Runes and Seraph Blades - Book 1 {Mortal Instruments}

Chapter Ten - Orion

Quick A/N: I have changed Lillian's face claim

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"Well, I think it's kind of romantic," Isabelle commented, drinking boba as she talked. Orion figured they had missed out on some form of a conversation. He made his way over to Clary and sat next to her. Alec sat across from Clary, his aggressive demeanor back. Orion looked up and met Lillian's eyes across the table, smiling to wave away her worries.

"What is?" the mundane boy asked. Orion glanced over at him, taking in his appearance. He must have been one of Clary's friends.

"That whole business about Clary's mother being married to Valentine," Isabelle responded, "So now he's back from the dead and he's come looking for her. Maybe he wants to get back together."

"Yeah, right," Orion rolled his eyes. Orion had few memories of his aunt, but he remembered being at ease around her and he remembered how cold it felt when her husband was around.

"I kind of doubt he sent a Ravener demon to her house because he wants to 'get back together,'" Alec put in, glancing at Orion, who was actually eating. Orion met his eyes and shrugged.

"It wouldn't be my move," Jace agreed. "First the candy and flowers, then the apology letters, then the ravenous demon hordes. In that order."

"I'd put poetry somewhere in there," Lillian spoke up with a humorous tone. Her blonde hair was tied up, but a few strands hung in her face. Orion figured if he was attracted to girls that he would find Lillian attractive in a traditional sort of sense.

"He might have sent her candy and flowers," Isabelle said. "We don't know."

"Isabelle," said Hodge patiently, "this is the man who rained down destruction on Idris the like of which it had never seen, who set Shadowhunter against Downworlder and made the streets of the Glass City run with blood."

"That's sort of hot," Isabelle argued, "that evil thing."

"Izzy," Orion glanced at her with fond exasperation. She sent him a cheeky smirk, letting him know that she wasn't completely serious.

"So why does Valentine want this Cup so bad, and why does he think Clary's mom has it?" the mundane asked, drawing everyone's attention again.

"You said it was so he could make an army," Clary said, turning to Hodge. "You mean because you can use the Cup to make Shadowhunters?"

"Yes," Hodge responded to Clary. Orion bristled at the thought.

"So Valentine could just walk up to any guy on the street and make a Shadowhunter out of him? Just with the Cup?" The mundane, who Orion had yet to learn the name of, leaned forward. "Would it work on me?"

"Possibly," Hodge glanced at the mundane. "But most likely, you're too old. The Cup works on children. An adult would either be unaffected by the process entirely, or killed outright."

"Oh..." Lillian says softly, "A child army...."

"Only for a few years," said Jace. "Kids grow fast. It wouldn't be too long before they were a force to contend with."

"I don't know," said the Mundane. "Turning a bunch of kids into warriors—I've heard of worse stuff happening. I don't see the big deal about keeping the Cup away from him."

"Leaving out that he would inevitably use this army to launch an attack on the Clave," Hodge said dryly, "the reason that only a few humans are selected to be turned into Nephilim is that most would never survive the transition. It takes special strength and resilience. Before they can be turned, they must be extensively tested—but Valentine would never bother with that. He would use the Cup on any child he could capture, and cull out the twenty percent who survived to be his army."