It was quiet for a while. Izzy and Jace were having what seemed to be a telepathic conversation between siblings while Emily and Chase were just hoping each other burst into flames. Sadly, it didn't happen and the silence was getting on Emily's nerves. With a sneer in her voice, she said, "Had to call on Mommy, did you?"
He was gripping his arm, clearly in pain, but he refused to let it show on his face. Instead, his flicked his chin in Jace's direction. "Tough talk from a girl who ran home to Daddy."
"Shut it," Isabelle stated. Chase did just that, but his green eyes glared at Emily with all he had. She just shrugged and leaned back against the couch. Izzy stepped up, her hand out. "Jace, the stele."
Jace looked down at the stele in his hand, and then looked back up. "I kind of like it. It'll look good in the weapon's room–"
Isabelle's whip lashed out, catching the stele and yanking it from Jace's grasp. He didn't flinch, and just watched at it sailed through the air, into Izzy's grasp. She then proceeded to place the iratze on Chase's arm, just above his elbow, as he glared at Emily. In fact, that's all he seemed to be doing all night.
"Now Chase, you're nineteen years old," Isabelle said when she was done. "And I don't have time to be running down here to get your lost stele when Emily kicks your ass. Do you understand?"
"She caught me off guard," he grumbled as he snatched the stele from his adopted mother and shoved it in his pocket with anger. Emily just smiled. "It's her own fault for trusting that mundane to get the job done. Real Shadowhunters don't have helpers to do the dirty work. Emily's just too scared to do it on her own."
"Oh, is that so?" Emily inquired. "It has nothing to do with training, or Magnus's request, or Alec's does it? I'll have you know, that it's training for them too. Just cause they're mundanes doesn't mean they don't get into dangerous situations. You think I'm too lazy to go out, find a demon, and kill it on my own?"
"I've yet to see you actually do it," Chase shot back. "All I'm saying is every time you go hunting, you get Michael, Karrie, or Kadan to do the work and you get the joy of killing them. Tell me, has Michael even killed a demon yet?"
"Michael is done training to kill," Jace said. His face was hard as stone. "He's training to become one of the Silent Brothers, with Clary's runes and abilities at his disposal. He doesn't take pride in killing, but in healing and knowledge. He's killed one demon, and it's haunted him ever since. He'd rather heal, learn, help, and save those who are injured than inflict injuries on others. If you can't respect that, then you don't belong in the Institute. In case you have forgotten, it is the Silent Brother's that saved you years ago, men like Michael that grew up to be strong enough to help you. So think twice before you try talking bad about my son, understand?"
All three of them were silent. Jace spoke with authority, something that he gained over time, and ever since the dealings with Valentine and Jonathan, he had gained much respect. So Emily watched as the insults that were on the tip of Chase's tongue were sucked back in, his fear of her father taking over. Unlike the other children in the family, Chase didn't grow up around her father, so it was worse for him. He had only heard stories of Jace's strength, and the fact that her father scared Chase so much was appealing. She smiled inside. Her dad was her hero, for more than one reason, and it's moments like these that she was proud to be a Herondale.
"I understand," he said in a soft voice that would've been too low for a mundane to hear. His head dipped, his hair falling in his eyes as he looked to the ground.
"Jace, I'm sorry about that," Isabelle said as she approached him. His arms were crossed over his rune, bare chest and he wasn't in a welcoming mood. In fact, he was looking at her like he would punch her. "He didn't know about Michael–"
"Isabelle, I don't care if he did or didn't. It's the same situation as when we were younger. Alec had never killed a demon until he was already at adulthood, remember?" Emily watched as the realization dawned on her Aunt, and Isabelle nodded. "Michael and Alec are a lot alike. Insulting one is like insulting the other. He should know better, considering you are Alec's blood sister."
Emily glanced at Chase, and suddenly felt bad for him. Everyone Shadowhunter on the planet feared Jace, and to be on his bad side is a death sentence. As Jace and Izzy conversed, she focused on him. His head was still down, like he was scared to look up with his hands shoved into his pockets, shoulders hunched over. Unlike Jace, and many other Shadowhunters their age, he wasn't so much as muscular as he was tall and lean. He had muscle of course, but it wasn't spectacular. As Simon put it, 'he didn't look like hit the gym to get big, but to get fit.' And now that she was looking him, he was pretty fit–
"– make them hunt together, get a feel for working with each other."
"What?" Emily screamed as she jumped into the middle of Izzy's sentence. It was rude, she knew, but she couldn't help it. "There is no way that I can work with him."
"Emily, you and Chase don't have experience working with Shadowhunters your own age, and Jace and I agree that it'll be the best for the two of you to get experience."
"But Dad," Emily whined. She knew she sounded like a child, but she didn't care. "We hate each other! Like a vampire hates a werewolf, but ten times worse. He's Jonathan, and I'm you. That explains the hatred pretty spot on."
Bringing Jonathan Morgenstern up was a brave move, but luckily, her father had calmed down over the years about him. Jace looked at Chase, who glanced back and couldn't help but nod in agreement. Then, to Emily's horror, Jace smiled. "Well, you two claim to hate each other, but you just had your first agreement. Congratulations. I think you will do just fine."
"You start training together first thing in the morning," Isabelle said. "You'll sharpen up your skills, and when you're ready, we'll put you to the test."
"What do you mean put us to the test?" Chase asked, finally speaking up for once. He didn't seem to care for the idea any more than Emily did, which was very little, if any.
"You'll see," Jace said with a smirk. Emily knew, right then and there, that whatever the siblings were planning wasn't going to be fun. It might help them in the long run, but Emily wasn't paying attention to that. She was focused on the curly haired asshole that she'd be working with, and found herself wanted to stab herself with a seraph blade.
She couldn't help but think: I'd rather deal with Valentine.
Once the decision was final, Emily stormed up to her room, not wanting to be in a room with those people for one more minute. She didn't even say goodbye to Karrie, which wasn't like her, but she couldn't care less because all she wanted to do was kill something, anything! She was supposed to get her release tonight, but no, Chase had to come in and ruin everything. If he wouldn't have been at Pandemonium in the first place, they wouldn't be in this situation.
Emily slammed her door shut, hoping that it rang through the house to indicate how royally pissed off she was. Jace and Isabelle knew how much they hated each other! They always had. When Isabelle adopted him four years ago, it was instant. That first kill, when he thought it would be funny to take hers, started the whole feud. From then, it was just broken arms, cracked rips, and endless insults whenever they were near each other. She would've been fine being the only Shadowhunter training in the Institute. Alec's kids weren't Shadowhunters and Isabelle and Simon never had children! It was perfect!
With a sigh, she collapsed on her bed, face first and lie there for Angel knows how long. It was dark, the sun long gone. She didn't want to move, didn't want the next day to come, but the knock on her door made her slowly pull her away.
Her parents stood there, looking upset about something else she must have done.
"Now," Jace said as he stepped inside. Clary followed and sat on the bed while Jace just stood, looking at her with curiosity. "You're going to explain something to me. Don't try to beat around the bush either, or I'll get the Mortal Sword out here."
"What is it?" Emily asked impatiently.
"Do you have any idea what that demon wanted to say to you?" Jace asked. "What did he look like?"
Surprisingly, that isn't what she expected. She was ready for another interrogation about the feud between her and Chase. Maybe here parents were finally over it. "He had a blue tint to his skin, with green hair, sharp teeth, and greasy looking skin. When he spoke, it kind of echoed as well."
Jace's jaw tightened. He glanced to Clary, who had a worried expression. They stared at each other and Emily was getting tired of the telepathic conversations going on.
"Does someone want to explain to me what's going on?"
Clary rose to her feet and Jace, involuntarily, pulled her into him. She clutched her husband's torso, her head barely coming up to his shoulder, and Emily was started to get nervous. There wasn't a trace of sarcasm, arrogance, or even annoyance in Jace's face. He was all business.
But it was her mother who explained. "Four days ago, a demon, the exact kind you just described, came to us in the park. We were hunting Leviathan. As you know, he was spotted in New York, and the Clave wanted Jace and I to take care of him. The demon approached us, saying he had a message."
"'Beware, for a traitor is among the Shadowhunters, one of which may not be of blood, but of family and friends,'" Jace quoted with a worried look. "We thought he was just being stupid, trying to save his skin or something, but we should've known better. And after tonight, with you spotting one–"
"We just need to be careful," Clary said. "Keep this between the three of us. Michael doesn't need to know, and neither does anyone else, including Luke, Simon, nobody. We have to figure out if this is serious, or if they're just planting ideas in our head."
Emily nodded but couldn't meet her mother's eyes. Luke's words kept running through her head. I wanted to talk to you about something, and your parents don't need to know, understand? At least, not until we figure out what is going on. How many secrets is one seventeen year old girl going to have to keep? She wondered. She wanted to tell her parents, just to get more eyes and ears on what was going on, but these two things seemed separate. The text to Conan was a threat against Shadowhunters, while this demon was saying there is a traitor. They could be linked, but they couldn't be at the same time.
"Emily, do you understand?" Jace's voice brought her out of her thoughts. "We need you to be keep this quiet. Your mother and I can handle it well enough. Just keep your eyes out for more information."
Emily nodded slowly, getting more confused internally by the second. Since when do Shadowhunters keep secrets from other Shadowhunters? She wondered. The last thing she wanted was a separation between the families, but if her parents thought it was for the best…
"As for Chase, keep an eye one him," Clary added.
"Keep an eye on him?" Emily repeated. "You think he might be a part of this?"
Jace shrugged and nodded, answering for his wife. "He hasn't been in the family as long as you and the other children. He doesn't have any blood relations, and he reminds me of Valentine, although I can't exactly figure that part out. He just worries me, and I don't like him running around without anyone watching him."
"That's why you're making me train with him?" Her voice sounded like she was angry, which she was, but she was in more of a shock and awe. "Are you kidding me?"
"You're the only Shadowhunter around his age that we can trust," Jace explained. "It's your duty to protect the Clave, Shadowhunters, and mundanes alike, no matter how much we despise them."
"How much you despise them," Clary corrected. She looked up in her husband's eyes, but he was too busy watching Emily, which was making her extremely nervous.
"What do you want me to do if he does have something to do with it?"
Jace finally looked down at Clary, then back to Emily. "Bring him to me if you think something is suspicious. I'll get out of him what I need, and I can deal with Isabelle. But you need your sleep. The three of us start training tomorrow as soon as the sun comes up."
Emily nodded and headed to the bathroom as he parents left the bedroom, shutting the door behind them. She looked at herself in the mirror, like she did every night, and was always shocked.
She was so much like her mother when it came to looks. The same pale skin, cheek bones, nose, mouth, and eyes reflected back at her. The only physical appearances she got from her father were the blonde in her hair and the extra six inches of height, which was extremely helpful. After stripping off the dress, she threw it in the hamper and jumped in the shower.
Her mind wondered as she washed up. It went from Conan, to Chase, to her parents, and even to herself. The text was disturbing, but they didn't have any leads on it. It could be any vampire or werewolf trying to prank them. The only thing that was really getting on her nerves was the demon. Her parents encountered one. Once is barely a coincidence, but twice? Something is up, no doubt about it. After twenty years of peace, why now? What was going on in downworld, or even in Shadowhunter world, that was going to cause controversy? And even then, if someone wanted a war, why would they go against Clary, Jace, and Emily? They're the three strongest Shadowhunters in the world! It would be a death wish to start a fight with them.
She didn't even realize the water had gotten to the freezing point, her skin prickling as it got colder and colder. With the towel wrapped around her, she slid out of the shower and headed towards her bedroom.
Where she froze, in her tracks, shock written all over her face. Not much can render Emily speechless or shocked, but this definitely did.
"What's going on?"
On her bed sat Magnus, dressed in his usual sparkly jackets and pants. His hair was done up with glitter, purple, blue, and red streaks mixed with the dark.
And on his lap sat Alec. Magnus, after the Mortal War, was able to give Alec immortality, so as he sat on his boyfriend's lap, he hadn't aged since the day that Emily was born. In fact, she was almost his age by now, and it was weird thinking of them as her Uncles, when in a few years she'd look older than them. Alec, unlike Magnus, was dressed in a black suit and tie, which Magnus loved. Ever since they started getting serious after the war, Alec's wardrobe changed dramatically, as did Simon's when Isabelle and he got married. It was amazing how people can influence others, Jace and Clary being the main example of that mushiness.
"Emily darling," Magnus beamed when she entered her room. He looked her over, pointing at her with one finger. "You do realize that you're in nothing but a towel. That's a bit scandalous when you have men in your bedroom."
"First of all, I'm a girl," she said as she walked to her wardrobe and started pulling out her clothes. Some shorts and a tank top would've been just fine. "Second, you're gay. And third, I don't think either of you would be comfortable checking me out while my father is just down the hall and you're technically my family."
"And you're point has been made," Magnus answered with no other retort. Emily watched through the mirror as Magnus wrapped his arms around Alec's torso, bringing him back into him like they couldn't get close enough. "But that's not why we came to talk to you."
"What did you want then?" She asked, genuinely curious.
To Emily's surprise, Alec answered. "Karrie told us about what happened at Pandemonium tonight. And we're not happy about it."
Emily froze. Luckily, her face wasn't visible and she tried to play it off quickly, slipping her shorts on under the towel and her shirt on just as smoothly, throwing the towel in the bathroom. If Karrie told them what happened, with the demon saying he had a message, Jace and Clary would blame Emily from not keeping the bloody secret.
"What about it?" She leaned against the drawer, looking calm and casual. Her father taught her plenty about hiding her emotions, and now she was finally thankful.
Alec narrowed his eyes at her. "Emily, Karrie was a captive. You were supposed to take care of her, not let her have a knife to her throat while you and Chase were canoodling."
A gush of air flew out of her lungs as she exhaled with relief. Thank the Angel, she thought. But then what he said dawned on her, and she frowned. "First of all, Chase and were not canoodling. I told him to back off, and he's the reason that the demon knew we were there in the first place. Besides, I had it under control."
"Karrie seems to think you were slightly distracted," Magnus said, wiggling his eyebrows at her.
Emily shook her head. "You're insane if you think I have a cell in my body that cares about Chase Highsmith Lewis. He could fall off the edge of the earth, never to return, and I'd be at your apartment in a heartbeat to throw a party."
Alec and Magnus exchanged looks, and shrugged. Of course, Emily thought, that was probably a little too overboard to say, but she was trying to make a point. She wasn't distracted. She was annoyed, and that's exactly why working with Chase was a bad idea.
"Either way, Karrie was in danger because of it." Alec's face was hard and worried. "Until you work things out with Chase, she's not going demon hunting with you."
"I understand," Emily said. They looked at her with confusion, obviously not expecting the daughter of Jace Herondale to be so understanding. She rolled her eyes and explained. "Jace is making me train with that asshole until we can actually work together without getting someone killed. Karrie would only be in danger if she's around the two of us. Frankly, I'm even worried about my dad being in the training room too."
"Just don't kill each other," Alec said with worry. "And keep Karrie out of it. Please."
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