The Dark Side of the World (TDA)

*Chapter 14*

James POV

When we get back to the institute, it's four thirty. The clouds are still as thick and impenetrable as ever, showing no sign of breaking. I sigh.

The lobby is empty, as is the rest of it. We pass Simon, going to get an afternoon snack from the kitchen, but that's it. Amy ditches me to go do 'something' in her room. I know her well enough not to ask what.

I decide to go and train with the remaining time left before dinner, hoping someone bothers to check and tell me when it's ready. When I get there though, I find my sister and Sophie training, Tess dangling in the air doing flips and Sophie standing below spotting her.

I stand there and watch for a few minutes, as her fiery hair whirls around her. 

For every time someone comes up to me to tell me I look like my Father, there's another five times someone tells Tess she looks like mom. The reason for this is still not entirely clear to me. Maybe it's just how much stronger the similarity is, maybe it's that with her hair, eyes and general spirit she really couldn't be anyone else. That's not saying there's none of Dad in her, there is, but only once she opens her mouth. 

A curse and a blessing, Isabelle told her once. I'm still not sure which was which.

If people thinking Amy and I are together annoy's me, it's nothing compared to the string of boys I have to deal with at any social engagement with people under sixteen. A whole line of them, just drooling over Tess. Some asking me if we're together, which I yell at them for, or asking if I know if she's available. I often punch them for that one.

But as I watch her do graceful spins through the air, I feel like I'm looking at an angel. A very annoying angel, but an angel.

When she finally is finished, detaches the rope holding her there and drops to the ground, I start to clap. She turns to me, and bows with a grin on her face.

"Thank you, thank you." she bows a few more time, before Sophie smacks her arm.

I chuckle. My relationship with Tess has always been sort of complicated. As any siblings do, we had fights, still do, but being shadowhunters changes the dynamic a bit. Every time you storm out of the room to have the last word of a fight, there's a little voice in the back of your mind wondering if you'll ever get the chance to say sorry.

My relationship with Sophie might be more simple, if that's possible. She's like an honorary sister, but without family obligation or being forced to always get along.  

"So," Tess says, picking up a dagger and throwing it at the target on the oposite wall. "What brings you home so early? I thought you were hunting demons with Amy."

I shrug. "Quiet day. I only caught a few, and Mom said to be home at about five fifteen for dinner."

It's true, though I don't tell her about the real reason. The reason who was just standing at our new house guest's front door.

"Where's Livia? You didn't loose her, did you?" I ask, looking around the room.

The words are a joke, but the comment doesn't feel like it somehow. Real panic sets in, and I imagine Livia going back to her house, being taken by the mysterious woman this time...

"Don't be silly, we didn't loose her. She went to go do something else. I'm sure she's just fine." 

My panic lessens, but doesn't disappear completely.

"See anything interesting?" Sophie asks, striping off her black gear as Tess cleans up the things they used.

"No not until the end." I say honestly.

She doesn't ask me anything, thank god. 

I've always liked Sophie. Her and Tess have always seemed like the perfect friends, similar yet different enough not to drive each other up the wall. Her focus always seems to be on Tess, something I respect, or on the battle. Not easily distracted. But she's still a fourteen-year-old girl, and like her mother, she has a need for herself and everyone around her to be dressed perfectly.

I think about asking her a question, one I've been wanting to ask all day, but am afraid of an answer I don't want.

"Jace and Alec still aren't back yet." she says like she can read my mind.

It doesn't surprise me, and I think I knew it the whole time. Someone would have told me.

"Has Magnus visited yet?" I ask, picturing him nocking a the door, and asking where his husband is. Then his face when Mom replies she doesn't know.

"I don't know why everyone's so worried." is all Sophie says. I take it as a no.

When we arrive in the kitchen, I see that Mom and Livia are already there. 

"There you are." Mom says, standing up from where she was sitting beside Livia. "Where's Amy? You didn't loose her did you?"

I shake my head. "Nope I know exactly where she is. Somewhere else, doing something else."

Mom smiles and ruffles my hair affectionately. I turn my attention to the girl who's been on my mind all day. She sits stiffly on her chair, just like she did last night. Uncomfortably.

It makes sense. She doesn't know us at all. I expect Mom felt the same way when she came here, and I feel a twinge of sympathy for her, stepping right into a family of people she doesn't know. I hope she can feel more comfortable some day. 

Some day. Some day. Some day soon.

I realize where my thoughts were going, and my assumption that she'll be staying. For all I know we'll find her mom tomorrow and she'll be off without another word. The idea makes me sad. 

"Have a good day?" I ask 

"Yeah it was great, how about you?" she replies politely. "Kill anything interesting?"

"Oh please tell me you didn't" Mom putts in. "I think Isabelle might just explode."

"Just two shax in the morning" I assure her.

"Good" she sighs." And speaking of Izzy, she's making dinner tonight."

There's a collective groan from everyone in the room but Livia, who looks very confused.

"Isabelle's a really bad cook, but she always likes to try. Simon thinks it's sweet, but everyone else just doesn't want to get food poisoning." I whisper to her, earning an amused smile.

"She's not that bad, really." Mom say, rather loudly to speak over Tess and Sophie's chorus of protests. "She's gotten better since we were kids. It was bad back then."

She might be right, but that still didn't mean any of us except maybe Simon liked it when Izzy cooked, and he's probably faking it anyways. 

Later, her, Simon and Amy came to join us. Amy's reaction was about the same as everyone else's, much to Isabelle's dismay. But I have to say that night she made the best grilled cheese sandwiches I've ever eaten. We all ate together, sharing stories from our day, and making jokes. Livia talked more too, adding a few stories of her own into the mix.

And though the stressed look never left my mother's eye, and Livia never really relaxed, it was one of the best nights of my life. So far.

A/N

That was sort of a filler chapter, but I like doing James's POV. I think he's sort of like his namesake (James Herondale from The Last Hours, aka Will's son) in a way, poetic and stuff. It's fun to write. 

I also like writing him and Tess, as well as him and Sophie. For anyone wondering, there's not going to be anything going on between James and Sophie. I think their relationship is sort of like Jace and Izzy's, like brother and sister.

Anyway,

Byeeee