Winter that year in the valley was harsh and unforgiving. More than once, Cynthia resorted to sitting before the fire in the living room and spending the night there. Icicles hung from outside her window and snow lay thick upon the ground, making it next to impossible to go outside from the doors being blocked up.

Cynthia never told Jace that her last visit was on her eighteenth birthday. She wanted no fuss, to forget that she was getting older by the passing day. But then, he'd recently turned seventeen as well.

And she never fell in love with him. Sure, she adored him, but it never went further than that. She wouldn't allow it to. If there was a risk of never being able to see him again, she wouldn't risk it. Not after getting her best friend back so soon.

"Stop poking me with your damn toe Jace."

"Make me."

Cynthia scoffed as she turned around, letting her eyes narrow playfully. "I will cut it off." there was a snigger and Jace lay back on the bed, closing his eyes "I'd kick you in the face."

"And ruin my gorgeous looks?"

"What gorgeous looks?"

Cynthia slapped his leg, getting pushed off the bottom of the bed with a foot to her side.

They were still eight years old at times, the way they acted. And Cynthia certainly had no regrets. It was nice being able to mess around and be an idiot for a few hours with someone.

"I will tie you up and braid your hair back Jace, so help me." She muttered under her breath, climbing to her feet and folding her arms, an eyebrow rising. Jace was smirking broadly up at her as he sat up "It's almost six. You staying for dinner?"

Cynthia sighed, her expression sad as the boy stood up to face her. She shook her head "I can't."

"I swear Izzy didn't make it."

"I believe you. I just have to be home a little earlier. Don't wanna miss my Portal, do I?" Cynthia pouted, taking Jace's hands into her own and swinging them a little "My aunt would never let me come again, or pay for me to come here."

God I hate the lies Cynthia just thought as she finished. Jace rolled his eyes and groaned, pulling his hands from her own "Fine. Fine. See you next month then." He was trying to not look bothered by it, but Cynthia knew better.

"See you next month Misery." She just told him, reaching up and poking the tip of his nose. Jace looked skeptical. "I remember last month."

Cynthia groaned, rolling her eyes "Don't remind me."

"You found out I was parabatai with Alec and stormed off. Ring a bell?"

She ignored his words "I'll see you next month."

"Wait-" Jace said hastily, catching her hand as she went to leave "I just want you to know we couldn't have been parabatai anyway. Because I-"

Cynthia scowled at that, yanking her hand away. "Thank you Jace. This visit was lovely. See you soon."

"Just let me finish." Jace snapped and Cynthia waved a hand, utterly ignoring him as she stormed out, saying a hurried Goodbye to Isabelle as she passed her in the hall, causing the girl to spin round on the balls of her feet, a goodbye of her own stopping dead in her throat.

Cynthia hurried down the sidewalk, glancing around to make sure no one was looking and dipping her hand into her pocket, pulling out her ring that she'd stolen from Jonathan as he'd slept the night he'd taken it. She twisted it and vanished.

-LightInYourNightmare-

Cynthia growled to herself as she shrugged off her thick warm coat, hanging it up, ignoring the white haired boy sat upon the sofa with a book in his hand. He hadn't even looked up, but he did say in a tone that suggested she'd just walked into the room "Snogged him yet?"

"Fuck off Jonathan." She snapped back, kicking off her boots and throwing one at him that he batted away with his book.

Cynthia was thankful that Valentine had allowed her to abandon the whole plan of attempting to seduce Jonathan. Six months had passed since then, six times she had visited Jace.

And she made a habit of avoiding Jonathan wherever possible, which wasn't difficult, for each of their purposes seemed to be different to the others. Cynthia ignored the feelings that rose up inside her whenever she saw Jonathan, met his midnight eyes or sparred with him. No she just told herself repeatedly You are not allowed to fall in love with a demon boy.

Cynthia just swore to herself the day after Valentine had made it clear he wouldn't let her fall for Jace that she wouldn't love either of them. So silently, she suppressed any attraction to either boy, trying to think of Jace as just an old friend, and Jonathan as her partner in battle.

More than once, Cynthia had considered asking Jonathan if he wanted to be parabatai. But she kept talking herself out of it, because there was one little problem- you couldn't love your fighting partner. At first she had thought it perfect. She couldn't love him if they did that anyway. But then she talked herself out of it… and Jonathan turned eighteen.

Cynthia kicked herself internally; it was too late. They were too old for it.

But then, would she really have wanted to be linked to him? No. No way in hell.

She had no doubts though that Jonathan would have said Yes. With or without those twin runes that linked them, they were already a pair of warriors that fought well together.

It was just one great big mess inside Cynthia's head.

"Where is Father?" she asked the demon boy in a grumpy voice. He turned a page over and just went "Headquarters."

"You mean New York?"

"Where else, idiot? That Blackwell Island."

Cynthia snorted and stared down at him "I'm not an idiot."

"Also, he has a message for you."

She blinked "What is it?"

"Say 'please.'"

"Go fall on a seraph blade."

Jonathan chuckled and closed his book, glancing up at her "Get your coat back on. He wants us both over there." He tossed his book aside and got to his feet, stepping over to the hallway and grabbing his long black coat, tossing Cynthia her own back. She caught it with an exasperated sigh "Great. Back into the cold."

"Whiny." Jonathan just said as he pulled his own on, and Cynthia noticed something

"Did you steal Father's ring again?"

Jonathan glanced down and chuckled lightly, holding his hand up so the Morgenstern ring caught the weak sunlight filtering through the windows. "He gave me it this morning" he said, almost smugly, rubbing it with a finger to make it shine.

"By the end of the week, he'll have taken it back." Cynthia sniggered, walking over to face Jonathan. He was taller than her by an inch or two, the same height when she had high heels on. His pale hair was damp too she noticed. Maybe he'd been outside where the snow was falling thickly. "Now, are you getting us there or am I?"

A smirk twitched onto Jonathan's face and Cynthia didn't react as he laced his fingers with her own, saying "You can." She said nothing, but she raised her hand and twisted the ring upon her finger, vanishing once more.

-LightInYourNightmare-

Cynthia had never liked visiting what Valentine called his Circles headquarters. It was big and stuffy to her, something she didn't like.

The man himself was stood in the main room at the top floor, staring out of the window at the far end of the room. "Ah, Jonathan, Cynthia. At last." He turned to the pair and Cynthia smiled at her adoptive father. "Good afternoon Father."

Jonathan rolled his eyes- daddies girl.

Valentine didn't look at his son as he said "Jonathan, go down and ask about where dinner is."

The demon boy blinked, as if he wanted to ask if he was a servant now, but left without a word. A pause later and Valentine added "Take a seat Cynthia."

She shrugged her coat and hung it on the back of her chair, taking a seat on Valentines right as he took the seat at the head of the table. "You look tired" she noted and he sighed lightly, nodding "I'm exhausted."

"Surely you can take a day off and rest? No one is invincible. Not me, not Jonathan, and not you."

Valentine just gazed at her at that. He leaned forwards a little and shook his head a fraction "If only you were born a Morgenstern."

"Aren't I already your daughter?"

"Yes you are. You have no Morgenstern blood, but that changes nothing. You are my daughter, Cynthia, and I am proud to call you that."

Cynthia paused "What about Jonathan?"

Valentine drew a wineglass towards him before answering with "Jonathan is my son."

She snorted quietly and folded her arms, leaning backwards in her seat "You are ashamed of him. Because of what he is. I'm not an idiot."

At her words, Valentine narrowed his eyes a tiny fraction "Hold your tongue, Cynthia."

"Why? I know I'm right." Cynthia said stiffly. But before the man could answer, Jonathan returned with "They're bringing it up right now."

"Good. Sit down."

Jonathan took a seat next to Cynthia who still hadn't looked at him. He pulled a glass towards him along with the decanter and poured some wine into it. There was utter silence until dinner was bought up and Jonathan said in amusement as he picked up his fork "Isn't this nice? A family meal altogether."

"Shut up and eat." Cynthia said pleasantly, raising her own cutlery and cutting into a chicken breast smothered in gravy.

Silence fell once more but for the sound of clinking cutlery. Cynthia wondered just why Valentine wanted them to have dinner altogether like this. It wasn't usual for him to do this. She usually sat alone in the dining room, occasionally with Valentine if he was home. Jonathan ate in his room or somewhere else.

Cynthia knew Jonathan would attempt something to disrupt the meal, but she certainly wasn't expecting him to let his hand wander up the inside of her thighs under the table. In a purely reflexive action, she rammed her knife down into his hand that lay upon the table.

Jonathan let out a yell, hand immediately leaving her thigh and yanked the knife from his hand with a long string of curses. Cynthia snarled at the boy, getting to her feet "You dare grope me under the damn table?!"

"I wasn't groping! Did you have to stab me?!"

Cynthia was about to yell once more when the man at the head of the table stood up, eyes blazing. All of his usual coolness and patience was gone as he growled out "Both of you, shut up. I have the most vexing headache and I cannot think straight with you two bickering! Again-! Get out of my sight!"

They both fell silent at that, Cynthia for one was surprised; he never went off on one like that. She knew he had a headache, but it must have been a killer one to make him go uncharacteristically angry at them. He was never, ever one for ranting. But he didn't wait for them to leave as he got to his feet, shoving the chair roughly backwards and walking out of the room with his dinner untouched.

Jonathan growled to himself as he pulled out his stele and drew a rune over his bleeding hand, sending Cynthia a truly filthy look. She said nothing but got up herself and left, her own head ringing.

It was as she left that she realized just how fast she'd gotten angry. It was in a snap, a second instinct that had come naturally.

And that wasn't like her at all.