Trigger Warning!!! Later in the chapter there is gun usage! If you're not comfortable reading that, skip the part between the bolded words. (There will be a note before the part so you know when to skip.)
Third Person POV:
Everest walked beside Izzy and her sister as they entered an abandoned warehouse. Jace and Clary had their Seraph blades drawn, Izzy had her whip ready, and Alec had an arrow drawn. The Shadowhunters had given Everest weird looks when she didn't draw any weapon, but Clary knew why she didn't have a blade. Everest was much more comfortable with a gun than a sword or dagger any day and she almost always had her gun with her.
"Magnus's lair is right behind that fence," Jace told them.
"Magnus lives in a warehouse?" Everest's mouth quirked at her sister's question.
"Don't think so Ritz."
"Not exactly. Warlock glamour," Jace corrected her.
Izzy held up a hand. "Something's wrong. It's far too easy to get this close."
"His protective wards must be down." Jace looked like someone just told him Izzy had poisoned someone with her food. He had that 'of course that's what happened' look on his face.
Alec turned to the twins. "You. Don't get in the way," he told Clary. "And you, stay behind us and don't get yourself killed."
Everest would have laughed at Clary's offended look if the situation wasn't so serious. She wasn't going to lie, it felt kinda good that Alec didn't just tell her not to get in the way, but basically just told her to be careful. Not that she would listen—she had a habit of only listening to instructions like 'be careful' for a few seconds before she did something not careful at all.
Everest heard the sound of fighting and her head shot up towards a ledge, her hair smacking her sister's face. Two men were fighting on the ledge and one stabbed the other through with a sword. He grunted and fell to the ground, a little girl rushing towards him.
Everest ran forward, the others at her heel. She reached the girl first, kneeling beside her as she begged for the man to wake up.
"Daddy! Daddy? Daddy, get up, please!"
Everest's heart broke as she heard the girl's cries. She knew how it felt to have someone taken from you before your eyes and be able to do nothing about it.
"Watch out!" Clary shouted as she kicked a man away from Everest and the girl.
Everest hauled the girl up and they ran behind Clary.
"Get her to Magnus," Clary told her twin.
Everest nodded. She turned to the girl and motioned with her head to a cart of wood behind them. She led the girl behind the cart and crouched down to her level.
"Hey Kiddo," she smiled at her despite the situation. "My name's Everest and I'm going to get you out of here, alright? What's your name?"
"Zoe," the girl said in a small voice.
"Alright Zoe. When I say go, you and I are going to follow my friends and we're going to get you to Magnus." Zoe nodded and Everest watched her sister and friends deal with the Circle member closely. "Go."
Trigger Warning! Gun usage in this next part. Skip to next bolded lines if you need to!
The girl and Everest went after the others, but they were walking too fast for the two to keep sight of them. They lost them in the maze of hallways and storage. Everest heard footsteps all around them and instinctively knew they were not her friends'. She took a deep breath and pulled Zoe closer to her.
"Zoe, when I say duck, I need you to crouch down at my feet and cover your ears. It's going to get loud in a second."
Everest felt the girl nod and she drew her gun from where it sat on her thigh. Everest scanned the room again and this time she saw that there were three men standing on ledges above them, crouched and ready to jump down and block their path.
"Duck!"
As Zoe crouched, Everest aimed her gun at the man right in front of them. A loud bang was heard and he dropped dead, his sword falling with his body. One man turned to face his fallen comrade, but the other dropped to the ground and started walking towards her.
"I don't know who you are girlie, but you're gonna regret that," he snarled.
Everest pulled the trigger again and the second dropped dead, a bullet hole in his chest. She turned to the third one but she didn't see him. Everest turned around slowly, making sure to keep one foot near Zoe to make sure she was still there. There was a tug at her shoulder, causing her to whirl around and come crashing into a stranger's chest. She was turned around again and a thick arm wrapped its way around her neck, the other knocking her gun from her hand. She struggled as Zoe scrambled away. 'At least Zoe's safe,' Everest thought.
Seeing the girl's terrified face filled Everest with a renewed anger for the man behind her and the Circle as a whole. It was because of people like him that this little girl didn't have a father anymore, why Everest and Clary hadn't grown up knowing their heritage. It was because of the Circle and men like him that so many had to live in fear, that entire groups of people lived in hiding because they were too scared to walk outside.
Everest elbowed the man in his stomach, successfully winding him. She backed away from him and saw her gun two steps to her left. She looked at the man who was quickly approaching her and stood her ground. She waited until he was within striking distance and feigned a left hook. When he went to dodge, she kicked her leg up and kicked him where no man ever wanted to be hit.
He crumpled and Everest took the two steps to her left and picked up her gun as quickly as she could. She aimed it at the man and glared at him.
"You're a bitch," he spat.
A shot rang out and the man was dead.
"Only sometimes," she muttered as she walked away.
She approached where Zoe was curled up, her head between her knees and ears covered. She set her gun down next to her and crouched next to the girl.
"Zoe, they're gone. You can stand up now," she said.
Zoe slowly uncurled herself and Everest made sure to block her view of the body. She picked up her gun and wrapped an arm around the girl. As she led her in the direction she hoped was Magnus's lair, she covered Zoe's eyes.
"Why're you covering my eyes?" Zoe asked, her body shaking.
"Because you don't need to see that." Everest cast a glance at the three bodies lying on the floor, blood pooling around them. "Nobody does."
Trigger Warning over!
...
Everest walked into the living room, stepping over a broken chair in the doorway. She had Zoe on her hip and her gun was tucked back inside its holster. The girl had her arms wrapped around her neck and her head was leaning on her shoulder. She was exhausted and after she had nearly fallen twice, Everest had picked her up and carried her the rest of the way.
"Everest!" Clary shouted, drawing the attention of Magnus Bane and the other Shadowhunters.
"Hey Ritz. Magnus." Everest set Zoe down and the girl rushed over to the man.
"Go join the others my dear. This is no place for a little girl. Go."
He turned to Everest, who was being checked over by Clary for any injuries, with a thankful, though solemn gaze.
"I heard what you did for Zoe. You risked your life without hesitation to save a young warlock child."
Clary answered for Everest as the purple haired girl leaned against a wall. "She just did what she always does—help people and save kids from terrible fates."
"How poetic. I'm taking that for Shadowed Spotlights." Clary smiled, though it wasn't as full or amused as it usually would have been. "Besides, it wasn't really a choice. And it wasn't a matter of saving a kid from a terrible fate either. It was me making sure that Zoe's friends and family only had to say goodbye to one person from her family, not two."
"You always have a choice. You're not like the others, Everest Fairchild. Most Shadowhunters protect Downworlders out of a sense of duty, but you saved young Zoe because of what was inside your heart. You're more like your mother than you'll ever know."
Everest shook her head at his words. "I'm not sure being like my mother is exactly a great thing."
Magnus gazed at her curiously and opened his mouth to say something, but Clary spoke before he could.
"Magnus please. You can't hide from this battle. Look, Valentine, he found you once, and he'll find you again. We need to work together. Help us."
Magnus had a resigned look on his face as he sighed. "I can summon the demon, but you must make the demand. Now I warn you, retrieving your memories will not be easy."
Everest blinked at the two in confusion. 'Demon? Why are we summoning a demon again?' Everest sighed. 'This is what happens when I zone out; I miss big informational speeches my friends give.'
"I will do what I have to do," Clary said, determination filling her eyes.
"All right. But we're not safe here. The lair's location has been compromised. Hold on tight, everyone. We're about to move." Magnus held his arms out and his hands emitted blue sparks and smoke. The room shook as blue light encased it and as everything settled, Everest stood up straight and walked closer to her sister and Magnus.
"Right. Sorry to interrupt. But what the fucker shit?" Magnus turned to her in surprise. "Why are we summoning a demon? And why is my sister the one who started that conversation?"
Jace laughed at her reaction. "Magnus fed Clary's memories to a memory demon which is why we're summoning it."
Clary gave her sister a sheepish look. "Didn't I tell you this?"
"No!" Everest shook her head and gave her sister a frustrated look. "You did not tell me that your memories were fed to an actual demon or that we'd be summoning it!"
Izzy looked at the girl in concern as she raised her voice slightly. "Are you alright, Sunny?"
That made the others give her concerned looks too.
Everest shrugged. When she spoke, her voice was back to her normal volume. "Probably not. My coffee's wearing off and I'm starting to think that I should have had protein with the pasta to keep me going."
"Is that all that's wrong?" Clary gave her a skeptical look.
"My 'real person count' went from 3 to 6 real quick," she deadpanned.
Clary's face paled. She walked over to the purple haired girl and led her over to a couch, but Everest shook her head and moved to sit on the floor by Izzy's feet. "It'll be fine, Ev. At least this time you weren't in a creepy alley."
Everest let out a small laugh. "Warehouse with a kid crouched behind me. Such an improvement, Ritz."
"What are you two talking about?" Jace asked.
"Don't worry about it," the twins told him.
Magnus walked over to Izzy. "I believe in payment for services rendered." He held up the necklace. "Thank you for defending the warlocks."
"I couldn't," Izzy protested, though Everest knew she really wanted to take the necklace.
"Oh, but you could. And you should." Magnus clasped the necklace around Izzy's neck. "The Lightwoods have been wearing this for years. Besides, it would look silly on your brother."
Magnus leaned in near Izzy's ear. Despite his quiet tone, Everest could still hear his every word. "About Alec, is he more of a flower or cologne man?" He looked to Everest who was smirking slightly and lowered his voice so that she couldn't hear him.
Izzy smiled and it made Everest wonder what the man had said to her. Izzy looked down at her friend and she leaned down.
"Everest, sweets or flowers?"
Everest gave her a weird look. "You know this. Sweets all the way."
"Any specific kind of sweets?" Everest didn't like the smirk on Izzy's face.
"Skittles. Again, you know this."
Magnus smiled softly at her response and he remembered how when Everest was younger, he would give her Skittles whenever she was over. Eventually, he ended up with a drawer of Skittles in his kitchen and she ended up always carrying a bag of Skittles around with her.
"Okay, how do we summon the memory demon?" Clary asked standing up. Her words made Izzy and Magnus stop smiling.
"Are you certain you want to do this? Summoning such a powerful demon could be lethal," Magnus warned.
"If you're not certain, please don't. I like having a sister," Everest said in a quiet voice.
Clary gave her a reassuring smile. "I'll do anything to save our mother. Where is the demon?"
"Probably in Hell." The Shadowhunters hid smiles at the purple haired girl's words.
"Okay." Magnus shrugged. "Pretty boy, get your team ready."
"I know what to do," Jace said as he stepped forward.
Everest had to bite her tongue to stop her laughter at Magnus's annoyed look. "I'm not talking to you. I'm talking to you." He pointed to Alec with a glint in his eyes.
Everest saw Alec's lips quirk into a small smile before he schooled his face again when Jace looked at him confused. He shrugged.
Everest nudged the raven haired girl's leg and she raised her eyebrow at her. "He's not wrong," Everest murmured.
Izzy laughed slightly and smiled at her friend as Magnus led Clary into another room.
"How're you feeling about all this?" Izzy asked as Everest stood up and sat on the black leather couch.
Everest shrugged. "I mean, I'm still here aren't I?"
"I don't think that's the answer she's looking for," Alec mused as he stood in front of the girls.
"It's not."
Everest sighed and leaned back. "I'm going to sleep for days once this is all done and I don't sleep for more than 9 hours a night. Ever. So that should tell you something."
The siblings stood up when she didn't say anything more and stepped to the side to discuss something or another, leaving Everest on the couch. Her foot bounced up and down as she fidgeted with the chains on her skirt. She looked around the room and spotted a bathroom. She stood up and made her way to the bathroom without the others noticing.
She locked the door and leaned against the sink. She took a few deep breaths before she started to remove her skirt, leaving her in a dark green and black flannel and biker shorts. Everest was extremely glad she had thought to put biker shorts on before they left because she had no desire to have to sit a certain way just because of what she was wearing.
She left the bathroom and sat back on the couch just as Magnus stepped out of the room he had led Clary into. She winced as Clary screamed and she wrapped her arms around her knees, rocking back and forth slightly.
The couch dipped beside her and Everest glanced over to see Magnus sitting next to him.
"Hey."
"Hey Cupcake." Magnus smiled softly at her. "It's been a few years."
"Apparently." Everest snorted slightly. "I don't really remember much."
Magnus looked down guiltily. "What do you remember?"
It was Everest's turn to smile. "Watching you brew something, eating Skittles, blue sparks, you putting glitter on me, and meeting you for the first time. Thanks for the Skittles obsession by the way. Really gave me a way to annoy my mother and frustrate my teachers when the only thing I would eat at snack time was Skittles."
Magnus laughed. "You always did love to annoy your teachers."
"Frustrate, not annoy," she corrected. "Frustrate."
They laughed quietly together. Everest leaned back against the couch, her left leg sliding to hang over the edge of the couch. She swung her foot back and forth as she tapped her fingers on the couch. She looked between her discarded skirt and Izzy, making up her mind when she saw the teasing smile on her face. Call her biased, but Izzy's teasing sucked sometimes and judging on the annoyed look on Alec's face, it was one of those times.
Everest flung her skirt at Izzy's head and the girl whipped around, the skirt falling into her hands.
"What the hell Sunny?" Her eyes were wide and her mouth was wide open. Magnus and Alec had similar expressions.
"What? I didn't want to wear it anymore."
"Why not?"
"Because I can't sit how I want to with it on."
Izzy sighed. "Just don't fling it at my head next time."
Everest grinned and knew that she would throw clothes at her friend again.
...
"Jocelyn was right. Your artistry is beyond compare," Magnus complimented as he, the Shadowhunters, and Everest walked into the room where they were going to be summoning the memory demon.
Everest clapped as she caught sight of the brilliantly colored pentagram.
Clary stood up. "I don't know about that."
"Shut up and take the compliment Ritz."
Magnus smirked. "Oh, the only other person I've known who could draw as well was Michelangelo, who was excellent in bed, I might add."
He looked over in the direction of Alec and Everest, but because Jace was standing closer to Magnus, he thought the warlock was directing his look at him. Izzy laughed at his panicked expression and Alec's shrug. Everest's shoulders shook violently as the blonde continued to look perplexed and turned his expression to her.
"Calm down, Dye Blonde."
"My hair's naturally blonde," he grumbled.
"Okay, we're ready. Everyone take your rightful place at the pentagram."
Everest stayed still as the others moved to a point of the star. There were only 5 points and there were 6 of them. She walked back to the wall and sat on the floor.
"There's 5 points and 6 of us," she explained. "I'll sit out. It's fine."
Clary frowned but stayed where she was.
Magnus looked at the group. " We must initiate a bond. Once this bond is sealed, it cannot be broken until the demon retreats. No matter what happens, we must not let go of each other's hands." Everest felt a bad feeling settle in her stomach like a bad bite of sushi as he said those words.
The five took each other's hands and Everest was amused at how dramatic they were acting about holding hands. She had babysat first graders that were less dramatic about holding hands.
"You people are pathetic." Everest nodded in agreement to Izzy's words, not that they could see it.
"I will lead the ceremony, and you all must do exactly as I say. The demon's name is Valak. At some point, he will demand payment in exchange for Clary's memories."
"What do you mean? What kind of payment?" Jace demanded.
"We will see." Magnus smirked. "Let us begin."
The warlock began chanting in a strange language and moments later, Izzy's necklace started to glow.
"The necklace. It's pulsing."
'At least we know it works,' Everest thought.
There was a whoosh as a mass of black smoke filled the circle and Everest sucked in a breath. The demon was summoned. 'There's no going back now,' she thought, her eyes on the mass.
"Valak is among us! Do not break the bond!" The bad feeling returned.
"Hold on!" Jace shouted.
"I'm trying!" Clary shouted back.
"It's time. The demon demands payment," Magnus told them, struggling against the power the demon held.
"What does it want?"
"We must each relinquish a beloved memory of the one we love the most."
A memory of Alec smiling entered the mass before it disappeared. A memory of a younger Everest lying on the kitchen counter, typing away on her computer as she laughed at something replaced it. Everest looked at her sister who was smiling at the memory and smiled too. She liked that memory. It was the day before Raphael was taken from her. She and Clary had been home alone while their mom went out grocery shopping and Everest was trying to write but Clary kept telling really crappy jokes to distract her.
Another memory replaced that one. It was one of Jace and Everest watched as Jace turned to look at his Parabatai in surprise.
"No, it's not true! The demon deceived me!" Alec shouted, though Everest had a feeling that wasn't the case.
"Do not break the bond!"
"Alec, it's okay!" Izzy shouted to him, trying to keep him from breaking the bond.
"Alec don't!" Everest shouted as she stood up. "It's fine! Don't break the bond!"
Alec didn't listen. He wretched his hands away and broke the bond, allowing the demon to gain more power. The others fell back and Magnus tried to contain the demon, but his magic wasn't strong enough.
Alec went towards the demon, a blade in his hand, but Everest and Jace both ran to stop him. Everest reached him first and shoved him towards Jace. Everest felt something grab her ankle and seconds later, she was flying through the air and halfway into the swirling black mass. Izzy grabbed her arm and Everest held onto her friend for dear life.
"Grab her!"
Jace grabbed her other arm and Alec grabbed both wrists, helping the others keep her from being sucked in entirely.
"Hold on!"
"Really? I thought I was supposed to let go!" Everest shouted back.
"Not the time!" Jace scolded her.
"Clary! Help us!" Izzy pleaded.
"Clary, if you kill the demon, your memories will be lost forever!" Magnus warned, his face pale as he fought against the demon's power.
"Clary!"
Clary rushed at the demon, but Everest didn't see what she did next as her vision faded to black, exhaustion taking over.
...
"Is she going to be okay?" Everest heard as she fought to open her eyes.
"I don't know. Does she usually just lay like that without moving?" she heard Magnus ask.
"Sometimes yeah! And that's why I don't know if she'll be alright!" Clary exclaimed.
Everest coughed as she opened her eyes. "Calm down. I'm fine."
Multiple hands supported her back as she sat up. "You are not fine Everest. You just got thrown into a wall after being grabbed by a Greater Demon." Izzy frowned. "I thought I told you not to risk your life anymore."
"You did, never said I'd actually listen. And I'm fine. I need coffee, something to eat, and maybe a nap, but I'm fine."
Everest stood up and left the room with Izzy's help, not wanting to be in the same room she almost died in any longer.
"I hate the things you're involved in and pull me into sometimes. You know that?" Everest turned to Izzy, her face full of exhaustion as she looked at her best friend.
"This one wasn't my fault, Sunny. This was all Clary," Izzy reminded her.
"Yeah, but Clary's decisions just suck."
"Yeah, they do sometimes, don't they?"
"A little more than sometimes Dusk."
...
"Hello? This is Everest," the purple haired girl said into her phone once she finally found it amidst the pile of papers on her desk. She and the others had gone back to the Institute after they had helped Magnus clean up his apartment somewhat and Everest had immediately collapsed onto her bed once she was alone.
"Hey Forest," a man greeted her.
"Hey Jay!" She immediately perked up when she realized who was calling. "What's up?"
"I was just wondering if you were still able to watch Harper today."
Everest's mental calendar chimed and she remembered she was supposed to be babysitting that day.
"Yeah, of course. I'll be there in no more than an hour."
"Great! See you then. Buh-bye."
"Bye Jay!"
Everest threw on a pair of jeans and a paint splattered tee with a pair of Converse before throwing her hair in messy braids. She put on some mascara, lip gloss, and a little concealer before quickly packing her bag. She sent a text to Clary letting her know she was babysitting before she ran out of the Institute. On the way to the Karter family's house, she stopped by and got a cup of coffee and a waffle from her favorite coffee shop, also getting a donut for Harper.
She didn't bother knocking when she got there. She just unlocked the door and placed her stuff on the table before sitting down on the couch across from Jay and his husband Brad.
"Don't you look knackered," Brad commented as he took in her tired face. "What happened? You write for a day straight again?"
"No, a lot's just happened in the last few days."
"What happened?" The men settled so that they were facing her and gave her their full attention.
"Raphael's alive, first off. My mother's gone, nightmares suck, and I had to keep up with Clary and her exhaustive choices without much of a break. And then I had to go to a club with Clary, Izzy who is somehow involved, Izzy's brother, and Izzy's adoptive brother who I think Clary's crushing on," Everest ranted.
"Raphael's alive?" Brad scowled as Everest nodded. "And he never said anything? I'll bash his head in if he comes around here."
"Please don't. I like having him around," Everest said, giving the man a pleading look.
"Fine. But don't expect me to be civil with him."
"You said you were having nightmares again?" Jay's dark eyes filled with concern. "How much have you been sleeping?"
"Not enough. I didn't have any last night because I was trying to keep up with Clary and things were going down that I can't talk about, and the night before, I only got two or three because I was writing and then I had a nightmare."
"And Jocelyn's missing?" Brad frowned as Everest nodded again. "You sure she didn't just leave?"
"I'm sure. My mom's not the best mom in the world, but she wouldn't just leave."
Harper walked into the living room and saw the concerned looks on her dads' faces and the tired one on Everest's. She gave the older girl a concerned look before she sat down next to her.
"Hey, Little Architect," Everest smiled as she hugged the girl close to her. "How's it going?"
Harper giggled as Everest poked her cheek in greeting. "Good, I got a new tub of Lincoln Logs. Can we add to the castle later?"
"Of course we can." Everest smiled at the dark skinned girl. "We just have to get your dads out of the house first so we can have some us time."
"Alright, alright. We get the hint." Jay pulled his husband up from the couch as he looked at the girls with a smile. "We'll be back around dinner time, so don't do anything too crazy. Don't burn the house down, remember to eat and drink water, and have fun. The emergency contacts are on the fridge, don't hesitate to call if you need us, and normal rules still apply."
"We know this Dad," Harper laughed.
"I know, I'm just reminding you."
Brad pulled Everest into a hug as Jay pulled Harper into one. He gave her a smile and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head and passed her to Jay. Jay also pulled her into a tight hug and pressed a fatherly kiss to her head, but Everest didn't mind. These men were her father figures and she had known them as long as she had known Luke. They had babysat her when they lived in the same apartment complex as her and her family and they let her babysit Harper once she got older. She knew, trusted, and loved them both and Harper was like her little sister, so she had no qualms about them showing her familial love.
"Bye girls! Love you! Be good!" Jay called over his shoulder.
"Don't do anything we wouldn't do!" Brad added.
"Don't die or burn anything down, got it." The girls laughed as the men stuck their tongues out before shutting the front door.
Everest turned to the girl. "What do you want to do first, Little Architect?"
"Lincoln Logs."
Everest followed after the girl as she walked to the basement where thousands of Lincoln Logs sat in bins and even more were put together creating a massive castle that took over the entire basement. It was large enough for the two of them to sit in the middle of it and it was nearly three feet tall. There were four towers, a working gate, multiple courtyards, and actual rooms inside the main castle. It had taken over a year to get to where they were, and a lot of Lincoln Logs, but they were almost done. They just had to finish the sheds and temples inside the main castle area, create the small cabins that could go outside, and finish the roads and pathways connecting it all.
"Think we can get it done before Dad and Baba get back?" Harper asked as she gathered a pile of Lincoln Logs to start a temple.
"Oh yeah." Everest sat outside of the castle, starting on the cabins. "I'll start some music and work on the cabins. We'll break for lunch in about 2 hours and then we'll work some more, sound good?"
Harper nodded and Everest started the playlist she had dubbed 'Castle Music'. It was full of Disney songs from fight scenes and scenes where characters explored castles. Harper loved it, and so Everest thought that the three hours she had spent finding the songs were worth it.
...
Everest's alarm cut through the basement, startling the two from their work. Everest jumped away from the bin of logs in surprise, Harper nearly crushing a temple. Everest shut the alarm off and she straightened from where she was kneeling.
"Looks like it's time to head upstairs before your dads get home." Harper's expression fell.
"We didn't finish."
"Hey." Everest crouched in front of the 14 year old. "That's alright. We can finish later. We just have to go upstairs for now and greet your dads when they get back in a few minutes."
Harper still looked disappointed, but she left the castle and grabbed her lunch plate as she walked up the stairs. Everest followed, also disappointed they hadn't finished the castle.
Jay and Brad were already in the living room when they entered. Harper put the plate on a side table and gave her parents hugs. Everest smiled and put both of their plates in the dishwasher as her phone chimed. She pulled it out with a sigh, already knowing that it was something involving the mess she and her sister were involved in now.
"Everything all right?" Brad asked as he stood in the kitchen doorway.
"Izzy's brother thinks Clary knows something and it's not going well."
Brad frowned as he pulled her into a hug. "You do what you have to Forest. I was going to ask you to stay for dinner, but it seems you have to deal with something bigger than dinner."
She smiled apologetically at the man. "I'd say if I could but..."
"Hey, it's fine. You take care of what you need to and know you're always welcome for dinner anytime."
"Let me guess," Jay said as the duo walked into the living room again. "Clary?"
"Yep." Everest grabbed her bag from the couch as she gave the man a hug. "I'm sorry I can't stay for dinner."
Jay waved it off. "Don't worry about it. There will be plenty of other dinners you're going to be over for."
Everest gave him a grateful smile as she turned to Harper. "Can I give you a hug?" Harper nodded so she pulled the girl into a hug. "I'm sorry we couldn't finish the castle today, Little Architect. We'll try and finish it the next time I'm over, alright."
Harper just nodded into her shoulder. "We better."
Everest laughed as Harper pulled away. "Well when you say it like that, we have to.'
Everest waved goodbye to the Karters as she shut the door. As she started her route back to the Institute, she sighed. She had a bad feeling that whatever was about to happen next would be what set her over the edge. And she really hated that feeling—especially because it was usually right.
AN: I need some help. I need a ship name for Everest, Alec, and Magnus, but I can't think of one! There's some cutesy scenes coming up between them (I think) and I kinda want Izzy and Clary to chant their ship name in the background, but I can't think of one. Do any of you have any ideas? Please help.