Love and War ✴ Shadowhunters

Chapter 23

Celeste's steps stuttered as she realized this. There had been so much going on lately that she had to think about, the portal shard acting differently was not one of them.

"Normal portals can only take you to places you've been." Jace explained for Clary's benefit. "I guess I never really thought about it."

Meliorn stopped to turn around and face them. "I see Isabelle is the smart one in the family." He quipped, before getting on with his response. "Your portal shard works the way it does because it's a piece of a portal from another dimension."

"Another dimension?" Clary and Celeste echoed together.

"You're saying there's a portal in some other universe that can take us to anyone if we just think of them?" Jace asked.

"If you can find the only portal still standing in that dimension... it will take you to your father."

The group walked in relative silence after that, the Shadowhunters all absorbing the new information. It was only about half a mile later that Meliorn begins speaking again.

"These trees are where the alternate dimensions intersect the Seelie realm."

"How is it possible that the Clave doesn't know about your dimensional doorways?" Jace asked him.

"They are our most guarded secret. We are their protectors. Only Seelies know of their existence."

"Then why are you telling us?" Clary asked.

"I owe you a life debt." Meliorn said simply. "And I don't like being indebted to anyone."

"What would happen if--"

"If the Seelie Queen finds out I've shared this with you?" Meliorn cut Clary off as he looked over his shoulder, now stopped at a pair of trees that arched toward each other. "I could be executed."

Celeste's eyes widened, and she gasped softly. She wasn't sure she was okay with this anymore. While she had gladly accepted Meliorn's help earlier, now that she knew he was risking his life, it didn't seem like such a good idea.

"Well, we'll be extra careful then." Jace said, obviously unbothered by it.

Celeste hit him in the arm again, but Meliorn's next words drew her attention back quickly.

"There is no 'we' in this scenario. Only Clary goes in to find the portal. My debt is to her."

"You've given us no reason to trust you, Seelie."

Clary shrugged, looking at Jace. "He brought us here."

Taking that as an agreement to his terms, Meliorn turned to the two arching trees and began using his Seelie magic to form the interdimensional portal. The mist coming from his hands, and didn't look too different from that of a warlock's magic.

Clary and Celeste watched in fascination while Jace just looked bored. Celeste knew a few Seelies, but they almost never used their powers in front of her, simply because there was never a reason to use them.

"I knew Seelies were one with nature, but..." Clary trailed off in amazement.

Meliorn didn't even look back to acknowledge them. "This will establish a connection to the other dimension."

"What's it like in the other dimension?" Celeste asked, wondering what Clary was going to be walking into.

"Is it like this one?" Clary added.

"It is..." Meliorn trailed off. "But it isn't."

Jace rolled his eyes. "Could you be more vague?"

Celeste hit him. While she too was frustrated with the lack of an answer, she knew that that was simply how Seelies communicated and that at times it was like pulling teeth to get something out of them.