- 25th Aug 2016 -
"I don't like this." Alec declares walking into Phoenix's room, having just taken the mundane to their rooms.
"You've made that very clear." Phoenix says dryly, not looking up from the book in her hands.
"Have you heard back from the clave?" He asks, pushing her feet off the sofa and sitting next to her, rolling his eyes as she places her feet on his lap.
"They've said that were not to let the girl out of our sight. I've already sent someone to guard the entrance of our hallway, they're not to let them leave alone." Phoenix explains with a sigh, she's bloody exhausted.
"What about Valentine and the circle?" Alec asks
"We're to be discreet, only those necessary are being informed whilst they make a decision on what course of action to take. However, because Valentine is in our area if they take too long to decide we should inform our institute." Phoenix states, finally looking up from her book.
"If the clave have said..." Alec protests, not wanting to incur the wrath of the clave.
"Fuck the clave Alec, we cant have them going out unaware of the danger. I will not be responsible for any of their deaths because we did not inform them." Phoenix practically spits out, glaring at him.
"We could announce that they have to go out in groups of five minimum and make the excuse that theirs been strange activity among the demons so they're to be on high alert." Alec relents, knowing she's right.
"You read my mind big brother." Phoenix smirks.
Alec rolls his eyes and swats at her foot as she starts prodding him.
"You need to relax a little. Our names alone give us leeway, not to mention our individual reputations. The Lightwood and Emberglass names are two of the most respected Shadowhunter family's, we're practically untouchable combined." She tells him, not a hint of boasting on her face. Its the pure honest truth and Alec needs to realise that.
"Don't tell Jace that." Alec snorts, his shoulders relaxing somewhat.
"Tell me what?" Jace asks from the bathroom door, looking at them both with a raised eyebrow..
"Nothing."
"Nothing."
Alec and Nix look at each other in surprise before laughing slightly.
"Its a good job I trust you both with my life." Jace snorts,
"I mean... I wouldn't trust me whilst you look like that" Phoenix drawls, biting her lip and exaggeratedly trailing her eyes over Jaces muscled bare chest, the flexing of his arms as he crosses them over his chest and his pyjama bottoms that hang low on his hips.
"Ugh! That's it, I'm out!" Alec retches, pushing her feet off his lap and striding towards the door.
"Love you big brother!" Phoenix calls after him cheekily, laughing when her only answer is the door slamming shut.
"I hope you didn't just say that to get rid of him?" Jace asks,
"Of course not love, I happen to think you look good enough to eat." Phoenix reassures him before turning back to her book.
"I do recall you making me a promise earlier." Jace states, stalking towards her and standing above her.
"Nope I don't recall." Nix shrugs, scanning the page of her book not taking in a word.
"Then how about I remind you?" Jace smirks, plucking the book out of her hand, bookmarking it and placing it out the way.
"Hey I was reading that!" Nix mock protests, her breath catching as Jace crawls over her on the sofa his hard body pressed sinfully against hers in all the right places.
"I'll make it up to you." He mutters, his lips brushing featherlight up her neck.
"And how would you do that?" She asks trying in vain to keep her voice steady, wrapping her legs around his waist.
Jace smirks against her neck and thrusts his hips into the cradle of her legs, revelling in the gasp it pulls from her lips and the sting of her nails digging into his shoulders.
"I have a few ideas." Jace whispers huskily into her ear, using his free hand to grip her hip tightly.
Nix hands quickly grip his hair and pulls him into a desperate kiss, both of them groaning as they got lost in the other.
- 26th Aug 2016 -
Clary cringes as her bedroom door creaks slightly as she opens it, freezing she peaks down the hallway letting out a breath of relief when there's no one in sight. She takes one last look at the pillows she put under the duvet to create a vaguely human shape and gently closes the door behind her. Looking around she quickly walks to the room Simon is in and enters closing the door behind her.
Clary approaches the bed urgently and starts to shake Simon awake.
"Simon!" She whispers urgently, barely avoiding Simons head butt as he sits up with a yelp.
"Wah? Clary?" He mumbles fumbling for his glasses as he squints at her.
"Come on, get you're shoes on. We're leaving." Clary whispers, handing him his shoes.
"I thought you wanted their help finding you're mum?" Simon questions, quickly putting on his shoes regardless.
"If they won't do anything. I will" Clary scowls, thinking back to the night before where they shot down the only chance of finding answers.
"I'm not complaining but we don't even know where to start." Simon whispers following her out of the room.
"Shhh" Clary slams her hand over his mouth.
They both stay dead still as the sound of a piano floats from down the hallway.
Clary looks at him and raises a finger to her lips before gesturing for him to follow her.
They make there way as silently as possible down the hallway, not knowing that their untrained footsteps are clear as day.
They get to the entrance of the hall only to freeze when they see a unknown Shadowhunter guarding the exit.
"What now?" Simon whispers nervously a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead.
"Follow my lead." Clary mumbles and straightens, striding down the rest of the hallway confidently, Simon following wide eyed behind her.
The Shadowhunter turns and stands in the middle of the hallway not allowing them past.
"What are you doing? We need to get to training." Clary demands, crossing her arms with a huff.
The Shadowhunter raises a dark eyebrow at them his green eyes amused. Honestly do they think he's stupid? He knows mundane when he sees one.
"I'm under orders not to let you past." The man states blankly, his hand resting on his sword.
"By who?" Clary demands, ignoring Simon tugging on her arm his gaze fixed on the mans hand.
"Phoenix Emberglass." The man replies.
"You don't have to listen to her you know? She doesn't control you." Clary says softly, battling down her temper.
The man looks at her incredulously.
"You have no idea do you? She is the Co-head of the institute, it is an honour to work under her."
"Then who's the other head! I want to speak to them." Clary demands, her hand on her hips.
"That would be me."
Clary and Simon spin around only to see Alec Lightwood standing behind them looking distinctly unimpressed.
Alec gives them a look of disdain and turns away making his way back down the hallway to the sound of the piano.
"Hey! Don't walk away from me! Why have you set guards!" Clary demands chasing after him, Simon following behind her.
"I'm talking to you." Clary says, jogging slightly to walk beside Alec, glaring up at him.
Alec ignores her, knowing its the best way to get her to follow.
Opening the door in front of him he pauses at the sight, feeling reluctant to break up the peace in front of him.
Nix sits beside Jace on the piano bench snuggled into his side contently with her eyes closed as Jaces fingers fly across the piano gracefully.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I will end up committing murder if I have to deal with this alone." Alec announces himself, feeling rotten when he notices Nix wake up with a start.
Phoenix looks at them lazily, taking in the furious expression of the carrot top behind him.
"Let me guess she tried to do a runner." Phoenix yawns, leaning into Jaces side more as he wraps and arm around her waist.
"Why are we not allowed to leave." Clary demands, glaring at them.
"The mundane is free to leave whenever he likes, in fact I encourage it, but its likely he would be used against you." Jace snarks being purposefully difficult, upset that they interrupted Nix's sleep when she hadn't slept well because of her shoulder.
"Then why aren't I allowed to leave." Clary demands frustrated, scowling as Jace helps Nix up from the bench and reveals she's only in Jaces shirt.
"Because the entire shadow world is after you and wants to torture you for information and then kill you." Nix shrugs, "Or just outright kill so you can't tell anyone anything." she adds thoughtfully.
"Is this a joke to you? My mum is missing." Clary flares out her arms in fustration.
"No! We would have never guessed!" Jace gasps sarcastically.
"It's not like you've reminded us of the fact every few seconds." Alec adds dryly, sharing a smirk with Jace.
"I told you we had a plan, its not my fault you seem to think you're an expert within the 3 days that you've know about this world. That's counting the fact that most of that time you were unconscious." Phoenix states, walking past those in the doorway to get changed.
Clary grabs her arm angrily as she passes only to find herself with her arm twisted behind her back and slammed into the door frame.
"Hey let her go." Simon protests, struggling to get Alecs grip off his shoulder as both of the boys glare at them fiercely.
"Do not touch me again. I have done nothing but try to hep you and you have continuously thrown it in my face. Now I'm going to get changed and you're going to follow Jace and Alec to the meeting room where we're going to discuss our plan of action." Phoenix says calmly, holding her arm with one hand.
"You have a plan." Clary says weakly, trying to cry from the pain in her arm.
"Yes, which I already told you several times." Nix huffs frustrated before letting her go and leaving the room.
Clary massages her sore shoulder and turns around only to squeak when she's met with the livid glares of Alec and Jace.
"This is Magnus Bane. He's over 300 years old. And as you can see, he's not exactly shied away from the pleasures of every century. His tastes are both exquisite and quite excessive." Hodge explains to Clary, showing her the various images of Magnus.
"He looks like the Downworlders David Guetta." Clary comments, trying to ignore the awkwardness in the room.
"Guetta's already a Downworlder. Vampire? Ever seen him in the daylight?" Isabelle smirks mischievously.
"Can you two focus? This is not a joke." Alec states annoyed, his jaw clenched.
"What's wrong with you two? I would say its because you need to get slayed but that doesn't apply to both of you." Izzy asks, raising her eyebrows at the two boys.
"The little girl was having a go at Nix again." Jace scowls, still glaring at the back of her head.
Izzy gives Clary a sharp look and frown, making Clary look away guiltily.
"Can you all focus. This is important. Magnus is one of the most powerful warlocks I've ever known." Hodge says sharply, giving them all a stern look.
"You mean one of the most powerful warlocks period." Nix says as she joins them at the table, sitting between Alec and Izzy.
"There's also the problem that he has a deep mistrust for Shadowhunter's." She adds, as Jace rests a hand on her shoulder from where he's standing behind her chair.
"Why do you think he would help my mother then?" Clary questions confused, making sure not to look at Nix, embarrassed by her earlier behaviour.
"Warlocks usually require payment before they help anyone with anything. Chances are if he's the one that removed your memories, you're mother payed him handsomely for it." Jace explains curtly.
"What about Dot? She's a warlock." Clary suggests, looking to see there reactions.
"She's not powerful enough. My bet is on Magnus." Izzy disagrees, looking to Nix.
"Problem is all the warlocks have gone into hiding." Alec adds, leaning against the table.
"So how exactly do we find Magnus?" Clary asks.
"We don't, we lure him out of hiding, set up a meeting somewhere secure." Jace decides, his thump absently rubbing the side of Nix's neck from where it rests on her shoulder.
"And I know exactly where we do it." Izzy smirks, spinning herself off the table and grabbing the tablet out of Hodges hands, ignoring his admonishing look and pulling up a flyer onto the screen.
"A Downworld rave." Jace smirks, as Hodge chuckles, "Nice Izzy."
"I see your surveillance of the Downworlders was successful." Nix laughs amused.
"Obviously. From what I hear Magnus likes to party." Izzy smirks smugly.
"He'll never go for it. Not with Valentine trying to kill him." Alec states, crossing his arms.
"Of course he will. He'll blend in. Hide in plain sight." Jace counters, looking at him.
"I don't know, it seems-" Clary starts, looking doubtful.
"Trust me. If Magnus is coming out of hiding it's for one of the biggest parties of the year." Isabelle interrupts her confidently.
"Never underestimate Magnus' hedonism. Or his greed." Hodge smirks, "Come with me." He says turning to walk out of the room.
Everyone gets up to follow him curiously, Izzy linking her arm with Nix.
Hodge crouches to the floor, running his steele over the giant rune on the floor of the weapons room. As the rune glows he lifts the slab off the floor revealing a necklace hidden below.
Hodge lifts it out and holds it out for the others to see.
"Is that real?" Izzy asks in disbelief, her hand going out to touch it but stopping at the last moment. Almost afraid to break it.
"A four-karat unheated Burmese ruby." Hodge says in way of answering, "And this necklace has a special meaning to Magnus Bane, as it was a gift to his then lover, Camilla Belcourt."
"Wait as in Camilla, leader of the New York vampires?" Nix asks, raising an eyebrow.
"Warlock gets around." Jace smirks, looking down at Nix who rolls her eyes at him.
"Says you you whore." Nix snorts, ignoring his indignant hey.
Clary looks between the two assessingly. Maybe they just hook up?
"Magus bought it in 1857, for the price of his London Townhouse." Hodge carries on, ignoring the two of them.
"That was before we got together and thought you would never love me." Jace whispers into her ear ignoring Hodge.
"I'm only teasing handsome." Nix assures him, kissing his cheek as he wraps his arms around her with a pout.
"Now, the jewel is enchanted by a spell that alerts the wearer to the presence of demons." Hodge informs them.
"Its so beautiful." Izzy breaths, gently cupping it, in complete awe.
"Magnus has longed to reunite with this necklace. Offer it to him. He might just take the bait." Hodge explains, gesturing to the necklace.
"I'll send Magnus a fire message to arrange the meeting." Jace states, "We have to get to Magnus before Valentine does." he adds, making his way back to the meeting room the others following.
"The party isn't until tomorrow night. In the meantime I can try pin a location on Dot, we know she's alive as she set new wards around the house." Phoenix plans, making her way to the large screen, her fingers flying over it.
"How will you do that?" Clary asks cautiously, coming up beside her as Jace gets to writing the letter.
"I'll bring up a picture from our data and run facial recognition on all the cameras in New York. Hopefully something will come up." Nix explains, doing as she said.
"Won't that take ages?" Clary asks, looking at the screen curiously.
"It's pretty fast."
"It helps that Nix designed the programme." Izzy adds, sitting on the table again.
"You did?" Clary asks surprised, looking at Nix wide eyed.
Nix hums noncommittedly, focusing on the screen before her as image after image flashes onto the screen.
"There, hopefully he'll respond." Jace states, sealing the letter and writing a rune on it.
Clary yelps as the letter disappears in flames.
"We also need to discuss the mundane." Alec states, looking unimpressed.
"Speaking of where is he?" Nix asks, not taking her eyes of the screen.
"He's in his room. We didn't want to risk him knowing our plan and then getting kidnapped." Jace shrugs, sitting on the table, completely ignoring Clary who comes to stand next to him.
"I'll go fetch him." Izzy sighs, sashaying away with Clary watching her go worriedly.
"She isn't going to try feed him again is she?" Clary asks concerned, having already had a paddy at the boys for not letting Simon in the meeting.
"No, although he may injure himself if he keeps staring at her like that." Nix laughs lightly.
"I'm going to injure him if he keeps staring at her like that." Alec corrects.
Jace snorts, getting up from his place on the table and wrapping his arms around Nix, watching as she works.
The room lapses into silence as they wait for Isabelle to come back.
Clary shifts awkwardly, both boys are very obviously ignoring her and Nix is absorbed into her work.
Izzy enters the room, Simon right behind her who is staring at her ass as she walks.
"Right I've locked onto her, I should get updates if she shows on camera" Nix declares.
"Clary are you okay?" Simon asks, rushing to her side.
"We need to be ready to go the moment I get an alert. Izzy can you make sure Clary is dressed appropriately and knows some basic sword stances. No need to use the training room, we don't need to draw attention to her."
"What about me?" Simon asks as Clary and Izzy leave the room.
He startles as large hands land on his shoulders. He looks wide eyed to see Jace and Alec on either side of him with smirks on their faces.
"You'll be coming with us mundane." Jace smirks, sharing a look with Alec that speaks of pure mischeif.
They're going to kill me. Simon thinks to himself faintly as they guide him out of the room.
"Is this the least revealing thing you have?" Clary asks in disbelief, looking in the mirror at the formfitting vest she's wearing that shows off the top of her boobs.
"What? All the naughty bits are covered. A little too much in my opinion." Izzy sighs, looking her over.
Clary shuffles uncomfortably and crosses her arms across her stomach.
"Where's Simon?" Clary asks.
"Who?" Izzy questions looking confused.
Clary looks at her alarmed.
"Kidding." Izzy chuckles, "He's in good hands with the boys." she adds, not feeling obliged to tell her that they're probably ignoring him or tutoring him.
Izzy walks away and splays herself on her bed.
"Soo." Clary starts, trailing after her and leaning against the wall nearby. "You, Jace, Alec and Phoenix are... what? like family?" she asks nonchalantly.
Isabelle looks at her with a chuckle, going unnoticeably tense. She knows exactly what she's after.
"Yes, in all but blood. Nix was adopted when she was 2 before I was born and Jace was adopted when he was 10. They're our siblings." Izzy shrugs being purposefully obtuse.
"So are Jace and Phoenix..." Clary trails off, not wanting to ask directly.
"They're together, have been for five years." Izzy smiles, trying not to get angry, she does not like how disappointed she looks.
"But she called him a whore?" Clary asks confused, she was sure that meant they were hooking up and she'd have a chance.
"It's a running joke." Izzy shrugs, "I wouldn't even entertain the idea Clary, they're completely in love." she adds pointedly, ever the protector of her family's happiness.
"I've already bagsyd the role of maid of honour." Izzy says smugly, secretly enjoying rubbing it in her face. How dare she try break up her favourite ship.
Clary goes to respond, with what she doesn't know, suddenly she gasps, her necklace glowing in her her grasp from where she'd been fiddling with it.
"I think I know where Dot is." Clary gasps, looking at Izzy wide eyed who's now standing in front of her concerned.
"What the hell is she doing at Pandemonium? Does she want to die?" Alec asks still in disbelief, from the drivers seat.
"What do you mean?" Clary asks from the back seat, seated between Simon and Isabelle.
"That's one of the first places the Circle will look for them." Jace explains, sat next to Nix in the front seat.
"The place is owned by Magnus Bane. Most Warlocks would go there looking for him." Nix adds, unbuckling her seatbelt as they pull up.
"She's somewhere around here." Nix informs them as they all pile out of the car and make there way towards the club, weapons out.
"That will take ages, can't you get a direct location." Clary snaps, looking around frantically, her fingers idly playing with her necklace.
"Magnus doesn't allow cameras in-" Issabelle cuts herself off as Clary gasps.
They all turn to look at her quickly only to see her spaced out and holding onto her glowing necklace.
"Dot." Clary gasps and starts running off, yelling for her.
"Oh for angels sake! She's going to get herself killed." Jace snaps as they run after, Izzy making sure to stay by Simon as they easily catch up to the hysterical girl.
"Are we really trusting her? How the hell does she know where she is?" Alec asks frustrated, falling into a jog as they catch up with Clary who is still running full pelt.
"The Warlock and her mother gave her the necklace. My guess it's enchanted." Nix explains, "Wait don't just-" Nix starts to Clary and Simon who run into the building.
"Run in there." She finishes frustrated, she quickly follows them in, Jace, Alec and Izzy following her as they.
They enter to see Clary striding down the room, Simon following her obediently. They slowly follow, spreading out as they keep on eye on their surroundings.
"No." Clary whimpers, looking around the now empty club.
Nix heads past Clary and Simon and crouches on the ground.
"Well she was definitely here." Nix says, pointing to the blood on the ground.
"She was just trying to help me." Clary crys, covering her mouth in horror as Simon holds her tightly.
The shadowhunters all share a look and split up, Izzy coming forward to take some samples of the various bloods on the floor and the boys splitting up to check the club is empty.
Nix ventures further into the club, her daggers raised, leaving Izzy to collect the evidence and keep an eye on Clary and Simon.
"Clear" Jace calls out, just as Nix disappears around the corner from Izzy's sight.
"Clear" Alec calls, making his way back to the group.
"Nix you good?" Jace shouts, as Izzy rises to her feet, sliding the collected evidence in her pocket.
Alec joins the group as they wait for Nix's reply.
"Nix-" Alec goes to shout, only for a growl to interrupt them.
Clary startles with a scream as Simon shouts out in show when a large grotesque dog like demon steps out from around the corner.
"A Venator." Izzy breaths out, "It must have tracked Nix once she left the institute."
"Nix!" Jace shouts out, holding his sword out as the demon prowls closer, his panic building as he gets no answer.
The demon pauses and sniffs the air, just as it goes to look up, Nix drops down from above onto the demon and stabs her dagger into its head, making it turn into dust beneath her.
"We need to leave, if there's one there will be more." Nix states, striding past them, making them follow.
"So that's it we just give up? What about Dot?!" Clary demands, being dragged by Isabelle to follow the others.
"They would have used a portal, they're nowhere near here by now." Alec states, him and Jace flanking Nix, her previous injuries fresh in her mind.
"We need to get back to the institute. Now" Jace demands gruffly, sticking as close to Nix as possible as they make their way back to the truck.
"Dot's like my big sister, we can't just give up." Clary protests as they clamber into the truck.
"And we're not. We have a plan to find Magnus. That's all we can do." Izzy informs her, as Alec peels out onto the road and speeds back to the institute.
The shadowhunters ignoring the fact that the entire ride home, Clary crys silently into Simons shoulder.
Hope you enjoyed!
What do you think to the addition of the Venator Demons?
In my mind they're only here because Nix is now in the story which obviously changes things!