That night, Echo sat in a spare bedroom in the institute. The bed underneath her was cleanly made and the sweats she wore were soft. Despite the luxury items that Alec had provided her, she couldn't sleep, or even relax for that matter. Her room was down the hall from Clary and she kept glancing at the door.
She absentmindedly twirled her Stele in her hands as she thought of random memories. But when she would try and remember a specific event that took place, she couldn't. There was something about the memory that was distant and unobtainable.
Echo pushed the dormant memory away and thought about the last time she had slept. She remembered waking up on Clary's birthday in the institute, but she knew that she didn't sleep well. Echo counted on her hands; Thirty-eight hours. She hadn't slept in thirty-eight hours. But she didn't feel tired, she just felt lethargic.
Echo stood up and dropped the Stele onto her bed. She walked up to the mirror, expecting to see the same features she had all her life, but Echo had to suppress a gasp. Her once fiery, almost orange hair had darkened. Her hair was now the colour of a used penny. The shade wasn't that far off from before, but it was a noticeable difference. She examined her features further and noticed the rune that was previously on her shoulder was now smooth and bare. The rune had disappeared.
She looked down at her arm, but the rune opposite her healing rune was still present. Her skin looked pale against the dark rune and almost had a tinge of green. She looked into the mirror; her cheekbones and collarbone were slightly more prominent than they were yesterday. Her once emerald green eyes were now a shade darker and her skin looked clearer.
Echo, turned on her shoe and walked out of her room and down the hall. When she entered the control area, Alec looked up and noticed the slight changes in her appearance. His eyes went wide and he dropped the tablet. He strode over to her, but didn't touch her.
"Are you okay? You look..." He didn't know what word to use.
"Sickly? Pallid?" Echo folded her arms.
"Different. I was going to say different."
Echo sighed, "The rune disappeared again." She said momentarily looking down at her shoulder.
Alec looked and sighed, "We'll figure this out," His gaze shifted behind Echo.
Echo turned and saw Simon and Clary rushing down the steps and past them.
Echo held a hand out, "Wait, where are you going?"
Simon didn't acknowledge her as Clary hurried past Echo and grabbed ahold of Simon. Echo rolled her eyes and gave a heavy sigh; she didn't want to bother with Simon and Clary anymore.
Echo rubbed a hand across her face and through her hair; Alec pulled out his Stele and placed it over her shoulder.
"Hold still."
The rune, this time, had no effect on Echo. She couldn't feel the burn or the power; she just felt pressure.
Alec finished the rune and looked at her, really looked at her, "When was the last time you slept?"
Echo shook her head, "A few hours ago."
Alec saw past her lie; Echo threw her hands up, "Fine, when I woke up next to Clary in the Institute.
Alec folded his arms, "That was almost two day's ago."
Echo waved her hand, "Whatever, I'm fine." Echo sat down on the chair that was near her and Alec sat next to her; Clary, Isabelle, Jace and even Hodge soon accompanied them.
Hodge had a tablet in his hand and was showing pictures of a man. Echo had been so caught up in her past throughout the past day and a half that she had almost forgotten that they figured out that it was the Warlock, Magnus Bane, who had taken both Clary's and Echo's memories, of course Echo knew this.
"Magnus Bane is over four-hundred years old," Hodge said as he pulled up a picture of Magnus, "As you can see, he hasn't really shied away from the pleasures of the century."
Echo was pulled into a memory of when Jocelyn had taken her and Clary to a hidden lair, year after year.
"Can you two focus?"
Alec's voice brought Echo back to the situation at hand.
"This is not a joke."
"Alec's right," Hodge spoke with a tight voice, "Magnus is one of the most powerful Warlocks I've ever known."
"Then why did he help my mom remove my memories?"
Echo sat forward, "Our memories."
Hodge glanced at Echo, "Was it because she was a Shadowhunter?" Clary asked.
Hodge nodded, "Yes, one of the best. But help might not be the most accurate word. Magnus provided a service to Jocelyn. But more than likely, she may have paid Magnus handsomely for his magic."
Jace stepped forward, "Warlocks usually require payment, before they help anyone for anything." He sat down on the chair next to Alec.
"Word from the Clave, said that most of the Warlocks have gone into hiding," Alec said without missing a beat.
"Since Valentine began hunting them, Valentine must be searching for the Warlock--" Hodge's Circle rune burned at his neck and he doubled forward.
"Hodge, your rune. Are you okay?" Clary asked.
Echo rolled her eyes, and fisted her hand underneath the table. Alec glanced down at the slight movement.
"So how do we find Magnus?" Echo asked keeping her voice from showing her sudden anger.
Jace sat forward, "We don't, Magnus finds us. We set up a meeting, somewhere protected. We'll pull him out of hiding."
Isabelle gave a smile, "And I know exactly where we do it."
Echo unclenched her fist and adjusted her tight posture as Isabelle pulled up a flyer onto the large screen.
"Downworld rave. Nice Izzy." Jace was impressed.
Alec rolled his eyes, "Where did you get that?"
Isabelle smirked, "During surveillance of the Downworlders. From what I hear, Magnus likes to party."
"He'll never go for it. Not with Valentine trying to kill him."
Echo ran her hand through her hair, trying to release the sudden headache that sprouted.
"Of course he will," Jace said sitting back, "He'll blend in."
Clary shook her head, "I don't know, it seems--"
Isabelle cut her off, "Trust me, if Magnus is coming out of hiding, he's going to one of the biggest parties of the year."
Echo rolled her eyes, which hurt and sighed as Hodge asked them all to follow him. Echo was the last to move following behind Alec. Hodge led them into the training room and asked for Alec's Stele. Hodge opened a runed panel from the floor and pulled out a shining ruby necklace.
The ruby looked ancient and valuable; Echo thought it looked like something right out of the medieval era, and it probably was.
"Camille and Magnus were lovers?" Clary asked.
"Warlock gets around." Echo gave a small snort when Jace made his comment.
"Magnus bought it in 1857, the jewel is enchanted by a spell that alerts the wearer of the presents of demons."
Echo put her hands on her hips and took a step away from the group, suddenly feeling sick. For a strange reason, when Hodge had spoke of demons, her stomach constricted and she was struggling to breath. Echo did her best to hide her sudden change in behavior, and luckily everybody was focused on the necklace.
"I'll send Magnus a fire message to arrange the meeting," Jace brushed past Echo, "We have to get to Magnus before Valentine does."
The team agreed with him and fell out of line.
Isabelle had a sudden smirk on her face as she gripped both Echo and Clary's arms, "Come on. Let's go find a party outfit."
Alec grabbed Echo's arm, "I need to talk to her first."
Isabelle let Alec take Echo and Alec pulled her to a private corner of the training room, "What is up with you?"
Echo swallowed, "What do you mean?"
Echo squeezed her eyes shut as Alec answered her, "You were fine in the hotel, but when you handed me the Seraph blade back, you've been acting differently."
Echo put her fingers to the bridge of her nose, "I'm just overwhelmed," she looked up at him, "Why do you even care?"
There was something in Echo's eyes that made him grab onto her arm, "Because, there is something about you that makes me want to keep you safe. And that doesn't happen often." Alec was trying to keep his emotionless façade going.
Echo pulled from his grasp, "Well I can take care of myself."
"You can sit this one out if you want. Just let us handle it."
Echo scoffed, "And let Clary take all the credit, no thank you. Besides, she isn't the only one with stolen memories."
Alec folded his arms, "I heard you tell that to Clary, what do you think your missing?"
Echo rolled her stiff neck, "I just feel like there is something missing. I can remember most of the past, but I feel like there is a secret, about me, that I'm not remembering."
"Well you already know you're a Shadowhunter. You know about Idris, and most of the Shadow World. Do you know where the Mortal Cup is?"
Echo shook her head, "No, I guess that's one of the things my mom didn't want either of us to know." Echo rolled her eyes, "But that's not it. I knew I was missing that memory. This feels like something entirely different."
Alec was silent for a moment, thinking.
"Maybe it has something to do with why the runes don't stay?"
Echo pulled at her hip-length hair, "And what about this? I promise you I didn't dye it."
Alec shook his head, "Maybe that's part of the secret."
Echo swallowed, "I'm not sitting out. If we can get our memories back, this Shadowhunter thing, will be so much easier."