Distractions

Forty-Six: New Things

First part of part three! Who else is excited for the drama? This chapter is rather short, but it's setting up the final act so it's fine.

Fire raged and words echoed as Everest echoed Izzy's words. "Entreat me not to leave thee, or return from following after thee—for whither thou goest, I will go, and where thou lodgest, I will lodge. Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God. Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried. The Angel do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me," she said, never more sure of herself than she was in that moment. She and Izzy had been waiting for this for a long time—Izzy even longer than her.

Together, they drew the Parabatai runes on each other's wrists and stepped into the inner circle. The fire died once they were done. Immediately, Everest could feel the difference. There was a small tug in the back of her mind, and if she followed it, she was hyper aware of Izzy and what was going on with her.

"Woah," she breathed out.

Alec laughed. "Yeah, the hyperawareness is a lot. It fades after a while, though."

Clary hugged both women with a laugh. "That was wild to watch."

"I'm sure."

"Let's go celebrate with the others, yeah?" Izzy suggested, taking Everest's hand.

"Let's."

...

"What is it, Sunny?" Everest asked between giggles as Izzy dragged her and Clary through the Institute.

"Izzy, what do you have to show us?" Clary asked, also laughing.

Izzy pulled them into the weapons room. "Well, now that you have your angelic runes, it is my honor, as the new weapons master, to help you choose your signature weapon."

"Wait, you're the new weapons master? Izzy, that is perfect for you," Clary said.

Everest beamed at her Parabatai. She was so proud of her.

"This isn't about me," she said, even as she flushed lightly. "It's about you. Alec has his bow and arrows, Jace has his seraph blade and I have my whip. Now it's your guys' turn."

Izzy entered a code on her keyboard and soon panels opened all over the room revealing rows and rows of weapons. It was a little overwhelming.

"How do we choose?"

"Follow your gut."

Everest wandered between the rows, hands grazing the weapons. None of them felt right. She distantly recognized Izzy and Clary talking, but she wasn't focused enough to make out words. She assumed Clary had found her weapons.

Suddenly, as if fate, she stopped and turned. She smiled and pulled the weapon from the rack, tracing the runes etched into the material.

"I thought you'd pick that one," Izzy mused from behind her.

Everest jumped slightly. "Oh yeah?" she asked teasingly. "What made you so sure?"

"One, it's a gun, and you fight better with a gun than you do any sword. Two, I kinda had it commissioned for you."

Everest looked away from the rune covered gun in surprise. "Wait, what? Really?"

Izzy grinned. "Really. I figured that if a mundane gun with runed bullets worked, then why not try and rune the entire gun? It works like a charm, by the way. I had Alec test it out for me, since he's the only other person in the Institute who's ever shot a gun before."