The Dark Side of the World (TDA)

*Chapter 19*

Recap:

So the gang came back to Livvy's house and found a secret safe that they couldn't open. James tried an open rune and a message appeared in Latin (Or what was supposed to be Latin. My translating skills are questionable) It turned out they were a riddle! A really bad one, made by yours truly!

The gang, or Tess actually, solved it and Tess used her rune powers passed down by Clary (Special thanks to Valentine, I guess) to open it. But what's inside....

The safe opens, and everyone gasps. I just stand there. Because inside is a sword. 

And I'm confused. What's so special about a sword?

It's pretty, I guess. Gold with inscriptions running down the length of the blade. It's hilt is covered with golden leaves. To be honest, it's breathtaking. But not what I thought we'd find.

James, with careful hands, reaches inside and picks it up. A thin layer of dust covers it, and he wipes it off the blade with his palm. It shines even more brightly in the afternoon light. Everyone seems to be locked in place and silent. It seems fragile, this silence, like if I brake it all hell with brake loose. But still, the gears in my mind work a hundred miles an hour.

I guess it isn't that far fetched for Mom, who I have now learned was a pretty awesome warrior, to have a sword. But this sword? This sword that looks like it belongs in one of those museums that have a whole bunch of old weapons you're not supposed to touch. They're always in glass cases, but those 'Don't touch!' signs are there anyways. And why put it in a safe, especially one with such a hard code to crack? 

I'm broken out of my thoughts by James's reverent mutter of, "Cortana." which brakes the silence nicely.

All of the sudden both Sophie and Tess start to talk at once. I catch only a few words. "Cortana", "Really?" and "Emma Carstairs." It takes me a minute to remember who that is. Mom. The Carstairs thing still throws me off.

"Alright!" James yells, effectively shutting both of them up. 

"James, do you really think that's Cortana? It could be a replica, couldn't it?" Tess asks in a whisper.

Both her and Sophie lean slightly foreword in anticipation of his answer. He looks thoughtful,  a sort of thoughtfulness that scares me with its intensity. The sort of look he had the first day I met him.

Looking back on it, that seems like ages ago. That day when my life changed for ever. From days when I didn't have anything but a lack of friends and Mom's odd secrets to worry about, to these ones. Now, though I have friends, or at least as close as I'll ever get, and I know nearly all of Mom's secrets, it feels worse than before. Because now I have different things to worry about. Bigger things. Like Mom's life and mine. Like people possibly bent on capturing and possibly killing me. But if I'm being perfectly honest, I wouldn't change a thing.

James looks down at the swords again, though nothing about it has visibly changed in the last minute, and around the room.

"Yeah." he says. "I do. I mean, we are currently standing in the house of the last known owner of it. The story goes it disappeared with her. It would have been a very important item to her, maybe one of the last things she had from her life before, so it doesn't surprise me that she'd keep it well protected. Now the question that remains is why she wanted Mom to find it. The sword didn't chose her. I don't see how it would help her at all."

Tess nods like it all makes sense, but my head's still turning. 

"What's so special about this sword?" I ask, feeling stupid again.

"It's an ancient sword," Sophie says, her eyes locked on its gleaming blade. "Made by Wayland the smith. Many of the most famous warriors of all time have fought with that sword or beside it. Like Cordelia Carstairs, Elias Carstairs and your Mom. Passed down mostly through the Carstairs family for generations. You see the inscription on the blade?" she points to it with her finger, not quite touching it. I nod.

"It's latin." she says. "'Of the same steel and-"

"'-temper as Joyeuse and Durendal.'" James finishes.

"I thought you didn't speak Latin." I say, a bit impressed.

James shrugs, but grins a grin that makes my stomach flip over. The one that makes me want to crush the perfectly reasonable distance between us until it definitely isn't. A ridiculous thing to be thinking, I know. I've never had a boyfriend before, if I couldn't get anyone to stay around me long enough to consider them a friend how could I get a boy too? So basically my experience in that area is very limited. Non existent, actually. 

There are people I could talk to, I guess. Clary seems nice enough, though talking about maybe having a crush on her son might be a bit uncomfortable. Besides, I don't think you're really supposed to talk to people's Mom's about this sort of stuff.

There's Amy, but that presents a similar problem. She seems to much like his mom for the rule not to apply.

Finally Tess and Sophie. 

That's when I realize my problem. I don't actually want to tell anyone. I want this whole thing to just be my little secret, to be the one thing nobody knows about me yet. 

It's only when James finally says, "I said I didn't speak much of it. Not none. And besides, that's a pretty famous inscription. It was memorized, not read." that I remember what we were talking about. Latin. And how I've been staring at him for far longer then is really expectable for anyone, let alone new friends you just met a few days ago and especially when the friend in question is a boy. 

I mumble something about 'I guess', and turn away, my cheeks flaming. Though Tess doesn't seem to have noticed a thing, I find Sophie looking at me with an odd expression on her face. My stomach lurches. She knows.

We all follow James downstairs. The shadowhunters do a quick sweep on the area before seemingly deciding to leave it alone. Good. I'm about ready to go home.

James puts a sheath, also found in the safe, almost as if Mom wanted the job of carrying her large sword to be as easy as possible, on the golden blade and sticks it in one of the larger loops in his belt. Tess eyes it, but doesn't say anything. I know she wants to be the one to carry the famous sword.

As we head back towards the institute, I can't seem to keep my eyes off the sword hanging from James's belt. Something of Mom's, something important to her.

I have an instinct that I can't quite explain. To keep it close. Protect it. Because for the first time in weeks, despite the fact that we're nowhere close to finding her, I feel closer to Mom then I ever have. Even when she was right beside me.  

A/N

THE SHIP HAS SAILED!(Ish) Do you guys ship Livvy and James? I sure do.

I know we haven't gotten many cute moments so far, but I promise there'll be more. But in true Cassie style, you're going to have to wait a little while.

Ideas for the ship name? I know we sometimes go with first names, sometimes with last. Javvy? Javia? Or Heronstairs? Heronthorn? THERE'S SO MANY OPTIONS. (Sorry, I'm very exited.)