Before Helen had a chance to say anything, Mark had already wrapped her in his arms. After Livvy's funeral she was forced to leave and he hadn't had a chance to say goodbye, not knowing when the next time they would see each other would be. Helen's blue eyes were glistening with tears, her arms tightening around her brother. When her eyes met the Consul's, she pulled back gently. Mark stood by her side as Helen addressed Jia.
"Consul Penhallow, I was summoned?" Her voice was strong but bright, like silver bells during Christmas season. Just as Julian remembered his older sister. Just seeing her here brought back familiar memories; her helping Julian paint, attacking his unruly Blackthorn curls with a hairbrush, helping him calm down Emma after she had lost her parents. Those memories were lost in a blur as he looked at her now, she looked different. When he saw her before the Council Meeting, there had been so much going on, he barely had a chance to look at her. Now, standing in a quiet room with her, he noticed she was less fragile than she used to be. She was taller, her white blonde hair still soft curls, but hanging just past her shoulders now. Her face was more angular, muscles more defined as she stood confidently in the room. Just like a Shadowhunter, the trials she had been put through only made her stronger.
"Helen, dear, please have a seat." Jia motioned to the chair she had been sitting in only moments ago and shifted her gaze pointedly at Mark. They both sat, Mark in his chair and Helen in Jia's as the Consul herself perched herself on the side of her desk. Jia and Helen were close due to her marriage to Aline Penhallow, but it was hard to be the doting mother-in-law when you had to uphold the cruel punishments dealt by the Clave. "In your time at Wrangel Island, have you heard about what has been happening here?"
Helen shook her head hesitantly, "I- I can't say I've been very up to date on political dealings of the Clave during my exile."
Jia nodded, her bottom lip between her teeth as the words stung. Further reminders of what Jia had done to her. What the Clave had done to her. Nonetheless, Jia swallowed the pain and spoke – telling Helen of everything that had transpired in the past few months since Livvy's death. The Warlock's worsening state, the blights in Faerie, the possibility of Shadowhunter's losing runic ability, and everything in between.
"With all due respect, Jia, what does this have to do with me?" Helen asked during a lull in the conversation.
"The Unseelie King is behind the blight, he is spreading it throughout Faerie and we believe he plans to bring it to the human realm next. He has Anabel Blackthorn, who is in possession of the Black Volume. We think he is going to use it to bring the blight here, and we need to stop him. In the Unseelie Realm, Shadowhunters do not have the power of their runes and he is almost too powerful to be stopped – almost. If we have the element of surprise, if he doesn't have time to prepare forces or any traps, we may have a chance. As King of the Unseelie Realm, he can sense anyone entering, but we need the element of surprise."
Helen raised her eyebrows, "So how do we go about that?"
"An heirloom. There is a ring enchanted by the fae that allows entrance to the Faerie realms without detection. And we are to believe you are in possession of this heirloom." Jia finished, Helen's mouth dropping open.
"I- I don't have it. I wouldn't steal anything, especially not from the fae." She was looking at Mark who watched her with hopeful eyes.
Jia placed a comforting hand on hers, "We know you didn't steal it, we are not accusing you of anything. We believe you were gifted it without your knowledge."
Mark smiled at her now, "The ring you had when we were brought to the Blackthorns. It was a gift from Nene, our aunt. The one you always wore around your neck on a chain." Mark lifted the golden chain from around her neck now to find no ring. His expression fell, Julian and Ty's as well. Jace and Clary shared a worried expression. "Where is your ring Helen?"
"I gave it to Aline. When we got married, it was my most important possession, so I wanted it to be worn by the most important person." Her eyes were soft, full of love for someone who was not even in the room. Mark's face softened, the thought of his sister being happy even after everything she had been through comforted him. Just like him, they did not let the horrible things they went through crush their heart.
Jia's expression warmed as well, "Aline? Well I shall call my daughter here as well then."
Ty looked down at his hands, twiddling his thumbs in his lap, "Does this mean Helen has to leave again?"
The faerie-blooded Blackthorn blanched, but Jia simply smiled with a wink, "Why would she leave? She is now of vital importance in this mission, we couldn't bear to have her leave."
Julian couldn't help the smile that spread on his face, especially at seeing the expressions of his brothers light up. "Thank you, Consul. Thank you for everything." Everyone got up to be dismissed, but as they all left, Jia spoke.
"Julian," Her voice was softer now, eyes almost pleading. He stayed behind as the rest of the group filed out of the office, "I am trying to make things right. The Clave has always had its fair share of corruption, but I fear it is worse now than ever. Worse than the Circle. The Circle only had a few powerful members, but the majority of the Clave saw them as wrong, extremists who spread false prophecies. The Cohort is different. People believe them. Believe that Downworlders should have no place with us, it is dangerous."
"What about the new Inquisitor?" Julian asked.
Jia shrugged, "I do not know Lucien well enough yet to know. But I am keeping my eye on him."
"I believe in you Jia." He said, and he meant it, "You are perhaps the only one left in the Clave who is not stained by this corruption. Who knows the Cohort is wrong. I hope that sooner rather than later, you believe in yourself enough to try and make a difference." And then he was gone, leaving the Consul standing in her office, hoping for the same thing.
***
"For the love of all that is holy, Cristina," Emma said, laying upside down on the couch in the Blackthorn's townhouse, "If you do not make a decision, I am going to make one for you."
Cristina was lying on the armchair situated next to the couch Emma was so gracefully sprawled on, "Emma, your decision is not a decision at all."
"Like hell it isn't!"
"A decision is choosing between two things. Not saying both." The two of them had been in the study, talking and catching up. With everything that had been happening lately, they hadn't gotten a chance to hang out and talk like best friends would. As much as Emma hated being left behind and not being involved in this part of the mission, it was something she had long needed. Now they were talking once again about Emma's favorite topic – Cristina's love life.
"Well I say both is also an option." Emma was holding a book upside down, flipping through the pages despite the fact that trying to read it was giving her a headache.
"Both of what?" A curious voice asked from the doorway, the lilt of Faerie in his voice. It startled Emma enough that she dropped the book on her face and Cristina burst out laughing.
"I wouldn't laugh at me right now if I were you, Tina." Emma winked as she sat up straight and rubbed the part of her face the book had smacked. Cristina froze, blush creeping across her face. With a smile, Emma turned to Kieran, "Chicken and waffles. It's a classic combination."
Kieran looked affronted, "Together?! What an abomination. Have you Nephilim no proper taste?"
Cristina huffed out in relief, she didn't believe Emma would actually tell him the truth, but the thought of telling Kieran still sent her heart racing. He came to sit next to Emma, picking up the book that she had dropped, "And to think, of all enemies to assault the great Emma Cordelia Carstairs, the only one to succeed was 'Enochian: Language of the Angels.'"
Emma glared at him and Cristina couldn't hide her chuckle, "I mean, it is a big book."
"Oh shut up," Emma laughed, shoving the faerie playfully. Kieran's hair was a sky blue color; the color of happiness and playfulness as Cristina had come to know. Unknowingly, a smile had spread across her face at the sight of him. Someone must have cut his hair, it was mildly wavy, hanging above his shoulders and half pulled back. "I'm going to go find Tavvy. He doesn't make fun of me."
"Not yet at least, he's still pretty young." Julian spoke from the doorway with a smirk, he was leaning against the doorframe with Helen standing next to him. She was beaming.
"Helen!" Emma ran for her, pulling her into a hug that was returned just as tightly. "By the Angel, I am so happy to see you!" She pulled back, hands cupping her face. "Do you have the ring?"
Helen laughed, the sound lighting up the room, "Emma Carstairs, always down to business." Her words held no sting, only the joy of being reunited.
Julian was the one to answer her question, "Aline does, she'll be here later tonight with it."
"That's great!" Emma had stepped back from Helen now, arms crossed lightly, "So then what?"
"Then," He began, a dark glint in his eye, "Then we plan our assault on the Unseelie King. Then we get our revenge."