A/N: Here's a short chapter that I just wrote tonight. I will continue the previous series, but I just wanted to do something quick. The first couple of parts are in the present, and the latter couple are in the past…
Kellan had almost grown used to the meetings with the Seelie Queen, at the Queen's audience chamber. It was no longer as strange seeing the Queen, or talking to her casually, and his nerves at meeting with her had started to fade, as well.
There had been a pause in their conversation, as the Queen spoke quietly with a guard who had approached her, and Kellan turned away to watch as a pretty sounding bird landed on one of the ancient trees. He knew the Queen was busy, so he didn't mind the interruption, and nor did he try to strain to make out what they were saying. The bird ruffled its feathers, before letting out another trill, and Kellan smiled, his mind wandering to the time Ethos had shown him some birds in the Seelie.
"Kellan?"
The Queen's voice drew him from his ponderings, and he turned back to face her. It was strange thinking of her as his mother, and he could not bring himself to call her that, even in his thoughts.
"Are you comfortable here, in the grotto where you are staying?" she asked, and he nodded, easily. "I want your stay here to be as pleasant as possible."
"Yes, I am comfortable," he assured her. While he did not know of his father, he could see why he must have been attracted to her – there was no doubt the Queen was beautiful. "And if I was not, Ethos would see to it that I was."
She smiled a knowing smile. "You are fond of him, are you not?"
Kellan looked away quickly, to hide a blush. Not only was he embarrassed, but he did not want Ethos getting in trouble, either. "He has been a good friend to me, while I have been here. I appreciate that." He hesitated. Should he not have called him a friend? Perhaps he should have called him a guide, he thought, biting his lip lightly. He did not want Ethos getting in trouble for being too friendly to him.
However, the Queen seemed unfazed, her smile remaining, and she gave nothing away. "I am glad to hear that." She walked closer, and Kellan stayed where he was, resisting the instinctive urge to look away. Reaching out, her fingers brushed against one of the pinned strands of his hair, lightly. "I imagine you must want to meet some others, in the Seelie. I do not mean to make you feel too secluded." He could feel her studying him, and he lowered his gaze. "Would you like a chance to join in the festivities, one time?"
Surprised, his gaze flew back to hers, wondering if he had heard her correctly. "Sorry?"
"I'm offering you the chance to join in the festivities, and meet some of the faeries there," she repeated, with a gracious smile. "Would you like that?"
"If you would want me to," he replied after a pause, cautiously.
"But I asked if you would like to?" she pressed. He was sure she already knew the answer, since she always seemed to be able to read his thoughts, but he guessed that perhaps she wanted him to admit it.
"Yes," he swallowed, giving a slight nod. He hid the hint of guilt from his expression, at the thought of the Hunt. "Yes, I would."
"Then," she replied, with a light laugh, "I will ensure that Ethos is asked to take you to one. I think you will enjoy it."
Kellan inclined his head in an agreement, but his thoughts couldn't help but wander. He was aware that Ethos did not like participating in such things, but only observing. He hoped he wouldn't mind, in this case.
The fact that Grace was desperate enough to leave a note for him under his door to meet, made Zach nervous. She was up to something, and he had to make sure that she didn't get hurt in the process.
Reaching her door, he knocked quickly, inhaling. "Grace?" he called, waiting for a response. Now that she finally believed he was staying to help, her anger at him had dissipated, and they'd been able to look over things together.
He only had to wait a moment, before the door was suddenly opened, and she grabbed his arm, pulling him inside. Her eyes were alight and determined, and he knew she was definitely up to something. Her hair was half in a bun, and half out, as if it had started to fall out, and she hadn't noticed.
Making sure the door closed behind him, he let her pull him inside, straightening when she finally released his arm. "What is it?" he asked, glancing over at the stack of papers and strange assortment of items on her desk. "Have you found something?"
"Yeah," she replied, and it looked like she was struggling to keep still. "I found a warlock who is willing to help me summon Gwyn – for the right price, of course. Gwyn owes him for something."
Zach paused to consider her words. While he felt a sense of nervous excitement, he tried to push it down, not wanting to get too caught up in it, in case it didn't work. "And are you sure you can trust this warlock?"
"It's fine, he's just after money," she assured him, picking up a stele off her desk, and tucking it into her pocket. "I'm pretty good at reading people, and I can trust that." Her gaze met his, and for a moment, he was amazed at how fearless she appeared. His little sister did not flinch at the thought of meeting with the leader of the infamous Wild Hunt.
"You're not going alone," Zach said firmly. "I'll be coming."
He was relieved when she didn't protest. "Good. I'll let this other Shadowhunter know – Grey," she said, giving a nod. "I'm meeting up with the warlock in a week, so we have some time to prepare. I'll give you some books so you can read up on Gwyn and the Wild Hunt."
"Okay," Zach replied, in agreement. He'd never been keen on reading, but this was certainly an exception. "Just-… don't do anything without me, okay? You have to promise."
She paused for a moment, before finally making a sound of agreement. "Fine, I promise. Now, let's focus on getting ready."
As Grace rattled off a few details about where they'd be summoning Gwyn, Zach tried to calm his thoughts. Meeting the leader of the Wild Hunt was a daunting idea, but surely Kellan would have done the same, if their positions had been reversed.
There was a steady round of clapping as the students in their final year at the Shadowhunter Academy received their awards. Savannah watched as each student was called by name to accept their graduation dagger on the stage. She'd heard about the dagger – it was supposedly engraved with both your family name, and the year you graduated, and was of an exquisite make, by the Iron Sisters. It would certainly make a fine addition to her collection… when she graduated. There was still a couple of years for her to go, but this year was her brother's year to graduate.
The Shadowhunters in her brother's year appeared steely and determined, and she wondered if her own year would look the same, once they reached their final year of studies. She narrowed her eyes as she studied each one. Were they happy with the result of their final exams? She'd heard they were the toughest exams of any year – testing both your physical and mental capacities to the extreme. As always, they saved the Shadowhunter who topped their class, for last.
"Nathan Lustwick," the announcer called, and her brother walked onto the stage proudly. He was tall – just a little bit taller than her, annoyingly – and he stood perfectly straight, his handshake firm as he accepted his dagger. She heard a couple of whispers of some girls nearby. They thought he looked handsome with his dark hair and tan. But it was her parents, that she was the most interested in. She glanced to the side, to watch them. She'd never seen them look so proud, nodding in approval as their son graced the stage. They'd never looked at her that way.
"That's our son," her mother whispered to the Shadowhunter sitting beside her, and Savannah rolled her eyes.
ooOoo
Afterwards, they waited in the next room to meet up with him. The graduation dinner included the student's families, and they had to know where to sit. Nathan emerged, talking with a couple of friends, before striding over to greet them.
"Thank you for coming to watch," he said, with a perfect smile. Of course, their parents wouldn't miss it for the world.
"We're so proud of you," her mother said, and her father reached out to give his shoulder a quick squeeze.
Standing off to the side, Savannah was surprised when her mother beckoned her over. "Savannah, come and congratulate your brother."
Suppressing a sigh, she forced a smile. "Congratulations," she said, shifting her gaze to meet his.
"That means a lot, coming from you," he laughed, patting her back annoyingly, before she stepped backwards. "Your time will come, little sis."
She bristled inwardly at his use of 'little,' as if she was somehow lesser. But she merely nodded, good at hiding her annoyance.
As Nathan moved away to talk to another friend, her parents talked again about how happy they were that their Nathan had topped the class.
She wasn't quite able to bite her tongue. "You know I'm tying for first place in my class, at the moment, right?" she remarked, in a casual manner. Damn Mason and his annoying interference.
Her mother glanced over at her with a slight frown. "This is your brother's night. And don't forget that tying for something is not the same as being something."
She straightened, finally managing to bite her tongue. It would only be a couple of years before she'd have her turn at finishing as the top of her own class. There was a part of her, however, that knew it would never be enough. Her brother had already topped his class, so it would just be expected of her, rather than celebrated.
When he had already set the bar so high, how was she ever going to be able to top it?
When her parents were out, Steff finally felt like she could relax. Sitting in the ballroom, she reread one of her favourite books, getting caught up in it. Even if she knew how it was going to end, it excited her no less, to explore it for a second time. There were always little things that she missed the first time.
The hours went by quickly, and she was startled when she heard voices and the sound of the front door opening. Quickly, she got to her feet, hiding her book in a corner, before hurrying out of the room. The ballroom had become her secret retreat, and she didn't want anyone finding out about it.
"Stephanie!" Her father called, somewhere towards the dining room. "Come here, now."
It was an order, and her feet turned in the direction of his voice, heading towards him. Pausing at the doorway, she swallowed, knowing what she'd missed. Loki leaned against the edge of the table, watching, and her mother sat quietly in her seat.
"Where's our dinner?" he demanded, gesturing towards the empty table. "We've been out doing important duties all day, and you've been lounging about here doing what, exactly?"
It was doubtful that they'd done much Shadowhunter duties at all, but she didn't dare question him. She lowered her gaze. "I was tired. I fell asleep and I-… lost track of the time. I'm sorry." She hated lying, and she wasn't very good at it, either.
"I bet she was reading all day," Loki remarked, unhelpfully, with a smirk. It was often amusing to him, when she got in trouble.
Her father's gaze darkened. "Make our dinner, now," he ordered, narrowing his eyes. "And don't pick up another book for a week. They fill your head with rubbish. You're already useless as it is."
She felt the curse begin to take its toll, and she moved towards the kitchen, silently obeying his words. Steff had little choice but to, and she silently berated herself for getting so caught up in it. It was foolish to lose track of the time like that.
Once she reached the kitchen, she started to get the ingredients out, to make a pumpkin soup. She knew it off by heart, so there was no need to glance at a recipe. They always ate her cooking, so she supposed it mustn't be too bad.
As she worked, she looked out the window, wistfully. Perhaps one day she'd be able to explore the world, of her own free will. It was a nice thought, but she didn't allow herself to get too hopeful, having been disappointed many times before.