🌃 Eruleum's King

• Chapter 31 • Riddle •

As expected, facing Maryse and Luke had been quite terrifying.
Both, concerned, had wrapped those kids into their arms, but scolded them as well, between high concern, high relief to have them back and astonishment to see Harry.

-It is incredible how you take your eyes off them a second and they are already searching for trouble.

Luke was leaning against the Institute's gate, watching the kids entering the building, Maryse, arms crossed, by his side, as he smiled.

-Maybe I should lock them in their rooms for a while. -Maryse chuckled and sighed, her heart still felt heavy and accelerated when thinking about the children risking their lifes in another dimension.

-Well, how to blame them? We also got in trouble several times...

Impossible to forget those days where they sneaked, spent hours outside having ready an excuse for when they returned home.
Both looked at each other and bursted into laughter, as the teenagers they once were.

Their eyes met for a moment, gleamy, as if years had not passed, as if they were trapped in those childhood moments.

-Will we ever learn? -Luke's lips softly curved into a smile, watched that woman he still loved madly and his finger delicately placed a strand of hair behind her ear.

Of course that wasn't right, Maryse thought. She was married... 

Married to a husband that did not seem to care if he could lose her, that preferred to pretend having the perfect family.

And then, there was Luke... That kind man, sweet, caring... The one she never got to have a chance with and all because she was a Shadowhunter, destinied to marry one of her kind. But... Was that really the reason or fear had been hiding behind that glass that seemed about to break.

Maybe they were not noticing, but they were closer and gazing each other, letting out silent words they both were able to guess.

Just a brief second, a glimpse of time tore that atmosphere they created.

Robert Lightwood walked to them, confident but terrifying steps that no one could ignore.

His eyes traveled from Luke to his wife, ignoring the warewolf as if he was only part of his imagination.

-Come with me, Maryse. We should talk. -He supposed that Maryse would want to stay with the other man a bit longer, but Robert wasn't willing to wait. -Now. 

-Just a minute, alright? I will go to your office. -She, used to maintain a firm posture, serious attitude, a never shaking voice tone, looked into Robert's eyes. How much he had changed her... How much she was just a machine that adopted his methods... Maybe she could start working by herself.

-I said, now... It's about our sons and daughter. About what they did... About what you let them do...

Luke's hands clenched into fists, a deep breath to attempt to calm himself even if he firmly believed that Robert deserved to see the warewolf he could turn into.

He was about to talk and probably Maryse knew. Her fingers brushed Luke's fist. Wether if she did it on purpose or not, was a mystery.

-Yes, you are right... We should talk... It is new that your family concerns you that much...

Her words came out smoothly, her voice steady and her eyes burning with that rage she always forced herself to contain.

However, she turned to Luke, smiled at him and touched his shoulder before leaving first to the interior of the Institute. 

Robert was pretty conscious of the power Maryse had, but never expected it to turn against him.

For a moment, watched Luke, he just raised his eyebrows, not bothering to hide his smile and Robert clenched his jaw, seconds later followed his wife.
Luke had no doubt that the Lightwood man did not deserved a woman like Maryse at all.