I let myself into the institute through an open window in the entryway. If i turned up to Magnus's party in my hunting gear i'd be kicked out for sure, actually i wouldn't even get in. I could of just climbed up to my bedroom but since no one was home it seemed a rather pointless act. As i strode through the entryway the doors of the elevator creaked open. I didn't have enough time to get up the stairs before Isabelle spotted me.
"Anna?" She called out hesitantly as if convinced herself i was a figment of her imagination.
I groaned but turned around to face her anyways. At the sight of my face she pulled me into a tight hug, desperate to make sure i didn't disappear. I smiled lazily over to Alec as she reluctantly let me go.
"Why are they all muddy?" I asked noticing the two boys behind her were soaking the carpet in filth.
"Dragon demon," Alec spit out glaring over at Jace.
"Aren't they extinct?" I asked, trying to recall the information i'd been forced to memorise, but apparently hadn't suck in all to well.
"Mostly extinct," Jace replied. "But apparently that's not good enough for Alec."
I laughed at the venomous look Alec gave him. Though it was cut short when slide over to me Jace's.
Noticing the awkwardness that now suffocated the room spoke up. "Now I'm hungry," She said. "I wish Mom were here to cook us something,"
"Better that she isn't," Jace joked. "She'd already be shrieking about the rugs."
"You're right about that," A cool voice said. I looked past Jace to be meet the sight of Maryse standing in the doorway, arms crossed.
"Ooh your in trouble," I teased earning me a stern glare.
"Mom!" Isabelle shouted running over to give her mother a hug. Alec joined them attempting to hide his slight limp.
"Where's Dad?" Isabelle asked stepping back from her mother. "And Max?"
"Max is in his room. And your father, unfortunately, is still in Alicante. There was some business there that required his attention,"
Alec could sense the difference in her tone. "Is something wrong?"
"I could ask you that." She replied her tone dry, attempting to throw off his questioning. "Are you limping?"
Isabelle stepped in due to him being a horrible lier. "We had a run-in with a Dragonidae demon in the subway tunnels. But it was nothing."
"And i suppose the Greater Demon you fought last week, that was nothing too?" She remarked sternly glancing over all of us in disappointment.
"Why am i getting blamed for this?" I mumbled rolling my eyes.
This resulted in a pointed look for Maryse. The look told me she knew all about my activities while she had been gone, the look shut me up real quick.
"That wasn't planned for." Jace explained. Maryse meet his words with a hollow stare, she hadn't even said a word to him yet. "It was a mistake—"
"Jace!" Max yelled out squeezing his way around Mayrse darting into the room. "You're back! You're all back." He spun in a circle to grin up at all of us. "I thought i heard the elevator."
"And i thought i told you to stay in your room," Maryse said.
"I don't remember that," Max said. Alec reached over to ruffle up his brother's hair but he just stared up at Jace, eyes shinning brightly. "I heard you fought a Greater Demon," He continued. "Was it awesome?"
"It was. . . different," Jace replied thoughtfully. "How was Alicante?"
"It was awesome. We saw the coolest stuff. There's this huge armory in Alicante and they took me to some of the places where they make the weapons. They showed me a new way to make seraph blades too, so they last longer, and I'm going to try to get Hodge to show me—"
All our eyes instantly, impulsively flicked over to Maryse. She hadn't told Max about Hodge. Why hadn't she told him? Why was she acting so cold?
Her lips thinned into a knifelike line as she noticed our eyes on her. "That's enough, Max." She took him by the arm.
He bent his head to look up at her in surprise. "But I'm talking to Jace—"
"I can see that." She said gently pushing him towards Isabelle. "Isabelle, Alec, take your brother to his room. Jace," She spoke his name with an unusual bitterness like the syllables were acid on her tongue. "Get yourself cleaned up and meet me in the library as soon as you can."
"Great so what am i," I muttered in annoyance at her lack of acknowledge in my existence. "The mud on your stupid rugs."
"I don't get it," Alec said, flicking his eyes between his mother and Jace rapidly. "What's going in?"
Jace visibly tensed. "Is this about my father?"
Maryse jerked as if the words had literally slapped her across the face. "The library," She said through clenched teeth. "We'll discuss the matter there."
"What happened while you were gone wasn't Jace fault. We were all on in on it. And Hodge said—" Alec argued bewildered.
"We'll discuss Hodge later as well." Her eyes were on Max, her tone warning.
"But, Mother." Isabelle protested. "If you're going to punish Jace, you should punish us as well. It would only be fair. We all did exactly the same things."
"No," Maryse said, after a long pause. "You didn't"
▹▹▹
Magnus's party didn't fail to disappoint, though really what did i expect. The floor was filled with every type of downworlder known to man or well nephilim. I weaved through them to head for the makeshift bar that had been set up at the other end of the room.
The world had truly had been tipped upside, so i took that as a valid excuse to get a little bit tipsy. Maryse wasn't always the most pleasant woman, nor did she approve of most of our activities, but she'd never looked at Jace that way no matter what he had done.
I knew there would be consequences from that night, but no this i never expected this. Without Jace here children would of found themselves in early graves though perhaps Jace they never would of done the dangerous things that put there life in danger. I wouldn't off ever done any of it, but i didn't regret it for a second.
I spotted a familiar head at the bar and decided a distraction was well overdue. "Raphael," I exclaimed sliding up right beside him. "We have to stop meeting like this."
His face contorted in an amused grin that showed off his sharp fangs. "Little shadowhunter," He purred. "What a pleasure."
"The pleasure is all mine." I whispered back gently, lifting a hand to signal the bartender.
The faerie man glanced over at me suspiciously for a moment eyeing the marks that were burned into my skin. In the end he shook his end, coming over to serve me. Magnus Bane choose his guests carefully, i wasn't here to cause trouble.
He stood before us waiting for my order, but before i could open my mouth Raphael bet me to it. "The lady," He spoke, voice elegant as always. "Will have the same as me."
The faerie grumbled in response flittering over to fetch what he'd ordered. "The lady," I questioned amused. "Well aren't you a gentlemen."
"Risky, standing before me now," He mused as the bartender returned drink in his hands. "Where i could rip your throat out in seconds."
"Perhaps," I replied, twirling my finger in my drink. "I like danger, ever consider that."
"Killing you would be such a waste," He articulated, accent dripping heavily from each word. "I do not waste."
"I'm flattered." I whispered dangerously close to his ear.
"You should be," He says finishing over his drink. "May we cross paths again sometime, Miss Grey." He then disappeared into the crowd in the blink off an eye.
Seconds later my phone buzzed in against my hip from it's place in the pocket of my jacket. I pulled in out to see that the caller id read Luke. I drowned my drink in one gulp before answering.
"Do you have a reason for calling me this time of night," I growled. "Or do you just enjoy the sound of my voice. It really is quite lovely so i'd understand if you did."
"It's Jace." He responded, voice deep and serious.
I almost drop the phone in surprise. "Oh. . ."
▹▹▹
A/n:
Raphael. What more can i say, i loving the way this whole relationship with them is going.
Anyways expect more updates soon since i'm on christmas holidays with no wifi so i really have nothing better to do but write.
🇳🇴HA DET🇳🇴