City of Shadows

Chapter 21: A Faerie's Promise

Isabelle Lightwood was never much a girl for order. Her room was no exception. It was a well-known fact, but as she stood in the middle of her room...today she wished it wasn't so. Today she wanted nothing more than to have Ember neatly rolling up clothes beside her, or to have paid attention to her when she had seen her pack her own things at the very least.

Isabelle sighed, muttering under her breath as she rummaged through her closet. "Aha!" Her fingers closed around a pair of heels, and she chucked the boots across the room over her shoulder.

Simon, who was sitting on her bed, Starkweather sleeping soundly on his lap, ducked instinctively as the shoes flew past and landed on the mattress behind him. "Did you find the ones you wanted?"

"No, but I found better." Isabelle straightened the glasses sitting on his nose and leaned in to press a kiss to his cheek. Simon flushed, pleased, and tossed her boots into the open suitcase in front of him.

"Do you really need so many things?" he asked, stroking the cat's fur. It purred loudly in and half-opened its eyes in response. "You don't even know how long you're staying."

"That's exactly why I need to bring as much as I can." Isabelle cast a quick glance at the suitcase. Simon was right. It was nearly bursting. It would take a miracle to manage to close it.

"So what is the plan?" Simon continued. "On getting to Idris, I mean."

"I already told my dad, so that's settled. Ember got the okay from Jia this morning, too. Magnus is going to Portal me to the north gate of the city Friday morning, I go in, and done." She shrugged and threw in a bottle of purple nail polish. "Simple."

"Have you told anyone?"

"It's not really a secret, Si." Isabelle tugged on the suitcase's zipper. It didn't even budge. "Everyone knows."

His brown eyes gleamed knowingly. "You know what's going to happen, don't you?"

Isabelle sighed, knowing what he was alluding to. Or rather, who. "You tell me. You're the one that's gotten real buddy-buddy with him."

Simon lifted an eyebrow higher, and she mirrored the expression before finally giving in. "I'm sorry. He's helping you work through what happened with George, I know. There's only so much Clary and I can do, I know that too." She paused, fidgeting with the small piece of metal. "But yes, I know what you're talking about."

"Do you think Ember's ready for that?" he asked. "Or him?"

She fidgeted with the whip around her wrist, and her brows furrowed together contemplatively. When she raised her eyes to Simon's, they were thoughtful and unsure. "I don't know."

The room was absolutely silent for one dreadfully long moment. He was thinking about it, too. She could tell.

Isabelle cleared her throat and crossed her arms, one finger against her lips as she stared at the suitcase. "Where's Ember when you need her?"

It was meant to be a joke. Simon shook his head, snapping out of his thoughts, when the sound of running footsteps reached them from the hallway. Simon sprung up, making Starkweather hiss and bound off the bed. "Someone's coming."

These days, everyone was on edge at the Institute. Nobody knew anything about Jacob's whereabouts. If he was still in Manhattan, there was no way of knowing it, and no way of knowing when or if he would even attack the Institute. Ember had reassured them with her note that with her departure he would turn his attention elsewhere, but even then, Jace warned everyone to remain attentive at all times.

Isabelle hadn't needed to be told twice. Her weapon slithered its way down to her hand, and as a silver blur streaked into her room, she flicked her wrist, sending the electrum whip flying. The blur caught it easily in a pale, slim-fingered hand, and Isabelle found herself facing a stony-faced Jonathan.