𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗘 | 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐰 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝

𝐱𝐢. 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐒 - 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎

♕

"So what is this contraption?" Christopher wondered aloud, prodding gingerly at the adamas object Thomas had retrieved from Golden Square. 

It sat squatly in the middle of the round table in the upstairs room of the Devil Tavern; around the table were ranged James, Matthew, Christopher, Dahlia, Lucie, and Cordelia. Anna sat on her own in a wing-backed chair with stuffing sprouting from its arms. Several bottles of whiskey stood half-empty on a windowsill. 

Anna had arrived at the Devil sometime in the afternoon, only waving away the question when the others asked her whether she had learned anything. 

"I warned him," Dahlia had said the moment they entered the Devil's, sinking down next to Christopher. "I knew Thomas was going out on his own last night, and I warned him not to do it. I must not have been convincing enough."

It was Matthew who broke the silence. "We all warned him, Dahlia, but Thomas is a bloody-minded stubborn bastard. Though quite tiny when he was young, and really," he added, "rather adorable, like a guinea pig or a mouse."

James thwacked Matthew gently on the back of the head. "I believe what he means to say is that it cannot be the responsibility of one's friends to prevent one from doing something one believes is right," he said. "It is, however, the job of one's friends to rescue one from the consequences of one's actions when it all goes skew-whiff."

Lucie clapped and called out, "Hear, hear!" With a half smile, Anna patted Lucie absently on the hand. Anna looked tired, though still perfectly coiffed, her hair a careful cap of finger-combed waves, her boots gleaming with fresh polish.

"All right," she said. "I did learn a few things, though not as much as I'd have liked. One fact that might prove of interest, though: Lilian Highsmith's body was missing a Precision rune."

"So that settles it," said Matthew. "Someone's murdering Shadowhunters to steal their runes. And we know for certain that James isn't the murderer," he added. "Or Thomas, either." 

"No," said James, "but Belial is involved somehow. That sigil on my windowsill—I think I drew it myself, without realizing I was doing it, just as I opened my window. I think there was a part of my mind, a hidden part, that knew, and was trying to warn the conscious part of me. Belial has certainly been sending me these dreams, these visions. I cannot for the life of me guess why."

"Do you think he wanted Thomas arrested?" Christopher asked.

 "No," James said slowly, "though I cannot be sure, but it seems—small, for Belial. Most human beings are beneath his notice, unless they get in his way. And I cannot see how Thomas was in his way."

"Perhaps he simply wanted the Enclave's attention averted," Cordelia said, "from whoever is really doing this, and their connection to Belial." 

"As far as the Enclave goes, the news has started to leak out that it's Thomas who's suspected. About half of those who know think he did it, and the other half still think it's a warlock, or a Downworlder who's hired a warlock," said Anna.

"Perhaps it would help if we figured out what this does," Christopher said, indicating the adamas object. "Then we might know if it was Miss Highsmith's, or the killer's, or something else entirely. Oh—I've decided to call it a pithos. It's a sort of container in Greek mythology."

 "But we can't be sure there's anything inside it, Kit," said Matthew. "It could be one of Miss Highsmith's paperweights. She might have had a tremendous collection."

"I don't believe it was hers. I think the killer dropped it at the murder scene. It certainly isn't a Shadowhunter object—not with runes like this on it." Christopher sighed, his lilac eyes mournful. "I just don't like it when I don't know what things do."