"Calli! Calli! It's okay, it's me! You're okay!" Clary's voice rang into her ears that made her eyes snap open but quickly closed when her eyes met with bright lights in the room. "I'm here Calli, I'm right here," Clary tried to comfort her sister, but instead Calliope ended up laying back down on what she laid on with a groan. Her brain was pounding against her skull, she felt sore all over.
"Calliope?" She heard Clary call for her again. "Can you, um, turn the lights down? My sister doesn't like the light being this bright," Clary requested to someone in the room. Wherever they were.
"Clary?" Calliope finally found her voice, "where are we?" She asked, her throat dry, voice hoarse.
"We're in the institute," a sultry feminine voice spoke. Now with the strength to open her eyes for the second time, she saw Clary holding her hand with tearful eyes and a relieved look on her face. And from behind her was a woman with black hair, wearing black sexy looking clothes. "I don't know you—"
"I'm Isabelle," the woman introduced herself, handing Clary a water bottle before walking to her other side. "Sit up, drink some water, it will make you feel better," the woman, Isabelle tells her.
"I've never seen my brothers be so curious about mundanes, but then again you wouldn't be mundane if Jace managed to draw a rune on you," Isabelle grinned, just after she was able to help Calliope lift herself to sit upright. "And as your sister has seen, distractions are dangerous in our line of work."
"What work? Are you in a mob?" Calli gasped, something made sense to her. "Of course, mom would be kidnapped, she angered a mob boss!"
"That's not what's happening here, Cal," Clary shakes her head. "The legends are true," Clary said quietly.
"Legends? What legends?" Calli frowned, "where are we? And why am I on a bed? Clary, how long have we been here?"
Clary shifted in her seat uncomfortably, glancing at Isabelle for help which Isabelle gave her a somber look. "Neither of you know much do you?"
"No we don't, so if you could just fill us in, that would be highly appreciated," Calliope glared, her mind still on survival mode, ignoring the soreness she felt all around her body. "You know what, I don't have time for any of this. Clary, we're leaving. We're going to the police."
"And what will you tell the police?" A new voice spoke, walking into the room, hands behind his back, his blond hair slicked back as his bi-colored eyes stared at her while Calliope just glared at him.
"None of your damn business," Calliope frowned, attempting to stand up but Clary pushes her down. "Clary, what are you doing?" She snapped at Clary.
"Trying to save your life," Clary scolded her, "Jace told me the thing at the loft took a bite at you, you're not fully healed."
"I feel fine—"
"I would listen to her," the blond guy agreed, this time Calli threw the bottle at him which he didn't get to catch in time that it hit his forehead. Fortunately it was empty, but unfortunately for him Isabelle roared in laughter.
"Oh I like her very much," Isabelle laughed, wiping tears from the side of her eyes.
Calliope turned to Clary, ignoring Isabelle's laughter and the blond's glares that were directed towards her. "Let's get out of here."
"And where? Luke betrayed us, Calli. They saved our lives, I can have a wild guess that we are safe here," Clary explained to her, holding onto her hand, "trust me on this."
"I trust you, Claire," Calliope pursed her lips, "I don't trust them," she glanced at the blond now frowning Isabelle who looked like she was teasing the blond.
"Good, the mundane is awake," another voice spoke, walking into the room. This time she recognized this guy, the guy who bumped into her on her way to Java Jones. "Now they can leave."
"Excuse me?" Calliope frowned at him. "You people took us here, we don't know you!"
"Look Calli—"
"Calliope," Calli glared at him, making him sigh as he glanced at Clary. "Can you?" The blond asked her sister, in which her sister moved to where Isabelle sat.
"Calliope," the blond finally began, "we are shadowhunters."
"And I'm supposed to know what that is?" She asked him, fighting the urge to push him off, he had a very punchable face as it turned out. Her fist was itching to fly into that perfect nose of his.
"We protect mundanes from the shadow world. The shadow world is filled with warlocks, werewolves, vampires—"
"Great, so what's next? We find out we're half fairies or some bull crap because our mom apparently called Fairchild or something?" She retorted in disdain.
"At least we have some answers to look into," The blonde sighs, turning to the guy who Calliope recognized earlier.
The guy with the blue eyes sighed, "I'll look into it with the Clave," he says before walking out the room. Just as he left, the sound of Clary's familiar ringtone rang.
"It's Simon," Clary informed Calliope, taking the call and walking out, the blonde following behind her. Leaving Isabelle and Calliope in the room.
"Can you help me up or something?" Calliope sheepishly asked Isabelle who in turn gave her a kind smile. Holding out two hands for her to reach which she gladly took, though her knees felt a little weak, Isabelle managed to keep her standing. "Nice heels."
Isabelle's smile grew wide with pride, "thanks, it's a six inch."
"Nice."
With the help of Izzy, Calliope manages to get herself into a pair of jeans and shoes. Though Isabelle was generous for lending her clothes, she declined any tops that stuck to her like a second skin. Fortunately, Isabelle was kind of like her in a way, a burglar for oversized shirts. Well, at least for Calliope the only oversized shirt she ever stole was Luke's old NYPD physical shirt and she normally wore it when she'd go to the gym.
"It's Alec's, let me help you fix it up a bit," Isabelle offered, holding a small metal hoop from the curtain in her room and an elastic before securing it behind Calliope's shirt. Other than the shirt, everything of Isabelle's fit Calliope like a glove, shoes included which was why Isabelle had her wear combat boots. Something she hasn't worn since she graduated from ROTC in high school.
"And done! You look good," Isabelle complimented, nodding her head in approval. "Here," Isabelle handed her a hair tie which Calliope gladly accepted.
"My brother said that you should meet him in the office, you know, to look for your mom. I'll take you to him after I get you something to eat," Isabelle offered.
"Thank you, Isabelle," Calliope thanked her, "and I'm sorry if I'm a bit brash and mistrusting of you."
"Hey," Isabelle calms her down, "you went through something rough, and I get that. At least now you're with us and we can help you," Isabelle tells her comfortingly.
"Thank you."
Isabelle smiles again, circling her arm around Calliope's arm as she leads her to a kitchen. There the kitchen was empty, too clean but maybe that was how it was supposed to be? Calliope couldn't really judge.
Isabelle led her to sit on one of the stools, pulling out a container from the fridge, it was lasagna. Calliope didn't realize when, but her eyes started to water until she sobbed. Everything crashed down hard, Isabelle noticed and took the spot next to Calliope, holding her hand and rubbing her back in circles for comfort. "It's okay, let it all out," Isabelle encourages her, which she definitely did.
Calliope's mind flashed back to the last time she held her mother in her arms, the last time she said 'I love you'. She was scared that she would suddenly forget what her mother looked like, what she sounded like. Calliope didn't realize how dependent she was on her mom until that moment.
"Do you feel better now?" Isabelle softly asks, as she watches Calliope slowly eat the lasagna she reheated for her. "Clary informed us that lasagna makes you feel better, I guess it worked?"
"Yeah," Calliope nodded, she felt a little bit better after eating lasagna, though it wasn't her mom's, it was enough to make her feel okay.
"I could've bought some cocoa powder, but I didn't know how you'd take it."
"It's okay, Isabelle," Calliope assured her, still thankful for letting her be vulnerable in her arms for a good while. "And thank you, for earlier."
Isabelle just nods at her as she watches her eat until the plate was empty enough that Calliope could say she was full.
"Do I have to see your brother now?" Calliope asked Isabelle after she took a few minutes to digest.
"Unfortunately, yes," Isabelle sighed. "The sooner you tell him details of what happened, the sooner it is for us to find your mother and possibly the mortal cup."
There it was again, that damn cup. Calliope couldn't control her facial expression when that cup was mentioned, and Isabelle knew better than to mention it again. Taking mental notes to warn her brother if he wants Calliope to cooperate with him.
"So this whole thing you're doing," Calliope starts to ask, motioning her hand around in a circular motion that Isabelle understood. "You're kind of like a supernatural police organization or something?"
"Kind of yes, kind of no," Isabelle shrugged. "We're born part angel and mundane, we protect mundanes and keep downworlders in line," she explained just as they entered the ops center. "So yeah, we are kind of like the supernatural police," Isabelle grins, stopping in front of Alec who was holding a tablet in his hand.
"I believe we've never officially introduced you to my brother," Isabelle briefly looks between Calliope and Alec who remained silent in each other's presence. "Calliope, this is my brother Alec. Alec this is Calliope, not a mundane," Isabelle whispered the last part to him teasingly.
"I apologize," was the first thing Calliope said, surprising Isabelle and Alec, "I was a little harsh and ignorant with my words when we met earlier. I hope it doesn't stop you from helping us find our mother."
"It won't," Alec cleared his throat, setting down the tablet. "Hopefully you'll cooperate without much trouble unlike your sister."
Calliope's brow scrunched in confusion, "Clary? Why? What did she do?"
Isabelle shifts her eyes slightly before answering, "she's been insistent that we help her find your mom without giving much leads."
"She was traumatized by what happened," Calliope pointed out, "she watched you murder people in front of her, and when she got home our mother shoved us into a portal and when we got back our place was ransacked. I almost got killed by a demon as you call it, and you expect her to give you coherent answers?" She frowned at both Isabelle who looked down in shame and at Alec who seemed like he had just realized the mistake he made. "Nice policing," Calliope scowled, turning around before freezing at the sight of a familiar face.
"Simon?" She called out, fast walking towards him and her sister who stood by a doorway.
"Cal!" Simon received her in his arms, lifting her in relief. "Oh god, I thought I lost you guys, you were gone for two days!"
And suddenly the shadowhunters wished the mundane didn't speak at all, because for whatever reason, Calliope Fray, now known as Fairchild, was now like an active volcano.
After another Calliope volcano erupted, pissed, Calliope stood far away from the shadowhunters. Upset that she actually missed two days worth of classes, she was looking forward to advancing a bit on her classes but was going to be impossible with the amount of lectures she missed.
"I'll ask again, why is there a mundane in the institute?" Alec asked, clearly agitated at the sight of Simon in the building, Calliope almost felt sorry for him because clearly Simon was the uninvited guest at this tea party.
"A circle member followed him to get to Clary," The blond that Calliope now knew as Jace answered.
"The same one that took mom?" Calliope turned to Clary who nodded with determination, ignoring the fact that her sister was wearing clothes that she knew that she would never wear in a million years.
"What exactly are circle members? And why are they trying to kill us?" Simon asked
The three shadowhunters turned to each other as if they were all talking, "all we know is that a long time ago the Circle led a revolt. A lot of shadowhunters got killed, including my father," Jace explained, turning to Clary which Calliope certainly caught but did not make a comment, instead she pulled her sister closer to her.
"And since the revolt we've been forbidden to even hear about the circle," Alec added, arms crossed as he looked at Calliope intently, as if he was studying her, instead of cowering she stood tall whilst placing a protecting hand on Clary.
"But how is that even possible? It's your history," Clary commented, confused.
Jace scoffs, "says the girl who didn't know she was a shadowhunter?"
"Okay, listen here Captain America," Calliope frowned, pulling Clary behind her, "both of us didn't even know about half the things you said until today. So don't back hand us with your not so funny remarks, because that's just not fair. We weren't raised in your world so give us a damn break," she pointed a finger at him with a murderous look in her eye.
"Look," Clary tries to calm the situation, "the only person in the world who knows the truth is missing. So I don't care about your rules or what's forbidden, I'm…" Clary sighed. "There's got to be someone out there who can tell us."
"While you find out," Alec withdraws, still glaring at Clary for what she said about rules. "You, come with me," he motions for Calliope who frowned at him.
"I have a name," she snarled at him.
"I know, but at the moment, we don't have much time," he shrugged, leading her away from the ops center, leaving his sister and brother to do the work with the other half of the girls and their mundane friend.
Sitting in a stone walled office, it was a scene that Calliope only found appealing on pinterest once every five days if she felt bored. It was a very different feeling when you're sitting in a supposedly ancient room often occupied by the leaders of the institute, whatever that meant.
"We investigated the things your sister's bag had, birth certificates, passports, school records, even citizen identification," Alec started, laying down all the things she brought from their loft on the table, all in plastic bags and thankfully dry and not destroyed by the rain. "When you came in we had no choice but to ask your sister, but she could only give so much information given her circumstance."
"As in, you interrogated her as soon as she set foot in the building," Calliope deadpanned while Alec avoided her piercing gaze. Clearing his throat he continued.
"When you said Fairchild earlier, I got a look into the Clave records and found that the only Fairchild in the recent record was Jocelyn Fairchild," Alec continued. "That's who your mother is, a shadowhunter and in her prime was a member of the circle."
Calliope froze, "she's what?"
She couldn't believe her ears. Her mother, a member of a circle? A group of shadowhunters who started a war against other shadowhunters?
'Mom, when you said you had skeletons in your closet. Why did it have to be dinosaur bones,' she inwardly groaned.
"From the reports," Alec continued, taking note of the change in Calliope's behavior, "Jocelyn vanished 18 years ago, along with the mortal cup."
"Again with that damn cup," Calliope huffed, clenching her fist before trying to relax herself, this time meeting Alec in the eye, determined to answer any question that could help them find her mom.
"Now tell us what you know," Alec asked.
Calliope sighed, annoyed at how dumb the first question was, or was that considered a demand? She couldn't really comprehend now since she started retracing her whole life.
"My memories are fuzzy," she tells him.
"Fuzzy from when?"
"Since I was a child, all my memories as a child are fuzzy," she answers him. "But what I do know is that my mother had a lot of secrets, I know she does. I study psychology. I was bound to see how secretive she was, especially in the last year," she added. "And even if I tried to look into it, everything I try to remember from before it's all fuzzy and it—" Calliope winced when a pain shot against her temple.
"Are you okay?" Alec asked concerned. "Calliope?"
"I don't remember, I can't see anything. I usually remember everything—"
"Can you elaborate on that?" He asked her with genuine intrigue and concern, paying attention to every word she said.
"If I could," Calliope winced again, closing her eyes tightly as she took a deep breath, "I would."
Alec sighed again, keeping himself calm. The trail was cold but the one thing he knew was that at least one of the girls was cooperative enough to answer questions without making a tantrum. Handing Calliope a glass of water, hoping it would help with the pain she felt, he leans against the table as he watches her drink. From just watching her he could see similarities between her and Clary. Just small similarities like the curve of her nose, the shape of her eye, the small freckles on her face. But that's where the similarities ended.
Calliope Fairchild, unlike her sister, was light shade brunette, blue eyes, rosy cheeks that was different from Clary's ivory skin. Apart from that, the girls' reaction with the shadow world was different, Clary made Alec and Isabelle suffer tantrums the first two days her sister was admitted in the clinic.
"Can you please stop staring at me?" Calliope snaps him out of his thoughts, handing him the half empty glass.
"Your memory could be wiped," Alec spoke, taking the glass and setting it on the table.
"How could that be— who am I kidding," Calliope humorlessly laughed, "vampires and werewolves exist, of course memories can be wiped," she mostly told herself.
"You seem more adjusted with this whole thing," Alec commented, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Do I have a choice?" Calliope stated, "our mom hid this world from us all our lives, as much as I want to find her, I also want to make sure that Clary is safe."
"You know?" Alec starts, clearing his throat. "You act more like a shadowhunter than you think."
A smile appeared on Calliope's lips, "I get the impression that you don't give out compliments as much. So thank you."
"Now, can you walk me through what happened that day?" Alec finally went back to the questions which Calliope appreciated, letting her mind be at ease knowing that he was taking this seriously.
"It was our birthday, and our mom gave us steles. She said she was going to explain it to us when we were home," she fell silent realizing that she should've pushed harder that morning then maybe she could've prevented it all.
"What about what happened when Clary got back?"
Before she could say anymore, Isabelle opens the door to the office, leaning against the door frame with a look that Alec wasn't so very fond of. "Jace wants to follow the warlock lead."
And all Calliope could hear and see after that was Alec's frustrated sigh.
"I don't approve this mission," Alec announced with Calliope trailing behind him, still confused with how this all worked but was grasping to get something. There they went on a floor where Isabelle was admiring blades, behind her was Clary and Simon while Jace faced Alec with an annoyed look. "I spoke with the Clave, they're sending Seelie scouts to search for Valentine. But they made it clear that the little girls stay here."
"My name is not 'little girl', okay?" Clary glared at him while Calliope shook her head at her, knowing enough that going against whatever this Clave is could be bad. "I don't care what that Clave thing is, or what you want, I'm going to find Dot."
"They're trying to help us, Clary," Calliope tried to reason, "if you're going to look for mom, where do you suggest we look first?"
"I know they are, Cal. But I don't think it's enough, and this Clave thing is trying to stop us."
"The Clave is our boss," Alec clarified, glaring at Clary who defiantly glared at him back.
"Alec, this warlock could have the answers we need," Jace tried to convince Alec, only this time it genuinely annoyed the taller guy. Calliope could tell that Alec was annoyed, unsure if it was because of them or that Jace was the one taking their side.
"Alright, since you have all the answers, where do you suggest we search?" Alec asked the girls, annoyed, moving towards Clary towering over her, but instead Calliope got in between them where she tried to push him back.
"Back up, Batman," she warned him. "I get that you're annoyed that Captain America here is helping us without your input, but at least hear us out without making me want to shove those swords up your ass," Calliope threatened, effectively making him step back but still held eye contact with her. "Dot has an apartment at Greenpoint, if we want to find her, we can start there—" Calliope was cut off when Clary gasped.
"Claire?" She faced her sister, holding her shoulders to shake her awake from what trance she was in. "Claire-bear, are you okay?"
"Oddly enough, I think I know where Dot could be," she answered, a little pale on the lips, and it seemed like it was the answer they needed to hear.
Calliope has never ventured much in the clubbing streets of New York in her 18 years of living. At least in her very boring mundane life, she most often went to school, sometimes to the public library, or the bakeries, then back home. She's never been anywhere else without a solid reason unlike Clary who loved adventure.
When she first set her foot out of Simon's horrifying van of land transportation violations, she felt anxious of the wet alleyways in this particular street of New York. She couldn't point a finger at it but she for sure didn't like it here and would prefer to run back to the institute where it was bright and safe.
"Dot!" Clary screamed, catching everyone's attention before she started running away.
"Clary, wait!" Calliope called for her, running after her as fast as she could, knowing well enough that the shadowhunters and Simon weren't too far behind. It wasn't much of a long run, but Clary soon stopped with a distressed look on her face when Calliope finally caught her. "Don't run away like that!" Calliope scolded her sister, holding her in her arms letting her cry on her shoulder.
"I-I saw Dot, she was taken by circle members," Clary stuttered, turning her head towards the alleyway in front of them. "I saw her here, she was taken by them here. Calli, they're going to kill her, we have to stop them!"
"We need to go," someone said from behind them, it was Alec who looked exactly what not liking this excursion would look like. "This place isn't safe. We need to get back to the institute, now."
"Valentine has our mom and Dot, and we're just going to give up now?" Clary scoffed in disbelief, getting Calliope's hands off of her as she looked at the Shadowhunters. "What about my memories? They can't just be gone."
"Wait, what about your memories?" Calliope frowned, asking Clary for an answer.
"A warlock wiped your sister's memory from anything that belonged to the shadow world," Jace answered, "and I could take a guess that yours is wiped too."
"But there is another option," Jace thought, but this time both Isabelle and Alec glared at him furiously.
"Don't even—"
"Absolutely not." Both Alec and Isabelle disagreed, both furious at the blond that Calliope could pick up that this option wasn't even supposed to be an option.
"I'm not afraid of the Silent Brothers."
"Who are the silent brothers?" Clary asked, shifting her attention between the three shadowhunters in the group.
"They shadowhunters with superior powers," Jace answered.
"Who possesses the ability to recover memories," Isabelle added, but her tone made it seem like they really shouldn't try it.
"A process that can also kill you, so there's that," Alec finished, turning to Calliope who held onto Clary's hand when he mentioned the 'dying' part.
"Your bedside manner is abysmal," Simon sarcastically commented, earning himself a glare from the taller man.
"Okay, no. We are not doing that," Calliope declined, attempting to pull Clary away from Jace but she breaks free. "Clarissa."
"We have broken at least 18 clave rules, now you want to go to the City of Bones? There's no way, I won't allow it," Alec whispered to Jace, emphasizing the situation, hoping that something would stick into the blond's brain.
"This isn't our choice to make," Jace tells him, glancing at Clary briefly. "This is Clary's decision."
"No, this is not her decision to make," Calliope stops him, covering Clary with her own body. "We may seem new to all this, but if our life will be in any danger, then no. We are not taking that route—"
"But if it means that anyone can tell me another way to recover my memories and still get the answers we need, let's hear it," Clary spoke up, gently pushing Calliope away from her. The shadowhunters didn't answer, "that settles it."
"Clarissa," Calliope turned to her, her hand firm on her sister's, "a word?" She says, pulling Clary away from the group, but not too far to be out of their reach. "What is wrong with you?"
"No, what is wrong with you, Calliope?" Clary frowned at Calliope. "Don't you want to find mom? Or Dot? Or get our life back?"
"Of course I want to find mom and Dot," Calliope answered, "but that doesn't mean we have to jeopardize the integrity of the people who are trying to help us!"
"If going to the silent brothers can help get us our memories—"
"Which you could die from by the way."
"We don't have another choice!"
The sisters stood there in silence, Calliope pursed her lips knowing well enough that she was stubborn and that she can't change her mind once she's had her mind to it.
"Let's go," Clary turns to Jace who nodded in return, both of them walking ahead with Simon following closely behind, leaving Isabelle and Alec with her.
"I'm sorry," Was all Calliope could say when she saw Alec's disbelief.
"Let's just hope that your sister doesn't die tonight," he huffed, walking ahead of them.
"I think I've been here before," Calliope spoke as soon as Alec helped her get out of Simon's death trap of a van. All three shadowhunters turned to her and froze, alarmed that she of all people came here.
"When?" Alec asked, agitated.
"I don't know, maybe a walk? It's close to Brooklyn College, so maybe I passed by here a couple of times," she pursed her lips trying to rack her brain for something that's better than a 'might have'.
"Can you check your photographic memory if you've actually been in this creepy place before or not?" Clary nervously asked, looking around the tall pillars and the waste cans on fire.
"It's called eidetic memory, and no, I can't recall," Calliope answered, though she can't excuse the familiar feeling that she had in her chest as they looked around the place from where they stood.
"Let's check it out," Alec suggested, walking ahead followed by Isabelle and Jace, Clary about to step forward but Jace gently pushes her back.
"Wait here a minute, I wanna see if it's safe," he tells her, nodding at Calliope who in turn nodded back, knowing that they should stay put until they returned.
"Why are we doing this? We don't even know these people," Simon pointed towards the three shadowhunters who started to walk around the area.
"We don't, but it doesn't seem like we have much of a choice," Calliope answered, crossing her arms over her chest, feeling chills up her arms that she attempts to rub free.
"I just wish our mum trusted us enough to us about all this," Clary sighed.
"She was going to," Calliope says, "she said she was going to explain everything when she gave us the steles."
"But why not before? Why now? We could've been ready a long time ago."
"She was trying to protect us," Calliope argues.
"Yeah? Well see where that got here," Clary snapped, causing Calliope to glare at her. Not liking how all this was turning her sister into someone she couldn't recognize, was this a survival response? This was rash.
"How are neither of you not ultra freaked about all this?" Simon asked, confused at how it seemed like the girls were more well adjusted than they were to all this freakish madness.
"After what we've experienced on our last birthday, it changes your view in life," Calliope answered, this time she tries to calm herself from the growing feeling in her chest. She didn't like the vibe of the place.
"Calli, are you cold?" Simon thoughtfully asked, taking off his flanel and handing it to Calliope who received it with gratitude. "Are you holding up okay?"
Calliope scoffed, "I'm a mental breakdown away from turning insane," she answered before sighing, "yeah, I'll be fine."
"Clary." All three of them turned to Jace who motioned them to come closer. With Clary walking head to hold Jace's hand while Calliope and Simon stuck together, with little comfort from the creepy place found with their childhood friend. Calliope holds onto Simon's hand as they follow both Jace and Clary into the grounds.
"You have to understand the Silent Brothers aren't like us," Jace informed them, but mostly Clary who was right beside him.
"What? They lack your charm and superior people skills?" Clary jokes, which Calliope snorted.
"Yeah, most people do," Jace grinned. "The brothers communicate without using words, they communicate with their minds."
"Great, more people trying to get into our heads," Calliope muttered under her breath, staying silent as she listened to Jace and Clary talk. Finding it annoying that Clary was deliberately excluding her when it concerns her as well.
"They'll hold the soul sword to your head, and with it's blade, carve the truth from your mind—"
"Wait a minute," Calliope pulls Jace's jacket sleeve, "you didn't mention that," Calliope frowned.
"Calli—"
"No way in hell are you going in there with a sword over your head," Calliope snaps at Clary, "when they said you could die, I didn't think they meant a sword could literally carve something on you."
"I'll do anything," Clary says determinedly. "Walk through fire, battle demons, whatever it takes."
"No you won't," Calliope glared at her sister before turning to Jace, "she won't. But I will."
"Calliope—"
"No," she waved her hand at Clary, "both of us got our memories wiped, both of us could have the same information you need. You only need one of us to find answers, and I would rather it be me than my sister."
Jace looked at her intently, yet he knew that this girl, Clary's sister, looked stronger than she thinks she is. "Fine."
"This is creepier than the outside," Calliope found herself commenting as she, Jace and Clary walked down the stairs. Much to her disapproval of Clary coming with them, she insisted on joining in case something happened to her. Add to the fact that Jace mentioned that any place covered by shadowhunters would be safer for them.
Descending further down the stairs until they reached a cave system. "Here," Jace hands her a glowing rock.
"What's that?" She asked, holding onto the rock that was cold to the touch yet it glowed bright enough for her to see inside the dark cave.
"Witch light. We carry it to remind us that light can be found in even the darkest of places."
Calliope admired the rock for a second, finding its sentiment nice before she followed Jace and Clary some more into the deepest parts of the cave. "Is that supposed to be the mortal cup?" Calliope heard Clary ask once they reached a statue.
She raised her light to see it was an angel holding a cup and a sword, she gulped when she stared at the sword. "Is that the thing that's going to hang over my head?"
"Pretty much," Jace responded.
"What does that say?" Clary asked again, lighting the stone on the feet of the angel.
"It's the Shadowhunter creed," Jace informed them. "Looking better in black than the widows of our enemies," he said in a serious tone. But Calliope knew better than to believe him.
"I took up Latin as my minor class, that's not what it says," Calliope pointed out, which caused Calry to giggle at Jace's deadpanned face. "For Shadowhunters the descent to hell is easy," she read before wincing.
"Calli?" Clary helped her stand still when she noticed Calliope sway. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah… let's just do this and be done," she answered, motioning for Jace to walk on ahead.
"Jace, can I talk to you for a second?" Clary spoke up, Calliope could see her sister be anxious about something. She doesn't know what these two have going on, but it didn't take a genius to know that her sister likes Jace, and frankly Calliope didn't know what to feel about that.
"Go on, I'll just walk forward," she assured Jace, handing him the witch light when she saw torches ahead.
Jace nods, "you don't have to worry of anyone attacking, you're safe here. Just walk ahead, a brother will be there," he instructed which Calliope nodded. Not turning back as she walked forward into the stone halls. Entering a dimly lit chamber, the walls with bones, she looks down on the floor to see a symbol surrounded by what looked to be femur bones.
"Shadowhunter." A voice rang into her mind causing her to jump, all around her, torches lit up. Each light reveals a sewn face, dressed in cloaks.
"Step into the circle," a cloaked figure walked up to her, motioning to the circle surrounded by bones. She hesitantly stepped into the circle, she felt the energy around her shift.
"Step away Jace Wayland, Clarissa Fairchild."
Calliope turned around to see Jace and Clary looked at her with worry.
"Calli—"
"I'll be fine," she assured Clary, turning to Jace, "keep her safe."
"We'll be right here," Jace nodded, pulling Clary away from where Calliope stood, awaiting for the next step.
She faces the silent brother once more with a more determined face, trying to relax herself whilst trying to see if she can remember anything from the top of her head. "The search into your consciousness is a perilous one."
"I wish to know, I wish for answers," she answered, trying her best to not break under the horrifying face she was currently looking at.
"If you are not strong enough, the soul sword can kill you," the silent brother warned her.
"I will be strong enough," she said in determination, "I'm ready."
"Very well, Calliope Morgenstern."
And before she knew it, a sword appeared above her head. She inwardly gasped, heart pounding against her chest as it lowered to her head. And before she knew it everything came flashing into her mind, all of them jumbled that she couldn't decipher. Until she saw a man, and everything went black.
"Luke!" She hears her mother's urgent voice ring in the apartment living room. Calliope takes off her earphone from one ear as she curiously listens to their conversation.
"All this lying is destroying you," Luke warns her mom, "Stop blocking their memories and tell them the truth, especially Calliope."
"No, not Calliope," Calliope hears her mom say, "she can't know, especially not her."
"You're delaying the inevitable," Luke spoke once more, "the girls are shadowhunters, there's nothing you can do to change that. Both Clary and Calli will be in danger if you don't tell them the truth."
"This world is too dangerous," Jocelyn repeats. "If anyone knows who they really are, the risks would be a hundred times greater."
"Do you know what Calliope said to me when I picked her up from school?" Luke gritted, "she said the descent to hell is easy, she said the creed. You need to tell her the truth."
"I can't," Jocelyn shakes her head, "if she ever learns who her father is, if they ever find out their father is Valentine, I don't know what they'll do."
Calliope gasped as she fell to her knees, her ears ringing whilst her eyes watered, tears pouring down her face. What did she just see? What the hell did she just see? Why did she forget?
"Calli?" Clary called from outside the chamber.
"What did I just see?" Calliope gritted as she looked up at the Silent brother who guided the sword to her head. "Only fragments of your memory are accessible to us."
"Let me dig a little deeper, please," Calliope begged, not wanting to accept what she learned. "Please, he can't be my father."
"Calliope!" Jace and Clary entered the chamber, Clary checking if she had any injuries but could see none.
"Calliope, did you see the cup?" Jace asked, worried.
"Let me back in," Calliope ignored him, "please, it can't be real."
"Your memory does not lie. You must accept what has been revealed."
"Why? What did you see?" Clary asked, confused, the frantic tone in Calliope's voice worried her. Her usually calm sister was now shaking, disgruntled, scared.
"Cal—"
"Mom lied," Calliope sniffed, devastated. "Mom lied about dad. He wasn't a veteran who died in war," she explained further, her brain pounding. "He caused this war, he caused the revolt."
"Calli what are you saying—"
"Our father is Valentine," was all Calliope could say before she passed out.
"What happened?" Alec asked as he saw Clary and Jace walk out of the City of Bones, Jace carrying an unconscious Calliope. "What did you find out? Why is Calliope unconscious?" Nervous that Calliope died going under the soul sword, he would never forgive himself if something were to happen to her under his watch.
"Valentine is their father," was all Jace could say as he looked gazed down at Calliope who looked so peaceful in his arms.
It was as if he was doused by freezing cold water with what Jace told him, "wait a minute," he says in disbelief. "You're telling me these girls show up out of nowhere, that they're Valentine's daughters? Did it ever occur to you that they might be spies?"
"My sister is unconscious because she tried to look for the truth," Clary snaps at Alec. "Did you think we planned this? To have our mom get kidnapped? For Calli to get attacked by a demon? Or for a sword to float on her head and find out our father is one of the most dangerous people in the world?"
Alec held back his tongue, glaring at Clary, glancing at Jace with Calliope still in his arms. "I said might," he gritted under his breath.
"Where's Simon?" Clary asked, looking for her mundane friend. Jace motioned for Alec to take Calliope from him, though he was hesitant, he still took her into his arms. She felt light which was a surprise to Alec, the only sign of Calliope being alive was how her chest would rise and fall indicating that she was breathing fine.
"Simon?" Clary called out for the mundane. Not a moment too soon, Isabelle was walking back with a shamed look on her face. "Where's Simon?"
"I told him to stay in the van."
Who knew a mundane could be this troublesome?