To show all of you that I am alive, here is a sneak peak at the next chapter of Secrets in the Stars…
Brooklyn, New York, 2013 (One Year After COLS)
"For the love of everything that is holy- SCARLETT GET OUT OF BED!"
"Ugh, why!"
"Because it's time for warlock training with your favorite uncle!" Magnus Bane grinned as he opened the curtains to his niece's room. He sighed as she groaned and pulled more of her green blankets above her head. "You know, I didn't have to give you a special birthday gift today."
She peeked over the blankets. "You said that about that about the 'Make Your Own Glitter' kit you got me when I was six."
"Your point?" Magnus quirked an eyebrow, sitting at the edge of my bed.
"You used it all."
Rolling his eyes, the older warlock pulled a velvet box out his pocket, setting it on the bedside table so it was at eye level to the stubborn teenager. He watched in amusement as a tanned hand like his own came out of the mountain of blankets, grabbing the box. He heard her gasp as she opened it.
"Is that-"
"A Bane family ring?" Magnus asked, taking the thick piece of metal from his niece. Scarlett sat up in the bed, leaning on his side as he twirled the ring with his fingers. "Your mother and I thought it would be fun to come up with our own symbol, just like Shadowhunters do. And I thought, since you, my dear, are turning fourteen today, that you are responsible enough to have it."
Scarlett gently took the ring from her uncle's hand, looking at the fine detail. Obviously, it was a glittery metal that was engraved with numerous sizes of stars and what looked to be flames. It was a perfect design for the family name. She happily slipped it onto her finger, only to find it too big on all of them. Biting her lip, she reached over and opened her mother's jewelry box and looked for a chain.
Magnus watched her as she put the ring on a black rope-like chain, tying it around her neck. God, she looked so much like her mother.
"Well then," he coughed, standing. "You should be happy to know that this was only half of your surprise. So if you want the rest, I suggest you get your tushy downstairs and eat some breakfast."
Scarlett rolled her cat like eyes, giving her father figure a tight hug before running down the stairs and into the kitchen. She gathered her cereal and milk, mixing it together before taking a huge bite.
"So," she said through her chewing. "What what's the other half of this big surprise you got going on?"
Magnus smirked, kissing her forehead before going to the front door. The blonde girl frowned. She didn't hear the buzzer go off.
"Where's the birthday girl?" she heard someone ask. She dropped her spoon into her cereal bowl and ran to the living room, only to jump onto the person that Chairman Meow seemed to be hissing at.
"Uncle Will! Aunt Tessa! What are you guys doing here, I thought you two were on your hundredth honeymoon?" she asked.
Obviously, Will and Tessa Herondale were not strangers in the Bane household. They've been there lots of times, especially when an angry warlock rose Will from the dead a few years back somehow making him immortal (which was the punishment) and was able to be reunited with his wife once again.
Over the years though, Magnus had noticed how much Scarlett and Will were alike. They both were very stubborn, both sarcastic, hotheaded at times, and sometimes, when you look close enough, their looks gave it away. Magnus shook it off, saying that it was just his niece's time spent with Will ever since she was a toddler.
They all sat in the living room, talking about the most random of days or memories of the days when they were young.
"Who are you calling old?" Will would joke, only to get smacked in the back of the head by his wife. Since they have stayed so long in America, the married couple has lost most of their English accent, but not all since they now lived in the abandoned London Institute.
"What happened to it?" Scarlett asked, munching on the sleeve of her very bland sweater. Magnus despised it, waiting for the day she outgrew it so he could burn the horrible thing.
"The Inquisitor at the time thought it would be better to have the Institute somewhere else in London so it didn't have an obvious location." Tessa explained, sipping a cup of tea.
"And besides, we have great memories there and we couldn't part with it." Will smirked as Tessa who glared at him. Will just turned to Magnus. "So, why are we here, Magnus? And we both know it's not for cake."
Magnus's face became stoic. "Scar, can you go feed Chairman? He seems thirsty."
Scarlett did as he was told, muttering something about feeding him earlier. When she was out of sight, Magnus twisted to see if she was listening. He then turned and sat at the edge of the chair he was sitting on, leaning forward towards that married couple.
"I think she knows about Valentine." He whispers. Tessa put her hand to her mouth, gasping as Will stood up.
"How would she know about him? She doesn't even know she's a Shadowhunter!" he hissed. Magnus looked at the floor. He has not told Scarlett of her heritage, true, but he had good reason.
"I've told you multiple times now. I have a good reason for not telling her Will-" he started.
"No you don't!" Will snapped. "The longer you wait to tell her, the less she'll be able to train and be able to protect herself from anything that might come after her."
"You don't understand Will. I don't want her to get hurt." Magnus stood up, seeing that he was still somewhat taller than William by a few inches.
"I know that Magnus. I don't want her to get hurt either, but I had to go through that with my kids and they turned out fine."
The High Warlock glared at immortal Shadowhunter. "Your children, Herondale, were brought up as Shadowhunters. Scarlett had never even stepped inside a church, let alone hold a seraph blade."
Will sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Magnus, anyone could see you love her. I do too, and that's why I think you should let me train her."
"No!" Magnus shouted. He sighed in frustration. "Tessa dear, could you and Scarlett go for a short walk please?"
Tessa nodded, grabbing her coat and going into the kitchen to retrieve Scarlett. When they were out the door, with Scarlett looking at both of her uncles in a confusing manner, William and Magnus turned towards each other.
"Why don't you want her to know?" Will started, trying to keep his voice calm.
Magnus rubbed his hand against his voice, tired of all the fighting. "She keeps saying his name in her sleep."
"Whose?"
"Valentine's."
"But I thought he was dead." Will stated.
"He is, but considering he wanted Scarlett for her power, his son might be looking for her too." Magnus stood up, towering over the Shadowhunter. "I don't want to lose her because she was fighting for mankind, I won't allow it."
Scoffing, Will kept following the Warlock through the apartment. "This is about that Lightwood boy, isn't it? Ever since you two broke it off, you've been keeping Scarlett prisoner in her own home and you're treating both of them like they're children. Just because you've been around longer than anybody, doesn't give you the right to-"
"HE TRIED TO TAKE AWAY MY IMMORTALITY!" the High Warlock of Brooklyn screamed. "I'M TIRED OF EVERYONE REMINDING ME OF WHAT I LOST, BUT NEED I REMIND YOU HE MET UP WITH CAMILLE BEHIND MY BACK?!"
"If she was trained properly, she could take care of herself! And honestly, that wasn't the only reason you broke it off with Alec, was it? Because he was meeting with your ex-girlfriend?" Will smirked, watching as his 800 year old friend scowled at him from across the room, Chairman Meow curling around his feet.
"My answer is no, William. Scarlett will not be training with you or any other Shadowhunter," Magnus whispered in defeat. "That is final."
"So what are you going to do about her dreams? You can't just block her memory like you did with that Fairchild!" Will's eyebrows crinkled, fury the main emotion on his face. (A/N: That….was just a horrible description…I feel so ashamed right now)
Though he is not the legal guardian (the closest thing to a LEGAL guardian anyway) to Scarlett, he knows what is best for his niece and he'd do anything to protect her, even if that meant wrestling Magnus, the High Warlock. He's fought demons before he died (the first time) and will continue to do so to protect his family.
"Of course I can and I will! She is my niece, my blood, therefore making me the decision maker of her life."
"And what will you do when she turns eighteen, when she is an adult? What if she's immortal like us? Are you going to keep babying her until she finally cracks?"
The two stopped arguing when the front door of the flat opened, only revealing Tessa and Scarlett, carrying two paper bags.
"We knew that neither of you would cook for lunch, so decided on Taki's." Tessa laughed, as if someone told her a funny joke.
"Magnus, you should've seen the trick-or-treaters that dressed up as warlocks this year." Scarlett smiled at her Uncle, knowing he got amused every Halloween because of the mundanes and their ridiculous costumes.
Magnus smiled sadly at her, glancing at Will before taking one of the bags and bringing it to the coffee table in the living room. They sat and ate there, while watching Halloween movies that made Tessa and Magnus laugh mockingly at the wizards/witches and their obnoxious spells.
Hours later, after being stuffed with food from their favorite restaurant, Tessa and Will left the flat, saying their goodbyes and happy birthday to Scarlett, but not before giving her a small box, wrapped in blue paper.
"Open this when you're in your room," Will instructed her. "It's a girl thing, so I guessed you wouldn't want him to see it. Even though he's the most flamboyant homosexual anyone's ever seen." He grinned.
"Hey!" Magnus called from the living room. "I am a flamboyant bisexual, thank you very much!"
Scarlett's POV
"My god, I feel so old!" Uncle Magnus moaned into his hands. I laughed, throwing some popcorn at him.
"You're over eight hundred year old! How do you feel old now?" I asked, petting Chairman Meow.
"My baby girl is fourteen! That's how!" he put me in a headlock, ruffling my hair until it was all knotted and tangled. "Few more years and you'll be leaving me for some other man!" I smiled up at him, watching as he snapped his fingers, causing all of his make-up to disappear. In my opinion, he looked so much better without all of his make-up caked on his face; covering up anything he thought was imperfect about him. "We're going to have to skip warlock training tonight, love. We'll continue on healing spells tomorrow."
Magnus kissed me on the forehead, whispering good night and a happy birthday before he made it up the stairs, complaining about his beauty sleep. I waited until I heard his door close, listening for any signs of him just faking it and staying in the hallway. Nothing.
I pushed Chairman off of my lap, going straight towards Magnus's study. My eyes took a while to adjust when I turned the lights on, the bright colored walls seemed to glow, the pictures on the walls moved as if they were scenes from a movie, and his large wooden desk was pushed against the back wall. I sat in it, sinking a little.
My hand automatically went to the drawer on my left, unlatching the secret (well not so secret) bottom door, showing numerous papers. I lifted them up and put them onto my lap, flipping through them.
One with my Aunt Tessa and Uncle Will with Jem Carstairs, Cicily and Gabriel Lightwood, Gideon and Sophie Lightwood, and Magnus all standing in front of the London Institute. I turned it over, looking at the date that said September 23, 1880.
There was one with Magnus and some guy with black hair and bright blue eyes in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Magnus kissing the guy's cheek. I could see a rune wrapped around the guy's forearm, which was hanging on Magnus's neck. With an eye quirked, I looked on the back to see written in Magnus's fancy writing, Magnus and Alexander Forever.
I gently set the photo down, looking at the next one. And the next one. And then the next one. I looked through all of the photos until I saw the one I wanted to see most.
It was the day I was born, with the newborn me in my mom's arms. She was looking down at me with what looked to be love in her eyes, her smile brightening up the room. Magnus was on his knees next to the bed next to my mom, also looking down at the scrunched up, sleeping baby.
Gently, I touched my mother's figure with my index finger, stroking it lovingly. It was obvious that I wished I had a mother, everyone knew it. I mean, yes, I love Magnus and Uncle Will with everything I have, and Aunt Tessa is my mother figure, but when your 800 year old uncle decides to give you the talk about how a girl's body works, you'd understand.
I sighed as I stuffed the small pile of photos in my pocket, closing the drawer and leaving the study, going to the hallway and into my little space. Well, actually it's a dumb waiter which I played in when I was younger, but as I got older it's become my sanctuary.
Even for a fourteen year old, I seem to never grow any taller than five feet. Magnus says I'm way too small for my age, me being only 110 pounds, since I can still sit in the dumb waiter without it going down or me getting cramped.
I gently crawled into the wooden box, trying not to make it creak because of its age. Sighing for what seemed like the thousandth time, I leaned my back up against the corner, lighting what was left of my candle before taking everything I had out of my pockets. My fingers ran over the smooth paper that was covering my gift from Uncle Will and Aunt Tessa; they were itching to find out what was inside. My curiosity finally give in, my hands shredding the paper into bits as it fell around my like blue snow. Uncle Will loved to put knotted ribbons onto gift, so it would take longer to open and for the person to get pissed off. Lucky for me, I carried a small pocket knife (that no one knew about, I would be grounded until I was 500) that sliced through the thing ribbon. My mouth fell to my lap as soon as I saw what was hidden by the wrapping paper.
The Shadowhunter's Codex.