Scars of her Blood • Shadowhunters

Chapter 38: Work on your Attitude

"Why is the Seelie Queen not here yet?", Celia asked, while she was tapping her finger on the table repeatedly, "you invited me to come to this meeting only two hours before it was supposed to start and I am still more on time than her."

Raphael shrugged but did not answer. Luke had apparently been against inviting Celia in the first place and Magnus seemed to be lost in thought. Before Celia could start another round of complaining, the door of the bar opened and Meliorn stepped in, accompanied by two Seelie knights. Without saying a single word, he positioned himself in front of the table.

"Meliorn", Luke greeted him, "what happened to your face?"

Celia had made the same observation, even though she would not have spoken of it right after the greeting. Fresh scars were covering the left side of Meliorn's face, to Celia's trained eye they definitely looked like burns.

"Punishment from the Queen for helping Clary Fairchild enter one of the realms.", he answered, his tone almost indifferent.

"Well, it's good to see you.", Luke continued.

"I would say the same...", Meliorn answered, his face still made of stone, "... but sadly I am incapable of lying."

Celia scoffed. Next to her, Raphael looked like he just wanted to leave already.

"Shall we get this over with?", Meliorn asked.

"Please.", Celia stated, "even though it seems you have already made your decision on how this evening is going to end.", she pointed at the traditional armor that the three Seelies were wearing – a sign of war. But Meliorn just gave her a stern look and sat down.

On the other side of the table, Luke took a deep breath:

"So, I assume you all know why I called you here?"

"I've heard rumors...", Raphael mumbled.

"Unfortunately, the rumors are true", Luke continued, "Valentine wants to use the Soulsword to decimate the entire Downworld. And he needs Clary to activate it."

"Do you have a plan?", Raphael really was not in the mood to beat around the bush.

"Well, we can't defeat Valentine on our own. But together", Luke paused to look around the table, "we may have a shot."

Magnus leaned forward:

"Whatever it is, we cannot let him get to Clary."

"I agree.", Meliorn said. Something in his voice made Celia more attentive to what would come next, "But on behalf of the Seelie Queen, I would like to propose an alternative: Execute Clary Fairchild on sight."

Celia shrugged:

"Exactly what I said. Just that he will literally fight you on this.", she pointed at Luke, who looked ready to jump at Meliorn. But Magnus stretched out his arm, signaling him to calm down:

"Do you care to rethink that?", he asked Meliorn.

"You would be rotting in the City of Bones if it would not have been for Clary!", Luke growled.

"And I am only returning the favor. By killing her, I am saving you all from yourselves.", Meliorn looked at each of them, "this council is biased. You have all become way too involved with the Shadowhunters.", he nodded towards each of them, one after the other, "Jocelyn Fairchild. Alec Lightwood. And you...", he glanced at Raphael, "Isabelle?"

Then he turned his head towards Celia. She assumed that he was going to comment on how she literally grew up with the Lightwoods. But she was faster than him: