The Mortal Instruments | Shadowhunters

06. Five Dimensional Door

Madame Dorothea's apartment seemed to have roughly the same layout as Clary's, though she'd made a very different use of the space. The entryway, reeking of incense, was hung with bead curtains and astrological posters. One showed the constellations of the zodiac, another a guide to Chinese characters with magical meanings, which Daphne looked over with a critical eye. Another showed a hand with fingers spread, each line on the palm carefully labeled. 

One of the bead curtains rattled, and Madame Dorothea poked her head through. "Interested in palmistry?" she said, noticing Daphne's gaze. "Or just nosy?"

"I'm interested in anything there is to learn." The girl replied, not looking up from her hand. "Palmistry isn't an exact art, but it's been proven true on occasion."

"Can you really tell fortunes?" Clary asked Madame Dorothea in surprise.

"My mother had a great talent. She could see a man's future in his hand or the leaves at the bottom of his teacup. She taught me some of her tricks." She transferred her gaze to Jace. "Speaking of tea, young man, would you like some?"

"What?" Jace said, looking flustered.

"Tea. I find it both settles the stomach and concentrates the mind. Wonderful drink, tea."

"I'll have some." Daphne said. "I love tea."

Jace succumbed. "All right. As long as it isn't Earl Grey," he added, wrinkling his fine-boned nose. "I hate bergamot."

"I adore Earl Grey." Daphne said. "I'd happily accept that if you have some of it." She sounded like she hoped the woman did, if just to annoy Jace.

Madame Dorothea cackled loudly and disappeared back through the bead curtain, leaving it swaying gently behind her.

Clary raised an eyebrow at Jace. "You hate bergamot?"

Jace had wandered over to the narrow bookshelf and was examining its contents. "You have a problem with that?"

"You may be the only guy my age I've ever met who knows what bergamot is, much less that it's in Earl Grey tea."

"Yes, well," Jace said, with a supercilious look, "I'm not like other guys. I'm better."

"At the Institute we have to take classes in basic medicinal uses for plants." Daphne told Clary. "It's required."

"I figured all your classes were stuff like Slaughter 101 and Beheading for Beginners."

Jace grabbed a book and flipped through it. "Very funny, Fray."

Clary whirled on him. "Don't call me that."

He glanced up, surprised. "Why not? It's your last name, isn't it?"

Clary turned her back, blinking angrily. "No reason." 

Daphne looked at her curiously, her assessing look making Clary shiver. "I see," was all she said. 

"This must be the trash she keeps up front to impress credible mundanes," Jace said, sounding disgusted. "There's not one serious text here."

"Just because it's not the kind of magic you do—," Clary began crossly.

Jace scowled furiously, silencing her. "We don't do magic," he said. "Get it through your head: Human beings are not magic users. It's part of what makes them human. Warlocks can only use magic because they have demon blood."

Clary took a moment to process this. "But I've seen you guys use magic. You use enchanted weapons—"

"We use tools that are magical." Daphne shook her head. "And just to be able to do that, we have to undergo rigorous training. The rune tattoos on our skin protect us too. If you tried to use one of the seraph blades, for instance, it'd probably burn your skin, maybe kill you."