The sound of the city woke Echo up from her sudden slumber. She jolted awake when a loud car horn sounded. As she slowly opened her eyes she noticed she wasn't in Magnus's lair, but in her room at the Institute. She slowly pushed herself up to a sitting position and took in her attire. She was changed out of the dress, and back into sweats.
Echo was confused; She didn't remember what had happened. She pushed the blanket from her body and swung her legs to the edge of the bed. She kept her head low in fear she would witness the room spinning.
There was a quiet tap on the door and Alec peeked his head in, "Hey, your awake."
Echo lifted her head and blinked, "What happened?"
Alec entered the room, "You passed out at Magnus's."
Echo suddenly remembered, "The demon."
Alec shifted his weight, "Clary killed it."
Echo let out a sigh, "Clary killed the demon? What about our memories?"
Alec folded his arms and shook his head, "They're gone."
Echo lifted her head a little higher, "What do you mean gone?"
"When Clary killed the demon, your memories died with him."
Echo clenched her eyes shut, "Fabulous. Where is she? Clary."
Alec shrugged, "I don't know. Her room maybe? Or with Jace?"
Echo cringed at the mention of Jace.
Alec gave a snort, "What, you don't like Jace?"
Echo shook her head and slowly stood up, "It's not that I don't like the guy, it's that Clary is getting close to him."
Alec just rolled his eyes and Echo caught onto a shift in the room's atmosphere, "You have feelings for Jace?" She spoke this as a question.
Alec shot his head up, "What? No, I don't."
Echo swallowed, "Sorry, I just felt a changed in the air around you."
"A change in the air?"
Echo nodded, "Yeah, it was like I felt an emotion."
Alec's expression softened, "It's fine. Come on let's go find Clary."
Echo followed Alec down the hall until they heard Clary's voice.
"—He said your mother for the cup."
Echo and Alec entered Clary's room, "Who said that?" Alec asked.
Both Jace and Clary looked over, "Valentine. He's with my mother."
Behind Alec, Echo tensed, "And he can speak to you through that?" Echo asked pointing at the necklace in Jace's hand.
"Here in the institute?" Alec took a step forward.
Clary nodded, "It was like when I saw Dot."
Jace looked back at the necklace, "It's a portal shard. That's why your mother made sure you had it."
Echo sword under her breath, "Where are they?"
Clary just shook her head, "I don't know."
"You said you saw them."
Alec took a step forward, "Where there any identifying characteristics?"
Clary was fed up, "I don't remember, it was awful."
Echo crossed her arms.
"Alec, lighten up."
Echo saw Alec's shoulders tense and the same emotion as before rushed around him with a mix of anger.
"I'm trying to get something we could use out of this. If Valentine can see into the Institute that's a door I have to shut. Now," Alec paused holding out his hand, "Let me take a look at that thing."
Clary rolled her eyes and Jace hesitated, before dropping the necklace into Alec's hand.
Echo glanced at the shard along with Alec, the purple shimmered in the dim lighting and the shadows around it made it look like another dimension.
"Now, it's in the proper hands." Alec turned away pulling Echo with him.
Behind them, Echo heard Clary shout trying to get the beloved shard back.
Echo followed Alec into the training room, he explained to Clary that it was dangerous for the shard to be used in anyway. Alec used his Stele to open a block on the ground. He set the necklace next to spare Steles and looked up at Clary.
"Valentine is a real threat."
Clary glanced at Echo as Alec runed the block back into the floor.
"He can't be handled by four and a half Shadowhunters."
Echo swelled at the pride when Alec referred to her as a full Shadowhunter.
Clary looked up at Alec, "Five."
"Whatever, leave it there."
Echo looked at Clary, "It's fine Clary. Just let it go."
Clary leaned forward, "Valentine has mom. You didn't see what I saw. She's unconscious."
Echo gently folded her arms, "Valentine is a threat, just like Alec said. We need a plan before we just decide to fight him."
Clary put a hand into her hair, "This was not supposed to happen. I was supposed to be going to art school and you were in the middle of a scholarship. We had a normal life."
Echo snorted, "Nothing about our life was normal. You may not remember most of it, but I do. Several times you were exposed to the Shadow World. Mom fought a demon in front of you. Dot opened portals, and mom used her Stele. We were born Shadowhunters, not Mundanes."
Clary stood in front of Echo, dumfounded. Echo could see the gears turning inside of her sister's mind as she tried to remember the events. Echo chose that time to depart from Jace and Clary. She hurried off to her room and changed into something that hugged her skin.
The feeling of tight fabric around her body made Echo feel secure and put together; she didn't feel like she was going to fall apart. She pulled her copper hair into a high ponytail and allowed her shorter strands of hair to fall forward. The dark blue top she had on contrasted with her emerald eyes, but the colour of her hair created specks of gold in her irises that weren't originally there.
When Echo was satisfied that she didn't look completely terrible, she left her room and walked into the Control area, but she noticed a group of Shadowhunters huddled in the training room. A woman with long, dark hair walked around Clary, Isabelle, Jace and Alec looking intense. The woman hadn't noticed Echo and was now talking harshly to Isabelle.
Echo walked up the steps to the training area and quietly stood next to Alec.
"Natural order, what are you saying?" Clary took a step toward the woman.
The woman looked over at Clary still not noticing Echo.
"I can help, I can talk to Seelies."
Alec gave a single nod, "She's right, she can visit with Meliorn and see what he knows. I can go with her if you want."
The woman glanced at Echo before clapping Jace on the shoulder, "I'd rather Jace goes along this time."
The woman finally looked over at Echo, "You must be Echo Fairchild."
Echo gave a short nod to the woman. The woman sighed, "Alec, you stay with the Fairchild sisters. I want Clary under control, She's caused enough trouble already."
Echo was surprised that the woman was throwing Clary under the bus and not Echo.
Clary took a step forward, "Maybe that's because I didn't know I was a Shadowhunter until a few days go."
The woman glanced at Clary, "And what an exciting few days it has been." The woman sighed, "The Clave depends on us Lightwoods to maintain order here."
Alec tightened his stance, "You don't need to tell me that, If the mission is important to the Clave, I would prefer to be the one to go with Isabelle."
She shook her head, "You are also eager to do what you prefer, Alec. It's time to face the truth. Life is not about what you want to do, it's about what must be done. I have given you your assignments, now carry them out!" The woman pointed to Isabelle and Jace, "You and you with me, now!"
The woman turned on her heel and Jace and Isabelle followed with one last glance at the group. Echo could feel the anger radiating off of the woman as she left.
Echo sighed, "Who was that?"
Alec kept his gaze on the woman, "My mother."
Echo's eyebrows raised as Clary took a step toward them.
"Well that was a window into the weird. What did you do to piss off your mom?"
Alec looked over at Clary, "I'd guess, for a start, all the unstained missions on your behalf didn't go that big with the Clave."
Alec turned over his shoulder leaving the two sisters alone.
Clary shook her head and stalked off leaving Echo alone. Echo huffed and glanced around the training room. The weapons suddenly seemed of interest to Echo; she walked over to a blade stationed on the wall and picked it up. The blade was lighter than a Seraph blade, but much longer.
Echo put it into her left hand and carefully weighted a single swing. It cut through the air with a whoosh and Echo gave a small smile. She put the sword back on the wall and grazed the other weapons. The weapons varied from ordinary bamboo sticks, all the way to razor sharp throwing stars. Echo came to the wall where Alec had opened to reveal mission weapons.
Echo used her memory of that night and touched the screen, to her surprise the rack opened. This rack was the one with the bow and arrows with two Seraph blades above them. Echo was tempted to touch the arrows again, but when she heard footsteps, she quickly touched the screen again and the rack disappeared into the wall.