" Clary asked.
She pointed to a corner of the ship where a lone figure sat looking at the sea. Her younger sister tapped her ivory fingers against her chin, "I swear I've seen him someone before but maybe I'm mistaken," she muttered.
Her eyes then became wide as she gazed up at the upper part of the deck in wonder, a sparkling that Clary had never seen in her sister's eyes before. She smiled as she continued to stare.
"Selene, what are you staring at?" Clary repeated.
"Look up there you'll see," she said before scaling back down.
Clary raised her eyes and glanced up at the upper part of the deck. Her heart nearly almost froze at what she saw. It was a human man, and he was sitting near the side of the ship, gazing out into the sea. His golden eyes seemed to be looking into the very heart of the ocean. He had shoulder length blonde hair which fell to his shoulders, curling at the ends. He had a lean but muscular build, and his face was long and angular, and his lips were full as well. He wore a light gray t-shirt, black skinny jeans, and black sneakers.
"He's beautiful," she breathed. Never in her life had she seen such a vision of beauty. He was so handsome and enchanting that she felt her heart start to skip a beat. Her face flushed a brilliant shade of red, and she smiled. She couldn't shift her eyes off him.
"There you are Clary," Simon said, scooting over to her, Magnus joined them to observe what was happening.
"Hey Jace!" a voice suddenly interrupted the blonde's thoughts. He turned to see a dark haired girl and another guy running towards him. She wore a pretty sundress and black heels. The guy had on a dark blue t-shirt and jeans.
"There you are, Alec and I have been looking all over for you. Are you enjoying the party?" she asked.
"Yeah Izzy it's great."
"Why don't you come and hang out with us?" Alec said.
He sighed, "Honestly I don't feel much like celebrating tonight to be honest."
"Oh why not?"
"I don't know, most of the dances involve couples and there's no one on the ship that I really want to dance with."
"Come on Jace, there are tons of pretty girls that would love to have the honor dancing with you," Izzy said.
"Yeah but not one of them really stands out to me at all. It's nothing against them."
Simon was completely entranced with the beautiful goddess in front of him. His eyes were wide while his mouth was agape. She looked like a real, gorgeous version of Snow White only with longer black hair, and flawless skin. Her long black hair cascaded down her shoulders into waves of black silk, while her equally dark eyes were mysterious and bright. She had full red lips and was a gorgeous, statuesque woman.
"Man she's gorgeous. I bet she has a hundred boyfriends constantly knocking on her door, showering her with gifts," Simon said with a sparkle in his eyes.
Magnus couldn't stop staring at the angelic creature that was Alec. He was absolutely pure perfection with that raven hair, which he wanted to run his fingers through, and those blue eyes reminded him of the deepest crystal waters. His skin seemed to glow in the pale moonlight. He had full lips, which were now smiling. Magnus himself was enthralled-which was an emotion impossible for a merman to even have. The human being before him was a rare find and he wanted to meet him.
"Alec, your name alone is the like the most enchanting melody upon my lips. Your eyes remind me of the intensest blue sapphires, and your skin is like the smoothest clear sand," he sighed dreamily.
He got up and walked over with them towards the upper part of the deck where the crowd had gathered around to see what was going on. An more elderly gentleman had his arms up parting the crowd of people dividing them down the middle so that everyone had evened out.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, may I have your attention? Please quiet down. It's my honor to present our very esteemed Prince Jace with a very special, very elegant welcome home present," Axel said.
"Axel, you didn't have to purchase me anything," Jace said.
Their parents adviser laughed, "Of course your majesty I had too. It's your welcome home party after all, and what's a lavish party without an extraordinary gift," he replied.
"Jace, I swear we tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen," Alec said.
"You know him; he at no time does," Izzy whispered. Jordan, Bat, Ryan, and Michael had carried over a bulky package wrapped in white and gold paper, secured with a red bow tied around the middle, and set it down earlier in the night.
"Hope you like it," Axel said, as Jordan untied the bow and let the boxes sides fall to the ground revealing an expensive looking marble statue of the prince. He was adorned head to toe in shadow hunter gear. With a cape and a seraph blade, dressed in the elegance in a hero, standing in a striking pose.
Jace raised an eyebrow and grimaced, while Alec and Izzy stared at it in utter disbelief. Hodge blinked twice, nearly almost spitting out his drink. The gift itself was literally so bad it made them all want to burst out laughing at how silly and stupid it was. But they dared not utter a word.
"Well Axel it's undoubtedly something," he admitted, flicking his fingers through his hair. Alec levelled his eyes and snorted, while Izzy made a face, putting two fingers down her throat and faked a gag while Axel had his back turned. Jace smirked at their actions, but then his expression became serious once again.
"I do think so myself, but I'd rather hoped it would be a wedding present," Axel continued, leering at Jace, who rolled his eyes at the man's words. Of course he had brought up the subject of marriage again, and on his birthday. "Oh come on Axel, don't you dare start on that subject again. You're angry because I didn't fall for the princess of Irian aren't you?" he asked.
"You know it's not merely me your highness. You've all come of age and are eligible to be married."
Jace glared at him with anger in his eyes. "For the last time, Axel, she wasn't the one!"
"You all must select a bride or groom. Princess Kali and her brother James are the last eligible princess and princes in the surrounding kingdoms."
Alec sighed, "We are aware of that, but right now marriage isn't on our minds now."
"And you keep bringing this up at every single birthday, holiday and all of us have grown absolutely sick of it," Izzy added.
"The whole entire kingdom wants you all to happily settled down with the right person," Axel said.
"Well, we haven't found them yet, so can you please drop the subject?" Alec asked.
The party lasted another hour, before all of the guests finally began to retire for the night in the ships lower deck. Jace and his siblings stayed on the main deck just talking. Clary and her friends remained in the shadows, out of sight so that they wouldn't see them. Jace fished a knife out of his pocket to cut off a slice off an apple he held in his hand.
He directly sat on the edge of the ship near the mast, with one knee bent and his other foot hanging off. Before long he and his siblings were talking in the back of the ship where no one would hear that. Alec pulled up a crate and sat on that, while Izzy sat on the hammock on the right side.
"I can't believe Axel would do that," Jace said shaking his head. "After everything we've been through in the previous year and half with our family and him. To do that you both and me." His brother and sister nodded in response.
"I know. He's such a fucking slimeball. Who in the hell does he think he is trying to tell us how to live our lives?"Alec said.
"Exactly, I want to experience love more than anything. Just with the right person. I want a guy whose sensitive, funny, and sweet. Who will take care of me right, hold my hand and kiss away my worries and fears. He has to be a total goofball and a little nerdy." Izzy replied.
"I do as well. I just want a guy who will accept me for whom I am as a person. Someone whose understanding, open minded, down to earth, kind, gentle, and sweet. Loves to travel and be themselves, makes me feel good, confident in my own skin, and I want to do the same for them. Just someone who always surprises me and keeps me on my toes. I know that sounds cheesy and stupid," Alec said.
"No, it sounds absolutely genuine and sweet," Iz winked at her brother.
"Yeah, it does," Jace said smiling at him.
"Love is always been something that's eluded me. I just want a girl who isn't afraid to be herself and is real about everything. Is confident in her own skin, feisty but fun, and is down to earth as well," Jace added.
Meanwhile beneath the ship, Clary, Simon, and Magnus were listening to their whole conversation from underneath the boat deck. They'd heard every single word the Lightwood siblings had spoken in that few minutes. They all seemed so nice and maybe just needed to meet some people their own age to talk to and hang out with.
Clary could feel what Jace was saying. He seemed so withdrawn and depressed, as if the right person was missing from his life. Conceivably she was the one he was looking for. His heart seemed to be searching for that special someone, a love beyond the land and stars, a heart that wanted to be loved and cared for.
Simon felt the same way about Izzy, she'd described the perfect guy and he could possibly be it. He'd been searching for a girl his whole life, and she was exactly what he was looking for. She was fun, sweet and drop dead gorgeous.
Magnus saw Alec was shy and didn't seem very comfortable in his own skin. He seemed lonely and anxious, as if he needed someone special in his life. Someone who would support him all the way, to be his rock and someone to love him deeply.
"Man they all sound so nice, maybe human's aren't so bad after all. Izzy really seems so special," Simon said.
"Yeah and Jace is so handsome. He seems extremely nice too," Clary added.
"I agree. Alec I can tell is just shy and he doesn't seem confident of who he is as a person. What are we sitting here for? Let's introduce themselves to them now," Magnus replied.
Clary's eyes widened, "Are you sure Magnus? You know what my Dad said about keeping our distance. But I guess what he doesn't know couldn't hurt him," she said with a wink.
"Yeah, I don't want to get in any kind of trouble. But if we don't tell subsequently it's not a terrible idea," Simon shrugged.
"Okay, let's do this," Clary said, she gently placed her hands on the rigid surface so that they were flat and she had a firm grip on the side of the ship, as she inclined her head up so that it was now visible and right by Jace's leg. Her fingers clung to the netted mast. Simon and Magnus were right by her, as they still were concealed in the shadows. Never in her life had she'd seen a human being this close before, let alone a guy. Any moment he was going to see her. Her heart was beating a million miles so fast from behind her chest that she thought it might give out.
Quickly realizing her mistake, she had to get back into the water. But any mere movement or motion and Jace would definitely see her. Trapped between nearly being exposed and a hard place, she held her breath. Silently praying to the Angel Raziel that he wouldn't see her. He shifted his foot so that it now rested in a more secure position. Simon hadn't moved either, nor did Magnus as they stayed silent. The warlock made a signal with his hand, and they proceeded to slowly move back down. When the sound of a crash echoed through the air, startling them.
One of the ropes had been attached to something, and it snapped loose causing a crate and a barrel to fall to the ground with a massive bang. Jace got to his feet instantly before noticing the rope snapped. It could be fixed easily. While his thoughts were lost in the near moment, his golden eyes carefully swept over the ship, routinely searching for any sign of danger or a perhaps a loose demon. He didn't genuinely think about it; the urge itself was an automatic typical thing due to being a shadowhunter. You were always constantly on your guard at all times.
Alec immediately jumped up as well as Izzy, they started looking around for whatever caused the noise. Jace had gone to the upper part of the deck while Izzy took the left side and he took the right. His blue eyes looked back and forth across the lower deck, holding his bow and arrows, searching amongst the barrels and crates to find the source, but came up with nothing. Izzy was on her guard as she looked among the deck chairs and various crates, even going over to the sides and the mast. All of the ropes were secure and in place.
Maybe perhaps there had been a reason for Jace's searching. Something couldn't have just made the rope snap. Something had to have done it or someone. A small trigger using his enhanced senses had caught something before he was able to recognize it consciously with his mind. As his eyes carefully looked across the edge of the ship, standing out in the dark crystal waters, right up against the thick dark green almost black forest, was a glint of red or was it green or purple instantly captured his attention. A color which normally was not ever there.
His gaze zeroed in on the color that shouldn't have been there in the first place. It was so far away in the ebony haze that even a bird or some other predator with good vision wouldn't be able to see it. The fog lifted just a bit, clearing away. He stared. There was a blend of green, red, and black.
"Jace what are you staring at?" Alec asked, coming up along side him. His brother was leaning over the ship's side looking down directly at something that seemed to be hiding in the shadows. Izzy soon joined them her silver snake bracelet wound around her wrist, twinkling in the moonlight.
"I swear to the Angel Raziel that I just a saw someone sitting just down there," he said.
"You've got to be kidding me. It's probably just a fish swimming underneath the surface."
"Or you're merely hallucinating." Izzy replied.
Alec's fingers gripped the back of his bow along with the arrow he pulled from his quiver. His sky-blue eyes quickly glanced down in the exact spot that Jace was pointing and so did Izzy. At first they didn't see anything but soon their eyes began to adjust and they saw very clearly and the sight alone made them gasp. Sitting in the very darkness underneath the ship's side appeared to be a girl and two guys hiding from their line of sight.
The girl was a redhead with green eyes. She appeared to be about their age or close to it. Beside her were two guys. One appeared to be of Asian descent with black hair styled nicely, and he wore alot of jewelry. The other had dark brown hair and glasses.
Alec's eyes widened at the sight of the gorgeous man. He had to the hottest person he'd ever seen in his life. He was even hotter than Jace, which put him to shame. He had beautiful, golden flawless skin and the brightest brown eyes. His hair was a dark ebony black and was styled with glitter nearly covering most of it. He could be a disco ball and sparkle even brighter. The make-up he wore seemed to bring out his eyes quite nicely and his fingernails were covered in a sparkly blue nail polish.
Izzy couldn't take her eyes off of the dark-haired guy with the glasses. He was so handsome and adorable it made the butterflies in her stomach flutter even more. He had pale beige skin and the most amazing brown eyes. His smile was cheerful and engaging. The glasses brought out his brown eyes. The way he looked at her with such wonder and awe made the smile across her face grow.
To Jace she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. He was enchanted, and that was something very rarely that happened to him. The girl before him was certainly a rare find; her eyes alone were enough to draw some kind of attention. Her pale skin seemed to glow in the darkness while her lips were a pale pink. She was even more beautiful than all the princesses whom had been introduced to him in order to find a bride.
"I wish we could meet them," Clary said, not shifting her gaze off Jace.
"Yeah me too, but we should maintain our distance or they'll probably eat us," Magnus said.
"Or maybe devour us whole," Simon added.
"Yeah right, that's one of those stupid tall tales that Sebastian or my Dad told you," Clary replied.
She couldn't take it anymore, before she emerged from of the shadows, coming up behind the ship's side to look at the humans more closely.
"CLARY!" a firm but gentle male voice which was mixed in frustration suddenly cut in.
Jace whirled around he was so startled that the knife he'd been holding slipped from his grasp and immediately clattered against the hard, wood floor of the ship. Izzy and Alec turned along with him, each of them wearing equal expressions of astonishment on their faces. They rotated their heads in the direction of the masculine voice each in simultaneous motion. Two guys had emerged from the shadows alongside the redhead. They all stared at each for a couple of seconds before Alec broke the silence.
"What's going on?" he asked, looking from Clary to his brother and sister, trying to figure out what was going on. At that exact moment something immediately clicked inside of his mind, as he looked at the shocked faces of his siblings and the others around him. Even they couldn't conceal their surprise. A mundane girl and her friends had managed to catch them off guard. He silently cursed underneath his breath at his parabati's stupid question.
"It's a girl and her friends Alec. Undoubtedly you've seen a female and a male before. After all our sister is one," he said. He slowly took a step towards her, blinking just to make sure he wasn't seeing things. "A human mundie girl and her two mundie friends. And they can see us."
"Of course we can see you," Clary said.
"We're not blind you know," Simon retorted glaring at him.
"Oh, I'm sure you aren't," Jace replied with a roll of his eyes.
Izzy rolled her eyes in annoyance, "Jace that's enough, stop it. You're being rude for absolutely no reason. What are you three doing over there anyway?"she asked.
"Just hanging out like any other normal friends do on a nice night like this," Simon said, with a grin. Izzy couldn't help but smile at him back. He was really cute and adorable.
"I don't believe we've seen you three around here before. Are you from Alicante?"Alec asked.
The warlock shook his head, "No not exactly."
"For all one knows they're from the village," Izzy said.
"No we're from the other side of the mountains. There's a small village just on the outskirts," Clary said.
"I don't believe we've been properly introduced. I'm Magnus Bane, and these are my two best friend's Clary and Simon, and you are?" the gorgeous man held out a hand.
"Alexander. I mean Alec. You can call me Alec." Alec flushed and shook his hand."It's nice to meet you all."He swore the second their hands touched, a very gentle warm sensation ran through his veins.
"Hi, I'm Isabelle. But everyone calls me Izzy. It's so great to meet you guys. Especially you Simon."
Simon couldn't help the smile that formed on his face, "Hi Izzy my name's Simon. It's wonderful to meet you," he said holding out a hand to her, which she shook warmly. The second their hands touched the two felt as if they were home.
"I'm Jace it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," the blonde said.
"My name's Clary, it's absolutely great to meet you all," Clary replied, shaking Alec and Izzy's hands. She held out her hand to Jace who took it in his. The moment their skin made contact, it was like an electrical current passed right through them. It felt extremely unusual but odd at the same time.
The six of them spent an hour talking and getting to know one another. Alec learned that Magnus was a warlock and loved throw lavish parties, and traveling. He was also fond of books and poetry, which he had in common as well. Izzy also learned that Simon adored music, and was a sort of musician. He also enjoyed playing games and reading. Jace himself learned that Clary was an artist, she loved painting and spending time with her friends. She also enjoyed music and adventure.
"Why don't you guys come out of the water and join us up here?" Izzy said.
Clary's face immediately paled, as did both Magnus and Simon's. They all looked at one another for a moment before Magnus said, "Actually it's time for us to be heading back home. It's getting relatively late."
Simon nodded, "Yeah it's late. We should definitely head back," he replied.
"I agree, it was nice meeting all of you," Clary added, as Simon and Magnus climbed down the ropes, getting back into the ocean, without Jace or his siblings seeing their tails.
Clary shifted her weight so that she too could climb down, but that wasn't before a pale hand wrapped itself around her wrist. She looked up to see Jace staring at her intently with his golden eyes. He'd gripped her wrist and tugged her back to him. He took her face into his hands, gently kissing the back of her knuckles while his fingers caressed the side of her cheek and he smiled. She leaned into his touch, closing her eyes, as his fingertips traced the outline of her eyelids and her lips.
At that exact moment, she met every single word that she was currently thinking. She looked into those golden eyes and could feel the heat of Jace's body radiating towards her. It was at that time another strange warmth began flooding inside her, spreading from the middle of her body and then fully coursing right through. The mermaid was having trouble breathing and her heart was racing a million miles an hour. This was something that she never felt before in her life. A thought came to her and she suddenly knew why. It most likely wasn't even at all possible, but she knew enough that she couldn't deny it.
"Clary," he whispered, as they each kept their eyes locked in a never-ending gaze.
"Yes Jace?" she asked, nearly breathless.
"May I kiss you?"
He could see her green eyes widen in surprise. She wasn't expecting this at all.
"If you'd like. You may."
She smiled, and they sat there together, as he looked down into her green eyes, a desire rising in his orbs of molten gold. A look of hunger and want, and a love for her soul. His eyes gradually started to close as did hers, as they leaned forward towards each other, as his lips brushed against her's. Jace lifted her chin and brought her closer as their lips met in a passionate kiss.
It began gradually and gently, before turning more passionate and loving. Her lips tasted like the richest, sweetest chocolate. Every bite was so tempting and so sweet. Clary felt his tongue sliding across her lips before she opened her mouth and let him in. Their tongues caressed each other's mouths, as the heat between them became even more intense. A warm burning desire slowly began to course through each of their veins.
As they broke apart for air, Jace opened his eyes to look at the beauty sitting just a few feet away from him. Clary felt a change in her tail as she looked down, the scales became brighter and more luminous, as they glowed just for a mere moment for turning from the dull green to a much more vivid shade of emerald. She glanced back up at Jace who was looking at her with a tender smile. She smiled back as well. The eternal bond instantly had been made. The kiss they shared proved it, as the love bond linked them together for life, and there was no way of reversing it.