A/N: First, we want to say thank you to everyone that reviewed our story and added us to your favourites! You give us the motivation to keep going! We are so sorry that this took us to update, but this was a tough chapter for us – a lot happens! As always, special shout out to our Beta
sosayscrystal – she is super! :)
DISCLAIMER: We met the fantastic Cassie Clare at a book signing in Toronto and we will never own anything of hers except for her books! Haven't met Stephanie Meyer yet, and we own nothing but her books either!
CHAPTER 4
Clary POV
When I finally opened my eyes, I was met with a dull throbbing pain in the back of my head. Grimacing, I rubbed the sore spot to ease the ache. The room was shadowed in darkness but I could faintly make out the outline of four walls that framed the room. Where was I? I thought as I sat up. I was lying on a soft, plump mattress in what appeared to be a bedroom. Scanning the room, I noticed it had a shelf full of books, a desk, and a nightstand with a lamp. Perfect, I thought. Let's see what this place looks like with some light. Before I could turn the lamp on, a surging and almost pulsing pressure washed over me, filling my head. What have you gotten yourself into now Clary? I wondered, pinching the bridge of my nose. I was missing something. How did I end up in this room? I concentrated, trying to remember how I got here, but all I was drawing was a blank.
Out of the corner of my eye I noticed something else. Something frightening; I wasn't alone in this strange room. A burst of fear rushed over me. Someone was leaning against the wall in the corner of the room, staring at with me glowing eyes. I straightened my back as I reached into my jacket to grasp my dagger, but my pocket was empty. My heart rate quickened and goosebumps covered my entire body. Deciding that I needed to see what I was up against, I reached over and turned on the lamp. There he was, a breathtakingly handsome, mysterious man, standing with his arms across his chest, completely motionless.
My eyes darted across his prominent features, starting from his shaggy, messy hair, (which was darker than Jace's but just as irresistible). He had enticing golden eyes, a straight nose, and what I would call "Jace lips", the most mouth-watering and kissable lips you could ever imagine. I sighed, and looked away from his face, letting my eyes roam over the rest of him. He was tall, not quite as tall as Jace, but he was still taller than me. He was lean, yet I could see the hard muscles through the thin shirt he wore. The only thing that looked out of place was his pale complexion. It reminded me of something, but I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was. I was so enthralled by his beauty that I had forgotten why I was so scared. He looked pretty harmless, yet why was I here? I relaxed my tense back muscles, placed my feet on the floor and stood up. We both stared at each other, not moving an inch. In fact, as I studied him further, I didn't notice him breathing at all. His chest wasn't rising and no breath escaped his lips. How could he be holding his breath for so long? I tried to smile at him to ease the situation and he responded with a crooked smile of his own, revealing his teeth; but they weren't teeth like mine. Flashes of Simon and Raphael came rushing over me. The resemblance was similar but there was a certain uniqueness about him unlike anything I had ever seen before. My breath stopped short; he was no man at all, he was a VAMPIRE.
Edward POV
"Fantastico," the woman's voice echoed in my mind. I inwardly rolled my eyes. Although it may sound conceited to admit, I was used to this reaction from females. The attractive blond offered me a shy smile that contradicted her naughty thoughts as she passed me on the street. I ignored her, but her bold thoughts followed me as I quickened my pace in the opposite direction.
Once I was clear of her line of vision, I turned on the full power of my supernatural speed and was back at my modest two bedroom apartment in a flash. I slid the key into the lock soundlessly; feeling a sense of relief as I entered my space and shut out the outside world with a quiet click of the door. It was an open concept space, with the front door leading into a small living room area, and the kitchen located off to the right. There were two fully furnished bedrooms, which was of little concern to me since I had no use for them. For the time being, the first bedroom was serving as an office, and was covered with scattered papers, photographs, and other pieces of information I had collected on the strange occurrences that had been taking place in the city. The furnishings were far from what I was used to at my home in Fork's, but it made no difference to me as belongings and possessions had ceased to hold any meaning to me since the day I had lost the only thing I loved most in the world. Bella. Still, I had to be grateful to Carlisle and his connections for securing this place for me without delay. I imagined it had cost a pretty penny to have the previous family vacate so quickly, leaving their personal belongings behind.
I headed over to the large window that offered me a breathtaking view of the sunrise over Volterra. I had a light-headed feeling and knew that I would not be able to put off hunting for much longer. A part of me welcomed the assault of pain brought on from the hunger. It was a more than suitable punishment for costing Bella her life. Without Alice around to browbeat me into hunting, I had been pushing my limits. I was hunting only when absolutely necessary. I knew it was a risk putting off the hunt, and it made the smell of human blood that much more appealing to me; but I had experience in resisting the allure, and satisfying myself only on the blood of animals. There was a small but populated forest on the outskirts of the city that I had found, and I knew that I would be paying the wildlife there a visit before the week was out. Rubbing my forehead, I replayed the week's events since my arrival in Italy.
I had only been in Volterra for three weeks, but I still found myself frustrated by my lack of progress with the mystery surrounding the city. I had spent hours examining old newspaper articles, trying to determine what facts were being kept under wraps by the local polizia, but I wasn't having much luck. The details were vague, saying only that authorities were baffled by the sudden disappearances, and that they were pleading for any and all leads to be brought to their attention as soon as possible. I smirked at this. In all of my years mingling with humans, one thing that I had learned was that they tended to keep information to themselves. It was as though they thought it was better to stay silent and invisible than to attract any unwanted attention. Fortunately for me, I had my own ways of discovering things that many wanted to keep hidden. Between reading minds and searching various crime scenes unnoticed, I had managed to come up with a few key pieces of evidence. No bodies had been discovered in any of the cases, and from what I was able to read in other people's thoughts, the authorities were leaning more towards the disappearances being more likely to be rebellious runaways since most of the victims were young male and female teenagers. It was only the obvious evidence of foul play at the scenes that was giving them pause in the runaway theory. Many of the polizia, including veteran officials were baffled by what they had found, the large amounts of blood, and the destruction left behind was not the type of vandalism that was common in Volterra.
Running over this information in my mind brought a small smile to my face. Of course, anyone that had seen the things that I had, or was what I am, could have told them that their theory of the cases being runaways was ridiculous. Being a vampire afforded me an inside view on these types of things. Runaways didn't typically leave behind a wake of destruction or mass amounts of blood. Thinking of blood made my insides contract painfully, which I ignored. Pushing aside all thoughts of hunting, I reminded myself to focus on what I needed to accomplish. It was clear to me now that no species of mine could have been responsible for the trouble here in the city. As a whole, vampires were known to crave and consume human blood, not leave it behind as a trail for others to find. Nothing about any of it made sense.
I stared out across the city, watching the locals as they went about their everyday business, darting from market to market; pausing to exchange a quick word with an amico. Watching these interactions made me long for my family. I had kept my contact with them minimal, returning calls only when Alice's voicemails reached the red alert level. Thinking of my family had started something niggling at the back of my mind. I recalled a conversation a few months back that I had with Carlisle about some rumblings he had heard about some sort of an otherworldly uprising. At the time, I was so captivated with Bella that I had barely paid attention to him, brushing off his concerns as inconsequential. I regretted it now as I wondered if it could be related to what was happening here. I realized I was slowly running out of options and that the time to pay a visit to the Volturi was fast approaching.
I began plotting out the best strategy to approach them in hopes to obtain their assistance. A sense of failure and then seething anger suddenly washed over me. I had needed to do this on my own, proving to myself that I still had a purpose in existing now that Bella was gone. I had come all the way here, only to discover that I was going to have to offer myself to the Volturi after all, and then stand idly by and hope that they would allow me to assist them in putting a stop to the mysterious disappearances. Maybe it wasn't worth it. Maybe I should have been searching for a way to get them to end my existence instead, I thought. I had heard about the brutal action they could and would take if they thought that they or any member of our race was facing the threat of exposure. Maybe if I…
Don't even think about it, Edward. I didn't finish my thought as I was suddenly listening to Bella's sweet voice in my head. I blinked and tried to focus, the sound of her voice sent me reeling. My head spun and my heart twisted as though it was caught in a fist that was slowly squeezing tightly closed.
You can't sacrifice yourself to the Volturi, you are too important! I will never forgive you! Do you want to spend an eternity knowing that you've disappointed me? I shook my head; leave it to Bella to come up with the most ridiculous reasons to get me to see her point of view. I sighed. Even though she was gone, I still couldn't deny her anything she wanted. If this would make her happy, wherever she was, the least I could do was comply with her wishes. My visit to the Volturi would be strictly business.
Thank you, Edward. Hearing those words sent me into a rage. She shouldn't be thanking me for anything! I was the reason that she had lost her life. I was the one that had failed to protect her. She was kind and beautiful and innocent; and because of me, she was gone. She was gone from this world forever. Guilt filled me as her face swam before me, her brown eyes haunting me. Suddenly the apartment was too small for me, the walls were closing in and I was lost to the rage. Seeing red everywhere I turned. Spinning on my heel, I sped towards the door, nearly tearing it from the hinges in my race to get out. I had no clear destination in mind; I used my full speed to flash by the pedestrians on the street. No one was the wiser that I was even there. Hunger was pressing in on me, I had to hunt, and I had to hunt now.
Years of self control was the only thing that stopped me from taking possession of one of the locals wandering the streets. The rage was in full force now, and I couldn't remember ever feeling so violent. The breathtaking buildings and charming cottages were lost on me as I worked my way through the city. I tried to focus my thoughts on the others around me so I didn't inadvertently ruffle someone's hair as I passed. In mere minutes I found myself approaching the rolling hills not far outside the city. I continued as the hills opened up into a clearing, lined with trees. Slowing my pace, I strained my ears, listening for the heartbeats of any nearby wildlife. At first there was nothing, which drove my frustration even higher. I began walking towards the sounds of running water, hoping to catch an animal unawares.
Ah, there we are, I thought after a few minutes of stalking. I could just make out a faint heartbeat, and immediately turned in the direction of the sound. A camoscio was lifting his head from the far side of a slow running river and beginning to retreat into the cover of the trees. Quicker than lightning, I was at the animal's side, winding one arm around its neck and using the other to encircle its torso. It let out a small squeal and I could feel its muscles quiver as it fought to gain back it`s freedom. Even in my rage, I couldn't bear to cause the animal any more pain than what was necessary, so ducking around its antlers, I savagely sunk my teeth into the base of the throat, opening the veins and relishing in the feeling of the warm blood flowing into my mouth. The camoscio twitched and squirmed beneath me, I was in a frenzy to feed as I sank my teeth deeper, draining the animal of its lifeblood as quickly as I could.
Before I could drop the lifeless animal to the ground, I heard the sound of running feet. Turning, I spotted a girl with long, curling red hair running across the clearing. She was amazingly fast, her focus so determined that she didn't spot me at all. Quickly I dropped the camoscio and tried to see what she was chasing. Seeing nothing in front of her, I decided that perhaps she was out for a run and had just simply chosen a remote area for such an activity. Shrugging dismissively, I turned back to hide the evidence of my meal when I heard it. Wings. Loud flapping wings. Slowly I lifted my head and looked up in time to see a large creature swoop out of the air towards the girl. It looked human, but also inhuman at the same time. If I didn't know better I would have said that it had the features of a feline, with pointed ears and almond shaped eyes. I wasn't close enough to see if there were whiskers but I wouldn't have been surprised if there was. It didn't make any sense. But then again, it also didn't make any sense for a human to be sprouting large, black feathered wings and chasing a girl across the countryside.
I began to run towards them, but the creature was closing the distance between itself and the girl very quickly now and I knew that I wouldn't reach her in time to help.
"Hey! Watch out!" I yelled to her, trying to warn her of the incoming danger. Surprising me, she spun around effortlessly and dispatched into the air what looked like a glowing blade. Her aim was true, catching the feline/human squarely in the chest. Unfortunately, it only gained her seconds as the creature let out a howl and pulled the blade free, tossing it to the ground a few feet away. The girl seemed unnerved; she simply turned and continued running. Too late, I realized the creature's plan. It touched down on the ground behind her and before she could react, it scooped her into its arms, preparing to take flight. I pushed myself harder and leaped towards them, catching the girl's foot just as they lifted off the ground, and yanking as hard as I could to bring them both back down to earth.
I overestimated the girl's size and the force of my pull sent her spinning from the creature's arms and onto the ground where she rolled and then laid sprawled out facedown. My rage intensified as the scenario before me brought flashes of the scene in the ballet studio back to my mind. James smirk taunted me, and flashes of Bella's broken and bloody body blurred my vision. Furious, I turned to face the creature, intent on unleashing the full force of my anger on my new victim. Yet of course, it seemed that even in that I was to be thwarted, as the creature was also sprawled on the ground unmoving. I approached cautiously, in case it was some sort of a trap. Bending over the human/feline I saw that it was not a trap at all, and the girl's blade was again buried in its chest. This time it went right through the heart. The creature must have landed on it in the fall and the girl's blade had served its purpose after all. I stood there shaking, fury pumping off me in waves.
Fighting for control, I headed back to the girl, hoping that she was alright. I didn't think I could bear it if she was injured because of me. I slowly bent down next to her and turned her over, all the while being cautious that I wasn't using too much force. She could have had broken bones for all I knew. Once she was on her back, my medical training took over and I began running my hands up and down her limbs as I searched for broken bones. Thankfully, she seemed to be intact. I started to lift her head to check for bumps, stopping short when I looked at her face. She was beautiful, wild fiery hair curled wildly around her face, but somehow seemed to suit her perfectly. She had finely shaped brows and fair, translucent skin. I found myself wondering what colour her eyes were. The rage that had so consumed me earlier began to dissipate; leaving me with a fierce feeling of protection towards this brave girl.
What had she been thinking? She was so small, yet she had faced down that creature with barely a blink. Curiosity mixed with feelings of admiration as I wondered what to do with her. She didn't have any injuries that seemed life-threatening, but there was a golf ball sized bump on the back of her head which meant that it was likely that she would be unconscious for a few hours. I could hardly leave her in an open field to recuperate. My options were limited. With a sigh, I carefully lifted her into my arms and held her close to my chest. She was soft and light and smelled faintly of wildflowers. She barely moved as I ran, but I was still careful not to shift her with my movements. I would have to monitor her and make sure that she didn't have a concussion. For now, it looked like she would be coming home with me.
Clary POV
Three weeks earlier…
You would think that by now I would be used to the free fall through the portal, but I still find that every trip is a new experience. My hands instinctively reached out searching for something to hold on to, but nothing seemed to exist in the blackness but swirling thick fog. My body glided weightlessly, turning and spiraling, giving me the illusion that I was neither falling nor flying, just hovering in the emptiness of the portal land. I prayed that I would land on something soft and dry, but knowing my luck I would either land on a prickly thorn bush or in some sort of smelly parasite infested bog. Clearing those thoughts, I tried to concentrate on my sketches. The whirlwind ride through the portal was the link to my new adventure.
My body came crashing down with a thud. A deep groan escaped my lips. Yup, that was definitely going to leave a bruise, I thought as I lifted my head up to look around. And what a view it was. The cloudless crisp blue sky filled the entire heavens. Stunning historic four story high buildings were richly coloured and spread tightly across the picturesque town. Window balconies were draped with clothing set out to dry. The cobblestone roads were jam-packed with people, sidewalk businesses and storefront restaurants. The sensational aromas escaping the little bakeries made me dizzy and lightheaded; my stomach growling in response. Stifling a moan, I slowly got to my feet. After a few minutes of staring in awe around me, I decided to follow my nose and ended up in front of a small quaint bakery. Peering through the window, I noticed a young stocky teen with dark features, standing behind the counter serving a lineup of about 10 people. The customers shouted their orders, speaking in a language I was not familiar with. The older couple in the back worked swiftly to retrieve their orders. The employees seemed to enjoy their jobs, dancing and singing folk songs in which they invited everyone to join in on. Their contagious songs were mimicked, and as the customers left the bakery other bystanders joined in and rejoiced. I felt like I was caught in some musical twilight zone.
I pulled the door open and walked inside, my eyes drawn directly to the items behind the counter, my steps pausing for a moment to inhale the tantalizing smell of fresh-baked goodies and then darting to the boy standing in front of it. When our eyes met his facial expressions rapidly changed. His happy, joyful demeanor was gone in an instant and his eyes nervously danced around the room avoiding my gaze.
"Buongiorno, che cosa posso ottenere per voi oggi," the young man said apprehensively through tightly clenched teeth.
I looked at him, not quite sure what to say as my stomach growled. I scanned the room to see what could have triggered his character change but nothing seemed out of sorts. My eyes almost popped out of their sockets when I noticed a basket on the front counter with samples of bread. My hand instinctively reached out to grab for a piece, and at the same instant, the boy recoiled back pressing his body against the wall, almost defensively. Too hungry to worry about what was happening, I greedily popped a piece of warm bread into my mouth; letting my taste buds explode with the flavours of rosemary, garlic, and butter, all melting across my tongue. It was to die for.
"Mmmm! This is delicious." I groaned. "I wish you could understand me, but I don't speak whatever language that is."
"I speak English," the boy said relaxing his shoulders and moving away from the wall.
"Really, thank god! I know this is going to sound extremely weird but could you tell me where I am?" Everyone stopped what they were doing. As all eyes turned to face me and I felt a blush creep across my face.
"Well Miss, you are in my family's bakery 'De Luca's Tasty Pastries', located in the small town of Pomarance, Tuscany. Does…anything ring a bell?" he raised his eyebrows and shot me a confused look.
"OH MY GOD!" I shouted jumping up and down with glee, "I am in ITALY!!!" "My mom is going to kill me," I said with a laugh.
Thoughts of my family invaded me, pulling me away from this reality. Guiltily, I started thinking back to previous conversations I had had with my mother and how she did what she did to protect me, sheltering me from my Shadowhunter heritage. I was nervous about how she would handle this. Then memories of Simon saddened me, he would be upset with me for leaving and not talking to him first. I worried about how Jace would be feeling once he realized that I had left and I foolishly found myself wondering if he would freak out, being so protective of me, or would he just not care at all? Thoughts of the fairy twit draped across Jace's lap, kissing him, plagued my daydream, sending a shiver down my spine.
"Excuse me miss, is everything ok?" "Can I get you something?" "Are you well?" these questions echoed in my mind bring me back to the present.
Realizing how crazy I must have looked; I nonchalantly stepped back toward the front door.
"Um…Thanks!" I all too quickly said as I raced out the door and down the street.
Running was always one of Luke's favourite types of training; in the beginning I could barely keep up to him and his werewolf speed. I made it to the edge of the long narrow street in mere minutes and was thankful for his preparation. I kept running, dodging people, cars, and mopeds; while absorbing the quaint surroundings. Finally I made it to a clearing and ducked into a nearby alleyway to catch my breath.
My mind and conscience were in a fighting battle. The one side had the understanding that I was acting a bit immature, probably overreacting and blowing this whole situation out of proportion. Who runs away to Italy? I knew I should go back home before anyone even noticed. They probably hadn't missed me yet. The other side fought back with the realization that anyone who had faced what I had been going through for the past year would be in a lot worse shape than I was. Come on, first I find out that I am part of this secret demon hunting society that my mother has been keeping from me, erasing my mind for the past 14 years. Second, I fall head over heels in love with this amazing guy who happens to be my long lost brother, and lastly my best friend in the whole world gets turned into a vampire all because me.If I hadn't introduced Simon to the Shadowhunter world, he would be safe. No matter how well I knew that he was adjusted to his vampirism, I still couldn't block the feelings that what had happened to him was entirely my fault. I broke down into tears. As I reached into my pocket to retrieve my stele, I heard footsteps approaching the opening of the alleyway. I reacted instinctively, ducking into a crouch behind the adjacent dumpster, not wanting to face any more people, hoping that whoever it was would not need to come down the deserted lane.
The sounds of heavy panting and gasps of breath echoed down the alley. Whoever it was, it was someone big. I was never one for patience; the suspense was killing me so I decided to sneak a peek over the top of the dumpster. Being too short to actually see over the bin, I stepped on top of one of the random boxes to get the added height I needed to successfully accomplish my mission. What I saw next should come to no surprise to me, being a Shadowhunter and all. But of course, with this lifestyle still being fairly new to me, the tall, full formed demon with dark blue skin, and frighteningly glowing red eyes, that were fixed on me; made me lose my balance on the cardboard box. The next thing I knew I was sending myself into a humiliating crash down onto the hard ground.
I inwardly rolled my eyes at myself as I braced to spring up in a defensive move. Just as I was about to strike, I paused and focused harder on the demon that was now standing over me and looking a bit different…"Did I surprise you, Shadowhunter?" he said looking more human than demon with normal skin and eyes. In fact, if I wasn't mistaken, he looked exactly like the boy from the bakery. I blinked. Had I imagined the demon? And how did he know what I was?
"No…I…umm…the box gave away and uhhh…whatever." I said, rising and slowly circling him. "Anyways, shouldn't I be the one asking questions? Your skin was blue, and your eyes were crimson!"
He looked down at himself, and with a cocky smirk spreading across his face said: "I don't know what you're talking about, I think you might have hit your head and now you are a little confused."
"Listen," I said shoving my hand into his chest and pushing him against the brick wall, ignoring the fact that he was a foot taller than me and had an athletic build to rival Jace's. "Don't underestimate me demon, I know what I saw. You really should explain yourself, if you know what's good for you!" I was happy that my voice sounded firm and in control.
His eye's burned crimson again. "You Shadowhunters are all the same!" the boy shouted, his breath hot against my face. "Always wanting to fight and conquer. I thought you might be different, I guess I was wrong." A bluish tint began to creep across his face. "Well, go ahead then, try sending me back to my demonic realm."
"What are you talking about?" I asked, taking a couple steps back. I didn't want this situation to get out of hand.
"Do you take me for a fool, miss? I saw the tattoos on your wrist back at the bakery; I noticed your weapons peering out of your jacket pockets. The Clave sent you, didn't they?"
"Don't be ridiculous, I'm not here to harm you. Okay?" I said reassuringly.
"What are you doing here in Pomarance then, if you not investigating the disappearances?" He questioned.
Funny, I didn't remember my mother or Luke mentioning anything about disappearances in Italy. I was sure the Lightwoods would have let us know if there were any disturbances to worry about. I felt so confused. The look on my face must have displayed my thoughts as he stood there shaking his head with a laugh.
"You're telling me that you just happened to come to my bakery, out of pure chance?" He asked.
What was this guy hiding? Was he the one responsible for these crimes? His intrusive behaviour was unsettling but I doubted that he would offer information if he was the perp. I would have to call Isabelle at the first available chance I had, to see what she knew about the missing persons and if there needed to be an investigation. First things first though, it looked like I would have to get to know this demon better to find out what he knew about the happenings in the city.
"You are correct, I am here on a personal matter but the Clave is fully aware of my entrance into the city. They always have their eyes out watching," I said lying through my teeth. I didn't want to leave myself vulnerable for an attack, who knew what this Downworlder was capable of?
"That's a relief! You know how the Clave can be…" he said with a nervous chuckle. His skin changed from dark blue back to a rich golden brown and his dark mysterious eyes retuned in a split second.
To break the uncomfortable silence, I introduced myself as Clary Fray and told him I was from New York. He introduced himself as Milo De Luca and told me that he and his family had lived in Pomarance for the past 16 years. They were the owners of the bakery where they had first met.
"Milo, can I ask you something?" I waited for him to nod. "What kind of demon are you?"
"Well, have you heard of Tarrack Demons or maybe Gri'ah Demons?" he asked.
I blankly stared at him, feeling a bit under educated as I had never heard of any demons by those names. So I simply answered honestly.
"Well to be honest, I'm not your typical Shadowhunter. Actually, I have only really being training for the past six months," I sheepishly said, not looking up to see his facial expression. After a moment, I added, "So to answer your question, no I have not heard of either of those Demons."
"A newbie, well then you're in for a treat, my story is one you wouldn't have learned in Shadowhunting school." I rolled my eyes at his ridiculous assumption. Shadowhunting school? Perhaps he had read Harry Potter one too many times. I smiled as he continued. "There's no instructor or textbook that could explain how I came to be because it is genetically impossible to mix these two species. I'm not supposed to exist, plain and simple."
He started clearing boxes, garbage and general debris. I looked at him but before I could ask him what he was doing, he sat down and patted the spot next to him and asked me to take a seat. He piqued my interest. I wondered what made him so different; I myself was unique and "special", if that's what you want to call what Valentine did to Jace and I.
"This might take awhile," he said with a laugh. "Oh, before we begin, I need to ask you something."
The way his voice trailed on the last word, sent my Shadowhunter senses into overdrive.
"I want you to know that I am no threat to you. I will not hurt you. I don't even know why I am telling you this, but I get this weird vibe from you, like something in the back of my mind reassuring me that I can trust you. Which, I know sounds completely crazy since I only laid eyes on you an hour ago and now here I am about to bare my soul to you. But I do need a favour from you. Whatever you do, please do not repeat this conversation to anyone. I mean no one. If the Clave found out about my existence, they would take me away from my home, cage me up like some horrible animal and I don't even want to think about what kind of tests they would execute. When I told you I wasn't supposed to exist, I wasn't kidding. There has never been another one of my kind in all of history. Can I trust you Clary?"
The sincerity in his eyes was undeniable. I sat there just staring at him, not saying a word. He could trust me but could I trust him? I was still a bit leery and a little apprehensive about trusting this Downworlder but it was true. I too, felt a kind of connection pulling me towards him, but not in a romantic way like I had instantly with Jace. He intrigued me and the temptation to find out more about him was irrefutable. I put my hand on his shoulder and smiled to ease his nervousness. "Milo, you can trust me, I will not tell your secret. I know how it is to have a secret that if found out by the wrong person, could be extremely dangerous."
He sighed and smiled back at me.
"I'll start from the beginning. My father was your typical Tarrack demon, full of rage and resented the world. In appearance they look completely human and in personality they are more of the wanderer type; never settling in one place too long. He left shortly after he seeded my mother, without even an explanation. My mother was a half-breed, half human/half Gri'ah demon. Gri'ah demons were once assassins to some powerful Demon King, but once they betrayed the King, they were sent into exile. Gri'ah demons have dark blue skin and glowing red eyes but they can maintain human appearances. My mother, being a half-breed looked like a human and a demon but when she would get angry or if someone agitated her, the demon blood inside would take over and she would transform into the Gri'ah demon. She was very strong for her petite body and anyone that crossed her was in for a rude awakening. I am a full mix of the two races; I have my father's mundane appearance, as well as his strength and temper. I have my mother's endurance and skin, but I am much more able to control my transformation then she was. As you saw earlier, I have the ability to change forms very quickly."
He continued to discuss more about when his mother found out that she had conceived Milo with a Tarrack demon; she tried to destroy him but was unsuccessful. It was unheard of to mix the two races. He was an abomination and she greatly feared what her child would be capable of, and that he would only cause harm in this world. She had been left with only one option. She had to wait to bear the child and then destroy it. Although when he was born and she laid eyes on him, she knew she could not bring herself to do it. Her intuition told her that he was destined for greatness. Knowing this, she decided the best way to protect him was to give him to her parents, and to then disappear from their lives. If the Clave or any clans discovered his existence, she and her family would be in danger. She faked her own death and disappeared without a trace. He went on to say that his mother was also adopted and his grandparents were unaware of his mother's birth parents. She was found on their door step, one summer morning, with only a single note attached stating what she was, but nothing more than that. He explained that his grandparents raised her like she was their own, and when his own mother put them in that very same situation, they took him in with open arms.
"Growing up as a child I knew that I was different. Normal kids don't turn blue when they have a temper tantrum, but my grandparents helped me function as a normal boy, just as they had with my mother. Raising me was a lot easier since they were more prepared this time around. They helped me control my rage and made me the man I am today. My grandparents are very humble, church going people who have worked for every penny they own. They believe hard work pays off and that everything happens for reasons that only God knows and understands."
He went on further with funny and somewhat embarrassing stories about growing up and the hardships he had encountered. He tried going to school like a normal mundane but was kicked out shortly after for fighting and was then homeschooled by the neighbour across the street from him. He and the neighbour's daughter, Theresa, were schooled together; she was only two years younger than him. I sat there enthralled with his story and was glad to see this side of him. He wasn't as scary as I had first thought. My stomach growled exceptionally louder than usual, breaking his train of thought.
"Thanks for listening; I know it is a lot to absorb. I want to take you back to the bakery to meet my grandparents and also my girlfriend Theresa. I don't know about you but I'm starving." He smiled warmly at me, and I felt the connection snap into place, we were instant friends and I couldn't be happier about it.
"Actually, could you tell me what the delicious bread is that I inhaled from the basket?" I knew I was being rude bringing up food all the time, but I couldn't help myself. It had been hours upon hours since my last meal.
"Oh, that's our homemade "panini di ramerino" or as you say, rosemary buns. You won't find any other bakery with this bread. It's my grandmother's secret recipe and she is not like me, she won't blab," he said with a snort.
Hearing him speak about his grandparents with such affection in his voice caused a wave of homesickness to wash over me.
"Milo, is there a phone at the bakery I could use? I think that I should let someone back home know that I'm still alive," I tried to sound flippant, but I could tell by the sympathetic look he shot me that I had failed in that attempt. He patted my shoulder.
"Of course, amica, come on back with me and we will see what we can do," he stood and offered his hand to me, helping me to my feet. As we began the short walk back to the bakery I found myself surprised at the way we had so easily slipped into a quick friendship. He wasn't very different from Simon, with a quick wit and a kind heart. He stopped me occasionally along the way to point out some sights he thought I might find interesting, attaching a memory from his childhood to almost everything we saw along the way.
He pulled the door open for me when we arrived at the bakery, ushering me inside. The little place was just as busy as earlier, and the joyous feeling was still present in the air as all the employees were still singing with the customers joining in. Milo grabbed my hand and lead me behind the counter and as we passed I gazed longingly at the pastries lined up on display, my stomach again growling in reaction.
"Milo! Caro mio, who do you have there?" I turned at the sound of a man's voice, in time to see a short, elderly man with thick salt and pepper hair gesturing Milo over to him. A lady appeared at his side, her head barely reaching the top of the man's shoulders. Her gray and white streaked hair was pulled back into a neat bun, and she was wiping her hands on the crisp white apron she wore. Both sets of eyes were trained on us as we headed over to them, and I felt a nervousness wash over me. Milo gave my hand a quick reassuring squeeze before leaving my side to embrace his grandfather in a one armed hug. His grandmother smiled approvingly before turning to me and regarding me with a measuring look.
"Nonno, Nonna, this is my good friend Clary. Clary, these are my grandparents, Nonno and Nonna." Milo made the introductions quickly, making it sound as though we were old friends instead of two people that had known each other less than two hours. Nonno immediately left his wife's side and folded me into a bone crushing hug.
"A pleasure, a pleasure it is to meet you Clary!" Nonna nodded her head in agreement, and the way they accepted Milo's word that I was an old friend was a testament to how much they loved and trusted his word.
"Thank you, it's so nice to meet you both too. Milo's told me so much about you," I replied, I wasn't really lying, I told myself. Milo had given me a lot of details about his family.
"American!" Nonna exclaimed. "How long will you be in the city?" she asked. I panicked. I didn't have much of a cover story prepared, so I was going to have to rely on my improvisation skills.
"Well, I haven't actually determined that yet, it's always been a dream of mine to see Italy. My mom and I decided that this would be the best time for me to travel here and explore, since I'm on a break from school and everything. I'm just going to take it a few weeks at a time and when I've seen all the places I've been dreaming about, I will know it's time to go home." I ended my babble and crossed my fingers hoping that it sounded believable. It was mostly true, who hasn't dreamed of traveling and sightseeing in Italy?
I was relieved when Nonno nodded in agreement. "When I was young, I traveled to Canada and spent three months touring and getting into mischief." Nonna raised her eyebrows at this, and he blushed endearingly. "Not too much mischief and this was of course before I met the love of my life," he finished quickly and cast a sideways look at her, making me giggle at his back peddling. Nonna seemed satisfied with this answer. Milo shook his head, letting out a giggle of his own.
"Clary, where will you be staying while you are in our beautiful city?" Nonna pierced right to the heart of my current problem. Where was I going to stay while I was here?
"Um, well I have some options…" I trailed off as I realized that I really didn't have any options at all. Or any money, or any clothes! I didn't exactly pack a travel bag as I hurtled myself through the portal. My anxiety must have been evident; Nonna took my hand and led me through a swinging door. She led the way to a small staircase, climbing nimbly despite her age.
At the top of the stairs there was a narrow hallway, and two sets of doors. Digging into her pocket, Nonna produced a set of keys, opening the closest door to us. Stepping back, she gestured me inside ahead of her. It was an apartment. Small and cozy, it appeared to be only one bedroom with a kitchen and living room area. Confused, I turned to Nonna.
"You will stay here." She didn't phrase it as a question, it was a statement of fact, and my intuition told me that even if I was in a position to argue, I wouldn't come out the winner. Nonna wasn't a woman who lost an argument. Still, my stubborn nature prevailed and I gave it a try.
"Here? But I couldn't impose on you that way; I don't even know how long I am going to stay!" She shook her head, taking a step closer to me and pointing her finger up into my face. Now I'm not that tall, but Nonna made me look like a giant. She was a few inches shorter than me, but what she lost in height she made up for in presence.
"Per amor di Dio! You are Milo's friend, so to us, that makes you family. We take care of family. You will stay here." I heard the sounds of feet behind me and realized that Milo and his grandfather were clambering up the stairs.
"What's going on?" Milo asked as he came through the door, Nonno right on his heels.
"Clary will stay here in your cousin Gianna's old apartment. She needs to be safe with family while she does her sightseeing in the city," Nonna explained it as though it had already been settled. Nonno clapped his hands together and looked delighted, and Milo was beaming at me. Could I really disappoint them? There was no other choice, I had to concede.
"Alright, I will stay, but on one condition. I would like to help out and work in the bakery in exchange," I said firmly, there was going to be no budging me. Nonno and Nonna exchanged glances and a silent conversation happened in seconds.
"Si, you can work downstairs. We will be happy to have you," Nonna nodded once and the matter was closed. She showed me around the apartment. It was quite lovely and just the right size for me. Milo's cousin Gianna had some old clothes left behind in the drawers in the bedroom that looked like they might fit. Isabelle was always shoving me into some outfit or another of hers, so if they weren't exactly my size, I wasn't really concerned. After Nonna and Nonno headed back to work, I turned to face Milo. I had one more thing to take care of.
"Milo? Can I use the phone?" I was overly anxious and I was certain that it showed on my face. What I was about to do was not going to be fun for me and I had been weighing my options since I had first asked him about a phone in the alley.
"Sure Clary, you can use the one in the bedroom. I'll give you some privacy." He smiled at me and closed the door behind him. Taking a deep breath, I sat on the bed and stared at the phone. Dread filled me. This was not a conversation I was looking forward to. I already knew that I was going to be lectured worse than I ever had been. Sighing, I picked up the receiver and began to dial. It rang a few times before someone picked up.
"Hi, Simon. It's me Clary." There was a long pause before he answered and I heard his breath let out in a whoosh.
"Clary! Where are you? The farmhouse? Are you okay? Everyone has been so worried! One minute you're there in the bar and then I turn around and you're nowhere to be found. I've been calling and calling your cell," Simon's exasperated voice reached out through the phone line and pushed me farther and farther into feeling guilty for having left in the first place.
"Slow down Simon! Yes I'm fine, and no I'm not at the farmhouse. You probably won't believe a word I'm going to tell you, but Simon, I'm in Italy." I said it as quickly as I could, but I wasn't prepared for the dead silence that I was met with. A few silent seconds passed and I closed my eyes, knowing what was coming.
"YOU'RE WHERE??? Clary, what are you doing in Italy? Have you completely lost your mind? How did you even get there? I know you, and you certainly don't have an emergency money fund large enough to pay for a flight there! Or if you do, you really should have found another way to let me in on the secret!" I could only remember one other time that Simon had yelled at me, it was when he had inadvertently declared his love for me, and couldn't understand my senseless reaction.
"Simon, Simon stop! Please just listen to me. I didn't secretly plan to come here okay? It just sort of well…happened, and then I was here, and I can't very well up and leave now that Milo's grandparents are letting me stay in their apartment. How rude would that be? I-" I didn't finish my sentence as Simon interrupted me in a fury.
"APARTMENT?? Who is Milo? You moved to ITALY and didn't even tell me?" I held the phone away from my ear so I wouldn't go deaf from his shouting.
"Of course I didn't move to Italy, stop acting so crazy, Simon and let me explain." Sighing, I started at the beginning, going back to the night at the bar when I caught Jace with that horrid kelpie girl, all the confusion with Sebastian, my tumble through the portal and about Milo and his family. I edited the parts about Milo's identity, staying true to my word to keep his secret. It took a long while to get through the whole story as he kept interrupting, peppering me with questions. When I was finished, I sat back against the headboard, suddenly exhausted.
"Seriously Clary, I can't believe that you are really in Italy without me! It's completely unfair. And that you plan on staying! What am I supposed to tell your mother?" Simon sounded as exhausted as I felt.
"Well about that, I was thinking that you could just tell her that I am actually at the farmhouse, taking some time to myself to work on my art. She would flip out if she knew that I was here," I said calmly, I had to make sure that he saw things my way.
"Lie? You want me to lie to your mother? Now I know that you've lost it! She's a Shadowhunter, I can't lie to her. I just can't do it, and that's final." I smiled, I could picture him in my mind pacing around and running his fingers through his hair.
"Simon, you are one of the Night Children now. A vampire, for goodness sake; and you're telling me that you're too afraid to lie to my mother? Oh well, I guess I will have to rely on Jace after all." I bit back a giggle; I knew it was just what I had to say to convince him to do what I wanted.
"Afraid? Who said I was afraid? You do not have to rely on Jace over me!" He shouted into the phone. Success was in my reach, I could feel it, and I didn't have to wait long for him to give in.
"Fine, I will do it, but only because you are my best friend. Remember this moment, because when I ask you for the biggest favour of your life, I better not hear any complaints from you Fray." Simon tried his best to make his voice sound menacing but his effort was lost on me. I didn't let him know that of course.
"Thank you Simon! I don't know what I would do without you. I-" He surprised me by cutting me off.
"Don't thank me yet, I'm not done. I want you to promise me that if there is any trouble, anything at all that you will call me for help immediately. Clary, if anything happens to you while you're there, I will never forgive you. Even if you don't call me, call Magnus or Luke or someone okay? Promise me!" The worry was evident in his voice and the easiness I had been feeling slipped away and was replaced by guilt snapping by in place.
"Okay okay, I promise. Please don't worry, I really am fine. I'm sorry but I have to go, love you!" I quickly ended the conversation, realizing that I was using Milo's phone.
"Love you too, Fray. Be careful." When the connection broke, I felt a mixture of sadness and relief. Still, I knew that contacting someone at home was the right thing to do. After a few minutes, I pushed myself up off the bed and headed back downstairs to begin the next part of my adventure.
The next three weeks passed in a blur, between learning the ropes at the bakery, sightseeing with Milo, and trying to find some alone time to keep up with my training. Everyone at the bakery had welcomed me with open arms. They spent time showing me around, and helped me learn how to make the delicious pastries. Nonna complained that I was far too skinny and made it her life's mission to fatten me up, feeding me meal after marvelous meal. Milo and I continued to grow closer as friends, and he did eventually introduce me to Theresa, a beautiful brunette. She was kind and polite, but I could sense her skepticism about my presence in Milo's life.
It was a bit of a struggle to find the time to break away to train, but I managed. The last thing I wanted was the vigorous training that I had done with Luke to go to waste. I had found a clearing not far outside the city, and it had served as the perfect place for me to practice my skills. As I was heading there through the city on a sunny morning, I was met with a shock. There was a strange sound coming from the sky, and for some reason it had my senses tingling. Glancing up, I couldn't see anything, so shrugging it off, I continued on my way. It was very early, with few locals moving about the streets. I had found that it was the only way that I could leave the house without being stopped by Milo's grandparents and bombarded with questions or suggestions of where I should spend my time.
When I was just at the edge of the city, I again heard the sound, but only much louder this time. I stopped and looked up into the sky again, and my mouth fell open at what I saw. It was a ShiShi demon, flying over top of the city. I had learned about it in my training, but had never seen one. What was it doing here, in Italy? It was definitely circling the city that much was clear. I spent a few seconds blinking before springing into action. There was no way that I could let it land in the city and carry out whatever plan it had. Whistling loudly, I waited until it spotted me and then took off running, sending a silent prayer to Luke and my mother and even Jace for pushing me to train harder all those weeks.
I could hear the flapping of the demon's wings and knew that it was following me. On and on I ran until I reached the clearing, and quickly made a beeline for the trees. I thought I heard shouting in the distance, but I didn't slow down to investigate. I relied on my senses, and when I felt it was the right time, I skidded to a stop, jumping up and executing a flawless spin in the air that would have made any Shadowhunter proud, Jace included. Drawing my seraph blade from my pocket, I took aim and launched it at the demon. I did a silent cheer as the blade buried itself in the demon's chest. I planted my feet, ready to take it on when it hit the ground, but that wasn't to be the case as it simply pulled the blade free and tossed it carelessly to the side.
"Damn," I muttered as I turned and took off running again. I had to get this thing into the cover of the trees. Unfortunately, having a seraph blade stab it in the chest must be what really sets these things off, as it picked up speed and caught me in no time. It wrapped its arms around me and with a flutter of its wings, took off into the air. I had a second to let out a frightened scream before I felt something cold and strong wrap around my foot, and with a surge of strength pull me back to the ground. The earth rushed up to meet me and I hit with a thud; pain searing through my head as I landed. I rolled a few times before stopping; every part of my body feeling like it was on fire. I lifted my head to see what had happened, but all I could make out was the shadow of a man coming towards me. I knew I had to try to get up but my body protested any movement at all, I managed to raise my head an inch, and then the blackness claimed me.
A/N: Whew that was a long one! Please review and let us know what you think! We love hearing from everyone. Thanks for reading :)
Ari and B
