Lady Of The Courts

Chapter Two

July passed quickly for Aphria, who was slowly becoming more and more accustomed to both mundane and Shadowhunter lifestyle. For instance, she had begrudgingly accepted pasta as a food and had taken her first "selfie" with Cristina and Emma with their vanilla and chocolate ice creams on the board walk while they were making sure there was no demons lurking around Los Angeles.

Emma told her about her parabatai, Julian Blackthorn who was with his younger siblings---the twins: Tiberius and Olivia, Drusilla and Tavvy, who was the youngest Blackthorn---in England. They were returning tomorrow, according to Emma.

It would be Cristina's first time meeting the Blackthorns also. She was from the Institute in Mexico and was in Los Angeles studying. Aphria was grateful that she wouldn't be the only one who didn't know the Blackthorns when they arrived.

Diana had been training Aphria to fight properly, "Shadowhunter style", as Emma had called it. She had even given Aphria her sword made of bone back, though she questioned how she had gotten it as it was illicit for faeries to be in the possession of weapons. Aphria explained how they had found the bones on the levees of a river which ran through her father's court. Diana's only response to this was a curt nod.

Tiernan's attack on Alicante failed spectacularly. His warriors---a small troupe of only about twenty---were all captured and imprisoned by the Clave. To Aphria's relief, her favourite half-siblings, Syra and Tadhg, were not included in this count: Aphria doubted they even considered aiding Tiernan.

A member of the Clave---a sour-faced woman in her late forties by the name of Lorelai Redfeather---visited the Los Angeles Institute to interrogate Aphria. There was no other word for it. She had brought her to one of the smaller, more enclosed rooms and tied her to a chair and locked the door. Then she questioned Aphria's loyalties and requested an alibi to the time of Sebastian Morgenstern's attacks five years ago. Aphria had answered, 'I was but a child then, and my father refused to let me have any part in fighting with Shadowhunters, although that has changed come the Cold Peace.'

Lorelai had little to say in response to that, so after a few more pointless questions, Aphria was declared a 'non-threat' as Lorelai called her.

Over the summer, Aphria had learnt to use the label 'non-threat' to her advantage.

***

'It's just not working out,' said Emma frankly, speaking into her phone. 'This relationship, I mean.'

Aphria was listening in on Emma's break-up conversation without an ounce of shame. Her (ex-) boyfriend, Cameron Ashdown was far from one of Aphria's favourite people. He looked down on Aphria because she was half-faerie and constantly boasted about the success of the Cold Peace, to her annoyance. She was rather glad that Emma was finally dumping him. It was about time.

She watched as Emma listened to a series of unintelligible noises while pacing along the roof of the Sepulchre. Aphria looked down at the central courtyard below them. A party was in full swing. Electric lights were hung from jacaranda trees and expensive-looking tables and chairs were littered around the garden space. Rich men and women---Aphria suspected they were only a few years older than her---mobbed the place. They held fancy wine glasses in their hands, each glass kept full to the brim by the smartly-dressed waiters.

Aphria wasn't sure why exactly she was here, to be honest. Emma, who had given Aphria her first proper rune---an iratze after Aphria had her leg cut open by a demon---had drawn a Glamour rune so the chattering mundanes in the courtyard wouldn't spot her.

She glanced over in Emma's direction as the blonde Shadowhunter sighed, annoyed. 'All right, our relationship? Our relationship isn't working out.'