*edited*
"Will you go grab Jace?" Alec whispered.
I nodded walking through the crowd while Isabelle spoke with her brother. Jace pulled his head out of his ass and named Alec the head of the institute. It was the right choice to make and I'm proud that he could do it. I could hear slight notes from the piano and talking.
"Hey," I peeked in. Sebastian was sitting in the room with him. "Alec is about to make an announcement."
They both nodded and followed me back into the main room. Alec standing on the stairs ahead of all of us. It suited him, to be a leader.
"We've lost seven of our own, but we can't allow a single radical Seelie to define the entire downworld, any more than we can allow Valentine to define all Shadow hunters. So to restore unity with our allies, I will be hosting regular cabinet meetings here with the downworld leaders of New York." Alec spoke his eyes moving across the crowd.
"I'm all for unity, but does he have to bring them here," Lindsay whispered.
"What did you expect he's familiar with the downworlders."
"I still can't believe Alec Lightwood is in charge." She added.
"Just wait, in a week it will, be someone else," Marcus scoffed. I turned to look at both of them.
"Show some respect," Isabelle snapped.
"You both need to shut the hell up and fall in line," I hissed. They looked at me and then the floor.
"Please, let's make the downworlders feel welcome," Alec added.
His eyes stayed on me as I looked back up. Everyone broke apart. I was going to go after Lindsay and Marcus. Probably would slap some sense into them, but Clary tugged me toward her.
"Look at you, in charge for a week and already shaking things up," Jace joked. "I think this cabinet thing is a good idea."
"I'm not sure everyone agrees," Alec sighed. He gave me a tight smile.
"All the more reason to do it," She nodded.
"How can we help?" I asked.
"I need you and Jace for a mission. Going to the Seelie court," Alec sighed. "You too Lena."
"Where is that?" Clary asked.
"The nearest entrance is at the city park, but it's in another realm. Where the Seelie queen lives," Isabelle explained.
"I've requested an audience with her to discuss Kaelie's crimes. However, she said she'll only meet with Valentine's experiments." Alec said. I crossed my arms.
"Charming nicknames," Clary scoffed.
"You think the Seelie Queen is responsible for Kaelie's attacks?" I asked.
"That's what I want you to find out."
"It would make sense those attacks weren't exactly Kaelie style," Jace said.
"Yeah, but why attack Lena? She saved the downworld she would've left her alone," Isabelle reasoned. I shook my head.
"I could have been attacked by someone else. They were posing as Kaelie maybe," I chewed the inside of my lip. "Technically I wasn't harmed by the Seelies."
"Wait how did you meet Kaelie?" Clary asked. Jace's expression changed like he was a child caught in a lie.
"Book club," Jace answered. I laughed a little.
"You read?" Clary asked.
"Yeah, why does everyone find that so hard to believe," Jace shook his head.
"Focus, we need to find out if she's complicit. An entire faction could be turning against us." Alec brought us back to the mission.
"Can't be too hard right, Seelies can't lie?" Clary added looking at me.
"Technically yes, but with hundreds of years of practice they can expertly manipulate the truth and the queen is the master," Jace said.
I stared at the tiled floor thinking. I could tell. Technically speaking I haven't used it on Seelies before.
"She's very dangerous. The entire realm is." Isabelle warned. "More than one shadow hunter hasn't made it back."
"What could go wrong?" I laughed.
"Yeah, but we're valentines experiments, right?" Clary hit my shoulder. "Don't mess with us."
"Something like that," I breathed walking away from the group.
"Lena," Alec muttered. I turned to him. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," I nodded.
"Are you sure? I wouldn't have sent you on this—."
"Stop," I rested my hand on his chest. "I'm glad to go on a mission with the chaotic duo. It's just the nickname." He put his hands on my neck staring at me.
"I know, I'm sorry," he breathed.
"You didn't do anything," I smirked. "Also," I grabbed his wrists. "Come with me."
"Lena I have to—."
"Nope. Come on, it's a minute before I get ready to leave," I teased as I pulled him to my room. "Shut the door." I let go of his hand as I moved to my side drawer pulling out the small box. "Here."
"Lena." He smiled.
"Just open it," I waited patiently as he did. He stared at the ring. "I'm not proposing to you. Just so you know, but any other piece of jewelry I knew you wouldn't wear. It's a promise ring."
"Linny." He turned the ring over in his palm.
"It has your birthstone and on the other side is mine. So I will always be with you even if I'm not physically here," I reasoned showing him the other side.
"Thank you," He smiled as he slid the ring onto his finger. "And you knew my ring size. Isabelle?"
"Yup," I ran my hands down his suit coat and smiled. "Okay, now you have to go back out and be boss while I corral the other two."
"Good luck with that," He leaned forward kissing me softly. "I love you."
"I love you more."
***
"Where the hell is she?" Jace asked.
"I don't know. She was supposed to be your problem," I looked over the railing at the water below. It looked so peaceful.
"Nope," Jace shook his head.
Their voices approached. Two voices. Clary and Simon approached us both. They were holding hands. It was sweet and all, but Simon couldn't go.
"Simon's not coming," I shook my head
"Good morning Lena," Simon smiled.
"You were not asked to join this mission," Jace crossed his arms.
"I already told him that," Clary sighed.
"Yeah, but I concluded that you can never have too much backup. I mean you've both seen my fighting skills," Simon smiled as he crossed his arms proudly.
"No, there will be no fighting." I pinched the bridge of my nose.
"This mission is political. It requires a certain touch," Jace said.
"I want you to know I was vice president in eighth grade, you can't win an election without sway with the people," Simon smirked at Clary.
"Simon, this isn't a game. You could die," I said. "The Seelie queen wanted to see us three, not you. She could kill you for just coming along with us."
"Seelies have the faces of angels and the thought of demons. They are unpredictable. They will trick you into your own self-destruction," Jace explained.
"That's a little dramatic don't you think," Simon shook his head. "I mean aren't Seelies hippies who like berries and dance a lot."
"You thought the same about Kaelie," I sighed.
"And who saved Clary from her?" Simon asked.
"Guys, you aren't going to get him to change his mind," Clary sighed. "I've tried."
"If Simon dies, I don't want anything from you then since this was his decision," I added pointing in Simon's face.
"We have to go. Where's the entrance," Clary looked around us. Jace and I looked over the railing.
"There," He smirked. He and I backed up together smirking. We knew how we were getting down, but the other two hadn't quite caught on yet.
"The Seelie court is in a creek?" Simon asked.
"Not in it," Jace ran first.
"Through it," I finished the sentence. The two of us jumped over the railing as we went through the entrance. "How long do you think it will take them?"
"I don't know, but Simon shouldn't be coming," Jace shook his head.
I nodded looking around. Everything seemed a little brighter here. It was like I was looking through a filter to another world.
"I completely agree with you there," I muttered. "We need less trouble, not more." The both of them appeared looking around.
"Woah."
"After you Mr. Vice President," Jace gestured. Simon smirked and held his hand out to Clary as they both moved forward. "I want to kill myself."
"Me too," I threw my arm around his shoulder. "Together?"
"Alec would kill me."
"Not if we kill ourselves first," I joked.
He just rolled his eyes as we separated. We walked up the trial Clary and Simon holding hands the whole way.
"You know the Seelie court is quite romantic," Simon muttered.
"It's like being dropped in a fairytale," Clary smirked.
"Faeries do live here," Simon laughed. He stopped and sniffed the air. His body turned to a tree. "Is that blood?"
He moved closer to a tree. His first time in another world and he smells blood on a tree. His first reaction is to approach it, not stay away. Sometimes I wonder how he's been alive this long.
"Simone get away from the tree," Jace warned. Simon touched a branch his hand coming away bloody.
"Get away from the tree," I threw him to the side. Jace and I stared at ooze closely. This wasn't just any kind of tree.
"Kill tree," Jace muttered.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Simon yelled.
"Saving you, as usual," Jace snapped.
"From a tree," Simon scoffed.
"That is called a kill tree. It would have wrapped its limbs around you and tore you limb from limb." Jace grabbed my arm the two of us moving away from it.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Clary looked confused.
"That tree, almost tore Simon's pretty little face off," Jace said.
"You think I'm pretty," Simon smiled.
"Look in the Seelie realm, it's not just the creatures that are deadly," Jace gestured around. "It's everything. If you want to survive, don't touch, eat, or smell anything. No matter how small."
"You mean like not smelling the flowers that are growing where Lena steps," Clary muttered.
I turned around and saw the patches of flowers. That was freaking creepy. They were little bunches of white flowers.
"Let's move," Jace grabbed my arm as we walked forward. We walked through the woods going after the same trail until we saw the castle in the distance.
"It's so beautiful," Clary smiled.
"The more you say that the more I think we're going to die," I breathed. Jace gave me a small smile.
"Don't let it blind you, let's go," Jace said.
We walked through the entrance seeing the people around. The Seelie guard came forward. I lifted my hands as they moved around us taking our weapons from us.
"Jace, my stele, our weapons," Clary muttered as she looked around. Jace and I nodded.
"You didn't think they would just let three shadow hunters walk in here, completely armed," I sighed.
There was a girl in front of us. Although she didn't have the air of a child. The way the Seelie maids stayed at her side I could guess who she was and what role she had to play in all this.
"You will get them back when you leave the court," The girl spoke. Her tone had power. She had to be the queen. Jace and I bowed.
"Your majesty," Jace bowered.
"It is an honor," I added. Jace gestured for the other two to bow as well.
"What a rare honor."
"Wait that's the queen?" Simon whispered. I rolled my eyes.
"Why is the vampire here? He was not invited," The queen demanded.
"He's with me," Clary said. We all stood up ready for whatever she was going to throw at us.
"My lady, Simon has proven himself a worthy warrior and a loyal friend," Jace said. "We insisted he be here with us. Anything you can say to us, you can say to him."
"Very well the vampire can stay," She nodded. Jace inclined his head.
"You're as generous as you are lovely," Jace muttered. He had no smile. He had no manner.
"Set an extra place at the table for our third guest," The queen told the lady behind us. She reached one of her hands out for me. She looked me up and down. Her other going to Clary as she turned.
"This is going to be fun." She walked forward. I glanced back at the boys.
We were brought into another room. A table on the floor pillows around it. I sat next to Simon near the queen. Clary across from me.
"I thought you said she was ancient. She hasn't even hit puberty," Clary muttered. I shot her a look.
"She is ancient," Jace explained. "She uses Seelie magic to manipulate her appearance."
"Genius she tries to seem all innocent and cute, but really she's—"
"Hungry?" She asked from the head of the table.
"That is very kind, but we really must discuss business," Jace added. She sat down between Clary and me.
"Business is boring. That's why I sent a proxy to your downworlder meeting," She reasoned. "I'd like to know more about Valentine's children."
"Twins," Clary corrected. "Only Lena and I are Valentine's children."
"Are you sure?" She asked.
"I'm not Valentin's son," Jace added.
"Yet the same blood runs through all of your veins. The blood of the angel," She added looking over to me.
She took my hand in her's she didn't do anything with it. She turned it over to a small thing of flowers blooming in my hand. I didn't know what kind of gesture that was, but I was uncomfortable with her.
"Show me what it can do." She smiled as she looked at the others. "Don't be shy."
"We're still learning how it works," Jace admitted.
"Are you? Vampire, are you still learning to walk in the sun?" She asked.
"Wow, word travels fast down here," Simon smiled.
"It does, I hear whispers from the birds, the bees," She looked at me. "And the bugs. They're all in my service."
"So was Kaelie," Jace added. "Were you surprised that one of your knights was killing shadow hunters?"
"Were you. Kaelie was your lover," The queen let go of my hand. I set the small thing of flowers next to me trying not to offend her.
"Book club, huh?" Clary smiled at her place setting.
"I was surprised, Kaelie didn't seem capable of something so brutal," Jace said.
"Precisely why she made the perfect killer. The sweeter the honey, the deadlier the trap."
"Did Kaelie kill on her own or was she working with someone else?" Clary asked.
The queen put her hand up a Seelie took her hand as she stood up. She leaned forward grabbing an apple off the ground.
"Another knight helped, but I took care of him," She tossed the apple into the air.
"By took care of him, you mean—."
"Dead, dead, dead." Her mouth morphed as she bit into the apple tossing it back onto the table. "I'd like a moment alone with the daylighter."
"Alone?" Simon looked at Jace.
"With Simon?" Clary asked.
"My lady, perhaps if you discuss here. We prefer not to be separated." Jace reasoned.
"Don't worry, I'll bring him back with all his limbs attached," She smirked.
"Okay," Simon chuckled nervously as he stood up. "It's okay Clary, I'll be fine."
Simon and the queen walked together out of sight. It wasn't long before Clary started pacing. I sat down next to Jace looking bored.
"We should never have let Simon come," She muttered.
"He didn't exactly give us a choice," Jace added. I let out a long sigh as I cracked my spine. "And you know you can't really blame him." Clary turned staring at Jace. "If I were him. I'd never leave your side either."
They stared at one another. Again I felt like a third wheel. I did my best not to involve myself in my sister's relationships or even situationships. It was too confusing. Simon came in behind her. I stood up.
"Is everything okay?" Clary asked.
"Great," He smiled. "We need to go now. Right now." Simons whispered.
"Hey, hey, wait," Jace told him before Simon tried running. "You're majesty with your permission, we should get going."
"But you've only just arrived," She smiled. Vine's grew up Jace and Simon's legs as they stood there. I looked at Clary seeing she and I were free. "It's futile to struggle. Vitis veritas. Enchanted Vines that only obey me."
"Your majesty—."
"What are you doing? Let them go." Clary moved toward her.
"But they killed several of my kind," She reasoned.
"What? We didn't kill anyone!" Simon yelled. The vines were covering their chests.
"She can't lie," Jace muttered. "Your majesty you must be mistaken."
"I told you, the birds, the bees, the bugs are all under my service," She muttered. I slowly realized as I looked at Simon.
"The gnats at the kill tree," Clary realized. "But that can't seriously mean—."
"Their deaths require justice," She stepped forward. "Unless of course, you'd like to play my game?"
"What kind of game?" Jace asked.
"A game sounds better," Simon urged.
"Lena," She reached for my hand. I moved toward her holding her hand. "All I ask from you Clary Morgenstern is a kiss."
"You want one of us to kiss you?" Clary asked.
"The game isn't for me. It is for you, Clary," She nodded. "The kiss that will set them free. Is the kiss you most desire." I could see Clary's face change as she slowly started to realize. "I suggest you move quickly. Once the vines reach their necks the boys will be dead, dead, dead."
"Jace was wrong, this is exactly like middle school," Clary looked back at both of them.
"Clary," I warned.
"Clary just kiss me so we can go home," Simon muttered.
The vines moved closer and closer to his neck. It was Simon she had to kiss. She looked back at the Queen before moving to Simon kissing him briefly, but the veins didn't stop.
"Why are the vines still here?" Clary asked.
"Why do you think?"
"I did what you asked?" Clary moved forward, but I shook my head. She didn't do what the queen asked.
"Clary," Simon gasped.
"You can fool yourself, but you can't fool the Vitis Veritim." The queen urged. She looked back at Jace.
"Clary." She looked between us and the boys several times before moving to Jace.
"This means nothing," She breathed.
The two of them kissed. I watched as the vines slowly moved away from them. The two of them still kissing. My eyes moved to Simon as he stared at the two of them heartbroken. The Queen smiled at her own work. Clary shoved away from him the two of them breathing heavily.
"I told you daylighter. They always choose their own kind."
"Why the hell would you do that? It's our lives, not a game," Clary snapped.
"Best to be completely honest, don't you think?" She let go of my hand as she moved closer to the three.
"There is nothing honest about that," Clary shook her head.
"Your Highness, are we free to go?" Jace asked. I watched as Simon left before she answered.
"Oh yes, it seems one of you already has," She smiled. "I require a little more time with Lena." She turned to me.
"What no, you just said we could leave," Clary said. I shook my head.
"You three go. Simon has already left." I urged. Jace shook his head as he moved forward.
"That wasn't an invite shadow hunter, you two may go freely as of this moment," The Queen spoke as she stared at me.
"Please your majesty if we could all leave together?" Jace muttered.
"Jace go," I said. He gave me a long look before leaving with Clary. "What do you need to speak with me about your majesty?"
"You're a Shadow hunter, yes?" She asked. I nodded. "Yes, you were the one to destroy the soul sword."
"I was."
"Yet, you have angelic powers?" She asked. I nodded once more. "You are quite the chameleon, Miss Morgenstern." I waited for her to continue her point. "Do you want to know something?"
"If you insist your majesty?"
"Flowers," She muttered. "Do you know why they favor you in this realm?"
"I do not," I muttered. She walked to the far wall as she ran her hand over the pink flowers.
"Flowers are a symbol of fertility Lena," She added. "Why would they favor you?" I stared at her. Cause I'm probably infertile from everything I've been through. All the addiction and experiments.
"I'm not sure."
"Lena, you are a smart girl. I suggest you get going. Let the flowers guide you out of this realm. Thank you for your sacrifice, Lena Morgenstern. The Seelies will never forget what you've done for the downworld." I gave her a bow.
"Thank you, your majesty." I moved for the door.
What the fuck was that? What did she mean? I walked along the path again. The flowers from before still bloomed on the ground. I looked behind me seeing different ones blooming this time. At first they were white. Now they are red. I didn't think anything of it until I got close to the gate. Flowers grew along the entrance.
Flowers are a sign of fertility.
"Oh fuck." I muttered looking at the flowers from behind me. "Oh fuck." I moved through the portal.