GENESIS: A RIGHT TO STAND (Book One) • SHADOWHUNTERS

RESCUED

There was something crushing her chest. It was heavy and immovable. She struggled to breathe—

    Spencer opened her eyes to a faceful of blue-grey fur.

    "Church," she said, and the car swung his head around to stare at her.

    "Row," he chirped, sitting up. Spencer gave him a rub behind the ears and the cat purred loudly. She carefully picked him up and moved him down to the foot of the bed.

    Spencer sat up. She was back in the Institute, in the room Alexander had given her. Had it all been a dream? But her aching head and bruised limbs told her she had not. The slice on her palm she had given herself still stung, but was now bandaged.

    She clenched her fist. She had killed a demon. All by herself. It had even disappeared, in the same way Jace had said it would that night at Pandemonium.

    And now, Spencer was back at the Institute, where she had escaped from in the first place.

    The door opened, and Isabelle entered. She wore a blue singlet and jeans, with her black hair in two thick braids. She was holding a silver tray, which she set down on the dresser. Turning back to the bed, she noticed Spencer sitting up. "You're finally awake." Any trace of the friendliness she had shown on Monday night was gone, replaced by icy disdain. Isabelle glanced at Church. "That cat hasn't left your bed since Alec brought you back."

    Spencer watched her move around the room, opening curtains—different than the ones she had used for her rope, Spencer noted guiltily—and pulling clothes from the armoire.

    "These are mine," Isabelle said, "but feel free to use them. I don't wear them anymore, and you look similar to my size." She pointed to the wardrobe. "Help yourself." She tossed a pair of leggings and a shirt onto the bed, startling Church.

    "Bathroom's through there." She indicated a door next to the wardrobe. "There's tea on the dresser and a couple of ginger biscuits. Hodge's instructions—you puked all over the front steps, and throughout the night. They'll settle your stomach."

    Spencer nodded mutely. She could tell she was angry with her, but didn't know why Isabelle cared enough to be. Maybe Alexander had told her what she'd said about Shadowhunters.

   "Hodge will be down to see you in a bit," Isabelle continued. "He's talking to the other mundane at the moment. Stay here and don't go anywhere," she added, annoyance entering her voice. She picked up a bucket that was sat by the bed. From the way Isabelle wrinkled her nose, Spencer could tell it wasn't anything nice. 

    "Okay," Spencer replied.

    "Let's hope you can follow orders," Isabelle said, as though Spencer hadn't spoken. In truth, Spencer felt too ill to go anywhere, much less to find Hodge.

    Just as Isabelle went to exit, Spencer called her name. "Isabelle?"

    The other girl paused in the doorway, listening.

    "I'm sorry," Spencer said.

    Isabelle only nodded, closing the door.

* * *

After a hot shower and some tea, Spencer felt almost as good as new. She ached a little less and the biscuits had indeed helped to calm her stomach. She dressed in the clothes Isabelle had picked out for her and sat on the bed.

    Church had left a few minutes ago, after scratching on the door the entire time she was in the shower, so she had nothing to entertain her. Instead, she looked around the room.