She reminded him of Alec. That must be what it was, he thought as he walked with her down the rain-soaked street.
Less so, now that she had elbowed him painfully in the stomach. Though he supposed he deserved it for sneaking up on a blind girl.
He held onto her arm as he navigated the now familiar streets to Luke Garroway's house. He couldn't shake the strange feeling he got from her, like he already knew her, somehow.
He must have seen her in Alicante and not realized it. She said she saw him.
Though how could her have forgotten those eyes.
She obviously hated them; he could see as much in her inability to look at him and her attachment to those sunglasses. They were bizarre, it was true, but he found them intriguing, almost beautiful.
"Lily," she said suddenly.
"What?"
"My name is Lily. Lily Nightwater."
"Nice to meet you Lily."
He still wasn't sure if he meant it.
He turned down the alleyway that led to Luke's back door. He parted the fence easily with magic, and stepped onto the stoop, gingerly helping Lily. Then he knocked.
Luke answered the door, looking tired, but healthy. He eyed Magnus quizzically before his eyes fell on Lily.
"What's going on?" he asked, leaning on the doorframe.
"Can we come in?"
"No offence Magnus, but I'm trying to keep my family safe. I don't need more Downworlders seeing where I live. Or Nephilim, or whatever you are."
"I don't think that will be a problem, she said, removing her glasses. Luke took a step back. She smiled sadly. "Thank you for your time."
She turned and began making her way back, one hand on the chain link fence, one leading with her white cane.
Magnus turned back to Luke. "Look, I know none of us need any more trouble, but she knows where Jonathan is. She had- some sort of vision at my apartment. She tracked me down from one of these visions and from seeing me in Alicante."
"Seeing? Magnus, she's blind-"
"I know, but it's a side effect of the visions, I saw it happen-"
"I'm sorry, but this is just a little too farfetched-"
"I know how this sounds, I didn't believe it at first either, but just listen to her. She says that Sebastian is in the city and I think he's after Clary."
"Fine, we'll talk, but I'm not promising anything."
Magnus turned, expecting Lily to still be pacing the fence, looking for an exit, but she was gone.
"Shit," he said, looking wildly around. "Where'd she go?"
Luke turned inside and grabbed his coat. A red headed figure appeared behind him.
"Luke, what's going on?" Jocelyn asked, resting her hand on his arm.
"It's nothing-"
"I found someone who might be able to lead us to Sebastian. Well, technically, she found me-"
"Where is she?" Jocelyn asked, looking around Luke's back yard.
"That's what we were just trying to figure out."
"Give me a second, I'll get my coat."
They set off a moment later. "She can't have gone far," Luke said as they approached the mouth of the alley. Sure enough she was a block away crossing the street, the clicking of her can a metronome. Magnus thought he heard her humming "Riders on the Storm."
"Lily!" he called out, just as a pair of racing headlights appeared. She stopped and looked back in his direction as the car barreled straight at her.
Magnus watched as if in slow motion as the driver tried to stop, as she turned at the screech of the brakes just in time to tumble head first over the still moving car. She flipped head first over the grey sedan and flew into the air. The car sped away without a second glance from the driver.
She plummeted towards the ground, but as she neared the asphalt she seemed to slow, her features distorted as if underwater.
She was. A shimmering sphere of water encircled her, popping as it touched the ground and gently depositing her on the pavement.
The three rushed forward, dreading what they were about to see. But she was already struggling up, a fresh cut streaming freely along her cheek and bruises blooming on what little skin he could see.
She didn't seem to have noticed their arrival. Her arm was bent in a way that suggested that it was broken in at least two places.
Without another word Luke picked the girl up from the pavement and started towards the house. She let out a blood curdling scream and began thrashing madly in his arms.
"It's ok Lily, is it? We're going to help you," he said soothingly, but she continued flailing.
"Lily!" Magnus said sharply, grabbing her arms. "Calm down!"
She fell limp at his touch, whimpering softly.
Luke crossed to the door, Jocelyn opening it for him.
"What's going on?" Clary asked, appearing suddenly. "We heard screams-"
"Car accident," Luke said, depositing her onto the threadbare couch.
"Is she one of the Pack?" Clary asked. They ignored her. Magnus practically shoved them out of his way, unbuttoning her long black trench coat and tossing it aside.
She wore nothing but a ragged black tshirt and a pair of worn jeans. Swirling marks covered her arms, though they seemed clumsily drawn, as if drawn by someone who couldn't quite remember what they were supposed to look like.
She was tiny despite her considerable height, almost skeletal. Magnus could see the fracture in her arm through her pale skin.
"All right, everyone out," he said, flexing his hands. Blue sparks were already flying from his fingertips.
"What's going on?" Simon asked appearing in the doorway.
"OUT!" Magnus yelled.
Fifteen minutes later Magnus wiped his brow and surveyed the girl. The cuts and bruises were gone and her arm healed. Her eyes had begun to turn a swirling milky blue.
"Magnus?" she asked, her milky eyes staring a foot to the left of him.
"Yes?"
"Thank you," she whispered. He smiled despite himself.
"No problem." He took her arm and helped her up from the couch. Her legs shook like that of a newborn fawns. He wondered how she could stand on such twiggy legs.
They stepped into the brightly lit kitchen in which the others had assembled. Jocelyn hurriedly pulled out a chair for the girl, obviously wondering, like Magnus, how her legs could support her weight. Lily stared determinately at the floor, hiding her peculiar eyes.
"So what is all this about?" Luke asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Magnus, do you have my glasses?" she asked quietly.
"Forget the damn glasses," Luke said impatiently. Lily recoiled at his tone. "Magnus said you saw Sebastian, that he's after Clary!"
She looked up slowly, her pupil less eyes churning blindly. The others flinched. She turned her face back to her hands, a tear sliding down her face.
"Sebastian is dead. Jonathan is in New York."
"What about Clary?" Jocelyn asked.
"Who is Clary?" Lily asked, confused.
"My daughter, Clarissa-"
"Oh my god, he's back?" Clary asked indignantly. Lily stared at her blankly. Then she turned back to her wringing hands, which were covered in purple flames.
"Umm," Simon said, staring at her hands.
"Don't worry about it," Magnus said, returning to the room, a pair of sunglasses in his hand. He took her hand in his and placed them in her hand without a word. She gave him a small smile, pulling them quickly over her disconcerting eyes.
"I'll call Maryse," Jocelyn said, picking up the phone. "The Clave will need to be informed and Lily will have to speak-"
"No!" She said suddenly. "I don't want to go to the Clave! I won't! I can't! They'll kill me!"
"What are you-" Jocelyn started but Magnus put a hand to her temple and she fell back against the chair, unconscious.
"What was that about?" Jocelyn asked angrily. "Why does she think the Clave wants to kill her?"
"Surely you remember what it's like to be on the run from the Clave. The last person she met from there tried to kill her."
"I highly doubt that," Jocelyn shot back. "Who would try to kill a Nephilim child?"
"Her mother," Magnus answered coolly. Jocelyn fell silent. Magnus eyed the gathering, regretting now that he had come.
"Well this was an incredible waste of time," Magnus said. Luke opened his mouth to say something but Magnus cut him off. "I'll have her at the Institute tomorrow."
"So that's it? You're just going to leave?" Clary burst out. "'Oh hey, I found some crazy blind psychic on my doorstep and she says your brother is coming to get you. Bye!'"
"She's not crazy," Magnus said quietly.
"Yeah, she's a total picture of mental health, sitting over there lighting her hands on fire."
Magnus rounded on her. "Tell me when you've been born with the Devil's Mark. When you've had to spend the last eight years on your own. When you have to spend the next week blind to warn some girl who thinks you're just some blind crazy freak."
With that he turned on his heel, scooped up the unconscious girl and kicked the door open, letting it slam behind him.