Wow. Two chapters in two days! I was absolutely dying to get this chapter finished and posted. It's definitely my favorite so far. I'd like to say thanks to everyone who's reviewed, followed or favorited this story! It makes my day!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything- it all belongs to Cassandra Clare.
Clary hurled the seraph blade at the final demon, taking out the last of the four. Dark ichor splattered onto the ground as Clary tucked her hair out of her eyes in characteristic gesture. Aline brushed herself off. "Nice." She nodded to Clary. "Let's get out if here." They were in Central Park, near one of the entrances to the faerie court. They started trudging off through the muddy grass to the subway. "Hey, Aline," Clary begun hesitantly, "Have you ever met Shadowhunters around our age called Alec or Isabelle?" Aline frowned. "No, I don't remember meeting anyone like that in Idris. I'm pretty sure the head of the New York Institute has a kid called Alec though." Clary sighed. Probably not them. They reached the street. "Any new runes lately?" Aline asked. "One. I can't figure out what it means though. Can I show it to you?"
"Fine by me." Clary got out her stele. They were glamoured, but she still glanced around to check if anyone was watching. She set the tip to a stone wall and drew, letting her mind relax. "There." Aline squinted at it. "Huh. That almost looks like a binding rune, combined with the heating one."
"Yeah," Clary replied absently, considering what it could do.
As they hopped on the subway, Clary saw a flash of gold in her peripheral vision. She spun quickly, her boots squeaking loudly on the hard floor, but saw nothing except the dingy interior and the regular crowd. Besides, they were glamoured. No ordinary human would be able to see them anyway. "Are you ok?" Aline asked. "Yeah. I just thought I saw something." Clary frowned, grasping the pole jutting up from the floor to keep her balance. She was still carefully scanning the carriage. Today was all about confusion it seemed. Her eyes roamed over a couple of goth-like teenagers, dressed all in black clothing with dark tattoos. She moved on. And then snapped back. Grace. The rune had jumped out at her. Runes! "Aline." She mum muted softly but urgently. "Look at the people to your left. Casually, quickly- just glance." Aline did as she said. "So?" She whispered. "Runes. And gear." Clary explained as quietly as she could. Aline glanced again, and her expression turned incredulous. "Our stop's next. You might want to grab your stuff." Clary said loudly, waiting to see if they looked over. One did. A dark haired boy with brilliant blue eyes. Clary found herself analyzing his features in an artist's perspective until it was all she could do not to gasp loudly. She knew that boy. Alec Lightwood. One of the few people Jace allowed near him. And sure enough sitting next to him was Jace. "Oh my god." Clary mumbled to herself. She overheard Jace and Mr. Starkweather's conversation, but having confirmed that there were 3 more Shadowhunters at her school- at least- was a slap in the face. How could she have missed this? "Clary!" Aline was shaking her. "What?" She snapped out of her reverie. "This is our stop!" Aline looked as if this wasn't the first time she'd said- or the second. Clary quickly leapt up and off the subway. "That was strange." Aline thought aloud. "I assumed that there weren't anymore Shadowhunters in this area." Clary still felt shocked.
"Isabelle!" A loud voice bellowed across the platform. Clary turned for a second- just in time to see Isabelle Lightwood zip past, in four inch boots no less. How could she hunt with those on? But, more importantly, why had they got off at the same station as her? Merely a coincidence? She steered herself and Aline closer to Alec and Jace. "...Still registering demonic activity outside the station." Clary's ears perked up. Where there demons around here? She jerked on Aline's arm quickly, her eyes zeroing in on Jace and Alec and seeing nothing else. "What?" Aline hissed, annoyed. Clary was too caught up to really care. "See those Shadowhunters? They were talking about demonic activity outside the station." Aline's eyes lit up the way Clary knew hers were right now. "As in, this station?" She grinned. "Probably." Clary began discreetly following them, knowing that if Alec, Jace or Isabelle caught sight of them it was all over. Aline was following so closely Clary could feel her, and her heart was pounding, but not because of the hunt. The real reason she was so excited was that she finally might have found some other Shadowhunters at her school. Other people to share the weirdness of the shadow world with. Other people to draw runes for her, to watch her back. Finally. After so many years of bearing it alone, she had found them. Clary held her breath and followed Jace and Alec up the grimy stairs that led outside.
They were arguing about Jace's tendency to go through girls like a person with the flu goes through tissues.
Somehow, Clary thought that they might be talking about something more interesting. Like, you know, the upcoming battle (hopefully). "Jace, you can be such a pig." Isabelle rolled her eyes dramatically. "All I'm saying is that you could at least be more considerate when you break their sad little hearts." Clary noticed the set of Jace's shoulders. This was clearly not something he liked to talk about. "Yeah well, they know what they're getting into when the go out with me. And if I were you, I wouldn't be talking, Iz." Isabelle huffed and looked guilty at the same time, and she should have looked hideous, but it only improved her looks. Sometimes, Clary would notice Simon staring at her- not often, but often enough- and she felt a spike of protectiveness. Isabelle was a heartbreaker. Clary came back into the present as she noticed Alec stand up ramrod straight, startlingly different to his normal slumped posture. "Guys." He whispered so softly that Clary had to strain her ears to hear him. It was evident that the others didn't. "Guys!" He said, louder this time. Clary gasped when she saw what he saw, and Aline's Sensor started going crazy in her hand. It was a group of about 14 Eidolon demons, all in human form. Jace and Isabelle finally shut up and everyone- Clary and Aline included- started to pull weapons from their belts. "Only intervene if you have to," murmured Aline, and added very softly, "which we probably will." Clary had taken on packs of demons this big before, but it was still rare. While they still had time, she slid her stele out and marked herself up again, and did the same for Aline. Sure footedness. Strength. Night vision. The sun was sinking quickly behind the buildings, adding a dream-like aura. With a cry, Jace leapt forward and swung his seraph blade at the closest demon. Clary's heart was pounding so hard she could feel it in her fingertips, and adrenaline was running through her veins in anticipation of the battle. Her body was coiled like a cat's, ready to spring, muscles tightening in anticipation. Alec and Isabelle plunged into the battle after Jace, a frenzy of slashes and limbs everywhere. Then suddenly, a cry. Alec's blade was knocked from his hand and he was reaching for another, but Clary could already see he wasn't going to get to it quick enough. She sprinted forward, whispering a name- 'Sansavi'- and as the glowing blade sprang from it's hilt, she plunged it deep into the demons chest. With a hollow cry, it folded in on itself and disappeared, leaving only stains of dark ichor behind. Alec gaped at her for a couple of seconds as she tossed the used seraph blade and grabbed a new one, yelling "Sanvi!" That seemed to jerk him into action, and he brought forth the weapon that he had his hand on for a good ten seconds. Aline had run forward too, and they were ploughing through the demons. Clary could feel the battle euphoria kicking in, time seeming to slow as she slashed and kicked. When she reached down for another weapon, her hand met empty air. Realization set in quickly. They had only brought enough weapons to deal with two demons- on the cautious side of course- but nevertheless, there weren't enough. The rune flashed up in her mind's eyes again. Clary reached for her stele. "What the hell are you doing?" Isabelle shouted, her whip already slinging back. But the demon moved to quickly. Clary ignored her and quickly drew the rune on the ground. Again, again, her mind urged her. She ran as hard as she could to the opposite side of the battle, about 3 meters away. About three- quarters of the way there, a hand pulled her up by the back of her gear. "Where do you think you're going, Clarissa Fairchild?" A demon hissed. She kicked and punched as hard as she could, but it had little effect on the demon. It reared back its head, revealing rows of glistening teeth- poisonous for sure. Clary screamed loudly. Someone appeared behind the demon, but it was already bringing its teeth down. She jerked out of the way, but not far enough. The teeth clamped down on the back of her leg. It was pure agony. The pain tore through her body and then- subsided a little. She dropped to the ground. The battle was still raging on behind her, the group only having killed about half of the demons. Whoever saved her was yelling at her. "Clary, stop moving!" She was pulling herself towards her stele. Clary grasped it in her clammy palm, and started drawing, quickly and clumsily. As soon as she was finished, howls of pain ripped through the sounds of combat. The demons, Clary saw, were trapped in their spots and heating very quickly. In, fact most of them were on fire. They disappeared, one after the other, leaving only four shocked Shadowhunters staring down at her. Darkness was sweeping through Clary's mind, until finally, she could hold on no longer.