Shadowhunters City of Love (English Version)

Chapter 27

Hours later I'm standing in the kitchen cooking when the doorbell rings.
"Wait!" I call out and pat my dirty hands on my cooking apron. In the doorway I discover a completely dilapidated hatch.
"Dad, what happened to you? Come in first." He gratefully accepts my offer.
"What happened?" I ask again when we're back in the kitchen. I get a coffee cup from the cupboard and fill the cup for him. After I've placed it silently in front of him, I sit down opposite him.
"Where are the others?" he asks hoarsely. I immediately have the feeling that he was screaming for a while.
"The kids are upstairs doing something while the others are out in town," I say, watching as he presses his lips to the hot drink. There is a silence for a while.
"What did you do after we left?" I try to think of it differently. He looks at me, his hair standing up wildly and somehow he gives the impression of being a confused professor. I smile slightly at the thought.
"I have to talk to you. It's really important and I need to make sure you're really listening to me."
"You know I do that, Luke. What is it?"
"I found something out. It's about your father." He interrupts himself briefly at my slit-formed gaze.
"I know, I know. Valentin is not your father, I know. But I found out something terrible about him."
"Don't tease me like that!" I say annoyed.
"I found out that Valentin left a terrible legacy."
"What do you mean by that?" I ask. To be honest, I can't think of anything.
"I mean he left a journal with a curse on it."
"Leave a journal with a curse on it?" I repeat like a stupid woodpecker. My stepfather frowns at me.
"Now do you want every word I say again?"
"No of course not."
"Valentin inherited a diary from his ancestor. However, before his death, he secured the diary from prying eyes to be on the safe side."
"And the crux of the matter is."
"The crux of the matter is that once it's even opened, a violent curse is cast," he finally says. I look at him in horror.
"Clarissa, I don't really know either. I just know that we should be careful," Luke says slowly. I get up slowly and go to the oven. I use oven mitts to get out the casserole dish. I carefully set it down on the draining board. Then I turn the plates in the de hand to the table.
"How do you want to know that?" I finally ask after a while of silence.
"You don't need to be particularly talented to do that," Luke replies. And I know I won't get a fuller answer. Even if he wouldn't admit it, he doesn't want to put me in danger.
"Can you do me a favor?" I ask a little later. Luke spontaneously stayed until lunch.
"What can I do for you?" he asks me. I look at him.
"I have a date and I don't want to leave the kids alone. Could you watch her for a few hours?" I ask as I pull on my jacket. After zipping up, I put on a nondescript gun gear. Jace wouldn't deviate from the idea of not leaving the house unarmed. Me however, was able to convince him that just a few daggers will do.
"Where are you going?" he asks me promptly.
"Why do you want to know?" I ask, raising my eyebrows.
"Because I'm your father and a father takes care of his daughter," she explains simply.
"Well then." Without waiting for his answer (I know that he would only have stopped me anyway) I leave the house. As soon as I step onto the street he pushes himself off the wall of the house.
"Didn't your mother teach you not to sneak up on women from behind?" I ask, my back to him.
"I could say the same thing about you!" He says amused and we set off together.

When I come back less than two hours later, a surprise awaits me. Jase, Simon and the two warlocks are sitting at the kitchen table with Luke.
"What...like..." I stutter out.
"Well, let's have a look. Where are you from?" Simon asks, arms crossed. Alec gives me a searching look.
"I can only hope you haven't done any suicidal things," he says simply. Jace stands up silently and comes to me. He puts his hands on my waist and still doesn't say anything.
"I don't think my stepdaughter would do any nonsense," Luke joins in. Before I can say anything, Jace's hands squeeze a little tighter.
"Guys..." I start slowly. Immediately all eyes are drawn to me.
"Why did you first say that you would stay here and five hours later we didn't find you here?" Ragnor accuses me. Again I take a breath to say something, but again I can't get a word in.
"Why are you blaming Clary now? If you want to blame someone, please yourself. After all, you guys came with me and didn't stay here," says Magnus. I catch his pitying look.
"Okay, I get it. I shouldn't have left, but..." I begin. However, I break off because I don't have the words and I don't feel like fighting them any further. So I leave the room.