By the Angel, can't they stop talking for just ten seconds? I sighed.
I was walking with the company from New York towards Bella Notte's place. She was one of the four most powerful warlocks in London, but she came from Italy. When I had first heard her name, my thought was: Good thing her name isn't Bouna. It would be too obvious.
She lived in somewhere in Chelsea, near Tottenham Court Road. We didn't know her exact address, but I doubted it would be a big problem to find her house. Warlocks had their ways of expressing themselves, which mostly occurred in their way of life. Almost every warlock I had heard of loved to spend money, especially on their homes, so they looked too exaggerated. I hoped Bella was in that category too.
But, while walking down the road, I was getting more and more irritated by my accompaniment. They just didn't stop talking. They admired the streets and buildings, laughed at British accent of people around us, made jokes about the guards in front of Buckingham's Palace and how to make them laugh, talked about shopping.
My dear quiet parabatai, how could you have done this to me? I thought ironically. I'm doing this to save your ass. You owe me big time.
Amelia and Thomas went to Newham to see the other warlock, named Jeff Goldmayer.
Before we had left, they had said that we all had to be back in three hours. If one of the groups didn't return, the other one would look for it.
"Could this be the house?" I said loudly, interrupting their conversation.
The house had orange walls with blue windows. Its roof was red, so it looked almost comical. Around it was a garden in which grew plants that most certainly didn't grow in ordinary gardens. I could notice some carnivore plants, big enough to swallow a human child. If that was the house, I didn't even want to imagine its owner.
"It's really ... colourful." Jace said. "If it had sweets on its wall, I'd be completely sure we found the witch from Hansel and Gretchen."
"Maybe you could knock on the door and see if you're right. Maybe she'd cook you for dinner." I said, leaving them behind and going towards the door.
I just wanted to find some useful information, kill the one who summoned the demons and finish this. I knocked firmly on the blue door.
After few seconds of waiting, the door opened, its wood creaking. I found myself staring at a little girl, not more than eight years old. I lowered my gaze, looking into her eyes, green like an emerald.
"Hello." I said calmly. "Is this Bella Notte's house?"
She nodded and her brown hair shook a bit.
"Can we see her?" I asked, hearing the other's steps coming closer.
The girl suddenly laughed at a joke I didn't understand.
"If you're not blind, of course you can." her voice was real child's voice, but the brilliance in her eyes wasn't. You could see ages passing in them, years of living, loving and hating.
I realized now what was so funny, but I kept my face expression serious.
"Can we ask you few questions?"
Her gaze studied my face.
"I don't like to be questioned, especially not by Nephilim." she spat the last word like a curse.
"That probably means you're hiding something." Jace said the same words I was thinking about.
"In the case you haven't noticed, Shadowhunter, Downworlders don't like you very much." she said with poison in her voice. "We've had enough of your arrogance, your thoughts of being kings and queens of the world just because some angel decided that you should exist. We were here long before you and, believe me, we were far better without you."
"I can easily believe that." Jace wasn't distracted by her insults. "Those were the times. Free and endless hunt-seasons on mundanes."
"Better times than they are now." she said and closed her eyes, like she was remembering some event from those times.
But, I didn't have any intention to leave without any answer.
"The reason we've come is connected to the events from last few weeks." I said and Bella opened her green eyes again.
"A lot of things have happened in last few weeks, Shadowhunter." I hated the smirk that followed her words. "You'll have to be more precise."
She was provoking me, trying to make me free my rage. I knew that would be a bad idea. The Clave already had enough reasons to punish me, I didn't have to offer them more.
"Someone in this town summons demons." I kept my voice calm.
"Like that's something new." she interrupted me, her eyes filled with boredom.
Stay calm, Sam. I warned myself. Don't let that bitch annoy you. It will piss her off if I just stay calm.
"More demons than ever has been summoned." my voice didn't change. "There were five attacks in a week. Someone's trying to wear us out."
"I don't see why I should care." her voice was now cold, without any fake sweetness.
"My question is if you know anything about the person who's doing that." I was aware that my words suggested she wasn't a suspect. But, she was.
She shook her head.
"I have no idea who's doing that."
"But, have you heard something about it?" Isabelle spoke. "There must be some gossips going around among warlocks. Has anyone talked about having revenge on Nephilim?"
"We all talk about it from time to time, but nobody has planned anything serious for now." Bella said, her green eyes wandering from one of us to another. "But, I've talked to Jeff Goldmayer few weeks ago. He said someone had come to see him, making enquiries about his ability of summoning demons."
"Who was that?" curiosity overwhelmed me.
She shrugged her shoulders.
"He didn't know. The person who came wore a hood, so he didn't see the person's face. The person whispered the whole time, so he couldn't even recognize if it was he or she by voice. But, he saw few curls of blond hair that had fallen out of the hood."
"Blond hair?" Jace asked with concern in his voice. "Like mine?"
Bella studied him for a second and then shook her head.
"Lighter than yours, almost silver, Jeff told me. But, he's not the only one who's been paid a visit. Few other London's warlocks also spoke about it."
"And you've never seen someone who fits that description?" Alec asked the last question I wanted to ask.
She shook her head once again.
"Nobody had come to my door asking about demons before you did. And if it did, I'd say no. I don't like to interfere in business with demons. I even prefer you to them."
We said nothing to that. We obviously couldn't find out more from her. There was always a possibility that she had been lying, but I had no such feeling. She didn't like us and she made it clear through her every word, but it wasn't in her interest either that demons walked through London without any distraction.
"Okay, thank you for your help." I said and nodded.
But, my manners didn't impress her. On the contrary.
"Don't be a fool, Shadowhunter. The only reason I told you this is because I'll choose the less evil in this situation." it was unbelievable how such cold words and gaze could come from a child's face. "I'll let you walk away without paying any price now. But, next time I won't be so gracious."
Just walk away, just walk away. I said to myself and, luckily, listened to my own advice.
We went back through the garden and then we were back on the London's streets. I thought about everything we had heard, but kept my thoughts to myself. As opposed to me, the New Yorkers talked among themselves, thinking I wasn't paying attention. But, I was.
"Do you think it could be him?" I heard Clarissa's voice.
"It's been seven months since we last saw Jonathan. It's enough time to plan a revenge for what happened in Idris." Jace replied.
Jonathan? But, he couldn't do it. He was with me all this time. I thought, but said nothing and continued to listen.
"I have to tell you, I hope it's him." Isabelle's voice was full of anger, but also pain. "He still hasn't paid for killing Max."
Killing Max? I thought, suddenly breathless. Jonathan had killed somebody. I didn't know why I was so surprised. He told me himself that he had done things that can't be forgiven. What did I think? That he killed a mosquito when it walked down his skin?
I had never killed anyone who wasn't a demon. I had never thought of it, no matter how irritated or afraid I was, especially by Downworlders. I was protecting lives, not destroying them. And my parabatai, the one who protected my life, had taken somebody's life. And I had no idea how many lives he had taken beside that one.
Doubts rose in my mind. I had known where Jonathan was most of the time in seven months we had spent together, but not all the time. He could have sneaked out of the Institute when nobody watched him. I didn't read his mind. He could be planning revenge without me knowing about it. It hurt to find out how poorly I knew my parabatai.
"If he's responsible for this, he'll pay." Alec put his hand gently on his sister's shoulder.
"He will." Jace joined Alec. "We won't let him get away this time. If it's necessary, I'll ask Sam for help."
"What for?" Clarissa's voice was slightly panicked.
For a second, I had to force myself to hold back a laugh. She's so possessive.
"For fight against Jonathan." Jace ignored hidden jealousy in her voice. "I know you're my parabatai, Alec, but she's ... how to put it ..."
"She's better fighter than me, I get it." surprisingly, Alec didn't sound offended.
"Yes." Jace confirmed. "I don't think even Jonathan could handle both of us."
I suppose he couldn't. I thought almost sadly in my mind. I have to talk to Jonathan the moment we come back. I can't support him if he's as bad as they say, but he's my parabatai. I have to give him a chance to explain.