Okay, so it's three days late, and I have no excuses at all.. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!
Flying may have been a delightful experience, but travelling by car is most assuredly not. Yes, it has certainly improved since the first car, which played leap-frog over cobblestones, but even so, the ride is unbearable. I feel almost faint at the stifling mugginess inside the vehicle, and could not have been more relieved at the cutting of its engine.
What had also bothered me during the ride was the silence. To start out with Magnus had been very talkative and lively, but as soon as I'd asked the damning question he'd become cold and distant. So, Magnus, tell us how you came to know the inhabitants of this Institute? Jem had shot me a horrified glance the moment after, informing me I'd erred gravely. But how was I to know this was an unspeakable topic?, I protested internally. Externally, I had attempted to change the subject, but I only received monosyllabic answers.
Instead then, I tried to picture what Jace would look like. Would I see any of Will in him? Myself? Perhaps after so many generations the Herondales would have changed completely, and he would be completely unrecognisable to me. One thing I did know was that he'd have the mark of the Herondales; the white star. Will had received the scar from the clockwork angel, from Ithuriel, and James and Lucie both had the mark as well. I wondered if my demon blood would still make an appearance, or would it have been diluted?
Before I'd asked the question that had closed Magnus off completely, I had asked him about Jace, but all he'd said was, "Don't worry, that boy is undeniably a Herondale. Will and James would have been proud that he's maintained their ways." After that he refused to tell me any more, saying I'd find out soon enough.
"Here we are, " Magnus says, with a bored tone. He makes a lazy gesture of his hand to a ruinous building. I concrete harder and a grand cathedral takes its place. The Institute.
"Aren't you coming in with us?" I ask.
Cat-eyes glare at me ominously.
"I'm sure we can find our own way around, can't we Tess?" Jem intercedes hastily. "I've been here before as a Silent Brother, after all."
We climb out of the car, while Magnus stares straight ahead as if fascinated by the empty street. "Thank you. For driving us here." I say carefully.
"You're welcome. And I hope you have better luck with them than I did. I doubt it though," he replies offhandedly. He doesn't wait a moment more before restarting the engine and driving away.
"Do you know what happened with him and the Shadowhunters?" I question Jem.
A pained look crosses his face. Avoiding my eyes, he answers, "I can guess. Now let's go and meet New York's Shadowhunters." He approached the church building and murmured the words, " In the name of the Clave, I ask entry to this holy place. And in the name of the angel Raziel, I ask your blessings upon my mission against darkness." The cathedral's doors opens.
"It's very different to London's Institute," I whisper, in awe of the cathedral that made up the front of the Institute. I watch curiously as Jem rings the doorbell, hearing the immense sound resonate throughout the building.
"Don't want to walk in uninvited by the residents themselves, even if Raziel's okay with it," Jem explains. "And it really isn't that different from London in the main building."
A loud clanking replaces the ringing, and a golden elevator comes into view, carrying two people. It opens with a reluctant screech, revealing their faces. Both looked mildly shocked.
"Brother Zachariah?" The golden-haired one asks incredulously, but I can only stare at the other boy.
"Will?"
Jem's asking for entry to the Institute is directly quoted from City of Ashes, p.55, when Jace asks for entry.
Tell me what you think! (please don't say it's too short, I have noticed!) xoxo