The Best Friend

29

The walk to the pond where the Seelie Court entrance was located was filled with awkward quietness. I was happy to see Izzy was already there when we arrived and immediately stepped up to walk next to her.

"I can't believe you did it! How did you get Magnus to let Jace leave?" Izzy exclaimed.

"We traded him for Alec." I replied.

"Not permanently?" She asked concerned and I laughed.

"No, just a few hours." I responded. "Magnus will give him back when we return Jace."

By this time we had reached the waters edge and I saw the moon was almost in place. I stepped in with no hesitation and Izzy was right behind me.

"Lest I forget, don't eat or drink anything while we're underground, okay?" Izzy said to mainly Simon and Clary.

"Underground?" I heard Simon mutter but no one replied.

By now I was up to my rib cage in water and stood patiently waiting for the others to reach me. Izzy told Jace to go first and he gladly stepped by me towards the moon's reflection. He turned to smile at the rest of us before backing up and vanishing. I stepped up next and walked in without a glance back. My feet hit dry dirt and I landed gracefully in front of Jace who still had his hands ready to catch me in case I had fallen. Before I had time to move away, someone came through and knocked into me sending me flying into Jace.

"Woah, easy does it." He said as he easily caught me and righted me on my feet. I turned to see it was Clary who had come next and she was now observing her soaked clothes not even realizing she had crashed into me. I let out a huff before realizing Jace still had his arms on my waist and I still had mine on his chest. I stepped back immediately and looked away as Simon stumbled through next. Izzy came after and was far more graceful then the two before her.

"So which way do we go?" Simon asked.

"Neither. We wait her and they come get us." Izzy answered.

"How do you know so much about the Seelie Court?" Simon asked suspiciously.

Izzy surprisingly blushed but didn't give any answer before the curtain of vines was pulled aside. A faerie came through and I instantly recognized him as the one who was Izzy's "friend."

"Meliorn!" Izzy exclaimed as she gave him a hug.

"So that's how she knows." Simon answered his own question.

"Now is not a time for affection. My queen has requested an audience with you Nephilim." He said as he spun on heel and lead us down a corridor. We passed by the main hall where music was playing and fairies were dancing. Clary made a move to step forward but I reached my arm out and jerked her back.

"If you dance with them, you'll dance until you die." I said before turning and catching up with Izzy.

Meliorn stopped before another curtain of vines before pulling them aside and letting us step through. Meliorn greeted his queen after he had stepped in behind us.

"Come, sit beside me. Eat something. Drink. Rest yourselves. Talk is better with wet lips." The Queen said to us.

I surprisingly managed to seat myself between Clary and Jace. I had been hoping to have a seat next to Izzy but was unlucky enough to land where I did. A pixie came over to us with drinks on a platter and gave one to each of us. Simon set his cup down beside him immediately.

"Don't you want any?" The pixie asked.

"The last faerie drink I had didn't agree well with me." He answered.