Bloodlines

twenty-five

Seeing the Institute for the first time Eden was pleasantly shocked at how it looked well kept despite being nearly abandoned, her jaw slacked slightly as she took the building in, knowing that when Clary saw it she would draw it on her sketchbook. 

"Why do you have so much equipment when there are only 4 people living in the Institute? And when the Nephilim population is dwindling?" The young Garroway questioned, turning her face to the trio that had stopped too to watch the Institute, "We might be dying out but we still need protection. Besides we like to keep up with the ages we're in, and if that age aids in our location of demons we will be sure to use it." Isabelle replied, her hands in the back pockets of her leather pants, her arms flexing slightly underneath her leather jacket.

Eden hummed at their reply and turned her eyes back to the Institute, "Not all Institutes look like this one, they are usually built in the style of the location they reside in, no matter the religion, for the angel Raziel is known in all of them." Alec continued, crossing his arms and looking up at the Institute towers.

"So there are Institutes in Greece, Egypt and India?" Eden questioned, it wasn't that her father hadn't taught her these things, but when he did she was fast asleep after a particularly rough transformation, not that her father even noticed until Jocelyn came to collect them for dinner, "Yes, Max is in Mumbai at the moment with Maryse and Robert." Jace affirmed.

An impressed look etched itself on Eden's face as she heard this, "Never been to Mumbai, the only place out of the states that I've been in is France, for University." Alec silently interiorized this information knowing that it might be helpful in the future. 

"Let's get you settled in." Isabelle said softly, reaching for Eden's arm and tugging her towards the entrance of the Institute, making the boys follow after her, "I already told you that I don't plan on staying here." Eden reminded her, rolling her brown eyes as she was dragged inside.

The inside of the Institute was as majestic as the outside and it reminded her of churches in France, only this one also gave her seminary vibes, the ceiling was so high up that she could not see it with the dim light that was provided to her, there were paintings of people hanging on the walls along with other ornaments, the people were runed which told Eden that they were or had been Shadowhunters.

It was a pity that she'd been so focused on getting out of the Institute and trying to get to the den when she first passed them because she wouldn't stop to look at each and every portrait, every ornament, every design that was hanged or carved into the Institute as she'd done in the churches she had visited while in France.

"What rooms do you have?" The werewolf questioned, her voice soaked with awe,it only grows when they stopped in front of a large elevator, the doors resembling gold plaques with vines drawn on them. "Too many." Jace commented lowly, a slight disdain in his tone which told Eden that he had gotten lost quite a few times while living there.

"We have the weapons room, the training area, the kitchen, the dining room, the music room, the art room, the library, the medbay, the living room, the old living room that had a wall knocked down to connect to the tactical room that is now the tech room, the safe room where we keep most of this Institute's prized possessions, the Head of the Institute's office, the greenhouse, the downworlder entrance and room, the cells that have been upgraded and the several, several, several empty bedrooms with their own bathrooms." Isabelle told her with an easy smile, her arm hooked with Eden's as they entered the elevator.

"All that but you don't have an internal swimming pool?" Eden scoffed teasingly, she imagined that Institutes would be like this but to actually hear from someone who lived in one and not someone who was born and raised most of their life without being inside an Institute was completely different.

"Ohh we do." Isabelle smiled elegantly, "But it's mostly used when Max is here." the name made Eden raise a brow at the Latina-looking woman that held her arm, it was the second time that she heard that name but she had no idea who he was.

Alec seemed to notice this and came to her rescue by saying "Max is mine and Izzy's younger brother." Isabelle hummed with a smile on her lips in agreement while Jace merely had a half-proud smile on his, indicating that all three truly cared for the young Lightwood.