I'm back! Sorry I'm so late! I slept until 5pm today so that should tell you just how insane everything has been lately.
Most of you wanted to see the scene with Jace and Michael training, so I did end up writing it. It's the very first scene for you guys!
Anyway, happy 2020! In celebration, here is a new chapter with a lot going on in it. Hope you enjoy. 😃
The fantastic typography below was created by the lovely and talented @sereneur. As usual, they did a fantastic job, but this time they deserve extra kuddos because I was really picky and didn't make up my mind/figure out what I wanted until they'd already created a version of it for me. So thank you for putting up with me! You're the best!!!
Celeste was sound asleep on a couch in the back room, but Jace was training with his father, trying to get his strength back after his near death experience.
"Something's wrong." Michael noted, as Jace continued to aim punches at the pads he held. "Us Shadowhunters mend quickly, but after all my time in prison, I shouldn't be able to get a shot in on you."
Just as he mentioned getting a shot in, he nailed Jace in the side.
"You're still weak." He concluded.
Jace ran a hand through his hair. "It's my bond with Alec Lightwood." He gestured to the parabatai rune sitting above his right hip. "He purposefully weakened it trying to find me. And Clary and Celeste." He got back into a fighting position.
Michael held the pads up again for Jace to hit, but he was pondering his words. "Clary and Celeste."
"What do you mean 'Clary and Celeste?'" Jace asked, stopping again.
"You were with Clary and Celeste instead of Alec. If he was so desperate he weakened the bond to find you, you were hiding from him. How does that happen?"
"Clary has the Mortal Cup. The Clave wants it. Alec sided with the Clave. We can't trust the Clave." Jace spelled the situation out for him as he walked from their makeshift training room to grab a bottle of water.
"And you don't trust Alec?" Michael asked, following him.
Jace shook his head as he unscrewed the top of the water and took a quick drink from it. "No, I do. I trust him. This is different. Clary needs the Cup to find her mother. Celeste will do anything for someone who needs help."
"So this is about Celeste. She's an interesting girl. Her angelic skills are intriguing."
Jace sighed and nodded. "And we don't yet know the extent of them. The Clave would have a field day with her."
"So you're keeping it from them? Just like the Cup."
"We don't know what they would do to her." Jace explained. "Alec and Izzy seem to have convinced her to keep it a secret for now. But like I said before, if she feels giving it away will help someone, she won't hesitate to do so."
"You know, I've been watching you. When she suggested that Clary and Luke go scout Renwick's..."
Jace was pretty sure he knew where his father was going with this. "Well, she was right. You said so yourself, I needed to train."
"Nothing would have stopped the Jace I know from going on a mission, even as a child."
Jace didn't bother responding to this, and instead began to undo the wrap around his hands.
"I see how attached you are to her, but this kind of thing... doesn't always make you stronger." He told his son as he took a seat on the edge of a table.
"Shadowhunters have relationships."
"Yes, of course. When we find someone, it's for life." He paused, seemingly lost in his memories before snapping out of it. "But we're also warriors, born to serve. And some of us are meant to render greater services than others. I thought you were one of those. Getting involved too deeply with any woman will only weaken your resolve."
Now Jace was confused. "So you're saying I can't be with Celeste?"
"I'm saying it wasn't what I expected of you. But seeing you two..." He sighed and stood from where he leant against the table. "What kind of father would deprive his son of that happiness?" He paused for a second before giving a soft smile. "Maybe you should rest."
Jace watched as his father walked from the room, wondering how their training had morphed into a conversation about his relationship with Celeste.
Once again, Celeste was having a nightmare.
This became very obvious to Jace after he walked into the back room to see her thrashing around, tangled in the blanket they'd found for her to use as she slept.
He quickly jumped into action and raced over to her side to shake her awake.
"Celeste! Celeste, wake up!" He hissed.
Her eyes popped open, as she gasped in deep breaths, bordering on hyperventilation.
"It's okay Celeste, it was just a dream." He told her, taking a seat beside her on the edge of the couch and helping her to sit up.
She shook her head. "No, it was more than that. I need to get to the institute."
Jace furrowed his brows. "What are you talking about Celeste?"
"Something's wrong. I don't know how to explain it. I just... I was dreaming about the institute. It was on fire."
"Celeste, I doubt the institute is actually on fire right now."
She sighed. "The last few weeks, every time I fall asleep I have these really vivid dreams. One of them was about you being pulled out to a storm in the sea, another one was about me being chained to a throne, and another was about Belle falling to her death after some giant figure slammed a gavel on a desk a few times. A lot of terrifying things that don't make any sense."
"What does this have to do with you needing to go to the institute?"
"One of my dreams predicted that Al would turn his back on us. And I don't know how I know it, but I just know that this is another dream that is trying to tell me something. I need to get back to the institute to help." She said, throwing the blanket off of her and swinging her legs over the side of the couch to stand.
Jace caught her wrist to stop her from leaving. "Celeste, it's ten o'clock at night. You can't just leave right now. Besides, you don't know that there's actually something happening."
She sighed and slumped against the back of the couch, realizing he was right. She nodded, but continued to think over the situation and what her next step should be.
"Okay, you're right. I'll go in the morning. You and Clary can go after Valentine with Luke and Michael without me. I just have this feeling that I'm needed at the institute more than I'm needed with you guys."
Jace was quiet for a moment as he considered this. On one hand, he didn't want her leaving his side at all, especially not to go back to the institute to face Alec and Lydia. But on the other, it meant she wouldn't be there when they finally confronted Valentine. Plus, Izzy would be there with her.
He weighed the options for a moment before deciding that he'd prefer her as far from Valentine as possible, even if that meant her going back to Alec and Lydia without him.
"Alright." He agreed, picking up the blanket and handing it to her as he gave her a quick kiss. "Now get some sleep. It's late."
She sighed. "Will you stay with me?"
Jace couldn't help but melt a little inside as he saw her looking up at him through her eyelashes. She looked so cute and innocent, all he wanted to do was wrap her up in his arms and hold her for the rest of their lives.
"Of course."
Despite the couch being fairly small, they somehow managed to fit on the couch together, with Celeste lying on Jace's chest and their legs tangled together.
As they cuddled closer and drifted off to sleep, everything around them seemed to slip away. And for once, ever since Clary had appeared in their lives, everything seemed to be just as it should be again.
The next morning, Lydia was looking around the institute, trying to find Alec. When she finally caught up with him in Ops Central, she immediately began to explain the news that had just come from the Clave. Unfortunately, it wasn't the news either of them wanted right now.
"The message said, 'Have everything ready. The trial will begin immediately.'" She quoted. "She's on her way."
"Yeah, but that doesn't make any sense." Alec countered. "Why rush this? We both know that Clary and Jace are still out there."
"Clary and Jace aren't on trial for high treason."
"Oh, come on. We both know there's nothing solid to pin on Isabelle. If we could just delay this for a couple of weeks..."
The front doors to the institute opened and a large number of Shadowhunters from the Clave, followed by the High Inquisitor and a Silent Brother walked in. This caused everyone in the surrounding areas to become dead silent as they noticed this, and they all turned to see what was going on.
"Guards, at ease." The Inquisitor said before turning to Alec. "Excuse us." When he walked away to join everyone else listening in, she continued. "I understand you have cooked up some kind of marriage with..." She trailed off and glanced over her shoulder toward where Alec went. "I can't imagine what's in your mind."
"It's a suitable marriage for both of us." Lydia defended.
"Well, I won't dispute that right now. As long as it doesn't interfere with your case against his sister.
"You have my assurance."
"I need your word Branwell, not flaccid reassurance."
Celeste slipped out of the Jade Wolf fairly early the next morning without an explanation to Clary, Luke, or Michael. Not only did she not want to waste any more time, but she wasn't sure they would understand her reasoning.
When she walked through the first of two sets of doors in the entryway of the institute, she stopped dead in her tracks.
On any normal day, she would have been able to hear the hustle and bustle of Shadowhunters walking around and talking to each other about current and future missions, but today it was quiet. She could just barely make out a single voice at the moment, and she couldn't tell who it was from here.
This caused her to fear the worst. Her dream could have meant anything. The only certain part of it was that something was very wrong here, and she needed to come and try to help.
Perhaps the institute had been evacuated. Maybe they were under siege. Or possibly even hostages. The possibilities were endless, and with all of this racing through her mind, she continued forward, keeping her steps quiet and tried to stay unnoticed until she had more information.
She cracked the second set of doors open just enough to get a peek inside, and hoped that no one would notice.
Of all the possible scenarios she came up with, none of them were even remotely close to what was actually going on in the institute.
There stood the High Inquisitor Herondale, speaking with Lydia Branwell as Alec stood next to her and the rest of the institute watched on.
"Ma'am, I don't honestly believe Valentine was involved in the Seelie escape." Lydia was telling her.
The Inquisitor glared at her. "Spare me your honest belief. Everything's out of control. We were fools to believe Valentine was dead. Now his daughter has the Cup, and he's out there somewhere." She turned and gestured toward the doors angrily. "I won't have it."
"I'm sorry, Inquisitor."
"Why are you sorry? You didn't steal the Cup. Just do your job. Be efficient, be competent, be useful to the Clave. We'll begin this evening."
Celeste didn't know what was beginning this evening, but she didn't have much of a chance to wonder, because the Inquisitor walked away with her guards following, and the rest of the crowd began to disperse along with her.
She began making her way through the many people in the room to get to Alec. If the Inquisitor was here, then obviously something was very wrong and she knew he'd be able to explain it to her.
The path she had chosen to get to him, took her right past Lydia, who was surprised to see her.
"Celeste!" Lydia had been feeling so guilty about possibly being the reason that the Lightwood family would be torn apart, and seeing Celeste in front of her made her begin to try and justify herself to the kind young girl who had never treated her with anything but kindness. "You must have heard about Isabelle. Look, I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do. My hands were tied. The Clave--"
"Wait, wait, wait. Back up a second." Celeste cut her off, raising her hands in front of her in surrender. "What are you talking about? What about the Clave? Is this why Inquisitor Herondale is here? What does this have to do with Belle?"
The blonde girl blinked a few times as she realized that once again she'd been the one to break fragile information to one of the Lightwood children. But at least she hadn't given it all away yet, and could at least break it lightly this time. Or at least try.
"You don't know? Isabelle has been arrested and a trial is being held to decide her guilt. After the attack at the City of Bones, the Clave decided that Isabelle was the most likely culprit to have been behind the attack. I'm sorry."
With every word that came out of Lydia's mouth, Celeste felt her heart beating faster. As soon as she heard the word "trial," nothing else in the speech registered.
Her hands began to shake and instead of seeing Lydia in front of her, the dream she'd had at Magnus's apartment after the wolf attack was flashing through her mind.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
The sound of a gavel echoed through her head as her eyes widened and she almost lost her balance.
"No." She breathed out, coming back to reality.
This was it. Her dream was coming true, just like the one about Alec had. Izzy would be convicted of the crime and de-runed, which would lead to certain death.
Immediately, her mind was going through every plan it could come up with. When she noticed the stained glass window of Raziel in her line of sight behind Lydia, she knew she had an idea.
"I'm sorry. Alec and I are trying--"
"Al!" Celeste repeated, cutting her off.
The mention of her oldest sibling made her realize that Alec and Izzy would certainly stop her from going through with it if they knew what she had in mind. She had to be sure that they had no idea it was coming. They needed to believe she was still with Jace and Clary so that neither of them could ruin her plan.
"Lydia, please. I'm begging you. Whatever you do, don't tell him I was here."
Despite her confusion towards the request, the desperation of the girl in front of her caused Lydia to agree.
With that promise being out in the open, Celeste sighed in a bit of relief.
"When is the trial?"
"This afternoon. I believe it's starting around three."
Celeste nodded. "Thank you!"
Lydia didn't have a chance to say another word, as Celeste was already halfway down the hallway and heading back out of the Institute again.
She knew what she had to do, and she wasn't going to let anything stop her.
Celeste had spent the last 30 minutes in the shower with a handheld mirror she stole from Izzy, scrubbing her skin until it was raw to wash off her fake "runes." Even though her skin was turning pretty red, she knew it would fade while she finished getting ready. When she was finally satisfied, she stepped out of the shower for her next task of drying her wings with a hairdryer.
As awkward as it was, she'd managed it last time when her wings had first grown in.
After that came hair and makeup. While she was nowhere near as gifted with it as her sister, she'd spent many days when they were younger getting lessons. She didn't necessarily enjoy the lessons, but seeing the excitement on Izzy's face was worth it. Besides, it was coming in handy now.
Once she deemed herself presentable, she looked over to the hanger she'd found in Izzy's closet. It was a creamy, off white backless dress, making it the perfect outfit to show off her wings in. The bodice had lace detailing, but the skirt was plain as it flowed to the floor in satin waves.
She did up the single button behind her neck, looking at herself in the mirror as she decided it was perfect. With her hair falling in loose curls past her shoulders, her makeup done to perfection, and her wings spread out behind her, she looked truly angelic.
After strapping on her heels, she checked the time to find she was already running pretty late. Without another thought, she rushed from her room and down the eerily empty hallways.
Coming to a stop in front of the doors to the ceremonial room, she took a deep breath to prepare herself for what was to come.
Despite the bubble of fear settled in her stomach, she knew that whatever happened in there, she wouldn't regret this. Izzy's safety was worth anything the Clave could possibly do to her.
With that thought in mind, she slammed the door open and walked in.
Though she was not yet in view, she heard the entire room go silent.
"Who dares to interrupt a Clave trial?" The Inquisitor boomed out, standing up from her seat. Her eyes were narrowed, just waiting to unleash her wrath on whoever it was.
Celeste rounded the corner, coming into view of the audience with her head held high.
"I do." She said seriously and locked eyes with the Inquisitor. "And on behalf of the Angels, I demand that Isabelle Lightwood be cleared of all charges."
Everyone in the crowd was absolutely shocked--including Celete's siblings, granted their shock was for a different reason altogether.
Much like everyone else in the audience, Alec and Izzy's jaws dropped. They could hardly believe she was there, much less spilling the giant secret they had been keeping to High Inquisitor Herondale.
Magnus had realized that there was something strange about Celeste. It was hard not to suspect something being off after the memory demon was so focused on her that day in his loft, and the disappearing runes certainly didn't help. But he had never even thought of the possibility that she could be an angel. Despite all he'd seen in his years of living, it still seemed ridiculous to believe angels could possibly be on earth.
Izzy felt a sinking feeling in her stomach as she watched Celeste place her hands on her hips and lift her chin another half inch to stare down the Inquisitor. They had been doing everything they could to keep Celeste's angelic secret from the Clave, and she knew the only reason it was out now was to save her. She wasn't sure how Celeste had found out, but she knew exactly why she was here now. It was the one reason Izzy had been relieved to not have her sister there to support her through all of this.
Alec was shocked that Jace had let her out of his sight. While the parabatai might not be on speaking terms right now, he at least thought he could trust him to look after his little sister. It just added to the growing feud between the parabatai.
Celeste herself could feel her adrenaline in her veins as she stood proudly in front of the crowd staring at her in disbelief. She would do anything to help her family, and if giving up her biggest secret saved Izzy's life then so be it.
There would be no going back now. The entire Clave would know about it within the next hour, and they would decide her fate.
For the second time in 24 hours, she'd let the secret out, and she would deal with whatever consequences came with it.
Wow guys, we finally made it! I have had that scene of Celeste walking into the institute written, and the idea of her coming to the trial for like, a year now, and I'm so happy I finally got to finish this chapter and publish it for you all to see!
What did you guys think of that cute little Celeste and Jace moment after her nightmare? I had feels just writing it! Btw, if anyone has any ideas for their ship name, please let me know. I need to come up with the official one, especially since we're almost done with book 1. Haha.
As for my question of the chapter, it has nothing to do with the story. Instead, since it was my 22nd birthday on the 9th, I want to know:
When is your birthday, and how old are you?
Okay, so it's really two questions, but I want to know them both!
Once again, I've started on the next chapter (go me, working ahead again! I'm so proud!), but I make no promises on being on time with my update. Hopefully I'll get better about these updates this year.
Next Planned Update: Friday, February 21st, 2020