The Mortal Instruments: City of Tainted Blood (Book 2) (ON HOLD)

Chapter 12: Falling Pieces

"We sit silently and watch the world around us. this has taken a lifetime to learn. It seems only the old are able to sit next to one another and not say anything and still feel content. The young, brash and impatient must always break the silence,"

~The Notebook, Nicholas Sparks

________________

In the distance, the magnificent façade of the New York Institute looked displaced amongst the modernized cement and steel infrastructures that surrounded the grand Shadow World landmark. It was as if the Institute was caught in the past while it's surroundings thronged with modernization, moving forward in the never stopping current of time while the Institute was caught against a rift, keeping it ancient but preserved.

"Don't you wish you could stay in there?" Fria Ricardo sighed, crouching on the ledge of the roof. The building she was perched on as far enough from the Institute to not be spotted but close enough she could watch every movement that occurred outside the Institute.

Her companion scoffed, sitting down on the ledge beside Fria. "Its filled with self righteous, arrogant Shadowhunters. No, thank you."

Fria looked over at Atlas, shaking her head in disapproval. "Too bad." Fria stuck her tongue out at him. "We'll be living there. Never judge a jewel by its owners, Atty."

Atlas's eyes flashed. "Don't call me that. It's diminutive and frankly quite annoying."

"How's Atticus?"

"I swear on the Great Darkness, Fria, I will shove you off this roof if you dont shut up. We're supposed to be watching the Institute. Not creating stupid nicknames for me."

Fria smiled mischievously but shifted her attention back towards the Institute. It was Atlas and Fria's turn to watch the Institute and it's inhabitants and had been sent by the suzerain to report back.

So far, nothing interesting had happened besides watching Jace Herondale emerge from the Institute and sneaking around the three idiotic guards that were stationed outside the Institute. The blond beauty had seemed to be testing out security, something Fria had done when she had arrived.

With her immensely heightened sense of vision, which now allowed her to see things from far distances with perfect clarity, she could appreciate the grace and stealth Jace Herondale had moved with, like a lion stalking it's prey soundlessly. It was a foolish lie to say she wasn't in the slightest attracted to Jace Herondale but she would never admit it.

Fria looked at Atlas again, a slow smile spreading across her face as a thought occurred to her. "How do you like the name Lassy?"

Atlas's eyes flashed and Fria felt a hard shove on her arm, throwing her off balance and off the ledge. An indignant, surprised cry slipped past her lips as she felt the ledge dissapear from beneath her and plummeted towards the ground, gravity impatiently pulling her towards the hard asphalt beneath. The fall would not kill her but it would definitely hurt and if she were unlucky, break a few of her bones.

Not in the mood for any sort of pain at the moment, Fria squeezed her eyes shut and began to morph, feeling her shoulders bunch in their sockets and hundreds of soft black feathers sprouting across her skin, creating a silky down over her. In a flurry of black mist and feathers, Fria transformed into a slightly larger than ordinary crow. She flapped her wings which stopped her fall and allowed her to suspend herself in air.

She swore loudly though it came out as a scratchy caw due to her animal state at the moment and glared at Atlas who was shaking with silent laughter.

Flapping her wings once, then twice, she flew to the top of the roof again, hovering in front of Atlas, glaring with rage filled beady black eyes.

"That was hilarious." Atlas said as he calmed down.