The Fray Sisters (Book 1)

Hodge

(Clary's POV)

I and mom were arguing about the farmhouse and mom snapped at me "No! I'll pay you back for the art classes, Clary. But you are coming with us. It isn't optional. You're too young to stay here on your own. Something could happen." I forgot for a second that those people kidnapped my sister and said "Like what? What could happen?" mom said "Oh I don't know how about two of my daughters left last night and only one of you returned. We don't know where your sister is and so I am not leaving you alone to go missing as she did." Luke looked upset and said "I'm leaving." mom followed him "Wait... Bane, I've been calling him and calling him for the past three weeks. His voicemail says he's in Tanzania. What am I supposed to do?" Luke said "Jocelyn. You can't keep going to him forever." she said "But the girls..." Luke hissed "Arent Jonathan, you've never been the same since it happened, but the girls' aren't Jonathan." 

Mom said "We can't find Cat, and I can't just keep her at home, not let her go out. She won't put up with that." He was pissed "Of course, she won't! She's not a pet, she's a teenager. Almost an adult." mom said "If we were out of the city..." Luke said "We are pretty sure of what happened to Tia, so talk to her Jocelyn. I mean it." 

(Tia's POV)

I woke up with a pounding headache, I groaned as the light hit my eyes. I heard a male voice "Its ok sweetie, you're safe." I heard Isabelle say "Hodge, don't scare her." she sat next to me and he said "I'll leave you to it." and walked out. Isabelle said "Im Isabelle, as I'm sure you've heard. Whats your name?" I said "Catia, Catia Fray but most call me Tia." She said, "That's an uncommon name, my great grandmother was named Catia." I smiled, "My mom said, "Catia came from a relative and my middle name Pheobe was my dad's mom's name." She said, "Who's your dad?" I shrugged "I don't know, she never told me his name. Said he doesn't know I exist so why do I need to know him." 

She said, "Well your mom sounds lovely, how could she not tell your dad, he has a kid?" I shrugged "I don't know, maybe he never wanted kids and she didn't want to burden him?" Isabelle said, "Well, that sucks, how old are you?" I said, "14, ill be 15 December 1st." Isabelle said "Not much younger than me, I'm 16, my birthday was in May." I said "3 months older than my sister Clary, which makes you 19 months older than me." Isabelle said "Very good." I got you some clothes, I'll lead you to a shower and we can talk when you are done." I nodded and got up stumbling a little bit, I followed her to a room and into a bathroom where I proceeded to take a nice hot shower. After my shower I got dressed in the clothes on the sink, I heard Isabelle say "Whats wrong Alec?" he said "Where is the girl? She wasn't in bed." Isabelle said "Taking a shower, since when do you care?" he said, "I don't know, I just feel protective of her, kind of like I do with you." 

I walked out of the bathroom, I was a little more filled out than my sister but not as much as Isabelle because the shirt was a little too big on me, so I took my hair tie from my wrist and tied it to fit better. I was taller than my sister and only slightly shorter than Isabelle so the pants fit relatively well. Isabelle said "You're adorable. Let's go." they led me down a hallway and into a huge door. Alec said, "This is the library." I said, "Yeah, uh you got the wrong sister, I'm not much into books." Isabelle said "You're not here to read, our tutor wants to talk to you. Also, Jace just brought your sister in, she is unconscious right now." I said, "But she's ok?" Alec said, "She is a little hurt, but you pulled through, so she should as well." A man came around the desk with a raven on his shoulder I said "Uh, is that a Raven?" he said "This is Hugo, he is a raven, and, as such, he knows many things. I, meanwhile, am Hodge Starkweather, a professor of history, and as such, I do not know nearly enough." I chuckled a little "I am Catia Fray." He said, "It's a pleasure to meet you Catia."

I said, "It's nice to meet you too, can someone please explain how that boy clawed me with razor-like fingers?" Alec and Isabelle looked to Hodge who said "That was a demon, a shapeshifter." Alec said, "And it wasn't aiming for you, you were just standing too close when it attacked." Hodge said, "Give me a moment with Catia." Alec and Isabelle left and Hodge gestured to a chair and said "Has your mother ever mentioned demons before? Or your father? Maybe they were interested in myths, fairy tales, legends?" I said "One, I don't know my dad, my mom never told him about me, and no. She hated them, I love them and I was always getting into trouble for researching them." 

He said, "She didn't like you learning about it?" I said "Nope, Said it wasn't important, that it was childish, that it was banned in the house. She doesn't talk about much." He nodded "What did she or your grandparents tell you about your father?" I said "It's only ever been her, me, my sister, and her friend Luke. She won't talk about her marrying Clary's dad, her parents, where she grew up, who my dad is, where they met, nothing. It was as if her life began the day Clary was born. That's what she says too, and that I was the missing piece to our little trio." 

He said, "Ok did she tell you anything?" I said "No... well she told me where my name came from." he said, "Catia... it isn't common anymore." I said "Yeah, she said Catia was a great-grandma of mine, and my middle name Pheobe was my grandma's name. Both on my father's side, I thought it was interesting because Isabelle said she also has a great-grandma named Catia, which means it was probably popular back then." he said, "And you and your sister don't have the same dad?" I said "Nope, mom said he died before she was born. The boy said Jace was a shadowhunter, what is that?" 

Hodge said "We are sometimes called the Nephilim, in the bible they were the offspring of humans and angels. The legend of the origin of Sahdowhunters is that they were created more than a thousand years ago when humans were being overrun by demon invasions from other worlds. A warlock summoned the Angel Raziel, who mixed some of his blood with the blood of men in a cup and gave it to those men to drink. Those who drank Angel's blood became Shadowhunters, as sis their children, and their children's children. The cup thereafter was known as the Mortal Cup. Though the legend may not be fact, what is true is that through the years, when Shadowhunter ranks depleted, it was always possible to create more Shadowhunters using the cup."

I said "Was?" he said "The cup is gone, destroyed by a Shadowhunter named Valentine before he died. He set a great fire and burned himself to death along with his family, his wife, and his child. Scorched the land black. no one will build there still. They say the land is cursed." I said "Is it?" he said "Possibly. The Clave hands down curses on occasion as punishment for breaking the law. Valentine broke the greatest law of all... He took up arms against his fellow Shadowhunters and slew them. He and his group, the circle, killed dozens of their brethren along with hundreds of Downworlders during the last Accords. They were only barely defeated." I said "The Clave?" he said "Our leaders." 

I nodded and said "Downworlders?" he said "Those myths your so interested in, Vampires, werewolves, and the Faye creatures." I nodded "And the accords?"  he said "They are peace negotiations with the Downworlders. Anyway, Valentine didn't approve of the accords. He despised Downworlders and felt that they should be slaughtered, wholesale, to keep this world pure for human beings. Though the Downworlders are not demons, not invaders, he felt they were demonic in nature, and that that was enough. The Clave did not agree, they felt the assistance of Downworlders was necessary if we were ever to drive off demonkind for good. And who could argue, really, that the fair folk do not belong in the world when they have been here longer than we have?" 

I said "Did he win?" he said "No, the Accords were signed. When Downworlders saw the Clave turn on Valentine and his circle in their defense, they realized Shadowhunters were not their enemies. Ironically with his insurrection, Valentine made the Accords possible. I apologize this must be a dull history lesson for you. That was Valentine. A firebrand, a visionary, a man of great personal charm and conviction. And a Killer." A cat jumped into my lap and purred as I said "Actually I love history and folklore so it's really interesting." He said "How old are you?" he looked confused. I pet the fat blue Persian curled on my lap as I said "14." he said, "You sure?" I giggled "Yes I'm sure, I'm a nerd get over it." he said "But you don't like to read?" I said "You misunderstood, I don't like to read novels. I read folklore, myths, and history." He said "You are a strange little girl, but you are free to explore, don't go in the basement, don't go into other people's rooms, and don't leave the building. Understood?" I saluted him "Yes sir." and walked out.