Clockwork Heart | ✓

undecim.

London, 1903

Brooklyn and Will were the only ones that actually showed up to breakfast the next morning, the day of the Enclave meeting. The Institute's cook, Bridget, shook her head at the empty dining room. Cyril, a servant--among other things--continuously was in and out of the kitchen, running food out to the other Shadowhunters of the Institute.

"Where is everyone?" Brooklyn asked and sipped her tea.

"Preparing for the Enclave meeting," he said. "Everyone must get ready to deal with the Lightworms. And Tatiana, I suppose."

Brooklyn snorted, nearly spitting out her tea. "I thought Cecily is your younger sister?"

"Oh, she is." He said with laughter in his blue eyes. "I disowned her after she married Gabriel. Gideon I wouldn't have minded, but Gabriel..."

She knew, of course, that he was joking. Most things with Mr. Herondale were a joke. "Tessa is preparing for an argument. Grace is younger than most of our children and nieces and nephews and our children's parabatais, and yet Tatiana always pushes for her to sit in on Enclave meetings. Since most of this will concern you, we'll be letting all of you sit in."

"She isn't happy about that." Brooklyn said. "Tatiana, I mean. She isn't happy that I'll be there."

Will sat down the newspaper he was looking over and leaned forward. "I'm going to be quite honest with you right now. Tatiana is not happy that a mundane will be sitting in on an Enclave meeting, whether it has to do with you or not. Be prepared for her and Grace to treat you poorly."

Brooklyn shrugged. "I handled hostility from James, Matthew, and Cordelia when I first arrived. I can handle two spoiled, disgruntled Shadowhunters."

Will simply grinned. "I can see now why you fit in so well with them." Brooklyn didn't question why.

All of the Shadowhunters greeted her warmly. Brooklyn had dressed in one of her light blue gowns, which all of the girls complimented a lot and Lucie and Cordelia took rightful credit for choosing. She stood next to James while meeting people, and he pointed out Grace and Tatiana.

Tatiana must have been beautiful when she was younger, but that beauty was overshadowed by a permanent scowl and a nasty look in her eyes. Brooklyn barely spared Grace more than a glance before leaning over and whispering to James, "For all the ranting and raving you did about that girl, I did expect her to be more beautiful."

"She is beautiful." James said. "Not as beautiful as you, of course. But she isn't that awful to look at."

"Well, perhaps it's the fact that I know what's inside," Brooklyn said. "Or that she looks like every other California girl."

"She does?"

"Oh, yes." Brooklyn said. "And she seems to think she's the best damn thing to grace the surface of the earth like all of them, too."

James snorted loudly as he lead her to a seat. "Are all Americans as blunt and heartless as you?"

"I don't know," Brooklyn said. "I've never left California." They took seats together, and everyone else sat down, too.

Tatiana and Grace, at the end of the table, did not. "William," Tatiana said. "Why are there so many underage Shadowhunters at an Enclave meeting?"

"Your daughter is here," Will replied coolly. "If you want your daughter included, our children will be included."

"And why is a mundane here?" Her nose twitched, and she eyed Brooklyn like she was some new species of bug that she did not want to touch. Disgusted.