The Rise Of The Morningstar (Eng. Version)

Chapter 2 - Golden Angels

Chapter 2  "Golden Angels"

Protectively, I raised a hand in front of my face. The sun was shining in my eyes through the window, and I couldn't see a thing. The light colored the room into a deep orange. How long did I sleep? A relieved sigh escaped my lips when I recognized Magnus's guestroom.

Next to me sat Jocelyn who stroked my check in a calming matter while she tried to get the blanket off me. I probably got entangled in it while I had tried to escape Jonathan. The thought of Jonathan made me shiver. The dream had been strange. The Jonathan I knew had mixed with the new Jonathan I had come to know the day before yesterday. It didn't make any sense ... but which dream ever did? Annoyed, I pushed the memory of my demonic brother aside and dedicated myself to my worried mother. "Mom", I began and avoided any eye contact with her. "What's the matter?"

Once again, she stroked through my red hair, probably to assure herself that I was truly awake. Somehow, she really was paranoid. "Magnus is back", she said without hiding the upcoming hope in her voice. "Valentine didn't find any clues yet. But it won't take too long until he'll find someone who's willing to talk, Magnus is sure of that. The Shadow World fears Valentine. They'd do anything to avoid a conflict with him. Magnus suggests finding shelter in the New York Institute. The Clave has to know about Valentine. You could probably continue your training and we'd always be connected to Alicante." Her face was calm, and a light smile played on her lips.

The possibility to meet other Shadowhunters, the first time ever, made me nervous. All of them would know my name. They would hate me. They had to hate me because of my father. Still, my mother's decision surprised me. I had expected to start a new life hidden among the mundanes. Not to give up my identity as a Shadowhunter somehow relieved me. I couldn't imagine a life without seraph blades, my training and the fixed purpose of my life. "Is this a done deal?"

Jocelyn shook her head. "Of course not, I wanted to hear your opinion beforehand." She would never keep something from me, I knew that. She trusted me and wanted to hear my thoughts. I nodded and agreed. "Yes, I believe that we'd be safer in the Institute for now. But do you think that they'll just welcome us with open arms? What if they sell us to Valentine for a deal? Or what if they just kill us?" I recognized how hysteric my voice sounded, as if I was a silly teenager instead of an eighteen year old Shadowhunter.

"You don't know the Shadowhunters, but I do. We won't be perfectly safe because the head of the Institute will of course report our attendance to the Clave and sooner or later they will interrogate us about everything. Valentine is their biggest enemy and we are his family, they won't welcome us with open arms but there are laws. We are Shadowhunters and the law says that a Shadowhunter can find shelter in an Institute all the time. We aren't the Clave's enemy but if we go there, we'll have to be honest with them." She gave me a warm smile and stood up from the bed. „Don't worry, I know the heads of the Institute. Maryse and Robert Lightwood, I told you about them yesterday." Out of the corner of her eye Jocelyn observed me concerned. She saw how I suddenly got paler. "They are good people", she added, and I knew that she thought of Valentine.

She had left him, him and her son. She had loved him, still did, but he was a monster now. She had done it without hesitation. I wouldn't have been able to leave my child behind, no matter if a monster or not. It didn't make her a bad mother, but it made her stronger and braver than I could ever be. "I'm certain they are."

"Okay", said Jocelyn and gave me a serious look from her eyes. She looked sad and exhausted. "We'll leave today. But before we leave, I have to tell you something." And suddenly she was the one avoiding eye contact. „Magnus has news from Idris. The Clave hasn't confirmed it yet but there has been an attack on the Institute in Paris. Jonathan and Valentine have been involved in it."