The Mortal Guardians

Prologue

As the rain started to pour in the pitch blackness of the cold night, a hooded woman weaved her way through the streets of the mundane city of New York. A strong glamour was cast over this woman so no one would see her from the mundane world, or the Shadow world. More importantly no one would see the set of twins, no more than a year old, she had wrapped in a snow white blanket, she held close to her chest, trying to shield them from the cold of the rain. The woman continued to make her way through the dimly lit streets, trying not to bump into anyone.

Finally her eyes landed on a set of stone steps with an iron railing that lead up to a small apartment. Slowly she made her way up the steps, up to the wooden door. The woman raised her hand up to knock, but hesitated. What would she do if the person on the other side of the wooden door wouldn't help her? They were her only option. Taking a shaky breath in, she knocked on the door. She looked behind her as she waited for the door to open. Suddenly she heard the sound of a lock turning. Her head whipped around to the door as it slowly creaked open, to reveal a man a few inches tall than the woman, with dark skin and brown eyes. The man looked around, seeing no one at his door. The woman let her glamour drop, revealing herself. As soon as the man saw the woman, his eyes deep brown went wide. "Maryse?"

The man's voice was laced with shock and surprise. He was baffled as to why Maryse was there, standing right in front of him. "Hello Lucian." Maryse replied softly with relief in her voice happy to see him. But her face turned serious in a matter of seconds. "I need to speak with you." Lucian could tell by the tone of her voice that Maryse was scared or worried about something, and he rarely saw that from her. He stepped aside from the door and motioned for her to step inside. As Maryse stepped inside the small house she held her twins closer to her chest, trying to keep them from awaking up. She sat down on one of the two couches located in the front room, there was also a coffee table and a fire place with photos of small objects from when she knew Lucian in Alicante.

"You must be freezing , the rain can be cruel here. Would you like a cup of tea or a towel? " Lucian asked her as he closed the door.

"No I'm fine thank you." She replied as he sat on the couch opposite her. The two looked at each other as if the whole world stopped and nothing came between them. Lucain was the first one to break his gaze away

"You said you need to speak to me?" He asked. Maryse nodded as her breath stalled. She was about to ask a great deal of this man.

"Does it have something to do with the Clave?" He asked a bit worried, Lucian tried to make the Clave think he was dead for his own safety and to protect the one's he left behind. Maryse shook her head.

"No they still think that your dead, it about these two." Maryse looked down at the snow white blanket she held protectively. Slowly she lowered it from her chest, to reveal the twin babies who where sleeping peacefully in their mother arms. Both of them had the same full head of black hair and soft pale skin.

"Your's and Roberts right?" He asked, his voice had a hint of hurt in it when he said Robert's name.

"Yes, our first born's. Alexander Gideon Lightwood and Avalon Sage Lightwood. " Maryse spoke softly as she looked at her twins with such love and sadness at the same time. "But there something you need to see." Her voice began to tremble and fade, she lifted down the white blanket that cover the children. As she did Lucian saw, on both of the twins arms, inky black, diamond like markings that when down to there small pale hands, all the way up to there collarbones. He looked at Maryse, eyes wide as if they were going to fall out of his head.

"Are, are they-"

"The Mortal Guardian's." She cut Lucian off knowing his head would be spiraling with questions.

"But how? The legend say's they will come when the instruments need protecting the most and when a noble deed is done by a Shadowhunter to a Downworlder." His voice was riddled with confusion. Suddenly his eyes became full of realization as he sat back down on the couch rubbing his hand over mouth. "The deed was when you saved me in the barn, after I got attacked by the wolfs." He knew Maryse hadn't saved him that day out of a sense duty, but out of the kindness and love inside her, and because he she cared for him. That's what made the deed a noble.

"I know that Valentine is still alive, there have been signs even though everyone chooses to ignore them. And Robert's view's haven't changed since he was in the circle. If he or the Clave find out what my children are, they will be under constant supervision, being treated like lab rats. Even worse if Valentine know's that they are what stand between him and the cup, only the angle himself would know what he would do to get them." Her voice started to break. " So I um need to ask you if you would look after them. They'll be safer with you than they would be with me, and no one would be able to find them." Lucian could see she was trying to hold back tears as looked at him, her eyes pleading him to help her.

"Are you Sure you want to leave them with someone like me?" He asked her. Marsye looked into his eyes. "Lucian you are not a monster, and I trust you more than I trust anyone in the world." Her voice was soft and her eyes so full of love. Lucian started to nod.

"Ok, ok I'll do it." He replied as Maryse nodded and stood up long with Lucian who walked pass the coffee table to stand with her. Slowly she gave him her twins and looked at them with all of the love in her heart , not knowing when she would see them again.

"Your, right." Lucian said as Maryse looked up at him. "Valentine isn't dead, I've had to change my name so he would find me or the Clave."

"What do you go by now?" She asked.

"Luke Garroway."

"I'll start calling you that then." Lucian pulled her into a brief side hug as Mayrse tried not to cry on his shirt. As they pulled away from each other they looked into each others eyes with sadness. "Don't shelter them, tell them about the Shadow-world, tell them how special they are." Maryse began to choke on her words as she wiped her tears away. "And tell them why I gave them away, why did what I did. Tell them how much I love them."

"I'll do the best I can." Lucian said softly to Maryse as he could see her heart was breaking inside.

"That's all I can ask for. I have to go now." She planted a kiss on both of her children's foreheads and walked over to the door. As she put her hand on the handle she looked back at Lucian or now Luke, who was now holding her children. Inside she knew this is what was best for them. She took a breath in, pulled up her hood and headed out the door and back into the cold rain, as it started to wipe her tears away.

A/N

Anyone think this was heartbreaking to read??? Tell me what you think of the prologue. I'm going to go cry now😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭. The marking it was talking about are the one's in Please read to the start of the book. But I'll put picture down here so you know what they look like if you forgot.