Hey, TMI fans!
For all of you who favorite-d or followed this story, thank you so much! It means a lot, considering I write, like, most of my spare time away.
So, here is Chapter 2!
This was originally two separate chapters, but I just decided to make them one long one.
Disclaimer: I do not own The Mortal Instruments or any of its characters. They all belong to Cassandra Clare.
Oh, but what I wouldn't give to own Jace.
Or a sexy Australian by the name of Liam.
There was a crash, and I whirled around. Jace, Alec, and I were in a graffiti-filled alley, fighting off a small hoard of demons. I met Jace's eyes, and he nodded.
"Go!" He called, and I sprinted down the end, following the source of the noise. I reached another alley, but it was completely empty, the only thing there was two dumpsters and possibly the occasional rat. I heard a footstep behind me, and I whirled around too late. There was nothing behind me, and I felt something grab my arm. I heard a crack as the seraph blade was torn from my grasp, and I would have cried out in pain had someone's hand not covered my mouth.
"Pretty Shadowhunter," a voice snarled, and a cold shiver ran up my spine. Jace! I thought frantically, Alec! Somebody! But no one came, only the harsh, evil voice that was whispering in my ear. I tried screaming, but I could barely hear my own voice against the demon's hand.
"Your kind will burn. And you would burn right with them, but I'd hate to wait for so long," The voice continued, and I fought to reach a weapon from my belt, but the demon was in a human form, and my arms were pinned behind my back painfully.
"You want to kill me? You go ahead and try!" The sound was muffled, and the demon laughed, a sound that made me shiver.
"Ah, a feisty Shadowhunter girl. And such a lovely voice. Do you know what it's like to have a voice just as ugly as mine?" The demon hissed, and I kicked at him weakly, but it was still useless.
"You sound just as ugly as you look!" I snapped, and the demon suddenly threw me to the side, and I hit the wall with a painful thud. I slid to the ground, and I watched in horror as the demon took a long fingernail and made a long cut along its arm. Black blood trickled down its hand, falling to the ground, where it sizzled as it hit the pavement.
He grinned at me, a horrible grin, and he forced his arm to me as I fought him weakly, but with what I could only assume was a concussion, it was useless. I felt a burning liquid slide down my throat, followed by an agonizing pain that made me fall to the ground. I screamed, but there was no sound. My throat burned, and I pleaded to die, something I didn't think I would ever have done before.
I saw multiple images flash before my eyes, of Izzy and Alec and Max, of Maryse and Robert, of Jace, and of Ethan, my little brother, with brown eyes and brown hair just like mine. I blacked out just as I saw a flash of black clothing run around the corner, and I felt someone lift me away from the ground.
I woke up with a jump, and I sighed. It was around five in the morning, and I heard a shuffling outside. What the hell? I thought to myself, groaning as I pulled myself to my feet. Whoever is making noise better damn sure have a weapon to defend themselves, that's all I got to say.
I threw the door open, stepping out into the hallway. The lights were still low, so not everyone was getting up yet. Damn right we're not.
"Jace!" I hissed when I saw golden hair disappear around the corner, and he stepped backwards, into my point of view.
"Hey Rosie," He whispered innocently, and I glared at him. He was fully dressed at five in the morning?
"Don't 'hey Rosie' me. What the hell are you doing at five in the morning?" I snapped, and he grinned at my snippy behavior.
"I'm taking Clary to the Silent City. What are you doing up, anyways, and in such a bad mood?" He asked, and I bit my lip. His face grew serious.
"Nightmares?" he guessed, and I nodded.
"Have fun, Jace." I waved him away, and he still looked concerned, but walked away.
I turned around, walking into my room, and when I got inside, I heard a thump as something hit the wall. Okay, so it was coming from the library. If it were coming from Isabelle's room, on the other hand, I would just shudder and ignore it. With a groan I made my way back into the hallway, around the corner, and into the library.
"Hodge!" I called quietly, and he glanced up from a bookshelf.
"Oh, good morning Rose. I hope I didn't wake you," He apologized, distracted. He was dropping random books on the ground, and I raised an eyebrow.
"I'm organizing," He explained, and I groaned.
"How do you suggest I sleep?" I hissed, and he sighed patiently.
"I thought I told you that a good Shadowhunter is ready to wake at all hours in order to fight demonic creatures, just as Raziel intended." Hodge reminded me, and I glared at him.
"I will admit that I am a horrible Shadowhunter, then. I am going back to sleep," I muttered, and I left the library. I barged into my brother's room, and I sat down on his bed.
"What the hell?" He mumbled, rubbing his eyes as he looked up at me. His brown hair was sticking up in all directions, it was almost comical.
"Hodge is making a bunch of racket and I can't sleep." I explained, and he rolled his eyes.
"Sure, come stay with me then," He grumbled sarcastically, and he took a pillow and placed it over his head. I grinned triumphantly, and I shoved my brother over, falling asleep.
An hour later, I woke up when the door swung open, and a harsh light blinked on.
"Wake up, Nightlock number one and two!" Someone moaned, and I opened my eyes to see Alec looming over us, looking as if he had just rolled out of bed.
"Jace called, he wants us to meet him at Taki's," Alec explained, and I groaned, burying my face in a pillow. I felt someone take hold of my ankle, and I hit the ground, the air being knocked out of me.
"Ha-ouch!" My brother stopped laughing with a thud, and Alec flashed us a grin before walking out of the room.
"Gnome," I muttered, and I jogged out of the room.
After an impressive two minutes of getting ready, Alec, Ethan, and I approached Taki's, Isabelle having gone to pick up Simon. We met Jace and Clary outside, and we walked inside. After explaining to Clary that an ifrit is indeed not a demon, and me having to throw my hand over Ethan's mouth to keep him from cracking up in laughter, I threw him into the booth next to me, and I left a space for Clary. As Jace and Alec started a conversation, Ethan joining in half-heartedly, I watched poor Clary. She looked very lost.
"Order the pancakes. They are amazing," I whispered as I flipped her menu over for her, and she smiled thankfully.
"Oh and Rose, I'm sorry if I offended you. I didn't know about your voice," She murmured, and Ethan stiffened. I saw Jace's gaze flicker in our direction, but I just smiled at her, putting a hand on Ethan's shoulder to keep him quiet.
"That's alright. You couldn't have known," I brushed it away, and I jumped as a piece of paper appeared in front of me with a small shower of sparks.
"Fire message?" Alec asked, completely ignoring Clary, who was looking at the paper in wonder. I skimmed over it, and I got the main idea from it before it disappeared, leaving a charred smell.
"It's from Hodge. I guess I'm off demon hunting," I sighed, and Alec looked disturbed.
"So we don't get to eat-"
"No, just me. Stay for your breakfast," I encouraged, and Clary slid out of the seat, leaving space for me.
"You can't go by yourself. I'm coming with you," Ethan said firmly, and I sighed in defeat.
"Goodbye boys, Clary," I smiled, and I took Ethan with me.
"Rosie! Ethan!" A familiar voice called, and I turned to see Isabelle hurrying towards us, towing the mundane, Simon, towards us.
"We've been dispatched. Take something home for us, will you?" Ethan pleaded, and Isabelle smiled, nodding.
"Good morning, by the way." She added, and I rolled my eyes.
"As always, Isabelle. Mundane," I nodded in Simon's direction, and he groaned.
"I hate that," He grumbled, and I smiled.
"Don't worry, I was just trying it out as a nickname. You will forever be Simon to me," I reassured him, and he smiled gratefully.
"Thank you, Rose." Ethan snorted at him, and I turned him around. "We have to go, goodbye!" I called over my shoulder, and I hit him as we turned the corner and he died laughing.
And he didn't stop laughing for ten minutes.
"That poor mundane is so in love with you three that it's almost painful to watch!" Ethan was still chuckling over Simon, and I let him vent. It was better he get out all of his Jace-influenced comments now.
"Three?" I asked, and he nodded.
"Don't you see? He is attracted by Isabelle's… sexuality," He shuddered, "Your friendliness, and then there's Clary, who I'd assume he has been madly in love with long before he ever met us." Ethan glanced at me, and I nodded in approval.
"That is very clever of you, brother." I agreed, and he raised an eyebrow.
"Did you notice that too?" He asked, and I bit my lip. I shrugged, bumping his arm with my elbow.
"Yeah, I noticed. Did you notice anything about Jace and Clary?" I asked, and his eyes widened.
"Thank the Angel you did!" He exclaimed, and I started laughing. If only my brother was a girl. It would be much more explainable as to why we always gossiped over the latest scoop within the Institute.
"No but seriously, he's been acting… different. They really seem to like each other." Ethan continued, and I nodded.
"I just don't know how much I trust about Clary's arrival." I murmured, and Ethan glanced at me in disbelief.
"You don't trust Clary?" He asked skeptically.
"I never said that. I don't trust everything about her past and her family. I believe that she believes what she knows, but I don't believe that what she knows and what therefore we know is accurate." I took a breath, and I looked at Ethan.
"Did you catch that?" I asked, and he nodded slowly.
"I think I may have," He grinned, and I high-fived him in approval. We continued around the corner, and I cursed at the address Hodge had given me.
"Pandemonium? Damn it!" I groaned, and Ethan raised an eyebrow at me. This is the club where Jace had met Clary, one that was filled with demons, Downworlders, and beyond. It was definitely not the place I wanted my thirteen year old brother to be in, even if it was just to kill demons.
"This looks fun!" Ethan grinned enthusiastically, and I glared at him.
"Listen up, Nightlock. You will stay by my side at all times, and I mean if I think something I want you to hear it nice and clear. Understood?" I demanded impatiently, and Ethan sighed in defeat, nodding.
"Understood, Nightlock." He agreed, and I took his arm, dragging him inside.
Music was blaring, even in the morning, and I fought the urge to cover my ears. Ethan's eyes were wide with excitement, and I wanted to smack him, especially after the look he had when a blonde woman with a very small amount of clothing and a very large amount of makeup bumped into us. As we continued farther into the club, I heard a voice call my name.
"Rosie Nightlock, as I live and breathe!" Magnus Bane, the High Warlock of Brooklyn, laughed. I turned around, and Ethan and I blinked in surprise. Magnus was very flamboyantly gay, wearing a black leather vest covered in blue sequins, tight black skinny jeans and shoes that were covered in rhinestones. His hair was spiked to the very tip in glitter, and it was like looking at the sun. He waved at me and I swear those were… sparks?
"Magnus, darling!" I said in the most girly voice I could manage, which wasn't very good. I sounded like a damn toad as it was. I shuddered at the memory. Towing Ethan with me, I walked up to him, and he glanced down at Ethan with a raised eyebrow. He wasn't that much shorter than me, but he still looked younger.
"Who's the kid?" He asked curiously, and I put my hand over Ethan's mouth quickly. "This is my brother Ethan. We were tracking some demons here," I explained with a smile, and Magnus nodded thoughtfully.
"You have a bad habit of doing that!" Ethan hissed once I moved my hand, and I shrugged apologetically. Magnus and I were on pretty good terms, except for that one time where I called him Sparkles and he turned my hair purple. Imagine trying to live that one down with Jace nearby. I was in for so many jokes I had felt the urge to shove him out a window of the Institute.
"So do you know anything about this demon that we're looking for?" I asked quietly, and Magnus nodded with a smirk.
"There's a group of people standing behind you, and their leader sticks out. Over there, blonde hair?" He made it a question, and I glanced in that direction. Sure enough, the one that Ethan had drooled over!
"I see. It's the bimbo, you see that Ethan?" I asked innocently, and Magnus snorted as Ethan's face turned red.
"Oh and one more thing, Rose," He murmured as we went to leave. I walked back to him, Ethan's arm in my grasp, and leaned my ear towards him.
"I'm having a party tonight. Now I usually don't like inviting the Nephilim, but I have a feeling you may need it." Magnus stepped towards me and slipped an envelope into my back pocket, which gave Ethan a look that could only be described as "overprotective", and I nodded a thank you to Magnus. He winked, and I looked at Ethan and then back to the bimbo.
"I'm not going to like this… Ethan lure her into the alley!" I said quickly, and he looked at me as if I were crazy.
"Come again?" He asked, and I groaned.
"Look, we lure her we lure the others, and unless she's interested in the tall-dark-and-female type, I will not be able to do it!" I explained rapidly, and Ethan grinned.
"Don't look that excited! Now be careful, I will be watching you the whole time," I promised, and he rolled his eyes.
"Yes Mom," He muttered, and I gave him a serious look.
"I'm doing what Mom would want me to do," I reminded him, and he nodded, serious now. He walked up to the blonde as I shrunk into the crowd, and he said something to her, because she laughed, and held out her arm. He took it, leading her to the alley, and I couldn't believe it. The kid pulled through.
Wait, how had I gotten him in here again?
I shadowed him as carefully as I could, and other demons started to follow them. I put a hand on a seraph blade that was in my belt, and I watched them edge out the door. I followed him a second after the last of the demons walked into the alley, and with a flick of my wrist I had my seraph blade out. With a whisper of an angel's name, the weapon blazed to life. I swung it through two of the demons at once, and their bodies fell to the ground. The blonde screeched, and she swung at my brother, who jumped back just in time to avoid her claws.
"Ethan get the others, I have her!" I yelled, and he obliged, using his seraph blade to attack one of the demons nearby. The blonde looked at me, her eyes full of fury, and I stabbed at her just as she disappeared. I whirled around, and the blade just missed her throat.
"Rose!" Ethan yelled, and a demon struck me from behind, making a long cut along my arm.
"Damn it Nightlock, I give you one job!" I groaned, throwing my family dagger into the demon's head, and it disappeared, going back to wherever it came from, leaving my knife in its place. I turn back to the blonde, who now has red eyes and sharp, jagged teeth, and I twisted the blade in the air, bringing it down towards her, and something knocked it out of my hand. I turned to see a demon glaring at me, and Ethan attacked it, wiping the look directly off its face.
"Why would it waste its life on you?" I asked the blonde innocently, and as she screamed I kicked her, now without my seraph blade. She made an attempt to punch at me, and I blocked it, starting to hit her myself, and just as I used my last free hand to block her fist, Ethan jammed his seraph blade into her, and she exploded into a shower of demon blood and ichor. The impact threw me into the dumpster behind me, and I groaned.
"Are you okay, Rosie?" Ethan asked anxiously. He had a split lip and a slight bruise, but he seemed unharmed.
"Yeah. Nice job, Nightlock." I approved, and he helped me to my feet.
"Your arm," He said, worried, and he grabbed his stele, drawing an iratze on my arm. The wounds healed, leaving only the blood in its place. I took the stele from him, using another healing rune to fix his injuries, and we walked back in the direction of the Institute.
When we got back, I sought out Isabelle, and she was in her room, shuffling through her closet.
"Guess what?" I grinned, and I held out the invitation to her. She glanced at it, and her eyes widened in excitement.
"A party!" She squealed, clapping her hands in delight.
"Yeah, a friend I know is hosting it. This should be good," I went to leave, and she stopped me.
"Oh and Hodge was looking for you, something about our new guest."
"Seriously?" I groaned, leaving her room. A new guest? If it was another mundane, I may just move out. I barged into the library, where Hodge was talking to someone.
This someone was very good-looking, I wasn't going to lie. He had brown hair and handsome green eyes, which looked up at me in surprise.
"Ah, Rose! This is Liam, he will be staying with us." Hodge announced, and I sighed. I needed a shower, not an introduction.
"Don't tell me you invited another mundie, Hodge! I can't handle anymore! I'll trade this one for the geeky one, but no more than two!" I argued, and Hodge put his hands to his temples, as if he had a headache.
"Rose, we've been over this. Clary is staying with us for special reasons-"
"And that's fine. But I am tired, covered in demon blood, and I do not want to deal with one more mundane. What can I do? Clary hit me! Simon tried to sexually assault me!" I added quickly, in hopes Hodge will answer my pleas. He didn't. Or at least not with a desired answer.
"May the Angel bless the mundane who dares lay a finger on you…" Hodge muttered, and Liam coughed, holding back a laugh.
The handsome guest didn't flinch at all through my meltdown, but he pulled up his sleeve, revealing long black Marks up his arm.
A Shadowhunter.
"Rose Nightlock, this is Liam Darkstrider, he has moved here from the Melbourne Institute, down in Australia." Hodge introduced us tiredly, and Liam grinned at me.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Rose." Liam smirked. His voice was pleasant, Australian. I had always wished I had an accent. Now I barely had a voice at all.
"Well when you put it that way, Shadowhunter, the pleasure's all mine." I sighed in relief, and Liam laughed.
Please don't let him ask about my voice, please, please, please, I thought to myself hopefully, and Liam didn't say a word, thank the Angel.
"Well, if that's all, Rose why don't you go take a shower. Or perhaps some… medication," Hodge suggested, and Liam held back a laugh again, snorting.
"Of course. Nice to meet you, Liam." I added, and I jogged out of the library, eager to take a hot shower.
After I got out of the shower, I changed into a pair of denim shorts and a loose black tank top, pulling my damp hair up in a loose bun. I waltzed into the kitchen, where Isabelle seemed to be trying to force Alec to eat her cooking. He looked up at me gratefully, and I tried to find an excuse to help him out.
"Hey Isabelle, where's that Taki's that you promised me?" I asked, and she stood up, grabbing a plastic container from the counter.
"Eat, my favorite sister," She smirked, and I rolled my eyes. I opened the container, revealing a burger and fries. My favorite.
"Your only sister," I reminded her, and she shrugged.
"You would still be my favorite. Unless of course my other sister was Taylor Swift…" She trailed off after I threw an apple at her from the bowl on the counter, which she caught with ease.
"Now, listen up. You too, Alec. We are attending the party at midnight, it turns out Magnus Bane has something to do with Clary. This means I will be dressing you, Rose. And don't argue with the length of the dress," She added, and now it was my turn for help. I glanced at Alec, but he just shook his head vigorously. Traitor, I thought to myself. I would find revenge.
"Izzy, I don't even know why you try. I can look pretty, but I'll ruin it the second I open my mouth." I laughed, and Izzy turned serious, understanding my point.
"You are beautiful, Rose Nightlock. And besides, I actually find the deeper voice quite… sexy." Isabelle grinned, and I smiled slightly, still munching.
"And if anyone dares to make a comment, I will kick their ass. And that's without Jace's assistance." Alec winked at me, and I winked back. The nice thing about brothers was the fact that they will willingly beat any man of your choice. Especially Shadowhunters.
"Okay, I'll keep that in mind." I grinned, and Isabelle stopped me as I went to leave after I finished.
"Did you see the new guy? He is hot," Isabelle cooed quietly, and I rolled my eyes, deciding to join her girly moment.
"And Australian," I whispered with a sigh, and she giggled. I left the kitchen, jogging towards the end of the hallway, and as I turned the corner I ran into Liam, who blinked in surprise.
"Oh! You! I've been meaning to talk to you!" I gasped, and he raised an eyebrow hesitantly.
"Don't worry! I've had a shower, a burger, and I am completely done with my whining." I promised, and Liam laughed. By the Angel, he was good-looking. This couldn't be legal. Only Jace was allowed to look this good, and he had chipped his tooth a couple of years ago. This guy just seemed perfect.
"Well that's good to know. What's on your mind?" Liam asked, that Australian accent quite distracting.
"I wanted to apologize. I was rude earlier today, and just so you know I have nothing against mundanes," I added, and he nodded thoughtfully.
"Well that's reassuring. It was actually nice to see some action. The people in the Melbourne Institute can get quite boring." Liam explained, and I laughed.
"Well if action is what you were looking for, then you came to the right place. New York is perfect." I commented, and he nodded in agreement.
"So what's this I hear about a party? That girl Isabelle seemed quite thrilled," He noted, and I smiled at the description of my sister.
"Yeah, my sister is a party freak. She likes dressing up. And we're going to a warlock friend's party, hoping to get some information about our not-so-mundane guest."
Liam's eyes widened. "She's your sister?"
"I was taken in by her parents when I was a kid, so was Jace. We are all one big happy family," I sighed, and he nodded.
"And what's going on with the mundanes?" He continued. Poor dude. He must be confused.
I walked with him to the training room, where I explained our situation to him as best I could from the information I had. I really felt out of the loop lately.
"That's not confusing," Liam argued finally, and I laughed.
"Okay then. Well you should go sleep, the party is at midnight." I explained, and I said goodbye to Liam, walking back to my room. I collapsed on my bed, and I drifted off to sleep.
Did you guys like it?
Oh, and to any Australians, it may seem like I'm bashing you throughout the story, but I'm not.
In fact, Australians are really awesome, but I'm just some random Cuban girl, so I wouldn't exactly know.
Until next time!