Piper hadn't seen Alec since the night the angel had risen. By saying this it seemed like forever, in actuality it had been two days. In that time she had thought, she had been in solitude as she should be. Idris has been kind enough to host the five shadowhunters in a sort of hotel, however Piper spent most of her time at lyn lake.
She sat on a pile of boulders beside the shore which was stained with deep red blood. The rippling water cast back the red heads reflection, which was altered from what it was a year ago. Her deep red fire hair curled down just past her shoulders, tan skin more muscular. Her multicolored eyes held more light to them, almost glowing and her freckles were normal. What was different were the two feathered wings on her back, folded neatly. They were two and a half times her size, giant billowing sails of egg shell feathers that gave off a very light lilac hue.
Piper felt whole with them, more relax and free. The lighting and angel blood coursing through her veins made her feel invincible, the wound Sebastian had given her reminded her she wasn't. She wore a tank top and jeans, the breeze blowing over the lake made her shiver. Her mind was troubled at the memory of shoving her hand through a living being, feeling the warmth of his blood and the feeling of taking his life. She had enjoyed killing him, what kind of person enjoyed that?
It was the same part of her that loved the feeling of reigning lightning from the sky and being hateful and reproachful. The torment side that begged to be released from the cage she kept it in. The darkness inside her was revealed along with the light, she refused to unleash that part of her. She also knew for a fact that the angels could hear her and if they wanted her to, she could hear them. She wasn't alone right now, she could feel the divine presence hanging in the air, looking over her shoulder and out of her reach.
Standing up and brushing off her butt she looked down at the lake and stretching out her wings as far as they would. Tossing. Back her head she felt the wind and enjoyed the smell that came with her home country. She kicked into the sky and shot into the clouds before gliding over alacante. The city of glass glinted like crystals and she circled the demon towers before landing on the roof to the hotel and letting her wings disappear into her back where she could feel them compacted and concealed inside her back.
Her balance was thrown for a second before she regrouped and nimbly slid down the shingle to the edge and dipped down, swinging into her room.
"Did you forget or are you just hell bent on avoiding you and Clary's rune ceremony?" Izzy asked and I smacked my head gritting my teeth as I looked at Isabelle's dress and makeup.
"Shit." Beginning to panic I raced to the closet and searched for something I could wear. Holding out a black knee length dress towards her for approval.
"No!" She cried angrily, "this a very important event! You can't wear black to everything!" She shoved past me and looked around before picking out a tiered gold dress with a fitted waist, strapless and laced up the back. "It's time for Diana."
Groaning I reluctantly changed into the uncomfortable dress and place a heavy gold crown embedded with red rubies that was hidden in the shorts and pants in the middle drawer. The angelic crown that could prove the true ruler. It had been in my family since the beginning, priceless artifact. "Good?" I asked shoving my stele up under my skirts and sticking it into a strap that went around my leg. Izzy nodded, checking her reflection once more before opening the door for us to leave. The dress made swooshing noises as I walked, smirking slightly at my comfortable feet. My back was uncomfortable, my wings being held captive beneath my skin. My tight dress only added to the agitation. When we got to the main doors I saw clary in a loose blue long dress, it was flown in the wind.
"Okay I'm going to leave her with you." Izzy winked at the blonde girl before rushing into the main room.
"You look beautiful, Piper." Clary grinned brightly nervously wringing her hands.
"Not as good as you." I smiled back, elbowing her slightly before my crown slipped and I raised a hand to straighten it. Groaning I closed my eyes. "If only Disney movies truly told how a princess life was. Right itchy dresses that are all...sparkly and weight a ton. Heavy crowns that seem to make you important, a facade that I have to be a perfect emblem of a shadowhunters. I'm just ready to get back to New York." I rolled my shoulders and moved them to try and relieve the tension in them.
"Then why don't you show them? The rebellious princess, that's what they called you for a time right?" Clary inquired. "I mean, you killed valentine, the people would love you-"
"No." I shook my head, "Clary, we can't tell them I killed him, that was all you."
"Well do you think we should say something about jace, the angel?" My eyes widened and I covered her mouth, looking around for anyone that might have heard. "Mixed emotions I guess."
"I want to but then they will throw you in a cell for the rest of your life." I didn't want to say that i would be the one who had to do that. "Not a word until jace and everyone talks."
The doors began opening and I straightened my back and lifted my chin slightly, pulling my shoulders back to assume correct posture. Before Clary and I walked into large room with a wall of Collumns that overlooked idris. At the end of the was Jace's grandmother, the inquisitor. She smiled warmly at us as we approached and everyone that watched bowed and she inclined her head before they stood up and Clary stood up first as I stood to the side.
"Clarissa Fairchild, you have defeated our greatest enemy and prevented a wish from happening." At those words her eyes flickered from across the room to jace to me and I locked my jaw. "It is my great honor to present a long needed angelic rune." She drew the tune on her arm and Clary took in a sharp breath and I smiled lightly. Everyone applauded and I chuckled before Clary took my spot as I gently made my name before the inquisitor.
"Diana Michaelson, beloved are you in the eyes of the angels, from your royal parents and the blood of angels you have been born to lead our people. It is my honor to coronate you-" my eyes widened, this wasn't until another two years. I wasn't ready, I didn't want to leave my life behind "-but, that will be on your twenty twenty second birthday." I let out a breath of relief. Murmurs spread through the crowd and my lips frowned, I already had the angel rune however it wasn't on my forearm where it should be.
The inquisitor touched the stele to the front of my shoulder and drew the rune about the size of my hand. Once she was done the rune sizzled in my skin and tingles ran over my body. "I think a celebration is in order." Imogen herondale lofted her hands and everyone began talking and walking around.
"How does it feel?" Jace asked me with interest poking the burning rune and I hissed, reading make as he did.
"Ow." We said in unison as he shook his hand. "You shocked me!"
"You poked me!" I frowned.
"How was it, seeing the angel?" Izzy asked Clary who smiled loving to retell the story. Alec took my hand in his and I looked at him with a giant grin.
"Wonderful, like nothing I've ever seen." Clary looked at jace who smiled at her.
"He was very dramatic, and mean! He splashed me with water like a little bitch." I lifted my drink to my lips and my crown slid off my forehead and smacked my nose. "OWW!" I shouted pushing my crown up and rubbing my nose. Everyone's eyes went wide and I narrowed my eyes at the sky.
"Was that.." Izzy asked before Alec finished her sentence.
"The angel?"
"Yes but I can hear Michael laughing with Daniel." I scowled shaking my head. "Damn they're loud."
"I can't believe you can hear them." Jace shook his head and I moved my shoulder blades again. "What's it like?"
"Would you like to hear?" I asked and drew a rune on the four of their hands. They all clutched their head with pain and I deactivated the rune. "Yeah, it's that with voices mixed in. It's hard to separate voices takes a lot of energy."
"That's not how my angel sounded." Clary frowned and they looked at her. Jace flicked his eyes from me to Clary then the door. Alec had been quizzing Clary thoroughly about that night and Clary was almost cracking. Jace gently tapped his nose and I gave a small nod, understanding what he was saying.
"Hey, Alec, how about we go talk to people? Izzy might beat us at our own job." I smiled and he nodded, offering an arm which I accepted. "I'm so ready to go home."
"I thought you loved idris." He asked with a raised brow as we decided to just go stand on the edge of the building and overlook the city. I could feel the warm breeze that smelled like home, it had a smell that you can decried but you wanted to breath in forever. I could almost feel the way it was to glide through the air over the city. My back was actually beginning to ache.
"I do, don't get me wrong. But staying in Idris means being away from you." I gave a light smile and rotated my shoulders again attempting to find any comfort.
"Your wings, they hurt don't they? When you hide them?" He read my symposiums like a book and I nodded. "Why don't you just show them."
"I don't want more attention then I already have, I just want to be a normal-a regular shadowhunter at the New York institute." I smiled and his cane after mine, a little forced. "What? What is it?" I asked skeptically searching his face.
"Well, I haven't told anyone yet. But I have an Opportunity to be on the clave. It's a big deal. What do you think I should do?" He asked and I turned my side to him, looking over the people. "I thought since you have a place here that maybe you would want to stay as well but-"
"No! No that's a great idea." I nodded with a smile, I didn't want to move away from jace, Clary, magnus, simon, Maia, or my parabati Izzy. "I think you should take it, I would love to stay here and run things in alacante." The lie filled my chest with burning doubt and sadness. It wasn't that I didn't want to be with Alec, it was that I would be accepting all the responsibility I didn't know I had until a few months ago.
"Okay." He smiled and nodding his head before my eyes flickered over to a worried looking Clary and a stern jace behind her. "What's going on with them?"
"I don't know." I shook my head, glad he couldn't see my mirrored worried expression. "Maybe just nerves." I walked briskly over to a wine table and dunked back a glass. Keeping this from Alec and the new lie was ripping me apart.
————
Back at the New York institute I went to my room, dumping my stuff in my dresser and collapsing in my bed. Laying face first I heard a crack under my gut. The most familiar snap sound that happened whenever-
"I swear to the angel I didn't do it this time, that was all you." Jace laughed from my doorway and I sat up, holding the two pieces of my ruby stele.
"Your bad luck." I narrowed my eyes at him flopping on my side. "What's up?"
"I need you to tell me how the night I..what happened that night. Every detail." He walked in and I closed my eyes, already knowing what he was asking.
"Why don't you just ask Clary?" I suggested and he shook his head. I raised an eyebrow and he gave me a eye roll and a half smile.
"I want it from a bystander." He traced over his clairvoyance rune and then held out my arm for him to activate mine since my stele was now broke. He sat down and we linked hands, closing eyes.
I relived the moment my hand jammed through valentines chest, the overwhelming feeling that came with it. The warm blood rushing over my arm in a deep staining red. The words I spoke to him as life faded from his body.
My wings bursting a powerful wave of air that sent his dying corpse slamming away. My race to Jaces side and the angel splashing me In the face. Clary asking for Jaces life, me telling her not to.
Jace left my head and I grit my teeth, wondering what he would think of me after seeing that. Would he hate me for telling Clary to leave jace dead? What would he think of the evil that liked the kill?
"You didn't want me to come back?" He asked with a straight face. I opened my mouth but he silenced me. "You were right, the natural balance, I shouldn't have come back." He nodded solemnly, and tried to stand up but I yanked him by his hand which still was locked with mine.
"Whats done is done. I may not have agreed with the method but you're here. That's what matters, your back and your well and your not going to die until your 105 with seven children and fourteen grandchildren." I babbled and he chuckled before Clarys laugh came from the doorway.
"Seven children?" She asked in amusement "whats this I hear?"
"Yes, Id like at least a small army of children." Jace teased and Clary shook her head as we stood up and Jace followed me out of the room.
"Oh, Piper, Izzy wants us in the armory." I rolled my eyes and grinned and Jace crosses his arms.
"Who decided to make her weapons master?" He tossed my stele to me and I pocketed the two parts.
"I believe that was me." I pointed to myself before following my blonde ex. Sister. After weaving through a few hallways we found the glorious room where weapons glittered in every corner.
"Damn you really like your job." Clary chuckled looking at the raven haired girl take apart her demon sensor necklace.
"Yeah I do." Izzy grinned, looking up and putting her hands on the desk before her. "But right now we're here to find both of your signature weapons."
"What do you mean?" Clary asked and I clapped my hands together with joy. This was like shopping but more fun and..deadly. Izzy walked around to a long wall and pressed a code in and a new wall of freshly polished weapons gleamed and reflected.
"I've got my whip, Alec his bow, Jace has his seraph blade." Clary began looking over the wall, tracing the runes with her fingers.
"How will I know which one to choose?" The blonde asked. I watched her intently as she drew a straight long dagger and then a smaller one.
"More like it chooses you."
"The wand chooses the wizard, harry." I kmitated a British accent and they sent me reproachful glares. "Gees, sorry."
"Good choice, suits your fighting style." Izzy nodddbefore turning to look at me with a raised brow. "Your turn." I looked over the weapons hoping that one of them would call to me before I shook my head. None of them seemed right, none of them...clicked. "Relax, it will come to you, maybe not now but later." She assured and I gave a disappointed nod before leaving the room and heading to the training room.
——-
After a couple rounds the room cleared out and became silent. Silent enough for me to hear my eyes ringing slightly, rather, the miner of angelic voices blended together. Thinking back I sat down on the ground and crossed my legs, straight back and closing my eyes. As I took deep breaths I began to feel calmer, my wings pressing in the confinement of my back. I focused on the ringing and tried to pursue the voice, the ringing got louder and made my head ache. It came to a bursting point and I opened my eyes standing up angrily and taking my hair down from the bun. Deep red waves settled around my biceps and I let my head rock back so I faced the Ceiling.
"Why is it so damn hard for me to do one simple task?" I asked aloud before crossing my arms. Probably because they were angels and I was a mortal. The clang of swords alerted me two people training across the room in the stain glass window room. I could tell from the clangs that it was Clary and Jace. My feet carried me into the balcony to look down on their training. After all, I had taught Clary everything she knew.
"Your better, not as fluid as me." Jace smirked and Clary rolled her eyes. Ass, I thought. They went again, Clary a twirling of blades and blonde hair. She was quick and slightly predictable. "Nice." He shrugged and Clary grinned as they went at it again.
"I learned from the best." I put a hand over my heart with a silent nod.
"You learned from a fox." Clary made a face and Jace easily won. "You're a wolf, proud and strong. You can't fight like a fox." I know he didn't just call me a bad teacher. Looking around I spotted a arrow embedded in the wall and pulled it out before creeping to the edge.
"And why is that?" Clary asked and I waited a moment.
"Foxes are cunning, sneaky, and quick, a wolf is strong, brave and fierce." Jace answered and I flung the arrow at him, hitting the ground between his feet. They both looked up as I swung over the ledge and rolled out of the fall.
"I take offense, I happen to be all of the above." I snatched a dagger off the ground and weirder it at him, Clary and I teaming up.
"This should be fun. No powers!" He called and Clary went at him as i aided before she stepped back and I swung high barely missing before dropping and rolling between his feet, twisting his ankle and making him fall beside me. Clary lowered her blade and I knocked it from her hand with my foot while holding the dagger over jaces neck.
"Fox, see?" Jace asked Clary and she nodded before jace jabbed his thumb into the agility rune on my neck, my weak spot and I shivered violently as he took his blade and put a foot on my back. "Wolf." I saw a glimmer of gold in his eyes and I sent a bolt of purple electricity up his leg making him seize a moment so I could stand up.
"Fox wins." Clary suggested and jaces pupils shrunk as he raised his blade. I detected a slight change in him as he looked at Clary and I in a calculating manner. As if sending the slight change my wings pressed to be released and I fought to keep them in. Jace lunged with renewed energy and managed to deliver a hard punch to my ribs sending me back and cut Clarys arm before panting for breath as Clary winced.
"Oh my god I'm so sorry." Jaces eyes widened as he looked at Clary who shook her head a bit confused.
"It's fine, nothing an iratze can't heal." She ran her stele over her rune as I stood up, clutching my pounding rib.
"Are you okay? Didn't mean to hit you so hard." Jace asked me and I stood up with a wince, reaching up to realize my stele was with Izzy.
"Fine, I'm just going to take a breather. What's up with you?" I asked and Clary nodded.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Was the quick cut answer. Clary frowned and I could hear an argument heating up.
"Any if you got a minute?" Luke inquired walking in and Jace sighed slightly in relief. All of our attention now on the werewolf Alfa.
"What does the shadow world need protection from this time? More dragons?" I asked almost hopefully. Clary crosses her arms and Jace chuckled a bit. "See, someone thinks I'm funny." I motioned towards the gold haired boy who knocked my hand away.